Day 5: Evening

[wizardseason]

Evening: 5:00pm until Midnight

[ IRL Timeframe: October 15th - October 23rd October 31st, 2019 ]

Evening is calm, evening is serene, evening is-- a time for everyone to catch up with all the nonsense that just happened today. For anyone checking social media, there are a number of significant events that went down to catch up on:

• Gyre's head straight-up fell fucking off. Somehow he's not dead.
• Gyre and Luka fought each other.
• Gyre punched Luka in the face.
• Terrence posted a Photoshop Phriday contest on the Hopeful Hearts homepage in the morning, when the Wizard was KO'd. It's finally gone viral.
• Two hospital rooms are out of commission due to the floor collapsing.
• The hospital's main lobby is inaccessible via the main doors, good thing the side doors work.
• Rory is missing. Where did the Tiger knight go? Social media fears the worst.
• The child teleported off of the pier, leaving anyone with them behind as they boarded a tourist boat. If the side is to be believed, it's headed back to Bamborough, but with the child at the helm where would it be going?

That's... quite a bit of bad stuff. Thankfully most of the afternoon events are still ongoing, so there's plenty of opportunities for the heroes to unwind in each others' company. The evil-allured knights get their own chance once they fall asleep for the night.

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The Weather

• Birds are chirping again.
• 59°F / 15°C
• It shouldn't be this chilly?

---

Prompts:

• 5:00pm Onward: Hospital, Far Haven: After the rooms were destroyed and the lobby floor was ripped up, the Hospital is hardly in tip-top shape. Any heroes can drop by to try to gather clues with others, to try to help pick up the place, or of course drop by to get medical attention.



• Most Evening Times: Gyre's Camp, Forest between Craydon and Bamborough: Gyre can be found in his camp for most of the evening. It's taking up a little clearing in the trees and it's extremely nicely kept even at first glance. There's a fire pit dug into the ground, and lined with rows of gently polished rocks. There are three delicately carved wooden figures sitting on the rocks, one per rock. There's a little boar, a curved antler that very nearly looks real and uh a wizard hat.
  
  Off to the side, there's a canvas tent that's just barely big enough for a Gyre-sized bedroll and his emptied backpack. It's been zipped shut except for a couple inches opening left at the top. There's a little pile of chopped wood beside the tent, and a bowl filled with a dark purple dye and a few folds of leather. In front of the tent is a boot with the sole coming off, partially unsewn.
  
  Across from the fire, there's a rack set up with one cleaned rabbit? skin, and a deer skin hung on a pole to dry. The deer's skull has been set on a pike up high to bleach the bones.
  
  At least one person has promised to visit, but will he even after their fight? But perhaps he won't be the only one to drop by tonight.



• 5:00pm Onward: Unlimited Tacos, Bamborough: Even after the rails are fixed in Bamborough, the unlimited taco deal didn't come to an end. If the princess or any knight drops by, they won't even have to ask because there are free tacos for the rest of the day! Any hero may show up and sit down to dine on tacos of all types and flavors. Unfortunately this taco shop only specializes in flour-shell options, but their flavors are on point! Dine in with your fellow heroes and discuss all the nonsense that's been happening... and it's only day five.



• 5:00pm Onward: Free Drinks, Far Haven: If your hero is just tired of everything having to be So Much All The Time, they can drop by one of Far Haven's brightest night life bars called "Reach". They're offering free drinks all night to celebrate the Wizard getting put in the hospital. Things are looking pretty easy for the team this year! The special drink being offered is the "Wizard Bomb" which drops a blue shot into a bubbly red drink. It's pretty tasty and, best of all, free! Which heroes will find each other here before the night crowd shows up? Sun's going down fast!



• 5:00pm Onward: Free Admission Meditation, Craydon: Heroes need to take a moment to breathe, and one of the locals in Craydon has realized that. They've offered any hero a free meditation session in their garden room. Incense will be lit, hot towels will be offered, and the gentle serene environment of their garden room (complete with the carefully-combed and designed zen sand pit) will make sure any stress just melts away. Does your hero run across someone else while walking in or leaving? The Wizard can be found sitting outside, staring up at the sky, for the rest of the evening.



