Post by Yinmaris on Sept 2, 2023 14:33:50 GMT
Co-written with Mittens Mckittens
Yinmaris watches as Dámian and Matches head off to the Fiore Popolare, he turns to Mittens and thinks for a moment, his face softens before speaking "Hey Mittens, do you want to come with to that shaken milk place we went to last time? I've got something I want to chat with you about."
Mittens watches the swaying brunette mane of Raine heading off in the direction of the Feylight Gardens Theatre, his gaze unfocused as one of his mittened hands strokes the leather and metal binding of his new grimoire strapped at this side. If he squinted just enough he could almost imagine she looked like…
“Wha-Sorry?” He asked suddenly, shaking himself out of the illusion his mind was casting.
Yin looks to the direction of Mittens glance, smiles slightly and seems to shake himself out of a daydream. He turns back to Mittens as the young tabaxi speaks "Do you want to head to the place we went to after the last time at the Temple? The one with the shakes? I was wanting to have a chat with you about an offer."
"Oh. Um-yeah sure!" Mittens gives a final glance streetwards then down at his grimoire before shaking his head and looking up at Yin, one his first true small smiles of the day forming. "I'll treat ya though!"
"Well then, let's get going! I wonder if they have any new flavours to try. Paradise Frost awaits." Yin starts to walk slowly towards their destination only increasing his pace to a normal walk once Mittens walks up next to him.
It's not long before both are sat a quaint cushioned table and chairs outside the vibrant humming patisserie of Paradise Frost. The happy buzz of paetrons enjoying their late afternoon icecreams and ice teas in the warm sun surrounds the pair as the monotone form of the aasimar chef Casillia places two contrastingly bright 'milkshakes'-tall chilled glasses topped with cream- on to the table before them, turning a smile as they head back inside to keep servicing the rest of their hive of patrons.
"These look delicious, thanks for this Mittens." the young eladrin smiles while taking in the atmosphere of the street and patisserie before taking a sip of his milkshake. He lets out a satisfied sigh "They're delicious every time, I don't think 'd ever get bored of having these on a summer day"
Mittens had already reflexly taken up own his glass in his hands with a quick smile and call of thank to the departing Casillia, but as he leaned in to take a slurp of his own at Yin's words his mind suddenly filled with that warmth heady atmosphere of the feywild and the strange accented words of that giant fella Dámian: “Who would let this bambino gatto come on an adventure?” He sits back and ponders before finally then asking aloud to Yinmaris. “Do you think I did okay today Yin?"
Yin stops mid-sip as Mittens asks that, narrowly averting a brain freeze in the process. He sits up and ponders, not on his answer but as to why Mittens asked him that. He looks into how the young tabaxi's is holding himself and nods. "You did more than okay today, you were brilliant. You were super smart in when we were trying to figure out the wild mystery that's going on at the Temple, you were tactical in that fight against the bad vibes hag and that boggle chase. You're one of the smartest people I know Mittens. Why do you ask? If you're comfortable with answering that is."
Mittens ears twitch at the compliment and he clacks his claws on his glass. “Well it’s just. I think people underestimate me, jump to conclusions, me being a kid and all…And I guess they’re kinda right. I’ve have struggled at times and woke up too many times to being healed by Calla than I can remember.”
As he speaks a bubble materialises to float out above his milkshake, a pink Mittens shaped figure shimmering inside. The milky figure then suffers under an barrage of illusionary assaults. The bubble wobbling under onslaught of fireballs, fire walls, arrows and more, till finally it pops sending the minuet form of milkshake Mittens falling till they impact the layer of cream topping his drink and dissolves into nothing.
“I’m just trying to do better is all.”
Yinmaris watches the illusory Mittens with firstly wonder at the magical ability of the young one and then concern, he lifts his gaze up to Mittens and gives him an understanding look.
