[closed] may catch-all

[artorian]

WHO: Artoria and friendos
WHERE: Everywhere... spooky
WHEN: First half of May
WHAT: Quests and miscellany
WARNINGS: n/a

[ Feel free to PM me or hit me up at chipsnfish for plotting! ]

Comments

magilou | quest 56

[artorian]

[ It's a pretty average day. For the most part, nothing actively bad or strange is happening, the weather is fair, and a blanket of sleepy quiet is settled over Chroma.

So today Saber is, frankly, a little bored. As bored as she can get, being the type of person who can sit in silence for hours without so much as a single restless shift. But the day begs to be cracked open, so she peruses the forum for ideas about what she should do today.

Which is how she ends up strolling toward Magilou's house, her armor gone in favor of her favorite clothes from back home. She scans Ruga widely in case Magilou is out and about -- but if not, then she'll end her journey with a knock at Magilou's front door. ]

[witchual]

[ It's a good thing that the best thing to do when you're bored is to seek out someone as eccentric as Magilou, and that Magilou was feeling equally bored herself. She wastes no time in flinging open the door when Saber knocks. She... may have been waiting for something to happen all day.

Why didn't she go out and search for it? It's Magilou, okay, she was waiting for excitement to come to her. And it looks like she was right, because here's Saber outside her door. The party has arrived! ]

Oho, dear Saber! Was there something you needed at my most humble of abodes? Or were you just here because you missed my presence so much?

[artorian]

[ Party might be a poor word to describe Saber, who greets Magilou's overenthusiastic door-flinging with the same calm, unflinching smile as if Magilou had opened the door like a shy old grandmother. Also, she effortlessly ignores both questions. ]

Hello, Magilou. I was perusing the new quest directives and saw one I thought I could fulfill with you.

[witchual]

Ah, those old things? I was checking them out earlier just to have something to do.

[ They're technically new things, but still... She mentally runs through them again. They aren't out in the forest, so she's going to count the manticore one out - she's far too lazy to work with that one, anyway. The Philosopher's Stone one is interesting, but that one means a journey, and Saber showed up in more casual clothes. So there's two options here: ]

Either you're on a rampage and coming to destroy my house... Or you're here to profess your deep, unspoken desire for and loyalty to your dearest troupe leader?

[ She means this as a joke. Oh boy... ]

1/2

[artorian]

[ Where Magilou's entrance failed, Magilou's wording manages to put a dent in Saber's cool. ]

"Desire"... no, perhaps not to that extent...

2/2

[artorian]

[ But she recovers swiftly, regaining her comfortable smile in no time at all. ]

I did wish to voice my appreciation, however. Some feelings are understood without words, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to make myself clear.

I made some few friends in my lifetime -- sometimes because we were comrades, and sometimes because our respect for each other's martial prowess was so great. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I formed friendships as a knight first and foremost.

Magilou, you are the first friend I have gained without ever needing to touch a blade. Perhaps it is a trivial distinction, but it is one I cherish nevertheless. It will be my most honored privilege to stay true to you for as long as our paths may cross.

[witchual]

[ Magilou gets a nice chuckle out of that momentary pause, but Saber's speech makes her pause for once, lost for words. How often does that happen? The great wordsmith at a loss. It's not often someone genuinely expresses emotion in her direction - least of all Magilou herself - and the speech is so confident and so... Saber-like that Magilou has no way to respond to it. ]

Oh, come on. Don't try to embarrass me.

[ It's her kneejerk response, and it's all she can come up with without further thought. Her smile is wavering, caught between her joking facade and her real feelings. Maybe Magilou can feel actual friendly feelings toward someone. What a new experience it is to think about it, and to realize it. She's trying her best to tamp down those emotions, but hopefully that effort is enough of a sign that she's feeling the same way. ]

But if you're gonna be so honest about it, then I suppose I can be magnanimous and return it in kind. [ Good effort, Magilou. ] Guess you're stuck with me for a while longer. Lucky you. Normally I'd make my troupe members stand around and make me look good, but you totally outshine me in stuff like this!

wei wuxian | quest 57

[artorian]

[ With a small satchel of snacks to sustain her in a pinch, Saber sets out to get some exploration done. If she stumbles upon a manticore or the Philosopher's Stone, then all the better. In the case of the former, she can always return with a red acquaintance to fulfill the condition of the quest. It's a strange, even silly system, but so be it...

