isleofavalon | February catch-all

Entry tags:

February catch-all

🧙 WHO: Hendrik and OPEN
⚔️️ WHAT: Arrival, settling in, quests
🕒 WHEN: February
🗺️ WHERE: Dependent on prompts
⚠️ WARNINGS: N/A

Arrival

[Hendrik awakens to his body hitting the water, and a rush of terrible deja vu almost overwhelms him. The struggle of tearing at his cloak and armor, his pride and protection turned into terrible anchors dragging him into the depths. The fear of his last moments being spent in suffocating blackness.

He still doesn't know how he made it to the shore on that day when the world tree fell. His armor was long gone, lost to the abyss, and his king lay on the surf, unconscious.

He has no armor this time, only struggling now against the clothes on his back. And when he breaks the surface, he is greeted by light -- not the darkness that permeated over the land and blotted out the sun in the sky.

It's enough to make him shiver in bewilderment even before he starts towards an unfamiliar shore. He barely pays attention to a platypunk upon the back of an ice turtle, squinting at it when he notices the duo following him to the edge of the water.]

The Red Spring - training grounds (during or after arrival trip)

[At a certain level, Hendrik is not worried by the revelation that the magic from his world does not work in this new one. It's strange, yes, but his magic has been more of a supportive force to his main skills.

That doesn't mean he shouldn't try to understand that which is supposed to "replace" his lost magic. Meditation isn't something he has had to do in the name of learning spells before, but the dedication is a familiar enough concept.

When he isn't trying his hand at learning of his magic, he takes to sword training at the edge of the grounds, not wanting to disturb those there to practice magic. His intimidating stature is something he is quite aware of, after all. And something he will apologize for, if he happens to scare a passerby with swinging his large greatsword.]

Taking in the City

[A rather lavish free room, a free selection of food in the morning... Though he knows the setup to be temporary, Hendrik finds himself impressed. The kingdom must be prosperous to be able to to afford such an arrangement to cater to those newly arrived.

And their familiars.

As he eats the apple that is part of his breakfast, Hendrik glances at the platypunk sitting next to him on the bench. Apparently familiars could talk? That should not be a surprise in itself, given he's known some monsters to talk in Erdrea, but the platypunk has yet to say a word to him.

But it does seem to be convinced it's his familiar, as the end of its prehensile tail is wrapped around his forearm.]

...Shall we go for a walk?

[He tentatively inquires of the familiar. The platypunk makes a quack-like noise and hops up, holding its own breakfast apple as it follows after Hendrik.]

Quest: A Tall Order

[...Why did he decide this was a good idea?

As he holds up the chair on which one of many elves perches like an overly proud king, Hendrik can hear the other elves squabbling among themselves. He turns a faintly exasperated look at one of the other ... volunteers to the situation.]

I take it you thought this was a good idea as well.

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Yeah. Fuck. I might die.

[Freeze frame, zoom in, yep, that's Kadoc. I bet you're wondering how I got into this situation,

This scene is worth setting: Kadoc, who had very stupidly decided to volunteer for this quest, is 5'9" and scrawny as hell. He'd considered this what he thought was carefully before deciding to go; after all, the elves in question are two feet tall. Even Kadoc is a mountain of a man compared to that. But the man opposite him in this procession, the one addressing him now, is an actual mountain; his 6'6" is almost a foot taller than Kadoc is. He should have realized this would happen. This is a nightmare!

But it is good practice for his magic: thus far, he's been making up the height difference by using his Light magic to project a shield lying flat up over his upraised hands. His corner balances on the shield, higher up than his hands alone can reach. Brilliant! This method of magic is entirely new to him, but this particular aspect of it is at least slightly familiar, and Kadoc finds himself more attuned to it than he is other uses of Light yet; it is, essentially, Easy Mode, and as such he's determined to master it quickly. If he can't do this, how is he supposed to figure out intricate light work like illusion?

And it's . . . going. It's going fine! Actually, it's going exhausting. He looks like he might just drop, though the truth is he always looks like that anyway, but who's to say it's not because of this whole awful thing he agreed to do? This was dumb! This was a dumbfuck decision he made!

