IC Inbox - Asgard Eventide

[samantha_grey]

An old, brick edifice stands in front of the burnt-down ruins of a home in the hillside. Mountains rear up in all directions, covered in lush, green vegetation. Nobody comes this way anymore, but you have the sense that anything placed in the mailbox attached to this old structure will be found by someone, the only living person for whom this place still has any meaning.

OOC: Feel free to comment here if your character wishes to get in touch with Samantha Grey directly. Let us keep any such material to PG-13 or less. If you're interested in something that should be matured tagged, contact me via PM and we can discuss it.

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DAY 103

[competition]

[ I HAVE TO LEAVE THIS HERE BEFORE I FORGET.

So he left a Snorlax bento that he bought from the Poketopia cafe with a note on the box with her name on it. IT'LL BE HERE IN THE FRIDGE. ]

Audio - The Next Day

[samantha_grey]

[A message comes over the bracelet to Red the next day from Samantha. She sounds a little harsh-throated and groggy, but otherwise not in too surly a mood. She has learned a faint, but important lesson. It is now possible for her to have a hangover. Admittedly, it takes a lot of alcohol to do this, so she feels reasonably certain that this won't be happening again anytime soon.

Except, you know, drinking contests and how they test a half-demon's tolerance.]

Hey. Thanks for the lunch. The bear on the box is actually sort of cute. Do you mind if I keep the box?

Day 115

[takebow]

[Hmph. Yukari was left steaming angry after the end of that conversation last night, and she's still angry the next day, but that's leaving her very determined -- partly to hear the inevitable apology from this woman the next day, partly to show herself that she's willing to forgive her, partly just because she feels she has to after all that. Maybe because she wants to apologize for making the situation worse herself, too.

At any rate, ring ring!]

Audio

[samantha_grey]

[the response that came was over the audio. She'd recognized the name. The memories were vividly clear, though she might not always admit it. She could remember exactly what she'd done, what the woman had seen. She couldn't look her in the face.]

... What do you want?

[Her voice is cracked, haggard and drawn. She sounds tired, almost exhausted. It doesn't sound like she's snapping, however terse she sounds.]

Day 115, evening. Audio

[seventeenpills]

Hey, Samantha. It's Hisao. Thought I ought to check in and see how everything is with you. If you're more... uhh... like normal.

I wouldn't be too surprised if you didn't really care to talk to me right now. But if you did manage to catch a cold from being in the rain too long, I've been told I make an alright chicken soup. Just a thought.

Um. That's all. See ya.

...

...or not! Up to you. Totally understand if...

Yeah.

[Click.]

Audio

[samantha_grey]

[It's a few hours before a reply comes back. She sounds distant, wooden, tired. There's a lot of sighing going on when the message comes through, and there's a bit of annoyance. Hisao was one of those she was not wanting to talk to, but who she owed an explanation to.]

I did warn you, you know...

I forgive you. You shut it off, even if you did get a pretty good eyeful before you decided I'd kill you for looking. I can't really blame you too much, just not really comfortable right now. Not sick, so don't worry. I'm apparently not as tough as I used to be, but I can still handle rain.

So... yeah.

text; day 116;

[expy]

Yo. Hamlet still around, or can I have a word with Samantha?

[Yeah. That's her nickname for whatever it was that happened a couple of days ago. It stuck.]

Audio

[samantha_grey]

[The voice on the other end is cracked, exhausted and sounds horrible. It is Samantha's voice, regardless, and when it speaks it doesn't sound at all like 'Hamlet.']

...

I'm normal again. Why are you talking to me? Nothing good will come of it.

[Video Message] backdated to a few days after her last post

[dragonspeak]

....Samantha... [Merlin hesitates, voice quiet.]

I saw what happened. On the bracelet. Are you all right?

Audio

[samantha_grey]

I'm... better, Merlin. I'm not good, but I'm better. I'm not crazy right now, if that's what you're worried about. So, I guess you understand a little of what I was getting at.

[video]

[holmes_fanatic]

Samantha-san? I think I've found a person who ticks all your boxes.

[video]

[samantha_grey]

Good, thanks. With Painwheel and K, that might cover the bases. Who'd you find?

[voice]

[whatagoodgirl]

I'm sorry, Samantha... it didn't work. I slept for about forty-five minutes, and then I started having nightmares again and couldn't get back to sleep. I think I'm going to talk to Dr. Watson about sleeping pills.

