[The creatures that are often summoned and made into familiars are a strange mix of spirit and magic. They are entities of another realm often seeking form on this plane, and agree to a contract between magic user and familiar for a variety of reasons. The realm they are from is hostile and unpleasant-- and they were banished there eons ago for reasons that are lost to time. To summon one for a contract, it must be mutual on both ends and in theory the familiar gets their freedom at some point, and has gathered up enough residual magic from their master to stay corporeal in this world.]
[Sometimes these contracts don't go very well. Sometimes you simply have to risk being vaporized to escape what is a very very bad deal. Sometimes you careen across the night sky like a drunk rock because one of your wings has been hideously injured and you can only hope where you land won't be worse from the place you fled from.]
[Sometimes a bloody, purple bat smashes through your observatory window in the middle of the night with absolutely no warning and that's going to have to be Rui's problem now.]
fuck it nap after i send this i die like a CHAMPION
[Sometimes you are a freak, a familiar-less sorcerer all too happy to stay in your wonky, fucked up tower concocting evil little potions that do absolutely nothing at all bar making your foes swell temporarily, and a bat smashes through your stained glass window.
His first thought is to squint at the window, to see if there's any immediate damage to his array of reagents. Then to think of the cost of getting a glassworker out here to fix the fucking window so that uninvited bugs don't fly in. Then, then, then...Okay, look. What I'm getting at here is that Rui takes about five minutes to actually turn his attention to his poor, injured guest. On goes the monocle, and with gentle hands, he scoops the fluffy purple bundle up to pluck glass out of.]
...You're terrible at this, you know.
[Flying, he means. Not that he plans on verbally clarifying. Just a merry little hum as he takes Mayoi towards the spiral staircase, trots down to another level to actually get something that will not make the poor dear blow up like a bullfrog. A little plain rubbing alcohol, some swabs, some tweezers to find any further glass shards; all things that any disaster sorcerer requires on-hand when he regularly fucks up in spectacular fashion. And with fur so voluminous, Rui's got a long night of just picking glass out before he can even think of disinfecting that tattered wing.]
Silly little thing~ No good at flying~ Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?
[The bat, meanwhile, had been stunned on the floor pretty spectacularly after that crash landing. A shivering bundle of fur, glass and blood so pathetic it’s no wonder Rui just scooped him up with no hesitation.]
[It isn’t until they are nearly down the staircase that he starts to come back around. Ears twitch in the direction of the sorcerer’s voice, taking in the fact that he is …being handled by someone, being spoken to. He does not know where it is he landed, only that he found the first trace of a building to hide, so-]
[Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?]
!!!
[Rui’s reply is a horrified squeak of distress and what sounds like …pleading for his life in Bat.]
[As a familiar he can speak but. Well. He took quite a spill earlier.]
i did not, in fact, nap. i only crave death and jami tags.
[!!!!! CUTE...OH GOD THAT'S ADORABLE. Rui can't help but laugh (extended giggling, more like), even as he swabs gently at a cut between Mayoi's ears.]
I suppose I'd best glue you together again, then. Though if you're able to understand, then you're not just a plain animal, are you? Fufufu~
[He leans down suddenly, almost nose-to-nose with the little bat, and smiles all teeth.] Once you're able to speak again, you're going to tell me why you interrupted my work. If you lie to me, or refuse to talk even once you're at full health, I'm going to snap those hollow little bones so you can't do much of anything anymore.
Do we have an agreement?
i shant give you death but i can give you jami tags and leetle bat drawings
[Ah, so ...then maybe he has simply escaped the frying pan only to find the fire. Is that how it was going to end for him, after all...? Was it really better to not escape and endure his master's treatment?]
[Perhaps he should have stayed in the darkness after all.]
[While the dread has crept up his spine, there is something of resignation, obedience, when the bat nods its little head. It's probably only a matter of time before his master finds him, anyway. He was able to use his own paltry reserve of magic to cast a sort of stopgap spell to cut off their link, but it'll only be temporary.]
LEETLE BAT DRAWINGS? ok no death i gotta live to see those im cryin already
[Back up he goes, humming softly as he rifles through his little first aid kit to try and find something suitable for gluing membrane to membrane.]
...For the record, I don't need your previous master coming here and being a bother. You won't mind if I sever the bond, will you-- [Wait. Hm........He's not really keen on having a familiar himself still, wanting his own peace above everything else because no one will ever understand him and his desires like he does.
But even if he's playing bad cop right now for his own peace of mind...He doesn't just want to annihilate someone who just wanted their freedom. Sigh...]
--Though you'll have the option to simply return to whence you came, or become mine instead. But I will sever it, and send your master a little slap on your behalf. You have a little while to think on your choice, okaaaaaaaayyyy? [Time to start delicately painting on that 'glue', humming away as he goes.]
[...Ah. A ...surprisingly kind ultimatum, honestly. He could simply be squashed if he really wanted, or something worse, but ...well. He hadn't been sure what he would do once he managed to escape. His time to find someone else to bond him would be ticking and short, with banishment being the outcome if he failed.]
[If this person really will sever his bond, then at least he could return to the darkness and try again.]
[But he'd finally gotten his taste of the light, of this world, and he did not want to leave it behind. He could run the risk of this person being just as cruel but ...well. If he were just as cruel he might have simply returned him to his master immediately instead of tending to him like so.]
[The bat stays quiet for some time, letting Rui work in peace, before:]
...I-I'm sorry. If ...
