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

[hitokiri]

Then how come ya didn’t ask me t’help ya before?

[ there's more he could say, having no shortage of his usual barbs if he really wanted to use them, but he bites his tongue this time. they'll still be there later if he wants. ]

Ya wanna do somethin' so bad, then tell me that. An' make it the real fuckin' reason too, not some excuse. Ain't like I can't handle somebody havin' a shitty opinion 'bout me if that's what it is…

[ which is easily the most ridiculous thing he could say, being who and how he is, but setting ryouma up isn’t actually his intention in saying so. ]

[amakakeru]

That's not what this is. [ Pointed, an attempt at finality. ] I didn't ask you for help before because, well...I didn't think I'd need help when I agreed to this. It ended up a lot bigger of a task than I was initially led to believe...I was only supposed to be gone for a few hours and things kept piling up.

[ He sounds absolutely exhausted by that fact. ]

That's the truth of it. If I'd known the full scope of what I was getting into, I would have asked you to come with me in the first place.

[ The path Ryouma's on takes them towards the Brocéliande. A merchant nearby has been expecting him probably since daybreak...It's fine, he'll deal with it like he always does. ]

[hitokiri]

[ huh. was that all? well, whatever. what's done is done. izō can accept that, but he does feel foolish for his reaction. he could question it, but now knowing the details, it sounds exactly like something ryouma would do. so irritatingly familiar. unfortunately, the innocent absences and the intentional ones look all the same to him now. ]

Shoulda said so at the beginnin' then! Shit…

[ and now izō will deflect because he doesn't want to be perceived as caring too much. ]

Must really like people givin' ya a hard time if y'think this is fun.

[amakakeru]

[ There it is. It doesn't exactly put his mind at ease, but it does release some of the tension -- that's good enough for now. Ryouma breathes out a quiet sigh before looking over at him again. ]

I never said I thought this was fun. [ It's the opposite of fun. ] It's just...finding something to do to keep myself busy.

[ To run himself ragged so he can stop focusing on the emptiness inside of him from Oryou's absence, to keep him from focusing on his regrets every time he so much as looks at Izō. It's not the healthiest coping methods, but when did that ever stop him?

Soon enough, the merchant he was supposed to meet at least a few hours ago comes into view and Ryouma greets him. A few ... unpleasant words and several apologies later, money exchanges hands and they receive a cart of supplies, mainly building materials and some packages of non-perishable food. ]

Now...we just need to bring this back.

[ At least it's something else to focus on aside from the things he's bottling up. ]

[hitokiri]

Easier ways t'keep busy, if ya ask me...

[ like sitting and drinking and maybe, just maybe, fitting a meal in there somewhere.

he's not going to drag things out by asking ryouma how, in his mind, it manages to be different — how difficulties with other people are exhausting but ryouma chooses to deal with him to the point of arguing for it repeatedly — because he's not likely to accept the answer anyway.

izō stands aside while ryouma handles the business with the merchant, which is at the same time something that feels familiar and... not. he's been in a similar position before, in another time, but that was other people and other business. and it's not like ryouma needs protecting, but maybe he's unintentionally helpful in standing around looking pissed off?

of course, now there's a cart full of supplies to deal with, which is maybe a little more than he was expecting, but whatever. he already said he'd do it. ]

Gotta plan for how ya wanna do this? 'Cause—...

[ well, it speaks for itself, doesn't it? ]

[amakakeru]

[ Izō's posturing, intentional or not, doesn't escape his notice. A glance out of the corner of his eye and he smiles for a brief moment. More thoughts he doesn't want to think about tug at his tired mind -- what if things had gone differently? What if he'd managed to get Izō to come along with him? What would've happened then?

It's only when he asks the obvious question that he pulls himself out of that spiral. ]

...Help me pull it?

[ Yes. His grand plan is to...pull it themselves. It's a wonder how on earth he managed to accomplish as much as he did in his life. It's not like he's expecting Izō to do all the work...

But maybe he should've rented a horse.

It's fine. ]

[hitokiri]

Yeah... had a feelin' that was gonna be the plan.

[ doing a little hard work is supposed to be good for you, right? only they're not servants anymore so this might be more tiring than it is helpful... ]

Those familiar things probably think it's rude if they gotta do shit like regular animals, huh...

[ so he hadn't expected either of them to pitch in. ]

[amakakeru]

Mm, that's right. I tried to ride mine once and she got terribly offended at the attempt. o A sheepish laugh. ] Can't imagine she'd tolerate pulling a cart

[ Well, nothing to it but to do it. Ryouma does stop for a moment to cast a small strengthening spell on himself and then he gently grabs a hold of Izō's arm to do the same for him. ]

Something to make this a little easier.

[ It won't get them to the level of Servants, but it'll hopefully keep them from getting too exhausted. It is a decently far walk, they're both already sleep-deprived -- anything that can help them make it through is more than enough.

Back towards town and along the farthest edge that could be considered Camelot, their destination awaits. True to Ryouma's word, the whole trip did take about an hour. A few more apologies and assurances it was just a misunderstanding and an accident and they're freed from their literal and metaphorical burdens. ]

...Rain check on the meal until after we've both slept?