daybreakacademy | but some may still have need of me. [WYMW player plot]

but some may still have need of me. [WYMW player plot]

WHO: NPC Wist (and Poe), Shuuya Kano, Toki Rikugou, Rex Arany, Héctor Rivera, and Michael.
WHERE: Wist's forest hideout.
WHEN: April 30.
WHAT: Mission group goes to confront Wist about their magic nonsense.
WARNINGS: n/a as of yet.

The trip into the depths of the forest is a fairly peaceful one -- at least going by its own intentions. If the ragtag bunch creates their own chaos on their walk, that isn't the trees’ business. It’s just there with its gentle rustling as wind coaxes them forth, and to allow them to hear the fae’s hideout before they can see it. There's a soft ring accompanying the breeze, like wind chimes have also banded together and are having a pleasant little chat to pass the day away.

There are no doors to Wist’s woodlands home, only entrances made by open space between trees bent into a dome, branches ducking and weaving together and dappling the ground with specks of light like stars against a colorful carpet of leaves. It seems to be a full range of seasons in this little section of the forest. A dazzling array of leaves, little blossoms bright on the bleak, dark wood, raining down petals in slow motion, a heavy sun, seemingly brighter once you step inside the dome like its forever at its peak, and despite that, a chill in the air that’s almost enough to make you taste metal in your lungs... As expected, dozens of wind chimes hang from the “ceiling” with a welcoming glint and clang.

At the first rustle, there’s a shrill cry.]

AIEEEEE!! YOU ARE SO DEAD!

[...but perhaps it’s not as concerning as it sounds, as the 6’9” fae with black hair to their knees comes through a veil of sewn petals and roughly chucks a game controller onto the soft floor. They seem...absorbed in this tantrum, for the moment.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I thought that too, when my sister died. She's all I had. No one's ever going to replace your mother, but you can find someone you care about again. It will still hurt and you'll still miss her and sometimes you'll want to, want to-

[He still feels the same way as Shuuya most of the time, but he can't tell the kid that.]

Just- don't make choices like this because you think you have no future. You don't know that.

[ You'll want to... yeah. All the time. Kano does too, ten years later in this future that Shuuya's caught a glimpse of and knows is the only future that's left for him. One he won't be in, not really, not as wholly himself. ]

It won't ever stop hurting... Is it worth it? To keep living, when it hurts, and you're all alone, and all you do is cause trouble, and you don't know what to do?

Sometimes.

[He's not going to lie, but there are moments when it's worth it. In the end, though, Shuuya isn't "real" and he'll have to go back unless some deal is made. If he does have to go back to being Kano, maybe the memories of this won't fade entirely; maybe Kano will get something out it, something vaguely resembling hope for his future.]

[ It's not a definitive "yes," but for some reason, that makes Shuuya feel better, like it's less a lie. "Sometimes" is good enough. It's better than "no," the answer he believed in, the answer he'd already lived with for so long and doesn't know how he managed to pull himself together day after day. He's six years old. He wants to live, and feel that sometimes, it's worth living.

So he ducks his head, and takes Toki's hand in his, Michael's in the other. ]

Okay.

[Michael's been silent, watching this exchange with mounting confusion and alarm. He's way out of his depth here. He's barely even cared about people enough to lose. It's scary when Kano flirts with death as often as he does, it makes him furious sometimes, but...they just want to die over it? It's been years! Kano has lots of other people now! Why throw everything away just because his mother's still dead?

He accepts Shuuya's hand in his, curling his fingers carefully around it. He's not sure what to say. Even if he still intends to handle negotiations, it doesn't seem right to start that argument up again now.]

[When the three get back to Wist's home, they'll find that the fae has bullied the remaining crew into sitting at their magically-appeared table for some tea. The excitement of everything has worn off a little bit, leaving them looking a little weary as they sip from an empty, chipped teacup. All the teacups are empty and chipped. Poe's is even cracked, not that he seems to mind, mirroring Wist's humanoid form so he can take advantage of useful hands. The only difference between the two outside of demeanor is that Wist's tongue is a peacock green, while Poe's is a healthy, human pink.