[His voice is very small, when it finally pipes up. Like a whisper in Rui's head.]
...If it is within your power to do so ...please. I-I do not wish to return to my master. I-I will serve you- or ...if you deem me just as worthless, you may dispose of me however you wish. Oblivion would be ...f-far more preferable than the alternative.
IM GOING TO THINK ABOTU HIM ALL NIGHT OH MY GOD HES SO CUTE
[There's no way he can turn down such a plea, is there? It's going to be a real fucking pain having someone else here, having input he doesn't need, but.
But that voice cuts right to his heart. Rui stays quiet as he works, brows drawn together in frustration and apprehension, but once he's done all he can, he looks into those big ole bat eyes and finally, finally stops smiling.]
You'll stay here until you're free of that whole...system. But I don't need your input or help. We're to be towermates and nothing else. Are we clear? Now I'm going to take you back up to the workroom, and we're going to set about tying you to me instead.
[At least he waits until Mayoi has his wing in close, before he goes to scoop him up. Can't undo that repairwork, thank you very much.] ...How bad was it? That you had to fly away like this.
[It still hurts, but his wing feels ...sturdier. It's no longer a wretched sting from torn flesh and whatever strange "glue" the sorcerer used it's taken some of the edge off. It does a lot to calm him down, though he still feels on the edge of fight-or-flight.]
[He's accepted, and this is a step in some direction, but he cannot afford to settle down, yet. Severing the bond will hurt in ways a flesh would cannot compare to, and this person may yet be another form of evil, he doesn't truly know.]
[But he wraps him self up tightly, securely so that his wing is safely tucked away and he is in no lingering pain, and allows Rui to scoop him up and carry him away.]
...I did ...as I was told. I-I carried out things that were unpleasant. But ...but there was something I could not do, so I stood against him, and so ...I was punished.
[There's a small pause, before he adds.]
...I-If you have no use for me, then, I will be as quiet as I can be. Perhaps even, you will forget that I am here, if that is what you wish.
[Though the notion of being unwanted hurts in ways that's difficult for him to comprehend, it's still better than what he escaped. It's a far lesser hell.]
That's the problem with entrusting someone else with your own work; never send someone else to do a job you know you'll succeed at.
[Huff! Ridiculous.] No, you'll be put to work. Just not the traditional work of a familiar, but it won't be anything you have to wrestle with. Don't think I can't hear that miserable tone you're putting on.
[Once they're back in the workroom, still littered with coloured glass, Rui holds Mayoi up at eye level and looks at him very, very seriously.] Your first job, in the morning, is going to be cleaning up this mess you've made. But for now, we'll get to work keeping your idiot former master away from here, and you can rest. I'm not a monster.
Prepare yourself. [It's not a spell that requires a lot of reagents in the first place, the severing spell. Usually done in the heat of the moment, something that sorcerers use in petty little spats with each other, or to poach talent going to waste. No, you don't need to concoct or gather or grind for this, but...You do need a lot of your own energy to cauterise and nourish a bond in one blow.
Ugh. It'll hurt them both. So it goes. Bat in one hand, held tenderly in the universal 'he owes me money' grip, and the other hand in front of his eyes, siphoning energy out. Look, I just wanted Rui to pull the chuuni pose. That's all I wanted. Never mind if there's actual magical energy pouring out between his fingers, gushing around Mayoi in floral-scented purple neon. He's pulling the chuuni pose and making his fucked up wizard magic simply overwhelm the thread tying Mayoi back to his fuck-up of an ex-master.
The thread snaps. Then reties right to Rui. Knots, thickens, strengthens in a way that tugs directly at the heart with cold metal hooks.]
[No, Mayoi thinks maybe, it was that his Master simply did not wish to dirty his hands, but that is something he keeps to himself for now. To talk openly about his Master in a poor way would probably reflect worse on him to this person who might become his new Master.]
[But...okay. There is a frank amount of relief in him at the idea that Rui will have some use for him, even if its just menial work. He has no probably with menial work. In fact, he finds it terribly soothing. Cleaning up the mess he made is the least he could do.]
Y-Yes! I understand!
[Then his command comes, and Mayoi takes a deep, shaky breath. The magic flows through him in a familiar way. Familiars are like conductors in a lot of ways, and there is a lot he can glean about Rui from just the way his magic pours into him, through him, like water through sand. The magic is not pure and clean like a sage or priest, but it is not dark like his master. It's vibrant and unique, and as it builds, he feels the pressure against his very being until the thread snaps.]
[It hurts as much as he expected, like a ripcord attached to his soul, and he cries out against his best efforts to not. For a bright, terrifying moment, he feels himself start to breakdown and lose form, before Rui's thread ties them together instead, and anchors him back in place.]
[He already feels better, even if he's also tired and spent. Magic flows through him comfortably, in a way he hadn't had since he tried to escape, using every ounce of his mana to block the connection to his ex-Master. After a moment to catch his breath, Mayoi throws himself out of Rui's hand in a flourish of smoke and shadow, forming instead at Rui's feet. Smoke, fur, and wings give way to the form of a person, knelt gently before him.]
[With long purple hair, bright blue eyes Mayoi looks up at Rui with a soft grateful smile before turning his eyes back down to his feet again.]
...The bond is complete, and ...I, Mayoi, hereby pledge to serve you until our contract has completed.
