November Catch-all

[sirnyxalot]

Who: Nyx and Friends
Where: Mostly Chroma, but potentially venturing forth into the forest
What: Quest logs and other such shenanigans
When: The entire month of November
Warnings: Standard Awash-level caution, probably nothing to be concerned about


[Starters below. If you'd like to plot something for the month, established and potential CR both welcome, then hit me up in a PM or on plurk @Dannipet.]

Comments

Rin - First Week - Colour stealing and cuddles

[sirnyxalot]

[October had been, somehow, another peaceful month, which could mean a couple of different things as the year comes to an end, but Nyx is taking the rest as much as he can before things all go to shit again.

Crashing at Rin's today, his coeurl lazily flopped against his side as he lounges on the floor against the kid's bed, Nyx flips through one of the library's books. He went and found one of the stories of All Hallow's Eve after the festival ended. It was an intriguing read.]

Supposedly children used to wear masks to scare away demons. Wonder which world that worked in.

[satanslash]

[Peaceful, yes, though Rin had his own issues throughout the month. In the grand scheme of their situation it was all personal and minor, not something he was about whine or complain to anyone about. Time moved on there as it always did. It wasn't going to stop for Rin Okumura's Teenage Angst.

Spending time with Nyx (and other friends) did help, though. Not Rin's usual idea of hanging out, but what else was there to do around there?

While Nyx was reading books, Rin was browsing the forum with his laptop propped up with his knees, the occasional clicking of the keyboard indicating some silent conversation going on.

At the comment he didn't even glance away from the screen, but there was a derisive snort.]

Most of the high levels I've met are pretty full'a themselves. They'd probably like it.

[He can't really imagine any demon besides himself really being afraid of anything, let alone cheap poorly made masks on human children.

Quiet again, then typing, then a quiet 'huh'.]

... hey. Quests went up. Look at this one.

[He let his legs slide down, sitting up and pointing at an entry on the screen for Nyx to see.]

[sirnyxalot]

Not sure most of ours were sentient enough to even know what fear was.

[He reads a couple more pages before shifting around to look at the offered screen. Still no apparent clue who their weird taskgiver really was, and so far nothing he can tell here would point them to actual answers. Maybe the rewards this month will actually be nice.

Blanket cuddling? Find a sphinx, whatever that is.

...]

Huh.

Steal another person's color? What do they mean by that?

[satanslash]

[Consider yourself lucky, Nyx. The ego on some demons is downright intolerable...]

Hell if I know. Is that even possible? Sounds like Mr. Fuck is giving us somethin' we can't even do and settin' us up to fail.

[Language, Rin.]

[sirnyxalot]

[Nyx snorts and twists to face him a little better, Rahm rumbling in protest as he disturbs her sleep.]

Maybe it's a vampiric thing. Something complicated like that. [He's definitely not going around biting people.] What are the odds it's just as simple as touching someone and thinking real hard?

[Exasperated by the more difficult quest options they get every month, he lightly smacks his hand on Rin's arm and puts on a dramatic voice.]

Watch out, I'm gonna steal all your-

[Nyx cuts off in surprise as... something floods up his arm. He doesn't know how else to describe it. You know that tingling your nerves do when a limb falls asleep? This feels like he's waking up. Jerking back, cradling his arm against his chest, he looks at Rin, his eyes wide.]

Shit!

[satanslash]

[Rin makes an equally derisive noise, shaking his head in mild disbelief.]

Please. That's dumb. I'm startin' to think F is just screwin' with us on some'a these.

[The joking attempt to 'steal his color' earned a laugh at first, until he's met with the same unusual feeling. He looked down at his arm as the laugh cut short, eyes widening as the pale hue of his skin faded to almost gray.

There was a beat of stunned silence followed by a shrill scream as he not only yanked his arm away but practically threw himself across the bed. The laptop tumbled off his knees and nearly went off the edge.]

What the fuck?!

[sirnyxalot]

[Rahm was across the room, growling as Rin screams and Nyx himself is on his feet with his other arm outstretched in an aborted motion to catch the kid and check if he's okay.

It's obvious he's not, Nyx just stole his colour, and the guilt crashes into him. He clenches his jaw and tries to find a balance between hovering in concern and keeping his distance.

He's not sure he'd trust himself to touch him even if Rin would let him close enough.]

I didn't... Shiva's tits, Rin, I didn't think it would actually work.

new roommate coming in! let me know if this works!

[fineprinted]

[ with the help of some townspeople (and his fellow newcomers into the town as well), tsumugi's found his way home. well, temporary home according to the letter he'd gotten, that is. he's not even sure if anyone's home, but it couldn't hurt to look inside?

and so he does, opening the door with a small crack as he lets himself in. the house looks... lived in, at the very least, and he enters the threshold while closing the door behind him. ]

H-Hello? [ should he even say anything? oh no, what if he's trespassing into the wrong house somehow? the thought makes him freeze on the spot. ] Um, is anybody here?

