Boozy Ghosts

It had been a long time since Calliope had been to Sakuramora, but it was just as pretty as she remembered. A little bare given the time of year, but winter was making its slow ascension into spring and soon the cherry blossom trees that the city was known for would be in bloom, and it would be quite the sight. But the last time that she had been here, Calliope had still been suffering from traumatic episodes, entirely unaware of the violent alternate life she had been leading as a result of her past. So to be here, entirely within control of herself and in her right mind, without having to worry about black outs or waking up in places she didn’t recognize, being able to just live without the fear of what the next week or day or hour might bring… well, it gave her quite a bit of perspective.

Currently, she was waiting for a partner to arrive, another member of Sabertooth that had been assigned to work on this mission with her. Calliope had only joined with the guild within the last week or two, after the unfortunate disbandment of Luminous Rose. It was a shame. She had really enjoyed the guild and its members had been very helpful and understanding of her past, giving her whatever tools they could to help her move forward… but it wasn’t the first time she’d joined with a guild that hadn’t panned out, and it likely wouldn’t be the last. Though, Sabertooth had been around for a number of years and seemed to be very well established. She could only imagine that was why Lady Sinclair had suggested it as an alternative, seeing as how that was where Serilda had been before taking over the Rune Knights.

Calliope generally wasn’t a fan of violence or involving herself in things that would require fighting, particularly since she’d lost the vast majority of her magic not too long ago. Before then, she only ever acted out of self defense or when absolutely necessary. While her views on fighting remained relatively the same, however, she’d recently come to understand the importance of protecting more than just herself. And so, despite having no magic any longer, she had volunteered to help with a job posting that Sabertooth had received to look into a situation involving ghosts that were getting people drunk and manipulating them into acts that ranged from simply idiocy to assault. A local citizen had requested assistance, providing a number of spiritual talismans that would help ward the forest and keep it safe. All she and her partner had to do was place them.

So she waited just outside the edge of the forest, where the main road led back to the town, resting upon a large rock that offered a relatively clean spot to sit without getting dirt and grass stains on her clothing. She had long hair that was pink on one side and brown on the other, with a mismatched pair of eyes in the same colors. Beside her was a pouch that contained the binding tag the client had provided. The woman hummed a soft, if lively tune, gently twirling the delicate parasol she was using to keep the sun off of her face and glancing patiently around in appreciation of the nature surrounding her while she waited.