[voice]

[samantha_grey]

Mention Melatonin to him first. It's not addictive, so if we can use it first, then that might help you get your sleep schedule back on track naturally. I'll prep whatever you need prepped and keep it private, however. Tell him I've got what I need.

...I kind of figured we might need more. You've been through hell, and some was not human.

[Video]

[snugglesjugs]

Um Excuse me, Miss. Are you one of the owners of the Alchemy Shop?

[Video]

[samantha_grey]

Eh? Pinch of Sage? Yeah. I'm the owner of the shop. We do medicines, herbal cures and alchemy. There something I can do for you?

DAY 151

[burntspirit]

[Welp, so he's finally decided to make good on that invitation now that the commotion is mostly over. It takes him a while, but he finds the shop eventually. He's not going to bother announcing his presence beyond going in, though.]

DAY 151

[samantha_grey]

[There's a ringing bell when the door opens. For the moment, nobody is at the desk. The smell in the room is incredibly earthy. A pair of tables on both walls were visible with chairs. Two shelves of herbal cures, over-the-counter medicines were behind the counter in the small and almost cramped main room.

The door in the back opened just after he'd come in, the redhead wiping her hands off with a cloth and nodding. Now more visible, her horns and tail were hard to miss. It had been a long few days, and even if she'd seen him before, she couldn't easily recognize him.]

Afternoon. What can I do for you?

video; day... today... idk

[lassos]

[Today, Samantha will get a message from someone she's never spoken to, but at least may have seen on the network once before. Even as a video, she gives off an air of being very regal and composed, and despite her serious expression, her tone is still cool and understanding.]

Hello, Samantha. My name is Diana, and though we haven't spoken before, I would like to speak with you about rather serious matters. At your earliest convenience, please reply however you're comfortable and we can talk. If you would prefer, we can also meet in person.

Thank you for your time.

[samantha_grey]

[She glanced at the feed from her office and grunted. Well, this was lovely. 'Weighty and serious matters' usually meant her other half, or some other thing she'd done wrong. Admittedly, with all of this talk of 'organizing' she might have been someone Keine had managed to swing into helping her out. By now, there were a few possibilities.

With a sigh, she tapped out a text response to start.]

Well, this is formal. I'll hold off on the 'pleased to meet you' until we have an idea what we're talking about here. I prefer some distance for the moment until the issue's clear.

So let's start off simply. What is this about?

[text]

[fishdouche]

i fuckin kneww that i wwasnt in any danger from a bunch a wweak wwilled humans in that place
i mean bein afraid a somethin like that wwould just be idiotic
evven the concept is laughable a bunch a the frailest humans gathered up in one place wwhile other frail incompetant humans run about like a bunch a headless cluckbeasts
i just didnt see a point in fuckin goin wwhen i could havve just taken that stupid medicine an been fine on my owwn in my owwn room
so next time you decide that i need you to intervene on my personal behalf think again harpy
just for your personal information

[And that, in case it was completely incomprehensible, was Eridan's way of saying thank you.]

[text]

[samantha_grey]

[It took four times to read it and get what he was talking about. Samantha laughed at that point, shaking her head. Ok, she actually 'got' paranoia towards hospitals. She had avoided them at home too, though she didn't think of them as killing floors so much as just places people would realize she wasn't human. Still, this was just funny, how he was trying to paint this off as no big deal.

It did, however, make her want to tease him more than a little bit.]

Just for your personal information, there won't be any intervening to surround you by little cluckbeasts. I expect your two spindly little legs to carry you into that place just fine on their own. No free rides, you hear me? I'm not your damned sherpa!

Though, I have to admit that it was damned hilarious to see the great Eridan Ampora in a wheelbarrow like it was a chariot. Maybe I should find you a crown next. Something befitting nobility of your caliber. Maybe something with donkey ears on it?

[A twisted way of saying you're welcome, perhaps? That and poking fun.]

Video

[seventeenpills]

[He felt terrible for not contacting her since getting back from Utgard. He really did. In fact, he'd tried sending this messagve at least twice already but each time was at a loss for what to say. She didn't know Hanako wasn't talking to him because of his involvement with her, and he didn't know how she'd fared during the epidemic. Despite the strength of his conviction to remain her friend, he just felt so strangely out of touch with how to even check up and say Hi. Maybe it would go better in person? That might work better being that she'd be there to offer input and it wouldn't just be him talking awkwardly to a bracelet screen and waiting for a reply.

