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WHO: Wrathion, Anduin, Kaneki
WHEN: Early March
WHERE: Ke-Waihu
WHAT: Investigating wells and trying to make friends with a spooky snakey friend
WARNINGS: Potentially some discussion of child kidnapping, harm to children, and if a snakey lady friend might be... eating children.

Dead ends.

Nothing but dead ends.

Wrathion paces by the well, turning over everything he knows as he waits for the others to arrive.

Kaneki had said she was a mother looking for a child.

Children had gone missing, three daughters one son. No common location. All over the last ten days.

His theory about the dark water, too, may be amounting to nothing. It seems their slithering friend predates it by around a year -- divine punishment.

Frustrating.

She hasn't been witnessed eating these children, so there's a chance they are still on the right course, but neither have they any proof of anything else.

Frustrating. Wrathion handles frustration poorly. He likes to make clear progress, to plan, to work towards a goal -- but the goal is still unclear here. The path is forked, and he knows not which one they are taking

Are they helping a creature, or killing a monster? Are they going entirely down the wrong path, and will they imminently find out she knows nothing and has simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time?

Will children keep vanishing, all the while?

Having no solid lead is agonising, especially when time... continues to grow short.

He can only hope they don't run out.

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Wrathion looks up as the others begin to approach once more, glancing back toward the well and down into its murky waters.

"This well looks normal enough, at first glance," he begins, "I have learned that our dear friends here never quite fixed the dark waters last they arrived. Apparently the problemed seemed to largely go away and then return on its own. They believe it to be a divine punishment."

His tone says he doesn't particularly believe this. Stopping he turns back toward them, lifting one hand to rub thoughtfully at his beard. Even if it looks normal at a glance, it may still be worth investigating close up -- if everyone is amenable. Of course, that is unless one of them has something else more pressing.

"Did we learn anything else?"

After spreading out to investigate. Any new leads?

Anduin frowns slightly. Being a priest, the very idea of divine punishment makes him uncomfortable. He would like to argue that it doesn't work that way, but -- well, that's besides the point.

"I have a bad feeling about all of this," Anduin says, perhaps unnecessarily. He glances between his two companions, then down at the well itself. Wrinkling his nose at the dark liquid beyond.

"The snake woman the villagers are accusing of the abductions seems to have appeared just before these dark waters did," he points out. "She seems to have taken to hiding in abandoned barns or wells herself, from what the rumors have said. Do we suppose the two are related?"

They believe everything to be a punishment or atonement or a curse or spirits. And sure, in this world? Kaneki would not doubt it, but with the amount of things going on in this place, he has a hard time accepting it's all due to just angry spirits. Plus, kaneki does not believe in the supernatural. To him, those are all just beings powerful enough to do something that humans do not understand.

"The witches who gave me the information found the woman pitiful. They did not speak of her with fear." they simply mocked her. "They see her differently from the villagers." To Kaneki, that says a lot. While they weren't willing to share a lot more information on this, they did not seem to worry about it either. It could mean the witches have protection... or that the creature isn't that menacing.

"I was reminded not everything is necessarily a clue." not everything is related. "But coincidences in a place like this sound far-fetched, too." and Kaneki is far too paranoid to believe in coincidences as well.

He leans forward to look at the bottom of the well - it's too dark down there, so that's not possible, but the idea of just going down there on his own crosses his mind. Kaneki has little self-preservation, but if something does happen to his dead body, that would be an issue, wouldn't it? Perhaps it's best not to, thus he keeps the thoughts to himself, although he still feels like they won't find anything if they don't risk a little. "Shall we go down there?"

Edited 2022-03-20 00:05 (UTC)

"The villagers seem to believe the dark water can spread. There must be something to it."

Yet what? What was it, then, if not connected? A different curse of some sort? It does, admittedly, making him a little wary of touching it.

"Anduin," he prompts. "Could you levitate one of us?"

To avoid anyone falling directly into it, or unwittingly touching the water should they chose not to.

"Some rope might be wise too," he adds. In case something happens to grab one of them, and they need hauling out by force. Nothing may happen at all, but it's always better to be cautious when you can afford to.

That's... Not comforting at all, frankly.

"I can, yes," Anduin replies, with a nod. He glances back down into the depths of the well, before casting an eye around their surroundings. Perhaps there is a rope somewhere in the farmhouse nearby?

"The levitation should last long enough to get a look around down there," Anduin explains, "but it's not foolproof. And it's not a flying charm. It will keep you off the surface, and it will slow your fall. But we'll still need to find a way to get you out of there one way or the other."

