February Catchall

[forwantofahorse]

Who: Sayo and YOU!
What: With Earth Valentine's Day coming up, Sayo is diving into the archives to research The Doorway. Or something like that. Some closed prompts within.
When: Late January and early February!
Where: The Archaic Archives (Mostly)

Content Warnings: Likely Umineko spoilers, minor body horror/corruption may come up.

Comments

OPEN - Lovecraft in Brooklyn

[forwantofahorse]

[There's a new specter haunting the halls of the archives, flitting through its halls and leaving a trail of disturbing whispers in its wake.

Or at least Sayo would like to think that's the impression she gives off, but in reality, she just looks like a massive dork murmuring to herself as she balances a book in one hand, her notebook in the crook of her arm, and a pencil in her non-dominant hand as she meanders through the books and artifacts.

Of course, this arrangement makes it difficult to spot other people who are also attending to their business in the library. She might grab for the same book as you, turn around in a sudden burst of inspiration and drop all her papers, or just bump into you on accident. And each time as she panics, she'll flush red and squeak out a,]

A- Ah! I'm so sorry, um... here, let me get that, oh dear...

[unphase]

[Tinya also went to the archives, hoping they had some information about what this place was and what was expected of them. she keeps thinking that there's something they'll have to do or endure, thanks to the other place.

and Tinya looks overdressed in a white (slip? dress? slip dress?) and a mink coat. not because she's cold, but because she's not sure what's secret and what isn't. she still hasn't told anyone that she can apparently summon fire and she really hasn't told anyone that her inborn powers are on the fritz. she has a book of mythology and folklore she's planning on checking out in hopes that it would give answers.

but she's so caught up in her thoughts that she doesn't see Sayo coming until it was too late. damn this place for taking away her phasing!]

No, it's my fault, too. I was--was thinking too much for my own good and didn't watch where I was going.

[forwantofahorse]

No, no, please don't worry about it, I shouldn't have been multitasking so much-

[So overeager is Shannon to make up for her mistake that when she instinctively bows toward Tinya, she bonks her head against her book and comically falls backward, flat on her back.

Some days, Shannon deliberately played up her clumsiness. Some days, unfortunately, it was all too real. She groans, struggling to get up (and there's an odd clacking sound, too, like wood on wood) until she freezes, realizing something.]

...durlans.

You were the woman who told me about durlans, right? Tinya-san?

[unphase]

No, it's okay, really it is. I was thinking too much and watching my steps too little.

[she's used to that reaction. from Bgztlians. from Sayo, she wants to raise her up to stand. and once she falls over, Tinya offers her a hand up with a murmured "easy now."

she hears the clacking, but it doesn't make sense. Unless all sense and logic have escaped her and she's left to founder entirely on her own. which, she'll be honest. it often felt that way, here and the other world]

Yes! I did! I'm glad you remembered! And there's no need for the "san," just Tinya is fine. I swear it.

[zib]

[The person Sayo bumps into is easy to miss, given how short they are. They also seem to be kind of irritated, at first, upon the accidental physical contact as their own items they were carrying begin to slip from their hands, giving an annoyed hiss before they manage to reign it in. Don't be getting mad, Zib, it was just an accident...]

It's... it's fine, you don't have to apologize. Here.

[He hands her one of her papers that ended up hitting him in the face here when they were dropped. But, perhaps the more interesting thing of note is how what looks like a metal cable has slipped out from under the hood he's wearing over his head, and has begun using the claw-like appendage on the end to start picking up the rest of whatever it can reach that's fallen to the ground.]

[forwantofahorse]

No, no, I-

[Her once doe-like eyes sharpen into something dangerous when she sees the metal cable slither along the ground. If Trench has taught her anything during her relatively short time here, it's that a fast reaction time is often the line between life and death. Her gaze snaps upward, looking behind Zib for the source of the claw, hand going to her side... before she realizes that it is, in fact, coming from the interior of his hoodie.

Well. That's embarrassing. She flushes red, back to being doe-eyed and innocent.]

O- Oh. Um, I'm sorry...

[zib]

[Zib does indeed notice that initial reaction, and for a split second, he winces as if preparing to be attacked. When it doesn't happen, and she relaxes, he does too.]

