Inside

[[brackets lover]]

April Foolery

Asami straightens her posture, spreading her feet apart to get a low center of gravity. Her gaze fixed on the monster, she sarcastically responds to Nathair, "O-of course I'm okay!" Her voice was clearly choked and she was wincing from the tears.

She swallows her spit and curls her hands into fists, lobbing an beam of heat energy arced around the bookshelf Nathair was levitating directly at the creature which erupted into a ravenous swirl of fire, aimed at its center of mass and spreading to anything flammable it comes into contact without threatening the structure of the house.

[Hraithre]

[Intersection precint]

"I'm not entirely clear on how much I do know." Frustration creeps into Michalson's voice. "I know somethin' bad happened to your homeworld. Hoshiki doesn't remember because his brain-box got wiped clean. He knew Sandels before and they weren't best chums. And you've also got some dark Hoshiki wants to know."

The detective isn't the only one getting frustrated. Lia's foot taps with impatience. "Not my business? How is it not my-" she stops herself, pausing for a deep breath. Squabbling would only make things worse.

"Listen, Bunny, I think we got off on the wrong foot. We want the same thing, right? We're all trying to stop this fight from happening. Regardless of your jealousy, shouldn't we be pooling our knowledge to figure out if there's any way out of it?"

Bunny freezes and perks her ears at the detective's summary. She was excepting something else and she's fairly sure she didn't tell him that. He is a detective, though, so he was bound to put it together at some point. But what was that about the swordsman not remembering...?

She doesn't manage to collect her thoughts before Lia distracts her. "Jealous? Ha ha, who? Me? I'm not being jealous. You're being jealous." She flies up and goes to sulk on the top of the coat rack.

[Morty]

[Intersection precint]

Michalson gives Bunny a long, thoughtful look. This is a complicated mess of a situation, but... she's taking it more personally than he feels it's warranted. What is he missing?

"Bunny, when you asked me for a new body, I thought you wanted to start a new life, on your own terms. And you can do it. Live for your own sake, not beholden to Sandels, Hoshiki or anyone. So what's your stake in all of this?"

[Rebonack]

Touring Inside

No Violet Wishes got pone'd because she asked for things that were directly related to being a pegasus. Whereas Henry just asked to not need to work, which has nothing to do with being a shark.

Anyway!

"Well, I didn't get any ghost pants. If I try to pass through something all my clothes fall off." Henry responds a little testily. "It's really awkward. No one wants a naked fishperson running around." This is a recurring problem for him. Somehow.

Henry can't help but glance at the statues. Just because he's a big guy doesn't mean he's the type to get excited about food.
...he's part halfling though, which means he is.
"So...are we not supposed to eat them?"

Utterly untrue.

Sharks don't work. Henry wished that he wouldn't have to work. Thus, Henry is now a shark. Have you ever met a shark that holds a regular job? No? Of course you haven't because sharks don't have jobs. They just swim around and have lots of money. That's the normal way for sharks, right?

"Then don't pass through stuff," Eu replies.

See?

Easy.

Problem one hundred percent solved.

At Henry's question Aivu is already chewing on a cookie-based replication of the Thinker. She sure seems to believe that they ARE supposed to eat them.

[Keeper]

Touring Inside

"But it just happens sometimes when I get scared. And it's useful when I'm trying to investigate things." That thing he is supposed to do but rarely does.
"Uh. So you must know how to fight, right?" he asks as they look around.
Henry glances around to see if there's any signs about eating the statues. And definitely not because his belly is rumbling.

[quillpleasant]

Intersection Precinct

Lia sighs heavily as Bunny retreats to the coat rack. Of course this couldn't be easy, there had to be feelings involved. Not that Lia doesn't have feelings, but she's choosing to ignore them right now.

"I'm not jealous of your connection to Sandels. In fact, if you do care about him, you should be explaining what you know so Michalson can figure this out. He can only help so much if you're unwilling to share your side of the story." She nods at the detective.

"What is Sandels to you, Bunny? An acquaintance, a lover, a friend? Or is it just that you need something from him?" Clearly the little gargoyle has some deep insecurities regarding the situation, and Lia is doing her best to pry them into the open.

