isleofavalon | You gotta live better than you were though

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You gotta live better than you were though

🧙 WHO: Gokudera and YOU
⚔️️ WHAT: August catch-all! OTA
🕒 WHEN: August
🗺️ WHERE: New Camelot (predominantly)
⚠️ WARNINGS: Language, violence, drugs, mentions of past trauma: self-immolation, slavery

I. Healing Circle After Party

Despite most of his friends helping him, Gokudera has felt very alone since he learned of Yamamoto's absence. It's not the first time he's lost someone he's cared about. He's not being loud about his heartbreak and has seen on the network that others have lost some people important to them as well. But how often do you lose six different versions of your same friend/rival from home?

Gokudera feels a bit numb, and the strangulation he faced before is healed, but... still, there's pain. It feels like it never goes away, and on his own self-reflection, he realizes it's because he's focusing on it. He needs to use his head before his collar gets rid of it, and he can't problem-solve when it feels like his heart aches more now than it ever has before.

He collects yarrow and lemon balm, enjoying the smell and seeming almost to meditate while he gathers herbs. Once he's done, he's looking about for someone to sit with. There is no visible injury on the young man, and whatever he's going through, he doesn't want to talk about it. He'd rather just get on with the meditative healing.

Even burning the herbs seems somewhat traumatic, and so he closes his eyes and takes a steady breath, wondering why and how he suddenly became so wary of flames. The first thing he will share is fear and pain, a sinking feeling starting from the fingers and winding up the muscle of arms and causing a slight bit of panic. Sorry for sharing, but at least no one has to listen to him talk about why an explosives expert is scared of fire, right?

II. Crystal Mushroom

Gokudera gets on the quest board regularly (it's how he makes most of his money, in fact). Some manual labor feels nice, and he enjoys getting his hands dirty, literally, if only to focus on something he feels he has control over. Cleaning is one thing.

Taking care of a drug-dealer's source is another.

But still, work he can do. Gokudera's out to find Wendy, and he's dressed the part of the mafioso he is. The teen's donned a suit and he's come with the intent to threaten with dynamite, or explain that Wendy might find herself with some bad luck. If anyone stops him on his way to find her, he'll be honest.

He's going to beat up some drug-dealer. That's all they need to know. Gonna take out some aggression. Want to supervise? Help him? Hold him back? Talk him out of it?

III. Don't Treep, Man

Gokudera can be found repairing fences, looking out for fairy nests in the farm land, and helping to clean up the orchards. He has no green magic, but it's moments like these that he wish he did. The boy's very eager to be close to real, live trees. Too many years trapped in worlds where everything was either a hologram, or irradiated has him grateful to sit on fertile soil while he takes a hammer to a fence. The sun might be beating down on him a little too hard, burning at his skin, and he may appreciate someone helping him out. The fairies in the area seem to be enjoying his company, though, and are a fun distraction.]

I don't suppose any of you have tips for staying cool?

[The faeries, of course, don't respond, but just keep on gathering blades of grass and taking them back to their nest. Gokudera offers one a nail, looks it over, and then gets up to go make a sort of laundry line by pushing two into the dirt by their nest, tying a string about them, and then leaving a few sweets.]

Don't let the ants get to them, now...

[Few people have seen how tender the boy is towards the fae, and despite what he's been through, he continues to offer gifts, smiles, and any help he can.]

IV. Animal Mage Hunt - Platina Faun

[It's been... an odd couple weeks, and now, for some reason, he's woken up without his normal lower half. Gokudera's not keen on leaving the house, but he has to attend classes, has to escort the Tenth to them. His current transformation is making going out in public especially difficult. He can't wear pants, because he can't fit them past his new set of legs, and his pet leopard keeps looking at him oddly, so he can't stay inside, either. Gokudera can be found napping by the training grounds, eager to spar with anyone who wants a new challenge, or he can be found moving about the forest, foraging for food and stones.

