( closed. ) the clock keeps ticking over

[defenses]

Who: vane (defenses) & company!
What: february catch-all! quests & misc. prompts
When: all through out the month of february
Where: olympia, wyver— everywhere.
Warning(s): nsfw prompts will be marked below!

[ ↓↓↓ individual starters below. ↓↓↓

if you want to plot anything out, hit me up by pm or on plurk @ cages ]

Comments

ＹＯＮＡ ↮ ＰＡＩＮＴ

[defenses]

[ if he had to be perfectly honest, with the somber undertones of olympia, he had been curious to how wyver was faring. what he doesn't expect, however, is how celebratory they are. how their mood, though laced with tension, seemed to be infinitely higher and brighter than he expects.

which, without context isn't entirely negative, no. but, it's difficult to parse whether ... it really was okay.

probably not. but, then he begins to wonder if it would have been the same were things reversed?

while vane has loosely come up with a half-hearted conclusion to this inquiry, he supposed complicated (or delicate) matters like these were probably better suited for some of the other knights. hence, he conveniently pockets the ideas for later. at least now, in addition to the others, he had lancelot to share these thoughts with. either way, it's the midst of these thoughts that he's aggressively asked to partake in their festivities.

well, it seemed rude to decline? so vane does his best to dive into it. though, admittedly it's hard when he's just been giving some paint? ] Body painting, huh? [ well, it seemed innocent. it's here that a familiar shade of red catches his eyes. ] Yona!? Great timing...!

[ or ... is it. ]

[cutefaced]

[She's in Wyver for similar reasons - curiosity, mainly. She likes both Olympia and Wyver (even if the humidity here is awful for her hair), so of course she took the opportunity to slip through the gates and check things out.

Being able to change her hair color while en route helped keep things on the down-low, but now that she's safely inside the city walls, she's gone back to her usual color.

Things are definitely a lot more festive here than they felt in Olympia. The people walk with a spring in their step, and the flames of the pyres seem almost inviting - though maybe that's because nobody has yet tried to get her to burn any of her belongings. Instead, she's been able to make it out to the fighting rings, where there are people doing much more than fighting.

Honestly? She's sort of impressed by the artistry here, even if it is a little strange to be applying the paint directly to someone's body. She watches, curious, as some people get to work - one man catches her attention and asks her if she wants to be a model for his next piece, and while she's trying to figure out how to decline, Vane calls her name.

With a sigh of relief, she hurries over to him.]

Vane! It's good to see you! [...then she spots the paint he's holding.] Oh, are you an artist too?

[defenses]

[ it's always reassuring to see a familiar face, and so his shoulders slump in a slightly more relaxed stance as he smiles at her. it's like all the tension in the air dissipates. at least for a little bit, and vane finds solace in that. or, he does until he remembers the paint and tools he's given. with a nervous laugh, he rubs the back of his neck, getting a bit of paint on himself in the process. oops. ] It's nice to see you too!

I'm glad you still seem energetic. [ he starts off, before... ] Ah, this? No, no. I'm not much of an artist, but since everyone's doing something, I thought it'd be rude to not at least try it out. [ which brings him to his next brilliant (or not so brilliant) idea. ]

Whaddya think? Want to help out? I'm not exactly sure how good it'd be if I painted myself.

[cutefaced]

[Painting, huh?

Yona thinks about it. It's probably going to be more fun to be a painter than the paintee - so if she goes along with this, she's going to have to convince him to let her be the artist. Just lying there while someone else paints designs onto you sounds pretty boring.]

Mm, okay! I'm glad to help. Between the two of us, we'll make a masterpiece!

[except yona has never even really painted on canvas, let alone a body. so, uh, good luck guys.]

