FAM, MEET FAM

Shand chuckles wryly. “You just saw me fail to kick the bucket almost 37 MILLION times and from that paired with my champion drinking abilities, I️ think you’ve probably intuited by now that I’m not a quitter.” Shand takes a deep breath and steps forward.

He is immediately thrust back into that painfully white room, with the steel chair in the middle commanding its cruel, solitary presence. He thinks back to what Nameless said. He’s keeping himself from making it out?
There’s something pulling in his chest that brings out the utmost of dread inside him. His heartbeat makes his stomach feel hollow.

Shand takes a deep breath to calm himself as he moves toward the center of the room and leans back into the chair. Immediately, he’s tied down to it, restrained by the blood and sweat stained cuffs around his wrists, ankles, chest, and neck.

That black robed man in his hideous mask is before Shand now, and the familiar dread grows in his chest and makes him feel on fire. The man’s syringe comes closer and closer to Shand’s neck- the impossibly large needle finally moving outside of his view.

As it sinks down deep into his neck, the electricity bursts back into his body, flowing from the site of the injection and rippling through his veins. He looks down and can see the current jet mesmerizingly through his arms and pool in his fingertips, building up an almost intolerable stinging sensation. He pushes down the nauseating fear of what comes next.

Dolan shrugs with a gentle expression on his face. “I️ guess even those of us who make it don’t always make it all the way, do we?... not a day goes by that I️ don’t think of something more I️ could have done or said that might have kept him from, well.” Dolan fills the rest of the sentence with another mouthful of coffee and shrugs off the heaviness. “Baggage just comes with the territory, I️ suppose. Or else we wouldn’t have occasion for all this amazing alcohol.”

Lunath sighs and laughs at the same time, laughing more at himself than anything. “I’m definitely not good at this game yet. Yeah, I’ve only been kidnapped twice. The first time probably only counts as half, but same difference I️ guess?” Lunath watches Ploy and Eidolon interacting wordlessly. “...can I️ ask you guys a question?”

Nameless sits far off from the central scene, tail swishing as he observes. There's something ominous about his small non-threatening form seated in the middle of nothingness, just watching, waiting. He is both a symbol of actual reality apart from this space but also a symbol for the space itself since he is the reason it exists. He doesn't control what Shand sees or feels but watches with an almost cruel detachment, always at the ready to pull Shand out should he need the help but never concerned enough to act on his own to aid him.

"Is this what you need to see?"

His shadow stretches out long and far behind him, distorted. He's sure that he's the last thing Shand is focusing on yet he still remains as an ever patient observer.

"Is this all for the sake of a glimpse of an island? A ship? You could tap out now and see the bar but that doesn't promise the torture stops, does it? And you know that so here we are."

Nameless creates his own commentary to keep himself entertained. He watches everything with soulless eyes, keeping his research in motion.

"You know, Dolan. I've spent years serving alcohol to a colorful array of people and, if there's one thing I've learned about humanity, it's definitely that we all carry baggage on our backs and some of it is more visible than others."

Grabbing the pot of remaining coffee, she fills up her mug then tops his off as well with a sympathetic smile.

"But sometimes coffee is much better for conversation than beer or ale."

She pauses.

"I'm sorry about your wife and about your family as a whole. If it means anything coming from a bitter, sad stranger, you're doing pretty well in this current moment given the situation we all find ourselves in."

The two seem to relax every so slightly when he admits he wasn't kidnapped three separate times though they are both disturbed he's been kidnapped at all.

But his sudden curiosity catches them off guard.

"Sure, I guess it's only fair since we came over and sat with you. What's up?"

Eidolon sits back in his chair, arm slung over the backrest casually, waiting for Lunatha to speak up.

Dolan laughs and lifts the mug in a mock-toast. “Seeing as the bag that this coffee came from was unlabeled and suspicious as cold hell, I️ think we’re all doing pretty well.”

Lunath takes a moment to consider if he wants to say the thing he knows he wants to say, and decides to only kind of say it. He leans over to Eidolon and whispers in his ear. “Does she know that you like her?”

As the pain of the coursing electricity increases through his body, Shand hears Nameless’s voice like it’s coming to him through a tunnel. He manages to shake his head. “This isn’t... isn’t what I’m here for...”  Just as the pain reaches its peak, the electricity reaches his head and buzzes, rattling his skull so hard it sounds like a roar and everything goes black.

Not even for a full moment. Shand’s free of the restraints now, of the chair, but not of the place that always follows. He’s in the clearing- he can see both sides of the blackest wood, and the clouds of swarming flies hover close to the ground. The various animal carcasses are strewn across the small clearing, in various stages of decay. The deer lays on its side, half eaten, it’s body ripped into viciously and it’s neck devoured to bone.
Nearby, a small fox’s body hangs in a blackberry bramble. It looks similar to Nameless, but smaller and more gray. It hasn’t been eaten, but the flesh on its face is rotting, falling away, leaving two blackened eye sockets crawling with flies.
The carnage goes on and on- the great hulking bear’s pelt spattered with blood and bone and brain matter. A black bat reduced to a bony skeleton. Multiple small birds, sparrows, are covered with blackened blood and spilled entrails, eyes crawling with scavenging bugs.
At the other side of the clearing, the huge wolf looks up from its meal, its fangs and fur dripping blood. It growls savagely at Shand.
The gore disturbs Shand, of course. The wolf unsettles him, it always has.
But what feeds the terror curled in his gut and the dread that pushes this scene down again and again is the flashes of the faces of his family members across the face of each dead animal. Just as he is helpless to stop the vision each time it flashes before him, they are all headed for this end, and he can do nothing to stop it.
And then, suddenly, it is over. Bright light surrounds him, and for a millisecond, he is curled in a hammock with Dakara next to him. Palm trees dapple the sunlight that beams down on them, and her head is laid gently on his chest. She’s sleeping.

