June Catch-All/Quest Log

[bubblegumwhisky]

CHARACTERS: Pinocchio + Fukawa Toko and you!!
DATE: All of June
WARNINGS: none yet, maybe neverafter/danganronpa spoilers
SUMMARY: Joint Catch-All and Quest Log for Pinocchio and Fukawa! I'm too lazy to separate them sorry. PM/plurk me if you want starters

Comments

may / quest

[ndw]

[ All Wolfwood wants is to not be a useless shit.

While he's a good marksmen and trained in close combat, he's at his most lethal with Punisher on his back, of which he is currently bereft. Which is why he's currently running for his life trying to hide from the bees that he's supposed to be catching, ducking into a thick brush that he hopes is too dense for the bees to follow him through.

There, he sees a little wooden doll scheming. He's about to throw it at the cloud of bees as a distraction, when the doll moves.

Maybe it's a helpful NPC? ]

Oi. [ Hey!! Buddy!! ] You got any bee capturing magic?

[bubblegumwhisky]

[Neither helpful nor an NPC I'm afraid.

There are many things about these new dual worlds that Pinocchio does not grasp. For instance, why were there two at the same time in the first place? He also does and does not get what a computer is. Or electricity. Like, it's there in the back of his head, but only half the time, so he'll flick a switch without thinking when he enters a room and suddenly there's a light on. Neat, cool, love an absence of open flame. As a wholly wooden guy that seems like a solid plus. Then he'll have to look at a...uh. Thingie. With the button-letters on it, but they scrambled the alphabet so that it starts with Q-W-E, and that's really fucking weird, but he's supposed to write like that on these magic mirror things, except that knife guy told him that it wasn't a magic mirror, it was just like a cool glass machine that did whatever you told it with the buttons? Or you strap your head into it and then it takes you to this second world, which feels like a real world but it's not supposed to be a real world, and there's a bunch of fake people walking around in it that don't know they're fake, and everyone's just cool with that?

Holy shit he's getting a headache. The point is, there is very little he truly understands about either world, even if one looks much more like home than the other. The one thing he does know for sure is the value of money: a small sum of which some guy had dropped into the bush while running screaming from a bunch of bees.

Pinocchio had dashed in after the flash of coins, easily fetching the fallen gold pieces from the twisted underbrush. Now, what to do with them? He could definitely catch up to the guy who'd dropped them, they weren't his to keep. But also, if this place wasn't real than was it really stealing if he just slipped them into his pocket? Called it Finder's Keeper's? Was he going to get hexed if he did? Feels like a prime crime-and-consequence situation. Then again, free money! Then aga—as dlfkj]

AAH! [WHY IS HE IN THE AIR?? Pinocchio flails in the hold (dropping the coins at once, RIP), twisting his head around to face whoever had nabbed him.]

I'm sorry, what? [His painted brows twist over wide dots for eyes.] Why would I — buddy, look at me! I'm a child! I'm a — why would I have magic specifically for bees?!

[ndw]

[ Holy shit, is that money? Wolfwood's eyes immediately drop to the coins, trying to count them in his head while Punisher's price tag flashes in his mind's eye.

He considers dropping the doll, forgetting the bees, and just taking the money, but then it occurs to him that perhaps this is some kind of money-conjuring doll. And if not, couldn't he still sell a talking doll for money? Wouldn't that be worth one human-sized machine gun slash laser?

Slowly, he looks back at Pinocchio, staring him dead in the eye before he just

shakes him. ]

The hell are you supposed to be? You live 'round here?

[ ANYWAY SHAKES HIM FOR MONEY ]

[bubblegumwhisky]

[The painted eyes widen and he flails even harder, faster, furiouser.]

WAAAH! I'M A—STOP! [Slap slap slap go his little wooden hands at the meaty arm holding him high.] NO I DON'T! GET THE FUCK OFF ME!

[More effectively, that sharp wooden foot kicks square at the man's ribs.]

ROLAND - infinite bees

[janescayre]

[Fukawa cannot believe the gall of this place, setting them to such an impossible task. Insects were volatile, inescapable, and spawned nearly as fast as bacteria. The only way to be truly rid of them was to set a bomb off, and even then they were more likely to survive the blast than any other creature.

