I love you and that's all I really know

[reddosmod]

FEBRUARY 2022 EVENT

IMAGE DESCRIPTORS IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE
Prompt One
[Image One: Bloody fingers hovering over chalice of blood.]
[Image Two: Semi-nude people dancing in circle with joined hands.]

Prompt Two
[Image One: Hauntingly large man coming up behind young girl while other girl screams.]
[Image Two: Old woman walking towards a panicked young woman.]

Prompt Three
[Image One: Obscure, nude bodies twisted together in a circle. Non-graphic.]
[Image Two: Nun holding holy book while red liquid pours from unseen face.]

Prompt Four
[Image One: Chocolates.]
[Image Two: Chocolate.]

[NAVIGATION]

Prompt 1 • Prompt 2 • Prompt 3 • Prompt 4 • Plotting • Newsletter

[JUMP TO COMMENTS]

BONDING PACTS

WHEN: Anytime
WHERE: Anywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Blood ceremony, bodily ceremony, telepathic/empathetic connections, possible forced/coerced relationships.

---

[From BEGINNERS GUIDE FOR BLOOD PACTS. Found in the Archives:]

"There are a variety of blood pacts one can make, but the most popular are Bonding Pacts. Bonding Pacts should never be made on a whim: they are a serious commitment.

PROCEED WITH CAUTION!
We can thank the Doorway for Bonding Pacts. Everyone knows the story: the Reckoning was made to go fight the impossible battle against blood pollution, corruption, and beasthood. The Doorway vowed to wait for the Reckoning to return and has never moved since. This is ultimately believed to be the first Bonding Pact ever made in Trench and it is considered to have opened up Bonding Pacts as a possibility in general.

The most common misconception about Bonding Pacts is that they must be exclusively for romantic partners. This is not true The majority of Bonding Pacts, as a matter of fact, are actually familial and platonic in nature. Most romantic pairs decide that marriage is a safer option just in case someone gets a case of cold feet. On the other hand, this also means that the Bonding Pact can be the ultimate sign of devotion in a romantic relationship. We aren't interested in telling you what is right for your relationship, but the history is worth considering before taking that step.

So what is a Bonding Pact and how do you do it? Despite being one of the strongest pacts in this world, it is also one of the simplest to perform! Here's what you'll need:

1x Vial of blood per participant wishing to enter the pact
1x Small essence* of each participant
1x Live red rose
2x Live white roses
1x Pouch of ashes
1x Silver cup/container of some sort

*It was once believed that "essence" translated to organ, but we have since learned that this can be a single strand of hair, nail clipping, eyelash, teardrop, spit...You get the gist. It has to be something that came directly from your body that isn't blood.

You need to leave the silver cup out under the moonlight for at least one full night. You must complete this ceremony the evening after and only in the evening. Bonding Pacts cannot be made during the day. When you plan to begin the ceremony, you will need to perform it in a doorway or under any type of arch. This is to allow the Doorway to bless your pact and strengthen it permanently.

You will combine all the ingredients into the cup and thoroughly stir with a fragment of bone/antler. This concoction will thicken into a pastelike consistency and it should be black in color. If it smells like fresh roses, you did it right. If it smells like rancid food, you messed it up and will have to completely redo the ceremony.

Finally, each participant will cover one hand with the paste. To seal the bond, you will need to place your hand upon the one you wish to bond with. Where you place it matters and will determine the nature of your Bonding Pact. Each will have a drastically different consequence/benefit.

ROMANTIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the face. This indicates a public relationship that is to be respected by all involved. This bond will create a telepathic connection between all participants. This telepathy cannot be heard by anyone else nor can it be interfered with from distance or chaos. It is possible to bring your romantic partner back from beasthood through this connection. Extreme cases of this bond have allowed romantic partners to take over one another's minds in severe situations. It can be difficult to shelter your thoughts from your Romantic Bond partner, but it is possible. They will know when you are keeping thoughts from them. Some partners have learned to respect each other's privacy while others have gone insane from the connection.

PLATONIC BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on the chest/shoulder area. This bond will create an This bond will create a physical connection. between all participants. This physical bond will allow participants to pick up on each other's physical pain or pleasure. You will be able to know when your friend is in physical harm. This creates a "phantom pain" of sorts. This can either weaken you substantially or give you an enormous boost during a fight. Best friends have been known to harness this ability well and use each other's pain to literally get stronger during a fight with monsters. On the other hand, a strained relationship can just cause you to feel the same debilitating pain as your friend. This cannot be used to bring someone back from beasthood.

