Re: The Storm Rages, the mist Endures [Saya]

Fri Jun 18, 2021 8:40 pm

A beautiful memory? It was a kind statement. Those days beneath the waves, spent with those she cared about, had shaped and created her childhood with each passing day adding to her enamorment with the very world itself. The feeling of sand beneath her feet, water at her ankles, wind on her face. It was an existence at the horizon of one world and the precipice of another, where two lands inherently opposed to one another learn to make harmony despite their differences. Another day spent enjoying that idyllic life was a simple alternative to understanding the strange experience of the specter that seemed to haunt her partner’s mind- and certainly less complicated. What did it mean, that the figure had flickered to life in that moment? She had too little information to come to any conclusions- and even if she did, such claims couldn’t be validated until she got to know the kunoichi further.

Still, who ‘was’ she? Pieces were beginning to fall into place. A spunky, energetic, flighty personality. An earnest desire to shine as a star, an idol for the people. A fragmentation of the self- expressing otherwise repressed emotions through puppets to do so. A person who looked at the ever present threat of death over their head and simply paid it no mind. What did it mean? When put together, how did these pieces create ‘Sayatria’?

Listening for the moment as the kunoichi hummed to herself, before voicing her own speculations, she would mull over what was said. Personally, she didn’t like the word ‘invade’. While viewed through certain lenses, it certainly could be construed as such, Kikuko liked to view the communicative properties of Ninshu in the same way one might loosening the restrictions upon a dam. In exchange for loosening the restraints one has upon themselves, they can ‘gain’ more power. At the same time, it grants a vulnerability- oneself is shared, just as another is learned from. But is that not the point? Through surrender of the self, and knowledge of the other, conflict can hopefully come to its natural end.

“I’m glad that I didn’t accidentally offend. Maybe the visions will stop once she’s finished with her current work? I’ve heard that ‘vent art’ can help to dispel mental fatigue and worries when under unusual amounts of duress. Maybe then you can start getting back to your own version of normal?”

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[400]
{6712}

Fri Jun 18, 2021 8:59 pm

Kikuo took a moment in consideration of the complexity of Saya's personalities. She pondered deeply the intricacies of how our dear protagonist ticked and tried her best to break down the information that she'd been given in order to come to stronger conclusions than she had before. Saya on the other hand just kind of stood there listening to the song in her head. After a moment, not only was she humming the tune. Her head bobbed back and forth with the timing of the beat. Only then did Ai step in.

"Sister. You're doing it again. Come now. We have to stay present in convorsation. I know it can be tough when your mind shifts but it can be seen as rude. " In emphasis she placed a cold palm on the girls shoulder. Lithe fingers wrapped themselves around the joint, giving a small squeeze that helped her come back to the present.

"OH no. I'm really not very easy to offend at all don't worry. People have called me wierd for years and basically everyone I meet gives me the 'im not gonna say it but she seems kinda off' look. Never really bothers me. I think that my oddity comes from the level of genius I was born with and an inability to cope with the knowlege flowing through me at any given time. Can't say for sure though. " She thought about the next section carefully. She alowed the suggestion to flow through her until it mixed and mingled with the song in her head. Then she felt Ai's hand once more.

"Hopefully. I mean. I've definitely been doing some vent art. Like alot of it. All the time. LIke check it out. " Forming a few seals she'd conjure a space of black nothingness--the same nothingness she'd pulled the grooming tools from so that she could fix her hair after the rain. Sticking her entire arm in she dug around for a second and then came out with an enormous rack of clothing that set on the ground with the heavy thud of metal. How she'd fit it in the void was unclear, but for Saya the question wasn't could she do a thing. She could always find a way to do the thing she wanted if she actually wanted it enough. The rack was filled with various outfits, each made of high quality materials with immacualte stitching. Most were her size, though some were made more for the puppets and others in various sizes otherwise.

"I uh. Sometimes at night I get bored and I don't like being idle so I just sew. Honestly though I don't really experience mental fatigue. Dunno why." Pinochio dropped his head towards the ground. Of course she didn't. That was one of the many things that was compartmentalized for her not to really deal with. Emotional things were given to Ai, and any other stressors he took on himself. The sheer volume of mental fatigue she'd put on him over their time together was enough to knock out an elephant, but he bore the trouble with a smile--well. He bore it with a scowel and significant ammount of crankiness.

(TWC 7939)

Sat Jun 19, 2021 3:28 pm

The two girls were on different wavelengths. Where one considered, analyzed, deduced, the other lived in a separate world- one characterized by music, whimsy, and the simple enjoyment of sound. Was either any more valid than the other? Each had their own quirks, their own downsides and upsides. Both would likely be ostracized in some matter when in the presence of ‘normal’ Alba- yet here neither was afraid of judgement from the other.

