[After Ish's big Moment to greet them all, Junior will find a good time to visit him in the Grotto. He's as polite and soft-spoken as ever despite any potential feelings he may have toward the witch, and nods in greeting.]
Hello. Do you have a moment? I just have a question regarding your announcement, this morning. I won't take up too much of your time...I'm sure plenty of others may be coming to you, as well.
[Wasn't actually certain what wish, or wishes, he wanted. But taking a life of a stranger in exchange for something like that...Junior wasn't particularly against it.]
And what if I went through with any of these murders but was caught and executed? Would my wishes still be honored?
They would, with a few conditions. One: you can't wish to be brought back to life yourself in advance. Two: You can't commit murder and then confess right away. That'd be soooo boring. Basically, you need to try to get away with it.
I don't particularly want to die, so I'd rather try and not get caught, if I do decide to kill anyone.
[It gave him a lot to think about. If the wishes would be honored even in the event of their death, then they'd likely have to wish for something that could come true without them being alive...otherwise, wouldn't the wish simply not apply? Unless there was anything else to consider that Ish wasn't elaborating on...but Junior had a feeling that he wouldn't get any answer to those potential questions anyway, so he wasn't going to bother asking.]
[Hello again, Ish! Junior sidles his way over to the greenhouse in the afternoon, and unlike the last time he came to visit the witch a couple weeks ago, he seems notably more shy.]
Are you terribly busy?
[Cause he's got his spell and everything to work on...]
[Sheepishly, Junior makes his way over to the table and takes a seat. He fidgets with his hands in his lap. What to say...where to start...]
I, um...I don't know if you hear what we put out in the crystals, but...I wanted to let you know, I'm hoping those of us who still have our fireflies can let them go together in the garden tonight. And, you're invited, too, if you want to come.
[Almost too quickly, he follows this up with--]
It's okay, if you don't want to. I know...some of the others might treat you unkindly. So, if you aren't comfortable, I understand. And if you just aren't interested, that's also fine.
Well, it's less a matter of my comfort and more of yours. Being hated is something I'm used to! But if they knew you invited me, they could start to look at you differently.
I think...that's probably going to happen, anyway.
[He just has a feeling. It does hurt, imagining the friends he'd made changing the way they regarded him. To see them really realize just how willing he was to do bad things just to get something for himself. But...]
Either way, I'm not going to be seeing them much longer. So, I'd rather get the chance to spend more time with you. If I may.
Don't worry about that, it's my specialty. [ ish will talk for them both all day!
his smile is easy. ]
Hmm well...where I'm from is called Elysia, but I'm not sure if you'd want to go there. It's the upper plane compared to the lower plane where humans are, which is called Ecumene.
Ecumene is primarily ruled by one country, under a King. It's fairly prosperous and though magic isn't prevalent, a lot of the countries innovations like airships, work off the crystals that Norna gave the monarchy a long time ago.
Usually the only thing to worry about in Ecumene is....well, me!
Norna is... beautiful, kind, loving, whimsical, a lover of nature and humans. She loves everyone no matter how ugly they are and she has a bit of a mischievous side, though she never means any real harm.
[He wondered if he'd get to meet her, but it seemed presumptuous to ask. The main takeaway here, anyway, was that Ish clearly had a type. Not that Junior particularly knows what it means when a person has a type.]
Is that why you care so much for them? Because they see you in a different way than everyone else does?
No, but that's not a bad guess. The last time we spoke, I wasn't like this at all! I was a good boy when I was younger, actually.
I love her because she created me, but I'd love her no matter what she was or how she viewed me. If anything, I came to love her even more because of her free spirit. The other attendants never understood why we would like to watch humans go about their day, or why we would want to help them out whenever disaster befell them. But their happiness was her happiness, and therefore mine too. [ he was a different person back then, but if you distill him to his core, it's still the same bones. they're just irrevocably twisted and burnt, now. ]
[His face grows warm as Ish shows him such gentleness. Thanks to Hwylryn, he was starting to feel less awkward with such gestures, but it was still so unexpected.]
Because...I'm always causing problems. Because I don't know how to be normal.
Then consider yourself in "good" company. I was literally born abnormal, the others used to call me "impurity" before I had a name.
[ it was a Time, but ish doesn't seem to mind. ]
And as far as problems go...I don't think I need to say anything, do I? It's better to be yourself than to try to fit in. The real you is worth more than stupid laws and expectations.
[Impurity? A flash of sadness crosses his face at that knowledge. It wasn't as if the people in his life had ever been outright cruel to his face in such a way--no, it had been a much more insidious cruelty. Junior wasn't sure he knew which was worse: knowing that people hated you, or thinking the opposite even when it wasn't true.]
Be myself...
[It was such a simple concept, in theory, but Junior still didn't really know what it was, to be himself.]
Do you think, with you and Hwylryn, I might be able to figure out what that means?
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w2, monday
Hello. Do you have a moment? I just have a question regarding your announcement, this morning. I won't take up too much of your time...I'm sure plenty of others may be coming to you, as well.
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[ he'll actually conjure junior a proper chair. ish himself will just float in the air at seated height, legs crossed. ]
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[Seeing such casual displays of magic is still somewhat of a marvel to him, but he takes a seat all the same. He folds his hands in his lap.]
If I killed multiple people, would I be able to request more than one wish?
