ic inbox

[gravings]

I need this now apparently

Comments

action; you need this post now, apparently

[lockedon]

[ The girl is already gone from lodestone area when he finally finds the time to check back in several days later, but that's for the best. She probably needs time to adjust and he has his hands full with other Kenoma problem children.

But invariably, that 25% feeling of responsibility returns to nag at him, so it's not long before he flags down a servant to locate the whereabouts of one Miss Gray. The Citadel may be large but the servants are (annoying) numerous, and it's not too long before one scurries back with an update. From there it's a simple matter of navigating the winding hallways until he spots a familiar hooded figure. ]

How are you feeling?

[ If she's in her room though, he'll at least knock first.... ]

[gravings]

[ When Eustace finds her in the halls of the Citadel, Gray looks quite a bit better than the last time he saw her. She's adjusted easily to the fashion of Achamoth, swathing herself in layers of grayscale with a large hood to match. Her pace as she makes her way through the hall is slow, bordering on aimless, her gaze low as she avoids the eyes of the servants attentively studding the way. But when she notices Eustace, her hood tips up, eyes lighting with recognition.

Though it's only been a few days, it feels like she's fully started a new life since she last saw the big-eared sir. She wouldn't have been surprised to never see him again -- though that would have been silly too, with how Aions are expected to work together. When he stops in front of her, she dips a small, hasty bow. ]

The effects of the potion have already passed. Thank you...

[ Her emotional feelings are a whole other matter, but she doubts he wants to hear about that. ]

Um, how did things go after I left?

[ How went the Aion-hunting... ]

[lockedon]

[ Ah.....polite as always. Though it's relieving to see a spot of color back in her cheeks and her eyes looking more (a bit more) confident than when they'd first met. His shoulders drop a centimeter, the rest of his posture relaxing in kind. He brushes the question aside with a short answer, eyes never leaving her face. ]

It was fine.

[ Narrator voice: it was not fine.

But she doesn't need to know the details of his scuffle with one of the Pleroma just yet, not when she probably has a million other things on her mind as she adjusts to life in Achamoth. Speaking of which— ]

Have you gotten all your questions answered?

delivery; early june

[lockedon]

[ Some days after the Presenting of The Brush, Gray will find a servant scuttling to her room, politely knocking on her door before bowing and holding out a box with a note on top for Gray to take. (And then scuttling away once the delivery is made.)

Inside the box is (as you already know) a selection of macarons from a fancy bakery in Achamoth. The note itself is predictably short, penned in a clean but slightly slanted script. ]

Thanks again for the brush. It works well. Misa picked out the macarons. You can thank her if you like them.

[ It's also signed, just in case Gray has made a habit of gifting hair-and-ear brushes to all of her Kenoma acquaintances and has no idea who this is from. ]

[gravings]

[ 😭 ]

communion... gotta get this in before the next event

[comelately]

[ after his unexpected (and unceremonious) shard-based contact with Misa, Johnny has learned that it's apparently possible to reach out to any Aion with Communion, not just the ones on his side. The specifics of it aren't clear to him, and he doubts they ever will be; however, no one has shown up to assassinate him and/or take over the Pleroma hideout yet, so it must be safe enough. Since that conversation, his thoughts have drifted, occasionally, to the girl he met and accidentally caused trouble with in Venera. They didn't see each other again after that - understandably, seeing as Johnny was out of it for he-doesn't-even-know-how-long with the illness for most of his time there. Did she make it out alive, even...?

Only one way to find out. After mulling it over for a few days, he decides to try, giving her Shard a distant buzz. ]

Gray...? Is this working? It's Johnny, from Venera.

[gravings]

[ Gray feels the wiggle of an unfamiliar line being cast at her via communion, though she gets the vague feeling that it should be familiar to her. When she takes her shard in hand and opens her mind to whoever is reaching out, she's surprised to hear that it's Johnny; she didn't know either that it was possible to hear from someone of the "other side."

She has to concentrate a little harder than usual — because of distance? because he's with the Pleroma? — but she does her best to establish a good connection with him. Her "communion voice" is reminiscent of a soft tissue landing gently on one's face, and now it lands on Johnny's face. ]

Mr. Johnny! Yes, I hear you. Is everything alright?

[ Never mind that they're supposed to be enemies... ]

[comelately]

[ "Mr. Johnny." Cute. The connection is tenuous, but she may be able to feel a little twinge of amusement at the moniker. ]

Yeah... I'm fine. I was just, you know, wonderin' how you made out in Venera. Things got pretty dangerous towards the end there...

[ as he speaks, he becomes aware that this might be weird, seeing as they are, indeed, supposed to be enemies, but he also finds that he doesn't care all that much, ultimately. The division of their group still feels arbitrary to him, and the Pleroma and Kenoma are alien entities even now. ]

communion; 26th of soviseri :)

[lockedon]

[ Hello Gray, guess who!!!!! ]

Gray. I have some business I have to take care of outside Venera today. [ To put things lightly. ] I should be back in Achamoth by nightfall, but if I haven't returned by then, assume that something's happened to me.

>:(

[gravings]

[ DISTRESS. ]

Assume...? What do you mean? Where are you going?

[lockedon]

[ There's just the nice ringing silence of Eustace NOT RESPONDING.... ]

[lockedon]

action; post unsanctioned step-papi visit

[expiera]

[The trip down the hallway is done in silence. The Achamites reverently part ways at their passing, and it's only once the large doors leading to the main hall are soundly closed behind them that Ciel takes the lead from Gray. Shedding away the earlier saccharine airs she had put on regardless of how jarring it was in the moment, a somber sort of sobriety takes its place. She doesn't say a word though, and they keep walking instead.

Does Gray have anything to say? Or will she continue to obediently tag along? They're headed towards one of the Citadel's side exits, if Gray is familiar enough with the layout by now to tell.]

[gravings]

[ Despite Ciel's earlier smile, Gray has no doubt that the older girl is displeased. It's a wholly different side to Ciel (in Gray's experience), and it cows her into following along silently with the same morbid air as a lamb trotting off to its slaughter.

Abel's parting advice still hangs in a loose cloud in her head, though it's boxed in by the oppressive air that emanates from Ciel. Gray walks along stiffly with dread in her step, her gaze fixed to the backs of Ciel's shoes. She'll go wherever Ciel takes her without complaint, take whatever discipline Ciel has in mind for her. ]

early days of Firaseri

[vapour]

[ whether or not Gray's in, there will be a gentle knock on her door. With Childe on the other side, he doesn't wait for to see if she's available there, and instead he moves to crouch and set the cutely wrapped package down at the door while making sure to keep it face up with the bow tucked under the ribbon.

The note is not signed, but it reads: This is for Gray. when she opens it, she'll find another unsigned note with the same handwriting reading: This is from Thoma! Enjoy. along with the gift the Pleroma aion made for her.

Satisfied that no one is going to find it suspicious and take it before Gray receives it, he'll get up now to start walking down the d hall back to his own room.

That's the last one of the gifts he promised to deliver, but he decides it may be too risky right now to reach out with communion, so he'll have to confirm that he successfully delivered all the gifts later.

If Gray is in and opens the door in time, she's welcome to spot him, but unless she calls out to him he'll just keep walking until he's gone from sight. ]

communion; after the raid

[hundredpower]

[Once the fighting has subsided and the dust begins to settle on the city, Barnaby gets wind that, some time after his own injuries in the fight against the Sanctifier, Gray was also wounded in the battle and hasn't been seen in the Citadel since.

There could be any number of reasons for that, so he doesn't jump to conclusions, but it's still cause enough for him to reach out in concern.]

Gray? It's Barnaby. Are you all right?

[gravings]

[ In the time following the raid on Achamoth, Gray has had more than enough time to think. As with the silence after an explosion, the shock of all that's happened washes over her, allows her to hit a reset button on her thinking. It gives her time to stop and step back and evaluate how she should think about Barnaby.

Even so, she isn't quite prepared when he contacts her out of the blue. As she sits at the entrance to the Seeker shrine, guarding the shard of the man Barnaby dissipated, it's hard to pretend that things are normal. Even though this is normal by this world's standards. Barnaby and Eustace are on opposite sides, and it's expected that people on opposite sides will fight each other. Despite that, it feels all wrong. What makes things especially difficult is knowing that something happened to Barnaby after his sabotage that left him different at the end of it.

