コノエ (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
catasstrophy) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
middaeg2019-05-10 12:02 pm
catasstrophy) wrote in middaeg2019-05-10 12:02 pm
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.
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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He closes his eyes as well, feeling her hands in his. The warmth of them is comfortable, more than just physical somehow, and he focuses on adding to it, giving the feeling a little push by focusing on thinking of that incantation.
If he doesn't, like, burn their hands, it will be successful?? Thankfully the incantation will probably save them from any damage.
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Maybe making a ball of light isn't in the cards for her, but what if she tried a different kind of light instead? She bites her bottom lip briefly before she starts to recite the spell, concentrating on the image she wants to produce in her mind's eye.
Nothing very much happens, at first. And then slowly, one by one, small motes of light begin to lazily drift up from their joined hands, more like small fireflies lazily taking flight than the same concentrated light that Konoe was producing before.
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He's not disappointed, either. The first little speck of light confirms his trust, but when more and more of them appear, he gasps in utter awe. Okay, so it's not a concentrated ball of light - but it's a million times more beautiful, and he's absolutely mesmerized.
eventually they'll discover how to make magic laser pointers and then konoe will die
She doesn't say anything for a moment, though her own surprise has already cut off the spell, startling her out of holding her concentration. It seems the particles of light don't have much trouble persisting on their own a little longer, though whether that's because of the effort both of them have put into their respective spells or simply a quirk of her own casting is hard to tell, but the lights settle on their clothes and hair for now, and Yako stifles a laugh before leaning forward, turning her hands so she can clasp Konoe's and leaning in to whisper like it's some great big secret.
"Looks like we can do magic, after all."
NGL HE'S ALREADY INTO THE SPARKLIES but needs more movement, yes (please make this happen)
She grabs his hands, and he can't help a smile, as sincere as it is faux-conspiratorial.
"Obviously."
Said as if it's the most normal thing in the world. But the fact that they both know it isn't - shouldn't be, for them - is what makes it such a fun inside joke.
future witch hangouts just turn into konoe tripping on his own private planetarium
In a few seconds, most of the lights have faded, though there's one still twinkling on one of Konoe's ears and in Yako's hair. The urge to brush it off is put on hold for a moment though, as Yako's expression grows a bit more sober as her hands slowly slide away from his.
"I guess we have to learn how to, right? You know, so we don't..." Is there a nice way to say 'blow up'? There really isn't. But the risks of underutilized magic potential, abstract as it may be to apply it to themselves, have been made pretty explicit.
omg he would literally die, send help
There's probably some way to avoid magical explosions, if you never try magic at all - much of the population is like that, it seems - but that's only if you never use magic. And Konoe wants to use it. Not using magic in a world like this feels like too much of a handicap. He wants to be able to defend himself, even if it requires fighting fire with fire.
... Or, you know. Less scary things than that.
He's not worried about exploding, himself. It seems straightforward enough to use magic and so avoid going supernova: it's not exactly a complicated process they have to go through. Maybe if he witnesses such an explosion at some point, he'll feel differently, but for now? It's theoretical knowledge that barely affects him.
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Though the next subject she brings up might be potentially even more uncomfortable than potentially going supernova.
"So does that mean you're going to take a Bond?"
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Konoe's next exhale comes out a little too loud at the start, like he started to say something already but realized he didn't know the right thing to say. He takes another breath, buying himself some time to think.
"Probably. Since it's important." That's the logical part of himself talking,
small as it is,but it doesn't begin to scratch the surface of what he feels about the topic. "I don't think that's something to do on a whim, though." Bonding itself never is, of course, but he's mostly talking about choosing who to bond with. "I don't want to do it just to get it over with, either."If he's going to take a Bond, he wants it to be something that works for both parties, something they're both committed to. Maybe he's setting his standards too high, though...
please, konoe’s standards amount to “who can give him endless kuim fruit”
“But I also heard that Bonds that don’t work out can be annulled, so I think I’d be fine being someone’s emergency backup if they couldn’t find someone else they liked more.”
Yako has less hang ups about giving someone a direct connection to her, given she once let a shapeshifting serial killer in her head...
i mean... you're not wrong
Funnily enough, Konoe isn't all that worried about letting people into his head, even if he should be. He's always been the one to feel other people's emotions, burdened by the empathy that he's thankfully rid of now, but the other way around? He doesn't fully understand the consequences, maybe. He considers himself direct and honest - and, for the most part, he is, so in that respect he has nothing to hide. Perhaps the problem is that he doesn't even realize just how much he truly feels much of the time, downplaying it for his own sake as much as others'.
"I don't want to be anyone's emergency backup. And I don't want anyone to be my emergency backup, either." Only when he's stated his opinion so bluntly and certainly - for he really is certain about it - does he try to fill in the resulting blanks for himself. "If it doesn't work out, it doesn't work out. I don't mind annulling. But I'm going to take a Bond, I at least want to go into it with conviction."
