mykidisthebest

[takes up the rear in the hopes that his stealth will mean any mist wolves don't notice him and he can get a good shot in before they get close to Charon or Minuet. even with stealth on, he keeps his voice low]

He's stuffed full of nightmares and grief, isn't he? I'd be cranky too in that state. Also because of the hivemind, obviously.

[flicks Minuet a Look when he notices him being a little extra twitchy]

Relax. There's three of us here. We'll be fine.

[pauses to let them catch up, noses their non-gun hands in reassurance, and continues on…

the whispering and mist get thicker, though the artifacts and mask continue to keep the worst of it at bay. they’re outmaneuvering the mist wolves a little—for now, they can still hear them in the distance and it’s safe to assume they’ve got a bead on their scent. but Charon’s picking up pace, and eventually a pale flickering light can be seen in the distance, dim…]

[ THE TWO OTHER PEOPLE HERE IS IN FACT WHY HE'S ON EDGE, THANKS!!

He pets Charon's snout when he noses at his hand and keeps a close eye on Lethe bringing up the rear, but otherwise lets the man with the superpowered nose handle the hard part.

Squinting a little, voice still low ]

Do you think that's it...?

[Lethe does get momentarily distracted by the light, frowning like he's trying to figure out if that's what they're looking for. he gives Charon a few skritches behind the ear as he squints out into the distance]

Oh. Yeah, I think that's it. It's hard to tell, but...

[might as well get closer, right]

[his stupid traitor tail keeps giving his emotions away even if he’s hackles up at the same time

does a little affirmative whuff and picks up speed a little more, trusting them to keep up until they reach Lethe’s light wolf where it’s hovering in a small clearing.]

[ petition for Charon to have a tail forever

He hangs back this time, keeping an eye on their surroundings so Charon and Lethe than focus in on the ?name?wolf?

(Suddenly wonders if standing around watching a dude regain his lost identity is like. Intruding. Oh No.) ]

[when they get to the little clearing it is actually, at first glance, just a ball of light lying on the ground rather than in any particular shape. but then as the group approaches, it stretches and unfurls into a cat blinking tiredly up at them like they've interrupted its nap.

when faced with this small little whisper in the wind of a cat that is his name, Lethe freezes up]

I don't suppose you'll just come back nicely without having to talk about any Truths...? We don't have a great track record with that.

[the cat looks at him like he's stupid]

[don’t chase the cat don’t chase the cat don’t chase the cat don’t chase the cahahahaaaaaaat

wiggles]

[

Scritches Charon's ears to distract him. NOT NOW, CHARON ]

[he didn't actually think about the fact that he'd have to tell a truth and now that he has to he can only think about the ones he's not supposed to sayyyyyyyy

vibrates and tries not to panic

panics a little anyways]

Okay. Okay. Something easy, maybe...it doesn't have to be secret, just a truth. No secret skills required. I don't really care about saving the world. I just want to bring my brother's body home, give him a proper burial, and live with my family in peace. Even if it's just for a day, or a week, or three months. That's all I want to do with whatever time I have left.

[for a long, long moment, nothing happens, and Lethe looks ready to just leave the stupid cat and go find someone else's name. but then the cat takes a single step forward and gives a swipe at him--at which point the creature dissolves into motes of light that vanish into Lethe's chest.

wow! they did it! one down, easy.]

[he does a little lean against Minuet’s leg as they listen to Lethe recount that. at least Lethe’s secret isn’t something incomprehensible]

Are you all right?

[something was supposed to happen when they got a name back…Lethe’s not exploding…good start]

[ Oh.

He has nothing to add, which is probably fine since there's a lump in his throat. ]

[there's a flicker of emotion on his face--shame, embarrassment, guilt. by the time he takes a few steadying breaths and straightens up, it's just a mildly chagrined smile]

Yeah. It's embarrassing to say out loud, that's all. But it worked.

…

I love you both.

[abrupt, very graceless for Charon Lily, and sincere]

Let’s hurry on for now. Emotions when we’re out of the mist.

[ "EMOTIONS LATER," HE SAYS AFTER SAYING THAT!!!!

Takes a second to rally, gesturing to both of them. ]

Onward, then. Can you pick up the next one?

—CHARON

[wraps an arm around Charon like he's going to put him into a headlock but stops halfway and just ends up hugging him instead]

I love you too.

[clears his throat]

The next one is to the east of us.

[his ears flatten at the ‘I love you too.’ scents east without verbally responding to it right now!!!111 his tail is a blur]

He’s right. How did you know that?

[ Glances at Lethe (cute) -- how did he know that???? Minuet can't smell a damn thing. ]

[sniffs at the air, bemused]

Huh. I'm not really sure. It just smells like...a warm fireplace on a cold day. And soil from the garden. Like home? I don't know which of yours it is, though.

It’s Minuet’s.

[trotting forward again the wolf noises are getting nearer again better skedaddle]

[ Looks BAFFLED and kind of embarrassed ]

Huh? It is?!

[ HE'S FOLLOWING... ]

Ah. The soil should've given it away. Charon doesn't smell like soil.

[...sniffs the air next to Charon just to be sure.

he is also just following along, letting Charon guide their way since he IS still the best one to help them avoid mist wolves]

[the noises the mist wolves are making are growing distant again but also somehow louder at the same time? this is turning into that sequence in FF12 where you accidentally end up drawing like five t-rexes chasing you through the early game desert

they do have a momentary bigger problem when they pass into another clearing and a horrible shadowy Court fusion of wolves and deer and birds rounds on them from the other side though. oh fuck apparently those are harder to smell]

--How do you know he doesn't--

[ He stops mid-thought and wheels around, firing into the pack of mist creatures as if they're interrupting. For all his desire to talk it out, he's efficient and businesslike now: attempt to dispatch before they can get too close to Charon or Lethe ]

I just checked! Smell him yourself if you want to be sure.

[Lethe does not immediately shoot since Minuet is handling cover fire; he takes the time to aim at the center of the mass and brace himself against Charon in a wordless request to keep him upright.

they both have the senses to notice the shift in mana as Lethe pours a ton of it into his gun, gearing it up for something bigger than one of his usual shots. he waits until he's got a clear shot before he fires a large mana beam at the thing--not quite enough to kill it, but it's obvious enough that he's trying to keep both light and sound to a minimum so they don't attract more.

also the kickback from the shot will make him topple over if Charon doesn't keep him upright so hopefully Charon is doing that, thanks in advance Charon]

Re: day 9?, into the mist after moonrise

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