Eleven (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
bearshermark) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
westwhere2021-07-03 05:16 pm
bearshermark) wrote in westwhere2021-07-03 05:16 pm
[OPEN] words engraved in the sand
WHO: Eleven and every OPEN
WHEN: Travel month
WHERE: On the road to Taravast~
WHAT: All the things
WARNINGS: blood rain, and mention of sickness (thanks Xie Lian)
1. Riding Tips?
Eleven doesn't consider himself an expert on many things, but having won a few notable horse races, he feels somewhat obligated to approach anyone looking out of their depth when it comes to their mounts.
"Hey." He does his best to temper the amusement in his eyes and tone. "I might be able to help you, if you'd like."
2. Sick
Whatever enjoyment he'd gleaned from that first day of travel was swiftly lost that evening over dinner, and through the course of the day immediately following. Face pale and his expression tight with discomfort, Eleven fought down bouts of queasiness with the singular focus of not getting sick all over his horse.
Later, as the sun began to set, he brought his horse up to the nearest person he recognized and pitched his voice to a low almost-whisper lacking all usual vigor.
"..Have you heard when we're stopping?"
3. Camp
Once he's more or less recovered from his bout of illness, Eleven sets about camp with a familiar smile and eagerness to help. Setting up tents, supply distribution, relaying messages and with the self-appointed task of helping look after their collection of elk, horses, and donkeys.
Then with his non-toxic dinner in hand, he seeks out a familiar face to settle next to.
"Mind if I join you?"
4. Watch
He'd been forced to opt out of shifts for the nights he spent recovering from his illness, but determined to make up for it, Eleven signed himself up for every night thereafter.
Between the mists and the harpies, accompanied by the occasional voice on the wind, there is plenty to be watchful of.
"The horses are getting nervous," he observes with a frown and a will to go to them. Their ears twitch, hooves pawing at the ground on occasion.
"Do you think we should check...?"
5. Tar Collection
It isn't pleasant work, shoveling tar into barrels. Stepping in it, getting it all over his gloves and boots; black, stuck ink that enjoys staining everything it touches. He takes to wearing his cloak to cover his travel wear while he works, at peace at least with the idea that every ounce of muck they pried out of the waters would help the nearby plants and wildlife.
And well, after turning all his leftover coin to Wei Wuxian for supplies again, Eleven is looking forward to possibly having coin enough to treat himself to a good meal once they finally reach the city.
Sometimes, he thinks he sees something in the murk; an odd latticework of shadow reflecting back at him. After a few occasions of this over the days, he finally dredges up the nerve to ask:
"Is there... something in there, you think?"
6. First blood rain
The rain came unexpected, late into the night. He'd been certain there weren't clouds enough for rain. The wetness was expected, but then after, the smell and odd warmth, the thickness of it-
Eleven lifted a hand and smeared it like ink between his fingers, then called up a brief flame to examine it by.
"This can't really be-"
Heart in his throat, he snuffed the flicker of fire and let a new chill soak through him as he glanced wildly about for a source while it soaked into his hair and slid down his scalp. He couldn't suppress a grimace, or the shudder that accompanied it as the nausea from his previous illness threatened to resurface. His voice, taking a turn for distress as nothing seems to stand out.
"What is happening?"
7. Wildcard!
[ooc: hmu with anything adjacent to these prompts, or anything else that suits this travel time! feel free to pm/plurk if you'd like to work out anything in particular]
WHEN: Travel month
WHERE: On the road to Taravast~
WHAT: All the things
WARNINGS: blood rain, and mention of sickness (thanks Xie Lian)
1. Riding Tips?
Eleven doesn't consider himself an expert on many things, but having won a few notable horse races, he feels somewhat obligated to approach anyone looking out of their depth when it comes to their mounts.
"Hey." He does his best to temper the amusement in his eyes and tone. "I might be able to help you, if you'd like."
2. Sick
Whatever enjoyment he'd gleaned from that first day of travel was swiftly lost that evening over dinner, and through the course of the day immediately following. Face pale and his expression tight with discomfort, Eleven fought down bouts of queasiness with the singular focus of not getting sick all over his horse.
