Summer Sun, Something's Begun | July Catch-All | Open

[forgeabettertomorrow]

🧙 WHO: Darin Altway and YOU
⚔️️ WHAT: July Catch-All with Open and Closed prompts
🕒 WHEN: Throughout July
🗺️ WHERE: All around Camelot! Quests and shenanigans ahoy!
⚠️ WARNINGS: Some ridiculousness? Some fluff? Will update as necessary!

🛡️ SHIELD SUMMER FEVER! 🛡️ - OPEN

[Darin always felt bad for the people who could get sick. Back home, his powers prevented him from falling ill, even to such banal things as a summer cold. But he did have experience as a gofer for his town's doctor, as well as doing errands and chores for the people who fell ill. So, this job was right up his alley.]

[One thing he knew for sure, when you're under the weather, nothing beats a good laugh.]

[With the trusty use of the new EmphaSize spell he nabbed from the traders, you'll find him waddling around with huge, oversized feet as he goes from room to room delivering flowers, teddy bears, medicine, fruit baskets, you name it. If he happens to be entering a kid's room, he'll make a big show of his giant, floppy feet. If its an elderly person's room, he'll sit with them for awhile and ask them about their day or let them ramble on.]

[But it's likely leaving one of the rooms is when you'll bump into Darin. Or trip over his enormous, floppy feet.]

Oh, hey! Easy there! You okay? Sorry, I should get a signal or something for these things...

🗡️ LAVAFT BEHIND 🗡️ - OPEN

[This seemed like a pretty easy task, all things considered. Everyone knew slimes were low-level monsters, even if they had the same temperature as magma. And Darin worked professionally around molten metal all day. If there was anyone who could handle this task, it was him.]

[Though, having someone along in case things went awry was a good idea too. Especially since his blood magic wouldn't really do him much good here.]

[So back to the Diamond Falls Darin goes. He's got a pickax and some mining tools in a pack slung over his shoulder examining the hardened rock for any sign of the slime.]

So, since I know how my luck goes, what's the plan for when we free this thing and it immediately attacks us with the fury of a particularly cranky volcano?

AT THE FORGE - OPEN

[With the reconstruction from his rampage doing well, Darin's back at the forge doing what he loves. He might be down an apprentice, but that hasn't stopped him from taking orders and commissions from those who seek him out! Got something you want Darin to make? His consultations are always free so come on in! Got some gear that needs mending or ideas you want to pitch? Maybe you just need some work? Darin's door is always open! When you step in, you'll likely see him working on something or tidying the place up. If there's one thing Darin can't stand, it's a messy forge! So come on in and let's get to work!]

BAR CRAWL - CLOSED TO KATE

[It's been about a month since he tore through Camelot as a terrifying, familiar-fused monster. Barring his (and everyone else's jaunt) to Celliwig, Darin had largely avoided going into town. And when he did, he wore a cloak with a hood that concealed his hair.]

[Now, a month later and the reconstruction mostly complete, Darin is feeling a little more hopeful that maybe he won't be kicked out of town if he decides to hit a bar for a drink or two. He's still wearing his cloak, but when he settles in at the 'In For a Pound' pub, he slowly pulls his hood back to reveal his very obvious blue mane of hair. He gets a few looks, some of which he's not too thrilled with, but orders a drink and sits at the bar.]

[Unfortunately, the patrons on either side of him scoot away. Fortunately, that leaves space should anyone decide they want to pull up a stool and join him.]

MY DINNER WITH DARIN - CLOSED TO ALLURA

[So, it really only dawned on Darin about a day or so before the date that he and Allura had chosen for dinner that this might actually be a...you know. A date. In a panic, he considered calling her to clarify that this wasn't a date...but what if she wanted it to be a date? What if he tried to clarify and they called the whole thing off? That would be awful! And he'd feel terrible too! She was really looking forward to it! But did that mean she was looking forward to a date with him?]

[No, that couldn't be it.]

[Could it?]

[So, after spending a day laying on the floor and staring at the ceiling weighing his options, he decided that, you know what? He could do this! Even if it was a date! Hell, it was only a date! He could handle that! Even though he'd never been on a date before, much less with someone who was so strikingly beautiful and had spent the last six months worming her way into his every though— NOT IMPORTANT!]

[And so, it was the evening of the big-but-maybe-not date. He'd agonized over whether or not he should dress up and finally he decided on an off-white polo shirt with pink piping around the collar and sleeves (hey, pink goes good with blue, alright?), and some tan slacks. With a menu all set (he did promise it would be an amazing meal) he sets out to begin cooking, listening intently for the door to the forge to open so he could go up and greet her.]

[Everything was set for the evening. Nothing could possibly go wrong, right?]

[...Right?]

WILDCARD

[Not seeing anything that catches your fancy or want to do something else? Go ahead and top-level! And if you're not sure and want to hash it out, hit me up on Discord @ Ant#0062 or on plurk @ bitterbearface!]