The room snaps Shand back into his body, or reality, or back from wherever he has gone. He’s on his knees in the middle of the room, smoke and haze cleared and a pale blue fog hanging near the ceiling. His chest is still heaving and the pain lingers in his fingertips.

The comment causes brief hesitation as she looks at the dark liquid in her cup. With a very forced motion, she lifts her mug to his in a toast, some of the humor gone from her face again.

"You know... And I'm not sure I should admit this, but I wasn't planning on drinking this coffee because it weirded me out. I was okay with you risking your health and was going to wait and watch how you turned out but I think I may have gotten lost in a bonding moment and forgotten my senses. So, I guess if we go down, we go down together?"

Eidolon leans over and he's not sure he's heard the boy correctly at first. After a delay, his face turns bright red and his gold eyes dart to make sure she didn't hear the comment. Her quizzical expression and raised eyebrow tells him she didn't, which brings him brief relief before turning back to Lunath and whispering.

"So... I think she has some idea because she's very observant but she hasn't said anything and I haven't officially told her either but-"
"What in the world are you two talking about?"

Ploy rests her chin in her palm, staring at the two males with an amused smile, eyes flicking back and forth between them slyly.

Nameless walks over to Shand.

"Fascinating."

He circles the man as if Shand were his prey, but really he's just putting together his thoughts.

"So, the world is in danger and your loved ones will be devoured... But who is the wolf? The predator of your nightmares? The other animals took on the faces of people you knew but I couldn't quite catch if and who the wolf was."

Nameless makes his way in front of Shand again. Sometime in the couple of seconds it took him to pace behind Shand, he's changed back into his unnaturally large form. He looms over the crumpled man, staring down at him, nearly demanding an answer, though he has a guess of his own.

Shand jumps slightly as Nameless flashes in front of him in a larger size than he’d expected. He heaves one last abnormally deep breath and rubs his face hard with the back of one hand.
“I️ don’t know. Sometimes I️ get this feeling that it might bloody damn well be me.”
Shand regrets saying it immediately, knowing that this vision is the peak of emotional distress for him, something that Nameless cannot understand. Suddenly, Shand feels more vulnerable than he’d like to.
“Anyway, I️ was fairly convinced there’d be alcohol at the end, and I️ feel pretty jipped. Because normally what I️ drank earlier is followed by the calming of my nerves, and not more pointless trippiness.”

Lunath smiles knowingly at Eidolon’s answer and Ploy’s interjection. “I️ think you should tell her,” he uses his hand to hide his face from Ploy and mouths to Eidolon. “She seems really nice.”

Dolan lets out a laugh. “I️ respect that, I️ suppose. If it had been anything other than coffee I️ suppose that would have been the wisest choice. Addictions will kill you, at least that’s what people say. I’m sure it’ll be coffee that gets me in the end.”

"Sometimes we are the wolves in sheepskin without even knowing it."

Nameless appears to be speaking from experience, hinting at some sort of deeper learned lesson in his own life but he doesn't speak on the issue further.

"From what I know of these spaces, you've reached the brief peace. No islands or drinks, however it does block all physical pain and intrusive thoughts. At least for the next few minutes you can feel like a normal human without your own self-haunting. It works better than alcohol or drugs, I promise, but the high is extremely short so you'd better enjoy it. Consider it my congratulatory gift to you. You're free to discuss whatever you want, ask further questions, with the knowledge you will temporarily not feel anything because of the thoughts. You'll temporarily be like me. Completely detached."

The more Lunath discusses this, the more flustered Eidolon gets, though he does seem entertained by the boy's innocent honesty.

"You think? I'm not sure. Kind of seems a little out of my league. But she is really nice. How should I go about telling her?"

Acknowledging she's not going to get an answer, Ploy sits back in her seat, twirling the long side of her asymmetrical hair, waiting for them to finish their conversation.

"I know Nameless made this building but this limbo was made by someone else so what's stopping whatever brought us hear from influencing things in this bar? What if this mysterious force put the coffee here? I couldn't find any initially."

Trita laughs, shaking her head, realizing how paranoid she sounds but the questions remain. Her head spins a little as these concerned thoughts swirl relentlessly but she works to keep most of them repressed.

Dolan pauses to consider for a moment, trying not to laugh or make Trita feel mocked. “Always a possibility, I️ suppose. But from my perspective, if some being created this limbo and trapped us here with the intention of poisoning us with coffee, then it deserves the satisfaction of seeing me drink it and die. Fate and destiny, you know. Can’t escape ‘em.”

