Some days I look in mirrors

[beautifullies]

Who: Claire Fraser, ota and closed starters
When: October log
Where: Solvunn, Nocwich, the Horizon
Notes: I went with handwaving Claire's finished home, it's been too long now, BUT if your character would've helped then they did! also please ignore the fact that I accidentally tagged this with Adora.
Warnings: None so far, will edit if needed. And brackets, prose - go with your heart.



𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑢𝑛𝑛

[ Claire's new home is tucked just short of the woods. Her gratitude for the help she received has been expressed in simple but filling meals, baked goods, doctoring, and helping with most chores. She's realized with a home of her own she must be settling, but she tells herself it's more to have her own space and feel comfortable. The home is two stories with her small bedroom upstairs that contains the space she works and spends the most of her time. One of the walls is completely plant-filled, and somewhere nestled in comfortably, is her new lizard. The downstairs has a kitchen with a hearth, and a built-in nook to sit and eat on one side. With a small sitting area made up of donated furniture, the other side of the downstairs is for seeing anyone who needs intense care and looking after, or drop-ins needing some sort of treatment.

Anyone dropping in is welcome and will not only be assaulted by plants and wildflowers in abundance, but bees will buzz lazily and drunk on nectar before flying back to their homes. They're tucked back just a bit, but the bee houses, lovingly painted by Nanaue, are bright and visible. She's left the back wall on the bottom floor windowless so that her friend can paint to his heart's content. When visitors arrive, the door is opened with a smile in greeting, able to see who's approaching from the front window.

Even though she has her own home now, she still makes sure to contribute, helping with cooking communal meals which helps her meet newcomers, and taking care of the animals which reminds her of Jamie. It all keeps her busy, and she can't say she doesn't like it. She still visits with the local Solvunnites she's grown fond of, and there are a few children she plays with outside with no shame in how silly she looks. ]

(𝑡ℎ𝑒) 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛

[ Gone is Lallybroch from Claire's domain. She'd been thinking of changing it anyway, but something very large managed to take out most of it during the rifts. That makes it easier to change things, though it's still rustic and full of flora. There's still plenty of space for her to entertain outside, and around back is where anyone can come for human anatomy lessons. Separate from that, there's a garden and greenhouse so that she can both learn and teach about different plants. It's a place for her experiment too, trying out her magic without accidentally causing damage to real plants in her home.

Anyone heading inside will be met with comfortable warmth, more plants, and a gray cat that doesn't seem bothered by much. There's always a setup for tea or coffee and something stronger if wanted, along with furniture meant for sinking into a good book.

She does like to explore other's domains, but if it seems closed off, she won't poke around...much. ]

𝑁𝑜𝑐𝑤𝑖𝑐ℎ

[ Claire has come to enjoy the walk to the portal, and if anyone happens to be heading out as well, they're happy to join her. She's dressed for the cooler air, pendant hanging just below her throat and basket in hand. In the square, she can be found purchasing things like flour and other cooking items for her own simple kitchen. Claire even picks up a trinket or two for friends, stowing different things beneath her goods in case she happens upon someone. Because she's rubbish at knitting, she can also be found weaving in and out of different shops to browse mittens and cowls.

When she rests the first time at mid-day, it's near the stage with a drink in hand. Every now and then she looks around the crowd as if searching for someone and in truth, she is. This is her only chance to look for Jamie or Bree, and she takes it each and every month. Eventually, she continues her day and when she's ready for supper, slips into an establishment, finding a seat at a table that could fit two. And a lucky thing too, as she's managed to come in at the height of mealtime, apparently. Anyone is free to join her.

With her basket on the ground between her right foot and the wall, she sits back and thinks of a friend or two she wouldn't mind joining her, almost feeling as though they're near, while leisurely eating her meal.* It only makes her think that she must check up on others soon, especially those she hasn't spoken to since the rifts. ]

[ *ooc note: Claire is able to determine someone's location to her within about 120 yards. (Think the length of an American football field), so if you want her to be surprised because she was literally just thinking you were on your way, lmk in the subject! ]

𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑑

[ If none of these work, please feel free to whip up a starter! We can plot on discord @ lifewasawillow or PM. My plotting comment from the last CR meme can be found here. If I owe you a starter and I haven't poked you, please poke me! ]

Comments

Sorry! <3 Will is eating Kelson's muse so bad

[kingforboth]

Kelson caught his breath, pausing in mid bite to look up at her, shocked by the circumstances that had forced her apart from Jamie. He put the food down to regard her more fully, take in all the details. "Twenty years? You were separated for twenty years." He repeated, because that was horrid. He could guess as to what any of the circumstances causing such could be, of course, he'd be wrong about all of them.

