nysalogs | hopping on the open log train

Entry tags:

hopping on the open log train

Who: Frederick (

pebblestone) & open
What: Beach ep, red light ep, you-name-it ep
When: May
Where: Olympia
Warning(s): NSFW doubtful but I'll update if it comes up

FLONA COVE, PT 1

[ Frederick the Wary does not go to beaches for fun. There's simply too much to do and not enough time to do it, and it's not like he's ever learned the meaning of the word relax anyway.

But he also understands the value of team bonding, and so when Cam and JJ clamor to go to the beach he begrudgingly follows along. Perhaps there might be gossip at the docks about the current state of affairs, or some fresh seafood he might be able to turn into tonight's dinner, and so he begrudgingly follows behind, hoping that the whole affair ends sooner rather than later.

Instead, JJ and Cam run off and Frederick ends up swarmed by a group of small children at the beach, all of whom have declared him a perfect fit for their sand project - a project they refuse to reveal the nature of when he asks suspiciously. His initial response is to turn them down, suggest they find some other more willing victim for their tricks, but there's a little girl with hair the color of the sun and a wide, wide smile, and he can't help but accept when she shyly asks please.

So here he sits now, expression resigned and long-suffering, as the children pile sand over his legs. One of them, wanting a second opinion, runs up to the nearest stranger - that's you - with a question. ]

Hey, hey, should he be a starfish or a mermaid?

[ Congrats, Fred's fate is now in your hands. ]

FLONA COVE, PT 2

[ Of course, Frederick wouldn't be Frederick if he didn't turn his beach outing into an impromptu training session. Once he's fulfilled his requisite duty of posing as Mer-Fred in the sand, it's back to work for him. After all, the resistance provided by the sandy beaches provides wonderful benefit to strengthening ones legs during a run, and there's nothing like warm sun to work up a good sweat.

His armor's been traded for shorts and a simple short-sleeve shirt - because even Fred has limits - and he's proceeded to engage in all manner of exercises typically included in a fitness regimen: push-ups, sit-ups, laps around the beach. In fact, to anyone that knows him, this is probably the happiest he's ever looked.

And if he catches you watching, he'll happily wave you over. ]

Would you care to join me? There's nothing quite so exhilarating as a good workout.

SHADES DARKER (MINI QUEST 1)

[ Every now and then, even without Lord Chrom around, Fred's overbearing instincts kick in. The house gets cleaned from top to bottom, the weeds around the house (and as far as two blocks down, much to the bemusement of the neighbors) get pulled, and he makes lunch for the whole household which everyone frequently forgets to bring with them.

He's taken the liberty of dropping off Clair's lunch today, lest she starve to death, but Lady Luck has seen fit to turn her face away from him. Clair is nowhere to be found, the gaggle of models at the front are all too happy to press themselves against him, and what's meant to be a simple three minute task suddenly turns into a much longer stay as he's pulled to a side room, one of the girls determined to bully him into doing a favor for their wonderful Lady Koralle.

In this case: mixing and matching perfumes alongside a few other patrons.

So there he sits on a plush chaise lounge, the tie around his neck askew and tufts of hair sticking straight up, looking absolutely befuddled at the dozens of small glass bottles in front of him. ]

I'm afraid I haven't the foggiest idea what scents young women like to wear these days.

[ NOTE: I'd like to stick mostly to SFW options for this prompt (truthfulness, relaxation, etc) but if you're interested in NSFW options, send me a message/hit me up on plurk and we can hash something out. 18+ F only. ]

AROUND OLYMPIA (MINI-QUEST 2)

[ In the interest of fostering better relations between Wyver and Olympia, Frederick has taken it upon himself gather some samples of the local flora and bring them over. Rumors float in the air of a man willing to reward anyone who comes forth, though of course Frederick is less interested in the reward than he is the idea of improving goodwill.

