leicesters: (178)
Claude von Riegan ([personal profile] leicesters) wrote in [community profile] isleofavalon2021-06-05 10:14 pm

JUNE CATCH-ALL

🧙 WHO: Claude and pals
⚔️️ WHAT: Beach episode, questing and other happenings for the month
🕒 WHEN: Throughout June
🗺️ WHERE: Various
⚠️ WARNINGS: NPC death, blood and gore in the Scarlet Butcher quest thread.

[I'm adding a mixture of closed and open prompts in the comments. If you'd like to plot anything, feel free to PM me or hit me up here.]
sereneadherent: (recadreuse 05)

yay house beach party!

[personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-06-05 11:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[While it's not quite the same without everyone here, Marianne is happy to have this reunion on the beach. The Golden Deer are her family, and after the shock of being suddenly ripped away from Fódlan coupled with Celliwig's trials have made for a very stressful month. It'll be nice to let loose a bit with people she trusts and loves.

That said, she doesn't jump at the chance to be the first one to swing the bat. Currently, she's sitting on a beach towel with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her swimsuit is much more modest than that of most beachgoers, but it's far more skin than she's used to showing. She's a touch self-conscious about it, and there's only so much her hair--while quite long when let down like this--can cover.

There's also the practicality of the game itself, which gives Marianne some concerns.]


Isn't there a chance we'll get turned around and hit someone?

[By this, she mostly means 'isn't there a chance that I will get turned around and hit someone?' She doesn't have a lot of confidence in herself with this sort of thing.]
Edited (thought of something to add) 2021-06-05 23:55 (UTC)
backstreetbard: (theaicon7)

[personal profile] backstreetbard 2021-06-06 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, Marianne, I wouldn't worry about that! We're all rather light on our feet--I'm sure if you got turned around enough to come swinging at any one of us, we'd be able to get out of the way in time.

[ On the opposite end of the swimsuit spectrum, Dorothea is decked out in a maroon and black ensemble that leaves very little to the imagination. A broad black hat keeps the sun out of her eyes as she stands nearby, arms casually akimbo. ]

I'll go first if no one else wants to volunteer.
notcethleann: (how amusing)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-07 09:26 am (UTC)(link)
[The beach! This is Flayn's favorite place in any world. The wide ocean that goes on forever, the soothing sound of the waves, the salty air, and of course: the fish. Long ago, she could swim effortlessly beneath the sea and snatch up fish with her mighty jaws!...nowadays she usually needs a rod, but in this world she has learned of a thing called scuba diving, and she is determined to try it sometime.

For now, though, it's time to have fun with her friends! Actual fun! Wearing an actual swimsuit! And there are toys that shoot water and brightly colored balls - and of course, this wonderful watermelon game.

She backs away, too, once Dorothea has the bat in hand.]


You can do it, Dorothea! Ah, it is quite a shame that Felix is not here. He is the most talented fruit cutter in all the world! I am certain that he could smash it just as well.
Edited 2021-06-07 09:27 (UTC)
sereneadherent: (recadreuse 11)

[personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-06-07 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[Marianne's concerns were met with about the reaction she expected: don't worry, it'll be fine. That's kind of the Golden Deer MO. As long as she's not the one swinging the bat, she trusts that they're probably right.

Flayn starts cheering Dorothea on, and Marianne joins in with some clapping.]


Yes, we believe in you, Dorothea!

[It's more soft-spoken, but it's quite a lot coming from her.

The clapping stops abruptly as Flayn continues, and Marianne turns to look at her.]


...how do you know that about Felix?
notcethleann: (flayn explains it all)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-08 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, he has demonstrated such talents to me in the past. When we were students at the academy together, I once brought him a stack of firewood and threw all the pieces into the air, and he sliced them cleanly with his sword all at once! Then I brought him fruits to do the same. He did not slice the fruits just then, but having seen his talent at slicing other inanimate objects, I am certain he would do it just as skillfully.

