May open log

[emet_sulk]

Who: Emet-Selch and anyone!
Status: Open
Where: See individual prompts
What: Just an old mage keeping himself grumpy busy
Warnings: None, will update as necessary

(Will match format)


1. Everybody's Grudge (MANTA Bounty)

Emet-Selch knows what tonberries are, of course. An unfortunate curse which continues to this day, and the reason behind the fall of one of the great cities of learning during the Sixth Era. He's not sure how one of those creatures could possibly be here but since there's a reward in it there's no harm in investigating.

He finds one of the creatures easily enough. Some foolish corsair thinking that the tonberry's slow speed meant that they could easily fell it had died to its knife. Emet-Selch makes sure to stay well out of range of the weapon as he observes it.

"...Why is this one so tall?" he mutters as it slowly walks towards him with lantern held aloft and knife glinting.

2. Star-Crossed Critics (MANTA Paladin)

When an invitation to watch some theatre arrives, Emet-Selch of course decides to attend. But instead of human actors, they are instead...animals. Which of course goes over as well as you'd expect. There's a lot of barking and meowing and the occasional fight breaking out between the two species (or even within species).

"What light from yonder window breaks?"

A dog breaks away from its owner during the voiceover and charges at the dog currently standing in for 'Romeo'. Everything dissolves into chaos for the umpteenth time and Emet-Selch lets his head fall into his arms with a soft groan.

"Is it too much to ask for the animals to be trained?" he complains to no-one in particular, thinking the noise will obscure his lament.

3. Ethereal Emberblooms (MANTA Paladin)

Guard duty isn't exciting and Emet-Selch, being the low-effort man that he is, finds a way to perform his job whilst avoiding boredom: by setting a magical barrier spanning the breadth of what is supposed to be his patrol route and then locating a spot amongst the flowers to take a nap. Should anyone cross the barrier, it will emit a shrill ringing sound and wake him up - as well as alert any other paladins nearby.

(Choices:)
A. You attempt to cross the barrier for whatever reason and end up triggering the alarm.
B. You managed to sneak past or dismantle his magic somehow and trip over him as he sleeps, hidden amongst the flowers.
C. You spot him when he's awake, levitating one/some of the corpses out of the field and dumping it aside.
D. Some other scenario, go wild

4. Mermaid Help

Emet-Selch does not like getting wet.

He stares at the approaching whirlpool with a grimace. It's been a few days since it appeared and rumours of the whirlpool's strange effects have filtered through to those on land. He tells himself that he's not going there to be a helpful busybody. He just wants a glimpse of this mer sanctuary that supposedly exists. It will make a good story to tell later--

He shakes his head and sighs, turning away. Right. He's dead. There's no-one left to tell back home.

The ship is careful not to get near the whirlpool itself and so it's up to the people on board to make their own way over. Emet-Selch chooses to fly himself, leaving the rest of the passengers behind as he hovers over the yawning, watery vortex. After a moment to steel himself, he takes a deep breath, plunges into the water, and is quickly sucked down, down, down...

When he's (relatively) gently deposited near the seabed a short time later, he finds that his lower half has become a mass of dark tentacles, like that of an octopus. The tattered remains of his trousers have been stolen away by the whirlpool and with the way his shirt is becoming a nuisance in the salt water, Emet-Selch ends up stripping that off too.

Well. This is going to be fun when he gets back to the surface.

(Choices:)
A. Encounter him right after he's arrived and is examining his new appendages. And maybe looking for a more appropriate 'shirt' to put on. Do merfolk even wear shirts??
B. Encounter him getting chased by angry merfolk.
C. Encounter him getting chased by horny merfolk.
D. Anything else you can think of

5. Wildcard

For anything outside the prompts

Comments

mermaid help a 🧜‍♀️

[fullgauntlet]

[By now Izuku has explored a bit of the mermaid sanctuary. It took him some time to get used to his green fish tail as well and even more time to get used to his glimmering scales. Why are they glowing so much? He feels like a lantern.

Some of the local mer children have told Izuku about a sea witch with long tendrils instead of fish tails so ... When he sees the back of Emet-Selch's body and all those octopus tentacles he automatically assumes,]

Is that... The sea witch?

[NO. He just hasn't noticed it's actually Emet-Selch!]

[emet_sulk]

[ He's too distracted to hear Izuku's comment. And so, oblivious, he continues to ponder the merits of trying to wave something out of kelp. He pulls on a loose strand of it and frowns as he runs his hands over the rough surface. This probably won't be very comfortable but it's better than being completely bare.

