As the sun was beginning to set, Conner and the boys began to set up camp on the beach. They had agreed to have one last trip together before the summer ended. Of course, it was Conner’s idea to camp on the beach. He practically lived there anyway. Even though he was in a good mood, he couldn’t help feeling a little sad. This could potentially be their last Summer together before they went their separate ways. A few of them wanted to go to college, and Conner wasn’t even sure he wanted that…

He tried to shake off the sad thoughts, and focus on the task at hand. Which was setting up the tent. He looked over at his friends with a warm smile. “Come on, guys! Let’s get camp set up before the sun goes down. We’re gonna have a blast this weekend! Oh, does anyone here know how to start a bonfire? I heard there’s supposed to be shooting stars tonight!”

Camping.

He's always hated the concept. At the end of the day, he felt like camping trips mostly boiled down to a number of self-imposed inconveniences. He's never been the type to stop and smell the roses, a fact he is both perfectly cognizant of and completely comfortable with. As such, the idea of spending days on end doing just that, almost literally, didn't exactly fill him with excitement. As tempting as it might have been to dig in his heels and aim to become the world's biggest stick in the mud, he'd be lying to himself if he were to pretend he wasn't looking forward to spending more time with his friends. Unfortunately, there was a good chance that this would be their last opportunity to do so, and while growing apart over time was an inevitability he saw coming miles - years away, he can't help but clutch desperately at his friends, as if holding onto them tightly enough would keep them from leaving and forgetting all about him.

Metaphorically of course. The touchy-feely stuff is Conner's schtick...

...

Honestly, if anyone's to blame, it's him. None of the colleges in the state come close to meeting his parents' exacting standards, and it's not like they didn't give him a decision when it came to inheriting deRo tech. His friends had all known he was getting sent off to some exclusive rich kid college well before they began picking out a college for themselves, so if they gave up on trying to stick together then it's obviously because he set the precedent. This was probably his only opportunity to try making up for that, not that setting up a campsite could ever make up for single-handedly destroying their friend group. He didn't even get the chance to set everything up by himself. As much as he's gotten proficient in just about every aspect of camping that matters thanks to numerous YouTube tutorials he's watched years ago, before their first camping trip, there was just too much work to be done for him to keep his friends out of it without making a big deal over it. Can't even do that for them.

He took another swig of his breakfast, a 16 oz. can of Red Bull he cracked open on the drive over. He brought an entire cooler of the stuff, plus a few cans of other brands like monster and bang for variety, but he'd still have to hide and ration it all to make it last him the entire trip. Doing so might have been easy if everyone didn't ignore him when he tells them to bring their own tent. It's become a bit of a tradition for everyone to just share his tent. It's hilariously large, so there's plenty of room for all six of them, and he enjoys the company, but it is kind of heart-warming annoying when he occasionally catches sight of tents they didn't even bother to unpack from their car. 'I forgot' indeed.

He can't let them know that he knows. It's... a nice tradition.

When the tent is standing tall and his cooler full of energy drinks has been hidden somewhere Kieran will never find it, Conner asks if anyone knows how to start a bonfire. It was admittedly pretty paranoid for him to go so far as to learn how to start a fire with just some rocks or sticks, but hey, it's not like he forgot to bring a firestarter, and he wasn't the only one who could get it started. Besides, a proper bonfire needed more than just the ignition. "I'll go gather some tinder."

If there was one thing he liked about camping, it was tossing things into a bonfire and watching them burn.

Most of the day had already been spent with his nose behind his DS, the quiet clicks from him fervently pressing the buttons were the only things on his mind as he kept himself occupied on the journey to the beach where he now found himself squinting at the darkening screen under the glare of the sunset - ignore enough problems and some of them were bound to go away, right? The thought of everyone going their separate ways and Ciel being left alone made his stomach turn in ways he didn't want to think about. Arguably, distancing himself from the other five was counterintuitive in making the most of his time with them, but as many were well aware of, emotional intelligence was never Ciel's strong suit, so when Conner piped up about getting their campsite started, Ciel leapt at the opportunity to keep any bubbling emotions in check in private.

"I can find some sticks or whatever along the beach for the campfire - see ya later and good luck on the tents!" he called out behind him with a wave, back already to the group as he made his way down the length of the shore in lazy strides. If he was going to keep up his high energy persona in front of everyone else for the next few days, he might as well give himself time to mope about the circumstances of doing so as a treat for backing out of the trip. Was it a dick move to leave everyone to do the heavy lifting? Yes. But in his defense, between Deuel and Conner's bright dispositions and the sheer amount of energy drinks Niles brought, they'd be done in no time.

-

The accursed combination of knee-high socks and sandals scuffed the sand as Ciel tread past several pieces of potential tinder. The few sticks he did have imprinting the bark patterns into his palms were from the first few minutes of his walk when he assumed he was still in view of his friends. Of course, he didn't plan to stay away from them for too long; not because he'd actually be remorseful about not spending time with them, very clearly and very obviously as he'd have anyone know, but only because being legally blind at night in the middle of beach didn't seem too appealing and for absolutely no other reason. The simplicity of kicking the occasional shell or stone he encountered seemed to ease his mind, at least, enough for him to decide he was far enough from the brink of a shaky voice to head back. The now dim landscape still offered enough light to navigate back to the campsite, however, the figure striding in his direction was simply a silhouette Ciel couldn't make out. Perhaps someone else was sent to collect firewood with the assumption that he was dead and unable to bring back any. Or maybe they were simply taking a stroll. Whatever the case was, Ciel figured it would be better to go around them to prevent any awkward interactions that would be imposed upon him otherwise.

Deuel Akakios

Deuel was in beach clothes, which to him meant a speedo, sandals, a straw hat, and sunglasses, the latter two of which were now unnecessary due to it being sunset. So that meant that he'd stash the two close to his bedroll (he brought a spare tent for emergencies, too), then walk towards Niles, raise his hand, and say, "Wait, I'll come with you."

The night was warm and he had plenty of sunscreen and insecticidal lotion, meaning that he could afford to stay in his chosen 'attire' for several hours more, especially if there was a bonfire. Either way, he'd walk with Niles for a bit and pick up driftwood, looking at him from time to time, hoping that he could broach the subject of what he wanted, knowing exactly what was at stake, what he should fear if he failed - The implosion of their friendship and the end of their ties.

He had once scorned romantic protagonists for not being able to confess their love right away. But now he saw where they were coming from, how one wrong step could destroy a life-long friendship. But he can't afford to lose Niles, they were friends, and Deuel was the only one rich enough to afford to go where he's going. So as they collected firewood, Deuel swallowed his nervous spit, cleared his throat, and said, "I'm coming with you. Not just here, but where you're going. I want to take a bigger role in my family's charities, but I want to be with you too."

