april catch-all!

[feintofhart]

Who: Claude & Various
Where: Around Aldrip!
What: Claude and his encounters around town.
Warnings: None anticipated! If you'd like to hop in on a log, however, please feel free to PM/DM me or hit me up on plurk (here!), and I'd be happy to whip up a starter for you, or you can just wildcard me in here! Claude will be going about his business exploring the new Aldrip, fumbling around with new technology, running the apothecary, training, riding his wyvern, etc., etc., so if any of those appeal, feel free to jump on in. :)

Comments

for minato

[feintofhart]

[ Claude doesn't mean to hijack one of Ethlyn's workers, really -- but going off hunting for herbs is such a nuisance, even for someone as eagle-eyed as him. It's partially that he needs an extra set of eyes, yes, but it's also that he'd like some company on his longer jaunts. It's terribly dull work, even with sweet Zafeera by his side, and a natural conversationalist such as Claude von Riegan can only go so long stomping about in utter silence save for his own voice (as mellifluous and charming as he thinks that voice is, but that's neither here nor there).

So when he hears that the kid is looking for some part-time work, he's quick and eager to snatch him up. He arrives to the clinic in more humble garb than usual, dressed appropriately for a long day of stomping out in the wilderness, with sturdy trousers and shin-length boots, a warm jacket flung about his shoulders despite the warmth of the early spring sun shining down on him.

He pokes his head into the Clinic, knocking cheerfully on the doorway. ]

You're Minato, right? [ He says with a grin. ] Ready to make some money?

\o/

[memori3s]

[ Minato's never gone herb-hunting or foraging before. How hard could it possibly be though, so long as he has someone to show him what he's looking for?

He's seated in the waiting area and dressed in appropriately outdoorsy clothing too. The only item remaining from his typical outfit is the music player with headphones dangling around his neck. Koromaru lies at his feet, only lifting his head at the sound of someone knocking on the door and poking their head into the building.

Minato offers Claude a nod. He sure is. Extra pocket money always comes in handy. He rises to his feet before gesturing to the shiba inu at his side. ]

This is Koromaru. ...is it okay if he comes too?

[ And if not, Koromaru can keep Ethlyn company whenever she arrives. ]

[feintofhart]

Aw, hi, Koromaru!

[ Claude loves animals. It takes only a split second for him to drop to his knees to greet Koromaru, holding his hand out for him to sniff, clearly hoping to get some good scratches in. This dog is particularly cute, he thinks, grinning cheerfully down at him and that imminently squishable face.

He doesn't squish him. He has manners. But he'd really like to. ]

As much as I'd enjoy his company, it might not be a good idea for him to come, depending. [ He tears his gaze away from Koro to look back up at Minato. ]

Speaking of that variable: are you scared of heights?

[memori3s]

[ Koromaru barks a greeting to Claude, tail wagging as he leans forward to sniff at Claude's hand. He tilts his head this way and that to smell at different angles, making sure he gets a good sense of the man's scent.

Minato shakes his head. ]

No. I'm okay with heights.

[ There is no possible way that he can imagine their mode of transportation might be on wyvernback. And if that's the case, Koromaru can definitely hang out at the clinic. He's particularly adept at sensing whether Ethlyn's patients need a comforting hand lick or something soft to pet and distract from whatever's ailing them. ]

[feintofhart]

Excellent! Sorry, Koromaru, you'll just have to stay behind this time. But if I'm ever in need of an herb-gatherer a little closer to home, I'll be sure to let you come along.

[ He gives Koromaru one last scratch under the chin before straightening up and gesturing for Minato to follow him. ]

See, the herbs I need are a little off the beaten path. Getting there would take over a day by foot, and would be a few hours of hard riding on horse. Not worth your time at all, though if you were afraid of heights, there are a few other plants that need gathering.

But on wyvernback, it's not very far at all. What do you say? You up for a ride? You have my word that it's perfectly safe; you won't find a more capable rider than me in all of Aldrip.

[ He's the only wyvern rider in Aldrip. But hey, who needs specifics? ]

[memori3s]

[ That's all right. Koromaru understands, and the final chin scratch is securing Claude in his This Person Seems All Right list.

Minato trails after Claude. He'd seen the man occasionally drop by Willow Clinic, but this is, perhaps, the most words they'd exchanged with each other. Namely, Minato hadn't even been aware that Claude had a wyvern pal hanging around.

It's why Minato pauses in his tracks for a moment. ]

...we're flying on a dragon?

[ Dragon, wyvern: he doesn't quite know the distinction between the two tfw not a fire emblem char.

