[Open] April Comes She Will (April Catch-All!)

[ninjainviolet]

Characters: Sheena Fujibayashi and YOU! No, really! You, and you, and you, and YOU!
Date: Second week of April on. (She may be visiting a certain red-head during the first week while he's "sick".)
Location: Errywhere
Situation: Oh Sheena doing Sheena things, training, summoning, working, wandering the turtle. (Plus a serious nightmare moment or two)
Warnings/Rating: PG in case Sheena starts cursing. :) Nightmare scenarios won't have much detail, but they will involve mentions of death. That will be labeled.


A - Jasmine Dragon Tea House - Open

Yes, the recent announcement is true. Sheena now owns the Tea House. And is actually pretty comfortable doing it--except where paperwork is concerned. That has been, and always will be, her greatest foe. Next to holes, of course.

None of that shows, however, as she bustles through the place, stopping to chat with staff and customers alike until she can find a moment's peace and enjoy a pot of tea herself at one of the tables. Still, there's no sense of her wanting to be left alone, so whether someone is looking for a job, or is merely stopping by to see her, or even a stranger with a question, feel free to join her.

She'll even offer you a cup of tea and something to eat.

B - Nightmare Aftermath (CW: Possible mentions/descriptions of death) - Open

Before the sun rising is a strange time for people to be up and about, but there are those who are. Perhaps they're going to work, or they're just morning people. In Sheena's case, however, she had just had a nightmare, and is out and about to "deal" with it--dressed in clothing that matches her attire from home. (A clear sign to those who know her that something's up.)

Even if Raine may have managed to stop her and talk to her about it.

And different nightmares have different reactions, so some days you may find her:

1) With a very placid, almost lifeless, expression standing still in an open part of the city. On a bridge or on a roof or even in a public square, with her face upturned, letting either the rain or sunshine wash over her. Or, with that same expression, standing quietly by, listening to the Kedan children play with Corrine's twin, Tomoya. Sheena? Quiet? Standing still? Placid and lifeless? Yeah, there's definitely something up here.

2) Or, perhaps you're sensitive to shifts in mana, or can detect when a Summon is called. Or perhaps it's the sound of lightning striking that catches your attention. Or maybe it's the sight of a huge ball of lightning with eyes that makes you head out to where Sheena is fighting against the Spirit itself.

"Volt!" she cries, launching herself at the Spirit.

Is she in trouble? Does she need help? Or is this some kind of therapy for her? Do you rush to her aid? Or do you hang back and watch, waiting?

[ ooc note: Sheena had three main nightmares. One is canon and comes from the game. The other two are based on incidents that happened during her time in AmatOmnes. While I try not to be too graphic with the descriptions, if you don't want the details, please let me know. ]

C - Healer's Guild - Open

Whoops. Seems Sheena had a little bit of an accident while fighting that big ol' ball of Lightning, and is now sporting a few burns along her legs and arms. Nothing major, but without gels or healing abilities of her own, she has no way of taking care of them. Besides, if she had been brought here by someone else, she really hadn't been in a position to say "no".

She is, however, in a position to make one request.

"Do me a favor," she says to anyone and everyone, "don't tell Raine I'm here? Please?" Surely a sensible request, right? Like the head of the Guild wouldn't find out anyway.

D - Greenhouses

When she's not working or dealing with her nightmares, Sheena can be found where the new greenhouses are, lending a hand. Sometimes alone, sometimes with Gnome. Hey, if you've got an Earth Spirit you can ask to help with the land, why not? Except this particular Spirit has Sheena sighing and rolling her eyes.

"At least there aren't any Gnomelettes."

Curious? She'll be more than happy to tell you all about those little guys.

E - Wildcard!

Got an idea that's not up there? Except for the first week, Sheena's going to be out and about the rest of the month.

Comments

C.

[celticromanstone]

Heather had caught the case when she comes in. She has some herbal knowledge that, unfortunately, isn't working well here. But, there are also some very good chemicals that do much better. She leads the girl into one of the exam rooms and pulls over the supplies one of the other nurses has gathered for her.

