[WORLD ONE | FINAL GOODBYES]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Coven members and the Palai
Where: The Palai Marketplace
When: Days 75 & 76
Open/Closed: Open to All
OOC Note: This is for any and all unresolved threads you'd like to get out of the way before the coven leaves Aimintas. Feel free to backdate specific prompts to whatever day is suitable for you.

The initial setting information found here should be utilized for threads here.

There's no official OOC account for the Palai people. You're free to roleplay their actions and reactions on your own, as in depth as you want -- asking questions, hand-waved interactions, becoming best friends. The new world is your oyster!

Since the Palai discovered that the coven is preparing to leave, they've been preparing for the moment their friends do eventually vanish. This means wrapping up large baskets of food and other supplies that will be given to the coven for their large caravan -- but they also like to give out little personal gifts to those that they recognize or have formed a bond with. Though the Palai are usually people of celebrations, this event is much more muted and personal. Gifts are given and they're certainly congregating, but there's also a dull hum of sadness in the air. The coven has done a lot for their people and helped them establish protection for themselves, so how they fare from here should be positive. With the Uvi gone, will another threat arrive? Who knows -- but the coven won't be here to witness it. A ▢ For those who have Palai children to take care of, the time for their final decision is here. Will they leave their hatchling with their people, or has it become a part of their own family? The Palai are fine with either decision. If your character wants to give up their Palai baby, this is their chance to say goodbye. If they don't want to, the time to choose has come. The Palai will tell them more about their children and how to care for them -- think a regular baby parenting class, except with lizards. B ▢ Certain Palai may have gotten to know your character over their time in Aimintas -- or maybe they barely know your character because they're newer! No matter who your character is, the Palai will give them personalized gifts. These can be based on your character's appearance, extremely insulting, just what your character needed, etc. C ▢ Finally, the Palai are grateful for what the coven's magic has done for them. Some of the Lyna have created little amulets out of the Elto bones, inserting them into glass spheres that glow and prevent some of the electrical sting. These can help your character amplify their powers, which may be fun to play with. Focusing on telepathy while using these amulets, however, will also amplify speech -- leading to some telepathic screaming that your character maybe didn't intend. D ▢ Wildcard! What unfinished business does your character have remaining in Aimintas? Now's the time to take care of it. They'll be gone come tomorrow afternoon.

Comments

[mapsio]

[Her father is a whole confidant rank away, she doesn't really want to discuss him right now. The feeling of his passing is still far too fresh for her.

She hesitates for a moment, looking at Jude's hands on the table. She wonders if he meant to put them there. She doesn't want to read into it too far.]

That is correct. We wear masks and go by code names. The code names are so that our real names don't effect the environment around us. The Metaverse is a tricky place.

Thank you again for all of that. I don't think I would have been able to see the forest through the trees at that point. I had been so focused, so angry...

[talim]

As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to thank me for. I was just doing my job. I'm only glad that I managed to grab you in time. That focus is a good thing; I can see just how driven you are to help others. It's important that you take the time to help yourself, too, though. Do your best to remember that.

... But who am I to talk?

[ a dry smile. he's doesn't exactly practice what he's preaching. ]

[mapsio]

I believe that goes for you too. We are similar in that regard. We care the world about others, but we forget to take the time for ourselves.

[It's true, and Haru is just calling it like she sees it.]

There is a lot to thank you for though. Healing me, listening to me... I appreciate it all.

[Placing her hands over his.]

[talim]

I'm always happy to help. In whatever way I can.

[ jude's smile softens, his eyes filled with warmth. his hands don't budge an inch. ]

I'll even pat your head again. Whatever it takes.

[mapsio]

I am willing to support you in any way possible too.

[They have been having a moment for so long that Haru has nearly forgotten she brought an entire thermos of tea for them to drink as well as some snacks.]

It's what friends do, okay?

[talim]

[ jude had barely noticed, either. he's reluctant to move his hands away, but it'd be rude to ignore it, so he compromises and slips just one hand outside from underneath hers to pop a snack into his mouth. it's delicious. just the right amount of sweet. ]

Right. And I'm incredibly lucky to have the privilege of calling you a friend.

[mapsio]

[One hand is good.

She's a very happy girl right now. She never thought she could find such a connection with someone outside of the Phantom Thieves. It's refreshing.]

Jude-kun, I'm very happy to hear you say that.

[She's never found herself more surprised than she has been with Jude it seems.]

[talim]

And I'm just as happy to be able to say it.

[ ♥ ]

[mapsio]

Now that we've had what seems to have been a heart to heart. Please, let me pour you some tea?

