[ OPEN ] dog days are over

[tryhard]

Who: Waver Velvet & YOU!
When: throughout Aguril
Where: around Aefenglom, potentially some in the Wilde or the Underground
What: Waver has a no good, very bad, very awkward month. event, quests and shenanigans
Warnings: will add as needed


→ i. OPEN: Lùnasa, Aguril 1-3; poppin' parties, badly

→ ii. OPEN: Aguril 4-20; a horse corpse, of course; aka, the damsel in distress


Open and closed starters in the comments! Please let me know via PM or at gunsandchocolate if you want to plot something out or want me to set up a starter for you. Wildcards welcome!

Paragraph prose-style or brackets are both fine, so please feel free to tag in whatever style you prefer and I'll match you. :>

Comments

[tryhard]

[ Waver doesn't need to be told twice. The cabin is a far better idea than continuing to run around until he collapses-- which is probably going to be very soon, at this rate. His lungs feel like they're on fire, throat dry from panting, and he's not sure he can even feel his legs with the rush of adrenaline buzzing in his brain.

While the creature staggers under the effects of the sleep spell, which slows it even if it doesn't seem to actually knock it out, Waver throws open the cabin door and stumbles inside. He hangs on the doorframe a moment, staring outside anxiously and waiting for the archer Witch to catch up so they can barricade the door. ]

D-do you know any barrier spells? Strengthening magic?

[darkestbefore]

[ Yona is quick to dart after him, dashing inside the cabin and helping him slam the door closed to keep them protected inside, all while the monster out there still struggles to shake away the stupor her spells had left it in.

She leans against the door for a moment, catching her breath, even as he asks his next question.

Her thoughts scramble for a solution, wishing Caster was here to give her advice. Scrunching her eyes shut for a moment, she quickly skims over the runes and enchantments she does know, trying to see if there was anything close enough she could modify for a new purpose. ]

Not directly, not yet, but... I can try and reinforce it. Do you know any?

[ She casts a quick glance in his direction, still panting for air. ]

[tryhard]

[ The question startles Waver. He looks almost taken aback for a moment, a flicker of doubt crossing his mind that this is some sort of mean joke-- but that makes no sense at all in this situation. He shoves the thought aside. ]

K-kind of...

[ Waver steps forward to the door, pulling the dagger from his belt.

She'd asked if he knew a spell that could help. Maybe she's just thrown off by the beast outside and in the rush hadn't noticed, or hadn't gotten a good look at him to realize he's a Monster. But even if that's the most likely explanation, something about the earnestness of the question in the moment felt... validating. ]

I know the runes and the spell, but I can't actually channel the magic.

[ The knife leaves clumsy lines on the wood with an unpleasant scraping noise as Waver works quickly to etch a line of large runes across the door. His hands are shaking slightly, adrenaline still making his heart pound like drums in his head. ]

You'll need to activate it, but if this works properly, it should not only reinforce the door, but push back anyone who breaches it.

...we'll need to repeat it on the windows. And hope it can't break down the doors.

Come, help me.

[ Speaking quickly, still catching his breath as well, Waver walks her through the spell's activation. ]

DW ATE MY NOTIF IM SO SORRY

[darkestbefore]

[ She hadn't actually, but she does now as she glances over at him to hear his answer. Looking a little sheepish, she just nods.

But then her eyes brighten at his solution. ]

I can do that! I'm very familiar with working with runes and enchanting such spells. If you can show me the right one, I can channel enough magic into it to keep us secure in here until that thing loses interest.

[ ....she hopes it will lose interest, at any rate. Otherwise, they're going to have to wait for help to show up and who knows when that could be? ]

shakes fist at dw!! the betrayal..... :(

[tryhard]

Got it. That's good.

[ He's relieved to hear she knows what she's doing; it'll make easier and faster going as they both pitch in to fortify the doors and windows of the abandoned cabin. Even if he can't actually do any magic himself, with two sets of hands carving out the enchantments, they can work much quicker.

