isleofavalon | FEBRUARY CATCH-ALL

[This quest seemed like a no-brainer for Claude. Not only was it a way to spread a little... seasonal mischief, it was well-suited to a master archer like him, not to mention an educational little experiment he might be able to learn from when it comes to enchanting arrows. As long as no side effects got too extreme, and as long as no one got too mad about being hit, it would be fine. Probably? Probably.

Taking cover behind a group of trees, he spies his next target. Easy enough to hit when they're just walking by, so he nocks an arrow, pulls the string taut, and when he has the perfect opportunity, lets the arrow fly.

He ducks immediately behind cover again, stifling a laugh. He wants to observe the results, but he'll peek once he's sure his position hasn't been given away.]

[ooc: Feel free to choose which arrow your character was hit by - or maybe they weren't hit at all! You can also handwave your character being hit by an arrow if you want to play with the effects in another thread.]

[It's probably a lucky thing that Poison was not the target of the arrow in question. At least, she doesn't think she was the target as it hits the person who happened to be walking by her. She tenses immediately, pursing her lips and looking around for the culprit.

Experiences so far have not quite given her the ability to follow the direction of an arrow when she's already lost sight of the thing. She takes a few cautious steps forwards.]

If you're planning to hit me next...

[She actually... doesn't have a threat she can follow through with to tack on to the end of that, so trails off and makes a face.]

It's rude to just shoot arrows at people, you know.

[Uh oh, it's Poison. It's tempting to shoot an arrow at her anyway and initiate a continuation of the Great Snow Prank War, but he's feeling a little more merciful today, stepping out from cover and holding up his hands to show he's not about to hit her.]

You know an arrow is a weapon, right? They're not supposed to be polite.

[She purses her lips a little when he steps out. Ah, of course it's Claude.

Despite her occasional cursing of his name and the way her eyes narrow when she looks at him now, she doesn't actually mind the guy that much. He has a mischievous streak a mile wide but she has surmised that he is, at his heart, generally a good and harmless person.

He's just kind of a pain.]

Ah, is that why you're shooting them at people? [Though it doesn't seem to have done any harm...] What are you doing?

Oh, just a fun little experiment. They're enchanted arrows. I'm helping someone to test if they work.

[He twirls the arrow in his hand playfully as her regards her.]

Wanna volunteer? I promise it'll be painless.

[Immediately - and probably predictably - she makes a face at him.]

Volunteer? I wouldn't offer if you wanted to pay me.

[Does she look stupid?

Don't answer that.]

It doesn't look like you're struggling for unwilling targets, in any case.

[Claude had thought about Elphame's riddle long and hard, and to him, the most obvious choice of location was the Forest of the Fisher King. It was also terrain he was much more comfortable with than the Land of Rot, particularly as he'd visited here before to explore and gather ingredients. He knew the risks and how to navigate them, so even if he turned up empty-handed, it was less dangerous.

In theory, anyway.]

a. the forest
[In practice, a near miss staying out of sight of a Titan Pelican has them hurrying through the undergrowth and down a slope. Claude stumbles and looses his footing, and he pulls his scarf tighter around his mouth and noise to avoid inhaling any disturbed spores.

It seems like they've made it out unscathed, but soon Claude starts to lag behind his partner, pulling his scarf loose again and coming to a halt.]

Hey... Can we stop here? It'd be nice to take a break, don't you think? [That'd be fine, but he had advised with his exploration buddy before they went in that they shouldn't stop moving, unless absolutely necessary. He also as a vague, absent smile on his face, like they definitely did not just avoid getting eaten by a giant bird.

Uh oh.]

b. graverobbing
[If by some miracle they manage to make it to the crypt after Claude's spore mishaps, there's a creature here ready to kill them. Surprise, surprise. Claude's calm, readying an arrow to fire the second the creature looks ready to pounce, but he knows he can't handle that thing if it gets anywhere near him.]

...Unless that corpse is holding something amazing, I say we make a run for it. How about you?