[logpose]

what about me

[defenses]

ho wait for me

ＮＡＭＩ ↮ ＳＡＦＥ ＨＡＶＥＮ

[defenses]

[ times of strife are always ... hard to deal with, and vane has never really been one to delve deeply into political matters. it's why it's nice to know that there are those out there who do make this a focus for themselves, and who craft missions like these. while vane doesn't comprehend the deeper complexities or implications of the elaborate plans, if he can find a safe space for these people— that would be good enough.

it also helps that he's with nami, and well ... from what little he knows of her, he trusts she'd guide him correctly. besides, she seemed to have a pretty good head on her shoulders. but, more importantly, these crystals they were given? vane has zero experience with them (and he assumes it's the same for most considering it's a prototype). still... what could go wrong right? besides, vane is actually kind of excited to see what they do!

between the two colors, vane holds both out for nami. while they're already out, they're in a safe distance (debatably). at least enough to figure what to do with these. they were given the details, but well .. actually using them and all was probably different? maybe? all the same: ] Which one did you want?

... also, it's kinda funny, huh? This doesn't feel like it's the first time. [ they're on a mission together, he means.

it's honestly super reassuring! ]

[logpose]

[ She's not the heroic sort (being a ...criminal, in the life she had before), but this job sounds more in line with her ideals. She wants to earn money, but she doesn't have it in her to do something that could harm someone else. None of these people have wronged her, after all. That's why, when she heard about this job becoming available (and paying fairly well), Nami took it on, enlisting a reliable friend she's met so far.

As Vane holds out the crystals and speaks, she's barely listening to him, gawking at how beautiful they look instead. ] So pretty ... [ And they are magical, too? Something like this could go for a really good price.

Regarding the matter of which one she should take, though: ] What do you mean? Aren't they both for me?

[ Welp. Vane should have expected this. ]

[defenses]

[ it's a reaction he should have accounted for to a degree and yet, he still finds himself chuckling a little at her enthusiasm. ] You really like sparkly things like this, huh? [ it was the same in the vr, wasn't it? but, before he could lose focus, he's suddenly hit with her questions? ] But, I guess s—

[ at first, he's about to go along with it, until: ] Eh—!? I mean, I don't mind, but I thought they said we had to use one each? Besides, it'd be difficult to juggle so many things, right? [ or so vane says, but he can hardly remember how to use one. ]

Though, honestly... they both seem pretty complicated. I've never been much of a spells and magic item kinda guy.

ＣＡＩＮ ↮ ＰＬＡＹ

[defenses]

[ sometimes it's hard to adjust to the mood of the cities, he thinks. especially, with how different both appeared to be, and how little he actually understood about it. but, it's undeniable there were standards for both. areas where he was forced to "act." in this case, it's infinitely more ... literal, however. when he's thrusted with a new costume (a little dusty, too), he almost doesn't have time to react, before ...

he steps to the stage. well, this was awkward. soon after stepping to the center, he's ordered to vanquish another knight with a sword, and seeing the guy that roped him into this on the sidelines giving him cues, well, he does so and makes p. quick work of it.. but, man .... do these swords feel real??

it's from here that he subtly attempts to to eyeball parts of the script from his sleeve. so it says the knight he just knocked out was ... holding someone captive. interesting. he reads quickly before, turning to his cast mate, who despite their present state of dress, looks oddly...

familiar?! vane nearly yells out his name, but just barely holds it back... what was the line? unrolling his sleeve, he takes a quick glance back at it. ah, ... that's right. ] M'lady? Are you un... harmed? [ does he sound wildly unsure? it's because he is. ]

[baguablade]

[ Cain, dressed in the best princess finery that this quality production can afford — which is to say, the dress only has three patches — is set up in a rickety wooden cart that's supposed to be a tower. There's at least a wooden frame nailed up that's serving as a window, and it's out of this that Cain leans, beaming at Vane, waving a handkerchief at him in a way that the audience luckily takes as fervent relief at his rescue rather than the hilarity at the whole situation that Cain's feeling. ]

Oh, brave knight, thanks to you, I'm as radiant as the dawn!

