come_sailaway | [open] blades are flashin, doors are slammin

Entry tags:

[open] blades are flashin, doors are slammin

Who: Jade Curtiss and you!
What: Oh, you know, just heading into an extremely Average and Normal middle of the month with a certain kinda mood...
When: Mid-October, flexible to needs!
Where: The library, and the ~~Tommy Bahama~~ new and mysterious Spirit Halloween! Can wildcard to anywhere else in the ship too.
Warnings: None off the bat! Will update if needed.
Notes: (I've started out with brackets, but feel free to use prose! I'll match whichever style you prefer)

[It's sure...been A Month so far, now hasn't it?

It started out rather rough off the bat for Jade, anyway, ending up entangled in one of the explosion debacles practically the second day in by virtue of his own roommate being one of the exploded. That...was resolved, eventually, and there was a week in which things seemed like they could settle down. No rumor of another excursion this month, but instead posters eventually trickling into existence about the ship, talking about some sort of party at the end of the month. But nothing more.

Though the ship's venues continue to very gradually deteriorate, maintenance halted and repairs absent. (Hopefully nobody blows open a hole big enough to sink them all into the sea, at this rate.) While the buffet remains the only food supply. (For how long?) Even resurrections now see a delay, at the least... (Until even that's too much trouble to facilitate, anymore?)

...Then, more strangeness. Someone murdered in their own cabin. Death threats in blood on certain doors. Word of some sort of ghost possession spate afoot, a total number of compromised entirely unknown...

Hard to confront culprits you can't identify, enemies you can't see. Jade, for his part, attempts to continue going through the motions of the approximate routine he's developed on this ship. But the atmosphere's unsettled all throughout the ship, with these things newly in mind now...and most everyone around him, friends and strangers alike, might find themselves receiving slightly more scrutiny from him than usual in passing encounters...]

A; Library
[Jade's never been particularly endeared to the library, necessarily. It's an alternative space to work at notes, perhaps, when doing so in a cabin grows monotonous. A quiet area to retreat, maybe, when the need arises at times. When it comes to the books, though, the suffocating insistence on nothing but fiction still tries his patience more often than not; he's tried to read some of them, occasionally, but has never actually finished even a single one. Occasionally he can still be found browsing through the shelves anyway, sometimes, but...

Even the library isn't immune to the messes on this particular month, it seems. In just a couple of weeks the disarray is tangible, tomes never reshelved lying about, the bookshelves themselves misaligned in places, and...some books are even. Outright cut into? Entire pages seemingly taken out, sometimes, scatterings of scrap paper here and there on the floor and some desks? Huh. (i.) He didn't come in here on some express mission to tidy things up, exactly, but Jade finds himself moving to clear some of the more egregious piles of clippings, before picking up a nearby massacred book with slight amusement and flipping through its mutilated pages.] My my, if there were an actual librarian in here they'd be in outrage. I suppose this means we must be running out of craft paper, in the sundries shop...

[(ii.) Eventually, though, he's gravitating to the checkout desk--mostly with half a thought to have another look at the black binder that's been left there since the information meeting, though the damage report log catches Jade's eye first in the end. Hard not to notice it, after all, considering...the scribblings upon it. In fact, Jade's attention ends up entirely transfixed on one picture in particular for a long moment, a slight frown settling into place as he moves to take up the notepad in both hands and give the page a longer look.

At length, rather abruptly, anyone who might happen to be nearby or within earshot will find themselves being addressed by him:] By any chance. Would you say you've found anything strange at your cabin door, of late?

B; Spirit Halloween
[And then there's...whatever this is.

There's a very vague sense of déjà vu, honestly, in drifting down the promenade and finding his eyes once again drawn to signage he doesn't remember seeing before. It takes a moment's pause, for Jade to realize that this is in fact exactly where that endless Tommy Bahama store would usually be...though the clothing worn by the mannequins in the display windows sure doesn't look like tropical wear any longer, does it? (i.) Catch him lingering outside the entrance, still peering at the sign with a slight and quizzical frown, before raising a hand to point at it.]

That term...I've been seeing something equivalent to it on several posters lately, as well. "Halloween", "All Hallows' Eve"...what does it refer to? [A mildly weary beat.] Some sort of thing unique to Earth, I'd assume...

