team rocket 002

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 6:21 PM
//Book 1 Chapter 2
// You are...

somewhere else.

[refresh Will, gain 1MP up to base value]
((hg, if you could take the lead on describing the tomb?))

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 6:25 PM
The tomb is large, dark, and silent.

A dome that hangs over the two, covered in ivies and foliage that increase in thickness as you approach the grassy floor. It moves inwards, towards the tomb's center, to a well, which sports a shockingly well-lit pool of clear water.
:severin: "You.... Aren't supposed to be here...."

just weponYesterday at 6:39 PM
But she's not listening right now. Akane's stepped back, startled, looking around wildly at this strange place - was this part of the tower? Were they even in the Walking Fields at all?

She snarls at the darkness and reaches under her hoodie to pull out a large fur cloak. She swirls it over her shoulders, and suddenly the weird girl from camp is replaced with a large, growling wolf.
[no skill, Will 2 - Intention: Detect any threats]

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 6:39 PM
:severin:
After a quick moment, Severin scampers away from her, eyes wide, approaching the well's dais.
:severin: "Um... okay..." He holds onto a pillar - his voice is barely a whisper. "That's what you're doing. I'll be... over here."

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 6:44 PM
Akane doesn't really pick up on anything that isn't the smell of earth or death or still waters

just weponYesterday at 6:50 PM
The wolf circles the room, stiff-legged and growling and sniffing the air, although it ignores Severin's presence entirely. After a few moments, it seems satisfied and stops. Something about it...sags, and unravels, and suddenly it's not a wolf standing on the other side of the room, but that weird girl sitting cross-legged and wrapped up in her cloak. She peeks out from under the wolf's head, eyes wide and wary.

:akane: "...um." For once, she's at a loss for words.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 6:52 PM
Severin stares at her from the well, in disbelief, still hugging the pillar.
:severin: "You're, um.... a wolf? W-Werewolf?"

just weponYesterday at 6:54 PM
:akane: "...sorry if I scared you. What...what happened? Where are we?" She gets to her feet, still wrapped up in her cloak. "Do you know where we are?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 6:57 PM
He eased away from the pillar.
:severin: "Yes. This place is mine. It's - um..." He scratches his chin. "I've.. never named it, or anything. It's always just been mine."
:severin: He shakes his head. "I'm just confused about how you got here, too. I've never had that happen before. Are you not real?"

just weponYesterday at 6:57 PM
:akane:
:akane: "What? I'm - of course I'm real! What kind of...here, do you wanna test?" She circles back around the well and rolls up a sleeve, holding an arm out to Severin. An invitation to test her realness, apparently.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 7:04 PM
:severin: He squinted. "I don't need to touch you. I can be touched normally, and I'm not real."
Nevertheless, he gave her arm a touch, in a timid search for wolfness.
:severin: "I can come here to be alone, whenever I want to. How does, um..." He points at her pelt. "How does that work?"

just weponYesterday at 7:09 PM
Akane's arm is warm, with not a hint of wolfness.

She shuffles up her cloak and lets the wolf head fall over hers.
:akane: "What do you mean, you're not real? Of course you're real...why wouldn't you be?" Her question has a bit of uncertainty.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 7:12 PM
:severin: He looks dispirited, turning his head. "I... erm..."
:severin: "Nevermind. It's okay."
:severin: He points again. "The wolf thing. Are you alright?"

just weponYesterday at 7:16 PM
:akane: "I'm fine!"
:akane: "This is just...something I can do. I wear the cloak and - ta-daa! Cool, right?" She gives a wide, toothy grin.
:akane: "It won't work for other people, I'm pretty sure."
She tilts her head, inspecting Severin.
:akane: "So this place is...yours?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 7:45 PM
Severin nods, warily not responding to her ta-da.
:severin: "I got it almost a year or two ago. One day I just closed my eyes and --"
He jolted for a second.
:severin: "Oh. I closed your eyes, didn't I? Just like I need to close mine to get here. That must've been it."
He goes to speak again, but stops, looking embarrassed.
:severin: "You're... I just wanted to apologize. I don't know why you barged into my house, but, um.... I'm sorry for being rude."
:severin: "I'm a little sick...."

