1. [open]

[scension]

🧙 WHO: Sagi and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: TDM and quest prompts for a recent arrival
🕒 WHEN: Early February
🗺️ WHERE: See prompts
⚠️ WARNINGS: None yet, will edit

[A: arrival // caravan]

Oh, huh. It moved the words to the front.

[The courtesy trip to the Red Springs might be more uncomfortable than it strictly needed to be if you wound up in this particular caravan. It's not that the demonic-looking horned creature inside takes up an excessive amount of physical space - hunched over in one of the passenger seats, it's currently no larger than a bulky breed of dog. But what it lacks in fur and cuteness, it makes up for with pulsating orange veins, oversized claws, twitching elbow tentacles and uncannily human-like matted hair. Every pore of its leathery brown skin radiates a quiet malevolence. It isn't pretty.

Compounding the problem, if only slightly, is the fact that the boy slouching in the seat beside it won't shut up. This is not to say that Sagi isn't put off by the horrible monster sitting next to him, either; oh man, was he ever put off to be dragged out of an icy lake and suddenly see that. But dwelling on why this monster is here would distract him from just going with the flow until he gets to grips with the rules of yet another bizarre earthbound world, so he simply isn't. Not thinking about things is easy for him, thank goodness.

As he prods at one of the standard-issue smartphones, his lack of familiarity is written all over his face. Listening a little closer to his quiet but incessant muttering only makes it more obvious.]

I guess we can go back and change the text... Okay, let's put Day 1 for now.

[The monster seems unmoved by Sagi's inexpert fumbling with the memo app. Instead, it's watching whoever else is in the caravan with two pairs of baleful, glowing little eyes. If anyone gives it so much as a glance, it will start to emit a low, rumbling growl, finally forcing Sagi to look up from the phone.]

Hey, shh. They told us not to bother anyone. [He glances your way as well, an apologetic smile on his face. It's probably an improvement on his familiar's still unflinching, four-eyed glare.] Sorry.

[Doesn't all the mumbling count as bothering people too? Eh, maybe. He hasn't realised he was doing it just yet.]

---

[B: around Camelot]

[The city is huge, the free caravan rides are over, the choices are overwhelming, the demon creature wandered off by itself for the time being, and the clouds are so very far away. At times like this, where do you go but outside? Well, home, ideally. That's the goal. It isn't an option for this first step. So Sagi takes his at random, hands in his pockets, heading out into the streets.

He's quieter on his aimless walk than he was while trying to figure out his phone. The shops, the buildings, the strange plantlife and bizarre animals... while some of the sights remind him vaguely of places he's been, most of them just feel impossible for him to process right now, from the outside looking in. That's okay. Apparently he has time.

Across the way from the colourful window of a potions shop, he comes to a halt as if he heard someone call him. Somewhere in the soundscape of the bustling city, it's even possible that they did - but Sagi himself only picks up on the one inside his head, for now.]

I guess you are the one with experience. Sure, why not. Together this time.

[First, he throws a cursory glance up and down the sidewalk to make sure he doesn't accidentally slap anyone. Then, with little fanfare, he spreads his ghostly wings - teal green and gold on the outside, pure white on the inside, feathered like a bird's.]

Are you with me? Focus...

[He furrows his brow. Nothing happens. He frowns slightly, but continues to stare into empty space for a good few long seconds. Again, nothing happens.

Then the palm of his hand blazes brightly like a silent flashbang. He yelps and reels back, scrunching up his face.]

Ack! Oww, my eyes... Maybe not that focused.

[As suddenly as it manifested, the bright light disappears. The wings take a moment longer to follow suit. A horse whinnies somewhere nearby, its surprised reaction mildly startling its rider in turn. Sagi turns his head to squint in the rough direction of the swearing, but his angle is a little off; the highly localised afterimage is taking its sweet time to dissipate, so he can't quite see where the imminent scolding is about to come from. Whoops. Hopefully next time goes better.]

---

[C: quest - "Save a Beast, Kill a Man 🗡️"]

[The long trail from Camelot to the kraken's beach passes through a few patches of woodland scattered throughout the countryside. In the thorny undergrowth of one such little copse, a boy and his horrible tentacle monster familiar lie in wait. In theory, they've chosen a spot with a decent amount of natural cover. In practice, it's the most obvious one in the vicinity, Sagi sounds like he's arguing with himself at normal conversational volume, and his partner in crime is six foot tall with gigantic curved horns.]

No, I'm sure we can reason with him. Don't forget, we outnumber him. It has to be worth a try.

