[OPEN] you bring the marshmallows

[demonass]

Who: Nero & Open!
When: Throughout July Juril
Where: The Wilde (Dorchacht) and the Northern Outpost (and maybe other places)
What: Quests & shenanigans
Warnings: Violence because, well, DMC. Will update if necessary

𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓⓿①-𝖆: Don't Make Waves

[ The fact that there's not going to be a quick departure from Geardagas is starting to sink in. As much as he doesn't like it--and boy is that an understatement--Nero isn't the type of person to sit idly for any length of time. So while he doesn't exactly feel beholden to the Coven for it's hospitality, he does figure he can spend some of his time being useful. At least get a better feel for whatever the hell this "Cwyld" infection may be.

He has suspicions, but who the hell knows.

Of course, he ends up agreeing to go to a Cwyld-free zone only a little too late. Ah well. Just wrap this up quickly and move on to the next job, right? It's a couple days out of the city and to the lake proper, which would be fine by him if he were alone, but he has company. And casual chit-chat that that doesn't revolve around (supposedly) witty banter isn't his forte.

But he does start to speak up more when their destination is within reach. It's midday, but the forest provides some ample shade. ]

So...this Cwyld energy's supposed to be the main issue around here, right? If that's not here, then this could just be your run-of-the-mill camping trip gone wrong.

𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓⓿①-𝖇: Making Waves

[ It's been a spectacularly boring day. As nice as a little lakeside retreat would be under normal circumstances, it's not at all what any of them are looking for right now. And their lack of progress makes Nero grow more and more impatient as the day turns into night. Managing to catch some fish had been a small victory, yes, but it offered absolutely nothing to the circumstances around these disappearances.

Unless the fish ended up giving them food poisoning or something. Indigestion in the wilderness is never a fun experience.

That said, other than growing irritation, he's fine. That's what leads Nero to standing at the lake's edge, skipping rocks until they stop catching the light of the fire and he has to rely on moonlight and sound to track their movements. He's trying to beat his record of seventeen when one rock suddenly disappears with a plop after skip eleven.

Nero frowns, raising a brow as he bends down to pick up another flat stone. He tosses it out again and this time it suddenly stops at skip nine.

Then something on the lake begins to glow and it's definitely not moonlight. ]

...Are you seeing this?

𝕸𝖎𝖘𝖘𝖎𝖔𝖓⓿②: Branching Out

Weeding.

[ His flat tone is enough indication of about how exciting he finds that activity to be, but his unimpressed frown drives the point home. (While some may think that's just how his face looks most of the time, his frowns do have distinct differences, one just has to pay attention...and be willing to do so.)

Nero sucks in a sharp breath, lips forming a thin line. ]

We're here to do yard work?

[ Reaching behind him, he pulls the nearly man-sized sword off of his back and stabs the point into the ground beside him. ]

And I left my shears back in town. Guess we'll have to improvise.


[ OOC; Have questions or want to plot something in particular? You can PM this journal or add me on plurk at doggystyle ]

Comments

01b;

[shadowsthedawn]

[Riku doesn't sleep well when he's out on quests, too paranoid about the potential dangers that lurk outside the city's boundaries. Even being close to Dorchacht doesn't ease his nerves enough to allow him to rest.

Instead he takes a seat on the side of the lake, arms resting on his pulled up legs. He doesn't mind the presence of the other man skipping stones and watches idly as he tosses stone after stone.

Until the last one sinks suddenly, followed by an eerie glow coming from beneath the water. He raises to his feet, one hand grasping his Keyblade that he always keeps at his side.]

Yeah, I see it. You think it could be what we're looking for?

[Anything else he might have said is swallowed as the hard, glowing surface of a large shell breaks the surface of the water. Whatever it is, it's big.]

[demonass]

[ Given that he's not operating at full power ever since he fell through that damn mirror, Nero knows that he shouldn't be too excited at the prospect of finding their target. But he is. A decent job and hunt is exactly what he needs right now.

The glow dims and a few new ripples break out across the water's surface. Nero huffs, but he's smirking. ]

I sure as hell hope so.

[ Nero bends down, picking up another rock, before tossing it across the lake once again. Seven spots and the glow reappears. ]

It's been an elusive sonuvabitch for long enough.

[ One more rock, but this time? He doesn't skip it. ]

If it isn't, we'll take care of it either way.

[ He tosses the damn thing like a baseball right at the glow. ]

Don't be shy, come on and say "hello"!

