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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No idea yet. They didn't check. I would tell them to, but I get being nervous about it. When I got here, I didn't even believe I could change into a monster, even after they proved I didn't have magic.

[No sense pushing them into accepting something like that if they're prone to anxiety, especially Jeremy. Rich looks over his own menu, searching for something warm and sweet to keep his temperature up while he heads home.]

I guess you guys really have a harder time. [His eyes glaze over the menu before he spots something that gets him to pause

He points at a peppermint hot chocolate.] Oh, that looks good!

I don't know if I'd really call it harder. I mean, we're all away from home and people we care about. And you guys have problems too that monsters don't have.

[Granted, monsters are also likely to go feral... well, it's complicated, so Rich isn't going to just flat out say he has it worse. Seems too pitying.

He looks over at what Yuya is pointing out and makes a comical face.]

Ugh. Peppermint? It's gonna taste like you brushed your teeth.

[Yuya laughs.] It doesn't taste like that, unless your toothpaste is made of something way different.

Mint always reminds me of toothpaste. It's way too weird for me.

[He notes one of the drinks has cinnamon in it and brightens as he points it out.]

This is more my style. Hot cocoa should have a kick!

[Yuya leans over to peer at the menu.] I didn't think anything would have enough kick compared to your flaming breath.

Hey, c'mon! Lay off!

[Rich reaches over to shove Yuya's shoulder, giving a sideways grin.]

I liked spicy things before I got hit with monster puberty, you know.

[Yuya chokes on a laugh.] Is that what it's like? You should hope it won't take years, too!

[Haha, it's funny, until the full moon and the transformations are agonizing.]

God, I mean, as long as I don't end up with my voice cracking again. Its hard enough to get people to take me seriously with the lisp.

[Not that his fangs are making him any easier to understand.]

Hey, a lisp gives you character? [Voice cracking is just embarrassing.

He glances up at the waitress as she passes their table again, pointing out the peppermint drink he wants and letting Rich request his own.

Once that's done he rests his elbows on the table.] Anything good about being a dragon?

You don't have to try to flatter me. Pretty sure I sound pretty goofy.

[He orders the drink he was looking at, and then waits for the server to wander off before giving a half smile.]

Not a whole lot. I mean, I guess I have ways to defend myself if I get in trouble, but the talons mostly just get in the way. I guess I can sell my scales for more, because they're rare or some bullshit. And I practically shed them like confetti.

[Probably a side effect of growing on his scarred up skin.]

You don't sound goofy. [Yuya props his chin on his hands.] If I'd been a monster, I'd definitely would have wanted to be a dragon.

[He kind of was, once, it was pretty boss and maybe this time he wouldn't be trying to destroy the world.] If you have claws then you never need a knife. And scales are shiny and look nice, right?

Maybe the grass is always greener, then.

[He looks over his hands with a thoughtful smile.]

I don't mind the talons, and the scales are nice, but... I don't know. I know I'm probably going to end up turning into a full on dragon at some point, and I don't know how I'm going to feel about being that big.

Its pretty cool. But I don't think you'll get that big, like--Fafnir wasn't.

[Morgana's dragon. They didn't have the chance to get them out of her clutches, even for a moment...

His gaze drops to the table.] I think you'll be okay. It's hard turning into something you weren't before, but you're the same person at heart.

Fafnir was... oh right.

[He'd heard mention of them once or twice, and it leaves a gross taste in his mouth.]

I mean, we don't know. Maybe she shrunk them or something. Or maybe some dragons are bigger than others...

[He gives a small smile though, slightly relieved by the assurance. That's really what Rich is worried about, after all, even if he'll keep rambling about size to hide it.]

I hope you're right.

[Yuya looks back up with a smile.]

I think I am. [He winks.] It might not mean as much coming from me, but being what they call a monster doesn't have to be a completely negative thing.

Yeah, I guess not. Judging myself for it would probably be... acting like the crazies in Dorchacht or whatever, just fucking thinking I'm so much worse for being someone different.

[He told himself that he wasn't going to let anyone put him down for being himself anymore, but... it's easier to say that than actually follow through.]

Yeah, that's right. [He leans back in his seat, glad Rich seems to be taking to it.

Their hot chocolates are brought by shortly, and Yuya offers a quick thanks before taking a swig of it.]

[Rich takes a sip of his too, smiling as he feels the warmth of the drink help up his body temperature.]

Ah, that's better... So good to get out of the cold.

OPEN

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