Feb catch-all with an oops

[firacrux]

WHO: Seifer Almasy
WHERE: Various places around the village
WHEN: Monthly catch-all for Feb 10th ~ 23rdish
OPEN TO: OTA with a few closed threads
WARNINGS: Some swearing, will update if necessary

---

Working at the Forge:

As always when on his normal routine Seifer could be found at the forge, working away. This time he was focused on finishing off Niska's commission, it had gone on the back burner for far too long. By now he felt he had a solid enough understanding of how smithing worked that he could hammer out a reasonable design. Several sketches and a few scrapped prototypes later and he was finally on the right track.

The task was ample distraction to keep him out of his own head and far from focusing on the recent increase in lack of sleep. Honestly, he'd take any form of distraction right about now. Conversation, annoyance, a fight, you name it. With none of those conveniently available he threw himself all in on this project, which started out with making a mold for the plate in which the pills would be pressed through out of clay and indenting that into the damp sand for casting. Still had the base, the handle, and then the lever mechanism to attempt to fit together and get working before he could call this project anything close to a success.

Thank Hyne Niska had provided him with something rather complex for his first commission. This should give him an excuse not to sleep much for a few days.


Helping at the Inn - OTA:

Work was slowing down at the forge. They only needed so many nails, gears, and hinges cast so after a point Seifer decided to spread his efforts elsewhere. That was how he’d showed up and volunteered for cooking duty that day. Which meant breakfast that morning was eggs and a whole bunch of his specialty pancakes. Yes, yes, everyone loves waffles, but you need a waffle iron for waffles and all he has is a skillet. So that means pancakes.

Piles of them.

As well as a nice hearty soup he was throwing potatoes and other root vegetables into. That one would be finished by lunch. He’d even been nice and brought a few of the nice yellow footed chanterelles he’d found to add to the community pot. Funny how quickly he’d found himself comfortable in the kitchen. Honestly he could spend all day there and be happy as a clam. Especially right now that he had a mighty need for distraction which resulted in a willingness to experiment with more spices than usual. These will be his best pancakes and soup yet.

Nearby he’d sacrificed a soup bone to the expertly begging Elkhound he’d noticed hanging around the Inn. Very big dog, how could one resist the sad eyes of a very big dog? Now happily chewing on his bone.


Visit with the doctor: Closed to Beverly Crusher:

It was weird showing up at someone’s house you didn’t know. Even weirder doing that to ask for tea. And yet, here he was after he’d received information from Nida where to go knocking on someone’s door. Should he really be doing this? Maybe he should have contacted her on the network first.

Well, too late now as he’d already knocked. If she wasn’t home then he could run away without embarrassing himself too much. No, Almasy, it’s just a doctor, no reason to freak out. It couldn’t possibly be that bad, right? Just ask about tea then leave her alone. Perfect.


Crocdog hunting redux: closed to Anne:

One morning he woke up with a wild idea and knew just the person to impose it on. Or rather, a recap of their last failed adventure and a great idea to get out and learn fresh things while they tried to succeed this time. So, after packing far too many supplies in his backpack and tying some blankets into a nice tight roll inside a borrowed tarp he appeared on Anne’s doorstep knocking.

It’s way too early in the day for this and yet the dumb grin he’s wearing says he’s absolutely ready to get into an adventure. They’re gonna find a dog.



(OOC: Got another idea, want to plot something? Feel free to hit me up or toss up a wildcard starter!

EDIT: Oops didn't realize that he didn't have his band yet for the band glitch to be fixed. My bad.)

Comments

Crocdog Hunting Redux!

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne is, thankfully, an early riser, so while she's confused when someone's at her door this early, she's already dressed and ready for her jog.

"Hey ... you look like you're geared up and ready to go, what's the occasion?" She beacons him into her house, since it's too cold to have a conversation outside without ample movement, "I'd ask if you want something to drink but you don't look like you intend on staying."

[firacrux]

A good thing too, because Seifer would be at least thirty percent more annoying if she weren't yet dressed and ready for her day. As it is this is good news because she's almost as ready to go as he is. She just doesn't know it yet.

"So I had a thought," He opens as he accepts the invitation inside. It's nice and warm in there. "Remember looking for croc dogs? Well, I figured after our last trip we're far more ready to deal with what this place has to offer. What do you say we try again?"

Yes. Right now.

[can_fight_ugly]

She stops in her tracks and looks over at him, eyes his eagerness and his accouterments, and blinks. Anne immediately got the underlying implication that he meant now, another moment to realize he's including her in this assumption, and then a heavy delay as she tries to think of anything to excuse her from accompanying.

Except, no, she decides she's not going to sit back and let him tromp off on his own. She's eager to find new purpose here, and maybe hunting down crocdogs is it.

