sticksandbones | If it were the real me and you

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If it were the real me and you | OPEN

Who: Wolfwood and YOU!
What: Wolfwood schedules a cult book burning and invites everyone
When: March 10th
Where: The Church
Warnings: Relevant info for this event can be found here, general warnings for: monster attack which could lead to blood/gore/etc in threads, please tag accordingly! Will update as needed

Netbook | Morning

Hey everyone, it's me Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood if you're new.

So, here's the deal. The church I bought has a problem. It came with a bunch of religious texts inside of it, and while that's...you know. What you'd expect in a church, these ones are like

super fuckin culty.

Not exactly what I asked for. Not that I asked for them at all. I keep trying to get rid of them but they keep showing up again later so

Basically Im gonna be burning them again this evening if anybody wants to come to the bonfire, or help me in getting rid of them cause theres a shit ton. Bring marshmallows or whatever, I dont care.

and before someone comes preaching to me about burning books, again: its cult propaganda bullshit. read it for yourself if you dont believe me
just make sure you chuck it in the fire afterwards or ill do it myself.

Church | Evening

[Should you choose to come to the Church later that evening for whatever reason, you'll find the Priest himself already hard at work setting up a pyre in the yard just outside of it. (Just look for the massive bound cross propped up nearby, you can't miss it.) With the way he loads up the firepit he's created with kindling, it's clear he's already had to do this once before. It's a bit tricky to find anything dry given that the snow is still on the ground in a lot of places, but he's making do with what he's got. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Beyond getting the fire going, there's a matter of getting the aforementioned books out of the church. It's just as Wolfwood described, should you grow curious and crack one open. They're very religious, but strangely...plant focused. Like it's a religion that revolves around the Forest itself, almost. Definitely nothing orthodox about this, that's for sure. There are quite a number of them to take care of as they've all refilled the church pews since the last time he did this.

Or, perhaps you're just here because you think bonfires are cool and want to simply enjoy yourself for a change. The Forest seems to have had its fun with the animal race given that everyone's back to normal at this point, so really, why not kick back and enjoy the warmth of the flames while it isn't sub-zero temperatures outside anymore?

Feel free to mingle...or don't. Perhaps the distant unease in the atmosphere is enough to stop you.]

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i. Howl, Seven Days to the Wolves — Around the Grove

[Vash wakes up in the morning with a sickening feeling in his gut. It's a sensation that's hung over him over the last few weeks, only it seems thousands of times worse when he opens his notebook and sees what's scrawled inside. He wants to protest. He wants to scream in his face that this is a terrible idea.

But he doesn't. This is Wolfwood's call, and it's not like Vash is the biggest fan of what's written in the books. They're close enough to home for him to feel distinctly uneasy, so maybe he should just relax.

... Naturally, he proceeds to not do that. He's on his feet almost instantly, and dressed just as quick. The only thing that stops him from rushing out is Angelina, who he turns to with a nervous smile.]

It'll all be okay! Don't worry baby girl.

[Not that that keeps him from taking her out once more. Maybe you'll find him along the shore of the river, playing with her until she's worn out and panting. He'll put on his best smile if he's spotted, but there's something shadowed behind his eyes.

(If you happen to peek through the window and see him putting a little extra food out, don't judge. Don't judge the extra bowl of water, either. He'd rather be wrong and have a spoiled dog, than something else.

Eventually, he takes up his now deeply familiar, if slightly modified, patrol around the perimeter of the grove. The circuit is a bit smaller, and centered around the church today.

Funny how his hand doesn't go far from his gun, either.]

ii. Where Will We Be When They Come? — At the Church/Bonfire

[Vash... doesn't exactly want to be here. He's taken a cautionary stance on the the Forest and its needs, preferring not to anger it out of fear of what it might do in kind. Never mind the fact that he desperately wants to hope that there's something that might be done to redeem it.

But his earlier fear has grown, just as the the flames of the bonfire do. He lingers at the edge of the festivities, hand on his hip with his fingers just barely brushing the gun. He tries to offer a reassuring smile to anyone that passes, but it fades just as quickly.

He just wants tonight to be over.]

[Vash isn't the only one out and about. With Wolfwood's message to everyone, Pure Vanilla has felt on edge. He has been told not to anger the forest and the things within it, and he can't help but feel this might do exactly that. So like Vash, Pure Vanilla is wandering to keep an eye out, gently using the end of his staff to etch symbols into the ground here or there. Just alert systems. In case.