This is perfect. Sorry it took so long to get back to you

[sirnyxalot]

[The house doesn't leak, at least. Nyx has had time to really shore up the walls and repair the ceiling. There's an upstairs he hasn't touched-mostly due to the fact that a feather could probably crack the crumbling stairs by the door-but the rest of it is warm, and there's the telltale flicker of a fire crackling through a door that leads to the kitchen.

There's some kind of animalistic yowl at Tsumugi's call, and the hurried scrape of a chair before Nyx and his four month old coeurl kitten appear in the door; Rahm is wriggling, caught under Nyx's arm as he'd quickly picked her up to prevent her from jumping on their guest.

Nyx winces at the claws on his skin and readjusts his grip before looking up. The kid looks new, likely one of those that showed up in a frozen well.]

Hey there. Don't mind the cat. She's just hungry. [Wow, nice first impression. He cringes again, this time at how bad that sounds. Rahm hasn't tried to eat anyone yet.] She gets excitable at lunchtime. I'm Nyx, come on in.

no problem!

[fineprinted]

[ the loud mewling of a cat catches him off-guard and he braces himself on impact because THAT... DID NOT SOUND LIKE A NORMAL HOUSECAT. but there's an older man carrying her the large hungry thing and tsumugi exhales a sigh of relief. ]

Y-Yes, sir.

[ the house is perfectly warm enough, a nice contrast to the freezing landscape outside. don't mind if he just goes straight to the fireplace to dry himself out. ]

Ahh, I thought I was going to die out there! [ he turns his back to the fire to dry that part, facing the other man. oh, crap, where are his manners. ] Sorry for the intrusion. Um, my name is Tsumugi Aoba? My letter led me to this house, so...

[ roommates? ]

[sirnyxalot]

[Rahm's growl doesn't sound very friendly, but Nyx is completely unconcerned as he traps her on his lap when he sits back in the worn chair at the table. Her tails flick, agitated, but she otherwise settles still.

Nyx, meanwhile, blinks in surprise at that. The town hadn't set him up with anyone else since he moved residences to be closer to his King. He has no idea what determines where people's laptops are supposed to be, but admittedly he doesn't exactly search the second room for technology on a regular basis.]

Ah, well....welcome home? [A grin.] It ain't much but I try to keep the fire running as much as I can. It's nice to meet you Tsumugi.

[He's better than he used to be at foreign names, Tonbokiri being a particularly notable mouthful he'd had to learn when they all first arrived, but it still sounds a little off on his first try.]

You should probably get out of those clothes and let them dry out properly. Mine'll be too big for you, but we can go out later to see if there are better ones in our stores that'll fit.

[fineprinted]

[ he takes note of the off-pronunciation but does not mention it out loud; it's nice that there was an attempt, honestly. ]

Oh, sure! I'll just... go find my room --

[ like real fast; the strange cat clearly does not like him, and it doesn't take him long to find a bare room with a laptop to strip down in, grabbing a nearby towel on the way out to wrap around himself. there.

his hair's still. very fuzzy and messy to deal with, but it's fine. he'll ask for a brush later. for now he's going to sit by the fire, very far away from the cat. brr. ]

...Thank you. For, um, your hospitality. It must be weird that some stranger like me just waltzed in like this. [ ... ] Where are you from, Sir...

[sirnyxalot]

None of that 'sir' stuff, kid.

[Nyx had put Rahm in his room while Tsumugi found his own, sternly telling her to behave as he closed her in, and made sure to fetch some of the clothes he'd scavenged and a blanket on the way. They were very plain, but clean and warm, if big.

He hands them down to Tsumugi.]

Honestly? It'd probably be weird if we weren't all strangers not that long ago. Back home? I'd be alarmed. But here it's different. Seems like every few months people are showing up in that well. You're welcome here as long as you'd like to stay.

I'm from a place called Eos. One minute I was bargaining to save someone and the next I wake up here. You hungry?

Tonbokiri - Week 2

[sirnyxalot]

[It took longer than he'd like to get them done, especially after finding out that the mere thought of giving his friends gifts for being the badasses they are made the recipients ill in the process, but finally Nyx makes his way to Tonbo's house and raps his knuckles on the door.]

Hey, you home?

[He misses his cell phone. And his communicator. This stationary forum thing just doesn't cut it.]

[youwillbeunequaled]

[Being ill is miserable, there is no way around the fact. And for all his stamina, there is only so long he can put up a front. (He's not a good liar anyway- someone will find him out soon enough.)

So, for several reasons, Tonbokiri has taken to staying at home. When a knock and a familiar voice comes from the front door, Tonbokiri is indeed there to answer. Before opening the door, though, he does his very best to make sure he doesn't look as he feels.

It is with a small but warm smile that he greets the man-]

Nyxu-dono. Please come inside. It has been some time. I hope that you have been doing well, despite this change in the weather.

[Going from seemingly incessant snow to rain today is a bit unpleasant, after all. Another good reason to stay inside, which makes Nyx's appearance all the more peculiar.]

[sirnyxalot]

[Everything has been wet and unpleasant, true, but Nyx is comfortable in rain. The ice that will be coming on the heels of it when the temperature drops again, on the other hand, is something he's not looking forward to.

