awashlogs | (may catch-all) when devilman no uta comes on

[ It's been about a month since the harpy quest went up on the forum and the three of them completed it and were rewarded with a pile of knives. So when a similar one goes up, Ryo decides to contact Guren and Dextera to see if they're interested in working together again since they made a good team last time. A jorogumo, huh... according to folklore, they're said to be solitary creatures that feed on young men. This ought to be interesting.

It's already dark out by the time the quests appear on the forum and heading into the forest at night is a good way to get killed and eaten as midnight snack by some foul creature, so they agree to meet up the following day after the sun comes up.

Just like last time, Ryo's got an arsenal of knives concealed under his oversized coat when he heads over to their meeting spot near the edge of the forest. It's pretty warm out today, too warm for someone to be wearing a full-length coat, but Ryo doesn't seem to be bothered by the weather at all as he waits for the other two. Overheating is a foreign concept to him, apparently. ]

Edited 2018-05-04 14:21 (UTC)

[ dextera has decidedly not kept that pile of knives, having passed it off to guren and relying on his usual, familiar sword. he doesn't know a lot about jorogumo—while he's familiar with much of christian and judaic mythos out of necessity, this one is out of his realm of expertise.

it sounds... japanese. probably? he's leaving it up to guren and ryo, in any case, and he's just here to be the muscle that will definitely be required if the harpies were any indication. the bonus of this quest, at least, is that there seems to be only one. that means, he thinks, that it's going to be big and deadly, but maybe he can purify it and learn something. he's got guren's drugs on him, too, so he's more than ready for an adventure!

he approaches ryo with a little more confidence, a little more certainty than the last time they met up—things have been going well for him lately, and though it means nothing to either ryo or guren, he's left the angelic rifle at home this time.

he nods a greeting. ]

Yo.

[It's not long after Dextera arrives that Guren approaches, as well. As they both have probably seen by now, Dextera in his many visits and Ryo in the apothecary, Guren's uniform is being repaired, so he's wearing peasant clothing. His sword is still at his side, but this time, he's grinning as he stops next to them, hands on his hips. He seems... excited? He's feeling confident.]

I hope you're both ready to kill a youkai. What do either of you know about them?

[Before they run off, he wants to establish that!!]

[ Guren the peasant... Ryo returns Dextera's greeting with a nod of his own, and inclines his head slightly when Guren appears. ]

I've read a lot of books on youkai. [ Demons have existed among humans for a long time, and they're likely what gave rise to the various creatures and spirits that appear in myths and folklore across the world. Reading those stories is a way for Ryo to prepare for what he and Akira may encounter during their hunts. ]

Jorogumo are spider youkai that often appear as a beautiful woman to attract young men. When she sees a man she desires, she invites him into her home and he's never seen again. Sometimes, she'll play the biwa for him and while he's distracted by the sound of the instrument, she binds him with silk threads to keep him from escaping and store him away for later feeding.

Edited 2018-05-05 02:57 (UTC)

[ dextera doesn't know shit about shit, so he shakes his head when guren inquires about their respective knowledges—but of course, ryo knows more than enough to make up for his lack. a beautiful woman, then? that's probably bad news, but it's good to look out for any tricks she might get up to.

when he's not being immediately faced with a hot lady, though, he's as apparently composed. there's something he wants to establish, too, if it's possible. he raises his hand, letting it light with that purifying glow that at least guren knows well by now, and when he extinguishes it, he places that hand over his chest.

let him land the killing blow! he has a plan, and that plan is to purify. there might be something to learn. ]

[Guren nods along with Ryo's words. It matches up, pretty much, to the public thoughts on things. The Order of the Imperial Moon would occasionally deal with creatures in secret to the public, but all of that seems so long ago now.

He's surprised when Dextera gestures, looking over to him at the light and then tilting his head slightly.]

Oh? You want to finish her off? [That's so bold of Dextera!! But that means he wants it for a reason. Guren knows that he can create those crystal things, even if he barely understands what they are, so... he can agree to that.

He's been thinking about how to set this up in general, and it's easy to slide that into everything.]

Even a whore spider won't just approach three guys at once. From tales of her, she may be able to use types of illusions, so I don't want us to get too separated, but two people should hang back and follow.

[He jabs his thumb at himself.] I'll go first.

[He's really excited about luring out a jorogumo? Does he think he's the most eligible bachelor with a sex drive here? Really, he just doesn't feel comfortable making anyone else "bait" in this scenario, but he'll gladly pretend it's the hot stuff reason.]

[ Ryo regards the light with mild curiosity. He doesn't understand the purpose of it, but he has no objections to letting Dextera deliver the finishing blow. It's probably the best approach to ensure the mission is successfully completed, since Dextera is the required blue in this group and he doesn't want to risk failing because a red defeated the spider. ]

That sounds good to me. [ He nods his head, looking to Guren. He's fine with letting someone else go first, hot stuff. ] ...In some stories, she slowly kills her prey with a powerful venom.

[ He says, looking to Dextera again. If he isn't familiar with the jorogumo, it's important to convey crucial information. Don't let the spider bite you, buddy. ]

[ what a convenient little blue he is!

mostly, though, he’s focused on guren’s volunteering—maybe baffled by it. it’s not unlike guren to want to fight, though, so he doesn’t question it for more than a second. as long as guren doesn’t kill her before dextera can get to her, it’s probably all going to be fine.

so he nods, allowing guren’s initiative to pass, and ryo’s warning gets heeded as well. illusions and venom... she’s like those lusty dolls in the neuro tower, then, always testing the limits of dextera’s libido at the most inconvenient times.

the memory of it all causes a blush to rise to his cheeks, but he’s looking away and trying to hide it before it becomes obvious. pay him no mind! he’s going to kill the spider and it’s going to be great. ]

Haha... That means don't let her bite me, if you can help it.

[Venom is a pain? Anyway, he's looking between Dextera and Ryo, still thinking, still working it out in his head. That blush (he catches it, of course) worries him, and Ryo's lack of care worries him, but together, they should be able to make a good team.

So, as much as it pains him...]

That means you're partners for this. Asuka, you can analyze what's happening and determine when to close the distance, or how, if necessary. Make sure Dextera doesn't get distracted or pulled in by illusions or anything else. [Don't let him ogle tits]

Dextera. [He gets a smile, too carefree.] Make sure Asuka doesn't let me die.

[Haha. He doesn't want them showing themselves too early, but too late would be a bad thing, too! He can take plenty, but if something unexpected happens, well. They can get a little reckless to help.]

If I do anything to fight her, I'll make sure it doesn't kill, so you can still purify her. Okay?

[Guren left out details of his own approach, and of course it depends on what happens in the forest itself, but it sounds like he's not planning to go in with his sword swinging?? A wild and fun time ahead.]

[ ~~Guren, when are you going to stop worrying about his lack of fucks, you're going to get gray hairs.~~ Ryo makes an affirmative sound and nods his head. He's good at analyzing situations, so he doesn't mind playing the support role. ]

I'll do that. [ He flicks his gaze to Dextera, giving him a long look. Don't think he didn't notice that blush creeping up his face. ] You're biologically wired to think about mating opportunities, but please keep in mind that she's a spider.

[ So maybe don't ogle the spider boobs? When Guren tells Dextera what to do, there's a brief shift in Ryo's expression, eyebrows pulling together into a small frown that vanishes almost as soon as it appeared. He vaguely likes Guren (as much as Ryo can like someone whose name isn't Akira Fudo, anyway) and would prefer to keep him alive, there's no point in getting Dextera to make sure he doesn't let him die. ]

—!

[ no! stop!! it’s not like that, except it totally is, but now he’s been warned a few times that the spider is dangerously hot—hopefully that’s enough to keep him away from her, especially if guren is taking the brave, sexy lead on ambushing her.

he nods, redder now that he’s been called out on it, but he’s going to do everything in his power to just follow instructions and keep guren from getting killed, and keep ryo from letting guren get killed if it’s necessary. even so, he has quite a faith in ryo, however misplaced that may be. he doesn’t think ryo would abandon guren to the web.

so, he scrubs a hand over his face, trying to re-center himself, and when he exhales he seems composed again.

he nods. he’s ready! ]

Hahaha!

[He can't help but laugh!! He doesn't really think Ryo would let him die for nothing, since he has his uses, but he still chooses to say that to each of them. It was just a test for the reactions, and a safety net just in case. He can handle himself, anyway.

But now that he's laughed enough at Dextera's shame before they've even seen these spider tits, he steps towards the forest.]

Follow me from as far behind as you can, but try not to let us get separated. [With a wave, he's off first!! There he goes...]

[ If Ryo wasn't a born killjoy, he'd probably laugh too. Thankfully, Dextera is spared from further kinkshaming and Ryo waits, letting Guren put some distance between them before he starts following him into the forest. Let's go, Dextera. ]

[ this means that dextera is left, in some sense, alone with ryo—although he’s learned how to handle himself a little better, a little less obvious about his nameless but powerful interest.

unfortunately, “a little less” obvious is still quite obvious. dextera watches guren’s back long enough to feel comfortable with maintaining this distance without getting lost, and then his attention is turned to ryo. ]

...