God, is the massive mountain man over here making fun of him, or commiserating? It could be either. Kadoc's not sure. He suspects the former, but only because he always suspects that first.]

. . . If you're gonna laugh, just do it to my face. I deserve it for this.

[Truthfully, if Hendrik was paying greater attention to the elves squabbling and haughtily talking to one another at least four feet below him, he may have missed a good deal of the stranger's discomfort. This entire situation is chaotic in a way he's never experienced before ... and, frankly, he's not sure would be helpful for him to ever experience again.

But Hendrik's eyes are on the other man, wondering if he is about to sway and drop under the weight of the sedan chair. His miserable tone certainly alludes to that thought.]

I see no reason to laugh. This entire situation is...

[He trails off, looking for a charitable word that would not upset the elf riding high on his chair. When nothing comes to mind right away, he starts over.]

I did not think it would be like this.

You're diplomatic.

[Which is definitely not a bad thing in this situation. Kadoc's really hoping the elves are too preoccupied among themselves to be paying much attention to the chatter of their pack animals down here. So far, so good; they can keep their voices down and get away with at least a little "diplomacy" about the situation. But he shouldn't take that for granted, he knows.

Still . . . it gets a strained smile out of him. Misery loves company, that's what they say. And he'll take any distraction from the physical burden of the task.]

So why'd you sign up? . . . I was interested in seeing the play. I should've thought that through a little better.

Diplomatic? I would not say so. Attempting to be polite, perhaps.

[Diplomatic is hardly the first thing that Hendrik would say to describe himself, and it surprises him to some degree to hear it said of him at all. But perhaps their ideas of what it meant to be diplomatic were quite different, just like his idea of a "quest" did not involve anything like carrying sedan chairs in a parade.

This world is already turning out to be a strange one.

He cranes his neck to look past another sedan chair ahead of them; the loosely organized parade seems to still be marching with no visible end in sight.]

I was not thinking so far ahead. I am-- ah, a newcomer to this island, and I wished to understand these available requests.

[...He sighs.]

This one seemed the least objectionable.

Yeah. I'm in the same position.

[Maybe it'd have to take a total newbie to sign up for something like this. Maybe that's how they're getting shit done here! Surely no experienced knight or lord would volunteer for this job. . . . Though not all of the others had sounded especially chivalrous, either. Objectionable, that's a good word. Kadoc lets out a low sigh, but at least having a conversation is distracting from just repeating in his head over and over again, This sucks. This fucking sucks! I'm gonna pass out! That inner monologue had not been helping him keep up his strength.]

I probably arrived the same time you did, if we're both newcomers. I'm not exactly the quest type, but I'm not the sitting around doing nothing type either. So I decided to check them out. I can't say I liked everything I saw.

Perhaps if these quests had better descriptions...

[He shakes his head, frowning as he averts his attention away from the far distance and more to what's ... well, more in his immediate presence.]

No, upon second thought, I have to agree. If what was available is a good sample of "quests" on this island, it seems a number of them will be objectionable in some form.

[Hendrik grimaces as the sedan in front of them is jostled by unbalanced volunteers. At least they aren't the only ones having trouble with this entire situation.]

I must admit, I do not know how to find a "normal" job, though.

[Kadoc, wincing at the wobble of the sedan and straining to maintain his light shield helper up over his head, casts a glance over at his mountain of a questmate aa he recovers the breath that took to hold steady.]

. . . What'd you do back home?

[He has some guesses, but you can't judge by appearance, he knows. Maybe this guy had been a pastry chef! And not the military man he certainly comes off as, between his bearing and his polite language.]

That's probably the best place to start. But depending on your position, I can see why it might be hard to work back into it in here.

[Much like Hendrik, Bennett too was attempting to gain a grasp on his newfound magic. ...Magic for Bennett was a struggle. Putting aside the fact that magic was a relatively foreign concept to a Vision wielder, there was the fact that he had healing magic, of all things. How do you actually practice healing magic without someone to heal?

