[Edelgard continued ahead, her eyes peeled sharply, her focus on the surroundings. It was easier that way, to let Maria handle the map and let her handle the actual seeing, and by now they had it down to a science.
Her eyes flicked towards the approaching petal-wolf, and she nodded once more.]
Wonderful. Hopefully this goes as painlessly as possible. I hope that we're able to gather enough samples.
I brought plenty of storage. I am going to keep some for myself, as well, so if you see me separate out a few, that is why; I have not forgotten about them.
[She's dabbling into alchemy, but more than that, she is dabbling into making the very alcohol that she has been a little too heavily using lately. Might save her costs on bottles in the long run. Especially if she can get any kind of quality out of it.
Tamash yips happily, and Maria takes a mushroom out of a belt pouch, tossing it to him as a treat, praising him quietly for returning, and again, as he turns and looks at them.] This way, then.
[The grove is growing pretty well, once Maria realizes where the flowers are. Pollen glimmers gold in the slats of moonlight through the trees, and the flowers seem to lean toward them as they approach, opening their petals.] For such a rare bloom, they are quite prolific when the conditions are right.
[Edelgard had no objections, and shrugs that off. And she follows, keeping close to Maria and the pup, her axe casting eerie orange light everywhere.
Pausing at the edge of the clearing, she narrows her eyes and looks out at the field. It's...strange. The fact that they move towards her isn't missed, and she carefully draws back.]
Interesting. Yes, there certainly are a number of them. More than I expected, by a wide margin.
[Maria's a little more bold, sticking her foot out near one of the flowers; her foot's clad in thick leather, and she keeps a hand on the hilt of her sword in case the flower tries to inject her or bite her or something. Surely enough, the petals wrap around her ankle, and don't seem to want to release as she pulls her foot back, until eventually it rips the petals right out of the flower entirely.
She shakes her foot, and they fall, lifeless, to the ground.] Apparently these flowers grab back. But it didn't feel like they were trying to attack to harm, either.
I think it's just worth it not to... hm... potentially be dragged down by them, would be my best guess, with as many of them as there are. Perhaps start at the perimeter and work our way in until our satchels are full?
[Edelgard looks down, watching the display, curious. Her armored foot moves out to test the plants in the same manner, and she's amused to find that they do indeed attempt to entangle her ankle. Rotating the foot, she draws back, snapping them clear.]
Yes, I think that's probably best. It would be very, very easy to get overwhelmed and surrounded if we went further in than the very edges.
[Hopefully that mitigates the danger, she thinks.]
If need be, I can burn our way out, but I doubt it's so prolific that they'll sneak in behind us. Want to split up a bit and work that way? I'll take the right side.
[She steps forward. The flowers lean subtly in the direction of her foot, and she leans down, reaching to take out the dagger Fugo had gifted her with, rather than anything that she uses as a regular weapon. With that, she presses the blade against one of the stalks, lets the petals wrap around the thick leather of her glove, and pries to slice the top clean off.
It takes some work - these flowers are thick and almost... meaty... but it eventually gives.] ... There's a lot to them, isn't there? I can see why they're valuable and useful, despite being rare. You can harvest a lot of material from them.
[Edelgard goes to the left, using her left-handed weapon...a machete she'd brought along...instead of her axe. The axe remained up, held for light.]
Agreed. They're...very juicy, which I suppose makes it easy for alchemists to distill. [The plant squelches as she saws off one whole stalk, and the grasping vines pull back, recoiling.]
I wonder why that is? It would seemingly make them a prime target for herbivores.
Perhaps that is part of how they reproduce? There are some plants which utilize herbivores eating them as a way to spread their seeds further. They are eaten, and passed, and then a new patch grows where the seeds were deposited. But it relies upon the wildlife, and...
[She waves a hand around.] It's a bit difficult when so much of the wildlife is barely clinging to life.
Perhaps there are other issues with pollination, as well.
[Another one - this one particularly thick and juicy, and Maria sets it in the side-pouch of the satchel. That one's for her own use later. Then another. By a third, she reaches up to lift the front of her hat and brush her wrist over her forehead. She's feeling far more warm than a little walk and some picking flowers would warrant. Maybe it's the change and difference in seasons, and all the thick layers of leather she's wearing.] ... Summer is coming on fast in this part of the woods, it seems.
[Edelgard focuses on getting out her knife and making a few careful cuttings. Starting with leaves first, and trimming around to make that happen without damaging too much of the plant. Once those are stowed, she goes for a stalk, cutting it carefully.
Maria's words draw her gaze up, and she frowns.]
...Now that you mention it, it is quite warm.
