felinebr

[felinebr]

Ranulf took in the surprise on the student's face with interest. The wheels in his mind were already turning. This kid was surprised to have been picked... because he wasn't noticeable? Ranulf squinted and looked him over.

Sure, his build wasn't the most physically impressive, compared to some he'd seen. And sure, he wasn't dressed flashy or anything. That was... kind of why Ranulf had picked him, though. An ordinary-looking beorc.

"Do you really need a reason?" he asked. His eyebrows rose in surprise and disappeared under his headband for a minute.

Maybe the kid would surprise him with his skills. He hoped so, anyway. This would be a more interesting demonstration that way.

"The fact that you're not someone I usually teach means I don't have any idea what you can do. That's more fun."

'Fun' was exactly why Ranulf did most of what he did in peacetime. A playful grin spread across his face.

"So... how are you at fighting unarmed?" he asked, then leaned in as if to whisper conspiratorially, but it was a stage whisper and the rest of the room could definitely still hear him. "A lot of these kids have no idea what to do when they drop their weapons. I was hoping you could help me demonstrate some techniques."

background vs foreground

[felinebr]

Ranulf nodded and let himself fall into thought for a moment. A continent that was used to, if not peace, at least the absence of continent-wide war would be unprepared for the reality of it.

He knows his home was. Crimea fell so quickly because they weren't ready. Gallia could have been next if they hadn't been given warning. It was a lot to consider. He didn't want to jump right to the idea that whatever everyone was so anxious abut would come to pass, but Ike was gearing up. That meant Ranulf would support him.

"I hope they don't end up having to live through it."

He grimaced and went over to help with the weapons. He didn't know what made something like that good overall, couldn't really tell one from another but... he could inspect for cracks, scuffs, or other damages.

"This is a whole different kind of fighting, you know. Not something I'm used to."

It was worrying. He didn't know how much help he'd be if it came to defending this place. Maybe he could scout. Maybe he could guard specific kids. He'd figure it out as he went.

"Hey, Ike? I'm better than you at talking. After we make sure this is all lined up, want me to ask around and figure out what the chances are that something really bad could happen?"

Taking Stock

Lance + 1

[felinebr]

"I'm not soft. I've never gotten soft," Ranulf said with an indignant huff. He raised his own spear high and closed one eye to better aim it. He let it fly then and the smile that formed when it hit the target, not the bullseye but definitely the target, was cheshire in its size.

"Beat that!"

He looked more excited than landing in the third ring from the centre should have him. But hey! It was the best either of them had done yet.

They were heavy though. It was a wonder how beorc managed to throw these things regularly. Hauling them around too... what impressive creatures they could be.

"We should up the stakes. Whichever of us hits the target most gets something from the loser. And... a bullseye means an automatic win."

Show you what-for!

[felinebr]

"You can clean the hair out of the brush, I'm sure," he said, sitting cross-legged on the floor a little ways away. It was a good position to watch from, and his cheerful grin didn't falter at all as he observed Soren acting more warmly toward an animal than he might have otherwise expected. He didn't expect the guy to be mean or anything. But he was used to seeing Soren act cold. "And I'll tell anyone whatever you want, so long as you brush right behind my ears."

He was teasing... but it was easy to do. He remembered Soren always being easy to wind up. Was that still the case? He'd have to poke and see.

"It's pretty nice, yeah. You lot have to ride around on other creatures just to get the speed a laguz can. It's nice to know my own paws can do that," he said, leaning back on his hands as he watched him.

"I wasn't assigned this, you know. Just came to take a look at the animals. Didn't expect to see you here. It's a nice surprise. Run into Ike yet?"

Soren looked down at the wolf he was finishing brushing. Most of the fur caught in the large brush was grey or white.

The returning quip was easy to make.

"Perhaps, but you might inherit some grays." Soren pulled the brush through again, ignoring how the wolf happily let its tongue hang out, relaxed and half sitting on him as he groomed it. "As long as you tell Professor Skrimir I did my duties, I would like to be free of these creatures."

