[OPEN] You can lead a horse to water...

[sullenstallion]

Who: Dylas (sullenstallion) & Open!!!
What: A horse goes fishing, wears a cool hat, talks to a tiger, and picks a fight with a cave. What fun!
When: Throughout January.
Where: Around Olympia! And also Wyver.
Warning(s): None.

i. ice, ice baby (open!)

[If someone travels far enough outside of the city, they might come across a strange sight. There’s a frozen pond, or maybe a frozen lake. There’s nothing around in the area except for a single hut of some kind. There’s no doubt it belongs to an Olympian; it wouldn’t be on the middle of a frozen lake by chance. If someone watches it long enough, they might notice the flickering of a lantern inside or hear noises from within. What on earth could be going on? And what would happen if someone knocked on the door?

Surely, there’s an obvious explanation for this...and, hey, hasn’t Dylas been missing for a few days? Weird. Maybe that's because he's also been sneaking off to Wyver when he can. His allegiance for Olympia be damned, if there's water, he wants to fish in it on his days off. Unfortunately, that might lead to heckling from some of the other local fishermen...]

ii. someone’s ears are burning (open!)

[After making it back to town, an important addition had to be made to Dylas’ outfit. No matter where he’s spotted, if he’s on the go? He’s wearing something new. Something a little strange. But it’s alright that his ears get cold, right? Something has to keep them warm, and it’s not his fault that his ears are shaped like that (well, it is, but that’s another story).

If that’s not enough reason to draw some attention to himself, eventually he’s handed a familiar survey. He can be found seated outside the Sanctuary, his place of work, staring at it while seated at an outside table with some coffee. If he recognizes anyone coming by, he’ll wave them down. Others are free to notice a horse-eared man staring down at a piece of paper.]

What the hell do you make of this? It’s weird, right?

iii. geting off of a high horse (closed to atsushi)

[The first time he came to the ruins, it was during the summer. And now it’s winter. That he’s been part of this community for six months is a lot to think about. Does he feel like this is home? No. Does he have feelings about this place? Yeah, definitely. But sorting through his feelings is difficult, so he’ll focus on what he’s come here for instead.

Or he would, but there’s a scent coming in on the wind that he recognizes. One of the mounts is coming by, and he stops staring at the ruins to turn around and see who’s coming. His eyes widen when he recognizes who it is and as the mount races closer, adding to the tracks in the snow belonging to all the other footsteps that have been added today. Between the crystals and the exploring people are getting up to, it’s apparent the ruins are a bit popular these days.]

What are you doing out here? Did I tell you I was coming out here?

[His ears flick up! He’s happy to see Atsushi. But his tail lashes, because he’s not super happy to see whatever he’s riding. A real man makes it all the way to the ruins without relying on a mount, okay.]

iv. crystal clearing

[Rich people hobbies, right? Dylas assumes the clergy is rich, anyways. He’s back to Edrathe for crystals of all things, but he doesn’t mind too much. If he can get a little money for his trips out of the city, why not? He has a roommate now, he has to help keep food on the table.

He draws a lot of attention to himself while he’s in the cave. He’s no stranger to monster fights or spelunking, so it’s only a matter of time before someone follows the flashing blue lights and yelling to find Dylas standing in the near-darkness with a lantern nearby. As he slowly turns around, two things quickly become apparent. First, there’s blood dripping from his forehead. Second, it looks like a nasty monster has shredded his clothes and roughed him up real nice.

He doesn’t seem to notice.]

What do you want?

[He’s always a charmer, with that accusing glance of his.

Later, he'll be attempting to grab a few from Wyver as well. He'd been here before and done the same things. There's the crystals in the trees, in the lake...unfortunately, he doesn't get very far. Instead of searching for the crystals, a few businessmen recognize him and his Olympian pin from the Gala, and things are escalating in a small corner of the Market.]

Oh, yeah? Why don't you make me leave? I could toss all three of you without breaking a sweat!

[Someone might need to help him.]

Comments

iii is a crowd

[gekkajuu]

[Ever since he started working at the stables, Atsushi has been thinking about how it would be to ride one of the animals. He's never so much as considered asking to try, though: he's new at the job, apart from anything else, and only the very rich and important seem to be allowed to own these animals.

