( open )

[cajolery]

Who: clair (cajolery) & you!
What: catch-all for wyver stuff & the second part of the event
When: now!
Where: various places in wyver
Warning(s): none (yet?)


A. JOURNEY TO WYVER: DONDE ESTA EL BANO

[ Clair isn't too thrilled with this prospect of picking up everything and dashing off to Wyver, though she can see the necessity. She's even less thrilled about leaving her sick friend in someone else's care for the gryphon flight over, but—that is also a necessity, and so she sets off on this journey with pragmatic determination.

That changes when she's given the option between a horse and carriage—a horse, of course! It's no pegasus, naturally, and not as finely bred as the warhorses she's accustomed to, but... it's been so long since she's been in the saddle that she's pretty easy to please, in the end.

She's pretty confident in her riding skills, but that doesn't always hold for the other refugees. Since she's such an incredibly generous soul, she'll approach anyone who doesn't look like they really know what they're doing with this whole horseback riding thing and jab them unceremoniously in the spine. ]

With that posture, you shall feel quite sore when this is over, I assure you—come now, straighten your back!

B. OLD CITY: THE BABY-SITTERS CLUB

[ How the heck did your character get roped into this? Well, if they're not exactly the child-caring type, then you can be certain that this girl is somehow at fault for volunteering the both of them to take care of children at the orphanage. Between the illness and the flood of people from Olympia, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that the orphanages are severely understaffed and need help—good thing they're here to save the day!!

Unfortunately, Clair has completely forgotten what a disaster her last experience in babysitting was. In fact, it's having the opposite effect of giving her unwarranted confidence in her (nonexistent) child-handling skills. She looks assured, but don't trust it. ]

This should be quite simple, no? [ She picks up one of the babies they've been tasked to look after, which immediately starts to cry. ] Ah...

C. UNDERGROWTH: THIS CANNOT POSSIBLY GO WRONG

[ Wait, how the heck did your character get roped into this one?? Well, no matter! A medicine woman in the city has lost her assistant—he journeyed into the Undergrowth in order to retrieve some special spring water, but he was supposed to return hours ago. Clair, being the magnanimous person she is, volunteered to help find him...

And so here they are, wandering the Undergrowth in search of the missing assistant. At least they can start by heading towards the rejuvenating spring that was the man's destination, and go from there. He should be somewhere nearby, right? ]

I do believe she said that the spring was east from here, did she not? [ Either way, they should be close. ]

D. WEST END: [CANTINA BAND PLAYS IN THE DISTANCE]

[ Even though Clair's more used to... houses of ill-repute than she was before, thanks to her time at Shades Darker, she has very little use for them, and so she steers clear. Instead, she goes for the ones that are a little more high-brow, with dancing and music and boisterous conversation spilling out of their doors—it's the kind of place that almost reminds her a little bit of home, of the inns and taverns the army frequented in its march to Rigel.

She finds herself drawn in by the lively atmosphere of one of those establishments—but, after buying a drink, she's faced with a dilemma: it's crowded in here, and all of the tables are taken.

Never one to let a setback deter her, she approaches someone with an empty chair at their table and smiles brightly. ]

This seat is not otherwise occupied, yes? Do allow me to join you. [ She's... pushy... ]

E. WILDCARD

[ Hit me with anything!! This is open to sick people too who need someone to take care of them... or just leave a blank comment and let me throw you a starter. Feel free to hit me up at optimismnice if you want to plot something out. :) ]

Comments

d.

