ph_logs | New Arrival - June Catch-All

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New Arrival - June Catch-All | OTA

Who: Lord Erik Osborne (

lordoftheozarks) & YOU
What: First post - recycled the TDM prompts
When: Mid-June-through the month
Where: Various locations
Warning(s): Violence against the twigs, Erik is a vampire there will be casual talk of biting/drinking blood

Arrival - mostly flavor but feel free to approach!
That white-haired woman was quite insistent that he take the hot chocolate and drink it. He did try to tell her it would be wasted on him, as he cannot taste it, but she didn't seem much interested in listening. By the time she explains he's dead, he can feel a derisive laugh rising up. Well, of course, he is? He's a vampire. But, no, this seems more serious than that. Tempting as it is to tell her to go to hell and take her tasteless hot chocolate with her, he is intrigued. He grudgingly agrees to play her game for now.

He almost immediately regrets that when he blinks and finds himself on a ferry at sea, of all places. The significance of the fee paid is not lost on him. He's starting to worry that maybe this is more than just a game. The annoying chatter of this man that's been sent to meet him does nothing to improve the impression he's getting. What a relief that, at least, the Mayor Poe is more willing to be reasonable about things. Or, so he thought until she mentions an outbreak of vampires. He decides, very pointedly, not to mention that he is one unless it becomes necessary.

By the time she releases him to Yorick's care once more, he's feeling an uneasiness he hasn't experienced in decades. He lets that man do most of the talking on their way to the tavern while he mulls this over. Once he's checked in at The Oak & Iron and as settled as it's possible to be, he's left to explore this new town for himself.

The first thing he needs to do is discover if there's a food source he can rely on. He feels horribly underdressed walking about the cobblestone in nothing but a linen shirt and trousers. It and the buildings remind him of a time long gone. It seems as if he's not only been thrown into another world but back in time. Ah, well, he's lived like this before. He supposes he can adjust.

When he spots someone walking up ahead wearing roughly the same kind of garment as him, he decides to take a chance and see if he isn't the only new and confused face in town. "Excuse me," he calls, speeding up to meet them. "Are you familiar with this area?"

Brutok
Without knowing if it is safe to prey on the people in town, Erik decides the smarter short-term solution to his specific dietary needs is to hunt in the woods. Yes, yes, he was warned that there are dangerous beasts out there. But he is also a dangerous beast and he has no fear of the dark.

Perhaps he should have cultivated some.

"What are these cursed creatures?" he hisses as a group of tiny twig-like beings swarms him. "Get away from me you little nuisances!" He kicks the nearest one and sends it spinning off into the underbrush, this seems to only enrage the rest who all lunge for him at once.

"Argh!"

Potluck
"How quaint..." he says with disdain as he traverses around the gathering turning his nose up at every dish he's presented with. He can actually recall the taste of a turnip in the vaguest of senses, but it wasn't his favorite when he was alive and the smell holds no nostalgia for him now, either.

"Is this all there is to do for fun around here?"

Tawny Beach
He stands in the sand with bare feet, his shoes in hand. If he's cold at all in the blustering wind with the sun starting to sink below the waves, he doesn't show it. He's staring resolutely out at that dock, though he knows it's useless to wait on a ferry that will never arrive. He could try swimming. There's no risk that he will drown. But, if the solution were that simple, he's sure someone would have tried it by now. So he simply stands there and glares at the water. If he never sees the ocean again after all he's been put through lately, it might be too soon.

Wildcard
Message me if you want a custom scenario or just hit me with it! I can roll with whatever. On Discord as Cmdr.Crackers or

KansaiBanzai. Feel free to add me.

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Continued from HERE

"Eshe?" Both his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. Now, that is a name he did not expect to hear. It's far too uncommon to be a coincidence... not paired with the comment about being tasty. "How does a human like you come to be on the menu for someone like her?" And is he willing to let Erik have a taste too? The blush in his cheeks suggests potential.

