01 🐣 HYJ: November Catch-all

[monsterdaddy]

((OOC: A general catch-all for stuff Yoojin's doing in November! There are four open prompts up here in the main post, closed prompts to come in the comments below. Want to do something with Yoojin, but the open prompts don't suit your fancy? Ping me in the game Discord or reach out on Plurk asherdashery and we can set something up!

You can find Yoojin's info here and his permissions here.))

A. Mr. Yoojin, All Contusions, How Does Your Garden Grow? (Everbloom's Greenhouse; from 11/3 onward)

[Yoojin came to Rosavelle with the express intent to relax and recuperate. Yet, after spending a mere 48 hours with neither kids nor kidnappings to deal with, he finds himself at loose ends, restless.

Thus, even though getting around is more difficult than he'd like on his crutches, Yoojin decides to spend the next few weeks slowly exploring the castle grounds.

The first place he visits is the first part of Rosavelle he saw: the Everbloom's greenhouse, lovely in its rose-tinted warmth. The garden plot Yoojin feels is connected to him is overall quite pretty. It isn't arranged with precision, but he still registers pleasing sort of harmony among the colors and shapes. The plants at the center are especially impressive, with flowers of azure blue, cerulean, orange, gold, and all shades of pink.

He smiles as he sets his crutches down and gingerly lowers himself to the ground. He lifts an azure bloom to examine it, then touches a cluster of the perky, tiny ocean-colored flowers that remind him of his ward.]

Hey, kiddos. I miss you. Hope you've all been eating well while I'm away.

[Which might sound a bit odd, from someone who believes the Princess's claim that time in their home worlds won't pass while they're here.

From then on, Yoojin makes it a habit to swing by the greenhouse every day to weed, water, and check for dead leaves and branches, often humming while he works, sometimes murmuring to himself. If he happens to say, "I love you," to a bunch of plants, well, haven't we all seen and heard weirder here already?

Once or twice, he can be found staring up at the Everbloom tree with a much harder expression to read on his face. He doesn't touch it. Eventually, he mumbles:]

So you're the Source of this place's magic, huh...

B. Hizzztory Homework (Amourian Library; whenever)

[Supposedly, the library has a copy of the history text Nadeshiko references in class. Supposedly, it can't have left the room; it's on reserve all month, for use only within the library itself. So where is it? Who stole it?!

One needn't look far for the thief. Snug as a bug in one of those "warm corner" reading nooks the staff has set up, Han Yoojin has clearly succumbed to the Blankie + Boring Book double-whammy combo. He's managed to curl up sideways in his armchair, completely burrito'd not only in the chair's throw blanket, but an oversized, hot pink knit cardigan that clearly doesn't belong in this world.

And he's hugging that history tome to his chest like a security stuffy. The corner of it sticks out of the blankets, poking him in the chin in a way that should be uncomfortable.

The shadows under Yoojin's eyes suggest he hasn't been sleeping well, even amidst this royal luxury. On the other hand, it's his sneepy face today or Nadeshiko's temper tomorrow. Choose Wisely.]

C. Coo Coo (At the base of the Lilac Couriers' Loft; latter half of the month)

[Yoojin's kitted out in a whole hot pink ensemble on top of his castle clothes: knitted cap, mittens, long cardigan, even longer scarf. It must keep him warm and cozy, because he doesn't shiver in the slightest even as his breath mists out in front of him. He watches the messenger doves come and go from the top of the watchtower above, winging expertly amongst the ribbons and charms, cooing and fluttering.

He sighs eventually and drops his gaze, then starts when he notices someone else nearby.]

Oh! ...Hi!

[He covers up his surprise with an awkward smile, turning on his crutches.]

They're cute, aren't they? The doves.

D. A Spritely Sort (Barracks Courtyard; 11/25)

[Speaking of cute: frost sprites. Look at them, they're so little! A handful of them have gathered around Yoojin, who's sitting on a bench in the barracks' shared courtyard, picking off flakes of pastry from a sugar-crusted, danish-looking thing in his lap. A couple sprites are brave enough to dart in and take the crumbs directly from his hand. He grins as he watches them, singing some silly thing he's clearly making up on the spot.]

