Log | Late November through December Catch-all | OTA

[edalyn]

Who: Eda Clawthorne and YOU
When: Late Nov - Throughout Dec
Where: ADI, Gloucester outskirts, Bonnie’s
Summary: Moving to Bonnie’s Flophouse (and settling in there), sparring, survival training, exploration.
Warnings: Injured animal/pet + blood mentions (and minor self harm in the context of needing blood for potions purposes) in the second Hunter thread


Nesting 2.0 Late Nov - mid Dec

a) let's decorate it with things of our own
Late November sees the ADI’s resident witches, Eda and Raine, moving to Bonnie’s Flophouse. Fortunately this isn’t all that difficult, given how close the place is. There’s not an exhausting amount to move in the way of possessions, but there are definitely some.

In a trait that might be more befitting of a magpie than an owl, Eda likes things. In her over six months here, she’s been accumulating shiny objects, potted plants, books, little gadgets, and a lot of art to hang on her walls. Along with a few more unique pieces of décor, not all of which will necessarily fit in one bedroom. Hope you like taxidermy jackalopes and clocks that look like they’re made of teeth. Both are in the shared living space now. The jackalope is also a lamp. You’re welcome.

Eda doesn’t appear to be a terrible housemate, but she does wander in and out at strange hours, sometimes via windows. And there are starting to be a lot of feathers around. There might be one in your last load of laundry.

At least… she’s not a terrible housemate at first. After a few days she starts to seem increasingly sleep deprived and on edge.

b) |Closed to Raine| we'll be faced with highs and lows
Eda’s doing her best. She really is. But the not sleeping is starting to become obvious, and probably not a good time for anyone around her. One morning she corners her roommate, clearly out of sorts and holding a mug of what might actually be coffee for once.

“Look, we need to talk about the–” she waves a clawed hand vaguely, “rooming situation. I gave it a go, but I can’t do this.”

c) I know somewhere down the road / we can make this a place to call home
It’s the day after her conversation with Raine, and about a week and a half into staying in the Flophouse that Eda disassembles one of the beds in their room and stuffs all the pieces into the attic.

Beyond asking Bonnie what to do with the unused furniture, Eda doesn’t bother to explain anything about what she’s doing. People are free to make whatever assumptions they want about the witches not needing both of them.

She also doesn’t bother to explain anything ahead of time when she starts dragging sticks and branches into the house. She’ll be at this for at least a couple of days–apparently she needs a lot of them.

Survival of the Fittest Dec 1 - 31

a)
Anyone want to practice their monster fighting skills? There’s a harpy happy to indulge. Possibly happy to challenge you just because you walked by. Eda needs to blow off some steam, and sparring in the new gym is technically an ADI-sanctioned way to do that.

Those who take her up on the challenge–or watch for a while, will find that she’s definitely not the most amazing fighter here, but she certainly knows how to hold her own and it doesn’t hurt that she’s seven-plus feet of wiry muscle, claws, and talons.

She knows she could use the practice herself, given that she’s still getting used to both the body and the lack of using magic in her fights. Not that she’s admitting that, to most people at least. No, mostly she’s just daring people to try their luck.

She had actual training, once upon a time, but for the last few decades her practice has been the kind of fighting that’s more about evading capture or staying alive than it is about form. Then again, survival training is the theme, so that might not be the worst thing.

b)
Eda is offering tips on outdoor skills, sometimes in the area set up for it officially–but especially for anyone who wants to follow her into the local wooded areas. Whether this part is specifically sanctioned by the ADI is anyone’s guess, but she sure is offering it.

Her advice ranges from surprisingly useful to somewhat baffling to outright unhelpful.

When it comes to topics like tracking things, and to navigating in the woods without getting hopelessly lost, Eda knows what she’s doing. She can show you how to set a snare trap in a pinch, too.

On the other hand, she has a lot of tips about getting in touch with the land via approaches like sniffing moss or eating snow. She thinks it’s your loss if you want to pass up this wisdom.

Her comments about what mushrooms are edible (to witches), meanwhile, should be avoided at all cost by anyone who is not a witch.

c) - Exploration
Eda will be taking a few trips into Dogtown now that it’s open, and she’s willing to admit it’s safer to go in pairs. She’ll be teaming up with people who are interested, provided she thinks they’d have her back and also aren’t likely to get themselves killed.

If we have exploration planned, feel free to throw me a starter or ask for one!


