middaeg | Juril Catch-All

Entry tags:

Juril Catch-All

Who: Saori Nakagawa and you [open]
When: Throughout Juril
Where: All around Aefenglom and the Wilde
What: Catch all for Quests and non-event things
Warnings: None for now, but will update when necessary

A. Blink and Miss 'Em
[Honestly, she couldn't say no to kittens. Even if they were the mischievous type. Saori sits cross-legged on the floor and armed with one of those cat wands with a bundle of brightly colored feathers on a string. Several of the kittens watch the colored blur swing by only to swerve at the last second. The braver ones even attempt to pounce on it, which only got Saori to coo even more.

Little did she know, some of them take notice of her long scaly crocodile tail. They mewl loudly as they paw and try to make sense of this giant thing in front on them. The boldest one of the group, a ginger, manages to wiggle and climb itself on top of it. Only then did Saori looks over her shoulder to find herself trapped on both sides with kittens. Other kittens decided this is the time to teleport on top of the improv cat tower if not climb into her lap.]

C-can't move...

B. Runaways
[When Saori got word of the missing Chimera children, the first thing she did was visit one of the families. Perhaps they would talk more with another Chimera. After some pressing and grabbing some chairs, she manages to find one of the families. The mother, a bear and armadillo chimera, has her face buried in her apron in a poor attempt to quiet her sobbing while her kite harpy husband, could only place a hand on her shoulder to console her. ]

Thank you for meeting with me. I'm sorry all of you are dealing with this right now but I want to know a few things about the children before going out and find them.

C. Juril 5th: Lunar Eclipse
[Early in the night after dinner, Saori went into the garden of her shared home. She let herself shift into her monstrous form--a large red fox. Crocodile scutes run down her back and forelimbs. The top half of her tail resembled a crocodile's but kept the fluffy red and white fox tail on the bottom. While she was used to similar weather back home, she suspected her reptilian side was why she loathed the summer heat over the past few days.

With the sun down, she feels some energy coming back to her. Now all that she could think about is finding some water to relax in that wasn't her bathtub. She meanders around the side streets, trying to stay out of sight. Every so often, the chimera could be seen jumping as if to see what's on the opposite side of the wall. However, navigating in a new form is easier said than done, but she has to get some practice somehow, even if it means knocking a few items down accidentally with her tail. Whoops. ]

D. Crocodiles and High Heat Don't Mix
[After finishing the breakfast prep and cleanup, Saori decides it would be a waste to spend this day indoors. There is enough time to explore before preparing lunch and dinner. Besides, she needs to find an ideal place for her new income. Doing odd jobs for the city was great and all, but as the oldest among the housemates, she feels responsible with bringing in more income. Several hours of surveying later, Saori finally notices the time. Also when did it get so hot? ]

Oh crap, it's that time already? I better get ba--

[Saori stumbles and grasps the closest thing next to her to hold herself up. She shakes her head and quietly reassures herself that she's fine. Stupid heat.]

E. Wildcard
Got something else in mind? HMU via PM, Jackofantics#5433 on Discord or

kansaiphones]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ He had no stock in this. The pay was low, too low for what they're asking and even if they offered other things it wasn't anything particularly special. But there he is, silent and aloof as he studied the humble home of the hysterical parents.

He's barely said a word to Saori since they took the quest and he's been content to let her take the lead for the mean time. Even the link of their bond has been eerily quiet, emotions as still and cold as ice as if he'd shut her out completely, but anyone with half a brain could see that he's not himself.

Whatever was seething and roiling inside him manifested in small but significant ways. The impatient tapping of his finger whenever he crossed his arms, how he gazed towards the Wilde, how he rolled his palm over the pommel of his katana, but the most significant was the aura he carried. It was not a malicious aura but a foreboding looming grey that carried neither sadness or anger but something much heavier and infinitely more dangerous.