[ Unlike Vane, Cain's having a ball. He's not even looking at his script. Was that line even what he's supposed to say?? ]

[defenses]

[ as always, it seems like cain doesn't really sweat the small stuff, and while that should concern him— it's also kind of relieving. actually, if cain was forced into it, well... quite frankly, it's hard to tell. which gets a small initial look of shock and then a small hint of laughter. something he tries to hide behind a small smile. ] That's great. [ he means that in a lot of ways. not just because he thinks it's his line.

still, he supposes if he's meant to act, it's always reassuring to have a familiar face on stage. besides, cain has had his back on more occasions than one and the concept fuels him as he holds a hand out from the bottom of the "tower."

he coughs meaningfully. once, twice, then— ]

Your safety is my number one concern. Now, please... jump ... into my arms!?! [ eh??? was he supposed to catch him??

from here?? it's not impossible, no, but would cain actually jump? ]

[baguablade]

[ Cain's pretty sure that the damsel in distress leaping from the tower isn't actually in the script, but, well... it would make a pretty exciting sight, right? And it's Vane down there, someone Cain trusts with his life. Surely he can trust Vane to catch him from such a relatively minor height. Or, at least, he can trust Vane's beefy arms...

That decides it. Cain drops the script, hikes up his skirts, and climbs, one foot on the sill of the window.

He calls out to Vane, a moment's warning— ]

Brave knight, I can't stand to be parted from you a moment longer! I come, anon!

[ —And promptly vaults right out the window, trusting that Vane, waiting below, won't actually drop him. Come on, Vane's got this right? He's not going to let Cain down now, right? He's not about to choke, right? ]

ＲＥＤ ↮ ＰＬＡＹＩＮＧ ＰＲＥＡＣＨＥＲ

[defenses]

[ being under the guise of something he isn't... has never been vane's forte. perhaps, it could be said that he was hopelessly honest. sometimes even reckless in his pursuits; always defaulting to being as straightforward and direct as possible. if anything, it's something that's been ingrained in him. after all, he's normally left the complex decision-making to others that he trusted. but, it seems like here, he doesn't always have that leisure.

but, still, he decides to do his best.

besides, there was someone with him who he could trust. he doesn't actually know a lot about her, but his impression of her has been positive so far, and somehow... he gets the gut feeling like he could put all his faith into her, and so he does. he didn't think twice when he leaves his back to her. or in this case, sneaks into the altar of volkkra. honestly, this whole place was sort of dark and weird for him, but he supposes a mission was a mission.

they're hidden behind a wall, crouched down, and it's here vane tilts his head in the direction of two shamans. whispering (or doing his best to keep an indoor voice)— ] What about those two? Is it time to get to work? [ somehow, vane is ... excited about this. stealing shaman robes. who knew...

but well... it's been a while since he got to really stretch his legs. or so he says, but in reality, he's just restless. sorry red. ]

[persistor]

[ Some part of her misses he power she held.

Even if it was for a brief moment. The point is that she held it, it was her's, regardless of whether or not it was supposed to be. It gave her a chance against the end of her world, gave her the means to be triumphant. And while the prospect of a singer saving an entire city is surreal and almost terrifying, some part of her relished it.

But the Transistor, while her's still, is with better hands. More capable hands, in time. She has utmost faith, but it doesn't mean that she misses it. Relishes the few chances she's had with it.

Unfortunately, she doesn't have her giant, glowing, USB sword on her. It's just her, and the guy who accidentally took out a thug and had a smile that practically radiated off of him. Surely, it will be fine. They managed to get in and no one's caught them yet, either.

And the two shamans are just standing there, like sitting ducks. Red's head peeks out into the hall once more, checking their backs are turned. Nods in confirmation at the question, hand carrying a book they swiped from some table.

Which she slides across the ground, quickly coming into view of their targets. It hits the wall with a dull thud, which seems to cut off their conversation. Footsteps approach, closer, closer, closer...

