Howl's Springtime Adventure

Spoiler:

A man with shoulder length, dirty-blond hair attempted to exit a small saki shop and banged his forehead on the head jam of the doorway.
 
“Agh…!!! This new body is really going to take some getting used too…” The fellow said under his breath, now ducking slightly so that he could properly exit. The blond-haired man looked around for a moment once outside and then made an immediate right turn towards a dirt road. The males long and slender legs strutted as he walked, his head swaying from side to side, looking around aimlessly. Despite his efforts, nothing around him appeared to be familiar to him, nothing at all. “This place is so strange.” He said outload in an agitated voice. He stopped in his tracks and his long arms raised to his head and he began scratching his head in agitation. “My hair feels so weird! I must be dead, there’s no other explanation.” A week ago, Ita had awoken in a strange place in the care of some rather strange individuals. The last thing he remembered was wallowing in pain within his dimension of Kamui and the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by stranger’s, and he had blonde hair- not to mention he was slightly taller than normal; which he didn’t mind. When Ita had came to, the doctors and nurses around him continued to address him by the name Howl, although Ita had no recollection of introducing himself- nor had he ever meet a person by the name of “Howl”. “Stupid name if you ask me…” Ita said in despair, wondering what he had done in his previous life to deserve such a cruel fate.
 
Whilst wallowing in his pity along the dirt road, a small voice began to ring in Ita’s head. “Go away… I don’t care.” Ita sobbed, devastated by the fact he no longer had black hair and was cursed by such long, scrawny legs. If Ita had stopped to think, he would have contemplated why he was so emotional. He had never gotten this worked up about anything before…
 
“Hey! Hey, you there!”
 
The voice in his head grew louder.
 
“Great! Now I’m hearing things, I’ve totally gone insane!” Ita sobbed once more.
 
“Hey are you ignoring me! Turn around!”
 
Ita perked up, was that a person? The blond hair male turned about-face to see who had been calling out to him. Ita’s jaw dropped. Not so much because of the man beckoning to him, but because of the large circus tent which towered over some of the nearby trees near the edge of the dirt path. “H-how could I have missed that?” The tent loomed over Ita, almost blocking out the sun. It was a classical circus tent. Circular in diameter with pointed tops in the middle from the support beams.
 
“Ahh!” Ita screamed, “Stay away! I hate clowns!”
 
The man who had been calling out to Ita’s face sank then became angry quickly. “I’m not a clown you idiot!”
 
Ita pointed towards the tent, “In there! I’m not an idiot, you’re an idiot!”
 
The not-clown sighed, “There’s no clowns in there either, well at least not anymore.”
 
Now Ita’s fear of clowns had dissipated, he was more inclined to listen to what the man had to say on the account he had no idea of where or who is currently was. Ita strutted his new long legs over to the sad man and continued the conversation.
 
“What happened? They got sick of scaring people?”
 
This slide remark made the sad man crack a slight grind.
 
“Are you stupid? Clowns are supposed to make you laugh… I don’t know how anyone could be scared of them. We had the best clowns around that was until that bastard showed up and threatened to destroy our home.”
 
Score! Ita thought to himself, excited that he was about to learn something about where he was and what was going on.
 
“…and where are we exactly?” Ita smoothly slid the question in, feasting on the sad mans emotions.
 
“You really are stupid, where are you from again?” the bard shook his head, “We’re in Eastertide Fairgrounds of course! The heart of Otafuku!”
 
Ita’s face became pale. “Ah yes! I knew that… and how far are we from Konoha would you say? Day or two…”
 
The bard’s face became as puzzled as Ita’s. “Kanoha?” he said. “Never heard of it. Otafuku is the largest or maybe only village on this continent, there isn’t another for hundreds of miles. Are you sure you’re okay boy?”

“Oh… yes I’m fine.” Howl said, weakly. Howl couldn’t help but think he had been stuck in a situation like this before- although last time it had felt as though he had been trapped in some sort of strange dream. Despite this revelation, Howl did not dismiss the idea that this could still be a dream or that he was dead.
 
“Do you play music?” Howl asked the bard, his eyes shifting to what Howl presumed to be a musical instrument that closely resembled a banjo, resting against a stump near the tent.
 
“Play music? What kind of stupid question is that?” The bard asked incredulously. “Of course, I play music! I’m the Bard!” Howl’s blue eyes watched as the frown on the bard’s face began to curl into a smile. “So how about a song?” said Howl coolly.
 
The bard stood up straight and mumbled something under his breath. “I, uh, don’t know it’s been some time you see.” Howl’s gaze met the Bards and then shifted towards the instrument leaning against the stump, and back to the Bard’s.
 
