isleofavalon | 3rd Feather - November Catchall [Open]

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3rd Feather - November Catchall [Open]

🧙 WHO: Crow and You!
⚔️️ WHAT: Flap Veg Quest and some TDM prompts
🕒 WHEN: Throughout November
🗺️ WHERE: Various locations
⚠️ WARNINGS: None at the moment
[Quest] Flap Veg

[ Crow saw both requests. One to protect the butterfly lettuce and the other to steal it. He considers both, but it doesn't seem wise to be the offensive when he has no idea how outmatched he'd be. It's better to be on the defense, but there are still disadvantages there too. Whatever, how hard can guarding lettuce be?

So Crow guards over the fluttering produce armed with his guitar, in case things do go awry. Though as miraculous as flying lettuce is, it's also quite boring to watch. So Crow may--may not be nodding off in the middle of his shift. This could be a good chance to steal some lettuce!]

A. The Floor is Lava!

This is insane!

[Maybe this is someone's idea of a sick joke, but Crow perceives it as the best obstacle course ever! He stands at the doorframe leading to what looks like a living room. The room looks fully furnished, despite the obvious fact that the floor is full of magma, but the furniture doesn't seem to be scorched. Still, he can feel the heat radiating from it, and it does seem to appear realistic with how it bubbles and swirls around like boiling stew.

Crow peeks around the room, trying to map out how he would get across. There are various things they can use as footings like the coffee table, sofa, and armchairs. There are a few bookcases along the walls that maybe they could knock over or even the curtains they could swing from.

He bounces on his heels, ready to take the first leap inside. Finally, he turns to his comrade, seeing how they felt about this.]

Should we stick together? Or go separate ways and meet on the other side?

B. Hungry No More

I. [Crow enjoyed watching those videos. So much that they encouraged him to help the cause, and also experiment with cloning the food. It's an issue he firmly stands behind because no one should have to wonder where their next meal is. So he starts to play around with a few recipes. Some didn't even work, but Crow keeps trying. He follows some videos to a T, but ultimately he decides to be a little heavy-handed towards the end. Unfortunately, this effort causes the food to multiply at a quite alarming rate. Crow stands there stunned at how fast his food is replicating, before long it flattens him against the wall. The rocker couldn't even move an inch from the sheer weight of the accumulating vegetable, why did he think it was a good idea to clone a pumpkin?! All he could do is yell out for help, hoping someone could hear him.]

Is anyone out there?! I'm being crushed! Crushed to death by pumpkins!!

II. [ Somehow he manages to escape death's cold grasp after the first mishap, but this time will be different. He gives the recipe another go, this time choosing a carrot to experiment on. Yet, Crow actually messes up the recipe again, but not only does it multiply, but the vegetable also starts sprouting arms and legs. Not long there's a small army of carrots menacingly stalking towards him.]

This is why I don't do science experiments!

[He tries to get rid of them, pulling out his guitar, so he can hack the produce into bits. The sharp edge of his guitar splits a few of them in half. Crow watches in horror as the monster carrots regenerate, before replicating into doubles.]

Shit!

[He doesn't even know how to fix this either. All Crow could do is seek help, but from whom? Maybe you're lucky enough to bump into Crow as he tries to outrun some mutated carrots.]

C. Magical Flu

[He's been feeling under the weather for a few days. The normally energetic hedgehog finds himself just wanting to sleep all day. His body feels weak and heavy. He also constantly feels cold. He hopes he's not getting...sick?! He should probably stay inside and reserve his energy, but he figures a walk might cure his lethargy. Big mistake!

He walks around Camelot, but he doesn't feel any better. Instead, his nose feels a bit itchy now. He covers his nose for the inevitable sneeze to follow.]

ACHOO!

[ Unbeknowst to Crow some of his dark magic leaks out and hits a person nearby. The innocent bystander's clothes flip backward, so all the fastenings are at the person's back instead of the front. Someone's going to have trouble getting out of their clothes. He sneezes again a horse gets hit by the stray magic, the stallion's legs start to wiggle about as if made of jelly. The redhead notices weird things are happening around him, but he's not aware that he's the cause. Since Crow's magic consists of jinxes and enchantments, he'll affect people with mild annoyances.]

Huh? What is up with everyone today?

[Someone stop him before he creates an even bigger mess!]