Red presses her back against the wall, waiting for them to come in view ( she believes in you, Vane. Surely you can't screw this up. ) ]

[defenses]

[ there's a degree of restlessness to his movements as he waits for a proper time. while others were better at biding their time and creating an swift, yet effective plan— vane was more into simple action. so it helps that red always seems to have a plan.

for example, with the book.

honestly, vane was thinking it was for throwing or hitting them over the head with? so there's a small smile that slips across his lips. a small, but quiet: "so that's how you use it" escaping his lips briefly. honestly, if he was going to take action, he probably would have joined along in the convo before having to engage in a fight...

so this helps. a lot. though, now... he realizes now he hasn't swiped a really good weapon and it's here that he scrambles to pick up the closest stick-like object (in this case, a long rack holding candles) and he uses it to quickly trip both the guards up, before a small: ] Sorry! [ he quickly uses one edge of his makeshift weapon to firmly hit one of the shamans over the head. it's a quick k.o. then the next. only, woah—!?!

was the edge of his robe touching the flame? vane does his best to quickly extinguish it with his foot, before giving red an uneasy smile. ] That was easy? What do you think? [ he's doing his best to whisper, but whispering has never been his best skill. ]

god i'm so late beej, i'm sorry

[persistor]

[ In theory, she's got decent plans. A good enough head on her shoulders and enough fights with hive-mind robots to sort of know what she's doing. Except she's impulsive, rash, and impatient at her core, someone who would much rather do something than to plan it. Which means they're getting on with it, but it also means that everything ends up rushed.

— So she watches, breath held and lips thinned, as Vane panics at the last moment and picks up a long candle stick... thing. Close enough. The shamans go down easily enough despite the mishap, and Red's able to let go of the breath that she was holding ( and then the flames end up being a little too close for her own good, but that only lasts a moment ).

And the entire situation's a little ridiculous and definitely a make-it-up-as-you-go-along and she can't say that she hates it. They're probably going to get caught and this is going to go terribly, but she's also a bit of an addict for danger and this is an awful, terrible combination.

Her smile is warm when she nods. It takes her a moment before she can drag one of the unconscious bodies into the narrow hallway, but once he's out of sight she wastes no time getting rid of his ceremonial robes. They're big enough that she can throw them on top of her current clothes. Once she adjusts the collar, she turns her head to check on Vane — well then, ready to explore deeper?

( Just down the hall and around the corner should be the hall where the ceremony is taking place. They better be ready. ) ]

[cajolery]

give me chocolate making!!!

ＣＬＡＩＲ ↮ ＣＨＯＣＯＬＡＴＥ

[defenses]

[ it's strange how despite how dire circumstances can be, or how removed from home they are (and would ... continue to be) that the heart doesn't often forget. in a way, he starts to miss some of the customs from home and the sense of normalcy they carry. but, well, that's where cooking came in, right? besides, he liked the idea of bringing home the bacon... or in this case the chocolate. :bacon: :chocolate_bar:

besides! this wouldn't be the first time he's made chocolates for himself or his companions.

though, the whole point of making them for himself was to ... pretend that they were from an actual girl. now that he thinks about that he was getting sort of depressed? another year, another day of being that guy with zero chocos. oh well.

(maybe he could still go with this plan?? but there was no convenient excuse of the baker's daughter to back up his already flimsy lies..)

still, it's in the midst of shopping or finishing up with it that he encounters clair. a fact he doesn't expect. with an armful of ingredients, he greets her cheerfully! ] Oh!? What's this!? Are you also here shopping to make something for the holidays?

[cajolery]

[ Now that Yusuke has informed her of the various intricacies of that very important holiday, Valentine's Day—namely, the giving of chocolate to friends and loved ones—Clair is determined to do just that. And since she can't do anything by halves, she goes shopping immediately and heads for the most expensive chocolates that the stores have to offer.

But... it has to be perfect... ]

Oh! Vane! Salutations. How very serendipitous for us to run into each other like this.

[ She turns away from the chocolates on display, her gaze drawn to the various ingredients he's carrying in his arms. Her head cants curiously to the side. ]

Make something? Ah, the chocolate! [ She looks very proud of herself for already knowing about the tradition. Heh. But a second later— ] It can be made?