Deuel let the subtext sink in. "I can afford to follow you, and I'd be a fool not to. Don't get me wrong, I like Conner and Ciel and the others as well, but I love you -"

Crap, I just blurted it out, were Deuel's surprised thoughts.

Not that he would back down, now that he'd said it. So he followed up with, "I gave this some thought, pondered it over days and weeks and months. But what I feel for you, this yearning, this warmth and fire, it's love."

What is love, though? Is it finding solace in another person, be they a man or a woman? Is it wanting to be together with them forever, no matter what? Is it the willingness to take risks to achieve those ends? All I know is, I want what's best for him as much as I want what's best for myself. Does he want what's best for me as well?

He fought his fear. His fear that Niles might not even be capable of liking him that way. He fought the urge to just walk off or more embarrassingly, run off.

Deuel somehow found the strength to continue on, "But if you think you're not ready or if you don't want it, just forget what I said. If what I said burns what we have now, just forget about it."

The young man forced himself to wait, surprised at how afraid he was but schooled his responses anyway. Then he said, almost whispering, "I don't want to lose you, or anyone, but I don't want to lose you."

@Ryik@koi

"Wait, I'll come with you."

He gave Deuel a nod of acknowledgement as they walked about the many trees that preceded the sand, falling into a companionable silence as they gathered firewood. It didn't take too long before Deuel decided to speak up again.

"I'm coming with you. Not just here, but where you're going. I want to take a bigger role in my family's charities, but I want to be with you too."

At that, he smiled. He hadn't even finalized which college he was going to yet, and while there would be no sacrifice in terms of Deuel's professional aspirations in following him, it meant he'd have to leave his home and all of their shared friends behind. It... honestly made something inside him clench, a sucker punch of emotion that hit him hard enough to leave him reeling. He had to put conscious effort into making sure his breathing remained even and his expression remained neutral, because the last thing he needs at this moment is to make Deuel instantly regret his choice by acting like a needy child.

Before he can come up with a response, a way of expressing how much it means to him without creeping Deuel out, Deuel continues.

"I can afford to follow you, and I'd be a fool not to. Don't get me wrong, I like Conner and Ciel and the others as well, but I love you -"

It's words that Niles has always wanted to hear. Deuel is perhaps one of the last people he expected, much less fantasized, about hearing it from - at least relative to the other members of their shared circle of friends and his parents. He's always regarded Deuel's attitude towards him as more competitive if not antagonistic, compared to the rest of his friends, but evidently he'd missed the part where Deuel started regarding him as family. He's heard it's like that for siblings. He wouldn't personally know.

Before Niles can tell his bro that he loves him too, Deuel keeps going.

"I gave this some thought, pondered it over days and weeks and months. But what I feel for you, this yearning, this warmth and fire, it's love."

...Wait a second.

Wait wait wait wait wait hold on that's not - that - that can't be what he is saying, why would he- is this a prank? Who confesses like that? Is this real? Did he pass out from caffeine withdrawal or did he finally go into hypovolemic shock due to caffeine-induced ventricular fibrillation?

"But if you think you're not ready or if you don't want it, just forget what I said. If what I said burns what we have now, just forget about it."

No no no wait he hasn't even had time to give the idea proper thought. The idea of... h-him and... r-romantically...

"I don't want to lose you, or anyone, but I don't want to lose you."

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

You won't.

You won't.

Fucking say it, he tells himself, but his throat feels tight, like saying one thing would mean he has to say everything, and he doesn't have the foggiest clue what to say - what he even wants to say, beyond that.

This is Deuel we're talking about, the one who effortlessly matches his career prospects - the kind you need to be groomed for after having the good fortune of being born into it - the kind of person even his parents would approve of a relationship with. This is Deuel, who has all the grace and confidence he himself scrambles to pull off despite not breaking half the sweat that he does. This is Deuel, who has a philanthropic heart of gold that the inky lump of coal in his chest couldn't hope to even form a pale imitation of if he tried - which he usually doesn't. How could he even consider something beyond friendship with someone like that? If they ever got together, what will happen when Deuel realizes that, underneath it all, he's a selfish black hole of anxiety held together by scotch tape?

He stands there, in front of Deuel, unmoving. Throughout Deuel's confession, his face goes from a calm smile to wide-eyed bewilderment to thinly veiled distress if not panic. By the end of it, his lips are twitching upward in a desperate attempt to keep his clenched jaw and rigid posture from reading as anything negative, but the end result is closer to a grimace than a smile, and his eyes are wandering towards anything but Deuel himself.

The silence stretches on long enough to be awkward, before Niles finally regains a vague semblance of composure and chokes out, "you won't."

There. Nailed it. Niles mentally high fives himself. Excellent work today, I'll see all of you here tomorrow. Bye.

Deuel is staring at him but he still doesn't have an answer - can't even think of one. Even as he regains his outward composure, try as he might, his thoughts just race in circles like a hamster on a treadmill that is also on cocaine. He... he needs more Red Bull for this. He needs more Red Bull right the fuck now.

Moving around the mystery person was certainly seeming to be working in his favour; with another figure bounding up to them, Ciel knew having a conversation with one person let alone two whilst so unprepared would have given him something to lose sleep over. However, despite the exceptional results he was receiving from his strategy of avoiding people, the words of a confession elicited a stumble in his step - walking into something so private between strangers certainly wasn't his goal for the day, but the almost instant realisation that followed kept him from rushing to be on his merry way. He may have been blind - quite literally - but he wasn't deaf, the two people just a few meters away were unmistakably Niles and Deuel. Duel. Who confessed to Niles. And Niles. Who was being confessed to.

It made sense. With six of them being childhood friends it was inevitable that at least some of them would catch feelings for each other, but for one reason or another, Ciel found himself approaching the two in complete disregard for his previous apprehensions. Whatever emotion that threatened to bubble over was shoved behind a casual albeit brisk gait. Fists clenched within the pockets of the short-sleeved hoodie he donned, he managed to ignore any of the following exchanges from either of them and twisted his features into a semblance of a friendly smile, chirping, "I see you two are collecting kindling, too? You know, with the amount I've found I think we can head back and start a fire now."

Completely bulldozing over Deuel's heartfelt speech made him feel like shit but hearing one of the potential answers Niles could give would be worse; if anything, Ciel was simply looking out for his friends. Making sure no hard feelings got in the way of spending some time together before they parted ways, it was simply him being a good friend. Besides, he didn't even hear Niles' response so how could he be held accountable for interrupting a potentially significant moment? No matter how he purposefully focused on the blood rushing to his ears or the tightening grip he held on his collected firewood, it was simply a coincidence he didn't hear him, don't worry about it - with night falling he was simply tired as anyone else would be.