The question is, dangerous for who? ]

[The icy feedback from their Bond even chilled her despite the summer weather. She gently assures them that Bishop can be trusted despite the aura he gave off. Right now she focuses on getting some basic information the couple's missing daughter. She lets the mother take her time between sobs to answer. The husband would sometimes answer when she couldn't. Just as Saori starts to wrap up, the mother looks at her.]

T-tell me, do you have children?

I do. Twins, actually. They're a few years younger than your daughter. It's all the more reason I want to help you. Does she have a keepsake she'd always have with her?

[There's a twinge of sadness from her, as the mention of her children brings back a moment of homesickness.

The harpy steps away to the windowsill and returns with a stuffed bear covered in multicolored patches and missing a button eye. He nods to her, as if he guessed what her next question was and hands it to her. She gives a polite bow to them, bear in hand.]

Thank you. We'll be on our way now. Bishop-san?

[As the Bonded pair leave for the Wilde, the silence is heavy between them. Once she has the scent memorized, she places the bear back in her bag. She stays a few steps behind him, not out of fear, but as a precaution.]

...Bishop? I know it's obvious that you're not alright. If you don't want to talk about it, I understand and respect that. Just...please try not to show that to the girl when we find her.

[The drop in formality and the tone of concern from her voice was loud and clear. She's encountered aura like that before, but the fact she had no idea who it could be aimed at is what intimated her. ]

[ He remained aloof during the whole exchange and when she gestured to leave, he nodded and bowed to the couple before quickly exiting. His demeanor was still stone cold, posture relaxed, but a hand still rested on blade. He stopped briefly at the gate and watch the guards, looking back at the area for something specific, then leaving. ]

...

[ He was aware of the change in him but didn't realize he carried an aura on his shoulders. 'I still have much to learn' he thinks to himself as his posture relaxes and he turns his head to her with a smile on his face. ]

What are you talking about? I'm just a bit drowsy is all. Stella kept sleeping on my face last night and kept waking me up. Or trying to kill me, I dunno. Cats.

[ He says with a chuckle and a shrug, an expression clearly practiced and perfected. ]

...

[She raises an eyebrow at Bishop's sudden change in demeanor. Yeah, sure, cat-based sleep deprivation would result in the cold feedback of that scale from their Bond earlier. Bishop is lucky that right now the quest for find the missing chimera child is first.]

Her scent is still faint, but I'm sure I can still track her.

[Just because she changes the subject, doesn't mean she's going to forget this. The two make their way into a forested area. It's the perfect place for a child to try to test their bravery. ]

She's got her father's wings, so be sure to look up as well. They said she's still mastering flight, but if she's desperate enough she could reach up the higher branches.

[ His fib wasn't mean to be believable but it served it's purpose none the less. He nodded as she informed him of what she could gleam from the doll. ]

Wings, huh?

[ He remained as he was at the mention of wings then proceeded to share what he was able to gleam as well. ]

Well, at the very least, she's not alone out here. Look - [ He pointed to some mud leading off the natural trail. ] They covered their tracks, probably with a branch or something, but it's sloppy. You can still see outlines of their foot prints. Here and over there. [ He says nodding opposite to where he stood. ] Further more, one them looks like they have a heavy set tail. [ He says after kneeling and tapping his finger on a fairly large "S" shapped track with scratches on the dirt but the edges being moved over, like a snake wading through the mud. ]

I can't tell if that's a good or bad thing but we should start our search here. See if can find some fresh tracks, or determine which way they've gone.

[ She can understand why these kids ran away. Children can be rather cruel to each other after all. It made sense that the chimera children would be sticking with each other. ]

Since they're trying to hiding their tracks, seems like they're dead set on not being found right away. I do remember one of the missing children has reptilian traits. S-shaped tracks means probably a snake chimera.

[She crouches down at the partially covered tracks to get a better sense of them. There's still a scent, but it's growing fainter. Quietly, she follows both the tracks and scent but stops, raising her hand up.]

Shit. We may not the only ones looking for them.

[ He searched the side opposite her and following the winding snake trail, but he rushed as quickly as he could without destroying the prints when she called. ]

Judging by your tone, it's not just another Mirrorbound is it?

