2018-02-03: The Secret of Widow's Plateau
- Log: The Secret of Widow's Plateau
- Cast: Gwen Whitlock, Vash the Stampede
- Where: Gunsmoke Desert
- Date: February 2, 2018
- Summary: 'Somewhere in Gunsmoke Desert is a place called the Widow's Plateau, a nondescript, steep stony formation. But as one old scholar's notes detail, there is a secret atop the steep rock, one that only blooms during a rare desert rain.
=============================<* Gunsmoke Desert *>============================== The Gunsmoke Desert occupies the northwestern portion of Ignas. This desert is different from Aveh's. Instead of rolling dunes of sand, it has dry and cracked ground, and the mountains that rim it also intrude into the interior, forming stunning rock formations that can look as beautiful as they look impossible. The settlements here are hard-pressed to survive, consisting of countless small towns. The lucky few are connected by railways to the Seed Cities scattered about the Gunsmoke. Many are lost to the sands, which cover them and a tremendous concentration of ruins from Filgaia's past. This makes these badlands the heart of Drifter activity in Ignas. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4z_CxmE0AkA
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
There are few places in the parched landscape of the Badlands that life of any kind is able to live, let alone thrive. the settlements that do dot the land have their reasons for being able to exist. Nivember has a Plant. The Baskar Colony has knowledge and persistence. Little Twister has misery and greed. In terms of nature, it gets even more sketchy. What does grow here without any extra assistance from humans is tough, adaptable, and usually, very, very spiny.
Other plants are more a matter of timing and luck.
Which brings Gwen to the middle of nowhere. Situating Gulliver and her covered wagon at a convenient shaded spot next to a source of water (courtesy of a batch of storms that have dumped rain nearby), the courier sizes up the tall, flat plateau that stands before her, and then draws out a small, leather-bound notebook, comparing the scribbled notes in smudged ink to the map she's got in the other hand.
Normally, Widow's Plateau has little to recommend itself above any other stony formations that mark the landscape. It's tall, flat at the top, and nearly impossible to climb without some some proper equipment and at least a little gumption. What would be located there at the top would simply be just more of the same dusty scenery as on the ground, but due to the aforementioned rare rainstorm, there's a chance that something else just may be up there: the legendary Widow's Bouquet.
"Time to climb," she says as she snaps the notebook shut, and stretches, adjusting her satchel of supplies. "You be a good boy, Gulliver. I'll try to be back before the sun sets." The redhead makes another look to the plateau, her eyebrows going flat. "I'll try to, anyway. Those notes better be right..."
<Pose Tracker> Vash the Stampede has posed.
"Hmmmm, yes, these notes are very difficult to decipher..."
He wasn't, quite, there when Gwen arrived.
But he also wasn't wasn't -not- there.
- BEFORE -
"I AM LOOKING FOR THE COURIER WHO HAS NO NAHURHKH"
This is the bold declaration that prefaces the arrival of a very tall man with spikey blonde hair and a red coat (hidden by a ragged tan poncho) as he literally kicks his way through the swinging doors of one of November City's supply stores. One of the twin wooden portals is knocked right off its hinges.
The other swings back violently and knocks the man violently in the gut until he is doubling over and hitting his knees in sheer agony.
"Is this... the deadly cycle of vengeance...?!"
"HEY, YOU BROKE MY DOOR, YOU NUMB NUTS!"
A lot of angry yelling and brandishing of what looks like gella in assurance that he will repair the man's door if he gives him his information and the store owner discovering it is -not- gella but crudely drawn pictures of the man's face on green currency he has taken to calling "double dollars" or "cryptocurrency" (both receive flabbergasted expressions) and the man attempting to flee the scene of the crime and the man getting dragged back fingers digging into the dirt while he sobs and being forced by shotgun to repair the door while he continues to sob later--
--Vash the Stampede learns that he just missed 'the courier who has no name, aka Gwen Whitlock.'
"WHAT?! THEN WHY DID I GO THROUGH THE TROUBLE OF BREAKING YOUR DOOR??!"
