Who: wanda and others When: november-december Where: solvunn, nocwich, horizon What: catch-all for both months! closed and open prompts within. Warnings: none at the moment, will mark as needed.
[as the omen disappear from the land, as if they had never been there before, things in solvunn start returning to normal. things ease, the land seems to heal, and the dead no longer linger near the shrines. however, something has changed amidst some of those in solvunn towards the summoned. wanda notices that the children remain with their usual curiosity and enthusiasm towards them, but some of their parents urge them to stop being a nuisance to the summoned; she notices that some of the elderly keep a respectful distance, and many adults alike bring them offerings as usual—cheese, ales, clothes, precious stones, herbs—despite the fact that they are less likely to approach them to help out with the mundane, drawing out apologies for their trivial matters drawing their attention.
she can do so much with her magic, it feels selfish to do nothing.
A. wanda would be found, then, sitting on a bench by the side of the school, a group of children either sitting on the bench with her or kneeling by her feet. they've brought some of their toys to her—broken ones—and she uses her magic to fix them: a wooden horse with a broken leg, a plush stuffed with hay that's lost its stitching, a puzzle with a missing piece, and an assortment of toys wanda's not quite seen in her own more modern world. still she fixes them all—gives the horse a new leg and coat of paint, changes the plush's hay stuffing into cotton with sturdy stitching, remakes the puzzle so no piece is amiss. they get chalks to color with, and those who have no toys return to the school with new ones.
were that not the case, B. wanda will be walking throughout the settlement, carrying a basket at her side filled with produce from gardsbruk farm, offering it to families who do not turn her away. from declan and maeve, she says, handing the families carrots and corn, potatoes and cocoyams, along with some bottles of milk. though accepted quite gracefully, given the more recent events that messed with their harvests, wanda still finds herself leaving the homes with an offering for herself in the form of some item or another. any other summoned may find her, however, standing a ways away on the side of the road, scarlet magic creating the produce she's so willingly taking around.
ultimately, most days, she will definitely be found C. by the forest groves near and around the settlement, sitting on her knees, hands on the ground and fingers splayed out across ground and roots as she chants in whispers. the trees nearby rustle despite the lack of breeze, seeming to groan as they take in the benefit of her magic feeding into their vitality, small white and lavender flowers sprouting throughout the grass. these groves are close to the more commonly known shrines, and while wanda does not believe in these old gods, there is something otherworldly about the space. the least she can do, in the absence of having offerings to give, is keep the homes of these shrines wealthy in health and beauty.]
[ There's a lot more freedom in Solvunn to do as you please once the work is done. At home, the work was a practically endless loop with time to relax scattered about the middle. Or at least it seemed that way in the last few months. Everything was always in flux. Here, finding a rhythm is a little more carefree. There haven't been any direct threats of war to Solvunn since he arrived here, but that didn't mean there would never be any. It all kind of feels like waiting for the other shoe to drop. Or he's paranoid. Either way.
Solvunn is vast compared to the places he'd lived in the past, so there's always something to explore, and he wants to be comfortable with the settlements as he can. Walking through the forest is nice, but he knows enough not to stray too far or for too long. While he doesn't exactly believe that it's gods that roam the darkness between settlements as he'd been told, he's not foolish enough to try and find out what it is. It's during his walk that he comes up on Wanda. At first glance seeing her on her knees, head bowed down to the ground, he thinks there might be something wrong. However, the closer he gets, he can hear her faint words, though he's not close enough to know what she's saying. Nature seems to hear her though, and he watches, eye wide as she displays magic that sprouts through the ground in the way the leaves on the trees quiver and small flowers bloom at his feet.
It's amazing to see something like that in practice and Carl honestly wants to learn more. He discovered a power of his own recently that he hadn't gotten the opportunity to show anyone else. Maybe it's perfect that it's Wanda he's running into now. ]
Wow.. Do you think you could teach something like that?
not me writing a tag, losing it, but thinking i posted it... sorry!!
[once wanda is done with her spell, she sits up to brush off the dirt and grit from her hands. she knows carl stands nearby, but it's not until he speaks that she turns her head towards him.
(sometimes, spells get under her skin, putting her in something of a daze. the interconnectivity with the earth, with nature, and herself, all a cycle of energy that moves between all points of contact. it's a good feeling—when she uses her magic for healing.)
at his question, though, she pauses, hands on her lap.]
Maybe if you learned an Abraxan spell that was similar. [unlike most, she doesn't learn this through the magick here.] You could do it, too, even if you won't see the results right away.
[her magic just happens to boost the process.]
It's like talking to plants. People say it helps. [she leans to the side, presses her hand to the patch of grass beside her, inviting him to sit with her.] You can send your energy into nature if you want.
[ Carl isn't used to magic the way a lot of the Summoned are. It was always something reserved for fantasies in a world surrounded by science that inevitably led to the end of everything. The idea of a fantasy died shortly after it if he really thinks about it. It's little kid stuff. Or it was, anyway.