She's hardly left town when she begins to notice curious objects attached to the trees. They possess a certain energy familiar enough to keep her from going on full alert, but she slows, watchful as she passes into the thick of the array. She soon makes out the shape of a person in the shade of the forest. Paired with the strange objects hanging about, she can guess at who it is.

She calls out to him, her voice firm but neutral enough where he's concerned. ]

Wei Wuxian.

[espritdecorpse]

[ If Maiden Saber approaches, she'll see that the talismans on the trees form a circle with a person clad in black at the center. He's grasping an item. Said item is a severed head, which he's holding aloft by its hair. In a mound nearby are countless stiff, dead bodies, arms and legs sticking out at all angles.

From the ring of tree talismans, streams of dark energy surge towards the severed head. Wei Wuxian's eyes glow red, forming traces in the air, when he turns in the direction of the person calling him. His voice is hoarse. ]

Who's there?

[artorian]

[ Welp. Saber's expression remains studiously even as she takes in the morbid scene, halting at the edge of the ring. Wuxian mentioned before that he could control human corpses, so she can see a semblance of purpose here. And Pyra did mention a burial mound found in the forest. Saber supposes this must be its contents. ]

It is I, Saber. Explain yourself, Wuxian.

[espritdecorpse]

Oh. Oh! Maiden Saber!

[ His red eyes fade and go back to normal, and the plumes of black energy dissipate. As the air clears, it should become apparent... the "severed head" he's holding is fake... and the mound of "corpses" are all life-size puppets. ]

Or should I say, "King Arthur."

[ He flashes a brilliant smile. ]

I'm just trying to drain some of the malevolent energy in these trees here... and charge up my puppets. It gets tiring, constantly casting a "painted eyes" summoning spell.

[artorian]

[ Saber's expression flattens. Sure, she's a spirit, but now she's dead both inside and out. Technically not dead but whatever. She isn't sure why she ever takes him seriously.

She's gloriously unsurprised that Wuxian learned her name, what with Mordred existing at the party and all, and she also knows that it's a pointed jab at her, so she studiously keeps her cool. When it comes to maintaining a stony face through the thick and thicker, only her roommate can rival her. ]

And what will you be using your puppets for?

[espritdecorpse]

[ He sets his hands on his hips, tilting his head to one side. ]

Why do you ask? You wanna hire them?

[ A beat—then he starts chuckling. ]

Okay, okay. I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Of course I'm kidding. I know if you hired them, you wouldn't bother paying!

boopin lupin | quest 58

[artorian]

[ Saber has heard of the Philosopher's Stone, if only in fanatical whispers as credible as smoke and with leads just as short-lived. There was a time when she would have made any sacrifice to obtain such a miraculous relic, so now it feels like a joke to read the words find and retrieve the Philosopher's Stone on a grayscale forum post, as nonchalant as you please.

Luckily for her, she's a blue, so she doesn't have to seek out a companion to get the quest done. (That's how she thinks it works, anyway.) She sets out from town with the steady clanking of her armor to mark her pace, keeping her eyes sharp for both hostile beasts and suspicious rocks.

... Yeah, she has no idea what the Philosopher's Stone would even look like. This could be a very long quest. But! She is blessed with almost godly luck that has steered her right her entire life. Every venture becomes adventure -- such is the life of this most quintessential Arthurian knight.

And look, here's someone just up the forest path now. How eventful. Who could it be! ]

don't boop lupin

[heartsteals]

[ Being a conoisseur of rare rocks of all kinds, Lupin, naturally, has also heard of the Philosopher's Stone; London's alchemical society supposedly had an interest in it, for one thing, although he has a suspicion their research tended more towards the military than fanciful legends of wealth. Lupin's not all that interested in it either, despite what one might assume about thieves. He's got his misgivings about continuing to complete these quests, too, seeing as they've been getting darker and darker lately. But there's little else to do, and no other real hints on how to proceed, and finding and stealing a very valuable stone sounds straight up his alley - he may as well.

