closed

[healstaffs]

CHARACTERS: Lissa, various
DATE: Throughout Mission Drakstaden
WARNINGS: N/A
SUMMARY: Catch-all, mostly for bounties

( Starters in the comments! )

Comments

SOMETHING A LAMPPOST COULD DO ▸ INUYASHA

[healstaffs]

[ Lissa quickly warms up to both Tomas and Helga of the Dancing Fox Deli, and doesn't hesitate in offering her assistance when they ask for help in ushering new patrons. She considers herself a very charming young lady, of course, but more importantly she doesn't want to see the shop close up for good.

With fox costume - and a friend in tow - she camps out in the street right in front of the shop building and pastes a bright smile onto her face. This is gonna be fun! To Inuyasha, she passes over a large sign with DANCING FOX DELI scrawled on the front. ]

You're perfect for this! You already look like a fox.

[ It's Fate. ]

tags this right fast so i don't forget

[boxedcrook]

[he wants to die]

Give me a break! I never agreed to do anything this stupid! [He takes the sign anyway because even if he's argumentative, he's at least got honor.

He didn't read the dossier (AGAIN), and he sure as hell didn't think to use any kind of outfit or cloaking device--so Lissa has him at his worst: feudal hanyo Straight Outta Hanabira.

The good thing is he's attracting a lot of attention. The bright red robe and white hair stand out in the rainy, drab street much like the neon signs winking in disarray. The ears, when people get closer, help. They move with his emotions, twisting, listening, folding back, and people think it's hilarious or cute.]

I'm not a fox, dammit! Shippo is the fox!

[healstaffs]

[ Inuyasha's loud protests are apparently enough to get one of the amused passersby to actually swing inside the building in search of the deli, wondering if maybe there's a second show inside just as good as the first.

Lissa, meanwhile, refuses to let Inuyasha's scowl dampen her excitement in the slightest. She does, admittedly, huff a bit at his disdain of this whole thing. ]

It's not stupid, it's helpful. Whatever happened to proving to everyone that you're a good de— [ ERRRR HANG ON they're undercover ] person?

[ Another person stops to gawk. Lissa waves her own sign and yells out something about the best food in Drakstaden. ]

[boxedcrook]

Grr... [Don't pull a fucking Kagome and use the "HELPFUL" and "GOOD DEMON" schtick on him! HE HATES IT, THANKS.]

This is just a waste of time! [He's at least not yelling quite so loudly anymore. It's a wonder anyone at all wants to try the deli with the sour scowl on his face as he holds the sign and glares at passersby.

It's definitely the ears.] What's it matter to us whether or not they get people to go in? That's [His voice lowers to a hissed whisper:] not why we're here!

[healstaffs]

[ She'll take whatever she can get, tbh, even if it means using Inuyasha's physical appearance as the equivalent of bait.

Also, why's he gotta be this way, can't he just play nice for like ten minutes? She shoots him a Look, like one of those looks moms give their kids, and replies back in her own hushed whisper—though only after the crowd has thinned a bit. ]

Well, what else are we supposed to do? We can't just fix everything overnight!

FAKE NEWS ▸ AIZAWA

[healstaffs]

[ It hasn't quite hit her yet just how dangerous this whole mission really is, nor just how bad the government's oppression is, not until she and Aizawa are given a clean set of news reports and told to spread the real information out to the masses.

She hasn't read what's on their little drives yet, but the quiet murmurings at Rost HQ have left her with a very clear picture of the real goings-on in Drakstaden, and not the carefully curated content they play in the hotel rooms last night.

As they scale the steps leading towards the lower middle class, Lissa gnaws on her lower lip. ]

I didn't realize things were so bad here...

[ Her voice is small, devoid of its usual cheeriness. There was never anything like this in Ylisse, not after Emmeryn took over the throne. ]

[eyedrop]

[ Aizawa glances at her as he slinks forward, his step a little wobbly. He's got the hacking devices in his pocket, and he's on the lookout for the first kiosk, but Lissa's tiny voice gives him pause. ]

Are you nervous?

[healstaffs]

Kind of?

[ But lest he worry over her not-so-fragile self, she quickly adds more to her answer. ]

I mean, not for myself. But the people here... [ she glances furtively around, in case anyone might be eavesdropping on the two of them ] what's gonna happen to them if we don't succeed? Are things just gonna get worse?

[ It's hard for her to imagine even worse conditions, outside of the very morbid option of death. ]

[eyedrop]

Probably.

[ No need to sugarcoat it. ]

If the situation wasn't bad, we wouldn't be here.

[ He's sidling up to the kiosk, casual-like. Fortunately, he moves like an unobtrusive sloth anyway, so it's not like he's drawing anyone's attention. ]

That's why we have to do our best.