[And she feels that all the more keenly now that she's aware of what she's looking for.]
Odd, I thought perhaps it was just the layers of my Hunter's gear.
[She takes a deep breath - the air isn't cool to inhale, but it helps - and takes her hat off briefly, to fan at the little bit of sweat on her forehead.
Then, her hat's back on, and she's back to reaching for another flower. The silence, the heat, and the way the flower's petals wrap around her hand bring an unbidden thought to the fore: When was the last time she held someone like this flower has wrapped around her hand?
It must have been months ago, before... before she'd ruined things with Alex. That thought alone brings a pang to her chest, something vaguely painful and yearning, and she recognizes it for the loneliness she has only recently learned she is capable of feeling.
If only she could wrap herself around another, hold them tight and close like this flower is-
And that's about the same time a thread of suspicion pierces through Maria's mind, and she suddenly sits up and back a bit, jerking away from the flowers.
This is absolutely not the time to be lost in thought, and why that thought of all things? Maria's not entirely unused to getting lost in her own mind, but it's typically only when it's her trauma, and post-traumatic stress catching up to her. Not when it's something so... banal as missing physical affection.] Mm... curious...
[She says this quietly, and turns her hand over, as though searching for a way the flower may have pierced the defense of her glove. There's a bit of juice on it, but it hasn't soaked through the oiled waterproofing of the glove itself.]
[Edelgard should know, because she's wearing many, many layers herself.
Her breathing quickens a little, her eyes focusing and unfocusing for a moment on the cuttings held in her grip. This is...confounding, but not at all unpleasant.
That alone sets her teeth on edge, and she doesn't quite growl but she does refocus herself, forcing out a breath and glaring at the plants.
She pulls away when she sees Maria do the same, her eyes searching the taller woman's face.]
[If she wasn't so focused on what she's doing, Maria might well be concerned by the noises she's hearing. Alas, she's distracted by looking her hand over, turning it slowly.
Finally, she answers.] Sometimes, these plants influence you in ways you might not expect. The last time, it was the roses by Dorchacht, luring one in to drink their blood.
I'm trying to figure out what these ones want.
[As much as a plant can 'want' anything, and whether it's just related to the way they're wrapping around things.] These ones don't seem to... attack, though. I'm not getting any kind of feeling like they're trying to harm me somehow.
[Edelgard moves closer, slipping clear and approaching Maria, her gaze intent. She feels the warmth now, even more keenly, when she's close to her companion, and that alone makes her eyebrow climb a step or two.]
...No, they aren't hostile. But I'm not sure what they might be doing. However...
[She waves a hand through the air, her glove coming away with a faint yellow rime.]
The pollen is what's causing it, I think. It is thick, here.
[She waves a hand, and watches the particles dance in the slats of moonlight in the wake of it, then swirl and move with the subtle air currents through the open wood, anyway, even if the wind is otherwise fairly calm.
There's a strange feeling of anticipation that also rises in the back of Maria's mind as Edelgard steps closer, and she frowns a bit, looking over the vampire. For a moment, then she looks her over, like she's looking for something.]
It is trying to distract my attention either way.
[Then, she tears her gaze away from the other woman, and looks at the flowers again.] Which is irritating. I'd like to finish this task, but it can never be so easy, can it?
[Edelgard can feel it too. Her eyes focus, narrowing a bit at the taller woman, dilating slightly as she looks at her friend. What a strange...feeling. She can't help but look back, appraising Maria, taking note of things she's yet to really ponder.]
...I suppose it is doing much the same to me.
[The Emperor steps closer, called by the plants, knowing damn well they were reaching out to her. She pays them little heed though, as she goes back to cutting. Though she does stay near Maria.]
Let us fill our bags, and be rid of this place, then. The more we're here, the more likely it'll soak into our minds. I'm not sure what the end goal is, but the path to get there seems to be...
[She pauses, and a flower wraps around her fingers. She feels an odd, longing pang in her chest, as something drags up the memory of the last time she held someone, the last time she-
-- yes. Of all the things for it to exacerbate, her loneliness was not something she was expecting to be amped up along with her libido.] A path I'll not tread in a forest.
[No matter how good the company, and by the time they get back, they can take cold showers. Separately.]
[See that was easy. And just like that, Maria is willing to drop it. Even though she can hear someone behind her, and she's hypersensitive to Edelgard's presence, she continues on as though she is completely unbothered.
There's no blush to her face, because she's waaay too old to be much bothered by the idea of sex, she's just... not going to do it here.
