middaeg | open / if you want to spar we can do it no gloves

Entry tags:

food fantasy: steak

open / if you want to spar we can do it no gloves

Who: Steak and... you?
When: Throughout the month
Where: It's questing time, so all over the place
What: Quests! A bit of Diplomatea shenanigans, training, etc.
Warnings: Tentacles.

— counting sheep.
↪ open to one thread only!

[ The promise of a new mattress isn’t what draws Steak into this mission, but rather the simple curiosity of whether there exists an offering that offers sufficient space for both his arching horns and feet.

He’s sceptical, but willing to give it a go. It would be nice to have at least one bed where his feet don’t hang over the edge.

Which is how he comes to sit, cross legged, on an extra-large bed, listening to the explanations of the owner about the bed, a brow raised despite months of experience with Aefenglom’s particular brand of crazy. Dreamsharing. Why is this a product someone would want?

Well. Free extra-large mattress, he supposes. And so, he turns to the person nearest him, and asks; ]

Shall we sleep together?

[ Wording, Steak. ]

— river clean up.

[ This quest is something much more up Steak’s alley, and he doesn’t hesitate in wading into the river, tentacles eagerly, gladly sinking into the wet and cold, a pleasant shiver passing up his spine as the squid portions of his form embrace a more fitting home.

He spends the morning in the shallows, brushing through silt for pieces of rubbish, a murky cloud surrounding him as tentacles whirl through the water with enough speed to send flecks of water at anyone standing nearby.

But it’s alright because he’s picking up countless pieces of junk from the edges of the river, right? ]

— apiary adventures.

Bees?

[ Steak knows nothing about bees, honestly, despite the myriad of work he’s been contracted to do in his centuries on Tierra. But that doesn’t mean he can’t help out, he just needs to learn what to do.

And, um, try to get the protective equipment he picked up to agree with his horns. Which it doesn’t. Grunts and noises of discontent warn of the wrestling situation emerging between the fierce competitors of a well-built, half bull, half squid chimera, and… fabric. ]

Dammit—

[ He’s flailing blindly as he tries to yank the hood back off his horns, stumbling back a step as he pulls at it.

Hope you’re not in the way! ]

— diplomatea.

[ It isn’t common to see Steak in the front of the house unless it’s an event — or unless something needs shifting. Today, it’s the latter which drags him there, hauling a box filled with product to the counter, dropping it beside the till with a thud. ]

Oi— [ Other coworker, whoever you may be; ] Come help me put these away.

— practice.

[ The sight of Steak, in all his horned and tentacled glory, can be found in any spare space in the city with his sword, practicing his motions and swings with the fluid ease of someone who came into existence holding this exact item.

For once, perhaps, it’s easy to forget the usual hot-headed, overly loud persona that strikes forward from this man as he flows through his practice, calm and confident in each movement. His attention narrows to the arc of his swings and his immediate surroundings, uncaring of any eyes upon him until, eventually, he completes a set of furious, fierce swings which seem to achieve such speed and force that the air around them bends.

It isn’t the same here as it was on Tierra, but it’s still effective enough, and he exhales before turning around. ]

What is it?

— wildcard.

[ Want something else I didn’t offer? Feel free to make up your own starter (for a suggestion, check out his quests for the month!) or message me at isanghae#8071 or isanghae! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Enkidu lies flat on their stomach and looks at Steak. Truly they're in this for the mattress and the words the other speaks go way over their head.]

Very well. I will try to share a pleasant dream with you.

[They beckon the other to come a little closer.]

They seem rather keen on strangers sharing dreams with one another, not?

[ The only indication that Steak sees and understands that beckoning gesture is the glimpse of surprise which passes over his face.

He's quite alright on his half of the bed, thank you. ]

Tch. I'm sure they'd have some ridiculous reason why if you asked. [ It's not an easy thing to sleep with someone else in the same bed, the weight on the mattress unfamiliar and his natural inclination towards wariness has his eyes twitching open every time he tries to close them. ]

... Do you think it'll work?

