Crowvette

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Io at Terauchi Temple

[ @Smellgate peeps]

Io returned to her body (more literally than the others may have realized) when she realized she was being directly talked to. Skar had proactively answered a question of hers... Question number six, to be exact, in her ordered list. Her pallid skin flushed ever-so-slightly as she worked through the information, and the grimoire quickly glowed as the information was recorded. "Noted." She said quietly, before Liliana diverted her attention back to the greater problem with a touch.

Io cocked her head at Liliana's request - partially due to the request, but partially due to her usage of 'everymono.' "There are plenty of spells that can clean all evidence of that, though I don't have any prepared. It seems like a waste of 'essence' to simply remove it..." Io plainly stated her stance on the matter to Liliana, wondering if her choice of words were too blunt. "I can prepare something quickly if needed. This kind of cleaning is elementary magic." She looked past Liliana, to Ayu, then to Takeshi, then back to Liliana. "Should it be taken care of now?" It seemed to Io that Takeshi was going to admit what happened, so covering things up may be a foregone conclusion. At the same time, the task force could convince him to hide things if they had the right tools... She would let the others decide, as Io was notably out of her element in predicting the behaviors of the townsfolk.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Alyona

@Dezuel

The boy wasn't as bright - nor as dim - as Alyona had hoped. She didn't expect the sword to be a feint, though it didn't matter either way - it wasn't like her lances interacted with physical objects. It was a bit of a coin toss if the sword he had created was magical enough to physically interact with the lances, and Aly was never one to take a coin toss unless it was her only option. It was up to her agility now.

Aly sprang from her resting position on the wall, narrowly dodging the attack and tumbling. The various scrapes she incurred from the dive-tumble were better than whatever he had planned for her with that. She loudly swore in Yekaterinan - a classic curse that should not be translated.

In the split second decision she had instinctively dodged away from the boy, which seemed like the right thing to do considering what he had conjured. She didn't skip a beat before taking off into a sprint, quickly sliding around a dumpster deeper in the alleyway. She hoped that the bit of cover was worth stopping for - the rest of the alley was long enough she couldn't likely run the distance without leaving herself open for whatever he had for her.

Or maybe that was fine? Aly grit her teeth. She could run for it, enough to get near the edge of the alleyway, and simply take whatever he threw at her. Then if she was laid out or not, she could at least scream for help. 'No chance of that working.' She didn't have time to waste thinking of useless plans. Knowing what she did, this would be the one time no soul was travelling the street when she called for help.

At the very least she could buy some time. Drawing out a lance, she seized it firmly, and peered out for a brief moment to toss the black, etheral spear right at the boy. Moments after she let it fly, she drew out smaller, thin ones - more akin to knives than lances - and quickly whipped them down the alleyway. Alyona aimed to at least cause the boy to retreat, or find cover, and then use that opening to flee. She could press the advantage if he foolishly took cover behind something, given that her lances passed through physical objects... but getting clear of the scene seemed far more important than 'winning' the fight. Especially since if she bothered to actually enjoy the win by teaching the kid a cutting-edge lesson in pain, she'd definitely get caught up in some kind of trouble with the law. What was the point of winning in such a case?

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Io's clearly such a late bloomer that even death wasn't 'too late' for her!

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Io at Terauchi Temple

@The Irish Tree (LIL), @Restalaan (SKA), @Rezod92, @Nakushita, @Hammerman, @AzureKnight (ATS & HIN), @Enkryption

Io gave a small nod to Hinami. A comrade in undeath was always worth having, even if she did not have the magical inclinations that Io had. Lunatea was a task force member she had not met before, either, but she seemed rather collected compared to the ones Io had already encountered. Io couldn't help but consider Luna's conspicuous bunny ears to be cute, but she stifled the urge to touch them.

However, far more demanding of her attention was Skar, who had more or less been confirmed as an astronomically rare specimen in Io's eyes. "I do have questions." She said to Skar, her calm voice failing to reinforce how much of an understatement that was.

She began sorting out the questions she would ask in her head. Soon she stopped in place, merely blankly staring ahead as her thoughts began to overrun everything else for her. 'There are far too many to ask... How do I find the ones that will cut to the heart of the question?' Despite her lack of movement, her grimoire gently glowed as lines upon lines were entered into it magically, directly from Io's thoughts. Io had to consider that there may be factors that lead to his creation that could explain why he was such a rarity, but they may be hard to formulate questions around. Plus, there were questions about his current existence as well, such as physiology and abilities... Even a perfect question could be answered incorrectly, due to faulty memory or bias as well.

