etrayalogs | Creeper House Catch-all

[None of them is even trying to play along, and Natsuno is perfectly fine with that. He leaves the house first thing in the morning and returns just before curfew. Neither Vanessa or Mizu care about how he's spending his time, and after the robots dragged him to the door by force on the first week, he's doing his best to keep his rule-breaking covert. The last thing they need is a call from school about teen delinquency.

He sees other "families" spend time together during curfew or on weekends, but he's content staying in his room, half-assing homework or reading a book while Mizu and Vanessa do whatever. Probably glare at things. Unfortunately, it seems like Eos thinks they're not playing their part, because one day a new task appears: they need to bond. Father-son bonding, to be exact.

Mizu is supposed to teach him a sports, and options are provided: a baseball bat and glove, a football, a basketball and a hoop in the yard. It's all so cliched and American Natsuno refuses to touch any of it.]

I'm not doing that. [He looks at Mizu, his expression flat.] There's gotta be something that counts as "playing sports" we can get away with.

[Mizu, likewise, is, as the boy puts it, 'not doing that.'

The glove is baffling. The balls she can guess what to do with: throw back and forth, presumably, though why they're all shaped and sized differently, she doesn't know. The hoop she can't even be sure is part of this. But apparently the teaching of sport, for some reason, is a traditional activity between fathers and sons in this place, and as the assigned father of this household – a role she did not ask for and decidedly does not want – it is her duty to teach sport.

To her, of course, 'sports' refers to things like sumo or archery. Neither of which she knows much about. The only thing she could possibly teach this boy is...]

Have you ever held a blade?

[A blade, huh? That's actually not a bad idea. It's definitely a more useful skill than football, especially when Echo can turn off any supernatural ability at will.

He shakes his head.]

I carry a knife for self defense, but I'm not trained or anything.

[If he's cornered, he'll use it as viciously as it takes to end things. Clarke taught him where to stab to make it lethal, and where to make it hurt, but somewhow Natsuno doesn't think "surgically precise strikes" count as a sport.]

[Mizu goes nowhere without her sword. It's a clumsy, ugly thing, made from inferior metal by a poor craftsman. She found it in the labyrinth, and, with her own sword broken, took it.

In her hands, even the clumsiest blade is deadly. For the boy, it will be serviceable. They train with worse in dojos.

In one motion, she draws the katana from its sheath at her side and flips it around, holding the hilt towards him.]

Take it. It is poorly balanced, but it will do for a first lesson.

[ Vanessa emerges from the quaint grocery store, a single paper bag nestled in her arms. It was only fitting for Natsuno to carry the bulk of their purchases, given that she is not only a lady, but the one who will be doing the cooking. Lucky indeed that she has had a few lessons beyond rabbit stew and salads, for all their sakes. Mizu took no interest at all in helping. Even Ethan had been more helpful in the kitchen, once upon a time.

The crisp autumn air nips at her cheeks, carrying with it the scent of fallen leaves and woodsmoke. Her dress of dark lace, modest in its presentation with a high collar and long sleeves, rustles softly as a gust of wind sends amber and crimson leaves skittering across the asphalt. She glances at her companion, a hint of amusement dancing in her eyes as she considers the extra portions they've purchased. The novelty of a vampire who wants to consume mortal fare hasn't quite worn off. She learns something new every day.

As they begin their walk home through the suburban streets, Vanessa's posture stiffens imperceptibly. Her eyes narrow, darting to shadowed yards and darkened house windows. The sensation of being watched, which had subtly plagued her in the store, now intensifies to an almost palpable weight. It prickles at the back of her neck, a cold, familiar touch that sends a shiver down her spine. Something about it tugs at her memory, a dark presence she's encountered before but can't quite place. Not at this distance.

In a place like this, she wouldn't expect to encounter the same creatures she knew in London. Every vampire she has known seems to have come from a different world. And yet...

Her gaze sweeps over her shoulder to find nothing but empty sidewalks, yet the feeling persists, brushing against her consciousness like tendrils of smoke. When she turns back to her companion, there's a sharp glint in her eye. Her voice lowers to barely above a whisper. ]

Do you sense anything...amiss? Something sinister seems to have taken an interest in our little outing.

[He understands why Vanessa would be surprised that he eats normal food, but it still stings a little. Natsuno doesn't want to pretend he's anything other than what he is, but food offers a semblence of normalcy. He hates how civil Moorecroft's vampires are about feeding, "purchasing" blood donated by so-called willing residents. Most vampires have been polite and friendly, but he can't help but suspect they're pretending. It's not really coexistence when it's enforced by a powerful AI.

They make an odd pair, the elegant lady and the wild-haired teen in a simple hoodie and jeans, but there are worse tasks than "Help your mother buy groceries." If they're forced to spend time together, Natsuno hopes it will at least take off the edge of her dark aura, both terrifying and attractive.

He notices the presence in the store, of course, but assumes it's just another vampire resident who happen to be there. Out on the street, however, it's clear that they're being followed.]

Yeah. Something undead.

[Natsuno matches his tone to hers, whispering without turning his head. He doesn't need to see it to know his kind's stench.]

Should we tell them we know they're here?

[ Vanessa shakes her head, eyes darting to the surrounding buildings. Her grip tightens on the paper bag as she contemplates ducking into one of the quaint shops lining the street. Would their pursuer be so bold as to follow them inside?

Without warning, she veers left at the next intersection, her skirts swishing softly with the abrupt change in direction. For a fleeting moment, the oppressive weight of being watched lifts, and she draws a quiet breath of relief.

The respite is short-lived. As they round another corner, the sensation crashes over her like a wave. Her steps falter as she spots him – an ashen gentleman peering from a shadowed alley ahead, his gaze fixed unerringly upon her. The speed with which he's managed to cut them off sends a chill down her spine, but she shouldn't be too surprised when it comes to vampiric abilities.

Vanessa's posture stiffens, her eyes locked with the stranger's as they draw nearer to his hiding spot. He's whispering something, though she's unable to catch it from this distance.

'Mother'... ]

I suppose someone is determined to make our company. Perhaps you ought to go on ahead.

[ The rain pelts against the windows, a steady rhythm that would normally soothe Vanessa's restless spirit. Instead, it taunts her, reminding her of the freedom just beyond her reach. The first autumn rain is beginning to storm outside, wild and free, while she remains trapped within these suffocating walls.

Her fingers trace the condensation on the glass, eyes fixed on the rainfall beyond. The enforced curfew has sealed them in once again, and with each passing moment, the walls seem to close in around her. Memories of other confinements—padded white walls, shredded wallpaper, a mountain of mocking television screens—flash through her mind, each one stoking the fire of her growing frustration.

Night after night, she has been so patient. Or appeared that way, at the very least.

Suddenly, she whirls away from the window, her usual composure fracturing. With quick, determined steps, she strides to the front door. Her hand grasps the knob, twisting and yanking futilely. When it refuses to give, she pounds her fist against the unyielding wood. It will achieve nothing, but sense is not her ruling quality at the moment. ]

They cannot keep us locked up like animals.

[Ideally, Mizu would like to take a bath, to let herself sink beneath the water where all is calm and distractions cannot find her. Hot water even flows out of the walls here. But living in such close quarters with others, the risks that come with nudity are too great, even with the door locked. So she refrains.

Instead, she's attempting to meditate. There's nowhere truly quiet here, there's the constant hum of various things that she's been told are called 'refrigerators' or 'central air.' And yet she wishes to keep her mind focused and her body limber, so she does the best she can.

The rattling of the door lock followed by pounding rouses her. Without opening her eyes, she scowls.]

Then break the lock.

[Whether Vanessa runs out into the darkness and becomes lost or gets herself killed, Mizu tells herself, does not matter to her.]

[ Vanessa freezes at Mizu's words, her hand still on the doorknob. For a moment, she's perfectly still, save for the rapid rise and fall of her chest. Then, without a word, she turns and strides to a nearby side table. In one fluid motion, she grasps a lamp, yanking its cord from the wall. Returning to the door, she hefts the lamp, testing its weight.

The first strike against the doorknob sends a resounding crack through the room. The second hit knocks it nearly from the door, cracking the wood and leaving the doorknob askew so that it only takes a rough slam of her shoulder to break the door the rest of the way open. Vanessa drops the lamp, now ignored as it hits the floor. She pushes the door open, slipping out with a speed borne of fear that someone may stop her before she can seize opportunity.

It has certainly happened before.

The cool droplets hit her face, soaking through her clothes almost instantly. She doesn't look back as she strides into the stormy night, leaving the broken door swinging in her wake. Vanessa knows her way to where Morpheus is staying by now. ]

[Vanessa is determined. Mizu would respect that, if the woman were determined to do anything other than interrupt her meditation. As the lamp thuds repeatedly into the door, Mizu doggedly keeps her eyes shut, trying to clear her mind and keep her breathing steady until, finally, there's something like merciful silence.

Finally, she can sit in peace.

It's only a moment before she's grabbing her sword and running out into the storm after Vanessa. Why she cares, she couldn't say, but she doesn't want the other woman to die for her claustrophobia.]

[ A bruised shoulder is a small price to pay for (temporary) freedom. Of course, even the outside is its own sort of prison, but at least there is air. Wind. Rain. And...something else.

Vanessa has halted not far off. She can sense something. From inside the house, she had felt something, but it had been easy to dismiss as her own anxieties simmering just beneath the surface. That, or just another vampire unable to resist lurking nearby.

Now that she's outside, the prickling beneath her skin increases in intensity. Something else is out there. Something darker than the shadows.

Rather than head back, however, she turns to follow the sensation. If there is a monster out here, a demon, then she would meet it face-to-face. If that is why they enforce the curfew, she would like to know why. What could be worse than the monsters brought in to play house?

There's no fear when she takes the next few steps in the rain, but cautious curiosity. ]

[Mizu moves through the dark like a shadow, all but undetectable to those who don't know to look for her. Her footsteps are light, the rain barely glances off her before she's gone, leaving only the faint whisper of a momentary interruption in water pattering on wet grass. She watches Vanessa from beneath drawn brows, wondering if there's somewhere she's going, or if she merely wanders aimlessly.

Those metal things are out here somewhere, she knows. Watching. She's climbed out onto the roof and ventured into the street after dark, wanting to know why such things are forbidden, and she's been very firmly escorted back inside each time, with warnings of death if she refuses to comply.

Her sword will be a match for a few of them. But not a match for all of them, and this is not worthy dying over. There will be other battles to fight.

With a barely-audible snick, her thumb pushes her blade a few inches out of its scabbard as she slips out of the darkness in front of Vanessa.]

We are not alone out here.

Creeper House Catch-all

Natsuno and Mizu, teach your kid a sports

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natsuno & vanessa } l'ombre était nuptiale, auguste et solennelle;

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mizu & vanessa { of old sat freedom on the heights, the thunders breaking at her feet:

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