aefenglom | video;

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fgo: cu chulainn

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Name: Sophie Hatter
Date: 7th June
Format: Video

--

Oh, hello.

[Slightly too close to the camera at first, Sophie shifts back once she realises she's managed to turn it on and puts her face in full view. She's a pretty girl, but her simple clothes and the way she pulls her hair back from her face make her look plainer than she is.

Realising she's now broadcasting to anyone who happens to be paying attention at the moment, she clears her throat slightly and settles her nerves.]

My name is Sophie Hatter. I'm... new here. This is all very alarming, but I would like to be able to make myself useful. [Never one to sit back and do nothing, of course this kind of thing was her first thought once the initial shock had worn off.]

I can mend and make clothes and hats, should anyone have a need for that.. though I'm afraid I have little in the way of other talents. [Not entirely true, but Sophie is always one to downplay herself.]

I'm told that I'm not a Witch, so I shall be... turning into something. A fae. I'm hoping that someone can give me advice on what I ought to expect... [She pauses, swallows. It's all quite terrifying, really.] Ah... thank you in advance.

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Hi Sophie! I'm Rikku. It's nice to meet you!

[Rikku's energy is practically the antithesis of Sophie's, overwhelmingly cheerful and carefree. She waves into the camera with a bright smile.]

You can probably make a killing on being a tailor here, since the local tailors are really strict on what they will and won't make. My friend and I got thrown out of one once when we asked him to make something without sleeves.

[In fairness to said tailor, she and Killua terrorized him into making said garment.]

I'm Bonded with a fae, so I can introduce you. He'll be able to help a lot more than I could.

[Over video, it's harder to decide what she should do with that kind of energy. This young woman has the enthusiasm of her sisters, which she has always been able to handle with grace and level-headedness... and it's welcome in a way.]

Sleeves? What would be the problem with having something without sleeves?

[Not the kind of fashion she's used to - most everyone in Ingary wears sleeves even in the summer - but it's not down to the person selling the product to dictate what the customer wants...

In most cases anyway. Ideological differences on sleeves, Sophie thinks, is not something worth losing money over.]

If it's that difficult to get what you want, perhaps tailoring is... worth taking a look at. [She tries a smile.] It's lovely to meet you, Rikku.

The tailor said it made me look like a "loose woman." Like being able to see a person's arms has anything to do with that.

[She's sixteen. Rude assumption to make there, random tailor guy. Rikku likes Aefenglom well enough overall, but sometimes the locals got their panties in a bunch over the weirdest things.

Sophie smiles, and Rikku beams back. New friend!]

Hey, has anyone shown you the city yet? I've been here for almost a year, so I can point out all the good places to visit and eat. If you'd like.

A-- [A loose woman? She doesn't even continue that statement out loud. What a terrible thing for anyone to say to anyone, much less for someone working in a shop to say to a potential customer. Sophie would never even dream of it.]

Oh-- no, no one's shown me around. [She hasn't really wanted to be shown around, still hoping she'd somehow wake up and be back in the kitchen of Howl's castle, warming her feet against the fire.]

But... yes, I'd like that. If it isn't any trouble.

It's no trouble at all! We can go now, or we can meet up later or tomorrow if you don't want to do it right away. Whichever works for you.

[It's evident from the bounce in her body language that Rikku is very excited to befriend Sophie and introduce her to the city.]

Well, I'm not doing anything right now...

[Yes, she does notice the eagerness, and honestly right now Sophie feels like she might benefit from the distraction.]

If you have the time, I can meet you now.

Great! Are you at the Coven? Or did you move into a house already? If you've moved out, just text me the address and I'll find you.

[She is very, very excited!]

You're not alone in that feeling. Most of us took some time to adjust so it's something most of us from other worlds will understand.

There's always room for more tailors, especially people from other worlds. You could make clothing that we haven't seen here before. I can mend my own clothing, but I've never taken the step to sew full sets. What kind do you usually make?

Oh-- well, I'm not a tailor. I just know how to make clothes - I used to make them for my sisters.

[She evades the question neatly.]

I might need some practice, but I'd do my best not to disappoint anyone!

It's the skill of a tailor without the title, but it sounds like that might change. If you're still learning, offering a discount might help you earn business until you're confident enough to charge full price.

That isn't too bad of an idea...

[In her heart, Sophie knows that she could do it. She could make clothes and hats for people here and do well of it if she was smart about it.

