[It only took a little bit of time, before something scraped and scrabbled at the window. Kaede had learned this time. The Chimera pried the window open just a little, and a thin shadow snaked into the room so she didn't let all the heat out. Kaede hadn't traveled here entirely in that form, from the snow on her; it was too bright out still. And the shadows reformed into a Monster as soon as she slipped through the window, unable to keep its form in the light.
Her hair and feathers on her crest still seemed rumpled, like she'd just woken up. But Kaede shook off the frost stuck to her shawl and closed the window, reshuffling most of the feathers into place again.]
Are you okay?
[She padded over to Chariot's bed quickly, despite her attempts to muffle the fussy concern in the Bond.]
[ Chariot didn't really like the idea of her anxiousness bothering Kaede and Fang so much, the bond sending it out like a nervous shockwave, but it was so soothing just being in their presence, reaching out to take Kaede's still chilly hand and not caring at all... ]
It was an awkward situation... my anxiety spiked. I already took some medicine to help calm me down, but you being here will do that much more, so... thank you.
[That's emotional magic mindlinking for you. The fussy pulse in Kaede's mind eased at the touch and the softness in Chariot's voice.]
Of course.
[The Chimera returned the grasp, curling her claws gently around Chariot's bandaged fingers. She knelt beside the Witch's bed, rather than sitting in a chair--the better to lean close and nuzzle her Bonded's uninjured cheek, her touch light and soft as her voice.]
You'll probably think it's silly... [ She did have a tendency to get this worked up over irrational things, didn't she? ]
Diana and Akko, the two students of mine that arrived recently... They know about us. That we're together, I mean.
[ There was a sort of insistent tug at Kaede's hand as she reached to stroke through those feathers along her ear, urging Kaede to just... climb in with her. ]
[The Chimera's ear flicked, once, and she leaned against her Bonded's touch. A second time, and she hummed a soft sound that never left her chest. A third time. At the insistent tug, Kaede looked up, and over at the bed. Single-person infirmary beds weren't designed for hugs, and while she'd gotten away with it before the bed still seemed twice as small whenever Kaede thought about it.
After a moment of consideration, she got up--and, carefully, picked her way onto the cot with mindful little motions. She didn't want to aggravate any of Chariot's injuries, or worse--tip them both over.]
So what?
[Diana was a name unfamiliar to her, but Akko was--there was a brief, disgruntled grumble in the Bond, echoed by the mumble she physically made too.]
I wish I could be half as relaxed about my romantic situation as all of you seem to be... [ Chariot sighed, shifting so she could properly form herself around Kaede, reveling in her warmth and letting out a long, de-stressing hum. She snuggled closely against the chimera, finding nothing but comfort and ease in her embrace despite the tinier space... ]
But yes. Akko was one of my students. The one that probably has impacted me most over my career.
[Kaede held very still when Chariot moved, still making concerned little noises. But when the other woman stilled, Kaede molded her form to fill the gaps, tail curling over her knee instead of the injured ankle, her long arm folding over Chariot's shoulder so her feathers lay like a possessive cape over her back.
Kaede knew there were others. She had known. But none of them were taking Chariot away from her, and the Witch's attention never waned. And...by that example, Kaede felt safe inviting others in close, too. So long as Chariot was here, a fragment of affection Kaede could call her own, she was content.
It hadn't been long since they had been in contact last, but the pulse of energy that ran between the two of them never stopped feeling like a comforting embrace. And the physical warmth of their embrace made the tension leech out of Kaede's shoulders with a contented sigh.]
You're still here. You're not going anywhere. Why does it matter what others think?
[One of Kaede's ears flicked as she listened, the disgruntled line trying to draw her expression to a grimace fading by parts until her face was as quiet and impassive as usual.]
Mn.
[She was still Disgruntled. But...listening, learning that girl was that important to Chariot gave Kaede some pause. Certainly something to turn over in her mind.]
I should have had faith that she'd understand... or at least accept it, no matter the situation, because it's me. She has... a lot of faith in me. [ Faith that she still struggled with the idea of, the idea of being worthy of it, how it conflicted so much with her own sense of guilt. ]
I heard you and her didn't exactly get along when you first met.
[Kaede swivelled an ear forwards to show she was listening, though her expression didn't change much. She did frown slightly, once--Akko hadn't seemed very understanding when Kaede met her.
