Open Post

[formidable]

MUSELIST This a post where I'll RP anything with you! Got a scenario in mind? I'LL DO IT. If you wanna chat IDEAS.GIF, contact me at maiscribbles or my Discord (Maiscribbles#6780). Have at it! ➢ Cool Mood Music No. 1 ➤ Cool Mood Music No. 2

Comments

PRINCESS X2

[bellfry]

[Today was another round of getting those embers. Kiyohime has not a single clue how ANY of that worked, so she didn't ask. Just focus on Anchin, getting married and trying not to think too much about Tamamos fluffy tails. But they look so nice...

As she walks down the halls, she happened to spot the support for the day, one Osakabehime. Who looked to be crouched down in the middle of the hallway, reading something. Typical really. Kiyohime could only sigh at the sight, and knew that it was up to her to drag the neet off. Again.]

Okki, I know you want to stay in your room and delve into whatever you ordered, but this really isn't the place. Come on, we're needed in the control room.

[osakabe]

Hmmm?

[Osakabehime was immersed in her light novel that had some high ratings from the online store she ordered from (although she had different thoughts and was thinking about how to construct a scathing review) before she looked up to see her friend getting her attention.]

Oh, Kiyohi. Heyo.

[Her return greeting would usually sound cutesy if it were said by anyone else. As it is, she replies with the cheerfulness of a rock. And for good reason.

Kiyohime is going to make her go outside.]

Can't it wait?? Surely another Assassin would be more useful than me? Besides, I have three more chapters to digest. It's important to me, y'know?

[even if it's a trash LN, but she's gonna finish it dammit and stay inside trying!]

[bellfry]

Oh, I'm sure another one would be better to have. But I'm not the one making the choices, I'm just a dutiful wife. [Actual wife status needs verification.

But it really wasn't her call to make. She scoffs a little as her friend tries to use flimsy reasoning.]

And really now, unless that book is about advice on dating, I doubt it can be that important.

If it is that, I will give up if you let me read it later.

[PRIORITIES]

Fujino

[redmeansgo]

[Ever since Aisaku became a Zelraider, he was starting to notice all kinds of people coming and going through the Steamy Sketch shop. Some of them were normal and then there were the abnormal types like him. This place was like a safe haven or a 'save point' for him whenever there was a lot on his mind. It was almost funny how he went from a normal student to a superhero who fought off shadow monsters in the blink of an eye. But it was the quiet times of normalcy that he appreciated the most. After all, this gave him a moment to actually reflect on what he was fighting for...

But right now? His current battle was against the dart board as he was keeping watch of Shunji's cozy coffee cafe. The owner was currently running errands and entrusted Aisaku to hold the fort. It was pretty late at night and it was raining, so he wasn't expecting any customers. Hence why he was currently focused on hitting the bulls-eye on the board.]

Damn it... My score still hasn't gotten any better. How the hell does Shujin do it?

[fujino]

[The shop door opens revealing a girl in a modest dress uniform at its entrance. She looks both ways before stepping inside completely.

Fujino, despite being a Servant, is pretty inconspicuous all things considered. The Chaldea Master is with the other two team members that were brought along to the singularity, but she can't help but feel that this time this wasn't quite where she was supposed to be. Nonetheless, she goes with the flow and went exploring by herself leading her to the Steamy Sketch.]

Excuse me.

[She says this softly to the boy who's having a fight with the dartboard and looks around to see if there's a menu. The least she can do if she's inside now is to order one item off the menu instead of being rude and just leaving after a glance.]

[redmeansgo]

Ehhhh?! O-Oh crap! I wasn't expectin' a customer! Welcome to the Steamy Sketch!

[Already Shujin would've been facepalming at Aisaku's rather unprofessional greeting. He was a good hearted boy, but not the brightest bulb at times. He looks rather flustered at the girl who just quietly walked in like a ghost. She almost looked like one of his childhood friends at the church orphanage that he'd go to help out. Aisaku quickly dashes over to the counter to grab a menu and hands it over to Fujino.]

Here you go. Please have a seat wherever you want! The owner is out right now, but I can totally serve you somethin'.

[ymt0_0]

[The weird thing about being a famous (or at least, up-and-rising) idol is getting recognized on the street. Ever since being on national television, it feels like he can't even pop over to to the convenience store to grab some beer without at least a few people doing a double-take at him.
Well, it's not like he goes out of his way to hide his face. (Not like that, anyway.)

But luck is a harsh thing.
Like the luck that made him go out on this rainy night to buy some beers to get him through the weekend. Like the luck that makes the wind gust strongly, blowing his umbrella smack into a person walking the other way, and getting their arm all wet. Like the luck that made this happen right by the one bus shelter that happens to have an advertisement for Idolish7's next concert on it.