And off Vash the Stampede rushed into the distance, a new destination in mind thanks to the helpful tips of angry locals screaming furiously at him and maybe taking a few potshots with their guns along the way.
- NOW -
Vash the Stampede is a very fast runner.
Shhh. Don't tell anyone.
The point being, it is just as Gwen is eyeing the plateau off in the distance that Vash arrives. He looks very stoic. Very thoughtful. He's even gripping a slip of paper in his hands as he rubs his jaw and makes his ponderous proclamations.
His face also looks like a lobster and sweat is just -pouring- off his forehead right now and a second of stoic thought later he just sort of lurches forward, hands on knees, gasping for breath.
"Just... HAAAHHHHH... a second -- HHHHUHHHHH -- just part of my -- HEHHHHHHHH -- morning breathing rituals -- HOOOOOOOOOO -- don't be concerned for me, Gulliver...!!"
And that paper in his hand definitely just says 'NOTES!' on it, scribbled with fresh ink.
He's completely prepared for whatever this legendary hunt is that he just forced himself into!!
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
The journey to a destination is all a matter of taking that first step. One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four-
Annnnd there's someone here. "-eh?"
Gwen turns, and there's the familiar cloaked figure of Vash, who is currently having his head lovingly examined by a concerned(?) Gulliver. Well, less concerned, and just more glad to see LOUD TALL SHOUTY MAN Friend is here. Of course, with his distinctive cloak masked by that tattered cloak, Vash is still mostly familiar right now due to the fact that he is 1. very very tall, even bent over like that, 2. one of the few people who'd just appear out of nowhere when Gwen'd least expect it, it's sort of amazing, really, did he know too? And he's here, too, in the exact vantage point she is, too.
.....
OH WELL
So Gwen just turns right back around and marches quickly right up to the panting lobster-faced Vash, fishing out a larger canteen to offer underneath the poor man's mouth and placing a right hand on his shoulder in a (probably vain) attempt to prop him up. If he leaned his full weight on her suddenly, Gwen's not exactly sure she could hold him up without some sort of wedge in the dirt. An ARM for an arm's fine and dandy, but if she doesn't have a good grip on the ground, she'd be shoved right away.
"Whoahwhoah, slow down! Get some water in ya first. You're gonna fall over if you keep on goin' like that!"
Her eyes turn in curiosity to the paper in Vash's hand, complete with the word 'NOTES' scribbled on it. "... I take it you're here t'see the Widow's Bouquet too? I didn't think you to be a flowers guy or I would've brought you along in the first place." Though, really, if he was, would Gwen have known?
Huh. Come to think of it, just how much does she know about Mr. Balderdash?
<Pose Tracker> Vash the Stampede has posed.
Considering how high the odds are that the completely innocuous Mr. Balderdash would just throw himself (literally) at the mercies of someone giving him kindness while also crying his eyes out (also literally) --
--it's probably a minor miracle that Gwen's offer of water is noticed before her supportive grip is, and she doesn't find herself dealing with the (robot-arm-laden) weight of Vash the Stampede being abruptly leaned upon her in all its heinous glory.
Probably while shouting something truly offended about how he's not -that- fat.
What happens, instead, is that Vash swipes that canteen with all the suddenness of a striking serpent before he's suddenly back up on his own two feet, straightened and staring at that water-filled canister in abject wonderment. His eyes practically look like they're full of stars! ... Are they? ... ... Has to be a trick of light--
"My god! Water! I haven't seen so precious a gift in all my life!" There is literally no way he has never seen or had water before in his entire life--"What wonder! What beauty! I feel rejuvinated just staring at it! My cells are rehydrating through the osmosis of your kindness even as we speak...!!"
What does that even mean??
What it means, apparently, is that Vash just stares, gushing about the canteen for a solid minute, even bolting towards Gulliver to show it off to the stalwart horse, before he marches back and shoves the large container -right- back into Gwen's hands with an expression that looks utterly refreshed and invigorated and ready to conquer literally -any- challenge thrown his way.