...though, speaking of which. The silent comfort tracing through the Bond was interrupted by a disgruntled ripple. The tip of the Chimera's tail switched back and forth as she grumbled.]
I know you and her are a bit of a personality clash... [ To say the least. She knew them both too well to be surprised that they'd gotten along badly at first. ]
But... she's new here. And she means a lot to me... So please watch over her for me, okay? [ It wasn't the same as expecting them to get along, though that was ideal, but she at least knew she could trust Kaede to make sure Akko stayed safe... ]
[At first, Kaede's tail kept swishing at its end; she wanted to protest--of course they didn't get along, that whole week had been a waking nightmare, of course she was going to be irritable and touchy even in dreams.
But they'd just be excuses. And the pulse of warmth she felt whenever Chariot spoke about Akko was unmistakable.
With a grumbling sigh, she nudged Chariot's forehead with her own, and her tail finally stilled.]
...okay.
[After a long moment, Kaede blinked up at her Bonded, reminded of something.]
...one of the places that was burned, by the harbor, they sell charms against the command spells. Tattoos. I was thinking of getting one here, once the building is fixed up. [The Chimera carefully nudged Chariot's hand until it rested on her side.] Did you...want anything on it?
[Kaede already had a vague idea, but her opinion wasn't the only one that mattered.]
[ Inkchanted. She knew it from the description. She and Cu weren't particularly close, but she'd worked with him enough before to be familiar with it, and how that specialty of his was helping others. But... ]
[The Chimera rumbled, the sound more felt than heard.]
But if you want something, it's important to me too.
[Two can play at this game!!
But, fine. She could explain what details had come to mind.]
I...was thinking of a broken chain. Or one of those silk ribbon restraint...things, all torn up.
[She didn't know what Gleipnir was named, but she did know from very recent experience that she Very Much Disliked a restraint spell that looked like it.]
[Kaede made a contented noise in return, her softer feathers ruffling up.]
Something to resist the command spells. And...something to help with fire, but I think those should be separate.
[Briefly, her expression turned more serious. She knew Chariot hated those spells, but it needed to be said.]
If you need to...command me, for any reason, you can. [Probably. Kaede had never gone so Feral she couldn't be called back just by normal means, but.] We're Bonded, and you have something of mine. [Some of her feathers, gifts, a piece of her heart.]
[ When she spoke next, it might have seemed without listening too deeply that it was something said thoughtlessly, like a reflex. ]
I'll never have to do that.
[ But the Bond made her meaning much, much clearer, the depth in those words, and what it meant for them. She'd never have to because her faith in Kaede was strong, a colossus against the scourge of uncertainty. To her, there was nothing more obvious than the fact that no matter what became of Kaede, of her mind, her will...
Chariot's voice would always reach her. That was magic all its own. And it was magic she'd stake her life on, every time. ]
[She'd expected the silence. And, to a small degree, expected that answer.
She didn't expect the "have to," though. Kaede started to object, ears flattening. But what she felt, it made her protests still before she'd even thought of them. They weren't just superficial words to soothe a worried mind. There was conviction behind them, a solid confidence--Chariot know this, as surely as she knew her own name.
Kaede's voice, by contrast, was low and small as a whisper.]
Are you sure?
[Her hand twitched against Chariot's, claws twining with gentle fingers in an anxious curl.]
You know what I can be, and...you're sure?
Edited (The wording was bothering me) 2020-02-25 22:37 (UTC)
[ Honestly, she's even a little surprised at herself. But after all they'd been through together, what had become of them, developed between them, her faith in Kaede really was... unshaken. Even Nyu's protests back on that day couldn't dissuade her. She'd rested within the inside of Kaede's heart, even with the darkness that dwelt within, and found herself knowing who Kaede was even beyond what she'd done.
She was someone who deserved her love, her faith, even if Kaede didn't believe it. ]
[A tremble started in Kaede's shoulders, spreading down her back and to the ends of her fingers. There it stopped, the Chimera's hands curling tight against Chariot's, the arm looped around the Witch's back drawing her ever closer. An echoing shiver started in the Bond too, but halted--soothed away by Chariot's presence. A steady calm, a warm light to guide her steps, undeterred and undimmed by Kaede's doubts and hesitations.]
...ah.