"Well Mittens, you are already a brilliant illusion wizard and you have an inquisitive mind. I didn't know you had been through so much, no wonder you've been so different between the Court of Sorcery stuff and us meeting to go to the Temple. Look I don't have all the answers, it may seem like us grownups do but the truth is we don't. All I can say is that I'm so sorry you've been through all that and this bit of advice from my own experience; trying to do better doesn't mean getting yourself into danger."
Yinmaris' eyes glance down at his own milkshake and smiles as though thinking of the past before looking into Mittens' eyes.
"I used to think differently till I had one too many close brushes with death myself. Before then I would jump into the danger without hesitation, but now... now I look before I jump so I can think where to strike. Its true you are a child and I would have rightfully acted differently in our previous adventures if I'd known that. But you've already proven yourself to be more than able. The fact you have friends like Calla speaks volumes about who you are, you don't have to be better just be you and the rest will follow."
Mittens can’t help but smile a little at Yin’s words. “I know I’m probably not cut to be a mighty knight or a big tough warrior, heck even Levkoi seems to know his way around a sword and wield it much better than I could…He rubs the pommel of the short short at his waist reflexively. “I-I guess I’m just trying to find me own way now..I-I kinda feel like I’ve been fumbling around waiting for…” He trails off as he looks into humid glass of his drink, his own reflection ever so quickly flickering from his own to the visage of the red haired elven eared visage of his teacher smiling before changing back to his own distant expression.
"Mittens, I don't think being tough, mighty and strong are always the cuttings of someone great, I was trained by someone who was all three of those and he was the furthest thing from great... Greatness comes from a person's actions and how they hold themselves. I can see you've been through it, I didn't even need to see the illusory fights you've been through to see that but you are still here having a delicious milkshake in honestly my favourite part of town."
Yin does one of his big smiles he uses to cheer others up. then takes a sip of his own milkshake before turning the conversation back to the young wizard.
"You said you were waiting for someone, waiting for who? The teacher you talked about back at Portal Plaza, the one you came to the Dawnlands with?"
Mittens listens to Yin, his hand yet again finding its way to rest atop the spelltome at his side. "So-so you had a teacher too ya say?" His gaze still vacant before his large lamp-like yellow eyes look up to meet his friend's , flickering away almost abashed before he asks. "B-but it didn't work out?"
Yinmaris thinks, wincing in pain at a memory he rather forget, taking a sip of his milkshake to give himself enough time to think of how to respond. "When I was a bit older than you but in elven years, I must have been around my mid 70s, my mother brought on a teacher for more martial discipline. I'd already had a governess who taught me of more intellectual things and music, you'd like Avra, she's the kindest person I know and she gave me this."
He points to his trusty flute that is holstered on his hip.
"But with Lucan, his way of teaching involved a lot of... mean stuff, he was a bully but he was good friends with my mother so she listened to him more than me. It erm wasn't a good time but I made it through, but hey now I'm here living my best life so in his face." He raises his glass slightly towards Mittens before sipping his drink, the tell-tale sound of an empty glass comes from his straw that shocks him back. He orders himself another milkshake and another for Mittens.
Mittens who still hasn't even begun his first milkshake thinks on this before admitting,"That's second time ya know...T-that I've been offered by fey. Not that I would've agreed...First time I denied, I got these." He pulls back the long sleeve of his robe to show pale bare scarred grooves of skin between the black and golden ripples of fur along his right arm.
Yin looks in horror at the scars, then an almost uncontrollable anger but he breathes in to control himself before speaking. "The fact that someone did that to you when you said no to them says a lot more about them than it does about you, I'm sorry someone hurt you this way. You don't deserve such cruelty. I know you wouldn't have agreed to that offer from Titchwillow, she was very spooky and you're a good'un Mittens. Now come on we came here for milkshakes and a chat and you missing out on one of those"
Yin smiles at Mittens waiting for him to drink before continuing.