Still, when, like other refugees, he gets a free trial, he jumps on the opportunity, only held back by needing to choose what animal to go with. A lion, maybe? Is that a little too much?!

Regardless, he heads out with no particular destination in mind (yes, he wants to go gem-hunting, but riding an animal is for exploring!), and ends up at the ruins somehow - without even falling once! He did okay!!]

Dylas? No, I don't think you did...

[Isn't that a weird reaction..? Oh well, it's Dylas, after all. Atsushi hops off his mount, holding it by the reins, and patting its neck.]

Good boy...

Why did you come all the way out here?

[sullenstallion]

There's...stuff out here.

[An excellent description from Dylas, like usual. He turns to the side like he's studying something on the horizon, but really, he's just awkward about being right next to another horse.

... ...But he can't keep it up for long. After a moment, he turns back, though he's going to remain tense and guarded for now.]

I heard there's a cave around here somewhere, but mostly I just wanted to come back, I guess. It doesn't hurt to take another look around.

[gekkajuu]

[Look, Dylas, you're the one who taught him how much fun riding a horse could be. You can't blame him for trying it again.]

Oh, you came here to find jewels, too?

[That's not quite the right way to say it, but Atsushi will explain himself a little better soon enough.]

I was thinking I might try that as well, but then the stables offered me a free ride, and I couldn't pass up. Though I ended up going with a pretty normal mount, after all...

[No pegasus for him. He was a little tempted, but also terrified.]

[sullenstallion]

Er, yeah. Yeah! To find jewels. I wasn't just messing around...and I think this place is going to be pretty important someday.

[He can't shape that gut feeling. But he also can't shake another feeling, and he kicks at some of the prints in the snow. There are a lot of horse prints for some reason, but there doesn't seem to be a horse around aside from Atsushi's? Mysterious.]

Yeah, he's...pretty normal looking. Why don't we go look in the caves or talk somewhere else? Right here is overrated.

[Tail swish, tail swish, avoiding eye contact. The usual telltale signs Horse Drama.]

[gekkajuu]

[Atsushi didn't really notice the hoof prints until Dylas tried to hide them, but he can't not notice them, then. Still, he can't pay much attention to them, because his horse is still a little nervous. Maybe it doesn't like being around Dylas? Do horses do that territory thing, the way predators do...?

Maybe not, but Atsushi is more than happy to go along with Dylas' suggestion - also because he can tell that something is up. Maybe Dylas saw the cave monster, and it's somehow horse-like??]

All right. Let me tether up the horse somewhere, and we can go inside.

[Which is exactly what he does. No doubt, by the time they get back, the horse will have gotten itself loose and run back to the stables. Oops...]

iv

[abyssalflame]

[It turns out Sid isn't much more covert when entering a cave with the intent to smash things, being the sort of fighter who would prefer to tough it out through an enemy's ire and hope he doesn't eventually get his arse kicked than actually strategize. It doesn't take long for him to notice the other presence within, and even less time to follow the glow of the lantern.

That greeting, however, he wasn't expecting. His brow furrows, the verdant limbal rings in his eyes catching and holding light so that they seem luminescent in their own right.]

Same thing you do, evidently.

[A pause as he looks over what he can make out of him in the dim light. If he hasn't already had a bad time of these monsters, he certainly will if he doesn't fix himself up. He reaches behind himself to unlatch something from his belt.]

You look like you've been mauled by a behemoth.

[sullenstallion]

[The lantern a few feet away from Dylas' feet actually gives off a decidedly orange glow. That blue light from earlier seems to have vanished completely by the time Sid reaches Dylas. Mysterious..or not. It's just magic.]

Yeah? Well, good luck. It looks like I'm going to have in pretty deep to find some. You can see on the walls where they've been picked out already.

[His gaze flicks to Sid's hand when it moves to his belt, but then he focuses back on the task at hand. The fact that his face is bleeding...gods, he didn't think to bring a handkerchief. He wipes it onto the back of his hand for now, just to keep it out of his eyes.]