This proves fortuitous, as the beast has started pounding its hooves on the fortified door. Waver flinches, but is determined to wrap up the series of runs he's scratching into the window sill. ]

Last one!

[darkestbefore]

[ She focuses, just how Caster taught her, and pushes her magic into the carving, just as she had to each of the runes they'd placed around ever entrance or exit in this place. A solid warding that would enforce their makeshift barricade.

But she takes it a step further than just warding each of those places. She connects each of those runes, using magic to weave between them, letting them feed and strengthen each other, like links of a chain, until the magic that breathed them into being shimmers in the very air, almost making a bubble of energy around each window and door. There was strength in numbers and she lets that be true here as well, knowing that all the runes could help bolster any individual one under attack.

The magic cast, she releases her hold on the spell as it settles fully into the runes. Spent more than she realized, she huffs out a breath and bends over to brace her hands on her knees for a moment, trying to catch her breath. ]

There. it is done. That should hold for a long while.

[tryhard]

[ Together, they move quickly and efficiently. Waver is relieved; the Witch doesn't hesitate or question his ability to help, and they work easily off one another to ward the place as much as possible in only a few minutes.

Waver can't see the magic as he's used to, but he can still sense it in his own way in this world, and he knows the runes and techniques. He's impressed by her quick thinking, especially since she'd said she wasn't even very familiar with warding magic.

Most of all, though, he's glad they're safe and he finally has a chance to catch his breath. The sudden fading out of the adrenaline that had kept him going leaves him weak in the knees. ]

I hope so...

[ He sighs, leaning back against one of the walls and slowly sinking down into a crouch with his back against it, head falling forward into his folded arms over his knees. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ Seeing him slump down against the wall, she comes to crouch in front of him, her expression now turning concerned. The wards will hold for now - she might not be familiar with this particular magic, but this isn't the first string of enchantments she's connected to strengthen. In theory, she'd suspected it would work the same way. She's relieved her estimate had been right - all those theory lessons with Caster were helping her understanding of this branch of magic exceptionally.

But now that the immediate threat had been dealt with - or at least delayed - she turns her attention to her unknown companion. ]

Are you hurt?

[tryhard]

I... I don't think so.

[ He tries to steady his breathing, inhaling slowly, if still shakily. ]

Just... tired. I'm not used to running... that much.

[ Good thing he's actually been getting a lot more exercise by necessity in this world, on top of his Turnskin instincts and strength. He'd have been completely screwed otherwise. It's amazing he lasted that long on adrenaline alone. ]

Ughh, my ears ache from the cold. [ He whines, covering the soft little dog ears with his palms to press them down against his head. It's not much warmer in the cabin. ]

...thanks, by the way. For helping me. That was some impressive archery.

[darkestbefore]

You're welcome.

[ She notes the ears, her eyes drawn upward by his movement, so she quickly reaches for the scarf wrapped loosely about her neck. Unwinding it, she moves instead to drape it over his head, the knit wool still warmed from her own body heat. ]

Here, use this. It might help keep away some of the cold.

[ Which has her glancing over her shoulder next, searching the interior of the small abandoned cabin. ] ... We might be able to start a fire?

[tryhard]

[ Waver looks up, flinching slightly at the touch in surprise, but he doesn't pull away. He just blinks up at her, and if he wasn't already flushed from the cold, he'd be blushing. ]

Ah... th-thanks.

Yeah, that's a good idea. If there's anything to burn in here...

[ Even if she used magic to start it, it would take a lot of energy to keep it burning with no fuel. Even magic can't make something out of literally nothing. ]

[darkestbefore]

[ The interior of the cabin is sparse and mostly empty, only a few scattered pieces of furniture making it habitable, and most of them in rough shape. Although there's an old broken chair over by the far window, one of its legs cracked in half, leaving it lying haphazardly on its side.

She points to it with a questioning look on her face. ]

We could... break the chair more? It doesn't look like it's usable anymore.