i'm the drudge that goes again and again [open]

[hauntedsavior]

WHO: Anna Lehmann and you!
WHERE: All around the city
WHEN: Throughout June
WHAT: Birthday stuff, event stuff, it's a catch-all, who knows
WARNINGS: Swearing, weed drugs, alcohol, monster blood, slight body horror but more psychologically?, will keep this updated

a. upload me to the robot brain [apprassage, 6/4, closed to Astin]

Come over.

The message gets sent out early, maybe around 7:00AM, when Anna wakes up and it feels like her legs have completely fallen asleep. She can't even kick out of her sheets. Fine, god, she'll do this the old-fashioned way—

And she sees it. It's started. Her legs look fucked up, unnatural, and she bends forward at her waist and runs her hand over the smooth black material on her right leg and the patches of skin on her left and her breath hitches because she still has breath to hitch. It's not done.

Her hands reach behind her and fumble for her phone. Shortly after the first message, she tries pulling herself up to a sitting position on her futon and her legs just feel like dead weight. None of it's really hit her yet but it's sure as hell going to. Another desperate text gets pounded out.

Not a request.

b. loosen up, time to drop [apprassage, on and around 6/16]

Christ. 27. Well, she can't say she expected to make it this far. She's taking the entire 16th as a personal day, staying inside and only leaving the complex if she absolutely has to go out and get something. She's been pushing herself far too hard lately and she just needs time to relax so she doesn't burn out in a different way. Maybe Astin's on their way over. Maybe Rose, maybe somebody entirely unexpected. She doesn't know and frankly she doesn't really care.

At least by now she's mostly used to being part robot. There's still... feeling in her legs, and her brain is starting to connect the dots there and register them as her own. It doesn't hurt, and she can walk just fine. Hell, she feels like she could walk for miles without even getting tired. But she could still use some time to unwind. Which means getting impaired to her comfort level and trying to relax.

c. the robot's here if the robots paid [all districts, all month]

This is her city. It's always going to be her city. And if Retrospec needs her help to bring it back to the way it should be, it's an easy fix. She's doing everything she physically and emotionally can, based off Zee's suggestions, in each district of the city. Catch her in Enprise delivering packages to people on her own two (robotic) feet, or run into her shoplifting in Chata! Sneak up on her doing some vigilante gardening in Viea Village! Challenge her to an eating competition in Tisse! The choices are yours and yours alone.

((if it's in blue or green, that's definitely something she's doing this month and is totally open to jump into. yellow ones will need some OOC discussion, and red are things she wouldn't be caught dead doing.))

d. fuck shit up, don't forget about it [outskirts, all month]

The problem with getting a couple new limbs—well, replacement limbs—well, one of the problems—is that they really need some breaking in, don't they? And lucky Anna, because she's fixing to break some things. She'll more likely be on the paths that would normally lead to Pesgare or Magatus, taking out some of her extremely complicated emotions on the encroaching monsters there. It's not often that a bloodstained swordswoman with what appears to be way-too-high black stockings shows up and starts killing things, starts severing limbs. But hell, if it's a war they want, she's good at that.

?. nonagon infinity opens the door [additional top levels to come as things happen]

Comments

[reaquila]

[ Nanashi had two months to dwell on stuff. He figures that it's time to move on too. They've got the right idea. ]

You know you're really strong. I figure you'll be alright somehow. When I look at you I don't feel worried or anything.

[ Anna can hold her own. He learned that much about her. ]

How'd you lose the wings though? Did it go away on its own?

[hauntedsavior]

[eh, she's okay. still weird that other people look up to her and that she can make them feel safe, apparently, but she'll take it.]

Yeah. Stroke of midnight on May 1st they just disappeared, but they stuck around that whole month. I guess because I had the spirit inside me for so long? [she shakes her head and looks up at Nanashi sheepishly.]

I was getting all up my own ass with metaphor about it. I was two steps away from dyeing my hair black and going full goth. You backed off at just the right time. I was a real insufferable piece of shit.

[reaquila]

[ He chuckles at the mental image of Anna wanting to dye her hair all black going goth. Well, at least she's alright. That's what matters. ]

We've all got our crappy days. Sometimes it just happens when you don't expect it. Happened to me too before.

[So he understands. ]

I spent all of last month getting wasted... Don't tell anyone I said that.

[Underaged drinking, rip. Nanashi's talking and digging holes at the same time.]

[hauntedsavior]

[she's used to having secrets about other people die with her. this is just one more for the pile.]

Shit, dude. I know the feeling. [she sighs and looks down at the ground, then back over to Nanashi.]

You're not gonna make me be the mom friend at you, are you? You actually have stuff to lose if this turns into a problem. [turns into?]

[reaquila]

Ugh, you understand what that's like. Alcohol can be your best friend when you don't want to give a fuck.

[ Nanashi shrugs. ]

I only drink like that when it gets really bad. It's not a common thing for me so don't worry too much.

[ He won't let it get too out of hand...he is still young and it would be troublesome if people caught him doing some underaged drinking. ]

[hauntedsavior]

[unsupervised underage drinking is her bigger concern. people can do what the fuck they want with their lives as long as they're doing it responsibly, and, like, yeah, she does care that much about Nanashi.]

Of course I understand what it's like. The day I lost the wings, I tore into a fifth of Jack and only left the apartment when people yelled at me to talk to them. [she's exaggerating a little.] Hell, I went on a full-on bender after me and Rose broke up.

So yeah. It's easy to go to and we have a lot of reasons to go to it. But if you're gonna get that wasted again, like. [she doesn't know where she's going with this, necessarily.] Text me or something? Text someone.

[reaquila]

There's no one to really watch me at home. Kinda noticed I was in trouble a little too late.

[ Big oops on his part. Nanashi turns over and looks at Anna directly. ]

I promise I'll talk to someone next time.

[ If there's something he's good at doing it's keeping his word on things. Nanashi doesn't like to break trust. He doesn't want Anna to lose faith in him because of this.]

[hauntedsavior]

That's all I wanted to hear.

[she takes a long moment to attend to her gardening after that. it's hard to figure out what to say without coming off as overbearing.]

Thanks. I know it's a pain in the ass to have someone mom you. Sometimes I like to pretend I'm a role model.

[reaquila]

It's not really a pain in the ass. I just think it's weird?

[ Nanashi's not used to having a mother figure. What is this? He doesn't even understand this kind of relationship. ]

Never grew up with my mom so I don't know what that's like.

[hauntedsavior]

[...really. well then.]

I hear it's supposed to be a good experience. She's supposed to teach you shit about life and how to avoid her mistakes or something. Never had that with mine. She just told me how to sit there and listen to shit that she wanted me to do.

[absolutely no love lost between her and her parents. unsurprisingly.]

I trust you enough to not run your whole-ass life into the ground, but sometimes you gotta have someone giving more of a shit about you than they normally would. I guess.

[reaquila]

I fucking get it.

[He straightens himself up and sighs. Nanashi removes some of the mud and dirt off his hands. ]

Sometimes I'm trying to look out for others even when I don't have my own crap together. You just wanna take care of people that are important to you.

[So he understands...even if Anna's not his mom the fact that she gives a shit means a lot to him.]

You're more like an older sister than a mother.

[hauntedsavior]

[Anna takes time to get to her feet, too. older sister, huh? well, she has experience, even if only one person in the city really knows about that.]

I'll accept that. [she "begrudgingly" smiles, but it comes to her face pretty easily.] This city's my life, and so are the people in it. If that makes me a older sister to the whole damn place, I'll take it.

[would it be so bad if someone else knew? that she feels like an older sister for a reason—especially now that her brain is starting to buy what her mouth is selling. well, fuck it, she's in a weird place. might as well.]

Might be nice, being a big sister again.

[reaquila]

You can say that again. I don't know where the fuck I'd be if I couldn't stay here.

[He's not going back to Japan. Recolle is his only home. ]

We have to defend this place with all we've got. [Nanashi makes an even bigger hole in the ground for the plants. There are already several large pits because Jeanne is helping them too. They've got enough hands on deck for this task. ]

Shit, gardening is so tiring. Aren't you exhausted yet?

[hauntedsavior]

I do a lot of these motions at the gym, but I'm getting there. Let's fill what we've got and call it, yeah?

[might as well. she has other stuff she wants to cover today, and not all of it is in the Village. her back pops loudly as she stretches, but it doesn't seem to bother her. in a moment she's back down on the ground and reaching for her bag, which has the last of the seeds that she'll be using today. she separates the packets and hands off enough to Nanashi for him to probably cover all the holes he's near.]

