isleofavalon | August Closed Prompts

[ He's not sure if that was hesitation that he heard or not, but she doesn't backpedal, so he moves the emptied grocery bags aside and sets out the things to make coffee. She's free to watch if she wants, he won't shoo her away. ]

Plenty of food, too, if you're hungry. Stuff's a lot easier to come by here than it was back home.

[To that, Marianne shakes her head.]

Oh no, I couldn't impose. You just paid for all of that.

[They just finished a conversation about how he's just getting on his feet here. It would be rude to eat the groceries he's just purchased for himself, even if food is easier to come by.

(Which is true for both of them, although she doesn't want to bring up the war that's forced her and the rest of them to ration their meals. Even with it seemingly so far away, it's not a topic she's happy to discuss.)]

I'm not especially hungry, anyway. I may have... um. [Her cheeks flush slightly with embarrassment.] A kind woman offered me tuna earlier, and I accepted.

[As a cat.]

I did pay for it, which means I can choose to share it if I want.

[ He gets not wanting to impose, but Marianne manages to find a way to take it to a whole new level. He doesn’t push beyond that – he understands enough to know that this must be her way of trying not to draw too much attention to herself. To what she is.

Even if she’s made her peace, those kinds of habits are hard to break. He knows. ]

Well, that’s one way to score lunch. When you change into an animal, do you still think like you or is there an animal brain ridin’ shotgun with yours?

... I suppose that's true.

[It's the only concession she's going to make on that point--her "no, thank you" still stands. He doesn't seem interested in browbeating her with the hospitality, anyway. She's glad for it, since going back and forth on insisting would just make things needlessly awkward.

Marianne hates when she does that.]

I still think like me, for the most part. Sometimes the animal's instincts will kick in, which I thought would be scary but hasn't been. Usually, it only happens when it comes to biological needs or when I feel like I'm danger.

[~~Like, for instance, when a woman screams so loudly that it scares her awake and she has no idea what's going on. But they'll find out about that soon enough.~~]

Good to know.

[ Frankly, he doesn’t know if he could handle animal magic the way Marianne does. It’s enough that he’s something other than human already, and the one transformation was more than enough for him. No need to be wandering around as a dog with a steel head or something equally as terrifying.

The smell of coffee fills the air as Juzo begins pouring hot water over the grounds. He still can’t get over just how good the store bought stuff is. The folks in the Kyusei would lose their minds. ]

Cream’s in the fridge, sugar’s over there if you want some.

[ He angles his head, indicating a small, brushed aluminum canister on the countertop. For someone who goes around looking and acting like he does, Juzo is surprisingly well-organized and tidy. ]

I promise, it's not as strange as it sounds.

[It just sort of... happens. Honestly, it's not all that different than when her own human instincts kick in--it's just the instinct and the subsequent behavior that's different. And even that is only strange in hindsight, when she's human and thinking too much about it.

She watches him brew the coffee, then gets up to help herself once it's ready.]

Thank you, Juzo.

[Marianne pours herself some of the brew and takes a tentative sip. The flavor is more bitter than she expected, and her face definitely shows her surprise and distaste. Her preferred tea flavors tend to be on the sweeter or floral side, often drinking herbal mixes instead of more astringent black teas. Coffee, as it turns out, is practically the exact opposite of that.

She sips again, which yields exactly the same result (why did she expect otherwise?). And then she sheepishly heaps some sugar into it.]

[ He watches her have a valiant go at drinking it black, but her face quickly communicates just how much she doesn’t like what she tastes. For a small mercy, he doesn’t laugh, but he does cant his head in silent amusement. He’ll have to make sure to keep some tea around if she’s going to be a frequent visitor - that, and he likes to have a small variety of things on hand for clients. ]

Not quite to your taste, huh?

[Marianne winces a bit, busted. Although it's not like she was especially subtle in her reaction. She tries it with the sugar, which helps but not nearly enough, and finally just sets the mug down.]

Oh... no, it's not. I'm sorry.

[She avoids his gaze. Even if he seems amused, she's embarrassed and annoyed with herself.]

I've never had coffee before, and hoped I would like it.

[ Oh Marianne… she certainly tried. He realizes that coffee isn’t for everyone, and he makes a mental note to pick up some tea – for her as well as anyone else who might walk through his door. ]

Don’t sweat it. I can finish it.

[ He has yet to pour himself a cup, anyway, so he can start with hers – even if it will be a little sweet for his taste. Better than letting it go to waste. ]

At least you tried. I’ll have some tea for you the next time you come around.

[She did try! But sometimes things are just not meant to be, and at least it isn't going to waste. That's something she was worried about--abundance or not, after five years of war and, more recently, military rations it just feels wrong for her to do so.

In response to his offer, Marianne shakes her head.]

You don't have to go through that kind of trouble. I can always bring my own tea if I really want some.

I don’t mind. Besides, I like to keep things on hand for clients. Not everyone is gonna like coffee, like you just reminded me.

[ He shrugs, lifting the coffee cup to his mouth for a sip. Definitely too sweet, but thankfully he doesn’t have an expressive face to give him away. ]

What kinda tea do you like?

[ (Sweet, probably.) ]

[It's a good thing Marianne can't read his expression, because then she'd feel bad about ruining the coffee.

She considers dodging the question, insisting that any tea is fine really, but ultimately relents. He's asking her, specifically, and probably won't accept yet another deflection.]

I like fruit and spice blends, mostly.

[After a pause, she adds:]

And lavender tea, when I'm feeling anxious. I, um, find it soothing.

[ Eh, he’s sucked down worse. The coffee where he comes from tastes like mud, so even the sugar isn’t enough to totally put him off. ]

Fruit, spices, and lavender. Gotcha. I don’t know too much about tea, so I appreciate it.

[ See, asking her about her preferred tea flavors served a double purpose! ]

If you're looking for something that will appease the most people, a simple black tea blend would be best. When things are... safer... I can help you shop for some, if you'd like.

[She's helping! And therefore feels a lot less awkward about all this.]

I’d appreciate it.

[ While it’s true that Juzo doesn’t know much about tea – that was a luxury he could scarce afford, living in the slums – he did, in part, take the conversation in this direction to make Marianne feel like he wasn’t going out of his way for her.

Which might only be partially true. He looks out for his friends. ]

Wish this thing would hurry up and blow over already. I can’t imagine you wanna spend every day as a cat from now on.

[Maybe some day, she'll learn how to appreciate someone looking out for her without feeling uncomfortable about it. She's getting there.]

It's been good practice for my animal magic, but it's not the life I'd prefer. I'm not even sure where this person got the idea that it's an animal mage that's responsible in the first place. As far as I know, I can't give others animal features.

[And even if she could, she wouldn't. That seems a step too far.]

Even doing that to myself is very advanced magic. I'm nowhere near that proficient.

Edited 2021-08-31 17:56 (UTC)

[ Baby steps. Juzo knows what it’s like to not want people to care, easier to keep some distance that way. Easier to not feel like a burden. ]

Wait, so you’re sayin’ it’s easier to become a cat than it is to just sprout some ears?

[ Seems backwards to him. ]

[Marianne nods.]

That's right. I think it has something to do with the difficulty of being in two states at once.

[That's her best guess, anyway. She hasn't given it too much thought, not being the sort to endlessly interrogate things like some of her classmates do.]

I'm not sure how I would feel about running around with just animal ears or a tail, anyhow. It seems like it would be uncomfortable, as a human.

Huh. I figured something small would be easier to do. Makes sense if you have to balance bein’ human and bein’ an animal.

[ All that stuff is well beyond him. He’s glad that his own magic is much more straightforward than the messy business of altering oneself. ]

Anyway, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like. Just let me know when you want to head home, and I’ll go with you.

[Part of Marianne misses magic being more straightforward. It's easier to explain and understand faith and reason than it is anything she has experienced here.]

I hate to put you out, but I appreciate it. Thank you, Juzo. I'll make it up to you somehow.

Not puttin’ me out. That’s what friends are for, right?

[ It’s not lost on him how strange it is for him to admit outright that he considers someone a friend, but he figures that after glimpsing the darkest parts of Marianne’s heart, it’s the least he can do. ]

... yes, it is.

[Marianne's touched by the usage of the word, and is equally honored to be considered a friend to him.]

Well, then let us relax a bit longer before we head back to the hotel.

[The rest of her visit is uneventful. Juzo finishes his coffee and Marianne thumbs through one of his books as they sit in companionable silence. Before too long, Marianne hides in the restroom long enough to change back into a cat for the walk home.]

August Closed Prompts

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going to wrap it here