Yeah...something like that. There was a real big monster here until I scared it further into the caves. That's what happened.

[...And then Dylas averts his gaze. That might not be what happened. Standing at almost six and a half feet tall, there may be a nearby stalactite with blood on it? But he's not going to point that out.]

[abyssalflame]

[That, and the notion of "scaring" a monster doesn't sit right with him on principle. What a mystery, indeed... Sid evaluates him up and down, taking note of the peculiar smear of blood.]

...Right.

[Rather... it looks like he just got clumsy and hit his head, perhaps. He sounds less than convinced, but produces a flask from his belt and offers it to Dylas nonetheless. If it were Rielle, she'd be able to patch it up even faster, but being utterly useless at healing magic himself, wise use of potions is his only option for the time being.]

Take it. It'll close the wound faster.

I'm sorry this has been so slow, rl has been a nightmare

[sullenstallion]

[What's with that pause? Dylas squints through the darkness. Could it be his bluff has been called? No...no, his lie is too perfect for that.]

It was a tough one. Some sort of..wolf-looking thing. [Every world has a wolf-thing-monster, right? He looks away just long enough to come back to this guy reaching for his belt. Dylas flinches and steps back, raising his fist...

...before he realizes this guy isn't reaching for a weapon. His ears go from alert to drooping, tail tucking against his leg.]

Oh. Uh...thanks. [He'll hold his hand out for it if the offer still stands after mistaking his intentions.] That's nice of you.

ii

[hurtled]

[The Sanctuary is near to closing up when Kanade exits from the building, spotting Dylas at his table. She pauses briefly, looking around to see whether the people passing the surveys around are still nearby, before approaching.]

I received one, too. [Read it, while waiting in line, but didn't yet get to writing responses. Or decided if she should. The tone of the questions is sorta suspicious.] I don't recall such a thing during my last time here.

[Which might be due to said "last time" being almost two weeks ago.]

[sullenstallion]

I don't recall such a thing...ever. These questions are kinda messed up, right? This isn't a normal survey.

[And it's frustrating him. He taps his finger on the table, which makes his coffee ripple in rhythm. Beneath his ridiculous earmuff hat, his ears flick a little in frustration.]

Did you fill it out? You don't have to tell me your answers or anything.

[Is it rude to ask someone if they've filled out a survey? He honestly has no idea.]

[hurtled]

I haven't. But I agree with you -- this survey is messed up. [Back when she still lived in Olympia, she'd already heard whispers of distrust directed at the refugees and the local leadership, especially during the height of the disease a couple of months ago. Those whispers are becoming louder, more blatant, if the survey and others' observations on the network are any indication.]

Olympia's a big place. It only takes a fraction of the population who want to [a gesture at his paper] "make their voices heard," to form a sizable group.

[The turn of phrase, in particular, irritates her. Voices aren't meant to be a vehicle for hurt.]

I'm sorry this has been so slow, rl has been a nightmare

[sullenstallion]

Yeah. Yeah! That's what I thought.

[He can't hide that he's a little pleased to have someone agree with him. It doesn't show in his face, but his ears point a little higher, his voice sounds a little more pleased. He's new to politics, so hearing he's not wrong feels better than hearing otherwise.]

What are you saying? You think they're gonna form a mob or something? [A sizeable group, huh.] I guess the Empress is going to need to make some decisions sooner or later. You ever been through anything like this before?

[closed! for cain]

[sullenstallion]

[Dylas' room in the Sanctuary isn't really that impressive. There's a small desk in the corner with a few books on it. There's a fishing rod he keeps on the wall for emergencies. There's a bed, of course. The room is completely lacking in decoration aside from the fishing rod, giving the entire place a vibe that says it's not seen much living in lately.

And it's true. Ever since moving out, Dylas has only been using his room for resting when the job gets intense. And right now, it's coming in handy because this is not a test he wants to repeat with anyone else. He's gathered a few things on his desk, and he's asked his guest to bring anything he think will help.

It's been a while since they made this plan, but...hey. A lot has been going on.]

Thanks for coming.