He's currently attempting to tackle a cluster of stickweed, the task made all the more difficult by the little bits of fluff that keep attaching themselves to his clothes, his skin, his hair. But he pays them no mind, because surely they're harmless, like fuzz from a dandelion, and so he keeps going, never quite realizing that the puffs are lifting him up and away until he bonks his head on a nearby tree branch. At which point, it becomes quite obvious that something is definitely not right. ]

What's the meaning of this—?

[ A little help here? ]

[ ooc: Or pick a different plant, I'm easy. ]

WILDCARD

[ ooc: I'm definitely open to any other situation that strikes your fancy! Feel free to slap down a starter or leave me a blank wildcard and let's get this ball rolling. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Frederick's concern is cute, and it prompts JJ to give him a bright, sunny smile. It sure is nice to feel loved. ]

Don't be jealous, Freddie. [ He says this with a sly look, winking casually at his friend befre he leans back, hands settling over the warm rock while he turns his chin up to enjoy the sun. Needless to say, he's considerably less concerned with the amount of skin he has on display. ] Even if I'm basically naked, there are still plenty of women around that will drool over your fantastic figure.

[ Because that's what Frederick's priority is.

Though that reminds him of the saucy details he'd gotten from Clair. He doesn't look over again, though the urge to be a teasing jerk is great. Instead, he starts innocently: ] Clair definitely would. It didn't hurt my feelings, but she did go on about how you're the most handsome one in the house.

I'd prefer they divert their attention elsewhere.

[ Not that he hasn't been ogled plenty ages ago, when Ylisse was still whole and he'd still been the lieutenant of the Shepherds, but admiration of only good looks and not the personality underneath may as well be more insulting than no admiration at all, at least in his book.

As for those "saucy details"...

Frederick hunkers back down onto the beach, fingers idly picking up bits of shell here and stray seagull feathers there as he frowns at nothing at all. An outlet for restless energy and impatient thoughts. ]

There's hardly much competition with only the four of us involved. [ Clair herself included. ] If I were to judge the most beautiful person out of the four of us, it would certainly be Lady Clair without a doubt.

[ Not that it matters, not at all. ]

In any case, a person should be admired for their talents and actions, and not merely their looks. Which, of course, I appreciate for all three of you.

[ Even Cam, that weirdo. ]

[ Okay, he wouldn't say that Clair is the most beautiful "without a doubt". That's a little harsh, given that JJ feels like he's fairly beautiful himself, but rather than pursue that line of argument, he opts to focus on something less petty. ]

I appreciate you too. [ He needs to say that first, because Frederick is opening and he deserves to have that honesty directed back to him.

But then, he's right back to being a shit. ]

Aren't you interested in girls and dating? Getting married and having a family?

[ It's not like... Frederick is a youth. His biological clock is ticking. ]

[ Might as well just buy him a cane and sit him down in a wheelchair at this point. Retirement's just over the next hill...

The throngs of people passing by seem to have ebbed enough that Frederick finally lets his shoulders drop a tad, though he still doesn't take a seat next to JJ. Getting married and starting a family, eh? The answer to that, at least, is obvious. ]

Of course. [ The idea seems promising, now that the thought is right in front of him. ] But there was never time. The Shepherds needed to be trained, the Exalt required my protection, and then the threat of war loomed near enough that it necessitated all hands on deck, so to speak.

[ Honestly he's not even sure there's time now. What if Chrom and Lissa were both to wake tomorrow? He's not even bought a house for them to live in, or earned enough to provide for them comfortably. The thought eats away at him, fuels him to work twice as hard tomorrow.

He looks up from his sand doodles. ]

Why do you ask?

[ Is that why JJ's naked, because he's propositioning him? ]

[ Frederick's sand doodles are really cute. JJ might not have pants, but he still has his phone, and he's quick to snap a picture. Maybe he'll make a scrapbook of all their family outings later on—this will make a cute addition. ]

We're roommates. Isn't it normal to know about these kinds of things? [ Don't think about it too deeply, Fred. ] I care about you, and I want to support your dreams for the future. I can't do that if I don't know what they are.

