01 ~ A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes

[finheureuse]

Characters: Korwa [The Fairy Godmother] and Eustace [The Gray Wolf]
Campaign: Break
Format: [It's strike time!]
Open
Summary: Korwa and Eustace arrive in the Index together. Fighting and shenanigans happen. Also puppies and matchmaking.

1 - You feeling lucky, punk? That's right, I'm back...

[What happens first is an earth-shaking tremor that rocks the very ground. Buildings sway, the glass in windows shaking violently but narrowly avoiding the point of cracking...

The loud explosion that follows though? That smashes some windows. Smoke begins rising from a building in the distance, acting as a guide for anyone brave enough to investigate the cause of all this noise and destruction.

To those with the guts to discover the source, or perhaps those just unlucky enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, you'll be greeted by… What the heck is that?!

Made of solid ice, this incredibly muscled adonis-like creature seems hell bent on causing as much destruction as possible. With a single punch part of another building crumbles, debris flying everywhere as people scream and run for cover. Is anyone going to tackle this mistake of ice sculpting gone wrong?!

Thankfully it seems as though two people are already on the case. Eustace and Korwa are both trying to keep up with the sculpture, with Eustace ready to jump into battle at a moment's notice while Korwa hangs a little further back to offer support.]

I'll keep it engaged, just stay out of the way. [That sounded more brusque than what he actually meant, which is for her to stay back so as not to get caught in the actual fight, but suddenly giant Vyrn he has to try and stop. No time to be polite.]

Let me back you up. We're going to avoid a bad ending! [At least she sounds a little more lighthearted, but then again she's keeping back while Eustace tackles muscle-Vyrn.

Will the two of them together be enough to tackle this strange, highly toned monstrosity? Maybe?! Hopefully!! But this cool customer isn't just out to wreak havoc. Oh no. It's out to put you on ice.

Help would be appreciated. Please join the raid, there are plenty of slots. Thanks.]


2 - Too cool for School

[Following the aftermath of that incredible battle there is plenty of damage to the surrounding area. When the creature fell, ice and snow suddenly blanketed everything nearby so watch you do don't slip while you're walking!

Not only that but there are plenty of people scurrying around, checking on their loved ones, their businesses and homes— Fortunately the scope of damage is isolated to half a block and fairly easy to repair, but there's plenty of commotion, with two people in the middle of it.

The woman with long, silver hair is doing her best to calm down anyone who is getting too worked up, trying to keep the peace the best she can in all of the chaos. Meanwhile the man with the tail is checking on those who seem dazed, ensuring no one was injured too badly in the chaos.

Were you hurt during the sudden arrival of Doppelvyrn? Want someone to yell at because what the hell was all of this that just happened? Look no further than these two. Flagging down one of them will mean you get the second one coming over shortly afterwards though.]


3 - Something Completely Different

[After a string of disasters/victories/happy ends, the pair can be found currently arguing out in the street. Well, "arguing." Most of the conversation seems to be coming from the silver haired woman who is following after a darker skinned man who appears to want nothing to do with her. What's perhaps most interesting about the two of them is they're both sporting furred ears on the top of their heads... Though the man also has a tail swishing behind him in agitation, hair bristled up so that's it's standing on end.]

Eustace please, I only need a few seconds to take care of you!

No.

Look, there's a cart. If you hide behind there now we'll be done, bam, finished before you know it.

No.

Fine, there's a clothing store! No one is going to question it if you undress inside—

[This time he doesn't even respond, instead his expression growing darker as he lengthens his stride and walks ahead, leaving the woman to trail along after him.]

Stop being difficult about your pants, you're going to lose them eventually!

[That warning (?) does nothing to slow Eustace down as he keeps up with his brisk escape. Do you dare approach the duo during this strange back and forth? If no one interrupts, Eustace will eventually decide he's had enough and transform into his wolf form to finally get away from Korwa.]

[OOC: JOINT INTRO POST FOR KORWA AND EUSTACE! The main post has prompts featuring both of them together, but we also have individual subthreads in case you're interested in just one or the other. Feel free to contact us on Discord or via plurk for further plotting! (flowermaster for Korwa, laenavesse for Eustace.)]

