[Open] My head down low

[tantailizing]

🧙 Who: Zidane Tribal and You!
⚔️️ Which: Open
🕒 Where: Around Reverein
🗺️ What: Love is in the air and work is on the ground! A February catch-all!
⚠️ Warnings: Bleeding Heart infected. Emotions may become radical which, in turn, actually affects his powers.

I. Road Repair

[Unfamiliar with this route himself, Zidane took one look at the cobblestone to incline and had to agree with whoever posted the Quest: yeah, it needed to be fixed. Simple enough for someone just on foot or a mount to traverse, but this would be hell on anyone trying to drag a cart, or they didn't have sure footing.]

[It long days' work, but he would be found there working to help demolish, terraform, and rebuild the road. There's no monetary reward, he knows, but there's the assurance in knowing that no one would be at risk using it once done.]

Huh, I wonder if we could theme the road to the installation somehow...

[He's just thinking out loud, don't mind it too much.]

II. Spider Thread Traps

[Well, didn't someone get overzealous setting these traps. It's almost like they learned how and just wanted to keep doing it. That's almost a waste of pretty good spider thread, and that's not even mentioning how things kept getting trapped that probably wasn't intended to.]

[Like a spice noodle that already didn't like being out in this weather.]

I'll have you out. Take it easy, bud...

[Though he's occupied, he wouldn't deny help.]

III. High Tide for Crime

[Reverein wasn't Treno and he rather liked it that way. The uptick in crime does not go unnoticed by the ex-thief either. This place was not a rich one, or divisible by class. Everyone was making due with what they had, abilities and otherwise; which meant, it was only fair to help people out with his own abilities, dusty though some of them may be.]

[Besides, would someone really raise a fuss over thief-on-thief crimes? He's only stealing to return what's taken to their rightful owners. Maybe catch him in the act of returning said stolen goods, or even suspect he took them in the first place. He does seem rather pleased with whatever he's up to.]

IV. Bleeding Heart (feat. Dreamscape)

[Valentine's Day... first time he's hearing about it, but it looked like everyone in Reverein was gearing up to celebrate it. And why not? It's a day to share love and there's plenty of people around to share it with, platonic and romantic. In fact, Zidane's a little into the mood of making sure some couples were taking time to get ready and enjoy themselves.]

[It was just watching from a distance, really because getting too close, it was making his chest hurt. People look so happy, and he's happy for them! Really! But he placed his hand over his chest, trying to smother the red light glowing beneath. It felt like it wanted to burst out and latch onto someone else - maybe he wanted to reach out to them himself? - but he couldn't let it do that. Just smile and wave, smile and wave...]

Hey, I think there's a deal on chocolate if you need it.

[His dreamcrystal shifted.]


[Darkness...

There, but a single chair - a throne of stone adorned with a crown of spikes.

It is quiet, empty, and Zidane just sits, unmoving.

Alone...


... alone...


All... alone.


And the red bleeds too bright...]

V. Wildcard

[OOC: Wanna do something unlisted from the prompts? Hit me up at demidemonLove or PM so we can plot! Also, these prompts can have Zidane already infected with the Bleeding Heart, just note in the subject if you want that!]

Comments

II

[twilightskey]

[Man, all these spider-thread traps really were causing a mess, weren't they? And seeing the little spice noodles getting all trapped up makes Roxas's own heart ache at the sight. So he's doing what he can as well, to get those little noodle dragons free.]

[Seeing a familiar face, Roxas will walk over to see Zidane's own progress on the traps.]

Need a hand getting him free?

[tantailizing]

[Well, well, if it isn't a familiar face. Zidane smiles and nods.]

Yeah. If you don't mind calming him down.

[He doesn't wanna hurt the little guy if possible.]

[twilightskey]

Sure.

[He can give that a try. So while Zidane works on the trap, Roxas steps forward, offering his hand to the little spice noodle.]

Hey, it's okay. We're here to get you out of here, okay? So just hang on for a little bit...

[Hopefully the noodle is content to sniff his hand, maybe even let him pet it... he's just hoping it won't bite him.]