♪♬ You're little frost sprites, yes, you are
Zipping around, near and far
Have some snacks on me, they're free... ♫♩

[He looks up. Locks eyes. Oh no. You're in this together now. His smile widens even further.]

Help me get these kiddos to the Everbloom tree~! ♬♫♩

Comments

[liedol]

[ Ai does a good job of keeping a sympathetic expression, nodding along like someone who's a normal amount of invested but as she listens to him speak, a dull ache flares to life in her chest. Weirdly, it's good to hear someone else say all that out loud and put words to the yearning she certainly can't voice, even in a place like this. If magical invites can find their way to her slice of the world, who says gossip can't as well?

But it hurts, too. Just a little, just in the way a fading bruise might.

But still. ]

Mm. This place is nice, but... I guess they say there's no place like home for a reason. It's probably better that we don't have to worry about people back home missing us but... it doesn't help us when we're missing them, huh?

[ Her smile is more than a little bittersweet. ]

[monsterdaddy]

[He takes a long, slow breath, and holds it for a couple beats, until it finally escapes him in a quiet whoosh.]

Nah. Not really.

[If he lingers on this feeling too long, it's going to crawl up his throat until he chokes on it. No strong and uncharacteristically patient guildmaster is here this time to hold him steady, safely out of sight, while he hacks it up and cries. Yoojin has to handle it on his own. He shakes his head. Offers Ai an aching smile of his own.]

Tell me about them? Your people, I mean, if you want. That kinda helps, sometimes.

[This isn't the first time Yoojin's found himself all alone in a world of strangers. At least this time, he can hold onto that one life-saving certainty: they love him. They're coming for him. He'll see them again.]

[liedol]

[ The question so obviously catches her off guard that she doesn't get a chance to properly curate her expression before it tells on her. She blinks at him in open confusion for a moment, maybe just a beat too long, before she seems to catch herself and hastily comes out with a laugh instead. ]

'My people'? What, are you sure? [ Another laugh. ] Um, I mean, I can if you really want, it's just... I don't know how interesting it'll be. It's kind of just my boss and his wife and...

[ ... ]

... and their kids. I've got a lot of fans but that's not the same as being popular for real!

[monsterdaddy]

[...She misses... her boss, his wife, and their kids. With a significant pause in between.

You know what.

That's enough red flags raised that Yoojin's innate nosiness overcomes whatever semblance of politeness has so far kept him from prying into a young woman's personal details. He activates his Twig skill, perusing her optimal stats and skills for any hint as to What Her Deal Is. He continues talking as he scans the info that pops up, at least attempting to be subtle.]

Fans, huh?

[Hoshino, a last name to go with her first. She'd Awaken with okay stats--better than Yoojin's, anyway--but she wasn't at all suited for combat. Her skills, on the other hand, are impressive. A-rank, S-rank... But they seem similar to actor Park Hayeul's, which. Is kind of unpleasant to think about, at the moment.

But it's not Ai's fault Yoojin got himself brainwashed by a pretty boy with flowers where his grey matter should be. Yoojin's face remains friendly.]

Are you a performer?

[liedol]

Ah, well...

[ She's purposely been a little wishy-washy with everyone as to exactly what she does back home - the less everyone knows about her outside of what she puts in front of them here in Rosavelle, the better. For her and everyone else.

But she can't really dodge the question when she's asked that directly and it's her own fault for prompting it.

So after a moment, she gives him a bashful smile. ]

Yeah. I'm an idol, actually. I've been kind of keeping quiet about it, though - don't wanna sound like I'm bragging, you know?

[monsterdaddy]

[Yoojin doesn't react right away, because something else has caught his attention. The third of her listed optimal skills isn't like the others. It's titled Protostellar Nursery, which may as well be gobbledeygook for all Yoojin understands from it. The icon that goes along with the skill, however, looks... oddly familiar. An embracing figure with stars for eyes. Two more stars cradled, supported, lifted up by joyful, loving arms.

It's not unlike the symbol for Yoojin's own Perfect Custodian. So, would Ai Awaken with a caretaker skill similar to his? But wouldn't that mean she already... does something like what he...?

