expiationlogs | [August Catch-All + Backdated July Events]

Entry tags:

reiwa no dara-san: dara

[August Catch-All + Backdated July Events]

Who: Dara & you
Where: Around Aldrip and its forest areas. Chainsaw massacre apartment complex for Gnosia event.
What: Backdated July event prompts-- AU with Dara turning into her ORIGINAL HUMAN SELF & Dara eating people cuz gnosia afflicted
Warnings: assume likely violence, body horror, & death

AUGUST

August 1st-5th
[Dara can be found walking around different stores around in her human disguise. Seriously, any store will do because she's desperate. So desperate, in fact, that she'll eventually engage anyone she walks past enough times to ask a question:]

What do guys like for presents? [TRYING TO BE A GOOD GIRLFRIEND OK. Sure, she could get Shinjiro cooking related equipment, but that also doesn't feel right to her. How is this unexpectedly challenging?!]

{More August prompts will be added once more details drop.}

BACKDATED JULY

AU Event - Koharu

1. Network: Video @ Dara
[The person behind the screen is Dara... except not. The most obvious clue are the missing slits that run through the middle of the god's cheeks. And, oddly enough, this "Dara" somehow looks both livelier and more aloof than usual. Throughout the time she talks, her gaze never reaches the camera while keeping her head tilted slightly downward:]

If what I learned is correct, then perhaps my words can reach you still...Tsubaki-oneesan. If you are there, please forgive me-- my ignorance must have led me into this illusion. I cannot find the end of it, and I've lost the beginning. Please take pity on your foolish sister and guide me home.

[Excessively polite. The camera jostles, showing a glimpse of Dara's lookalike begins prostrating herself on the forest floor until the angle only shows the canopy of tree branches overhead.]

2. Survivor - Forest Edition

[During the next day or so after her arrival, the priestess has decided to spend most of her time in the forest. It was where she woke up, so it's the place that deserves the most investigation. Besides, interacting with any of the city natives makes her skin crawl. To her spiritual senses, they resonate like empty husks that act far too human. It's disturbing.

The kosode and hakama's colors may stand out against the forest greenery, but somehow "Dara" manages to stay hidden for the most part. She has lived in the mountains, after all, so she knows how to stay out of sight and survive in the wilderness. However, she is still human. Someone could easily catch her snoozing up in a tree, scarred hands gripping her katana in a way that would make it easy to unsheathe if awoken to danger. Unlike a god, she also needs to eat; the priestess can be found occasionally wading into a river in only her kosode while attempting to catch fish.]

3. City Girl

[When "Dara" does visit the city, she can typically be found people-watching on a park bench. Any other Choosen who passes by receive a confused stare, although she's quick to turn her gaze downward if their eyes lock onto hers. Of course, for someone who is ~~a giant nerd~~ desperate for answers, she can also be encountered at the library with the table before her piled high with books. The poor priestess looks like she's going through the worst headache with how intensely her brow is furrowed while she flips through pages upon pages.]

Gnosia Event

Day 3
[Dara has been making herself scarce for the most-part...other than going the extra mile of consuming any corpses left behind by other Gnosia-infected. This is her way of desperately hanging onto her humanity, lest the true Yamatagi Madara attempt to interfere again.

It's quite unlucky for her when she wakes up in the square with the collective Chosen-- she's not exactly sure when she lost consciousness, but at least she's quick to shapeshift into her human disguise before most others can wake. At least having legs made out of braided snake tails is less obvious than a giant one? In any case, the curse god scowls to herself and crosses her arms in a way that she can hide her hands in the yukata's sleeves. Some sort of messed up questionnaire, huh?]

...I get the short end of the stick from the get-go. Great. [Dara waves her hand dismissively at the person across from her:] Obviously I'm not "human"-- I'm a curse god. Different from this Gnosia thing, but whatever. It's your responsibility to give me whatever label you want, I guess. Anyways...

