kaisou | March Event Log

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March Event Log

March Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

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It's as they say, March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb. The early part of March will be blistery and cold, with strong winds and chilly nights. But as the month goes on, the weather will slowly warm and the snow will melt. By the end of the month, it's well into the early spring and the plants already begin to green up once more.

First Signs of Green

With Valentine's over and done with, there's only one thing that everyone's looking forward to, and that's the arrival of spring. Shops in town are stocking themselves up with new outfits for spring and outdoor furniture. The garden shops are stocks with flower seeds and spring vegetables, preparing for the warm weather to finally come rolling in. Many restaurants will be having a special on Bara Brith (malt loaf) and Cawl (lamb stew), in honor of St. David's day earlier in the month as it's trendy this year. On warmer days, people will be finding just about any excuse to be outside and the streets will be busy with people. Enjoy some much needed sunlight everyone!

For adults looking for activities to do, with the upcoming St. Paddy's day, plenty of bars are doing their own promotional celebrations. Most of these are the standard kind of fanfare, where you get a discount if you wear green or there's beer that's been dyed green. Though there's a few quirkier promotions, such as the Deathmatch bar offering free beer for everyone until someone uses the bathroom. Work together to hold the line and your bladders.

Gacha Day

Throughout the month, there's talk in Undertown about being on the lookout for good fortune. On the surface it sounds like the usual fanfare you hear from gossip - someone reblogged a lucky cat photo and came upon some money. Or someone found a four leaf clover and won the grand prize in the raffle. It's easy enough for the more skeptical to dismiss. However for those who are on the look out for lucky signs may find themselves also being blessed by good fortune. A brand new TV will appear in their house, or they'll befriend a new animal friend, or they'll discover they have a new ability. There's no rhyme or reason for what good luck will befall you, but these lucky occurrences seem to have shortly after seeing an omen of good luck. And granted...some of these occurrences might be hard to perceive as lucky. Some may even be downright cursed.

Still! Maybe it's time to keep a closer eye on any patches of clovers you come across, huh?

The Dulahan

The night of March 15th is an usually foggy night. There's an eerie stillness to the world, and the wind that blows with an unnatural chill. Even the normal citizens in town feel a sense of unease, as people rush to get home. As for those more sensitive, you can't help but get a feeling of dread in your stomach. Animals too may seem unsettled, not unlike when they sense an earthquake.

It's late in the night when he shows himself, long after the streets have grown quiet. A horseman riding a horse as black as night, with his own head missing from atop his shoulders. One hand holds onto the reins of his horse, while the other carries the severed head of a woman. He trots through the misty streets of Kaisou, occasionally pausing in front of a place of residences and pointing towards those who dwell inside, before continuing on his way. If you attempt to confront him in the street, he will disappear in a sea of mist and reappear further down the road, focused on his task. Repeated attempts to confront him will eventually enough irritation that he'll pull out a whip made from human spines. Being hit by this whip will render them unconscious until morning.

It's not clear until morning what the Dulahan was after, but when the first rays of morning come through, the horror will sink in. Every person that the Dulahan singled out? Is now missing from the city - whisked away into the Spirit Realm.

New Gate: Tír na nóg

The following morning, March 16th, a new message from Zodiac is sent out

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE IDENTIFIED IN BRICK ALLEY.
Element Classification: Unknown
Danger Level: S
Designation: Tír na nóg
ALERT! A highly dangerous gate has been discovered in Brick Alley. It's already been linked to disappearances across the city. Zodiac is currently investigating but we ask all available people to help investigate and recover the missing people. Please visit the Zodiac office for any supplies. Use caution when engaging with denizens in the realm.

Going to the Zodiac Office, you will find that it's a lot busier than normal. Several Zodiac employees are coming in and out, talking and using tech as they try to sort out the scale of what they're dealing with. Professor Willow is there too, there to help with consultation. According to him, it's a Dulahan that was spotted last night- though his own information is limited to what's known in popular myths. His specialty is more on animals found within the spirit realm, not mythological figures. Notably, it seems he's managed to befriend a Meltan from last month's gate.

Zodiac will supply weapons made from iron, as well as packs of food. If you press them for more information, they will suggest not to give your name or consume any food while within the spirit gate. If you need motivation than saving your friends to help, Zodiac is more than willing to pay you for your services. As for the location of the spirit gate, they will mention that it might be a little hard to spot this time, so keep your eyes peeled!

