te·nac·i·ty

hello everyone!   I’m the mun of this blog, you can call me 𝙲𝙸𝙽𝙽𝙰 (he/him pronouns please).

I was born in 1999, so do the math to figure out my age if you want, but I’m 21+. 

I’ve been rping on forums since 2012, and on tumblr since around 2015. I also write a few other characters in Isola, you can find my directory here.

I’m autistic and hella anxious, so I’m not the best at ooc chatting but I try! I really wanna make friends in the group and write some cool plots with you all.

English is my first language, but I’m a linguistics nut so I’m usually in the process of working on learning others. Currently, I also can read and write Spanish semi-fluently, and hoping to expand further in the future.

I’m a music composition major in my last semester, I’m taking a light load of classes though, so I’ll probably be on here a lot! 

Please read chell’s pages and my rules as I’ve really written a lot, and you can get a pretty clear idea of the particularities of my portrayal and how I run my blog.

She straps her boots back on, and promptly vaults off of the nearest building, landing solidly on the ground without nearly breaking her legs again. 

Ahhh... this will be much better. 

    While normally not interested in the squabbles pixies shared with the occasional human, she’d take notice every now and then. This was one of those such cases— and to her curiosity, the human in question didn’t seem to be speaking back.

Most would at least mouth off, but to her it looked like she was just trying to escape the situation. And so, with a light sigh, she’d approach— floating forward silently in her hoverchair like normal. “Enough of that, you fluttering louse.”

    While the initial response from the pixie was annoyance, their tone immediately changed to surprised exasperation upon turning— clearly recognizing Okina.

“I believe you said she was trespassing on your territory? This is hardly anywhere close to the forest— unless you happen to live in a bush? Run off and get some new material to heckle humans with.” The god’s words are met with hesitation, and instead of arguing, the singular pixie would tell her to not be such a spoilsport before taking off immediately after— prompting a boastful laugh from Okina. “Hah! They talk big, but when alone they’re quick to lose a fight. It’s pathetic, really.”

“You’re welcome, by the way. I don’t usually offer divine intervention like that, I’ll have you know,” she exclaims with a smile, looking on at Chell with interest.

@aperturesurvivor​​

MAYBE HER PRESENCE   in the forest has been too frequent-- maybe its small, winged denizens have grown tired of her tendency to just... go with whatever flow the forest gives her, her lack of frustration or care. Maybe that’s why the creature followed her out, chattering away. Chell’s tuned it out-- she’s more than used to ignoring annoying voices that follow her around. 

She just keeps walking, hands in her pockets, the pixie following her and continuing to lay into her, Chell just simply refusing to react. 

Though she’s definitely annoyed. She figures she should have already gotten the point across that she doesn’t give a flying flip about what the pixie has to say-- so it should have left by now-- but some creatures just simply don’t know when to give up. 

Ordinarily, Chell could sympathise, as she’s one of them, but right now she’s just a little annoyed-- and thankful for the help when it arrives. 

Ex-test subject gives a little snort in response to the stranger’s words-- they certainly do talk big, but she’s glad for the absence of that noise now. She dips her head, then raises her hands to sign   ‘ thank you ’   to the other. 

ugh.  there was definitely something wrong with the spine.  he peered down at the open wounds on his chest, still dribbling with blood and overlaid with smoke from healing flesh.  and though heine can feel them close ( albeit so painfully slow ), they should have already done so ages ago.  damn, did it hurt.  nevertheless, he tore out the remaining knife that had been embedded into his chest and examined the blade.  

it’s not black, he thought to himself, as the steel smiled back in a silver crescent under the alley lamp.  had its make been of said color, then perhaps it would have explained the delay in the autonomic response.  

that train of thought, however, was swiftly halted with the sudden presence of a stranger.  heine tossed the weapon into the alley and nonchalantly leaned upon the brick wall, crimson eyes warily gazing back at the other, ❝  you need something ?  if not, then keep walking.  ❞  

IT’S AN INELEGANT   tumble into the alleyway, narrowly halted by Chell’s grasping onto a railing before falling all the way to the ground. But the momentum’s still there, and she’s only able to halt her velocity momentarily before she loses grip and finishes the fall. 

The ground’s still so hard. Pain shoots up her legs and she grits her teeth, feeling a familiar jolt of adrenaline, but she manages to stay on her feet nonetheless. 

And a glance around causes her to notice a stranger’s presence. A stranger who looks quite wounded. He tosses what looks to be a knife aside, and Chell’s gaze immediately follows it, marking where it fell. 

She’s not sure she’d be able to help his wounds at all, besides, he looks like he knows what he’s doing. She thinks. Though, she supposes that maybe washing them out might help... she unclips her water bottle from her waist and holds it out, limping a little bit as she steps toward the stranger. 