[Or! (ii.) Catch him inside the store, at length, examining the absolute myriad of items inside with an increasingly dubious air. A vague scent of residual smoke lingers very slightly in the air--which may very well be a normal feature of this kind of store, for all Jade knows--and lining the shelves are costumes and trinkets and decorations of all kinds, though a motif of saccharine darkness and deliberate raggedness and artificial bloodiness seems to persist throughout. It all...parses a bit like some kind of extremely bizarre parody of an armory, haphazardly blended with a parody of an apothecary? There's some big culture clash happening here.

But at some point Jade runs into a section full of nothing but plastic bones and skeletons of every shape imaginable, and he has to laugh at a particular spider strung up at the top of a nearby shelf. Noticing somebody else in here with him....well, the urge is hard to resist--] Oh, did you know? Those things are even more horrific to look at in the flesh, if you'd believe it...

[No, there are in fact absolutely no spiders with human skulls anywhere on the planet of Auldrant, but who here's gonna call him out on that--!]

Wildcard!
(Feel free to catch Jade just about anywhere on the ship, if you'd like to run into him anywhere in particular! This post can also double as a catch-all for anything else transpiring between mid-month and the fabled Halloween party. If you have any ideas you'd like to discuss, feel free to hit me up by pm or via plurk at

rainbell!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ava's been poking through one of the back library shelves, trying to find some gentler Halloween picture books to bring to Fio for bedtime. And with a small stack in her arms she passes by Jade, not paying him any mind until he speaks. (He looked busy, she doesn't like bothering people too much in here.)

There's a curious tilt of her head at his question, which really adds something to her mummy costume. "What? Oh," she glances at what he's peering so intently at, and giggles. "No. Whatever is going on, they seem to be leaving me well alone."

It was more an address towards movement at his peripheral vision; the question's asked while he's still frowning down at the notebook in his hands, and so Jade's only looking up properly when it's Ava's familiar voice that answers. A blink, taking in her rather...quaint attire--but, well, questions about that are going to have to be just a bit sidelined, by the slightly more pressing topic currently at hand. Though it's certainly going on a nearby backburner in Jade's thoughts, to be addressed fairly soon...

First off, though: "Hmm, that may well be fortunate. For my part I cannot recommend the experience of coming back to one's room to find blood all over the door." Which, perhaps, she's seen already. Jade and Natsuno had attempted to wash most of it off, after having Pal examine it, but still...it's been persistent stuff. Anyway--seeing as Ava's arms are full of picture books currently, Jade opts to tilt the notebook her way for a better look at the page in lieu of directly passing it over to her.

"Interestingly enough, it seems this picture's listed all the doors that received blood messages. I don't suppose you might know who resides in 127 currently, do you?"

It's hard not to notice. Especially when she tends to be such a snoop. But between that and the hangman, the puzzles seem far more fun. Less messy. "Was it real? Or just... the stuff from the costume store?" Ava asks as she leans in to take a closer look at the drawing.

"Looks a bit like the clown somebody left on Skulduggery's door," she comments. "The style. But... hm. Ebalon." A small frown, because it used to be Sarge's too. She doesn't know who lives in 106. "That's yours," she points out unhelpfully. "And. I think Arthur? Another man, too. Is there a connection, between any of you? That might... target the same person?"

"It was most certainly real blood, most unfortunately. Palamedes Sextus was able to confirm as much, with his psychometry. Though he wasn't able to identify any of its demographics, unusually..."

Even aside from Pal, though, Natsuno had called it blood immediately as well...and his vampire sensibilities would be able to tell such things rather quickly. But that's still hardly open knowledge anyway--Natsuno remains within his own right to reveal his nature to others himself, on his own terms. So, that goes unsaid...

But in the meantime--hold on. "Someone left...a clown drawing, on Skulduggery's door?" It...doesn't sound any less ridiculous repeated this way either, and Jade's frowning quizzically after saying it in turn. But then Ava's starting to work through the doors on the list, at least... "Yes, 109 is ours. 'Arthur'...I've never met that particular man before, I'm afraid. Cannot claim to be particularly familiar with Ebalon, either, though Yuuki does have some unfortunate connection there. As to 106--Tear Grants resides there currently. She is a friend if mine, from home...arrived here several weeks ago."