FAMILIAL BONDS: Place the hand somewhere on an appendage whether arm, leg, tail or otherwise. This bond will create an empathetic connection between all participants. This empathetic bond will allow participants to naturally know what the other is feeling and may be able to sway one another's emotions through this connection. Like the romantic bond, it cannot be ruined by distance or chaos and has been used to bring people back from beasthood. Extreme situations have allowed partners to take total emotional control. You will always know when your Familial Bond partner is in emotional distress. You can send your Familial Bond emotional support when you can feel their stress, even at a distance. While this may not always work, many have reported it can greatly alleviate corruption and can even be used to recognize corruption patterns in order to prevent it.

HOSTILE BONDS: Place this bond exclusively on the neck or on anywhere on the back. While it may seem farfetched to make a bond with your enemy, there is some merit to the madness. This will create a unique power connection between all participants. This bond will allow one another to feel the ebb and flow of one another's powers. It is said the most well-forged Hostile Bonds may even allow characters to share abilities between one another. Hostile Bonds are known to drastically increase aggression and competitive behavior between participants. This has caused hostility to stir and may even lead to hatred. However, a successful Hostile Bond that is worked on with steady communication and agreement can be enormously successful and horrifically powerful.

Once you have left your handprint on your partner's skin, the spell will take hold. The handprint will glow and everyone will briefly have a vision of the Doorway standing before them. Don't be alarmed: they are only here to solidify the connection. You will feel great warmth and then the connection will be made. The handprint will stain your skin permanetly so choose wisely. The stain may be extremely light, barely visible. For others, it may be much darker. It is unknown what causes the variation.

This pact can be performed any time of year but is strongest when performed during or near the Egg Moon. While it is not required to have an audience for this ceremony, it is believed that an audience greatly strengthens the bond. It has become customary for people to make vows in combination with the ceremony for an additional layer of power.

As a further point of caution...These bonds can be forced on an individual."

FAQ
1. These bonds cannot be broken except by extreme magical interference such as through some sort of game event, a character being dropped from the game, or something like the Blade of Agency. Death will not disturb the bond.

2. There is no "limit" to the number of participants for the ceremony. Romantic bonds can be made between multiple people. The connection will only exist between those who partook in the ceremony at the same time.

3. People can be added into a Bonding Pact at any time.

4. Gender/species has no impact on the bond.

5. People can create different bonds with the same person.

6. These bonds are open-ended and can be translated to better fit your character.

IMPENDING INTIMACY

WHEN: February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Intimacy-based monster, intense themes of stalking, jealousy, possession, guilt, shame, physically violent deaths, possible themes of adultery/cheating, some negative ideaology towards promiscuity.

---

[From History of Blood Crazed Zealots: Chapter 15 Caution About Curses found in the Lumenarium:]

"Do not be fooled by this seemingly passive curse. There are few things more potent than a Blood Crazed Zealot's magic, and few emotions are stronger than that of jealousy. The story goes that one Blood Crazed Zealot was in love with another and entered a sacred blood pact to unite their blood and souls. However, the other Blood Crazed Zealot's love was not as pure, and soon they strayed in body and in mind. Of course, no secrets can be kept in a blood pact, and one thing led to the other.

The jealous and betrayed Blood Crazed Zealot created a vicious curse that still plagues the world to this day. We know of no cures, no remedies, no way to beat it. We only know how to keep it at bay. But It is always around, It is always near, and It will always follow. We have not yet determined the exact way It is transmitted from one person to the next, but we believe it has to do with exchanging some form of intimacy. Whether that be with sex, words of love, or even just saying a loved one's name, the curse will follow.

It appears as a person walking directly towards you. At first, you might not even pick it out from the crowd, until it gets closer. Then you see oddities. Water spills from its body, or its arm looks broken, or many walk along completely naked. There is something off about the creature, and worse yet, no one sees It but you and anyone previously cursed by It. It moves slowly, and it would be easy to assume that it can't really hurt you. After all, if you shoot it with a gun or tear it down with powers, it breaks apart as easily as a human body...

But then It gets up. It reforms. It is impossible to kill. It doesn't react to pain. It doesn't react to words. It changes appearances when you lose sight of it, making it almost impossible to keep your guard up against it. The last time you saw it, it might have been a little girl, but now it looks like a six foot tall man. You might buy yourself some time, might be able to distance yourself by taking a swim or a fly...But It will find you. It will always find you. It can break through doors and windows. There are no wards against it.

When it finds you, it will kill you. It matters not what your powers are, what your blood is. This creature existed with the single purpose to destroy and it has perfected the art. Once it has a hold of you, you are powerless. You first lose all abilities, and then rapidly, your life follows in one crushing moment of paralyzing fear and agonizing pain. It throws its victims to the ground and breaks their bodies apart. No one wants to find the bodies of those it has consumed. It takes only seconds to kill you. Don't let it touch you. Don't let it get close enough to touch you. It will win.

