[OPEN]

[bloodypath]

Who: Hubert and open; some close prompts
When: Throughout Juril
Where: Aefenglom, Dorchacht, Outpost, Underground
What: Open event and quest prompts + closed prompts
Warnings: added as needed

Juril 5th - The Eclipse

[Hubert normally avoided the Full Moons. That he would walk the streets in the dead of night, particularly as the unusual revelry set upon the city marked something as odd.]

[And not only that, but gone was his overly stuff and prim appearance. No cloak, no coat, no gloves, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and (gasp) the button of his collar undone. And if one looked closely, a little face peered warily out from his undone collar, skittishly observing the impromptu songs and laughter (and the occasion fight) of the Eclipse-drunk townfolk.]

[Hubert himself seemed relatively together, if... uncharacteristically relaxed as he bounces a small vial of glimmering powder in his palm, his other hand toting a small paper-wrapped parcel. And any time a citizen tried to engage with him, a piercing shriek soon followed as a small black scorpion seemed to land on their shoulder out of nowhere. Hubert only keeps walking as they flailed about, laughing to himself.]

Wonderous Things - Dorchacht - pre-midmonth event

[He's only here to do a job. Harvesting the Whispering Cloud reeds isn't hard. The Witch keeps to himself as the reeds talk, collecting them with a hand sickle, seemingly indifferent to their chatter.]

(I hear he's a killer. That one like scaring people. He doesn't want people to know he cares. Did you know that one put down his old man?)

[There's only one that makes Hubert stiffen suddenly.]

(Wait until you hear he's afraid of heights.)

Suspicious Activity - Aefenglom - pre-midmonth event

[He's tall. He's sinister. He wears entirely too much black. He skulks around at all times of night. And thanks to the scattered early thunderstorms, he's sporting a hooded cloak. If you want to mistake Hubert for one of the purity cultists, go ahead!]

Fire pixies - Aefenglom - 18th-22nd

[A cool, thick fog settles over patches of the residential areas at times.]

[It's only conjured, and still burns off quicker than it would otherwise, but it provides brief relief, buys more time for plants and fire-prone buildings, and some protection for daylight sensitive Monsters. And it makes the unwanted pests stand out like bright lanterns as their light catches on the mist.]

Deal with them quickly. It won't last long.

Comments

Edelgard

[bloodypath]

"Left flank!"

Hubert has to scream it over the sudden howl of the wind, and if it weren't for a vampire's sharper hearing, he would've doubted his success of warning Edelgard about the frost elemental re-materializing by her side. Hubert's shadow-born warhorse managed to fight through the snow more effective than he could on foot; even with that boon, the it couldn't trudge the distance in time to do anything about the persistent elemental.

Little spheres of flame hovered about Hubert and Edelgard both, an additional precaution to stay warm amid the unusually fierce blizzard. Two squat earth golems flanked him, each burning internally like coals, and one started melting a path through the drift towards the Emperor now that the smaller frost elementals were dealt with.

The freak blizzard was centered around the elder frost elemental. If they could just bring the damned thing down, the storm about the Ruins should subside...

[unyieldingmarch]

Edelgard didn't respond audibly. That was just going to get her hurt, if not killed. One didn't survive the number of violent confrontations they had by talking through them. Chatterboxes died, and she survived.

The frigid elemental shifted its arm to attack but Aymr was already buried in its midsection, the axe sweeping through to her left the instant she registered Hubert's warning. It buzzed, shimmered, beginning to spray out shards of ice that had her jumping back before she realized it was bleeding. Or, bleeding as much as these creatures ever do.

"Finish it if you can!"

[bloodypath]

Hubert forced his cold-numb hands to move, tracing shapes as quickly as they could. Fire evocation had too much snow to contend with, and acid would likely freeze; he settled for the quickest conjuration he could think of, raining half a dozen head-sized rocks on the elemental—solid salt blocks, actually.