So, the message he sent was pretty simple.]

Hey, Samantha. Sorry it's been a while. Really. I'm hanging out in the park this afternoon... just... feeding squirrels! If you have nothing else going on and want to meet up that's where I'm at.

If not, that's fine too. I hope you're doing well either way. Take care.

[A small wave and then Click.]

Action

[samantha_grey]

[While he'd felt terrible, she hadn't wanted to cause further trouble over Hanako. She'd gotten the increasing impression that the burned girl had some serious issues over her, and hadn't wanted to press much. To make matters worse, meeting him face to face wasn't going to be easy, no matter how well he'd taken it compared to some.

When she saw the message, she sighed and sent a quick text message back his way to let him know she would be coming.

Finding him wasn't necessarily difficult. As long as he wasn't over near the oversized smurf house, he was easy enough to track down eventually. When she came towards him, her tail swished in an agitated fashion behind her and she paused a little bit away, just in natural earshot.]

Hey.

[Video]

[snugglesjugs]

Samantha, I have some good new and a bit of bad news about the runes.

[Video]

[samantha_grey]

Alright then, well, let's start with the bad news first. I prefer to get the crap out of the way whenever possible.

day 168 - audio

[callmeimouto]

[Aw man, what's a tsundere otaku to do?! Okay, she could always contact Kuroneko or Aoto, she probably will contact them in due time and see if they're alright but... looks like Samantha is the first on her list. When she speaks though there's a sense of urgency behind her words, obviously she's failing at acting like she's got it all together.]

H....hey! Horn girl! Are you alright?

Audio

[samantha_grey]

[Horned girl? Oh wait, it was the creepy sex-game fangirl with a decent sense of humor. Right. Wait, what the hell was she doing messaging her in the middle of this crap?

Samantha glanced around. For the moment, she still had a little freedom. She had just gotten back from the field tent. The sounds of battle were distant at the arena for now.]

It takes more than the hordes of hell to get me.

Where the hell are you? Have you gotten to the Volgfang or whatever it is?

[Kirino? Not striking Sam as a fighter.]

[Text]

[fishdouche]

so youre not dead
good

[This isn't awkward. Not at all.]

[Text]

[samantha_grey]

[Not in the slightest. She was still a little sore.]

They didn't send you back like a lot of the others. Good. I'm not finished with you.

[Downside of the kismesis end was that it could be really hard to express relief or gratitude at times...]

[voice]

[ex_outofcontrol435]

[In the end, it came down to who gave him the most information with the least trouble. Sam was kind of a pain in the ass, but she was no Euri, and she was pretty free with what she knew. So, it's her.]

Hey. Sam. You got any idea why a kid about four years old would be dropped in the middle of the city with no map, no letter, no visit from the creepy maid, nothing? Because that's kind of above and beyond the fucked up I already expect from this place.

[voice]

[samantha_grey]

[Heh, it all depended what information one sought. When she didn't want to share, she made Euri look positively ... helpful. But, apparently she would be helpful.]

Youngest I've seen's seven. That's Conan, and he's terrifyingly mature and powerful as hell, whether you'd believe it or not. A little creepy, actually. I've seen people grow up fast, but that's crazy.

What do you mean four year old?

[TEXT]

[cancerass]

I'M COMING OVER.
BE THERE WHEN I CAN FIND THE PLACE.

[TEXT]

[samantha_grey]

Knock hard if it's locked.

[She was taking a good portion of her day working on boiling down dragon's blood. The project was anything but pleasant to deal with and she was forced to wear clothes she'd already treated with a diluted sample of the blood just to deal with the contained heat.

However, while the room had the feel of a sauna on the inside for her employee, she was still listening for either a banging on the door or the sound of the doorbell ringing.]

Note - Day 195

[dragonspeak]

[Samantha will get a package + one note. There's a small bundle of cookies--round medallions with red glaze in the shape of fire on one side--and a pair of gloves. The note reads: ]

Something to keep you warm during the Yule season. Hope you're doing all right.

Merlin

Note - Day 195

[samantha_grey]

[Someone won a few points with Sam with the gesture. He'd specifically shot for the Yule festival, which she appreciated. A card made its way to his room from her the next day.]

Thanks. Here's wishing you a warm Yule as well. It's nice to see some people still remember that festival. Don't be a stranger.