[ He adjusted the hold on his blade, from the pommel to right below the guard at the mouth of the scabbard, ready to draw and strike at a moments notice. More than his raised guard, the way he gripped the blade until his knuckles were white was more evidence of the internal turmoil inside him. ]

Can you tell what's stalking them?

[ Saori shakes her head as she brushes away some of the fallen leaves to reveal half an animal print in the mud and trampled moss. She side glances Bishop and sees him tensing up again, but says nothing as her nose can smell something else lingering.]

A boar, possibly an older male based on the size. There's something sickly to the scent as well. Isn't that a sign of an Infected? Shit. This way!

[ She makes a dash towards the northeast, following the prints and scents growing stronger. A minute later, her ears pick up the sound of loud crash and shrieks.

Bishop and Saori come across an area dense with trees. There's another loud crash. The black shape of a large boar snorts in frustration. Its white eyes focus on an old tree tilted on one side with some of its roots sticking out in the air. Up in the branches, the missing chimera girl and her friend, a boy coral snake and a leopard gecko chimera, cling to their branch.

So far, neither of them noticed the Bonded pair. Saori hides behind a tree and readies her short sword.]

The roots still look good, so the tree should hold up for a bit if we take out the boar fast enough. I hate to let the kids see us kill, but we don't have much options.

[ He wastes no time in running the moment she mentioned the scent, the sickly aroma catching on his nose as the closer they got to the source. The boar was large, larger than any he'd seen here before and it could even easily mow him down, but it was far from the largest he'd ever seen.

He had no fear as he stepped out of their hiding spot, raw unbridled and primal anger on his face and yet the bond between them remained silent. The only sign that he was still in some kind of control. He raised his as a azure wind gathered in his palm and shot out as quickly as it formed, zipping across the air and right into the boar's eye going it out. It squealed with anger and swung it's head over to Bishop who was already running away from the tree, prompting it to charge and chase him down. ]

GET THEM OUT OF THERE! I'LL LEAD THIS AWAY!

[ He bellowed as he ran, leaping up and over fallen trees and making good and proper use of free running skills as the boar just did as expected. Charge straight through everything and virtually obliterating it. ]

BISHOP! Wa-YOU BETTER STAY ALIVE!

[Splitting the party at a time like this is far from ideal. With a clenched fist, she reluctantly breaks eye contact from her partner to focus on the kids. Neither foxes or crocodiles are known to climb trees, but she manages to get to them. Her face stern and backed by the aura of intimidation but evaporates a second later..]

You two...are very lucky I can't scold you now.

[Without letting squeak a single word of protest, she picks the two tiny chimera children, carrying in each of her arms and makes a mad dash back towards gates. When she could finally see the clearing leading back to the gates, she placed them on the ground. She flags a guard to retrieve them.]

Have a medic make sure they're alright. Sorry, I need to go back.

[ She doesn't wait for the guard to respond and hightails back. Her heart pounds rapidly in her chest as she follows Bishop's scent. The silence between their bond terrified her even more. I need to get back there. That boar needs to die or Bishop might-- That train of thought is cut off by a rush of bloodlust.

The sound of a pair of running footsteps became four paws rushing through the forest brush. The infected boar pays no attention, as it focuses all of its energy hunting Bishop down. It goes in for another charge, but a red blur tackles it down. At first it looks like a fox but it's much longer and bigger. The top half of the tail resembled a crocodile's and the dark green scaly scutes run down its back. It snarls, snapping their teeth and goes for the boar's neck.

The boar snorts and shakes its attacker off, throwing the chimera towards a tree, but it turns to land on her fox feet on solid ground. Only then, a familiar voice speaks.]

Sorry for the wait.

[ The boar is heavily injured with burn marks and lacerations when Saori catches up and tackles the boar, but it's clearly not down for the count. Bishop was high above the tree opposite one she sent the boar flying towards, roughed up but whole. ]

Are the kids safe?