Something in the trees draws his gaze just then. A person? Yes, look at the swinging legs. It's hard to identify much more about them, however, except for the strange luster of their hair.

"What?" he starts to protest when they raise a finger to shush him. And then, in a blink, they're gone. How? They moved so fast even he could not detect it.

"Perhaps we should leave these woods after all..."

Continued from HERE

"Ah, that's interesting," he says, humming thoughtfully to himself. "I suppose if this island is beyond the reach of death then it's not such a far stretch to assume it may be beyond the natural flow of time as well. This entire world is... stuck. As far as I can tell."

Continued from HERE

Yes, that is what I heard as well--which is why I would appreciate it if you would not make that information about me widely public. I would like a chance to establish myself here as someone who is not a threat to the populace. I'm sure you understand.

[If he finds out she did otherwise, well, it's not a large island, is it?]

I cannot say for sure, but I guess you to be some type of shapeshifter. A fae, perhaps? You have that hint of mischief about you.

"...Yeah? I mean, it's not hard when she decides you're her favorite Medium." Lucas reacts first to Erik's question, before thinking of the implications. Did this vampire know Eshe? That could only mean he's from the same world and that thought nearly sends the Medium into a tailspin.

Lucas turns a second too late to see who or what Erik is looking at. Instead he squints, nose wrinkled in confusion as he looks back to the vampire again.

"What? Why?" There's a note of growing concern. "Don't tell me something's out there that even you won't tangle with."

"Are you?" A Medium. That puts a wrinkle in things. A Medium in contact with Eshe... IOPSA, then? It would stand to reason with how quickly the young man jumped into action. He would have felt it to be his duty, wouldn't he?

"There is someone out there. Someone who can move faster than I can see." And yes, that does alarm him.

Mo'rtajha can't help but to overhear Erik's plight. Her tail flicks with curious energy, regarding the man and his hawkish features before sliding up to him. Her ears are covered by a cape, but not well, enough that a sharp-eyed vampire would notice them.

"Therrre are a few distractions aside from turnips, good ser." Her r's roll pleasantly, a touch exaggerated and enough to show a bit of fang as she speaks. "Although it seems many such things are abandoned in favor of wallowing in misery."

Not that she could blame the villagers, honestly. This place is sort of depressing in a way her home could never be! Who would want to put on a play or spend money in a tavern? "Or, perhaps it is up to us to be creative, no~?"

"Stuck?" She tilted her head a bit. "How so?"

"Of course." Ahri very much does understand. Being able to mingle with a populace freely is a valuable thing, and Erik's ability to do so would be in serious danger if his nature was open knowledge. Ahri doesn't think that most would be able to easily recognize that he's a vampire: she only knows because she's a predator herself. "If the people here ever hear of what you are, it won't be from my lips. I can promise you that."

She starts walking, leading the way deeper into Lockwood Forest. The fog at their feet is thick, and the trees are dark; Ahri relishes the chance to explore it further.

"While your guess is quite the compliment, no, I am neither shapeshifter nor fae," Ahri replies, her laugh a low, husky thing. "What you see before you is how I was born." Her lips twist into a rueful little expression, glancing down at the simple linen shirt and trousers she's wearing, the same she woke up in. "I'm usually far better dressed, though."

Well now, what a lovely thing she is. The ears do not escape his notice, nor the fangs. Birds of a feather flock together, isn't that how the saying goes?

He practically purrs back, "I have no interest in wallowing, not if there are more pleasant avenues for spending an evening. I can be very creatively minded."

"Did you not have it explained to you? We are, presumably, fated to die. To avoid that, we've been sent here to a place where death doesn't keep what it takes. But it doesn't let its prey go, either. The village folk cannot escape and, now, neither can we." Oh, yes, he'd been told that they have a glimmer of hope if they find purpose and seek salvation, but he has little hope of that. What salvation is there for a creature like him to seek?

Thank you. I will hold you to that promise.

[He is glad to see she has some honor. It could still be a lie, of course, but he'll wager she'd rather keep something like that as an ace up her sleeve should she ever need to bargain with him.]

