February open log

[emet_sulk]

🧙 WHO: Emet-Selch and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: Coming out of a sleep (canon update) and throwing himself into quests to distract himself from new memories
🕒 WHEN: Throughout February
🗺️ WHERE: See prompts
⚠️ WARNINGS:
- Possible sexual content in the arrow threads.
- Potential spoilers for Endwalker, let me know if you are fine with them or not.


1. G(lacial)-Warriors 🗡️ (Knight quest)

A quest is just what he needs to take his mind off the plethora of revelations to come from his day of forced slumber - and what better way than to go out and hit something until it falls to pieces? He takes his gunblade, his horse, and the provisions provided by Camelot to all knights embarking on this particular journey. In typical fashion, he does not bother to ask around and see if anyone would like to join him. No, he wants the time to himself to sort out his thoughts.

Yet nothing is ever that easy, is it? He's ambushed by one of the I.C.E. constructs as he nears the spot. His horse rears up in alarm, throwing him from the saddle before bolting into the trees. Emet-Selch lands with a painful thud into a bank of snow. Fortunately, the gunblade strapped to his back seems in order. Unfortunately, the ICE is advancing on him and he's having trouble getting out of the snow.

Help?

(ooc: Existing CR are free to assume they accompanied him from the start if they want.)

2. Serve, Save, Slave, Slay...Some Sushi 🗡️

The sushi monster is no easier to slay than the I.C.E. as Emet-Selch discovers much to his chagrin. What does a man have to do to get some relatively simple knight quests??

The...creature(?) fires a round of pellets at him which has him diving into a rolls to avoid. He comes up into a crouch just in time to parry one of the sharp green swords it wields, quickly getting his feet beneath him before the second can slice him in half. He's been at it for a few minutes by now, focus utterly consumed by the opponent before him. He's growing tired though and the thing still doesn't look like it plans to give up.

"Ridiculous thing," he seethes. "And me, reduced to using these inferior magicks... I should have asked Irhya for a greatsword instead of a gunblade."

He fires off a round and its ricochet echoes throughout the forest. Even if the sound doesn't draw attention, the eerie blue after-image of the shot is worth attention.

(ooc: Existing CR are free to assume they accompanied him from the start if they want.)

3. I See You, Opening! 🛡️

Well of course, Emet-Selch doesn't want anything to do with these tricksy arrows and their dubious effects. But other people may have no such qualms. Perhaps you want to see this sour-looking man pour his heart out to one of his associates. Or perhaps you want to make him suffer by tasting nothing but chocolate for two weeks. Anything goes. Really. Anything.

If shooting: Please nominate which arrow you're shooting him with. I'm happy to write custom starters if you want.

If encountering him after he's been shot: Please nominate which effect you want for him. Again, I can write a custom starter if that's preferred.

4. Wildcard

If you have some ideas, feel free to send me a PM or leave a comment on the CR meme.

Comments

[omnicrafter]

"Probably," she replies, dragging out the syllables. "I guess if you need me to haul his arse back home, I can. But why didn't you just say that when you had his phone?"

[seasoflight]

Felih is still not impressed- if anything, he has more reasons to think of Garlemald as an icy hell. But he does take to warming Hades' clothes, making sure they'll be toasty and dry for when his mate finally comes out of the stream.

His ears perk up when he hears the man approaching, and he huffs softly before trotting to meet him, clothes in hand. "I don't care what torture they put you through in Garlemald," he murmurs, "I would rather not see you putting your body at risk like that."

He offers Hades the warm clothes, clearly antsy about the man being in nothing but a towel in the cold and snow. "And I know you're big, darling, but 'tis hardly something that all your layers of clothing wouldn't hide." He says it without any shame or hesitation whatsoever.

[seasoflight]

"I would love to show you around, if I could. There's so much of it that's wonderful to experience," Felih purrs contentedly, tail curling around himself a bit tighter to help himself keep warm. Zidane's continued explanation of the peoples of his home have Felih's ears perking forward, however.

