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Who: Lio Fotia and you
When: Juril
Where: Aefenglom
What: Quests, may use as a catch-all
Warnings: None at the moment

I.) Cheerful Buns

( he stares at the dough, perfectly round in front of him on a floured surface, flexing his fingers over it. 'give it compliments' isn't the foreign concept, it's the part that he was told to do it to this future cheerloaf so that it would give its eater the same kind of joy? does bread think? does putting yeast in a dough automatically make it a living thing? lio's got a ton of questions, but all he can think about doing is sinking the tips of his talons into the surface of it and... just seeing how it feels.

...

it sticks, just slightly. with a sigh, lio looks to his side, hopefully at someone else who is just as perplexed. )

What can you say to it that counts as a compliment?

( he furrows his brows. )

II.) Blink and Miss 'Em - A

( lio is... a little uncomfortable, but he sits in the middle of the petagorium with the cats all around him. apparently one of the best ways to catch their attention is to offer something that moves, something that looks interesting to bat at or claw or try to pounce on. in this case, it's lio's wings--- the feathers fluttering every so often. he doesn't mind acting like some kind of makeshift cat tower, though it's only when one kitten decides to blink out of existence and reappear on his face that makes him gasp and almost fall over. )

Ah... the hell?

( he has to carefully pull the cat off, cradling it in his arms for a moment before yet another one decides to pull the same stunt. only this time, the cat digs his claws into the middle of his back, right in between his wings. )

F--- f.... ugh, can someone... help.

( through grit teeth, he's happy he didn't just unload colorful language in front of the kittens. )

III.) Blink and Miss 'Em - B

No, get back here!

( this one particular kitten, one that the petagorium must've affectionately named 'peaches', is... a handful. and by handful, lio hasn't even had a chance to get his hands on her yet. the little peach-shaped patch of fur on her hindquarters keeps vanishing, just like the rest of her, as he continues to chase the cat down the street. even the word 'chase' is misleading; vanishing then reappearing, vanishing then reappearing... lio's incredibly lucky that his eyesight is so strong otherwise he would've lost her minutes ago. she's quick and oddly intelligent, even going as far as to blink up to ledges then back down to the ground.

so lio has taken to the sky in order to pursue her. it feels oddly natural for him to be observing things from the air, but even more so something that would be... prey? no, not this kitten. he could never do anything that mean. but peaches is asking for it, and it's when she appears to stop in front of someone for a moment that he takes his chance and swoops, dives down toward his target.

and then she just. poofs again, and lio's focused and determined expression turns into shock and horror. he's definitely going to collide with someone, and he desperately tries to slow down but!

lio can only hope whoever he plows into is strong enough to catch him.)

IV.) Wildcard - Catch All

( if you have anything for me, we can do it here. otherwise PM me to plot or something!)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Momo has enough mercy to put Lio down on his feet after he responds, because he assumes he doesn't have to worry too much about him having been knocked silly by the collision. He follows Lio's gaze to look over his own shoulder, watching the cat watch them and seemingly wait for its opportunity to disappear again.]

Did they give you any advice for catching them or did they just assume everyone had some teleporting cat capture tactic up their sleeve...? [It seems like a great way to accidentally lose your pets.] I could try and catch it in a barrier, but I don't think that would stop it from teleporting again.

[The barriers are less about negating things and more about just resisting anything that might try to fight their way out. And he's not sure a counterspell would work on an ability that's innate to the cats.]

Nope, no advice worth listening to. ( lio rolls his shoulders, staring icily at the cat who is now licking its paws and enjoying how it's been able to elude escape for this long. the harpy narrows his eyes, flexing his talons--- he wants to catch that damn animal. there's nothing else more important than that right now, and he licks his lips thinking about what he'll do once he gets his hands on that cat.

he'll... pet her. a lot. she looks soft. )

I figure if I can just keep chasing, she'll get tired. Then I'll finally be able to sweep her up and take her back to the pet shop. Think it'll work?

[That seems like a terrible idea when dealing with something as tricky as teleporting kittens, but Momo mostly just pouts a bit before moving on to try and consider a solution.]

I dunno, kittens can be pretty energetic. It depends on how long you can fly for. And also whether she gets into any tiny spaces you can't dive into...kittens can fit anywhere their heads can fit, you know.

[You have been subscribed to Cat Facts--though Momo figures it's something that might come up if Lio's planning to pursue from on high.]

