isleofavalon | January catchall with some oak barrel aged December

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January catchall with some oak barrel aged December

🧙 WHO: Kadoc and others, including perhaps you(r character)?! CR should definitely poke in for holiday gift fun!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-all for January and even some backdated into late December, because That's Life Babey! Event, holidays, TDM!
🕒 WHEN: Late December through mid-January
🗺️ WHERE: Nicnevin to begin with, then the Forest Camp and Camelot after the event
⚠️ WARNINGS: oops I forgot to do this part. None right now, will add as needed!

1. December 22nd: I Say Thee Neigh; for Klaudia

[Remember last month in Nicnevin, on the 21st-22nd, when that wacky dead horse rap battle thing happened? Boy, Kadoc will. For a long time to come. Let's flash back to that day and set the scene:

What's the only thing sadder than losing a rap battle? Not even putting up a fight. Kadoc, despite knowing what Mari Lwyd is and knowing damn well he's staying in Magical Trickster Country where everything should probably be treated as potentially real and dangerous, had just shut the door in the horse's face when it had come knocking, totally unwilling to bend and play along—and now he's paying the price. He should have realized! He'd had a comparable wealth of safe food just yesterday afternoon, and now he's lost everything, and it kinda serves him right for being a killjoy. Kill not your cringe, but the part of you that cringes!

It's been a day. He's getting hungry. So finally, he's subjecting himself to a different kind of cringe: here he is sitting on a bench in the residential area holding a sign that says]

LOST ALL MY FOOD TO A SKELETON HORSE BECAUSE I CAN'T RAP

can't believe this is my life now

[just in case some kind soul with extra to spare happens to take pity on him.

At least he can't possibly be the only one this happened to, can he?!]

2. January 1st: New Year, New Awww You Shouldn't Have; for all CR

[Kadoc hadn't managed to get anything out for anyone for Christmas; he'd had grand plans, and then run into a stupid snag, procrastinated on them, and half given up on the idea entirely when it had become too late to do anything in time. But on the holiday itself, when he'd been showered in thoughtful gifts, way beyond what he'd expected . . . there's nothing like other people's kindness and care to shame him, I mean inspire him, to get over himself and go hire an alchemist already at his personal expense to do the thing he'd wanted to do in the first place.

So people are getting New Year's gifts instead. On New Year's Day, people who know Kadoc well (and definitely anyone who gave him a gift themselves) will be receiving packages in the mail; each one contains a rectangle of fabric, the size of a postcard, framed under glass. Each piece of fabric is enchanted via the spell from this event with an intricate moving pattern. The patterns are all different, individually tailored to the person receiving them.

They come with a note:]

New Year's gifts aren't a thing, so you can probably tell this is a week late. Sorry about that. I won't waste this letter explaining or apologizing, except for the one I just did. And honestly, I'm not great at being sentimental, so I'm not sure what else to say. Happy new year. We're both here ringing it in together. I just wanted you to know I appreciate that.

Kadoc

[You're free to choose what pattern your character got, ask me for details via PM or Discord @ Hen#6953, or comment to this post if you want your character to respond somehow to the gift and I'll make sure to describe it in my reply. I'm easy!]

3. Early January: It's Another Farming Quest!; for Ritsuka

[Kadoc doesn't bake, generally speaking; he cooks, and decently at that, but he leaves the baking to Gareth, and even if this were a cooking competition he wouldn't join it or anything. No competitive confidence in those skills.

So he doesn't really need to go out fetching ingredients. And neither, as far as he can tell, does Fujimaru . . . does she bake? She doesn't bake, does she? So why is she even out here going out of her way to head into the forest to gather things? Why did she insist he come along as her friendly(?) Wilderness Expert?

Why the hell did he say yes?

All this and more on today's Chaldea Farming Mission!

Here he is shaking snow off a small bush to confirm that it is, in fact, rosemary, when he has to pause and squint up at her—the snow is bright, and he wishes he had a spell to dim his vision for this—]

. . . Give it to me straight. Are you just obsessed with resource management stuff or something?

[Like he can talk.]