[ That said, it seems easy enough to imagine that Frederick hadn't much time for personal pursuits in the world that he'd come from, considering that it had been besieged by war and turmoil. JJ had seen more war in his months on El Nysa than he'd ever witnessed back on Earth, and it made him all the more grateful for whatever moments of normalcy he could find, and for the passions that he could pursue without fearing for his life.

Obviously, he wants Frederick to feel that same sense of peace and comfort. ]

I wanted to get married and have a family too. [ But anyway, he can't go too long without talking about himself. ] But sometimes it feels like everything I experience here is temporary. Kind of like... my real life is still on hold, and it stay on hold until my family wakes up.

[ That's actually surprisingly generous coming from JJ, enough to cause Fred to blink in surprise, momentarily stunned. They're certainly an eclectic cluster of people, with varying strengths and weaknesses, and Frederick would certainly lay down his life for any of them, he never quite expects the same in return. ]

That's kind of you to say, JJ. [ Heartwarming even, and he saves the comment away for later, for a particularly rainy day. ] If there is anything you ever wish to share, I promise to listen.

[ Which JJ already does on a daily basis and in fact is doing right now. Not that his words are making all that much sense at the moment. ]

On hold? [ Frederick frowns. ] There is no other life but this one, unless you possess powers I cannot even imagine. Do you truly expect everything to change as soon as your family wakes?

[ Maybe JJ should feel a little embarrassed at saying something so obviously inaccurate, but he shows no indication of taking back his words. Instead, he just furrows his brow as if he doesn't entirely understand what he's trying to say either. ]

No, not exactly. But it's a feeling of being incomplete. Something is always missing, and until I get it back, I can't grasp my purpose here.

[ He's not sure that he's managed to articulate himself properly—for someone who likes to run his mouth, words aren't JJ's forte. He's an artist in many ways, but literature isn't one of them.

That aside, he looks at Frederick like he expects him to understand. After all— ]

Isn't it the same for you? You spent your whole life serving your country and the royal family, what are you going to do now that they're not here anymore?

[ Frederick opens his mouth to retort - don't be ridiculous, they're still here, merely resting - but closes it again at the sober expression on JJ's face, one he so rarely sees.

He's not wrong in saying that his reason for living is still here and present, but in truth JJ isn't wrong either. There's no guarantee that either Chrom or Lissa will wake in the next century, and even less guarantee that any of them will be able to resume their usual lives. (Indeed, with Ylisse gone, there's no possible way for them to resume their previous lives.)

Unconsciously he frowns deeper, dissatisfied with the way things are turning out. ]

What else is there to do but wait and prepare? I can't simply abandon those I hold dear and begin my life anew.

[ It never even dawns on him that such a thing would be precisely what those closest to him would want. ]

Where would I even begin such a task? I'm hardly the adventurous and risk-taking sort, as you well know.

That's something you have to figure out on your own. [ JJ says, like this is some kind of after-school special.

But he means it. There have been many obstacles and challenges that he's faced since arriving on El Nysa, but among the hardest is trying to figure out what to do with his life when everything he's ever known is gone. He's lucky enough that he has a skating rink now, but there are no international competitions, nor any other skaters against whom he can test his mettle.

The rink is nice, and he likes holding classes, but it pales in comparison to what he had before. ]

It might be easier to just go in a totally different direction. [ As easy as it can be, at least. ] If you just do the same thing, you're going to compare it to your old life.

[ He sighs, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees, cheek leaning against his palm. ]

Did you have any dreams aside from being a solider?

Edited 2018-07-11 01:12 (UTC)

[ Sometimes the most obvious things are the things that need to be said aloud. And sometimes you gotta kill a woman for making you think up headcanon. The world works in mysterious ways. ]

My father wanted me to be a knight. I never thought to question him otherwise.