Comments

[tantailizing]

Hehe, if you say so.

Well, once upon a time, there was a planet - or world, if we wanna call it that. Point is, there was a place in space, and its people and technology were way beyond even this world. So much that they'd pretty much discovered how to be immortal.

You sticking with me so far?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Planet of advanced beings that cracked the code to being immortal. I got you so far.

[As he listens, he continues work on Zidane's dagger.]

[tantailizing]

Good, because in the next part, these immortal beings soon realized their planet was dying. In their wisdom, they discovered the planet relied on that cycle of their living and dying to keep all life going, but because they stopped dying, the planet couldn't maintain this cycle.

So, with their cycle ended, they came up with solutions... none of which were to just accept dying again. Why not? Lots of people I'm sure imagine immortality as a great thing. And from there, they decided to start fusing with other planets before they began to generate life, putting that energy into their planet.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Soooo...they selfishly didn't want to die and decided to just...absorb other planets before life had a chance to take root there?

That's terrifying and messed up.

[tantailizing]

We're still in the beginning.

Planet to planet they went, and things were working out for the most part, but it wouldn't be a story without a snag. While out planet hunting, they found their next target, but life had already begin.

Without any other options around, they tried fusing with the planet as usual only the fusion went haywire by the younger planet's rejection. The older planet found itself fused inside the younger planet without anyone on the younger planet realizing despite gaining a second moon; but since most of the population was killed during the process, you can't blame them.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

So...now we have a planet with another planet caught inside of it...?

That...kinda sounds like a recipe for disaster.

[tantailizing]

Right?

Trapped within the planet, again, a decision was made. Since their next attempt was going to be a long process, they left it in the hands of one creepy old android to figure out how to get the fusion to finally work.

Installing this thing we can kind of call a tree, it went into the core of the younger planet to start messing with its cycle. It also began to generate this stuff called 'Mist' since souls couldn't go back into the planet and those began to latch onto people and animals, making them hostiles, causing battles and wars and all sorts of bloodshed which helped speed up the whole takeover process.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

So...they were creating a means to an end. A way to extinguish life so that they could continue the fusion, right?

[tantailizing]

Kinda. They needed those souls out to put their planet souls in. So... souls can go into stasis if you try, moved over to a new planet, and be born there instead. Like I said, it was going to take a while. Didn't help them either when the people of the younger planet learned to use Mist as energy and build above it so the Mist couldn't cause war as easily.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Huh...that's...kinda like my world. The soul thing, I mean.

It's how my brother was 'brought back.' After he was killed in my realm, his soul was brought to the Archfiend's realm and given a new body.

[tantailizing]

Oh really? Well, still tedious.

To keep his plan going, our old android had to do something to get things back on track. Since he was already building new bodies for any souls that'd still need a body after the planet was taken over, he decided to build a person to go instigate war again and destroy some civilizations by hand along the way.

You could kind of call that guy my brother.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

... ... ...

Zidane, I'm getting a really bad sense of deja vu and I'm suddenly starting to get why you understood my problems so easily.

[tantailizing]

See? Now you're getting it.

Still, my brother was built the way he was - which was, he was an adult at his 'birth' and had limitations because he couldn't process certain things. For the android though, he was really, really good at causing mayhem.

Didn't stop that android from creating me next with a few 'improvements'.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...'Improvements' how?

[tantailizing]

One is I got to be a baby so at some point, I was adorable~

[He laughs, but then shakes his head.]

Second is what my brother couldn't do, I could do instead. I'm physically stronger than him, and if I learned, that'd probably be the same with magic. Basically, I was expected to replace him instigating wars and destroying anyone that might attempt to resist. Or just doing that and skipping that first part.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

So...how come you didn't...you know.

Do any of that stuff?

[tantailizing]

Oh, that's simple. My brother didn't like the idea of being replaced, so he dropped me on the other planet.

And that's pretty much the story of why I don't have parents.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

... ... ...

I know this is a serious story and all and I promise I'm treating it as such...

...but I honestly thought you were going to finish that sentence with "so he dropped me on my head."

[tantailizing]

I mean, he might as well have. I didn't remember anything, but I was also a brat when he did it, and good luck getting kids to remember anything important until they're like six.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

So, we were both pretty much born to end our respective worlds, we both have brothers that hate us...

I don't have a sweet tail, though.

[tantailizing]

Nope! Only me!

Also, I told you, I made amends with him so if anyone shows him being evil again, I'll kick their ass.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Well, I'm happy for you there.

So...what happened after you made amends? What about your world?

[tantailizing]

Our world? It's fine. My brother destroyed the older one in a massive fit, but we saved some of the people created like me. Oh, I found out I have a sister too! She gets flustered when I call her that though hehe~

[forgeabettertomorrow]

So, you got your happy ending and then you wind up here?

That's kind of a bummer...

[tantailizing]

It's fine. I'll protect the world as many times as I have to! They know I'll come back!