realmofstories | open. Full moon is risin'

Entry tags:

open. Full moon is risin'

Characters: Velvet Crowe [Big Bad Wolf, Red Riding Hood]
Campaign: July-ish Break
Format: [ brackets ]
Open [Closed sections for Rokurou and Eizen]
Summary: A wolf has returned and wanders around to check how things may have changed - or perhaps how they haven't.

A - No use in hidin'

[ Once again Velvet finds herself in a different world, the same one as before. That much is obvious as she can just feel the wolf ears perched on the top of her head brushing against the hood of her cloak. Her tail is hidden in the massive blackness that is her hair so she isn't particularly worried about it being seen. Before her stands the Index, an odd mix of buildings that could only come from a fairytale. She sighs heavily but with resignation, checks her gear to ensure that the blade she had picked up last time is still with her before taking a step forward. ]

Time to go see what's changed, if anything.

B - Oh, you're never gonna find escape

[ Seeing as how her journal, medallion and key all appear to be the same Velvet doesn't bother searching for her house here. Even though she knows she's been gone at least a few months, chances are the stone building will be in the same place. It may even be dust-free. Or that could just be her hopeful thinking. As much as the daemon-turned-wolf enjoyed a good cleaning, Velvet isn't up for it at the moment. Tonight she'll either rough it out in the woods (it wouldn't be the first time), or crash at someone else's place if her own magically granted house is dirty.

What she can't ignore is the unending hunger that haunts her even here. Was it too much to ask that her bottomless pit of a stomach didn't transfer over into this new world? Apparently.

Rather than pay for a meal in town, Velvet heads out to the woods to do her own hunting. Not as a wolf because that's a bit dangerous to do without knowing who's around hunting them at this point. She has plenty of experience hunting as a regular human so it doesn't take long for her to catch a meal, skin it and start a fire to cook it over.

Should anyone happen upon her at her campsite, they'll find Velvet cleaning the blood from her blade as she sits by the fire. To most it may appear that a whole wild pig on the spit would be more than enough to feed a single person. Truthfully, she could eat that and more without ever feeling sastifyingly full.

All the same Velvet will gesture to a fallen log on the opposite side of the fire. ]

Care for a bite?

C - When the wolves come out to play! [Closed to Rokurou & Eizen]

[ Eventually Velvet goes to seek out the two people who she knew had been here the last time she'd been in this world. Her feet remember the way to their homes (or where their homes used to be, if they'd left) - not that the wolf gets lost in the woods. The first stop is Eizen's. His house appears in the trees and a small part in her eases a bit. Hopefully the man is still actually here and the house wasn't simply left to stand after his departure. Upon getting close, Velvet steps up to the door where she lifts a hand to knock loudly. ]

I'm giving it to the count of ten before I let myself in. [ It certainly smells as though Eizen has been in the structure recently. Whether he's actually home right now is a different story. ]

_________________________________

[ Visiting Rokurou's cabin is potentially more dangerous so Velvet is on-guard long before moving anywhere in his direction. Last time he'd attacked simply because there was a wolf nearby and she'd be pissed if he managed to accidentally hurt her because the damn Huntsman sensed danger. Chances are good that Rokurou will know when she enters his territory (or he comes home - whichever it may be) so Velvet doesn't bother heading to the front door. Instead she chooses to drop into one of the chairs on his porch and wait for him to come to her. Velvet doesn't even need to look to know when a familiar presence makes an appearance. ]

Hopefully you're still ridiculously stocked up on meat or I might attempt to eat you instead. [ Having had "dinner" earlier means nothing to this bottomless pit of a wolf. ]

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[ Is he really upset about being a princess or just missing out on the action part of the story? Clearly Eizen needed someone to share in his enjoyment as Rokurou is such a grump about it.