[Pretty much anyone else would make better use of this hiding place. Maybe it would be worthwhile to just shoo these two away. As is, a certain man further up the trail just stopped his horse in its tracks and dismounted with sword in hand, peering suspiciously toward the voice on the cusp of hearing...]

---

(ooc: other TDM prompts are still fair game! feel free to drop a line at blitzente if you'd like to plot something else, or just hit me up with a prompt of your own!)

Comments

c

[intrapid]

[ It's hard to tell which is the monster, here... There's little time to find somewhere else, and the movement will give Karma away too, so he reaches out to Sagi and very seriously contemplates shoving his face into the mud to make him shut up, but instead takes the slightly nicer approach of clamping his hand over Sagi's mouth. ]

Get your familiar into the water, [ he hisses, voice lowered and pressed against Sagi's ear to be as quiet as possible. ] It looks enough like a kraken, we can draw that man's attention.

[ Reason? Forget about it, Sagi. They outnumber him and have the element of surprise, so they'd be fools to throw that advantage away. ]

[scension]

[The gesture takes Sagi completely by surprise.] Mmf??

[Any connection to his mumbling just now is lost on him. Why would you up and do that to a relative stranger who just happened to see the same help request you did? That's so mean.

He at least has the presence of mind not to struggle, not with their quarry already coming into sight. He does, however, emit a longer series of mostly-muffled noises when Karma starts hissing orders at him. How is he supposed to get his familiar into the water if he can't talk to it, genius?]

[intrapid]

[ Use your head, genius!! As in, the whole telepathy thing Karma just assumes other people do, like he does with his own, staring at Sagi— glancing over at his familiar— back at Sagi.

He lifts a single finger off Sagi's mouth, just in case he's forgotten how to breathe through his nose. ]

[scension]

[There is nothing in Sagi's head, but now there's just enough space in front of his mouth for him to sound slightly intelligible. Alright. Regardless of whether he liked his plan better, he's not here to argue. He glances up at his familiar and gestures out of the foliage, towards the sand.] It's fine. Go in the water.

[The afterling... does nothing. It's glaring at Karma, its tentacles beginning to writhe a little more animatedly than just twitching. Hands off its fellow traveller first, thank you.]

[intrapid]

[ Karma stares back at the afterling, because he can't hear or understand shit. Do the tentacle thing... in the water. He's staring to think this monster is just as dumb as the boy he has half pinned beneath him.

It's fine. He has plans spanning all letters of the alphabet, and next in line involves grabbing Sagi's arm and bodily hurtling both himself and Sagi into the water to make a huge splash even the approaching man cannot miss. ]

[scension]

Wha -

[Sploosh. Sagi's instinct to unfurl his wings under pressure still hasn't been trained out of him, making the splash even bigger. It otherwise achieves nothing, which is the story of Sagi's life. He bobs back up out of the water, gasping, not yet thinking to put the wings away again.

The man definitely heard the sound, of course - failing to spot the monster still lurking in the bushes, he hurtles down the shore like any self-respecting adventurer would. His shortsword is still drawn, but he looks more worried than hostile; neither of them are his wife, after all. "You there! Don't you know this beach is dangerous?"

The hollow act of concern makes part of Sagi bridle in a way that tossing him into the sea didn't manage, even though he already knows he shouldn't.] Not as dangerous as -

[Oops, his mouth went under again from all his continued flailing.]

[intrapid]

[ Just stay under there. Karma resurfaces, making to keep his own head above water by pressing down on Sagi's shoulder, so he can get a word in before Sagi says anything untoward. ]

-—the Kraken! Please save us, sir! It's after us!

[ That's your cue, Sagi's dumb tentacle monster!! Even if it doesn't look 100% like a kraken, a monster is a monster and the adventurer has no chance but to throw his pack aside to keep it dry while he fights in the water. It's this pack that Karma is interested in, pulling Sagi with him as he wades towards shore while the man is distracted. ]

[scension]

[The tentacle monster is still reluctant to play along, but it is smarter than Sagi, enough to recognise that the man might start suspecting its master if it doesn't. At Karma's prompting, it rears up out of its compact six-foot form into its original two-storey height, lets out a half-hearted roar - more of a wheeze, really - and lopes over to the would-be adventurer. The fact that it lopes down the shore and out of the trees instead of from out of the water is especially weird for a kraken... but hey, monster rumours get confused all the time. For now, the man concentrates on dodging the creature's lashing tentacles and swatting claws while he tries to determine where to stab.

