awashlogs | [ open ] Quest Catch-all!

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[ open ] Quest Catch-all!

Who: Guren Ichinose & Various
Where: All around town
When: The month of September!
What: QUEST RELATED CATCH ALL. There's an open bee prompt since Guren is a red, so anyone is welcome even if you didn't plot with me! Newbies too, once they get in!
Warnings: None. Will add if necessary!

A. Bees to see - OPEN

[Guren feels as though he's been going a little easy on the quests lately. It's time to fix that. He's antsy, he's got an empty jar in one hand and his other on his sword, and he holds it up to anyone who might pass him by.]

[And with that simple line, they're off! Unless your character has any resistance, of course, but assuming they don't, Guren leads them right into the forest.]

B. Wildcard - OPEN

[If you want to hit Guren up for a different quest, even if he's a red, feel free! Try to ruin his day? Just see what he's up to? This is my generic space to say anyone can tag me even if I didn't plot things with them, so feel free, or hit me up at

zeloser to work something out, if you want!]

Closed prompts in the comments!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You're so annoying.

[Guren grumbles it, even if he can't blame him for keeping his eyes open. He doesn't look back. He refuses to, staring forward all the same.]

You're the first one I'm going out to fight fairies with, but you won't be the last. These quests have been restoring color, little by little. It's progress in some direction, at least. Anyway, I've never fought one before. Why, have you?

[Hmm... Damian keeps watching Guren's back like he expects it to peel open and show him all of the answers that make Guren who Guren is.]

Fairies found in folktales and fairytales all have strengths and weaknesses. How are you going to fight them without understanding any basic mythology of fairies?

You believe just because you have a demon and a sword, you can go in and destroy them without blinking an eye. [As they come up onto the docks, Damian turns the raft and lets the side bump gently into the beams to stop them. He waits for Guren to get off first, but will follow right after with the stick and the rope.] You can't just slink out of the shadows and recruit someone to fight fairies blindly.

[HE ISN'T YUU]

Why are you assuming that I don't know anything about them just because I haven't fought them yet?

[Oddly enough, he's not asking with any irritation in his tone. Finally, after he steps off the raft and onto the dock, he glances back at Damian. It's just a neutral expression, but there's something tired in it.]

I was born in the center of Japan's magical society. I know how to read up on things I'm not familiar with. I know the European tales roughly, and I know what I've read in the library here, in fairy tales.

At the same time, you should never limit yourself to what you already know. In any fight, you go in with as much knowledge as possible, and prepare to be proven wrong.

[He pauses, adjusting the bracelet on his wrist.] If you hate me so much, why did you agree to go?

[While Guren talks, Damian ties off the raft and situates the stick on the dock, and he doesn't answer until he's finished himself. Probably on purpose. He enjoys teasing Guren as much as Guren enjoys teasing him.

His attention falls back on the man when he stands up, and his eyes again don't waver from their hawkish peer at Guren's face.]

Why are you assuming I hate you just because I critique everything you do, and I've been trying to get you to give me an honest fight?

[Why indeed. Guren eyes him right back, still not showing anything. That's just how he is most of the time.]

I guess I'm just used to being hated.

[With the raft taken care of, he turns on his heels and starts walking again. Forest now!!]

When you ask for an honest fight, what are you wanting, anyway? For me not to use my sword? No fuda? That doesn't change what I've already become.

[There's some hesitation in moving, though only briefly. He stands there, watching Guren walk on, watching Guren's back in a slightly different way than he had been on the raft.] That makes two of us then. [But he doesn't appear to dwell much on this admission, and instead opts to follow after Guren.]

I don't care if you use your sword or your fuda. I want you to fight me without holding back just because you think I'm a child.

...

[Well, it's good to know, but it makes him hurt even more. Damian already reminds him too much of himself in certain ways. He didn't want him to have to share that feeling, too.]

That's not why I'm holding back. [Being a child doesn't have anything to do with it, but of course it's going to feel like that. Of course he's frustrated.] If that's all it is, wasn't my answer to you jumping me enough?

[As a boy who frequently butts heads with people who opt to taunt or point out his height and his age--yeah, his default option is to be super frustrated.]

No. You didn't fight me like you meant it. You were toying with me. You fought me patronizingly.

[As much staring at Guren as he was doing before, he sure is purposefully not looking at the man now. He may or may not be doubling his steps to catch up and keep up with Guren so they aren't playing follow-the-leader.]

