deercountry | yes I knew it was no moonshine, it is real

[anxious and irritable are inevitable in trench - but this is some bullshit. vi hasn't yet learned all of the ways to manage her newfound anxiety. who knew that the music works almost as well as the meditation? not this lady, but...]

Party's not over yet. But yeah, this I can deal with.

[she's two ciders in, and about to chug this next one fairly happily. she'll need something stronger if she wants it to make a difference, so she's mostly just drinking to drink. a bit of a fidget, and the taste of the cider's pretty good.]

Good mask. Cats are where it's at.

[ Cats are okay, as animals go. Perhaps. She hasn't had many interactions with domestic cats. She's never had a pet, and she lived most of her life far from other people. The wild ones, though, the big ones that can tear your throat out? She has respect for those.

Maybe that's what will make it more bearable when she's turned into some sort of feline hybrid in the next few days. ]

Picked it 'cause it matches this little bastard.

[ A shadowy leopard manifests at her side, yowling crankily. ]

[vi has never had a pet either - the undercity had its share of stray (and strange) animals - but prison? well, even the rats were few and far between, there.]

Somebody else got a mouthy bastard on Omen day? Here I thought it was ju----

[an outpour of dramatic smoke, and a dogwolf just giving vi the stinkeye.]

---oh, hey Fang.

ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ɪ ᴄᴀɴ ʜᴇᴀʀ ʏᴏᴜ. ᴀꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴏᴜᴛʜʏ. ᴘᴏᴛ, ᴋᴇᴛᴛʟᴇ, ᴠɪᴏʟᴇᴛ.

This is a regular picnic, is it not? I do so love a picnic. Take heed, Kainé, I shan't have you slandering me in front of strangers.

[ Kainé rolls her eyes as her Omen registers his own demand for respect. Why does he have to talk so much like him anyway? ]

Yeah, looks like it.

Edited 2022-10-24 05:19 (UTC)

[a little nod toward the leopard omen.] In some circles, mouthy bastard is a compliment. Plus, she matched you. Probably also a compliment, even if it's backhanded.

[you know, in case that helps.]

Anyway. [a matching eyeroll because omens.] Back to the thing at hand, or the thing in hand. [a raise of her bottle and there goes the rest of it.]

ɪ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴀ ᴘɪᴄɴɪᴄ. ʙᴜᴛ ɪꜰ ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜɪꜱ? ɪ ʟɪᴋᴇ ɪᴛ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ. ɪ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪꜱʜ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴛʜɪɴɢꜱ ꜰᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ. ɪ ᴄᴀɴɴᴏᴛ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴀ ᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ ɪꜱ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ. ɪᴛ ɪꜱ ʜᴀʀᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʜᴀꜱᴇ ɪɴ ᴀ ᴄʀᴏᴡᴅ.

[call her mouthy? she'll talk, then. and so will violet after a moment, because she's getting the impression that fang is judging her for rudeness. which is ...another pot/kettle thing all on its own.]

I'm Vi. I've seen you before, but I don't think we've---nah, I'd remember you if we'd met.

[ Kainé snorts. A fellow graduate of the academy of sarcastic wit. ]

I'm stuck with this furball whether I want him or not. [ She reaches down, reaches her hand through it's head as if to ruffle its fur. He doesn't come out often, but she's not complaining. ] Kainé. I'm a hunter.

[ If Vi was being rude, Kainé sure as hell doesn't care. Manners have never been her strong suit. Her Omen on the other hand, seems to be enjoying the attention. ]

Is it? I care not for the foolish games these mortals invent.

[ She shrugs, and tips back her beer. ]

[vi can't help but smile at the banter between the two of them - as much as she complains, and it isn't always, she is grateful for fang's assistance when the omen chooses to give it.]

Ah, that's it! I was thinking Outpost, but that's a ..well, that's Hunters, too. A lot of us to go around. Then again...

[one hand flies up in a gesture of all of this - there are a lot of beasts to go around, too. so better too many hunters than too few, right?]