The only times I enjoy it are when I deem that the other person deserves it. Or if they pissed me off. Otherwise, I don't really care. [Question #1: GREEN.]

...When I was alive, my twin sister betrayed me by having my limbs cut off. [Question #2: GREEN.]

...Failing my duty. [Question #3: GREEN.]

...I'm a god. Of course I've killed people. [Rolling her eyes at this one. Questions #4: GREEN.]

...This one... [Dara clicks her tongue at the fifth and is quiet for an uncomfortable amount of time before muttering:] Nothing. Happiness was never my goal after becoming a god.

[GREEN! Looks like Dara's given a break for her partner to answer the first five of their questions now.]

MISC

Since this is a catch-all, feel free to throw down starters or PM for plotting purposes.

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[Vi doesn't typically shop, but she's being forced to right now. to find something presentable, which she thinks is silly.

when Dara walks up to her and asks her question, she raises an eyebrow and then smirks.]

I prefer physical presents, honestly. Who's it for?

[YAY, A FAMILIAR FACE AND NOT A STRANGER! Dara visibly lets go of some of her stress.]

Shinjiro Aragaki.

[There's hope that maybe Vi knows him because he's surprisingly more social than she is! Also the network helps.]

He's not especially materialistic, so I'm guessing that he prefers more functional items. [What other information can she give--] I think the hat he usually wears got trashed...but I have no clue what kind of hats look good. Actually, are clothes considered good presents? I don't have much experience with these things...And my perspective may be outdated..........

[Heeeelp.]

[Things have been even weirder than usual this month-- like the world itself is struggling to hold itself together, again. It brings to mind that exceptionally vivid memory, the one that refuses to fade with time or inattention. The dream of the abandoned room full of computers, warning lights, flashing-- the desperation with no guidance that really seems to nicely define Aldrip and what Shinjiro assumes is the insane attempts of a virtual word to stay coherent and whole.

So-- yeah. He hasn't seen or heard from Dara in a few days, and her typically-bare apartment is empty on top of it. That generally means she's in the woods, a place typically more comfortable for her. He has to do a lot of wandering, and sort of misses the summoning charm she had once given him-- even though he probably wouldn't use it for something as simple and basic as just checking in to see how she's doing.

Thankfully, Dara always stands out. Everything about her is familiar to him by now- from the long, silky hair to her lithe arms (whether two or six-) and her traditional style of dress (or her state of undress, when coiling and slithering through the woods and the trees.)

What he finds, though, following the sounds of water splashing is... far less of what he'd been expecting. The long, dark hair, the traditional clothes-- though there's hakama left on shore? And Dara wearing clothing when out in nature isn't that common. Especially clothing for the legs that she doesn't have.]

...Dara?

[He'll call out when he sights her, but the question mark is audible in his voice. Her back is to him, but something is still off. Maybe she'd been affected by the warped happenings, too? But also why is she out here standing in a river, and...?? Everything feels slightly wrong.]

What're you doing out here?

[The fact that she was distracted enough for someone to come close is enough to startle the priestess. From where she was hunched over the water, her back suddenly goes completely straight as she jolts up. And unlike Dara, the woman attempts to shift her kosode into place to cover up as much as she can. She's obviously too embarrassed to face him properly. Her quaking voice only reinforces that point.]

S-Sir, I beg of you, please turn back-! You have mistaken me, and I am indecent right now...

[There's a muttered "I am no sight to behold either" as she wades a little deeper into the river and sinks down to obscure more of herself from view. She'll deal with water-soaked clothes later!]

[...Well. That's Dara's voice. Or something like it. Far less casual, missing what confidence she has. And the stammering, the calling him sir?

Oooookay. She's definitely got some missing memories. He just has to figure out if they're temporarily gone or-- if she's been reset, or whatever the hell happens in this place. Another her, from another time, just like he had been when he first got here. The idea of it stings a bit more than he would have expected, but he'll keep that from his voice. And he doesn't want her to feel like she has to drown herself in fear, so he'll stop a few meters from the shore as she requests.]

