log; jan did you just take these from the tdm

[ditherer]

[which is to say that yes, i did because i'm lazy.]

i.

[there sure is a candy house right in the forest.

and there sure is what looks to be a pale-skinned teenage boy casually tearing off a piece of it, before holding it up to the light to examine it.]

... A house constructed of food seems like such a waste to me...

[this does not stop him from now trying to eat the piece, because he apparently has no sense of self-preservation.]

iii.

[Quest 33:
Feed the Cockatrice.
Requirements: 2 of any color.

for whatever bizarre reason, you're working with gandharva (or ruva, as he's going by) i guess?? they've been traipsing through the forest for a while, gandharva seemingly unbothered by all the forest-ness. then, he speaks up, an innocent expression on his face.]

By the way, I have a question.

[a beat.]

... What exactly is a cockatrice, anyway?

[THEY'VE BEEN IN THIS FOREST FOR LIKE. AN HOUR ALREADY.]

iv.

[anyway he's chucking his picture book right into the harbour.

bye!!]

Comments

i

[scooptimistic]

Actually, I'd recommend not munching on i-- ah. Well.

[ Oops. ]

[ditherer]

[munch munch.

though he'll swallow before he speaks, because he has manners!]

Why, is there something wrong with it?

[scooptimistic]

Beyond being suspicious? I'm pretty sure it's related to a fairy tale and it was a highly cautionary tale.

[ditherer]

... I'm afraid I don't follow. I'm not well versed in these kinds of things.

[scooptimistic]

Okay--! Ever heard of Hansel and Gretel? Even in passing?

[ditherer]

Nope.

[well then.]

[scooptimistic]

More or less, a brother and sister find a candy house and think it's the greatest thing ever, only to get captured by an evil witch who made it to lure them in and is planning on fattening them up to eat them.

[ditherer]

[he stifles a laugh for a brief moment (namely because he's picturing maruna doing all that to lure in his prey) (maruna would never do that), before he smiles.]

Well, if you're here right now, would that make you the evil witch?

[scooptimistic]

I feel like if I was the evil witch, I wouldn't bother telling you about all of that?

[ditherer]

Lure me into a false sense of security, maybe? But you're right—a real witch probably wouldn't be so nice.

[well, not that he can really say that when he barely knows her. still, humans like compliments, right?]

iv

[creepycute]

[ Yes, these picture books are kind of... No they're very mean and Mika hates his book too, filled with crude but colorful pictures. But even then he can't do what his cockatrice-feeding buddy did just now. ]

Hey, you can't jus' throw it away like that!

[ Mika holds his book close to his chest in comparison. ]

[ditherer]

[he's just going to give mika a blank look.]

And why not?

[creepycute]

[ blank look meet upset look. ]

'Cause we got 'em as rewards, it's rude! And they're... Kind of pretty?

[ The lack of color may be getting to him, so seeing it even in these books is... Something. ]

[ditherer]

[...

nope, nothing is worth having his worst memories on record.]

Well, you're welcome to keep yours. I'll just let the gratification of a job well done be my reward.

[creepycute]

[ Mika opens his book and tries to go through it for something good and justify his clinging, but a second time through makes it worse, because you finally notice what it's showing. His hand crinkle a corner of a page. ]

...

[ He tears out a slightly less harmful page without the others to make it the worst shitty memory, and tosses the rest of his own book into the harbor. ]

I... I don't need mine either! We did a good job and that's enough.

[ditherer]

[uh.]

... What happened to them being pretty?

[creepycute]

I have one page, it's good enough!

[ He holds out the page, it depicts a scene of an elaborate stage with two people. ]

I'm bad at throwing things out, but I should practice. It's actually kind of a stupid mean book, but again I'm bad at tossing stuff.

[ditherer]

... If you're aware of flaws, then it's good that you're learning to work on it. That seemed to be as good of an opportunity as anything...

[who on earth intends on keeping that reward.]

Be careful with that page, though. It'll be easy to damage by accident.

[creepycute]

[ he nods. ]

Ya had the right idea, I'm sorry.

[ he folds up the page and puts it in his jacket pocket. ]

Do ya think all the rewards are like that? I'm gonna guess yours was bad too.. But I won't pry. The books already did that.

[ditherer]

Thank you.

[for not prying, that is. otherwise, gandharva might've had to label him as an annoying, meddling human.]

I hope not... It'd certainly erase any incentive of doing these "quests", after all.

[creepycute]

[ Well he'd feel similarly about meddling people, so good on gandharva. Mika... is a weird kind of human. ]

Definitely. But what about whatcha said earlier... A job well done?

[ditherer]

[he smiles.]

... Ah, yes. Well, that wasn't meant to be taken entirely seriously, but...

[creepycute]

...Ya aren't as nice as ya look.

[ Mika sighs a little. ]

[ditherer]

Is that so? My apologies, then. I meant no offence.

[creepycute]

It's fine, ya saved me from getting my eyes pecked out. That's nice enough.

I'm doing nicer quests though next time.

[ditherer]

[he lets out a light laugh.]

Nicer quests, huh? Yeah, that sounds good. I can't say I want to be risking my neck constantly for these.

iii.

[conferring]

[How did a girl like this end up on a quest like this, that's the real question. Why would you bring a blind princess on a quest to feed a cockatrice? Why would you do this, Ruva.]

Oh... it is a serpent-like creature, with some bird-like aspects as well. It has the tendency to-- Oh--!

[she's tripping over a tree root, please hold.]

[ditherer]

[well, as far as gandharva/ruva's concerned, most non-magician humans are all, like, equally useless anyway.

but yes, he'll be catching her.]

Be careful. We wouldn't want you getting hurt, after all.

[conferring]

O...oh, thank you...!

[At least it's easy to put her back on her feet, she weighs practically nothing.

Fists, clenched!!]

I am very ready to continue!

[ditherer]

[though she can't see it, he smiles lightly.]

Then, let's continue.

[as he resumes walking—]

Remind me again what a Cockatrice is...?

[a blind girl and a boy who has no idea what their target is. what a fine duo they make...]

[conferring]

A mystical creature!

[Like most creatures she is used to, honestly... they're doing their best, at least.]

A lizard-like creature, who is capable of turning people to stone... I believe they like to eat things that a chicken or something similar would eat.

[ditherer]

[well, as someone who literally is what some might call a mythical creature, that bit tells him nothing.

but turning to stone, huh...]

... I'm not quite sure what chickens eat. Should we have prepared more before setting off?

[TOO LATE NOW.]

[conferring]

[... Well.]

...Well, let us make the most of the situation as it stands...!

[Yes. Yes they should have.]

Perhaps if we can harvest some greenery, they will be satisfied.

[ditherer]

It does seem too late to turn back...

[well, whatever. not like this quest actually matters to him, even if he's pretending it does.]

Though if it's already in the forest, won't it have access to all this greenery regardless?

[conferring]

... We...shall simply have to gather more delicious greenery!

[Foolproof]

[ditherer]

[what an amusing little human.]

Sounds like a plan to me. Hmm...

[he glances around.]

Delicious greenery, delicious greenery...