[Open] Time for a Check-Up

[chatwithdeath]

🧙 WHO: Naomi Kimishima and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: Catch-all for August
🕒 WHEN: August (until events and stuff)
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot Castle and clinic mainly
⚠️ WARNINGS: The clinic portion is open to injuries so could have blood or other such.

I. Open House

"So, this is the castle..."

She wasn't sure how to feel with it being so open after an attempt on the King's life. Sure, they were sequestered into another area, but he wasn't that fair. And the tenacity a number in their group showed, that wouldn't matter even if guards were stationed. But... hopefully...

For now, she continued to explore was they were permitted to, passing up the food for the most part, but she may pause for a sip if they were serving wine or the like and observe others in attendance from the side.

Following that pause, she passed the public baths and decided to take her time in the library, examining the numerous spines of the books they could access, and generally keeping to herself there. She might consider a brief glance through one, but after she did so, she would be found in the gardens, admiring the blooms and just needing a breather. The reality of the situation had already sunk in, but it might be time to return to more familiar surroundings.

II. Healing Circle After Party

Meditation was something she could go for - get her mind cleared to organize and anticipate what might have to be done next... aside from the murders going on in Camelot. Despite her Death Magic, it wasn't as though she was being bothered by spirits to investigate - and the knights weren't looking for her assistance either.

So, she could breathe and gather herbs without fuss, and then...

... find a partner. Wonderful. She sighed.

If that's what needed to be done to proceed.

Glancing around, she spotted someone eventually and approached. "Do you have a partner?"

III. Doctor Is In

Helping out during the outbreak had gotten a foot in the door; enough that a little paperwork was the only real inconvenience of applying to work at the clinic. A space to work, access to tools, and if she needed to perform surgery (not that she should have to given magic, but who could say when an injury would come in too exhaustive to treat), the option was there.

Well, she was ready.

"Send in the next patient..."

[IV. Wildcard]

[OOC: Want to do something else? Send me a message to demidemonLove and do something different!]

Comments

II

[tempredmental]

[Keith looked up at the question, recognizing Naomi not only from the tournament medical tent back in Celliwig, but from having stopped by the hospital a few times already this month thanks to him being an animal mage (the the most recent visit having been particularly rough on him as the questors had started ganging up on people in group attacks), and then shook his head.]

No, I don't.

[Honestly, he hadn't even really tried looking. He was bad at partner things with strangers, and he was feeling pretty wary of everyone in town right now after having been jumped too many times in the past few weeks. He figured that, if he waited around long enough, eventually someone would find him who wasn't trying to kill him... maybe... and he lucked out with being right, apparently.

He managed a small smile.]

I'm guessing you're looking for one?

[chatwithdeath]

[At this time, Keith is pretty much the only person present that Naomi recognizes. And since she has no idea what's going to happen with this Healing Circle, or what it might require in full, it was best to do it with someone that she at least knows their name... and number of visits he's made to her office.]

Hm...

[She couldn't blame him if he wanted to avoid this event all together, but then like herself, wanted to see the Castle and its grounds. If she was in the current position of any animal mages, she'd probably just stay at the hospital and never leave.]

I am unless there's someone else you'd rather find for this.

[tempredmental]

[Keith shook his head.]

I hadn't really been planning on doing much. [It was a quiet admission. He was on edge, nervous, wary... He kept watching the crowd, the cat ears from the curse flicking to the side every once in a while as he picked up ambient noises.] But, I'm willing to give it a try.

[After all, she'd helped him enough in the hospital and had been in the position plenty of times to try something in regards to that bounty. If she hadn't by now, then he was fairly certain she wasn't going to at this point when he was less vulnerable. He didn't know her beyond their professional interactions in that regard, so he didn't know what she was like outside that kind of setting. But she seemed honorable enough so far. He didn't have a reason not to trust her.]

[chatwithdeath]

[Her own white fox ears remain perked and alert, and she nodded at his answer.]

Very well. I've already gathered the herbs; all we need to do is join the circle.

