awashlogs | [ closed ] Some quest threads

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[ closed ] Some quest threads

Who: Guren & a few planned threads
Where: The Forest
When: Some time early-mid December
What: Quest catch-all. Bell quests, for now...?
Warnings: None

[Guren has always been a tired person. He's working hard, straight-faced and serious, getting up to as much as he can to help people. But ever since he's come back from wandering into the forest with more memories, something seems even heavier over his shoulders. He's more tired, has more on his mind, hasn't had the time to stop and laugh.

It's the time of year, above everything else. Stepping out of the forest and coming to surrounded by snow was startling, after all that he'd learned back home. Everyone needed his help, even Kureto, even everyone in this town, and here he was again... powerless.

But, quests are something. And a quest with wishes is something even more. He's always interested in seeing how this sort of thing works out. So, pretending he hasn't been sort of spacing out for most of the walk into the woods now, he gives a glance to his partner for today, brief as it is, and his fingers curl around the sword hanging at his waist.]

Don't let your guard down. You never know what this forest might throw at us.

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[ dextera nods. there’s still a chill in the air, but it isn’t as biting or as painful as it used to be, somehow—and the blue sky overhead makes it seem that much warmer. they’d talked about this, hoped for it.

he’s in a good mood despite himself, despite everything, and if he can find a way to give that to guren, if only by supporting a wish, then he wants to. if he seems subdued, it’s only to match guren. ]

I ran into a bear before.

[ and then he destroyed it thoroughly, so, whoops—but he’s safe. ]

You ran into a bear?

[What the fuck, him too? There were some freakish mutant bears, with Okuni and Lupin, so he won't mention that... And clearly Dextera was able to handle it, but.]

I hate this shitty forest. [Alright, Guren. He reaches out, after that, though, to take one of Dextera's hand in his, trying to be subtle and smooth with it.]

[ dextera breathes out a quick laugh, surprised by guren’s blunt statement, but man, dextera hates it too. he’s never going to come in here alone ever again, even though he’s entertained the potential necessity of it.

but he won’t. only for quests, or only with guren otherwise. ]

As long as we have a purpose, it’s OK.

[ he laces his fingers through guren’s, looking forward. the path to the bell probably won’t be the same as with ryo, because this shitty forest is like that. ]

The Town took my wish. The sky.

You would have wished for the color back?

[He's not asking in surprise so much as in confirmation, smiling a little to his side, at Dextera. It's easier, with him. Things have always been easier with him.]

I've got plenty of wishes. But there's no saying how they'll turn out, in a place like this... You have to choose carefully. [He has to choose carefully, he means. I. But he doesn't want to make it too stressed on his worry.]

[ dextera nods.

as he guessed with ryo, this isn’t like the wishing coin. it’s hard to predict whether or not their wish will come true at all, let alone in its original form. being too greedy or being too selfish will probably ruin it, but even that, they don’t know for sure.

maybe now is the time where he wishes for guren to get some rest. maybe not, if it has to be aloud. ]

There are always… rules. Ones we don’t know.

[ he steps carefully around a rock, slick with ice. the winter is still strange to him. ]

Yeah.

[He glances ahead, up at the branches of the trees, then to the side. It doesn't feel like anything is coming for them, of course. They're searching for a bell, for a quest, and so nothing is going to get in the way. Probably.]

I'm still thinking about what to pick.

[ there are a lot of things to choose from. it feels like, with guren, he can chance something a little bigger, but there’s no guarantee of that.

minato taught him how to wish on a star, and maybe the same principles apply here now. ]

Do you want some “thing”? [ he passes by a tree that looks vaguely familiar, but all the trees in the woods look familiar. there’s no bell tied up in there yet, at least. ] Or something to happen?

...Both.

[If he thinks of every possible option. He squeezes Dextera's hand a little as he says it, breathing out slowly in his tension.]

Some things here, some things back at home. I've got a feeling I should stick to here, but...

Tell me what you want here.

[ that’s dextera’s decision, then. guren can wish for something at home, whether or not the town is willing or able to grant it notwithstanding, and dextera will pick up the slack.

he has trouble envisioning his own wishes, after all. ]

I’ll give you my wish.

[Guren slows his steps at that, stopping in the middle of the forest and watching Dextera. He understands that Dextera struggles with this— wants of his own, wishes, dreams. He wants the guidance of being told what to do, right? So he's genuinely trying to help.

But Guren isn't sure he likes the feeling of taking someone's wish for himself.]

You don't have one?

I do.

