REBEL 8 [voice/action]

[rebellions]

[ action for the Katabami ]

[If you ask Ragna, each passing day is becoming more and more unbearable here in this world. Rain of pears? Annoying, but ultimately harmless (unless you were hit with one made of gold on the head─ which he was, by the way). Creepy chocolate that made people cuddle? Even worse. And don't even get him started on the stupidly loud horns. As such, he welcomes the fact the fourth day doesn't seem to bring anything exceedingly weird. Eventually he stumbles upon one of the mechanical birds that seem to have appeared out of thin air, but compared to everything else, he doesn't think it's too bad; in fact, he finds its song soothing and almost... pleasant, which, coming from Ragna, is quite an accomplishment.

Until the song ends, that is.

The crew of the Katabami might hear a loud noise of something cracking and shattering from below the deck. Upon closer inspection, one will find that the room the sound came from is in... less than stellar state: the floor is covered in claw scratches and the wall has marks from what appears to have been fangs, though they definitely belonged to something way bigger and more dangerous than the cheerful zoo they've got on board. In the middle of this mess stands Ragna, breathing heavily, his right hand engulfed in a dark shadow. In front of him there's a small pile of mechanical parts─ the remnants of the bird.]

[ voice ]

[After he's had some time to cool off, Ragna will be grabbing the "goddamn book" as he likes to call it to say a few things. Or whine, to be precise.]

... If that's the "present" the Cat bitch was talking 'bout, then I don't want any of her shit.

[He doesn't want to specify which of the gifts he's losing his marbles over (or even that he is), but the timing's more than a little suspicious. He makes a short pause, followed by an irritated groan.]

What the hell's the deal with all this random crap, anyway? The food was at least kinda useful, but this...

[The Grim Reaper trails off, figuring anyone can see where he's going with it.]

Comments

[voice]

[dragonbadfaith]

If tomorrow turns up anything gold or perhaps some sort of jewelry, then I might have an answer for you.

[Well, sort of an answer. Though not exactly a reassuring one.]

[voice]

[rebellions]

─What, you suggesting there's some theme to this bullshit?

[Color him surprised. From his perspective, this whole thing makes no sense whatsoever.]

[voice]

[dragonbadfaith]

It's merely a theory, but yes. This 'bullshit', as you say, is all remarkably similar to the lines of a terrible Christmas song in my world. Popular, even though it's Muggle in origin, but terrible.

...Anyway, it was the horns that gave it away. See, they're also known as French horns in my world. And there were three of them, yes? The line in the song is 'three french hens'.

The first day matches, as well, but I'm still trying to work out the second day. I suppose there's a slight correlation between turtle doves and having an urge to cozy up to certain people, but that might be a stretch.

[He never actually saw the candy figures that turned up on the ships, as one of his crewmates promptly turned them into hot chocolate.]

Today is a curiosity, too. Aside from the 'present' being a sort of bird. There should be four of them, though. And they should be black. 'Four colly birds' is the line.

[voice]

[rebellions]

[What the hell is "Muggle"... Oh well, that's not the important part. What he should be focusing on now is that no matter how cheesy the song theory sounds, it's... not impossible, especially by this world's standards. If pears match, as do the... "turtle doves" (explains the freaky chocolate figures), and the horns and birds do too, then... it seems like a bit too much to call it a coincidence. Though he's gotta say, whoever set this up has a horrible sense of humor. As well as taste in music, apparently.]

... That's friggin' dumb. I ain't gonna dance to some bastard's crap-ass tune.

[Still, assuming there really is a pattern, getting to know what lies in store for them may be useful. Forewarned is forearmed... Even Ragna knows as much.]

So? What's the rest of the song 'bout?

[voice]

[dragonbadfaith]

[Yeeeah, Draco has a terrible habit of throwing words out there and expecting people to know what they mean.]

Other inane things that have no business being called presents. Aside from the golden rings, maybe. But let's see...more birds, pipers, something about girls doing chores -- I've no idea what to expect for that one. Drummers... There are twelve days in total.

Shall I write you a list? Or perhaps you'd prefer I not spoil the surprise.

[voice]

[rebellions]

Almost two weeks of this crap? I can't wait.

[Even without face-to-face interaction, the sarcasm in his voice isn't hard to read. While not the most musical person on the planet, Ragna can't help but roll his eyes at the description presented. Who in their right mind would write a song about some random rubbish? He really doesn't want anything to do with it.]

Don't be stupid. What the eff do you think I asked 'bout the rest for? Shit and giggles? Get on with this.

[... That's probably not how you ask for a favor, Rags.]

[voice]

[dragonbadfaith]

Merlin, impatient much? Do you really want to be that rude to the person who has the information? Perhaps I should make you ask nicely for it.

[There's a longish pause then, before Draco makes a dismissive sound.]

But I don't really care enough to. Alright, so every verse starts out the same. Silly nonsense about it being the first day of Christmas, and then the second day, and so on and so forth.

[And then he starts writing in the journal, while still speaking around it.]

On the first day of Christmas my true love gave to me: a partridge in a pear tree.
On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me: two turtle doves and a partridge in a pear tree.

