(open) April Catch All

[kiss_it_better]

🧙 WHO: Chang Geng/Li Min and YOU!
⚔️️ WHAT: Quests and April stuff
🕒 WHEN: Throughout April
🗺️ WHERE: Around?
⚠️ WARNINGS: Spiders and lack of self-care.



i: Vital Venoms

[Chang Geng was standing outside of the caves, looking thoughtful. There's a sword at his hip but he's now keeping his dagger closer at hand rather than tucked away.]

Rather than bringing the spider back, I think it would be better to let it bite me at the last minute and simply dispatch it.

[He has blood magic and healing magic, he could probably carry the venom back safely. Probably.

He is far too calm while making this suggestion.]


ii: The Labyrinth

[He had been a little more cautious about taking on combat quests before when his only magic had been healing. After all, many things were weak only to magic here. Still, things were a little different now, weren't they?

He flicks his wrist, sending the tendril of blood like a whip and takes out a slime. He senses something come up to him and turns, when he sees a person and not another monster he smiles a little.]

You are also here for the quest, I presume?

[He's not in a hurry to heal the cut on the back of his hand for the moment as he moves to where the slime had been to collect a sample of what was left.]


((OOC: Feel free to hit me up on plurk at orangeCrates if there's something in particular you wanted to do!]

Comments

[angel_of_death]

[His eyes closed, Walter offers a nonchalant shrug in response.]

Somehow I get the feeling that if I let you, you would.

[And at this moment, he is entirely aware that this is a case of the pot calling the kettle black. He doesn't care.

He does, however, offer the slight courtesy of shedding a small bit of light on the subject of Chang Geng's earlier curiosity.]

...and as for that conversation, don't worry about it. I asked his opinion on something involving people, and he mistakenly thought I was talking about myself.

[He pulls a face then -- a light grimace marring the porcelain of his features.]

...Somehow, he's still under the wrong impression.

[kiss_it_better]

I get the same feeling about you.

[He is all for calling you out. But he's soft about it. After all, this is all part of why he's become so fond of Walter.

So he smiles while he says it and there's no actual rebuke in his tone.

He considers that explanation. It was easy to imagine that sort of misunderstanding happening, actually. It's a little amusing but he doesn't laugh.]

That happens sometimes with him. You were asking for someone else's sake? Is it something I could help with?

[If it's not for himself then it was for someone else, surely? But he didn't want to assume.]

[angel_of_death]

[Chang Geng is not the least bit wrong about that. Walter is so accustomed to helping out and taking things on himself by now that it just comes automatically.

As for his offer... Walter smiles, yet his expression is somehow stressed. Almost bittersweet.]

Maybe. How do you suppose I could be a good friend to someone if they took a fancy to someone else, and I was concerned about them getting hurt because of that?

[kiss_it_better]

[He sees that expression and knows that the person in question must be someone important to Walter and the situation they find themselves in is one that Walter doesn't feel equipped to deal with.

He could also see a little why Gu Yun might have misunderstood.]

That would depend on why you think they would get hurt. [And how serious the situation was, he supposed.]

CW/TW: Historical persecution of LGBT minorities

[angel_of_death]

Where I come from, certain relations aren't just looked down upon. They're illegal. And it's rather a widespread attitude in my time. Hostility, condemnation, punishment... Really, I couldn't name a single place where such relations are accepted, let alone welcomed. At least in my time.

[He shrugs, and trudging through the waters, makes his way over to the heart of their little kitchen.]

I don't know how common that attitude is here though.

[kiss_it_better]

[So the relationship is taboo in some way?

He listens and considers that information. One of the things he'd considered Walter was worried the person would get their feelings hurt or be hurt by the other person in some way. What Walter mentioned he also considered so it doesn't surprise him.]

Attitudes of different worlds will differ. In Great Liang, the only relationship that is punishable is marital infidelity.

[Well, punishable by law anyway.] The ones I've met seem open to certain taboo subjects but you're right to worry about how common the opposite is. [He also moves over to the kitchen to pull out the chopping board and knife.]

Can this friend of yours protect themselves?

[angel_of_death]

[Visibly relaxing, Walter moves to wash his hands. It's reassuring to know that Great Liang has no formal punishments in place for those sorts of relationships. In that case, maybe they have a chance at happiness.

Still, he lets out a huff of laughter at Chang Geng's question. The man is normally so observant, it borders on the ridiculous that he hasn't pieced things together yet.]

Yes, he can. Though if someone here bothers him about it I'll gladly beat them for the trouble.

1/3

[kiss_it_better]

[It's about this time that Chang Geng realizes...something is a little strange. His words were only cautiously optimistic, surely not enough for Walter to relax.

The little laugh was also a piece that didn't fit with his understanding of the conversation.

He considers the conversation again. Surely, the reassurance wouldn't have come from his own acceptance of these things. Walter should know that he's not that sort of person that judges or attacks such things.

Then the only truly positive thing he said about taboo relationships was what he said about Great Liang, but what bearing could that have on Walter's worries unless--]

[kiss_it_better]

[Oh.]

[kiss_it_better]

Ah. [He's touched. But he's also a little embarrassed, if he were being honest.] How long have you known?

[That would also explain why he went to ask Gu Yun. Not that Gu Yun isn't reliable but asking him for advice was always liable to yield mixed results especially when it came to matters of love and more sentimental things.]

[angel_of_death]

[Ah, it sounds like he might be figuring it out.]

Does it really matter?

[He's kept quiet about those feelings he's noticed. He hasn't outed him, and he isn't going to out him. That's the important part, isn't it?]

Honestly, as long as Gu Yun doesn't start going around asking embarrassing questions to every male I talk to and give them ideas, I'm sure I can manage.

[kiss_it_better]

[It was his turn to let out a huff of laughter.] I suppose not.

[He mostly was just wondering what gave him away...but he supposed, as long as Gu Yun didn't know it was fine.

And knowing that Walter was worried to that degree for his sake...well. It wasn't a bad feeling.

He reached out a placed a hand on Walter's head with a soft smile.]

It seems I've troubled you.

[angel_of_death]

[At first, Walter does not know what to make of the gesture. Fixing the limb with a confused stare, he attempts to process the reaction, first contemplating why it has occurred, and failing to understand that, focusing instead on the sensation of it.

It feels nice. And, odd though it seems at first, he finds he does not mind it. So, he closes his eyes, indulging in the bit of contact.]

No one made me ask what I asked. It was my decision.

[kiss_it_better]

I know.

[He ruffles Walter's hair a little, not enough to mess it up but enough to say he'd done it. Then he lowered his hand again.

He wanted to say, but it's a decision you made for my sake.

What he said instead though was this,]

Thank you for worrying about me.

[angel_of_death]

[Ah! His hair...! The boy flusters quietly, the faintest hint of colour springing to his cheeks as he tips his head to let that hand slip away just a little bit faster.]

Yes. Well. You're my friend.

[Classic English stoicism, that. Or at least, it's a solid attempt.]

And I think we're just about ready to wrap up?

[kiss_it_better]

[He doesn't tease even though he notices that slight blush. But his smile is very clearly fond.]

And the sentiment is returned.

[You're also his friend. He thinks, of everyone perhaps Walter will be the person he misses most here.]

Let's get the cooking started.

Agreed. A perfect stopping point!

[angel_of_death]

Right.

[Without complaint or reservation, Walter follows Chang Geng's lead for the task of cooking, his demeanour eventually relaxing into one of casual enjoyment.

In the future, it will likely be one of several fond memories for him to look back on.

...That, and perhaps Gu Yun's reaction to the sudden increase in vegetarian meals.]