[OPEN] ❁ hello mister fox, oh what a surprise

[roseblooms]

WHO: Fawkes and anybody interested in having a Kitsune Encounter™ in the dark
WHERE: Recollé University's campus and Recollé Woods!
WHEN: Anytime during the blackout!
WHAT: With the perpetual darkness making him edgy, Fawkes finally gives in to his restlessness and goes out on the prowl in his demon form, resulting in some seven-foot-tall Inuyasha-looking motherfucker out and about in your city.
WARNINGS: None for the log itself, but I'll post warnings in threads where they may be needed!


[The full moon in January is called the Wolf Moon, which is a thematically interesting but ultimately irrelevant thing that crosses Fawkes's mind as his hair turns white and his nails turn to claws at the ends of his fingers.

It's strange how the winter night doesn't seem altogether cold when he's like this, and it makes him wonder if that's a result of some sort of kitsune magic or if frigid temperatures just don't register on a demon fox's senses the way that they would on a mild-mannered college student's. Regardless, it's nice to not find the wind chill apprehensive when it blows in his face. On the contrary, the only thing the open air really leaves him feeling is alive, unfettered and free to roam as he pleases.

The other strange thing is, it really does seem to help with his quiet and carefully-suppressed agitation, to go out when it's late and just...roam. It's always aimless, to a degree; he never seems to have a set plan to follow when he sets out, and he never comes back to his apartment again until he's satisfied that he's exhausted his restlessness for another day, at least.

Sometimes he sticks to the university campus, following the general directions of the paths that the students tend to traffic while staying off of them himself, avoiding the necessity of stepping into the lamplight that lines them whenever he can in an attempt to keep from letting himself be seen. In darker places, he'll plant lamp weeds in small clusters, to provide just enough of a glow to help people keep their footing in the night. Other times he leaves a trail of them behind him, like breadcrumbs or apple seeds or will-o-the-wisps tempting unsuspecting travelers into danger, simply because it's whimsy and he feels like doing so.

Other times, he takes to the woods, and when he does, he runs. He's fast like this, and his reflexes are good; there's a certain pleasure to running and dodging and leaping, like he's out to indulge the fox that he evidently once was long, long ago in its natural inclinations. Out here, he's often more of a blur of silver than he is an apparition in the dark, unconcerned with notions of stealth as he leaps and bounds through the undergrowth. Here he sometimes plays with the plants as well, testing his powers against them and experimenting with making them grow and change beneath his control; in his hands, flowers transform into weapons and blades of grass wind up being less grass and more actual blades.

But wherever you might meet him, while he initially might give you a fright, at length one might observe that he's making no attempts toward appearing menacing; for all that he's seven feet tall with fox ears and a fluffy white tail, and therefore clearly a local cryptid out for a night on the town, there's nothing particularly aggressive in his demeanor and he'll meet the approach of a passerby with a certain amount of wary curiosity, not with malice.]

❁
[OOC: So here we have a catch-all log for Kitsune Shenanigans™ with Fawkes in the month of January! Feel free to hit him up if you'd like to encounter him; he'll be more wary around people he doesn't know than he will around his existing acquaintances, but underneath all the Inuyasha he's still fundamentally Fawkes in all his dorky grad student glory. Being transformed does tend to make him a little more blunt and rough around the edges (that's his demon side bleeding over a bit), but he's not dangerous and will have no issues with recognizing people he knows! It's a largely cosmetic change, with a little bit of "lack of filter" thrown in.

If there's something you'd like to plot specifically, please feel free to hit me up to discuss! Otherwise, toss me a top-level and I'll roll with whatever you come up with. o/]

Comments

university campus

[thesettingsun]

[Shuji has classes, and classes wait for no man or dome over the city. The normal paths have the benefit of being more level, and less likely to make Shuji trip over his own feet in the dark, so that's where he usually stays... but he's guilty of cutting across the grass sometimes, when he thinks he knows the way and he's impatient to get where he's going.