"So many folk sporting animal traits... in my realm, there are the Viera, rabbit-eared folk, and us Miqo'te, the feline folk. That's the only ones I can think of so far... the Lupin and Hrothgar are more beast-like than us, but they could count too. What are the names of all those peoples?"

[tantailizing]

"Haha, sounds like another adventure waiting to happen!" And he's up for that! But, he'd have to discuss it before disappearing on a certain someone - no point in making them worry. And at Felih's comment, he nods.

"Names? They don't really have one. They're just who they are... oh, but never call them by the animals they look. It's pretty insulting to them unless you're on good terms with them and mean it in jest." But that's how it is with friends.

[tantailizing]

"Oh that? I didn't want to get caught with his phone. Yeah, he can check his messages later, buuut before that, I didn't do anything. It's just by chance a few people he knows might come by."

Sooo... can't pin anything on him yet. "Besides that, he's being so stubborn. I figured someone who knows him better might be able to make him realize he can accept some help."

[emet_sulk]

He hadn't meant for Venat to hear that. He glares at her, the silence dragging on for interminable seconds before he decides that no, he's not prepared to have this conversation with her yet. It's bad enough to know that she's here with all the rest of them, that eventually one of them is going to out him because it's impossible to avoid anyone here forever.

So he turns away again without another word and walks further off. A clear and curt dismissal.

[emet_sulk]

Even if he had been chilled climbing out of the water, his face still somehow manages to go bright red. He gathers the towel even more tightly around himself, eyes darting about in case anyone ELSE is watching.

"I'll thank you not to air such details out in public!" he growls. "And especially not where others can hear!"

A pointed glare to where Zidane surely is, behind the bushes.

[emet_sulk]

"...I'd not like to drown should Hythlodaeus decide to shove me into an icy river."

He's quite proud of himself for that half-truth. He hopes the coldness of the water dissuades her from thinking to join him for this 'training'.

[omnicrafter]

"That's really it?" Irhya seems dissatisfied with that answer by the look on her face, moving closer as if to haul him out of the water herself. "You might've staved off drowning, but you can't stave off the chill."

[omnicrafter]

"Well... it's true he can be stubborn. But him being in there at all just doesn't seem like an innocent act, somehow."

She tilts her head from one side to the other, perplexed. "What brought this on, anyway?"

[tantailizing]

"Haha, yeah, that..."

He can totally explain why. "Y'know how people are testing arrows this month? He got hit by one. He thought a cold shower might help, but... I dunno, he seems fine."

[emet_sulk]

He steps backwards to maintain the distance, even though it puts him in slightly deeper water. Unfortunately, she's right: it is really very cold.

"I assure you, I'll be fine," he says grumpily. "But if you're truly that concerned, then turn around. I'm not coming out while you gawk at me."

[seasoflight]

Felih's lips quirk at the sight of his mate going red again, a soft purr starting in his chest.

"Then perhaps you should not do such reckless things in public, hm?" he chirps back, tail wiggling behind him mischievously even as he still offers Hades his clothes.

"Besides, he's already seen you in this predicament this entire time, so I doubt it's new information to him. And who else would be around in the cold and forest brush to overhear?"

[emet_sulk]

Indeed. The last thing we need is some opportunistic thief making off with it.

[ He twists around, listening for something. But there is only silence. ]

I hope my horse did not flee too far. Good beasts of burden are expensive, [ he sighs. ] Let's press on.

[seasoflight]

"Don't have names... huh. So they are all a unified group of people?" Felih asks curiously, ears still perked forward with his intrigue. "Do they share a culture, perhaps?"

It's the mention of not calling them by the animals they resemble that Felih nods. "Oh, yes, 'tis much the same in my realm. You don't reduce someone to their bestial traits unless you're friends with them- or being condescending," he says with a huff, tail twitching. "Were someone to merely call me a cat, they'd get a swat to the face, if not claws."

