Rukia Kuchiki (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
damn_juicebox) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
melodiesoflife2015-10-11 07:36 am
damn_juicebox) wrote in melodiesoflife2015-10-11 07:36 am
Entry tags:
Cleaning Up the Town
WHO: Rukia Kuchiki, OPEN
WHAT: Rukia returns from Esdham, dons her Ghostbuster job, and starts pursuing ALL OF THE GHOSTS.
WHEN: October 11th - 30th (not the 15th, 19th, or the 27th, since those are event days)
WHERE: Aqures Ixen and the neighboring areas
NOTES: Rukia will be on the move nearly non-stop. The later you encounter her, the more tired she'll be. That said, you don't HAVE to tag in to fight a ghost; grabbing generic CR with her somewhere along the way is also perfectly acceptable.
Scenario A: Return From Esdham
The airship's propellers had scarcely begun to slow when Rukia, clinging anxiously to the ship's railing, spotted Chappopo making a beeline straight toward her. She'd received word that a new job had been shifted into their crystals that would actually allow them to fight ghosts, and the news had been electrifying. It had been called a 'Ghostbuster' job. The title may have been different, but Rukia was convinced that this would be the job that perfectly mirrored her shinigami abilities. It would be wonderful to have her spiritual senses restored. Perhaps she'd regain her flash step as well!
"Chappopo!" she shouted, taking the crystal out of her robe.
"Rukia!"
Not wasting any time, Rukia threw the crystal to her partner. While she'd very much wanted to keep pursuing the Ninja job a bit longer, she had a feeling Red Mage would give her more versatility just in case she ran into anything that wasn't ghost related. She'd promised to investigate those sewers, after all. Besides, if she turned back into a shinigami, that would be close enough to being a ninja. "Switch out the Ninja job! Now!"
"Got it!" Chappopo saluted, and concentrated her willpower on adjusting the jobs that Rukia had equipped. The shinigami didn't wait for the gangplank to be lowered. Planting her hand on the railing, Rukia vaulted over the edge. A soft glow of light enveloped her as the job switch took effect, illuminating her clothes into a shroud of pure white. She would land elegantly, she knew, holding Sode no Shirayuki in her grasp once more. Landing nimbly, the glow turned into a sharp burst of light...
...And she was in a baggy navy blue jumpsuit with red trim, wearing thick rubber boots, holding a particle beam thrower in her hands.
"...This isn't what I had in mind," she grumbled flatly.
"Me either," Chappopo confessed. As small as Rukia was, she looked like she was practically drowning in that jumpsuit.
She blew out a sigh. "No matter." It may not have been the most fashionable job, but it would allow her to do her work, and that was what was important. After taking a few moments to examine her equipment, the PKE meter she held in her hands suddenly lit up, displaying a small dot on the screen.
Smiling triumphantly, Rukia lifted her head. "Yosh... There's one nearby. Let's get it!" The meter wasn't all that dissimilar to the equipment she'd used to track Hollows when stuck in a gigai. Adapting to this job would surely take no time at all.
Scenario B: Early Ghost Hunting Days (First Week)
[In the hours and days that follow the job switch from Ninja to Ghostbuster, it's incredibly likely that anyone could find Rukia darting through the streets, following a flashing PKE meter, or catch sight of bright bursts of light through the windows of half-ruined buildings where she's tracked down a spook and gone for the capture.]
[Those who know her will see that she's actually...really happy. Determined, yes. Focused, very much so. But the look of pure, undisguised delight on her face can't be missed when she holds up another smoking ghost trap. It doesn't matter if she's smeared with slime or covered in dust. She's doing what she once did (mostly), and it makes her feel whole again.]
[Or, perhaps, you run into the ghost before you run into Rukia. Whether you were looking for it, or it came looking for you, she will find you to lend a hand in driving off any vengeful spirits threatening the peace.]
Scenario C: Later Ghost Hunting Days (Second and Third Weeks)
Rukia's dark eyes studied the PKE meter, and she frowned. There was definitely a spirit somewhere around here, but it was choosing to hide itself. She couldn't get a lock on it. The carpenter assigned to work on restoring the houses destroyed by the Imperial attack had nearly lost his life, assaulted by his own tools just because he'd been hoping to get a little overtime.
If she had to guess by the behavior of the spirit, it was likely to be a Hue. Someone who had died in the attack? Possibly.