Wist perks up when they spot the returning trio, pushing themself to stand and smiling over. Oh, good. The little one is safe. They knew that, really, with their magical alarm not going off and all, but seeing proof of it was something else.]

Hi. Hello.

[ Empty tea cups... it's a little strange, like they're just playing pretend.

Shuuya swallows his nerves, mumbling a soft ] Hi, hello. [ while remaining hidden behind Michael and Toki, trying to look for Poe instead of what he thought might've been a dead body lying on the ground over there... Michael...... ]

Oh, yeah...

[Michael winces a little, more because Shuuya saw the body than anything else. It's impossible to really forget that he's incorporeal, but it had not been the first thing on his mind during the walk back. They could've left it in the other room.

His natural form, without any illusion, tends to freak humans out. Best to avoid that. He moves - deliberately nudging Toki into place so that Shuuya isn't exposed when he leaves - and strides over to the corpse, appearing to easily pick it up underneath the arms.]

Excuse me a second. [Michael lugs himself into the next room. A second later, he emerges and goes back over to Shuuya and Toki.] Good as new. Hey, you - are you open to deals?

[He's talking to Poe.]

[There are two Wists, and two Michaels, one of them dead. Toki has nothing to say, but he's internally screaming. He'll just hide Shuuya from this while Michael talks to Wist #2. This is so weird... and why isn't there tea in the teacups?]

[Punk's not dead, just resting. The Michael body is just like that! Yeah! And Toki will find out why there isn't tea in the teacups if he accepts Wist's offering, because they've got a cup in either hand as they walk over. One for Toki, one for Shuuya... Should they take the cups and humor them by taking a drink, they'll get a warmth settling in their heart, even if the drink they remember as providing the greatest contentment wasn't a warm one at all. A nice cup of nostalgia.]

It's alright. I'm really good at this one. I could make it in my sleep.

[Who knows how reassuring that actually is...but Poe is at least drinking from his cup without any qualms, cracking an eye open to consider Michael. His voice isn't quite as low as when he's in his cat form, but it has that same unimpressed quality, and his lips don't move.]

It depends on the deal. Do you have an interesting one?

Can you do anything for Shuuya?

[It's an open-ended deal, and everything about Michael is screaming at him not to do that. Humans do that, the stupid kind who get killed, or have their souls harvested.

But can Poe help him?]

You said you were good at deals!! [ Shuuya hisses from behind Toki's legs.

That's a shitty way to start off a deal, Michael!!! You gotta come in with exactly what you want and set your own terms, you can't let the other party dictate that, it'll put you at a disadvantage!!! ]

Shhh.

[He's got this!

He's usually on the other end of this, but! If Poe's just gonna beg off like Wist did, there's no point in launching into negotiations! This is why making deals with humans who are on a time limit is so good, he's going to feel weird things about all his past deals after this.]

[Héctor, thankfully for all, had managed to turn back before the others arrived, but somehow did not manage to work his way out of tea. In empty tea cups. With Rex and Michael's empty corpse.

His desire to not be here is only slightly dulled by the fact that there actually is something in the cup, not that he can see it. He's pretty sure this breaks some rule, drinking something from the fae, and he probably owes twenty years now or something.

But it's a night for stupid choices as evidenced by Michael's "deal". At last he shakes off his own dumbfounded look.]

Michael! [What the heck, dude, you're a daemon, you know better! The kid apparently knows better! He knows better! Which is a close call in itself!]

Hang on, hang on, we don't have to make a deal for this, right? This is... Wist! You like making the kids, don't you? You love them! So in order to make them more lasting you just have to get stronger, right? And maybe just focus on less! Like a handful or... one? You just need the time to get stronger. You could try again.

[Ay dios, the moment it's out of his mouth he regrets.]

So, we don't need to make a deal! Because if we do that, if we wait, everyone's happy!

[Except Kano. But.]

[Hm... This isn't sounding like a particularly interesting deal to the male fae, and his eye closes again. Wist, on the other hand, is listening in even before Héctor calls out to them, and if Toki and Kano haven't taken their cups, they get set down on the ground before Wist turns and walks back to their seat at the table. They know Héctor wouldn't tell them to try again lightly.]

