( catchall ) my moment has arrived

[midway]

WHO: claude von riegan
WHERE: netherworld
WHEN: always
WHAT: catchall
WARNINGS: will update as it comes up

[ i'll be putting planned threads with claude here! feel free to hit me up on plurk (whysofork or discord (spoon#0374) if you'd like to hash something out!

or just tag in at will or request a thread here! ]

Comments

october 🎃 sylvain

[midway]

[ By now, Claude has clued in on the fact that the delicacies on display at the feast aren't without their... eccentricities. He's watched a few people ascend into a euphoric state after sipping the foul-smelling beverage, and others see things that aren't there after sampling the whiskey.

So there are risks, but that's no different from any other feast (there's always the risk of drinking a little too much and making a fool of yourself). And after the horrors in the woods, and his own ingrained inclination toward feasts, he doesn't stop himself from enjoying the food and drink on display. None of it has shown to be deadly, at least.

That is until he pops one of the candies in his mouth after having his fill of the nuts, chewing contently on it for a moment before passing out.

Right then and there, at the table where his unconscious body is blocking the path of anyone else looking to indulge. ]

[philandery]

[ it's possible sylvain may have missed claude entirely at the feast. he isn't looking for him, nor does he know he's even here. But the sudden blur and abrupt noise of a body dropping at their communal table is, frankly, impossible to miss.

a shriek of alarm goes up beside him from the first person to notice, quickly followed a commotion of chatter. no, he's not dead. no, the food hasn't actually been poisoned this time. yes, this is just another—

—sylvain starts when he realizes he recognizes who it is. or, he's pretty sure he does. (something about him looks a little different... but he can't quite place it. he's only caught glimpse of claude von riegan once, and briefly, during the war.)

still, they had been allies, and sylvain feels obligated to look after him in the midst of strangers. the crowd is quite happy to let him carry the unconscious body away, and he tries to get him situated in a quieter spot, away from the feasting. ]

What did you eat...?

[ if claude wasn't still warm, with color to his face, sylvain would assume him a corpse. with a grimace, he tries to coax his jaw open, to see what's inside his mouth. (sylvain voice) open wide ]

[midway]

[ If Claude were conscious, he would probably be mortified by 1) dropping dead in the middle of a crowd and causing a scene, and 2) having to be carried to safety by Sylvain Jose of all people. Luckily however, he remains blissfully unaware of both of these things for a while longer, pliant and boneless when Sylvain drags him away. It's an easy task to press at the joint of his jaw, his mouth falling open lifelessly.

At least, it is at first.

Just in case Sylvain thinks he might have the situation handled, he'll find his access to Claude's mouth cut off abruptly when Claude opts to mash his face against Sylvain's collarbone instead, his previously limp arms suddenly winding around his torso in a tight grip.

Or as tight as they can be, when Claude is still soundly passed out. The embrace is less a threat or a reprimand for Sylvain's heroic manhandling, and more like a child cozying up to a parent, seeking refuge from the hustle and bustle of the festivities through proximity in order to preserve sleep.

In any case, the list of items that Claude would be mortified by if conscious steadily ticks up to three. ]

[philandery]

[ well. this is a Development.

sylvain is not at all expecting claude to move so suddenly, and, with a Gah! of surprise, barely manages to pull his fingers back in time. they are both very fortunate they don't probe up claude's nostrils instead. ]

Uh. Cute, but I think you're barking up the wrong tree here, pal...

[ ...no response. he pats him awkwardly on the back, and then gently shakes his shoulder, trying to rouse him. neither attempts are successful. his chin feels itchy where claude's hair tickles him. ]

O—kay...

[ he's not sure whether to be concerned or vaguely embarrassed by this turn of events? it's a little bit of both. he mutters something joking about a political scandal, and tries this time to pry claude's arms off him... ]

[midway]

[ Sylvain is being very sweet and gentlemanly. When he's conscious later, he'll be grateful that Sylvain didn't take any photos to lord over him later.

He doesn't respond to any of Sylvain's awkward mumblings, and his arms pry off easily when Sylvain tries because he really is just passed out here. But almost as soon as Sylvain gets them off, they're winding around him again.

He's kind of like a clingy koala bear, making a content noise as his face nuzzles a little closer in. ]

october 🎃 dimitri

[midway]

[ Claude isn't entirely sure what happened.

One minute, he was vaguely enjoying the parade as it marched through the town, smiling at the children (while also a little sad there were so many—had they died young? could people... procreate in Stygia?), and the next it felt as though the ground had suddenly been pulled out from under him.

He doesn't fall, but the unexpected hit of disorientation causes him to stumble back, feet unsteady and nausea sitting heavy in his stomach as his insides turn upside down. It's enough that he loses awareness of where he is, the sounds of the parade distant and muted, too focused on trying to fit properly inside his body.

—And then clarity snaps back; the noises of the children and the bustle of people around him.

He blinks, frowning at the strands of hair that had fallen into his eyes, lifting a hand to brush them away before his stomach drops again.