[uwe]

[ siegfried has been keeping (or trying to) a low profile since arriving in wyver, still convinced that he's being hunted down by the other white dragon knights - who are, of course, actually probably just trying to help him or something. but either way, he remains convinced that he's once again on the run for a crime he didn't commit, unable to convince his old companions that he's innocent.

if pressed as to what exactly that crime was... he'd be hard pressed to say, but it's not like he's entirely lucid right now.

which may or may not be apparent as clair sits across from him at his table. places like this were the easiest to blend in; where no one particularly cared who you were or why you were here. it was also somewhere lancelot, percival, or vane would least likely come in search of him, which is why he nurses a drink even now despite being probably deathly ill.

he does not look good. at all. ]

No, that's not a... problem. [ his memory is hazy, but he does recall this girl. her face slowly comes back to him, along with a name. strangely, he can't quite place where or how he met her to begin with. ] Clair, wasn't it?

[cajolery]

[ She'd already started sitting down before he even agreed... welp. Now she flashes him a friendly smile from across the table—they haven't seen each other in a while, but she has fond memories of their treasure hunt on the beach. She's glad to see him again. ]

Indeed it is. Greetings, Sir Siegfried.

[ Now that she's a bit closer to him, she can more easily see that he looks... really bad. Her smile fades, replaced with an expression of genuine concern. ]

Are you well? For you most certainly do not look it.

[ The person who will always tell you that that does make you look fat, right here. ]

[uwe]

[ when he'd first noticed the signs of his illness, he'd attempted to conceal them from others. upon realizing how pointless that was, he'd become more upfront about it.

and now... ]

A bit tired perhaps, but otherwise no worse for wear. After all that's happened, who isn't a little tired?

[ now he genuinely thinks he isn't sick, even if the bags under his eyes are even worse than usual. ]

Though I'm glad to see you still look quite well.

[cajolery]

[ Tired, he says... her expression is pretty skeptical, if only because he looks much worse than tired—but he'd struck her as a fairly responsible and trustworthy guy, and so she gives him more credit than he deserves in this case. Little does she know...

Finally, she leans back in her seat and takes a sip of her drink. ]

It is a lucky thing, I suppose, with so many affected by this illness. My roommate was stricken by it, as well as quite a number of my friends. It is worrying...

[ She trails off, then suddenly shakes her head, as if to dislodge that train of thought. ]

Oh, but that is far too dreary a topic for such a lively establishment, is it not? Were you also drawn in by the ambience here?

[uwe]

Thankfully, my own comrades remain... fine.

[ actually his face twists a bit at that, as if he notices something in his line of thinking is off. why is he thankful that the other knights aren't sick, if they're the ones that are hunting him down (in his mind)?

oh well, almost as soon as he notices the logic error his attention gets turned elsewhere. ]

Yes, I enjoy crowds of people like this. It's always a useful way to get a feel for what's happening... this place is quite different from where we were.

[ honestly he's more used to the city, but a place like this isn't so bad either. ]

b. )

[defenses]

[ vane wasn't one for being idle. not on the principle that he always had a plan or a strict to-do list to adhere to (far from, actually), but that he simply didn't like just doing nothing. especially in a time that was so strenuous on others.

acts of terror and similar strifes weren't an entirely new concept to him. no— as a night some may even consider it a staple of all political ongoings. when one desired to increase their land or exert their influence, no matter how good the intentions, it was ... evident that it'd clash with others. countries. nations. kings. but, vane wasn't here to deliberate on that. as a knight he considered it his duty and pleasure to defend the innocents!

... which is the speech that somehow got him winded up here. still, he's perfectly fine with it. even as clair stands there, vane already had two babies attached to him by some sort of wrap. if anything, at least the person he's working with is familiar enough! ] Yeah, it'll be a cinch! Leave it to me! [ or so he says,

but that baby is now crying, clair?? ] How 'bout you give him a silly face?

[cajolery]

[ She'd somehow ended up in this boat with Vane—certainly not the worst person to team up with, but she does wonder what kind of child-rearing skills he actually has. Maybe, since he apparently has the same sort of mentality as a child, he can relate to them?

