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.]

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[Walter sees the look as well and mentally files it in the same "interesting" category as the vine behaviour of moments prior. But damned if he's going to let Gu Yun get away with that insinuation. He'll be nipping that right in the bud right away, thank you.]

Why do you think I would keep track of the number of ladies I compliment? I treat them the same as I would a man, so I compliment them when the compliments are earned.

[He settles one hand on his hip, mildly haughty, whilst gesturing with an upwards-facing palm as he deigns to recall a few details.]

For example, Miss Claire has a sharp mind. She can adapt to different situations well. And Miss Sherry, the girl who stays with her, has a strong will even though she's insecure about some things. They both survived a terrible situation, and neither of them are broken from it.

[Fridges are such wonderful things.

He places the eggplants in the crisper drawer as he decides on a dish to make with them. He shuts the fridge afterwards and turns with a curious look.]

Who are Miss Claire and Miss Sherry?

[He's not teasing nor does he think Walter has been flirting. He's really just genuinely wants to know who these people are.]

[ He listens to Walter’s indignant explanation with growing amusement. ]

To explain is to have some secret to hide.

[ He has, by this time, elevated every piece of furniture he can. Tired from the expenditure of magic, though unwilling to show it, he drifts over to the stairs to lounge upon them as if he were getting ready to listen to a storyteller. ]

Yes indeed, who are Miss Claire and Miss Sherry?

On second thought, the vegetables are so plentiful, I don't see why we can't have them for a few days.

[Vengeance. This is pure vengeance on his part.]

Miss Claire is a young woman perhaps around Chang Geng's age, and Miss Sherry is a child who, I suspect, is several years younger than me. They both survived an outbreak similar to the sort I am trying to prevent. Which is to say, they've witnessed and lived through things most people don't experience even in their worst nightmares. They both bear the marks of it, too.

[He gently taps the side of his temple as he speaks the last sentence, attempting to convey the implication that what he speaks of is psychological in nature.]

Vegetables are good for the health.

[He smiles a little because he absolutely approves of this turn of events. Especially if it means Gu Yun eating more vegetables.

He sees Walter's gesture and understands the meaning.]

Disease of the heart can only be helped by remedies of the heart.

[A common saying for both psychological ills and emotion related sufferings. He's talking of the former, of course.] Perhaps with time things will become easier for them.

Edited 2021-05-11 02:21 (UTC)

[ Walter is talking about the Misses Claire and Sherry; but perhaps he doesn't realize, he's talking about himself as well. If these girls have experienced the stuff of nightmares, and Walter's work has to do with such nightmares, then hasn't he suffered as well?

Gu Yun smiles sadly. Walter had seemed like an ordinary child back then, when they'd met in a dream.
Thus it's in this sentimental frame of mind that he hears Chang Geng mention "disease of the heart."

...

He understands, on an intellectual level, what Chang Geng is talking about. But he also knows that Chang Geng's heart must be suffering. As for his own, Gu Yun is conscious only of a heavy feeling deep in his chest, as if his blood is congested.

Am I doing the right thing? ]

[ He's silent for a long moment. And then he puts his hands to his chest, saying theatrically: ]

The both of you, ganging up on me. How can I bear it?

[Walter has indeed suffered, and has been irreversibly twisted by that suffering, but Gu Yun is right in that he is not thinking of himself as he speaks now. Yet it is from his own experiences that his understanding of their condition is derived. He hopes that Chang Geng is right, and that things will get easier for them with time. Better that than the way things became easier for him. However, with the Land of Rot looming ominously on the horizon, things may not go the way any of them wish.]

Surrender.

[There's a joke to be had in there somewhere, delivered with a languid tone that makes Walter sound almost bored.]

Our shining star is right. Vegetables are good for you. And who knows. Perhaps, when I feel you have sufficiently atoned for your insinuations, I may cook you something nice. Something with fish.

[It wouldn't surprise him at all that Walter doesn't realize any of that. After all, those within the situation tend to be blind to it.

He smiles at Walter's rebuttal.]

If you are waiting for a surrender that may not be possible.

[He had more to say but being referred to as 'our shining star' left him a a little speechless.

Walter, this is not why he told you about that!?]

[Still, the pause is very short and he catches up with the conversation almost (keyword being almost) seamlessly.]

He should drink less too.

[ "Our shining star," that is a very charming way to think about "Chang Geng." Gu Yun, for his part, dislikes any sort of fortune-telling or divination, as these remind him of a certain traitorous monk. There's no reason "Chang Geng" has to be anything ill-fated.

His expression smooths out and he smiles, as his scattered, peach-blossom gaze drifts over to Chang Geng. ]

[ ...for this reason, he hasn't been paying attention to lip-reading, and has completely lost the thread of the conversation. ]

Uh... these ladies, perhaps you should invite them over for dinner.

