[closed] we shape our buildings; thereafter, they shape us

[ignoreher]

WHO: Malkuth & Others
WHAT: Various threads for April (hmu for starters if needed!!!)
WHERE: Pretty much anywhere
WHEN: Anytime during April
WARNINGS: probable violence, drinking, cannibalism, sex, spoilers for Lobotomy Corporation & Library of Ruina will be marked as needed

Comments

winter.

[ignoreher]

[ malkuth has seen winter's face. he's pretty, she guesses, is what she told march... that remains true seeing him in his plugsuit, sorry king you literally do not deserve the poor taste of a young woman who thinks projmoon madd mikkelson is pretty handsome. regardless, she does want to get to know him as he's a friend of march's, so when she catches him around the haunted house malkuth doesn't hesitate.

sorry if she fucking scares him. ]

Hi! You're Winter, right? March told me about you. I'm Malkuth! Let's pair up for for a bit!

[ step one: introduce yourself... ]

[icyspicy]

[ She does not scare him, but Winter’s a hard man to sneak up on, with very keen senses and, oh yes, a magic dagger that makes it near impossible for him to be surprised. So, he simply turns to face her, eyebrows arched.

He has no knowledge of her and March’s gossip sessions, so what can he do except take her statement at face value? ]

Did she now? I hope it was all scandalous and unflattering.

[ No, Winter. Malkuth was the unflattering one. ]

[ignoreher]

She said it was annoying that you knew you were pretty, but I think it's nice you have an abundance of self-confidence.

[ okay ass looking elf. ]

March is the same way, but she really knows what she's got... I wish I had half her spirit.

march.

[ignoreher]

Kinda creepy looking, huh?

[ the amusement park... it's her first time being in one. she wonders if the circus is similar, or what it was like filled with lights and people. malkuth peers into an old stall with decrepit toys and moves on, scanning around with their heat seeking implants. soooooo fancy. kaito can't one up her now, bitch.

... man, march does run a little cooler, huh? she could feel it when she held her friend's hand, but it's really obvious looking at her. malkuth wonders what she looks like too, if she's warm as any human or a little cooler as the the mockery of it. ]

I bet this is a great place to dare your friends to stay a night in.

[ it'll be great until one of them trips a booby trap in (checks notes) pooh's honey hunt dark ride. ]

[bowtography]

I wonder if any of them would be up for it?

[ Well, maybe some people love a challenge. It doesn't exactly sound like a fun time to March, but she can think of some people on the Xianzhou Luofu who'd be all over a challenge like that. She pauses at the... picture of ]

Not really my thing, though.

kaito.

[ignoreher]

[ these booby traps...

...

are the bane of a clumsy girl's life. how many has she been caught by? escaped from? at what point, one might ask, do you simply give up? or at least find a stick and tap forward like a blind person, which she basically is. why do these implants only see heat and not like, x-ray.

... though now that she's thinking about it, hung upside down by a snare trap, that could be misused. her core strength isn't good enough to just crunch up and untie her foot, and she'd rather not waste her precious sanity on a rope, and at least kaito can see a familiar signature strung up like a rabbit rather than just walking into her long hair and scaring himself.

but wings forbid malkuth call out to him she is shutting her mouth Up this is not the way she wants to see him today. ]

[seafloor]

[ Unfortunately, the only winners here are us, the writers.

Kaito's had a much better time of both seeking out and baiting the park's myriad booby traps. Using his magic to create liquid constructs, he's been sending spheres and boxes and the occasional Verg-shaped dummy out to trip wires, get caught in snares, and trigger mines.

It's a good thing he and Malkuth are alone in this corner of the park. He'd hate for someone else to get caught up in his trap seeking.

...Though, judging by the heat signature blinking in his peripheral and a feeling of absolute Inconvenience, Malkuth may not have needed his help. Kaito hops off the ground and wreathes himself in a blue aura so he can fly over to her... upside-down form.

Glowing azures squint. First at her, then the rope. Back to her. ]

...Can I come hang out?

