[open] 🔶 spread my wings

[noblegarnet]

Who: Ferran & you! (feat. Rikku, Tsutha, and current CR)
When: Mareuer
Where: The Haven, Shopping District, Undermael College, Entertainment District, &c.
What: Flying practice on top of your house, enchanted baked goods (free samples!), metaphysical world discussions & assorted closed threads.
Warnings: n/a

A. 1st~7th (haven; open)

[Riding on the high of his recent full moon experiences, Ferran decides it's time to start putting his wings to work as more than just decoration—or worse, a hidden nuisance. Very early in the month, with the weather warming and the sun shining clearly in the afternoons, the Fae takes to... well, not the skies just yet. After a bit of practice to warm up in his own space, he uses his roof as a starting point, fluttering over to other rooftops, fences and walls throughout the Haven. His glittering wings make him hard to miss if anyone even kind of looks up, even if the rest of his fairy-like features are still hidden beneath his glamor and clothing. He's not as steady on his landings as he'd like to be, but that's the reason he's practicing! If he wobbles or nearly loses his balance a few times, it's probably fine.

After the moon's influence has waned and some of his previous trepidation returns to him, well—he's already put in some work. It would probably be stupid to let that effort and the potential go to waste, even if he still feels distaste about his transformation. After his uncharacteristic hopping about in the first few days, he focuses more on building endurance, hovering in place several feet in the air a little closer to his own home, usually with a book or sketch pad in hand. Hopefully he doesn't drop anything on anyone's head.

... flying is a little bit cool. He guesses.]

B. 5th~12th (shopping district; open)

[Ferran also manages another goal early in Mareuer—after several months of much less tasteful or otherwise temporary methods of acquiring funds, he finds a bakery in need of workers... that also uses mostly magitech appliances. To a stranger, he might attribute his avoidance of all flames to the known Fae weakness, but it's honestly because he doesn't trust himself to be able to work around them without driving himself up the wall with anxiety.

He might have spoken to Rikku about working on their respective phobias, but his noncommittal maybe helps his Fae mind discard any thoughts about deliberately placing himself around safe, controlled fires for any self-improvement.

The place is apparently in need of some new customers, as Ferran is asked to help encourage passersby to come take a look. He stands outside the front door with a tray of several baked goods—his wings under his cloak and other fairy traits hidden as usual—smiling a perfect customer service smile at anyone who sends half a glance his way.]

Care for a free sample?

[The assortment of cake bites, miniature tarts and flaky pastries may taste a little fresher, a little sweeter, or a little closer to the eater's favorites, and there's an especially enticing smell to match. ... He hasn't asked for permission to apply any illusions or blessings, although the thought crosses his mind to. Maybe in the near future.]

C. 6th~10th (haven; closed to current CR)

[Not everything is sunshine and sweets, though—several of Ferran's friends are still recovering from the last month's events, whether they were personally harmed or simply struggling with what happened to their loved ones. For any who have recovered enough from the Cwyld to hold no more danger of contagion, Ferran decides to come visit, a bag under his arm and a knock on the door.

Maybe not everyone will answer, but they'll find a few gifts on their doorstep regardless: homemade snacks enchanted to encourage a feeling of comfort, a puzzle or book of some kind, and a handwritten note wishing them well, letting them know he's available to help.]

D. 7th~19th (modern metaphysics; open)

[As cagey as Ferran can be about his experiences, he's mostly avoided speaking about them due to the fear of being asked about the emotional aspect of them—but really, he's fascinated by the logic of how all their worlds function, whether it's the science or the magic involved. Given the opportunity to speak about things on an objective basis, he sees no real reason to turn it down, especially not if he's being paid for it. It helps that he hasn't been anxious in front of large groups of people in a long time.

The lectures that Ferran sort-of heads are more of a round-table discussion, where at least a couple of Mirrorbound have been invited to speak about their experiences and field questions from the lecturer and students directly. After their basic introductions and a few starting remarks, Ferran turns to whoever has joined him today with his usual social ease, whether they're complete strangers or not.]

So, what about you? Do you have magic in your world?

[After the class is done, he can be found lingering in the halls, watching students and faculty pass by, peeking into the library and stopping to listen to the echoes of lectures with a wistful look on his face. He's probably given a few curious looks, but he hardly notices them. It doesn't seem like he wants to leave.]

E. 13th (entertainment district; closed to Rikku & Tsutha)

[Putting aside any complicated relationship thoughts, Ferran thinks it's probably important for his bonds to properly meet. They're sort of his "emergency contacts" in this world, after all, so it's a practical idea if nothing else... but more than that, he thinks they'd make good friends, and the more people who can support the people he's come to care about, the better.