He got a little grumpy too. "In the past Gwynedd had similar laws, banning an entire way of life. An entire people. I cannot say it ends well, and I am still trying to repair the damage. I do hope that his homeland is capable of one day doing the same. There is so much that has been lost, so much irrecoverable." He was still going to try though. Hopefully it wasn't going to get him killed.

"I have met John, he seems quite a nice fellow. It must be difficult to be so far away from him as well, to have someone you know just out of reach."

[beautifullies]

"If you can believe it, John is my third husband, but with him so far in my future, that was certainly a shock. We do our best with my getting to know him. He's a patient man, and he makes a wonderful friend if you'd like another."

Her life, if Will can stand to know a bit more, is complicated. If she'd arrived with her things he would have seen two wedding rings, one on each hand. Soon she'll have a third, so it's a good thing on Abraxas, both hands are free.

"One day, laws will change and what was outlawed will be repealed, but the damage is done, and a generation was raised without any tradition. I'm glad you're fighting for it back home. It isn't easy."

[kingforboth]

"From what I've seen of him John is a lovely person. I'm sure he is an equally devoted husband, and I'm gladdened you at least have him with you here. It must be reassuring to see a familiar face, even if you weren't aware of the future you held together." Kelson would give a lot to have such a familiar face. He was happy she had the opportunity, even if it was across nations.

Likewise, if Kelson had arrived with all of his things, he would have also been wearing two wedding rings; his own, and that of his murdered wife. At least for him, it was a blessing he didn't have it.

"The day cannot come soon enough for both of us I fear. In my kingdom, some traditions have been repressed for hundreds of years. There are so many who don't know who they are, or what they are. The least I can do is try to change the laws. I know I can't undo the damage that has been done, but, I can try and repair it at least. I hope back home you are able to do the same. "

[beautifullies]

So much of his story feels familiar to her, and Claire listens closely, distressed on his behalf because she understands how such things go. Life wiped away, families separated only to be killed, and history rewritten by the aggressors. It's such a daunting thing to try and reverse, but that he's attempting to right the wrongs of others says more about Kelson than words ever could.

"It's difficult; I know what's coming once I return home. I know that there will be a revolution that benefits some over others, and more death. I know people will be forced from their native homes and onto land that's unfamiliar to them which will cause hunger and disease. I know all of this, and yet as one person, I failed to stop it happening in one country already."

She's nearly certain that some things can't be changed, that they're too big, too life-altering, to attempt to erase from history.

"I fear all that I can do is attempt to mitigate the damage and be a doctor where I can."

[kingforboth]

"One person only has so much power, Claire. Even as king, I can make laws, I can try and save what lives I can, to right the wrongs done in the past. But there are limits. Lives that are forever intertwined, and each decision a cascade. It's like a game of chess. Sometimes I do think you're right, the best we can hope for is to mitigate the damage. But at the very least, we can try. Move our own pieces the best we can. Some actions may still be forced to take place, but maybe in a more controlled manner. I know I wont be able to overturn every law I want to tomorrow, if I were home. But, I can start the process. Slow and steady. We do what we can."

Kelson thought he understood, the similarities were there. He knew the atrocities that had been dealt in Gwynedd over the centuries, and the ones that he had only found out still went on under his nose. And Claire, she did not have the same power he did, the same reach. But she was resourceful. She cared.

[beautifullies]

Even now, decades after her failure, it helps to hear someone say these things. Especially someone with more power than she could ever imagine possessing. If he can't completely change things, what chance did she ever have? Going up against time was a fool's errand, she knows that now.

"I quite like you, Kelson. Without knowing it, you've said a few things that ease old aches." She offers a small but warm smile filled with gratitude. "And to circle back, that's one of the things I've found to occupy my time here. There are plenty of people in need, who need help in different ways. If I'm going to be stuck, I might as well be useful."