"Okay, Seifer, what do I need?"

[firacrux]

Of course, who else but his partner in crocdog hunting for such an adventure? Eddie still needed a crocdog after all. Provided Venom wouldn't eat it that'd be disappointing. Still, Seifer looked absolutely ready to go. And grinned brighter when Anne more or less agreed to his impromptu plan.

"Warm clothes, pack an extra blanket probably. I already brought you a knife." He found a surprising amount of supplies open for public use it just took some digging around to locate them. Ropes, a tarp, all kinds of blankets. Good stuff. And food, definitely food this time.

[can_fight_ugly]

"A knife?" Oh good she needed something like that. "I hope it comes with some lessons."

She smiles though; it is needed and appreciate, but for now she starts to head back toward her bedroom, "Give me a moment to pack, I'll be right now."

And maybe throw on something a little more substantial, since they'll be making a trek as opposed to the quick jog she'd had planned.

Clothes situated, blanket rolled up, jar of peaches that she'd been saving - seemed like a good time to break those out. She comes out with her backpack and blanket roll and then sets it by the door as she grabs her coat and warm weather gear.

"So, why all the sudden urgency?"

[firacrux]

"And a machete, complimentary lessons for both." He assures. Man what a stockpile he found at the inn digging around for things to use. Very useful things, these should make their trek considerably easier. At her request he nods, shouldering off his pack for a moment to take a breather. It's getting a bit heavy just standing there. Walking seems fine.

Yes, dress warm Anne there's going to be quite the adventure. He'd moved to linger not far inside by the time she comes out, just sort of peering around her main room curiously. He wanted to see if she'd manged to give the place some personal touches or not. He wasn't good at such things.

"No real reason. Got antsy, had an idea and knew just who to inflict it on." He grins. "Alright and I might be needin' a distraction." Still running from his problems. At least he's only running to find a pet and then come back to them. There's just too much baggage to sort through all at once.

[can_fight_ugly]

Anne has done the best she can with decoration. It's winter, so fresh flowers are out, but there are some artful arrangements of branches in a couple vases here and there, Lynn laying on the mantlepiece over the fire looking like a decoration himself with his smokey patterning and luxurious fur. His tail pulls in and out of a lazy crescent as he eyes Seifer.

"A distraction would be nice. There's been a lot to process." Everything they've seen on the mountain, everything that happened coming down the mountain, and things that have ... transpired the day before, as a result of some strange shifting in personalities with the scrubs colors. She hasn't quite figured out how she feels about that one.

She gets her coat fastened and shoulders her backpack, drawing the strap carefully over her wounded arm; it's still tender, still bandaged, but if she's conscious of it and keeps it clean she shouldn't have an issue.

"I'm ready. Shall we?"

[firacrux]

It looks nice. Far more lived in than his own setup. The house decorations Rinoa takes care of, neither Seifer nor Nida are especially prone to collecting a lot in the way of keepsakes. Comes from growing up expecting to die and be replaced at any moment. Easier to clean out an old cadet that didn't have many personal effects. Which is depressing to think about, so he's not going to. Instead he's going to watch the cat watching him with interest.

"Been a hell of a week," He agreed. "Figured it's not like we've got jobs or school or anything waitin' on us, why not take off for a couple days?" And bring back a friend or two while they're at it. Speaking of scrubs colors, Seifer still didn't have his band, so he was stuck wondering what all the fuss was about.

Once Anne looks to be suited up he goes about digging in the pack, extracting one smaller utility knife, and one much larger machete for her. "One's for workin', one's for brush and defense," He explains as he offers them to her. Then, noticing how tender she moves he regards her for a few moments. "Y'know, there's a spring outside of South Village I've heard has curative properties. We could stop by and see if it won't do something for your arm."

[can_fight_ugly]

"You know, that sounds like a wonderful idea." She'd figure out modesty and clothes when they got there, but for now indulge in the idea of a nice warm soak. She takes the blades, affixing the machete to her belt and tucking the knife in an outer pocket on her bag.

Lynn, sensing she's heading out for an excursion and still missing her from her earlier sudden disappearance, hops off of the mantelpiece with a mrr and trots over to leap up onto her coat and crawl his way to her shoulder.
While normally Anne wouldn't have thought it was a good idea bringing the cat along, her normally reasonable and logical mind is leaning more towards a dilemma of leaving him alone and burdening Foggy with caring for him once again. She undoes the top two buttons of her coat, collects the cat, and tucks him inside.

"It's been one hell of a month. Let's get going; I'm eager to put some space in and get out where I can think." Process what's been going on, distract herself from the terrible decisions she's made recently, and get to know this kid who's become something of an adopted ... son? No, they're not quite it. Nephew; that'll work.

"You're awfully chipper, overall. Does the idea of getting a dog excite you this much?"

the doctor is in!

