middaeg | catch-all (partly open; partly closed)

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catch-all (partly open; partly closed)

Who: Konoe and ~~friends~~ acquaintances (and enemies, and whatever)
When: May
Where: ~around~
What: All the things! So far: herb quest with Dylas; Mrs. Mitten quest with... you?
Warnings: The general stupidity of a catboy chasing a cat? 🙀 Will edit as things come up.
Feel free to use the format/tense you're most comfortable with! I will happily adapt.
If you want to wildcard me for whatever, go right ahead. You're likely to find Konoe around the city, following the magic classes the coven's giving, maybe attempting some very minor magic in a secluded spot, sitting on a rooftop looking out over the city and trying not to feel lonely, or... very much lost because he has no sense of direction.

[closed] HERBOLOGY HELP

It's not for the reward that Konoe does this; in fact, he's not sure what the reward even is. But he's been wanting to take a look at the forest, even if it's supposed to be dangerous, and this gives him the perfect excuse to finally do it. And, since he's not alone... he doesn't have to worry about getting lost either. (Shut up.)

It's strange how much the forest feels comfortable and familiar, yet something about it is still very much off. The smell of the trees and plants is not so different than that of the world he grew up in, but there's definitely something odd on top of that, very faint and sickly sweet, yet anything but sweet at the same time. That's new. The Void never smelled like anything... but then, that only made it more dangerous.

This still feels more like home than a city ever could. Konoe appreciates the comforts of a city, but it's hard to beat scents for nostalgia.

"Follow the river in the forest, it said..." And that's what they're doing. "Do you think it's much further?" He doesn't mind either way. He's just trying to make conversation, in his own way - and perhaps trying to calm down somewhat, with that eerie sickly sweet scent lightly prickling at his nose.

[open] MRS. MITTENS

In a city full of magic and monsters, there's a wide variety of things one should expect to see, and very little that should surprise you. Even so, the sight in front of you may raise a few eyebrows.

"Hey - wait!" There's a young man with a tail and cat ears, his hood long since fallen off his head and flapping behind him like the rest of his mantle. He's running at a pretty impressive speed, jumping obstacles... and perhaps knocking over a thing or two (hopefully not a person or two) in the process, oops.

That's not really the noteworthy thing here, though. The strangest thing to note is that he's chasing... a cat. The catboy is chasing a cat.

"I'll give you milk, so come here already!" He remembers that these Cats are supposed to like milk. He has still not accepted that they apparently - supposedly - can't talk, though... and even if he did, he expects them to at least understand what he's saying.

Clearly this particular Cat is just very rude.

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Yeah!

[Well, this is just creepy! Though not as creepy as the memories as such: suddenly Konoe remembers losing his tail because of those fae, and he immediately raises it, reaching behind himself to touch it, even as he looks back to check for its presence visually, too.

Okay, it's all good. His tail is still there...]

It sounds like quite a few of us had the same dream then. Maybe this place was calling for us somehow?

[Or something like that? She hadn't a clue really and she mulls on it as Konoe makes sure no one ran away with his tail again.

The gardens themselves -- or at least this one in particular -- are in fine bloom. Maria takes a moment to lean down an appreciate what flowers have sprung up here before she straightens back up.]

Alright so... hm. Where should we begin?

I wonder... I can't even remember if I had that dream before coming here, or after.

[If it all happened because of a dream, should he be more suspicious, all things considered..? Well, suspicious or not, it's not going to change their current situation.]

... Should we try to use the flowers? Teleport them from where they are into our hand, or something like that.

[He enjoys the flowers a great deal, himself, but he sees no harm in trying to magically cut them off. And this kind of teleporting - with something small, and where they can see what they're doing - seems more doable than most.]

Oh! That's a great idea! The gardens around here seem to change constantly so I imagine if we mess up it won't harm anything either.

[Alright then. With that plan in mind, Maria's brow furrows. She picks out one flower - a particularly vivid blue one in her opinion - and gives it a good long look. Mostly because she's rummaging inside of herself to feel that spark of magic again.

The magic here is different from what she knows but she can still feel it. She tilts her head a little in Konoe's direction, though she doesn't take her eyes off the flower.]

Do you feel anything? When you try to use magic here, that is? Or in general? The magic here is different from what I know at home but it's hard to put my finger on just how to describe it.

