maskormenacelogs | on and on [OPEN]

Entry tags:

on and on [OPEN]

WHO: Lucina, any
WHERE: Various cities
WHEN: August
WHAT: Various prompts
WARNINGS: some body horror mention (it will be tagged in comments as-needed)

o1. Heropa, a book shop, midday

There's no good and proper way to cope with drastic change, is there? She can't imagine there is. Especially when the change isn't the sort that involves fighting for one's life or rescuing others or some very clear finish line...

Lucina pulls another book out by the spine, turning it over to stare at the cover, frowning. THE CLIMB, it read, Meditations for Coping with Loss and Grief.

Gods, even holding such a book fills her with shame and dread. What business did she have with such a thing? What sort of warrior is she, anyway? And what could a book of this world hold for a girl estranged from her dying homeland, estranged from her deceased family, now estranged from the man she loves? It's frustrating enough to feel as she does, never mind trying to do something to face those feelings directly.

With a vexed huff, she pushes the book back onto the shelf, rifling into her purse for her phone, checking the Network user list for the umpteenth time in so many minutes.

Still nothing.

But it's only been three days. It'll be alright. Last time had been longer -- two weeks or so? It was fine.

She just needed a distraction. Something to get out of her own head for a while, and certainly not to meditate on things!

With that in mind, she briskly turns and hastens out of the aisle into the walkway--

--into someone.

o2. De Chima, a memorial park, late night/early morning

She had forgotten it was already two years since the disaster in downtown De Chima, back when the OTO conducted its most heinous experiment and sent blocks of the city into pure horror. Of course, Lucina never forgot what happened there -- to the city, to the people...to her -- but its anniversary having come so swiftly and passed without a blink was a surprise to her.

Had she really been moving on?

Of course, upon realizing this, the nightmares returned to join in with the anxieties already planted from Guzma's export, and it seemed she'd not find a wink of sleep that wasn't prefaced and followed by jolting awake in a cold sweat, having to throw sheets off for fear of something growing, creeping all over and inside her.

This latest time is the worst, and she has to take several minutes just to calm her breath and feel something of herself again, hugging her arms close and slouching on the edge of the bed. It's no use to try and lie down again, wired as she now is, and so she gets up, showers off and gets changed, setting off into the night, to the porter.

To De Chima.

What's left of the disaster is a modest, fenced park. The trees here are eerie to behold in the day and far, far worse in the gloom of nighttime lamplight: Vibrant and healthy though they all are, their trunks and limbs take on the silhouetted shapes of humans of all sizes.

Because that's what they are -- human. Scientists confirmed with horror that the DNA samples from these organisms match humans -- humans that had undergone some of the worst the Shimmer could offer. Something that could've very easily been Lucina herself...something she should've fought harder to stop.

Her fingers glide along the plaque memorializing the event and persons lost, seated cross-legged on the grass and letting her thoughts travel back there until the sounds of someone approaching gives her a start.

"Who's there-?!" she calls, rolling onto her knees, hand on the hilt of her sword.

o3. Maurtia Falls, Helix, daytime

As days turn into a week and more, Lucina's focus frays, sharpens, and frays again in unpredictable waves. Tardiness leaves blemishes on her record of attendance for shifts and meetings at Helix, and more often than not those blemishes were simply because she forgot to sign in when she spent long days in the training rooms or simulation areas.

It's not really even training, either -- it's venting. Venting the best way she knows how: wielding a word, cutting through foes and shapes, desperate for speed and precision that lessens in repetition and over time.

Sometimes she just turned the holosims onto something softer: a meadow, a seashore, a forest...and then just lays there, trying to take stock of herself and her thoughts. There's better uses of her time, she's certain. But what if she were to bungle up out there? Be seen messing up? Then they'd tell her to slow down as she is...

There's no winning, is there?

So frustrating.

She checks her phone again.

o4. Misc
Make your own prompt!!!

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[isn't it, lucina? isn't it though?]

And I you! Aye, I think I shoulda moved here right when I was workin' with Ashley... ah, well. [he shakes his head, sauntering forward to open up the fridges they have, checking it over. pulling out some rotten veg with a grimace.] ...Seriously...?

[at that remark, Lucina leaves the counter and moves to Archie's side, peering at the nasty growth he's found.

after a beat:] ...Well, that's not as bad as it was last time I checked in.

[good to see some things stay normal?]

Guess they're learning. Wouldn't be surprised if Gladion was here earlier, too...

[he hums, dumping the veg into the bin, then looking back at her.]

Wanna go shopping?

There's really no way around it, is there?

[otherwise they'll subsist on a diet of junk food and soda and be utterly ruined on the inside.

...not that they don't already mainline the stuff enough as it is, but the occasional protein or fiber still helps!]

Let's see to it, then. I know of a few things they'll actually prepare for themselves if we get it.

Guess you know what they'd like better than me. [he usually let the aqua grunts shop for themselves, or have matt sort it out.

...

...man, he misses matt.] Good. Lead the way, ey?

[she will, then, without much else to say. the fact she has nothing to say hasn't really struck her as out of place when it ought to -- how she ought to be offering up more conversation or pleasantries. instead, she foregoes her plan for note taking (why write the list when the list is "everything"?) and heads outside, a thought only striking a few paces away.]

It might be quicker to fly. Do you want to give Crobat a workout?