He sends them both a message on the 10th explaining his intentions—outright stating that he'd like them to meet his other bonded over lunch, without any mysterious riddles, actually giving them time to prepare and making sure that he doesn't need to work around any unexpected schedules.

As much as a large part of him would like to host the occasion himself, he's still a little unsettled by his own behavior at the end of the previous month, so he suggests a spacious cafe in the entertainment district instead. Neutral ground where he'll be kept in check, and hopefully everyone will feel more casual about the meeting. Ferran is early, of course, and he acquires a table for the three of them. Maybe he isn't personally hosting them, but he does feel at least kind of responsible for the occasion...]

Wildcard.

[OOC: You can check out Ferran's info & current goings-on over here. Feel free to hit me up over pm or at lumieresdedragon and we can figure something out! You can also find his TDM/dreamscape toplevel here!]

Comments

E is for Eating lunch with friends!

[prettyrocks]

[ Tsutha does not show up early, because that's not who she is as a person. She does show up (mostly) on time, however, because she's already mapped out the whole city mentally, so even though she hasn't been to the entertainment district in about a month, she's able to find the cafe Ferran chose easily enough, and Ferran within it. She's dressed in one of her fancier outfits today, wanting to make a good first impression with Ferran's other bonded.

All of that is nearly ruined as she bungles her dexterity save and trips over the hem of her long pant, stumbling smack dab into a waitress carrying a heavy pitcher of... well, at least it was water and not anything else.

Somewhat soaked and mildly dejected, Tsutha finishes making her way (carefully) over to sit across from Ferran. ]

Whoo... That didn't go as planned! Heh... I thought I was gonna look really cool and polished walking in here. Nope! Think again!

F is for Friends eating lunch together!

[al_bhed]

[Rikku is similarly not punctual, arriving literally behind Tsutha but not recognizing her as their third. She watches the whole tripping-and-taking-out-a-waitress thing, winces in sympathy, and then realizes to whom the taller green lady was headed.

Well then. That's one way to make a first impression.

Rikku trots over to the table where Ferran and Tsutha are, giving the latter her brightest smile.]

I was really worried that I was going to be the one knocking things over. I still can, if that'll make you feel better.

[Hopefully the offer for solidarity will put her at ease?]

I'm Rikku. You must be Tsutha. Nice to meetcha.

u is for u and me...

[noblegarnet]

[Ferran watches the whole affair with a mild amount of alarm and plenty of sympathy, though he ends up mostly glad that nobody was hurt. He offers the half-orc a smile when she sits, although there's a slight worried tilt to his brow.]

You look wonderful anyway, Tsutha.

[He smiles at Rikku as well, this time a little less tinted with concern, and quiets a chuckle at her offer to the taller woman. He would have given the names himself, but it seems the blonde has beaten him to the punch. As long as they all get along, that's fine with him.]

I'm sorry I took so long to introduce you two.

E-F-U... what exactly are we spelling here?

[prettyrocks]

[ Tsutha wastes no time in grabbing a cloth napkin off the table and dabbing at the worst of the wet spots on her front, smiling sheepishly, nodding at Rikku's assumption. ]

Yeah, that's me. It's nice to meet you too!

[ She would offer to shake hands but, well. Napkin takes priority. ]

You don't have to apologize, Ferran. Sometimes things just don't happen until they're meant to. Right?

e-fun?

[al_bhed]

Right!

[Rikku doesn't hold the delay against Ferran at all. Things have been crazy since... well, pretty much since they arrived.]

The important thing is that we're meeting now. This way we can work together in keeping an eye on you and making sure you stay out of trouble.

[SORRY FERRAN the teasing tag-teaming is going to start early. Also, Rikku has no room to talk--most of the trouble she and Ferran have gotten into has been initiated by her, not him.]

B

[ranyaulf]

( he's passing by and though his eyes are forward, it's his thoughts that keep him from really paying attention to his surroundings. though he's mostly healed after the events of the kidnappings and the cultists and those morbid affairs... it's the wounds on the inside that have yet to completely mend themselves. thoughts of whether the streets are safe, whether he should have to worry about another random man coming to attack him, whether the people around him know who he is and that he's no threat to them and--- )

Huh?

( it's only then that he recognizes the fae in front of him, offering a snack. he stops, rubs his eyes, then smiles wearily. )

Oh. Of course, I'd be happy to. Uh... do you have any suggestions?

( it's ferran. he knows who this is. a sight for sore eyes, even if one is a little out of focus. )

[noblegarnet]

[He doesn't think to mask the sound of his wings fluttering under his cloak when Ranulf approaches; he's glad to see the laguz again, although his dazed state is a bit concerning. Ferran is doing incredibly well given the circumstances, but it's not like he'd expect that of anyone else at the moment.