[ so, uh... nice weather we’re having!! except, actually, yes, he is making silent small talk by miming pulling at his collar, asking about how hot ryo must be in that big puffy coat. ]

[ Ryo only did one quest last month, but this time he wants to have a go at more than one now that they know they get some form of reward for successfully completing them. He's also noticed that more color has returned to the world; two instances still don't make a pattern, but he can say with relative certainty that there's a correlation between their activities and the restoration of color. ]

Good morning, Akechi-san. Would you be interested in completing one of the quests with me?

[ He sends this at... seven in the morning, because Akechi should be up by now if he wants to make the most of the daylight hours. Thanks, Ryo?? ]

[ Normally, Akechi is up early - and considering his schedule is far more flexible here than it is back home, he even as the chance to get some actual, proper sleep! Wow! Imagine that! ]

Good morning, Asuka-kun. Which quest do you have in mind?

Quest 7, since we're both reds.

Goose hunting? I can't say I have any experience, if that's what you were hoping for. But I would certainly be willing to give it a try.

[ Alone with Satan... that almost sounds like the name of a terrible horror movie. Ryo makes sure they maintain a decent enough distance while keeping Guren in their view so they don't lose him. He carefully surveys their surroundings for danger, just in case something other than a Jorogumo appears.

(Briefly, he wonders if he's going to see that stone table where he had to sell a memory for a bogus fortune.) ]

No, this coat is quite comfortable. [ What is overheating, can you eat it? ]

I don't have experience catching geese either, so that is quite alright. Find a burlap sack and meet me in Ruga at the edge of the forest.

[ Gotta stuff those geese in a sack so they're easier to carry. ]

[ dextera doesn't know if he would describe it as comfortable. is ryo okay? is his circulation bad? maybe he's just a naturally cold person, but even so, that looks more like the coat he wears to protect himself from the heat than anything to wear for a stroll through the forest. or combat. it feels quite likely, however, that he's got those knives hidden under there like last time. ]

...

[ it's a good thing someone is watching guren, because now that his attention is on ryo, it's all on there. conversation, conversation...

he mimes drinking something. is ryo hydrated? is that what normal people worry about? he hasn't forgotten ryo's unexpected kindness in rescuing him from the water—no matter how long it took—and now he's repaying it in disproportionate concern. ]

[ Dextera, Dextera, please. Ryo doesn't know if he should be annoyed by these unnecessary worries or if he should just accept them as a Thing now that Dextera has attached himself to him like a lost puppy. Or perhaps it would be more apt to compare him to a sheep seeking guidance? Humans want to be guided, because they don't trust their own judgment.

At least his presence is one Ryo doesn't mind. He's no Akira and doesn't even come close to Jenny, but he's taking a vague sort of liking to him. ]

I wear this often, even when it's warm out. Dehydration has never been an issue.

[ the sheep metaphor is certainly the more appropriate one, even if ryo is a shepherd that dextera should be far more hesitant to follow. but it’s that cool head that gets him every time.

he wishes he knew more sign, but he’s only just started and there’s no way he could communicate everything he wants to say with some basic sentiments anyway. so, for now, he’s stuck with his gestures—though ryo makes him feel a little silly for it, even if he understands what dextera is trying to communicate. ]

...

[ he nods like he’s guilty for asking, like he’s embarrassed for worrying so much. because he is. of course ryo can take care of himself, but—

sorry. what a terrible crush this is. ]

Don't look like that. [ The worrying is entirely unnecessary, but so is the feeling of embarrassment, in his opinion. Briefly, his thoughts stray to Akira, to that time when he shoved a burger in his face and insisted that he eat it because he was worried Ryo wasn't eating enough. That too was objectively pointless, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same. ]

Worry is a natural part of the human condition.

[ it's amazing how ryo simply stating facts can make dextera feel a little worse and a little better at the same time. it's something that the archangel would have done, too, if he were here. it's belittling, almost, like a reminder that of course he would do these things that don't make any sense, because he's only human; but at the same time, it's a comfort, knowing that someone cares enough to mention it. ]

...

[ he tenses his hands briefly, and nods again, deeper this time—acknowledging ryo's words, and accepting them. in moving, he notices that the light filtering through the trees catches a glimmer of something, and he realizes that it might be the beginnings of a spiderweb. ]

(may catch-all) when devilman no uta comes on

(05/04) dextera, guren - the gang kills a spider demon

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(05/06) akechi - local teenagers fuck up a quest

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