middaeg | [open] oh lamia please try to help me

[AoT world was the worst. Even if she'd been here a while and had access to so many 'luxaries' here, she was still a poor farm girl at heart. Where if the harvest and hunt was bad, you just went hungry.

She blinks at the question. Tounge poking out to lick her lips, get that bit of icing sugar.]

The bitter stuff. It makes things sweeter...

Oh!

[right. you know, that thing they were literally just talking about? alright there, Styx.]

'm glad, then! Although...uh, sorry I couldn't explain it better the first time. Probably wouldn't have had to try the coffee if I did.

[Styx, being the person most able to get words out of Mikasa. By asking her things, instead of waiting for her to try and hold a conversation with her lineface game.

But she's giving a small nod.]

It's okay. I'm bad at that too, remember the leaf? [The streams, they're crossing. Then the fae turns her head looking to her drink.]

Someone else told me they'd make me that stuff, coffee. And they'd find a version I'd like, but they've gone now... Is it true you can have it sweet?

[if Styx is your best conversation partner I'm so very sorry, Mikasa......]

I dunno, still don't think the leaf tasted all that bad!

[that's optimism that he genuinely believes in, frighteningly enough. as if the implication that he'd gone and eaten an actual leaf at some point after their conversation to check it out wasn't bad enough already...

either way, the big guy feels that now is an appropriate time to let his enchanted cup stretch its legs again. setting it down, he's careful to rest the entirety of his arm across the counter to act as a barrier; the cup is now free to lope about as it pleases without the danger of disrupting Mikasa with its bitter contents.]

Can totally get a sweet coffee though, yeah! Just dump a bunch of sugar in it. [or, hm. his brows furrows as he contemplates a 'fancier' answer.] Think that flavored syrup they use makes it sweeter too.

[Look. Sometimes you need someone whose nice enough to not point out your people issues. Or shove their hands in your mouth to make you smile like some people had-!

So all in all, Styx had been nice. Albeit confusing enough that she just had to ask. It was a magical combo. Also-]

Not all leaves are the same... Maybe the one I had didn't get enough fertiliser. [She was kind of a weirdo. Maybe it was just a farmer thing. How many people could tell if a cucumber had gotten enough water?

Though she's turning away from her cake at that. Even if she has to glance at her puppy. The little guy wasn't barking. But he was waddling along on the floor below the counter, following the cup. She was going to just ignore that though.]

Like honey? And that makes it not bitter?

Oh, maybe! Plants need a lot've food to grow up strong, don't they?

[nutrients. the word that you're looking for is nutrients, Styx. plants do not swing down to the Burger King and grab a Whopper so that they can produce the maximum amount of fruits possible.]

But uh, yeah! Kinda? 's not as thick...'nd it's kinda see-through too, not like. Honey-colored. Makes it tastes like whatever the flavor is.

Yeah. [She's very helpful here.] They need chicken shit to grow properly or good soil. [Truly the most helpful. But she's blinking, eyes drifting to look at her cup.]

What's the point of having both if it just tastes like syrup?

[Styx ate a leaf, she might be considering eating syrup.]

[if only someone had invented leaf-flavored syrup for fauns, they could have a real bonding experience brewing in their future.

Styx's brain is a bit stuck on the concept of poop helping things grow, however, and Mikasa's question goes unanswered for several cup laps. poop...was poop, wasn't it? it made the grass all brown in the parks when people didn't pick up after their dogs, so how could it help a plant be happier on a farm? ...what happened if you didn't have any chickens??]

Well...[come on, Styx. syrup first, chickens later.] Uh, think the coffee keeps you up better? So it's like, uh, you're making the syrup stronger when you do that.

[Terrifying.

And Mikasa was going to munch on her cake some more, not trying coffee before it this time. Completely unaffected by her mention of fecal matter.]

So it...makes the syrup sweeter? [Because if was being made stronger?]

I...oh, uh, I guess? 'Cause it's all tough 'nd stuff now.

[he rubs at his chin, thoughtful. syrupy power levels aren't something he's considered before.]

But maybe it just means it's, like, a better kind of sweet? For being powerful 'nd all.

[That makes Mikasa turn, slowly looking down at the counter as she tried to process that but... What. So the syrup was tough now? Like stale bread that had been dried?

A few seconds pass of the fae trying to work out the mystery of how it worked. Before giving up, it made things taste sweet. That was enough for her. Like how she didn't know how her second set of arms worked, they just did. Some things were just like that. Confusing herself further wouldn't help so...]

...Were you hiding from the rain as well?