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Comments

[byeeeeeeeee]

[His ears twitch at the voices in another room, but he can't make them out. Eda doesn't seem concerned, but he feels more alert now that they're in a common space. He places Flap on the table and the bag on a chair as he scans the kitchen.]

Right. Lucky.

[edalyn]

[Eda bustles about setting out the few things they need, and then opens a window to be on the safe side. She has to keep her wings folded pretty tightly to move around in some parts of the house, and seems just a little irritated by it.]

Right, well... don't hurt yourself any more than you need to. [She just hopes this really does work.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[He makes a vaguely affirmative sound, watching her move around the room. He'd been in too much of a panic to dwell on it before, but now that things are moving forward, it wears down enough to wonder: why is she still in harpy form?]

Are you...going to stay like that?

[edalyn]

[It takes Eda a couple of seconds to realise what he means. She's gotten pretty used to staying in this shape, even if it annoyed her at moments like this.]

In case you missed the memo, we're not supposed to use magic. [She lets out a little huff, ears folding back. She knows why, and she doesn't really want to feed the Entities, but at the same time she doesn't fully enjoy the ADI's attitude, either.]

Now that they've seen me like this, I'm stuck having to duck through doorways.

[byeeeeeeeee]

They won't even make an exception so you can turn back?

[Wouldn't her walking around in this form illicit more fear?

From where he's sitting, she's seems to have a handle on it. He knows he'd been dropping things left and right and smacking into every doorframe if it were him.]

What can I help with?

[edalyn]

[Eda just gives a little shrug. She also wonders about that, but theoretically she's only seen by other ADI employees--and they're supposed to be used to non-humans, whether or not that's always true in practice.]

Doing that would take feeding. [Her tone is a little too innocent as she says this. He knows damn well she's used magic in front of him today, but she's counting on the boy keeping that to himself.]

And--well, you can help with the blood. Just... be careful. Can't promise I could patch up both of you today. [She says that part a bit more quietly, even though there's still no one else in the kitchen.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[He did see her do magic earlier, which is why he's a bit confused. Surely she's capable of changing back. Regardless, he has no intentions of outing her to the ADI. He accepts her explanation with a hum of acknowledgment as he sets about looking for what he's going to need.]

I can patch myself up just fine. [Speaking of. He scans the room.] First aid kit?

[edalyn]

[She wants to talk to him more about the ADI, and the entities, and all of it. But right now they have more immediate concerns. And even though the sort of people to be at Bonnie's tend to care about the rules less, she still tries to be a little careful.]

Good question. [It's not something she's needed often, but she knows that there is one. She looks under the sink, then in a couple of drawers, before finding the kit in a cupboard over the stove. If nothing else being very tall helps with some things. She passes it to Hunter.]

CW: non graphic self harm (obtaining blood for potion)

[byeeeeeeeee]

Thanks.

[He takes the kit and everything else he needs to the sink. Easier clean-up, and should anyone wander in, they won't be able to see anything. He's never done something like this before, but he's studied anatomy and weak points and the best places to strike. That's...helpful, right?

He looks at Flapjack, steeling himself, then turns to the sink and gets to work.]

reference to non graphic self harm/blood for potion purposes

[edalyn]

[While Eda doesn't hover, she does glance over to make sure he doesn't pick anywhere particularly stupid to cut, like his palm.

Once she's sure he's alright, she sets up the last few things that she can set up ahead, before leaning back against a counter, taking a moment to manage to arrange her wings comfortably.]

Whenever you're ready, kiddo.

reference to non-graphic self-harm and blood for potion

[byeeeeeeeee]

[By the time he's finished, he's feeling queasy. He can't fathom why. He has seen blood before - others and his own. There's a difference between being slashed by an opponent and this, and he supposes that's reason enough. He quickly and efficiently bandages his arm and slides a half-full coffee cup across the counter to Eda.]

I'm just...going to sit for a minute.

[Much as he would like to hover over Eda and see her work, he chooses instead to drop into a chair by the table (though he angles it so he can watch from a short distance).]

Re: reference to non-graphic self-harm and blood for potion

[edalyn]

Yeah, you do that. [Eda hesitates just long enough to glance him over and give him a very light squeeze on the shoulder, before she turns back to the stove and gets to work.

Even in small amounts, beginning to cook the mixture brings with it an acrid smell that quickly explains why she'd opened a window. She really hopes the rest of the household stays preoccupied with their own affairs.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[The smell doesn't help with the nausea, but the lightheaded feeling is easing off. He encircles Flapjack's sweater nest between his arms and pats the cardinal's head. Even in his current wooden form, he hopes his friend knows he's loved.

