Let's Climb Ship Mountain!

[genpcs_a]

Last week, concerns were expressed in the local newspaper that the weather might be too wet and gloomy for a charm quest. But those concerns were way off.

It was too wet and hellishly windy. Hopefully everyone dressed warm!

At the foot of the mountain, Imelda's tent looked like it was going to be blown away at any moment. The tethers that held it down creaked ominously, and the tent itself leaned hard with the howling winds that whipped at the cheap canvas and gaudy trappings. Even Imelda was starting to get a headache with her little bells and chimes clanging noisily non-stop. But a job was a job, and the fortune teller had to at least look like she'd expected this.

She hadn't, but that was beside the point.

Imelda huddled in front of her crystal ball, her wide shoulders buried in silks and furs. A portable heater was fastened under her table to keep her slipper-clad feet warm as she waited for the participants to approach. Ten men, ten women. It was almost like fate! Except one of the men was technically a robot, but he had 'Man' as part of his name, so it totally counts.

"Come come, children, hurry in! One person at a time! --No, not you ladies, stay out there." Bitch. "Come, and I will tell you the name of your soulmate who will guide you unharmed to the top of the mountain!" Or just whoever she decided to secretly ship that person with.

[OOC: Two threads below! One is for getting your partner assigned, one is for actually scaling the mountain. Each pair starts at a different point, and will be warped there after consulting with Imelda. Unless I really am psychic, no one is matched with their soulmate. Imelda sucks. But you have an opportunity to get a charm if you either A. Find your true ship which will result in a clear path and no monsters at all, or B. Fight to the top, defeat all the monsters, and kiss your partner like whoa. Some of you may get a boss fight if you say you're okay with one, but it's not guaranteed. Players can otherwise NPC the monsters and obstacles they face. Those who succeed each get an Everglade charm. Only those who signed up for the quest are allowed to participate, but anyone is welcome to show up and cheer/jeer on their favorite "couples". Those who would rather stay at home and watch the events on TV may do so, as it will be televised.]

Comments

[celestial_wizard]

[ Hey what's he complaining about? He's got a cute girl to walk with. So ungrateful. Lucy straightened, almost startled when he approached- but she recognizes that grumpy mask-face! ]

Adam,... hi.

[ ... this is supposed to be her true love? ]

Um.. yeah. Any idea what we're supposed to expect up this mountain?

[dramaticals]

[get used to him honey.

either way, at least he's talked to this girl before. he shakes his head at her words.]

Not really, but I suspect it'll annoy me even more.

[he's such a charmer.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Your crankiness is no match for her perkiness sir! She does wonder why he wears a mask though. ]

Hmm, whatever it is, we can handle it, easy.

[ She patted the keys at her side before starting up the mountain. ]

So... do you fight with a sword, or magic, or something? [ Best way to get to know a new friend. And he's ONLY a friend. Not buying into that nonsense the fortune teller was yappin about. ]

[dramaticals]

[perkiness... great. in a lot of ways it was like this girl reminded him of orihime, his neighbor back in the apartments. he had agreed to living next to orihime since he could use her for healing, that was it, so he wondered if he could use lucy at all with her skills.

he didn't want to get close to humans after all.]

Hmm... [adam held up his weapon which looked like just a normally sheathed sword.]

Wilt and Blush are my main weapons. A sword coupled with the fact the sheath serves as a shotgun. [yup.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Sorry Adam, you're doomed. She won't want to see you being all gloomy like another friend of hers. You will be her friend or she will die trying! As he showed her his weapon, her eyes widened, suitably impressed. Because that is pretty darn cool. ]

This is mine - the Fleuve d'étoiles. [ Loosely translated as the River of Stars. ]

And also these - [ She put a hand over the loop of keys on the opposite side. ] My friends give me strength, and help me in battle.

Ee, that's really cool!

[ She reached over to pull her whip off from where it was coiled at her side. ]

[dramaticals]

[...huh. alright.]

Can you at least fight properly?

[because he won't be protecting her during this.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Hey, just who are you talking to? Think she's just another pretty face? Huh? HUH? ]

OF course! I'm a Fairy Tail Wizard, after all. [ Not that that means anything to someone who isn't familiar with her home or culture. ]

Don't worry, I can hold my own.

[dramaticals]

[wizard, yeah yeah.

either way, adam starts to make his way to the path. he's not even saying anything back to her, his mind just set on getting this done.

it would be an interesting walk with this grumpy faunus around.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Man what is it with Lucy meeting people who have no manners or are rude when she's trying to be nice? Eclair, Zeref, and now Adam. Traveling in silence is not Lucy's style though! Fear the Chatty Cathy. ]

Soo... you don't have many wizards where you're from, huh?

[ Considering he had seemed more interested in the thieves guild last they spoke. ]

[dramaticals]

...There are some, but they're not exactly wizards. Mages would be a better word.

