[ OPEN ] split tomorrow from today

[godshattering]

Who: Claude and various
When: November + December
Where: Nocwich, Cadens, TBA
What: Catch all for both months
Warnings: None currently, will add/mark as needed


( Open and closed starters in the comments! Also good with prose or brackets and please feel free to wildcard into the open prompts with something else. If you'd prefer plotting first, you can find me at indech, arboria#1862, or by PM at any time! )

Comments

[assembles]

Don't worry about it.

[ It's little more than an inside joke between Steve and Viktor at this point, but there are more important things for them to discuss. Besides, what good is a joke that you have to explain?

A break isn't a bad idea, whether it's from the task of making arrows or from the situation in the Free Cities at large. Steve isn't good at slowing down for breathers himself, but he'll never hesitate to suggest it to others. Granted, their idea of a "break" probably doesn't fit most people's.

Sensing that this might be a longer conversation, he eases himself down onto the boulder in a sitting position, facing Claude. ]

I've been out here a few times, usually to escort people who need to leave the city but are worried about bandits. This time I'm on the lookout for a specific type of cactus.

[ If Claude's been coming out here regularly, maybe he'll even know where to find it. Steve makes a small hand gesture toward him. ]

What else are you working on?

[godshattering]

[ Steve gets a nod from Claude, both for letting whatever it is about moving boulders slide by and for acknowledgement of those escorts. ]

I've heard about those... well, I hesitate to call them missions since I feel like that makes them seem a bit more intense than necessary, but the escorting of others to where they need to go. I've not done any myself here but dealing with bandits is something I'm familiar with from home.

[ The arrow he was working on is finished enough with one last wrap of the string in his hand to secure everything into place. All that's left is to test it later on, but he's in no hurry to move as Steve takes a seat next to him. ]

I'm guessing you're not out here for that today though since you look rather relaxed for a guy on watch duty. [ There's a grin added to that since, well, he could be wrong. Still, meeting out here under any guise of relaxing is an improvement over working in Libertas' wreckage. He'll take it. ] As for me, I've been out here collecting some different plant clippings an alchemist requested I bring back if I could find them and working on getting a better mental map of the desert while I'm at it. That and looking for other plants I recognize, but those are for my own purposes. If any of those appeal to you, I wouldn't say no to some company along with them.

[ Solitude's nice and all - and has been today, too - but he has always preferred being social. ]

[assembles]

[ While there generally aren't bandits where Steve is from, at least not in his part of the world, street criminals are common enough. While most of them might be acting out of desperation rather than anything else, when violence comes into the equation it becomes a problem. Still, he and Sephiroth had opted to help out the injured man they'd come across during their travel to the Solvunn border even though both of them had suspected he was a bandit of some sort. It's a complicated issue, especially now with unrest mounting and so many people in Libertas without homes. ]

Yeah, it seems like it's only becoming more dangerous in recent weeks. [ He doesn't delve too deeply into the why of it, figuring that Claude knows most of the specifics both from experiences here, along with what he'd seen back home.

When Claude mentions that he's out here looking for plants, Steve tilts his head to one side in interest, his expression revealing a brief flash of surprise. It isn't so shocking that they'd be out here for similar reasons, but it is serendipitous how they ran into each other.

Though he's starting to gather that they're both just busybodies. ]

I'm also looking for a plant. Well, a specific type of cactus. I don't see why we couldn't search together, once you're done with that.

[ He nods to the small collection of arrows that Claude has crafted thus far. It's entirely possible they'll run afoul of something in their search, so it's a good idea to be ready for that. ]

[godshattering]

[ Dangerous indeed; he's overheard several merchants visiting those that he works for comment on how the routes are treacherous more so than usual, and silently thought about the bandits from back home. Desperation and the uneasiness of the world around them can do a lot to upend a person's life, and he nods slightly as his answer to that. There's much that can't be done there - not without being granted a bit more power from the Free Cities to assist, and right now he has a hard time seeing that happening.

The mention that Steve's looking for a plant, or a specific cactus, immediately gets his expression to brighten now that it clicks fully with him the second time around and that realization is paired with a hand waved in slight apology. Finding a cactus, at least, is a problem they can solve without the weight of the world resting upon it and without relying on things well outside their grasp. ]

Right, you'd mentioned that before I got all hung up on bandits and distracted myself. Sorry about that. It wouldn't happen to be a cactus that's flowering right now, would it?

[ This is the version of yes Steve gets, excitement apparent even if he's still working away on those arrows in the meantime. The multitasking part was real and though some concentration's needed for the intricate parts, that won't keep him from chattering on. ]

There's a few others I've come across here and there that might narrow down a location for the one you're looking for. Unless they provided you with a drawing of which particular cactus given that there's so many around, because that'd be an even bigger help.

