Sagi (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
scension) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
isleofavalon2021-05-08 12:58 am
scension) wrote in isleofavalon2021-05-08 12:58 am
2. [open]
🧙 WHO: Sagi and anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: May catch-all log
🕒 WHEN: Early to mid May
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot before and after the minotaur attack, see prompts
⚠️ WARNINGS: Bodily fluids & emeto mentions in prompt E (minotaur TDM prompt)
[A: political campaigns // around Camelot]
[With the vote on Celliwig drawing closer by the day, the concerned citizens of Camelot draw close to the city's sidewalks and green areas in order to convince any remaining fence-sitters that their idea of diplomacy is best. Some have pamphlets, some have presentations, some have snacks, some have free pens... Only one of them, currently, has Sagi's attention.
This isn't by choice. He kept it to himself while the Cereus de Anima's doppelgangers were running rampant, but ever since the atmosphere in Camelot City turned political, Sagi's usually relentless good mood has had a little trouble covering for him. Whenever he was out and about for errands or menial fetch quests, which is most of the time, he's done his best to avoid one campaign's volunteers and handouts in particular. Unfortunately for him, today that campaign has hit upon what appears to be a winning idea: a free field trip to the mountains, far more scenic than their competitors' free field trips, with the perk of keeping whatever valuable crystals you happen to dig up in exchange for your support. As a small group of pro-war campaigners goes over the details, handily illustrated by a light magic enhanced slideshow, Sagi is stuck on the sidewalk behind the enthusiastic onlookers.
At first, he listens intently along with the rest of them. The slight frown on his face makes his opinion pretty obvious, but he has better things to do than pick a fight in the middle of the street. That said, the obstructed pavement is preventing him from doing most of them, and the slideshow keeps meandering off topic into historical trivia about Elphame with stick figure illustrations... After a while, his frown sours into more of an annoyed pout.]
...I bet we could just run up and take their screen. How about it, Marno?
[He can probably be forgiven for thinking a few uncharitable thoughts in his frustration. The problem is, he said that one aloud, and not even in a whisper. If the campaigners here were just a little less loudly eager to recruit more people for their upcoming mining trip, they might have heard him from the front of the crowd. If you were just passing through, maybe you overheard him, too.
A couple of bystanders are already shooting sidelong looks at him. Who the heck just up and steals a screen? But he ignores them, staring fixedly past the campaigners at the screen in question as if he expects it to answer.]
[B: assistance quest - Holo, Goodbye]
The one under there... That has to be the strongest.
[The riverbank at this part of the northwestern river is muddy from recent rains. While the surface of the water shimmers beautifully, most of the remaining shining stones appear to be just under the surface, requiring a little wading to get at. While they may not need to worry about the uncertain footing as much as would-be quest-goers, the fae congregating around the river are giving the mud a wide berth anyway - instead, fairies and sprites of all shapes and sizes hover over the water in a gossamer cloud, laughing and chattering. It doesn't look like they intend to go anywhere anytime soon, and the sun is fast sinking through the sky behind them.
Sagi is standing on the bank, sizing them up. He hiked all the way out here without any plan for the return journey other than trekking back the way he came; the quest itself was almost an excuse for heading out of town, getting away from further murmurs of war. But because of that, he really needs to pick up the brightest holographic stone he can find if he's to deliver it before the magic wears off. If he didn't learn that the hard way in his home world, he sure has picked it up now that questing is his main source of income. That stone, the shiniest stone, the only one that matters... is a few paces out from the sodden riverbank, surrounded on all sides by a particularly noisy gaggle of sprites. The next step looks as obvious as it is annoying.]
...It's a shame to interrupt them. They look like they're having a good time.
[But interrupt them he will, unless someone gives him a better idea in the time it takes him to remove his vambraces and roll up his sleeves. They don't seem hostile, after all. He's sure they'll understand.]
[C: training grounds]
[Magic practice and keeping the rust off his swordplay are yet more decent excuses for Sagi to get away from where the campaigns are happening. He ends up traipsing to the training grounds more often around this month, sometimes at odd hours.
