genessia | Post and Log

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Message to Castmates

I might be out of commission for a little while. I need to make a visit to the dream docks. I guess I'm done putting it off.

[Yang]

Have you gone yet?

Log:

Blake's eyes open and her ears wiggled. Funny. She had gotten rid of the bow in her home timeline too. She lay there trying to process everything her brain had seen. She had made it home - with Sun. She hadn't expected that. It was strange. She had always figured he had never contacted her in this world because he was angry at her. She supposed he had his reasons. And it really wasn't for her to hold it against anyone that had decided to go their own way.

Her parents hadn't changed. At that thought, she teared up. Her lip trembled for a moment and then she rolled over and sobbed quietly. Tears of remorse. Tears of relief and gratitude. They didn't hate her. They had accepted her back as though....as though they'd just been waiting patiently. As though they always knew she would come home. She'd had tea with them. She had actually had a conversation with her father, albeit a slightly awkward one.

So much had happened. Ilia was in Menagerie. Ilia.

She shot up, heart pounding before remembering that things would be on hold there until she returned. She hadn't left them alone with sociopaths scouting her home. Not that she was sure what Ilia's agenda was. She had always been hard to read. But she attacked Sun. She was still very dangerous. Adam was after Sienna Khan. What in the world was he thinking? If there was one person in the Fang that should never be crossed it was the White Fang's head. Khan inspired loyalty.....and fear for a reason. How badly had things gone to hell since she had walked away?

She could still feel the fabric of the original flag in her hands, still see the sky blue pattern before her eyes and her chest ached. She could still feel the determination burning there. She stood looking out at the setting sun. She wasn't exactly smiling. But there was an old spark, a pride that had not been seen in the sheen of her golden eyes for quite some time. She turned on her heel and started her journey back into the city.

[Feel free to run into her pretty much anywhere on the way home.]

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I...haven't yet.

[That's all that should be said really, but...something draws a little more out of the blonde.]

I'm...scared. Scared that I won't have gotten better like I have now. That I'll...just waste away in my bed, doing nothing and feeling sorry for myself with nothing to show for it but my own fears.

You didn't have your arm when I first showed up and you still pinned me between a booth and dragged me back home. Your one of the strongest people I know. I can't imagine that living in your bed is something you would ever do no matter how bad you were feeling.

Edited 2017-02-21 16:26 (UTC)

...To be fair I was also pretty drunk back then I think.

[Night was a bit...of a hazy memory beyond finding Blake and dragging her home.]

Besides...here I had the team around, both teams really to rely on, had to pull myself up and make a living. Back home...well...Ruby left, it was just Dad, Zwei, and me. At least that's the last of what I 'remember'.

It...it isn't quite so easy as you think to pull out of it.

Then I'll have to get some kind a message to my future self to find you. And to bring so many strawberry sunrises that you get smashed enough to see reason.

Edited 2017-02-23 19:35 (UTC)

Heh...if there was ways to do that, I think a lot of us here would feel a lot better.

[A pause.]

Can I still get a lot of strawberry sunrises anyway? We could go to a bar.

We should definitely do that. Depending on what I learn, I might even need to drink. [She's honestly a little terrified about how the return home may have turned out.]

Sounds like a date.

Let me know when you wake and we can see about hitting up a bar. Or get something to eat first since you'd probably be hungry after a week.

All right then. I'll see you when I wake up. [Blake sucks in a breath. How bad can it be? No, don't answer that. Still, she needs to stop running from things.]

Does that mean I can look forward to tuna?

Edited 2017-03-14 01:15 (UTC)

Blake, you can have all the tuna you can eat when you wake up if you're feeling up to it.

Then again when aren't you up for tuna?

You do know me well. [Blake will never turn down an opportunity for fish.]

I'd hope so. [Be pretty bad if she couldn't tell Blake liked fish and plenty of it.]

...If you wanna talk about it too, I'm all ears. Just...just in case you need to vent.

[In case things didn't exactly start getting better.]

[Time skip to Blake being awake and seeing this text.]