[Like treasure, some kind of magical relic, a weapon? They did come all this way, it'd be a shame to leave empty-handed.]

If you can distract this thing, I can use dark magic to sneak by and get a closer look.

( oh good. of course. why wouldn't there be something trying to kill them after the forest and the quicksand already tried to? maybe she should have just followed the most obvious seeming answer and went to the Land of Rot. it can't be worse than this continuing course of murder attempts.

unfortunately for this thing, and this riddle, Kate has no particular inclination towards dying here. not while her brother still needs her to finish this whole saving the multiverse bullshit. )

Yeah.

( it's a short, breathed out agreement, but it's an agreement. and, given all the traps leading up to this place, Kate isn't entirely convinced that getting closer to that corpse could be worth it for anything. isn't entirely convinced that there aren't more booby traps waiting closer to it.

so if Claude wants to risk his neck while she drags this thing backwards, she's fine with that. )

Get ready.

( she's siphoned some magic from the forest, the store buzzing brightly in her veins, and it's as good a time as any to practice aiming blasts of magic, isn't it?

at least if she fucks up she can run. probably.

welp, time to try. hey monstermonstermonster. look over here at the bright pink hair so she can drag you away from Claude. )

'Sgood a time as any for shadow travel, huh.

[Dire peril is not usually Rei's go-to pastime here in Avalon. But he does enjoy solving riddles and turns of phrase that the fey queen so dearly loves to hand down to them, and if Kate's going graverobbing then he might as well too, right?

That was the idea a few hours ago, at least. Now that he's severely muddy and ankle deep in snakes and whatever, staring down some amalgam creature? Ehh, not his greatest tactical decision ever.

Fuck it, if he gets cursed he gets cursed! He can fix that! (Maybe???????)]

Countin' on ya, Kate.

[The chimera-- well, reverse chimera-- hisses harshly with its serpentine head, crouches, and leaps for Kate. Yikes, time to go!!]

Right.

[Claude looses the arrow he'd readied, and it strikes the creature's flank, sending it staggering slightly off-course so Kate can press an advantage. That done, he shrouds himself in dark magic while the beast is still recovering, and slips by.

Of course, the closer they get to the corpse, the more snakes lie in wait. He hits a few with a stun curse to render them immobile, before dropping his shadow spell, looking across to find Rei.]

Ready? There could be more traps, so be careful.

( she's not exactly rusty, but being in this situation just throws into clearer focus how much it sucks. a frustrated sigh builds in her throat but there's no time to waste letting herself indulge in it.

so, as she has for... oh, too many years of her life, Kate swallows down her complaints and focuses a blast of magic towards the place Claude's arrow strikes. it works, sort of. she misses the target by about a foot, but it's a hefty enough blast that it still hurts. the creature cries out in pain and not for the first time, Kate's glad Avalon uses a different magic system from home.

it's much easier to survive shitty fights when you can actually do something with your magic. even if she doesn't get the warnings she would back home, she has eyes. she can tell that the way the creature moves means it wants to strike back at her for the transgression of attacking it.

that's just what they need right now. she just has to make sure it doesn't catch her as she sprints in the opposite direction to Rei and Claude, holding back on the kinetic magic for the moment. there's only so much magic in a body, after all. even if she keeps siphoning magic from the area, there's a limit to what she can do. especially in the middle of combat. best to play it safe for now, throwing herself to one side to dodge a blast of acid, narrowly skidding around the edge of a pit.

dammit. quick, she needs somethi—

ah!

what Claude and Rei may hear is the sounds of a stone pillar tumbling to the floor as Kate blasts it with enough magic to fell it like a tree. )

[Kate's death-dodging is much appreciated, but Rei will hold onto his comments for now. Instead he nods to Claude as their eyes meet. The snakes may or may not be magical, but they're still ectothermic either way; Rei's curse pools at his feet, drastically dropping the body temperature of any approaching creature.

He clicks his tongue as they approach the corpse. Traps too, huh? Damn.]

