( semi-open ) 🌼 may catchall

[feyfound]

CHARACTERS: juniper veltris & others
DATE: late may
WARNINGS: tba
SUMMARY: catchall with some open prompts around the 3.1 questboard! feel free to hit me up at camerata for plotting!

Comments

🌼 open prompts;

[feyfound]

1 / ON / quest: amex black card

a. auction mingling
[ In a manner that may be surprising to most, Juniper cleans up decently enough for the party in a green dress that matches her eyes, with her hair pulled up and adorned with flowers. She also manages to act well enough on her part, which is only possible because she’s already so damned earnestly nice and polite most of the time that all she really has to do is keep herself from asking stupid questions (90 percent of her brain power is going towards making sure of this)…

Easy enough, at least, when there are plenty of fancy little snacks to occupy herself with. Indeed, Juniper can be found hovering around a caterer with a tray or a table stocked with various finger foods most of the time, or otherwise making smalltalk and enjoying the various musical performances of the evening.

…And sneaking in flutes of champagne here and there. It’s fine, right? It’s for the sake of blending in for the mission! ]

b. quest investigation
[ wait… what mission? She’s so devoted to playing her part that she’s all but forgotten that the part-playing is in service to an actual investigation, and actual goal.

It takes another partygoer mentioning the Frog Maiden for something to seemingly shift in Juniper’s brain, and at its mention she tilts her head and cups her chin with a hand contemplatively as she thinks out loud… ]

The Frog Maiden, hm…? There was something about the Frog Maiden… Ah, what am I forgetting?

[ Someone please step in before she blows her own cover. ]

2 / OFF / girl help

[ It’s been a few weeks, now, since Juniper arrived and decided to earnestly live up to the life laid out by her fake memories. It’s its own adventure in a way, right? She’d been so excited to go to university, when she’d never been to any sort of formal institution for learning up until now—

Even though there’s so… much… homework? That she doesn’t know if she even really understands? What in the Nine Hells is calculus, anyway, and why does it need a pre- in front of it? Is there a post-calculus, too?

Anyway, studying in the library and hoping its atmosphere would somehow make her smarter hasn’t been working, so instead she’s taken her textbooks and sprawled her work out anywhere and everywhere in Dodo, whether it’s on a table in the Banquet Hall, on the floor at the Training Hall where she’s attempting to solve problems in between training exercises, or all over the common room coffee table in the Warbler Suite.

If one inspects Juniper’s work, it’s easy enough to tell that, spoiler alert: she has no idea what’s going on in any of her classes except for like. English. ]

1b

[preowned]

[ fucking help

well, tsurumaru will just walk next to her casually, like they're best friends. thank you mods for giving us an excuse to dress up. but he takes a sip out of his own champagne glass. ]

Hm? Frog Maiden? It's suspected to be auctioned off for a high price, right? I'm sure it's going to steal the show.

[ he winks. please catch on before he starts trying to think of more puns. ]

[feyfound]

[ why is this person wINKING at her—

she rolled a whole 3 in intelligence to pick up on the hint, so... rip. ]

Right, right! The highly sought-after Frog Maiden statue! But I feel like there was something else that was important about it, hmmm...

[ at least now she's shoving another deviled egg into her mouth before she spills any beans. maybe the extra protein will help her think more gooder! ]

[preowned]

[ fucking help. what did he do wrong...

well. tsuru will proceed to just wink his other eye, as if the only reason juni didn't catch on was because of that choice and nothing else. yes, it'll go better this time. ]

Oh, you know. How people may just want to run away with it due to its beauty.

[ this is fine. ]

[feyfound]

[ another wink? Is she being flirted with??? ]

Yes, yes, its beauty! If it was a real frog maiden so many frog suitors would be wanting to run... away... with...

[ please hold. She's staring at Tsurumaru very, very intently. Something is surfacing in her brain. It's very close, almost there.




She leans in, pulling out a little fan and opening it so she can whisper at him... ]

...Don't I know you from that bakery?! Are you under cover, too!?

[preowned]

[ you know what's the worst thing about this? he is going to assume that winking with the other eye is what did this.

but the recognition makes him nod his head, and tsuru leans in a little so he can whisper back. at the very least, they just look like gossiping rich people like this... or a couple, but he is personally thinking of the former option because it's funnier to him. ]

Yes, yes. Here to prevent a robbery?

[ they deserve to fail this with how long it took to get to this point. ]

2

[reinherits]

[hikari walks into the training hall for his daily sword exercises, but then pauses when he sees juniper on the floor with her textbooks and




he glances around the hall in confusion like? did HE enter the wrong room by accident?]