But at the same time, there's that little voice telling her that she's not going to be good enough for that.]

Have you been here very long?

Hm. I have. Sometimes, it feels like I haven't and sometimes, it feels like I've been here even longer than you have. It's pretty amazing, how well we can adapt to something when we have to.

Since you introduced yourself, I'll do the same. I'm Light Yagami.

Oh, hello, Light.

[What a pretty name. Not one she would expect a man to have, but a pretty name regardless.]

I think it does help a lot to have people who don't mind letting you know what's going on...

It's nice to meet you, Sophie. You have a fitting name for someone who can work on clothing.

Hm. It definitely helps that we've been in your situation before. It creates a sense of community. We help each other. It's far from perfect, but you'll definitely find a pretty warm welcome.

It's a family name, my father was a hat-maker too. [That doesn't sound so bad. At least she isn't going to have to face this alone if she doesn't want to.]

I suppose not everything here is strange, though I'm not sure what to expect from these 'transformations'... It doesn't sound like a comfortable process.

Sorry, it would be cruel to say it will be. They're not. If there's one benefit, it's that it won't happen all at once. Instead, it'll happen over a few months, a little at a time. I'm not a monster so I can't really speak from experience, but you'll get through it. I can make a potion to help with some of the pain when it comes time.

[Hm, well, she's not sure how she feels about that. Surely it would be better just to get it all over with?]

Oh-- you'd do that? That's kind of you.

[She makes a face.]

It's going to hurt either way, then...

It's not a lot of trouble on my end, and it should help you a lot so it's an easy decision to make.

Hn. Some. But even without potions, I've never heard of a monster dying or going mad from the pain. It might seem cold to say you'll survive it, but I think it's important for you to remember that yourself.

Well... thank you.

[Deep breath. No, it's fine, she can deal with it. It'll be fine.]

I don't think I have much of a choice, so I should just make the best of it.

It shouldn't be your focus for now, anyway. Think about it enough to prepare, but not so much that you stay scared the entire time while you wait. Have you had a chance to look around?

Oh, yes, a little. It hasn't been that hard to find my way around.

[The locals seem nice, though she isn't sure if they're just humouring her.]

Some things here remind me of home.

That's good to hear. What things?

[ He's always curious to learn about other words. ]

Well... the magic, for one. There's plenty of that in Ingary.

[She manages a little smile.]

And the festivals, which I've noticed there seem to be a great many of.

[ Caster sticks to the voice message for once ]

Greetings Sophie, you can call me Caster— take it easy, first days can get rough here, but we're here to help each other.

[ It worked so far, despite everything ]

Mmm, you could check Knit Wit shop— it's a needlework store and they're always in need of those skilled in handicrafts and clothing repair. They also have worked with Mirrorbounds before.

[She doesn't judge too much on how people choose to respond to her, but it does make her wonder why some prefer not to show their faces. Perhaps they're trying not to frighten her? She isn't sure if she' grateful or not.]

Oh-- thank you, that sounds like a good idea.

[Setting up in an established business sounds much more doable than trying to strike out on her own so soon. She can always take on things on the side, can't she?]

Would you mind telling me where I might find it?

Hello, Sophie Hatter! Welcome to your new home~ At least for now, anyway.

I think that mending and making clothes is an amazing talent, but I'm sure that you could find some new ones here, too. And! Do you take commissions~? I would be happy to pay you for one, which might help get you going a little easier here.

Commissions? I don't know if I'm quite good enough for that yet. Not for clothes, in any case.

That's understandable! What got you interested in sewing and all that?

Sometimes it's just cheaper to make clothes than to buy them, and I used to make clothes for my sisters when we were younger. And mend theirs, when they tore them.

Welcome. Alarming as it is, which it is, I'm rough on my clothes. I'd be glad to patronize someone who can mend them.

I'd be happy to help! If I might suggest any ways to reinforce where they wear the fastest, would you be interested?

There are plenty of people who have turned into monsters that end up needing alterations for wings, tails, and the like. If you can provide for them, you'll do just fine, I think.

[A closer peering into the camera's eye.]

You gonna be okay there? You seem kinda nervous.

[She looks surprised by the observation for a moment.]

I would have thought that to be a very natural reaction. [Wouldn't anyone be nervous in such a situation? She's taken aback enough by that statement to even be a little more blunt in her response than she would normally be.]