He's taking a break and simply walking when he catches sight of Vash on patrol. For a moment he simply watches the other, keeping a respectful distance, until he notices how on edge the other seems. His hand hovering near his weapon, the tight way he moves. He waits until they spots each other, raising his hand in greeting before walking over, so as to not startle the other.]

Is everything well, my friend?

[Is it or relieving that he isn't the only one out and about. He can't say he knows what Pure Vanilla is doing, but even from a distance Vash can tell that they share a similar level of strain. Maybe that's what draws him closer. Otherwise, he might have simply given a nod and a simple response before scurrying onward.

He doesn't necessarily want to talk about what's on his mind. But trying to reassure someone? He can do that, at least.]

As well as they can be. [His voice is a few notes off of chipper, a failed attempt at trying to put Pure Vanilla's mind at ease.] What are you up to out here?

[The way Vash's voice attempts, and fails, to be cheerful tells Pure Vanilla all he needs to know. He nods gently, more in agreeance to the tone of voice than the words, and sighs to the question. His fingers tighten around the staff, a two handed position more aligned for someone who is ready for action or on edge, than his usual one handed grip.]

There is tension in the air. I do not know if it is entirely caused by Wolfwood's announcement, or something else, but...

["But" hangs there. The Staff is looking elsewhere as Pure Vanilla converses, and Pure Vanilla offers a mildly apologetic shrug.]

It has put me ill at ease, so I have taken to placing warding symbols. I do not know if they will work here, but should something from outside the grove try to come in, it should give us a brief warning.

[From their previous interactions, Vash might have thought that Pure Vanilla wasn't much of a fighter. With his gentle voice and preferences for talking about food, he certainly wouldn't have been pegged as someone who knew what to do in a situation like this. Maybe one day Vash will ask after it. For now, he notes the way he's positioned his hands, a practiced movement and one that puts him at the ready for anything.

He tries to use this to reassure himself. That if anything happens, they'll all be ready.]

You feel it too, huh? [He exhales, though none of the tension in his body seems to fade.] Not to cast doubt on you but... do you really think those symbols of yours will do anything against this?

[He doesn't mean to come off as pessimistic. He's just witnessed first hand the way this world plays with natural abilities.]

[There is much Vash doesn't know about this Peepaw, and for now, Pure Vanilla will keep it that way. Instead he sighs, and leans on his staff, and frowns down at the ground. He thinks about the broken bed board in his house that vanished, he thinks about the door behind the Inn.

The souls trapped within the insects. And grimaces, his expression turning pinched.]

I truly do not know. Will they stop anything from entering? Perhaps not. But it should warn us.

[Or do nothing at all, and that is what Pure Vanilla is afraid of the most. His magic relies on the Moon, and the Moon here is.... bizarre. It follows the same waxing and waning but... something about it shifts. It's unstable. His powers may be as well.]

A warning is... enough.

[It has to be. If he thinks about an attack, about being ambushed, his heart starts to jackrabbit. He glances nervously toward the church, thinking of Wolfwood there on his lonesome. He can't even remember if he has the Punisher right now, or if he'd left it at home.

This was stupid. This was all so stupid. He should have put up more of a fight.]

Thank you. For doing that.

[He tries to keep his voice even, keep his voice from breaking beneath the weight of ever What If that crosses his own mind. He blinks hard, hoping that the burning behind his eyes will go away.]

If there's anyone you can convince to stay inside, maybe that's worth doing...

[Will it be? Pure Vanilla keeps his doubts to himself. He has failed before. He may yet fail again. Instead he draws himself up a bit more, tries to find the confidence in himself that his friends had re-instilled, and reaches out to touch Vash's arm as he sees the other blink like that. Just a gentle squeeze, and the same thing he do for Wolfwood later. A little boost to his energy, a soft healing that feels like a warm blanket that settles around him. A little shield, a bolster.]

It is my honor to help, my friend. Please, keep hope in your heart. That everything will be fine, and our ill feelings are simply born out of concern and love.

[HAHA IF ONLY HE KNEW.

Letting Vash's arm go, he returns his hand to his staff and nods gently.]

I will do my best to talk people into remaining indoors. I hope my words will reach them.

[There's quite a few who seem completely stubborn...]

[There's a brief moment in which Vash shies back. His eyes warily study Pure Vanilla. There's no reason to distrust the man, but he also isn't so eager to be touched. Not today, not when he needs every sense to be on alert elsewhere. But even he has to admit that comfort comes from that gentle gesture. He closes his eyes, relishing the warmth that just barely takes the edge off the chill creeping over his body.]

I'll try.

[He lifts his hand up, patting the top of Pure Vanilla's own just once, before lowering it once more. He can't promise more than he already has, but... at least they can admit it's something.]