To be capturing them alive?]

AAAAAAAAH!!!

[This is her nightmare.

Fukawa can be found fetal on the ground, screaming bloody murder and blindly swatting a net at a billowing swarm of bees above. They aren't descending on her yet, but they sure aren't fans of being smacked around. Help.

Someone. Anyone.]

[duskspear]

[Help.

Bees don't scare Roland much. He does, however, very much fear what they'll do to Fukawa at the rate she's going. Her swatting forces him to give her some measure of berth, and he dares a step toward her with a boutonniere in one outstretched hand that he hopes will discourage the drilbees from retaliating. It's quite colorful to the rest of him, given that he still wears the habit from Norzelia in the ON world.]

Calm yourself, Fukawa! Our objective is to retrieve the drilbees safely. You'll hurt yourself [and the bees] if you provoke them further.

[janescayre]

I'M NOT PROVOKING ANYTHING!!

[SHE IS THE VICTIM HERE!

Also she doesn't have time to be shocked by Roland's appearance. This is a dire situation. She makes another swat with a petulant wail and scrabbles to hands and knees, attempting to crawl behind him. Be her meatshield, noble monk.]

I H-HATE THIS PLACE! I HATE IT SO MUCH!

[duskspear]

[This is a dire situation.

Accepting his place as her meatshield, he holds the drilbees at bay with the boutonniere in hand. Unfortunately, this mostly works for himself. The aggro Fukawa has built up remains at an all-time high, prompting the bees to look for ways around Roland, who turns accordingly to dissuade them.

It won't last. Taking care not to make sudden movements, he bends his knees and holds the boutonniere out to her.]

Take this in exchange for the net. It will reduce their aggression toward you.

HIKARI - d-dating...uwu

[janescayre]

[In what universe would Fukawa Toko, forever devoted to her beloved Byakuya-sama, noted misanthrope and permanently paranoid pestilence to all and sundry, agree to a fake-dating job?

This one apparently.

Look. Look. She's getting the drill by now. Apparently the only way to earn money in alternate universes was to spill blood or humiliate yourself. She cannot bring herself to do the first — has to restrain her other half from partaking, more like — and so has no option but to offer her loathsome body to whatever taker will have it.]

It's just an hour. J-just an hour. [Breathe in, breathe out. She checks her reflection in the café window and finds it just as lacking as at was thirty seconds ago. She pats her hair down (washed for once) and straightens her sweater (couldn't bear to show more skin than a stray ankle) and grouses.

Whoever it was wouldn't ditch, would they? They wouldn't get paid. Then again, one look at her is all it might take. Fukawa bites into her lip and catches it by the canine. A dreadful mistake. She tastes blood at once.]

Shit. [breatheinbreathout god oh god, okay. She jams a napkin at her mouth and wrenches her eyes shut. She might be better with blood than before, but she'll never stop hating it. Sight, smell, taste. All vile. All nauseating. No doubt she'll paint a fine first impression like this.

Where the fuck was this stupid bastard already?!]

uwu

[reinherits]

[hikari's also questioning the decisions that led him to this, feeling distinctly less suited for this task even more so than his brief stint at playacting. still, if nothing else, it's important to have healing supplies on hand... even if they're not grapes...

for better or for worse, he puts on the first outfit he finds in his closet—not out of a lack of caring, per se, but more that he's never thought about his clothing in his life beyond "does it impede my movement? no? then it works." this has not changed for this event. (thankfully, he's somewhat saved by the fashion of "this" life inclining to slightly formal anyway, so it's not horribly out of place for a date.)

glancing around when he arrives, he tries to locate the other party. he perks up, just a little, when he sees her, as he heads on over. at the sight of blood, though, he quickens his steps.]

—Are you all right? Here, I believe I have a handkerchief...

[he starts rummaging through his bag.]

[janescayre]

G-go aw—

[The snappish retort stops short. Her eyes widen as she blinks up at the man. The statuesque, silken-haired stranger, searching for a napkin to help her.

Pink blooms in her cheeks at once.]

