( open. ) someone kneels and prays / amongst the wisteria / silence tells of pain.

[skirm]

WHO: Wanderer and YOU.
WHAT: Urban Legend number ▊▊▊ "The Ghost of a Kabuki Dancer", friendly but perhaps aggressive sparring, among others.
WHERE: Akasaka's Hikawa Shrine, Greenhouse, Simulation Arena, Brimstone Hallway.
WHEN: Throughout the month of December.
WARNINGS: None as of now!



000 — 『藤娘』 FUJIMUSUME
TAKES PLACE SOMETIME AT NIGHT BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 00:00 TO 6:00 AT AKASAKA'S HIKAWA SHRINE

( hearsay has it that between midnight and sunrise, the faint sound of shamisen can be heard coming from a shrine far, far from lilith's base. no one knows when it starts or when it ends, for the time always varies, as though a performance not meant to be heard or seen. if one catches sight of it —

for the month of december, hikawa shrine is decorated with artificial wisteria. the vocals, shamisen and percussion seem almost pre-recorded, for they are; there's no ensemble or choir to be seen, and the only attraction is a performer at the center of a worn-out stage. adorned in a purple kimono equally decorated with wisteria, their face is slightly obscured by a silky, and just as purple katsugi that sits atop their head. the performance itself is breathtaking, almost as though done by something inhuman. a doll, or even a puppet, with its delicate and precise movements, yet with unfocused eyes, as though this performance, too, is automated.

if he catches sight of you watching him dance, however, the performance will come to a halt, together with the music. maybe he recognizes you from lilith's base, maybe you're even in the same team — whatever the reason, the mysterious performer looks none too pleased, angry almost. as though his privacy had been infringed upon. )

You shouldn't be here. Leave.

( ... or, if he does not, in fact, catch you watching his performance, you'll be one of the lucky few to have watched it in full. the performer bows to no one in particular, and begins to collect the few props used to bring them inside the shrine's storehouse. you may help him, if you wish, or approach him to speak of his performance. you may even simply sit back and watch him from afar, but whatever you decide to do — he will notice, eventually, and be none too happy about your presence there. )

001 — Chorus of Desert and Wood
MAIN BASE: GREENHOUSE — VARYING TIMES OF THE DAY

( sumeru's rainforests became something ever-similar to home, if he were to have one. calming, soothing, comforting. inazuma's have always been too gloomy for his taste, the suffocating air of electro a reminder of his origins. snezhnaya's, too frigid, lacking in foliage most of the time. sumeru's have spoiled him, for when wanderer visits the greenhouse for the first time, he finds the air... unsatisfying.

as though it's not real, as man-made as he is. his eyes narrow in dissatisfaction.

there are many plants he does not recognize, and in spite of the warnings not to touch them, wanderer does hold the leaves between his fingers. it would be fine, probably, immune to poison as he is, artificial as they are. the texture, too, isn't half as soft and moist as the trees and plants of sumeru. the homesickness this all provides him is exhausting. what's the point of missing something that isn't his, anyways?

wanderer clicks his tongue at his own annoyance, making way for one of the caretaker robots to walk past him. he spots, then, you, visiting the greenhouse for whatever reason. though it is not like wanderer to make small talk — )

Being here is pointless. What's the point of a greenhouse if none of these are real? How meaningless.

( ... can you tell he's in a bad mood. )

002 — (shouki no kami voice) Bow before me, worm!
MAIN BASE: SIMULATION ARENA

( though not much interests wanderer around lilith's main base or neo-tokyo in general, the simulation arena, at the very least, had caught his eye. he had used it once, before, on their first briefing and simulation trial. it had felt real enough, and though he does not speak much of how he decided to approach the situation, it stayed in the back of his mind.

he could use it for training, probably. to kill time. the other recruits should have strengths, abilities, skills and powers of their own, from different places, different worlds. though wanderer is hardly as obsessed with fighting and challenging others as a certain someone he knows... he's not against it, the thrill of a fight well fought.

the hows, whys and whens aren't necessary. what matters is that seok had granted him and his sparring mate entry into the simulation arena, and standing ways before his opponent, wanderer couldn't help but wield a grin all familiar to times of old, when he had a rank within a certain group, and a name to call himself. though he has changed considerably in certain areas, he is, unfortunately, still as arrogant as they come. )

There's still time to turn back and give up, you know. It'd be understandable if you did, and foolish if not. No worries, I won't tell anyone.

