To All

[beautifullies]

[ By now, Claire has a grasp on how communicating with others works, and after writing out her thoughts to be sure she knows exactly what she'd like to send, she sits back in her chair. Her handwriting of choice is neat and slightly slanted. ]

𝑀𝑦 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝐶𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑟. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑟𝑚, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑑. 𝑇𝑜 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒 𝐶𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑡 𝑢𝑝 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑟𝑒𝑎 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑦 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟. 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎 𝑑𝑜𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑟, 𝑎 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑑 𝑔𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑔𝑒𝑜𝑛, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑢𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑢𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑦, 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑛 𝑎 𝑠𝑖𝑡𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑠 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑚𝑎 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑓𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡ℎ. 𝑃𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑠𝑡, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 ℎ𝑜𝑝𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑠𝑡, 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑠𝑎𝑦.

𝐵𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑟𝑡: 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡'𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑒𝑛 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑦 𝑚𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠. 𝐴𝑛𝑦 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑝𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦'𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑘𝑒𝑝𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑢𝑠𝑒. 𝐴𝑙𝑐𝑜ℎ𝑜𝑙 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑢𝑠𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑠, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑒𝑥𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑡 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑐𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚. 𝐻𝑜𝑛𝑒𝑦 𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑏𝑖𝑜𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑏𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑑𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑠. 𝐼𝑓 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑚𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑠𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑐𝑡 𝑚𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒 𝑎 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑧𝑜𝑛. 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑦 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑙𝑒, 𝑤𝑒 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑠𝑢𝑡𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑠. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑒, 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑎 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑡𝑜 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑙, 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑚𝑢𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑦.

𝐹𝑜𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑆𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑢𝑛𝑛, 𝐼'𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑙𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑦 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑎𝑑𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒. 𝐼 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑒𝑖𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑏𝑢𝑖𝑙𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑟 𝑎 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒 𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑡, 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑡𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑓𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑡𝑠. 𝐴𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑠𝑞𝑢𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑠ℎ 𝑜𝑟 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑢𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 (𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑡𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑤𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑠) 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑏𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑. 𝐷𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑐𝑙𝑜𝑡ℎ 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑠𝑜 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑝𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑐𝑎𝑛 𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒.

𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑠𝑠𝑢𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑡𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑛 𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑏𝑙𝑦 𝑐𝑎𝑛. 𝐾𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑚, 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢'𝑟𝑒 𝑝𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑝𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑖𝑛𝑗𝑢𝑟𝑦, 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑖𝑐. 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒.

[ ooc: feel free to wildcard me! PM me for any plotting or you can find me on discord @ lifewasawillow#5524. ]

Comments

it definitely happens!

[beautifullies]

Then outside we'll stay.

[ Claire leads her to the sitting area with an outdoor hearth and lounge chairs. There's an offer of tea and if accepted, she'll make them both a cup after inviting Himeka to make herself comfortable. Regarldess, Claire has her own cup when she sits, and leans forward a bit with her elbows on her knees. ]

Now, what's this about a proposition?

<3!

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka won't waste a second then in plopping down to one of the chairs, letting her tail hang off the side as it sways idly back and forth. Tea is always a welcome offer and she takes a cup, though she doesn't drink just yet. ]

You really seem to want to help and heal people, which is wonderful! So I wanted to ask...have you considered expanding your repertoire of medicine with magic?

[beautifullies]

[ Of all the things she could have speculated the topic to be about, magic hadn't been one of them. The shock is likely apparent on her face before she tries to re-arrange it into something less surprised. ]

I'll be completely honest, I didn't realize that was possible. I would want to learn anything I could to help as much as I can.

[ Claire means that in earnest, always eager to have new ways of treating others. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ It was part of the reason she'd hoped to bring this to Horizon--not to distract from the work she is already doing and the efforts others are hanging onto, but to give her something to consider to supplement it.

She gives the older woman a moment and does sip the tea then, though her gaze stays on Claire. Himeka is, if anything, incredibly patient though Claire doesn't take long in the end.

Himeka smiles at her response and rests her cup on the table. ]

I've been teaching Conjury magicks to other Summoned who want to learn. On my star, Conjury is the art of succor which seems to be your chosen art anyway. I find that people who are motivated to help others are the best practitioners.

[ Jayce and Viktor being two astute students of hers, now. ]

You could learn a number of healing spells to act as first aid or work alongside the hands-on treatment you can already provide. Abraxas is filled with all sorts of magic, but this is definitely the kind I know best and am always happy to pass on.

[beautifullies]

That would be—yes, Himeka, please. Where can I sign up?

[ Claire can't help a soft laugh of sheer delight. Magic. ]

Being able to heal others would be an honor to learn, thank you.

[ She can't help but laugh again, but it's more of a low chuckle this time as she looks at her young company. ]

It's a bit ironic I was tried as a witch before ever knowing a bit of magic, and now here I am, learning. My husband has always suspected I secretly was, though.

[ That's said with a smile so fond it borders on sacchrine. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ Enthusiasm is definitely key. She had hoped that Claire would be interested, but being excited and ready to go right away is really the best! ]

We'll consider this your formal enrollment. Sound good to you?

[ As "formal" as Himeka ever keeps things.

Though what Claire says next, however in good humor, does bring Himeka to pause. ]

"Tried as a witch"? What do you mean?

[beautifullies]

That sounds brilliant to me, thank you for offering. I'll be ready to begin any time you are.

[ Claire takes a sip of her tea before answering and clears her throat. ]

It's a story that would keep you here for a while, but the short version is I was a woman in a time when we weren't supposed to be too educated, too smart. Or at least, not smarter than the nearest men. I healed a boy who'd accidentally poisoned himself. The local priest had written him off as possessed, but the boy got better after I gave him the antidote. I made too many 'mistakes,' in that regard, making people better in a time when modern medicine didn't exist.

[ And that made it easy for Column to arrange for Geillis to be arrested at the same time Claire happened to be visiting her. Two women he disliked and wanted rid of, tried and executed for the price of one. ]

I had no magic, of course. But it didn't matter; I was a woman disrupting politics with my marriage, and my husband's uncle truly wanted rid of me. Once I was alone, and everyone thought my husband was too far to get word of what was happening, I was thrown in prison.

[ Even that was long, and Claire gives Himeka an apologetic look. ]

My life has been complicated to say the least.