... Did he even drink any of the water--?
It's a mystery that might have to wait, considering Vash seems intent on distracting from exactly how much water is left in that canteen with a sudden, dramatic declaration of: "YES!!!" really, it's way too loud, especially for someone who was almost literally out of breath just a few minutes ago. He smirks dramatically, cupping a hand to his chin as he side eyes towards the distance beyond them. His eyes look like they're twinkling again, maybe. But in a different way. "Of course I love flowers! They are the spirit of romance! They have their own language! So you see..." Especially as he confides, in a low, mysterious tone:
"I, too, seek the Widow's Banquet."
...
"I hear it is an excellent way to meet women."
... ...
"So come! Let us be off, my loyal courier friend, to deliver our message of love!!"
And apparently, he isn't going to hear any protests about what the flower is actually named or whether or not he's expecting an actual banquet when he gets there, laughing heartily as he goes. "Farewell, Gulliver! I'll have all the hot deets for you when we get back! A ha ha ha ha!"
... does he even know where he's going??
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
Gulliver, for the most part, just extends an inquisitive muzzle towards the miraculous canteen before deciding that it's not food and turning towards the ground with a snort.
Gwen, meanwhile, just examines the canteen with a perplexed eye when she's handed the miracle of modern(ish) technology and metalworking, turning the round bottle back and forth to feel the weight of it-
... And then just tipping the canteen back and taking a swig herself. Which is just as Vash reveals his purpose, something that Gwen seems to take it in stride, having time to screw on the metal cap before Vash continues on in the usual Vash fashion.
Well, sure, there's many ways of taking that statement. However, Murphy's Law dictates that a person's mind travels to the one meaning that is least likely. Well, all of them feel really unlikely.
Also, it's not a banquet.
Either way, Gwen chokes and sputters on the water she's been swishing around in her mouth, coughing and hacking until she manages a long, terribly slow breath. "Gh.. k... Don't do that to me!" Waving the canteen at the man as if it were a prop to further illustrate her point, Gwen says, "I'm married to my work! And besides, it's for-"
Looking up towards the sky, Gwen panicks. "Damn it, we need t'get going! It's gonna take at least a few hours to get up there. Uh, quick! Need you to grab some things from the wagon-"
---A FEW HOURS LATER---
They are still not to the top.
At least Gwen's brought extra supplies for Vash. While some pathways present themselves, other areas require some creative footwork, something Gwen isn't quite as skilled at as some due to the weight of her ARM. But what she lacks in grace, she makes up for in rope and hooks, using them to create a secure system to get up. This, however, takes time.
And Gwen's naturally going to be chatty. "Hey, y'know..." Swinging a hook tied to some rope, the courier throws it up towards a convenient crack between two boulders. "Where ya from, anyway? I know I shouldn't be nosy, but-" The hook hits a crack, and Gwen pulls on it. "Like, do you have family someplace? A home town?" She frowns. "Well, I guess we all have hometowns of some kind or whatever. But, like, is there a family of Balderdashses out there somewhere?"
Her eyes cross. The idea of that seems... almost scary.
"Well, you get what I mean. And you don't have to answer if you don't want to."
<Pose Tracker> Vash the Stampede has posed.
And so, Vash the Stampede gloriously marches off to adventure--
Uh, quick! Need you to grab some things from the wagon-
"What?! Aw, c'mon!! I'm already this far out, and I was making really good headway!!"
He was not.
In fact, he was going in what was assuredly the opposite direction.
And so, Vash the Stampede dejectedly marches back to packing.
Groaning out in dismay like he was yet again on the verge of death.
It probably won't last long.
---A FEW HOURS LATER---
"Oh my goddddddddddddd, I think I see the grim reaper coming for me--!"
Wait, no, he's still at it.
To be fair, of course, the sagging, defeated form of Vash the Stampede started -out- pretty energetic. And despite his complaining, he is hauling a disproportionate amount of the materials and equipment from the wagon without much complaint (aside from the complaints, that is); in fact, he seems to be carrying them without -too- terribly much effort, even as he bows forward as if straining under some tremendous burden.