On this occasion, he's brought his familiar with him - the same monstrous horned demon creature he's posted about on AOL before, all pulsing flesh and wriggling tentacles. What he doesn't appear to have brought this time is his sword. Loitering in the corner of an open sparring space with only his phone in hand, he looks almost too casual for his own garish fantasy fashion sense, let alone the eldritch creature waiting patiently beside him.
There is a reason for this. He doesn't just do things for no reason, even if the reason is sometimes "the voice in my head thought it was a good idea" or "it looked like it might taste interesting". He's been wary of this machine for too long. He can dislike the circumstances he's been forced into without completely wasting the chances he has to do some good with them, or at least to understand them. There's no contradiction there.]
Okay, here we go.
[He taps something on the phone's screen, brandishes the phone at his familiar like some kind of talisman - and his familiar vanishes. In its place is an unremarkable rabbit, much like the domestic rabbits that were a common sight in Camelot around the spring equinox. Unremarkable, that is, apart from being about six feet from nose to tail; coincidentally, the same size as the tentacle monster it just replaced. The illusion flickers after maybe half a minute, creating an unsettling vision of tentacles and glowing eyes half-emerging from the rabbit's sides and back before the magic dissipates altogether.]
Hey, it worked! [He beams.] Next, try walking around me.
[The gargantuan rabbit rematerialises on top of his familiar. It bounds a few paces away, its movement maybe surprisingly convincing. Again, the illusion fades before long, but Sagi presses something else on the phone when the monster's horns and tentacles re-emerge - now it's a horse, shrunk down to the same scale as the giant rabbit. It flickers immediately, and now it's a rabbit again. Now it's an oversized striking dummy like the ones elsewhere in the training grounds. Now it's a person of normal height, short brown hair, probably a girl -
The last image vanishes near instantly. Sagi's optimistic mood from just a minute ago seems to have disappeared along with it. He averts his eyes from both his monstrous familiar and his phone for a moment; his expression is fleetingly, uncharacteristically angry. The monster itself settles back down on its haunches, staring at him in silence.
Would this be a good time to go up to him and grill him on why he even felt the need to come to the training grounds for this? Maybe, maybe not.]
[D: post minotaur attack // around Camelot]
[Simon the Minotaur's attack on Camelot does not come as a relief to Sagi. You would have to be pretty vindictive to see it as a self-inflicted knock against the insistent pro-war faction in town, rather than the needless destruction it is. Still, he can't deny that he tends to feel more focused when comprehensible crises are happening one after the other, when he has people to assist and no time to overthink anything in front of him. He can lend injured people a shoulder or an ear, he can do heavy lifting, he can deploy his magic like a flashlight inside ruined buildings - he's helping. He has something to do.
At one point, the heavy lifting takes the form of a crate of water bottles. The dramatic irony that these may have been better saved for the water contamination incident later on might occur to him once it actually happens, but it's unlikely. For now, all he knows is that someone asked him to help distribute them among the rescue workers, and he'll be damned if he lets anyone other than him overexert themselves after such a stressful day.
If you look even slightly tired or grouchy as you pass by the crate in the middle of this street, he won't be shy about taking a bottle out and waving you over.] Hey, do you want one of these?
[E: purification ritual // lowertown]
[It might have been hard to imagine that the smell in the lowertown could get worse after you venture into the lowertown and acclimatise, but as you approach the little decorative fountain in this equally little deserted plaza, the stink feels almost like a solid curtain draped through the air. This is, apparently, the point. When Sagi volunteered for the water purification rituals earlier, someone offhandedly mentioned that it might work more efficiently at points where contaminated water is already gathered, as long as the ritual itself goes well. With or without evidence, that was all the instruction he needed. He's determined not to mess up this one.
The ritual itself... might be a big if. Despite the red scarf Sagi has acquired somewhere to use as a makeshift mask, what's visible of his face looks decidedly nauseated even before the fountain comes into view. He grits his teeth, turns a corner - and has to stop in his tracks as a renewed wave of the stench slams into him, gagging loudly, a hand flying to his covered mouth.]
S... Sorry. Okay. [For a small mercy, gagging is as far as it goes for now. He straightens up quickly, keen to put that aside.] I've got the instructions here...
[On his well-thumbed phone screen, which rearranges itself to display them in response to his voice. Yeah, the particular magic skillset he's been saddled with might not naturally lend itself to a ritual like this, compared to other magic types. But here he is, and so are you, one way or another.]
