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]

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.

[hauntedking]

Oh, curry - I'm not sure I've tried that. We could certainly do our best to substitute it and see what we can create.

[ He looks thoughtful. ]

I think Dedue has cooked Duscur cuisine for me a few times, but I wasn't able to properly enjoy it...

[wolfish]

Let's give it a shot then, on both counts. Maybe you can cook for Dedue, next time you see him.

[ Because he will, Yuri has to believe.

For now, he tugs a small notebook from his breast pocket. It isn't the same aged one he'd half-written Dimitri's name in when they first met, clearly newer, and he leafs through the pages until he finds what he's after, then offers the notebook across the table to Dimitri. ]

I've been writing down recipes, ever since... [ since that terrible nightmare ] we woke up.

[hauntedking]

Oh, wonderful-

[ He leans over to take a look at the notebook with a little smile. ]

Certainly a better thing to focus on than the more unpleasant aspects of our current situation.

[wolfish]

I'd agree. Only so much we can do when we wake up to all this.

[ He flaps a hand at the open air. The world they woke to feels alien all over again. ]

There's stews, curry, desserts... I've put some work into recreating dishes from home, what with all the downtime we've had in the past. Tough thing is, my taste-testers are far from picky eaters.

[hauntedking]

I can't say I'm particularly picky myself, but I'm happy to sample whatever you'd like to give me. I do need to expand my palette after all... I'm still getting used to it! Even now.

[wolfish]

Not being picky isn't a problem, but when you do like something, I want to know about it.

[ Or if he doesn't, for that matter. Yuri suspects he'll see the difference, what with Dimitri having not had his sense of taste for so long. He surely doesn't have a poker-face when it comes to eating something he finds unpleasant. ]

Any of those recipes stand out as something you'd want to try first?

[hauntedking]

Well... this fish curry might be a good place to start.

[ He gestures toward the page. ]

And we might be able to include others. Byleth, for example.

[wolfish]

A good meal with fish in it? Nothing would keep Byleth away.

[ The man is both a force of nature and a ravenous eater. Yuri appreciates that about him. ]

[hauntedking]

I can't imagine anything would. And it'd be nice to have everyone together again, if only for a little while. Maybe we can invite Claude and Shez as well...

[wolfish]

Could be nice. We'll need to make plenty, but there's two of us.

[ Yuri's never had a little gathering quite like that, but he knows it's satisfying to cook for others and see them enjoy it. He's sure Dimitri would like that feeling. ]

[hauntedking]

I don't think it will be that difficult, honestly. Although I suppose we should invite Hayame as well...

[ Now he's making plans in his head, goddess help them. ]

[wolfish]

From what she's told me, her peoples' cuisine does favor fish... Besides, she really should accompany Claude.

[ Yuri supports them, and Dimitri appears to be having a good time planning. ]

[hauntedking]

She should. I feel as if she really does need the support... whether she'll ever admit it or not.

[wolfish]

Agreed. Saying it's a tall order for a fighter like her, but we know, and that's enough.

[ They can be there for her. ]

This place does a number on people.

[hauntedking]

You needn't tell me. I know it well... and I fear she's suffered more than some.

[wolfish]

[ He knows a bit about that, but it's not his place to speak on it, not knowing who Hayame has confided in. ]

I'd say you're right about that. Her home's never sounded particularly kind, then there's all this.