Gravity granted them enough force to tear chunks off of the frost-being, one crystal taking off an arm entirely and another smashing clean through what would've been its chest.

[unyieldingmarch]

"Wonderful."

Edelgard whirls to cleave it in half once he hits it with the salt, thinking to herself about how clever her was at that. It falls to pieces beneath the two, and she whirls.

"Hubert, duck!"

[bloodypath]

He could scarcely hear or see Edelgard in the blizzard, but between what he could glean from both senses the message carries through—and just as Edelgard had reacted instantly to his warning, so does he without question.

He yanks the reins of his conjured beast down hard; the warhorse drops into a kneel so suddenly it might have broken a real horse's leg and Hubert throws himself as low against its neck as he could. The small burning rock golem still nearby whirls about to try and protect its summoner against the threat.

[unyieldingmarch]

She flicks out a dagger as he moves out of the way. A quick, sharp, impossibly strong throw that pegs another ice elemental hard enough to send it tumbling. Then she's leaping, vaulting clear of the snow and over Hubert and his horse.

"BEGONE!" she roars as she brings down her axe on the elemental, splitting it in half. With a savage sweep, she quarters the thing and whirls back to Hubert.

"Do you see more?"

[bloodypath]

He could, in fact, hardly see anything, half-blind in the blizzard he was. Hubert shakes the snow build-up from the back of his hood as his warhorse struggles back to its feet.

Before he could answer, still faced away, his magical senses feel that singular instant of materialization, and Hubert whirls around on his staggering horse with a shout of warning.

The fire golem, closer, gets there first, the stout little construct ramming into Edelgard's hip in an effort to shove her out of the way of an elemental's sweeping sickle-like arm.

Fire Pixie Burning Bright...

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin didn't really care for the idea of killing the little creatures, given that they could seemingly talk, even if no one could understand them. But she understood that they were causing far too many problems to be ignored, which was why she'd tagged along with Hubert. She had her yato in one hand, and an iron-ringed leather bag hanging off her shoulder.]

Nice trick.

[She said, her voice chipper, as the fog settled down around them. She might have complained that it made it hard to see, except, well, the pixies really did show up like fireflies against the wet air.]

[She brought her sword out in front of her and rested her hand on the flat of the blade, whispering a spell. A cool blue glow flowed out from her palm and down the metal, wreathing it in a shimmering blue aura that radiated cold.]

[She was grinning as she lifted it back up, watching some of the water droplets in the air freeze up and drop to the ground like short-lived hail as the blade touched the fog.]

Oblivious to their impending smite

[bloodypath]

We each have our strengths.

[Conjuration at times required indirect solutions, though that wasn't something Hubert minded. It suited his manner of operation well. He wasn't surprised that enchantment seemed just as suited to Corrin.]

[Hubert knelt and began drawing a magic circle, a faint purple line following the wake of his finger.]

You'll be mindful of the beetles' dying flames, I trust?

[betweenduskanddawn]

I have an idea about that.

[Corrin reassured him, even as she stepped out of where he was tracing his circle, her red eyes focused on one of the shimmering balls of light in the fog that indicated where one of the pixies was.]

[Suddenly she stepped forward and turned the blade in her hand swinging the flat of it to swat the pixie off of her mount. The little creature let out a startled shriek as it was knocked to the ground. And then Corrin turned and pressed the blade against the beetle. There was a shimmer of light as the enchantment on the sword grew brighter, and then ice swirled around the beetle, encasing it before it dropped to the ground with a clink.]

[Corrin immediately jumped back away from it when it did though. Hopefully it wouldn't explode when it was frozen but...]

[bloodypath]

[Hubert glanced up long enough to watch. The frozen beetle hissed for a second, followed by a cracking sound and a pff as it burst into a little steam cloud.]

[Still unwise to stand next to, perhaps, but far less dangerous, especially to the surroundings.]