( the tone of his voice is clearly mocking. does wanderer look like he's any trustworthy like this? )

note: since fighting threads aren't everyone's cup of tea, we can try and handwave most if not all of it. i don't mind writing it out, and mind even less having wan-chan's ass be kicked!

003 — JUST MEOW MEOW
MAIN BASE: BRIMSTONE HALLWAY — VARYING TIMES OF THE DAY

( it hasn't taken too long for wanderer to adapt to the abrupt change from his daily life to... this. whatever this is. it's an overall different atmosphere, from the green life that embraced sumeru to a technology-packed city that reeked, for the most part, of something ever-similar to inazuma.

it has, however, been taking him a considerate amount of time to adapt to this: a room filled with cats that have been following him for what feels like days now. he has tried to scare them off - it didn't work. he has tried to give them bowls of food somewhere far - they found him, still. he has even flown high and far, to no avail. over and over the cats find him, and it'd be fine, really, it would. if they didn't yell so much. therefore, cue the situation:

wanderer, annoyed at their incessant yapping, locks them outside of his door. they scratch at it, five cats trying to fit next to each other as they meow meow meow. eventually he opens it, throws some cat food at the middle of the hallway, and closes his door. a couple of minutes later they return, and resume their yelling.

he only has so much patience for this much noise - cue, again, the way his door is thrown open. )

I'm not going to let you back in until you all shut up with your crying! Go elsewhere and leave me alone, dammit!

( ... yes, the 500ish years old puppet is arguing with five cats. what about it. )

004 — WILDCARD

feel free to write me a prompt if we've discussed anything, or even if not! this will be a general catch-all for december shenanigans, so anything goes!

Comments

greenhouse.

[frostfist]

[ when is he not in a bad mood....

But it's fine, because the newcomer entering through the greenhouse doors has enough good cheer for the both of them, his casual steps forward coming to a stop at the snippy words floating his direction. Despite the size of the base they've all been deposited into, there's enough of them crammed in here that it's near impossible not to bump into one of LILITH's recruits while heading from one location to another. He's beginning to get a sense of most of them by now, though the specifics still elude him.

Information gathering is so much slower when he's reduced to relying on only his own eyes and ears.

Idly, he glances around the greenhouse, gaze lingering on a broad-leafed plant here and a small flowering shrub there. From a distance, it's hard to tell they're fake and not real, but maybe he just doesn't have a sense for this sort of thing anymore, relegated as he has been to a life under the ocean. ]

Oh, I wouldn't say entirely pointless. Even the illusion of greenery and nature is enough to lift the spirits for some people.

[ Is he thinking of the hallways of the Fortress, filled with mechanical parts and the salty dampness of the surrounding sea rather than sunlight and rustling leaves? Perhaps. It might have been nice to have some greenery down there. ]

But if you're so dissatisfied, why not send LILITH a note? Surely there must be a suggestion box lying around somewhere.

[skirm]

( sumeru's forests actually leave him in a good mood!!

which is, unfortunately, the main issue with lilith's greenhouse. one, it's certainly most - if not all - artificial. two, really, what's the point of a greenhouse, then? plant these man-made all around neo-tokyo, and wouldn't the effect be the same? do they even require care, as the robots seem to imply? )

And then what? What's a note supposed to do? I don't care what their greenhouse looks like.

( clearly he does, but — never that wanderer would say it. this had been, at the end of the day, a visit born out of curiosity, and perhaps the tiniest amount of homesickness. he turns back to one of the flowers, adorned with colors that seemed almost impossible to exist.