Good to meet you, Kainé.

ɪᴛ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴜᴘꜱᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇɪʀ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅᴇ, ɪ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ. ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴀᴅᴇ ɪꜰ ᴡᴇ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ. ᴡᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ꜰʀɪɢʜᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ. ᴄᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ꜱɪᴢᴇ?

[you know what. if her omen wants to let loose, she's not going to comment. the idea of a giant wolfdog just lurking hugely on a float is enough to make her almost sputter, but she holds it in.]

Hey Fang, before you get all big, or climb a building or sit on a float or whatever? You think you could grab me another two ciders? [she turns to kainé.] You want something too?

[ She shrugs. She knows a few networks of people, but she's not the type to keep up with what everybody in town is doing. ]

Huh? Don't think I've met 'em. As long as Trench is what it is, there's gonna be more of us than you can shake a stick at.

I suppose I could, at that. How pleasant it shall be to have a merry stroll.

[ Kainé looks down at her Omen, gives him a nod. Why not? He doesn't show his face very much, so if it wants to get out for once, she doesn't mind indulging it a little. ]

Go for it, fuzzball. Just try not to start any trouble. I'll have a couple ciders too.

[vi tries not to, but she fails. she also tries to, and fails at that. it's a curse of knowing too many people, and maybe spreading herself a bit too tin, but she'll never admit that.]

And that's good. As long as we outnumber the beasts. They're uh, well, we're building a fortress outside Trench. Just in case.

[she will first pad over to where cider's being slung, increasing in size as she goes nearly immediately returning with six bottles curled in her very long tail, which she extends toward the sleepers. but not without comment. (how to hold three bottles? not her problem, sorry not sorry.)]

ᴠɪᴏʟᴇᴛ ꜱᴀɪᴅ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴜᴘʟᴇ, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ꜱʜᴇ ᴍᴇᴀɴᴛ ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ. ᴛʜʀᴇᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ᴇᴀᴄʜ.

[fang shoots a grin at the omen that is all teeth and mischief. she wonders just how big can they grow? she's never tested this.]

ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢɢᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴇʀʀɪᴇʀ, ɪ ꜱᴀʏ. ɪꜰ ɪ ᴀᴍ ᴠᴇʀʏ ꜱᴛɪʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʟᴀʀɢᴇ, ɪ ʙᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴘᴜʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴀʟᴏɴɢ ᴏɴ ᴏɴᴇ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜰʟᴏᴀᴛꜱ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴡʜᴇᴇʟꜱ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʏ ᴡᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴋɴᴏᴡ. ɪ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴘʀᴀᴄᴛɪᴄᴇ ᴍʏ ꜱᴘᴇᴇᴄʜ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇʀʀɪꜰʏɪɴɢ ʟᴀᴜɢʜ. ɪ ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ɢᴇᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ʀɪɢʜᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴘʟᴀᴄᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ɪᴛ?

No better place, if you ask me. Except maybe the party. Go, get your laugh on. Scare the shit out of people. It's what they seem to want this month, so why deny 'em?

[the omen will become bigger by degrees, a shadowy cloud above the parade, though she'll be some distance away before she tests out her monologue skills. will she play a game of chase me chase me with the other omen? absolutely. she will become smoke so that she doesn't crush people or destroy buildings, though. (but making people possibly shit their pants? that's fine!)]

Now all we have to do is stay out of trouble.

[one of those ciders is going in her belt. she can double fist the other two, she guesses.]

[ Kainé's brow furrows, her interest caught. She really should be more conscientious as a hunter, rather than doing it all so ad hoc. It's a good thing she hunts with people that have those sorts of connections. ]

Huh. You'll have to tell me about that.

[ But those serious thoughts are interrupted by the massive shadowy canine returning to them with the requested alcohol. Kainé raises an eyebrow, but it isn't much trouble for her. She just tucks a couple of them into the deep pockets of her long, dark, coat. She pops the last one open and takes a gulp. ]

My, aren't you exuberant? I suppose I'd best keep you from wreaking to much havoc, hound.

