it's not your act of creation

[beautifullies]

Who: Claire and closed starters + opens
When: September + October
Where: her house in Solvunn, the Horizon, will add more locations as needed
What: An open where Clarie discovers she can control bees (up to 30 ft), an option to bake bread or garden with her, eventual questing, a handful of closed starters and more!
Warnings: Will update as needed
Notes: Please feel free to match the brackets or switch to prose, tag with your heart. Assume wildcarding is on the table, just message me first or hmu on plurk @ babybananas w/any ideas!




look how cute, how adorable, how perfect

Comments

𝖲𝗈𝗅𝗏𝗎𝗇𝗇 | 𝖢𝗅𝖺𝗂𝗋𝖾'𝗌 𝖧𝗈𝗆𝖾 | 𝗈𝗍𝖺

[beautifullies]

𝙄. 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙜𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣 🌸 🌸

[ Most of the time, if Claire hasn't been seen around any of the settlements in a while, she's in her garden. Not inside her home shuttered away, but outside. Back in the furthest corner of the primary settlement near the woods but not too close. Anyone passing by is likely to see her out, morning or night. If it's night, you might see the moon-like glow of her hair before you see her. During the day she's pruning, weeding, checking for pests and the needed insects alike. She has one lone beehive now, her magic bees, protected and enchanted with magic to keep anything like what happened to kill off her last hives can happen again, it's been made sure of. There certainly isn't enough to harvest anything yet, but a few bees do lazily fly about, seeking out the wildflowers.

Past dark, Claire is mostly still, sitting with a cup of tea and listening to the night sounds. She can't sleep much, not since things getting chaotic have kicked off around midnight each time. She listens to her garden, to the far-off noises of animals, all while sitting with a cup of tea. Friends and strangers alike are welcome to join her.

At any point, day or night, you might catch her with her new orb, watching her daughter, the small scene of their last Christmas together. She can't stop pulling it out of her pocket to watch at random moments, even though it weighs the fabric down. She doesn't care; if this object was given to her so freely, she assumes it could also be taken from her. ]

𝙄𝙄. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙚𝙨 🐝 🐝

[ It isn't something Claire does on purpose. She's simply considering when she'll be ready for more bees, thinking it's nice that she doesn't need to go out collecting them, when two or three fly close ot her face. They seem to...hover there, and she attempts to gently shoo them away. But they return, then more, until all she can see in every direction, are bees.

They don't seem to be panicked or agitated, they all simply hover there in front of her, the droning sound reminding her of high voltage. Taking a step back, the bees inch closer to her in unison, and then she narrows her eyes as an idea begins to take hold. ]

Fly up and down. [ She tells it to the bees, and they do, they all fly up in unison and then back down, this time surrounding her, like a large bee shield. ] Jesus H. Christ, I'm controlling you. [ She takes a tentative step and the bees go with her, then another, until she's calmly walking with a swarm of bees circling her. Should anyone happen by, they'll find Claire walking to the hives encircled by bees, seemingly unbothered by this turn of events. ]

Go now, all of you, into your houses.

[ She gestures, and the bees disperse, the four hives once again full to capacity. Now that she's used it, she can feel it now, this new magic nestling into place. Only now does she notice she has company, and she turns, raising an eyebrow and a shoulder. ]

Does it seem like new magic is being handed out a bit freer and faster than before, or have I just been that lucky?

[furibund]

[ There's really no such thing as "normal" in Solvunn. Nebula has accepted this - at least in part - and it's only gotten frequently stranger. Now, it's the children and their masks and she has no answers for that. Not that she has a particular set of answers for anything that happens here. Even after the last few weeks passed and the Badlands became more open to them, she hasn't settled. ]

[ Though "settled" is also not a word known for Nebula as someone who's kept busy with some task or other since arriving some months ago. The worst had passed and whereas many returned to their regular tasks, she kept with the nightly patrol she started some weeks ago. The dagger strapped to her calf, the baton pieces to her hips, and the sword to her back - really. She needs to stop collecting weapons just because she can. ]

[ It's quiet, save for the stirring of the animals. Aside from a few lingering beings between the taverns the people have returned to the houses - save for, it would seem, a woman enjoying a drink in the midsts of her garden. She considers a moment, glancing past to see if there was something there, before approaching: ]

Got some plant that needs caring for at night?