It's fine, don't worry about it.

[There's a pause, before he then smiles in a manner that is almost certainly self-depracting as he focuses again on gathering up the fallen objects.]

In fact, that's probably the normal reaction a person should have to seeing it. Or at least it should have been back home.

[onerthes]

Oh, think nothing of it. Let me help.

[The purple haired, pale, three-eyed woman knelt down to help collect their things. Among the books that she'd been carrying when she herself dropped one or two were a pair of titles. 'History of Blood Crazed Zealots' and 'On Metamorphosis'. She scooped them up, setting them to the side and helping the girl with her notes. She had a faintly studious look about her, despite the smiles, like her mind was pretty focused as well.]

What brings you to Mutter, my dear?

[forwantofahorse]

[There's an odd clacking sound, like wood on wood, as Sayo clumsily scoops up her miscellaneous books, notes, and half-chewed pencils (her snaggletooth makes the casualties of nervous tics brutal to look at, if any survive at all). However, when she instinctively reaches for On Metamorphosis, she pauses.]

Er... books like that, actually. Kind of. May I take a peek?

Re: OPEN - Lovecraft in Brooklyn

[imaglyphwitch]

[Luz had also wound up in the archives today: she'd promised herself that she was going to look up more information about Trench and look into this corruption business. She had already started to bring out some books, quietly sequestering a little nook for herself complete with a blanket and that cool cloak she'd gotten last month. It was a cozy little spot, and Luz was pouring through the books when someone bumped into her table].

Oh man, your papers! Here, give me a sec.

[Luz brought herself up from her sweet little spot to try and help retrieve the fallen documents, her omen and Owlbert both casting her a look, since they'd both also gotten into a comfy spot with Luz there].

Are you all right?

[forwantofahorse]

[As someone who is familiar with anime, Luz has likely seen the clumsy maid pratfall several times, but this is likely the first occasion that she's witnessed it performed with picture-perfect comedic timing in real life. Just about the only thing missing is the ditzy stylized spiral eyes, and Luz can almost see those if she squints hard enough.]

Ahahaha... I'm fine... um, sorry for messing up your notes...

[There's an odd creaking sound as she staggers to her feet.] Oh! Your owl is adorable.

[frogfear]

[Willow is always happy to see a familiar face at the Archives, even now that the issues at home seem to have largely settled down.]

Shannon! Hey!

[She calls out just as Sayo's turning around anyway, and winces sympathetically when she drops her papers, and immediately goes to help clean up the mess.]

Sorry... Here, let me help.

[forwantofahorse]

Willow-san! I-

[And there go her papers. She a brief spike of panic races up her spine when she realizes that all of her notes and metaphorical red string is available for Willow to see, before remembering Chara's lecture to her (before the argument before the eleven year-old child got huffy over being called eleven and left). It'd make less sense for Shannon to not at least try to take some initiative to protect herself than if she was a perfect maid doll content with sweeping the floors at Clockhouse.]

Thank you... and, um, thank you for giving me that tour a few weeks ago. I don't think I would've taken the jump to enroll myself if it wasn't for you, hehe.

CLOSED TO ANGE - Transcendental Youth

[forwantofahorse]

[As much of a nightmare as parts of the night out at the Snake Den were, there is one moment crystal clear in Sayo's mind that stands out with its warm glow, almost like a fairytale.

Which is a pity, since Sayo would much rather forget it and move on.

But no matter how hard she tries, she can't get Mara out of her mind. Or heart, apparently. She occasionally catches herself daydreaming about another dance, or doodling her stupidly chiseled face in her notebook, or-

Normally, it would be Kanon's job to handle all of these feelings. With Ange around, though, that isn't an option. And so Sayo is stricken, like a lovesick Victorian maiden... until she gets a brilliant, mad idea.

Shannon, for once, isn't compulsively cleaning the house when Ange runs into her. In fact, she's pacing back in forth in front of Ange's room, looking nervous.]

Um... Ange-san, can we talk? In private?

[entreats]

[ .. huh.

