sora (
arsarcanum) wrote in
logsinthenight2020-01-06 10:07 am
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Entry tags:
From the windows (from the windows) to the walls (to the walls)
characters: Sora, Crowley, Matt Murdock, Hana, Midge Maisel, and you!
location: Beacon, with a quick detour to the lake post-freeze.
date/time: January 3rd through the 10th! (And one on the 13th if I can get away with it - Sora wants to go ice skating!)
content: Sora is on his grind! Taking names! Making friends! Paying his dues! Having fun! Trying to work so hard that his existential crisis forgets he's there! (Will match tag format.)
warnings: Warning for low self-esteem and, uh, Catholicism?
[ A: A visit to a new friend. Closed to Hana Song (and maybe the other residents of the cabin?) ]
Day three of the convalescence of Hana Song. Sora's in the cabin again, walking to her door with a paper bag under his arm after giving a brief, polite, completely friendly greeting to her roommates. They're very lucky that they took her in, and even helped find them splints and bandages so her arm and leg would heal straight. (That took a lot of reapplications of the Cure spell! It's sort of strange to think it's been reduced to the same effect as super fancy band-aids and anesthetic.)
He'll knock at the door of her room in the cabin. "Hey, Hana? You awake?"
[ B: Bad Catholic checks out a creepy pagan cathedral. For Matt Murdock, but open otherwise. ]
It's Sunday, so it seems like a perfectly reasonable day to check out the little church he saw on his many, many trips to and from the boat when he first got here. Skyler never really took religion seriously, and only went to Mass when the rest of the family did for Christmas and Easter, and even then he only did it because Arielle wanted to go see the lights and hear the music with everyone, Skyler included. If there's Catholic guilt here, it's only here because Arielle managed to make Skyler feel bad for not pretending to give a fuck.
In a lot of ways, Sora has even less of an attachment to organized religion than Skyler did. After all, he was living proof that the soul did not conclusively go to a heaven or a hell. And even if his existence wasn't conclusive enough, the many times he died in all of his lives and the many ways death and the afterlife has manifested has shifted his perspective of an all powerful God who reigns over heaven by just a bit. A church shouldn't change his perspective on that.
But, again, in a lot of ways, Sora is Skyler, except honest. And if he was being honest with himself, he liked the peace and beauty of a church as much as Ari did. He was just curious to see it, is all.
He shuts the tall door behind him and looks around the atrium, lifting his lantern to see as much of the architecture as he can. No clear dedications on his way in. What a weird place.
"Is this place Anglican," he asks, half to himself and half to the darkness of the pews in front of him. His eyes are now more or less used to the constant, overpowering dark of Beacon, but he still doesn't know if anyone else is in here. No nightvision for him.
[ C: Library. Open. ]
Throughout the week during his stay at the library, Sora will slowly, inevitably, grudgingly take an interest in the books around him. He's really not big on fiction - he's not creative enough to make them interesting - but the non-fiction will capture his interest. Practical books on cooking and first aid grab him first, followed by anything else that seems like it could come in handy in the near future - morse code, music, diy and repairs. (He makes sure to put them back in the reshelving areas, not on the shelves - he's not entirely a caveman, and the Elvira person on the network told him to be careful and clean up after himself and others. Which he does!)
Where do you find him? Wandering around with a book in his hand? Reading at one of the tables? Passed out drooling on one of the tables? Were you interested in something in the fiction section, only to find his cot in the way of your books? Is he in the cot? Who knows! I don't know. It's up to you.
[ D: The Invincible, the Kitchen. For Midge Maisel, but open to anyone who can catch him arriving or leaving. ]
Hey, Midge. Remember that teen who shyly poked his head into the kitchen a few days ago and asked in a very, very slight New Jersey accent if he could use the kitchen just to make some things and leave? The kid who proceeded to come back every day, right after the end of the daily meal, to make something to eat before cleaning up (and he always cleans up - maybe not perfectly, with things in the wrong places, but there are no crumbs or stray utensils left out) and heading out again?
Yup. Same teen. He's toasting a couple of pieces of bread in butter, layering cheese and some slices of turkey he found somewhere on top. It's nothing extraordinarily fancy, and he's just going to pack it up and leave again, but this time, he's making enough for two. He also has a bowl with him, and inside... that's a fruit salad, isn't it? Slices of apple, grapefruit, orange, peach, and a few more fruits rest inside, dotted with blueberries and grapes. Who exactly is he making all of this for? Why is he making it? Why can't he just eat with everyone else??? It is a mystery.
[ E: Armory. Open. ]
On the third day of the blizzard, Sora gathers all of the clothing he can and some snowboots he nabbed from the general store and hikes the miserable 40 minute hike through driving snow to the armory. He makes sure to go there when the regular lessons with Javert aren't going on - as much as he'd love some company, he doesn't want to risk running into anyone else while he tests out his spells, especially if they make him think about who he is and why he's doing any of this. One thing at a time!