And then points over at where he’d thrown the knife-- a shrug of her shoulder and questioning look as if to ask,  ‘ are you going to use that? ’

Xey waited patiently as Chell tapped in the necessary information into xyr phone, reaching up to take it back as soon as she was done. Although xey hadn’t spent nearly as much time around technology as she had, they had still figured out the basic messaging features; it was just stuff like adding contacts and… well, doing pretty much anything other than simply messaging someone that had xem at a bit of a loss.

A short, quick message was tapped out onto the brightly lit screen:

TO: CHELL FROM: BROKEN VESSEL

>[hello]

Plain, perhaps, but it would get the job done. They really just needed to verify that it was working, after all.

ALMOST INSTANTLY,   the message comes through, and Chell glances down at her screen. She gives a little nod of acknowledgement, then swipes through the emojis to find a response. 

TO: BROKEN VESSEL FROM: CHELL

 [ txt ]:  👋

It’s so much easier to talk with the little pictures instead of typing out words. Even if it’s something as simple as a greeting. Chell feels like it gets her point across much more easily. And even though she’s sent the message, she still offers the stranger a thumbs up in response-- showing that everything’s working. 

“……”

Well, he was holding a conversation with his Persona, right up until some stranger showed up. Adachi glances up at Magatsu-Izanagi, who merely continues to stare at the stranger. The tension is getting a little thick, so he decides to break the settling silence.

“He doesn’t bite,” says the ex-inmate, taking another swig of warm coffee from the can he’s holding in one hand. “Kinda can’t, anyway. No mouth.” Adachi looks out to the cliff, staring back into the abyss. Savior’s Abyss always seems to beckon to him when he’s feeling down.

“Don’t go telling people about him, alright? Last thing I need is for this to get out to certain people who may or may not be in this city.”

SHE’S RUNNING A LITTLE,   though she usually walks from place to place, sometimes it’s nice to do some running to get her blood flowing. Though it reminds her that she’s gotten a little bit out of shape, and she’s winded by the time she gets to the end of the path, at the cliff’s edge. It’s a few seconds before she notices that the person who’s currently standing there seems a little... uneasy that she’s come upon him. 

Chell glances from the human to his less-human companion... then back, and forth again, expression blank, just observing. 

Before he explains further, she comes to the conclusion that there’s probably something about the pair that’s frowned upon, and his words only seem to confirm that. 

She can sympathise with not wanting certain people to know about her existence, though it’s far too late for her. And unavoidable. But still-- if whoever it is that he’s trying to avoid hasn’t found him yet, she’s doesn’t have any reason to change that-- she isn’t really a monster, contrary to popular belief.

Besides that, it isn’t like she goes around telling people things in general anyway. 

“No, no, trust me- I’ve found my way through plenty of enchanted forests before.”  Once or twice, at least, but no harm in stretching the truth to a stranger, right?  The other woman had looked decidedly less lost than Eda felt.  It was quite possible she lived in this part of the city and would be able to navigate the Forest of Airaisal much easier than herself, which was exactly why she wouldn’t ask her for anything.  The witch was simply too proud to give in so easily, so she would continue to run through her route in her head, pointing lazily in a direction every time she mentioned one.  “Now let’s see…I swear I came in from that way, so going back should take me out again…but then I remember I took a left there, but it may have been a right, actually…”

DON’T BE FOOLED BY APPEARANCES,   because, as ever, Chell has no idea where she actually is. She does know, however, that the woman isn’t going to find her way out of the forest by retracing her steps. She’s been in here enough times that she knows how tricky it is, even if she weren’t directionally-challenged herself. 

It’s not the first time Chell’s come across someone who’s lost, and it seems that such a thing is a concerning event for anyone but herself-- perhaps because Chell’s never really known where she was before, so why does it matter if she doesn’t now? 

Though, if the stranger does know tricks on how to navigate this place (if she has experience with such things, perhaps she does really know), then Chell figures it probably wouldn’t be too bad of an idea to find out those tricks for herself. There may come a time when she does want to find her way out of the forest quickly, rather than when the forest wants her to. And it could be useful to know. 

Still, she’s not entirely sure how helpful the strange woman will be. She doesn’t really seem to know where she’s going... 

Chell can’t really help with that, but if nothing else, perhaps she can alleviate some of the others’ concerns about being stuck here-- namely, the concern of not having supplies. Because the former test subject certainly does have those. She taps the water bottle she has hanging from a loop at the waist of her jumpsuit, then unzips her pocket to pull out a small bag of trail mix-- pointing at both to indicate to the other the existence of supplies and her willingness to share them. 

Three? Three what? But Curiousity had to play this carefully. She was finally, finally getting the answers she deserved out of this lady, it would suck to get locked out because she worded something wrong and it couldn’t be answered.