--Right. Sorry. You just looked like a priestess I know of.

[He'll comply, but he won't give up, even as he does turn around to look at the woods instead of the water. Dara's self-conscious of being noticed and appreciated even as her usual self. Better to not give the priestess here an aneurysm.]

What are you doing out here, anyway?

[The exact moment Shinjiro turns, she comes splashing quickly to the shore. She's speed-running yanking her hakama on based on the sound of rustling fabric along with the squishing sound of her kosode shifting with the rapid movements. The priestess only speaks up when she secures everything in place.]

I was...um...enjoying the water.

[Still not the best liar, but that's the only excuse she can come up with that seems more "proper" than fishing.]

As for that other priestess, you must be referring to my elder twin, Tsubaki-oneesan.

[Her head is immediately bow when he looks at her, gaze set on his feet. This "Dara" is a head shorter than him, much like the god's human disguise. However, the slits in her cheeks are gone, and her usual pristine skin is not as it should; her face is marked by faded signs of healed cuts, a slight yellow tinge on her cheek from the aftermath of a bruise, and her eyes (if he gets a good look) seem slightly less sunken, less hollowed around the edges.

And if that's not enough to finalize that this isn't Dara, all he has to do is look at her feet. Not snakes, but actual bare feet. Her hands, too, aren't wrapped in layers of skin comprised of her other warped arms. There are scars too, both new and old, lining her ankles and hiding further up beneath her hakama. They're more evident on her hands as well along with a rough quality set by calluses and chipped nails that are visible. Her hands are ones that have been put to work for years.

After a pause, the doppelganger speaks up:]

Would you happen to know where I could locate Tsubaki-oneesan? Or the priestess named "Dara" that you mentioned?

[There's the sound of water sloshing as she awkwardly scrabbles to shore, fabric rustling as she dresses, and the whole time he keeps still, hands finding their way into his pockets. Just like they usually do when he's not quite sure what to say or what to do with them. Finally the flurry ends, and he tips his head back just enough to make sure she's decent-- and then turns back.

....It's definitely the woman who would become Dara. He doesn't have a doubt about that. He just doesn't... know exactly what to do about it, either. He'd hated when people had assumed him to be the same as whatever version of himself had been here beforehand-- so he won't put that expectation out for her. Instead he just shakes his head at her mention of her sister.]

Definitely not Tsubaki. [No honourific for her. Huh.] I don't know her name.

[And what little he knows... it's hard to place onto this shy-seeming woman. Though despite her humility and reserved appearance, there's definitely those hints of some sort of warrior. (Hadn't she said, months ago on that island, that the katana she'd offered out had been her own? He'll have to try and remember the specifics.) There's also the signs of either battle or abuse or both-- though he makes a point not to stare, lest she lose all trust and run off.]

I can show you where town is, though. This is... kind of a weird place. People you know might not even be here. But there's places for people to stay and get something to eat while they settle in.

[A pause.. and maybe he should introduce himself, as much as it sucks.]

I'm Shinjiro Aragaki, by the way. [If it's one of those weird effects of the world-- it won't last forever. And if this is just who she is now, than she can make all her own decisions here.]

[No honorific her for sister?! That's jarring enough that the woman quickly looks up, confusion evident before she remembers her place and bows her head again. He's at least kind enough to give her information AND introduce himself. Most importantly, she can tell that he's real.]

It is nice to meet you, Aragaki-san. I am grateful for your kindess in offering. [That 45° bow and polite smile are easy. She's used to doing it.] My name is 《■■■■■》.

[Her lips move, but whatever information Shinjiro can parse from the shapes made end up distorting and become formless in his mind. Her name is static. There's supposed to be sound, and the priestess seems fine, except what was put into this world simply can't make it through to him. Or anyone besides herself.

But hey, at least she doesn't seem to hold it against him that he caught her undressed. Water under the bridge, right? Proper greetings seem to help ease a bit of tension from her shoulders. The priestess even dares to mutter a "please excuse me for one moment" as she moves to slip on her socks and waraji.]