[ It's not so much a "hello" as a strange gurgling noise as the creature draws closer. What breaks the surface of the water first is a hard shell, a large mound of uneven and jagged edges coated in a thick mucous. It breaks through the water like a bloated dorsal fin as it draws towards the shore. ]

Oh good. It looks sticky.

[shadowsthedawn]

[Riku tightens his grip on his Keyblade as the man continues throwing stones, attempting to draw the creature out.

He spares a split second thought towards waking up the others. It almost feels unfair to do this without them as everyone came here with the same goal.

But at the same time, there is a thing as having too many people underfoot, and he prefers to have as much room to operate as he can get, especially when it comes to using his magic.]

We never considered that it could be nocturnal.

[Mainly because you wouldn't normally think that time of day would influence an underwater creature. But then, why else would it only be showing itself now and not when everyone had been poking and prodding the lake earlier?

Once the creature breaches the surface of the water Riku quickly whispers the spell for fire and a handful of flame materializes in his free hand. It wouldn't do much to the creature in the water, but hopefully he can get a good hit as it emerges further.]

That does not sound good at all. Maybe try to avoid touching it.

[demonass]

[ He'll definitely worry about the "whys" of this situation later--why people are hanging out by the lake in the dark in the first place? (You know, other than these people here who were sent to take care of the issue.) Why they would stay put when the saw ripples and a giant fuck off thing like this show up? Why this creature is here in the first place?

Except "monster" seems to be a pretty common term and he'd say this one fits the bill better than anything he's seen in town.

As the creature draws out, glowing lines brighten between the different pieces of it's shell and along it's bumping skin, pulsating in rapid succession down it's flanks. ]

It's definitely putting on a helluva light show.

[ Maybe that's what was drawing people in? The faster it goes, it's almost dizzying.

But once it's finally out, Riku is lighting it up. Seems like a decent enough plan to him. He grabs his own sword, revving the engine that sits below the guard a few times until sparks start to shoot out of the exhaust pipes along the blade. Fire it is. ]

We sh--

[ The creature unexpectedly opens it's maw, stretching it far beyond whatever that weird snail head should be able to do. And out of it is a heavy stream of mucus aiming straight for them. ]

Shit!

[shadowsthedawn]

[The lights definitely have a bit of a hypnotic wonder to them that Riku can't help but stare at as the creature emerges further. In other circumstances he might have even thought the lights were beautiful. But those thoughts are quickly abandoned as the creature reveals more of itself to them.

Once the upper half of its body is above the water level Riku throws his modest sized fire ball towards the softer flesh below what he assumes is the creature's head. Unfortunately, the creature sees it coming and shifts to allow its hardened shell to take the blow. The fire bursts forth over the wet surface for several seconds before dying out.]

Looks like we'll need something bigger.

[Not to mention avoiding the shell, which is likely strong enough to defend against most things. He turns his attention to the man, waiting to hear his suggestion, only to witness the creature's maw stretching open wide.

That's not good.

And the mucus pouring out, definitely not good. Riku dodges to the side.]

Don't let it touch you!

2 - short tag is short i apologize

[darkcharge]

[ Honestly... The sight of Nero with the giant sword and sticking it into the ground is laughable. Especially since it is just... Weeding.

Vanitas looks at Nero a moment or two then bursts into a fit of laughter. ]

Vanitas don't laugh, he's SUper COOOL and EdgY

[demonass]

[ Okay, so...yeah, he knows that this is probably overkill for overkill, but--well, no buts. It absolutely is. Doesn't mean that he is particularly fond of being a joke that he didn't make. ]

What, you got a better idea?

[ He holds up his right arm and wiggles his mechanical fingers. ]

These ain't exactly a Swiss Army Knife.

oh he's something all right

[darkcharge]

I have a plethora of better ideas.

[ But that's fine. He's actually gotten a kick out of Nero's presentation so it's not a complete loss. ]

Like if you had a knife, I could make you a set of shears. But personally? I prefer this...

[ Such as walking up to one of those weeds and casting magic. This particular one? Well it makes the weed grow and grow... But then shrivel up and just die. Vanitas kind of sped up the growing process and the plant ran it's course within a few seconds. ]

[demonass]

[ Nero watches, admittedly a little curious at what his special trick is going to be--

--and then just straight up frowns. Yes, being able to literally suck the life out of the plant is kind of boss, but that is not the point! ]

That's great and all, but not everyone is up to speed on local hocus pocus.

2

[schwarzen]

[ Yes, the work is tedious, but Siegfried is of the mind that even the most menial jobs have some value. Especially right now, when literal value in the form of currency is needed. His partner seems less than enthused, but the presence of a sword tells him this should be a fairly quick job. Swordsmen (himself included) are surprisingly competent at manual labor like this.