D. Paralysis, paralysis, paralysis again

[ Crow seems like a pretty confident person, but he actually has some insecurities as well. A wandering sleep demon picks up on it as the redhead sleeps, entering his body and creating a nightmare of his own inner demons. On the outside, Crow is tossing and turning, muttering to himself and clutching his blanket tightly around him.

Though within his dream, he sees his father. At least, a dark silhouette of the grumpy hedgehog. The shadowy figure starts to belittle him, just like he always did.]

So, you came crawling back? That precious dream of yours ended up being a failure, didn't it?

[ Crow could feel those words affecting him, making him feel small.] N-no, it didn't! ShinganCrimsonZ has played at many venues and we have a fanbase---!

But you haven't made it to the top of Midi City's music charts, yet?

N-no, but it's only a matter of time! Just a little bit more and I'll prove to you that I have what it takes!

You don't have what it takes. You're difficult to work with! You're self-centered! Bad attitude, too! You don't have the ambition to see it through! When are you going to learn to accept your place? You've come from generations of dairy farmers, that's all you'll ever be.

[Crow can feel each of those words anchoring him down. Normally, he would fight back. Argue that those words aren't true at all, but his voice gets lost in his throat. He can't deny it, maybe he's right?]

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[Luckily for Crow an open window allows his cries for help to reach Hijikata's ears outside, and in another stroke of luck the samurai finds the door unlocked and can barge in like a whole cavalry, yelling for his friend and using his sword to slice pumpkins to bits. There's a lot of pulp- and juice gore.]

Crow, what the hell did you do?! Where are you?!

[There are so many goddamn pumpkins!! At least those he cuts apart seem to be either permanently or temporarily disabled from cloning themselves, so it does slow down the explosive multiplication. After a little more chopping, kicking and elbowing Hijikata spots Crow's small hedgehog ears as the rocker struggles to surface from under the mass of orange fruits.]

There you are!!

[He reaches down to grab him under one arm and pull him up.]

Help me destroy them, otherwise they'll take over the whole house!

[ Crow really thought he was going to die. His life flashed before his crimson eyes and all he could see was an ocean of orange. That's until he hears Hijikata's muffled voice. It's not long before the pumpkins clear away from him as the samurai starts slicing and dicing them up.

When he emerges from the avalanche of pumpkins, the singer is a little banged up. His clothes soaking wet from pumpkin juices. Pumpkin bits decorate patches of his skin. He's differently going to need a shower after this. Still, he manages to look grateful towards the older man.]

I'm so glad to see you.

[ Though, during the pause, the pumpkins continue to multiply, causing the dwelling to shudder under the strain. They had to move fast. He looks toward Hijikata with determination, before pulling out his guitar, ready to chop up some pumpkins.]

Okay! Let's smash some pumpkins!!!

[He kicks at the pumpkins by his feet to give him some space to maneuver as he allows his Red Tomahawk to hack through the gords. Pumpkin juice spray everywhere, but destroying them seems to be slowing the replication down.]

[(~~That's totally pumpkin juice in the icon~~) If Crow manages to strum his weapon a little they may just have a fittingly hard-riffed soundtrack to their hacking, slicing and stabbing! (Okay, no, that isn't a priority right now.) At this rate the kitchen is going to need a deep cleansing... some of the cut-up fruits even still manage to grow full copies out of each half or quarter, just at a slower rate.]

Do you have a fire alarm in here?!

[That question may or may not alarm Crow (it should).]

[ ~~Definitely, pumpkin juice.~~

It's a mess! A huge mess, but somehow this is really therapeutic. Who knew hacking into pumpkins would be this fun? Though he knows when they let up, pumpkins can easily start duplicating again.

So when Hijikata asks about the fire alarm, he's caught off guard.] What does that have to do with---you're not gonna torch the place are you, are you? I live here!

[He's sure the samurai has some mastery of his magic by now, and Hijikata could probably control the fire to not cause an inferno, but that's a huge chance to take!]

Fine, fine!

[His elemental control isn't quite as fine-tuned as Crow is willing to give him credit for, so it's for the better that he doesn't go through with the idea, otherwise he might just have taken them both out along with the pumpkins. After making sure that none have rolled out of the room he harshly pulls the door shut so the disaster at least remains contained to the kitchen.]

Keep going!!

[As more and more pumpkins are being chopped up the multiplication gradually slows down further, but at the same time Crow and Hijikata's movement is getting increasingly hindered by the rising sludge of juice and mush.]

Shit... they're still copying themselves at the bottom of this soup! We've got to crush them!

