here's a hymn to welcome in the day

[divineconfetti]

Who: Wolf (divineconfetti) & you!
When: Throughout Iuneril.
Where: Various locations.
What: June quests and additional catch-all!
Warnings: Currently: none.

I— leeches and lycanths.
( the small apothecary is a quiet and slightly dusty sort of place, tucked in-between two much taller buildings like a diminutive middle child standing dejected between its two larger siblings. though wolf originally looked to the turnskin owners with some wariness, he found that they were for the most part very pleasant, if not a little energetic and a lot eccentric. they seemed very happy that one of the new monsters had taken up the offer (or taken up the bait?) to help them test out their new concoctions, and they end up shepherding him to a small table towards the back of the cramped, crowded store.

as the two that had shepherded him there move back towards the counter and begin discussing something with yet another turnskin working in a back room, wolf quitely takes notice of motes of dust and shed fur forming bunnies under shelves and in the corners of the room. he sighs, scratching at his jaw. )

a | ( for any other monsters come to leeches & lycanths to act as guinea pigs, they are sat at the same table as wolf after arrival and explanation of their being there. soon they are brought some very... interesting-looking vials of liquid, and asked to drink and then sit for observation for an hour or two. the turnskins leave them to their devices, though wolf notices them looking over towards them with bright, excited eyes from time to time. they gleam in the lower light, and he thinks it might seem predatory if they didn't seem so interested in the effects of the potions rather than the subjects themselves. he returns his attention back to the potion sitting in front of him. the color seems to shift between purple and green as one looks at it, with the odd sheen of an oil slick.

certainly not appetizing, but that is not what wolf being paid to do here. so, without a word to his companion, he takes up the glass vial in his right hand and drinks down the whole thing in one gulp, setting the empty glass back down on the table with a thud. the taste is, in a word, terrible, but he's accustomed to such things, thanks to the bitterness of the healing gourd's medicine.

he immediately feels a little queasy, though he's wondering if it's a side-effect or just unease at the taste and the viscosity of the potion. he looks up to his companion, quirking one scarred eyebrow. ) What do you think? ( if they have already drank it, what they think of whatever they just consumed. if they have not, well... maybe whatever their life choices were, leading them to this situation. )

b | ( and for anyone else around town, you might come across wolf just as the sun is beginning to set. it bathes the city in oranges and crimsons, with the far horizon fading into pinks and purples. it's beautiful, and one might think that perhaps it is a little too stunning, because wolf, looking up towards the sky as he is walking down a cobbled street, begins to... list to one side. and then further, and then all the way to the point where he is collapsing sideways into a sizable stack of bags of potting soil outside a flower shop.

it's quite odd for a shinobi to be losing his balance like that, but it wasn't something he was able to overcome — on the way home from the testing at leeches and lycanths, he had suddenly been overwhelmed by a wave of vertigo. now, rubbing his head with his right hand, he blinks up into what passers-by might be gathering around to see what is wrong or lend a helping hand, finding his vision blurring in a way that makes it hard to distinguish who or what is there.

oh, and there's a sizable greenish mark blooming under his left eye, matched by another that seems to have started to spread across his throat. )

II— fetch!
( wolf had taken it upon himself to try to locate some of the more dangerous objects, and those had to be the ones located in the wilde. should any of those wraith-like creatures appear, he is ready with a variety of weapons — but what he had not been very well-prepared for was the bees.

it had rained in the morning, and now that humidity is rising up into his face as the noon-time sun beams down from above. muggy and increasingly warm, it draws the insects from their homes, which seem to be interlaced all around this particular meadow on the outskirts of the wilde. wolf had listened to the instructions carefully on how to find the objects required, so he is certain that the flowers are nearby. but with the flowers came the risk of the insects, which were lazily droning about and doing their business pollinating not only the tiger lilies in question but also many other types of flowers and plants in the area.

there are a lot of them, and that seems to concern wolf. his brow his creased and his mouth settles into a frown.

he is not alone in this endeavor, however, so he glances to his companion. ) I am not concerned with being stung. However... ( he glances back over the meadow that stretches to the edge of the wilderness, hearing the humming undercurrent of the droning of the bees as he does so. ) They could cause problems. And it was requested that the bees not be accidentally brought back.

