open november catch-all ( haru okumura + princess yona )

[frombetrayal]

Who: Haru Okumura (frombetrayal) & you! Princess Yona (cutefaced) & you, too.
What: A post-event catch-all for November. Personalized starters will be in the comments.
When: Anytime after the event.
Where: Basically anywhere, though mainly Wyver for now.
Warning(s): Nothing at the moment, but I'll add them as things come up. Mephisto and Jae-Ha are in the middle of some 18+ shenanigans in one thread but that's probably getting cut short.

haru;

one - searching for supplies;
[Haru's up in the Old City today, taking a look at the marketplace. She doesn't seem too perturbed by the state of the Old City itself; sure, it's... definitely got a sort of dangerous feel to it, but she's pretty capable of defending herself if need be.

The axe she's got strapped to her back is something she knows how to use, after all.

That being said, she's not really anticipating a fight - it's more of a precautionary measure. She's calm and polite with the merchants as she looks through their wares, though eventually, she has to stop and ask someone for directions-]

Um, excuse me. [You! Yes, you! Help a girl out.] You don't happen to know where there might be someone selling gardening tools, do you?

[Do they even garden here? Man, she doesn't know. There's plants every which way down in the jungle itself, but they don't really seem organized - it's a very wild feel.

Which has its own charm, of course, but...]

two - foraging for foliage;
[Midway through the month, Haru decides it's about time to get her butt in gear. She's more or less decided that she will be returning to Olympia eventually, but she doesn't want to forget the nice parts of Wyver, either...

So.

She's got a pack full of supplies and a simple sketchpad in hand. You might catch her throughout the city, taking sketches of the various plants that are growing there -

Or you might catch her looking at one or two of them, puzzled.]

Hmm... I wonder if there's some way of harvesting seeds from this?

[If she can, she'd like to grow some of these back in Olympia - though she's not sure they'll take to the climate there.

...eventually, of course, she'll wander to the Undergrowth. She has, at least, stopped to grab her axe, but now she's lingering at the entrance, checking over her supplies.]

Well, no time like the present...

[In she goes!]

three - many hands make light work;
[Haru's spent a decent amount of time in Wyver - but, toward the end of the month, she joins the volunteer efforts to help get Olympia back on its feet. It's only fair, after all - Olympia was kind enough to take them all in when they first arrived, and she can't in good conscience leave them to flounder now.

So. If you're on the road to Olympia at the same time as her, she raises a hand and calls out -]

Hello there!

[Safety in numbers, after all; maybe you can travel together!

On the other hand, if you encounter her once you're both back in Olympia, you can find her basically anywhere in the city - helping move supplies around, working on general cleanup, et cetera, et cetera. She's pretty strong for a girl her age.

Of course, everyone needs to take a break sometime, and she's no exception. Catch her while she's taking a breather and getting a bite to eat, and she might wave you over.]

Are you hungry? I have enough to share.

yona;

one - bad decision time;
[So. Uh.

Here's Yona. Here's Yona at Falmi's Ring, watching some of the fights with interest while clutching a few coins in one hand. Gambling probably is not the best habit for a princess to get into, but she's heard that if you get good at it, it can be a way of making money quickly. And since she doesn't have a steady job yet - she's mainly been doing odd job around Wyver for some coin - this seems as good an option as any.

For now, she's observing the fights. Her eyes are fixed on a slender man currently in the ring, ducking and weaving to avoid his much brawnier opponents' moves. He's quick on his feet and his strategy seems to be wearing his opponent down.]

Hmm... He's doing pretty well...

[Maybe she'll bet on him in the next fight.]

two - practice makes perfect;
[Thunk.

What's that sound? Well, that's the sound of Yona hurling small throwing knives (which she, uh, "borrowed" from Jae-Ha, sorry Jae-Ha) at a tree trunk. But it's better than the alternative! The sound means she's hitting her target and not, you know, missing and nearly throwing a sharp object at your face.]

Hah! I'm getting better at this.