He's not afraid of the prospect. Rather, it's just not every day someone walks up and says it's time to go flying on wyvernback. Minato's seen dragons before. Plenty of Personas took on the form of those creatures, but. It's different hearing someone speak of a wyvern casually, like they were talking about a horse instead. ]

[feintofhart]

A wyvern, [ Claude corrects. ] The difference is that wyverns only have two legs -- their hind legs. Her front is a little more like... a snake, I suppose?

[ To the untrained eye, a wyvern is frankly a little bit more eerie, though certainly not to one who is accustomed to the strange, distorted forms that one's inner self may take. But to Claude, who had grown up alongside them as trusted and beloved companions as close to mankind as any dog or cat, he's unable to see them for the true beasts that they are, at least when appropriately trained. And Zafeera, the steed of the beloved royal prince, is as well-trained as they come. ]

If you're all right with it, that is. They're pretty common where I'm from -- we have entire batallions on wyvern-back. Just say the word if you'd rather us hike out somewhere instead. Now that Spring is here, I have to really start replenishing my stores.

[ Technically, Claude could buy a lot of this, or hire others to do it in his stead. But by and large he prefers to do it on his own, not for any reasons of quality or of integrity, but because it's an opportunity to explore the landscape around Aldrip, to spot any other changes, to poke his nose into any other types of flora and fauna that could serve a purpose, whether that be medicinal or poisonous. ]

[fieldtrip]

[ It's hard to believe he could be fumbling with new technology worse than Toph is. Right now she's sitting outside her favorite tea shop, enjoying the warmer weather with a cup of tea and a pastry -- or at least trying to.

Instead she's scowling down at her brand new cell phone, irritated. It's currently narrating options to her in a steady monotone, serving to remind her once again why she hates having people read to her. ]

Why can't everyone just make voice posts anyway?!

[feintofhart]

They're just worried about us hearing them speak, I'm sure. Not everyone can have as delightful voices as you and I, [ Claude says as he exist the tea shop with an empty bag; he was in there making a delivery, and has found his pockets to be delightfully heavier as a result. It's been an age since he's managed to speak with Toph, let alone in person, and the timing seems auspicious considering she doesn't seem like the sort to want to reach out for help with this sort of thing.

He sets his bag down and takes a seat beside her without asking for permission, hand already reaching out in invitation. ]

Want me to take a look at helping you set that thing up? Fair warning, I'm probably about as experienced with it as you are, but two heads are better than one.

[fieldtrip]

[ Toph isn't prone to asking for help, although in certain cases she's had to get used to it, and dealing with some of the limitations of her blindness is a big one. Plenty of people were perfectly nice to her in the Earth Kingdom, but nice didn't mean welcoming, or that they wanted her there. She constantly had to prove that she could do things on her own so they wouldn't look down on her.

Sometimes she can't do things on her own, and thanks to Aang, Sokka and Katara, she's become more comfortable with acknowledging that. At least with certain people. But she remembers Claude as a guy who immediately respected her, so she won't pass up this offer.

Toph practically shoves the phone at him. ] Go ahead. I'm sick of listening to this lady pronounce every syllable like I'm deaf as well as blind.

[ It's so, so painfully slow. ]

[feintofhart]

Okay, let me take a look here...

[ He hasn't had the easiest time adjusting to all this, not with his background. He can only imagine having to get used to all of this without even being able to see what you're working on -- and these little devices seem almost completely reliant on being able to see. ]

I think I preferred the crystals, [ Claude grumbles, though he does manage to find the settings to at least speed up the speed of that infernal voice. With the tinny voice still rambling in the background, Claude glances up at Toph. ]

How've you been dealing with all this, anyway? The change in the city, and the whole mess that came beforehand. I don't think I remember running into you while we were all... weird.

[fieldtrip]

[ Toph hadn't realized there was an option to speed up the infernal voice and is immediately relieved. For now she keeps up with the conversation, but she can already tell she's going to owe Claude one at the end of this. ]

I met a couple people that way, which sucked, [ she says succinctly. ] I couldn't do more than flick a few pebbles down an alleyway. I was totally useless.

[ This is a harsher assessment than is really warranted, but it reveals the depths of Toph's discomfort with having her memories altered and her bending taken away. ]

I'd rather deal with the town turning into a messed up city and these annoying tablet things any day. How'd you do?

[feintofhart]

Hey, skipping stones is pretty much the extent of what most of us around here can do, [ Claude points out, drawing the phone closer to his nose as he inspects it, fingers clumsily swiping across the screen. ]

...but I know what you mean. I totally forgot how to fight, and one of the first things I did after I noticed thinking things getting weird was fall off of a single floor and break my arm. [ He grimaces. ] I've been taking tumbles like that safely since I was a kid. Not my finest showing.