[She says her name, and-- nothing. If any sounds had been made, they don't register. Or maybe if he did hear it, his mind or her curse won't let him remember. Either way, it's a gaping void in their conversation, one that only he seems to notice.]

Ah... yeah. Hey-- you don't gotta be so formal. I'm really bad with that kinda thing.

[The bowing is normal and polite enough, but not from her. Not such a deep one, at that. So he waves a hand, as though it's not particularly important, and glances back to the woods he'd come from as she pauses to finish dressing.

Well at least he hasn't run her off. That's step one.

After a moment, he adds:]

I... couldn't hear your name, there. Mind repeating it? [He'll blame the river or something if she asks.]

[.................Don't be formal? Again, that look of confusion appears after she straps on her footwear. There's a tinge of discomfort and embarrassment too. She doesn't want to make HIM feel uncomfortable, but to speak casually to someone you just met.....It feels strange.]

S-sh...Shinjiro-san, then? Or, sorry, should I say Aragaki-kun?

[The priestess is even more grateful that he gives her an opportunity to distract herself. She quickly fetches a stick because that's a great excuse not to look at him while she draws in the dirt. Oddly enough, the writing is legible rather than distorting like the sounds:

木春]

《■■■■■》

[The irony of how she truly is Tsubaki's twin. Or maybe it says something more about her family's choice in names. Whether Shinjiro can guess the pronunciation of the kanji-- well, good luck to him. She can't do much more to help.]

Edited 2024-08-10 19:22 (UTC)

Either of those is fine. [He's suddenly understanding why it was so weird for Kotone when she first ran into him here. Expecting one person, getting another. So even though this is a far cry from the woman who had wanted to call him Shinji to feel closer-- he'll take it.

She pauses to draw the kanji, and... that's not really that helpful. It's the characters for 'Tree' and 'Spring', sure, but.. man, there's a lot of ways to read that.]

...Kisuno-san? [????? look he's trying his best. And so am i. Sheepishly, he shakes his head in something like an apology. Sorry that your name is literally cursed and cannot be heard.]

Anyway... we're probably a half hour to an hour outside of town. You okay to walk that far?

[MORE CONFUSION! Obviously she has no clue why he's having trouble with her name...But hey, at least he's not calling her Snake-Face or Toady. She'll take "Kisuno" even if it takes her a moment to nod in agreement.]

Yes, that won't be difficult for me. [Immediate first impression of Shinjiro = very considerate. (People have made her standards rock bottom.)] If you could give me another moment, I need to reclaim my equipment.

[Which are literally hidden overhead in the tree nearest to him. Stepping over to it, Koharu is practically an acrobat as she jumps to grab the closest limb and swing herself up to get to the higher branches. She returns to the ground with katana, longbow, and quiver settled in place on her person, and she gives a more casual bow of her head to Shinjiro.]

Thank you for waiting. If we encounter any dangers, I can protect you. [Gotta be ready for anything in any woods! .......Wait, hold on--] A-ah, not to say that you cannot hold your own. You seem more accustomed to this place, so I'm sure you can handle yourself. I-...It has been my job to protect others, so I am willing to do so for you as well!

[Levi likes the library. He's usually in and out of there, just dropping off books and taking more, but 'Dara''s table full of books catches his eye. He heads over, not quite sure if he recognizes her or not.]

Um. Are you looking for something? I might be able to tell you the right area to go to.

Sure- [Okay, he isn't expecting her to yeet up into a tree? But she does with all the mastery and skill he hadn't expected from a priestess... but perhaps he should have, given the hints he knew of her prior life as a priestess. The seals she knew, the implication that she had fought.

The burns he catches more glances of that are so much like the ones she's painted more carefully onto him.

His eyes linger on the glances of them on her arms as she climbs up and jumps back, but he does nod at her offer of protection. He doesn't have a physical weapon right now, so it's not a bad call on her part.]