Siegfried does have his issued shears, and his eyes widen when Nero reaches behind himself for his sword, but the idea actually gets him more interested in the job now. He gives a short laugh, setting down his shears on the ground and reaching to his back to pull out his own ridiculous sword. ]

That sounds like a fun idea. Shall we see who can cut down the most area first?

siegfried no, don't follow his example

[demonass]

[ Nero raises his brows when his partner pulls out an oversized sword of his own. Okay, he's gotta respect that. This is clearly the equivalent of two modified cars pulling up next to one another at a stop light and revving their engines.

The promise of competition seems to put Nero in a better mood almost immediately. Now that is way more fun that gardening. ]

You're on, pal.

[ He pulls the tip of his sword out of the ground only to drag a line right down the middle. ]

Start from the edges and first one to make it back to the middle line gets bragging rights.

[ To...whoever gives a crap about this. So basically just to the two of them. ]

he has to find some joy in his new depowered existence

[schwarzen]

[ This is hardly a fair fight, and Siegfried can sense it. Putting aside the fact that his magical abilities have been stripped (and he assumes any of Nero's have been too), they're out here in broad daylight. Daylight's been doing a number on Siegfried, enough that his speed and strength have been affected negatively.

Does that stop him from accepting? Not at all. ]

Very well. I will take the left. No matter the victor, the job gets done as quickly as possible, so I can't find any drawbacks.

[ Except for the fact that regular old shears would probably be more effective. Who cares? They've got nothing but time on their hands.

He walks over and positions himself at the edge of his half, sword poised and stance ready to move. ]

On your mark.

honestly that's a mood

[demonass]

[ Sure, no drawbacks. Get it done fast and then he can find something more worth his time than weed-whacking. ]

Two birds with one stone, yep.

[ This is really what happens when you let two sword-happy boys take things into their own hands.

Nero swings the sword up onto his shoulder, walking over to his end of the patch. ]

Get set...

[ He widens his stance, and... ]

Go!

[ And it's time to start going to town on these damn plants. Nero starts with a wild circular swing before several follow up slices in an equally showy manner. Just because he's taking down plants doesn't mean he won't do it with style. ]

2 this tag-in is really late and we can do something else if you'd prefer

[trost]

[ Weeding. An easy enough time. Only, Jean took the job on whim while passing through that part of town, and he doesn't have any of his gardening tools either. He's also forced to improvise, but the blade he has is lightweight, thin and flexible. A complete contrast to the showy blade Nero pulls out. This blade is a standard-issue, razor-sharp and built to weigh as little as possible. He feels like his sword is more practical, but somehow the difference in their sizes is an annoying point. ]

No way you actually fight with that. You'll be dead before you even get a swing in. [ It looks so heavy, bro ...... But it also looks cool so he's slightly jealous. ]

not late it all! and you brought starbucks

[demonass]

[ When you talk as big as Nero does you need to have an equally big sword to back up your claims. That's really all there is to it. He doesn't exactly hide the fact that he's checking his fellow gardener's weapon of choice either, but it's mostly just curiosity from one swordsman to another. Mostly.

The disbelief is a bit of an ego boost, he won't lie. He's still able to wield his sword, but his stamina has decreased considerably since arriving through that damned mirror. Hours spent swinging it around and slashing through demons for the lols are days of the past...at least for now.

Doesn't mean he can't show off a bit. ]

You think I'd lug around a dead weight?

[ Oof--that word. He flinches as soon as it leaves his mouth. Still a chip on his shoulder about being called that, but he shakes it off quickly. Instead, he yanks the sword out of the ground and spins for one flashy swing forward, successfully looping off...some of a plant.

He's mostly satisfied with that and swings the sword back up to balance on his shoulder before turning to the other man. ]

The Red Queen and me have been through a lot and she sure as hell isn't gonna let a few twigs stand in her way.

[trost]

Whatever works for you. [ As cool-looking as that blade appears (Jean is a young man after all, despite how old he looks and comes across), he's also certain that if he had a similar blade, he would most probably be titan food by now. It's not practical to be lugging around something that big and heavy, and he often needs to be lightweight and mobile with the kind of combat he does back home. Then again, Jean's brain was not wired to comprehend anime physics... ]

If I carried that thing around back home, I'd be titan food -- or get shot before the draw. [ His little blade, though unimpressive, is suited for what they have to do back home. He swings it across, slicing some of those reeds with its razor-like edge. ]

'Red Queen', huh? You come up with that yourself?

