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 Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2017 9:35 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon]   Rednal Ak'Thias and Korina Yamaka"Um.""Hi." Korina said with a smile, apparently not at all concerned with the way she was sitting on his chest and pinning him to the bed. Rednal had questions about this - plural - but one of the things he'd learned over the last few months was that Korina was very... headstrong... and generally did what she wanted. "I was thinking about pranking you before you left on your trip, but I couldn't think of anything good.""But... you still wanted to talk?"Korina's response was a sunny smile. "Something like that. I was just thinking... that moratorium on activity has pretty much worn out now, and knowing your luck, going on a ski trip is going to end with all kinds of explosions, and probably someone being a total t**t to you and your friends. You sure you're ready to go?""As ready as I'll ever be, I think." He answered. There was none of the nervousness or hesitation that would have been in his voice before Kyori's intervention. "If they bother us, we're going to show them a bad time. I can't stop them from trying to hurt us, but I can believe in my friends and the things we can accomplish together. ...That includes you, by the way." He grinned slightly as he saw Korina's face flush. She was bold, but... she still got embarrassed about the weirdest things. "That's not fair." she told him. A small smile crossed her face a moment later, though. "But... all right. You're facing forward, and that's what I wanted to hear." She rolled off of the bed and landed on her feet, straightening up again before bending forward and pecking him on the cheek. "I'll let you finish your packing. And... have fun, okay?" With that, she left his room, leaving Rednal to look after her for a few more moments. He never really knew what she was thinking... but she seemed happier these days, and much more relaxed. It was... nice.
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Posted: Fri Jan 20, 2017 6:49 am
[12/12 - Afternoon]  YunoYuno set her bags down as she returned from Junes (and dropping Faust off at his home again), grabbing a number of cloth bags out first and spreading her supplies over the table. There was dried meat, some sports drinks that had a way lower freezing temperature than water, dried fruit, nuts... lots of things that wouldn't perish so easily, and she determinedly got to work packing them together to pass out later on. Being prepared was much better than simply blundering in blind, and her eyes flicked upwards as she heard the sound of a door closing upstairs. Korina passed by a moment later, and Yuno's hand almost unconsciously went towards a knife before she snatched it back and continued working. One way or another, she wanted to make sure the trip was fun, and the weird cult girl wasn't even coming along to begin with.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:38 pm
Miki Nanao Walking cautiously through the streets of Inaba, Miki made her way to the Amagi Inn. It wasn't her actual destination, but a landmark she was told to look out for. She was avoiding walking too close to anyone who went by, but thankfully the streets were mostly empty due to the snow and cold. Breathing a small cloud from between her lips, Miki moved further down the street, looking for a large house, where someone named Rednal would be able to help her. Finding the house quite easily, she'd gotten used to mapping streets in her head these days, Miki walked up to the front door and rung the doorbell, jumping slightly as it chimed out, calling out as she caught herself. "Ah, um, hello! I was sent here by... Um, a friend? They said you could help me!"She wasn't sure how much she should say outside, so she kept it brief, hoping someone would answer the door soon.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 7:56 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'Thias...This keeps happening.Rednal chuckled slightly as he heard someone unfamiliar call out, though, and he moved over to look outside and open the door. Standing there was... well, someone who didn't seem like a horrible monster there to ruin everything he cared about, actually. That was nice. "Nice to meet you." he said, opening the door and gesturing for her to come inside. He suspected he knew who the girl's 'friend' was. "Did they send you for anyone in particular, or...?" the more he knew about what she needed, the easier it would be to help.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:00 pm
Miki NanaoAs the door opened, Miki took a step back, just to increase the space between herself and the boy that stood there. "Um, yes, Lady Ciela sent me to find someone called Rednal? He's supposed to be able to help me, with lodging and such. Is that... Is that you?"Eyeing Rednal up and down, Miki was careful not to let her thoughts show on her face. He didn't look like much, he certainly didn't look like he knew about her problem, or how to solve it, but Lady Ciela had sent her here, promising he could. "I'm Miki" she said with a short bow. "Miki Nanao, and I'm sorry to ask this but please, if you can, help me. I have no where else to go."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:07 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'Thias...One of these days, I'm just going to start billing them for all this.More seriously, though, she didn't sound like a liar to him - and Lady Ciela (Aselia had been very firm about the proper honorific there) probably wouldn't have sent this girl his way if she didn't think he could help. "Well, you're gonna have to double up with someone... but I owe her a lot. Come in." he said, tilting his head - the door was open and he was out of the way, after all, and it was a bit cold to be standing with the door open all day. The middle of December tended to be like that. "Dinner's not going to be for a little while, but we've got some snacks if you're hungry."
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:20 pm
Miki NanaoDouble up?Putting that out of her mind, a small smile came to her face as Rednal invited her in, it certainly was cold, and she wasn't dressed for such weather. At the mention of dinner her stomach grumbled softly, and she quickly, but hopefully discreetly patted it to make it quiet down. "Um, yes please, if it wouldn't be too rude of me, I... could use some food"Miki looked down again as she stepped inside, deliberately stepping around Rednal as far as she could. Lady Ciela was one thing, but this boy had yet to prove he was trustworthy, and she was very cautious these days.
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Posted: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:34 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'ThiasAfter showing Miki to the table, Rednal headed into the kitchen - and it wasn't long before he returned with a large mug of hot chocolate. It was something he rather enjoyed on cold days, and it was soon joined by some rice crackers. They weren't exactly a meal, but they'd certainly stop her stomach from rumbling. Now, what would be a good way of breaking the ice... hmm... "So, uh... do you have anything you need brought inside? Or is it just you?" he inquired. There was no judgment in his tone. If she literally only owned the clothes she was wearing, they'd have to go get some extra dishes and such - something he was actually quite used to at this point.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 7:25 am
Miki NanaoShowing her hunger, Miki quickly devoured three of the rice crackers before gulping down a mouthful of hot chocolate. Thankfully it wasn't so hot it hurt, but just the right temperature to warm her from inside. Reaching for another cracker, she nibbled this one, looking sheepishly at Rednal. "No. Uh, I don't have anything, only what I'm wearing. Well, I do have a little money, Lady Ciela gave me some to help get me started. She also said she'd take care of enrolment, but that I'd need to buy the uniform myself."She wasn't sure what else to say. How did she tell him why she needed help? She hadn't been able to rely on anyone in months, and she had no idea who this boy was, let alone if he would actually be able to help with her situation. "Can I... Can I ask why Lady Ciela sent me to you? No offense, but you don't exactly look like much..."Miki didn't mean to sound insulting, but she spoke her mind about what she saw.
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Posted: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:54 am
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'Thias"Heh. None taken." he answered. Actually, it was kind of nice to talk with someone who still thought he was normal, given what so many of his past experiences had been like. "If I had to guess, though... she usually sends someone this way when she wants them to make some friends. I mean, it's not like they don't have other dorms." he observed. "I'm not actually part of the Yatagarasu or anything - I just kind of accidentally ended up helping them, and now, here we are." He gestured around the room. A girl with long, pale hair was sitting on the couch, and waved slightly as she noticed a bit of attention coming her way. "Let me think... Flan needs her privacy. Ga-chan and Korina definitely prefer it, and you probably don't want to share a room with me..." He didn't sound like he'd refuse such an offer, but he clearly wasn't going to push it, "...so that just leaves..." he clapped his hands twice. "Hey, Char! You've got a new roommate!" Charlotte, the Demon Maid
One of the doors opened, and a girl with pink hair, pointed ears, and a maid uniform peeked out. "As you wish, Master! I was kinda hoping for a roomie anyway." she moved over, then lifted up the sides of her skirt slightly and curtsied to Miki. "How do you do? I'm Charlotte. You can call me that, Char, or anything else you like - except late for dinner, because I'm usually the one who makes it. If there's anything you need, just let me know and I'll take care of it. In the meantime..." she looked Miki up and down. "Well, the bed's big enough for two - and if you don't want to use me as a hugging pillow, I think we can fit a few down the middle so we don't bump into each other. Want to get settled in?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 6:36 pm
Miki Nanao"I don't really mind who I sleep with, as long as it's in a real bed. Park benches get old, very quickly, especially in this weather."Miki frowned at the thought, remembering all the times she'd been chased off as well. "Rather than settling in, I'd like to know how you intend to help me. Though, I suppose I should tell you what's wrong first..."Her Atma brand was fully visible, as her tattered uniform didn't exactly cover her stomach these days, but whether Rednal had noticed it and was keeping quiet, or just thought it was a normal tattoo, whatever the case he hadn't brought it up. "I... I don't like remembering, let alone talking about this... But I was-" Miki choked up a little at this point, but pushed through the painful memories, "I was kidnapped, to force my father to back a certain policy, he was a politician. They were going to kill me. They tried. But something happened, I don't remember. All I know is I woke up at home, with this mark, and the... ability to change into a monster."Miki placed a hand on the mark tentatively, as though it burned her fingers to do so. "Apparently I killed people... Horribly. Since then I've only transformed when things got really bad, but I've never been able to control it, 'She' always takes over."
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:01 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'Thias"I see." Rednal said, sitting across from her and thoughtfully sipping from his own drink. "Well, first of all, there's one thing I need to say - whatever powers you have, you aren't a monster. Trust me, I've met a few-" Korina sneezed slightly, "-and nobody who's worried about hurting other people is one. If you just want to be as safe as you can be so she'll never come out again, we can help with that. If you want someone tough enough to take anything your power can dish out, and perhaps teach you to control it instead... we can help with that, too." He took another sip of his drink. "You're with friends now. I'm not going to tell you what to pick, or that one route is going to be better than another - it has to be your decision. What I can say is that I don't want you to live in fear anymore. I did, once - tried to do everything myself because I was afraid of trusting even my closest friends with anything. It, uh, didn't really work out." Sip. "Long story. I can tell it sometime if you're interested. Anyway, I think what I'm trying to say is that I understand where you're coming from. We all have our inner demons - sometimes a bit more literally - but you can't run from them forever. So if you're willing to have a little courage and take the first step..." he held out his hand. "...then I promise you'll get the help you need. We may be a bunch of weirdos in this house, but we don't give up on our friends."
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:08 pm
Miki NanaoMiki hesitated, but only for a split second, before delicately placing her hand in Rednal's. She was worried, sure, but something about him, plain as he looked, made her trust him. "I'll do it. I'll learn to use my ability, without 'Her' taking control. I don't want to be afraid. I want to help people. But my ultimate goal is to lose this power, and go back to being normal. For now, please help me."She blushed a little that she was being so demanding of someone she literally just met, but again, something told her he wouldn't mind. She realised, suddenly, she was still holding his hand, and quickly pulled hers back, her blush deepening, and she turned around so that he couldn't see. "I need a bath! Char, could you please show me the way?"
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:29 pm
[12/12 - Afternoon] Rednal Ak'Thias"Some people might laugh, but... you know, I think being willing to give up any kind of power you've gained takes courage, too." He observed. There was a faintly odd tone in his voice, like he was remembering something. "Guess it's that kind of day."Charlotte, the Demon Maid
"Right this way, Milady." Charlotte said with a big smile and a small bow, holding out one hand palm-up and gesturing up the stairs. Once they'd gone up, she led Miki to a changing room. There were a couple of boxes for clothes along the wall, and she opened the inside door to reveal the big tub and the cleaning area inside. It looked like at least three people could fit in the tub itself. "The controls here are pretty simple - Korina took a dip earlier, so it's already hot, but feel free to lower the temperature a bit if it's too warm for you. I'm also happy to scrub your back if you'd like a little help getting clean - if not, that's fine too." she seemed a little amused at the idea. "There's a lot of people in this house, so you might have to share it at times - if you'd rather have more privacy, just let me know and we'll figure out a time to leave it open for you." she stepped back into the changing room. "Aaaaand that's it, really. Bathrooms are pretty straightforward. Unless there's anything else I can help with?" she didn't sound like she'd mind any request - but then, she was a maid. Serving and helping others was what she did.
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Posted: Sat Jan 28, 2017 7:46 pm
Miki NanaoPeeking in at the bath, Miki was quite impressed. They'd had a bigger bathroom in her family house, but this was quite large all the same, it would certainly be nice to relax in a big tub with actual hot water again. "I uh, I hate to be a bother, but would it be possible to get your help? I haven't had a real bath in a very long time..."She didn't mean to be rude, but Miki started stripping right there, leaving her clothes on the floor in a pile. No girl her age should be used to that, but bathing in public, or even in rivers, you lost a lot of your sense of shame. A large round scar, perfectly circular, could be seen just off-centre of Miki's back. It looked quite old, but somehow still fresh at the same time.
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