Event Nine.

[awashmods]

Thus, on Life’s gloomy sea, Heareth the marinere Voices sweet, from far and near, Ever singing in his ear, “Here is rest and peace for thee!”

t's a dark night, and the sounds of feet in the darkness are further dampened and hidden by even more magic, as they are lured away by the soft sounds of dreams that are too good to be true, leaving the Town much, much emptier than when it began. On one side, an island, and a ticking clock to a gruesome death. On the other, the slow realization that those bonds everyone has been forging might mean much, much more than they first thought. Welcome to Awash's ninth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Please be sure to very clearly mark where your characters are in your prompts, so people know which they can tag depending on which group they are in. Thank you!

Comments

[resoluteseraph]

[ Mikleo knows this is an odd way to communicate but he's found it's the best when dealing with people who can't see him face-to-face. Luckily no one has tried to attack him because of his ghost-like state.

Even if Michael can't see him, Mikleo smiles that the other does recognize who he is. ]

That's right. I came to see if perhaps there was something in the books that would help us discover why our friends have gone missing.

[ It's fine if Michael's gaze is a bit off, at least the other is looking in his general direction and not missing him completely. ]

[heartsteals]

Not yet...?

[ so... not adopted siblings? Hopefully? Just living in the same house?! Lupin suddenly has many, many questions, but all of them are a bit too personal and prying to actually ask the poor guy, especially while he's already stressed... so he just assumes the best and carries on without missing a beat. ]

-- Well, we'd better find her soon, then, loverboy.

[heartsteals]

[ he could probably fall asleep like this, he's so tired. The killer headache's mostly gone since they started bringing people back - now all that's left are sore muscles and exhaustion. But Lupin started this conversation, and he's not very well going to pass out in the middle of it. ]

How? Because you were tricked? [ his eyes open halfway to peer at Cairngorm briefly. ] That doesn't count.

[ hell, he's gotten tricked here, before, too. That's just how the town works. This burden of responsibility seems to weigh on them constantly - for him, for the other gems, for themself - and he wonders how someone who wasn't even responsible for their own body most of their life can feel so blameworthy. Then again, maybe that's just it. He already knows they don't think much of themself. After a few seconds, he appears resolved, and sits up again, looking Cairngorm square in the face. ]

Listen, Cairngorm. You're not responsible for me or whatever happens to me. A gentleman thief values his freedom above most everything else - everything I do, I do because I want to, no more, no less. That's the way I've always been. [ a pause. His tone softens, then, and he offers a rueful smile. ] I did "all that" because I care about you. You're my friend. Is it that hard to believe?

[retrobeats]

Oh man, I'd rather not.

[ getting hit with this thing by someone who both knows what they're doing with it and is strong enough to use it like that? he'll pass, even in his imagination.

it is starting to feel heavier the longer he holds onto it, his wrists not used to the strain, but he can ignore that a little longer to get the best look he can at this thing! he thinks. ]

So... do you two fight with your weird old-timey secret spy gadget weapons a lot, then? You and your brother, I mean.

he's a v cute gremlin...

[retrobeats]

[ he looks surprised when she reaches out, a miniscule start going through him that she probably feels through their joined hands. but then he smiles, warm and genuine. ]

Hey, it's no big. Like I said, I dunno how you managed a whole week like that. [ and then, because he's Michael, and he can't let any kind of emotional tension sit for long without feeling the urge to break it with a light-hearted quip or something, he jokes: ] If it comes back smelling of fish, though, I'm totally charging you for laundry.

[withwisdom]

I promise to grind it on the washboard until no scent remains.

[ because honestly, he kids but... she is certain she smells like fish and seawater and feels pretty foul in general. hygiene is not a big priority surprisingly. ]

[inheritance]

Of course. [Izuku carefully turns over so he can face Shouto properly, and then tucks his head under Shouto's chin.]

What did you want to know?

[glaciers]

[Having Izuku here feels like he's being completely grounded. Everything happened but he can steady himself when Izuku is right here in his arms.]

What happened while I was gone? Were you okay?

[inheritance]

[His first instinct is to reassure Shouto, brush off any troubles so that Shouto doesn't have to worry about what happened on his end on top of the Sirens. That thought quickly gets brushed aside; Izuku knows that that's the last thing Shouto would appreciate, after everything else.]

We weren't...attacked or anything. After the sirens took you guys, things were quiet here. [He trails off now, voice growing quieter.] Most of us got really sick, though.

[glaciers]

[Izuku's growing to know him better these days. He'd be upset if the truth was brushed aside for an easy lie. He pulls Izuku closer to him, doing his best to reassure him that he's not going anywhere now.]

... Was it because we were gone?

[unghost]

[ They actually can muster the courage to make eye contact with him while he goes on, the rest of their body eerily still. Their gaze shows that they are hesitant to take his words for what they are, at least at first, until the initial skepticism gives way to quiet contemplation. As much as they'd like to remain aloof, they're still getting used to receiving outright admissions like this, and it shows in how they have to scramble for a response— just like they have every other time he's done something along these lines. ]

"Everything you do" is because you want to, huh... and because you care.

[ They repeat back what he says just to say something, darting their eyes away. Lupin is a free spirit, someone who does whatever he wants, whenever he wants, isn't tied down by the desires of others or obligations given to him. That's a freedom they have never been afforded, nor do they see themself being afforded in the distant future, so it makes it all the harder for them to understand his actions, when they're not framed as obligations or duties. ]

All this time, I thought you almost hurt yourself carrying me here because I asked you for help. But you did it because you care?

