isleofavalon | 『 open 』 — my world's on fire, how about yours?

[ izō didn't realise for a bit that he might actually be sick and that the headache that started all this might not just be because he'd been hungover as usual. it wasn't until more obvious symptoms appeared that actually started to wonder although clearly hasn't stopped him, or else he wouldn't be in the middle of town right now.

there is a lump of dark fur laid out on the sidewalk that — potentially only upon closer examination — actually turns out to be a small dog. definitely more fur here than the actual dog. but it's fine! he's fine. ~~it's also safe to assume this dog potentially bites.~~

he's just taking a break because his legs are a lot shorter like this and the inn is still a good ways away from here... ]

[ Equally out of place is a sniffling white horse with a dark mane and tail, walking slowly and unaccompanied down the street. The lump of dark fur catches his attention because there's something familiar about it.

With no sense of self-preservation whatsoever, Ryouma gently noses Izō to get his attention. ]

Izō...Is that you?

[ If not, he's going to be in for a nasty surprise. ]

[ he hears ryouma before he sees him and while he has the thought of why is he riding a horse around here that's about as far as the thought makes it. the unintended secondary reaction to this is that his tail wags a few times unconsciously before it droops back into place.

wait. ]

Oh fuck. I'm dyin'.

[ that's the only explanation for what has to be wild hallucinations because why would ryouma be a horse? there's a lot going on right now and remembering that ryouma could understand a goose that one time isn't one of them. ]

[ So it is Izō. The tail wag at least goes without comment, though he does catalog it for future remembrance because how fucking cute is that? ]

Are you? [ He does sound a little worried, nosing him again very gently -- don't mind his snotty snout. ] I think I caught this from you...So if you're dying, I'm not far behind.

[ He'd sneezed himself into a horse and he is still upset about that fact. ]

Yer voice is comin' out of a horse...

[ and his is coming out of a dog but that's not the point. as signs go it's shaped like a bad one. ]

What? Catch what? I didn't do shit!

[ only the ridiculous dog-sized sneezing fit that follows totally blows a hole in that argument. ]

....

How d'ya know ya didn't give it t'me first, huh?

I know. I started feeling sick, so I went for a walk...I sneezed and, well, here we are.

[ He's torn between feeling bad for him and feeling extremely vindicated when he starts sneezing. ]

I don't want to argue about who gave it to who. [ Ryouma's sneezes are far less delicate and much grosser. Ugh, what he wouldn't give for a horse-sized handkerchief right now. ] I just want to not be a horse anymore. They won't let me in the inn like this.

[ If horses can pout, that's what he's doing. ]

How long have you been out here?

Then quit bein' a horse then!

[ ~~it's just that easy, huh?~~ unsurprisingly, being sick does not improve his mood or his attitude. only it's not sustained because sustaining it would be an effort he doesn't feel up to right now, so at least there's that. ]

Even if y'did get inside it ain't like ya can open the door...

[ which is funny, if he thinks about it. he also looks up because in the same thought he almost expects ryouma to be wearing his hat despite being a horse.

he sniffles a few times on purpose because no, he didn't just almost laugh it's just the flu. ]

Dunno. Takes longer goin' places like this. 'Course ya get all the luck, bein' a horse.

[ see: things you never expect to say in your whole life. ]

There's nothing I'd like more than to stop being a horse right now. I was hoping you had some ideas.

[ ... All the luck being a horse, huh. Well, why not share the luck? He carefully picks up Izō by his scarf and places him on his back in a motion quick enough so that he doesn't drop him and/or strangle him. ]

There. Now you can get places faster. Did you have somewhere you needed to be?

[ Like two sick people had anywhere to be aside from resting. ]

Ya think I'm just sittin' here like this for fun?

[ the only upside to this situation is no one had really questioned a dog laying in the middle of the sidewalk, but they would have questioned a human.

also, since he's usually human-shaped and therefore human-sized, he's not used to just being picked up and moved around like it's nothing. all four paws flail a little before he finds himself sitting on ryouma's back, aware that the ground is a lot further away now. ]

The hell are ya doin'?! Who d'ya think I am?! Y'can't jus'—

[ he shouldn't move around too much probably, what with not having proper hands to hold on with or anything to really hold on to, but in his frustration, he does the only thing he can think of right now — biting and pulling on the bit of ryouma's mane he can reach from where he is. which... probably doesn't feel like anything at all to a horse, especially with how hard he can pull at his size. what's worse, now he has horse hairs in his mouth! ]

Even if I needed t'be there, what am I s'posed t'do like this?