"While you drink I've got an offer for you to ponder, you can take it or leave it, it's no problem. I remember you saying you were alone right now, well I have a spare room I've used as a guest room but I've had no guests. Mostly because family doesn't visit me at all. If you want you can stay over whenever you want, I know you have a place in Graveside that is where you and your teacher set up at so it's only if you ever want to come over you are absolutely welcome to. And if you want to make it a more permanent I'm sure my landlord would be okay with it."
Mittens swallows his mouthful of milkshake. "You-you mean, I could live with you?"
"I mean yes, if you'd like to. It's near to here too."
Mittens ponders his friend's offer. He thought he'd already known what he was going to before Yin has found him on the edge of the grounds of the Ravenqueen's Shrine. What he was finally ready to do.
He'd cracked the incantation of the runes of the spell, how they slotted together in his mind from their freshly inked marks from the page he'd copied them onto in his grimoire, and yet..He'd been happy, pleased even of the-the what? The distraction-a reason that Yin had provided with his request to accompany him to the Temple-to push it the task awaiting him out of his mind. To forget about it for a while.
Yin sits there waiting for a response, it was for the best, he'd cooled his milkshake down with prestidigitation a bit too much so his last sip caused a spot of brain freeze. He sat seemingly stoically, trying to not distract Mittens by a silly facial reaction.
“You know the other day I was almost considering going home…I told myself I had a choice to make, and that by doing.. ‘something’ I’d make a decision…B-but maybe…Maybe I don’t have to.”
He looks up at Yin, a true proper smile forming on his face, one he truly meant and felt for the first time in ages. “Maybe, there’s another choice-heck more even-that I can make, and I can be the one that gets to decide where things could go from here. ”
Yin gives an understanding nod as he hears how his friend was considering going back home but smiles as Mittens does, an equally real smile as he chuckles to himself in happiness seeing Mittens truly smile finally, he'd had a similar conversation with his Queen when he was granted the boon regarding choice. It seems the wizard before him had found himself at a similar crossroads. "How true. There are always many paths, we decide the path we take in those moments. I feel like this is one of those moments, Mittens McKittens. What path do you choose?"
“I-I’m staying-here-in the Dawnlands.” Mittens says assuredly. “I-I’m gonna keep getting better at me magic, and keep learning all I can about the arcane wonders of the planes too!-But, I’m also gonna do one better!” He adds, standing up as the words start flowing from his mouth. Growing and more with certainty as he continues to speak. “I gonna use it for good. There’s a lot of ‘bad’ folk about, bullies’n’villains’n'buggers who just seem to think they can take strength’n’might’n'magic and use’m for their own selfish evil ends. Folk who think they’cun just boss folk about to get what they want, just because they think they’re much smaller or weaker or more ‘helpless’ than they are!
Well I’m gonna stop’em!
I may not be super strong or well to do as other folk, or have tons of fancy academic knowledge or connections. But I’ve got lots ideas, and ways I can put those ideas into action. Ways I can do’em without me or friends who wanna help in danger. I know may just be a farm born kitten, but I’m gonna let’em know. Know you shouldn’t ever underestimate-Mittens Mckittens.”
His form blurs under a sudden guise of magic, shifting and rippling, twisting and turning as his thoughts had inside him as he’d spoke with Yinmaris, before finally the magic of his spell grows still, solidifying his form into the now decided, self-assured and confident stance that he takes before his friend in the last of the afternoon sun as it kisses the surrounding tiled roof tops. “At least-I’m gonna try.” He admits honestly.
Yinmaris looks in wonder at the new-found confidence of the young tabaxi in front of him "That is very good to hear, Mittens. That is a very admirable choice, one I would gladly raise a glass. And as long as we give it a try and do our best that's what counts, my friend."
"Here here!" Mittens says raising his own glass in response, clinking it against Yin's before downing a great gulg of milkshake, his whiskers twitching and milk foamed muzzle twisting tautly as a flash of cold cracks through his head. "GAH! B-brain f-freeezee!"