middaeg | Noveuer Quests, Full Moon, & Catch-All [open]

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Noveuer Quests, Full Moon, & Catch-All [open]

Who: Berserker (Cú Chulainn Alter) and various
When: Throughout Noveuer
Where: Throughout the city
What: Quests and other things
Warnings: n/a

[ 1-A. It's rotten, so rotten here (Many Mans' Trash) ]

[ Tasking someone like Berserker to convince packrats to give up their old junk for Samuin is ... not a great idea. Sure, he's intimidating and willing to do the job -- his methods are just too direct for what may be a delicate task.

He walks stone-faced out of a particular problem house with a bagful of garbage with the source of the problem clinging to his ankle. "You can't take it away from me! That's all I have to remember Jane! She'll be back, I have to keep it to show her I waited!"

Seeing someone who may or may not be familiar, Berserker looks to them. ]

Do you want to help me with something?

[ That something being the now sobbing, desperate man trying to stop the dragon from dealing with his garbage. ]

[ 1-B. You gotta take the trash out (Many Mans' Trash pt. 2) ]

[ Alternatively, Berserker can be found later at night dumping the garbage left in the poorer districts of the city back in the aristocratic district. Petty? Yes. But he was told to clean up the streets, they didn't tell him not to take the garbage back to its source. He's careful not to leave it in front of any known mirrorbound homes, mostly because he assumes it didn't come from them.

If someone questions him or stops him, he simply shrugs. ]

I'm taking care of the trash. This is where it came from, isn't it?

[ 2. Running with monsters in shadow (Collectables) ]

[ Now here's something he's more familiar with and, to some extent, enjoys: hunting. Petalwolves are hardly a threat and are trivial for him to catch. They're still challenging to stalk, though, and that's what he's doing right now. As he makes his way through the underbrush, crouched low, he's not paying attention to anything other than his quarry.

Which is exactly why he barrels into the poor soul in front of him. To his credit, Berserker stops, but he doesn't offer a hand up on anything. He stares down at them instead. ]

Are you catching them, too?

[ 3. With the heart of a dragon we ride ]

[ It's late evening near a less populous area of the city, late enough that it's mostly deserted. Berserker can be found in a less familiar form: his full-sized dragon transformation. About the size of an elephant, he's not exactly the most inconspicuous thing around. His black scales glint crimson in the pale moonlight. Red scales beneath his eyes and along his chest and belly mimic his tattoos perfectly. He's recognizable to those that know him, at least, his horns, wings, and tail also a familiar shape. Unlike in Dorchacht, he's considerably calmer without the impact of feral instincts and a burning rage tearing at him. This means he's capable of talking!!

His head swivels around on his long neck as he hears someone approach. Though he doesn't speak immediately, he does cock his head to one side as if to ask "what are you doing here?" ]

[ 4. Wildcard ]

[ Did we plot something out already? Got an idea? Drop me a start or PM me here or on discord glitzkrieg#0673! ]

((OOC: I'm also willing to match format if you prefer prose over brackets!))

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[ Berserker's so used keeping people away from him that indulging in something as simple as gentle affection is a struggle. A nagging voice in the back of his mind that this is all a weakness has to be ignored. It's all ingrained protective measures -- this makes him vulnerable. If he didn't trust Geralt as well as he does, it would have been harder (if not impossible) to accept this kind of treatment. Wanting it is okay.

The way his touch lingers doesn't go unnoticed and he tilts his head into it more. Berserker's more than fine with him being handsy right now. ]

What I want... [ It still sounds so strange. His wants and desires never mattered before. Things are different now, but it's new. He may never get used to it. ] I wanted whatever you would give me...Maybe I want that now, too.

[ Probably not the best thing to think about while he's in this form. ]

[ What he wants is important to Geralt, because Geralt hates nothing more than inflicting anything that's unwanted, in this intimate way. It's too difficult for him to inspect why, so he doesn't, but it's there in him, a constant insistence. That Berserker remembers enough and isn't confused is a blessing; if he'd blanked entirely, Geralt doesn't know what he'd do. ]

Maybe, huh? [ It's surprising, because it's been so long since Geralt's been entangled with another man. But he's comfortable with Berserker - Ciarán - and he's grateful for what little experience he does have, lending him enough to let them fumble through things. ] Maybe I want to give that to you.

[ Now. It'll be good. And if he's so focused, it'll-- there won't--

Geralt feels it, the magic buildup snapping to the forefront instantly, linked to arousal as easily as anger, and he pushes himself up and stumbles back in a flash. Somewhat literally. As soon as he's clear, a malformed shield spell snaps around him and outward, a small implosion that leaves his ears ringing and one hand glowing. ]

Ah, fuck, really.

[ Oh.

Oh. That's bad.

Berserker jerks backwards, quick to get to his feet and shield himself with his wings. That could've been much, much worse...What on earth triggered it? His experience with witches going nuclear is limited to Caster and his refusal to seek a bond. It slowly dawns on him what the cause was.

... Well, that's unfortunate, isn't it?

His defensive posture relaxes as looks to Geralt with his head cocked to one side. ]

That'll have to wait until you get this under control, won't it? [ A shame. But... ] Even without that, I can still spend the rest of the night with you.

[ Berserker's quite used to denying himself and those urges, so it's no trouble for him. ]

Sorry, [ he grates out, shaking his hand and letting the energy bleed off, fizzing in the air around him, smell of charred ozone drifting by. His breath is short for a moment as the oxygen burns off before the atmosphere corrects almost immediately. Exploding on the dragon would have been incredibly bad.

(In this capacity, anyway. Womp womp.)

What an absolute bitch. Nothing like not being able to get off to make his irritability a hundred times worse. This is not what he meant by needing guidance and motivation, world.

Ugh.

Geralt heaves a sigh. ]

I gotta get out of the city, at least for tonight. I can't put anyone else in danger while I'm sorting my head out.

[ Well, that's fine. He can find other ways to spend his sleepless night. Really, he wishes he could offer some kind of relief to Geralt. How strange it is to have something resembling empathy now...Well, he does have at least one thing he can do for him. It's not much, but it's faster (and safer) than him just walking out of the city. ]

Let me take you out there.

[ This instinct to help each other is probably a good thing. Friends, like Berserker keeps correcting himself - but still, allies as well. There's nothing lesser, when you get down to it, about bonds (hah) forged that way. Learning each other in these quiet spaces between the ruined things feels a little like walks between bloody battles. ]

If you change back for a minute first, [ sounds like a dare, especially paired with a particular glint in the witcher's eye. ] I'll make it quick.

[ A brief smooch for the road. He promises not to explode directly on his face. ]

[ It's a little tiring to switch forms, but maybe that's exactly what he needs right now. Exhaust himself that way and maybe he'll be too tired to have the constant nightmares. Plus...that dare is tempting. ]

Fine.

[ And so he shifts back to his more familiar form. No longer a giant dragon but a pretty tall dragon man...still naked. Maybe that wasn't his best idea -- somehow he'd forgotten about the fact he'd be nude when he shifted back. Oh well. Berserker has zero shame and makes no attempt to cover himself. The biggest problem is how cold it is; the warming barrel helps some, at least. ]

Make it quick.

[ Sometimes it's fine to tell people no when their requests are absurd. Geralt's familiarity with shape-shifters is that they can use their abilities to create clothes, or the appearance of them. Well. Oops. His eyebrows raise, but they can have the 'just tell me to fuck off if I ask for something asinine' talk later.

Geralt steps over and reaches out to take Bersker's face in his hands - he just looks at him for a moment, searching, strangely intense with his own current instability. He's not sure what he needs to communicate but it's..

Something.

Whatever. He kisses him, hard and invading, warm body pressed to his. ]

[ He still has problems with boundaries, okay? That, and he wanted this contact right now, sudden nudity or not. The inconvenience of the cold is worth it.

Berserker meets his gaze, his own expression unreadable. There's a lot he wants to say, but it goes unsaid -- it's unnecessary. Words are pointless in the face of action. Even though he's expecting the kiss, it still catches him off-guard. He yields to it with soft hum, his lips parted to let Geralt take as much as he likes. Berserker wraps his arms around him to pull him into a warm embrace. Ah...He wants more than this, but knows he can't have it. It's fine -- he's not going to be the one to break the kiss, though. ]

[ Maybe they can work on boundaries, in time. Or maybe Geralt will let himself incinerate and take his chances with what's on the other side. Undecided.

What's vital right now is this kiss. Some strange grain in his head wanted to kiss him and have an answer, have a definitive feeling in his gut that would nudge him into the cold, dark. But that's not what happens. It's fine and normal and he likes it, and no lightning strikes him.

Not lightning. Geralt has to break it and step away, feeling a tell-tale spark inside him that threatens something unpleasant. He twitches his nose and a flicker like static electricity shimmers over him.

Good for that moment, though. ]

[ The loss of contact leaves him wanting it that much more. Soft touch is still a strange thing for him -- at least he's stopped flinching when someone touches him in a way not meant to cause pain. Reactions like that come from a lifetime of violence where any hand laid on him should cause pain.

Mm, not something to think about right now. Whatever Geralt was looking for in the kiss they shared wasn't found and that much was expected. It's fine. It's never that easy to get an answer for something like this. Berserker knows he'll come to a decision eventually. It will take time; either he'll die or he won't. At the very least, the dragon offered him an opportunity. There's nothing left to do but wait.

He makes more space between them before shifting back into his monstrous form. He's not any warmer, but at least he feels less exposed covered in scales. ]

Are you ready?

[ Sure is a REAL BUMMER when your instincts don't tell you to immediately commit passive suicide. What a world.

Geralt lets out a breath and makes sure he doesn't feel like he's about to do anything unfortunate. The cool temperatures help. ]

Yeah. Let's go.

[ It's a silent flight out past the city wall, at least on Berserker's part. Nothing more needs to be said, nothing more can be said. He'd made himself so painfully vulnerable before Geralt, laid bare every weakness that could be used against him and yet he doesn't fear betrayal. It was necessary and it's a sign of how deeply Berserker trusts him. How rare...

He lands just outside the bright wall and lowers himself down to the ground to let the witcher off. He wants to say something, anything to him, but the words don't come. The silence remains. ]

[ Quiet is fine. Good, even, because it means Geralt doesn't have to struggle against the mess in his head to try and come up with something that'll inevitably sound stupid anyway. Feet on the ground, he gives the dragon a bracing touch to his reptilian jaw.

Thanks.

He steps further away, into the dark, not wanting to give him reason to linger out where he's vulnerable. ]

Go get warm.

[ They'll see each other again or they won't, and that's just how it'll be. ]

[ Berserker leans into the touch for just a moment as a silent response. As Geralt steps into the darkness, he gives a final glance back to him. It might be the last time they see each other and, for once, that feeling bothers him. It bothers him a lot, but there's nothing more he can do or say. It's Geralt's choice to make and Berserker will do nothing to influence it.

He takes off into the sky without another world, his wing beats the last sounds he leaves with him. ]

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Noveuer Quests, Full Moon, & Catch-All [open]

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