[Flayn, this is not usually what people mean when they talk about cutting fruit.]
backstreetbard: (3mHCAua)

[personal profile] backstreetbard 2021-06-09 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Dorothea takes the extra turns with grace and good humor, laughing as Claude spins her and taking a second to orient herself once he leaps away. Of course, she's a trained dancer, so she knows how to pirouette without getting dizzy, but doesn't that defeat the purpose of the game? ]

All right, here I go!

[ Facing what she hopes is the correct direction, Dorothea lunges and brings the bat down with a mighty swing like the finishing blow of a sword. ]
backstreetbard: (F9tUiiO)

[personal profile] backstreetbard 2021-06-09 04:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She certainly did feel that impact, the crunch and pop as the watermelon burst. She whoops with delight, laughing as Claude undoes the blindfold. She gives a sweeping bow to their collected friends and sets the bat aside, then turns to the task of distributing their snack. ]

All right, who wants a piece?
notcethleann: (wonder)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-13 09:11 am (UTC)(link)
Ah!

[Flayn applauds.]

Very well done indeed, Dorothea! What a marvelous strike! You certainly proved to that watermelon who is in charge!

And I would like a piece of watermelon, as well. Whether it is lumpy or not! It is fortunate that you have smashed the fruit so quickly, as I am quite famished.
sereneadherent: (recadreuse 14)

[personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-06-14 09:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Marianne joins Flayn's applause, sincerely impressed by the show of strength and grace. Dorothea is a phenomenal person, isn't she?]

Yes, well done!

I'll have a piece too, please. A small one.

[Marianne has always eaten a bit like a bird, and even at a beach party that remains true.]
backstreetbard: (theaicon2)

[personal profile] backstreetbard 2021-06-18 10:11 am (UTC)(link)
All right, my Deers, gather 'round. There's plenty for everyone.

[ Dorothea selects the more aesthetically pleasing pieces of fruit for her friends, because honestly, they deserve to have the best and she can't be bothered about how her own food looks. Marianne gets a small piece, as requested, but Dorothea is prepared to make sure she gets another one later, just so everyone is well-fed.

Only once all the others have a piece in hand does she take one for herself, smiling at them as she bits into the juicy chunk of melon. ]


Oh, it's so sweet!
sereneadherent: (Default)

[personal profile] sereneadherent 2021-06-19 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[Marianne accepts her piece with a soft "thank you" and takes a bite.]

Oh, it is! It's perfect for a day like this.

[She may, in fact, take Dorothea up on the extra piece later.]

Did you have any other activities planned for after we finish our snack, Claude?

[The answer is almost undoubtedly "yes," knowing the Deer's leader.]
notcethleann: (Default)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-07-12 11:35 am (UTC)(link)
[Flayn accepts her watermelon gratefully and finishes it in record time, practically inhaling it. When Claude mentions doing the next activity blindfolded, too, she glances up with interest--that sounds quite exciting!--and sighs in a bit of disappointment when he says it was only a joke.

Still, this game he's mentioned sounds like fun, too!]


Ah, I am not familiar with volleyball, or any type of game with a ball, in fact. But I am quite eager to learn how! What is a referee?
notcethleann: (wonder)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-13 09:58 am (UTC)(link)
[The first thing Claude might notice when he meets up with Flayn is that she's gotten a haircut! Her first ever haircut, in fact, not counting minor trims here and there. Gone are the long, thick spirals of hair that used to cascade past her shoulders - and hide her pointed ears in the process. Instead, it comes down only to her chin, sprightly curls bouncing with her every step. She feels so much lighter.

Before she even climbs the stairs, Flayn stares up at the house in awe. She follows him up the stairs and inside, wondering expression having changed not one bit.]


Oh, Claude, it is a most wonderful house! It is precisely as you described, like a tower in a fairy tale. And now, you have even invited a dragon inside.

[She giggles.]

Your home is absolutely beautiful, I adore it.
warbun: (001)

[personal profile] warbun 2021-06-14 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
[Also in the sitting area is a young woman with pink hair and long, rabbit-like ears who is currently sprawled out across the couch. She hops to attention at the sound of voices, rising and crossing over to the pair with a smile. Not counting her ears, which stretch up a good foot or so from her head, she stands slightly taller than Claude.

