Klaudia blinks at the offering of spicy snacks, taking them reflexively in her hands like they're some sort of arcane object. A little hunger gnaws at her, but being too unsettled and full of worry, she can't stomach the thought of food for the moment. She does at least deposit the thing previously occupying her hands back onto the pile it came from.
She had really hoped he would be working on something--that there would be some news that could relieve her from this awful situation. If not him, then who? He sinks into his grumbling spot on the floor, and Klaudia follows suit as if an invisible string connects them, legs tucked close to her chest with her arms around them. She doesn't know what else to do. Cognitive magic sounds promising... but she doesn't know anything about that--or anything else for that matter. Is she supposed to have ideas about this? The package of peanuts in her hands is suddenly deeply interesting, and the plastic crinkles as she presses and shifts the snacks around aimlessly.
"Medicine wasn't my field, either. Captain was a healer. She could make potions and tonics... I didn't think I needed to learn them too. Even here, I didn't think they'd be useful..." But now she's not so sure. Maybe there's a potion that could rectify this, but she doesn't even know where to begin looking. If only she could have even half the optimism that she hears in Wei Wuxian's voice; but all she can feel is regret and all she can think of is her inability to help.
Maybe if she keeps talking through her thoughts, something useful to him might come out. "Light won't work... Alchemy won't, either... Putting a ghost in him isn't going to do anything good. Are magical sponges useful? I don't think they can wring memories out or put them back in people..." Is cognitive magic really the only thing they have?
Edited (idk the sentence sounded weird) 2022-06-17 17:50 (UTC)
Klaudia's logic and verbal reconnaissance are both thorough and methodical, not unlike a disciple's foreword to a nighthunt report, under the informal Klaudia-ness of it all. Here are the strategies she is considering, here are the ones she has deemed unsuitable, a map to a train of thought. Commendable, even if he's wrinkling his nose at potions and more fiercely at the idea of putting ghosts in people, or maybe the audacity of verbalizing this regarding Hanguang-jun in particular.
So many problems in this world and so few require ghosts. Who's really the less useful one here, if he can't do something meaningful with cognitive magic? He eyes the snacks she's bullying restlessly instead of applying medicinally, but does not comment. She's not badly off enough he can hold furthering the conversation hostage in return for eating, but he's ready at a moment's notice. Perhaps instead of this he can be normal and meet her strategizing in the same spirit instead.
"Light might be beneficial, don't be too quick to rule it out. There was that light story spell, if seeing a memory is more helpful than just hearing someone tell it. Maybe it's like--a big deadfall in there. Moving just a few limbs makes more pieces accessible." As an idea, this is interesting to say and think about, but his voice makes it clear he's not sold himself on it for the specific situation they're in. But isn't something better than nothing? "It couldn't hurt, anyway. Might make cognitive magic more targeted."
Something is indeed better than nothing. The pall hanging over Klaudia's mood lifts a little when he offers that light magic might be useful, eyes rising from the worked over package of peanuts to Wei Wuxian's face and blinking owlishly but hopefully. "Could it?... I don't know that I remember that spell, but I could try. Or I could try making normal illusions, too. I don't know the things he's familiar with if they're not from here, but if you drew them, I think I could mimic them. Like his cold pond, or... the rabbit grove? He told me before, those were his favorites."
Could they really help jog his memory with things from his home? Would that help him remember the things from here as well? There's an uneasiness just under the surface of her hope--a worry that he might remember Wei Wuxian and Sizhui and not her... But she knows a ghost-shifu won't allow that. It feels strange and new to have someone that she can rely on so implicitly without worrying that she'll be forgotten or discarded. Even as Brassica's bosun, it always felt as if being asked to leave was a possibility, albeit a small one (and she did her best to avoid it).
But this is her home. Lan Wangji had promised her, and she's sure that Wei Wuxian will scold him if he remembers everything but that.
Oh that Lan Zhan. This is a lot of pressure to put on his artistic abilities, but the idea has merit even if thoughts of Lan Zhan solemnly discussing his favorite places with a bright-eyed Klaudia currently makes his heart ache a little. It does worry him that just the house itself hadn't done anything to restore his memory, but unlike Klaudia herself it's still a little new, isn't it? And maybe people don't count, anyway, since he himself certainly ought to, by this logic. Klaudia seems a little if not entirely buoyed by this, so it counts for something, even if she's still terrorizing her snacks instead of eating them, which makes him press his lips in a line but doesn't push him over the scolding edge just yet.
"Good ideas, as expected of the sand cultivator," he nods once. "Even I remember those places." Not that he's the one with a memory curse, but near enough. Still, if it doesn't work, is it time wasted if Lan Zhan finds it edifying? "We have a lot of things to try, between us-- Can you imagine if all we had was plants, or talking to animals? I don't think we should be too worried yet. I've restored more than memories, anyway." Too worried not to run his mouth, unfortunately, even if he snaps it shut too late, rolling a shoulder in something like defiance. Of what, unclear. Responsibility, maybe. "What, are your snacks no good?"
The praise that Klaudia earns for voicing her thoughts certainly helps with the buoying that Wei Wuxian is looking for. It almost sounds like they have something of a plan--or at least the start of one. And isn't a start good to have, rather than nothing but fretting and worrying and idle hands?
