Hear him roar, see him foam / But we're not coming home | Open Log

[beefaroni]

🧙 WHO: Asterios & You!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-All for August! TDM, Quests, and the bull trying to better himself.
🕒 WHEN: Throughout August.
🗺️ WHERE: Path between Celliwig and Camelot, Farmland, Lake, Library, all over Camelot.
⚠️ WARNINGS: Blood/Injury, will update if it goes further.



A Mandraconian Task

[ Asterios has Green Magic, so he's trying to, gently, pull up the mandrakes - maybe if he goes nice and slow, they won't have a reason to scream?

... Nope. They still come out screaming. So he pushes it back in the dirt. ]

... Mmm. Not good.

[ So he tries it again, slower this time. Still screams. Pushes it back in. This repeats a few more times with Asterios growing visibly more agitated. Finally, he slams a massive fist onto the ground, growling darkly, trying to keep his anger in check. It would be a bad time for the Berserker to go... well, Berserk, right now. And he knows that. But he wanted to help, dammit. ]

Rrrggh.... Makes no sense. Plants, do not scream. This plant screams. I do not understand.

Don't Treep, Man

[ After doing all he could with Green Magic, now it's time for Animal Magic. Asterios can be found here and there, gently herding animals back to the farm. But some animals are stubborn, and won't listen to some gentle commands. So he has no problem taking matters into his own hands... literally.

Throughout the day, he can spotted hoisting animals under his arms and carrying them back to the farm. The animals themselves seem to be too confused to protest. ]

It is time to go home. We will go home now.

[ Behold, the terrifying Minotaur, the devourer of men, women, and children, the nightmare of the labyrinth... surrounded by sheep as he carries the head ram in his arms. ]

Invasive Species

[ He'd really like not to kill any of the animals, if need be. It's not their fault they're following their instincts. So his first attempt is by bribing the Carcinuses back into the lake - they want food? He'll go to market and buy up as much as possible with what little gold he has. Then he'll have to the lake and make a neat little food trail.

But it's not a perfect plan, and some of the Carcinuses prefer the fresh kill. So Asterios gets his fair share of scorpion tail-stings and claw bites. Not that he holds it against them, casually just letting himself bleed. ]

No. Food is over there. Cannot eat here. Must go back.

Animal Mage Hunt

[ A few of the NPCS - er, that is, citizens of Avalon - have gotten the wrong idea of who the animal mage is. After all, Asterios already looks like a mash between human and animal, what with his horns and white "fur". So maybe he's the one who started this mess! It's possible you heard whispers from seedier parts of town, and hope you can warn him in time?

But some aren't patient enough to wait and plan. A small group , three or so, decided to team up to take down the massive animal mage. In the woods, they've already tied up his familiar - what looks like a cow with a unicorn horn - and seem to be trying to do the same to Asterios, with ropes, chains, whatever they think will hold him. It won't last long, with him pulling hard away from his would be captors. His anger is building up, which means bloodlust, which means Berserker mode is coming... but he also knows these are mere mortals, and he doesn't want to kill needlessly again... ]

Let me go! LET ME GO! LET! ME! GOOOOO!

[ For this prompt, you're allowed to play/handwave the NPC actions if you want! ]

Reading Rainbow

[ Being locked away in a maze with nothing to do but eat people for years doesn't really leave a lot of room for education. He doesn't believe he'd fit in at a school setting, so he's opting to try and learn from the local library. He doesn't want to be among people long... but, alas, he really has no idea where to start. He doesn't even understand more than half of these titles.

He pulls one book out at random, and struggles. ]

... It was... a dark... and stormy... night...?

Wildcard

[ Make your own prompt! Feel free to plot with me at melcat33 (plurk) or melcat#1997 (discord) ]

Comments

[beefaroni]

Asterios still doubts this very much... but he's come to learn Zidane is just that odd.

"... Very well. I will accept."

[tantailizing]

[Maybe there is more, but Zidane looks pleased as punch.]

Alright! Do you wanna continue with that book or find another?

[beefaroni]

... I do not understand this book. If you do not understand it, either... then choose another.

[tantailizing]

Well, this book is called 'Extremely Common Phrases'. It might be a good one to start with, but it might also be common phrases in other books and not really conversation.

[beefaroni]

[ blank stare is blank. baby steps here, zidane. ]

Conversation...?

[tantailizing]

[Oh... whoops.]

Us talking? That's called a conversation. And it's not only when you talk to me, but whenever you talk to someone.

[beefaroni]

... Conversation. Is talking. I understand.

[tantailizing]

Awesome! Okay, let's have a look at the next phrase.

[beefaroni]

[ He looks down at the book, and reads. ]

Raining... cats and... dogs.

... That is not right.

[tantailizing]

I'd be worried if that ever happened! That phrase means it's raining hard.

[beefaroni]

... Very hard. Cats and dogs. I understand.

... I've never seen... the rain, before here. I know what rain is... but only here, have I seen rain.

[tantailizing]

Really? What did you think of it?

[beefaroni]

... It sounded good. It felt cold, but... I liked the sound.

[tantailizing]

Yeah, it can be a little cold sometimes, but it's nice. I noticed it's easier to fall asleep listening to it.

Hey, have you seen snow?

[beefaroni]

Seen snow. Have not... touched snow. Only seen.

[tantailizing]

If it snows here, we'll have to go out then!

[beefaroni]

... Snow is cold. Cold is painful. I have heard this. Is this not true?

[tantailizing]

Nah, it's true, but it's like playing in the rain. Once you start getting cold, go inside, dry off, and have something warm to eat or bundle up in a blanket. And if you wear some warm clothes, you can play longer!

[beefaroni]

... I do not "play".

[tantailizing]

Sure. If you wanna just walk in the snow, I heard that's pretty good too.

[beefaroni]

[ He's actually surprise Zidane doesn't "fight" that, as he has so much else. ]

... How is... walking in cold, good?

[tantailizing]

Snowy days set a nice mood to think. Snow also doesn't hit the ground like rain does so you can just watch it fall and lose yourself in it.

[beefaroni]

[ It sounds odd, but... not bad. Perhaps something to look forward to. ]

... You have done this.

[tantailizing]

Yeah, I have.

What? Doesn't sound like something I'd do?

[beefaroni]

No. It sounds like... you have experience. In many things.