[ Another sneeze and a wheezy unhappy horse noise follow his attempt to get back at him for the injustice of picking him up. ]

I don't know, but now you don't have to worry about walking so far with your short little legs.

[ It's fine to gently tease him like this, right? It's not like Izō can do much in his current state, even if that yanking did hurt.

A slow, plodding walk down the street is all he can manage right about now. This certainly helps the people who are pausing to take pictures and videos of them -- a concern for later. ]

Do you think this'll go away on its own...? I don't want to find someone to take care of this like we are right now...

Oh, fuck you! Short little legs?! Ya seen the nose on ya lately?!

[ there's something about yelling that — and he's painfully aware of being the sort of small dog whose bark is powerful enough to move their whole body — and realising the full weird scope of this entire situation that makes it impossible not to laugh at the ridiculousness of it.

well. that along with a feeling that may or may not be attached to his having a fever at the moment. debatable if this is a good sign or a bad sign. ]

Anyway... always went away on its own all the other times it happened when I wasn't askin' it to. But I dunno if bein' sick has anythin' t'do with it...

I have.

[ How can he not? This is absurd.

He shakes his head as he sneezes again. ]

This never happened to me before. I wasn't even trying to do any spells or anything, I was just outside and had a sneezing fit and...well, long story short, here I am now. I don't know if it'll just go away on its own.

Well, try not t'wish for it too hard now that I'm sittin' here, huh?

[ and that little outburst from a few moments ago was a lot, so izō is just going to lie here for a bit again while he recovers his energy. it's probably a lot easier now that he's laying still to notice that even for a dog, he feels warm. he'd almost prefer some more sneezing to the feeling of general unwellness having a fever brings. ]

How come y'don't just heal yer own self anyway?

[ he either has no idea how healing magic works or assumes ryouma is a lot better at it than he is... so probably a little of both. ]

I...don't know how. It's not like I'm a doctor or anything. [ He just played one that one time. ] I haven't looked for spells that can deal with specific illnesses, just ones for injuries.

[ Now that he knows magical illnesses are A Thing, maybe he will do just that. ]

Are you really feeling alright?

[ Even as warm as he himself is right now, he can still feel that Izō is warmer than he should be, even as a dog. ]

What? Ya gotta know like... real doctor shit for that? Figured ya just... I dunno. Think about it real hard or somethin'. What's the fuckin' point then?!

[ why can't you brute force medicine? that's no judgement on ryouma at all; it's just hard to see the point of magic you still have to be extra smart for. ]

Ain't that a dumb question though, since ya jus' got done sayin' ya ain't a doctor? Probably jus' not used to lookin' at dogs. Said it was fine.

[ another couple of dog sneezes follow along with a little sound that's equally unintentional because being sick is miserable. ~~just because ryouma's right doesn't mean he's correct.~~ ]

Treating illnesses and healing are different here, I guess.

[ A guess is all he had. ]

Alright, alright...Whatever you say. [ He doesn't have the energy to argue with Izō right now. ] Should I just try to find us somewhere sheltered to rest for awhile?

[ It's more or less an idle question, though he does want an answer -- what is he even trying to accomplish like this? ]

[ ryouma only gets another sound (growl? groan? whine?) to acknowledge what he'd said and izō is glad that he doesn't seem interested in arguing ~~because it means he gets to win them all.~~ ]

Might as well unless ya figure out how t'get human-shaped between here and wherever yer goin'.

[ because between the two of them, at least one of them still fits easily through a human-sized doorway as they are now. he might even overlook being carried around.... just this once. he's quiet for a little bit after that, apparently busy coming up with a theory or something like that. ]

Ya think we're jus' makin' it worse like this? Maybe I'm why yer still a horse. Never been able to control it so far. Probably woulda been smarter to keep goin'...