When it has finished, it begins to stalk to the person that had passed it off. It's a never-ending cycle. Person A has it then gives it to Person B who gives it to Person C. Person C dies, so it goes back to Person B until person B can find someone new to give it to. Be wary of giving affection this month. You tenderly saying your beloved's name or engaging in sex or flirtation might just pass the curse along."

FAQ
1. The curse is meant to be severely undermined. The creature appears as an ordinary, unsettling-looking person with no obvious abilities. It can kill anyone regardless of their abilities or species.

2. The curse can be passed by saying a loved one's name (platonic/romantic/familial), sex, kissing, loving touches. To break the curse, one can sleep with a Trenchie or say the name of a loved one not present in Trench.

MOTHER'S MERCY

WHEN: The hex only appears during February
WHERE: Everywhere
CONTENT WARNINGS: Religious based trauma/forced guilt/shame, extreme themes of self-mutilation and possible sucidial ideations, hexes, altered mental state, forced confessions.

---

[A sermon by Mother Mercy as recorded by an unnamed Disciple, followed by an attached document titled MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS. A misspelling or unusual wording throughout the sermon is intentional. Disciples debate whether the document was intended as support of Mother Mercy's hex or as a way to help people avoid it. The sermon and Mother's Forgiveness are written in different handwriting. The documents can be found at the Pale Sanctuary:]

THE SERMON
"It was in the midst of Febuawry that the Doorway suummoned me for council,
They had fallen in love with the Reckoning and desird to create an eternal bond,
They wanted to have me present at the seremony to [provide] blessings,
Yet it was with regret I [had to] deny them their wish and instead provide cawsion,
But you see, that is the role of a Mother. We tell our spawn what they do not want to hear but muust.
It is a Mother's Mercy to pass on wisdom, to show compassion and care.

I told the Doorway that we live in a cruuel world, a cruuel world that can rawt a gewd heart,
I told the Doorway that it would be kindr to leave bonds uuntethered,
That it would be a kindness to both to let their love lingr and fade,
Than to let it be subjected to the atrocities of this world's bluud lost.
For what is a strongr emotion than jealousy? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than loneliness? I ask of you.
What is a strongr emotion than longing? I ask of you.
What drives people to insanity quickr than being denied their heart's desires?
No, I told them, they should let go, for a Pthumerian owes this world selflessness,
And a Pthumerian's love can permanently stain this world in a way no one else can.
It would be a kindness to all.

But the Doorway did not want to listen. The Doorway defied [my] advice and created bonds,
The Doorway opened an eternal connection to the Reckoning, The Doorway stained this earth with the consequence of love, of relationships.
Do not be fewled by the luuxury of these words.
There is suuch a thing as selfless love, and this was not it, And so the time came for me to regrettably be proven right.

The corruuption of our cruuel world festered as people created bonds,
For the bonds made the agony of loss so much greater.
With the Doorway's curse*1, people who lost their family, their spouses, their friends also lost themselves.
Loss is painful no matter how you enduure, but the Doorway's curse ensuured it would ruun*2 deep into your soul.
It would corrupt. It would ruun*2.
This was not merciful. This was not love.

And so I counseled the Reckoning to go and keep the corruption at bay,
The Reckoning will not return to the Doorway for corruption will never end,
For beasthewd will never end.
The Reckoning keeps her sword high, and the Doorway will wait for eternity for a lover who will never return.
This is a mother's mercy. Perhaps one day, the Doorway will dissolve their curse.

Now let us bow our heads and pray. And remember, my Disciples, abstain from the curse.
Regulate your desires. This is not to cast shame, but to cast cawsion."

*1: The "curse" refers to the Bonding Pacts that are now popular in Trench. There may be some logic to Mother Mercy's rhetoric given the intensity of corruption experienced post-Bonding Pact. However, one could argue there is an equally high chance of counter-corruption due to deepening relationships through blood magic.

*2: It would appear that the word "ruin" and "run" were spelled the same at this time.

[Footnotes are in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting and clearly added at a much later date than the original sermon was recorded due to the darker quality of the ink. The following document "Mother's Forgiveness" is in the Wayward Watcher's handwriting as well.]

MOTHER'S FORGIVENESS
"Thus shortly after the sermon, a hex began to spread throughout Trench. The source of which seemed to be people who were actively resisting personal desire in some shape. People who tried to resist lust or love or other basic desires began to experience convulsions of pain. The internal agony would rapidly escalate the more they resisted "temptation" and eventually, people found one of the only ways to alleviate this pain was to mutilate themselves. A small cut would bring some relief, but the more harm they brought themselves, the more relief they felt.