Well, either way she's now completely (baselessly) confident in her own babysitting talents, so it's fine even if she has to babysit him too, like last time. She's always taken to bossing people around with relish, and his... straightforwardness in kind of endearing, in its own way. It'll be great!! Besides, he gets brownie points for volunteering to help so enthusiastically. ]

A... silly face? [ She looks a little bewildered—how will that help?? In her previous experience, the babies started crying because they'd soiled themselves—or just because the other babies were crying, like a chain reaction.

But when she gives the air a tentative sniff, she doesn't smell that telltale poopy diaper scent, so... she glances at Vane, her eyebrows raised. ]

What manner of silly face? Will that encourage it to cease its wailing?

[defenses]

[ wow clair!?

but, perhaps she's not entirely incorrect. still, regardless of whether he can relate to them or not, it seems to be doing little to alleviate the crying child in her arms. as clair has surmised, he doesn't think it's much of a diaper issue. nor does he think they're hungry. according to the caretakers they've recently had their meal. ... and likely were changed soon after. but, he doesn't actually think as far as how fresh??? they still smell so??

he's very ... firm on this silly face plan. ] Just anything! Usually they stop crying when they're laughing, don't they? At least that's my experience. [ even in the guard, there have been a handful of guys with kids, and well, it's always sorta worked out like that? ]

Uh, .... don't tell me you don't know how to make one? That's impossible, right?

[cajolery]

[ It's okay. If he hasn't figured it out yet, he's actually the one best suited to babysit these children, not her. Clair is at that dangerous junction where she has no idea what she's doing, but she also has no idea that she has no idea what she's doing.

Anyway, she looks at him in wonder, then nods her head vigorously. ]

Ah! Yes, that does make sense. Quite so.

[ If a baby is laughing, then it can't be crying, right? Maybe he isn't useless at all... holding it under its armpits, she lifts the baby up closer to her face, so that she can make eye contact with it—she shoots Vane a frown. ]

Of course I know! Wherefore would I not? [ Still... in spite of what she says, she looks back at the baby like she's at a loss with what to do next. Silly face... silly face...

Finally, she sticks out her tongue, scrunching her eyes shut. ]

1/2

[defenses]

[ in a way, he's glad she takes to his haphazard response. if anything, he could already picture a certain knight rebuking his claims. regardless, he seems to be visibly relieved, and only once he catches himself doing this does he seem to clear his throat and straighten up a bit. ]

My bad, my bad! I didn't mean anything by it, it's just ...

[ ah, and then ...


she's making that face. for a few seconds he just stops speaking altogether. ]

[defenses]

[ that was actually sort of cute?! there's something endearing about that effort alone and he finds himself ...


suddenly bursting out laughing, and in suit it seems the child also does the same. they say humor was infectious and somehow it seems to be holding true enough for the babies involved. except, it doesn't seem like vane is stopping laughing anytime soon. ] Hahaha, that was the best!

A

[daemonized]

[By the Six, did she just jab him in the spine……

She sure did, and it’s only through Ardyn’s well of patience does he not immediately frown in her direction. He straightens his back, though by all means, he did not think that he was slouching to begin with.

Horses are difficult things, after all. Different than chocobos, employing a different rhythm and riding posture than the bright yellow birds. But he had been doing just fine; no tumbling off of the creature, managing to steer it just fine. Keeping it calm and moving at a decent pace.

He looks over at her, raising a brow.]

And what are you, then? A professional rider?

[cajolery]

[ She sure did, and she even has the audacity to smile at him afterwards. She just wants to help, after all—maybe one of these days she'll realize that her help isn't always wanted... ]

Why, I am a knight!

[ She says this like it's obvious to anyone with eyes, even though it probably isn't. With a gentle nudge of her knee, she urges her horse a little further away from his, so that they're walking side by side at a more comfortable distance. She sits up high in the saddle, her back straight and her shoulders pushed back. ]

Riding is just one of the many skills that I have trained in since I was old enough to walk. Though, I do prefer a pegasus...