And then you keep adding on until you make it all the way to the bloody twelfth day, where everything is repeated from the previous eleven verses.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my true love gave to me:
- 12 Drummers Drumming
- 11 Pipers Piping
- 10 Lords-a-Leaping
- 9 Ladies Dancing
- 8 Maids-a-Milking
- 7 Swans-a-Swimming
- 6 Geese-a-Laying
- 5 Gold Rings
- 4 Colly Birds
- 3 French Hens
- 2 Turtle Doves

And then, of course, finish it off with the damn partridge in a pear tree. For the twelfth sodding time.

action; clearly the best idea

[harbouredheart]

[Hearing the commotion, Xun Yu comes to see the source, and... of course it's Ragna at the heart of it. After taking in the scene, she wisely doesn't get too close, but it's probably too late to make a quiet retreat. Holding back a sigh, she speaks.]

What's going on here?

action; as usual

[rebellions]

["Protect Saya and Jin. No matter what happens. Time after time... you have to do it. Promise me."

The words still echo in Ragna's ears, making it difficult for him to calm down. It's not that the voice itself is unpleasant or anything, but hearing it being used by whoever set this up just to mess with his head makes him sick at the stomach. The singing bird may not be nearly as distressing as dealing with almost carbon copies of his little sister that Murakumo Units are, but that doesn't make him feel much better about this whole thing.

He barely notices Xun Yu enter the room, too busy with his racing thoughts; eventually, the shadows sink back into his arm and he inhales deeply, trying to get a hold of himself. It's only when the woman speaks up that he registers her presence, immediately turning around and narrowing his eyes at her.]

Shut up. Just...

["Protect them."

The Grim Reaper presses his hand against his forehead, letting out an annoyed groan. It almost hurts to remember that here and now, but sadly it's not a kind of pain the Azure Grimoire can heal for him.]

... Leave me the hell alone.

[harbouredheart]

[Xun Yu's eyebrows draw in as she watches Ragna. It's not that she doesn't plan to leave him alone, just that, as always, she wants information first.

Though it's not the information that she really wants to ask him.

The situation is just a little too concerning to leave vague. It was just over a year ago that she had... issue, and that started with instability of mood and a growing sense of distress. Not that it could be the same, with the witch dead, but she has a certain amount of professional paranoia. She may not like him much, which lessens the degree, but she's still worried.]

What happened?

[rebellions]

[To be fair, Ragna has never been a shining example of emotional stability, so this might not be quite as unusual as it was in her case.

See, this is the part of Xun Yu that annoys him the most: curiosity. The way she always wants to know things easily gets under his skin, especially when it concerns him. He never really talks about himself unless it's absolutely necessary (like back when they exchanged bodies, Master Unit have mercy), so he takes any attempts at information gathering as prying into his private matters.]

Nothing.

[He answers a little too fast, not looking at the woman. Hell, perhaps that's not even a lie: the voices are nothing more than his own memory, if a little more vivid than when he recalls them himself. Ultimately, nothing special happened.

So why is he so goddamn frustrated?]

... If that's all, you know where the door is.

[harbouredheart]

[The only part of that Xun Yu finds convincing is the dismissal. She feels a familiar pang of annoyance towards Ragna, which she does her best to ignore. She likewise ignores Ragna's suggestion, and instead turns her gaze to the small pile of broken cogs and metal. (Un)forunately, she's quick on the uptake.]

...Did something new manifest?

[It's been happening for days now, after all. She takes a few small steps forward, testing the waters. Ragna is so bad-tempered normally that it's difficult sometimes to tell where his real limits lie. If she can inspect the wreckage, however...]

[rebellions]

[Persistent as usual. There's little that irritates him more than people who don't know when to back off (even though he's definitely one of them himself), and that combined with how Xun Yu continues to ignore his requests on top of everything else is more than enough to cause him to lash out on her.]

Which part of get lost do you not understand?!

[Suddenly, the shadows burst out of his right arm once again, this time not intentionally, but in response to Ragna's emotions. If nothing else, it serves as a way for him to sober up a bit─ the man catches the Grimoire with a grimace of pain on his face, taking a deep breath to calm himself. It seems to be working, as the shadow dissipates until there's nothing left; in addition to that, he appears slightly more willing to discuss things without using violence, too.]

... Yeah. See for yourself if you have to.

[He leans against the wall covered in claw marks, still clutching his arm tightly. Shit, shit, shit─ she's the last person he needed to witness that, so of course it had to happen right in front of her. Just his luck.]

action;

[cherrybombpie]

[Kodachi had let the mechanical bird she'd found wander all over the deck when she heard the commotion, so she went to check on what happened. Her mascara and eyeliner were all over her cheeks because she'd cried her eyes out and hadn't bothered to clean up just yet.]

[She poked her head through the door, staring at Ragna, not saying a word.]

action;

[rebellions]

[Ragna doesn't seem to even register her presence at first; he's not capable of thinking straight or calming himself down, so he just drives his fist into the nearest wall, yelling at no one in particular.]