Sagi, meanwhile, is dragged. It's beginning to annoy him, actually. The moment his feet touch solid ground again, he attempts to yank his arm away.] Okay, now let go of me! I'm getting the bag!

[He is dripping wet, his bulky feathered wings are still out, and the quietest he can manage is a stage whisper. He probably won't go unnoticed if he makes a beeline for the backpack, no matter how many horrible monsters are in the vicinity. This does not strike him as a problem. If they retrieve the bag, they can cut the pretense and just get out of here, right?]

[intrapid]

[ He hopes the tentacle monster can hold its own for a while. Karma's own familiar can probably masquerade as a kraken in a pinch, but for now, he lets this play out, letting Sagi go at the grumble and making a beeline towards the backpack himself. It's fine? The man gives a shout at the movement he notices in his vicinity, but can't rush to stop them when he needs to give his full attention into fighting this monster. ]

Don't worry about us! You're doing great!

[ Karma waves at the man fighting for his life in the shallows of the water, and goes ahead and crouches next to the backpack and starts rooting through it. Gold? Pockets it. Spare underwear? Tosses it at Sagi. Where is that pelt? ]

around camelot!

[fearlessly]

[ well, that's certainly a look.

alisaie, nearby, is not here to scold, but she sure is happy to throw in her two cents. from somewhere to his left she speaks, after a mouthful of fresh chocolate muffin. a large paper bag hangs off of her elbow. ]

It's not quite so easy as it once was, hm?

[ she knows this struggle, my friend. ]

[scension]

[Sagi might not know this girl, but he's no stranger to running commentary. He responds only by turning toward the sound of her voice with an embarrassed smile. Give him a second and he'll even be able to make out what she looks like.] It'll take some getting used to, for sure.

[Okay, there, rubbing his eyes did the trick. After that, he finally lets his hand drop - albeit not without one last glance down at it, like it might ignite by itself next time. It won't, he knows, not if he needed to enlist the help of the voice in his head before anything happened at all. It's just surreal to think about.]

To be honest, I didn't really know any magic before, either. Who's to say how common that is, though.

[This may seem like a weird thing for someone to say when they had bird wings a second ago and now evidently don't, but it doesn't strike Sagi as one.]

[fearlessly]

Oh? My mistake, then.

[ magicks are so common where she comes from that it's quite easy to forget that it is not the case on every world. not everyone on hydaelyn could use magic, though, and some simply never tried, but it's been a part of her life so long that it's simple to assume. also he kind of sort of seemed to know somewhat what he was doing, so there's that, but apparently he's just a very good showman. ]

It isn't common for me, I knew many magickal practitioners back home. What is it you've been given? Light magic?

[ if that bright flash was any indication.. ]

[scension]

That's what it looks like. It's why I thought my friend could help us control it. In here, I mean. [He touches his hand to his chest for a moment, to illustrate where his "friend" lives.] "Light magic" sounded like some of the things he used to do.

[He brightens up a little. She doesn't seem annoyed, and even that horse-rider from a moment ago let him off with just a dirty look this time, so he feels like briefly blinding himself counts as a success today.]

We'll just keep trying until we get it down. Hope it didn't interrupt your shopping too badly or anything.

[Part of him would like to ask her for advice if she was watching the whole thing, but... nah, not unless she offers. Cake is important. He understands.]

[fearlessly]

[ oh yes, cake is so important, but she's got a muffin to snack on in the meantime, at least, so she can wait. there is no fear of hangry. ]

No, not at all. I was already finished.

[ she shrugs, then looks to the side of him, and behind him, searching for this "friend," but it seems like.. he means it when he gestures that this friend is somehow inside of him. or he's just a little nuts. ]

Your friend? Are you talking about your familiar?

[scension]

[A touch of self-consciousness sets back in as Sagi watches her look around for an apparition that isn't there. It's kind of strange to see a girl who looks slightly older than him responding like that, as opposed to some tiny orphanage kid who hasn't heard many stories about guardian spirits yet.] No, my familiar wandered off somewhere earlier.

[Then again, culture clash is culture clash. He has no room to talk, he knows. He couldn't even conceptualise the idea of living below the sky less than a year ago.]

You could call him the familiar I had before getting pulled into all this, I guess. Um, my name is Sagi, and my friend's name is Marno. [He gestures at his chest again, quickly and awkwardly.] Nobody else can hear him, but he's lived inside me since I was little.

[fearlessly]

[ ah yes, his friend that lives inside of him, he sure isn't helping himself not to sound like a loon here!!

but honestly, alisaie has certainly heard stranger tales before, so she'll just have to take him at face value, here. what reason would he have to lie, other than wanting to look like he's stark raving mad? ]

I suppose that explains all the..

