February Catch-All!

[scooptimistic]

WHO: Maya and whoever thinks they can handle Maya
WHERE: All over Chroma
WHEN: The merry merry month of February!
WHAT: Quests! Shenanigans! Possible disasters!
WARNINGS: Nothing I can think of, but I'll edit accordingly.

Comments

QUEST 45

[scooptimistic]

Lalli

[scooptimistic]

[ It's not the first time Maya's run into someone unfamiliar near the edge of the woods; as far as she's concerned, meeting someone she doesn't know only means she's losing her touch and not being as social as she could be. But additionally, she's learned to keep an eye out for the people doing Certain Quests who might have been saddled with Stupid Requirements, and hey.

Who is she to leave someone to suffer alone? ]

Hey, there! Doing great or need a hand?

Tristan

[scooptimistic]

[ Chocolate makes people happy, she knows. And that's great. She also happens to know a lot of people who could use some form of happiness, especially Captain Tragedy himself. Sure, Maya isn't really into the whole gifting chocolates thing as she'd had to be in high school, but it's still a solid gesture of friendship.

As to why she's gone and approached said recipient before gifting him the chocolate, well. ]

... I need five strands of your hair. It's for the lost beaver in the woods.

[ What. ]

[noholdsbard]

[ He nods gravely at this perfectly reasonable request. Any Servant of Chaldea knows when it’s time for some serious event grinding! ]

Yes, Maya. I am all too familiar with the price exacted by such ferrymen. How sad that we must always pay the fare, no matter the import of our life’s journeys. But please, you may cut it all off, if you wish, that it might build a most handsome den and allow you passage for your quest.

[ …Wait. ]

…What is your quest, exactly?

[ilves]

[Lalli's first instinct... is to ignore this stranger, honestly, because of course he doesn't need help! He can figure this out on his own! But—well, just standing this close to the forest edge is giving him a rather sick headache? The sooner he gets this dumb quest over with, the better...

Which is why, after a few seconds of clear hesitation, he turns his head to look over at Maya. Talking to people is the worst!!]

...Kappa. [That's it! No, no—watch him struggle for a second before he adds:] What... is that?

[There are no kappa in FINLAND.]

[scooptimistic]

... Kappa?

[ Not... the question she was expecting. ]

It's a Japanese demon, for starters. Why?

[glaciers]

[He has all of the ingredients minus the chocolate. Why. He's sure he can't make anything properly without that much at least. Instead of the ingredient he needs, he has a little scrap of paper that says "An invisible monster holds what's missing."]

Have you heard of invisible monsters in the woods?

[scooptimistic]

Well, apparently it's to fetch a chocolate ingredient and the beaver is the only one that happens to know where it is.

[ ... but thank you for your immediate assistance, Tristan?? ]

[scooptimistic]

At this point, I'd believe anything exists in the woods. Invisible and beyond.

[ Whatever's beyond "invisible". ]

[ilves]

[...Japanese? What is that? He glances down at the scrap of paper in his hand, frowns, and decides that the easiest thing to do here is to hold it out for this knowledgeable person to read. Enjoy:

A treat for your friend!
Or lover most fair?
If it's chocolate you wish for
Then reader, take care...

Kappas have stolen
The sugar you need!
One can fight them, or trick them...
How will YOU proceed?

It's a terrible poem and he hates it very much, but chocolate is on the line—so he is Here, watching and waiting for Maya's hot take.]

[scooptimistic]

[ Well, if he's offering, she doesn't really have a problem squinting at it to read. And... huh. ]

Okaaaay... so you need to track down kappas and get your sugar back, but you probably don't even know what they look like. I can help you find them.

[noholdsbard]

Oh.

[ Honestly that sounds legit. Sage nods. ]

I don’t suppose that I can assist you in negotiating with the beaver? To ask for the hairs of a spirit…this is quite an interesting toll.

[scooptimistic]

You're definitely more than welcome to! I'd love persuasive company.

[noholdsbard]

What a troublesome beaver it must be…I certainly hope it will not come to violence.

[ To no one’s surprise, he says this with a completely straight face. ]

[scooptimistic]

I don't think it will unless it picks a fight first! And we should be fine.

[ She has guns!! Among other things.

But also she offers her hand. Come along, new escort. ]

[glaciers]

Are you up for killing an invisible monster? I need it for chocolate.

[ilves]

[...She offered to help him so quickly? He stiffens, slightly taken aback by this mysterious kindness, before he actually considers following her around. He's a scout! He's a loner by profession! Is she hoping to, like, get something out of this?]

...Why? [...Oh.] Do you need sugar, too?

[IT'S HIS!]

[scooptimistic]

... I've fought monsters for weirder reasons. Why not?

[ Aren't we lucky that Maya rolls with literally anything. ]

[scooptimistic]

Nope. [ brightly. ]

It's called basic common decency! You look like you could probably handle them, but I've got the knowledge, so I could at least help with that much.

[noholdsbard]

[ Well, the prospect of beating up a beaver is still worrisome to him…unless it’s like an evil demon superbeaver. But all right, he’ll follow along. If nothing else, he doesn’t want her going into the woods alone, anyhow. ]

But you are making chocolates then? Who is the happy recipient, if I might ask?

[scooptimistic]

... I mean, you're free to ask, but that really might spoil the surprise for you.

[ You just spoiled the surprise yourself, Maya. ]

[glaciers]

Great. We're gonna have to go into the forest.

I have no idea what the invisible monster is, so be prepared.

[ilves]

[Basic common decency? Like, he's pleased that she recognized how capable he is, but he still gives her a dubious look before offering a very eloquent:]

Ah.

[He Doesn't Get It, but... he does need that sugar, so. He hoists his hunting rifle a bit higher on his shoulder, turns back toward the forest, and gestures for her to follow.]

...This way.

[Follow him into the woods, where he... won't try to keep this conversation going at all, because he has no idea how small talk works! He's terrible!]

[scooptimistic]

I'm kind of used to things like that, but...

[ ... ]

Finding it is going to be the harder part, unless we think it's gonna helpfully make a bunch of noise.

[scooptimistic]

I'm Maya, by the way! Maya Amano. What's your name?

[ It's fine, Lalli, you've got one of the most sociable people here helping you out. You may or may not actually appreciate this, but at least she's following him and keeping an eye out for anything kappa-like. ]