Yeah. I feel something.

[It's not unlike when he was Singing, and yet it's something else entirely. At least it's not a painful start, the way Singing was... but since he hasn't managed much of anything with magic, yet, maybe he shouldn't get his hopes up.]

It's like... a clear sky that's turning stormy, filled with clouds and powerful wind? But not in a bad way!

[Maybe magic is, after all, that kind of chaos: it's like something calm and empty is suddenly sweeping up into something much, much more.

He knows what he feels, but he suddenly feels stupidly insecure about it, regardless - as if what he feels could be "wrong" somehow.]

Is that... what it's like for you?

[His description makes Maria smile some.]

That's a very good way to put it. Like something is gathering all together? A storm brewing up, a concentration of power? Mm, that's not far off from how I feel too.

[Maria concentrates on this feeling then.]

For me it's like... the sun. It's a warmth heating up through my skin, like the sun getting brighter and hotter. A ball of light I concentrate on? I guess that's the best way to put it.

[She holds her hand palm up and poof, the flower does disappear. And it does pop into her hand.

... A bit mangled for the trip though.]

Perhaps I was a little too forceful.

A concentration of power where there was none, but there was always that potential... or something.

[That is, perhaps, the essence, for him: that the potential is already there, always. He just has to use it. In that sense if no other, he "feels" magic a lot - but that makes it tricky, too. Even if he has the right feeling, filling in the details is still hard, and he doesn't have enough experience yet to fit together all the pieces of the puzzle. He doesn't even know how many pieces the puzzle has, yet!

Mangled flower or not, he's impressed.]

You still did it!

[His turn! He tries it his own way, focused on a red flower a little further down... but he makes the mistake of focusing on not repeating Maria's "mistake", when that was never his mistake. Trying to keep it careful and small, what he teleports is... a single petal.

... Not mangled, though!]

[Ooh! Maria looks over and claps her hands together, poor mangled flower tucked into her pocket.]

Very good! It's intact and everything! Mm, maybe I should focus on smaller bits too and work my way up like that.

[A whole plant was a little too ambitious maybe?]

...

[He should tell her that he'd intended to get the whole flower, but when she's praising him like this, he just can't bring himself to do it.]

... Maybe we should try for leaves, first, so we don't ruin all the flowers.

[They can just magically pluck leaves off stalks and what not, and work their way up to flowers if they manage. It requires a little more concentration to do right, perhaps, but that's also an important thing to train - and at least it's a smaller area of concentration than a whole flower.]

That sounds fair. It would be a shame to ruin all of them after all.

[She's no plant aficionado but she does admire these after taking that first language of flowers gardening class.

And honestly, concentrating on something small is somehow easier for her right now. She pops off her first leaf from the plant to her hand without a problem and looks thoroughly pleased with herself.]

Perfect!

Right?

[He definitely doesn't want to ruin all the flowers, either, even if the more experienced witches can probably magic them right back. He kind of likes flowers... not that he'd ever admit it.

She manages so easily, he feels a lot of pressure to do the same... but then, he'd already sorta kinda managed before, hadn't he? Magic is chaos... He just needs to concentrate and keep it simple. It's just a small thing. So...

He reaches out with his hand in the direction of the leaf he's focusing on, and it appears in his hand almost too easily. He lets out a breath, stunned. To think he managed it just like that!]

[Oh! Maria looks over as he lets go of his breath.]

You did it too! It's much easier trying like this, I think.

[The blonde blows out a breath then, contemplating the leaf in her own hand. She doesn't look displeased but thoughtful really.]

It's amazing though. I'm so used to using my abilities so easily. I think though all this time I've been relying on my guardians to help me use it. Now I have to rely on myself and it's... rather humbling.

[She laughs a little gently, looking sheepish as she turns the tiny leaf over between forefinger and thumb.]

I am looking forward to learning, of course.

[Perhaps her self confidence has been taken down a peg or so in terms of her abilities though.]

Humbling or not... I think it's much better to be able to do things by yourself.

[In fact, that may just be his life motto, in borderline unhealthy ways. At least he's become a little more flexible about it in more recent times.]

If you do something yourself, you have only yourself to thank for it. Good or bad, success or failure... you don't owe anyone but yourself.

[And there's no point in resenting others, either. Konoe likes a healthy distance between himself and others, but that includes not hating them if he can avoid it. Nobody needs to waste energy on that.]