[small talk huh? he wasn't opposed to that, but he also wouldn't be the one to bring up anything anytime soon.

still, being paired up with a human made him uncomfortable, he was staying a good distance away from her as they walked.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ Too bad for Adam that Lucy was keeping pace to stay just within arms length of him. She doesn't like yelling her words kay. She did seem to notice his strange behavior, but she wasn't bringing it up yet. ]

Mages and wizards are pretty much the same thing where I'm from. What's the difference?

[dramaticals]

Aren't wizards more...

[adam paused.]

...Into pointy hats. [yeah he just knows from the books blake used to read him about them.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ ... PFFHT. Wait, no, don't laugh. Lucy does grin though. ]

Surprisingly you're not the first person to say that to me. I haven't seen any wizards that wear pointy hats though. Maybe in some worlds, or in books.

Sometimes the difference between the two might just be a class of magic they use, but for the most part, mages, wizards, sorcerers - they're all the same. They all use magic.

[dramaticals]

Hm... I see.

[well that's interesting, truly. he goes back to being quiet as they walk up the mountain.

so sorry lucy, he has such bad issues with humans it takes a while before he warms up.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ IT's okay Adam, soon you too will fall victim to the Heartfilia charm and be her fraaaaaaaaaaand. ]

Seems pretty easy so far. Have you hiked up a mountain like this before? [ Trudging along trudging alooong. Sigh. She didn't know WHY that fortune teller paired her with this guy and not Natsu--.... neither of them. The true love thing was ridiculous. ]

[dramaticals]

[and she's a human!! he doesn't think this is a good match at all. unlike blake however, he can't hide his faunus nature. his horns are always in view on the top of his head, and he kept help but become more aware of them around humans.]

I have, this is nothing.

[he pauses.] ...I just think it's a little too easy right now.

[celestial_wizard]

I remember one trip my..my friend Natsu and I went on a mission to find another guild member who went missing on his own mission. I'm a little embarrassed to admit I didn't deal with having to hike up a mountain in the cold. That was a long time ago though. ... well, a year at least. Not counting the year we spent in that other world.

Anyway, if we're lucky we won't run into any beasts that can take over your body like we did back then. Maybe a friendly mountain goat, or something. [ She may need to save her breath when they get higher. Fortunately they were in a low enough altitude at the moment that she could natter on at him cheerfully. It is part of her plan to hopefully make the atmosphere a little less tense. ]

[dramaticals]

[well... she certainly is talkative.

but one thing does catch his interest-]

Beasts that took over your body....? Now that's intriguing.

[celestial_wizard]

Yeah. Back on Earthland there are huge creatures called Vulcans. They're kind of apelike, and they have the ability to use Take Over magic. Our friend Macao's mission was to defeat 20 Vulcans that were too close to the village, but he fell to the last one and it took over his body. It took Natsu and Taurus and I to bring him back to his senses.

Mostly Natsu, though..

[ Eheh. ]

[dramaticals]

[what a story! adam is actually looking over at her from behind his mask as she speaks.]

That kind of magic would definitely be beneficial if it were on your side.

[celestial_wizard]

[ Well! At least he looks interested. That was promising. She nodded with a smile. ]

Yeah. We have three in our guild that have different variations of Take Over Magic, but they don't so much as take over the body of another as take on its appearance and qualities. It's an incredibly powerful magic to see in action.

[ She stopped short as their path was blocked by a dragon mountain goat. And it didn't look like it wanted to move. It was eating clover, go away. ]

[dramaticals]

[...a goat.

a goat!!

adam just stopped and stared, and for the first time since being around her he smirked lightly.]

Looks like this little guy doesn't want us to proceed. What should we do?

[adam was an animal person, okay.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ So is Lucy! She grins at the sight of the goat, glancing towards Adam at the question. He... hey. HEY. THAT is a Non-grumpy look, OMG you can make them. ]

Hm.. Do you think there's room to go around him? ... it's a pretty narrow path...

[ She glanced at the side of the mountain path. Maybe they could climb up? The mountain goat was utterly unconcerned by their dilemna, chewing away on bits of plantlife and being in the way. ]

[dramaticals]

[...adam's just walking up to the goat, okay. and he's patting it on the head :) ]

If we have to go around him, then we just might have to.

[adam turns to look at lucy.] Can you climb? Or do I have to carry you?

[he will, don't think he won't.]

[celestial_wizard]

[ The goat looks up at Adam and bweee-e-e-e-ehs at him before going back to munching bits of grass. Lucy's smile softens because that was probably the cutest thing she'd seen from the guy yet. ]

I don't think he looks inclined to move, and I wouldn't want to move him either. He was here first.

[ The question about climbing got a curious glance, and then a flustered wave of her hand. NO CARRYING. ]

It's all right Adam, I think I can manage. [ She unrolls her watery whip from its coil at her side, scanning the cliffside until she whips her weapon at it, the edge smacking into the rock and embedding the tip there. ]

What about you?

[ You have no climbing equipment sir! Near as she can tell anyhow. ]