A beat.

"Well, you in the figurative sense. I suppose we will need to decide which of us will be going in."

Levitate?

Kaneki looks back at Anduin, wondering about that - magic, perhaps? Or maybe a power like telekinesis, that could work too. Honestly, Kaneki should have asked them what their abilities were before they started this whole thing.

But when they point out the difficulties going down the well might pose, Kaneki glances back at it.

Okay. Okay...

"I can help with the rope, but then I don't think I can go down there." he doesn't have a rope, no. But- kaneki sighs as he accepts he does need to show his own abilities (so to speak), and from his lower back, four red tendrils emerge. And lucky for everyone involved, said tendrils can actually reshape themselves into something that looks like a thorny rope. It's kind of gross and Kaneki is aware of it, but it works.

"One of you can use this to climb down there, it won't break. But that means I will have to stay up here."

Wrathion glances over as Kaneki begins to speak, thoughtful, then immediately goes tense as the tendrils emerge -- one hand lifted instinctively to ward Anduin back from... whatever this is.

His eyes narrow, wary.

Tentacles just tend to have a... bad association, and this is very tentacle-like to his eye.

"That," Wrathion points out, "is not a rope."

He's just saying. Note a rope. Just, for the recording. Just so we're clear.

Anduin appreciates the arm that Wrathion lifts protectively in his direction, considering whatever he had expected -- it had not been that.

No. It most definitely is not a rope. But if Kaneki can help...

He reaches out a hand to lay on Wrathion's arm, the touch gentle and aiming for reassurance. (He had not been involved with the fight against the old gods but he had read the reports, at least enough to understand something of Wrathion's tension...)

"We will not need the help getting down," Anduin says. "But we may have the need to... Escape quickly." He glances aside to Wrathion, then back at Kaneki. "Would you be able to pull me out with those?"

Oh, he for SURE should associate Kaneki's tentacles as something bad because they are not good at all. But they can be useful. And they are nearly indestructible, strong, and can take a lot of weight, so grabbing someone and pulling them out of the well if needed is actually really easy.

"It's not a rope." Kaneki agrees by simply stating the obvious just like Wrathion did.

"And yes. I would." Kaneki usually uses them to kill, but he has used them to save people before too. And has indeed used them to grab people before they fell onto their death, so this is something he is certain he can do.

The look Wrathion shoots Anduin says he is not at all keen on the idea of Kaneki pulling him out of the well with those things.

In fact, he'd much prefer Kaneki didn't touch Anduin with them at all.

He lets out a low growl of discontent, tongue running over his teeth as he thinks.

"You have control over them?"

Just to be clear, Kaneki, this isn't something you can... lose control of? There can be no accidents?

Anduin gives Wrathion a look in return that states he will be fine, although he knows full well that if Wrathion has got it in his head that he needs to protect him from this, then there will be no reasoning with him.

For the record, he had been trying to step up and do this so you didn't have to, Wrathion. Just so we're clear here.

Taking a step forward, he puts a reassuring hand on Wrathion's arm. The well is too narrow for the pair of them to fit inside together. It will need to be one, or the other.

"I can go..." he offers, knowing Wrathion will likely protest anyway.

He won't use them if people are nervous - it's not something one should be nervous around. Kaneki has amazing control over his abilities and he is able to shape and reshape his kagune with so much ease. But the other party must be fine with it, because it is still deadly. And if someone is ready to freak out over it, then it's better not to use them at all.

And honestly, he doesn't want to try to justify and explain his abilities. People either accept it or not-

So the red tendrils pull away and they eventually fade away into dust, while Kaneki nods.

"We use something else." or "Or I can go down there on my own and pull myself in and out on my own." he can do that, he can use his own tendrils to do it. He doesn't particularly want to touch the black water, but- well.

Edited 2022-03-30 23:08 (UTC)

On the one hand, Wrathion has absolutely nothing against someone else putting themselves at risk so neither Anduin nor he have to.

On the other, he suspects Anduin will judge him if he allows it without some effort.

His eyes dart to the hand on his arm, and Wrathion frowns in thought -- spinning them problem around in his mind.

"It's better you don't," he says to Anduin finally. "You can heal either one of us if something happens. If you're injured and unable to heal I'd be unable to help you."

He's not sure about Kaneki, but unless he's some manner of shadow priest it hasn't been... quite the ability skillset he's advertised.