[At that Maria nods a little slowly as if she's mulling over his point.]

That's true but there isn't any shame in needing help too. Or looking to others to help you as well.

[She feels no shame in using those guardian spirits of hers as help. And she certainly doesn't over Richter and Annette taking her in as a child. There's only gratitude to both.]

Of course not.

[There's no shame in that whatsoever. He wonders, briefly, if he accidentally insulted her, but if that's true, what's done is done.]

If you need help, you need help. It's more that, since you can't count on other people to give it... if you can do without help, that's better.

[That's probably the crux of the matter, really. Konoe knows, on a logical level, that people can't be required to help you. He wouldn't want them to be, either. But he'd rather just avoid the awkward "needing help and waiting to see if you ever get it from anyone" altogether.]

Mm, I suppose so. I've never really thought of it like that.

[If she's insulted then she sure isn't showing it. She focuses on another leaf and manages to transport it into her hand just a tiny bit quicker this time. It's small improvement but it's definitely improvement!

She considers. Back when she actively trained quite a bit which all in all wasn't that long ago she often just went and went until she was too drained of magic - and by consequence too hungry - to continue.]

Then again I'm also the type of person that heads into most things first. I don't have the patience to wait on others sometimes.

[She says as much with a gently sheepish smile. She understands that's a headstrong and perhaps bad habit but she often feels if anyone should brave it, it ought to be her.]

[Being headstrong is not bad by any means, if you ask Konoe. Sometimes, it's the only way to survive, mentally if not physically. (Of course, being headstrong about something opposite to his opinion, he might not receive quite as well. Nobody said he couldn't be just a tiny bit of a hypocrite.)

Oh, right - they definitely need to keep practicing. He's a bit distracted now, not as focused on doing things better and faster, but even if it's just a repeat of what he did before, it will get him more used to magic.]

If you can do it yourself, there's no need to wait, anyway. [But... He looks over at her.] As long as you don't go alone when it's dangerous.

[Okay, now he's being a huge hypocrite. But he means well?]

[She looks at him a little curiously before she can't help herself and asks in a slightly singsong teasing tone:]

I thought you said you shouldn't rely on others though~?

[He makes an awkward choked sound, feeling incredibly busted. How dare you mock him so rightfully?!]

You shouldn't! But you shouldn't go and get yourself killed, either.

[That's just common sense!? Gosh!]

[Pff. She shouldn't be a little amused but that choked sound...]

I think what you mean is you should seek help when appropriate?

[Augh, why is this his life?! Get it together, Konoe! You're a strong, independent cat!!]

I mean if you could use help and people don't mind helping you, rejecting their help is just dumb.

[There! That's close enough.]

[Now he seems to be getting annoyed. Maria leaves behind her teasing, not really wanting to anger him as much as ... lightly frustrate him? Maybe.]

I understand what you're say. Even if you do put it a little roughly~.

[Okay, one last poke.]

["Annoyed" is a matter of perspective, really. Konoe is really quick to go hissy-cat at everything and nothing, but it's rarely more than skin deep. He's not likely to hold a grudge unless someone is truly actively targeting him in serious ways.

In other words: feel free to poke the ~~badger~~ cat, Maria. It will be fine.]

There's nothing wrong with putting it roughly when it's a rough situation.

[Huff, huff. Just don't get yourself dead, or he will kill you.]

[Maria huffs out a gentle laugh.]

I suppose you're right. A rough situation deserves a rough response.

[She brushes her hands against one another.]

Instead of thinking about theoretical rough situations then, why don't we go rest up for more training tomorrow. Are you hungry?

[Immediately skipping to another topic on her mind. Maria enjoys the food here, okay.]

[Of course he's right. He's always right. Satisfied with that conclusion (for the most part, anyway), he tries to let go of the frustration he knows is just childish.]

... Yeah. Let's eat.

[Maybe they haven't done a lot, but between this and the intensity of the class, before - he really isn't used to classes and the particular form of focus they require! - he feels pretty drained.]

I brought some fruit, if you want...

[Looks like he's thinking small. He definitely wouldn't say no to a more filling meal, though.]

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oh no, konoe. he's so darling. i'll praise you all you want ;w;

he is a good cat who need nothing and nobody, except when he does

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