[Ryslig] IC Inbox

[braidtrain]

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1:01 AM

[kolus]

[ He had thought the hallucinations to be the work of another goblin, the dark mist to encompass him each time a similar form to that he assumed. However, the name on his hand went beyond any prank. As those belonging to the night began to flood the network, it grew apparent others had experienced the same visions through dreams. Whatever was responsible, God or otherwise, was strong enough to influence monsters dreams and inflict pain on their bodies. Maybe even kill them.

Reaching to touch the open wound, he winces and clenches his hand. Blood trickles down his arm and onto the table, a grunt escaping him at the pain. Pulling himself to his feet, Stan begins to make for the diner door. The waitress calls to him but he hears nothing over the sound of his heart, pounding in his ears as fear consumes him. Were it true, the brand on their hands confirmation of death to come, he fears the fate of the two monsters who lay in bed and a brother whom he'd only just got back. The Mystery Wagon roars to life, its headlights piercing through the night as he slams the pedal against the floor and makes for the shack, in his dust another unpaid check.

Stan announces his arrival the moment he crashes into a sign outside the Pines residence. He leaves the vehicle against the fallen sign, nothing short of his usual parking, and heads inside to the kids bedroom. Heavy, hurried steps carry him up the stairs, the door nearly pulled off its hinges with the force behind it. Are they awake? Are they marked as well? How long until those bearing their name came looking for them? ]

Kids! I need to see your hands!

[dipstick]

[Things were peaceful in the Mystery Shack. The kids were sleeping in their beds, blissfully unaware of anything sinister happening around them. The dreams were worrying, but the children slept through them soundly as images flashed in their minds -- memories of a Ryslig long ago.

Dipper stirred in his bed, his little brow furrowed as he turned to his side to shield his eyes from the headlights filtering through their small window above their heads. The sound of a crash had the boy pulling his sheets up over his ears, but despite his attempt to continue sleeping.. Stan had other plans.

Their great uncle hurried up the stairs and burst through the children's room, panic in his voice and painted on his face. Dipper was awoken immediately by the sounds of their door swinging open and their uncle yelling, and he shot upright in bed and grabbed the nearest object as if he was expected Stan to be a burglar or something.]

Wh... G-Grunkle Stan?

[Slowly, he lowered that object back down, and his expression looked nothing short of sleepy and bewildered. His mind hasn't processed what Stan has said just yet, it needed a little more time to fully wake up so he could grasp the situation.]

Wh-what's wrong? What's happening?

[braidtrain]

[Mabel was long behind Dipper to wake up, the dreams having made it hard to sleep so she was a little more tired than usual, but no less of a light sleeper. It just too a little longer from the haziness to leave her mind long enough to realize something was wrong.

Rubbing at her eyes, she props herself up with a sleepy whine in complaint. And she just looks between the two boys with a squint as Dipper asks his question.]

Wait, what ab't our hands?

[No, she hasn't processed the request enough to actually show him anything.]

[kolus]

[ The weapon in Dipper's hands does little to discourage the goblin. He only pauses to turn on the lights, banishing darkness with the flip of a switch, before he moves further into the room. ] Put 'em up where I can see them. Let's go.

[ Stan holds out his own, a name carved into his palm unknown to him. YUTO. ] You had a dream about a troll... Four of 'em up to tonight. [ The last was less encouraging compared to those before it, the monster meeting an end most foul. He needn't speak it; had they the same dream, they knew her fate just as well. ]

[Action/Night of the 25th]

[terribibble]

[The past few days have been hard on the Mystery Shack. It's slowly emptied and grown somber and quiet, and the remaining occupants aren't doing much better. When still being alive at this point necessitates having killed someone else... well. It's not exactly a recipe for feeling great.

Breakfast for dinner won't really change that, but it might at least mitigate it a little. Fiddleford may not remember Mabel the way she remembers him but he's never known a kid who didn't like flapjacks no matter what time of day it was.]