[She'd ran in, though she wasn't sure if he'd been paying enough attention to the door to realise that. No coat, not even anything to shelter from the rain.]

It's still raining?

[...that would be a resounding no on more than a few levels of awareness. Styx's brows lift in gentle surprise as he twists away from the counter to peer out the big glass windows, amazed to find that the heavens hadn't closed back up yet. damn, it was really coming down out there, wasn't it? no wonder she'd been soaked when she'd sidled up to her seat...]

Haha, shit! Just kinda figured it would've stopped by now...guess not. [he chuckles again in amusement before turning back to face Mikasa.] I've been here a while - no hiding! Just trying to study a little.

I'm not sure... [She couldn't hear it. But the buildings here had a way of hiding the noise, all the sounds of life inside of them. The occasional magic that dampened the noise. So Mikasa tilted, leaning back in her stool to look out the window. Rocking back once she'd seen that yes, it still pouring. Giving a sigh... At least she wouldn't have to water the garden today. Hopefully, the chickens had been smart enough to hide in their coop.

She could dream.

Though the mention of studying gets a frown.]

Is that why the cup was moving? [Then a blink as she tried to spot the mug hiding in his arms. Or not, she wasn't sure if it was hiding or he was just stopping it from leaving again.] ...Was it supposed to do that?

[Not judging, just curious. She'd seen some weird things here. Too much to know what was intentional.]

[it's definitely the latter. when the cup senses that it's being stared at by someone other than its creator it seems to perk up a bit, lifting up on its porcelain tippy-toes to try and 'peek' over Styx's massive arm. it's pretty cute if you ignore the fact it's a fucking coffee cup with spidery legs.]

Uh, yeah, kind of! Was trying to do trans...transmutation? I think? Where you make stuff into other things.

[all of the different branches of magic was difficult enough for him to keep track of, let alone practice. he's extremely grateful every time he comes even remotely close to success.]

Just wanted to see if I could get the legs done, but 's kinda cool that it can move around too! Uh, I think so anyway.

[Mikasa keeps staring, even if her brow furrows. Not sure what to make of it. It was like her 'cat'... Really fucking weird. But oddly endearing. Why this? This better be a fae instinct thing and not her being into weird furniture.

Thank you Styx for talking more. So she can pull her gaze away, blinking at the magic class. Thx for explaining, the fae really didn't get why they needed the names like that instead of just saying what it did.]

So you were just trying to give it legs? [And it wasn't supposed to move? That... Didn't make sense to Mikasa, why legs if no move? But then again, chairs and tables had legs. Maybe she was thinking too hard on the reasoning. Like that time Jean lost an eyebrow.] I'm surprised they don't give you set tasks with it... Though the lessons I've gone to aren't... [She shrugged, the lessons had been helpful. But there was a limit to how much you could explain to someone who knew so little.

It'd taken her long to understand the basics of magic. Until then she'd not been able to understand anything else, because she didn't have the basics. So this was just a step in Styx learning the basics.] What are you learning it for?

Edited 2020-12-12 22:14 (UTC)

[names have power, so it was important to give already powerful things names. he...thinks. he hopes? there's still a great deal about magic that Styx honestly doesn't grasp in the least despite having doubled down on the learning.]

Yeah, just the legs! Dunno if the spell's actually supposed to do more than that or not, but...

[he shrugs]

My classes aren't bad or nothing! 's just me being stupid most of the time, I think. They give you lots of stuff that you gotta practice, but I wanted to do some stuff on my own too.

[since...mm. his smile grows a little distant, fingers tapping idly on the cover of one of his textbooks. that desire ties into Mikasa's question quite neatly, doesn't it? it's helpful in finding the words to properly explain himself in a timely manner.]

...I gotta get better at this kind of stuff - magic, I mean. 'm tired of things happening and I can't do nothing to keep people safe.

[Mikasa had heard the sentiment. But not with something so broad as a class of magic, but what did she know.

She nodded at the mention of the book, her eyes moving to glance at it. Mouth opening to ask if it'd been enchanted so he could read it, like she needed them too. The characters she'd grown up reading were too different for the basic translation magic to work.

But she didn't get time. That odd melancholy settling in the air. So she turned, not hiding her face. But looking to her drink, musing her words.]

Yeah... [Softly.] I'm usless here too. [Was it harsh saying that? Maybe. But she'd spent so long working, unable to do much with the new limitations her changes placed on her. Couldn't touch her own blades for long without being burnt. The strength she'd gained to defend others wasn't much with dragons and turnskins around. She wasn't creative enough to make use of the magic fae were known for.

