isleofavalon | [Open] Time for a Check-Up

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[Open] Time for a Check-Up

🧙 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!]

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[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[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.]

[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...]

[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.]

[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.]

[Ah yes, the foster care system. Something so infamous for its mixed results that Naomi herself had made arrangements with some rather powerful positions to see her daughter cared for should anything happen to her. Just what you do when they blackmail you into working for them really. If anyone bothered to take the time, grief counseling for him would've been a positive.]

[But yes, they're not here for the past; they're here for calm and to sit while the smoke rises, the herbs burn to ash.]

[Calm mind, calm thoughts... the wind chimes settle in their frequent ringing as the storm settles. His breathing is settling to match hers. Was he feeling better?]

[Actually, he was. How long that might last, who knew? But, for now, it was enough. Keith wasn't one to rule out things going badly as that seemed to happen to him a lot, but he also would take any positive result he could get. And, so far, this was definitely a positive. As if they were tied together, the storm clouds in their shared thoughts cleared at the same time as the smoke from the spell, leaving them with the sensation of clear air and calm, standing in the breeze by the gate, listening to the now softer chimes.

And, no, this didn't solve all his problems, but it did help clear his mind and calm him down. Plus a nice bonus side effect of the spell having healing properties towards what remained of his injuries. He took a deep breath, finally opening his eyes again with a few blinks. The herbs had run their course with the spell...

He went to say something, but remembered the silence rule and stopped himself as he lowered his hands from hers. So... were they done? He quirked an eyebrow and glanced around at other people for any clues on what to do now. Just... leave?]

[Good to know. Also, he should keep in mind, he was within his right if he didn't think things were still going well to seek help elsewhere or find alternative solutions. Consider some self-help books or audio files if trying to settle down and read seemed like it would not be productive to his time. Te air had settled.]

[One meditation session wouldn't clear everything, but it would be another healthy way to focus. Opening her eyes, she set her burnt herb down and watched it scatter into ashes.]

[Raising an eyebrow Keith's way, she looked around at the ground. Turning her attention back to him, she nodded her head away and rose - a gesture to follow where they could talk if he wanted.]

[Right... It seemed weird to just get up and leave like that, but it wasn't like they were allowed to verbalize anything at the moment, so saying 'bye' to any other circle participants probably would be weird, too. Then again, Keith had never been great with the niceties for social gatherings. He just always felt weird.

He got up and followed her out of the circle, visibly moving easier than earlier as the spell had worked on those lingering aches.

Once they were far enough, he rubbed the back of his neck in a somewhat sheepish gesture.]

I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't that.

Well, part of it I assumed, but that other part...

[Most of the time, meditation was to one's self, not exactly shared. Crossing her arms, she didn't have any personal issues during to share, but Keith... Glancing over at him, she decided to mainly look back at the other participants before speaking.]

... How are you feeling now?

[Yeah, she's not going to ask too much about it.]

[Keith sighed.]

I mean, I guess it worked. I do feel... better.

[He honestly wasn't sure what to say. At this point, he figured it was safe to assume she picked up on everything that had been going through his head, but he wasn't sure just how much detail she'd caught. He also looked back towards the circle, avoiding looking directly at her as well.]

Calmer. That was part of the point, right? Meditation is to help you focus and calm down.

[It was something he'd tried before. He wasn't really great at it, and it wasn't something he did a lot, but he had learned other ways to channel his focus when it came to Voltron when strict meditation hadn't really worked.]

Good.

[She's satisfied enough with the answer, and it seemed like things on his mind were likely normal topics of issues that he'd rather not openly discuss. And honestly, that's fine with her since she doesn't want to talk about her own blackmail issues.]

That's right. If I must say, not having to talk... I think I prefer that method.

[Sometimes, talking just made it complicated. Either too much at once, or perhaps incorrectly wording the situation. Also, just not walking to talk about anything at all.]

[Keith nodded.]

I'm not a fan of talking, either, to be honest. [He took a breath.] I'm not sure how much you saw or felt anyway, but I know I've got a lot of baggage. It's mostly just the recent animal mage hunting stuff that's been getting to me over the past several weeks, though. But that's probably on everyone's minds. This circle thing will hopefully help more than just me with that.

I think it helped with the last of my injuries, too. [That last part seemed to surprise him a little.]

It's fine, but yes, remember it's not an ordeal you're handling alone. It seems a number of us prefer to work alone on our own matters, but time proves again and again, things that can't be handled alone require a group. Try to approach others even if those you might know are few.

[Same for the instance of this circle. If he intended on doing it again, he would need another with him.]

Is that right? Perhaps I should ask if this practice can be used at the hospital.

[Keith nodded.]

Yeah... that's uh... a thing. [He managed a weak chuckle.] I have to keep reminding myself that I don't have to keep doing things on my own. It's not as bad here as it could be. I do have some of my team here, people I can trust automatically. I just... well, I spent a lot of time dealing with stuff on my own as a kid, so learning how to work with others and rely on them took a while, and is still something I have trouble with at times.

[He sighed, but at her question about the circle, he nodded again.]

Yeah, I mean. I feel pretty good right now, actually. Better than when I went in... in that regard in addition to the whole... [He gestured in circles around the sides of his head with both hands.] ...mental thing.

Ah, yes... I picked up on that. [Whether her wanted her to or not. Thanks meditation circle.] Take your time... there's still plenty of reasons to be wary of trusting people even at my age.

[Hell, age probably makes it worse.]

[In regards to his agreement, she nodded back.]

Well, what the mind perceives and how it can trick the body can be incredible. So, if you start feeling worse again tomorrow, don't hesitate to stop by.

[Well, age did bring experience, and Keith had been more trusting before his foster care experience. But he did nod.]

Especially right now, but yeah. The understanding helps.

[He was also familiar with the mind influencing how the body felt, too. He'd pushed himself through many a fight just by willing himself to keep going, after all.]

I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.

[She nodded back to him.]

[Pausing for a moment to take out her phone and, looking at the time, she hummed.]

Well, I'm heading back to the hospital for now. I'll see you around.

Yeah. [He nodded a bit.] Hopefully, things won't be too busy for you guys. I know people are working on getting the attacks on the animal mages to stop.

Thanks again, though.

[He was thankful she hadn't made a big deal about anything she might have picked up on his thoughts and feelings there, too. He quietly headed off as they parted ways.]

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[Open] Time for a Check-Up

I. Open House

II. Healing Circle After Party

III. Doctor Is In

[IV. Wildcard]

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