middleofsomewhere | Wings of Wonder: NPC Interactions and Investigations

Wei Wuxian, lagging a touch behind, comes to a stop as well. What in the world was happening? He has his flute tucked into his belt, visible at his hip, but he's not dressed to impress or frighten: a man with his hair half pulled up and back, no visible weapons, and a blue hoodie and decently clean cargo pants.

Bless that translation still works, or where would they be then?

"Not looking to invade anything, as it is. We'd love to talk, like my friend here says. To whomever you prefer, yes?"

No woolies, or locals, harmed in the process. (Or them, though Wei Wuxian's calculating what he'd need to do in order to handle a reach-enhancing weapon-attack, and how he'd disarm, if needed.)

The young sali skids to a halt and brandishes what looks to be a wooded walking staff a shepherd would use when Yondu appears with his red eyes. All the hair on the youth's body stand on end. Red eyes haven't meant anything good, but... the young sali doesn't do more beyond keeping the wooden walking staff between herself and everyone else for the moment. "You're here to talk? But..."

However, the message hasn't gotten through to the older sali with the red eyes. "There are more intruders over here!" The older sali reaches behind to pull a bow and arrow. With practiced ease, he shoots an arrow at the young sali. It only barely misses. "I won't let you hurt anyone else."

"I just herd woolie, which you've been scaring!" the younger sali glares as she looks to the older sali. "You and the others!"

The older sali readies another arrow.

Oh, okay. They're chasing the kid. And as he's gotten used to in the past few months, with his hands still raised he puts himself between him and the kid, his back to it. Which... you know, he's choosing to believe the kid's just a little herder and not a secret menace to society.

"We ain't hurt nobody. We just showed up. My name is Yondu."

It occurs to him then that, right, magic's been a little wonky. Putting on his bracer might not do him no good. He doesn't know if the magic on his coat stuck either- maybe the dragon scales are solid enough without magic to make it a little more durable, but he can't rely on the usual armaments.

So his eyes stay keenly, keenly on the arrow. He can catch one arrow if he has to. More than one? Only catchin' those with his torso.

Wei Wuxian, for his part, has his flute out and in hand. Did it seem like much of a weapon? No, not truly, but then he doesn't wait for the second arrow to fly. Yondu has moved himself forward to defend the younger sali, and their confusion was a tipping point for Wei Wuxian to go into action.

"Yondu, cover them. This one's not listening."

He may be a half wreck of a cultivator, but that didn't make him less quick, or less strong. Just less capable of the qi expenditure that his compatriots could manage, meaning his is far more carefully portioned out.

He darts forward, too fast for normal human speeds, looking to knock that bow sideways and work on incapacitating the adult on attack, not to kill.

The young sali is only menace to society when her normally docile woolie gets frightened and runs amuck. That is not the case now. Everything moves so fast. Yondu is before her. Wei Wuxian moves ahead. Despite having been chased earlier, the young sali shrieks when Wei Wuxian knocks the bow out of the older sali's hands. "Don't hurt him!"

Unfortunately, the younger's concern doesn't reach the older. He kicks away from Wei Wuxian and touches the ground. Vines with thorns erupt from the soil and dart towards all three of them.

Oh well, sure! Wuxian gets to fight. "Get back'!" he says to the kid, gesturing for him to go. We'll make some distance.

"He ain't gonna hurt nobody, I'll tell his partner to whoop him later if he does. What's wrong with 'em?" If there ever was a time he wished those plant abilities worked and at their fullest capacity, it's right now. But if he tries anything it'd just be extra wrong.

"Why are they after some of their own like that?"

Wei Wuxian ducks down to nab the bow from where it falls, "No killing!" his call back to Yondu and the youth stuck in a difficult situation. "Which one? I've got three!"

Three Lan Zhans at present, a veritably chaotic grouping he has zero responsibility for.

He darts sideways into the taller grasses they've yet to stomp through as the ground turns into a field of questing vines with their thorns, trailed by at least some of those vines that thrash into grasses, narrowly missing him at one, no, two junctures.

He'd yelp, but there's no point, not when he needs to incapacitate this person to some extent, before the ones he keeps calling to join in on finding and "handling" the trespassers. His aim is to use speed and his physical agility to get around and through to knocking the attacker out; though he'll be vulnerable to any thorned vines in the moment of making contact. One hand on the neck of the sali and he can hope their pressure points are something similar to human, or else this is going to be a good old fashion knocking out.

Not to mention, a good old fashioned holding off a vine by borrowed bow, and scoring the cuts such an attack inevitably brings, unflinching, where he cannot evade them all.

The younger sali has no idea what Yondu (and then Wei Wuxian) is talking about and looks around expecting three more people to show up. None do. "I don't know. He started acting all funny when the storm came. Him and some of the others."

Wei Wuxian dodges the vines with his agile movements, taking only minor scrapes and cuts in the process. However, the attempted pressure point pinch to the neck merely makes the sali woozy. He stumbles a bit, causing his control over the vines to become sluggish. They are far easier to dodge now and creates an opportunity to subdue the older sali.