...I appreciate it. Sometimes there's some beasts in the woods, and I don't always walk around with weapons. Still, we can try to avoid them. I'll lead?

[And with that he starts walking, and he'll even let his curiosity settle for a minute or two before asking:]

Those burns on you-- are they seals? [Dara doesn't have them. He'd have noticed. But- Kisuno? Human-Dara. Her. She does. It's... interesting.]

[Oh good, she somehow didn't manage to offend him. It's a bit surprising to not be told off for making assumptions but...it's nice. In a way. Strange but nice. Does that mean Shinjiro is overly kind or a strange person? Probably best not to think too hard on it.

As for his offer to lead the way, Koharu nods in return with a trace of a smile. It disappears as quickly as it arrived as they begin the journey back, following diagonally behind him. The priestess remains silent but vigilant in the meanwhile-- another usual behavior on her part. Keep quiet, don't cause trouble.

But it's hard that question thrown her way.]

Eh?

[The most common, expected reaction to anyone seeing her scars is to move away in disgust or belittle her for them. Even if they are marks of her hard work, Koharu's movement stutters. Suddenly tugging at her sleeves, attempting to cover them up...Yet, she stops after a few seconds. He understands the gist of the marks. That's unusual.]

No-- er, not seals. They're spells that I've used to vanquish evil spirits. It's faster to use the body, but the price is evident when the fight is over. [It's safe to assume he must have some experience with magic, so she's curious too. ] How do you know about seals?

[she rubs the back of her head. that's a lot all of a sudden, and--]

I'm not too great at presents, either. [a beat.] I think clothes are fine, though. Especially if you're replacing something that they already wear.

Haven't met that guy, though. At least I don't think so.

[Okay, so they are relatively in the same boat in terms of gift ideas. HMMMMM.]

...........How good are you at picking out hats? [On Second Thought--] Actually, I think he looks better without the hat, so maybe I shouldn't get him a new one.

[Think think think.] Maybe a new lighter? Sometimes he smells like cigarettes, so that could be worth looking into.

[Dara sighs to herself.] Even if he wasn't a guy, it'd still be difficult. The only thing else I can think of is that he fights with an axe. Not that I know much about axes aside from chopping wood.

[The priestess jolts slightly, pulling her fully immersed brain out of the pages and back to reality. At first, she glances around to see who he's offering help to, only to discover nobody else near her. Huh. Her look of confusion is mainly for the fact he's trying to help her. Very unusual compared to the people of her world.]

...The history of this land.

[She gets the feeling that might be a tall order.]

[Looking for someone else who might have been addressed...he does that himself a lot.]

Oh...

[He rubs his neck.]

...um, well, you might find something but anything in those books is going to be a lie. This city...well the city doesn't have much of a history and nobody really knows what this place is.

...So you can do any spell on the skin? [Huh.... it reminds him of Abe-no-Seimei, sitting down and slowly drawing and drying all those seals. It was careful and methodical and, yes, took a while. He can definitely see how this could be faster is someone didn't care about penmanship.

Ah, but then she asks that... He's quiet for a few moments as they walk, as though weighing what to share. He doesn't want to lie to her-- but he also doesn't want to cause her any distress or feelings of obligation to him. Carefully, he starts:]

That's... how I met Dara. She helped me seal a type of spirit. [Close enough? Vague enough? He pulls up a hand to the collar of his shirt and pulls it down, the neck stretching just enough to show some of the thick, scarred, tattoo-esque burns that begin near his left clavicle and drape down across his chest.]

They look like mine, so... I thought I'd ask.

[It's a bit sudden for him to be revealing those scars, but at the same time Koharu remains curious. She has taken on a healer role in the past with what little medicine she knew, so having someone present an injury is a typical experience. Besides, it's rare for seals to be purposely made on the body unless it's a last resort. The fact that Shinjiro seems fine and is moving around is odd too.]

A spirit sealed inside you?