I wasn't going to just leave you there. [ He's not going to put up with Izō being Like That right now. ] But...I don't know. I've never transformed myself like this at all and my familiar won't even go near me because I'm sick so I can't just ask them for help.

[ Why is this shit so complicated!! Ryouma hangs his head in an almost comically sad gesture as he keeps trudging forward. Surely there has to be a small shelter somewhere in this city they can rest for awhile until this all resolves itself.

One does come in the form of what looks to be an open stall near a currently closed shop. It's not in the greatest shape, but it'll at least protect them from the cold -- at least until the shopkeeper kicks them out.

Ryouma heads over there and slowly lowers himself to the ground, taking care not to jostle Izō too much as he does so. ]

Good enough for now?

That's my point. 'Cause ya ain't never done it before. [ not being Like This is a choice but feeling crappy doesn't make it an easier one to make. ] Probably woulda turned back already. How come yer familiar's so mean? Won't letcha ride it, won't tell ya what t'do now. Thought they were s'posed to be helpin'...

[ not that he's been asking his for much help. more that he's been blaming it for his previous animal magic problems.

when they arrive and ryouma settles down, he shifts a little until he can slide off — not his most graceful move — mostly to prove that he can and he's fine. resting the whole way here helped with that, at least. ]

Ain't got much choice right now, so yeah, it'll do.

[ between the shelter and the fur, at least he's not too cold. ]

I don't know...I'm just trying to get along with it for now.

[ Ryouma still tries to curl around him for the extra bit of body warmth against the chill. It's not like it's a large stall and a horse takes up a lot of room. It's practical to want to keep close! ]

At least it's dry and it's not windy...

[ Now that he's laying down with Izō like this, he can feel how tired he is -- 50% from the flu, 50% from the sustained transformation. It's fine, he can afford to rest like this, can't he? ]

Yeah. And try not t'kick me, huh?

[ not that he expects ryouma would do that on purpose, but he's a small dog and has Concerns.

and it's warm. it is! probably because with ryouma trying to curl up like he is — and being a horse — he happens to give off quite a bit of heat just in being there. sticking close makes sense, given the weather outside. just because he's leaning his chin on ryouma's leg doesn't mean anything! wanting to be comfortable isn't a crime. ]

Not gonna be here too long anyway, right? Jus' a little while 'til this sorts out...

[ how will it get sorted out? he has no idea. ]

I'm not going to kick you.

[ He's extremely careful with the way he's positioned to avoid just that. The last thing he wants to do is hurt Izō. Once they're both settled, he closes his eyes. Just a little rest... ]

Right. Just until one or both of us changes back...How long could that take?

[ Famous last words. ]

Dunno. Not... too long..?

[ it had never taken very long before when he'd had his magic go awry unless it was some external sort of curse. he ends up shifting positions a few times before deciding he'd liked where he was resting earlier — which means climbing up on ryouma's back again — and there he curls up, enough to be able to cover his nose with his bushy tail. it's not that he doesn't believe that ryouma won't kick him. it's not about that at all! mostly it's that it's a warmer, softer spot and something about being a dog makes him particularly interested in seeking those out.

izō doesn't think anything of it because resting doesn't necessarily mean sleeping and even if he did turn human again while ryouma's still a horse it wouldn't matter much, right? maybe he should've anticipated all his fatigue potentially catching up to him at some point (like right now) but of course... he does not. it's fine! just resting his eyes...! ]

[ He shifts a little when he feels Izō settle down on top of him, just enough to make him a little more comfortable. Unlike Izō, he's under no illusions that he won't just fall asleep here for god knows how long. It's very easy to let sleep take his sick body and exhausted mind, out like a light in just a few minutes.

A restful sleep despite the circumstances. Maybe it's the lack of stress now that he's asleep or maybe something else entirely that loosens the magic's hold on him, no matter what it is, the end result is the same; he shifts back into a much more familiar form.

