Inbox for sticksandbones

[sesa]

I will make this pretty later

(Spoilers I won't, I always say I will but I won't-)

===

INVENTORY:

-Grenade Launcher with 3 ammo stacks (refreshes monthly)

-Nondescript gaming console (it's an offbrand Nintendo Switch)

-Some glowing star rocks from an investigation with Elsword in the Deep Woods

-A little knitted dragon from Elsword that I forgot to link and am too lazy to find now

-1 Kotatsu that he keeps in his room at the lab. It's red with light beige birds on it

-His toolbox from Rhodes

-A workshop that connects to Gnosis' lab via a breezeway. He lives there with Passenger now

-3 erythrites, used to make Passenger a pair of earrings

Comments

[sesa]

Exactly. Though I could hardly call myself miserable. I like to think I'm rather lucky, in fact.

[He feels this way Now. Just you wait, Sesa.]

I could very well have shown up here all alone. Can you imagine?

1/3

[mooninthewater]

That's true… I can't really imagine what that'd be like. [ If Mizuki had shown up first, he would've been with We Many regardless. Mizuki's never really on his own — the thought of being alone scares him. ] I imagine it probably feels… suffocating to be somewhere horrible with no one you know, and…

2/3

[mooninthewater]

[ Pause. Mizuki looks startled for a moment, a mix of shock and realization… ]

3/3

[mooninthewater]

[ …and then his eyes almost look like they turned to glass as tears gather along the lids, staring at a nearby wall. ]

…That's probably how Mister Gnosis felt…

[ Oh no… ]

[sesa]

[A




AAA

OH NO-]

W- a-a-a- Mizuki!

[Sesa lifts both of his hands, holding them aloft in front of Mizuki. He shakes his head quickly, his tail once more looping around his waist.]

Now now...everything is alright! Please don't worry, I'm...I'm sure Gnosis is okay. He has us now, that's what matters!

[mooninthewater]

[ Mizuki sort of just bonks his head against Sesa's chest, sniffing a bit. ]

Is it? Mister Gnosis has been so sad. I-is it because I never said nothin' to him? [ Emotional jellyfish is emotional. ] H-he must hate me.

[sesa]

Mizuki...

[Sesa hesitates, but only for a moment. Then, he reaches up a hand to stroke the back of Mizuki's hair in a way he hopes is soothing.]

He does not hate you. In fact, I am sure he is very thankful to have had you here to keep him company, even if it wasn't right away. That isn't something you could have possibly helped, it isn't your fault.

[mooninthewater]

But... what if I'm not doing enough? How do I know I'm doing the right thing if I don't have someone telling me what to do...??

[sesa]

[That gives Sesa pause. It's...actually a bit hard to answer that, at least off the cuff. He strokes his hair a few more times.]

...when I find myself feeling lost, I ask myself what my older brother would do in the same situation. Then...it's easier. Following in the footsteps of someone more knowledgeable and capable than I am.

[mooninthewater]

…I can't do that. S'why I just prefer the Doctor tell me what to do… 'cause I can't think like they do.

[sesa]

[Sesa pauses once more, as if to more seriously consider Mizuki's words. It isn't...entirely healthy to just rely on someone else to tell you what and how to do things 100% of the time, and while Sesa feels like he shouldn't encourage that...he also doesn't want to confuse or upset Mizuki either.

So instead he sighs, tilting his head a bit.]

Then why don't you listen to what I'm telling you. I'm not as smart as the Doctor, but I like to think I have a bit of otherworldy knowledge. And right now, it's telling me that you shouldn't worry.

Everything is going to be alright. And Gnosis, if he were truly upset with you, would have told you. Right?

Christmas Day

[simplicitas]

[There's a note attached to Sesa's door in Elsword's shit writing.]

Hi Sesa-hyung!!

I made you this! Thanks for being cool!!

[Attached to the note is a knit plush dragon. It looks terrified to be here.]

Christmas Day

[interestingtimes]

[Sesa will find an envelope taped to his door, with a little red bow on it and a letter taped to it as well.]

Merry Holiday, Sesa! I hope you like it :)

[Inside the envelope is a piece of Tal's sketchbook, and a drawing of Sesa and Tal drinking hot chocolate together.]

[mooninthewater]

…

[ A pause. A sniff. A nod. ]

Okay. And... don't put yourself down like that, Sesa. You're one of the kindest and smartest people I know. [ No one was faster than Sesa on his first, blind playthrough of Portal 2, after all! ]

[sesa]

Heh. Well if you say it, then it must be true, right?

[Pat pat headpat.]

Come now, why don't we find something more fun to do? I still haven't had a chance to play all of the games you have here, yet.

[mooninthewater]

[ Sorry to everyone who's definitely sleeping in at the lab, Mizuki's barging in to excitedly knock on Sesa's door. It's not Early Morning, so he figures Sesa and Passenger are likely awake, at least. The two nocturnal losers will just have to suck it up. ]

Se~sa! Sesa!! Hey, hurry and get ready, we're gonna go to the ocean together! [ Apparently. He could say no, but that would break this jellyfish's little heart… ]

[sesa]

[Sesa is awake! He is actually sitting in front of the mirror as opposed to working on his gun or something similar. It looks like he's been trying to braid his own hair for the last while, but every attempt has come out looking lopsided or like it's half falling down.