( the pout makes him huff in slight exasperation, a common response to that particular action from momo. it's unfair because the way he does it makes lio want to simultaneously feel bad but also give him a gentle smack with a wing. it's hard to stretch one around, but if he turns his body slightly, he can still do it.

soft and feathery, his rebuke. )

Anywhere they can fit their heads... ( well, she should fit her head into his hands. right now. ) ... actually, do you think you could do something to lure her this way?

( like scare her in their direction, or something that would encourage her to stop fleeing. lio's not sure if he has anything that would do that. )

[Being hit with something soft and feathery is considerably better than Momo's previous occupation of being hit with people every so often, because non-contact sports do not always remain non-contact sports.

As it is, Lio's question gets Momo thinking for a moment before he snaps his fingers like he just had the best epiphany ever.]

I think I have something! [As he often does to focus his magic, he "writes" a symbol on one wrist with his finger, the magic leaving a red trail before it seems to sink into the skin. When he flicks the fingers of that hand, a beam of red light seems to extend from the end of his index finger.

He's basically just turned his finger into a laser pointer, which he holds up a bit so it focuses near the kitten. A red dot dances around the ground in front of Peaches, and her gaze starts to follow it as if she's about to pounce when she gets half the chance.] This is a classic maneuver in my world.

( it's definitely working! the little red dot is immediately seen and peaches' little haunches wiggle in anticipation. of course, it's not like she needs to physically leap toward it: she can simply blink on top of it and look really distraught when she can't actually catch it? batting at the ground with one paw, the blinking kitten continues to smack over and over. )

Oh. You mean, a laser pointer... I can't believe she's falling for it so easily.

( though lio is also intrigued, locking his eyes onto it. )

I've seen something like this before, but only when someone's about to fire their weapon. ( a beat, then: ) I guess you could do something similar, if you wanted.

( a mage using their finger as a gun and a dot to aim. hm. )

[Momo keeps his laser pointer finger moving erratically to keep the cat entertained (and maybe exhausting herself a bit if she has to keep teleporting for it when he moves it far enough), looking like he's having a great time. Though his expression does sober slightly at the reminder of the other connotations that kind of pointer can have. He turns it into a pout instead.]

Using one to play with cats is definitely way better than attaching it to a gun, though. I only just picked up a magic class that has offensive magic, anyway, so I probably couldn't even shoot fire out of my finger properly yet!

[Also because he's starting with ice and water given what Yuki has shown up here as, plus seeing what kind of terrible things people have managed to do to their hands while learning fire magic. But for now, watching the kitten gambol around draws the peach-shaped fur patch to his attention, and he laughs.] Oh, I guess I have a peach butt rival now...I'm pretty confident in mine, though!

[That pun would probably have about five more layers sans universal translator, but as it is he's just going to draw attention to his butt for a second, because that just happens sometimes when you're an idol. And also when your butt is toned because of your inability to skip leg day ever.]

( if only life could always be this peaceful? watching peaches tire herself out is a reward all on its own, not to mention being with a friend. lucky that he ran into him here; not that others couldn't help with this particular problem, but there's no lack of confidence when his bonded is here. )

You did? ( which makes lio tilt his head, though he smiles very lightly. interesting. but thankfully momo brings up his butt, a welcome distraction??? )

I guess it's easy to say that you can't compare one or the other. It'd be like comparing apples and oranges. Or apples and peaches.

( because the cat-peaches' marking is cute. also, it's not on her butt. lio is positive he could rub that peach and not the other peach. the thought alone makes his feathers feel uncomfortable. )

You certainly don't lack confidence in your own.

[Momo doesn't mind coming back to the topic of offensive magic later, but for now he continues the butt tangent, because even if the mark is on the haunch and not the butt it was close enough to make him think of it.] I've been working on my legs for around twenty out of twenty-six years of my life, my butt had to get some of the payoff from that! It's hard to work out your thighs especially without hitting the glutes as well.

[Thankfully, he stops himself before he goes on a whole entire workout tangent. Maybe now is a fine time to elaborate about the magic stuff...while he continues waving the makeshift laser pointer around Peaches, slowly drawing her closer.]

Anyway, speaking of things I'm working on, I picked up Evocation recently, so that's where the elemental spells are. I actually picked it up because it's where the major healing magic is too, but it can't hurt to learn some offensive stuff after five months here.

[He feels like he's established his support mage roots well enough now to branch out into not being exclusively a support mage. A knife is useful, but not the most practical weapon for everything that comes up here, and he can't use his fists against anything infected, so having offensive magic could be a big help.]

