Corporeality is for losers, apparently

[songstressedout]

Who: Yuzu and you!
What: December Catch-All
When: Early December
Where: Around Hill-House and Bavan
Warnings: None at the moment!

(1) Scars (Hill House)

[ It was about time for the bandages to come off. The injuries from the circus have healed by now, after all. Still, it's disheartening to see that some of them ended up scarring.

Still, at the very least, her changes caused the Shade blackness to spread and cover up most of them, so she can add that to the small list of benefits. This unfortunately doesn't erase the small discolorations around her shoulders. That's what she gets for hugging the monster equivalent of a cactus, she supposes. ]

Hm... maybe I'll start wearing shirts with sleeves...

[ It would certainly solve the scars problem, at least. Unfortunately, not so much for her changes.

Though her arms seemed to default to the shape of her normal human hands, it was so much easier to change their shape now. On top of that, if she concentrated, she could make a few shadow tendrils come out of her back somehow and while they were rather flimsy... they served well as extra limbs.

Add that to the small list of benefits.

She comes out of the bathroom and makes her way to the living room, her tendrils moving around behind her and doing her hair up in her usual pigtails while she walked. She's spent most of her time around Bavan or locked in her room, so she hasn't interacted with a lot of the people living here. Hopefully if she hangs around the living room long enough she'll start getting to know the other people here. ]

(2) Just because I'm under severe mental stress, doesn't mean I'm letting myself go (Around Bavan)

[ It's occurred to Yuzu that with everything that's happened, she hasn't actually exercised a lot recently. Obviously, for someone in her line of work (at least back home), that just won't do.

So, she manages to find a sports outfit similar to what she had back home, does her stretches outside of Hill House, and starts jogging.

You may catch her on her light jog through Bavan. Wanna say hello? ]

(3) Wildcard!

Feel free to contact me or put a prompt of your own if there's something specific you want!

Comments

1

[intercalaryninja]

[Since the event in November, the echo of a fog monster pounding on the doors of the spider pit has plagued the Hill House. The hisses and scratches of an enraged beast determined to rip the head off anyone he encountered. But come December, the banging has stopped. It is quiet. It is calm.

Tsukikage crawls out of his room, looking rather haggard and a little dizzy. While he's had Chikage feeding him some of his 'prior catches' to prevent him from truly going mad, he's got the taste of blood and meat stuck in his teeth. Gross. The ninja makes his way out to the living room, intending on getting a snack.

However, he does stop when he sees Yuzu, much further along her changes than he last remembered.]

... Seems I've missed a lot.

[songstressedout]

Tsukikage...!

[ Huh, now that she thinks about it... she hasn't seen him in a while. Was the noise him? ]

Y-You're... back?

[ He... probably doesn't know what happened. Therefore, he probably doesn't know what she's done. ]

[intercalaryninja]

I never left. I was just... occupied.

[Tsukikage's knuckles and hands have scabbed over, the wounds from rampaging against the door healing.]

... You look troubled though.

[songstressedout]

[ Was it that obvious? Yuzu was definitely troubled. She sounds meeker than her usual self, and much more reserved.

Tsukikage still likely doesn't think less of her. Even though she's healed somewhat, she can't help but be afraid of what he may think of her if he found out. ]

D-Do I? I guess it's just... my changes.

[intercalaryninja]

[Yuzu. Sora carded his brother and he forgave him. You're probably fine.

Tsukikage's tired eyes go from confused, to analytical, to gentle and sympathetic. He sighs a soft sigh.]

Perhaps. I just noticed you sound - well, not afraid- ... smaller. And it's in your eyes. [Who knows if Yuzu wants to talk about it or not...]

...How about you join me in the kitchen for tea?

[songstressedout]

[ Well it's not like she knows that, sadly.

Her eyes widen a bit. Truthfully, she'd rather escape from all of this right now. Still, another part of her doesn't want to give up on any of her connections, even if she thinks she doesn't deserve them. ]

Um... alright...

[ Besides... healing, getting better... she knows she can't manage that if she locks herself away. ]

[intercalaryninja]

[Fair.

Tsukikage's smile is sad but kind. He leads them to the kitchen and he sets the kettle to boil. Instinctively, he starts setting out snacks like a good host, even though Yuzu lives here.]

You have the look of someone who has a weight on her heart... You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to. Just know that I am here for you. And anything you do confide in me will be kept secret, should you wish.

[songstressedout]

[ A small smiles forms at that. Maybe one day she'll come clean... but right now, it's just... impossible. ]

I appreciate it...

[ She noted the state his hands were in. The pounding from the spider pit... well, if she could lose control, it wasn't too crazy for anybody else. ]

You probably haven't heard yet... about what happened last month.

[ She decides to tell him at least what had happened in November. Even if she doesn't, he'll find out anyway. She's not the only person from Hill House who got kidnapped, after all. ]

[intercalaryninja]

I know there was a circus in town. And I know sin was rampant. That's all I knew before I put myself in self-imposed lock down.

[Tsukikage pours the hot water for both of them and serves Yuzu the sweets. He'll pay Sora back later.]

... take your time... just tell me what you know.

[songstressedout]

[ She takes them gratefully. Sorry, Sora. At the very least, Tsukikage isn't wrong. ]

Yes, well... it wasn't an ordinary circus. It was run by hu—

[ She catches herself. What was she doing, referring to them as humans as if she isn't a human herself? ]

—I mean, normal people who had gotten their hands on these weird... things that weaken monsters. When they said the attractions were monstrous... they meant it literally.

