eachdraidh | video; both courts

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video; both courts

This wolf is enormous.

[ Katsa can be heard before she's seen, her locket instead in the face of a fully-grown direwolf that's shoving his nose in front of it in her hands. She pushes him out of the way, backs up so that she can be seen in scale with the direwolf: her blue and green eyes are overbright, red-rimmed as though she's been crying, but her voice when she speaks is loud and demanding. ]

What potions or tonics would turn dark hair blue?

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I don't... know?

[ she throws her hands up, sincere in her indecision. maybe she wants to talk—but she dislikes talking. katsa lets out a loud, long breath of air. ]

It's not to do with anyone. It's only to do with me. This—that there's nothing here that really belongs to us.

If I just wanted to paint part of him... just his face or his legs, to know it was something I did... what would you suggest? That would make it seem more like it were my actions?

[ the subject change is abrupt, but the pacing wolf in the background might serve as an indicator as more of what she means. ]

We have our memories. We have our talents, and what we brought from home. Sometimes who we brought, too--and that's what you have to focus on. [ But Katsa doesn't want to talk about it so she'll leave it at that, and gently probe later. She doesn't want the poor girl more upset, whatever happened. So she worries her lip in thought, humming to herself in thought. ]

Do you mean decoratively or to tag him to track? Like, not to wash off?

[ Yes. Her Grace is hers. Her life is hers. Katsa narrows her eyes and takes a breath at Kelsi's words, determined to listen. ]

Those are mine. And mine alone.

[ She mutters that. That cannot be taken from her. It is hers to control. ]

Hm. I suppose it could be to identify him when he's traveling with me if we run into other beasts, so I don't accidentally turn on him. He's said he doesn't mind.

Hmmmm. Sounds like you could probably use pigments, then, if you don't mind redoing it, since it has to be visible.

[ She's going to ignore the 'said he doesn't mind' bit, it's still a little weird for her. to have mythical beasts and animals and the like. ]

In my world, if people need to figure out what is what, they brand them with a little tattoo in the ear, or a tag, but I don't think that's what you want.

[ there's a pause. katsa looks as though she's struggling with something, her face twitching as she tries to maintain her frown, and then she can't hold it back any more and bursts into laughter. ]

No, you're right. I think I'll stay with coloring his fur rather than decorating his ears. It would be too much to put rings or jewelry in his ears, even if he'd appreciate the sentiment.

[ she quiets then, somber again, though her face is more relaxed. katsa rubs a hand over her eyes before returning to the conversation. ]

Come to think of it, do people in your world not wear rings on their fingers or in their ears?

They do! [ She has a large class ring herself--East High, a ruby in it--and flashes it to the locket. Her earrings were small and she hasn't gotten a chance to get new ones upon arrival, never mind the fact that she's constantly wearing hats. It's easy for for Katsa to miss. She grins. ] This is from East High, since I'm a Wildcat. Let's see... if you were in my world, you'd probably have a nose piercing, and an eyebrow piercing. And maybe a lip piercing. You got any of those now?

[ Maybe this'll help, talking about silly things. ]

[ there will be no immediate answer to that question. at another time katsa might have sat and thrown her hands up at the thought of having a lip piercing, but the double take she does when kelsi calls herself a wildcat is evident. ]

No. Seems pointless to restrict movement in my lip or risk getting it ripped out of my face in a fight, doesn't it? [ BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, AND MOVING ON WITHOUT STOPPING FOR AN ANSWER: ] You're a—did you call yourself a wildcat?

Edited 2015-02-15 04:49 (UTC)

Sure. Ryan and I are Wildcats--our whole school. That's what we're called! Like--West High Knights, East High Wildcats, Central High Warriors--that sort of thing. Wanna see?

[ This is good. The double-take is confusing but it's not anger and it's not tears, so Kelsi'll take it. Maybe it actually worked and Katsa's a little calmer. ]

I—what? [ this is bewildering!!!! ] I don't understand. See what? Is everybody a wildcat, with your pet names? Or what? Where did you get that name?

[ She makes a small claw motion, laughing at herself as she does it. Katsa's face doesn't help. ] Everyone in our Kingdom counts as a Wildcat. Everyone at East High! And we have this thing--once a wildcat, always a wildcat.

Chad? The guy Ryan's totally over the moon for, he does this thing--he shouts 'what team?' and everyone responds with 'Wildcats!' to get us pumped up for tournaments and stuff. It's really neat, belonging to a larger group like that where it's okay to be different in our own way, but with a huge support network--and it's just plain fun.

Like, one summer? A bunch of the Wildcats all wound up working at the same spa--and because we're all Wildcats we worked really well together. Most of us, I mean--it turns out Ryan and Sharpay actually owned the resort, and that was sorta the reason, but still. Wildcats!

[ and then katsa's face is in her hands, and her shoulders are shaking, and it's very unclear what emotion she's hiding but there's definitely some sort of laughter mixed in there. ]

Unbelievable. It's positively unbelievable. Only that's something someone calls me, wildcat—and that I learn this now, of all times—but I'm the only one, no one else in all seven kingdoms called the same.

[ Kelsi laughs, too, but it's a little unsure. Is it really that funny? ]

That's good, then, isn't it? You're unique! I guess it's just here, you have to share the nickname. But that's okay, because you're one of us anyway.

[ it's very funny. katsa's still half-laughing, but she lifts her face again to smile. ]

The shows of affection in your home must be very odd to witness. I'm glad to share it.

Like you don't have nicknames and hugs where you're from. [ It's sarcsam, but still said as light as ever, and Kelsi's tempted to stick her tongue out, teasing. ]

Nor do we greet each other when we walk into a room or learn each others' names until the fourth or fifth meeting. It's archaic, I imagine.

[ said in the same tone, sarcastic but through her laughing smile. ]

Hey, I really don't know what happens. For all I know you could be telling the truth.

And you and Ryan could be positively inventing everything I hear of your home. I think people are the same, though, wherever they are. Not that I'd really know.

[ a pause. ]

Though you. You might be stranger.

[ still smiling. ]

Wha--I'm not strange?! Am I? I don't think I am.... Why am I strange?

You don't react to anything how I would expect you to, how anyone else would react. Cheerful when I would be angry. Not afraid or unnerved by... things that would make most people.

That's because I have friends like you, silly.

[ OBVIOUSLY. ]

I don't think it's because of that. You're strange in this way all on your own.

Oh--that's like our first musical, once all of the cliques started getting along. 'We're all the same, we're different in our own way.' like that. It's okay to be unique...right? I mean--oh, gosh, am I somehow offending you? Ohhh no, I didn't mean to!

Kelsi. I don't think you could offend me even if you tried.

But that... sounds all right, what you're saying.

'All right.' [ Kelsi laughs at that. ] Maybe you're the strange one, Katsa.

Hm. [ she actually looks satisfied. ] That one I've certainly heard before. I seem to find myself surrounded by the oddest of people at any given time.

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playmakings - 2015-03-13 00:37 (UTC) - Expand

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