thebastion | Day 271 | OPEN | The first step is usually the hardest

Who: Rob, Anyone
Open: Open
When: Day 271
Where: Wherever
What: Unexpected fashion choices.
Format: Will match

[Pre-post solo stuff]

It had been a week already and, like every morning where he had woken up in his cottage over the past week, once he was ready to leave he stopped and stared at what was on his dresser for a bit before taking it to a mirror and staring at it again. Even being his own worst critic he could tell that he'd done a good job, all things considered. He liked how it looked with the mix of badass, primal, and vaguely creepy despite it not turning out exactly as he'd imagined.

But what about other people? He was very much aware that in his own world this would be considered weird despite his own opinions of it, and that was the problem. If he went outside with this he risked being stared at, people judging him, and people thinking he's weird. The horror.

Today though, as he looks at it in the mirror, a thought occurs to him. Namely, a thought about the waste if he doesn't take it outside. With that thought in mind, he slowly makes his way downstairs to his front door. And stands there. He puts his hand on the doorknob, pauses, pulls it back, pauses, puts his hand on the doorknob, pauses, and repeats the process a few more times. The phrase "They're all gonna laugh at you!" starts bouncing around inside his head and he closes his eyes, trying to force down the anxiety that's making its way up. If he'd thought ahead he could potentially have avoided this problem; if he hadn't acted like his usual self when he'd first arrived everyone might expect something like this from him, but instead he'd presented himself as he normally did and now feels the weight of everyone's expectations about what he's like pressing down on him. Acting against that expectation is hard, and he's not sure how long he remains frozen in front of the door, paralyzed by internal conflict.

Finally though, he clenches his teeth and starts breathing heavily. Will a colossal burst of willpower he opens the door and steps outside, closing it behind him before he act on the urge to abort and go back inside.

[Open]

As of today, Rob has started to accessorize a bit. And by that I mean: a rabbit skull with a shard faintly glowing from within each eye socket, two rabbit humeruses, two rabbit femurs, and two rabbit tibias are spaced out on a braided leather cord, which is being worn by Rob as a necklace. Yes, this is indeed a thing that is happening, and will continue to happen for the foreseeable future. Rob himself is just going about his business as usual, though he does look oddly tense while doing so.

One order of business for today though is to hunt down everyone who went on the mission to the Ura. With those people, he approaches them, unintentionally stealthily contrary to expectations based on appearances, and quietly speaks up despite his apprehension about actually being the one to initiate conversation.

"Hey, um, I was, uh, I was wondering how well the carts worked out, and, uh, and if there were any improvements you think I could make to them. Or for if I make another one. I-If you're not too busy, of course."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Rob jumps at Anya's reaction, then tries and fails to dodge the smack.

"Uh, nothing?"

Or at least nothing he wants to discuss with the woman who randomly hands out condoms to passersby.

That's how she'll be known for all time, isn't it?

"Nothing? You're parading around in a dead bunny skull, it makes you look like a bunny worshipper or- or like it's possessing you. Oh, god. Are you possessed?"

It certainly made for a memorable first impression.

The idea of being possessed by a rabbit is so bizarre he has to pause for a moment. He has the sudden urge to pretend that that's what's happening, but he resists it.

"No. It's... the remains of the first thing I hunted and killed, is all. And the first shard I found here and the first shard I got from killing a squirt."

Anya continues to regard him suspiciously. She's not completely convinced that he isn't possessed.

"Are you going to hunt and kill the rest of them?"

There's a momentary pause before Rob answers.

"If we need the meat and pelts, sure, but not all of them. I want to make sure we always have at least one breeding pair."

Her eyes widen in realization.

"This is your fault, isn't it? You're the one who summoned those awful things here!"

He doesn't actually flail at the sudden accusation, but the mental state is similar.

"They're just rabbits! I just... forgot to tell the Monument to only create them inside the animal pen like I wanted, is all."

"Just rabbits? Hell, you've probably doomed us all to the end of the end of the world!"

"...I think maybe the rabbits in your world and the rabbits in my world are different. These ones won't hurt you unless you try to catch them, and even then all they can do then is bite you. They can't eat meat, just plants. I don't know about the ones you're familiar with, but the only thing that these ones are a threat to is the garden."

He'll just proceed from the assumption that she's not just insane here.

"I see they have you fooled, too. Either that or your in on it with them, trying to convince everyone that there's nothing to be worried about. That's how they operate."

Look, everybody has irrational phobias.

Some are just worse than others.

"I'm... pretty sure these ones aren't the same as the ones you're thinking of..."

Note to self: discourage Colin from showing Monty Python at future movie nights.

It's too late. Ibuki has already informed her of this film and she thinks it should be shown as an educational experience.

"They're absolutely the same. There are no other kinds of rabbits."

It probably says something about how much Rob's getting used to being here that he's still thinking this is an alternate reality thing and not insanity or a phobia like he would in his world.

"...Did... Did rabbits kill your family or something? Somehow?"

He's not mocking her he's genuinely trying to figure out what's going on here.

"What? No. They died of old age or disease or something. Actually, I have no idea how they died, we didn't keep in touch after I became a demon, but I don't know why you think I had to have suffered some kind of trauma to understand the truth about bunnies."

/record scratch

"Demon?"

He doesn't look like he's planning on running in terror anytime soon, but that completely blindsided him.

"Yes, I was a demon, but that's not really relevant here. Unless you're some kind of demon-hater, too?"

"No, I... never realized demons were a thing before coming here. You aren't what I think of when I hear 'demon' so it threw me for a loop."

Until further information becomes available though he's going to assume she's a succubus, what with the condoms and all.

She would probably be offended by that assumption.

Also she isn't actually a demon anymore, but you know what? Since she doesn't like him, she's going to let him think she is.

"There are a lot of demons who can assume human form, you know. You probably have no idea how many are walking around here."

"Well, so long as none of them are planning on eating anyone's soul that's probably not a big deal."

If she was hoping to induce fear and paranoia there she failed.

"...Do demons eat souls? Or is that just something from stories? Like I said, I didn't know demons were real before coming here, so I don't know anything about how they actually are, just what they're made out to be."

"It depends on the demon. Many of them are perfectly satisfied with just killing you dead."

Day 271 | OPEN | The first step is usually the hardest

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