This is an unexpected situation to Ange, and the fact that it is shows up on her face as well. Not with some huge surprise, since this is still Ange we're talking about, but her eyebrows definitely shoot up at the sight.

There's obviously something wrong with how nervous the other is looking, but Ange has no idea what it could be. ]

Sure. [ The answer is the same though, regardless of the surprise - or lack thereof. ] Do you want to talk in my room? Ruby probably won't be coming home until later.

[ And aside from her girlfriend-slash-roommate, all the other people in the house should know better than to just barge into Ange's room without knocking. So they should have some privacy. ]

[forwantofahorse]

R- Right. Ruby. Yes. Um. Your room sounds good? [she squeaks, and then scurries inside in a manner that befits her current flustered tone. Most of the time, the easily-flustered maiden is a cold, calculating act. Some days, though, it's 100% genuine.

As soon as Ange comes inside, Shannon slams the door shut with surprising force, turns to Ange, and just... freezes for a moment, trying to think of something to say that doesn't make her sound like a complete idiot.

Unfortunately, that's impossible.]

You're, er. Um. You're a lesbian, right?

How do you, uh. How do you lesbian.

CLOSED TO QROW - Amy a.k.a. Spent Gladiator 1

[forwantofahorse]

[Ozpin's coming back to Clockhouse. Which is good, for most people there. He was a stabilizing influence and a pillar of many of the residents' lives.

Not so for Sayo, who was still having trouble getting rid of the lingering grudge from when his vampire thirst made her a target; her spite only growing with the accumulation of petty slights and behavior that was offputtingly reminiscent of Kinzo. If she didn't want to make her life miserable by constantly tamping down the simmering pot of irritation, she'd need to exorcise it via an elaborate magical ritual.

i.e., a prank.

It was simple. The classic bucket prank, with several bells, whistles, and other pratfalls attached in a Rube Goldberg-esque series devices which would leave him thoroughly discombobulated and humiliated when he opened the door to his study, but also completely unharmed. See, she was trying to do better!

Unfortunately, such a complex contraption gives other people time to spy her setting it up. Such as one Qrow.]

[bolstafir]

[With things more or less resolved, Qrow's return to the Clockhouse is largely uneventful. For his own part, he expects little to go amiss until the next thing the town throws at them, so it's really only coincidence (and perhaps misfortune, at least for Sayo) that has him walking by the study as she is setting up her elaborate prank.

Well. Everything sure does happen a lot, doesn't it. But here's the thing--Qrow's the sort that runs on a fairly chaotic gremlin energy himself, so he isn't particularly offended to see this trap getting set up in Ozpin's study, or anything like that. He might have even birded up and lurked on a windowsill to watch it go down .... except.

He settles in at the entryway, leaning up against the door jamb before he points to some particular mechanism in the contraption Sayo's making.]

That's going to get stuck.

[He has far too much experience being hypervigilant for things that could fall or break or otherwise have problems not to notice that there's a flaw in the way this machine is set up.]

[forwantofahorse]

[Sayo nods, deep in thought as she inspects the mechanism in question. Her specialty is in illusion, not in ridiculous scientific locked room tricks, so it's no wonder that she didn't notice. Lips pursed, she begins repairing the fault.]

Oh, thank you, I hadn't noticed. In retrospect, I probably should've asked Satoko-san if-

[Wait. No. That wasn't Kanon's voice. Sayo freezes, neck joints creaking as she judders around to face Qrow.]

Eh.

[What she's seeing finally processes.]

EH?!

[Sayo jumps three feet straight up in the air, hitting her head on part of the contraption, stumbling back in a daze, and ending up right in the target area for the (thankfully empty as of this moment) bucket of water to tumble end over end and land snugly on top of her head. She staggers back and forth, bumps into a wall, and topples over flat on her back.]

...ow.

CLOSED TO ILLARION - Harlem Roulette

[forwantofahorse]

[Sayo wanted to trust the other inhabitants of Clockhouse. She knew by now that they were all good, kind people (with the exception of Ozpin, as she's still having a hard time convincing herself that he is no way like Kinzo); good, kind people that a shabby thing such as her didn't deserve, but good, kind people nonetheless.

