[IC] Tributary Continuations

[bitterblossoms]

[♥]

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With Miles, Day 93

[bitterblossoms]

[overflow from this post, later in the morning]

[Miles can come across Azalea outside a little later, perched on a branch overlooking the clearing. he . . . might not actually notice him until some snow gets knocked off on top of Miles's head]

[dendarii]

[ yeah miles is deep in thought for a variety of reasons, and jolts when he gets ambushed. ]

-- Azalea?

[bitterblossoms]

You should keep an eye out. You never know what's lurking in the woods.

[dendarii]

Like a dangerous fae lord out to kidnap me and take me away?

[bitterblossoms]

I hear they're quite difficult to evade.

[drifting down to hover next to Miles, smiling]

. . . now, where were you off to, my lord?

[dendarii]

[ Miles offers a hand, shifting his notebook fully to the other. ]

Enjoying the weather and a walk. I'm not fond of cold, but there is something special about being bundled and meandering through the snow. And besides, I'm practicing my magic right now.

[ if Azalea detects magic, he'll sense a thin layer of abjuration magic around Miles - protection against cold. ]

[bitterblossoms]

[he sits on Miles's arm instead, so he can continue writing in the notebook if he wants to]

How did you end up starting to learn magic in the first place? I'd been meaning to ask.

[dendarii]

[ even better. he resumes, then. and. er. ]

... Well. I tried Naoki's lessons. And books, and ... most of the boring ways, but no luck. No spark. Unsurprising given magic doesn't exist in my world.

[bitterblossoms]

What . . . ended up working?

[VAGUE TREPIDATION]

[dendarii]

Are you familiar with the vials of wild magic in one of the cellars?

[bitterblossoms]

I . . . think I read about it . . .

[dendarii]

...

Well. I drank an entire vial in one shot.

[bitterblossoms]

Of course you did.

[dendarii]

Indeed. But that got things started, and now I have at least some reserve to work from.

[bitterblossoms]

I do think everyone has the potential for it, it just . . . depends on a lot of factors.

[dendarii]

Like being stupid enough to nuke myself with magic?

[bitterblossoms]

Not where I was going with it.

. . . why did you feel so desperate to do it, if on some level you know it was risky?

[dendarii]

...

Tig, please. Do you really have to ask?

[bitterblossoms]

I understand the broad strokes, I'm interested in the specific nuance.

[dendarii]

[ ah. well. Miles thinks about that for a moment then. ]

I was tired of feeling useless.

[bitterblossoms]

You really felt useless?

[dendarii]

I am severely deformed human surrounded by some of the most incredible phyiscal and magical talents imaginable. Of course I felt useless.

[bitterblossoms]

. . .



I guess that makes sense. I—. . . I just never looked at you and thought anything like that at all. So it hadn't—occurred to me.

[dendarii]

And I appreciate that greatly. It's - strange how people simply look past that here. I'm not upset, to be clear, but it's ...

[ how does he even put this ]

When you're used to having that friction all your life, having it suddenly gone leaves you feeling weightless.

[bitterblossoms]

[quiet for a bit]

. . .

It—. . . mm. I feel—presumptuous saying I understand it exactly. I don't think I've dealt with anything like what you've had to endure.

But. [tone wry] I do . . . think there is a very deeply ingrained expectation that I have regarding—my own body and capabilities, and how I'm perceived by the people around me, that's been dramatically upended here that is leaving me in a bit of a—dizzying state of mind.