“Well you should probably say something romantic about when you first met her. I️ think that works pretty well most of the time.” Lunath continues talking behind his hand, perfectly aware of how awkward it is but taking full advantage of Ploy’s patience. “Use mushy words and talk a lot about feelings and burning and not being able to sleep.”

Shand’s eyes suddenly come to life like they’re full of irate fire. “Uh, so I️ just went through all of that for a few minutes of being you? First of all, who the hell decided that was a good reward, and second, peace is not the absence of emotion but an emotion itself, and third, WHAT THE ACTUAL HELL. I’m pissed, Fox face. What do you want me to ask right now? What do you even know? What can I️ do to keep everyone from dying? Am I️ what ends up killing them? What the BLOODY hell is with all this stupid, STUPID blue electricity crap I️ gotta deal with all the time, and freaking who looked at you and decided, this strange and diabolical creature needs an equally ominous name like Nameless and not something more appropriate and situation-diffusing like Fuzzy, or Ears.’ But really, if this is the peace I️ confronted the darkest moments of my life for, screw it to hell and you too.”
Shand pushes himself off the floor and looks around for the door, clearly feeling anything but the lack of emotion.

A rush of wind rushes past Shand with enough strength to push him over, and it does.

"You never cease to amaze. Even in a place where you can temporarily forget your pain, you refuse. Is it just human nature to be stubborn like you?"

In a very quick moment, he's in front of Shand again, standing over him. He slams a large paw down on Shand's hand to keep him doubled over on the cold white ground for a second.

"You forget who controls this space to an extent, wolf. I could easily bat you around to my heart's content. Nameless is what Fengari and Ivor call me despite constantly telling them I don't have or need a name so it's what we've all stuck with. It needs no explaining to someone below me on the food chain like you, do you understand?"

A few seconds of pressing even harder on Shand's hand pass, using the extent of his weight, but he lifts his paw before his hand can break then takes a few steps back.

"But this has been a fascinating experiment. Thank you for the data. And, also, I lied."

He looks up at the ceiling, if you could call it that, of the white space. The light seems to have a focal point somewhere above them.

"The prize you receive from passing the darkness is a small crystal ring with the power to erase your existence. The space figures that's what you would want after seeing everything you have. Fengari still wears hers but she hasn't used it, obviously, but I think it's something that's on her mind quite often. You may refuse it if you wish and go back and attempt to sleep or drink your problems away like the washed-up man you are, or you can take it and discuss the ring further with her. It's your pick. She's done far more research on the item than I have. She's mentioned the ring also has the power to turn back time once to about an hour if you'd like to still live but are prepared to have many more regrets in life you'd like to be able to fix at least once. Two very different powers from one object all based on your mindset. Like I said, I'd speak to her about it. The ring has never interested me. I can say that you'll never find another object like it because only two others can say they've experienced what you have."

In the silence that follows, the ground's texture changes right below them to a course grain and there is the sound of crashing water in the distance.

"If this is peace, then stay here while you think the offer over for the next several minutes on this island of your making. I won't bother you until its time to leave since my company is no longer wanted."

And with the breeze from the ocean, Nameless's form is swept away, leaving Shand alone on the now forming island around him.

Shand sighs and slaps the ground as Nameless vanishes. On one hand, the creature’s reaction has made him even more angry. On the other hand, he feels like apologizing. Well, if he’s going to just vanish, he’s fine without an apology, Shand thinks.
Waves crash distantly and the sand filters between his fingers as he considers this possibility before him.
Erase his existence completely? What a horrible and dumb response to human suffering. But... it could still have its uses. If Shand really is to be the downfall of all his family, maybe this is the one thing he actually needs the most- the solution he’s been racking his mind for.
He hasn’t made up his mind to take it. Then again, maybe he has. Shand stands frustratedly, kicks the sand and yells for his own benefit, since no one can hear him.

The action does little to calm him. In fact, his anger and frustration swirl dangerously in his gut, and Shand remembers the last time he felt like this, things didn’t end well.

Maybe that’s the answer he needs then. Shand holds out his hand to find the ring already sitting in his palm. It is indeed small, but the crystal seems to emanate light and although he’s alone, Shand cannot resist the urge to shove it down in a pocket and try to forget about it.

Once the object is in his pocket, though, his world starts to feel heavy. It spins, and the fabric of this peaceful reality starts to rip. Shand grabs at the edges to try and remain where he is, but it is pointless.

Everything feels so pointless. He feels weak and helpless and he hates it. That churning deep in his stomach returns, and this time, it’s not alone. As a furious, hot fog fills his mind, Shand sees the electricity start to fly from his fingertips, sparks and jolts bursting out before him, rushing to the sky in a sort of reverse lightning.

Shand grits his teeth and falls easily into the thought pattern of anger. Everything beyond his control up to this moment in his life flashes in his mind and fuels his ire. The lightning bolts only get stronger.

And then, the ripping edges of this reality start to patch themselves back together, almost as if welded by the heat and the light. There is an intense, mind-numbing cracking sound as the blue-white light fills Shand’s vision entirely, and then vanishes, rushing back into his fingertips. The unbearable fury dies with it, and when Shand opens his eyes to see the same island, unperturbed and peaceful as ever, he feels a moment of relief.