Getting back to Aefenglom might be kind of interesting though, and as she finishes filling her bags, she wipes a bit more unwarranted perspiration from her forehead. Her voice is a bit hoarse when she speaks again, but it's nothing otherwise too notable.] I think we've done well in clearing them out.
[Edelgard makes quick work, as well, and soon she too is pulling back. She's not like Maria, her sexual experiences are entirely within Aefenglom's walls, and only on special occasions. That circumstance was born as much of culture as shame of her own body, though.]
As do I.
[Her cheeks heated, her body uncomfortably warm, and unable to sweat due to her undead nature, the vampire steps back and forces out a breath.]
Let us return.
[So that she can seek out relief, in one form or another. Hopefully managed, though she's beginning to worry that the ache in her belly won't be satisfied so easily.]
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unyieldingmarch) wrote2015-09-30 10:14 pm
no subject
[Edelgard continued ahead, her eyes peeled sharply, her focus on the surroundings. It was easier that way, to let Maria handle the map and let her handle the actual seeing, and by now they had it down to a science.
Her eyes flicked towards the approaching petal-wolf, and she nodded once more.]
Wonderful. Hopefully this goes as painlessly as possible. I hope that we're able to gather enough samples.
no subject
[She's dabbling into alchemy, but more than that, she is dabbling into making the very alcohol that she has been a little too heavily using lately. Might save her costs on bottles in the long run. Especially if she can get any kind of quality out of it.
Tamash yips happily, and Maria takes a mushroom out of a belt pouch, tossing it to him as a treat, praising him quietly for returning, and again, as he turns and looks at them.] This way, then.
[The grove is growing pretty well, once Maria realizes where the flowers are. Pollen glimmers gold in the slats of moonlight through the trees, and the flowers seem to lean toward them as they approach, opening their petals.] For such a rare bloom, they are quite prolific when the conditions are right.
no subject
[Edelgard had no objections, and shrugs that off. And she follows, keeping close to Maria and the pup, her axe casting eerie orange light everywhere.
Pausing at the edge of the clearing, she narrows her eyes and looks out at the field. It's...strange. The fact that they move towards her isn't missed, and she carefully draws back.]
Interesting. Yes, there certainly are a number of them. More than I expected, by a wide margin.
no subject
She shakes her foot, and they fall, lifeless, to the ground.] Apparently these flowers grab back. But it didn't feel like they were trying to attack to harm, either.
I think it's just worth it not to... hm... potentially be dragged down by them, would be my best guess, with as many of them as there are. Perhaps start at the perimeter and work our way in until our satchels are full?
no subject
Yes, I think that's probably best. It would be very, very easy to get overwhelmed and surrounded if we went further in than the very edges.
[Hopefully that mitigates the danger, she thinks.]
no subject
[She steps forward. The flowers lean subtly in the direction of her foot, and she leans down, reaching to take out the dagger Fugo had gifted her with, rather than anything that she uses as a regular weapon. With that, she presses the blade against one of the stalks, lets the petals wrap around the thick leather of her glove, and pries to slice the top clean off.
It takes some work - these flowers are thick and almost... meaty... but it eventually gives.] ... There's a lot to them, isn't there? I can see why they're valuable and useful, despite being rare. You can harvest a lot of material from them.
no subject
[Edelgard goes to the left, using her left-handed weapon...a machete she'd brought along...instead of her axe. The axe remained up, held for light.]
Agreed. They're...very juicy, which I suppose makes it easy for alchemists to distill. [The plant squelches as she saws off one whole stalk, and the grasping vines pull back, recoiling.]
I wonder why that is? It would seemingly make them a prime target for herbivores.
no subject
[She waves a hand around.] It's a bit difficult when so much of the wildlife is barely clinging to life.
Perhaps there are other issues with pollination, as well.
[Another one - this one particularly thick and juicy, and Maria sets it in the side-pouch of the satchel. That one's for her own use later. Then another. By a third, she reaches up to lift the front of her hat and brush her wrist over her forehead. She's feeling far more warm than a little walk and some picking flowers would warrant. Maybe it's the change and difference in seasons, and all the thick layers of leather she's wearing.] ... Summer is coming on fast in this part of the woods, it seems.
no subject
[Edelgard focuses on getting out her knife and making a few careful cuttings. Starting with leaves first, and trimming around to make that happen without damaging too much of the plant. Once those are stowed, she goes for a stalk, cutting it carefully.
Maria's words draw her gaze up, and she frowns.]
...Now that you mention it, it is quite warm.
[And she feels that all the more keenly now that she's aware of what she's looking for.]
no subject
[She takes a deep breath - the air isn't cool to inhale, but it helps - and takes her hat off briefly, to fan at the little bit of sweat on her forehead.