With a quiet sound of frustration, she put the meter away and raised her dark light, slowly sweeping it through the gutted home. The halo of pale purple light trembled as it swept slowly over singed curtains and rubble-dusted furniture. Odd... Rukia's gaze shifted momentarily to her hand and realized it was shaking.
Maybe she was more tired than she realized. It had been at least 24 hours since she last rested, and that was only a brief nap she'd stolen during the short trip from Aqures Ixen to Balicea. She couldn't remember the last time she'd stopped to eat anything.
It was impossible to consider her physical needs now, though. She had a job to do. Once it was finished, she'd go pick up something from a restaurant and rest for a few hours...just like she'd said she would do with all of the previous jobs, just before another specter popped up on her PKE meter. There was always one more ghost.
A broken chair hurtled toward Rukia's head. Her breath caught in her throat as she ducked and rolled to the side, dropping the light in favor of her particle thrower. She blasted the chair as it clattered to the floor, but whatever had possessed it had retreated once more, patiently waiting.
"Tch..." Rukia grit her teeth. That had almost got her. She would have to be more vigilant.
WHAT: Rukia returns from Esdham, dons her Ghostbuster job, and starts pursuing ALL OF THE GHOSTS.
WHEN: October 11th - 30th (not the 15th, 19th, or the 27th, since those are event days)
WHERE: Aqures Ixen and the neighboring areas
NOTES: Rukia will be on the move nearly non-stop. The later you encounter her, the more tired she'll be. That said, you don't HAVE to tag in to fight a ghost; grabbing generic CR with her somewhere along the way is also perfectly acceptable.
Scenario A: Return From Esdham
The airship's propellers had scarcely begun to slow when Rukia, clinging anxiously to the ship's railing, spotted Chappopo making a beeline straight toward her. She'd received word that a new job had been shifted into their crystals that would actually allow them to fight ghosts, and the news had been electrifying. It had been called a 'Ghostbuster' job. The title may have been different, but Rukia was convinced that this would be the job that perfectly mirrored her shinigami abilities. It would be wonderful to have her spiritual senses restored. Perhaps she'd regain her flash step as well!
"Chappopo!" she shouted, taking the crystal out of her robe.
"Rukia!"
Not wasting any time, Rukia threw the crystal to her partner. While she'd very much wanted to keep pursuing the Ninja job a bit longer, she had a feeling Red Mage would give her more versatility just in case she ran into anything that wasn't ghost related. She'd promised to investigate those sewers, after all. Besides, if she turned back into a shinigami, that would be close enough to being a ninja. "Switch out the Ninja job! Now!"
"Got it!" Chappopo saluted, and concentrated her willpower on adjusting the jobs that Rukia had equipped. The shinigami didn't wait for the gangplank to be lowered. Planting her hand on the railing, Rukia vaulted over the edge. A soft glow of light enveloped her as the job switch took effect, illuminating her clothes into a shroud of pure white. She would land elegantly, she knew, holding Sode no Shirayuki in her grasp once more. Landing nimbly, the glow turned into a sharp burst of light...
...And she was in a baggy navy blue jumpsuit with red trim, wearing thick rubber boots, holding a particle beam thrower in her hands.
"...This isn't what I had in mind," she grumbled flatly.
"Me either," Chappopo confessed. As small as Rukia was, she looked like she was practically drowning in that jumpsuit.
She blew out a sigh. "No matter." It may not have been the most fashionable job, but it would allow her to do her work, and that was what was important. After taking a few moments to examine her equipment, the PKE meter she held in her hands suddenly lit up, displaying a small dot on the screen.
Smiling triumphantly, Rukia lifted her head. "Yosh... There's one nearby. Let's get it!" The meter wasn't all that dissimilar to the equipment she'd used to track Hollows when stuck in a gigai. Adapting to this job would surely take no time at all.
Scenario B: Early Ghost Hunting Days (First Week)
[In the hours and days that follow the job switch from Ninja to Ghostbuster, it's incredibly likely that anyone could find Rukia darting through the streets, following a flashing PKE meter, or catch sight of bright bursts of light through the windows of half-ruined buildings where she's tracked down a spook and gone for the capture.]
[Those who know her will see that she's actually...really happy. Determined, yes. Focused, very much so. But the look of pure, undisguised delight on her face can't be missed when she holds up another smoking ghost trap. It doesn't matter if she's smeared with slime or covered in dust. She's doing what she once did (mostly), and it makes her feel whole again.]
[Or, perhaps, you run into the ghost before you run into Rukia. Whether you were looking for it, or it came looking for you, she will find you to lend a hand in driving off any vengeful spirits threatening the peace.]
Scenario C: Later Ghost Hunting Days (Second and Third Weeks)
Rukia's dark eyes studied the PKE meter, and she frowned. There was definitely a spirit somewhere around here, but it was choosing to hide itself. She couldn't get a lock on it. The carpenter assigned to work on restoring the houses destroyed by the Imperial attack had nearly lost his life, assaulted by his own tools just because he'd been hoping to get a little overtime.
If she had to guess by the behavior of the spirit, it was likely to be a Hue. Someone who had died in the attack? Possibly.
With a quiet sound of frustration, she put the meter away and raised her dark light, slowly sweeping it through the gutted home. The halo of pale purple light trembled as it swept slowly over singed curtains and rubble-dusted furniture. Odd... Rukia's gaze shifted momentarily to her hand and realized it was shaking.
Maybe she was more tired than she realized. It had been at least 24 hours since she last rested, and that was only a brief nap she'd stolen during the short trip from Aqures Ixen to Balicea. She couldn't remember the last time she'd stopped to eat anything.
It was impossible to consider her physical needs now, though. She had a job to do. Once it was finished, she'd go pick up something from a restaurant and rest for a few hours...just like she'd said she would do with all of the previous jobs, just before another specter popped up on her PKE meter. There was always one more ghost.
A broken chair hurtled toward Rukia's head. Her breath caught in her throat as she ducked and rolled to the side, dropping the light in favor of her particle thrower. She blasted the chair as it clattered to the floor, but whatever had possessed it had retreated once more, patiently waiting.
"Tch..." Rukia grit her teeth. That had almost got her. She would have to be more vigilant.
no subject
Noticing Rukia's movement, Ven needed only a moment to consider -- and then he hurried out from his cover into the open, turning quickly as he went to watch for any attacks. It didn't take long: a tray of muffins (literally a steel tray, still hot from the oven) cut through the air towards him in the corner of his eye. He turned and brought his weapon up, the Keyblade's teeth catching the tray's edge at just the right angle to let him redirect its momentum to send it through (what was once) the front window.
"Don't say it--" Ven started, but the voice beat him to it with a hysterical "You two've got muffin on me!"
Scowling -- which he rarely did -- Ven stole a glimpse at Rukia over his shoulder, but remained where he was. He didn't want to say it out loud, so hopefully she'd pick up on what he was getting at: if he could draw the spirit's fire and serve as a distraction, maybe she could get an opening or set up some kind of trap for it.
no subject
But she did know what it might use to attack. It wouldn't be able to resist!
She gestured at Ventus, pointing at her trap, then at him. She pointed at herself and then gestured toward the racks of cutlery hanging from the wall.
Didn't she just warn him to avoid the knives? And yet here she was, getting ready to run straight for them. If her idea worked, they'd nab the ghost before it managed to get hold of the blades.
Crouching low, Rukia took a quick breath to steel herself, then ran into the kitchen. "This ghost has a dull sense of humor," she announced loudly, pretending as if she didn't see the sharp knives sparkling behind her.
It couldn't possibly resist making such an easy pun now, she was sure of it.
no subject
Sure enough, the spirit couldn't resist -- the pun was so easy, in fact, that it hee-hawed as it flew for the kitchen, loud enough that Ven could track its movement by sound alone.
"Looks like I have a point to make!"
Ven set his boot against Rukia's trap and gave it a swift kick -- carefully, so that it didn't tumble over, but strong enough that it slid over the floor to sit neatly in the kitchen doorway. At the same time he put his quickdraw skills to the test and fired his blaster; blindly, but again aiming for the doorway so that both the beam and the trap would hopefully meet the ghost on the way.
no subject
"NOW! OPEN THE TRAP!" Rukia shouted, adjusting her position as the ghost tried to veer to the side. This thing was more powerful than she'd realized, and they wouldn't be able to hold it for much longer.
no subject
Their P.K.E. meters silenced, after a moment Ven let his guard and his head drop against the cool floor, sighing loudly.