[A ritual like this was almost familiar - going to the shrine, silently praying, and sometimes, burning incense. Though, that last part more often happened at the grave marker which she hadn't thought about in years. Hm, she turned and headed over to join the circle, looking back to see if Keith was following.]

[tempredmental]

[He nodded, getting up to follow her. He was still technically on the mend, so he was avoiding anything majorly physical for now, but magical stuff he could do, and the practice certainly would do him good. Plus... healing circle, right? That would be good for him right now, too.

He took the spot next to her, settling down for the silent meditation part of the ritual. He took the offered herbs she had gathered already, and, with very little effort, summoned a tiny flame in the palm of his hand, perfect for burning ritualistic herbs. Since they had to be silent now, he gave her a small nod if she wanted to use the flame to burn her portion of the herbs as well.]

[chatwithdeath]

[Yes, Naomi wouldn't consider this a restricted activity that Keith should avoid. Besides, it might help his recovery soon, but putting an idle mind at ease.]

[Now at the circle proper, Naomi sat on her knees which was... far more proper than she meant to, but oh well, some old habits like to come up or remain. Handing over some of her herbs, she watched Keith summon enough flame to ignite them and they slowly proceeded to burn. When he proffered his flame in the silence, she nodded her own thanks back and lit her own. Well, it was time to see how exactly this would go as the smoke began to thicken.]

[tempredmental]

[He watched the smoke swirl and thicken around them as their herbs did their part of the ritual. Extinguishing the flame now, he put his hands out to touch hers as they'd been instructed. As they made contact, the feelings started to flow between them.

Keith actually closed his eyes and almost recoiled for a second by shaking his head a little, as he'd been caught off-guard by the effects of the spell. It wasn't anything Naomi was feeling or thinking so much as it was just the sensation of having someone else's thoughts and feelings so sharply projected into his mind like that. Voltron's bonds were one thing, but those feelings and thoughts were usually on the edges of his own, just a way for the team to be in sync with one another so they could more easily pilot as a single unit. This was a whole different level.

As for what Naomi got in return? Well, Keith was definitely on edge. His experiences over the course of the past month had left him strung out and jumpy. He was hyperaware of his surroundings and the people around him, leaving him nervous and unable to relax or calm down. Granted, there was an underlying sensation that this was a normal buzz of emotion Keith had on the regular from his life experiences as a Voltron Paladin, but it was truly heightened from being a target all month, like a bad flashback that refused to end. That was on top of the lingering aches and pains from healing injuries and other concerns regarding their situation in general. They were in Avalon for a reason, after all. Timelines and realities were frozen and needed fixing. As the leader of a team of hero types, Keith was constantly running this through his head on some level, worrying and being anxious, wondering if the rest of the team that weren't in Avalon were okay, wondering if they'd show up, too... anything really. Just a lot of worrying and trying to work out the best way to cope.

Deeper, underneath all that, was a darker thread that was hard to catch... something from his past that still occasionally reared its ugly head in dreams and memories, but that he'd done his best to cope with and move beyond in his life. But it was murky and unclear as it wasn't foremost in his mind at the moment. In fact, it seemed to be mostly contained by other, better feelings surrounding a sense of resolution, that he'd found something he'd been looking for all his life...]

[chatwithdeath]

[Naomi had thoughts alright, but nothing that might constitute the need of really joining the healing circle. She had come to treat this as meditation which meant clearing much of her thoughts and focusing things that had and still did bring her comfort and quiet.]

[The faint sound of wind chimes amongst rustling leaves, the filtered sunlight through the trees... standing at the top of stone steps by the red gate, quiet.]

[Of course, that quiet was distilled by Keith's emotions rolling in like a thunderous storm. It should rain, but it doesn't. Instead, it thunders and flashes, the typical, anxious buzz from his normal life amplified by the month. When will it happen? Where? What will happen? What had happened a few times so when would it occur again? Active mind, active emotions, and active physically - when would that stop? There was... a calm somewhere deep, but holding back a darkness, or perhaps despair? Troubling, twisting, my my, should someone his age have this much to process?]