( his shinobi training did not prepare him for this. )

III— wildcard.
( for anything else that does not fit in here! maybe looking into obtaining the other items mentioned in the fetch quest! also, in addition to these quests, wolf is also going to be helping out with festival preparations; he will mostly be doing manual labor down in the harbor district, but you can always drag him into making flower arrangements or attempting to bake cookies or something! I am down for whatever, but feel free to contact me at lycanthropic if you wanna figure something out! c: )

Comments

[cult]

Don't worry about that! I can get Li'l Apple to come pick you up? He did that with TV once! ( don't ask about that gentleman's name, wei wuxian hasn't even been told he's saying his name wrong but sometimes, he does send his gracious steed out places to pick up his friends. it always ends the same, said person having to feed li'l apple his favorite fruit as compensation or depending on what's between the legs, some balls are never spared with him. it's not that li'l apple hates the people around him, no, the creature just has refined taste and a certain way of life that makes it hard for wuxian to try and adjust things with him. let it be known that first day where it drunk water from the harbor is a first time and because of the taste — wei wuxian got what was coming to him.

but he stops, standing in place as he watches wolf part in order to pick up a few of his things which wei wuxian is happy enough to open his arms, willing to carry something if needed. why is he so helpful? well, he only wants to look out for his dear friend that he's made here. he's eyeing the other, also waiting for his thoughts on his big thiddy friend — luo binghe. he's more than just his breast and he has a very kind personality.. sort of, he's honest in his feelings which wei wuxian believes even if he brought up this idea of a blind date, the man would just ignore them! or perhaps, ignore wuxian and give his condolences to wolf for speaking with someone stupid. that clear of his throat must mean to keep going so who is wei wuxian not to oblige!? he clears his own throat, looking to the side as he continues. ) Oh, I see! ( not everyone likes personalities. ) Okay, overly large breasts aside, I guess he's kind of pretty and very helpful! He's not like me —

( which is probably a bonus. ) But his hair is really soft and he doesn't like talking too much or he says what's best and moves on. If that's not your type and you're into the more silent.. mysterious kind.. my wife is pretty good! Well, sometimes he can be a smartass but I think that's a charm! He's got an eyepatch, I haven't touched his hair yet but it's long and straight! He's cold, like, really, really cold! A preferred coldness! So you can say things like let me warm you up ~ ( wei wuxian figures that between luo binghe and san lang, a person really can't lose when both men are cultivators which he tells by their robes and the oddity of their blades. though they lack qi, it seems they're all gaining different traits that resemble creatures if the dreams they had before qualified for anything — well, for wei wuxian, he didn't have anything wrong other than the ability to do miscellaneous spells. so he has a feeling what this means for him but his other friends are quite unique, now that he thinks about it.. he looks wolf over once and then twice, wondering what may be his future. )

Should I ask one of them? Who sounds like a good pick for you, huh? Huh?!

[divineconfetti]

( if that's the case, wolf will have to start stocking a supply of apples at his house for whenever he has to pay the toll of li'l apple's aid in getting him... wherever he needs to go. honestly, he might be able to get around the city faster on his own accord — he's able to grapple through the buildings and run around on the rooftops like some kind of shinobi spider-man, after all. but this seems like a kindness offered, so he decides it's best not to spurn it. )

I would be grateful if you were to send him.

( he has no idea who this "TV" is, but he will simply take his word for it.

when wolf returns to wei wuxian's side with his things, he eyes the man, uncertain of his offer to carry what it is he had picked up. a shinobi is very possessive of their equipment and weapons, after all; he secures kusabimaru to his side (having left the mortal blade at home, as an odachi is a hell of a thing to just haul around without need), keeping his coat and scarf slung over his flesh-and-bone arm as he begins to walk. he appreciates the offer, wei wuxian, it's just... maybe he doesn't trust you with his various accouterments. except for his clothes, maybe, but those are easy enough to carry on his own.

his... "wife"? wolf shoots him an odd look through the corner of his eye, thinking it's odd that he would be out here, trying to wingman him with someone he referred to in such a manner. honestly... he isn't sure what to say. wolf has no idea what his "preferences" might be for either looks or personality. like many other things in life, these are things he had never thought would become relevant to him.

so it's a lot of pressure to have to decide on something he feels quite bereft of feeling or opinion on. he's silent a moment longer before exhaling long and slow in an aggrieved sigh. ) Mo Xuanyu, ( because this is how he introduced himself, i had to go back and check, ) my life has been spent sworn to the service of another. Therefore, such pursuits were not possible. I have no answers for the questions you ask.

( no doubt he is looking at him with a look so fervent it could begin to melt rock. so wolf does melt. just a little bit. )

If you wish to introduce me to anyone, I would not oppose you. But I am not aware of any... "type" of mine. And I would be a poor companion on a "date."

