middaeg | uh oh sisters! i caught the plague!

Entry tags:

uh oh sisters! i caught the plague!

Who: luo binghe and open!
When: throughout june
Where: the city, the wilde, all over
What: quest opens and a monthly catch-all
Warnings: slight body horror (last prompt), tbd

❖ OPEN — shop; leeches and lycanths (a)

( considering the content it's almost kind of surprising, but it turns out that binghe's not the only person who's signed up for this job. considering what's required of it he was almost hesitant to pick it up himself, (and only did out of hopes that he could pick up a new skill from it, if nothing else,) but apparently there's others willing to take on the risks. the owner, for his part, only told them to write down whatever they felt up on testing out the medicines and record it thoroughly for his records, which hardly inspires the most faith, but whatever. what it means is that it's pretty much just luo binghe and whoever else decided to pick up this job for now. picking up one of the vials and swishing it around a little to observe the colour, binghe decides to speak up. )

So, which one do you want?

( one is a basic allergy medicine that's supposed to get rid of the ill-effects of allergy season without inducing any of the usual drowsiness. another is meant as a cure for lethargy to re-energize the person it's prescribed to. finally, the last is intended to cure headaches. who knows whether they'll actually work or not but, in any case, time to pick your poison! )

❖ OPEN — street; leeches and lycanths (b-1)

( so to be able to test a medicine out, and to make sure you know that it works, firs things first you need to catch the illness, right? that's the thinking that motivates the person in charge of leeches and lycanths, apparently. it's kind of annoying, but he's been promised the'll be minor inconveniences at worst, and who knows, maybe he'll find himself surprisingly energized by the medicines once he takes them at best! which, fat chance, binghe thinks, but he's signed up for this job and he's willing to see it through to the end regardless. with a smile and the perfect behaviour of an ideal, humble disciple, he lets himself be infected, and dutifully drinks the mixture he's given down.

and... it doesn't work.

whoops! must be a mistake in the recipe, he's told; they'll whip up a new concoction and have him right as rain by tomorrow. ah, wait, hold up, tomorrow? you mean he has to go through the whole day today with green spots peppering his skin and words coming out backwards — all a part of the esrever-pox he'd been infected with. to make things even better (worse), he's been sent on another errand; getting another set of ingredients to help whip up the right medicine this time, and how's he supposed to do that in this state? inwardly, he groans. outwardly, he swallows it down and dons a smile as he prepares to stop the nearest person, hoping for their help. )

?si yracehtopA s'leamyT erehw wonk uoy od ,em esucxE

( forget that, we're going somewhere reliable this time. )

❖ OPEN — library; leeches and lycanths (b-2)

( alternatively, there's no spots at all dotted along his skin, and instead, it's flora. that's right — a bit of moss stuck to his neck, some leaves sprouting from within his ponytail, and discoloured eyes that are a bright pink instead of their usual deep red. it's supposedly harmless, and apparently not contagious, but luo binghe has some doubts about it. as it stands, it's a job he's taken up and his body processes illnesses like water anyway, so it's not as if he feels any fear accompanying his suspicions. this is significantly less impairing than the other though, so instead of seeking out a cure right away, he decides to wander off and continue living his life. not contagious after all, right?

so he finds himself in the library; if he's going to be here for the time being, he may as well look into the local knowledge. who knows, maybe there'll be some kind of hint as to how he can get back home — their hosts certainly don't seem all that concerned with getting them back, after all. flipping through the books one by one as he searches for something of interest, it isn't long before he comes across somebody else. a book already in their hand, he can't help but become curious, brushing against their shoulder gently as he peers over it before asking, )

What are you reading?

( congratulations! you have just been infected with ehrendil!

symptoms may include but are not limited to: itchiness where plant life begins to sprout, flora sprouting from the skin, increased desire for sunlight, extreme thirst, the gradual spread of flora to internal structures, including the lungs, and emitting a sweet scent irresistible to bees and butterflies. but don't worry, it can be easily cleared up with a visit to your local apothecary! )

❖ OPEN — wildcard

( feel free to throw anything else you'd like at me and i'm happy to roll with it! otherwise you can hit me at kagehira to plan anything out! )

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[ he's not actually reading, as much as checking out whether they have... you know... some braille books or something. he's not very adept at it, either, because he's never really needed it before, but here, it'd be nice -- he could get some information from the library, at least, about the changes and what else is going to happen to them. no luck, though. no braille, only really old-feeling books that seem to crumble in your hands.

... needless to say, it's pretty scary, when someone suddenly brushes against your shoulder. he jumps, startled, then looks to the side -- or, well, in the stranger's general direction, blinking as if that'd let him see the other's face. ]

Nothing. I was trying to find some info on the monster stuff, but they ain't got the blind alphabet here, so -- [ what's that smell, damn? what kinda earthy old spice are you using, dude? ] Did you put on too much cologne, or something? You smell like, really strong.

...

[ snorf. ]

... of flowers.

( luo binghe, for his part, is interested in much the same thing. for now though, this isn't quite the right section of the library for that — just two aisles off; this one focuses on history. all things considered though, being this close is probably pretty impressive for this guy. after all, let's see: startled and confused blinking, a blind alphabet, and a gaze that passes through him instead of looking at him?

binghe catches on quickly. )

That would be the flowers. ( he pauses, gives it a moment, and: ) Would you like one?

( he doesn't really care for them and is already rolling up his sleeve, revealing a vine looped around his elbow, attached to which is a slightly crumpled anemone. )

[ well, duh. ]

Why're you giving out flowers in a library? [ some kind of a part timer for the festival everyone's talking about? kyun's got no real use for flowers, let's be real, but he can hear the stranger... roll up his sleeve? his clothing rustles, as if brushing against foliage, and it's certainly pretty odd to hear.

he's used to figuring things out via hearing alone, senses sharpened ever since he'd gone blind, but this is just. odd. and the faint, earthy smell of moss that follows him, too -- maybe he's some sort of a forest creature or something...

... well, whatever. ]

I mean, sure, I guess. What kind you got?

Anemone, ( he notes, matter-of-factly. pinching the stem of the flower from where it connects with his skin, a bit of blood wells up that he ignores, instead placing it in kyun's hand. with that done, he seems pretty satisfied with himself, returning his attention to the matter at hand. which was, what again? oh, right. )

What were you looking to find out? I'm here for a similar reason, maybe I can help.

( you know, read the books to him or something. like audiobooks. no blind alphabets here, but luckily binghe is able to read the local seeing-people's alphabet. it helps that kyun is doing something pretty rational to begin with, looking into these things; binghe was skipping right to doing the impossible, but the longer they're here the better it will be if they look into what will be happening to them. )

[ there's the flower, and there's the drop of binghe's blood on his skin, undoubtedly infecting him with the flower std. he can't even see it, which is even worse -- but he twirls the flower between his fingers and glances back towards where the book should still be laid out, grimacing a little. ]

I was gonna check if there's any... I dunno, indication of what you're going to become. And how bad it'll be, I guess.

[ doesn't it sound scary? slowly transforming into something straight from a horror movie. or fantasy. he doesn't know!!!! ]

Do you know what you're supposed to be turning into?

( hmm, good questions. still, binghe shakes his head more out of habit than anything else as he thinks through his answer. )

I don't know yet, no. ( but he seems to stop abruptly in his words, rather than naturally. an instant later, he speaks up again: ) Did you have a dream before you came to this place?

( he watches the other's expression expectantly, looking for a sign of understanding, but continues either way. )

A friend of mine, ( and he uses the term "friend" loosely here, ) had a pair of wings in the dream we shared before arriving here. It could be that it was a sign of things to come.

