[ OPEN GROUP LOG ] emergency planning & diplomacy

[feintofhart]

Who: Everyone! Please use this as an event log -- put up your own starters, and also tag around to your heart's content!
Where: Aldrip's neighbouring towns, the spooky forest, and throughout Aldrip.
What: The Chosen, reeling from the recent forest attack, decide to organize for future attacks, whether that's diplomacy with neighbouring towns, reinvigorating farmland, or getting some combat training in. Please see THIS OOC post for more information!
Warnings: None anticipated; please let me know if I ought to update it!



In the wake of destruction wrought by the strange beast of the forest, Claude and Marianne - both people far more well-acquainted with the ramifications of damaged farm grounds and unprepared civilians than they would like to be - have taken it upon themselves to try to prepare in advance for the next attack, whatever that may be. After discussion with the leads of Aldrip, they’ve come up with a list of what most needs to be done – and they can’t do it alone. With the community of the Chosen at their heels, new and old, for reasons of altruism and for reasons of simple exploration, they have set forth with the following tasks: an excursion through the eerie Pessiria Forest to get to Rumpitur to exchange goods and services for aid from the dubiously friendly naga-like people who live there, restoring life to the destroyed forest and farmlands so that nature can once again thrive, and to properly stock up safehouses with preserved goods, shelter, and weaponry.

What’s in it for you, you ask? Well, when the next attack comes, you don’t want to be the one going hungry.

EXCURSION THROUGH THE PESSIRIA FOREST

Rumpitur is a full day’s trek away, and not a straightforward one; in order to get to their destination, the Chosen must first hike their way through Pessiria forest. They meet with their packs and wagons at the entrance of the forest, a thick, lush wall of foliage greeting them along a winding, unsteady path. If you’re prone to listening to rumours, you may hear some of the locals buzzing about uncertainly: “no business being on that land, none at all”, “Did you hear? That’s where that Froste boy disappeared – when you go in, you never come back out”, “Going in there? They’ll be cursed!”.

No such dangers will greet the Chosen, but the more paranoid among them will be confronted with the grim reality of an entire day’s travel spent on edge, jumping at every flutter of wings from overhead and snapped twigs from the fauna skittering through the brush. During this trek, there will be ample time for the Chosen to stop and rest a while, replenish their flasks and perhaps share a story or two, but be careful; in forests this dense, it’s easy for someone to get lost. Wouldn’t it be a shame if someone was left behind?

To add insult to injury, once they arrive in Rumpitur, they’ll realize that there’s nowhere for them to stay, and the scaled denizens of the place will firmly - though not unkindly - refuse to let them into their homes. That means that to get anything done, the Chosen will need to make camp right outside, a great opportunity to swap stories around the fire, try to rustle up some dinner, go stargazing, or just complain about the effects of the hard ground on your poor old backs. Happy bonding!

DIPLOMACY OF RUMPITUR

Once diplomatic meetings have come and gone, the representatives of Aldrip and Rumpitur have come to an agreement: Rumpitur will provide its aid, but only at a cost. They have their own interests to protect, after all. But they’re flexible on how such a debt is repaid and ask only that the Chosen provide whatever they are able to – and you wouldn’t want to give Aldrip a bad reputation, would you?

Here, the Chosen can truly shine as they’re asked to give what they can. For some, this means sheer manual labour as they haul water from the wells, transport crops and goods from one place to another, or provide much-needed assistance to the smithies and shopkeepers of the land. For others, this means providing gifts, whether that’s their own handiwork of artisanal goods, of art, of culinary delights, of weapons and toys and trinkets that only the Chosen know of. Other civilians may yet yearn for entertainment; a fussy crowd they may be, but with the same people coming in day in and day out, they’re hungry for new music, new acrobatics, new shows.

Be creative in what your characters can provide – and have them ask for help too! This is a true group effort in showing Rumpitur the Chosen’s goodwill, and showing themselves as a steadfast community that can be trusted.


RESTORING RAZED LANDS

Back home in Aldrip, the Chosen are faced with the farmland and lush forests that were decimated in the wake of the attack. Now that the bulk of rebuilding has been completed for the townspeople, it’s time to turn their attention to the abundance of the earth’s gifts that were ingloriously sapped. Here, the Chosen have been asked to replenish destroyed crops by irrigating and milling the land, planting new crops, and tending to the displaced animals that require assistance – though strangely enough, there seems to be some new flora and fauna that’s popping up. Are those plants glowing? Wait, is that a giant bird? It almost looks as though if you caught it, you could ride it… and the villagers of Aldrip seem just as familiar with them as you are, commenting that new life seems to be drifting into Aldrip’s territory on a regular basis.