( /grump )

[cult]

Hm? Then, I will! I will ~ ( send li'l apple over his way because what else can he do with the giant beast, just let it stay at home and chew at the plants? exercise should be part of the creature's daily lifestyle and if his donkey can find companionship in the people who'll feed him apples .. why not? a stupid grin pulls on wei wuxian's features, nodding to himself as he taps on the intricate watch to see if it does anything useful other than before — nothing and he moves on. )

Oh. ( his attention of the watch and to the items the other has, he's more than ready to help carry something; isn't all that way too much? well, wei wuxian doesn't know wolf's background all that much and can only tell just a bit from his personality and the scruffy look that he carries. he must have started off as a poorman first and has some hidden nobility to him because why else would he be so off-standish? not only that, if he was spoiled royalty he'd love for someone to carry his stuff so he must be strict.. on himself, yes. that's the history he makes for the other, a good wifipedia. ) If you carry all that, loads of people will think I'm lazy! Let me help, let me help!! ( now he's taking the scarf and coat at least, bundling the fabric up against his chest and he feels much better with this arrangement, keeping up the pace as the other while they think on his ideal date. )

No way, that can't be true? Maybe you were strict.. ( and not nobility because they're always keeping their eyes on someone so he's more someone who has done servitude? not uncommon, he looks towards the other thinking he'd probably enjoy this brief detour if he'll allow it. ) Then answer this question while I think on who to introduce you too .. because there's got to be someone! You said you sworn your life to service another.

( he pauses, thinking of his previous life and how he played something of the same role in the yunmeng jiang sect, the family member's passing one by one fresh in his mind as he exhales a deep breath. he knows that he can't have that back and hopefully, wolf is a little luckier than him and with the grumpy expression appearing over his own face; this might help. while that's an option, figuring out who would match wolf's aloof demeanor is also a challenge, not too many people may be able to keep up a conversation unless they love talking. it's time to think on those people who just can't shut up to save their lives. )

What were they like? The person.

[divineconfetti]

( and so it is decided, that wolf will ride into town on the back of a donkey so that he could meet with wei wuxian and partake of the festivities. not the strangest thing that he's ever done, but perhaps strange for him, considering everything about who he is, where he is from, and what he is accustomed to doing...

but, knowing li'l apple and his temperament... wolf reminds himself to purchase a few apples to keep at his house, just in case.

wei wuxian's assessment of wolf was not all that far off, truth be told. similar to lord genichiro, wolf came from nothing, an orphan scrounged from the muddy, blood-soaked battlefields of the civil war that had ravaged the lands of ashina in their youth. unlike the successor of isshin himself, wolf had not been adopted right away into so-called royalty, instead being picked up as a cub by a master shinobi, to be taught in their ways. but apart from his strict and demanding training, he had lived well — far better than he had before or during the devastation of the war. but he is accustomed to being a servant, a vassal, and so he is not one to assume to ask much of others, shouldering all that he must alone.

but, truly, his clothes and equipment were not so much for him to carry. usually, he has more. action games, you know. they have expansive inventories.

but if wei wuxian truly demands to carry something, wolf will acquiesce to him; he lets him take the coat and scarf, grumbling something along the lines of, ) Well, if you must. ( they continue to walk, giving him time to speak of his past and his companion time to process and respond. )

It was the way of it.

( thinking of lord kuro, though... it is difficult. what had happened towards the end of his quest to find a way to sever the boy's immortality had seemed to happen so fast, and even though he had managed to circumvent the eventual, tragic end of his lord's request, now he bears the guilt of having left behind the divine child before he could escort her to the west to restore the dragon's heritage to where it originated.

and wolf would refuse to admit it (because it was against the code he lived by), but he cared more for the boy than just what duty demanded. no, not necessarily as a son or as a brother, but someone he deeply respected and who he would give his life for in an instant. (he already has, dozens of times. perhaps hundreds.) )

His name is Lord Kuro, of the Hirata family. ...I have known him since he was a boy, and now he is a young man, very intelligent and very serious for his age. Perhaps too serious... ( he seems sad at this; a bit contradictory, for a man who had lost his own childhood to war and violence to feel sorrow that another might befall the same, but perhaps that's the very reason he feels this way so deeply. ) But he is also very kind, and very generous. Truly, I believe he could be a good ruler, or simply a good man, if given the chance.

( he knows kuro would do whatever he had to for duty. but he also knows the boy has far more simple ambitions, confiding to wolf once that he would like to own a tea shop, or something along those lines. )

My life was sworn to his service and protection. To be separated... it is trying.

[cult]

( the story wolf unfolds has wei wuxian's entire attention, the way the male speaks sound sincere as ever which makes him trust every word. it's short but the way he presents the identity of who he use to sworn himself to. it's a life that wei wuxian knows quite well, smiling as he listens and makes sure to nod at the male's thoughts, what he feels may be lord kuro's shortcomings and other small habits that such a strict man in a sense seems somber over.

it's endearing, he thinks, to see wolf outside of his casual personality show .. is this what they call compassion? rather than exhaustion and acceptance. although he didn't say much, it's enough that the witch hugs the clothing to himself as if he's heard such a heartbreaking story — maybe it is, to hear that being separated takes a toll on him must be the worst.