They truly do you no justice. How you were born is very beautiful and deserves to be clothed accordingly. I could say much the same for myself.

"Flatterer," Ahri laughs lightly, amused by his straightforwardness. "We both truly are being heinously punished by being forced to wear such shapeless, drab clothing."

He has an air of nobility about him, something refined and graceful, and it does come at a sharp contrast to the terrible linen garb. Ahri, too, holds herself like some ephemeral forest spirit, moving through the forest as easily as a lined street. She'll be interested to see how much he changes when he's able to clothe himself as he wishes.

"I can hear what sounds like a deer in that direction," she offers, extending a hand to point northward. "Would that suit you?"

Is it flattery to simply be stating the obvious? [Yes. Yes it is.]

Hm? [He goes quiet and still, eyes rolling to the north while he very obviously listens for the deer she's pointed out. She has the advantage here; it's been a while since he's had to hunt a wild forest. He's gotten used to city life.]

Yes. That will do. If you will pardon me, I will pounce upon it now.

[He doesn't wait for a response. In the blink of an eye, he's sped away into the trees, moving faster than the human eye can perceive but perhaps not hers. The Deer doesn't even have time to flinch before he's on it with his teeth sunk into the musky fur of its neck. Ugh. It tastes terrible. He'll be picking short grey hairs out of his mouth for an hour.

The deer kicks and screams but he quickly pins it to the ground, holding its legs to minimize how much it can hurt itself in its struggles. He drinks his fill of it, but that's hardly enough to do lasting harm. It may feel weak and slow for a few days at worst. As soon as he removes his teeth from its neck, he bites into his own thumb to bring a fresh red bloom of blood which he smears over the bite marks he's made in the poor thing's flesh. Instantly, the bites heel, as if they were never there. He releases the thing, then, and it gets up on shaky legs and stumbles away into the trees. Erik is left standing in the dark brushing dirt off his knees and using his tongue to clean the last smudges of blood from his lips and teeth.]

Ah. That's better.

If Ahri hadn't had her own version of enhanced speed, she would have lost him. As it is, she decides to leave him to it, only following at a casual stroll.

Lockwood Forest, so different than the forests of Ionia, really is beautiful in its own way. Dark and shrouded in mist, the trees are densely packed, though there seems to be some signs here and there that people have tried to make it their home. As Ahri walks, she catches sight of a broken down cabin in the distance between the trees, its wooden boards broken and mossy.

By the time she arrives, the deer is just starting to stumble away in shock, and Erik is cleaning himself up. The scent of blood is thick in the air, and Ahri takes interested note of the fact that the deer isn't bleeding anymore, some of Erik's own scent clinging to it as it streaks away. He must have healed it.

Eyes glittering in amusement, she reaches out, thumb smudging playfully over a spot of blood on his cheek that he'd missed, cleaning it up. "What a conscientious creature you are," she hums, idly studying the smear of blood on her thumb before she rubs it away.

"Err...yeah." Lucas can only shrug. It's not the biggest secret in the world to share, but even if this vampire doesn't come from his world, hopefully that can build some trust.

What Erik points out is more worrying than starting to play the vampire politics game. Lucas pales slightly. "Wait, what? Faster than you can...? Well, shit." He briefly eyes the forest again. "Maybe we should get back to town, dude."

"Oh, that." She nodded. "I thought you meant stuck in time. But yes, in that respect, I suppose stuck is a good word for it."

Zelda seemed to fret a bit as they went on, wringing her hands a bit. The thought made her stomach turn.

"I have to find a way back."

[He eyes her warily but allows her to wipe his cheek for him. The way she considers the blood, he's expecting her to bring it to her lips. But she doesn't.]

I do not need to kill to keep myself fed. Doing so would be a waste. This village wants for much in regards to resources and I do not know if the animals here are resurrected the same way the people are. I won't earn any points with the residents if I'm caught wasting resources like good meat.

