Open!

[mermaiding]

Who: mermaiding & you!
When: Like ICly 10/29ish. After the event
Where: Various
What: After becoming visible again, Oona 'celebrates' by touching everyone to reconfirm that she's solid
Rating/Warning: Random touching?

---

[Being invisible had been one thing-- she could deal with that. Sure it made everything a little difficult, but it could have helped her in the long run; you know, if she could have touched people.

She hadn't thought about how much she'd miss it until it was gone. It was...lonely. Cold. She'd felt more bitter and angry than she had in months, trying desperately to get the attention of others to no avail. It hadn't taken long for the anger to change to despair, and it had taken all she had not to cry when she found herself 'cured'.

It was a cautious optimism, but it had quickly grown to an almost mania as she ran around the streets, mostly looking or familiar faces, but strangers weren't immune either as she suddenly grabbed onto people with open delight]

Ah! Touch! Can touch you! You can feel, yes? Touching you! [She grabs at arms and hands, pressing at the skin and squeezing hands (lightly, she's mindful of her inhuman strength thankyouverymuch), even going so far as rubbing her cheek against shoulders if the person isn't too tall or doesn't throw her off right away.]

[Closed for Tenka]

[There is one specific person she's looking for though, and she's quick to track him down to his house again. She debates a moment on how best to go about contacting him, and while she knows deep down that calling him first would be best... Yeah she's not doing that.

She raises her fists and knocks. Insistently. No pausing until he answers eeeyyy.]

Comments

[souredsweet]

[WELL THAT'S A SURPRISE. Not exactly a pleasant one, since being grabbed so suddenly throws Kaoru off, but it seems like Oona isn't doing it for any reason other than... ?! WHO KNOWS, temporary insanity, maybe. Nothing malicious, at the very least. Kaoru will not throw her off immediately either, since a) that would be rude and b) it's still a pretty benign set of actions even if they're confusing.]

Ah— Oona-san? Are you all right?

[SICK, MAYBE? A SIDE EFFECT OF GHOSTY SHENANIGANS?

But as soon as that comes to mind, it's a bit of an ah moment. CERTAIN PEOPLE may have taken to hiding after getting their bodies back, but maybe this is just a different manifestation of relief.]

I can feel it, yes. ...Have you only just come back?

[firstcloud]

[ This is not sudden at all... But he can relate, it happened to him too. He was petting Poko ever since he became visible, just to make sure he could, so, yeah.

He grins, looking really happy about it. ]

Do you want to make sure you can touch Poko, too?

[ Poko likes Oona fairly well, anyway, it seems. And Kagemitsu is a really nice guy, at that. ]

[smokingspirit]

[ Blink. Blink. Blows smoke from his cigarette up in the air, so she won't get hit by the smoke. ]

Yup, I'm surprisingly solid for a ghost, don't you think?

[ He's taking this very calmly. ]

[mermaiding]

Been hiding in room. Did not want to... [She trails off, not sure how to explain it. Hiding away in her depression?]

Well. Was hiding away. But, found out was real again, solid. Could touch people. Touch is important to my people, having it taken away was like... Like having arm cut off. Something like that.

[Oona continues to hold on, pressing her face into Kaoru's shoulder with a pleased noise.] Lucky I do not bite! Yet. [But she laughs so maybe she's joking?? Maybe.]

[mermaiding]

[Her eyes light up] Can I? Yes, yes!

[She reaches for Poko, wanting to grab Poko up and press her face to her fur or something.]

Did not think how much touch would be missed. [A light sigh.]

[mermaiding]

Solid! [She nods in agreement, clinging to his arm quite happily. And he's not human, so that makes this acceptable.]

Why are you solid? [Because that's curious]

[duad]

[ Mary tenses up, not expecting to be grabbed out of the blue. She almost pushes away the offender, feeling a bit frightened at the suddenness of it when she realizes that it's not someone who wants to hurt her... she thinks? She seems to be squeezing her hands, almost in a sense of desperation. Mary's not quite sure what to do at first.

Her voices catches in her throat, causing her to stutter a bit. ]

I— uh. Y—Y—Yeah! I can. [ Her fingers flex underneath her hands. ] I can feel it.

[changeably]

[Good luck with that shoulder thing, Oona, when you'd have to be crouching down to reach. But the touching does set Cynbel off, and he tries to pull back a bit before he realizes who it is that's grabbed him.]

Who--?

[He looks up in time to not stab her in the neck with long claws, at least, but he's still pretty baffled by the whole thing. Enjoy grabbing around those claws, because they don't really retract. Oops.]

Miss Oona, what in the world are you doing?

[bigstick]

[ well, he's not gonna shove her off but! he is kind of startled. so have some side-eye, oona, when you go to grab a nation. ]

Ma'am, what's with the touching? Am I on punk'd? Am I gonna be punk'd? Where's Ashton Kutcher?

[ because obviously this is a set up, right... ]

[souredsweet]

Lucky, indeed...

[Kaoru will smile in a brief sort of way, basically encouraging it to be a joke. THERE ARE ALREADY ENOUGH BITEY PEOPLE OUT THERE...

At a loss for what to do though, Kaoru just gently and somewhat awkwardly reaches out to pat the top of Oona's head in a gesture that's meant to be reassuring.]

