[Open] January catch-all

[cointosser]

Who: Jaskier and you
When: Throughout Ieneuer
Where: The Green Petal Tearoom and various shoppes
What: Doing what Jaskier does best: performing, making money, being an overwhelming, talkative presence
Warnings: None yet!



I. BIRD OF PARADISE (HOSTS WITH THE MOST); Aefenglom; throughout Ieneuer

[If there ever was a job that Jaskier was made for, it absolutely was this one. The Green Petal Tearoom lived up to its name, and Jaskier made sure he was ever the bright flower among its leaves, wearing a sky-blue uniform with a mettalic sheen. Metallic -- completely new to him, and may as well have been the result of magic, shining like the edge of a blade.

He had made sure to bring his lute to their little interview, performing a song off the top of his head without pause. With his reputation already running through a few taverns throughout the city, it was plainly clear to him he would be chosen. Jaskier approached it with a renewed eagerness, too: after a month of being out of commission with sickness, than another to allow his throat to heal (Yennefer's orders, of course, but he imagined it was more because she wanted silence in her home) he wanted nothing more than to return to music.

The observant may notice Jaskier's attention sometimes flicks over to the gruff, white-haired man in the corner, but it flutters quickly back to his current target: a new customer who has yet to be greeted, which he does with gusto, playing the lute with clever, talented fingers as he welcomes them to the tea room. The lute strings glow, and he showers little harmless lights around them.

Whether you are the newest customer or someone who has been drinking and just spilled tea all over the place, Jaskier is more than happy to pluck his strings. What's that? Help clean up?]

No, no, you've got it quite sorted out. Here, just -- here, use that napkin. There you are. What about a jig? [He's already playing a jig. Hope you like music accompanying your misfortune.]

It's called black tea. Very imaginative, isn't it? A bit too bitter? Ah. But sometimes we must face the bitter parts of life with an open mind. They can make our other moments so much sweeter. [Or your innocent tea sipping.]

II. NOT-SO-FOXY (MODELLING PLAY); around Aefenglom; the new moon on the 12th

[There's no need to look so glum, my boy, Jaskier is told by a faun that he's fairly certain he's older than, but considering, er, the state of a faun, he's not sure whether the white bits of hair are distinguished or part of his coloring. Fabiano, at any rate, is clearly the top of his class, and Jaskier has more than heaped praise upon him... to his benefit.

The coat Fabiano has clothed him in, to Jaskier's taste, is absolutely lovely. It's so new -- Aefenglom's fashion is both wildly drastic to even the most eccentric nobles in Toussaint, and yet is so lovely in its own right. As coin has poured in between his performances and his quest outings, one of the most enjoyable parts of his stay in Aefenglom have been the trips to the clothiers.]

I think you're missing the point, Fabiano. [Jaskier gestures at the one black fox ear on top of his head. He has, mysteriously, been missing from public eye since the night before, in which he'd used his newly developed transmutation magic -- after a long, grueling two months of working at it -- to walk the Cwyld with Geralt as a sure-footed fox. And only now, when he feels he's gotten the hang of it (no horrible bone cracking or unplanned patches of fur during the spell) it's backfired. Terribly backfired.

Of course the Coven has warned about the effects of a new moon on magic. Has Jaskier listened? Well, no.

So now... this. One pointed fox ear on top of his head that flicks and tilts and he can't control it, and it would be utterly the worst if Geralt were to see it, lest he have I told you so echoing in his head for days. Even worse, his... normal ear... is now missing on the right side. At least he's curled his hair to hide that fact, but it's more obvious than he'd like to acknowledge.

He's agreed to show off Fabiano's newest design in town regardless, but he may be hiding instead at the back of a hat shop, muttering to himself as he places a new hat over the ear, watching it nearly topple off or slope to the side.] That's... fashionable. Yes. [He turns to the closest fellow, bright blue eyes a little marred by his frown. Is that a patch of reddish fur near his forehead...? Yes. Don't ask.] The tilted hat, I can make that work. Right? This could be a whole new trend.

III. WILDCARD

[Feel free to tag with your own prompt -- Jaskier can easily be found wherever food, drink, and music (and attention) are sold -- or poke me at scathefire for plotting!]

Comments

[cointosser]

[If a grown man was ever close to starting a fistfight with a literal child, it was definitely this moment. Jaskier huffs and turns back to the mirror he'd been busying himself with before the interruption, as if he means to completely ignore him even though Jaskier has barely ever managed to ignore anything in his life.

Well, he was doing rather well this time, fixing the hat over his ear. Until that word.