He's keeping to himself, but can also be found walking about the streets of New Camelot, just... trying to run errands as if his cloven footsteps weren't loudly announcing his new features. His bigger concern is whether or not he'll change back. If he does, hopefully it will be in the privacy of his own home, where being without pants is at least acceptable.

Oh well, at least the little stubby horns popping out through his silver hair are cute.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

But?

[He asks and glances over his shoulder at her. They're almost in the forest now, leaving the city and his hooves no longer make so much noise as they strike gently at dirt.]

Why not make money? You can do quests to gain money, you know.

[And he stops just outside the Brocéliande.]

It's a forest, not a grocery store.

If you know what you're doing, you can survive in a forest just fine.

[ If she's bothered by his attitude, it doesn't reflect on her face; it's more like it just rolls off her, like water off a duck's bath. She does take a moment to roll her shoulders and take a deep breath, looking around.

The truth is, she hasn't learned about quests and such yet; if any of her people have told her about it, it's gone over her head entirely. It's a combination of not having her helpful exposition friend around, and trying to recover from what had happened immediately before she'd dropped into that lake. Turns out, when your magical immunity to poison is taken away from you and you have to recover on your own, it kind of sucks. Who knew!

(She'd known, intellectually, but it's another thing entirely to live it.) ]

Anyway--I'm not gonna assume anything about the people who are here, you know? But I also think I can't be the only person who was in the middle of something before I arrived. It's not like anyone got an invitation and the time to think about it, as far as I've heard.

This isn't just any forest, though. It's a magical forest full of strange things that may look normal, but could be unlike anything you've ever dealt with.

[He doesn't mean her specifically. Just a general you. There are things in this world he's never experienced before, and he's been around.]

I haven't been in my home world for years. I've been to two other worlds before this one.

[Gokudera keeps walking, and he's taking them to a clearing so he can have a seat and rest his hooves. They aren't very large, and he feels his legs ache slightly. It's odd to have these new animal body parts, and as soon as he gets them further into the forest, he's moving to sit on a fallen log and rub at his fetlocks.]

Yeah, I bet. [ She knows better than to be cocky about it. ] It's not like I haven't gotten around, but... I guess it's safe to say that I'm good at just rolling with things as they come? There's just kind of a certain point where you just kind of learn to roll with it.

[ When he sits, she starts looking around the clearing more closely. If there are any rings of mushrooms, no matter how small, she's very careful to step around those, lightfooted despite her boots. ]

...I guess, if you're in that kind of situation, you probably know what that's like, huh? Just another day, whatever else is going on in it.

Well, adaptability is one thing. Being aware of the types of magic in this world is another. A few weeks and you should at least be more careful and maybe not forage for survival. There are plenty of ways to make gold in New Camelot.

[Gokudera isn't looking for food. This spot doesn't have many safe mushrooms to eat if there are any. There can be tricks in the forest, paths that wind and repeat unless certain trigger items are collected, certain riddles or puzzles solved.]

I'm a human. Waking up like this... it's one of those things you have to roll with. I've been rolling with the punches a lot. Been something of a punching bag for fate or whatever.

[Gokudera lights a cigarette and looks up into the trees surrounding the clearing, finding peace in the moment as wind rustles the branches.]

Even if there's lots of ways to make money, I'd still want to be self-sufficient if I had to be.

[ Traditionally, Ritsuka is great at surviving things and not so great at remembering self-care. Especially when that includes things like "eat a meal" or "remember human beings need to sleep sometimes." To some degree, it's because she had people looking out for her, and some of them are even in this strange Camelot... but that doesn't mean she doesn't want to be able to take care of herself.

After a bit of idle searching, though, she wanders over to stand next to him, folding her arms behind her back and also looking up, to the canopy overhead. ]

Yeah? Some people have real E-rank luck... "sorry to hear that" isn't really helpful, I know, but... I'm sorry to hear that.

Mn.