But then he turns around and there, standing awkwardly in the sand, are all the people who had been congregating in the bar before, along with the lost Aleric and his search party. They all stare at him annoyedly, and Shand follows his first instinct to whirl back around to avoid the stare.

“Oh. My. God.” Shand pounds his palm against his forehead, the relief vanishing. “I️ bloody. Damn. Did it. AGAIN.”

“I️ didn’t think FIVE bottles of straight liquor was a good idea, Shand.” Dolan call out with some frustration in his voice. He’s clearly the only one of the assembled group with any clue as to what’s happened. He shakes his head. “This is just like the woods in Caiseal and we have no ability to learn from our mistakes.”

“Maybe Nameless can make it all over again?” Shand offers with a sheepish grimace-smile, and looks everywhere for the fox, but comes up empty. His stomach sinks even further and he yells. His nervousness makes his words come out sing-songy. “Uh,  Nameless? I️ kind of, accidentally..... broke..... your dimension, I’m sorryyyy, and I️ need you to fix it, so where are yooouu?”

"Not here."

An unknowable voice rings crystal clear in Shand's head. It's not a sound one can hear but more one senses that it is speaking and sees the words in his or her mind. The voice manifests as a creatures that looks strikingly similar to Nameless but his even taller yet slimmer, more elegant rather than muscular and powerful. Its blue eyes also resemble Nameless's but the markings on its fur are black rather than red.

"Follow me."

It steps away, fading in and out of sight like a mirage towards the opposite side of the island, the only thing concretely marking its existence being the tracks it leaves behind in the sand. It doesn't seem to harbor ill-will, rather help Shand with his request, leading him to Nameless. It temporarily fixes the issue with the space but its fix leaves behind a deformed pulsating crystal scar floating in the air.

Trita smirks at Dolan, amused by his response, if not a little concerned.

"Old and foolish. You know, they write books about people like you."

With a quick snicker, she quickly sticks her tongue out at him before taking another sip of the coffee. It's then she realizes she's enjoying speaking to someone for once in a very long while and that it may be more refreshing than this caffeinated drink. She won't tell him that, of course. He doesn't need any leverage against her.

Eidolon nods at Lunaths plan, showing genuine interest in what he's saying like they're having some tactical war meeting.

"So how mushy is too mushy? Have you done this before? I need expert level advice and you seem to be a pro."

“Oh not me. I like books, not people. But I’ve watched Dolan enough to know what works and what doesn’t. He’s tried a lot. And subtle mush is better. Girls like to know how they make you feel, as long as it’s a good feeling.” Lunath plays with the sand now, drawing lines in it with the toe of his shoe.

“Oh, I️ know. And they all end so fabulously well,” Dolan laughs in spite of himself and motions around them. “So this is a nice change of scenery. Not a huge fan of sand myself, but I️ guess getting cut off from the coffee was a good thing in the long run.” Dolan thinks it may be the effects of all those shots finally kicking in, but his face feels flushed and he has to swallow back a grin, despite the strangeness of their current predicament.

As this new floating creature moves further toward the other edge of the island, concern hitches in Shand’s chest. Distrust comes naturally to him, but it seems to grow and grow as he remains idle.

Shand looks up at the mended rift in the sky, then back to the others who seem to be momentarily occupying themselves and making the most of the situation. He feels he has little choice but to follow this new fox if he has any hope of getting them out of this mess of his making. He sets off slowly in the direction the apparition’s footprints lead, talking as he goes.

“Do you not have a name, either? If you’re still unattached, may I️ suggest Fuzzy? Or Ears?”

Eidolon blinks as he takes in the new scenery, almost forgetting he was holding a conversation with Lunath for a moment. He catches sight of Ploy kick at the sand herself as if to test if it’s real. Satisfied with her conclusion, she bends down and starts attempting to form a little mound, happy for the distraction as she waits for the two boys to include her in the conversation again.

“Okay, but, between us, what’s your dad’s track record so I can know what my chances are of this actually working in my favor?”

Per usual, Trita seems indifferent to the change, the only indication to show she’s even noticed it is her furrowed brow then quick sweep of the new view. Other than that, she rolls with the bizarre event as if this happens daily.

“Well, if you like sand then I guess this is a dream come true but, personally, I could think of a million different places that I’d rather be. You don’t see rabbits at beaches for a reason: salt water plus sand in fur is never a good mix.”

Still, she finds herself enjoying the sight of the waves and sound of the sea. Other than actually having decent conversation, it’s calmly and feels far more welcoming than the empty limbo and mysterious bar. The flush on Dolan’s face doesn’t miss her and she wonders if maybe he did drink one-too many… Too many being… One. He doesn’t strike her as a lightweight but she has definitely learned you can’t judge a book’s ability to drink by its cover.

The mirage doesn’t waver in its path nor look back to see if Shand is following. It just knows. It knows and continues onward.

“I no longer exist. You may call me what you like.”

It’s colder than Nameless yet there is a difference in their indifferent attitude. Nameless speaks like a sociopath through and through, someone who can fake emotions because he used to be able to feel them but has also been observing humanity long enough to pick up on techniques. This creature speaks emotionlessly as if it was never alive to begin with. It’s cold and robotic. Obviously, it did exist at some point if one goes off of its statement, but its state of being now is beyond any sense of life or liveliness.