A considering pause, here. He can see where Ava's line of thought is circling, and it's a prudent one. "That leaves it at...three of four, in terms of at least approximate association. Arthur seems to be an outlier..."

"Hm," Ava responds. "Wonder what makes it different. Unless he's purposefully withholding information." Which isn't an accusation she really wants to make or follow up on.

"Yes, a sad clown drawing with a little hat. He showed me a picture. Think he had a disagreement with somebody, but he wasn't owning up to it," Ava shrugs. She has no idea why he'd be hiding such details, but she wasn't pushing either. If he thought she ought to know, he'd tell her.

"I met Arthur in the cafe. Pleasant and nothing particularly threatening about the man. He's also blind, so I wouldn't place him on any list of suspects. Not for drawings, at least," Ava informs Jade. "But he also has a roommate, so the connection might not be him at all."

"That always is a possibility as well, isn't it?" Not a wonderful accusation indeed, to be sure, but Jade doesn't take any visible offense to it. When it's a matter of hidden enemies among friends, everyone must be examined under the same lens of suspicion after awhile. (Even if, unfortunately, Jade will find that even he's had his own blind spots on that front. Not necessarily where Pal's concerned, either...)

"...Not much to be said or done on that front indeed, if he doesn't wish to own up to it. It might have been of interest, to know who he might have disagreed with..." After all, possibly, it could very well have been a possessed? But. "...But he does have the good sense to have a handle on such things himself, I'd hope."

Jade sighs, withdrawing the notebook once Ava's had a sufficiently long look at it and slowly setting it back on the counter where it'd been placed earlier. A slight frown persists, as newly empty hands slide into his pockets, and he stares at the page on the countertop for a moment longer before finally refocusing on Ava.

"The message on his door referred to him by name. Still, I'd agree the likelihood of him being a culprit drops considerably if he's blind. ...Actually, there's an additional rudeness in the fact that this messenger expected him to be able to even read that, isn't there?" Hm, maybe there's something to that, actually. (Someone who knows him well enough to name him, but not well enough to know of his blindness? ...Or did they just not care?) But alas, Jade hasn't the faintest idea where to take that thought from there. "...I suppose in the end, the strongest lead may well be the blood in itself. Its mysterious origins, anyway. I assume you haven't come across any particularly large storage of blood anywhere on this ship of late, have you?"

"The drawings look like a child's," Ava observes. Which is a sad thought, for somebody so young to meet such a sad fate. It's why she's so determined to make sure Fio has a better future.

"And Skulduggery doesn't... seem too involved with the current situation. He's busy focusing on the broader issue of the Captain," Ava frowns. Maybe that should concern her more when he's usually involved in everything, but he deserves to step back and he doesn't seem possessed. Not with the conversations they've had.

"Blood? No. I tried asking Friday about cold storage for spare parts, but she wasn't exactly willing to help. Guess somebody got access," she pouts. How unfair. "Oh, wait. Or the stuff served at the buffet? One of the... consumers of it told me it was like blood but not quite?"

It's an Earth holiday, yes. Meant to be a day that ghosts and spirits walk the waking world, and one must wear masks to scare them off. Nowadays -- or, rather, in my day, I cannot speak for other times -- it's mostly just an excuse for a bit of a party.

[Though this looks... elaborate, by his standards.]

Hello, Colonel. I hope you're keeping well.

A day for ghosts and spirits, is it? ...That's rather interesting timing here, then, all things considered...

[You know, things like--certain activity, that's been starting to act up of late. Though Jade's rather unhelpfully trailing off there, as the thought takes hold, and he's leveling a renewed frown at the general presence of the Spirit Halloween across the way...

--Still, Watson's greetings remarks draw his focus back to the present quick enough. He looks over Watson's way properly at length, a slight and wry smile settling into place.]

Greetings to you as well, Doctor. I suppose I'm keeping as well as can be managed, of late. Though I could be doing worse, from what I've been hearing lately. [A slight pause, in which a speculative look is leveled Watson's way.] ...How are you keeping yourself, I wonder?

Hm. I suppose it is interesting timing, at that. The ship is certainly beginning to look run-down enough it would be easy to assume it's haunted.

[A beat.]

