➵ Archer (Chiron)

[riegan]

im saving my horse puns for threads

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week 0, saturday

[riegan]

(It's early Saturday morning when Claude takes to the woods armed with silver bow and knife that he's ~borrowed~ from the kitchen.

After some foraging, he settles on a branch that he thinks will work fine for what he needs and he sets to work carving it. The semi-end result is something like a crude arrow. Is it his best work? No. Will it do the job? Maybe. Right now, he's sort of just tossing it in his hand, giving it a twirl every now and then to get a feel for the weight and balance.

He's very serious right now!!!)

[antaressnipe]

[My, my. Someone else up at this hour?

Archer doesn't know if he's been noticed yet, but he's settled under a large tree, still half-hidden in the morning shadows before the sun fully rises. What a coincidence that he also have a knife in his possession, slowly but meticulously cutting into a narrow strip of wood that will eventually be whittled into an arrow -- enough to join the other three spread out before him on the ground.]

What will be your target this early morning, Claude?

[Good morning]

[riegan]

( Rise with the sun, fall with the sun! And has he noticed he wasn't alone? Who knows. He didn't appear to react to much before and even now, there's really no sign of surprise or being caught off guard.

He gives the arrow a twirl and catches it, tapping it against his shoulder, )

We'll find out soon enough.

( Because he sure doesn't know yet! )

WEEK 0, POST-INVESTIGATION

[riegan]

(In the afternoon, as soon as he has a free moment, Claude seeks out Chiron! Don't mind the cloth bandage on his hand or anything since literally no one else cares what happened to him!

As soon as he sees Chiron, he waves him down and jogs over to meet him,)

Hey... you got a minute?

(He keeps his tone light but it's easy to tell by the look on his face that there's a lot on his mind.)

[antaressnipe]

[By this point, Chiron has of course heard the news. And while he hasn't made himself scarce, his manner is all the more thoughtful and subdued, both of his hands placed behind his back while he thinks.

Claude earns a nod, however, and the centaur will draw his eyes down to him]

Yes, I am free to talk.

[riegan]

Thanks.

(He appreciates it, really, and he gives Chiron a grateful smile.)

What a way to start off the day, huh? (He raises his arms up high to stretch them behind his neck. Also don't mind the bandage on his hand. He might have rabies. It's cool. Everything is cool.) You wouldn't have happened to be working on anything in the woods recently, have you?

(Just gonna cut to the chase. He's here for information.)

week 0, post-execution

[antaressnipe]

[It's either the planetarium or the forest that Chiron inhabits these days, if you're to find him in public at all. He made himself available yesterday, for anyone whose mind felt too heavy to bear alone --

But today, he takes a few moments for himself, and his bow and arrow.

So Claude will find him in the forest with his arrow pulled back and held (which is... punishing in its own right, the bow is supposed to be a quickly drawn weapon, otherwise your arms will fatigue), waiting patiently until a leaf falls from a tree.

Only then does the arrow fly. It snaps the singular leaf against the tree, straight through the middle. Apparently, his lesson to Claude from before wasn't just for show.]

[riegan]

The thing Claude liked most about using a bow is that it required skilled. One could argue that the same could be said for any other weapon but anyone could pick up a sword and start to slash. It took skill to ready a bow and fire any sort of decent shot. He'd always appreciated the sort of grace and focused control one had to have to use a bow and arrow and now, he watches Chiron carefully. He notes how far back he draws the string and he counts how long he holds it in place.

It kind of reminds him of his first combat instructor. Though, Chiron was much calmer than him.

The arrow whistles through the air and Claude's eyes dart quickly, following the arrow to is intended target and...

He's surprised. He hadn't doubted it after that form but he's surprised all the same and his eyes go wide with surprise. He's certain of what he saw but he also wants to see it with his own eyes. )

You really did it... and on the first try too!

(He made it look so easy.)

[antaressnipe]

I've years of practice. It's only simple math, besides -- the trajectory of the leaf as it falls, the speed of the arrow, the tension of the bowstring...

[said mildly as he reorients himself to claude's position. He doesn't smile -- now is not really the time when there is much on his mind -- but the tension of effort bleeds out of him.]

What can I do for you, Claude?

Week 1, thursday

[riegan]

(It's Thursday! Time to get some practice in and hit this dang leaf in half the time Chiron expected him to be able to!

... Or rather, it would be time to practice if he could actually nock his arrow. He's fumbling to the point he's more like a beginner trying to figure things out for the first time than someone who's been practicing regularly for years.

Also double weird considering he was out practicing earlier this week! So he definitely knew how to do it before. Even Claude realizes that and eventually he sort of just

Stops.

And,)

... Heh.

("oh no." )

[antaressnipe]

-- Claude?

[It's not that Chiron was simply watching in the background, wanting to see Claude's skill with his own eyes -- for once he just happens across the other as he fiddles with his bow, and just based on the other's subtle body language:]

Are you alright?

[riegan]

Oh, hey, Teach.

(He greets him warmly enough but he's definitely lacking some of his usual pep. Something's on his mind and there's no doubt that Chiron has figured out what it is,)

I was just checking something out. (Just going to... lower his bow. Even his hold is wrong.) You know, I've had this since we got here... (His bow and he starts to fidget with the frame. Something's off. Something's wrong. He's figured it out by now and he doesn't like it. He doesnt get it.) And I'm supposed to be good at archery...

(He had arrows! He read about it in his profile! And quietly, he adds,)

But I don't think I could tell you the first thing about it. That's not right, is it?

week 1, sunday

[antaressnipe]

[There are many reasons he will find himself in the forest, but for today?