Want to go over them again? Or can we just get this over with?
[wildcard]
[Give me anything, I'll roll with it! I have a general plotting comment for May, or you can hit me up at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
blitzente.]
⚔️️ WHAT: May catch-all log
🕒 WHEN: Early to mid May
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot before and after the minotaur attack, see prompts
⚠️ WARNINGS: Bodily fluids & emeto mentions in prompt E (minotaur TDM prompt)
[A: political campaigns // around Camelot]
[With the vote on Celliwig drawing closer by the day, the concerned citizens of Camelot draw close to the city's sidewalks and green areas in order to convince any remaining fence-sitters that their idea of diplomacy is best. Some have pamphlets, some have presentations, some have snacks, some have free pens... Only one of them, currently, has Sagi's attention.
This isn't by choice. He kept it to himself while the Cereus de Anima's doppelgangers were running rampant, but ever since the atmosphere in Camelot City turned political, Sagi's usually relentless good mood has had a little trouble covering for him. Whenever he was out and about for errands or menial fetch quests, which is most of the time, he's done his best to avoid one campaign's volunteers and handouts in particular. Unfortunately for him, today that campaign has hit upon what appears to be a winning idea: a free field trip to the mountains, far more scenic than their competitors' free field trips, with the perk of keeping whatever valuable crystals you happen to dig up in exchange for your support. As a small group of pro-war campaigners goes over the details, handily illustrated by a light magic enhanced slideshow, Sagi is stuck on the sidewalk behind the enthusiastic onlookers.
At first, he listens intently along with the rest of them. The slight frown on his face makes his opinion pretty obvious, but he has better things to do than pick a fight in the middle of the street. That said, the obstructed pavement is preventing him from doing most of them, and the slideshow keeps meandering off topic into historical trivia about Elphame with stick figure illustrations... After a while, his frown sours into more of an annoyed pout.]
...I bet we could just run up and take their screen. How about it, Marno?
[He can probably be forgiven for thinking a few uncharitable thoughts in his frustration. The problem is, he said that one aloud, and not even in a whisper. If the campaigners here were just a little less loudly eager to recruit more people for their upcoming mining trip, they might have heard him from the front of the crowd. If you were just passing through, maybe you overheard him, too.
A couple of bystanders are already shooting sidelong looks at him. Who the heck just up and steals a screen? But he ignores them, staring fixedly past the campaigners at the screen in question as if he expects it to answer.]
[B: assistance quest - Holo, Goodbye]
The one under there... That has to be the strongest.
[The riverbank at this part of the northwestern river is muddy from recent rains. While the surface of the water shimmers beautifully, most of the remaining shining stones appear to be just under the surface, requiring a little wading to get at. While they may not need to worry about the uncertain footing as much as would-be quest-goers, the fae congregating around the river are giving the mud a wide berth anyway - instead, fairies and sprites of all shapes and sizes hover over the water in a gossamer cloud, laughing and chattering. It doesn't look like they intend to go anywhere anytime soon, and the sun is fast sinking through the sky behind them.
Sagi is standing on the bank, sizing them up. He hiked all the way out here without any plan for the return journey other than trekking back the way he came; the quest itself was almost an excuse for heading out of town, getting away from further murmurs of war. But because of that, he really needs to pick up the brightest holographic stone he can find if he's to deliver it before the magic wears off. If he didn't learn that the hard way in his home world, he sure has picked it up now that questing is his main source of income. That stone, the shiniest stone, the only one that matters... is a few paces out from the sodden riverbank, surrounded on all sides by a particularly noisy gaggle of sprites. The next step looks as obvious as it is annoying.]
...It's a shame to interrupt them. They look like they're having a good time.
[But interrupt them he will, unless someone gives him a better idea in the time it takes him to remove his vambraces and roll up his sleeves. They don't seem hostile, after all. He's sure they'll understand.]
[C: training grounds]
[Magic practice and keeping the rust off his swordplay are yet more decent excuses for Sagi to get away from where the campaigns are happening. He ends up traipsing to the training grounds more often around this month, sometimes at odd hours.