Later, as the sun began to set, he brought his horse up to the nearest person he recognized and pitched his voice to a low almost-whisper lacking all usual vigor.
"..Have you heard when we're stopping?"
3. Camp
Once he's more or less recovered from his bout of illness, Eleven sets about camp with a familiar smile and eagerness to help. Setting up tents, supply distribution, relaying messages and with the self-appointed task of helping look after their collection of elk, horses, and donkeys.
Then with his non-toxic dinner in hand, he seeks out a familiar face to settle next to.
"Mind if I join you?"
4. Watch
He'd been forced to opt out of shifts for the nights he spent recovering from his illness, but determined to make up for it, Eleven signed himself up for every night thereafter.
Between the mists and the harpies, accompanied by the occasional voice on the wind, there is plenty to be watchful of.
"The horses are getting nervous," he observes with a frown and a will to go to them. Their ears twitch, hooves pawing at the ground on occasion.
"Do you think we should check...?"
5. Tar Collection
It isn't pleasant work, shoveling tar into barrels. Stepping in it, getting it all over his gloves and boots; black, stuck ink that enjoys staining everything it touches. He takes to wearing his cloak to cover his travel wear while he works, at peace at least with the idea that every ounce of muck they pried out of the waters would help the nearby plants and wildlife.
And well, after turning all his leftover coin to Wei Wuxian for supplies again, Eleven is looking forward to possibly having coin enough to treat himself to a good meal once they finally reach the city.
Sometimes, he thinks he sees something in the murk; an odd latticework of shadow reflecting back at him. After a few occasions of this over the days, he finally dredges up the nerve to ask:
"Is there... something in there, you think?"
6. First blood rain
The rain came unexpected, late into the night. He'd been certain there weren't clouds enough for rain. The wetness was expected, but then after, the smell and odd warmth, the thickness of it-
Eleven lifted a hand and smeared it like ink between his fingers, then called up a brief flame to examine it by.
"This can't really be-"
Heart in his throat, he snuffed the flicker of fire and let a new chill soak through him as he glanced wildly about for a source while it soaked into his hair and slid down his scalp. He couldn't suppress a grimace, or the shudder that accompanied it as the nausea from his previous illness threatened to resurface. His voice, taking a turn for distress as nothing seems to stand out.
"What is happening?"
7. Wildcard!
[ooc: hmu with anything adjacent to these prompts, or anything else that suits this travel time! feel free to pm/plurk if you'd like to work out anything in particular]
no subject
"Move with the mount," she balanced carefully in the saddle, remarkably upright for the first time since Bronson had come into her keep, bobbling along with the movement of the donkey's stride. After a moment spent adjusting to this new way of being perched in the saddle, she held the reigns out to Eleven. "Don't let me fall off."
no subject
"Be sure you don't squeeze him with your legs; that would signal him to speed up. Just try to focus on getting used to the way it feels and let yourself ride along."
no subject
"Squeeze him with my legs? He hasn't even bought me dinner." Lily was flustered by this endeavor, it was easy to move towards making light of it to make it seem less like she was being ridiculously thick about riding a donkey.
no subject
"All the more reason not to, then," he grinned with another huff of quiet laughter, proud that his face only felt a little warm. And also grateful Hendrik hadn't been around to hear that sort of inappropriate humor. Goddess, where were they? Right; walking.
"But we have time, so don't worry too much. Worst-case, I can catch us up quickly."
no subject
"Worst-case is that I fall off this donkey, I do not doubt your ability to catch us up, provided I don't break anything." Though, for all her visions of catastrophe Lily was doing quite well with the course correction that Eleven had given her. She hadn't tilted over in, well, whole minutes!
no subject
"You'll be fine. Worst-case, I'm a healer, remember? It isn't a far fall." He turned to walk steadily backward with an eye on her. "But you look to be doing pretty well now, so you shouldn't have to worry much at all. You're adjust well, and then you'll start to feel more secure. From there, it's just learning to turn, stop, and by then you'll be ready for a nice trot."