Whoaa. Embarrassing. On so many levels.

But first, he reigns in his umbrella and sketches a quick bow in apology.]

Sorry about that. Are you all right? ...Besides being wet? [One of his pockets has a handkerchief...]

ok time to perish

[psychometer]

[Congratulations sir, not only did you get this girl wet, but you also got some of her boba tea drink all over her face.

Lien isn't the type to have a delayed reaction, but she's had a tough day going through boring documents and basically doing the really boring part of investigation work. She just wanted to take a break, get a boba tea, and what does she get for that? An umbrella to the face and some water.

So she kind of just gives the boy a blank look as her sweater blushes into a pink from the color of her tea.

And then she just sips.

And stares.

For an uncomfortable amount of seconds.]

which one of us? XD

[ymt0_0]

[He's not a guy given to superstitions, but he's feeling like he might have to go pray at a shrine or something to get rid of this bad luck.

He takes a double take at the girl because somehow he'd knocked her tea onto her face, which is now dripping onto her sweater...
And the moment of Yamato thinking 'she's kinda cute' evaporates as quickly as it came under that blank, unflinching stare.

He blinks back at her, but his searching hand finally finds his handkerchief, giving him a reason to glance away for a moment as he hands it out to her. When he looks back up, his concerned expression is almost ruined by a sardonic arched eyebrow.]

... Um, seriously, are you okay? You're dripping tea onto your sweater. You can use this.

you know the answer

[swordboning]

[As expected of Archer, he has a large platter of cheese available. None of it is in an edible state though. It needs to be sliced. Otherwise, someone would be rudely biting into a large chunk of whatever they picked. Unacceptable.]

I found something of a prize while I was out today. Tell me what you want and I can make up a sample for you.

[Crackers were standing by and Archer had a knife in hand. All it took was an answer.]

the answer is c

[emotive]

[Ai Thao's eyes are wide and sparkling in wonderment at the cheese platter. Her gaze moves to Archer before she looks back at the cheese.]

It's so much! But just looking at it makes me hungry!

Um... As for what I want... Could we also have some deli meats too? Meat, cheese, and crackers are a winning combination after all!

[She just wants meat, what black hole]

[swordboning]

Meat is an option but the taste of the cheese could be drowned out. Instead, shouldn't you be asking for wine?

[He's not a snob but he'll more than happily drag out these kind of things.]

ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴛᴀʟᴋ, ᴡᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴅᴀɴᴄᴇ

[infusion]

[Being a witch, Iona tended to thrive on the unbelievable and the unexpected. These days, however, her life had begun to fall into a comfortable rhythm, like a song she would hum automatically for no reason.

It was Iona's turn to peruse Paris in Claude's side of the woods. They had recently spent the day doing nothing particularly special. He led the witch through those smaller nooks and crannies of the arrondissement under the Aubert family's domain and discovered little shops with odd products made from bits and pieces of dated technology. They settled for about an hour or two in the grand library quietly flipping pages next to each other with Iona pausing and tapping Claude on the shoulder to ask him about the meaning of a phrase or two. When they exited the library, she basked in the sunshine chatting with her partner about nothing particularly important, but mentioning that they hadn't seen a play without interruption for a while. They went to that play and for once they both just enjoyed themselves without worrying about whether a fight would break out or not. When the theater was over, they stood on a bridge overlooking the river, talking about the actors, the plot, and the staging, snacking on some pastries they got from a nearby cart with crumbs dropping into the water. Finally, there was taste testing wine, a glass of red there, a splash of white there, and finally, Iona purchasing a two bottles (one as a present, one for herself) while trying not to annoy the irate wine connoisseur entertaining them with her giggling due to the red making her feel warm in her toes.

It was a normal day in a different world where Iona had the fortune of being able to cross back and forth. Beyond that, it wasn't exactly special anymore, but it was hers.

Dusk fell by the time they returned to Claude's apartment building and taking refuge in the room Iona had set up so long ago next to his. She's seated at the table, stretching her arms behind her back letting out a satisfied sigh as she folds said arms and settles them on the surface. She looks at Claude, grinning, her eyes still bright with mischief.]

Think we should finish this bottle tonight or does that say something about me?

[pragnanz]

[ it's official. Iona has twined herself into Claude's natural rhythm.

he knows it, too— he finds himself scheduling her presence into his notebook in red, finds himself adjusting hours and meetings in favor of breakfasts, lunches, dinners with a time-displaced witch from another universe altogether. he knows how to identify how familiar she's become by the one-two skip of his heart when he turns the corner to a door that shouldn't be there, knows that she's made a permanent impression by the coffee he drinks outside of her company and the longing he feels for a better cup.

the deadbolt he'd kept around his ribs is loosening, day by day. it's not the alcohol that's speaking for him tonight, he knows. it's comfort.

he'd hate it, if not for the warmth sitting in the pit of his stomach. he wonders if he'll find something there, if he reaches down and rips his diaphragm open; morbid, but that's how tangible Iona has become.

mostly-empty wineglass on one hand, he tries not to let his amusement move from the slight quirk of his lips to his eyes. he fails. ]

It certainly says something about you. [ how unladylike of her!!! but then again, that's what he's always been drawn to, isn't it? ] As your doctor [ "your friend" ], I'm obliged to tell you that you should be drinking more water than you are.