[ Bully. ]

wriothesley.

[ignoreher]

[ the shoe is on the other foot... ]

Or should I say, the snare.

[ sorry. the nonsequitor he gets no context for, malkuth looking up at wriothesley with her hands on her hips. there's an easy way to loosen it and there's just cutting it, and thankfully she does know the easier way.

however. ]

How's it hanging, Wriothesley?

[frostfist]

[ What the hell is she even talking about?

He should probably be blaming all the blood flowing to his head for his lack of comprehension but instead he chooses to blame Malkuth, because it's easier that way and also his usual charitable mood's been unceremoniously cut down on account of him hanging upside down.

Which is a real shame, because normally he would have appreciated that terrible joke. Alas. ]

Haha. [ He's saying the individual syllables, by the way, in a very flat tone. ] I'm sure you can see for yourself.

netzach.

[ignoreher]

[ ...

it's done, at least. that's all malkuth can really think as the fluttering of pages leave her body, though she doesn't hear them; her plugsuit will have seen better days, though it's resisted much of the damage there's still scratches and scuff that betray what must be underneath.

unlike the Library, there's no book closing, doors shut, curtain falling that denotes the end of things and mends the wounds on her body. every ache is real, the rift's effects multiplying them as she drags herself to a stopped teacup for a sit down. a slump really. ]

Ugh... so this is what it's like for everyone else? I can't say I'm a huge fan, I bet this was one thing Roland liked about working with us.

[ well. she's left a trail of blood behind from a wound on her leg she hasn't noticed, though malkuth's otherwise okayishly hidden from any potential weakened baddies. the abnormalities still press at her mind, searching for a way even now to manifest, and she mentally swats at them with a groan. stop that. let her rest. ]

[enkefailin]

Malkuth...?

[he doesn't quite hear what she's saying, but he does catch her voice; it takes a second to locate her, but the blood, unfortunately, helps. (can't find someone? follow the blood trail. or don't. generally it's better if you just call it a loss.)

he flops down across from her, looking a little... frizzy. a reflection of his state after dealing with all the electricity flying around, trying to help with the generators.

maybe he's not very well suited for this one. unsurprising. what is he ever good for, anyway.]

You're leaking.

yesod.

[ignoreher]

[ malkuth has been taking such care to be a hidden protector for both yesod and netzach as they handled the generators, only the faint buzz of fast beating wings nearly drowned by the hum of electricity the only indicator of... well, of something nearby but not quite a threat, given its lack of approach towards the working crews.

it's tiring, though. it's tiring and the fairy festival is starved just like the yamadenki, the reptilian hybrids making her salivate before she snaps out of it -- no, absolutely not, definitely not. that's still human and

okay, she does want to try human, she is kind of curious, but. not right now. she has a job to do, and it's to hover vaguely in yesod's area and try to keep out of his sight.

...

but her stomach aches so badly with its hunger pangs, and despite her efforts yesod will absolutely be seeing malkuth with cyan butterfly wings hooking a scythe into one of the transformed humans and dragging the body away. maybe if she feeds them, they'll stop talking... they'll stop pressing her.. they'll stop... ]

[penaltypoints]

[ A systematic approach would have been preferable, but there was hardly any time to confirm the exact layout of the premises and every generator to locate. There certainly hasn't been enough time to form balanced teams to distribute their efforts among these locations. Instead, the resulting countermeasures to respond to the latest threat are rather spontaneous, generator upon generator to find and disable amidst the mounting chaos.

Some indication of the remaining number would be ideal as well. The lack thereof is becoming as distracting as the inability to monitor others' whereabouts with ease, aside from resorting to the implants, repeated interruptions that risk further distraction.

Pausing to reorient himself, Yesod is forced to acknowledge that the entire combination has him on edge. It's then that he notices the same faint sound that he hasn't been able to place thus far, something separate from the very air crackling with electricity. It grows louder this time, no longer a whisper of buzzing in the background, distinctly nearby.