Hard to spot will turn out to be an apt description. When they arrive in Brick Alley, there's no obvious standing tall gate as there were the previous two months. Instead, they will have to search around until they find a circle of mushrooms that have popped up on a patch of grass. These mushrooms are impervious to harm, and you'll have to stand in the center of them if you want to enter the realm. It'll take a moment or two to activate, leaving you feel a little awkward as normal people pass by and stare at you standing in a circle of mushrooms, but hold fast, because soon you'll find yourself warped into another realm.

The landscape of Tír na nóg is beautiful, looking like it came out of the pages of a fairy tale. Golden sunlight washes over lush meadows and forests ahead of you. Behind you, are tall rocky cliffs that drop down into the raging sea below. In the distance, there is a castle that stands on higher cliffs and looks like the only place of civilization in this realm. If there's any spot where the kidnapped folks are being held, it's there. You must travel through a long winding path through the forest in order to reach it. The forest is full of wildlife that's more like Earth's, but you can't but get that feeling that you're being watched. You better hope that you ate before you left or brought food of your own, because the trek takes long enough that the unprepared may find themselves feeling famished by the time they make it to the castle.

When they reach the castle, they will find the place guarded by several Fae guards along with a couple mythical beasts. They will allow entry, but only if they leave behind any iron they have on their person. If you agree to do so, they will be rather welcoming, offering refreshments for any weary travelers. Curiously, if you inquire about the other people that were brought here, the fae will seem to be of the belief that the people they're talking about have been guests at the castle longer than they've been missing, by several days in fact. What in the world is going on?

As for those who act with more hostility, well: prepare for a fight. The fae would prefer to talk things out, but they aren't afraid throw down arms when faced with violence. What more, they wield much stronger magic than anything the characters currently have. Don't be surprised to see yourself be turned into a small animal for your troubles. Only apologizing to the fae or leaving the spirit realm will reverse the effects.

Waking up at the Castle

Those who were kidnapped by the Dulahan will wake up to find themselves in much nicer accommodations than you'd expect for being kidnapped. You wake up in your own personal guestroom in soft beds. Fae attendants will come in to check on your needs, checking if everything is to your liking while any requests to go home seem to fall on deaf ears. While this place is much more medieval in terms of technology, they seem determined to make your stay as comfortable as possible. You are even allowed to leave your rooms to wander the halls to see others in their guest rooms, though for a least the first morning they block you from leaving the guest wing. It should also be noted that anything made of iron has been removed from your person.

At midday on that first day, the kidnapped characters will be invited down to the main hall of the castle for a grand feast. Any type of food you could possibly desire, as well as foods you've never heard of, are laid across the giant banquet table. The fae are friendly and more than curious to learn about their new "guests", asking personal questions and encouraging them to eat up. The fae themselves come in all shapes and sizes. Some look like classic fairies while others more otherworldly appearance. It's only when they've made sure enough of their new guests have eaten and shared their names do the head of the fae announce their reason for bringing you to their realm: they could sense something special about you, and have decided to have you joined the fae. It's been a long time since they've had anyone bolster their ranks after all.

After this announcement, the fae will allow the guests to travel where they wish. You can explore the realm or spend time with the fae as you like. However if anyone who ate the food or gave their name will find that even if they reach the gate, they won't be able to use it to get back to Kaisou. For now, you're stuck in the spirit realm.

Life among the Fae

One thing will become obvious when the kidnapped meet up with their would-be rescuers: time flows differently in this realm. A single day in Kaisou is several days in Tír na nóg. By the time the would-be rescuers have found the people they were looking for, several days have passed - more than enough time for the kidnapped to explore and experience this realm on their own. The fae themselves aren't too concerned about the new arrivals, and will treat them as guests as well. It's not like they have a way to ESCAPE after all. Though just like those kidnapped- any who share their name or eat the food will also find themselves stuck in the spirit realm. Whoops.

The fae are friendly and playful race. While they rarely give a straight answer, they enjoy playing games and hearing stories about places outside the realm. Some of their games include riddles, fishing, or playing with balls made of sheer gold. However, their good nature will quickly sour if you do anything to cross them. Attempting to cheat, steal, or honestly any perceived slight against them may result in you getting cursed with magic. This magic will either turn you partly or fully into an animal, depending on the severity of their rage. Though at the same time, getting endearing yourself too much to the fae may also end in your body getting changed, with them deciding to "bless you" by granting you fae-like features.