... sumeru's huge mushrooms are far prettier, anyway. )

If simpletons can have an appreciation for it, then so be it. It doesn't concern me.

[frostfist]

[ lilith please deposit the sumeru forests in neo tokyo so wanchan can feel more joy in his little heart

This guy sure is a protester though, huh? Surely he must have cared at least a little to make the journey out here. And surely he must care if he's expending all this energy to argue how little he cares. People who truly have no interest simply don't bother to feign any sort of reaction at all. ]

Well, if you - or anyone else - were to make improvements, wouldn't you want to spend more time here? This base is where we're going to be spending most of our time from now on. There's no harm in wanting it to be more than just a place to rest your head.

[ Maybe this is just the management side of him speaking though. Why not try and change something to help ensure a better chance of survival and success? ]

just meow meow

[notscar]

[ someone do be yelling quite loudly outside of his room, and this is why leona has opened his door and slowly stuck his head out of it--- to peek at the commotion. cats being yelled at. being fed. yelling back. then his almost-neighbor responds in kind and leona is left to just... tiredly stare. ]

I don't know why you're tryin' to fight a losin' battle.

[ of course, someone here understands the whining of the cats better than wanchan ever will.



and this is why leona is just. deadass glaring. ]

meow meow meow?

[skirm]

( oh, great. it's that guy. wanderer remembers the transgression he had done towards him - holding him so close and gently, that is. what kind of sick person would do it to a total stranger, anyways?

it's no surprise they're in the same team, and even less of a surprise that they're close neighbors. wanderer's luck... has hardly been the best, here. but when has it ever? )

I don't remember asking your damn opinion.

( if you thought his mood was bad before, leona... well. it's absolutely rancid now. )

Aren't you a cat like them? Tell them to leave me alone. I can't stand their whining.

fsst

[notscar]

[ it's that guy.

imagine this being the worst attitude he's ever encountered when his is equally as bad at times. instead, he's just... amused, interested in hearing the voices of the cats as well as the larger and less feline shaped cat that's got quite the temper. ]

You're makin' it a public affair when you're not handlin' your young'uns.

[ anyway. leaning against the doorframe, he allows himself to stand a little more in plain view. of course, he's been chilling in his room and napping, so... no shirt. obviously. right? ]

They're sayin' they want milk.

[ yep ]

002; don't worry, wormy will show up...

[okane]

<sub>[ i'll probably throw in handwaving some things when the time is right, don't mind me.......

Toji had already forgotten the names of basically everyone in his wing because he's never really been good at remembering them, even his son's name. Like Wanderer, he enjoys the thrill of a fight, especially to stay in shape. Although his body had been gifted the ability to surpass that of normal human abilities, it took a lot of training and hard work to get to where he's at today; he doesn't plan on letting all of that go to waste. When this person was looking for a fight, Toji had been itching to get out some restless energy — he had, to his knowledge, just killed someone very strong in his world, so you could say he felt pretty on top of the world about now and that's probably the reason he's been extra assholey as of late.

He had to accept, because the pride that he thought he had gotten over wouldn't allow him to say no.

As he enters the arena, Toji appears to be unarmed, but he's giving Wanderer some space as he stretches his own body. ]</sub>

H'oh.

_{[ He pauses, cupping one hand over his ear as he is in mid side lunge. ]}

Did you say something?

_{[ Wanderer has several things he has to deal with: somebody who is incredibly strong but even more so, incredibly fast. Not to mention, all five of his senses are heightened; it always gives him an upper hand when he's needing to find a target as an assassin. If he's allowed to use weapons, he is armed, but it isn't visible to the naked eye. ]}

the true protagonist of synf...