He hums in thought at the question, wondering if cat-like diet restrictions apply to Ranulf, too. He looked into that sort of thing once, and even if it might be a rude assumption, it can't hurt to apply it... it's not like Ranulf can't give an opinion after he offers a suggestion, anyway.]

How about an apple turnover? [He pulls one off of the tray by the paper shell, holding it out—and blessing it to hopefully clear the cat's mind a little. He's grown decently familiar with his Fae powers by now, which appear to be mostly triggered by feeling very strongly about things in a certain direction, so he doesn't have any worries about the effect. It comes easily enough when it relates to his friends, at least.]

[ranyaulf]

( he nods politely, taking the turnover with both hands and gives it a look over. it looks... fresh. looks tasty. how many pastries has ranulf had? certainly not many while on tellius! but here, he's certainly had a few. this one, however, as he sinks his teeth in--- he chews thoughtfully as his eyes widen slightly. as he pulls it away so that he can swallow and think about it...

and then ranulf grins. )

Tastes delicious. Sweet. Probably exactly as I'd want one to taste. Wonder what that means.

( but the smile softens soon after. )

Have you been well?

[noblegarnet]

[With a wink and a slightly dragging, lighthearted tone, he suggests:]

Maybe it means you should come visit the bakery sometime?

[But he drops the advertisement soon enough—he's not going to slack off entirely on the clock, but he's more than happy to simply catch up with someone he'd like to view as a friend. It's like the difference between night and day, the way he's responded to Ranulf's approach between now and the first time they met.]

Really well. Probably better than I have any right to be, [he says with a subdued chuckle.] It's good to see you again. I know it's been hard for a lot of people recently... you seemed a little distracted.

[He... really is not expecting an honest response about how the laguz is doing, but it's not something that would bother him. He'll worry and offer encouragement either way.]

[ranyaulf]

( maybe he should. maybe he should drag soren along, get him to have something sweet to eat. maybe it will jog his memory, maybe it'll brighten his spirits and his mood to a relatively even level? the still somewhat dour, yet affable type that soren could very well make his way into a dictionary definition of. it makes ranulf smile, but that soon fades once he realizes that he's not exactly there there, too busy in his thoughts and not interacting with the friend right in front of him. )

Yeah... yeah. ( he rubs the back of his own head with one hand, holding onto the snack with the other. ) It's been rough. I've only started walking around again. Thank goodness for magic, right?

( another soft exhale and his shoulders slump. )

I'm happy to be alive.

( even if he doesn't look it. )

b

[chefalier]

[Oh look, it's the shitty kid. Sanji isn't all that surprised to see him handing out bakery treats as samples; he did bake those cookies for him a couple of months ago. Well, it's good to see that he's doing okay, especially after the kidnappings and stuff going on.]

Yeah, sure.

[He'll never be the biggest fan of sweets, but Sanji will always try something if it's offered to him. It's a cook sort of thing to him. He plucks a cake bite from the tray and brings it to his mouth, although he stops short before taking an actual bite out of it.]

Hey, did you make these? Or you're just advertising?

[noblegarnet]

[WHY'S EVERYTHING GOTTA BE SHITTY WITH YOU, SANJI

He certainly has shown off his baking skills to the owner and will be providing more of said service in the future, but these particular samples weren't his own work. Well, mostly...

Cryptically, he answers:]

I guess you could say I gave them a personal touch?

[Ferran wonders what Sanji's cakey preferences will make it taste like, honestly. It's too bad his illusions fall flat to his Fae senses...]

[chefalier]

[IF THE SHOE FITS.

Sanji isn't quite sure what Ferran means by giving them his own personal touch, maybe the frosting? Some added ingredient that wasn't in the original recipe? The cook raises an eyebrow at him, but he doesn't ask any further questions, before plopping the cake bite into his mouth.

...

As he slowly chews, his eyes widen. The cake bite isn't overly sweet, but still moist and melting into his mouth. He thought with the frosting and everything, it would be too much, but it's not. This is top grade shit.]

This is shitty good.

[noblegarnet]

[......

That has to be some kind of medical condition, right? Blurting out profanity in the middle of a statement that it makes no sense to be in? Right. Probably better if Ferran doesn't acknowledge it.]

I'm... glad you like it?

[He fails to remove the baffled tone from his voice yet, but he blinks and tries again.]

Err, what do you like about it?

[chefalier]

[Luckily, Sanji doesn't seem to care or notice the baffled tone emitting from Ferran's voice. He's honestly still distracted by how good this pastry is. Not that Ferran's baking was bad or anything like that beforehand, but this really is on a different level. Did he just learn from someone or experimented on his own? He's impressed either way.]

