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

Initiating alternate timelines, go!

[seasoflight]

Zidane will soon see a petite and svelte figure striding through the snow and cold, immensely fluffy tail flicking anxiously from side to side. He's looking around, uneasy, ears swiveling about and twitching as he calls.

"Hades? Darling? Are you here?" He asks, looking around the brush and trees hiding the stream away, only to jump and fluff up slightly when he spots Zidane.

"Oh! You're not- er, excuse me. What are you doing with my mate's phone?" His tone is light enough, but there's a slight wariness in his eyes.

Huzzah!

[tantailizing]

Well, what a fluffy fellow that Zidane hadn't met before! Though he's met other folks around with the cat ears and tail; and whoops, looks like his messaging did cause a little more alarm than he meant.

Hades? He's pretty sure that old guy was still napping... somewhere.

"Well, I did use it to try reaching his top contacts and see who might wanna help him home if this didn't help. Man, if I knew you were his mate, that would've been waaay easier."

And he wouldn't have sent off four messages.

[seasoflight]

Felih blinks at him for a moment, before he tiots his head.

"What do you mean, 'if this didn't help?' Has he gotten himself into trouble?" Felih asks, before the tension leaves his body with a sigh. He also can't help but wonder why being a mate would influence the situation, unless...

Well, better to ask. "I'm Felih. And you are?"

[tantailizing]

"He got knocked by one of those arrows people are testing this month. If he thinks cold water's a good solution, you can probably guess which one." Zidane's pretty relaxed himself despite Felih having his wary posture, and remains so once the other guy relaxes.

He grins a bit. "Name's Zidane. Nice to meet you, Felih."

[seasoflight]

"Oh, hells. Of course. He would never seek help for that, the proud bastard," Felih groans, face in his palms, before he suddenly stiffens and straightens, tail poofing in further alarm until it resembles a silky red and gold cloud.

"Wait, don't tell me he's in the river. The freezing cold, winter river," he says, his voice rising into a half squeak by the end. He would normally exchange more pleasantries, but for a cat from the tropics, the thought of a dip into Avalon waters right now sounds like the seven hells wrapped up in a watery grave.

[tantailizing]

"Right? I even said I'd help him to the hospital, but nooo..." So, river is obviously the best solution? Zidane doesn't understand; sometimes, just suck it up obviously.

He blinks when Felih fluffs.

"Okay, I won't tell you." Because he can probably be seen. Chuckling a bit, he turns his head when his familiar reappears holding a towel. "Don't worry, I got drying off covered. But after that, if this doesn't work and you wanna look after him, that's cool."

[seasoflight]

"I think he'd rather drown himself in that freezing river than let others see him in a state of 'impropriety,' and Twelve, with all the layers he wears, you wouldn't think anyone would even notice, but-" He cuts himself off and shakes his head, fluffy tail lashing back and forth.

"Please excuse me for a moment..."

He plasters on a sharp smile and pushes through the brush towards where he sees his mate in the fucking river-

"My most honorable and eminent Emet-Selch, have you, in your infinite wisdom, decided to GIVE YOURSELF FROSTBITE-"

Oh, that's one very Miffed mate, to be sure.

[emet_sulk]

As if the cold of the river wasn't bad enough, Emet-Selch straightens with a jolt. He whips around, instinctively covering himself. If it wasn't so cold, he'd be blushing.

"What in Zodiark's name are you doing here, Felih?!" he yells back indignantly. He waves one of his hands furiously. "Go away!"

[seasoflight]

"I got a message- no, that's not important, what's important is why are you in the river? It's freezing!" Felih asks, fluffed up and alarmed. "Get out before you get frostbitten!"

What are you even covering yourself for, Hades. Why this. Felih is so confused. He's seen you naked so many times.

"I am not just going away after finding you in icewater."

[emet_sulk]

He scowls. "Garlean soldiers train their bodies to endure cold water so that they do not freeze up if they fall in. This is nothing compared to the northern mountains!"

He crouches a little lower in the water defiantly. He doesn't want Felih to see his little problem. Nope.

[seasoflight]

"Did you just- did you just go further into the water? Hades!" He swears, he feels like he's scolding a stubborn dog. "You have five minutes before I call Hythlodaeus to come help me drag you out of that river," he says, tail lashing, before he pushes back through the brush to where he'd left Zidane.

[emet_sulk]

"And I'm telling you that this was standard training in Garlemald!" he yells after Felih.

Muttering to himself, he glances around to make sure no-one else is watching before whistling. His familiar immediately responds, sees his predicament, and gives an odd barking sort of laugh. He scowls.

"Get me a towel already, Nyx."

A smug swish of her tail before she turns to obey. By the time he starts climbing back out of the river, she has a towel in her mouth for him to take. Felih will no doubt be pleased to see the Ascian firmly wrapped in it when he returns.

[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.

[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.

[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]

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]

After the sounds of some fussing from the other side of the shrubs... Felih makes his way back towards Zidane's current seat near Hades' discarded clothes.

"Sorry about that," he says, trying to put on a pleasant face after the small bout of yowling at his mate. "I... he's so stubborn, I swear," he says, before heaving a deep sigh. "Those are his clothes, yes? I can at least try to warm them for when he decides to come back up..."

With that, he settles down near Zidane, tail still lashing anxiously. "How do you know my mate, anyhow?"

[tantailizing]

Zidane at least doesn't laugh when Felih comes back. Hear one couple spat, hear them all, but it might be a first where one is telling their significant other to get their ass out of a freezing lake.

"Don't worry about it. But... if he's used to cold temperatures, I don't see this working." And it was his idea. You'd think he'd remember an important detail like that?? Nodding, Zidane takes out the bottle he received and holds it out to Felih. "Megumi brought this by. A warming drink if he needs it."

And once free of that, he gestures back towards the water hidden behind the bushes. "Haha, that. We met when those folks in Celliwig enchanted dolls into playing hide and seek. He got pretty mad at a mimic."

[seasoflight]

Felih sighs. "You'd think he would take that into account, but he can be so ridiculous for someone so intelligent," he mumbles, resting a cheek on his hand as he leans an elbow on his knee. "Oh, thank the gods. Megumi was better prepared than I was... but hells, how was I to expect my mate would be dunking himself into icewater?"

Still, he gratefully accepts the bottle, and gathers Hades' clothes into a bundle so he can start to warm them with a bit of magic.

"A mimic? What, pray tell, did the mimic do to provoke him?" he chirps curiously. He doesn't recall such an event happening, but with his absence for quite a while, Felih wonders if it happened while he was away.

[tantailizing]

"Haha, we all have our moments..." Zidane's a little more than someone like Emet, but we can't all work at full capacity every day. In regards to the ice water, maybe he could've mentioned that, but it wasn't like he had thrown Emet in either. With enough dry materials and the towel, they should be good.

"Caught him in its tongue. It didn't do anything besides that - they weren't as aggressive as some I've encountered."

[seasoflight]

Felih shakes his head in amusement, before chirping, "He was lucky it just tangled him up. Mimics I encounter tend to be far more bloodthirsty and predatory."

"What's the realm you're from like? Is it anything like this one?" he asks curiously, ears perking forward. If nothing else, he always wants to learn about other worlds and their peoples and cultures, the adventurer's heart in him wishing he could go see them all.

[tantailizing]

"Yeah. Wouldn't have been as fun if they'd been more aggressive..." Ugh, he could already picture it.

To answer Felih's curious question, Zidane nods. "Yeah. Though, the world here is a bit more advanced technologically speaking, but I could see one place picking up on it fast. Oh, there's also less faeries to deal with..."

Which is, after being here, kind of important.

"What about you? What's your world like?"

[seasoflight]

"Mine? Oh... how to begin...? It's a grand, beautiful world, diverse in its climes, cultures, people, flora, fauna- it's so hard to try and sum it up as a whole. It's a world where magic flourishes and beasts both dangerous and fantastic live, and a world where adventurers and other battlefolk are crucial to keeping the commonfolk safe," Felih explains, a small fondness in his voice.

"For all its flaws, I think it's still a beautiful world," he murmurs, before his eyes drift over to Zidane's tail, and he looks intrigued. "Oh! Your tail... hm, you don't appear Miqo'te. Perhaps something more... simian?" he muses aloud. "Do the people in your realm all have such interesting, prehensile tails?"

[tantailizing]

"Oooh, poetic~ And it does draw intrigue. I wouldn't mind seeing it." He grins, but really, that sounded close to his world. It's why he would have to go and verify if at all possible. Take on a monster or two... several...

Nodding, Zidane looks behind him and lets his tail curl up when it's noted. "Yeah, something like that." And then he shakes his head. "Nah, you have plenty of tails around though. Rat tails, dog tails, deer tails, even the few cat tails, then no tails at all. It's almost about a handful that has a tail matching mine."

[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?"