--We don't need that sort of formality. [There's no bite to his words, however; not only is his wall of thorns pretty much worn down by the cute bat form's plight, but he's simply too fucking tired now to bother with being prickly. Mayoi just gets a dismissive wave for his efforts.]
How's your arm? Let me see. I want to know if the damage converts or not. And then...
[Wait, no. First, he's going to reach in and bump against that downturned chin with one knuckle, huffing softly.] And then you're going to learn to make eye contact more often than not.
[Ah, that was just how he knew to do things, so, for a moment he feels at a loss. This feels very precarious, in a way he is not used to. He does not want to misstep even if Rui is giving him some leeway. He does not want to fall into a trap.]
[But he let's Rui tip his head up, and the sorcerer will see that look of worry and uncertainty in his eyes.]
Y-yes, Master, as you wish. I-I will do my best.
[That still sounded formal. He will ...have to work to fix that. It's just natural for him. Eye contact, too, is something he's never been very good at, but, it was an order more or less so, he'll have to comply.]
...My arm. Ah, it's. It's doing much better...
[The damage did convert, but so did whatever Rui did to patch it up. It looks nasty even on human skin, but it'll heal.]
Between what you've done and ...the surge of your magic currently resting in me, it'll heal quickly. Thank you.
Alright. Progress takes time, so we'll work on it.
[He'd much rather examine that wound; it definitely still looks nasty, but it doesn't look overly red or shiny, so that's a good...Start, at least. He snatches up some gauze and winds it around the wound, a cursory marker of injury with another thin thread of protective magic wound through as he goes, but Mayoi can do the rest of the hard work.
Then he pulls off his glasses, rubs furiously at his eyesockets, and motions for Mayoi to follow.]
's alright. Your former master's going to be knocked out for a few days, so we have that long to fix the window before I start getting paranoid about attacks or spies. Come on, we need rest after that. [Back downstairs, then-- down a hidden corridor, one almost certainly made invisible with magic from the outside, and they end up in...An absolute neon vomit hellhole of a bedroom. Think Howl's bedroom from the Ghibli movie plus Rui's normal room. Trinkets, gems, all sorts of dangling, tinkling things that catch the light and overwhelm the senses.]
...Where do you want to sleep? What's most comfortable for you? You're not evacuating me from my own bed, for the record. We can share, but I'm not leaving it.
[Ah, he passed a test it feels like. He did not garner ire, at least, and that is just how low Mayoi's bar is. He lets out a little sigh and lets Rui examine his arm. Lets him do a bit more to patch it up, and then dutifully stands so that he may follow close behind him as he takes them somewhere new.]
I believe ...even with the bond severed, I may still be able to sense him if he were to come near. I c- [He cuts himself off for a moment, debating if he should say what he thought to say next with how upfront Rui was about not wanting his help in a familiar sense. He decides to risk it.]
Pardon me if this is ...out of line of me to say, but I ...I have skills in surveillance and stealth. ...ah... I was utilized often in such tasks. If spies are a concern ...I-I can help with that. B-But only if you wish.
[He winds up stumbling over his words suddenly aghast that he's already breaking one of the few rules Rui gave him, so he braces a little for it.]
[He hardly has the time to take in the room, though, it's quite a sight. It almost distracts him from his abject terror of fucking up. Where does he want to sleep?? He will sleep where ever Rui deems appropriate. In bed seems very scandalous so he does not even entertain that thought. Ah, but there are many danglies he can hang from, that will do.]
Ah ...is it really okay for me to sleep in here? With you?
Edited (swear i passed grade school english) 2023-03-17 09:52 (UTC)
Good. We'll use that to our advantage, then. You won't have to do much in the way of surveillance, however; I don't care about what other sorcerers do as long as they stay away.
[Time to start actually getting ready for bed, though. Is there any sort of like...Ceremony around familiars? He skipped most of those classes in favour of finding shit that would allow him to make his foes blow up, really. Rui just...Looks at Mayoi for a moment, even tucking his monocle (deadass thought it was glasses for a few hours last night I'm losing it) into his cloak, before swiftly turning away and getting to work getting undressed.]
Where else am I going to let you sleep? I can't say that I trust you completely yet, even if I hold your life in my hands. Look at what you did to your last master~ Already willing to turn on him for the sake of your own newly-gifted skin. No no, you're staying in here with me.
Do whatever you want. But we're going to bed now, because I can barely keep my eyes open. And the door locks, with only me being able to unlock it; don't take that personally, that's a standard measure~
[At least he's only going shirtless before crawling into bed and staring expectantly at Mayoi. g'on. get to it.]
...Oh, it is just, my previous master kept me in the lower levels when I was not needed. That is what I am accustomed to. S-Sorry.
[And ...that assessment isn't untrue, so there is little Mayoi has to say against it. If Rui valued safety over keeping him out of sight, then that's all there was to it. He could adapt.]
I-I understand. I am ...a rotten familiar who betrayed my last master, that is very true. Regardless of my reasons, it is still ...an unforgivable act.
[But, there is no regret in his voice, despite his waver. If he is rotten for what he did, then so be it. He still did it anyway, and he would do it again.]
[Having been given that look, which he returns with a small tilt of his head in confusion before it clicks and he looks up and around for a moment. Ah, there is a nice, heavy string of beads being strung about over Rui's bed that looks sturdy enough. He will shift again in plum of smoke so that he can fly his way up there.]