It's a fact that seems largely for show, considering how he shrieks out "REAPER! AHH!" and points--
--at Gwen Whitlock.
"... Oh. Wait." ... sea blue eyes slowly squint in suspicion. "... Hey, -are- you the Grim Reaper?" A slow frown settles across Vash's lips as he squints even further. His eyes are basically slits at this point.
"Because the Grim Reaper is kind of like a courier that delivers a message of death and you -are- a courier and I haven't seen you deliver any real, tangible packages before--"
Except all the ones he has, in fact, seen.
It's all adding up...!
Still, once they've established that climbing route, Vash is happily distracted by taking hold of one of the ropes. Despite his ungainly appearance and despite the way he was lurching about earlier, he is careful in his grip; cautious enough for someone to perceive inexperience, testing enough to be exactly the opposite.
"Huh?" wonders Vash, blinking out of the midst of his Gwen Reaper-related musings. He looks at her as he grabs onto that rope and ascends, head tilting slightly to the side. "Ah, yes, my hometown. Hmm. How should I put this... my home? Is wherever people eager to learn the tenants of love and peace can be found!"
And here he strikes a pose. It's really quite dramatic. The v-sign and everything.
"Ga ha ha ha ha huh?"
But, like, is there a family of Balderdashes out there somewhere?
A soft 'mm' escapes Vash's lips as his expression sobers, just slightly. He looks up towards the cliffside. "... Not exactly. My family and I..."
'Do you know what this flower represents, Vash? In the language of flowers, it means 'unshakeable determination'--'
'I didn't want to kill the spider! I wanted to save them both!'
"... had to part ways a long time ago--"
One, firm tug. That's all it takes for the hook to dislodge and a rain of rubble to come down, falling -just- past their heads down towards the deep depths of the cliffside below. And Vash the Stampede bravely yelps, flattening against the rock face -- even as he yanks Gwen back away from the falling rubble in turn.
"WAGH!! Guess that one wasn't sturdy! I think I just saw my life flash before my eyes!!"
A few seconds later, Vash is busying himself with re-hooking his rope on a sturdier catch, giving it a few more testing tugs before he grips and begins to climb.
"Oh god I don't wanna die I don't wanna die--"
It'll hold.
But it won't stop him from chanting that the entire way through.
<Pose Tracker> Gwen Whitlock has posed.
"You'll be fine! You got me, remember?" Gwen is quick to encourage the tired Vash along with a wide smile and a beckoning hand, all while inwardly, she realizes her first discovery of the evening. This must be a little of what Auntie Frea feels like. Yeah, Gwen supposes, she'd feel a little grumpy too.
Vash's manly bellow of alarm causes Gwen to nearly leap away at some unpercieved threat- ... Which could've been straight off the path all the way down to the rocky ground below, if she hadn't already grasped onto her rope.
Gwen's own fog blue eyes narrow as they focus at that finger, helpfully pointed straight in her direction. "... W-well..." She puts on another hapless smile, rubbing the back of her head with her left hand. "I've been called a lotta things, but never, uh... a Grim Reaper... Wouldn't be the rudest thing, though! Because no one likes getting bills either." She reaches out with her firmer right hand, tugging to assist the gangly climber further up. "Tell ya what. When we get to the top, we can camp there. 'Cause we'll have to go all the way back down."
... Which is not a good thing to remind a complaining Vash of. So idle conversation, no matter how nosy, seems like a better alternative.
The first answer seems like typical Balderdash, Gwen just taking it with a sigh and a nod, letting the answer stand as his way of saying 'don't want to say'. Maybe there's another Little Twister out there, or worse, maybe an entire *town* of Balderdashes, just crab-walking around and balancing balls or whatever a town of such people would do with their spare time. No wonder he would keep that a secret! The second answer, however-
Her gaze falls towards Vash, growing sympathetic. Somehow, she just... never considered it. The man was goofy, yes, but who would be the sort to kick a person like him out of their lives? "Well, if you ever need a hand in, uh-" The offer falls flat as the rocks do the very same, rescuing Vash from having to endure Gwen's offers to help.
