ofstarsandskies

[ofstarsandskies]

"You haven't been eating that much grass anyway lately." (warmthofthehearthfire's Victor)

@warmthofthehearthfire || Spring Festitales 2024 Starters

Whilst packing his snacks for their next abandoned house search, Victor's comment had him checking what he packed. Chicken on a stick, a sandwich, and a small bottled water... huh. Victor was right-- no grass or weeds in sight. Coupled with the regular proper meal schedule, he really hasn't reached for the usual for a while.

"So I haven't," Zig agrees. "Did you want me to? We've been going through a lot more food with Elle hanging ou--"

The harsh bonk on his head answers that question.

"Alright, I won't. But it'll be on the table if our supply starts running dry."

Victor's objecting with just a look. Zig notes his objections and promptly ignores them. Life in Cantalera (or what bits he remembered from it) taught him not to waste an ounce of food. If there's weeds nobody wants, it's proper respect to nature to use them instead of cutting them down and throwing them away.

City people call it disgusting. He calls it using his environment.

"So with my diet picked apart for the day, any ideas for a proper dinner tonight?"

#warmthofthehearthfire #gm;; Marginal Fighter #Nowhere Xillia #[The call didn't feel complete until Victor said the thing.] #[And I'm glad he did. Doesn't feel right without tsun Victor.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Springfestitales Sentence Starters (part three)

"Much as I'm inclined to agree that the forest seems to be testing us, I don't think burning it down is a good idea."

"Well. That didn't go to plan."

"But then where would the fun in that be?"

"__, quit it. You're fine, just wet!"

"So, what, did someone do something to piss off this ocean monster?"

"Lots of people ordered a ‘So spicy I might die’ curry omurice."

"Wouldn’t it be easier to just use a fishing rod?"

"That's the most dapper polwigle I've ever seen."

“Your trash can. Hand it over.”

“Hey, put me down!”

"__, do you think you could blast a person like that without hesitation? I won't blame you if you say no."

"Put them in the juicer."

"I've been domesticated."

"You haven't been eating that much grass anyway lately."

"Fruit ain't weeds, get your eyes checked."

"SHARKBAIT OOH HA HA!"

"Please, no more debt…"

"The one time. The only time. I ever stepped foot on a beach, and i nearly get killed by that thing. It ruined the beach for me. ruined."

"Think of the poor sharks getting kicked out of their home :c"

"__, are you gonna keep virtue-signaling about your diet or are you gonna have some candy and join the rest of us?"

"we had terms for that back in my day. insane."

"I'm foodtose intolerant."

"…When did we get a table goblin?"

"Stalking should be a violation of Big Bro law."

#[Sorry if I'm slow on blog lately but I'll RB that.] #[But kek I can see me lol] #[And some of the homies.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Spring Festitales 2024 -- A Fleeting Feeling

As the Kresnik brothers left the beach, Ludger felt something. A fleeting voice in his head, and then it vanished.

What it wanted or why it spoke to him, he couldn't say. It's as if a lightning bolt struck, and it vanished within the cracking thunder. But still, he can't help wondering if he should tell anyone about it.

...Everyone's already worn out, He ultimately concluded as he walked back to the stand, side-by-side with his brother (and their two troublemakers). They don't need to worry about me. If there's anyone to worry about, it's Zig. Even Victor's saying things about him.

His brother nudges his shoulder, asking if he's hurt anywhere from during the Sharknado attack. Ludger forces a smile and assures he's fine; if anything, he's the least hurt out of everyone, thanks to him. The glass from the dunk tank would've hit them both if Julius hadn't dove after him.

Julius isn't convinced--he knows that slight droop in his big brother's eyebrows--yet he lets it go "for now"; they need to eat a warm meal and rest this whole affair off.

...When I was like that on the beach, were you scared of me? Ludger wants to ask, but he doesn't.

#springfestitales2024 #v;; Winnego Morderca #d;; Fables of a Vacant Sky #[And thus Sharknado ended and nobody died!] #[WellJuliusdidbuthegotbetter.] #[IN THE MEANTIME Ludger's... he's had a day lol]

[ofstarsandskies]

MUTTON! FRESH MUTTON!

Oh no. OH NOOOOOO.

IT'S BEGUN AGAIN?!

At the sound of the Mutton Man, Ludger's already throwing his hands up in surrender, "I-I haven't said anything bad about your wares for years! No need to assume anything bad, I've even sent Zig to check your mutton out! R-Right Zig?"

"Sounds about right."

"S-See? So, um, don't worry-- your mutton is still the best in Rieze Maxia and Elympios!"

Would that be enough? He still remembers the other Ivar who got cleaved for disrespecting the Mutton Man's authority. No way does Ludger want to be next; he's content with life and his family now.

#a;; Muffled Truths #v;; Winnego Morderca #[IT'S BACK. IT'S BEEN AGES MUTTON MAN.] #[Ludger's been a good boy since I promise!] #[Being alive is COOL for him now!] #Anonymous #[Lethimlivehe'sgotfamilythatisn'tJulius.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Spring Festitales 2024 -- A Talk Between Friends(?)

Victor's gaze hasn't left their 'grass keeper' since this morning. Elle pulled Victor aside last night to keep watch over him, as she wanted to keep the club going as to not disappoint the other members. He accepted, even if it meant babysitting that problem.

--Or at least, it would've been terrible if Zig was his usual self. The Zig he'd been watching today? Another story entirely.

When customers inevitably asked why the plucked grass went straight into his stomach, he didn't defend his actions at all. He'd just stop until whoever asked left the stand and then continue without a word. The Zig he endured would eat the weeds from his garden while he watched. This one... seemed so uncertain. Like he's following a script.

If he keeps acting like this, Elle's going to be miserable too. I hate doing this, but for her, I don't have a choice.

"Zig," Victor says once Julius' stand is free of customers waiting. Zig stops plucking to look back at him. "What's wrong with you?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because..." Elle's upset you're acting like this, he holds his tongue to think of a better, 'caring' answer. "You've lost your liveliness ever since your forest adventure with Michan. Whenever you pick at my garden, you'll look me in the eye as you're doing it. Now, if one person comments you're eating grass, you stop; that isn't like you."

Zig lets out a low hum, "I see," As he's thinking, his left hand's flexing, yet the movement's too slow, too loose. Is whatever happened to his shoulder spreading? "It's better for the stand's image if I stop. That's all."

--And in his attempt to dismiss the issue, Zig's only shown he's definitely not the goat-human hybrid he's had the displeasure of entertaining. Zig Kraft doesn't need excuses: he does what he wants, gives his reasons, and either you deal with it or don't. Passive excuses aren't him.

"Preserving the shop's image didn't stop you days ago-- why is it stopping you now?"

"...I don't know," Somehow, that's the most sincere Zig's sounded all day.

If only... he knew how to handle delicate emotions. He can for his beloved partner, as being with her flips an invisible switch in his mind. But towards others, his heart's frozen over with no signs of thawing. Yet that frozen heart couldn't let Zig fall apart in good conscience.

Your happiness is too important to Elle. Otherwise I wouldn't... Or would I...?

"If you're hurting as much as it seems you are, I suggest talking to Ludger and seeing one of the Dr. Mathises around here," If he can't help, he'll direct Zig to the proper do-gooders. "Whatever you're doing now is making you worse. Don't sit around and burden those around you."

"Maybe later." Zig's stubborn streak is still intact, but it couldn't pick a more convenient time? Though a tiny, hopeful spark lights in him when Zig stands up. "I'm going to try and get another stamp. If Elle asks why I'm not there for the club, tell her I'm sick."

Victor doesn't stop him from walking away. Hunting for those things would do more than his words ever hoped to.

But still... why can't he stop worrying?

#springfestitales2024 #d;; Fables of a Vacant Sky #m;; Okreslona Morderca #gm;; Marginal Fighter #[Wups I ran late with this one but need that daily update.] #[ButthatmeansanotherwhenIwakeupoboi.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Ah, a good point-- in this world, several Judes was still alive. Though he never noticed his height advantage over Ivar; somehow, his larger-than-life attitude made him feel taller at all times. "It wouldn't affect someone as sincere as Ivar. But Jude... worth a try!"

Normally he'd defend Zig's honor against a jab as his friend. In Zig's current case, the truth is the problem, "That's the thing-- normally he's happy to try Elle's new crazy idea. But now, he just follows orders in silence. That's not the Zig we know."

Hell, Victor noticed Zig's not 'his stupid self' anymore. When Victor's concerned, there's a problem.

"I-I don't want to cause a fuss when someone's working," Blame the martyr do-gooder in him, despite his sins. "And I don't want Canary to get... angry? Upset? One of those when he finds out his friend's not doing well." It might get worse than a ban from the bar if he found a new thing to hate.

"Don't worry, I'll bring my brother! But if you've got some recommendations for help, I'm happy to hear them!"

"That's right, looked totally off." Never mind that Alvin hadn't been wearing the uniform when the vendor insisted he take the mask. It didn't go with the uniform, either.

He laughed. "For one, Jude's shorter than you, and there're at least two of 'em floating around here that I've seen, so you've got some advantage. I'm pretty sure Ivar is too, though he'd probably try to out-cool you anyway, if anything dragged him out of the petting zoo."

He tilted his head, less joking, more focused. "I'd say he's off anyway, but I get what you mean. Something not right, yeah? You might wanna check in with Sunny or Mana and find out if they know what's out there, before you go running towards trouble."

#broadswordandpistol #springfestitales2024 #v;; Winnego Morderca

[ofstarsandskies]

"Heh, I get it-- unless you got a shark mask, it wouldn't fit your club uniform."

Really? He was cool?! Whether that was lip service or genuine, he'd take that compliment to the bank! "Believe me, I've been trying to master the glint! Though, um, I found it's all in the height difference, and..." Ludger's measuring hand couldn't reach past Alvin's neck. "I don't know one guy shorter than me..."

Still, Alvin's suggestion of using his mask as a flashlight tied well into his idea, "No, you bring up a good point-- I might need it for checking the north forest," His good cheer melted away, "Zig said a monster that turns everything dark the closer it is to you almost ate him there. And since then, he's been... kinda off."

"So instead of waiting around and making things worse like last year, I'm going to help no matter what!"

"Yeah, I got one. Didn't go with what I was wearing, though. Figured I'd keep it as a souvenir." Alvin was still a bit unsettled that no matter what angle he'd taken, he couldn't see the vendor's eyes.

Ludger looked happy though, if a bit anxious about his decisions.

"Definitely cool. If you master that glinting-eyeglasses trick, you might look just as dangerous, too," he teased. "I think you could use that glow as a flashlight. Might be useful for wandering around the island at night, as long as no one in security thinks you're the actual oni deal."

#broadswordandpistol #springfestitales2024 #v;; Winnego Morderca

[ofstarsandskies]

@broadswordandpistol to balance out your lowkey sad mask post--

Hm, people were giving him (or rather, his mask) some odd looks ever since he swapped with Julius. He'd admit, the glow effect was unique, but ignore that and it looked kinda similar to the others.

Still, for the time being, he'd prop his mask off to the side so he wasn't fumbling around thanks to the ant-sized eye holes.

"Oh, Alvin! Did you pick up a mask earlier?" He couldn't see one on him, but maybe he tucked it away for now. "I picked a Lulu one, but I traded with Nii-san while he's working the stand. We had a few customers spot the glow from the kitchen and get creeped out..."

However the reason, he happily showed off his black-and-yellow glowing horned oni mask. "Does mine make me look cool and dangerous like my brother?"

#broadswordandpistol #springfestitales2024 #v;; Winnego Morderca #[I finally bring back the Luds for him to try and be cool.] #[Does it work? EH.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Little guy, you had him at stamps. Though his excitement for someone trying his game would've melted his will by itself. He played something similar back home with horseshoes, so this shouldn't be too hard (besides the self-imposed challenge to always aim for the farthest one).

"Alright, I'll give it a go," Zig kneels down to hand his payment to those cute paws, then lasers in on his target. Wind's not strong, ring's not bottom weighted, just gotta control my strength--

His thoughts betray him with the first ring, which flies like a frisbee long past every single peg. "...I'll go get that after," He offers mid-attempt #2, which just grazes the target. "How many people have tried your game so far?"

Eager glee flickered in Mieu's eyes as Zig approached. Soon, the cheagle's head was bobbing up and down in a quick little nod. He hadn't known what the stamp booklets were for, but he sure did want to stamp people's booklets!

"Yes, sir!" Mieu's answer was as enthusiastic as anything. "I'll give your book a stamp after you've won. It's pretty easy. You get a handful of rings, and all you have to do is toss them! If one of them lands on one of the pegs, you get a prize," Mieu explained. A simple enough game in concept. Especially for a cheagle.

"It's just twenty-five gald for five rings. Are you ready?"

#talesofourworlds #gm;; Marginal Fighter #springfestitales2024 #[Me late but I'm still here!]

[ofstarsandskies]

Spring Festitales -- Family Mask Hour!

"C'moooon, pick a mask with more flair! It won't be fun if you're the odd man out in the family!"

Like usual, Elle isn't shy about goading him into her latest and greatest idea. This time: with one of the staff(?) passing out masks, she wanted the whole family to pick the cutest options. Ludger and Victor (though he refused to wear his) both followed through while Julius opted for his version of 'cute', so that left him.

Normally he'd be fine following the trend, but one of the masks kept drawing his eye: a somewhat plain red and black that almost reminded him of Victor's. Once he picked it from the pile, he just knew it was meant for him.

"I like this one," Zig says, clipping the mask to his coat's collar for the time being.

"...Okay, I'll let you off the hook as thanks for putting up with my crazy ideas for this year," Elle pats him on the shoulder-... or does she? He sees her do it, but he can't feel her hand at all.

As they walk back to Julius shop, Zig unbuttons his coat enough to expose his left shoulder and squeeze it with his hand. Again, nothing. He tries reaching through his shirt, pressing harder than he ought to against his bare skin. No doubts anymore-- his shoulder's numb.

He should be concerned, and yet...

"Zig?" He's gone and walked ahead of Elle without realizing it. From the droop in her eyes and frown, she must've seen part of what he was doing. "Are you hurt? If you need a break from the club, you can tell me!"

"I'm fine. My shoulder just felt stiff for a second; if it gets worse, I'll sit out for tomorrow. Fair?"

Elle gives him the dreaded stink eye for a moment, but she eventually launches back into what new activities they ought to try for the sake of summoning the Lake Entity. He picks out the occasional word or two, but he can't stop fiddling with his left shoulder to figure out why it's gone numb.

#springfestitales2024 #gm;; Marginal Fighter #m;; The Original Key #[NGL was tempted to get a weed one but then went 'hed try eating it'.] #[SO plain theater mask will do! Cause he's a plain and simple lad!]

[ofstarsandskies]

Now that Ludger was safely working at the stand (and the forest didn't kill him, somehow), Zig could actually give some of these stands another try.

"You wouldn't happen to have a stamp for winning, would you?" He's become a stamp-hunting fiend in such a short time; Last Rankers never settle for second! "I'll still give it a go if not. Elle's been wanting the club room to look cute."

"Magilou says I'm supposed to tell you guys that..."

