middaeg | [Open] August Catch-All

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[Open] August Catch-All

Who: Kaede, others, you!
When: August in general
Where: Within the city, Smugha Cave, others to be added
What: Thread holder for the month. Feel free to hit up my plotting post here or my plurk at

blueraven if you'd like to hash something out!
Warnings: Potential violence, others to be added as needed

I. Any District

[When Kaede crossed the city, it was usually in direct ways—or more aimless meanderings. But the city was busy and crowded and there was only so much the promise of free clothing could do to smooth over the prospect of dealing with that many people for so long. So, the former it was.

This also meant casually trespassing in people's yards. Empty yards—or at least ones that seemed empty on first glance, she wasn't stupid. Where possible, the Chimera walked along courtyard walls instead of actually straying in them, but sometimes that wasn't exactly feasible. She didn't take anything while she was pacing with purpose between rows of flowers, a garden, or otherwise—but the antlered Chimera was highly visible, her hair dark pink and her arms covered in bright scarlet feathers.

...well, okay. She did linger sometimes. Those flowers were pretty.

Or perhaps she's hovering near a patch of trailing honeysuckle, or perched conspicuously atop a wall with her head tilted—did she hear a dog barking?]

II. Caught in the rain

[Of course it'd be raining on the day Kaede had to return these books. Of course it'd do so while she was mid-transit. And of course she'd find that this newly purchased cloak leaked.

The worst of it seemed to be on her head, where the hood had been rather hastily modified to fit around her antlers. It looked nice in the store, and in cooler (not rainy) weather. But it let water in through those gaps, and the left shoulder seam had started to leak, too.

So Kaede slouched, under an awning outside a shop, a home, anywhere with a roof, the books tucked into the one dry spot still under the cloak.

Let this storm pass soon. Let this storm pass soon...]

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[The Chimera was careful to keep her hand mostly still so Ursula could latch onto it like any other handhold. Once more, the weight of an entire person hanging off of her arm was an afterthought rather than an impossible task.

Kaede was reluctant to let go of the Witch once she was up on the wall with her, hanging onto her hand.]

You used to climb garden walls?

[Her voice didn't change much, but a flutter of amusement drifted through Kaede's end of the Bond.]

Not that specifically, but before I learned to fly a broom, I definitely got into a lot of trouble climbing all sorts of things. I guess I just liked being able to stand on tall things when I was younger.

[ She didn't miss that Kaede was still holding on to her, giving her hand an affectionate squeeze. ]

[Kaede's head inclined slightly, curiosity bubbling up this time.]

You could fly?

[That reminded her of her own wings--or what might be wings eventually, the sheets of feather on her arms. It also reminded her of the...inability to actually fly anywhere, just sort of flutter to the ground like a chicken. Maybe Ursula had some advice--

Some startled exclamations interrupted her next thoughts--or any thoughts at all, as her body acted before those slower considerations caught up. Kaede's limbs were propelled by a possessive, protective instinct now.

She scooped up Ursula, curling her arms around the Witch's shoulders and knees, hissed like a tea kettle at the strange voices, and hopped right down from the wall to the empty street below.

All the way down.]

[ She was fairly certain the exclamations were over the bouquet toss, but Kaede acted well before there was any chance to actually ascertain the situation. Ursula could only help swept up in the girl's arms and suddenly falling with her and falling well more than she'd been prepared for.

She clung tightly to Kaede, panicking to be sure, but also assured in her bonded's ability to keep her safe. But that didn't make the experience any less immediately terrifying. ]

[She could feel Ursula clinging to her, which inflamed those instincts to get away from a place she didn't like. Her distaste for the gathering had been low-grade but human before. The sounds startled something else in her mind.

Kaede landed--heavily, a bone-jarring impact that made her stagger and drop to a knee with a grunt. These human legs weren't nearly as springy as she thought, and without her vectors to take the brunt of the fall that...actually kind of hurt. But Kaede tried not to jar Ursula that much, and certainly didn't want to drop her.]

[ Ursula wasn't jarred, but she felt that pain Kaede had over the bond, immediately looking at Kaede's face with immediate and pronounced worry. It wasn't asked, but she needed to know her bonded was okay, that she hadn't hurt herself with that stunt. ]

[Ow. Maybe jumping fifteen feet down had been a bad idea. Her ankles were not happy with this decision and neither was one of her knees. And while lifting Ursula up had been a trifling thing, landing with an entire other person's weight on her legs wasn't so much.

But Kaede's mind wasn't so hazed that she didn't feel the worry and panic clawing at it. She looked down at Ursula the same way she did when they were both on the wall, though her deerlike ears were still swiveled forwards toward the wall they'd fallen from in case of pursuit or something else to run from. Neither materialized.]

Are you okay?

[Kaede asked, ignoring the sudden and persistent ache in her ankles. It's fine, She's Fine, stop looking at her like that.]

[ I'm the one that needs to ask you that! Ursula insisted. But the bond made it clear not only that Kaede was, indeed, hurt, but where the pain was centered. She was quick to reach for her wand, murmuring a quick spell and focusing her magic and energy on Kaede's ankles, healing binds soothing over the strained and aching muscles, binding them back together. ]

[Kaede mumbled something to herself, though Ursula was close enough to hear the noise. She was fine it was just a little sprain. Two sprains. Possibly three.