• 7:00pm Bed & Breakfast Helping Hand, Craydon: The owner of the Helping Hand Bed & Breakfast needs a helping hand! They threw their back out after carrying a large stack of firewood in for the wood oven. Looks like they're down for the count for at least the rest of the day. Care to lend a hand, perhaps with your fellow heroes, to get things taken care of? The laundry needs to be done, more firewood has to be cut, the food has to be cooked, the guests have to be checked in and out... Who's going to do all this if they can't even get up off the ground? They're in a rough spot! Social media was kind enough to report on what happened, but now that night's falling, things have to be closed up for the night. After the events of the day, Ten can be found here helping out. Looks like he's doing a little bit of everything!



• 8:30pm Protector Meeting, Far Haven: After the events of the day, the Protector sought out Olivia and spoke with Luka before he handled his own evening tasks. They both received a card from him with an address on it and a request to bring one knight that they trusted along with them. The address, not strangely at all, will take them to the center of a small local park in the middle of the business district. When they arrive, the Protector will be sitting on a bench overlooking a fountain. All around him are screens that are showing the events of the day, and he appears to be reviewing what happened.
  
  Of course, this isn't his dream space so he can be found by just about anyone at this point. But will anyone else find him? Before or during the meeting? Will they spy on the meeting or make themselves known?

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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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Activity Check: October 2019

[ IRL Timeframe: October 1st - October 31st, 2019 ]

Comments

Most Evening Times: Gyre's Camp, Forest between Craydon and Bamborough:

[wizardseason]

Gyre can be found in his camp for most of the evening. It's taking up a little clearing in the trees and it's extremely nicely kept even at first glance. There's a fire pit dug into the ground, and lined with rows of gently polished rocks. There are three delicately carved wooden figures sitting on the rocks, one per rock. There's a little boar, a curved antler that very nearly looks real and uh a wizard hat.

Off to the side, there's a canvas tent that's just barely big enough for a Gyre-sized bedroll and his emptied backpack. It's been zipped shut except for a couple inches opening left at the top. There's a little pile of chopped wood beside the tent, and a bowl filled with a dark purple dye and a few folds of leather. In front of the tent is a boot with the sole coming off, partially unsewn.

Across from the fire, there's a rack set up with one cleaned rabbit? skin, and a deer skin hung on a pole to dry. The deer's skull has been set on a pike up high to bleach the bones.

At least one person has promised to visit, but will he even after their fight? But perhaps he won't be the only one to drop by tonight.

Earliest Gyre Camp event

[wizardseason]

After having carried Gyre's lifeless body all the way from the hospital, Ten slumps him down in the tent on the bedroll. He doesn't linger long, leaving after only a few moments taken to make sure Gyre's head doesn't roll away. He zips the tent back up after he leaves. Sorry if Gyre had privacy traditions for the tent, Ten wanted to get him to safety.

What will cue Gyre starting to wake up is Five closing in on his camp with his amethyst. She'll be aiming to get to him, where he's laying, and throw it back on his body and leave. But he'll probably wake up before she arrives.

[sustainer]

Yes, he definitely does wake up as soon as his amethyst is even slightly in range. He leaps for it the second he can feel it close by. Time begins to become unreal and strange when he's not in his body so he has no idea what day it is, what hour. This is made even more difficult by the fact that his senses are the same scattered garbage they were before he passed out, and he just lays on his bedroll for a long time.

Eventually, he begins to feel right again, and he closes his fist, grips his bed, releases it again. He moves very slowly after that, finding the rhythm of his body again as he pushes himself up. Little bits at a time. His brain is spinning, his vision splotchy. He feels utterly sick, but he's got no stomach to throw up with.

"Fuck," he mumbles, pushing his hair out of his face and rubbing his hand down one cheek. He! Feels! Like! Shit!! Which is the only reason he doesn't realize how freaky it is that he's in his tent until he starts to unzip it and climb out. He freezes, his skin prickles, and he is in the foulest mood all of a sudden as he crawls out into the grass and lays face down to wait for whoever is bringing his gem.