Less helpful is the reminder that he's restored "more than memories" before. How can he make a face at her about bringing up ghosts, when he says things like that? And right after telling her to not worry, as if that doesn't set more uneasy tension through her. She's never begrudged him his ghost magic for even a second, had only ever encouraged him to put ghosts in nearly everything around them; but in this moment, she doesn't want to think about that and Lan Wangji at the same time.
Only when he asks after her snacks does she jolt out of her morbid thoughts to realize that she's squeezed a few of the peanuts apart in her harassment of the package.
"Oh-- No, they're good. I'm sure they are. I'm just not very hungry..." Despite the worry still creasing her brow and tying her stomach in knots, Klaudia dutifully smooths the plastic out in her hands and then offers the package back to him, like that might absolve her snack crimes. "...Do you want them back? I'm sorry I smashed them a little."
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She had really hoped he would be working on something--that there would be some news that could relieve her from this awful situation. If not him, then who? He sinks into his grumbling spot on the floor, and Klaudia follows suit as if an invisible string connects them, legs tucked close to her chest with her arms around them. She doesn't know what else to do. Cognitive magic sounds promising... but she doesn't know anything about that--or anything else for that matter. Is she supposed to have ideas about this? The package of peanuts in her hands is suddenly deeply interesting, and the plastic crinkles as she presses and shifts the snacks around aimlessly.
"Medicine wasn't my field, either. Captain was a healer. She could make potions and tonics... I didn't think I needed to learn them too. Even here, I didn't think they'd be useful..." But now she's not so sure. Maybe there's a potion that could rectify this, but she doesn't even know where to begin looking. If only she could have even half the optimism that she hears in Wei Wuxian's voice; but all she can feel is regret and all she can think of is her inability to help.
Maybe if she keeps talking through her thoughts, something useful to him might come out. "Light won't work... Alchemy won't, either... Putting a ghost in him isn't going to do anything good. Are magical sponges useful? I don't think they can wring memories out or put them back in people..." Is cognitive magic really the only thing they have?
no subject
So many problems in this world and so few require ghosts. Who's really the less useful one here, if he can't do something meaningful with cognitive magic? He eyes the snacks she's bullying restlessly instead of applying medicinally, but does not comment. She's not badly off enough he can hold furthering the conversation hostage in return for eating, but he's ready at a moment's notice. Perhaps instead of this he can be normal and meet her strategizing in the same spirit instead.
"Light might be beneficial, don't be too quick to rule it out. There was that light story spell, if seeing a memory is more helpful than just hearing someone tell it. Maybe it's like--a big deadfall in there. Moving just a few limbs makes more pieces accessible." As an idea, this is interesting to say and think about, but his voice makes it clear he's not sold himself on it for the specific situation they're in. But isn't something better than nothing? "It couldn't hurt, anyway. Might make cognitive magic more targeted."
no subject
Could they really help jog his memory with things from his home? Would that help him remember the things from here as well? There's an uneasiness just under the surface of her hope--a worry that he might remember Wei Wuxian and Sizhui and not her... But she knows a ghost-shifu won't allow that. It feels strange and new to have someone that she can rely on so implicitly without worrying that she'll be forgotten or discarded. Even as Brassica's bosun, it always felt as if being asked to leave was a possibility, albeit a small one (and she did her best to avoid it).
But this is her home. Lan Wangji had promised her, and she's sure that Wei Wuxian will scold him if he remembers everything but that.
no subject
Oh that Lan Zhan.This is a lot of pressure to put on his artistic abilities, but the idea has merit even if thoughts of Lan Zhan solemnly discussing his favorite places with a bright-eyed Klaudia currently makes his heart ache a little. It does worry him that just the house itself hadn't done anything to restore his memory, but unlike Klaudia herself it's still a little new, isn't it? And maybe people don't count, anyway, since he himself certainly ought to, by this logic. Klaudia seems a little if not entirely buoyed by this, so it counts for something, even if she's still terrorizing her snacks instead of eating them, which makes him press his lips in a line but doesn't push him over the scolding edge just yet."Good ideas, as expected of the sand cultivator," he nods once. "Even I remember those places." Not that he's the one with a memory curse, but near enough. Still, if it doesn't work, is it time wasted if Lan Zhan finds it edifying? "We have a lot of things to try, between us-- Can you imagine if all we had was plants, or talking to animals? I don't think we should be too worried yet. I've restored more than memories, anyway." Too worried not to run his mouth, unfortunately, even if he snaps it shut too late, rolling a shoulder in something like defiance. Of what, unclear. Responsibility, maybe. "What, are your snacks no good?"
no subject
Less helpful is the reminder that he's restored "more than memories" before. How can he make a face at her about bringing up ghosts, when he says things like that? And right after telling her to not worry, as if that doesn't set more uneasy tension through her. She's never begrudged him his ghost magic for even a second, had only ever encouraged him to put ghosts in nearly everything around them; but in this moment, she doesn't want to think about that and Lan Wangji at the same time.
Only when he asks after her snacks does she jolt out of her morbid thoughts to realize that she's squeezed a few of the peanuts apart in her harassment of the package.
"Oh-- No, they're good. I'm sure they are. I'm just not very hungry..." Despite the worry still creasing her brow and tying her stomach in knots, Klaudia dutifully smooths the plastic out in her hands and then offers the package back to him, like that might absolve her snack crimes. "...Do you want them back? I'm sorry I smashed them a little."