He tries to take note of what she's doing, what she's using, but very quickly loses track.]

Where did you learn to do that?

[She'd mentioned her dad earlier.]

[edalyn]

My family make palismen. Well, used to. [For reasons she almost certainly won't be fully digging into, so she mostly brushes past it.]

I didn't go into the trade but my dad showed me the ropes. I used to help him in the workshop sometimes. And we made Owlbert together.

[Owlbert has at this point settled on the back of a kitchen chair across from Hunter, and gives a soft little hoot.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[He sit up straight, suddenly very interested.]

Wait. Really?

[His eyes dart to Owlbert, then back to her.]

So...so you know how to carve them too?

[edalyn]

[She knew he's seemed interested, but she's still a little surprised how much he reacts.]

Sure do. I was going to--I am going to help Luz carve hers. When she decides what she wants. [Because she's definitely going to see her again. Eventually. Probably best to move on from this particular train of thought too.]

Why? Something you wanna learn? [Unfortunately it's not really something they can do here, though she supposes he could practice carving and learn the general theory.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[He opens his mouth, then abruptly snaps it shut. He knows what Luz ends up carving, and he knows it's very special to her. And it's something Eda should get to remember and experience herself, not learn about through his blurting it out.

He flushes, his shoulders rising up around his ears.] I...M-maybe. I've read books...

[Which means, yes, he definitely does want to learn. When he thought he was either going to be consumed by his uncle or die, he'd said as much. But sometimes he still feels guilty for wanting things he was taught were wrong.]

[edalyn]

[Fortunately, she's not watching him to overthink that reaction. She is a little amused by his awkward response, though.]

Well... if you did want to learn, I guess I could teach you to carve. And how it works. But I'm afraid that's about all I could do here anyway. [Which is too bad, really, but there's not much to be done about it.

She turns the stove off, and fortunately the smell begins to leave the room.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[There's a sharp gasp.]

Really? You would? [He's already thinking of all the ways he might pay her back and making mental promises to be the best student ever.] That...that's fine! It's a start. I...Are you sure?

[edalyn]

[He really wants to learn this, doesn't he? She almost wants to tease him, but honestly the kid is too excited.]

Someone new ought to learn the trade. Why not you?

[He's not a Clawthorne as far as she knows, but that doesn't really matter. He's a good kid, and judging by how much his own palisman loves him, he's exactly the sort of person who should be making them.

She glances over at him again, but then goes back to stirring the mixture as the stove cools down.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

Oh...well...

[He can think of many reasons why not. One of them is laying broken in front of him. He sinks down in his chair.]

I'm part of why a lot of them are...gone.

[edalyn]

[Eda knew that. Unfortunately it wasn't at the front of her mind, watching him worry over the cardinal. She mentally kicks herself, but maybe it's better to get it out in the open.]

I know. [She says this simply. She doesn't seem happy about it, but her tone is gentle enough that she doesn't seem angry at him.]

I think... that might be a reason you should learn.

[byeeeeeeeee]

[He agreed. That was one of the reasons he wanted to learn. (The other being that he felt genuinely drawn to the practice.) Belos - with his help - had decimated the palisman population. It was only right he try to remedy that somehow.

He nods, carefully running a finger over Flapjack's little head.]

I have a lot to make up for.

[edalyn]

No. [Her tone isn't snappy, but it is firmer now.] Your 'uncle' has a lot to make up for.

That's... not what I meant. [There's a pause as she thinks about how to say what she does mean. She takes the pot off the stove but continues to stir it.]

It's not something I'd teach you just because you feel bad. That's not why you should do it, either. [It's easy for her to tell someone else not to make their decisions based in guilt. But this isn't about whether she can take her own advice.]

But... the way I see it, you didn't have much choice in being the reason they're gone. You could have one in being the reason there's more. [And she has a feeling that would be good for Hunter.]

[byeeeeeeeee]

[The "no" grabs his attention. He sits up from his slump automatically, before the rest of what she's saying registers. And then, he doesn't know what to say. He thought they were on the same page, but apparently not.

Guilt is easy. He understands guilt. He's always taken the blame, even for things that were not his fault. He knows it wasn't fair or right, but it's engrained. He can't even argue that he'd had a choice, because obey or suffer wasn't really a choice.

But after a little ruminating, he thinks he understands what she's saying.]

Well...I have always been interested in wild magic and ancient techniques. I...acquired some books about the Savage Ages. [Confiscated, is more accurate. So what if he took and read the books instead of destroying them...?]