just weponYesterday at 7:48 PM
:akane: "Oh, yeah! Are you alright? You looked pretty bad..." She looks away. "I'm sorry I couldn't help..."
:akane: "Do you need to get back, or are you going to be okay here?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 7:56 PM
:severin: "Please don't worry yourself. I have it all under control."
He began to circle the well's pool, stopping when he's reached the other side.
:severin: "This place is much bigger than you think. Really, I need to get you home." He, instead, gets on his knees, and peers into the pool at her reflection.
"I need to help you."
[Titov Magic 2, Will 1, Obstacle 1: How can I be useful to her - how can she be useful to me, doing that?]

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 7:59 PM
((@just wepon, are you responding?))

just weponYesterday at 8:10 PM
:akane: "...do you want me to just leave you here?" She steps up to the well, skepticism in her voice and face.
:akane: "Help me with what? You're -" she stops, organizes her thoughts. "Listen, I know we met just a while ago, but all this...is weird! Your aunts are weird! This place," she gestures, "is weird! There's some kind of magic going on with you - aren't you worried about it?"

Severin can read the answer to his question in her reflection like the words of a book. She's gripped by an impulse to meddle in his life and it's not letting go anytime soon. To let Severin help her, all he really needs to do is say it's in return for letting her help him.
[Aww! XP for Severin]

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 8:15 PM
Severin blinked.
:severin: "They're... weird?"
:severin: "Is being a wolf-monster not weird? Is barging into homes?"
:severin: "You do things... to help people."
:severin: "Answer me this. Is that strange?"

just weponYesterday at 8:15 PM
:akane:
:akane: "I'm not a wolf-monster!"  She snarls and leans over the pool. Her eyes glint in fiery anger.
:akane: "I'm trying to help! I'm not..." She struggles with her voice for a moment, then kicks at the well.
:akane: "You don't know anything!"
[ :purple: Basic Quest XP]

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 8:24 PM
The water in the well silently ripples from her kick

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 8:25 PM
:severin: Severin winced every time she yelled. "Then... help me, please. Help me know." Help me and I will help you. The words unravelled themselves in his head. Help me and I will become real, to you.

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 8:33 PM
in the silence after Severin's statement and her outburst, Akane is suddenly exquisitely aware of how... fragile Severin is. And how little her dinner filled her in the way that matters

just weponYesterday at 8:38 PM
:akane: "You..."
She lowers her head and lets the wolf pelt fall over her eyes. She takes deep breaths, slowing the pace of her heart, steadying her. Not now. Not now. Not now.
She abruptly turns away from Severin, although he might catch sight of her rubbing angrily at her eyes. Once her back is turned she bites her hand, leaving a red mark, as she tries to drive the hunger into the back of her mind.
:akane: "...you really want to know? Huh? About a scary-" she chokes on her words before she can finish the sentence.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 8:42 PM
:severin: "You don't... have to." He coughed.
:severin: "We're in classes together, right? Maybe we could..." He falters. These words do not sound right in his mouth. "Just... talk for awhile. Maybe that would help more, for now."
[ :black: Quest XP ]

just weponYesterday at 8:51 PM
:akane: "..."
:akane: "Yeah. Yeah. Alright." She's quiet for a long moment. She doesn't turn around.
:akane: "You came here because you wanted to get away from me. Right? Sorry. I didn't mean to..."
She sniffles, and then abruptly tugs the cloak around her again. The shift isn't as dramatic this time - she ducks down behind the well, and then a wolf trots out from behind it, ears back and gaze on the floor.
[no skill, 3 Will - Intention: Don't cry in front of Severin]
[ :orange: Adventure GET! 1xp]
-
Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 8:55 PM
Akane successfully holds back tears; how Severin is affected by this display is up to him, though something must move

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 8:56 PM
Severin blinked again, not expecting the shift. She seemed powerful, intimidating...
:severin: "No... I'm glad I brought us here. I'm.. much easier to talk to, here."
Severin shuffled over to her, timidly reaching his hands out. Did she have to be in this form...?
:severin: "Um.. I think I need to cover your eyes if we're both going out. Is that okay?"

just weponYesterday at 8:57 PM
In response, Akane gently pushes her head into Severin's hands. She gives a small wag of her tail.

just weponYesterday at 9:06 PM
As Severin goes to cover her eyes, she gives one last glance around the tomb. At the beginning of the night, Akane had thought Severin was under a witch's curse, or something like that...but it was starting to look like things might be much more complex than that.