4. Early January: Sprung a Little Leek; OTA

[Though Kadoc's spending most of his ingredient hunting time being bullied into helping out Ritsuka, once he gets a good idea of what's out there, some of it is worth going back for on his own, for his own purposes. Herbs! Juniper berries! He wants those for stew once he gets back to Camelot!

Of course it's when he's by himself that he makes a stupid rookie mistake and tries one of the leeks, even after engaging its little stupid frowny face in a staring contest for a good few minutes. How bad can it possibly be, he thinks! He should know better by now! How many times do we need to teach you this lesson, old man?!

And that's why just anyone might come across him five minutes later, curled up in the snow some distance from the camp, sobbing his eyes out. He tries to keep his tears wiped off on his sleeve, but to no avail; there are too many of them, crystallizing in his eyelashes in the cold. These . . . are the sad boy hours.

Of course, if he senses anyone approaching, his hiccuping, watery response is,]

'm fine! It's . . . just . . . fine . . .

[Uh-huh.]

5. It's The Wildcard

[I've had a rough go of it this month and last so I don't have a plotting comment up for the month, but please, by all means! Surprise me, or PM me, or hit me up on Discord or Plurk (

benthic)! I would definitely be interested in egg babies if anyone's into that, just hmu. Or poke me about a quest or another prompt. Let's 2022!]

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[I-I swear! It's fine! You're overreacting! I'm just stupid, fake depressed, on top of my real depressed, because of some magic crap I should've known better than to mess with!

. . . Is what he thinks. Or at least, it's the gist of what he knows he should be getting across. But it doesn't come out quite like that. The hands that he lifts to wave just kind of curl there sadly in the air, limp, and he says,]

Nnnn, no, I'm, swear, it's, d-don't worry about me, 'm just stupid . . .

[In a blubbery sort of way. He hates how it comes out, which just makes him cry harder.]

Like I was gonna forget you after what you got for me!

[Oh no, tsundere! Just a touch. It comes out once in a while. Also, she'd already been on his list before the day itself, or seeing her gift, but he doesn't have to admit that.]

[You know, bridal style is embarrassing, but literally anything else would be, too, so Kadoc doesn't protest it. His ears are burning pink, but it's a secondary concern compared to the other emotional issues. He scrubs at his damp, teary face. Ugh. Crying still sucks.]

I'm . . . yeah. I know better than to argue with you. . . . But you should know. In my Lostbelt? I knew another version of you.

[To his own surprise, that gets a smile out of Kadoc, too unexpected and sudden to be anything but genuine. A lopsided, amused smile that fades only slowly. Horses are mean. He works with them! Just because he has one and likes him quite a bit doesn't mean he doesn't know they're mean animals!

Then he shakes his head, setting the dumb sign down beside him for the moment.]

I haven't seen it. Either it only comes out at night, or it's off rapping against some other suckers right now. . . . Honestly, I didn't even try the challenge. I thought it was some stupid prank. Which it was, but it had consequences, just like everything else in this city.

[Curry comes from cubes? Kadoc doesn't exactly have a background in curry, even though it's exactly the kind of thing he would enjoy making if he did know how. He's never made it, and only even eaten it very rarely. What kind of cube is it? . . . He's about to ask, but actually, the chocolate question is even more pressing. He looks up in the middle of wrapping up some of his rosemary branches in a clean cloth to transport.]

Wait, you're telling me you hand made two hundred boxes of chocolate? What kind of chocolate? Giri?

[He doesn't know about girichoco!]

I've done it for years!

[ Is that something to be proud of? She is, regardless. It's been a lot! She's put (sometimes literal) blood, sweat, and tears into the work! And maybe it's not as dramatic or world-altering as literally saving the world, but as far as personal accomplishments go? She's definitely pleased with herself. ]

They're pretty easy, if you're not going for tons of specialized flavors! It's the kind you give to like, friends and family and stuff, not someone you're dating or got a thing for.

[Ara ara, Kadoc-kun.... All he needs to do now is say baka.]

