April Catch-All

[wolfish]

WHO: Yuri Leclerc wolfish & others
WHAT: Catch-all for April
WHEN: Late Pelu
WHERE: Various locations
WARNINGS: None, will update if needed.


I. Resupply Run (Old Springstar)
[ Yuri isn't yet acclimated to Skysong. In truth, he's not entirely certain how long that adjustment is going to take. Adaptable as he is, he hails from a world in which mass literacy is nonexistent and flight entails mounted travels. For most men, that's wyverns.

Seeing how it's been over a century, the house needs some creature comforts. Given the improvements to local technology, this day that means Yuri's drifting from one store to another examining their new wares.

A. Background Character
[ Occasionally, this leads to him being stopped by strangers who begin regaling him with their backstory. The prevailing trend here is that it's always something about their parents or grandparents — people Yuri either saved or helped. Orphans who moved on to have happy lives and families.

The thing is, Yuri doesn't know what to do with effusive gratitude. So, without fail, he'll be standing there like a deer in the headlights, clutching some kitchen gadget or other like a lifeline, in the face of strangers' enthusiasm. ]
B. Gadgets and Gizmos
[ On the occasions when Yuri manages to evade what's proving to be a small army of orphans' descandants, he spends his time examining the new innovations Old Springstar has to offer. Each time he encounters a new appliance that is neither enormous nor impossible to lift, he picks it up for manual examination, turning it about between gloved hands with rapt interest.

It may or may not be clear to passers-by that this is something beyond curiosity in the sight of something novel. Rather, he appears to be trying to discern what makes it tick. ]

II. Old Routines (Alenroux)
[ While the world has changed a great deal, developing in ways Fódlan certainly hasn't, some things are near enough to the same. At least, Yuri tells himself as much, holding to whatever scraps of familiarity if he can. For him, that means resuming the activities he'd used to pass his time previously.

In this case, Yuri spends the "early" daylight hours in Alenroux training. When he doesn't have a partner to spar with, he instead rigs up targets using whatever he can find — old buckets, broom handles, fallen branches — and slings spells their way. It's a flashy bit of a show that comes in two flavors.

Sometimes, visually identical magic strikes the target much more feebly.

Others, Yuri tosses one spell at his training dummy, then another, different spell, observing how they combine. In these cases, the answer is usually that his constructed target gets blown apart, its shredded components sent sailing in all directions, leaving him to sigh and trot off to retrieve them. ]


III. Free to Good Home (Communion)
So... Turns out before Fluffy joined Byleth for that incredibly long nap we all took, he found himself a sweetheart or two first. Now, we're swimming in cats. Much as I'd like to think looking after tham all is doable here, I'm not thinking it's ideal for them.

[ The cats, that is. Fellow Harbingers may be treated to fleeting mental images of cats and dogs milling about the grounds of Garreg Mach Monastery, uniformed students and recognizable clergy pausing to pet, feed or play with them. Then, too, are images of people who are evidently thugs and brigans...still fawning over cats in the underground halls of what some might guess is Abyss.

Yuri can't help the strength of his nostalgia in this. He spent a fair amount of time pining after feline affection due to just how bad his allergies are, not having the means to overcome them until he admitted his troubles to Marianne. By then, they were in the midst of war, far from Garreg Mach.

At least he's not sneezing to death now. ]

So if anyone's interested in giving a good home to a cat or two, let's make some arrangements.

[ Apologies in advance that they may answer to odd names already. ]

IV. Wildcard
[ ooc: If you have a different idea, feel free to drop a starter here! No need to plot ahead unless it needs some prior coordination. If it does, DM Yuri's journal or hit me up on discord (matchadrop)! ]

Comments

[wolfish]

A distraction does the job well, don't you think?

[ Hard to focus on overworking, surely. ]

[hauntedking]

Depends on what the objective is.

[ He ripostes with a smile. This is fun. ]

[wolfish]

Does it now?

[ He lifts his free hand, tapping a finger to his chin. ]

I could have all manner of reasons...

[hauntedking]

Do you have a particular reason now?

[ His eye sparkles. ]

[wolfish]

[ Yuri hums, feigning deep thought. Then a slant of a smile tugs at his lips. ]

I can think of a few.

