awashlogs | do you fancy a catch-all?

[Continued from here, Eliot left his computer to find Yosano. He's exhausted and starved, so even the simple walk to the center of town is hard for him. It's becoming difficult to even just see, yet he manages to spot the cottage.]

She better be here. I feel like I'm going to pass out...

[ The perks of being a doctor is being weirdly prepared for circumstances like this. After her last message, she walks to the table she had set up for easy access, her general first aid and emergency med supply kits sitting on the table. She yanks out a tourniquet and syringe, hoping there were no more stipulations beyond "living human blood".

She fills one... two vials for him, putting away the syringe somewhere she could sterilize it later and chucking the tourniquet back in her bag. Unlike Eliot, she seems rather pleased with herself, humming happily as she heads out to the front so she could wait for Eliot. Not that she has any idea what she's looking out for, but it's late enough that she's sure there's not many people out and about anyway.

She's willing to wager her best bet is that pretty boy who looks like he's about to pass out, definitely.

She sighs, a little disappointed that the residents of this town had no idea how to take care of themselves, but approaching Eliot with the tubes in her hands, and uncapping them for Eliot's convenience. ]

Here. You look like you're not going to last a few more seconds.

[She has guessed correctly! Eliot turns to face her slowly, with his head ringing from exhaustion. It's fair to say that Eliot's condition could be described as "nearly dead." The sight of the blood is like an oasis in a desert for him.

He stares at the tubes with a blank look, then registers that she's brought his salvation. Her blood. This must be Yosano, then. The longer that human blood is out of its body, the less effective it is to him. So he takes the tubes quickly, while the blood is still warm, and downs them in quick gulps. It may seem greedy, but Eliot doesn't want to let the blood cool and become useless. Wasting human blood doesn't set well with him.

Once he's done drinking, he exhales with relief. Already, he's feeling a lot better.]

Th, Thank you... Thank you so much. [Sighing again, Eliot tries to look more lively.] Sorry for being so rude. A deal's a deal, though. What do you want to know?

[ Fascinating!! So he's actually an actual vampire? She's seen weirder, of course, but this was still quite a trip for her anyway. It was kind of exciting, really! ]

Don't mention it. And I'm glad you asked! You see, I would like to see what makes you tick. [ Ah, is that all? Golly gee, Yosano... ]

[Actual Vampire Eliot Durant very slowly turns his head to meet her eyes. He isn't sure if he heard her correctly. "What makes him tick?" Does she want an interview? Books on vampires? He wishes that he could say they aren't very interesting, but alas.]

... Of course. A deal's a deal. What in particular are you curious about? I can pull up details right away.

[ Adorable. She just shakes her head in response. ]

Not what I meant. [ Though, she does want to know why he's so insistent on using his memory as a bargaining tool. ] Biologically, I mean. [ Maybe she needs to be blunt with him? She could do that-- ]

I want to cut you open.

[ Mmmmmh... too much, maybe? At least she's honest... ]

[Good thing he finished the blood, or he'd have choked on it. Eliot does give her a bewildered look, trying to determine how serious she is. Also, how literal her request is. Cut him open? With a knife?

... He isn't sure what to say at first. The words that do come are slow and confused.]

Cut with a knife? Surely you do not mean literally. [Can he say no to that? Probably not. He did just drink her blood, after all. The most he can do is try to talk her out of it. ~~Or say "NO," but Eliot doesn't think he's allowed to.~~] If you make me bleed, I will not be able to replenish any lost blood naturally. I would need to drink again.

Maybe not a knife. I prefer the proper tools when dealing with stuff like this-- all of which I have in this cottage, don't worry. [ She looks completely serious, sorry, Eliot. ]

Not to worry, I have the means to deal with that. You'll be completely unharmed by the time you leave here.

[Holy shit, this girl is serious.

Eliot does take down cautious look around their surroundings, half expecting for someone to pop out and say it's a prank. Or maybe, even better, he could see another person nearby. If he yells out, maybe someone more important will intervene and tell her 'no.'

But as a Library-- an object and a tool-- he doesn't have a say. This girl gave him her blood and he owes her a favor, too. Even if this hurts or scares him, he can just forget the pain later.]