[ spoilsport.

that said, he pours Iona another glass. ]

[infusion]

Aw, how kind of you. For the consultation and the extra wine of course.

[She takes it easy with this glass knowing that she's had a fair share today. When she brings the glass to her lips it's a slow and careful sip she takes instead of an enthusiastic swig. Iona sighs in contentment again, tucking in her legs so that her knees press against her chest. Instead of being on fire these days and ready to fight the world head-on, her energy seems to burn more carefully like glowing embers; strong, but steady and quietly intense. The witch is still herself of course, but she has toyed around with the thought that she's been taking life day by day, rather than sprinting through the weeks. It's been a good change of pace, a good habit even ever since she and Claude decided to be together.

Which is a little ironic considering almost everyone around them, including themselves, were certain it would be something bad for the both of them.

(Time is unkind, but she can't let that stop her, she won't let it stop her.)]

You know, today's visit is probably good timing for me. It got hectic at the cafe last weekend and I just kept thinking, "Wow, I can't wait to have quiet time with Claude." Which we both know is funny since my first few visits here ended up with the city on fire.

ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇᴄᴀᴅᴇɴᴛ ᴠᴏɪᴅ

[emotive]

[The hushed tones of water tumbling over polished stones of the surrounding ponds are the only sounds that echo throughout the enclosed garden. The grounds are decorated with austere plants and there is a smooth stone path that leads to a large manor. A wall encloses the perimeter of the entire area and there does not seem to be a gate that leads to the outside. All in all, the world seems to revolve around this one area, that being the Japanese styled mansion and its garden. Something sinister emanates from within which clashes with the otherwise peaceful and still garden. Even more unsettling is the lack of people and any other signs of life except for the koi fish in the garden. How does one leave?

Climb the walls and you will end up in the garden again.

Attempt to destroy the wall or the garden and they will automatically restore themselves.

All paths lead to the manor and no other escape seems possible.

Ai Thao would know because she tried flying over the walls and somehow ended up back at the entrance. She’s pacing back and forth and eyes the entrance into the manor every so often with major concern.]

How did I get here? Think, think, think…! And who else was with me last?

[The psychic girl can’t recall what she was doing. She can’t remember if anyone was with her. She can’t remember if she had set out to do something or if it had been any other day until it wasn’t. Ai's current situation grows heavier with every worry that begins to pile on when she realizes that there is nothing else she can do, but enter the mansion. It's not as if she's completely helpless, but she also feels dizzy from the heaviness of it all.]

[supersoldier]

[Sephiroth cannot recall what he was doing before his world became this garden. He does not know why his sword will cut through the walls, only to reassemble themselves like living, healing flesh, or why when he leaps over the enclosure, he merely lands in the same spot where he had been, staring back up at his newfound prison barriers. Was he with someone, was there a mission— a mission from whom— he cannot remember, and this is beyond merely worrisome.

There is no one here in this peaceable place, faux as it is. Though surrounded by green leaves and bright flora, flowing water, and smooth grey stone, something twists in the SOLDIER’s gut, informing him of the kind of danger only the sharpened instincts of a military man — born and raised and marketed — can relay. It rankles something just beneath his skin, whispering in his veins. He tamps it down for the sake of focus.

No. He’s wrong. There is someone else here. A young woman, pacing at a distance, and it’s a distance that the tall, silver-haired man closes with each long gait, inordinately long silver sword, katana-like, gripped in his left hand.]

What is this place?

[That’s his greeting to this other poor woman who seems just as lost as he is, though he keeps anxiety banished from his demeanor with cool professionalism alone. With any luck, it’ll last.]

[emotive]

Who's there?

[Ai Thao whips around when she hears a man's voice. She's had her arms wrapped around herself as if she had been trying to comfort herself. The atmosphere of the garden, the manor, and just the sense of the wrongness of the current situation has rattled her. The appearance of another person wielding a weapon? It's probably not helping, but to her credit, she's keeping her poise even though her eyes widen as she takes in his appearance and the realization that she's not alone.]

Oh! I thought I was... I didn't see anyone for almost an hour, I thought—

[Words fumble and trip out of her lips and she reaches up to pat her cheeks. She wants to face this man properly and also be on her guard if need be.]

