middaeg | [ open ] Life is ten percent what you experience

[ open ] Life is ten percent what you experience

Who: Vanitas + Open
When: All Aguril
Where: Various
What: Open Quest Prompts + Closed Prompts | Hit me up at jardaan @ plurk

( Antler Fruit )

[ Granted Vanitas doesn't care what the fruit is going to be used for. He never cares when it comes to these sort of "fetch me this" or "fetch me that" sort of stuff. However what he does care about is the fact that there is a pretty price tag on the whole thing. That is what Van is interested it. That is what gets him to go out in the Wilde and track down one of those deer. Besides... He's never seen an animal able to grow fruit on their bodies, so he's interested.

Now one might think that he'll look for hoofprints or find signs that one had been close. That's what someone with any tracking skill would do right? Well not necessarily in Vanitas' case. Rather he has a trick up his sleeve that, while he is loathe to do it, he is going to employ. So when he goes out he finds a rather secluded area. He sets up some wards that should tell him if something or someone is approaching. The Flood has gone with him this time, serving as another pair of eyes.

Then Vanitas just sits down at the base of one of the trees. Curious way to try to get a deer, huh? ]

( Forget-Me-Nots: A )

I suppose I could always burn it. Or find a way to kill it.

[ Another one of those "please get this for me" type of ordeals. They always sound so simple at first, but it never is. Of course it couldn't be an easy task or else the people of this world wouldn't require aid now would they? For this, Vanitas has found a rather sizable amount of flowers. However with it comes a massive bush and he has no desire to get himself scratched up. ]

Would wards work?

[ To prevent scratching that is. Van wonders if there is some kind of spell that would prevent the nettles from doing this. Perhaps a ways to slide like how water does off of the feathers of ducks? ]

( Forget-Me-Nots: B )

When I get my hands on you...

[ Now here is a curious sight. Looks like Vanitas has come across some trouble while looking for those flower seeds. He's half in and half out of a den or a borough, snarling and digging. The Flood is just there on standy, watching for anyone passing through or any threats. ]

I'm going to make you into a belt!

[ Just what is he so furiously trying to get at? ]

( Worm Wrangling )

[ Now Van doesn't care much for the people of the Underground. He doesn't care too much for the natives in the city either. There is no trust there ( not even the Coven really, but they are useful so that's a different matter ) so why should he bother doing any of this to "help out." Well there are some benefits to it. Sometimes there is money involved and other times... Well other times are just like now.

He's managed to find some of those nomads down here in the tunnels. Van grins, almost feral as he steps into view. ]

Well well. What do we have here?

[ The group immediately looks up towards Vanitas. Two stay behind to keep the captured worms at bay while the rest start to approach the Witch, weapons slightly raised. They don't want to give up what they've managed to steal! Honestly Vanitas doesn't care, but it does make him laugh. ]

What? Can't we just get along? [ Now they are beginning to charge him in earnest! ] No?

[ Van's grin only grows wider as he pulls out his Keyblade and takes a ready stance. ]

Good.

( What's Missing: Available Only at the End of August )

[ It's hard for Vanitas not to immediately notice that his Bond with Sora has immediately dulled and become fuzzy. With how the Puca had been adamant about Van not trying to block their bond, there is no way that Sora himself would. In fact, Vanitas is certain that the other doesn't even know how to go about such things. That's why this puts Van on alert. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong and it is putting him on edge. Of course he is going to drop everything that he is doing to either find Sora or find out where he's gone.

And when it discovered that the Puca is missing? Taken by people with unknown motives? Vanitas sees red. He is livid and there is no way to calm him down. Who would DARE to think to take that which is his!?

That's why he's in the shadier part of the city, down where illegal parts and bits are being sold. Normally he wouldn't care. People are prone to doing what they are going to do and he has no interest in stopping them. However when it comes to Vanitas? Someone crossing him? Then all best are off. That's why he can be seen slamming shop keeper's heads onto their counter-tops. That's why he's picking people up and practically throwing them against walls. Anything to get answers about why someone would desire a Puca and where someone would go to get away.