He's tacked a piece of paper to wall. On this paper is a list of every spell and ability he can reasonably test without someone else there to help him. Time to do some experimenting.
Why are you out here? What are you doing? It's so cold! There's so much snow! But if you're in the armory for some reason, you'll see a weird kid in the basement at the range, with a giant key in his hands, casting magic spells that send pinpricks of light spinning at the targets at the other end of the range. How curious are you? (And seriously, what are you doing out there right now?)
[ F: Sora has skates and will now sksksksksk across the ice. For Crowley, but open otherwise. ]
Pretty self explanatory. Granted, the skates are VERY beautiful, made of glassy crystal, with a pair of crystal hand-glove-claw things to match, but they seem to be for aesthetics only. Sora will stay near the edge of the water - he doesn't want to risk falling through for several reasons - and he skates with the comfortable motions of someone who doesn't skate professionally but can and does skate for fun.
But indeed, there he go. Sksksksksk across the ice, his lantern bumping at his hip. He could use some company. He will, in fact, wave and skate over if he sees he has an audience. You aren't getting away without a chat, pal. (Unless you're a Riku or Vanitas, in which case he will seriously consider drowning after all.)
location: Beacon, with a quick detour to the lake post-freeze.
date/time: January 3rd through the 10th! (And one on the 13th if I can get away with it - Sora wants to go ice skating!)
content: Sora is on his grind! Taking names! Making friends! Paying his dues! Having fun! Trying to work so hard that his existential crisis forgets he's there! (Will match tag format.)
warnings: Warning for low self-esteem and, uh, Catholicism?
[ A: A visit to a new friend. Closed to Hana Song (and maybe the other residents of the cabin?) ]
Day three of the convalescence of Hana Song. Sora's in the cabin again, walking to her door with a paper bag under his arm after giving a brief, polite, completely friendly greeting to her roommates. They're very lucky that they took her in, and even helped find them splints and bandages so her arm and leg would heal straight. (That took a lot of reapplications of the Cure spell! It's sort of strange to think it's been reduced to the same effect as super fancy band-aids and anesthetic.)
He'll knock at the door of her room in the cabin. "Hey, Hana? You awake?"
[ B: Bad Catholic checks out a creepy pagan cathedral. For Matt Murdock, but open otherwise. ]
It's Sunday, so it seems like a perfectly reasonable day to check out the little church he saw on his many, many trips to and from the boat when he first got here. Skyler never really took religion seriously, and only went to Mass when the rest of the family did for Christmas and Easter, and even then he only did it because Arielle wanted to go see the lights and hear the music with everyone, Skyler included. If there's Catholic guilt here, it's only here because Arielle managed to make Skyler feel bad for not pretending to give a fuck.
In a lot of ways, Sora has even less of an attachment to organized religion than Skyler did. After all, he was living proof that the soul did not conclusively go to a heaven or a hell. And even if his existence wasn't conclusive enough, the many times he died in all of his lives and the many ways death and the afterlife has manifested has shifted his perspective of an all powerful God who reigns over heaven by just a bit. A church shouldn't change his perspective on that.
But, again, in a lot of ways, Sora is Skyler, except honest. And if he was being honest with himself, he liked the peace and beauty of a church as much as Ari did. He was just curious to see it, is all.
He shuts the tall door behind him and looks around the atrium, lifting his lantern to see as much of the architecture as he can. No clear dedications on his way in. What a weird place.
"Is this place Anglican," he asks, half to himself and half to the darkness of the pews in front of him. His eyes are now more or less used to the constant, overpowering dark of Beacon, but he still doesn't know if anyone else is in here. No nightvision for him.
[ C: Library. Open. ]
Throughout the week during his stay at the library, Sora will slowly, inevitably, grudgingly take an interest in the books around him. He's really not big on fiction - he's not creative enough to make them interesting - but the non-fiction will capture his interest. Practical books on cooking and first aid grab him first, followed by anything else that seems like it could come in handy in the near future - morse code, music, diy and repairs. (He makes sure to put them back in the reshelving areas, not on the shelves - he's not entirely a caveman, and the Elvira person on the network told him to be careful and clean up after himself and others. Which he does!)
Where do you find him? Wandering around with a book in his hand? Reading at one of the tables? Passed out drooling on one of the tables? Were you interested in something in the fiction section, only to find his cot in the way of your books? Is he in the cot? Who knows! I don't know. It's up to you.
