thisavrou_log | The Hannya Mask

Entry tags:

The Hannya Mask

Who: Event Post | Open
When: Dec. 5th - 15th
Where: Around Avagi
What: A demon is haunting the station, spurred on by emotional responses. More information can be found here.
Warnings: Violence, possible death, body horror, etc.

THE HAUNTING

The onryō starts making her first patrols in the early morning when most people are comfortably asleep and not wanting to wake up. The sense of unease she creates is palpable, and initially she just looks at who is around. She chooses in the dark who she should be angry with, who is a foolish idiot for making her mistakes and who is an ignorant soul who ignored the anguish of someone else's attention. Everyone else is unimportant.

Occasionally, rarely though, she'll stop and look at something. Usually carved or drawn or molded, something someone used their hands to create. The very faintest of scraps of who she used to be, though that's barely significant. There's not enough left of that self to deter her from stopping more of the foolishness that damned her.

The Noh mask appears the same day, the same time as her first investigations get underway, and there it remains, conveniently close to where the Ingress once was.

The mask will always return to this original state the moment it's not being observed. It'll be returned to its resting place. If it's been destroyed or altered or damaged in any way, it'll be back to the state that it was when previously examined (even permanent marker would disappear).

It's made of cypress wood and is covered in layers of chalk paint and a glue-like sealant. On the back is a raised signature, indicating that it was handmade by an artisan. On closer examination (like swabbing or enhanced senses or super scanner) there's a bit of smoke damage, but otherwise it's not been worn many times. The straps attached are hardly frayed at all. However it's aged, it's not from scuffing or rough handling.

There might not be much time to notice or to bother with it, though. Not when people are being hunted in the shadows, when quick hands reach out from cabinets or a hunched form hangs upside down from underneath a table, waiting for someone to sit down too close to her.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Kelly Ann giggles. ] Yeah it kind of smells like skunk. But after a while you get used to it, you know? Now it just reminds me of my brother.

[ She groans. ] Oh my God he had a meltdown. Like he tried to act like it was all cool but eventually cracked and just lost it. I would have felt worse for him except he just showed up on my tour, got a job like, immediately, and instantly became better friends with all of my friends. Because everything's so fucking easy for him.

[ She sighs. If he showed up here, would she even be happy to see him? ]

It's too sweet to be a skunk.

[She'd smelled a lot of skunks in her time. And been called one even more.]

Shit- that's rough. That's really really rough. [That was exactly how John felt about her, and probably Kitty, too.] But you're here! And if he shows up, I will be your friend first.

I'll take your word for it. Never had all that much interaction with like, wildlife and shit. It's just kind of a weird smell and that's the closest thing I can think of to describe it.

[ She shrugs. ]

Things like... just don't come easy to me? I overthink and get in my own way and all that shit. He doesn't think at all about anything ever so shit just comes easy.

Deep South, [Rogue explains by way of her interaction with the wildlife.]

No- that's so stupid to say- Kelly Ann you effortlessly made friends with me. Not once have you stepped in your own way, alright? And I'm sure most people here feel the same way.

Hey, I've been there. New Orleans, Atlanta, Memphis, Louisville. [ She grins and starts to sing. ] I've been everywhere, man, I've been everywhere.

[ Her smile fades. ]

Ok, but. It's not like there's a lot of options for friends, here. You're kind of stuck with me. Unless you want to start hanging out with a bunch of twelve year-olds.

[ Or some better people come along. ]

You have a nice voice, I ever tell you that? [She smiles brightly, unable to recall one way or the other.]

Hey! I happen to like hanging out with some of those twelve-year-olds. Eddie's as sweet as they come.

[ Kelly Ann never really knows what to do with compliments. Like a gift that's so expensive you're afraid to hold it but also afraid to put it down. ]

Heh. Thanks. I think, um, you did mention it before, though.

[ They are rare enough that she remembers, of course. ]

Sure, they're fine. You can't really smoke up with them, though. [ She flicks the lighter, and Pino crawls over her to investigate. ] Or I guess you could but you probably shouldn't.

Oh shit! [Rogue giggles, wrinkling her nose] Well I'm saying it again.

[She gestures for the pipe.] No, though I'm sure it won't be long till they learn about weed on their own.

[ Kelly Ann sobers a little, despite the high. When did she learn about drugs? She doesn't remember not knowing. For all she knows she was born with something in her system. ]

Yeah, well. With any luck it'll be a bit longer.

[ Pino trills and hops around her, nipping at her fingertips. She pokes his nose. ]

Well, I won't be the one to show them.

[Rogue giggles at the dinosaur.] I can't believe he's a thing. Like, that he exists. And I've seen a lot of strange things.

