"this is a sham," cries free! cast

[pinupbody]

[As usual, in the wake of the old turf war-church explosion, life continues. The relic that caused the problem is likely lost forever or otherwise nowhere to be found, but on the bright side, it's definitely cold enough this week to cool its molten remains, and it might still have some juice left. The interesting thing about modern London and modern Londoners is that they produce so much heat, snow usually doesn't accumulate. And then you have situations like the Thames freezing in the 60s, or the snow earlier this year. Three inches is enough to shut down the trains.

Today is a day not unlike any of those. There's a light blanket descending upon the city today. In its frozen form, it feels a lot less inherently disgusting than the water in the Thames, and smells a lot less -- not at all, even. Almost like it's perfectly normal water, but we wouldn't recommend trying to catch it in your mouth. Or ears. Or eyes. It's maybe better if you try not to absorb too much of it in general. Don't say we didn't warn you.

After all, freezing water removes some impurities. Not all. And there's no such thing as a rain of boiling water, maybe fortunately. If you wouldn't drink water out of the river or a local lake, why would you eat the snow?

Anyway. Trains can't run in weather like this. The city is in the panic you'd expect, but that doesn't mean you have to be -- if you've got somewhere to go, I'd recommend hoofing it immediately. If you were on the run from some religion bent on sacrificing you to resurrect their god, or a scientist trying to fill you with brain parasites? Walk faster.

But, well. That's up to you. Some local cults are out and about today offering safety from the weather and faster transportation (but it's probably in your best interests not to ask the details if you're not a member), for various prices. What do you do?]

Comments

[paraleyes]

[Speaking of people on the run from some religion bent on sacrificing you to resurrect their god! Is a girl who exists in that situation constantly enough, but right now, it's the least of her worries. This weather is much, much more of a(n immediate) problem than the possibility of being captured, but with nothing running --

Well, there's no way she's making the walk back in this snow, is there? All the same, she'll die if she doesn't move. But it's difficult, and she's tired. In other words, today you have the option of running into what appears to be a ball of fluff in a misses dress huddled in what looks like a snowbank from a distance (up close it is, but her hair makes it look much larger), shivering so intensely she might as well be vibrating.]

[zenithrewinder]

[Yeah, with all of the general Londoners walking right past her like nobody gives a shit. So when a tall shadow looms over her, it might come as a surprise. Fear! Wait no, it's a woman in a long black dress. Not fear! Wait no, she's a Lunarian and may or may not reek of bitchy racist outer god. Fear again!

Then she simply takes her overcoat off and drapes it over her shoulders. Not fear again!] Stop.

[paraleyes]

[Definitely fear. Tall, imposing figure of a person that she doesn't recognize, who pings distinctly eldritch. The first bit is already enough to start alarm bells ringing, paired with her outfit -- suspicious feelings derived from imposing black-clothed figures are pretty justified! The rest just makes it worse. Sakuya gives a different feeling from the comfort she gets from Kido or Kano or Seto. If those three felt like pieces of her, this one only feels similar.

That's not really a good thing.

The cold has her brain sluggish on top of her body, but she's immediately preparing to use her eyes and run under cover of snow (that's the idea anyway but she's tired so tired there's no way it'll work), but Sakuya gives her that black coat before she even has a chance to scream.

It's not immediate, but it's nice. Nicer. Stop? Stop what? Not the shaking. She's still shaking, even as she looks up. But her eyes are pink, not red.]

U-Um...?

[zenithrewinder]

[For a quick moment when she looks up, it's still an imposing figure. Bright red eyes looking down in disdain and there's the distinct feeling she's being measured by something else. Whatever it is, it feels like moonlight and purity and it fades after a few seconds. Mary passes whatever test went down.

So now it's ice blue eyes looking down in disdain-tinted apathy. It takes a moment or two before the girl crouches to be at eye-level and loses the 'disdain' part of her expression.]

Stop shivering. It is not that cold.

[paraleyes]

I-It's -- s-sorry --

[It goes without saying the shaking never stops. That red is familiar, somewhat, but (fortunately, since that wasn't ever the point) it has the exact opposite of a calming effect: it's too bright, too pure, and reminds her too much of the day her mother disappeared. There was no blood. It just sticks in her mind as a red day.

And then it fades to that piercing blue and it's no longer horrifying in a way she can't place, only intimidating in a way she's long since become intimate with.

She's still shivering.]

I-It's -- really cold...!