But that was just his luck, huh?

But then he spots Hendrik off to the side, sword training, and an idea strikes. He just needed someone to heal!]

Hey! Wanna do some sword training together?

[Hendrik's tall stature didn't phase the boy in the slightest. When you routinely have to fight off Large Hilichurls and Ruin Guards, a tall man doesn't really bother you.]

[After years spent honing his craft, it takes awhile for Hendrik to work up a sweat simply doing practice swings. A training dummy of some sort would be welcome, though it would have to be quite sturdy given his choice of weapon.

Or he could always get another weapon somewhere. When he had the gold. Probably.

In any case, he's drawn out of his focused practice by a voice calling out to him. He pauses to straighten and hold his greatsword in one hand, looking to the cheerful boy with faint surprise. Whether it be because of his height or reputation back home, he's usually greeted with at least a tinge of hesitation by strangers.]

Sword training? Were you looking for a sparring opponent?

[Best to get clarification.]

[Bennett nods to the behemoth of a man, his eyes trailing to that greatsword in his hand. Large weapons weren't really Bennett's choice of weapon, preferring to stay light and nimble with a short sword, but he was no stranger to the heavy blade.]

Yeah! I know this magic training is important and all, but I don't feel like I'm getting anywhere with it right now. A spar's just what I need to clear my head!

[Hendrik's expression lightens somewhat when he hears the boy's confident enthusiasm. It's rather nostalgic, hearing that excitement to throw oneself into a sparring match, though he heard such things when he was younger than the boy in front of him now.]

There are no practice weapons that I have seen around here. You are comfortable with sparring with live weaponry?

[He's certainly entertained knight trainees who wanted to go against one of the country's generals, but the last thing he wants to do is spend his first days in this new place unintentionally hurting someone.]

Yeah, that sounds fine to me, as long as you don't try to hack off one of my limbs.

[He likes his arms and legs firmly attached to his body, thank you very much.]

I'm not worried about getting hurt, if that's what you're wondering. If something goes wrong, I'll just heal it. Bonus practice!

[This may be his real plan.]

Hacking off a boy's limb is far from any of my wants.

[Hendrik actually looks a little taken aback that the boy would even say as much, but it's made (somewhat) clearer by his explanation.]

Then let us have at it, then. I will use the flat of my blade, so you best be fast.

[Or he can, and will, send him flying with a good blow.]

[Bennett nods to Hendrik, and starts walking away from him, putting some distance between them. Realistically, Bennett didn't think he stood much of a chance of winning against this guy. He could tell at a glance that he was pretty darn strong, both physically and skill-wise. But this wasn't really about winning. It was about having a good training duel.

Once there was sufficient distance between them, Bennett turns to face him and draws his sword, holding it in his right hand.]

Ready when you are!

[ Some one spoke to him and Crowley stopped walking up the path long enough to peer at the man holding up one of the sedan chairs. ]

Are you kidding? This was the best idea!

[ With that he clambered up into the chair Hendrik was helping to tote, making nearly twice as heavy as it was before his arrival, and fist bumped the elf already seated in it. ]

Tabor, my elf! Nice to see you again! Thanks for the lift, you're right, it really is the best way to see the city.

Oi you down there.

[ He peered back over the side at the poor saps doing the heavy lifting. ]

Tabor would like to go once around the town.

[A startled grunt escapes Hendrik as the carried sedan chair is burdened with additional weight, and while he is capable of adjusting to the sudden change, the sway and round cursing from another of the chair bearers is enough to sour the experience further.

Hendrik turns his head to frown at the man who had climbed up to join the proudly lounging elf.]

While we are here at the behest of these festival organizers, we are to carry the elven nobility.

[He's not about to stop carrying the sedan because it would be awkward to stop at this point, but that can't be said about the other burdened bearers.]

And a very good job you are doing of it!

[ Crowley agreed that even despite the grumbling and discouraging words they were a fine bunch of sedan carriers. He leaned over the side just long enough to offer some additional praise. ]

You're all doing very well!