[ Maybe if they make light of the fact that Lupin was one of the only people they trusted to deal with this, at least before he stumbles upon that fact on his own, it'll be less embarrassing. And he won't get smug or anything... it'll help lighten the tone, not let him think they're pitiful, and it'll also communicate to him that they accepted his care, in their own joking roundabout way. ]

If I'd known you'd do that beforehand, I wouldn't have embarrassed myself asking that Guren guy to let you know about my plan in the first place...

[retrobeats]

Oh, same hat.

[ he gestures down at his open notebook, the three columns he's using to try and organise the first part of his search - 'FOREST', 'WATER', and '????' - clearly visable, with some further notes underneath. ]

I mean, I know it's all fairytales in here, but that's basically what we're dealing with in reality in this town anyway.

[retrobeats]

[ with a breath that has dreams of being a laugh: ] Oh man, if ya do, you're gonna show me up.

[ now that he's firmly back to reality, the tiredness is setting in once more, now with a vengeance. but-- it's weird. his mind is still reeling now for a whole new reason, but he also feels lighter.

still Tired, though. probably time to make an exit. ] So uh-- I've gotta find Kairi and see how she's doing. [ and as he gets to his feet: ] Don't wait too long to get that bite checked out, okay?

[resoluteseraph]

[ Mikleo moves to peer down at the notebook, curious to see what the other has written or figured out so far. ]

The books I returned to the library may help you with the water portion of your list. After hearing about the mermaids over the network a while back I decided to look into all of the fairytales involving water-based creatures.

[ It seemed like a good place to start considering he is a water seraph too. Not only that but there's so little he knows about the actual ocean having never seen it until recently. ]

[withwisdom]

Will do.

[ it is... starting to hurt a lot more than before. she should stop being stubborn about it. ]

Go off on your way. We'll speak another time.

[inheritance]

I think so. It got worse the longer you guys were missing.

[There's no resistance from Izuku when Shouto pulls him closer, appreciating the closeness after the separation and worry. Silently, Izuku slips his hand under Shouto's shirt, pressing his palm lightly to Shouto's skin. That, too, is a reassurance that Shouto's here with him again.]

What about you? What happened when the sirens took you?

[retrobeats]

[ Mikleo will be able to see that the section under FOREST seems to be the most full, with a whole litany of suspects including a long diatribe on fairies that ultimately culminates in two conclusions: "why so obsessed with kidnapping babies? CREEPY" and "NO CHANGELINGS?". merpeople, incidentally, do feature in the WATER section, along with kelpies and kappas. the ???? section is the least developed, with "Underworld???" and "Dragons maybe??" scrawled near the top of the column.

in any case, Michael seems to perk up as he reads Mikleo's latest message. ]

Oh, you know, I think that will help! Did you find anything in those?

[glaciers]

[Part of him wants to push it further, but the rest of him is just too exhausted to do more than lie here and cuddle.

So he'll let Izuku touch him and close his eyes.] They didn't make it easy for anybody, did they.

The sirens fought over who got to eat us first.

[whereabout]

[ Please don't kinkshame him...

But wow that's - well, it's definitely put him off-balance enough to stop looking like he's going to murder the first thing that stands in his way, so that's an improvement. ]

Right.

[inheritance]

[Izuku's hand twitches against Shouto's back as those words process. If they'd been any later... something really could have happened to Shouto and the others.]

...I'm really glad you're safe. I thought, after so many days had passed...

[He trails off, just tucking his face into Shouto's neck.]

[glaciers]

[He feels like he's stressing Izuku out more. But at the same time... he can't lie to him. That's what happened when he was on the island.

Emotions are hard for him, he can rarely put a name to them. Izuku always seems to be the one who's in touch with that sort of thing.]

... I'm glad you're okay too. And... I'm still here. You don't have to worry.

[heartsteals]

That's right. I would have done it even if you told me not to, actually.

[ a cheeky response, delivered with a tired but honest grin. He's also not good at doing what he's told, provided he disagrees...

"Pitiful" is hardly the word he'd use to describe them. Sure, he thinks it's sad (and occasionally frustrating) that they don't seem to believe or even understand that someone would voluntarily take a risk for them - but that's very much a product of the life they've had to lead, and, more importantly, he thinks they're starting to learn otherwise. Like right now, for instance. Lupin is hesitant to read too much into that statement (maybe they gave Guren his name because he'd already helped them glue some fragments back on, for example), but at the very least, it's an indication that Cairngorm must think he's a little trustworthy. ]

Heh... Embarrassed yourself? Don't be like that. There's nothing embarrassing about liking me.

[ he jokes right back, leaning against the couch tiredly once more. ]

[osuni]

[Hold onto it, Michael.... or Okuni will try to cajole him into arm-strengthening exercises for the rest of his Chroma days!!

Her face crinkles in amusement at the "secret spy gadget weapons" part,]

Sometimes? We usually run first whenever there's trouble! Fighting only happens when we're bored. We don't have a particular cause to fight for or anything. We're just living our lives the way we want!

[this is partly truth and partly a big fat lie since baren and okuni fiGHT SO OFTEN SPECIFICALLY FOR (1) CAUSE. but it's fine... okuni enjoys looking like a lazy punk]

[awamori]

You can ask me anything you want too.

[He doesn't wield weapons, but he's sure they can find something for them to talk about. Ryuu walks alongside her, feeling better to keep going now that he has someone to work with.]

[inheritance]

Can't help it. [His words are muffled against Shouto's neck, though he doesn't pull away at all.]

You worried about me when I disappeared last time--it's the same thing for me.