"I'm sure everyone is getting cold by now so we should be getting a campfire going soon," he contentedly nodded, as if agreeing with his own suggestion and aptly positioned himself between the duo lest they end up realising their requited feelings for each other and running into the sunset hand in hand. Although, with Niles involved, such a situation seemed to be a dubious outcome but Ciel didn't particularly feel like taking the risk, just in case. The cool breeze that signaled the encroaching starry sky did little to calm the heat he felt building within his chest and cheeks, though, he hoped the low light and refusal to keep his gaze upon either Deuel or Niles would be enough to mask the awful sensation from both him and his friends.

"I'm sure everyone is getting cold by now so we should be getting a campfire going soon,"

"You're right, we shouldn't keep everyone waiting." He said, jumping on the excuse like a starving man, then cringing as he realizes how hypocritical and ironic it is to be phrasing it like that. He moves around Ciel, as if to walk back towards camp, but pauses as he passes by Deuel, speaking quietly. "Let's... talk about it later." After he's had another can of Red Bull. And maybe another. And maybe Dinner. And another.

He leads the way back to camp, plotting out ways he can avoid Deuel, just until he has some kind of presentable answer. At least he doesn't have to worry about not seeing Deuel again after the camping trip.

...wait.

@Crimson Flame

Night was falling, staining the clouds dusky purple and bringing in the tide. Kieran usually liked the night - he'd never been a morning person, and the subdued atmosphere of the dark hours brought a sense of peace. Now, however, it was with a heaviness in his heart that he helped set up the tent, knowing that the evening signalled the end of the last day he and his friends might spend togther. Sure, they'd be able to keep in touch online, but it wouldn't be the same as days out like this. Which meant they'd have to make the most of it.

"Seeya!" He waved to Niles, Ciel and Deuel as they headed off along the darkening beach in search of driftwood. Putting his Cruxshadows T-shirt back on and traipsing around the tent to make sure it was secure, while totally not searching for Niles' stash of energy drinks in the process, he gave Conner an impish grin. "You know, according to some folk stories, shooting stars are the souls of the deceased, returning to Earth to cause all sorts of chaos." He leaned in, his Cheshire cat smile growing, and lowered his voice for dramatic effect. "So we'll want to watch our backs tonight. Who knows when and where they'll strike." Oh, he was going to have a field day with pranks later, annoying the hell out of everyone else and blaming it on imaginary spooks.

Conner at least would find it funny, that much was guaranteed. He'd miss all the other five, but especially Conner, the one who'd given him the confidence to be who he was today. He'd miss the weekends spent bonding over comic books and video games. The terrible movies they sometimes watched just to make fun of. The summer days Conner had tried to teach him how to surf, failing spectacularly - athletics were far from Kieran's forte. Of course, seeing Conner in beach wear made it all worthwhile. Looking at him now, Kieran felt his cheeks warm, hoping Conner wouldn't notice in the dark, stomach fluttering as he wondered whether to say what had been nagging at his mind for a good while. They were alone. It was the perfect opportunity. The only opportunity.

If he did, would it end this last day on a sour note, and put a damper on it for everyone else? While Conner made no secret of being that way inclined, that didn't guarantee he'd return his affections. But if he said nothing, would he spend the rest of his life regretting it?

He pushed away the thought. A friendship like theirs wasn't one to jeopardise. "By the way," he said instead, "You didn't happen to see where Niles hid the Red Bull, did you?"

The almost immediate agreement Niles gave was more than enough for Ciel, oblivious to his passing remark to Deuel. With a grin that teetered upon the edge of smug and sincere, he gave a small nod in acknowledgement before bounding back to their campsite, careful to keep himself between Deuel and Niles during the walk. As he told himself - his actions were merely a benevolent gesture to keep any hard feelings from interrupting their trip - any other suggestion as to the cause of his behaviour would be asinine.

Once back to where Niles' comically large tent had been pitched, Ciel's once vice-like grip upon the firewood he gathered loosened to reveal the angry, crimson lines and circles the bark left upon his palm. How the kindling managed to stay intact wasn't much of a miracle considering the years he'd spent allowing his muscle mass to dwindle away behind a monitor, however, the dull throbbing of the reddened flesh ushered him to make himself useful before his thoughts or the pain got the better of him. With the toe of his sandals, he nudged a patch of sand into a decently-sized pit far enough away to save the six of them from having a last minute bonding trip to the fire department and dropped the firewood into the shallow circle adjacent shape. With dark blobs of the landscape melding into one another and the anxious buildup of emotions in anticipation for the camping trip, Ciel let himself fall into a crouch by his hastily-crafted fire pit and let out a small yawn. With the undoubtedly ever growing bubbling of excitement from at least one of them for the presumed shooting stars, he figured he'd conserve some energy to keep up. Besides, if he could focus on the generic glare of neon colours of his DS' screen, he wouldn't have to deal with the internal debate of monopolising Niles' time away from Deuel and appearing clingy or letting the emptiness of not knowing what was happening between them eat away at him.

Deuel Akakios

Deuel let Noah light the flames, before looking at Ciel and saying, "So, umm, are you okay? You seem flustered."

He then turned to look at Niles, trying to make sure the moonlight and shadows highlighted his muscles, before leaning forward and risking Ciel getting a good look at his neck, shoulders, and back before saying, "Thanks, Niles. I'm glad I'm not losing you."

And then the youth smiled before leaning back, smiling, then musing out loud, "You know, guys, I'm happy - Despite everything, we've stood with each other through thick and thin and it's going to be hard to imagine life without you guys. I'm happy to have met you all; known you all. But enough sappy stuff; considering the fact that today is our last day... I brought gifts in a spare bag."

Walking back to the tent for a bit, Deuel waved hi to Conner and Kieran before pulling out that spare bag he mentioned and opening it, giving the two their gifts early. To Conner, he handed over a custom-made set of swimming goggles; dark-blue except for the area around the glass, which was royal blue, plus a waterproof phone 'for emergencies'. Then to Kieran, he handed a paperback copy of The Emerald Tablet of Hermes and the Kybalion, before heading out with his spare bag to give Ciel, Noah, and Neils their gifts.

To Ciel, Deuel gave a digital tablet and stylus, guessing that the latter might need those for his hobbies. To Noah, he had a new maroon jacket of syntethic fibres in reserve. And for Niels, last but not least... He gave this plushie:



This also indicated that he had been planning to confess to Niels for some time now...