You have to understand... There are options, but all of them have risks. Whether it is a deal or not, if I bring him back...

[They deflate, trading their finger around the rim of their teacup in circles. It doesn't seem the right time to drink from it now, even if it would make them feel better. Boy howdy, would it make them feel better.]

I can't guarantee it would be this...Shuuya. It would be a lie if I did. He isn't just mine, so there's parts of him I don't understand.

But we could try to learn them.

...That...isn't a lie. I don't know if we have enough time left. And he... [They sigh and their voice becomes a harsh stage whisper, like they actually believe that's enough to keep Shuuya from hearing them.] What if he hates me? Is he going to want to spend this time with me? He might...be happier somewhere else...

What is wrong with you, Héctor!? You want them to make MORE wish children who will suffer like Shuuya!? AND YOU-

[He points accusingly at Wist.]

You're THINKING ABOUT IT! Sending him back and then bringing him, or some other VERSION of him, back to this again!? THAT'S SO STUPID!

[What the hell is going on? He's so confused and he's definitely not drinking that "tea".]

[ Shuuya frowns, still clinging onto Toki's pant leg but not really sure he likes where this is going. He might come back, but he might not come back as himself. The parts that were Wist's... means he would come in how he had originally? Terrified and distrustful and—

he startles when Toki starts to yell; fear flashing across his face just like it does all the time his mother raises her voice and it's just a roar of rushing water past his ears and he can't hear any of the words. He opens his mouth to speak, but nothing comes out. He should say something. They're fighting, and they're getting angry, and it's his fault. His grip tightens on Toki's pants.

Shh... Nii-chan... ]

I'm not wishing for more! I'm trying to think of a way to keep Shuuya here in a way that doesn't involve deals!

[But he's a little cowed, and Toki does bring a point. He turns to Wist.]

It's no good if it's not him as he is now though. That much is true.

I know him...

[But Michael trails off, glancing at Shuuya for a moment before looking away. He's known him for ages, but maybe he doesn't really understand Kano all that well either.]

I've given up a lot of power for him already. I've got more. [Just. You know, that's on the table.

also of course this is the time and place he chooses to even allude to that information in front of anybody]

[They look from Toki, to Héctor, to Michael...and finally, their gaze lands back on Shuuya.]

It isn't our wish to make. It's his. I'm sorry...

[Wist Learned Consent!]

I'll do my best if he wants me to! But if not...the other one is waiting for him in his box. He won't be lost.

[ He worries at his bottom lip, because what he wants more than anything right now is for Wist to try. But he also doesn't want it to be at other people's expense, he doesn't want everybody to be upset over whatever happens, and he doesn't want to come back and find that everything's been reset, that Wist couldn't recreate all the compassion and care that he's seen from everybody he's met, that he would exist, but not be himself at all.

If he went back to Kano, that part of him would be preserved.

If he went back to Kano, he wouldn't be preserved.

What is more important to him, his life, or the memory of his life?

... ]

How much time do I have? Can you bring him back first, and let me talk to him?

[A glance is spared Héctor's way, because aaaaa they don't want to scare the kid, nooo...but they were asked a question, and they have an answer.]

Until it isn't today anymore. I can give you...as long as I can, but it won't be more than that. If you can talk to him...

[Urgh. Their finger trembles against the cup, so they fold their hands together instead.]

I don't want him to put you in the tiny box. I don't... [It's awful in there. Scary. They remember feeling the child's anguish.] Even... Even if you don't talk to him to decide, you won't...be able to stay. I'd have to bring you back. That's why I want to learn you, even if your daemon friend promises to help. Do you understand? I can't stop this.

[oh my God Wist he never told Shuuya he was a daemon

Michael looks at Toki like he can pretend he's the daemon friend]

[HOW WERE THEY SUPPOSED TO KNOW IT WAS A SECRET!!

LIKE IT ISN'T OBVIOUS ANYWAY!!!!]

[NOT EVERYONE CAN SEE IN NINE DIMENSIONS HAVE YOU EVER RESEARCHED HUMANS EVEN ONCE]

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