[She can't help that she might be blushing a little. A friendship as intense as this doesn't come without pink cheeks it seems. ♥]

[talim]

Well, if you insist...

[ that's a yes, please. that tea sounds perfect right about now. jude might just be a little bit flushed, himself, endeared by the rosy hue coloring haru's cheeks. ]

[mapsio]

[She's going to do just that. Pouring him a cup and then herself one. There is honey and sugar cubes available on the table.]

Is it okay if I were to ask to know a little more about your world? I know you mentioned you were a doctor... but, you're so young. I apologize if you get that a lot.

[talim]

[ jude can't help but laugh. at least she acknowledges it. ]

I do, but I don't really mind. I'm not surprised.

[ he's going to start with himself, before getting into his world. or worlds, to be more accurate. it's hard to summarize it all without launching into a lengthy explanation, but he's more than willing to share with haru. ]

It's a little complicated. I have a medical degree, but I'm not exactly a doctor. I could be one, and I do help out when I can, but back home I'm a scientist, laboratoy and all. I'm working on an invention that will assist the sick and disabled in everyday life. It's a slow process, but it's coming along.

That being said, I'm grateful I've been able to use the skills I studied up on here. In the end, all I really want to do is help as many people as I can, you know?

[mapsio]

I have to wonder, do people call you "Doctor Jude" at home?

[She might be teasing a little, but, her attention is grabbed again.]

I remember you telling me that you were studying something and trying to invent something. Knowing what it is now... I can't say I am surprised. Helping people seems to be a big theme.

[And that is between the both of them. Haru feels lucky that Jude is willing to share all of this with her. Especially since the invention seems to be a little personal.]

[talim]

Usually it's Doctor Mathis, actually, but personally, I find that a little uncomfortable. As far as I'm concerned, Doctor Mathis is my father.

[ a short laugh. ]

I did, didn't I? Sorry, I don't mean to get repetitive on you. To be more specific, it's something called a spyrite.

... But you're not wrong about that. Even when I was just a kid, my best friend and I helped my parents at the clinic and worked with the kids going through physical therapy. Helping people is rewarding, isn't it?

[ his smile is fond as he takes another slow sip of his tea, eyes fluttering closed for a few seconds. thinking about those days in the past, not having a care in the world, just him and leia... it's nice. ]

[mapsio]

Doctor Mathis has a nice ring, but, perhaps it doesn't exactly fit you. No, it definitely doesn't fit. In time... I believe you will find what fits best for you.

[She gets that in a sense. "Okumura-san" is her Father most of the time. The rare times she gets called that... it's a little strange to hear. But she's lucky enough that people usually just call her "Haru" or "Haru-san".]

No, don't be sorry. I was rather curious about what exactly your invention was. But I didn't want to pry too much. After all, we didn't know each other that well when we first had that conversation.

[She takes a moment to enjoy the tea, breathing out slowly.]

Helping others and making yourself useful is the one most rewarding thing, yes.

[talim]

Fortunately, my friends just call me Jude. Well, Jude or do-gooder honors student. That one's always charming.

[ there's sarcasm in his voice, but he doesn't actually mind. the relentless teasing is almost endearing. ]

You're right. We've come a pretty long way since then, haven't we? And in a relatively short amount of time, too.

[ from speed dating to sleeping on each other and exchanging stories over tea. jude has always been very quick to warm up to people, to open up; he wears his heart on his sleeve. haru, though... he gets the feeling that she's a little more guarded than he is.

regardless, the bond he shares with haru is special. he finds himself appreciating it more and more every time they meet. ]

[mapsio]

Ah, well... to get a medical degree you need some pretty outstanding grades; isn't that correct?

[Okay, maybe she is still poking a little fun at him. It's easy to do that with Jude.]

I've never really had that happen before. It even took me a while to warm up to the idea of Akira-kun and the others being a constant in my life. Because of them I believe it has enabled me to become more trusting of others.

[If only Jude knew the position Haru was in at home. People being friendly towards her for insanely selfish reasons, treating her different;y because she was a CEO's daughter. Withdrawing from her after her Father passed and she became the sole heir of the company... it was a tough life.

Coming here and meeting new people, it was a change for sure. The bond she holds with Jude especially has become something so near and dear to her.]

[talim]

I mean... I suppose.

[ he won't mention that he was bullied. it went beyond just being called a teacher's pet. it's not something that he wants to get into; he never even really discussed it with his friends back home. jude repeatedly told himself he wasn't there to make friends to get through it, but it still hurt, people using him to copy his homework and then toss around insults with their friends when they thought he wasn't within hearing range.

it doesn't matter anymore, though. he's working hard. he's successful. and he doesn't wish ill on those people, either. he wants everyone to succeed. ]

I'm glad your friends have been such a positive influence. Besides Leia, it...