She purses her lips, pulling on gloves. "You know there's nothing that goes on here that she doesn't find out about." She gently takes one arm, and begins by carefully cleaning the arm, with sterile water. "When I was brought in, she found out about it." She is very gentle, very careful with the burns. "So, why don't you want her to know, darling?"

Re: C.

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena's used to both herbs and chemicals, so she's not surprised or wary when she sees the supplies on the cart in the room she's escorted into. Although, she doubts she'll ever get used to the antiseptic smell of hospitals.

Hopping up on the exam table, she assists Heather by revealing the damaged skin, making a relieved sound as the water touches her skin. That lasts only a moment, though. Heaving a heavy sigh, she says. "I had a feeling you'd say that." She pauses to peek at what's going on with her arm. "Raine and I have known each other for a long time, and I didn't want to worry her." Or answer the question of "how" this happened.

Which she'll probably have to do anyway for the records. Oh boy.

[celticromanstone]

Heather smiles. She understands not wanting to worry people. She's felt that a few times now and again throughout her life. Heather pulls over one of the burn gels they have and begins spreading it thinly on her arm. "Well, while that's admirable, hiding things will get you nowhere." Heather points out.

"And it might annoy her, and the rule is, darling, never annoy the healers." She teases, wrapping the dressing around the first arm. She sighs. "But if you'd rather I told her, that is certainly something that I can do."

[ninjainviolet]

Yeah, Sheena's been that way her entire life. A lone wolf, taking care of things on her own. Even after she met and made friends that made that unnecessary--not to mention downright impossible at times. Her sigh of relief becomes rueful at Heather's comment, and she gives her a wry look. "Yeah, I've been told that. A lot." It's a very hard habit to break.

She starts chuckling, wincing slightly as she moves her leg against the table. The burns there hadn't been worked on yet. "Tell me about it. I know the power Raine has, and I've seen her use that staff of hers in battle." And yet, she's still willing to face that wrath. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she meets the other woman's gaze.

"Actually, I'd rather you didn't, but it's part of your job. And I really shouldn't have put you in that position to begin with. I can tell her."

When though, is another matter.

[celticromanstone]

Heather smiles warmly. She understands the situation the girl is in, but can't quite find it in her to hide things from Raine. "Well, yes, it is my job, but I can hold off, if you'd rather it came from you first." She finishes with one arm and moves to the other, repeating the process.

"I'm Heather, by the way, darling." She figures an introduction is necessary, if she's going to be holding a secret.

A.

[schrodingersghost]

Danny tried to keep his promises. When he could, anyway.

And so the first thing he does when he heard about the grand opening is to make a point of showing up. He looks around the room curiously. Tea houses were still a pretty alien thing to him.

[ninjainviolet]

As he looks around, he won't see Sheena immediately. She's in the back preparing her own pot of tea to enjoy. Spotting him the moment she steps into the main hall, she calls to him, lifting the tray with the tea service in greeting, her smile growing wide. She had had a feeling he'd keep his promise.

"Danny! I'm just going on a break. Would you like to join me?"

[schrodingersghost]

"I guess so?"

He shrugs and steps over towards her.

[ninjainviolet]

"Gee, don't sound so excited," she deapans, her eyes twinkling with humor. Chuckling, she waves him towards a slightly out-of-the-way table, inviting him to take a seat.

"So, if I remember correctly, you don't drink tea too much, right?" She pauses. "Would you like to try one of our sweeter teas to start? It might go pretty well with these cookies."

Sweet tea plus lemon-style cookies? Maaaybe.

[schrodingersghost]

"You got that right. I don't even know what some of the things you have on the menu here are." He frowns. "That means it has sugar in it? I guess I could give it a try."

E.

[denyamenti]

((Continuation of this thread))

If Bakura knew what was running through Sheena's head in regards to summons, his estimation of her would have gone up considerably. But her actions did speak loudly, which was why he didn't mind explaining.