[Breathe in... breathe out... but she heard the wind chime jingling away. Focus, and breathe. Being overwhelmed by too many thoughts, thinking he had to do it all on his own, but he doesn't have to.]

[tempredmental]

[That subtle reminder, the gentle prodding that he wasn't alone, that he didn't have to shoulder the whole burden himself, it was something that needed to be pushed at him from time to time. It was so easy for him to forget and just try to do it all himself. He'd spent a good number of his early years basically on his own, living at a group home in the foster care system, being singled out as a troublemaker because he had trouble articulating his emotions and tended to act on them instead. That darker thread, deep down started to push. He wasn't a troublemaker. He just didn't know how to express his grief over losing his dad at such a young age, and no one took the time to really guide him.

Physically, Keith tensed as he tried resisting the urge to dig everything up. There was no reason to. The point was that he wasn't alone, and, even here, without his full team and found family, he still had others to count on. And now, this spell, this healing circle, had been designed to do just that. He just needed to work with it.

Beyond his own buzz and turmoil of emotions, the thunder that they brought to the moment, he could hear the windchimes in Naomi's mind. He knew there was a reason for that, and he focused on it. Swallowing hard, he let the idea of windchimes filter through his consciousness. For a moment, it was like a breeze started to blow the clouds away, settling his fears and worries as he could almost feel it touch his face. His breathing steadied as the ritual did its work. The calm quiet from Naomi's meditation vision, her 'safe place', started to bring his own flight-or-fight response under control. As the clouds his feelings had created in their minds began to slowly lighten and clear, so did the smoke above them.

In their shared thoughts and vision, Keith found himself standing at that gate. He'd never seen a torii gate in person before, but he knew what they were and could recognize it from pictures.

Breathe in. Breathe out.

Gradually, his breathing settled into sync with hers.]

Open House

[pureyang]

[Under normal circumstances, the flower garden would be a lovely place to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of the crowds exploring the Castle. But Naomi will find her stroll through the gardens interrupted by a small, furry cfox who peeks her head out from the roses. She shakes out her fur, jostling the perfectly-kept flowers nearby, before looking up at Naomi and letting out a little chirr.]

[Meanwhile, nearby, Chongyun is looking for his wayward familiar, who decided to take a run through the gardens ahead of him.]

Xue? Xue, where are you..?

[chatwithdeath]

[Pausing, she stared at the fox curiously. It wasn't any kind she'd heard of before by physical appearance, but maybe it's not a fox either. Seemed too unique; perhaps a familiar? Her snake was reacting to it, looking at its chirr with a curious eye.]

[Naomi turns her head at the sound of someone looking.]

... Xue? [She looks back at the fox.]

[pureyang]

[The fox looks up at Naomi as she hears her name, letting out a little chitter in reply. Yes, her name is Xue! Hello, hello!]

[Hearing the fox chatter, Chongyun makes his way over, rounding the corner of one of the rose bushes, and... ah.]

There you are, Xue... [He lets out a relieved breath as he walks over, but pauses at the white-haired woman.]

Ah, has my familiar been causing any trouble? Please forgive me if she has. I turned to look away for just a moment...

[chatwithdeath]

[Hm... Xue for a fox.]

[Lifting her head, she looks at the boy that came over - the one that had been calling for the fox. Yes, she was right assuming a familiar.]

No, she's fine. She's only curious and exploring herself, but she hasn't done anything.

[pureyang]

[A snow fox, given her pure white fur and dark blue paws. Chongyun thought it was a fitting name. It was also one of the only names he could really think of.]

[But when she sees her human approach, Xue lets out a small yip before trotting over, allowing Chongyun to pick her up. She hops out of his arms and onto his shoulder, getting herself comfy in the hood of his robes.]

Ah, I am glad. I would hate to have her cause any sort of trouble while I was not looking.

[chatwithdeath]

[Watching the boy pick up his familiar and having it curl up in his hood, she hums.]

