[OPEN] Who put me in your way to find?

[hadnoright]

Who: Daisy Tonner (hadnoright) & you!
What: Catch-All for Daisy
When: August
Where: The forest, the hot springs, downtown, etc.
Warnings: Violence, animal death/hunting, intrusive thoughts, nudity, others added as needed



1. What right had you not to let me die? [the forest]

Those who travel out into the forest during the day may find themselves running into a short, relatively petite human-looking woman bodily slamming into a deer or boar that's almost as big as she is. The creature hits the ground with surprising force and when the woman rises, it's whilst wiping the blood from her mouth and rolling her shoulders.

Most of the time, she already knows someone's there before they say a word. So, the animal-like energy to her posture melts away like it was never there at all and she turns toward her audience and says something like, "Don't mind me. Working."

Unless, that is, you've managed to actually sneak up on her. It's not an easy thing to do, but when she's in the heat of a Hunt tunnel vision can take its hold and it's in those moments where a sudden noise might make the Hunter's gaze snap towards it like a beast startled. And it's in those moments where Daisy is most distinctly inhuman, the odd yellow eyes and the teeth and the animal way she holds herself.

And it's in those moments that it takes all of Daisy's restraint not to give into the sound of blood pounding in her ears, telling her to attack. With a growl, she shakes her head and takes a step back. "Jesus fucking christ. Don't sneak around!"

2. Ooh but did I even know what I was asking for? [hot springs]

She doesn't get aches and pains like most people in her profession would after a while, but that doesn't mean the hot springs aren't relaxing in their own right. So, occasionally Daisy makes the trip up to the springs, strips down and slips into the water with zero modesty nor shame about the nudity.

There are scars all over her body, many in places that should've killed her if she hadn't already been long on the way to inhumanity by the time she took the damage that caused them. The biggest, a starburst-like scar marring the back of her shoulder, is only visible if you're looking when she sits up.

3. If I had my way, I'd have missed you more [downtown]

There is a large blonde wolf lying in the yard of Daisy and Erin's house. The wolf may appear at first glance to be asleep, but in reality if you look closer she's a little too visibly tuned into her surroundings for that. Still, she is relaxing. Sunbathing, even.

Occasionally, a Mawhile appears from another part of the garden to try and bite her tail. She seems completely unfazed by this.

Wildcard

Hit me up to plot something or just throw something at me.

Comments

Wildcard

[not_the_last]

Cassandra is aware that Daisy's here, and has made a mental note to look her up soon. But her days are crowded, more so than she expects them to be, so it hasn't happened yet.

And she isn't expecting to turn a corner and find herself face to face with Daisy walking back into town, with a startlingly large carcass of some kind slung across her narrow shoulders.

Under the circumstances, she feels, her momentary blank reaction (the kind perhaps best expressed as "...") is understandable.

[hadnoright]

Daisy stops short, when she catches motion up ahead. It's only the second after that she sees its Cassandra, specifically, at which point she blinks and nods.

She'd raise a hand but, you know. Occupied.

"Cassandra."

[not_the_last]

"Daisy." Almost the same tone. "I'm. Pleased to see you."

It isn't a lie, and knowing that feels strange.

[hadnoright]

Definitely not the greeting Daisy expected, but she huffs a bit of a laugh. "Good to see you made it." Not survived, obviously. "Wasn't sure about the folks who didn't wash up with the rest of us."

[not_the_last]

"I think anyone may yet show up. Dedue only arrived last month."

She's still holding out hope for a few people, if quietly.

[hadnoright]

"Christ. We're really trickling in." There's only a couple of people left that Daisy could be said to miss, but... there's also only a few people she could be said to dislike enough to wish the void on them.

"How've you been keeping busy?"

Daisy's own answer to this is, well, rather obvious.

[not_the_last]

"I've found employment, actually." Still some faint surprise at that in her voice. "Assistant clerical duties in the Mayor's office. And yourself?"

Daisy might well be hunting on her day off, after all.

[hadnoright]

Daisy nods her head back vaguely at the carcass. "Doing what I'm best at. Just with animals, this time. Better for everyone."

Except for the fact it's not scratching the itch quite well enough not to leave her wanting more, but... still, there's degrees of better, and this is still several of them.