When the attack comes, Velvet lifts an arm to block the bits from ending up in her hair at least. Had he been anyone else then she would have licked the blood clean just to freak them out but it's Rokurou and hardly anything has managed to get that reaction - even when she devoured other daemons. ]

I'd leave again if I didn't think I would just end up here eventually.

[ PARTIALLY A JOKE. And also not. ]

[He's pretty cavalier about a lot of things, but that doesn't mean he doesn't have his pride. And yeah okay even he jokes about it, but still!

He'll just continue to give her a bit of a dry look before he just spins the knife around in his hands for a couple of revolutions before returning back to work.]

That good of a dream, huh?

[ A warrior has to do what they must - even if it means sitting around in a pretty dress waiting for others to accomplish it. Still she knows Rokurou prefers to be out there actually doing something.

Her gaze drifts away from him as he goes back to chopping that pig up. Last time Velvet told him that being sealed away with Innominat was like a dream but never went into details about what she saw. For a long moment, she lets silence and the sound of his knife fill the air around them. ]

It was a life I can't ever have. [ People who were dead, humanity that was never lost. ] All of you were there in some way or another.

[He notices how long she's taking, but he doesn't pry. Just like before, he's not really looking into details nor would he really bother her for it. If anything he might have been expecting a vague answer. So when she does give that answer, there's just the smallest of pauses on an upswing before there's the heavy thud of the blade cutting through bone and hitting wood.]

From what I hear from Eizen, you're not really missing much in terms of how things develop back home. So maybe you really are better off in there.

[Like he thought before, even if it's a dream and not reality, it was her choice. And hey, if she's happy in there...

After finishing cutting through the legs, he takes a small break to sling his arms over the main body of the carcass, crossing them as he looks over at her.]

Still, like I said to you the first time—it's good to see you again, Velvet.

[There's a touch of warmth in the grin he gives her before he straightens back up to resume his work.]

[ To most people, such a short sentence wouldn't give them much to go off of but Rokurour and the rest of their band of misfits know the weight behind those words. They know pretty much everything that happened to her - her life put on display by Innominat, Artorius and even Melchior. Even if she can never have that, her dreams can at least be pleasant enough. ]

Glad to know the world keeps going without the Lord of Calamity hanging around.

[ It was her choice. For herself, for Phi and for whatever was left of Laphi. Maybe not the choice the others would have picked but hey, she admitted to being selfish.

After another long minute, she looks back at him. Giving him the faintest but soft smile - ones usually reserved for Phi. ]

Thanks. [ A short pause. ] I hate to admit this but I may have missed our adventures.

It still has it's bumps and turns, but the world keeps spinning in its own crazy way.

[As far as he understands it, anyway. And to him, the changes to come really do sound crazy, but that's life.

At her mention of missing their adventures, however, he glances at her and there's one of his more usual carefree, good humored grins.]

Oh yeah? Guess one good thing about this place is you'll have another crack at it here. And then when you go back, you'll have more stories to tell your brother.

Edited 2019-07-02 07:36 (UTC)

Isn't that what we wanted, though?

[ A world that had the bad with the good and not the "perfect world" Artorius tried to achieve. They'd seen what it could be like without those bumps and rebelled against it so hard.

Truthfully the three of them should probably not be alone together without their morale compasses but what can they do about it? Nothing could possibly go wrong. Still, she smirks back at him. ]

We'll have to see if this adventure is as chaotic as our last one was. Though I'll be sure to tell him how pretty you are in a dress.

[ LAST SHOT for the time being. ]

And we wouldn't want it any other way.

[Okay, he could do with some more strong fights. It's going to get boring as the decades and centuries go by if no one is able to kill him before then.

But really Velvet. —Okay, he actually expected that and she is definitely getting a look. But then there's a laugh.]

Hey. I wasn't just pretty, I was gorgeous. A sight you'll never see again—what a pity.

Nice to know all of our hard work didn't go to waste.

[ Of course he wants more strong fights and they never really got to go against each other back home once his debt was over either. Good thing they have this place.