The rise in pitch at the end of her question brings him back, cuing him to respond. He scrambles to recall the last seconds of conversation.]

Ah! An idol, really? Like the girls in Twice or SNSD? Ehh, wow! Isn't that a lot of work?

[liedol]

[ Aaah, she messed up. She keeps the smile on her face, forcing it to brighten a few notches, and nods along with as much pep as she can manage. ]

It sure is...! But that's just like any job, I guess. They say nothing that's really worth doing is easy, right? And I have a lot of fun with it, too, so I guess I'm pretty lucky.

[ It's a PR answer, the exact same she gives in interviews when she doesn't think the interviewer will be able to twist it into a suspicious soundbite. But it feels a little... weird. To be trotting it out in a place like this. ]

To be honest, it's been kinda weird that I haven't been doing any work since I got here. We have those lessons, sure, but that's totally different. Kinda feels like I'm on vacation. Heehee.

[monsterdaddy]

Yeah. I know what you mean...

[Well, for Yoojin, it feels half like vacation--his first voluntary extended break in, uh, ever--and half like languishing in exile. But they've already grazed the edges of that conversation; it feels a bit too tender to bear more weight.

He's still puzzling over Protostellar Nursery. A stars-and-light theme runs through her other skills, too. That bears out, if she's really a pop star. So, does she nurture her fellow budding stars to do their best, like the heart of the group? The icon is so maternal, though. Maybe she's got a sense for even younger talent, and helps them realize their potential? Could that be why she misses her boss's kids? She has that kind of bond with them?]

I guess your manager's kids must come along with you a lot. [Maybe it really is like one of those "you're our employee, but we want to be your family!" situations. Generally, that kind of thing is just bullshit to squeeze more work out of workers, but Yoojin can't say that's always the case. That'd implicate him as the same sort of manipulative boss, given his whole situation with Noah.] How old are they?

[liedol]

Mm. They kinda have to. We're not, like... a big company? B-Komachi does well, but... ah, that's the group I'm in - we're doing really well but it's only the last couple of years that we've really taken off. So I guess they couldn't really afford childcare or time off. Stuff like that.

[ What was the excuse Miyako always used to give? Ai can't quite remember but she's suddenly wishing she'd paid a little more attention to it. ]

They're... about three or four, I think? [ doing an excellent job of pretending she doesn't know down to the second, if she says so herself ] But I've known them since they were babies. Or, well - I guess they're still babies, huh?

[ She does her best to keep her smile relatively level. She's being a normal amount of calm and nonchalant about this, right???? ]

[monsterdaddy]

Definitely still babies. Yoohyun was so cute at that age...! Aw, man, I wish I could remember better. His soft little cheeks, his big eyes! He had this green frog-themed coat, oh my god, you know, with the eyes sticking out of the hood? Like they do with cat or bunny ears sometimes? I could die!

[This is not Yoojin playing up his reactions for ulterior purposes. He's genuinely losing track of what he wanted to figure out, thinking back to his brother's preschool days.]

Um, but I can tell you they stay cute for a long time. I mean, my brother's twenty, and I still think he's adorable. Other kids are sweet, too, of course, but... he's my baby. You know? Even if he's my baby brother.

[liedol]

[ Now that's the gushing of a truly besotted parent (or, well, brother) if Ai knows it - and it just so happens she does. She's pretty certain she's worn the same look of guileless adoration with Aqua and Ruby more than once and seeing it on someone else... it's nice but it makes her feel a little twisted up inside at the same time. What wouldn't she give to express herself that freely and gush about her little treasures in much the same way?

She manages to keep the bitterness out of her smile but she tastes it on her tongue all the same. ]

Mm. I think I get it. Even when they start growing up, I'll probably still think of them as babies too. It's hard not to, huh?

[monsterdaddy]

So hard. Yoohyun's, like, physically one and a half of me at this point and basically the CEO of his own company, but... to me, he's still a kid. He shouldn't have had to grow up as fast as he did. He shouldn't have had to figure out so much on his own.

[Turning back the clock only made his brother so much younger in his eyes. So much easier for the world to cut down, to bruise.]

There are still so many young parts of him I want to protect, for as long as I can.