DEPLOYMENT 15: Be the Other Walking Nuke

[walking_nuke]

[(Note: All tagbacks will be from walking_nukebird!)]
[ACTION - A (847 Goldberg Street, Early Morning, HOUSEMATES)]

[The first thing Balin notices as he starts to wake up is that he's in some kind of cubicle, swaddled in big, fuzzy blankets. He grumbles, thinking that yet again Mayfield has kidnapped him in his sleep in preparation for its latest twisted game.]

[... Until he realizes that his grumble sounds rather bird-like.]

[And his field of vision is ... considerably wider than normal.]

[He raises up, and cranes his head around to discover that ... he's covered in feathers. Black, iridescent feathers—]

AWK!

[Were he still in his human body, Balin might have lept out of bed and reached for his sidearm ... but he's no longer Balin Wilbur. He's now Utsuho Reiuji—and considering this is the man-eating town-burning youkai he'd fought with not long ago, he's taking this predicament far worse than he might have if he were swapped with someone else.]

[So instead, the hell raven that has been spending most of the past few weeks sleeping peacefully in that box, courtesy of Virginia, is now having a night fright. It squawks in distress, its wings flap haphazardly as it tries to escape the box, crashing into one thing or another. The real Utsuho has had a lot of practice shifting between her raven and humanoid youkai forms, so much so that it doesn't require much thought to trigger the switch. Balin's panicky thoughts of wondering what happened to his human body are enough to trigger the transformation—which, for someone who never wanted to be a Polymorphing Spy, is a highly uncomfortable and horrifying sensation.]

[By the end of it, "Utsuho" flops onto the bedroom floor chest-first. Coming to "her" senses after a few seconds, "Utsuho" pushes "herself" up, but "her" now much larger wings are all ruffled and splayed everywhere, and there's a lot of "her" shorter feathers floating about in the air.]

What—WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?!

[That yell is loud enough to be heard throughout the house, easily.]

[ACTION - B (Anywhere in Mayfield, Morning/Afternoon, OPEN TO ALL)]

[Utsuho spends a lot of her time flying around in the air, but today she apparently is preferring to walk around town. She seems a bit clumsy and cautious, though—Balin is having difficulty adjusting to a woman's bone structure and center of gravity. Especially since this particular woman isn't even human. Aaand also much taller than he is.]

[Sometimes you might see "Utsuho" looking down at "her" chest and muttering or even angrily talking out loud. Like "she's" arguing with someone.]

[ACTION - C (Downtown Mayfield, Afternoon, OPEN TO ALL)]

"Go on, you mangy mutt! Get out of here! Shoo! Shoo!"

Hey! I'm not a mutt! What's the big idea—

["Utsuho" just tried to enter a store and got pushed out by a drone armed with a broom. With one last shove, "she" stumbles out the door. As the drone slams the door shut, "Utsuho" turns around to look back at the store with "her" hands on "her" hips.]

—Dammit, every store is doing this to me!

[Ah, the joys of finding out Mayfield considers you a "pet."]

[ACTION - D (John Doe Park, Afternoon/Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

["Utsuho" is currently trying to figure out how to fly. Flight is an ubiquitous ability among Gensokyo's denizens, even if they have no biological ability to do so—but Balin doesn't know that, and so he assumes the only way he can fly as Utsuho is through wing power alone. In fairness, wingspan is one of several things in which Utsuho's body is well-endowed.]

[Flying with wings is a learned skill, though, even for birds—and having never been a bird before, Balin is clumsily trying to imitate what he's seen the real Utsuho and other, normal birds do with their wings. Instead, "Utsuho" ends up flailing "her" wings much like a Killdeer faking a broken wing. Sometimes "she's" lucky with a jump and gets airborne for a few seconds, "her" wings fluttering spastically before "she" falls back down. And "she's" not too graceful about that, either.]

[ACTION - E (Makeout Point, Evening, OPEN TO ALL)]

[Well, if he's going to be stuck inside the hell raven's body for a while, there's one thing Balin can take advantage of for the time being.]

[Up at Makeout Point, "Utsuho" is armed with "her" control rod, and judging from the light show and miniature suns over there, "she's" practicing with "her" powers. Yet unlike her murderous rampage back in March, "she" seems to be taking to aim up at the sky, away from Mayfield. "She's" even trying to avoid setting any trees on fire.]

[But it doesn't look like "she" has a good handle on it, because there are stray fireballs every once in a while.]

Comments

[idkmybfforin]

Stop encouraging it!

[Punching Utsuho in the nose will totally fix this right.]

[walking_nukebird]

[That causes "Utsuho" to fall backward onto the floor with a squawk, "her" wings flapping everywhere. "She" totally wasn't expecting violence while "Balin" was trying to preen "her" feathers.]

["She" holds onto "her" nose with both hands as "she" sits up.]

Why'd you do that?!

[idkmybfforin]

[Not!Balin still stands--with both hands balled up into very real fists.]

Stop talking to it. You're making it worse.

[...she has a lot of feelings, yes.]

[walking_nukebird]

You think punching yourself is gonna fix that?!

["Utsuho" really, really does not want to lash out at "her" real body. Everything feels more fragile with the kind of latent strength in this hell raven.]