He wasn't actually planning on going into the woods alone, so it's fortuitous that he sees Saber - the other Saber, that is. In full armor, no less. With a smile and a friendly wave, he approaches her. ]

Lady Saber! Fancy seeing you here. Going into battle, are we?

roll out the plane cuz imma boop de lupe

[artorian]

[ So he settled on "Lady"... It still doesn't feel quite right to her, but it's a world better than "Maiden", so she allows it.

Her mood is a far sight fairer than the first time they met, not having just woken up from a poison-induced coma. She regards him with unassuming curiosity. ]

Good morning, Arsène. If all goes well, my armor will only be for show.

[ She considers him carefully. One of the Essential Rules of Arthurian Adventuring is: no meeting is a coincidence. Every man met on the road has a tip to share, a warning to impart, or a sword to ally with or against. Sure, Britain in her time was freakishly eventful, a magical hotbed as it was, but Chroma is no slouch in the odd happenings department either. She would be wise to make the most of this meeting.

Why not. Lupin is an intriguing character, and might have much to share. ]

Are you traveling this way as well? Perhaps we could go together.

[heartsteals]

[ an eyebrow raises when she calls him Arsène; nobody calls him that, save Akira, and he has a special reason to do so. It feels a little weird... but he's much too polite to correct her. If the lady wants to be so familiar with him, who is he to say no? ]

If you were planning on heading off into the woods all by your lonesome, then we are going together. Walking in there alone is asking for trouble, you know.

[ he knows that well enough after being here for so long... ]

[artorian]

[ Then I guess here's two old-timey losers weirding each other out with their forms of address... ]

Very well. I yield to your greater experience.

[ She's confident (occasionally too confident) in her ability to cope with the unknown, but it can't hurt to have someone more knowledgeable along. She resumes her walk, assuming Lupin will match her. ]

If we will be traveling together, then we should get to know our capabilities. How well can you defend yourself?

[heartsteals]

Defend myself? Well, I'd consider myself a world champion of getting away from trouble.

[ in other words, he's an expert at running away. He's a thief, after all. Getting into fights means getting hurt or potentially killed; it's always wiser to avoid them whenever possible, in his opinion. But he continues: ]

But I'm not just referring to the kind of trouble that you can fight off with a sword. The forest plays with your heart and mind, too.

event time!!

[scooptimistic]

[ She's not fond of a billowing ball gown while she's trying to get somewhere, and less fond of the delicate glass slippers that pinch her feet uncomfortably and force her to take tiny, mincing steps.

... Or she would, if she cared enough about her own discomfort, but no, Maya is forcing herself to take long, confident strides and ignore the shoes to the best of her ability. Which works about as well as can be expected when she finds herself being pursued by a very adamant... pumpkin. ]

Really??

[artorian]

[ Saber is just standing on the side of the street, minding her own business in her own seasonal princess outfit, when suddenly Maya comes up getting (slowly) chased by a pumpkin. Saber watches curiously for a moment, taking in Maya's unnatural gait, until the pumpkin happens to come in front of her. At that point, Saber reaches out and... picks the pumpkin up. No point in destroying a perfectly delicious pumpkin. She hugs the thing to her and wonders how it might be cooked. ]

Are you injured, Maya? Your gait is strange.

1/2

[scooptimistic]

Who thought glass slippers was actually a legitimately good idea?!

[ Her feet hate this. She hates this.

The pumpkin, however, is just happily squirming in Saber's embrace now. ]

[scooptimistic]

You look beautiful, by the way!

[ OKAY, MAYA. ]

[artorian]

[ O-Oh... ]

Thank you. I thought this might not suit me...

[ But if Maya thinks she looks good in it, she's fine with it, she supposes... ]

You are also quite stunning, Maya. It is only unfortunate that your clothes are not as practical as they are flattering. Am I to understand that you cannot take off your shoes?

[scooptimistic]

Thanks-- [ And she grimaces, lifting one slipper-clad foot gingerly. ]

But yeah, you're right. I could do it earlier, but now they're completely stuck on there for some reason.