Video - UN: Runeseeker (CW for Body Horror/Headlessness)

[onerthes]

If you want to get ahead in life, I recommend keeping a good one on your shoulders. The alternative is troublesome.

[Badum Tish.

That dryly delivered and awful joke was said by Vira-Lorr's head, which was resting on a metal plate in front of her. She was seated in her fortune teller's booth, relaxed back and reclined in her chair, wearing a particularly high necked Ao Dai that completely concealed the clean cut from sight. Trails of smoke extended from within the collar, floating upwards. Her head, meanwhile, was resting in the spot that the crystal ball usually would, looking about as acrid and "Over every last minute of this" as she possibly could. There was no way in which she was pleased by this.]

Ahem. It appears that some of the masks are a bit too effective at making us seem like monsters. This was an experience I was not planning to have again. But, rather than search high and low for blood in this situation? I will tolerate it as long as I must until it returns to normal. The discomfort is ... minimal. It's just very disorienting.

However, until this remedies itself, I will be sticking to the shop closely. I don't have a collar to keep from losing my head after all, you understand. And... [she switched which leg was crossed on top of each other and, in the process her leg accidentally bumped her head, causing it to topple over with a yelp of distress.]

This! This is exactly why I am not going out right now! Damnit! I'll have whoever's head for this!

[The answer came when a small litwick hopped up on top of the table and waved at the camera angle beatifically, touching a button and blessedly ending the feed.]

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video; un: ushiromiya

[entreats]

[ This definitely is not the most gross thing Ange has ever seen.

And she knows the same goes for the person experiencing it right now. It's probably why both of them can remain relatively calm in the face of this, huh? Especially since it seems like the usual kind of Trench nonsense that sorts itself out in the end..

.. whenever that end is. ]

Are you sure there's no way to keep your head a little closer to your neck?

[ Look, even if Ange isn't sure whether there's a way to permanently attach it again before Trench does so - and Ange is a little reluctant to use her magic for this if she's up against Trench's own magic, a Pthumerian's power - there's got to be a way to make this at least a little more comfortable, right. ]

[onerthes]

[It took a minute, but when she'd settled, her head was in her lap and firmly in her grasp. No more rolling away thank you very much. She sighed and shrugged.]

So... I used to have a neck brace, and that magical ribbon, but neither of those came to this world, so at the moment? No. If this lasts a week or more, I might just look into getting a brace again.

Ugh, I hated wearing that.

[entreats]

Well, in that case I can see if we can somehow make one for you that's a little less bothersome.

[ .. though it'll probably be hard, Ange figures. It's not like neck braces are ever designed to be stylish - or very comfortable. They couldn't very well do their job otherwise. But maybe they can alter it a little, especially since she'd just conjure it up magically..

Though the initial hope is just that this doesn't last long for Vira-Lorr at all. Ange can't imagine the situation is very comfortable in general. ]

You can't very well sit at home forever, after all.

[onerthes]

Oh, if it comes down to it, I can carry my head around in the crook of my arm like an actual Dullahan. Perhaps I'll even throw it at children to terrify them.

[...That was a joke, right?]

But I do appreciate you putting in the effort on my behalf. Since this has happened every once in a while, even if it isn't used this time? It might be helpful to have.

[entreats]

[ Regardless of whether it's a joke or not - because Ange's tone is certainly flat enough to be taken as a joke as well - she first has to make sure to say: ]

Please don't throw your head at random children.

[ Please. The last they need is a group of Trenchies getting all worked up about that and start some sort of.. witch hunt. Dullahan hunt. Whichever. It'll be a huge pain in the butt, and Ange isn't here for it!!

Still, she's pretty sure it was just a joke, so she moves on to: ]

Do you think this keeps happening to you specifically for some reason? [ Is your head just not that attached to your body, Vira-Lorr.

Is that it. ]

[onerthes]

I prooooomise.

[Take this seriously, Vira-Lorr.]

I believe that this is happening to me a second time to remind me of the horror I experienced before. They like to do that from time to time, and if a Pthumerian is at all behind it, they probably think I need to learn something from the experience, or they liked me better without my head.