[ She pauses, as if suddenly remembering—her manners, as it turns out. ] Ah! I am Lady Clair, by the by. Do forgive me for not introducing myself first.

[daemonized]

A knight?

[The way she says it, it sounds as if he’s supposed to be impressed. And while it takes quite a bit to impress a man like Ardyn, he is, admittedly, at least wryly amused at her enthusiasm. At her very excitable demeanor, though he certainly would appreciate for her not to touch him again.]

Lady Clair, the pleasure is all mine. My name is Ardyn Izunia.

[An introduction for an introduction. He doesn’t mind that at all, though something about what she says has him raising a brow.]

I’m afraid I can’t say I know what a pegasus is.

[cajolery]

[ Don't be impressed... that's just how she talks. Being a knight is basically her whole life, so she'll tell everyone and their mom all about it, whether they want to hear it or not. Same thing with poking people... maybe one day she'll figure out that most people don't like that. ]

You are well met, Mister Izunia. [ She inclines her head a little—he's probably lucky they're on horseback, otherwise she'd hit him with a devastatingly formal curtsy.

Her eyes light up at his admission, and she sits up a little straighter in her seat. Is there anything she loves more than bestowing her valuable wisdom upon the masses? No. ]

Ah! It is so very strange to hear others say as much, for they are quite common whence I hail. [ She pats her horse's neck to draw his attention there. ] Pegasi are the very image of horses, but for their wings, which allow them to fly. Quite convenient for aerial assaults, I should say!

[daemonized]

And do you know a thing or two about aerial assaults?

[His smile remains the same, though he is being very scrutinizing right now. Keeping mind of just how proper she seems to be, and he has a feeling he can chalk her up as a self-righteous sort of woman, even without truly knowing her.

Still, he'll not say as much. He's good at keeping up airs of politeness until the effort isn't worth it any longer.]

And would it surprise you to say that horses of any variation do not exist where I come from?

c.

[excelled]

[ You know how Lukas got roped into this one... you already know. And of course he couldn't find it within himself to let Clair go to the Undergrowth alone, so it takes so much as a single word of her journey for him to accompany her. ]

Correct, we should be nearing it soon. [ He's taken the front, advancing carefully and taking consideration into his surroundings for both himself and Clair. Her safety is his priority, however, and so when there is a small leap to be made he raises a hand. ] A moment, Clair.

[ He sits at the edge, scooting off and dropping down. It's a considerably far jump but nothing that he can't recover from quickly. And he quickly comes to the conclusion that they're on the right path, because the atmosphere drops in temperature and leaves a cooling sensation against his skin. But now Clair... she's a tiny. He must protect. So he extends his arms, holding them out. ]

Move off of the edge and I will catch you.

[cajolery]

[ As perfectly content as she is to go at it alone—she's quite confident in her skills, after all—she can admit that it does make her feel a little more secure to have Lukas with her. Of course, she's completely capable of handling anything the Undergrowth happened to throw at her by herself—she took down a dragon god! Or she helped. Or she was there...

Well, anyway. Now she's doubly capable of handling anything with Lukas alongside her!

She watches him descend, her head extended over the ledge, relieved to see him drop down without incident. The fall... does look considerably high from up here, but her hubris overtakes her before rational thought. This is nothing! ]

Oh, come now! [ She waves a hand at him, as if dismissing his help. ] There is no need for that, Lukas. Aerial assaults are my specialty!

[ Something tells me this is a lot different from an assault... without waiting for him to reply, she climbs over the edge feet first, scaling down the first few feet while gripping as tightly as she can onto the ledge—too bad she loses her grip almost immediately!! And falls the rest of the way!! This is totally going to plan. ]

Whoa!

[excelled]

[ WHAT DID HE SAY?????? ]

I wouldn't— [ He hardly has any time to come up with something witty to respond with, let alone take in a single breath as he witnesses her loss of grip. It's easy to recognize given the sound of earth crumbling along with the sight of her falling, which brings his heart to race within the chambers of his chest. Though that moment of fight or flight has him moving, composure steady as he keeps his arms out. ]

Clair!

