[ Angel Devil. ] [ chatcube, or action. ] [ if you're visiting the rose barn, look for the door with the creepy bat-and-angel-wing sigil on it. Knock first! Or get zapped. ]
Centuries, huh? Kids sure grow up slow these days...
The crook's not exactly... suiting to my angelic guise, it's true... yet! 'Tis still a mark of my station. Don't tell me you've never seen a Ranker Shepherd, before, kitty cat?
[ the three lighthouses materialize: one green, one pink, one blue. that's all you see before you go blind. ]
Bye!
[ the blind only lasts for a few seconds. some of the effect can be blocked if you're fast enough, so you may see the blue lighthouse grow to the size of a small table as the other two release the flash. (you would have felt them channeling the flash while the kitten threw his minor tantrum. these are basic ass lighthouses, after all.)
the kitten leaps on top of the blue cube, his own eyes squeezed shut as the lighthouse whizzes away.
[ if you couldn't stand a little lightshow like that, your master would never have let you loose on Gaia.
You can feel the way that rosebud's ran. You fly after with an Actual feeling of the wind on your skin. A decent chase is really fun, honestly-- when was the last time you--? ]
[ the bells on your staff jingle as you stop. you hear a yelp from ahead; a red band snaps around the kitten's upper arm, its own bell jingling in harmony with yours. the cuff yanks him to a halt, forcing him off the still-whizzing lighthouse. he crashes to the ground. ]
What the hell—
[ his eyes meet yours and you witness his terror for the first and last time. white light fills the area. you pass out. ]
[ when you open your eyes... you're in an underground obstacle course, with a somewhat Queen of Hearts aesthetic. propped up against one of the hedges is a rose-patterned couch. the kitten — hair slightly longer than you remember, baby fat fading but not completely gone from his cheeks — lounges on it, tossing and catching an apple in one hand, upper arm still cuffed with that annoying red band. ]
— Rosebell? Hello?
[ he spares you a glance, then goes back to staring absently at the ceiling ]
Did all that floating finally get to your head?
[ you're floating, naturally. you have all your powers; why wouldn't you? your crook rests against a hedge beside you. all these years, and you haven't changed at all. you're even wearing the same outfit. ]
...Hn. It's their faults for falling for it. I barely even know what a Ranker IS. If some silly old discontinued doll like me is able to pull the wool over your eyes, it's more than enough proof you need to hurry up and wise up, or die.
Sometimes I feel like you say words just to fill the air, Rosebell.
[ taps his red arm cuff. a green light blinks in the middle of it. ]
Are you close, Sheep Fiend? Rosebell's gonna create an entire mind palace for us at this rate, you'll barely recognize him by the time you arrive.
[ you hear a bleat over the cuff-that's-apparently-a-comlink. ]
Oh? You should have said so. Yeah, just come in. We're not busy.
[ there's a nearby hiss of an electronic door opening, followed by rustling bushes. a man-sized white sheep ambles into the clearing on its two hind legs, dressed in white robes, bound around the waist with a red sash. the sash's bell jingles as it walks. unlike the Sheep Fiend of the pasture, this one's cat ears and tail don't need to be stuck on. the abs are still drawn on, though. he's around a head taller than the kitten while standing up, though the kitten stays put on the couch for now. ]
Sheep Fiend, you look ridiculous. Where did you even get that?
Sheepy, dear, just because you're a living blanket doesn't mean the fur rug over there wants to be tucked in all the time. But. Isn't there... Someone... still missing...?
[ the kitten winces. hands the apple to Sheep Fiend — who munches it happily — and taps the cuff-comlink again. a hologram appears, showing a small girl with pale skin, black hair and talon-like feet, dressed in all black save for a red bracelet around her wrist, sitting on the floor of the soundproof room. she stares ahead, motionless. ]
She hasn't spoken since the last mission. The food trays I give her come back empty, which is promising, but... she won't talk to me.
[ Sheep Fiend bleats again. ]
... He says her life signals are active, but it's like her mind isn't there.
[ something in your chest falls into a painful, empathic stillness, to see her like that. ]
I see. ...Nutrition intake and minimizing loss of muscle mass are the two most important things for buying time in these situations. It's why he grows us standing. If you can't even properly bask, the body's doomed. --That's. Well. It's something. And we NEED whatever something we can get.
... It'll be... very. Very difficult. Taking on the Chaos Floor, without her.
Hey, don't get ahead of yourself. We can't even fund the test with our existing funds, unless you found a way to exchange your gil for points. You know how conservative the directors are.
[ he hesitates, eyes flickering away for a moment. ]
Are you sure you don't want an arms inventory for that? I know it hasn't caused us problems so far, but this is the Workshop we're talking about, not some decrepit off-the-grid factory. It's not like they cost much. I'm sure you can get one of those with gil.
[ aaaaaaand that's all the warning they get before a black-haired human boy appears out of thin air, falling face first onto the ground between you and the couch. his shirt is stained with dried blood. it isn't his. ]
Uhhh. Hey! Am I interrupting?
[ this is a manifestation of your impression of Splash, not Splash himself dreamwalking. whether or not you can tell, however, ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
momijizukamori
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:17 pm (UTC)The crook's not exactly... suiting to my angelic guise, it's true... yet! 'Tis still a mark of my station. Don't tell me you've never seen a Ranker Shepherd, before, kitty cat?
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:20 pm (UTC)[ bursts out laughing ]
Are you just making up names now?