He said it with half amusement, half exasperation. For all of Skrimir's Skrimir-ness, Soren couldn't actually be angry, even if he found it absurd. Soren remarked, whenever relevant, that the Officer's Academy truly had no staff standards, taking in whoever Rhea liked off the streets as best he could tell, but really?

No one had looked twice at Soren's own long tenure as a student with remarkable youthfulness despite the years, so he'd take what he could get.

"It must be convenient to not need mounts to get anywhere in a timely manner. Speaking of, were you also assigned this chore as well by someone?"

[felinebr]

Ranulf took a look at her expression as he ricocheted off the wall behind her. Her dodge was pretty impressive. He didn't know what she was but she didn't smell like a beorc. Didn't smell like anything else he knew of either. Interesting, interesting.

He nearly dodged her kick, then decided to let it connect. Not in his ribs, he made sure to move so that wouldn't be the case. Claws came out to slow his slide across the floor as he was kicked.

Ears perked up at her words though. He didn't know if she'd notice, but his tail perked up as well. Telltale signs of a cat having fun. She wanted to play? That was more than enough permission for him to bring the claws out properly as he lunged at her again.

Sorry, ma'am I mistook you for a whatsitcalled

Gauntlet + 1

[felinebr]

The way the calm of spring had shifted into something more sinister was not lost on Ranulf, who was more attuned to these sorts of things than others. Laguz could sense changes in things like balance and order. It had his fur standing on edge a little as he helped Ike get their defenses ready.

Laguz didn't typically fight like this. With barricades and plans to hold out. But he was nothing if not adaptable.

He hoped the threat of all-out war was only that: a threat. But Ike knew how to defend a fortress, helping to defend a place like this... how hard could it be? There were a lot of people militarily adept. Ranulf wasn't worried about their chances, only the toll it would take on the students and the noncombattants.

"Some of these kids seem really eager to fight. I hope it's only because they want to put what they've learned to use. How many of them do you think know the reality of war?"

In Gallia, fighting is part of the culture. Something they were raised in, though few there hoped for harsh conflict. The thrill of the fight, of the chase, of the hunt... that was instinct. But those fights need not be deadly. No sensible laguz truly desired war.

But they were still raised with it looming as a possibility. Peace was tenuous, and so they trained for possibilities. He knew it wasn't always so for beorc, though.

@ofradiances

Taking Stock

Lance + 1

[felinebr]

I had drawn a doodle for Valentine’s Day that was basically just lineart so I decided to finish it because I love my boys. They are so embarrassing 💙🩵

[felinebr]

Ranulf hand his hands up behind his head as he walked. The stables were not really his destination but he had ended up there. He was always interested, curious rather, in the kinds of animals kept by beorc. Beasts they rode to make up for a lack of their own speed or flight. He could see the appeal, if he was stuck in one shape he too would likely try to find ways to compensate.

The animals there were calm, too. Creatures raised to be war-mounts and therefore of good temperament, since they can't rightly get anxious in new situations and buck their riders off in a panic. And mounts for students, so nothing too dangerous or so he assumed. The wolf caught his eye before the branded did. It's not that he didn't recognize Soren, only that his eyes passed over him due to his familiarity.

They weren't close, but he liked him.

In response to Soren's quip, Ranulf feigned a pout. His ears flattened back and then perked back up as a thought seemed to occur to him.

"If I wait patiently, you'll brush my fur?" he teased.

Fur and Feathers [Ranulf & Soren]

+1 Riding Starter for @felinebr

Horses, pegasi, wyverns, kinshi, and now riding wolves and griffons - the monastery’s menagerie keeps on growing, and the stables can barely contain all of them anymore! The Church calls students, Professors and Knights alike to help ensure that all of these animals have proper care. It’s also important to them that everyone knows how to take care of and handle all of these different species, in the name of versatility, broader horizons, and preserving harmony. Perhaps you will take this chance to bond with a new mount you’d never even considered before? [Grants Riding +1]

Soren hadn't thought it possible for one creature to have so much fur. He'd spent what felt like forever brushing one of the new huge wolves, the brush somehow always coming out with more fur from the wolf's coats. He sighed, continuing his brushing as the wolf clearly enjoyed the treatment, grey and white tail wagging as he cleaned the brush out.

