yogen | MISSION 1

[ They're free, but the butterflies— almost perfectly camouflaged against the blue of the sky— don't fly away into the forest and beyond. They seem to be headed towards the dorm building north of them; if any of them were to follow, they'll realize they are no longer confined to the courtyard. ]

( amami hears the words, but with the echoes of those screams resounding in his mind, it takes him a moment or so to really brace himself to look — to see what meng yao is talking about. he does, mind you, and some of the dread that's gathered into the pit of his stomach lifts at the sight, but then meng yao drops to the ground and honestly the expression on amami's features is still more troubled than anything else. he'll need some time to process it, but... butterflies. that's good, isn't it? his first thought sure isn't any negative connotations, so... how's that ache in his chest doing. )

C'mon, you don't have to go that far.

( he feels kind of uncomfortable. looks it too, with the way his hand rubs at the side of his neck, giving a sidelong glance to gundham. to the butterflies. to like, anything that isn't meng yao prostrating to them like amami isn't literally Just A Guy. )

It's... ( well, he can't say it's fine yet. maybe later, when he's not about two minutes off of having to listen to that. )

You can get up, Meng Yao. Besides, they look like they're headed somewhere.

( they aren't simply scattering, dispersing in different directions the way amami would expect of them. staying together, clustered in a way he's not thinking too deeply about, he watches them head in the direction of the building. )

[ He rises to his feet, blinking and then turning back to glance towards the direction of where the butterflies are going. If anything, that doesn't really sit well with him because they don't seem to be leaving the place...

He'll just finally let out a sigh. ]

They do look like they are, yes. I wonder why they're heading towards a building...you would think that they would want to head away instead.

[ Or maybe not. He feels like he hardly knows anything despite the information they've managed to collect during their time here really, and it's frustrating. ]

...The others still haven't returned either.

( meng yao raises a good point — one that's been bothering amami for some time, though the tree was... a lot. and if it was a normal situation, then the natural conclusion would be to stay put until they're found. because god knows he wishes people would do that when he was looking for them. this isn't a normal situation though, and he doubts standing around and waiting for the others will accomplish anything, so he'll return his gaze to meng yao. )

Why don't we keep moving. We might get a better idea of where they are when we know more about this place.

( because the school isn't there, and he doesn't get the impression they're in the void either.

...and so amami, ever a bastion of good ideas, decides to voice his thoughts. )

Maybe we should follow them.

( maybe the butterflies are staying because they want to show them something important! as a thank you :) )

Logically, we shouldn't. We've no idea in the danger in going to follow them, and that might is a big if.

[ To sum about the two big reasons why they shouldn't go around and chase butterflies, though he does start to get out some talismans to glance over how many he does have. One he didn't consider they may have to use if they do end up going to follow the butterflies, like some spirit-repelling talismans.

It seems like he's kind of resigned to the fact they may end up going that route. He does have some self-preservation instincts but he also wants to ensure Amami doesn't run off or something. ]

But before we make our final decision, I'd like to ensure we're all on the same page...or at least go about this carefully.

Gundham, what do you think?

[ They hear the sound of a whistle, thin and tinny, and rather than taking to the sky, the butterflies swoop down through open windows, gaps under the door, any open space they can squeeze themselves through to get inside the building as quickly as possible.

...

The emptiness in Amami's chest is compounded by the gnawing emptiness in the pit of his stomach, and he alone feels the gentle compulsion to run into the building after the butterflies. ]

( there's a grimace on his face, and it isn't as if he doesn't understand meng yao's point, but if they don't venture anything then they don't stand to gain anything either. his first thought is to convince gundham — if he can, he'd feel better having them at his side, where he can see them. it's not like he wants to split the group any more than it has been, but there's hesitation, and in that pause, the thin sound of a whistle echoes through the air.

the butterflies panic. his stomach drops. amami realizes this isn't over, and he grits his teeth in frustration as he resists the urge to break into a sprint. he's tense, and his gaze continues to return to the building, but he only exhales, cutting the conversation off. )

It's fine. I'll go check it out — you two can wait here, in case they show up.

( if it's a choice that needs to be made, it's better that those two stick together for safety reasons. as for amami... it'll only be a minute, right? he'll come right back. look, he's already turning. )

[ Watching the butterflies move and hide away makes him feel kind of ... nervous, actually? He doesn't feel a compulsion like Amami does but when you're a cultivator and you notice supernatural shit is hiding that is a sign that things are Bad, fam.

Especially with that odd whistle. ]

... I can't let you just go off by yourself. Why are you so insistent on following them?

[ He's sure he needs to protect him, but can he leave Gundham by himself? The answer is probably not so hopefully he'll go along with this or make another suggestion.

