catch all >> october

[trollophoroi]

WHO >> Fandaniel & Frightening October Threads OooOOooOo
WHAT >> Various closed threads.
WHEN >> October
WHERE >> Various places.
Content Warnings >> Violence for sure, will add as things come up.

Comments

for dehya

[trollophoroi]

[ There are two things anyone should be doing during this time when the monsters are storming the root towns. One is fighting and the other is hiding if choosing to stay out of the fight. It is unfortunate, then, that Fandaniel is choosing a third option.

That third option is to be reckless and make the situation worse for those opting for that first choice. He's in as much danger of being attacked by these things any anyone else, sure, but he's taken to baiting them down certain roads and alleys in Lumina Cloth and intersecting them with other monsters, always near where some fighting is going on.

He's creating larger mobs of monsters to deal with and then he makes his exit through a building or somewhere else. In Lumina Cloth, specifically, he knows every route and trick and shortcut from all the time he's spent here, harassing other beta testers back when it was so much less dangerous.

He... isn't being very sneaky about it, as far as being spotted by players goes. He doesn't actually care what they see, think, or inevitably do. It isn't as though any of them will go through with a murder to stop him, after all. ]

[legendofthelion]

[Of course Dehya notices.

She's in the thick of it, fighting back monsters and trying to strategize with her Data Drain on the shielded ones. Which is progressively difficult to do when groups of them are getting dragged into the areas other players are, instead of being left to wander empty parts of town. Her newest special armor in sleek black dons her, and with confidence in her decision to fight to protect the other beta players, to be a hero, she's levying some incredible damage.

Of course, being a hero means punishing all evil doers. So the moment she has an opening to chase after Fandaniel after catching him sneaking in and out a third time, she pursues.]

Fandaniel! [No point being sneaky if he's not. He knows he's going to be seen.]

[trollophoroi]

[ On hearing his name shouted, he does stop, giving a little spin around to face Dehya that sends the skirts of his robes flying about. ]

FlameMane! My dear! Why, how are you doing this fine evening?

[ A greeting, amused as always, as though he hadn't been doing anything weird at all a moment ago. ]

[legendofthelion]

A lot better before you showed up! [Honestly, terrible all around! But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.]

Don't think I didn't see you dragging those monsters in! Stop running and face me!

[trollophoroi]

Ha, but I did stop! See? Here I am!

[ And he is! Standing there, facing her, waiting for her to catch up. ]

But that is quite the accusation! Why do you think I am not merely out on a stroll and those monsters happen to be bothering me?

[legendofthelion]

[Dehya comes to a stop just a few feet away from him.] Cut the crap, Fandaniel! You and I both know you weren't just innocently strolling around. Don't you think it's time to stop treating this like a game before your griefing gets someone actually hurt?

[trollophoroi]

[ Stop treating it like... stop treating it like a game? Fandaniel can't help it. He nearly doubles over in laughter, laughing and laughing at poor Dehya. ]

Stop? Stop? Ha! Haha! No, of course not! I want to see! See how they manage, how far they will go to fight for their lives, for their futures!

[ Ah, but then the laughter trails off and he takes in a breath, straightening up again to smile at her. ]

Because that is what you fight for, isn't it? You labor until you collapse to ensure you have one at all, yes?

[legendofthelion]

[Dehya grits her teeth. What a selfish statement. But Fandaniel has always been like this, right? It's why she always stands opposed to him: because of how much fun he gets out of other people's suffering.] Yeah, and you reap the benefit of us protecting you while throwing it back in our faces! You want to see me fight? Fine--let me knock some sense into the blockhead of yours!

[She shifts her blade in hand and charges.]

[trollophoroi]

[ Is it, though? The same man who huffed and puffed about how many people claimed to care and then angrily made them all breakfast? ]

Oh dear, so much for claiming to protect me.

[ Said in that obnoxious sing-song way of his but, see, the thing is, he doesn't move as she charges. Does she truly wish to strike him down? Will she? Fandaniel remains where he is as she comes at him with the sword and spreads his arms wide as if to welcome her. ]

Come, FlameMane! Strike! Save all of your doomed little friends from me!

for Hector

[trollophoroi]

[ Back again to the Sieden Hotsprings, only this time Fandaniel won't be sitting in the springs themselves. No, he's taken up space in one of the inn's rooms, sliding paper door left open, already having ordered an entire carafe of sake for them, and he fits in rather delightfully with the decor in the yukata skin he'd picked up from the GP Shop.