[idkmybfforin]

[Flatly:]

Yes.

[walking_nukebird]

["Utsuho" gets up on "her" feet, putting her feet shoulder length apart while her fists are on her hips. Kind of like earlier today, "her" chest is puffed out, while "her" wings are almost fully spread with their feathers ruffled.]

You could have just told me not to! And what does it matter, anyway?! It talks in my head even when I don't say a word to it!

[idkmybfforin]

[VIOLENCE IS THE ONLY THING OKUU UNDERSTANDS.

And words. But violence is easier to comprehend. Do this, ow. Don't do this, no ow. Simple!


...though it's been an awfully long time since she could remember actually being intimidated by someone. Balin's form takes a few steps backwards.]

It gets worse if you answer it.

[walking_nukebird]

[Oh, oh what is this? "Balin" looks a little intimidated? "Utsuho" doesn't move, but "her" wings spread out further—as far as the room's size will allow, just for a little bit more intimidation factor. WHO'S THE FINAL BOSS NOW, BITCH]

That's all you had to tell me! I would have understood without having to be punched!

["She" heaves a sigh, "her" wings twitching and folding back into a half-spread position. They still look rather ruffled.]

Why did you even swallow it, anyway? If what I've put up with today is any indication, your life must be miserable!

[idkmybfforin]

[YOU'VE EARNED YOURSELF AN EXTRA FIREBALL TOMORROW BALIN.]

To not be weak.

[walking_nukebird]

[That's cool, I'll have Lightning on hand!]

Really? That's all? You paid one Hell of a price just for something like that.

["Utsuho" looks down at one of "her" hands, flexing its fingers.]

Was it really that necessary? You regenerate. You can throw cars with one fucking arm!

[idkmybfforin]

And when everyone around you can do the same and better, what does that count for anything?

[walking_nukebird]

—What?

[Here, Balin was thinking that Utsuho's abilities were actually better than the baseline of her species. Even without the Yatagarasu being a part of her.]

[idkmybfforin]

[They are now. Not something that could be said of her adolescence!

Not!Balin crosses his arms.]

I'm not the only raven there; not the only youkai. I never was and probably never will be.

[But now I'm special!]

[walking_nukebird]

Satori told me that much last year. I didn't think you were ... disadvantaged or anything. But what does it even matter? You were a ... pet—

["Utsuho" sounds a little uncomfortable with that word.]

—and you had an owner that loved you. Right?

[idkmybfforin]

[Balin's body flinches, as if struck by the words. But Utsuho doesn't answer.

That hit a bunch of nerves.]

[walking_nukebird]

[... Huh. That's an odd reaction from "Balin" ... "He" seemed fine to talk about Orin. "Her" gut tells "her" it's got to do with Satori and Rin being droned, especially since Chen said as much, and Virginia suspected it.]

[A little carefully, "Utsuho" walks closer to "Balin," folding her wings all the way.]

[idkmybfforin]

[Balin's form jerks away from Utsuho's approach, pivoting away on one foot until he was standing at an angle, staring at some spot on the wall well past the hell raven. The voice is much quieter, this time.]

How am I supposed to make master smile when I can’t do what she asks? When I can't lift my wings, when I can't keep her safe...

[She seems to have rambled off into an indistinct mutter somewhere down the line.]

[walking_nukebird]

What do you mean? You fly just fine.

[And Balin just looks like a silly baby bird when he tries.]

[idkmybfforin]

[That seems to snap her back to the present, and not!Balin growls. Personal space bubble man YOU'RE ALL UP IN IT]

Not always.

[This time the words are clipped; this is a...problematic subject for her.]

[walking_nukebird]

["Utsuho" frowns a bit at the growl, and "her" wings twitch and fluff up. Your concept of personal space is pretty big, Okuu, especially for a house!]

But you didn't need to swallow a dead god-bird thing just to fly, right?

[idkmybfforin]

[...the wingfluff is intimidating when she's on the other end of it, okay.

Utsuho snaps this time.]

How am I supposed to be useful otherwise?

[But there's a different note to her voice this time, beneath all the anger. Pain? Sadness? Something.]

If all I do is hide behind my master like a hatchling all my life...

[walking_nukebird]

Does Satori really expect her pets to be useful? I mean—humans, we take care of pets because we enjoy their company, not because we expect them to be useful.

[idkmybfforin]

[Here, her understanding of spoken language fails her.]

No, that's--not it at all!

[HAVE ANOTHER FACEPUNCH but not a very well aimed one. The force behind it is diminished, too. It's mostly a gesture of frustration.]

[walking_nukebird]

[This time, "Utsuho" is ready for it—it helps that "Balin" really telegraphs that punch. "She" catches "Balin's" fist with "her" hand, but dares not squeeze or do anything more than keep a firm but not bone-breaking grip on it.]

Will you stop doing that?!

[idkmybfforin]

[Well fine Okuu will just glare at herself then.

...how could she explain this? She had no words for it, the adoration she felt towards Satori. Like she was family, yet...different.

Her inner conflict is as projected on not!Balin's face as much as that punch had been in his shoulders.]