genessia | Event catch-all

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Event catch-all

Warning: Violence, death, possibly torture in some threads, if necessary more specific warnings in the respective threads. Feel free to reply with prose or brackets.

A - Friday 13th, Nova City

It was just a quick errand in Nova City to get a spare part for his malfunctioning blaster that kicked off Cassian's week from hell.

Here you could run into a very confused and upset Guardian on the way back to the archway. His shirt shredded by the huge black leathery wings that had sprouted from his back when the transformation hit him, a pair of large horns on his head. He wasn't a happy camper as his wings kept smacking into streetlamps or other people. His tail twitched and curled with his mounting displeasure.

Welcome to incubushood, Cassian.

B - Attleton, outside, all week, Imperial Attleton

Being Guardian, the town being held in the claws of fears come alive meant more time than usual spent outside for Cassian. Patrolling, helping people who were being attacked by their fears, keeping order as well as he could and ensuring ruthless individuals wouldn't take advantage of the chaos.

Over the course of the week all that time exposed to his fears would be taking its toll on him more and more, leaving him ever more skittish, more prone to snapping at people, just all around closer to the inevitable breakdown he'd successfully postponed ever since his arrival in Genessia. Yet one might take notice that he looked strangely healthy and rejuvenated all the same, like he'd just had a good meal and night's sleep.

Whenever he was outside during the week, within eyesight range of him Attleton would change. Sweet, cheerful Attleton turned into his own nightmare version of a town ruled by the Empire's iron fist - Stormtroopers patrolling the streets and dragging people in tan or orange Rebel uniforms away, the townspeople looking fearful and cowed, Imperial flags flying everywhere and the Emperor's speeches promising destruction to the rebel scum echoing from all around you, and as the week progressed, ever darker atrocities.

They would be hunting Cassian, too, and so his week of doing patrols would be interspersed with manhunts and firefights.

C - Attleton, outside, hauntings

If you were particularly lucky, or unlucky, you could get a glimpse at Cassian Andor facing more personal fears.

At one point during the week he would run into a darker version of himself, one who delighted in killing and mocked all he stood for.

At other points, he had to face his dead companions, accusing him for getting them killed and only using them.

D - Guardian's office

Inside the Guardian's office was a sanctuary, where he battled smaller problems. Namely, his new body features. Better be mindful of these wings, he kept getting stuck on doorways or banging his horns against things, and the pokemon caused a bit of mayhem chasing his tail. When they didn't fight over the new majestic perches at the very tips of his horns, that was.

E - Dreams

Cassian had little interest in sharing dreams with anyone but Kay, but accidents did happen over the course of the week, ending with him in other people's dreams.

F - Choose Your Own Adventure (or ask for individual starters)

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[ The dream-version of Koromaru is a polite, well-behaved dog. He jumps off of the chair, sniffs at Starky politely from both front and back, before leaning down and wiggling his tail, high in the air. Inviting Starky to play. Doesn't he want to play?

Shinjiro smiled wider, fondly. He's distracted from cooking. ]

Cute dog.

[ ... But wait. He looks at Cassian, confused. ]

... Wait, what?

What d'you mean, a dream?

[ Cassian appreciates polite well-behaved pets. He doesn't have any of these, his pets are constant menaces who see his wings, tail and horns as their personal playthings. It's been very distressing to the poor incubus to have a cat chasing the pointy tip of his tail, claws out and in full hunting mode. ]q

Of course it's a dream. We're in your dream.

[ He looks sheepish now, his wings twitch. Starky meanwhile is as happy as ever, and bounds over to what is going to be his newest best friend to greet him with all the proper joy and friendly licks that are his nature. ]

I can't control whose dreams I wander into. I try to keep it to Kay's, I have his permission, but that doesn't always work out.

[ Now that he knew it was a dream, it was obvious. The random ingredients. The kitchen, which was kind of like the one from the school dorms, and kind of like the one from the orphanage. The fact that Koromaru was here, of course, rather than at home.

Slowly, the ingredients began to disappear from the counter. The ones he had dreamed up, anyway.

Shinjiro kept Koromaru, though. He really missed him. The white shiba inu was bounding around with the corgi, now, happy as could be. He always liked making new friends.

He sighed, flushing in embarrassment, running his hands over his face. And it couldn't be Scott to walk into this dream, could it? It had to be Cassian. He half-considered dreaming up a hole for him to sink into, except he wasn't some kind of drama queen.

Mumbles: ] You don't look half-starved. That this "Kay"'s doing?

[ Give him a minute, he'll realize that he's talking about the droid he met, sooner or later. ]

[ Umm, okay, and now there's two of them who would like to dream up a hole to disappear into.

Cassian coughs and looks away, but his wings betray him far more than his face ever could. They hunch close again, as if he's trying to make himself smaller, as if he could make Shinjiro forget his question by just making him forget Cassian's here at all.

Good luck with that. ]

Well. Yes. He... We are taking care of another.

[ There, nice and neutral, right? ]

[ He looks mournfully at the empty counter. ]

Are you sure you wouldn't rather bake?

... Wait.

[ Stuff is slowly fitting together. He knows a euphemism when he hears one. But he didn't have all the pieces. ]

Kay, like that tall robot guardin the archway, Kaytwo somethin?

[ He didn't sound judgmental when he asked about Kay being the robot he met. But he does sound a bit combative now, defensive of the robot he'd barely met: ]

Hey, hold on. Who was that hot blond you were makin out with in that video, then?

[ Yes, this was a great chance to ignore questions about baking and Shinjiro's interests therein, thank you. ]

[ Wow, rude, you're distracting him from his distraction! ]

I wasn't making out with anyone else!

[ Cassian's tail whips from side to side in indignation, he bristles - a far more impressive sight now with a large pair of wings. ]

That was Kay. K-2SO. He just has two bodies. [ Okay, that sounds weird, come to think of it. ] It's a droid thing.

... Right.

[ Koromaru seemed a bit worried about the defensive bristling - or at least, that's how Shinjiro thought he'd be. He darted over to his side, and bristled a bit in return, as if guarding Shinjiro from the perceived threat.

But, Shinjiro sighed, and crouched down beside his friend. Gave him a scratch between the ears. ]

Easy, Koro-chan. It was my mistake anyway.

[ Realizes what he's doing, and then looks sheepish again.

Quiet: ] ... He ain't even real. What'm I even doing?

He's real enough when you're in here. It doesn't matter what's outside.

[ He picks up Starky, grimaces when the dog licks his face. Feels real enough indeed, really disgusting. ]

See? He feels real enough. In here... Everything is real. Or nothing. That's up to you. It's strange. I don't know what to think of it. Out of all my new powers this is the strangest one.

[ And to show just how strange indeed, he snaps his fingers, and a plate full of dog biscuits appears on the table. ]

[ Koromaru whines, eyeing the treats. Shinjiro stands, expression blank, and gets him a biscuit. Feeds him one, gets doggy kisses in return.

He frowns, and looks around the room.

The surroundings subtly shift, just a little.

The cupboards change, look newer, more modern. The counters become a little dirtier. There's an abandoned set of sneakers by the door, next to a pair of boxing gloves. A discarded MP3 player on the kitchen table, with distinctive blue headphones. Abandoned homework, some with very messy handwriting, some neatly organized with pink sticky tabs.

There's a distant sound of a TV playing, now, from another room. Laughter. Quiet conversation interspersed by loud outbursts - people teasing one another, poking fun, not really paying attention to whatever show is on.

Koromaru now seems torn between the smell of more dog treats on the kitchen counter, and the sound of friends to play with outside.

Shinjiro himself doesn't look at Cassian, or the doorway. He pats the dog's head. Tries to sound neutral, even bored. ]

... Strange is right.

But, I guess a real incubus would wanna ... make a dream as real as possible. So.

A real incubus would be interested in doing other things with you in your dreams than baking.

[ Oops. He hadn't intended to say that, it had just slipped out. He fakes a little cough and walks around to inspect all the little details that have appeared as if he hadn't just... Yeah. Let's pretend he hadn't. He so doesn't want Shinjiro to wonder about the dreams he shares with Kay.

He picks up the homework and puts it down again a moment later, wanders back to the counter to throw dog biscuits to Koromaru and Starky both. The corgi catches his in mid air and twirls, landing again far more gracefully than real Starky ever does. ]

But I can make dreams so real and detailed that you wouldn't be able to tell the difference. I have never tried, but I think I could even make you forget this is a dream at all... or have you never realize it in the first place. [ He gives Shinjiro an earnest look. ] I think I could twist your dreams to manipulate you. But of course I won't. I'm not here to... hunt.

[ Gives Cassian a look, "are you kidding me?" ]

Yeah. That's what I was gettin at. I wasn't born yesterday, y'know.

[ Distracts himself a little, getting another treat for Koromaru. This, at least, was the way he begged in real life. Big pleading eyes, wagging his tail so hard his whole lower half was wiggling. Koromaru caught the treat in mid air, just by sitting upward.

His tone is dry. Perhaps even a bit cynical. ]

I mean, I wasn't even aware I was dreamin 'til you pointed it out.

A lotta people would take advantage of that. Even if they weren't real incubi. Easier than druggin someone, or even snatchin them. No trace, no evidence. Some people could only dream of gettin those kinda powers.

[ Fixes Cassian, then, with a frank, steady look. ]

If I thought for a moment you were gonna do any of that shit, I wouldn't be hangin out with Koromaru here. Trust me. Even if you hold all the cards in my dream, I wouldn't go down easy.

I know.

[ He meets Shinjiro's eyes, his own gaze just as steady. ]

There's no denying that a lot of people would do that - not only incubi but regular people as well, just because they could. Power over others is a seductive drug. But I know you wouldn't go down easily. I've met your own darkness.

[ He scoops up Starky again, well aware that even a winged demon doesn't look very intimidating while being slobbered over. ]

I'd tell you to be wary of other incubi, but that would be hypocritical. You have no more reason to trust me than any of them.

Oh yeah. I know. Met a few of 'em myself.

[ Looks away, then. Into Koromaru's trusting face, instead. Shinjiro rubs those fuzzy cheeks. Happy pup is happy. ]

I trust you. Least, enough to know you won't be a shit to me, even if this is only a dream. You ain't that kinda guy.

[ There's an awkward silence which probably follows that. ]

... As for other incubi. Well. Not a whole lot I can do, to keep you guys from waltzin into my dream, is there?

[ He thinks about that for a moment, all ready to argue, but... ]

You're right, I can't think of anything you could do to prevent that. Unless there's a magical way I haven't encountered yet.

[ Okay, now he's gone and disturbed himself. ]
q
That's something I'll have to look into as Guardian. I didn't consider the new dangers to the population yet. See, this is what happens when I'm just trying to bake... What were we trying to bake again?

[ Wry: ] If you find some kinda magic charm or sheild or whatever, let me know.

[ That's what Shinjiro is good at, thinking of all the ways new and exciting powers could be abused by people who get ahold of them.

He's caught a little by surprise by the question, shakes his head, a bemused not-quite-smile on his face. ]

Pupcakes, I think. They're cupcakes for dogs.

[ Ridiculous, right? It's embarrassing. But maybe Cassian, with his own dog here, wouldn't give him too much crap for it. Admits: ] I was readin some kinda article on them from this magazine I got, before I fell asleep. So.

[ Thank you, Shinjiro, for sharing your pessimistic skills with Cassian, not like he is good enough himself at coming up with worst case scenarios. ]

Would you like to give it another try? He looks around awkwardly. It might be a more useful way to spend our time than coming up with new ways that incubi powers could be abused and we're unable to stop it.

[ Well. Look at him, trying to be not overly pessimistic. Mostly just because these are his own powers and the implications that come with them are scary enough, he doesn't want to think about it too much.

He gives him a solemn look. ] But I'll research ways to stop it.

Uh.

[ Pessimistic conversations about things you couldn't really stop but would stubbornly resist no matter how futile it was? Those were right up his alley, Cassian!

Baking dog treats with ~~friends~~ others wasn't. But. ]

Sure. I guess.

[ Looks a little embarrassed, but. What else were they going to do, until he woke up?

Hunts around for the apron again, until Cassian's serious proclamation. Looks at him. Nods. ]

... Thanks.

[ Pause, looks away. Now that the dream is more real, the only aprons he can find are pink. Meant for the girls in the dorm, he always guessed. ]

... Glad to know you're lookin out for people. Incubus powers aren't the only stuff people would easily abuse, after all.

[ Pulls on the apron. At least it doesn't have silly patterns on it. ]

[ Look at them trying to act like normal people. Look at them. ]

It's my job. I'm Guardian. I should be protecting people... even if I don't know what I can do about this. I'll have to think about the other transformations as well. At least we haven't had any vampire or werewolf attacks in Attleton yet.

[ Okay, so he is really bad at focusing on happy things instead. But he had tried! ]

Nice apron, by the way. It's very colorful.

[ He looks down at his own, that's still plain white. Good. ]

"Should" doesn't mean "does", y'know.

[ But he's not going to gripe about people abusing their authority. That was probably the sort of conversation Cassian was trying to avoid. ]

... At least these transformations don't seem to change people's personalities. Everyone's been actin like themselves. So, so long as they weren't assholes before they got turned into whatever, then they probably won't go 'round attackin people.

[ Frowns at Cassian's apron, and then. Well, this is his dream, isn't it? He concentrates.

Cassian's apron is now white with cute little pink cartoon cupcakes on it. Just like the one he saw, the other day in a shop window.

Shinjiro smirks. ]

Now, lemme see if I can remember the recipe.

You... what...

[ He stares down at the apron, eyebrows raising ever higher. Oh yes, he can definitely see how Shinjiro is distracting from unpleasant and heavy topics here - and he recalls now what he had said while in the Midnight Channel, about authorities not caring, about nobody protecting him.

That doesn't mean he is okay with this distraction. ]

I don't think I like your idea of fashion design.

But we should try to remember the recipe.

[ While Shinjiro is thinking, he brings back bowls and scales and basic baking ingredients, figuring they'll need these anyway. On second thought, some ground meat as well. ]

Just addin a touch of realism.

[ And he can actually find the peanut butter now! ]

... I’ll get a pen, and I’ll write down what I remember.

[ Good thing this was a dream. He didn’t think the kitchen here would have pumpkin purée otherwise. ]

[ Most likely not, but Cassian knows so little still about earth cooking that he doesn't question it.

He just studies the recipe dutifully and gets to work weighing the ingredients. ]

I like cooking. It's relaxing. Do you cook a lot?

[ Shinjiro seems a little wary of the question, but. Well, it wasn't as if it was a secret, was it? He was just used to being harassed about it. Too much "positive" or too much negative attention - it was all a hassle.

Then again, Cassian seemed to say the right thing, because after a moment, he nods. ]

Yeah.

It's ... calming, you know?

Didn't get much chances to, back where I came from, but here? I've got my own place, and a job, so.

Edited 2017-10-26 19:13 (UTC)

[ Cassian nods in understanding. ]

I understand, my situation was similar. I enjoy having the time and facilities to cook regularly here, I'm glad it's the same for you.

[ He throws a glance at the dogs, who have gone back to playing together now that they're no longer getting attention. ]

Have you ever cooked for your dog before? I didn't even know people do that. Civilians are very strange.

Silver linings 'bout this place, I guess.

[ Because he assumed that Cassian had a world and life he wanted to go back to. That he wasn't dead, like Shinjiro was. Pretty safe assumption to make, most of the time.

Shinjiro follows his eyes, and the sight of the two dogs playing makes him smile, a little. It lasts until he looks back down at the ingredients he'd been mixing together - but it still was probably the most Cassian's ever seen from him before. ]

Sure, but - Koromaru would tell you, if someone was here to translate dog talk. He ain't my dog. Ain't anyone's really.

[ He knew that required an explination, so he hummed, thoughtfully. ]

His owner was killed by Shadows, y'see? And ever since, the poor fellow's been patrollin the shrine he used t'work at, and the routes they'd walk together. That attack is what awakened Koromaru's Persona.

So, with that - I guess technically the Kirijo Group owns him now, but. The dog just showed up here. Insisted on fightin with us, against Shadows. I'd rather the guy not be involved with that kinda shit, but just try tellin him no.

And, well. If he's a part of our team, I figure he deserves more than kibble.

~~[ The last part is a dirty lie. Shinjiro would feed him homemade food even if he was a fluffy useless lapdog, and he knows it. ]~~

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