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shiori_makiba) wrote2016-02-21 12:07 pm
Poem: Swarm
by shiori_makiba
Also known as Tsubasa and the Horrible, Terrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.
After finishing all my pending prompts of Thank Muse, I figured people might want to know what happened just before “Common Ground.”
Part of the Polychrome Heroics series in the Berettaflies thread.
Time: Week 3, Directly precedes “Common Ground”
Warning!: Anti-soup bigotry, attempted kidnapping
“Swarm”
'This day sucks,' Tsubasa thought.
She was outside, in one of the gardens
SPOON had put in as a quiet space.
It had been recently converted
from butterflies to night-loving species.
But even in daylight,
it was still pretty.
And more important, empty.
She had been tired of
dealing with people
when the day started.
It was making her irritable.
And nothing about today
was improving her temper.
First, she had received an invitation to a party.
It was obviously some kind of political thing
as it was filled with a plethora of
politicians, talking heads, and journalists.
Tsubasa couldn't think of anything
she would rather do less than stand in a room
full of staring strangers asking nosy questions.
They didn't really want her there.
They were just doing it to try to look good.
If they really cared about the Berettaflies victims,
they would have invited all of them.
Not just the ones that could look pretty.
Just to add a nasty topping to that
already unappetizing sundae,
she had been right to be worried
about the extended family.
That branch of the family
had declared her dead.
Complete with a funeral.
And expressed 'sympathy'
to her parents and siblings
for their loss.
Her family hadn't wanted her to know.
At least not right now.
A position that was supported by Mint.
Better to wait until things
were more steady.
Too bad she had overheard them.
Which was why she in the garden.
She didn't want them to know
she had heard.
They'd want to talk about it.
She didn't want to talk.
She wanted to be alone.
Then came a most unwelcome sound, a human voice.
“Ms. Inoue?”
The speaker was male and looked blandly polite.
“What?”
Too bad Tsubasa was in no mood to be polite.
“I need you to come with me.”
“Why?”
Because if it wasn't important,
they could kiss her winged backside.
“Just came with me.”
That set off alarm bells in her head.
Nobody from SPOON or SPAZMAT or similar
would just expect her to go with them
without telling her why
outside of an emergency
where there was no time to explain.
She backed up.
“No.”
“Miss, I really do insist.”
“Leave me alone!”
“Miss – ”
“Go away!”
The yell was accompanied
by a intense flash of light.
And suddenly the air was filled
with black and white wings.
The swarm surrounded the stranger
who fell to the ground, silent and still.
Tsubasa fled, trailing butterflies in her wake
She might have run.
She might have flown.
She didn't know and didn't care.
She just wanted to get away.
NOTES:
And no, the person who tried to take her wasn't with Kraken. Kraken isn't that stupid.
Re: Thoughts
(And are their two powers related?)
Re: Thoughts
(BTW, love the icon)
Re: Thoughts
That was precisely my impression...
Re: Thoughts
[Really going to have to do something with that plot thread.]
Re: Thoughts
In-universe, there are probably several interested parties in those answers. Ashley, Tsubasa, Adalina, Facet (that he and Adalina hadn't been hit yet doesn't mean the Boss wasn't planing to try), SPOON, SPAZMAT, and Kraken. Stylet once he hears about it since he's probably also a target.
Re: Thoughts
1. one of the minions is successful at kidnapping someone.
2. "the boss" gets fed up of minions failing and decides to do it themselves.
and so far, it's 50/50 which of those would work out from a plot point of view. I was thinking one more swing and miss and probably 'the boss' would get involved, unless they try again with Ashley and succeed. [or you know, if someone else wants to lend me a character].
Thing is, we've all written competent characters, and coming up with a believable way for them to get snatched isn't easy!