[healstaffs]

[ Ah.....thanks for not sugarcoating it though, dad.

Her lip wobbles again in distress as she slows, but she's quick to sprint a quick burst to catch back up with Aizawa. ]

I guess you're right. The people here are counting on us.

[ It feels strange, to be responsible for an entire nation of people, but she supposes that compared to Emmeryn, she's really not responsible for much of all. After all, there are some sixty-odd of them and only one of Emmeryn. ]

I guess I really have to make good on my promise to my sister here.

[ Anyway. To make sure she isn't overheard, she pitches her voice low when she speaks up again. ]

Um, do you know how to use the...whatever it was they gave us?

FAKE NEWS ▸ YUNA

[healstaffs]

[ They leave Rost HQ with their clean news reports and a very severe warning to be careful and don't get caught. It's a warning that lingers with her as they traipse through the dark hallways interconnecting the buildings towards their destination kiosk, and after not too long, her worry grows enough that she can't help but blurt her fears out to her partner for the day.

But quietly, in a whisper, because it wouldn't do to get caught after all. ]

What'll you think they'll do if they catch us? Do you think we'll die?

[ She's always been one for an overactive imagination, though in this case her fears might actually be warranted. ]

[gunning]

We aren't going to die. The guild would never let that happen.

[ not that she knows that for sure, but it's what she'd choose to believe for now. either way, she wouldn't let anything come to harm lissa if she could help it, and this place didn't seem like the type to use overt force to handle its problems — there was a police force, but if they caused a scene, it would look bad for the government and make their control on the citizens more tenuous.

they still needed to proceed with caution. while she didn't think they were in danger of being killed, being jailed was certainly a possibility. ]

We just have to get in, do what we need to do, and get out. And this shouldn't be too difficult to figure out.. [ she fiddles with the device in her hands. they didn't fully explain how to use it, so they'd have to trouble shoot a little.. ]

[healstaffs]

[ The reassurance goes some way in soothing her active imagination and calming the little gremlins inside her mind. It sure would suck to die here, away from everything familiar to her, so better to avoid it entirely if possible. ]

I guess you're right. They've been pretty nice to us so far, they wouldn't just let us die.

[ A heartening thought, and her steps pick up a bit as she tries to imitate Yuna's cool composure. ]

I've never used one of these before. Do you just....put it on and then it does whatever it's supposed to do? Like magic?

[ It may as well be magic to her, given how little she understands of advanced technology. ]

[gunning]

Err..

[ she doesn't want to admit that she has no idea what she's doing here, but she definitely has no idea what she's doing here. she doesn't want to instill any more anxiety in lissa — especially after quelling it a little. ]

I don't think it's magic. I think everything here is electronic. They'd walk us through it if there were any extra steps. [ that's what she's gonna tell herself here ] Oh! Look! I think that's one of the kiosks we're supposed to use this on.

[ might as well test it out now.. walking up to it, she looks around to make sure there aren't any officers around. when the coast seems to be clear, she plops the device on the kiosk, connecting it to anywhere it can plug in.

and she waits.

and waits... ]

Do you think it's working?

[healstaffs]

[ Lissa follows behind, careful to keep a good lookout while Yuna works her not-magic. A man passes by, but his concentration seems to be elsewhere, the furrow between his brow and the hunch to his shoulders seemingly indicative of bigger badder things to worry about than two girls loitering by a news kiosk.

Once he leaves, she hunches down next to Yuna and squints at their device. ]

I don't see anything. Or hear anything. [ Strange. ] Is there some sort of on switch that you have to push?

[ Futaba had explained that one to her, the whole concept of an 'on' button that so many modern technological devices used. ]

BIG BROTHER ▸TODOROKI

[healstaffs]

[ Lissa, in her endless enthusiasm, has a bad habit of volunteering for things she might not be fully prepared for. Today it's offering to take down security drones in the middle class areas, a feat that doesn't seem all too bad except for one problem: ]

What do these [ give her a sec to pronounce the word right ] "sir-vay-lence" drones even look like?

[ She probably should know, since it's gonna be hard to take them down if she doesn't....

Please coach her in the ways of modern technology, Todoroki. ]

SIDE EFFECTS MAY INCLUDE ▸MAYA

[healstaffs]

[ Doctor Lundberg is not a particularly altruistic man, nor is he particularly soft-hearted. He likes money and carving out as comfortable a lifestyle as he can in the cold streets of Drakstaden, and so when Lissa inquires as to what being a test subject all entails, he's quick to weave a neat web of half-truths and carefully couched non-sequiturs until she's comfortably sitting on a nearby stool, injection in hand.