It's when he cuts through a grassy area that doesn't even have anything in it besides a couple benches that the light from his flashlight falls on someone very tall, and very fluffy, and very white. It's far too dark for him to immediately recognize this as Fawkes, especially since he avoids shining the flashlight at his face. It's rude to shine light right in people's eyes, that hurts.]

Oh! Hi.

[While yes, this is a local cryptid, lots of very nice people are cryptids now. So there's nothing fearful in Shuji's tone, just surprised.]

[roseblooms]

[Ah, a passerby. He'd be a poor excuse for a wild animal if he were to allow himself to be surprised by a passing human being, what with all the noise the average person tends to make when walking around through the grass. So he's not altogether surprised when Shuji turns up, which is probably good for everyone concerned, or he might've had a very different reaction to the beam of the flashlight falling over him the way it does.

He's seven feet tall at this point, ears pricked, tail relaxed, clad all in white. His eyes are gold instead of green, and he regards Shuji a little carefully, but without malice.]

Oh.

[What verbose conversation they're having, the two of them.]

Lost your way, have you?

[thesettingsun]

[The voice is a little more recognizable - but everything else is so different that it'll take Shuji a minute to place him as Fawkes, rather than just 'haven't I heard this voice before'.]

Taking a shortcut... Or that was the plan.

Nice weather we're having.

[A verbose and not at all awkward conversation.]

[roseblooms]

[For all that he might look like some feral creature or a thing that goes bump in the night, there still are the occasional moments that are dead giveaways to his true identity, and this is perhaps one of them: the way he cocks his head and stares up at the midnight sky in a slow look of pure irony, and then slides his gaze back down to Shuji in one smooth, utterly deadpan movement.]

Or aren't having, as the case may be. But yes, as perpetual darkness goes, I suppose it is worthy of being dubbed a solid "nice".

the woods!!!

[cardcaptured]

[There was something to be said about timing-- ironic that the Wolf Moon is the same month that another (little) wolf just so happened to get back some of his magic... his moon based magic, at that. Not that Xiaolang was aware what it was as of yet-- his mind was still so firmly entrenched in scientific explanations, that even the talismans he regained had some flimsy rationale behind them-- but Fawkes wasn't the only one feeling oddly restless this month. Instead of transforming into a giant furry and lurking the woods, however, Xiaolang was taking a more practical route: using the extra energy to funnel into his sword training, practicing on his own the forms and footwork that others had shown him until he was positive he got it down pat.

And while it was still chilly outside, the exercise was enough to keep him warm, enough so to have him unwind his green scarf-- his cherished Christmas gift-- and set it carefully upon one of the branches nearby. He hadn't wanted to leave it there for long-- just enough so he could finish up his set-- but a particularly strong gust of wind doesn't exactly give him a choice. The garment whisks away on the current into the dark woods as easily as a feather, making Xiaolang's heart lurch with dread.]

No--!

[Tossing aside his sword with his belongings and forgetting entirely about the electric lantern he had brought, he bolts after the scarf, trying to catch it before it drifted too far out of reach. He doesn't think about the odd, glowing buds near his feet as they crunch through the underbrush, illuminating his path, or the stray rose petal or two that happens to be dancing on the wind as his scarf gets further and higher away from him-- he just wants to get it back.

... hope you don't mind this totally flying into your experimenting place, Fawkes.]

[roseblooms]

[Even now, he's a little perplexed by the fact that one of the things he can do with his powers is an early variant of Petals and Thorns. The part about making clouds of flower petals is something he's mostly gotten under his belt by now, figuratively speaking, but he's still not yet at the point where he can achieve what he'd seen Kurama do in one of his dreams, forming it and then simultaneously turning the lot of them as sharp as razor blades with a thought.

And all things considered, that's probably good for Xiaolang, because it means that right now the only thing in the air is a cloud of rose petals locked in a perpetual freefall, swirling around and around in the beginnings of a vortex that inadvertently seems to be sucking in that runaway scarf as a result.

Suffice to say, it's a little surprising and unexpected when all of a sudden there's a length of green something-or-other amidst all of the red petals, and so it's with sudden curiosity that Fawkes wanders over through the cloud to pick it out of the air, running it gingerly between his long clawed fingers as he examines it. A scarf, of some variety? Curious.

— And, well. Given the sound of the underbrush crunching in a rapid and half-frantic rhythm, it sounds as though the owner of this wayward article of clothing might just be on his way to come try to get it back.]

[cardcaptured]

[The scarf itself is nothing much to look at-- it's clearly handmade, from the slightly uneven knit loops to the less than fancy yarn used to put it together, and the design is minimal at best. But, as plain as it appeared, it held a lot of work and a lot of care from the person who crafted it, and to lose it would mean throwing away all of her efforts. And Xiaolang wasn't about to let that happen.

It's not long until he makes his way into the clearing, picking his way through the bushes in near desperation, though another brief gust of wind gives him pause as it blows a flutter of petals near his face. Where was this all coming from? His knowledge of plants weren't the best, but it didn't seem like the time of year for roses.

... except. Oh.

That man. The tall, silver haired figure in the middle of the gentle shower of blooms, he felt... familiar, somehow. Nostalgic. Enough so to set his heart fluttering and his breath to catch somewhere in his chest, and Xiaolang hastily places a hand there to calm himself down a little. What in the world was that reaction all about? Sure, he was pretty-- really, really pretty-- but to suddenly get all flustered over this mysterious person...

Cheeks flushed, he shakes his head, trying to drag his focus back onto the situation at hand. Sakura's scarf. This guy had it in his hands, his... clawed hands. And those were most definitely fluffy ears upon head too. Now that his initial awe had dimmed, he was beginning to notice that the man in front of him wasn't quite a man after all-- he was something more, which was possibly dangerous. And here he was, stupidly without his sword, too.

But still. He wasn't a coward. He wasn't about to leave something dear to him behind because he was possibly intimidated by some handsome, mystical werewolf in the woods. He was going to be smart about this. Taking a couple steps forward, he holds his hand out, eyes determined but attempting to keep his face as stoic as possible.]

... that scarf is mine. I'd like to have it back.

[And, after a moment of deliberation--]

... please.

[roseblooms]

[In fairness to Xiaolang's distress, he really does cut a remarkably pretty figure in the night like this — and the wholly unnecessary shower of rose petals probably isn't helping anything, either. If he had his impeccable sense of smell back in its entirety, the rose petals would serve an additional use, as well, by putting a sweet enough scent in the air that he could smell any intruders coming just from the sake of the sheer contrast, but as it is it's the sound of Xiaolang's approach that has him already watching in the appropriate direction, sizing him up through glittering golden eyes.

...And. Shit, he better make sure all the razor-bladedness is sufficiently off before this unsuspecting teenager walks right into his cloud, shouldn't he. Shit.

That sufficiently taken care of, he lets the rose petals start to settle, drifting down on the hold of gravity toward the ground while he turns his attention to the scarf in his claws.]

Let it get away from you, did you.

[It makes him nostalgic, somehow, to see the handiwork in the thing from up close. Someone put care and love into making this for him. It reminds him of how long it's been, now, since he's last heard his mother's voice.]

Come and take it, then.

University campus

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta occasionally has late nights in the library, not that it matters these days because it's dark all the time.

The main problem is that he can't come to university with the sword. He's already skirting the rules by having a switchblade hidden on his person, there is no way he can get away with carrying a 2-meter blade around on school grounds.

Still, he stays alert. He did find Biffy transformed into a wolf in this area, and it wouldn't be in his nature to leave if anyone was in trouble. So his ears and eyes catch the movement just off the path and he stops.]

... Who's there?

[roseblooms]

[He's getting better at sowing his lamp weeds now that he's been doing it a little while; it's getting more natural to flick his wrist and sense precisely when the seed touches the soil, when to press his energy into it and encourage it to take root in a hurry, until a full-grown plant has sprung up and the blossom has started to glow.

He's in the process of doing precisely that when he hears the footsteps in the grass nearby, and pauses. There's no reason to be afraid, not when he's surrounded by plants but also not when he's transformed into this creature that appears to not even comprehend what fear is to begin with, and so it's mostly with curiosity that he turns to look in the direction of the voice, ears cocked and tail swishing behind him.]