[ He glances back up at her, at her guarded, flat expression at remembering what was doubtlessly a much more uncomfortable time for her than it was for him. ]

Sounds like it messed you up. But now that things are the same -- you're normal again, and everything? I've talked to a couple people who still feel like they were those other selves. Worse selves, it sounds like most people were stuck with.

[invinciblemikey]

(he has never been to the apothecary. alcohol is safer, drugs can be lame at times, and it just doesn't feel like his thing without his people if they ever wanted to do it. but he stumbles, sees the man in the space and he can't help the chuckle, once again.)

From bartender to drug dealer? Never ceasing to amaze me.

[feintofhart]

Drug dealer is such a nefarious term for what I do! I don't know why everyone is always so stuck on that part! Nobody ever comes here and accuses me of being a filthy tea-dealer, or the purveyor of culinary marvels. [ He does a little spin, arms outstretched, as though bragging about the many jars lining his walls, but stops once he smacks his head on one of the clusters of herbs he has hanging from the ceiling to dry out. ] Oops.

[ Claude leans over the counter, chin perched on the heel of his hand. ]

Anyway -- what can I do for you, Manjiro? Looking to cure something that ails you?

[invinciblemikey]

... Tea? I like tea.

(okay, that actually gets a little laugh out of him. this 'real' claude isn't as charming, smooth or, well. delicious, i'm so sorry, as the other one, but he's funny.

he'll notice it's a lot easier to get a smile from this mikey than the one he met.)

Nah, I didn't know you'd be here, I just found this place out. I can go.

(if it's too weird for him, manjiro totally gets it.)

[feintofhart]

Not at all! I just wanted to know what you were looking for. You're welcome to stay as long as you like.

[ It is weird, their memories of each other lingering while their current lives are as different as can be, but Claude is a friendly sort of fellow, and he's bound and determined to keep things as light as he can. He takes a couple steps back to rummage through the glass jars of tea blends, opening a few of them to smell them.

His own taste in tea isn't to everyone's tastes. He likes things earthy, rich, smoky, a bitterness that lingers on the tongue. But from what he remembers of Manjiro...

He takes a small scoop of tea into a small cup, then pours hot water directly over top of it before sliding it towards Manjiro. ]

This isn't properly steeped, mind you, but it will give you a decent idea of what we're working with here. This one's an apple oolong with cinnamon.

[ It's a light, refreshing tea, sweet from the apples with the cinnamon a lingering aftertaste on the tongue. ]

[invinciblemikey]

(bless his heart for not giving manjiro anything that doesn't talk directly to how his tastebuds never grew from age 8. sweets, fun meals, parfaits, red beans, and sugar would comprise most of his diet, if it weren't for the fact he is a bottomless pit of hunger with that quick metabolism he has.

first things first is to find a place to sit, watching the other in the distance. manjiro has already made peace with the fact of who he is, how those feelings were simply not real, nor was the person he held them for - and vice versa. still, it's fun to watch the boy work. there's still that little passion there, and it makes him laugh to himself.

nerd.

a sip is enough to make his smile stretch further.)

Actually not bad, Claude, not bad at all.

... You know? I have some tea from home back home. I'll bring you some to try.

[feintofhart]

I would love that! It's something I miss from back home. I grew up in this terribly posh academy, full of little lordlings and ladies, all very prim and proper and stuffy, as you can imagine. But I'll give them one thing: they threw one hell of a tea party. Endless tea, and towers of snacks and confections, and people were always coming up with new blends from far off places. Speaking of which...

[ He rifles about underneath the counter and unearths a package of sweets. He passes one of the biscuits Manjiro's way with a smile. ]

A cup of tea isn't complete without having something with it.

[ It's been a long time since those days. He's been missing it more and more, even before he got here. To him, it's a reminder of more peaceful times. ]

for miller!

[feintofhart]

[ Being mentally transported into another reality had been off-putting for a great variety of reasons, but a surprising worry that has lingered on his shoulders is the memory of being someone without any practical fighting experience whatsoever. He knows that, technically speaking, he has all the prowess that he had before... but he'll still feel better if he confirms it with his own two eyes.

Which is how he finds his way just outside of city limits, where he lets Zafeera loose to hunt in the nearby forest while he gets to training. By the time Miller shows up, he's finished warming up and has moved onto target training, sorely missing the days in which he had other people to set up practice for him, or had others able to toss objects up in the air for him to shoot instead of focusing on stationary targets. But it is what it is, which means he had to take to the laborious task of setting up targets along the tree lines before scurrying back to his position and getting to work. He nocks three, four arrows at a time, unleashing them on one target after the next with his massive bow, watching in satisfaction as each one sails to their mark. He stops only when he notices someone else in the vicinity, nodding politely at him as he lowers his bow. ]

Hey. Don't let me bother you -- I'll wait until you're gone if you're headed into the forest.