He... is probably setting his standards too high. But he feels the way he feels, and that's not likely to change anytime soon.
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“I think, if that’s what you want to do, then you’ll definitely find a good partner to Bond with.” And she means it in earnest, too, not as empty flattery. “Still, I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who’s thought about it. I guess it’s not the most important thing right now.”
Admittedly... most of her important thoughts tend to revolve around food.
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He'll 'definitely find a good partner', huh..? It's strange to hear her say that; it's stranger still to have it feel like a huge compliment. Konoe has always prided himself in his independence: needing a Bond at all should be an annoyance if anything.
So why do her kind words actually make him feel something? Did his awakening as a Sanga make him more likely to partner up, somehow? Is it just because it's Yako giving him a compliment that he cares?
"... I wouldn't be so sure." When in doubt about even a clearly sincere compliment: deflect! "The guy I bonded with back home was the worst."
Okay, maybe not the worst. But he was still pretty bad in some ways, and Konoe would like to state that for the record, if only because it may make him feel better about being away from him.
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Oblivious to Konoe’s brief internal crisis, Yako tilts her head curiously. Maybe they should go back to trying out more magic, but she’s honestly happy for a better chance to get to know Konoe too. They might have been sharing the same room (and bed!) since they got here, but that doesn’t mean they’ve talked much about themselves or the circumstances they came from, and she hopes he’s in a sharing mood.
“So bonds exist back in your world, too? Is it like how it is here, or different?” She’s curious exactly what sort of guy Konoe got bonded with, too, but that’s definitely a question to sneak in later...
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"It's definitely different." Enough so that he now feels kind of silly for comparing them in the first place. But then, he's never once talked about his few friends... acquaintances... from home, and he really does miss them.
Now that he's come this far, it still feels kind of awkward to talk about it. He likes Yako; he trusts Yako. That's not the problem. Maybe he just doesn't entirely trust his own feelings... or his ability to keep them under control. There's a brief silence as he figures out roughly what he wants to say.
"Where I'm from, everyone is a cat. Most cats are Fighting Cats - actually, almost everyone is."
This used to be so normal to him. Talking about it now, in a world very different from his own, makes him feel like a weirdo. But he decided to talk about this, so he will.
"But some people are Singing Cats. They can Sing - with their voice, or an instrument, or without actual sound at all - to support a Fighting Cat, making them faster, and stronger..." The more he says, the weirder he feels. Halfway explaining, halfway apologetic, he adds: "I guess... it's kind of like magic, but... it's no good for anything other than fighting."
Not for Singing Cats, anyway. The same may not apply to creepy stalking wizards.
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“But that means Singing Cats help keep the Fighting Cat they’re with on their feet, right? Being able to support a partner like that... it’s pretty amazing, if you ask me.” She pauses. “Do you know why there are fewer Singing Cats? Do they spend time fighting those monsters you mentioned before?”
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and his 'partner'hadn't been such that he could sit back and enjoy what he had, either."It's just that not everyone has the ability to Sing... though I wonder how many people have it in them, but never realize it." Especially in an individualistic, survival-oriented world like his. It might be different in the big city, but most villages are probably as isolated and hardened as Konoe's. "... I only found out I was a Singing Cat a little while before coming here, myself."
Why is this so awkward to talk about? Is it just because it's all in the past, and he's pretty sure he couldn't Sing even if he wanted to anymore? (Why would he even want to, when there are no other cats to sing for?) Is it just that he misses other cats in spite of his best intentions to the contrary? He's met so many nice people since coming here, but in spite of that he's felt even more like an outcast than when he was cursed.
"That... probably happens." Fighting monsters. "There are bounty hunters who focus on that kind of work. But even fighting other cats, like bandits, it's good to have some help." Except that Rai sure hadn't needed help with that, most of the time...
It's really stupid and pointless, wondering what people back home think of him now that he's gone. He doesn't even know if any time has passed, there.
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“Did you only find out you were a Singing Cat when you met your partner?” Yako finally asks, more directly than she’d originally intended to. Even if she has an inkling of Konoe’s feelings on being a Singing Cat just from how he talks about it, she thinks that the most revealing thing would certainly be the relationship he associates with it. “What kind of person are they?”
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Well, it's whatever. Not like there's any point in thinking about that now.
"He's the kind of guy who'd fight you just to test your strength, whether he ends up killing you in the process or not, because 'if you're not strong enough, you'll probably be killed by bandits anyway'." ... Yeah. Yeah, that sure is a thing that happened - though clearly Konoe didn't die, so it's... okay? Or more okay than it might have been. "He's abrasive and rude. He always does whatever he wants, and he always wants to have things his way." Not that Konoe ever let him, beyond where their goals happened to align.
