[OPEN] haven't you noticed

[sealeted]

Who: Hakuno and other hard-working Heroes
When: 7/05—8/05
Where: Caissa, Petrosian
What: Hakuno performs hard labor for hard cash. Edit: This also doubles as an overflow post for any Ball/Festival threads that people might want to continue.
Rating: Probably general, will modify as necessary


i. fly angry

Shoot shoot shoot...

[Is she talking to herself, or the jammed tranquilizing gun in her hand? Well, really, it shouldn't matter. What matters, in the moment, is the bulging mail-bag bouncing on her hip as she bolts down the streets and side-streets and the trio of gryphons swooping after her. She skids and bolts around a corner, nearly falling, and ducks inside the nearest coffee shop for sanctuary. She quickly gets away from any windows and flops into an empty seat, offering a tired smile to the wide-eyed waitress as she smoothes down her hair.]

Sorry. Mail delivery is a bit more serious than it used to be, these days.



ii. a good day's labor

[Hakuno is, perhaps, a little too excited for such a normal, banal chore. She's even humming as she bends to weed her plot of land, gently shooing away the squirrel-like creatures that occasionally crop up and try to nibble at the bucket of roughage. Francis Xavier's sweet, pleading gaze is far more effective, so she doesn't pay them any more heed than it takes to send them skittering off.

She pauses after she clears her first patch, retightens her ponytail, and hefts up the bucket to go toss it with the rest of the weeds. Once that's done, she stretches and glances around]

Now, where exactly do I grab those seeds...?



iii. day at the museum

[Hakuno is fascinated. She's buried in a stack of books, eagerly drinking in the recorded history of Gammon. Whatever her feelings about Ryder might be, his country sounds beautiful. There are some tourism pamphlets she's managed to scrounge up, and the elderly librarian agreed to talk to her about his honeymoon to Gammon when he takes his lunch break.]

Such a huge clock... I wish there was a bigger picture of it.


iv. before the stroke of midnight

[Hakuno had a top-level for the party-log here if you wanted to continue anything!]

Comments

I

[showsnopiety]

[Caren raises her eyebrows as Hakuno flies in, and skids right to her table. She'd been having a relaxing espresso on break, with her traq gun by her side and...

there she was. Her eyebrows raise to the bulging bag, before flicking her gaze over to Hakuno.]

Something of that sort. I haven't been delivering myself.

[But shooting big things down is rather soothing, even if the protesters are rather bothersome. Caren takes another slow sip of her drink before setting it down.]

Why are you not using your gun?

[sealeted]

Hello Caren.

[Hakuno nods her head in a belated greeting, flushing slightly in embarrassment at her... less than poised entrance, now that she realizes somebody that she personally knows witnessed it.]

Well, it decided to jam on me the third time I found myself with some persistent parents-to-be.

[She holds it up helplessly.]

I'm... well, I'm not going back out until I figure out how to fix it.

[showsnopiety]

Hello Hakuno.

[She raises her eyebrow slightly. Not very poised, looked like she was running from something...yeah, someone is in trouble. Caren makes a small, amused sound, and holds up her hand.]

Let me see. I can not promise anything, but you can hold mine in the meantime.

[sealeted]

Thank you.

[Hakuno quickly passes over the gun, her eyes lighting up a bit.]

Honestly, anything would help at this point. I don't actually know much about guns, nonlethal or otherwise.

[showsnopiety]

[She nods, the gesture distracted as she takes the gun, and lays it on the table. Without looking up, she offers her own to Hakuno. This might take awhile.

It's not an area of expertise for her.]

I'm not surprised. There's not many Archers summoned that use guns? They're too recent.

Not to mention, tranquillizer guns are not viable on humans. Midazolam would likely be the best, but it's tricky at best, and dangerously stupid in combative situations. It'd be easier to rely on a sleeping spell.

[sealeted]

[Hakuno accepts it, peering curiously as Caren works.]

Well, I knew a Rider who could use cannons. But, yeah, if there were any gun-based Servants in the Grail, they weren't in my bracket. I don't know much about sleeping drugs, either, but you make a compelling argument all the same.

[showsnopiety]

[Caren's already turned the air rifle over in her hands, and is taking a good look and feel over the magazine and the trigger. She's not an expert by any means but she thinks she can figure it out if it's a problem.

Thinks being a key word.]

Cannons are a slightly different category. Guns tend to be uncommon, unless it's masters who are mage killers. Archer might be able to, but he likes his swords.

[Her voice is distracted as she picks it up, the barrel aimed at the wall as she takes a close look at it.]

Mm. We've different backgrounds. I'm still uncertain what your education covered. Just history?

[sealeted]

Mm. Guns were, I think, a lot more common outside of the Moon Cell. The world out there was a bit of a mess, from what I could gather.

[Hakuno rubs her chin, turning the question over in her mind carefully.]

Well... I was created with basic knowledge already loaded in, so to speak. I did know a lot about history to begin with, more or less. I came with all the knowledge an average, unremarkable female high school student should have, since I was created to pad out the Preliminaries.

[showsnopiety]

It's part of modern warfare these days.

[Which is her way of saying that yes, it is a mess. But even as she takes a closer look at the magazine, she pauses. That...is...interesting.]

Pad out the Preliminaries?

[sealeted]

Yes, that much seems constant.

[Hakuno tilts her head, tapping the table top thoughtfully.]

During the Preliminaries, the original 999 participants were convinced by the Moon Cell that they were average students living an idyllic boring life. Those who could detect something was amiss and Summon a Servant earned a place among the 128 survivors who went on to the Elimination Rounds.

[showsnopiety]

Humans are good at learning effective ways of killing other humans.

[As the air rifle goes to show. But...nearly a thousand participants, living the idyllic life...that sounds like hell. A life she knew too well, actually.]

So those who were unable to detect or summon a Servant were deleted.

[sealeted]

Yeah. And, the ones who grew cognizant of the difference but failed to summon a Servant were cut down by enemies generated to provide a... catalyst for the Summoning. A need.

[She thinks of Julius, and heaves a small sigh.]

And some were obliviously cut down by Masters strong enough to understand the circumstances from the start.

[showsnopiety]

How ruthless.

[And cold. She would have liked that world, a bit maybe. Maybe that was why that world never generated a copy version of her-she would have encouraged the worst in them, thrown the whole thing off.

Why? Because it'd be fun.]

I suppose this world is soft in comparison. Speaking of things in the world-I can't fix this. I don't have the proper tools to take it apart. We'll have to go back to exchange it for one that works.

[sealeted]

Yes, that's definitely a good word for it.

[Hakuno can't even feel disappointed. this was a long shot, after all. And that last part—]

Oh, does that mean you'll come with me?

[showsnopiety]

[It does make her slightly more interested in Moon Cell, but there are other things to be done in passing.

Like getting Hakuno armed again. Pity she can't fix it here, but hey.]

Yes. You can concentrate on running, and I can cover your back.

Unless you want me to carry the mail?

[Not to say that Hakuno isn't strong or unable but...griffons.]

[sealeted]

No, this much is already a huge favor. Thanks.

[If there's one thing Hakuno is good at, it's dodging attacks while somebody else takes care of returning fire.]

[showsnopiety]

You're welcome.

[Masters, learning the art of dodge? Yeah, it's a something of a given.]

Do you need a drink before we head off?

[sealeted]

No, I should be fine.

[She made sure to hydrate before she picked up her mailbag, fully expecting to need to run for dear life.]

But, please don't rush on my account.

[showsnopiety]

[Oh good, that's smart Hakuno.]

It's not rushing. I'm almost done.

[sealeted]

Oh. Then, I'm ready whenever you are. Thank you again, Caren.

[showsnopiety]

It's the least I can do.

[She shrugs, and as she finishes her coffee, she moves to stand up and grab the air rifle. Let's make this into some sort of mini game Hakuno.]

[sealeted]

Alright.

[Hakuno takes on quick, bracing breath before they go. And once they hit the streets, something shifts in her, as if she's falling back into the oldest habit she has. And, maybe, she is.

Enemies targeting her, a network of avenues and streets laid out, like a maze, running with a single protector close behind...

Yes. It's definitely familiar ground.]

[showsnopiety]

[It's a strange sensation for Caren. If the griffons were wolf men, the air rifle her shroud...maybe it could have been like old times.

But it wasn't. All she's reminded of is that Hakuno is not Avenger, and never will be. And again, there's the sense of loss.

Which she savours, much like another would pick at a scab.

It gives her something to do, even as she keeps an eye for what's around them.]

[sealeted]

[Hakuno is straining her ears as she moves, past the normal hustle and bustle of city life, and there's the scrape of talons on stone, the ruffle of wings getting ready to flap—]

Up ahead, around one of the corners in the intersection; there's at least one coming up, I think.

[showsnopiety]

I hear it.

[She grimaces; she knows she isn't good enough to shoot and run at the same time. So it's time to take a gamble.]

Run ahead of me. I'll take the shot at the interaction.