[ Truthfully, even if he did have other dreams as a child, his youthful days are long past now, buried under too many battles and wars to count. What dreams did he even have now that didn't include Chrom or Lissa in some way? To get married, perhaps, and start a family of his own. To put himself to work in the fields and interact with those around him rather than sit around lording powers and titles. But those had always been distant dreams, separated from the Fred of now by many many years. Having them suddenly placed in front of him causes him no small amount of alarm and discomfort, not in the least because he hasn't planned accordingly.

Does he even have enough now to woo a woman? What about land to pass off to his future children? What sort of education is there in Olympia, what is the job economy like—the questions rattle through his brain and send him into a tizzy, and quickly he changes the subject. ]

And yourself? You have youth and time on your side; there's very little that can't be accomplished with both. What is it missing from Olympia that makes your life feel so incomplete?

[ That seems like a reasonable enough answer. Frederick comes from a pre-capitalist world after all, void of the American Dream where people were free to choose what they wanted to pursue, rather than being pigeonholed into the family business or whatever work they could find to survive. (A funny thought coming from someone who very obviously followed in his parents' footsteps.) Though sometimes having a choice or lacking direction can be just as suffocating, not that JJ had ever experienced it before Olympia. ]

I want people to care about the things that I care about.

[ It's a fairly simple, selfish answer, but they're being honest here. For someone like JJ, who thrived in the spotlight and was used to feeling important, to find out that his passions were trivial and secondary had been a difficult adjustment. And while he could ignore his desire to skate and pursue art during times of strife and struggle, remembering no one cares that he can do one of the hardest combinations in figure skating with ease is a difficult pill to swallow.

And in the distance, the world's tiniest violin plays.

He sighs, leaning back against the hot stones that line the edge of the pool. ]

I think you and I should both try pursuing something new. How about it? Let's make a pact.

[ It is quite selfish a request, but at the same time he can understand the desire of wanting to fit in and wanting others to care just as much about projects and people. Naga only knows that one had ever cared quite so much about Chrom's well-being as he had, to the point of considering him odd and not quite right in the head.

(It's not even remotely the same, but sometimes it's the little delusions that help him get those necessary three hours of sleep a night.)

Maybe he does need to forge a different path, clear out his mind to reassure both himself and others that he hasn't frozen in place after all these months. The prospect is a difficult one to swallow - Frederick is nothing but a creature of habit, after all - but surely if JJ can do it, then so can he.

He nods once, sighing in defeat. ]

Very well. I suppose pursuing new hobbies and activities might well help stimulate the mind and body. [ Self-improvement is never a bad thing. ] Will you require a pinky promise to seal this pact as well?

[ Lissa always had, and while JJ is no teenage girl in either looks or behavior, the two of them share a certain freedom of expression Frederick's always found it difficult to adopt. ]

[ JJ grins when Frederick decides to go along with him, and he looks far too smug, like he's accomplished some great feat. He is genuinely to glad that Frederick is willing to venture into the wilds of the unknown with him however, but it's exciting. He could take up surfing or ultimate frisbee, or maybe something native to Olympia. He might not even be good at it! Which is strange to think about. ]

I'm not going to say no to a pinky promise, if it'll make you feel better.

[ It kind of tickles him that Frederick even knows what that is, but somethings span across dimensions he guesses.

Leaning forward, he sticks out his pinky as per standard pinky promise procedure. ]

And then you can grab me some shorts? I don't want to have to choose between being sunburnt and being arrested for indecent exposure.

[ It won't make him feel anything but the slightest sense of resignation, but the pinky is already there and it would be most unchivalrous of him to refuse.

And more importantly, Lissa would no doubt give him a sound scolding if she were to ever wake up and find out he'd turned down a pinky promise.

So he juts out his own pinky, eyelids drooping closed as he intertwines his finger with JJ's own in what might possibly be the most childish and least official way of solidifying any promise.

The absurdity of the whole situation is only exacerbated when JJ asks him for a pair of shorts. ]

Where did you leave your own? Or did you arrive here wearing nothing but—that?

[ The horror. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

hopping on the open log train

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject