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Entry tags:
Iuneril Catch all
Who: Keith and YOU
When: Up through mid-June
Where: Aefenglom, the Wilde
What: Quest time: Berry Picking, Silent Forest, Outpost Progress
Warnings: Will add as necessary. some fighting, some inebriation
A. Berry Picking
B. Outpost Progress
C. Silent Forest
When: Up through mid-June
Where: Aefenglom, the Wilde
What: Quest time: Berry Picking, Silent Forest, Outpost Progress
Warnings: Will add as necessary. some fighting, some inebriation
A. Berry Picking
[So Iuneril is off to a great start. All the chaos from people unexpectedly bursting out of mirrors and reflective surfaces may have disappeared overnight ... and really, that's for the best. No more middle school rivals showing up in the bathroom, no more so-called allies stealing his cat. Except that it also means that Shiro's disappeared on him for the second time Keith has been here. Of course, it's not anyone's fault in particular, but it still puts Keith in a bit of a stormy mood. Hard not to feel like the universe is out to mess with him in particular.
...which is probably why it ought to be strange that iunerberry picking is actually cheering him up. Keith hadn't exactly signed up for this expecting to have a good time, just that cunes are cunes. As he straightens up to move onto the next cluster of bushes, he wobbles.]
Woah... [Grabbing onto the nearest person, he starts laughing.] Sorry, just lost my balance there for a second. You doing okay?
B. Outpost Progress
[And after that bit of embarrassing overshare, it's time to never show his face around the house again. At least for the next couple of days anyway. Keith is well packed for the excursion to the outpost, with a large bag of camping supplies and two swords strapped to his back. He hasn't been near the settlement in a while, and it has developed a good deal more than he remembers it last.
It's around dusk that he makes his way to one of the camp's fires that have been set up for the evening. Now that the sun is starting to make him a litttle letharigc, it's easier on him to do the night shift. Technically being a vampire, he doesn't need to eat normal food either, but he plops himself down by the fire where a cut of meat is being roasted over a spit. He turns to ask the person next to him a question.]
Anything interesting happen yet?
C. Silent Forest
[And since he's now fully committed himself to staying busy instead of dwelling on all of his problems, Keith has agreed to show up for body guard duty for the witches who are casting purifying magic.
Maybe a particularly touchy witch told him they don't need protection, or maybe he just got distracted by something seeming to move in the shadows between the twisted trunks and branches of the Cwyld infected trees -- one way or another, he's wandered off on his own. Keith squints, drawing his sword to push aside some rotting foliage that's frosted over. Breath visible as he exhales, he turns sharply at the sound of someone approaching.]
Oh. [He doesn't lower the sword yet, but he nods in greeting.] Hey.
[But maybe there's a time and place for proper introductions later because something is definitely out there and whatever it is is getting closer.]
eh we know what we wanna do anyway.
This seems like a safe spot. [ Which, honestly, is the truth right now. It's quiet and the immediate area doesn't appear to be infected, and who knows how much longer that will be true for? It's as good a place to take a break as they might ever find on this trek, really. ] We should take advantage of it.
[ Because nothing could possibly go wrong in such a quiet clearing, and it's a perfect time to rearrange said bags as he sits down, pulling things out to refold or replace them in the bag as necessary. ]
no subject
Right. [ He'll start unrolling his little sleeping bag and take a seat on top of it with his legs crossed.] We can take turns keeping watch.
[ Even if it does seem nice and quiet for now. He takes a deep breath. ] I'd take first shift, but I think I gotta rest or eat first.
[ And while he'd been sure to feed before leaving, a long trek will burn through a lot of energy. ]
no subject
Rest. I'm not tired yet. [ Keeping watch is boring, but it's a task. He won't doze off out of boredom if he has some sort of duty to complete. ]
no subject
[ He says like he's actually going to be able to sleep through those two hours. Keith's a light sleeper on a good day and being in a forest surrounded by the Cwyld and all of its Cwyld infected associates really does nothing to soothe his baseline vigilance.
Removing his jacket, he holds that up to use as a makeshift pillow and gets about as far as unzipping his lil sleeping bag and rolling onto his side with one eye closed before they're both rudely interrupted by the loud crack of a tree branch snapping off and hitting the ground just a few kilometers away followed by the sound of rustling feathers as birds fly off for safety.
Keith bolts upright. ]
You think that's gonna be a problem?
no subject
He doesn't like that noise.
No, wait. Not the branch which tumbles to the ground, but something under it. A click click click, like nails against wood. Tentacles coil tightly around Steak and his gaze drifts in the direction of the noises. ]
There's something there.
[ The next series of noises is yet more rustling, but it's too large, too loud to be the birds from before.
It sounds like something larger. ]
no subject
The secondary noises are absolutely more concerning, considering they don't seem to be stopping either.
So you know. This is going about as well as Keith thought it would. He takes a deep breath then turns back to Steak. ]
Right. I was hoping this wasn't gonna come up until after we reached the settlement up north, but if we're gonna have to fight something, I'm gonna have to ...
[ Uh, you know what. Forget putting words to this. Instead Keith is just gonna point at Steak's neck while also evading eye contact. This isn't awkward or anything. Really. ]
no subject
His hand is already at his sword (he cannot wait until he finds the little bastards who stole his other one, honestly, but that still seems out of reach) as Keith's finger is jabbed into the air and roughly at his neck.
Hu—
... Oh.
Somehow, he didn't expect to be asked this by anyone else but Red Wine, but hey, it's practical and necessary. ]
Sure. Come on.
[ May as well do it. It's better than Steak having to worry about a less-than-optimal battle partner. His head tilts as he speaks, leaving the arch of his neck visible to the night, and to Keith. ]
no subject
Oh...
[ Like he isn't the one that asked. But the continued rustling in the forest quickly snaps him right out of that. Turning his attention to Steak's neck, he breathes out, determined not to think about how weird this all is ... which means that's precisely what he's thinking about as he comes closer to his travel partner / buddy (?) and ugh yikes, he can't just do this without saying anything right?
Well instead of a nice "thank you, Steak" or whatever, he gets a mildly embarrassed and grumped: ]
Don't move.
[ Gingerly, he puts his hands on Steak's shoulder and leans in to bite his neck. Whatever thoughts he might have had about the weird goddamn intimacy surrounding feeding is then hilariously offset by the taste of the guy's blood.
Why is it familiar.
Why is it..... vaguely beefy. ]
no subject
Thank him by kicking ass once this is done, Keith.
There's a hiss as teeth break skin — it's no different to when Red Wine did it, sudden and sharp, and no less painful — and Steak stills, waiting out the moments of feeding with gritted teeth and red eyes focused on the direction of the sound.
Ugh... As long as he doesn't take too much of it, because those noises are unbearably close now. ]
no subject
The commotion in the trees bursts into the clearing in a flurry of feathers and sharp talons. A small group of two Cwyltid harpies, feral and discolored black and grey from infection, spread theri mottled wings and begin circling overhead.
Keith immediately pulls away from Steak, giving his mouth a quick wipe with the back of his hand. Eyes trained on the two above, he unsheathes a sword.]
YOu ever fight one of these before?