That would have been really cruel of you! To forget about a woman even after she gave such an intimate and personal gift! My heart would have broke.

[If this was in person she would teased him with some kissy-wissies~. Big sis Belgium takes great pride in her ability to occasionally cause others to be flustered!]

[Rinea smiles at Kadoc's appearance in the doorframe, and smiles brighter at his offer as he leads her inside. What a relief: she had fretted a bit as she prepared her present to him, not knowing his beverage preferences; she's glad to see serendipity (and a little guesswork) worked out.]

Oh! If you are going to do so, please-- accept this gift first. [From her basket Rinea retrieves a small package, tied neatly with twine, which she offers with both hands. She tries not to look too anxious as he opens it, clasping her fingers together out of lack of anything else to hold.

Inside is a small tin of loose tea leaves, wrapped in a handkerchief adorned with a neatly stitched, glittering ice pattern.]

I managed to recreate a favorite Rigelian winter tea blend. And I thought, because we have that much in common, perhaps you would enjoy it as well... [She seeks his gaze, hopeful.]

[ Here is a young man, crippled by poison (or enchantment), in the middle of the forest where there are known horrors. To leave him would be irresponsible. The more the youth speaks, the worse he sounds. Surely, his time is running short.

Somnus' expression is severe as ice. ]

Can you stand?

[ Asterios just keeps his face forward. Maybe the embarrassment won't increase if he doesn't look down at Kadoc.

... He is a bit curious about what's been mentioned, just a bit. "Alter" Servants aren't exactly uncommon in Chaldea, but he didn't think he'd be one of them. How different could his life have been? ]

... What was... he like?

[ Most unfortunately, Monika saw this sad spectacle and looked sadly at him in return. Sad, so sad. She had faced that weird horse too and had failed too, in spite of Drake having tried to warn and prepare her. So she wasn't about to judge. If anything, she shared in the pain. ]

You too, huh?

[ Yes, the President of the Literature Club and local poetry enthusiast had failed. In all fairness, her rhyming skills were seriously dependent on her being awake and not sleepy as heck. Maybe if the horse hadn't woken her up at midnight.

That and much as she loved rap, she had never actually written any before. ]

But um, why are you... You know. [She looked down at the sign he was holding.] I'm trying to have as few people as possible know on my end, ahaha!

[She hadn't particularly expected a reply- but she'd kept the dark fabric close. Deep down, she wondered if that was how he saw her. Dark, but with something softer behind that veil...Medea would not confirm or deny that, either way.

...What she wasn't expecting was for her actions to bring him even more tears, though! Concern twisted into her expression- had she made the wrong assumption after all?]

You look terrible. Who- who did this to you?

[Harsh though her words were- along with the implication of 'who do I need to stab'- the point stood. She didn't believe he was "fine" for a moment, and didn't know how to help.]

Yeah right. You're always playing it up, aren't you? You remind me a little of someone.

[Kadoc makes a noise. It was going to be a word, but it comes out as blubber, and then as a sound of frustration instead when he realizes half a second into his sentence that he's not getting anywhere with that. Why is crying so gross? It's not that he's not used to it by this point in his life, but he's never liked how snotty and red it gets him. Uuggggh.

Instead, in response, he gets to his feet. He has no trouble with this. Because he's fine! It's fine!]

[With the mood that leek has Kadoc in, he kind of wants to just be cruel about it. Shove Berserker away and get dropped right in the snow, like he knows he deserves. But that part of him is at war with other parts of him: the part that's terrified of losing friends even when he's asking for it, and the part of him that's been beaten down enough by leek-depression that he doesn't have the will to just go for anything right now, even something self-destructive.

So it comes out as a sort of compromise. An honest one, though.]

. . . That place was bleak and cruel. It twisted anyone living there into a monster, humans and yaga and Servants alike. Whatever he'd lived through in that history, there was no chance of him being summoned as anything other than a bloodthirsty beast. And I was willing to take on a Servant like that for my purposes.

Not always. It's just fun to do sometimes.

...

Oh, but do I~? And who might that be? :3

Yeah, I'd be more than a little concerned if you made two hundred boxes of chocolate for your two hundred lovers.