[It was a small word, in a small voice. But it was only the visible point of what lay beneath--something Chariot knew. Something she had showed Kaede it was safe to let others close enough see, too. Not many, not at all. But more than nothing, and far more than her isolation would have allowed. Her gratitude glowed back in the Bond, difficult for Kaede to exp5ress but there all the same.
The Chimera sighed through her nose, pressing their foreheads together again, and giving voice to a purrlike rumble. Her feathers fluffed up and became soft, her tail calming its fitful twitches and draping over the other woman's knee.]
[ Chariot let herself be drawn in like that, pressing a warm kiss to Kaede's cheek, flooding the Bond with her affection, blanketing Kaede in it, wanting to hear more of that soft rumbling. Every bit of Kaede's affection was a delight for her, the language her unique anatomy spoke to show love... ]
And I always will be, so it's better you get used to it, hmm?
[A little thrill trembled through the Bond, at the kiss and the wave of affection Kaede still wondered at. The purring interrupted, briefly--with a few, short notes of what sounded like a laugh, if they'd ever left her throat.]
Guess I'll have to.
[The rumbling resumed afterwards, Kaede nestling close to her Bonded so as much sound, as much energy passed between them as possible. She'd heard a cat's purrs could help someone heal, but more importantly, Chariot seemed to like the sound. On the ship to Dorchacht, a dozen-odd sleepy moments when Kaede had begun to drift off curled up next to Chariot, now. If it brought her joy, it was the least Kaede could do to return the favor.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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I don't want you to feel bothered.
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[She'll just resume her nap in a slightly different place.]
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please
-> Action
Her hair and feathers on her crest still seemed rumpled, like she'd just woken up. But Kaede shook off the frost stuck to her shawl and closed the window, reshuffling most of the feathers into place again.]
Are you okay?
[She padded over to Chariot's bed quickly, despite her attempts to muffle the fussy concern in the Bond.]
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It was an awkward situation... my anxiety spiked. I already took some medicine to help calm me down, but you being here will do that much more, so... thank you.
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Of course.
[The Chimera returned the grasp, curling her claws gently around Chariot's bandaged fingers. She knelt beside the Witch's bed, rather than sitting in a chair--the better to lean close and nuzzle her Bonded's uninjured cheek, her touch light and soft as her voice.]
What was all that about, anyway?
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Diana and Akko, the two students of mine that arrived recently... They know about us. That we're together, I mean.
[ There was a sort of insistent tug at Kaede's hand as she reached to stroke through those feathers along her ear, urging Kaede to just... climb in with her. ]
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[The Chimera's ear flicked, once, and she leaned against her Bonded's touch. A second time, and she hummed a soft sound that never left her chest. A third time. At the insistent tug, Kaede looked up, and over at the bed. Single-person infirmary beds weren't designed for hugs, and while she'd gotten away with it before the bed still seemed twice as small whenever Kaede thought about it.
After a moment of consideration, she got up--and, carefully, picked her way onto the cot with mindful little motions. She didn't want to aggravate any of Chariot's injuries, or worse--tip them both over.]
So what?
[Diana was a name unfamiliar to her, but Akko was--there was a brief, disgruntled grumble in the Bond, echoed by the mumble she physically made too.]
...Akko's really one of yours?
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But yes. Akko was one of my students. The one that probably has impacted me most over my career.
[ Not even probably. ]
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Kaede knew there were others. She had known. But none of them were taking Chariot away from her, and the Witch's attention never waned. And...by that example, Kaede felt safe inviting others in close, too. So long as Chariot was here, a fragment of affection Kaede could call her own, she was content.
It hadn't been long since they had been in contact last, but the pulse of energy that ran between the two of them never stopped feeling like a comforting embrace. And the physical warmth of their embrace made the tension leech out of Kaede's shoulders with a contented sigh.]
You're still here. You're not going anywhere. Why does it matter what others think?
[One of Kaede's ears flicked as she listened, the disgruntled line trying to draw her expression to a grimace fading by parts until her face was as quiet and impassive as usual.]
Mn.
[She was still Disgruntled. But...listening, learning that girl was that important to Chariot gave Kaede some pause. Certainly something to turn over in her mind.]
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I heard you and her didn't exactly get along when you first met.
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...though, speaking of which. The silent comfort tracing through the Bond was interrupted by a disgruntled ripple. The tip of the Chimera's tail switched back and forth as she grumbled.]