Nodding, he takes the offer to come in and looks over Tonbo in concern. He doesn't look terribly sick, thankfully. Maybe it isn't hitting him as hard?]

Well as ever. What about you? How are you holding up?

[youwillbeunequaled]

Fine, thank you. The change in season seems to be a bit hard on these human bodies, but this much is nothing.

[Just don't have him make any sudden movements.
Motioning Nyx into the warm kitchen he pulls out a chair at the small table for him.]

So, what brings you here today? May I offer you some black tea as you tell me about it?

[sirnyxalot]

[He's not wrong, humans are fragile in the most inconvenient ways, but he has a feeling that's not all this is.

Nyx stays standing for a moment, in case there's anything he can help with.]

Tea sounds great.

[A pause to brace himself.]

Actually I think I might be part of the reason you feel so off.

[Reaching into his pocket, Nyx pulls out a small leather packet, tied with twine, and holds it out to the other man. It's small, and not very heavy. The beads inside were made of wood, and surprisingly detailed given the time he'd had to make them. A close eye could easily compare some of the shapes as a similar style to the tattoos on his face.]

[youwillbeunequaled]

[Tonbokiri pauses in the midst of setting out cups at that strange statement.]

Whatever do you mean?

[He takes the packet carefully, and when it seems that Nyx is allowing him to open it, he finds the beads inside.]

They are very intricately carved...

[But he looks at Nyx questioningly. The man will need to explain a bit more, he's afraid.]

Bluo house - Early week 2

[sirnyxalot]

[His stomach tight with nerves, Nyx secures the small box tightly and sticks it in his pocket. It's been a long time since he's made anything like this, and he doesn't know if the other three would truly understand the meaning behind it, but he's changed since coming to Chroma. In a lot of good ways.

Stretching his jaw to ease how tight it feels, he walks down the street to the other house and knocks. He could just walk in, but anything to delay this moment for a few more seconds is enough to try and figure out what to even say as he gave them his gifts.]

[nascere]

[ Noctis is definitely out and about -- which is rare when you think about it, but of late he's rising early voluntarily, either to help Ignis out with breakfast or to help Joshua out with the chickens, as well as exercising the chocobos, who get testy if they aren't worked out.

He spots Nyx, of course, and gives him a small wave as he jogs over. ]

Hey. What brings you here? We don't have training today, do we?

[sirnyxalot]

[Scratching the back of his calf with his other foot, Nyx shakes his head.]

No training, unless you wanted to get in a round later. I'm always willing to knock you around a bit.

[The false arrogance is a comforting humor to lean back on, but he doesn't keep it up too long. This is personal, after all.]

No, I...ah...came to give you something.

[nascere]

[ Noctis raises his brows, curious despite the bravado. It's not like Nyx to be awkward -- the man's pretty smooth with most things, everything considered. Which means it's something important to him personally, and he considers him. ]

Yeah? What is it? It's got you all antsy.

[sirnyxalot]

[Man, Libertus would kick his ass if he saw him telegraphing this badly. Nyx clears his throat and nods.]

Can't get anything by you, can I?

[It's good that it's usually quiet around here. Other than meals the only people lurking around this block are the people who live here, and none of them are out right now.

...not that it would matter if they are. It's not like he's embarrassed.]

Just something to thank you for being a King worth following.

[.....okay, maybe a little at how formal that sounded. He clicks his tongue and laughs at himself, scratching at his hair. Fuck it. They were long past this by now.

He pulls out the box and retrieves a little folded leather pouch to hand over to Noct. He'd spent a little more time on these beads than he did for any of the others. His friendship with Noct was so complicatedly tied up between affection, loyalty and duty that it was hard to figure out just how to pattern the Galahdan symbols to express his gratitude. It's not like anyone else here could read it the way Nyx could, either, but he wouldn't let himself just halfass it.

It's been countless years since he's carved beads for someone. It meant too much to just throw something together.]

For being a brother.

[nascere]

[ Noctis' smile fades when he sees what it is. It's beautiful, it's a work of art and his breath catches when he slips the beads out, staring down at the Galahdan symbols. He knows what they are, roughly -- Noctis might not be Galahdan, but his education had spanned just about all the territories in case he had to go there; he'd learned enough not to make a tit out of himself. He doesn't quite know the nuances, however, but he hopes Nyx will tell him.

And then here, now, Nyx the hero, Nyx the crownsguard, loyal and unyielding, one of the men that Noctis so desperately wants to save despite the impossibility of it, and he feels a knot form in his throat. ]

I --

[ He swallows hard, staring down at it, all notions of being a little shit at someone he's come to care so, so very much for abandoned by the wayside. ]

You uh -- [ He clears his throat, and thinks of how Nyx and Luna had both helped to pave the way, how much he and Luna have risked. The magnitude of all that loss. He curls his fingers tightly around the beads. Sorry, Nyx, the prince has plenty of emotions despite the cool, reserved veneer. ]

-- you did this?