[Dylas leads with that, but with his intense glare he doesn't sound too grateful. He's still suspicious about this. He's seated on the bed, completely unaware of what items Cain might have brought for him to...he can't believe he's doing this...sniff. And he can't believe he's even offered to pay Cain for his troubles, should he accept, just to make this less awkward.]

I still think this is stupid.

[baguablade]

But you're doing it anyway.

[ Hard to tell if that's amusement or just friendly cheer in Cain's voice. The truth is that it's a mix of both. For all Dylas's protests, he is still here with Cain, waiting for his olfactory enhancements to be tested.

Cain's busying himself at the desk after having turned down any offer of payment — this is to help Dylas as much as it's to satisfy Cain's curiosity, but that Dylas is willing to offer a reward, even with the mood he's in, tells Cain just how worried by the changes he's found himself with. Even if Dylas isn't going to admit that. So Cain putters about, laying down a few things, keeping them hidden by the box he'd carried them here in. ]

Don't worry, you haven't suffered any undue side effects since the last time we talked, so I doubt anything's going to happen.

[sullenstallion]

I'm only doing it because you got it in my head that I had to!

[He huffs in exasperation. Seriously. It hadn't occurred to him ever that he should test out any of his limits. But then this guy comes along, nags him over the network, and the thoughts rang at the back of his mind every now and then. Just how good is his nose? Maybe he can turn it off? How do these tests even work?

He's less worried and offended than when he first got them, but how he wishes Cain had taken the payment. It would make this less friendly, more clinical.]

Yeah. Maybe they stopped doing things to me after I complained about 'em. Or maybe they're all just busy filling us with weird dreams. Is it ready yet?

[He's impatient.]

[baguablade]

[ The "yes" is on the tip of Cain's tongue, but he pauses, struck by that offhand complaint. Dylas really is just a fount of interesting things happening to him, isn't he? Cain turns from what he's fiddling with to give Dylas a level stare. ]

What weird dreams, exactly?

[ Dreams given by their "hosts" probably aren't just offhand visions. ]

iv

[chickenhearted]

[ Waver is sort of getting used to Wyver, finally, and thus making a sort of normal routine for himself. That includes going to the Market pretty frequently, and that's where he happens to be today. Not falling for any gimmicks or anything this time though, he's just doing some regular old browsing and thinking about finding some kind of work when he hears the loud commotion coming from a nearby corner. ]

Wha—

[ Now normally, he'd ignore this and go back to whatever he was doing. It's not his problem, why should he intervene? Except he sees who's causing the trouble and instantly his heart drops into his gut.

This guy again?!

Waver is hardly imposing or threatening even when he tries, but he's got to do something. Maybe he owes it to the guy. Maybe he's one of the closest things Waver has to a friend right now (sad)... Regardless of the reason, here he is, coming to stand in front of Dylas and wave his arms at the businessmen. ]

St-stop! There's no need for this! We're leaving right now, in fact! [ He glances back at Dylas ] Right now!

[sullenstallion]

[That Dylas also considers Waver a friend is (sad) as well. But he's not happy to see him right now. He's doing his best posturing. Dylas is taller than he has any right to be, and he can look pretty intimidating when he leans in. His face is almost built to scowl instead of smile, and he's exchanging loud words up until the very moment he's interrupted.

But it's probably for the best. He's made a fist with his left hand, and someone is bound to notice he's aching to hit someone if he doesn't throw it soon.]

Why don't you stick it— [And a hero, just in the nick of time. Dylas, who hasn't seen Waver since the Incident (probably?), goes from angry to flustered to confused in the span of a few seconds. His tail lashes so hard that it kicks up the dust behind him. Oh, gods, is Waver actually saving him? What the hell?] I, uh...huh? Y-yeah?

[The situation's been defused, but Dylas holds out his arm. As his brain hurries to process what just happened, it's still for the best that Waver drag him away. He'll stumble after him regardless.]

[chickenhearted]

[ Waver definitely notices that fist and doesn't want it flying at anyone anytime soon. He feels like that will just lead to a disaster, and he's already involved now, so any disaster would also be taken out on him too. He really doesn't want that, because his luck is usually phenomenally bad.

