Day 346- Day 352: OPEN

[bastionpc]

Who: Everyone in the Bastion
Open: Open
When: 346-352
Where: The Bastion in general
What: This is the calm before the storm. Any last conversations with NPCs? Any last things to take care of? Do them here.
Format: action
Warnings: none so far


When you make a thread in this post, please put the names of the NPCs you want to respond in the header of the first comment.

As a note, this is also your last chance to make any changes that will affect how endgame begins. All things that help or hurt the Bastion residents will be tallied up on September 18th, and the final post will go up shortly after that. So if you want to catch the thief, form any alliances with other NPC groups, or anything else, now is the time to do it.

Comments

[scary_music]

[Ibuki can't read minds, so she's just squealing over how cute Ikuri is and snuggling]

[darkshooter]

[but those are my feelings! they should be obvious enough!]

[...]

[this doesn't compute at all.]

[scary_music]

Cuuuuuuuuuuuuuute~

[Cuddle cuddle, more cheek to cheek nuzzling too]

[darkshooter]

[no, I am powerful warrior, please respect!]

[...my sunlight is so close to me, touching my cheek, I don't know if I can handle this...!!]


[not in so many words, of course, but the feelings are something like that.]

[on the physical side of things, she's just...not pushing away, but still so very confused. her hands are kind of up like she's trying to figure out what she should do with them.]

[scary_music]

[Ibuki's just gonna keep at it for awhile then if Ikuri's not going to do anything]

[darkshooter]

[well]

[maybe]


[...reach up, a bit? and...kind of hug while you're cuddling?]

[certainly not discouraging that contact, no, but. still communicating that this is...basically okay? or trying to, rather.]

[scary_music]

[Ibuki laughs happily]

This isn't bad, right?

SURPRISE IPPO

[windgod]

[Noises from the living area? That meant it was time for Ippo to investigate, or at least poke his head into the room. He was instantly glad he did because...well, this was an adorable sight.]

Hey you two, having fun?

iyan!

[scary_music]

Ippo-chan!

Let's have a cuddle pile!!

NO ONE EXPECTS THE IPPOSITION by which I mean I am pleased to see you <3

[darkshooter]

[Oh! It's Ippo.]

[Even though this was your domain, she was still a bit surprised to see you just then. Not at all unpleasantly so, mind; Ikuri trusts you a great deal, so it's hardly unwelcome to see you there. In fact...]




[Ippo-chan this is not an everyday thing. What am I supposed to do? Please help]


[--wait, did Ibuki say something about a cuddle pile]

Always a pleasure!

[windgod]

[Poor Ikuri...he could see the confusion on her face clear as day, she had absolutely not idea what to do. The best he could do was give her a sort of half shrug...when it came to Ibuki, it was usually advisable to just go with the flow; hopefully she could read that much off of him.]

I dunno Ibuki, we'd have to ask Ikuri first.

[He wasn't about to cuddlepile with someone if they didn't want him to, that would just be rude.]

[scary_music]

It's fine, right, Ikuri-chan??

[darkshooter]

[so. so there's no choice. ...that's not strictly bad, she supposes, but...it's just. her heart (or equivalent thereof) is going a mile a minute and she is at such a loss.]

[...but. her friends...and frankly, the person who is pretty much her love at this point...are asking permission for something that matters to them. They want cuddle pile. Ikuri...can't find it in her to say no. She's not even really sure she wants to, so don't feel bad about that. It's the 'overwhelmed' moodlet that's producing any sort of back-away feeling. Especially considering her state of mind before Ibuki'd gotten to her.]



[She nods, hesitantly. Please be careful?]

[windgod]

[Oh don't worry Ikuri, Ippo is the epitome of careful. He's just going to position himself on the couch enough to give Ikuri the room she needed to be comfortable and to give Ibuki the closeness she needed to be happy. It was a rough middle ground but he managed to find it...somewhat at least.]

Is everyone okay with this?

[scary_music]

What wouldn't be okay with it??

[... yeah, of course Ibuki's okay with it as she tries to wrap her arms around both Ippo and Ikuri]

[darkshooter]

[...a small sound, quietly affirmative. You managed it well indeed, Ippo.]





[...]

[This actually isn't so bad. A little awkward still, but...huh.]

[windgod]

[Well...the triple hug was enough to kind of squish him into Ikuri, but he was doing his best to keep his weight off of her; thankfully he had a strong core and could keep the brunt of himself off her for the sake of her comfort.]

