May Catch All | OPEN AND CLOSED

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Who: Darin Altway and YOU
Status: Open but some closed prompts here and there!
Where: All across the towns
What: Various MANTA board quests
Warnings: You all know what I'm about

1 MAID DAY MAYDAY | CLOSED to Garrus

Are you sure the guy you're looking for is gonna be here? Like, one thousand percent sure?

[Darin looks...dubious. He doesn't really find cause to visit the Naughtilust very often unless he's looking for a good drink or there's a really good party. But this maid celebration is...well, he doesn't exactly get it. But Garrus seemed pretty positive that the creep they were after, a purveyor and supplier of those crystals, had a penchant for maids. This was apparently his favorite hangout, so the fact that they were taking part in the festivities meant he'd likely show up. They just needed to keep a close watch.]

So...what's the play here? Pretty sure he'd notice guys that look as unique as we do hanging around. Should we just...go get a drink?

2 ELTRUT SNAP | OPEN

[If there was one thing that Darin was determined to get better with, it was technology. After his shellphone fiasco, he'd decided that maybe he should hunker down and get more familiar with the various devices people were making for this world. It was honestly pretty fascinating. So many people coming from different technological backgrounds working with limited resources? It felt like an honest to goodness challenge, and some of the things being made seemed really helpful to the populace at large! Darin himself wanted to learn to incorporate more magitech into his own work, and the only way to learn was to experiment!]

[After getting a larger, magitech type camera from Kaveh and promising to take good care of it, Darin's out and about on Eltrut snapping pictures of...well, anything he wants. And with his abilities, he has no trouble climbing trees or hopping onto rooftops or hanging upside down from precarious perches to take snapshots of the scenery, nature, or people! Going about your business? Don't be surprised if there's a giant, blue-haired man hanging from a tree or poking his head out of a bush. Does he look like a stalker? Maybe! Odds are he doesn't even realize how he looks. All that matters is he's taking a photo of you.]

[Or maybe it's of the park behind you.]

[Kinda hard to tell.]

3 MEDICINE CRAFTING | CLOSED TO CREW

[Things have certainly gotten crazy the last couple of months, and with supplies for potions and medicines being stretched thin, Darin can't help but feel a little responsible. After all, Hand and Hearth were making the potions to alleviate the pain of the brands and distributing them widely. Now, those same ingredients needed for medicines and tinctures were becoming scarce. The supply lines needed to be helped but...well, Darin's great at procuring resources. He just needs to know what to get.]

Okay, so...if we're gonna help restock supplies, I think it's best if we tackle what would be best in our wheelhouse. I'm not...really a plant guy. I can probably get what's needed if I have a detailed enough description, but I think I might be able to help elsewhere. I've done my fair share of hunting for monster parts...maybe I can help there?

Honestly, I feel like we have to do something. This is kind of what we're even here for.

[Darin crosses his arms in thought.]

...Maybe I can work out some business negotiations with some places that are still friendly towards me. What do you think?

4 WILDCARD | OPEN

[With the heat died down, Darin's finally able to get back to work in the Starmetal Forge. The place has been shut down for over a month and now the doors and windows are all open as he airs the place out and does some proper cleaning. Fortunately, no one vandalized the place while he was gone. Looks like the people he asked to keep an eye over the place did a great job. He'll have to thank them.]

[With the weather warming up, Darin's taking a break outside with some ice cold lemonade.]

Man, it feels good to be back here. I feel like I haven't been at the anvil in ages.

Comments

LET'S DO IT

[thearchangel]

Yes. I'm sure he's here.

[It's personal, this one. For all the people stuck in that crystal hell hole. For making Shepard worry about him. And, well. The angry seeds of black and white still lurked somewhere ugly in his chest. Revenge is on the table.]

[... kind of like the "maids" in this place. On the table. Get it? It's like Chora's Den but with fluffy skirts.]

[But that's the problem. Darin's right, they stand out like sore thumbs. Fortunately, it seems like there's a decent mix of men, women, and everything else, among the maids represented, so it won't be that much of an issue they're men. But there's no way around the most important part of what they will, unfortunately, have to do here.]

[He sighs.]

I'm going to tell you the plan. But before I do... we make an oath. Understood?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin arches an eyebrow.]

...An oath? Look, Garrus. I'm flattered. Really. But I already swore an oath to Zelda and...

Well, I mean, I'm not sure she'd be against it? You've got a nice voice and all. I don't know how Shepard would feel though.

[Is...Is he joking?]

[thearchangel]

[One of his elbows somehow finds its bony way into Darin's ribs.]

Not that kind of oath.

One that says... No photos. None whatsoever. Not even one single self shot. Is that understood?

[This is already going so well.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin takes the shot to the ribs, a puff of pain and laughter shooting from his crooked mouth.]

Yeah, alright. Fine. Why would I want to take pictures of mai— ...

[Wait. Self-shots?]

...No.

No, you're kidding.

[thearchangel]

[He'll wait. Watching the gears in Darin's head start to turn. Like the space hamster on its wheel.]

[And there it is.]

Do you have a better idea? If you do, I'm listening.

[If there is one, he's not sure it exists.]

eltrut snap crackle and POP when i get you

[tenrectricity]

[ there's been a lot going on as of late, not anything she can't handle, but she's been adjusting well enough to this new life. or so she thought at the sound of a snap, and the flicker of a flash. when she looks around, she sees nothing that gives an impression of these two things. one hand comes to her head to scratch behind one ear thinking that she can write it off as a trick of the light.

though the sound, the sound bothers her, but it's fine.

surge moves locations, still among the foliage of trees and bushes, but now she can see a little better now. the way the sea waves crash back and forth as this giant turtle moves along the current, and while it does look nice from where she stands... there's another click and a flash, but this time, it's closer.

the truth is: her patience is horrible, her paranoia is high, and it's this point of blue that stands out in a bush that makes her eyes widen. it's a shade she's familiar with, or maybe her mind is so dependent on destroying him that she thinks it is, either way with the row of bushes and tree nearby is only reminiscent of something in the past. like a rocker pose, her index and middle finger stick out with her thumb bolding the inner two. the metal of her rings glow a blueish white as electricity is sent to both locations igniting a loud SNAP as the flora catches aflame. ]

HOW DARE YOU!?

[ she screams, slightly annoyed. ]

STOP! HIDING!

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin's hardly aware that he's been taking pictures of anyone at all. He's been capturing mostly scenery. Idle shots of the beauty of this world. He's been here about a year now and really, he could get used to calling this place 'home.']

[So, imagine his surprise when a bolt of electricity rips through the air towards him.]

HOLY WHAT THE—

[Darin tries to leap...but his feet get tangled in a gnarl of branches, causing him to somersault backwards and hang from his foot like a rabbit in a snare trap, hanging from the thick branch. He clutches his on-loan camera to his chest and looks at the now-upside-down green...honey badger?]

Whoa! Hey! Watch it!! This camera's on loan!! Who flings lightning at a guy in a tree taking photos?!

[tenrectricity]

Where did he...!!

[ her eyes glance from left to right with this idiot in place of who she's looking for, her nose wrinkles as it twitches. the way she snarls at the sight of this person, she takes a step forward seeing as he's hanging upside down. ]

TELL ME! NOW!

[ tell her what exactly is the question, the way she walks over, almost blending with the greenery because of her color. slowly she blinks, the color of her eyes brighter than they were before as electricity runs through them in circles to make her iris.

looking him up (or maybe she's starting down) and down (or up!), the tenrec doesn't like what she sees as she looks at that camera he's holding securely to his chest as if his life is on the line. worried about a damn camera and not himself? what's the big idea? ]

You've got five minutes. [ less than that because she didn't even tell him what to explain or what to do. ] What're you a decoy!?

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Decoy?? What the hell are you talking abou— DAMMIT!!

[Darin jerks his body to and fro, trying to work his ankle free from the branch's grasp. He grunts and spins until —CRACK— the branch breaks and deposits the giant, blue idiot in a heap on the ground right in front of Surge. He twists at just the last second so he lands on his head and back instead of on his chest, protecting the camera.]

Gods...dammit...

[He sits up and twists about, his spiky blue hair flecked with twigs and leaves.]

Seriously? The hell's your problem?? Do you shoot lightning at every bystander or am I just the lucky one today?!

Medicine Crafting

[reindered]

It's medicine. I'll manage. I just need to make sure that I have the ingredients, that's all. The problem is, it looks like this might need the same sort of thing we were using for the potions to help with the brands earlier. So I'm not sure how much of that stuff we have after all that. We might need to get more. If you can help with the supplies? And I can make it once we get what we need?

[Chopper considers, wanting to help since this is! Kind of his thing! Being a doctor and all! He can make medicine! He just needs to make sure on the supplies he might need. That he would have enough to make however much they might need to pass out to everyone, or sell.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

There's another aspect of this that I personally worry about.

[As a tradesmen, Darin's well-versed in the concept of 'supply & demand.' If there are shortages, demand tends to skyrocket and people will not only panic buy, but result in more...unscrupulous ways to either sell or procure the ingredients.]

If there's a shortage, people are gonna take advantage. Price gouging, buying up stock and selling it at inflated prices, hoarding ingredients. People tend to worry about their own before they broaden the scope. I don't like thinking about that but...

If we're going to make the medicine, we need to make sure it gets to the right people and that the right people do the right thing with it.

[He looks down at Chopper thoughtfully.]

Can you think of any places that we should focus on first when it comes to supplying? Elah? Nogard? Eltrut is neutral ground but...Elah just lost their leviathan.

[reindered]

You think so? But....if it's part of medicine, people will need this! Um, I guess we can try Eltrut first? That's the main hub, I guess. And we can work out Nogard and Elah after that?

[But he can't help being worried, now that Darin mentions people maybe taking advantage. They couldn't let that happen. Not if this was an important ingredient for medicine to help people. It couldn't be helped if it needed the same ingredients as that potion they were making earlier, but still. Chopper frowns, clearly concerned if people might spend more than they should.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

I hate to say it, Chopper, but in times of shortages, there's always opportunists. I like to believe people are inherently good but there's always someone who only thinks of themselves.

[Darin runs a hand through his hair.]

At this point, faith in the armadas is at an all-time low. I don't know if there's a lot of distribution networks I'd trust. But if we take it on ourselves, it's real easy for someone to twist that against us.

We should stock clinic and hospitals first. [Darin brings a hand up to his chin thoughtfully and begins to pace.]

Chopper, think you could make a steady supply of the medicine here as a backup? If we have a steady supply here, we could undercut the profiteers by just supplying it ourselves at no cost.

Eltrut Snap

[telepathicignorance]

(They're walking past when they sense him there in the bushes, ready to take a picture.

He's not trying to get them, they think. Just the scenery. Either way, they can't resist: just as Darin is in the process of taking the picture, they lift up their middle finger poised precisely to ruin the shot.)

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Wha— Hey!

[Darin jumps up, not realizing that Chris was even in the shot until they photobombed it.]

Oh, geez! I didn't even notice you there!

[telepathicignorance]

(They can't help but let out a snort of amusement at his reaction.)

That's what happens if you don't pay attention.

(There's an almost singsong teasing tone to their voice. It is not at all pleasant to listen to.)

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Yeah, I'm honestly way too focused on trying to figure out all the settings on this thing. I'm...really not used to this level of technology.

Honestly, everyone swears by it, but don't you think some of the magitech can be kinda...unnecessary?