it makes him wonder if he should be the same, considering his own downfall of a relationship that he ruined all by himself. he's said the same himself, sworn himself to the future leader of yunmeng jiang sect and had admitted he would stay by his side but things happen; it's part of life. it could be that wolf is just better at this than him but wei wuxian can't say that he isn't happy from the outcome. ) ... Too serious? Ahaha, could say the same about yourself, huh? ( he teases, humming softly as they move forward but he stops to state certain things that come to mind. )

Maybe you'll see him again and you too will be more free! He could take a page out of your book that if he's with someone he trusts, he doesn't have to be so hard on himself. ( of course, that's the time of relationship he tried to give to his own shidi, those instances where he was able to draw a simple bout of laughter from jiang cheng when he desperately tries to keep such a serious demeanor but those were simpler times. so much easier than the now and the disdain that clouds his features nowadays. it makes him wonder if back home is much more tranquil without the thoughts of could that cutsleeve be him. maybe it'll give the sect leader piece of mind for once. )

I bet he wants the best for you, right? SO as long as you take care of yourself, there might be a chance for you to return home! Or.. he could come here, I'm not too sure.. the people I've met seems to have grown accustomed to this place. Like.. they're planning their future and their happiness.. ( he's quick to knock his shoulders against wolf's own (while making sure not to tower down because of their height difference), taking a quick step forward so he can turn around and face the male as he walks backwards. )

I think you're right, whoever he is, could be the best as they come! No matter how serious he is.. he's alive and everything you've done for him will show in the end! If you're there or not, I just have this feeling he'll make something of himself no matter what. ( besides, that's what happened in wei wuxian's case, deceased for thirteen years would have ever prepared him for what he had to face when given a second chance at life. imagine living your young years all over again, it's sort of exciting but everyone around him is so much older which tells him that time has been hard but knowing that the other is alive was enough for him. he was able to help him meet his goal, that too is enough for him. now to say that he's a good man......... hm. huh. well. ha. ) So don't worry, it's trying, but .. they're like our little chicks, we kept them in our nest warm and then they go out in the world successful.

( 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭 ) He'll know what to do while you're away, he'd think of you and go all.. what would Wolf do..?! Or what would Wolf think..! You'd want him safe? He'd stay stay safe.. ( hopefully. )

[divineconfetti]

( wolf has not discussed kuro much after coming here. he has mentioned, of course, that he is a shinobi in service to a master, and that that master is not not here; this is something he has shared commonly enough, as it is perhaps one of the most immediate things he can say to describe himself. but the boy himself, his silent courage in the face of decisions that would most likely lead to his own death, all for the good of others... it is thoughts like this which had driven him to do what he did, even if it was not strictly in kuro's wishes, because wolf felt he would do anything to preserve him. and he had, in a way, but... his being here, separate from him, put that in danger. and that is the center of wolf's anxiety, thinking that the divine child — and, by proxy, lord kuro — were endangered in his absence.

at wei wuxian's teasing words, wolf frowns, and he follows his initial instinct to rebuke it. ) I am no longer a child. ( but a few seconds pass, and then his composure crumbles, and he decides that he should concede. he grumbles out, ) ...But perhaps you are right.

( he wishes that kuro could live a carefree life and enjoy himself and his youth, all in the same way anyone of an older generation who experienced pain and hardship might wish for someone who was younger. but the weight that the boy felt as the heir of the divine dragon's inheritance was immense, even for a grown man, much less a boy. and yet he had not crumbled beneath it, searching to sever the immortality that it gave because of the negative repercussions it was having among the people of ashina. but beneath that was a boy who had made wolf rice balls to maintain his strength, a boy who had expressed daydreams of opening and running a tea shop. that is the kind of life wolf wished he could achieve for his young master, not one in which dozens of would-be tyrants would pursue him for the power of his blood.

the other man bumps into him in a way he can distinguish as good-natured, and wolf accepts it with a look that is aggrieved only in a way that is feigned. he continues to look up to wei wuxian as he cuts in front of him, walking backwards as they continue onward. (though wolf occasionally glances around him, making sure he wouldn't accidentally back into anyone or anything...) )

For him to somehow find his way here... Yes. That would be miraculous. ( but as he says it wolf doesn't look convinced, still uncertain that it could work like that. in wolf's timeline, after all, lord kuro is currently held in the cradle of the divine child's soul, and if he were to be without that protection, he might die.

this particular wrinkle in his tale becomes more and more apparent as wei wuxian continues, and as much as he knows the man's intentions are good, it feels deceitful not to mention it. his expression becomes grim again, and he continues, his tone grave. )

When I was brought here, away from my charge, my Lord Kuro's life was preserved by a young woman who I was escorting to the West, in hopes that it would save him. She had planned to go, with or without me, but... I pledged to protect her.

( his gaze falls, and his jaw clenches. a breath escapes him in a low huff, a sigh frustrated and stymied. ) So, to find a way back to her or for her — or Lord Kuro himself — to find their way here... This would be the best that I could hope for.