IC CONTACT

[gemigod]

VOICE | ACTION | LETTERS

Steven lives in Helian's Glade and can usually be found somewhere in the gardens. Letters can be left on his bed, which is made of moss and several supernaturally large blooms, or the drawer filled stump where he keeps his belongings. He is responsive to network communications but prefers not to speak one on one over them.

Comments

Healing Lessons with Yuya

[gemigod]

It was hard to explain the principle without having a subject to focus on. Sure, Steven could talk abstractly about feelings and abstract concepts, like willing flesh to pull itself together, but did that mean much if Yuya couldn't try it?

This is what results in him hunting around the garden with Yuya in tow, looking for a plant or bush that has signs of physical damage. Broken branches, twisted stems - anything that they could focus healing energy into. It's a little bit difficult with how immaculate they try to keep the gardens.

"We need a plant that's been damaged... we can try focusing on that."

[hippocarnival]

When Steven had offered to start lesson today, Yuya had been excited. But the longer they spend trying to find something to practice on, the more deflated he gets.

"You don't want to just... break some of them ourselves?" The answer to that is probably going to be 'no', knowing Steven, but he has to ask. It'd be easier.

[gemigod]

Steven pauses in his step, looking a little confused and offput. He honestly hadn't even really considered it that deeply until Yuya mentioned it. It feels practical, almost stupid that he didn't just start with that, but also... it bothers him.

"I... guess," he says, sounding unsure. He looks down at some nearby flowers, frowning apprehensively.

[hippocarnival]

The flowers don't have feelings, Steven.

He didn't outright deny it, which is what Yuya was expecting, so he looks down at those same flowers and crouches down, reaching for a stem. He presses his fingers to it, crushing a space until the flower tips over from the weak segment.

Yuya looks up at Steven. "Something like that?"

Sunbeam Cat Illuminati

[gemigod]

By the time the effects of Helian's mood swing begins to show in the garden, it's probably unsurprising to see Steven fretting. He's running around with his satchel of supplies open, lifting wilted flower mournfully and then pouring a mysterious bottled liquid at their roots. He's humming and singing under his breath, but in a strained sort of way, like he's doing it out of panicked formality but can't get his head into it.

"What's wrong with you guys?" he pleads, watching as the liquid bolsters their growth, but not much. "Spring just started! You aren't supposed to be wilting now!"

Did he do something wrong? Did he not do enough? He's been tending to everything as usual, but all of a sudden that work is going down the drain, and he doesn't understand why.

[hippocarnival]

Yuya separates from Helian defeated, knowing he'll have to tell Peridot he came away with nothing. He decides to walk off the disappointment around the garden before facing her, making his way straight for the pink and white form of Steven once he sees him.

He looks down at the flowers as he does, frowning. "Ugh, she really took that badly... Steven?" Hi.

[gemigod]

Steven whirls around to face him, throwing up his arms. He's clearly pretty confused and upset about the state of things.

"Yuya, can you see this? Something's wrong with the garden. I think... I think we need to tell Helian."

He clearly doesn't want to, but if he's going to fail at his job this badly she might be nicer about it if he brings it to her first.

[hippocarnival]

"No... I think this is her." He rubs the back of his neck, apologetic. "I. I showed her something and she got really upset about it and stormed into her tower, so..."

It wasn't the result he was aiming for. His bad.

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's not really... sure Steven asking Helian for a favor is a good idea, but he doesn't stop him. He wonders if he should have, while he's sitting under a tree and waiting, but by then it's too late and neither of them will be happy if he interferes.

He's wringing his hands a little as he waits, hoping Steven comes back like himself. Mostly like himself.]

[gemigod]

[Steven is only a short distance from the tower when he stops, looking down at the small vial in his hand. This is it, he thinks. It's what he wanted. The question lurks in his mind, of when he should take it, or how - but those questions are then cast aside in favour of a wave of anxiety that he may somehow lose this chance. He has to do it now.

He opens the vial and swallows the glowing pink liquid. It burns on the way down, but at first, that seems like the worst of it. Clenching the vial in his fist, he exhales slowly, and then trots back towards the Glade.

He's already testing himself, seeing how fast he can run - but in contrast, his muscles start to drag, like they're gently cramping. He frowns to himself, but spots Yuya and makes his way over, trying to push the sensations aside.]