Despite it's appearance, it's not overly sweet. The sweetness is still there, but doesn't overpower the other ingredients. Everything comes together, built on each other.

a

[oathkeeper]

[The start of the month is a little rough for Sora. After last month's issues with the cultists and two of his bondmates being stolen and traumatized it's safe to say that Sora is a little exhausted. Dealing with the aftermath of all of that has been rough. And things aren't exactly smooth just yet.

But he does find the time to enjoy the gentle breeze of Spring slowly drifting in the air. When he's outside he can smell the freshness of the new growth of plants and flowers starting. Spring ... Rabbits love Spring. And Sora does too.

When he sees Ferran fluttering in the sky as he's testing his new wings? He immediately waves a hand and waves quickly in greeting.]

Ferran! Whoa-! Ferran, you're flying!!

[Guess someone is starting to like his wings?!]

[noblegarnet]

[The Fae gets distracted by the greeting as he makes another leap, almost a little surprised to be seen despite his glittering wings making him incredibly hard to miss. He'd been entirely unaware of the surroundings other than his momentary destinations, caught in his own head—and he nearly slams straight into a pole. He catches it just in time, though, and twirls around it with a flair like he's the lead of some musical number.

With the recovery nailed, a hand on his hip and one leg bent, he snickers in a way Sora has never seen with Ferran, and he's absolutely teasing the Puca when he answers.]

Good observation.

[oathkeeper]

[Gosh, what he wouldn't do for wings of his own. Monsters who have wings are so lucky, being able to touch the sky and feel the wind as much as they want. Sora is full of boyish wonder and applause as Ferran makes such a sassy show of it all. He's bouncing on his heels like he's hoping he could just jump up and fly on his own too.]

Haha-! Awesome! You look so cool, Ferran!

[He grins brightly.]

I'm guessing you're starting to like your monster changes, huh!?

[noblegarnet]

[For all the Fae's inclination to never give a straight answer, he replies with a cheerful:]

Absolutely not.

[Even if his behavior and form have changed in a number of ways, he'll never accept them as positives in any emotional sense, even if his powers and wings give him advantages he didn't have before. As far as Ferran is concerned, they're poor substitutes for what was taken from him.]

But flying is better than no flying.

[oathkeeper]

[ ??? ]

I- mean... I guess??

[Flying is better than no flying. But he can't help but wonder about Ferran's answer! He looks amazing up there and as a fae, even better. Sora came to terms with his monster side many many months ago, though.]

What's wrong with having wings, though! I'd love to have wings!

[He's still bouncing on heels, holding a hand up in greeting.]

D

[claritatis]

[He hasn't given any kind of speech himself (though surely he could have, he doesn't think the magic and magical history of Eos would be of that much interest to anyone), but he's listened very intently to many others and joins this one with as much curiosity as he's sat in on any other.

The format is different, and after the brief introductions are done he fully intends on settling back to take in what others have to say when the host turns to him and draws him directly into the conversation.]

Of a fashion. [He replies, shifting his posture to something straighter and more aiding to concentration.] There is Elemancy, a power linked only to the Lucian royalty. And the Ring of the Lucii, created by the Astrals and existing as proof of the rightful successor to the throne. Magic isn't common through the world.

[noblegarnet]

[The fact that a ring is linked to the "magic" of the man's world draws Ferran's interest in particular, given that the magic he's familiar with is linked to the silver and garnet pendant he still wears around his neck. Even if the Fae didn't necessarily care about sharing knowledge of his own home, he'd consider the day's lecture worth it already, thanks to the opportunity to learn about this. He already has so many questions, which he's sure the students do, too.]

What kinds of things can Elemancy do? [If he takes an educated guess based on the name:] Is it anything like Talam's Evocation?

[claritatis]

It's beyond the understanding of most.

[And this not meant as a boast - Ignis understands fairly little about it himself, though perhaps more than some.]

Spells can be crafted using ingredients, combined with elemental essences. In theory, anyone can use it by proxy, but for it to be available to anybody the magic must be put inside a flask. These flasks can be used as projectiles to create areas of effect utilising the dominant element of the spell.

[noblegarnet]

[Areas of effect, huh... sounds like chemical warfare with a different name and source to him. He doesn't know that his question was answered, though; "elements" could be anything, depending on the world.]

So, can it only be used for offense?

[claritatis]

It can be utilised for healing, too.

[Very useful, considering the amount of trouble they get into. Many a time they would have come to a nasty end if not for the drinks they had infused with the healing properties of Noctis' powers.]

But it's still restricted to those in the Lucian royal line.