deercountry | april catch

Entry tags:

april catch - all

Who: viktor and others, open to all with some closed prompts
What: some late march/early april logs, including some tdm stuff. i'm happy to attach something else on if anyone's interest in doing something specific
When: late march through april
Where: various

content warning; terminal illness, arcane season 1 spoilers, likely game typical beast gore/body horror, potentially ableism mentioned, claustrophobic imagery

open prompts.

fishers of dreams - the lighthouse, early april (tdm)

a. while awake

[if you've been roped into this lighthouse business too you may enter to find a man already there. he seems vaguely disgruntled by the business, offers vague greetings but otherwise sticks to scribbling in his notebook. it looks like schematics and formulae, but anyone with an eye for either might notice they tend to trail off and start in odd bursts.

viktor will offer to cook when evening falls (or whatever seems to be the right mealtime in this place) so maybe that is a better time to strike up conversation. the smell coming from the kitchen is heavy on whatever spices the place stocks, promising pain to anyone who doesn't have the stomach for that sort of thing. worse if he finds the rotgut liquor tucked away, which he will pull out and offer despite smelling more like turpentine than anything edible.

these tricks of the eye though, flashes of people vaguely recognizable, he chalks it up more hallucinations. last month was mushrooms, so this? irritating, far more distracting, but it followed the pattern.

it isn't until later in all this he'll track whoever is with him down.] Did you see someone else come through? There, just up the stairs.

b. nightmare

[trying to reach the odd lighthouses is fruitless, the shadows converge and when the dark clears the area seems more closed in than before. it shouldn't be, he was just outside on the shore, yet now the dark sky seems to hang too low, lower still, suffocating.]

What now? This is another illusion of sorts, is it not? One this place is so fond of. [viktor sounds more irritated than anything, maybe defensive since the grip his has on his crutch is white-knuckle tight. in the distance seems to be a lighthouse, though the light is far and the area is so stifling, promising a tunnel that will close and snuff out the light entirely.

it's ridiculous of course, the walls are not that close, certainly not enough for this suffocating grip on the lungs and throat. there's no real explanation, less so when a few steps forward and the ground begins to dot with great metal cables, the distinct, sickly sweet smell of chemicals in the air. there are pools between them where the ocean should have been, this time shallow spills of what could be gasoline or something similar, slick rainbow puddles, oily and difficult to walk through without slipping or sinking.]

(ooc; for this one please, feel free to add your own character's nightmare in any flavor at any point!)

odds and ends - willful machine, early april

[viktor can be found around the vendors often enough, especially those specializing in scrap metal, tools or small machinery. for the most part he doesn't stick out, except for the fact often his massive omen often accompanies him, some sort of huge pink salamander/axolotl that he'll lean against or ask rather politely to help carry larger purchases.

he doesn't seem to notice or care about any attention, though the creature will blink curiously around. feel free to approach or find him haggling rather intently for such a stick of a man, accent thickening when it gets heated enough. maybe you want the same scrap? or are looking for something and he's standing nearby enough to notice a lost look and offers assistance?]

[one might also find him about by the sound of a nasty coughing fit. he stands with his back curled, a rag to his mouth as a makeshift handkerchief. it's a wet cough that shakes his entire frame, and when it's over his sniffs and clears his throat, straightening.

the cloth is stained in a pale color that catches the perpetual moonlight of april. paleblood, that he regards for a moment before folding the cloth in on itself with a small frown.]

closed prompts.

jinx - willful machine, late march

[viktor doesn't stay by the lamp exactly. he would usually but he hardly sees the point when this person he's meeting knows him by sight as far as he can tell. it leaves him feeling comfortable to wander within eyeshot mostly of the lantern, strolling down the canal docks to find a place to stand and watch the boats cut slowly through the water.

he likes it here, he thinks, in this district. the noise and foot traffic, the winding canals and dirty water, the boats bobbing to and fro - it wouldn't be a bad place to set up. a lab that will double as his home because he doesn't see the point in separating the two any longer, even if he can practically hear heimendinger's tutting about his work-life balance in his ear. it will be closer to the vendors, less of a hike to acquire what he'll need to start fresh. first a new brace for his leg and back, then some basic experiments into lunar energy to get a feel for it.