[Leaning over the side doesn't really help the balancing act the struggling sedan carriers are attempting; Hendrik grunts and adjusts his grip to bear his side of the sedan with his whole arm when another volunteer buckles. It's clear from the groaning that they had been hoping they were almost done with their duty.]

Do... Do you intend to be up there the entire while?

[While he's not looking forward to a possible affirmative to his question, Hendrik's technically not going to get paid if he doesn't complete this request...]

Of course!

[ Crowley settled back in the chair next to the elfen lord who chose to order a drink from one of his attendants before the ride actually began. ]

I'm not sure why you all agreed to carry one of these sedans around anyway, riding in them is a lot more fun.

[In the month or so that Darin had called Avalon home, he'd made a few spots into hangouts; places where he felt at home but people could still reach him if need be. He was also a fan of observing the many people practicing their magic, often taking notes on what made them successful in hopes of applying it to his own training.]

[It wasn't very often that Darin actually saw someone practicing with a weapon. And not only that, using skills and techniques he himself had seen more often than he'd be able to accurately count.]

[He doesn't disturb Hendrik while he's going through his training, but it's likely someone with keen senses will noticed he's being watched, and has been for some time.]

[Finally, Darin speaks up.]

You know, I gotta say, seeing someone actually doing some real honest-to-goodness sword training on these grounds is a breath of fresh air. I feel like I'm home again.

[After years of training under instructors from both Heliodor and Puerto Valor, Hendrik is quite aware of the weight of eyes on him while he practices. It's also completely expected to happen in a public place where what he's doing is somewhat out of place, so he ignores the feeling until he's satisfied with his workout.

It's almost a kind of endurance training in itself -- one he can appreciate, with his restless energy and temper as a child.

His observer finally speaking up is enough to have Hendrik pausing in his routine, his greatsword resting flat against his shoulder as he stretches and averts his attention.]

Is that so? Are swordsmen in such limited supply on this island?

Not so much but most people use this place to train their magic. I see more flinging fireballs than slinging of arrows.

As someone who couldn't use magic back home, I guess I just missed people honing their martial prowess more than their magical.

[Darin marches up and extends a hand.]

Name's Darin. Darin Altway, Master Blacksmith at your service.

[Hendrik listens with interest; any understanding of what is "usual" in this new world is more than welcome so early on. His experiences have at least made him a bit more aware that he should get more than one person's perspective on what's going on. ...And, in an ideal world, he would actually remember to do that in every instance.

He nods in greeting at the extended hand, firmly meeting it with his own.]

Well met, Darin. I am Hendrik -- a newcomer to this island. Your title of Master Blacksmith is impressive.

[It's certainly not one he would usually hear touted around the castle, in the past.]

And it's nice to meet someone who actually knows and appreciates what that means!

[Darin laughs and squeezes Hendrik's hand in greeting.]

I hope you don't mind if I ask about your swordsmanship, but were you self-taught? Or did you receive instruction in the military?

Admittedly, I have tried my hand at blacksmithery before, so I have much respect for those who dedicate themselves to the art.

[He smiles a bit at Darin's laugh; he takes it to be appreciative and enthusiastic of his chosen field, which is always good to see.]

To answer your question, I received instruction from my youth into adulthood. Becoming a knight was a dream of mine from an early age.

[Klaudia did think it was a good idea... Originally. How heavy could a 2ft tall elf be? Even she should be able to manage that.]

[It hadn't occurred to her that the chair might also weigh a sizable amount as well... At least more than her noodle arms are used to carrying. Honestly, she looks like she might pass out. At least she has her tail to brace herself if she starts tipping to one side.]

It sounded a lot better in writing. [She's breathing hard, but still managing to talk, somehow.] How-- How much further do you think? Are we almost there?

[While the weight of the sedan chair is not so bothersome for Hendrik, it is still ... far too cumbersome for its intended use. Why does a two-foot-tall elf require such a lavish means of transportation? Would they not get the intended purpose across riding on the shoulders of one of the volunteers?

...Maybe that's a little too embarrassing. He isn't about to directly question the requestors when there's tonight's dinner on the line.