... I can't say I'm going to be very interesting. I'm essentially a corpse and my life is an illusion. [still trying to talk her out of the 'cut him open' thing.] It's true that vampires heal rapidly, but I would need too much blood. You would die trying to replace it.

[Assuming she intends to feed him again when she's done, anyway.]

[ Ick, this guy was such a pushover. Talk about a turn-off! Maybe Yosano should check and make sure he had a fucking spine?? Because she sure didn't think so! She just continues to smile at him, though it does seem a tad more smug than before. ]

That's interesting to me, since I've never seen anything like it before. If I learn how you work, I'll know how to treat you and others like you. Really, you'll be doing us a big favor, hm?

[ Doesn't look like she's letting Eliot get away until he says "no". She's not about to go easy on him just because he's being a doormat. If anything, that makes her want to push him more. ]

You're a horrible listener, you know. I told you, I have the means to deal with that. I have a very rare healing gift that will ensure you are completely patched up before you go. I'll even give you another vial for your troubles.

Edited 2018-07-12 06:35 (UTC)

Listening is all I'm good for.

[Well, that and reading. Point is: He's a pushover doormat who isn't allowed to have his own will. Eliot averts his gaze, sensing how she looks down on him. That's something he's used to. He's used to literally being kicked down and stepped on. "Living Library" is an ironic title, given how little 'living' he really does.

Her logic also presses down on his will to resist. Soon he's hanging his head, struggling with everything he knows and what he's feeling.]

... I c-can answer questions about my biology. I've been taken apart before. [To be turned, actually. With his perfect memory, he's able to relive it. So maybe, he assures himself, this will be fine. This side of his personality exists to shoulder burdens that are best forgotten.]

Won't it be messy? There aren't easy replacements for clothes here. Blood is hard to clean. I-I do bleed. Whatever you fed me, I'll bleed out. [Weak Man Eliot is beginning to tremble. He's scared, but it isn't his place to complain. Libraries don't complain. Even in the face of being cut up, Eliot is more afraid of being a bad Living Library.]

[ That's not a response she was expecting. Fear? Yes. She expects fear. But more like "I just watched my first horror film and my best friend revved up a chainsaw behind me during it" fear and not whatever this is. Trauma, she assumes, because when does it not honestly come back to trauma? She deals with people who all have their fair share of tragic backstories, after all.

Yosano's intense, sure, but she's not about to be the reason to give this handsome yet completely useless boy PTSD. She sighs a little, after some consideration. ]

Tell me about that, then, and we'll call it even. If that's the route you choose, however, you're going to have to find someone else to supplement you in the future.

[When she relents, Eliot relaxes. He doesn't want to say he "won," since Libraries don't win or lose, but he does feel relieved. With her conditions, he turns his gaze back towards hers. It it unfortunate that he can't come to her for blood anymore, but at the same time:] No, that's fine. If you really do have a gift for healing, your blood is more valuable than me.

[He isn't going to be the reason that a healer can't help others.

Taking a deep breath, he attempts to correct himself. Even if he's glad she backed down, he is trying to put "logic" before "feeling." Granted, he has some things backwards if he doesn't consider self preservation to be "logical."]

If cutting me up really will assist your healing, then better me than anyone else. I can't be killed unless you bleed me dry, or remove my head. [pro tip: plz don't.]

Otherwise, I'll explain to the best of my ability. If you'd told me you could heal, I would have given you access to my resources without requesting blood in exchange.

[ Yosano begins to very delicately take one of her gloves off. It's astounding that someone like this has lasted as long as he had here. Or maybe Eliot just hasn't talked to many people around? Regardless, she is completely not about this "oh, I am beneath you and everyone else" mentality.

And so, once her glove was off, she whipped it harshly across Eliot's face with a scowl. ]

Are you stupid? Do you really think anyone here is more "valuable" than anyone else? Don't answer that, because you clearly do. We're all equals here, so don't you dare try to pull that shit, alright??