[feyfound]

[ No, he's absolutely in the right place, she is just the embodiment of chaos. Because the sight of the textbooks and notes strewn about is also coupled with her absolutely substantially large axe just on the floor near her. Like. Should it just be on the floor like that?? What if someone trips? ]

Ahhh... Why do I have to learn this stuff...!

[ She'd heard Hikari walk in, but she's too caught up in her confusion that she doesn't think to greet him. Instead, she just... faceplants into her open textbook. ]

[reinherits]

[cautiously, he steps towards her. and around the axe on the floor, which he is vaguely aware of as a safety hazard.]

Are you... all right?

[feyfound]

[ Groaning, she turns her head just enough to be able to glance up at him, bunny ears fully drooping so sadly. ]

Mm, I'm all right—

[ And then said ears perk up! This person - she knows him! Kind of. Maybe? ]

—Oh, it's - it's you!

[reinherits]

[he blinks.]

It is... me.

🌼 kaede

[feyfound]

[ Time to make the most horrendous cookies in existence!

Though, not just yet. Juniper had of course volunteered herself to take part in the Love Love Matchmaking quest. A month’s supply of chocolate sounds great, and it’s for the greater good (?) after all! She can go on a few dates for the sake of publicity and helping a local business!

Even though… She’s never really gone on dates before? Real or fake. Her fake memories are telling her that she’s gone on a few in her “offline” life, but she’s finding more and more as of late that she can’t really be relying on those fake memories for much more than putting names to people’s faces. If even that!

Case in point: as she stands waiting outside the designated date spot, Juniper is staring down at her phone, wondering why the name “Kaede” sounds so familiar… Though when her fellow ambassador makes her appearance, she offers a winning smile and a friendly wave of her hand. ]

Kaede! Over here!

[mapleware]

[ It's not until Kaede approaches Juniper and sees her in person that it clicks for her why she sounds so familiar.

Really, that clouded familiarity is what convinced Kaede to take up this job in particular, considering...you know, dating. Not a thing she really does. Or has done. Like, ever. And her baking skills leave much to be desired...

But anyway, as soon as she spots Juniper, it clicks. She's...she's--!!

Both her hands fly up to clap on either side of her face. ]

It's you! Ahhh, I can't believe it - you're just as trendy and cool as you look in all your posts!

[ ...That probably don't actually exist. Welp. ]

[feyfound]

It's me!

[ ...What does this mean! Her newly-arrived date mentions trendiness and posts, neither of which Juniper really knows if she understands. She certainly doesn't know what the trends are. And ... posts? Like on a quest board?

But Kaede's enthusiasm is contagious, and Juniper has never been one to resist the tide of joy, especially when given so readily! ]

T-Thanks, I think! It looks like we're going on a date today. Are you excited?!

[ she has forgotten what the date is supposed to be exactly-- ]

🌼 lumine

[feyfound]

[ You know what’s better than one adventurer? Two adventurers!

It’s why Juniper is ecstatic to have Lumine along for this quest, especially as it’s such a departure from their first little adventure together! No dangerous vines or electrocution here, just… Ten cats in a house with only one caretaker, who’s doing his best. Still, variety is truly the spice of life, and she’s looking forward to working with Lumine again in very different circumstances.

They’re walking up to the front door of the quaint man’s house when Juniper pipes up. ]

I think it’s sweet that Mister… [ Oh, goodness. One second. She checks her phone. ] Mister Abe is looking after his wife’s cats even after she’s passed… So let’s do our best so he can breathe a little easier, Lumine!

gosh i can't believe i closed the tab for this and thought i was done!!

[unalign]

[ cats > dangerous vines

that much, lumine agrees. and it isn't like she hasn't done a similar request like this before, chasing after and looking for cats. at the very least, this isn't as terrible as margaret's request back in mondstadt where she needed to scale certain rooftops.

still, wait til they find out that "breathe a little easier" has a whole different meaning.

in any case, she lifts a hand to knock on the door, offering a smile when it opens and the man welcomes them inside. almost immediately, several cats dive into various hidden spots in the living room covered in cat fur, the appearance of two strangers startling them. ]

... Ah, looks like we have our job cut out for us. Where should we start?

[ cleanup? cleanup. ]

no worries!

[feyfound]

[ Juniper is ready to be greeted with several cats to the face as soon as the door opens, but instead they scurry away! That's fine. Preferred, actually! But she blinks as she takes the sight of the absolutely fur-covered everything in, humming thoughtfully. ]

Oh... Shall we clean up while they get used to our presence!? I hope they'll come out to play eventually but... they don't see what wonderful companions we are yet and that's okay!