[Hubert made an acknowledging noise as he turned his attention back to completing the circle. A push of magic lit it up—and in a flash an eagle made of darker mist soared out to circle over head.]

Preferable to the alternative. [A different gesture and murmured word cases the cobbles of the street to shift slightly and swallow the grounded pixie, which had been angrily cursing Corrin out—presumably, at least.]

Work quickly. This mist is more difficult to create in this heat, and I do not believe I'll manage many more of them today.

[The shadow-eagle over head swooped another bright spot in the mist, diving back towards Corrin with a distressed pixie in its talons, luring the beetle closer to the princess as it gave chase.]

[betweenduskanddawn]

[Corrin let out a relieved sigh when the beetle didn't burst into an ice grenade or anything. Steam she could deal with. She turned towards the pixie on the ground in time to watch it vanish into the stones and winced faintly.]

I was just going to put them in the bag.

[She said, indicating the leather bag she had over her shoulder. Corrin was such a softy, after all.]

[As the next beetle was driven towards her, she swatted it out of the air with her sword, again the burst of ice energy encasing the little creature, but this time knocking it far enough away that when it hissed into steam it wasn't a danger to anyone.]

[bloodypath]

[That earned Corrin a look. Exasperation pre-emptively rose in Hubert's chest, but he kept it in check and removed from his voice. For the moment.]

[The eagle, at least, starts gliding a lazy circle around Corrin, its captive still in its clutch.]

For what end?

[He'll give her the benefit of the doubt of an honest question.]

The Eclipse

[bravelyathome]

[...Hubert is being extra creepy it seems. From scorpion pranks and shrieks to his scary laugh. Of course, there's one who isn't scared. Partially because she's gotten past that and partially because...]

Dust!

[Okay, she's not feeling as energetic but she can whip it up just to bounce a little at his feet to try and see her rat friend.

...Priorities?]

[bloodypath]

[Dust is a very important priority, and a strange night like this might be the only time Hubert would agree out loud. Hubert smiles at the familiar squeal, a fondness floating in the Bond as he glances down at the Fae. Dust's head pokes out a fraction farther, but she still doesn't leave the safety of Hubert's collar.]

Ah, Bernadetta. Good evening. Let's find somewhere quieter; I doubt she'll come out to greet you in a crowd like this.

[He knew what those priorities exactly were.]

[bravelyathome]

[Bernie nods and follows after Hubert. Of course once they're away from any sort of noise her impulsive nature kicks in stronger and she flutters up to over her hands to the rat to climb onto her.]

It's safe now, Dust. We'll keep you safe here.

[bloodypath]

[The cautious little rat emerges a wary inch, looking and sniffing about before clamoring into the Fae's hands. Hubert chuckles, leaning against the wall of the quiet alley.]

Despite her adventurous nature, she's quite shy, is she not? [Hubert cants his head a little to the side.] It rather reminds me of you.

[bravelyathome]

[Giggling a little, she cradles the creature, gently stroking the rat's nose. Honestly the pair of them with this rat probably look pretty creepy. Yep, even Bernie.]

Me?

[That makes her look up at him, blinking her big purple eyes curiously.]

[bloodypath]

[People tend to look creepier once they look like an oversized bug.]

Do you disagree? I was under the impression you had quite the boundless curiosity about nature, when left to your own devices. It's around people that you become skittish.

after twelve years of internal debate over which prompt I come for some Wonderous Things

[foundfamilies]

[Leslie would have been fine going at it with a sickle, but the farmer in charge of the field took one look at a child significantly shorter than the average reed and assigned her to collecting reeds from other harvesters, raking out any plant matter that got mixed in with them, and bundle them with twine to be collected.]

[(She volunteered to also carry those bundles out of the field, but that was also vetoed.)]

[She isn't bothered by any of the rumours she hears when she passes near Hubert. It's mostly old news to her after living in the same house for months -- the mirror dream meant that she had even seen him kill his father.]