He braces the chair as best he can without overbalancing, briefly stopping in the loosely organized parade towards their destination.]

Perhaps another length of the street we just passed. I can see some chairs set down in the distance.

[Maybe another 200 meters? It's not terribly far, and at least the squabbling from the indignant other elves had been left behind another 200 meters ago.]

[There is a very strong urge to set this chair down right here in the middle of the street. Normally, she wouldn't even be bothering with such a silly task, but there's one thing that she wants enough to keep pushing forward.]

[She's been keeping her focus on the ground in front of her--one step forward, then the next. She doesn't look up when he says it's only a little further, not even to check to make sure he's not lying.]

Good. Good. Great. [She huffs out a breath between each word, then there's silence for a few seconds.]

Out of-- Out of curiosity. Do you know revival magic? If-- if I die here, I don't wanna stay dead. Get someone to revive me. I can-- I can pay for it after.

[It's difficult to tell if she's being serious or overly dramatic.]

Ah-- er. Unfortunately, revival magic has always been out of my reach, even before arriving on this island.

[He does feel bad for his ailing commiserator, but while his strength and size are notable, the sedan is meant to distribute the burden of weight evenly. There's silence for a few seconds as they have to maneuver around a sedan that stops in the middle of the parade, after which he sighs and shakes his head.]

I can attempt to find a church and a priest, should anything so dire happens.

That-- That'll work. Yeah.

[They have to have revival magic here... right? Goodness, she hopes so. Because she's half expecting to collapse with the sedan on top of her at this rate.]

[She slips back into silence for a few more seconds before engaging her companion in a different topic.]

Why did you... take this job?

[Hendrik grunts as they continue on in silence for a little while longer. Why did he take this job? "It seemed like a good idea at the time" would certainly be ... sad, in a way. But it would certainly be honest.]

I wanted to see what these QuestBoard jobs were about. I am fairly new to this place.

[He sighs. Jumping in headfirst usually ended up with these kinds of situations.]

And you?

Oh. I... I guess that's a reason.

[Well, it's not a bad reason. She was fortunate enough to hit a pretty nicely-paid quest almost immediately--if a bit of a shady one. So money isn't really an issue for her.]

I want to-- to hear the stories. About the elves. I want to know their history.

[Naturally, Jade feels drawn to the training grounds and what they have to offer— at home, she would train regardless of where she was, putting whatever space she had available to good use, but with facilities like these, it seems a waste not to make the trip. She has other reasons for gravitating back towards the Red Spring rather than remaining in the city, as well, but the training grounds are certainly high on her list.

It's the first place she goes upon arriving in the resort town, and while she certainly doesn't expect to be the only person with such an idea, she stops short just as she's about to pass by the area dedicated to meditation. There are a handful of people there already doing their very best to focus, but it's the fact that one of them is all-too-familiar that grabs her attention.]

Hendrik?

[Well. Not the sort of training she'd ever expected to find him doing, but she'd certainly tried her hand at it when she'd first arrived. She quickly alters her route, heading across the training yard towards where he's seated at a run, though his back is currently to her.]

Hendrik!

[The act of meditation is not something that Hendrik had ever truly heard about at length before, but it was something he decided he could appreciate upon receiving an explanation from the magic teachers. It was essentially another form of concentration, and one he would definitely have had trouble practicing in his more restless and energetic years.

How meditation figured into learning about magic is its own brand of oddness. It's somehow similar and yet not to how he remembers learning about magic in his youth. He mostly remembers his magic manifesting through need, in moments where he emotion took over.

His thoughts are perhaps wandering too much for this to be effective meditation. That he hears a familiar voice piercing his thoughts is a clear sign.

...Wait. A familiar voice?

Green eyes fly open, and he twists perhaps a little too quickly to not be regrettable in some way to look over his shoulder.]

Princess?

[It's a small blessing he doesn't try to scrabble to his feet from his cross-legged position; he'd just trip over himself in the process. But he at least manages to sit up on his knees.]