his lungs flare and burn, minor enough he manages to swallow it down without reaching for the rag in his pocket. he makes a note of the severity and timing, adds it to his growing mental list that seems to indicate his illness does indeed remain but is diminished. promising, if he's being optimistic, but at the moment he feels only a sense of irritation that now he doesn't know the timeline of his own life. one he might be shortening drastically with this ridiculous stunt.

a sigh and viktor goes back to watching the boats, trying to clear his head. he considers trying to message vi and ask her opinion of this but... no, he doubts he'll get anything. he's not sure if he disgusts her as a class traitor or amuses her in truth. better to just see for himself what he's gotten himself into like a fool.]

allen - willful machine, early april

[the 'grand tour' doesn't amount to much yet, the lab area just a large, empty space dotted with a few tables and a couple of desks, not even a chalkboard he's been keeping an eye out for or something that could do the same. one of the desks at least is littered with junk, at the moment tools and the starts of a knee brace, a table nearby with all the scrap he's managed to grab that could be useful in the future. one corner has a cot, maybe he'll clear out whatever other small rooms the place has later for a bedroom proper. maybe not.

viktor seems satisfied with it as he gestures around, and rio has commandeered one of the tables for her own to lie across.] A solid start, I think. I like this area, this eh... Willful Machine, that is.

[he'll never admit part of it is the boats. everyone's allowed a sort of childish interest, right? they're soothing, even if they lack the motors that fascinated him.] Have a seat, if you'd like. How have you been since the tombs?

wildcard.

[as i said, feel free to ask for anything else, including other tdm prompts, i am more interested in seeing the worlds built by others for the archway prompts so i didn't include any here. my plurk is

dichotomy or you can dm me here!]

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[ She's glad that he uses that word. Try. After all, Chizuru may be the daughter of a doctor, and she may have helped her father in his clinic, but that doesn't mean that she's exactly a genius when it comes to that. She feels like she can do it, if she just looks for the right ingredients in this place, but it's not like she wants to guarantee that she'll be able to do it when it's about something this important.

All she can do is just promise she'll do her best - and she will.

But when Viktor gives that offer in return...

Well, Chizuru just smiles, a faint blush on her cheeks. Mostly since she feels a little awkward and shy asking this, but it does come from the bottom of her heart. ]

I think.. what I need the most in this place is just.. some friends. If that would be alright with you...

[ Look how shy she is over just asking him to be her friend.

She's doing her best. ]

[oh chizuru, talk about smacking him in his feelings with that.

he's spent a lot of his life alone one way or another, even here he had to sit back and realize just how few people he actually missed when being torn from his old life. three, that is a pitiful number. work is important but maybe people are right when they say a fulfilling life aside is just as important.

it makes him wonder if she was lonely before coming here or it's adjustment. it also makes him respect her because being vulnerable is terrifying, asking something so honestly isn't easy in a way most wouldn't give her enough credit for.

so it's easy to offer a more sincere smile than he usually does, a little crooked but hoping to at least offer a small sliver of that sincerity back.]

You wouldn't need to make me medicine to ask for that. I ah- I'd be quite happy to be your friend, Chizuru.

Really?!

[ Her shy smile immediately changes into an expression of surprise when he says that. Her eyes growing wider, staring directly at him, her mouth hanging open slightly. Even the volume of her voice is a little louder as she says that one word.

.. a moment later she seems to realise that she might have reacted with just a tad too much excited surprise, and it lets the blush on Chizuru's cheeks linger. ]

Oh.. u-um, I mean.. I'm really glad to hear that. You seem kind, so.. I'd really like to get to know you better and be your friend. [ And to help him - though she would have done that even without this, really. Especially when his condition is so serious. ]

[oh no, well that's endearing. honestly as a man who's lived a pretty lonely life for a great deal of it he can't help but sympathize with her a little there. the sometimes startling companionship of this place can be a lot.

so he chuckles, better than the wheeze of before.]

Ah, thank you. Well, tell me more about your life then. What do you do here on the day to day? [he can get behind the getting to know better, he's naturally curious anyway. the incense is starting to get low but he thinks he'll be able get walk without too much struggling soon, and this has been... well, a surprisingly fruitful coughing fit.

it made him a friend? he can say he did not expect that at all.]

Me? Oh, um..

