Entry 001

[chippedsoul]

Characters: Kazuma Asougi | Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde and anyone!
Campaign: Hollow Christmas Carol, Act 2
Format: [ brackets ] preferred
Open
Summary: Parties suck. Doing other things instead.


[A - Gift giving from the not so jolly Disciple]
[Though his role in the story doesn't happen until much later on, a role he's not looking forward to, the Disciple chooses not to partake in the partying if he can avoid it. Instead, he spends his time outside, giving gifts to the people, or at least trying to. He must have had a scary face or something, because some were rather intimidated by him to even come up and accept the gifts.]

They're not boobied trapped or anything. [He just didn't have much enthusiasm passing these gifts out, practically just tossing them or dumping them into their hands when they refuse to come up to him. The gifts are being passed around, it's good enough.]

[B - Save the tree!]
[All right, so he does occasionally pop back into the mansion to grab a drink and something to eat, but that's about it. Avoiding everyone and any mistletoes ever. During one of his trips, he does make a stop when he felt something being tossed at him. Looking in the direction of where it came from, he sees a few kids playing around the Christmas tree. Seem harmless, except some of them have decided to climb up the tree as well. That...that didn't seem safe. With a sigh, he decides to come over and do something about it.

He tugs on the clothes of the nearest child.] Get off. [His oh so persuasive words only led to the child screaming. Who was this weird guy grabbing onto him!? That tree is wobbling dangerously now, as the child tries to wiggle free.]

[C - Protect the Mansion]
[While the Disciple may not be the best person at gift giving or dealing with children, fighting is a different story. He was honestly glad that these Erasers and Santa's helpers were trying to disrupt the party. It gave him something to let off some steam on, maybe a little too well. Each kill was messier than the last, splattering ink onto the mansion wall when they got too close. He's trying his best to keep them as far away from the mansion as possible but...it's just so much fun to tear into them. More and more would charge at him, trying to overwhelm him, but he easily slices and punches them back, tearing at their tender pages, throwing them into each other.

So pathetic. How is he suppose to know his limits with such weak enemies?] -Hnk! [He spoke too soon and gets rammed by a reindeer from behind. A loud "Ho Ho Ho" can be heard from somewhere nearby. The reindeer will turn itself back around and joined by another. Digging their hooves into the dirt, they come rushing toward the fallen man with the intention of trampling him.]

[D - If the dress fits]

[The big proposal is happening soon, and "Beltrina" seems to have gone missing. The Disciple had locked himself in one of the rooms in the mansion, mostly because he's fighting with the dress and also hiding.] This is ridiculous. [He knew his role once the scene had changed, but he still doesn't think this was actually happening. Surely there must have been some mistake!]

Comments

Dee

[starseeing]

[ With the strap upon her shoe broken, Ophilia means to take some time away from the festivities, present-gifting to blots, and distracting blot-children from ruining the tree by playing with them to repair it. She decides to search the manor for an empty room to begin aforementioned repairs, and what does she find when she opens the door to this one?

A tall, slender woman seemingly muttering to herself in discontent. What a lovely gown she wears, and look how impeccable her posture is! She would surely be the belle of the ball, so to speak, should she have stepped into the event floor. Ah, but she seems rather frustrated... ]

Oh-- oh, I'm so sorry I did not mean to intrude---

[ She's just about to close the door behind her when something nags at the back of her mind.

...................Wait.


Wait..


Aaand double taking. ]

---Sir Disciple?!

[chippedsoul]

Wha- [Didn't he lock the door?!] Why are you here?! [He fumbling with the dress to keep it from slipping off. There's so many layers to this thing and he can barely get to the strings on the back to tighten it.] Get out!

[starseeing]

Ah-- I'm sorry, I did not mean--


[ COVERING HER EYES YES SHE IS LEAVING!!!!!

Except she is covering her eyes so she's running right into the door frame instead. ]

[chippedsoul]

[He groans, running a hand down his face. Why this? Why now? He comes over, shutting the door for now.] Couldn't you have knocked? [Let's forget about the part where she ran into the door frame.]

[starseeing]

[ She still has her gloves hands over her face, slumping against the door.

Did she really just walk into a room thinking that the Disciple was actually a beautiful woman??? ]

You are... exactly right. [ Internally screaming. ] What are you doing in a dress in the first place?

[ She could have sworn she saw him passing out presents outside earlier. What changed?? ]

[chippedsoul]

Because... [He huffs, his back leaned against the door as he crosses his arm.] For a scene I have to play out.

[starseeing]

[ Oh.... that makes more sense

Cringing still, Ophilia peeks out from between her fingers.] Ah, and for role like that to be given to you so sudden... [ No wonder he seemed so bothered! ] For that, you have my sympathies.