Would you say she has a habit of causing mischief?

[Not that she was probably doing that, but there's a fine line at gatherings between mischief and just looking to play around.]

[pureyang]

Well, no, not particularly... but I've found her to be rather curious, and get into things she probably shouldn't.

[It kind of reminded him of his good friend Xingqiu, in a way... All the same he does reach up and give her a little scritchy when she nuzzles the side of his face.]

So, if she had unintentionally caused any harm or trouble, I would take responsibility. She is my familiar, after all.

[chatwithdeath]

Ah, I know the type.

[Still, curiosity killed the cat is often the expression.]

Good answer. Still, for your sake, I'm sure she will explore with more caution should that need arise.

IV Wildcard - Warning for slight graphic content and slight language.

[markedfordeath]

The gunner had completed her assignment and was now taking a moment of peace for herself. She needed to collect her thoughts and observations before reporting her findings to that Lightfellow knight. As much as she found some small shred of entertainment riling the other woman up, Elza would only be professional... at least until her end of the contract was done. After that all bets were off.

She sat quietly sipping her cup of coffee at a table outside one of the marketplace cafes. While she often spent time at the inns sampling their meals and beverages, the gunner was just as content where she was hidden in the crowd while enjoying the roasted beans.

Alas that couldn't be the case though today as her moment of near-post contract peace came to an abrupt halt as a scream tore through the marketplace. Try as she might to ignore it, Elza simply couldn't as the table she sat at suddenly collapsed and was knocked away as a body tripped then crashed down into it. Judging by the amount of blood there was she hazard a guess that they were already deceased.

Sturm fell haphazardly to the ground in the commotion. The long rifle had been resting against the table and there was no doubt it too would be just as displeased with the disruption of their peace as she was. Setting her warm cup down on the prone body, Elza calmly reached out to pick up Sturm before she moved to track down whoever had taken the life of that man. She didn't care that he was dead. No, the fact that he had fallen on her table and disrupted her peace meant that she would repay the favour in kind.

The panicked yells and cries fell on deaf ears as Elza instead scanned the crowd for the culprit. A shadow disappearing down a nearby alleyway was all she needed to catch sight of before her figure instantly disappeared from the chaotic marketplace.

As quickly as she disappeared, the gunner reappeared in the alleyway in front of the culprit. Hood up to cover her face, she didn't hide the menacing aura from her prey as she smoothly said, "That was your work?"

Sturm was humming from her fingertips right up to her shoulder blade as the figure raised his hands to fight and shouted, "Get the fuck out of my way!"

Offering a cool smirk in response, she raised the long rifle in return. "You should have picked your killzone more appropriately," Elza said before a loud boom sounded as Sturm fired.

It hit it's target. Oh she wasn't going to kill him and that much was proven as the bullet hit the man right in the palm of his hand and tore through until it exited out the other side. Pity for him though that meant the bullet then shot straight into his shoulder. Crying out in agony, he fell backwards in surprise and pain.

"You fucking bitch!"

Huffing softly in amusement, the gunner elegantly sauntered up to her prey and peered down at him with a cool detached gaze. "I don't take kindly to having my peace interrupted." She said while watching him bleed out from his injuries as if she was observing grass grow.

[chatwithdeath]

Naomi was rather enjoying herself at the café. Keeping to herself, drinking a coffee, just trying to spend her break, but this was a cosmic reminder that she doesn't get to enjoy things that easily. She doesn't want to be involved with the murders (and she's not) and there's already an influx of patients due to this animal mage curse (she'll ignore her own white fox ears) has her busy anyway.

But there's a scream, a crash, and a spirit appearing next to her, looking over at their body and cursing loudly for only her to hear.

Great... And they already seem to notice that she can hear and see them.

This wasn't her business - it's not her job right now - but the ghost would not relent and allow her to enjoy her coffee. Sighing, she set her cup down, placed a tip, and proceeded to walk all while the ghost led. Did she care a murderer just went this way? Not really. What about the gun fire? She wouldn't be surprised if he got injured. She thought she saw a woman leave prior to herself, but didn't pay too much mind.