"The Sorcerer's Ring Toss is back! I'm really excited to have you guys play this year! I got some new prizes!" Well. More accurately, he'd had some help from Ion. The flower crowns he'd made the previous year had made a return, but the new prizes were little cheagle plushes and even a couple of liger plushes! Ion had helped him pick them out before they and Jade had arrived at the festival.

#talesofourworlds #gm;; Marginal Fighter #springfestitales2024 #[The stamp hungry cult boy cometh!] #[Plus after almost getting eaten ya gotta relax for a game.]

[ofstarsandskies]

"'Went to get plants at the forest. Tell Elle will be late to this morning's meeting. Thought I should get the dangerous ones done first'...." Ludger's reading a note taped to the side of the stall. If the handwriting wasn't obvious, the second it mentioned plants? Had to be Zig-- he loves his weeds....

Still, the FOREST? That couldn't be good--

"You should've at least asked someone to go before you run off!" Ludger gives Victor a short look of 'please man this for the day', and he actually gets a less scary stare. Seems like a yes.

#springfestitales2024 #v;; Winnego Morderca #[This is why you tie your goats in the morning.] #[They escape and go to the worst parts of the world.]

[ofstarsandskies]

"Eclipse, check and check," Seems Zig's thinking out loud as he checks off a list, a dandelion stem sticking out from his mouth like a lollipop stick. "Now what about the tree... I've climbed higher, but will someone get mad if they see me..."

After a brief pause, he heads towards the lake, "Worst case is I try and fail, I guess."

#springfestitales2024 #gm;; Marginal Fighter #[Don't mind this man. He's not doing ANYTHING dangerous.] #[Dontstophimitsforagoodcause.]

[ofstarsandskies]

✧ WHAT IS YOUR COSMOS PERSONA? ✧

"I'm low compatibility with my brother?! He doesn't secretly hate me, does he?!"

"Ludger, don't worry. It just means that we weren't likely to get along. But the fact we're talking right now? It proves our connection is strong enough to clear that hurdle."

"Okay... Thanks, Nii-san."

"Even this quiz calls me an emotional dead end..."

Tagged By: (Stole it from @altosk ;U) Tagging: @unborderedreflection, @broadswordandpistol, @thosetaleskids (for Laphi), @talesofourworlds (For Velvet & Edna), @pyonpyonpyon (For Ramuda)

#dg;; Surprises Abound! #[The OG3 answer cause I did Julius and it was perfect.] #[Zig and Ludger as well tbh.] #[But Julius especially. Kek.]

[ofstarsandskies]

"Julius and Elle kept staring at me when I brought back the pirate plush from Eizen's booth. Was the game really that hard...?" Eizen called his the first win, but surely not that many people tried before him... did they?

#springfestitales2024 #gm;; Marginal Fighter #[Let it be known at least ONE person won Eizen's game.] #[Be it cause of Sharknado god or heaven; Zig did it.]

[ofstarsandskies]

Gaius, Elle, and Ludger for Tales of Festival 2023

#Fragments of Kresnik #[MEGANE LUDGER THO--]

[ofstarsandskies]

Spring Festitales 2024 -- Julius' Tomato Wine, Officially For Sale!

"Good day, Festival-Goers! I imagine some of you are in despair due to a certain Michan deciding we're not worthy of his drinks. Unfortunate, no? Well I, Julius Will Kresnik, propose an alternative. . ." Julius leaves for a moment to retrieve... a box of wines of different flavors!

"My stand does use wine for some of its dishes, so the good people of this festival did provide me with bottles. I'd be willing to give a glass or two to those of age... for one price," And out comes a tiny serving cup of sliced tomatoes. "You have to eat half a tomato. We are a tomato-themed stand, after all. Or, to skip that step, you can try out fine tomato wine."

"I'll be waiting for any brave takers. Be sure to treat our front of house well!" Julius' words sound oddly more like a warning than a suggestion as he disappears into the stand's kitchen area...

#springfestitales2024 #m;; Big Brother #jv;; As Brothers Must Be #[Julius sees a business opportunity.] #[And he'll take it.]