[ She hesitates before continuing, wanting to make up for her blunder just now: ] Do you... need assistance with that dress?

[chippedsoul]

. . . [The answer is yes, but he's rather reluctant to admit that.] The strings on the back. They need to be tighten. [He turns slightly so his back was to her.] Don't look anywhere else.

[starseeing]

[ Lacing up a dress... she can do that Ophilia straightens up, preparing for the task with a breath as she peels her hands from her face. ] Oh-- oh, of course.

[ And with his back to her, she'll reach out and get to work. It truly is a beautiful gown, perhaps just as fine as the ones she's seen the some of the women of Atlasdam model as they walk down the streets with their feathered fans and parasols. Such fine silk has never been beneath her fingertips except for the ceremonial decor above the alters. He wears it surprisingly well, all things considering...

But of course this sort of fashion is meant to be tight about the waist. So: ] Sir Disciple, take a deep breath in and roll back your shoulders. It may not seem like it won't fit, but honestly that is how all gowns of this kind feel. [ Ha ha, women's fashion. ] I promise you we'll get this dress to work!

[ Aaaaand without warning she'll be tugging hard on those strings to cinch that waist. Watch yourself buddy, she's had to do this before. ]

[chippedsoul]

[And here's the Disciple, not caring for the intricacy of the dress or how he looks in it. It may just destroy his dignity learning he looks good in it. He was just relaxing his shoulders when he felt a sharp tug.] Hnk!

[Well that's one way to straightens one's posture.] H-Hold on, not so tight![He can't breathe!]

[starseeing]

[ It being so that he can't breathe is the point....! Well actually no it's not, but the dress still has to fit. ] The laces must pull the seams together-- otherwise you will have-- [ gasp ] an open back! [ How scandalous! ] The dress already reveals your shoulders, you needn't show more to turn heads! [ Tut tut





But okay okay she's doing up the laces. ] Just do not breathe for a few more seconds, or hold onto that banister for support... it's almost done!

[chippedsoul]

They should have made a larger dress then! [How do you even move with a dress this tightly put on?! He does as he's told regardless, gripping tightly to the banister. This is not natural for a man's body to be shaped into this figure at all.]

[starseeing]

[ Aaaaand with one last tug.....!

It's done. Phew, she nearly broke a sweat there. ] All finished.

[ The laces will be properly seamed together, flawlessly creating a smooth back for the dress. Ophilia rests her arms at her side as she takes a step back to look at her work.

And she can't just help but stare at him, her voice softer than before. She brings up a hand to her mouth, half in wonder, half feeling rather, oh, ...embarrassed? once more. Or perhaps self conscious about how she looks in comparison. ] M-my, I don't know how you do it, Sir Disciple.... But you still manage to look quite handsome. [ Handsome, not beautiful. Maybe it's that cold gaze of his, or his mouth that's always turned down into a stern, sharp pout. But he looks as if he could be just as deadly behind a fan and some lace as he is with his sword. ]

Cee

[decryptic]

[ Honestly............... REALLY HONESTLY, 9S has just been watching the Disciple tearing into the Erasers. He prefers to observe, and the Disciple hasn't looked in need of assistance. Besides, it's plenty interesting to watch how the Erasers behave, and also how the Disciple behaves when he's being possessed by his essence. Really, 9S is content to watch from a relatively safe distance...

... until the Disciple gets bulldozed by a reindeer. 9S snaps out of his data-collecting daze and dashes into action. Still a distance away, he slides hard toward the charging reindeer, pushing forcefully with both hands. The tall candelabra levitating on his back catapults forward with his momentum, whirling end over end until it's tangled up in the two reindeer's legs.

The creatures immediately stumble in their charge and crash to the ground, honking in protest. As he nears, 9S calls the candelabra back to him. Science?? ]

Disciple! I'm here to provide support!

[chippedsoul]

[The Disciple moves to stand, hand reaching out for the candelabra while it's on it's journey back to 9S. Cool trick dude.] Thanks...I need this. [No he doesn't, this man doesn't need to be holding two weapons at all. He walks over to the deer and before they could stand back up, he steps on the neck of one, and then starts ramming the other with the bottom end of the candelabra.]

Fufu... [There was this quiet and unsettling gleeful laughter coming out of him. Over and over he hits the animal with the blunt weapon, his smile growing wider as it lets out horrid cries of pain and it's bones crack. Oops, did he poke it's eye out? Oh well, it doesn't need it. Ink starts to gush out of it the more he beats the animal. While this was all going on, the other deer was flailing helplessly under his foot. He kept applying more pressure that it's head was starting to sink into the dirt.] Hehe...What sad creatures. [He stabs his sword into the the deer, conveniently pinning it down.] Just relax. I'll get to you next. [The deer he had been beating on was already incapacitated, but that didn't seem to matter to him.]