"That... was the toughest one so far."
no subject
Wiping her sleeve over her brow, Rukia nodded at the trap. "If you turn that in, you can claim the reward. Go ahead and do so; I've already turned in plenty, and you've more than earned it tonight."
no subject
His P.K.E. meter blipped again. Reaching around, he tugged it off his belt and frowned as it fell silent. "It's been doing that all day," he told her, clearly puzzled. "It starts to go off and then stops right after that--" Even as he said that, it beeped again, indicating something towards the front of the shop. "Maybe it's broken?"
no subject
"Odd," she furrowed her brow. "It seemed to have no difficulties picking up this particular ghost."
She turned her head to the door, as if expecting to see it filled by a spectral silhouette. Nothing... "Are you being followed?" she ventured a guess, offering her own PKE meter so he could verify the results of his.
no subject
"Maybe?" His guess was as good as hers. "With so many ghosts around, maybe it's just picking up too many at once or something." Except now the machine seemed to have settled on a definite presence. After retrieving his Keyblade, he glanced between Rukia and the front of the store; whatever it was seemed to be just outside, maybe along the sidewalk. After that last ghost, he wasn't underestimating anything and his posture was tense, even if this presence lacked the usual terrified screaming and destructive sound effects around it that Ven had come to associate with this job.
"Should we check it out?"
no subject
"We are aware of your presence," she called out sternly. "If you would speak with one of us, then show yourself!"
Ventus said this had happened several times, so it was possible that he was the one the ghost wanted. But that didn't mean Rukia was going to stand idly by, especially if this ghost proved to be a threat.
no subject
Now at Rukia's side, Ven tensed as the details filled in, much like watching a fog clear -- adult, male, garbed in what looked like tattered armor...?
And then Ven actually started slightly, nothing subtle in the movement, and out of old reflex his grip tightened on his Keyblade until his knuckles were white. That was Imperial armor -- he'd fought and killed enough soldiers wearing it to be able to identify it anywhere, and memories of those nights were coming back faster and harder than Ven could immediately handle.
"One of the Empire's soldiers," he said quietly. His face was grim, his tone devoid of its usual friendly cheer. The spirit didn't speak or even move; it simply stared at them, which made Ven all the more suspicious. Without looking away, he asked Rukia -- loud enough for the spirit to hear -- "Have you seen these ones before?"
no subject
"I'm...sorry..." the guard spoke, wisps of dark mist curling out of a large slash wound that tore through his phantasmal armor. "...I'm...sorry...sorry..."
Speaking seemed to be a tremendous effort. But all the while, his sorrowful eyes remained locked solely on Ventus.
"...so...sorry..."
tl;dr alert
The fact that he seemed to be the sole object of the spirit's attention didn't go unnoticed by Ven, either -- but if this was someone he'd encountered and fought, maybe even killed, he couldn't say. The darkness and the rain had been heavy during the battle, and all those faces were blurred together in his memory. There were still parts of that week he couldn't remember that well in the wake of being shot; it had taken as much out of him mentally as it had physically.
So his first impulse was to ask for the dead man's identity -- but Ven quickly reasoned that a name wouldn't mean anything to him, anyway, and the spirit was having enough difficulty speaking as it was. Without letting his guard down in the slightest, Ven stepped around so that he was at Rukia's side.
"For what?"
He was glad the spirit didn't try to come any closer. The past was mingling so aggressively with the present in his head that he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't react defensively at any sudden movements. Instead, the dead soldier paused -- gathering strength to explain, maybe, or trying to piece together his own memory.
"You... and that girl... fighting..."
"Girl?" There was still a slight bite to Ven's voice -- unintentional, but he didn't try to correct it. The only female Hero he remembered fighting alongside during the battle was Terra. So that meant... "You're one of the soldiers we fought? That night in the alley?"
Another pause, that ghostly face unchanging in its sad expression. "...You... were strong. Had to be... stopped... but... no excuse. I'm... sorry... for what happened."
Ven stared, scrutinizing and thoughtful -- and then his eyes widened when he realized. "It was you? You're the one who -- shot me--" Miraculous recovery or not, the memory of that instant -- the eruption of pain, the blood, the minutes after when Terra had been forced to treat him in the only way she could -- it was enough to make Ven wince as something deep inside that scar throbbed briefly.
The ghost said nothing, but that in itself was a confirmation of sorts. Ven's gaze dropped, his face hard to read. At length, he avoided the need for a reply and spoke to Rukia instead. "...Now what?" he asked uncertainly. The ghost didn't seem dangerous -- but would it be right to leave him wandering like this? Or would capturing him be even less ethical?