That must have been very difficult for you, though. I'm glad for you that it's finally come to an end.

[deontology]

Oona?

[That's...not what he was expecting at all, admittedly. He's not given much of the chance to refuse though, and then his personal space bubble is very much invaded.

No..........

He holds still for a moment for lack of any other reaction when there's a manic mermaid on the loose, patting your cheek, but...... his precious personal space....]

...Calm down. [REALLY...]

[sunshrouded]

[In truth, Tenka has stuck to home a little bit more than he normally does since he's gotten his body back. It gives him more of a chance to pester Soramaru and Nishiki and then bug Sousei when he gets back from work. It gives him more time to be able to interact and touch the people that have come to be his little family here.

But well, he'll still answer the door if someone's apparently knocking that much.

So he opens the door for her easily, though he is blinking in surprise as he realizes that it is, in fact, Oona at his door.]

Oona-chan? What is it?

[creepface]

[ Oh no, it's that scary girl from the phone... thing. CereVice, right?

Rasu jumps as she touches him. it came out of nowhere, that's scary! ]

Wha-w-what?

[mermaiding]

[nO. can't stop won't stop.

She presses her hands against his cheeks, squeezing his face slightly before she backs away with a huff.] Am calm! [Totally not.] Am just happy. Can express happiness, yes?

[mermaiding]

Was just... [She trails off, because while she had the idea to just leap on hi the second he answered, she can't bring herself to express her relief that openly. She shits her weight from one foot to the other and puffs her cheeks out in a bit of a pout.]

Around. Thought you were home. Was... Gone. Eh, the last few days. Not here, not really. Not solid. [She's not sure if she's making sense and her fingers twitch before she reaches out one hand to clutch onto his sleeve.]

Solid. Can touch now. Was afraid. [Oona's words become more choppy as she becomes more embarrassed, trailing off uncertainly.]

[mermaiding]

Shhh! [She shushes him harshly, like he's the one being weird here and gives him an annoyed look.]

Why jump? Do not be weird! [Says the mermaid that kind of jumped him in the first place.]

[sunshrouded]

[ . . . . well, perhaps if he didn't go through the exact same thing, he would have more difficulty understanding. But right now, he understands completely. So he gives her an understanding nod and a smile before moving to wrap both arms around her in a hug and pull her close.]

You don't be afraid anymore. I'm right here.

[And he holds her tightly, reassuring her of his protecting embrace. Tenka's always been a very physically affectionate person so this? This is definitely something that he can do without hesitation, especially after being unable to touch people for the last few days.]

[mermaiding]

[Oona makes a pleased humming noise and finally lets Kaoru go, like the touch was a signal for something.]

Mm, yes, difficult. Was very angry, but, that is gone. Can be happy now-- more or less. [As happy as Oona gets, anyhow.]

You? They did things to you too?

[mermaiding]

Good! [Oona looks so pleased, but doesn't drop Mary's hand. Instead she's looking at their clasped hands like it's the most interesting thing in the world and gives a pleased hum.]

Is strange. People do not think about things like this. Touching and being touched, or seeing, or tasting. But, when it is gone, it is like, eh... a void? [Another hum and she shrugs. close enough??

At last Oona let's her hand go though and gives her an odd look upon noticing her discomfort.] Hm? Something wrong?

[flaredo]

Whoa-- [ okay, so Yang's a little surprised, but she... also gets it, so she'll just give Oona's hair a ruffle. ]

Okay, okay, it's fine-- we're both solid!

[mermaiding]

[Oona's distracted now, because oohh those claws look interesting; she hasn't had the chance to really look at them before. She takes his hand in hers and moves it around to examine the claws more closely. Ah, she misses her own now...

Cynbel's question catches her attention though and she finally tears her eyes away to look at him]

...Touching you. Obviously. See? [She squeezes his hand lightly and grins.] Can do it now! Could not before.

[duad]

[ Her tension lessens when she understands why she's suddenly being grabbed and having her hands held. Her shoulders drop as she nods, knowing exactly what she means. Mary offers a small smile and a chuckle. ]

You just really caught me off-guard. This place has got me a little tense. [ She brushes it off like it's nothing and doesn't seem to find it weird that she's being talked to in fragments. Mary treats Oona no differently than anyone else she comes across with. ] You... lost your sense of touch?

[mermaiding]

Stupid-- [It's an automatic response, but she doesn't even pretend to keep up appearances. Tenka is warm and real and solid, and Oona can't remember the last time she got a proper hug.

Her mother, she thinks it was. The day she left on her pilgrimage. A soft hand on her hair, a cheek pressed to her own.

Oona clings to him, fingers curling into his clothes as she begins to cry. Deep down she figures she should feel more ashamed--people might get it into their heads that she has feelings or something!--but she can't bring herself to care at the moment.]

Thought I would be invisible forever. Stupid place... Stupid fear.

[mermaiding]

[She makes a face at him, confused.] Too many questions! Do not know what those are.

See? Can touch. Could not before, but can now. [His weird questions can't dampen her spirits though and she looks pleased again shortly.] Solid!

[mermaiding]

[She looks even more pleased with the hair ruffle and laughs brightly.]

Yes! Solid, real! Wonderful, yes? [She even goes so far as to throw her arms around Yang in a hug.] Really real! Was it the same for you?