And now you won't accept any of my challenges because I'm still a child to you. Like I'm not worthy. I even sparred Midoriya like you wanted.

[Quietly, Guren places his hand over his mouth, thinking. He was kind of a dick about it, but Damian was a dick first, okay. Still, he's considering... Damian's voicing his concerns with it pretty clearly, so he can give him that.]

How did that go?

[Guren doesn't even get an answer. Not a single pipe of noise. All is quiet on the western front, honestly.

If Guren looks over, Damian is pointedly not looking at him still, even more so than before. His face is dark, which may be all Guren needs to know about how it went.]

Haha.

[That gives him an answer, but he won't rub it in any more than that. It's just a short laugh, a smirk, and he drops his hand away from his face. They're in the forest now, but it's too early to be seeing any fairies.]

Then let me ask you one more thing. Would it really make you feel better to lose to me treating you seriously, too?

[No fairies is fine. Damian, for as much as he's hassling and being hassled by Guren, is keeping somewhat of an eye out anyway. BRING THEM.]

...Yes. I won't always lose. I'll keep trying until I win. At least have the decency to take your opponent seriously. [POT. Kettle.] Midoriya wasn't taking me seriously either.

He was too busy trying to keep from fighting me. Like he felt sorry for me.

You need to stop assuming things like that. That kid overthinks things and worries about everything, but he takes you seriously. I do, too. But you're not on my level. You still need time, and if you really want to get to a level like mine, you'll have to accept that you can't just rely on physical power and pride.

If you have principals like "I don't want to use magic, it's cheating," then that's fine, but don't complain when you're not strong enough to beat someone who does use it. In order to survive in the world I live in, you have to grab for whatever power you can find, no matter how risky. That's what I'm used to.

[So, that's all he's thinking in terms of fighting.]

But fine. If you really want, then come find me later. If things are going in a pattern, then some new faces should be showing up before too long. You can find me after they're here, and I'll give you a fight.

[All he can do in disagreement while Guren talks is huff... and, like, stomp along. It isn't he doesn't get it. Whatever Guren tells him is ninety percent true, but he's stubborn, and he hates admitting he can do something perfectly the first time, he hates admitting he fucked up.

What really bothers him more than anything is the fact Guren believes completely in grabbing for any kind of power. His mouth opens, and he's geared up to go ham... only for the offer to quiet him.

He's got a fight now, and he's not sure if he wants it. Feels... too easy? He got it so easy, after he had been so aggravated trying to get it before.] Fine. I'll think about it.

You're wrong, though. I don't need magic, or special abilities, or a demon to win a fight against someone who has all of that. I can win without it.

Everyone has weaknesses.

[He doesn't get it, he thinks. He used to think the same way. He still desperately wants to, but it's too late. It became too late a long time ago. He trained since he could walk. He put up with everything. He was torn apart from the one he loved and made to endure harassment of every level, his father was taken from him, his family was taken from him, he couldn't save his friends, or stop the world from ending— instead, he's the one who pulled the trigger.

And now, here he is, barely any human left, trying to bring back the dead. Guren can't quite hide the sad way he frowns forward, even if he tries.]

I hope you can.

[He hopes Damian never has to live in a world like his own, where you're slaughtered if you don't have enough power.

Something catches his eye, though, and he's grateful for it. Out of nowhere between the trees, a wave of fire slams towards them, and Guren steps in front of Damian and draws his sword to slice along it, gritting his teeth at how sudden it was. But it works— dark energy leaks from his sword like tendrils and the fire is swallowed just where they're standing. The edges around them are hot, there's a wind with it, and some of the branches catch fire.]

It's an ambush! Go! [FIGHT... though, the most the fairies show themselves so far are glimpses of wings between the leaves and giggles that seem to surround them from no real direction.]

[Already, Guren knows a little simply through assumption--about Batman, about Robin. Damian doesn't think Guren understands to the full extent, what it's like being the only plain, ordinary humans on teams of metahumans and aliens.

How much Damian thinks he has to fight to prove himself.

He opens his mouth, but Guren's movements snap him to attention. When Guren flies into the way, his face bunches, but he spends his time hauling the bow around and yanking one of the arrows out of the quiver he strapped to his back. It's notched in one swoop.

He doesn't go.

Instead, he spins around to put them back to back, letting the burning wind whip by on each side and throw a flush over his neck and cheeks.] If you think I'm hiding, you've got another thing coming, Ichinose. [There--wings.