On this occasion, he's brought his familiar with him - the same monstrous horned demon creature he's posted about on AOL before, all pulsing flesh and wriggling tentacles. What he doesn't appear to have brought this time is his sword. Loitering in the corner of an open sparring space with only his phone in hand, he looks almost too casual for his own garish fantasy fashion sense, let alone the eldritch creature waiting patiently beside him.
There is a reason for this. He doesn't just do things for no reason, even if the reason is sometimes "the voice in my head thought it was a good idea" or "it looked like it might taste interesting". He's been wary of this machine for too long. He can dislike the circumstances he's been forced into without completely wasting the chances he has to do some good with them, or at least to understand them. There's no contradiction there.]
Okay, here we go.
[He taps something on the phone's screen, brandishes the phone at his familiar like some kind of talisman - and his familiar vanishes. In its place is an unremarkable rabbit, much like the domestic rabbits that were a common sight in Camelot around the spring equinox. Unremarkable, that is, apart from being about six feet from nose to tail; coincidentally, the same size as the tentacle monster it just replaced. The illusion flickers after maybe half a minute, creating an unsettling vision of tentacles and glowing eyes half-emerging from the rabbit's sides and back before the magic dissipates altogether.]
Hey, it worked! [He beams.] Next, try walking around me.
[The gargantuan rabbit rematerialises on top of his familiar. It bounds a few paces away, its movement maybe surprisingly convincing. Again, the illusion fades before long, but Sagi presses something else on the phone when the monster's horns and tentacles re-emerge - now it's a horse, shrunk down to the same scale as the giant rabbit. It flickers immediately, and now it's a rabbit again. Now it's an oversized striking dummy like the ones elsewhere in the training grounds. Now it's a person of normal height, short brown hair, probably a girl -
The last image vanishes near instantly. Sagi's optimistic mood from just a minute ago seems to have disappeared along with it. He averts his eyes from both his monstrous familiar and his phone for a moment; his expression is fleetingly, uncharacteristically angry. The monster itself settles back down on its haunches, staring at him in silence.
Would this be a good time to go up to him and grill him on why he even felt the need to come to the training grounds for this? Maybe, maybe not.]
[D: post minotaur attack // around Camelot]
[Simon the Minotaur's attack on Camelot does not come as a relief to Sagi. You would have to be pretty vindictive to see it as a self-inflicted knock against the insistent pro-war faction in town, rather than the needless destruction it is. Still, he can't deny that he tends to feel more focused when comprehensible crises are happening one after the other, when he has people to assist and no time to overthink anything in front of him. He can lend injured people a shoulder or an ear, he can do heavy lifting, he can deploy his magic like a flashlight inside ruined buildings - he's helping. He has something to do.
At one point, the heavy lifting takes the form of a crate of water bottles. The dramatic irony that these may have been better saved for the water contamination incident later on might occur to him once it actually happens, but it's unlikely. For now, all he knows is that someone asked him to help distribute them among the rescue workers, and he'll be damned if he lets anyone other than him overexert themselves after such a stressful day.
If you look even slightly tired or grouchy as you pass by the crate in the middle of this street, he won't be shy about taking a bottle out and waving you over.] Hey, do you want one of these?
[E: purification ritual // lowertown]
[It might have been hard to imagine that the smell in the lowertown could get worse after you venture into the lowertown and acclimatise, but as you approach the little decorative fountain in this equally little deserted plaza, the stink feels almost like a solid curtain draped through the air. This is, apparently, the point. When Sagi volunteered for the water purification rituals earlier, someone offhandedly mentioned that it might work more efficiently at points where contaminated water is already gathered, as long as the ritual itself goes well. With or without evidence, that was all the instruction he needed. He's determined not to mess up this one.
The ritual itself... might be a big if. Despite the red scarf Sagi has acquired somewhere to use as a makeshift mask, what's visible of his face looks decidedly nauseated even before the fountain comes into view. He grits his teeth, turns a corner - and has to stop in his tracks as a renewed wave of the stench slams into him, gagging loudly, a hand flying to his covered mouth.]
S... Sorry. Okay. [For a small mercy, gagging is as far as it goes for now. He straightens up quickly, keen to put that aside.] I've got the instructions here...