He lifts his head when he hears Mizuki knocking, prompting him to look over just as the pieces of hair he was braiding together fall out of his grip.]

Oh, Mizuki! The ocean, you say...?

[Hold on, give him just a moment...

There's some rummaging around on the other side before he opens the door proper, appearing to Mizuki with like four half-braided strands in his hair.]

I haven't been since I went with Elsword...what makes you want to go so badly?

[mooninthewater]

You mean, besides the fact I’m a sea jelly? [ A joke. He implies as much with a little giggle, before he shifts a box into view — bright in the etches made into the wood, with carvings of the sun on the lid. Just looking at it fills one with that of warmth. Almost as sunny as Mizuki’s excited smile. ] I gotta gift for the starry snake out there, and I was hoping you could come with me?

[sesa]

Besides that.

[Some days he's surprised he doesn't just find Mizuki floating in the river lbr here.

Sesa will lean in to take a closer look at the box though, and right away he can tell jusst by looking at it that whatever he has, it's unique. They have had a lot of talks about sun related artifacts lately, haven't they...?]

Of course I will go! I know the way, so I can ensure you will not lose yourself in the fog.

[Read: Do not trust Sesa to guide you please use your golden glasses he will get you lost otherwise]

What is that you have for them, exactly? It feels very...warm.

[mooninthewater]

Ehe… well, I appreciate it, Sesa!! [ He will be bringing the goggles, thanks. He's already technically been out that way, after all!! ] I know we should be fairly quick about it — when you and Elsword went, I'd begun to worry you guys wouldn't ever come back. I think it'll be important to keep people updated in our notebooks and such.

And this is… [ Beat. ] I don't actually know what it's called. It's ancient Aegirian technology of some kind, but We just call it "Warmth". Those of the sea do not often see the sun most of the year. For Seaborn, we evolved to glow and endure the cold. But Aegir made this.

[ And since most of the Aegirian cities were totally wiped out, how they were made or what they're made from has all been lost to time. And yet, to this day they still shine and emit their heat. It's a very strange phenomena — Gnosis would probably try to get his hands on it were he awake right now. ]

Often days, they're called the "Sun of the Sea," and since that serpent hangs out in the ocean, I thought maybe it'd like a gift like this. Since the sun is a star and all that.

Do you need more time to prepare yourself? I have food and stuff packed already.

[sesa]

The "Sun of the Sea"...what a remarkable treasure that must be. And to be willing to gift it to the serpent-! I am certain they will be very grateful for it. From what we could tell, the environment in which it lived was very dark...though getting an audience with it may prove difficult. It was at the bottom of a whirlpool, after all.

[Not impossible! But difficult.

Sesa gathers himself up, then, quietly stepping into the hallway as he gestures for Mizuki to follow after him.]

If you've packed food, then that should be plenty. I likely won't need to eat much at all while we are gone anyway. [Though he will eat whatever Mizuki has made for him, obviously, that's what friends do.] I would like to bring my weapon just in case...but otherwise that is all.

[You know.

Just in case another Book Burning Incident happens somehow.]

[mooninthewater]

Well, for what it's worth, I don't intend to put you in any danger. I can breathe underwater just fine, if it comes down to it. But, hopefully, we can figure out a way to do it cleanly. You're very clever, after all, Sesa.

[ Are the monsters still angry about the book burning? Well, whatever, they're going to take the safe paths anyway. Which is why Mizuki's come with the goggles, and even the map. Rather, he just took a picture of the map on his phone, but really, that's the same thing, right?

But if Sesa is ready to go, then his hand is getting grabbed and he's getting dragged out of the lab so they can head out. He's even putting the goggles on now. ]

Hopefully, when we get back, we'll have good news that'll cheer everyone up. I've left Elsword some food for a few days back home, too, so hopefully the forest won't go messing with him again while we're gone.

[sesa]

Oh no, I trust you won't! Honestly, I'd much rather not have to use it, if it is all the same.

[But, you know.

He's got a healthy wariness of the forest right now, let's just say.

Either way, with his grenade launcher in one hand and Mizuki's in his other, he'll let the Seaborn drag him outside and into the Grove proper.]

So long as everyone just continues doing things as they have been, I think the Grove should be fine. The Fog having drawn back so much does concern me a little, though.

[It seems to allow Creatures from beyond easier access to the Grove, at least the ones that can get past it.]

[mooninthewater]

Yes, well… it happened before, too, remember? Though, this time it's been a lot more. I thought before it might've been a "reward" for playing it's game — sort of like how when you beat levels of a video game, it shows more of the map? I'm not so sure now, though. It could still be that, but what if the issue is that playing its "games" is making it weaker, somehow…?

Maybe that's a silly thought, though, I'm not sure…

[ He's going to find the path he took the ocean before so they can go along it — making sure Sesa doesn't actually touch the "bad" fog. ]

[sesa]

Mm...no, I don't think that's silly. It's something to think about. You could very well be right, even if it's just a theory.

[Sesa follows along in Mizuki's wake, thankful that they don't have piles of snow to trudge through this time around. It's going to make their trip a lot easier.]

I think the only way we'll know for sure is by continuing to observe...perhaps trying to explore these new, uncovered areas a bit more.

[Just no burnt town. That's for him and Silverash to go into and for him to cry about-]