(oct and) september catch-all; open

[ancunin]

Who: Astarion and friends
When: Throughout the month
Where: Cadens, Nocwich, Farhill
What: Astarion goes about his daily business, first appearance of BATSTARION
Warnings: General vampire warnings for injury and blood-drinking. Full character content warnings here, I will try to add them to comment subject lines as things appear in threads!

Comments

CADENS ☼ Rio Enterprises, open

[ancunin]

[ The first time he transforms, it's entirely an accident.

The business is relatively back to normal now that the Heralds have come and gone, all that's left is making certain all the paperwork is back in order and the deliveries to the workshop are actually arriving when they are supposed to again. He's loitering around the Cadens workshop waiting on confirmation of one such delivery, when there's a loud boom! outside from nearby construction.

One minute he's lounging in his chair, drinking from a mug and reading the local gossip rag, the next thing he knows he's in the air, furiously flapping his... wings?

Anyone who enters the workshop will find a spilled mug of blood and a furiously squeaking little white vampire bat flying around the ceiling, crashing into walls and cabinets in a panic.

Alternatively, you might find said bat unconscious, possibly dead with its wings spread on a counter. ]

BAT!

[cryptsleeper]

Astarion? I retrieved a few new handbills for the shows in Ikorr this month. We have options, both serious and entirely for commentary.

[It has become a little tradition at this point - going into Ikorr and picking a few of the galleries to go to. As it turns out, Ikorr's modern art scene is both deeply silly and extremely beautiful, depending on what set of doors one walks through. Clearly there's no catering to the Summoned, and that part makes it all the more enjoyable.

The nice part is that many of the galleries have their little calendars of shows available to take home in the form of handbills. There's more than usual this month, and that's exciting.

Except Astarion has been replaced by--

--Alucard follows the squeaking. He knows what it sounds like, he has suspicions, but he dare not assume until he lays eyes on it.

His attention goes upwards, just in time to see a white bat smack into a cabinet.

How is this the second time he's found a friend turned into an animal by watching them flail and crash?

He's careful as he walks over, not sure if the crash has actually made Astarion fall on the ground or if he's just panic flying. Either way, Alucard has a hard time not sounding warm as he says:]

Well, congratulations on your wings

i need to make icons for this lmao

[ancunin]

[ The crash has made him fall to the floor behind a workstation, where for a moment there is no more squeaking or struggling.

However - as Alucard approaches, the little vampire bat that is Astarion bursts up in a panic, no longer stunned, and flies blindly into Alucard's face. ]

your really really do

[cryptsleeper]

[Okay, so now he knows how Jaskier feels. A face full of bat is, in fact, not pleasant. In fact, it hurts. Just a little.

But with a batstarion on his face, Alucard can also gingerly remove the creature and try to carefully, carefully nudge it into his other hand, palm up, slightly curved, ready to try and figure this situation out.]

Stop squeaking and sit for five seconds. You're fine.

i did it

[ancunin]

[ Batstarion struggles a bit in Alucard's grip, but once within the confines of his curved palm he seems to calm down enough, at least to get across a message: ]

I am NOT fine! I am nowhere close to fine! This is... this is...

[ ... not the bat transformation he had in mind when he was imagining himself as the Vampire Ascendent.

He wraps his wings around himself, giving the impression of an indignant cotton ball. ]

FLUFFY FRIEND

[cryptsleeper]

This is your first time as a bat.

[Is he...proud? Delighted?

No, he's being very serious. Promise.]

Do you want to change form or try flying in a bit of a more controlled manner?

[ancunin]

[ Astarion in no way believes Alucard is being serious about this. However - ]

I would very much LIKE to change back before anything else...

[ You know, just to be certain he actually can. What if he's stuck like this forever - he is catastrophizing, slightly. ]

[judgmentbolts]

Alright, calm down, I'm not going to hurt you. You're lucky the cat hasn't seen fit to have a go at you. [ Cid has trapped the little bat under a paper popcorn bucket of questionable origin, holding it down with one hand. He's hoping the darkness will help, or at least that it won't be able to do much more damage to itself now that it's contained.