[skirm]

( truly, he has to at least commend the audacity. wanderer's own pride isn't so fragile that he feels insulted - five hundred years of interaction after interaction with humans had built some resistance to their blissful ignorance. his immediate reaction is an amusing hum, and the grin does not leave his face.

to any onlookers, this barely seems like the prelude of a fight. neither of them are wielding weapons, and though one is at least stretching... the other is just standing there, arms crossed as though this hadn't been his invitation to begin with.

for now, at least. it happens in the blink of an eye: the way wanderer leaps into the air, and does not fall. the halo of anemo behind him keeps him afloat, and the grins grows bigger. )

Nothing that belongs in a worm's ears. ( pun intended btw ) I'll end this fast!

( and off he goes, launching himself at toji, a void of anemo concentrated in his palm. be ready to be flung against the wall... or not. probably not. )

[okane]

<sub>[ There's a definite.. change in the pressure as Wanderer builds his ameno power and uses the gust to keep himself in mid air. Instantly, Toji detects this is some kind of windy power-- his heightened sense of touch can feel the slightest breeze and indicate which direction it is going in. This is exciting, though. A lifetime of being forced to learn about curses and cursed techniques and Toji knows it all from the beginning to end, but this? This is something new. A power from another land. He's definitely into it.

Despite the fact of his immense speed, he does get hit by the wind, a small dust of debris clouding around him from the impact. He hits the wall, but lands on his feet and crouches, studying Wanderer for a moment as he continues to gauge his overall demeanor, style of fighting and powers. A wave of pain flood over him, but he shows no indication of it. Instead, he is enjoying this a good bit. ]</sub>

That's a pleasant breeze you have there~ Who taught you that?

_{[ He's starting to circle, one ankle crossing over the other, not showing any indication to come at Wanderer just yet. Instead, he's continuing to gather more information about him. ]}

simulation

[wheft]

[ it's not like ishmael is a complete fight-addict either. she's only here to kill time, and the simulation room is the closest thing this place has to a mirror dungeon, albeit with less dangers afoot. sure, it's a relief that she doesn't have to risk her life here compared to being on the bus, but fighting 1v1 with someone with flesh and blood does have its drawbacks.

like this one. they'd only barely started, but the shit-eating grin on this kid(?)'s face is already lowkey ticking her off. it's fine when other sinners like ryoshu do it, but if it's coming from someone who's going to be completely annoying about it? she may as well get herself killed now and spare her the irritation. ]

...Don't waste my time.

[ she heaves out a sigh as she ties up her incredibly long ginger hair into a ponytail. wanderer might have even noticed her as one of the three red-headed women in brimstone, even. what are they odds. ]

You're going to have to do better than that to intimidate me out of here. Unless that's the best you've got?

the holy trinity of brim red-hair women...

[skirm]

( what are the odds. red hair is hard to miss, especially so long. it burns bright as flames that turn the world into ashes. a nostalgic color, and a familiar feeling.

that, still, means nothing. same team or not, they're strangers through and through. her words have little effect on him - though if anything, wanderer's grins simply widens. he enjoys to be talked back like this, when he's so arrogant about his own prowess. he might not pilot a huge mecha god anymore, or might not have his full potential as an archon's creation unlocked in this life - but he still, at the very least, has the experience and age to back up that pride. )

I don't intend to waste a fraction of my power on such a worthless insect. ( god-complex much, wanderer? ) But I suppose I may indulge you.

( and so it goes: the halo of anemo that appears behind his head as he leaps into the air, and the small ball of void that starts concentrating on his palm. he lunges himself at his opponent, fully intent to connect his palm with her stomach, flinging her back against the wall. if it connects, well - it won't kill her, but it will probably hurt? )

it's always the crazy redheads...

[wheft]

[ "worthless insect"? man, good thing gregor isn't here. he'd be so pissed hearing that from such a small, sassy child--

who can summon balls of wind and void, apparently. at the end of the day, ishmael is only human -- perhaps the most ordinary one out of their team filled with entities with god complexes and crazed murderers (not that she wasn't the latter at some point). and because she's just an ordinary woman at the end of the day, she did not see the boy's incoming attack and as a result she's thrown against the wall with a crash, falling unceremoniously on the floor like so.

fucking ow.

at first, it may look like the boy has actually killed her. but ishmael has received worse lashings, and she grabs the harpoon that was strapped on her back and use it to get her up on her feet. ]

The hell... [ ow, ow ow. ] You... don't use a weapon?

