OPEN

[hippocarnival]

Who: Yuya + you!
When: First half of October
Where: around Aefenglom
What: Picking up parttime jobs, drinking regrettable potions, and going a little magic-mad
Warnings: Local teen boy slowly losing his marbles, lingering Dorchacht suffering

[Turnt-Up Turnips]

[The Coven is absolutely generous, but they can't provide absolutely everything. Yuya's going to need some way to actually make some money. Not a lot, he figures, so when he finds the hiring sign for the turnip shop for a little stint, he goes right away to offer help. There are probably worse jobs than carving faced in turnips.

He sits by the window on the days he's needed, so he can watch the people passing by outside while he digs faces into the turnips. Every one that he finishes, he props in the window sill for display.

But they might be a little alarming. Maybe you'd like to buy a few to terrorize anyone else with.]

[Homesick]

[Most of the excitement of bargain deals and spring cleaning is lost on Yuya, who as neither enough coin nor looking for enough possessions to take full advantage beyond trying to get a few more sets of clothes before he tears through what he has. Except the market's special potions, next to the seance ones, that the shopkeeper promises will let Yuya connect with his friends and family back home.

He falls for it hook, line, and sinker.

It isn't even ten minutes before he's sitting on a bench in a park with one, turning the vial in his fingers. He didn't get a lot of instructions beyond to "think about who he wants to see". Will it let him talk to them, maybe...? So he can let them know he's okay.]

Well, no harm in trying... [So he pops the cork off the vial and tips his head back to drink it down at once, his thoughts on his parents and his closest friends in hopes that it'll prioritize. It's unexpectedly cold, but not bad, and then there's a rush of heat that might be the magic working.

But probably not. The fever crashed onto him immediately, and regret, and then he lets out a groan and tips forward, gripping his head. He flops over on the bench, curling up and gripping the vial with misery plain on his face.]

What? It didn't even work...

[Past Curfew]

[As the nights progress, Yuya finds himself more and more unable to sleep. Sometimes it's the too-vivid memories of what he'd seen in Dorchacht, flashing behind his eyelids. That one's worse in the beginning, but he still finds rest difficult to come as it instead gives way to an agitation. Something tingling other his skin, tense and persistent and ever present in the silence of the night. He just can't take it.

So he throws on his clothes and rushes out the door in tbe middle of the night. He shivers from the cold, for a moment, hopping from foot to foot before he trots with a hurry down the road--snesking through alleyways and climbing over fences and up the sides of short buildings to get around. Occasionally he looks over his shoulder, quickly, before he continues away into the night.

He stops at some point, sitting down and waving his fingers by his knees to play around with making small illusions. Stars and glitter, changing patterns on the ground, then the shapes of his pets, building up to more elaborate scenes that fit within a couple feet.]

[Wildcard]

((For all other shenanigans over the month, feel free to hit me up at discord or monochromic

Comments

[firewalled]

Oh, sure! An inn could work! Maybe we can go get some cocoa or something, hey? That should warm us both up.

[There are probably tons of bars open, but Rich is hoping they'll find something a little more teen-friendly.]

[hippocarnival]

[Order milk at the bar.

Yuya nods.] That sounds great. I guess we should go... that way?

[He points, after glancing around, to the direction of the entertainment district. There probably aren't many inns among the actual houses, at any rate.]

[firewalled]

That looks like where most of the action is, right?

[There's lights and sounds and... hopefully not a ton of shady characters. Rich has to try to be the Responsible Adult here.]

[hippocarnival]

[Who is really the responsible adult here.] At this hour, probably.

[He weaves around and gestures for Rich to follow, lacing his fingers behind his head as they walk.] Everything been okay?

[firewalled]

It's been alright... I uh, actually got some of my friends here with me now. That's been pretty nice. It's a little weird, they don't remember exactly everything I do...

[Which is why Rich is more sure than ever that he's going to have to do something about the SQUIP before it tries to find a way to get to them too... but that's not exactly something he should be talking about.]

[hippocarnival]

Oh! They came with everyone else who showed up this month? [He wonders if that means he might see one of his own friends show up eventually.] Someone else who got here said people from their future were here. Is it like that?

[firewalled]

Uh, sort of? More I'm the one from the future and all the level ups I gained in our friendship are missing. It's... a little weird.

[And maybe stings a little bit. But he's Fine.]

[hippocarnival]

So you're the other way around. [He crosses his arms as he points opposite directions.

That sounds awkward all around to deal with, honestly.] But... did they ever go missing before you got here? Back home.