[ D: The Invincible, the Kitchen. For Midge Maisel, but open to anyone who can catch him arriving or leaving. ]
Hey, Midge. Remember that teen who shyly poked his head into the kitchen a few days ago and asked in a very, very slight New Jersey accent if he could use the kitchen just to make some things and leave? The kid who proceeded to come back every day, right after the end of the daily meal, to make something to eat before cleaning up (and he always cleans up - maybe not perfectly, with things in the wrong places, but there are no crumbs or stray utensils left out) and heading out again?
Yup. Same teen. He's toasting a couple of pieces of bread in butter, layering cheese and some slices of turkey he found somewhere on top. It's nothing extraordinarily fancy, and he's just going to pack it up and leave again, but this time, he's making enough for two. He also has a bowl with him, and inside... that's a fruit salad, isn't it? Slices of apple, grapefruit, orange, peach, and a few more fruits rest inside, dotted with blueberries and grapes. Who exactly is he making all of this for? Why is he making it? Why can't he just eat with everyone else??? It is a mystery.
[ E: Armory. Open. ]
On the third day of the blizzard, Sora gathers all of the clothing he can and some snowboots he nabbed from the general store and hikes the miserable 40 minute hike through driving snow to the armory. He makes sure to go there when the regular lessons with Javert aren't going on - as much as he'd love some company, he doesn't want to risk running into anyone else while he tests out his spells, especially if they make him think about who he is and why he's doing any of this. One thing at a time!
He's tacked a piece of paper to wall. On this paper is a list of every spell and ability he can reasonably test without someone else there to help him. Time to do some experimenting.
Why are you out here? What are you doing? It's so cold! There's so much snow! But if you're in the armory for some reason, you'll see a weird kid in the basement at the range, with a giant key in his hands, casting magic spells that send pinpricks of light spinning at the targets at the other end of the range. How curious are you? (And seriously, what are you doing out there right now?)
[ F: Sora has skates and will now sksksksksk across the ice. For Crowley, but open otherwise. ]
Pretty self explanatory. Granted, the skates are VERY beautiful, made of glassy crystal, with a pair of crystal hand-glove-claw things to match, but they seem to be for aesthetics only. Sora will stay near the edge of the water - he doesn't want to risk falling through for several reasons - and he skates with the comfortable motions of someone who doesn't skate professionally but can and does skate for fun.
But indeed, there he go. Sksksksksk across the ice, his lantern bumping at his hip. He could use some company. He will, in fact, wave and skate over if he sees he has an audience. You aren't getting away without a chat, pal. (Unless you're a Riku or Vanitas, in which case he will seriously consider drowning after all.)
no subject
He likes Mrs. Maisel! She's cool for a New Yorker; she's about as friendly as he is, knows which questions to ask and when. He feels bad for keeping the conversations as short as he does, but he really doesn't like the idea of hanging around public spaces. Not that that's a normal thing for him! He does not at all give off the vibe of some studious shut-in. However, it still stands that he's always left the kitchen without giving his name... no matter how awkward the escapes have been. He's trying to avoid that eventuality.
He does, however, seem kind of bashful as he looks down at the second grilled cheese, then at the fruit salad, then - oh, that is what it looks like, huh? He'll turn a little red. ]
No! I mean, she's nice and all, but we just met. [ He'll turn the burner off and take the pan off the heat. It's nearly done, the pan will toast it the rest of the way and keep it warm as long as this conversation doesn't stretch on too long. ] She came here with a broken arm and a leg, so she's stuck in bed. I dunno, I was thinking she'd want something different.
no subject
She glances at the pan, and then the salad, and her lips press into a thin line, as if she's debating something. ]
You'll need drinks--hot cocoa. I'll show you my Mama's recipe from Paris--she used to make it for me all the time when I was a little girl, won't take long--and when my brother nearly gaged his eye out with an elastic band she made it for him to try to make him feel better while recovering. Or to make him feel guilty while he was recovering since he also broke a vase. I could never figure that one out.
no subject
He doesn't consider Midge a mom, per se - he's a bit past the stage where everyone past twenty-one is An Adult - but he does respect that she's the authority figure here! Her personality only bolsters his impression of her as an incredibly well put together human being who is much more of an adult than he almost is. This sudden burst of action only confirms that!
He'll bounce from foot to foot at the speech - this seems like a lot! - but he'll at least attempt to flag her down if he can't match her in wit. ]
If it were my mom and me, it would be both. Also, thanks, but you don't have to! I know you got a lot to do around here, this is just lunch for me and a friend - I mean, I guess it's more like two friends, I'm working on one - but you're the one feeding a bunch of people! [ He doesn't want to be in the way!! ]
no subject
[ She does glance back to make sure everyone's working--which, thank God, they are, and she's all smiles as she's turning the stove back on. ]
It won't take long, really--the secret's the brown sugar.
no subject
On the other hand, though... His eyes widen at the thought of brown sugar in hot cocoa. That. Sounds. Amazing. ]
Okay, teach me. [ It's a pretty quick decision! He has a follow-up though. ] Just teach me how to make bigger batches too? If I'm taking you away from all this, I wanna make enough for everyone to pay you back. [ This seems like a fair trade to him. ]
no subject
Big batches is easy, take a meal or something that serves 4 to 6 people and quadruple it. It's a little hard to adjust for taste, but with a group like this there's no winnning.
[ She looks pointedly to the entrance of the kitchen. ] I'm just glad I've got practice. you try feeding 30 people kreplach and tzimmes for Sukkot. Everybody's got an opinion.
[ Her in-laws. Her in-laws have an opinion. Constantly. ]
no subject
Really? I mean, I know my family in Manila can get kinda rowdy about the stuff that my tiyas cook, but they've got everyone pretty much tamed. [ He pauses, three pots to each hand. ] Well, everybody but each other. [ A beat. He looks up at her and wrinkles his nose. ] Oh, that's what you're talking about.
You must do this a lot if you're this good at feeding everyone here. Were you some kind of party planner back on Earth?
no subject
Completely expected where I'm from. [ New York, she means, and she gives a bit of a smile. ] At this point it's pretty relaxing, I've been trained to do this stuff for when I nabbed a husband. Gotta keep a man interested and part of that is throwing parties.
no subject
That so. So, is that a thing up north? Like, debutante stuff? [ He pauses. ] Where I'm from, if you're getting ready to get married like that, you're, like, from a house on a hill with five BMWs getting washed on a mile long driveway. I didn't peg you for that, to be honest.
[ He means that as a compliment! He's mostly gotten the picture that she's very Jewish and posh in a way he'll never touch, but it's somewhat at odds with this very funny, very down-to-earth lady he's seen little snippets of during his rushed meals. (Interestingly enough, he's not sharp enough to catch the time displacement thing - he's just assuming she's from the 21st century, like him.) Lots of questions, no way to ask them. ]
no subject
More importantly: [ Midge is getting everything ready and ingredients out, trusting Sora to keep up with her just because he seems like he's paying attention. ] Where are you from? You know, asides from New Jersey. I don't even know your name.
no subject
He'll also bare his teeth, breathing in with an extremely fake-thoughtful hiss, as he shrugs. ] Somethin' somethin' Central Park... Manhattan? I don't keep track of it all. I leave it to you experts. Someone's gotta keep track of the sprawl.
[ He does pay attention though, moseying his way over to some cupboards at the other end of the kitchen to look for some mugs along with a canteen. ] You caught me. If it makes you feel better, you could close your eyes and pretend I'm from Philly? [ As for the name bit, he'll... just... busy himself with the mug. ] My town's closer to the coast, almost smack dab between Princeton and Atlantic City.
no subject
Tell you what. You give me a name and I won't give you a hard time about your unfortunate birth location.
[ Guess who caught you didn't answer? This gal. ]
no subject
He'll start taking down mugs - he gets at least five, he doesn't want anyone to feel left out - and roll her offer around in his head. ]
Maybe I'm a secret agent. A superhero. A glutton for punishment? [ He'll try to grin, but won't really wait to see how those land. He'll sigh, actually. ] Sorry. That's not a real answer, I know.
Actually, while we're on names - [ not a purposeful swerve, this is just how his brain works ] - you're Mrs. Maisel, right? Have I been calling you by the right name?
no subject
Or Miriam. Midge is what I normally go by. Mrs. Masiel's just a deeply ironic stage name at this point.
no subject
It's a good vibe here. He likes her enough for the truth! Might as well go for something diplomatic. ]
Okay, Midge. Got it. [ It's a short name, doesn't sound as formal. Sora doesn't really like formalities. ] There's a soldier here, right? They don't have a name, but people call them Soldat, when they need to use something. [ He finally finds that canteen! He'll put it down, then turn to face her. ] We talked about it, and they're gonna call me kid from now on. But they know that if they need to talk to anyone about me, they can call me Sora.
[ He shrugs. ] It's not exactly the same deal, but you can call me kid too, if you want. And Sora works if you need a name.
no subject
[ Or 'ivy league,' Midge thinks. She's never been one for nicknames, but she thinks the other might like or appreciate one. He's a good kid, she decides. If she can focus on a stupid thing like Sora's nickname, she can ignore the dull pang in her heart as she remembers Esther and Ethan. ]
no subject
[ He remembers basically raising his little sister, after all. If the way Arielle is on his mind all the time is any indication, he can't imagine what it must be like to be apart from one's own kids. He doesn't know how she left them, but he always likes hearing funny kid stories. That's something he and Skyler had in common, at least. ]