[That's respectable. She makes a fair point.]

I think being self-sufficient is important, but maybe allowing yourself this time to adjust when you don't need to be doing so is also important. The last world I was on required a self-sufficient lifestyle. I felt like a fuckin' scavenger.

[At her apology, he waves a hand dismissively.]

Far from the worst thing that's ever happened to me.

[Gokudera stands up and brushes off the white fur of his legs. There, now she doesn't have to ask about how he got his cute goat features! He just... woke up like this.]

[ She's 100% going to be have deer features later and remember this, but that's a problem for future Ritsuka to worry about. For now, she turns her head to look at him sidelong. ]

I guess I'm not really good at that. The whole, uh, "give yourself time to adjust" thing.

[ Sometimes, things just keep happening and happening and as much as she'd like to take a break, there's never been time for that. ]

But that's really the worst of it, you know? I've been pretty lucky.

Do you usually just learn as you go?

[Sounds dangerous. Gokudera needs to plot, plan, overthink, and strategize. Not to say he's rigid or can't adapt in the moment, but he's also very very meticulous.

He moves to pick up his bag and his familiar, cleverly disguised as a toy, pops his head out of his bag. Gokudera pokes at him, and the creature wobbles and extends its head further out, neck just... growing. Illusions are weird. His familiar is even weirder.]

Pretty much! That's been my life for the past, uh... three and a half years, I guess.

[ From day one, really, of her life in Chaldea. It's pretty wild to learn that magic was a real thing, not just stuff to be used in movies and manga.

When she sees the familiar appear, she doesn't think anything about it at first, but when it starts growing like that, she blinks a few times--one can almost see the neurons firing in her brain--before she just holds a hand out, tentatively. It's the way one might offer their hand to a dog for sniffing. ]

...Hi? Who's this?

Ah. It's Larry.

[The creature look up, then at that hand, then opens its mouth and a few marbles as big as its head roll out and into Ritsuka's palm. Gokudera clicks his tongue and grabs the creature up, offering it to her to hold. Larry looks very lazy, webbed paws and long tail hanging over Gokudera's fingers.]

[ ...it's cute...

She hesitates for a second, trying to figure out the best places to put her hands, then takes the little guy. Oh no. Oh no?? ]

Larry, huh...? Did you name him, or did he decide it?

I named him. He can't speak.

[Larry looks up at the girl with its big watery eyes, blinking one, then the other before it spits up a few more marbles, most of them clear, but some with swirls of color. Gifts~! It flaps about in the marbles slowly gathering in her cupped palms, and then lets out a little gargling noise.]

It's just short of Lariosauro. [He's not that creative, ok?]

He's really cute...!

[ Ritsuka sounds genuinely delighted by this, lifting Larry and his little marble presents up to get a better look. You don't have to be fluffy or fuzzy to be cute, in her opinion.

Her next comment is directed to him: ]

Thank you, they're very pretty.

He's usually much bigger...

[Larry lets out more gargling noises and keeps slapping his little webbed paws in delight at her approval. Most people think the presents are gross!

Gokudera digs about in his bag, then walks up with a small drawstring pouch for her.]

You can keep them in here. They'll turn to bubble barriers around whatever you throw them at.

Larry.

[The creature looks over at him.]

Be honest.

[Larry gives a nod, then hops off those hands to splat right onto the ground and grow, stopping when he's nearly the size of a horse, his webbed paws (similar to sea lion fins), drag and he wobbles before looking up and bumping his large scaly head to the girl's shoulder.]

--Oh. Hi.

[ She's a little surprised--who wouldn't be, after that?--but not alarmed, taking the bag to pour the marbles into the bag before reaching to pet Larry's muzzle again. ]

Bubble barriers, huh? I don't really get how magic works in this place, honestly. The one guy who told me anything at all was just kind of cranky about everything. [ For a variety of reasons, all of them probably personal. ] But that sounds useful.

[ Especially for her. She keeps petting Larry, almost meditative. ]

About magic? You can hang onto them. Who knows when they may come in handy.

[Larry nudges her as if giving her a reassuring pat on the shoulder, but its with his head. Then, he's sliding and wiggling much like a seal against the earth before stopping next to Gokudera. The boy motions with his hand to shoo the creature off, and it slowly starts to turn invisible except for a pair of black, glossy eyes.

The boy approaches her and looks at the apple he'd given her.]

Did you just want to explore the forest? Was there anything you were looking for here? We can search until the sun starts to go down or something...

Most of the magic I know is kind of--...

[ She shrugs a little, as eloquently as she can. You don't need to be a worldhopper or part of some secret organization to know there's usually a divide between someone who can use magic, and those who can't. If those marbles each function as an independent spell, that's not too different from what Ritsuka herself used back home. ]

--Anyway. I was just kind of hoping to get an idea of what it's like, here. I know you were just lecturing me, but... I still think there's gotta be a way to forage here. Or I guess hunt, but I'm gonna have to get someone to show me how. Maybe Beowulf?

[Gokudera looks miffed at her trailing off and grinds his teeth a little while tapping a hoof.]

Of course there’s a way to forage here. Maybe just be careful or something, I don’t care. Do what you want.

[He turns as if to walk back to the city.]

Just don’t come crying to me if you get sick or cursed.

[ Whoa, tough crowd.

She doesn't say it, but she blinks at his back, head cocked. This isn't exactly what a tsundere is, is it? Just being polite doesn't make someone "dere." But prickly people are the same no matter where you go... ]

I won't...? It's not your responsibility, so I wouldn't do that to you.

[Gokudera's not going to explain himself or anything for his prickly attitude. It is what it is. They're in a forest and he's trying to be helpful but also wonder why he bothered at all. Probably because she wasn't rude or annoying. But now... what? Should he stay with her and forage for... food? He has food at home!]

So you gonna stay here and forage, or are you going back to the inn?

[What if she gets stuck in the forest? Lost? He would never heard the end of it if he just... brought someone to the Brocéliande and left them there. Gokudera looks bored.]

I'm gonna forage. You don't have to stay.

[ She says it lightly, without concern. If he's the sort to bristle and flex his spines like some metaphorical hedgehog, Ritsuka's approach has always been lighter. The past few years have taught her a lot about where to hold on and where to let go, and it's never been in her nature to for anything. And she has no responsibility to him, in the same way he has none for her; it's not like one of her Servants--or like Kadoc, who'd died(? it's still questionable to her what happened there) under her watch.

She's good at rolling with things, no matter what they are. ]

Thanks a lot for showing me the way here, Gokudera-san. I promise if I become a ghost, I won't haunt you.

[Okay yeah, he can't just leave her here! Sure, she seems to know a bit about forests, but she couldn't even find the forest to begin with! He can't in good conscious leave her here by herself. Even if she can take care of herself.]

Why would you become a ghost? That's... I'm not leaving you alone here. Even if I get bored.

[Maybe he can just follow her around? See if he can learn something from her? Maybe find some cool rocks to add to the little collection he started after meeting a different girl in the woods.]

It was just a joke. I'll be fine.

[ She's a little bit sheepish about it. A little! At this point in her life, she's not really frightened of ghosts, beyond maybe the instinctive cold chill when first encountering one. Sometimes she needs the reminder that not everyone is as used to it as she is. ]

I'm really really hard to kill. Even a fairy forest is gonna have a hard time with that.

[Gokudera has never met a ghost. He gives an acknowledging little hum before approaching her and waiting for her to take the lead in this foraging expedition. He isn't going to smoke, because for some reason, every cigarette he's put in his mouth has suffered some restless chewing. Thank you, odd sudden goat traits.

He plucks a piece of grass and starts to chew on that, needing to soothe the habit of having something in his mouth.]

Have you died before?

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