middaeg | Ragged they come and the ragged they kill [OPEN]

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Ragged they come and the ragged they kill [OPEN]

Who: Berserker and you!
When: Through the month of June
Where: Various places
What: June Catch-all and quests
Warnings: Nothing right now but violence is likely because Berserkers.

[ 1. Talk Travels - Your ~~friendly~~ mail carrier ]
[ Berserker is out and about delivering mail. It suits him because it's mostly a solitary experience and he doesn't need to rely on anyone for help. He's just interested in delivering the letters and moving on. Some places have mailboxes, others don't, so some mail just ends up abandoned on the doorstep.

He's so involved in his work that he's not paying attention to where he's going, or rather he is and simply doesn't care if someone's in his way. The poor sap in his path gets plowed into and he barely pauses for a moment. ]

Name? I'll see if I have something for you.

[ Yes, he only cares about the task at hand right now. Sorry about that. ]

[ 2. Out of the City ]
[ Of course he's interested in a quest where he can fight and kill things. It may just be small vermin, but it's at least something he's good at. The efficiency of his killing is disturbing, much like the lack of interest on his face. It's cold, efficient, and emotionless, like it's nothing more than a chore to be done. He only pauses in his work because he feels as though he's being watched. Spearing a final rat, he leaves his weapon in the ground for the moment. ]

What is it? Are you bothered by something I'm doing?

[ 3. Walking Armor ]
[ A duel is a duel is a duel, even if the enemy in question is a suit of walking armor. His normal instincts in a duel are to destroy until nothing is left, but the person who made the request wants it back in one piece. The fight is not quiet, Berserker practically roaring as he meets the strikes of the enchanted armor. Sword clashing against his barbed, red spear, the sound ringing out clearly. He's not exactly struggling, but he doesn't seem to be making any headway. Though he's loathe to ask for help, he turns to someone he hears nearby. ]

Distract it and I can bring it down.

[ 4. Wildcard ]
[ Drop me a starter and I'll roll with it! PM me or shoot me a message on Discord glitzkrieg#0673 if you want to work out something specific! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ That...was not encouraging at all. Alex starts to look around for a stick or something she could use, because she did not think to bring a weapon. ]

There.. are people too?

[ Rats were one thing, but an infected person? Would she be able to handle that? ]

Are there..a lot of them?

They're still sane enough to be reasoned with, but that's not my concern. Subduing them is what I was paid to do.

[ Subdue and kill aren't that different in his mind. Disable until they're unable to fight. ]

Not many people. More infected animals than anything.

[ Reasoning, she might be able to do, although it'd be more ideal if she didn't bump into any of the infected at all. For their sake, she hoped they wouldn't bump into Berserker either. She at least understood that much, a job was a job.

Her grip on her basket tighten.]

I'll keep an eye out..

[ Maybe the flowers wouldn't be too far away and she could grab them and get back without a hitch. She made sure to wear comfortable shoes so if she does bump into any, she could try to make a run for it. She'll wing it if the time comes. ]

...You as well, please be careful.

[ Images of his state in their shared dream reemerged, and while he could handle things himself, it didn't seem like he really took care of himself. [

Sorry again for disrupting you.

[ His task is done for now and something bothers him -- though it's not his job, she is unarmed. If something happened, it would be her own fault for wandering out past the walls alone like this. But... ]

I wouldn't go alone, unless you're hiding a weapon.

[ She stops just as she shifts her weight to another foot to start moving. ]

Ah..there's something I have to do though..and I thought maybe I could find something to use as one.

[ Alex also wasn't accustomed to using weapons, other than what she could pick up. She's used a gun once, but she didn't have one here nor did she feel like using one again.

Saying it out loud, it doesn't sound very wise. But she's already made it this far. Who knows what consequences would come from not delivering. ]

Can you even use a weapon you find?

[ His job here's done, as far as he's concerned. It's either leave and go back to town or come along with her. It gives him a chance to get a better lay of the land outside the walls. Alex's well-being isn't his concern. ]

... I should check for more infected further out, anyway.

[ Alex winced slightly at being called out. She didn’t have proper training, but she can at the very least hit something.

Before she can defend herself, he offers. Well..not really, but she wonders if that’s what he was insinuating. He didn’t have a reason to, that’s for sure. Maybe it was best not to give it too much attention. ]

...If..you’re heading that way, can I follow along?

[ Better to not draw attention to it, really. It's something done out of courtesy. ]

If you want. Just don't get squeamish if I have to kill something along the way.

Edited 2019-06-23 05:50 (UTC)

I'll stay out of your way..

[ She wasn't sure how she felt about this, really. Was he being nice or not? He made it sound like a bother, but he was willing to go along with it anyway? Alex wasn't sure what to make of that. It didn't seem like he wanted anything out of it, and really, there was nothing for him to gain. ]

I just need to get some flowers. The only thing they warned me about are bees so..hopefully you won't need to use that.

[ She glances over at the spear, which she doubts would be as effective on bees as maybe a flyswatter. After a moment, she starts off, cautiously, not really sure whether he preferred to walk ahead or follow behind or walk alongside her. Her eyes do kind of remain on him, almost like waiting for his okay to keep going.]

I'll follow behind. [ He says as if to give her reassurance. ] But I'll let you figure out what to do with the bees.

[ Was that a joke...? Maybe. Berserker keeps a bit of distance between himself and Alex, mostly keeping his attention on the surrounding area. Escorting people is usually just an annoyance, but this is better than waiting around. ]

This is for a job, isn't it?

Alright--

[ Her eyes go back to the front, until he puts bee duty on her and her head snaps to the side. She doesn't say anything, but her expression is alarmed. Well..maybe it won't be too bad? As long as they minded their own business, the bees would mind theirs, right? ]

..Yes, they requested Tiger Lillies. I'm not really sure what for..but it sounded like something I could at least do.

[ And it looked like one of the few Wilde tasks that didn't require a weapon. Not that she was going to emphasize that bit.

The soft buzzing of little workers starts to to get louder the more they head in that direction. They probably weren't too far away. ]

[ He's dealt with insects before -- they don't like weapons or magic. Unfortunately, he doesn't have his magic capability any longer, so their best bet if they attack may just be to flee. ]

Does it matter what it's for? You know what you need to gather, so just do it.

[ Ah, he's so kind. ]

I know..

[ She's delivered things for Worrick and Nic that she knew she shouldn't question or look into. The less questions you asked, the better, though it didn't mean she wasn't even just a bit curious. At least the Benriya were much nicer than Barry was about it. ]

But things are so different here..I can't imagine they'd use flowers to kill someone--

[ Unless they're poisonous. They didn't exactly have these types of flowers where she was from. But surely they would've warned her, right? ]

Oh--are those it?

[ She points at the orange flowers scattered about up ahead. They fit the description, and the bees flying from one to other were another sign that they were where they had to be. ]

Even if they do use them to for that, is that your concern right now?

[ Cold as ever. He really doesn't seem troubled at all by the bees, practically nudging Alex forward by stepping closer and closer to her. ]

Gather them quickly. Run back to me if the bees are bothered.

No..

[ Rather than cold, Alex felt like she was being told off like a child. Sensing him closer to her back does give her the sense to step forward (or was it more of a jump). She glances back at him, but doesn’t say anything more. It was better to move quickly while he wasn’t in a bad (worse?) mood and feeling less courteous.

It was a little hard to move fast when you were trying to be careful too though. The bees seemed to mind their own business for the most part. It almost looked relaxing to watch, actually, the buzzing like white noise.

She finds a patch that doesn’t look as occupied and crouches down to pick the flowers out. She really hadn’t seen this kind before, not that she could imagine these growing in Ergastulum. They were beautiful.

After placing what she thinks is enough in the basket, she gets up to head back to Berserker. Except she’s not careful in her turn as she accidentally swings the basket through some flowers that were occupied. The soothing buzzing became much louder, and a lot angrier. That seemed like the bees were bothered, and the time to run.

She goes as quickly as she can back to Berserker, a growing number of bees trailing right behind her. ]

I’m sorry!! It was an accident!

[ He watches her work for a time, his expression dropping as he sees her mistake. This is the outcome he expected, really. As she comes running to him, he moves to scoop her up under his arm. ]

You nearly did it, though. I'm impressed it took that long before you upset them.

[ Praise the first mistake. ]

Now hold on, unless you'd rather run away on your own.

[ That...was a compliment, right? Although now didn’t seem like the time to worry about it.

What exactly was she supposed to hold on to though?!

She curls up a little and tries to grip onto his arm best as she could in her position. ]

Are you sure you can outrun them?!

Don't doubt me.

[ A Servant he's not anymore, but he can still run far faster than someone his size should be able to, especially carrying another person. He knows he can't outrun them for long, but they was a pond nearby. A quick dunk in there would stop their pursuit. Use the environment to your advantage. ]

You can hold your breath, can't you?

[ She can be allowed a bit of doubt, can't she? Not that she can deny how fast he's going anyway. The question clicks as soon as she sees the pond up ahead, and it's not difficult to figure out what she's planning. ]

Y-yes, but--

[ Actually, she can do more than hold it. ]

But the flowers..!

[ It'd be a waste for them to have gone through all the for the flowers to be ruined. ]

Drop them.

[ They could retrieve them after the threat's gone is his line of thinking. It's not far to the edge of the pond, a few more steps. It's the best option he can see. He waits for just a moment to give Alex a chance to make the choice. The bees are gaining on them, like a buzzing reminder of their mortality. ]

Dro--

[ Don't doubt him--

Wasn't it?

Alex closes her mouth and does just that, dropping the basket to the side--hopefully getting them to land on a bush or something soft. And even if it wasn't necessary, she takes in a deep breath and holds onto his arm even tighter. ]

[ Good, she listened.

The basket does land gently in a nearby bush, its contents safe. Without a moment of hesitation Berserker jumps into the pond. The bees scatter at the huge splash of water, not even taking the time to hover above the surface. Just a little longer...he can only hold his breath for so long. He lets go of Alex so he can surface, taking in a huge lungful of air.

Blissful silence greets him. ]

[ Her eyes squeeze shut as they dive into the water, her gills flaring out and the scales spreading along her arms. Her fin-like ears also grow and fan out more, hydrated by the cool, pond waters. When Berserker lets go, so does she, though she doesn't breach till a moment after him. She's still not much of a swimmer, so she's paddling more to keep her head above water. ]

Are--[ She sinks, then pops up again. ]

--they gone?

[ He only partially pays attention to Alex's transformation out of the corner of his eye. Interesting...He'd assumed her to be a witch, not a monster like himself. Berserker treads water, giving a look to her. ]

Yes. It's safe. [ He narrows his eyes. ] You can't swim well despite that form?

It's not like--I've got--fins--

[~~Yet.~~

She's fallen into water a few times now, but the best she can do is some doggy paddle hybrid. She's learning on the go here. ]

Never--had to--before--

[ She lived in a land locked area, and she certainly didn't have the luxury to go swimming. Doesn't help that it's fresh water and she has clothes weighing her down. At least she couldn't drown now. ]

Ragged they come and the ragged they kill [OPEN]

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