[leviathaned]

[How about a scarf wrapped around her shoulders and a very tall man next to her warming up a violin bow?

Man, even his music sounds warm. Fucking angels.]

[inblood]

[Touya's gotten used to having a fever constantly, and it's finally to the point that he just walks around radiating heat. He doesn't need a coat. Enjoy the human radiator approaching, followed by his two Pokemon.]

U-Um... Are you okay? Miss? [He's hesitant to touch, but he wants to help.]

[affectate]

[This one is handling it marginally better, though. She's freezing and she'll probably catch a cold if she stays out in this too long, definitely if she eats it (which she only thought about doing for five minutes, thank you), but she's really not much of a walker, either. Long distances make her achey and give her lungs fits. She doesn't want to talk.

But the distance from where she is to you is a lot more doable. Don't mind the insects crawling around under your skin or the air you breathe turning to acid around you, it's just your imagination.]

-- Pardon me!

[screwreality]

[She is probably used to people reeling away from her aura by this point, so the fact one person doesn't recoil is new. But whatever, it's one of those homeless people who stare at nothing and talk non-stop in eldritch tongues to lovecraftian horrors hidden in pockets of reality.

The fact it is a slightly-older, slightly-thinner, and way-more-frazzled edition of someone she might recognize looking about for a voice source he doesn't see is entirely in her head and it's her own fault. Dammit Elaine, stop ruining reality!]

『 WHAT? 』

[affectate]

[And because she stops, so does everything else. Including the voices, including that feeling.

Her expression freezes over entirely, in that way he's probably only seen a couple of times; eyes wide, mouth taut in its usual blank smile. A look of pointed realization, typically that she done fucked up. It's not really distinguishable from that type of face by normal people. A normal person watching this scene would probably assume (understandably, all things considered) that she has just realized she has fucked up irreversibly by approaching the person she did, and is probably about to die.

Well, joke's on them. That was last year. That was the first time. This is just a perfectly normal, perfectly ordinary look of surprise, like she's encountered an old friend.]

What?

[screwreality]

『 HMM? 』

[A normal person would think that. One of Us would recognize it as Elaine having legitimate emotions for people she cares about. Isn't it wonderful! Stop and reread her tag, isn't it lovely?! She has feelings! She cares...! It's enough to make you cry from the power of the gesture. And that's a normal person crying! One of them would obviously be far more flattered and moved.

Oh, wait, I lied. He hit a zero in SAN, sorry babe. He's zoned out and babbling about nothing again by the time Elaine zones back in.]

『 AH NO, I DON'T KNOW EITHER, WHY WOULD USE A LAMP ANYWAY? OIL'S SO EXPENSIVE IN THIS AREA-- NO, NO, ELECTRICITY IS OVERRATED. I MEAN, TAKE THE HUMAN NEUROLOGICAL SYSTEM FOR EXAMPLE. THE MOMENT YOU DIE IT JUST SHORTS OUT AND YOU'RE NOTHING BUT A USELESS MEAT HUSK ONLY GOOD FOR FERTILIZER, YOU KNOW? 』

[She should probably shake him to make him shut up. London will thank her.]

[veratrum]

[If one is in need of an umbrella of course, one need only need ask. Liam hands them out between forms, to those who are rude, those who are polite, those who brave his appearance and their disgust and revulsion (and he knows because he can read it across that hole people call a 'heart') to not hit the tiny irish boy in their hurry, he gives them all umbrellas!

And if they slowly go insane and their souls and mind rot from that influence then it's their own damn fault for being so fucking rude.

If you're more obviously down on your luck and cast out, of course, he'll stop you to try and help you out. Never let it be said Liam doesn't have sympathy. It's what makes him dangerous.]

[screwreality]

[Oh Liam, such a good helper! Trying to hand out umbrellas to people freezing to death in the snow as if that'd help them! Well, maybe it does? Who cares anyway. But there's no kind of unnerving auras or sudden nightmares assaulting reality or anything terrible at all.

Except at one random point he turns around and it's an old face. Somewhat older with a cracked smile, crossed arms, and no presence at all.]

『 I THOUGHT YOU COULD SENSE ME THROUGH THAT MARK OF YOURS. 』

[veratrum]

I can't sense ghosts.

[He doesn't rise to the bait, not exactly. He's calmer than Elaine and more willing to be angry.

Don't frame it as a betrayal when you left.

Don't frame it as if you were here for anyone but her.