Comments

Korwa

[finheureuse]

[After Eustace so rudely bailed on her, Korwa finds herself rushing through the streets trying to find him. Her search only gets her so far though before she has to give up. She's not one of those energetic "can hike up a mountain and fight every monster" skyfarers, her own work is usually more laid back than that. So she ends up giving him up for the time being. Finding Eustace will always be on the back of her mind, but her focus shifts elsewhere as she explores at her own pace.]

1. A Little R&R

[It's never a bad time to take a break and enjoy of few seconds of peace. And after a mad wolf chase? Korwa could use it. Times like these rarely came back home, between monsters attacking the ship here and commissions keeping her busy there. That's why she's currently sat herself down at a cafe while going through the satchel she arrived with.

Some of coins that come in the satchel come in handy for ordering a pot of tea, with Korwa asking for two cups to be brought to the table. With tea poured for two, Korwa slips the ring of keys over her finger and jingles them around to see who she can grab the attention of.

If you turn around and lock eyes with her? Whoops, you're getting called over.]

Hey there! Feel like having a tea party with me? I'm not sure about what blend they have here, but the smell alone is enough to die for.

2. So This Is Love

No! Nonono, what, are you blind?! Ugh this is pathetic!

[There sure is a woman with long, fox-like ears peering out of a bush over there. If you take a moment to watch her, it looks as though Korwa is spying on a couple seated on a bench across the pathway.

A man with long, tusk-like horns coming from his mouth seems to be a blushing mess sat next to his equally flustered friend, a woman with flowing green hair and two antennae poking out from the top of her head. They're not talking, instead they're just. Sitting there. When one starts to speak the other goes in to start talking as well-- Only for them both to laugh and look away embarrassed.

Korwa meanwhile is starting to bite on her thumb, chewing her nail something fierce as she throws her other hand up in frustration.]

You've got the perfect set up right here and now and what are you doing? Throwing it away, that's what! How are you ever going to start a new chapter in life being so meek?! Take. Her. Hand!!

[The couple quickly turn their heads at Korwa's outburst, prompting her to quickly duck down into the bush until the couple stops trying to figure out where that strange noise came from... Only for Korwa to go right back to watching once she thinks she's not going to be spotted.

There is absolutely nothing weird or suspicious about any of this.]

3. Practice Makes Perfect

[At some point Korwa makes her way over to the library in order to find a little more about her essence. There's really nothing that really stands out to Korwa as exceptional or unique about what she can do, at least at the moment. Once she gets to reading she finds stories about those who can spin thread for days on end, magical creatures who can create stunning gowns from rags, heck some of the magic and what it is capable of in some of these tales is outright ridiculous…

But it's also inspiring.

With her newfound knowledge, Korwa can be found outside of the library fiddling with the plants outside the building. She's not hiding in any greenery this time though. Instead she's plucking leaves from the plants and letting them drop to the floor.

As the leaves fall they begin to twist, seeming to turn around in mid-air as they float upwards into the air. Korwa has her eyes locked on them the whole time, her hands moving as though she's trying to turn and stretch the leaves with her hands. Small white sparkles begin to shimmer down as the leaves transform into something entirely new…]

-

If you catch Korwa early in her practice? Then watch out. The leaves grow in size suddenly, almost to the size of a hang-gliders before they swoop away. Better watch out or you're going to get sideswiped by a giant leaf gliding off on its own down the street. At least Korwa is there to yell out a warning-]

Watch out, there's a runaway leaf coming right at you!!

-

[Later into her practice however and the leaves change form into something else entirely. Long, light fabric flows down from the sparkles, seeming to knit and fold itself this way and that until at long last… A gown floats down from the air, the sparkles guiding the dress right into Korwa's waiting hands.

With a wide smile, Korwa hugs the dress close and takes a deep breath. She's never been off when it comes to dress making. And now that she's discovered these new powers of hers? Well, she can't let herself get rusty with this new method either.]

Mm, it's a little rough. Not my best work, not by a long shot. But at any rate I'm one step closer to my dreams like this.

