logs | ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ ▸ if i wanna stay alive.

The harbours. [shalem points in the direction of the bay, intimately familiar with that place and its location relative to him by now, given how often he has been there.]

Some weapons are not cheap... but if you're fully capable of using a dagger, I can lend you mine.

[why does he have a dagger on him? for reasons. where is it? hidden.]

[ Ah. The harbour is a familiar place to him by now. ]

A dagger's fine, but... are you sure it's okay? Won't it crumble easily?

[ He still doesn't get the whole thing with soul-forged items, but it's probably safe to assume that nothing is permanent. If weapons are costly, then he won't feel right about borrowing someone else's too. ]

It's been soul-forged, so if it cries... do not drop it. [and now shalem pulls it out of where he hid it-- in his clothing, strapped to his chest by a band.]

I bought it here, thus it was already forged in the way the local smiths know how. It was... cheap, however, enough that I can be worried about its integrity. If it breaks while you're wielding it, get behind me immediately.

[he'll just have to protect this man himself. then again... story of his life, right?]

Edited 2022-11-11 18:10 (UTC)

[ Oh, that's right. He forgot about the crying part. He's staring at the blade silently. ]

... If it breaks, I'll just use my hands and get you a new one later. [ This way, at least, guarantees he doesn't owe this guy anything. ] I can protect myself without a weapon— it just makes things easier.

[ He sticks his hand out — for a handshake. ]

You can call me Childe, by the way. I'll meet you at the harbours in a bit, yeah?

[shalem allows a quick shake, before pulling his gloved hand away.]

My name is Shalem. I'll be waiting there. Don't terrorize the smiths too much while haggling, please.

[he's not lying-- he will be waiting since his detour was quite quick, just at the entrance to the harbour after checking which boats they can take back to the shadowlands. there is a thick shield strapped to his back, its bulk almost dwarfing his lean frame.]

[ Tartaglia can only laugh when he's told to avoid terrorizing the smiths too much. He can't make any promises so he'll leave it at that while he goes off to find somewhere to grab another weapon or two. A dagger is fine, but he'd be more at ease if he had dual blades or even a bow at this point.

If the badaliscus are as nasty as Shalem says they are, he wants to be properly prepared. His errand doesn't take him long since he found a smith that was easy to barter with; sometimes, the promise of a favour and some gold thrown in is always enough to make people fold.

He heads to the harbour with dual blades strapped to his back. Seeing the shield Shalem carries is enough to draw out an impressed whistle. ]

Wow. Is that yours? That looks like it'll do a lot of damage.

Is it not the purpose of a shield to defend against damage? [still, he smiles, lines forming under his tired eyes.

but his shield is his trusty companion, and has been for years. he's glad he managed to find it and keep it, even if the prices of both were quite steep.]

Are you ready?

Sometimes you just gotta use what's on hand, and your shield looks like it'll pack quite the punch.

[ He's so serious about it too. He wonders if he'll get the chance to see Shalem use it in action. Those poor lizards won't know what hit them. ]

But yeah, I'm ready. You said we were headed to the Shadowlands, right? Do you know if there's a faster way to get there?

[ ... Besides crossing through the Tempest, anyway. ]

[the pythia waves a hand at the docks, towards some of the boats, then wraps his tail around one leg to start walking there.]

Using a boat, of course. I've found someone to take us there, though we'll have to find our way back ourselves. [paid a pretty sum too. he's broke again, and this is actually quite concerning when he's making plans to move soon... but needs must.]

Come, let's not keep our friend waiting.

[he leads the way to a dingy little fishing boat with the most sour-faced fisher ever, displeased with their presence, but shalem paid. that's enough for this one trip.]

Need me to spot you some money later?

[ He remembers that the boats required some coin so it wouldn't feel right if just freeloaded, even if he technically is helping the guy with the lizards. Either way, the offer is there and Tartaglia follows after Shalem to board the boat.

It's so much more eventful than he remembers, what with the Tempest doing its very best to capsize the boat they're on, but they power through it. They reach the shores of the Shadowlands, and no sooner than did both of them step off the boat did the guy just hightail it out of there.

Tartaglia looks at the boat floating away from them with a curious expression. ]

Ah. So that's what you meant by needing to find our own way back.

[shalem gives him a consoling pat on the shoulder.]

If we're fortunate, we will be able to hitch a ride for our return journey. [that's what he did, in any case. someone took pity on him and let him on the boat, with the promises of being paid back for it later.]

Come, our quarry tends to prefer living in caves or the muddy, damp areas.

Sure, sure.

[ Well, if Shalem isn't worried, then Tartaglia isn't going to be concerned over it either. He follows after the Phythia, his gaze locked on their surroundings just to be sure that nothing is going to jump out of them. ]

Do you come here often?

I do. [his smile falters a little, just thinking about why he has to come back out into the shadowlands frequently.]

Perhaps I've not explored the entirety of the Shadowlands, but I visit my door often.

[sometimes he just can't stop thinking about them, and their condition. what if they break? what if they're no longer there? he knows no one can enter the door without his express permission, but... still.]

For your tethers?

[ It's the only logical conclusion that Tartaglia can come up with. He doesn't see much of a reason to come out here otherwise, given the journey you have to take in order to get here. ]

You don't think it's a hassle? [ That they need to protect them at all. ]

Of course it is-- I would be lying if I said otherwise.

[he keeps his eyes on the wilderness as he speaks, tail tightening more around his leg so it won't accidentally fall and get into the dirt.]

But we can't simply take them with us to the city... and we can't just leave them forever. I'm sure that they're called tethers for a reason. [what would happen if something breaks open the door, breaks the tethers? would the memories associated with them disappear? shalem doesn't want to think about it.

perhaps it's unreasonable for him to imagine such things, but... he needs to be careful. many memories those tethers represent are unpleasant, but he doesn't want to be like phantom, forever chasing his unknown past.]

... I was told they're what ties us back to life.

[ This explanation strikes him as ridiculous, because aren't they all told that they're dead? Supposedly. But he does know that Shalem is telling the truth about the tethers' importance; just seeing what his tethers are solidified this. He won't let any harm come to them, no matter what it takes. ]

I wonder why they're all the way out here, and not somewhere closer to Stygia. [ ... ] I guess that would be too convenient.

[ And too dangerous, given that it isn't all sunshine and rainbows across the waters. ]

If they tied us back to life... well, that would be a contradiction to what our current states are, would it not? No, I do not think you should take that literally. [shalem shakes his head, then tucks locks of hair back as they fall into his face.]

I prefer to interpret that as keeping us who we are. [which is quite esoteric a response in itself.] What do you think of that, Childe?

[ Tartaglia is only silent for a brief moment, and then he shrugs his shoulders. ]

I guess that makes sense. [ If he were to lose his tethers, then will he no longer be himself? Is that the outcome? ] Are you afraid of what happens if we lose our tethers?

Yes. [it is very simple answer.] What makes us who we are? Memories, for one. Personality, for another.

[he can go on and on about his, shalem thinks. there are many things that make them who they are, more than the steps he and childe have been taking through the shadowlands to hunt for prey.]

If a tether representing a person breaks, will we forget that person?

I see your point.

[ He hadn't cared too much about tethers when he first found out about them. Sure, he understood their importance, but he hates the idea that he could lose himself if they were ever damaged. He won't allow that to happen. ]

... We should keep going.

[ Hunting down danger lizards seem like a better way to spend their time anyway, so he gets back to that. ]

[childe is fortunate that shalem can pull himself out of his macabre thoughts and be lucid again.]

If you smell something rotting, be on your guard. That stench almost always comes from our quarry, rather than someone who came all the way out here to die.

[he doubts anyone would like to die out here anyway, alone and friendless. shalem would, but he'd dig himself a little tomb first.]

[ Maybe Childe has just been around enough weird people that it didn't even bother him. Or rather, he didn't really notice. ]

Yeah? Makes you wonder if we really are dead since we can still 'die' here.

[ There he goes again... But it's fine. He drops the subject soon after and continues to walk, looking for any signs of what would count as a terrifying lizard. So far, nothing. No foul smell either. ]

Should we try another direction?

No, it's fine. We'll come across a badaliscus soon enough.

[but just in case... shalem pokes his tongue out to scent the air better. while shaped like anyone else's tongue, the tip splits into a fork-- though if anyone suspected he was serpent-like, they would be validated.]

Well, the air stinks in the way a swamp would, so perhaps we will find one just up ahead.

[ Wow, Shalem wasn't kidding about the foul stench. It seems the closer they get, the worse it becomes, so at least that's a sign that they're heading in the right direction. It won't be much longer until he sees a badaliscus meandering about near some dead trees.

He doesn't have to ask, but the might as well. ]

Is that what we're looking for?

[ He's already reaching for his blades regardless. ]

[shalem definitely smells it before he sees it, but he still sees it when childe is alerted to its presence.]

Yes. Please make sure not to be injured by it. Hunting for the cure for the cure for its toxins can be a little difficult if we're unlucky.

[shalem takes his shield from his back, and steps forward, to put himself between the beast and childe. the stench is eyewatering, but shalem breathes through it, controlling himself.]

Are you ready?

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