Gotta wonder who exactly set these up. [Is the Fisher King protecting his own body, or was it something else? Rei doesn't have long to wonder, though; better to grab something and get out before that chimera gets them.

The room shudders as the pillar Kate attacked topples to the ground with a resounding crash. Rei's gaze snaps to a shock of movement in front of them that accompanies it: a trapdoor of some kind jolted out of place by the impact.]

There. [Watch the edge of that, Claude. Still, there's something twinkling amongst the dust and grime beyond the trap's reach.]

[Claude had kept quiet about his plans for Valentine's Day. He'd heard it was something of a tradition amongst various outworlders, and if Flayn were here, he's sure she would have loved the day. The romantic ideas behind it are much like those Saint Cethleann represents, but without the burden that name weighted on her.

Thinking of that, even if she couldn't be here, he still wanted to do something to celebrate with Lorenz. He doubts Lorenz will have heard of the holiday at all, so it'll be a surprise, right? He wanted to see his face when Claude had schemed up an entire day of surprise plans to spoil him.

He rises early as always to meditate, careful not to wake Lorenz, then a little later in the morning, sets about making them both breakfast. There's rose petal tea brewing in a pot on the table already, next to a bouquet of striking red-black roses in a vase. He's humming an old Almyran tune under his breath as he cooks, evidently in a good mood.]

[Lorenz has become rather accustomed to Claude slipping out of bed early and, at most, he might grumble a little and burrow deeper into the warmth left behind by the other man. It's a good hour later, perhaps even more, when Lorenz finally begins to stir on his own. It also takes a good half hour for Lorenz to actually get out of bed, dressed and put together and something done with his hair.

When he finally does step out of the bedroom he's quick to follow the sounds and smells of Claude puttering about in the kitchen. He hums a soft appreciative sound as he steps up behind him and presses a kiss to his hair, one arm sliding briefly around his waist before Lorenz steps aside to collect a cup to pour the tea into.]

Shall I start you some pine, love?

[Because he's absolutely drinking this whole pot of perfectly brewed tea and resetting his bottomless mug with it, thank you very much. But if Claude is cooking for them then starting his tea next is the least he can do.]

Ah, you caught me in the act! [He laments as Lorenz kisses him from behind... as if he'd been plotting something nefarious and not simply getting breakfast ready. He'd been hoping to wake Lorenz up in bed and have to coax him out, but this is nice, too.]

Go right ahead. [He won't object to more tea, especially since he'd brewed that first pot with Lorenz in mind.] I'm making pancakes! That's fine with you, right?

[With plenty of sliced fruit to choose from -- mostly strawberries and raspberries to match the theme of the day, of course -- as well as a choice of various syrups and cream.]

[Lorenz hums cheerfully as he putters around sorting the tea to get a cup steeping for Claude. Breakfast is one of the few meals he's not terribly picky about. He's yet to meet a breakfast food that offends him so. Pancakes are lovely. Especially with berries?

Wait.

Was this-?

No, no certainly Claude didn't know about this little holiday Jane had told him about. He was just being sweet, as always. Once all the tea settings are moved over to the table (or at least the end that's not buried under Claude's...... everything.) He slides back around, plucking up a couple raspberries, to pop one into his own mouth and hold the other up to Claude's lips while he flips.]

You know you don't have to make breakfast all the time. I may be hopeless in the kitchen but I'm capable of bread and jam, my love.

Just let me spoil you for one more day, and then you can go ahead and eat as much boring bread and jam as you want. All right?

[He turns his head to eat the raspberry offered, and when his his tongue brushes against Lorenz's fingers, his gaze is far too focused on Lorenz to be thinking of anything decent.

Then he turns back to plating up pancakes like nothing happened, eating the raspberry and sliding a stack across the counter.]

Alright, this round's yours. I'll let you decide what to put on it, so knock yourself out.

[Such a small gesture but still the Look Claude gives him alone is enough to leave him flustered and blushing. It's almost a relief when Claude redirects his attention back to the pancakes and Lorenz can set about pouring whipped cream and berries onto his stack.