1

[twilightskey]

[Roxas is just stopping into the cafe to get a quick bowl of ice cream; he's found a couple places around town that sell it, and while none have his favourite flavour, he does enjoy the flavours he finds. He's about to go in to order some when he catches the jingling, and hears someone talking.]

Huh?

[He turns, looking to the girl sitting at the table.]

Are you talking to me?

[finheureuse]

Yes you! Come, come, the tea awaits!

[With her free hand, Korwa gestures to the teacup set up in front of the empty chair opposite her with a flourish.]

Even if you're not all that big on tea I hope you can spare at least a little time for me. [Heck knows she has a ton of questions about this place and what's going on.]

[twilightskey]

Uh...

[Roxas hesitates, looking warily at the girl, before he turns and makes his way over to the table.]

Sure, I guess... who are you?

2

[takeittothebridge]

[This is the scene that Bridge stumbles upon as he's out taking a walk that day. Luckily he's far away enough that the two on the bench don't notice him when they look around, before they go right back to being shy and awkward.

Meanwhile he's watching the girl in the bushes as she spies on them, and he can't help a note of amusement at her frustration.]

It's the worst, isn't it?

[finheureuse]

[Korwa quickly flicks her head around to the person talking to her, and few leaves and a twig sticking out thanks to her time hiding in the bush. She eyes him carefully for a second or so... Before nodding and rolling her eyes at all this ridiculousness.]

The actual worst! You know that old cliché where you think it can't get any worse and then it starts raining? If a sudden rainstorm happened right now I think it would only help things along!

[The man turns to stare at the woman, his gaze lingering up until the woman turns to stare back, then he looks away. Then she stares until he looks back at her and-- Korwa groans in frustration.]

[takeittothebridge]

[He watches the couple as well, though he's more amused than anything.]

Yeah, I didn't really think people like that existed.

[Then again, this is a realm of stories, so maybe that kind of made sense.]

...Do you know them?

3

[fifthforce]

[ A runaway leaf? Musashi hears the warning and turns, sees people around her shriek and dodge out of the way, and does the only thing she can think to do.

Whip out her sword and slice said leaf in half. ]

Sheesh! What kind of tree has leaves this big?

[finheureuse]

[That's one way to deal with being attacked by a giant leaf. Korwa claps her hands as Musashi slices the leaf clean apart and the two parts harmlessly drift to the floor.]

Sorry, that leaf was mine. I was doing some work with it but I must have bitten off a little more than I could chew with this project.

[It was meant to turn into clothing not. Fly off into someone. At least the person it flew at was equipped to deal with it.

[fifthforce]

Huh? Oh, whoops.

[ Well then. Hopefully she finds another giant leaf somewhere? Musashi turns toward Korwa. ]

Well, sorry for cutting your leaf like that! Hope I didn't uh ... mess up something ... huh.

[ There's an awkward pause. She's staring at Korwa's ears, trying to figure out if those are real or not. ]

Eustace

[flamekthunder]

[After running away leaving Korwa, Eustace is currently roaming through the Index as a large, silver gray wolf, his pale blue eyes taking in everything he sees. At first he sticks to the outskirts, not wanting to alarm anyone, but he discovers fairly quickly that no one bats an eye upon seeing a wolf roaming the streets. Eventually he would return to his more human form, but given the...complications with that, he's waiting until later when he can be alone to do so.]

1. On the Prowl.
[Eustace tries to observe and learn about how the people behave in this strange new land. He knew that if he wanted to help protect the peace of his world, he needed to help this one and understanding what kind of place he would be living in for a while would be beneficial in executing this mission. He already had the skills for this, but he discovers that his hearing, sight, and smell are truly on par to a real wolf's, allowing him to absorb and notice even more than before.

So one may just find a large wolf sitting quietly off to the side in various locations, just watching the people silently and intently. He's also on the lookout for potential weapon shops that he could buy a gun and dagger later, so it might be a strange sight to see a wolf eying a few of these weapons, tail swaying from side to side every so often before he pads away with plans to return later.

