(catchall / closed)

[paraselenes]

WHO: dimitri & co
WHERE: here and there
WHEN: december
WHAT: catch-all for the month! will include some basic prompts + more specific closed starters, but feel free to wildcard me if we have plans! here is my plotting comment.
WARNINGS: will mark where necessary

Comments

❄️ shadowlands/general Winter Stuff

[paraselenes]

a. shadowlands
[ A lifelong student of the tundra, he knows better than to go out into the cold for no reason. But sometimes, needs must. Sometimes, an itch spreads inside one's ribcage, like something's squirrelled its way in there and is rummaging to make a hide for the winter. His door is being threatened... somehow. By something. And it necessitates travel across the Tempest and the poorly-sheltered Shadowlands, where only a few trees are around to wall off the wind.

He's nurtured a talent for hunting, but not tailoring—which means he's wearing a mishmash of furred pelts rather than a finely arranged cloak. But even under that and his usual heavy cape, he's shivering against the wind, his expression equally frigid. ]

Where is it...?

[ Someone got robbed by sprites. When it rains (snows) it pours (piles). ]

b. door
[ In an effort to escape the cold, his door opens up to a throne room. Despite the generally dark and gloomy atmosphere of a medieval-esque castle in what is also the frigid arctic north, there's some furs to sit on and a fireplace, which he promptly throws some scavenged tinder into.

He looks a little abashed that he can't offer like... anything nicer than this? Basic shelter? Perhaps some jerky? ]

Sorry—hospitality has never been high on my list of virtues.

[ ooc: he'll let basically anyone through his door, no need to ask me! ]

b

[midway]

[ This really is a terrible intrusion, probably more so than Dimitri realizes. Claude had been cautiously trying to avoid a reaper, too wearied and mentally exhausted to engage in a fight, when he stumbled across Dimitri and, one way or another, invited himself through his door.

The setting is immediately familiar to him, haunting and unwelcome. He'd never actually stepped foot inside the castle while alive, so he takes his time soaking in the sight in front him, sure that he'd get lost if he tried to wander around on his own. The idea holds no interest to him at the moment anyway, his gaze so steadily focused on the tethers displayed on the throne that he hardly hears Dimitri's apology.

The whistle is unmistakable, a nearly identical one sitting through his own door. At least, he thinks so. Could it be another trick of that intruder he'd sensed? ]

I wouldn't expected a warm welcome to Castle Fhirdiad, Dimitri. Don't worry.

[ His tone is dry, gaze finally moving from the tethers to sweep across the space. ]

Do you think there's someone else in here?

[paraselenes]

[ He'd argue that as a foreign dignitary, Claude is especially owed whatever Faerghan hospitality their country could drudge out of its cold, courtly heart, but... that doesn't really qualify anymore, does it? And warm is a little out of the question, considering the chill has followed after them, even if a reaper hasn't.

Still, Dimitri is gathering a woolen blanket from somewhere, because if nothing else, Fhirdiad was always stocked up for the cold. He pauses to frown, concentrating on the space around him. ]

...No. [ For some reason, he can tell that whatever was here and making a mess has moved on. ] Someone had intruded earlier, but they're gone now.

[ i don't want to write a krampus fight scene rn im tired ]

I had thought these doors more secure than that.

B as in meant 2 b :*

[janescayre]

[But if Syo tries to pull that stunt with Dimitri or Felix, we won't be having this conversation a second time.

If they weren't in the Shadowlands, if something wasn't deeply amiss, she'd have turned back the second she saw Dimitri. When she'd given him the book she meant it as a farewell. Their imprisonment in the Gallows couldn't have been helped. She made a point to avoid him since: Sylvain has made himself perfectly clear, and Fukawa had meant what she'd said too. If Syo locks on to another target, it'll be her last.

Yet try as she might to swing out of their orbit, she finds herself yanked back yet again. It's a small afterlife, after all. Shouldn't there be billions of souls teeming around? It should be easier to shake a couple of medieval boys than this.]