How many do you want t'start out with?

[He wishes he'd been able to be around just a little longer for Tate to be just a little older. Maybe he'd know better how to handle a sad kid then.]

[braidtrain]

Um...just one's okay...

[Breakfast for dinner can't make what happened go away but it can make her feel a little better. Even if it's just a little. That's what counts, right? That said though, she doesn't pick up her chin from the table as she answers, still just staring resolutely at the middle of it.

This was really the worst.]

Wait, no, two please.

[What were they supposed to do in a situation like this?]

[terribibble]

[He wishes he knew, but he doesn't. What he does do is plate her up two pancakes from a stack that promises there will definitely be more if she decides she wants more (and if she doesn't, well, that just means leftovers). He sits down across from her at the table with his own plate and completely fails to actually make any move toward eating. Constant unwanted flashbacks to the time you murdered a man you might have been on the road to becoming good friends with don't really do much for your appetite, turns out.

This really is the worst.]

I'm guessin' you don't want to talk about it, but if you did...

[He's guessing she doesn't because he sure as hell doesn't, but it's an offer he feels like he ought to extend all the same. He's a grown man, even if he's jumpier than most. She's a kid. There's no angle where this isn't most definitely worse for her, and without either of her great uncles around, he feels obligated to at least try to look after her.]

<NineHeaded> 7/17

[impheired]

hey, mabel. you wanna come over to the castle for a bit?

[This assuredly has nothing to do with her grunkle who just disappeared. It's not like he's worried about her or anything. Losing another family member right on the heels of her twin brother.]

<sweaterweather>

[braidtrain]

[Surely not. Why would it have anything to do with that? It takes a little bit to answer, mostly because she needed to decide if she wanted to bother with the network right now anyway, but maybe it's important...and then she sees it's from Fuyuhiko and well, that's worth it. Going over to the castle though?]

i could come ovre sure. um, when do you want me over?

[That sounds pretty great honestly. She's not even going to ask why, just going to take it for what it is.]

<NineHeaded>

[impheired]

whenever's fine. or i can come over there instead if you want.

<sweaterweather>

[braidtrain]

no i htink i'll com over there. that's okay. i can just fly over real quick.

[The shack is a little depressing right now, y'know?]

though um...your manticore friend isnt thre is she? or your demon one?

<NineHeaded>

[impheired]

ok.

saionji might be around here somewhere, fuck if i know. it's a big castle and the two of us don't really get along.
tanaka's here though, yeah.
why?

<sweaterweather>

[braidtrain]

do you think we could go somewhere else then maybe?
or maybe you should come over here instead...
i don't kno why but its' just really uncomfortable being around manticors and demons???
faeires and gargoyles and kelpies too, but you don't ahve any friends like that living threre right?
i mean i like them!! er...sorta. tanaka's realy nice anywa y and saionji's...really pretty! i like all your friends a lot!
but i just don't want to be around them...even thinkign about it makes my skin crawl. sorry...

<NineHeaded>

[impheired]

it's alright, you don't have to apologize for that.
you don't have to force yourself to compliment saionji either. really, i'm not offended. the two of us aren't really friends.
but alright, how about we g into town then? you wanna meet me in the shopping district?
we can walk around there for a bit.

<sweaterweather>

[braidtrain]

[Thank you for being so understanding, Fuyuhiko. But why aren't you friends if you live together???]

sure, that sounds good!!
i think that would be fun.
i'll see you in a litel bit then?

<NineHeaded>

[impheired]

yeah. i'll head out in a few.
see you soon.

[It doesn't really take him long to get ready. Thanks to the fog and the moon phase, the only thing he can wear right now are pants and he already had those on anyway. So it hardly even takes him a minute to start his trek towards Bavan, in his travel form. Of course, Mabel still lives closer and she can fly so no matter how fast he runs, she'll probably still beat him.]