He finds it amazing and wants to learn more after seeing just what the people around him are capable of. If he's being honest, he didn't really think he could even do it. There's no latent magical ability, so it's been hard to draw a line from himself to someone who can do magic. Until now. ]
What kind of spell should I look for? I'm a little lost on where to start with it. There's just so much to choose from. [ He moves to join her when prompted, sitting on his knees next to her, mimicking Wanda with his hand on the grass. Carl shakes his head, looking at her. ]
I don't know how to do that. It can't be as easy as talking to the plants?
[Emet-Selch has no particular loyalty to any of the old gods. Less, even, after events that have recently occurred. But he does still make something of an effort to spend some of his day outside, even despite the distinct chill to the air of late. Nor can he deny that the gentle feeling of magic is something that is... not unsurprising, but still a rarity, this far from most of the common parts of the settlement. And that is more than enough to have him making his way over to Wanda's side.
He waits until there's a lull in her spellcasting before she speaks, though. Familiar as someone using magic might be, the actual spellwork is not anything he is familiar with, and he is loath to interrupt on the off chance that doing so might prove to be ill-advised.]
An offering? Or merely an attempt to ensure such places do not fall into disrepair?
[wanda pulls back, incantations done, spells guarded into the soil and roots, rubbing her hands together to rid herself of any leftover dirt. the approach by emet-selch and his question does not startle her nor surprise her, though she looks at him questioningly for a moment.
she had thought she had gone far away enough to work on this by herself.]
Neither.
[standing up, she pushes at her knees, sets herself upright to glance at her work. only then does she look back at him. solvunn has given her things she has lost, even if it's just a home to be in.]
After last month, any small thing can better life for those in the settlement. [things like flowers growing despite the chill, the revitalization of nature despite their decay.] Just having a casual stroll yourself?
[Emet-Selch, perhaps unsurprisingly, offers no answer to that questioning look. He certainly has no problems with anything she's just been doing, but anything past that is not something that he offers immediately.
Instead, he waits patiently as she pushes herself upright, and only after she turns to look at him does he speak up again.]
It can, yes.
[And he certainly cannot deny that the previous month has been... fraught, to say the least. The sort of thing where the simple touch of a moment's beauty, out of season though it might be, could well be a comfort.]
And yes. I had meant to make the most of last moments of what passes for fall, here. Though your magic did offer some reason to change my course.
[Who knows about putting toys together? Jack does! Sort of! In a peripheral sense. He mostly just read about it and then delegated, but he's got the idea. So when he notices Wanda and her efforts he invites himself over to see if he can help.]
Hello there! Can I be of some assistance?
[He just hopes he doesn't cause the kids to scatter. It was always a mixed bag. Sometimes they stayed and looked at him in awe but sometimes they shrieked and took cover behind the nearest adult.]
[wanda had seen jack around before, in a previous wave of summoned, amidst the crowd of people, standing out like a sore thumb for his lack of — well, skin. he is strange, but not terrifying. at least in wanda's opinion. she glances up at him when he approaches, one or two kids stumbling back and onto the bench to stay close to wanda.
some shrieking, but no intense need for escape. some of the kids, though they move in surprise, do stare at him in awe. it's the younger kids that are unnerved.]
You're — Jack, right?
[he had won the shawl she had stitched together with her magic back in a previous raffle at the drunken lamb. wanda tries to stand, but the kids grab at her sleeves to keep her from doing so.
sitting it is. she looks back at the kids.]
It's not polite to stare, is it?
No, miss Wanda...
What do we say when people say hello to us?
Hello back! [their response is enthused, and then there's a choir of braver, less intimidated greetings, wanda helping them out with affixing a name to the individual before them.] Hello, mister Jack!
[satisfied, wanda turns back to him, the children relaxing.]
I'm Wanda. I don't think we've quite met yet.
[and while she's not answering his question of being of some assistance just yet, she is not against him joining them.]
I don't know about you but I think I'd be thrilled to get a corn shaped present. I mean, who wouldn't love some good ole yellow kernels as a gift?
( he's spotted her giving out the food as he'd walked up and he'd stopped to watch. it's nice, really. not his style but nice. he's sure there's some merit in it, probably makes you feel good but not really his thing.
he scrunches his nose up and tucks his hands into his pockets. )
It'd be like Christmas, my birthday, and Easter all in one. A dream come true.
[she remembers telling him to see her at the farm, but it seems like kai has found her before that. he must either be really bored—or really impatient. who does that remind her of? no, she won't draw comparisons.
pietro was a lot kinder and less cynical with his words.]
A corn-shaped present? So, corn.
[please.
wanda falls into step with him, glancing down at her mostly empty basket. suppose she could head back now.]
It sounds like you're desperate for a gift. [he keeps asking for them!!] Anyway, I promised you a coat. Are you willing to make the trip to the farm right now?
[much of the magic in her horizon was disturbed by the omen and the singularity acting up. wanda is aware that in those circumstances, there is nothing she can actively do to make it better—the horizon will be disturbed however it will be disturbed, failsafes or not.
frost covers part of her horizon, the weather within this contained space following what she is familiar with of her home, sokovia, regarding the seasons. autumn forcibly stains the canopy and floor in different warm tones of red and brown, a chill in the air unequivocally calling for a cold incoming winter. a gate that remains usually closed is now open, the ravens that soar over her domain to guide visitors leading them this way, where a myriad of shrines with lit candles line the path of stone circles. here wanda sits, in the middle off, levitating a few inches off the ground—meditating, muttering spells, drawing sigils in her mind. pulses of red crown over her fingers, hands placed lightly on her knees. anyone who is a master of their craft in magic will be able to tell that she's patching up the weak linings of her magic within the domain, not actively casting any new spells.
wanda is also painfully aware of there being someone else here, but she would rather finish this enchantment first. a raven caws, soars on over to a nearby stone, and looks up at the visitor, as if asking what they'll do? it tilts its head, expecting an answer.
[ Though the raven flies above, it's Rousma that leads him through the forest, a bounding blur of yellow fur, barking excitedly at the bird. It's no wonder she came wandering this way, he quickly realizes. Wanda's domain is far larger than his own, much more room to stretch her legs and little paths to explore. Her fur keeps her insulated from the growing cold.
He hadn't thought that she would still be there as the omens began to fade, and Horizon began to return to a relative normal. He'd been reluctant to return to his domain in those days after, expecting to find it empty.
Instead, there she was, sleeping under the tree. And what he'd felt to see her was a relief unavoidably entwined with guilt. Who thinks of their own sister and conjures a dog? Or why not see her as she was flesh and blood instead of the skeletal body that nuns left her with? If she's a manifestation of his mind and will, shouldn't he be able to make her whole?
His questions don't seem to bother this Rousma. Especially not right now, while she happily races toward the house.
He'd messaged Wanda to let her know they are coming. In his hand is a small basket of strawberries from his domain, crystalline and candy sweet. A gift. ]
[wanda expects the visit, as kyle has been kind enough to let her know of it, so she makes sure to be in the horizon to receive them. rousma's announcement that they've arrived is redundant, too, considering the raven guiding them (or, well, keeping up at this point) lets wanda know that they've been making their way through the forest.
she steps around from the side of the house, having wanted to spend some time doing some actual gardening. she pockets the shears into her jacket, removing the gardening gloves from her hands. it's strange to see rousma as a dog, knowing that she's a little girl, kyle's little sister. wanda is sure there's a lot to be delved into there.]
So you are. [still, wanda smiles at the sight of them, letting rousma make her way through the porch and down the stairs towards her. this path leads to the back of the house and rousma knows that, and knows that that's where she can find the ghosts of two boys a little older than herself, willing to play.] And you brought your brother. Did he trip on any roots on the way?
[it's said playfully. wanda sure has made a blind man trip and get lost in her forest before any of her ravens sought him out to help.]
[wanda is woefully aware that should she step into nocwich, now that it's opened again, she will potentially run into people that she's altogether not ready to face in person—again. one would think that any opportunity to leave solvunn for a breath of fresh air is always a welcome distraction. it's only a weekend, though, and she hates to find herself gripped with anxiety in thinking twice on whether she would want to go through the portal at all or not.
still she goes, late in the afternoon after agonizing over doing so, pushed forward by an otherwise intrusive (but not unwelcome) message scrawled across her eyes—are you going to nocwich?—of someone she wishes desperately to see, but of someone she feels hesitation towards. wanda finds it strange how vastly different the weather is across the different factions and locales, but she's glad to have guessed that nocwich would be cold this time of the year, if solvunn's chillier weather is anything to go by. still, the place is welcoming, in many ways, as she sets foot through the portal and glances around the familiar buildings and streets—glances about wondering if she is to expect a familiar face, too.
hands and fingers curled together, pressed close to her middle, wanda makes her way to oleuni square, never having replied to matt's message, neither confirming nor denying her stepping through the portal at any point. she passes a fountain, a few stalls, and tries to find distraction in the new wares being offered with enthusiasm by vendors she remembers from several moons ago.]
( he doesn't know what to think of her lack of answer. at first, he takes it as rejection, that she doesn't want to see him, that she's still upset with him.
and that's okay, that's fine, he'd said a lot of terrible things to her so her needing time is understandable. but he still thought she'd answer him.
but, he feels the need to get out of cadens anyway, having spent a lot of time working since everything happened. so, he decides to take a trip and he ends up in the square too.
from there, it's very easy to pick out her heartbeat through the crowd and to hear her voice when she speaks to vendors. he doesn't know if he should approach but he misses her and he can't —
[they tell her miss wanda, look at these new cuts, coveted jewels of moonstone shining with the reflection of the lamps, the sky too clouded to allow for the moon to shine upon them. still, she takes the necklaces and bracelets in her hands, leaves behind past anxieties, and finds comfort in this small thing.
she hears her name around her, from the kindly vendors, as she goes past, but matt's voice would certainly—always—stand out.
the chain of the necklace she holds slips past her fingers as she curls them, turning to him. she knows she didn't reply to him or give him any kind of concrete answer about whether she wanted to meet him in person, but wanda still aches with uncertainty and anxieties. should she hold on too tightly, who is to say this won't break? she knows, too, that matt could so easily 'take the hint' and let her be, but him coming to find her is— well, it's significant, right? like she's not the only one wanting, needing, this between them.]
They have new wares. [is what she says, instead, moving the hand that holds the necklace closer to matt, gently taking at one of his hands so he can touch the cut of the stone, feel it under the pads of his fingers, in lieu of being unable to see. matt's already apologized so much, back in the horizon, and she doesn't want him to continue doing that. she had told him she needed time, but not all that time needs to be alone. perhaps they can do small things like this, together, comfortably.
the vendor tries to snatch up the opportunity to maybe get this man to buy the necklace for wanda, but she is quick to intercede, taking the necklace back and onto the vendor's hands. the last thing she wants is for matt to get roped into this for obligation or some unspoken sense of wanting to make it up to her.] I'm only just looking still, Glen.
Of course, miss Wanda.
[she continues, then, glancing over the wares on the table, her left hand barely touching what is on display as her eyes roam over the selection. still, her right hand remains comfortably holding onto matt's, from when she had encouraged him to feel the necklace. stay, is what she doesn't say, his presence welcome.]
[claude's request to meet in nocwich wasn't unusual; as it were, they've run into each other far too often in the horizon and back here, months back, for it to be an out-of-the-blue request. no, what is somewhat unusual is his idea of their bringing something to share.
that something being food.
they had talked about it before, of wanda being able to show claude food from sokovia in the horizon. it would be as easy as that, really, to summon it with the magic of the horizon. but now nocwich was open, once a month, and she really likes the idea of sharing with him something from home, especially with how much import claude puts to it.
they decide on the last day of nocwich's opening for the week, a time, and wanda waits for him inside one of the inns. it is far too cold to be outside, and as long as wanda buys herself a drink, the innkeeper doesn't mind that she sits herself at one of his tables, a wrapped parcel before her. she sees claude come in, straightens on her chair, but—as per usual—her enthusiasm at his arrival can't (and shouldn't) be gauged by her facial expression.]
I forgot to ask about your spice tolerance. [but then, a hint of a smile.] Too late now, I suppose.
[ There is a problem in his plan, proud of said plan as he is. Nocwich being open means something besides Horizon visits - not that he minds them - but. When it comes to sharing things, in person is that much better, isn't it? And so he'd formed an idea, mulled it over for a while, then reached out to Wanda again with the finer details once he thought of bringing food to share and formally suggested it.
All very good, except the flaw is: Claude can't actually cook.
He could've asked his roommates for help with that. There's a good chance they've made more than he has or would be able to create far more edible versions of it. In the end, he settles for the loophole he's created for himself (because of course he has) and steps through the portal with his own twine-bound and paper wrapped package in his hands with varying contents he'd purchased from different shops in Cadens. It doesn't take long to locate the inn Wanda told him about and he opens the door to step inside with a polite nod to whoever's behind the counter before scanning the interior. When his gaze lands on Wanda he breaks into a grin while heading to their table, first setting down his parcel to reach to take his cloak off, but he pauses at her announcement. ]
Oh? Plotting to kill me via spice levels, are you? I suppose I don't mind. The spice part, that is, since it doesn't usually bother me in food and I like trying new things too much to let it keep me from doing so. [ Not that he sincerely thinks Wanda's plotting to murder him as he removes the cloak to drape over the back of the chair, and then takes a seat with a nod to his parcel. ] Since we did desserts last time, I thought I'd bring some savory pastries this time.
[ And he is absolutely gonna pretend like he made these until he's called out for it. ]
[wanda knows that he is jesting, no real argument about this killing plot in any way serious. she smiles, not falling for the trap of making a cliché comment about how she would kill him in more creative ways if she really wanted to.
she doesn't like assuming, but it's good to know that claude's a good enough sport to want to give it a try regardless.
well,]
These pastries of yours would be good to soak the sauce of the dish I brought. [she raises her hands over the parcel, unwinding the thread that keeps the cloth in place, and revealing a small, stone crockpot. upon uncovering it, the aromatics of herbs and spices filters into the room.] We call it pileći paprika. Chicken parikash. I made some pasta to go with it, too.
[standing up, she moves on over just to the side where the counter is to grab at two bowls and silver spoons, bringing them over to the table.]
When I think of home, this is one of the first dishes that come to mind.
[wanda doesn't know his name, but she knows what he looks like and remembers the house he seemed to have found lodging at. it's easy enough to retrace her steps to that otherwise rainy day, ignoring the fact that they had parted ways without sharing their names.
(what difference would it make? solvunn is small. the summoned tend to orbit around each other, in one way or another, so she'll find out.)
he is not at the home he has been taken into, however; as it turns out, wanda finds himself instead walking down the path that leads back into the settlement. had he ventured out?
—no matter. she has a basket full of jars, poked holes on the lids for air, encasing what she is sure will be considered precious cargo. wanda does a purposeful beeline towards him, quite annoyingly obstructing his way. no greeting, no cohesive words to sum up her actions, other than,]
[He has inevitably reached the end of his socializing threshold at this point in the day. Henry had sought distance away from the settlement for this exact reason, actually, only to find someone else who had a similar notion in mind—camped beyond the perimeter, in the outskirts—and he had put on his best amicable facade, got through the meeting, and eventually found his way on the return path. Now, as another familiar face (with no name to pair to it yet) comes up the trail in the opposite direction, there is an ugly part of Henry that considers just how viable it would be to ignore her completely.
And when she blocks his path, obstructing his route unless he wants to trudge around and into ankle-high grass and loam that’s gotten loose from the recent rains, something tightens around his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something: fifty-fifty chance it’s either a polite dismissal, or some useless notion about her eagerness that he doesn’t particularly have an investment in.
I got you spiders.
All of that dissipates.]
You what?
[He utters, uselessly, blue eyes managing to flick down to her basket. The lids of jars glisten in the sun. He sees the holes poked in them. Henry is not prone to nostalgia in the same way as most, but it reminds him of the past, invariably.]
[this awkward, almost atypical way of starting a conversation fits wanda just fine. she's not one for small talk, and she appreciates how there's no expectation for it with this man. there is no peek of a smile nor amusement in her expression, though; she knew that he would be interested in her collection of spiders, but she didn't do it with the expectation of anything in return.
not really.
which is why, silently, she pulls out one of the jars from the basket. the glass reflects some of the sun's rays, but there is a long-legged arachnid trying to find purchase on the walls of its confined space. wanda offers it to henry, her fingers embellished with rings, but they don't hide the dirt under her nails and between her fingers. she's certainly finished getting the last of the spiders into a jar before immediately setting off to find him.]
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—SOLVUNN [ OTA · november ]
she can do so much with her magic, it feels selfish to do nothing.
A. wanda would be found, then, sitting on a bench by the side of the school, a group of children either sitting on the bench with her or kneeling by her feet. they've brought some of their toys to her—broken ones—and she uses her magic to fix them: a wooden horse with a broken leg, a plush stuffed with hay that's lost its stitching, a puzzle with a missing piece, and an assortment of toys wanda's not quite seen in her own more modern world. still she fixes them all—gives the horse a new leg and coat of paint, changes the plush's hay stuffing into cotton with sturdy stitching, remakes the puzzle so no piece is amiss. they get chalks to color with, and those who have no toys return to the school with new ones.
were that not the case, B. wanda will be walking throughout the settlement, carrying a basket at her side filled with produce from gardsbruk farm, offering it to families who do not turn her away. from declan and maeve, she says, handing the families carrots and corn, potatoes and cocoyams, along with some bottles of milk. though accepted quite gracefully, given the more recent events that messed with their harvests, wanda still finds herself leaving the homes with an offering for herself in the form of some item or another. any other summoned may find her, however, standing a ways away on the side of the road, scarlet magic creating the produce she's so willingly taking around.
ultimately, most days, she will definitely be found C. by the forest groves near and around the settlement, sitting on her knees, hands on the ground and fingers splayed out across ground and roots as she chants in whispers. the trees nearby rustle despite the lack of breeze, seeming to groan as they take in the benefit of her magic feeding into their vitality, small white and lavender flowers sprouting throughout the grass. these groves are close to the more commonly known shrines, and while wanda does not believe in these old gods, there is something otherworldly about the space. the least she can do, in the absence of having offerings to give, is keep the homes of these shrines wealthy in health and beauty.]
c;;
Solvunn is vast compared to the places he'd lived in the past, so there's always something to explore, and he wants to be comfortable with the settlements as he can. Walking through the forest is nice, but he knows enough not to stray too far or for too long. While he doesn't exactly believe that it's gods that roam the darkness between settlements as he'd been told, he's not foolish enough to try and find out what it is. It's during his walk that he comes up on Wanda. At first glance seeing her on her knees, head bowed down to the ground, he thinks there might be something wrong. However, the closer he gets, he can hear her faint words, though he's not close enough to know what she's saying. Nature seems to hear her though, and he watches, eye wide as she displays magic that sprouts through the ground in the way the leaves on the trees quiver and small flowers bloom at his feet.
It's amazing to see something like that in practice and Carl honestly wants to learn more. He discovered a power of his own recently that he hadn't gotten the opportunity to show anyone else. Maybe it's perfect that it's Wanda he's running into now. ]
Wow.. Do you think you could teach something like that?
not me writing a tag, losing it, but thinking i posted it... sorry!!
(sometimes, spells get under her skin, putting her in something of a daze. the interconnectivity with the earth, with nature, and herself, all a cycle of energy that moves between all points of contact. it's a good feeling—when she uses her magic for healing.)
at his question, though, she pauses, hands on her lap.]
Maybe if you learned an Abraxan spell that was similar. [unlike most, she doesn't learn this through the magick here.] You could do it, too, even if you won't see the results right away.
[her magic just happens to boost the process.]
It's like talking to plants. People say it helps. [she leans to the side, presses her hand to the patch of grass beside her, inviting him to sit with her.] You can send your energy into nature if you want.
I blame dw!
He finds it amazing and wants to learn more after seeing just what the people around him are capable of. If he's being honest, he didn't really think he could even do it. There's no latent magical ability, so it's been hard to draw a line from himself to someone who can do magic. Until now. ]
What kind of spell should I look for? I'm a little lost on where to start with it. There's just so much to choose from. [ He moves to join her when prompted, sitting on his knees next to her, mimicking Wanda with his hand on the grass. Carl shakes his head, looking at her. ]
I don't know how to do that. It can't be as easy as talking to the plants?
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now it's my turn to lose a tag |':
no such thing :')
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C
He waits until there's a lull in her spellcasting before she speaks, though. Familiar as someone using magic might be, the actual spellwork is not anything he is familiar with, and he is loath to interrupt on the off chance that doing so might prove to be ill-advised.]
An offering? Or merely an attempt to ensure such places do not fall into disrepair?
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she had thought she had gone far away enough to work on this by herself.]
Neither.
[standing up, she pushes at her knees, sets herself upright to glance at her work. only then does she look back at him. solvunn has given her things she has lost, even if it's just a home to be in.]
After last month, any small thing can better life for those in the settlement. [things like flowers growing despite the chill, the revitalization of nature despite their decay.] Just having a casual stroll yourself?
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Instead, he waits patiently as she pushes herself upright, and only after she turns to look at him does he speak up again.]
It can, yes.
[And he certainly cannot deny that the previous month has been... fraught, to say the least. The sort of thing where the simple touch of a moment's beauty, out of season though it might be, could well be a comfort.]
And yes. I had meant to make the most of last moments of what passes for fall, here. Though your magic did offer some reason to change my course.
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Hello there! Can I be of some assistance?
[He just hopes he doesn't cause the kids to scatter. It was always a mixed bag. Sometimes they stayed and looked at him in awe but sometimes they shrieked and took cover behind the nearest adult.]
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some shrieking, but no intense need for escape. some of the kids, though they move in surprise, do stare at him in awe. it's the younger kids that are unnerved.]
You're — Jack, right?
[he had won the shawl she had stitched together with her magic back in a previous raffle at the drunken lamb. wanda tries to stand, but the kids grab at her sleeves to keep her from doing so.
sitting it is. she looks back at the kids.]
It's not polite to stare, is it?
No, miss Wanda...
What do we say when people say hello to us?
Hello back! [their response is enthused, and then there's a choir of braver, less intimidated greetings, wanda helping them out with affixing a name to the individual before them.] Hello, mister Jack!
[satisfied, wanda turns back to him, the children relaxing.]
I'm Wanda. I don't think we've quite met yet.
[and while she's not answering his question of being of some assistance just yet, she is not against him joining them.]
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[He gives his new company a broad grin, leaning down with his hands on his knees so that he might be closer to eye-level with some of them.]
You are all very lucky to have Wanda to fix your toys--I don't know if Sandy Claws can make it all the way out here to--
[You kidnapped him, Jack. Remember? He's still in holding.]
--here.
[The skeleton straightens himself back up, suddenly looking a little stricken, and addresses Wanda.]
It's nice to meet you. I saw you had your hands full and thought I might help. I'm not too terrible with a screwdriver and tape.
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( he's spotted her giving out the food as he'd walked up and he'd stopped to watch. it's nice, really. not his style but nice. he's sure there's some merit in it, probably makes you feel good but not really his thing.
he scrunches his nose up and tucks his hands into his pockets. )
It'd be like Christmas, my birthday, and Easter all in one. A dream come true.
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pietro was a lot kinder and less cynical with his words.]
A corn-shaped present? So, corn.
[please.
wanda falls into step with him, glancing down at her mostly empty basket. suppose she could head back now.]
It sounds like you're desperate for a gift. [he keeps asking for them!!] Anyway, I promised you a coat. Are you willing to make the trip to the farm right now?
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people that weren't damon salvtore. bon bon was okay, at least.
she doesn't immediately turn him away so he walks along with her like they're old friends. )
I was willing to go to the farm anytime. Just never had a reason too, you know? Didn't want to get roped into farm stuff until I was ready.
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—HORIZON [ OTA · november ]
frost covers part of her horizon, the weather within this contained space following what she is familiar with of her home, sokovia, regarding the seasons. autumn forcibly stains the canopy and floor in different warm tones of red and brown, a chill in the air unequivocally calling for a cold incoming winter. a gate that remains usually closed is now open, the ravens that soar over her domain to guide visitors leading them this way, where a myriad of shrines with lit candles line the path of stone circles. here wanda sits, in the middle off, levitating a few inches off the ground—meditating, muttering spells, drawing sigils in her mind. pulses of red crown over her fingers, hands placed lightly on her knees. anyone who is a master of their craft in magic will be able to tell that she's patching up the weak linings of her magic within the domain, not actively casting any new spells.
wanda is also painfully aware of there being someone else here, but she would rather finish this enchantment first. a raven caws, soars on over to a nearby stone, and looks up at the visitor, as if asking what they'll do? it tilts its head, expecting an answer.
(are you seriously going to talk to a bird?)]
meeting at her house
He hadn't thought that she would still be there as the omens began to fade, and Horizon began to return to a relative normal. He'd been reluctant to return to his domain in those days after, expecting to find it empty.
Instead, there she was, sleeping under the tree. And what he'd felt to see her was a relief unavoidably entwined with guilt. Who thinks of their own sister and conjures a dog? Or why not see her as she was flesh and blood instead of the skeletal body that nuns left her with? If she's a manifestation of his mind and will, shouldn't he be able to make her whole?
His questions don't seem to bother this Rousma. Especially not right now, while she happily races toward the house.
He'd messaged Wanda to let her know they are coming. In his hand is a small basket of strawberries from his domain, crystalline and candy sweet. A gift. ]
We are heres! [ Rousma announces. ]
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she steps around from the side of the house, having wanted to spend some time doing some actual gardening. she pockets the shears into her jacket, removing the gardening gloves from her hands. it's strange to see rousma as a dog, knowing that she's a little girl, kyle's little sister. wanda is sure there's a lot to be delved into there.]
So you are. [still, wanda smiles at the sight of them, letting rousma make her way through the porch and down the stairs towards her. this path leads to the back of the house and rousma knows that, and knows that that's where she can find the ghosts of two boys a little older than herself, willing to play.] And you brought your brother. Did he trip on any roots on the way?
[it's said playfully. wanda sure has made a blind man trip and get lost in her forest before any of her ravens sought him out to help.]
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—NOCWICH [ matt ]
still she goes, late in the afternoon after agonizing over doing so, pushed forward by an otherwise intrusive (but not unwelcome) message scrawled across her eyes—are you going to nocwich?—of someone she wishes desperately to see, but of someone she feels hesitation towards. wanda finds it strange how vastly different the weather is across the different factions and locales, but she's glad to have guessed that nocwich would be cold this time of the year, if solvunn's chillier weather is anything to go by. still, the place is welcoming, in many ways, as she sets foot through the portal and glances around the familiar buildings and streets—glances about wondering if she is to expect a familiar face, too.
hands and fingers curled together, pressed close to her middle, wanda makes her way to oleuni square, never having replied to matt's message, neither confirming nor denying her stepping through the portal at any point. she passes a fountain, a few stalls, and tries to find distraction in the new wares being offered with enthusiasm by vendors she remembers from several moons ago.]
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and that's okay, that's fine, he'd said a lot of terrible things to her so her needing time is understandable. but he still thought she'd answer him.
but, he feels the need to get out of cadens anyway, having spent a lot of time working since everything happened. so, he decides to take a trip and he ends up in the square too.
from there, it's very easy to pick out her heartbeat through the crowd and to hear her voice when she speaks to vendors. he doesn't know if he should approach but he misses her and he can't —
not.
so, he steps up closer behind her and says: )
Wanda.
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she hears her name around her, from the kindly vendors, as she goes past, but matt's voice would certainly—always—stand out.
the chain of the necklace she holds slips past her fingers as she curls them, turning to him. she knows she didn't reply to him or give him any kind of concrete answer about whether she wanted to meet him in person, but wanda still aches with uncertainty and anxieties. should she hold on too tightly, who is to say this won't break? she knows, too, that matt could so easily 'take the hint' and let her be, but him coming to find her is— well, it's significant, right? like she's not the only one wanting, needing, this between them.]
