[open] march catch-all

[leicesters]

🧙 WHO: Claude and you!
⚔️️ WHAT: Quests, being a nerd, and dumb happenings
🕒 WHEN: Throughout March
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot, the Red Springs and the Broceliande
⚠️ WARNINGS: Nothing yet.

1. RUN SNAGGLEFOOT RUN (QUEST)

[Apprehending thieves is nothing new to Claude, even if he's more accustomed to battling dangerous, heavily-armed bandits than just chasing down someone harmless yet sticky-fingered. Somehow the latter is proving much more elusive, however, and he's chased his target all the way from Camelot on horseback to try and catch up to him before he can make his escape.

Initially he'd managed to hit the thief with a curse to try and slow him down, but Snagglefoot managed to give him the slip when his curse wasn't quite what he wanted: hitting him with a binding curse only managed to immobilise one of his arms rather than his full body.

By the time Claude dismounts his horse at the springs and runs after him, he realises someone has already beaten him to the punch and -- intentionally or otherwise -- is blocking the doorway to the inn the thief had just tried to flee inside. Claude puffs, out of breath, hands on his knees.]

Grab that guy for me... would you...?

[If they hesitate for even a second, the thief might just get away again.]

2. LIBRARY

[Claude's not thrilled about being hurled into another world, what with everything resting on his shoulders at home, but it's also not the first time he's had to adjust quickly to a completely new land. His reaction in this case is to handle things just the same as he first did in Fodlan: get as much information and then some, as quickly as possible, so he can make up for any disadvantage he has in knowledge.

... Maybe he's overdoing it a little, though. It's getting close to closing hours in one of Camelot's libraries, and he still has a huge pile of unfinished books on the reading desk he's seated at, covering subjects as broad as history, magic, flora and fauna, geography, and more.

He yawns, and his familiar, a small cat-sized white wyvern, headbutts his arm -- either for attention, or just to make sure he stays awake. He pets her absently.]

We'll leave soon, just let me finish this chapter first. [He stifles another yawn. He should call it here, but he's also dreading the idea of lugging lots of heavy books back to his room.]

3. BROCELIANDE

[For anyone who might be wandering in the Broceliande, you might hear a voice complaining and cursing through the trees. Follow it to its source and you'll find Claude, who seems to be... kneeling by a stream and... crying? At the very least, there's tears streaming town his cheeks, but on a closer examination he looks more exasperated than upset.]

Ouch ouch ouch...

[He splashes his face with water to try and rinse his stinging eyes, his wyvern keeping a lookout as he does so.]

Owww. I knew I should've left that flower alone. [The wyvern trills in what sounds like agreement, or maybe because she just spotted someone approaching. Hello friend!!]

4. WILDCARD

[Choose your own prompt! If you want to plot anything out, feel free to hit me up via PM or at moonsilver.]

Comments

1

[firesinthesky]

[ There’s something blessedly normal about being tasked with chasing down a jewel thief. Were the man a pirate, Blaze would really feel at home, harkening back to her days as a rogue, tracking down those who spat in the face of the city’s laws against piracy. This Snagglefoot fellow (an unfortunate name if she ever did hear one), is no pirate, but by gods he is fast.

Finding a horse sturdy enough to bear her this far was certainly something of a task, and when she lost track of the thief on the road, she feared she’d be too late. It’s merely by chance that she catches a glimpse of him ducking into the inn and bolts for the door. She’s just mulling over her options when there comes a rather familiar voice behind her.

Of course it stands to reason that she wouldn’t be the only one giving chase, but of all the people… ]

Claude? Are you after our jewel-thieving friend too?

2. LIBRARY

[darkestbefore]

[ Claude isn't the only one in here far later than most, although it's Yona's rumbling stomach that eventually has her getting up, selecting one or two books to take home with her for the time being and leaving the rest for another day.

She's done this before. Pacing is important. So is food, for that matter.

There's a small dragon curled up on her shoulder, tail wound around her throat for balance as she departs the quiet little corner she'd been tucked away in for most of the afternoon and evening. His scales are almost a golden hue tonight, the color of sunshine despite the late hour, and he's yawning as if her movements had woken him up from naptime.

She thought she'd been the last one here, but she hears a voice on her way out, so she pauses to detour, coming across an unfamiliar for surrounded by a veritable mountain of books. She blinks, but then smiles in amusement as she peeks around a bookcase at him. ]

You know, if you're going to try and get through all those, they're likely to turn out the lights on you.