“While being tough-skinned is by no means a bad trait, you shouldn’t let them badmouth you so easily.” She frowns. “Those sort of people usually tend to mean it innocently, or at least do so in a relatively innocent way. Still, there are those who thrive off of others squirming due to their words. It would be terrible if one of them were to drag you down that way.” Usually, referring to oneself as a genius could be considered as a form of arrogance. Then again, Saya wasn’t most people. In that sense, could that be said to be an advanced level of self awareness?

Watching as the kunoichi unveiled her past projects with curiosity, her eyes would widen slightly as the sheer enormity of objects becomes apparent. Perhaps she would need to challenge her own techniques again, if this much material could be stored within the space? She would come back to the thought later, when it was on her own time.

“Your outfits are very elaborate. Some of these I’ve never seen before, actually.” She would remark. “My mother specializes in more traditional clothing as well as everyday wear, so I’ve never gotten too much into ‘alternative’ clothing styles. It certainly doesn’t look like you were limited the same way, though. Just how many of these outfits have you collected, at this point?”

She had professed herself to be a singer, she remembered. Was that to say that Saya herself would wear these outfits while performing?

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[321]
{7033}

Sat Jun 19, 2021 4:50 pm

"....Am I tough skinned? Is that something I am?" It was certainly not a word she would use to describe herself, but was that a fault in her own perception or just an assumption linking her inability to recognize that people are being insulting to being able to tough it out? That was actually a good question that she'd need to look into answering. Unfortunately before she had the time to properly consider the diffrence between the two, the answer was given for her.

"Yesterday you pouted for a half an hour because your new friend said that meat was better then your favorite mappo tofu, and last week you cried for ten minutes because you broke your last sewing needle. Tough skinned is not exactly a phrase I would offer as part of your personality traits. " Pinochio didn't exactly intend for it to sound as harsh as it did. It was kind of his way of discussing. While each of the three had their own specific style of analysis, Pinochios was cold and calculating without regards for the implications of his synopsis. Immediately Ai stepped up to smooth the situation over.

"Yea... No. Not as such. I think you just don't realze that people mean it to be cruel so you don't think anything of it. That's kinda a super power of its own though right? I think that's very admirable. " Swing and a miss for the empathic sister puppet. While she softened the blow considerably from the crash way that pinochio explained, she hadn't exactly corrected him either.
"I wouldn't worry about people trying to drag her down though. Somehow she always finds a way to find the best of a bad situation and push through. It's kind of amazing really.

Saya began to speak, but decided that what needed to be said was probably already finished. What more could she actually add to this particular convorsation? She could disagree, she supposed, and start a fight between her sister and pinochio when he reiterated with examples how he was correct, but that didn't exactly solve much. No, instead she'd allow the discussion to move on, and see what new interesting things could be spoken of.

"Oh. Yea, well I kinda made them all myself. Most are just kinda from my brain. I think up these cool stories and then write songs about them, and then i create outfits and elaborate costumes that fit the characters looks so i can perform the songs in them. " That wasn't exactly true. It wasn't false either. Technically she took inspiration from a number of real world musicals and other media, but she couldn't say that because understanding the concept that there's a person in a room sipping on a glass of fine bourbon and puffing a cigar while telling this story to you my dear listeners would actually blow her little head. That is what we call the fourth wall and we do not break that.....Ignore everything i've just said.

"If.. If you want you can have some. I think you'd have to resize it because I doubt we're the same size but I can always make more and maybe it'll help you with inspiration!!!"

(TWC 7472)

Sun Jun 20, 2021 5:25 pm

Ouch. Even Kikuko had to stifle a wince as she watched the two puppets go to town (proverbially, of course) upon their sibling. Still, their correction had provided yet another insight. It wasn’t that she weathered verbal blows, so much as sidestepped them altogether- not through skill or finesse, but a simple lack of awareness of the intentions in ones surroundings. That sort of innocence was always a sort of blessing, and yet at the same time could quickly become a liability for oneself given the wrong situation. She hoped that Saya would never come to be in such a situation where that ended up being the case. “I retract my statement.” She would smile slightly as she spoke, watching the three interact.

To have come up with all these designs by herself bespoke talent on behalf of the kunoichi- fitting with her previous remarks. The inspiration is a fleeting, mercurous thing that comes and goes with its own compunctions. Sourced from many places, none can truly designate the ‘only’ source of their art. After all, can one designate the origin of every single thought that crosses their mind?

“Honestly, I’m just impressed that you’ve made so many. It must have taken a lot of dedication to do so.” She would muse. “Still, don’t you think we should probably head out of the changing room? We’ve been loitering here for quite a while, now.” Her face would light up at the offer of clothing. While she might always be attracted to the natural world more than the manmade, she was still a girl at heart. “I’ll consider that offer.” She would murmur.