[ Is her only greeting. She knows very little about plants, to her it's probable it's the case. ]

[beautifullies]

[ Claire has of course seen Nebula, they might've nodded at one another if she really thinks back. But so far, she hasn't been able to properly meet the other woman, dealing with the aftermath of the damage to her house after the storms, the death of her bees, and her archeological dig have all kept her busier than normal. So, it pleases her when someone she hasn't met stops at her home, no matter the time.

She smiles at the question, and gives a small beckoning nod to invite her into the garden properly, to sit on the spare outdoor chair. ]

I have flowers that only bloom at night, and every now and then I like to be awake to see them. [ It's the flowers that are deadly in the wrong hands mostly, but she doesn't say that. ] Beyond that, this is the only truly quiet time outdoors. You can hear more in the distance, at night.

[ Her gaze finds Nebula's; Claire won't be caught off guard sleeping again, she hopes. Out here, she can see the skyline, keeping a sort of watch on her own until she must sleep for a few hours, lest Michael force her to, literally. ]

We seem to have more night owls in Solvunn than I thought. I'm Claire, would you like tea?

bees

[suplexer]

[ It would be a stretch to say that things have gone back to normal around here. While the Heralds do appear to have withdrawn, there is still a restless feeling around the settlement. The children in particular seem the most bothered, and there's frequent chatter about the masks that are apparently part of some tradition here.

But Tifa has been welcomed back into her host family's home (with an effusive apology for her being kicked out in the first place) and people have stopped wandering off at random. She doubts that anything will ever be truly normal here, but it does feel like there's a little bit of a lull.

Maybe it's different in the other territories, where war had been a much closer reality.

Still, almost every day brings another novel and interesting turn of events, and this one is no different. Tifa's on the way to Ed's inn, taking a path that winds by the trees near the edge of the settlement. She soon realizes that Claire is there as well, with...

A swarm of bees.

Tifa halts to watch, but the way that the bees return to their hives seems unnatural. It's too orderly, isn't it? Not that she knows that much about bees, maybe Claire is just really good with them. And it is nice to see her working with them given what Tifa heard from her about what happened to her other hives.

When Claire turns to her with that question, Tifa blinks owlishly. ] You mean... that was magic?

[beautifullies]

[ Claire brightens to see a familiar face, and she does find it a bit serendipitous that she would greet the same young woman who was there for the send-off of her last bees a few months ago. She gestures for her to come through and into the garden properly, to take the almost hidden path in the wildflowers closer to the bee houses. ]

It was, and I only just realized it. Watch this.

[ She hopes the bees can't get irritated at her back and forth, and she calls out, raising a hand and using a 'come here' motion with her fingers. ]

Come back out so we can see you. All of you.

[ It takes perhaps two seconds, but soon the bees begin buzzing out of the entrance, and then there's a small cloud of bees seeming to hover in a cloud right in front of them. It's as if they're waiting for a command, and when Claire's hand moves up, so do the bees, then down, and in a loop. ]

I have no idea if they're capable of understanding what's happening or not, but this is useful.

[ She's already imagining surrounding herself with a shield of bees the next time anyone tries to throw a punch at her. Her attention turns to Tifa, curiously. ]

Have you discovered an ability of your own since you arrived?

In the garden <3

[morethan084]

[On the way into what appears to be the main part of the town, Daisy is given a rundown by one of the council members, Rowan. It's a lot to take in after the day she had prior to even arriving here, and she tries to absorb it all with a healthy amount of skepticism.

The sun is setting, which only makes the breeze that much colder. The clothing she had been given clinging to her damp skin, as she embraces herself with one arm. Her other hand keeping the injured one propped up as the sling she had been given had disappeared with the rest of her clothes upon arriving here.

Stepping out of the carriage, Daisy's told to wait here while Rowan speaks to the homeowners that have offered to take her in. It's quiet, except for the sound of crickets, distant talking and the sounds of bees buzzing.

Daisy, always on alert, looks around the somewhat secluded road to find a woman kneeling in her garden. She barely manages a polite smile before looking away, not wanting to know if the woman is staring at her like everyone else has been so far. So far no one has recognized her, which is a relief, but maybe not as much as she'd like for it to be. All it takes is for one person to recognize her from home, and she could very easily be put in danger.]

