Ritual Emotionletting

[smallfries]

WHO: Emotional people
WHERE: Woolietown
WHEN: Day 69 (nice) afternoon - night

[The afternoon is a warm one. There's a small break in the clouds and down comes a brief, bright sun-shower that seems to make the world glow for a moment. And then it's gone, leaving only dew and the smell of petrichor in its wake.]

[You feel yourself drawn to the center of town, where a massive bare-limbed tree has erupted through the cobbles of the city streets, its naked twigs forming a skeletal canopy across the sky. At the foot of the tree is a little ramshackle market stall and two red sheep dressed in aprons.]

[They speak in unison:]

“Did you know; did you know?”

[One sheep has a look that’s bright and sly.]

"There was a werewolf outbreak recently. It was really going around!"

[The other seems a little shamefaced.]

"And then there was a big commotion in the mist, with a light show, and a truck. And a body..."

"Then a ritual, with shooting, and stabbing, and dying! And boats?!"

"A bunch of people left the pasture, and even more arrived. And some got rearranged between the flocks. It’s been a lot to deal with, Tater."

"And it’s hard to know how to feel about it all, Tot. But that’s exactly why--!"

[They gesture to the tree in unison.]

"--We brought in help!"

"...But now that it’s here, we can’t get it to leaf. ...Leave."

"Did you know? It’s not until we’ve felt each and every emotion that the demon will be satisfied!"

"Each and every one? Then we may be like this forever, Tater."

"Maybe that’s for the best, Tot. After all,"

[They join hooves again]

"Making connections is the meaning of life! Eeeheeheehee!"

[ Rules | Tasks | Turn-In ]

Comments

[papartner]

Don't leave home without it.

[ as he slides it out of a pocket in his pants, still tucked in its sheath. ]

Am I going first? You realize I'm gonna have to probably punch you to heal something like this, right?

[dadinside]

Is your heal based on the pain I feel?

[because... a punch might not cut it.]

[papartner]

[ this is an extra layer of complication he was not expecting... ]

I think it's the type of pain inflicted, not how much you feel. A pinch heals less than a slap, than a punch.

[ because if it is based on feeling... Duo is fucked. ]

[dadinside]

That works.

[bracelet is pulled off and he lifts the bottom hem of his shirt up.

nothing but absolute trust can be perceived.]

Go for the stomach.

[papartner]

[ that feeling is unfair. It makes Acheron feel pleased and good but also guilty that he's doing this at all. None of that's immediately obvious until he finally pulls off his own bracelet and shoving it in the pocket that he'd just pulled his knife out from. ]

Yeah, got it.

[ and then the nerves and anxiety hit that feelings mess, but Acheron continues to push through, like he always does. Just like his knife pierces through Duo's stomach in as quick a motion he can manage.

And just like that, the knife is gone, and he lets it fall to the ground. Acheron mumbles a quick sorry, and before Duo knows it, his partner winds up and nails Duo hard on the jaw with his fist. ]

[dadinside]

[Acheron's hesitation is the only one that makes sense. he's never had the proper constitution for this. they're partners. and they're going to be a real family. soon. there's history and years behind them. there's a flash of guilt for asking his partner to do this, but it's quickly drowned out by all the emotions he's hit with from the other man.

that takes the wind out of him before the knife does.

but as quick as the knife is in, it's out, and Duo quickly dulls his reflexes, allowing Acheron to take that swing and nail him right on the jaw.

he winces, but that's it. he's quick to compose himself, looking at Acheron apologetically.]

... At least you don't have to carry bottles of tears with you now.

[papartner]

[ there's palpable relief rolling off of Acheron as his eyes move down to the stab wound - or what remains of it, healing up. His eyes are quickly back on Duo's face though, or more his jaw. Red, no bruise yet. Maybe they'll be lucky and the bruise won't be as bad, given that his punch heals and - his mind and emotions are going off on that tangent before he snaps back to what Duo said. ]

Hitting people to heal them isn't my idea of a good time either.