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[272]
{7305}

Sun Jun 20, 2021 6:29 pm

"Oh. Yea. I mean alot of the time I just kinda get an idea and then it won't get out of my head until I make it. The trick is, all you have to do is stay up sewing until the sun comes up. Then you sleep a few hours and then boom. lots of things crafted every day! it's super easy!!" She was thumbing through outfits, trying to find the perfect one. Seven in, she stopped, took a step back, and a grin flowed across her face.

"Ok. This is EXACTLY what I was looking for." Taking it from the rack she'd hold what would look like a dress out in front of Kikuki, testing it against her form. "Mm size probably isn't right, but it'll be great once it's fitted!" In her hands was a godenrod colored sundress with white accents that made it look like the skirt was a field of flowing amber grass. "You're gonna love this. I think. It's your style right? I've only really seen you in two things so I don't have a full handle on what you like but i feel like this would go really well on your frame..." Offering her the dress, she'd give a nod. They had been in here for quite some time. She took another long moment to really consider the two outfits she wore. Understanding a person's personality was integral in getting a feel for their style. Personality is expressed as deeply within one's clothing choice as within their dialectic features or physical response. While saya was fairly bad at recognizing inflection if it meant being cruel to her, mostly due to the splitting of her mind causing that to be one of the others problems, she fancied herself quite empathetic when it came to the joys or pains of someone around her. Guaging Kiku's soft personality and the joy she seemed to take from opening herself up and sharing her light with others, she'd determined quickly that this style of clothing would probably be ideal. It also fit with her vibrance and allowed for easy movement during a fight. For the sake of battle or sparring underneath the skirt was a pair of shorts whose length easily hid beneath the bottom of the garment in the event movement might cause an awkward situation. She was considerate she liked to think.

Really it was less consideration and more having been yelled at by Pinochio quite a few times for her outfit choice failing to allow her to move as freely as she might need to. He'd been meticulous in pointing out the strategic flaws of the clothing she liked to wear--like the one outfit with two foot tall shoulder pads that stopped her from having any directional movement in her arms. That was of course a particularly bad example.

"Right. I suppose people would look at us funny if we hung out in the changing room for several hours. Especially since there's a full spa just two doors down." She would motion towards the door before turning to her sister to ensure she was also finished drying herself. Of course she had. She was a puppet.

(TWC 8002 exit, putting 8002 towards Freyja (8002/10k) and exit! topic closed after kiku's exit)

Tue Jun 22, 2021 4:08 pm

Sewing until the sun comes up. Assembling a puppet piece by piece until it isn’t just a tool, but something far more personal. Personality. That was it. Everything that Saya did was imbued with her ‘self’. In that vein, it was obvious why it was that the kunoichi’s presence could be considered as overwhelming by certain individuals- by inserting herself so much into her work and actions, it could be considered jarring by a more reserved person. Thankfully, she didn’t fall into such a category.

Noting Saya’s shuffling through the rack, she would observe the dress and how it fit against her frame. The color was a flowy, ephemeral sort of thing to her- reminding her of pictures she had once seen of a farm in a distant land. While she had never seen it herself, she could imagine the way the wind caressed each plant before moving onwards, leaving only the sound of rustling leaves behind. It was a transient moment, captured into clothing. A memory, an experience, a dream of somewhere far away from here.

Gently accepting the dress, she would size it up against her torso. Saya was right- it came a bit short, but that was nothing that was impossible to fix given a needle and thread. “It’s really beautiful, Saya. Thank you.” Smiling from ear to ear, she would run her hands across the fabric. Soft, but not enough for her to feel bad about wearing it in public. The shorts would help as well, for sure- while she was never the most dynamic fighter, she would rather not flash her panties to the enemy if it came to taijutsu combat. It was a kind gesture, while also being quite practical.

At Saya’s indication, she would gather herself together before nodding. “We have been loitering here for quite a while, haven’t we? Let’s try and use the other facilities before this place crowds up. It’s either going to be deserted or packed to the brim with weather like this.” Following the kunoichi to the door, she would fall into lockstep along with her as they step back into the facilities proper.

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[356]
{7661}
(exit- but to be continued in a new topic!)

Claiming as Follows:

+47 stat points, to be allocated as follows:
+20 Vigor
+8 Speed
+9 Chakra
+10 Strength

Other Claims as Following:
Butterfly Contract [1500/1500]
Oscuro [750/750]
Summoning: Iron Maiden [1312/1312]
Summon Shop Technique [562/562]
Summoning: Wandering Oasis (B-Rank) [1125/1125]
Mass Pull (B-Rank) [1125/1125]
Summoning: Rising Summon Pillar (B-Rank) [1125]
Remaining 162 words towards Seal of Redirection [643/2062]

Tue Jun 22, 2021 4:13 pm