Mm. I could rightfully ask the same thing.

[toobigtohandle]

[Kenta's eyes catch the swish and follow it to see... a tail? Wait, are those actual animal ears in the hair?

Maybe a few weeks ago, he would have freaked out completely about it. Except just recently, one of his friends apparently managed to get the ability to turn into a wolf and back... plus the creature is actually speaking in an intelligible way and not threatening, so...]

I'm sorry, but... who are you? What are you doing on the campus grounds?

[roseblooms]

[Hmm. Now herein lies the conundrum; it's one thing to be recognized outright, and have someone else arrive at the correct conclusion, but it's something else to volunteer that information if someone else can't piece it together already. And while he might be comfortable enough to indulge this side of himself and take it out for a prowl, he's still got his apprehensions about directly tying it to his non-transformed self.

...Maybe he's just watched way too many magical girl shows. Protecting your secret identity, and all that.]

I'm no one in particular. Just a wild animal out for a stroll.

[He's being facetious, obviously, but he's also gunning for a reaction, to see what Kenta will do.]

University campus

[blind_badass]

[Classes have started up again and with it comes going here and there and everywhere to get information and meet with teachers. Never mind the lack of light, he goes about his business like normal. Unlike people who might appreciate having lampweed, Snake is a bit thrown off by the new additions he can sense. He just doesn't what they are.]

Hmmm. New decorations?

[roseblooms]

[Now that's new and curious. Since the darkness fell over the city, it's been rare to find anyone moving through the night like they own it; most people have been clinging to whatever reserves of artificial light they can find, and seeking to impose as much normalcy onto the abnormal situation as they can for the duration. But this one isn't; everything about his body language suggests that he's wholly unconcerned with the current state of affairs, and that's fascinating enough to be worth a closer look.]

Something like that.

[He hangs back, keeping to the shadows while not precisely going out of his way to conceal himself outright, and waits.]

A little something to comfort the passerby.

[blind_badass]

[That's unusual in and of itself. Snake couldn't even sense the person nearby until they spoke. Hmmm. But clearly there is someone near him now.]

Comfort? [Snake takes a few cautious steps toward whatever the things are and can finally sense that the amount of light is changing.]

Ah, I can tell now. I guess that would be convenient for people who need that kind of thing.

[roseblooms]

[Aha. So that's it, then — and that explains a lot, really.

Rather politely (or what he assumes is politely), he rustles the grass at his feet a bit, making just enough noise that it's fairly easy to pick out where he is.]

Mm. You haven't found the current state of affairs to be much different from the norm, then, have you?

the woods

[parodeity]

[ dave avoids the woods a lot of the time, but sometimes it can't be helped; it's more private than rooftops at times and he's curious if the dome has changed anything within. he should tell someone he knows he's going,but he doesn't, instead keeping the investigation to himself only...

and when he sees a blur of silver out of the corner of his eye his reaction is to draw his sword out of his strife deck immediately and go on the defensive, holding it in front of him and automatically trying to block a blow that probably isn't ever coming.

flashstep always gets a nervously defensive reaction out of him, these days. ]

[roseblooms]

[Oh. Someone's out here — and he's armed.

It's the sword, actually, that catches his attention. Not because he's particularly concerned about it as a weapon that might be used against him, no, but because there's something appropriate about the thought of someone else being out here, himself like this and someone else with a sword.

Hiei, he thinks idly, because those mental connections still aren't natural for him the way that they would be for Kurama, but he's still got the foundations to make them nevertheless. Hiei with a sword and himself with his plants. That's how it ought to be, whatever..."it" might be, in and of itself.]

You're frightened.

[That's maybe not the kindest observation in the world, but he's always a little more blunt than usual when he lets this side of him overtake him.]

[parodeity]

[ it's not an observation dave's easy with, anyway. it's true but he has never acknowledged that fear (not in months, not aloud) and he grimaces before his expression goes neutral, eyes tracking movement from behind his shades. ]

Startled.

the woods

[playdolls]

[ They come out here to hunt for feral cats and their subsequent kittens. It's fairly often indeed that Pitou can be found rooting around in bushes and fallen trees, taking stock of any newcomers or new litters, making plans for capture, spay, return, or for new shelters or places to put down food.