[He misses, still too injured to be flying yet, and instead rockets over with a soft Fwmp! onto the bed next Rui. UUuu....]
[please... please pretend that didn't happen, Rui.]
[But he moves to scoop Mayoi back up and assist him to the string of beads he figures he was aiming for, nonetheless.] It's alright. I don't care if you betray me, either. I'm a master of defence, you see.
But if you want to leave, just say so. I'll help you find another master. Now rest up and get that wing better, so you can pick up glass in the morning.
[It's a lot less weird now that Mayoi's Batted Out, right. ...If Rui gets the urge to kiss his little head, that is. Sometimes you just want to kiss the skull of a little beast.] Rest well. And if you want to come down, just yell at me. I'll help you down if your wing's still out of whack, fufu~
[He is scooped and he allows himself just a little drama of being sprawled out in his hands (uuuu! uuuu!) before he finds the string of beads with his little bat feet. Securely upside down now, as is proper, Mayoi gets comfortable and wraps himself up nice and good. Like a little burrito.]
[...]
[Ah ...it is still too early to tell, but ...it seems that despite some of his earlier words, his new Master may actually be quite kind. It's a funny feeling ...he wonders if he may be so lucky as to continue to see more of that from him. If so, then he would have no problems staying as long as he might be allowed.]
Y-yes, I will. Thank you very much...! I hope that Master is able to rest well, too.
[With a snap of his fingers, the candles and lanterns in the room snuff out bar one hanging over the door. Gotta have the nightlight in case of midnight piss requirements, and he'd ask if there are any objections, but also: fuck that, it's His Tower and he'll have a lamp on for as long as he wants!!
...He'll also, apparently, sleep in until mid-morning all he wants. Thankfully there's no sunlight to stream in, but the lamps do gradually brighten over the course of those few daylight hours before he sits upright and rakes a hand through his fucked up hair. Shit. Forgot to untie the bun. Fuck. Now it'll be curly all day...]
Little bat~ Silly little thing~ How are you today~
[Because he's still rubbing his face to make his brain start to function. Bleh.] Are you still aliiiive~?
[You wanna regret every choice you've made in the last 24 hours? Yeah? Awesome.]
[When Rui comes to try and stir Mayoi out of his sleep he is treated to a big yawn and a gentle reshuffling of the wings, before he finally rouses and blinks at Rui. Ohhh, so. He had not dreamed up what happened the night before. He is still here ...bound to a new master.]
Good morning..!
[He has not slept quite as much as Rui, since he will still pretty wired with adrenaline, but exhaustion did eventually take him down, and with it, he was able to finally properly heal. His wing is still ...tender, but as he shifts and unfurls his wings in a big stretch, it will be clear that they have made a lot of progress already.]
I-I am alive! I am very well, actually ...! Thanks to Master's help.
[BIG YAWN SO CUTE HE DIDN'T NEED TO BE WOKEN UP TO THIS! WHAT THE FUCK! Rui just.
Stares.
At the yawn.
Then rubs his eyes again to mentally reset into Mad Sorcerer Mode. Okay, he can do this.] Of course you are. Did you think I was going to do a bad job? Goodness gracious, what to do with you...First, a name. That'll do nicely, I think, if I have your name.
[Without further ado, time to get redressed; a different robe, the same cape, monocle on, hair simply untied and let to do what it will. Then he unceremoniously scoops Mayoi up and pops him on his shoulder; gotta go for the Breakfast Trip together, goddamn it.] And do you know how to cook? No vegetables.
[You see, the problem is going to come when Mayoi begins reading you for the absolute facade this mad sorcerer business is, and when he figures it out, he is just not going to say anything about it. but he will know. Oh, will he know.]
A-Ah! Please forgive my thoughtlessness, I didn't mean to imply such a thing... [But, for now, this bond is very new and he is still quite frightened of his situation. He does not want to upset Rui in a way that would cause retaliation, so he will be skittish for some time.]
[He does flinch a little when Rui comes to scoop him up, and trembles until he is deposited onto his shoulder. After a moment of waiting, to make sure he is safe, he lets out a little sigh and hooks his little wing claws into Rui's clothing.]
...Mayoi. That is what I am called. [Familiars, the strange entities that they can be, can have a wide range of interesting names. Mayoi's being simply the word for hesitation or uncertainty paints an interesting picture of him, probably. Perhaps his previous master simply pegged him for a coward.]
I do know how to cook, I-I am ...if I may be bold, quite proficient. If you have any favorites or requests, all I need is an ingredients list and I can sort out most anything.
[HE'S JUST NOT USED TO COMPANY, BRO.............he's so pathetically lonely rip this man. Even just having Mayoi on his shoulder is nice, and he lets the pleasant warmth lull him into a few seconds of silence before speaking once more.]
Mayoi. That suits you. You don't speak with any certainty, do you? I'm the Great Kamishiro, fufufu~ Perhaps not so godlike, but I do take pride in my hard work. Which is why I need food that isn't garbage.
...But I don't care what you make. Consider this a test; make whatever you want, without vegetables, and if I like it, then you get another chore to keep those claws busy. [Cue even more giggles, slightly more ominous as if he'd actually punt Mayoi out the doorway or anything, as he opens the kitchen door with a flourish.
It's
normal. Just the average, homely kitchen. Well-stocked, at that.] I'm going to wash my face and hair in the sink while you work, so consider me your supervisor. Off you go.