Anduin takes a breath, frowning between the pair of them, before nodding. He doesn't particularly enjoy hanging back -- more often than not that is the case. He is the king after all, they cannot allow to risk him. All the same, he sees Wrathion's reasoning. If he is incapacitated, it will do none of them any good whatsoever.

"Yes, alright," he replies. "Here. Ready yourselves." After a moment's hesitation, he takes a step back, before reaching out and casting levitate on them both. In a burst of energy, they will find themselves suddenly hovering a foot or two above the ground. "The well is wide enough. You both can fit down, provided you do not need to move around too much. Or you can decide amongst yourselves which one it will be and we can disable it on the other."

He glances between the pair of them. "I have another spell that I can use to pull you out as well," he explains. "But it will only work on one of you at a time."

Kaneki doesn't need to be healed (pro...bably. Well, he doesn't know what the dark liquid does, magic could maybe hurt him. But he immediately assumes it won't because it's easier to do).

But it doesn't matter.

Being levitated is weird enough, but at least Kaneki knew it was going to happen, so he just tries to keep his balance. "You can decide." Honestly? The two of them know each other and trust each other - Kaneki is the outsider here. So it's a lot easier to just let them make the decision if that's something they want to do. Kaneki knows how to get in and out of the well without spells and magic if push comes to shove, so he is particularly worried about going inside.

he is more worried about what they will find there, but that's a whole other thing.

Wrathion considers it a long moment, eyes squinted in thought.

Very technically, he could get himself out of the well if he wanted to -- but it would be showy in a way he doesn't want to really display just yet.

"If you can drag yourself out with those," we mean the tendrils but we're not sure the polite term for them Kaneki, "then you might have the best chance -- Anduin can pull you if that fails. The levitate will keep you from having to stand in the water, you can hover over it."

An active method, Kaneki can rely on himself, and a backup, Anduin can pull him with magic if for some reason that goes awry. That all seems the most reliable way to go about things.

Anduin nods at this. It sounds as though they have a decent plan, even if they have no idea what awaits them down inside the well itself.

"It should slow your fall as well," Anduin says. "All you need do is -- jump. Though if it makes you feel uncomfortable..."

Kaneki is certainly welcome to lower himself down any other way on his own.

He offers a reassuring smile. "We will be right here, should you need any assistance."

So far, attempts to lure their friend into the open have failed. She appears to flee quickly, despite Kaneki having left her offerings, and is uncommonly hard to hunt.

Used to hiding, Wrathion would presume.

She's been seen around wells, empty houses and stables but Wrathion has yet to see her himself by simply waiting.

Which means, they may need... bait.

"On the off chance we're wrong and she has been taking children, using one as bait seems unwise."

Watching her rip one apart would be an unpleasant start to the night. He stands, arms folded as he looks around the abandoned house they've occupied.

"Food hasn't drawn her out. We may need to become more... creative."

The moment "bait" is mentioned, Kaneki's body tenses. Using one as bait isn't just unwise: Kaneki will immediately refuse any idea of it.

"No person will be used as bait." not a request and not a suggestion, but a statement. Kaneki will not continue if a person is used as bait, regardless of their age, and that is his hard limit.

But that does make it harder for all of them too, doesn't it? The haunted doll Kaneki carries in his backpack reminds him that they do have something that looks like a child and perhaps he could use it, but he also knows this doll continuously comes towards Kaneki and there is a big chance it could simply disappear in the middle of it all (and that would be a huge bother).

But... they could use other dolls, right? "Perhaps use children's clothes?" not the child, but their scent?

Anduin watches Kaneki tense as Wrathion mentions using village children as bait, and he supposes that perhaps Wrathion should be a bit more careful about his words in front of people who are not as familiar with his mannerisms as Anduin is himself.

He shoots Wrathion a look that says careful as he voices his own reply.

"It might work, I suppose. Or perhaps..."

He glances aside at Wrathion, raising his eyebrows as he does. "The shawl?"

"It depends on what draws her out. We're still not certain she's connected to the children at all, but so far that is our only lead. If she's searching by scent, and will be curious even if she cannot see anything that would work. If not..."

Then she needs to see a child. If she has a more elaborate sense altogether...

Wrathion scratches at his beard thoughtfully, pacing the perimeter of the abandoned house.

"We can try it, but we need a firmer plan for if she appears. She may run as soon as any of us approach."

In fact, he's quite certain she will.

Indeed, they do. There is no point trying different decoys if they don't have a plan on how to deal with the woman.