[And, though is was a lifetime ago, he still remembers what it feels like to starve, the kind of desperation and aggression that can lead to. He'd rather not have it aimed at him.]

"Yes, and as I'm sure you have guessed by now, I am quite fast." He's glad Lucas can grasp the severity of the situation so readily.

"I agree. I'll have to save hunting for another night. Shall we?" He brushes a few more twigs from his linen clothes and then turns with intent to start walking back to the village. He'll keep the pace slow enough for Lucas to follow.

"It seems like the same difference to me. Months and years may advance here, but if what we were told is true, that success here would take us back to the moment of our impending death, then it stands to reason that all changes we undergo here will not stay if or when we are released. But, I could be mistaken, of course." It does not matter as much to him, either way. He no longer ages. He was practically immortal and invulnerable already. The passage of time to a creature like him is experienced altogether differently.

"I take it you have pressing business to return to in your kingdom?"

Oh, well, this is a pleasant surprise! The few villagers she even attempted to flirt with seemed to run the other direction right after.

"Is that so, good serrrr?" She purrs again, taking a few steps closer. "It is best to adjust to life here quickly, no? Including certain pleasures, I should think! If I may have your name? I am Mo'rtajha Tykha. At your service~"

She bows low, sweeping her arms in a flourish.

You have Eshe to thank for that, Erik. Although the IOPSA training's helped out, too.

"Yeah, no argument from me." At first Lucas takes it slow so it, but he can't help a creeping feeling tingling the back of his neck. They're being watched, whether by brutoks or the figure the vampire spotted, Lucas can't rightly say.

"Hey, let's pick up the pace? I mean I can't compete with your speed but the sooner we get out of here the better!" He'll start with a jog, trying not to trip over the underbrush but he'll pick it up the pace when he can.

"I assure you that it is," his smirk grows, almost threatening to let some fang peek out. What a wonderful surprise to find someone willing to flirt back just as aggressively. She could be his new favorite person here.

"I am Lord Erik Osborne and the pleasure is all mine Miss Tykha." When she looks back up from her sweeping bow, she will see he is offering his hand out for her. If she obliges, he will raise her knuckles to his cold lips for a lordly kiss.

"And, yes, I believe you are right. If we cannot leave, then we should make the best of what we have around us. You, my dear, are the very best thing I have seen so far."

Erik can sense it too. He's on edge in a way he hasn't been in... well, actually he was being hunted rather recently. And this feels just the same.

He effortlessly matches Lucas's pace at a jog and seems not to have much trouble tripping or stumbling. Being able to see perfectly in the dark has its advantages.

"If you would like, I could carry you back. It would be much quicker."

"Hmm, you have a point. We do not yet know the size and reproduction rate of the local animal populations; taking more than we strictly need is unwise."

Back home in Ionia, the natural resources were abundant and quickly replenishing. Lockwood Forest has a very different feel to it, though, and if the town itself has been caught in stagnation, there's no telling if that's affected the wildlife as well. Strictly speaking, Ahri doesn't need to eat food that much, as she mostly sustains herself on souls, but she does enjoy a proper meal here and there.

She'll have to observe the wildlife here, and ask questions of the locals, to ensure she doesn't take too much.

"Well then, let us head back. I will accompany you the way we came." She doesn't intend to head back into town, but she can at least keep him company for a bit. There's a tangible sense of satisfaction around him now, evident to her empathy -- layered on top of the many, many years he has rattling around in that cranium of his. He's old, that much is clear. His memories smell delicious, like a finely aged wine. "You're very concerned with your ability to live among society," she notes, idly curious.

"Ah, yes. That is true as well," she agreed solemnly, having not given that part much thought. "And yes, I do. The thing that apparently killed me... He is a great danger to my entire kingdom. He can only be destroyed by a specific combination of divine power, of which I am one half."

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New Arrival - June Catch-All | OTA

[For Lucas - Continued]

[For Zelda - Continued]

[For Ahri - Continued]

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Potluck >:]

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yessss

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cw: harm to an animal/blood drinking

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