[On his well-thumbed phone screen, which rearranges itself to display them in response to his voice. Yeah, the particular magic skillset he's been saddled with might not naturally lend itself to a ritual like this, compared to other magic types. But here he is, and so are you, one way or another.]
Want to go over them again? Or can we just get this over with?
[wildcard]
[Give me anything, I'll roll with it! I have a general plotting comment for May, or you can hit me up at
no subject
It would be, honestly... I was actually just trying out some ways to make him look less scary.
[He figures he doesn't need to explain why. The monster is right there, practically lounging as lazily as Izuku's goat is, only its twitching elbow tentacles showing any sign of self-motivation. It does turn its horned head to stare balefully at Izuku as he approaches, though.]
Um, if you don't mind me asking - did it work? I see him so often, it's hard for me to tell.
[The scariness part, that is. He's aware the illusion part is not as easy as he'd hoped.]
no subject
As for the creature, Izuku does glance at it again. Getting that telltale shiver up his spine when he sees it. The spooks are a lot realer in person than just a picture on the network. It really does look like some otherworldly creepy nomu... No offence.]
Ahh...! Erm- I did see it change to look like a rabbit? And I think a horse and a girl... None of those were scary. That must mean it's working? How exactly did you do it?
[As creepy as the familiar is at least it's not actually monstrous. Izuku's own familiar is actually looking happily curious to greet the it too and bleats a hello at it. No fear!]
no subject
Well, I found some recordings.
[He shows Izuku his phone screen. It's just some random shaky phonecam video of a bunny cafe from a couple months ago.]
And then sent light magic through them, to use on him. It's easier than having to picture it every time. Though I still wound up thinking about my girlfriend...
[So yeah, that was the girl. He's less embarrassed about admitting that so casually than he is about messing up the illusion at all.]
We just need to work on how long it lasts. I don't want him to make people more uncomfortable whenever it wears off. But hey, glad the idea is sound.
[He appreciates the feedback! Meanwhile, his familiar rumbles quietly down at the little goat in noncommittal acknowledgement, then turns its head again to resume glaring at Izuku. The goat doesn't worry it as much, it seems.]
no subject
I thought it might be light magic...! I've seen other people create light barrier shields or augment light into projectiles before but I've never seen it used for illusions. That makes sense with the bending of light... like holograms?
[He puts his hand to his chin thought.]
It's- It's a good idea, though. With practice, it might be able to last as long as you need it to? Ah, I- I don't know if it's a good idea to make him look like your girlfriend though...
[Wouldn't she get upset at that...?? Girls would probably get upset if they're used as an image over a monster...??]
no subject
[He says it so quickly, and a little squeakily, that he has to clear his throat. Ahem.] Yeah, it's a work in progress. We'll keep practising. ...Uh, unless we were in the way of something?
[It just now occurred to him that he doesn't know why this guy came over here. Talking to people without them talking to you first, what is that?]
no subject
[He smiles sheepishly, putting his hands up. He thinks maybe girls wouldn't like to be mapped over a monster but he doesn't mean to pry!]
N-no, I was just getting to work on some training of my own today. I noticed your familiar was the same one from the post on the network. You were the one looking for names for him?
no subject
[The monster shows no obvious reaction to its five minutes of online fame, but it does decide to sprawl out and lie down in the dirt until its input is needed again. Now the second pair of eyes in the back of its neck is glaring up at Izuku as well, making four eyes in total.]
We settled on Red. It was surreal having to get used to saying it... But everyone's suggestions were really helpful. I'd never had to name a person on the spot like that before.
[A "person".]
no subject
[Are those eyes on the back of its neck.............?? Just try to ignore that glare, Izuku...! It's still probably nice! A good boy!
At least his goat is having a good day. Starting to prance circles around the creature laying there so ominously.]
Ahh, a person? I've seen some familiars look like creatures from their worlds... Is yours... not something like that?
no subject
[He shrugs - hey, no point dancing around it when this island is messed up in its own ways - but does his best to brighten up after that.]
On the other hand, "Red" works great! It doesn't sound like an insult. [He nods toward the tiny goat bounding around the monster without an apparent care in the world.] Is the little caplin guy yours?
no subject
[Izuku nods quickly. Trying to keep an open mind about it, of course. Even if he has a burning question or two, he can hold it in for now...!]