Kaneki is sure she will run, as well. Which brings the question: "Are we cornering her? I mean, each of us can find a strategic point so we can stop her, if she tries to run." make a triangle with her and the decoy at the center and make sure to go for it at the same time. "But if she is trying not to be caught, there is chance if she is cornered, she will fight back."

Are they ready to fight her?

Anduin frowns at the direction this discussion is going.

Luring her out into the open. Cornering her. He had hoped they might be able to try and communicate in some way, if -- there were any way of doing so at all. He has a feeling that such methods may not endear her to the group, if so.

He glances around, doing his best to think quickly on his feet.

"Should we not... Give her an offering of some sort?" Anduin wonders aloud. He realizes how that might sound, but perhaps Wrathion will understand what he means.

Wrathion's eyes flit between Kaneki and Anduin thoughtfully, arms folded, fingers tapping at the fabric of his coat as his considers this.

"I'd rather not begin with aggression, but if she won't appear to us willingly we have to assume there's a good chance she'll flee on being found out, or be hostile. We need to be prepared for both, especially when we're uncertain of her intentions to begin with."

Worth remembering: everyone has sympathy for her, wants to help her if they can, but there is a chance she isn't interested in help. There is a chance this will end poorly.

"If there's a chance she'll run, limiting her exits will help us. Equally, however, perhaps she could be... encouraged to stay calm."

Which is within Anduin's skillset, if he's inclined to do so. He taps his fingers against his arm thoughtfully again, considering the room.

"If she does turn on us, I assume you have some... combat ability? Preferably to restrain, so we could still question her."

That last question directed at Kaneki. After the little... display earlier, Wrathion is inclined to believe he could probably do something with those tentacles.

"I have left her food, but that doesn't seem to do anything. We can try to leave behind something alive, but not an actual child." as he said before, he won't use people as bait.

Kaneki has been trying to talk to her peacefully and quietly. He has been giving her offerings of food in places people have spotted her, but nothing worked. And while he is worried, when he learned children were involved, it just... it's hard. He believes that she had nothing to do with the disappearance of the children, since her own is missing too, but he also believes she might know something the people in the village don't. Plus, he does want to help, but it's not possible if they can't even approach.

"I don't like the idea of chasing her. But we need to agree on what to do if she does try to flee, even if it's just stepping in front of her and telling her we are here to help." and decide what to do if instead of listening, she tries to strangle them to death instead.

He glances back at Wrathion, and then at Anduin before he sighs. "I can restrain her." yeah, sure - Kaneki can restrain her, given that she is made of flesh and is not a spirit or a curse. But he also doesn't like that idea, he doesn't want to be rough on a woman who is probably just looking for her lost child and terrified of what the villagers might do to her just because she isn't human.

Anduin frowns, but Kaneki is right and Wrathion had said it before as well. Food had not worked before, he supposes that children are the only real lure they know that they have. He agrees, they cannot use a real child. But... There may be a way around that.

"I can try to keep her calm," Anduin suggests. He glances aside at Kaneki, and explains, "I have a power that is called Mind Soothe. It -- is pretty much exactly as it sounds, and it may not work. But I can try."

He glances between the pair of them.

"We do not know how she will respond to any of this," he says. "We need to approach her as directly as we can. If food will not lure her out, and the shawl itself will not work... What are our other options?"

Wrathion looks between the two of them a long moment, thinking, then lets out a sigh. He unfolds his arms and gestures quickly. The figure of a young boy with dark hair appears in the middle of the room, looking around thoughtfully. Wrathion folds his arms again, and the figure mirrors the gesture.

"If she requires more than a... visual cue, this may not work."

They may need to combine things, in other words.

kaneki thinks about the cursed doll of his, which could work, but it's a doll - not alive, and no proper living smell or heartbeat. It certainly doesn't smell of a child either. And would the doll even stay there long enough to be bait? It's following Kaneki around and just randomly appears where he is.

regardless -

There is a child now. A ghost? Kaneki stares at it, before he looks back at Anduin and then back at Wrathion. Is this normal?

"A ghost?" he has to ask. kaneki is being haunted by a cursed doll, maybe Wrathion is being haunted by the ghost of a kid? It's entirely possible and the ghoul has no understanding of magic or how these people's powers work.

The illusion is honestly a bit of a surprise for Anduin himself. While he knows Wrathion well, there are still parts of him that he does not fully understand. His powers are definitely one of those things.