I have theorized that this may be the first incident of Sleepers transforming themselves into the Blood Crazed Zealots. This was the first time I began to experience Sleepers who had permanently modified their physical bodies in drastic ways. Many would seem content with the modifications but their personalities were distorted by exacerbated corruption. Those who avoided harming themselves would fall into beasthood in alarming numbers. For a while, the only solution the Hunters and I believed in was to mercifully put these creatures out of their misery.

I quickly learned that many people, especially Sleepers, had burrowed down so many desires that it became an outright plague of corruption throughout the city. We needed to do more than just hunting down those who fell to it. The bodies were piling in numbers and the blood pollution was creating more beasts than we were killing. I sought out Mother Mercy and demanded a solution. I reasoned with her that while she may want to avoid the Doorway's blood magic, it was unfair to allow Sleepers to go punished so severely for a Pthumerian's choices.

Eventually, we came to an agreement. She would purify those who came to the Pale Sanctuary and asked for her forgiveness. They must confess their desires to lift the hex. Mother Mercy will, fittingly, take mercy on those who wish to redeem themselves. Be careful of your desires, Sleeper, for if you keep them locked up, they may just be your ruin. Confessions to Mother Mercy should be a last resort. To avoid the hex, consider honesty.

Good Luck,
The Wayward Watcher."

FAQ
1. The "desires" do not need to be romantic or sexual. They can be someone who desires to resolve an issue, someone who wants to have more friends, the desire to be successful/powerful/famous etc. The "desires" should be prominent. Small desires like wanting a donut for breakfast will not cause harm.

2. Crippling feelings of guilt over desire will consume and corrupt. Characters can avoid the hex by admitting their desires to someone. It does not have to be to Mother Mercy.

3. Those who confess to others or Mother Mercy will feel immediate relief of the hex. People can experience the hex multiple times if they go back to hiding their desires.

4. Confessions can be given to anyone. If you're in love with someone, you can just confess it to a friend rather than the person you are in love with. Of course, it's not like Sleepers would know that...It would be easy to think you have to be forced to confess to your loved one.

5. Characters do not need to self-mutilate for this prompt. Many can just go through their usual corruption stages/beasthood that you would have planned for your characters ahead of time. This is intended to be a bit of history for the Blood Crazed Zealots. You can be flexible on how your character goes to extremes to alleviate their pain. This may include substance abuse, irrational behavior, etc.

THE CHOCOLATIER: BONUS PROMPT

WHEN: February (Chocolates can be saved for the future via freezing.) The drive to find the Chocolatier only lasts during February.
WHERE: All throughout Trench and surrounding areas.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Themes of temptation (non-sexual and/or sexual), addiction, blood sacrifice, severely warped personality/reality including temporary amnesia, inability to use body, paranoia, vomiting organs, homicidal feelings, mild body horror.

---

"What is the weight of your pleasure?"

You hear the gravely, sexless voice greet you somewhere in the streets of Trench. You knew the creature had not been there just a minute ago, but now you are no longer alone. A creature roughly the size of an elephant sits beside you, a chalice hovering in the air between its outstretched hands.

The scent of chocolate wafts from the creature. But this isn't just the smell of chocolate. It is the experience of pleasure itself. You can feel the warm melt of chocolate over your tongue, your body wrapped up in inexplicable warmth and silky softness, something whispering across your skin. Your scalp tingles as if someone were playing with your hair or you just heard the best song in your life. It's like sinking into your own bed after getting home from a long trip away.

It's nearly impossible to resist the stupor the creature puts you in. The Chocolatier gazes at you calmly. This is an infamous beast, rare to show its face, but known among locals as one of the most dangerous...For no one can bring themselves to slay it. They dare not even write about it in fear of this creature being capable of taking pleasure away from Trench altogether. Corruption has thoroughly consumed this soul, any sense of self lost, but is this truly the kind of beast that Hunters wish to bring down? It pacifies all those that meet it, even the most violent of souls. The desire to fight, to be hostile will be greatly diminished in its presence. Surely...Surely it cannot be bad.

"I only ask for a token of your blood. For that, I will give everything...Your pleasure, your desire...It is yours. In one single bite...Or perhaps...You may think to give one of my chocolates to someone you admire...For surely...Who could resist such a gift...?" It offers its chalice. "Just a drop will do, my friend..." It seems like such a reasonable request for such a grand gift. Common sense would normally be kicking in right about now, but the Chocolatier drives common sense from the mind and replaces it with sheer want. Someone with mental protection abilities, enchantments or blessed items may be able to resist the temptation and step away. Most people however will likely give over a drop (or more) of blood. The more blood you give, the more chocolates you receive...