Why is his hand so white? ]

[paraselenes]

[ It's bittersweet to see the progression of youths, most younger than him, that make up the jolly procession. They seem happy, but one has to wonder how long they've lived here—did they die as babes and grow up here? Does anyone age? It seems a shame either way, to have so many young lives lost.

Maybe it's the shared line of thought that hits them both. Or maybe it's random happenstance. But his vision swirls violently, and there's a sense of vertigo, like the moment one falls in a dream and the startling collision into the waking world that follows.

Except when he 'wakes' up, he's not even looking at the same scene as before. The crowd has changed slightly, still energized, but he doesn't have the same neighbors that he did before. Or the clothes that he was wearing. Or... anything of his. His own body doesn't feel right, more compact than it should be, and the little endcap of his braid knocks against his neck when he startles.

...His braid? ]

What is this...?

[ His voice? He claps a hand over his mouth and tries not to panic, but he's frantically looking around the crowd for an answer here. Not that it's hard to spot, because it's—he's—a head taller than most.

He's literally staring at himself. ]

[midway]

[ For a moment, after he drops "his" hand, Claude enjoys the blissful sensation of having an unobstructed view of his surroundings. He can see everything clearly, with no heads or shoulders in his line of sight. He's not exactly short normally, but it is interesting to have this new world view.

But soon enough that view lands on a familiar face—his face—and this quickly becomes his worst nightmare again.

For a moment, he just stands there in a daze, unmoving and separate from all the activity around him, as if it were all an elaborate illusion that he would wake from as long as he reminded himself that it couldn't be real. ]

This can't be real.

[ Even whispered his voice is considerably deeper than it should be, dashing his hopes that this is some sort of doppelganger or evil twin situation. That's his body, with someone else inside it, and he's—

Spinning on his heel and turning, moving roughly through the crowd, desperate to find a secluded spot to collect his thoughts. ]

[paraselenes]

[ Watching the stunned shock of his own features is surreal. And chilling, in an odd way; like he's just wandering outside of his body, trapped and bottled up somewhere else.

But it feels natural as he gets accustomed to the change through the shock. In the meantime, he watches 'Dimitri' run away. If he loses sight of him in this crowd, it'd be a nightmare to track him down again.

Besides, whoever this is looks just as startled as he feels. ]

Wait!

[ It's a familiar voice. The answer hits him slowly since he can't see his own face right now, but it's starting to creep up on him.

At least Claude's body is quick, almost automatic in the way it dodges the crowd as he gives chase. ]

[midway]

[ There's plenty of chatter and noise around them, but Claude is keenly aware of his own voice (does he really sound like that?), and while it isn't enough to get him to stop, it does fill him with a new purpose.

He continues moving until he's in a relatively secluded area, keeping an ear out to ensure that his body is still chasing after him. Once he's content, he turns on his heel again, gaze locking on his own body and marching forward with purpose. With the distance between them closed, he grabs "Claude's" shoulders, feeling oddly menacing with the added height. ]

What is this?

[ He desperately wants a mirror, something that might show him the face of the body he's in and confirm the suspicion that's settled like ice in his belly. But there's nothing around them; just their matching expressions of confusion and distrust. ]

Who are you?

october 🎃 sooyoung

[midway]

[ Maybe it would be better just to call it quits on this festival. Between getting his ass handed to him fighting the Puck, passing out from eating candy, and being whitewashed, the cons are steadily starting to outweigh the pros. There's no telling what might come his way next—hedonism? Drug-induced sexual encounters? Parties are truly a terrifying time.

... That said, aside from the fight, it has been relatively harmless, and it's a nice break from the monotony of their afterlife existence.

So when the world shifts around him, and he blinks back into awareness shorter and... different, he really has only himself to blame.

And the fact that this place is insane. ]

What— [ . . . ] Oh, I'm a woman now?

[pyojeol]

[love how claude jumps to hedonism

as for sooyoung, she's already accepted the fact that the festival is fcked up? but like, what else is she gonna do? get chased by yjh in the corn maze?? no thanks!!! she sticks around as the parade goes by, and then tries slipping her hand in an unsuspecting partygoer's pocket. i hope claude enjoys being bodyswapped into hsy with her hand in someone's butt pocket because hsy is now claude]

-- What the hell!?

[midway]

[ He's right.

Especially when he's jammed into Sooyoung's body, and the first thing he realizes is that he's groping some stranger's butt?? Because OBVIOUSLY he has no idea that Sooyoung is just a thief, and instead assigns her SLUT.

And because Claude is not a slut, he's not entirely prepared to act when the stranger turns around at having their butt groped, smiling when he sees "Sooyoung" there. The rando chuckles something about, "oh, you've got my attention" before grabbing Sooyoung's butt in return and now.

We are in a butt holding ouroboros. ]

What the hell is going on?!

[pyojeol]

[This would be hilarious if it wasn't her butt being held.... also unfortunately sooyoung has seen her body go through some wild and wacky things like she's seen people stab her, cut her head off, set her on fire, pulverize her.....

but she draws the line at watching her butt being grabbed.

which is why she's running on up in claude's body (wow she feels so tall) and instead of doing something sensible like idk distracting the butt-grabber she just




punches him out]

Die.