Don't screw around with me! What kinda sick joke is that supposed to be?!

[Of course, he gets no answer to that, so instead he gives the poor wall a few more punches, swearing as he does. He doesn't even notice the pain in his hand until he runs out of curses and stops, the shadow slowly crawling back into his arm. It's only then that he finally feels someone's gaze on him, making him spin around to face the person he's been ignoring until now.]

Kodachi? [The Grim Reaper blinks in surprise, but his expression quickly changes back to a frown. Shit. Did she hear all of that?] ... How long have you been watching?

action;

[cherrybombpie]

Long enough.

[Kodachi wasn't going to think he was odd or scary. After all, she burned down half an island out of spite. Punching a wall a few times or decimating a mechanical bird wasn't going to make her think less of him.]

[She sat down at one of the nearest hammocks and just stared across the room quietly. Being in a ship was difficult for her when it came to her outbursts of emotion, as she was the type to run away and hide. She couldn't now because there were people everywhere, and sometimes, they were upset at the same time she was.]

Who did you hear?

action;

[rebellions]

[So she knows what the birds do, too? ... That shouldn't even be a question; one look at her is enough to determine that she has, indeed, found one of those. Ragna grimaces at the inquiry, responding to it in the same way he always does:]

That's none of your goddamn business.

[Of course.

The Grim Reaper eyes the girl for moment without saying a word; some part of him is aware that he could stand to act a teeny tiny bit nicer to her, considering the state she appears to be in, but... he's not exactly known for being considerate or reasonable.]

... You're a mess.

[Not that he has any room to comment on that, given his stunning display of emotional stability from just a moment ago. It's never stopped him before, and it won't stop him now, either.]

action;

[cherrybombpie]

If you're about to do the "I want to be alone" speech again, I will blow up this ship.

[Irritated, Kodachi grabbed the pillow nearest her and threw it at his face. At least it wasn't a bomb (yet).]

[She wiped at her cheeks, but her mascara had dried and refused to come off. She heaved a large sigh, a frown on her lips, though her eyes were glassy and unfocused. It was apparent that she was still thinking about what she'd heard.]

Of course I'm a mess, and you are too because you heard the voices of people important to you!

action;

[rebellions]

[Of course he wants to be alone, perhaps now more than ever; in fact, the only thing stopping him from storming out of the room right now is the awareness that no matter where he goes on the ship, it won't be any better. Though still unwanted, Kodachi isn't the worst company he could be getting, so he's willing to put up with her for now.

Ragna catches the pillow without much effort, then tosses it to the ground near what's left of the mechanical bird. The man's expression flickers briefly at the mention of "people important to him", only to harden once again.]

... I don't wanna talk about it.

[Hell, he doesn't even want to think about it, for all good it may do.]

[voice]

[seadevil]

[After the racket below deck, it's impossible not to hear Motochika's reaction. He's not budging from the helm, but his journal is open so any open journal below deck is going to broadcast his displeasure.]

STOP BREAKING MY SHIP!!

[voice]

[rebellions]

[Ragna takes his sweet time responding to that─ and given the state he was in earlier, it's probably for the best. He's calmed down a bit by now, though not enough to really want to see or talk to anyone that may never happen; yelling back at people, however? Can do.]

I ain't breaking anything!

[Well, that's not strictly true; he did, after all, destroy the little mechanical bird... as well as the surroundings, um.]

... Anything important, anyway.

[voice]

[seadevil]

THE BOAT COUNTS AS IMPORTANT!

[He could hear the racket and he doesn't exactly trust Ragna to give an honest accounting of all the things he busted up. He's going to make him repair it all himself, dammit.]

[voice]

[rebellions]

[Yeah no, not a chance; he hasn't even properly checked what exactly he managed to damage in his outburst, and frankly, he's not too interested in finding out.

And the way Motochika seems insistent on screaming about his stupid precious boat does little to make Ragna repent what he's done.]

... You done yapping yet? I'm not in the mood for your bullshit.

[Now less than ever.]

[voice]

[seadevil]

It isn't bullshit when it sinks the ship! Any repairs are coming out of your pocket.

[If he knew what the actual situation was, no doubt Motochika would be more sympathetic, considering what an incurable softie he is, but taking things at face value isn't doing much for his temper.]

[voice]

[rebellions]

Go ahead. See if I care.

[And he really won't, though the mention of "repairs" leaves bad taste in his mouth. Not because he's suddenly developed a proper conscience, mind you─ it's just that not too long ago, the mechanical bird gave him a dubious pleasure of listening to his little brother crying after he accidentally broke a chair. He remembers promising Jin to repair it and doing so, for all good it did given how it burned down with the rest of the church on the next day. As mundane as it was, the conversation is still vivid in Ragna's memory─ possibly because it must have been one of the last "normal" conversations they'd had before everything went to hell...

That hollow thud Motochika will hear coming from Ragna's end isn't an elaborate attempt at provocation, but rather the sound of the Grim Reaper trying to get himself together in the only way he knows, which is violence. Thankfully it's only directed at inanimate objects for now.

The downside is it's not really helping.]