[firewalled]

[It's awkward as hell, and Rich is doing his best to try to remedy that by being cool and genuine with both of them. He's not about to resort back to old habits and make them freak out that he's been SQUIPped again. Especially since that would usually involve treating the two of them like garbage.]

Not exactly? I mean, uh, I was in the hospital for close to a year before I got here, but they were visiting me pretty often. I think I would have noticed if they suddenly disappeared.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya scratches his head.] So how can they be here but not missing back home because they're here?

[firewalled]

That's... a great question. Unless they're from, like, different quantum scenarios where they were missing, but I don't know it because... I'm in a slightly different timeline?

[That kind of sci-fi nonsense would be way more up the SQUIP's alley, but like hell Rich is asking it anything. For now, he just rubs his head.]

Thinking about it gives me a headache.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya laughs sheepishly.] Eh, I hope it's not something like that! I don't need any other versions of me out there.

[Four is enough, he doesn't want to think about the reality of actual timelines crossing over either.] Are you still going to stick together?

[firewalled]

Yeah, god, one of me is definitely enough.

[Rich laughs along easily, before the next question gets his attention.]

Oh, of course! I know this place well enough to at least show them the ropes. Just because they don't know me as well, doesn't mean I can't try to get to know them, right?

[Or should Rich take this as a sign to finally leave them be? He hopes not...]

[hippocarnival]

I think that's a good idea. You're still the most familiar person around, so they don't have to be as alone to figure things out. But--I think we all do a pretty good job helping each other anyway.

[He squints at the growing lights up ahead, trying to gauge the first building that looks like it's still open at this hour.]

[firewalled]

Yeah, I guess so. As long as they trust me enough with all the extra monster parts, then I don't mind helping them out...

[Rich gets distracted as they get closer to the businesses, some still bustling despite how late it is. Should they go somewhere with more people, where they're less likely to get into something dangerous? Probably a safe bet.

Rich starts moving towards the closest place that looks more like a restaurant and less like a bar.]

[hippocarnival]

[Oh--Yuya slows down a little to follow Rich instead when it seems like he has an idea where to go. Hes not terribly picky so long as it's in doors with plenty of warmth.]

Who are your friends?

[firewalled]

[The restaurant Rich finds does seem plenty warm, a few fireplaces going. The place is also fairly deserted around this time, only a few stray patrons eyeing them as they walk in.]

Uh, their names are Jeremy Heere and Michael Mell. They're two big nerds. Jeremy's a tallass who looks nervous pretty much all the time and Michael's a big soft guy wrapped in a red hoodie. You'll probably be able to tell it's them if they have their backpacks for some reason, I wrote "BOYF" on Jeremy's and "RIENDS" on Michael's.

[...Yes, he thought this was extremely clever at the time, okay?]

[hippocarnival]

Uh... huh. [That sounds kinda like bullying, actually, but he's become friends with people who picked on him so he can't judge that much.

He waves to the hostess, who quickly gathers some menus and gestures to follow her to the table.] I'll say hi if I see them. Or when.

[firewalled]

[It was... definitely bullying. Rich honestly would be mortified to know they still had those backpacks if Michael hadn't turned it into a badge of honour, plus a teasing reminder that Rich's posturing bully days were over now.]

Hopefully you'll see them around. I think they're just trying to get used to this place right now, so they tend to hang around at home.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya nods, sitting down at the table and taking the menu offered and looking right for the drink options.]

You're staying together? Do they know if they're a monster or a witch yet?

[firewalled]

No idea yet. They didn't check. I would tell them to, but I get being nervous about it. When I got here, I didn't even believe I could change into a monster, even after they proved I didn't have magic.

[No sense pushing them into accepting something like that if they're prone to anxiety, especially Jeremy. Rich looks over his own menu, searching for something warm and sweet to keep his temperature up while he heads home.]

[hippocarnival]

I guess you guys really have a harder time. [His eyes glaze over the menu before he spots something that gets him to pause

He points at a peppermint hot chocolate.] Oh, that looks good!

[firewalled]

I don't know if I'd really call it harder. I mean, we're all away from home and people we care about. And you guys have problems too that monsters don't have.

[Granted, monsters are also likely to go feral... well, it's complicated, so Rich isn't going to just flat out say he has it worse. Seems too pitying.

He looks over at what Yuya is pointing out and makes a comical face.]

Ugh. Peppermint? It's gonna taste like you brushed your teeth.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya laughs.] It doesn't taste like that, unless your toothpaste is made of something way different.

[firewalled]

Mint always reminds me of toothpaste. It's way too weird for me.

[He notes one of the drinks has cinnamon in it and brightens as he points it out.]

This is more my style. Hot cocoa should have a kick!