Her deadpan expression and sudden, complete stop may have been a cause for alarm, if most of the task force members weren't busy turning their attention to Takeshi and Alice. Of course, she was certain to not let the secret slip - she was sure that there were several task force members that would do that far before she did. Of course, Io had a trace of jealousy for Alice's part, but she could lock that away easily. There would be a time and place for that... Hopefully. She would let them handle the interactions and gossip in the meantime.

At the same time, Io didn't consider how it may have looked to the others: Suddenly stopping and standing in rigor mortis, as though her soul had left her body, at the mention of Takeshi's... 'indiscretion.' She was simply too engrossed in her own thoughts to consider how the others may interpret it.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

I'll try and get a post up soon! The spooky halloween season has scared me so much I couldn't leave my room, or something...

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Alexandria

Alex wasn't really sure what was going on with the girl, but the teacher handled it and walked her away. 'All's well that ends well...?' Something about the entire encounter gave Alex the feeling of a headache coming on, though that could also be considered a symptom of being low on sleep and food. In fact, Alex now had a remedy to one of those things, thanks to Michael. She nearly tore into it right then and there, but she paused for a moment. 'I-I feel a little weird eating in front of him, especially since it's his own lunch...'

"Um... Well, new students aside... I should get back to my own class before lunch period ends!" Alex blamed the somewhat awkward atmosphere on the foreign girl speaking a different language entirely at them, though she had a suspicion it would have been awkward no matter what. She was essentially taking his lunch from him, after all... Alex began to turn, trying to keep those thoughts out of her mind. "I-I'll see you later, Michael!! I-I mean, probably not afterschool later cuz I'm going straight to Clausewitz, but-" Alex realized she was saying too much for a farewell, and cut herself off. "Um. Bye!"

Alyona

@Dezuel

Alyona's eyes narrowed, her expression unamused. "I think that is my line here. I was not the one who followed someone into an alleyway and threatened them." If he was telling the truth, Aly might be able to simply let the boy pass. Of course, since he pulled out a weapon so readily, she didn't like the odds. "But by all means, pass. I have no need for anything you own. She leaned against the alleyway to let him pass.

Of course, her eyes followed him closely. She kept her left hand open as a gesture of keeping nothing hidden from him - though she had the wellspring of curses in her body ready to form a lance in the moment it would take for her to close her hand around it. It was a trick she had learned not from the mercenary guardsmen of Yenina Manor, but from Yekaterinan folklore: A classic gambit of appearing unarmed yet having a weapon ready at a moment's notice.

Of course, it was entirely dependent on the boy, regardless of if he understood what she was doing. She preferred if he took the foolish interpretation and just thought she was making an offering of peace, but also seeing the gesture as a sign that she would fight back if attacked was fine too.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Io at Terauchi Temple

@Hammerman @AzureKnight @Restalaan @The Irish Tree

The new arrivals seemed like an interesting lot, and Liliana likely needed to do other things. Io nodded at the invitation, standing to join the small group that was forming. Io didn't have a particular taste for any food in particular, but she wasn't immune to a need for energy. She gave Liliana a small wave - that is, unless Liliana followed along with her.

All the while, Io was doing what she did best - listen and pick up information. There were a few little pieces that her hearing was finding - Alice had also returned. Her charge seemed to have some... reservations about sharing what happened, which was curious. Io didn't need much thought to have a hypothesis as to what actually went on there. It wasn't something Io was going to barge in and ask about, though. She tucked that fact of information away in case it came up later.

She also noticed the way the jorou-gumo referred to the goblin. Io was unsure, but given the things she shouted, the goblin may not have been a girl at all - An unthinkable possibility. Io second guessed her own powers of observation - she should have seen through a disguise. Perhaps it was due to the new situation of dealing with Liliana that made her lose the focus, or perhaps she considered another male mamono such an astronomical rarity that she didn't even consider it. That being said, it could be some kind of strange nickname, or joke, or even misunderstanding... There was only one way to tell. Io would have to check. Preferably in a way that would not espouse any strange misunderstandings, given the potential relationship those two had. That being said, joining with that group would give Io a chance to observe up close whether or not this was true.

Io upped her walking pace to meet up with the sisters, Skarsneek, and Luna. "We've not met. I'm Io." Io quickly threw out an introduction to those she had not talked to before in the group, while sneakily glancing at the goblin. Her curiousity was going to be hard to contain, but it was only a matter of time before she observed damning evidence either way. She resisted the urge to have her grimoire at the ready to take notes.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Alyona

@Dezuel

Alyona's bluff seemed to do the trick. As she watched him, the boy seemed to be a little unsteady... but not physically so. She had seen that kind of look before, but not in anyone as young as he. That was the look that she saw in some of the Yenina family mercenary guards, men who had survived far worse than baby-sitting a bad luck charm and her spoiled sister. Aly did not wonder what happened to him - she simply didn't care - but she feared the dangers that someone like that would bring. Alyona turned away, pretending to be going along with her business, but keeping an eye on him in her periphery.