3

[wolfhunted]

[Robyn visits Broceliande pretty often, both to hunt for small game (though rabbits are off limits this month) and to practice her animal magic. Since she wasn't allowed to leave town back home, she appreciates that she can visit the forest without having to sneak out.

So it's not surprising that she eventually comes across Claude by the stream. He has tears on his face, but he doesn't actually look sad...still, it is a little concerning. She approaches him carefully, her golden wolf familiar silently following her.]

Er...are you alright?

[leicesters]

Hm? [Claude was so preoccupied splashing his face that he hadn't noticed someone approaching. He looks up at Robyn, squinting.]

Oh, yeah! I just got hit in the face with a flower. [Wait, that makes no sense. He rubs his stinging eyes and tries again.] Um... some kind of special flower? It barfed out some kind of magical pollen-y stuff in my face when I tried to pick it.

[His eyes are watering less now that he's washed his face, at least, but it's going to take a while for the effects to completely go away.]

[leicesters]

They can do that?! [Claude seems startled out of his earlier sleepiness. Oh, right. Light switches. Unlike back home, it's not like he can just hunker down here with a candle all night and assume no one will find him.]

Arrrgh. What would you say my odds are that I can sweet-talk the librarian into letting me stay?

[...Slim to none, probably, given that the librarian here is a stern, no-nonsense looking older man, but he can dream.]

[wolfhunted]

There are lots of strange plants here. I know some of them from back home, but others I've never seen before.

Best not to touch a plant if you don't already know what it does. [Robyn's more versed in hunting than in plants, but she'd often help her father hunt for food and that was a lesson he taught her early on when going through a forest.]

[leicesters]

[Claude's still too out of breath to string much of a sentence together, but he managers to puff:]

Y... Yes! Hurry up and go after him!

[This is definitely no time to talk when he could be making his getaway, or at least finding a decent place to hide.]

[firesinthesky]

Easy, friend.

[ Poor Claude looks like he’s run all the way here. He is right, though, and time is of the essence. Simply kicking down the door isn’t much of Blaze’s style, but a glance through the door’s window tells her that their man has pulled to a stop in the lobby, trying to catch his own breath, one eye keeping wary vigil on the doorway. ]

Be ready to make a grab for him if he bolts.

[ The instructions are hastily tossed over her shoulder as she pushes her way through the door. Snagglefoot pales as Blaze’s long-legged strides carry her across the room in record time, though he manages to duck under her first attempt to grab at him, that rather unfortunately puts him between her and Claude. ]

[leicesters]

I thought I had the right plant, but I guess you can't trust everything you read in a book.

[Especially when the pictures don't quite show the right colour of flower...]

Looks like I'll have to revise my homework. [He sighs, shaking water from his hands to dry them.] But what brings you all the way out here?

[leicesters]

[Claude follows after her, although there's no time to be impressed with how quickly she catches up to the thief, when he's already evading her and trying to flee.]

Oh no you don't--!

[It's a testament to how Done he is with this entire situation that he takes the opportunity to tackle Snagglefoot to the ground. He pins him as the guy struggles, calling to Blaze.]

Quick, he should have a pouch on him! [He doesn't trust the guy not to have more tricks up his sleeve, especially of the magical variety, so retrieving the stolen goods first seems like the best plan.]

[wolfhunted]

Me? I was...just practicin' me magic.

[It still feels weird to say that out loud to someone else. Where she's from, there's no way she could be this open about having magic, and now she's in a place where everyone has some.]

Most people go to the trainin' grounds, but I like doin' it here.

[firesinthesky]

This, you mean?

[ She says, lifting a small pouch in her hand. Apparently this is what happens when a career rogue goes up against a career thief - that swipe of her hand hadn't been meant to grab him. She gives the bag a little shake, the jewels therein clacking together lightly.

Snagglefoot looks her way, and Blaze simply sticks the bag of gems down the front of her shirt, nestling it deep in her cleavage. ]

You're free to take it back, if you're keen on losing your hand.

2

[cameprepared]

[Claire can't help but overhear. She's in the library just picking up a couple of books on magical theory herself, and a few young-adult readers for Sherry, her dog familiar in tow. Eyeing the speaker, the last guy in here besides her, she chuckles.]