There's a long pause before she responds, and when she does, there's a blunt despondency to her tone, a helpless grain of grief. ]

What did the Regent do to you?

convenient post-raid o'clock

[comelately]

[ It's been nearly two months since the last time he saw her - two months filled with nothing but strife. Johnny's still recovering from the burns Ciel gave him, to say nothing of the sudden disappearance of the only person he actually trusted around here; the other Pleroma have been out whittling their lives to the bone, fighting for Vaeka, fighting for Abel and Himeka, and he's not even sure any of it was worth it, considering the needle hasn't moved at all from his perspective. Any moral victories feel hollow to him. Morality won't bring back Gyro. It won't heal his body. It certainly won't save anyone whose suffering he cares about, and that includes Gray.

It takes him a while to reach out, because he has no idea what the situation may be like for the Kenoma right now. They've been dealt quite a few blows in a row; he's sure their benevolent leader is displeased, and he doesn't know what they might have done to quell that displeasure. Brainwashing? Torture? Has someone been made an example of? It's obvious that none of these tactics are below the Regent now. Johnny can't even be sure Gray is alive - or, if she is, that she's the same girl he'd spoken to before. That's the reality they live in now.

Still, he decides to try. Pressing forward in spite of it all is one of his most stubborn habits. ]

... Gray? Are you still out there? It's Johnny...

[gravings]

[ When he reaches out to her, she's alone and still, guarding the entrance to the shrine Eustace's shard is housed in like a hooded statue. Aside from the few hermit-like researchers who live in the nearby observatory and the occasional animal, the shrine is highly isolated, and there are few distractions to draw her from the thoughts rolling in and out like the tide.

When Johnny's voice pokes at her, she's jostled from her trance. There may be wisdom in not responding — it's a sensitive time between Kenoma and Pleroma — but she responds automatically, trusting in Johnny's best intentions. ]

Yes, I'm here.

[ Her voice is quiet and calm after a long bout of meditation, though her usual soft undertone remains. ]

Is everything alright, Mr. Johnny?

action, middle of sekiseri.

[salvageable]

[ What had meant to be a quick visit to Godsblood had drawn on for longer than intended and Dokja's still not done with his errands. And with night fast approaching, he needs lodgings, but what's a guy to do when he's poor?

The answer is to break into his old Godsblood home. It hadn't been that long since he'd vacated the premises and judging by the outside appearance, it doesn't look like anyone's moved in either? If he does find signs of life inside, he'll simply leave (after maybe swiping a few valuables). Also, "breaking in" is too harsh of a way to put it. Dokja simply has a spare key he'd never returned to the landlord and he uses it now, slipping it into the keyhole without much preamble, though he has to give it a few twists and tugs because the spare key's always acted up like this, before the lock finally gives.

He pushes the door open and steps inside like he owns the place. Very unlike a burglar but also how incredibly bold for a guy who no longer lives here. ]

[gravings]

[ Gray is something of a clean freak. When suddenly faced with an entire house to herself to clean, she knows what her task will be: eliminating every possible speck of dirt from the premises. It's a continuing project given that she has a job now (weird), but one she attacks with gusto whenever she can. Today's round of cleaning is a post-work destresser. Within the privacy of the house she rolls up her sleeves and submerges herself in the happy tedium of dusting and polishing, scrubbing and scraping. The servants of Achamoth can deprive her of this pleasure no longer.

The quiet, mindless hum of a song fades from her throat when she hears footsteps approaching the front door. By now the character of Eustace's footsteps are burned into her memory, and the person at the front door, whoever it is, is unknown to her. She begins to wonder if it's a neighbor come to be friendly or a postman (does Godsblood have a post??)... up until the rough rattle of a key in the lock sets off alarm bells in her head.

Now, Gray is a shy girl. Some (many) might even call her timid. A stranger on the street talking to her out of the blue is enough for her neurons to scatter like an upturned sack of marbles. A stranger suddenly in her new home is a national emergency, and for more than just personal reasons; she and Eustace are refugees of a sort, liable to be hunted down for their defection form the Kenoma, and a stranger barging into their residence could be here to kill her with more than just social awkwardness. And if this person somehow managed to get their hands on the house key, then — did they do something to Eustace to get it?

A man she doesn't know comes barging in like he owns the place — thuglike behavior if she's ever seen it (she watched Goodfellas) — and she's especially glad that she's chosen to conceal herself behind the nearest corner. She isn't armed at the moment, but that won't stop her. The moment the stranger rounds the corner, she doesn't hesitate. She grabs the man any which way she can and hauls him overhead all the way until he comes crashing back down on her other side. Aions are tough, so she can't afford to go too easy on him. ]

Please surrender!

[ She shouts quietly... after already attacking him... ]

[uproared]

[ She hasn't communed privately with Gray before, but it's strange that it feels so hard to reach her, compared to her experiences speaking with Kaeya and Emet-Selchy. Maybe she's outside of Achamoth, or sleeping, or busy... none of which are Mordred's problem, so it doesn't stop her from pushing past the odd feeling of resistance; her thoughts lightly tinged with annoyance at the extra effort required. ]

I didn't see you at that creature's execution, mouse. Guess you missed the invite.

[ Secretly, though, she's glad Gray wasn't there. Mordred has little problem with brutality, even torture to an extent, but what happened to Estinien, and the pathetic state he was rendered in even before that... she can't imagine Gray would have handled it well. With most other Kenoma, she'd gladly have held their face to the metaphorical fire and forced them to watch, but Gray isn't most Kenoma. What exactly that makes her, Mordred wouldn't know, because she's been avoiding giving it much thought. ]

You haven't gone blind from those injuries, have you? ... Well, even if you have, I've got some stuff I wanna talk to you about. Just tell me where you are, and I'll head over.

[ Know what she hasn't given any thought to at all? The idea of Gray being a traitor. Thanks to the nature of communion, Gray can probably tell that Mordred's attempt to reach out to her is genuine, not driven by any doubt or suspicion of her status. ]

[gravings]

[ Gray emerges from a sea of thought, one of many she's found herself submerged in over the past few days. Mordred's communion lacks its usual overbearing clarity through no fault of her own. Gray struggles just as much to answer, but she does so earnestly and with no hesitation. ]

I'm not in Achamoth. I had to leave because of an emergency... Um, sorry for not telling you.

[ Mordred isn't her keeper, but she wouldn't be surprised either if Mordred chastised her for this... The knight seems like she'll take any excuse to yell a little. ]

What did you want to talk about?

johnny is BACK... action in heliopolis?!

[comelately]

[ as long as it might seem to others, to Johnny, it doesn't feel like he was gone more than a night or two, at most. His time away from Springstar was nothing more than an overlong nap, albeit the sort he might get after drinking way too much the night before. The paralyzing anxiety he'd felt at first has waned somewhat, provided he doesn't dwell on it for long. The moment he starts to consider what happened to him or why, it starts creeping back up him like frost. Johnny being Johnny, not thinking about it is nearly impossible.

During times like these, he'd normally go tend to Slow Dancer, but the horse is missing - not surprising, if what he's been told is true. He wouldn't want her to stand around doing nothing for months, anyways. Fortunately, his wheelchair is still in his room (though he'd only barely caught his retainer about to move all his belongings out of his room as the six-month mark of his absence approached.) He'll have to settle for getting some fresh air, instead. Maybe he'll find something interesting. See what's changed. Anything to distract him from the new horrible uncertainty looming over him. At least he's gotten used to enduring all the rest.

So there he can be found, heading out of the Tribune - though he's not getting anywhere fast. ]

whenever, wherever, they're meant to be together...

[gravings]

[ Fresh off reuniting with Eustace, Gray gets to work. She beelines to Slow Dancer's stable, gives the horse's saddle a good old brush-down and conditioning for that polished look, and outfits Slow Dancer so that she looks like a proper riding horse again (and not the glorified walking war closet she's been for Gray).

After a swift but gentle brushing of her mane and tail, Slow Dancer looks as dapper as she does unapproachable when she and Gray hit the streets. Naturally, Gray isn't riding the horse she's so meticulously saddled up. The two of them trot out and out until Gray finally catches a familiar sight: Johnny, wheeling along like he's always done. ]

There he is!

[ She's talking to Slow Dancer, though the horse has probably already taken notice. Gray jogs at Johnny, a smile warm on her face. ]

Mr. Johnny!