MATTERS OF THE HEART

[sticksandbonesmods]

Who: Livio, Wolfwood, Elsword, Mizuki, Add, Heimr
What: heimrquest
When: several days after the bar is built, late in the evening
Where: ???????
Warnings: mentioned child death, mentions of plague, paranoia, supernatural-driven insanity, survivor's guilt, death, possession, impersonation, body horror. more will be added as needed.

The General Store isn't always the most bustling place, least of all in a small make-shift town of only a handful of people, each one more troubled than the last. But at some point, each and every one of you has needed something from Heimr today. Maybe it was just a bag of candy. Maybe it was something more pressing, or some groceries. Regardless, one by one he's tended to your needs, and you leave the store with little fanfare save for the fact that it's unusually foggy out this evening- not enough that you can't see other buildings...

Until you can't.

All around you is a heavy mist, and the scent of a wood fire and warm spices floats through the air. There's no turning back, so all you can do is move forward.

On an OOC note, the Choose Your Own Adventure threads will eventually merge into one group thread. Once this occurs, mod tags will occur after each involved character has tagged, or after 24 hours have passed. That said, if it looks like good banter or development is happening, the Mod will hold off a bit or until dramatic irony strikes.

LIVIO | WOLFWOOD | ELSWORD | MIZUKI | ADD
LAYER ONE
LAYER TWO
LAYER THREE
LAYER FOUR
LAYER FIVE

FIN?

Comments

[lupusxylem]

Could be askin' you the same thing.

[Wolfwood sounds exhausted, even though he didn't really do anything. More emotionally and mentally exhausted than physical, maybe.]

Are you okay? You were headed to the shop too, I'm guessin'.

[livlaughlove]

[liv stops just short of wolfwood, holding an arm out slightly to give him the choice of whether he's up for a hug. realizing he's got a pretty goddamn needy side also comes with realizing not everybody is always up for that.]

The shop? I... don't remember what I was doin' before...

What happened to you?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood falters as well, eyes darting as he looks Livio over with his arm extended. He's feeling so out of it that he doesn't realize what he's actually doing, at least not at first. It doesn't take long, though, and somehow that already-present ache in his chest only deepens.

...

He takes a step closer, putting one arm around Livio before thunking his forehead into his shoulder. It takes him...a long moment to actually speak.]

I got pulled into...a memory, I guess. Heimr...or Aldric's.

[The attempt is garbled, and doesn't come out as a proper word.]

[livlaughlove]

[probably tighter than he has yet, livio holds wolfwood steady against himself. the gravity of what he just saw hasn't really registered yet, especially not when he has someone else's wellbeing to focus on.]

Heimr before he was Heimr. [it's less a question and more an observation, seeing as...] I think I did, too. What did you see, Nick?

[lupusxylem]

[What did he see?

He saw a lot, actually. But the only thing he can think about- the one thing- is seeing that man holding that child, and the understanding that...at least in some universe, in some point in time, that was his father. He's still struggling to reconcile with that, and because of that he doesn't move as he stands there with Livio holding onto him, unable to say anything for a long while.]

They...we, were. Packin' up...to leave on an expedition. It was before the Grove was built, I think.

[livlaughlove]

[livio's head swims with the knowledge that wolfwood was there, all that time ago. the knowledge that livio was there, himself. he feels the memory in his very soul, more clearly even than the few times he's taken backseat to razlo without falling asleep.

he swallows, trying to force his heart back down his throat.]

I -- think this "past life" stuff might be real, Wolfwood.

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood feels it too, obviously. He hates that he does, but he does. The gravity of what he saw probably rings through to Livio in the way he's standing so stiffly against him, like he's fighting to keep control over himself, so he doesn't start shaking again.]

You think?

[He snaps, but he doesn't mean it. He regrets it pretty much immediately as it comes from his mouth.]

Fuck....sorry.

[simplicitas]

[*light synth* hey what's up

Elsword is here now, no longer threatening to noodle lake guardians and having made promises that are too big for his britches.]

Oh, hey guys. [...] Is my hair white or red?

[what]

[livlaughlove]

[liv doesn't hold it against wolfwood -- doesn't even flinch. he gets it. he rubs at nick's back and opens his mouth to say as much, but then they're no longer alone.

he loosens his grip in case nick wants to pull away -- doesn't want someone else to see him "weak" -- and blinks at elsword a couple times. is this a trick question?]

Uh... white?

[simplicitas]

I guess I'm back to normal, then.

[He does not explain. He's watching these two hug and hmmmmmmmmmm

Steps over

Adds himself to the hug.]