[midway]

[ Everything is happening so fast. One second Claude is both grabbing a butt and having his (his?) butt grabbed, and the next he's groping air while watching his body moving majestically through the air, handsome features carved with determination, raw power in his body as he slams his fist into this random guy's face.

His heart rate picks up slightly. Is he really that moved by his own appearance?

Or maybe he's just having a panic attack at having his body stolen. ]

What are you doing?! People are going to think we're dating.

[ There goes Claude... Being macho and possessive because some guy grabbed his girlfriend's butt. ]

november 🍁 rosa (serene quest)

[midway]

[ While Claude is no master hunter-gatherer, one way or another Rose and him manage to track down the cave that the statue-smasher calls home. Maybe Rosa has exceptional survival skills, it would be pretty believable given how talented she is in pretty much every way.

His wyvern is sailing through the sky above them, which gives him some comfort, since all he has is a kitchen knife and a bow that he made himself.

He glances at Rosa. ]

Looks like we found it. We might be done with this job well before sunset if we're lucky.

[declass]

[ she does have exceptional survival skills :)

anyway. rosa nods, looking around at the area they're in. there are better places to be potentially attacked, she supposes... ]

Hopefully this won't be too much of an issue... it would be annoying if there's multiple of whatever it is.

[midway]

You're confident.

[ They're a good ways away from the city, which means they're far from medical attention. Granted, they have the safeguard of his wyvern, who would make it a quick trip back. Assuming they're well enough to even sit up right on her back.

He's feeling pretty grim, but considering that the surprises in this place tend to always be terrible, he feels justified about it. ]

Do you want to charge in first?

[ It's a dark cave... ]

[declass]

It would probably be best to do some scouting...

[ maybe check to see if there are any other exits nearby? but since they don't really know the area, that runs the risk of wasting more of their daylight depending on how far they search... ]

If not, we can move in quietly. It'll be embarrassing to run into a trap.

november 🍁 heewon

[midway]

[ If Claude had a coin for each time a head librarian has ended up a treacherous shapeshifter, he would only have two coins, but it's still weird that it's happened twice.

It's feels particularly upsetting that the latest Stygia shenanigans took place in the library, one of Claude's favourite places to hide away and relax. Thankfully there's a concentrated effort to address the root cause of the problem, and books and archives are returned to normal soon enough.

The same can't be said for all the Restless however. Claude has seen Heewon around the building, and even if they'd never really interacted at length, he's fairly sure that she doesn't normally have arms covered in fur.

He wanders over. ]

You doing all right?

i really can't believe this was ten days ago....closes my eyes

[executory]

[ She would be way more all right if there wasn't a sudden influx of fur spreading across her limbs. For someone who's never had to shave before in her life (thanks, Asian genetics), this is kind of hell, actually?

The rest of the library hadn't been so bad, nothing she hasn't dealt with before in some flavor or another during the Star Stream scenarios, but the fur? No thanks.

Is this how Kim Dokja had felt when he'd turned into a giant squid? Man, she really should have cut him some slack back then. Maybe she'll apologize to him belatedly after this is all over. Whenever she gets all this fur gone. Unhappily, she rubs at the fur on her left arm, tugging at it experimentally to see if it'll just painlessly come off if she pulls hard enough. It doesn't, and also it kind of hurts. ]

Could be better, [ she admits. ] but I guess it should be enough that I'm still alive.

[ .... ]

Not dead-dead? Whatever actual dead in this place is supposed to be.

november 🍁 felix

[midway]

[ Sometimes, life is suffering.

Actually, it feels like life is suffering a lot lately. Claude shouldn't complain too much, given that at least he hadn't been imprisoned, stripped of his clothing and branded like cattle, but it's still pretty upsetting to be turned into a werewolf against his will, and instead of looking sexy shirtless like Taylor Lautner, he just.

Grows a Santa beard. ]

This is terrible.

[ He's not opposed to facial hair per se, but this is aging him way too much. Which is why, as he's shuffling back to his room, he feels embarrassed when he runs into Felix.

Maybe... he won't recognize him. ]

[boarwitness]

[felix is walking here. he's walking. from the kitchen, back to his little basement hole, to do more Sword Stuff. when he walks past claude, he barely spares him a glance—just a curt nod—before walking on.

then stopping dead in his tracks.

then running back the way he came.

finally coming to a standstill even with claude, brows knitted together in consternation.]

Claude. What are you... [he gestures vaguely to his own face, which is writ large with confusion] doing.

[midway]

[ Felix... is here.

Claude's a little embarrassed, though hopefully it's hard to tell with the sheer volume of beard on his face. He's meant to be the leader of a nation, a commander of armies and he's just out here like this. Unkempt and confused. Bested by the inability to keep his face clean shaven.

How mortifying. ]

Ah, Felix.

[ But it's fine, he'll play it off. If a bit awkwardly. ]

Do you think it... suits me?

[boarwitness]

[considering that their last real conversation had been tense, strung with drama and a delicate dance around truths and foolishness, it's hard to reconcile that claude with this claude.

instead, felix just shakes his head slowly, at a total loss for words. when he finds them again, he only needs one.]

No.

[and after another moment of consideration:]

Shave immediately.