☄ ｔｈｒｅｅ ｊｅｌｌｙｆｉｓｈ (backdated to the 14th )

[misconstrues]

[ Tsukimi mostly kept to herself for the first day, but she actually has been reading from her journal -- to check on people. There are several she's worried about but, after hearing what others are going through, she almost feels silly about being such a hermit.

Some had blood, while she only had inked words. But that inked word means the world to her, even if it might be laughable to some. Little girls grow up to become princesses, her mother had said, but she couldn't even afford her mother that much. She didn't become a princess at all.

So! With a briefly renewed determination, and a very bulky parka (hey, it seemed like a good idea at the time -- to keep the ink at bay), she's opted to sneak out of her room to check on her friends. If she's spoken with you more than once or your name is Kuranosuke? She'll be knocking on your door! But when you open it? There will only be a small jellyfish doll resting against the door. They'll all be different colors and patterns, but some may have a few tiny ink smudges. But as Tsukimi is certainly no secret agent, people might be able to pick out the bright blue parka fleeing the scene.

There's no tag or name on them otherwise, she didn't think that far ahead. Or, maybe she did, and was too embarrassed to claim credit. Either way! Lucrezia and Joshua will even find two: one red and one blue, at the Mansion. And that deviant predator Tsuna can have one, too. ]

[ Tsuna ]

[ She tries, and fails, to keep from getting the ink from her hands on the pages of the journal -- but this is important. Rather than write, which she knows would be pointless, she awkwardly dictates: ]

Tsuna-san! .. I'm sorry! F-for calling you indecent! And for running away, too..

That's all I wanted to say!

[ Someone is in town today but, rather than be her typical spazzy self, she's claimed a seat on a bench and remains seated there for some time. Tsukimi's staring at her hands, her lips pressed into a thin line that trembles occasionally.

Hands, wrists, fingers -- there is a single word written (princess) so many times that she can hardly see her skin beneath. It's concentrated mostly on her hands and becomes more sparse as it travels up her arms, with it written only one on her face. She doesn't even appear to notice the ink smearing when she grabs for a bag that is beside her, but she snaps out of it when she hears the items in it hitting the ground. ]

.. Eh? A hole in the bag?! .. This really is the absolute worst!

Comments

[silentrunning]

[Chell's sneaking around town herself. And she's got one of the magical water guns from the Castle. She'd figured that everyone was already cured by now, but when she sees Tsukimi, she wanders over and waves with a small smile.]

[misconstrues]

[ An unfamiliar person is approaching! She's struggling to reach under the bench for an item that fell from her bag, so she only realizes she isn't alone when she sees a shadow looming over her.

.. with a weapon?! She yelps in surprise, promptly bonking her head on the underside of the bench. ]

P-please, don't shoo-- [ Oh, wow, that wasn't embarrassing. Her face turns bright red, even as she gingerly massages the top of her head that made contact with the seat. With her dark hair, thankfully, the transferred ink doesn't stand out. But she'll worry about that later. Oh, right, back to the person! ]

I'm sorry! I didn't even hear anyone approach..

action because I'm a rebel

[not_mafia]

[Tsuna hadn't caught the filter to him earlier that day because he had been outside working. He was actually passing by (fully clothed, thank goodness!) when the items clattered to the ground next to him.]

--ah!

[He bends down and gathers them up, then offers them to the girl seated on the bench with a sheepish little smile.]

Here, I think you dropped these.

[... wait a minute, he knows that face. He starts.]

Tsu-tsukimi-san!

Action?

[cyan_maid]

[The door opens only slightly, and Jane peeks out. She looks a bit more drawn than usual, but otherwise okay. She doesn't see you right away, and, thinking there might not be anyone there at all, she opens the door all the way. Get a good look at that nasty bloodstain on her middle?

She has, however, noticed the little jellyfish doll.]

Oh? What's this...

\o

[misconstrues]

[ Maybe it's best he didn't see it, something like that should be apologized for in person. Before she picks up on the fact that it's Tsuna, she reaches out while murmuring an embarrassed thank you. When she does put two and two together, she jerks her ink-stained hand away both to hide it and to keep from getting anything on him.

Right now, amidst stammering, she hastily tries to pull her sleeves down to cover that pesky repetitive word. She's suddenly become very aware of her stains, so much so that she doesn't even look up. She knows it's written on her face! She'll just plop on the ground and scramble to collect her things. ]

Tsu.. Tsuna-san! I'm sorry! T-this has been a very awkward day.. s-so..!

[ It's only when the items continuously slip from her hands that she gives up and just kind of sits there. Ugh, what a time for her eyes to start watering again. Quietly: ]

I'm sorry.

Action! Mission impossible, she is not.

[misconstrues]

[ A voice! She can't help her curiosity, so she glances over a shoulder and freezes. Any anxiety she felt before is gone in a flash as she scurries back toward Jane's opened door.

Blood? But she didn't look hurt. Suddenly, there is a Tsukimi all up in your business, Jane. Don't laugh at her parka. ]

Jane-san! You're bleeding! Quickly, let's go to the clinic... !

[not_mafia]

[He blinks when she suddenly jerks her hand away and then starts pulling at her sleeves in an attempt to hide her stains. Tsuna hadn't bothered to hide or wash his stain since the morning he got up, despite the fact there was obviously something there behind the bangs.]

Ah, no...

[He responds to her apology but then he just kind of trails off when he watches he sees her fumble her items. And then he hears that little apology and snaps out of his stupor, immediately dropping to the ground to collect her things.]

I-it's no problem! I'm not really the most graceful person myself...

[Of course, he thought she was apologizing for dropping her things all over the place.]

[misconstrues]

No! I-if you touch them, you'll get the ink on you.. !

[ Oh, look, now they're level with one another. Between being unable to handle and properly feed Clara and thinking about her mother, this has been a very trying day for her. It's one thing to think about disappointing her mother, but it's another entirely to look in a mirror and see the fact displayed so clearly. (Her mother wouldn't have been disappointed in her, but she's her worst critic. )

While trying, and failing, to clean one of her hands via wiping it on her shirtfront: ]

I'm sorry for that, too! But the ink.. and!

[ She looks up, glancing over his hands to see if any of it transferred. It's only after delivering what seems like the umpteenth apology that her voice cracks and her shoulders shake. ]

F-for all of this, I'm sorry.

[not_mafia]

Ah, ink...?

[But it's not getting on him. And it's about then he notices how dirty her shirt is, with all those smudges of ink because of her attempts to clean the marks off.

He cradles her belongings uncertainly in his hands, looking up when she speaks again.

And then her voice cracks, and Tsuna starts, eyes widening.

Is.. is she crying? I didn't make her cry, did I?! What the heck is going on?

Inwardly panicking because wtf do you do when girls cry, Tsuna starts rambling, trying to somehow fix the problem.]

N-no, it's okay! Are you talking about yesterday, too? You just caught me at a bad time, that's all! Your reaction was completely normal! I-I'm completely used to it, actually.

[misconstrues]

From my hands!

But.. I assumed you were indecent! An indecent person wouldn't help someone pick up their things..

[ Either he's a genius, or his stupidity really is something to marvel at because the second he starts to ramble she just kind of stares at him. It's only then that she notices fragments of the words written on his forehead. No.. what?

She might be squinting a little, trying to see what it says. Without thinking, she rubs at her eyes to dry them so she's now looking rather raccoon-ish, which might even take away the attention from the word scribbled on her cheek. ]

S-so, you should know, Tsuna-san! .. that I don't think you're an indecent person.

[princelyspirit]

[So, after a day of being a hermit, Utena's out and about in town, walking with her hands in her pockets and apparently stainfree. It seems like the various journal pep talks had an effect on somebody, and in order to distract herself, she's poured her time and energy into helping the town rebuild. However, now she could use a break. Where is she supposed to-

Then, she hears the clatter of Tsukimi's bag. Utena turns her head immediately and, not noticing Tsukimi's marks yet, she rushes over to help pick up the mess]

Here, let me-

[She hesitates, freezing when she remembers her own hands, scarred with illusory scratches and dirt, colored with the barest hints of cracked blood, like from skin that's just a touch too dry. She bites her lip and ignores it, picking up the objects. Her hands have been out all day at this point, so what's the point in worrying now?]

r-reaches for.. ;A; Utena~

[misconstrues]

[ There are such helpful and nice people in the city today! She plops rather unceremoniously on the ground to try and collect the various tidbits as well, but she stops shy of grabbing something when Utena catches it first. ]

T-thank you..

[ A good thing, too! As the ink has already begun to stain her sleeves again, so she can only imagine what it would do to some poor, unsuspecting person's hands. Her hands are nearly black, but the written words are sparse near her neck (it's only written four times) and face -- where the word princess is etched across her cheek only once. She jerks her hand back and is about to duck her head to keep this person from seeing her face.

.. then she sees it's a gorgeous person. OH LORDY. She yelps, falls onto her bottom and promptly petrifies. Uh-huh, she's just staring at her, but she does manage to speak up before this happens. ]

S-stylish.. ?!

[silentrunning]

[Tucking her water gun into her pocket, Chell shoots her a kind smile, and leans down to help her retrieve her items. Hey. She's friendly.

That done, she flips open her journal and writes a message to the girl.]

My name is Chell... And I think I might know how to help you with that if you'd want?

[She gestures at the stains on Tsukimi's hands. And then she smiles again. This girl's as awkward as she usually feels.]

[not_mafia]

Well, I can't really blame you for making that assumption after what you saw...

[And then he notices her peering very hard at him.]

...Ah, Tsukimi-san...?

[And then she apologizes again and he rubs the back of his head awkwardly.]

A-ah, well... th-thanks, I guess? It's really not a big deal!

Aw that's alright Tsukimi, you try your best.

[cyan_maid]

[Jane's just picked up the little doll when her business is intruded upon.]

Wha - Tsukimi?? Where did you...[And then she notices your attire.] Why in the world are you wearing something so heavy? Are you really that cold?

[princelyspirit]

[Utena's focusing more on the things on the ground than the person in front of her, but that yelp is more than enough to get her attention. She jerks her head up instantly, looking to see if she's alright, when she catches her staring back. The ink grabs her attention, eyes widening at the word "princess", but before her mind can catch up with her senses the woman speaks.]

Stylish...?

[Utena blinks in confusion, glancing between Tsukimi and the sleeves of her large sweater. It's not her usual style, but it helps to cover her hands in a pinch. Wait, is this what got her so worked up? Utena smiles awkwardly, trying to give her some space. She looks like she might need it.]

Wait, you mean this old thing? [lets her wrist go limp so the sleeve droops down, and shakes it for emphasis] It's not really that fashionable...

[It actually looks pretty good on her, though, in a nineties throwback kind of way. But, she still doesn't see what the big deal is]