I don't know. I'm sorry, but I was trying to find my way out for a while now. Has it been the same for you?

Part ii

[emotive]

Okay, okay. If my powers start working properly again you'll have less to worry about.

[Their current path had been a straight line for the past few minutes during their conversation, but another entrance is coming up soon.]

All that aside... I think I have an idea of what kind of place this is or what it's modeled after.

[supersoldier]

[Sephiroth continues to lead the way, but never ahead of the circumference of the jittering lamplight, the only safety they truly have in this darkness.]

And what is that?

[emotive]

Since it's clear we're from different places, I don't know if there is anything similar here you might be familiar with.

[Ai holds her lantern up to the walls to look at the illustrations and study the artistry of it.]

There's a culture where I'm from where in ancient times, the royalty would have large mansions like this. Nothing elaborate like this mind you and without all the monsters, but they were lavish. A place like this would house not only family members, but concubines and servants as well. In fact, a manor like this is specifically for concubines of the current ruler so that he could safely secure an heir.

[Thanks historical J-Dramas... Watching them with Lien did pay off somewhat??]

cheers to us

[emotive]

[Lien usually didn't take the time to elaborate things with Ai. The elder twin would wave it off claiming that it was a pain to do for Ai who wanted every minute detail so that her anxieties about whatever situation they were in were settled. So now, in most cases, Ai has learned to follow along with her sister's whims (within reason) and just go with the flow. She's kind of weak like that.

This is why when Lien tells her to dress herself up and put on some light makeup while leaving a business card with the address to an obscure bar, Ai has a million questions running through her head while choosing out an appropriate dress. Worst of all, the man who could usually help her feel calm wasn't around to quell her worries.

But Lien is there to pick up her twin and they both take a taxi to the city. A few minutes after parking, her sister points Ai down an alleyway and instructs her to take a right and turn the corner and that's where the bar will be.

A heavy wooden door is opened up and Ai enters looking confused but trying to compose herself.]

Hello?

[onoir]

[ the place used to be a hole-in-the-wall.

which is to say— it still looks the part. small, plaster-walled, with shoe-scuffed wooden flooring: the interior of the bar is clearly the result of a repurposed apartment, complete with an awkward-sized entrance hall that leads into the modest-sized seating area.

it's the kind of place that people wouldn't think twice about. a cozy hideout for tired salarymen who want to escape from the din of the cityscape. the sort of bar that doesn't advertise. the sort of establishment that would never be crowded on a weeknight.

usually.

behind the barcounter tonight is a man that looks both at-home and out-of-place; comfortable among the naturalistic decor, but too put-together to be truly part of the landscape. he's holding a Gimlet in one hand and a Manhattan in the other, fielding orders from manicured hands and curl-ironed hair; the slant of his brows is troubled, but his posture never breaks. neither does his politeness.

it's only when he catches a glimpse of the newcomer that the careful guard seems to drop. warm amber eyes widen first, in surprise, then mellow. his lips curl into a soft smile. ]

—Good evening.

[ he refrains from calling Ai by name (avoiding trouble for now), but subtly gestures to the one open barstool available. ]

Up, Down, and Around Another Galaxy

[eyesights]

Click!

Snap!

Beep!

[The hum of Nikola Chang's camera has always been a strange comfort to her throughout her days exploring empty buildings and derelict architecture. Sometimes, she would pay an assistant to tag along with her and take photographs while she filmed, but more often than not, she went solo. Despite all the fun and personal exhilaration and awe she gained from this, there was an end goal in mind. It was always there, so close, but still very far out of her reach.

Nikola is in an abandoned theme park and scrolling through the photos she had taken with her digital camera, getting rid of redundant shots. She is strolling at the same time and only stops when she feels her eyelids start to warm up.]

Tch.

[She looks around in every direction before setting her gaze on one spot.]

Alright... Let's give this zone a try.

[She takes a deep breath and takes a step forward...

Only to find herself in... Well, it is and isn't supposed to be the theme park, but what was wrong was that this wasn't the theme park at all, whatsoever. The architecture was different, the atmosphere was not that of an abandoned site, not completely, but... Was she even on Earth anymore.]

...

[Nikola silently puts away her camera into her backpack and instead takes out her phone, turning on the voice recorder and mumbles into it.]

March 2nd, the time is 3:33 PM... Do you ever get the feeling that you're in a galaxy far, far away? Could just be me though.

[uglyponcho]

Uh....

[Well, the planet name was Bogano. Mostly green plateaus with large dragon-like creatures far in the background making their noises. Getting around was a lot of jumping but in between the crevices was flat land that was wet and filled with tall grass.]

...are you? [It was a curious question to ask him. Or, well, he figured he stumbled in on her so it was more a general thing.]

This place is pretty remote but not exactly off the charts, if you know what I mean.