Have your characters mill about on the farmland together, nurse wounded animals back to health, plant seeds, and help rebuild farms. Nothing says bonding like a good old-fashioned group activity.

Just watch out – those summer storms can be absolutely dreadful, and on more than one occasion, you may find yourselves taking cover in one of the abandoned old farmhouses to wait it out. Get out of those wet clothes, get underneath those (admittedly musty smelling) blankets and use the stove inside to put on some tea. Get nice and cozy – you might be here for a while!

STOREHOUSE SCRAMBLE

Last on the Chosen’s to-do list is to build up their stores so that if an attack of this scale happens again, they’ll be ready for it. The Chosen are to come together as a group to help dig out safehouses and cellars for citizens to hide in during the next attack, and to help bolster their stores. Now that some of their ranks have brought home goods from Rumpitur, it’s time to figure out what to do with it all.

Chosen may assist in hunting and gathering resources, working together to dry and pickle vegetables, dig out safehouses (careful – there are vermin and minor cave-ins aplenty!), and to solicit local smithies to shore up their stores of weaponry – just in case.

That said, weapons aren’t much good without the ability to use them. The Chosen are welcome to test out the wares in a nearby clearing set up specifically for training, especially if they’re from worlds where they weren’t stuck with swords and bow and arrows. There are scarecrows and targets set-up to practice on, but there’s really no replacing one-on-one combat – take a shot at it, and you may even gain a small audience! And are they placing bets…? Well, you’d better do your best, or else more than your pride might wind up bruised.

Comments

claude von riegan | ota

[feintofhart]

i. pessiria forest.

[ A haunted forest. Great. As though Claude hasn't had enough haunted forests in his life. But as he and Marianne have been working on this project for quite some time together, he knows that it's their job to bolster their spirits as they head off into the unknown. As they gather in front of it, Claude claps his hands. ]

Hey, everyone! Thanks for coming along with all this. Not that I'm anticipating any more trouble, but if we run into it, Rumpitur's help should be invaluable in securing this place. Don't put too much stock in the ghost stories either. There were an awful lot of ghost stories where I used to live, and I promise you, I didn't run into a single one. Now let's get going and see what we can do!

[ Or perhaps you catch up with him as he calls for a break so that everyone can fill their waterskins in a nearby river, or just take a load off of their feet. In fact, he brought extra, and he's offering you some water too: ] Here, have some. And have some food too. We've got a long day's trek ahead of us if we don't want to camp in the forest. Which I'd prefer not to. My delicate constitution prefers to camp on nice, flat ground.

ii. diplomacy.

[ When it comes to the bulk of the labour in Rumpitur... Claude, who had been more than happy to lead the expedition through the forest, seems to have disappeared entirely! When he reappears again, now dressed in Leicester's finest, it's not to help, but to watch. True, he's the one who's been doing a lot of the chatter behind closed doors, but that doesn't mean he should be allowed to be nothing more than a layabout. Once he's done exchanging greetings with the townspeople, why not rope him into some work?

Or else, you may see him trudging back from Rumpitur to the camp they've erected just outside of town, well after everyone's already had dinner and most have gone to bed -- while others may have seen him with officials of Aldrip and Rumpitur alike throughout the day, deep in conversation wearing a far more serious expression than he usually does, it seems that talks went on deep into the night. He looks far more tired than when he came in, stretching his arms above his head and blinking blearily at the fires, just now dying down. ] Ugh. I forgot how much work all that talking can be, [ he complains to nobody in particular. ] You'd think they'd at least put us up in an inn... hey, is there any food left? I'm starving.

iii. caught in the storm.

[ Later on, Claude does in fact dally in a bit of farmwork to try to help out, but like everyone else, gets caught in the rain and takes cover in the nearby farmhouse. He flops onto the straw bed with a heavy grunt, taking off his boot and watching with great disappointment as he pours a good cup's worth of water from out of it. ]

Urgh, I knew I should have bought new shoes for this. [ He leans to the side, peering out the window. ] It's really coming down out there. Unless we want to make a run for it, we're probably stuck here for a little while.

[ He squeezes some more moisture out of his hair, typically neatly slicked back to make it look as straight as possible, but it's already drying in cheerful curls, much to his displeasure. He pulls one straight, then watches it bounce back into place. ]

I guess this is good for irrigating crops, at least. Probably. Maybe. I'm not much of a farmer.

iv. training.