[ a dream, he says. kyun's not sure whether it was a dream or not -- because it certainly felt real, and... the people he's met in it seem to recognize it, too. the memory does appear to be hazy, however, almost as if made up; he hadn't even really considered that as a hint before, but maybe the other's onto something. he does remember being surrounded by fae, and none of them attacking him, unlike they did other guests -- instead, they let him sit there with them, while playing pranks on others.

.. and the collars... he remembers the chest full of collars... that was something. ]

Actually, yeah, I remember something. [ he taps his chin with his index finger, thoughtful. ] A banquet, or some stuff like that... 'nd the little, uh... creatures, fae I think people called them, let me stay with them like I was one of their own. Oh! My eyes were a little better, too! ... I still couldn't see, but I recognized shapes, at least.

[ he nods, excitedly. if that was a sign of things to come, then maybe... ? ]

Did you have a dream? [ was it about wwx touching your dick??? ]

I had a dream, ( and wwx did almost touch his dick in it, he nods, ) but it wasn't so helpful.

( he like, saw the other guy's wings and stuff, but aside from that it tends to all become a bit of a dreamlike blur — a fact that he finds somewhat to moderately irritating, but accepts all the same. that it seems to be helpful enough of a hint to the other, though, seems to satisfy luo binghe for the time being, pleased by the way his expression lights up with excitement at the realization. )

There was a cave, and a path in the forests that, in hindsight, I probably should have been more careful about. ( damn memory sharing trees. ) But it sounds like you have an idea of what you are. Will be, rather. Do you want to see if we can find anything in the books about it?

( he'll probably need a hand with that, binghe figures, what with the whole blind thing going on. he's not opposed to learning more about all of the monster types in any case, so if he's starting here then so be it. )

( what type of person is wwx? someone who doesn't allow anyone to struggle in the depths of their misfortune so he just had to help that one farmer. besides, it's wei wuxian's dream to live on a farm just like that so he just had to do something — not alone though; he's still learning how to use these new abilities. instead, he made sure to get both his new acquainted pals on the mission — kyun and binghe respectively.

now he told them to meet him at the edge of the forest where he's heard rumors of where babs and bolly possibly went to. he does, for awhile, plays a song off his flute hoping he can lure the animals from wherever they seem to be hiding but he's not that lucky. not only that, it'll signal where he's located but he knows luo binghe can bring himself here with ease; though wuxian is aware that kyun needs a little help. so what wei wuxian do to help his dear friend — well, li'l apple is certainly a team player this round! he asked his donkey to go and give the male a ride to where he is and while his companion was against it; wei wuxian promised that kyun would feed him lots and lots of apples.

so there's a promise you have to keep with li'l apple, kyun, but look on the bright side! you're catching a free ride AND li'l apple is being considerate of you despite him having no saddle so your balls won't ache as he clop, clop, clops with you towards the destination!

removing his flute from his lips, he waves towards the man on his donkey: )

Hey! Hey ~ I hope the ride wasn't too bad!! Now.. we just need big guy.. did you see big guy on your way here? The stud? ( looks at kyun with big ol' eyes. you know, the big guy! )

[ i could go on forever about how kyun feels about this but let's cut it short and say it like it is: he's miserable. first of all, why not just come pick him up?! he can follow you by the sound of your foosteps, or something! there's no need for a fucking donkey?! one that he has to blindly climb onto, too, holy shit... he's really getting the full medieval experience... literally the only thing left on the checklist is the plague and that's coming soon...

anyway, there he is, arriving like in some sad knock-off of shrek, to do some odd quest wei wuxian has apparently invited him to. ... why is he here, again? he's blind? he's gonna be a liability? but despite his better judgement, he's kinda curious.

and bored. where's the tvs? ]

It was... something. [ his poor... poor balls... anyway. ] Oh yeah, I saw like, a hundred big guys. All of the big guys. Saw 'em.

[ -_- he gets off the donkey at least, landing on both feet in his fake jays. ]

But seriously, what?