Dolan struggles not to laugh. He does feel slightly tipsy, but not in the normal sense at all. He begins to wonder if Shand’s inadvertently caused some sort of behavior bending quality in this reality. “I️ can see how that could definitely be a problem. I’ve never liked the ocean so how Shand ended up so drawn to it is beyond me. I️ hope we’re not trapped here long enough to find out.” Although the thought of being trapped here with them, with her namely, isn’t so terrible of a thought. The redness pushes out into his ears as Dolan realizes it’s not the alcohol that’s made him jittery.

“Weeeelllll,” Lunath folds his arms and looks upward to the sky, like he’s counting in his head. “I️ guess he does better when he’s not trying. Although the last lady that happened with ended up kind of bad. But she liked him back for sure. He was real shy around her for a long time before he started flirting with her. Seems like it should go the same with you, except the whole killing her after a while. Maybe skip that part.”

Shand pauses a moment to consider the creature’s answer. “That’s definitely comforting. Ears it is, then.” He follows each footstep, looking up periodically to make sure that the vision hasn’t vanished. With everything that’s gone on today, he’s not entirely sure this isn’t just one of his trances or if it’s another creature like Nameless, or something else altogether.

“So if you don’t exist anymore, what is it that you’re doing here? And what do you want with me? And better yet, where exactly am I️ going?”

There’s silence as Trita doesn’t respond for a moment, just watching the man grow ever redder by the second. She had pegged him to be insufferably stoic when she first met him back in limbo so the sight amuses her to the point that she bursts out laughing at how ridiculous he seems.

“You really are drunk, aren’t you? Oh my god, I know I mix a mean drink but not that mean!”

She misses the reason he looks so flustered, maybe looks over it, but it could be much to Dolan’s benefit.

The comment about the killing feels like it kills the mood a bit but Eidolon is determined to keep the conversation going, convinced it’s rare to see Lunath so talkative so he’s going to keep this going as long as he can.
“Okay, maybe let’s skip that-“

A huge handful of sand slings across both of their backs and by the time they turn around, Ploy is quickly taking a few steps away, looking off innocently. Pretending she’s just noticed them staring, she acts surprised by their sudden attention.

“What? What’s up with you two? Run out of conversation topics or something?”

The creature doesn’t miss a bit when responding to Shand as if it has already heard his questions minutes before he even asks and has answers at the ready.

“I am a figment of what once was and will never be. I am leading you to Nameless to fix the tear in dimensions you’ve created. Not that you’ve caused any harm. This mishap was harmless, fortunately for you and your friends. But, you must be monitored. Nameless must monitor you in this space.”

It rattles off answers in a bullet point list, leading Shand completely out of view of the others around a bend in the beach. There’s a small cove off in the distance that seems unassuming at first but, the closer they get, the louder the sound of turbulent water becomes.

“Well at least something thats kinda familiar.” Shand mutters to himself. “But hold on, back up for a second. Nameless needs to monitor me? Like I️ need a babysitter? What do you think I’m gonna do, reach out and touch something fragile and break it or something?”

Shand’s rebellious streak is nearly completely repaired from its moment of humility after his last episode with Nameless. He knows it’s childish, but he doesn’t really care and stops in his tracks to stick a solitary finger out and poke the trunk of an impossibly tall palm tree.

“I’m clearly just a bull in a china shop-“
Shand is interrupted by a loud crack, and the tree he’s just touched is illuminated with glowing white lightning for a moment before turning in its entirety to black ashes and falling silently in huge pile on the sand.
His amusement disappears as Shand cocks his head at the pile of dark ashes, glancing up ahead at the figure and the place it’s leading him.
“Okay, Ears. Point made. Take me to my babysitter.”

Dolan lets out a relieved and nervous chuckle. “I am, yeah, a bit drunk I guess. Well the shots were great, but it’s also been a long time since I drank. Hence Kvanne’s overreaction to the absinthe. It was worth it to vex him.” Dolan is affected a little more than he’d like to be by Trita’s full-on laugh, and he tries to position himself so he’s not facing her entirely, hoping it will make things easier.

Lunath gasps as the sand flies in his hair, and he shakes it out like a wet dog. “Should I️ tell her or let you?” He asks Eidolon playfully, scooping up a handful of sand himself and hurling it Ploy’s way. He tosses another handful at a Eidolon, but he does it gently so it splats across the front of his shirt and adds to the mischief of his proposition.

The creature never stopped walking, even during Shand’s fit then inevitable acceptance of the situation.

“He will monitor you so that way he can attempt to mend any mishap before or as soon as it happens. No more burning trees and transporting people against their wills.”

It stops short of the cover and finally looks back at Shand.

“He’s waiting.”

Sure enough, several yards away Nameless sits on a large rock, staring down at a chaotic spiraling pool of sea water isolated in the cove. It’s a dark purple like the mist was before the space transformed. He seems fixated on the small whirlpool, allowing his long tail to be swept up by the current before pulling it back out. His ears twitch and he lifts his giant head to look over at Shand.

When he does, the other spirit is gone without a trace.

“Well, I’ll try to not completely get on your brother’s bad side. Maybe I’ll need to cut you off at one drink if we ever get to do this again. Keep that as your standard. Maybe make it a bit weaker. Or maybe it was the coffee, who knows.”