;;

[unalign]

[ lumine also feels a little disappointed when the cats pretty much disappear the moment they come into view, but juni is right that they'll just have to deal with it for now. cleaning up takes priority and cats are easy enough to coax out of hiding once they're done. ]

All right!

[ she puts her hands on her hips, surveying what's in store for them. she looks over to the man, giving him a smile and asking where the cleaning supplies are. mister abe gingerly points towards a broom closet, one that lumine strides over to.

a broom is taken out, followed by a mop and a bucket and some rags. ]

I'll go grab some water and soap from the kitchen. I think we can start with the living room for now.

[feyfound]

[ They'll come out in time... or with treats! Or quite possibly: get curious enough about the lady with bunny ears that they might mistake her for an actual giant rabbit.. Only time will tell...

After Lumine takes out some of the cleaning supplies, Juniper joins her and - after offering her own polite greeting to Mister Abe - takes the broom and rags out of her hands, nodding enthusiastically. ]

Great idea, Lulu! [ that's her nickname now enjoy! ] I can take care of anything that's higher up, too!

[ She is the taller one after all!! ]

🌼 v

[feyfound]

[ Who better to take on a quest involving ten cats with than someone who has the big kitty familiar? Even without that consideration, though, Juniper already knows that she and V work well in a team together, and if they managed to take on that golem, then surely ten cats would be just fine…

Right…?

As it turns out, ten cats is. So many cats. And it’s especially so many when at least half of them see Juniper’s rabbit ears and think she would make a far better toy than any of their existing toys.

It’s some time after they’ve arrived that Juniper walks into a room in search of V, with three cats latched onto her. ]

Umm, V…? I-I’m wondering if maybe I should stick to cleaning up around the house.

[verselet]

[You would think he'd be capable, wouldn't you? If he could deal with a large cat-demon-familiar like Shadow, V can clearly handle ten housecats.

Except ten cats is a lot of cats. Ten small cats are a lot of little furry bodies that like to get underfoot, that mewl for attention all at once. Shdaow is large, yes, but it is only one entity, stoic and calm and listening easily to V's commands. This will be something wholly different, he thinks.

The moment Juniper walks into one of the room, where V is trying to scoop up a litter box that hasn't been cleaned properly in... who knows how long, he knows this to be true.]

You...

[Okay, that's a somewhat humorous sight, though he manages to hold in his amusement, turning around with his lips twisting to scoop up more cat poop.]

But they like you so much.

[HELPFUL, V]

[feyfound]

I-Is this the love of cats!?

[ Wow!?!? You know what's just as humorous? The veritable, dramatic, edgy V!! Scooping up cat poop!!! ]

Do you think... that they think that I'm a real rabbit!? Like a giant rabbit!

[ Said as one (of ten cats) is very much just. Full on gnawing on her hand. ]

[verselet]

[It's dirty work, but someone's got to do it. V will just make it look cool and edgy the entire time. (He won't. No one can make this task look very dignified; thankfully, V's pride doesn't get in the way of such a thing, especially since he was the one who offered to help with this task. Scoop, scoop, scoop.)]

That depends. Are they trying to pounce on you? Eat you?

[When he's done, he takes a moment to clean up (AND MAYBE WASH HIS HANDS SOMEWHERE) but at some point, he's sauntering back over to Juni and, holding his cane under one arm, tries to gently pry one off of her. How hard is this cat latching on?]

Otherwise, maybe they just like you that much. It would make sense. Shadow's taken a liking to you, after all.

[feyfound]

[ In the time that it takes V to finish with his task and then go wash his hands, yet another cat has latched onto Juniper. That's basically half of the cats on her (she's bad at math).

The one that V attempts to pry off of her, at least, gives easily and is thusly removed, although it does leave a nice little parting gift of claw marks on Juniper's arm. Her love of sleeveless crop tops is truly being weaponized against her... ]

Well, at least one of them pounced on me... Does Shadow really like me?! Did it tell you that?

[ She wants to know what Shadow said about her!! ]

[verselet]

Oh, of course. It likes your fighting spirit. It shares it in spades.

[The cat has left a mark on her arm, alas. He blinks at it, even as he shuffles the feline to settle in his arms. It immediately tries to clamber up to his shoulders, instead.]

...It would never pounce on you, though. Not unless we were in the middle of a spar. I wonder if your appearance is activating all of these cats' prey drive.

[He gently tries to remove yet one more cat from her, though its claws extend in token resistance, catching on her clothing. Which makes his next statement sound contradictory, but he's more referring to the scratch she's already been given:]

Should we find you... sleeves?