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[ the prospect excites him, one finger twirling in the air. ]
You can, but it'd get unwieldy in so many ways after a point...so the limit is three. Three murders for three wishes.
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[Wasn't actually certain what wish, or wishes, he wanted. But taking a life of a stranger in exchange for something like that...Junior wasn't particularly against it.]
And what if I went through with any of these murders but was caught and executed? Would my wishes still be honored?
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"Trying" is defined by me.
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[You know, as fair as this entire situation is.]
I don't particularly want to die, so I'd rather try and not get caught, if I do decide to kill anyone.
[It gave him a lot to think about. If the wishes would be honored even in the event of their death, then they'd likely have to wish for something that could come true without them being alive...otherwise, wouldn't the wish simply not apply? Unless there was anything else to consider that Ish wasn't elaborating on...but Junior had a feeling that he wouldn't get any answer to those potential questions anyway, so he wasn't going to bother asking.]
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[ *according to himself. ]
Well, take some time to think about it if you need. But if you have any other questions including specifics, I'm all yours.
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I will.
[He stands--true to his word, he doesn't want to monopolize too much of the witch's time. And, anyway, he was really bad at small talk.]
Goodbye, for now.
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[ man if all his conversations could be as smooth as this one, his life would be so much easier. ]
w4, monday
Are you terribly busy?
[Cause he's got his spell and everything to work on...]
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juniors waiting just a moment before ish pops out with a smile. ]
Hello, hello!
Not terribly no, so come in.
[ join him at the table he has set up in a corner of the greenhouse with two chairs. ]
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[Sheepishly, Junior makes his way over to the table and takes a seat. He fidgets with his hands in his lap. What to say...where to start...]
I, um...I don't know if you hear what we put out in the crystals, but...I wanted to let you know, I'm hoping those of us who still have our fireflies can let them go together in the garden tonight. And, you're invited, too, if you want to come.
[Almost too quickly, he follows this up with--]
It's okay, if you don't want to. I know...some of the others might treat you unkindly. So, if you aren't comfortable, I understand. And if you just aren't interested, that's also fine.
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Well, it's less a matter of my comfort and more of yours. Being hated is something I'm used to! But if they knew you invited me, they could start to look at you differently.
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[He just has a feeling. It does hurt, imagining the friends he'd made changing the way they regarded him. To see them really realize just how willing he was to do bad things just to get something for himself. But...]
Either way, I'm not going to be seeing them much longer. So, I'd rather get the chance to spend more time with you. If I may.
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[ he tilts his head, his earrings (now plural), jingling. ]
So uh, where do you want to start?
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[But then that bashful look comes back full force. That was the question, wasn't it? Junior's eyes fall down before glancing back up again.]
I'm not very good at getting to know people. I'm still learning how...
[He gives it a little more thought, and then decides on something he can ask.]
What's your home like?
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his smile is easy. ]
Hmm well...where I'm from is called Elysia, but I'm not sure if you'd want to go there. It's the upper plane compared to the lower plane where humans are, which is called Ecumene.
Ecumene is primarily ruled by one country, under a King. It's fairly prosperous and though magic isn't prevalent, a lot of the countries innovations like airships, work off the crystals that Norna gave the monarchy a long time ago.
Usually the only thing to worry about in Ecumene is....well, me!
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What's Norna like?
[She was clearly someone incredibly important to him, to have gone through all of this.]
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[ does this
sound a little familiar... ]
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[He wondered if he'd get to meet her, but it seemed presumptuous to ask. The main takeaway here, anyway, was that Ish clearly had a type. Not that Junior particularly knows what it means when a person has a type.]
Is that why you care so much for them? Because they see you in a different way than everyone else does?
[Maybe...even how he saw himself.]
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No, but that's not a bad guess. The last time we spoke, I wasn't like this at all! I was a good boy when I was younger, actually.
I love her because she created me, but I'd love her no matter what she was or how she viewed me. If anything, I came to love her even more because of her free spirit. The other attendants never understood why we would like to watch humans go about their day, or why we would want to help them out whenever disaster befell them. But their happiness was her happiness, and therefore mine too. [ he was a different person back then, but if you distill him to his core, it's still the same bones. they're just irrevocably twisted and burnt, now. ]
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[It was a surprise, but not one he couldn't understand. Family...he'd do anything at all for family, he thinks.]
It sounds like you made her just as happy as she makes you.
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[ sometimes these things happen... ]
Mmm well, back then, probably. Right now? She'll probably be mad at me, but that's alright. I just want her to be whole again.
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[Well, not the snake part. But clearly their worlds were very distinct from one another, so he won't think too hard on that detail.]
If it was to save someone that I loved, I don't care who I'd hurt in the process. Even if they hated me for saving them.
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Hwylryn said we would understand each other. [ because yeah, Mood.
hmm...can he...headpat? ]
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You really don't mind me being around?
[His head is absolutely begging for a pat right now.]
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Nope. Why should I mind?
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Because...I'm always causing problems. Because I don't know how to be normal.
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[ it was a Time, but ish doesn't seem to mind. ]
And as far as problems go...I don't think I need to say anything, do I? It's better to be yourself than to try to fit in. The real you is worth more than stupid laws and expectations.
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Be myself...
[It was such a simple concept, in theory, but Junior still didn't really know what it was, to be himself.]
Do you think, with you and Hwylryn, I might be able to figure out what that means?
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[ his speech is as bombastic as usual, but he does really seem to mean this. ]