[ It's hard for her to just... be clear about things. Just talking about it begins to dredge up the memories, and while her discomfort is only mild right now, it's still noticeable. ]

[intercalaryninja]

It was run by the locals. [Tsukikage suggests. It's a nicer way to address people in Ryslig who weren't forced to become monsters. Tsukikage's always been an advocate of always thinking of himself as human, even if he's adapted to the lifestyle.]

Yes... I see. There have been instances of different formulas to weaken monsters. They usually don't last but they last long enough...

[Tsukikage gestures to a long crack up his right arm that goes from shoulder to his elbow. It's healed but it's very much still there.

The arachne is patient. He sips his tea and waits for Yuzu.]

So you were put in the circus... I'm so sorry, Yuzu.

[songstressedout]

[ Her fists tighten around the cup. ]

Funny, how even here I end up getting kidnapped...

[ She continues to tighten her hands around the cup. It helps to stop herself from trembling. ]

They didn't even treat us like people... they just threw us all in cages and...

[ Her breath catches. She suddenly stops, not wanting to say anything else. ]

Totally Not A Date (Prompt Closed to Yuya and Mabel)

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu had heard about needing to buy yarn for the sweater drive, and apparently she and Yuya had been given that task... for reasons that Yuzu could already imagine. This was obviously Mabel trying to set something up.

But they were just friends! Nothing more! This would just be a simple trip to buy some yarn and then be over with it! Sure, they'd probably have to look around for a store that sells yarn in the first place, but it's nothing like a d-date, right?

...she thinks this to herself, yet for some reason, she's done her hair up in a ponytail instead of her usual twin tails. A style that Mabel herself said Yuya would probably like.

It's a style too similar to Serena's, so Yuzu doesn't expect herself to use it often... but she may as well now, right? It still doesn't mean anything!

In any case, she's now walking with Yuya through Bavan in a hairstyle that she definitely spent too much time on didn't fuss too much over. ]

[intercalaryninja]

[It's not Yuzu's fault. Everyone here gets kidnapped here, at some point or another. However, Tsukikage wisely doesn't say that. He just sits, listens and, when Yuzu seems uneasy, he walks over so he can 'sit' next to her and put a hand on her back gently.]

... It must have been so hard for you.

[songstressedout]

[ She looks up at him for a moment. The guilt still feels like a cage around her. Would Tsukikage still be comforting her if he knew that she killed—not out of hunger, but out of rage?

Perhaps, but she doesn't think that. ]

After the first act... a power-outage happened, and everything went crazy from there. We all got set free, and so it didn't take long for everything to fall into chaos.

[ She doesn't want to talk about her "act" either. Along with her actions when she was set free, it was probably one of the worst things to happen to her. ]

[intercalaryninja]

[Would Yuzu want to be comforted by him because Tsukikage's done the same? Or he's killed for neither rage nor hunger?

...]

I can imagine. It would have been a bloodbath on all sides.

[But some of those arrogant bastards got what they deserved. That's what Tsukikage thinks, anyway.]

Do... your wounds need further treatment?

[songstressedout]

[ She shakes her head. ]

I'm fine... they've all healed by now.

[ Well, evidently not all of them healed perfectly, as evidenced by the small scars visible on her shoulders... but still, there's no physical wounds left to treat. ]

I just... wish I wasn't so helpless.

[pendulumentertainment]

[To contrast, Yuya isn't... really dressed up at all. Admittedly cause nothing fits right on him anymore. But he did try to quickly wrap himself up in some sort of zipper jacket... It looks admittedly uncomfortable, much like he does. But he smiles through it.]

I... Sorry if this is a pain, Mabel said she really needed yarn, s-so I...

[He trails off, every time he sees another person walking about, it's clear he wants to just hide away...]

[songstressedout]

Of course it's not a pain! I agreed to help, you know.

[ She's walking alongside him. She's admittedly a little nervous... he hasn't really mentioned her hair yet. Does he like it? Does it really look good on her? She's a little too fixated on what he's thinking of her and she knows this. Still, she can't seem to help it.

As she glances through the windows of various stores, looking for yarn, she can't help but feel that this really does feel like a—

No! Nope! Definitely not! She tries to banish the thought from her mind.

Still... she can tell that Yuya is uncomfortable whenever somebody else comes into sight. Maybe she should hold his hand...? Wait, no, that's what couples do! ]

[intercalaryninja]

[Tsukikage nods. He knows the trauma and emotional pain will persist but at least there's no physical pain now.]

... Helpless to the monster things? Or helpless to the whims of others?

I can try help you with that.

[songstressedout]

Well, the whims of others... you can help me?

[ Honestly, she's been helpless to the whims of others for a long time now. Even before Ryslig... and she's frankly tired of it. ]

[intercalaryninja]

[Tsukikage straightens himself up out of his usual slouch.]

I can. But I must warn you that what I will teach you can't keep you out of magical trouble. If there's a spell or a potion that stops you from being able to respond, what you'll learn won't help.

But escaping confinement, fighting your enemies and keeping yourself safe... I can teach you that. If you'll have me as your teacher, I'll teach you self defence.

[songstressedout]

[ Yuzu blinks. That's right... Tsukikage is a ninja, so the things he could teach her... ]

T-That would be great! I'd love to learn from you!

[intercalaryninja]

[Tsukikage smiles.]

We'll get to training as soon as you feel up to it. We'll work on your speed and hand-to-hand combat first. And weapon training if you'd like. Is that acceptable?

[He wants to give his friends hope. He wants to help in whatever way he can.]

[songstressedout]

Of course! T-Thank you!

[ The weapon training may take a while for her to feel up to, but being able to protect herself...

She'd... like that. ]