[melnik]

[ It has been a difficult process adapting back into life here with the knowledge that the past month had all been an illusion. Miller is still constantly challenging his own thoughts, wanting to believe what feels truer in his mind right now with indignance, but ultimately realizing that the dozens of other peoples' testimony is likely not wrong. So instead of dealing with it more directly, he throws himself into exploring the new scenery. The city itself has expanded greatly, leaving plenty to uncover, and when it comes to the forest outside town, the other plus to wandering around out there and perhaps catching some food to take back with him is that he gets to be alone. He hasn't really had an experience he'd describe as fully peaceful since he arrived here, but it's about the closest that it can get.

Leaving his larger gun at home, Miller is heading down the road empty handed, with the few supplies he felt he needed tucked into his holster and pack. Not far from the mouth of the woods, he comes upon someone he doesn't recognize with a makeshift target practice set up. It piques his interest, and he watches as the man lets several arrows loose and lands a clean shot with them all. By this point, they're close enough to talk, and he continues towards him with the same leisurely pace. ]

No, don't mind me. I'm in no rush. You're pretty good with a bow! I take it this is more than just a hobby of yours?

[feintofhart]

I'd certainly hope that I'm better than a hobbyist! [ Claude exclaims, letting his bowhand relax by his side as he lowers his weapon properly. He's glad for the practice, now that he's out here; while his skill remains unchanged, he's reminded of just how much strength it takes to draw a bow such as this one. He remembers the days of his youth, training until he could scarcely raise his arm further than his bellybutton, and even now, feels a pleasant stretch across his back. ]

When there's trouble afoot, I lead my own battalions, back home. If I weren't good with my weapon, I'm sure I'd be six feet under by now, [ Claude says with a jollity that doesn't quite suit his words. ] There may be no war here, but I feel a lot better keeping sharp anyway. It's always good to stay prepared, right?

[melnik]

[ The first retort causes one corner of his mouth to turn upwards in humor. The younger rangers were the same in their defensiveness, he often found. But seeing no need to lighten the unintended blow, he lets Claude elaborate as he closes the rest of the distance between them.

Given what he just witnessed, there's little reason to doubt his words regardless of the levity in his tone. ]

We have already seen it for ourselves. We always have to be ready here.

[ Which is his way of saying he agrees, but he does find it interesting. A bow is a rather primitive weapon for war. Even the forest dwellers in the valley of whom some used crossbows had come out with rifles at the ready. ]

Your home... must be very different from mine. I have been a soldier my whole life, but the use of a weapon like yours would be quite limited there. Did you go to battle on horseback?

[feintofhart]

A fellow soldier, huh? [ That's burying the lede a bit -- Claude is no soldier. He's the one who makes the decisions about who lives and who dies. The only thing that helps him lessen the sting is that he's always right in the mix with them, leading the charge more often than not, as any good leader of his time does. He fancies himself a soldier all the same. ]

Pleasure to meet you. [ On the same side of the metaphorical battlefield, at that. He's an older guy, for a soldier, which speaks of his skills. Though the gods of fortune may smile at a select few, bad fighters don't make for old soldiers. ] We have plenty of footsoldiers too, but a lot of us use mounts, yeah. I favour the wyvern, personally, but the skills translate better than you'd think.

[ He cocks a hip, considering Miller's words. ] Let me guess: you're from one of those worlds where they use guns. Someone's let me check theirs out before. It's certainly a fascinating bit of machinery.

[melnik]

[ A wyvern? Like a dragon? His eyebrows raise. Well, after hearing about the mole badgers from Toph, he really shouldn't be surprised to learn things like this about others' worlds. They probably wouldn't be picturing anything quite like what he is either. Having a flying mount does certainly take the use of more traditional ranged weapons to the next level though.

In any case, he nods his head at the introduction, offering a gloved hand for Claude to shake. ]

It does sound impressive. Good to meet you as well. I am Colonel Miller, the commander of a squadron known as the Spartan Order.

[ It has long since been established that he has no reason to hide that information, so he may as well try to find some point of relation. ]

You are right. Even among civilians, guns are practically a staple where I am from. You might even see little children learning to fire a revolver. [ Oh, but it's not because that's condoned or something. ] Most of us are under a state of constant threat. There was a huge calamity about twenty years ago that really changed our way of life.