He jerks the bow up and fires. In the darkness a fairy screeches, but he doesn't think is sounds like he killed it. If he had, it would have been silent.] Damn! [Oh. Something comes barreling out of the trees, fast, bright.

He steps back and right into Guren's backside.] Ice! [And then he dives to the side out of the way.]

Just cover my back. I'll cover yours.

[Go FIGHT, okay!! He's firm on that, quick, not willing to put up with Damian's complexes or brattiness in the middle of battle. His actions work out, though, and after Guren impales another fairy on his sword, the warning is a helpful reminder. He jumps, up, grabbing onto one of the lower hanging tree branches and swinging so that he can come down at another fairy.

It hits, interrupting whatever spell it had been chanting on, but three more descend and flutter backwards, giving themselves space as they fire magic. Cutting wind, at Damian, more fire at Guren, and... the third one is working on something bigger.

Guren has his eyes on her. He pulls out a fuda, muttering his own chants under his breath even as he dodges to the side to avoid that fire. He ducks, then, slamming it into the ground, and for a moment a seal circles around him, Damian and a good amount of area—

But then it crackles, and Guren's expression is alarmed for just a second as he tries to scramble away, but it explodes. Magic isn't really going to work here, after all, but he at least tried.]

[Wind? UGH!!

Damian slips at the start, but quickly throws himself off to the side as the edges of the wind slice one or two thin lines through his clothes on his arm and leg. Paper cuts. He's already steadying himself on a knee, nocking and arrow and lifting the bow. The wind fairy takes one of the industrial arrows through the center of the chest, and she screams the entire way to the tree where the arrow lands.

The fuda isn't unexpected, but it's different. It reminds him of something Raven might try to do, and he hops to his feet with plans of a ward.

Oh.

The crackling is worrying, but the look on Guren's face is what tells him everything he needs to know. He tosses the bow out of the seal and does several flips after it, landing as the seal explodes.]

Guren!

[Pulling another arrow, he doesn't hesitate, shooting it across at the fiery fairy. Not a bad shot; it clocks the fairy between the eyes and carries it off into the forest, but he's already up and running for Guren.]

I told you things like that would get you in trouble, idiot!

Stay back!

[As the smoke clears, Guren becomes visible, leaning against a tree from where he'd moved back and out of the way. The explosion injuries are nothing, for someone like him— he looks roughed up, and there's a cut across his forehead where a rock must have hit, but it's already healing, the blood having barely dripped down from it.

The explosion had been one thing, but that third fairy from before had finished its own spell in the middle of it, and it's hitting Guren now. Whatever it is has him looking like he's struggling. There are curse marks crawling up his skin from his neck to his jaw, and the yell he just pointed at Damian is serious.

His fingers curl into his hair as he hunches slightly against this tree. Damian might be able to pick up on a faint light surrounding Guren, red in color. The result of the berserk spell.

"Power... more power. You want it, don't you? Guren."

It's bad enough being low on his drug, but this spell is probably the worst one that could hit him. The fairies haven't stopped, either, their giggling echoing through the trees as they shoot more spells at the two of them. Guren grips onto his sword tighter than before, and the way he pushes away from the tree and raises the blade to block a lightning strike just as it comes down is over the top, even for the power standards in his world.]

[This again. Damian is so tired of Guren opening up the can of demon worms and flouncing around like it isn't a big deal!

But he does stop, and he doesn't try to get any closer. Something about the tone reminds him of his father when things are serious, and he grips the bow harder when he realizes he can't do anything to stop Guren from accepting more power.]

We can do it without all of that! GUREN!

Dammit. [There's no time to argue. More are coming up, and he doesn't want them all to dog-pile Guren. Unfortunately, he's running out of arrow, even if his shots are clean. He takes out three more from among the trees before abandoning the bow and quiver.] Hey!

Come on. [The knife Guren gave him is pulled, and he taunts the two last fairies by beckoning with his fingers. Being thirteen and short has perks: they think he's an easy target. But he's fast as hell and precise.

Dodging is simple, better when he can get in close, better when he can parkour up the trunk of a tree with the knife as a pick and jump off to come down right on top of them.]

It's a spell!

[A correction, quick and with gritted teeth. Little does Damian know, curse marks don't just mean he's accepting the power— in this case, in fact, Guren is struggling against the temptation with all he's got, causing the marks to appear. That's what happens when he needs a new dose, too. This berserk spell setting him off, though, seems to be irritating this balance even more, making it increasingly difficult. He's already given a boost of power, glowing with the energy, but it's blinding, maddening, he wants to use it on anyone.