He probably hasn't seen Dylas since that Incident, which makes all of this even more embarrassing for Waver (and it's probably confusing to the buisnessmen that both of them look flustered right about now). But ah, it's too late to do anything about it. ]

Just ... Come on!

[ He takes hold of that arm that's stretched out and tries to tug Dylas away from the men he was picking a fight with. He tugs until they're a safe distance away and then lets go of him quickly, still flushed to his ears. ]

Okay. I think we're safe.

[ They didn't follow them to finish up the quarrel did they? ]

[sullenstallion]

I was never in any real danger. I could've handled chumps like those without breaking a sweat.

[It's tempting to raise his voice loud enough so that they'll still hear him, but as satisfying as punching their faces in would be...this is probably enough. He relaxes his body now that he's not trying to intimidate them, but he still doesn't look very happy.]

One month, they're putting my name on a sign, and the next they're trying to chase me out. I didn't think things were this bad. [It's only then that he turns away from where he'd watched the men and looks down at Waver. It's been...a while. What is he supposed to say here?] So...you still haven't grown any, huh?

[Waver is still short? Or Dylas is just too tall. But that's almost his way of saying thanks. He appreciates the effort even if he didn't want it.]

i

[panzersoldat]

[ Reinhardt knows exactly what that cabin on the ice is for. And while there will always be a part of him that is terrified that the ice will break under his feet and send him to his watery doom, with all that's been happening recently, pretty much the only food he's been getting is what he's been catching himself. Hunting is hard when your weapon is a huge hammer and you have a zero in stealth. But fishing, fishing is something he's good at.

So, he's going to go to that cabin and hope the person inside is welcoming of someone who lives in Wyver using it for a little bit to try and catch some fish of his own. So he absolutely knocks...carefully. ]

Hallo in there. I was wondering if I could join you. It's a bit cold out here, even for me and I promise I'll share my catch with you.

[sullenstallion]

[Having a cabin is nice. Well, a cabin to use. Dylas isn't rich enough to afford his own, but an ad here or there got him curious enough to put the winter to good use and try something he couldn't do much of back home. Sure, he's ready every book about ice fishing, but actually getting to try it?

It's honestly the best thing to happen to him since arriving here, and that's including some personal encounters.

A knock at the door isn't enough to catch him off-guard or surprise him. He hears Reinhardt's footsteps from pretty far away, he's a pretty big guy. Dylas is reaching to shut off the electric lantern and pretend he's not home before he hears the voice.

He quickly gets to his feet and falls against the door, forgetting for a moment that he's on ice and there's a hole in the middle. And then he opens it, ears perked and his face...well, Dylas still doesn't smile, but he looks relieved enough.]

Reinhardt! What the hell are you doing out here? Get in.

[panzersoldat]

[ He hears some slipping and sliding inside the cabin and wonders who it might be in there. He's prepared to have the door opened and then slammed right back closed in his face. With how 'popular' he is, he wouldn't be too surprised. Upset, yes, but he wouldn't force himself into the cabin.

The door opens and it's a familiar face. He grins hugely at Dylas and gives a nod to his fishing gear. ] I was planning on fishing and I saw this place. Thanks for letting me in. I'll try not to take up too much space.

[ He says that, but he has to duck to get inside. It's not made for ridiculously tall people. ] Thanks again. It's been a while.

Have they been biting?

[sullenstallion]

[Reinhardt is in good company here. Dylas is about two meters tall himself, after all, so the cabin has to belong to one of those tall nonhumans from town. Unfortunately, there's really no accounting for Reinhardt's girth. Dylas immediately wonders if any of the chairs will suffice as he shuts the door.]

Don't worry about it. It's good to see you again, just...use whatever you want. Make yourself comfortable.

[He's still a bit stunned to encounter a friend out here of all people. He stands dumbfounded, mouth hanging open until the real question comes along.]

Yeah. They have. I've been out here for two days now and haven't had to worry about a meal yet. I was planning on staying here all weekend.

[There are two bunks, three fishing holes, wall lights...there are a few more shacks on the shore that haven't been moved out onto the ice yet, so Dylas is the only one taking advantage of the rentals for now.]