[She's run out... looking proud of herself, she hurries over to pull the knives from the tree and heads back to the line she's drawn in the dirt for herself. Time to get back to work... Oh, hey, there's a person.]

Oh, sorry! Was I bothering you?

[Alternatively -

Thunk. Thunk.

...

Silence, and then-]

Oh, oops!

[Looks like she missed. Maybe you're an unfortunate passerby that is now going to have to dodge the knife? Maybe you got hit. Who knows.]

three - fangirl mode, activate;
[By now, Yona's a pretty common face at the stables, especially now that the week of the full moon has passed, the dragons are back where they're supposed to be, and they're not trying to... you know, eat them.

Today, she's hanging around and peering at them when she gets the chance.]

They're so beautiful...! I wish I could ride one.

[But, uh, she's broke. Alas.

Alternatively, if you catch her in the West, you may see her watching some of the dancers with interest.

...later in the night, you might catch her in a secluded part of town, trying to mimic the moves on her own. She's not quite ready to join in the dancing herself, but she would like to learn!

She's a little unsteady on her feet, though. It's a lot of twirling and jumping.

Heck, she might even stumble out and smack into you if you're not careful.]

Oh— I'm sorry!

wildcard;

[If none of the above works for you, just hit me with whatever! Alternatively, hit me up by PM or at hungriest and I'll be glad to write a personalized starter for you.]

Comments

[terrantrash]

_{[Holding her close is all he can really do. Offer a shoulder to cry on and a few words here and there for support, even if he knows his words are useless in the end.]}

I know it's hard not to, but you shouldn't think like that. He'll wake up again, and when he does you can scold him.

[cutefaced]

[She shakes her head, smearing tears across his shirt again as she keeps her face buried in it.]

...when he wakes up again...

[She sniffles. Her voice is a little unsteady, but she's trying.]

...he'll be the one scolding me if I don't shape up...

[terrantrash]

You know I'll help you in any way I can, right?

_{[He might be no Hak and all he can do really on the offensive side of things is shoot a gun, but he's here for her, just as he has been all this time.]}

Even if that means learning new things. I'll teach you whatever I can too.

[cutefaced]

I know...

[And she's grateful for it, she really is, but the prospect of facing this without Hak is daunting. Nysa wasn't Kouka by any stretch of the imagination, but it didn't feel anywhere near as foreign as it could have with a familiar face from home.]

...when he wakes up again... I want to be someone he can be proud of. [She takes a deep, shuddering breath, trying to control her tears.] ...but I don't know how to do that alone. I'll be relying on you, Slaine.

[terrantrash]

_{[Her words have him holding her tighter against him, in a bid to reassure her what he says next is as true as he can possibly make it be.]}

I promise to help you achieve just that, no matter what. I'll be here for you Yona, whenever you need me.

[cutefaced]

[She nods, and as his hold on her tightens, her hold on him does, too. She keeps her face where it is - she doesn't want him to see her tearstained cheeks.]

...thank you...

[terrantrash]

You're welcome.

_{[What else can he say? Nothing really. All he can do is gently run his fingers through her hair and do his best to remain calm himself.]}

[cutefaced]

[It takes time.

Yona stays there for a long while, crying against his chest, slowly being calmed down by the feeling of his fingers running through her hair. She loses track of exactly how long it takes. Finally, though, she raises her head and tries for a watery smile.]

...I'm really glad that you're here.

[If the house had been empty when she'd come home, that... wouldn't have been good. Yona hasn't learned her fear of losing people by losing her father the same way that she would have if the Natha had waited just a little longer to rescue her, but losing Hak now has started her down that same path.

She doesn't want to lose anyone else.]

[terrantrash]

_{[No, it wouldn't have been good. At the very least he can do this much and be here for her, even if that's all he can do. He feels a little guilty too, that he feels good hearing her say what she does. This isn't the time to be feeling good.]}

I wouldn't want you to be alone.

[cutefaced]

...I've never liked being alone very much.