It lets him trace it to its source soon enough, to catch sight of the unfolding scene. ]

...Malkuth—

[ He calls out to her, taken aback by her appearance, if not her methods, as her weapon sinks into its target. ]

march.

[ignoreher]

[ ... the class is coming up, and while it should be something so normal so fun so thoughtless

malkuth is full of thoughts, reading over the guidelines after sending march a quick message to see if she'd be willing to give her a hand with something. shopping! in return, malkuth'll take pictures of whatever march would like... though she'd do that anyway.

"shopping" was really the only thing she described it as, and though malkuth is a sight with her own brace and crutches for the ankle sprain she'd gotten she is brightening up at the sight of her friend. cast and all. hi bestie. ]

Sorry to make you come out with me, but I didn't know who else to ask.

[ she could have asked rodya actually but march... is her best friend. ]

So, um, what we're going for today is... well, the ballroom class I signed myself and Kaito up for -- he's my partner for the next few weeks -- says we should dress nice and comfortable, but I don't really know what I should wear. The videos I've seen have these really pretty dresses.

[ ... and... she is ever in pants... ]

I didn't even wear a skirt growing up, so I'm totally lost.

[bowtography]

I'd be pretty offended if you didn't want me along for this.

[ March wags a finger, as sternly as she can. Look at them, battered but beautiful. ]

And you came to the right person! I mean, I may not know what I wore growing up, but I know pretty dresses when I see 'em! And there are plenty that should still be comfortable.

We can get you a few skirts too, to get you used to the experience.

kaito.

[ignoreher]

[ dress nice, she said. because the guidelines said to. we'll meet there, she also said, because



because it was easier that way, rather than just walking together. surely. she'd been hanging out with march shortly before leaving early to make sure they didn't bump into each other too, an utter surprise in the waiting. malkuth knows he's likely to just teleport over anyway, so she's leaned up outside the studio wearing a cute yellow dress, her long hair twisted and turned into a messy braid that wraps at the back into a bun.

they did their best!!! between one hand and another with no experience doing her hair up!!!

anyway, she's nervous for a few different reasons, but it can all be put to the class. yup. just that. the whole thing roots from this stupid class that she wants to try, every bit of it no matter how she picks it apart, kaito can easily spook her if he wants she is utterly focused on keeping her emotions calm as a lake. ]

... Actually, if he's smart, he'll remember we're not supposed to use our powers out and about anyway, so maybe he'll actually be walking for once in his life...

[ haha. ha. this will be fun. it'll be fine. nevermind she's found a new appreciation for physical touch. it's fine. it'll be fun. ]

[seafloor]

[ The only surprise today is that Kaito shows up in a completely normal, well-adjusted manner. On a motorcycle. A black bike whose tires are adorned with glowing yellow lights comes rolling up to the curb. Its rider is decked out in thick black leathers and an equally obscuring helmet... But only the latter is actual clothing.

Kaito pops the helmet off, sets it on his dash, and swings over the bike. Mid-jump, the nanites projecting his leather garb fade out, revealing a much more formal and form fitting attire underneath, complete with a blue tie that vibrantly sticks out against the canvas of his white dress shirt. His hair's as cleanly unkempt as it always is... Though, as he approaches, the faint scent of cinnamon just barely carries across the air between them.

He's also opting to look absolutely everywhere else except at her. ]

Hey.

[ His greeting's a good ten seconds too late. And... it's not even like when they'd met and he was guarded for all of five lines.

He sounds distant. ]

on the 8th

[immortalpoet]

[There's a knock on her door later in the afternoon.]

[He feels...stupid. This is stupid. But she didn't come around like he expected her to. And she didn't show her face at all, really. Or texted.]

[He can't keep looking at this damn pin waiting for its owner to come in to take it back, like promised.]

[He's not the type to text. And so, with a sigh, he's found himself here at her door, hoping she's there.]

...Malkuth.