[ And while he's probably not the most comfortable thing to land on Lukas still manages to catch her, arms protectively wrapping themselves around her frame and keeping her close to him. Of course as typical scenarios would have it he can't keep all his weight equal on his feet and actually finds himself stumbling back, the impact causing him to meet the ground back first while still keep Clair within his grasp.

It takes but a second for him to shake off any initial pain, the back of his head throbbing after meeting the ground. His attention immediately pulling itself towards the girl on top of him. ] Are you alright? You are not injured, are you? [ There's a mild hint of concern that's laced within his words, brows knight closely together as he slowly lifts and looks her over, ugh... she's in his lap... i hate this... ]

[cajolery]

[ Looks like this was an aerial assault after all.

It all happens to fast that she barely has any time to react to sudden freefall—she lets out another noise of surprise as she crashes into him, and his arms wrap around her as they both go hurtling towards the ground. Luckily, with Lukas taking the brunt of the fall, she ends up completely unscathed, as well as sprawled... across his chest... ]

Ah, Lukas! I am—I should be asking you the very same!

[ Without seeming to realize how their... position... she shifts a little... in his lap... so that she can lever herself up and look down at him, her hands propped on either side of his shoulders. There's obvious concern in her gaze. ]

Are you hurt?

[excelled]

I'm fine. [ Said with ease, because despite the fall and needing to cushion the both of them he's gone unscathed. And though she may not be completely aware of their position he is, to the point where when his hands leave her they kind of just... hover over her hips. U-Uwah. ] There's no reason for you to worry, I was only just surprised and lost my footing. I apologize for making you worry.

[ And... ]

Ah, Clair... you may get a better look if you stand up.

for spoony

[cajolery]

[ Clair... mostly... got through shopping. Unfortunately, with the food shortage going on, the selection was somewhat limited, and the price she had to pay for what was available was pretty exorbitant—not that she really realized it, since she pays no attention to how much things cost even on a good day. What is budgeting?

Anyway, she made it! Her bag of groceries in one hand, she reaches up with the other to knock on JJ's door, clearly excited about this prospect. ]

Jean-Jacques? It is I! Do open up.

[underwhelms]

[ JJ makes a good effort to get to the door. He likes to pretend things are normal, so when he hears that Clair's arrived, he shuffled out of bed, taking his blanket with him. There were drops of blood on it, but his face is clean for the time being.

Needless to say, he's a lot more pathetic than he's willing to admit, and halfway to the door he needs to stop.

Which leaves him here, sitting on the floor of the hallway looking like a matryoshka doll with his blanket wrapped around him, and his phone in his hand as he taps out a message to Clair:

doors open ]

[cajolery]

[ She waits a moment before knocking again, then waits once more... leaning towards the door, since she can hear a faint shuffling sound coming from the other side. The sudden noise that comes from her phone startles her, and she fishes it out of her pocket to read JJ's text...

...Ah. Well, she's taking that as an invitation, pushing open the door. ]

Jean-Jacques? [ He must be in bed, maybe? She glances around and then starts wandering a little further into the apartment. ] Are you h—

[ Wow, this is a pathetic sight. Clair is a kind person, though, and so her expression transforms into one of concern as she approaches blanket ball JJ. ]

My goodness, are you quite all right?

[underwhelms]

[ He's ugly and losing muscle mass from lack of exercise, there's no part of him that's "all right". But, miraculously, instead of being a drama queen about his current pathetic state, JJ just smiles at Clair when she wanders in, looking slightly crazed given his haggard appearance. ]

Yeah, I'm okay.

[ Constant ache and pain aside; weird sweatiness aside. He kind of resembles a sad raccoon, relieved that Clair's decided to nurse him rather than put him down. ]

Was the soup okay to make?