[ He casts a grin at Walter, as if he were clearly still "insinuating" something. ]

Once everything's dried out, of course.

[Drinking less alcohol is a good idea, and one Walter can definitely get behind. On the matter of inviting certain ladies over, however...]

You'd better not be trying to get me to set you up on a date.

[Sass aside, he wouldn't do Chang Geng wrong like that.]

Lunch. Or afternoon tea. I suppose I can treat everyone to that.

[He hadn't considered that Gu Yun might have been looking to be set up for a date. He'd assumed it was just more teasing.

But now that the thought has been put in his head it seemed...possible. It made his heart ache though the only indication of that is just the slightest press of his lips into a thin line.

Only to force himself to relax a second later.]

...I can make the food. If these ladies are your guest then don't you have an obligation to play host?

[ He laughs: ]

The girls being closer to your own ages than mine, for whom would these "dates" be? One casual comment from me, and already you are planning out the particulars. This is a case of gauging the heart of a gentleman by one's own small measure.

[ Grinning, he shifts in his position on the staircase. He really is tired, and it's hard to find a position that's comfortable, that also makes him look simply lazy rather than exhausted. ]

No. This is a case of gauging the heart of one incorrigible flirt I know by the small measure of another incorrigible flirt I know.

I have no interest in women in that manner. No matter their age. [Whether ten, or twenty, or a hundred, or a thousand, it doesn't matter. He just isn't interested.]

Just what kind of person do you think I am?

[As things are going, Walter is so deeply offended that it will be a lucky thing if he ever invites those girls over.]

[He turned back to Walter with a soft smile, apologetic. He had largely let things go but it felt like if he didn't smooth things over, there might be trouble.]

He's only teasing, please don't take it to heart.

[His pixiu, sensing what her favourite person was trying to do, got up from where she had been lounging to go over and rub herself against Walter's leg.]

[ .....................

Some time ago, Walter had asked his opinion regarding relationships between men. In light of this attestation, that conversation takes on a lot more meaning. ]

You're asking my opinion?

[ He says this with a grin and a lilt in his voice, clearly with no good intention... ]

[ His expression evens out, and he says kindly: ]

I still think the same thing, as I did back then.

[ His eyes travel over to the sofa—now on leafy stilts—where they'd had that conversation.

Any young person would be lucky to have you. ]

[He's only teasing, Chang Geng says. That may be so, but he can't help but get a little defensive when it comes to this subject. Still, the pixiu rubbing against his leg is a good distraction. He reaches down to stroke her head, somewhat mollified...]

[...until Gu Yun starts to talk again.

That tone. That look. Instantly, Walter starts to tense up again, prepared for a jab...]

[...and then nothing. It was a goddamn feint. And now the man is being nice all of a sudden...

...and he still has the wrong impression!

Dismayed, Walter lets out a sound that is something between a groan and a sigh. There's no good way of approaching this, is there.]

...If you say so. But I'm really not interested in that sort of thing.

[Given the conversation they had, he doubts he shall be believed. But, he insists anyway.]

[His pixiu was happy to accept the attention from someone Chang Geng liked (though not to a point where it stole the entirely of his attention.)

Chang Geng's lost the thread of the conversation at this point. It sounds like they previously discussed matters of romance, though what that conversation was, he could only guess.

But seeing Gu Yun speak to Walter with such kindness...he doesn't resent it, because he's fond of Walter as well, but he also...wanted some of that attention for himself. He also doesn't like not knowing what they might have discussed. Walter didn't seem like the type to ask for advice in this area. He didn't even seem to be thinking about such things. Then was Gu Yun the one who...no. Gu Yun wouldn't ask someone else for advice in this, surely?

He's just kind of confused.]

...I don't suppose either of you are willing to fill me in about the conversation you had?

[ That conversation, back then, had been delicate. Walter had indirectly confessed to him, then retracted the confession when he was refused. Walter hadn't brought the subject up again, nor behaved strangely afterwards, so he'd evidently gotten over it; just some passing adolescent fancy, thank heavens.

However well things turned out, Gu Yun feels that this must be something Walter feels residual embarrassment over. Gu Yun truly likes to tease people, but he somewhat knows where to draw the line. Beyond that, he absolutely wants Walter to consider him someone he can turn to, in need.

So he glances away from Chang Geng and makes a show of being interested in something in the water. After a moment, he looks up: ]

Hm? What?

[ After playing this old "wholeheartedly a deaf man" trick, he makes a show of stretching his long legs and rises. ]

Mm, the sound of rain on the roof so is relaxing, I'm going for a nap.

[ This man who enjoys the sound of rain on a roof that he can't even hear, what kind of nonsense is this? After shooting a quick grin at Chang Geng, he starts up the stairs. ]

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