[he does notice, but it doesn't take a genius to work out why. archie figures she's not really in a conversational mood with guzma being gone, and-- that's fine, he gets it. he doesn't think any less of her for it. it's partly why he's even roped her into shopping; maybe doing something tangible will make her feel even slightly better? or at least make the day feel productive.

archie nods, then releases crobat from its ball. the bat grunts, hopping towards lucina for attention.]

[it's not just Guzma she misses -- she misses his team (...and Pinsir, she supposes), too. the house is horrendously quiet and empty, and she'd gotten more comfortable with the nuance of living with Pokemon, that their absence was felt.

so when Crobat appears and bounces over, Lucina bends right away to give him pets and a little nuzzle on the top of his head, something Golisopod favors.]

Hello, friend. I hope you've been well...

[crobat chitters, pressing his soft, fuzzy head to lucina's. he's been washed recently! so silky!]

Aye, he's been good. He likes the new place. Likes havin' two other Crobats around. He's livin' it up.

Oh--that's right. The boy you mind has one, too, right? [she doesn't think about him much, admittedly -- not unless it's in the context of if that boy breaks Archie's heart again there will be Words.

straightening up, keeping a hand on the bat's head:] I'm glad, then. He'll have enough good energy to expend getting toward the other side of town, then? There's a decent farmer's market near the edge of the city.

Aye, and Gladion if ya know 'im. Helped him train it to evolution. Real proud of that one.

[crobat hums happily, clearly on board with this plan.] We doin' another race, Lu? I know the one you mean. Crobat knows the way.

Ah...

[her eyes wince at the offer, despite the attempt at a smile. Gladion's still about, isn't he...

she gives a half-hearted shrug and a nod.]

If that's what you wish, I don't mind. It will be quicker, in any case...

Hell yeah, Lu! Let's have some fun! You always love the races, huh?

[it's good she's up for it regardless, even if it'll be joyless. it'll surely give her something to think about for the time being.]

I'll be waiting for you when I get there first, Slowpoke! Bahahaha!

[with that, he jumps on crobat and the bat zips off, not giving lucina a chance to protest.]

[Lucina exhales, lingering in place and watching the two of them nyooming ahead. races and silliness at a time like this? sounds more like Cynthia or Owain than Archie.

she'd gladly have them here as well, though, so perhaps it's not so out-of-place.

she flies behind a fair distance, taking just about the same route as them -- enough to keep them in sight, at least -- before their goal comes into view. then, resolved to making a decent showing of effort (it'd hurt Archie's feelings to just not even try), she veers to get herself to a sturdier, taller looking building. getting her feet on it and hovering horizontally, she bends, and then uses a burst of strength to launch herself off and bullet the rest of the way there with the force of that move before twisting to superhero land in the parking lot, much to the surprise of a few shoppers.

she waves slightly, bowing her head apologetically at some of the glares before turning her attention back toward her competition.]

[maybe it's not his usual method, but he isn't so sure that sitting down and asking her to talk about it will actually help. a lot of the time it hasn't seemed to in the past, so he just resolved to keep trying until he can find something that'll work and help her.

archie lands not long after her, jumping off with a laugh.]

Fuckin' hell, Lu! You tryin' to break that buildin' in half? How'd you learn that?!

[at that, she smiles small.]

I noticed how Darin moves to get height, since he cannot fly. I figured if he could do that with his strength alone...

Clever! [he glances over to crobat, who just rolls its eyes as it disappears back into the ball.] He's just jealous cuz' he don't have the legs to do it.

[onwards to the... trolleys, anyway.]

I'm gonna get a bunch of apples. They need more fruits...

Then we'll have to find some condiments or the like to go with it. [while falling into step beside him:] Since they're not likely to simply eat that alone. [not unless its' slathered in peanut butter or...ranch dressing.........or ketchup?

some of the kids in that warehouse are a bit odd.]

[lucina knows how hard it is to actually shake archie, but that makes him glance over with an expression like he's just witnessed something horrific.]

You mean... salad dressing, right?

[his tone indicates he's pretty sure she doesn't.]

[she makes an affirmative noise, oblivious to his horror as her eyes are now on the signs hanging overhead with the aisle labels.]

Dressing, peanut butter, honey...ketchup...

[....that's what he was afraid of...]

Really? [SIGH] Guess ketchup has a shitload of sugar in it, at least. That... sort of makes sense.

[he shakes his head, grabbing a trolley.]

Nacho cheese is a big one as well.

Oh! Yes, you're right... [kids sure do love their spreads and dips here. and anything they can eat with their hands versus utensils...]

Though I don't suppose you have half a mind to try to slip in a few different things besides that, right? To see if anything better sticks...

Almost exactly how my own grunts were.

[he knows what to expect. teens be the same.]

What about them chips made out of dried out vegetables?

[she makes an absent sound of acknowledgement as she looks about, her thoughts drifting from the matter at-hand as she looks down the aisle at others shopping. for a bit, she just follows alongside Archie as they walk the length of the aisle without saying anything, her fingers flexing at her sides, not keen on idleness or lacking a blade for too long...even now. there's always something more she could be doing after all, right?

right at the turn to the next lane she snaps out of it with a little start:]

Sorry--did you say anything else? Was there something I was supposed to be looking for?

[archie ends up wandering ahead as lucina gets lost in her own thoughts, picking through the opposite shelf of condiments. he takes a moment to even answer-- his brain needs to catch up with the fact she zoned out so badly she missed it all.]

The... chips. Made of dried out veg. Do they like them?

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