"What did he do to him?" the younger sali asks Yondu as she nervously tightens her grip on her staff.

"He hit his dizzy spots. Everybody got 'em." Yondu blurts out 'cause you know what, he's got no time to explain pressure points or nothin' like that, and he knows with kids you occasionally gotta jump aboard the proud vessel 'MakeShitUp' just to give them quick answers to troubling questions.

Now that he's sure the kid's gonna be alright he moves in to help, grabbing the older sali to try and wrangle its arms behind their back. He can't do much about the plants, but if they touch him he just pushes back with Grow the other damn way! thoughts.

"What about the red gem on 'em? They got one an' y'all others don't." Meaning maybe they should get it off him.

Yondu is there, helping try to handle the older sali, and Wei Wuxian shifts his attention briefly to the younger. He ignores the small cuts and lacerations that made it to skin instead of hooking only cloth.

"The storm's responsible for bringing what's altering their minds, but isn't the direct cause. Has there been anything red falling?" Then he waves a hand, reaching to his side for rope. "Young Miss, I'm thinking we need to restrain this Uncle so we can bring him to... who is it, Enshala here? Can you bring us to Enshala?"

Tying up the older sali would be his plan while Yondu has his arms back, along with slapping a silencing talisman on his forehead: he has no idea if it'll work, with how energies are here, but applied directly to the man it might keep his voice from producing sound. Might. Otherwise, gags have always had a purpose, haven't they?

"No! No no no! Don't you touch his gem!" The young sali is ready to smack them over the head with her staff if they so much as poke the older sali's gem. She is on guard as they start to tie up the older sali, who struggles a little but can't really do much now that he's bound. He will glare angerly at them, however.

Once she's sure they are not going to attempt to do anything with his gem (for fear of scrappy young sali head bonking), she'll be more willing to listen to their ideas again.

"You know about our Forever Ones?" Her brows furrow. The Forever One could help. They must be able to. "Okay. Follow me."

"What's the gem do?"

Once the man is bound he grabs his scythe to take with him. The bow and arrows he hands off to Wuxian. "We'll give 'em back later."

He hauls the Sali up over his shoulders fireman style with a grunt and moves alongside the younger Sali and gives her the scythe so she can hack through as she needs to. It's her leading the way, after all.

"An' how bad has it gotten? Are they eatin'? Goin' back to their families? Takin' care of themselves at all?"

He adds the quiver and arrows to his carried items, nodding to Yondu, and turning his attention to the young sali.

"My name's Wei Wuxian, Young Miss. I exchanged energy with Hemla of the central island, not long after we arrived. Hemla shared a memory of the sudden nature of the storm hitting, and the names of the Forever Ones on the other islands. I figure if anyone can help clear a mind, it might be your Forever One."

Meaning he falls into walking along, not even remotely contesting that Yondu can handle carrying the older, bound sali. Wei Wuxian is only sometimes a fool, and wasting his energy helping in that quadrant right now would be entirely foolish.

"Breaking it is punishable by death or be indebted to them for the rest of your life." is the young sali's answer. The gems do do something, but she's wary about giving more details. However, she does not lie about the punishments one could face from breaking the gem. There will be very bad consequences for tampering with the older sali's gem.

The Forever One will know better than her. She only just got her job in the community not too long before all this happened. The young sali takes the scythe and begins to lead them to the shelter housing the Forever One on this island.

"Good to know. Got enough debts as it is."

Well, that answers that. They can't mess with them, but maybe they were doing something to them? Yondu had been suspecting maybe they were some sort of security or military originally. Maybe he wasn't far off. Some special position, anyway.

Luckily Yondu's dealt with enough wounded (or drunk) crew that he can head in that direction and keep himself balanced with the horned man slung over him like he is. He'll trust Wuxian to get his back if something pops up.

"Ah, good to know, thank you, Young Miss."

Beyond that, however, he acts as the rear guard for their small group, listening for anything else moving their way, and keeping an eye turned skyward for anything flying over. Some, like fellow Trainlings, would be fine, but the ones delivered by the storm and causing the wrongness on the islands?

Well, considering he's fairly sure they are why the older sali was attacking one of his own...

"Where were you during the storms?" A question asked before they reach the destination their young sali friend has in mind.

As they close in to their destination, the air becomes lighter from the faint remainders of the red colouring in the air; the birds don't seem to be swooping around as much this way, or making their flight patterns take this obvious open space into account for whatever reason.

But the two Voidtreckers will feel it, at a point. Once the sali has answered the question, the three have chatted a bit, there is an even more noticeable shift in the air: a near tangible pushback. It's not impenetrable, but there's something discouraging in going against it. A weight on them, a prickling at their bodies.

The sali with them will not notice it, but they'll be drawn into a private conversation at the same time, by their own crystal, unbeknownst to the pair.

