isleofavalon | September open log

🧙 WHO: Emet-Selch and YOU
⚔️️ WHAT: Local Ascian attempts to catch fairy coins and also dons his old robes for anonymity
🕒 WHEN: Throughout September
🗺️ WHERE: Lestari, Camelot (see prompts)
⚠️ WARNINGS: Necromancy but otherwise none

1. Bright-eyed and Bushy-tailed

"A fairy coin?"

The old man nods. "They wake around now when the weather grows cooler. Would you catch one for me? You should be able to find them in Lestari, if memory serves." His eyes crinkle at the edges as he smiles. "I'll be fine without you for a day or two. I really would like to see one before I die."

Emet-Selch can hardly refuse the request. Surely he can be excused from visiting the old man for a day in order to fulfil a request like this? It's with this trepidation that he sets out on the journey there together with the Elphame Traders. When he arrives, he has to pause and stare at the incredible city, before belatedly realising he's blocking the way of those arriving behind him. He hastily moves further in, but he continues to stare at his surroundings and pay little mind to where he's wandering.

It seems that he'll have to partake of these...fizzy lifting drinks in order to catch a fairy coin. Well, the traders are paying him and others to try them so he supposes he may as well make it easier on himself.

How hard could it be to float anyway? He used to do it all the time.

...As it turns out, once he starts drifting upwards, that there's no easy way to propel himself through the air when he lacks his usual magicks. Emet-Selch flails about a few heads above, spinning in slow, lazy circles as he tries to snatch on to something as an anchor.

"Curse this dratted...!" he growls out. He makes a swipe for a strut and just misses, the movement causing him to rotate well out of reach. The Ascian utters a string of expletives in a foreign tongue - not his native language for once but Ancient Allag.

2. Gathering the Undead

Being a necromancer, Emet-Selch inexplicably finds himself involved in the ritual to obtain ashes of the dead for the cauldron. Isolating one of the walking dead is the easy part; it's bringing them back that's difficult.

Those on the road to the Land of Rot will see an amusing sight: a robed man in a mask arguing with a skeleton.

"Do you want me to take you apart? No? Then I suggest you keep walking!" the man says irritably. He steps back smartly as the skeleton makes a swipe at him then jabs his finger in its blank face.

"I command you. Now, keep walking. I would rather not carry your foetid bones in a sack."

And to think that he could freely command the souls and spirits of the dead in his home world... Why must they be so disobedient here?

3. Secret Ascian Man (🗡️ if engaging at night)

The robed man is back. In fact Emet-Selch has taken to wearing his old outfit on his excursions into the city. Though the garb garners a few stares, it's far more preferable to the open whispering and looks of judgement. Neither his crime nor his face will not soon be forgotten.

Perhaps you spot him in the middle of the day buying groceries. Or perhaps you run across him at night, sitting on a bench staring forlornly at the stars. It's during the latter that another masked man swaggers up and brandishes a sword at Emet-Selch.

"Hearken, fiend! Your time is at an end!"

There is a moment where he seems to not have heard. Then his head slowly lolls to the side and he stares at the vagabond. Sighs.

"I'm not in the mood," he tells them, returning his gaze to the night sky. The vagrant seems miffed and moves forward to thrust the tip of their sword near his face. Before they can speak again, Emet-Selch stiffens and growls.

"I said, I'm not in the mood."

(As ever, if you have an idea you want to run by me, please feel free to PM this account or drop a comment on the CR meme.)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"When I tested it, the potion took a few seconds to complete its effect. Certainly not instantaneous, but I imagine it would be quick enough to be disorienting. Be careful what you pour it on. I've not yet figured out why it works the way it does but I suspect it has to do with intent."

Aka. Don't let yourself get distracted or everything it touches will shrink indiscriminately.

"The entire plan is to pour it on my head without getting so much as a drop on my collar. If I need to, I'll get a funnel." Just to make sure it lands mostly in his hair. He can even go half and half on his head and on his chest just to make sure that he can shrink his body too. Now he's idly wondering and worrying and nervous about the possibility of just his head shrinking.

Gokudera closes his eyes and tries to imagine how it should go.

He gazes at the boy for a few moments. Then rolls his eyes and huffs through his nose.

"You're thinking it might shrink only one part of your body, aren't you? I assure you it isn't that fussy. Don't overthink these things, boy."

“N-no! Every part of me except the collar!”

Gokudera shakes his head. He’s not the smartest but he isn’t tripping himself up that much!

A small huff in amusement. "Well, you have your potion. All that's left is to arrange precautions. I do hope for your sake it does not go awry, but if it does...well, failure is a quicker teacher than success."

He smiles.

"There won't be much to learn if I'm dead."

Gokudera doesn't even sound upset. He's honestly surprised his head is still on his shoulders and the pet ring has been on him for so long!

"There will be for me."

He says that with perhaps more amusement than should be on display. He starts making shooing motions at the boy with one hand.

"Go on, then. Go seek out your other help."

"Wonderful."

He's concerned, especially because this all feels like a huge personal risk and Emet is going to enjoy it. Gokudera doesn't know how to feel, so he's just stuck feeling concerned and will probably worry a lot more later on his own. Is he going to die?

Should he die?

How is he even benefiting anyone by being alive?

Gokudera gives a sigh and turns to leave, then raises a hand in a short wave.

"Yeah. See ya."

September open log

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