[Never Mind was the first patron Willow had ever had an encounter with after her arrival in Trench a year ago, and he certainly did leave an impression after his ravens had spirited her and John Gaius away to a horrible, traumatizing boat ride on a river full of blood.
Never mind the anniversary trip that really wasn't any more enjoyable.
She is not really looking to participate in the challenge he's issued this year. Even if it seems simple enough - just talk to someone new. That being said, she also won't turn anyone away either, nor does she intend to stop her visits to the Archives.
Early in the month, she can be found settled into a comfortable chair with her injured leg propped up on a second chair, the threaded cane leaning against her, where it's easy to grab. The book she is reading will be regarding cursed wounds, or magical injuries. Later in the month, once Reaper has removed his bullets and the wound is healing, her focus turns to magic, and protective charms. Either way, her response will be the same when someone approaches. She slides a bookmark in place and closes the book and leaves it sitting on her lap.]
Oh, uh. Hi. Looking to do that thing for Never Mind?
[Incidentally, it's one Xerxes Break who has emerged from the stacks, a pile of books balanced easily on his head like the worst princess ever. His ever present omen trots happily at his heels with his plume of a tail held high, a book with Dragonology: The Complete Book of Dragons emblazoned upon the spine held delicately in his mouth. But Break himself just looks relieved at finally catching sight of another human being.
This may or may not be his first time venturing into the Archives. He may or may not be in way over his head here.]
Ah, is Never Mind up to a thing? [It's still early enough in the month that he hadn't heard.] I don't suppose he's letting us choose for ourselves whether we go on any decidedly unromantic boat rides this year.
[Break is generically aware of Willow's existence. But despite his habit of popping in and out of her (former) house as he pleases to bother half of the other people who live in it, they've never actually crossed paths properly. Truthfully, rattled as he is at the moment, Break doesn't even recognize her offhand as being one of the Clockhouse people at all.]
[Of course she's heard Oscar in particular talk about 'Uncle Break' even though she's never met him herself. She's even been by a time or two to visit the rest of the family staying at his house since the destruction of their own.
The books on his head parse as impressive rather than strange - it's like right out of fairy tale, or an old movie about a kid sent away to boarding school to learn proper manners.
She gives a little nod at his question, and as she does, her Omen sticks his head out from under the chair where he is curled quietly to look at the pair curiously.]
Horror boat trip is still a thing, I guess, but people are turning up here too, to meet and get to know new people for a reward. Which sounds a little less... uh, traumatic, probably?
Feh. There's some horrible catch to it, no doubt. We don't get any sort of reward until we've tossed our debilitating childhood misfortunes out upon the floor to be danced upon or some such --
[Break's cynical grumbling is cut off by Baltus, who tottles to a chair, hops up into it, and places his dragon book carefully upon the table. Then he manages to fold himself up so that he can lean down to peer down at the other omen without getting out of the chair, which is quite a feat when you are as large a noodle dog as Baltus is and probably only possible at all because to all appearances he has no spine.]
...sure, why not. [With a graceful gesture, Break sweeps the book tower from his head to the table, and settles down into another chair. The titles on the spines range from everything to autumn gardening to weirdly specific recipe books to protection spells. Also a Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter.] It's a fine thing to take a rest from time to time, when one is out and about on an adventure.
[Two years in a row, Willow has found herself on the River of Regret with too many dead to even make a guess at the numbers, and both times it's been a traumatizing experience. It's almost enough to make her want to avoid the Archives all together, if only because of the association with Never Mind.]
Yeah. That's usually the way it works around here, but as long as it's not a horrifying boat trip down a river of blood and dead friends, I think I'll consider it a win.
[Puck slinks out from under the chair and stretches. He hops up next to Willow, perching on the side of the chair, so he can peer at the collection of books the pair have brought.
She smiles and reaches over to ruffle the fur between the Omen's ears gently.]
It looks like you two have pretty eclectic tastes in books. I'm Willow, by the way. This is Puck.
[Willow's sensible commentary about taking what victories you can in Trench is met with a noncommittal grunt, mostly because she is right and Break agrees with her. But he is in a grumbly mood, so while Baltus wags his tail a little and gives the both of them a polite "boof" in greeting, grumble Break shall.]