[ She slides her glove back on, stretching out her fingers a bit. She honestly would have punched him, but he looked a bit on the thinner side and she didn't want to send him flying. ]

I'm a doctor, but I don't really specialize in therapy. That said, what I want you to talk about yourself anyway. That'll be the information you give me.

[It's okay, Yosano. We all wonder how he lives so long without a babysitter.

When hit, Eliot doesn't even flinch. He's careful not to move his hand to cover his burning cheek, but just stands still and stays quiet. If he was to answer, he would indeed state that he's below the rest of them. The fact no one else seems to understand annoys him, honestly, since it's tiring to squash his hopes all day.

Now more grouchy than ever, he silently scowls at her. As angry as he is, and as petty as that anger makes him, he's supposed to answer people. Take hits, take verbal abuse, and do his job. Because his life isn't his--- Actually.

Screw it.

She wants to be equals? Then fine. His pettiness wins as he turns his head away. Less in avoidance and more in defiance.]

No. You hit me. That's your repayment. Hope it was a good shot and you had fun. [he knows he's gonna get hit again, but oh well.]

[ Yosano packs her doctor's bag up to take with her and shoves a clipboard outside her door as she leaves with "OUT" scribbled on it hastily. Just in case some idiot tries coming along and wonders why she's not answering. Honestly, she has only been here a few days, and if anyone's already hurt, she might just abandon hope for this town.

For now, she's going to head for Ruga so she can meet this kid and they can go find this outdated, magic horse. She's not even sure why there are unicorns here to begin with, but whatever! She's more interested in looking around the forest than anything else. This was just a bonus!

Of course, she's not even entirely sure how Michael looks, so she's just going to impatiently wait at the edge of the Ruga district, where the town meets the forest. ]

[ Michael's kinda torn between trepidation and excitement as he wanders through Ruga in the general direction of the forest. excitement because, on the one hand, this is literally the coolest thing he's ever done and getting to see an actual, live unicorn is the sorta thing anyone in their right mind should be stoked about. trepidation because, on the other hand, he can't quite believe he's being nuts enough to voluntarily go into a creepy forest with a stranger to do it.

all in the name of finding out what the hell is going on, he guesses.

he's got both hands shoved in the pockets of his hoodie, keeping his eyes open for anyone who looks like they might be waiting for someone to go unicorn hunting with. when his eyes find Yosano, he takes a moment to take a breath before approaching her.

god, it's weird to be reaching out to random people like this without MMOs or the internet as a medium between them. ]

Uh, hey! You're not C-7-whatever from the forums, are you?

[ Hey, look at the bright side, Michael. She's relatively normal compared to most of the people out here who don't even know what video games are? Speaking of, she's even pulled out her phone at this point to start playing a game because that's basically all her phone was good for now.

She's going to be so terribly bored when the battery betrays her (and dies like batteries do). ]

That's my name, C-7-whatever. Don't wear it out. [ She snarks without even looking up from her phone. What a talent to have, honestly. Teach us your ways, Yosano... ] It's Yosano. You can even call me "doc" or "doctor" if you forget. [ Since... she recalls the Americans from her world having trouble remembering her name, after all.

She tucks her phone away in her bag now and gives a polite smile. ]

Nice meeting you. Shall we? If we get going now we should be back before it gets dark.

Edited 2018-07-13 02:30 (UTC)

[ Michael runs a hand through his hair, feeling a stab of annoyance at the drive-by snark and trying not to feel a momentary flare of "this was a Mistake". ]

No, Yosano's good. I'm Michael.

[ introductions out of the way (thank god), he nods and falls into step beside her. ]

Yeah, sounds like a plan. Going off of what I've heard, I don't think I ever wanna be caught in that creepy forest at nighttime.

[ She has no qualms taking the lead. It's probably for the best that children don't end up in front of her, anyway. If her bag was a little lighter, she probably would've made Michael carry it for her, but in all honestly she thinks it might actually knock him over if she tried. ]

What all have you heard? [ She hadn't heard much beyond "hey, it's dangerous" herself. ] If the worst of what it has to offer are some chimeras and unicorns, we don't really have to worry. But both of those are depicted in Greek mythology, right? [ She taps her finger against her chin. And very casually, like this is a normal conversation to be having, she mentions: ] Hydra would be an issue. Hopefully we don't see anything like that.

I dunno, I feel like I haven't heard much. Mostly that it's dangerous and that a bunch of super gnarly things that you wouldn't ever wanna tangle with if you could help it live in there. Also that most everything is mutated, so I hope we don't wind up with radiation poisoning or something.

[ not likely seeing as how they're stuck in ye olde timey land in this town, but Michael can't quite shake the way that the colors here being janked up remind him of the aftermath of some kind of apocalypse or bomb or some other disaster. something seriously bad had to have caused it, right? ]

[ he gives a nervous chuckle. ] So yeah, no offence, if we see anything like a hydra, I'm booking it to the nearest hiding spot. Who's to say that everything in here's just from Greek myth, though, I mean, think about it, wouldn't that be weirdly specific?

Edited 2018-07-14 00:18 (UTC)

I highly doubt that. Regular poisoning is more likely than that. If they're mutated, there's no telling how many of them ended up venomous. [ Is she trying to spook Michael? Probably real low-key, but also she's just Like This. ]

Oh, it's likely not. That's just an assumption based off what we know already. Mutated animals is a new one, however, so maybe it's more than that. Hopefully, we'll find that out eventually. [ "Hopefully".

She hums thoughtfully. ] I think the hardest thing won't be dealing with obstacles like beasts or animals, but actually just finding a unicorn. They seem like creatures that make themselves sparse...

[ Y o s a n o . . . . .

he shudders, trying not to think about all the nature documentaries he's ever watched that involved venomous animals. ] Cheerful. I sure hope you've got some antidotes or something in that doctor's bag.

[ "hopefully", she says. god, he still can't believe he's somehow managed to stumble ass-backwards into two seperate creepypasta conspiracy-theory-esque situations in the space of a week. ]

Yeah, all the stories I've ever heard of make 'em out to either be really rare or just avoiding most people all the time. [ which: mood. ] And I mean, there's also the virgin thing that I saw other people on the forums getting really hung up on.

[ by which he means, mostly whoever that blue text person was. either way, no point in avoiding the elephant in the room there! ]

[ Ah. That earns a blink, then two, and she stares blankly at Eliot for a moment. Is... Is that all it took for him to find his backbone? Generally, when she lashes out at people, they cower more.

...This earns him a brief snort, quickly turning into a light, amused laughter. Oh no, how cute!! ]

Oh dear!! I didn't know you were into that sort of thing. [ It's not the first, though. ] You sure you don't want me to make that face of yours symmetrical?

[ I'd say "She's doing her best", but like... is she really....... ]

I do, actually. But they're not magic cure-all antidotes like in video games. I've only got a few specific types. But it's mostly general first aid. [ And lots and lots of sharp, dangerous objects... ] I wouldn't worry about it, though. If worse comes to worse, we just need to chop off the part that's been bitten.

[ Okay, she's totally fucking with Michael at this point. He's entertaining! She can't help it. ]

Ah, yes. I saw that, too. It's a common unicorn trait, I believe. That they'll approach maidens and lie their heads in her lap. It's a rather disgusting distinction, really. [ Get with this century, unicorns. ] But, it comes from an older time, so I'm not surprised. We'll find a way to cut it off somehow, if we have to.

[When she doesn't hit him again, Eliot turns his body with the intention of leaving completely.]

Give me more blood and you can take another swing. [Please don't actually, though. He's looking for an easy escape route. This lady is genuinely frightening and Eliot doesn't actually want to test her.]

If that's all that you want, then I'm leaving.

[ our survey says: if this is her best we are very Concerned!! ]

Seriously, how can you say that so casually? [ rolling his eyes and shoving his hands even deeper into his hoodie pockets: ] God, please don't actually chop off any of my limbs.

[ the worst part is, Michael is familiar enough with people trying to fuck with him that he absolutely knows he's being fucked with. it's just harder to follow his usual M.O of brushing everything off like he doesn't care when actually being injured inside this creepy forest is a super distinct possibility. ]

Guess even super special magical creatures aren't above being obsessed with who's getting some or not. [ or at least, it sure forms the backbone of the rumour mill at Middleborough! the unicorns can join Chloe Valentine in her quest to slut-shame every other girl in school. ] The more things change, the more they stay the same, right?

