I think it's been an actual, literal decade since I tried to write anything, but the absolutely wild energy of this unhinged series of actions from our RPG insisted that I try.
For everyone's entertainment, I bolded the five actions I was trying to get through so I could do the one at the end that I underlined.
@meanderingablaze and @yepthatsacowalright I hope you enjoy this retelling of the chaos. I almost immediately forget 90% of our exact dialogue, but I think I got the vibes mostly right. It got kind of long???
~~~
Abe pushes the canvas aside as he steps out into the camp at Deepwallow, striding toward the edge where the merchant stalls transition into rows of refugee tents.
"Darlin', I'm not saying I wouldn't do it, but morally I want to at least try to find something else." He insists. "We don't know anything about the six bandits Kulita is asking us to help him kill. Or even the merchant who hired him on as a mercenary to deal with the bandits." He stops walking and takes a deep breath, grateful for the cooler air outside the bar tent as the length of the day and the ever increasing urgency of the limited options for getting into the dark wizard's castle weigh on his mind.
Devon follows behind him, still pressing his own point. "The Voidcaller has killed many people already and the shadow army continues to spread misery farther from the castle every night. Surely even without the specifics the lives of six bandits are a fair cost for the location of the castle's sewers."
"That shouldn't be the way it works! We don't have the full details of one side of this conflict, much less both. How can we ever justify stepping into it?" Abe asks. He casts his eyes across what he can see of the refugee tents, hoping for a better path toward their goal to appear.
"If you're that opposed, then we can pay Kulita for the information." Devon offers. "I have the money he asked, I only meant to caution that it would be the last of our funds."
Abe inhales sharply to respond with increasing frustration when Terry cuts in. "We don't necessarily have to use our money. There's enough people around this camp, I can probably steal enough to pay Kulita with, instead."
Devon looks at Terry and Abe uses their conversation on this less-awful-but-still-not-particularly-ethical plan to sneak away and into the woods. The extensive size of the camp and the frequent need for fire and light sources have picked the ground at the tree line mostly clean of fallen branches and other brush, but the forest here is old and the trees grow close together. Before long Abe can no longer hear or see the camp, his...boyfriend (?), or Terry. He forces the breath he's been holding out slowly through his teeth and leans against a wide trunk while he tries to settle the jittering sensation under his skin.
Whether from exhaustion or lingering stress, he makes little progress and a sudden movement in the corner of his eye has him lunging into the nearby undergrowth. One of his hands catches his prey in the form of a small, furry leg and he yanks backwards, tumbling himself and the unknown creature back out of the bramble and onto the ground. He has all of a second to clock the animal as a fox before it tries to bite at his throat.
The ensuing scuffle would have been embarrassing had Devon followed him out here, but ultimately he successfully pins the fox into a hold that prevents it from causing him or itself injury, though it certainly doesn't stop the determined creature from trying. The fox continues thrashing in his arms as Abe stands.
Not entirely certain what to do now that he has the fox captured but feeling more settled for the opportunity to direct his restless energy, Abe heads back towards where he left his companions.
He isn't close enough to hear whatever conversation Devon and Terry are having before Terry notices him and trails off with a look of absolute bafflement at the snarling, writhing fox. Devon's face shifts into something less exasperated, if no less perplexed.
Abe tries to arrange his own face into something that conveys confidence and intent, rather than the muddled and dejected frustration the day has left him with. "I caught this," he says hopefully. "Do we maybe have a use for it?"
"For a live, angry fox?!" Terry nearly shouts, stepping slightly back from the swipe of a paw escaping Abe's hold. "Not really."
"Ah." Abe looks down at the animal in his arms, considering what to do. Not wanting to risk the fox attacking his companions or any of the refugees gathering in response to the racket the fox is making as it tries to break free, Abe takes a few steps back towards the woods before tossing the fox closer to the trees.
With a mounting sense of dread, Abe watches as the animal tumbles, lands, and regains its feet, before alternating between looking out towards the woods and back towards him and the rest of the camp. After a moment, it inexplicably charges back towards him, rather than out and away to freedom.
"What!" he hears Terry yell behind him.
The apparent intentional decision by the fox to choose further violence over an easy escape seems to knock loose something that had been rattling in the back of Abe's mind since the earlier conversation with Kulita in the bar tent. He puts one of his hands on Devon's shoulder and gives him an earnest expression.
"I wanted to say, I saw you when I told Kulita that Thraxis was handsome, earlier. I only meant it as a description. It may be a fact, but the facts of physical appearance aren't very important! I mean, you were a frog! Or - no, that is, I should say I find you fairly attractive. And, and I know what some people think about me being secluded in the woods for so long but you really are something, to me. I-" Flustered and exasperated at his poor attempts to reassure Devon of his interest by flirting with him, Abe stops talking abruptly as heat floods his face and his head starts to ache.
Desperate for some form of release, he spins back to face the ridiculous fox and swiftly aims his crossbow. The bolt hits his target cleanly, piercing the fox through an eye.
Abe walks over to pick up the arrow and the fox with it. He carries it over to where Terry has apparently been stunned into stillness by the events of the past few minutes. "We can probably get money for this, at least. Can you see if you can sell it to someone?"
Terry somewhat reluctantly takes the arrow and the fox with it. Shooting Abe a perturbed look, Terry walks away calling "Does anyone want a fox??" in a lingeringly bewildered tone. After watching in amusement at how Terry carries the arrow and holds the fox out away from himself, Abe returns to Devon. Too overwhelmed by the day for words, but still anxious to convey his sincere feelings, he reaches for Devon's hand.
Attempting to seem charming, he pulls Devon's hand to his mouth, gently kissing the back of his hand. Devon smiles brightly at him and Abe brain is flooded with a sudden instinct. Before he can really even question the thought, he's turned Devon's hand slightly and bitten him gently but firmly on the wrist.
The angle of his eyes up Devon's arm gives him a mostly unobstructed view of the look of shocked astonishment that forms on the other man's face, but after an (optimistically?) unintentional full body jolt, Devon doesn't pull away until Abe has retreated. Even then, he twists his hand to take Abe's.
Devon stares at him for a moment, thinking. After a moment, he haltingly brings Abe's hand up to his own mouth. Abe feels himself frowning slightly in confusion. Watching his face, Devon sees the frown and hesitates briefly before seeming to reaffirm his decision and gently biting at Abe's wrist. Abe's heart stutters and all higher thought or any sense of conscious concern over his own borderline feral behavior slip entirely out of his head. Overwhelmed by the sudden rush of shock and awe at Devon returning the strange gesture, Abe glances away.
Scanning the crowd that has gathered near them to investigate the raucous noise caused by the altercation with the fox, his gaze perceives what he'd been hoping for when he'd initially walked out of the bar tent. Terry notices the two women at almost the same moment and, having pawned the fox to a grannie carting three small children around with her, approaches the women who had been arguing with Kulita before Abe interrupted them.
"Excuse me, were you two speaking with Kulita in the bar tent before?" Terry questions as he reaches them. Keeping his hold on Devon, Abe walks over and joins them.
The women share a brief, complicated look that Abe's still awestruck mind can't quite follow before one of them responds. "Yes, we know Kulita. We often work with him. You have mercenary work you want done?"
Abe huffs and says wryly, "In a manner of speaking."
"He mentioned he was familiar with the grounds around the castle, and knows the location of the sewage outlet we're seeking." Terry starts. The statement seems to more seriously pull their attention. "He wasn't overly keen to share that without payment."
"We are mercenaries," the same woman says with a look that says she thinks they're wasting her time.
"I mean, sure, but we're not overly keen on running off and killing bandits when what we want is to be sneaking into the castle to kill..." Terry trails off, as if suddenly aware of the many lingering ears.
At this, Abe gets the sense that they suddenly have the full attention of both women. The one who hadn't spoken before holds up a hand to stop Terry from continuing. "Say no more here. My name is Asmuhepa. This is my sister Nihepa. We are familiar with the area where the castle's sewage outlet meets the river. If what you mean is that you intend to kill the dark wizard, then we will help you, but we should not speak more of this in the open."
The women turn and gesture for them to follow them further into the camp. Terry shrugs at Abe and Devon before following them. Still holding Devon's hand and feeling both more settled and more optimistic than he had since before the altercation at the wall of Silence, Abe follows suit.
Bards lovable rascals who are just as likely to save the world as they are to wind up thrown out of a tavern. Able to tame magic itself with just the power of their voice. Versatile and flexible, no matter the situation you find yourself in, you’ll want a bard by your side.
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I like to roll for general ... “attitude checks” for my fic (There is Magic in Words) ... Oh boy, my wizards. (I use a roll bot on the shadowidomauk server)
Essek’s reaction to certain… stressors (at disadvantage, he is in the middle of a sexual awakening .... and his brother is present)
[1d20{13} -> 13] and [1d20{5} -> 5] Oh shit...
How Molly is handling some “unconscious” stressors … Which his wisdom is kinda high, but he is having to “pretend” to be Lucien for the second time but he is also getting to fuck Caleb … So I’m just gonna do a straight roll instead of a disadvantage and no modifiers.
[1d20{19} -> 19] Ok ok … Pushes off the inevitable, but thats good.
Caleb, darling, are you gonna get your shit together? (disadvantage since Astrid is fucking with him)
[1d20{1} -> 1] Well this should be interesting ......