"But... he's also the kind of guy who doesn't give up no matter what dangers you're facing, even if they seem impossible to fight." Maybe that doesn't seem like much, compared to all the negatives, but Konoe appreciated having that particular strength to lean on. He hates giving up, but when you're suddenly cursed and all alone in the world, targeted by forces unknown... it's really not so bad, having someone like Rai next to you. "And, if he's on your side, even if it's for his own reasons... he doesn't give up on you, either."
It had been years since Konoe'd had someone looking out for him in a very practical sense. He hadn't needed anyone like that either, of course! But when the curse happened -... It was when he'd needed support the most, but also when he could objectively have least expected it. He couldn't and wouldn't have blamed Rai for ditching or even killing him.
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"It sounds like you know him pretty well." She's not teasing, that's just fact! You couldn't complain about someone in such detail if they were a total nonentity to you. In fact, she knows that all too well. The best and worst of someone, their strong points and weak points alike, that isn't knowledge you come by without caring about them one way or another.
"He actually sounds a bit like my old partner." Now that Yako's put him on the spot, she'll give him a chance to be less so. "Incredibly strong, and always someone who always did things his own way, but when he had your back, you knew you could count on him. And he never accepted excuses for doing less than your best."
Konoe wouldn't be thrilled to know he was a demon, though, so she's just ... gonna tactfully leave that part out.
"Being around someone like that is kind of scary, but it also makes you want to beat their expectations, right?"
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Beat Rai's expectations... Was that what he'd wanted? At first, he'd just wanted to survive; after that, he'd been most focused on not seeming weak in any way, the more so when Rai was so strong so effortlessly. But did Rai expect much of anything from him? He'd expected him to do his best, sure, but funnily enough, he'd never been upset when Konoe genuinely couldn't do something. If anything, he'd been pretty supportive, in his own, broody way. How strange to realize that now.
But, even if Rai had little in the way of expectations... that only made Konoe want to exceed them even more, he thinks. He did honestly want to impress Rai.
"Yeah." He smiles a bit in spite of himself. Of all the things he might have had in common with Yako, he'd never have expected it to be 'asshole partners'. "... What kind of partner did you have?" Because clearly it wasn't a Fighting-Cat-and-Singing-Cat team.
really had to consider if she'd spill the beans or not, but since it's not her secret to tell...
At the question, Yako has to pause to consider how to answer. She likes Konoe, and she thinks he'd be understanding, but 'I used to have a demon partner' isn't really a sentence she's uttered to anyone out loud before in so many words, and the cat's seemed to have bad experiences with the sort in the past. Without knowing exactly what happened, she decides it's probably safer to skip that detail -- it's the very least of why Neuro's important to her, anyway.
"He was the one who got me into being a detective, actually," she explains. "He ... liked mysteries, but he thought getting attention would be inconvenient, so he was looking for someone he could use to, erm, take the credit for all the cases that he solved. He only wanted to deal with the most interesting problems, so he came up with that kind of flashy idea to attract them: having a young girl pretend to be a crime-solving prodigy, while he was the one really responsible for putting everything together."
She laughs wryly at the memory. "To be honest, I hated it at first. Being dragged around that man's whim ... I thought it was terrible, but he was too intimidating to say no to. But without him, I probably wouldn't have met so many people, and I wouldn't be who I am now."
and so one cat remains beans-less
It would be easy to criticize Yako's partner in a variety of ways, but since she isn't doing that too much herself... Konoe decides not to, either. He does kind of understand how she feels, after all, and while he's more than happy to complain about Rai in no uncertain terms, if anyone else did the same, he'd probably defend Rai, whether he deserved it or not. They were still partners, if only for a little while, and only for purely practical reasons. It was a mutual decision of convenience... but, even so, it was also his decision. No one else gets to comment on it.
And so he doesn't comment on Yako's much, either.
"They really are impossible, those kinds of people..." He says that, but if anything, he feels... weirdly nostalgic? Even if it was only for a short while, he really got used to Rai's presence - and of course, Asato's as well.
It's just weird, being all alone again in some ways. Even if he has made some great new friends.
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There’s a very much unhidden nostalgia in her voice. After a moment or two of contented silence, she looks up at Konoe, shaking her head.
“I suppose we’d better get back to prac -- oh!” She cuts herself off in surprise, spotting one last glowing bit of light right at the base of Konoe’s ear. Without thinking very much about it, she reaches out, meaning to brush it off with a finger. “Hold still, you’ve still got something on your ear.”
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Konoe wonders how he'll feel about his friends from home, three years from now... He's definitely not holding his breath for all the new arrivals to go back home, so maybe he'll get to find out the answers, at that. Then again, three years is a long time to think ahead. Who knows if he'll even be alive?
He freezes at her warning, a little awkwardly because he already lowered the tips of his ears just a tiny bit when she reached out in that direction - but after that, he really does hold still. "... What is it?" A bug? A petal?
think this is a good place to wrap this thread? :|a
d^^