While Damian takes care of his bunch, a couple more are revealed when Guren slices the throat of a fairy holding an invisibility spell on the two— the other two follow before they can do much of anything, and Guren is gripping tighter at his face after he's slaughtered them. It's a fog, no, it's a pulse in his brain, telling him to turn around and take out all of the bodies behind him, Damian's included. It's taking all of his strength to stay here like this, fighting it. Even breaths, don't give in. It's like he wants to cut at anything, even these damn trees everywhere—]

[Swinging underhanded cuts one of the fairies in half, and then he swings back easily to cut the other.

Guren is still in the heat of things, so Damian wastes no time scrambling up, going straight for the bow. He scoops the bow up and grabs one of the arrows. Nocks, runs, then stops to raise the bow.]

Stop!

[It looks as if he plans to fire at one of the fairies left headed for Guren--instead, the bwo drops, and he fires directly at Guren's chest, praying Guren won't be too fast or too gone to split it out of the air.

As soon as he releases the arrow, he drops the bow and takes up the knife again, running head-first in behind the fairies and right for Guren, pincering them between. He needs to take them out and deal with Guren, he thinks. This isn't like last time with the sirens.

It's too far.]

I'm going to kick your ass when this is all finished, Ichinose!

[The arrow hits while Guren is too wrapped up in his own mind, but it doesn't even make him stagger. He's too busy running his sword through one of the fairies, and when Damian jumps closer, Guren catches him by the neck with his free hand too easily. Spinning like this, he throws to slam Damian right into the last fairy, and send the both of them into a tree a ways back.

It's enough force to kill the fairy, but thankfully, her magic and attempt at saving herself will be enough to keep Damian from suffering any terrible injuries. It sure will hurt, though. It's worse than the throw Guren had done to him when they first met.

That action is enough to pull Guren out of it, though. Just for a split second— enough to make the decision to swing his sword to the side, completely cleaving off his left arm. It drops to the ground, along with his sword shortly after, the red glow around him dissolves completely, and he falls to his knees.]

Damian! [Is he okay? He wants to check, he needs to check, but he is absolutely gushing blood here and that's making it a little difficult. He can't run over, but he can glance up and over, looking horrified in his worry. He hasn't even stopped to process the pain, or that he needs to press his arm back to the stump he left behind to make sure it can reattach in time.]

[Being caught is something he should have expected, and he loathes his own reaction as Guren’s fingers squeeze the air out of his throat. Getting out of the hold would be difficult but not impossible maybe, but he doesn’t even have time to think about escape. Guren is already launching him.

Hitting the fairy already hurts. Hitting the tree ontop of the fairy is Suffering.

She’s crushed instantly, and Damian lets out a loud, painful groan. His limp body plummets to the ground in a heap where the second groan comes quieter. Stunned, dazed, he spends a long minute trying to breathe, trying to find air. When his lungs finally function again, it’s a sharp gasp which draws breath into him.

His vision darkens, and he’s not sure how long he's unconscious. The next time he opens his eyes, the world spins, and he manages to roll onto one side in case he vomits. In the distance, Guren splits, doubling. There’s... red? Blood? His brain scrambles to think of why. Did Guren get injured by more fairies while he had been out? Had his arrow done more damage than he thought?

He rolls over as if he plans to push himself up and crawl toward Guren, but all he can do is lie face down in the dirt and pass out again.]

[Shit. Shit... Damian is down, and Guren is growing dizzier by the minute. But he can't pass out like this, when the kid might be hurt. Might be dead. He slides his sword under his arm to hold, because keeping it out is important in his own healing, and carefully picks up his severed arm.

It's a horrible juggling act, pressing his arm back where it belongs, keeping his sword pressed to himself and pushing himself back to his feet with a few staggers, but he manages. He's losing blood quickly, and it's painting the forest floor, but he does stop until he can drop next to Damian, sword slipping and leaning against his leg. His arm is starting to reattach enough that he can let go of it, but there's no motion in it, so it's his now-bloody right hand that grabs Damian and tries to shift him over so his face isn't in the dirt.]

Come on, come on... [He's breathing, he can see that, but the sick feeling in his gut hasn't stopped, and he still definitely has an arrow sticking out of his chest. His arm looks like it's literally hanging on by a string, because it is.]

Damian!

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