008 ~*~ At least she can't drink and fly...

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Action : Olney's Tavern : Open ]
[ If you're a regular at the bar, you might notice a new sigth in one of the stools. A tall red-haired Chinese woman in a plain green dress is making herself right at home, even if the drone workers don't particularly care about serving her anything other than weak, fruity, feminine drinks.

That doesn't mean she hasn't been trying to sweet-talk them into it for the better part of an hour. And by sweet-talk, I mean whining pitifully because she really doesn't want to get thrown out for taking matters into her own hands. ] --c'mo~on. Can't you just pour me something a little stronger? I'm going to need a whole lot more than this. [ She remarks, fingernail grazing the edge of the colorful cocktail glass. ]

---

[ Action : Around Town : Open ]
[ Later, no matter how much she had to work at it, she managed to get herself sufficiently smashed (for a short while, at least)! You can encounter her:

1) Wandering the neighborhood, humming some old tune to herself as she sways.
2) Attempting to enter your home and not realizing why her stupid key isn't working...
3) Napping on your front lawn. ]

Comments

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Oh ... Oh. She must have been around for—]

Lemme guess ... you were here when Mayfield was doin'at "spring culling" bullshit? An' your family was too?

[not_so_great_wall]

[ A slow nod. ] That's right. I didn't hurt anyone--! ... but it was really hard not to.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

I'd heard about it from some of'a others around here.

[Balin looks sympathetic.]

If what my coworker from'a construction yard said was any indication, you got some ba—[Wait, she's a woman, that metaphor won't work!]—some real guts to've suffered through'at without givin' into what'a town wanted you to do.

[He sighs.]

In my case, I don't think there's anythin'a town coulda threatened me with that hasn't already happened'a me where I'm from.

[not_so_great_wall]

I don't think I resisted enough. [ And it was kind of a sore subject. ] Maybe you'd be lucky if you were put in the same position...

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

Well, you didn't give in, yeah? You didn't kill anyone, or harm anyone. Least as far as everyone's told me, that's what'a town was wantin' people to do, kill indiscriminately. I don't see how you coulda resisted any harder.

[not_so_great_wall]

I could have stopped people!

I could have stopped her-- [ Meiling clamps a hand over her mouth. ]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Yikes, outburst! Meiling just said something important, though, and Balin can't help but be curious ...]

—Coulda stopped who?

[not_so_great_wall]

Someone I'm supposed to protect. My family. [ Frowning. She best not give too many details up front, since he seems nice so far, but... ] I shouldn't say more.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

... Someone in your family gave in and went on a killin' spree?

[He scratches the back of his head. He makes a note of that.]

You don't hafta tell me, but ... that coworker I met? He says'a town's got a trophy room for everyone who killed somebody, over at'a roller rink. I'm plannin' on takin' a look when I can.

I'll tell you what I told him. I ain't plannin' on goin' on a crusade or anythin' against'a people listed'ere. But I am takin' note, because I wanna know who's most liable'a lose their marbles if'a town pushes'a right buttons.

I don't wanna end up as part of'a bodycount 'cause I was unprepared.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ At the mention, she visibly winces and starts walking in a circle. ] I don't know if I wanna know. I mean... we were all basically blackmailed into it, right? It's not fair to judge people based on it.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin watches Meiling as she paces around.]

It was all mindgames, though, yeah? Hallucinations. That's what one chick said to me on'a phone at least. ... I ain't gonna call it a "test of character" 'cause that'd be givin'a town too much credit, but they were still tryin'a break people all'a same. Like'a stupid "truth gas" from last month.

If'a town was literally brainwashing people into goin' on'a killing spree? Then yeah, I wouldn't judge 'em.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Another wince. The truth gas was... not as bad, for her, but a lot of people seemed to spout embarrassing things, or worse, get singled out for it. It's a good thing that, somehow, she wasn't pegged as a Communist despite her heritage and appearance. It was a smart day to not wear her cap. ]

Mm, good. Then we won't have a problem. [ Because she was thinking about having to retaliate, should people try to take their frustrations out on those who acted against their will. ]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin blinks at how she worded that ... Meiling won't have a problem if Balin won't judge people who are droned into doing it?]

What, you sayin' your family member was, like, literally droned into goin' on a killin' spree?

[not_so_great_wall]

[ She stops, head down. ] ...I don't wanna talk about it. [ Childish, maybe, but also tired. She's already said more than she wants to say, but she's always had a problem with that. It took a lot of work to decide to stop here. ]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin is not sure whether to take that as a yes, but considering Meiling's current state, he doesn't think it'd be a good idea to press the question.]

Ahright.

[Maybe move on to a different subject.]

So, uh ... that place where ya work back home. Why'a name "Scarlet Devil Mansion?"

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Good idea! Her job before coming here is at least something she can talk about easily and with pride. ] That's because of the owners, Mistress Remilia Scarlet.

[ She puts a finger to her chin. ] And probably because "Scarlet Vampire Mansion" doesn't have the same ring to it.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin blinks a few times.]

So'a mansion's owners are vampires?

[He doesn't look too surprised, considering he's talking to a woman who says she's both a "youkai" and a dragon, but ... he's surprised. He almost wants to ask if it was the owner of the mansion that went on a killing spree. It'd make sense.]

[not_so_great_wall]

Mm, she is, and she's lived for almost 500 years. [ Just so he has a bit of context for longevity. ]

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

... She, uh ... She's selective about where she gets her blood from, yeah?

[Balin can't help but look a little concerned. Although he's actually pretty worried about this. If they're here and they're vampires ...]

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Now that is a secret, though it's fortunate for him. Meiling shakes her head. ] She isn't here, so don't worry about it.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin still looks a bit concerned, but he nods.]

Ahright. If she ever does show up, though, uh ... maybe look into gettin' some blood packs from'a hospital?

I mean, I dunno how you guys handle that back home. But I sure hope she ain't like those vampire movies, yanno, where they prey on'a innocent people in'a city in secret.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ She laughs. It's not a creepy laugh! But humans (and the sort) amuse her when it comes to eating habits. Technically, they're all lower on the food chain, but it's a bad idea to point this out. ]

Don't worry so much over it. [ Meiling smiles. ] If it's anything like the rest of us, she won't need to bother with that for a while after she arrives. [ Sternly. ] But if this place brings the Mistress in-- [ She swiftly beats a fist into the palm of her other hand. ] --it will regret it.

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

[Balin, for his part, is oblivious to how the youkai of Gensokyo view humans; his tone of voice definitely conveys that it's a new subject for him.]

Yeah, I guess that's true. They only just recently gave me back my PT gear—[—Indicating the clothes he's wearing right now (http://www.adultimum.net/studio/tabularasa/balin-recruitgear.png), sans the big handgun and its thigh holster—]—but anyway. Sentient beings eatin' sentient beings is, well ... I don't wanna see people gettin' eaten—that don't deserve it, at least. Still, even'a Bane didn't do that to us.

[His gives Meiling a lop-sided, if morbid, grin.]

'Course, in Bootcamp they made a point of makin' us "taste as badly as possible." So that's probably why.

[not_so_great_wall]

[ Now she laughs more freely. ] How'd they manage that?

[walking-nuke.livejournal.com]

Zero fat. Puttin' us through'a same kinda physical trainin' regimen most of'a special forces back home went through. I never wanted to be'a Navy SEAL, but after'a Bane hit, well, I might as well have been one.

Went through'a same kinda "Hell Week" they do. Solid five day an' night physical trainin', only four hours'a sleep in total—toward'a end. They pushed us to'a limits of our mind an' body.