[why is he fucking like this he's absolutely going to just dunk his head under the tap and make his hair dry fucking weird]
[It is comfortable now that he is settled. Despite his kneejerk reactions, Rui has a presence that does not make him uneasy. His ears perk up at him giving his name, though. It's true, he hadn't had it yet, though he did not feel it was right to ask. He is glad he has more than just "Master" to attribute to him now. Kamishiro was a nice, strong name, too. Very grandiose.]
--Ah!
[Oh, so then, that was probably to be expected. At his command, Mayoi flings himself off Rui's shoulder in the exact sort of grace a bat has (none). This time, though, its a little more purposeful, and before he hits the ground there's that familiar plume of smoke that gives way to his more human form.]
[Quickly, he bows his head and scurries off to go take stock of the kitchen.]
C-Consider it done!
[While he noses around in all of the shelves and cabinets, Rui can also probably get a proper look at this form now that he wasn't falling asleep. The robes he's wearing are worn, but well kept up, and when they were new, they were probably of good quality. There is a small emblem sewn into one of the sleeves that Rui may or may not recognize, depending on how well he knows the family names of certain magic council members.]
[His hair is still that soft messy purple, but Rui may notice it now sports a few streaks of a different shade, a color that closely matches Rui's own magic. His arm has also healed visibly well in this form as well, however what's more noticeable now is likely the presence of scars under those robes.]
[After a few moments of rummaging and muttering to himself, Mayoi will shyly turn towards Rui.]
....Ah, M-Master Kamishiro, I would like to ask what limits you would like placed on my magic usage...
[He would like to magic himself up a clipboard to make some notes, but ah, Rui may not want him to use magic at all!]
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wacky au hijinks part 43987203240-523
[Sometimes these contracts don't go very well. Sometimes you simply have to risk being vaporized to escape what is a very very bad deal. Sometimes you careen across the night sky like a drunk rock because one of your wings has been hideously injured and you can only hope where you land won't be worse from the place you fled from.]
[Sometimes a bloody, purple bat smashes through your observatory window in the middle of the night with absolutely no warning and that's going to have to be Rui's problem now.]
fuck it nap after i send this i die like a CHAMPION
His first thought is to squint at the window, to see if there's any immediate damage to his array of reagents. Then to think of the cost of getting a glassworker out here to fix the fucking window so that uninvited bugs don't fly in. Then, then, then...Okay, look. What I'm getting at here is that Rui takes about five minutes to actually turn his attention to his poor, injured guest. On goes the monocle, and with gentle hands, he scoops the fluffy purple bundle up to pluck glass out of.]
...You're terrible at this, you know.
[Flying, he means. Not that he plans on verbally clarifying. Just a merry little hum as he takes Mayoi towards the spiral staircase, trots down to another level to actually get something that will not make the poor dear blow up like a bullfrog. A little plain rubbing alcohol, some swabs, some tweezers to find any further glass shards; all things that any disaster sorcerer requires on-hand when he regularly fucks up in spectacular fashion. And with fur so voluminous, Rui's got a long night of just picking glass out before he can even think of disinfecting that tattered wing.]
Silly little thing~ No good at flying~ Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?
YEAAAAAAAAAAAH enjoy ur nap
[It isn’t until they are nearly down the staircase that he starts to come back around. Ears twitch in the direction of the sorcerer’s voice, taking in the fact that he is …being handled by someone, being spoken to. He does not know where it is he landed, only that he found the first trace of a building to hide, so-]
[Do I glue you together or dry you out for parts~?]
!!!
[Rui’s reply is a horrified squeak of distress and what sounds like …pleading for his life in Bat.]
[As a familiar he can speak but. Well. He took quite a spill earlier.]
i did not, in fact, nap. i only crave death and jami tags.
I suppose I'd best glue you together again, then. Though if you're able to understand, then you're not just a plain animal, are you? Fufufu~
[He leans down suddenly, almost nose-to-nose with the little bat, and smiles all teeth.] Once you're able to speak again, you're going to tell me why you interrupted my work. If you lie to me, or refuse to talk even once you're at full health, I'm going to snap those hollow little bones so you can't do much of anything anymore.
Do we have an agreement?
i shant give you death but i can give you jami tags and leetle bat drawings
[Ah, so ...then maybe he has simply escaped the frying pan only to find the fire. Is that how it was going to end for him, after all...? Was it really better to not escape and endure his master's treatment?]
[Perhaps he should have stayed in the darkness after all.]
[While the dread has crept up his spine, there is something of resignation, obedience, when the bat nods its little head. It's probably only a matter of time before his master finds him, anyway. He was able to use his own paltry reserve of magic to cast a sort of stopgap spell to cut off their link, but it'll only be temporary.]
LEETLE BAT DRAWINGS? ok no death i gotta live to see those im cryin already
[Back up he goes, humming softly as he rifles through his little first aid kit to try and find something suitable for gluing membrane to membrane.]
...For the record, I don't need your previous master coming here and being a bother. You won't mind if I sever the bond, will you-- [Wait. Hm........He's not really keen on having a familiar himself still, wanting his own peace above everything else because no one will ever understand him and his desires like he does.
But even if he's playing bad cop right now for his own peace of mind...He doesn't just want to annihilate someone who just wanted their freedom. Sigh...]
