[Open] Send Shivers Down Your Spine

[tantailizing]

🧙 WHO: Zidane Tribal and You!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-all for October feat. Fighting, Quests, and Stealing... not in that order
🕒 WHEN: Throughout October until the next Event
🗺️ WHERE: New Camelot, Ruins of Celliwig, Forest of the Fallen
⚠️ WARNINGS: Violence in fighting, and blood might pop up. Other than that, not going into gory details I don't think.

I. Don't Lose Your Way Head

He knew some people came back to the Ruins that were once Celliwig, and he did too. While mainly to check up on them, make sure they had their own food or supplies if they intended on staying, he would then stay around to help recover bodies or build grave markers before heading back to New Camelot.

However, subsequent visits were... tense to put it mildly.

It's not the first time people had been scattered by the sound of hooves pounding against the dirt, the disembodied laughing, and blocking the Headless Horseman's swing as he attempted to behead one of the many visitors to Celliwig. Zidane's daggers hold and he managed to redirect the swing - at which, the horse reared and carried its rider away, but they'll be circling around. He never left after one clash.

Zidane took that moment to look back.

"Go! Hide!"

II. Bunker Down

From fixing fences to building up bunk beds, he's becoming a pretty efficient at building things. It was always just whatever set they needed before and then those small repairs around the hideout, but hey, he didn't mind this. It's a repetitive task maybe, but it's keeping him busy and they were going to be used. Really, he was happy to be able to help out.

"Alright..." He wiped he forehead with a wide grin. "This one's all ready! Let's get to the next one!"

III. A Quest from Locksley (mingled with Suns Out, Guns Out)

It made sense why the landlord had been tight-lipped about whatever occurred at his house now. Originally, Zidane had dealt with the gang that came to his new home saying he had to pay some 'protection fee'. Well, he said that hadn't been in the contract, had a fight break out, and left them in the dumpster where they belonged. After what happened in Celliwig and Lestari, he'd let refugees move into his home, completely forgetting about the gang before.

Imagine his surprise to see those two-bit wannabe thugs bothering the family he was housing - and then hearing how they did that to the whole neighborhood.

He's not exactly sure about this new gang forming, but at least they wanted to help the refugees. And hell, if it meant killing two birds with one stone - IE, dealing with that cheapass aristocrat that set up this gang for a little illegal tinder on the side, fine with him. Donning a new black cloak and mask, Zidane was gonna see this aristocrat and all his friends deciding to withhold aid were gonna pay their own dues.

[OOC: Open also to people who might be deciding to hustle refugees for protection fees because Zidane's not having that. And people who are Robin Hoods or trying to stop said Robin Hood types, let's go!]

IV. Forest of the Fachan

The once Forest of the Felled was pretty much just as they'd left it after the encounter with the Stone Giant: too quiet save for the small fauna and wind. And seeing the Giant sit in slumber again just reminded him how they failed, but he digressed. They weren't here about that; they were here about removing wards that were now rendered pretty much useless.

All was going pretty well until the sun started to go down... and then things began to change. He felt the fur on his tail and hair on his neck rise, and eventually had to stop with his group.

Wait, group? But there'd been so many people moment's ago. How'd they get separated?

But he brought a hand to his dagger and prepared himself, the rotted stench of decay and death reaching his nose faster than whatever had started talking minutes before.

... The hell was that thing approaching them!?

V. Wildcard

[OOC: Interested in an unlisted prompt or we planned something else entirely? Then wildcard is for you! And if you would like to plot something else, come message me at demidemonLove]

Comments

[tantailizing]

Looking over his way, Zidane nods his head a bit. "No, I totally get it. These guys like having their own way of doing things. Still, I think we can get him to agree."

There were some things he wanted to find out though before they did anything, and those things, he would have to ask the Horseman himself. But, you know, the head might be more willing to talk if he was in closer proximity of his body.

[luciing]

They arrive where they had left the Horseman, who still remains bound by the iron, barbed wiring. Somnus' expression is indifferent as he begins to unwrap the head from the parcel.

Somnus merely holds the head, but he'll be observing how the youth conducts the negotiations.

[tantailizing]

Standing and looking at the body, at least he's not struggling so much right now. When the Horseman's head comes out of the parcel, Zidane's gonna go ahead and take it.

"Alright, head, meet your body, body, we got your head. We good and reacquainted? Awesome! Now we have a few questions before you're back together."

[luciing]

Somnus stands still, holding the head.

At least the head appears cooperative now that he's able to see his headless body, crippled by barbed iron.

[tantailizing]

"Thanks buddy! Well, to start..."

