November quests and catch-all [OPEN]

[amakakeru]

🧙 WHO: Rider (Sakamoto Ryouma) and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: Quests and other stuff
🕒 WHEN: November
🗺️ WHERE: Various places
⚠️ WARNINGS: None so far, check thread headers for specifics



[ 1. Alms for the Gore ]

[ Of course Ryouma isn't going to kill the fear gorta. They seem harmless enough; he'd already put some food into one of their bowls and that seemed to settle it down immediately. If he sees someone going to slay one, he intercepts them in an attempt to appeal to their sense of reason. ]

Stop for a moment...Do you really think it's going to do anything to harm you? It can barely lift the bowl in its hands.

[ He'd like to stop any unnecessary violence, thank you very much. ]

[ 2. Magic Flu ]

[ There is one miserable white horse with a black mane and tail laying on the ground on the outskirts of the city. It's not like Ryouma meant to transform into a horse like this -- he'd just sneezed and suddenly ended up like this. Now he can't even figure out how to shift back and he's really just not happy about all of this.

Unfortunately for whoever walks near him or comes to check on him, he sneezes on them -- enjoy the sudden partial transformation or the unfortunate ability to understand wild animals for the next little while. ]

Sorry...You really don't want to catch this.

[ Nevermind he may have accidentally spread it...Oops. ]

[ 3. Wildcard ]

[ These prompts not doing it for you? Have an idea? Drop me a starter or PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673 and we can work something out! ]

Comments

[amakakeru]

Horses that have been enchanted to talk or animal mages playing pranks.

[ Ryouma shakes his head at the offer, which is very funny in the state he's in. ]

No, no, you don't need to do that, Master. I'm sure this will resolve sooner rather than later. I just need somewhere warmer to lay for a little and some water.

[ Please don't try to give him hay or he may just die from the shame of his current state. ]

[fujimaru]

[ It's not wrong to worry that she's thought about it, because she has. Just a little, just briefly. She can't help it! You can't feed okayu to a horse, can you? That had always been the thing her grandmother had gone to, when she'd gotten sick as a kid--but setting aside that Ritsuka doesn't necessarily know how to make it, she still doesn't know if that would be good for him. ]

If you're sure... I really don't mind. I could probably channel my inner auntie if I tried.

[ For now, though, she's leading him to a more forested area, where the trees come together to form a reasonable shelter against the wind. ]

You'd better rest for real, though. If I find out you haven't, you're the one who's gonna get it from me.

[amakakeru]

I know you don't mind, but I also don't want you getting sick. Mash would get upset at me and fuss over you, then she'd get sick...Now you see why I want you to do just a little bit?

[ It's practical he wants to be alone for now. He'll be fine once he can figure out how to shift back into a person...Hopefully.

He plods along after her, looking a little more hopeful at the tree cover. It's not much, but it sure beats the wind he'd been dealing with. His fur just isn't long enough to be warm, it's unfair! ]

[fujimaru]

It probably wouldn't be that bad.

[ But he's not wrong to worry. She says that with the rueful understanding that this could in fact blow up exactly the way he's fretting over. And if it were just about Ritsuka herself, she would probably have still charged in without hesitation--but now that she has Mash to consider...

...well, she's still going to throw herself in, but she's going to stop and think about it for maybe thirty seconds first. ]

I'm pretty sturdy, though. Face masks probably exist, even in this place, right? --Anyway, this is a pretty good spot to rest for a bit, but don't go anywhere. Okay? I've got some stuff I can bring for you.

[amakakeru]

[ He decides not to argue the point further. He'd made his concerns known and that's all he could do -- Ritsuka is headstrong and will do whatever she wants. That's okay. ]

I wouldn't make it very far even if I did go anywhere. [ He huffs as he settles back down against a tree. ] I'll be here when you get back.

[ This is already better than laying out in the open. ]

[fujimaru]

I have faith in your ability to give it a shot.

[ Sometimes you do the sensible thing where people tell you to rest and you do it... and sometimes you crawl out of bed to your desk to check "just a few more notes." She has no idea how much the gossip about that has traveled among the Servants, but she's definitely been caught a couple of times.

Ritsuka waves to him before she goes; it's maybe half an hour before she returns, with a backpack and a bundle in her arms. ]

Okay! So, even if I went overboard, this is all still pretty reusable.

[amakakeru]

[ In the time she was gone, he'd dozed off. Her voices startles him and he gets to his feet with an undignified whinny. A sneezing fit follows as well as a wave of embarrassment. Ah...Well, it's not like anyone ever thought he was cool in the first place.

Ryouma gives her a vaguely dubious look as he settles back down. ]

...You really did go overboard, didn't you?

[fujimaru]

It's good to be prepared!

[ She's not quite chirpy in her response, but she's cheerfully unfazed as she sets her things down. The bundle in her arms is a human-sized blanket wrapped in a horse blanket, both of which she settles on him before she starts unpacking.

There's a couple of thermoses that she sets carefully aside, a couple of apples (it seemed like a good idea at the time), and what appears to be the materials for building a relatively makeshift lean-to. ]

I'm rich right now, so I might as well use the money for something.

[amakakeru]

[ He watches her unpack with some interest. Honestly, the apples look good despite the, uh, implications. Something to nibble on later when he's rested a little bit and when there are no witnesses around. ]

Huh? Really? Well, that's good then. You're taken care of so you can take care of everyone else.

[fujimaru]

[ They're not the same as the apples back home, but look, there's a lot of reasons why she'd go for those. ]

That's what I'm best at! If I can't fight, I can at least take care of the before and the after and in between.

[amakakeru]

That's very true. You do your best at what you're best at!

[ He looks proud of himself for saying something like that. Don't encourage him. ]

I'm glad you recognize your strengths and play to them.

[fujimaru]

That's what I'm good at, too.

[ She's laughing a little, slightly embarrassed, as she shakes out the blankets. ]

At this point... it'd be pretty stupid of me to think I could brag about being a great fighter or anything, right? But I don't want to just stand back and let everyone else do all the work. If there are things I can do, then I want to do them.

[amakakeru]

And that's all you can do sometimes. There's a lot of people who would think it's weakness instead of a strength. You're adaptable.

[ This is a ridiculous conversation to have in his current state. It's fine. It's keeping his mind off of how awful he feels at the moment. ]

[fujimaru]

That's what I'm best at.

[ This blanket is probably as fluffed out as it's going to get; she brings it over to him, draping it over his back. She'd gotten the biggest blanket she could, but it still takes some adjusting. ]

I'm just glad you guys are patient with me.

[amakakeru]

You're doing your best with what you've got. If we weren't patient with you, we'd be in bigger trouble.

[ Ryouma does try to help with the blanket adjustment, tugging at the edge with his teeth.

...

This is silly. He feels silly. ]

[fujimaru]

That doesn't mean you couldn't scold me more...

[ She watches him do that from the corner of one eye, because she knows she'd be embarrassed if someone openly watched her struggling... but...

...

Honestly, it's silly, but it's also kind of cute. A little silly, a little sad, but mostly cute. Oh no. ]

I take constructive criticism.

[amakakeru]

[ Well, he's warmer now. He lays his head down with some small amount of shame. This feels like it's all his fault and now someone is witnessing his failure to ... exist normally in this world. It's fine.

At least Ritsuka won't judge him for this. ]

I don't like to scold people, I prefer to encourage their strengths and redirect them in more productive directions. Scolding people tends to make things worse, in my experience.

[fujimaru]

That probably depends on the person, too.

[ Once the blanket is settled on him, Ritsuka turns her attention to starting a small fire. If nothing else, it'll help keep him warmer, and she can bank it when she leaves. For now, though, it will hopefully help. ]

I won't mind if you ever need to yell at me. I know I've caused trouble by running off to do my own thing.

[amakakeru]

Would that really stop you from doing that, though? You're as strong-willed as anyone.

[ Ryouma seems content with the blanket alone, but he's not going to say no to a warm fire. This situation is very silly...Could be worse. ]

[fujimaru]

It would! ...For a little bit.

[ She knows herself well enough to recognize that there will always be a line that, once crossed, means that she will take a stand in some fashion. For the most part, she does at least try to pay attention to the advice or scolding she gets*, but there will always be that moment.

* Most of the time. She at least listens and acknowledges, even if she doesn't follow up on it. ]

...At least, I try to listen.

[amakakeru]

You're a lot like me, in that respect...You let people tell you what you should do, then you disregard what they say and do what you planned to do, anyway.

[ He sounds like he's in pretty good spirits, all things consider -- nevermind he may be falling asleep under the blanket already. ]

[fujimaru]

I just said I listen sometimes.

[ But the arguing kind of leans into his point, doesn't it? She knows it, and she's smiling a little as she says it--quieter, this time. If he's starting to doze off, then she wants to encourage that. Rest is still the best thing for him in this condition, in her opinion. ]

[amakakeru]

Mm...I listen sometimes, too.

[ Like he's listening to his body telling him to sleep right now. Ryouma's basically sleep mumbling at this point, curled up as best as a horse can be.

He'll be fine. ]

[fujimaru]

Keep doing that. At least sometimes.

[ She gets up very carefully, doing her best not to disturb or startle him. She banks the fire some, so it won't be left untended and dangerous, and sets up water nearby. If nothing else, there's a few more errands she can run while he sleeps before she circles back to check on him again. ]

Like right now, I'm telling you it's okay to take it easy sometimes. Got it?

[amakakeru]

Mm...got it.

[ That's all the more she'll hear out of him. Ryouma finally gives into his body's need to rest and that's the end of that. Hopefully by the time he wakes up he'll be human again, but who knows? His focus now is just on resting. ]