An awkward situation gets a little more awkward. ]

[ izō was convinced that he'd be able to power through if he just sat and laid still a bit longer. maybe think things through until he could figure out how to make himself turn back.

this is not the first time that he's been wrong and surely not the last.

thanks to ryouma, he's warm and also comfortable, and so it isn't long until izō has also drifted off to sleep because he needs it a lot more than he realises.

after a few hours, he finally starts to return to the world of the living, at least aware enough right off that he's not a dog anymore, so that's nice. he's also feeling better; although it will probably take a bit more time before he's entirely free of the flu, it's a good start. what he's laying on feels damp under his cheek — which probably means he'd drooled or his nose had kept on running while he was asleep — and he sits up tiredly to wipe his face on his sleeve and unstick the hair that's ended up plastered onto it as a result. ~~sorry ryouma, looks like someone's going to have to have that washed.~~

it's a bit disorienting given that hours instead of minutes have passed, and things all look a little different from the perspective of a human instead of a small dog. this was way less awkward when they were animals. and speaking of that, he remembers now that ryouma had been a horse when they got here and now... ]

... What? WHAT?! OI! WHAT THE HELL?!

[ never mind that izō is the one sitting on ryouma and not the other way around. can you get offended at your own choices and still blame other people? he's going to try. izō also isn't moving despite his objections, mostly because he's busy yelling... ]

[ Ryouma had been snoring peacefully with his arm draped over his face -- "had been" being the keywords here. When Izō stirs, he just mutters something and shifts a little. When he starts yelling at him is when he actually wakes up. He turns his head to cough as he sits up, giving Izō a mildly annoyed look. ]

Why're ya yellin'...?

[ That's about when he notices the wet spot on his chest...Ah well. He doesn't try to move Izō off of him or anything; it's better to let him sit there and yell for now.

...

At least until the shopkeeper that own the stall is drawn by the noise. Two disheveled men, sitting on top of each other, one of them yelling -- they're clearly drunk transients. ]

You can't sleep here, you need to leave before I contact the authorities.

[ Ryouma can only stare, at a loss for words for once in his life. ]

'CAUSE I FELT LIKE IT!

[ which is honestly as good an excuse as any right now. at the shopkeeper's interruption, he just stops and stares. this does not help him feel any less flustered over this.

izō's not sitting on ryouma anymore, at least. no, instead, he's tripping over himself to get up, having really only processed about half of what the shopkeeper had said. ]

Yeah? And then what? Like t'see 'em try. Who the hell d'ya think you are threatin' me, huh?!

[ bit of a misunderstanding. at least no one's thinking about where he ended up when he woke up, though, right? ]

[ The moment there is A Problem, Ryouma is on his feet. He doesn't even bother to dust himself off, he just grabs Izō's arm and pulls him out of the way so Ryouma is between him and the shopkeeper. ]

Ah, I'm very sorry to bother you. Please excuse my friend, we're both feeling a little under the weather and needed a place to rest. Don't...call the authorities, please. We'll get out of here right now. [ He bows reflexively. ] Sorry again!

[ Before the shopkeeper or Izō can say a word, Ryouma drags Izō away in a hurry. ]

Dear me...

[Hello, Izō. Two wide, sympathetic blue eyes are peering down at you. Rinea has stopped in the middle of her walk home to crouch down and examine the creature collapsed in the middle of the walkway.]

Poor thing, panting so! [It's ill-advised to touch a strange animal, but Rinea strokes his back gently, trying to get a sense of his health.] Do you need help, little one? Oh, perhaps I should call for Kadoc...

[Fuss fuss fuss. Are you still able to speak humanese, izo??? Or will you be forced to accept some misplaced generosity.....]

[ curse whatever canine instinct makes his tail wag of its own volition at the sound of friendly voices paying attention to him — because that's what's happening right now.

izō can also definitely speak just fine as he is, but he finds himself in a bit of a dilemma. or it seems that way if you're bad at making obvious decisions, anyway.

this is embarrassing! and she's a stranger — although a friendly one, by the sound of her voice — and izō has to weigh the benefits of speaking up or going along with letting her think he's just a poor, sickly stray.

which might be okay if izō hadn't sneezed himself into this state in the first place... what if he sneezes himself out of it again? or turns into something else?

despite all the sniffling and sneezing earlier, his doggie nose is dry, and he probably feels warm enough even through his fluffy coat to suspect a fever. but then she mentions kadoc, which takes care of his decision without a second thought. kadoc is from his world, technically, even if it's a slightly different version of it. point is he knows other servants. ]

Nnn— no. Not that one. If yer callin' that one, then y'never saw me...