[ jude averts his gaze, taking another sip of his tea and letting a few seconds tick by. ]

It admittedly took me awhile to make any at all. I grew up in a small town, and when I went to school I moved to the big city. You'd think it'd be easy to make friends in a place like that, huh?

[ and if only haru knew. they have even more in common than they realize. ]

[mapsio]

[She wonders if she touched a nerve there. She didn't mean for it to come off like that. Honestly she was impressed that Jude was able to go the medical school at such a young age and was able to use his knowledge for science.

It was all something that Haru hadn't even gotten close to. She hadn't even attended university yet.]

I go to school in a big city, and besides for the friends I have now...

[Haru shifts a little.]

My position in life made it very hard for people to get close to me. So in turn I decided that it was best not to let myself get close to others.

[She is definitely not letting the entire cat out of the bag, but...]

[talim]

[ jude is curious as to what kind of position she's in, but it's not something he's going to press her on. if she wants to tell him, she will in due time. when she's ready. ]

In my case, it's not that I didn't want to let myself get close to others... rather, others didn't want to get close to me unless they had something to gain from it. Better test results, homework on time...

School was more difficult than I let on. I was in a position to move up and become the professor's personal assistant, I'd been working on a thesis... I was so close to finishing with the highest marks there.

[ and then he chased a small piece of paper, met a literal god, broke the law for breaking and entering, and jumped onto a boat after getting rescued by another handsome stranger. yeah. that was quite a day. ]

You'd never guess that I ended up getting expelled. That was the start of the journey I was swept up in. The only reason I was able to graduate at all was some strings being pulled once that long journey ended.

[mapsio]

Mm, it's the same for me. People usually don't get close unless they want something from me. That's why I don't allow a lot of people to get very close to me. I don't want to be someone's friend just because of what I am and who I am related to.

It's so terribly difficult to separate yourself from the things that people want to use you for.

[Haru opens up a little more there. Jude...well, Jude deserved to hear it. This tiny piece of information that she holds onto because she doesn't want to hurt anyone's feelings.]

Oh...? You were expelled before you graduated?

[SOUNDS AN AWFUL LOT LIKE AKIRA.]

[talim]

[ a frown pulls at his lips, and he doesn't hesitate to grasp her hand again, brushing his thumb over her knuckles in what he hopes is a soothing gesture. ]

You don't... You don't deserve to go through that. Nobody does, but you, Haru... you're your own person, a person who deserves to be treated with nothing but kindness and respect.

[ and then he nods in response to her query. ]

I was. It's a long story, but believe it or not, it could have been worse.

[mapsio]

[It is soothing, so much so that she doesn't find herself moving her hand away.]

That's just how it was. It's... not difficult to see why people would do that. I've never really thought of myself as much more than another person, but obviously people on the outside see me very differently. Perceive me as someone I know I'm not.

[She is again, impressed. How does one manage to get expelled...]

Well, the good news is that you are alive.

[talim]

[ he can't help it; he laughs, freely and genuinely. over a year later, it's just... he can see the humor in the situation. ]

I am alive, aren't I? Like I said, definitely could have been worse. Wanted posters were involved.

[ who knows what would have happened if alvin hadn't shown up and threw some punches for a kid like him? and to think he met milla maxwell just because he was chasing after a single piece of paper. he can't imagine what would have happened without that chance, fateful meeting. it would have saved him a lot of trouble and a lot of grief, but it also would have saved him from the self-discovery he needed to find, the path he needed to follow.

jude doesn't regret a thing. ]

But putting that issue aside... what matters most is that you know yourself better than anyone else, right? You know who you are; you know your ideals, your hopes, your dreams, your likes and dislikes and everything in between. You're Haru. No one else. Anyone who doesn't see that... well, they don't matter. You do.

And I like the Haru sitting right here in front of me. I'd like to think I see her for who she is: a kind, caring, thoughtful person.

[mapsio]

Wanted posters too? That seems pretty serious. We have had police after us before... but no one knew what we looked like. So it was hard for them to put up wanted posters.

[It seems her and Jude had a lot more in common than she originally thought. She wasn't aware that meeting one person here could change her outlook on their time spent here. Where ever "here" is.]

I...

[She isn't sure what to say at first. To hear such a long string of words. To hear those words said about her. How in the world does she handle Jude? Such a kindhearted and caring person.]

Truthfully, I'm not even sure how to respond. I'm blown away time and time again by your kindness. Those people who use me because of my social standing, they mean nothing to me and yet they are the reason I am so withdrawn.

I've always wondered if that was something I could completely reverse. To brush off those people without compromising myself.