O-oh! Well, I, hahaha, yes! [Dizzied nodding, faint breathing behind her hand.] A handkerchief w-would be helpful, haha...ha...

[That neck. Those eyes. Ah!!]

[reinherits]

[






wow, this poor girl. hikari's not much of an apothecary, but she's probably suffering from kind of ailment, given how red and dizzy she seems?

upon locating the handkerchief, he hands it over, though he still looks worried.]

Are you perhaps feeling ill? I can escort you back to your residence, if you need it. Or would you like for me to call for an apothe—ah, doctor?

Post-snake fight

[duskspear]

[Once the echoes of despondence fade into the void, Roland meets Fukawa at the library. He brings a tea tray with a word of appreciation for Dodo, whom he feels could use the thanks in these trying times of crumbling walls and furniture, though his smile is rueful as he pours a cup for Fukawa.]

It's chamomile. Apologies, but I ran out of its blue counterpart last month.

[If she's experienced the same things as he has since the world's troubles started again, she deserves to wake up feeling refreshed. Formally, they're here to discuss the matter of his memories as is customary, but he would rather see her in high than low spirits. Perhaps he'll revisit that quest and bring her a sachet before the week's end.]

How are you feeling?

snuggles in here

[janescayre]

[Funny how quick a devastating event wipes the board clear.

Fukawa might have been keen to avoid him after that humiliating excursion with the bees, save what little face she has left and hide under a rock forever. But given a few weeks and a wretched encounter with a snake-kaiju monstrosity, and all is forgiven. She unfurls testily from the shrimp-like crouch in her chair, reaching for the tea without so much as a thank you.]

F-forget about it. As long as it's hot I don't care wh-what you put in it. [Beggars can hardly be choosers. She's not like that pretentious bitch Celes, who'd thrown her tea against the wall and made Yamada brew it all over again. The gall of such a woman.]

How does it look like I'm feeling? [She throws him a pointed glare. Then winces as she sits back, a shriek of pain sounding along her ribs. The wounds they take online now leave knifish echoes offline. It's disturbing. She doesn't remember it being this bad before.] Anyone who'd come out of a mess like that w-with a smile on is a certified psychopath.

What about you?

[duskspear]

[His lips turn down into a neutral part. What does that say about him, whose words tumble out as simply as the answer itself?]

I'm fine.

[Weary, but fine. The feeling is quite familiar. If he thinks about it that way, he feels more like his true self than he has in recent months. But that's not important.

He busies himself with pouring a second cup of tea, which he takes with him as he settles into his seat across hers. Fukawa isn't smiling, and Roland doesn't blame her for it. Was she injured much in the ON world? Was it really the ON world? And do the scars of her heart bleed still . . . ?]

If you wish to talk, I would listen.

[janescayre]

[Her eyes narrow to even finer points than usual. She doesn't need to say anything to call bullshit, but fine. If he wants to pull that sagely monk crap and feign unflappable serenity, let him. She knows he's lying and one day she'll catch him out at it. Then he'll feel so damn stupid for putting on airs, pretending everything's hunky dory when he's clearly a total mess, just like everybody else is. It's infuriating, how he plays at humility. Even worse than people who can't stop complaining, because at least they're not pretending to be saints about it. And another thing—]

Huh?

[She blinks up at him. Then frowns, a shade more perplexed than annoyed.]

T-talk about what? You mean...wh-what we saw?

[Heard. Imagined. She wrenches her eyes shut and cups her tea with both hands. Too hot to sip, on the verge of burning her fingers. But only just. Her lips thin to a severe line.]

It d-doesn't matter. It wasn't real. It's just more manipulative crap to m-mock us with.

JUNE (Pinnochio) - snake vore...

[onlypets]

[Thinking about how they already went through one hellacious chamber, now they are waltzing into the second chamber...

What worries him about being near the water is that Pinocchio is wood, and he's not sure if this is good or bad in the grand scheme of things. Sometimes, wood does well in water and floats? Sometimes, wood does not do well with water!!

Immediately, he tries getting Pinocchio by the arm, focused and firm. As long as they don't wander out into the water from the beach, it should be okay...?]