And oh! Even if you dislike chocolate or typically can't eat it, you know that you can eat this piece. You know that you will like this chocolate. It's perfect in every way. It was made exactly for you...Or perhaps, even, a special someone in your life. A chocolate for your friend, your lover, your sibling, or...maybe even your enemy. Once you have been given the chocolate, the Chocolatier vanishes. You don't have to eat the chocolate right away, but the longer you resist, the greater the temptation will become. God forbid you lose the chocolate. Some have gone completely insane by the loss. Maybe you should just eat it or get it to your buddy!

There are a wide variety of chocolates you may be blessed with and each one has a different effect. The Chocolatier may seek you out multiple times, but it seems impossible to intentionally summon the Chocolatier.

All effects last a few hours to a few days. Consuming paleblood or darkblood will help alleviate symptoms. All chocolates may lead to corruption and beasthood if they get out of control. Resisting the symptoms worsens effects. While these chocolates are intended to set up new connections, the effects will be doubled if the effect is layering on a pre-existing situation (ie; if you eat a dark chocolate around the person you're sleeping with, you'll find them even more irresistible. If you eat a milk chocolate around your significant other, you'll feel even more in love). You can eat multiple chocolates at once to experience multiple effects at once.

Milk Chocolate: This will inspire extreme romantic attraction to the first person you interact with after eating this chocolate regardless of if you know them. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of being loved.

Dark Chocolate: This will inspire extreme sexual attraction to the first person you interact with of your preferred gender(s) after consuming. This has been used as a powerful aphrodisiac. Melted and put directly on the skin, it can cause extreme pleasure.

White Chocolate: You desperately want to befriend the first person you interact with after consuming. Melted and consumed with other food, it will provide additional feelings of security in your relationships.

Caramel: You will feel deeply indebted to the first person you interact with after consuming. You will want to do anything they ask, be anything they ask, and follow every order or command they give you.

Almond: You will be extremely compelled to communicate exclusively through song to other people. You will also be compelled to randomly sing your inner monologue and overshare via a spontaneous, musical number.

Raspberry: This will cause you to start vomiting a variety of organs. They aren't your organs. Some of the organs may still be functioning when they come up.

Orange: You will begin to completely confuse people for each other. Their faces and names will swap around in your mind. You might mistake your best friend for your partner. You will have difficulty remembering who is who.

Strawberry: Your emotions will be projected from you without your control through an aura. This aura can provide visual cues (such as a golden light around you when you are happy or a blue when you are sad) as well as smells and possibly even sounds.

Cherry: This will make you extremely flirty and cheerful. You will find it difficult to be in a bad mood and wind up hitting on people regardless of your personal attraction to them.

Coconut: This will cause temporary amnesia either long-term or short-term. Some people may have false memories put in their heads by this chocolate, many of which will be better than the lives they originally lived.

Coffee: This will cause extremely erratic, irrational behavior. You will become reckless and arrogant, making moves in situations you normally never would. It can boast confidence and ego. The crash from this chocolate is terrible and feels worse than a hangover.

Hazelnut: Some physical marker will appear on your body to show that you are romantically and/or sexually compatible with someone. This may be their name appearing on your skin, the first words they ever said to you, or your eye color changing to theirs. This does not force sexual/romantic attraction but rather lets you know who you might make a good match with!

Peanutbutter: You now have animal features of some sort. Dog ears, wings, new eyes. This has been known to provide temporary abilities similar to the animal you have been combined with. Some have even been known to be able to transform completely into the animal at this time!

Peacan: You will drastically lose function over certain body parts. This can cause feelings like your arm is no longer there or under your control. It may cause a complete surrender of your bodily functions in general.

Truffle: You will feel a crushing sense of paranoia that something is controlling you, watching you, and dictating the experiences around you. You will become increasingly suspicious of interactions and start theorizing about little things.

Vanilla: You will become obsessed with specific individuals and begin to actively plot their murder and likely attempt to commit it. This isn't just bloodlust: it's plotting violence. It's about wanting to get away with murder as much as committing murder.

CODING

Comments

[natzoom]

[Is it bad that this entire encounter has Natsume feeling sort of...nostalgic? He hadn't realized how much encountering spirits that wanted to eat him, punching them and then lecturing them had been a part of his life back home. If anyone had asked, he would've said it was annoying, the worst part of his entire day.

But here, sitting on his heels and holding the strange boy's groceries, he's inclined to feel soft towards the (admittedly melodramatic) demon. Cautious, of course, ready to swing a baguette at his head if he tries to attack again, but still sort of gentle, all the same.

Nyanko-sensei would be so indignant if he knew. Not to mention Natori, who would immediately launch into a lecture about how this is perfect evidence that Natsume needs an exorcist mentor, otherwise he's going to get eaten and/or possessed.