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood tenses a little, both at the sound of the new voice and Elsword inserting himself into what is now a three-person hug. Surprisingly though, he doesn't force himself out of it. Maybe he's just too out of it to do that, or really just needs the hug and doesn't realize it. Probably both.

He does pull back just enough to look at Elsword though, who seems to be the same from what he can tell.]

Elsword. You're here too?

[Oops he said his full name oops]

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki T-poses up through the floor and—

Kidding. He does spontaneously exist in this space now after the smoke fades and that’s, like, mildly alarming.

He feels like maybe he’s interrupting something, though? It’s fine. He’ll stand here and wait politely. ]

[simplicitas]

[Aww Wolfwood said his name :)]

Yeah, I'm here.

[And then Mizuki spawns in like a Bethesda glitch, and Elsword has immediate Jellyfish Senses™ and turns his head a bit toward the little guy.]

Come join the hug. They were hugging when I came in a minute ago.

[mooninthewater]

[ WELL if Elsword insists, he's immediately gonna smoosh himself into the hug. He can't put his arms around everyone reasonably, but he can put his tentacles around them, so, uh, have fun with the residual slime, everyone. ]

[harmacy]

[Add also stumbles in at this moment, drones hovering low at his sides. Everyone is here, so that's good, but... actually, no, he's not going to question why they're hugging. He's just going to quietly stand over here by himself.]

... Looks like everyone made it through okay. Is anyone injured?

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood doesn't really hug people. He barely hugs Vash, and he's his boyfriend. Livio is the only person in the world he would hug without question, has hugged without question, will continue to hug forever amen-

Anyway. He hugged Livio because he just experienced something extremely upsetting and nobody else was there. Livio is, like, his emotional support person.

Then Elsword popped up in the middle like a daisy. And then Mizuki appeared, surrounded them with his noodles-

Add? Is here too??? It's not like he can really move either way, he's being embraced by three people now.]

What is happening.

[livlaughlove]

[so he isn't ignoring add -- ] I think we're all fine.

[this is a lot of touch, yes. and livio can sense wolfwood wants to resist the 5x hug combo...

... so he squeezes nick more firmly. no escaping his Bear Grip. prepare for The Huggening™.]

[mooninthewater]

[ The Huggening Commence.

Which is to say, Add is getting grabbed by a couple of his tentacles and immediately pulled in to join the hug. Look at this! Heimr didn't mention that his Favorite People would be here — two of them even being his… ??? (title pending)

Anyway, he'll put Add between Elsword and himself, if that helps at all, and keep the tendrils wrapped around him. ]

[simplicitas]

[Brings the wings out

Wraps the wings around everyone :)]

[harmacy]

[What Is Happening

Add tolerated like 2 seconds worth of Heimr hug earlier but this is a LOT, he is going to wriggle. There is no hope of him actually escaping but he's still going to try.]

Mizuki— [trying to sound commanding but now there's feathers everywhere, your commander is being overstimulated girl help,]

[mooninthewater]

[ … Ah- ]

S-sorry. I got a little excited. Um. [ Noodles: dropped. Not that he can make Elsword drop the feathers, too, but maybe Add could duck out now a little more easily. He wants to at least hold Add’s hand or something, but… pbbbbththhtbth… ]

[lupusxylem]

[Wolfwood is! Also wiggling! Anything he could be saying is being muffled by Livio's chest though sorry he can't help with the protests he ain't going any-fucking-where]

[livlaughlove]

[the beast (wolfwood) has been released. livio is only a little sorry.

has he actually seen mizuki's tentacles before...

... that's going into the compartmentalization box, actually. he's seen enough tentacles today, thanks.]

[simplicitas]

[...okay fine the wings will be put away, and Elsword will let y'all live. No more hug.]

Heh, sorry. It's been a long time since I got a big group hug.

[He is going to unsubtly put his arms around Mizuki and Add's shoulders though hey how's it going.]

How's everyone doing? Unhurt, yeah, but other than that?

[harmacy]

[he is ducking OUT of the hug by exactly one (1) step, please give the science man some thinking space

okay

better.

He sighs, adjusting his hat and tie (the tie is still half-pulled and crooked why is he even bothering). Yes Elsword can shoulder-hug him now he'll tolerate this much.]

Anyway... I don't know what the rest of you have seen, but we're in Heimr's "heart" right now. The only way out is forward, so we'll have to progress deeper if we want to leave.

[which doesn't seem to be a threatening scenario, really, but other people might worry if they're gone for too long. plus it would be kind of rude to Heimr specifically.]