They have new wares. [is what she says, instead, moving the hand that holds the necklace closer to matt, gently taking at one of his hands so he can touch the cut of the stone, feel it under the pads of his fingers, in lieu of being unable to see. matt's already apologized so much, back in the horizon, and she doesn't want him to continue doing that. she had told him she needed time, but not all that time needs to be alone. perhaps they can do small things like this, together, comfortably.
the vendor tries to snatch up the opportunity to maybe get this man to buy the necklace for wanda, but she is quick to intercede, taking the necklace back and onto the vendor's hands. the last thing she wants is for matt to get roped into this for obligation or some unspoken sense of wanting to make it up to her.] I'm only just looking still, Glen.
Of course, miss Wanda.
[she continues, then, glancing over the wares on the table, her left hand barely touching what is on display as her eyes roam over the selection. still, her right hand remains comfortably holding onto matt's, from when she had encouraged him to feel the necklace. stay, is what she doesn't say, his presence welcome.]
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—NOCWICH [ claude ]
that something being food.
they had talked about it before, of wanda being able to show claude food from sokovia in the horizon. it would be as easy as that, really, to summon it with the magic of the horizon. but now nocwich was open, once a month, and she really likes the idea of sharing with him something from home, especially with how much import claude puts to it.
they decide on the last day of nocwich's opening for the week, a time, and wanda waits for him inside one of the inns. it is far too cold to be outside, and as long as wanda buys herself a drink, the innkeeper doesn't mind that she sits herself at one of his tables, a wrapped parcel before her. she sees claude come in, straightens on her chair, but—as per usual—her enthusiasm at his arrival can't (and shouldn't) be gauged by her facial expression.]
I forgot to ask about your spice tolerance. [but then, a hint of a smile.] Too late now, I suppose.
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All very good, except the flaw is: Claude can't actually cook.
He could've asked his roommates for help with that. There's a good chance they've made more than he has or would be able to create far more edible versions of it. In the end, he settles for the loophole he's created for himself (because of course he has) and steps through the portal with his own twine-bound and paper wrapped package in his hands with varying contents he'd purchased from different shops in Cadens. It doesn't take long to locate the inn Wanda told him about and he opens the door to step inside with a polite nod to whoever's behind the counter before scanning the interior. When his gaze lands on Wanda he breaks into a grin while heading to their table, first setting down his parcel to reach to take his cloak off, but he pauses at her announcement. ]
Oh? Plotting to kill me via spice levels, are you? I suppose I don't mind. The spice part, that is, since it doesn't usually bother me in food and I like trying new things too much to let it keep me from doing so. [ Not that he sincerely thinks Wanda's plotting to murder him as he removes the cloak to drape over the back of the chair, and then takes a seat with a nod to his parcel. ] Since we did desserts last time, I thought I'd bring some savory pastries this time.
[ And he is absolutely gonna pretend like he made these until he's called out for it. ]
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she doesn't like assuming, but it's good to know that claude's a good enough sport to want to give it a try regardless.
well,]
These pastries of yours would be good to soak the sauce of the dish I brought. [she raises her hands over the parcel, unwinding the thread that keeps the cloth in place, and revealing a small, stone crockpot. upon uncovering it, the aromatics of herbs and spices filters into the room.] We call it pileći paprika. Chicken parikash. I made some pasta to go with it, too.
[standing up, she moves on over just to the side where the counter is to grab at two bowls and silver spoons, bringing them over to the table.]
When I think of home, this is one of the first dishes that come to mind.
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if we want to wrap on this one or next that works for me!
—SOLVUNN [ weirdo who likes spiders ]
(what difference would it make? solvunn is small. the summoned tend to orbit around each other, in one way or another, so she'll find out.)
he is not at the home he has been taken into, however; as it turns out, wanda finds himself instead walking down the path that leads back into the settlement. had he ventured out?
—no matter. she has a basket full of jars, poked holes on the lids for air, encasing what she is sure will be considered precious cargo. wanda does a purposeful beeline towards him, quite annoyingly obstructing his way. no greeting, no cohesive words to sum up her actions, other than,]
I got you spiders.
[hello.]
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And when she blocks his path, obstructing his route unless he wants to trudge around and into ankle-high grass and loam that’s gotten loose from the recent rains, something tightens around his eyes. He opens his mouth to say something: fifty-fifty chance it’s either a polite dismissal, or some useless notion about her eagerness that he doesn’t particularly have an investment in.
I got you spiders.
All of that dissipates.]
You what?
[He utters, uselessly, blue eyes managing to flick down to her basket. The lids of jars glisten in the sun. He sees the holes poked in them. Henry is not prone to nostalgia in the same way as most, but it reminds him of the past, invariably.]
Let me see.
[Yes, hi.]
cw: spiders / spider images
not really.
which is why, silently, she pulls out one of the jars from the basket. the glass reflects some of the sun's rays, but there is a long-legged arachnid trying to find purchase on the walls of its confined space. wanda offers it to henry, her fingers embellished with rings, but they don't hide the dirt under her nails and between her fingers. she's certainly finished getting the last of the spiders into a jar before immediately setting off to find him.]
Here's one.
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