[ethnobotany]

Luckily for Seifer, the doctor is at home. Or perhaps unluckily, given that this means he won't be able to run away. She isn't expecting anyone to come knocking, but that doesn't mean she won't go see who it is. Plenty of people could turn up on her doorstep and she isn't in the habit of turning anyone away.

Not even someone she doesn't know, which is the case now as she pulls open the door to see a young man with a scar and a bit of a scowl on his face. She gives him a cursory glance over, to be sure he isn't here to see about an injury or illness, before stepping back and motioning him inside.

"Something I can do for you?" she asks pleasantly. Just about everyone knows she's a doctor and that she has something of a supply of herbal remedies. For all she knows, he's probably here for something like that, which is completely fine with her. But there's no need to have a conversation out in the cold.

[firacrux]

No fortunate opportunity to flee after all. Silently he cursed himself for not moving faster, or not being more steadfast in his decision. Either would be better than this awkward waffling that he was doing on Beverly's porch.

What, just like that? The expression he wore was one faintly baffled, among the scowl of course. That was his default expression after all. For a moment he looked fairly uncomfortable to be invited in so quickly, but decided that maybe talking inside was wiser than standing out in the cold.

"Uh, er, thanks," He muttered as he accepted the invitation inside, choosing to not move too much further than the door once he was in. "Nida said he'd come to see you before about a tea to help him get to sleep? Turns out he's been feedin' it to me all this time." Yes he's totally ratting Nida out to the doctor, what of it?

[ethnobotany]

Talking inside where it's slightly warmer is definitely better than standing out in the cold. She closes the door easily once he's inside, but like with Nida, she doesn't stand between him and the door, choosing to give him easy access should he wish to leave at any time. And unlike what her tall, thin stature might suggest, she is able to take care of herself. Hopefully that won't be necessary and she never likes to think that it will be.

Her eyebrows rise at the immediate confession. She isn't surprised, unfortunately, just a little disappointed in Nida. "I hope he knows he's supposed to be taking what I give him, not handing it out." Though if it's been helping Seifer, she supposes she can tolerate it this time. It isn't like they have anything else around that might not go well with what she'd prescribed. "Has it been working for you?"

[firacrux]

Smart. Perhaps she had figured out from Nida that blocking exits made them incredibly uncomfortable. Even being the one to come bother her Seifer still became uneasy when he felt trapped. With a clear and open exit he was able to relax a little. Fear not, Beverly, the last thing Seifer wants to do is start a fight. Especially not with the only doctor he knows of in town.

He snorts an agreement with her. "Should know better, idiot takin' care of everyone but himself." Which is why Seifer felt it necessary to make sure she knew that he's misbehaving. You don't disobey the doctor. She's the one authority it's most wise to listen to. Awkwardly he runs a hand back through his hair. "Yeah, it has. Well, as much as anything." Better than nothing, or the alternative which is alcohol and he fortunately hasn't hopped on that train yet. "Was wonderin' if I could ask about more. Shove some back at Nida, too." Because Nida needs to sleep.

[ethnobotany]

She has honestly dealt with enough problem patients to see the signs. Even if she hadn't, it doesn't take an empath to see the trend in people here, especially these kids. They've been through a lot and if she can make it even a little easier on them, she will.

It would be nice if she could get her hands on some actual Starfleet medicine that would do more than help as much as anything. But that seems to be the best she can get at this point, so she'll have to take it. Still, she regards him carefully, looking to see if he's giving her anything to worry about.

"Of course you can," she says warmly, motioning him into the kitchen, where she keeps the extra cuttings. "I would appreciate it if you could convince him to take care of himself. He's obviously not listening to me." Admittedly, she isn't used to that, given how easily she could pull rank on Starfleet officers if need be. Still, if Seifer can have even a little sway with Nida, she'll take the advantage.

"Give me a minute or two and I'll have your mixture ready. Same quantity as before? Nida told you how much to take at a time?"

[firacrux]

He might be a little wary and uncomfortable, as anyone meeting a new doctor might be, but he wasn't twitchy or anything. It was always pretty awkward admitting you needed help from someone, even if it was their vocation to offer that help. Weakness isn't something he likes anyone knowing about. So... this is hard. But admitting to a difficulty sleeping isn't the worst thing in the world.

"Workin' on it," He offers as he follows her to the kitchen, still leaving a safe enough distance between them while he does. Doesn't want to crowd or make her uncomfortable either, after all. "Probably? He's been making it so I don't really know."

Nida was sneaky. Seifer might be sneaky right back.

[ethnobotany]

It takes a lot to make her uncomfortable at this point in her life and helping someone sleep better, stranger though he is, isn't on that list. Especially if he's already making noises about helping her with Nida.

"All right, we'll start you with this," she says, holding up one pouch of the herbs. As she points out each herb, she gives him the dosage quantity and instructions. Lavender for anxiety, insomnia, depression, general restlessness; and California poppy, a sedative and good for things like nervous tension. "Don't hesitate to come back when you need more. With the lack of decent medication, this is about all we have, but I'd rather it get put to good use than sit around with me all year."

[firacrux]

Probably helped that ultimately he was likely more afraid of her than she of him. Seifer was definitely cagey and uncertain in the unfamiliar space, but not like someone up to no good. More like someone who didn't know how to deal with strangers very well.

He listens closely as she explains, nodding his understanding. Easy enough. "Any adjustments for body weight?" He's bigger than Nida, but overall it didn't seem like it would be that big a deal if it weren't precise. Chamomile and lavender weren't exactly something you could poison yourself on very easily. "Thanks, I'll be sure to do that. It does help." His other option would be alcohol and that's hardly the best route to go down for a sleep aid.

Helping At The Inn

[duel_wielding]

See, the one thing North had figured out that he could help with since coming to this place was cooking. Sure, he wasn't the greatest cook, but he at least worked hard, wasn't going to hurt himself, and enjoyed the process a bit, everything from cutting onions to peeling vegetables to whisking things. He loved it all as an act of creation and a memory of his parents. So when he walked into the inn and saw there was already a huge mound of pancakes, he couldn't help but pause and smile.

"Well, I think that right there tells me I'm not needed today," he teased as he watched the young man work with a sort of focus that showed a real passion for his craft.

Let's pet the dog, Theta suggested, and North resisted the urge to chuckle as he moved to do just that, still watching the spirited blonde.

"How early did you have to get up to get all of this done?"

[firacrux]

Hearing someone enter Seifer glanced up, offering a faint shrug and a slight smirk. Ah, looks like he's stolen the same day other people had the same idea! Well that's alright, he'll surrender tomorrow. "Yeah, wasn't on the schedule or anything figured I'd drop in and help out today." Since he ate there enough he might as well give back.

The passion, of course, was not entirely normal, this was a fixation born of the need to distract and escape his own thoughts. It was either this, or wallow in self pity for weeks. The latter wasn't very appealing nor was it very useful, so instead he'd put himself to work until he dropped. And hell, everyone likes to eat right?

"Me? I'm up before the sunrise anyway. Didn't have anything better to do yet." He already had his run, those don't take long.

[duel_wielding]

"Up before sunrise tends to mean workouts where I'm from," North chuckled, moving toward the mound of pancakes. "Mind if I have a few of these? Nothing like a nice burst of carbs first thing in the morning."

Works for him, right? He doesn't want to question the young man, not too heavily. That would likely be rude.

"Unless you want some help, of course. I can provide that."

[firacrux]

"Already had my run," He confirms, gesturing vaguely at the pancakes. "Help yourself, they're not for me." At least not all of them. Seifer didn't have that big of an appetite. Not enough to eat the amount of food he was pushing out this morning.

"Nah, don't worry about it I got this handled. Help yourself." His mission today is breakfast and getting lunch cooking so it'll be ready by the time more hungry people filter in. Soup takes time, but it's well worth it.

[duel_wielding]

"Thank you kindly," North smiles as he gets a plate out to start loading it up. Once he has the plate loaded up he leans against a counter to eat. After all, he wants to consider this young man. The scar gets him curious, but he doesn't directly ask.

"How far?"

[firacrux]

They need some more meat in the village, Seifer thinks as he continues to refill the mountain of pancakes. Hopefully some hungry people will arrive soon to enjoy them while they're fresh. Good news is they'll keep fairly well wrapped up in a fridge, just have to warm them back up. If nothing else he'll pack a few for an adventure he wants to have later.

"Couple miles every day, longer if I don't have anything better to be doing." Or he needs more time to think. "Why d'you ask?"

[duel_wielding]

"More of a comparison thing," North smiles. It's a nice, calm thing, like the answer doesn't matter too much either way.

He's got a soldier build. Maybe he's from our time? Did they take kids this young in the military before?

Theta, he could just be a guy that did sports in school.

"I tend to do about five to ten, depending on my mood. Any good places around here, specific areas better for it or worse?"

[firacrux]

"Ten? Daily?" That was pretty extreme, what was this guy a machine? Even in Garden their test runs unjunctioned didn't typically go over three at most. With Junctions sure, that was different though. Well now he's feeling emasculated and he's going to have to step it up, two miles was his daily routine with classes and further training following.

He huffs, looking offended. If this guy could do it then so could he. Seifer's going to end up hurting himself over an imagined slight now.

"Take the route between North and South village will get you the furthest on the most even terrain. Aside from that, I hope you like dodging trees while you run."