And thankfully, he's quick enough to yank Gwen away from certain injury and a demoralizing quick trip down to the ground. Taking a moment to breathe as she clutches onto whatever arm of Vash's that yanked her back, Gwen slowly relaxes, flopping over. "Man, I thought I was gonna d-" .... Well, Mr. Balderdash is already going on with his chant. "You can't die if I don't want you t'die, okay!" Gwen answers, forgetting the close call. "I'm the Grim Reaper, remember? Can't die when I'm here!"
This is terrible logic.
--- AT THE TOP ---
Somehow, they make it. Casting aside her backpack and collapsing onto a piece of flat ground on her back as if it were a luxurious bed, Gwen lets out a tired groan, her eyes squeezed shut. "Hey, please tell me there's flowers there. I don't wanna spend the night here if it's just flat wasteland..."
The faint perfume on the wind tells a different story. A wide expanse of delicate blooms in many shades, sway in the breeze, each plant positioned in cracks left behind by slowly drying mud, delicate petals casting away to the wind.
"N' tell me the Widow's Bouquet is there. It's white, got a dark center-" She shakily holds out the sketchbook to Vash. "Need t'collect some. For Auntie Frea."
<Pose Tracker> Vash the Stampede has posed.
I'm the Grim Reaper, remember? Can't die when I'm here!
"THAT'S TERRIBLE LOGIC"
And this is Vash the Stampede's boldly shrill battle cry as he climbs his way up to the top. He does, however, go faster as he shimmies his way up the rockface towards the very top.
Clearly, because he was secretly inspired by Gwen Whitlock's words.
And certainly not because he's trying to run away from her, now sure she is the Grim Reaper and her touch means a certain end.
One mad scramble that is definitely not laced with mortal fear later, Vash the Stampede ascends that peak with the heave of a breath and a bold declaration of, "HA HA HA! I OUTRACED DEATH! MY LEGEND LIVES ON!" only to let out a girlish shriek the second Gwen emerges behind him. One bout of reassuring himself that she couldn't -really- be the Grim Reaper despite how well 'the Gwen Reaper' really hangs together, Vash looks down on the collapsed young courier, canting his head and scratching mildly at his cheek.
"Uhhh... you sure you wanna sleep there, because it doesn't look like good napping ground," is, apparently, his chief concern, blonde brows knotting together in mild consternation. "I guess Death actually -does- rest sometimes. Hmmm..."
But, it's her request that has him blinking once; he looks at the ground, immediately beneath them, and squints. "None there, nope," he declares roundly, to the help of absolutely no one.
"But there's a bunch of them over there, I think."
He points without even looking; it's the scent on the wind, the direction it blows, that gives him the certainty that where his finger jabs...
... there is an impossible field of flowers in a vibrant array of colors, whispering this way and that on the back of the warm breeze.
Striving on in the face of overwhelming adversity.
"--Huh," Vash the Stampede says when he finally looks over, blinking once. "There actually ARE flowers over there. I was just saying that to try to make you feel better! Ha ha, what luck, huh??"
Truly, a miracle.
But -- Gwen holds out that sketchbook. And though Vash takes it, and declares, "Don't worry! I shall discover this Window's Bouquet, or my name isn't Mister Plantermash!!" in a way that undoubtedly is not encouraging on -many- levels, the truth is?
He doesn't need it.
He makes a good show, at least, thumbing through pages thoughtfully as he makes his way over to that field. He crouches, and back to Gwen, his smile is warm, his eyes knowing, and his touch as gentle as it is certain as he combs quietly through that flora in search of a flower he already knows. There are few he doesn't.
They were her favorite thing to study, after all.
"So, uh, this Auntie Frea -- are you making her some kind of bouquet for Aunt Day or something??"
He also knows that is not what they're for. But silliness helps to break the ice, he has found.