[ While you can certainly find Claude helping out with the hunting and gathering - moreso the hunting - or being shooed away from everyone trying to work on food preservation - has this kid ever worked in food preparation in his life? - he is far more interested in training. This, at least, he's confident in. You can find Claude with his trusty bow strapped to his back as he looks in interest at all of the weapons laid out for them. He whistles, long and slow, as he looks them over. ]

We've managed to get quite the collection, huh? Man, it's been forever since I've used anything but my bow. [ The tips of his fingers skim across a sword. ] Maybe I should be brushing up on my close combat skills... [ Then, to you: ] Hey, are you looking to train too? What do you usually fight with?

v. wildcard.

[ Wanna do something else? Slap anything here, I'll roll with it! ]

diplomacy

[snowslip]

[ Seeing Claude in his element handling negotiations dressed in Leicester colors, it almost feels as if they're back in Fódlan again. Only this time, Claude has rallied not the Alliance lords but the people of Aldrip to his cause. Marianne's come along to support in what little ways she can. She's not sure her soft-spoken words have done much convincing, but her desire to help the townspeople pushed her to try nevertheless.

Once the talks have concluded for the day and they've returned to camp, she spends some time winding down her nerves and tending to the packhorses that had accompanied them on the journey. Unused to so much socializing, Marianne remains quiet at the bonfire until a familiar face drops by. ]

Oh, um. I only have vegetables with me...

[ She says apologetically. In answer to his question, she extends her hand full of what are horse-catered treats. But if he would like a carrot? He can have a carrot. ]

How do you think today went?

iv

[grappler]

[see, training Vi's good at at least. even if she doesn't really care much for the weapons that she sees, she picks up a pair of gauntlets. nothing nearly as big or heavy as she's used to at home, but she slips them on nonetheless.]

I mean, I'm always looking for a good fight.

[she looks back over at him and grins.]

Bigger gauntlets than these is what I usually fight with. Unless I'm pounding someone's face in with my bare hands, at least.

[she'll do it either way.]

ii. but with a small twist so also v.

[opheliac]

( a little ways away from the group, jinx is sitting against a tree with a loaf of bread she's tearing apart with her fingers. it won't be enough to fill her given her abnormal hunger due to a certain substance coursing through her veins, but... it'll do for the time being. and as she pops a few pieces into her mouth, she sees claude making his way to the group -- stretching and saying something that's a little hard to make out due to the distance.

her eyes fall to his clothing more than his face, her upper lip quirking up in disgust at the design of it. ugh. it looks so much like a topsider get up and it almost makes her want to lose her appetite. as if having one enforcer here isn't bad enough. the girl's slender fingers pulls at a piece of the loaf again, but this time rolls it up in a little ball between her fingertips. .... and with a sudden impulse to cause trouble, she throws the small piece of food towards claude's head. who knows if he will see it coming or feel it happen or nothing will happen at all. after all, there is no weight to it to really leave a huge impact. )

iv

[entreats]

[ To be honest, Ange feels pretty inadequate out here on the training grounds - though you'd never guess it, given the fact that she's incredibly great at hiding these sorts of feelings behind a pokerface at this point.

Still, as she's staring at the weapons, she's not even sure where to begin. She keeps glancing from weapon to weapon, having a hard time imagining herself really using any of them. It feels ridiculous - like something out of a fantasy movie.

The girl only glances up when she hears someone speak up, her facial expression still mostly a pokerface as she glances over at Claude. ]

None of these. [ She starts, managing to keep her tone relatively flat - even though it sure is, in all actuality, admitting to an insecurity. To vulnerability.

The exact sort of thing Ange hates. ]

We didn't really have to fight where I come from. I'm not even sure how to get started on it here.

II

[conflictresolution]

[Silco had agreed to make the trip for diplomacy's sake, but he was far more interested in sizing up the competition when it came to negotiation skills. He also wanted to observe the difference between the two cities, what with his very recent arrival and need to decide where to finally settle himself. This was a good opportunity to do all of that and more.

He had largely kept quiet for the diplomacy, though he had spoken quietly with one of the local leaders to discuss their future plans for such a place. Their hopes, their dreams, the needs of their people beyond food, shelter and socializing. He had kept the conversations cordial and pleasant, and he made no effort to disguise that he had the gift of the gab and could offer little tidbits of advice for city expansion.

He had remained to the outskirts of camp, keeping to himself as he pondered but more importantly, he was looking up at the stars. Those were rare unless one specifically went travelling to find them in the Undercity.

He noted their intrepid leader returning, and his mutilated eye glowed orange in the faded light. "Diplomacy is hardly simple talking. You're under constant pressure to produce results without bankrupting yourself."

astralin turnont | ota

[scythedance]

. restoring the lands

[Honestly, it's not any surprise that he's been tasked with restoring the lands. It's his specialty, after all, and he couldn't say no when he was asked personally to help. So, you'll find him tending to some dead crops and scorched earth. His eyes focused on the land beneath him, as he rests his hand against the dirt in an attempt to restore it with his ice magic. Light glowing at the palm of his hand, but not quite being able to restore the flowers to their original state.