[Hraithre]

[Intersection precint]

"... living on my own terms. Hah. What's that even supposed to mean if...", Bunny starts and stops, hiding herself inside her wings. He stays quiet while Lia speaks. After some silence, she unfolds her wings enough to peek at Michalson. "... you remember that synthetic body I let behind?"

[bc56]

April Foolery
The claws are knocked aside by the flying bookcase, then the creature is blasted with flame and heat. With a ghastly screech unlike any earthly thing, the monster bursts into flames, along with the bedsheets and much of the wooden furniture.

Making Trouble
"Really? You can't even look at me, what makes you think you could defeat me in a fight?" In a very evocative motion, the succubus reaches between her voluptuous breasts and retrieves an object. If Blank doesn't take his eyes off her horns, he won't see that it's a needle and thread. "You show surprising restraint, for a male. But your prudish chivalry will be your undoing!" She throws the needle like a dart at Blank's throat.

[Ironsmith]

[Making Trouble]

Fortunately, Blank doesn't need to see what the object is to recognize the throwing motion and the general direction of where that object is going. And, as previously established, he's quite quick on his feet.

The boy darts quickly to one side, keeping his eyes on the succubus's horns (eye contact seems like a bad idea, given the whole seduction schtick), drawing a card from his sleeve, and...

Lock of Hare. Hm. Actually potentially quite useful, but only if she doesn't see it coming.

"Well, yeah." Blank continues, tossing the card off to the side as though it were absolutely worthless and starting to circle around the succubus, already moving to draw another one. "Have you met a strigoi before? Like, ever? Perpetual hunger mixed with major self-restraint? No?"

[Morty]

[Intersection precint]

Michalson nods slowly.

"Aye, I remember it. Wouldn't have lasted long even if that mess hadn't happened, you told me."

[quillpleasant]

Intersection Precinct

Lia leans forward slightly as Bunny talks to Michalson. Is she actually going to explain something?

For once, Lia keeps her mouth shut, waiting. If her encouragement had actually worked and Bunny is going to open up, she doesn't want to ruin it by saying the wrong thing.

-

April Foolery

Nathair stares in shock as Asami's pyrokinetic attack burns the monster to death. After a moment, he wipes his forehead, stepping back from the heat of the flames.

"Wow. And you said you don't have magic, huh? You're holding out on me, kid." He holds up the key. "Well, we got this. Let's go see what's in the basement, huh?"

[[brackets lover]]

Intersection Precinct

Lia leans forward slightly as Bunny talks to Michalson. Is she actually going to explain something?

For once, Lia keeps her mouth shut, waiting. If her encouragement had actually worked and Bunny is going to open up, she doesn't want to ruin it by saying the wrong thing.

-

April Foolery

Nathair stares in shock as Asami's pyrokinetic attack burns the monster to death. After a moment, he wipes his forehead, stepping back from the heat of the flames.

"Wow. And you said you don't have magic, huh? You're holding out on me, kid." He holds up the key. "Well, we got this. Let's go see what's in the basement, huh?"

Asami would shoot a wary look towards the creature as the fire envelops it. She'd remain silent while the fires were still burning, awash with uncertainty. She'd first check for any further response from the creature, and in the absense of any, would hang her head low in silent prayer.

Afterwards, she'd turn to Nathair and look confused, "Eheh... What do you mean by that?" When he holds up the key, Asami shirks back, distancing herself from it.

[Hraithre]

[Intersection precint]

"That body belonged to his... Sandels's partner", Bunny begins. "Work partner, I mean", she hastily adds. "When she... when it became clear she would never return, I took her place. It's been a while, obviously, but I didn't hate it, you know? I'm supposed to be out there, exorcising ghosts and being her silly girly sidekick."

[Morty]

[Intersection Precinct]

Michalson frowns. This is, admittedly, not an unusual expression on his face. But he doesn't like what he's hearing... not one bit.