He just... needs to settle down by himself, and it's why he isn't shooting at any of the trees. Instead he sits and leans his flank against a trunk, eyes closed with his bow draped over his front legs tucked to the side]

[riegan]

(There's a crunch of leaves under a boot, the snapping of a twig, and it isn't long until Claude comes into sight. He's got his bow with him as he usually does when he comes out here, as well as a few arrows tucked away behind him in a make-shift satchel just for that purpose.

From afar, should look, Chiron might see that Claude seems to be in his own thoughts, heavy and serious. But as soon as he sees Chiron, he picks up, his head high, his usual smile on his face. Either way, he'll approach Chiron, paying no mind to the sound of his steps. There's no point in trying to sneak up on Chiron and it's probably for the best, given the day,)

Is now a bad time, Teach?

(He knows this look and he knows not every teacher has an open door policy. Being who he is, he's certainly had the door slammed in his face more than a few times.)

[antaressnipe]

You may speak with me if there is something on your mind, yes.

[which does not quite answer the question Claude asked, but the result is the same in the centaur's eyes -- he doesn't easily turn students away. That's always been true of him, so long as they have the nerve to seek him out.

With that, he'll tilt his head in claude's direction, eyes finally opened to have a look at him]

What is it?

W2 || Friday

[antaressnipe]

[while he knows it will probably be in vain, Chiron cannot help himself from checking the fort again once the post-murder panic has left everyone high-strung and frustrated. He dislikes feeling unproductive -- and besides, the air is at least clear tonight. Improved odds for drying his coat instead of needing to brush the moisture out.

Though he'll pause on his exploration when he sees Claude looking at the sky. The... emotional sharing is still active, isn't it? Well, he can check in on the youth without coming too close, and his voice will carry along with his hooves against the stone]

Claude? What are you doing up here?

[riegan]

(He's probably just having a seat on the ground, resting his back against the wall and holding an arrow in his hand, twirling it thoughtfully as he looks up at the sky. Sometimes people have ticks, little things that give away when things are on their mind and maybe this is just one way of getting some of Claude's energy out,)

Hm? (He catches the arrow in his hand,) Oh, hey, Teach.

(And he gives Chiron a smile,)

I just wanted to clear my head a bit.

(If Chiron gets closer, he'll be able to feel the usual things around Claude-- confidence, determination, a steady sense of hope. Those are things he's felt all week so it's really not a huge surprise. But everything is definitely more muted, feeling heavier with a sort of sadness and regret. For Claude, who is usually always marching forward, it feels like he's stopped moving for the moment,)

My brain's just... busy. Thoughts keep moving around and around in there. Times like this, I like to watch the stars. It makes everything feel smaller. More manageable. Puts things in perspective, y'know?

W3 || Wednesday

[antaressnipe]

[For someone so blind, Chiron does not have much trouble getting around the areas where nature is prevalent. There is no need to fear the wildlife when this is what his body remembers -- the feel of grass beneath his hooves, the whistle of wind, the chatter of animals. It's why he stays to the forest and the river for the most part, when he is not keeping an ear open for trouble.

Though there is a promise only partly-fulfilled, and that is why eventually Chiron will seek out Claude's company when he should be minding himself, quiver filled with arrows -- more than usual, in fact, as three of the set do not match in terms of make or wood.

Someone else crafted them besides the centaur.]

Claude. If you have a moment.

[His eyes are closed as he speaks, head tilted only slightly, listening.]

[riegan]

(The beginning of the week had been unfortunate. How dare the Realm take away his ability to speak! Well, that's what he gets for running his mouth all weekend. Now with his words back, he's more than glad to catch up on all of the conversations he'd struggled with earlier in the week-)

Hey, Teach. (Ah, yes, he recognizes those arrows right away, the ones with the black feathers he'd set aside just for Raven.) For you? I think I can spare a few.

(He can always spare some time for Chiron.)

Week 4, Monday

[riegan]

(Monday, bright and early! Claude is in the usual place, his bow aimed at the usual target (this poor tree). The trick today is there are some unfortunate bubbles that keep crossing his line of sight or approaching a little too close to him for comfort at times. It doesn't bother him too much! He's used to having to shoot on busy battlefields but why rush when there's time to focus?

He lowers his bow when he hears someone nearby. It can only really be one person.)

Any tips?

(Before he tries to make another shot.)

[antaressnipe]

... In this case?

[Glancing at all of the bubbles that hover nearby, his eyebrow raised. He's already experienced what they have to offer, and while he can't say he's enthused to be sharing more of his memories...]

Well, in the case of the bubbles, pray that fate is kind.

[Ha...]

But if you mean your stance, simply straighten your back a little.

[Someone's got his eyesight back]

Week 5, you pick the day

[riegan]

(I will let you pick the day because any day works for me but its night time! And Claude has been avoiding his room all week for reasons. He doesn't mind camping out and whether or not he actually stays out is up for debate but for now, he's looking up at the stars! Again when he asks Chiron,)

What other stars do you have where you're from?

We'll say wednesday night!

[antaressnipe]

... I'm afraid I don't remember.

[it is not that he means to set the tone somber, but Chiron decides it's best he be honest at the start of Claude's questions, even as he keeps his eyes on the sky]

The only one that sticks in my mind is the Sagittarius constellation... for some reason.

Week 6, Monday

[riegan]

(It doesn't matter if Chiron is a llama now bcause CLAUDE IS TRACKING DOWN A LLAMA and as soon as he finds it he







cannot make eye contact)

[antaressnipe]

[At this point the llama has just taken this in stride and is Sage Llama but also why can't you make eye contact with him, sir?

It tilts its neck and then will gently

headbutt him]