Whatever it was, she was going to get to the bottom of it. Both of them.
[ :silver: Discovery XP: Severin's tomb sanctuary]

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:08 PM
With the terrifying Akane now pressing her eyes against his hands, Severin made himself relax. Something caught his attention in his mind - it seemed awfully strange that the covering of one's eyes with his hands was the gateway, wasn't it? Out of all things...
He sunk his head into his scarf and felt the sanctuary melt away.
[ :red: Foreshadowing: Closing the eyes ]

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 9:14 PM
// end scene
[Akane, take +1 Something To Deal With]
// There is a feeling of... of passage, of motion without motion and...
Here you are.

Somewhere familiar.

Severin, is it home?

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:19 PM
It is!
His bedroom, to be exact. The only place in this tower, in these fields, that has truly felt like a home.

:severin: "Okay, you can open your eyes, now."

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 9:19 PM
The sun outside is shining

just weponYesterday at 9:24 PM
Somehow, between there and here, Severin is no longer blinding a wolf, but a person. Akane opens her eyes and looks around.

:akane: "Where is this? Is this your room?" She sits on Severin's bed and bounces up and down, testing it. "Huh...daytime already?"
Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 9:25 PM
Her experienced eye tells her it's getting around noon, no less

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:26 PM
Severin nods.
:severin: "Mind the holes."

Truly, the room has seen better days. Why Severin was in the room with a clearly damaged roof is unclear. Bits of wood lay strewn in the corners, which was also collecting all kinds of webs and detritus. His furniture was neatly taken care of, but warped and creaking. He had few items - but it seemed pretty devoid of personality, besides the violin case. Even his clothes were entirely shades of black.

just weponYesterday at 9:27 PM
:akane:
:akane: "How long have you been here? You're visiting, right?" She frowns at a web in the nearest corner, where a spider is working.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:31 PM
:severin: "Yes. I'm here for the summer camp. I'm... not really wanted for the summer dutes at the shrine."
:severin: "How about you? I don't think I've seen you in classes before now."
He picks up his violin, just to handle it.

just weponYesterday at 9:33 PM
:akane: "Oh, I don't go to School. I'm from here." She rattles this off casually, like it's no thing.
:akane: "At the shrine? You're from one of the families?" She perks up and watches him with interest. He didn't look like what she'd expected a shrine kid would look like...

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:37 PM
:severin: "Oh... I wasn't aware they had education here besides the camps."
:severin: "I... I was. One time or another. It's all very unimportant." He stops to yawn. "Work is work, hm?"

just weponYesterday at 9:44 PM
:akane:
:akane: "Huh. Are you saying they...fired you?" She wraps the cloak around her more tightly and burrows into it, a worried frown on her face.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:45 PM
:severin: "S... Something like that."

just weponYesterday at 9:46 PM
She examines him for a moment, then flops over onto his mattress.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:46 PM
:severin: "Are you... hungry? Aunt Bogna might have made something for the morning."

just weponYesterday at 9:47 PM
:akane: "..."
:akane: "Yeah." She's been pretty quiet so far, but this is the quietest she's ever been. "That would be nice."
:akane: "Do your aunts know about the whole...thing?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:48 PM
:severin: "We can go look, then."
:severin: "What... thing?" He cocked his head with the question.

just weponYesterday at 9:49 PM
:akane: "'What thing'?" She raises her head and gives him a Look. "The whole going to a tomb thing?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:50 PM
:severin: "Oh. No. But they usually know things regardless of whether I talk about them or not, so I just assume the worst."