[But she just happens to also be coming to collect another set of reeds from him when she hears the only one that has shocked her -- that Hubert is afraid of anything. The reeds don't even have the courtesy to chatter anything he could use to change the subject as she stops next to the ones a row over from Hubert.]

(They say she's been marking her height on the wall in chalk every morning, and then she pushes her dresser in front of it.)

You're --

["-- afraid of something, too?" But she can see he stiffened at the whisper, so she pushes down her surprise and attempts to be comforting.]

It's okay, Marquis Vestra. Heights aren't nearly as common as fires. We don't even have windows on the second floor!

[Nailed it.]

[bloodypath]

[Bless Leslie for her efforts. Even if those efforts make the matter worse.]

[Hubert had expected that first word. You're afraid of heights? was nearly always the first thing echoed back at him from the privy few. A tiresome question, but a typical one. Her pivot... Well, despite Leslie's good intentions, Hubert couldn't help finding it a touch patronizing.]

[His hands start moving again, face carefully schooled, even if his grip on the sickle is too tight.]

The Imperial Palace is far grander than a mere two stories. I would make for a terrible Minister of the Imperial Household if I couldn't traverse beyond ground level.

[Trying his utmost to present as unbothered to Leslie turns out to be a futile mistake.]

(He's embarrassed,) and the reeds almost sound like they're giggling.]

[foundfamilies]

[Leslie would feel bad if she realized he found it patronizing when he’s the only one to really take her at her word that she shouldn’t be treated like a child.]

[But it may get worse before it gets better. Leslie doesn’t think there’s anything funny or embarrassing about Hubert being afraid of heights. She would have been equally surprised by any of the adults she respects having a fear like that as she realizes how she’s come to view those people as — not perfect, save for maybe a couple of cases, but certainly far, far stronger than herself.]

[Except the reeds’ suggestion is so unexpected in the face of the incredibly controlled Hubert that, with the sound of giggles already in the air, Leslie only barely is able to stop herself from bursting into her own giggles. She does very well at containing the sound, resulting in only a faster exhale than usual, but she’s betrayed by her instinct of slapping her hands over her mouth, making her near-laugh almost unmistakable.]

[As she lowers her hands, though, her tone and expression are concerned rather than amused.]

Is it that bad?

[Not even being able to be on a level too high off the ground even away from windows would be a very severe case, though she of all people would understand.]

[bloodypath]

Hardly.

[And the word's far more cutting than he normally used with Leslie. Hubert doesn't seem to notice. Nor did he outwardly react to her slip-up.]

I've been to the top of fortresses. I've stood on the Brightwall. I've sat on the palace's balconies. [Even if the Brightwall had been a challenge.] It does not impede me.

[Not with solid footing, anyway. Not with walls around. So long as the distance to the ground was obscured...]

[foundfamilies]

[Leslie's brow furrows as she thinks through what he and the whispering reeds said.]

If it doesn't impede you, why are you embarrassed?

[There's a visible moment of realization, but she doesn't seem to be happy about thinking she's figured it out.] ...Do you think it's embarrassing for people to be afraid of things?

["Do you think it's embarrassing that I'm afraid of fire?" That's really what she's asking. She wouldn't blame him for that. He still helped her with her fear, whatever his opinion on it. She would feel sad if he thought she was an embarrassment, though.]

[bloodypath]

[His brow furrows as Hubert works, his gaze entirely focused on cutting the reeds.]

Fear is a mechanic of survival. It is a logical response to danger and things that have done harm, including associations with such harm, and a deterrent to needlessly reckless action. Reasonable fear reactions are beneficial to survival, and enable the body to respond more swiftly and strongly in most situations.

[In other words, no. Hubert did so value the practical.]

It is when fear journeys into the irrational do I take issue with it. When it is absurd. When no harm has been done. [Maybe, if he'd fallen from a cliff or another great height as a child, Hubert would take another stance on it.]

(Don't you want to fly?)

[This time, he just growls under his breath.]