Honestly, he should go back for some more of those. Stress shopping... so good... but for now, he'd rather focus on giving Hector a chance to unwind, even if it's only drinking and venting in a comfortable locale.

Because here's the thing, for as much as he professes not believing any of them when they say they care about him, the same never goes both ways; he does care, if clumsily, and he does care about Hector, too, in his own ways, although whether Hector will appreciate that, well...

In any case, the NPCs will show Hector to where Fandaniel is chilling and ask if he'd like anything else brought over before they leave. ]

[secondthoughts]

[ When Hector shows up, that something's off is immediately obvious.

It's in the way he walks, aimless. It's in the way he carries himself smaller than normal, the way his eyes rest unfocused in the middle distance. The way he dismisses the NPCs and refuses any extra drinks, and how he doesn't really acknowledge Fandaniel until he's sitting right beside him.

He kicks off his shoes, his gloves, messily undoes his robe. His pants stay on, for what it's worth—he's just making himself comfortable—and most notably, he doesn't immediately reach for the sake.

His gaze lifts and rests on Fandaniel. His eyes are tired, and the way the grief sits on his face makes him look older. For all the fuss he kicked up on the forums, he's quiet. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ It's almost as if the grief is visibly dripping from the poor man, the way he carries himself, the silence, the exhaustion, and rather than trying to hand off a cup of sake to the poor man, he instead turns to give him one look over, and holds an arm out, offering a hug, a shoulder to lean on, even cry on, if he wants. ]

You poor oaf... come here.

[ There's nothing else to be said now that he sees Hector in-person. It's much more dire than he had anticipated. ]

[secondthoughts]

[ Fandaniel's offer only hangs in the air for a fraction of a second before Hector leans in and takes the arm, pulling him into a tight, tight hug. He shudders in his exhale, but tears won't come—he's cried too much already—but he still buries his face in the crook of Fandaniel's neck.

He feels like it shouldn't be affecting him as much as it is... They barely knew each other, in the grand scheme of things. They didn't know each other for very long. But god almighty does it hurt.

And so he's deeply grateful for what Fandaniel has to offer him. Even if he can't really voice it right now. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ And Fandaniel will remain there, wrapping his own arms around Hector in return, and letting him cling to him as long as he wants, as long as he needs. There are no pointless attempts to comfort him beyond the hug, no words, nothing else, only this.

There isn't anything he could say that would make this better. In the end, that'll be up to Hector, to find his peace, but until then... ]

[secondthoughts]

[ Hector doesn't cry, but the tension that wracked his body palpably melts in Fandaniel's arms. The silence, the hold is enough for him. He doesn't know if it's okay, but it's feeling the warmth of another that tells him it is.

Eventually, with a little sigh, he pulls back. There's guilt, an apology on his face as he takes in Fandaniel's pretty little features. ]

I'm sorry. [ It's hard to tell if he genuinely is, or if he feels like he needs to say it. ] I...probably said some rude things to you on the forums.

[ He doesn't remember. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ An apology to which Fandaniel can only shake his head. ]

Do not think of it. I tried my best not to become rude, as well, only... [ He offers a helpless shrug. ] I would say we are all in a poor mood but that's quite the understatement, isn't it?

[secondthoughts]

[ Hector gives a hollow laugh, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. His arms slip from Fandaniel as he sits and slumps in place. ]

Yeah. Of the century. I didn't realize how bad everything's gotten.

[ Made only worse knowing Yael is gone.

He absently digs a fingernail into the tatami. ]

It feels like...we're at each other's throats when we should be working together.

[ The fight at the meeting, the incendiary comments on the forums... He knows everyone's tense, but it shouldn't be like this. ]

fashion show~

[trollophoroi]

[ When Hector does indeed manage to meander his way on into Telophoroi, Cultist Grunty with hehehe-ingly guide him to Fandaniel's room. It's been left public in this case, meaning Hector can enter and find the man himself finishing up his room's decorating job. No one's ever actually visited before! Exciting!

And a good reason to tidy up the design a bit, at long last, as he turns away from tweaking the final wall lamp into place. ]

Hector! Welcome!

[ And since they had been discussing suits before, Fandaniel is wearing one of those skins just for the occasion. A slightly more fantastical butler (without the clock, btw, shh). He even offers him a form perfect bow! Or, uh, attempts to. He pauses only part way, wary of the twinge in his side. It hurts, ah, right, let him slowly straighten up. If anything, he may have overdone it by tidying up the room... ]

Please, make yourself at home.