All we can do is try. And keep trying until we're blue in the face. [His gaze shifts toward the forest.] And then, maybe we fight like hell.

[He will note the shy back and tuck it away for later. He has to remember humans are not like cookies, and touch may not be common place. But at least the brief healing seems to have worked some in relaxing the other.

For a moment Pure Vanilla is silent, looking out in the direction Vash is. When he finally speaks, his voice is soft, slightly sad.]

If it truly comes to that, then you may find me by your side, my friend.

[He takes a little look around, then offers Vash a slight smile.]

Thank you for pausing in your duties to speak with me, it has put my heart further at ease. Please, do not let me keep you any longer from your patrol.

Maybe I'll hold you to that.

[He won't. If Pure Vanilla chose to back down or preserve himself, that would be just fine in Vash's book. He doesn't want anyone to put themselves at risk, especially over something that could be avoided. Vash would put it all on the line to protect others, but he still possessed the capacity to understand when others couldn't.]

Stay safe. And when this all blows over, maybe we can sit down and enjoy that jelly pizza?

[He tries to force a smile, but rather than offering Pure Vanilla a sunny thing that didn't reach his eyes, Vash gives up halfway through. He looks down to the dirt, then lets out a bone deep sigh.]

Or not.

[He doesn't really give the other man a chance to answer. Instead he continues on his path, though this time he's careful to watch the ground and not disturb any runes that Pure Vanilla may have drawn in his path.]

[ Phantom doesn't exactly want to be here, either. After he'd satisfied his curiosity by looking at some of the aforementioned texts earlier (before they were later burned this evening, of course), and after he had greeted the priest...he returned to the church later that evening for two things.

One, to spectate and observe. Not merely the burning of the texts, but also the others; those poor, unfortunate souls who was in the same boat as he. Some of them are already quite familiar to him, while the rest...not so much.

Two, it was to his chagrin that his little friend, the grey catlike being with a white flower sprouting from his left ear (that the Feline had taken to call Raoul) and a couple other...plantlike characteristics, had gone missing. He had searched for him in the inn and around the Grove's perimeters (keeping a fair distance from the fog wall, of course), but he couldn't find him.

In the end, he found himself here — lingering on the edge of this odd 'festival', one that belongs to Wolfwood and the other residents.

Not alone, apparently. He would have tried using his shadow Arts to conceal himself, but by now, he was aware that it's futile. For some unknown reason, it won't work when he was around others in the Grove.

...Perhaps he should have worn his cloak of the night instead. Or at least his own black cloak, which he left in his room at inn. He frankly felt rather naked without it.

Instead, he glanced at the blond, noticing the forced smiles, but especially the fact that he kept his hand on his hip, fingers just barely brushing his holstered gun. ]

...You seem to be on your guard. [ He offered, quietly, from Vash's side. Perhaps he wasn't there a moment ago. No matter. Phantom is here now. ] That is good. It's much better if we keep our wits about us.

[ Vash wasn't the only one who didn't part with his weapon. The dark-haired man hardly ever part with his knives, too — they sat inside their respective sheaths, strapped to the side of his thigh. His own fingers unconsciously brush the handle of the nearest one as he spoke. ]

We never know where the night might take us, after all, and the shadows of the trees...looks heavier than it was before. Can you see them?

Edited 2024-03-07 19:19 (UTC)

[Vash isn't so bothered about having his posture read so easily. For once, he isn't even trying to put on an act. If he's lucky, the others will see his stance and think twice about participating. He might not have been able to convince Wolfwood to stand down, but at least he can dissuade others from showing up.]

Some of us have to keep our eyes open, right? [It isn't meant to disparage anyone actually enjoying themselves. Lord only knew that they needed it. And if him being on guard meant the peace would last, so be it.

He doesn't like that someone else is confirming his fear, however. Especially when he talks like that. The ambiguity makes the hair on the back of his neck prickle.]

Can't say I've seen it. But I also can't say I'm surprised. [He pats the gun against his hip once.] We'll be ready for it, though.

[ After a closer observation (since the Feline was good at reading body language, being a former stage actor), Phantom could catch the gist of what the blond was actually trying to do. Combined with his verbal response, it certainly serves as confirmation of the other man's true intention.

...Though, despite his unease, he neither judges Wolfwood for his actions nor does he tried to dissuade others from participating in the burning. As a recent arrival, he felt that it wasn't his place, even if the...notion about past lives were true. Even so...that doesn't mean he feels any less uneasy, in addition to his general anxiety about being in a place with so many people like this. What if something happens again — no, what if he accidentally lost control, and gave in to the VOICE and its commands? Even now, it was taunting and mocking him in his mind, telling him that he was such a coward. Look at all these potential audience members, Lucian. Aren't you going to grace them with the beauty of your voice?

