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 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. ]

[There is a significant part of Walter that is very grateful that Gu Yun is opting for retreat rather than explanation. He doesn't want Chang Geng to get the wrong idea about him when Chang Geng clearly has feelings for the man.

Nevertheless, he still gives Gu Yun a perplexed stare as he makes room for the man to pass him on the way up the stairs.]

...He truly is an odd one. That man.

[He can tell that whatever it is, Gu Yun doesn't want to talk about it.

Even though he's curious, it didn't sound like the conversation was one about anything terrible so...he'll just let it go, he supposed.

He stares after Gu Yun for a moment before shaking his head.] When I was younger, I didn't really understand him.

[It should have been exasperated but instead it's all soft and fond.]

Oh, I know he's dodging the question. It's just a silly way to do it.

[For a military man of rank to be so ridiculous at times. It truly is something to behold.]

What else needs to be done? Should we prepare some food in advance while the things in the kitchen are still usable? I can still go out and grab a few things from the store to tide us over until the waters recede...

Don't let him hear you saying that.

[Somehow, even saying words like that, he still seemed impossibly fond. He really has it bad.]

Preparing some things might be a good idea. [It would be nice if the flooding didn't get worse, but there's no guarantee of that.] Still, I don't think you need to risk going out. If it's non-perishable supplies I think we have enough and for food, it seems like they can be grown with magic.

[He doesn't say he's worried and in some ways he isn't. Walter is perfectly capable and kinetic magic would be helpful in these situations. Even so, there's no need to take unnecessary risks.]

[There is a pause of a few seconds in which the stubborn, mildly petulant, hyper-competent part of himself wants to insist that he's perfectly capable of going out in this weather--there aren't even any explosions going on outside--, yet the part of him that is fond of Chang Geng is content enough to allow his friend's word to stand as is--he's right, they have enough assorted supplies, and with the potential for a steady supply of vegetables, they aren't about to starve.]

..........Then I'll help you.

[That is his compromise.]

[He didn't laugh, but his smile did widen a fraction.]

I wasn't planning to do it all by myself.

[He could, but he knew Walter wouldn't have let him do it all on his own.]

[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.

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