Getting back to camp, first thing's first, he deposits the wood next to the small fire Noah lit and tosses a few sticks onto the blaze without any prompting or permission. Next, he begins to wander off, trying to break line of sight with all of his friends but especially Kieran before digging his cooler out of the sand, retrieving two cans of Red Bull and then burying it again. He creates some distance from the hiding place, remaining out of sight of the others just in case, before cracking one can open and immediately downing half of it in one go.

When he finally comes back up for air, he begins pacing, still mostly obscured from the others by the pre-shore tree line. He needs a plan, a series of steps he can follow in order to achieve his goals, and the first step for that is determining what those goals actually are.

He likes Deuel, that much is undeniable. Though, as a romantic partner, he can't say anyone else comes further out of left field. At least, out of anyone he actually considers a friend. It's... not something he's sure about, at all. Although he's mostly deferred judgment on it because of his age and inexperience, love at first sight isn't something he currently believes to exist, and he can't imagine suddenly losing all of his brain cells at the sight of someone particularly attractive as so described in many a trite love song. As such, it strikes him as impractical to be holding out for some kind of divine revelation relating to his love life at the expense of his current prospects. They say relationships take time to build, don't they?

He's certainly had plenty of time to build a relationship with all five of his friends, but he's never had more than passing flights of fancy about it - mainly with Conner, and only because of the excessively affectionate mannerisms he shows everyone. Did all those years as friends not constitute adequate candidacy for a relationship? Has he been aromantic the whole time or is it just because he never bothered considering it?

Well, no, he's definitely considered it, but he's persistently identified himself as an underlying problem with any projection of hypothetical relationships with himself. He is undeniably pretty fucked in the head, and every scenario he maps out always loops back around to hurting not just his friends but himself in the end.

Him and Conner? Complete opposites. It's a miracle they're even friends. How happy could they be together when he doesn't even like the beach? There's no way Conner would be happy in a relationship with him.

Him and Kieran? Also a disaster in the making. Even now, he can't laugh off a prank because he has too many psychological hang-ups. It doesn't really matter how many apologies or assurances Kieran gives him when being made the butt of a joke always feels like a microcosm of his life.

Him and Ciel? It's like the blind leading the blind, except the one being led, Ciel, just lost his glasses while he's had his eyes scooped out like cannibal ice cream. Their friendship is already like that - Ciel's managed to open up about his insecurities, but what Niles has isn't a fear of judgment, it's quantifiable knowledge of his many inadequacies. Ask anyone - there's no denying he's the biggest wet blanket in their friend group. Their problems will only compound if they got together.

Him and Noah? God, him and Noah. It's so easy to form and hold grudges against the guy when he pushes so many of his buttons without even realizing it. His overreaction to any tiny slight against him is... it... it makes Noah hard to handle, and when he returns the favor, it just seems to piss Noah off, hypocrite that he is. If they got together there's a chance it'd end in blood and he's not sure whose.

Then there's Deuel. What else is there to say about Deuel? He's more distant than Noah or Ciel, similar to Niles in many ways yet utterly superior in others. His tendency to unilaterally compete with Niles has always made him wonder if Deuel secretly hated him; wanted to expose his vapid hairstyle and nonchalant attitude for the empty posturing that it is.

For a brief, heart-clenching moment, a swirling vortex of bubbling pitch seems to blot out the sunset sky; dread washing over him as he considers the possibility that this is a ploy set up by Deuel to manipulate or embarrass him.

No, he shakes his head to himself - no. Besides a less than graceful escape, he hasn't blown the situation up in his own face yet. If anything Deuel left himself more vulnerable with that straight-faced confession.

"But what I feel for you, this yearning, this warmth and fire, it's love."

Niles shudders. The wording - how can he doubt that level of sincerity?

So, Deuel likes him. Maybe it's just a fleeting crush he'll get over with time, but for now, it's going to be something he has to address either way, since, unlike the others, he's likely to continue seeing Deuel throughout college. That could potentially be bad, if things don't work out. He should probably plan that argument out in advance, when Deuel inevitably gets frustrated he's committed so much of his life to being around such an asshole. It's not hard to imagine how - money spent on charity is money that isn't spent on research, development, or expansion. You need to spend money to make money and beyond tax incentives, there will never be a time when he won't be able to argue that he could do more good by reinvesting and helping people with the greater resulting income.

He'll put a pin in rehearsing that argument for now.

As much as he likes Conner's freely given affection - as much as he likes Kieran's comfortable presence, dark humor, and emotional openness - as much as he empathizes with Ciel and admires him for tackling his struggles better than he ever could - as much as it means to him when Noah goes the extra mile to prove how much he cares about him, even when he tells Noah not to - as much as Deuel is perhaps the only person who can go off on a idealistic tangent and not only make him believe that such ideals can be lived up to, but that the person carrying it out, Deuel, actually believes what they're preaching - as much as a selfish, possessive, altogether ugly part of him wouldn't mind a relationship with any one of them, no matter how he hurts them, in the end, he doesn't want that. He doesn't want to hurt any of them.

Backing up a bit, he needed to decide what his goals are in order to form a plan. After careful examination of his feelings, he can say with confidence that a relationship with Deuel or anyone else isn't it. Not... not as the person he is now. Maybe that's not a realistic time frame, but maybe he's too messed up for a proper relationship.

If the goal is to make Deuel happy, he can't see any better way of handling his confession than a rejection.

---

After spending several more minutes spent pacing, searching for the right wording to use, and coming up with excessively numerous deflections to potential avenues of further inquiry, Niles returned to camp, depositing the empty red bull can into a bag for later recycling as he took a swig of the other one.

The bonfire was starting to flag a bit, and he sat himself down next to it, taking a pile of sticks and tossing them in one by one. It was perhaps bad for the eyes to be staring directly at the fire continuously, but watching the sticks burn was just too cathartic. Perhaps he was adding more wood than strictly necessary, but it's not like they didn't have the sticks to burn.

Niles noticed the arrival of most of the others, though he didn't realize Deuel had arrived until he announced that he had brought gifts for everyone. Before he could even debate when to tell Deuel his decision, Deuel was shoving a bag towards him.

He was at a bit of a loss here. He didn't deserve a gift from the guy right before breaking his heart, but if he had to explain why he couldn't accept a gift before even looking at it, he wouldn't be able to do it casually. "...Thank you."

He gingerly took the bag and lowered it, peering inside. Inside was some sort of plush doll, which he gently pulled out, only to realize it was a doll of Deuel.

A bit of a conceited gift, maybe, but as a token of their friendship, something to remember him by, it's perfect. It's... nice to have proof, that they were once friends... just in case.

Niles stared at the plush, a soft smile on his face below stormy eyes. He didn't want to say he liked it in front of the others, lest they get the wrong idea, especially given what he was about to do, but he did like it. He opted to repeat himself. "Thanks. We should talk, tonight." He can at least keep the matter private, for Deuel's sake. Give him the space to lash out, if it makes him feel better. Plus, no spectators means less variables. Less chance that someone asks something he hadn't planned for.

Well, for all his contingencies, the plan is pretty simple: I think we should stay friends.

Conner waved as Niles, Ciel, and Deuel, head off in search of firewood. While he and Kieran hung out by the tent. Kieran told a story about shooting stars being the souls of the deceased. Conner giggled, he appreciated Kieran’s stories. “Well, I better watch out then,” he replied with a grin. “Wouldn’t want any vengeful souls causing trouble tonight, would we?” Conner often found himself caught in the crossfire of Kieran’s pranks, but he wouldn’t have it any other way. It was part of what made their friendship so special.

But beneath the playful banter, Conner sensed something more in Kieran’s demeanor, an unspoken tension between them. Conner’s heart skipped a beat. He had been wrestling with his feelings, but he wasn’t sure if this was the right moment to address them.

Thankfully, Kieran changed the topic to the location of Niles’ energy drinks. Conner breathed a sigh of relief. “Hmm, Maybe we should put out an APB for Niles’ secret stash. It’s our duty to protect it from these mischievous spirits, after all.” Conner giggled. Conner felt a liked Kieran a lot. He appreciated his humor and quirks. “I think I saw him bury something suspicious under his tent. He probably keeps it under lock and key, buuut we have to keep it safe” He winked, teasingly.

Conner opened his mouth to say something else, but before Conner could get it out. Deuel came in, and gave him gifts. Conner appreciated both the goggles and the water proof phone. “Thanks dude!” And then he threw his arms around Deuel and gave him a hug.

@Crimson Flame @Ryik @Letter Bee

As Conner hinted at the location of the energy drinks and said they both had to "keep them safe", Kieran chuckled. "That we do."

Of course, it was right at that moment that Niles reappeared, accompanied by Ciel and Deuel. "Ah, hey!" Kieran feigned innocence. "We most certainly weren't searching for anything we weren't supposed to!" Niles remained silent, looking particularly tense as he threw sticks into the firepit Ciel set up a short distance away. It wasn't an unusual look for someone as easily stressed as Niles, but Kieran suspected there may be more to it than the fact that this was the group's last day together. When Niles wandered off again, Kieran decided not to press the matter. "Wonder what got into him?" he murmured to Conner.

He watched as Noah set about lighting the fire, flames crackling and glowing against the dusk, filling the air with the comforting scent of woodsmoke. Once Niles returned, sitting by the bonfire, Deuel leaned back and made a speech that brought a warm smile to Kieran's face. Deuel then proceeded to head over, giving out gifts to him and Conner. "Oh nice!" Kieran accepted the book, The Emerald Tablet of Hermes and The Kybalion. While he wasn't really a big believer in the occult despite the spooky air he gave off, he was no hardened skeptic either, and it'd make for an interesting philosophical read. "Thanks, who knows, maybe it'll help me unleash my inner warlock!" He waggled his fingers as if casting a spell.

Conner showed equal appreciation of his own gift - goggles and a waterproof phone. So very fitting, although the thought that they may not get to go surfing together again brought a pang. "C'mon, let's join the others," Kieran said to him, traipsing after Deuel to the campfire. He sat down and watched the others receive their gifts, one of which was a plushie in Deuel's likeness. The recipient, Niles, accepted it with a strained expression. A smile that didn't reach his eyes as he told Deuel they needed to talk later.

Kieran winced inwardly. Had they had some kind of argument? Was tonight going to end with a falling out?

The boys gathered around the campfire and watched everyone unwrapped their gifts. Niles got a plushie that looked like Deuel. Niles didn’t seem to appreciate it, but Conner did. “Aww, the plushie is so cute! Did you make that yourself? I don’t suppose I could commission you to make plushies of all of us?” Conner asked with a laugh.

As the sun set, the boys continued to have conversations around the campfire. There was the sound of laughter and conversations with the sound of waves crashing in the background. “Guys, I don’t want this to be sad. We’re gonna be buds forever, no matter where life takes us. Let us enjoy the night, k?”

The light of the stars illuminated the beach, and Shooting stars streaked across the night sky. It was a beautiful sight. Conner’s cheeks turned red as he took the opportunity to hold Kieran’s hand.

But then, out of nowhere, something unusual happened. The stars seemed to shift and dance into a pattern, forming a swirling vortex of light directly above them. Conner gasped. “What is that?”

Before anyone had a chance to react, the vortex grew bigger, and tendrils of light shot out grabbing each one of the boys, and pulled them through the portal. In an instant, the boys were gone leaving behind the tent, and the campfire.

As the boys were pulled into the swirling vortex of light, everything around them blurred and distorted. It felt as if they were falling. It felt like an eternity and an instant all at once.

Then, just as suddenly as it had started, it stopped. The boys found themselves sprawled on the ground, disoriented and groggy. As soon as they stabilized, it became clear that they weren’t on the beach anymore. Or even on Earth anymore for that matter. The air was filled with an otherworldly energy, and strange, luminescent plants cast an eerie glow over the landscape. Above them, a sky of swirling colors, like a never-ending aurora borealis. The portal had deposited them in a clearing, and the forest around them was filled with unfamiliar creatures.

Conner looked around in disbelief. “Uh… Is everyone ok? And… what just happened?”

Deuel Akakios

"Actually," Deuel said, "I paid for the plushie; had it custom-made -"

Then all of a sudden, they were Isekai'd. Not in the 'hit by a truck and conviniently getting their connections to their old lives cut off' way, but in the more traditional 'got sucked into a portal and are now trapped in another world' method. And he knew that everyone except maybe Noah had a reason to return to their world. So it was time to try and get back as soon as possible, unless of course, time was out of sync between universes (?), but to do that, they needed to get their bearings, get back on their feet, and hope that this world held to more recent 'Isekai' tropes.

So his next words were, "We are in a forest. With magical creatures. And I'm in my speedo and sandals; does anyone else have anything that can be used as a weapon? And more importantly... Should we wait here assuming there's a guide who can tell us what happened and what we can do, or should we look for the nearest settlement? There must be a trail somewhere..."

Assume Western 'Portal Fantasy' Tropes, not Japanese Isekai Tropes. This is going to be one of those tests of physical, emotional, and mental endurance; maybe spiritual too if we want to be preachy. Deuel then thought, Trying to cheat would probably wind up badly for us all, but I can't just let go of common sense or play blindly to a 'script'.