Are you--

[A heavy earthquake hits the shore, throwing the two of them over in the sand. He tries to be wary of any cracks in the earth that might happen, but there's little he can do when he's not strong enough not to get tossed around. The silvery serpent splits through the waves with the flood of whispers as he's pushing himself to his hands and knees. He winces at the onslaught.]

frowns deeply, must we use the v word

[bubblegumwhisky]

[This is incredibly considerate of him? Wow!! Thanks, I mean he's already got moss and bug and fungal damage, but there's no need to add water to the mix.

Not like they'll have much choice. He yelps as the older man snatches his arm, head still thick and ringing with the sound of screams. It sounded like his Father. Somewhere out in the waves, maybe? If he had a heart it'd be drumming to rib-cracking levels by now. Pinocchio's feet scarcely touch the ground as he scrambles along, too short to properly keep aloft in the grip of a full grown man. Too short to get the purchase needed to dig his heels in.

The man starts to ask him something, and then they're both tossed to the side. The sand wedges into his joints, crunching and scraping as he works himself to a sit amid the thrums of the quake. When the snake breaches the waves he snatches onto the man's robes. He'd duck behind him if he weren't paralyzed.]

SNAKE! [He yells, very helpfully. That's when the whispers deafen him too. He flinches and cringes closer to the stranger, only to find the man struggling just the same as he is. He can't make out the words. He's petrified. The ground is still trembling below and the waves crash thunderously before them. All the while the snake rises, and rises.

It's like the Terrible Dogfish all over again.

It'll be all right.

Come back.

Pinocchio, listen to me—]

SHUT UP! [Panic pushes him back into action. He jostles the man's arm, his shoulder.] C'mon c'mon, get up! We gotta split, man!

yes

[onlypets]

[Yes. Pinocchio is so helpful, wow. It is a snake. A giant snake. In a way, this is probably a dragon almost.]

Hold on-- [He allows Pinocchio to grab at him, to hide behind him. He puts an arm out like a shield, but he can't do much else except turn to face the serpent lifted out of the water.] Calm down a moment, please.

[He's a little fluttery with anxiety admittedly, but it's truly a miracle how controlled he is in the face of a large snake.

But listen. This snake is beautiful. Magnificent and gorgeous, strong. Already, D loves this serpent, and it has his utmost respect. The whispers continue to urge them to listen and stay and trust. A lot of them are unfamiliar, but some of them... some of them sound like T-chan, Chris, or Leon... or his grandfather.

Carefully, he pulls himself off his knees into a stand, a blockade between the serpent and Pinocchio.]

Don't be afraid. Let's listen to what it may say.

[Because, like, to D, any and every serpent will have a voice.]

Declan & Pinocchio golem quest

[historicallyloaded]

[ Guild Wars really was a perfect storm; friendly cooperative competition, the incentive to get creative, incredible animated constructs that needed saving up on a sky island. Bricks contacts Declan (immediately) over the network—someone he trusts to fully understand and be on the same page as him and could keep up with his brain going a hundred miles per hour with ideas—and rattles off ideas for contraptions, plans, and slips in a casual how-are-you as an over eager afterthought. He proposes using the very ash on the sky island as a building medium once they get up there, to sculpt it like clay or concrete to do their bidding to securely move the golems. How to get up there in the first place? He's not sure... but if they're to work with such materials perhaps another crafter more familiar with earth or clay might be beneficial. He'll ask Declan if he knows any. Could they all meet up somewhere right under the sky island and get started right away? ]

Oh, it's you!

[ Brickston smiles with familiarity. Likely he's seen Pinocchio around the guild at this point but now he gets the opportunity to stare unabashedly and up close at the small animated construct made of wood. He's unlike anything else he's seen in this world. He opens his mouth to blithely ask what are you but closes it, remembering with an excited sway of his own avatar's spade-tipped tail that optional cosmetics are definitely a thing here, and this might not represent what this Pinnochio really looks like. Far be it for him to judge his tastes either way. ]

Apologies, I mean, it's a pleasure to formally meet you. [ He lowers himself to his haunches, one palm resting on his knee while he offers the other in greetings. ] Another guildmate—probably you've, ah, seen me around—Brickston Bartholomew Penderyn. You're skilled with the earth element? Or so I'm told?