She puts her hand on her hip, amused ever still by his response, turning away like a child in trouble forced to face the corner. Something clicks in her mind that causes her to look down at her mug shocked.

“I’ve actually never had coffee before. That’s kind of why I gave you the bag to examine first because I don’t know what’s good or not.”

She wonders to herself why she decided to try it today of all days. If she ends up crumpled over in sudden pain from being poisoned, she’d like to have a reason she stupidly brought about her own demise despite knowing potential risks.

Eidolon’s eyes flash to Lunath’s in an instant at the friendly threat.

“Hey, Ploy, new game: Capture Lunath and bury his legs in the sand.”

She stops laughing for a brief moment, wiping the sand off her clothes, looking back and forth between them. She’s worried at first that perhaps she interrupted an argument of some sort but, after she notes the mischievous looks on both their faces, she realizes this is actually a new harmless game.

“Alright, kid. Consider this tag and Eidolon and I are it.”

The two look about ready to run and leap at poor Lunath.

“No!!! Stop!! I️ have... leverage!” Lunath fairly screams as he starts running. “Just let me make your life better!” He yells over his shoulder to Eidolon, intentionally trying to kick up as much sand as possible in his wake.

“Truth be told, it smelled like coffee and I️ didn’t really give it much thought after that. So who knows, we might not be out of the woods yet.” Dolan chances a glance over at Trita, who’s staring into her cup a bit more soberly than before. He tries to lighten the mood. “But be warned if this ever happens again and you water down my drinks, I️ can’t guarantee a peaceful outcome. I️ have killed people for less.”

Shand plasters a wide, guilty smile across his face and makes an awkward gesture similar to finger guns at Nameless. He then stuffs his hands in his pockets stiffly and looks out over the whirlpool Nameless peers into.
“Buddy, pal. Met your friend, Ears. Really a gem. Uhh, looks like you made it, so glad you could join us in paradise. Aaaand I️ may apparently also find myself in need of some slight supervision as I️ have yet again unintentionally altered the time space continuum. You know, typical weekday stuff. What’s shaking with you?”

“Don’t you dare even try to act all free and innocent!”

Eidolon nearly dives at Lunath, barely missing, completely falling in the sand. The pair uses this as a distraction, allowing Lunath to feel like he’s gotten away at least a bit, but Ploy comes swooping in, grabbing the boy in a headlock and shoving a bit of sand in his hair playfully.

“You really think you can out run us?”

She laughs as she continues to mess up his hair, Eidolon standing back up and watching the two from a little ways back. He gets caught up in watching the scene until he notices Lunath about to get away from Ploy’s grasp.

“Hey, can you swim?”

He closes the gap and helps Ploy mess with his hair.

Trita cuts her eyes up at Dolan, a sort of intense “I dare you” look in her red eyes but she smirks at him like it’s some friendly competition.

“Oh really? Well, I can’t promise I’m different than every person you’ve ever fought but I’m definitely different than at least fifty percent of them. So try me. I will water down or overfill whatever drinks I like for whoever I like.”

She finishes off her coffee so she can set the mug down in the sand. With a few strides, she walks over to him, patting his shoulder as she passes to go stand by the shore.

“Ears? Who on earth are you talking about? I don’t have friends.”

Nameless turns his attention back to the dark water, placing his tail back within it the swirling waves.

“So, we’re all here at this beach now. I’m assuming that was unintentional though no one appears to be too upset about it. In fact, I’d say it’s making things better. Are you wanting to go back? It’s not like you technically messed up or anything.”

He glances at Shand from the corner of his eye, keeping his gaze there for a long second.

“No harm, no foul. Or are you worried about what could have happened?”

"Swim?" Lunath asks in a playfully offended tone as he wrestles himself out of Ploy's grasp. "That depends.. can you run from an assassin? I️'ll call Dolan over here, I️ swear, and he kills a lot of people. And he likes it!" The threat is somewhat empty, as Lunath keeps ducking and dodging Ploy's attempts to subdue him but never tries to flee in earnest.

Dolan's lips twitch in a mischievous grin at the challenge. "While I️ will humbly request that I️ be one of the overfills instead of the water downs, I️ think it would be fun to spar sometime. See what comes of it. Of course, I️ don't have my weapons here, and I️ wouldn't want to spring my intense skill on you out of the blue as that would be grossly unfair and not chivalrous of me at all."

Shand looks back in the direction he came from, but he can't see the group or the other fox anymore. "I️ didn't legitimately hallucinate him then, did I️?" He shakes the question off, not genuinely interested in the answer in light of all the other important information he's lacking.

"Am I️ worried? Psssh. Am I️ ever worried?" Shand starts to wave off the question, and then thinks better of it, remembering that Nameless has seen inside his head to an extent that few people ever have. The traditional and carefully crafted Shand persona is powerless here.

Shand sighs. "Well duh, I'm worried. I️ don't know what the hell I'm doing, or how I'm doing it, or what's setting it off, or what the hell I️ even am. Sure, I️'m glad it's a nice tropical paradise this time. Truth be told, it's been worse in the past and it could be even worse in the future. But I️ have no way of knowing." A shiver runs down his spine and causes his bones to tremble. The outside edges of his vision feel like they're starting to blur, and the sky itself starts to fade slightly, with storm clouds gathering out over the ocean.
"I️ have this real bad sinking feeling we might be about to find out though."