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:26 pm (UTC)[ waggles crook threateningly ]
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:30 pm (UTC)You're a sorcerer.
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:33 pm (UTC)Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:46 pm (UTC)[ the three lighthouses materialize: one green, one pink, one blue. that's all you see before you go blind. ]
Bye!
[ the blind only lasts for a few seconds. some of the effect can be blocked if you're fast enough, so you may see the blue lighthouse grow to the size of a small table as the other two release the flash. (you would have felt them channeling the flash while the kitten threw his minor tantrum. these are basic ass lighthouses, after all.)
the kitten leaps on top of the blue cube, his own eyes squeezed shut as the lighthouse whizzes away.
it's still slower than you. ]
Re: night 29
Date: 2023-09-05 06:56 pm (UTC)[ if you couldn't stand a little lightshow like that, your master would never have let you loose on Gaia.
You can feel the way that rosebud's ran.
You fly after with an Actual feeling of the wind on your skin. A decent chase is really fun, honestly-- when was the last time you--? ]
2/2
Date: 2023-09-05 06:57 pm (UTC)[ (you feel the dirt under your paws.)
(a lean predator sprints toward a flicker of vulnerable motion, every step a bound)
suddenly, you're not having fun anymore.
You pull to a stop. ]
1/2
Date: 2023-09-05 07:21 pm (UTC)What the hell—
[ his eyes meet yours and you witness his terror for the first and last time. white light fills the area. you pass out. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 07:31 pm (UTC)— Rosebell? Hello?
[ he spares you a glance, then goes back to staring absently at the ceiling ]
Did all that floating finally get to your head?
[ you're floating, naturally. you have all your powers; why wouldn't you? your crook rests against a hedge beside you. all these years, and you haven't changed at all. you're even wearing the same outfit. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 08:07 pm (UTC)your crinkle your brow, looking at that red band. your free hand strays to your throat. no bell collar. ]
...I merely found my mind straying to other times, a while. But I'm here now, cat.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 10:26 pm (UTC)Daydreaming about bullying more strays with your Ranker act?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 10:50 pm (UTC)[ sighs, shakes his head and sits up. ]
Sometimes I feel like you say words just to fill the air, Rosebell.
[ taps his red arm cuff. a green light blinks in the middle of it. ]
Are you close, Sheep Fiend? Rosebell's gonna create an entire mind palace for us at this rate, you'll barely recognize him by the time you arrive.
[ you hear a bleat over the cuff-that's-apparently-a-comlink. ]
Oh? You should have said so. Yeah, just come in. We're not busy.
[ there's a nearby hiss of an electronic door opening, followed by rustling bushes. a man-sized white sheep ambles into the clearing on its two hind legs, dressed in white robes, bound around the waist with a red sash. the sash's bell jingles as it walks. unlike the Sheep Fiend of the pasture, this one's cat ears and tail don't need to be stuck on. the abs are still drawn on, though. he's around a head taller than the kitten while standing up, though the kitten stays put on the couch for now. ]
Sheep Fiend, you look ridiculous. Where did you even get that?
[ Sheep Fiend bleats. ]
What? Rosebell gave that to you?
[ both of them turn to look at you. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 10:55 pm (UTC)We were making sheep-sized clothes for the play anyway...
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 11:02 pm (UTC)[ Sheep Fiend bleats in assent, then flops down on top of the kitten. ]
— H-hey! What did I say about personal space?!
[ SHOVES HIM OFF. Sheep Fiend bleats sadly and moves over. now they're sitting side by side. the kitten spits out wool and groans ]
Seriously, you guys are impossible.
[ the kitten sounds happier than you've ever heard him. ]
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 11:06 pm (UTC)Sheepy, dear, just because you're a living blanket doesn't mean the fur rug over there wants to be tucked in all the time. But. Isn't there... Someone... still missing...?
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 11:24 pm (UTC)She hasn't spoken since the last mission. The food trays I give her come back empty, which is promising, but... she won't talk to me.
[ Sheep Fiend bleats again. ]
... He says her life signals are active, but it's like her mind isn't there.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 11:35 pm (UTC)I see.
...Nutrition intake and minimizing loss of muscle mass are the two most important things for buying time in these situations. It's why he grows us standing. If you can't even properly bask, the body's doomed. --That's. Well. It's something. And we NEED whatever something we can get.
...
It'll be... very. Very difficult. Taking on the Chaos Floor, without her.
no subject
Date: 2023-09-05 11:53 pm (UTC)[ he hesitates, eyes flickering away for a moment. ]
I made a deal with Red. To get the funds.
...
It involves robbing the Workshop.
1/2
Date: 2023-09-05 11:54 pm (UTC)2/2
Date: 2023-09-05 11:55 pm (UTC)...It would be very dangerous. We'll need QUITE the solid plan.
1/2
Date: 2023-09-06 12:01 am (UTC)Are you sure you don't want an arms inventory for that? I know it hasn't caused us problems so far, but this is the Workshop we're talking about, not some decrepit off-the-grid factory. It's not like they cost much. I'm sure you can get one of those with gil.
[ Sheep Fiend gives a small, very guilty bleat. ]
2/3
Date: 2023-09-06 12:02 am (UTC)You got what?!
3/3
Date: 2023-09-06 12:06 am (UTC)Uhhh. Hey! Am I interrupting?
[ this is a manifestation of your impression of Splash, not Splash himself dreamwalking. whether or not you can tell, however, ]
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