[ This dream sharing business? ]

[ Saber has never been one to shy away from hard work, so helping to clean the river seems a worthy cause. She's out there in boots, wings and tail tucked in in a bid to avoid getting her feathers and fur waterlogged. She's been making steady progress, right up until she gets a little too close and she finds herself being pelted with drops of water. She eases back a step and adjusts her sunhat. ]

You're certainly... enthusiastic, Steak.

[ It's not a reproach, though. Maybe it's because he has tentacles? That seems an advantage, honestly. ]

[ He'll not be the first to admit that he probably doesn't keep his tentacles as moist as he should, though it's true. He doesn't have time to make sure they're always given what they need, and an excuse to sate both his skin's needs and do some good for the community may just be spurring him on a bit more.

That doesn't mean he doesn't notice Saber after he splashes her. ]

Ah— [ Maybe he is overdoing it, a touch. ] I thought I would get it done faster.

[ Which, to be fair, he is. Eight water-loving limbs are a boon here. ]

[ Saber offers one of her small smiles - she's still not one to have large, emotional gestures, after all - and waves a hand. She has her trousers rolled up past the knee as she wades through the shallow water, bending to pick up a bit of trash, one of her wings extending to provide a bit of shade for Steak as she does. ]

I think you're succeeding. Is your... type... native to the water?

[ Small-talk, but something she's genuinely interested in. ]

[ That's okay, Steak can be loud enough with emotions for the both of them. ]

Thank you— [ The shade is appreciated with a quick response as he plucks a few more pieces of rubbish from the bottom of the river with his tentacles, lifting them into the bag he holds. ]

The lower half is. [ One of the tentacles wriggles in the air, waving and splashing more water around as it does. He's grateful for a task which brings them to the water like this, truly. It benefits this half of his form in ways Steak doesn't often think about, preferring to simply charge ahead, living his life as though he was back on Tierra, without tentacles and oddly shaped horns. ] It's... more comfortable like this.

[ But he can't sit around in water all day most of the time, sorry, tentacles. ]

I can imagine it is, if it wants to be... ah... moisturized.

[ Her tail flicks, still held up above the water as she wades alongside him, bending to pick up another few pieces of garbage that she spots in the shallows. ]

I am relatively fortunate in that my own body simply doesn't care, beyond the typical needs of an animal body. That is - water and food.

[ She gives him a curious look. ]

Perhaps you should do so more often, if it will help your comfort. Is there a reason you don't? Too busy?

[ That's one way of putting it. As one of the pieces of rubbish she aims for begins to shift under the movements of their feet, Steak darts a tentacle out towards it, holding it still so she can grab it. ]

If I'm sitting in water, I can't fight. [ Unless monsters decide to start hanging around the river banks. ] I can't help anyone like that.

[ He takes baths, nice and indulgent ones, but only every so often. It's not very useful. ]

While that is true, you should also take care of your body. I'm... still figuring out how to deal with feathers myself.

[ She grimaces, wing flapping slightly as if to illustrate. ]

Cleaning them is a chore, but I'm managing. Although at times I need help...

[ She does snag the piece of rubbish he's paused for her. Thank you, Steak. ]

[ Look, he's already had to put so much work into learning how to take care of his new horn shape, now he has to take care of tentacles too??? ]

How do you clean them?

[ The only feather-type cleaning he's done is plucking dead birds, honestly. ]

Very carefully...

[ Saber sighs and pauses to pick up another piece of rubbish. ]

In a bathtub, honestly, but it always ends up feeling very cramped. The wings take up a lot of space...

[ Hm... ]

Have you ever thought about a small pool?

[ That would be buildable, right? Even here? And maybe one he could also be tossed into to keep his tentacles moist. ]

That is a possibility... I haven't thought much about it until now.

[ She cocks her head curiously. ]

Do you know of anyone who might be able to help in building one?

Red Wine would be willing to help.

[ It's very much in line with the kid of odd jobs they took on Tierra, and he's never known the bastard to turn down a lady.

