middaeg | Quest 2 and catch-all [OPEN]

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Quest 2 and catch-all [OPEN]

Who: Cú Chulainn aka Caster and you
When: Quest prompts first half of the month, custom starters/wildcards can be for all of Deceuer
Where: Harbor for Quest
What: Quest 2 - The Tatto parlor in the making, and a Snow-In emergency
Warnings: none so far

I. Cleaning the place 1nd - 5th, 11th-15th

A)

[ The place Caster and Waver managed to rent is spacious, but unfortunately also very dirty. And in total disarray. It was once used as a tattoo salon, but as the original owner (named William) aged and found other hobbies it slowly turned into a mix of storage, game house... illegal distillery. The old man visits the shop occasional content to let the new generation clean it, sometimes striking a conversation with those who come to help. He was once a tattoo artist, you see, but then he went blind on the sea what a terrible story— ah, it's not like he can't see, the magically enhanced glasses are a godsend even if they did cost an arm and leg; but his hands turned shaky with age— ah, no, it's not a problem anymore, thank you, he got a Coven-made ointment for that they're steady now; as such continues the list of various stories and terrible injuries, that did not have the lasting dire consequences they should have, and if allowed to go long enough one might wonder, how many of them actually happened—

Cú doesn't let the old sailor torment people who came to help for (too) long though, so sooner or later you can expect a rescue. ]

The old man got some interesting stories to tell, just don't fall for his tricks or he won't ever stop making fun of you

B)

[ Have you brought items? Furniture? Or are you here to help with painting, cleaning, moving stuff (throwing it away)? Any help is welcome and appreciated. And of course paid, in money or services, however is prefered. Inside, in the main room, there is also prepared a refreshment place. Few (clean) chair. light snacks, hydrating drinks even citrus-scented towels— since it is rather hot inside and working out makes it only more so. ]

Get rest and something to eat whenever you need it. Worry not, it's all on house. [ Not getting a cut from the payment for being fed! ]

II. Paid in services, 3rd-5th evenings, 12th-15th

[ For those who decided to be paid in free services, that is a free enchanted tattoo, they are able to get it starting on the 3rd. Cú leaves that for evenings when most of the commotion is gone, and even people on the streets moved to nearby taverns. It's harbor though, wind carrying sea shanties and sounds of partying is never going to stop, even if it was late at night. ]

Have you decided what kind of spell do you want? And where. [ He gestures at an antiqued screen with paintings of colorful bird that looks so distinctly un-Aefenglomian it must be an import. The colors are faded, but it's in good condition. One of the accepted items from anonymous donor ] If on your back, there's a place to lie down behind the screen. Let me know when you're ready.

[ Very professional! Privacy is important. ]

III Snow in - Blackout; 6th-7th

[ When the blizzard starts, staying inside the soon-to-be parlor seems like a good idea. Then it intensifies and suddenly it's no longer it's being smart and staying inside. Suddenly it's being stuck. Caster proceeds on lockings the shutters on the windows, the last thing they need is one of the windows to give in. ]

If you want to go home, that's the last moment we could try. Where's your place, I'll walk you back. [ He grabs a blanket because yes this might be useful— and then the magitech lights flicker several times before giving out entirely. Caster curses under his breath. If the magitech light goes out, it means magitech heaters soon will follow. ] Well, shit.

IV Wildcard

｢ ooc: since it's also my catch-all for the month, you can hit me with whatever other kind of prompt (event or not, however you want) and I'll write you a starter. I'm open for plotting too, hit me whatever, plurk aetarna, PM or discord o7 ｣

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[ ... Was snapping a sloppy way of casting magic, with those obvious failures? Because the obvious result from all that was the lack of light, or anything else happening. ]

You ever hear that you're bad luck?

[ 'What magic' indeed. While Caster may go look for a candle at first, Judar's going closer to the windows and door, not having to get too close to realize that he was feeling the chill of the blizzard sinking into the in-progress parlor. ]

On one hand, glad I didn't take you up on those services. I'd be pissed if they suddenly failed. On the other... You got more blankets, or is it just that one?