just weponYesterday at 9:53 PM
:akane: "Hmm."
She wiggles her way to her feet and wanders over to Severin, giving him a sideways look. She then leans in conspiratorially.
:akane: "Have you heard the local stories about the witch called Cunning Aliss?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 9:54 PM
:severin: He shrugged. "No. What are they?"

just weponYesterday at 10:05 PM
:akane: "They say a look from her can curse cattle and a word from her can drive people mad. They say she's on speaking terms with the Headmaster. They say she eats children, when she can catch them." She glances about the room nervously. "Severin, it's kind of suspicious your aunt has the same name!"
[ :silver: the past, 1xp]

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:10 PM
:severin: Severin... chuckled, actually. "Well, Aunt Aliss is pretty scary, but she also likes cats, and hates doing chores, and cares a lot about Aunt Bogna... If she's a terrible witch, she's an okay person too."
:severin: "I'm not really sure how she's my aunt, to be honest."

just weponYesterday at 10:16 PM
She examines his face, then drops her head and sighs.
:akane: "Just...be careful, alright? I don't know what Town is like, but out here is dangerous. Something can happen, just like that." She snaps her fingers.
[ :red: Foreshadowing: Cunning Aliss and sudden danger]

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:20 PM
Severin moves to tread downstairs.
:severin: "We'll see about that."
:severin: "Stay here, I'll be back with food."

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:22 PM
Downstairs, Auntie Bogna is napping in a big chair by the unlit fireplace.  In the kitchen, there's scones, baked that morning, waiting for you.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:24 PM
Severin, first, goes to quickly clean the stray dishes left around the kitchen. After a few minutes of this, he slipped a plate out of a cupboard and stacked a third of available scones, leaving plenty for Bogna and Aliss.
He made sure the arrangement was neatly radial.

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:27 PM
Aliss leans in through the nearby window and plucks a scone from the arrangement, disrupting it's symmetry.
Taking a bite, she asks,
"How was the trip with your wolf?"

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:29 PM
Severin jumped at her arrival, almost knocking the plate over.
:severin: "I, um... my what?"
Absolutely anything but that.
:severin: "Aunt Aliss, I actually had a question I wanted to ask you."

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:30 PM
"I'm sorry," she says around another bite.
She taps at her sunglasses and looks down at Severin, her cat's eyes showing.
"I meant to say friend."

"Oh? And what would that be?"
She leans in.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:33 PM
:severin: Severin completely ignores her first statement, instead railroading the conversation full steam ahead. "How are we related? I was just thinking. Why was I sent here, to you two?"
As he spoke, he started to position himself towards the stairs. The idea, here, is to escape in her confusion... if she even gets confused. Something tells him it won't be so easy.

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:42 PM
Even behind her glasses, Severin can feel her eyes slide along the dots he has yet to connect to egress.
"You know how it is."
She begins to grin.
"Sometimes the family needs something, and sometimes it needs distant relatives nobody's talked about or heard of to offload a son or daughter on for a while."
Her grin is not faltering.
"Why don't you tell me?"
She finishes her scone.

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:43 PM
:severin:

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:43 PM
"If you want my advice?"
"I'd look deeper than blood."

Severin [SELF-POSSESSED]Yesterday at 10:44 PM
Not quite what he expected. Now.. he's genuinely confused.
:severin: "So... wait..." He puts a finger to his mouth.
:severin: "Deeper than... so we're not? I'm just... here to be dumped? What, were you two... paid to take care of me?"
Not liking the full implications of this, he clutched the plate of scones tighter.
:severin: "Don't answer that." He begins to mumble. "Blood?"
[ :black: Changes XP: getting confused about who and where you are ]
:severin: "Um... I'll be right back."
He turned and raced up the stairs back to Akane.
[ :red: Foreshadowing XP: Things go deeper than blood ]

Hollyhock BastardYesterday at 10:49 PM
//scene
// End chapter 2
[4 xp in the pot; 2 xp to each player. Severin, take + 1 Sickness]