[He violently stabs and stomps, but the increase of pumpkins still slowly raises the flood level.]

If it reaches the window we've got to open it so it can flow out!

[The accumulation becomes even more obvious with the pumpkin muck being contained in the kitchen. The mixture of juice and mush raises up to halfway up Crow's calves. The hedgehog swings and hacks away through the sludge to catch any pumpkins that could still be multiplying on the bottom. Though the task doesn't become any easier as his visibility shrinks. Crow blindingly sweeps his guitar around, splashes the muck along the walls and even on himself. He stops his heeled shoes to try to catch the ones that his eyes can't see, but eventually, it becomes fruitless.]

I can't even see through this soup!

[Little by little the level raises, Crow can almost feel the current from the pumpkin sludge starting to toss him around. The pains of being short! Not long the musician finds himself standing waist-deep in pumpkin soup. He hurries over to throw open the windows, wading through the sludge and nearly falling face-first into it! He'll never look at pumpkins the same again!

The sludge could start pouring out of the room, slowly trickling out, but it's not fast enough for the hedgehog. He decides to enchant a few pots and pans, bewitching them to help scoop out some of the pumpkin juice out of the windows as well.

The level starts to go down a lot faster, but there's still the multiplying pumpkins to contend with. As the amount of sludge decreases, he can see a few pumpkins starting to sprout up again. This will be neverending if we don't have a better solution. He sighs heavily.]

Okay! Maybe not set the whole place on fire, but can you at least make these bastard boil?!

[ Hijikata's initial idea is starting to sound good at this moment.]

Boil? I don't know how to do that!

[Unlike other elemental mages he never tried to experiment with only heat or cold; he always summoned the full element. He quickly thinks about the options they have...]

Get on the surface next to the sink!

[He wades through the pumpkin sludge to do the same on the other side of the sink. They'll have to awkwardly crouch under the cabinets, but it'll do. Once Crow is safely on dry land, so to speak, he quickly explains.]

I'll electrify the soup!

[It's still mostly water, right, so it should carry the current! Ideally it'll wreck the pumpkins and stop the multiplication without setting off the fire alarm. He summons a crackling ball of lightning in his hand and throws it across the sludge's surface like a discus. It leaves forked sparks that briefly flicker, and then, when it properly goes under, there's a silent expansion of lightning in all directions that briefly makes the orange flood glow white and purple before subsiding.]

...

Did it stop?

[He attentively watches the swamp for any signs of movement under the surface.]

[Crow climbs onto the sink as Hijikata instructs him to. It certainly is an awkward spot to be in, but he fits snugly underneath the cabinets with his stature. Since Hijikata is taller though, his position is a bit more cumbersome, but it's temporary. At the samurai's idea, Crow doesn't see anything wrong with it. If he didn't know how to use his magic to make the pumpkins boil, then electrifying them seems to be the next best thing.

He watches the light show as the electricity surges throughout the muck. There seems to be a bit of heat and a burnt smell that radiates from the soup. As for Hijikata's question, Crow hopes the electric attack did remedy the situation! Though his hope shatters when he sees bubbles start to form along the surface. The bubbles form slowly, then it gradually gets bigger and more plentiful. What is going on?

Suddenly pumpkins start to pop up like popcorn from kernels. The propagation increases at an even faster rate!]

Shit! I think we made it worse! Abandon ship! Abandon ship!

[They had to get out of here before the house explodes from the pumpkin overflow!]

No way!! I'm not yielding to some rotten pumpkins!

[They're not rotten at all, but he's pissed!! He starts hacking and slicing at them like a madman, but Crow is right in his assessment; they'll probably downright get crushed if they don't bail really fast. Hijikata starts using ice magic in addition to his sword, trying to freeze both the mush and the pumpkins, but it's doubtful if he'll have enough mana to take care of the sheer amount.]

I'd flood them out of the window, but they'd keep multiplying and overwhelm the city, wouldn't they... shit!

[ Woah, look at Hijikata go!

He stares in awe as the officer goes into full berserker mode! This is a good reminder not to piss the older man off. Though even if Hijikata is adamant about defeating the multiplying horde of pumpkins, his efforts seem pretty futile. Despite the frost and the lashings of his blade, the pumpkins keep popping up.

He needs to think before his house goes KABOOM!]

Um...um...I have that bag!

