October Quests and Open Log [open]

[amakakeru]

🧙 WHO: Rider (Sakamoto Ryouma) and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: Quests, naps in questionable places, etc.
🕒 WHEN: October
🗺️ WHERE: various
⚠️ WARNINGS: none so far, check thread headers for specifics



[ 1. Don’t Lose Your Head ]

[ A black horse with a rider in white on its back patrols the area where volunteers are dealing with cleanup. It’s a bit upsetting to see the aftermath, but someone needs to protect them as they do their work. The dead deserve a respectful end as much as anyone else.

The thundering of hooves snaps him to attention and he tugs on the reins. It can only be the Headless Horseman. Ryouma abhors violence, however there is a time and a place for it. Used in the defense of others, it’s a powerful tool. One hand on the reins, the other draws the sword at his side. ]

Get out of sight!

[ A call to any volunteers that were nearby and, if there’s anyone else helping to chase off the horseman, he looks to them with a little smile. ]

Ready? If you flank while I charge, we should be able to force a retreat.

[ 2. Any Port in a Storm ]

[ Ryouma is still getting used to a human body and human needs. The most difficult thing to get used to again is the need for sleep. He keeps odd hours at the best of times, so naps are generally how he copes.

The problem is the locations he chooses for these naps. Naps are best taken indoors in a bed or on a chair or a couch, not on a bench somewhere or under a tree or slumped over on a cafe table. You may find a surprisingly well-dressed man in a dark blue shirt and white slacks, sometimes with a hat over his face sometimes still on his head, asleep in any number of places in the city. He’s surprisingly hard to rouse from his sleep and seems more annoyed than embarrassed when he’s woken up. ]

Mm…What? Is there a problem here? [ He yawns and stretches, rubbing at his face. ] What time is it, anyway?

[ 3. Wildcard ]

[ Got an idea? Drop me a starter or PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673 and we can work something out! ]

Comments

[catfax]

[ While Izutsumi had done as bidden, the shot still came as a surprise. It was so loud, and unlike Marcille's explosions, it took place not a meter from her poor ears. ]

Augh!

[ She dropped from Ryouma's horse, only partially out of shock (the other part was not wanting to wait around in case he had another of those awful boomsticks about.) She landed in a patch of tall grass, lightfooted as you please.

There had been a metallic impact from the direction of the horseman, which she took to mean it had been hit... and yet it didn't seem much hurt. She figured this was due to it being some sort of spirit or other, for whom physical injury was little deterrent.

But she did notice one thing as the armored creature advanced on Ryouma again. There was a loop of something at its waist. While Ryouma had its attention, perhaps she'd take the opportunity to stalk up behind it and see if she couldn't lighten its load... ]

[amakakeru]

[ He at least has the advantage of being mounted. Even though the horseman isn't human, he's still slower than the relatively fresh horse Ryouma's on. He sees what Izutsumi is doing and tries his best to keep the creature's attention on himself.

The best way to do that is to taunt him. He gallops ahead of the horseman, cutting him off close and shouting as he passes him by. ]

Over here! Come get me!

[ Their foe's focus is solely on the Rider right now, so Izutsumi should have a good chance to do what she needs to do. ]

[catfax]

[ Quick as a cat, Izutsumi lunged for her prize, avoiding a distracted swat from the horseman's heavy sword as she rolled forward and past the creature. When she came up, there was a dark loop in her hands.

The horseman had hardly paid attention; it was now picking up speed as it marched toward Ryouma with singleminded purpose. Though it wasn't as fast as the horse, she had to wonder if it was capable of tiring.

Probably, she didn't want the answer to that question.

Izutsumi cocked her arm back, then let fly with the horseman's whip, for that was what her ill-gotten gain was. Even if they couldn't permanently remove the creature, perhaps they could at least contain it...! ]

[amakakeru]

[ Since it didn't retreat the way Ryouma expected it to, containing it is probably their best option. They just have to drive it into a corner...Or find a conveniently placed cage. It's not really a cage, per se, probably something used to transport goods -- doesn't matter. It's about the size of the creature and wide open.

The problem comes down to the distance. It's not too far away, all things considered, but any distance is too far when it's dealing with a supernatural beast. Ryouma starts to drive the horseman towards it, staying tight on his flank, his sword out once again just in case he needs to defend himself. The whip keeps him moving forward without a whole lot of options for escape...

Maybe this will work out. ]

[catfax]

[ This wasn't so bad, right? At least the creature's armor was solid, which meant that... uh, if the horseman was merely possessing the armor, it'd have to go naked if it wanted its freedom.

In theory. ]

Ugh, whatever! I don't want to think about weird theories!

[ The horseman seemed ill-inclined to take the full brunt of the whip, too, so that was progress! She just had to focus on the job at hand! ]

[amakakeru]

Huh?

[ What on earth is she yelling about? It's briefly distracting, enough that he almost gets struck by a wild swing from the horseman. A clang of metal-on-metal rings out as he narrowly blocks it and is forced to hang back for just a second.

It's not enough of an opening for their quarry to escape. Between her whipping and Ryouma corralling him, he ends up driven into the cage. ]

Quick, close it!