I have a name, you know. ( noted as he makes his way to out from the trees. was it a shortcut? got lost? was he starting the hunt for bolly and babs on his own? who knows, but what matters is he's here now — and right on time from the looks of things. glancing between mo xuanyu and the other, he finds himself tilting his head curiously before he turns his attention to xuanyu. "xuanyu". )

Is he coming with us?

( a trace of his confusion makes it into his tone but luckily it doesn't come out... completely rude sounding. more like he's just double-checking a grocery list before they head out, while his eyes look kyun over as if searching for something. like, don't get him wrong, luo binghe appreciates him and he seems to have a good head on his shoulders, but does that mean he's going to be the ideal teammate in something like a search? hmm... well, whatever; you'd be surprised by the ways some people can come in handy, so maybe he'll be more useful than expected — binghe won't write him off quite yet. )

( how he's about to answer kyun, grateful that he's seen those big ol' perky nip nops recently but .. here he comes.. out the bushes. quite weird and ominous, how long has he been there? what is wrong with him. ) Yes, TV, is coming with us! But I've been wondering if your personalities are coming with us too.. but they just go anywhere, huh? Why do you let them hang all out?

( your breasts, but anyway, wei wuxian moves over to his li'l apple, grabbing the reins so that he can hold them out to kyun to take. ) Wow? You can walk? I thought you had leg problems.. have you been cured!? Gasp.. Li'l Apple's a miracle worker!

( does wwx know he's blind? no. he just wanted to assist in getting kyun here faster. but he truly thinks a blessing has been done hear today, just look at the other being able to walk on his own two legs. god, please see that wei wuxian is trying to help by giving you the ability to hold onto his donkey. ) So, TV, Luo Binghe, shall we depart on your journey! I really want to meet Babs, I like that name.

( ... )

Babs.

[ wow, his timing was so perfect it's almost scary. actually, it's almost legitimately scary, because kyun jumps a little -- the addition of a new, deeper voice combined with the bushes rustling is alarming? what is your problem??? anyway, he doesn't bother correcting wwx about his name, and instead takes the reins, shoulders rising in a small shrug. ]

I dunno what we're doing, but I'll keep an... ear out for things, or something. [ slaps knee

after that, he turns his head back towards wwx, scoffing. ] I never said I can't walk, dude. Just that I can't see. Anyway, it'll probably be faster like this --

[ and he climbs back onto the donkey. yeehaw. one satan and another should have a relatively good time he guesses... ]

... so who's Babs and why are we looking for them? [ is it perhaps... an implanted bird fetus ]

( listen when you're a protagonist you'll know how important entrances are. i'd say look at him but you can't see, but still, there's not even a single leaf stuck to him from sitting in there for who knows how long just to make sure he could arrive just on time. protagonist halo benefits? with his grand entrance out of the way though, he raises a brow at the introductions they receive. tv? ok. but — )

Personalities? ( i mean, if that's what you wanna call 'em. they're kind of stuck to him, so don't know where else you want them to go. what he can claim to know something about though is kyun's last question, once he's gotten back on that ~~demon~~ donkey. )

You don't even know what we're signed up for?

( there's a bit of almost disbelief in his voice, looking expectantly at kyun despite knowing the other can't necessarily see that he is. but like, you didn't even tell him? mo xuanyu? luo binghe will do the honours of explaining then, he guesses. )

A local farmer has lost his sheep, so we're supposed to look for them. Apparently one of them is prone to jumping into high places — Babs. The other one is called Bolly, but I don't know if they'll respond to their names. ( they're not, like, dogs or anything. )

( let's see, he looks around the area as runs over to a small print within the ground, smacking away the dirt to reveal a footprint! he doesn't say anything though, just squatting down towards the ground as he stares at it like so. )

Li'l Apple will keep TV safe for now and we can hunt for Billy Bob and Bab's. ( did he forget their names, yes, is he going to fix it? no. ) I wonder how we'll find them... I wish there was a clue or something. ( how are they to know which way sheep go when they get lost, it's not like any of them are sheep whisperers. grey eyes look up towards the trees, squinting to see if there could be anything within their limbs and there's nothing!

