Day 2: Evening

Evening: 5:00pm - Midnight

[ IRL Timeframe: April 14th - April 22nd, 2019 ]

Unfortunately for everyone, the second day's events are far less rewarding than the first day's. Now that things are starting to get real, there are consequences for what's taken place. Both monsters caused a bit of damage and a mess with their departure, but the locals on the island are trying to stay positive. Sometimes things just get messy, they've dealt with this for forty years it's fine.

But the heroes are sure to have a lot on their mind. Injuries mean it's less of a game and more likely to sink in as real. How will your hero cope tonight? The Princess and her two knights are due for a rendezvous with the Protector and, on the other hand, there are some evil-allured knights due for some private time with the Wizard. What will come of that?

The Weather
Still.
61°F / 16°C
An eerie calm has fallen over the island.

Prompts:

05:00pm Clean-up Crews: Both Bamborough and Craydon were left with big neon-green splashes of blood that aren't going to just wash off. Numerous locals in both areas are hard at work cleaning up after the second monsters, scrubbing at buildings and assessing the damage to the island. In Bamborough, the locals are hard at work trying to salvage the damage to the boardwalk or put up caution tape around the destroyed areas. Is your hero lending a hand in all this? Is someone else helping? Bond over picking up the pieces, but hey... it could be worse, right?

5:30pm, Craydon: Despite being largely untouched by the monster's arrival, the citizens of Craydon have dropped by the train station to check in on the heroes. Anyone in the area will be given a small care package of items and offered a free coupon for any restaurant in the area. Will your hero go alone and run into someone who was craving the same food they were, or will they team up with their fellow heroes to drop by a restaurant together? Everyone needs to unwind, after all!

5:30pm, Bamborough: Despite the boardwalk damage, the Bamborough oceanfront diner is offering 'monster margaritas' tonight. They're set up as an open-air bar tonight, doors and windows open to let in the cool sea air. Every hero gets their first monster margarita free if they can stomach the bright green color, and they've got deep fried bar foods for half off. Come in, indulge, have a drink to get your mind off of the events of the day, heroes!

5:30pm, Far Haven: The Far Haven clinic has advertised that its doors are open to any hero injured, or just in need of a check-up, for the rest of the evening. They want to check in on all the heroes and make sure they're okay. Did your hero come alone and run into someone here? Or did they come together to get stitched up? Or maybe they just need to be reassured that everything will be okay.

8:30pm, 9:05pm, 9:40pm, Train station(s): As always, Social media is incredibly quick to report Wizard appearances. At 8:00pm they report that the Wizard is waiting for the train in Bamborough station. She does, in fact, board the train at 8:30pm and they start theorizing where her destination is. Social media points out that her train will be arriving in Craydon at 9:05pm, then it will get to Far Haven by 9:40pm. If a hero tries to find her when the train arrives back in the Bamborough station at 10:15pm, though, the train will be empty. Where will your hero find her? Bamborough between 8 and 8:30pm? On the train in Craydon at 9:05pm? Or when she disembarks in Far Haven at 9:40pm?

Procedure:

Reply to the appropriate toplevel comments for events below. Indicate if a post is a private conversation with "Private" in the subject otherwise all threads should be open to interaction with others. Plan OOCly how you'd like to toss everyone around.

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He snorts at how immediately Garrot demands privacy, opening his mouth to continue teasing. He's a little too slow, and instead, he listens as the other plans where the kids will go. Despite himself, he smiles appreciatively when he says he'll save him from a million questions. Questions are possibly his least favorite thing to deal with from nonwild elves, and he's glad to see Garrot has learned that already.

"It's, uh, nothing like all this." He gestures around at the bar, and all these dang people. "It's pretty quiet where I spend most of my time. Lots of places to get lost but... maybe not the kind of lost you want your kids to be." Especially that seven year old. He takes a thoughtful pause, wondering if he'd even be able to keep a bunch of kids busy anymore. Probably not? Damn, it's been a long time since he's had to think about this kinda thing.

"Might give you more uh, peace of mind if you come alone."