Then, her hat's back on, and she's back to reaching for another flower. The silence, the heat, and the way the flower's petals wrap around her hand bring an unbidden thought to the fore: When was the last time she held someone like this flower has wrapped around her hand?
It must have been months ago, before... before she'd ruined things with Alex. That thought alone brings a pang to her chest, something vaguely painful and yearning, and she recognizes it for the loneliness she has only recently learned she is capable of feeling.
If only she could wrap herself around another, hold them tight and close like this flower is-
And that's about the same time a thread of suspicion pierces through Maria's mind, and she suddenly sits up and back a bit, jerking away from the flowers.
This is absolutely not the time to be lost in thought, and why that thought of all things? Maria's not entirely unused to getting lost in her own mind, but it's typically only when it's her trauma, and post-traumatic stress catching up to her. Not when it's something so... banal as missing physical affection.] Mm... curious...
[She says this quietly, and turns her hand over, as though searching for a way the flower may have pierced the defense of her glove. There's a bit of juice on it, but it hasn't soaked through the oiled waterproofing of the glove itself.]
no subject
[Edelgard should know, because she's wearing many, many layers herself.
Her breathing quickens a little, her eyes focusing and unfocusing for a moment on the cuttings held in her grip. This is...confounding, but not at all unpleasant.
That alone sets her teeth on edge, and she doesn't quite growl but she does refocus herself, forcing out a breath and glaring at the plants.
She pulls away when she sees Maria do the same, her eyes searching the taller woman's face.]
What? Have you found something?
no subject
Finally, she answers.] Sometimes, these plants influence you in ways you might not expect. The last time, it was the roses by Dorchacht, luring one in to drink their blood.
I'm trying to figure out what these ones want.
[As much as a plant can 'want' anything, and whether it's just related to the way they're wrapping around things.] These ones don't seem to... attack, though. I'm not getting any kind of feeling like they're trying to harm me somehow.
no subject
[Edelgard moves closer, slipping clear and approaching Maria, her gaze intent. She feels the warmth now, even more keenly, when she's close to her companion, and that alone makes her eyebrow climb a step or two.]
...No, they aren't hostile. But I'm not sure what they might be doing. However...
[She waves a hand through the air, her glove coming away with a faint yellow rime.]
The pollen is what's causing it, I think. It is thick, here.
no subject
[She waves a hand, and watches the particles dance in the slats of moonlight in the wake of it, then swirl and move with the subtle air currents through the open wood, anyway, even if the wind is otherwise fairly calm.
There's a strange feeling of anticipation that also rises in the back of Maria's mind as Edelgard steps closer, and she frowns a bit, looking over the vampire. For a moment, then she looks her over, like she's looking for something.]
It is trying to distract my attention either way.
[Then, she tears her gaze away from the other woman, and looks at the flowers again.] Which is irritating. I'd like to finish this task, but it can never be so easy, can it?
no subject
...I suppose it is doing much the same to me.
[The Emperor steps closer, called by the plants, knowing damn well they were reaching out to her. She pays them little heed though, as she goes back to cutting. Though she does stay near Maria.]
I like it not at all.
no subject
[She pauses, and a flower wraps around her fingers. She feels an odd, longing pang in her chest, as something drags up the memory of the last time she held someone, the last time she-
-- yes. Of all the things for it to exacerbate, her loneliness was not something she was expecting to be amped up along with her libido.] A path I'll not tread in a forest.
[No matter how good the company, and by the time they get back, they can take cold showers. Separately.]
no subject
...what the flowers are doing. And she turns a shade of scarlet not found in nature.]
...Nor I.
[Though again, she does not pull back. She instead focuses even harder on the cutting, trying not to think about it.]
no subject
[See that was easy. And just like that, Maria is willing to drop it. Even though she can hear someone behind her, and she's hypersensitive to Edelgard's presence, she continues on as though she is completely unbothered.
There's no blush to her face, because she's waaay too old to be much bothered by the idea of sex, she's just... not going to do it here.
Getting back to Aefenglom might be kind of interesting though, and as she finishes filling her bags, she wipes a bit more unwarranted perspiration from her forehead. Her voice is a bit hoarse when she speaks again, but it's nothing otherwise too notable.] I think we've done well in clearing them out.
no subject
As do I.
[Her cheeks heated, her body uncomfortably warm, and unable to sweat due to her undead nature, the vampire steps back and forces out a breath.]
Let us return.
[So that she can seek out relief, in one form or another. Hopefully managed, though she's beginning to worry that the ache in her belly won't be satisfied so easily.]