It's not just the fae you need to be wary of. A popular dish among the court is called the "Fish of Knowledge". It's a type of salmon that admittedly tastes extremely good. However anyone who consumes it will find it having an effect on their memories. AU characters may find all their AU memories getting swapped for the memories of their canon counterpart, now even more lost and confused to what's going on here. Otherwise, characters from other worlds (and any AU characters that rather go this route) will find themselves becoming an expert in a random field of study. Never went to medical school? Doesn't matter, you now have a PhD worth of medical knowledge in your head, or any other subject that you feel apt.

The Rescue

As much as the Fae want to keep their new friends, it's not like you guys can actually stay forever. Eventually, they'll be able to strike a deal with the leaders of the Fae. If they can retrieve the head that the Dulahan carries and bring it to Gwenffrwd well atop the mountain (there's murmurings among the court whether it's ACTUALLY a mountain, this seems to be a contentious opinion), everyone will be allowed to leave the realm. They'll even be nice enough to give back your iron weapons for this quest -- once you leave the castle grounds, that is.

Finding the Dulahan will take some work, as he wanders the bogs of Tír na nóg. These bogs are treacherous, where taking the wrong step could lead you to fall under the murky waters. No matter the time of day, it's dark and gloomy in these spots. Will-o'-the-wisps appear as lights floating over the bog, intent on leading people off the path. Undead skeletons are also found in these bogs, and they are more than happy to try to get you to join their undead horde. When you do finally find the Dulahan, you'll have to be careful to make sure he doesn't run off before you can grab that head. Not only that, but his power is stronger now that he's in the Spirit Realm, meaning his attacks might do more than just knock you out for awhile. Teamwork is likely your best option here.

Once you have retrieved the severed head (which is the real severed head of a woman, wonderful), it's time to go up the mountain(?)! Away from the bog, the path up the mountain(?) is winding but straightforward, but it'll turn out about three-fourths up the mountain there is one teensy little detail the fae left out. And that detail being that the path to the well is being guarded by a large, fire breathing, red dragon. It seems some fae have even gathered around to spectate the whole encounter, because who are they to turn down free entertainment?

Good luck guys!

If you manage to find a way past the dragon, then the rest of the trip to the well is pretty straightforward. Drop the head into the waters of the well, and there'll be a glow of magic. All characters, regardless of if they ate the fae food, will be allowed to come and go from this realm as they wish.

Aftermath

While for those trapped in the realm, it'll feel like they were there for a month -- once they return to Kaisou they will find they were only gone for 1 IC week (the 15th to the 22nd). You're welcome to deal with the consequences with work or school that'd happen for being missing for a week, though if you rather not then you'll find that Zodiac stepped in and was able to give believable excuses for your absences. It's uh, a little unnerving how good they are at handling explaining people disappearing, honestly

Any knowledge or memories that your character gained from eating the fish will disappear, becoming fuzzier and fuzzier until it's hard to recall anything they learned. As for any animal/fae features they received from Fae magic, it is optional whether or not they will stick around for any amount of time.

For the rest of the month, characters are allowed to come and go into Tír na nóg as they wish. The fae will be sad that you won't be staying with them forever, but they are still happy for your company. With the crisis averted, Zodiac will once again offer paid incentives to bring back items from the realm. Those gold balls in particular are of interest to them, but don't let the fae catch you thieving. And per usual, there'll be penalties for anyone who doesn't return the items that Zodiac loaned out.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is wind! Anyone with an affinity to the wind element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for earth will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

Memories gained by eating the fish will not remain, but characters are welcome to retain any animal features. If they were turned fully into an animal, they'll find they are now able to shift between human and animal form. Nice! (EDIT: Details on the feature have been elaborated on here.)

Any fights or interactions with NPCs will be handled by the players! Feel free to thread out things however you'd like! If you have any questions, please ask them on the plot questions thread below! The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ he's gently stepping over a fallen log being swallowed up by the bog, giving a little thoughtful glance to the Will O Wisp as it gently breezes past them. it's like a firefly, isn't it? but bigger and much more ethereal, somehow. ]

...I suppose not all of it is dangerous, or fearsome. Just like our world-- it has its high points, right?

[ maybe he's warming up to it. a little.

maybe he would be warming up to it more if they didn't have to chase down the Dulahan and there weren't things like 'whips made out of human spines' involved. maybe. it's a work in progress. ]

I also suppose it's good to have a healthy amount of caution, though I guess I'm also realizing that maybe, just maybe, I've gone a bit overboard on that whole thing. [ finding a balance is hard... ]

Dad...