"O-oh." That is not what he expected to hear. At all. But Garrot quickly returns to a soft smile, because Gyre cares about his kids! That's really cool of him. He wants to ask how wild elf kids keep busy, but given how talks about his kids went before... bad idea.

"So, what do you do for fun out there?" Again, Garrot is generally interested. But then he starts to smirk, because he knows Gyre well enough to say, "You probably have more fun out there than here, right?" He's not even flirting, it's just a statement of assumed fact.

What a weird response? His eyebrows raise very slightly at Garrot's surprise, wondering what he has to be surprised about. The idea that the man wouldn't expect him to care about his kids doesn't even occur to him! Gyre's mouth twists into this confused smirk, but he won't ask what the other was thinking about just yet.

The smirk becomes decidedly less confused at that little guess there. Garrot might not be flirting, but Gyre absolutely is, reaching out slowly, thoughtfully, as if he's going to take his hand.

"It's certainly easier to have my, uh, needs met out there." The very tip of his one claw taps against Garrot's knuckle and pauses there.

"You're all so reserved here," he murmurs, before suddenly running the claw lightly up the back of his hand. He grins as he does it, pulling himself suddenly back in his seat, as if the touch was somehow a mistake. He folds his arms, and his voice levels out as quickly as he touched him, answering the original question instead of flirting now.

"It's different," he says with a vague wave of his hand, snorting as he remembers the last time he told Garrot things were different where he's from. What a nightmare conversation that had turned into!

"There's so... much here. Movies and tv and radio and books. You're all packed so tight," he clasps his hands together for emphasis, spreading them suddenly as he continues, "I've gone weeks between seeing people. I once spent a day in meditation, watching the sun rise. And set. That's... fun for me, out there." It's a super contemplative existence, and the way he's quirking an eyebrow at Garrot says he doesn't think the guy could put up with uh anything that's that quiet.

Garrot just watches with an amused look on his face as Gyre's claw makes contact, and goes just a little farther. His ears droop slightly as the hand pulls away, and Garrot's conflicted- is that a mistake or a tease? But he just listens patiently, to what Gyre enjoys, and how introverted he seems to be despite the flirting and eager conversation with someone he barely knows.

"And how can you get your needs met if you barely ever run into anyone?" The question is coy, provocative, and pointed. Sure he's talking about sex, but also interaction and supplies and emotional support. It's the realization that Gyre may not have any emotional support that causes him to shake his head and press on as if it were rhetorical. So as if to chase the hand that withdrew, Garrot's own shifts just an inch or two closer to where Gyre is sitting.

"When I was younger, I spent a few years at a monastery in, well, I guess it was Tellan?" He tilts his head upward, momentarily in thought. "I can just sit there to meditate if I need to, but I'd rather work or build something or exercise." His martial arts forms are so ingrained they're just exercise now. Oops. "At least then I can spend that time helping someone else, too."

Yep, big reckless Garrot has no problem casually mentioning that he can be contemplative and mindful.

Edited 2019-04-24 17:43 (UTC)

He notes the hand moving closer to him, watching it for just a second before he levels his attention on Garrot, listening closely. He doesn't know what a monastery is? He's heard the word maybe once before, but the context had been similar. Somewhere to go to meditate? That's what he's assuming anyway.

As Garrot finishes, he finds himself leaning forward again, settling his folded elbows on the table. "I know where people are when I need them. I... hunt well. Better then most. I bring the extra food to the people nearby. I help new families build the homes they need, but... it's nice. To just be quiet sometimes. To be alone."

Then he can't help leaning closer, grinning slyly. "You know how to meditate?"

Garrot leans in as well, but his grin is a bit... cockier. "I'm full of surprises. And I love that you're a provider." And then he winks! See, Garrot wanted to call the elf a pillar of his community, but that's almost family and they distracted from that topic with flirting, so. He feels like he's been surprising Gyre left and right... but no need for a bad one now.

"Meditating is one of the most important things I can do." Important because it helps him be warmer, kinder, less terrifying, less monstrous. But then Garrot chuckles, scratching at the back of his neck. "...even if I'm a little out of practice from all this." And then he gestures to the whole of the bar, the island. Saving the world is exhausting! He doesn't have the time!