[ sorry rinea, it's probably a little jarring to have a man's voice come out of a small dog all of a sudden. ]

Hardly know the guy, but he knows people I know. It's fine... 'm totally fine. Jus' takin' a break...

[ a break he is not planning on getting up from yet. ]

[Izō's voice is very startling to hear out of a dog, yes! Rinea is so surprised-- her shocked expression punctuated with a jump and a soft "oh!"-- that it takes her more than a moment to comprehend the actual words he communicated.]

W-Well then! We shan't trouble with him. [She doesn't really get any of that "knows people I know" tripe, but she's pretty sure Kadoc's new animal shelter doesn't deal in human-level sentience so it's a moot point.]

But-- um-- sir? [HOW DO YOU ADDRESS A TALKLING DOG???????? Rinea feels very silly, conversing with a little lump of fur while crouched over him like this, but what else is she supposed to do?!] --I cannot just leave you here! You've clearly collapsed. Wherever were you going in such a state?

Eh, y'ain't gotta call me "sir". Always sounds funny...

[ he appreciates the thought, though. too much formality is always better than the opposite! not that he offers an alternative; thinking up names to give people has gotten harder since the owner of the name he was borrowing showed up in avalon... ]

What d'ya mean clearly? I'm perfectly— [ he starts getting up as he's saying this but is surprisingly unsteady for having four paws to stand on. ] Aight, fine. You win.

[ izō has always been the sort to keep going until he can't, but usually hitting that point doesn't happen where anyone can see it. at least rinea's not laughing. ]

I was headin' out to this place I go to all the time, 'cause I wanted to get rid of the shitty headache I been havin' a couple days, see? Didn't feel so good, so I turned around an' was goin' back to the inn. Turnin' into a dog wasn't part of the plan...

[So he's not REALLY a dog?!?!?!?! Even knowing that, though, he's so cute and pitiful standing there with all four stubby legs spread like he's gonna plop down again at any moment. Poor doggy.... Poor little man.]

The Red Springs? That's quite far from here.. [since they're still in Camelot. And he was gonna walk all the way there... wehh.....] ...and even if I did take you there, I doubt I could get you back into your room. [since he's a dog now, and his room key has probably disappeared into his fur.] Hmm...

[Rinea looks conflicted as she thinks it over, still nothing but sympathetic for izo's plight. She can't take him to the inn, and he doesn't want help from Kadoc, so...]

...Well, my home is quite near. I shall bring you there to rest before we call a carriage. The weather is getting so cold and rainy these days! It will do you some good to get out of it.

[Before Izo can stage any sort of protest, Rinea uses kinetic magic to lift him from the ground and into her arms. (She can't resist giving his head a little stroke as she holds him close.)] Let's be on our way!

[SORRY BUDDY]

[ sorry, magic lettuce, people need to eat in these trying times. ~~and also drink.~~ and basically, just live comfortably. what's the big deal anyway?

izō is not great at the transformative aspect of his animal magic. still, he's had plenty of practise talking to the local animals and has cut himself a little deal with some of the crows.

which is why izō is out here in the woods where he's hoping there's nobody around but him and the birds, catching flying heads of lettuce. as one does. he's not a fan of the fact that they're just flopping around in the bag he brought for this, though...

whatever! he doesn't feel guilty about this. it's just lettuce! ]

Settle down, will ya?

[ ... nobody heard him snap at lettuce, right?

izō really should get going, but the fact that he can sense that the lettuce isn't happy with him is really distracting. welcome to green magic? ]

[Souma wanted to complete more missions successfully, and that is why he is here to guard lettuce from poachers. He is picking his way forward cautiously, so as not to disturb nature any more than he knows his presence already does. He is telling a quiet story, and five heads of butterflying lettuce are fluttering around him, as if interested to hear what happens next.]

So Yami-no-Mikazuki-sama was sitting on the roof of his pavilion, gazing up at the River of Heaven. The hundred suitors seeking his hand in marriage had brought him such gifts as he would never have dreamed of-- his whole bedchamber was packed full of them. Gaudy things, ostentatious things. Bizarre things, meant to show one's status off-- things that Mizazuki-sama, in his humble way, had no interest in.

The sky above him was silent. His heart was grieving. He knew that he would have to choose one of the suitors to wed-- his parents had promised, and they could not go back on their word. But none of these men knew his heart. He knew that by their gifts and the words they had written to him. The suitors knew the tales of his beauty, and his riches, but they did not know or understand who he truly was-- they were not paying attention to him at-all. He felt that he had not a friend in his whole village-- nay, in the world. 'What is a face,' he thought. 'It is not me. Is there not more to a person than their looks?'

[The lettuce flap excitedly, as if in agreement. Souma turns a corner around a massive oak tree, and lays eyes on Izo. He gives a shy little bow.]

Oh, Master Izo. Good morrow to you.

[ there happens to be an extremely short list of people who decide to refer to him as "master" izō, so now that he’s been caught in his lettuce-poaching ways he’s not feeling any less guilty about it.

in his defence… he’s been nice to them so far? aside from catching them and all… ]

Er… [ he gives an awkward little nod in return as a greeting. he’s a little distracted with the lettuce flapping around like they all came together. ]

Wait. Who’re ya talkin' to jus' now? Thought I heard somethin'…

I was telling a tale to these lettuce friends I found. It seems they like stories. They also like to be scratched right here, on the lateral veins.

[Souma demonstrates and the lettuce he is gently scratching trills and gives a ruffle of it's leaves. The other lettuces start crowding round and bumping him as if they want to get petted too.]

Are you taking a stroll? Maybe... foraging or hunting? I see that you have a bag. It is truffle and mushroom season, isn't it?

... Really? They understand it when ya talk to 'em like that?

[ as if he couldn't see it just by watching. ah, yes. that guilty feeling just intensifies. izō has no idea if it's truffle or mushroom season because if he did maybe he could just agree and—... or maybe it's a test? but that's really his tendency to distrust talking. it's somewhat noticeable because souma seems so earnest that it makes it difficult to consider making up a story. for an assassin, the deception begins and ends at hiding his presence. he's not exactly sneaky otherwise.

he breathes a long sigh and his shoulders slump a little as he starts tugging a little at the edge of his scarf as an idle fidget. ]

Ah, a'ight I'll jus' be square with ya...

[ suddenly he recalls that souma had mentioned something about having a poor opinion of samurai and he dreads it even more. ]

Someone was askin' for a few of these... ah... friends ya got here an' offerin' t'pay real well for it, see? But I didn't know it was like that. I thought they might be like, y'know, whattaya call 'em? Jellyfish?

[ which is to say, something that just floats around aimlessly and does its thing. he offers up the moving bag because what else is he supposed to do with it? ]

Don't really feel right anymore. Sorta like handin' baby cows to a wolf or somethin'. [ because he's pretty sure they were going to get eaten. ] Anyway, I already know what yer gonna think of me, ya ain't gotta say it.

[Souma nods eagerly.]

I think so. But... maybe they are just liking the sound of a voice...

I was thinking that maybe, you need money. That is all. Was I supposed to think something else?

[Souma scratches his head, pondering. But at the mention of jellyfish he makes a disgusted expression, and shudders at the memory of his arrival.]

Ugh. Those dastardly gelatinous... fiends. Please do capture those.

Master Izō, do you need work?

Oh...

[ this is clearly not the reaction he was expecting, so there's a few seconds where he just sort of stares and waits for his brain to catch up and adjust. ]

Nah. But ya wouldn't have been the first person t' think the worst of me over somethin' like that, so consider me pleasantly surprised.

[ it's also just a relief not to have all that weird disapproval aimed in his direction. he doesn't expect lettuce to forgive, but at least its aware enough to know it's not in danger anymore. ]

Anyway, I'm always lookin' for somethin' to do, yeah. Not much steady work in peacetime for somebody like me, but I ain't takin' handouts from nobody.

『 open 』 — my world's on fire, how about yours?

⚔️ — izō.

① magical flu season | open

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② unhappy veg | open

FLAPPY VEG

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