[OPEN] 365 and a day to save my soul

[kivatteru]

Who: Wataru & YOU! Fourth Wall characters are welcome!
When: All of Maiuril
Where: Various
What: Catch-all for the month! Quests, DiplomaTea, etc.
Warnings: None at the moment

i; sad howls in the night

[ This task doesn't seem to need time fixing, unless the turnskin stubbornly refuses to stop howling, but at least he's not investigating a rotting corpse surrounded by hunger-inducing grass this time. Either way, he's mumbling to himself about the best way to approach Roman, but that's when another person passes by him, coming straight from Karen's Patisserie, catching his attention. ]

Have you also taken the quest? About the wolf Turnskin?

[ Well, if this isn't a lucky coincidence. ]

ii; this is egg-specially worrisome

[ So now it's about eggs. The circumstances for their appearance doesn't comfort Wataru, but he offered to take one of the eggs from the Coven and find himself a partner to alternate caring for it with. Kivat has been nervous about the idea, snapping at Wataru that he wants nothing to do with "whatever thing is gonna pop out of there", and then left without saying anything more. It worried the Rider, but his focus is mostly on his duty as an egg-sitter. Other problems will take a backseat until it hatches.

He sighs, looking over at his partner while holding the egg to his lap. ]

Thank you for offering to help. I wonder what creature we're going to have to take care of, though.

[ If the "mom" managed to cause all that carnage to make a nest, they might be dealing with something quite dangerous. ]

iii; an usual day at diplomatea

[ Wataru can be found working at DiplomaTea full time on weekdays and alternatively on weekends as well. Various options available are:

a) He's the waiter serving you;
b) You catch him skillfully playing his violin on the small stage built for him, and you can comment on his performance in whichever way he made you feel;
c) In case of already established CR being the patron, he'll ask permission to serve and interact closely with you;
d) Co-worker shenanigans! Interacting with others at the shop, offering help and most likely being around until closing time. If there's anything you want him for, he'll be readily available.

Pick your poison, or ask for a starter if you'd like! ]

iv; wildcard

[ I can make close starters if you want one! I'm definitely open for full moon or Fourth Wall stuff! PP me on gaiamemories or send me a PM! ]

Comments

[kivatteru]

[ He had fought countless monsters whose appearances were likewise terrifying. What made them even scarier than this spirit was the fact their regular appearance was that of a regular human who could blend into society and attack when no one was looking.

But this spirit doesn't seem so unlike the Fangire he defeated, or the mythical beasts that served him. She spoke wildly, sadistically, vengeful indeed. Whatever happened between her and Everett was something he really needs to learn from the man himself, preferably avoiding a death in the process. ]

I'm afraid I can't let that happen.

[ The flames burst stronger in his palm. Wataru knows he won't be able to chase her away through words alone. Trying to convince her that this isn't an area she should be in and she should be the one to leave... sounds like a stupid idea that only serves to buy a little time. He just hopes his attack won't cause too much collateral damage in the cellar.

He outstretches his hand, shooting a sizeable orb of fire straight at the spirit. ]

[bonewife]

[Adelheid does not bother to dodge the flame. It hits her in the chest and her illusion goes up in flames. What's left if a ghoulish creature of dark bones in a half broken, centaur skeleton shape, carnation flowers erupting from joints where sinew once held everything together. The fire doesn't seem to harm her, though the flame settles inside her chest, burning within the topmost, exposed ribcage.]

Watch ooout. [She practically coos, before the ball of magic is shot right back at him, smaller, but quicker. Adelheid uses that to cover an escape, knowing this was a foolish place to sustain a fight. Others would hear and come down, in no time. Besides, maybe he won't be able to get Everett out of the vault and it will still be a success.

Even if not, she knows she'll have properly terrorized him. She turns to a ghostly wisp and goes out through the mirror she arrived through, leaving the space quiet and still.

Save Everett banging on the inside door of his vault.]

[kivatteru]

[ Wataru registers the moment his spell was thrown back at him, but not how the spirit let the entirety of it burn her down without much of a reaction. He doesn't have the time to ponder on it as he dives to the side and narrowly dodges the blast. It collides on the wall behind him, and fortunately the concrete absorbs the fire like a bullet, only leaving a blackened hole.

The smoke it causes enters his nose and the poor Witch wheezes before coughing his lungs out. That was a... terrible idea. He should have conjured either an icy or electric spell to block her, but instinct told him to use fire instead. It's never wise to listen to his own instinct during such situations, it turns out.

When he recovers, Wataru becomes aware that the spirit is gone and the pounding he hears afterwards comes from the vault. That's Everett, isn't he? His friend is alive... Wataru would sigh in relief if he didn't know the smoke would cause him to caugh even harder if he inhaled more of it.

He stands up, dusts the back of his uniform off, andproceeds towards the vault. He places both hands on it. ]

Everett, I'm here. Can you hear me? Are you hurt?

[rollfordiplomacy]

[A bit of bleating from the safe, but Everett's relatively quick to collect himself from that pathetic noise. The vault is very heavy duty thing, not magical, just very difficult to crack. Of course, Everett had a great eye for a vault, being a Vaughan.]