[ How unlucky were they? ]

[ It's true, he does have bad luck, so he just growls at that reminder. But he also keeps pacing around. Taking a peek outside the window— the whole area had gone dark. Only few old lamps using conventional fire and conventional oil still work. There are sounds of commotion, but everything is muffled through the glass and falling snow. And he ain't opening those windows to check, no sir. ]

Judar. No magitech lights outside are working. I'm glad you believe my talent— [ To be unlucky ] —but it might be something else at work here. Or someone.

[ Not the first time when magic goes weird, but the first one it affects everything around so... absolutely. Are they being attacked? Is it some kind of field blocking it? ]

There are some more blankets and pillows in the next room. [ There are also some of the magic batteries there, so they could see if they work. ]

Not what I'm saying.

[ He's curious if this was a case of them both being so unlucky that something just happened. Obviously out of their control, but it's the fact that it happened more than anything else. The fault didn't matter.

It's certainly the kind of dark, but bright, that you expect in a blizzard... With the additional magic blackout enhancing things further. Obviously the residual heat wasn't going to disappear instantly, but being by the windows had you feel the way it was creeping in. ]

Further in'll be better, too.

[ To which he'll easily follow along, also nudging away some of the things that were being rearranged, or had fallen over in a nearby surface getting cleaned. ~~Look, after tripping over something on the way here, he's not letting it happen more.~~ ]

Could be some kind of flare, knocking things out. Could be a creature... I haven't really read up on any of those things to know better. I do know isolation magic, that nullifies all of this stuff, but it this doesn't... Feel as thorough.

[ Look, he can't explain how he can say that. Well, more accurately, he refuses to say how he knows about that. A lot of these buildings can have chattering in the walls, when the building is quiet enough. ]

It— feels more as if the connection is cut, rather than magic disappearing? [ Like, well, a bomb. Remove igniter there won't be a boom.

Judar has a good sense of aesthetic, even if he doesn't bring anything in, you can count on him to have good eye what of the offered things to keep (and where). Caster gets his hand on a wooly blanket and suddenly turns around to roll Judar into it. It's the warmest thing he got, even if it's probably a bit itchy.

This part of the shop has fewer windows, so there is barely any light. For Caster, it's just enough to make the general direction where the couch is so he can vaguely direct them that way. ]

They haven't taught us nothing about isolation magic yet, but we know it exists. If you got anything on it, please tell me. [ Suddenly he even got his manners back, wow! Is he considering the option that they are being attacked by Dorchacht? You bet he is. They raised a lot of stink there. And some of it could be personally traced to him. ]

[ So, is that how it feels for the guy? Things seem different, sure, but Judar didn't feel like a connection was cut still. Then again, it's not like he's even gotten a faun's kind of magic either, as far as he can determine. Still... He's felt empty before, sure, but not disconnected. Like, at all. ]

I'd say you should ask some other friends, maybe those dragons, but...

[ Their watches were more magitech, and thus unable to work right now. So he'll easily head over to the couch, letting Caster think he needed to direct them, also keeping mum about how his body temperature's been running hot since he's gotten to this world. No one needed to think too much about the awkwardness of breeding seasons...

So he'll go with the easier stuff, with isolation magic. While getting seated onto the couch for some comfort. ]

I don't have this world's equivalent of it known, but it'll probably sound pretty familiar. The field is determined with anchor points, where the spell's focused- You can't have it all in one piece, so you make each anchor it's own spell that's designed to link up and set the boundaries, but all together they nullify 'magic.' It keeps the energy where it belongs, and cancels the interaction and ability to pull it out for use. So no magic, but also no energy manipulation to enhance the body, and no use of magic tools or artifacts because activation requires the energy being released. Even I couldn't feel the world or do anything with the energy while in it. Destroy one of the anchors, you take out the defined border, but also what that anchor was targeting that helped with the entire shutdown.

What's going on here... Isn't what I know about isolation magic.

[ Caster listens and nods, even if it might or might not be seen. He did grimaces first, and even made a slighty annoyed sound. Probably because he realised just how many dragons he knew. ]

That sounds a lot like a similar concept I'm familiar with. Bounded Field that cancels Magecraft within, knew one Caster that liked to pull that on people. [ Applying runes in correct way could also give similar effect. ] Annoying to deal with when you're made of magic.