[those words sure mean a lot, his dad acknowledging as such. Especially when they were on a mission such as this one. Though at the same time, he won't fault him]

You were doing what you could to keep us safe. [Balance was tough, even Jun was trying to find it.

Though, it'll have to wait for another time. He stops, looking up ahead. His tone turns much more serious as his own body tenses some.]

I see him.

[Sure enough in the distance was a rider whose whole figure was as dark as night, slowly trotting through the bog. He's a tall, imposing figure, though some of that height is diminished from his sheer lack of head from his shoulders]

[ it's a balance he's still struggling with, but... even if it's hard, he has to admit that Jun is a capable, strong and enduring individual despite everything. learning to let go is one of those things that will have to slowly come with time, but he's making a conscious choice to ease up whenever he can.

...but that thought is shelved for now; Abel sees the tension build in Jun's shoulders, and he finds himself casting his gaze ahead to where his son is looking. sure enough...

a deep breath in that leaves him in a slow exhale. ]

...Alright.

[ the headless figure lumbers among the dim lighting of the bog, and Abel finds himself slowing to a halt, dropping his voice even if the likelihood of being perceived from this distance is slim. ]

I'll come at him from his rear. Can you draw him a little further east of us?

Edited 2022-03-27 22:33 (UTC)

[He looks around, trying to find a spot to go, before nodding and also speaking in a low voice...or at least as low as his modulator would allow]

Yeah, I can do that. Be careful.

[He says that before he teleports away. He reappears on a patch of land to the east of the Dullahan. Kneeling down on the ground, he'll use his telekinesis to lift up a a rock in his sight, and throw it. It flies near the dullahan, missing, but landing in some eastward water with a loud enough splash to draw its attention]

[ 'be careful,' Jun says; Abel nods his head in sober assent. he will, and he knows he doesn't need to say it aloud again; Jun will, too.

he watches with bated breath as the shrouded figure disappears, re-appearing in the distance, low and hidden among the overgrown foliage. as soon as he's in line of sight, preparing to toss a rock to draw the creature's attention-- Abel is immediately and silently as he can setting off to round the creature toward its blind spot at its rear to make his approach. it's a bit difficult-- the bog is unpredictable and the waters can be deceptively deep; any splashes will certainly draw notice, so it might take a bit of time to get into position--

hopefully Jun can hold out that long...!!! ]

[So far, their plan is working rather well. The Dullahan heard the rock splash and is stepping towards it, trying to sort out what the source of that. Jun will lift and throw another rock to keep up the attention- a bit more east than the last one.

They have a little more time, as the dullahan still hasn't noticed Abel's silent approach. ]

[ the closer Abel gets, the more uneasy he becomes; there is something about their objective that isn't setting well with him, somehow. all the same, he's doing his best to suffocate the awkward prickle of tension and warning between his shoulder blades, creeping closer and closer as the Dulahan remains distracted.

as the creature lumbers through the bog, its large footfalls are creating enough noise that Abel's movements might be covered-- and he signals to Jun to be at the ready. he's nearly within arm's reach--

...but as his eyes finally settle on the Dulahan's... trophy, he seems to hesitate, footsteps faltering and going very still.

oh no.

...oh no.

there may be a slight. hitch, in their plan, ]

[Jun himself is tense as he watches his father approach. He believes in his dad. For all his goofy moments, for all the points that they didn't always see eye-to-eye on, part of Jun has never fully abandoned the notion of idolizing his dad and all that he's capable of. Dad saved him from a fate he thought was sealed, so of course his Dad could do anything. So when he said he could get the head, he really did believe it.

He wasn't expecting his dad to freeze like that. For a moment, he thinks that maybe his dad is just being cautious, waiting for the perfect moment. It slowly dawns on him that no, something is off. His expression is too frozen, too far off. Something's wrong.

He wants to call out to his dad, but he knows that'd just give him away. Desperate and feeling his own anxiety building, he'll try sending one of his telepathic images - a quick image of their home - to try to get his dad's attention of what they're trying to do here. It's been awhile since he's done that, not since his time in the outside world has made him better at communicating with his words, but he's desperate here. And really, who knows if it'll even get through with the hellish memories that Abel's reliving right now since it's basically the psychic equivalent of tugging at someone's sleeve.