Despite that, this errand was had to stay a stay a secret to add to her growing hoard. If they knew why she was really going to the apothecary in Lumenwood, that would raise far, far more questions than she could answer, particularly from Ange. She already felt shameful and shabby enough even departing for this task, like she was somehow lessening the burden of the penitence she earned just by existing.

But Sayo couldn't take it anymore. Especially knowing that something better was out there if she just reached for it. As irritated as Chara was still at her, Sayo would have to thank them for the books they linked her. Maybe, just maybe, she could crawl her way toward being truly human with the "hormone replacement therapy" that she's read about. (Not that there was anything to replace in the first place; Sayo snorts derisively at the thought.)

There is an important practical concern to wandering the streets of Trench in the latest hours of afternoon on an errand that no one knew about, though. Namely that Sayo was, compared to most denizens of Trench, very helpless, and she wasn't accompanied by anyone who could ward off prowling Beasts and other monsters.

If nothing else, Sayo was very, very good at running... but she knows these streets less than the Beast who once lived here, and without any hardcore parkour skills, she can't scale a sheer wall.

Gritting her teeth, Sayo turns on a heel, unholstering both of her Winchesters and unloading them into the monster. The bullets of mystery pierce its hide, digging into its skin, but a "bear that everyone believes to be a large monster" in a classical mystery is hardly something that can be brought down by a few shotgun shells, no matter how well-aimed. Especially not when it's actually a horribly mutated Beast, even with Sayo's Darkblood powers working their mystery on it.

At least the sound of the shots ringing out may have attracted some welcome, if unfamiliar, attention.]

slides in here on stocking feet

[unsheathedfromreality]

[Gunfire had been so large a part of Illarion's aural world back home that the relative--relative, compared to a war zone, an active battlefront--dearth of it in Trench had been a relief, at first. Then he'd grown resensitized to it and its messages of immediate danger, and decided as a Hunter it was his duty to come running at the sound.

As now. He's in Lumenwood himself for medical supplies, and for rumors of a new Beast. The sound of nearby shots, while he's picking through a stack of blood-infused bandages, are worth more than rumors; he drops the cloth and bolts for the door.

No resident of the district, he's nevertheless familiar enough with the area to have a notion of where a cannier Beast might try to drive its prey. The nearest to the shots is also the nearest to him--and more's the luck, as he's running that direction he hears a nearby squeak and ((feels)) a tiny furry body bounding on ahead of him in a purposeful way. One of the Wayward Watcher's rats, doubtless, and her colony's already scouted the trouble. Onward and upward the rat leads him, until they're at a perfect vantage on an overhanging eave to take in the tableau: The Beast, its victim, and the corner they're rapidly backing into.

First objective's to separate then. Illarion palms a glass vial from a pocket, uncaps it, and throws for the narrowing stretch of street between Beast and prey.]

Smoke out!

[The "smoke" that boils from the shattered vial isn't great cover, vaporous wisps no hindrance to human sight. It isn't meant to fend human sight: the dense reek of myrrh and cloves is sufficient to stun a Beast's nose for a few precious seconds, make it reconsider its direction. The shrike draws his knife and leaps into that opening with a shriek, pulling weight and talons inward so that he smashes down on the Beast with force enough to stagger it.]

[forwantofahorse]

[Even if she has no other physical advantages to speak of and has less muscle mass than wet tissue paper, if nothing else, Sayo is fast. Most of that confidence vanishes once she loses the element of surprise and it takes some flailing to regain a fraction of it under normal circumstances, but in that instant, she has enough precision and speed to fire six shotgun shells at gruesome speeds to hit the heads of six targets before they can properly react.

And when Illarion provides the distraction needed to recapture that elusive reagent, Sayo is on the move before the vial even hits the ground. Her dodge is hardly elegant—it's an awkwardly hop followed by a poorly executed lass-scramble rather than a smooth roll—but it does the job, getting her out of the way of the Beast's flailing talons. She lands, tries to take a steadying breath, chokes on the myrrh, clears her head and steadies her aim anyways, and begins unloading more and more shells into the monster's flank as Illarion assaults it from above. If nothing else, its attention should be divided enough to make it an easy kill for the shrike.]