[ Fortunately it's not the case here ]

Guess we're back to flare- or someone that causes disruption, [ Cú finds a battery or two and trend continues. They're not emptied, just unavailable ] With how close to magic dragons are it's not a bad idea to consult them. [ A beat ] Which dragons you had on mind though?

[ Cú remembers Archer conversing with several people after they made the video post. He dozed off but he recalls voice that sounded like Judar.

But ah, he mentioned friends, plural. If he had to guess who could be the other one... ]

Yeah, it's a lot like that. Energy manipulation to enhance the body isn't really magecraft, but considered... A combat discipline? It'd keep summons from manifesting, too.

[ To link back to the similarities to this Bounded Field, with people being made of magic. Djinn wouldn't be accessible in those zones.

Ah, but which dragons. It almost seems obvious. Enough for Judar to gesture for Cu to return to the couch, as the cold started creeping in. ]

I mean, you made a post while cozying up to one not too long ago. Then that Kirin guy, who's similar to you and was helping out, is another.

[ Ciarán never went through any efforts to fix the pronunciation, and to Judar, it sounds about the same. Which is sort of what happens when your world and language is different enough. ]

I know there's some others- Don't know how many more you know, but you do know them. I'm pretty much a stranger to most people, being as new as I am.

[ With how scattered they are, most Mirrorbounds are stranger to each other, even the Dreams that connected them has stopped since Dorchacht. Guess that's what makes a lot of them keep around the refugees ]

Yeah, the first one is my Bonded— [ "Cozying up?" That's... a way to put it. Not wrong though, which is certainly a weird realization to have. Well, time for some more cozying up, since it's getting cold. Cú heeds the gesture and drops onto the couch, sneaking under the blankets. His own body temperature dropping back to that of a normal human, and here is the Faun that is so much warmer— ] The other— "Kirin" Really?

[ He chuckles at the pronunciation. It's easy to figure out who Judar is talking about, especially given the mentioned similarity. But now he also remembers creative ways his own name can be pronounced, it is a bit of tongue twister. ]

[ The faun's both considerably warmer and has acted as if he's been somewhat touch-starved since these traits have gotten more dramatic. Which was just in time for other things that make it hard to resist being up against people. Wanting to do more, sure, but as long as it wasn't the week of the full moon, he could control himself... Somewhat. ]

Am I saying it wrong? That's how it sounds.

[ He's not going to feel guilty about it or anything. If it was wrong, the dragon should've corrected him. At least, that's Judar's stance, as he shifts to be more against Cú and his chest with his head resting against the witch's shoulder.

Of course, that meant that Cú could feel the golden and spotted fur starting to come in, with its winter coat. It's short enough to barely be seen, but with the way this place worked, it'd probably come into better lengths when the moon hits. ]

He's sour and stubborn- though the stubborn's probably a common thing. He went off asking questions that he just got upset about. Glared as if he blamed me... Not my fault with the way this universe's rules work.

[ Cuddling for the warmth it is, Cú adjusts to make himself more available for sprawling on, his arms going around Judar's waist keeping him close. If this weird magic outage doesn't go away in a few minutes, they will have to brave the cold outside. ]

Ciarán Cú, that's the name I gave him.

[ It's Berserker's job to make sure people say his name right, so he's not going to guide through that. But while he might have chuckled at "Kirin", he can't join into making fun of the name— names are serious business. Doubly so when he's been involved in the naming process ]

Glaring menacingly is somewhat his hobby. [ The witch is in no position to shrug, but that's what he would do. ] Maybe he didn't like your answer, maybe he got bored. Don't mistake his apathy for patience.

[ Neither of them is a patient man. What kind of question could Judar ask to actually upset Ciarán, huh? ]

[ There's plenty of other things that Judar would rather do than brave the cold outside. Plenty, even if he now knows that it might trigger a jealous dragon at some point. (Not like he knows how those things go.) ]

No one's making that mistake. There's just something about the rules that a Mirrorbound's body has to follow, and how I said it, that he didn't like.