There's a sigh that escapes him in his attempt, but he knows the only way to fix this is through hard work. He brought all his farming tools for a reason, so you'll find him hacking at the ground with a shovel. Beside him, there's several bags of soil, seeds, and the largest watering can you've ever seen. There also seems to be several animals surrounding the man; enjoying his company.]

ii. storehouse scramble

[You know, he isn't one for hunting animals, but he is rather good with foraging. He's managed to get a bit of a break from tending to the lands -- both Aldrip's and his own -- to be able to forage things for the good of the city. He's used to doing this sort of thing back home on his farm, so it's not to any surprise that they'll find this very tall man hunched over and picking some edible berries.

Beside him, there's a large basket that's already filled with fruit that he picked before. It's quite the bountiful harvest to say the least, but there's something odd about the harvest. Around the berries, there's a small light around each berry; his magic preserving the berries so they don't rot before getting them to town.]

i

[bulleting]

[While Caitlyn may not know anything about tending to a farm, she's got spirit. That counts for something, right?

She's been helping where she can in various areas, but eventually, she spots Astralin out with the others trying to improve their situation.]

It's... Astralin, right? [How could she forget him? He's the reason she didn't drown in a silo of corn, after all.]

You seem like you know what you're doing. What can I do to help? [Just point and give her directions, so she can do something to help. She's a rich city girl, she doesn't know the first thing about farming.]

restoring the lands

[snowslip]

[ Still feeling guilty for her part in the land's suffering, Marianne of course has volunteered to help in the fields. She doesn't have nearly as much strength for farmwork, but she's brought her horse to help with the tilling (and moral support is a bonus).

Willow, who has fond memories of Astralin and even fonder memories of his treats, perks up when they arrive on the same field. The other animals don't seem too bothered when they make their way over. Perhaps because Marianne has that passive effect on animals, too. ]

Astralin, it's good to see you.

ii

[entreats]

[ Ange isn't entirely sure what to do when she finds herself wandering around the place. Even though she isn't too big of a fan of work, she also feels a little guilty for maybe not contributing as much to life here as some other people do. But even if she'd want to get started, what could she even do, when she has no knowledge how to do any of these things?

It's while wandering around that she comes across him and the berries - her gaze drawn more towards the latter than the former, especially when she notices that.. odd light around the berries. Ange is attentive enough that there's no way she doesn't notice it.

And she wonders if he noticed it. Is it something he's doing, or something this place is doing? In case it's the latter, she might as well speak up.

So the girl approaches him, putting on her usual pokerface as Ange speaks up with: ]

Your berries are being weird, just so you know.

[ Very helpful, clearly. ]

ii

[izanagis]

[Yu is trying to make himself useful... That being said, he was way better at the diplomacy portion of this particular quest. Back in town and being put to any number of farmlike tasks, he's found himself out of his element. Staying in the country for a year can't erase the fact that he's a city kid, apparently.

Anyway, he's here, he's trying to help, and he's--]

Are they...glowing?

[--clearly not used to seeing magic berries.]

jinx — arcane.

[opheliac]

i. pessiria forest — ❝ your silence is the loudest sound. ❞ ( PRIVATE TO SILCO )
• cw: mention of death

( as the chosen gathered around at the entryway of pessiria forest and the leader (mr. pretty boy aka claude) is spewing out reassurance and encouragements, jinx rolls her eyes over his words. his little pow-wow is so boring and uninteresting that jinx breaks away from the group and heads on in the forest -- although, not going the correct way. the path to the other city is heading straight first, but the teen is venturing off a little to the east of the forest. and with her already moving off course without any concern, it's best to guess she's been in this particular direction before. as a matter of fact, some bark of the trees seem to be marked with little "x"es or designs as a guide to help her through this particular path she's venturing on. her hair, not in those twin braids but a long ponytail, swishes along behind her as she makes a left, a right, then straight again. it seems like a complicated pathway -- but again, her little markings are a big help. )

( where is she going? will this little adventure she's on will ever stop? it does. after a few more feet, a self-made bench comes into viewing. but there's something else here too besides just this little seating area. leaning against a tree, is a wooden cross -- definitely self-made too by the looks of it. jinx isn't necessarily proud of its appearance, though, it could really use of some color or more decor. but she lacks of coins, especially after the whole ordeal with the casino. and while in thought of that night, she may... need to come up with a real good excuse to why she didn't return home to her father that night in case he asks. because telling him she wandered off drunk with a certain boy savior and slept in bed with him wouldn't sound too great. especially with the "sleeping" part and how it can make any mind drift off to somewhere... dirtier. the two of them definitely just slept, no funny business, clothes still on and all. which may be hard to prove when there's shining red mark plastered on her left side of her neck. thank goodness for her older sibling letting her in on where a girl could find make up a few weeks before. leave it to cosmetic to have the ability to hide your shame and look completely normal. well... shame is probably a strong word. jinx has mixed feelings on what happened between her and ekko, but that's a thought for another day. )

( the teen stands in front of the cross, lips thinning with her shoulders tensing. to think a month or so ago, she visited this area every single day and spent countless hours just sitting in front of it. some hours she cried, some hours she talked to it, and others lied beside it and slept. it's strange to not do that now and even more strange that the man she mourned over is now alive and... somewhat well. is it weird to feel guilty that she hadn't visited this place since his arrival? there's no reason to, right? but... he did die, so she should still pay her respects. maybe. slowly, the girl takes her seat on the dirt, twigs, and crumbled up leaves -- legs pulling close to her chest and her chin resting on her knees. maybe she can use this as a reminder; a nudge of thought of what could had been if this place hadn't rope them all here to aldrip. where would she had gone? how long would she had lived during the war? it doesn't matter now, but it's an alternate reality she thinks about sometimes. )

ii. pessiria forest (@ camp) — ❝ i just hope i'm okay with the choices i make. ❞ ( OPEN )
• cw: none ➤ ( you may or may not also receive a tag from silco [conflictresolution])

( jinx learned from last month that the locals of rumpitur weren't a friendly bunch, and trying to find an inn or shelter wasn't an easy task either. but the teen is use to "roughing it" thanks to being born and raised in zaun, so it didn't bother her in the slightest. while the chosen who had joined camped in huddle, jinx is lounging above them all in a tree -- watching the night sky and the leaves that loom over them. it's not too difficult to pick up any conversations the people are having, she could if she wanted to. but the girl chooses to ignore and be in her own head for a little while. the situation is rather funny to her, really. the chosen are going to another city in hope they will give them resources or assistance.

it's almost like when zaun always begged piltover for help, and yet their voices never carried over. or more like it did, but they chose to plug their fingers in their ears. will this be the same cycle? it definitely wouldn't surprise her if all of this were for not.

... )

♪ Dear friend, across the river,
My hands are cold and bare.
Dear friend, across the river,
I'll take what you can spare.

I ask of you a penny,
My fortune, it will be.
I ask of you without envy,
We raise a mighty towers.

Our homes are built of stone,
So come across the river,
And find the world below. ♪

iii. wildcard — ❝ you do you. ❞

as always, does prompt 2 bore you? then feel free to contact me or make your own starter! maybe your character and jinx are walking and talking through the forest, idk! let me know what you want!

i.

[conflictresolution]

[Jinx wandering was not unusual, and Silco usually had no issue with her slipping off to do her own thing. It was a kind of freedom that Zaun allowed its children and teenagers, providing life skills and a brutal introduction to the reality of their city. His parental style wasn't to follow her unless there was a concern or a topic to discuss, and she would return when she decided to.

Since he had arrived here in this strange open world, Jinx hadn't been far from him and when she was, it hadn't been for long. Her disappearing for a night after the casino was probably the first time in a week that she had slipped off and not come back. He took that as a sign of things grudgingly returning to normal between them.

So, he remained listening to the dull plan, already formulating his own where he stood. Creative arts or manual labour were one thing, but there should be a plan or offering to make this place better. He intended to set it on the map as the place to be, but first, he would need Jinx to provide her usual sort of distraction with her excitable chaotic nature.

He eased away and walked in the direction that he had seen her slipping off. He moved better after a few days, his wounds healing slowly. His pain was far more manageable, and he had so far avoided having his head torn off by the sister or the boy. They should know better than to let him have an inch because he was going to take the whole city right from under them. Too little real life experience would do that.

A few false turns before Silco located his daughter in the woods with a bench and sitting in front of... oh. He stopped when he saw it, a marker that she had mentioned in embarrassment when he had first arrived. There it was. It was plain, no fanfare, no big monumental statue, and Silco liked it better that way. Of course, he had a habit of liking anything that Jinx made or even scribbled on.

He cleared his throat as he decided to move closer and over to seat himself on the make-shift bench.]

And here I thought you would have graffiti'd it in your usual manner. [Said with a soft fondness.] Are you going to take it down now that I'm here?

ii

[oracledriven]

[It's not the first time Noel has found himself in the forest. That makes for little comfort, at the moment; last time he was here? Things didn't go great.