And Zidane does have a few questions - mainly what was he, what was a Dullahan, and did he have to come to Celliwig? Apparently, the Horseman was an unseelie fae (oof, Zidane did not have a lot of positive interactions with them, but here they were again), a Dullahan was basically Death in a sense, and though he was drawn by the death in Celliwig, someone had taken his head and come this way.

"Oh... yeah, that last part makes sense." There was no point in him going to death when it already happened, but if he'd seen through his head the direction the thief (kidnapper? Is it kidnapping if it's just the head?) had run, going on a rampage to find it there checked out especially if he could only see other people to target. He looked over at the man. "So, you got any questions?"

[luciing]

"Nay," he replies. Compared to how conversational Zidane is, Somnus' is a resigned steel. His expression harbors nothing but disdain for the fae, clearly not trusting its story completely.

Then, to the dullahan, he speaks: "You will cease this death march, spirit, and return from whence you came. For five moons we shall hold your head. Prove that you will not slaughter another in this time, and it will be returned to you unscathed. Have we a bargain?"

[tantailizing]

"Woah woah, hold on." Zidane shakes his head. "Look, I don't like this guy for going around and killing people either, but they did steal his head for a reason, right?"

The Dullahan scoffs and grumbles if he could've spoken the name of his captor, he wouldn't be in his mess.

"So, knowing someone's name means you could just... say it and kill them? Good to know."

Yees, fae continue being scary.

[luciing]

Somnus looks at the youth, dubious. "You trust this fae's story, that his rampage will cease once we return his head?"

[tantailizing]

"Faes are kinda strange, and even if he's unseelie, I don't think he can get away with lying." He knows it's kind of sketchy, but he nods. "Look, if he starts trouble again, it's on me."

Looking at the Dullahan, he scowls slightly. "You got that? I'm vouching for ya so you better keep your word!"

[luciing]

For a few tense moments, Somnus doesn't reply. Then, he acquiesces, seemingly having enough of this farce.

"Pray their lives will not be upon your hands." It's not said bitterly, but simply as a warning. 'Trouble' in this case spells the beheading of another innocent.

[tantailizing]

"I know."

But it sounds like they're going to set the Dullahan free. Turning to the tied up body, Zidane will begin undoing the binds with his own kinetic magic, making sure to get the links back to their original shape as close as he can.

[luciing]

When the youth finishes undoing the barbed iron, Somnus offers the Horseman's head to him.

[tantailizing]

Freed, the Horseman stands and takes his head back. If they're expecting him to put it back on his neck, he puts it on his waist instead where it hangs at his side. The horse - which had ridden off during this ordeal - comes charging back, rearing briefly at the two of them until the Rider settles it, but its still snorting and huffing, leering between Zidane and Somnus.

Once mounted back up with reins in hand, the Horseman turns and gallops away, disappearing from sight.

"... Odin, why are horses so terrifying...?" And that one only had four legs.

[luciing]

“Most horses have their heads.”

A dullahan’s horse is strangely headless. Fae are peculiar creatures.

[tantailizing]

"... Chocobos are still better."

But, shaking his head, he turns. "We better go give the all clear, right?"

[luciing]

And so they proceed back to the volunteer refuge.

“You hail from a world with chocobos?”

[tantailizing]

"Yup! Do you have 'em too?"

This was a much better topic to be on than their encounter for now.

[luciing]

"...Aye."

Unfortunately, he's still not a good conversationalist. If at all another might liken him to a stilted statue, they would not be wrong.

"What do you call your Star?"

[tantailizing]

"Haha, he'd already named himself Choco. At least, Mene said his name was Choco."

At least, if he was referring to calling the chocobo 'Star'.

"What about you?"

[luciing]

From the context of the youth not knowing what his own world's name was until another told him, the misunderstanding is obvious. Somnus pauses, then clarifies:

"Nay, 'Star' is interchangeable with 'world'."

An archaic way to refer to a world, anyway. He glances at him pointedly. Same question, then.

[tantailizing]

"Oooh... you know, most people would just call it a planet. A star is something entirely different."

Also, no one has called a world a Star around him... ever.

"I'm pretty sure we're still calling it Gaia."

[luciing]

His head dips some, an acknowledgement of the boy's answer. Then--

"Eos."

--an answer, the name of his Star.

[tantailizing]

"Eos, huh? What's it like there?"

With his way of speaking and how formal he was, he wondered if it was maybe a harsher world.

[luciing]

"According to the masters of Avalon, it is stalled like all the other realms."

It seems he's not willing to talk more about it as they approach the hideout.

[tantailizing]

"Uh huh... Sure, we'll talk about it later."

That's what he takes the lack of information as a sign for. If he didn't want to talk about it, that's cool. They should focus on seeing the volunteers out and recovering bodies again. But...

"... So what did you name your chocobo?"