Sorry-! Yes, that's my familiar. His name is Toshichan- er... Snowball. He's half goat and half sheep and it looks like he has no problems making friends... I'm kind of jealous.
no subject
[Dang, and here he was worrying about coming up with a name that would be easy to call out in combat. Then again, looking at the carefree way the little goat is frolicking around them, it's hard to imagine him anywhere near a fight.]
no subject
[Oh- Izuku snorts with a small sheepish laugh!]
N-no, sorry! His name is Toshi-chan. But my friend calls him Snowball. He's taking to that name a little more often lately... I have another friend who calls him Tofu which he also responds to so I'm starting to wonder if he's going to get an identity crisis of some sort...?
no subject
[And yet still more energetic than Red, who has yet to move a muscle except for the twitching of its elbow tentacles since fixing its baleful stare on Izuku.]
Better than him pitching a fit about it, right? After I wrote that post, I heard from a few people about how hard it was to get along with theirs... When you look at it that way, you might have lucked out.
no subject
[Izuku's little Toshi jumps around the demon-looking familiar without a care in the world! A fearless little baby goat without any other talents. Except maybe how he wants to jump and hop onto his new friend for a ride. He'll try that if he's allowed!]
Familiars are amazing, the way they come in all different shapes and personalities. Honestly, I was hoping for something amazing like a fire-breathing dragon. But I like Toshi too.
[He's great the way he is. Even if he's useless. Especially because he's useless.]
Ah, sorry... I don't think I got your name... I'm Izuku Midoriya.
no subject
[He points vaguely upwards at the air above his head. There is nothing there. Yeah, Izuku didn't ask, but he figures he should be thorough. His mom would be mildly disappointed if she knew how often he forgets to introduce himself lately.]
Together, we've been on this island a few months now.
[Red lets out a maybe alarming rumble when the little goat springs onto its back, finally breaking its hard stare at Izuku to peer at Toshi with its back pair of eyes... but doesn't do anything else about it, not even lift a claw. Other than its elbow tentacles twitching very slightly faster, it just seems resigned. Such is life.]
no subject
[Izuku blinks in a little bit of confusion. Was there something invisible there? Is it a ghost? A real ghost?!
Meanwhile, his little goat seems interested in those tentacles too. He'll try to chomp on one with his little goat teeth. But in a playful way! Please don't kill the goat.]
no subject
[But then, before he can elaborate: chomp! The tentacle on Red's elbow squirms in the little goat's teeth like he's caught a live octopus, because that's pretty much what he just did. The tentacle next to that one rears up to bop Toshi lightly but firmly on the nose, and Sagi finds his attention thoroughly diverted.]
Hey! Play nice.
[That's directed mostly at his own familiar, who just rumbles wordlessly again in response. Sure, he wouldn't necessarily enjoy having his elbow chomped either, but that's just little kids for you. Kid in the goat sense, in this case.]
no subject
But Izuku's attention is diverted too and he jolts and quickly runs over to the familiar pair and frets. Reaching out to grab his delinquent goat.]
So-sorry! Let go! Let go, that's a friend, not something to eat! Ah---!
[He swears, his goat is picking up bad manners from Katsuki or something...]
no subject
[Great, now it's Izuku who Sagi feels bad for. He turns to his familiar, whose elbow tentacles are still writhing agitatedly even after Izuku drags Toshi away from them.] You know what, go take five. We can try again later.
[The creature shows no sign of gratitude or relief, but it obligingly levers itself upright on its gangly forearms and lumbers towards the exit without so much as a glance back. Yeah, bye.]
no subject
Still, I didn't mean to cause some trouble like that...
[Phew!! He just carefully tucks his goat under his arm like a potato.]
You were saying... Talking about that friend of yours?
no subject
Uh, yeah... Marno lives in my heart, so most people can't really hear him. But he says it's nice to meet you too, both of you.
[So yeah, no reassurances for Izuku that a ghost isn't watching him right now. Hey, it is what it is.]
no subject
[Even if he can't see Marno or anything like that! He'll be polite at making friends!]
Did Marno-kun come with you from your world? Or did you meet him here?
[Ghostly possessions or heart friends seem pretty common in a sense now that he thinks about it... this wild multiverse.]