... He'll just take out two spirit repelling talismans for now, throwing one to stick onto Gundham if he lets it happen; that should keep the spirits away from him if they get separated or whatever. Then he'll turn to Amami, quickly moving closer to him to try to stick one of the talismans to him as well and use his other free hand to try to grab him by the hand to stop him from gaining pace. ]

I'm going to give the both of you some protection, so please take it. [ And to Amami: ] I'm also supposed to be keeping you safe, so you must at least understand I can't let you do as you please. At least, not alone.

We get close to the building together, and then I'll check out the door first.

[ He doesn't like the idea but provided this goes well and whether or not the hand grabbing is successful he's going to like, get moving anyway... ]

Edited 2021-08-21 04:18 (UTC)

[ So much happened that frankly, it all happened in a blur for Gundham. First the tree gets burnt into a pile of screams, viscera and ash, suddenly replaced by butterflies. Then they're in a completely different location on the school- it's a lot to take in for anyone really. He watches as the butterflies take off towards the building, and only pick up speed when the sound of whistling has reached everyone's ears.

He may not be a bug expert, but he does know that when groups of things immediately rush to hide, it means something bigger is on the prowl.

He lets the talisman stick to him, nodding, and then promptly speaking up. ]

...We're all going towards the building, now. We have more to fear from that whistling than we do mere butterflies, I believe. They wouldn't react so hastily otherwise.

[ He motions for them to all head toward the building, beginning to make his way over himself. ]

( honestly, amami's already well on his way by the time meng yao catches him — a brisk walk that was seconds from breaking into a run before meng yao's hand around his keeps him from going any further. which, amami isn't so aggressive as to yank it away, and he has no reason to distrust the talisman that he finds stuck to him now. but... it does bring him to pause, glancing down to their hands for a moment with an expression that's almost visibly dumbfounded. he blinks once, twice, eyes raising to meet meng yao's as he listens to the plan, and while he does still have some qualms with it.

well, then gundham speaks and he's very validated in that hollow sense of dread that has made a comfortable home inside of him. amami offers a nod, turning on his heel and continuing towards the dorms. )

Sure, okay.

( whatever their plan is, sure. they'll see when they get there. and even if he doesn't necessarily make an effort to pull his hand away, amami kind of just assumes meng yao will let go now that he's agreed, so he begins to resume making his way over with the kind of quick pace that assumes that. )

[ ... ... ...

... ah.

He feels like he should be embarrassed, but he's not.

Still, Meng Yao quickly makes sure to let go, hurrying along himself. Assuming they reach the door over at the dorms without incident?? And it's still unlocked so it can be opened? ]

[ The door is unlocked and they are able to enter without a problem. The building is dark when they enter, and the moment all three of them have stepped foot inside, the door and all the windows slam shut simultaneously, none of them able to be opened if they try.

It's a one story building, and at the entrance they find themselves in a room lined with two rows of shelves, each divided into little open cubbies holding outdoor shoes and slippers. There's a bulletin board on the opposite wall with papers under a placard, and a hallway spanning their right, and another to their left. At the end of the hall to the right is a large open room, wooden floors scuffed with years of wear. To their left the building is divided into smaller rooms: three classrooms with a small number of desks, a room with bookshelves sparsely filled with books, a room with reams of paper and ink, two other rooms that are club rooms but I can't remember what they're supposed to be and my notebook with those details are in a backpack in my car and I don't want to go outside to get it.

The butterflies are nowhere to be seen. There are no other students in the building.

Occasionally, they can hear a thump against the outside wall, the sounds of scratching, the sounds of growling, as if something outside is on the prowl despite not being able to see anything if they look through the windows. ]

( well, the fact that the doors don't open again once they've shut, that's concerning. when the first resounding thud resounds through the building though, crashing not far from the doors where they stand, maybe... that's not such a bad thing after all. )

There was something out there...

( is, he should say, but he's not too worried about the technicalities. he takes a long breath to steady himself and looks around. okay, so, they can't get outside, and you know what? not sure he wants to at this precise moment. not the type to stand around either, he'll take in the entryway, pacing over to the bulletin board just to have an excuse to keep his body moving somehow. a glance to the other two, a smile that's not so much reassuring as it is resigned — maybe half relieved at best, but listen. )

At least it looks like we can take our time looking around in here.

( not that he intends to, but like.... the idea is that it's safe in here. that's always nice. silver linings, y'know? with a glance back to the board... anything interesting amidst the papers and the placard? )

Indeed. The butterflies moved into here for safety, yet I don't see them.

[ Maybe they just didn't make it in all the way? Who knows. But at least for the moment they're safe.