I suppose it is, really. At any rate, I am as well as can be expected, I suppose. It's been... eventful, after all.

'Eventful' is...certainly a word, isn't it? [That beat in itself is rather relatable, really.] The deteriorating state of the ship certainly lends well enough to the atmosphere. To speak of hauntings in general...you've heard of it as well, I take it? The "possessions" that have started occurring, of late...

Yes, unfortunately.

[He's almost inclined to laugh about that. A humourless sort of laugh, but still.]

Our boy, Rich -- well, if I can call him that, we try to keep an eye on him, he seems to need that sort of presence in his life -- our boy is one of the possessed.

[Ah. He'd expected Watson to be aware of the possessions too, but for it to be even more personal than that...a brief but visible surprise crosses Jade's features, before shifting into a faint but distinct sort of concern.]

--My apologies. In retrospect, that may have been rather insensitive of me to ask quite off the cuff like that. [...Still, curiosity can't help but dictate...] He's...how was it found out? Is he apprehended? ...That is, if you wish to speak any more of it. Though if you'd prefer not... [Well, it'd be understandable. Though Jade has been wanting to gather more personal accounts, where possible, of encounters that fellow passengers may have had with these specters of late...]

He is apprehended. We've had him under guard in his cabin. He--

[He stops, and sighs, and rubs the bridge of his nose. This is a lot. And he doesn't want to say it, but also he doesn't want to actively lie about it, seeing as how it's important information and gossip will get around the ship.]

He, ah, managed to kill César. The possessing ghost is a child, though, that's almost the worst part.

( As the day itself draws ever closer, you know what's most important about this holiday is to have a costume. That would be what the Dioscuri are here for today—they still need a few odds and ends to make theirs perfect, after all. )

It's a human tradition—a day to honour the dead.

( Or something like that? What he's getting is that it's more about trick-or-treating, but the information he's best able to parse is much more factual than the more commonplace practices. Still, catch him being a know-it-all about something he actually knows very little about outside a Spirit Halloween near you! )

Humans are meant to pray for the souls of the recently deceased as they make their journey to the afterlife.

( He has yet to see any praying. )

( pollux, however, is excited about being able to come to the store as it changes with the season, she guesses. then again, while they are here for odds and ends, she doesn't go inside yet as castor has made conversation — which is rare. he's also being helpful, which is doubly as rare so there's no need to rush them. )

That's how it should be to show their respect.

( she takes her hand from castor's as she pulls out a list to see what it is that they need, quiet for a moment before looking up to them both. )

Instead, most humans take this day to dress up as terrifying monsters, or ghosts of the past so that they can walk up to people's doors yelling trick or treat! It's a playful holiday despite them ignoring the true meaning.

( that said, while she does know to pay her respects, she really does indulge in human fun times when she can. )

[Never hurts to stick to the more factual aspects than anything else! There isn't any grudge to be had at Castor making himself a know-it-all on this particular occasion, anyway, seeing as he has a bit more explanation to offer on hand than Jade himself at the moment.

(And all that aside, well, it's probably a bit tricky to pray for the deceased around here when they either revive the next morning or vanish into so much energy for the ship's metaphorical fondue engine. Fates that some might find awkward to attempt rites over, all things considered.....)

Dropping his glance from the sign above to turn at the sound of a familiar voice, Jade finds both Castor and Pollux drawing up and halting for conversation--mildly surprising, this. He'd only spoken directly to Castor, that brief time before on the salamander beach, though he'd observed the both of them performing that subsequent ritual for Jenny...that had ended up changing the trajectory of quite a few things, now hadn't it?

It certainly seems they're "gods" in some variety, after all. Jade hadn't really pictured meeting them again in front of the rather contrasting tone of the Spirit Halloween across the way, exactly, but apparently this may as well happen. He's offering a slight and polite nod of greeting to each of them, regardless--]

Hmm, I see. There are a few traditions that honor the dead in my own homeland as well, so that makes sense enough...though dressing up to deceive monsters and ghosts is a rather new concept. Not so surprising, though--we humans do so enjoy finding just about any reason to celebrate something... [Tapering off with mildly sardonic humor, there. Across worlds Jade's pretty sure this fact is the same for most humans, really.] So, then, this new store here must have amenities related to the dressings-up of 'Halloween'. I've yet to see the interior myself...but have the two of you, already?