[But eventually, a familiar little shiba inu will turn up in the shopping district, sniffing around to follow the all too familiar scent of his favorite harpy.]

delivery; 08/31

[impheired]

[Hopefully Mabel is in her room at the shack on the afternoon of her birthday. Because at around 1:00 or so, there's a sharp rapping on the window. If she goes to investigate, she'll find a large, black crow perched flapping outside the window. Thanks to all her visits to Castle Mirai, she may recognize the bird as a member of the "Tanaka Kingdom". Apparently Gundam taught his birds how to do deliveries? Or at least his crow. Crows are pretty smart.]

[Clutched in its talons is a small white box, tied shut with a bright pink ribbon. メーベル is written on the outside of the package in thin, upright, almost stiff-looking characters. Consider this your first Japanese lesson, Mabel. That's your name.]

[So, what will you do, birdbrain?]

[braidtrain]

[She is, thankfully, back in her room at the shack by the time her birthday rolls around. So the rapping is answered by the harpy, and she's a little surprised to see the crow there. Even more surprised by the box in its talons.

She opens the window so the bird can come in, reaching out to take the box so it doesn't have to carry that any longer. If it wants to hang out and rest a little before going back it can, or it can head back immediately. She doesn't mind either way.

She's going to go sit on her bed and look the box over. That's...Japanese, right? So is this from Fuyuhiko? She's not positive what it says just yet, though kind of has an idea. If this is supposed to be for her...

Alright, gonna open this box up. The ribbon is undone carefully and set aside - she can always use that later - and curiously the box is opened. So what's in here exactly?]

[impheired]

[The crow lands on the windowsill with a soft caw, then looks expectantly at Mabel. Okay, he gave you the thing. So...you give him seed now, right? You should definitely give him some seeds, fellow bird. Seems he's opting to rest and get payment before heading back off to the castle.]

[As for the box...! Before she even opens it, Mabel will probably notice that it jingles faintly when it moves. Once she opens the lid, the first thing she'll see is a bright pink card with an ornate, gold glitter-covered design on the front. The card is just big enough that it fits perfectly inside the box, covering up the actual present itself. More of the same neat, upright lettering can be found inside the card, though thankfully this time in whatever magical language they use in Ryslig.]

Mabel,

I guess this means you decided not to go the party route this year. And that's fine, but if you expected me not to send you something either way, then you're a real birdbrain. Because whether Dipper's here or not, today's still your birthday and that means it's still a special day. And you deserve a reminder of that.

Before you get to the present though, I want to give you some words of advice. Since you're entering your teen years now, somehow it just seems appropriate. Bear with me though, since I'm not the best at this kinda stuff. The next few years aren't gonna be the easiest. Magical and monstrous adventures aside, you're gonna face a lot as a teenager. And I know you're feeling kind of worried and anxious about it. Most people do, it's just a natural part of growing up. But you're gonna be fine. You're a strong girl and luckily, you don't have to face the teen year problems by yourself. You've got a great brother. And even if he's not here right now, he's still with you in a way. A bond like what the two of you have doesn't just go away or break because of physical distance. Don't forget that.

Happy birthday, little sis.

-Hiko

[Underneath the card is a layer of what looks like a bunch of brightly colored ribbons, folded up neatly. What's up with those?]

[braidtrain]

[Oh, hold on! Before she reads that card, she gets up to share some of her bird seed with the crow. Because she definitely eats and enjoys that now. Maybe even gives him one of her bird treats! Thank you for taking this to her! What a good bird you are!

But okay, back to the matter at hand. She opens the card - it's so pretty wow, he's good at picking out cards! - and gives the contents a read and...

Then she has to read it over a second time. Ugh...her eyes aren't watering it's just your imagination! And her imagination. It's everyone's imagination because how silly is it to cry over a card? Even if it's really touching and encouraging and also he called her little sis.