[tantailizing]

"Pretty much yeah. The only ones that I can think that stand apart are the Burmecians, but they're more named after where they live and not what they are. And culturally speaking, you'll never meet more elite dragon knights." A hand to his chin, Zidane nods. "Aside from them, the only real standouts would be the people living on other continents like the Summoners, Dwarves, and Black Mages."

He chuckles and nods. "I get it. Though, I've been called 'monkey' so often for plenty of reasons, I just let it slide. Still, that's just me."

[seasoflight]

Felih blinks curiously, tilting his head. "Summoners, Dwarves, and Black Mages...?" To think of those as cultures and not merely jobs is odd to him, and he asks, "Your realm has an abundance of Black Mages? Do they not risk destroying the realm? And summoners as well... the art was nearly lost in our realm, though it is experiencing a steady revival."

"You have far more grace than I," Felih hums, with a soft laugh. "I was sick of folk treating me as some animal, as something exotic. Miqo'te men are much rarer than women, yes, but it doesn't give folk the right to treat us the way they sometimes do."

[tantailizing]

"Destroying the...? No, no, they're like anyone else. Honestly, the only ones that can interact with them right now are the others like me, and they all want to be left alone. Too many people wanting to use their powers already, or hurt them for things that weren't their fault..." He cringes slightly at the mention of reviving summoning. "Yeah, about that... there's only two summoners now, but I'm sure it will be revived."

Zidane nods, getting it. "Yeah, they shouldn't do that. I give people a reason to call me out, but for you, that's some bullshit."

[emet_sulk]

Well, you obviously shot me for a reason. So out with it. Out with your question.

[ Let's get this over with!! ]

[apshot]

The reason is just to make you uncomfortable. It's real fucking annoying dealing with half truths and shit, you know.

[ Because Katsuki is the same way. ]

This ain't really about me. But I am pretty damn curious what your reason is for being so goddamn prickly.

[emet_sulk]

"We would change it to suit our needs: a form reflective of our deepest desires or aspirations. Some might desire wings to fly for they have dreams of soaring. Others might require a second head, or another pair of hands. One is as good as baring their soul when they transform so."

He hesitates, knowing Felih may well understand the implications of that given his final, mortal clash with the Warrior of Light. "It is not done lightly," he says after a few moments. "Wasn't. Usually."

[emet_sulk]

He snatches his undergarments first, then pants then shirt, using a tree for support as he wriggles into everything. He tries his best to keep...himself out of view of Felih's probing gaze, but the towel keeps threatening to slip off his shoulders.

"You would be surprised," he says darkly. "And 'tis hardly my fault for being shot with that ridiculous arrow."

[seasoflight]

"I see... I ask merely because in my realm, the War of the Magi led to a Calamity across the entire star," Felih elaborates, before humming. "But if they seclude themselves, then they must know the weight of the art they wield."

He takes a deep breath and then heaves a grand sigh, stretching. "It's intriguing, hearing about your world. It just makes me more and more curious to go see it," he whines, with a pout. "Though despite my traversals across dimensions, I've yet to figure out how to accomplish it myself. It would be amazing to travel to other worlds..."

[seasoflight]

Felih giggles slightly as he witnesses his mate's attempts to keep himself covered. "Darling, is there much a point in hiding from me?" he chirps softly, now quite glad that he'd set to warming Hades' clothes during the wait. At least it means that he'll have toasty clothes to slip into now, to help him recover from the dip in freezing waters.

"And you were shot with an arrow, then... that would explain it," he muses, raising a brow. He remembers a point Zidane brought up, and then asks, "Love, if you're used to the cold, would such a dip into the river even assist with your 'little' problem?"

[seasoflight]

The implication sinks in quickly, leaving Felih silent for several long moments as he mulls it over. He still feels his heart ache when he remembers their last battle- how reluctant he had been to fight Hades, even to the end.

He decides to just cuddle closer against Hades' side, purring softly in an attempt to soothe him. "...well, we've finished our work here. Is there anything else left to do? Maybe we could go to a cafe together?" he chirps hopefully, turning up bright eyes at Hades. "Or a museum. There's still much of this city I have yet to see..."