[ A few months ago, Crow brought a cool-looking accessory from Elphame Traders, the munch and crunch bag. It's basically a portable garbage can! He just got it for style, but now he has an actual use for it! He calls on Onyx to retrieve it since it's in another room and once the yatagarasu swoops in. He drops the very bitey backpack into the fray. Immediately, it's start consuming the pumpkins, chomping down on anything it can get its mouth on. It's starting to change the tide.]

Now, I think we have a chance!

As if a bag--

[He stops right there when he sees the bag. What the hell is this?! Wait, isn't it the trash-eating bag the traders were selling a while ago? Back then Hijikata thought it was weird and kind of ugly and would probably end with some people losing a few fingers, but afterwards he pretty much forgot about it... until now. Seeing it devour the pumpkins like a small shark that's been thrown into a school of sunfish invigorates him.]

Yes!! Fuck them up!!

[This exclamation would have gotten him beeped back home, but alas, Avalon has no censor system (or does it?). He keeps up his efforts, slicing and dicing larger pumpkins into bite-sized chunks for the bag and freezing as many as he can to keep them from multiplying in the meantime. It would be great if they had more than just the one bag...]

Crow! Try the spell on the bag! If we can clone it..!!

[Sure, this is risky. In the best case they'll end up with two bags for doubled efficiency, but in the worst case they may get an ever-growing swarm of them, and then they'll arguably have a bigger problem than currently since the bags will look for more food after eliminating all the pumpkins. Is it worth the gamble?]

[ Avalon doesn't censor them, which is the greatest thing ever! Crow has to deal with Sanrio censoring him too, especially the use of his middle finger.

Though when Hijikata coaxes him to use the recipe on his bag, Crow isn't so sure. With the way the pumpkins turned out, he's not confident he won't mess this up as well. He thinks he can live in a world of multiplying pumpkins, but not so much a world of replicating garbage disposal bags!]

That's an apocalyptically crazy idea! Maybe I can do something else though!

[If Hijikata is looking for efficiency, instead of cloning the bag, he could make it bigger with his dark enchantments. He waits for the bag to leap out of the pumpkin sludge for him to hit it with his dark magic. The effect will be temporary, but it should be big enough to get the job done. By absorbing his dark magic, the bag grows five times its size. With its large mouth, it's able to swallow up more of the pumpkins into its mouth like a small black hole.]

All right, final stretch!

[Crow uses his guitar to pellet pumpkins into the Munch and Crunch bag's mouth, with such a large target it's hard to miss.]

[Thanks for holding the brain cell in this situation, Crow... cloning the Munch and Crunch bag wasn't one of Hijikata's brightest ideas. Sometimes his pissiness really clouds his judgement, and right now he's beyond incensed at the popcorn-kernel-like pumpkin popping activity. His mood swings further over to vicious vindication, though, as the sized up bag gobbles up mid-sized pumpkins like mini meat pies and cut-up larger ones like orange slices.]

We're winning!!

[The pumpkins simply can't replicate at the rate they're being eaten, and before long the bag has to chase after the remaining ones. It's only now that Hijikata realises that this might turn into a problem after all...]

You can make it small again, right?

[Right???]

Ummmm? The magic will wear off after a while!

[The redhead waves it off nonchalantly. He never had to worry about reverting things back, Crow usually, just let his magic run out. His magic didn't have staying power which speaks to the level of magic he's at, but he still managed to make his bag bigger!

Finally, the Munch and Crunch bag eats the remaining pumpkins. The hedgehog doesn't know where all of them went, but the bag looks bloated. The rugged bag leans against the wall to rest before releasing a loud burp that makes the place shake! Thankfully, it's too full to go after them next, or maybe it's digesting for the next course? Crow doesn't want to think about it. Instead, Crow's more concerned with the pumpkin sludge seeping into the clothes and hair. A lot of it got into his shoes, ew!]

I don't think I can ever look at pumpkins the same way again! Thanks for your help, man! I thought I was a goner!

[Seeing the bag all stuffed and apparently ready to fall into a food coma relaxes Hijikata. They really did it!! The room is indeed a complete mess, though, and so are he and Crow... everything smells of pumpkin, and they're still hip-deep in sludge (it only kept increasing as more and more pumpkins were turned into mush).]

Don't mention it.

[He wades over to the window and looks out, but simply pouring the mess down wouldn't be a great idea, given that they'd definitely be observed and people would probably raise complains. He takes his phone out from his jacket pocket with a tired sigh.]

I'm calling some professional cleaners.