...no.
[She was in a bad mood!
...more than usual!
A lot more than usual.]
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But... she's new here. And she means a lot to me... So please watch over her for me, okay? [ It wasn't the same as expecting them to get along, though that was ideal, but she at least knew she could trust Kaede to make sure Akko stayed safe... ]
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But they'd just be excuses. And the pulse of warmth she felt whenever Chariot spoke about Akko was unmistakable.
With a grumbling sigh, she nudged Chariot's forehead with her own, and her tail finally stilled.]
...okay.
[After a long moment, Kaede blinked up at her Bonded, reminded of something.]
...one of the places that was burned, by the harbor, they sell charms against the command spells. Tattoos. I was thinking of getting one here, once the building is fixed up. [The Chimera carefully nudged Chariot's hand until it rested on her side.] Did you...want anything on it?
[Kaede already had a vague idea, but her opinion wasn't the only one that mattered.]
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Well... shouldn't it be what you want?
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But if you want something, it's important to me too.
[Two can play at this game!!
But, fine. She could explain what details had come to mind.]
I...was thinking of a broken chain. Or one of those silk ribbon restraint...things, all torn up.
[She didn't know what Gleipnir was named, but she did know from very recent experience that she Very Much Disliked a restraint spell that looked like it.]
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That sounds wonderful for you... [ Fitting, sincere. But of course, it wasn't just the design... ]
And the enchantment?
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Something to resist the command spells. And...something to help with fire, but I think those should be separate.
[Briefly, her expression turned more serious. She knew Chariot hated those spells, but it needed to be said.]
If you need to...command me, for any reason, you can. [Probably. Kaede had never gone so Feral she couldn't be called back just by normal means, but.] We're Bonded, and you have something of mine. [Some of her feathers, gifts, a piece of her heart.]
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[ When she spoke next, it might have seemed without listening too deeply that it was something said thoughtlessly, like a reflex. ]
I'll never have to do that.
[ But the Bond made her meaning much, much clearer, the depth in those words, and what it meant for them. She'd never have to because her faith in Kaede was strong, a colossus against the scourge of uncertainty. To her, there was nothing more obvious than the fact that no matter what became of Kaede, of her mind, her will...
Chariot's voice would always reach her. That was magic all its own. And it was magic she'd stake her life on, every time. ]
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She didn't expect the "have to," though. Kaede started to object, ears flattening. But what she felt, it made her protests still before she'd even thought of them. They weren't just superficial words to soothe a worried mind. There was conviction behind them, a solid confidence--Chariot know this, as surely as she knew her own name.
Kaede's voice, by contrast, was low and small as a whisper.]
Are you sure?
[Her hand twitched against Chariot's, claws twining with gentle fingers in an anxious curl.]
You know what I can be, and...you're sure?
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[ Honestly, she's even a little surprised at herself. But after all they'd been through together, what had become of them, developed between them, her faith in Kaede really was... unshaken. Even Nyu's protests back on that day couldn't dissuade her. She'd rested within the inside of Kaede's heart, even with the darkness that dwelt within, and found herself knowing who Kaede was even beyond what she'd done.
She was someone who deserved her love, her faith, even if Kaede didn't believe it. ]
I love you. And I know what that means.
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...ah.
[It was a small word, in a small voice. But it was only the visible point of what lay beneath--something Chariot knew. Something she had showed Kaede it was safe to let others close enough see, too. Not many, not at all. But more than nothing, and far more than her isolation would have allowed. Her gratitude glowed back in the Bond, difficult for Kaede to exp5ress but there all the same.
The Chimera sighed through her nose, pressing their foreheads together again, and giving voice to a purrlike rumble. Her feathers fluffed up and became soft, her tail calming its fitful twitches and draping over the other woman's knee.]
You're too kind to me.
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And I always will be, so it's better you get used to it, hmm?
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Guess I'll have to.
[The rumbling resumed afterwards, Kaede nestling close to her Bonded so as much sound, as much energy passed between them as possible. She'd heard a cat's purrs could help someone heal, but more importantly, Chariot seemed to like the sound. On the ship to Dorchacht, a dozen-odd sleepy moments when Kaede had begun to drift off curled up next to Chariot, now. If it brought her joy, it was the least Kaede could do to return the favor.]