[defenses]

Seren... ? [ serendipitous ... ???


as always, clair has a bit of a funny way of speaking, but he does his best to adjust accordingly. or at least, to work around the context. ] Haha... ha, yeah! It's like fate running into you here. [ is that what she means? he hopes.

he wouldn't want to embarrass himself in front of another knight, after all. especially, one he's... [redacted]

fortunately for him, it helps that she's swiftly moved onto a topic he's infinitely more familiar with. chocolate. ] Of course it can! But, uh, that's not to say that's what I was doing! I definitely wasn't making chocolates for myself or anything. [ sweats. ]

But, ah!! Don't tell me... you've never made it before?

ＴＡＫＡＳＵＧＩ ↮ ＢＩＲＤＳ

[defenses]

[ it's strange how people meet in the most innocuous way. stranger yet, that this principle doesn't seem to hold true for every time they meet. the first was at the gala. back then, the atmosphere could have easily been called "cheery" or "bright." presently, such a thing seems ... impossible. or has been for a while. vane doesn't really comprehend the subtle shifts the city is undergoing, but if he had to put a feeling to it...

well...

at least there's enough tension in the air that keeps vane's shoulders a little more stiff, even just by a margin.

still, not everything has changed completely. for example, even now, he isn't entirely certain he knows what takasugi is thinking. akin to their first encounter, vane is never sure when one jest begins and ends. ... actually, even now he isn't sure if takasugi wanted a hand shake, but that was fine too, wasn't it? vane looks over his shoulder briefly at the man and he gives a small laugh. ] Mm, this is fine. [ takasugi seemed nice... ?? and it has been a while since he's hiked partway up a mountain.

it's here, that he turns to offer takasugi a hand, especially for a particularly steep portion... but, it's when he reaches over, he realizes ... there's the faint smell of smoke coming nearby. he knew they saw a cottage close by, but he hasn't really been keeping track of how they've traveled. ] I was going to say if you're tired, I can always carry you! I have lots of energy! But, it looks like we might not be that far anymore? [ maybe.

vane's never considered direction anything... to be his forte. ]

[shikomizue]

[Even at the Gala, Takasugi had been looking for war. It was harder to find, in the mingling gold and silver, obscured by bleary lights from Thesa and from party-goers like Vane, their spirits high and sights set no further than the buzz of alcohol and the comfort of sleep.

But he'd seen it - in pins ripped from clothing, in a gamble gone too far that left bloody men to drown their anger at the bar.

That its boiling over is no surprise, and Takasugi finds the current festivals, steeped in hatred, just as festive.

Vane, unlike the locals who are reminded of their bitterness, and the other refugees who fret over the state of their new home, hasn't changed.

Takasugi looks at that outstretched hand the same as he did last time.

Thinking about cutting it off.

Instead he lowers his head, turns to look in the direction of the cottage.] Save your energy to carry any captives [corpses] we take.

[Pivoting, Takasugi departs from the beaten trail to head straight for the cottage obscured by trees.

They aren't far at all. Reaching the door, he steps aside, leaving Vane to go first. If he's so damn invigorated, he can deal with whatever could be lurking inside, waiting to ambush an intruder.]

1/2

[defenses]

[ if takasugi displays any of that inclination to sever... his hand, vane doesn't seem to notice it. instead, he takes it as brief (and if he's more generous with himself, maybe even thoughtful or considerate???) hesitation. hey, who knows... he was kind of a quiet guy??? at least... at times, and even then, vane isn't sure if quiet is the right word for it either?? still, vane chalks it off as friendly indifference.

(or maybe he's shy and he's secretly worried about him saving energy??) man, that's kind of touching. at the thought, vane involuntarily releases a small chuckle. ] Aww, haha. You don't need to worry about that, I've got lots of energy to spare!

But, leave the captives to me! [ he flexes a little, before realizing that takasugi's gone ahead. he does his best to catch up, and when he does, it looks like takasugi is letting him go first. at first, he almost knocks on the door first. but without much prompting, he seems to realize ... that probably isn't the way to go.

quickly, he clears his throat, before opening the door full on. ]

[defenses]

[ and there doesn't seem to be anyone??

which is strange, because this place seemed really ... lived in, somehow. ] Eh? I could have sworn...

[ well, that doesn't discount the idea that the person who lived here could still be up to something... ]

What do you think, Taka? Should we check the place out?