Liam's human form melts away. Kumagawa's never seen him this way, he realizes, tall and and inhuman and Their voices take a step back, at least the Outer Gods, to chirp in greeting.]


Y̨̹̗͕̼̦̠̋o̸̯̥̫̜̮ͣu̜̪͓͍̹̘͊̆͐ͩͭ̕ ̩̳̯̺ͪͩͬ͆͗͒̚ͅc̐ͮ̾͏̪̹̻o̘̦̮͚̳̖͍ͯ͋̄̒̊͠ű̧͓̯̼̎̅̉͂l̞̫ͮ͋ͫ̋̇ͬ̐͠d̵̤̠̞͇̲̯̿ͬͣ͐̈́ ͌ͫͬ̌̐͒̂h͊͏̥̜̤à̑v̨̫̚e̦͕͈̤̘̝̬ͨͮ̃̅ͮ ̢̘̻͙̜̌c͙͒a͖̥͓̘̫͇ͪ̔̿̇̎l̗̫̤͎̙̬̋̿͐͗̐͛͗l̪̘̘͎̗̫̽̽͗̈͌̐́ē͐͒ͧ̍̉͢d̝̫̈̂͆ͤ̏̒ ͎̯̋̃͞m̝͇̹͍̯͔ͦe̬̮̯̺̫ͨ̇̒̈ ͤ͗ͭ̓̊҉̯͖̙̱w͎̮̜̜͉h͇͓̽̈́͑e͔͔̗͎͕̩ͣ̏̕n̸̮̽͑̐ ̫̳̒͒̑̆̚ý̨̳̀̌̒̽̊ͥo̪̼̰̩̤̲̜̅͢ũ ̻̫̙̓̅͛w̶͔̆͋̃ͫͦ̒a̺̘̖͕͕̫͙̚n̯̈ͭ͊ͥ̾ẗ́͘ẽ̺͓͙̝̼̮̦̎͂̆͌ͮḏ̔ͦͯͥ̓ͭ ̡̻̫̮͒͛̍t̛̺̱̗͉̮̳̺̅ͨớ̪̪̙̼̤̟͊ͨͬͥ͗̂.̠͉̺̜̝̻̉ͩ̋͑̓

[screwreality]

[Oh look, it's angry. How cute. Not threatened at all! On top of the silence that Liam forces the others into (something so dearingly missed only when it's finally received) it means the anger just gets a contented sigh. None of Their complaints, none of Hers, and the only two left alive to judge him he can't really find himself to care about. (Partially.)

Yes. This he can work with.]

『 OH THAT'S AN EXCELLENT IDEA! IT NEVER EVEN CROSSED MY MIND! LET ME JUST TRAVEL A YEAR BACK IN TIME, GO BACK TO THE UNIVERSE I DITCHED YOU FOR, THEN TELL EVERYONE TO DROP THE WHOLE PLAN WHERE WE WERE DESTROYING ANYTHING -LIKE- YOU SO YOU COULD JUST SHOW UP WHENEVER AND RUIN WHAT'S LEFT OF OUR CAUSALITY. 』

[argentmarteau]

[Well this is bullshit. That's why at least one selkie or...some person-shaped being wrapped in so many layers it's comical is sitting here with all manner of strange devices, trying to capture and measure and collect the snow for study.

Given the feeling of frustration exuding from this walking pile of shawls, it's not going well.]

[zenithrewinder]

If you are so weak to the cold, perhaps you should find someone else to gather materials for you.

[Jesus christ that woman appeared out of nowhere she didn't even leave a magical trace it's a witch kill it - at least she's still out of arm's reach of violence.]

[argentmarteau]

[Not pictured: Eiriol's fucks.]

And if I had anyone competent to rely on, I would be. Cultists are not useful in the pursuit of knowledge.

[zenithrewinder]

[Because there aren't any.]

Magicians that have no affiliation with the cults exist, miss. You simply must look through different channels for assistants.

[petitebreeze]

[Then there's this girl. And her puppy.

She hasn't a care in the world for the cold, apparently, because while she has swapped out the ornate kimono she arrived in for a cute dress someone foisted on her for being tiny (or something, let me bs crap), she is not wearing a coat and is totally fine. She's frolicking and if it's colder than normal and windier than normal and all the water and snow is cleaner than normal around her, well, that's just your imagination.

Whee!]

[birdenesque]

[SNOOOOOOOW.

Snow snow snow snow snow yes she loves snow Russia snow is much better but it's snowing in the place she first landed it and birds gotta migrate man.