he frowns, standing back up to walk back towards the small group — looking between kyun and binghe; he speaks. ) Maybe someone can sniff them out? ( his eyes lay onto Li'l Apple, who seems peeved by the accusation that wei wuxian would think him, a noble donkey, would.. speak... sheep. fuckin' ugly human, soon you'll die like the rest. but wei wuxian can't understand li'l apple so he's spared for now. so instead, the donkey turns around, gently this time not to fuck with kyun's balls and once his ass is directed towards wei wuxian's line of vision. )

Hey, what are you d —

( there wuxian goes, falling to the ground after a back hoof as directed itself right into his stomach. goodbye. )

( soren shrugs his shoulder away when brushed in irritation at being touched unprompted, shooting the stinkeye at this sweet-smelling stranger who has decided to nose in on his reading. )

You're not good with manners, are you?

( even if he doesn't cut right to the answer, the book he's reading offers hints... the cover is rather pretty, painted like the night sky and titled Under Sleep's Spells: The Magic of Dreams. when he rests his eyes upon the taller man, his peevishness is softened by surprise when he notices that he bears some kind of bright mark smackdab on his forehead. curiosity pricks him immediately, but he doesn't blurt anything about it. that would be rude... )

( it isn't a response that necessarily surprises luo binghe, watching as the other moves away from him with an expression of displeasure. his eyes brighten for a moment and flicker to the other's forehead as he takes in the actual appearance of the man he's so rudely interrupted, curious and not at all concerned with hiding the motion, but his expression adjusts itself into a relaxed smile as he does so — clearly he isn't too offended by the comment. )

Excuse me, ( he apologizes, straightening up. ) You were reading so attentively, I thought you must have found something interesting.

( and so he has — the topic this book looks into is one that luo binghe is intimately familiar with in his home world. that said, here, he hadn't necessarily thought to look into it so deeply. slowly though, the gears in his head begin to turn, and he wonders if it isn't rather perceptive of the other to have a curiosity in this matter after all. he continues in a friendly, conversational tone. )

Having strange dreams?

( that he would take interest in his mark in turn makes sense. curiosity is planted quietly between them, and it's only a matter of time before it blooms into a question. of course, soren has no idea that something else has been planted between them. again, a matter of time... )

I think all of us are. ( he returns his eyes to the tome. ) You experienced the shared dreams, too, did you not?

I've experienced one. ( here, that is. ) There were more?

( he's matter-of-fact with his tone; since it's been brought up so straightforwardly, there's no point in beating around the bush with it. besides, if one weren't enough to peak his interest, then a record of there being more would certainly draw his attention. especially as they're far different in their details than those luo binghe is familiar with himself. none of the rules the dream demon taught him seem to apply here. )

It would appear so. The first dream many have shared was about a banquet deep in the middle of the Wilde, in a place that actually exists called 'Dewaint'. The two courts of the Fae were meeting for the first time in a thousand years, as I am told. Outside of the festive occasion, however, lurked what can be assumed as the Cwyltid. Some dreamers were attacked by them. [he pauses for a beat.] ...For some reason, I did not have a dream like many others. I'm not sure if that means anything or not, but... that is not what I am focusing on. I think there must be something more to these dreams. That said... Would you mind telling me about yours?

[don't mind him as he scratches the back of his head for a moment.]

It sounds a lot more welcoming than the one I had.

( he notes, in good humour. a lively banquet between fae courts, or an abandoned cave and memories you don't want to share plastered onscreen for strangers to enjoy? given the choice, luo binghe certainly feels he would have picked the former, that's for sure. )

I can't remember it clearly ( — another thing that bothers him, about not having control over his dreamscape ) but there were a few interesting points. Rather than a banquet, myself and some others found ourselves in enchanted woods, as well as a cave that seemed to have been long abandoned before we got there. Is there one you'd rather hear about first?

( he begins to pay more attention to his new conversation partner rather than the cover of his book. he'd lied about his own dreams, if only to spare himself from having to talk about the horrors of it. as a point of comparison, however... )

Let's start with the woods. What did you see there?

There was some kind of magic in the trees — their leaves glowed gold, and if you followed them far enough, they would begin to show your memories like a play... It was very realistic. Not very pleasant memories, though, not for anybody involved.

( at this, he grimaces, but doesn't allow himself to get caught up in reminiscing. )

The pond seemed more welcoming compared to that — though there was something in it that wasn't. ( and luo binghe pauses, meeting the other's eyes with a sly smile. ) And I have to say, it looked quite like you.

( a chill creeps over his shoulders like an unwelcome draft, and the way he smiles at him does not bode well, either. uneasy wariness edges into the way he regards luo binghe, tipping his face away from looking head on at the other man, his gaze sharpening like it could pierce through his statement. )

'It'?

( luo binghe only rolls his shoulders, offering a shrug as he feels the other's sharp eyes on him. )

I don't know what it was. I'm not familiar enough with the creatures here to say for certainty, but it looked like some manner of shade.

( dark, oily appearing skin with bright, almost glowing eyes. that suits the description that he's managed to inform himself of. luo binghe carries on with a tone as if he were describing something as mundane as the weather, but keeps his own eyes on the man beside him to gauge the reaction he draws from his words. )

There was another man there — he seemed like he wanted to help it. Next thing I knew, I was looking at "you" in its place.

( the chill permeates him, seizing his blood. he's unable to hide the urgent demand to understand more flashing in his vibrant, catlike eyes, glowing almost like embers as his emotions roil within. what does this mean if dreams like these carry some prophecy...? never once does he take them off luo binghe. his pulse hastens. )

A Shade that looked like... me? That's highly disturbing. I'm having trouble imagining how one of those creatures might resemble me to begin with. What was this man like, then?

It wasn't as if its form as a shade resembled you. More like it appeared to be a shade, and then it changed to look the same as you do.

( which, luo binghe should admit, played no small part in why he so rudely felt the need to get a closer look at him. now that he has though, he finds the expressive impatience on the other's face to be quite interesting. his smile is soft and reassuring as he continues. )

It was a man of good height, with blue hair. He wore... ( he describes the gist of what ike was wearing and his features for a moment before pausing and waiting expectantly. ) Sound familiar?

( luo binghe is treated to more of that expressive impatience sinking heavily into soren's features. it morphs into shock, the way his eyes widen and lips part, a feverish demand to understand everything. he doesn't even need to confirm with words that the man sounds familiar to him, looking like this. )

It... It can't be...! ( but amid the full-bodied surprise that arrested him beams wild hope setting brilliantly in those lurid eyes of his; he trembles in the face of the possibility enough to nearly drop the book he'd been holding. his throat feels parched, his chest short of breath, and he tries not to cough against the raggedness inflaming his windpipe. he thinks nothing of it, since his emotions are far more inflamed than anything else, his mind reeling. he clutches the book to his chest and gazes up at the other man desperately. ) Y-You've seen Ike?! Does that mean he's—

[ he glances about as though ike might be around the corner. he might just be, and if he is... a selfish strain of happiness jumps in his lonely heart. young whitish green plantlife appears to have sprouted around the base of his ponytail. shh... he doesn't know yet!! ]

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uh oh sisters! i caught the plague!

thx for the plague

any time my good bitch

sick

u will be soon

STOP THATS OMINOUS

damn can't you let a bitch be ominous of he wants to be :/

ur supposed to be the protag not some ominous npc :/

damn dont limit me i'm an ominous protag just ask sqq

closed; hamletism, xinmo in.. PASTORAL PURSUIT.. COMING TO A THREAD NEAR YOU!

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b-2... hope tagging in this late is okay!

of course!! always 😊

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