“Oh, come on!” Howl said in protest. “But you’re the Bard! If you aren’t going to play music, then what else are you going to do?” Howl pried.
 
There was an awkward moment of silence as the Bard contemplated Howl’s words. HE hadn’t thought of that, and the way things were looking, the circus may never open again.
 
“I don’t know…” The bard said, reluctantly. There was another moment of silence. Howl had clearly struck a cord in the Bard, but knew that by talking about it, he may be able to possibly help.
 
“What do you mean?” Howl said, his eyes twinkling. We’re finally getting somewhere… Howl thought to himself.
 
“Well, Like I said before, there’s this dark fellow in town threatening to destroy the place! It’s been going on for a while now, things just keep getting worse, darker. Ol’ lady doesn’t even want me to leave the house anymore, but I’m not scared. Id take care of him myself if he ever cared to show himself, the big coward. Plus, what else am I going to do? Stay locked up inside all day… I’m the Bard! I’m meant to sing and for my songs to be heard.”
 
Howl listened intently as the Bard confined in him. Being a good listener was one of Howl’s most endearing qualities. Howl knew you learned a lot more by listening, than talking.  “So who is this mystery man?”
 
“Like I said, never seen him, but his followers have been making a real mess of the place. Doing dark things in the forest they are…,” The Bard paused, as though he may have let more information slip than he meant to. For a moment, the Bard’s demeanor changed and he became visible nervous, his teeth clenching and his eye lids twitching.
 
“Now that I think of it, you don’t look very familiar. Yer not one of his, uh-“ The bard coughed nervously. “Ye know, one of his kind…?” The Bards eyes shifting away from Howl’s baby blues nervously, as if he were talking about something taboo and didn’t want anyone to overhear them. Howl resisted the urge to chuckle and instead responded with a soft, reassuring smile. “No. I’m not.”
 
The bard relaxed once more, but still maintained his large, rigid posture. He coughed as he began to speak once more, “Ye’r alright, I wouldn’t want to have to rough you up.” They both laughed.
 
“I tell ye’r what. Why don’t you come stay at my place tonight, Molly’l love the company. I’ll light a fire and we’ll drink a couple of cold ones.” Ita agreed and the Bard gathered his instrument and the two set off towards the Bard’s house.
 
 
“Molly! Couple mo!” The Bard yelled! The Bard had invited Howl to stay at his home that night and the two were now sitting on two wooden stumps that had been carved into chairs in the Bard’s backyard. The warm spring day had transitioned into a cool night and if it wasn’t for the fire before them, Howl would have preferred to sit inside. “One more!” Howl yelled in delight for the Bard to play another song. The two had drinked enough beer to sedate an elephant. Howl’s eyes twinkled in the moonlight as the Bard strung his instrument with glee. After the song, Howl leaned forward in his chair so that his face was closer to the fire, causing shadows to dance lazily on his face. “Bard! What was it that you said about the woods earlier?”
 
The bards face stiffened and then relaxed once more, his cheeks flushed. “We’ll ya see…” He began, “Ever since this guy showed up, me an Molly call em’ ‘Evil Dave’, we get a kick out of it, anyways, ever since Evil Dave showed up, anyone that entered the forest seems to end up missin’ and that’s not all. Theres been noises ya see, animals showin’ up all sick lookin’. Never seen anything like it. Rumors the Easter Bunny might not even show this year! Never happened in the history of history. I still think Ol’ Peter will show, but Molly thinks other wise. We got 5 knucks on it.”
 
Howl had been a bit too inebriated for this influx of information, so he paused a few moments before speaking. East bunny…? Howl thought to himself. Unintentionally, Howl muttered “Knucks?”
 
“Yeah Knucks, money you fool. Really, where are you from? Anyways, back to the forest, see I’d go in myself because there’s not much folk around here he know the forest as well as I do, always been a dangerous place, even before Evil Dave showed up, but Molly would kill me if she knew I went in there with all those disappearances happenin’. Got close a couple of times, but never dared goin in too far. That’s where I heard the noises, can’t hear em’ from outside the forest, guess that’s why so many people gone missin’ cause they don’t know somethins’ in there before it’s too late.”
 
The bard leaned forward, pulling a piece of folded up parchment from his shirt. “Listen- since I can’t go, I think you should go in my place. You’re our only hope.”
 
Howl nodded his head, took another drink from his tankard, and accepted the map.

Exit

WC: 1819

Due to Beloved Presence:
4k Ryo = 52450 New Total
20 Mission AP = 20 Mission AP New Total

18 Stats towards Vigor. Vigor Total = 68 
New Stat Total = 143

1500/1500 towards Seal of Supression

discarding remaining wc

approved