...I prefer a dumb moral lesson to the latter.

[entreats]

What could you even learn from losing your head?

[ Because sure, Ange would also prefer that.

The last thing she wants is to find out some Pthumerian has a weird, weird headless fetish or something like that. Ugh, gross! ]

I mean, it's not like it's your fault that this is happening, right? [ Because that makes it the most dumb moral lesson ever. 'Don't let a random Pthumerian take your head off.' Sure, thanks, pal. Really something they can prevent. ] I don't think putting on a mask really counts as doing something wrong. That was just luring you into a dumb trap that you couldn't help.

[onerthes]

It's difficult to say, and honestly? If there's a Pthumerian who thinks I need a lesson? I'm not currently interested in learning it, so I don't care to guess. It's just as likely to be a prank...

Though I will say it does not seem like Cloverfield's style. I doubt it's them.

[entreats]

[ Ange thinks, and then huffs. ]

Well, they don't often seem to mess in each other's months. [ From what Ange has seen over the past year. And while she won't claim to know Cloverfield's exact style very well, she's willing to go by Vira-Lorr's judgement on that one. ]

Unless you're saying you instead went out of your way to piss off a specific Pthumerian recently.

[ .. she wouldn't put that entirely beyond Vira-Lorr either.

Not even just in a negative judgey sort of way, mind you. It just seems like the sort of thing that might happen, considering Vira can be so headstrong (pun unintended) in her own way. ]

[onerthes]

No, they really don't... but there's always the possibility that there's more than just the ones known for each month. [She made a sour look.] There's mother mercy after all...

And no, I try to minimize my interactions where possible. Generally.

...

Hopefully.

[entreats]

[ ...

Wait.

Hold on there for a moment.

Ange squints as she's thinking. Staring at her Omni. ]

You aren't trying to tell me that you might've gone and pissed off that one, are you?

[ Not that Ange will disagree with the fact that she sucks and all, but.. you know. It just seems like a generally bad idea.

The exact kind of idea that might leave someone more or less headless, for example. ]

[onerthes]

I do everything in my power to stay away from that woman. It's been successful so far, but I couldn't tell you if she didn't suddenly decide to take an issue.

...

It's HER after all. I never assume with her anymore.

[entreats]

It's probably not that hard to stay away from her, given that I hardly ever see her around here.

[ Don't misunderstand Ange. She definitely thinks that's a good thing. Much less of any Pthumerian would be great, but less of that one in particular is even better. ]

Though randomly getting pissed at people over nothing sounds like her style. [ .. a pause, and then Ange adds: ] Sound.. ed like her style? I'm not very sure how much of anything here is her doing at all.

[onerthes]

[She sighed and smiled a little, sadly. Shrugging was ... weird right now, but she added one in afterwards.]

It's absolutely her style from the past, but I think that just speaks to how weary of her you and I are. We've dealt with her for far too long, haven't we Ange?

[entreats]

.. yeah. [ It's hard to forget her encounters with the other, after all.

Especially that one time, in that odd dream - where she had been together with Vira-Lorr too, making this feel even more like some sort of shared experience. ]

It makes the way she's relatively quiet here almost weird. It's not like her at all when she isn't being dramatic and making absolutely everything everyone else's problem. [ Their problem, most of the time. ]

[onerthes]

I don't know how to handle her. On the one hand, there's a clarity that she is under some sort of penance? But at the same time? She is still causing us all problems.

...It worries me. She worries me.

[entreats]

[ Ange pauses, seeming to consider this. ]

Are you planning on doing anything about that?

[ .. you know, when Vira-Lorr's head is properly attached to her body again, for one. But Ange just can't help but wonder if the other has at least been considering something. She wouldn't put it past Vira, that's for sure. ]

[onerthes]

Mother Superior? No. At the most, what she has done is still not to the point where I feel it needs to be responded to. When I'm more up to it, I intend to prepare in case the Zealots ore coming.

But.. well, let's just hope she doesn't change that perspective.