CLOSED TO KAINÉ - Foreign Object

[forwantofahorse]

[Two months ago, Sayo Yasuda had no fear of death. If anything, she welcomed its embrace; the gate to the Golden Land she'd long dreamed of.

Then she found Maria's corpse, neck twisted and marred with bruises in a mockery of the peaceful end that Sayo had intended for her, and it sputtered to life within Sayo again. The face of violence is naked, brutal, and bloody. At the end of the day, there is no elegance or mystery in death, no matter how much she tries to dress it up in closed rooms and fantasy.

Sayo had been made aware of that on Rokkenjima, but it came into sharp focus when the maw of a Beast bore down on her during that twilight trip to Lumenwood. If it hadn't been for Illarion-

Ignoring the shadow of the leviathan looming large over her life—or death—had been easy before, but after that vision of another mangled corpse forgotten on the road that the Beast had brought to her, Sayo couldn't get it off her mind. Even if she stayed out of the line of fire, the prophecy and her utter inability to fight against it in her pathetic, shabby state weighed on her. It was tempting to give into nihilism and embrace her death once more, nipping this second chance that she didn't deserve in the bud and letting Ange divine her secrets from her bones, but...

Kainé had shown here there were still things worth living for.

Which is why Sayo is currently sprawled on the floor of her and Anna Amarande's floor, groaning and bruised all over as the training blade clatters from her hand once more. As much as Ozpin still gave her the creepy-crawlies, his initiation seemed like a good way as any to truly forge her in fire, so meek Shannon had snuck her name into his register, claiming that it was a way to get over her fear of him. (And in a way, that was part of the truth.) But before then, Sayo had to make sure she would at least make a good show of dismal failure if she were to take it, and that meant training with the only person she really, truly trusted in this unfortunately not godforsaken city.]

Again.

[Sayo grits her teeth, laboriously hauling herself to her feet. She sways side to side, panting to catch her breath as she reaches down and fumbles her wooden sword back into her grip.

She can understand the theory behind swordplay. And if she activates Rule Y and controls herself as a piece, it's easy to put it into action. But after learning that blood magic could accelerate Corruption, Sayo knows that's dangerous to rely on it alone if she wants to keep whatever strange affliction that had warped her knee from creeping up to the rest of her body.

Thus, getting her ass kicked by a very hot lady.]

[foulhussy]

[ Kainé never had the luxury of being able to see violence as elegant or gentle. Not with how she was beaten as a child, or when that monstrous Shade tore her grandma apart and left her body broken and dying. Not when she was revived to become a thing of hate and slaughter, killing the monsters whose human voices she could hear pleading and screaming before she cut them down. Violence was carved into her, made its nest in her soul.

She's suited to a rough world like this one. Maybe it's only fair that she helps others survive in it. Still, that's one thing, and brawling with her friend who is vastly physically weaker is quite another. Kainé is monstrously strong, and even her attempts not to hurt Sayo have left her bruised and exhausted. ]

Nope. We're done for today.

[ Kainé cracks her knuckles, barely sweating. She's wearing a tank top, hair pulled up in a messy bun. It's not right to patronize Sayo the way she's probably doing, to act as though she is weaker of conviction or more innocent. She's pretty sure she hates it. But that doesn't make it any easier to beat the shit out of her friend.

And more selfishly, she's already afraid of the corruption that may infect her, perhaps already has. If she lets the violence in her spread beyond the wild beast she becomes for the hunt, the she suspects it will spread through her like wildfire.

She takes a canteen full of water, holds it out for Sayo to take. ]

Drink.

[forwantofahorse]

[Sayo tosses back the water like it's a shot of whiskey, sweat dripping down her forehead. Without her pads and strategically curated wardrobe the disguise her figure, her waifish and bony frame is plain for Kainé to see—and every time she so much as glances at it, Sayo grimaces, looking away in turn.]

...we've been at this for less than half an hour. We're not done.

[The fact that she's in such a state after so little time training is a likely indication that Kainé is somewhat correct in her judgment, but looking at Sayo's scowl as she sets down the canteen, it's going to be very hard for her to take no for an answer.]