[ beat. ] But seriously, what if that's legit the way we're supposed to get ahold of their hair, or whatever?

Hmmm~?? [ She chirps, delighted. ] Don't worry, I can always reattach them if you change your mind. It's not a problem!

[ She waves it off with a chipper smile, as if this was just a casual conversation to be having. Funnily enough, it probably is? Yosano's talked about stranger in the past, anyway. But she grows a bit more serious when the unicorns settle in as their main topic. Right, no time for goofing off, then. ]

I should hope not. Maybe some people are stuck in the past, but things have changed quite dramatically, and thank god for it. [ Though, that doesn't change the fact their unicorn friend might not take so kindly to them if the virgin thing were true. Or, rather, to Yosano. She taps a finger on her chin. ]

Well, I haven't met a creature yet that couldn't be captured. We could always block it off and take some of it's hair from there.

[ he mutters "great, that makes me feel so much better" darkly under his breath, trying not to picture a frankenstein's monster version of himself-- nope, too late.

thank god for the distraction of talking about the perversions of unicorns. ]

I mean, I'd drink to that, things are a ton better than they used to be where I'm from too, but... [ he shrugs, rolling his shoulders easily. ] Far as I can see, people still get super hung up on it.

--Anyway, how're we supposed to go about blocking a unicorn off in the first place? We still need bait or something to draw it in, right?

[ ~~Somewhere, Caramia is shouting "but you're too young to drink!!"~~ ]

Hmm... Maybe you're just around the wrong crowd. [ They're called "Americans". ]

And not if we're stealthy enough. If at all possible, it'd be easier to wrangle them, but I, personally, have never done that before. [ Clearly, Yosano is just thinking of them as really fancy horses. ] We could also try cornering them and-

[ She's stops short at the distinct sound of hoofbeats. It's a little far off, and sounds more like a trot than a full on gallop, but it's definitely there! She turns to grab Michael's hand, using her other to make a "Shh!" motion, before leading off towards the sound with the kid in hand.

This gave her plenty of time to think up a plan. The problem there lying in the fact that she hasn't ever proved to be very good at coming up with plans before they happened. Yosano was always more of a... improv girl, more or less. She proved to be quite good at coming up with ideas on the spot, but previous thought-out plans? Nnnnnot so much.

But, hey, it was pretty neat to hide behind the bushes and see, like, an actual unicorn ahead there! She honestly didn't think they were going to find one and that this trip was going to be a bust! Go team?? ]

[ ~~YOU DON'T EVEN GO TO THIS THREAD, CARAMIA!!!~~

Michael's sure not gonna argue that he's around the wrong crowd, mostly 'cause high school is certifiably hell, and everyone around him is way too bothered about what other people think, and so he is certain that her assessment is 100% legit.

he was, however, definitely gonna start questioning her unicorn wrangling technique ideas, right up until he suddenly got grabbed by the hand and towed towards the sound of hooves against the earth. he keeps his mouth shut until they're safely ensconced behind the bushes, peering through the underbrush like bona-fide Steve Irwins or something. ]

Oh my god. Are you seeing this? [ he's whispering as quietly as possible, but there's no mistaking the sheer excitement in his voice. ] This is definitely in my top five of coolest things I have ever seen!

[ Yosano stares out at the unicorn in contemplation. It doesn't seem to have noticed them, which was good, but there really wasn't anyway of cutting it off from here. And she's almost certain that if both of them went out, they'd just scare it off...

Yosano glances over at Michael. Here would be the point she would say "Yes, I have eyes" like a sarcastic asshole, but she's much too deep in thought at the moment. That's when she remembers "bait". Yes, they just needed to get some hair, right? That should be easy if one of them can just get close enough... so...

Yosano smiles, reaching over to grab the back of Michael's hood gently, ] Then how about a closer look? [ and with all her force shoving him over the bushes so he could topple into the clearing with the unicorn.