He doesn't actually expect it to understand him, but that doesn't stop him from talking to himself while he looks around for a better method of containment. ] Bloody Astarion leaving his dinner all over the workshop...

[ancunin]

[ The darkness inside the questionable paper bucket is in fact not helping to calm the creature inside as it begins to awaken. Cid might feel its tiny body pushing on the sides and hear alarmed squeaks.

Strangely, he'll also see this message appear in script on the table, traceable to Astarion by the name that is automatically scrawled in a flourish:]

LET ME OUT, FIEND!

[judgmentbolts]

Out of where exactly? You've left blood all over the—

[ Cid turns to the popcorn bucket slowly. ]

No. [ But it makes sense, doesn't it? The bat certainly resembles him.

He lifts the bucket to free his little screaming friend, not even trying to suppress a laugh. ] Astarion?

[ancunin]

[ As soon as there's a crack of light poking through, Batstarion wiggles through to freedom - and subsequently launches into haphazard flight, smacking straight into Cid's laughing face, wings smacking.

And if he bites him in the nose a few times in a panic, who can blame him? ]

[judgmentbolts]

You should keep this loo— owOW alright calm down—

[ In an effort to not actually swat the poor little puffball, Cid staggers back a couple of steps and, with all the grace of a bighorn in a pottery shop, manages to trip over a sool and fall right on his arse.

He invents a few new swears before he recovers enough to glare up at wherever bat Astarion has gotten to. He's just going to gingerly rub the back of his hip. ] I'm putting you down as a workplace hazard...

[ancunin]

[ Oh! Even the tiny amount of Cid's enchanted blood is invigorating, especially for a much smaller body.

When Cid finally is able to look up, he'll catch sight Batstarion's fluffy white butt disappearing out the open garage door.

He'll be fine... probably. ]

hes dead

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor is not a stranger to the Purrfessor leaving him gifts--before her untimely capture at his very hands, she'd been a street cat, and even after adjusting to life in the workshop does a good job at keeping the mice away. This is not to say that he likes spontaneous presents of dead rodents left around the workshop, but he is at least used to it as a semi-regular occurence.

The small, fluffy white thing that he spots on one of the worktables as he returns from an errand is not a mouse. Upon closer inspection, it seems to be a bat. A dead one, actually, and though he's pretty sure he knows how it got here, he's not necessarily pleased.

He can't be angry at the cat, though, and when Viktor spots her nearby, he cannot resist a detour to scratch her little head.]

Did you catch that for me? [Though he is certainly affectionate with the cat when others are around, it seems he has a special tone of voice reserved only for moments when he is alone with the cat. He continues to use it, and a pet name that sounds like it might be in another language, while digging around for the hand broom.] What a skilled little hunter.

[The bat corpse, unless something strange and unexpected happens, will be unceremoniously swept into a waiting dustpan.]

[ancunin]

[ It's some sort of widlyl inappropriate dream, with Viktor's accented voice baby-speaking at him, possibly involving some roleplaying judging by the mentioned of catch and skilled hunter. Batstarion doesn't entirely grasp the reality of the situation until the push into the dustpan jolts him from his stupor. His wings begin flapping in a panic as he notices the wide eyes of an enormous cat staring down at him. ]

Stop! What are you doing?!

[ The message is very clearly in Astarion's handwriting. In his haste to escape the pan he falls right over the side and onto the floor. Little bat claws help him scurry up the leg of Viktor's pants to safety. ]

[techmaturgy]

[To Viktor's credit, he does see the words, and he does stop, though it takes him a moment to truly parse what may or may not be going on here. In that time, Purrfessor inserts herself, thrilled by the sudden flurry of activity and very much wanting to swat at Astarion's flailing wings before he forcibly removes himself from the dustpan and scrambles up Viktor's trousers.

He jerks away, a reflexive reaction having a bat scramble up one's trousers, very nearly unbalancing himself in the process. Purrfessor, still trying to get at the flailing animal, paces precariously around Viktor's feet.

He still doesn't know what's going on here.]

Astarion-- [Because Astarion must be messaging him from the back room, on his way to rectify this situation post haste,] --please come get your--animal?

