aefenglom | text | un: feal

[ Just wait till you get to your first full moon festival, Ferran.

But she just grins at his question. ]

I'm learning that I think there might be a festival for everything here.

[He technically halfway attended a festival during a full moon, does that count? He mostly spent it moping, wrapped up in a blanket burrito and watching fireworks. Then he went to bed and woke up with mouth string.]

I guess it makes sense. When you're this cut off from the rest of the world, surrounded by danger... it's a way to bring everyone together, right?

[Sure, there are the docks and a few other settlements he's heard of, but immigrating (or emigrating) doesn't seem to be like a thing here. He hasn't read anything about other lands...]

Did you do anything for Samuin? [He's pretty sure that's what it was called.]

[ She'll let it count when you spend it not moping. Deal? ]

Samuin? No, not really. I was... recovering, during that. It was shortly after our trip into the Dreamscapes, and I'm afraid I overdid it a little with my magic use. It took me a bit to rebuild my reserves.

[Fine, fine...]

I see... I—probably contributed to that. Sorry. [A pause.] I think you're supposed to avoid using magic during that festival, anyway...?

[So that's something?

Ferran frowns. He knew that the buildup of magic could be dangerous, and it makes sense that they could only use so much before they had to stop, but he was kind of thinking of them as... separate? Magic points versus hit points. He'd never exhausted himself physically purely through his own magic back home—he just had limits.]

It wasn't too bad, was it?

Edited (i didn't like my wording :T) 2020-11-16 01:56 (UTC)

[ She just gives him a gentle smile and is quick to shake her head. ]

No, I spent a long time in the dreams. Not just yours. If I overdid it, it was no one's fault but my own.

[ Not to mention she'd expended a great deal of magic in the days of fighting and healing before they'd even entered the dreams. Dorchacht had just been one giant mess of a disaster.

But she didn't want him to worry too much either, so she's quick to reassure him. ] My Bonded were around to help me. And to fuss a great deal. Recovery wasn't too bad at all, no.

Well, I'm glad you're alright.

[Glad, relieved. He still fees partly responsible, especially given how much of a struggle it was for him to even partly consider facing that nightmare... and how he'd mostly relied on her to take care of it. At least she has a decent support system, it sounds like.]

You have more than one, then? Bonded, I mean.

[ She smiles warmly, a faint flush on her cheeks at the mention of her Bonded and her affection for them clear. ]

Yes, two. They... sort of come together. They were among the first I met when I arrived here - both in dreams and out of the mirror.

[That's certainly a reaction. Ferran wonders how many consider their bonds a more intimate connection than he does... How many people would misunderstand the relationship between them? Not that he dislikes them by any stretch of the imagination, but—hm. Food for thought.]

How long ago was that?

Since I arrived? [ She actually has to pause and think about that for a moment. ] Hmm, it was... Aereuer? When I stepped through the mirrors. Although I dreamwalked first but a few weeks before that. I'd say... about eight months now?

Eight months, huh...

[You know what else is eight months ago? The worst day of Ferran's entire life, that's what. His expression turns thoughtful, and though he knows the experience isn't exactly comparable, it's hard not to think of it in a similar way.]

That feels like a long time.

[ Oh, she knows that all too well. For a moment, there's a flicker of sadness in her smile before she pushes it away. ]

It does. A lot can change in such a span of time.

Yeah.

[... but they're not here to ruminate on difficult emotional things. He just wants to see where he can buy some clothes, and he's not going to drag down the conversation.]

So—you have a lot more experience with what's common here. [Great transition. Nailed it.] The clothes for people with wings... they aren't too different, are they?

[He pauses, frowning.]

And if they get cold... I guess I'll need to get something for that, too...

[ She really appreciates the distraction, honestly. She's had too much on her mind, of late.

But she just smiles as she tugs him down the street towards one of the boutiques she often frequents. They have a wide range of monster fashions and she knows they'll be able to find something for him there. ]

No, not too badly. They just usually have slits in the back so you can have your wings out properly. Or they fasten around them? Maybe a little of both. Many of the harpies here have to accommodate wings, too, although theirs seem to differ in where they come from.

They differ?

[Harpies, harpies... he doesn't know a whole lot about the mythology of his own world on them, and hasn't had the energy to look into them here either, but he thinks he can take a guess.]

So... do they have wings instead of arms, sometimes? [He hopes the Mirrorbound ones don't lose their ability to hold things... if they have to have wings for arms at all. He turns his attention to the shops they pass, trying to see where Yona isleading him.] I wonder if they have things like wing sleeves.

[Birds all fold their wings in pretty much the same way, but moths... he's not so sure. Maybe he'll just have to wait for more specifically-tailored things when... that mess happens. He's not looking forward to it, but he'd rather know.]

I don't even know what... mine might be like.

They do. I've seen some with both kinds, actually. I'm not sure what makes it one way or the other, though.

[ She points up ahead, where a green and blue awning hangs over a set of doors. ]

That's where we're headed. And I'm sure they'll be able to find you something suitable for now, and then you can come back for measurements once your wings come in.

[ She tips her head slightly as she considers him, before carefully asking... ]

Do you know what you might like, when you do get them?