"This is my ka... he's actually a part of me. One facet, as it were, given form. But other summons are of creatures which belong to their own realm, and you call on them."

[ninjainviolet]

Sheena's always believed that actions spoke louder than words--and that included her own. It's a belief that's helped her to not judge people right away when first meeting them--even if past experience with others may make her wary. So, she would understand any hesitation on his part if he's been in similar situations.

As he explained, she looked at the Summon, her eyes wide. "A part of you? So, he's a great power that comes from inside of you?" She nodded to the being in greeting, taking his current size as a choice in appearance. "It's nice to meet you. My name's Sheena Fujibayashi." Yep. Definitely saw Summons differently than some people did. She turned back to Bakura.

"You're right. That's a lot different than what I know! Although the Summon Spirits sound a lot like the other ones you mentioned. Most of them control only one element, so I guess that can be considered their realm."

Time to compare notes?

[denyamenti]

There was something ego-stroking about someone else labeling Diabound a 'great power', he had to admit. "This is his first form," he said easily, as Sheena surveyed the ka.

Diabound, for its part, seemed now far more interested in Sheena than in its own master, moving toward her curiously.

Recognition lit Bakura's expression at her introduction. "Oh, you are Raine's friend," he said, now having a face to put with the occasionally mentioned name. And now that he had, he did recall Raine talking about Summon Spirits from time to time.

"Shadow creatures do have an alignment, and sometimes that alignment is elemental," he corroborated. Not all of them, as could be neatly divided as Pegasus had chosen their cards to be, but a good many of them.

[ninjainviolet]

The plus side to that stroke to his ego is that Sheena meant it when she called Diabound that. Looking from Bakura to Diamound, she said, "First form? How many forms do you have... Oh, uh, I'm sorry, i didn't get your name," she said directly to the Summon--not moving an inch as he came closer. In fact, she smiled warmly at him.

A smile that quickly turned into surprise. "Oh! You know Raine?' She chuckled sheepishly. "Well, she's been here for a while; she probably knows half the city. Did she tell you about the Summon Spirits?"

For a moment, she stood quietly in thought. "'Shadow creatures?'" she repeated slowly. "Which means their realm is a Shadow Realm?" She smiled. "I have a Summon Spirit named Shadow; he's the Spirit of Darkness. Some people think that means he's evil, but he's not. Is that the same for these Shadow Creatures?"

[denyamenti]

"His name is Diabound," Bakura supplied. "He doesn't... speak, as such. He has four normal forms, each one with more abilities than the other-- except this one, which he mostly uses to get spoiled."

Indulge-good, is Diabound's smug mental answer to that, shared to both Bakura and Sheena. It's not communicated in words, but a combination of feelings and images representing those two concepts. It takes some people a bit to get used to, but others seem to catch onto the method fairly quickly.

"Dark and evil are far from the same," Bakura agrees with a shake of his head. "And any who don't know that have probably never dealt with either. Yes, Shadow creatures reside in the Shadow Realm... not the most creative name, I admit, but I didn't come up with it."

B

[annihilist]

Devin's still getting to know the city and the Foreigners in it; living in close quarters with so many other people is not something he enjoys, and he's just going to have to deal with it. In the early morning hours, however, when there aren't many people out and about, he can get something better approximating peace and quiet.

He spots a young woman as he's crossing a bridge over one of the canals in Water sector, sporting an expression he's all too familiar with. Devin stops a few feet away, staring out at the city around them.

"And here I thought I was the only one who had brooding down to an exact science," he remarks, quietly enough that Sheena could pretend not to hear him.

[ninjainviolet]

Despite the early hour and chill in the air, several people have already passed Sheena. Some quietly, some not so quietly--but all presences easily felt by her. Remarks made about "how silly she is, standing outside in this weather" made it to the ninja'a ears, but in her current frame of mind, no reaction had come forth.