He looks over, surprised. Certainly this child isn't from the Continent, because obviously he would recognize the great Jaskier.] You met Geralt? Gods. I feel bad for both of you. [He can't even imagine. A miracle Geralt didn't kick him down a mountain.] And he's never told me! How rude of him. Though I suppose I'm not surprised, either. He never tells me anything.

[Yes, he is complaining about his bonded to anyone who will listen. Look.]

[killuwatt]

[ Lucky for him he didn't, unless he prefer to explain to his friends why he got beat up by said child. Lucky for both of them, probably, because Killua would likely never hear the end of it either.

But that alternate reality is taking place somewhere else. Here, in the hat shop, Killua slurps his hot cocoa deliberately loudly, brows rising up into his messy bangs. ]

You make it sound like he's supposed to tell you everything.

Is he your boyfriend or something?

[ The snorting laugh he makes into his cup punctuates the question as a joke. ]

[cointosser]

[Jaskier's brow furrows.] Well, yes, of course.

[Duh. Why wouldn't Geralt tell him everything? Where else was a bard to get his inspiration from? It was already bloody hard enough to squeeze anything from him as it was! And with the way Aefenglom worked, it was no longer as easy as following him on his newest hunt. (One did have to wonder if Geralt was getting itchy for monster killing again.)

He plucks up a new hat, aligning it next to the other on his head.] My... boyfriend? [He rolls the term in his head a moment.] Right. The local vernacular. Like... the dating sort, you mean. [He's hip with it now, having been in the city for more than a handful of months.] Why is that funny? Because he's such a fucking stiff? [He grins. All right, perhaps he's forgiven this rude boy... for now. Mostly because making fun of Geralt is a bonding moment.] No, we're friends. [With benefits.] And Bonded. A fact I'm sure he whines to random passerby about.

[killuwatt]

Wait, for real? What other kind of boyfriend is there? [ Killua hadn't expected to be right. He does a double-take, sputtering into his drink with another burst of laughter. ]

And, well, yeah. [ obviously, it was funny because Geralt couldn't be more different from this clown. Not to say it's impossible; opposites attract, or so they say. At the correction that they're friends and Bonded, Killua just shrugs.

He doesn't have to be this rude, but it's difficult to resist when he's so easy to get a reaction out of. ]

...must've lost a bet to get Bonded to you though. Why else should you think he'd whine about it to strangers?

Not that he's told me anything. Maybe he's embarrassed.

[cointosser]

[Oh, dear, maybe the poor boy has forgone any schooling. A peasant child. Except he's certainly not dressed like one -- well, forgoing the fact he has zero sense of color coordination or style, the colors themselves are far too rich for the most common of folk.

The point being that, to Jaskier, there is a very literal definition of boyfriend, though it is privately amusing to think of Geralt as ever being just a boy.

Jaskier immediately shoots a glare at him. Forgiven? No, he was taking it back. He was never forgiven.] Excuse me? [He laughs in a way that is entirely a scoff.] Hardly! He owes his fine life and full bag of coins almost entirely to me and my mastery of the seven liberal arts!

[Not that he needs to reassure himself over the idle words of an incredibly rude child.] I'm sorry, do you get off being unnecessarily rude about other people's bonds? Are you projecting or something? Perhaps find it difficult to find one who can stand being around you, as well?

[Yes, he's laying it on strong!! Because there was a point, maybe, where he did wonder if Geralt saw any meaning to him. A fine traveling companion, as he'd once questioned. It was bad enough the convincing he'd done to bond if only so the idiot witcher wouldn't eat someone else.]

[killuwatt]

[ This guy sure loves hearing himself talk. ]

Wow... you must be someone really important, huh? Mastering all seven of the liberal arts. That's a lot.

[ Killua has no idea what even one 'liberal art' is. Like... painting?? ]

And no, I'm not projecting anything. You're the one who said Geralt whines about you. I don't think my Bonded whines about me at all.

[cointosser]

[He's only considered kicking children a small number of times. This is certainly one of those times.]

Can you even count that high? [Okay, that was childish, and he would even admit that himself. Maybe. Later. Not right now.]

You know, considering how much I've garnered of your personality, your Bonded would have to be absolutely inhuman to not be. [Because if someone could complain about Jaskier, which he knows Geralt does, then it only seems fair. Coming up to strangers and insulting them several times. Mocking them, even! The nerve.] Anyway, if you're done insulting me, I've many further stores to go model in.

[He does eye the boy though. All those... colors. In such a. Fantastic array.] You could really do with someone... aiding you in your own dress.

[Look, he's even attempting to be nice.]

[killuwatt]

I think you're the one projecting.

[ Killua scoffs, giving him a clear up-and-down look too. ]

My dress? What's that supposed to mean? Are you some sort of tailor wizard?

All the clothes here are weird and boring. And uncomfortable. So if you have better options for me, I'm all ears. ...Eyes? You get it.

[cointosser]

[He's completely ignoring that first comment.]

A... a tailor wizard? What even is that? [To be fair, it does sound like he made it up on the spot. (On the other hand, Jaskier would rather be interested in being a tailor wizard. If only he wasn't such a talented musician that the world would be bereft without his song...)

He tips his head. Oh, gods. He's agreeing.] They are a bit stiff, I agree. A lot of browns. And you are... all of you is... [He gestures to all of him as if that says enough. Stiff. Browns. Maybe that's why the boy is so... so... color-inclined.] Have you not tried messing about with them with a bit of magic? Er, I suppose you might be a monster? Maybe one of those rabbit ones?

[He hears they're annoying. And, to his credit, he's yet to meet one personally.]

[killuwatt]

I dunno. There's no magic where I come from, and I'm still learning what you can do with it here.

[ He grumbles, but then perks up at that suggestion, snapping his fingers and pointing. ]

That's exactly it! Someone needs to fix them with magic. That's what a tailor wizard is. There's gotta be one around the city.

Just 'cause I'm a Witch now doesn't mean I can do all that. My specialty is offensive. Fire and electricity don't help liven up your fashion sense, unless you're trying to make your hair stand on end.

Plus, I can't believe they don't even know what zippers are! Everything has buttons or laces or clasps, and it's annoying as hell.

[ Not that Jaskier will know what he's talking about, Killua is already sure. Geralt didn't even know what a train is. ]

[cointosser]

[Now that he's decided tailor wizards are a thing, Jaskier certainly can't argue, can he? He supposes Fabiano is a bit like that, even if he's a Monster, not a witch. Wizard. Same thing, honestly.

Jaskier fixes his own coat, as if to say, well, there's a perfectly wonderful representation of what good fashion should be. Of course it's wasted on the youth. A shame!]

Ah, so you like blowing things up, I suppose? [It suits his personality. Annoying, bold. Probably likes setting hay piles on fire and watching goats run in all directions. (Not as if that was something Jaskier had done in his youth. Of course not.)]

A... zipper? [He stares.] Buttons are perfectly functional, thank you. I don't know what it must be any more complicated than that. I suppose you could use magic to simply, er... summon them? [He considers that.] Ooh, that's an idea, isn't it?

[killuwatt]

Hah... I'll let you know when I figure out how to summon shorts with zippers like we're in a civilized society and not some old-timey dump.

[ At this point, he knows full well that this world is probably light years ahead of Geralt's, but that doesn't mean Aefenglom doesn't deserve the diss.

He slurps up the dregs of his hot chocolate, gone cold now, swirling whatever's left around in the cup. Even if he could warm it up, he doesn't bother. ]

Like it? Nah, not really. It's not a matter of liking it. I'm just good at it.

[ Killua shrugs, unperturbed. He doesn't seem excited about the concept, for what it's worth. Those are simply the types of spells that come naturally to him considering his specialties back home.

He does hesitate a moment though, considering whether or not he should add anything, and after a second decides to throw in: ] How about you? Got a specialty or anything yet?

[ Not that he knows how long his fellow Witch has been here, but even the 'oldest' Mirrorbound have only arrived a couple years ago, max. It's not a long time to master a practice, even if someone is a quick study like himself. He's curious. ]

[cointosser]

[He'd offer to help if a) he was better at magic and, 2) he knew what shorts or zippers were. There is, clearly, some sort of, er... physicality there. Somehow it feels the conversation was much simpler when he was just annoyed with him.]

That's. [A loaded answer.] Concerning.

[If he's being honest.

And what is Jaskier good at? Well, suddenly his normal answers feels quite inadequate and, let him tell you, feeling inadequate to younger people is. Sure. Something.] Er. [Should he say explosions? Maybe. No? It sounds very intimidating. Though a man wearing a silk hat trying to hide a fox ear is probably not close to intimidating.] Potions. If I must pick something. [Yes. That's a safe answer. And not a lie.] I broke a curse a little bit ago, actually. Very impressive stuff.

[killuwatt]

Yeah? Wow. Sounds like it.

[ he doesn't... sound impressed. Though it's difficult to tell if he's just doing that on purpose to be annoying at this point. ]

I'll know who to call if I end up cursed with a weird hat too.

[ He drains the rest of his hot chocolate in a swig and pulls out his communicator Watch, checking it briefly. ]

Good luck starting that tilted trend or whatever. Say hi to the old geezer for me.

[ what's a better excuse for him to run off now than a teen getting a text? nothing. he's outta here!! too bad he doesn't have his skateboard, but there's always next time... ]