[ Chizuru's voice trails off for a moment, the girl seeming to think before she continues. ]

I live together with miss Lys here.. I met her here on my first day, and she has been very kind to me, so we decided that it might be safer to stay here together rather than all by ourselves.. [ Especially since Chizuru is definitely not as good at protecting anything as she made it seem a few moments ago to try and reassure him. ] I work as a waitress, and.. um.. outside of work, I enjoy..

[ ...

That's a dreadful pause, huh. Good thing that they have a few more moments before he's up on his feet again.

But it's almost as if Chizuru is having trouble thinking of what else she should mention she enjoys. ]

.. I like cooking? Sometimes I bring meals to people I know in this place to surprise them..

[viktor feels a pang for that- not being able to immediately give some activities she enjoys. 'hobbies' are something he can't say he has a lot of experience with but given the state of things there's always something to repair or do, and that can be enjoyable.

didn't he just have a whole long talk with palamedes about hobbies and work/life balance? hm. funnily enough cooking was one of the things that came up.]

You are already far more self sufficient than many I know here then. You could probably get work giving cooking lessons if you ever needed to. [especially the shonen boys, oh my god. they needed help sometimes.]

I've been trying to teach my own roommate but I'm hardly much of a chef. I simply learned the power of slow cooking and spices early on. [also the surprise dishes is sweet, though he thinks he'd probably embarrass her if he pointed out as much.]

[ It's a good thing that she's still blushing a little in her awkwardness, because otherwise what he's saying sure would have done the trick to get her there all the same. Chizuru is incredibly easy to fluster, unable to take even the slightest compliment. ]

A-Ah, I wouldn't say that I have any right to teach others..!

[ .. even though he's totally right, and she's definitely good enough to be doing just that. But Chizuru has trouble with ever thinking that highly of herself. ]

I-I mean, if anything, it sounds like the two of us are on the same level when it comes to it, you know..? We just know what to do to get by, especially now we're so far away from our homes..

Are you sure? I do not believe it unless I see it. [he's trying not to be too amused- what! the fluster is endearing. it reminds him a little of jayce when he gets tongue tied about something, but unlike jayce he has no interest in picking on her for it.]

Maybe one day we can cook together and you can prove your point. [this is a thing friends do, right? he's woefully low on that sort of information really, but he enjoys it enough when teaching pal and it would be a good way to see if she's underestimating herself.] I don't have much of a kitchen to speak of, I'm afraid, but I'm sure we could get by.

I think our ideas of kitchens might a little different to start with.. [ Chizuru says, gently, trying to focus on the part of what he's saying that doesn't fluster her too much, naturally.

But she has at least discovered that there are some huge cultural differences in this place between what everyone is used to, so she's not going to assume his idea of a proper kitchen is the same as hers. ]

B-But.. I'd like that.

[ It might not be something Chizuru is used to, making friends and doing stuff with them. But now she's thinking of it, she finds that the idea is.. ]

It's.. warm. I mean.. just thinking of cooking together with a friend.. it makes me feel all warm inside. It's nice. [ She smiles at him, the fluster still there, but minimal at this point. ] So please invite me over sometime when you're feeling up for it.

[ She makes sure to put that in the most casual way possible, but her saying it is very intentional. After all, with Viktor's condition Chizuru can imagine there are times where he wouldn't exactly feel up to that sort of thing. ]

[huh, that's not a bad point about kitchens. viktor tilts his head like he's considering that, then offers a shrug.] That just makes it more interesting, in truth. And eh... I just used a bunsen burner and a single pan for several weeks.

[frankly cooking over a fire would have been better, but here we are. he has access to a real kitchen with a stove and oven and everything now, so at least chizuru won't need to put up with that.

her reaction though, it makes his tone soften despite himself when he says,] Excellent. Perhaps later this week, if you are free. I wanted to try making a stew I only vaguely remember from home, it may be a little trial and error.

[and in truth he simply doesn't care much about cooking unless it's with the intent to feed someone else, so this really is ideal.]

[ VIKTOR....

The only reason he's getting away with an admission like that is that Chizuru is just way too nice for this world. And too polite to openly judge people, even when they say stuff like that.

Instead she just nods, easily agreeing with that timeframe - making some time for it definitely shouldn't be a problem for her.

So she just gets up, holding out a hand to him in assistance. ]

Do you think you could walk again now..?

[ It does seem like he's been coughing less, at least, but Chizuru knows that these things aren't always visible or noticeable. ]

Don't worry, I can walk with you to your house.

[chizuru is too kind, he deserves to suffer for his unfortunate cooking choices. when she offers her hand he reaches to take it, using it and his crutch to get to his feet with a little sigh.

his chest aches but it no longer feels like he's going to curl in on himself any moment, just the vague exhaustion of a particularly annoying coughing fit.]

Thank you, I think it will be fine. The worst has passed. [he releases he hand to lean on his crutch, offers a nod.] The lab is closest, near the Willful Machine markets.

[which he'll start towards, a touch slower than usual despite the inclination to push. after a brief pause he says,] This group you joined were lucky to find you, I think. I find generosity is a rare trait.

[ The girl moves right along when he starts to walk - seemingly trying to match his pace, so she's pretty glad that he started walking first, so she wouldn't have walked insultingly fast or slow..

But she isn't thinking about that for long. When Viktor speaks up again, she instead blinks up at him, her eyes wide with surprise. ]

.. huh?

[ She sounds confused enough that it's almost as if she just heard him speak another language entirely. But no, Chizuru very much did hear the words, and she very much does understand him.

No, instead it's that compliments fluster her so much that she doesn't know how to deal. ]

T-That's--! [ She starts, basically sputtering as they walk. ] I don't think that's the case at all..! A lot of people are really a lot nicer than you might give them credit for once you get to know them! And I, um.. I'm really nothing all that special, I'm just trying my best..!

[ Apparently she's determined to use at least three different ways to downplay this, if not more. She's an expert. ]

[viktor tries not to smile too openly at that reaction, he expected something like it but watching her fluster over so simple a compliment is amusing- maybe a little sad.

he at least keeps his gaze ahead to afford some privacy to fluster in peace, humming along to that assessment before saying,] I'm afraid you will not change my mind on this. We are friends, yes? So it is my duty to eh... hm, how to say it. Point out your strengths?

[you signed up for this, chizuru. absolutely unfortunate decision, he'll now be nice to you regularly.]

W.. Well..!

[ As she sputters, it's pretty obvious that Chizuru wants to protest that statement, but at the same time is quickly realising that if she does, then that means she won't be able to point out Viktor's strengths in turn or compliment him - and that feels absolutely unacceptable to her.

Which means that the flustered protests quickly die down. Instead Chizuru starts fussing, her hands nervously dusting off her clothes as they walk, even though she definitely already got all the dirt off those when she stood up earlier. ]

I'm not.. um. [ She finally starts, only to awkwardly stop again for a moment. Whatever she's about to say, apparently it's difficult for her to admit. ] .. I've never had many friends before back home.

[ Zero friends for most of her life, in fact. ]

So I guess I'm still getting a little used to this..

[viktor's smile dims a touch to hear that, glancing ahead and thinking how odd the world is that someone like chizuru should be lonely.]

Neither did I. [he admits, not particularly hard to say but he's always avoided it because it sets a certain image the invites pity. that is something he hates to be, pitied.] In fact I can probably say the first real friend I made was when I was an adult. It took a long time to get used to him and his affection.

So... there is no rush, I suppose. It is overwhelming sometimes, yes?

[ She nods a little bit. Yes, it's definitely overwhelming when people are nice to you - Chizuru sure can attest to that, despite being the sort of person to throw kindness around all over the place.

She does notice that they're getting closer to their destination, but there's one thing she still can't help but wonder, especially with what Viktor is bringing up here. ]

Do you.. miss him? That friend?

[ Unless he's here, but Chizuru has found that it can be pretty rare sometimes to find someone here who comes from the same place as you do. ]

I do. [that's easy enough to answer. pretending he didn't would be a ridiculous kind of denial.]

There are times I forget he is not here when I get too deeply into my work and think something like 'I will need to make a note of this for Jayce.' It can be quite jarring. [he glances over with a shrug.] Usually it is simply a matter of keeping busy.

[they're within sight of their destination though so he slows to a stop, because he too has a question he'd like to ask,] Is it the same for you and the group you mentioned?

[ Jayce. So that's the name of Viktor's friend.

Chizuru makes sure to remember it. She doubts that she'd find him before he would, if this Jayce were to wash up on the shores of Trench, but who knows. Maybe she might be able to direct them towards each other. She sure hopes that they'll be able to unite, anyway, if Viktor misses him this much.

Besides, it's an understandable emotion, since Chizuru nods when they stop and he asks her the same question. ]

I spent the last few years of my life around no one but them.

[ So it's a little weird. Going from seeing these people each and every single day, to suddenly being all by yourself again. Especially for a girl who's still relatively friendly and sociable like Chizuru.

Even if the details aren't in what she says, the sentiment is obvious in the girl's voice and eyes. ]

But.. I suppose that all we can hope for is to see them again sometime soon, no matter whether it'll be because we're back with them or they end up here with us.

[viktor nods, lips faintly downturned. he likes to consider himself not the sentimental sort (this is a lie) but he's struck suddenly with being glad she asked to befriend him, if only because it will hopefully make her social circle that much larger.

he nearly snorts at himself for the thought, instead saying,] And until then we make the best with what we have, I suppose. What are some of their names? If you do not mind my asking.

[also thinking he can keep an eye out, just incase.]

Ah.. I don't mind.

[ She seems a little surprised. Maybe she shouldn't be, since she did memorize Jayce's name just to make sure to keep an eye out for him if he shows up, but-- no matter how kind Chizuru is, she never inherently expects anyone to do the same thing for her in return. It isn't necessary.

But.. ]

There's Hijikata-san, Okita-san, Saitou-san, Harada-san, Nagakura-san, Heisuke-kun.. [ .. her voice trails off, and she smiles a little sheepishly. ] There's a lot more too. Um. There were quite some men on the compound back home..

[ So much so that listing them all off here get real complicated real quick. ]

.. and there's my father too. Kodo Yukimura. But that's.. um. A little more complicated.

[for a brief moment viktor wonders if 'san' is a family name, though thankfully he knows enough to also recognize it might be an honorific. he's learning. his world's fantasy japan gives him at least some idea of these things.

still he takes a moment to try and put the names to memory, a little furrow of his brow before he nods, confident he has them. well, he can further imagine how chizuru must feel lonely here, if she was used to this many people were around.

her father though, he tilts his head.] Eh, I know this may be nosy but may I ask why it is complicated? [strained relationship, maybe?]

[ Hm.

This is a conundrum. Chizuru finds herself wanting to be friends with Viktor enough that she doesn't want to lie to him, but telling him the full truth here certainly involves talking about a lot of stuff that she isn't entirely sure she wants to talk to other people about. After all - what if Viktor would suddenly look at her differently if he knew what she really was?

.. what if he'd dislike her? ]

Well, um.. he wants me to marry to a man I truly don't want to marry.

[ That is the truth. It's only a tiny piece of the complicated relationship they have, but it's the one Chizuru can talk about without involving what she really is, or certain circumstances back home. ]

And even though that man isn't here, I think all of that would still make things.. complicated, and a little strained. [ Especially since it's not even HALF OF THE PROBLEM YET.. Sorry, Viktor. She's trying her best with this entire open honesty thing here. It's hard. ]

Edited 2022-05-09 21:28 (UTC)

[ah, yeah that definitely hit the 'complicated' mark. he's seen it before of course, the piltover houses were especially strict about family lines and controlling their children's matches. even in the undercity it wasn't unheard of really, though that was usually in cases of controlling parents rather than any norm.

he clicks his tongue and says,] Ah, yes I could see where that would cause a strain. Obviously I believe you should be free to marry who you wish, but I suppose that isn't always as obvious to some.

[a shame. and hell, he appreciate the effort. guy gets it when it comes to how hard being open can be.] Hm, I suppose if he does come here that will be one mountain to climb, for better or worse. It is always nice to hope common ground can be found regardless.

.. yes. [ She slowly answers, nodding. Despite everything - Chizuru wants to have hope. It's still her father, after all.

And she thinks it says a lot about Viktor and his capacity for kindness that he's saying that here and now. It makes her look up at him, smiling. ]

Thank you. That's so kind of you to say, so.. I'll hope for that too. And, um..

[ She pauses, glancing around them. ]

You should probably go inside now. [ Not that there seems to be anything dangerous around at the moment, but you never know in this place, right? ] Don't worry, I'll be fine going home! I'll just use the lamps!

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april catch - all

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