[ignoreher]

[ it's unfortunate

but she is here for the moment, laying in bed staring up at her ceiling when the knock comes. she hops up,

pauses when she hears the familiar rasp of her name,

and continues on her way to open her door. not yet, hand raised to press the button to let vergilius in, and malkuth shakes her head as she does so with a beam. she isn't without something new to her person though: brace around her ankle, though the crutches she's been using on longer walks remain in the corner of her slowly filling out room. ]

Vergilius! I didn't expect you to drop by. Guess I must be a little late on my check-ups.

izou.

[ignoreher]

[ "i'll dress inconspicuously", she said

and proceeded to dress how she thinks someone at a seedy bar oughta look, oversized dark hoodie thrown over herself with a similarly colored duckbill hat on her head for ~style~ and a mask to cover one half her face while sunglasses obscure the other. that's just the notable stuff she's otherwise just got dark denim!!!!!!!

malkuth will forgive izou for not recognizing her but please don't act like you don't know her she's waving both hands, sleeves struggling to stay Up and not slide down her twig ass arms. ]

How do I look? Pretty good, right? I watched some old movies for inspiration!

[ ... please... she's ready for the seedy life... ]

ohhh, i see her game

[hitokiller]

( not to worry.

literally who else would be waving at him so enthusiastically among a crowd of folks just minding their own business. not many, that's who, the only other potential candidate not being who he's meeting right now.

his attire is fairly casual in contrast ( thank you 500 collabs ), the jacket a welcome addition when considering april's leftover chill.

anyhow, he gives her an unamused lookover. )

Do I even wanna ask? Look. I'm not draggin' you into the belly of the beast or whatever. We're just getting a drink.

after that whole drunken disaster

[immortalpoet]

[He's still feeling like the idea of locking himself in the room for five million centuries, but sure. March said so. Even that Wrio fellow said so.]

[He needs to talk.]

[This has been one fucking sharknado of feelings in the last 48 hours, honestly.]

miss malkuth

can we talk

[ignoreher]

[ can they,

they can, and she. there's not a lot that he'd be approaching her about. malkuth rolls on her bed and stares at the photo on her desk, blowing out her mouth as she curls up. ]

Of course! What's up, Vergilius?

kaito & march.; april 17th

[ignoreher]

[ another day, another... day. they still aren't out of the woods with their respective Issues, but the weather is nice and malkuth wants to spend time with them both.

nevermind that march said she wanted to beat kaito up. it's fine. it's fine! she's holding both of their hands, though only march gets the interlocking fingers today, swinging them both as she takes them along. yup. her best friends. three platonic best friends, right here. that is not a true statement in the least but she can pretend it is, since she's absolutely not saying anything more than what she wrote him.

...

nonetheless!!! they're getting a table at a sweets cafe for their tea party, malkuth isn't letting kaito cook while he's a hazard to forget what he's doing, even as it eases back to normalcy as the days pass. there will be more days for tea parties. she knows it.

today is a relaxing day. she's even wearing a dress befitting a tea party, as march claimed. and yellow headband with a bow atop it to match. ]

The menu's a lot bigger than I thought... Let's get one of everything.

[ they should not get one of everything. ]

[seafloor]

[ Today's self-designsted third wheel is on auto pilot.

From the unassuming blazer to the way he moreso allows himself to be dragged rather than keeps up with the others, Kaito could probably stand to show a little more enthusiasm coming in.

Well, maybe not. His sleeves are rolled up and his scars are earning him more than a few gawks as he's strolled down the street with the girls. Anyone besides them who looks him in the eye is getting his best Vergilius impression—and he's an ex-delinquent. It's pretty spot-on.

Kaito doesn't want to be here today. Or, more precisely, he isn't ready to be here today. He's got Malkuth's notebook tucked under his arm and heavy bags tucked under his eyes. But he's here. He said he'd be here. He just figured it would be after his memory stabilized.

Once they arrive, Kaito snags the seat closest to the door. He opens the menu for all of five seconds before shifting to scribble in the notepad. ]

Sure. One of everything sounds fine, [ he murmurs, distant. ]