Is Jeanne gonna hate us if we have her water all these while we pack up? [she's just uncomfortable with bossing people around when it seems like they can't really disobey, is all.]

[reaquila]

Sounds cool. Time to take a quick breather before we tire ourselves out.

[Nanashi shakes his head.]

Nah, she's not gonna get pissed if we ask her to water the damn plants. Jeanne's pretty chill most of the time.

[She only gets upset when Nanashi acts out of line and does shitty things. Jeanne is a reasonable person. Anna can see that for herself. ]

[hauntedsavior]

Yeah, she always was, huh.

[there is no way she will ever get used to this to the point where it's just a normal thing that happens. she's got a friend (a little brother, she guesses) who can just summon Jeanne d'Arc! fuck.]

Thanks for helping out even with the leg thing. You could've found something that was less of a pain in the ass for you.

[reaquila]

It's alright Anna, I barely moved from this spot. [Nanashi stumbles a little before standing up.]

Digging holes is easy. Walking fucking sucks.

[He makes some hand gestures and lets Anna know he's fine. Jeanne starts watering the plants in the background. ]

The best thing I can do for myself is stay put for as long as possible.

[hauntedsavior]

Shit, then. Makes me wish I had a car so I could, like, drive you back home or something. [still, he's made it around just fine on his own so far. he'll probably be fine when they part ways.]

You got a shitload of video games or bad TV to binge on while you wait for that thing to heal up?

[reaquila]

I can get back home easily enough. Got a few buddies nearby who wouldn't mind giving me a lift.

[It doesn't sound like he's talking about someone human. Nanashi came here on a giant beast. He's going back home the same way. No one has to know the details.]

Ugh, yeah. There's so many crappy movies I haven't seen yet. Been avoiding action flicks because it makes me remember things. I'm stuck watching comedy and people pretending they're funny. They're really stupid at times.

[hauntedsavior]

[yeah, somehow having a car in a city like this almost seems quaint. she's got no problem believing Nanashi's got it covered and isn't gonna ask for details.]

Yeah, sure as hell are. I'm the same way with, like, not seeing movies. Except there's a ton of "good" ones I haven't seen either and that's apparently, like, the biggest sin a girl can commit.

[she rolls her eyes. sure, yeah, whatever. and she stops herself just short of making a comment endorsing getting fucked up while watching bad comedy movies because it makes them funnier—gotta be a consistent role model for him, yeah?]

I don't even wanna think about running the risk of watching a movie and remembering something.

[reaquila]

Fuck, it's the worst. A few months ago I was playing a video game at the arcade. Then I remembered getting eaten by a monster because of Retrospec.

[ No more video games where you can die terribly. They're banned from his life forever. ]

You can recall things just because you're watching tv.

[ He's gotta be more careful about the media he consumes. ]

[hauntedsavior]

Holy shit.

[yeah, like, wow. this is a lot. good thing she's not into sci-fi with robots and shit outside of the stuff everyone knows (and even then, just, like, the big stuff). it could get a lot worse for her a lot faster if she were.]

So you're telling me I should stay away from stuff like Slay Trey and that whole duel scene on the mountains in The Royal Spouse. Shit, I've actually seen those.

[reaquila]

Hell yeah, you should stay far away from those. No more carefree trips to the movie theaters. [Nanashi nods.]

For me it's anything with zombies and monsters. I can't watch crap like 30 hours later without feeling ill afterwards. [Gross.]

Kinda helps to know what kind of films you should avoid based off your memories. Then you can just watch everything else instead.

[hauntedsavior]

Don't worry. I haven't seen a movie on a screen bigger than my TV since...

[okay, well, bad example because she definitely watched something when it was projected on the dome back at the end of January, but before then.]

Christ, not in a while. Like, whatever they're calling the first phase of that big superhero thing? Not since then. [she shakes her head.] Good thing I'm not gonna run into anything dangerous with Sharktopus vs. Pteracuda. Hopefully.

[reaquila]

You'll probably be fine.

[ Anna's a big girl. She can handle herself when the going gets rough. She's kept it together so far so Nanashi has faith in her. ]

God I wanted to see Sharktopus at some point. Let's go see it together. Do you have any free time this week?

[ MOVIES....WITH ANNA...! That sounds fun. ]