He then looked towards Niels and Noah and said, "You two; if we're going to move forward, I need two of our best potential... brawn to help me take point. If we're staying here, however, we need to take stock of what we have and form a defensive perimeter... Unless you guys have other ideas?"

Best to ask the others if they had their own thoughts; it was bad to blindly assume they were going to panic, after all.

As dusk blurred into night, the other five began to approach the campfire and its single visitor where Ciel almost leapt out of his skin at Deuel's question, fingers scrambling to regain its hold upon his console and struggling to keep his feet beneath him. "Ah! Yeah, yeah I'm doing great! Must've been the summer heat I guess," he quickly twisted the corners of his mouth upwards and let out a small laugh from lungs already strained from the accidental scare. Though, the sloppy facade didn't have to be further covered up as Deuel announced his intentions to hand out gifts to everyone before hurrying to the tent, leaving Ciel to give in to his wavering lack of stability and settling on the sand with a shaky breath.

With Deuel's return and the procession of gift giving that followed, so too did the relief of not being questioned, and surprisingly, the bubbly feeling that tends to accompany being given a gift. "Woah... thank you," Ciel brushed his thumb across the tablet's screen, however, his attention was soon snatched by a fleeting glance of a plush with Deuel's likeness in Niles' hands. Of course. They liked each other like that. People who like each other give gifts to remind the other person of them. It was difficult to discern what they were talking about but from Niles' perpetual apathy, Ciel could only imagine it was about something romantic. Whether or not he had decided intervening for a second time would be inconspicuous quickly became irrelevant as Conner prompted the rest of the group to sit and watch the shooting stars together. At least whatever was going on with the tightening in his chest would be buried under the gentleness of being with friends whilst lights danced across the night sky.

Needless to say, it wasn't.

Ciel didn't even have time to register what was happening until he'd found himself sprawled upon what he could only assume was... grass. The tendrils of light were gone and so was the portal they'd been pulled through; no trace of the beach seemed to be present and the steadying of his equilibrium as he pulled himself up by the bark of a nearby tree did little to provide any extra information as to the specifics of whatever the fuck happened. However, the semantics weren't important. Sitting out in the open in a place none of them seemed to recognise would do more harm than good at the moment. Pale irises lazily trailed along whatever generic shapes and colours he could gather from the blur of their surroundings; no more beach, just flora that Ciel couldn't quite place his finger on the origins of, though, despite the mystique of the situation, figuring a way out seemed like the only logical next step considering their inherent lack of survivalist and combat skills as a couple of boys fresh out of high school.

Deuel, however, beat him to the chase in terms of proposing plans. Moving forward would be too dangerous without knowing what lay ahead whilst staying put would make them vulnerable. No. Exploring and gathering resources before making a final decision would likely keep all of them alive longer. "Maybe we could look around and try find some edible plants or water before going anywhere? Y'know, so that we're not going out blindly or whatever," Ciel piped up. If they were going to die out here, better to die seeing the rest of where the tendrils of light had a vendetta against.

Deuel Akakios

Deuel, noticing that Niles hadn't reacted yet, walked over to him and said, "Niles, are you okay? I hope you don't think I'm presuming, but are you worried about your parents? If so, there's a nonzero chance that time here might be out of sync with time on earth and we can come back at the same time we left. But if not, well, we can just say that we got kidnapped or something when we do come back, and if we all get our stories straight, they'll believe us. Either way, let's both focus on surviving this situation, okay? I'm sure whoever dimension-napped us will be here at any moment, and we need to be in shape to get answers from them!"

Bright, sunny, optimistic... And yet unknowing of the can of worms he was opening.

Basil the Ermine

Basil the Ermine had gone ahead from the other 'Animal Companions', deciding to take the lead in finding the 'Otherworlders' they were supposed to be bonded with and allow to become 'Magical Warriors'. Making sure his crown, robe, and spectre were properly clean of leaves and soil, the Magical Animal had found the clearing the Otherworlders had been portaled to, pausing only to try and overhear what drama was happening, then after six seconds (enough time to listen to their initial reactions) of hiding in a shrub, Basil walked into the clearing and shouted in a loud voice:

"HEY!"

He then followed up with, "Greetings, gentlemen! My name is Basil the Ermine, and I am your designated Animal Companion for this journey into this wonderful world of Magic and Marvels!"

Crawling over to Deuel's shoulder, instictively sensing that he was his chosen 'partner', Basil had a mischievious thought of how to take advantage of the other companions' absence. He then whispered to Deuel, "Oi, hey, you feel a surge of energy when you're with me, right? Try leting that warmth flow through you..."

Basil heard the other human say, "Okay?" then he glowed.



Deuel Akakios (Transformed)

And there we had it; Deuel was now transfromed, a Magical Boy, and also now in shock as he heard the talking ermine say:

Basil the Ermine

Basil decided to pull a fast one - Temporarily - in order to punish his fellow animal companions for slacking off, and said, "You see, your friend is the Chosen One and you guys have been tasked with serving as his 'adventuring party' to save our world under our leadership! As for me, I'm his respected animal companion and mentor, here to guide him, and you guys too, in helping save our planet of Arcanum and making sure the forces of evil don't get their way!"

Yes, he was pulling a prank on his fellow animal companions, and also testing the 'bullshit sense' of these 'Outworlders'; if they were dumb enough to believe his crock of shit, then they deserved the consequences of being that... Plus it was fun to see how long he can pull the wool over their eyes...

@koi@Crimson Flame@LuckyBlackCat@Ryik

Deuel took charge of the situation, and started giving orders. Conner was still in shock of the situation he had wound up in. And here Deuel was barking out orders like this kind of thing happened everyday. “I dunno. Maybe we should explore this place, and figure out what’s going on.” Conner shrugged.

Just then, a small weasel jumped on Deuel‘s shoulder, and transformed his outfit. The weasel said Deuel was the chosen one, and the rest of them were his adventuring party. Conner didn’t bother to listen to the rest of this speech. He was suddenly reminded of his sister. She always got chosen for everything. He was always an afterthought, and Conner wasn’t going to stand for it. “Hold up. I am not just someone’s adventuring party you little rat! You better come over here and give me a cool outfit too.”

Then there was another voice. “Stop stop!” A small blue dolphin swam through the air, and started scolding the weasel. “Basil, we talked about this! I thought we agreed we would observe them before we made our presence known?” The dolphin then spoke to the rest of the group. “You’ll have to excuse him. He has a stick up his ass.”