I'M READY FOR A GOOD BOY TIME

[bubblegumwhisky]

[When you're used to sticking out like a sore thumb, the notoriety starts coming natural to you. Pinocchio swings his hand back and slaps it into the new guy's, palm first then back of the hand, fist bump.]

Hey, what's up? You know my man Declan? [He's assuming. They're all meeting here for that sweet Guild clout. Also please forgive him:] Yeah, yeah, I mean, I'm still figuring the element stuff out, but you're uh...are you guys brothers?

[Two white guys with blonde ponytails who dressed and talked posh. Also he forgets what Declan's last name is. Did he get a last name?

Pinocchio waves the matter off.]

Anyway, yeah, cool, can I call you Bricks? BBP? I'm Pinocchio. Master Pinocchio if you will.

[Heh.]

[clockworksoul]

[ Speaking of Declan, he kind of wanders up in the middle of this introduction, stuffing a length of rope into the Bag of Holding he has at his side. In goes the rope, and then Declan's arm up to the elbow. It's fine. His arm reemerges unscathed a moment later. ]

We're not related as far as I know! At least, not on my mother's side.

[ He gives a playful tilt of his head, lifting a finger to indicate his pointed ears. Anyway, ]

Good to see you both getting acquainted! I daresay we have quite the endeavor ahead of us!

june / off world / for gnocchi 💔

[feyfound]

[ Whatever has been going on both on the island of the ON world and in the city here in the OFF world as of late, it seems to be taking a toll on most everyone, even the Dodo House. Juniper is sure that the veil between the two worlds is thinning, and where she's from... That's never been a good thing.

She's even more sure of this because of course she's been taking every opportunity to test her mettle and do everything she possibly can in Duocaeli. She is always hoping to grow stronger and hone her skills even in a realm that hasn't felt real. But lately, it's begun to feel more and more real, and each time she "logs off" she's found herself feeling just as run down as she had in the mirror world where she'd just been adventuring and slaying monsters and the like.

This time in particular, when she logs off, she finds a fresh wound on her arm from a nasty fall taken in the one of the forested areas of Duocaeli. Nothing that she can't take care of with basic first aid, but as she comes out of her room and strides across the common areas of the Warbler Suite, her body feels more and more like lead, and sometimes, when she's exhausted... That's when she starts to hear them.

She practically spills out of the suite and into the hallway, her legs shaky as her hand clutches at the gash on her other arm, breaths labored and shaking. ]

[bubblegumwhisky]

[For his own part, Pinocchio hasn't been hurting too bad at all. The smoke didn't affect him and he's gotten so lucky with his questing, coming out unscathed time and time again.

That doesn't mean the shift is lost on him. Dodo house has been a real bummer lately, and he's not sure what to do about it. Do people like cannolis?

...

He's walking down the hallway with a plate of cannolis.]

Hey guys! Who's hungry?

[Oh! Here comes Juniper! He raises the plate in a temptatious wiggle.]

Look what I gooo— [His smile fades as he notices the death clutch on her arm.] —ooooot...?

[He holds still for a beat.]

Yo, you good?

[feyfound]

[ Pinocchio came out for a good time.... I'm so sorry!!

With her face scrunched up, and eyes screwed shut, it's easy to see that Juniper is in pain, although the degree to which it has to do with the wound on her arm is honestly becoming questionable. Her rabbit ears, angled back atop her head in her unease, twitch at the sound of a familiar, welcomed voice. ]

—nnochio...?

[ This is how we're going to get to 'Gnocchi' as a nickname, it is law.

But Juniper's voice sounds so quiet when she mutters that name, such a stark contrast from the usual volume and cheer her words are carried by. She wills herself to open her eyes, then, because his voice tells her that when she does, she'll see Crane City. Not the Feywild, not the swamp. Not the hags. ]

H—Hi! I'm fine. Promise. Just need... a second! Haha. What's that you've got, there?

[ They look yummy tho... ]