Yuya. She... She agreed. She gave me a potion.

[He lifts the conspicuously empty vial.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya snaps his attention up, staring at Steven as he returns... with an empty vial. He's already scrambling to his feet.] You already drank it? Did it work?

[gemigod]

Yeah, I... didn't want to risk losing it.

[As if he could, on the jog over here, but he was too anxious to wait.]

I don't know yet! I... tried running to see if it felt different, but right now I just feel kind of crampy.

Night after the water recedes

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's not by the beds in the evening, when most servants are settling down for rest. He didn't say he was going to be busy with anything. He's quiet on the network.

It's not until well into the night, hours later that he trudges back, weary and covered in dirt to his knees and hands.

He sinks onto the stump shelf by his bed with a sigh. What a lot of manual labor.]

[gemigod]

[Steven is still awake, largely because he feels lonely. Lonely and worried. It's not often that Yuya isn't around at all during the evening, and he's sort of used to settling down together. He's laid awake for a while now, his tail flicking anxiously in the grass.

Until, finally...]

Yuya?

[Steven is a awake, staring at him through the darkness. His horn is glowing faintly.]

[hippocarnival]

Steven? [Yuya looks up, blinking rapidly.] Why are you awake?

[As if he isn't too, but he was doing things.]

[gemigod]

[Steven speaks in a hush, not wanting to wake anyone else.]

I couldn't sleep. What were you doing?

[ action; in the garden ]

[quillandaxe]

[ Sometime after the memories stirred by Autumn's magic really start going, it won't be terribly hard to find Moenbryda in the garden, cross-legged and looking thoughtful. One of her journals is open on the grass beside her, and light flashes and sparkles between her fingertips, like she's weaving a cat's cradle out of thin air. The motion will be familiar to Steven from seeing her do it before -- Moenbryda's working on creating the magic for one of her smaller, more complicated little illusions. ]

Hello, Steven. [ She'll say, without looking up from her work when he gets close enough to address casually. ]

[gemigod]

[Steven looks around, like he's sort of surprised that she realized it was him even though she didn't look up. He lifts one of his hooves, looking down at it with a frown.]

Hey! [He smiles sheepishly, coming closer.] What are you working on?

[quillandaxe]

[ Roegadyn just have exceptional peripheral vision. Or, well, Steven is generally just hard to miss as he is, much like most of Spring's servants. ]

Oh, you could say the Whisper's season has inspired me. I thought I'd take a crack at weaving some illusions of my own. Care to take a look?

[ She beckons him closer. Once he's near enough, she holds out her hands together to form a sort of half-closed clamshell, an amphitheatre with two distinctly unfamiliar figures moving through it in a palm-sized re-enactment. ]

Winter 2

[hippocarnival]

[There was definitely a time where Yuya didn't hate winter so much. Where snow and ice skating and warm cider were joyful circumstances. But now he can't really wear a coat, so mostly it just sucks.

Instead of covering plants, Yuya's claimed two of those magically warm tarps and has sandwiched himself between them--one as a barrier from the snow and the other to huddle into as a lump. He's not even pretending to help, he's staying under here where it's warm and cozy.]

[gemigod]

[Steven has been helping, quite diligently in fact, but it hasn't missed his notice that all of the worry is going to the flowers. Surely there could be some blankets to spare for the sapient creatures in the garden - but at least for him, wearing a loose sweater has helped a lot with the chill.

He isn't exactly surprised when he comes upon Yuya, though. Honestly, stashing away a blanket or two had occurred to him, as well. He smiles faintly, approaching through the brush.]

Hey there. You doing okay...?

[hippocarnival]

[The first respond Steven gets is a faint grumble. The lump shuffles over a little, closer.

A hand sticks out, groping blindly for Steven.]

[hippocarnival]

[Steven's flower concert is getting a mild interruption, in the form of glittering specks of light swirling right by him and then forming into Yuya right in the middle of the flower patch. If he's squishing some, so be it.

He doesn't speak up while Steven's playing, but he is fixing him with an especially intense stare until it stops.]

[gemigod]

[Steven stops right away because this seems very pointed. Especially with what he heard Yuya talking about on the network.]

Oh, hey...! Did you have any luck...?

[With... kissing or whatever it is he's doing.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya pouts faintly.] It's my spit.

[He is, unfortunately, now made of drugs.]