9th Protocol--[Action sort of]

[idkmybfforin]

[In front of 1248 Williams Road]

[Well, that plan hadn’t worked. Somewhere along the line Utsuho had fused Virginia’s “find Caesar or Balin or these other people” ideas, to the news breaking around the carnival that there were rifts opening to strange places accessible by those trinkets people were carting with them, to the fact that she didn’t have one of said trinkets. So she stole one.

It disappeared after she went across, and then—then there was nothing but fog, suffocating and dissolving at once. Like each particle of her body had broken loose from the bonds that held them in place and scattered in every painful direction.

Okuu did not exactly think her clever plan all the way through. But then again, she never really did. Thinking was bad!

And thus there’s now a pile of an…ash-like substance in the front yard, and has been for several days. Minus the blood everywhere aspect, it could be assumed that that was similar to what the hellraven looked like just before she revived. The ash is smoldering, very warm to the touch, and seems as much liquid as powder whenever it’s disturbed. It also stays heaped up over something in the center, no matter what breeze kicks up or when the drones try and sweep the mess away. The pile either stubbornly resists extraction or flows all around the broom or rake like some bizarre liquid. Other than that, it doesn’t do very much.

Utsuho hadn’t reappeared, so her precise location was probably easy enough to guess by now.

Today, though, was a bit different.

A blue jay, emboldened by the usual blue jay hating inhabitant’s absence, fluttered down to investigate and peck at this ash pile.

—but as soon as it does, the inert heap of powder comes alive, forming into a spit of molten, red-orange slag that surges up and out and consumes the bird completely, before it can do much more than a single alarm squawk. The pile returns to being properly ashy in a moment, though it seems to…ripple, like something liquid, even as it does so. The smoldering light has grown brighter, shining through all the cracks and crevices.

Though, aside from hating bluejays from beyond the grave, the ash-pile-that-was-probably-Okuu does little else.


For the moment.]

Comments

[idkmybfforin]

[NO YOU'RE NEVER GETTING THIS SOCK STICK BACK--oh well be logical that way then.

The "fingers" curl around the stick, charring the surface into the bit it was holding onto ignites, begins to burn through--and then the ash pile...eye...hand blob thing seems to lose interest and cohesion, the talons falling back into the amorphous mass and the stick falling in several smoldering pieces.]

[rankaloid]

[hoooooly shit that is... is...]

That's so cool!!

[the kappa makes a disgruntled noise.]

...until, not into. I CAN ENGLISH

[idkmybfforin]

[The ash pile resumes being an occasionally smoldering heap of dust, though the eye sticking out of it stays fixated on Gumi this time.]

haha I didn't even notice that

[rankaloid]

[she turns to the kappa.]

Can we keep it? Pleaaaase??

[the kappa responds by furiously pecking her leg- ow ow ow.]

[idkmybfforin]

[This pet already has an owner though!


...well, several.

While she's not paying attention to it, though, the lump creeps a bit closer.]

[rankaloid]

[oooh, she notices it's getting closer.]

Seeeee? It likes me!!

[idkmybfforin]

[Creep. Creepcreep. Creeeeeeep.

It seems to smolder a bit brighter the closer it gets, as slow as that process is.]

[rankaloid]

[??what is impending sense of doom?? so shiny.]

Wait here! I'm gonna get a bag to carry you in!

[idkmybfforin]

[What, wait? Noooo it's going to keep up it's...painfully slow progress in Gumi's direction until it no longer detects a living thing.




...it's hard having no legs, okay.]

[rankaloid]

[about ten minutes later Gumi will return with an empty pillowcase and a plastic bag full of carrots. the kappa is riding on her head now.]

Hey hey, you must be hungry, right?? [and with that, she tosses a few carrots at the ash pile. EAT UP!!]

[idkmybfforin]

[BUT IT DOESN'T LIKE CARROTS.

...though with said vegetation being dropped directly on it the ash pile doesn't...really have the options of discarding said vegetation.

Biomass was biomass, anyway. The carrots promptly durst into flames and disappear within the ashy substance.]

[rankaloid]

[BUT VEGETABLES ARE GOOD FOR YOU.

once the carrots are out Gumi just kinda stares at the pile before dropping the plastic bag on it. CAN IT EAT PLASTIC TOO??]

[idkmybfforin]

[NO


But it's hot enough to melt the plastic anyway.

The carrots that were in the bag almost immediately start to char and smolder, as well.]

[rankaloid]

So cool!!

[but oh man this pillowcase probably won't hold it huh... WELL... hm.]

[idkmybfforin]

[Perhaps a shovel is in order?]

[rankaloid]

[hang on it takes a while for her to think... and stuff.

...

...

:|a

...

...

-YES a shovel will do nicely. BRB AGAIN.]

[idkmybfforin]

[The ash pile will be waiting.

Patiently.

Incinerating these carrots.]

[rankaloid]

[EXCELLENT. Gumi eventually returns with a shovel in hand.

yep gonna try to scoop up the pile now.]

[idkmybfforin]

[zit works well enough, at least at first. While the shovel does indeed survive, the ash pile seems determined to ooze back out of the shovel when it's picked up, or scoot away (slowly) from it when it approaches.

In a complete 180 from who it used to be, the ashy substance does not like being airborne.

The yatagarasu's eye is no different; almost rolling around like a giant billiard ball.]

[rankaloid]

[oh man this is the coolest thing ever!! Gumi is completely oblivious to its agitation.]

Come on now, don't be shy! ♪

[the kappa on her head seems to have given up on trying to stop her.]

[idkmybfforin]

[Nooooo it likes staying on the grooooooound--

--dammit it's stuck. The eye has melted itself a hole in the metal--that doesn't puncture all the way through, and instead forms a divot it's trapped itself in for the moment.]

[rankaloid]

[well that's certainly convenient.

ladeda carrying the carnivorous pile of ash home.]

Do you want to play this out or handwave? I can do either

[idkmybfforin]

[Your new ash pile will respawn one (1) fully formed and horribly confused hellraven in a highly variable number of hours.]

play out? :'D

[rankaloid]

[and by then Gumi will be off buying more carrots THANKS FOR INCINERATING HER STOCK.

so Okuu will be greeted by the kappa staaaaring at her. sup.]

/o/

[idkmybfforin]

[HEY IT'S NOT HER FAULT SOMEONE SUDDENLY DROPPED SALAD ON HER HEAD I mean how would you feel.

The yatagarasu's eye seems to practically glower from its place stuck in the partially melted shovel; it's surrounded by a few wisps of ash or mist or smoke or...something, but nothing like it used to be. Those had all been dribbled out the sides of the shovel and onto the sidewalk. Imagine that when Okuu respawns. Eeeeww.

In the meantime, though, CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. The kappa is now engaged in a staring contest with a flaming grapefruit.]