The Dolphin then sat on his Conner’s shoulder. “The name’s Chesi. As for you. You should be feeling a surge of energy now. Just let it flow, and you should be getting your own transformation in 3…2…1…”

Conner was soon surrounded with water. His clothes disappeared, and were gradually replaced with his magical boy attire. His hair and eyes turned blue, and a trident also formed in his hand.



When the transformation was complete, Conner spun his trident around, and struck a pose. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about!” He felt powerful. And for once, he had been chosen for something. And not his annoyingly perfect sister.

“I know. It’s cool right!” Chesi clapped her flippers excitedly and started making dolphin noises. She stopped after a bit, and felt embarrassed that she had done that. “Ahem… Yes, but anyway. Basil is right about one thing. You guys were brought here for a reason. To help save our realm from evil.”

Ignored by everyone, yet again, tale as old as time. A small sigh escaped Ciel's lips to match the exasperated expression his features had furrowed themselves into. Though, his resigned disappointment was soon interrupted by a... weasel? And not just any weasel, by god, Ciel could have only hoped it was a normal stoat to bring some sense of logic back to their situation, but no, the ermine was clad in miniature clothes and worst of all, talked. Its appearance earned a squeak of surprise from the young man before quickly clasping his hands around his mouth in an attempt to suppress any more noises of shock. Needless to say, the following sight of Deuel glowing did little to calm his already on-edge nerves, although, this time, the only movement he'd let slip was a slight shuffle backwards to better examine Deuel's new attire and the talking stoat. Although, Ciel's futile attempt to tack some sort of coherency to the happenings before him was cut short by the ermine's claim of Deuel's status as 'The Chosen One' while everyone else had been relegated the role of 'party member', which, if Ciel was to say so himself, didn't quite line up.

"Hey, wait, If Deuel is the special one while we're his support wouldn't it make more sense for us to have magic outfits and weapons instead? We'd only be dragging him down without anything to contribute ourselves, plus, what even constitutes as 'a force of evil'," he snarked once he'd pieced the inconsistencies Basil, as the ermine had dubbed himself, had mentioned. Though, considering the fact that he was talking to a stoat, Ciel would have arguably been more surprised if Basil had given them irrefutable information.

And of course, the exchange between animal and human couldn't have stopped there, no, a flying dolphin greeted Conner to quell his own exasperation at his lack of supernatural outfit before promptly giving him his own, albeit one that differed from Deuel's. Ciel was admittedly rather surprised he hadn't suffered an aneurysm from simply attempting to keep up with the scene, furrowing his brows even tighter together and casting his eyes downwards so as to not let the blurs of shape and colour distract him from the auditory information he was struggling to process which unfortunately, did not quite work out in his favour.

Unaware of the dove chasing after Chesi and Basil, and by extension him, his arm reflexively flung out to shield himself from whatever new creature approached him, "Ah, hey, piss off!" A sharp nip at the shell of his ear convinced him to cease his flailing limbs, before cautiously bringing his hands to his head to figure out what was residing upon it, the pads of his fingers meeting soft downy feathers.

"My apologies, these two ruffians should have waited before making their presence known, but alas, patience is only a virtue for a select few it appears," came a stern voice from what Ciel had ascertained to be a bird, "No matter, I am Vayu, and will similarly be here to assist you," she nodded, as if proud of her status as mentor, a status which Ciel had not shared the same joy in. She'd certainly be a hoot to deal with. Pun intended.

The dancing of the flames within the crackling fire was transfixing. It was perfect for letting his mind wander up and away from the world, away from his inevitable conversation with Deuel. The fire seemed to stretch and bend just like his thoughts, clawing towards the heavens whose twinkling stars grew closer and closer before reaching down to match. It wasn't a particularly unusual sight, though it was unusual that he was seeing it when he had gotten plenty of sleep last night. He took another long drink of his Red Bull as the fingers of the fire and the stars interlocked, forming a fiery gate to hell that seemed to shamble forward, bending and twisting from its position on the campfire and in the heavens. It reached towards him, blurred around him, enveloped him in its warmth, until it had engulfed him completely.

The hallucination then got brighter and brighter, bright enough to sear his eyes, and he shut them, only for the brightness to burn through his thin human eyelids. He blocked out the light with his hands, but it did nothing to shut out the light. This wasn't just a hallucination, though what it could possibly be, he couldn't fathom. Then, all at once, the light was gone, and he blinked his eyes open to find himself in a forest with all of his friends.

“Uh… Is everyone ok? And… what just happened?”

"We are in a forest. With magical creatures."

Deuel seems to assume they've been isekai'd, and while the hallucinogenic fever dream immediately preceding their arrival here does lend credence to his theory, it's not exactly a theory grounded in reality. Then again, what else could it be? Mildly hallucinogenic knockout gas followed by an aborted abduction doesn't explain why they all arrived perfectly alert without any memories of the interim, and he can't think of a better mundane explanation. Already entering the realm of fantasy, spatial dislocation would explain it, but does not necessitate ending up in another world. He supposes Deuel didn't specify that they did, and the man's a bit of a dandy, so he could just be assuming based on the popular trope. In that case, there should be botanical and/or zoological differences to be found to prove the hypothesis, though he's never bothered devoting time to learning about the subtle differences in different arboreal species and there weren't any obviously extraterrestrial insects buzzing about; just some perfectly normal-looking black ants. Perhaps they could find differences in the constellations? He memorized enough of them for navigation (part of his excessive research on wilderness survival) and would be able to tell the difference. Even with no astronomical knowledge, the others might be able to just because they were looking up at them before they arrived, except it's the middle of the day now, and even if it's a fantasy world, it could just as easily be a parallel Earth. For that matter, they are just as likely to have been displaced in time, though seeing as how they're in a forest, the future is less likely than the past, which would match with typical medieval isekai settings. Whether back in time or in another world, it would likely fall on them to bring technological progress back, and until then, they'd have no access to modern conveniences like-

Like caffeine.

No caffeine.

In the entire world, possibly. Different plants means no guarantee of coffee or cocoa or guarana or whatever the fuck and there's no guarantee this world has any replacements. He could try synthesizing caffeine, but he can't remember the chemicals involved, much less the steps. He thinks Theobromine is involved somehow? It's not nearly enough to work off of, and he can't imagine spending weeks, much less months or years raw dogging life without it.

He's got a hand on his forehead, trying to keep from freaking out, because there's still hope - they could just be in another time or place, but then Deuel pulls him out of his thoughts with a question.

"Niles, are you okay? I hope you don't think I'm presuming, but are you worried about your parents?"