Gundham is going to let his eyes adjust to the dimness of the area for a bit. And since he doesn't want to earn any more ire from whatever spirits might be here, he's going to be polite and take off his shoes, putting them into a cubby and then putting on slippers. Then he's going to make his way into the small study with the bookshelves! Anything of note that sticks out here? ]

[ The placard is hand carved on wood, spelling out "YOGEN" and underneath is a handwritten notice:

The woods are off limits to all students. There will be no warning granted for rulebreakers.
When the whistle blows, line up quickly. Those who tarry shall be left behind.
Running in the halls is prohibited.
Students may not gather in groups of five or greater.
Silence is enforced in the library until binding is complete.
Do not let it hear you.

Compared to amount of effort required to read the writing in normal Yogen, the words written here take even more effort and guesswork, as if written in a different dialect or an ancient version of the language. There is nothing more of note on the board.

The sorrow in Amami's chest feels more like guilt.

The slippers are soft, well taken care of. Like the notes on the board, the books in the study are also written in an older language more difficult to read, and are all handwritten, transcribed texts of school subjects for the most part. ]

[ When everything shut all of a sudden, Meng Yao was absolutely prepared to stab something to death or whatever because when in doubt...? Murder is the option.

Thankfully that's unnecessary, though the noise outside isn't really uh... nice to hear at all. ]

...They are likely hiding.

[ While Amami checks out the bulletin and Gundham moves onwards, Meng Yao goes to check out the first of those classrooms. Is there anything immediately noticeable (such as strange things on the chalkboard, etc.)? If not, are there things of interest underneath or inside the desks...? ]

[ The chalkboards seem to be wiped clean for the most part, desks also sparse with anything that would lend information. From what Meng Yao can gather, there is barely fifty desks between the three classrooms, high school based on the material being taught.

There are personal notes found in some of the desks, akin to diary entries. These speak of having fun with friends during lunch, what games they're excited to play after school, how hot class A's teacher is, how they can't wait for the ritual to be finished so they can play in the woods again.

He can't find anybody hiding anywhere. ]

( ori i cannot express how much screaming i just did in the goddamn mission chat right now. my goldfish memory betrays me yet again, and amami too, but at least his eyes will widen the moment he's managed to make out the first five words of that bulletin. y'all can go on ahead and keep talking, or wander off and investigate, amami is too invested to actually respond while he reads this.

so looking around, the other two are probably gone by the time he's managed to finish making these out, but he commits them to memory anyway — it's not hard, replacing some missing letters of something he's already long-since memorized. okay... okay! he'll peek in the direction meng yao and gundham have gone, then head the other way. makes his way into the larger, open room to the right, restless energy running coursing through his body even as the guilt pulls his expression into a grimace. he'll take a look around in there. )

[ Alright then! Finding not much in that room, Gundham will make his way over to the room with reams of paper and ink. What can he find in there? ]

[ ...

... okay, well then. Anything around where the teacher would sit or stand in a classroom? Also how does everything look structurally in the classrooms? Are things clean or dusty? There's three classrooms here so he should ensure he's thorough in his investigative efforts, otherwise he'd be an embarrassment to his partners. ]

[ The large room on the right is largely empty, and from the scuff marks on the ground, Amami can see that students stand or sit in three rows facing whatever speaker is at the end of the room, though there is no stage like there is in the high school he knows. There is nothing remarkable to be found in this room.

In the room with paper and ink, Gundham can find various art projects, ink wash paintings depicting children playing in a field or forest or garden, sometimes accompanied by a man wearing a fox's mask. There are also slips of paper with calligraphy, reminiscent of talismans either Gundham or Meng Yao may recognize to be for protection, and for binding.

The classrooms are all structurally sound, dusty in places that don't get regular cleaning like higher up on the walls and ceiling, but the floors are properly swept and chalkboards wiped down, and in general the school seems to be well taken care of. At the teachers' desks, Meng Yao can find a roll call sheet. None of the student names sound familiar or match what he remembers from Yogen's class roster, but it also lists the homeroom teachers' names: Mizuki, Kazuki, and Akari. ]

( honestly, amami is satisfied with that. the context of the rules is already a lot for him — though... he's still wondering... well, anyway, he'll wander around the room, peeking at the details and pacing restlessly in front of the window for a few moments before he reaches in his pocket... did his adderstone come with him? he's realized that they can't see whatever's banging on the outside, but just in case... he's going to take a look out the windows again with the stone if he has it. around the room and down the hall from the doorway, too. )

[ The adderstone came with him and, looking through it out the window, he can see somebody standing out there in the garden, a man with his head bowed and face masked, hands covering his ears as he curls in on himself. There is nobody there when Amami lowers the stone from his eye, but the sky looks overcast outside, getting darker by the minute.

The room and halls look empty through the adderstone, but bright, as if sunlit despite the gathering clouds outside. ]

[ Also he can see Clamor et al. outside ]

( oh hell yea... )

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