I have no interest in human customs.

( Jade may come off friendly enough, but Castor snaps back with that near-immediately—do not get it twisted, he is not here out of "interest" or caring about such meaningless frivolities. Jenny's sacrifice was an exception made only out of respect for a fellow god, but it isn't something that one should get used to. Well, that said, they are still here... So even Castor can see how that needs to be explained. Folding his arms over his chest, he continues. )

But since Pollux was curious, that's why we've come today.

That doesn't mean we can't take part, is what Brother is trying to say!

( let her fill in the blanks for them so it doesn't seem like her brother is a holiday or two too early for acting like the grinch. she looks jade up then down, taking in his appearance before turning back towards the store in awe. her hands clasp together with a small hum, and she feels like this will be an exciting endeavor. )

Since this is new for you, how about joining us? If you want, I can find the best attire that will suit your personality.

( it doesn't have to be personality really, as long as she can dress them up in general that pollux tends to be satisfied. this is why she's already release castor so she can take the first few steps inside, and then hold out the door to both of them. with a smile and an eager desire to get things going— )

Come on— before they take all the best monsters!

[It really is rather fascinating to observe in real-time, the sharp contrasts between these two. Jade's glance drifts from Castor to Pollux as the former huffily rejects any notion of interest and the latter sunnily expresses a desire to join the festivities. At least his expression doesn't change much externally, from the pleasantly polite smile that's fallen upon it; any laugh of amusement is being kept to himself!

...Well, alright, though a slight bit of humor does tinge his tone all the same--]

Oh, I wouldn't want to intrude upon an outing between you two! But if the both of you truly don't mind it, I suppose I was meaning to take a look inside eventually...

[A sidelong glance at Castor here, but...he's already getting a sense of the dynamic at work, so to speak--that Pollux probably takes the lead fairly often indeed, in such matters. She's already at the front doors and holding them open for her company, at any rate, and it would be remarkably rude to refuse. So Jade's idly drifting on over there now...]

Do you generally find yourself to have a good eye for clothing, Miss Pollux? You speak like this wouldn't be the first time you've made such assessments!

[ Hiyor has always been a tidy person, and there's few things that he finds more offensive than seeing communal areas torn apart. Unfortunately, by now that's a bygone dream. Still, he does tend to the few areas that he tends to frequent, and the library is one of them. He pauses in his wok of tending to the shelves to turn a head over his shoulder, then walking over to view the clipped pages. ]

I should say so. I'm tempted to sit in here to put a stop it...

[ He exhales a soft sigh. Hiyori is the closest thing to one, so he needs to be offended on their behalf. Still, if he were to guess at why one might take bits and pieces of different pages... ]

This place is a bit small to be sending ransom letters, and it would be risky to send threats...

[ His tone is conversational and unworried, though that's to be expected of a person simply stating the most cliche uses of something. ]

Edited (forgot to fix something in my last edit, sorry!) 2022-10-17 03:18 (UTC)

That'd certainly be quite noble of you! You ought to let me know who you find, if you decide to go through with that temptation. I'm a bit curious as to who might be getting this bored around here...

[There's also the question of whether a strong word or two would really be enough to stop somebody's book-vandalizing in their tracks, for that matter...but well, for all he knows, Hiyori may well have quite the sharp tongue for these things! Far be it from Jade to discourage it, if it's possible...if only because the mess really is reaching rather ridiculous levels, here.

For that matter, though, the last bit he mentions there...does draw a slight pause from Jade in turn, as he sets the mangled book back down on the desk, before casting a thoughtful sidelong look Hiyori's way.]

Actually, though, it is funny you say that. One would think it pretty risky to send out threats indeed...yet, believe it or not, I received a pretty direct one on my own cabin door a few days ago. Though it didn't come in the form of pasted letters from books, unfortunately...

Edited 2022-10-18 21:47 (UTC)

[ Who indeed? It's a bit too late to dismiss it all as childish pranks. Hiyori frowns at the ominous statement. There's no need to press on the content, a threat is a threat, but... ]

Ah... What form did it take, then?

Blood letters, as it so happens. [The answer is prompt, and edged with a grim sort of dry humor.] Scrawled directly upon our cabin door, no less. And it doesn't clean easily either, more's the pity...

[With a slight shake of his head accompanying that particular lament, Jade resumes busying his hands with picking through the paper scraps still scattered across the tabletop, slowly gathering them into a more manageable pile.]

There were several messages at once, even, all applied at about the same time. Four doors stricken, in total. I don't suppose you've been finding anything too strange at your own cabin door, of late...?

Oh... Are they really?

[ of course, she has absolutely no memory of spiders like this so she
knows that he's lying.

but she gives him something of a tight smile anyways, almost a grimace,
as she looks between the colonel and the gross-looking spider. ]

I hate to say it, but that's not exactly my idea of scary. It looks ...
tacky, more than anything else.

[ it was certainly creepy, but it was similar to a monster.

the ghost of an old woman on a snowy mountaintop on the other hand...?
absolutely terrifying. ]

[Jade returns her grimace of a smile with an overtly cheery one of his own--the normal state of things, really, when it comes to topics of extremely not-cute things between these two.]

They really are! Fleshy human faces on spider bodies--with the heads still having eight eyes, somehow. I'm sure you could imagine what I mean! Rather atrocious respiratory system, though...

[--But alright, he does have to laugh a bit here after that, breaking the admittedly paper-thin farce in short order. It's her following remark that does it, really; Tear's sensibilities when it comes to creepy things really are so oddly specific, it seems...

True, though, that the spider up there actually wouldn't be a terribly far cry from some of the monsters they've actually encountered in Auldrant in the past.]

Well, regardless, I think I do agree with you there--sort of overdoing it, isn't that? To say nothing of how spiders don't actually have bones like that anyhow..."tacky" is a fair word for it. [Jade looks sidelong over to Tear at last, humor still tinting his tone.] I must confess, however, that I'm still half-tempted to take that thing back to my cabin anyhow...imagine the applications! I could probably hang it inside the door, at about face height...

[ she falls silent, her eyes narrowing in the direction of the spider.
despite her best efforts the thought of a human face with eight eyes does creep her out a little.

it’s much, much worse when he adds a story to it. ]

D-don’t be ridiculous… I don’t think Yuuki would like that at all.

[ she kind of wants to say ‘you don’t want to get punched again, right?’ but abstains —-
that would be needlessly rude. ]

Honestly most of the things in this store are awful.
It’s a shame that they changed the clothing store to this thing.

Oh, I don't know, he might actually think it pretty funny too...he reads the most sordid horror novels from the library anymore, did you know? Rather strong stomach, I suspect.

[But Jade isn't reaching for the spider for now, at the very least; a mildly amusing novelty to tuck in the corner of thought for a later time. (It probably would be pretty funny to have Natsuno be the first person to walk right into it, ah...gonna give it some thought...)

Instead he turns away from these particular bone-stocked shelves with an idle shrug of his shoulders, focusing his attention instead upon another aisle across the way and drifting over in that direction if Tear's amenable to following him. Seems this one's full of all sorts of props for costumes--broomsticks, fake wands, plastic mock swords and shields...]

The supply in here's certainly rather--lackluster, isn't it? I daresay it is a rather novel change after nothing but racks of garish clothes, though...I've been half-hoping to find something of at least moderate use in here, even if it might need some jury-rigging. --Probably won't be anything like a weapon, though, hm? [With a renewed sort of amusement, he idly picks up a rubber whip off a shelf to idly examine.] Most things in here seem designed more like toys, than anything...can't see much practical application in this thing, for example.

Oh… I don’t know him very well, so I had no idea.

[ she looks a little put-out by that, but doesn’t comment any further, and follows Jade. ]

Wait … You came in here to look for a weapon?

[ what a weirdo! who even thinks about that kind of thing? everything in here was fake. it was all just costumes, for fun.
why would that even be something he’d go and seek out…?

she has a brief flash of memory: green bristles on a broom, finding it deep within his closet.

Right.

a big scary military man has to be resourceful, apparently.

when he picks up the whip, she has a moment of surprise, feeling like he can see right through her… although it passes just as quickly.

even if he had a feeling something was off with her host, he can’t tell who’s in here… ]

I don’t know about that. I mean, you
used a broom yourself once in battle. Just about anything can have practical applications if it’s used right.
If you really wanted to hurt someone, anything can be a weapon.

[ it was just a fact. she almost wants to shrug at him, but remains still. ]

Not to worry, he doesn't exactly advertise these things anyhow. You know the type, I'm sure! A very taciturn sort of youth...

[May or may not be a joking sort of dig Tear's way?? But oh well, moving on--!

--That aside, the question where weapons might be concerned is a mild surprise; absentmindedly weighing the whip between his hands, Jade glances up at Tear with slightly arching eyebrows. Still more amused than anything, but...]

Well, not as if there's been much variety on this ship otherwise, when it comes to weapons--save for the knives in some of the restaurants and the scalpels in the infirmary, perhaps. Or the occasional chance-based loaded gun, in that claw machine...other arms was an optimistic possibility in here. I haven't known just what to expect in this shop, really. [Her mention of the broom earns a very mild sort of exasperated grimace, at least, passing across his features briefly.] --It was only once with that broom, as I'm sure you recall, and it only just barely passed muster for that particular fight. You speak of desperation weapons, essentially...though I suppose you're not wrong, in the end. Hmm, even a whip like this could still be used to throttle somebody in a pinch, couldn't it?

[Eh, it's going back on the shelf anyhow, though. Before he's moving on to--oh. There's half-sized painted spears on a rack here, too...quaint.]

Did you often find yourself having to utilize unconventional weapons in your previous line of work, Tear?

[She was part of the Order's Intelligence Division at one time, after all. Though then again...he's not sure he's ever actually seen Tear try to utilize anything beyond her staff or her knives in general combat regardless of location, has he? Seeing as she could always neutralize most things from a backline with fonic hymns to start...]

Edited (words waves hands) 2022-10-20 04:40 (UTC)

[ veeery funny, jade.

she watches as he returns the whip to where it belongs, shifting her
weight and folding her arms over her chest. although her guard isn't
quite down, she looks a little more at ease now that that's been put away. ]

Unconventional weapons ...

[ she trails away in thought, going through her memories to try and find something.
in reality, everyone from their group had had one of those at some
point or another. even that doll anise rode, tokunaga, could be called
that. ]

Well ... there was the Spoon, right? Instead of using my usual staff...

[ it had done the job, as she recalls. which made it more than
enough at the time. ]

But I didn't have a lot of trouble since I used my hymns... Being in the
Intelligence Division involved a lot of espionage work so...

[ "being sneaky" didn't sound right huh? ]

It was better to stay hidden than have actual confrontations.

[ better... nice! ]

Anyway, are you going to look for some kind of Halloween costume? I feel
like since we're here, we might as well get one. It's the upcoming
holiday or something like that, right? I overheard some people talking about
it.

[That bit of a shift in her posture surely doesn't go entirely unnoticed, actually, though it's...odd, that it happens only after he sets down the whip. Hard to say if there's any actual correlation there. There's a bit of a tension about Tear in general, for that matter--but then again, it's not exactly like Jade's completely relaxed even now. What with the general atmosphere throughout the entire ship, of late, especially where "possessions" might be concerned...

A slight amused huff is had, at the mention of the Spoon--which he'd nearly forgotten, honestly. Right, those novelty weapons from the casino sure were a thing, if only briefly.]

Quite true, there was the Spoon. I still can't believe you really let Anise goad you into actually trying it out, in a monster encounter. I'd say my opinion on desperate measures still holds true, though. ...At any rate, fair enough; it's indeed not exactly as if you were assigned to the frontlines, after all.

[That answer, at least, is still fairly in-line. Though...

Jade's attention slips from the makeshift spears to fix upon Tear with proper mild surprise, now, as she goes on to speak of...]

...Costumes...for that party mentioned on those posters, you mean? I can't say I've exactly thought much about it, with everything else afoot at the moment. [He straightens, turning to consider her fully with a slight tilt of his head.] You sound quite interested in the prospect. Is that why you're here, for costumes?

[ she couldn't help smiling, just a bit, at the way he eats up her
story. it probably helped a lot that she could remember these things, huh?
she's a little proud of herself, but tries to keep it low-key -- like she's
just remembering a fond memory with the weird, giant spoon. and that cute
anise girl.

the question about the costumes catches her off-guard a bit, because again,
wow. this guy really is a total weirdo...

"tear" might be a granny in a young girl's body, but she was still a young
girl! the ghost can totally remember tear trying on cute costumes back home,
running around as a maid and whatever. rude. she almost feels offended
on her host's behalf. this kind of thing was actually kind of up
tear's alley! hello?? ]

Um... Yes. I thought it might be a nice break from everything else.

[ she pauses, and even she can tell she's being awkward. ]

I just thought ... it might be nice to try and do something a little more
'normal' for a change. I never really went to parties before.

[ and this too was another truth: she can remember tear mentioning
this kind of thing to some of the people on the ship. wanting to go
shopping with rita, and all that.

at least this is a topic the ghost can relate to, anyway. ]

[Oh, certainly, Tear's had her small stints with unique outfits in the past...that whole ordeal in Keterburg with the waittressing certainly was a thing. She's not usually...quite so forthright about wanting to try such things upfront, though, is she? Or at least, she wasn't at that time...

Granted, it's also rather understandable that she might be seeking something of a diversion from the uneasy overarching mood at the moment. When questioned, too, a clearly genuine sort of awkwardness does rise to surface...and in the end Jade parses this as embarrassment, which is quite more in-line with Tear's sensibilities.

He smiles, idly amused, and hums thoughtfully as he makes a show of considering this argument.]

Hmm, you haven't before? Ah, but it's true, it really doesn't sound as if this particular party's going to be a terribly formal affair... [Somehow it's not very surprising, that such casually merry events weren't frequent in Yulia's City's collective vigil in the Qliphoth. There's a twinge of sympathy, at this thought--though, goodness knows Jade's hardly about to show it. He does gesture towards the end of the aisle, though, and starts towards it.] Suppose we've the free time on our hands, at the moment! A little reconnaissance couldn't hurt. Does this mean you've already got certain outfits in mind yourself?

[ for him to call this kind of thing reconnaissance was almost
funny. he was so overly-serious, but something about that reminds him
of some of her former teammates, a lifetime ago.

although they'd probably call it something like that for the sake
of dramatics. ]

Uhm, yes, I think so.

[ well, there'd been a few that had caught her eye. not that
someone like tear would wear them, though.

her gaze strays to a few of the things on the racks nearby: the posters
advertising generic costumes like angels and devils, and even silly ones
like being a hot dog. ]

A lot of them are a little revealing, though.

[ she sounds disappointed, mostly because those would definitely
not be up tear's alley. but it was true -- the female ones were almost always
weird sexy versions of things, it seemed. ]

I'm not really sure which one would suit me.

[ she reaches out to pick up a simple, black cat headband. didn't tear
have something like this? hmm. ]

[ It has been a month, and really, both of them deserve a break. Mizuki has been working hard on the Halloween decorating on the pool deck, so he's been practically living in the Spirit Halloween store these past few days. Even now, he's toting around a few too many fog liquid for the way too many fog machines he set up on the deck. It's fine and totally cool and won't cause problems later. Fog is spooky and really cool, so why would there be Too Much of it?? ]

Oh, really?? It kinda looks like something out of a video game. [ You know like that one spider fucker from Bloodborne. ] Do you think that'd make a good decoration…? I was considering putting up some fake spiderwebs and such, but I always feel like those are a bit tacky…

Edited 2022-10-22 22:14 (UTC)

[~~Oh god just when I thought I'd finally forgotten that spider fucker from Bloodborne GET THAT THING OUTTA HERE...!!~~]

Something out of--hm. I suppose it would be a rather interesting game piece... [Not that Jade actually knows what a "video game" specifically is supposed to be. Though he knows what those individual words stand for on their own, nowadays, so...a rough inference is made. That aside, though. Jade turns to regard Mizuki properly, and his eyebrows arch a bit at the sheer number of fog liquid jugs the young man seems to be towing about. ...Oh, right, there was a question--] It seems like its sole purpose is decoration--so, it'd probably be nice enough. You could hang it in front of a door and really wake up someone trying to walk through one morning, I think!

[Though he gets a sense...that isn't quite what Mizuki's thinking about here. Actually--] Are you speaking of decorating your own quarters, or...?

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