[He knows for a fact that there are clean-up spells, but since he doesn't know any of them he'll leave it to the professionals. The person on the other end of the line agrees to come over ASAP and bring a ladder to climb through the window so they can keep the door closed (never mind that part of the pumpkin soup must inevitably have been spilling through the gap underneath throughout the ordeal).]

Let's wait until they get here. Sorry, Crow, I know you just wanted to make more food.

[The prospect of a food shortage is frightening, so he won't go hard on the rocker for this domestic disaster.]

[ Crow sighs as he looks at the state of his kitchen. He could clean this up on his own, but it'll probably take all night. After trying to fix the disaster he caused, he was already drained.

So he perks up as Hijikata says he'd call in the professionals to clean up the mess. That's a great idea, and it's not like he doesn't have the money to pay since he works and also does enough quests to cover the expense.]

Yeah, because I don't think I have the energy to deal with this shit on my own!

[ He knows Hijikata is going easy on him, but he knows he messed up! If Rom were here, he'd punch him real good for his stupidity! He deserves it since the situation could've been worse. Next time he'll leave it to the professionals. His hedgehog ears fold back in shame as he sighs deeply again.]

Why are you sorry? I should've known it was going to turn out this way! I can barely cook, so I was too ambitious to think I was capable of a potion like this! And I dragged you into my mess, too! When the cleaners come, I can throw your clothes into the wash and you're free to take a shower, too! You're probably going back to patrol after this, so that's the least I can do.

[Honestly, if Crow had done it for shits and giggles Hijikata would probably be yelling admonishments while pulling his ears now (either pair), but with the long, hard winter looming before them he just can't bring himself to be angry. He remembers Crow's optimism at the charity concert... he clearly just wanted to make the best of the situation. Hijikata musters a tired grin at the offer.]

I won't say no to that. But let's first see if they can't clean us up, too; that'd save a lot of time.

[Only minutes later the cleaner's ladder settles against the window frame outside, and an athletic young man in overalls with 'Cyrus' Cleaning Service' printed on climbs up, surveys the situation, and quickly gets rid of the entire mess with a complex incantation. Both the kitchen and the two pumpkin warriors are clean, tidy and even dry again! Hijikata exhales in relief as he runs a hand through his hair and feels no pumpkin chunks whatsoever.]

Thanks so much! Come in; some of the mess may have gotten through the door.

[Before long any overspill is likewise taken care of, and the price, while not a bargain, is decent enough. Hijikata doesn't offer to chip in, given how much Crow wants to take responsibility. The three of them chat for a moment longer, with the cleaner explaining how he already had to sort out several such situations and cautioning Crow and Hijikata against trying to replicate their food again, then he takes his leave.]

Well, now we're still hungry, huh? Let's go out to eat instead.

[Wow, the cleaning guy was such a lifesaver! He's glad he had such a good attitude about the situation, especially since he's been dealing with this for a while. Though he does heed the cleaner's warning! Crow's not touching any food replicating ANYTHING ever again!

Although, the hedgehog does marvel at that cleaning spell. It really did clean up everything, even got into tiny crevices. That's pretty impressive! It might come in handy to learn one of those given the strange things that can happen in Avalon. It wouldn't be the first or last time, he or someone else he knows is covered in goop. Maybe, he'll experiment with that instead.

Once the cleaner leaves, Hijikata mentions something about out to eat. It would be understandable if a normal person didn't want to see food for a while after the pumpkin fiasco, but Crow isn't a normal individual. His red eyes light up at the suggestion, it's the pick-me-up he needs!]

Oh, you have some time? Let's go! Let's gooooo!

[He starts tugging on Hijikata's arm like some little kid.]

I could go for some meat! Something really beefy, juicy, tender, and with extra fat!

[After seeing all that pumpkin sludge, it did kind of affect his appetite, and in a way to balance things out, he feels a meat dish should suffice.]

[Hijikata was already overdue for a lunch break when he came to Crow's rescue, and after this ordeal they both need it all the more! He can't help but smile at his friend's childlike excitement.]

Definitely! A vegetarian meal is the last thing I want right now. Let's go to one of the fast food places for hamburgers!

[He tries to shake his concerns over the food shortage out of his mind for the time being. Right now there's still enough for everybody, even if the hotel and other complementary services have to ration things, so he'll treat himself and Crow to the juiciest burgers on the menu.]

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3rd Feather - November Catchall [Open]

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