He tries to shake it off. The presence of the other helps. He might not know Vash yet personally - at least not in their current incarnation, perhaps - but he could tell that the blond has a certain warmth about him that he found himself naturally gravitating towards, much like Pure Vanilla.

Even if it was currently rather obscured, either by the same uneasiness that was creeping into his own heart, or...something else entirely. Phantom nods. ]

And our ears sharp. [ He understood. He hadn't seen nor dealt with a direct threat firsthand from the Forest, but...he wasn't an idiot. He had read some of those texts before they were burned. That, combined with what he knew about the entity so far made his skin itch, as if thousand of insects had crept up underneath it in the dead of night. Once again, he nods. When he offered his response, his voice was quieter than before. ] I hope so. The spirits of the dead...they are rather restless. Perhaps that, too, is a warning.

[ He didn't tell Vash to try to relax and enjoy the night. They were plainly two peas in a pod. Instead, he said: ]

...I was originally about to ask if you saw a certain companion of mine. But I suppose not. Perhaps he had returned to the embrace of the Forest, since he was never mine to begin with, merely something borrowed.

Edited 2024-03-09 12:03 (UTC)

[This man is new, and Vash himself hasn't had the chance to meet him. Nevertheless, as his gaze continues to sweep over him, he begins to pick up the tiny details. Whether or not his physique shows it, it's clear that he's at least thinks himself capable. For now, Vash is willing to believe that much. Maybe it's because he shares the Plant's sentiment and discomfort, or perhaps it's something more. Either way, there's no sign of skepticism in his posture.]

I wasn't aware the spirits were acting up. Not exactly something that makes you feel good about the course of the evening, though. [He tries and fails to inject a layer of humor into his voice.]

But we don't need to dwell on that, right? [Especially if they're of a similar mind.] What's this about a companion?

[ It was, truthfully, rather the other way around: while his physique shows that he was certainly capable of dispatching whatever threat that the Forest might throw their way, the state of his mind...well, despite how quietly self-assured he might have sounded, that was, in actuality, an act.

Because in truth, Phantom wasn't entirely certain if he could deal with that doom that they were possibly inviting with this event, once it manifested itself beyond a mere shadow cast upon their gathering.

Even so, he was trying to believe that. And...it was most certainly easier to do so - to fool himself into believing - with a likeminded person by his side. ]

...Ah. My apologies. It was...an old habit of mine. [ He could tell the failed attempt at humour, although he...was bad at comforting others. Thus, the Feline simply sent the other a knowing glance, perhaps a little awkwardly so. ] Although most people tend to take my words as a metaphor. But...I apologise if it makes you feel even more uneasy.

[ At least he tried, and the apologies were sincere. He nodded at what Vash said next. ]

Yes. Well...he is a small, catlike animal. I could draw him for you, if I have another piece of paper with me other than that notebook — erm, the one we used to communicate with each other. Let me try to describe him for you... [ He's not very good with words, unless he's putting on an act — for example, being 'Phantom' instead of Lucian. ]

...He's about this large. [ He makes a vague gesture with his hands: a small animal, as he'd stated, as large as a grown, average cat. ] Has a...white flower growing from one of his ears, and his gray fur felt a little bit more like moss than a cat's. He smells a bit like mushrooms, too. Usually, he would climb to my shoulder and tag along ever since he broke into my room in the inn, but tonight...well, I could not find him.

[ Not that he had a bad feeling about it or anything. Perhaps the little guy was simply bored. ]

He is called Raoul. At least, I have taken to call him that. Have you, perhaps, seen him?

Edited 2024-03-10 06:07 (UTC)

You mean one of the Plantimals?

[That was what they were called, right? The small creatures that incorporated the organic parts of the forest? He'd seen a few here and there, attracted to spaces like the high eaves of the Church and other such places. He'd seen a lot, but he can't recall having seen one specifically like that.

Which means he gives Phantom the most guilty of guilty dog looks. As if it's somehow his fault.]

Afraid I haven't really seen much. Though I haven't really had a mind for tiny things.

[His brain is focused on the bigger picture. The bigger, flaming picture of book burning and oppressive shadows closing in. Vash finds himself chewing on his lip idly. He cranes his neck as if to search the trees for said missing cat creature but...]

I can keep an eye out. But I... don't think I can promise much, tonight.

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If it were the real me and you | OPEN

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around the grove

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ii. at the church/around the bonfire

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