-Sam

[Offline]

[fishdouche]

[It's a few days late, but an intricately carved wooden box finds its way into Pinch of Sage, a handwritten note on parchment paper set on top of it. Inside the box, on a dark violet velvet cushion is a dagger, the black leather hilt and blade engraved with intricate knot work.]

Harpy,

Happy Twwelfth Perigree's Evve. You had better put this to good use. I didn't wwaste good money on you to let this gather dust.

--Eridan

[His name is signed with a flourish and a rather decorative spade.]

[Offline]

[samantha_grey]

[Later that day, on a lacquered note, her script considerably more crude, came a note. There was no package, though it had the scent of cloves with it. strong and pungent.]

In my home, there were never any sorts of gift giving exchanges. My mother and I shared stories of our pasts and history in this time of year. Believe me that the knife will have good use soon enough.

However, as I am not the sort to do gifts, I have a different offer. One day. Ask me one thing. Anything. If I am physically able, it will happen. No questions.

Choose wisely.

-Samantha

text; backdated to WHENEVER THOSE SECRET SANTA GIFTS WENT OUT okay

[zodiacal]

Either you're bad at being anonymous, or you didn't really try.
But thanks, I guess.

[samantha_grey]

I'm pretty bad at being anonymous, but no I wanted you to be able to guess. I'm not much of a Christmas person, but figured you'd like those.

Day 209

[needsmoregreen]

So...how did you and Eridan meet up again?

Day 209

[samantha_grey]

Heh, someone's curious.

Over the network, at first. But we really didn't talk until I ran out of options on getting help. That clown Gamzee nearly killed me with his club one night and I flew off the handle over the network. I kind of found out that I might have been flirting with him.

It turned into this whole stink about troll romances. I was ... still am really nervous about being in a relationship. I ended up asking Eridan for help figuring it out.

[Day 218 - in person.]

[the_good_doctor]

[Watson's come by A Pince of Sage with two roses, one of which he has already given to Sophie and received directions as to where to find Sam. He is currently offering the second to Sam with a military bow.]

I hope you won't think me foolish, Miss Grey, but I wanted to give you this token of my esteem and friendship.

[Day 218 - in person.]

[samantha_grey]

[She blinked. In principle, she understood that this sort of thing was done between coworkers, but she'd never actually had it done for her. Taking the gift, she returned the bow with a nod of her own and looked down at it.]

Nope... just very traditional, Doc. But that doesn't really surprise me. Thanks.

[deductions]

In light of recent events, I am obliged to inquire as to how you are doing - Ms. Grey.

[samantha_grey]

By 'recent events,' do you mean "Samantha went psychotic and gutted one of her only friends before she committed suicide to escape her claws?" If that's what you mean, I'm fine. Really. Great. Peachy. Apparently I'm still a fucking menace to society, likely to tear someone's fucking head off at the slightest...

[Sigh.]

I've had better weeks, but they didn't kill me. It's other people you should be worried about, Sherlock.

[Audio]

[fishdouche]

[The line is silent for a few agonizingly long minutes, almost as if the troll doesn't know he's turned on his bracelet.

Finally there's a long sigh, a longer pause and finally a quiet voice.]

...Hey. I--...fuck.

[He doesn't know what to say. It's clear. What do you even say after your half-demon girlfriend had a psychotic break and literally nailed you to a wall and bled you like an animal?]

[Audio]

[samantha_grey]

...

I didn't expect to hear from you yet, honestly.

[She sounded nervous, a little surprised. There was a sigh on the other end, but she didn't say anything more just yet. She wasn't even sure an apology was in order, which was half of the problem.]

Day 228/9 - after Conan and Sam's conversation in the SOS post!

[holmes_fanatic]

[Sam will get warning of Conan's arrival. There's the murmur of voices as he greets Sophie, the high childish pitch of his voice (even if somewhat muted today) tends both to carry and to stand out against the lower adult tones of the usual A Pinch of Sage customers.

There is a quiet knock at the door before it is pushed open.]

Sam-san?

[samantha_grey]

Come on back!

[The voice sounded a bit like a growl, though more in a 'busy at the moment' sort of way than anything else. Samantha was barely visible, more from the swish of her tail than anything else, down the short hallway into the back lab.

When he comes back, he will find her hunched over the usual set of beakers, running the extractions on one of the potions she actually knew already to keep her stock up.]