"And once I get you a new body, do you want to return to him like this? Become his 'sidekick' again? A replacement for a woman... did you even know her?"

[quillpleasant]

Intersection Precinct

Unfortunately, Lia cannot keep her mouth shut for long.

"You don't need to define yourself by fulfilling someone else's role. What's important is figuring out what and who you want to be for you." She pauses, wrinkling her nose as a thought occurs to her. "Sandels knew you replaced this woman, right?" Because otherwise, that would be... weird.

-

April Foolery

Nathair raises an eyebrow at Asami. "If you have another word than magic for throwing around fire from your hands, I'm all ears. Regardless of what you call it, that's a pretty deadly power. I'm glad you're on my side."

With that, he saunters out of the room towards the closed door. Moment of truth- does the key fit, or not?

[Hraithre]

[Intersection Precinct]

Bunny hesitates, not really sure where to begin with Michalson's barrage of questions. So when Lia asks something obvious, she answers that first without much thinking.

"Of course he knew. He was there when... he knows what happened to her. Me and that synthetic body were both made by him. It's just things his lot do."

[Morty]

[Intersection Precinct]

"So you didn't know her. But... Sandels isn't stupid. Barmy, maybe, but not stupid." Bunny is well aware by now that "barmy" is a particular way of referring to someone crazy. "He should know you can't replace her. I don't know if he realizes that you also shouldn't."

[quillpleasant]

Intersection Precinct

Lia goes silent for a moment, as if working something out in her head.

"He made you? So he's what... your creator? And you don't want to kill him? Weird." She doesn't seem to realize how strange that statement is.

She flashes a smile at Michalson. "The detective is absolutely right, you know. You can't just become someone else. You have to be your own individual. Even if you're not supposed to. Even if your whole reason for existing is to be a copy." She seems to be speaking from very personal experience.

[Hraithre]

[Intersection Precinct]

"You don't get it. It would be an improvement if he still wanted me to replace her", Bunny mutters sourly to Michalson. She looks ready to withdraw behind her wings again, but Lia's comment stop her.

"What? Why would I want to kill him? That's the opposite what I want! Argh!" She grabs her horns like she's about to tear them off, then jumps down from the coat rack. "You bloody fools! I'm sure I'll have a bloody good time being my own self once that moron has kicked the bucket, but! I. Don't. Want. Him. To!"

[Morty]

[Intersection Precinct]

Times like these Michalson understands why his father used to drink so much before he was born. This situation might look better if he wasn't tragically sober.

"By all the powers and their mothers. I don't know why you'd want to kill him either. And I don't want him to die, myself. I don't like it when people die stupidly. And it's my job to stop it. What I don't get is what you want outta this. Supposin' we stop Sandels from gettin' himself written into the dead book. And I get you a brand new body. What would you do then?"

[quillpleasant]

Intersection Precinct

Lia holds up her hands in a calming gesture, rolling her eyes. "Right, of course you don't want him dead. I always forget that not everyone has a pathological hatred for their creator."

She listens to Michalson, nodding along. Looking back at Bunny, her face softens.

"Listen, we really do want the same thing. We both care about Sandels, and don't want to see him killed. I don't know if we can make him see reason, but either way arguing isn't going to help anything."

[Hraithre]

[Intersection Precinct]

"What would I do then? What do you care? Once I have a body and have served my sentence, it's none of your business!", Bunny snaps. "Knowing what I'd do in the future won't help you stop him!"

She begins pacing around in a circle again. "So he wants me to... we could... wait no, you already talked to him. He'd see right through it..."

[bc56]

Making Trouble
The needle sails past Blank. "I don't know or care what you are." The succubus gently tugs on the thread and the needle curves around in an arc, not aimed to strike Blank's back, but rather to loop the thread around his neck. "You will give in. Judging by your gaze, you're already pretty horny." Oh no, that's an awful pun. The succubus is smirking, she expects that to break Blank's concentration on her horns.

April Foolery
Nowhere did I say the monster was dead. >:)
As Nathair and Asami debate the nature of magic, the still-burning creature tears through the remains of the bookcase with another screech, barreling into them with blind rage and pain. It doesn't seem intelligent, just angry.

