Day 6: "Monster Arrival"

Afternoon: 12:00noon - Evening

[ IRL Timeframe: November 13th - ~~November 20th~~ December 4th, 2019 ]

Following the events of the morning, with the Wizard and Protector locked in a heated duel, Gyre has paved forward with his plan to gather all the heroes to show them something. Be proud of him, he texted EVERYONE!

The fight between the two powerful entities continues, they won’t be joining anyone just yet. Sxicq, meanwhile, is… somewhere. No one really kept tabs on them, even social media has lost sight of them.

Monster Arrival: Far Haven: No one! Six is preparing to “arrive” in the evening.

The Weather
Clear with a few clouds.
52°F / 11°C
Bring your heater, the chill continues!

Prompts:

12:30pm Mounain, General Post:

I.
Gyre arrives early to the main hiking trail at the base of the mountain. There’s a big sign advertising where it starts, and he sits against one of the legs of the sign. His legs are neatly folded, his arms crossed over his chest. As people begin to arrive, he greets each of them, standing after a second or third has arrived.

Once they’re all gathered, he raises a hand to get everyone’s attention. “Is this everyone?” he asks, clearly counting heads. A flicker of angst crosses his face as he realizes how much smaller they look without Rory and Web and Gail. As he counts, he realizes Zafika and Joanna are missing as well. He wasn’t able to talk to either of them, so he supposes he’s not surprised, but there is a little bubbling concern in his chest. He’ll have to address it later.

He waves at the lot of them once he’s done counting, gesturing for them to follow, “We’re going to the top. I’m going to move quickly so we can get back down before dark. If you need help, ask me. Rely on each other,” is all he says before he turns and heads up the trail.

The ground is worn enough to make the climb relatively easy, but it’s still climbing a mountain. How is everyone taking it? It’s a long trip. There’s time to catch up now that they’re all together again.

II.
This is the top of the mountain. When the heroes arrive, they’ll find Five and Ten seated at a small foldable table playing cards. Five is wearing jeans and a black hoodie with a computer error screen printed on it. She looks at the group of heroes arriving, giving a small wave once she’s seen some familiar faces-- but she immediately moves to hide behind Ten when she sees Luka.

Ten, meanwhile, is wearing a shirt with a picture of himself wearing a shirt with a picture of himself wearing a shirt-- you get the idea. How did he pull that off? The shirt is printed with a picture of him here, on the top of the mountain, outside this cliff door. Did he plan for this? He gives a wave at the group, greeting them with a Microsoft Sam voiced phone message:

“All around me are familiar faces. Ha ha, hello.”

Did he just reference a song? He definitely did. That was definitely “Mad World” by Jary Gules.

12:30pm Onward: Mountain, The Mountain Cave Entrance:

When the heroes decide to descend into the cavern, what they’ll find is a strangely winding corridor that’s barely lit at all. The ceiling is rarely higher than six feet, sometimes shrinking down to four feet and even three feet near the bottom, and most of its length is only wide enough for two people to fit through. The floor is slick with water, the slope of it acting as the perfect place for water to drain into from above. This means the descent is cramped, dark, and slightly slippery.

Good luck, heroes.

The corridor suddenly opens up at the bottom into a wide-open cavern, the walls spreading out too far in every direction and disappearing into the darkness of the cavern. The walkway into the space narrows as it crosses over a massive pit that surrounds a central circular platform. There aren’t any other walkways leading to the middle.

The circular platform in the center has twenty-seven metal rings that make up the floor, smaller ones in the middle surrounded by one massive ring around the outside. It'd take a lot of counting to see the 27 rings but, believe me, they're there. What the heroes will be able to spot, though, is that a few of the rings on the floor are rotating very, very slowly. It would be easy to miss, but once noticed it’s clear that there are exactly ten rings moving and seventeen that are not.

Surrounding the center platform are twenty-seven raised platforms in a big circle around the center. Floating above four in a row are bright yellow blobs with one, two, and three eyes respectively. The fourth and fifth have the slain bodies of Four and Five. Four is wearing the game show garb they’d worn on the day of their games. Five is wearing a set of heavy black robes, not the assassin garb she’d worn on her day. The other side has five occupied platforms each with knights floating in them. Web, with Aqrisqi floating above them. Rory, with Sefaq floating above her. Gail, with Giqra floating above him. Joanna, with Fius floating above her. Zafika, with Muraj floating above them.

Wait. When were Joanna and Zafika defeated? Both of them have a single red mark above where their hearts are like they’d each been stabbed with a blade.

Five and Ten have followed everyone down to this room, looks like they’ll be able to answer questions… maybe? But everyone knows that neither the Wizard nor the Protector will be here, they’re still fighting up on the island’s beach.

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.

Activity Check: November 2019

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Of course it's dangerous." Garrot laughs, both in response to the huffing and the incredibly obvious question. "I got lucky, because the bottle broke funny and most of the impact was on my bone. Should've been a smarter fighter back then, kept it from happening." The lament is offhand, his peace having been made a long time ago as his free hand guides Luka's fingertips to make contact with that outer bone. Bones are durable as heck! "That means the wound wasn't as deep where it counted. But I didn't know that at the time, so..."

His free hand balls into a fist and he starts gently punching down on one of Luka's hands. Bap. Bap. Bap. Garrot permits himself one (1) dark, cruel laugh at this man's expense. "Once I got him on the ground, I stomped on his hand. Over and over again." For a doctor, he sure doesn't sound remorseful or ashamed in the slightest...

A cold sweat comes over Luka as Garrot describes and playfully acts out one of Luka's own personal nightmares. Sure, maybe that guy should have known better than to attack this huge, powerful dude with a broken bottle - but Luka can't focus on that right now, instead imagining how painful and devastating having his own hands ruined like that would be.

He instinctively retracts the hand Garrot had used as an example, offering a slightly nervous chuckle.

"I... wouldn't want to be him." Luka comments, shrinking away. "I'd take the broken nose over that, easily."

Garrot is aware enough that his brutal stories of combat and medicine are, uh, not for the faint of heart. His loved ones have had to force him not to share any such tales as a first impression. Unluckily for Luka, they've met already, and the big guy sees the person he's supposed to protect just shrinking away, verbally and physically.

"H-hey, don't worry." Garrot pulls his own hands back into a simple placating sort of gesture, and he... doesn't do anything else with them. "It was decades ago, I'm not that person anymore." The way his eyes widen and his ears droop and his voice shakes makes it pretty obvious that he thinks Luka's scared of him now. Garrot can deal with a little power-play uncertainty from the Princess, but not fear of bodily harm.

"I-I promise."

"I know! I know." Luka reassures him, a bit surprised Garrot had picked up on his anxiety so quickly. Luka figures Garrot might be used to this kind of reaction, given his size and strength, but still feels guilty for letting his apprehension show even slightly.

"Becoming a father must have mellowed you out, right?" He suggests, bringing the conversation to the more lighthearted topic of family. "Or something even before then? Love, maybe?"

If only Luka could see Garrot in all his semi-monstrous glory, he'd realized that Garrot has been used to this reaction since long before he could even fight. He had to learn how to smile in ways that were inoffensive. So he's very used to placating unnerved humans, like it or not.

"Love? Nah, love's always made me stupid." He says that like it's obvious, even though Luka's never seen him be near anyone he loves. Granted, a good joke also makes Garrot stupid. But he starts to close in on himself a little bit, because, well.

"Spirituality, actually." Once he says it, he reaffirms his confidence and stops shrinking away. It's like he's looming again, except he's bright like the sun. "I got tired of all the fighting," read as: he maybe killed a man and had a crisis of conscience, "so I left and sought out balance and harmony and inner peace." A beat passes, and he cracks a little smile. "I'm friends with warrior monks." Garrot says it like he's twelve, filled with awe and excitement and whimsy.

Luka is somewhat disappointed that he's not about to get the juicy details of Garrot's love life. For someone so guarded about his own, Luka was hypocritically curious about the personal affairs of his allies.

"I didn't know there were many warrior monks out there. Are they cool?" He says, actually quite impressed with this revelation about Garrot's past. "Is that where you got the idea to go into medicine?"

Garrot, naturally, is the same way. He snoops and pries and digs but he literally hides his love life from his own children. Woe to whoever falls into the crosshairs of both of these idiot men.

"What? No." He chuckles, brushing off the assumption. "I'm like the heir to MurtaCorp, medicine was always on the table." As it turned out, it was upsettingly easy for him to become a doctor, given those connections.

"The monks helped me realize the privileges I had and how much I wanted to leverage them." He's surprisingly calm about that admission. "So yeah, they're cool. Some of 'em can even beat me in a fight, too." Garrot has shifted right back to smugness, because that's a hell of a statement to make! Pride be damned, he thinks his warrior monk pals are just the coolest.

"Oh. The family business." Luka says in a particularly jaded voice. It was clearly different for Garrot, but Luka can't help but project his own complicated relationship with his father's company on the situation.

His mood lightens as Garrot extols the virtues of the warrior monks he'd studied under.

"The ones who can beat you in a fight." He starts, a slight smile forming on his face. "Are they smaller than you? Or roughly the same size?"

Luka's hoping for the former, as the idea of a little dwarven monk taking him down seemed endlessly amusing in that moment.

Garrot absolutely notices that jaded tone; it reminds him of his kids being on their bullshit again, and it's got him pouting. At least until Luka starts asking about fighting, that is.

"Princess, I'm over seven feet tall." Barely, but still. But then he remembers that Luka is blind, and his height's not obvious. "Seriously, be a human ruler and reach up here, you'll understand." Just plap your hand right onto his loud face, Luka. He doesn't exactly wait around though.

"Of course I'm bigger and taller than all of the other masters of the martial arts." He makes the assertion sound utterly plain. "But that means my head is harder to hit, and I have crazy reach." He nods, sounding downright scholarly. "So they have to be fast enough and clever enough to outsmart me. Which is difficult..." He suddenly... stifles a laugh. A mean cackle, even.

"When half of them stumble as soon as I make a pass at them." Garrot, please, why do you sound shameless and proud and utterly earnest about that?!

"I know that!" He says indignantly. He might be blind but he'd been around Garrot enough to discern his general height. "There might be monks your size too though! I don't know. I've never met any before."

He'd met all sorts of people but never a warrior monk to his knowledge. They didn't tend to show up at awards events or meet and greets.

"Aren't they like, celibate?" He laughs. "Kind of not fair to be making passes at them."

Garrot just shrugs off Luka's indignation. Nine and a half times out of ten, he is the biggest guy in any room. But he can't help but echo the Princess's laugh when he brings up fairness.

"It's totally fair." He sounds so confident. "The more ascetic sorts are all about controlling their body and mind, and finding peace and harmony." He waits a beat to let that sink in. "So if one remark is all it takes to trip them up, they need to work harder!" So it's a test. A mischievous and trolly test. But then his eyes go wide and there's a moment of stammering.

"B-but I'd never act on anything, though!" Cue... a nervous laugh? "I mean, I know how important those vows are, and I'd never actually encourage them to break them." That'd be just terrible! So instead he'd tease and taunt people to death.

Luka quirks an eyebrow as Garrot's overt confidence suddenly lapses into... nervousness?

"That's a very specific denial. Are you sure you've never had any forbidden monk sex?" Luka says, mischief in his voice. "The forbidden aspect is kind of sexy if you think about it."

"I-It's a different kind of forbidden!" There's the slightest growl in his voice as he pleads out an awkward, nervous sort of yelp. Got a little foot in your mouth, Garrot? "I mean- it- you-" He stammers out a few more words, clearly stumbling hard over everything until he just stops and takes a real deep breath.

"It's something that they decide to make central to who they are and how they want to live their lives." It's a surprisingly level and composed and serious retort. Has Luka offended him? "It's a line I'll get close to if they're okay with it, but I'd never cross it." He's stern again. Loud, ridiculous, pushy Garrot has moral boundaries. Wow. But he breathes out, and all the tension and sternness goes away. In fact, he chuckles!