Thanks, Yang. It's not great back at home. In fact, I'd say things are about to get a lot more dangerous, but it's not all bad news either. I'll be home in a little while.

Unless you want to meet up somewhere?

[It'll take a few seconds before there's a reply.]

Well...I doubt things would get better very quickly considering what happened to Beacon.

[Not to mention losing so many people and the communications infrastructure going down.]

Well I did promise you a lot of tuna. You still up for it?

No, I suppose not. Though from what Weiss has told me, it looks like everyone is heading towards Mistral. I'll tell you more when I see you. I don't know if any of us will remember our time here if we get sent back home, but Haven Academy is in danger, and someone needs to know that. Especially if that is where Ruby and the others are.

[Blake looks kind of sheepish now because she did down two of Koishi's fish tacos.....but that was a little while ago and she may get hungry again. Hmmm....they could take some home as well. Blake's scheming to make her fish supply stretch out for as long as possible.]

I'm always up for tuna. Something about sleeping that long leaves you famished. [Yes, blame it on the dream docks.]

Well it's good to know that we're all getting back together again.

[Which also means she's probably feeling better herself so things aren't so bad.]

Heh...perhaps you could look into that. You're always wanting to get into fishy situations.

So what's your favorite fish restaurant?

It hasn't happened yet, but I like to think that there is a chance with us all focusing on the same area. [She pulls a face at the blond's fishy comment.
Blake usually prefers visiting the fish market so that she can prep her meals fresh, but it would be nice to sit down with Yang and talk somewhere.]

There's a place in Attleton I've been wanting to try if you're up for an outing.

Well that's a bigger chance than us just staying wherever we were. Be great to have the team together again!

I'd always be down to have an outing with you Blake. Want me to pick you up from the Docks? I've got a new bike now.

[Not as tricked out as Bumblebee back home, but it's a work in progress.]

Yes, it would. [Blake frowns and appears to be thinking. She does want to see them all again and it helps that she actually has her head on straighter for it, but Adam....Adam always looms in the back of her mind like this constant bogey man. And she knows her team is resourceful. And she wants to trust them.

But horrible things have happened and can happen again. She can't not have some apprehension at that. Her expression smooths itself out. She doesn't want to think of that. Her former mentor is not here. She just wants to have a nice dinner with her girlfriend, so that's what is going to happen.]

Oh? Sure. I can't wait to see it.

Then I'm on my way. See you in a bit.

[It does take a while but Yang eventually shows up on her new bike, a sleek, black machine that purrs under her as she slides to a stop next to the sidewalk.]

Hey Blake. Still up for the restaurant?

[Blake takes in the bike with some surprise. She supposed she should have expected Yang to get a new one. Seeing the blonde with her new arm had been one of the most satisfying things she had witnessed, but this was a close second.

She smiled.]

Absolutely.

[Yang smiles back as she pats the seat behind her. THe bike was definitely a new, recent acquisition, especially as it's obviously not been tricked out yet.]

Alright. Hold on tight, we'll get there quick!

[THere's...not much more warning than that before she's off, speeding through the streets and weaving through traffic. At this pace they'll be at the restaurant before too long.]

Blake would probably notice the smell first. Like grilled fish and lemon... It appeared a short ways from the dream docks and seemed to follow her. Almost as if-

"Miss Shaaaade!"

Oh, it was just Koishi. And the smell was coming from the paper bag she was carrying which was nearly full to busting with... something...

"Miss Shade. Can you see me now?" She was floating at about eye level off to one side. "I saw you coming from the dream place and you're covered in ink with dried apple slices. It's a weird emotion and I don't know what it means but its making your eyebrows scrunch up."

Immediately Blake was presented with a soft shell taco from the bag containing the above mentioned fish. Not the highest quality food in the world but it looked really good at least. "Please don't be so scrunchy. Here. You like fish, right? Do you want to talk about it?"

She was probably referring to talking about Blake's problems as opposed to talking about grilled fish. Though it was hard to tell with Koishi.

What was that godly aroma? Blake sniffed, her ears perked straight up and her head turned as she honed in on the youkai. There was fish nearby.Koi was harboring fish. The young faunus was suddenly ferally hungry. Her stomach had become quite empty while she slept. That's what it felt like, anyway. Blake's did register something. Mostly apples and ink but what she really locked onto was the paper bag.

She should probably have said hello or even thank you, but instead, the taco disappeared from Koishi's hand so fast it may as well have teleported and Blake was doing a good impression of being the embodiment of the word 'NOM.'

Oooohhhh. Delicious satisfaction spread all the way to the Faunus's toes and she was just about purring as she dug into the food. What problems? Everything was good now. Perfect.

Koishi just kind of stared, her eyes dimming a fraction, her head tilting ever so slightly to one side. Of all the things she had expected, Blake almost literally attacking the taco was not one of them.

"... Oh... You're hungry, aren't you Miss Shade?" Probably obvious at this point. But it didn't stop her from stating it! And now out of the bag came another two fish tacos, both offered to Blake in her time of need.

"Here. I have a whole bunch of them. I really like fish. It's delicious!" And she had completely regained her cheerful expression and cadence. "We can talk about other things later. For now eat up. Being hungry is no fun."

A muffled sound came from the the Faunus that sounded like 'fish' and then that was it before another taco teleported its way away from Koishi and the cat faunus was all but purring in her feeding frenzy. And then to show up when her stomach was empty from her long sleep. Koishi might be a goddess, not a youkai. Though she began to be somewhat sated though the second taco. Oh. That's right. Koishi was there.

"How did you guess I would be hungry," Blake finally paused to ask.

Fish was indeed delicious. It now made so much sense why they were friends.

Edited 2017-02-23 22:15 (UTC)

Koishi continued to hold out th ethird taco. After all, three was better than two, right? And Koishi wanted to make 110% sure her friend wasn't hungry anymore. Just don't think too highly of her or else she just might eventually become a goddess. And that was not a process Koishi wanted to go though.

"I didn't guess. I bought these tacos because I was hungry and they smelled so good I bought a lot. I'm bringing some home for sis too so she can eat some. But there are always lots of extras so it's good you had some too!"

She floated closer, her free hand reaching up to pet one of Blake's ears. She was purring after all.

"Also, food makes me happy. And you have a pretty smile. So I thought you should smile. So I thought some food would make you happy!" For once Koishi's logic was actually easy to follow.

Blake was too consumed by the joy in food form that was fish tacos to be peevish about her ears. At least she knew that coming from Koi it was not an insult. A third......she really shouldn't.

But she could.

And so she did, filling up on fish happily and only vaguely aware she was probably eating Koishi and her sister's dinner, but if there was plenty like Koi said, then who was Blake to argue?

"That was very thoughtful, Koishi," Blake responded finally remembering her manners. "Thank you."

"It wasn't thoughtful. It was just what I had with me. But I like helping so you're welcome!" Koishi was beaming all the same, patting Blake's ears a few more times, making one of them lay flat and giggling before drifting back. They were cute, okay? She couldn't help it.

"I noticed you walking along. I'm glad the hunger grumps are gone. Those are the worst kinds of grumps. Sis gets them really really bad except she yells a little bit and gets snappy. Literally sometimes." Now that was an image...

"So where are you going Miss Shade?" Koishi tilted her head. "Is it to an interesting place? Can I come with you? Are there rabbits I can chase?" Truly the bane to bunnies everywhere.

"True, but you shared," Blake pointed out. Sharing was caring, right? Or something along those lines. "You might want to get that food to your sister then."

Before Blake eats it all. But as she's had three, she has more control over herself. This was really the best way she could have woken up.

"I wasn't heading anywhere in particular except home," she replied. "Though I do need to check to see if I got any mail while I was out in dream land."

She had gotten a P.O. box ever since she found out that Mercury Black was a mail carrier.

Koishi blinked. "Oh... Well then you should go check your mail. It's important to know if anyone tried to communicate with you. If not then that's fine too I suppose. With these phones I don't see the purpose for mail for communication's sake anymore."

She drifted around to Blake's other side, rolling up the top of the bag. "And it doesn't really matter when I get home though. Well she doesn't know I'm bringing them home. So she might have eaten. We have a cold box now so we can always save them for later. And if we eat them all I'll just buy more."

Her face fell a little after a moment of silence. She seemed to be thinking about something. "Though..." She paused. "Miss Shade? You know a lot about monsters, right? You chase them and hunt them down when they cause trouble" She tilted her head. "I know you're a..." A pause. "Mortal creature. But would you be willing to help me with some advice?"

"Sometimes I order things, like tea."

Koi could argue that delivery worked just as well, but again: Mercury. If he still worked with them. She had lost track on keeping tabs on him and Emerald. With Cinder and Torchwick gone they had been relatively quiet. Besides, there were scarier things in Genessia than those two.

"Well, I know about the creatures of Grimm," she replied. "They are the one huntresses are trained to kill. But I'll do my best."

"Well, it's more of an opinion, really." Koishi drifted silently along for nearly a minute. Her eyes had dimmed, head cocked to one side. "Remember what I told you about monsters before? About how they don't have a choice? It's one of those things."

She turned in the air so she was sort of in front of Blake, slowly drifting backwards in the air. "What would you think of a monster like a grimm walked up to you and told you that it didn't want to hurt people anymore? But it still had to because it was a monster. It didn't want to die but it wanted to seek some sort of semi peace. What would you do?"

She tilted her head the other way and blinked. "Ah- I know it's kind of a strange question. Don't worry. There isn't a right or wrong answer."

A Grimm, acting sentient Blake could almost understand. She had learned about them in Oobleck's class. It was unnerving then, but now it was unnerving in a new way.

"If a Grimm was sentient, it would have free will," Blake frowned. Well, it was hypothetical. "I'd ask it what compelled it to keep killing and why it didn't just stop. I think finding out the driving force behind the 'why' of it's actions might hold some clue as to where to start."

Blake was not sure she liked where this conversation was going, even if Koi did tell her not to worry.

"Sentience doesn't necessarily mean something has free will." Koishi frowned. "And you're twirling in knots with jagged color. Please don't worry Miss Shade, okay?" Again with the not worrying.

"For the sake of argument just assume that the monster needs something to survive." Koishi paused tapping her chin. "For simplicity's sake it needs a vital organ. It can't not eat. What would you say to it in a situation like that?"

The example was a little closer to home than Koishi would have liked. But even if she couldn't lie she could still misdirect. And her semi-smile and gentle swaying as she floated gave nothing away. "It's a strange conundrum. And I saw it happen back in my world over a century ago before sis and I went to Gensokyo where we would be safe. I'm curious your thoughts on it."

Edited 2017-03-01 10:14 (UTC)

Blake frowned, her brow crinkling. The thing was, she had a feeling she knew exactly where this was heading.

"You mean like Vampires have to drink blood or something like that?" she asked.

Koishi tipped her hat up a little bit. "Vampires don't have to kill someone to take blood. The point of the question is moreso that the monster needs something that would leave an individual dead or maimed or otherwise in an unacceptable state that destroys their quality of living."

She tilted her head. "It's not the most difficult solution. Sometimes people want to kill the monster and sometimes people want to find a way to help the monster. And sometimes people do find a way to help the monster but that is more a question of taboos and morality than anything else."

"Is the monster cruel for making a mortal come up with an answer? Stupid for approaching a hunter? Maybe its pitiful because it's degrading itself as a monster. Or is it admirable for trying to find a solution? What do you think Miss Shade?"

Koishi was watching her fairly intently and Blake could feel the chilly wisps of Koishi's mental presence settled around her mind. She was silent for another long moment before simply letting out a long sigh.

"I'm not very good at this, am I Miss Shade?" Subtlety was never her strong suit.

Edited 2017-03-06 08:04 (UTC)

"No, Koi, you're explaining fine," Blake replied. "I was just making sure I understood the question."

And it looked as though the conversation was headed exactly in the direction that she had thought it was.

"I think it might risky, especially if the mortal is already afraid of monsters," she said, thinking about the history of her own people back on Remnant. "But I don't think it's stupid. I don't see how there could be any other way of coming up with a solution unless someone reaches out to the other side. The only thing that is pitiable about it is that the monster has no say in its nature and has had their situation basically forced upon them. Of course I think it's admirable to try and find a better way. Finding a solution that helps everyone prosper shows that the monster is not just a monster."

Edited 2017-03-08 00:16 (UTC)

"Ah... I'm glad. I have a really hard time being clear sometimes." At least Blake was humoring her. "And I'm glad you see things that way... Still I can't help but feel a little sad sometimes. The thought of discarding a piece of yourself with no promise of it paying off is scary."

Koishi's eyes had dimmed some, a strange darkness creeping in from the corners, though it didn't seem malevolent. Actually, she seemed lost in thought. "We're good hunters too, you know. Satori youkai. There used to be stories about the impossibility of escape because we can follow the scent of fear and distress. Especially when someone was alone and lost. So humans learned to clear their mind and to keep calm. They wouldn't run and would merely walk leisurely to their destination. It wasn't fun if there wasn't a chase. And a mind that is quiet and still is not one that can be anticipated. It usually worked, though the hungrier the beast the more likely it is to take risks. Learning to get by on scavenging wasn't easy either." She wasn't even trying to make an allusion anymore.

The little youkai blinked once, focusing on Blake again. She looked somewhat uncomfortable. "Ah... I don't expect you to think of a solution Miss Shade, but if you do come up with one it would help. The nice lady who worked at the morgue isn't around anymore. And robbing funerals and fresh graves without Orin's help would just result in people getting hurt. I really appreciate you listening though. You understand these things better than most people."

Blake couldn't possibly imagine that the part of herself that wanted to feed on others would be anything she missed, but in a way she did understand.

"When you've stuck with something for so long, changing it or leaving it behind, even for the better can leave you feeling kind of....lost," she admitted, remembering the day she had cut the chain - the one of the train and the one that tethered her to her mentor for good. "It is scary. But I have to believe it's worth it."

She felt a little self-conscious and hoped that the Youkai did not notice that she had diverged into a few of her own past inner struggles. Her ears flicked slightly and her look was concerned. It turned her stomach to think of what Koishi was suggesting, but the girl had come to her in confidence and Blake did not want to reward her trust by flinching.

"I thought you fed on emotional energy," she said, looking concerned. "Are there people here that need to....eat...like that?"

Koishi did notice how uncomfortable Blake was, but she didn't comment on it. The artery over her left shoulder looped itself back into a heart shape as she grew more sure of her situation.

"It's a bit of that. But also because conquering prey is something any predator finds thrilling. It's a high that only comes with-" She stopped herself. "Doing horrible things. Satori youkai can hear a person's every thought and feeling, after all. But the trade-off is peace and that's a good thing. Don't you think?"

The question did bring her pause though, the little youkai drifting a little to one side, then the other. Her third eye didn't seem to follow this motion. "I'm not so sure about others. And sis and i do eat emotions. Emotion clings to flesh and feelings can be directed. To hunt and kill is to be feared and fear is our staple. Other emotions have to actually be eaten. Over time though Sis got really good at manipulating humans and feeding on their fear from afar. She was also respected by the local humans, so she barely had to eat anything at all."

It seemed Koishi was growing more comfortable. She was speaking more freely. "I can't subsist exclusively on fear and I've never been good at feeding from afar. So I got really good at managing my youki and my mana instead because the more efficient I am the less I have to eat. And I developed quite a taste for sorrow and sentimentality so I need to rely less on fear." She was clearly quite proud of this and considering the nature of funerals it made sense this would be an advantage.

Edited 2017-03-09 22:56 (UTC)

She thought about Adam and how towards the end she could not help but notice that he enjoyed the skirmishes with humans that lead to violence. The comparison between that and monsters was not one that made her comfortable.

That's different, she told herself firmly. Koishi doesn't have a choice. He did.

"Sentimentality?" she asked.

She remembered how she had turned over and sobbed her heart out from the memory of being reunited with her parents upon awakening. If Koi had showed up then, she might have gotten a free meal.

Instead....Blake had eaten her fish. She tried not to feel sheepish. She really needed to learn to control herself around her favorite food.

Suddenly her ears perked straight up as though a light bulb had gone off in the Faunus's head.

"What if you could open....I don't know, an anique store or a hobby shop or something that stirs these kinds of emotions in people?" she suggested. "If you could find a way to make a job out of it, you'd have plenty to eat."

Koishi would have really liked that free meal, but what's done was done. Maybe invite her along at a family get-together... Or maybe that would be a terrible idea.

Koishi seemed to pause in the air, blinking owlishly at the suggestion before her face completely lit up. "That would be a wonderful idea Miss Shade! It would be a great way for sis to get what she needed since she could draw in all that ambient emotion. That's half of my problem solved if she does that!" Koishi was waving her arms excitedly.

"I need to find a different solution for me though since I need to feed more directly. I'm not really starving yet. It's been a months but I was full-up when the lady vanished so I'll be good for more months so long as I eat other meat. So don't worry, okay?"

Blake was happy to see that Koishi's excitement was genuine. That meant she may have actually came up with a fix.

"I'm glad to hear it," she replied with a genuine smile. She seemed to be thinking hard about something for a moment. Speaking of nostalgia...

"I don't know how you feel about libraries," she began hesitantly. "But I'm thinking of opening one. A friend left me a ton of books before he left this place."

She suddenly regretted not spending more time with Armin. He was one of the first people to welcome her here when she had been such a wreck.

"I couldn't possibly sell them," she continued. "But I feel that maybe they should be shared. So that other people could appreciate them. And it would give me more to do than Book Hunting and the occasional bounty."

Edited 2017-03-14 02:51 (UTC)

"I love libraries!" And then she was a bit more in Blake's bubble. "They smell so nice and have a huge wealth of knowledge in them. You should absolutely open one if that's what yo want to do!"

She was getting excited again, not that this was anything new. "Sis likes to write books; the stories we would hear and tell back when we lived on the mountains and had to forage and hunt and make our own clothes. She publishes them anonymously though since no one would want to read something by a satori youkai probably since people think we're so wicked. But I bet she would help out some or even donate some books!" A pause. "If that's okay with you."

"People might think satori youkai are wicked in your world," Blake agreed. "But do you really think the people of Genessia know or care? Most people here don't know what a Faunus is. And while people notice my ears, they get used to it and don't seem to care after that."

She paused in her walk, fishing for her P.O. box key. "I'd be happy to accept some books from your sister. I'd love to read whatever stories she has to tell."

"I suppose that's true." Her third eye swayed thoughtfully. "Of course, we are a rather wicked species of youkai. At least, some of us are. We're supposed to be active carnivores after all. Luke even said that there are books that have satori youkai in them in Genessia Library. So I dunno why people are so accepting and okay with us. Maybe people just haven't read that book?"

Mythology wasn't really a hot topic for most people.

"And I think you would love the stories Sis writes. But it would be even better if she could tell them in person. I'll even help out. We can't read each other's minds anymore but I know sis well enough and how she tells stories to embellish at the right times! Maybe!"

"I would be honored to have your work in my library," Blake said. "I'm sure there are some people here that like mythology, it's just not always a very talked about topic, as you say. But if they see other people reading the stories, they might ask."

Her second encounter with Ruby had started with Blake peering at her over the edge of a book, prompting the younger girl to ask more about it. Of course, Blake had spent a lot of her first couple of hours at Beacon buried in a book and determined not to be too involved with anybody.

But rather than ward people off, that had seemed to just draw people to her.

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