As a student, he was required to put up with chores. He'd long accepted that the price to pay for staying a student as was most inconspicuous for the age he appeared to be was some indignities such as this, but this wolf seemed to have more fluff than even the Fodlan pegasi.

"You live like this?" he muttered to the wolf, dragging the bristles through again. His uniform was covered in wolf fur, light on black to make matters worse.

Light blue in his peripherals caught his eye and he looked up mid brush, blinking in surprise.

It was still difficult to comprehend that he felt about as comfortable around Ranulf as he could around anyone. Given some of the more recent arrivals from Tellius, he ought to be dancing for joy over his recently lowered bar of expectations. Even so- think about it all too hard, and he might ruin the relief that allowed his shoulders to sag. Soren kept brushing the wolf, aware he even had fur in his own hair.

"I'm afraid that you're in for a long wait if you wanted to be next."

[felinebr]

Ranulf caught his mistake pretty quickly when the voice that answered back was really not his own. Okay, so this wasn't a case of some kind of doppelthingy. Fine. That was... better! Yeah, way better. It does mean he just attacked a stranger, though.

She had good reflexes and reaction time, though. He couldn't help but grin. As a beast laguz, he loved a good fight, it was all instinct. He could apologize later, especially since she was giving as good as she got. Better, maybe. He was no pushover, though. The kick connected, and he immediately transformed, skidding across the sauna floor and using the momentum to launch back at her.

He kept his claws in. This fight was happening because of his mistake, for being jumpy! He wouldn't be trying hard to actually hurt her. She was definitely trying to hurt him, though. Exciting! It was her right, since he'd started it. He aimed a kick at her chest. If she wanted to call it off, he'd listen. But he was a cat in the midst of what he saw as a playfight. This was fun.

Sorry, ma'am I mistook you for a whatsitcalled

Gauntlet + 1

[felinebr]

Ike would be right in his assumptions that Ranulf knows little about what to do with a weapon like this. Weapons in general were foreign since, well, why use them when claws are just as good. But this weapon is for distance, for keeping away from the enemy. He can get that, even if it wasn't how laguz typically fought.

He hoisted it up in his hand, testing the weight. All he had to do was throw it, right? Like Ike had?

He closed one eye just to try and aim and gave it an experimental toss. He let out a low whistle as the thing went wide, arcing up and then back down before sticking in the grass beside it. Ike's had at least struck the target. He huffed, feigning offense. "These things are heavier than they look, aren't they?"

He goes to grab another, unwilling to let that stop him utterly. "Your turn. I'll do better next time, now I know how to do it."

Show you what-for!

[felinebr]

ranulf sketch page! i guess someone said pspsps

[felinebr]

Ranulf didn't know if he believed in...what were they calling them? Doppelgängers? But he wasn't going to let the idea of one stop him from enjoying the sauna. They didn't have rooms like this in Gallia, but the climate of this place sort of lended itself to it. Dryer and colder. Not as much greenery and forest around to trap moisture. Less rain.

All this is to say that a place like this suited something as nice as the sauna. So Ranulf was hardly going to let rumors of Doppelgängers keep him from it. It was a good place to relax. He kept his hackles up, though. It wouldn't do to slack off... even if what he really wanted was a catnap right about now.

Maybe it was because he was dozing off or maybe all the stupid rumors had gotten into his head but regardless, one thing was for sure, and that was that as soon as a figure appeared in the steam, his first thoughts were on being defeated and replaced by some kind of thing. So he did the only thing he could do and jolted to his feet, kicking out at the figure due to his high nerves.

"Take that!"

@melusinezephyr

Sorry, ma'am I mistook you for a whatsitcalled

Gauntlet + 1