I'm fine! For the moment! She'll come back! Break all the mirrors, lad! [first an foremost, that needs to be done, he can't risk Wataru being harmed by her while trying to rescue him]

[kivatteru]

[ Panic is very palpable from the way his boss was bleating... Wataru quickly files away that noise, remembering the time Everett got his horns stuck in a cabinet. No need for that. Death by suffocation is a possibility and as the faun keeps talking Wataru's worry raises higher and higher until he has to speak up before the worst really comes to happen. ]

Please, save your breath as much as you can.

[ He darts off to retrieve the mirrors, crushing them as quickly as possible while avoiding to get hurt by the fragments. They're thrown straight into the active furnace.

Panting with fatigue, Wataru returns to the vault, knocks at it. ]

... I've done what you asked me. How do I open this?

[rollfordiplomacy]

Good lad. Very good... [Everett is trying to steady himself, but he does not enjoy any moment he's trapped in here. He's try to take deep breathes and steady his nerves, but that's only going to make the problem worse. Faun instincts scream at him in the claustophobia of being trapped, caged. He's caught up in the irony if he died a Vaughan in a vault... just shameful, that! He speaks a clear and concise as he can]

Simple. A number combination. Can you hear me clearly? Two. Two. Zero. One. Three. Again. Two. Two. Zero. O, one. Three.

[... a combination that has been changed, at Viren's suggestion. That isn't on Everett's mind, which falls back to the number he set it as, the more familiar one.]

[kivatteru]

[ Okay. That's easy to remember. Wataru quickly steels his nerves and concentrates his focus on the numbers Everett is instructing to him.

A deep breath, before he turns over the last number.

...

Nothing happens. ]

Huh...? Why? I'm sure I've input everything.

[rollfordiplomacy]

... input... everything... [Everett repeats, utmost nervously, before shaking it off. No panicking! That won't help. Only make this worse. Think and focus, old goat, what was wrong with that number? Why wouldn't it-]

Viren! Call. Viren. Lord Viren. You have his number in your watch? [Wataru should, all his staff should have some numbers shared between them as coworkers]

He changed the number. I forgot. What it is.

[kivatteru]

Yes... I do have it. Hold on a second.

[ Wataru pulls out his watch in a hurry, steading it on his hand as he quickly scrolls through the list to find Viren's name. He won't allow himself to think about the way Everett talks - which is transpiring the start of a panicked response to being locked inside a vault.

He needs to focus. But... wait... ]

Should I tell him that you're locked inside it?

[rollfordiplomacy]

Absolutely do not tell him.

[humiliating!! Please. Viren. Don't let him down, now!




If he wasn't panicked, he'd know better. A foolish notion, to believe Viren, of all men in this world or any other, to give up a vault code simply because it was asked it of him.]

[kivatteru]

[ ... Okay then. Everett's panicked tone settles it for him, and without further questions he dials up Viren's number.

The exchange is brief and hushed. Wataru turns to the vault, an apologetic look despite the fact Everett can't see him. ]

He said, well... [ and he quotes: ] "Absolutely not".

[rollfordiplomacy]

Fine! Tell him I'm locked in it! [That was a quick turn on that, Everett. Real quick. But suffocating in his own vault is definitely far worse than admitting to such nonsense.

He can't exactly talk to Viren through the watch, there's no way it would pick up his muffled voice, even if he did yell loud as he could. He'll settle for a pathetic bleating that Viren is sure to hear and understand his panic through their bond, even if he can't articulate full words.]

[kivatteru]

[ Fortunately for Everett, Wataru won't pick up on how pathetic all the bleating sounds like. Instead he lets Viren listen, after which he gets the positive answer he hoped for. ]

He agreed to give me the number this time... hold on.

[ With Viren's guidance, he slowly manages to turn every single number with calculating precision, his brow wet with sweat as tension guides his hand.

... When he hears a click, that's when he notices he almost stopped breathing, and sighs out loud as he gently opens the vault for his boss to come out. ]

Everett... are you okay?

[rollfordiplomacy]

[Viren (sighing) gives out the new number, one Everett knew and yet couldn't come up with in his panicked mindscape. The vault clicks as it's entered and Everett is also holding his breath, purely on instinct to do so. When the door finally opens, the rush of fresh air is a rush of relief, too.

He staggers himself out and immediately falls into Wataru's arms, hugging him! Tight! So very grateful!!]

M, my dear! Thank you, thank you thank you, so very much, h, how distressing!

[kivatteru]

[ The call with Viren accidentally cuts when Wataru is suddenly wrapped in the arms of his taller and larger boss. Eyes widening, he blinks them in surprise. ]

Ah...

[ What does he say to that? You're welcome feels very much out of place. Wataru just did what he had to do because otherwise Everett would have died from suffocation. But the faun's gratefulness and the trembling in his voice causes some kind of warmth washing over the Rider, along with relief for the situation that has been solved. Sure, the ghost is still on the loose, but they can be more prepared for her return if it ever happens.

He slowly returns the hug, patting Everett's back as he burrows his face into the other man's shoulder. ]

It's over. I'm sorry for not fending her off properly, but it's over now.