[ He should feel annoyed but there's far more fondness, Acheron taking some small comfort in the banter that reminds him of something closer to home. It temporarily masks the nerves that are now starting to intensify as he puts away his knife. He shouldn't be as nervous as he feels but maybe there's something else at play that he's just not addressing?

Who knows. ]

My turn...

[ and he lifts the hem of his own shirt to expose his own stomach. ]

[dadinside]

[nods.

he pulls out his knife from his back pocket, aiming to make this quick. there's a strong sense of guilt- an emotion that had been more muted with others, yet doesn't slow his actions. there's no hesitation because he knows it's better to get this done quickly, but he absolutely doesn't like causing Acheron pain.

the knife sinks into the blond man's gut, to the hilt, before he carefully and quickly extracts it with expertise just as his free hand grips the back of Acheron's head and pulls him in for a kiss that he knows will heal him in short order....

but the warmth that spreads across his lips that he's firmly pressed against his partner's causes him to linger for a second or two longer than the other times he's done it. it's not the first time this has happened, and now it seems those other instances are flooding back, along with a peculiar feeling. warmth, comfort, something else electric that he can't quite discern, nor can he wrangle those emotions that seep through and keep them in check. it's curious enough to keep him in place, though for reasons he can't figure out.]

[papartner]

[ He grunts as the blade slides into his stomach. Acheron's anxiety doesn't exactly fade as the knife sinks into his stomach, the spike of pain colouring everything that Acheron is feeling in the moment. But what rises to the surface is anticipation. Is he waiting for the knife to come out? No - while the tension in his gut releases at the removal of the knife, it's not until Duo kisses him to heal the wound that the anticipation finally begins to fade.

Only again to be replaced by a swirl of emotions that even Acheron wouldn't be able to put his finger on if questioned. Warmth, confusion, caution, wanting, guilt. He doesn't know what it is. What it means. Let's leave it as "it's complicated." The hesitation he's feeling fades quickly as he gets the feedback of warmth from Duo and that's what encourages him to push forward. To kiss back, slowly deepening the kiss out of habit and of what might be need.

The guilt twists in his gut alongside with the healing stab wound; this is his partner, Miri's other father. What are they to each other though? What does partner mean when they're a family? And what does partner mean while they're here? He still doesn't know. ]

[dadinside]

[he may not have much experience but it's hard to ignore the very clear desires his partner is putting through. before he can pull away to better compose himself, he feels the kiss deepen in a way that he'd been told about not too long ago. the weird feeling in his mouth draws more confusion and surprise, completely caught off guard, mixed with tension and vulnerability.

he grunts as his lips are practically locked in place for a moment, but he doesn't put up much resistance, mostly because he's not sure what to do in this situation, instinctively his fingers that had been resting on the back of Acheron's head tug at his hair in response to the emotions shuddering through him, unable to properly grasp at any one feeling in particular. a complete jumble, though that warmth is still ever present, along with uncertainty.]

[papartner]

[ the warmth is there and with his eyes closed it's almost everything Acheron can feel aside from the heat of Duo's mouth. The hand in his hair is close to encouragement and there's the feeling like relief is just over the edge.... And then the jumble rushes in, the confusion. Relief? Nah - the flare of guilt that Acheron feels in response twists hard in his gut. Does it matter what they are if all he does is screw it up?

It up? What is it? There is no it--

Acheron pulls away suddenly, face still all too close to his partner's as he sucks in a breath and quickly takes a step back-- ]

Two stabbings, all done, see ya later!!

[ he sounds manic. He feels manic, with a rope of guilt and awkward tightening around the feeling like a noose as he turns and stalks away without waiting for another word, bye ]

[dadinside]

. . .

[stands there, blank-faced, staring at Acheron's receding figure.

... so that counts as an additional five points, right?]