The scene she comes upon indeed has a woman there and the murderer down on the ground, gripping his shoulder. He's bleeding, but considering the situation, she didn't find the need to be urgent. Besides, he's not dying from it - he had enough energy to shout profanities.

The ghost seemed ecstatic, insistent on finishing the job, but Naomi's not like that. Maybe the woman with the gun would do it though...

"Give him a little longer. Even if he passes out, this won't kill him..." Standing there, staring further on the scene, she hummed. "You could shoot him again non-lethally."

[markedfordeath]

Elza's boots echoed down the alleyway as she slowly sauntered over to her fallen victim. She had nothing against him beyond interrupting her moment of peace. With Sturm hanging down at her side, the gunner sensed another approaching the area right as she stopped and stood over the prone form. While she may have been eyeing the fox-woman at the other end of the alleyway, she hadn't taken her attention from the man beneath her.

This woman's words had momentarily caught her attention. The coolness behind it could have led others to think she was an assassin (or something similar), but Elza didn't sense an air of danger around this woman. So... she was something else? What, she didn't yet know.

"I know quite a number of methods if needed," Elza mentioned as if she were talking about the weather. "But I don't work for free."

Stepping forward, she placed her boot on his chest to hold him in place while Elza glanced down at him and smiled. "This... this is for interrupting my drink."

[chatwithdeath]

Approaching herself to better gaze down at the man, she doesn't have any remorse for him. The living are foolish; the dead have little sway anymore.

"Hm... Unfortunate." Naomi continued staring at the man and she was almost tempted to do something.

"You interrupted my drink as well however inadvertently. See, that individual you just killed, they haven't left... and if they could, they would be paying for your death." In fact, she was watching this ghost doing their damnedest to try strangling the fool. "But I suppose if they want to, we could see about getting whatever coins they still had... How much do you charge?"

Naomi looked over at the armed woman, raising a hand to her chin.

[markedfordeath]

The boot against his chest held firm even as he attempted to wriggle out. "Let go of me you crazy bitch," the man spat while using his one good hand to try and push her off.

Elza, however, had almost her full attention on the approaching woman. Hearing about the ghost which still lingered didn't faze her. Besides the ghosts which had attacked a number of weeks back and the spectres and zombies which roamed her world it wasn't anything new. What did interest her though was the potential offer.

How interesting.

"Have them make me an offer," The gunner said in return. Money didn't mean much to her but she wasn't about to do anything without compensation.

[chatwithdeath]

Naomi glanced down again, but then looked over at the ghost. If he continued squirming, it would keep his heart pumping and blood flowing out. He'd pass out sooner.

But that's not important again because the ghost was contemplative. She hummed, nodding as they explained some of their gold had obviously gone into their café purchase, but they should still have about 2500 pieces if it hadn't been stolen. So that and... uh huh...

"... How does 5000 gold sound? 2500 if we get the gold off their person."

[markedfordeath]

When the man under her attempted to kick her leg out from under her, Elza swiftly brought the butt of Sturm around to crack against his head. The adults were talking after all. That action seemed to quieten him down. While he was far from dead, the slowed breathing she felt against her boot told him that he'd been knocked out from the hit.

At least now they could negotiate without further interruption.

"We have a deal," Elza confirmed before looking in the general direction that the other woman looked. While she was speaking to the fox-woman, the gunner was professional enough to at least let her temporary employer know she was acknowledging him - dead or not.

"Any request for method?" The gunner asked. If not then she would make it short and efficient.

[chatwithdeath]

Though she was a doctor and should care that she's helping facilitate a deal in assassination, she doesn't think the other ghost was thinking things through. However, they're eager and looked at the other woman, talking to her despite her inability to hear.

"... Just here will do. I'd want to be more creative, but my death was sudden and open. Let this asshole be forgotten," Naomi relayed.

If Naomi hadn't helped with that exorcism back in Celliwig, she'd decline this, but... it would be fine if momentarily ridiculous.