chasma pcs: akira

[burnstrike]

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week 1, monday morning

[burnstrike]

[ You know, as much as Nanaly wants to get the hell out of here, it's at least kind of nice sharing a place with someone again -- like, an actual place that's sort of theirs, not a single night at an inn or camping out or whatever -- and she's come to like Alisaie a lot, and enjoys watching her interactions with her brother whenever he's over. All in all, she got pretty lucky with the whole roommate thing!

Too bad that was last week. ]

[bloodread]

[ Akira isn't a morning person, but what kind of teenager is? He's also a heavy sleeper, so he's completely unawares when he first grumbles awake that he's somewhere he shouldn't be.

He's also mercifully on the floor, cocooned in several blankets with his hoodie drawn up, so things could be worse. He can hear rustling from what he assumes is Yuri, and without rolling over he mutters: ]

If you're getting up gimme another blanket.

[burnstrike]

[ For a second, the actual voice doesn't register with her; she just hears a guy's voice and figures it's Loni or Judas and they're just camping somewhere. ]

Get it yourself.

[ But then she remembers that she shouldn't even be around Loni and Judas right now, because she's in that weird city with Alisaie, and her eyes shoot open.

Who the hell--

It is indeed a blessing that Akira is already on the floor, because she would have shoved him off the bed in a snap if he'd been next to her. Instead, she just moves back against the wall, clutching the sheets to her chest with one hand while she chucks a pillow with the other. Ugh, this is what she gets for not having her bow where she can reach it from the bed-- ]

Hey!! What the hell do you thinking you're doing in here, and what did you do with Ali?!

[bloodread]

[ Akira's almost asleep again when she responds so the wrong voice doesn't really register. The thrown pillow fixes that, however. His instinctual reaction before he even realize what situation he's in is to throw it back with all the force he's capable of right now, but a pillow is thankfully still a pillow. It might be losing some feathers though. ]

The fuck!? Did you sleep with Yuri or something? [ Let's just ignore the question and ask another one! And assume something else what could go wrong. ]

[burnstrike]

[ Welp, she's just throwing it back again, this time out of indignation. This is the world's worst pillow fight. ]

What?! No, and where do you get off asking me something like that anyway? Breaking into my room like some...

[ Her expression shifts into one of confusion as she actually looks at the room she's in, and she trails off. ]

week 1, thursday night

[burnstrike]

[ Whatever Akira's doing tonight, Nanaly's eventually going to show up in his space, hands on her hips. ]

Hey. We're supposed to stick in pairs tonight, right? How about we finally get to that sewing lesson I promised way back when? 'Cause if you thought I forgot, I didn't.

[ so you're not getting out of it!! ]

[bloodread]

[ Akira just gives her a look that says "Do I look like the kind of guy who does what he's told?" ]

What if I forgot?

[burnstrike]

[ And she gives him a look that says "Do I look like the kind of girl who gives a shit?" ]

Then we need to work on your memory too. C'mon, I've already got a needle and thread, and we can use some of the old clothes from one of the shops for fabric to mess around with.

[bloodread]

[ ...yeah, he knows the type. ]

Fine, whatever. Then I won't have to deal with that old geezer tomorrow. [ He says this but he actually gets up rather quickly. ]

You always teach people you barely know how to sew?

week 1, sunday evening

[burnstrike]

[ Nanaly is still a little bit annoyed by Akira's shit at the trial yesterday, even though she knows she doesn't have much ground to stand on given her own propensity for beating up problems. She'd probably be less annoyed if he'd actually come back to the room last night, but clearly that didn't happen, so she'd just slept on the floor for no reason.

She's had time to cool down over the course of the day, though, and after watching that execution, her temporary grudge seems kind of petty anyway.

By the time he gets back, she's gathering up her clothes and blanket -- but notably not the sheets on the bed, which still look pristine -- to do some laundry. ]

[bloodread]

[ It's late but not too late when Akira returns, hood up over his head and Nagako curled around his neck like a scarf. He's had a time these past 24 hours, though it seems like his anger has turned into impassivity which might be an improvement.

He doesn't say anything until he's taken a spot against the wall, knees drawn loosely to his chest. ]

They're gonna move us tomorrow, so make sure you have everything.

[burnstrike]

[ She stops with her armful of laundry and watches him cross the room to sit down against the wall.