--Though you'll have the option to simply return to whence you came, or become mine instead. But I will sever it, and send your master a little slap on your behalf. You have a little while to think on your choice, okaaaaaaaayyyy? [Time to start delicately painting on that 'glue', humming away as he goes.]
fufufufu soon
[If this person really will sever his bond, then at least he could return to the darkness and try again.]
[But he'd finally gotten his taste of the light, of this world, and he did not want to leave it behind. He could run the risk of this person being just as cruel but ...well. If he were just as cruel he might have simply returned him to his master immediately instead of tending to him like so.]
[The bat stays quiet for some time, letting Rui work in peace, before:]
...I-I'm sorry. If ...
[His voice is very small, when it finally pipes up. Like a whisper in Rui's head.]
...If it is within your power to do so ...please. I-I do not wish to return to my master. I-I will serve you- or ...if you deem me just as worthless, you may dispose of me however you wish. Oblivion would be ...f-far more preferable than the alternative.
IM GOING TO THINK ABOTU HIM ALL NIGHT OH MY GOD HES SO CUTE
[There's no way he can turn down such a plea, is there? It's going to be a real fucking pain having someone else here, having input he doesn't need, but.
But that voice cuts right to his heart. Rui stays quiet as he works, brows drawn together in frustration and apprehension, but once he's done all he can, he looks into those big ole bat eyes and finally, finally stops smiling.]
You'll stay here until you're free of that whole...system. But I don't need your input or help. We're to be towermates and nothing else. Are we clear? Now I'm going to take you back up to the workroom, and we're going to set about tying you to me instead.
[At least he waits until Mayoi has his wing in close, before he goes to scoop him up. Can't undo that repairwork, thank you very much.] ...How bad was it? That you had to fly away like this.
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[He's accepted, and this is a step in some direction, but he cannot afford to settle down, yet. Severing the bond will hurt in ways a flesh would cannot compare to, and this person may yet be another form of evil, he doesn't truly know.]
[But he wraps him self up tightly, securely so that his wing is safely tucked away and he is in no lingering pain, and allows Rui to scoop him up and carry him away.]
...I did ...as I was told. I-I carried out things that were unpleasant. But ...but there was something I could not do, so I stood against him, and so ...I was punished.
[There's a small pause, before he adds.]
...I-If you have no use for me, then, I will be as quiet as I can be. Perhaps even, you will forget that I am here, if that is what you wish.
[Though the notion of being unwanted hurts in ways that's difficult for him to comprehend, it's still better than what he escaped. It's a far lesser hell.]
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[Huff! Ridiculous.] No, you'll be put to work. Just not the traditional work of a familiar, but it won't be anything you have to wrestle with. Don't think I can't hear that miserable tone you're putting on.
[Once they're back in the workroom, still littered with coloured glass, Rui holds Mayoi up at eye level and looks at him very, very seriously.] Your first job, in the morning, is going to be cleaning up this mess you've made. But for now, we'll get to work keeping your idiot former master away from here, and you can rest. I'm not a monster.
Prepare yourself. [It's not a spell that requires a lot of reagents in the first place, the severing spell. Usually done in the heat of the moment, something that sorcerers use in petty little spats with each other, or to poach talent going to waste. No, you don't need to concoct or gather or grind for this, but...You do need a lot of your own energy to cauterise and nourish a bond in one blow.
Ugh. It'll hurt them both. So it goes. Bat in one hand, held tenderly in the universal 'he owes me money' grip, and the other hand in front of his eyes, siphoning energy out. Look, I just wanted Rui to pull the chuuni pose. That's all I wanted. Never mind if there's actual magical energy pouring out between his fingers, gushing around Mayoi in floral-scented purple neon. He's pulling the chuuni pose and making his fucked up wizard magic simply overwhelm the thread tying Mayoi back to his fuck-up of an ex-master.
The thread snaps. Then reties right to Rui. Knots, thickens, strengthens in a way that tugs directly at the heart with cold metal hooks.]
...Done.
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[But...okay. There is a frank amount of relief in him at the idea that Rui will have some use for him, even if its just menial work. He has no probably with menial work. In fact, he finds it terribly soothing. Cleaning up the mess he made is the least he could do.]
Y-Yes! I understand!
[Then his command comes, and Mayoi takes a deep, shaky breath. The magic flows through him in a familiar way. Familiars are like conductors in a lot of ways, and there is a lot he can glean about Rui from just the way his magic pours into him, through him, like water through sand. The magic is not pure and clean like a sage or priest, but it is not dark like his master. It's vibrant and unique, and as it builds, he feels the pressure against his very being until the thread snaps.]
[It hurts as much as he expected, like a ripcord attached to his soul, and he cries out against his best efforts to not. For a bright, terrifying moment, he feels himself start to breakdown and lose form, before Rui's thread ties them together instead, and anchors him back in place.]
[He already feels better, even if he's also tired and spent. Magic flows through him comfortably, in a way he hadn't had since he tried to escape, using every ounce of his mana to block the connection to his ex-Master. After a moment to catch his breath, Mayoi throws himself out of Rui's hand in a flourish of smoke and shadow, forming instead at Rui's feet. Smoke, fur, and wings give way to the form of a person, knelt gently before him.]
[With long purple hair, bright blue eyes Mayoi looks up at Rui with a soft grateful smile before turning his eyes back down to his feet again.]
...The bond is complete, and ...I, Mayoi, hereby pledge to serve you until our contract has completed.
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How's your arm? Let me see. I want to know if the damage converts or not. And then...
