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]

[ Yuri may not have been looking for reassurance, but he finds he is, just the same. ]

Yeah, I do know. [ It's a thought that warms him, at that. ] You're pretty stubborn when you have a mind to be.

[ Not that it's just that, he realizes, but he's acutely aware of his gracelessness in this area. He doesn't wholly know what to do with himself. ]

[hauntedking]

Only when I think it's worth being stubborn about.

[ Which is quite a few things.

But that includes Yuri, so. ]

[wolfish]

So I'm worth being stubborn about?

[ He can't help but ask. ]

[hauntedking]

Of course.

[ Easy as that. ]

[wolfish]

[ If his cheeks seem just a touch pinker than they were a few moments ago, it's because they are.

Yuri should know better than to be surprised, yet he is just the same. Over a century may have passed, but it still amazes him that Dimitri can see him that way. ]

Well, I... [ He trails off, stuffing down that sense of unworthiness that tends to haunt him still. ] You could have been some poor farmer in the middle of nowhere, and you'd still be one hell of a catch.

[ Which is to say; he's anything but ashamed. He's lucky. ]

[hauntedking]

Yuri-

[ He laughs again and feels his cheeks burn. ]

Here we are complimenting one another. I suppose that's a good sign.

[ Dimitri shakes his head. How he feels about Yuri is very much something he holds close to his heart. Something he treasures. He wants him to see what's good in himself and wants very much to be able to express his feelings in more than words. ]

Even if I were a poor farmer, I think I'd still want to have you by my side.

[wolfish]

[ His smile gains in confidence. There's so much more Yuri could say, so much that he sees of Dimitri's virtues, but he'll try to pace himself.

Instead— ]

As you should, since I know a thing or three about tending plants.

[ Humor warms his tone. ]

But I do like being there — at your side.

[hauntedking]

And I enjoy being at yours. So I think we've reached an agreement on that front. Especially with regards to plants...

[ He takes another bite of his dinner, looking rather thoughtful. ]

...what would you be doing, if you hadn't ended up involved in... everything?

[wolfish]

...You mean this war, the one back home, or my criminal activities?

[ It's a sincere question. The answer depends on what Dimitri wants to know. ]

[hauntedking]

...well, I suppose all of it. If you lived an ordinary life.

[ He's not quite sure himself. ]

[wolfish]

Ordinary would...probably be crime all over again. Being poor doesn't afford you the luxury of choice.

[ He recognizes that isn't a satisfying answer though. Yet when he does consider... ]

I've spent so long pursuing my goals, I guess I haven't truly thought about it.

[hauntedking]

Ah, well... if I were a farmer, I doubt I'd have much wealth either.

[ He explains a little sheepishly. ]

You needn't answer if you don't think you can.

[wolfish]

[ It's strange to realize. He'd spent so long preoccupied with his dreams that he hadn't thought about who or what he might be otherwise. ]

In some gentler world... It's hard to say, but gardening wasn't so bad, even if it was only a cover. Maybe I'd have had a bakery or something, had I the means.

[ For that matter, he hadn't thought about what comes after his goal, had he? ]

Maybe I'd have caught the interest of a certain handsome farmer in such a life.

[hauntedking]

Ha.

[ He laughs. ]

Maybe so. And wouldn't that be an idyllic life?

[ He thinks he'd enjoy it.

But on the other hand, he has his responsibilities still - and those still tug at him. ]

[wolfish]

Quiet and peaceful, no doubt.

[ And it's a pretty thing to imagine a life in which their hardships never weighed them down.

But they've got people depending on them. ]

As for this life, we can still grow plants and bake in our downtime, yeah?

[hauntedking]

We surely can. And I feel like I might need to, to maintain a bit of sanity...

[ The world changes quickly and there's not always time to take good stock of it... but this is a little island of stability. At least for now. ]

[wolfish]

Understandably. All of this is...surreal, to say the least. And that was before we had ourselves an impossibly long nap.

[ Like they had all assumed the role of some princess in a cradle tale, but they aren't assured a happy ending.

Yuri can't speak for everyone, but the two of them are Faerghan. They believe in taking the future in their own hands. Whatever they need to do, they'll make it happen. ]

Let's do what we need to.

[hauntedking]

Let's. And for the moment... we'll have one another to rely on, if no one else. And having you by my side makes me all the happier for it...

[wolfish]

[ It's true. More than he has been with others, Yuri has been candid with Dimitri about some matters he deems deeply personal. Perhaps it's to be expected, but he doesn't place his confidence lightly. ]

We'll see if you still feel that way when I keep you up late.

[ He teases, but he did do that once. ]

But I'd like that. And this, for that matter. The talking. Could get used fo being fed too.

[hauntedking]

Well. I did intend for that.

[ Ahem. He teases in return, even if his cheeks burn. ]

And I'm happy to keep feeding you, in all honesty. It's a good feeling.

[wolfish]

[ It's a good look on him, Yuri observes, even as his own face warms.

Return fire from Dimitri... ]

At this rate you might never be rid of me.

[ Not that he thinks Dimitri would mind. ]

Is there something you'd particularly like to try?

[hauntedking]

Maybe some more stews? I'm fond of those.

[ He looks thoughtful. ]

There's something quite nice in bringing all of those different parts together.

[wolfish]

[ Yuri considers the sentiment behind it. ]

That suits you. [ It simply does, for all he knows of Dimitri. ] I know a handful of recipes for different kinds of stew, to start with.

[hauntedking]

I'd be happy to hear them. If we can find the right ingredients we can even try them...

[ They have plans now! ]

[wolfish]

If we can't, there's always substitutions. Could be fun figuring out what we can use to achieve similar results.

[ At least, he'd enjoy collaborating with Dimitri in that way as well. ]

There are also similar dishes like curry to consider too, and some of those are sweet rather than spicy... Say, have you had much Duscur cuisine? I picked up a recipe for their style of stew from someone in the army camp.