[Her expression brightens as he turns and their eyes meet, glad for a face she recognizes, and she’s quick to close the distance between them. While Jade wouldn’t consider herself to be one for physical displays of affection during such reunions, it would seem that Eleven is rubbing off on her a bit— she doesn’t go in for a hug the way their Luminary might, but she does reach out to clap a hand on Hendrik’s shoulder before offering the other to help him to his feet. He hardly needs it, she’s sure, but she’s so glad to see him that she can’t help but extend her aid.]

I’d know those square shoulders anywhere. You’re alright?

[He’s in one piece, at least, and that’s certainly good.]

[While he's not so emotional as to weep at the knowledge that the princess is alive, it's still enough of a shock for him to kneel there, staring up at her in stunned silence. He jerks when she places a hand on his shoulder, pushing himself to his feet before promptly bowing his head again.]

Princess, it eases my heart profusely to see you well.

[He's ... well, should he say how he's doing?]

Truth be told, I remain confused by this place. But the-- ah, change of pace has been a positive.

There's a great deal to be confused by.

[Her tone is sympathetic, and she lets her hand fall away from his shoulder now that he's made it to his feet, letting it come to rest by her side for the time being while she props the other against her hip.]

I'm still piecing things together, myself, but there are many who have been quite helpful. I'm glad to see you in one piece, as well.

[She can't help but smile affectionately— their reunion all those months ago, by her count, had been fraught, not what she would have wanted for either of them, but things have certainly changed since then. It's been some time now since they established they were on the same side, at least according to her memory.]

It's not just us here, either, you know.

[Though there is the unease of knowing that he has wronged the princess in many ways, he finds himself remarkably relieved that she is also open with her concern. It's undeserved but humbly appreciated, considering the circumstances.]

I have found the people here quite helpful as well. Their willingness to transport so many newcomers is ... impressive, to say the least.

[Picking up on any other topics falls to the wayside at her last comment, and he squares his jaw as he carefully replies.]

You are referring to ... him?

[It's still a sore subject.]

Mm.

[She exhales slowly, nodding. It seems she doesn't have to break the news, after all.]

You've seen one another, then.

[That must have been one hell of an encounter.]

I'm not sure how to approach him again, or if I should at all.

"Seen" is not quite accurate. He was speaking through the device. Through whatever means it uses.

[It's difficult to not devolve into a clipped tone, but he tries valiantly to remain respectful. The princess is does not deserve it, after all; his ire is entirely aimed at his former compatriot and his ability to lie so easily.]

I do not know the size of this island, but more encounters seem inevitable. In-person will undoubtedly be ... unpleasant.

[Ah, she understands.]

I encountered him there, as well.

[She frowns a bit, her brow creasing slightly. It hadn't been the most pleasant exchange, naturally— as a matter of fact, she had left it unresolved after a certain point, unwilling to dignify one of his jabs with another response.]

The city alone is large, but yes, it would be foolish to think we might avoid him. I'm not certain that would be the best course of action, anyway, even if civility may be a challenge for all involved.

[Somehow, she doesn't think there are any two people Jasper would have liked to encounter less than the two of them, at this juncture.]

I agree. Regardless of what is transpiring in this world, it would be folly to ignore him. That is precisely how this situation ... escalated.

[He leaves it at that. He really shouldn't gripe at the princess, given she saw the culmination of Jasper's betrayal as well.]

Should he try anything untoward, he will need to be dealt with.

[But he hasn't yet. Which is probably a good thing for everyone.]

Mm, I quite agree.

[She sighs heavily, folding her arms in front of her. Yes, 'escalated' is one way to put it, and she knows that giving Jasper cause to allow certain beliefs to fester would not be in any of their best interests.]

I wonder if he would? He would have nothing to gain from it here. Motivation does play a part.

[Still, maybe that's too optimistic.]

We should be careful, no matter what.

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February catch-all

a tall order. hoo boy,

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Red Springs

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Quest: A Tall Order

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Red Springs - Sword Training

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Quest: A Tall Order

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sorry for the delay!

training grounds, after arrival trip

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