'You bring strangers. Speak now - are you sane?'

A positive answer will concede the air some around the group, if with still a discomfort persisting. One that Wei Wuxian may feel as familiar, with his dealings with Hemla.

"Inside," the young sali says as she feels herself step into the better air. She's safe now. The Forever One will know what to do.

'I am. These outsiders say they are here to help and have spoken with Hemla. I bring them because I believe you will know what to do with them better than me. And maybe you can help one of our own who is acting strange.'

The young sali looks at Yondu.

'One outsider has red eyes, but he still seems to have his mind.'

There is a shift in their conversation, subtle as Hemla's name is spoken, but not lasting as the young sali goes on. A few seconds given to consider, before the young sali hears:

'Fine, I will see them. Tell them to bring our own, I will lead them. You, look for others, keep your head. Call if you need help.'

The uneasiness doesn't shift for Wei Wuxian and Yondu, and instead, they feel their bodies - their attention - being pulled in the direction the young sali had been taken them to. A feeling that comes with a prickling to their skin that they should continue that way - with the older sali.

'I will. Thank you.'

"The Forever One will see you now. Bring him, and be on your best behavior, or you'll be sorry," the young sali says not with the tone of a threat but more like a child trying to warn another about a strict adult. "I've got other things to do now."

And with that, the young sali runs off, calling for people who need help and for her lost woolie.

Wei Wuxian feels the pull, glancing to Yondu as the young sali speaks to them. He smiles and briefly cups his hands and nod-bows to her for the warning.

"Thank you for your help, and may your tasks go well."

They're off so fast all he can do is gesture toward his fellow Trainling, and the older sali with them.

"Time to take our Uncle here on over. Thank you, Enshala, for agreeing to allow us here!"

Can the Forever One hear him? He's not sure, but it's a decent enough bet he says so while falling in with the direction they're being pulled. He's wary, of course, but he's also alert to how familiar this all feels in the end. This is the Forever One. That much he can trust.

"See? He's fine." He turns to show the unconscious larger sali to the smaller before she departs, just to reassure her. About as fine as a limp man set to bruise later likely should be. He hauls him in and lays him in front of Enshala, grunting with effort in order to not just drop him.

"Alright, here he is. Thanks for talkin' to us even if he's gonna be the one better for hearin' ya."

Yondu will have to wait once the pair reach a building, large, about two storeys or so, with only slits for window spaces showing an upper floor in an otherwise dome-shaped dwelling made from woods and dried grasses. Two markers sit close to the entrance, repelling them for a moment, glowing to their presence - until it's pushed back, the glowing dying by some unseen hand minimising their protection to allow the pair - or three - inside. It will be strange to pass them, but better than not - Enshala waits inside.

There are a few others, too. They enter into a curved room, an entrance room, with curtains for doors that hide wherever they lead. Circle seating that comes to meet a fire pit in the centre, and by it, the statue of the Forever One, Enshala, sits. Chin raised, hands grasping their knees, a commanding presence even in stone.

A sali waits by the side close to where they enter, seeing the body, and holding out their arms with a "Give" for it. To move them from one shoulder to another, so they can be taken beyond one of the curtains.

There sits a sali by Enshala, leg done up in dressings, meeting the presence of the two with suspicion eyes. A mortar and pestle in their lap, and work pausing to address them.

"Why are you here? We want answers, now. Your reasons, how you came here. Explain."

He doubts it'll make full sense, really, but he lifts his hands to make gesture of a bow. Enshala is their own presence, but it's clearly different to be surrounded with even a handful of sali, versus Hemla in the grass.

"Hemla passed along your warning to the West. The East was already not responding when your message reached them."

Hands lowering, he considers his words when he spoke.

"We've come from our own ship, traveling the space between worlds. When it detects a world in suffering over a specific cause, it brings us there in an effort to help stabilize the situation. We've been scouting the islands for information, that's why we're here, and reaching out to speak with the East on Hemla's encouragement. With some bridge repair on our end, mostly to the North and East. My understanding is the red storm is lingering to the West dangerously, and the North doesn't have the blessing of a Forever One in its defense. The flying creatures are brought by the storm, correct? Like these birds we're seeing overhead here? Or did they exist before, and started acting oddly after the storm?"

When Wei bows, Yondu does as well. Not as steeply, it's another Ravager salute with a double-pat of his fist against his chest. He didn't encounter Hemla. Didn't have the capacity to do so.

"We got some pretty intelligent, experienced folks with us. We can help ya out." He reaffirms whaat Wuxian's saying, but doesn't add to the question because it's something he's been wondering about as well.

shows up as the plus one, hands over a beer to yondu

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Did you want a Forever One in this thread?

We are down!

Re: We are down!

There will be 2 NPC posts for a few tags!

young sali and older sali reporting

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young sali ollies out

wei wuxian waves gently in the distance

we reversed order because it was better for him to go first

no problem!

Re: no problem!

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