[hauntedking]

Would you share them with me?

[ His brow arches. ]

[wolfish]

For starters, I think you could use that distraction.

[ He waves a hand at their surroundings. All this: the changes, the impossible passage of time that ushered it in. Dimitri had already said it was a lot to process, and Yuri agrees. ]

Then I'm naturally curious what you'd do. [ Dimitri could just pick up up like a cat, he knows this, but he'd like to think that isn't how he'd respond. ] And that I think I'd like to.

[ He hasn't forgotten Dimitri suggested they take their time, so it's not anything too forward...he thinks. Probably, when Dimitri's visibly interested. ]

[hauntedking]

I think I'd like to share the space with you. Whatever that ends up meaning.

[ His lips curve in a little smile. ]

And... being close with you is something I enjoy. Something I want. Does that answer the question?

[wolfish]

I'd say it does.

[ And he can't help a smile in turn, something just this side of shy, different from his usual fare. ]

It's funny...I didn't know what it would be like.

[ Mutuality, not that he immediately elaborates on this point. He was more candid with Dimitri about his relationship with being wanted for anything but himself than he has been with anyone, though. ]

[hauntedking]

Well... would you like to try and find out with me?

[ Well, that sounds innocent enough. ]

[wolfish]

[ He's already beginning to, he thinks, but— ]

'Course I would.

[hauntedking]

Then let me show you how the rest of my house has fared over the years.

[ He starts to stand, gesturing for Yuri to follow. ]

[wolfish]

[ Yuri follows suit, fluidly getting to his feet and smoothing a hand over his dark clothing. ]

I'm getting the grand tour, am I?

[hauntedking]

Well, you've already seen it...

[ Dimitri laughs. ]

The furnishings have changed a bit. Or at least the rugs have... they did change those around. And some of the other cloth.

[wolfish]

Then it's new enough, so far as I'm concerned.

[ Besides, it's spending time with Dimitri. ]

What do you think of the change in furnishings?

[hauntedking]

I can't complain about them.

[ He leads Yuri through the front door. ]

It's still rather comfortable. Although they've taken to leaving offerings and other things down at the front gate instead...

[wolfish]

[ Yuri follows him through, glancing around to see what has changed with open curiosity. ]

Offerings, huh? Like your own little shrine.

[ He speaks lightly of it, if only to take some weight away from the topic. ]

[hauntedking]

Yes. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.

[ He shakes his head. ]

But it can't be helped. Here-

[ He ushers Yuri inside. It's changed a bit from a hundred years ago; the rugs are different, the furniture touched more by age. But someone maintained this place, at least - cleaned it. Made sure it wasn't turning into a dusty, moldering ruin. That's something. ]

[wolfish]

Mm... Well, I'd take it as a compliment.

[ He'd be bewildered, more like. If those offerings included food, though, the guys he lives with would handle that for him, he's sure.

Still, it's an expression of appreciation, however odd it may be. ]

Doesn't seem too dramatically different in here.

[hauntedking]

No, not terribly. Just... older.

[ He settles his hand on the armchair that sits in the small sitting room. ]

How odd to feel like I've missed so much. You feel it too, don't you?

[wolfish]

Hard not to. Everything looks so different out there, with little pockets of familiarity.

[ Primarily, their residences.

True, Byleth's place overtly wore its age, was overgrown with valerian plants and swarmed with cats, but it felt less foreign than the world around it. The same holds true of Dimitri's cottage. ]

Like finding ourselves in another world again, almost.

[hauntedking]

Almost like we're right back at the start.

[ Dimitri sighs. ]

We just have to keep going. There's no alternative.

[wolfish]

Yeah. Only shot we've got at home, after all.

[ At saving it, at helping their people.

In all their time here, they've found no other course. ]

But we're capable men, aren't we?

[ One of Yuri's hands seeks out Dimitri's, fingertips brushing his palm. ]

[hauntedking]

We are. And...

[ His hand turns and he catches Yuri's fingers so he can give them a squeeze. ]

We have one another to rely on.

[wolfish]

[ Yuri smiles softly up at him, fingers curling to hold on. ]

We certainly do.

[ Something he finds himself grateful for, and though he doesn't say it in words, it warms his eyes. ]

...So how has the rest of your house fared?