No, Deuel. He almost laughs, because his parents were probably the farthest thing from his mind before now. Shame to have wasted their 18 years of investment with a sudden disappearance-

"If so, there's a nonzero chance that time here might be out of sync with time on earth and we can come back at the same time we left. But if not, well, we can just say that we got kidnapped or something when we do come back, and if we all get our stories straight, they'll believe us. Either way, let's both focus on surviving this situation, okay?"

At that, Niles does let out a laugh, though when Deuel gives him a questioning look, he simply shakes his head, saying, "it's nothing."

His parents will assume he left without warning. Will likely find a replacement to pass the company onto - maybe adopt if they really want to keep it in the family, though he's not sure how much they care about that as long as they stay on the company's payroll. He has a month or two before his parents realize he's gone, maybe 3 months given their big business trip in Tokyo, but they will probably seek him out before their next trip given his college plans and his lack of response if they text or call in the interim. He's 18, so by all likelihood they'll assume he just ran away, and since it's within his right to, when they can't find him, they'll probably just give up. They'll probably move on, thinking that he hates them.

That's his time limit.

Soon, a motherfucking talking Ermine arrives to properly introduce them to the situation, seemingly confirming the isekai theory.

"You see, your friend is the Chosen One and you guys have been tasked with serving as his 'adventuring party' to save our world under our leadership!"

Ah.

Hah.

He decides to slip away behind the surrounding trees as the others, especially Deuel, are distracted by Deuel's transformation.

He walks away slowly, at first, because he doesn't want to make noise that could draw the attention of the others, but once some distance has been made, he picks up speed until he's running. No, until he's sprinting - as fast and as far away as he can manage.

Adventuring party of the chosen one? What a joke. Him? Right before he's about to step all over the chosen one's feelings? Might as well destroy the whole damn planet now. The overlap between their respective skillsets makes him easily the least useful to Deuel anyway. He's not sure about the others, but Deuel could easily spark a technological revolution with or without him. From a purely practical, cost-benefit analysis standpoint, he's nothing but a detriment, and any clerical, moral or practical support he could offer after the fact pales in comparison to the damage he could do to them all as a group.

A darker thought occur to him - that they're all dancing to the tune of some kind of cosmic narrative, and that his role in the story is either as Deuel's designated love interest or perhaps his tragic motivator. A living, breathing, Death by Origin Story trope, or perhaps it's the I Let Gwen Stacy Die trope. Would depend on how long he actually goes on living, he supposes - a funny thought to have while tumbling down a steep hill after tripping on an exposed wooden tree root.

He doesn't think he's particularly hurt by the time he reaches the bottom, not that he cares to devote much attention to such things, given his swirling thoughts, but he does find himself just laying there, on the ground, covered in dirt and small bruises, thinking. Even within the framework of a narrative, there can be no offscreen happily ever after with him, and he's not willing to take that away from Deuel. It feels selfish to even entertain the idea of getting to that point, because what divine fucking neanderthal thinks they have the providence to use him to manipulate Deuel's love life? Any of their love lives? 'Designated love interests' and any divine being that insists on them can kiss his ass, just the same as anyone who tries to tell him its his fate to die just so Deuel and the others can have some cliché 'You did everything you could', 'I should have been better' bullshit.

It was a pointless mental tangent anyway. At worst, isekai tropes tend to include prophecies, not entire meta narratives. Still, rejecting it clears his head enough to notice an approaching worm of some sort, emerging from the ground near him.

He gets up, trying to avoid letting the slimy blind creature touch him, only to realize that, upon closer inspection, it's not covered in slime. In fact, it seems to be covered in small scales, and, looking more closely, he could see the occasional flick of a forked tongue out of an extremely round face.

He's seen these before - it's a blind snake, though he's never seen one quite as large as this. He extends a hand, gently, to pick the creature up. The differences in this world's fauna kind of pale in comparison to a talking stoat directly stating that they've crossed worlds, in terms of confirmation of their situation, but sue him, it's an novel animal and he's curious.

He feels a gentle surge of sorts when he touches the snake, though he couldn't say what of. It felt like getting zapped, except harmlessly, and the snake doesn't seem spooked, unlike how he might expect an earthen blind snake to be. Soon it's nuzzling into his hand, slithering up and around his palm, and it allows him to lift it up for closer inspection.

It occurs to him that a snake in a fantasy world might be more dangerous than its earthen equivalent, though from its relative diminutiveness, he can't imagine it to pose much of a threat, even if it had venom. (blind snakes don't) It seemed to have the same jaw as a blind snake, which couldn't open absurdly wide like bigger snakes, and was likely indicative of a lack of fangs. Blind snakes wouldn't even be able to penetrate human skin with their teeth, and this one seemed no different. The little thing only got more adorable the closer he looked at it, as it seemed to hide its face shyly - behind his own hand, as he focused his attention on it.

He resumes his walk, snake coiling around his hand, as he idly tries to puzzle out what he felt earlier. The sensation was muted now, but still there, like a beautiful song playing off in the distance. He tries to focus on the music, to reach out to it, and it responds, flowing into and around him, wrapping him up within it until he finds himself standing there, in the middle of the forest, wearing an ornate brown and gold outfit. Distantly, he recognizes that he's just undergone much the same transformation Deuel had, and while it casts doubt on the stoat's claims, it doesn't change that such a transformation is indicative of the fantastical. They were therefore brought here for some type of purpose, perhaps even a prophecy, and he neither had the desire to go along with such things nor thought his presence would benefit the pursuit of such goals anyway. He could perhaps help from the sidelines in the future, if needed, but going back to have that delayed conversation with Deuel is the last thing he wants right now.

Instead, he turns his attention to his new abilities - He can feel the Earth's thrum beneath him, around him, and before he knows it, he finds himself inadvertently sinking into grass-hardened dirt as if it were memory foam. Comfy, but... ugh, dirt.

Then, a thought occurs to him. He stands up straight, and directs his newfound power against his senses. Every speck of dirt, every small stain on his clothes, both old and magically new, lights up like beacons before him, and with a hesitant, tentative thought, he finds himself able to pull the stuff off of him like a god damn psychic. After a little exploratory fooling around, he finds he now has telekinetic control over dirt, stone, and even the metal that makes up his phone. An attempt at technomancy would have to wait until he had something more expendable to work with, but gaining fancy magic powers is nothing short of exhilarating.

He tries to do some minor limit testing - taking the dirt and crushing it together into a sedimentary rock. Shooting the rock at a nearby tree. (and not getting hit by it as it ricochets off) Then he tries to extend his tremor sense outward, only to notice that there's some kind of structure nearby. His friends don't seem to be in range, and it doesn't seem like civilization anyway. Curious, he decides to make his way towards it.