Anduin glances aside at the illusion of the boy and the way that it mirrors Wrathion's movements, then at Wrathion, raising an eyebrow himself. He doesn't feel entirely qualified to explain this for him, but he can certainly try, if needs must.

"Ah, no," he begins. "Not exactly. It's... A spell." Well, it is, isn't it?

Help him here, Wrathion.

"An illusion of a boy. But do you suppose that she will need more? If food was not enough, perhaps the bait may need to be... Living."

"I cannot make it living," Wrathion points out, mostly for Kaneki's sake -- to be clear, this is indeed an illusion. "However, I suppose we could try... staging things. Place a chair, have it sit on a chair with the shawl draped over the back. Perhaps... if the signature of something living is required, we could find something else to keep in the room with it."

A little artful manipulation, and it might all add up?

Why does everyone know magic and spells in this place. it's so tiring; kaneki is used to more... physical things. It's hard to keep up with everyone's abilities and what they entail, and being the paranoid person he is, kaneki sure would have loved to know all spells these people can do before getting into this.

Too late now.

But the idea isn't bad. Might as well try a bit of it all, right? Kaneki nods "I don't think we would need a big creature if we already have a visual cue as smell." a fox comes to mind, but then he remembers what foxes in this place do. Ravens also seem a bit off-limits. "A rabbit?" they aren't very noisy, so it'd be easier to keep it in place.

Anduin hums slightly at the suggestion. Wrapping the illusion around more sensory cues.

"If she smells the child on the shawl, sees the child you have created, and hears the heartbeat of the animal you have built the spell around... It just might be what we need to entice her out."

He glances toward Wrathion. "Is that something you can do? Weave the illusion around something else, that is? Something -- living."

Anduin is familiar with Wrathion's magic, but only to some extent.

"Something smaller and I might," Wrathion suggests, "I cannot put the animal to sleep."

Rabbits are large and reasonably strong, and could chaotically hop around even hidden in a box until the box tips over. That would somewhat ruin the whole affect, the animal breaking free and running around.

So there are limitations. Fair enough, if everything was easy they wouldn't be stuck in this world.

Smaller? Then- "A frog?" it could still hop but it wouldn't be something very drastic. "A small reptile could work, but I have a feeling those would be harder to catch." kaneki has zero experience in catching any of the two, though, so does it matter?

Which he admits to, a bit more shyly "I can't say I'm good at catching animals." he probably would be too rough with them.

Anduin glances aside at Wrathion at the suggestion, though he doesn't seem to object to the idea of a frog. And they are on the edge of a forest. It shouldn't be too difficult to find one.

"Right," he says, determinedly. "You two, don't move. I'll be right back."

True to his word, it doesn't take him too long to find the small creature in the undergrown of the trees. He gently Soothes it into a state of calm then reaches to scoop the little thing up into his hands, hurrying back to where he has no doubt left at least one of them very confused.

"Will this do?" he asks, the question directed more to Wrathion this time, since it is his magic. He scans the room for something they might be able to trap the creature under, as the spell begins to wear off and the frog begins to struggle in his grasp. "Here, hand me that box."

Wrathion isn't suspecting such quick decisiveness after the long period of slow meandering thought. Perhaps Anduin is anxious about the result, so speeding things along. Admittedly, he is also likely the best person for this. Kaneki has admitted he isn't good at catching animals, and Wrathion himself lacks in easy non-lethal methods. Anduin has a gentle touch, and far more patience about it all. He glances over at Kaneki and lofts an eyebrow, then begins to re-arrange the room. Moves a chair to the very back, far away from the door so any visitor will have to come all the way in to engage, and unpacks the shawl he lifted from a previous family. He thinks a moment, then drapes it over the seat of the chair to conceal anything he hides underneath it should things go awry.

"Let us hope she is open to negotiation."

He patrols the house, checking doors and windows so she has only one way in and out -- better not to be snuck up on. He's just bordering on starting to generate impatient energy when Anduin comes back.

"Ah," he says, and moves to grab an old box to offer to Anduin. "I had no idea you were a talented aquarist. Come, tuck your new friend out of sight and I'll recast. I suggest we then move ourselves into the shadows to see what comes of this."

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[ CLOSED ]

WELL, WELL, WELL

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imgur flagged that as EROTIC OR ADULT CONTENT

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scream i mean we all know what tentacles mean

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FRIEND OF A FRIEND

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i missed part of the last tag like a dumbass. I apologize!

it's all good!!!

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