video; hydrakeeper

[bankvault]

[It's .. some skinny white haired dude who could probably use a hairtie, sitting at a worn out wooden desk. Peeking over the edge of the desk is what looks awfully like a dark, strangely furry python head, complete with flicking tongue. No wait, there's two.]

Good afternoon! While I've been making as much use of the journal I found in my pack as I can, and had quite a few questions answered by it, it's not clarified much by way of these ... omens. Like what I'm supposed to feed it.

[Make that three snake heads, the newest one stretching towards the omni bit by bit. Yoichi doesn't seem to notice, or perhaps mind; it's hard to tell.]

I'm also hoping to find someone who can help me with getting a bit of a sturdier dwelling built close to the beach. I'm afraid I don't have much to offer in return save ... ah, blood. I'm told that can be quite valuable the first time it's shed here, I'm apparently a coldblood now if that's helpful. [Clearly he doesn't like the blood thing but what can you do? He brightens back up, just as one of the snake heads makes a grab for the omni with a mouth full of very sharp teeth. It's caught before it can get to it and gently pulled back.] I've been told there is such a group here but I guess I'm easily distracted, I keep forgetting to ask for more details.

Comments

Video | Clickclickbloom

[onekindsoul]

Oh! I house by the beach!

I bet that's prime real estate.

I can lend a hand building you house if you'd like. I recently had to rebuild mine- People around town are pretty helpful too. I'm sure you'll get a few volunteers.

[bankvault]

I'm not sure it's safe exactly, the seas are pretty rough. But that's where people arrive, so that's a good place to be in case trouble happens.

[Plus other reasons, like proximity to food, but--

But still, having other people around can't hurt!]

The more the merrier, right? I won't say no. I can't offer much by way of compensation, unless you like seashells. What happened to your home, that it needed rebuilding?

[onekindsoul]

If you can handle trouble though you should be good. And I'm sure the people nearby will appreciate it if you can.

[She gives a more confident smile.]

Hey. Sea shells are great if you ask me. I'm not picky about compensation. As long as you've got a place to call home, I'm happy.

Oh... Well it was a crazy month and a few people had an axe to grind with my former roommates. Except instead of an axe they used fire.

video; un: mob

[centile]

Oh, hi Yoichi. [he raises his hand in greeting, hey! good to see him out and about.] You're going to live by the beach?

[bankvault]

Hello, Mob! It's good to see you again.

[It really is too, apparently, by the way Yoichi perks up. It's nice to see someone he's met before!]

I'm hoping to. Just beyond the sand ideally, which means withstanding inevitable sea storms and the like. I can handle the cold pretty well, who knew all the issues I wasn't having with the chill and ice is due to the blood magic thing??

[centile]

You too. [and he is impressed at yoichi having all this planned already, figuring things out. not always easy to take this place in stride.]

Do you know what the issues were now? [if not the cold? hopefully not serious, like mysterious anime cough...]

[bankvault]

Oh.. just old complaints following me from home, nothing too serious. I've always had a bit of a weak immune system, picking up every sniffle to come along.

[It's fiiiiine.]

Being not really bothered by cold is pretty helpful in winter though. I wonder, will it be miserable in the heat to make up for it?

[centile]

Oh. [concern. especially given he isn't sure what weird sicknesses the trench may have. he considers this for a moment before nodding to himself.] You can call if you ever get sick. I'll bring soup.

[this... is probably only marginally helpful but he is trying.]

I'm not sure... I know some coldbloods can make ice and fire, but that's about all I know.

[bankvault]

Likewise. I still have a few cans, and I've got this scavenged seafood thing going on as well, so if you start feeling unwell..

[He'll share! Sure it's not elegant or even particularly filling but it's food, and finding much else in the dead of winter isn't going to be easy.]

I suppose I'll find out soon enough, I'd like to learn as much about magic as I can. You read about wizards and sorcerers as a kid, or watch some exciting action movies, but that dream you might be a wizard tends to fade.

Text| un: Shadow_Puppet

[stoicsilhouette]

Omens don't need to eat, but some enjoy doing so anyway. [Or rather their sleepers like feeding them ]

[bankvault]

Are you sure it's not necessary? It seems awfully hungry.

[stoicsilhouette]

Positive. It probably just wants to eat. It's your call, I feed Kage whenever I eat.

[bankvault]

[Yoichi considers his omen silently for a long, looong time, which stares back with three sets of big, imploring eyes.]

Thank you for telling me. I assume because they're magic, there isn't a true body to feed, or something similar?

[stoicsilhouette]

[Oh no, the eyes, you know what you have to do ]
Something like that. I find them to be extremely intuitive with their sleeper usually emotionally and sometimes physically. [Hmmm] Are you feeling hungry?