Ugghhhh wiping at her eyes a little, she carefully sets the card aside to address the gift. The jingling had already gotten her excited because bells? Are those bells? Do you have any idea how much she has started to love bells recently? And now there are brightly colored ribbons too...what is up with those indeed? Definitely inspecting them.]

[impheired]

[Ugh, he just knows she really likes glitter, okay! Don't look into it too much...]

[When she pulls the ribbons out of the box, it should be immediately obvious what they are. All of them have a colorful hairclip attached to one end, multiple ribbons streaming from the same clip. Though the ribbons on each clip vary a little in width and texture, they're all color coordinated. And there's a lot of variety, clearly so Mabel can mix and match her hair ribbons depending on her mood. Lots of them have fun little beads on them: stars, hearts, cute little animal faces, flowers...all the things a little girl would love. Some have silver or gold bells tied to the end. And some are a little less loud, featuring ribbons made of gauze and fabric roses.]

[But still, there's more in the box. Because once she's pulled all the ribbons out, she'll notice that there's still a little space at the bottom of the box. There's bright yellow tissue paper covering whatever it is, though. And, whatever it is, it must be very light because the box never weighed much to begin with.]

[braidtrain]

[Um no she's going to look into it.

Later though. Her eyes immediately light up when she realizes what they are and she admires every single set there. Oh my god these are so cute? And so pretty? Ugh she doesn't know which ones she wants to wear first!!! It takes her a minute to decide, the box temporarily forgotten, before clipping two of the ones with bells into her feathers on the back of her head. She shakes her head a little, so pleased by the way they jingle as her crest instantly perks up, and sets the rest aside.

And that's when she notices the yellow tissue paper. There's more???? Alright, mystery gift, what's in you...? (Again, the unwrapping is very careful. The paper is pretty! She could use it in her nest!)]

[impheired]

[Oh my god, Mabel, it's just tissue paper! You don't need to be THAT careful with it, jeez. Especially since it's just laying on top of the mystery gift. This was probably a safeguard against card glitter.]

[Because what's under the tissue paper is a pretty stark contrast to the rest of the gift. There's no bright colors, no bells, no glitter, or fun shapes. It's a black silk neckerchief, with a little dipper constellation embroidered in shining silver thread. Becoming a teenager means transitioning from childhood to adulthood. So it seemed appropriate to give her something with a more grown-up feel to it in addition to something fun and bright and colorful.]

[braidtrain]

[She does!!! It needs to stay in tact so it looks nice in her nest and her talons make that hard sometimes.

But the black silk neckerchief, even if it isn't brightly colored, is still appreciated! She loves all colors after all, and this includes shades of black and grey. (She just thinks Hiko needs some more color in his life.) Plus, it's such a nice material...

And also there's the embroidery, which she really ends up staring at for longer than needed. Fuyuhiko it's her birthday. Do you know how rude it is to make her cry on her birthday? It's very rude! You owe her, because here she is. Definitely crying. That's not to say she doesn't like it or anything. She loves it, really. It's just...again, this is so touching. And it hurts a little, seeing that design, but at the same time it helps? Because she can guess at what the point of this is.

Yet another accessory that she puts on without hesitation, once she's calmed down a little and no longer has the waterworks turned on. She makes sure to tie it in a way that leaves the little dipper fully visible, proudly resting over her feathers. She's never taking this off except to groom and sleep.

Ugh, once she's done sniffling she's going to punch you gently through the internet Hiko. Hope you're ready.]

[impheired]

[Oh, right. Three tags ago, the crow definitely started eating the seeds that Mabel gave her. That was totally a thing that was mentioned and katar definitely did not get so caught up in the present that it went unmentioned. The crow is still happily eating that seed snack. Once all the seeds are gone, though, there's a rustling of feathers as the crow stretches out, caws at Mabel and then takes off. Bye, bird friend. Gotta go back home now. Thank for seed snack.]

[Is he ready for internet punches though? Who knows. Guess she'll have to punch him and find out!]