Of course, he's not completely cold-hearted - and hardly ready to face the consequences of what might happen should he leave a malleable young girl alone - and so he finds her a companion for a time, and leaves the two of them be.

Enter: Maya and Lissa, both seated and hanging around in his waiting room. Lissa squints, scrunching up her nose. ]

I don't feel anything yet....

[feytality]

[ Here's her designated Maya, who mostly agreed to it because she was very concerned about said consequences and side effects. She never would have agreed to this herself, but it's kind of moot to tell Lissa off now. She doesn't really know the other girl well enough to, anyway. ]

Try lifting up one of the chairs or something -- just in case you get super strength.

[ she waves her own hand in front of lissa!! .... as if this is supposed to do something. ]

[healstaffs]

[ Honestly, it's never occurred to her that said side-effects might include amazing things like SUPER STRENGTH and DARK VISION and other things usually limited to fairy tales. She perks right the heck up when Maya mentions that, nearly bolting out of her chair in excitement. ]

Really? You think so?

[ Wait a minute. A thought comes over, and she sits back down. ]

But wouldn't I feel something if I got super strength? Like the urge to lift a hundred chairs at once? I've never had super strength before...

[ Curiously, she peers at Maya. Maybe the other girl is speaking from experience. ]

Have you ever had super strength?

[feytality]

[ Look, what's the point of injecting yourself with serums if you don't get super strength or speed or whatever? Captain Lissamerica coming right up. ]

Actually, I did get it once... temporarily. I didn't feel like lifting anything, but I did feel like.... really confident? And full of energy?

[ moreso than usual, anyway. ] It was kinda fun, actually! I rescued a couple of people and held them up over my head.

[healstaffs]

[ Flexing arms emoji, coming right up.

But huh, that's actually good information to know. None of the symptoms Maya mentions are particularly applicable right now, but Lissa's more interested in the great stories that are surely lurking behind such an amazing lead-in. ]

Really? Wow, that sounds amazing! I hope I get super strength from this then, I've always wanted to be a hero. [ Instead of a delicate princess. ] Maybe I'll wait a little bit more then and see if I feel different.

[ Wait a few more minutes for UNBEARABLE SADNESS to kick in. ]

Were you sad when it went away?

MY FAIR LADY ▸ ALOY

[healstaffs]

[ For the past few weeks, Lissa's felt quite useless. She's not well-versed in technology - despite Futaba's determined teachings, Lissa doesn't have much of a head for computers - and she doesn't have the sheer strength to overpower anyone in the face of riots and civil unrest.

But then the Rost send out the message that they need a few volunteers to infiltrate the upper crust of Drakstaden society to retrieve some information and it seems like her time has finally come to shine. She might not act the part most days but boy does she know all about richie rich people. Still, there's only so much a girl of fifteen can do on her own, and so she conscripts a fellow guildmate to be her partner - Aloy, whose serious maturity Lissa's always admired.

They're loitering about the middle levels now, all gussied up from a very recent shopping expedition - gotta look the part, after all! - and going over last minute plans before they sneak their way into Drakstaden high society. ]

Do you think you can act like a rich person? I can tell you all about my friend Maribelle, if you need someone to act like.

[datapoint]

[Aloy is still messing with her braids, trying to figure out how to make her usually wild hairstyle to look suitably upper crust. When posing as someone from the lower class, it's easier -- just gather it all together into a gigantic ponytail -- but this is actually taking some thought.

She's trying to decide if she should do the same thing or just let her hair do what it wants, fiddling with a hair elastic, and screws up her face at the question.]

Haughty? That's been my experience. [Which isn't fair; Avad is fine (for the most part). But generally speaking, she disliked the Carja merchant class.

Exhaling hard, she looks over at Lissa.] Sure, tell me about her.

[healstaffs]

Yep! Just pretend like everyone's below you and frown at them if they so much as look at you.

[ In confirmation. Lissa probably ought to be a little more offended given how she's technically part of high society too, but any potential insult slides right off her like water. Sure, some (read: most) rich people are snooty and snobby, but she knows some of them are nice too. ]

Maribelle called everyone peasants that she didn't like, but I'm not sure if that many of the lower class people will be up there.

[ Given that it's, y'know, the upper levels. For the upper class. Lissa frowns a little. ]

You can't really call rich people peasants either. [ Hm. ] I guess we can just mind our own business and not talk to anyone else, and act like we super belong there if anyone asks.

[datapoint]

[Aloy frowns right back. "Peasants"! She doesn't think she'll be able to pull off calling people peasants. She's actually not sure any of this is going to work, really; she grew up in the wilds, and everyone she ever met could tell. Even if she tries to be "upper class," her upbringing is going to be so obvious, she's sure.]

Do you think they will? [Ask, she means.]