A provider? Of course he provides? Everyone provides or they wouldn't be able to live out in the woods like they do. His expression folds into a deep confusion as he turns the word over, considering what else Garrot is trying to say with it. He feels like he's heard it in this kind of context before, but attaching it to the man-of-the-house-with-a-good-job thing that it implies is so far from his personal context. He has no inroads on it.

And he has to abandon it anyway when Garrot goes and declares he's out of practice. He tsks! "I've been doing it before I go to sleep. Even just a few minutes helps me." He tilts his head, running his eyes over him thoughtfully.

"Might help you too."

"Y-yeah..." Garrot's demeanor seems to have faltered a bit, which shouldn't be surprising since they're talking about his vulnerabilities, about how he's not doing what he needs to. So he lowers his volume enough that nobody else should be able to hear him. "I... sleeping is hard for me here. After my father died, I was so angry," his fists clench a bit with the word, "and I still have these horrible nightmares where I'd watch her kill him, kill me. Meditating never helped." Then he sighs for a moment before cramming another mozzarella stick in his mouth.

"Now the anger's back, so I'm avoiding her." Garrot's mouth is chewing quickly and forcefully, like he needs something to distract himself. "And if that motherfucker starts giving me nightmares while I'm here, I'm gonna lose it. I can't fight if I can't sleep." The doctor's eyes go wide and his ears droop as he tries to lock eyes with Gyre. For as much as he wants to help everyone, Garrot isn't the best at solving his own problems.

"Wh-what should I do?" Gyre might have nothing to offer, but at least Garrot's willing to trust him, despite their history. "I... I don't know what to do."

Edited 2019-04-27 15:07 (UTC)

He looks... supremely amused when Garrot lowers his voice like that, leaning closer so the other doesn't have to strain himself admitting he's not perfect.

This amusement fades almost immediately when he realizes Garrot is actually telling him something personal, his face opening up, his eyes lightening. He's there to listen for him and this fact is written into every inch of him only a few moments into Garrot's worrying. He nods very slightly as he listens, meeting Garrot's eyes with this deep sympathy. For just a moment, he sees himself reflected in the other and it hurts to know how lost he might feel right now.

He takes a slow breath as he considers his words, chewing the inside of his cheek thoughtfully. "Well... if you find the solution for nightmares, let me know," he says, trying to keep things as light as he can while they're being vulnerable with each other. Not too light though. He still looks serious as he finds his words again.

"When mine started... the only thing I figured out was to set aside more time to sleep. Twelve hours or so," he says with a little so-and-so handwave. He generally tries to be down by midnight, and up no earlier then eleven the next day. It's the reason he's looked so awful even into the late mornings these past few days. "It doesn't always work, but I can get a few decent hours in there. Enough to fight, anyway, um..."

He tsks softly after that, glancing off into the crowd. He has no idea how to advise about anger issues, honestly. Wild elves feel their anger as it comes and let it go when it's done, ideally, but these people... he knows they'll cling to their rage for years. And Garrot has been angry for decades. It's unimaginable to him, but he'll do his best.

"When you meditate, what do you do? I've always found meditating helps when I'm angry. It's relaxing for me?" he asks, probing carefully. The relaxation bit is why he does it before he sleeps!

"I... I take deep breaths, I focus on my breathing or I imagine I'm somewhere relaxing instead of dealing with my thoughts." Garrot gains some confidence as he lists those things out. He knows what he does, he knows it helps. At least he seems a bit less broken down?

"I get to focus on what's important, but- but-" He swallows his anxiety, but it still makes his demeanor start to fray at the edges again. All of a sudden, Garrot goes tense, and he seems like he's holding back something dark. "Surviving, killing the Wizard is the most important thing I can do right now. For everyone, for me. I want revenge."

Garrot sighs, though it's closer to a long, deep, centering breath. What he needs to do, what he wants to do, and how long he has to wait are so intimately entwined that his brain might even be giving him some tunnel vision. Just a little. At least he's aware enough to hate it.

This fucking guy. He sighs deeply when Garrot just goes and declares his intention like that! Like it's nothing! He knew the man was a fucking mess, but he thought he was a little more put together then all this.