You know you can check those out, right? I think they'll kick you out before you get done with that stack.

[Hey, no reason not to be friendly.]

[leicesters]

Never thought I'd be jealous of some jewels. [Claude remarks dryly as he watches just where she'd stashed that pouch.

Oh, right, but he still has a struggling thief under him. He pins him down just long enough to bind his hands tightly -- this time with rope rather than his decidedly more unreliable dark magic -- then hauls him up to his feet.]

Phew... Thanks for helping. It was lucky you showed up when you did.

[leicesters]

Ah, so you like to practice in private? I can understand that.

[He nods, and gets to his feet, picking up his wyvern as he does, blinking. Ugh... His vision is still a little blurry, but it'll have to do for now.]

What kind of magic do you have?

[leicesters]

Why can't they just let me pull an all-nighter? I can't carry all this. [He sighs, but gets to his feet, closing the book he'd been reading -- a tome on the history of Atlantis. Even though this book problem is entirely of his own creation, he just can't help it when his curiosity gets the better of him.]

Guess I'll just have to check out what I can carry. [Which... isn't much. Where's Raphael and his giant muscles when you need him?]

[firesinthesky]

You can help fish them out later.

[ Is this really the time to be flirting... Blaze seems to think so. Claude has the thief well in-hand, so she simply sidles up alongside him to be big an intimidating in case Snagglefoot gets the idea to run. ]

I could say the same for you. I thought I'd lost track of him for a bit there.

[leicesters]

Seems like we're pretty good at helping each other out. [Is he even talking about the thief any more... Who knows.]

Unless you have one of those totem things people use to get around, we'd better ride back to the city to turn him in. You ready?

[Claude begins to drag the thief out of the inn, tossing an apology over his shoulder to the startled inn staff. At least no one was hurt.]

[wolfhunted]

Animal magic. It feels easier for me to practice it out here in the woods, especially the shape-changin' part.

[There isn't a much better way to be a wolf than in the forest.]

Is that dragon your familiar? [Robyn's never heard of a wyvern, so it looks like a dragon to her as far as she's concerned.]

[cameprepared]

[Her familiar, the massive, hulking black Barghest hound, cocks his head. His mouth opens and honest to god words come out. The Dog doesn't talk often, but when he does, it's usually something that's going to inconvenience Claire.]

If you ask nicely, we might help you carry all that. Claire here has strong arms. And a bicycle.

[...Prompting an annoyed scowl from the woman, of course.]

[leicesters]

Ah, I'm jealous! Animal magic sounds so... liberating.

[To her question, he nods, and the wyvern scampers up onto his shoulder to get a better look at her.]

She's a wyvern, actually-- but yes, she's my familiar. Say hello, Naira. [The wyvern lets out a warbling sound.]

[leicesters]

[Claude's own familiar doesn't talk, so he's startled to be addressed by the large dog. He blinks at it, and then looks at Claire.]

...Looks like you're being volunteered. Will you and your big strong arms help me? [And since the dog did say to ask nicely...] --Pretty please?

[wolfhunted]

It is. [It certainly felt that way for Robyn after Mebh first showed her how to be a wolf back home.]

What's a wyvern? Is that a kind of dragon?

3

[sparkstrikes]

[Hunting is right up in Lightning's wheelhouse, or at least, as close as it can get to what she's used to. She would spend some shifts as a Guardian Corps wandering outside the city on the lookout for any feral monsters who wandered too close and would take care of them. So, hunting for food she goes, out of the city and into the Borceliande, where she's had very little luck with finding anything so far.

That is, until she spots the wyvern by the water. It seems to have noticed her, and when their eyes meet, she's quick to slide her gunblade back from its holster where she grabbed it only seconds ago. No, she didn't think it was something she could use for meat, what are you talking about, ha ha. Ha...

Lightning wanders up closer, taking very careful footsteps, but stops when she hears a voice.

Ah, there's a man here.

From behind, she calls out.]

You shouldn't go touching things just 'cause they're pretty. 'Specially in a place like this.

[cameprepared]

[Claire mumbles something to the effect of: Stupid dog, you make me look bad. which prompts The Dog to open his mouth in a big, doggy grin.]

I guess so. I mean, I'm on my way out anyway.

[A pause.]

New guy in town? I assume you're staying at the hotel like the rest of us?