[secondthoughts]

[ Telophoroi's a guild Hector hasn't been in before. This is fun and new and exciting!

He's looking around in awe at the decor in Fandaniel's room first, not immediately paying attention to him. This is...way nicer than any room he's seen, especially his own. Damn. He really must be settling in for the long haul...

Hm. ]

Hey. [ He directs his attention back to Fandaniel with a little grin, and now he sees what he's wearing— Ah-ha! ] Love what you've done with the place, and your skin. Is that what you wanted to show me?

[ By "at home," Hector is interpreting that as wandering around the room, looking and poking at stuff. Hope he doesn't accidentally stumble into your dildo collection, Fanny D. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ But Hector, you are the dildo collection. ]

This one? Oh, no. I cannot trade this one over to you but I did want to show off both of them. Here, this is the one I truly meant.

[ And there is a skin swap to a less flashy but, in Fandaniel's own option, more classy butler skin that he picked up long ago, back when they all first joined the beta, although that memory is faint. Joined it? When they were always here? ]

I can trade this one over for you to try on if you would like. Those are my only two butler ones but I have plenty of others to show off if you would like to see them.

[ As for the room itself, it is truly a dedication to wanting a good-looking place to call his own. There is a lot, a lot, of item clipping going on, but thankfully, Hector won't be able to tell! ]

[secondthoughts]

[ but he only has one dick!!!

His brows raise when he sees the classier skin, interest clearly piqued. He takes a few steps forward to get a closer look at it and tentatively runs his finger and thumb over the hem of the sleeve. ]

Yeah, actually. Send it to me, lemme try it on.

[ He steps back and looks to Fandaniel with a little grin on his face. ]

And if there's other stuff you want to put me in, I don't mind.

[ It's his way of saying, dress me up all you want. He'll take any opportunity to show off he can, to be honest.

Though he hears Shoka's voice in the back of his mind: Fandaniel might be a Phase. A little reminder to himself not to think too much with his dick, but he gets to play dress up with his little fuck buddy :( :( how can he not :( :( ]

[trollophoroi]

[ a dick worth a box of dildos, take it as a compliment??? ]

Let me switch. [ And this time it's to this vampy little number. ] Really, if you have the GP to spare, the random skin tickets are hilarious. This round I got two like this and then several more modern outfits.

[ But he also got himself some traderizer items, which he pops now from his inventory. There'll be a trade screen that blinks into existence for Hector, the butler outfit placed in it for him to grab and try on. ]

[secondthoughts]

[ hold on thAT'S PHANTOM ARKNIGHTS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hector's expression blinks into one of pleased surprise when he sees all the cleavage, and he's way too busy appraising Fandaniel in the fit that he doesn't immediately see the trade window right away. He's busy!!! ]

—Oh, right.

[ He quickly takes it and it takes about a second for him to swap skins, and there he stands: chest nicely filling out the upper half, ass filling out the lower. Does it suit him? He eyes Fandaniel, that question written all over his face as he quirks a brow. Well? He needs your appraisal, little man. ]

[trollophoroi]

[ blame haki for the arknights ok!!!

But anyway, hey, Hector, his eyes are up here? Oh, who are we kidding. He practically preens at the attention, taking easy note of the stare and the lag in time for Hector to notice the trade window, but then he's in the butler skin and it's his turn to stare.

Or more like, appraise. He taps a curled knuckle to his lips, other hand tucking itself over his crooked elbow. He looks Hector up and down, then moves to walk in a slow circle about him, looking him over from every angle. ]

Well, you do fill it out very well, but... I don't know. Yes, you look good, but does it suit you? Perhaps less formal is the way to go. You give off a very rugged vibe, after all.

[secondthoughts]

[ no it's okay i love phantom arknights

Hector stands straight, patiently, and perhaps posing a little (sticking out his ass) as Fandaniel appraises him. His eyes rest on him, taking in what reactions he can suss out. And so he's not too surprised when he doesn't come back with a glowing review. ]

I had a feeling. And I think I agree with you. [ A beat— ] Wait, hold on.

[ There's a brief pause while Hector grabs another one of his skins, a more sleazy kind of suit. He spreads his arms, letting Fandaniel get a view of all angles (or to press his face in his exposed chest he didn't care), if he wants. ]

Something like this?