[beautifullies]

[ This is the most exciting part of the year, harvesting, staying busy, nearly constantly in the garden. She's carrying a large armful of carrots freshly pulled from the ground when she glances up. She catches sight of someone walking, but it seems casual, not purposefully toward her home. Claire's used to passers-by because of her location, which had nothing to do with wanting to see who comes and goes from the primary settlement. Nothing at all.

At first she merely smiles in return to the little wave, then she does a double take when she realizes this person looks beaten to hell. It isn't a trick of the light or shadows, she's been beaten. She's unfamiliar too, and Claire realizes she may be new, and may not be comfortable with someone bum-rushing her with magic.

Instead, Claire drops her armload quickly, brow furrowed in concern and already rushing toward her gate. ]

Hold on, wait a moment, please? I'm a doctor, I can help.

A WITCH IS NEVER LATE 🐝

[carmesi]

You think so?

( wanda steps up the path into claire's garden, having knocked on the door and noticed that, after getting no response, that it was likely that she was out at the back. the fact that claire has decided to try the bees again makes wanda feel content.

she glances about—no bees in sight—and finishes walking her way towards the other woman.

raising her hand, wanda hands over a couple of jars of apricot jam, tied together with twine into a small tower of three. she comes bearing gifts, for she has been gifted honey and other produce from claire's garden in the past. )

Bee control seems like a pretty good deal.

[beautifullies]

[ Claire always brightens to see Wanda, and when she turns to greet her so do the bees. But she tells them to stay, holding out a palm, and they disperse lazily, bobbing away in the wind toward home. ]

I think, at the very least, I'm gaining more magic and becoming more powerful. Though, not enough—yet—to be sure the bees are hearty and protected.

[ The jams are appreciate and she takes them with thanks, admiring and already anticipating a morning breakfast. For now, she walks them to the outdoor patio to put down before resting a hand on her hip. ]

Thank you, for the gift, and for the offer to help. I've no clue about how to use magic to keep the bees safe.

𝖳𝗁𝖾 𝖧𝗈𝗋𝗂𝗓𝗈𝗇 | 𝗈𝗍𝖺

[beautifullies]

𝙄𝙄𝙄. 𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚 🌳🌳

[ The tree Julia's created in the Horizon is wonderful, and Claire's drawn to it after a day of feeling the suspicion of people who've never looked at her twice when she's gone to their homes. Not religious enough; it's ridiculous, she thought it would've faded by now, as the black eye did, but it hasn't. It's all only made her miss those who've left even more. It makes her worry about the people still here.

On one side of the tree, in a small nook made between root and trunk, there's a space that couldn't be trampled easily. Kneeling, Claire presses her palms to the ground and closes her eyes, concentrating. It isn't long before small buds begin to poke up through the earth, then pop open into beautiful blue forget-me-nots. Opening her eyes, Claire looks at what she's done and gives a nod of satisfaction, standing then letting out a soft sigh. ]

Oh, I'll miss you.

[ She hasn't a clue if she's been observed or overheard, she doesn't mind it once she realizes she has company. She doesn't mention who it is she misses specifically, there's simply an ache. If she thinks, it's Zagreus first, the most recent, but she can go all the way back to Louis and still miss what that friendship was becoming, desperately. ]

One of the most wonderful things about being brought to this place, happens to be what hurts the most when you're left behind.

[ She loves meeting others, she wouldn't change it, but she's never known so many people only to lose them, not like this. ]

𝙄𝙑. 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚 🐺🐺

[ As always, Claire's door in her horizon domain is open. Instead of a stray cat, there's now a stray wolf, Jon's direwolf, Ghost, a more frequent visitor than usual. She doesn't mind if Jon doesn't, Ghost is a good boy and listens, nevermind that he's a horizon construct.

Today, Claire is experimenting with ways to ways to combine different plants for different unusual ailments. Her studying of both the plant life and magic over the last year or so, has slowly led to this. She begins in the horizon as always, to make sure she's not harming any innocent, real plants, and she's attempting to make a draught that protects against the cold. She has the seeds of a scotch bonnet plant, the seeds of a jalapeño, and the dried, ground leaves of a thermogenic plant. Mixing it all together, she concentrates on the plants and what the core purpose of each part of them is, to warm from the inside, to heat up and keep the chill away. She adds sprinkles of cinnamon and nutmeg for added warmth, then brews it all into a tea.

The next person who walks inside will have a small shot glass of red liquid pushed at them, no explanation because she doesn't want to cause any bias. ]

Drink this, count to ten, and tell me how you feel.

[ It may or may not work, or it may work too well, depending on the person and the dose, but she's staring, hopeful and poised with a pen and paper. ]

🐺🐺

[sophos]

[ after stopping briefly to try and befriend the giant wolf outside, annabeth steps into claire's domain house, with some lingering thoughts rotating like a rotisserie chicken that haven't quite left her head even though the heralds have long left the scene by now. it's been a little hard to shake, and sometimes claire's company is soothing. ]

[ maybe she shouldn't just drink a strange concoction being shoved in her face, but then again - this is the girl who shoved her hands into the phlegathon and drank its lava without knowing for sure her hypothesis about its necessity to survival in tartarus would be correct. ]

[ besides, she trusts claire. so she puts it to her mouth and swallows it down in two sips. she's never done a real shot before, okay. this girl has never been drunk. ]

[ the first thing she does is stick out her tongue, even as she starts counting internally to ten. ]

Too much cinnamon.

[beautifullies]

[ Claire watches intently, and she has to take the criticism, noting it down. ]

Get rid of it completely in favor of something else, or just less?

[ Annabeth downed the shot like a pro, she's got a real future in tequila ahead of her if she wants, but Claire is watching her features for any sort of reddening. ]

I should've taken into account your circulatory system might be superior to the average person's...hmm.

[ She taps her pen against ther lips, eyebrows raised as she waits for more assessment from her willing volunteer. ]

𝙄𝙑. 𝙃𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙢𝙚

[iustise]

John glances down at the small shot he has suddenly found thrust into his hand and then back up at Claire, raising an eyebrow at the look at she is giving him and the pen and paper in her hand.

He should not be surprised. He does know her, after all, and better than most. He had personally funded some of her more dangerous medical experiments back home in the colonies, and he can only imagine what sort of mischief she might be getting herself into here and now in Abraxas, with magic on her side. He really ought to be paying more attention, he realizes, as he has once again come to her with a quandary of his own.

Deciding that it is only fair and just, a quid pro quo if it were, he raises the little glass to her in a toast then knocks it back all at once in one swallow.

Wrinkling his nose for a moment, he tries to place the flavor. Decidedly herbal, but the spice combination reminds him of... Bread pudding? But he's had worse. Stepping forward, he moves to set the little glass down on the table before her.

"Is the counting of important scientific value?" he asks, wittily. There is already a noticeable heated flush blooming across the fair coloring of his face. Is it hot in here, or is it just him...?

[beautifullies]

She's glad he asked no questions first, she feels it would taint the experiment, but she can see the flush beginning at his throat. It reminds her a little of when she purposefully made Jamie sick, to see if she could manufacture symptoms of an outbreak. At least John won't go through that sort of discomfort in the Horizon.

"The counting is so I know how long it takes for the effects to kick in." Already she's writing things down; the cinnamon was adjusted to be a bit less thanks to Annabeth's notes, and the thermogenic leaves increased to compensate.

"How are you feeling? Pleasantly warm?" She's already feeling a bit proud of herself for this, to see a visible result very clearly before the ten seconds are up.

𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙚 🌳🌳

[philancer]

[ Sylvain had been drawn in by the vivid flowers that spread like a carpet around the base of the tall tree, even though he approaches from the far side of it. He hears the soft words, though, recognizes the voice and has a slight frown on his lips as he brushes his hand against the bark of the tree and rounds its trunk in search of her. ]

Claire?

𝖠𝗋𝗍𝗁𝗎𝗋 | 𝖼𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽

[beautifullies]

[ Claire loves having people over for tea or coffee. She'll always serve whichever dessert she's been working on in the Horizon—she practices with conjured-up ingredients first, only to perfect it and finally make it in her real kitchen. It wouldn't do to waste ingredients and ruin something she's never done before, so everything is well-practiced by the time it makes it to Solvunn. Today she's serving blackberry cake, served with the first autumn spiced tea of the season. She's forged or grown everything herself, using her magic to grow what she couldn't find in the tamer parts of the forest. The tea is a blend of hibiscus petals, orange peel, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and clove. Not the full autumn punch yet, but a light September spice.

Her front door is open because she's expecting Arthur, the smells of the cake wafting out the door. There are bees buzzing, but they're polite and only two or three bob in the air near him as he walks the path, the rest stay near the bee houses and around the wildflowers.

When he arrives, Claire happens to glance up at the doorway and smiles brightly to see him, just finishing setting the cake on her small kitchen table. ]

Arthur, come in. Welcome. Don't mind the bees if any of them float in, they'll find their way out.

[smilefornow]

[There's something so very pleasantly normal about popping round a neighbor's for tea. It's the sort of thing that belonged to a lost world, for Arthur. And he always enjoys chatting with Claire. She, too, is nice and pleasantly normal.

As much as normal can be found here.

He only hesitates a moment at the sight of the bees. Memories of swarms swim through his mind, but this is not Wellington and the bees here are not murderous. Certainly not Claire's bees.]

Cheerio!

[He gives a friendly wave as he ducks into the doorway.]

𝖩𝗈𝗇 𝖲𝗇𝗈𝗐 | 𝖢𝗅𝗈𝗌𝖾𝖽

[beautifullies]

[ Ghost is padding quietly beside her as Claire makes her way to Winterfell in the Horizon. It's as familiar to her now as coming home, at least this part. She comes sometimes even when Jon isn't there, to lay in a bed that carries his scent on the pillow. She'll stay sometimes, not sleeping but reading until she can't ignore real life any longer. It's not often, but there are times she doesn't want to be alone in her space, would rather be surrounded by the things Jon conjured for his domain.

Today is not a day she'll be alone, though, and when she finds Jon, everything in her warms and lifts. Any worries fade away as her arms automatically reach out for him. Here, in this space, there's no faint spot of yellow just underneath her brow where the black eye has finally receded completely. She takes him in, even though like her, any ailments, big or small, can be hidden away. Still, her smile is a warm version reserved only for him, hair loose and silver curls tumbling down her back, casting a soft glow. ]

Hello, darling.

[northerndragon]

[Winterfell in the Horizon does not have the purpose that its true counterpart has in the North. It doesn't exist to be a fortress, to withstand a siege, to help the Northmen survive a hard winter, to be a place where the Lord Paramount of the North can meet with the men who owe their fealty to him, or to be the seat of the King in the North, or to show any magnificence for House Stark. In truth, it exists only for comfort for its erstwhile denizens and anyone they might wish to invite there.

Through those dreamed centuries, when it had been bigger than it is now, Jon had gotten used to sharing it with Claire, and he is used to seeing her in it now -- most especially in the places he keeps for himself. But the place he means to take her to today does not belong to him alone, though he has taken special care to make sure that it is now as he remembers it, down to the last detail -- every bit of dirt and stone and rust.

His expression brightens when he sees her, and he pulls her in for a kiss -- but not until after he ruffles Ghost's fur.]

My love. You're ready to visit the Stark dead? All the old kings of winter are waiting for us.

[When their kiss breaks, he offers his arm, ready to leave the Great Hall for the courtyard outside of it. He is dressed more casually than he had been the last time he had been in the crypts in truth -- there is ever a chill in them, and ever a feeling deep in his bones that he is not wanted there. But it will be small work to produce cloaks for them both when they want them, and with her at his side, it will be warmer there for him than it ever has been.]

Chris Halliwell | Closed | Quest task 1

[beautifullies]

[ The suspicion swirling around Claire hasn't kept her from her normal routine in the very least. Her black eye has healed, but she does notice others giving her a wider berth, muttering under their breath. She still can't believe she's rocked the boat for not being religious enough, and she wonders if she can be tried yet again and nearly sentenced to death for some religious fanaticism bullshit. How many people can say that?

She's asked by someone who still trusts her, to please get her husband, that he's wearing a mask and scaring the animals and generally being a nuisance, but he won't stop. With her magic, Claire assumes an easy task ahead, but of course not, and now she feels like an ass. She's trying to keep her tone nice and even, trying to be patient as she steps closer. ]

Tegmar, make another, perhaps one you work on with your daughter?