[decryptic]

[ 9S's indignant "Hey!" as his candelabra gets intercepted quickly dies as the Disciple gets to work on the reindeer. He decides that trying to complain at the Disciple is not only a lost cause, but an awful cause at the moment.

He quietly removes the candelabra from his Near Field Combat System, leaving it to the mercy of the Disciple. Then he focuses on few small, pointy-eared creatures creeping out of the woods. They look as if they want to try to get the jump on the Disciple while he's occupied with the (poor) reindeer, but 9S dashes to bar their way and box them aside. They're weaker beings than he's used to fighting; his punctuated punches splatter them into puddles of ink without much fuss. ]

Uh, Disciple? Are you feeling all right?!

[chippedsoul]

[There's one final stab as the beaten deer finally dissipates into ink and parchment.] Fine. [He picks up his sword and then kicks the other deer into a nearby market stand. No one needed that right?] I'm feeling just fine. Thanks for asking. [He gives 9S an unsettling grin in his direction.] You weren't the one laughing just a moment ago, were you?

[decryptic]

[ 9S startles when the nearby market stand crumples into a reindeer-induced mess. He whips around to face the Disciple. ]

Um... nnno? That was definitely you.

[ He is having a Concern, and it isn't about the Erasers starting to edge away from him and the Disciple. Even the creepy bearded guy in red that's been haunting the perimeter slips further into the night, presumably to hide for a while. ]

Listen, don't you think it's time for a break? You've been going at it for a while.

[chippedsoul]

[He tilts his head to one side, looking irritable about something.] No, there was someone else here laughing too. I heard him. [He scans the area once more, what little light reflecting his yellow eyes in the darkness. The tip of his sword drags along in the dirt as he walks, hunting, still unsatisfied.]

[decryptic]

[ ... Yeesh. No wonder the Disciple didn't want to talk about his essence. But there's no telling what kind of trouble he might get himself into out here, so 9S follows him, dialing up his brightness setting to better distingiush the dark shapes shuffling out of the Disciple's way.

9S will follow in silence for now, curious to see where the Disciple will take them. ]

[chippedsoul]

[The longer the creatures kept to the shadows, the more irritable the Disciple got.] Where are you~? I just want to play! [He throws the candelabra he was still holding onto into an alleyway, causing a few of Santa's little helpers to come out of hiding. His eyes widen with glee as he waste no time grabbing one of the fleeing elves, lifting it off the ground by the neck to get a better look.] Where is he? I know he's still around.

[His tone was playful, deceitfully hiding the bloodlust coming from this guy. The elf doesn't answer, trying to claw itself free or bite his hand. The Disciple simply tilts his head with amusement of the little man's refusal to answer him.] Remaining silent then? I'll help. [He now had both hands around the elf's neck and squeezing the life out of it. It gags and chokes, causing the Disciple to smile even more, showing teeth as he laughs at it's suffering.]

[decryptic]

[ Wow? That was 9S's candelabra (that he stole)?? But he leaves it to stare as the Disciple torments the elf. Inherently, 9S recognizes the cruelty in the Disciple's delight, but he also recognizes that the elf isn't a true person. There's no logical reason to stop the Disciple from his play, as it were, if no one is truly being hurt.

But a small lump of unease grows in 9S as the gap between the usual levelheaded Disciple and the possessed Disciple here seems to widen by the second. It was "Ebegeeser's" kindness they witnessed in the schoolhouse, but at the root of it all, it was the Disciple's goodness that came to light. That part of him would surely be disgusted to look back on himself strangling a defenseless creature. He should be stopped before things get any worse.

Well... there's nothing for it, then. 9S decides to intervene. He has a feeling it won't be easy. ]

Hey... Disciple? Let's head back now. I doubt it'll be worth chasing anything this far out.

[chippedsoul]

[Ink splatters everywhere as the elf burst in his hands.] You think so...? [He wipes the ink from his face, which is kind of pointless when you got ink on your hands too.] Tell me. [He turns around to face 9S with a look of murderous intent.] Do machines feel pain?

[decryptic]

[ He tenses involuntarily at the Disciple's word choice, but now isn't the time to argue semantics. The look on the Disciple's face speaks loud and clear. ]

Let's not do anything stupid, now. I'm not your enemy.

[chippedsoul]

Haha, of course not. I just want to discover the answer! [9S better do something, because he's lunging at him, ready to cut him with his blade.]