ft. @maybeimawhale’s iWhale, @maybeilikehats-blog’s IPlayDemos, and Genuflect. also Leviatha.
With a final screech, the serpentine form crumpled onto the rocky shore. The two clerics dropped their defensive stances and rushed towards the slumping mass of fin and scale. It took the both of them to hoist open the dragon’s upper jaw. Glancing up at the clusters of dangling teeth about his head, Whale couldn’t help but be reminded of the unmelting icicles back in Mana Ridge. The clerics squinted into the darkness, eyes prickling from the stale, cold mist tumbling out of the reptile’s gullet. Even in death, the dragon’s breath still had some bite to it.
“Brother Genuflect!”
“Can you hear us? Stay with us!”
They strained for an answer, their own voices echoing anxiously down the dragon’s throat.
“’m all right..!” came a shaky reply. “But I can't move.”
Whale dropped his side of the jaw in an instant, scrambling over the tangled tongue at his feet. He realised too late as the roof of the dragon’s mouth came crashing down on the both of them, that Demos had done the same. After a moment of stunned silence, they burst into laughter; in relief as much as over the absurdity of their circumstance.
“Fellas?”
“Hold on, Brother Genu!” called Whale, tamping down a laugh. Demos on the other hand was positively cackling as he summoned a healing relic to prop open the dragon’s maw. “Yes, we’ll be right there.”
“Actually, I think it’s best you stay behind, Brother Demos.”
“Oh. Oh right, you’re the one with the elemental aura. And we can’t have the relic disappearing on us, I suppose.”
“Nor your pants.” Whale yanked the cincture off from around Demos’ waist.
“WHOAwhoawhoa-” Scandalised, the priest backed away in a hurry, careful to hold up his pants. “What in Goddess’ name are you doing?”
“Safety belt,” Whale quipped, tying one end of Demos’ cincture to is own, the other around the glowing relic.
“Right, right. Don’t die,” grumbled Demos as the paladin disappeared into the shadows.
---------------
"I'm at a paaAAYphone; trying to call home,
All of my change I spe-ent on you~
Where have the times gone? Baby it's all-"
"Brother Demos!"
Demos coughed into his fist self-consciously. He'd taken to singing to himself to pass the time and keep warm. He wasn't sure if it was working, but at least it kept his mind off of the cold. And the acoustics in there were quite nice.
"Yes, I'm here."
"I'm going to toss you some of Brother Genu's things. His pouch burst and I haven't any space in mine."
"That's fine, fire away," he answered, and was promptly struck by...a lumpy sock?
"Augh!"
"Emergency socks," came Genu's voice, as if to explain. "Don't worry, it's clean."
Demos untied the end of the sock and emptied it of its contents: some writing instruments and a wooden rosary. Demos rolled up the sock and and tucked it into his pack, along with the rest.
"Here comes the other one," called Whale.
Being ready this time, Demos snatched the flying sock as it sailed through the air with a triumphant "Ha-HAH!" and a crunch. Wait, a crunch?
"Er...I think I might've broken something," said Demos. He pulled out a crumpled kerchief, unfurling it with care. He let out a laugh. "Why, I might've known!"
Nestled in the kerchief were several hardboiled eggs; somewhat smooshed but still mostly intact.
"You hungry, brother?"
Demos looked up and grinned at the two clerics as they stepped into view. Whale was holding up his mace like a torch, as well as Genuflect, leaning heavily on his shoulder. Though raw and worn from the chill, they seemed to be in good spirits. "Goddess be praised!"
"Indeed! And thank you, brothers."
"Think nothing of it," said Whale, giving Genu's shoulder a clap. "Though next time we go fishing, let's remember to bring bait."
Genu nodded solemnly. "Provoke was a little too effective for our purposes, yes."
“Seven items your character would have in their pockets at all times”
-- (tagged by @maybeimawhale; thank you!)
Genuflect’s seven items, in order of appearance:
I) “Emergency socks” -- for wearing or sharing, naturally.
II) Parchment scraps
III) Reed quill
IV) Small vial of ink
V) Wooden rosary
VI) All-purpose kerchief
VII) Hardboiled eggs -- gotta hit those macronutrients 💪🏾
tagged by @maybeimawhale. i know i tend to sit on these for awhile, so thank you for continuing to include me! :')
Favourite anime/manga: Rémi sans famille (Ie Naki Ko) - first caught snippets of this show as a kid. i didn’t understand much back then, but the visuals stuck with me. digging it up years later still, the show still holds up wonderfully. the colours, the melancholy, the multiplane effects, ah! the french dub is great too.
The Girl Who Leapt Through Time - it moved me so, i thought, “this is the power of animation!”
The Tale of Princess Kaguya - Takahata’s are the kind of movies i’d like to animate someday.
also Millennium Actress and The Tatami Galaxy
Favourite video games:
Elona - one time, i tumbled down a flight of dungeon steps from carrying too much loot. the loot followed, crushing me to death....so i lost all of it. a free roguelike with a wicked sense of humour 8D
Dragon Nest - there, the sleepless dreamt. plus, i LOVE the animation style, the combat, and the overall design ethos/art direction (Seung Chan Lee’s work in particular. after 2013 he was no longer involved as lead designer and it shows. all the classes after Kali (except sin) have reused the archer model and animations).
also Chantelise, Recettear and the Etrian Odyssey series.
Favourite TV shows: currently watching Jane the Virgin with my roommate