Oh, j-just shut up already. As long as w-we're out of that blizzard I d-don't care if you take me to a junkyard. [This is a lie. She would be furious if you took her to a junkyard.] Besides, I've n-never been to a castle before.

[Not a European one at least. Or whatever he is. She heard a bit about their home from Felix and perhaps Claude. She's still not sure if he's from the same place.

Fukawa enters cautiously, awestruck and alarmed at once. It seems so barren. Usually you imagined riches beyond compare, but she supposed impoverished nobilities weren't too uncommon. Maybe his country was smaller, or in dire straits. Felix said they were losing a war. Her eyes skate over the statues, the empty portraits, looking for Dimitri's features echoed in stone and oil and finding nothing. She wanders to the treasures on display, and finds them less glittering than perplexing.]

Wh-what's this? A whistle?

uwah

[paraselenes]

[ While Dimitri did not lack for privilege, Faerghus was never tremendously wealthy, and its nobility was always meant to embody the chivalrous knighthood at the core of the country: austere, humble, and strong. Rather than a palace, he grew up in a fortress, meant to sustain a siege; the stone walls are finely hewed, but barely decorated. Even the throne lacks silver and gold, built from dull, grey stone instead of marble.

...Though death has warped it somewhat, making it even less hospitable than usual. All the same, fire is fire, and one of the lively hearths works hard to warm the air around them. Dimitri is feeding the flames before he looks over at her, not bothering to chase her off from his precious tethers, slightly amused at being told to shut up. ]

Yes. It whistles at a specific tone—I'm told mercenaries create copies to find each other across a battlefield.

[ He smiles as he explains, small but unrestrained in its fondness. ]

...A dear friend gave it to me. I'm grateful that we still have such things here, even if they aren't exactly whole.

[ Tethers are at once more than just ordinary objects, and not quite as tangible. He has practically nothing to fill a castle with, but these few, mostly mundane objects are a comfort all the same. ] The dagger there belonged to my mother, and the sword was my own from my Academy days.

a

[unalign]

[ dw we don't have to brain a krampus fight if you don't want ;;

if dimitri's practically swathed in all kinds of pelts and capes, lumine, on the other hand, is wearing a dress. and it's not even a dress that covers all of her skin, hardly giving her shoulder and arms any kind of protection from the harsh weather. she shivers as a winter breeze blusters past them, taking a step closer to the only tree they've found in the shadowlands to shelter herself in.

strange how she's managed to fight off the cold in places like dragonspine, even against the freezing delusion of signora. but this one hits harder than either of those, and she wonders if she'll turn to ice soon. ]

It's, [ she fumbles with her words for a moment, keeping her teeth from chattering; any more and they'll crack. but lumine eventually lifts a hand to point in a direction. ] Over there, sorry.

[ still some meters away, and she hates having to drag someone there. ] You can stay here if you want. I'll, I'll take care of it.

[paraselenes]

[ DON'T WORRY i'm good either way!!!! drapes across u

With the autumn's chill a month before, Dimitri had taken precautions for winter, even if it was hard to say how time and seasons work here. It meant hunting and smoking meat, skinning pelts, stockpiling on staple goods—and making sure he had enough layers of warm clothes to make it through some snow.

But even with all the preparation in the world, he's still been affected by the weather here, with a chill that penetrates the densest furs. He can't imagine how difficult it must be to be unfamiliar with the cold—or so exposed to it. He's not the type to notice how nice her dress is, more concerned with how absolutely breezy it looks in a place like this. ]

No, I'll come with you. But—wait. [ He shrugs off the layer of furs, depositing it on her shoulders without allowing for any protest, expression pinched. ] You must be freezing.

a

[terraria]

Hupf -

( dimitri is not the only one crossing the shadowlands, which may not be all that much of a surprise to him. unfortunately for aspen, he is currently the target of a wandering reaper. he's too fast for it, fleetfooted in the best way as he zig-zags and avoids its reach with quick, almost bunny-like hops backward.

every now and then, he brings something out of his satchel. he winds his arm back, and when his homemade bomb makes contact with the reaper, the creature lets out a hiss. whether it's pain, discomfort, or annoyance, aspen can't tell - but he hopes it's one of those. he moves in a semi-circle, kiting the reaper away from a particular door.

but the reaper notes something, and aspen follows its gaze.

they both lock onto dimitri. )

Didi! Stay there!