Funny. Before all of that, he didn't mind spots like this. While other people are calling it spooky and haunted, he's just appreciating the fact that it exists at all. By his time, there wasn't much left like a forest. That said, the singing does catch him off-guard, at first. Once he realizes it's coming from the girl in the tree, he stops feeling like maybe they're right about ghosts.

Jinx will find an apple tossed lazily in her direction. From down on the ground:]

Gonna have a hard time getting a good meal if you're just sitting up there all night.

caitlyn kiramman | ota

[bulleting]

i: restoring razed lands

[Caitlyn will be the first to admit she lived a life of privilege. She never had to worry about where the next meal came from. She never had to worry about basic needs, or even wants. While she wasn't as much for the high class life as her parents, she still was high class.

Which means she's never tended to the earth in her life. But she is, at least, familiar with it. She was always out playing in the woods, shooting targets, camping and hunting growing up. She loved nature, and was honestly heartbroken to see what happened to the forests here. So she decided to help. When people started rallying volunteers to help with the replanting, she immediately agreed.

It's exhausting work, especially in the heat. She decides to take a break, sitting in the shade of the remaining tree line to eat a snack she brought and rehydrate when she hears it-- the strangest of chirping sounds. It takes her a minute to realize where she heard it before, and the blur of the events in the casino come back to her.

It was one of those strange Raptor creatures. What did Noel call it again? Choco..bo?

She rises to her feet, scanning to woods to see if she can spot the creature in question. She hears it again, noticing it sounds...weak? Maybe hurt? A brief walk through the trees, and she finally spots the beast. The beautiful white bird is on the ground, seeming to be favoring one of it's long legs. Caitlyn can only imagine what other creatures filled these woods that could cause it harm.

She hesitates approaching, considering she knows absolutely nothing about these creatures, but she wants to help. Somehow. Any how.

Feel like giving her a hand?]

ii: hunting party

[Caitlyn likes to shoot, but what she doesn't like is killing. Hunting is necessary in a place like this. It's nothing she's never done before. Back home, most of the hunters she was around always hunted for sport, declaring their best kills of the season, hanging their most proudest on their walls. And while she attended these hunting parties, hunting for sport was never something she agreed with. If an animal was going to be killed, it should at least be for a reason.

But that doesn't mean she has to like that either. And yet, the people in Aldrip needed food to survive, and given the state of the farms and forests, meat was in demand.

So here she is, doing a quick safety check on her folding rifle to make sure it's ready for the current hunting party's adventure.]

Ready to head out?

iii: training

[Caitlyn will never deny her best skill. She's an excellent shot. It's something she's always been proud of, and something she's always worked hard to maintain her skill in. Here in Aldrip, it's been no different. Even before she managed to get her rifle from home back, she had sketched some plans and had a local blacksmith make her a decent backup.

And now, while others were gathering to train and work on their skills, Caitlyn was glad for a moment to sharpen up her own. She had gathered some old trash, just bottles and jars that had been thrown out, and lined them up on a log.

With the object in her sights, she let loose a bullet, smirking to herself at the familiar ping of the object being struck and crumbling from the impact.

Care to watch her continue? Or perhaps you'd like some pointers? She has plenty of targets that can be set up, if anyone cares to join her.]

restoring lands

[snowslip]

[ With a bleeding heart for animals, Marianne can't ignore the sound of an animal in distress. She pulls herself up from the ground where she had been crouched tending to crops to search for the creature. In a clearing between trees, she finds a bird she now recognizes as a Chocobo thanks to Noel. The ones at the casino were fast and nimble, but a glance at this one tells her there is something wrong with one of its legs. She spots another woman already there, and though usually reserved, this is one situation where Marianne doesn't hesitate to speak up. ]

Do you know what happened?

Training

[beshackled]

[Erichthonios has never seen a gun up close. Mayhap something of the sound of it is familiar due to recent memory, but the fight in the desert had been a somewhat frenetic and confusing one, and the person he had ended up with in the fray, like him, used magicks.

So as the young woman fires again, he observes her actions with no small amount of curiosity.]

...Pray forgive the interruption, but is that a concept of your own design?

iii

[baldrshand]

[Ethlyn's a fine swordswoman, and Claude and Marianne's community planning has given her a good time to practice properly. She's about done for now and is putting a cold cloth on the back of her neck when she sees the collection of junk a distance away. At first she's irritated--who came here and put a load of trash out? And so deliberately.

And then she sees the woman with the gun and realizes it's not junk. It's a range.

Guns may be relatively new to Ethlyn, but she's spent enough time around archers to know not to get anywhere near the space between shot and target. She takes a wide path around to get a better look at the sharpshooter, and waits until a pause before speaking up.]

I wondered who was making such sport out of the recycling bin.