But I think I should be all right, once I'm more settled in.

[Her ears twitch up briefly.]

Eh? Um... well, yeah, you're probably right. I'm just too used to traveling, I guess. If you're not a vagrant like me, I guess it'd be pretty terrifying, huh.

[And, granted, the whole monster thing is pretty intimidating no matter who you are or what you do. She tilts her head.]

That's good. You'll have to find a Bond eventually too, ideally a witch, but I'm sure you'll find someone who turns out to be a good fit.

I hadn't really thought about that yet...

[That's a lie. She's thought about the necessity of finding a witch to bond with quite a bit since she first heard about it. It was one of the things that had sunk in through the haze of panic when she first arrived. Find a witch to bond with so that she doesn't go mad.

The catch? They'll be emotionally linked in a way that most people wouldn't be happy with at all.

She's going to have to think about it more.]

I have time for that, don't I? At least a couple of months.

You do, yes. Though I personally wouldn't put it off that long.

[Irhya tilts her head.]

Unless you're one of those who isn't fond of the prospect. I've heard of people going a year or more without one, though how they did it without killing themselves, I'm not quite sure.

Ah.. yes, putting it off didn't sound like the recommended thing to do.

[She'd heard something about going 'feral' and that really doesn't seem to be a good thing. Sophie would prefer to integrate as much as she needs to in order to avoid being a nuisance.]

I can't imagine those people had a very comfortable experience.

No, probably not. In the case of witches, they just sort of explode with the magic overload. Monsters, however, go feral and succumb to their instincts. One might think a fae innocuous as far as creatures go, but they definitely have a dark side to them, too...

[Though as to what it is, she's not sure she wants to find out. She hasn't met many fae yet, at least of the local variety.]

If it intimidates you, you could always do what some people do here and work out more of a business-type relationship. A lot of witches seem willing to call it even just for having your presence to siphon off the extra magic.

[The word 'explode' provokes a small wince from her. She's heard of it - the Coven were very explicit when explaining why bonds were so imperative - but still... it certainly isn't very pleasant to think about.

Nor is succumbing to the darker instincts that this new form she is bound to take might have. She intends to do a little research to find out what she might expect in the months to come.]

I should do that, if nothing else is forthcoming. [Not ideal, but...

Sophie sighs.]

This is all terribly nerve-wracking, but people here seem kind. I think I shall be all right.

Two words. Bug wings. What kind of bug, who knows? But hey, it'll be fine.

[ Probably. ]

As for skills, sewing is plenty. People tear their clothes all the time and not to mention the folks who request custom made stuff. I'm sure you'll get by.

Bug wings...

[Yes, someone had mentioned that. She isn't sure how much of the introduction and hey-now-you're-turning-into-a-monster information she was supposed to take in, but most of it had been drowned out by internal panic and her heart beating loudly in her ears.

Now she feels a more able to understand it all, but she feels a little silly going back to the Coven and asking them to say it all again.]

Um, thank you. I think. What do you do here?

[ He drinks and occasionally makes a menace of himself to himself. ]

I cook and run a bar called Fushimi. And do quests that need doing.

[ Or are ridiculously dangerous because he can't help himself. ]

Oh-- quests?

[No one's really explained the quests thing to her yet. Sophie is still reaching around for the things she might do around here, and being able to help the people who are native to this world might be just the thing.]

There are quests?

Oh yes, quite a few. Some dangerous, some are just unusual requests.

[ And some are just outright risque, but he won't mention that. ]

Not too difficult at times, but if you need the extra income there's always those. Some even need a specific monster race to do properly.

Ah, I... see.

[Actually, that's not all that unusual now he's explained it. Such things could be heard of in Ingary and the lands around it, but Sophie herself had never been one to take them up. She was a hat-maker, not a mage or a knight.

Perhaps here... Perhaps it could be different?

Why does that feel so strangely exciting?]

And... these quests. Anyone might accept them?

Oh yeah, anyone can pick anything up. Of course, you shouldn't because who honestly has that much time and energy?

[ He does, or would if he had his powers. ]

You can even pair up with someone to fulfill it, or meet others along the way as well. Or you just end up working together by circumstance.

How curious.

[And... normally not her wheelhouse, but she's very curious to see what kinds of things the people here might pay to have done for them. At least she wouldn't have to sit in a shop all day!]

What kinds do you normally do?

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