( congrats on your new nickname, dimitri. )

[paraselenes]

[ Rather than the light patter of footsteps, it's the sound of... explosions that grabs his attention. He whirls around to see one of the bombs burst against the Reaper, forcing it to stagger but only stalling its chase, not halting it altogether.

Instinctively, his hand clenches into a fist, tightening as though to grip a weapon that isn't there. He'd grind his teeth in frustration if he weren't shouting in response. ]

Aspen!

[ Unfortunately, he will accept this name without complaint. He's Didi now. His hand snaps to his waist, drawing a sword that isn't fit for extended combat—plain and forged with nothing but plain steel, doomed to degrade without an inhabiting soul.

All the same, he very nearly charges in close the gap... until Aspen tells him not to? Maybe he has some sort of plan. He reacts on a dime, and Dimitri's foot literally skids to a stop, though the Reaper drifts in his direction and he prepares to slash at it anyway. ]

b

[pyojeol]

[Sooyoung lets out a short whistle as the fire roars into life, gaze focused on the surroundings now that there's some more light. The smart thing to do would be to plant herself on one of those furs, but she instead moves towards the throne. she hadn't known what to expect from Dimitri's Door, but the general air of the place kind of suits him. it feels serious and also sad? it's sad boy vibe hours, but like. dramatique.

after a moment of Contemplation, she suddenly turns her head to stare at Dimitri,]

-- Are you royalty?

[SHE NEVER KNEW THIS?]

[paraselenes]

[ It is sad boy vibe hours. The whole place is about as fun as Dimitri, which is to say, not at all. But it's warm around the fire, and he doesn't find the castle quite as dour so long as other people are in it—maybe that's why it's so easy to invite Sooyoung inside. It isn't any less precious or safe by having people he likes inside. Maybe it's even moreso.

He's bringing a heavy blanket over when he starts to look abashed. She didn't know because he makes a point not to really tell people. What's the point? ]

I am a normal person.

[ Said normally, by Dimitri, a normal guy. ]

...But I was royalty before all this, hence the—staging of this place.

b. is this b for body heat

[uncourteous]

[ a castle, is it. perhaps, they had more in common than he may have previously expected. it isn't as if he didn't know, after all, the man had labeled himself a "king"— but hearing and seeing were two completely separate matters, or so he may have argued. then again, maybe it could also have been argued that rather than ones background, their character itself held more weight. which, he wasn't as ignorant to his behaviors as he acts...

still, callisto is all the more impressed that dimitri simply lets him into his space without a second thought. if there was one thing that stook out in callisto's memory, it was that he was advised against showing his "room" so freely. not that he actually cared about such considerations, but it is an idea. he kept to heart. that said, he can't deny the way his eyes seem to roam over the space. he supposes he can see why he was told that advise. this was all rather personal, wasn't it?

but, considering what he's told dimitri of himself so freely, he feels like this was fair enough. (in reality: dimitri in no way asked or deserves this, i am sorry).

when dimitri speaks, despite his hospitality thus far, callisto simply responds with: ] You should change that. Especially, considering we share quite an intimate bond, don't we? [ as always his words are misleading and he doesn't seem to be interested in correcting that in the least. ]

But, it's still quite cold here, isn't it?

i don't want to be made fun of by ms. vodka poisoning

[paraselenes]

[ It's true that this place is personal—and maybe he doesn't even like Callisto very much. But exasperation is no excuse for leaving someone to languish in the cold, where winter can kill a man overnight, royalty or otherwise.