(The dragon talk is... odd... but she decides to leave that alone. Maybe an inside joke between them?)]


Ah, you must be Flayn. It's lovely to meet you. I'm Lizzie.

[She reaches out a hand to shake.]
notcethleann: (sprightly)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-16 09:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Flayn grins at the comment about a friendly dragon, and then she notices the rabbit-eared woman with the pretty pink hair. She smiles in return and shakes the offered hand readily.]

I am indeed Flayn, and it is wonderful to meet you as well, Lizzie! I have rarely seen anyone with hair of such a beautiful and cheerful shade. In fact, I know only one person - ah, but I am certain that Claude must have spoken of our friend Hilda, has he not?
warbun: (009)

[personal profile] warbun 2021-06-17 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
Is she the one with the pink hair and the axe? I've heard a bit about her.

[Inasmuch as, as a fellow pink-haired axe wielder, that it's a shame they haven't been able to meet due to Hilda not being here.]

And thank you! I wish I could take full credit for it, but the color isn't quite my natural hue. My hair is usually more silvery in tone.

Your hair color is quite lovely as well. And the cut is adorable--I seem to remember Claude describing you as having longer hair, so I have to assume that's new.
notcethleann: (satisfied)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-25 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[Flayn beams.]

Thank you, I am quite proud of it. Ah, then you have changed the color of your hair! With a spell, perhaps? Or--ah, is it some manner of alchemy? Or a divine gift, like our professor? Oh, er...well, I suppose 'divine' is not quite the correct word, is it. At any rate, will your hair stay this shade indefinitely?

[Why no, she's totally not asking because she's curious about maybe dyeing her hair. Not at all.

When Claude mentions her 'reasons,' she lifts her chin with a slight huff.]


Indeed, those 'reasons' are no longer relevant in this world. [A pause.] Not...not that I do not occasionally miss them, it is only that they were such terribly annoying reasons, and--ah, forgive me, I did not mean to venture off onto a tangent.

How very kind of you, Claude! I would most certainly be interested in refreshments.
warbun: (Default)

[personal profile] warbun 2021-06-26 01:18 am (UTC)(link)
It's magic. Back home, we refer to it as glamouring. I have no idea how it works--this was done by an aesthetician. It's permanent, but I was a bit worried it would fade now that I'm no longer on my own star. Luckily, it hasn't.

I did do some research on how it works here, just in case. There are shops here that use alchemy to change hair color, if you're interested in that kind of thing.

[By which she means salons that use hair dye. But Lizzie doesn't really have the world experience to know the difference.

She chooses to leave her questions about these reasons to herself. It's fairly clear that they're a person, and perhaps it's better not to ask. Instead, she gives Claude a smile.]


Could get used to being treated as a guest in my own home. Yes, drinks would be wonderful. I think we have lemonade made?
notcethleann: (Default)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-30 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I am not certain! I have never considered anything such as turning my hair a different color before. It is a bit of a strange question, for me.

[She reaches up to pull a strand of her hair forward, to look at it.]

You see, the color of my hair and eyes marks me as a direct descendant of my homeland's dragon goddess--my grandmother, Sothis. Such a color is quite rare these days, as are my people, and it pleases me very much that I can carry a reminder of my grandmother and the rest of my family along with me wherever I go.

[Her eyes twinkle with a bit of mischief.]

But if it might be possible to change my hair's color only for a little while, then I think that I would like to try it!
firesinthesky: (☀ 021)

[personal profile] firesinthesky 2021-06-30 04:51 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While talks of hair color and other things are taking place, the front door of the treehouse swings open, the light temporarily blotted out by the massive figure in the doorway. As with most doors in Camelot, Blaze has to duck to get through, scooting in sideways to accommodate the sacks of groceries in her arms.

She's dressed like she just came from the gym, and perhaps she has, since she likes to frequent the one nearby after learning what a gym even is. ]


I'm home-- oh!

