abraxaslogs | [CLOSED] conservation efforts

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[CLOSED] conservation efforts

Who: Himeka & Nero
When: Early-Mid January
Where: Secondary Settlement
What: Siren Song - January Quest, de-beaching the great yawning shark & his friends...
Warnings: Two idiots sharing one braincell.

[ Himeka has spent a fair amount of time in the Secondary Settlement, in no small part due to the fact that many of the communes biggest farms are out here, which means ample work for a helpful adventurer. And it is work that she ventures out again, this time with a friend in tow. Rowan's own friend Isar had bid that the Summoned help in returning a beached whale to its home which would be reason enough to go. But...

Well.

Himeka feels a little responsible. Maybe because the Council heeded her own request of a prayer or ritual a little too readily. The sea ceremony hadn't been what she expected but it did give credence to the idea that, yes, something is out there listening. And that's important information.

At first the confirmation that fishing would be bountiful was enough for her to feel as if she maybe had done something right. and then things went fin up.

Making their way to the shoreside, she has to ask her dutiful companion-- ]

How big do you think it is?

[ You know, the important questions. ]

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[In some ways, he cannot believe the shit he's been put up to just because he lives in the middle of Bumfuck, Abraxas. And the last thing he wants to do is get involved with Solvunn's gods. But he pulled himself to the ritual just to witness it himself, and... of course, it was typical sacrificial bullshit, but at least it was only fish.

The only thing it proved is that something in the waters outside Solvunn likes stinky fish. Not exactly earth-shattering, and apparently humans will worship anything if it's big enough.

Great. He's learning so many new things.

Speaking of big --]

Big enough it's probably one of their dumb gods. [Nero kicks a rock, watching it shoot forward like a miniature bullet until it embeds in the side of a tree.] It's going to be big, and stink, and it's our problem. Have you ever noticed how that keeps happenin'? The people here screw up and then ask us to clean up the mess?

[ That's a thought she hadn't considered--what if it is one of the gods in flesh? Her brows raise straight up to the scales on her forehead. ]

You think so?

[ If that's the case, they may be making a very important connection here. She picks up the pace then, her strides creating a greater distance between herself and Nero. (You know, because her legs are so long.) ]

Hm?

[ Ah, right. Something goes wrong, big mess, only certain people who can deal with it... ]

Oh, that's not really all that out of the ordinary. I'm sorry that it's causing trouble for you, though.

[ At this point she knows he'll grumble about most anything. If he really didn't want to do something he simply wouldn't. Mayhaps he's only going because she is, but his sense of responsibility and obligation goes a little wider than he openly admits. ]

Let's just hope we don't end up with a few pots of yellow dye or somesuch as a reward for saving the settlement.

[ She's not salty after Vanaspati. Nope. ]

I mean. Wouldn't be surprised. They were whinin' that the ocean gods or something were angry when I was --

[Eavesdropping on them. Anyway,

Pfft. Nero blows past her without even trying, so much so that he turns around walks backwards in front of her, facing her with a snort. Really? She's apologizing? To him?]

You shouldn't be. I'm used to it. Guess that's your whole schtick too, huh?

[Outside of the whole getting framed for murder thing. The sort of thing heroes do. Come swooping in to clean up the mess (though, ideally, without complaining about it.) But if Nero's gonna get his hands dirty, and he's already feeling prickly about the Council in general, this call to arms rubbed him the wrong way.

(No, he's not gonna leave a giant shark on the beach to suck up the townspeople, even if he's annoyed. Or. Whatever it's doing.)]

Wait. Someone paid you in dye? For a job? For saving somethin'? Why? [Says the guy who barely has any money because he keeps doing it all for free.....]

[ Ocean gods can be quite temperamental, Nero. It makes sense. It's the whole torrent and waves mechanic, you know. Comes with the territory.

Himeka nods in acknowledgment, at this point not too surprised that they are two snap peas in a pod. There's a reason that Nero is fairly decent at rolling with the punches in his own flashy sarcastic sort of way. But it's fun! She can only imagine the sort of long-term traveling companion he would be.

(Would he like to fly on a whale?)

And...after a mods, she nods again and then shrugs with a crooked smile. ]

I can't exactly fault him for it given the fact that his city was in dire straights with the End Days, so supplies were shorthand. But I admit I never use yellow dye, so it seemed a waste...A pie would have been just fine, I think.

[ Yes because a pie is a better reward for saving a city than dye. She turns her bemused smile to Nero as they draw closer to the shore. ]

How are you usually paid?

[Rolling with the punches also includes side-gigs, like simply sort of moving on when Wanda mentions kidnapping her children from alternate universes or Himeka experiencing an, uh, apocalypse. These things just sort of happen to weird fucks like them. Sometimes your father raises a giant blood-drinking tree out of the Underworld.

Just another day in paradise.]

Kinda surprised he even offered anything...

[You know what, random dye guy? Respect. At least there Was pay.]

I mean... [He rubs the back of his neck, rolling a shoulder.] Guess it's more like favors than money. Fortuna's -- island back home -- is close-knit. It's why Solvunn's not that weird to me. You do favors for favors. Watch someone's kids for a wheel of cheese. Kill a demon infestation for a lifetime supply of spark plugs. That kind of thing. I guess if grandma's only got a bottle of dye on her, I'm not gonna turn her down.

[ Just another day indeed. But more than that, kindred souls who despite their outward appearances and personality differences, find common ground at the core of things. Truly, Himeka had felt fairly lost and isolated when so many of her close friends and confidants in Solvunn all disappeared done by one. To find a new family here means the world.

It's the kind of sappy thing she'd only say if she really wanted to see how red Nero's (tiny) ears can get.

Ah yes! She knows he's from an island--something she immediately clung to--and she supposes it makes sense. Islands only have so much land to share that would breed a more bartering system, wouldn't it? Sui-no-Sato is much the same. It's no wonder he slid into the culture in Solvunn so easily, as he states. She's smiling as she's nodding in understanding. ]

Is killing a demon infestation worth a lifetime supply of spark plugs?

[ She's been offered a lifetime of free room and board at local inns, so she supposes that has to be same-ish right? ]

And what sort of sparks are you plugging?

[ Curious ~~dog~~ lizard tail wag. ]

[Himeka is so lucky Wanda's the only one reading minds around here.

He scratches his head, considering. And then, after a second, shrugs.] Not many people around anymore who can kill demons, so. I mean. Probably.

[He didn't take the lifetime supply. But he had taken a handful for the van, 'cause Nico was fucking bugging him about it and the van did need the attention.

-- Wait a second, does Himeka even know what a spark plug --

Duh.]

It's a part for a car. You know, like -- [He holds his hands up like he's gripping a steering wheel, then turning it, then a foot in the air like he's slamming the brakes.] One of those? There's, like, three in the Horizon. The big metal things.

[He's nailing this description, by the way.]

[ Nero is very lucky that ~~the Final Fantasy Franchise likes to do crossover events~~ she's used to visitors from other realities and their motorized vehicles. And also getting to see the completely ruined Garlemald has given her an idea of what he means. ]

Oh, like the one in your Domain!

[ That silly boxy thing. ]

I would love to introduce you to Cid someday. I'm sure he would find out something fun to make with sparking plugs.

[ And the image of Nero meeting Nero is...very. Very funny. ]

Well, we're working for the good of community here now, aren't we?

[ As always. The earth begins to turn to a mixture of rock and finer sand and the hulking silhouette of their target starts to appear by the shoreline. ]

Both above and below the waterline.

Yeah, like that.

[Not that he's shown her the true extent of his van, but to be honest, he's not super keen on letting people in, either. He drove Ciri home, and that trip was all the patience he had for making sure someone new to cars didn't throw up in his.]

Yeah, yeah. Drag him here and I guess we can.

[As long as it's not that Nero guy. He still sounds like a dick.

Nero looks ahead as the shark -- or at least what the people around here consider a shark -- rises in front of them like an overgrown boil on the surface of the earth. Even this far, the air starts to stink of fish and the ocean. Just like home by the coast. Worst you had to worry about out there was a bunch of blades shooting out of the ocean.]

Boy, that thing should've stayed below. It's ugly as fuck. [He rolls his shoulder as they move past onlookers to the spectacle, people running back and forth with buckets of water, a few tucked to the side uttering prayers. Never thought he'd say it, but if this was one of Solvunn's gods, maybe the Savior wasn't the ugliest thing he'd ever seen.] Why don't we just drag it back in? Can't be that heavy between the two of us.

Mayhaps when all this is over you can visit Etheirys for yourself.

[ As eager as she is to solve the problems here and help everyone return to where they should be, Himeka would be the first to admit there are bonds she would miss should these bridges truly be burned at the end of it all.

The shark, on the other hand...is large enough to be a star all it's own. It's more of a giant mound of fishy flesh than any shark she's used to. And Himeka has seen her fair share of sharks.

The smell doesn't bother her much, but she can tell there has been other beached animals who have long since passed and left to dry out in the air. That is what stinks. She watches idly as a child runs by with one of those buckets, holding his nose all the while. ]

It probably thinks the same thing about us.

[ They probably look incredibly unround and much too small. Too small to drag it, though? She puts her hands on her hips as they come to stop a reasonable distance from it--close enough to get a decent look, but far enough not to be within snot range. ]

We could try. I figure the locals already have, but they also didn't have you.

[ Look, she's not weak but she knows her talents are not in throwing punches. ]

Yeah, maybe.

[He doesn't have the heart to tell her the only thing he cares about right now is getting home to Kyrie. And even that is --

He's not gonna think about it.