[wizardseason]

Well MAYBE Gyre shouldn't have given his soul away to someone who was running away! Just whose fault does he think this all is anyway? Geez.

When Five arrives to find him laying facedown in the grass, she walks right up near him and spikes the amethyst at him. Unfortunately her aim sucks and it lands softly in the grass directly beside his head.

"There, I kept it safe. Happy? Hey, stop being dead."

[sustainer]

It's totally his fault. He's not mad at her! He's just mad at the situation and also that someone went into his tent.

This is to say, he blinks a bleary eye open when the amethyst lands next to him. He's not even aware she tried to hit him with it. He's pretty sure she just threw it down to him like a normal person. He grabs the gem and unrolls the chain, pulling it over his head without actually sitting up yet.

"Thank you. Were you able to get away safe?"

[wizardseason]

Well then he can get mad at Ten later, assuming he ever stops stewing about it in his own head. No one can know he's upset if he doesn't tell anyone.

She's immediately sarcastic with him because he doesn't get up.

"No, I'm dead and you're imagining this. Better wake up, doofus."

[sustainer]

This is true. Perhaps someday someone will know he was irritated about this particular breach in his social etiquette.

Until then, he opens an eye and peers up at her, frowning softly.

"Don't joke about that. Being a ghost is no fun at all."

[wizardseason]

Communicate with your mouth better, Gyre. Five, meanwhile, doesn't even know Ten put him in the tent. So she just locks her gaze on his one eye where he is on the ground. She takes a step closer, nudging his shoulder with her foot.

"So stop pretending to be dead."

[sustainer]

He waves her foot off, groaning softly as he forces his stiff body to roll over. He ends up slumping onto his back instead with a low groan, staring up at her with this slightly smirk.

"I'm not pretending," he says, and he pointedly tucks his amethyst away under his shirt as if she should understand his predicament now that she's carried his soul around. "I'm glad you're safe, by the way. He won't be able to sense you tomorrow, right?"

[wizardseason]

[ Ugh. ]

[ UGH. ]

[ Uggggggggggh!! ]

[ She audibly groans in absolute frustration that Gyre just dad-joked her with him being actually dead. Her eyes nearly roll back out of her head and she turns on one heel to take several steps away from him. She could just leave him here on the grass and no one would know. ]

"No, he won't, but that won't stop him from killing me if he finds me."

[sustainer]

Wait.

[He sits up when she starts retreating, looking after her. He couldn't blame her if she decided to leave, but he's desperately hoping she might stay and talk. Just for a little bit. He wants her to trust him, in case it's important later]

I'm going to try to talk to him. [...] And if that doesn't work, then I'll keep you safe.

[wizardseason]

[ That's stupid. ]

That's stupid. He won't listen to you. [ She folds her arms, turning to watch him. ]

And don't be stupid too, you can't protect me. [ She narrows her eyes as she says it. Her doubt level is uh, pretty damn high. ]

[sustainer]

Maybe. [He shrugs. Might be stupid, but he'd rather Luka make whatever decision he makes with as much information as possible. He's the princess after all. His opinion might sway the whole world behind him]

Why can't I protect you? I already did once. [He tilts his head at her, smirking dryly]

[eutychia]

Luka arrives on the outskirts of Gyre's campsite just after sundown. He's got what appears to be a guitar case strapped to his back, and he seems to have recklessly removed all of his bandaging (much to the dismay of the medical professional who applied it). As such, the beginnings of some rather intense bruising are visible around the inner corners of his eyes, and he's uncharacteristically without makeup.

"Gyre?" Luka announces his presence, taking a few cautious steps in the direction of his campfire.

[sustainer]

After whatever the heck happens with Five, he's gotten a fire started by now, and it's crackling pleasantly. He's taken up a station beside it, poking at it to build it up a little bigger to ward off the chill. It's so much colder then it ought to be tonight. He's got to do his best for this poor city boy coming out to the woods at night.

Despite having texted him earlier and knowing he was coming, he still tenses slightly at the sound of Luka's voice. There are a few ways this could go, he knows, and unfortunately he can only hope for the best right now.