I suppose you're right. By the way, what have you two been up to today? Anything interesting?

[scary_music]

Well...

Ibuki was going to play with Ikuri-chan, but then Ibuki suddenly carried Ikuri-chan home instead to snuggle with her, and now here we are!

[darkshooter]

[She can kind of sense that, and she appreciates it. Enough so that she...might, if she sees an opportunity, try to wriggle 'round just a little so that Ippo doesn't have to put out quite so much effort. Whether or not you can handle it doesn't even enter her mind: of course you could, but it's simple consideration. You're already showing it; giving the same back is the least she can do.]



[...yes, that. That's what happened. At least, last I checked. But, a bit before then...]





Worried...a little. Afraid.

...Something feels wrong. [But that's rather vague, and she knows it. It's a difficult feeling to put into words.] Don't know... hope, not real. Just feeling.

[windgod]

Yeah...things have felt a little tense lately...

[It'd been enough to set Ippo on edge as well, if he was being honest...but he was also confident that there were enough people here to handle the situation if things got out of hand.]

I'm sure things will be fine though! We're all together, right? I'm sure there's nothing we can't figure out.

[scary_music]

Right?

With Ikuri-chan's and Ippo-chan's powers of fightiness combined, and Ibuki's something or other, we'll definitely be fine!

And all the other people at the Bastion, too!

[darkshooter]

[...both of you, I'm not sure it's as simple as that. We're together, that's true...and together is often stronger than a single entity, where humans are concerned. On the other side of that coin, that unity can't triumph over everything.]

[You know I'm not the strongest person here. I've failed before when lives were in the balance, and more than once.]

[If there's nothing to what I'm feeling. that's for the better...but if there is? I can't be sure that we'll win the day with just us.]


[Whether or not you read those exact words between the lines, the feelings are open enough: she is doubtful, though not because she truly wants to be. That you, her family, could be in danger if things erupt... no, that's plenty to be afraid of, all by itself.]

[windgod]

[Ippo could understand those feelings, he struggled with them every day himself and had been struggling with them ever since he'd arrived here. It was a tough thing to consider, that you might not be able to help someone when the chips were down and after what had happened with Night...he'd seriously doubted himself in that area.

But now, more than ever, he felt capable of pushing past those feelings. He knew that between all of them, they had the power to put down anything that came their way and that they weren't afraid to put 100% of themselves into that.

Much like it usually was between them, Ippo didn't really need words to convey his message back. A confident smile and a small extension of his hand for her to take was all that was really required.

Even if we're afraid, even if we have doubts, we won't hesitate to give everything we have. If we all fight with the whole of our being, then there's nothing we can't beat. It was something that Ippo believed without question, and he hoped he could give Ikuri that same confidence.

And Ibuki was getting some head rubs between the horns, because no one could ignore Ibuki. No one.]

[scary_music]

[Ibuki smiles a bit as she's headpatted]

[The musician was a very auditory oriented person, but even she could feel the doubt from Ikuri]

We just have to keep trying our hardest, right? We're... we almost have the Bastion done, right?

So, after that, it'll be safer around here, right?

[darkshooter]

[No, that much she can assure you of. Every drop of blood she carries, she will spill to protect you. No hesitation. She'd give it all up to keep you alive and safe, and she'd fight her hardest against any number of foes if that's what it took.]

[Her friends here, the people she loves - they're everything to her. You're a good person too, Ippo, someone she cares for and trusts... and Ibuki, well, what even needs to be said there? For Ikuri, she's the sun and moon, the guiding illumination: she drives away the cold and the dark, and grants clarity of vision simply by being. She could not put into words just how deeply she loves her...or, for that matter, any of you.]

[I don't know that I can overcome anything. I don't even know that we can. But I do know, without reservation, that I will give everything. Everything. And it need not even be asked.]




[She has no answer for Ibuki. And that's at least partly because...being reminded of the Bastion's current state is the opposite of reassuring; it just makes her more afraid, because she's grown comfortable with her life here, and she doesn't want that to change. It certainly will when this big decision is finally made, no matter what decision it is.]

[She can't not be afraid of that.]

[For Ippo, though...when he offered his hand, she took it, but not to shake or simply hold. Rather, she reaches to grasp with both hands, pulls it towards her...brings it to her cheek and rubs against it: affection, trust, and yearning for reassurance all at once.]

[After a moment of that, she brings Ippo's hand to her face, and softly kisses it near the knuckles.]