... ]

Yeah, I guess they probably are. Hope the next place isn't stuck in a bubble again.

[ There's just silence for a long moment; then she exhales and comes over a few steps closer, tucking the laundry bundle under one arm. ]

You got most of whatever was going on yesterday out of your system now?

[ Maybe not the most sympathetic words, but at least her tone is softer when she says them. ]

[bloodread]

[ There's something of a huff. ]

I met my best friend by beating the crap out of him, so sure.

wk 2 wednesday morning

[bloodread]

[ (And away we go to memshare land because snake daemons are good at touching glass on the ground.)

The blaring warning of a railroad crossing cuts through, hazard lights flashing as you stumble backwards back onto asphalt. The train is coming soon, but your focus isn't on the obvious danger, but on the large looming mass just beyond the crossing. Huge, impossible, grotesque with a grin that isn't quite Cheshire but in some ways innocent, this is Kubitarou of Kintoki. And she wants your head.

The why isn't immediately apparent, but it isn't important—you're out of breath but not out of gas, but that isn't the same for the tawny hair boy next to you who's on his last legs. You could throw him over your shoulder but it would slow you down, and spirits don't have lungs nor any use for them. You need to confront her here. She's stopped momentarily, distracted by the lights but they won't last forever.

The boy next to you put his hand on the gun under his belt, but that's a dead end too. If you could have punched a spirit to death, you would have already. You need to give her what she wants. You grab the stuffed teddy bear in your backpack, make quick work of ripping off it's head, and throw the bear's head together with the worn, frayed body of a stuffed animal that's seen better days to the boy. You hope he understands, since you don't know how to sew.

Apparently he does, and apparently he knows how to use a needle and a thread like the boy scout he is. In a better situation, you might have laughed. Kubitarou has started to move again, and you know this is it. You always thought you would die for a stupid idea, but this takes the cake. The other boy throws the stitched together plush to her and....she stops. She stops and laughs, no, giggles.

And then she's gone. Actually gone, the senses in your core tell you. Right below where she stood is a pool of blood.

You reach out for it instinctively with your right hand and take a deep breath as your visit turns red. An image flashes through your mind, horrifying in many ways but it doesn't matter. You know where she is. You know where Ami is and you're going to save her.

Your vision turns red again. ]

...tch. You saw her, didn't you.

[burnstrike]

[ Oh. That was... intense. While the monster -- spirit? -- wasn't necessarily any more horrifying than some of the monsters in her own world, the atmosphere of that memory was much different. She's not used to going up against anything she can't hit with either an arrow or a spell, and she's not one for thinking up clever strategies if she did encounter something like that, so it's the relative lack of agency that's the scary part.

...Well, that and that last vision. ]

A-ah... Yeah. Sorry.

That was one of those spirits you mentioned before, I guess.

[bloodread]

Kubitarou. She was actually a kid, if you believe it. [ Akira crosses his arms and looks to the side. ]

[burnstrike]

[ Oof, okay, that's kind of creepy. ]

So... they start as normal people and then turn into things like that, you mean?

WEEK 4; Monday Evening

[bloodread]

[ And they're back after their adventure which totally didn't include Akira being really awkward about riding a Pegasus. Thank god Nanaly is here tbh. ]

...do me a favor? [ Akira is sorting through the goods they've managed to scavenge. ]

[burnstrike]

[ Probably just getting back from returning the pegasus! ]

Sure, what's up?

[bloodread]

Don't tell Power I rode a pegasus.

[burnstrike]

Okay. [ ... ] Why?

week 4; saturday night

[bloodread]

[ It's pretty late by the time Akira shows up, and he kind of hangs by the door a bit before fully walking into the dungeon. Nagako is at his side in wolf form, sniffing around the other cells as if searching for something. ]

...got any last requests?

[burnstrike]

[ She's doing a little less great than the front she puts up makes it seem, but when footsteps approach, she quickly wipes her eyes with a sniff and has a smile ready. Radheya is in caracal form, and looks briefly at Akira before turning to watch Nagako. ]

What, from you?

[bloodread]

Sure, or in general. [ He's pretty sullen but no longer punching inanimate objects so we tak what we can get.

Nagako is trotting in and out of the other cells, giving them a lookover. ]

[burnstrike]

[ She pauses for a second to think, but settles on an answer pretty quickly. ]

Figure out how to stop all this crap so you can go home and take care of your sister, I guess.