He doesn't leave however, plucking up another berry to pass to Khalid, while he leans against the counter beside the stove, watching the other man cooking.]

I'm not complaining mind you. I just don't want you to feel obligated. You food is delightful, my love. This is a bit much for breakfast though, don't you think?

[ Fancy pancakes? Just for him? ]

Well, today's a special day! Here, at least, for some people. [And he'd just kind of stolen the idea, even if it's not something they'd celebrate back home.] Do you know what I'm talking about?

[He turns his attention back to his next pancake, and decides to flip it to show off to Lorenz, almost looks like he might fumble it, then--]

Ha! Caught it. [...Though he's lucky it didn't end up on the stove. Or the floor.]

[Show off? Sir, he's liable to have a heart attack if you keep that up. Still, Lorenz is content to hover in the kitchen, nibbling at his pancakes and watching Claude cook. It might be more proper to go sit at the table but he doesn't want to until his boyfriend can come with him.]

You're going to make a horrible mess like that.

[With just a hint of anxiety in his voice.]

And yes. I... am aware. I didn't expect you to be though.....

[Half of his plan relied on surprise. He might have to rethink things now.]

[After being out all day on a long expedition, Claude returns to the treehouse at nightfall. He's caked in dried mud, his quiver of arrows is almost empty where it's slung on his back along with Failnaught, and he's carrying his prize for the day under one arm, a painting hidden under a cloth.]

Hey Lorenz! I'm home. [If he acts normal this will totally seem like a normal way to arrive home, right? Maybe??? Well, either way, he's stripping off his weapons and his dirty cloak, followed by his boots, before he goes any further than the doorway.]

I'm gonna throw myself in the shower, then I'll clean up the mess, okay?

[Lorenz had really thought nothing of Claude being gone, he's always running off to put his nose into something it doesn't belong in. He abruptly realizes that was a terrible idea when he sees the state his lover comes home in.]

What...? [It takes him a moment to cap his ink and set his pen aside and then he's moving to come closer and-

And Claude is rushing off to shower so he's either covered in something dangerous or he's avoiding the immediate grilling he knows he's going to get. So, for the moment at least, Lorenz is...... going to try to salvage some of this disaster (once he has tea steeping for Claude, of course,) while trying not to vibrate out of his skin with curiosity. What in the heavens has he done now? ]

Oh, and don't touch my stuff. At least not the big thing.

[Claude pokes his head out of the bathroom, half-undressed as he gets ready to shower. With absolutely no elaboration, he retreats back into the bathroom, and doesn't emerge again to join Lorenz until he's squeaky clean and in a fresh change of clothes. The muddy mess that was his previous outfit is dumped unceremoniously in with the laundry.]

You made tea? You're a lifesaver. [He enters the kitchen, pouring himself a cup -- and one for Lorenz, if he doesn't have one already.] Pretty sure I've never been that muddy in my entire life.

[The fact that he even does that means he knows Lorenz is going to be fussing over this the entire time he's in the shower. Damn him.

Which leaves Lorenz to take Claude's cloak and boots back outside to hang them off the railing of the balcony. He... honestly he's going to take this stuff out to the stable so he can hose it down. There's no salvaging this disaster here.

By the time Claude is done showering Lorenz is leaning against the counter, sipping tea from his enchanted cup, doing his best not to look too disappointed.]

Which is quite the feat, considering how much trouble you get into.

[The Look.]

Khalid, my love, what have you done now?

Well, I... went on a research trip?

[It's not wrong, exactly, but Lorenz will know full well that Claude's 'research trips' can involve expeditions across entire deserts and finding an enormous talking beast, all because something in a book once piqued his curiosity.

Which is why he seems to squirm under that Look from Lorenz and relents, cupping his tea and sighing.]

Queen Elphame sent that riddle to everyone, right? I figured it out, so I wanted to take a look.