[ in a way, at least, but the wish has been made—asking for it again would only cancel it out, dextera thinks, and he doesn’t want to wish for it in front of guren, anyway.

it’s embarrassing, more than it is concerning, but embarrassment is enough. ]

But I already made a wish. Before. So this one, you can have.

No.

[Just like that, firm, and he's glancing forward again, even if he doesn't continue walking yet.]

You've given enough to me. That's yours, and only yours.

[ from anyone else, maybe dextera would feel like he’s in trouble—and the fact that it’s guren doesn’t abate that feeling entirely, but he can see it for what it is all the same.

“you’ve given enough to me.”

dextera doesn’t think that’s true. he hasn’t given enough at all—it will never be enough, but that’s a private thought for him alone. he squeezes guren’s hand. ]

I’ll wish for both of us. That’s what I want.

[It's useful. That's what he can manage to think, in the middle of all of this, and he's annoyed at himself for it. It's useful, just like Dextera wants, but Guren doesn't want to use him like this. He doesn't answer that squeeze with his own, but he doesn't let go of their hold, either.

Something in his expression says he's struggling with it, but he doesn't outright refuse, either. Taking a step, he tugs Dex to go with him.]

Let's just get to the bell, first.

[ dextera doesn’t care, if guren uses him.

he doesn’t know that’s what guren is struggling with, but he can see some difficulty on his face, in his expression—the only thing he can do without any other context to speak on is to follow, which he’s always been good at.

if his heart wants to wish for guren, then guren shouldn’t feel guilty. that’s how he feels. ]

…

[ eventually, dextera catches sight of the bell up in the trees, and he gestures with their joined hands. ]

[His steps slow, anyway, so when Dextera points, Guren makes sure he stops with him, glancing at the bell... and then down, to the ground. Iced over, it's hard to tell, but Guren releases their joined hands so he can crouch and brush over the ground.

Not ground, but ice. Shit. This path is a river of sorts, frozen over, and likely not very solidly. The bell is conveniently placed over it, after all.]

They want this one to be tricky, huh. [Pain in the ass.] Let's try to get closer, but slowly. I've got a feeling trouble is waiting for us to make a move.

[ it’s a good thing guren called attention to it, or dextera would have walked right into the ice and frozen his damn feet off—his eyes were up, looking for the bell, but at least he did find it. ]

Ah…

[ he tentatively places one foot on the closest pane of ice, and as soon as he puts weight on it, it crackles. it doesn’t break, but it seems to be considering it. ]

…

[Guren places his hand to Dextera's chest, nudging him to scoot back from that cracking ice.]

Can you grab a branch, or a stick or something? The longer the better.

[His sword wouldn't be the best option for testing ice, and he doubts any of it is solid enough anyway, but. They've gotta pass this somehow.]

[ thanks for saving him, guren. he was almost certainly going to proceed.

with that command, though, he steps back from the ice to find something long enough for guren’s purposes—luckily, with the winter here and the snow weighing things down, it’s not hard to find a decently long branch that snapped off under the ice. ]

…?

[ he’s being helpful! praise him. ]

Thanks.

[Is that enough praise!! He takes it, turning to face forward again. A few taps here and there, and he can find more solid sections, stepping forward.]

Stay close, but test the weight carefully so we don't put too much on it at once. [The tree doesn't look too far away, at least, and as soon as they can get to it, they can rest easy. It has to have roots somewhere, probably, even if this is fairy tale land...]

[ it’s amazing how much more aware of his surroundings guren is than dextera. he knows how to proceed, how to keep them both safe, and dextera—is still at least a little used to dying and waking up in front of the research laboratory all over again.

he inches across the frozen path, close but not too close to guren, though his heel cracks the ice close to their goal and plunges his foot into the gelid water underneath. he’s fine, but he does let out a yelp of shock at the sudden drop in temperature. ]

—!

[ they weren’t getting out of here without one mishap, however small. ]

Shit!

[God, give him a heart attack why don't you. Guren turns, the ice cracking slightly below his own feet as he does, but unlike Dextera, he doesn't break through. Yet.]

Step out slowly, and be careful about it. Just wait back there. Maybe I can bring the bell to you.

…

[ something about guren offering to bring it to him makes him feel indignant, actually, and dextera frowns for a different reason than the cold water seeping through his boot.

it’s not guren. he just doesn’t like feeling like a burden, and so he hauls his foot out of the ice with a soft breath. ]

I’m OK. Let’s go.

[Guren watches him for a long moment at that, but it seems like something clicks for him as he turns back away, towards the tree. Right. Okay.]

Then come on.