They got a job to do. He's gotta keep his head in the game. Get this shit figured out. Then they can all move on, because the stupid freakin' shark is back in the stupid freakin' water.

He looks back to Himeka and scoffs.] You think this thing's ever seen people before?

[To be fair, maybe they're all the uglier for it. Whatever. He's not considering the aesthetics that sharks prefer, because this thing is already putting a dent in his day.

Nero punches one fist into his other hand. She gets it.] Exactly. And that was their first mistake. [Except the problem feels like, the closer they get, it's not gonna be his strength in question (as if it ever was.) It's that this thing is round. And long. And a weird shape in general. He tips it the wrong way, it's gonna roll right onto some people. Or further up the beach.

And when he puts out a hand to touch it, it feels. Not great. His hand isn't bleeding, but it's already sore. Not a huge issue, but he's gonna have a hell of a time getting anyone to help him.] Well, standing around and throwing water on it ain't gonna fix the problem.

[And while normally Nero would not have reservations of just punching the shark back into the water, he does try to not piss off the locals. He cracks his knuckles, digs his boots into the sand, and shoves with a shoulder.

Against all odds, the shark does move. A little. There's the smallest trail in the sand. But the noise it lets out? Even hurts his ears.]

[ Has it seen people before? From what she can tell, there isn't much in the way of a Kojin Blessing in these parts, so if someone were deep enough where this thing dwells...

They were likely already dead. And thus didn't see it. But she supposes it may have seen them. ]

Mayhaps. Though likely not so lively.

[ Ominous.

Himeka seems content to watch and see how Nero handles this. She's also picturing it rolling down the sand like a wild beach ball until it reaches the waterline. But as soon as it wails--

--Himeka cringes reflexively and holds onto her horns. The way it vibrates hurts like a bitch. ]

Gods!

[ The call is likely more melodic in the water, but in the air it's harsh and grating. ]

Make it stop, Nero!

[ His ears are clearly not as affected. ]

Shit.

[He didn't even hit it that hard! And now he bangs his hand on it, cuts on his fist or not.] Hey! Pipe down!

[The shark neither hears nor heeds him. For fuck's sake. He looks at Himeka clearly trying to keep her ear (horns) from exploding off, and decides that measures need to be. A little more firm.] Hold on, H!

[If hittin' it on the outside isn't gonna work, then --

If anyone tries to stop Nero, they don't have a chance. Possibly because watching a full grown man walk into the mouth of a shark is absolutely one of the most insane things one could watch. And he does it. By no means is he letting a stupid shark ruin his day and Himeka's hearing, so he runs right in, dodging teeth and a flapping tongue, to go at its throat. The sound echoes around him so loudly the air itself is shaking --

Abruptly, it stops.

A whirlwind whips up around him as the shark's noise abruptly stops, all the air gets sucked back deeper into its throat, and time stops.

Nero shoots out of the shark's mouth as it sneezes, covered in goo that could be a mix of. Way too many things. He tumbles through the air with a shout, landing in the sand with a hard thump.

Not hurt. But dizzy as shit, yes.] Ow.

[That did not really go as planned. But at least the noise stopped.]

[ Watching a full-grown man walk into the mouth of a shark is, admittedly, one of the few things that Nero could do to surprise her at this point. And surprise her it does.

And yet, somehow, it seems like a brave stroke of genius--it can't make noise if you close up the noise hole, right? They're supposed to be saving this thing, but they can't save it if they can't think.

When the sound stops, Himeka straightens. The silence is almost deafening in contrast and there's a moment--a fearful moment--where she wonders if Nero used himself to, uh, clog the noise maker...

(She's a water lizard not a marine biologist.)

--And then theres another loud, almost terrifying noise as the shark sneezes. She's never heard a shark sneeze, at least not like this. Nero flies out like a bullet from a Machinist's pistol. Himeka blinks a few times as the mucus covering lovingly collects sand along the way. ]

...Uh.

[ She looks back and forth between Nero and the shark before trotting over to her friend, first and foremost. ]

...You did it!

[ The part she requested, at least. Mission accomplished. ]

You look like shite, though.

[ She's not so cruel to leave him there like that. He can enjoy a nice water spell to try and...clean him off. A bit. ]

[Nero looks up at Himeka bending over him, though her whole face sort of wobbles as his brain tries to stop knocking itself against every wall left in his skull. Oh. God. He's so... he's so fucking sticky.

Nero makes a face as he sits up, slinging big loogies of shark snot off of his arms.]

I feel like shit, so thanks. [He hisses the last word, wiping more mucus out of his hair. The water that falls on him as he looks up isn't exactly refreshing, but he will give it to her. It helps.] You can't manage anything with a little more oomph? Power wash this shit off of me?

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[CLOSED] conservation efforts

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nero needs to let her drive the van

I am SO sorry I was 100% convinced I replied to this (also ur right)

YOU'RE FINE FAM

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