003

[cleansewithfire]

[ The commotion has led Sunrise to investigate just what is going over in Brimstone, if only because she doesn't think it's normal for things to be loud here (little does she know). She lights up (or, well, as much as she can while still having this blank look on her face) when she sees the cats gathered in front of Wanderer's room. ]

Are they not crying because they want attention? [ Like, she's heard that's how cats ask for attention, anyway.

...The cats may be trying to get into his room now as if her sudden appearance has frightened them. ]

[skirm]

( truly little do you know, sunrise. wanderer looks up from the cats to the new presence in the hall, a face he doesn't quite recognize - not like he knows every other member of his team, and even less that he wants to know them, but, well. it's a simple observation.

the cats are loud enough that even people from other teams are coming over to see what the fuss is about. great. truly just what he wanted.

the little felines do, apparently, try to squeeze back into his room as soon as the girl approaches, hiding behind his legs. their cries have gone from a demand of attention to something a little more scared.

... how annoying. )

They can look for it elsewhere. I have nothing good to offer them.

[cleansewithfire]

[ She expected this sort of reaction from the cats—there are very few animals that react well to her—but it never gets less disappointing no matter how many times it happens. She takes a couple of steps back like she's hoping putting a little more distance will at least make them more comfortable. ]

You are offering them shelter right now.

[ That's what it looks like to her, anyway. ]

001

[cranekin]

(The winter night is cold and still, the air sharp in a way that fills him with a familiar restlessness, and he finds himself drawn to the old shrines of the city late in the night when much of the city has gone to bed.

The sleepless city and its neverending brightness offer plenty of distraction but he finds himself drawn to the stillness of the old shrines. Maybe it's his nature as an old spirit, his brief history as a divine sword, or maybe it's just the music that draws him in like a siren's song in the night. He walks center of the stone walkway, the path reserved for kami, but he hardly looks like a kami now.

In modern clothes, simple but sharply dressed, a long, light gray winter coat, and a bright red scarf wrapped around his neck and lower face, he looks more like an ordinary person. He looks like "Adachi Rindou" instead of "Tsurumaru Kuninaga." Somehow, still, through this illusion he wears, his gold eyes are sharp and as he approaches the performance, studies it carefully.

Each move is perfect, from the way he holds his fingers to the way he carries his entire body. It's so carefully practiced and he thinks... it may even be better than his own perfectly practiced performances. Before he can really linger on it anymore, he's spotted, the music stops, and he withdraws his hands from his pockets and claps.)

Oh? Then why were you performing?

(Aren't these sorts of shows meant to call on the kami int he first place?)

[skirm]

( the question itself has no answer, and wanderer, the unnamed ghost of hikawa shrine, offers none as well - for he, after all, knows not what the answer is either. it comes with his nature as a divine creation, an archon's puppet, a being that lingers neither on the side of divinity nor on the side of humanity.

kabukimono had been his first name, after all, and he had found it fitting then. )

I don't owe you an answer.

( and he keeps it at that, using one of the loose sleeves of his katsugi to cover his face. it would be too much of a bother to be recognized, let alone from someone who clearly comes from lilith's base. do the people there know not of privacy? )

This shrine is not safe at this hour. ( this, for one, is a lie wanderer spills with ease, to scare away any who might enter. ) What brings you here?

[cranekin]

(He doesn't try to look. He's already stumbled onto someone's secret and that's enough for now. There's no reason for him to investigate any further so he stays in place, arms crossed in front of him for warmth, and content with the current level of discomfort in this conversation. This is fine. He doesn't have to do anything to make it more interesting for him. It's plenty already.)

It seems safe for now.

(He doesn't scare away easily.)