[ Her smile broadens when she realizes they have company. With a swing of her hips, she pushes the door shut. ]

Hello there! You must be a friend of Claude's.
notcethleann: (wonder)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-30 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Flayn turns when the door opens - ah, of course, Claude did say he had two guardians in his tower, so this must be the second. And then she looks up...and up...]

Oh! Hello, Blaze! It is wonderful to meet you! Please forgive my staring, but I have never met anyone as tall as you before. I believe you must be even taller than Raphael or Chef Dedue!

[Flayn, she doesn’t know who those people are.]

And I see that your hair is a similar shade to Lizzie’s. Perhaps Claude should turn his hair pink as well, so as to better fit in!

[She giggles. If the thought crosses her mind that Claude might have A Type, she doesn’t voice it.]

Was yours colored by magic as well, or is it that lovely, vibrant shade all on its own? I have just been speaking with Lizzie about perhaps changing the color of my own hair. What color do you think would suit me?
firesinthesky: (☀ 063)

[personal profile] firesinthesky 2021-07-01 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Nice to meet you too, Flayn.

[ She doesn't know who those people are, no, but she can guess that they're rather large people if she's being compared to them. When Claude appears, she's happy to hand some of the groceries off, her sojourn to the kitchen stalled in favor of conversation. ]

I'm probably one of the taller people in the whole city, I think.

[ If there's someone who has her beat, she's yet to meet them. That aside, Flayn's sheer enthusiasm makes her laugh - as does the thought of Claude with pink hair. ]

Mine's natural, if you can believe it. As for you... I think a nice lavender would really go well with your eyes.
notcethleann: (Default)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-07-12 12:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Then you are extraordinary indeed! You certainly cut quite the striking figure. And you must be very strong, as well, carrying all of those groceries by yourself. Our friend Raphael once told me that the key to being strong is to shout loudly, which energizes one's muscles! Is your technique the same, or do you have another?

[Flayn brightens at the color suggestion.]

Ah, truly? Hmm, I believe I can see it now. Another friend from home named Yuri had such pretty lavender hair. Perhaps I shall try it as well!
crimsongirl: (judging; serious)

Re: quest - the scarlet butcher (OTA) - cw: gore, blood, npc death

[personal profile] crimsongirl 2021-06-11 01:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[Homura entered the alley, a neutral expression kept throughout. Yeah, this was bloodier than expected. Such things could be common in her world though. The problem though was this wasn't her world. If anything, she felt her partner had been armed enough. Clearly someone was having fun in their own twisted way. She only had three swords on her, though her true weapon was always magic to end things quicker.]

I'm used to sights like these. Kinda part of my job back home. Well, my old one anyway.
crimsongirl: (stare)

[personal profile] crimsongirl 2021-06-11 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oddly enough, Claude might be the first person to be surprised. Then again, she didn't reveal all the details to others. Most just accepted she was a ninja, nothing more.]

Shinobi student of Hebijo, though we were allowed to take on jobs for experience, and I ended up quitting. I guess now I kinda am a mercenary...granted I technically have no jobs back home.

[Taken just before offers could be made sadly.]
crimsongirl: (ick)

[personal profile] crimsongirl 2021-06-11 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[Homura observes things from a distance, feeling out through blood magic. Though even that had limits. It had to be flowing, not just stationary like this. Made figuring things out like this a bit harder. If only she had the cognitive magic...]

Seems rather excessive, definitely. If they were both fighters, it would make sense, like if they had to force them to go all out. But considering the area....do you think they enjoyed it or something?

[That would at least make Homura grimace a bit, if ever slightly. She was used to things, sure. Didn't mean she liked it. Fighting and brutal murders were different in her mind.]
crimsongirl: (focused)

cw: more dead body parts

[personal profile] crimsongirl 2021-06-11 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
[Homura's may not have had the best education thanks to missing out on high school, but she did still have enough experience with fighting, and guessing how a fight could work. It tended to be done often in case things were stolen, as theft could always happen. Fortunately, she was smart enough to bring some gloves just in case; used to it or not, nobody wants to touch a dead corpse, but it had to be done. She knelt down by the body, carefully lifting the old corpse.]