[Sorry, she's going to take a closer peak while she tries to decipher the few components she can get a glimpse of. It's strange, though. Despite the lines being faded or partially healed over, it feels familiar. Like she's seen this writing somewhere before. But where...? Her teacher's? No, definitely not. It's not elegant enough to be her sister's. At the same time, this seal definitely has parts that could be considered dark magic. Shinjiro must have been really desperate to go this far.]

That priestess...is she missing? And did she tell you how the seal works?[~~This Dara person is pretty sus!~~ Koharu frowns to herself before taking a step back out of his personal space.]

If you don't mind, I'd like to look at it in full. There's something about it that bothers me.

[Of course there's the unsaid "whenever or wherever you're most comfortable".]

Huh? Presents?

[Look at the deer in headlights, the status quo on getting presents is clearly Dire for this kid.]

Uhh, food maybe? Or ... [he scratches at the back of his head here in minor consternation] there's no concerts or tournaments with tickets around here, I guess, so -- if the buying part isn't important [which. it might be. as he's learned from Keiko-shaped experience] show him something really cool. Make it the coolest, most badass thing he's ever seen.

[Vi considers it for a minute. yeah, they're both completely hopeless. being in prison for five years didn't do her any favors with knowing this sort of shit, either.]

Anything else he likes? Like food or something? I hear guys are always into food.

[yeah, she knows even less what to get a guy.]

Or... some sort of gadget. [she thinks of Ekko] Is he a tech sort of guy?

Well, it was kind of already part of me, so... [Wait, does that make it sound worse? He lets her glimpse, but eventually pulls his hand back from his collar to let the fabric relax from its stretch. No point in ruining his shirt. But at least the middle of the woods isn't a terrible place to show it to her in full, right? Way less awkward than inviting her to his room or finding some other non-public place that she might be comfortable with.]

Yeah, you can see it. [And he'll go ahead and reach for the bottom of the shirt hem. might as well just pull it off here?] Here's better than the middle of town.

She's... [He trails off, considering how to present it, as he starts pulling off his shirt.] People kind of come and go here. Sometimes they come back. So I don't think she's available right now.

Sorry if this is a lot all at once.

[Yes, that sounds pretty bad!!! Koharu attempts to keep her expression neutral, but there's some shock leaking through. Did he make a spiritual contract? Was he from a cursed bloodline?! Now she definitely needs to see those markings.

There's no particular reaction from her aside from readiness to scrutinize and diagnose...at first. As the seconds tick by and Shinjiro's words fly over her head, the priestess' expression grows more and more concerned while looking over his scars. Her voice suddenly becomes firm, authoritative, unlike the humbled stutters from before:]

This seal should not have been placed on you. You should not be alive with this sort of binding formation. And to have it repeated?! How are you--?

[Koharu breaks the personal bubble with swift steps, and her hands clamp down on his shoulders while she zeroes in on the components along the edge of a more recent scar.

Her face turns pale.]

...Why...is my-- no, that can't be right...

[The priestess looks up to catch Shinjiro's gaze.]

That person...does she know me?

He cooks for me occasionally, so I want to avoid anything food related. I don't want it to look like I'm asking for it more frequently.

[She's try to be considerate, at least.]

...What sort of tech are you talking about? [LISTEN, SHE TRIES HER BEST TO NOT be completely old by figuring out tech for herself.]

...I see.

[The book she's holding is snapped shut as she frowns to herself. Obviously this is not the answer she was looking for.]

It makes sense. Most of the people walking around here are not alive. I had assumed that this place was an illusion to begin with.

[Dara's not typically one for gloating, but even she would think she's considered pretty badass for just being a god alone. Meh, perspective.]

.........Okay, then what's something you would consider to be extra cool?

Not alive? Yeah...that makes sense. I don't really get it but this place is probably an illusion or not real. How can you tell they aren't alive?

[Yusuke's perspective on gods is perhaps somewhat skewed, what with the only one he knows personally being Koenma. It's hard to be awed by someone who still sucks on a pacifier, magical or otherwise.

As for what he finds cool...]

