un: qionglin

[deadwenwalking]

Name: Wen Ning
Date: leneur 28
Format: video

[Wen Ning, when he appears, has his hands clasped in his lap. He seems, perhaps, a bit twitchier than usual. The stutter is nothing out of the ordinary, though even that is more frequent than it should be.]

H-hello?

[Video is so awkward. This would have been so much easier over text.]

Um. So, uh. M-my name is Wen Ning. I'm a witch. I... I know some of my fellow witches have, ah, animal companions? Familiars? I wanted to know what... how you decided what was right for you. A-am I supposed to... have a gut feeling? Will I just know? O-or is there anything even to know...

[He glances around nervously, as though he can feel the judgmental gazes of everyone over the network.]

Thank you, in... in advance.

Comments

text; un: ursamajor

[beariot]

I happen to have two, one of which is here with me, and the stories of how I came to contract them is different for each.

Alcor, my bird, I had found injured when he was still a chick, injured, and practically raised him. I suppose that helped make the decision for me.

Arcas, a bear, well she lived in the forest near an important artifact, and wasn't quite keen on me being there, but that was mostly because she thought I was a threat to her cubs. When she realized I was friendly, we formed a bond of trust that lasted for years, and she took up a position as my familiar to protect said artifact.

[deadwenwalking]

So you didn't choose either of them here?

[He's not sure those are situations he's going to find himself in anytime soon.]

Have you needed the one that's here for the same reason other witches get them in this place?

[beariot]

I am very fortunate to have two Bonded that are very near and dear to me. Honestly, Alcor gets to basically treat this whole experience like a vacation, as a result.

[deadwenwalking]

I'm glad for you. Not everyone is so fortunate.

I have friends here myself. It would be more difficult to adapt to this place without them.

[Though he hasn't confronted any of them with the possibility of a bond.]

[beariot]

I don't want to be rude but I feel like this all sort of begs the question:

Do you need a Bond? Are the familiars meant to be an alternative to that?

[deadwenwalking]

Not an alternative, really... A familiar won't be as strong as a real bond.

But it will help me until I can get to that point.

[beariot]

I understand. [ No judgement, on her part. Bonding was a fairly personal, and difficult process. ]

In that case, you can never go wrong with a classic; a housecat.

[deadwenwalking]

I'm used to cats always running from me.

[beariot]

Maybe you just haven't found the right one?

[deadwenwalking]

Maybe...

Admittedly things aren't the same here as back home.

[beariot]

I feel like that, right there, the concept of difference between this world and the one you came from, is something a lot of people take time to settle into.

You don't have to be beholden to how things were. There's a whole community here willing to help.

[deadwenwalking]

So I see. And I appreciate it.

I suppose I'm concerned for any life that will be so deeply connected to mine.

[beariot]

I won't ask what inspires those concerns, but I'll just let you know that there's probably someone out there with similar struggles. If not the exact same, then at least close enough for empathy.

You're not alone.

[deadwenwalking]

I appreciate your words of comfort.

I will make an effort to try and connect better with others.

[beariot]

My name is Ursula, by the way. You can reach me on this if you ever just want to talk, okay? I know this can be hard. But you're doing a lot just by saying you'll try.

[deadwenwalking]

Everyone has been very kind, even though I feel as though I should have bene better prepared from the start. Thank you.