"Bit weird, really. Having a 'normal' job." It's a thought aimed as much at Cassandra's quiet surprise at her own answer as it is also true commentary on Daisy's own situation.

[not_the_last]

She nods at better for everyone, and again at bit weird. "It is rather, isn't it? I'm sorry, I ... I'm only now realizing that I don't know very much about what your situation was back in your world. Before all of this."

[hadnoright]

Daisy gives an amused huff. "Yeah. Just the monster stuff, pretty much."

She jerks her head vaguely. "Walk and talk? Just heading back to my place. String this thing up."

[not_the_last]

A pause, and a nod. "Certainly." And she steps aside to let Daisy continue, then falls into step beside her.

She gives a slight sidelong glance, to see if she can identify the thing over Daisy's shoulders.

[hadnoright]

It's a rather impressively sized wild boar, this time. She does Hunt the more unique creatures from time to time, but the simple stuff's easiest to sell on for meat.

"So. I started as a cop. Which would be a mostly normal job, in most places. Only I spent most of my career dealing with. Less than normal stuff. Supernatural stuff."

[not_the_last]

Oh, that is impressive. Especially for one woman to be carrying by herself.

"A cop," she repeats, "that's like a, a city guardsman? And they assigned you to arcane matters?" Her tone suggests she finds that strange, but probably not for the reasons it actually would have been.

[hadnoright]

Her size alone really doesn't demonstrate her physical ability all that well.

"Sure. Close enough. But the thing is, where I'm from? That stuff's not. Common knowledge. Half my job was stopping it that from changing."

[not_the_last]

"Oh." Greatly startled, audibly so even on the single syllable. "Keeping it from becoming common knowledge? Why?"

[hadnoright]

Daisy shrugs despite the weight on her shoulders. "It's dangerous. All of it. Every bit of magic-y stuff we have is from the Fear Gods. People who seek it out either die or end up monsters. And so do people who don't. Those are the stories people like me cover up. To keep it from causing mass hysteria. Or a lot more people trying to cause the apocalypse."

[not_the_last]

Every bit of magic. From the Fear Gods.

Cassandra has never been deeply devout, or intently interested in ancient history -- but every Exandrian child with any schooling knows something of the Calamity. The great centuries-long war between the Prime Deities, fighting on behalf of the mortal races, and the Betrayer Gods. Who sought to destroy, and even in their eternal prison beyond the Divine Gate still seek to dominate and punish and torment. Eternally, as they are tormented.

What Daisy describes sounds, to her, like a world in which the Betrayer Gods won.

There's a long pause before she says "I see," very quietly. "That sounds ... dreadful."

[hadnoright]

Daisy watches in her periphery through the pause, and snorts a dry laugh when she speaks. "Funnily enough. We also call 'em the Dread Powers."

The Entities, the Fears, Gods... they've got a lot of names and some people adamantly argue against calling them gods at all. But Daisy's never cared about the stupid politics of whether something with so much power is a God or just a being, whether you should dignify them with the idea of religion.

Because the fact is that people do, whether you should or not. People worship these things, serve them with zealous glee.

"But yeah, it's bad. By the time you know they exist? It's too late. Even people who survive chance encounters don't always survive long."

[not_the_last]

She shakes her head. "And is there any way at all to oppose them?"

[hadnoright]

Another snort. "No. Or— not really. You can screw up their rituals. Stop individual Avatars. But you can't— defy the Fears. Not once you're caught in their web. Not without consequences. That's why I was starving, before."

[not_the_last]

Another long pause.

Low, subdued: "I'm more glad than I knew, then, that you didn't have to go back."

[hadnoright]

Daisy considers possible responses for a moment, before all she ultimately says is, "Yeah?"

[not_the_last]

Her gaze flicks up to Daisy's face, as though trying to read there any more expression than there is to be had from her voice.

There isn't much more expression in her own, when she answers. "Possibly I presume too far, to say so. I don't know how the prospect of returning seems to you."

[hadnoright]

Daisy snorts. "Oh I don't want to go back. Never have. Didn't think you were 'presuming' anything."

[not_the_last]

"Well then," she says. "Yes."

It's hard to articulate I would feel responsible. Especially since if Daisy had been returned to her own world, there'd be no way Cassandra could possibly know.