Same. [ The last thing she needs while trying to maintain a buzz is some kid staring at her.

She grins at Pino. ]

We saved him from the cull. Me and Peter. That's why we share custody now. [ She giggles. ] I don't know if he's trainable yet but I'm gonna try.

Oh that's why. [She wriggles her eyebrows.]

Something going on there? You did say he was handsome...

[ Kelly Ann doesn't remember saying that, but she's high enough that she can't say for sure. She fidgets. ]

I mean he... is. [ Her tone is just the slightest bit defensive. ] His hair is cool. You all have cool hair.

It is cool hair. [Rogue glances down at hers, where the white streaks melt into the brunette.]

That's what they say. Become a mutant, get cool hair.

[ Kelly Ann laughs. ]

Wish I was a mutant. Maybe it wouldn't be such a mess.

[ She undoes her bandana and fluffs out her mass of unruly, wavy blonde hair. ]

It just... is.

[Rogue laughs, tossing her head back.]

No! Your hair is beautiful. l wish I could touch it- my hair wasn't this cool till I nearly died- don't do it, terrible idea. [Rogue, at least, is able to follow her thoughts.]

If you were a mutant... You'd have really cool powers.

[ Kelly Ann fluffs out her hair. ]

Yeah it looks cool until you want it to do like, anything other than be a giant frizzy mess.

[ Rogue's next comment makes her giggle and then sigh. And then giggle again, uncontrollably. ]

Yeah? Like what? Dino-whispering sounds cool but it's only useful here.

[Rogue raises an eyebrow] Noo I like the frizz. You do great things with bandanas. Gosh I want you to do my hair sometime. I wish you could!

[She's really loving this weed, it helps her feel relaxed in a way she hasn't in quite some time. She can practically feel the tension escaping her muscles.]

Pistachio the Dino-whisperer! I like it. Or or or- maybe something with music? Mutations are so weird it could be like you can play any instrument ever without studying just by seeing it?

[ Kelly Ann's brow wrinkles and she frowns slightly. ] Why couldn't I do your hair? I don't have lice or anything, we can share bandanas.

[ She sobers a little at Rogue's descriptions of her hypothetical powers. ]

I dunno. People would want me to like, perform and shit if I could do that. Maybe I could like, give somebody else the ability to play anything.

'cause if you touch my scalp I could hurt you.

[They'd never had the powers discussion. It was something she'd been hoping to avoid, but tackling it high was probably the best option. It made it seem less... scary.]

That could work! Or- what do riggers do exactly? do you do electrical stuff or light stuff?

[ Kelly Ann frowns in confusion. ] What do you mean, "hurt me"? Like, some kind of reflex? People touch your hair and you freak out?

Yeah. You ever go to a show and see all those giant amps and like, jumbotrons and teleprompters and lights and shit? I'm on the team that like, sets all the cables up for it all to make sure they're all getting the power they need without blowing shit up.

No- if you touched my scalp, that's my skin, yeah? That's part of my power- there ain't a good way to put it- but I kinda drain people.

[Kinda. Like she didn't actively get the memories of those she touched, picked up pieces of their personality, their mutations.]

Maybe you'd control electricity or something? I donno- wish I could tell ya for sure, you know?

[ Kelly Ann's a little too high for this. Or maybe it's better that she's high because this is some heavy shit. ]

Drain them? Like... of what? Is that why you wear gloves all the time? [ She looks at her hands, which are very interesting. ] I wonder if I could braid your hair while wearing gloves.

[ She shrugs. ] Maybe I'd have something really weird like the ability to mimic any smell.

Uh... [Rogue pulls at her sleeves.] Life-force? I get memories and bits of personality- the powers of other mutants- it's the worst. [it's so much better that she's high for this. It allows for much more ease.] That's exactly why. Gloves are impossible- have you ever tried using a cellphone with on?

You could- if you wanted t'try. I got a few spare pairs somewhere.

Maybe! That'd be amazing. You could make it smell like fresh cookies anytime you wanted.

[ Kelly Ann blinks as this explanation sinks in to her sluggish brain. The full weight of it is a little more than she can handle right now. ]

Whoa. That's... shit. Yeah, I'll try with your gloves, we should be about the same size. There's latex gloves in the Med Bay but that would be nasty on your hair. There's also like, I know there's a way to make gloves that you can use on a touch screen. I think you need to put like, some kind of conducive metal in them? Like not a lot, but some little bits of silver thread or something in the fingertips. Dunno where we could find that but maybe on the next planet or something.

[ She giggles at the continuing speculation about her smell powers. ]

Or like, seriously cruel. When was the last time you saw cookies around here?

The Hannya Mask

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