Tsunayoshi Sawada | Open

[theskyaccepts]

A - Forest

[Tsuna doesn't really like camping.

There's probably a lot of reasons for that. A lack of athleticism, his constant bad luck and accident prone nature, a number of memories of previous camping attempts that have ended in disaster. (Thanks Reborn). The bottom line is that the woods are not Tsuna's favoured terrain as it were.

He'll probably be travelling towards the back of the group. Definitely jumping at every rustle and sound, head on a swivel looking for something, anything that might come at them. He doesn't want to be cursed, or haunted. Or left behind...

Where did the rest of the group go?]

Hie! Wait up!

B - Diplomacy

[When it comes to things like manual labour or providing entertainment, Tsuna is kind of lacking in both departments. The only real entertainment he'd be able to provide is unintentional slapstick and he doesn't really have the constitution for consistent farm work. So he's a little lost as to what he can provide, in order to help.

Until he comes across a park. Mostly he'd just been wandering for a breather, trying to come up with an idea. Or at least look busy. And then he had seen the kid playing in the sandbox on his own. And well, he's been that kid, so he goes over. And what started as a sandcastle is quickly becoming a sand city as more kids join in.

And Tsuna is currently talking down some older kids who were clearly looking to make trouble. He looks terrified while doing it, but somehow, he's holding his own.]

C - Rain

[There is a wet, muddy Tsuna currently hiding in this farmhouse. He's trying to get a fire going but it's a little difficult. Dying Will flames aren't exactly a replacement for regular fire, and well, the sticks he's found are also kind of wet.]

Oh come on! There's gotta be matches or something here, right?

[ooc: for further plotting, hit up urbaninja or PM]

diplomacy

[snowslip]

[ Marianne is returning from a talk that hadn't gone as well as she'd hoped, going over her stumbles in her head when she passes by the scene. One boy surrounded by older ones, who gesture aggressively, trying to intimidate. She can see what's happening, and it's troubling. That poor, brave boy... ]

Excuse me—

[ Her voice may be soft and unassuming, but the presence of an adult is enough to draw their eyes to her. A more assertive person might have simply told the kids to knock it off, but she hesitates to be so direct. ]

Is something the matter?

a

[garbagecanned]

[Yosuke's thoroughly creeped out as well, and at the random noise and snapping twigs behind him, he jumps.]

D-Don't eat me--!!

[and then he realizes that it's... just some guy.]

Hey, don't sneak up on a person in a place like this!!

[even though Tsuna wasn't sneaking at all...]

yu narukami | ota

[izanagis]

i. campfire mysteries

[Pessiria forest…

Yu isn't sure how great he's going to be at diplomacy—it's a far leap from forging bonds with other high schoolers—but he's willing to give it a try. Besides, it'd be nice to see the areas around Aldrip…and even though he hopes there won't be anything else untoward on the horizon, he doesn't want to take the chance of being caught unprepared.

That doesn't mean he's not feeling a little on edge, though. The stories he's heard about the forest don't seem entirely realistic, but he doesn't know this place well enough to know what could and couldn't happen. Still, there's no use in panicking over something that might not happen… Yet. He comes to sit by the campfire around dinnertime, offering a wave to whomever is sitting nearby.]

See any ghosts yet?

[He's kidding. Totally. Right?]

ii. the diplomacy sidequest chain

[Once he actually gets to Rumpitur—and gets past the fact that the locals there seem to be…snake people—Yu realizes that diplomacy is just a dressed-up word for fetch quests. He can do that.

He'll be found throughout the day, gathering this plant or that material, helping out the blacksmith or the general store manager with a specific task. He's not much of an entertainer, but several of the Rumpiturians seem fascinated by the handful of yen he seemed to have jingling around in the pocket of his jacket.

If a fellow Chosen happens by while he's performing one of these tasks, such as lifting or moving things or retrieving items, he might approach with a request for an extra set of hands. Let's make friends with these folks together.]

iii. rain rain go away

[Should've seen this one coming, huh? Yu manages to duck into one of the old farmhouses before he gets too drenched, but his uniform jacket is a bit of a lost cause. He peels it off and wrings it out on the porch before draping it over a dusty old chair in the kitchen.]

Doesn't look like it'll stop any time soon, [… said in greeting to whomever happens to be stuck with him. He gestures at the wood-burning stove nearby.]

Think it still works? Maybe we can find some wood around here somewhere.

I

[strength_of_will]

[ He nods amicably to them as he chews slowly through a small loaf of bread. For William's part, the spookiness of the Pessiria Forest has not fazed him at all. It's no more frightening than the poisoned forest he and his companions had been travelling through to reach the Rust Mountains, nor as dangerous as the Beast Woods. Gracefeel's benediction equips him to deal with any lingering spirits as well, so there is little for him to fear.

