The Harsh Reality of Questing - catch'all

[futhark]

Who: Caster (Cú Chulainn), Alex Benedetto, Archer (Emiya), Oda Nobunaga, Diarmuid Ua Duibhne, princess Zelda whoever else wants?
When: second and third week of May
Where: Outer City, Haven, Coven
What: Wilde Quests #1-2, Full Moon meeting, some Coven lessons of various disaster levels
Warnings: Will be added if necessary

｢Note: prompts are added in comments, so let me know if you want anything in particular, wildcards also welcome ｣

Comments

for Alex - Wilde Quest #1 - Out of the City - Entertainment

[futhark]

[ The Bright Wall means safety, but it is also a cage. A self-imposed one, a necessary one, but still, that's what it is. The Coven lessons shine more light on the everyday problems of the residents, on everyday threat. But there comes a time that you have to see it, experience for yourself, especially if you're at risk of fighting it someday.

Or maybe it's just that safety is overrated?

Heading to the Outer City feels like a first step. Why these people live outside the walls, what awaits there? The view is... maybe even grimmer than Caster initially expected. The place for the lost but even here sun can shine sometimes. A hard life is still a life, and there is a place for a moment of laughter. Caster finds himself dragged into few games children on the streets play ]

This is the last one. Fine, fine if you win I'll tell you a story- Gimme a sec, I'm being outnumbered here, I need someone for my team too. [ He tilts his head, not trusting to be assigned one of the urchins to a team - they will play him, they are on the other side after all. Suddenly he notices a familiar face and within a few steps, he gets close to Alex and pokes her in the shoulder to get her attention ] I volunteer you for my team.

[ Boom ]

[sing_for_me]

[ Alex was helping with distributing food, an easy enough task. She actually felt a lot more comfortable out here, the setting of the outskirts much more similar to the streets of Ergastulum. While the Haven was nice, she felt a little out of place there. This time, she was actually able to contribute and help others out, a sense of fulfillment easing her into this new environment.

Monster things aside, maybe she could actually start anew here. That was still up for debate, but nothing crazy has happened yet. Maybe this time she could have a do over and keep to herself. No more surprises--

Until now. ]

..Team?

[ She looks him over. She knows this guy. ]

For what?

[ Wasn't volunteering supposed to come from the person themselves? ]>/small>

[futhark]

[ Not the first time Caster would completely ignore the definition of word "volunteer." All he does is a point with his thumb at a group of street urchins that are definitely not standing still ]

For a game of hide&seek. I can't accept any of them on my team, conflict of interest, see?

[ He got some other job to do! He can't say and play with kids for the whole day! ]

[sing_for_me]

[ She peers behind him to see the kids very eager to kick his ass and win their prize. ]

Uh-huh...

[ Now back to looking at him. ]

Alright, so which team would we be?

[ It was a little hard to say no to those faces, no matter how devious they may look right now. ]

[futhark]

[ Strangely enough, this both makes the kid happy and also keeps them safe, as they are under the supervision of adults while their parents/caretakers are busy with everyday duties. ]

The Seekers. [ That name sounds so proud. ] The ground rules are pretty simple. Count to 100, the kids hide. When we find someone, they have to follow us around, but here is the catch. If a found kid, notice another one in hiding, without Seeker noticing they are allowed to run away and hide again.

[ So it's basically the game of herding cats, featuring "hide and seek" as a mechanic. Yes, it is needlessly complicated, and it is absolutely designed to keep the Seeker losing forever. But no one ever said how many Seekers they can be, and Caster latched on that loophole. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ That sure sounds a lot in the kids' favor, but Alex didn't disagree. ]

Hmm, I see..so our captors can still help out their team mates, huh? We'll have to keep a close eye on them, then.

[ She squints her eyes suspiciously at the children, some of them giggling behind their hands. ]

Alright, I'm game.

[futhark]

[ The resounding "yeees" is followed by a reminder to count to 100 Loudly and Slowly without looking away from the nearby wall. Caster starts his count but around thirty or forty he winks at Alex and says ]

Your turn—? [ Pretty please? He gotta rest his voice for a second ]

[sing_for_me]

[ Her eyes are closed while he counts, but she does peek at him when he pauses. ]

Your eyes are supposed to stay closed.

[ Hide and seek rules are important! But she does continue the count until she gets to a hundred and turns around. ]

Ready or not, here we come!

[futhark]

[ Welp, he was caught. But then he was looking at her, not at the urchins... right? He does close his eyes according to the scolding and turns around only when he hears her finish ]

We're gonna get you! Prepare for being found!

[ He joins in announcing the end of the countdown, but when he speaks to Alex he lowers his voice and even covers his mouth with hand (so no one can overhear their strategy) ]

Even if we split we should stay in each other's view— when we gather more than two, that's when we start working closer together. What do you think?

[sing_for_me]

[ She leans in when he starts to whisper. ]

That sounds like a good idea. We can cover more ground, but we'd also be able to keep a better eye on them.

[ She gestures towards the side she'll start on before heading over, carefully scanning the area. ]

[futhark]

[ Unfortunately, the area for the game includes at least one heavily overgrown garden, with herb bushes rising high. The building seems abandoned too and makes for great hiding spot. Caster checks every barrel— ]

Ha! Got ya—! [ They turn out empty sadly. ] Or not

[ A movement catches his glance, on the edge of the garden, but it's a lot closer to Alex than to him. He tries to catch her attention with a long whistle, and should it work he will gesture widely in the direction of a berry bush. ]

[sing_for_me]

[ The whistle does the trick and she looks over to see him gesturing at the bust. She does see some rustling, and nods over at him before carefully heading over, pretending to be scanning the area. ]

Hmm..I wonder if they're oveeeerr...here!

[ She leans over the bush, only to surprise a chicken out of it, flapping towards her wildly. ]

Oh my god!

[ She falls back immediately, and the chicken lands on its feet, unimpressed and annoyed as it walks away.

Alex looks back at Caster, not having expected that, but the scene seems to have been witnessed by a few because there's the sound of giggles coming inside a wheelbarrow with a tarp over it. ]