[ She's attempting to appeal to his instincts as a father, but he shoves her away with one hand, shouting at her to stay back, but he seems unsure, eyes confused behind the mask. Of course she doesn't listen, and of course she steps close again, not expecting anyone to step in, reaching out in a placating gesture. He doesn't move for a moment and actually seems to be ready to listen to what she has to say. ]

[inferiority_complex]

Even though he was relatively new to Solvunn, Chris had met a number of people who had rather strong reactions to him. Have they been completely his fault? Probably, both the good and the bad ones. Should he be more careful considering his family has a history of being burned at the stake, and before arriving here he'd been knifed by an angel? Also yes. Has Chris learned his lesson? Like many other Halliwells before him, that answer would be a resounding no. Halliwells are hard headed, and they learn lessons painfully. Or sometimes not at all, doomed to perpetually repeat their own mistakes. It ran in the family. Genetics, curse?

So that was how Claire ended up with Chris. Absolute good fortune. He really was trying to help. But Chris was distracted. He had never had this many charges before. Like ever in his life. He was getting constant pain feedback from Sansa and Nebula, something was going on with Teddy, and Chris wasn't sure how to process it all. Because that's what happens when you don't read the guardian angel handbook. So, his concentration wasn't at his best.

He saw Tegmar shove Claire, and then he saw her take a step forward, instead of back like a normal person would have done. As far as Chris was concerned, this entire thing was taking way, way too long. That mask needed to come off. Whoever she was, she was standing way to close to him and was going to get hurt. If the shoving hadn't already done that.

So he tried to help. "Hey, keep your hands off her!" When Tegmar turned toward him, Chris tried to telekinetically rip the mask off him. Which. Worked. But in the process of trying to grab the mask to keep it from flying away, an elbow went flying toward Claire's face.

"Oh shit, oh shit oh shit."

lmk if this works!

[catholica]

( matt's visits to nocwich are pretty regular considering that's the only place he and wanda get to see each other. but, he likes being able to see other people as well, people that have helped in the past, people that he owes a lot to.

people like claire. he picks up on her heartbeat easily enough and winds his way through the people on the street until he's close enough to her that she'll be able to notice him and he won't surprise her. )

Claire?

( he knows it's her but again, he doesn't want to startle anyone by just appearing at their shoulder all the sudden. )

this is fantastic, ty!

[beautifullies]

[ For the same reasons, Claire's time in Nocwich has taken an uptick in the last few months. Some months she skipped weekends, but no more and likely never again, at least for a day, unless something happens.

She's at a stall contemplating splurging with her gold and getting Jon a soft, deep blue scarf for winter, when she glances up and spots Matt just as he speaks her name. A smile tugs at her lips and she reaches out to squeeze his arm. ]

Matt, it's been some time. How are you, how's life in the Free Cities?

[ She's decided to buy the scarf, so she dips into her pockets, handing over the money, then waiting for the vendor as they chat. ]

Claire's Home | Late October

[familysucks]

[When Claire wakes and heads downstairs for breakfast, she'll find a warm cup of tea and a plate of breakfast ready for her on the kitchen table. Michael sits at the opposite side, his preferred mug of hot water the only item on his placemat. This in itself is not a very unusual sight. Now that he lives so close by, Michael has made a routine of being at the table in the morning. What is new is the fat orange cat sprawled sleepily on his lap.

Michael looks over to her as she steps into the room, a familiar neutral but pleasant expression on his face.]

Good morning, Claire. Happy birthday. I realize it's considered poor form to treat pets as gifts, but before you say anything, you should try holding him.

[The cat is very soft, and therefore any faux-pas he has made should be forgiven. Also, in this instance, he thinks he has assessed correctly that she won't mind the burden of another mouth to feed. Michael rouses the cat—or attempts to—and lifts it up, offering the sleepy and seemingly boneless animal to Claire.]

[beautifullies]

[ Michael at her table is not an unusual sight, but it's the large orange blob in his lap that grabs her attention even as he speaks. She does warm because he remembered her birthday; she hasn't mentioned it at all except to Jon, deciding to let it pass if she can.

She should've known better, and so she's suppressing a grin as he speaks, but then she realizes the blob in Michael's lap is meant for her. When she realizes it's a gorgeous orange cat she doesn't know how to react. ]

What about seeing this cat made you think of me, Michael?

[ She can't help it, she has to ask, but the next question is more genuine as she goes to take the cat from him. ]

...Is this a Baby situation? Thank you, by the way.