isleofavalon | (open) April Catch All

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(open) April Catch All

🧙 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!]

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[In contrast to Chang Geng, Hitoya doesn't carry much more than the cigarette he holds in his hand. He doesn't look like much of a warrior and in this case those first impressions would be fairly accurate.

But he took the quest because it's quickly becoming clear that if he doesn't work on that particular skill set he'll struggle to stay ahead in this world. And that's a prospect he relishes even less than the effort in coming out here now.

Still, the sound of leaving what is likely a far more capable ally at risk doesn't sit too well with him either.] I'm all for leaving that option on the table but maybe we try a decoy first?

Based on what I know. [Because he had done a lot of reading as well as asked some questions.] The venom has to carried in a host.

[So unless the decoy is another person then that won't work.]

Besides, I have healing magic and blood magic. I can keep it away from my vital organs afterwards. While it's hardly ideal I think it is the solution that carries the least amount of risk.

Did it say the host had to be alive? [He had read up on the details as well. It had to be carried in the blood flowing through the host. But he knows his question is just nitpicking the semantics from the perspective of a lawyer. Not exactly an argument to stake your life on.

Looking up, he briefly considers the shape of his crow-like familiar in flight overhead before sighing. That option was even worse right?]

You're the expert here, so just tell me what to do and I'll make sure it happens.

It didn't say specifically but it did mention the venom has to coursing in the blood.

[So moving. Also if it goes bad it explodes into smaller spiders and that just doesn't sound like it's worth experimenting with.]

Before that, may I ask what experience you have with combat?

Not much in the traditional sense. Weapons and war in particular have been outlawed the past few years in my world. [Despite that, he doesn't show any more signs of shying away from the task at hand as they continue inside.]

But between the mind magic and a device that came here with me, I should have some luck controlling or stunning the thing temporarily. The death magic is new but less predictable. [Which serves as explanation for the previous suggestion.]

That's good. Though I hope they haven't been replaced by other things.

[Peace would be nice but sometimes peace is only a veneer and beneath it is rot.]

Ah. It's too bad that's unpredictable. [Because if what is missing from a corpse is that its blood didn't move then maybe together they could make it work.

But, probably most people would find that idea uncomfortably gruesome.] What is the device that came with you?

The device is what replaced the weapons. It's a microphone. Seems to amplify certain abilities here. [So basically that veneer he was thinking of. Hitoya doesn't bother to explain much more than that because quite frankly it was a pain, especially when half the people he's come across here didn't have the slightest idea what that was when they first arrived.

As they progress further into the caves, he starts to take note of the corpses around them. Some of them barely more than bones, others appearing quite fresh and growing more frequent with every step.]

I could do something with them, I just can't control what happens after. [As for any consideration of the life they might have possessed previously, he doesn't appear to have much. This is just about laying all their options on the table.]

[So.

He assumes by mind magic he means cognitive magic. How that can stun something he's interested to know. It's best not to rely on the death magic if they can avoid it since it is unpredictable....it's for the same reason he didn't consider feeding the spider his blood to make it walk back with them. He simply doesn't have the confidence in that particular skill, having only read about it so far.

But healing magic is reliable and controlling the blood in his own body is manageable.]

You said you can control or stun the creature. If needed, how long could you stop it for?

Depends on the size. I should be able to buy us five to ten minutes at least. More if it's on the small side.

[It's not an enormous amount of time. Under some circumstances it might not make much of a difference at all, only delay the inevitable. But this guy seems confident all they need to do is get the venom and then get out. Even a head start of a few minutes could spell the difference between capture and escape, right?]

Oh?

[His expression remains pretty mild, the only indication that this was good news at all was the slight curve of his lips into a calm smile.]

In a fight even a moment's pause can be fatal. If you can freeze it as soon as it bites me, I think I can manage something.

[Running away was only one possibility he was entertaining. But with five minutes that opens up a lot more options.]

You don't have to tell me twice.

[At least Hitoya isn't the sort to make promises he can't keep. If he says he can do it then he'll be sure to make it happen. He would stake their lives on anything less.

By now the caves are starting to show the ominous signs of battle. Scars on the walls that couldn't be called natural and the remnants of spider webs clinging to the dark crevices. He tries to take it all in with a keen eye.]

We must be getting close?

[He had been watching their surrounding as well. Noting the increasing amount of visual evidence of battles.]

We're certainly on the right path. [As they kept moving, he made sure to slow at every corner and look around them before moving into them. An ambush would be terrible.

Then, there was one corner where, as he paused, he heard a faint clicking. He drew his sword. He whispered, so he couldn't be heard.]

Do you need a moment to prepare?

[Mentally or anything? There isn't much room for error here.]

[Chang Geng has his sword in hand just before Hitoya fully registers it's happening. He takes a second to register what's happening around the corner. There's not much to make out, just enough to give the impression that something could be moving on the other side.

So this was it then. The cigarette he probably should have put out a few hundred feet back glows momentarily brighter before he plucks it from his lips and soundlessly stamps it out beneath his foot. Then he nods to the other man without a word, taking his lead.]

[There's another brief smile before his expression smooths back out into something more neutral and focused. He turned back to the corner. He picked up a rock from by his feet and threw it out.

For a second there's only the sound of the rock skittering over the ground, the sound reverberating in the cave.

Then came the quiet click-click of spider feet. He listened to the sound, the way it got closer and closer with perfect calm. Then, when he could see the beginning of the spider's shadow, he darted out, sword held up.

The sword was a distraction even though he did slash at the spider in earnest, aiming for one of its front legs. But he didn't do much to stop it from biting him except to lift his arm so the spider's fangs would pierce his forearm instead of his shoulder.

His jaw tightened but his eyes were almost frighteningly calm.]

[He moves in a flash. Fortunately a flash is all Hitoya needs to arm himself as well though a microphone likely doesn't come as the expected weapon of choice.]

Coming round your corner gotta get the jump
Bet it all on the line that you're a rock bottom chump
Give it up, you're through, keep it up you'll turn blue
Met your match in the dark and we're staging a coup
Ain't no bluff that you've got nothing left to put 'em up

[Despite how ridiculous it might sound to most anyone else, the results can't be disputed. The physical effects of the mic would do enough on their own but he doubles down with a psychic attack channeled through the words. And maybe a touch of persuasion suggesting it stand down.

The spider stills. At first, it doesn't seem like it will relent, but slowly, tentatively as though through a great effort to resist, it releases Chang Geng's arm and slumps to the ground. It doesn't quite lay there in repose but it no longer has power over itself to do much more than twitch faintly, eyes still darting around in confusion.

Satisfied, Hitoya turns to him.]

You good? [He's ready to get them both out of here.]

[He feels the moment the spider's grip on him loosens but he doesn't pull back until it falls to the ground.

While he waited, he concentrated on keeping the contaminated blood localized to his arm. It left the wound a rather ugly purple colour, especially around the wound but it was just for now, anyway. Even so, as he expected, a small amount of it was still spreading out.]

I'm fine for now. [With that said, before the poison could spread further, he lifted his sword, intending to stab the spider through the head before the paralytic effect of the venom could trickle into the rest of his body.

His expression remains much the same as before. This isn't something he is doing out of anger or hate. It is merely the most convenient way to go about this.]

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(open) April Catch All

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Sorry for the late reply!