[Rebonack]

[Touring Inside]

"Then don't get scared."

Wow, easy.

Just don't be afraid ever.

How hard could that possibly be?

"Okay maybe that's a little too harsh," Eu admits. "What I MEAN is, you need to take charge of your life. Unlife. Whatever it is you've got going on. It sounds to me like you've mostly just been a spectator in what's happening to you. You need to set your eyes on a star and just peruse it with everything you've got!"

Don't let your dreams stay dreams!

Just DO IT!

At the question of 'do you know how to fight?' Eu raises a hand and creates-!

A spike!

It's an ornate looking thing of blue and gold like a vaguely organic throwing knife.

"Sure do I'm not sure how practical my technique would be for anyone else, though."

As for signs? Yes.

Yes there is.

Please eat the cookie statues
=)

[Keeper]

Touring Inside

"Well I mean properly speaking I already got the big thing I always wanted. But I have been trying to make the detective thing work." Everyone's got to have a hobby.
Henry cups his hands carefully, and another one of those pale blue flames bursts into his hands. "I haven't quite figured this out but if I focus really hard I can get these to pop up. I always thought a proper detective would know about fancy fisticuffs though."
He gets distracted eyeing the statues, though. And how his stomach starts growling pretty much immediately reading that sign. Henry doesn't like fitting stereotypes but anyone would have that reaction to a six foot tall cookie!

[Rebonack]

[Touring Inside]

"Being fantastically wealthy because of someone else's effort?" Eu asks, half joking here.

But only half.

What's the fun in just letting someone else do the work for you?

What about discovery?

What about adventure?

Is just having stuff really the good life that Henry is seeking? Is there even a point to having stuff if he isn't alive? All of these questions seem to come unbidden. Just being around Eudaemonia has a tendency to cause the Riddle to float to the forefront of the mind.

But then oh hey spooky flames.

"This is all a pretty neat trick but what do you mean by a detective? What are you chasing, Henry?"

The statues continue to be there. Looking delicious. Judging from the "MMMM!" noises Aivu is making they must be tasty.

[Ironsmith]

[Making Trouble]

"...That's kind of a messed up thing for a grown woman to say to a teenaged boy." Blank notes, seeing the needle come around just a bit too late to get out of the way entirely, instinctively swatting at it and getting his wrist tangled in the thread instead.

...Oh boy. That's probably not good.

[Keeper]

Touring Inside

"Being able to live my life the way I want to with a family who gives a damn instead of worrying about what some manager wants of me, actually." Henry replies, almost at a whisper.
Because what's a life without a little time to enjoy it? If you can't put your feet up sometimes, what's the point?

But he stares down into the cold flame in his palms at the question, speaking slowly.
"The greatest insult I can give the curse and the assholes who threw it upon my family isn't to break it, though I'd consider it if I could. The greatest insult I can give them is to take what they forced upon me and use it to help people in the way they should've been doing. That's why I joined HALO. To be helpful in a way I thought I could pull off."

[Rebonack]

[Touring Inside]

"Ah hah! You don't want anyone telling you what to do. Free to express yourself however you want. I can understand that," Eu responds with a nod. "But now I'm curious. What IS the way you want?"

She breaks a piece off one of the nearby statues and tosses it in her mouth-
-only to have her eyes widen.

"Oh wow that's actually really good."

So it is!

"So is that it? The way you want to live is by helping others? I guess you didn't feel like you were helping before."

[Keeper]

Touring Inside

"Well, I mean I spent most of my life working retail it's not exactly a heroic skillset." he shakes his head.
"So I'm trying to make use of the powers I have. Which is cold fire, and ghost stuff. That's why I volunteered as a ghost hunter. Um. I mean I thought it would be cool. I'm not gonna lie and say I wouldn't mind looking a little cool to counteract the look I got given. And speaking of..."
Henry just can't help himself anymore. He leans over to his right and takes a big shark-bite out of the nearest statue. The mark it leaves behind would probably be a little macabre if it wasn't in a giant cookie.