"Over here, princess. You've got a straight shot to the fire," he says, wondering in this moment whether Luka will want his help finding a place to sit. Should he just help him anyway? God knows, he doesn't need the princess stepping into his fire pit. Ugh, he shakes his head, refusing to dwell on it for now.

"You brought a guitar...?"

[eutychia]

"Of course I did." He says, walking closer toward Gyre's voice. "Or did you already forget this morning?"

Luka pulls the case's strap over his head and sets it down near his feet. "May I sit?"

[sustainer]

"Ah..." he says, and he snorts softly. "Didn't forget, just uh... thought things might've changed."

He takes a few steps closer as well, reaching a hand out but not touching him just yet. "Sure. In the grass or, uh, I've got a couple places off the ground if you prefer."

As he speaks, he tilts his head now that he's gotten Luka a little more into the light, looking at the bruises building up around his eyes. While there's a definite wince in his voice, he can't help saying softly, a little too quickly, "That's not looking so bad."

[eutychia]

"I've never been one for sitting in the dirt." He replies. "Actually, I've never even been camping. I don't know how you do this every night."

When Gyre mentions the condition of his face, Luka instinctively turns his head away.

"Oh this? I never thought I'd wear a broken nose well. A little warning would have been nice, you know. Maybe I could have softened the blow."

[sustainer]

Gyre doesn't follow him when he looks away, letting him hide his face if he wants. Instead of insisting on staring at him, he very carefully loops a hand under his wrist and, as long as Luka doesn't pull away, draws him towards a large, flat stone a few feet away from the fire.

"There's a rock here that's pretty comfortable," he says, and he moves further away, putting space between them before he sits as well. "I don't know how you live in a city every night. At least it's quiet out here."

He sighs softly as Luka takes him up on this uh punch talk, wondering how he should go about this. Honesty is always the best policy, right? "I uh, didn't think you'd go down in one hit, honestly."

[eutychia]

Luka allows Gyre to guide him and takes a seat on the rock. It's not preferable but it's better than sitting on the ground, he thinks. "I guess I'm just a fan of noise. And convenience." He adds.

"What were you expecting? For me to raise my sword and fight you?" His tone and demeanor change with his questions, becoming much more focused and serious. "I've never wanted that."

1/2

[sustainer]

"Sometimes things should be hard," he says, in the briefest treaty on why convenience is bad ever said.

[sustainer]

That said though, his tone shifts with Luka's and he folds his knees up to his chest, thinking for a long moment.

"I don't either. I... hm," he murmurs, pausing again. "I was expecting to argue it out, I suppose. There's too much information out there that only one of us knows." He huffs softly, his tone apologetic even though he's not apologizing, "What you said, it got, um, stuck in me, I guess. More then I expected it to." It got under his skin is what he means, but what are idioms.

[eutychia]

"It was in poor taste, wasn't it?" Luka replies softly, feeling his face flush as he admits to having been in the wrong. "But isn't it true that they aren't mortal beings? What do you know about them that makes you feel so strongly for beings who are trying to end our world?"

[sustainer]

He's impressed! He did not expect Luka to back off so quickly on that one. The princess had said it so certainly at the time, he was sure they'd have to talk about that first. Instead, he's pleasantly surprised, smiling faintly. Perhaps there's hope for them yet.

"I don't think they're trying to end it. Maybe the thing they came from was, but it's been forty years. They're just as trapped in all this as we are. As the rest of them are, the Wizard and your Protector. The companions." He trails off in that moment, staring at the little boar figurine.

He's somber and quiet as he continues, "You know, the monster today. She cried when she told me you killed her friend, same as I have when my friends have died."

[eutychia]

“The Protector emphasized many times that they will say or do whatever it takes to get you on their side. She made me think I had killed her, too. And then I found her still very much alive, with you. How can you be so sure they aren’t just manipulating you into aiding them? Why, after so long, would they suddenly change their ways?” Luka’s words are concise and deliberate. It’s obvious this is something he’s thought over frequently.