Finally Velvet moves away from the doorway, further into the shed and towards him. ]

You do realize now that you've said that it's guaranteed to happen at least once more, right? Especially with Eizen around. [ And she doesn't really have her own string of good luck following her around. ]

Honestly—yeah. But maybe if it knows that I expect it, this will counter it. Or something.

[Does this make sense? No. No it doesn't but you know what whatever.]

Besides I'm betting that instead of me it'll be Eizen instead.

Pretty sure it doesn't work that way.

[ An eyebrow raises. ]

Were I Magilou, I might take that bet. Too bad she's not here to help you win this time. [ The witch has terrible luck when it comes to making bets. ]

Now, I'm going to go see what you have in your kitchen to go with the main course. [ She might as well start on the side dishes while he finishes up out here. Velvet turns to leave but stops just in the doorway to look back over her shoulder. ]

Also I'm borrowing your couch for the night.

Couldn't even humor me just a little? Might have had a real shot if you did.

[Hey, he always had his money on her. Her luck may be pretty terrible in some respects, but she didn't really need "luck." She made things happen her own way. Wouldn't be bad to have some of that kind of "fortune" blow his way.

But there's just a light laugh as he looks up at her.]

If you're going in, go ahead and take these.

[He'll set down his knife and take off the gloves so that he can grab a nearby board stacked with some cuts of fairly good choice meat.]

Unless you want a leg, then you can grab one, too. [Just a bit of a teasing grin because yeah. He remembers her appetite.]

And not that I mind, but why spend the night at my place? Haven't been by yours yet?

Edited 2019-07-02 08:22 (UTC)

Why would I do that when I want to see you dressed up as a princess one more time?

[ Rokurou should have expected this. Maybe she'll lend him some "fortune" after the third princess role, just to make up for the one she missed.

For now Velvet sticks to the stuff he holds out, grabbing it with both hands. ]

This will be enough. I had a big meal earlier. [ They both know Velvet could technically eat all of his store if she sat down to do it but she's learned to live with the fact that she'll never truly be full. ]

No, I haven't gone by it yet. I wasn't sure what happened to it with my disappearance and if it's simply sat there then chances are it needs a good cleaning. Which I'm not in the mood to deal with today.

Wow, you really are evil.

[But it's said in good humor. Mostly.

After she takes the meat, he'll cross his arms in thought. ...Huh.]

But never really considered that. I did drop by it once when we returned to see if you were really gone, but I haven't checked since. So I'm guessing it's still there if it didn't disappear right away.

[Always possible it disappeared later, but he hadn't been curious enough to look.]

But all right. I'll help you with it tomorrow.

Fairly certain you knew that a long time ago.

[ She is perfectly fine with that description.

Whether her house disappeared or not, Velvet thought it more important to see if her friends were still around first. ]

Even if it had disappeared, chances are it's back now seeing as how everything else is still the same as it was the last time I was here. All the items and my role didn't change so I suspect the house is just as it had been.

[ Velvet wouldn't expect the boys to keep her empty place clean in her absence. ]

You can help me move all of the furniture. [ IS SHE TEASING OR NOT? ]

Haha, you're right, I did.

[And good to see that that hasn't changed. For the most part, anyway.

But excuse me what—]

Whoa, wait, hold on. Why would you need to move all your furniture again??

[HE'S ACTUALLY NOT SURE.]

[ She is who she is and while it's not quite the same revenge-driven rage it was before, that is part of Velvet now.

A devious smirk. ]

To clean under it, obviously. I might as well make you useful somehow.

[ DOES HE REGRET VOLUNTEERING NOW? ]

[Velvet how dare—]

I would say I'm surprised, but somehow I'm not.

[Sigh.]

All right, all right, fine. Man, can't even try to pawn this off to Eizen because he'd probably break something.

[ Gotcha~ ]

I'm sure you'll live.

[ Survive Velvet's idea of cleaning, she means. ]

Even if he volunteered, I wouldn't let him help. Otherwise the mess would get worse.

[ With that, she's going to leave him to his work and head inside to get started on cooking. ]

[He just continues to give her a bit of a dry look as he watches her leave, but it's not until she's left and inside that he remembers he forgot to tell her about Musashi.

...Eh, he'll probably still have time if the swordswoman doesn't appear before.

It'll be another half hour before he's finally finished carving, chopping, and skinning the boar. Like a true Huntsman, nothing is left to waste, and like a true swordsman, Rokurou is actually meticulous in how he takes care of things, making sure everything is properly wrapped, cleaned, and wiped down. Once everything is finished and he's at least washed off his arms, he grabs his things and heads inside.]

Gonna wash up a bit and change. Need anything?

[ That look doesn't faze her at all. And it appears that his house is empty when she steps inside.

By the time Rokurou comes in, it's definitely smelling pretty good while Velvet seems to have made herself at home in his kitchen. She's put aside her cloak to prevent it from getting dirty or in the way which leaves her extra appendages fairly visible. That tail is slowly sweeping side-to-side and he may catch her humming quietly.

Though the song doesn't last long as her fuzzy ears turn back at the sound of the door opening and closing, but she doesn't turn to look at him. If he looks carefully, he may see Velvet's face is slightly flushed at the idea of being overhead. Gold eyes remain fixed on the food as she puts the meat on to cook now that he's done. ]

I'm fine. This will be ready by the time you're finished.

[Rokurou actually has to stop as he passes because—well. He kind of forgot that Velvet had the ears and tail now. "Kind of" in the sense that he noticed them even from the cloak and faint memory of their existence, but it had been a while since he saw them in full view like this.

So. Don't mind him as he ~~checks her out~~ stares at them for a little bit. (In truth he really is focused on the ears and the tail.) Might be a good thing that she has her back to him.]

...All right.

[But there may be a faint smirk because yes, he did hear that humming and catch that tail swishing; and yes, he did see that bit of flush on her cheeks. So as he walks out he adds—]

Don't mind me, I won't be able to hear anything where I'll be.

[ She can feel those eyes on her for longer than necessary, which Velvet is sort of used to considering her choice of outfit back home. Yet she can't tell if he's taking in the changes to her physical form or something else. For now Velvet will ignore it.

Rokurou should be aware that she has plenty of knives at hand considering it is his kitchen and that she won't hesitate to use them if necessary. (Or just because.)

There's a quiet sound of affirmative at first but then she bristles. Literally. Especially the fur. Then Velvet is whipping around throw the first thing she can get her hand on at him. Which just so happens to be a spoon. ]

You didn't here anything at all. [ Yep, her face is absolutely bright red. And a bit angry. Or embarrassed. Mostly the second one considering Rokurou knows exactly what she looks like when pissed. ]

[He is well aware that he is walking on dangerous waters—waters he doesn't necessarily mind especially from Velvet. He's used to it. But he's not used to seeing her embarrassed like that, so he can't help but tease a little.

So he definitely expects something to come flying his way, and seeing that it's a spoon he just laughs and catches it, twirling it between his fingers as he just continues to smirk.]

Sure, sure—nothing at all.

[And he just tosses the spoon back to her, still smirking before he disappears from the kitchen...and humming the bits of tune he managed to hear.]

[ Here's hoping that he realizes that she'll be staying the night and therefore within range should Velvet decide he needs to die before he can tell anyone. Sleep with one eye open and a short sword in hand, Rokurou.

She's also in charge of the food so poisoning him wouldn't be too difficult either. The glare in her eyes may appear to debate this option briefly.

Velvet says nothing and merely grabs the spoon out of the air, gripping it tight. Which bends in her hand when he leaves the room humming the same song. No, she won't fix it.

As promised the food will be done by the time he gets back, Velvet already sitting at the table with her own plate. Rokurou left to fend for himself. ]

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