"Besides, if I broke a monk's vow of chastity, my boyfriend would kill me." He says like it's nothing, switching from lines he won't cross to... being murdered?

Luka's giggling impishly, obviously loving Garrot's reaction - until he suddenly gets all serious and authoritative, and Luka sighs like a kid who got caught breaking the rules.

"Yeaaahhh..." He agrees, reluctantly. "But it's still kind of sexy, no? The idea of someone being just so into you they're willing to go that far."

Luka's thoughts are then immediately derailed by Garrot's mention of a boyfriend! This was juicy, and he can't help but pry for more information.

"Wait, boyfriend?" He inquires, leaning toward Garrot. "Very interesting. I hope he wouldn't be too mad about our... uh, banter, today."

There's a wistful little chuckle along with a simple eye-roll. Sure he can relate to the thrill of being that powerful, but he's also older and far more settled down than he used to be. If only he were a few decades younger.

And then he realizes oh wait, he mentioned his, uh-

"Oh! Uh." A flash of excitement fades into momentary disappointment; he can't just show Luka a photo. "My boyf- fiance wouldn't mind." The correction is far more conscious than the initial mention.

"He set some rules before I left." But seeing an opportunity to have some mischievous fun, there's a rather ominous and mean cackle. "He'd never see youas a threat. He doesn't even know who you are."

Imagine, Luka, someone not knowing a celebrity of your stature! Garrot's trickster gambit is primed for amusement.

"Fiance?!" Luka immediately exclaims as soon as the word leaves Garrot's lips. This correction has thrown him for another loop, and it's unclear if Luka is scandalized or delighted by the concept. Maybe both?

His face falls when Garrot explains that his fiance doesn't know who he is.

"What, really?" He asks, clearly a bit disappointed. "And you never recommended my stuff to him? I'm wounded, Garrot."

"Jeez, don't be so surprised!" Garrot looks a bit startled at both exclamations, almost a little worried. "He's probably heard your work, but if I said "I got Luka Eutychia hot under the collar today" he'd be more concerned because you're the Princess, not... you." Ever the pragmatist. Because seriously, why would anyone let Garrot torment his allies unsupervised? A terrible choice on their parts! But he pushes onward, undeterred.

"The fiance thing is like a week old." That'd mean the proposal happened the day before this year's ordeals started, if Luka thinks about it. "He figured if we can survive this then, well, why not?" Garrot, normally confidence and bluster, starts to trail off. If Luka could see, he'd notice Garrot was blushing and looking plenty meek, but it seeps into the way he's carrying himself, his very presence. Is he being shy about something?!

It seems even the intimidating and powerful Monkey Knight has his soft spots...

Luka pouts, dissatisfied still with the explanation. He doesn't know why him being the Princess was more concerning than him being him, the world famous celebrity musician. They were both pretty big deals!

"That's kind of romantic." Luka muses, imagining the veritable maelstrom of emotions that must have come along with rapidly finding out you'd been selected as a Knight and then getting engaged shortly afterward. "But your fiance sounds like a square. How'd you meet someone like him?"

Honestly, the pouting was reasonable; Garrot hates when people are casually dismissive of his accomplishments and he isn't famous! But when he calls Sly a square, well, Luka will feel that typical sensation of Garrot looming over him, almost menacing.

"Careful, Princess, that's my square you're talking about." He's warm and cheerful when he says it, but the underlying threat is impossible to ignore. Unsurprisingly, Garrot is as violently protective as ever. But then the aura of menace fades and, well, he's just warm and happy. "It was around twenty years ago, I think..." He trails off a bit, trying to do time math, but then there's an audible grunt as he just gives up on that. He's old enough he can guesstimate.

"Med school orientation. We were both a bit older than most of our peers. And wiser. And scarier looking." With each addendum, he sounds a little more exasperated at their peers and a little more wistful. "We had a lot in common, and a lot that wasn't. But we're still together, so I guess I'm doing something right." And then there's a hearty chuckle from big ol' Garrot. But then, he chooses to simply wait patiently for Luka's inevitable questions.