The Dullahan meanwhile, is getting the feeling his own feeling that something, or someone, is in its space. It hasn't detected Abel yet, but the steed neighs, kicking the ground with its hooves. Meanwhile the Dullahan pulls out that whip made of human spinal bones, turning around to check around itself.

Things could escalate very quickly, from the looks of it.]

[ he doesn't quite... understand.

the few bits and pieces Abel has received from his 'past life,' as he and Jun have taken to calling their shared experiences, have been few and far between - and none as vivid nor striking as this. the woman with dark skin and red hair whose rosary has been left to him is, ironically enough, the second-most standout 'vision' he's had.

and he would swear on his life that it was her head being dangled from the Dullahan's hand, now.

on the outside, he must simply look like he's dazed - though clearly unnerved, as if he's seen a ghost. that's not too far from the mark. he's frozen, both inside and out-- his son's gentle but insistent mental prodding seeming to go unnoticed. to make a bad situation worse, the Dullahan is beginning to stir; it turns, the horse's hooves stamping upon damp ground in impatience as its master withdraws its most unpleasant weapon as if in preparation to deal with a nuisance invading its territory.

...but Abel doesn't seem to have roused from his waking dreaming, still stuck wherever he's gone with a sick pallor to his face. his eyes are seemingly fixated on the woman's severed head, the rest of him unmoving and unresponsive.

smh talk about losing your head at an inopportune moment, ]

[He's still not moving, the mental prodding didn't work. Anxiety is turning into fear as his dad continues to not move. What should he do what should he do-

The Dullahan turns and spots Abel, who is sitting there like a sitting duck. The horse will give an intimidating cry as he swings his whip at Abel.

Jun can't help it, he cries out. His voice modulator fritzes, making the modulated voice sound much higher pitched, closer to what Jun's voice actually sounds like]

Ḋ̴̜ā̷̠d̸̻́!̷̻͝

[He'll teleport, intent on grabbing his dad and saving him-- but his magic might just act a few seconds too slowly as the whip swings at the frozen man]

[ --ah.

the sound of his name being shouted with a desperate sort of fear finally startles Abel from his stupor, but it seems like it's too late; he lifts blue eyes just in time to find the Dullahan with its weapon raised, and next thing Abel knows--

he's being pulled and jerked backwards and away from the massive horse and its rider, but there's a splash of red that splatters across old, yellowed bone and into the marshy bog. the lingering disorientation of the 'dream' is fading away and reality is replacing it with a sharp sting where the weapon pierced and slid over his left shoulder.

before the Dullahan can move for a second strike, Abel is finally kicking into gear, wrenching around with a grimace as Jun puts distance between them and the Dullahan; he quickly grasps onto his son's sleeve. ]

--You have to get it.

[ 'it.' the head. Jun's dad is doing his best to recover from being shaken; there are more pressing matters to deal with right now. and it is beyond obvious that he cannot fulfill his role as retrieval unit, so-- ]

You're fast, and I know you can do it. Go now, alright? --Go, get out of its line of sight and grab it before it--

[ --the horses rears up with an ominous whinny; there isn't much time to chitchat - either the creature will move to continue its attack or flee. the fabric of Abel's shoulder is torn and the peek of white from his shirt beneath his coat is beginning to soak red, but it is far from a fatal nor grievous wound. right now--

you could say their priority has to be getting ahead of the enemy, or all this will be for nothing. ]

[-- He wasn't fast enough. He teleports in and manages to pull his father back, but it was a couple seconds too late to evade the blow. He watches in horror as the whip cracks against his father's shoulder. ]

Dammit- Dad!

[He's in a panic for a moment. He forgets about the head and is more focused on getting his dad safe. He's just about ready to teleport them out of there when his dad grabs his sleeve and speaks up]

- Ah

[The mission. That's right, they still had a mission. He could get his dad out of here, but that could make them lose their chance to get out of the realm. This was their chance.

Do what must be done.

The memory echoes in his mind. That's right. They had a mission to complete. The mission is what mattered. He grabs onto that mindset to set aside his panic]

-- Understood.

[He had to act now. He'll let go of his dad and draw the sword. There's no point in trying to be stealthy, not when they've already been spotted. So instead? He'll just walk straight up to the horse and yell as he stabs his sword into the steed's thigh. The horse screams and buckles, causing the rider to falter and miss his second strike. Jun will use the chaos to grab that severed head and jump back to his dad, bringing his sword with him that's now covered in horse blood.]