A few more pieces of debris are yanked out of the water and then a tentacle catches on something.

Something bigger. ]

— Ngh!

[ The hell is that?! ]

Maybe we can-

[ She pauses and glances at him as he seems to find something larger than expected. She frowns and steps closer. ]

What is it?

[ She can't quite see through the water they're kicking up a bit of silt as they move, unfortunately. She reaches down to try and help. Many hands (er, tentacles) make light work? ]

I don't... know...

[ He's certainly trying to grab onto it now, feet digging into the silt to get better purchase as tentacles wrap around something which feels distinctly like...

cloth? ]

It feels like-

[ She grunts and puts her back into it. Something comes loose and she stumbles back, almost losing her balance as they haul what looks like a waterlogged carpet to the surface. Someone tossed this in here a long time back, probably. It's been underwater for a long time. ]

-a carpet?

[ It's hefty, enough that the force of their movement causes a small wave to batter the banks of the river, splashing them both as they struggle to maintain balance in the water. ]

... Ugh. [ It's gushing water more than dripping it, and Steak's face twists in irritation at the method of disposal of a carpet which, as far as he can see, looks completely fine but for the water. ] Why the hell would someone dump this here?

[ @ Humans, please learn what a tip is. ]

I've no idea. Maybe they just wanted to get rid of it?

[ She grunts as she puts her back into it and tries to lever it upright. It's a bulky object, made heavy and more unwieldy because of the amount of water that it's soaked up. Her wings flap for a moment as she takes a step forward, trying to maintain her balance. ]

It's certainly not helpful, though.

[ It's hefty, but more than anything, the sagging, soaked fabric is what makes it hard to keep his tentacles on. ]

Damn thing...

[ And now there's another question: ]

Is there anywhere to put it?

[ He cranes his neck, looking around for anything that might work as a place to deposit it as he asks. ]

We should drag it over to the shore, I think.

[ Saber grunts with exertion, half-supporting the waterlogged cloth. More than just heavy, it's awkward. She nods toward the shoreline and takes a step, ripples and splashes kicked up by her legs as she starts trying to drag it. ]

At least it will be out of the water...

Agreed.

[ Several tentacles, and both hands, grip onto the rug and help yank it back, steps slow and heavy as they move back. ]

Tch, these tentacles are at least useful here.

[ They're a nightmare sometimes — needing too much moisture and awkward to sleep around — but in tasks like this, they make a great deal of difference. ]

At least there's that... I don't think my wings are much use...

[ She manages a little laugh and then grunts as she heaves it a few more steps. ]

Almost there-

Can't... you get more force by flapping? [ Steak, you don't have wings, don't talk. Just yank the thing another step or two. ]

It doesn't quite work like that-

[ One more heave! And the carpet is hurled onto the bank. Saber pauses to catch her breath. Once again, she is reminded of just how much she misses being a Heroic Spirit. ]

Give me a moment.

[ Ugh, it's finally out. What a pain that was, and Steak stretches his arms above his head. ]

You alright? [ Some of the abilities he would have back on Tierra have long since become a thing of memory, but he was lucky enough to get a new type of strength from this form. The effort doesn't take as much of a toll as it could. ]

Yes, yes... I'll be fine.

[ She waves a hand. ]

Just - catching my breath a little. I used to be a Heroic Spirit...

[ Used to be... ]

This place took your abilities, too, then?

[ He knows he's lucky, in comparison to what a magic or a support Food Soul might have suffered, but damn he misses his flames. ]

Yes. It did.

[ She straightens and mops sweat from her bro. She's covered in river water and sweat, but she looks pleased with herself despite all of that. ]

I've been adjusting, though. It's... different. Even when I was human, I had more power than this. So... [ She shakes her head with a rueful little sigh. ]

It is what it is.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

open / if you want to spar we can do it no gloves

sleeping business

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River Clean Up

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i have... zero plans for what this is so if you wanna make something up, go for it!

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