Perhaps you're walking by a large snow drift. Perhaps you had the bad luck to stand too close to the snow drift. Your punishment is either having a snowball thrown at the back of your head. Orrrrr having a huge pile of it upended onto you from nowhere. There may or may not be black feathers in it.

However mild or terrible your weather-induced punishment is, the cause is happily rolling about in it, brown hair and scarves and skirts flying everywhere. Also there's musical whistling.]

Snow is be~st! Snow iiis bee~st! [FACEPLANT ah yes, snoooow ♥]

[miraclaws]

[ There is at least one peculiar person -- a small child, really, no more than five feet, and that's being generous -- who is completely unimpressed by the snow. In fact, she seems relatively unimpressed by everything: the snow, the bustling streets, even the people cajoling for an offer to get her someplace faster. Only the smallest of eyebrow twitches and downturned corners of the mouth suggest that she may be uncomfortable with the current situation, instead of only apathetic.

Well, that and the fact that her long, cat-like tail is swishing entirely in aggravation. Anyone with a cat at home could clearly read the signs, even if the girl looked remarkably neutral from the front.

As she walks (floats? both?) through the chilly streets, she rubs her arms absent-mindedly; this is the first time Bernkastel has been cold in such a long time, that she can't even quite remember when it was that the cold first occurred to her. Something is clearly wrong here -- everything feels wrong but she can't quite put a finger on why, or how this occurred. Or why she's even here, really. First she'd been ready to watch her ultimate plan come to light, then she'd been here, wet and confused and cold beyond all recognition, without a reason for it.

Walking so slowly, and being so short, she makes a perfect target for unsuspecting snowballs, or for someone running through the snow for whatever reason to crash into. It's too bad she's too caught up in her own angry thoughts; she may even run into you. ]

[anovelidea]

[Ah, what a shame she's so caught up in her thoughts. That's dangerous. It's a trope of many stories that the poor inattentive wanderer falls into a hellish situation. It's even a staple of horror! Lovecraftian Victorian London - sounds like a wonderful premise for a horror story, don't you agree Observers?

Yes, yes, of course you do. It's why you've stuck around so long. Surely, everyone enjoys reading romance, fluffy stories where nothing terrible happens and all is wonderful. Hmm hmm, so predictable, but happy stories is not what makes you come back. You hope for something cruel. Something bitter and terrifying. So this Child's arrival should be wonderful for you! A world filled with those she has wronged, with many others to be wronged, how lovely...

Let's motivate her.]

There's no real change she notices. No sudden warps of reality, or tripping into a library, or her thoughts themselves being rewritten. No, it's much more subtle. Something where she walks past an empty bench and once it leaves her peripheral, a voice laugh from it that is sickeningly familiar.

It's just a human, petting a black cat with a blue ribbon, but Bernkastel of all people should be able to sense that waver of Her underneath the smile that blooms across her face.]

What a pleasant surprise...

[miraclaws]

[ There's always a brief moment where a tingle of fear rolls down her spine -- no matter how carefully she can cover it up, there's something about her presence that still puts Bernkastel on edge. Especially here, in such a wrong-feeling city, a fragment lost to madness. But she couldn't possibly be here, could she?

Nonsense, she mentally chided herself. Of course she could. AuAu showed up anywhere she wished, particularly to make trouble for her own amusement. ]

[ It's simple to envision the fates in front of her -- though this place made her true power difficult, it wasn't really a tricky situation. She could walk away, vanish as a cat in the crowd, and potentially get caught up in something larger than she desired at the moment. Or she could confront the ugly hag and see what she wanted, get it over with. ]

[ When put like that, the answer was quite simple. She doesn't turn around, but she knows she doesn't have to. ]

....you've gotten older, Auaurora. I'm surprised you haven't forgotten me.

[dorca]

[Finding shelter would be a priority but what do you do when you are two lost Japanese boys from an alternate future world. And you don't speak English well. And it's freezing out in London and you don't have a place to stay? You can't even take up the helpful cults on their offers because, well, you can't understand them in the first place.]

[It's a bit of a dilemma but the hobo life doesn't suit Makoto and it's really not working out for Haruka when the water is frozen (even when it's not, it's too suspicious).]

[In short this weather has Makoto sitting on a bench trying to make sense of a collection of flyers and a map, in a vain attempt to... Figure out if there's anything he and Haru can do. They're going to freeze or starve to death if they can't find a place to stay and a means of making a living.]