It's at this point he turns and spots the boy. He startles, tentacles flailing in an uncoordinated way in the water. ]

You're here as well?

[fullgauntlet]

Ahhh!?!?

[Sorry, he's screaming a little. Izuku floats backwards and puts his hands up because those are huge witchy tentacles?!

...

That's not a sea witch.]

... Emet-Selch-san? It's you... [He lets out a sigh.] That's a relief.

[emet_sulk]

[ Emet-Selch feels a lot more self-conscious now that someone he knows is here. He glances at the strand of kelp in his hands and then waves it aside. It slowly drifts off on a slow, invisible current. ]

What? Who were you expecting to see?

[ He sounds a little miffed. He's not a dangerous person!! ...At the moment. ]

[fullgauntlet]

Oh. Ahh... No one.

[Izuku is so bad at lying. He's as transparent as a jellyfish.]

You found yourself stuck down here too, Emet-Selch-san?

[emet_sulk]

Well, no, I came down voluntarily.

[ He languidly uses the tentacles of his lower body to pull himself closer to Izuku. He holds himself a little stiffly, somewhat self-conscious of his lack of shirt, but if he acts like everything is completely normal and fine then no-one will mind, right?? ]

I thought I heard you say something about a witch. Is there a bounty I'm unaware of?

3-b

[passimclamoribus]

[ Of course Alastor is going to notice that there is a barrier. Alastor is going to stop short of just passing it. No need to alert whoever put this here of his presence.

And eventually he will get by - for he is one with shadows himself - only to find a familiar man laying in this quaint field.

Alastor looms above him. Smile on his face. ]

Idling way the hours are we?

[emet_sulk]

[ A shadow falling across his face is bound to be noticed of course. His eyelids crack open. He blinks slowly, squinting.

Oh, it's them. ]

What are you doing here? How did you get past my--

[ He sits bolt upright suddenly, glancing around with his Sight to check on the state of his barrier/alarm. ]

[passimclamoribus]

[ Oh Alastor didn't make a fuss of the barrier. It's still quite intact. Alastor simply takes a step back when the other wakes, startled as he is. ]

I must say, your abilities are truly something else. Were I not as one with shadows as I am, I would have had quite the difficulty getting inside.

[emet_sulk]

[ Seeing that the barrier is indeed intact, he turns his frown upon Alastor. ]

You got through as shadow?

[ That's...quite clever, honestly. The barrier only triggers for physical intrusion. One can't exactly guard against immaterial things. ]

I hope you aren't here to steal the flowers.

[passimclamoribus]

[ He's not sure why this man is so surprised by the fact. Alastor's tendrils appear from the shadows. The Radio Demon moves about in the shadows rather liberally. ]

Indeed. As you have quite the array of magic at your disposal, shadows are often mine to manipulate at will.

[ It's not like he is giving away trade secrets. He offers a casual shrug as he looks about the flowers. ]

Thankfully I have no interest in them, these flowers. Though they are quite the sight, I have no need for them.

[ Alastor grins. ]

Though they do cover the stench of corpses quite well, no?

star-crossed lovers

[xiaolanhua]

[ Perhaps Emet-Selch will recognize someone in the crowd who is holding a cat who is even more familiar - Deathstar. Orchid had been watching the performance with so much fascination that she doesn't notice her fellow crewmate right away. She raises her hand high into the air so that the people running the play will be able to see who's speaking. ]

Perhaps Romeo needs an apprentice! [ What is an understudy? ] I have one who is suited to the role.

[emet_sulk]

[ Troutleap lifts her head upon noticing the approach of one of her fellow warrior cats. Her meow has him looking around as well, even before she speaks up. ]

Why are you entertaining this farce? These animals were not bred for the stage.

[xiaolanhua]

[ Deathstar is her protector when they're out together, so he only acknowledges Troutleap from a distance with a glance. Orchid looks over at Emet-Selch when he asks that question. ]

There are animals that are bred for the stage? [ This is news to her. ] It's just a little bit of fun, and Deathstar doesn't seem to mind.

[ She reaches over to pet the warrior cat, who - as always - purrs at the touch. ]

I want to know how the story ends.

[emet_sulk]

As do I. But at this rate it never will.

[ 'Romeo' and his assailant are pulled apart but some of the more raucous paladins are banging their fists on the table calling for more tussling. ]

Are you going to vounteer your cat as Romeo's assistant then?

everybody's grudge

[vermilloci]

"They're not that tall in my world, either," she notes quietly. She's standing a few feet more back than Emet, keeping a rather safe distance from the creature. It seems she's encountered more than a few to know to make extra precautions.

"Even its knife is bigger." And, thus, has a far longer reach. Rem tips her head forward, keeping her focus on the tonberry. Knowing that it can break into a sprint any moment has her on edge, and she...

She really. Really doesn't want to die. One would think that'd keep her from even engaging a tonberry of all beasts, but the reward might be worth the risk-- in the form of its lantern. (Or so she believes. Unfortunately, there is nothing actually special about this lantern.)

[emet_sulk]

"These creatures are a result of a disease - or rather, a curse - spread by a certain voidsent," he muses. "They are small because the afflicted come from a diminutive race. I wonder if this one was a native."

That being said, his assumptions hinge on this tonberry being the result of a disease. Perhaps the tonberry is simply...a tonberry.

"What are they like in your world?" Emet-Selch takes a step back before it can get within range of him but doesn't seem afraid of it.

[vermilloci]

"They're, um...just tonberries? Very deadly, and they don't even have killsight." She replies slowly, still mentally going over his explanation of tonberries from his world. A disease, huh.

"What's a voidsent?"

She's getting off topic here, because that tonberry is definitely shuffling closer.

[emet_sulk]

"A creature from the Void. Our name for the Thirteenth shard which fell to Darkness many, many centuries ago."

Hmm, he doesn't want to aggravate the creature but he doesn't like that it's slowly, ominously continuing to approach. A snap of his fingers and a set of glowing bindings suddenly cinch themselves around the tonberry's upper body.

...Which does temporarily halt its advance. But its eyes narrow and it seems angry.

[vermilloci]

The snap of his fingers interrupts her (distracted) line of thought about the Void and Voidsent, bringing her attention back to the tonberry. Watching the chains arrest the tonberry's stalking causes her to flinch.

To think these creatures were once people in his world...

"Was the lantern they carry... precious in any way? In your world." The way she speaks gives away that they certainly are significant in hers.

3C

[general_affairs]

[ The redhead here had neither signed up for, nor had he been volun-told he had to do any guard duty. In fact, he wasn't here for the flowers at all, except to nose around to see what that whole job posting had been about.

He was actually around the outskirts, waiting for the fireflies to stir for an entirely different commission, when he heard a rustle, then a thud, and looked to see someone just levitating corpses and tossing them around like ragdolls.

It was entirely possible for Emet-Selch to see one redhead, standing there and just watching, though the expression on his face showed no signs of disgust or fear. His brows were raised, but moreso with some form of surprise, and likely intrigue, since said redhead was approaching him, now. ]

How many of those have you found?

[ He edged away from one that looked like it might roll on top of his shoe. He then looked up moreso to scan the field, but. He really couldn't see past the blossoms. ]

[emet_sulk]

Too many.

[ Another dull thump as another body lands on the pile with an almost dismissive flick of the wrist. As he focuses on the next, Emet-Selch considers the possibility of cremating them or leaving them to rot. The smell might keep away any other would-be body dumpers. ]

Are you here to help or just to watch?

[ The question isn't judgemental. This mage is more than capable of sweeping the entire field clean if he really wants to. (He does not want to.) ]

[general_affairs]

[ His brows knitted and his lips pursed. ]

Nah, I didn't come up here for either. I'm still getting used to this whole place, but if you want a hand, sure.

[ He slid his hands in his pockets and looked out to the field of flowers more or less behind and around them. ]

I can get a catalogue going of what you dig up, but I'm gonna need some more context about these flowers other than 'they're endangered.'

[emet_sulk]

I'm told that these flowers are highly sought after for marriage proposals or confessions of love. So, naturally, they've been harvested to the point of endangerment, and the paladin armada put out a request to have them protected.

[ He gestures irritably across the field. ]

For some reason, miscreants seem to think that this means they can also hide bodies amongst them. Which is ludicrous. One would think they would want to avoid notice!

[general_affairs]

Yeah, that sounds about right. Hell, I'd be surprised if the scarcity wasn't manufactured.

I'll shoot you a text of the numbers and notes as we go so we got it on hand. What's your handle, slick?

[ Reno couldn't help but bark with a quick laugh at Emet's irritability at the situation as he rolled one of the bodies off of another with a shove of his shoe. After that, he'd pull out his shellphone. ]

Nah, c'mon. Think about it, yo. Where's the best place to hide something you don't want found?

[ He got to those photos, giving brief descriptors while keeping tally. ]