[bankvault]

[constantly]

Not unusually so. Well, I'm sure I can find something for it! Who knows, maybe it just wants a taste to enjoy.

voice | un: duty

[martyrofduty]

I'm the foreman at Outpost Haven and its outreach. We have a good group.

I can answer questions.

[bankvault]

[Serious business time!]

Oh, that's wonderful, thank you for responding. I'm hoping to have a small stone or cement structure built close to the shoreline. I have no timeframe in mind, but as a new arrival to these shores I've not a lot to offer in return yet.

I ... suppose this could be considered a price check.

[martyrofduty]

Virgin bloodstone, some patience, and if needed aid in return.

The earthquakes require our immediate attention.

[bankvault]

I believe I can handle all of those, though I would prefer the bloodstone issue to be handled sooner rather than later, if I understand things right if I get into an accident or try any magic, I'll lose that value and I am keen on trying this town's sorcery!

[Pay upfront, and just.. wait until things fall into place? It seems a bit trusting, but Yoichi's willing to take that chance.]

Once the quakes have settled, and the things in the ground dealt with, I'd be happy to help where I can. I know how to swing a hammer, and I'm not bad with wrenches.

[martyrofduty]

Understandable & doable.

We welcome people willing to work. Until you have a house, the Achelliac has rooms.

video | un: SUSURRUS (cw: icons of snake will be in thread)

[possessum]

( While this Omen could wait for his Sleeper to answer the man's questions, Susurrus decides to take matter into his own hands. ....Hypothetical hands.

So the feed reveals another python-headed thing poking its way forwards, forked tongue flicking as he slowly turns to make eye contact with all three sets of eyes on the newcomer's Omen. What a curious entity....! Hello! )

Mosssst of ussss do not neeeeeed to eat. However..... I very much enjoy eating ssssssometimessss. ( The voice is a soft whispered hiss. So much hissing. )

Have you tried asssssking your Omen what they might prefer?

[bankvault]

[It's another serpent! Or at the very least, an actual serpent instead of the fuzzy hydra he's acquired. And it can speak, which immediately relegates it to 'actual person' categories in Yoichi's mind.]

Hello. It .. they ..? Haven't chosen to verbally communicate with me yet.

[Is that a bad thing? The shimmering rainbowsnake seems to have all three heads' rapt attention at the moment, alongside Yoichi's own. And then one makes a grab for the omni again, a different head from the last time, and is caught before it can actually succeed once more.]

But mostly they seem to want to eat my omni. Are they too young?

[possessum]

( Susurrus watches the head strike out in attempt to snag the Omni, offering a thoughtful hissy hum as he listens to the man speak. )

I did not ssssspeak with my Ssssssleeper for nearly a year. Ssssssometimes it takessss time. Ssssssome of ussss may never ssssspeak.

( Hopefully that information will reassure this newcomer about his Omen — though he does wonder about the question posed, here. He's not familiar with the entity, or what sort of age they might be. But he's so incredibly curious by them (clearly they're something mystical, otherworldly.) Susurrus leans closer to his own screen, peering at them. )

Do you know what ssssspeciesssss they are?

( Perhaps this is something that exists in the man's home world? )

[bankvault]

May I ask why you chose not to for a year?

[There's multiple possibilities going on, and he files them away along with any other bits of information he can glean. It was reassuring, in a way. If this creature was part of his magic he'd need to be able to trust it implicitly, right?]

A hydra, I think, or a three-headed terrestrial dragon. You see similar things in stories, but it never ... seemed as interesting growing up as other things were, so I never studied it much. I think Hercules fought one.

[Yoichi carefully reaches to grab the body of the omen properly and hefts them off the ground; were it not for strange magics, and they were the medium sized dog weight they look to have, he'd never manage. But definitely three heads on long necks, stuck to an equally long and serpentine or perhaps otterish body. Webbed feet kick a bit as they're held up, tongues flicking like mad.]

I don't know enough about dragons and dragon-kin to really be sure, I'm afraid.

[possessum]

( The snake falls quiet for a long moment, thinking. His relationship with his own Sleeper is... complicated. Not only is Susurrus connected with the boy, but to the Other within him. )

I believe he wasss.... not ready to sssspeak with me. He wasssss afraid of me. And sssso, I had no voicccce.

But after time in thisssss placccce.... and my Sssssleeper growing in waysss... he hassss changed. We are getting to know eacchhhh other.

( Omens are certainly a reflection of those they're connected with. This man's might change, too. Susurrus takes in the full form of the entity — hydra, or perhaps dragon. Something mystical and special, indeed. What might that suggest about the man they're tethered to...? )

Perhapssss they would enjoy eating thingsss that I enjoy. Ratsss. Lizzzzardsss. Birdsss. ( ...But there's also something he gets from Peter that he really likes... ) Jerky....