MY FAVORITE!
Even so... Rukia sighed. "It's up to you if you can give him that peace or not. It would not take much effort to contain his spirit until we're able to send them to their final resting place, so if you still hold a grudge, there is no shame in that. He made his choice."
Rukia was a little angry about it herself. No matter how strong Ventus was, the fact remained that this soldier had chosen to shoot a teenager with the intention of killing him. That wasn't something she could easily forgive, personally. But she didn't want her own emotions to influence Ventus's decision. It was his to make, and she would stand beside him whatever he decided.
Still, knowing him, she had a feeling she already knew what he was going to do.
THEN HERE HAVE MORE /o/
Ven looked back at the spirit, brow furrowed. Had he really... been hanging around all this time -- all because of what he did? He hadn't even known for sure whether Ven lived or died, and then had seen for himself today that Ven was just fine -- and yet...
Ven's frown deepened -- but it was more thoughtful than wary now. Did he hold a grudge? There was no denying that he'd been a little bitter towards the Empire since the battle, but up to now he'd been picturing it as a name, a force, not necessarily a build-up of all the individuals within it. Neither had he ever really considered the identity of the gunman that night. Getting shot had just been an event in his mind, more a force of happenstance than a willful action of an enemy.
Now, confronted with that confession and the memories of all the agony he'd been put through -- getting shot, the days of unbearable pain after, over a month of having his life turned upside down as he recovered -- the reality of the matter was really driven home. Someone had shot him with the intent to kill -- no one he knew, no one he had harmed directly. Ven had been feverish and mostly out of it immediately after getting hurt, but he'd heard one of the white mages remark that he was lucky. A couple inches higher and he wouldn't have survived, no doubt. I'm amazed he lived this long after losing so much blood.
Exhaling quietly, Ven closed his eyes, and for a moment neither he nor the spirit said a thing.
He had every right to be angry, he knew. He could just as easily take Rukia up on her offer as he could find it in himself to forgive weeks of pain and struggling. He could walk away and dare to see how well his conscience handled it for the rest of his life. It was ultimately his call.
But... this wasn't about Ven. Not anymore. He'd been hurt, yes, he'd suffered -- but he'd lived, which was more than could be said for this soldier.
Just as slowly, Ven raised his head and looked squarely at the waiting specter -- and smiled. It looked a little tired, maybe even sad, but it wasn't forced. "You were following orders, right? I don't think I need to forgive something like that... and it all turned out all right, anyway." Shaking his head, the grip on his Keyblade slackened to something more casual. If the dead soldier caught it, that probably said more than anything else. "Go ahead and rest," Ven told him firmly -- but not unkindly. "I don't blame you."
The only change in the man's expression was the way he blinked quickly several times -- a sharp contrast to his labored movements before now, and for an instant he almost looked alive again. The sorrow didn't leave his face, not for the most part, but there was relief in the way his respectfully square shoulders slipped, his military-drill poise suddenly relaxing some. There was a sound like a sigh despite that his mouth remained closed. And then, in the same way that he had appeared minutes earlier, he started to fade from sight, until there was nothing left of his form but a slight haze in the air -- and that, too, quickly dissipated.
"Thank you."
With that, the low beeps of their P.K.E. meters were finally silenced. Ven shifted his particle thrower to check the screen, and sure enough it indicated no spiritual presence in the immediate vicinity. He gave a low hum and, tucking it back into his belt, shot Rukia a brighter smile. "I wish they were all that easy to get along with."
/hoards it like a precious treasure of golden gems
Once the last trace of the spirit was gone, she returned Ventus's smile with a wry grin of her own. "Fool. There was nothing easy about what you did." Her voice was brimming with warmth and pride. Much as she wanted to ruffle his hair, he deserved more respect than that. She laid her hand upon his shoulder and squeezed to show her admiration.
"You did well. I'm very proud to call you my ally."
gasps you're a dragon??
With a quiet laugh, Ven nodded once. "I feel the same about you."
And then, maybe a block over, another terrified scream and fit of ghostly laughter interrupted the relative city silence. Ven's smile turned wry as he looked at Rukia again.
"Guess we've got our work cut out for us."
rar i mean no that's crazy
Rukia thumps her fist against Ventus's in friendly camaraderie before unholstering the particle thrower and the PKE meter. A ghostbuster's job is never done in this town.