Until someone speaks directly to her.

For a moment, one may think she hadn't heard him, until she lowers her head to face him directly, her expression calm and serene.

"I'm not brooding," she corrects him quietly. "I'm experiencing."

[annihilist]

"Ah. My mistake; they are sometimes hard to tell apart, standing still," Devin returns, leaning his elbows on the railing of the bridge.

He doesn't look at her yet, as though he's searching for whatever it is Sheena's experiencing. Another moment or two of silence, and then:

"Experiencing what, if I may be so bold?"

[ninjainviolet]

"No problem. Mistakes happen. And you're right; it is hard to tell when someone isn't moving just what's going on." Her tone is quiet, and perhaps a little flat. Those who know her or heard her speak on the network would realize it right away.

She returns to her previous position for those few minutes before turning back at his question, her expression still calm. "You're not being bold at all. The chill, the rain, the air--all of it. A reminder of what's around me."

[annihilist]

"Even more so when you don't know someone well."

He's seen Sheena on the network, which may or may not be a good enough sample size to assess her standard demeanor. She does seem quieter than he remembers, which could be caused by any number of things. Not the least of which is it being early.

"Are you finding yourself needing to be grounded?" Devin's tone is light, but understanding.

B; nightmare aftermath;

[simulsimul]

[For all that Kratos usually finds something to do, sometimes there are moments when he simply wanders the city at night, perching on rooftops to gaze up at the sky. On this night there's a brisk wind, cold enough to make people hurry to their doors, though it lacks the cutting edge from last month.

[One person is not. Kratos recognises the silhouette from a distance, even in the dark; from the looks of things she has her face turned toward the starlight and the wind.

[... It's too cold, still, to be standing so motionless against the air. Wordlessly Kratos moves toward Sheena, making sure to let a foot fall audibly on the roof so she isn't startled when he drops his cloak across her shoulders.]

[ninjainviolet]

[ Normally, Sheena joining Kratos on the rooftops would be brief, since she prefers to run along them, hopping from one to the other, her smile wide and expression eager as she enjoys the feel of the wind against her face and the sheer ability to be able to do it.

Tonight, however, there is no running, and no apparent enjoyment to be seen in either her expression or her stance. There may be, however, a slight twitch of her eyebrows as the chill washes over her, causing her to focus on it.

Then within a matter of seconds, there's a footfall, her guard going up, a cloak being dropped and her guard going back down as she turns and sees Kratos. Her physical reaction is easy to see; but where's the surprise? The shock? The emotion? ]

Kratos... Thank you. You didn't have to do that.

[ At least she's still polite? ]

[simulsimul]

[It's such a lessening in reactions that Kratos's brow knits together, and his first thought is that someone's stolen her key-crest. Then she answers, which is at least a relief on that front -- if only her tone weren't so empty.]

I wanted to.

[A bland response, because he's studying Sheena's face, wondering what, precisely, is the cause of this. He hadn't intended to ask -- he hadn't been sure asking would yield results -- but under the circumstances, he's not sure he can't. His next words are gentler than his usual neutral tones.]

What's wrong?

[ninjainviolet]

[ Nope. Key-crest is totally in place. Hidden somewhere on her body because you know, ninja.

She's still focused on him, her expression calm as he answers. ]

Ah. Well, thank you again. But won't you be needing it?

[ Still polite, but perhaps it's his question that causes another twitch of her eyebrow before she looks away before answering. When she does, there's even less emotion in her voice--her tone sounding...dead. ]

I had a nightmare.

[simulsimul]

No.

[He hasn't really turned on his temperature sense since he's arrived. Loaning the cloak out at times like this has been a better use for it.]

I see.

[This is soft. He doesn't sleep enough to have nightmares regularly, but he does remember how it feels to wake up from them. And then he hesitates, because comfort isn't a thing he's done regularly of late; and never with Sheena. Even still, his tone is gently neutral when he asks:]

Would you care to talk about it?