It also means he takes the rhetorical question seriously. ]

No, I haven't. Let me know if you see any though. I can help them pass on.

Yuja Wightshade (WoL) | OTA

[likethestars]

☉ EXCURSION THROUGH THE PESSIRIA FOREST

[ Having heard word that people would be traveling to a nearby town, there was no way Yuja was going to pass up on it. Sure her inquiries about a map and ample information on the flora and fauna had fallen through, but what's a better way to learn than first hand? And at least this way she isn't leading a group excursion without the necessary information. She can just follow along with the group and be ready to jump into action should the need arise.

Is it wise of her to travel while she seems to be cursed with a bout of bad luck? Likely not, but that isn't about to stop her. She's been in Aldrip too long and the need to travel is near all-consuming.

One might catch her humming a jaunty tune as they walk near her. When it comes time to rest she doesn't really do so. Instead, she'll stay vigilant somewhere nearby while everyone takes a moment. ]

☉ DIPLOMACY OF RUMPITUR

[ Yuja has no gifts to give, all she has to offer is physical labor or some other task. Which is fine by her, she started her journey doing these kinds of things. Running an errand for someone, harvesting crops, looking after children... You name it she probably did it. Whatever is required she'll do without complaint.

Though even with her prodigious strength transporting a large number of crops on her own isn't particularly easy. It would seem any wheelbarrows to be found are currently in use, so all she can do is heft sacks onto her shoulders and carry them from one destination to the next.

Unfortunately for her, her luck is currently at an all-time low. It's as she carries a sack of root vegetables that a tear forms and suddenly Yuja finds herself tripping over fallen tubers. There's a surprised yell as she crashes to the ground, the other sack splitting open and spilling its contents all over as well.

She sits there for a moment, assessing the damage before sighing. ] 'Ey, do you mind lending a hand? It seems these sacks aren't as sturdy as they look.

[ She motions to the fallen vegetables, now scattered all around, before moving to start collecting them into a pile. ]

diplomacy

[garbagecanned]

[it's when he's getting called out to that he looks up from what he's doing, one of the lucky ones (for once) that'd gotten a wheelbarrow. when he sees her and the vegetables on the ground, he runs over to her and starts to help her get the food back together.]

Yeah... some of 'em are about as study as plastic bags.

[he looks back over at her.]

You okay, though?

Ethlyn | OTA

[baldrshand]

Diplomacy
Manual labor

[The Rumpiturans have asked for helping hands, and Ethlyn is happy to provide that--being exactly the kind of nobility that takes a good deal of pride in being willing and able to roll up her sleeves and get her hands dirty. (So long as she can wash them later for healing duties.)

She's at a well drawing up the pail to fill a big bucket, and grins at the nearest person coming in her direction.]

Hello! Would you like to help me with this?

Camping out

[Ethlyn isn't that miffed that the Rumpiturans aren't putting them up--they're here unasked-for once again, and it would be counterproductive to ask for friendship and then immediately impose on it.

So she's either helping to set up tents in the afternoon, or she's sitting by a campfire in the evening, carefully tending some apples that she's baking in the hot ashes. She glances up briefly when someone approaches.]

These apples are nearly ready--would you like to wait and try one?

Storehouse
Pickling
[Back when the refrigerators failed, Ethlyn was quite vocal in saying that her world has always got along fine without them, because of things like salting and springhouses and, yes, pickling.

It seems like it's time to put her money where her mouth is. She's got her hair under a kerchief and an apron on as she wields her knife against cucumbers, onions, and cabbage, among other things. She flips through the recipe book... and frowns.]

'Pink pickled eggs?' Now that's quite a party trick.

Sparring

[Although Ethlyn has several times wished for the enchanted sword her sister-in-law gave her, she's been without it long enough to not regret it anymore.

She is, however, interested in trying out some different swords than her trusty but very basic blade. Some of the smiths of Aldrip clearly enjoy a flourish, which is why she's experimentally swinging a curved sabre.]

Interesting... I've never fought with a one-sided blade before. I wonder how it is in combat?


Wildcard

sparring!

[oracledriven]

[Some of these things are covered in rust. Noel has been sorting out the usable from the junk, tossing anything that needs to be used for scrap metal in a pile. That said, he has managed to find a decent set of shortswords that work well for someone who uses both hands like he does. Not that he needs a new weapon -- his swords have served him well for centuries.

... But...you never know, right?]

Wanna test it out?

[A grin. He gives the shortswords one last test, raising them both experimentally.]

I could use a chance to give these a try, too. Make sure they're not gonna break in the middle of a fight.