And there isn't that much to hide in this place. It's broad, dark, and somber. Not exactly a space that people would want to invade, and even then, why would they go out of their way to destroy his tethers? He isn't worried when he sighs and pushes a blanket squarely into Callisto's chest, woolen and thick. ]

Nothing between us is intimate. You are, as ever, completely lost to your delusions.

[ HE'S SO STUPID ]

...But, yes. Lately nothing seems to keep the cold at bay. I practically grew up besides snow and still find it difficult to stay warm.

a.

[ulfrkysst]

[Eivor has come to the Shadowlands for the same reason: the icy fingers spreading across her heart, the inarguable sensation of dread, the certainty that this is where she needed to be.

She's dressed more elegantly than Dimitri, her face framed by a fur-lined hood, but she looks just about as lost as him.]

Hej—what do you seek? You cannot stay out in this weather.

[paraselenes]

[ Between the Krampus and the sprites, he's left lost and seeking, torn in too many directions to get the right read on where to start.

The cold, however, is much more straightforward. When she prompts him, he flinches briefly, made on-edge with all that's hanging over them, but manages to keep his hand off the pommel of the blade at his waist. ]

...My spear. It was stolen from me. [ Not just a pointy stick, but a proper weapon this time. And though she's not wrong, he seems reluctant to give up the search. ] But this accursed cold—it isn't normal.

[ Just like everything else here, there seems to be a catch, even with the seasons. ]

🎄mistletoe

[paraselenes]

[ Whether it's outside in the cold, or his Serene apartment, or around Stygia in general—there's enough of the Accursed Weed everywhere that he's bound to get caught up in it eventually. Multiple times. Please free him, this isn't in the courtship handbook and he doesn't know what to do. help ]

This again?

[ He'll shoot whoever is also here an apologetic look, very quick to tack on: ]

Um. We do not have to do anything.

[ They can just accept death. Or a curse. ]

[boarwitness]

[felix doesn't say anything, but his expression says it all—exasperated ire. he is standing on the counter in the kitchen, in the middle of attempting to cut the mistletoe down, precisely so this wouldn't happen in the first place. there's a garbage bag filled with more mistletoe nearby.

mentally, dimitri can feel a jolt of alarm. what now. what fresh hell would this mistletoe avoidance bring. a sprite at his ankles chitters furiously. he covers his mouth as he coughs out a black cloud—then a peony.]

I don't plan to.

[and back he goes to hacking the sprigs down.]

[paraselenes]

[ No sense in telling Felix to stop, even though he should really save his energy. The mistletoe will just spring back like festive little weeds. But maybe the act of savagely cutting them down brings Felix some reprieve, even if it puts him at risk of being caught like this.

It's a hopeless situation. Dimitri should just be glad he's not the one getting sliced down. He stays where he is, because he's certain they'll both be struck with a curse the instant he tries to leave. Besides, he needs to stick around and nag. Some of the petals of the fluffy-but-wet peony scatter on his arms as he crosses them. ]

You didn't tell me you were ill.

i am...... so sorry

[wrists]

[ laurent came to this soiree in mirth to attempt to gather information but mostly as a distraction from the cold — the fires here burn much hotter than what he can safely manage in his humble lodgings in the harbors, after all. he is no stranger to opulent parties dripping with needless extravagance. at least there is the absence of pets here. everyone has their clothes on, that he can see.

unfortunately, being as cold as he is, he is distracted from the dotting of mistletoe at nearly every height, and when he bumps into a familiar figure, he finds himself standing directly beneath one of the infernal blossoms. it is not just a harmless tradition here, and his gaze immediately turns glacial. ]

Of course we do not have to do anything. [ he levels his blue eyes at dimitri, frost clinging to his pale lashes. ] If you touch me, I will take you apart.