[ He asks while wiping some blood from his face. His nose is bleeding and he has a gash above his brow, while he held his left side right around his lowest ribs. ]

They're with the guards now. I'll give them a piece of my mind when we're done here.

[ Saori glances up at Bishop. The fact he's clutching his ribs like that is not a good sign. ]

Good gods, you look like hell. Can you still give me support?

[ There's not much time for chit chat, as the boar focuses on the chimera. It snorts in frustration and charges again. Saori crouches, looking at the infected beast straight in the eye, to only side jump to the right and swing around it to position herself behind the beast. Her crocodile teeth sink into the boar's hind leg with a sick cracking noise.

Instincts told her disabling the boar's charge is priority and there was a way to do it. With her jaws still around the leg and using all of her strength, she's able to yank the infected boar into the air by that leg and slam the entire beast down on the ground in a less elegant start of a death roll. Shrieks of pain follows the impact and ripping of flesh and broken bones as it thrashes to escape the jaws. The one good hind leg manages to kick her in the face and she lets go before she could finish it. The escape does come at a price however, as the boar struggles to stand up on three legs.]

Shit, no!

I've been through worse.

[ And this is true, a demon nearly ripped him in half after digging all ten pointed fingers into the sides of his body, but that's a story for another time.

When the the boar charges and Saori appropriately sinks into it's hind leg and into a death roll, Bishop takes this time to ready for his next attack. Two ribs are hurt, probably fractured if not out right broken from the goring of the boar, but it doesn't hurt to breath and that's good enough for him as he leaps off the branch.

He lunged forward before his bond was thrown off, closing the distance as the boar stood and drawing his blade to sever another leg clean off. The beast squealed as it toppled over thrashing wildly but pointlessly as Bishop reached into his coat pocket for a cloth to clean his sword. ]

...My side hurts and I can't taste. How were the kids? Did I ask that already?

[ He might be a little concussed. ]

[Well, encounters with demons would be something they have something in common. Except her first one ended up with her dying but she got better. That's definitely a story for another time. ]

Yeah... I think you got hit in the head. We better head back and get you treated.

[Even in its wounded state and bleeding heavily, rage burned through the battered beast's eyes. A loud squeal echoes among the trees as it swings its tusks at Bishop. Saori leaps in, using her body weight to push Bishop out of the way. She yelps as one of the tusks digs into her torso by her rear leg.]

Damn you, stay down already!

[Her jaws snap down on the boar's neck, which is too thick for her to bite all the way through. She can only shake her head in the hopes of breaking more bones and flesh. A few more seconds later, the boar is still and silent. The chimera lets go, spitting out the boar blood from her mouth, but hobbles towards Bishop.]

Yeah I'm really glad the kids weren't here for this.

SAORI!

[ He quickly scrambles to his feet but doesn't make a move to strike. Saori was in the way, hurt, and has a pretty good grip on the boar not ideal for swinging a sword. When the beast dies, the shade parts of it crumbled away, Bishop releases his breath and wastes no time moving towards Saori with two spells. A ball of water forming above his hand which he - ]

Bite into this and rinse your mouth then spit it out.

[ - instructs that while the other hand casts a healing spell to mend that leg. ]

Thanks for the save. You alright?

Yeah, I've been through worse.

[The chimera nods and follows his instructions. Her ears listen closely for any wheezing or any other noises coming from her partner to check the extent of his injuries. She sharply inhales as the healing starts and the exhaustion sets in. That fight could have been much worse, but she realized while this new form had power, she needed more work fighting in it. ]

T-thanks. It's not very deep, but nearly hit a bone there. And hey, don't forget about healing yourself too before we head back.

[Once the healing spell is done, she gingerly tests her leg. No pain or blood gushing out so far. ]

Damn it, I can't change back yet. I dropped my stuff when I transformed on the way here. Shouldn't be too hard to find though.

[ He gets to healing himself a few minutes after mending her, though that doesn't really help his head. He'll just have to walk that off. ]

Let's get going then. After we can check on the kids, and you can chew them out.