Needless to say he's leaving quite a few distraught shopkeepers and customers in his wake. There's also quite a bit of property damage that he doesn't even remotely care about. So... Either stop him or help him out because there's no getting through to the Witch at this point. ]

( Wildcared )

[ Nothing above tickle your fancy? Then by all means either hit me up on plurk or at verthunder#9612 to work something out. Alternatively, just throw something at me and I will be more than happy to roll with what you've given me. Vanitas can always be found in the Wilde fighting off creatures or at a settlement providing some aid ( as training of course! ) ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Is it so hard to believe she might care a little bit about you, too, Vanitas?

But he does redirect her attention to the herd of wormipedes they're here to retrieve. There's still only a few nomads gathering around them - many of them looking nervous now as the defense force of their number are crumbling beneath the attack.

Humming to herself softly, she picks out one of the more frantic looking ones... and sends an arrow right at his feet.

He yelps, falling over onto his ass and scrambling back away from the arrow that had almost ended him. A few more start to back away, looking more inclined to run than stay and fight. That's fine. She'd prefer not to kill them if she can convince them to run instead. ]

On it.

[ When he had first arrived, he wouldn't have believed it at all. He would have laughed and tormented Yona for it. Mocked her too. Now it's a little different. While Van still can't wrap his head around why people would care at all, he knows that some are just built like that. He's not necessarily so nervous around it anymore.

It's good that she chases some of the nomads away. Better than they potentially get startled by her arrows and run off than Vanitas get hands on them. Oh he's leaving a rather messy trail in his wake and if he gets to those wormipedes before then? Well...

He puts up his Keyblade. Instead Vanitas opens his hands. Fire sparks to life then takes on shakes of purple and black. Dark fire. He grins, full of malice.

They better run. ]

[ She has no idea what he's doing but that... that's not normal fire. Is that his magic? What is it?

But she's not the only one distracted by it. The few remaining nomads guarding the wormipedes take one look at it and scatter back towards the dark tunnels they'd appeared from, leaving their bounty behind in favor of preserving their lives.

Yona keeps her bow at the ready, just in case. ]

Are you alright?

[ Well Vanitas does live with two Dark Knights and a periodic Ascian. Even his own magic back "home" contained a hint of his own Darkness in it. Why could he not figure out how to do the same here? Either way, his grin falters as the group decides that this is not worth holding onto those wormipedes.

As soon as they're gone, Vanitas scoffs. He cuts off his magic and starts walking towards the creatures they have been tasked to find. ]

Perfectly fine. I would have still have been fine even without the help.

[ Just throwing that out there. ]

[ She just rolls her eyes and starts picking her way down off the high ledge towards the clearing below. The rocks underfoot are a little unstable and she slides and skids a bit, sending pebbles clattering downwards before her as she wobbles for balance. ]

I'm sure you would have. Still, it was my pleasure to help.

[ Oh he Vanitas could just walk away at this point. He's done what he's come here to do after all, chase away the nomads and find the lost wormipedes. Yona could probably handle getting them back on her own without his assistance.

He still stands there, arms crossed as the would-be princess struggles a little getting down from where she had been camping out. ]

"Pleasure to help." Sometimes I wonder if you people listen to yourselves.

[ She makes it with a few more slippery skids and a hop down onto solid ground once more as she comes to a stop in front of him, arching an eyebrow at his comment. ]

What do you mean? It was my pleasure to help. To be fair, I'm grateful I didn't have to handle them all alone - I wasn't anticipating so many and would have been hard-pressed to rescue the creatures on my own.

[ Whether or not it was a pleasure to help is still probably a matter for debate where Vanitas is concerned. Again, he hadn't asked for help. Hadn't needed it. Yet he does wonder if this girl really could have handled all those nomads on her own. ]

Then my question is... Why did you come out here on your own? Of course these things are going to travel in groups.

I was tracking them. [ She answers him with a small shrug. ] There are others out here hunting, as well - I've passed at least three parties out here searching in the tunnels within the past half-hour.

I wasn't sure how many there would be, but finding them would have been the first step. If there were more than I could handle, I was going to send a message to one of the parties I'd passed and direct them here to help.

[ Tracking... Well that's not something Vanitas has too much experience with. Usually he just has his Unversed. He has always utilized them. ]

Tch. How would you have sent a message in the middle of a fight? There are so many ways this could have went wrong.

[ She cocks her head to the side a moment to eye him before a smile slowly starts to spread across her lips.

Without warning, a squirrel darts out of the shadows to scamper up his leg, his torso, and finally coming to a stop atop his shoulder. Where she promptly begins to squeak and gesture emphatically. Maybe in greeting, maybe in pointing. At the moment it's hard to tell, other than the small creature is clearly excited to be saying hello. ]

[ It's definitely not the strangest thing that Vanitas has seen. Don't most princesses have some sort of animal companion that they keep around? ~~This is what he gets for being quasi-Disney~~ Though that doesn't mean Vanitas is going to be nice to the thing or even really acknowledge its presence. ]

And why is there a rat on my shoulder?

Edited 2020-09-21 19:59 (UTC)

[ An acorn promptly thonks off his nose as the squirrl chitters at him in irritation.

Yona just laughs, amusement dancing in violet eyes. ]

This is Ao, she's my familiar. And a friend from home. She would have carried word for me.

Hey!

[ Vanitas rubs at his nose. Then he picks up the little squirrel and holds it out for Yona to take back. ]

It came with you, I take it?

She did.

[ She smiles as she reaches out a hand and Ao is quick to scramble over and climb to perch atop her head, still giving Vanitas a scolding look. ]

She was asked to watch over me by... a friend.

[ An Vanitas scowls at the critter right back. He isn't going to take any sass from a rodent after all. ]

A friend? That's pretty vague...

[ Ao is cradling another acorn, eyeing his face speculatively, as if debating on what to bombard next. She'll give you sass alright.

Yona lifts a hand to soothe against her fur and try to calm her back down, but her expression is a little wistful when he questions her answer. ]

His name is Shin-Ah. He's one of my guardians, and closest friends. He raised Ao - until we found each other, she'd been his only companion. He was outcast among his people, feared and rejected.

[ Bring it, little furball. Vanitas will toss you around any day. ]

Feared and rejected for what, exactly?

[ Not that Vanitas can't relate on some level, of course. ]

[ Instead, Ao decides to ignore him, turning instead to rub her face against Yona's cheek comfortingly. ]

They thought he was cursed.

[ Her voice is soft as she frowns, lifting a hand to absently rub against the top of the squirrel's head. ]

He carried... a bloodline, I suppose. A presence. They didn't understand who and what he was, they only feared how he was different. That he would bring misfortune on their clan, as those 'cursed' as he was had in the past.

[ Vanitas isn't going to stand around. He is going to start heading towards those worms. Part of the "mission" is to get them back where they belong. So Vanitas is going to work on that even as the conversation continues. He doesn't know what to do with himself when people are getting all serious.

After all his default, in the past ( and even towards people he can needle ), had always been to prey upon people and their weaknesses. Even though Vanitas still does, it's not something he always needs to do. ]

Can't say I'm surprised to hear it. People tend to lash out at that they don't understand.

They do.

[ She wishes that was something she could deny, but she'd seen it firsthand too many times to argue. ]

Fear can be a powerful motivator. But so can other things.

[ But since he's moving once more, she goes to follow, taking one last glance around their surroundings to make sure there's no more sign of the nomads left lurking.

And then she eyes the herd of wormipedes they'd come to rescue. ]

Are we supposed to just... herd them back to the city like cattle?

If you're going to say it's love and friendship, then please don't. I've had enough of that nonsense to last me a lifetime.

[ Though he does acknowledge these things as powerful motivators. He would be rather stupid after seeing what Sora has been able to accomplish.

Vanitas is going to move away from the topic though. They have more pressing matters to attend to. Like how to herd these things. ]

As for these guys, I have no idea. Never herded cattle before.

[ She laughs at his words, looking amused. ]

Those are also some - and possibly the most powerful of them, I think. But so is loyalty. Justice. Vengeance, as well, on the other side of that.

[ She hums as she stares up at the giant wormipedes, noting that they all have something like a harness or a bridle still looped over their heads. ]

Maybe we could take the rope the nomads were keeping them corralled with and loop it through their bridles? We might be able to just... I don't know, lead them back?

[ He still rolls his eyes. Loyalty. Justice. Ah huh... Still more positive things than the darker side of things. But he supposes that he should expect that too. So instead Van will focus on those worms instead. ]

Is it really that simple? Think they're smart enough to just come along with a tug?

[ She eyes the large creatures with a thoughtful look. ]

It's worth a try, isn't it? They are supposed to be domesticated, after all. If those of the Underground have trained them, maybe they'll be expecting that.

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wow where did this go

maybe a wormipede ate it