“Do you mean hours, days, weeks, or months?” she asked slowly. As she spoke, she held up one finger, then two, and so forth to show it was a multiple choice. This subject had survived far too much testing to be too stupid to figure it out, right?

If nothing else, at least her having to be deliberate with her questions kept her from asking them too rapidly. Similarly, she was much too laser focused on her latest prey companion to be distracted by their surroundings.

IT ISN’T IMPOSSIBLE   to have an effective two-way conversation with the nonverbal ex-test subject, you just have to go about it the right way. Otherwise, it’s either way too hard to understand, or Chell just simply won’t have anything to do with it. Fortunately for both of them, Curiosity seems to actually be catching on in terms of how to achieve that. 

Though Chell doesn’t really expect them to be friends any time soon, it’ll at least make it bearable to be in the same room. 

Though, even though she does pick up on what Curiosity’s trying to do, she’s still a little slow-- she hasn’t even done any communicating for who-knows-how-long. So it takes a couple of seconds for her to process, but it isn’t too long before she’s holding up two fingers-- should mean days if she’s interpreting it right. 

She’s pretty sure it was three days, at least. May have miscounted. Or slept through one or more. She can only remember three days between arriving and that message appearing on her phone, though. 

Unfortunately, though, her ‘sleeping’ is rarely as long as she thinks it is. She may have been here for years, even, without knowing it-- 

“I’m seriously gonna die! Is the bus really not here yet!? I should’ve made it according to the schedule!” It was probably a strange sight to see for the other person standing in the bus booth. When a tiny woman with four arms wanders in, each hand carrying a bag packed full of snacks, well… it wasn’t really the kind of thing you saw every day.

Jinako didn’t have any shame when it came to whining, so she didn’t even mind that this woman probably didn’t want to hear it. “I had to travel so far just to find the chips I was looking for! This seriously sucks!”

SHE’S NEVER ACTUALLY RIDDEN   a bus before. And only recently figured out how to. So, she figures she might as well try to get one to take her home from here. It’s been a nice few days of exploring, but she’d rather like to actually get some sleep on her pile of blankets. It’s just a little more comfortable than whatever random alleyway she finds herself in. 

So, she’s found a bus stop, and is waiting-- hopefully whatever bus comes by will stop near her townhouse, so she can find her way back easily. 

Chell doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the stranger’s arrival. Sure, four arms might not be the norm, but she’s definitely seen stranger. Though, she is a little startled by the strange woman’s whining. Not upset, but mildly surprised is all. 

A  curious glance at the bags she’s carrying-- were there really differences between chips? Chell’s certainly seen chips before-- in fact, they’re in most food shops. So what made these so special? 

The woman who’s fallen in isn’t in such shock from her landing that she can’t move, and Yuuri’s grateful for that. Two pairs of hands are always better than one, but especially in a situation like this, where she knows the things that’ll make better barricades are likely far too heavy for her to lift on her own. Whether the woman’s being quiet because she doesn’t want to potentially create any more sound or for some other reason, Yuuri doesn’t care much. What’s most important, right now, is getting ready.

As a few chairs get pulled over, Yuuri remembers the barricades created at her school, and stares, caught up in her own reminiscence, at them. Perhaps if they had string or wire, they could be bound together. But, no, there’s not only no materials for that, there’s no time. The things she hears outside aren’t pretty.

“If we have to, we’ll use our bodies, too. I don’t want to have to worry about fighting; not right now.” Not ever, really, but unfortunately, she doubts ever is possible for the time being.

She starts to push a sofa towards the door, though it’s clear she’s struggling.

CHELL MAY BE GOOD   at surviving, but as similar as it looks at times, this situation is quite different from those in her past. But she’s learned some of what to do by watching other that are in the same situation, some who seem to have been through something similar before. This stranger is no exception, and Chell makes a mental note of barricades-- in case she ends up in a defensible place again. Because, with the noise coming from outside... 

There’s a good likelihood that all the furniture in this room won’t be enough to keep those things out forever. 

Might be a good idea to try to find another way out. Once the doors are secured. At that point, they’ll be able to trade expertise-- If there’s one thing that Chell’s good at, it’s getting out of places. 

Though, it’s much more difficult sans portal gun. But she’s been successful so far, so she doesn’t really worry about it. 

              THAT   is, by far, the biggest insect she’s ever seen. 

              She considers this a good thing, as a Stygian Spider would easily dwarf this butterfly; giant spiders that could talk, and often did ad nauseum if it meant they could secure some sort of deal. Her mind drifts to the man she once met in the desert, the man who’d traded twenty years of his life for some of their priceless, nigh-impenetrable spider silk. But none of that had anything to do with this sapphire butterfly fluttering about the thick branches of the Airaisal Forest, massive enough to easily come up to her waist if it were to stay still that long. The sun filters through its translucent wings, making light blue patterns dance along the forest floor. It was… mesmerizing. 

              It’s unbothered by the sudden crack of undergrowth, but Aelin most certainly snapped to attention. A hand remains on the dagger strapped to her thigh, but for the most part, she relaxes upon finding the source; a dark-haired human likely turned around ten different ways by the faeries. 

         ❝   Amazing, isn’t it ?   ❞   Aelin asks, head canted toward the butterfly that continues to perch on a particularly thick branch. It’s a wonder it can support its weight.   ❝   Are you lost, or wandering on purpose ?   ❞

THIS IS BY FAR   not the first time she’s gotten lost in the forest-- though, her distinct lack of anxiety or concern about doing so may have dissuaded the interests of the supernatural from continuously turning her around-- after all, a lack of reaction can at times drive such things to seek better playthings. But, faeries or not, she’d get lost all the same-- 

And still, she doesn’t care. 

Especially now that she’s actually started bringing food and water along with her on her ventures out into the city. Knowing that there’s a good chance it’ll be a few days before she gets home on any given venture. 

This isn’t the first one of the giant butterflies that she’s seen-- though she’s always kept her distance, while curious for sure she doesn’t exactly have a need to touch everything she comes across, and giant insects, she figures, as pretty as as they may be, are probably things best to stay away from. 

But there’s another person here, and Chell, her hair tangled and filled with various twigs and leaves, dirt on her face and arms, and her feet still bare because she still hasn’t found comfortable shoes, certainly seems to give off the impression of someone who needs help. 

First a nod in response to the appraisal of the winged creature, and then a shrug follows the question. She supposes she might be lost. But she hasn’t really thought about it yet. How can one be lost when they have no places to be? She might as well be here as anywhere else. 

“Strange? hmmm, not really!” it is very strange. because he’s not bound to the academy anymore. because more people can see him outside of the few before, even though they can still see through him. he’s still dead, he’s still a ghost, but he hasn’t tried touching someone human and alive to see if they can touch him, too. he doesn’t mind so much when they go through him, but he might mind if they don’t.

she… doesn’t need to know this, though.

nonetheless, he returns a nod, “It’s kinda fun though, isn’t it? I can do more here than I could where I was before.” like… eat his favorite food, for one. he’d probably feel better about the whole ‘yashiro can live here, too’ not bound by the date of her death if she were actually here. 

“Aaand yup! I’m from Kamome Academy.” well, from isn’t the right word. he tilts his hat and smiles, “Number seven of the school’s seven mysteries, 'Hanako-san of the toilet.’ Nice to meet you.”

HE’S ALTOGETHER CHEERFUL   for someone who’s dead, but Chell supposes she can’t judge, after all, she hasn’t met many dead people. Doesn’t have much to go off of. She wonders, though, why it wouldn’t be strange for him-- Chell herself isn’t even dead, and pretty much everything here is strange to her. 

Still, she isn’t one to pry. Unless it’s a life or death situation. And even then. So she doesn’t bother pressing the matter at all. 

He does have a point-- though their situations are vastly different, she too can understand how it might be fun to be here. While she’s not sure if she’d call it fun herself, considering that she has little concept of the subject, she’s definitely happier here than she was before. The freedom is really nice. 

So she nods along in response to the statement. 

Of course, when he explains where he’s from, she’s at a loss again-- she’s certainly never heard of the place. She can’t even remember ever being at a school before, to be honest-- though of course she knows what it is!

She returns his smile with a small one of her own, an inclination of her head, and a written-down introduction. 

< chell redacted, aperture laboratories test subject 0001. nice to meet you too. >

She glances down at her phone. That’s strange, she hadn’t noticed those bars before. Has she always been able to look up things up on the internet, and just hasn’t noticed it yet, or is that new? 

She’s not entirely sure. But she does know that this will most likely come in handy. 

“I can’t decide!!” A whine escaped his lips as he stood in front of the ice cream parlor, staring at the shaved ice in question. There were different tastes, strawberry, melon, chocolate and vanilla.  The young shaman was having a dilemma with the many choices, who knew the city could be so hot!  “I can’t handle the heat here! Which do you think would taste good??” While asking the stranger.

NO CONNOISSEUR OF ICE-CREAM FLAVOURS HERSELF,   Chell has scoped out the display, mainly looking at the colours of the dessert in order to make some kind of a decision as to which one to get-- she’s leaning towards the strawberry, the colour just looks so nice and tasty. 

Though there is also the thought that she hasn’t had anything strawberry flavoured, and she knows she likes chocolate, so maybe she should go with the chocolate instead.

Seems like someone else is having the same troubles as she is, if the stranger’s desperate questioning is any indication. Unfortunately Chell’s probably not the best person to ask about anything like this, considering she’s still trying a lot of things out for the first time herself! But she’ll do her best still.