Grab me and let's go!

[His hands are kinda full with weapons and heads ok]

[ when Abel sees Jun detach from him, but not to attempt to get at a more reasonable angle for a covert attempt at stealing the head, his heart bottoms out into his stomach. there is a sort of firmness in Jun's shoulders that prevents him from voicing the stress bubbling in his throat, but--

with one decisive, far too calm strike-- the iron blade plunges into the animal's thigh, throwing the Dullahan's whip askew from where it had been cracking in the air, preparing for a defensive counter. next thing Abel knows, his son is skidding back to a halt beside him, calling out; the scent of blood is heavy in the air, the horse's cries seeming far louder than they should be.

...but there's no time to gape-- Abel reaches out, curling an arm around Jun's torso. he isn't sure how close he needs to be for this, but... better safe than sorry, right?? ]

[The moment he feels that arm around his torso, he'll trigger his teleportation spell. A flash of blue and no longer are they in the bog, but back in the forest in front of the tree where Jun had marked an "X" into the bark. The horse cries are now distant, barely audible except for the keenest of ears. ]

...I think we'll be safe here.

[Now safe, Jun drops the bloodied sword to the ground. He'll pull down his hood, exposing his worried face, so he can get a better look at his dad as he tries to look at that wound]

Are you alright? Let me see your injury.

[ this is Abel's first go with this teleporting business, and he doesn't quite know what to expect-- but in the time it takes him to breathe, their surroundings have rapidly transitioned from the uncomfortable darkness of the bog to the daylight of afternoon sun.

he takes a small, tiny step as though his brain hasn't quite caught up with what his eyes are telling him, but-- here they are, far from the sound of the Dullahan's horse crying out in pain in the distance. incredible...

...he'll surely take a moment to marvel over all of this later. for now, there are too many other matters vying for his attention; Abel is gently releasing Jun and softly lifting his hand to his shoulder to staunch the bleeding, instead. he's definitely still shaken, paler than he should be; he hasn't lost that much blood, but--

he is very purposefully trying not to look at the object Jun is holding. ]

...I'm sorry. I don't-- I don't know what happened, I...

[ he trails off with a jerky shake of his head, looking Jun over to make sure he hadn't been hurt. --God, he would never forgive himself if his sudden lapse in sanity had caused his son to get hurt. ]

Are you okay...? It didn't hit, you, did it?

[-- Gah, seems like he didn't imagine that blood when he saw it earlier. With a concerned grimace, he'll reach back and pull up his cape - using his telekinesis to hold up the head as he rips a strip of the cape's fabrice off and raises it up to Abel's shoulder to help with the bleeding. ]

I'm fine. [He'll reassure his dad] It didn't touch me.

[Fortunately that looks to be the case too. Jun's got mud and blood on him - but none of the blood is from him, rather the horse and Abel himself

He hesitates before saying what admitting what he observed, as if he's still trying to wrap his brain around it himself]

You...froze up out there. You didn't even respond when I tried to call out to you. I...

[..."was scared", is the part he doesn't finish saying, but his insistent fussing is demonstrating.]

[ the wound isn't exceptionally deep, but sure is jagged from that super gross and decidedly Not Pleasant spine whip; Abel will be fine, it's just inconvenient if anything. but he lets Jun fuss if he wants to-- needs to, knit at his brow as some of the shock is beginning to fade. ]

...The--

[ head, he goes to say; he finds the words stick in his throat, and his eyes flicker toward the floating woman's head before he forces them back to his son with a grimace. ]

I don't know why, or what I saw-- but it was... horrible.

[ and Abel might play at being weak and harmless to hide his nature, but Jun knows better than anyone he is a relatively immovable object. there is very little that genuinely gets to him, but this... it definitely has. the brief recollection is enough to put a sickly caste to his face, but he's making a concerted effort to shake it off. ]

...Thank you. If you hadn't come when you did, then... things might've ended much worse, Jun. ...Really, thank you.

[And fuss he will. He'll focus on wrapping the wound the best he can with the strip of cloth that he has, ripping another strip when he needs more to cover it all. He knows his dad will probably be fine, he heals better than most people and it's not like it's a deep wound but-- well, seeing your parent take a blow is never easy to watch.]

Was... Do you think it was a memory? From the other life?