In short it, she'd been bumbling around here a lot. Trying to find something she could do.

...Well, that killed the conversation.]

No way.

[Mikasa was barely finished speaking and yet the rejection is already flying out of her companion's mouth, forceful despite the relatively low tone he manages to somehow maintain. no one was useless. absolutely no one. even Styx, made from the lowest dregs of the earth, could offer his body up to protect people from harm.

he doesn't crowd in on her personal space or even force her to look away from that warm drink of hers, but the drummer does lean over the side of the counter a bit to put more of himself into her peripheral vision. burdening someone with his opinion doesn't so much as enter his mind for once; he's too caught up in just how wrong that conclusion is.]

You're fucking killer, Mikasa, that's bullshit.

[Wow Styx, and here she was commiserating over tea and coffee. Mikasa remained still at first, not quite sure she'd heard him. Slowly lifting her head back up to stare.

Blinking as he keeps going. She'd...Not been expecting that. Wasn't sure how to respond.]

Um... [Congrats, she's slightly gobsmacked. Her mouth staying open for a moment. Then she's frowning. Styx, she'd gotten used to just ignoring some tics people used but 'fucking killer' is a new one. Because from his tone and the second part her was saying she was wrong...but also she'd killed, that was a fact.

What a strange phrase.] ...What?

[Just going to keep staring, like that'd give her some hint of what he meant.]

[clearly Eren was living up to the stereotype of the selfish dragon, having failed to share his wealth of knowledge of the future's hip and happening slang with the poor yokels from home. despite the fact that he's had this miscommunication an impressively high number of times Styx completely fails to connect his phrasing to the way that the fae is staring blankly up at him right now.]

Yeah!

[it's disbelief, he thinks, not...complete and total detachment from any sort of understanding of the words coming out of his mouth. Styx nods forcefully, locks of hair bouncing around his face as if to reaffirm the point he thinks he's made.]

You got no reason to think about yourself like that, you're one of the fucking coolest people I know.

Edited (nice) 2020-12-21 03:25 (UTC)

[Fucking dragons... Keeping all the slang and eating peoples' arms.

Though even if she did fully understand Styx's slang, she'd have still been blinking in confusion. As it was, she'd gotten over the blinking, now it was time for staring. Still frowning as she tried to work it out.

But failing. So she just went for the direct route-]

Why?

[Why would he consider her cool? It wasn't the first time she'd heard it, but it'd never been for a good reason.]

[people didn't normally ask Styx to explain his opinions, but in this particular instance it wasn't a request which startled him. if you were a cool person, wouldn't you want to hear why you were so awesome? the big guy can definitely understand it, and he launches into list mode without a moment's hesitation.]

You can jump real high, 'nd you can fucking fly! 'nd you got real pretty wings and those cool bug eyes? They're so big! And you know all kinds of killer shit about shit, 'nd your dog's nice, 'nd you're always doing great stuff for everybody...

[he has to pause to suck in a deep breath of air. phew. it's kind of hard cramming everything into as few sentences as possible!]

'nd you're always trying real, real hard to get better even though you really don't gotta. Can tell...think everybody can tell, really, and that's super sick.

[That's a lot... For a moment she's still and silent. Styx... It's so much that Mikasa really isn't sure how to repsond. Such a mixture of words, 'shit', 'sick'? If it weren't for the rest she'd- Well she wouldn't have thought it was a compliment but it was Styx. If nothing else, he was honest.]

Oh... [And she's turning her head away. Her eyes turning red. That sounded a lot better than 'you're good at killing'.]

...Thanks. [That is entirely the correct response.] You notice a lot huh? [If he could list so much, so quickly.]

[lying is a three brain cell action minimum, and that's the kind of premium expenditure that Styx simply doesn't have the budget for. he beams at the muted expression of gratitude, as pleased as if it had been something more bombastic.]

Haha, nope! 's how you know it's for real...gotta be crazy obvious for somebody like me to have noticed!

[That may have been the reason she wasn't instantly dismissing it. It was like...talking to Sasha in a way. Mikasa was no expert in reading people. Nor was she great at expressing herself. But he was that quick, hardly had to think about the answer. She liked to think that was proof enough.

...That or Styx was capable of fauxing his everything. Which she doubted, though. She does snort.]

You'd be surprised. You probably notice because you are you... [She rolled her shoulders, leaning back on her stool so she could see him. Still downcast, ears still slightly red.] ... If you're thinking of something complicated, you'll miss the obvious.

[Like she had. Been too focused on working, building a life that she'd missed the cracks.]

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