( he's a bit older than lio. not surprising. there are times when momo almost feels brotherly, but the talk about his own peach does tend to shatter that pretty quick. he clearly means it all in jest, and that's why for some reason or another, lio feels comfortable around the athletic and talented idol. )

A witch's ability to branch out... I can't say I'm not jealous.

( lio does feel restricted, not to mention the pressure he receives through the tiniest of tics. when his talons touch the earth, his body recoils. as he passes over people, there are always times when he wants to dive down and blow by them. and while he's had an edge before, lio has to keep his feathers from becoming too ruffled at any given moment.

still, being able to fly? it's almost worth it. )

If it means you'll be able to keep your distance from some of those infected beasts, then it sounds good to me.

( as peaches gets closer, lio kneels down and waits for her to come into his hands. )

[Momo's expression shifts into something sympathetic at the remark on branching out, as he continues to lead Peaches closer with his "pointer". He doesn't exactly feel like he deserved to draw the good card here, not when he would've still been calling himself a monster a year ago in his own world, so it's hard not to be aware of the bind Monsters find themselves in compared to Witches.

For the sake of not killing the mood, he doesn't draw direct attention to it.] It'd make things easier. Someone helped me with some proper knife techniques recently so I'm not basically just brute forcing with something sharp, but a knife still isn't ideal for every fight.

[Peaches teleports closer and closer, the distance getting shorter each time, as if she's wearing herself out, and Momo watches her thoughtfully for a few moments before speaking up again.]

...If I wanted to learn fire magic, do you think there's anything I should keep in mind when approaching it as an element? I'm probably gonna start with water and ice because I'm worried about what'll happen if Yuki dehydrates himself somewhere, but I'd like to learn more about fire too. [A beat, and then:] And also not be that guy I had to heal not long ago who burnt the crap out of his hands trying to use short range fire magic.

[There's the humour.]

No. Definitely not. ( a sword normally beats a knife in a pointy object fight. lio's is firmly secured at his waist, something he's been familiar using when having to defend himself. sometimes fire wasn't the best option, and in order to get his blood pumping? well, charging in with a blade drawn is certainly one way to do it! while the promare allowed him to create that weapon, it didn't mean he lack the ability or skill to use it.

and now, with his feathery assets, he could use it with a kind of flair that he never could've imagined before. )

I don't think the fire here is anywhere close to the fire that I personally knew. ( that being said, he did have one pointer: ) But don't set things aflame that don't deserve it. Respecting nature, respecting innocent lives... people see fire and automatically think destruction. It's far from that.

( because other things: ice and water? equally devastating. many things happen to be. )

But it's smart to learn more about water and ice first. Not just for Yuki, but because if you have to put out your own flames? That'd be smart.

( the humor isn't ignored, but he also doesn't want to see momo hurt. )

[Lio's advice is about what he would've expected from someone experienced with fire - respectful and practical towards it - and he grins a bit at that last remark about the water and ice first.]

Okay, yeah, that's a good point too. I guess I'm still pretty used to associating fire with destruction, but I was talking to someone in the Underground last month about it because she found a scroll on fire healing magic down there. So I wonder what other kinds of stuff can be done with it here.

[In his world, fire as a healing body was mostly in agricultural terms, burning so things could grow back stronger, or certain kinds of controlled burning used in medicine which were more heat than fire. It's not a familiar association for him, as he freely admits, but he does want to learn more about the potential it has here. He already knows the heavy usage in purging Cwyld, but there's presumably more if healing fire is an option.]

What was your fire like? I know you mentioned that the Promare spoke to you sometimes, but I was curious what that relationship was like for you.

[Other than that Lio obviously felt in some way attached to the Promare and that he'd called the speaking like that of a child, he hadn't gotten much of a sense of what having fire aliens living in symbiosis with you might be like. Momo's relationships with things inside himself have never been terribly positive, so he's having trouble picturing it well.]

Fire healing? Sounds great to me.

( warmth could certainly soothe an aching body. fire could easily cauterize wounds. it has practical uses that don't extend past something natural. the potential could be endless depending on the magic, and so he doesn't doubt how amazing it could be in a world where anything seems possible.

except, of course, for lio to regain his promare. )

My fire was special. Strong. I don't know if it was my will alone that made it stronger than others, but it probably helped.

( lio closes his eyes, his wings drooping. )

I could do anything with it. I could don the most wicked looking armor, create weapons, even fly. I was nigh invincible. There wasn't much I couldn't do with it, and it allowed me to. It trusted me.

Wherever it is, I hope it's safe.

[It's definitely something Momo wouldn't mind peeking into if he gets to the Underground again, because as someone who's spent most of his life buffing up, he knows the value of heat in things like relieving muscle pain. It's not completely the same as what it'd be used for in his world, but in theory he has some idea of the benefits and it ties in with him already having studied healing.

For the moment, though, he listens to Lio's description of his fire, looking initially thoughtful and then decidedly interested and impressed at the description of what Lio could do with it. It definitely sounds completely alien to any kind of fire he knows, but it also sounds extremely awesome to watch.]

I hope it is too. [Peaches is pretty much right on top of them now, so he rests his chin on one hand as he directs her basically into Lio's hands.] Man, now I kind of wish I'd stumbled into your mirror when that weird dream stuff happened. That sounds like a really amazing partnership to witness. Better than me going feral on some assholes who didn't know how to comfort someone.

[While he's definitely gotten the impression Lio's past is...fraught in various ways, he's not the type to judge and very much the type to support. So besides the awesomeness, it would've been nice to know more so he had a more solid idea of how to support Lio in future.]

( lifting peaches up to his face, he presses his nose against her side and sighs into her fur. though she could easily poof away from him, perhaps it's his desire to be comforted by a cute kitty that keeps her still? that or she thinks he might turn her into a snack, just like a predator might do to some prey. peaches may not be comforted by the fact that he gives that baby cat a little smooch. as a treat. )

... if I could, I'd show you. ( he closes his eyes, wincing. ) But you might look at me and see the same thing those humans did, some kind of terrorist bent on destroying a city.

( lio huffs. )

I always left an escape route. If things looked bad, there was always a way for people to get out safe. We wanted to send a message, not murder. Not like Kray.

( and then he finally tucks the cat into the space between his forearm and his chest. somewhere secure. )

No. What happened in mine was... embarrassing.

[Momo "turns off" his laser pointer finger by tapping it with the end of his thumb, and while he can understand why Lio would be hesitant about showing someone his memories with that kind of judgement, he shakes his head after he's done listening.]

I walked into someone's memory where they were on the edge of destroying my home city - or their world's version, at least - and I still asked them why and heard them out. Do you think I'd judge you that quickly?

[If anything, Momo's been told he's too slow to ascribe malice to people, but in actuality he's quick enough on the draw that either he avoids those people in the first place or carefully gets closer to them because it might be useful in future. But even the tiny bit Lio has explained about the situation the Burnish were in would be enough to justify that kind of backlash to Momo.]

I'd like to understand you more, but I guess because of the world I came from, it's harder for me to completely understand the things some people here talk about without seeing them. Though it's hard to tell if there'll be a chance like that again, with how unpredictable things are here.

[He's pretty sure there's magic that could do the same sort of thing, but he hasn't dipped into Divination at all and doesn't even remotely have time at the moment, so that's basically irrelevant anyway.]

( dreams could do it. there are times when, even when napping, visions of what he'd done replay in his mind--- almost like in a cinematic format. who's to say that his bondmate might be able to sneak a peek at one of those times, when lio fought off a particularly plucky fireman with all of his might and barely kept it at a stalemate? who knows. the strength of their bond determines the access that momo would have, but lio wouldn't deny him that chance if he had a choice.

he stays silent a moment longer, before looking back at momo with a smile: something warm. sincere, and not distant. )

Sounds familiar to me. ( a beat, then: ) No, I don't think... well, I know you wouldn't. But it's hard to not believe that someone can just flip in a second.

( conflict hurts him. he's been betrayed before for trusting so easily. such is life.

with a quick shake of his wings, lio holds the cat out to momo. )

Do you want to stroke your namesake's fur?

I won't do that to you. Even if it's hard to believe, I want to be someone you can trust without having to think twice. [Momo has made some hard decisions in his life and had to navigate some complicated interpersonal situations, but the only time he's knowingly betrayed someone's trust was when that someone was threatening him into helping with a blackmail against his juniors. And Momo absolutely does not regret that. Everything else is more a case of keeping too much to himself, which is almost the opposite problem to judging someone at the flip of a switch.

Being presented with a cat is a good way to lighten the mood, though, and Momo visibly perks up before gently rubbing behind the cat's ears with his red nails.]

What a cutie...it's been a while since I had to dress up as a cat, but maybe I should pull one of my costumes out of retirement so we can match! I even have one with lots of hearts, so it's almost the same shape.

[He makes a half-circle with one finger as if to signify turning the peach shape upside down into a heart.]