At least he's in a better mood now.

Luka is unperturbed by Garrot's implied threat. The guy has allegedly heard Luka's music and isn't a fan? That's complete square material in his eyes.

"What's so scary about him?" Luka asks curiously. He had assumed Garrot's fiance to be human, but was now rethinking that concept. "Besides his lack of taste in music, obviously."

His last comment is said cheekily under his breath, but Luka hopes the other doesn't take too much offense at the joke. He couldn't resist.

Given the snarky chuckle, Garrot isn't offended at all. In fact, the amusement is undeniable.

"Since you asked..." He sighs gently, more in preparation to say a lot in a short time. Of course, Garrot is more than a bit eager to brag. "He's bigger and taller than you, he's basically got tusks, he's smarter than me and a better doctor, he builds robot body parts, and he's covered in scars because he hunts monsters for fun."

After a very deep breath, Garrot is just beaming. Has he rehearsed this prattling off of his lover's accomplishments? Maybe. It should almost go without saying that Garrot could only end up with someone as ridiculous and intimidating as he is.

Edited 2020-04-06 15:36 (UTC)

With every new detail Garrot provides, Luka is thrown for another loop. It's apparent that whoever this guy is, he's a perfect match for the Monkey Knight.

"Sounds like a twin flame if there ever was one. You're a lucky man." Luka laughs. "How does he find time to hunt monsters on top of his medical work?"

The fact that he also, apparently, made 'robot body parts' didn't slip past Luka, and he adds an additional inquiry a moment later.

"Are they more like prosthesis, or... elective enhancements?"

Garrot can't help but double take at the notion of elective enhancements, since he's a horny old man. Luckily for both of these heroes, the big guy is still plenty amused.

"Nah, he does work that matters like arms and legs and hearts." If Garrot sounded proud when talking about himself, he sounds a good ten times prouder now. "Sly wouldn't waste his time on vanity projects, he's already a workaholic." There's an edge in that voice, because wow, give Garrot some attention, he's needy!

"Sometimes he's at it at least six days a week, so when he tells me he needs to run into the woods with his guns, I'm not gonna ask questions!" He chuckles, making it clear it's a pretty common occurrence. "Besides, sometimes he'll make me or the kids a nice monster-fur blanket or something." If they had to share, Garrot would absolutely fight his kids. They might've learned this the hard way.

Luka nods along approvingly at pretty much everything Garrot says.

"Hey, working hard is admirable! Especially when you're making something important like that." Luka, naturally, is familiar with the importance of accessibility and the ways that technology continued to advance in that direction. Hearing how Garrot's fiance played a role in that field only earned more points with him. "But... I know you must get lonely without him. Being paid attention to is important, too."

Luka holds his hands behind his back, gaze drifting again to the how the sunlight filters through the trees as they continue their trek up the mountain.

"Monster fur, hm? He ever get anything rare? Maybe I should buy something off him and commission a piece with it." Luka laughs, but he's serious about the idea. "Either way, I've gotta meet this guy someday."

"I'm sure you will, once this is all over." Garrot laughs, shrugging his shoulders a bit. He wouldn't let his family come with him for this, but he wouldn't be surprised if Sly had already acquired a small plane or boat in hopes of visiting the island before the victory parties even started. "And where do you think he got the scars from? The biggest, craziest things on this planet, obviously. Shit I wouldn't want to take on." That's of course because he's more willing to fight humanoids than uh acid-spitting sand-centipedes or whatever the fuck.

"I don't get lonely, though..." He sighs, calm and dreamy. "I'm his boss. I'm pretty sure he's needed to take a few vacations from me!" Garrot is blissfully unaware of the number of anti-Garrot vacations that his fiance has taken over the years, that said... "Unless... you had a different kind of loneliness in mind?"

The tone in his voice makes it very clear he's referencing The Bone Zone. He's a horny old man, Luka.

Day 6: "Monster Arrival"

Afternoon: 12:00noon - Evening

The Weather

Prompts:

Procedure:

Activity Check: November 2019

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