[ Nothing being held against the dragon, so much as a simple observation of how prickly the guy can be. But, as he was interpreting it, Judar seems to be used to the ways someone can be prickly. Of course it means that he knows it just shortened the guy's fuse, more than anything else. ]

[ How fortunate that no one is suggesting going outside just yet. It's dark, it's warm and it's comfortable ]

I can tell you that's a touchy subject to many of our kind. [ Uh huh. To say it lightly. Even his own wording becomes careful. But while Servants have their own circumstances, it's not like everyone else has it easier adapting to this place ] Probably to others too. That's usually how it is with imposed changes.

[ Warm, comfortable, and Judar was either nuzzling in, or shifting a little more because it's hard to resist some things. Which can't be surprising, if Cú's been around enough fauns. ]

Don't know why he pushed further into it, then... Your kind's all the people with those title names, yeah? Caster, Rider...

[ He's sure there's others. Might've even been able to name them, but it seems like the nuzzling was more for faun things, with the way his lips was brushing against the other guy's jaw and neck. Really, his display of control is that he's not doing more with this opportunity. ]

[ While he might have been around fauns, there's been only one he was around in that way... and that's Judar himself. Even though the details of that night are remembered through a dream-like haze... Still, he doesn't need more hints than that. Making a pleased hum as the soft lips trace his skin. ]

That's right, though I prefer Cú Chulainn—

[ It's said in a rather absentmindedly way. He runs his hand across Judar's back bringing him closer, one hand firmly, the other testing a teasing touch on the back of his neck. His musings mostly rambling to keep the silence at bay. ]

If we're alive, it's not like it needs to be kept a secret

[ Though with how close to Irish Gaelic the language in Aefenglom is, it means way more people might get the literal meaning behind their names. ]

Mm...

[ Judar isn't about to try that whole thing. With Cú, it's easy to have his attempt actually sound right. The rest... Well, it's an adjustment for pronunciations with a lot of things in this world. He'll get used to it, as he's been working on. Which was really the case for a lot of things.

And really, the hand running along has so many benefits. Not just to gain some heat from the faun's skin, but it's easy to get him a lot closer. Enough to shift and turn more onto Cú, with a leg over his lap. The teasing touch also tickles enough, with the fur as ridiculously short as it currently was; Someday it'll have a far more vivid reaction, but it has Judar bumping his nose purposefully into the culprit's jaw before tugging at the witch's earlobe.

But don't worry, if avoiding silence was the goal, he can help along with that. Even while instincts are having him climb all over the other guy. (Archer doesn't get jealous too easily, hopefully.) ]

Makes it a lot less confusing, with how many 'Caster's' there are here...

Damn you're right, like three at least— [ You know, he didn't pay attention to that, but... indeed it seems to be the most popular class. Using names makes even more sense, but that was the far more weighty decision behind it. And stuff.

But there are far more pressing matters right now to contemplate that. A faunful of matters on his lap to be exact. ]

Ahh, going for the weak spot already? [ His tone is teasing and playful, but it's because he's trying to play off a true statement as just a joke. ] Think this will make me warmer again, perhaps~

[ Judar is the one being warmer that's for sure. Cú's hand follows the patch of the fur, stroking it, but he puts his other hand on Judar's thigh, as if he needed any more encouragement. ]

[ Ah, so there weren't more surprise Casters out there. The other... Was the one that Cú is working with for the parlor, right? Eh, no matter right now. His focus and attention isn't towards anything like that right now. ]

Is it, now...?

[ He wasn't so sure that the lobe was such a weak spot, or if that really was a joke. It seemed to have a small effect during the mists, but with those wings, Cú seemed to have larger areas to focus and play with. Though if Cú was exploring to feel how the fur was developing, there was plenty more than just along the 'edges' of his silhouette. Under the shirt, the short, barely more than a stubble level of growth, was around to the back of the hips. Surely it'll lead to more faun-like traits, but that's most likely going to develop in a future moon. (Seems Cú will just have to make this a monthly thing to see what's new about the faun.)

But yes, while he doesn't need more encouragement, Judar will certainly take it. Even run with it as a further invitation to shift and straddle his way onto Cú's lap, fixing that hand to certainly go around, but leaving it up to the witch as to whether he'd like to go under the shirt, or for more of a grab. ]

Best way of keeping warm is to stay active, right? Just get what you need from me.

[ Fauns probably were the best companions for this kind of weather situation. ]

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Quest 2 and catch-all [OPEN]

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