"It won't... help," he says after a moment, firmly, tilting his head just slightly so he can meet Garrot's eyes. He wants to hold his gaze. He wants this guy to actually listen to him for once.

"One of the people who... One of the reasons I have nightmares," he says, trying to pick his words carefully, "I found out he died a couple years ago." His eyebrows raise significantly, hoping Garrot can see where he's going.

"I still have nightmares." He pauses there, letting the words hang as he leans forward, getting as close as he can without just crawling into Garrot's lap. He's clearly trying to figure out the nicest way to say what he wants to say. The truth of it is harsh, but he's trying to help. "Even if you're able to kill her, permanently, you'll still have to live in a world without him. There are more important things then survival and murder in all this."

He glances off to the side after that, chewing his lip. "I meditate differently from you. I can teach you my way, if you like. I think it might help you... process? Everything?"

"I know..." The words are a faint little whine as Gyre looks into his eyes. As the elf leans in, says his piece, and gives his offer, Garrot just sighs again.

"I know revenge won't change the past, but I thought I made my peace with all this!" Garrot whines, then looks down to the ground, slouching a bit as his center of gravity starts to lean towards Gyre. "It's been thirty years, and I've spent most of those helping people instead of being angry." He had, of course, spent quite a while being angry about it all. Then he moved on, accepted his life.

"But now that I can finally do something about the Wizard, is it wrong to want revenge when we're gonna have to fight her anyway?!" There is, in fact, a lot of pain in his eyes and voice with that remark. Does this make him selfish or a bad person? Does it even count as revenge if beating the Wizard is his job? But then he rolls his neck backwards, staring straight up at the ceiling. Groan.

"If you think you can help me make peace with a chance I never thought I'd get, I'm all ears." He knows damn well it doesn't change the fact that other people lost family to her, his own kids included. But he'd be lying if he didn't want to make her suffer just like she made him. "I..." Garrot chuckles, a moment of mirth amidst all the heaviness. "...I really don't think I can make sense of this on my own."

He's already shaking his head when Garrot asks about wanting revenge. He has thoughts on this subject, and he very nearly interrupts the other's train of thought, his nails drumming once across the table.

He'll have to get back to that though, offering Garrot this soft smile. "No, no. I can only teach you the way I learned it. Only you can make peace with yourself. I..." He pauses a moment, turning words over in his head as he tries to find the right ones. "I cut the wood, you know?"

Idioms don't translate well between languages, it turns out, and he knows the phrase doesn't have quite the right impact in Common, but he's not exactly sure why. Instead, he pulls the conversation back a little bit, clearing his throat so he can hopefully get through this without his voice giving out. God dammit, he only talks this much around Garrot, why.

"I don't think it's wrong to want revenge though. Emotions don't have a uh, morality?" he says, like he's not sure exactly the words to use. He fucking hates talking about philosophy, especially in Common, but the desire for revenge is such a clear, relateable thing for him. He has to share what he's decided after forty years of dealing with the impulse.

"The only thing that matters is what you do with that feeling. Cruelty for cruelty's sake is always wrong, even when done to someone who might have hurt a lot of people."

Garrot just squints that idiom, trying not to ask about it until his pedigreed education clicks and he realizes it might be about building things? And the elf keeps going, talking about how emotions aren't good or evil, how he needs to focus on what he does, and why. The doctor just sits there as a little smile creeps onto his face, an indication that maybe, just maybe he's found someone who can help him through this.

"Th-thanks..." Honestly, Garrot's just glad to hear that he's not a bad person for being so angry about all this, for wanting to destroy the Wizard like he's some savage beast. The weird thing is that it's from Gyre, who tends to yell at him half the time. "This is just such a weird situation for me. Like..." He blinks a few times, willing to take an assumptive leap. "Imagine if the guy who caused your nightmares was, like, a Knight. How uncomfortable and confusing that'd be."

Garrot has no idea if the comparison is accurate, but he knows that the more he tries to keep himself and Gyre on the same page, the better things end up going for them.

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Day 2: Evening

Evening: 5:00pm - Midnight

The Weather

Prompts:

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