Then there's the thing he also discovers that he does not like—and that is when he catches the scent of passing horses. Immediately he becomes alert, muscles tensing as he gets on all fours. Before he knows it—he's actually growling and starting to chase after the poor creature, which was already becoming skittish after sensing his presence. Fortunately, before he could actually attack, Eustace stops himself, actually shaking a bit in shock.]

...Is this also part of my essence?

[Yes, that is a low, deep voice coming out of that wolf's mouth before he clicks his tongue and quickly turns before that sudden urge returns.

At some point the scent of freshly cut meat catches his attention and as if unable to help himself, he trots over to a nearby butcher's shop. He had only intended to look, but... The next thing he knows he's sitting on his haunches, tail thumping lightly against the ground as he stares up at the hanging meat. When he realizes what he's doing, he suddenly stands and walks away, fur bristling as he hides any indignation or embarrassment he may be feeling. Also completely ignoring the sudden growling rumble from his stomach. IGNORING IT.]


2. At the Library.
[At some point Eustace will transform out of his wolf form and return to his original form. After dealing with the wardrobe issue and wearing new clothes (the original ones not even lasting half a day), he heads to the Library to learn more about his Essence. The incident with the horses has him a little on edge, and he is actually concerned that it's not just horses he may feel predatory towards. The last thing he wants to do is harm anyone at all, so the more he learned about his Essence, the better.

Though... Maybe he should look up other stories involving wolves as well. He doubts there would be too many crossovers with his own, if any, but it couldn't hurt to at least glean a few ideas that he could try to work in on his own. This is also not an excuse to read stories about dogs and wolves. Nope. Not at all.

In any case, he'll be sitting in a quiet corner of the library, giant piles of books about all things wolves and dogs around him. Every so often, his tail may actually wag a little, and. And is that a little smile as he turns the pages? No, it's just your imagination.......]


3. Dog Heaven.
[By the end of the day, he's actually quite beat, feeling some of the exhaustion of using his powers for the first time. He had tried to do a few more transformations, so he is yet again in a different outfit with only the cloak remaining the same. (He's really going to need to figure something out about this.)

He finds a quiet place near the outskirts of town to just lie on the grass underneath a tree to rest. He should probably go and find his new place of residence, soon, but... Right now all he wants to do is just lie down and doze. But before he can do that, he senses a creature approaching and at first tenses—but then immediately relaxes when he sees it's just a young dog. A warm smile spreads across his face as he slowly holds out his hand.]

Come.

[The pup is hesitant at first—Eustace really is a wolf now, after all—but slowly, ever so slowly it approaches. That smile growing wider, Eustace gently strokes its head, reassuring it that it doesn't have to be so submissive to him. Eventually more dogs appear, gathering around him, and Eustace finds himself experiencing heavenly bliss for the first time in his life.

Maybe being a wolf isn't so bad.

Eventually one of the dogs may notice someone walking back and walk over to greet. If so, Eustace will just look up and take note, but not make any immediate—ah.]

—Hey, stop.

[Said dog may now be tugging at the person's pant leg in an act of play. Eustace will stand to try and pull the dog away from them.]

1

[twilightskey]

[Roxas enjoys spending time walking around the town, and has gotten used to the layout by now. He's making his way through the town on some daily errands when he spots the massive dog staring up at the butcher shop. He's never seen such a dog before, but the sight stops him in his tracks as he blinks between the dog and the shop.]

...Are you hungry? [He's got plenty of money... maybe the dog just wants some food?]

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace stiffens when he hears the voice offering to him, a long stretch of silence before he finally responds.]

No, it's fine.

[Although sounding not too much different than his normal voice, it's not only likely strange to hear a wolf speak, but it's a deep, almost guttural rumbling.]

[twilightskey]

Woah!

[Roxas jumps in surprise when the wolf talks, and he stares in wonder for a minute.]

You can talk? [He's never seen an animal talk before. Unless...]

Are you an Aspect, like us?

3

[takeittothebridge]

[Bridge has a thing about dogs. He's not afraid of them, exactly, but recent experiences have taught him to be a bit wary of them. So when one bounds its way over to him and starts pulling at his pants, he's a bit startled.]

Whoa, hey...!

[flamekthunder]

[Eustace has caught up and is carefully reaching down to pick up the dog and pull him away.]

Hey, don't bother a kid.

[After the quiet scolding, he looks over at the boy.]

You all right?

[takeittothebridge]

[He releases a slow breath, nodding once.]

Yeah, I'm okay. I was just surprised, I guess.

Thanks.

2

[fifthforce]

[ Trying to look for stories about powerful swordsmen she could get some inspiration from, Musashi just so happens to be in the library today. She walks past the corner Eustace is sitting in from a fair distance away, but she just so happened to notice something move from the corner of her eye. She ends up slowing down and watching from a distance.

... Yep. That tail just wagged a bit. Did he just smile slightly too? D'aww, that's-- ]

Cute!

[ Whoops. She slams her hand over her mouth but it's more than a little too late for that. ]

[flamekthunder]

[He may have been rather engrossed in his current reading, so he doesn't notice Musashi as soon as he normally would have. But then he hears someone say the word "Cute" and his ears immediately prick up, the light smile that had been playing at his lips freezing before it disappears.

That......wasn't to him, was it?

His eyes flick upwards over the book to stare right at Musashi...and judging from her reaction, it seems like it might have been. His gaze just hardens a bit before he returns his attention to the pages, the tip of his tail twitching once just a fraction as a sign of his displeasure.]

[fifthforce]

[ Oh no he saw her. ... And seems annoyed. Yikes.

Musashi moves her hand off her mouth and awkwardly laughs. ]

S-sorry, sorry! I don't often see people that look like--- [ Maybe she should stop digging her own grave like this. She cuts herself off. ] ---Erm. You know what? I think I'll just shut up.

3 kind of but i do what i want

[finheureuse]

[It's the tail end of the day (hah) and Korwa has had a fantastic time learning about her powers and. Screwing up every chance she's had to help Eustace. That too. It's something she rarely does when it comes to clothing as she takes it all very seriously, so the events of the day are definitely hanging heavy in her mind.

What's a great way to lift your spirits though? Finding a sleepy pup laid out in the grass. Korwa instantly lets out an "aww" as she spots the tired little guy and walks her way on over.]

Hey there. Tired? [She smiles to herself.] Me too. I don't know what kind of day you've had but I am beat.

[She's a chatterbox, of course she's going to talk to the pup. Once she's sat down in the grass she'll even start edging a hand over to give the good boy some rubs. Slowly. In case the sleepy boy isn't down for pets.]

and so it begins

[flamekthunder]

[By the time Korwa appears, Eustace had indeed a very long day. He had felt some of the fatigue settle in as the late afternoon hours drew near, but it wasn't until after he had returned all the dogs to their rightful homes and stretched out underneath the tree to just rest and close his eyes did it all hit him. Without realizing it, he had fallen asleep, and at some point he had transformed into the little wolf pup.

He is sleeping so deep and soundly that he is completely unaware of Korwa approaching or even petting him at first. It's not until a few rubs in that he stirs a bit, little tail giving the smallest of wags and ear flicking once or twice towards her voice. It feels...nice, and for now he's still too out of it to be fully roused.]

3

[chippedsoul]

[Gosh, can't these two argue somewhere private? He can't even get into the shop they're currently blocking right now, a garden supply store.]

Would you mind taking your argument elsewhere? [Too impatient to wait, and not particularly interested in where this conversation was going, the Disciple decides to speak up in the midst of their arguing.]

disciple > eustace > korwa

[flamekthunder]

[An ear flicks as he hears the man address them, and— Well, all right, fair. If anything the interruption is welcomed because Korwa is being absolutely ridiculous and he's fairly close in just up and leaving her entirely.

So there's just a glance over before he proceeds to walk away, not saying a single word.]

[finheureuse]

[Likewise, one of Korwa's ears swivels about at the sound- With her face turning soon after to face the man.]

We aren't arguing! [Arguing requires the other party to respond and not just deny her over and over!!] It's-- I can't just let him walk away with his clothes like that!

[She motions at Eustace as he begins to walk away, specifically to the tail which awkwardly sticks out of the back of his pants. They don't fit properly as a result. And as an artisan? She can't stand it.]