[ it's the first time he's seen the man since he saved his life in the mausoleum, and it's perhaps not the kindest way to begin this conversation. laurent still walks with a limp from the abysmal's attack, but it would have been much worse had dimitri not taken the beast out. ]

help

[paraselenes]

[ Ah, so Laurent's sparkling attitude wasn't thanks to the prison, but just how he acts in general. On the bright side, Dimitri is used to being greeted with this level of vitriol; his once-best friend was just as sharp-tongued, and from knowing each other well, much more personal in his barbs than Laurent is. So he accepts it with just the barest tilt of his head, almost charmed.

It's not everyday someone is mean to him. ]

Hello to you as well, Laurent.

[ He had meant it when he said they didn't have to do anything—he'll accept the sprite's prank, even as it leers at them. Dimitri ignores its attention, frowning instead at the way Laurent carries his weight. ]

...Are you still injured?

[appeale]

[ when she'd seen Dimitri across the street, she'd bounded over to talk to him like an overeager golden retriever, and had only meant to walk with him for a little while. but she's regretting that now, because they hadn't gotten far before a sprite yanked Rudbeckia's hair and, pointedly, gestured above them at a lamppost.

Ruby's half-hearted fixing of her hair has become nervous fidgeting, and she tries to arrange her expression into a shy smile. she thinks it might come across a little strained. ]

... Have you been cursed many times, Dimitri?

[ because she already has. and it fucking blows. ]

heewon ; noticeboard

[paraselenes]

[ Why did he agree to do this? Dimitri, who once wore armor over his school uniform, as though being dressed head-to-toe in black wasn't coverage enough? Part of it is an effort to live a common life, making ends meet as any average person would—he'd endeavored to collect as many souls as he could, hadn't he? This is how normal people make money, probably. And besides, the artist had been so insistent once he'd arrived that he hadn't had much chance to protest the nude part of nude modeling.

And so here he is. Thinking about his choices. Considering his life. The session feels even longer than the several hours it actually is, practically an eternity—and when it's time to go, he practically rushes out the door to get his clothes from the adjacent changing room.

...Except someone is in the doorway and he nearly bowls them over. Stupidly, in his shock, ]

—Ah. [ AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH ]

i can't believe you actually did it

[executory]

[ Did she want to strip off all her clothes so that some guy could ogle her for hours under the guise of 'painting' her? Absolutely the fuck not, especially not when it's been so chilly lately. But with HSY accidentally turning some of their funds to ashes (literally) and the weather mandating more layers of dress, times had gotten tough.

So. Modeling.

At least she has consolation that if anything untoward happened Uriel would burn this place to a crisp. Maybe that would even warm her up some? Wow, she's feeling actually jovial as she steps into the place—only to ram her face straight into a pair of nice pecs. Nice naked pecs??

(the chest meta will never die)

Stumbling backwards, she looks up with a frown. Blinks. ]

Oh. [ Oh????? ] It's you.

[ Automatically, she looks down. How big is Dimitri's little Dimitri anyway.........? (Thank god he's legal.) ]

childe ; mistletarts

[paraselenes]

[ Even if the mistletoe is terrible and apparently being haunted by both sprites and horrible, stalking beasts that would eat the very tongue out of your mouth, there's still some winter cheer in the marketplace and around Stygia in general.

They stumble upon some stalls selling hot wine and warm food on the way home, where Dimitri manages to end up with some fresh pastries; he holds onto a small tart while passing another, more innocuous snack to his recently minted housemate. ]

Would you like some?

[ He considers the tart, meanwhile. ]

The vendor said that these are supposed to encourage a good night's rest, though I don't see how.

[lackluster]

[ Is this their way of celebrating their recent housemate...ship? Either way, Tartaglia isn't complaining; free food is free food so he'll happily accept the pastry offered to him with a quick thanks. It's some kind of muffin with blueberries sprinkled in. ]

Maybe because it'll knock you out with its taste?

[ Not only does the muffin look good, but the tart does too. ]

They probably didn't mean it literally.

[ Little did they know... ]