[Wait, no. First, he's going to reach in and bump against that downturned chin with one knuckle, huffing softly.] And then you're going to learn to make eye contact more often than not.
Then we'll deal with lodgings.
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[But he let's Rui tip his head up, and the sorcerer will see that look of worry and uncertainty in his eyes.]
Y-yes, Master, as you wish. I-I will do my best.
[That still sounded formal. He will ...have to work to fix that. It's just natural for him. Eye contact, too, is something he's never been very good at, but, it was an order more or less so, he'll have to comply.]
...My arm. Ah, it's. It's doing much better...
[The damage did convert, but so did whatever Rui did to patch it up. It looks nasty even on human skin, but it'll heal.]
Between what you've done and ...the surge of your magic currently resting in me, it'll heal quickly. Thank you.
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[He'd much rather examine that wound; it definitely still looks nasty, but it doesn't look overly red or shiny, so that's a good...Start, at least. He snatches up some gauze and winds it around the wound, a cursory marker of injury with another thin thread of protective magic wound through as he goes, but Mayoi can do the rest of the hard work.
Then he pulls off his glasses, rubs furiously at his eyesockets, and motions for Mayoi to follow.]
's alright. Your former master's going to be knocked out for a few days, so we have that long to fix the window before I start getting paranoid about attacks or spies. Come on, we need rest after that. [Back downstairs, then-- down a hidden corridor, one almost certainly made invisible with magic from the outside, and they end up in...An absolute neon vomit hellhole of a bedroom. Think Howl's bedroom from the Ghibli movie plus Rui's normal room. Trinkets, gems, all sorts of dangling, tinkling things that catch the light and overwhelm the senses.]
...Where do you want to sleep? What's most comfortable for you? You're not evacuating me from my own bed, for the record. We can share, but I'm not leaving it.
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I believe ...even with the bond severed, I may still be able to sense him if he were to come near. I c- [He cuts himself off for a moment, debating if he should say what he thought to say next with how upfront Rui was about not wanting his help in a familiar sense. He decides to risk it.]
Pardon me if this is ...out of line of me to say, but I ...I have skills in surveillance and stealth. ...ah... I was utilized often in such tasks. If spies are a concern ...I-I can help with that. B-But only if you wish.
[He winds up stumbling over his words suddenly aghast that he's already breaking one of the few rules Rui gave him, so he braces a little for it.]
[He hardly has the time to take in the room, though, it's quite a sight. It almost distracts him from his abject terror of fucking up. Where does he want to sleep?? He will sleep where ever Rui deems appropriate. In bed seems very scandalous so he does not even entertain that thought. Ah, but there are many danglies he can hang from, that will do.]
Ah ...is it really okay for me to sleep in here? With you?
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[Time to start actually getting ready for bed, though. Is there any sort of like...Ceremony around familiars? He skipped most of those classes in favour of finding shit that would allow him to make his foes blow up, really. Rui just...Looks at Mayoi for a moment, even tucking his monocle (deadass thought it was glasses for a few hours last night I'm losing it) into his cloak, before swiftly turning away and getting to work getting undressed.]
Where else am I going to let you sleep? I can't say that I trust you completely yet, even if I hold your life in my hands. Look at what you did to your last master~ Already willing to turn on him for the sake of your own newly-gifted skin. No no, you're staying in here with me.
Do whatever you want. But we're going to bed now, because I can barely keep my eyes open. And the door locks, with only me being able to unlock it; don't take that personally, that's a standard measure~
[At least he's only going shirtless before crawling into bed and staring expectantly at Mayoi. g'on. get to it.]
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[And ...that assessment isn't untrue, so there is little Mayoi has to say against it. If Rui valued safety over keeping him out of sight, then that's all there was to it. He could adapt.]
I-I understand. I am ...a rotten familiar who betrayed my last master, that is very true. Regardless of my reasons, it is still ...an unforgivable act.
[But, there is no regret in his voice, despite his waver. If he is rotten for what he did, then so be it. He still did it anyway, and he would do it again.]
[Having been given that look, which he returns with a small tilt of his head in confusion before it clicks and he looks up and around for a moment. Ah, there is a nice, heavy string of beads being strung about over Rui's bed that looks sturdy enough. He will shift again in plum of smoke so that he can fly his way up there.]
[He misses, still too injured to be flying yet, and instead rockets over with a soft Fwmp! onto the bed next Rui. UUuu....]
[please... please pretend that didn't happen, Rui.]
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[But he moves to scoop Mayoi back up and assist him to the string of beads he figures he was aiming for, nonetheless.] It's alright. I don't care if you betray me, either. I'm a master of defence, you see.
But if you want to leave, just say so. I'll help you find another master. Now rest up and get that wing better, so you can pick up glass in the morning.
[It's a lot less weird now that Mayoi's Batted Out, right. ...If Rui gets the urge to kiss his little head, that is. Sometimes you just want to kiss the skull of a little beast.] Rest well. And if you want to come down, just yell at me. I'll help you down if your wing's still out of whack, fufu~
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[He is scooped and he allows himself just a little drama of being sprawled out in his hands (uuuu! uuuu!) before he finds the string of beads with his little bat feet. Securely upside down now, as is proper, Mayoi gets comfortable and wraps himself up nice and good. Like a little burrito.]
[...]