You as a cat? ( closing one eye, he looks at peaches then to momo. back and forth a few times, and then he hums in curiosity. ) You better watch out, someone could mistake you for a turnskin if you're too convincing.

( he could see it though. there are such things as guard cats, right? momo's certainly protective enough. it's not hard to believe his trustworthiness; no, it's more that lio needs to believe himself. to let out a breath that allows his entire self to relax and not just his shoulders or wings. freedom from being burnish, freedom from the promare... from responsibilities?

nah. not yet. but he can trust momo a little more every day. )

It's not hard to believe. ( and then he laughs. ) Even Peaches knows.

Really? I think I could make myself stand out anyway... [That sounds like a vaguely scheming tone, and Momo holds a hand curled under his chin in something of a theatrical way, but he lets Lio finish before he does anything too ridiculous.

The conclusion he comes to gets a laugh out of Momo as well.] I did have a laser pointer on my side...but how about I give her some proper company! I have to look after my people, after all.

[By which he means peaches and not cats, but still. He steps back to give himself some space for dramatics before drawing a quick magic scrawl in the air and snapping his fingers. The scrawled shape bursts into glitter that showers Momo and creates an illusory costume of...well, some kind of catboy. A Cheshire cat specifically, but even without context it's hard to argue against pink and purple cat features standing out. The outfit also has several hearts incorporated into the design, including one that's just on the side of Momo's face because why not.

He poses with cat-like curled hands, red nails elongated into claws.] Meowby this is better?

[It's honestly a miracle it's taken Momo 5 months to make a meow pun considering how often he drops "nyas" back home.]

( lio blinks. stares a little. looks around, idly kicks the ground with his heel. he opens his mouth, wanting to say something, but immediately closes it upon second thought. honestly, lio's not sure what to think about what he's just witnessed. momo's getup... it's something. again, it has that cute aesthetic which has lio's teeth ache, but it's again--- endearing. leaning in, he doesn't fear getting too close to momo, his face only an inch or two away from touching their noses together. )

I didn't think I wanted to eat a cat before, but I'm starting to wonder if maybe I could acquire a taste for one.

( or cat-adjacent people. with a deadpan expression, he blinks a few more times before leaning back and rubs his cheek. the smallest flickers of a smile grows again, though this one comes smugly. )

Also, I think that might... be a little too much. Even for a turnskin.

[Momo makes a faux swooning pose at Lio's "advance", clutching his hands to his cheeks rather dramatically. The claws just add to the effect, really.]

Ah, Momo-chan can't be too much of a shared meal, or I might just die before anyone gets to eat me...

[Also Yuki is kind of possessive and he's not exactly sure how they're handling the whole "sharing" aspect that had come with being an idol here now that they're an item. So he hams for somewhat of a legitimate reason, but he's still being a ham.

At the idea the outfit is too much, though, Momo's tail flicks and he puffs his cheeks out, the entire demeanour changing in an instant to faux offended.] It's not my fault if turnskins don't know what they have to work with! Surely they have sexy werewolf fiction here too, they've got more dramatic options than this...

[Clearly sexy werewolf is more extra than frilly catboy.]

I'm sure sexy anything is the last thing on anyone's minds.

( except... well, lio can't say that's true. in fact he knows it's false and he's praying that there has been no fiction written about him. his time spent with one dragon in particular has been very intense, to the point where he's lucky that those marks have somewhat faded just enough to avoid general scrutiny. but lio has yet to completely cover them up, allowing them to show. besides, there are so many easier explanations to explain them: taking a rough fall, flying into trees, etc. )

But if that's what you've been using your magic for outside of helping, I'm... well. I'm not that surprised.

( because he's cute. dammit, momo. )

... I think we should bring the cat back to its temporary home. Can you change back, if we walk there together?

We literally had a sexy festival at the end of last month, though... [Momo is sadly here to shatter these illusions of non-sexy things Lio might be having, because boy was Litha an unpleasant experience for him. Not the actual festival part so much, just what ended up on his mind because of it. But it's hard to argue this place doesn't love some sexy either way.

At the question, Momo hums like he's thinking about whether it's worth it to change back, but the pretense doesn't last long.] I guess I can, if you don't want to be seen with my catboy form that badly...

[He snaps his fingers again, dispelling the illusion and returning him to his typical self.] Anyway, Illusion was the first magic class I started learning, so if you were okay with me making a copy of myself to fight that Shade the other month then that's all in the same department.

[Momo offers a cheery wink. He did initially start learning illusion for stage purposes, but learning how to make yourself unseen and unheard or make decoys was all too useful not to roll in somewhere.]

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