[If Dextera wants to be able to go on his own, then Guren has to let him. He steps carefully, leaving behind his own slightly cracked spots here and there, but managing to move across without actually dropping through.

Soon enough, he's grabbing onto the lowest hanging branch of the tree in question, turning back to check on Dex.]

[ dextera is fine, even though his toes are going just a little numb, and he looks to guren before turning his gaze upward at the bell.

the last time… ryo spoke his wish for him.

it’s a small thing, and he doesn’t even know if it was necessary or if it worked with such an intangible wish. guren doesn’t look much happier or much more relieved, and dextera furrows his brow at the realization of his own limitations. ]

Do you… have a wish?

I have plenty of wishes.

[Maybe it's rude that he's being like this, instead of just saying "yes." But, he's just distracted, still lost in thoughts. Dextera's wish has worked more than he knows, but the eerie feelings of happiness out of nowhere against his will, and at random times, is disturbing to him more than anything else. He hasn't mentioned it.

Guren pulls himself up with the first sturdy branch he's grabbed, and safe from the ice now, he works his way up through the branches carefully. Makes it look easy, too.]

Did you think of one for yourself, yet?

[ it’s guren, and of course anything he does would look easy.

dextera isn’t worrying himself with guren’s burden, though—it’s always there, in the back of his mind, some worry about all that guren has on his shoulders, but it doesn’t bother him to have guren be blunt with him.

these things happen. he follows, silent in his especially silent way. ]

…

[ for a while, there’s only the sound of his breaths of exertion and the cracking of branches as he trails guren. he knows what he wants. he discussed it with lupin, too, before he planned it here.

he places his palm against the cold bark of the tree, and nods. ]

[He catches that nod in his waiting glance, and then moves up the last bit of distance to where the bell is stuck, hanging from a ribbon on a thin piece of branch sticking out from a thicker part. Guren sighs out in relief, though he's still paranoid that something might happen, but the woods sound quiet. The ice from below has faded back to normal ground, too.]

Is it alright if I go first?

[ as with all ventures into the woods like this, dextera is sure the path to return will be so much easier than the path inside. no bears, no ice, and he wouldn’t be surprised if the chill fades from his limbs once all is said and done either.

he settles himself, steadying by a branch, and nods again. ]

…

[ it would be easy for dextera to simply wish to reinforce guren’s, hearing it first, but guren has made it clear that he doesn’t want that.

so, he’ll listen. he’ll support it in another way. maybe it’s something that doesn’t even need his help—it’s all too possible guren would casually use his wish on something nonsensical just to take his mind off everything. ]

Make—

[ —it a good one, he was going to say, but moving his hand to try to sign it turns out to be a bad idea. he wobbles, and nods quickly while returning his hands to balance himself. ]

[Guren breathes out, making sure Dextera can get stable again before he glances back to the bell. And then he reaches out, giving it a ring.]

I wish everyone could decide for themselves where to return home to.

[So it was something like that. He doesn't comment on it at all, just reaching his hand for Dextera to take if he needs to come any closer/higher to reach the bell.]

…

[ it’s a good wish.

dextera wants that too, but he doesn’t know if saying it twice would ruin it, or if something would go wrong, or if his wishes even carry through at all. other people seem to get what they want. maybe ryo was right to be accurate and tangible with his wish.

for this knowledge, though… surely the town can do something.

dextera does take guren’s hand, but to squeeze it first, more than for stability. it’s something he’s struggled with in private, that concern on how or even if he can return with guren. should he? can he? it’s hard, but it feels obvious when he’s standing here that he should. if months of guren’s absence haven’t ruined things… well, perhaps that’s yet to be seen.

with his free hand, he rings the bell, but he hesitates before he signs out what it is he wants. ]

I wish—I had my voice back.

[ his fingers twitch like he wants to say more, like he was going to add a caveat of time or efficacy to make it easier on the town, but it’s a wish. it’s fine. he wants this. ]

[The squeeze is nice. Of course he wished that for selfish reasons, just as much as they are selfless. A wish that everyone could benefit from, he thinks. He hopes it will work. There's no way of telling. Maybe that's for the best.

But when Dextera signs his wish, Guren actually smiles, and for once, the happiness that sets in isn't so oddly timed. It is a lot more powerful than it would have been normally, but even that doesn't bother him or let it offset, right now.

Dextera made a wish for himself. He's just glad for it.

So, with the bell ringing done, he reaches to take Dextera in a firmer grip, then jumps with him, back down to a lower branch, and then the no-longer-ice ground. It's a way of letting that happiness show. Excitement!]

