[closed]

[want_the_world]

Characters: Mello and Near
Location: Ticul, Yucatán, Mexico
Rating: PG-13
Time: 25 June
Description: There's a big stink in Ticul of the Northern Yucatan Peninsula! Foul odours are rising from open graves of the recently dead men, and natives speak of a beautiful woman, Utz-Cole sitting beneath a tree combing her hair with a spiny needles. She is said to be willing to offer herself to any man who is willing to seek her company. She kills them and eats their souls after a night of pleasure.


[If Mello had known global folklore would prove so important in his life, he would've made a point of studying it. The last few missions he and Near have taken have been like a crash course in it. After the trickster spirits, he feels they're more than equipped to handle anything that tries to seduce them.

As has become their habit, Near changes to his Rubik's cube form before they step through the mirror, and Mello doesn't even need to be looking at the Weapon to catch him as he falls.]

No water this time, at least, [he says through their resonance when they emerge.

Once they step outside, though, it's apparent Mello spoke too soon. It's fucking pouring, and in comparison to the dry desert air of Death City, he might as well have stepped into a sauna.]

Not for you, anyway, [he's forced to add, sulkily.]

Comments

[cardfortress]

[Near's isn't that knowledgeable about global folklore, either, and their most recent missions have made it quite clear that he really needs to know as much about that theme as he possibly can, but no matter what kind of folklore involved, one thing is for certain: when it comes down to it, in the heat of the battle, most if not all of kishin eggs are the same, despite their many physiological differences, or how different their abilities are.

He’s glad that they aren't going to be dealing with water this time-- not any water they could drown in, anyway-- and he’s about to remind Mello that they’re doing this mission during rainy season when his Meister steps outside and proves Near's unspoken point.]

Not yet, you mean, [After all, Near will have to transform back to eat the souls of whatever kishin eggs they kill, and it will most likely be raining by then, too.

He doesn't think Mello's sulking is particularly funny, but he can’t help feeling a hint of amusement at how Mello sounds and looks miserable. He really can't blame him; Near would have felt the same way if he were in his Meister's place, or maybe even worse.]

[want_the_world]

[Mello could go back for an umbrella, but there's not much point keeping the rain off now: he's already as soaked as he can be. Besides, the sooner they take this chick out, the sooner he can get home and into dry clothes.]

Watch it have stopped by then.

Start with the graveyard?

[cardfortress]

I'll keep my fingers crossed.

[He doesn't want to or mean to make fun of Mello, but he really doesn't want to get wet at all; on the other hand, if his partner is set on making him suffer the same fate, it wouldn't surprise Near if he decided to randomly hug him just so the Weapon's clothes could get wet, too.]

That seems to be the best course of action, yes.

[want_the_world]

[Mello starts walking in that direction, shielding his face as a grudging concession to the rain, but not hurrying, because fuck the rain.

(The idea of hugging his Weapon to make sure Near got wet already occurred to him. It's a backup plan.)

Everything seems normal in the graveyard at first, but as Mello makes his way deeper in on the twisting paths, he starts to get a whiff of decay, and stops to try to pinpoint where it's coming from. It's hard to tell, with the air thick with rain and the scent of the sodden grass so strong.]

Can you get a read on it?

[cardfortress]

[Luckily, even if Mello does resort to doing something as undignified as hugging him to make sure he ends up just as soaked, Near can simply turn into his Weapon form to avoid, delay or even escape from that outcome.

Being in his Weapon form has many advantages, and remaining mostly dry is only one of them; the other is, of course, being able to pick up on things his human body wouldn't be able to, without the distracting sensory input that could cloud his attention from more important or pressing matters. Without being able to smell the earthy scent of wet grass or the rain thickening the air around them, Near focuses on finding out the path that will lead them to the creature they're after.]

I know we're walking in the right direction, but other than that, I can't pick up on anything that can draw out a more specific path for us to follow.

[want_the_world]

[Mello knows he doesn't have to tell his Weapon to keep him posted, and he continues along the path they're already following. He can't help but think of the last time they were in a graveyard, though that wasn't directly related to their mission. As much as things changed between them that day, they've changed even more in the weeks since; looking back, reaching out to each other then seems like baby steps.

The smell is definitely getting stronger, and the trees shield him somewhat from the rain. Mello stops under a tree to survey the surroundings without the distraction of what amounts to having a warm shower turned full-blast on him.]

Looks like there's a fresh grave just ahead.