Alyona let him carry on his own order, or rather the order he decided to abandon for health reasons. Maybe the boy was in denial about his finances, she thought, and scoffed internally. A runaway? If so, he was an amateur. Aly was a runaway and yet she was successful enough to have her own apartment and patronize a sweets shop with regularity. Keeping her facade of slight confusion up the entire time, she fumbled out a payment for her own order. She carefully made sure to let the cashier handle everything himself, and she touched her own money as lightly as possible, as though it was unclean. It was a bit of a waste of effort, given that her money was near her person the entire time, but she wanted to try and minimize her aura's exposure to the store and its staff. They needed to stay around. For her sake.

She bid farewell to the store staff in Yekaterinan, taking a leisurely stroll out of the store. As soon as she rounded the next corner, Aly quickly ducked into a nearby alleyway, setting her bag of sweets down. 'If he follows me all the way here...' Aly cracked her knuckles. 'He'll have some explaining to do.'

Alexandria

@Dezuel @Scarifar

Alex's confusion was evident on her face, though her inner turmoil may have not been anything an outsider would have guessed. 'Alex! You've spent all this time working on your fancy talk! Now's the time to show her up!' The thought echoed in her mind. She had written so much like this... Yet the dissenting voice was also there, 'You're already a complete outcast in this school full of geniuses and rich kids. Do you want to start reciting poetry in front of everyone on top of that?' The thing that made her stomach twist with anxiety was the unspoken addition to the last thought: Do you want to do that in front of Micheal?

"T-There's nothing wrong! We're just. Um. Heading to the cafeteria! Also there's a new student here maybe you can help her I don't know what she's saying!!" Alex's innate response to any kind of pressure from authority surfaced: Run away. As she turned from both the cat and the teacher, tugging on Michael's sleeve to inch him away for a moment, quickly whispering to him, "D-Did you hear what she said?!" Alex for a brief moment had a very serious expression. "S-She thought I was old!" She flashed a proud smile, as if she had been paid a serious compliment. Most people seemed to think she was still in middle school... Perhaps due to her sleep deprivation, or hunger, she simply did not register anything after the small part she took as a compliment.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Io at Terauchi Temple

@The Irish Tree @Restalaan

Io wondered how her description of her book's leafing somehow managed to come to the discussion of divorce - she had nobody to blame but the people around her. 'They're not wrong about potential heresies... But wrong about the exact nature.' Of course, she wasn't going to do anything like that on Shizuyama. The locals didn't need to get involved in any more than they already were part of. She found it more amusing how forcefully Liliana denied the assertion - she would need to remember that. It may be useful to distract the fairy from going on a potentially dangerous tangent... Much like it seemed to do this time.

Either way, Io snapped her grimoire shut and held it close. "It can divorce people in a sense." Io wasn't one for telling jokes, but that one made the corners of her mouth turn up in a faint smile. It quickly faded as she looked around at the goblin's prompting. "I'm not sure of the location of any others." Io hadn't found a good way to track them all yet. Not all of the task force members would agree to being marked with a tracking seal - unfortunately. It would make it easier to set up plans. Io wondered how she could convince them to do it, becoming lost in her own thoughts. "At least there is another undead..." She muttered to herself, her eyes closed with concentration.

Royal Rumble: Rumble over the Heavens

Alexandria

@Scarifar @Dezuel

Alex rubbed her eyes as some completely random person - cat? - seemed to intrude on her and Michael's conversation. 'Ah. I've finally lost it. Sorry Michael... You were too late...' She stole a glance at the boy next to her to check his expression, expecting him to not react to it at all. Surprisingly, he looked surprised too. Could it possibly be that the person in front of them was real, and not a delusion from a sleep and food-deprived mind? Alex slowly turned her head back to the girl, shakily holding up her hands.

"Um. Sorry, I don't know what language you're speaking..." Alexandria struggled to think of something she could say. She had no idea what the girl said, but maybe she could guess...? Alex began to mumble random words that she remembered from her own experience with foreign languages - which were mainly from her own phone games with foreign voice actors. A few words from Izumo didn't seem to make sense, but she tried them anyway. Either way, it was clear to Alex that some transfer student from another country had come here and didn't speak a lick of the local language. While ordinarily she would be inclined to help... Her stomach growled in protest. She didn't exactly have time to spend her lunch break guiding someone to the headmaster's room, especially when it was up several flights of stairs in the opposite direction of her next class. "Um... I'm sure there's an upperclassmen around here to help you!" Alex began diligently looking for anyone wearing the right uniform to hand off the girl to.