[ The omen may say that, but a low, rumbling purr sounds from his chest, and his tail flicks back and forth. ]

Have fun, you two. Use protection if you fuck, we don't need more of you.

[ She waves him off before he can be indignant. ]

Yeah? What's the plan?

[vi laughs at kainé's remark about the omens, and her gaze turns fond as fang enthusiastically and largely lopes off.]

Thank whoever it doesn't work like that. I think? [do omens fuck? they probably don't have to, but they don't have to eat either and ...thanks kainé, that will be keeping her up at night now.] Nope, don't need more of those.

I dunno. Tonight was kind of a fuck plans sort of night. Except for this. [a nod to the parade as it passes. it's loud, bright and seems neverending.]

The Outpost thing's like a failsafe in case Trench shits the bed. It's a bit of a mess out there, still, but there's a fortress, and it's becoming livable. I don't live there, but sometimes I feel like I do. Lots of beasts, like steady waves and they just keep coming. I don't hate that, though.

[a laugh.]

Sometimes staying out of trouble is boring.

[ It's been hundreds of years since humans reproduced through sex in her world anyway— not that anybody knew that, with the way that the androids controlled the cloning systems.

But off the cuff vulgarity is a hallmark of hers, and that disturbing reminder quickly passes. ]

Yeah, plans can suck a dick. [ The beasts don't seem to be out in as much force right now. Maybe this Black Parade thing really works. Gives her a night off at least. ] I don't know what a life without trouble even goddamn looks like.

[off the cuff vulgarity? not minded at all. it's pretty welcome - vi's pretty hard to offend.]

What do you do for fun? Besides fuck shit up? Not that we can't go fuck some shit up, but...

...yeah, there's that whole trouble thing. It finds me. Always has.

[maybe a night off from fighting would be good for her?]

Nothing you'd find exciting. [ Kainé, the absolute people person. ] I'll be singing... with Anna. Like at clubs, that kinda shit. But I still need more practice first.

[ She clears her throat, regretting that she just probably invited this woman to watch. Whoops. ]

I was always trouble.

[ A flat statement that offers no explanation. That's just how it is. ]

So ...mind reading, then? Since you know what excites me. Or what doesn't, I guess. [vi: just rolling with it and cracking jokes.] Wait, really? Like, in Cellar Door maybe?

[she's unable to hide her interest now. she will absolutely come watch them perform. and the odds weren't looking great with all that cider, anyway, so she'll accept this loss.]

And here you are, finding me. But seriously, is it in Cellar Door? Cause if it is, I'm in. Do you two have a band? I'm in if it's somewhere else, too because lamps.

Edited 2022-11-26 02:15 (UTC)

Cellar Door. Fuck, we live in Cellar Door.

[ She shrugs, taking a gulp of cider. She's not sure how she feels about people watching her. Too many things. Things that are hard to admit to feeling. ]

She's been doing shows for a while now. Just thought... I'd be part of them too. Can't really call it a band. It's just us.

Edited 2022-12-02 07:00 (UTC)

So do I. We. We're practically neighbors.

[not literally, it's a big, busy district. but it sounds better than 'we live in the same district'. can a band be two people? maybe? she's not sure what constitutes a band, but it doesn't matter.]

I've been missing out then. Trying to make up for lost time. If I've gotta do that, this is the place for it. What kind of music?

[that small gulp of cider? could also be nerves. is kainé a vileblood? well, just in case, she adds:]

I can cool my engines though, wait til you get comfortable enough if that's a thing. No pressure, just sounds cool.

We're not doing anything together yet. Soon.

[ She's still psyching herself up for it. She's nervous about the crowd, being seen by so many people. ]

She does all kinds of music. I think you'd call it all "rock" though?

[ She's still learning things about the music of Anna's world. There's so much of it. ]

yes I knew it was no moonshine, it is real

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