[PQ] [RQ] let's get hammered and stoned

idealism sits in prison
chivalry fell on his sword

Bunch of void creatures taking up more space than they have a right to?

Check.

Many bags of rocks from the shores of the Black Lake?

Check.

And now for the tedious good bit. At least, that's what Danta tells himself as he gathers on the fringes of the Inner Quarter. With him he's got a cart, upon which are the sacks of rocks, and some smaller wheelbarrows so they might use many hands to make lighter work and so on.

It's chilly this morning, Leafchange tailing off quite swiftly towards Deepfrost, and the Maverick has the collar of his red coat turned up against the wind as he waits for what he hopes is a rag-tag if not entertaining few companions.

---

This is a PQ to fulfil the following RQ requirement:

2. A PQ placing those stones all around the borders of the Inner Quarter. Must have 8 rounds.

1. Dantalion
2. Astaroth
3. Edmund
4. Maea

Round 1! Please post your character arriving and we can rock and roll! (Har, har, har).

Dantalion

I slithered here from Eden
just to sit outside your door

/// sorry, but you just got in my way
i promise honey, i can feel your pain

Oh Danta’s certainly not going to get away with doing whatever this charming little get together is, without him. So he arrives, impeccably put together as always, especially when in public – hair brushed back nicely, a comfortable coat on over the rest of his garb given how cold the Grounds is starting to get – reminded of his days of what was before Halo.

The click of his cane and boots give him away, that sharp grin as he notices the cart with the rocks and wheelbarrows, before his dark gaze lifts toward the Maverick. “I suppose I can offer my assistance.” He drawls, as if it were something really taxing for him to do, even if it’s all in good fun. He doesn’t really know what it’s for, but given that Danta’s been making this space quite comfortable, he has to assume that this is precisely along the same lines.

---

Asta arrives, ready and somewhat willing to work!

Astaroth

and maybe i enjoy it just a little bit
does that make me insane? ///

It's been a hectic week as he finalizes his guildhall, but Edmund still makes the time to help. He wants to keep these void invaders out of his new home, and they're so close as a region to completing it. The young Ancient has been feeling guilty about not contributing thus far; granted he'd moved to the region when the project was already underway. Thus, when a notice went out for help placing stones, he made sure to put it in his schedule. He's sure Mother will approve. Arriving, Edmund nods at those present, giving Astaroth a small smile: "I'm Edmund. It's nice to meet you." He truly needs to make the rounds and meet the rest of the Ancients. Turning to Danta, he squares his shoulders: "Where do we start?" ~ Edmund arrives! Edmund Reborn In Fire

"If I could fly I would never come back", you said

There was a fine line between being fashionably late and almost not making it on time. Maea figured the difference lay in your entrance - but in her defense she had a perfectly valid reason for her tardyness.

See, flying was difficult. And she'd been aware of her newest shift for all of a morning, so to say that her approach was wobbly would be an understatement. In fact there was a whole lot more of jumping and flapping than gliding through the air, and by the time she finally reached the assembled group the newly minted Gore Crow was quite worn out already. But the smile on her face as she shifted back was close to extatic.

"Hi! Sorry I'm late. Did you see that!? I can fly!"

Well. Sort of.

Maea

idealism sits in prison
chivalry fell on his sword

"How kind of you," Danta drawls, rolling his eyes at Astaroth as he comes to join this afternoon of good, hard labour. "You wont be needing that, by the way. You'll want two hands to carry rocks." He gestures to the taller Ancient's cane, nodding for him to set it down in the cart. Then Edmund arrives and the Maverick offers him a nod of greeting, already reaching for a map to show them where they'll need to go, when a flurry of wingflaps overhead draw his attention.

Instantly a hand goes to seize Asta by the forearm - to stop him from making a run for it, if anything - as he tracks the bird in flight, watching it become a woman before their eyes. "Maea," he smiles indulgently. "I did see. Asta isn't a fan of feathery things, so I apologise for his expression. Anyway, shall we?"

Releasing the other man and moving back to the map, Danta marks out the areas they need to cover. "Might be easiest to go as two groups," he says. "One to move the hand-carts, one to put down the stones."

---

Round 2! Decide what groups you want to be in and where you want to go! (Danta will go with whoever is left).

The choices are going towards the Temple OR the Black Lake.

No post order!

Dantalion

I slithered here from Eden
just to sit outside your door

so give me your prayers up on your feet
and i'll give you a show, it helps fill the seats

It’s with a great amount of reluctance that Asta starts to move toward the carts to place the cane in, but it proves to be a boon for what comes next as he greets Edmund and is distracted from putting the cane away just yet. “Astaroth. The pleasure’s mine.” He says, offering the young Ancient a bright fanged smile before he turns his attention to the maps.

He can immediately hear the flapping of wings, head swinging toward the sound as he starts to grow a little pale and he’s thankful for Danta’s tight hold on his arm. That very hand grips the cane with a white knuckled tightness while the other lifts to fix the collar of his suit, swallowing hard as he ensures there’s no other gore crows about to make an appearance.

He’s sure he looks quite the part right now.

Either way, he swallows and nods a greeting to the pale woman, his voice is a touch softer when he claims his position. “I’ll stick with Danta.” Whether it means placing stones or pulling the cart, at the very least the other Ancient knows enough about him to keep him functional and helpful.

---

Asta sticks with Danta (whether it’s cart pulling or stone laying!)

Astaroth

so give me your sins, give me your lies
but whisper your love, and i'll whisper mine

Maea

And from the dark

Grinning and more than a little proud of herself, Maea basked in the attention and didn't notice the tall stranger's reaction until Danta pointed it out. Glee turned to surprise at the way he shrank back, the lack of greeting and his pale expression something that dimmed her joy a bit.

"Oh. I'm sorry, I'll be careful. Nice to meet you, though - Asta, right?" Now that she wasn't feathered anymore it was fine, wasn't it? Undaunted she held out a hand for a proper greeting, then turned to Edmund with renewed vigour.

"Looks like it's you and me, then. Pick your poison, the cart or the stones?" Inching closer, she added, "You saw it too, right? My shift? Isn't it amazing!"
The giddy delight it brought her nearly had her skipping - rather uncharacteristically, but hey. At least she was keeping warm.

---

Maea teams with Edmund!

Something new will come on through
and rise again

Edmund sends Asta a brief look of concern but doesn't comment, not wanting to pry. The moment passes and he smiles widely at Maea's unexpected cheer. "How about we go to the Black Lake? I always enjoy seeing the rubies." Mother's presence there always makes him feel at ease. He easily falls into step with Maea as she skips along, "I did. Congratulations! We should go flying sometime." He's happy for her and hopes that her mood remains high for the rest of the day. He doesn't yet know her well, but he's already gotten the impression on multiple occasions that she's in desperate need of good luck and space to enjoy life. ~ Edmund goes with Maea and chooses the Black Lake! Edmund Reborn In Fire

idealism sits in prison
chivalry fell on his sword

Scoffing at Asta's somewhat obvious choice - though there's no sneer on his face, as there might have been on previous occasions - Danta accepts their pairings and ensures that he's transferred the sacks of stones to the hand carts before sending everyone on their way. "Have fun," he calls to Edmund and Maea over his shoulder as they head towards the Black Lake, leaving he and Astaroth to meander towards the Temple.

"Here," he tells the other man, orienting him before the cart so he can push it while the Maverick starts to plop down stones at intervals. "Don't run me over with it," he adds, smirking over his shoulder.

---

Round 3! Maea and Edmund are en route to the shores of the Black Lake. There's nothing untoward happening (yet) but they should be careful that their stones don't get mixed up with the other shale.

Dantalion

I slithered here from Eden
just to sit outside your door

Maea

And from the dark

"Sounds good to me." Making a beeline for the hand cart, Maea had to put her back into it to get it rolling, but found it easy enough to steer, thankfully. Waving a hand at Danta in response to his well wishes, she fell in behind Edmund, beaming at the offer.

"Thank you! I would love to. Though you might have to give me a few lessons first. It's not as easy as it looks, is it. Especially the landing."

Taking a sack of stones from the cart, she handed it to Edmund so he could begin placing the stones out. They could always switch later; for now she was content to push the cart.

"I've been meaning to ask you something," she said, gazing at the young man. "Is now a good time, or do I save it for later?"

---

Maea pushes the cart and hands Edmund some stones.

Something new will come on through
and rise again

so give me your prayers up on your feet
and i'll give you a show, it helps fill the seats

Inclining his head and still looking pale for what it’s worth, Asta’s tail waves behind him like a cat on the edge, lashing side to side as Maea speaks to him and he dips his chin a little. “Asta’s fine.” He confirms, before his jaw tightens and he turns a little when everyone starts to break. The cane slips into the cart and Asta starts to push the cart wherever Danta suggests.

The further they get away from Maea and the ordeal the more relaxed his shoulders get. “I won’t.” He offers the quiet vow, dutifully moving the cart along with. “What is this supposed to do?” Even if Danta has already explained it, Asta craves the distraction.

---

Asta pushes the cart!

Astaroth

so give me your sins, give me your lies
but whisper your love, and i'll whisper mine

"Wonderful. I'd be happy to help you." Flying was a freeing and exhilarating blessing from Mother that Edmund had never expected to have before. Being able to share it with a fellow Ancient fills him with warmth. He just hopes that he'll be a good teacher. There had been a few instances of him falling out of trees as he mastered the art of landing on branches. It hadn't happened in some time at least so he thinks he's mastered it. Edmund nods at Danta and Asta as they leave, taking the stones offered by Maea. Her shift in tone as they walk catches him off guard. The younger shoots her a concerned look. "Of course, you may ask. Is something wrong?" ~ Edmund keeps track of their stones! Edmund Reborn In Fire

idealism sits in prison
chivalry fell on his sword

"Mm?" Glancing over his shoulder to Astaroth as he drops his pebbles methodically, Danta glances back in the direction they've come to make sure they're keeping a decent pace. "Once this is finished, Dygra will create a shield to prevent void flora and fauna from entering the Inner Quarter. So I guess if shit hits the fan, we'll have a safe place to be," he explains.

Glancing back around, his brow furrows as he spots a small, travelling marketplace looking to set up right where they need to proceed. "That's inconvenient," he mutters.

As for Maea and Edmund, everything seems to be going very wonderfully along the shores of the Black Lake, at least until there's movement from the dark waters. Out of nowhere, a large allogator swamps to the surface and out, settling itself right before the duo and blocking their path. What will they do?

---

Round 4! Deal with your obstacles!

Dantalion

I slithered here from Eden
just to sit outside your door

Maea

And from the dark

Happy to be able to assure him, she shook her head. "Oh no, nothing wrong at all. I heard from a friend that you are the head of a guild, is all. And I think our interests might align a bit, so I wanted to ask you about what you do." Smiling even as she wrestled the cart along the winding path, she had little to concern herself with beyond the conversation for a while.

Until an allogator came waddling out of the water, and quite efficiently cut them off from proceeding. Maea was admittedly fascinated. This was a new kind of creature she was not accustomed to seeing in her homeland, and she would have loved to study it. But they had a job to do, and creature studies would have to be saved for another day.

"Let's see if we can lure it further up the beach," she suggested to Edmund. They might as well begin the flight lessons right away; choosing the Gore crow guise, she didn't have to feign her awkwardness as she jumped and flapped up before the allogator to catch its attention. Should she succeed, she attempted to keep out of its reach and gradually began to inch further away from the water, up the slate-riddled shoreline. They didn't have to kill it, or even attack it unless it got violent. As long as it cleared the path and left them alone, that was good enough for her.

---

Maea shifts into a Gore Crow and tries to bait the allogator into following her up the beach and out of the way.

Something new will come on through
and rise again