[Ah ...it is still too early to tell, but ...it seems that despite some of his earlier words, his new Master may actually be quite kind. It's a funny feeling ...he wonders if he may be so lucky as to continue to see more of that from him. If so, then he would have no problems staying as long as he might be allowed.]
Y-yes, I will. Thank you very much...! I hope that Master is able to rest well, too.
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[With a snap of his fingers, the candles and lanterns in the room snuff out bar one hanging over the door. Gotta have the nightlight in case of midnight piss requirements, and he'd ask if there are any objections, but also: fuck that, it's His Tower and he'll have a lamp on for as long as he wants!!
...He'll also, apparently, sleep in until mid-morning all he wants. Thankfully there's no sunlight to stream in, but the lamps do gradually brighten over the course of those few daylight hours before he sits upright and rakes a hand through his fucked up hair. Shit. Forgot to untie the bun. Fuck. Now it'll be curly all day...]
Little bat~ Silly little thing~ How are you today~
[Because he's still rubbing his face to make his brain start to function. Bleh.] Are you still aliiiive~?
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[When Rui comes to try and stir Mayoi out of his sleep he is treated to a big yawn and a gentle reshuffling of the wings, before he finally rouses and blinks at Rui. Ohhh, so. He had not dreamed up what happened the night before. He is still here ...bound to a new master.]
Good morning..!
[He has not slept quite as much as Rui, since he will still pretty wired with adrenaline, but exhaustion did eventually take him down, and with it, he was able to finally properly heal. His wing is still ...tender, but as he shifts and unfurls his wings in a big stretch, it will be clear that they have made a lot of progress already.]
I-I am alive! I am very well, actually ...! Thanks to Master's help.
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Stares.
At the yawn.
Then rubs his eyes again to mentally reset into Mad Sorcerer Mode. Okay, he can do this.] Of course you are. Did you think I was going to do a bad job? Goodness gracious, what to do with you...First, a name. That'll do nicely, I think, if I have your name.
[Without further ado, time to get redressed; a different robe, the same cape, monocle on, hair simply untied and let to do what it will. Then he unceremoniously scoops Mayoi up and pops him on his shoulder; gotta go for the Breakfast Trip together, goddamn it.] And do you know how to cook? No vegetables.
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A-Ah! Please forgive my thoughtlessness, I didn't mean to imply such a thing... [But, for now, this bond is very new and he is still quite frightened of his situation. He does not want to upset Rui in a way that would cause retaliation, so he will be skittish for some time.]
[He does flinch a little when Rui comes to scoop him up, and trembles until he is deposited onto his shoulder. After a moment of waiting, to make sure he is safe, he lets out a little sigh and hooks his little wing claws into Rui's clothing.]
...Mayoi. That is what I am called. [Familiars, the strange entities that they can be, can have a wide range of interesting names. Mayoi's being simply the word for hesitation or uncertainty paints an interesting picture of him, probably. Perhaps his previous master simply pegged him for a coward.]
I do know how to cook, I-I am ...if I may be bold, quite proficient. If you have any favorites or requests, all I need is an ingredients list and I can sort out most anything.
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Mayoi. That suits you. You don't speak with any certainty, do you? I'm the Great Kamishiro, fufufu~ Perhaps not so godlike, but I do take pride in my hard work. Which is why I need food that isn't garbage.
...But I don't care what you make. Consider this a test; make whatever you want, without vegetables, and if I like it, then you get another chore to keep those claws busy. [Cue even more giggles, slightly more ominous as if he'd actually punt Mayoi out the doorway or anything, as he opens the kitchen door with a flourish.
It's
normal. Just the average, homely kitchen. Well-stocked, at that.] I'm going to wash my face and hair in the sink while you work, so consider me your supervisor. Off you go.
[why is he fucking like this he's absolutely going to just dunk his head under the tap and make his hair dry fucking weird]
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--Ah!
[Oh, so then, that was probably to be expected. At his command, Mayoi flings himself off Rui's shoulder in the exact sort of grace a bat has (none). This time, though, its a little more purposeful, and before he hits the ground there's that familiar plume of smoke that gives way to his more human form.]
[Quickly, he bows his head and scurries off to go take stock of the kitchen.]
C-Consider it done!
[While he noses around in all of the shelves and cabinets, Rui can also probably get a proper look at this form now that he wasn't falling asleep. The robes he's wearing are worn, but well kept up, and when they were new, they were probably of good quality. There is a small emblem sewn into one of the sleeves that Rui may or may not recognize, depending on how well he knows the family names of certain magic council members.]
[His hair is still that soft messy purple, but Rui may notice it now sports a few streaks of a different shade, a color that closely matches Rui's own magic. His arm has also healed visibly well in this form as well, however what's more noticeable now is likely the presence of scars under those robes.]
[After a few moments of rummaging and muttering to himself, Mayoi will shyly turn towards Rui.]
....Ah, M-Master Kamishiro, I would like to ask what limits you would like placed on my magic usage...
[He would like to magic himself up a clipboard to make some notes, but ah, Rui may not want him to use magic at all!]
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1/2
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oh my god why is he so fucking cute, jami???
because he is an adorable wet cat with pathetic eyes how can you resist
i just want to clean his eyes and put him in a jar _(:'37 L)_
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https://images.plurk.com/4aw7QsrYOI0dZTiYtxn3tJ.png
GOD I LOVE HIM I TUCKS THIS IN MY FOLDER X( look at him holding the chicken omg
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