Waugh!

[ that’s not exactly what he meant by having his voice return, and he’s not sure in the instant following that he was specific enough, but hurtling toward the ground is enough of a surprise that he forgets his concern as soon as guren lands. ]

Ggh…

[ no words, not yet, maybe not ever if the forest is truly so picky, but the wish is made for both of them. guren is smiling. that’s good. dextera’s fingers bump a little harder against guren’s chest than they need to, when he signs. ]

You scared me.

[Honestly, for Minato, this quest ends up being a good way to make sure that Guren's... you know, still here. It's always startling when someone disappears, but reappearing is so, so rare... between Vriska, Guren and Ryoji, it almost feels unreal.

Minato's bundled up, despite the cold not biting as much as it did before; he still doesn't like it, so he'll stick to as much warmth as possible, thanks.]

Of course, Ichinose-san.

[He's got his own sword at his waist, Evoker tucked beneath his hoodie...and hands shoved into his pockets. Because some things never change.]

...Are bells usually associated with Christmas, do you know?

[All Minato knows of Christmas is Japan's version, so like. Big Shrug.]

I think so.

[Not like Guren is some Christmas expert, either. It's not really something he wants to talk about, for a multitude of reasons, but not talking about it is a red flag. So.]

There's that one song... Jingle Bells, or whatever? Maybe it's like that.

[Minato's pretty oblivious to what's going through Guren's head, but he honestly doesn't particularly mind; he doesn't have great associations with Christmas either.]

Mm... maybe. I just always wonder how much of these quests are actually clues for us, and how much is just...

[Y'know.]

Chroma being Chroma.

...Yeah. There's no real knowing what any of this means, or what it's doing, either.

[It annoys him, if that isn't clear. But his eyes are sharp, turned into the woods, not letting himself get distracted.]

But it's better than doing nothing. It seems to be helping, so we have to rely on that, for now, and hope more clues do show up. If it comes to it, just keep going for the bell, and I can hold off anything else.

[Mm, well...]

... If you say so, Ichinose-san.

[Even so, though:]

Does that mean you don't have any wishes you want granted?

No, it doesn't mean that. I just don't want to push it.

[Meaning he's already wished once or twice and doesn't want to try again. There's already sounds coming from around them, though, and his grip tightens slightly on the sword at his hip.]

Hear that?

[That's...fair. Especially with how this place can be. So Minato nods peacefully in response, frowning a little as he listens.]

... Yeah. Let's prepare for company.

[He'll grab his own sword--hopefully the woods won't be too rude this time...??]

[ Fushimi has a sword, too; he usually doesn't bother to bring it with him, favoring his knives, but the forest is so inhospitable that he doesn't want to rely entirely on his powers without the extra focusing power of his sword. Subaru might be safer in the closet, most days, but when adventuring in the forest, Fushimi is safer with the sword.

Of course, he hasn't bothered to wear his uniform, so he just looks like a well-patched hobo who happens to have a really nice leather sword belt and sword. ]

It's already thrown so much at you. [ Fushimi doesn't say it in an "you've been through so much" way; it's a dry tone, as close to teasing as he ever gets -- it says more about how much trouble Guren goes looking for than anything else. ]

If you've got a problem with it, you can go home.

[It's his own way of joking right back, as he pushes through into the forest, not wanting to waste time. The quicker they get to it, the better. Probably.]

Or are you going to wish for something, too?

The fact that I can't escape you even at home is the worst part. [ His voice makes it sound like it isn't that bad. Which. It isn't, because Fushimi doesn't actually dislike Guren, like, at all, even if he really hates admitting things like that. ]

...I've got something to wish for. [ He doesn't know how useful it is, really, how much it matters, and he doesn't really think anything like a wish will actually work the way he wants it to --

but he might as well. Even if he might panic at the last second and wish for "more coffee" instead of what he really wants to. ]

Fire-breathing bears with crab claws, maybe?

[ he's good at reading people; it's obvious something's on Guren's mind. Considering that his situation seems more and more dire the more Lupin learns about him, he can't exactly be surprised - but he can be a bit worried. It's dangerous to be out here, and more dangerous still to be out here with someone he's not all that close to. He hopes Guren can still handle himself if things get dicey.

He does his part to try and lighten the mood a bit. As ever, he's unarmed save for his walking stick, which he's spinning around in one hand languidly as he shoots Guren a smirk. ]

Don't worry. I'll be fine. You, on the other hand, seem like you need a strong cup of tea.

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[ closed ] Some quest threads

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