Pushing the thoughts away, the teenager carefully sets the bag of groceries to one side, hands held out for a moment to steady it so it doesn't tip over again. It still seems a little precarious, so he reaches out after a moment with his annoying cat tail, holding it in place.] No, I'm not. [His answer is patient, businesslike.] I don't know how to do that. And even if I did, you haven't really done anything wrong, besides...well, besides try to jump on me.

[A pause, then he narrows his eyes a little.] Unless you were trying to eat me. Were you?

[possessum]

( After a long pause, Paimon finally manages to turn his head to face the boy now. It aches to move, but... he seems capable of still managing it. The rest of him stays limp, however, arms and legs just kind of spread out flat against the ground. He's still pretty shellshocked.

Eat him...? The concept is so foreign to him that for a moment he's just doing more of that wide, alien staring. Granted, he's been accused of similar things before — Clarisse recently brought up the idea of him eating people's souls. But it was really absurd to him; he's absolutely not that kind of demon.

.............But.

Now that the idea's been proposed, he's really reflecting on it. His wide eyes slowly wander around the boy's body, like he's taking him in, processing him, or trying to. Then his nostrils start quivering a little, taking quick, sharp, audible intakes of breath.

He's sniffing the air. Sniffing for the boy. It's very creepy, but this whole scenario already is. Natsume may notice that the demon hasn't yet answered that question as to whether or not he'd try to eat him. )

...Are you food?

( Is what Paimon asks instead, because he doesn't understand what this being is, but yeah, he kind of wants to eat him now. In fact, the presence coming off of him reminds him a lot of something Clarisse had back in Deerington— )

....Nectar. Are you made of nectar?

[natzoom]

[Well, the first question is familiar but the second one is...definitely new to Natsume. He sits back on his heels, that stern frown crossing his face again. The cat ears are twitching, laying back against his head, but he ignores them in favor of crossing his arms.] I am definitely not food. I'm a person.

[But he has to hesitate a moment, debating the merits of asking, before settling on:] I don't believe I'm made out of nectar, but I also don't know what that is. As far as I know, I'm just an ordinary human. [That at least is a blatant lie. Natsume is human through and through (as far as he knows), but "ordinary" has never been a word that could describe him.] What are you?

[Then, clarifying slightly, because asking a spirit to explain itself can sometimes aggravate them:] What should I call you, I mean. [Don't ask it's name. Names are important, they hold power. Natsume isn't sure if the Book of Friends has the same effect here, but he's treading carefully all the same.]

[possessum]

( Just an ordinary human.... He can't be. There's simply no way this child, this entity, is an ordinary human. The demon continues to stare at him for a very long moment, liquid eyes never blinking, before he slowly begins to sit up.

He manages to sit pretty all right, even if his head feels dizzy and strange from the blow (he was once knocked out by Clarisse and locked in a bathroom, ironically, when trying to get nectar from her.... This is maybe some kind of parallel to that incident.)

There's more staring, intense and focused. Now that he's sitting up, he can smell the entity even better; its essence is so strong that all he can do is sit there and try to breathe it in without losing himself again. That silence is broken only by a soft cluck of the tongue as the demon studies the creature before him, before finally— )

I am Lucifer's most loyal of king demons.

( He does know better than to give his name just yet, but he will reveal that much. There's a certain pride in the words; the demon sits there more regally now, head tilted upwards (even if a nasty bruise is beginning to form where he was decked in the face.) )

I may be called... O Spirit To The West. ( A mouthful... )

What may you be called?

[natzoom]

Ah, careful-- [Natsume reaches out in spite of his resolve to remain stern and unflinching. But there's a definite bruise on the other boy's face, and even if the demon is supernaturally powerful, he's in a very breakable human body. So Natsume does some awkward hover-hands around the lanky spidery guy's shoulders, not quite daring to touch him.] Don't move too fast, you might've hit your head on the ground.

[...after you punched him, Nats, this is on you, kiddo.

The answer gets a perturbed kind of "hmmmn" sound. A demon, okay. That's workable. He knows lots of demons. None of them have aligned themselves with Lucifer specifically, but they all have that sort of lofty, self-aggrandizing attitude. Then he says, sternly:] Spirit to the West is too long. West, west...West...ie. Westie. Better.

[You've been nicknamed, Paimon, congrats. This is the guy who named his cat "Mr. Cat" and a little egg demon "Eggy".] My name is Natsume. You can call me that. Can you stand?

[possessum]

It is all right. My vessel has been injured on his head before. And this.

( Paimon points to his nose, purposefully. Honestly, he isn't too mad about being punched right onto the ground. It's fine; he's used to Peter's body being thrown around (and often does the throwing around of it, himself). Luna might not be too thrilled when her precious stoner boyfriend wakes up with a bruised-up face, but Paimon would even outright tell her that he lunged at the feline-eared being in the first place. He's very much aware that this creature's presence has been affecting him, and that's not a new concept for the demon. He's been affected by strange new energies both here and back in Deerington.