[tantailizing]

[The noodle itself huffs and puffs, and speaking about bite... nah, it doesn't. But with what claws it has free, it does scrabbling a bit at Roxas's hand like it's attempting to pull itself free.]

[Zidane's doing his best, but it's going to take a little bit longer.]

[twilightskey]

[Roxas winces as the claws dig into his hand, but he doesn't protest too loudly; he's pretty sure the noodle is in more of a mess than he is.]

It's alright, little guy. We'll get you out, promise.

[He reaches up to try and give the little noodle a scritchy. So far so good..!]

[tantailizing]

[It really is. And, if anything, the claws are more like pin-pricks than piercing his skin at all. At least the little scritches it gets helps.]

Alright... ooookay... and, there we go!

[Zidane's got a wad of spiderweb in his hand, but that just means their new friend is free.]

[twilightskey]

[Once the noodle is free from the spiderweb, the little dragon all but collapses into a little bundle in Roxas's hand. He pulls it close to his chest, carefully stroking its mane with his free hand.]

There..! That feels better, yeah?

[Looking up at Zidane, Roxas smiles.]

Good job!

[tantailizing]

[The dragon is very glad... but also very tired. Neither of them can really know how long that noodle has been stuck and struggling. Zidane grins, his tail swaying.]

Hey, thanks for keeping the little guy calm.

[twilightskey]

[Aw, poor little noodle dragon. He can take a nap if he needs, he's in good hands. Literally.]

No problem. I'm just glad he's not hurt too badly.

[Though, he does frown.]

But man... why are there so many of these nets around?

[tantailizing]

[Oh yeah, the noodle is making himself comfortable, curling up into a small spicy ball and yawning.]

[Haha, cute.]

Oh, those? Yeah, they were set up for the snoyotes. Not useful anymore, but whoever put them up didn't take them down.

[twilightskey]

These are all from the snoyotes?

[Roxas remembers that mess. But he also knows that... was a while ago. The nets were still up??]

Why didn't they take them down? That's dangerous!

[tantailizing]

[He shrugs.]

I couldn't tell you why. Some people just don't clean up after themselves. Or maybe they wanted to catch other creatures.

[twilightskey]

[Roxas's frown deepens, and the air around him gets a little warm.]

How someone could think that's a good idea... That's just awful.

[tantailizing]

It's not the worst idea. I mean, if that was their plan, I could understand wanting to stop some actual dangerous animals from entering Reverein. However, they're catching everything that's not that...

[twilightskey]

Yeah... it's just really unfair to the ones who do get trapped.

[He gives the noodle a little scritchy on its mane.]

Maybe in the future they can come up with a safer method to catch dangerous animals. One that doesn't risk others?

[tantailizing]

[And the noodle... purrs and rubs for more.]

Yeah. I mean, there are weight-sensitive traps they could use, or even designing a trap specifically for whatever they intend to catch.

[twilightskey]

[D'aw. It wants more, it gets more. Good noodle.]

You think they could make traps like that? [Roxas hums in thought, pondering.]

If they could make traps that target only one type of creature, that could be really good for preventing this kind of thing in the future.

[tantailizing]

Oh yeah, it's possible. The real problem depends on how targeted this trap is. You'll have to consider things like specific baits and deterrents since you don't want to just catch anything.

Now, they'll work, but you'll have a few creatures decide 'nah, I'll walk into it anyway'.

[twilightskey]

Oh... yeah, I didn't think about that. Setting a trap for just one type of creature is pretty hard, huh?

[Still didn't make it right to just leave traps all over the place, though.]

[tantailizing]

[He nods.]

Really, it just takes a little more time and effort... not that this person could've been bothered.

[twilightskey]

Yeah...

[Roxas sighs, forcing himself to calm down. He looks down at the little noodle in his hand.]

Well, we should probably hurry, then. To make sure no other creatures are caught,

[tantailizing]

[He nods.]

If you wanna start checking some traps too, we can split up. And if you find something you can't get out, just holler.

[twilightskey]

Alright. And if you find anything you need help with, let me know.

[Teamwork!]

[tantailizing]

You got it! Good luck, and don't get caught yourself!

[Because that would suck.]