[Just, flatly. Imagine that! What a terrifying prospect! Though frankly, having two hundred friends doesn't sound much more feasible to him?! How does she handle that . . .

But she's so proud of it, rather than beaten down by it. This is the life of an extrovert. Deep down, he's a little jealous, but not in the aching, poisonous way he once was—more a way that finds something genuinely charming about her. Huh.]

[ ...At least this youth can stand. The last one he had helped back a hospital had to be carried.

Somnus holds the saddle in place for Kadoc to mount the horse. ] Let us ride tandem back to the city. There are healers and physicians there who will see to you.

[He shakes his head, blinking up at her through his tears. Medea . . . he appreciates that, even now. However soft Kadoc might be, especially in comparison to some of the other Crypters, he still can't deny he's a person who romanticizes that type of devotion. The dark appeal of vengeance-as-dedication is strong. It doesn't cheer him, per se, because nothing can right now, but it does warm him some.]

No—just myself. Just a curse, no one's fault. I was stupid.

Trust me, I'd rather keep this one hundred percent to myself.

[Sigh. It's Monika, too! There's always a mixed blessing in someone he knows and likes well being exposed to his embarrassment: on one hand, he trusts her more not to judge him or write him off, but on the other hand, he cares more what she thinks. High risk, high reward. That's the world of relationships for the anxious . . .

Still, she'd lost too? That makes him feel, not better, but more at ease. Rap is hard! They shouldn't be expected to suddenly throw down and be able to do it!]

But now I haven't eaten in a while, and considering where we are, I can't just go hit up a cafe for lunch. I've gotta swallow my pride and throw myself at someone's mercy.

[He's agonizingly careful with the handkerchief; it reminds him of the shimmering, shifting snowy forest pattern he'd helped charm his gift to her with. Because they do have that in common, don't they? It's such a silly and meaningless thing on its face, but things like that have the meaning people give them. There's no way he'll ever be able to look at this and not think of her, and . . . he just hopes that doesn't come with any pain after today's conversation.

He clicks the tea tin open to test the scent of the blend. Really, it's Pepe's fault he ever became a tea guy. Kadoc associates it now with comfort and companionship, so this is perfect.]

It smells really good. . . . This is like what you had back home, huh? Then I definitely wanna try it. Maybe sometime I'll try and find something close to what I was into back home for you to try.

[He smiles, gently. This time he manages not to tack on any kind of stupid comment about if you even still want to talk to me later!!!, and he only even thinks it a little bit. It's progress.]

I can actually think of two people who do that kind of thing to get under my skin. One's a friend, and the other definitely isn't...so I'd say you're more like the former. A colleague from back home. We were on a team, once.

[This is a very roundabout way of admitting friendship!]

He was like a big brother, or maybe a big sister. No shade on him there. He'd be happy I said that.

Edited (dang html) 2022-01-17 01:13 (UTC)

It's just a curse . . . !

[He manages to wail this out, choking back some more bawling. It doesn't really sound any better this way, does it? Still sounds more drastic than he wanted it to! But at least he can maybe get across the point that he's not injured! Maybe.]

[ Finally he manages to say something that reveals more of his ailment, and at last that gets Somnus to pause. ]

A curse is nothing so little as to delay care. [ He replies sharply, but he also turns his head to look at him. ] Have you any idea of its counter?

[ If not, the safest thing to do would be to return the town. ]

[ She chokes at that, the noise somewhere between a laugh and something closer to genuine outrage. Two hundred lovers?! Seriously! That's beyond terrifying. ]

I've never even had a date before I got wrapped up in all of this--when would I have had time after?

[ Also, she does not add, even if she kind of wants to, ain't no one gonna look at a scrappy scrawny little human girl and think: yes! Just like that! She's spent the last three years surrounded by women and men famous (and infamous) for their beauty, so who's going to give her a second look to get to her personality? Ha. ]

I'm gonna do it this year, too. I can't get out of practice, you know? So you'd better get ready.

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January catchall with some oak barrel aged December

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