...okay, maybe a small thing to be concerned about. But Ursula was fine, maybe, yes? She seemed fine, and felt fine, no bones jarred loose or whiplash. Just still with that worry.

The spell's light startled Kaede, and her ears twitched back instead of standing at alert attention. She tried to scuttle backwards too, but only succeeded in falling out of her crouch and onto her ass. Which...made the spell's job easier, since it meant less strain on the joints it was healing. Her Chimeric nature made the spell take root all the faster, and the ache (pain) began to fade faster than she expected it to. There was just a moment's discomfort while Kaede wiggled her tail out from under herself.]

[ When Kaede fell back, Ursula went with her, though she made certain to wiggle her way to where she was mostly sitting beside Kaede rather than on top of her, focusing on her spell until it felt like the work was mostly done, letting out a small sigh. ]

I understand you were spooked, but please don't be so reckless...

[Kaede muttered a second time, ruffling her crest of feathers. She was Bonded now, why was her Monstrous nature running away with her mind still? The cool, almost tingly feeling of the healing spell subsided, leaving...not much behind. The Chimera flexed her ankle experimentally, and felt no further aches or twinges.]

I knew what I was doing.

[Sort of. Mostly. She'd taken the brunt of the landing so Ursula didn't have to, and they had both escaped!

Kaede's consideration for herself came as an afterthought.]

Please don't argue with me on this. [ Ursula sighed, shaking her head. Her tone was soft, and definitely worried more than upset. ]

I'm grateful you protected me from whatever you felt was a problem, but I never want you putting yourself in harm's way for my sake, okay?

[Kaede's ears laid back, like she was considering arguing and was going to dig her heels in.

But she didn't get a chance to.

The request dredged something cold and somber out of the deeper recesses of her mind that sank like a heavy chill on the things she was going to say. The fan on her tail curled and flopped against the ground, unsettled.]

...I can't promise that.

[She's been 0 for 1 on promises.]

[ The bond, at least, managed to help most of that unspoken sentiment soak through despite Kaede's lack of words and cold expression. Ursula's own heart tensed up, knowing full well what Kaede meant but still not able to set aside her fears that this girl would get herself hurt for her sake without even thinking about it. That wasn't the sort of bond she wanted... ]

Even if you can't promise... please try. I'm not worth all that...

[For a brief moment, she didn't hear Ursula there. Or not just Ursula. She heard a thin, frightened voice--a little girl, with the visit of her lost mother looming overhead but deeming herself unworthy of even trying to see her. "Would she even remember me?" Aiko had asked, teetering on a despairing edge.

Kaede hadn't let go then. She didn't let go now.

The Chimera grabbed Ursula's hand, callused fingers closing tight against a softer palm.]

Don't say that about yourself. You're more than that.

[The vehemence in Kaede's voice was as sudden as her misery, burning fiercely where her thoughts had been cold and somber before. She couldn't promise she wouldn't get hurt, not with any sort of honesty. Not when this human who'd rocketed up from near-stranger to important so quickly in Kaede's mind could be hurt instead.

Kaede...missed being attached. Missed knowing someone cared for her. She wouldn't give it up so easily again. Maybe that was why she'd latched onto Ursula so readily.]

[ If nothing else, the bond made it impossible to miss Kaede's meaning, or where she was approaching from with a plea like that. And she couldn't really argue with it, despite being worried by Kaede's recklessness. She couldn't just underestimate how important she was to the girl now, how much she meant to her. She let out a weak sigh, reaching to gently comb the fingers of her free hand through Kaede's hair, a gesture she hoped was comforting. ]

... Alright. But I do want you to be more careful. You're important to me, too, you know...

[It wasn't fair.

It wasn't fair, dumping all of this on Ursula--all this baggage, all her desires and wishes for attention and affection she'd seen, but only experienced in fleeting glimpses. Just enough to know, acutely, what she was missing.

But Kaede couldn't bring herself to stop, to withdraw and fade away to the background again. She hated people. She missed people. And she didn't want to be alone again.

The Bond didn't lie. Ursula was just as worried as she said she was, and wasn't saying those things to lull Kaede into complacency. She wasn't going to hurt Kaede, even though Ursula's hand was so close to her horns. The Chimera didn't flinch this time, closing her eyes in a long blink before letting out a tense breath.]

I'll try to.

[ It didn't have to be fair. Ursula wasn't particularly interested in fair. She accepted Kaede's plea because her intuition told her everything she needed to know before they were even bonded. Kaede had reached out to her, and she would have never forgiven herself had she not been there to take her hand. It was just who she was, be it 'Ursula' or 'Chariot'...

She pulled Kaede in close, simply holding her there for a moment, letting affection and comfort pass along the bond, letting her soak up as much as she needed. ]

Let's head back to the apartment, when you're ready.

[Kaede didn't try to wiggle away when Ursula pulled her close, stiffening only briefly when the Witch's arms first tugged at her. She'd frozen up when Aiko had embraced her, and lost that opportunity forever soon after.

Not again. Not this time. She settled her head against the other woman's shoulder, breathing out a quiet sigh, and letting warmer feelings into her mind. She knew they weren't hers, they didn't feel like anything her gloomy mind could conjure up, but Kaede didn't shy away from them this time. They were patient and kind, like Ursula herself.]

...okay.

[In a little bit, though. Kaede wanted to be selfish, wanted to bask in the feeling that she wasn't alone for a little longer.]

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[Open] August Catch-All

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