[That would make sense right? He was clearly having a negative reaction, and he zoned out the same way others would zone out when they recall such things. It could've been some mindgame of the Dullahan, but surely that'd affect Jun too.

Whatever it was...it must've been bad, to shake up his father this much. For all his dramatics, Jun had always known him as a rock when it came to things that mattered. You'd have to be, if you were trying to raise a kid as deeply troubled as Jun had been.

The thank you, well, he bites his lip and shakes his head]

You don't have to thank me, we're a team. [Yeah, thats it] B-Besides, if I had just been a little bit quicker, you wouldn't have gotten hit at all.

Edited 2022-03-29 01:36 (UTC)

...Please don't say that, Jun. If anything-- you might have been injured, too, so I'm glad we're both alright.

[ he doesn't want his son bearing any guilt or discomfort for quite literally saving his hide; Abel isn't sure how long it would've taken him to shake the stupor off himself. Jun had definitely kept the damage to a minimum.

he waits until the wound at his shoulder is dressed before gently lifting his hand, settling it atop a green head of hair. ]

We are a team, and... you've become quite reliable, haven't you? I'm really proud of you.

[ Jun didn't so much as hesitate to come in for the rescue, and that strike he'd dealt the Dullahan's steed had been... ah. more than adequate, to say nothing of how he managed to get them both out of there. ]

[Ah, the coveted proud headpat move. It does put a halt to any of Jun's attempts to criticize himself and his performance, instead making him blink owlishly as whatever he was going to say gets thrown to the wayside.

Dad's proud of him and thinks he's reliable. This is a big for him. Of course, he's a little awkward taking the compliment, feeling too embarrassing to look his dad in the eye as he responds. ]

Aha, well ... I guess being around reliable people rubbed off on me a little.

[Yeah, typical jun. Passing the praise off onto other people. But hey he's trying]

[ it's alright... Abel understands, and he knows Jun understands the sincerity behind those sentiments. they're both Weird with emotions, and Abel had been rather up front about it, so-- it's okay, he'll let him off the hook.

he's taking a little step back after gently ruffling that hair, heaving a quiet sigh as he realizes there is still...... the head, to deal with. ]

...Then I know you and I will be able to see this through. So let's finish what we started and get the hell out of here, mm?

Ah- Right!

[The mission! They got through the first obstacle, but now it was up that mountain. He'll take a step back, bumping into the head that's been floating next to him all that time. Oh, hello there. The head that freaked out Dad but they also need.

He's just going to quietly...unhook his cape and us it to wrap around the head. Yeah. That feels like a better idea. It's not like he wants to keep looking at this thing either]

Are you okay to move, though? Do you need to rest a little?

[ oh... good call, Jun; getting that thing out of sight is probably for the best. for both of them. but it's definitely doing his Dad a favor, for what that's worth.

Abel's pointedly attempting to ignore the existence of The Head for now, gently rolling his shoulder and taking a deep breath before offering a relatively easy smile. it's a bit worn around the edges, but-- it seems it's much more from some apparent PTSD he didn't even know he had for severed?? heads??? than getting whipped by the Dullahan, ]

I'm really alright. And you know-- the sooner we're done with this? The sooner I can take a nice, hot bath, change into my Blues Clues pajamas, and sleep in my own bed. So! Maybe I'm highly motivated to get this done with, mm?

[ ....can they have a sleepover

is Jun too old for sleepovers with his lame ass dad, ]

[Look he rather his dad not go into shock again, whatever it is that made him so freaked out about the head. Plus. Yeah. It's gross to look at. So once he has it wrapped and he uses one of his belts to secure the wrap, he'll tie it to his other remaining belt. There! Just try not to thinka bout how there's a human head resting against his hip. It's fine!]

Haha...I can't believe you still have those pajamas.

[Lame Dad. But it does get a faint smile out of him. ]

...Alright, then let's keep going. I even have some caramel pudding chilling in the fridge, if you need more motivation.

[Because you know, that's the food you eat when you do a good job. Rescuing Dad from the Spirit Realm? Definitely counts as that]

[ oh, that is DEFINITELY an occasion for caramel pudding if he ever heard of one!!

so Abel squeezes Jun's shoulder lightly before he'll fall into step beside him, following his lead. ]

You see...?! The reasons we have to get home are growing by the minute, Jun...!

[ home, bath, pajamas, pudding, sleepover.... what more could a man ask for?? suppose we can throw in ab absence in severed heads, too, huh, ]

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