awashlogs | NOVEMBER CATCH-ALL

Entry tags:

NOVEMBER CATCH-ALL

Who: Maya and various.
Where: Chroma and those terrible, horrible, no-good very bad woods
When: All of November
What: Quests! Possibly things that aren't quests! We just don't know yet!!
Warnings: None

There are no open prompts this time around, but if you would like to do something, please PM me and we can work out a thread idea!

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Highly likely. Don't try to pick a fight just yet.

[ Maya's tense, though, frowning-- but as she slowly steps forward, there's suddenly juuust enough space through the thickness of the trees for an impossibly massive lion-shaped body to step through. The impassive face of a beautiful woman stares back at them, though for now, she says nothing. ]

[ dextera can’t help but feel intimidated by her cool regard, though it doesn’t escape his notice that she’s strangely alluring as well—things of legend like this usually are, even when they’re supposed to be monstrous. the gorgon, too, is all too often depicted as being beautiful and terrible. ]

…

[ she looks between the two of them, regarding their presence, and crosses her paws over one another. ]

What is always old and sometimes new; never sad, sometimes blue; never empty, but sometimes full; never pushes, always pulls?

[ Don't do it, Dextera. She doesn't want to explain that to Guren.

Not that Maya's even taking notice of how hot the Sphinx is, instead narrowing her eyes in thought. Sorry, Dex, she works through things best by talking herself through them. ]

Something that's... sometimes blue, like the color... full, but not always... and with a pull to it...

The ocean's got a pull, and isn't always appearing blue, but old and new don't apply to it... and the empty and full part doesn't work, either.

[ dextera was going for water, too, but maya puts that theory to rest with the way she talks through it. not the ocean, then, but what else is always old and always pulls?

it seems easier to think in terms of the absolutes, but that doesn’t help. ]

…

[ he frowns. ]

How can something be old and new at the same time?

That's the part that's throwing me off the most. Sometimes full, but not empty... and sometimes new but always old, so it's got to be something that's been around for a long time but maybe changes shape...?

[ Wow. The Sphinx came out swinging, didn't she? ]

[ the sphinx saw dextera’s lusty eyes and needed to obliterate him. ]

Hm…

[ a genuine sound. dextera thinks maya is on the right track with something that has existed for a long time but changes shape—and sometimes blue, what does that have to do with anything? so it’s an object, not sentient, that can change shape and allegedly color as well. to blue, specifically. ]

Something natural. Maybe air, but… it’s not blue.

[ or— ]

The sky?

[ that doesn’t seem right either, but it feels close. the pushing and pulling… ]

[ Way to fuck it up by wanting to bang a mythological creature, Dextera. ]

The sky...?

[ That... can't be it, but as Maya mulls it over, something tugs at her mind. That's... maybe not the sky, but if she's already thinking of that and the things residing there-- ]

The-- the moon! That's it! It's never empty, but it can be a full moon. Or a new moon. Or a blue moon! And it's the pull of the moon that creates the tide!

Ah!

[ that has to be it! dextera nods, in quick agreement—granted, he didn’t know about that last part, since he missed out on a practical education about the world around him and was faced with an apocalypse anyway, but that’s why maya is here to help.

he turns to the sphinx. maya solved it, which is obvious, but they should submit it as their official answer anyway. if it’s wrong, well, it’s not the first time something has tried to eat dextera. ]

It’s the moon.

[ the sphinx, graceful, nods. ]

That is correct. The moon is a being of many phases, but a single face. You have done well.

We did it, Dextera!

[ With a whoop, no less, as she triumphantly hugs Dextera around the shoulders. See, this is a much easier quest. No fighting anything, or draining color, just having to be smart and work through riddles. ]

Ah!

[ it does feel good to peacefully resolve something, even though he didn’t expect it. as maya pulls him in for a hug, he smiles awkwardly, but doesn’t push her off. ]

Would you like another?

[ the sphinx offers, herself enticed by the ability of these travelers to solve her riddles. ]

... Oh-- [ A little surprised, she releases Dextera, blinking curiously. ]

I mean, I don't mind, but--

[ She'll glance at Dextera first. She's pretty sure they only have to solve one, so she'll leave it to him. ]

[ there’s a look in the sphinx’s eye… she’d probably let them go if they said no, but clearly she’s just bored, and so dextera doubts that they would be punished if they got the second one wrong. ]

It’s practice. Right?

[ as he looks to maya, for secondary confirmation. who knows! he’s the one who brought up the potential need to solve riddles, all those months ago. ]

There you have it. I guess we'll be sticking around for another round.

[ What a way to bond. ]

[ dextera nods, and the sphinx takes that as her cue to offer a second one. ]

No sooner spoken than broken.

[ this one is a lot shorter, and dextera is slightly thrown by it compared to the first one. he turns to maya; it’s a nice little rhyme, but the length of it is difficult. ]

Something that can break?

... Ah.

[ Actually, she thinks she knows this one, but there's a certain joy in helping someone else to reach an answer. So Maya doesn't speak up immediately, only tilts her head. ]

Not only that, but it's unbroken until it's said.

[ dextera can’t completely wrap his head around that, and it does take him a good long while (relatively speaking, for wordlessness) before anything occurs to him. ]

It’s not tangible.

[ right??? ]

Right! [ brightly. ]

That's the thing about riddles. While some of them are actual objects, the majority are just concepts.

[ obviously maya already knows the answer, so it’s okay—albeit a little embarrassing—if it takes him some time to work through it.

something that goes unbroken until it’s spoken… something intangible that can break anyway… dextera touches his throat, and looks to maya with realization. ]

Silence.

[ Maya beams-- the Sphinx does not quite know how to express that level of joy, so settles for inclining her head regally and approvingly. It's a very "Well done" gesture, and with that, she turns to pad away, tail flicking. Within seconds, she's disappeared entirely. ]

... You know, that wasn't so bad, was it?

I’m used to worse.

[ dextera feels very proud of himself, after all that, and there’s a small smile on his face that he can’t shake—and doesn’t want to, anyway. ]

Thank you.

[ Maya's still smiling strongly, reaching up to affectionately ruffle his hair. He should feel proud of himself, she fully believes that. ]

You did great, Dextera! You'll be a riddle pro in no time.

Ah…

[ the hair!

the affection is appreciated, though, after everything he’s been through this month. maya’s generosity in coming out here with him, too, is appreciated. his smile widens, awkwardly. ]

I’ll think of a good one. For you.

I'm looking forward to it. I warn you, though, I'm looking forward to it being really tough!!

[ Why is her friend so cute. ]

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NOVEMBER CATCH-ALL

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