mykidisthebest

[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]

[he started spell casting just in case but y’all seem to have it handled so he just grabs Lethe’s shirt in his teeth to keep him upright yeah.

the bullets and mana don’t exactly destroy the thing, but they do kind of explode it into smaller less coordinated pieces that have a harder time even getting across the clearing at them. the ooze at their edges seems to be reforming and melting back together, though, and they’re still reaching for the trio, with the silent anguish of all the trapped creatures within.

Charon hesitates and then leads them to the left of the mess, which seems to be gathering less effectively. they’re rushing still but he’s not doing a headlong run anymore in case he sends them straight into another one.

on the bright side, it doesn’t take long for that second light to pop up after that!]

[ ... ,, LOOKS AT LETHE ]

Holy shit.

[ He's following hastily behind Charon and keeping an eye on Lethe to make sure he doesn't damsel faint and land on his face. As they approach closer to the light, it seems to be a...

Lightbulb? ]

[wow he would never damsel faint where anyone could see it. probably. sticks close to both of them as they head for the light, only to skitter to a stop in surprise when they find the thing.

raises a single eyebrow and looks at Minuet like, 'this you?']

...I can see the family resemblance with your sisters.

[…says nothing here, just gives Minuet a supportive nudge forward]

[ Of course it's this

He offers a chagrined sort of shrug before approaching the bulb, crouching down to peer into it ]

[ What does he say here? He hadn't really thought about it until this exact moment; he's silent for a long while, turning things over in his head.

Ultimately he decides to just pretend he is talking to one of his sisters, like he might have back home. ]

I got sloppy. I ended up promising a lot of people that I'd try to be happy. I'm not sure I know how to do it, though -- it's been a really long time. Or if it's even okay, while you're still not free.

[ He lifts a hand to the illusory glass ]

I know what you'd say, though. So I'm still gonna try.

[ After a moment, a hand reaches back from within the bulb, fingers long and feminine and distinctly alien. When their palms meet across the glass, the apparition dissolves into him, leaving them in a regular old mist clearing.

STANDS AND BRUSHES HIMSELF OFF LIKE NONE OF THAT JUST HAPPENED. GOOD TALK. ]

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