[demonass]

[ It's absolutely not practical for a lot of reasons, but he comes from a world that likes to heavily lean on style over substance with a hefty dose of inhuman strength, because that's really the only somewhat viable explanation.

He does have to cock his head to the side at the mention of becoming "titan food". ]

"Titan food"?

[ He's seen some titanic demons in his time, and, well...one of them did have a giant belly that it ate things with. (Yes, mouth in the belly. Remember that style over substance?) ]

Sure did. And she's got a sister.

[ And to show off how cool said sister is and what a cool guy he is, Nero snaps the Red Queen back onto his back and whips out an equally over-sized, double-barreled pistol and fires two bullets right at the reeds he'd sliced. Not at all practical, but you know.

Stylish. ]

Blue Rose. Designed her myself.

[ Yes, he is proud. He motions with the barrel towards Erin's blade. ]

Yours got a name?

hello i am here for some elemental ass-whoopin'

[sparkstrikes]

[When Lightning had heard about how bad the blizzards were north of the city, how bad they actually are was far understated. She had come equipped with the proper clothes—a jacket, some thick-soled boots, and her weapon—but none of that prepared her for the storm that waited when she journeyed out to find the elementals they'd been complaining about.

The sooner they get rid of them, the better. Except they're proving to be a more daunting foe than she expected. Anytime she tries to land a hit, her sword goes right through it, and besides the already blowing snowstorm, they wield ice magic, too!? As a Witch, not even she has a proper grasp on magic yet to counter them, so the only thing she has is... her.

That is, until she hears the crunching of snow and a silhouette of someone closing in on her, and she's hit with another bout of ice magic that she isn't quick enough to dodge. Over the wind, as she crouches low to the ground, she calls out—]

They finally send someone else out here to help?

[But there won't be long to give an answer because one of the elementals is coming his way!]

Watch out!

let's turn those ice cubes into shaved ice

[demonass]

[ Nero had just been in the area. Whether by luck or circumstance, his venture doing a bit of weeding had quickly devolved into fighting a friggin' blizzard. This time, however, there was no gaping-mouthed frog demon behind it. (He'd be able to smell that thing a mile away.) Whatever the hell had just turned up intensity was being a pain in the ass and also a cause for alarm.

"Elementals". Why does fighting against the actual forces of nature sound like a terrible idea?

When he makes it back to the outpost proper, he realizes he's late to the party. ]

Fashionably late, huh?

[ Self-narrating is important. The first wave is usually just the small fry, so why not hop in when it starts to get interesting? But Nero knows that it's probably best he doesn't waste time since it looks like it's just one person against an onslaught. So he marches right up, taking hold of the hilt of his sword--

--only to need to drop and roll at her warning, narrowly missing a rather chilly blast of a fine tunnel of wind and snow aimed right towards him. ]

Whew!

[ Nero rolls right back up onto his feet, heedless of the snow he's collected on his person in the process. He's not nearly as dressed for the cold as he should be--all his life it hasn't really affected him like most people, so why bother? (It's absolutely going to be a problem.) But he's in good spirits, all things considered. ]

Didn't figure I'd get a warm welcome.

[ Warm. Get it?

He reaches back again to pull his oversized sword off of his back and rolls his shoulders. ]

Looks like these guys are causin' a--

[ That's when he actually sees who it is. ]

--cake lady?

[ And that's also when he gets hit in the face with some snow. ]

yes good, I like the idea that they haven't even exchanged names yet

[sparkstrikes]

[He's awfully chummy for someone who doesn't look to be dressed for the weather. Lightning recognizes the voice first before she sees him through the thick fog of snow blowing past, and she's halfway through rolling her eyes when she sees him get pelted by some snow... right in the face... by an elemental. It's almost as satisfying as if she had picked up a snowball and thrown it at him herself!

For now, that's more than enough.]

Hey, Icing Guy.

[Ha ha. Hers is twofold. Isn't she clever. She thinks she is.

She snorts at her own joke and straightens, bringing her sword up over her head again to prepare herself for what she can see is another attack coming her way. It's hard to run in the snow, and even harder to run through it biting her cheeks, but she brings it down in an arc to break an ice spell, the blade coming inches from Nero as she skids to a stop next to him.]

No time for jokes. Things are gonna get... icy.

[Dicey. Get it?

Is she trying to one-up him?

this needs to stop.

Literally, though. One of the larger elementals is plodding through the snow towards them, imposing and like it's ready for a warm meal.]

they are ridiculous

[demonass]

[ What were the odds? Probably...at least somewhat decent considering these requests were going out to all of the mirrorbound who were willing to take up on the offer. And an even less amount who would decide to go head first into a snowstorm to fight elementals.