Not under the body. Then...[She put it back down. Okay, obvious spot was a no go. In a fight, if caught off guard, maybe it got knocked away? Fear or genuine skill could have done it. Or consider the mess...wait, the missing parts, like a hand. Staring at some nearby trash bags, a blade barely visible between them, she smirked. Then--]

Under there. [She was on the move again, and pulled at it from under some nearby trash. Though the smirk faded as...well some of the fingers came with it, not helped with the rest of the hand looking just as bad as the body.

She didn't give it a second though, briefly shaking the rest of the decomposed body part off. Bugs didn't bother her, but this was testing her patience now. She handed the knife to Claude, handle pointed at her partner.]

Anyway, body horror aside, can you tell anything from this thing?
garyoutensei: (you got no fiction if you've got no fact)

[personal profile] garyoutensei 2021-06-12 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
I'm not the kind of person that's bothered by this kind of thing.

[ Honestly, she could smell it before they even arrived. Blood, the stench of death, it was unmistakable. And while part of it made the back of her mind itch, needled its way into memories of similar scenes... she didn't have that much trouble shoving it all down. Her lifestyle lent credit to that. ]

Besides, you need a killer to to track a killer. I'll be able to tell you, better than most, what happened here.
notcethleann: (somber)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-13 10:09 am (UTC)(link)
[Flayn, too, has come prepared with a spear strapped to her back. It feels strange to step into a dangerous situation without the Caduceus Staff, her trusty battlefield companion ever since she learned her first healing spell, but here in Avalon it does nothing, and it would only encumber her.

Her usual cheerful demeanor is missing today; she is solemn but focused, almost businesslike, in a way that probably reminds Claude strongly of her father.]


I have seen far more war and death than even you have, Claude. I shall be all right. Please do not worry about me.

[She steps up to stand beside him and survey the carnage. True to her word, while the scene is of course disturbing and gruesome, it doesn't even come close to the kind of slaughter she has found on battlefields throughout her life.]

How may I assist?
notcethleann: (nope)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-30 05:19 am (UTC)(link)
If I may ask, who is your suspect? And I agree that they must have wished for everyone to see this; do you not think it could perhaps be a trap, such as the one that ensnared the Professor after Captain Jeralt's death? There are many such sites all around Camelot, are there not? Perhaps the killer waits at one of them for such investigators as ourselves.

[She's not as worried about herself or Claude; they have been through much, and five years gone are the days when someone like the Death Knight could lay their hands on Flayn without a fight. But there are many in Camelot who are not veterans of war, and may not be able to defend themselves at all.

Still, looking over the carnage mournfully, for the first time since she arrived in this world, she finds she wishes her father were here. He would know what to do, how to find the killer efficiently. How to organize the efforts and make quick work of it. ...and, quite frankly, it would be comforting to have him here.

But the time for such wishing is not now. She traverses the scene, searching the nooks and crannies for anything that seems out of place or potentially helpful. Mostly she just finds more blood. She takes a moment to pray silently for this poor soul; perhaps her grandmother was never caretaker of this world, and the version of the professor who's here no longer carries her power, but the ritual itself is a kind of comfort, too.]
Edited 2021-06-30 05:20 (UTC)
notcethleann: (unsure)

[personal profile] notcethleann 2021-06-30 11:30 pm (UTC)(link)
He was, indeed! And is still, even if he insists upon hiding away in his stubbornness.

[She sighs.]

I have tried many times to explain to him that the humans of Fodlan now are not the same as Nemesis and his terrible ilk, but he will hear none of it. Perhaps now that the war is over and the Professor is changing so many things for the better, he will yet change his mind. I do hope that someday you will get to meet him properly. He is much like you in some ways! I believe that if he only allowed himself to get to know you, he would like you very much.

[She gives Claude a small, reassuring smile.]

Worry not, Claude, she lives still. It was certainly no sure thing - she wished to participate in our battle in Shambhala and simply would not take no for an answer. When the Agarthans sent their horrible javelins of light to destroy the city and all of us with it, she transformed and flew into the sky to stop them. There was quite a harrowing time when we were not certain she would survive, but she is recovering now in Zanado.