More that it's impossible to find anything in this silly --
[...Willow. Pinged, Break glances up, looking at her with much more interest.]
-- wait. You wouldn't be the Willow associated with Mister Ozpin's group, would you?
[She can't help but be a little cautious when he asks if she's the same Willow associated with Ozpin's group. After July, she assumes most of Trench has probably heard about the harm she and Faith had caused under Corruption's influence. The house has already been destroyed, and her friends killed, and she's still certain it's because of her.
More likely, though, it seems, he probably knows Ozpin or one of their other housemates. It's probably fine.
Haaaaaah. Well then, my name is Xerxes Break, and this one here is Baltus.
[Break grins as though the world has just made a terribly funny joke. He's been just missing this girl for the better part of a year now, despite such incidents as the vampire she kicked out of his own home last January winding up at Break's, and the habit he's developed of meandering in and out of the Clockhouse as though he lives there too thanks to his attachment to Qrow, Ange, and Ruby.
Go figure they'd finally cross paths in a place completely removed from both of those, and goodness knows what she's heard of the mythical Break from Oscar's horrible gossip habit.]
[Willow relaxes immediately and returns the grin. Of course she's heard of Break before. Both Oscar and Ozpin have mentioned him in the past, but of course most of what she knows of him and his house, has come from Oscar himself.]
It's good to meet you too, after all this time.
[She tips her head in acknowledgement to Baltus as well; she's not about to be rude to someone's Omen.]
[Well, he doesn't really know you, but then again that's sort of the entire point of the Never Mind exercise, right? He can't very well do it with someone he already knows. So...]
[The bracelet will probably be helpful, but realistically, unless Oscar gets his own, she'll just give it to him. She likes plants, but he is far more of a farmer than she will ever be.]
Well... we could start small and see where we end up.
It really should. Line everyone up, make them go around the room - we'd have a couple farms set up in no time!
[Maybe that'd be considered cheating the system? But it's just so easy to cheat! Anyway, that's probably not the kind of chatter that really fits the bill...]
So, uh...you've been around a while, right? Didn't I see you around back in Deerington?
[Willow flashes an amused grin at the thought of speed-bracelet acquiring. Might even work, who knows?]
Uhh, yeah. I was in Deerington too - I got there about... six months before everything totally fell apart? Something like that, anyway. I woke up for, like, over a year a couple months after I got there, so sometimes it's kind of hard to keep track of how long it was.
[Johnny honestly wasn't here to do the thing for Nevermind either. He was just looking to find some books on repairing relationships that someone has tanked. Preferably for Dummies. He unfortunately hasn't had much luck and he's about to make a break for the exit when Willow speaks up.
He freezes and turns to face her. The last time he saw her she was murdering him. ...Except she was looking a whole lot more normal this time.]
Uh no... I don't do shit for people.
See you're back in full nerd. Goth not do it for you?
[He's already done Never Mind's challenge, but he figures it couldn't hurt to come do it again. Can he even get another bracelet? He's not sure, but he thinks that he can make a solid argument for doing it for Keith, the socially impaired.
Besides that, he does find the Archives interesting, even if he's not exactly known for being a big books guy. They do have some sweet comics…
He comes upon Willow as she's sitting with her injured leg propped up and something about it catches his attention in a way that makes old wounds pang. Perhaps it's paleblood intuition that draws him to that, though he has no way of knowing the connection or why he has that feeling.
Before he knows it, he's drifted over to her, and her greeting startles him a little.]
Oh. Y-yeah, I guess so. [He visibly recollects himself and shoots her a charming pair of finger guns.] Name's Lance.
Well, I mean, that's what most people are here for, right?
[She offers up a little smile at the finger guns, and gestures to an empty chair in an invitation for him to join her. She knows, of course, that there are still people like her who are coming to the Archives to read, or to research something specific, but Gaze in general seems a lot busier these days with people looking to earn the bracelet.]
Well, some people actually like books, or so I've heard.
[He jokes and then glances to the chair she gestures to then back to her, and his eyes flick over her leg. He's an empath, a weak one, but he's getting a feeling.]
[He wiggles his fingers to represent these vibes. Then winces in sympathy over her explanation. Well, that's not unusual around here, he doesn't know why he was feeling funny about it. But either way, he can help a little if she wants it. He rubs the back of his neck as he offers it.]
Well, I can maybe help with the pain. My blood powers can take it away when I touch people. It works most of the time.
[And it usually gets taken into himself, but his sense of touch is gone this week, so maybe he won't feel it. Maybe.]
[Willow grins at the gesture, but it fades at the offer.]
Oh, uh. I don't know. I don't know if it's a good idea. It's, uh, some kind of cursed wound. We're not super sure what will happen if we mess with it too much. Like, if it will get worse, or...
[It's tempting to let him try, all the same though.]
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deercountry2022-09-19 10:05 pm
Knowledge is Power
Never mind the anniversary trip that really wasn't any more enjoyable.
She is not really looking to participate in the challenge he's issued this year. Even if it seems simple enough - just talk to someone new. That being said, she also won't turn anyone away either, nor does she intend to stop her visits to the Archives.
Early in the month, she can be found settled into a comfortable chair with her injured leg propped up on a second chair, the threaded cane leaning against her, where it's easy to grab. The book she is reading will be regarding cursed wounds, or magical injuries. Later in the month, once Reaper has removed his bullets and the wound is healing, her focus turns to magic, and protective charms. Either way, her response will be the same when someone approaches. She slides a bookmark in place and closes the book and leaves it sitting on her lap.]
Oh, uh. Hi. Looking to do that thing for Never Mind?
Let's meet at last
This may or may not be his first time venturing into the Archives. He may or may not be in way over his head here.]
Ah, is Never Mind up to a thing? [It's still early enough in the month that he hadn't heard.] I don't suppose he's letting us choose for ourselves whether we go on any decidedly unromantic boat rides this year.
[Break is generically aware of Willow's existence. But despite his habit of popping in and out of her (former) house as he pleases to bother half of the other people who live in it, they've never actually crossed paths properly. Truthfully, rattled as he is at the moment, Break doesn't even recognize her offhand as being one of the Clockhouse people at all.]
Hell, yeah!
The books on his head parse as impressive rather than strange - it's like right out of fairy tale, or an old movie about a kid sent away to boarding school to learn proper manners.
She gives a little nod at his question, and as she does, her Omen sticks his head out from under the chair where he is curled quietly to look at the pair curiously.]
Horror boat trip is still a thing, I guess, but people are turning up here too, to meet and get to know new people for a reward. Which sounds a little less... uh, traumatic, probably?
[Hopefully.
She gestures to an empty chair.]
Do you want to sit down?
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[Break's cynical grumbling is cut off by Baltus, who tottles to a chair, hops up into it, and places his dragon book carefully upon the table. Then he manages to fold himself up so that he can lean down to peer down at the other omen without getting out of the chair, which is quite a feat when you are as large a noodle dog as Baltus is and probably only possible at all because to all appearances he has no spine.]
...sure, why not. [With a graceful gesture, Break sweeps the book tower from his head to the table, and settles down into another chair. The titles on the spines range from everything to autumn gardening to weirdly specific recipe books to protection spells. Also a Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter.] It's a fine thing to take a rest from time to time, when one is out and about on an adventure.
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Yeah. That's usually the way it works around here, but as long as it's not a horrifying boat trip down a river of blood and dead friends, I think I'll consider it a win.
[Puck slinks out from under the chair and stretches. He hops up next to Willow, perching on the side of the chair, so he can peer at the collection of books the pair have brought.
She smiles and reaches over to ruffle the fur between the Omen's ears gently.]
It looks like you two have pretty eclectic tastes in books. I'm Willow, by the way. This is Puck.
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More that it's impossible to find anything in this silly --
[...Willow. Pinged, Break glances up, looking at her with much more interest.]
-- wait. You wouldn't be the Willow associated with Mister Ozpin's group, would you?
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More likely, though, it seems, he probably knows Ozpin or one of their other housemates. It's probably fine.
She clears her throat when she answers.]
Uh, yeah. Yeah, that's me. And you are...?
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[Break grins as though the world has just made a terribly funny joke. He's been just missing this girl for the better part of a year now, despite such incidents as the vampire she kicked out of his own home last January winding up at Break's, and the habit he's developed of meandering in and out of the Clockhouse as though he lives there too thanks to his attachment to Qrow, Ange, and Ruby.
Go figure they'd finally cross paths in a place completely removed from both of those, and goodness knows what she's heard of the mythical Break from Oscar's horrible gossip habit.]
A pleasure to meet you at last, I'm sure.
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It's good to meet you too, after all this time.
[She tips her head in acknowledgement to Baltus as well; she's not about to be rude to someone's Omen.]
I've heard a lot about you.
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[Well, he doesn't really know you, but then again that's sort of the entire point of the Never Mind exercise, right? He can't very well do it with someone he already knows. So...]
Fuck it, sure. You wanna do a deep dive?
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Well... we could start small and see where we end up.
[She leans forward to extend a hand.]
I'm Willow.
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[He leans forward to offer her a business-like handshake, then pulls out a seat across the table from her.]
Boy, is this what speed-dating's like?
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[She shakes his hand with a friendly smile.]
I'm not sure, I've never been. It feels like it kind of should be, though, huh?
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[Maybe that'd be considered cheating the system? But it's just so easy to cheat! Anyway, that's probably not the kind of chatter that really fits the bill...]
So, uh...you've been around a while, right? Didn't I see you around back in Deerington?
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Uhh, yeah. I was in Deerington too - I got there about... six months before everything totally fell apart? Something like that, anyway. I woke up for, like, over a year a couple months after I got there, so sometimes it's kind of hard to keep track of how long it was.
What about you? How long were you there for?
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[He waves a hand, smiling.]
I'm like a bajillion years old, we have to have good memories or we'd never get anything done.
I'm so sorry, I lost this tag!
np!
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He freezes and turns to face her. The last time he saw her she was murdering him. ...Except she was looking a whole lot more normal this time.]
Uh no... I don't do shit for people.
See you're back in full nerd. Goth not do it for you?
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Oh, uh...
[She's about to apologize, but instead she falls quiet briefly, and her shoulders slump a little at his remark.]
Ah, no. That's, uh, really not my style... Or the kind of person I want to be.
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Besides that, he does find the Archives interesting, even if he's not exactly known for being a big books guy. They do have some sweet comics…
He comes upon Willow as she's sitting with her injured leg propped up and something about it catches his attention in a way that makes old wounds pang. Perhaps it's paleblood intuition that draws him to that, though he has no way of knowing the connection or why he has that feeling.
Before he knows it, he's drifted over to her, and her greeting startles him a little.]
Oh. Y-yeah, I guess so. [He visibly recollects himself and shoots her a charming pair of finger guns.] Name's Lance.
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[She offers up a little smile at the finger guns, and gestures to an empty chair in an invitation for him to join her. She knows, of course, that there are still people like her who are coming to the Archives to read, or to research something specific, but Gaze in general seems a lot busier these days with people looking to earn the bracelet.]
I'm Willow. Nice to meet you.
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[He jokes and then glances to the chair she gestures to then back to her, and his eyes flick over her leg. He's an empath, a weak one, but he's getting a feeling.]
You too… uh, sorry, does that hurt?
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[Willow raises a hand with a small, amused smile. It fades quickly, though, as he draws attention to her injured leg, and she gives a little nod.]
Uh. Yeah. Yeah. It does. I... kind of got shot. Back in July. Still trying to figure it out.
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[He wiggles his fingers to represent these vibes. Then winces in sympathy over her explanation. Well, that's not unusual around here, he doesn't know why he was feeling funny about it. But either way, he can help a little if she wants it. He rubs the back of his neck as he offers it.]
Well, I can maybe help with the pain. My blood powers can take it away when I touch people. It works most of the time.
[And it usually gets taken into himself, but his sense of touch is gone this week, so maybe he won't feel it. Maybe.]
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[Willow grins at the gesture, but it fades at the offer.]
Oh, uh. I don't know. I don't know if it's a good idea. It's, uh, some kind of cursed wound. We're not super sure what will happen if we mess with it too much. Like, if it will get worse, or...
[It's tempting to let him try, all the same though.]
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[He grins back but then looks concerned when she goes on about the wound. He frowns slightly, brows drawing together.]
…Can I ask what happened? What makes you think it's cursed?
[It's tentative, knowing on a personal level how much someone might not want to answer.]
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