But the fox draws their attention, a scuff of movement in the edge of their vision, and Pitou turns to follow the shadow. Others, with perhaps more sense, might let the creature go on its own way, or even be wary, ready for defense. Not Pitou. They drop the things they're holding and start to chase almost as soon as their brain has reconciled the size of the thing.

Not a local animal at all, but something more more. ]

[roseblooms]

[There are chases, and then there are chases. He still has the too-real, bone-chilling memories of a time when he was running for his life, wounded and frightened with hunters hot on his tails, when desperation had made him daring and he'd made choices that would change him forever, yet preserved his life long enough that he could live to see those changes come to fruition. There are chases like that, where fear drives him on and the need to survive dictates his actions.

But then there are ones like this, where he's not altogether certain of who has made him their quarry but he's yet been given no evidence that he ought to feel threatened by it. It's more of a curiosity, then, to be running and suddenly have a pursuit take hold.

Well, all right, then. Whatever it is, if it thinks it can keep up, then let it.

He lengthens his stride, taking longer bounds, which in turn cuts his reaction time down to an even slimmer margin and forces him to be more daring in his pursuits, with less and less room for error. It also makes him louder, unconcerned with the noise he makes as he hurtles around trees and through the underbrush, navigating in no particular direction because he's only listening for the sounds of his pursuer behind him — or the silence that would confirm that he's lost them.]

[playdolls]

[ Keeping up is difficult. For all that they now look inhuman, their transformations have been cosmetic. Their tail does nothing to improve balance, their ears do nothing to increase sensory reception. They are not what they should be: the strength of a chimera ant, the grace of a cat, the power and cleverness of a human.

Keeping up is difficult, in this form, but not fully impossible. Pitou knows the woods, and has made a fine hobby of athletics, gymnastics, running, parkour. All mainly driven by their need to be empirically better than others. Better. Faster. Stronger. Smarter. Is ego their most marked trait?

So they lag, but don't lose, and when the fox stops, Pitou comes crashing in from overhead after using a few branches to push off of for height. They land with an eager grin in their sweaty face. ]

Hah.

[ A chortle of self-satisfaction. Gotcha. ]

university campus

[admiringly]

[ Chiyo's at the university to visit some friends she has there, and in the darkness, the lamp weeds stick out like a beacon. She recognizes them from Fawkes' post, and her wariness is at a minimum. When she sees they form a trail, she's compelled to follow it. If it's from Fawkes, she can trust it, right?

She does not have enough environmental awareness to notice if anyone else is around, but she crouches down by a cluster of lamp weeds. ]

He's really nice, isn't he?

[ She's talking more to herself than to plants, but it looks like the latter. ]

[roseblooms]

[And wouldn't you know it, Fawkes truly isn't all that far away at this point, but he's easily missed in the darkness and from the way he knows to conceal himself. He's oddly pleased when he sees Chiyo, though, remembering their conversation on the network, and it's enough to make him a little bit daring. Certainly he's a bit terrifying right now, being seven feet tall and silver-furred all over, but...

But she'd said it herself, she'd like to see him like this, and while it technically wasn't planned, perhaps there's no time like the present.

So he reaches into his hair, finding the seed for a rose and bidding it to bloom in his hand with a wide pink blossom, and then tosses it lightly to land near her in the grass.]

[admiringly]

Oh!

[ It's a pop of color Chiyo notices immediately in her peripheral vision. Her face lights up because pink roses are so pretty, but where did it come from? She picks it up and looks up and around, stilling as soon as she sees Fawkes.

Her eyes go round, and she forgets to breathe for a second. He is a little terrifying, but he's also stunning. ]

U-Um...! Am I... bothering you? I can leave?

[ She tries to sound as inoffensive as possible. Chiyo may have some common sense, but she's dumb. She doesn't recognize Fawkes in his demon form because when he said kitsune, she thought he meant full nine-tailed fox. ]