[ she gestures toward her back, with a flapping sort of motion. ]

[scension]

[It's Sagi's turn for some mild confusion over where or what she's gesturing to. He tilts his head slightly to peek behind her. Around her is, uh - another shop front or two, a lamppost, a small tree, her muffin...]

Huh?

[Most likely no one would want themselves to look this slow on the uptake, either.]

b

[weenwoon]

[Hythlodaeus has made a habit of wandering around Camelot, getting used to the locals and their ways, and maybe picking out interesting places to visit later - whether alone or with one of his friends.

At this point it's easier to pick out new arrivals, and the winged boy registers himself as one in Hythlodaeus's mind almost immediately. He watches Sagi curiously - until that bright flash of light that makes even Hythlodaeus himself screw his eyes shut and feel grateful that Hades elected to stay home today. It's not as though they don't seem to have an argument-slash-breakdown in public every week, nowadays.

After blinking rapidly several times, Hythlodaeus decides to approach the youth. Have an entirely too tall masked man, although at least here he's not wearing fashion crimes or a hood in addition to the mask.]

My, light magic is more dangerous than I expected. Are you alright?

[scension]

[It's okay, Sagi is still fashion crime enough for two people. In any case, he can't really make out the robes on whoever just approached him, only their outline - and even that is probably a trick of the afterimage, considering how much of his field of vision it seems to fill.]

Yeah, I'm fine. I just didn't expect much to happen.

[Rubbing his eyes eventually helps the colour flow back into the city around him. When he turns back to the source of the voice to thank him for his concern, however - hmm. He blinks once, then a couple more times.]

...Whoa. You're really tall.

[Yeah.]

[weenwoon]

[Hythlodaeus can't help chuckling at the reaction. It's not like it's wrong, but.]

I am cursed to be, it appears, yes.

[If they knew each other better, he would certainly have readied a "you're short" manner of response, but alas. Instead Hyth decides to be a good person, giving Sagi a polite bow.]

Hythlodaeus, at your service. I assume you are a new arrival to this land?

[scension]

[Sagi isn't sure how to respond to the bow, especially since Hyth is still taller than him while doing it. He manages a lopsided smile, but otherwise just stands there awkwardly, trying to will away what's left of the adrenaline spike from that sudden flash.]

I guess it's pretty obvious. Um, my name's Sagi. It's nice to -

[He hesitates as a familiar if no longer outright painful sensation clouds his head. Literally a familiar sensation, as this is the point where the two-metre-tall afterling lumbers out from around a street corner to glare at whatever kind of tree monster appears to be threatening its partner. Hi.

Sagi blinks again, nonplussed. That's at least the second time now, but it doesn't mean he's learned to expect it yet.] Oh, hey... I thought you wanted some time alone.

[weenwoon]

[Fellow monster tree... Hythlodaeus stares at it politely.]

Oh... May I ask who your friend is, master Sagi?

[It's big so it's a person, right. Familiars are small.]

[scension]

[It wouldn't have to rear nearly as upright if Hythlo wasn't too tall to glare at otherwise, to be fair. For now, it remains silent. Its lower pair of balefully glowing eyes squints suspiciously up at Hyth's mouth under his mask, as if to peer beneath it.

Sagi looks from one to the other for a moment. The man isn't freaking out, apparently, which he supposes is good. Practically a warm reception.]

He's my familiar. [The word still feels alien to say, though; his sliver of hesitation is just about noticeable.] I don't know if he has a name. He doesn't really speak.

[Definitely the most important thing to clarify here.]

[weenwoon]

[Hyth just... tilts his head with an ~enigmatic~ smile, peering at the wigglyboi in return. Hello, sir.]

Ah... I would say he is positively unique! Most of us have familiars that are simply average creatures of our worlds--or, in my and my friend's case, creatures we once created, do pardon me the tautology.

[He waves a hand towards his firebird, which seems to be curious about Sagi's own birdlike qualities.]

[scension]

...Created? A bird?

[The phrasing wouldn't normally stick out to Sagi more than the entire fantastical idea - but with his own familiar sitting right there, bodily blocking him off from this stranger who seems perfectly at ease with this whole world-transplant business, it's hard not to make a few mental associations. Imagine being created!

Despite keeping that thought to himself for once, he can't help his amiable smile faltering slightly, nor his brow furrowing a little when he sees the bird looking back at him.]

Is it some kind of machina? It just looks like a bird.

[He has to observe something out loud.]