It might be random, honestly.

[Like whether they become witches or not, and what species they turn out to be if not. He sure didn't sign up to be a fairy, and he doesn't know that it suits him.

Turning his attention to their destination, he's already considering what to stock up on that's inexpensive for the time being, until he can invest in something better. Or does he buy only a few things now, to tide him over, since he has to get any tops redone anyway...? Yona's question snaps him out of his thoughts, however.]

What I might... like?

[Ferran certainly has some opinions on the clothes he prefers to wear, but he hasn't entirely had the occasion to ponder the hypothetical options for wing-related clothing. Even if he might not like the idea of the wing situation, it's important enough to discuss that he doesn't let his discomfort stop him.]

Do you mean slits versus backless, or...?

No, I meant your wings themselves, actually.

[ She flicks a curious glance at his back, wondering what that must be like. Although she's a little tentative about broaching the topic, honestly. Especially if he's one of the Mirrorbound whose very unhappy with what he's become here. ]

[Maybe when he actually has them he'll think more about what he likes about them, but for now... he just shrugs, letting a breath out through his nose.]

I'm mostly just hoping they won't get in the way. [He likes sitting back in chairs, and lying on his back. And, you know, wearing clothes that cover everything. He might have seemed fine with them in the nightmare they shared, but that was a dream—something he knew wasn't real, however strange it might have felt.]

Who knows how hard it'll be to use them, anyway...

[ She can't help but laugh at that. ] I suppose you're right. That might be even more difficult to adjust to, if they were unwieldy. Although I do think it would be fun to learn to fly with them.

And I'm sure you'll be able to find others here to help you. I don't think there are a lot of fae in the city, but there are certainly a few. And they've had to learn along the way, same as you. Well, the Mirrorbound, at least.

[For Ferran, any ideas of the process being fun are a little beyond him right now, but her comment does make him pause. If he does manage to learn such a thing without horrifically injuring himself, despite insect wings logically not being able to lift someone of his weight, he... guesses that wouldn't be the worst.] Well, flying would always be useful, I guess...

[He doesn't know how much help he'll be able to find for that process, thanks to the apparent scarcity of Fae. But it wouldn't hurt to look... probably. If the possibility is there, he shouldn't let it go to waste, right?]

Yeah... I've only talked to one just today, and I haven't met any others. [Even the information he'd gotten from the Coven so far had been second-hand.] Do you, uh, know anyone who can fly?

[ She hums in thought, thinking over the various monsters she'd met so far. ]

I think I only know one fae, off the top of my head. Her name is Mikasa and we actually met when we were both modeling some of these fashions together. She, too, was looking for something to accommodate her new monster changes, I believe. But I'm not sure if she can fly? I don't think I asked her that.

But it couldn't hurt, if you wanted to try and track her down? If you've figured out how to use the device you were given, that's often the quickest way to find someone. Or you could ask about other fae in general on there, maybe?

[ She hums, thinking that over. ] When I first got here, I asked everyone on there about Bonds and people were very informative with their perspectives and experiences. Maybe you'd find more than you expected if you asked?

Maybe I'll ask for her or bring it up later, yeah... I think I've stared at that tiny screen enough for today.

[Maybe when he's closer(?) to having wings and using them, since it doesn't feel like he'd get much use out of the advice just yet.

Somehow through that whole conversation with the other Fae, he'd forgotten to give or ask for a name... but oh well. He'll probably get it eventually. The situation in general, though? Not knowing the possibilities even to the extent that other species do, as varied as they are, is killing him. Why can't there just be books and detailed instruction manuals about these things... instead of relying on a pseudo-internet forum full of people who are all scrambling almost as much as he is.]

It's pretty similar to something I'm familiar with back home, actually. You can find out a lot by connecting with anyone and everyone... but it's easy for misinformation to spread, too.

[ She hums as she considers that. ]

I suppose that's possible anytime there are people involved. Information often changes when perspectives become involved.

[ But they've reached the door of the boutique now and she tugs it open to usher him inside. There are racks of clothing within, some of them separated by monster types, others just by design differences. ]

Here we are! Where would you like to start? We can browse through what's already made, or if you'd prefer, I can go track down the designer and we can get your measurements for something custom?

[Now if only there was a fantasy Snopes...

Ferran steps into the shop with interest in his face, looking around to see if any of his preferred styles are available at a more reasonable price than he's used to... and if they might come in variants that are either easy to modify or are versatile enough for whatever back situation he'll have to deal with later. At least there seems to be plenty to look at.]

Ah, it's probably better to browse. I don't know that I want anything custom if I'm not sure I can wear it later...

[And that's putting aside the potential of payment, if they're not offering the model-for-free-clothes option at the moment. Not to mention he's still feeling a little uncomfortable about having his body scrutinized, with the strange fluff on his back.]

That makes sense. And it's a good idea. Hmm, why don't we start with just normal clothes, then? And we can adjust from there. Do you have a color you like?

[ She heads over to the section that holds both witch outfits and things designed for the most humanoid of the monster races here. Some are hung up on hooks for display or stored in racks or shelving, and she hums as she lets her gaze peruse over the options. ]

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