[ancunin]

[ Batstarion makes it up Viktor's waist to his shirt, around his back just in case he tries to swat him too. ]

You do something about your animal! I will not have 'eaten by a mangy, half feral cat' written on my second tombstone!

[ He glowers down at the Purrfessor, finding a place in the middle of Viktor's back that he hopes isn't possible for him to reach... ]

[techmaturgy]

[The angry words in his vision are making it increasingly clear that Astarion is the bat currently scrambling around on his shirt. Okay. He'll unpack that later, when he's not maneuvering around and trying to grab him. Viktor is not the most flexible of individuals, and he quickly reaches the limit of how much he can twist.]

If you're going to insult my cat, maybe I should feed you to her.

[Viktor tries reaching over his shoulder, instead, offering a displeased grunt.]

How long have you been like this?

[Because it does seem to be slightly against his will.]

[ancunin]

You wouldn't...

[ Another indignant squeak comes from behind Viktor, and while Batstarion is tempted to bite him he's fairly certain his tiny fangs won't even pierce his vest. ]

I - not long. I don't think...

[ He was unconscious for some of it, though...

As Viktor's hand drifts too close he takes the opportunity to bite (1) purple fingertip. ]

[rookvision]

[Jacob pops his head in, because he’d heard a small commotion while passing by and he’s never been one to not indulge his curiosity over something, and says:]

Now, what’s going on—here…

[Is that a bat.]

Oh, hell—hang on, little lad, I’ll come and get you. [Oh no this is going to be the pigeon all over again, but he has to make the effort anyway, so Jacob reaches out to try and grab the bat before it can crash into a wall again.]

[ancunin]

What are you doing?

[ The affronted words will scrawl across whatever flat surface is within Jacob's peripheral vision as Batstarion only sees giant hands reaching toward him. In a panic he leaps over the hand and onto his arm, awkwardly scrambling up with his little claws. ]

[rookvision]

—wait, you're a Summoned?

[Bat? Summoned bat? What the fuck? Jacob wears enough layers that Batstarion's claws don't do much more than scratch at the skin, but he still hisses a bit in surprise as the bat scrambles up his sleeve.]

I'm trying to keep you from bashing your skull open on the wall, that's what. You keep flying around like you're drunk and it's only a matter of time.

[ancunin]

Of course I'm a Summoned!

[ Batstarion scurries his way behind Jacob's back where he (hopefully) can't grab him. ]

I am not - nevermind. Just - go stand next to that worktable!

[ Which table he means is probably unclear, since Jacob likely can't see where he's pointing with his little wing. But any worktable will do as a platform for him to hop off... ]

[rookvision]

[He can't reach back that far, so he can't grab at the bat. Lucky Batstarion!]

Apologies, then, for not immediately thinking that some random bat is a Summoned. [His tone is dry as dust, but he follows instructions and goes to stand next to the nearest worktable, setting his hand on the edge so the bat can use his arm as stairs to climb down.] Next time I see a bat flying around, I'll be sure to use whatever we're calling this [gesturing to the words being scrawled on the nearest flat surface,] to ask it if it's actually a person.

[A beat.]

Do you know how to turn back from this, or...?

[ancunin]

Sending. Message. Whatever.

[ He comes from a realm that has names for spells like this, but he doesn't actually pay attention to what the other Summoned call their mind-script.

Anyway, that's the least important part.

Now that he's fairly certain Jacob isn't going to fling him out the window, Batstarion scrambles back down his arm and settles on the worktable, his fur fluffed out aggressively in all directions. ]

Don't you think if I did I wouldn't be I would have done so already? Gods above, I swear you people -

[ Whatever insult he meant to throw is interrupted unceremoniously by an invisible and silent timer for this transformation spell.

In the blink of an eye Jacob will go from staring at a puffball with wings to a pale man (thankfully still clothed) stretched haphazardly on his stomach across the table, wide-eyed and confused, the items on said table very suddenly displaced onto the floor to roll about. ]

Ah... [ he glances up ungracefully at Jacob. ] Hello.