SNAP

[spinsandneedles]

[if sonic's favorite thing is Go Fast, and his second favorite thing is chili dogs, then his third is very quickly becoming stress naps in weird places. For example, this tree he's run up in the park for a quick snooze on one of the high branches.

Yes, his cabin would absolutely be a smarter and safer place for a nap than up a tree, put he just can't stand being on that damn boat anymore. A month of being restricted to his tiny cabin was basically torture, so despite the fact that there's a mad honey badger tenrec out to get him, he'd rather take his chances in nature.

At least that's how he feels up until he's startled awake by the not at all startling click of Darin's camera shutter and the accompanying flash. Flash = lightning = Surge = instant fight or flight mode ... = Half asleep Sonic losing his footing and plummeting out of the tree to land at Darin's feet.

...nobody tell Surge that she's got him this jumpy okay]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Whoa! Geez!

[Darin jumps back, having gotten a second camera after a certain honey badger tenrec destroyed his last one.]

...Sonic?? Oh man, are you alright??

[....He takes a photo of a crumpled up Sonic. Shut up, it's funny.]

[spinsandneedles]

[better take that picture quick, because sonic's hopping to his feet and whipping around a few times to make sure he's not being attacked by honey badgers--

but it seems like the coast is clear. And then he realizes where the source of the flashing was coming from and feels ppppppppretty stupid.]

Huh? Oh. Yeah, I'm good. Just uh, testing gravity, you know how it is.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Good news? It still makes you fall on your ass.

You...alright? You seem kinda jumpy.

Wildcard, fish edition

[crystalrepose]

Have you done this sort of thing before, Darin?

[Miriam asked, standing at the end of a pier with a trinket in her hand, an ornate shell with unfamiliar runes scrawled on it. The spell on it needed seawater to activate, and the Shardbinder was ready to jump; she'd exchanged her usual sword for a three-bladed spear, her scarf for a shimmery material that wouldn't mind the water too much. It was a bit drab and sullen now, like a deflated jellyfish that'd washed up on the beach.

The water ahead was fairly shallow directly off the dock--but the bottom dropped precipitously just a short distance away, the water abruptly turning from turquoise to deep blue as if painted that way. There weren't any ships larger than a rowboat to deal with; an ideal learning ground for getting used to the whole swimming without legs thing. It'd been awhile since Miriam had done this, too.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

What, diving in general? Or...whatever it is these charms are supposed to change us into?

[Darin, having grown up in a port town, was well accustomed to the ocean. He stood on the pier in black and gold swim trunks, stretching from side to side. By now, Darin wasn't as worried about people seeing the jagged scar that ran down his chest from Ganondorf, nor was he concerned about the much older scar across his back that ran from right shoulder to left hip. These scars were roadmaps of his life thus far, and he tried his best to wear them with some semblance of pride.]

Back home, I dove all the time. Not super deep but...well, I'm pretty used to the water. How about you? You do a lot of swimming?

[crystalrepose]

Sort of, though not very gracefully. Mostly treading water on the surface well enough not to drown. [She laughs.] Here I've gotten better at it.

[There was plenty of time and space to practice now.]

I've been beneath the waves too; swimming's a bit different farther down. It's harder to stop, for one. [Skidding to a halt didn't work as well in a three dimensional environment with no friction.]

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[Darin laughs.]

Do I need to give you swimming lessons? It's a lot more fun than you might think!

[He drops to a squat and begins stretching his hamstrings.]

Yeah, that deep, the currents should take you pretty easily. Even up at the surface you gotta be wary of riptides. Those can drag you right under and out to sea.

[The force of the ocean always fascinated Darin. There was a lot of beauty and power that could be associated with the sea and it always seemed mysterious and adventurous to him. Especially with the whole wide world out there for him to explore.]

[Maybe that's one of the reasons he loves this world so much.]

So these charms or whatever are supposed to make it so we breathe? Or something? I mean we're gonna need some kind of magic if we're gonna go searching for Elah.