[Which is an understatement. The immediate aftermath of her mother's death had been terrible. Soo-won and Hak had worked wonders to cheer her up, but -

Neither of them is here, now.

But she still has Slaine and Jae-Ha and Faust, and everyone else she's met here. She's about as far from alone as it's possible for someone to be, but Hak being asleep in a pod makes her feel unbearably lonely.]

Sometimes... I need reminders that I'm not actually alone. But I do appreciate that you're here, Slaine. I do.

[terrantrash]

I won't be going anywhere.

_{[That's something he's been rather aware of, Yona's dislike for being alone. He can't exactly blame her either. It's not like he likes being alone himself, it's just been his default state of being for so long that he's grown accustomed to it. It's not being alone and having company is something he needs to grow used to. Yona's helping him in that regard, and he has to say that he enjoys sharing a bed with her, as selfish as that may be.]}

Would you like me to make you some tea or maybe some hot cocoa? Something warm might help soothe your nerves.

[cutefaced]

[She won't forgive him if he does leave her and go somewhere.

The thought hits her, and almost immediately, she feels guilty just for thinking it. Slaine is his own person with his own life - it shouldn't be up to him to hang around her just because she doesn't want to be alone.

(It shouldn't be up to Hak to do that, either. She needs to learn to stand on her own two feet.)

But... she isn't ready for that, yet. And so at his offer she nods.]

...tea sounds nice...

[She probably won't be able to taste any of it, but he may have a point about something warm being soothing.]

[terrantrash]

<sub>[He wouldn't leave her. Not of his own accord, anyway.

Slaine may be his own person with his own life, but he hasn't had his own life belong to him in years. If anything, having Yona to fixate on gives him structure and a purpose. After all, he's just as lonely, if not more than she is.]</sub>

I'll go make some then.

[cutefaced]

...okay... thank you.

[She says that, but she doesn't actually let go of him so he can get up and go to the kitchen. So, uh, there's that.]

[terrantrash]

...Do you want to come with me? Or wait here?

_{[He can take a hint...]}

[cutefaced]

...

[She doesn't say, "I want to come with you," because it's embarrassing. But she does loosen her hold on him so that he can stand. She does stand up.

And she does follow him to the kitchen, so.

Yes, she'd like to go with.]

[terrantrash]

_{[She releases him (mostly) from her hold, but he makes a conscious effort to make sure he takes her hand in his. He wants her to feel reassured that she knows he's here for her.]}

Would you like green or black?

[cutefaced]

[Hopefully Slaine is good at making tea one-handed, because Yona is gripping his hand tightly and she isn't letting go. It's almost as if she's afraid that if she does, he'll disappear, too.]

Either is fine.

[terrantrash]

<sub>[He opts for green then, readying the tea pot and setting the kettle on the stove, all with one hand. Periodically he gives her hand a squeeze, that is until the tea is done and poured.

He doesn't offer it to her yet though, opting to pull her into an embrace instead. She looks like she could use it.]</sub>

[cutefaced]

[Each time he squeezes her hand, she squeezes back lightly... but she doesn't do much else. She just waits while he works, her gaze lingering on the ground.

So it comes as a surprise when he pulls her into an embrace. Her breath catches, and she buries her face in the crook of his neck again, trying to keep herself from crying. She doesn't want to cry anymore. She has to be strong - stronger than this, at least.]

[terrantrash]

_{[He thinks she's being strong, for what it's worth. Very much so. He knows what it's like, the pain of being separated from someone you care about, and he knows there isn't much he can do to make her feel better other than what he's doing now.]}

He'll wake up again. In the meantime, you can visit him.

[cutefaced]

...I know I can...

[But it's not the same. She knows that, and she knows he knows that, because visiting Asseylum while she sleeps isn't the same thing as seeing her alive and well would be fore him.]

I guess I just wish... I'd been better to him while he was still awake.

[terrantrash]

Better to him?

_{[That gets her a look, not that she can see it with her face in the crook of his neck.]}

If you're worried about how you might've treated him, you can spend the time he's asleep thinking of different ways you can make it up to him.