He finally blinks those eyes, wide and wet and alien, as the entity gives him a new title. Westie. It reminds him of how the boy Louis once called him Panny. Paimon doesn't mind the use of new titles at all; in fact, Westie sounds extremely important to him. He likes this, likes collecting new titles. )

Nastsa....me. ( He "repeats", completely getting the name wrong. As he moves to try and stand, he sways with a sudden lurch, his human's body definitely a bit funky from the sudden impact. The demon quickly reaches out to grab onto Natsume for support, fingers clawing onto his arm. The gesture brings him closer to the boy — closer to the smell of him.

The demon's nostrils flare suddenly, tipping closer still as his mouth widens a little. Paimon, no. )

I wish to taste you....

[natzoom]

[Said cat ears twitch a couple times as the lanky demon -- Westie, like a fluffy little dog, definitely not one of Natsume's more creative nicknames -- points at his nose. The teenager finally nods, slowly.] And...that. Yes. [He could sort of see how it might've been broken in the past, but he doesn't want to assume! That's bad manners.]

Nat-sue-may. [He enunciates it slowly, tucking the grocery bags into the crook of one arm. Then there's a snuffly demon clinging to his arm, and Natsume makes a face, smushing his free hand right against the aforementioned nose.]

Well, you can't. I'm not for tasting. [After a pause, as a sort of concession:] You can smell, but that's it.

[possessum]

Nah-sah-mah. ( Paimon echoes — or, tries to. Even if he still gets the pronunciation wrong, he perfectly imitates the sound and tone of Natsume's voice like some oversized parrot. It's pretty cursed, but this entire interaction is, anyway.

His eyes (somehow) widen even further as that hand is suddenly pressed to his nose and he's given permission to smell. Ahh.........

The demon's hands move up and latch onto Natsume's wrist, much more gently. And he sniffs. Oh, does he sniff. His nostrils quiver like a dog's as he pushes his nose against the soft palm and then over the boy's fingers, then his wrist.... sniffing all over his hand like that. )

Yes..... you certainly are..... Nectar.

( ....He's not, but that's absolutely how Paimon is perceiving this entity. His energy must be comprised of divine Nectar. And he still longs to taste it, but just being around it is a blessing in itself; he feels... energised, like his spirit's been fed. The demon king finally stops sniffing, and reaches to pet the top of the boy's head, very gently, mindful of the ears atop it. The petting is meant as a gesture of gratitude and affection; he practically purrs the word like it's a praise. )

Nectar........

[natzoom]

[The petting is...odd, but not bad necessarily. Natsume twitches a little when he's touched, a quick, reflexive gesture that speaks of someone not used to physical contact. It passes, though, and the fluffy ears twitch contentedly at the pets.

He's actually quite surprised that the demon stayed restricted to just sniffing, as he'd been told. Natsume knows that spirits are usually easily bound by contracts, but he hadn't known whether that extended to demons. It makes him relax a bit, letting out a soft huff of laughter.]

If you say so. Are you feeling better? [The mark on Westie's face remains, and Natsume is beginning to move from annoyance to concern about it.]

[possessum]

( It's just fortunate that petting's all he's doing.... usually Paimon gets much more handsy than this. If Natsume makes it out of this today without having demon paws all over his face while Paimon gazes solemnly into his eyes, it'll be a miracle.

Though even when he finally stops the petting, he remains very close to the being, as though to continue basking in Natsume's presence. )

I believe so. I believe I am calm. ( There's still an urge, but he feels pretty capable of not giving into it right now, at least. That isn't to say he might not lose himself again later on....

For now, he's Extremely Curious on more details regarding this Nectar-filled Child. )

Where do you come from.....? Is it Utah?

( He only knows Utah because that's where Peter's from. )

[natzoom]

[Natsume will allow minor head petting and that is it. He's quite apologetic about the punching, but that doesn't mean he won't do it again and give Westiemon another shiner.

Still, he can visibly see that his presence is comforting for the strange, lanky demon, so he lets out a soft, relieved sigh. There doesn't seem to be any impending pouncing, at least. Still, he offers one of the grocery bags to give the demon something to do instead of patting at him.]

It's not Utah, no. I've never been to the United States. [Thank you, high school geography, he knows what Utah is.] I'm from Japan. Kumamoto Prefecture. [He has no idea if Westie knows what that means, but it's worth a shot.] Where are you from? [Never give information without getting some in return. Spirits 101.]