But how the hell was he supposed to know she'd be one of them?

So now he's got a very cold face and a cut on his brow from the ice, but it's decent luck considering the direct attack. Nero shakes his head and knocks off the rest of the snow by hand, grimacing, even if he does have to kind of appreciate the line. Kind of. ]

Didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon.

[ Yep, that's one mean looking sonuvabitch heading their way. Nero twists the handle to his sword, revving the engine that sits below the guard several times until sparks start to shoot out of the little exhaust pipes. Yeah, that's right--motorized sword. Because you gotta be extra.

And she's got a sword too. Surely it can do something really neat. ]

If things are getting icy, we're just gonna have to turn up the heat!

[ Oh yes, they're absolutely doing this. They're going all the way.

The snow is rough but that doesn't stop Nero from stomping forward in it to meet the elemental half way. And just when he's a couple of yards away, the elemental starts powering up it's own attack. That's when he revs his sword once more and swings and the blade glows with heat, slicing forward and cutting through the ice and snow, and lobbing off one of the elementals limbs in the same motion. ]

closed to karin

[demonass]

[ It's one thing to fight against demons who have an elemental predilection, it's another thing entirely to fight against the elements themselves. Even if he had been at full power it would have been one hell of an undertaking, but the matter of the fact he isn't. For all he'd wanted to just be human, he'd gone most of his life blissfully ignorant of the less noticeable benefits that demon blood had give him.

Such as his resilience to the cold. That he no longer retained. Which meant that his ill-fitting outfit for the dead of winter combined with several hours of combat against the literal elements has put him in something of a pickle.

Or rather, a sniffle.

It's still chilly as fuck but he's doing his best to look like he doesn't care. Which really doesn't work with how red his nose has gotten. Nero adjusts his jacket to pull it on a little tighter, the sleeve on his left hand actually rolled down to the wrist for once. Having no feeling in that right robotic hand of his is kind of a blessing, but where the metal meets flesh has gone numb.

Luckily it's not too far to the teleporter. Just gotta get back into town and he can pretend nothing is off. Nope. Totally fine.

Except he sees a group of three people step onto the platform and disappear right in front of him. He sighs, breath visible air. ]

Great. More waiting.

[ Granted, it won't be that long, but it's a smaller transport and can only handle a couple of people at a time. He taps the platform with the toe of his boot. ]

Just what I--

[ And cuts himself of with a sneeze. ]

--aacHOO!

[ Ugh.

Well, you know what they say about misery--it loves company. ]

[sonnestark]

[It took some doing to dress for the weather when all she actually owned were the clothes on her back and what little she had managed to scrape together in the days following her arrival, but learning that the season in the Wilde would always oppose that in the city made doing so an important investment, especially if she intended to continue taking jobs beyond the city walls. Helping out at the Northern Outpost had been a task in and of itself, but thankfully, she'd been prepared well enough for the elements.

Not everyone, it would appear, had been so lucky. She catches that sneeze of Nero's as she, too, approaches to wait her turn for the teleporter, arms folded in front of her as she comes to a stop beside him.]

How long have you been out here dressed like that?

[Her smile pulls to one side, teasing.]

I don't think that jacket would keep a stiff breeze out.

[demonass]

[ It's a bit of stubbornness combined with a lack of preparation and a greater lack of appreciating what it means to be "normal". Well, as normal as a guy growing scales on his back could be. He's felt the chill of winter before but it's never had such a bite. Even up on the mountains on one side of Fortuna, covered with snow most of the year, Nero never had any problems.

Now he just sounds and looks pathetic.

At least the person questioning his poor decisions is someone who's vowed to keep previous poor decisions in confidence. Nero looks over to Karin, a little surprised, but mostly sheepish. ]

Uh...

[ Whoops. There's nothing that's going to sound not-lame, here. ]

Not long...

[ Lies. ]

...But long enough, I guess.

[ He awkwardly rubs his reddened nose. ]

The storm kinda came out of nowhere.

[ They literally came to fight the storm, but whatever. He's trying to save face. ]

[sonnestark]

[Right. Not long. The red nose is very convincing.

She cants her head as she raises an eyebrow at him, questioning, and that smile of hers isn't going anywhere.]

You know, if I look closely, I can almost see your lips turning blue.

[It's really not much of an exaggeration, given how biting the cold is out here.]

The storm was out here before any of us were. You're not used to feeling the cold, are you?

[Look. She's taking a wild guess, but that seems like the simplest explanation.]