Do you fight? I always think it's cool to see new moves.

[There's a beat. He's seen a lot of powerful people and demons over the last couple years, so he takes a moment to think about what stands out.]

A buddy of mine absorbed a demon dragonfire called the darkness flame, once. It was supposed to incinerate him on contact but he survived and he can control it now. Pretty awesome.

Ohhh... yeah, that'd make sense.

[... uh. she doesn't even know, now that she's put her in a spot where she should answer.]

I dunno. You could maybe talk to Ekko... I don't know shit about that sort of thing.

[she's still SO HELPFUL...]

[This is going from bad to worse, and Shinjiro can't help but feel like he's screwed something up again. But they're here now, and the priestess deserves to have some kind of answers, even if he doesn't start with 'it's ok I already died--']

I guess it's kinda weird because of how spirit stuff works different here and between out worlds, but--

[Oh, she is grabbing him, and not in the way he is used to. His back straightens slightly, and he can't help nit watch her eyes-- the way they dart, clearly reading, clearly lingering on finding patterns and realizations coming together. Out of habit, his own elbows bend and allow his hands to rest at her arms, though far more gently than her tight hold.

He doesn't shy away from her eye contact, at least. Meeting her eyes is something he's always been unfraid of.]

Yeah. She does. But I don't think you know her yet: Time works weird here. People from the same place can be from way different times.

.............

[There's that long awkward pause while Dara stands there looking blank-faced. The trouble with being an introvert.]

....Who?

[Despite her worries, Shinjiro may feel a slight jolt at the end of his words as Koharu's brain suddenly snags on something-- mainly...uhh...his hands. Are touching her. This is weird. This is not something a patient would do. HOLD ON, this would actually look rather intimate if someone were looking! THERE IS A LOT OF DIRECT EYE-CONTACT HAPPENING HERE!!! This must be her fault somehow. He's probably trying to keep her at arms length, that must be it!!!

The priestess' face does a complete 180°: cheeks turning bright pink and gaze beginning to dart every which way. Her hold on him loosens considerably until both hands fully retreat.]

O-oh, I guess that makes sense... [ACTUALLY NO NOT REALLY.] Then I'll er look forward to meeting her.

[Not sure about that one either. Taking a step back has helped tame the immediate fluster, allowing the ~~nerdy~~ worried side of her to return and eye the sigil again.]

...Shijiro-san...Are you fine with the outcome of that seal?

[PFFFFT. well, at least Vi can understand the bit about not knowing everyone.]

Someone from my world. He's into tech stuff... at least maybe more helpful than me. I'd just go for the food and some sex.

[--Right. This isn't Dara. Not the one he knows. He stills at her discomfort, and retreats those hands just as she does hers. But then the conversation gets a bit more serious, talking about the 'outcome' of the seal.

...Had he even asked about that, when he'd had it done? He'd been desperate when he'd arrived here, and kind of fucked up after suddenly waking up from his death and having to deal with things again. He hadn't really cared about much aside from it working, keeping Castor under lock and key, and not having to worry about losing it again with his dwindling supply of pills. Hell, it was almost a year ago. He Dara chiding him for not valuing his life more, but...

Finally, in response to her, he shrugs.]

I figured it didn't really matter, as long as it kept things under control. So.... yeah. Whatever happens, at least no one's been in danger cause've me.

...I see. I can respect that sort of determination.

[It's not her place to judge his decision, but she can understand. Wanting to keep the peace for others-- the villagers she cares for, specifically. For all the care that they've shown her in return. A nostalgic smile sets in as she nods at Shinjiro.]

I think I would feel the same way if I was in your position.

[How odd that they've met in a way when there are so many connections between them. It's...kind of nice, actually! An odd experience, but nice.]

If you are in need of anything, please let me know. I can't imagine it would be easy on the body when the soul is being tampered with.

[~~Mic drop?~~]

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[August Catch-All + Backdated July Events]

august

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Dara's Fishing Minigame

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AU 3

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