[assembles]

[ There's no need for Claude to apologize when there's a lot on all of their minds, and Steve gives a quick shake of his head as he waves him off. ]

The person who hired me, some sort of apothecary? She described it to me and I did my best to sketch it.

[ So yes, even better. Steve digs into the pocket of his coat and pulls out a small notebook, flipping it open about halfway to a specific page before he turns it around to show Claude the small sketch of a standing, flowering cactus. ] She said this was more or less accurate, so...

[ Hopefully it won't be too hard to distinguish it from any other cactuses out here. ]

Look familiar?

[ If Claude's been out here a lot, there's even a chance that he's seen it before, which would make Steve's job that much easier. ]

[godshattering]

[ The mention of Steve sketching it himself gets his curiosity, if only because in his experience it was the apothecaries providing him with sketches and not something he was responsible for beyond paging through library books for research. When Steve pulls out the notebook Claude leans closer, meaning to peer at it before it's presented for his examination on the page in question.

It's a good sketch. Only a second or two goes by before he nods in recognition as he sits back. ]

Sure, I've seen that variety around. It's not usually too difficult to locate but it's even easier at the moment since it's the only kind blooming right now. Apparently that's part of why it's so prized. Are you to bring in just the stems and leaves or the flowers?

[ Or both; that's always a possibility. If it's one or the other then they might as well haul each back since someone will pay Steve for it if the apothecary in question's only requested one. Either way, Claude nods his head to some nebulous direction off to their left. ]

Last I knew there's a patch of those cacti not too far from here where the rocks turn more into hills. Shouldn't be long of a walk or too difficult to collect, so long as you have some gloves for the latter. The needles are rather tenacious.

[assembles]

[ It is odd for any cactus to be flowering at this time of year, Steve would guess (not that he's a botanist or anything close to it). It stands to reason that a cactus that persistent would be useful for a variety of things. Once Claude's taken a good look at the sketch, he shuts the sketchbook and tucks it back into his pocket. ]

She only mentioned the flowers, but if other parts of it are worth grabbing too, then I might as well. [ He could have done more research into what else could be harvested from the cactus before he left the city, but it sounds like Claude might have a decent idea himself. It's impressive that he's already familiarized himself so well with the flora accessible in the desert. ]

Sounds like I lucked out by running into you, then. [ He quirks a smile. ] The least I can do is help you find whatever you're looking for, too. [ He shifts in his seat on the boulder, itching to get going but aware that Claude might still have some work to finish up on those arrows. ] And yeah, I brought some gloves.

[ Impervious as he might seem at times, he's well aware that the needles of a cactus would slice into his skin just as easily as anyone else's. He pats the pack slung over his shoulder to indicate he's come prepared. ]

[godshattering]

I would. If she won't buy them then someone else likely will, or Nadine can always take them for her clinic.

[ No reason not to, really, in Claude's mind. Even if Steve's not particularly hurting for coin it'll only help someone else out in the end, and that's a net bonus in his mind. The next part of his arrow assembly he needs to concentrate on just a bit more to finish it up properly so Steve's spared him running his mouth - for a short while, anyway - though he shoots a grin right back at the mention of luck.

One last piece of fletching slipped into place to balance it out to ward off any misfires later on (with any luck) and Claude slides it into the quiver with the rest. ]

Good call on being prepared since besides the cactus needles, there's some plants out here with something in the leaves that'll irritate your skin if you can't wash it off right away. Which... [ He'll trail off here with a wave around them to the desert in all directions before pushing himself up into a standing position and start dusting himself off. ] Better safe than sorry, I say, though the truly poisonous things out here are things you have to ingest. Or so I've heard.

[ Not that he's about to volunteer any info on poisons unless Steve asks, so he flashes the other man a smile before starting the path back down from the boulders they're perched on. ]

If you happen to know where the desert lilies are out here from one of your own treks around, I think they're still on my list to bring back for my own apothecary friend.

[assembles]

[ Of course Claude also knows Nadine. The Summoned are a close-knit group in the Cities, with most of them having at least heard of each other even if they're not personally acquainted. Nadine is also the sort who likes to make newcomers feel welcome, and it would be a bigger shock if someone hadn't heard of her clinic. ]

Yeah, good call. I'm sure she'll take all the materials she can get.

[ Plants that will irritate your skin, plants that will poison you if you ingest them — this desert is making it pretty clear that it doesn't want people exploring it, especially when all of the fauna are taken into consideration too. Of course, that won't ever stop humans.

When Claude makes it clear he's ready to go, Steve hops to his feet and skids down the side of the boulder with little hesitation. His boots hit the tightly packed sand and he falls into step with Claude. ]

Desert lilies? Do those grow near water?

[ If so, he does have an idea of where there are some small oasis areas further out, since caravans usually stop at them to rest and organize supplies before continuing on. ]