Sorry, Michael. Yosano ducks down, too, so the creature only notices Michael making a rukus. Look at the brightside, Michael!! If you get punctured by that horn, at least there's a doctor nearby?? ]

Whut-- Gah--!

[ Michael goes flying over the top of the bushes with all the grace of a baby elephant, though he does manage to save it at the last minute after hitting the ground by turning it into a pretty darn sick barrelroll.

when he finally rolls to a halt, he pushes himself up onto his hands and knees and looks back toward the general direction of the bushes with a hissed: ] Seriously?! Not cool!

[ ... of course, as soon as he turns his head back, he's nose-to-nose with an actual fucking unicorn, who heard and saw the ruckus this loud young human was causing in its clearing and got curious. Michael holds his breath - that horn is super close to the top of his head, oh geez - as the unicorn proceeds to have a staring match with him that is nothing short of feeling like his soul's under some kinda laser vision.

-- and then the thing just gently boofs his entire face with its nose, and like, what is he even supposed to do with that. ]

Uh. Hey there.

[ MICHAEL MELL: CERTIFIED MAIDEN ]

[ There's a part of Yosano that is honestly a little sad that Michael didn't get hurt. There were so few people here that she's been able to treat properly, and can you talk about boring?? However! This part is quickly brushed aside by the pure, unadulterated amusement she feels in her very core.

Michael will, undoubtedly, hear the distinct sound of a smart phone taking a picture behind the bushes. And if he looks over, there's even an obligatory thumbs up she sticks up for him.

...It's probably fine. ]

[ he looks over at the sound of that tell-tale smart phone camera noise, and makes sure to roll his eyes and stick his tongue out at Yosano, just to be immature.

of course, the unicorn hears it too, its ears twitching and head darting up to search for the source. Michael remembers, oh yeah, they had something to do here, and he should probably make sure that he keeps its attention now that they know for sure that he's unicorn-approved. ]

Hey-- [ how is he supposed to do this. he sits back so that he's a little more comfortable, then reaches out a cautious hand slowly to pet the animal's flank. ] This is gonna sound really weird, but if you just hold still a moment, I need to steal some of your hair.

[ yep, Yosano, you are witnessing this right, he sure is talking to the beast! in his defence, being around it is hella soothing. as the unicorn makes one of those snorty horse noises: ] It's totally for a good cause!

[ just gotta get a hand in its mane... wow that is the softest, sleekest hair he has ever touched in his life. like running his hands through liquid silk.

...... he might be getting a little bit distracted petting the unicorn, here. ]

Oh, but it was so nice seeing you try to talk back to me. Are you sure you don't want to stay?

[ There's a new mischievousness to her smile, procuring a scalpel from her pocket and twirling it around in her fingers.

Run while you can, Eliot. ]

[ Michael, please. She's enjoying this sick blackmail material, but also if this unicorn leaves before he grabs some hair, she'll handcuff him to a DAMN TREE!!!! She wonders if she can feel her glaring from behind the bushes? She sure hopes so.

She looks around briefly, grabbing a stray acorn nearby to chuck over the bushes to, hopefully, hit Michael and not the unicorn. She succeeds, but hopefully Michael can feel the soft thunk against that dumb jacket of his. ]

Quite sure.

[He says, while lingering for a moment longer. What she said still bothers him.]

It's not nice. T-Talking back... it isn't my place to do so. It's only because you were being exceptionally annoying.

--Ow.

[ okay, it didn't actually hurt really, but it sure startled him enough to snap him out of it. okay, okay, therapy animal time is over. he twists his fingers around as small an amount of hair as he can before pulling sharply, coming away with a couple of pearly-white strands of hair.

the unicorn makes a short sound of displeasure, because hey, what gives. ] Sorry, buddy. I got an impatient party member waiting back there.

[ he gives his new friend one last pat on the flank ("Happy trails, my guy!") before getting to his feet and turning back to the bushes, brandishing his new quest item. ]

Check it! Mission accomplished. [ beat. ] You sure you don't wanna give it a try?

[ PLAY NOT WITH FIRE, YOUNG NERD ]

do you fancy a catch-all?

Continued . Good Choices the Thread

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

Unicorns amirite? • Michael (07/11)

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject