TEST DRIVE MEME - AUGUST

[thewatchers]

AUGUST TEST DRIVE MEME
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August is the last month of break before the return of school, all over Europe offices are empty as it was peak time for employees to take their well-earned vacation. The weather is still scorching, and brains are melting, but it won’t be long before autumn comes - so enjoy it while you can.


A. Voluntelling

While the Academy pays for all expenses trips to exotic locales for vacation, there is a quiet expectation that when problems arise that students will jump up and take care of the problem wherever it arises, even if it means interrupting a well-earned vacation for a brief time.

This time, a nightclub in the Azores is suffering from the influx of spirits of early portuguese settlers partying in the club and becoming quite rowdy; how do you plan to get them to move along? It's most certainly not a job for a single person, and you don't want to wrack up the long-distance charges for a certain business to get rid of them, so it's all up to you.

B. Lay over

The flights back to Daybreak, while done on privately owned jets are still beholden to mother nature, and a large bank of thunderclouds have grounded the planes for the next several hours, leaving awaiting students and staff to try to find ways to entertain themselves while stranded in the airport. Charge ports are limited, food and airport fantasy books are overpriced and you can’t leave the terminal - how do you even survive?

C. Come Dance all Night
In Soliel, the Azores, Miami - and other parts unknown, fliers for a free concert appear advertising bands one has never heard of, and it soon becomes apparent the fliers are invisible to those not aware of the supernatural.

Going to the listed locations will prove that the adverts were legit, as bands of witches, elves, and more playing strange but extremely enjoyable hybrid music as people mosh in front of the stage, or floating above it. And overpriced vendor food was hawked from popcorn to more exotic fare such as dewdrops (with humans cautioned against partaking it without a handy friend nearby). All in all it's a fun night of music.

D. IRIS NETWORK
This month’s network prompt is a very simple one.

UN: shinyhappyppl

hey every1!!
hows vacation treating u?? did u get some good photos?? u should totally share them!!

Comments

[aibolition]

Resolved as ever. If she recognizes him she's not showing it. And why should she recognize him? He watches the way her bow "string" draws back further and a soft, bitter laugh escapes.

"You don't know that. Just think of all we might have in common. I bet it's more than you think-- and don't start with the I'm nothing like you schpiel, I don't want to hear it. We can just agree to disagree." A pause. "Except you Quincies are notoriously bad at that aren't you? Or maybe that's the other guys, I could never really follow that part. But it does mean we have a common enemy. Fancy that, already found one thing in common."

Come on, put the arrow down. He can't stand here forever.

[taiyounoyou]

She bristle as he starts talking about her Quincy clan--really talking about them, like he has some idea of what they're like. Or what she's like. He starts going on about a common enemy, and her brow furrows even more--but this time in confusion.

"Do you mean the Shinigami?" The question escapes her before she realizes that he's probably trying to make her lose focus. It doesn't matter who he says her enemy is, or what kind of logic he tries to employ. It's not going to change the fact that he's her target right now... and he's dangerous.

"It doesn't work like that. Besides, I only have one enemy." Her clan might have a bone to pick with the Shinigami clan, but she's still on the fence about all of that. She's never actually met a Shinigami before, after all. It doesn't sit right with her to hate a clan she's never met.

"Put the sword down on the ground, and walk towards the door. Slowly." If she's going to deal with this thing, she'd rather do it outside, where innocent people aren't going to get hurt.

[aibolition]

He doesn't answer at first, instead giving a look that reads, obviously. That changes with how very unimpressed he is with her denial of that. Nobody has just one enemy.

And then he looks outright insulted. "I'm not putting my blade on the ground."

He lifts it high instead pointing it outwards. It begins to dissipate, flecks and pieces falling to his skin and seeming to absorb there until his hand is open and empty.

"You're wasting time. We were told to get those guys out of here, not me." He jabs a thumb in the direction of the wide eyed ghosts.

[taiyounoyou]

The sword disappears before her eyes, and she looks startles for a second. That's not really how hollows function, they don't just disappear parts of themselves. There's a bit of paranoia that creepy into the back of her thoughts as she glances around, making sure he didn't just materialize it elsewhere. But she doesn't see anything... That's weird.

She focuses back on the boy in front of her. He's not moving yet. "I can handle this myself. I don't need a hollow pretending to help." Though she might need actual help because this is a lot of ghosts and she definitely can't handle it on her own.

[aibolition]

The sword throws her, he can see that. Let her question, he thinks. But it's not enough and soon she's going on, bringing his eyes to narrow.

"Well, that's good because that's exactly what you don't have. Except handling it yourself. You don't get to come in and scavenge my scraps, claiming they were yours. I don't have an interest in petty turf wars but I was here first. Stop getting in the way of my job and let me do it."

Behind all this, he's got a thousand questions for her. This isn't the time to ask.

[taiyounoyou]

"They're not scraps; they're people." Spirits, technically, but she's not splitting hairs over this. "I don't care if you were here first. You were attacking them, and I'm not going to let you do that."

[aibolition]

"It's a metaphor," He all but groans. "And I was getting them out. You know. Like we're supposed to? Who the hell are you anyway?"

So much for not asking.

[taiyounoyou]

She doesn't seem to like that answer, judging by the way her lips press together. Getting the spirits out of this building is what she should be doing, but this feels a lot more important. She was never ordered to hurt them, and she's not going to let someone else hurt them, either.

But the strange hollow demands her name, and she stands a little straighter--to be that much more intimidating, she hopes. "Kurosaki Masaki. I'm from the Quincy clan."

[aibolition]

"That's not funny." And he's definitely not laughing. Even she didn't like his answer there's not a world for the displeasure he has hearing hers. Everything feels twisted. His guts, his thoughts, that ache in his center.

"Seriously, who the hell are you? Is it a family name? Kurosaki Masaki the third or some bullshit? Someone build you up in a freakin lab and send you out? All you've got to do is tell me who did it and I'll leave these ghosts alone." So he can rip the one responsible for this to shreds.

[taiyounoyou]

"What?" That's... not at all the sort of reaction she expected. He sounds like he doesn't believe her, and she doesn't understand why. Her confused expression only grows more intense as he talks of labs and... building people? That's creepy.

"Are you trying to mess with me?" Honestly, that's the only thing that makes sense. "I don't know what you're talking about. I told you my name. You can ask however many times you want, and it's still going to be the same name."

Which means she has no idea what person he's apparently looking for that will make him leave... Not that she'd give him a new target in exchange for his old one.

[aibolition]

It can't be her. It can't be. She not the same age, she doesn't even recognize him (and he doesn't know whether or that's a relief). All the hope for the impossible, the anger, the grief, rain so soaked in that's part of him. It's impossible.

And before she can see too much, the mask creeps over his face, power working by instinct. It's a merciful shield.

"I'm not messing, but someone is," He said, voice more distorted like this, harder to read. "But if you don't know then that's that. I'll figure it out."

[taiyounoyou]

The mask obscures his face, and that... That's almost a relief. He looks more like she'd expect a daemon or a spirit to look, and not like a confused and angry boy. It wouldn't mean anything at all if she loosed her bow on him right now. He's just a monster, after all. She doesn't have to feel bad about it.

Her hand holds steady against her cheek. The arrow remains still, pulsing with faint radiant light.

"Wait. What do you mean by that? You can't just freak out about my name and then not tell me anything."

In the midst of this altercation, some of the ghosts have started gingerly drifting towards the door. This standoff is starting to kill the party vibe, and they can't very well have a good time like this.

[aibolition]

"Tch. Who says I'm freaking out?"

He was never very good at noticing others around once something more pressing took his attention. The ghosts slip right by, even with his senses and hunger. His eyes are on her.

"It's nothing. A coincidence and that's all. Maybe if you knew something it would be your business but you don't so it's not. And I'm not about to spill my life to someone who's still aiming a bow at me."

[taiyounoyou]

He has a point. Maybe. A very small point, if she absolutely has to admit it.

There's a frown on her lips as she stares him down, her shoulders tense and her fingers a little numb from gripping her arrow so hard. Pointing her arrow at him doesn't seem to be getting any answers, so...

Slowly she eases the radiant bowstring back into it's resting position. The arrow in her finger tips glistens for a moment and then dissolves into light. The rest of the bow doesn't follow suit, but it's a start.

"There. I'm not aiming it at you anymore." Not that she wouldn't recreate that arrow and fire it in a split second if she really needed it. But she insists on his information anyway. "It's my business because it's my name. I want to know."

[aibolition]

His chin lifts a little in response, eyes narrowed behind the mask.

"You think a name entitles you to the business of every person you share it with? HA! You can share your whole life with another person and it doesn't mean anything at the end of the day. If it's not yours there's nothing you can do." At long last, he steps down from the table. The mask doesn't drop. The hole in his chest is hidden only by his shirt, sunken in that single spot. His hands tuck into his pockets.

"I knew someone with that name once. You have a few features in common. Not everything." Mom would smile. Her hair was longer. Mom wouldn't be a pain in his ass. He'll come up with any excuse he's got to. "It doesn't matter though. That person's been dead for a long time."

[taiyounoyou]

He brushes her off again, and there's a bit of flush in her cheeks at the reprimand. Who does he think he is? It's her name, and she should be able to ask about it if she wants to--especially if it means he's being weird at her about it.

But then he does abruptly explain, and she's thrown a little by all of that. There's a small "Oh" that leaves her lips, a beat of silence that follows after. Someone with her name, someone with a few of her 'features'. Someone dead.

"What happened to her?" It's said with curiosity, compassion towards this mystery woman, and a little suspicion towards him. Does she think he was involved in whatever killed that other woman? Not necessarily. But at the same time, she wouldn't exactly be surprised.

[aibolition]

That flicker of compassion, even if not towards him, is the closest she gets to her. At least thus far.

"... She was killed. And that isn't your business." He's shown anger in all this, but none so much as then. There is no laughter, no amusement, and no give. It's a warning tone, one to say that this is a line and it's not to be crossed.

Isn't it enough? Salting the wound with that name and that face? She doesn't need to pry too.

[taiyounoyou]

She doesn't push this time--if anything she looks a little admonished for asking in the first place. Which is a little silly on it's own because... He's a hollow. It's not like she has to worry about hurting his feelings.

Except she sort of feels like she does. The way he says that, the way that he talks about whoever this woman is... It's not the sort of thing she expects a hollow to be concerned about. He sounds... upset. And she feels strangely, uncomfortably like a jerk in that moment. To a hollow.

She frowns at him, the conflict showing on her face. "I wasn't going to press it," she states, just for the record. Because clearly he thought she was going to. Her next words come out a little stilted in her awkwardness. "I'm... sorry about what happened to her. And that our names are the same. That must have been... weird."

[aibolition]

He expected a question. Did you kill her? He doesn't know how he would have answered. He only knows what the answer would have been.

Her easing up confuses him. He doesn't trust it.

"...Chh. what for? You didn't choose your name. Or your face. You weren't there. And even if reincarnation worked like that, you're not nearly young enough. It's a coincidence. Nothing more." And then he forces a grin, in his voice even when hidden. "Even I got a wierd comment once. Genetics likes to keep us on our toes. Now, are you going to let me do my job or--"

The ghosts are gone.

"...Where the hell did they go?"