middaeg | OPEN

Who: Yuya + you!
When: First half of October
Where: around Aefenglom
What: Picking up parttime jobs, drinking regrettable potions, and going a little magic-mad
Warnings: Local teen boy slowly losing his marbles, lingering Dorchacht suffering

[Turnt-Up Turnips]

[The Coven is absolutely generous, but they can't provide absolutely everything. Yuya's going to need some way to actually make some money. Not a lot, he figures, so when he finds the hiring sign for the turnip shop for a little stint, he goes right away to offer help. There are probably worse jobs than carving faced in turnips.

He sits by the window on the days he's needed, so he can watch the people passing by outside while he digs faces into the turnips. Every one that he finishes, he props in the window sill for display.

But they might be a little alarming. Maybe you'd like to buy a few to terrorize anyone else with.]

[Homesick]

[Most of the excitement of bargain deals and spring cleaning is lost on Yuya, who as neither enough coin nor looking for enough possessions to take full advantage beyond trying to get a few more sets of clothes before he tears through what he has. Except the market's special potions, next to the seance ones, that the shopkeeper promises will let Yuya connect with his friends and family back home.

He falls for it hook, line, and sinker.

It isn't even ten minutes before he's sitting on a bench in a park with one, turning the vial in his fingers. He didn't get a lot of instructions beyond to "think about who he wants to see". Will it let him talk to them, maybe...? So he can let them know he's okay.]

Well, no harm in trying... [So he pops the cork off the vial and tips his head back to drink it down at once, his thoughts on his parents and his closest friends in hopes that it'll prioritize. It's unexpectedly cold, but not bad, and then there's a rush of heat that might be the magic working.

But probably not. The fever crashed onto him immediately, and regret, and then he lets out a groan and tips forward, gripping his head. He flops over on the bench, curling up and gripping the vial with misery plain on his face.]

What? It didn't even work...

[Past Curfew]

[As the nights progress, Yuya finds himself more and more unable to sleep. Sometimes it's the too-vivid memories of what he'd seen in Dorchacht, flashing behind his eyelids. That one's worse in the beginning, but he still finds rest difficult to come as it instead gives way to an agitation. Something tingling other his skin, tense and persistent and ever present in the silence of the night. He just can't take it.

So he throws on his clothes and rushes out the door in tbe middle of the night. He shivers from the cold, for a moment, hopping from foot to foot before he trots with a hurry down the road--snesking through alleyways and climbing over fences and up the sides of short buildings to get around. Occasionally he looks over his shoulder, quickly, before he continues away into the night.

He stops at some point, sitting down and waving his fingers by his knees to play around with making small illusions. Stars and glitter, changing patterns on the ground, then the shapes of his pets, building up to more elaborate scenes that fit within a couple feet.]

[Wildcard]

((For all other shenanigans over the month, feel free to hit me up at discord or

monochromic

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[He murmurs a "thanks" at the touch, grounding his staff and leaning on it just a little as he comes to a stop. It's been a long day of escorting a very energetic Turnskin and, as ever, he hasn't slept enough for it.

He'll be fine in a moment.]

Glad to hear it; it's been wonderful, the Mirrorbound pulling together to help without question. [Many of them, anyway; he knows at least one who's been content to stand off from something not her problem, but.] How long before they've all got homes again, d'you think?

A few weeks, maybe, if we don't slow down. The houses need a lot of work. [They've probably been empty for a long time.

His expression slips a little, mournful as he watches Lalu in the distance.] I think, for a lot of them, this is their first time having a real home. That they remember, anyway. The way they were being kept back there...

[He shudders, his tone as uneasy as his feelings on it.]

[The houses need a lot of work, gets a brief almost-laugh out of Myr, just a puff of breath out.] So do the folk who'll be living in them, [as Yuya rightly points out.] But they've been so eager to make the best of their opportunity--they'll settle quick, I think, if we but give them the chance and structure.

[Just look at Lalu, performing her home inspection that would do a realtor proud. Everything's worth looking at! This could be hers! After everything Dorchacht had done, she finally gets a home...

And where Yuya won't say it, Myr will, his tone gone from fond to flinty,] The way they were being kept back there was an abomination. There's nothing that could or would excuse it, nor the spells Drummon and her lackeys used to compel the whole city.

[Yuya shoots Myr a sour look at that first comment. Not that he can... see it.

He smooths his expression out after a second.] No. That's why we had to do something to stop it, right?

[It's likely better the look goes missed, since the comment had no harm behind it. Everyone needed work (and help) in Myr's opinion--himself not least of all.

He tips his head toward Yuya, substitute for a glance in the younger man's direction.] It would have been on our heads if we hadn't, knowing what we did. It's nothing we could've sat idly by about--even if there's folk now saying we should've.

[Yuya shakes his head.] They didn't see what was happening if thaat's what they think. Or... didn't care.

[He worries over his lip briefly before leaning over and lowering his voice for a more private conversation.] Has anyone been telling people what happens there is a good thing?

Didn't see, didn't care, or thought it stupid to intervene when Aefenglom can't even save all her own, [Myr says, with a sigh. The first one's forgivable, the second maddening, but it's that last one that really troubles him.

Yuya's quieter question makes him frown outright.]

Yes. [He keeps his own voice down.] And they had been even before our second group left for Dorchacht.

[Yuya hums.] I don't want those things to come here. Or for them to make any of these refugees unwelcome.

[He's not sure what to do about it, though. He's overall got faith in the people of Aefenglom... but he also knows how damaging hearing those things about you can be.]

[Myr's silent a long moment as he sorts through possible responses to that--I don't know we've much choice in it, while true, is hardly helpful or kind. He rubs a thumb against the surface of his staff as he considers.]

Nor do I, [he says at length, still keeping his voice down.] They deserve some peace after all they've been through. Though-- [A sigh.] We'll not be able to shelter them forever.

We'll fight Dorchacht's poison with all we've got, even so. But these folk--they'll want to be out in the city, soon enough, and we shouldn't keep them from that. [And there's only so long they'd remain protected from prejudice if they mingled with the cityfolk without Mirrorbound there to moderate...] The best thing we might do for them is to build them up to know they're not unwelcome, whatever the worst sorts here might say.

Ah--no, I didn't mean to restrict them or anything! [He waves a hand quickly.] But if people try, then it's on us to push back against it, not let it get to the point they can do something about it.

[He gives a troubled little laugh at that.] Tells you where my mind's been that that's what I went to, doesn't it? But you're right on that--and I don't think there's many of the Mirrorbound who'd disagree with you that we ought to do that. Maker be praised for that, at least...

[Given there were folk targeting the Mirrorbound too, it's probably not all altruism and tender fellow-feeling for the refugees, but, well. Whatever made people do the right thing.

Somewhere in the house, Lalu yells out her delight at something she's found. Myr smiles at the sound of it.]

Speaking of--how many of the others have you seen through here, helping? Seems like most of us have been.

[Whatever makes people do the right thing.

Yuya smiles more brightly and nods.] A lot! At least, a lot of the people who helped get them out of there, too... we're making progress on these houses quickly. Some of the locals are helping, too, like this lady that donated a bunch of blankets.

[It's nice, seeing everyone able to come together to do good like this. Fills Yuya with good feelings.]

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