[possessum]

( Natsume is very good at handling him. Paimon immediately takes the bag, wrapping both his arms around it very securely — he knows how to hold grocery bags! He goes shopping with his witch all the time, because Peter's lazy and hates doing it, so Paimon gets to carry stuff for her! It's great!

And it means Natsume does get a reprieve from Demon Pettings now that his hands are busy.

Kumamoto Prefecture? Paimon's not heard of that, and certainly couldn't pronounce it. But he knows the answer to the question, at least. )

I am from Hell. ( It's said almost happily. The version of Hell he comes from is actually supposedly a really pleasant place, at least for such a high-ranking demon. Maybe the lesser guys burn eternally and stuff, but not him. ) I have my own House, in the West. I have over 200 legions of spirits.

( It might sound a bit rehearsed, because he's reciting what he's read about himself out of grimoires and whatnot. )

....Though I do not remember it. But I have a house here, and it is probably even more grand. I have my own room, up high. ....Do you have your own room?

( Is this... making conversation? He's trying. )

[natzoom]

[It seems that the things Natsume has learned about spirits and demons of his own world hold true to demons from others -- while cunning and powerful and dangerous, they can also be quite childish in many ways, or at the very least easily distracted by simple tasks. Carrying groceries is similar to pouring out a cup of beans and having them count it -- impossible to resist.

The answer gets a thoughtful hum, and Natsume does a very good job of hiding his alarm. Hell as a concept is...tricky, in his world. There's the spirit world, of course, and then the human world, and the places in-between. Perhaps it's different where Westie is from.]

You do not remember it? [It's repeated in a bit of a surprised tone. Perhaps other exorcists or summoners had taken things from this particular demon, taken bits of his memory and essence. That is something Natsume knows a lot about. After his grandmother had taken the names of various youkai, their memories would be left spotty and fragmented. The thought of it fills him with guilt, and he softens a bit towards the strange, lanky demon.] I'm glad you have a home here, though. Ah, and a room.

I do, yes. [A tiny tiny one. A studio apartment that's basically a dorm room. It's...sufficient. Natsume is no housekeeper, and he barely knows enough about cooking and maintaining a living space to get by, but it's fine. He's fine.]

[possessum]

( Paimon gives his head a single shake, the gesture a little stiff and offbeat, like someone who maybe has only recently learned how to do it. He doesn't remember Hell. Sometimes, when Luna reads to him about it, he can feel something within him sparking as though to life; somewhere in him is the memory, but.... it's still very lost to him. )

I was taken. From it. And.... put inside the humans. ( He knows now that there have been multiple hosts, though he's not sure how many. He can't remember any before Peter.... at least not well enough to form any sort of identity. He also knows now, largely thanks to Luna's studies, that he wasn't supposed to be put into humans.

The demon looks up to the Nectar Boy, wide-eyed to hear that he has a home, too. (It's not that out of the ordinary, Paimon.....) But such things are very important... to have one's own house, and room. It's only recently that he's had his own space established, and it's very meaningful to him. The demon is very somber as he processes this. )

I will show you mine. My room. When we go there.

( ...Apparently he's taking you to his house, Natsume. )

[natzoom]

...oh. [That at least is familiar, though Natsume usually meets spirits and demons who've become trapped within objects -- a painting, a cup, a tree. There's a bit more freedom in that. Being trapped inside a human for so long that you've forgotten who you are, forgotten where you came from...his expression softens considerably, brow furrowing as he looks up at Westie the demon.] I'm sorry. That must have been terribly lonely for you.

[The thought occurs: even if Natsume could assist with removing the demon from it's host, would it even know how to function without a human body to occupy? Would it cause more harm than good? Thoughts for later, perhaps; exorcism isn't usually something to discuss upon first meeting.

And then the demon mentions it's room and Natsume frowns slightly.] Do you, um...need an escort home?

[possessum]

( Lonely....? Paimon falls silent again, in that odd way of his — where nothing moves, not a blink of the eyes or a rise and fall of the chest. Like he's not even breathing.

Things like "lonely" aren't meant for him to be able to feel, and yet.... he has felt the shape of them. Through those he's been placed into. Peter certainly has a long-lasting relationship with loneliness, but even before that, wasn't there.... someone else? Wasn't there a deep loneliness? He can't remember the right way, but... it was there, wasn't it? An empty feeling? Alone )

....I think. There was lonely. ( He says, eyes wide and looking a little scared for a moment. He feels strange suddenly. His tongue gives a nervous brush upwards, a soft cluck sound.

He doesn't entirely know what escort means, but he can piece it together. And he nods, still wide-eyed. ) I need it. I will show you.... my things. I have treasures.

( ...His treasures are rocks and jars of dirt, animal bones, shiny pieces of trash and countless bits and bobbles he's magpied away. ....And a doll that looks like a monk. )

I will give you a treasure. Too.