[ He stretches to check his side and starts to rub his head and checking for blood, which there was, and he goes right back to healing. ]

So....you have an alligator butt. Or is it a crocodile?

[ Tail. ]

Edited 2020-08-06 16:29 (UTC)

Yeah, we better walk them home as well. Besides, I have a plushie I need to re--

[ The chimera stopped in her tracks. Saori looked up at him with the best deadpan look she could muster with her fox face. Without a word, she hip checks her Bond partner but holds back on her strength so he doesn't go flying that far. She snickers before continuing to walk back.]

Tail. Crocodile tail, thank you very much.

[ She walks ahead of Bishop, and gets a hold of her dropped gear. It would be much safer to change back when they made it back to the city walls.]

...What? HNGGH!

[ He grunts as he stumbles just a bit from the hip check. ]

Okay, okay, tail. Yeesh.

[ He's concussed give him a break. ]

But since when could you be a...a....foxodile? Crocofox?

This was my second time changing. Last time was during the full moon. Stay there just a second. I don't want to alarm the guards in this form.

[Saori grabs the bundle of clothes and slinks off behind some trees. It takes a few minutes, but Saori reappears back as her usual self. She nods and walks back over to him.]

Thanks for waiting and for coming with me on this quest. Now, let's get you treated, and don't even try to pull any fast ones on me.

Yeah, yeah...

[ He took the respite to recuperate, deep breathing and a cat nap to settle himself. He's received a lot head trauma over the years and this one was hardly the worst so by his estimation, a hot meal and a good nights rest should be more than enough to heal him.

Not that Saori was going to let that fly apparently. ]

I'll be alright. This isn't the worst bump I ever got so some rest and plenty of fluids will fix me up. Besides, we need to bring those kids back to their parents. I'm sure they'd like nothing more than to chew them out in front of some mirrorbound folks.

[ Notably, his demeanor is much better now that they've rescued the kids, even the link between them isn't sealed shut. She might even be able to tell he's a bit pleased. ]

[Alphys looks over, then down at her lap, which is also full of kittens.]

I wish I could help you, but... [gestures to the pile of babies. Honestly, though, there are worse problems to have.]

Ah...Just how many of these kittens are there?

[POOF! Another kitten decides this was the time to teleport and land on her head. The ginger kitten carefully starts their attempt to climb up the giant scaly tail.]

It's alright, but now what? I would've thought they'd be all tired out by now!

[Alphys lets out a little squee when the kitten materializes on Saori's head.]

But if they fall asleep in my lap then I definitely won't be able to leave. Like, ever.

[It's illegal to move when there's a sleeping cat on you, after all.]

Same here...Though I never thought I'd be used as a living cat tower like this. You'd think they'd be afraid of my tail. Oh, I'm Saori, by the way. What's your name?

[Nope. The ginger kitten has no trouble at first climbing Mt. Chimera Mom. ]

Hmm I should see if my housemates are okay with fostering some of them. They should get used to living indoors first before getting adopted.

I'm Alphys! A-and I, uh, still live at the Coven. I wonder if they'd be okay if I adopted a teleporting cat...?

Hmm...I don't see why not? But it would be helpful to them if you let them know first? They might have a way to limit their teleporting range. The last thing anyone needs is these cuties to teleport and run away.

[As troublesome as the teleporting powers are, it wouldn't be right to deny them of it completely.]

O-oh yeah! I wouldn't want one of these poor little guys to get lost or something if they teleported too far away.

[A horrible thought occurs to her.]

W-what if they run away from here? How many were there when we came in?

[oh god she can't protect them]

[Saori quickly looked around, immediately counting the kittens. Thankfully, none of them escaped so she lets out a sigh of relief. ]

I think we should be okay for now. Some of them look pretty tuckered out. I bet teleporting takes a lot of energy to perform. Hopefully, they'll be given collars that can make tracking them easy.

[ The kitten attempting to climb up Saori misjudges his step and rolls down the crocodile tail like a scaly slide. Saori looks over her shoulder, but the little adventurer just shakes it off and tries again. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Juril Catch-All

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

A

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject