Into the Woods and off she goes - OTA

[souls_of_roles]

🧙 WHO: Kyoko and whomever.
⚔️️ WHAT: Looking for a place to calm down.
🕒 WHEN: After her network post asking for actors.
🗺️ WHERE: Any wooded area she can find.
⚠️ WARNINGS: Angst. Mood swings. Possible discussion of assault, possible mention of emotional abuse. Will add additional tags if needed in the subject line.




After speaking to the pretty boy singer... too much emotion overtook Kyoko. She couldn't stay in her room crying. Not with the Sho poster staring down at her. Even having yelled at herself with her Ren dolls, she was still too near tears.

So she did what she used to do when she lived with Sho and needed to cry. She ran for the woods. These weren't Corn's woods, possibly. If Della was right then even though this was a fairy world, it wasn't Corn's world. But the woods still made her feel safe. Even knowing what had happened to her - had almost happened to her - in the woods at the location shot for Dark Moon she still couldn't feel unsafe in the woods.

They calmed her. Soothed her.

Kyoko collapsed to the ground beside a tree and put her face in her hands and cried. She let her guard down as she so rarely did and just sobbed. Openly.

She wanted Corn. She wanted to go HOME. She wanted someone to yell at her so she knew what she was doing wrong. She wanted to know how to fix this weird thing that was happening to her. She wanted to spend time with Moko. With Maria. She wanted to act. She wanted to create new parts of herself. She wanted to, finally, know who and what Kyoko Mogami was when she wasn't empty. She wanted...

She admitted to herself, and only to herself where no one could hear her, she wanted to see Mr. Tsuruga. He would yell at her, which she deserved, but he'd also know what was wrong and how she should fix it. Some actor's rule she didn't know about. Some trick. Some...

"Oahu omelettes?" she asked in a tear filled whisper. It had helped Mr. Tsuruga. Somehow. She still wasn't sure how. Or why. Or with what. Well, she could guess with what. Cain Heel. The other Mr. Tsuruga that kept slipping past Cain Heel, that kept appearing. She didn't understand any of it. But as Setsu she hadn't been there to figure it out, just to take care of Cain. But that was over now. Even if she saw Mr. Tsuruga again, she'd never be Setsu again. And it shocked her that she almost missed it. It had been terrifying and shameless and embarrassing. And she had trouble holding onto Setsu at the end. Even the President had seen it.

But at the same time... There was something about Setsu... she was part of Kyoko's soul now. But unlike the Kuon boy she couldn't just be Setsu again. Because Setsu was never meant to last. Because she was just there to be a lucky charm for Cain Heel. And Cain Heel was Actor X. BJ. Never to resurface. It was the deepest secret she'd ever been asked to keep. And she had to. For Mr. Tsuruga's sake. And because that was her job. And Kyoko always took work seriously. Always would.

She scrubbed at her face, calming down a bit.

Kyoko fished in the pouch at her side and pulled out a deep blue and purple stone. She lifted it to the light that came through the branches and tilted it, watching as the colour changed. She offered the stone a weak smile. "Looks like I depended upon you again, Corn," she whispered. She brought the stone down and rested it against her face. Until she recalled Mr. Tsuruga kissing it. She flushed and shoved the stone back in its coin purse, then put the purse back in her hip pouch.

She leaned back against the tree, staring up at the sky, thinking about Mr. Tsuruga. About the side of him he showed only to Bo, not knowing that she was the person in the chicken suit. She thought about him the day that he had kissed the stone. When he told her that Corn was grown up. When she told him she had seen Corn again in Guam. When he was in that car accident. When she had first seen him as Cain and he had stepped over her. When he was sick. When he smiled his heavenly smile. When he smiled his lying gentlemanly smile.

Her eyes fluttered closed and she fell asleep against the tree, thinking about Mr. Tsuruga. For those passing by, it was hardly the first time they would have seen that shocking pink jumpsuit in the woods. And not at all the first time it was because she had fallen asleep in the forest. Though the tear stains on her face were less common. But she looked peaceful in her sleep.

She really could not be afraid. Not in a fairy wood.

Comments

[bakudan_bambino]

Gokudera makes it almost a daily habit to go to the forest to meditate. He likes that it's magical, that he gets to be with the earth and interact with it when he'd become so accustomed to living on other planets that did not have life, that only made him think of death and his loneliness.

But in Avalon, it's not just full of life, but the powers of magic, and really, he's never felt more excited. Going into the forest to forage and to spend time appreciating this chance he's been given is all well and good.

Except that he's not showing up alone. Gokudera is walking into the forest accompanied by a leopard. It isn't quite an adult, but it isn't a young cub. Somewhere around six months, if he had to guess, and so focused on playing or lazing about. The big cat notices Kyoko before him, sniffs at her, then starts to lick at those salty tear-stained cheeks. There will be purring and suddenly weight as the large cat leans right against this person.

"Uri! Get back here!" Gokudera barks, and then notices the shape of a person beneath the animal. He gets up in a panic to make sure that whoever is lying down is not in distress.

[souls_of_roles]

She woke to the odd sensation and sound. Her eyes opened slowly at first, then popped open wide. She was stunned but not exactly scared. Mostly not scared. It took a lot to scare Kyoko when she was in the woods. And in a magical faerie wood? Nearly impossible. She reached a hand gently to the creature.

"Hello, are you a faerie cat or just a cat?" she asked it, smiling warmly.

[bakudan_bambino]

The leopard gives a huff as its reply and then headbutts into that hand, then sniffs it, looking for food. The cat then rolls against her, and Gokudera walks right up to them, moving his arms and dragging the young leopard back and off of her.

"Sorry! Sorry! Normal leopard! He's uh... he's harmless." He replies, meanwhile, the cat lets out an odd meow and starts to chew at his forearm, leaving red lines and he pokes it. "OW Uri stop."

[souls_of_roles]

Yeah... the teenaged boy alarmed her far more than the baby leopard, and she scrambled back a bit.

"He wasn't bothering me," she said, quickly. Though as hard as it was to be scared here, it was harder still to be scared of someone hurt. "You could let him go, then maybe he won't chew on you?"

[bakudan_bambino]

Uri is not a baby, but also not an adult. The large cat is just that, and very very playful. Gokudera lets him go as she advises, but Uri grabs his arm and starts kicking it, then jumping about and tackling his legs, trying to get him to play-wrestle.

"Uh-huh.

Are you alright, though? Not many people sleep on the forest floor." Unless she's no normal person.

...! What if she's a fae?! Gokudera stares at her in some crazy amount of wonder. If she even claims to be normal, he won't believe it. Meanwhile, Uri is patting him across the back of the head with one oversized paw.

[souls_of_roles]

"Um... do you need help?" she asked, watching this with concern.

As to his question, she kind of shrugs it off, though she would be overjoyed and embarrassed if she knew his line of thought. "I fall asleep here sometimes," she admitted with that shrug. "The woods soothe and recharge me." She always did love the woods. Ever since she met a faerie there when she was little.

There was a bit of shine to her, when she said the word woods. Thanks to uncontrolled illusions.

[bakudan_bambino]

"No, this is normal for this guy," Gokudera motions as the leopard continues to use his body as a toy and he stands there and takes it as if it were a gnat buzzing about him.

"They recharge you? Is there any particular part of the woods you prefer?" Is she tied to certain trees? Time to find out in the most roundabout way of asking possible.

[souls_of_roles]

She nodded eagerly at the question, taking him at his word for the other. She's seen stranger, after all.

She considered his question about the different parts of the woods, though. After giving it real thought she beamed a smile at him. "Anywhere the Faeries gather. By the trees, near lakes, and streams! Anywhere I can find hamburger stones," no she did not clarify what those where. "Anywhere I might be able to find Corn if I look hard enough." Nor did she make it clear that corn did not refer to the food, here.

[bakudan_bambino]

He's getting an inclination that she may be some sort of nomadic nymph creature, but maybe one who is interested in human food? Why else would she place such importance on something as strange-sounding as hamburger stones and Corn?

"Hamburger... stones?" Gokudera is a bit hung up on that, sorry.

Sorry for the lack of icons, paid expired.

[souls_of_roles]

Not something she ever thought she'd be explaining as a teenager. But thinking about it brought up thoughts of Corn, and that always made her happy. She looked around to find.. ah! That would work.

She dove for the bushes after the stone she had spotted and pulled it out. It was a flattish, vaguely oval shaped stone. The sort you might skip. "See," she said, holding it up with just as bright a smile as the one she had offered Corn that first day. "It looks like a hamburger steak! Corn was the best though, he found the king of all hamburgers! It must have been super heavy, because even he was shaking, holding it."

Not heavy, he had been struggling not to laugh out loud at how silly and adorable a child she was.

no worries dude c:

[bakudan_bambino]

Gokudera just imagines that this person is actually just a giant corn spirit, probably all different colors but at least a little horrifying and magical, especially if it's as large as a person.

A nymph and a corn spirit. Okay, Gokudera.

"Oh! Do you collect them?" He wonders if that enhances her magic...

Ty

[souls_of_roles]

"Not any more," she said, wistfully as she set the stone on the ground. "Do you like hamburger steak?" she asked, leaning back against the tree.

<3

[bakudan_bambino]

"What? Why not?" Did something happen? Is there a different stone now? Is it maybe a seasonal thing, and now hamburger stones are no longer tied to her magic? He needs to know.

"Yes." No? It's not his favorite, but it's not bad. Food is food, and he hasn't been poisoned with hamburger steak, so he supposes there are worse things. It's just not a food he often thinks of wanting.

[souls_of_roles]

She blinked, surprised by his strong reaction. "Because Corn left," she said, as if that made perfect sense. To her, it did. After all... Corn was the one who cared about that stuff with her, who comforted her, who didn't mind if she was childish or cried...

She smiled softly, a hand slipping into the pouch on her hip. Her fingers closed over the small coin pouch that held the stone Corn gave her. That she also calls Corn. And still she does not understand how people get confused.

"I like hamburger steak too. Especially with a fried egg on top."

[bakudan_bambino]

"Then you should still collect them as a way to pay homage to him, shouldn't you? If it made you happy and reminds you of him, I think he'd like you to still find joy in something like that." Gokudera is being so sincere. He'd like to help her.

"I can even do it with you, so it doesn't feel lonely! I never met him, but I'm sure he was great while he was around." He bets it's a seasonal spirit, so has the utmost faith Corn will return.

"Do you make them yourself?" So she's a carnivorous spirit... interesting.

[souls_of_roles]

"Sure! We can collect Hamburger stones!" she said, happily. Was... was this another Faerie? That would explain a lot. She picked up the small stone again and got to her feet and looked around.

"Actual Hamburger steak? Yeah, I worked hard to learn how to cook. I can make food for you sometime, if you want!" She said, head tilted with a bright smile.

[bakudan_bambino]

"Okay! Can I take one that I find home with me, or should I leave it in the forest?" Gokudera asks, ever respectful of the fae and their practices. He'd hate to take a magical item out of this place, especially if this nomadic nymph draws power from them here.

"I can't make any food. I could even burn water, I'm so bad..." That is not something he would tell just anyone, but she's magical and he has faith she won't go mocking him.

[souls_of_roles]

"Sure, you can take them home! Then Corn will have multiple places to feel drawn to!" she said, happily.

Could Faeries not cook? That... that added to her theory that Mr. Tsuruga had a Faerie ancestor!

She was delighted. "I could cook for you! What kind of food do you like?"

[bakudan_bambino]

“Do you think we’d get along…?” He asks, seeming timid about it. She would know best, he supposes, but doesn’t want to draw a spirit he’s never met or doesn’t understand fully yet.

“I don’t eat much, ah but it’s been a while since I had any good pasta…”

[souls_of_roles]

"You and Corn? Sure! Corn is wonderful! He loves anyone and everyone. Even his father!" She was absolutely certain.

"I'm not sure I know how to make pasta," she said, considering. "But I can see if someone will teach me."

[bakudan_bambino]

They way she says 'even his father' implies that maybe most people wouldn't love Corn's father. Is it a harvest spirit King or something? Why not love the King of Harvest? Gokudera looks about, eager to get to looking for stones with this creature.

"Thank you." He says gently, then considers giving her his name. It's generally a bad idea to give away a name to the Fae. So he looks at her and decides on one. "Also, you can call me Bingo." There's only one other person who does.

[souls_of_roles]

"Alright, Bingo! I'm Kyoko from L.M.E." she bowed deeply. "I've never heard of a person called Bingo before! That's an amazing name." Yep, he has to be a Faerie! She met another Faerie! YAY!

[bakudan_bambino]

"L.M.E.? I've never heard of that," he answers and then nods at her bowing. Gokudera blushes slightly at the compliment to his nickname. It's nothing he came up with, and hopes that Miwako won't be upset that someone else is using it for him.

[souls_of_roles]

"L.M.E. is great!" she said, happily. She posed dramatically to highlight the logo on her chest. Brightness from her Light Magic shone over it. "L.M.E. is responsible for the brightest stars ever to shine!" Not her, yet. But maybe someday? Maybe? No, she was being too shameless again.

[bakudan_bambino]

Stars?! So she's a heavenly fae! That has to be it! That she's more a celestial nymph, fascinated by Avalon's earthly charms... He can't say he blames her. The magic in this world is astonishing.

Gokudera is already imagining that Corn is likely up in space with other spirits, waiting for their time to come down and help her.

"And... Kyoko. Where can we find these hamburger stones? Can you show me?" He's pushing his glasses up, looking quite nerdy and nervous about the whole ordeal. It's just... a lot to take in.