“Good enough for me!”

Eidolon swings both Ploy and Lunath over his shoulders and starts off towards the ocean as fast as he can considering he’s carrying two people.

Ploy glances at the approaching water over her shoulder with wide eyes.

“Lunath, I don’t think that worked-“

Her sentence gets cut off because, as soon as Eidolon hits water that’s knee deep water, he tumbles down into the water, dragging the other two with him into the shallow waves.

Just as Dolan begins to wrap up his sentence, a small object goes whirling past his head, a little too close for comfort but not close enough to do any damage, then sticks in a tree trunk a little ways off.

“Hasn’t anyone told you to keep at least one weapon on you at all times? I figured a wise old man like you would know that.”

Trita slips her hand to a holster on her outer thigh filled with what, at first glance, looks to be a deck of playing cards, but, upon further inspection, the edges gleam a sharp silver along the sharpened sides. Throwing cards.

She smiles coyly, snapping the strap back over the cards to keep them secure. The holster seems unassuming at first so that paired with her small black waitress apron one can only wonder if that is the only potentially dangerous item she has on her or if she’s hiding more.

“Hope that wasn’t too ‘unfair’ of me.”

Nameless turns his attention to the horizon then back down to the pool.

“You know, the reason dimensions I create have small black holes is because we all have a dangerous side, a tortured past, and a variety of other things we’re trying to hide. When I create a space, my own flaws manifest into a dangerous dark mist that torments people who step inside it. If I could feel anything, I think I’d be in your same shoes.”

He pauses.

“Yours seems to be the odd blue lightning. What are you expecting it to do? To zap everyone around you and burn them into nonexistence? And when do you think you’ll explode beyond repair? If I’m going to babysit you, I need some more information on your thoughts. I have all the data I can on your fears of it but what are your own personal findings from experiences and observations that I perhaps didn’t see?”

Dolan gives little reaction to the edged blade whizzing by his head, but turns and shakes his head at her with a coy smile. “My weapon of choice is a little large for a sexy thigh holster.” He stops himself short as mortification rushes into cheeks at having inadvertently described her in such a way. Waiting to see if she’ll notice and make him pay, or let him off easy is agonizing.

Lunath bobs up from the waves and paddles gently off to the side so as to draw little attention to himself as he puts as much space between him and the other two. When Ploy and Eidolon both come up for air and sputter around in the surf, they’re left in uncomfortably close proximity, with Lunath nowhere near to buffer them. Lunath lets the waves wash up and spray on his face as he gives a toothy, satisfied smile at Eidolon.

Shand sputters a bit himself. “Are you joking right now? I don’t know what the lightning’s gonna do. Maybe it’ll tap dance and sing folk songs, damn if I know... but...if this thing is my dark side or my past or whatever, we might as well all lay down and die right now. I️ thought I’d gotten away from all that.” Shand watches Nameless dip his tail in and out of the whirlpool, flirting fearlessly with the dark and swirling water.
Shand sighs. “I️ think... I️ think that my life was a lot different before I️ got pulled into all this with my family, and I️ could be reckless and not care about what happened to me or anyone before and now...” he shrugs, scanning around the barren beach like an answer might present itself, washed up in the sands. “I️ guess I️ do have a lot that I’m hiding from them and it has to stay that way.”

Trita's eyes widen for a split second and now it's her turn to face away from him to collect her thoughts on the statement. She could call him out and give him hell or she could play it off... Or both. She's not sure if any of the options are right or wrong or which one makes it more awkward. He probably didn't even mean it the way she heard it. She's overreacting, she always overreacts. That's what it is.

Her mind wanders for a moment before she turns around with a teasing grin, tapping her face.

"My eyes are up here."

Eidolon and Ploy look around for Lunath at first, both a little concerned for his well-being but, when Eidolon catches sight of his childish but knowing grin several feet away and distance growing, he blushes a deep red at the situation he finds himself in.

He's not sure whether to thank the boy or to make him drink an entire mouthful of salt water. He's also not sure why Lunath took such a sudden fascination to setting the two up, especially considering he just met them both.

"Hey, what's going on? What were you and Lunath speaking about for so long?"

Ploy finally spots Lunath and waves at him but doesn't move from her close proximity with her friend. The question only flusters him more and anyone within a mile radius can see he's fumbling over his words.

His voice drops so low as he speaks that even Ploy struggles to hear it over the waves so there's no way anyone over five feet away from them can hear. The only response to the situation Lunath would be able to see from that point is, after what feels like an eternity of awkward confessions, Ploy jumps up and hugs Eidolon then the two fall back in the water, hidden by the waves.

"But, nothing is hidden from a strange sociopathic fox spirit thing now, though that doesn't seem to be anything new for you."

Nameless catches sight of Shand staring at his tail then flicks up some of the dark water on his face.

"What exactly would you like me to do? Ride on your shoulder and slap you whenever I think you're losing it? Or stalk you and every move you make, always lingering in your shadow? I can stabilize most any situation you create, including this one. You don't think it's just existing on its own in peace, do you?"

Lunath watches them frolicking in the water and starts splashing toward them. Clearly, whatever talk they’ve had had gone well. Once he gets close enough to the two, Lunath whirls his arms around, sending water spraying into their faces. “So are you guys in love yet?”

“Uh,” Dolan knows his face is turning red again and licks his lips, drawing in a deep breath. “Yeah. Yeah that does seem to be the case...” he’s fumbling now, and there doesn’t seem to be much he can do about it, and there’s nothing that this display can do to damage his hard-earned reputation back home as a cold calculated killer and part-time pessimistic hothead, so he just keeps going. “And I just want you to know that I️ do keep a strangling garrote on me at all times, and I️ saw that rather unfit for a demonstration.” He pauses, considering for a moment and then decides to shoot it all to hell. “Unless of course, you’re into strangling and all that.”

“Dammit, fine- you‘re right, is that what you’re looking for?” Shand throws his hands up in exasperation, feeling strangely helpless and almost even afraid as the clouds amass further and grow darker and darker, sending tame bolts of lighting out far into the sea and rumbling the earth with thunder.

“I don’t think it’s just this sweet peaceful little ‘situation’. Anything that I️, I️... create, or accidentally release or whatever,” Shand is visibly struggling to share the information, not being entirely sure if it will even do any good, especially in how much more vulnerable it makes him feel.

“It seems like it’s always... protecting me or something, or trying to. It sounds dumb, I know, but..It happens when I’m hurt, or about to pass out, or in danger, or when I’m dying-“ He closes his eyes for a second and corrects himself. “Almost dying. Every single time, the electricity is there. It’s killed people before, I’m sure it’ll do it again, eventually. And who knows when it’ll start working against me instead of for me.”

He watches the storm brewing, growing unreasonably fast. “And to be totally honest with you, Nameless, I️ think my biggest fear isn’t of it, but knowing that when I️ see it, it means something’s after me, and now that things are different, that something is also after everyone I care about- and that something is bad enough to rip reality open over.”

Eidolon grins and dunks Lunath under the water for a few seconds before Ploy reaches in and pulls him back to the surface.

“Oh yeah, totally. Completely, utterly in love. Wedding bells tomorrow.”

She keeps him afloat despite Eidolon’s best attempts to push him back under though he does pause for a moment.

“So what’s up with you, huh? You just like play matchmaker?”

Trita turns a deeper shade of red than Dolan could hope to achieve. She’s completely caught off-guard by the comment but also the earnest response of it. She holds up her hand as if to say something, her mouth open to speak, but not words come out for a few seconds. Clearing her throat, she tries again, still struggling some but she finally manages a sentence.

“I, uh… Wow, huh. Wasn’t expecting that one.”

No one said it was a good sentence. She manages to choke out a laugh.

“Are you really asking for my preferences already? At least take me out to dinner first. I guess we don’t need to spar to lose chivalry.”

Luckily for him, she doesn’t hate him. She seems amused regardless of her initial shock.

Nameless nods to himself more than to what Shand is saying, trying to piece something together.

“So… Why back in the bar, then? Were you in danger? Lunath was a delight back then but I didn’t see him aiming a gun at your head, so what was up with that situation?”

The storm out at sea only seems to match the one in the pool, danger near and danger far, present and coming.

"Well it was painfully clear that you two were never gonna do anything about it," Lunath blows the excess water out of his mouth and manages to say in between dunkings. "I️ mean, I️ can only guess that you've been pining away for a long time before this. I️ can only do so much, but I️ do what I️ can. Grownups are weird and complicated."
Lunath takes the opportunity to splash more water in Eidolon's face before turning to Ploy. "Hey, he showed me his fun trick, I️ wanna see yours, too."

Dolan chuckles and runs his tongue along the inside of his teeth to relieve some of his own internal tension. "Hey, you started it when you hurled a throwing card at my head and accused me more or less of being dumb and old. Couldn't let that slide."

He clears his throat as he finds a little more of his bearings. "But if you're up for whatever version of a date we could manage in whatever this place is, I️ believe I️ would like to make that happen. Just, keep your hands off the throwing cards... for now."

Shand sighs and wipes off the remaining water left from Nameless's tail flick. "Again, man, you're talking to me like I️ understand any part of what's going on..." Shand has to stop himself again, the act- the ruse- is far too ingrained and the transparency is far too uncomfortable and unfamiliar.

"Alright, I️ don't know what's up with Lunath, but there is something off about him, something wrong. You had to have felt it too- or, not felt it, exactly, but you get what I️ mean. Pops refuses to see it, nobody wants to acknowledge it. They think he's acting out because all of a sudden I'm back in the picture and that's been a big deal for my father so he's been splitting his time where he must not have before. But it's not just that. There's this... this feeling..."

Another chill rushes down Shand's neck and his hair stands on end. He has to take a second with his eyes closed and his fists clenched to force the effects to pass. Another deep grumble of lightning causes the whirlpool's waters to shake.

"He's somehow involved in all of the... the visions, and the trances and hallucinations I️ get, and in all of this stuff I️ can't control. I️ don't know how, but I️ know he is, and I️ know it's not in a nice, fuzzy, feel-good way."