You figured it-

[Lorenz heaves an exasperated sigh, setting his mug aside and crossing over to where Claude has poured his own, reaching out to take his lover's hand and squeeze gently.]

I do wish you would've taken me with you.

[Which is, perhaps, not fair. Lorenz had his hands full with the horses and everything, it wasn't feasible for Claude to always wait on him for these things. Especially when he knew there were others seeking that same information.

That didn't mean he had to like it though.]

[Claude sets his tea down, entwining his fingers with Lorenz's, sighing.]

I know you'd have come with me if I asked. But I took two others for a reason. I wanted to see what others would do once they got to what Elphame's riddle was pointing at. Keep tabs on people, you know?

Keeping tabs... you really think someone would do something nefarious with the-

[He stops himself, sighing and squeezing Claude's hand in return.]

Of course they would. Challenging the Queen of the Fae would be nothing less than devastating but...

[Lorenz trails off, waving a vague hand as if to indicate the whole of Avalon. Or at least maybe the strange and often terribly destructive collection of other worlders here.]

What did you find?

The Fisher King's tomb-- the guy who's the whole reason the Land of Rot exists. His corpse is cursed. I didn't touch it, but I did take a painting with me. Which isn't cursed, don't worry -- we checked it once we found it.

[Or if it is, it's impossible to detect through the means of an average mage, but he hasn't experienced any adverse effects so far if that's the case.]

I'm going to go to the Archivists' to research it, so you're welcome to come with me if you enjoy doing homework? [And because he doesn't want Lorenz to feel like he doesn't trust him with this, after not inviting him along before.] Could be useful to know if the person in the painting is anyone significant.

It might also be useful to know if it was created by anyone significant... Consider what someone like Ignatz could do with light magic. Even if it isn't cursed per say.

[See now Claude's gone and given him a challenge. The more action oriented type always seem rather reckless and foolish to him but an intellectual challenge is one he cannot turn down.]

Besides if I want you home within any sort of decent time frame I'd really best go with you.

[It was completely out of the blue that Noelle had invited her to a cafe to hang out. At first Susie was confused - couldn't they just hang out back at the inn? And then she was perplexed, because she didn't really do cafes. It would mean hanging out in public, where people are probably just going to whisper behind her back anyway, and would need having someone to go with in the first place.

Well, first time for everything. She's so caught up in that she hasn't even realised the significance of today's date, picking a table by the window and sitting down sheepishly. She feels completely out of place here! But she's also happy. Noelle wants to spend time with her.

That's good, right? Right. Probably.]

[Noelle couldn't help her nerves- Susie had said yes!! To going out with her!! On Valentine's Day!! She'd tried to pose the question as casually as possible, all the better just in case she was rejected, but to her delight Susie had actually agreed.

And now the day was here. Keep it cool, Noelle, you can do this...! Deep breath!

Oh- Her heart jumped as she noticed Susie was there already- and it took her a good few moments to get herself prepared to go inside. What if her hair looked weird, it had been windy out, better pat it down a bit...!

Here we go! Just going in and vigorously waving as she headed over, pink gift bag over one arm and a bright smile over her face.]

Susie...! I haven't kept you long have I? Gosh, I- I'm glad you came...!

Hey. Nah, only feels like I've been waiting a whole month. [Is she kidding? Is she serious??? Is this a meta joke? She gives no indication regardless, just eyeing Noelle, who seems kind of nervous...]

I'm, uh, glad you came too. [Despite the fact she looks spooked already.] So we're just hanging out today?

I- I thought it would be fun to just...get something to eat and...then maybe walk somewhere and...and yeah! Hang out!

[Susie seemed so calm about all this, she really was brave...]

In a separate log over here!

FEBRUARY CATCH-ALL

CLAUDE

quest - cupid's arrow beta testing part II

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trust falls - forest of the fisher king

b!

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lorenz - valentine's day

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lorenz - returning from the forest of the fisher king

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SUSIE

noelle - valentine's day

I'm not late I swear

whistles

haha wow

ISKANDAR

gathering of kings