The new year is approaching. It's been a long time since I've had the chance to visit a shrine so I thought I would do some research.

(In the middle of the night. Yeah.)

Since you know so much about here, maybe you can tell me what you think!

🐈

[sparse]

[ The incessant meowing is what attracts him to check it out at first. Really, he could have gone about his day and ignored this, but something about how upset the cats sounded lures him in like a moth to a flame. It doesn't take him ages to realize what's going on, and he decides that it's not his problem.

But what makes him stay put is the puppet furiously arguing with the felines as if they could understand every word he just said. Fascinating. ]

Did they listen to you the first time you did that?

[ Clearly something isn't working here. ]

beanpole mfer

[skirm]

( cue the annoyed glance he shoots at the unwelcoming voice, because this is a private business... in spite of all the yelling that was bound to attract someone. he knows it's a pathetic, endless endeavor. does he care? no. does he want to be called out on it? even less.

but what else is he supposed to do, in this situation?? )

What does it matter to you? ( .. sigh. ) They didn't. But they either listen to me, or I'm kicking them out permanently.

shorty mcshorty

[sparse]

[ It's no longer private business when there are cats involved, mostly because it's not like they'll understand why this guy is yelling at them. Plus, if this isn't resolved, then the cats will be everyone else's problem instead. ]

It matters if you're going to keep arguing with them like that.

[ because y'all loud? damn ]

Just give them away to someone else.

greenhouse

[plagiarists]

[ Since the greenhouse is adjacent to the library, Sooyoung has decided to check it out on a whim. Rather than paying attention to the plants or the robots tending to them, she appreciates that this place is fairly quiet and secluded.

Wanderer's arrival doesn't bother her much since he doesn't seem to be interested in interacting, yet Sooyoung's gaze lingers on him while he's examining poisonous plants. Maybe someone else would point out that he should keep his hands away from these unless he wants to deal with unpleasant consequences, but as far as Sooyoung's concerned, he can do whatever he wants.

His comment, however, gets a reaction—she rolls her eyes before answering: ]

You will meet a lot of fake bitches in your life. That doesn't make life itself pointless, you know.

two gremlins oblivious to the future (blocking and getting blocked)

[skirm]

( ... whatever that means. bold words from someone who looks twenty-five at best. he has met his fair share of... fake bitches, yes. just take a look at the fatui. not one of them is sincere and honest.

childe not included, but every group of friends needs its token idiot. )

Does it not? Then what does it make of it?

( the pessimist would think that there's no point, if every person they'll come across will likely be out to use them, backstab them, or manipulate them in some way. how would one find meaning in life, and how would it not drive them to isolate themselves from society, to nurture a suffocating amount of trust issues? )

001

[notbymyside]

To identify these plants, should they ever appear in the wild.

[Ango is absolutely hear to learn about all these new plants and take in as much knowledge as he can. His mind is a sponge, and he will be ready should he come across any of the more dangerous plants in the future.

He looks like as much of a nerd as he is too. Brown suit and round glasses finish out the look, with only a mole above the left corner of his lip keeping him from being a perfectly ordinary man.]

That's why I'm here, at least. It sounds like you are here for another reason.

[He has a kind smile on his face as he speaks. He can guess why Wanderer might be disappointed to find fake plants instead of real ones.]

[skirm]

( if anything, ango does look enough like... a researcher, or a professor, or certainly someone whose field involves lots and lots of studying. if the clothes were more sumeran typical, he'd almost have thought they come from the same nation.

alas. it's best that they don't. one is already enough of a bother as it is. )

And what makes you think they will at all? ( god forbid wanderer ever address questions that focus on what he's doing or thinking. that's no one's business, at the end of the day. ) The entire city is in ruins. No wonder the air is so rancid.

( though that might be his own exaggeration, so used to the pure air of sumeru. )

If real plants could grow anywhere around here, shouldn't they have tried to obtain a sample or a seed to grow them inside their own greenhouse? What sense does it make to grow artificial ones?