school: tsuyukusa

[shaft]

tbc

Comments

week 3, wednesday

[branches]

[Bro we are just chilling in the dorm. When Tsuyukusa sits up.]

I'm going to make some tea. Do you want some?

[shaft]

[ That's a surprise. Claude is here with his wyvern, and they'll both wander over to where Tsuyukusa is sitting. ]

Sure. What're you brewing?

[branches]

I think I'll use mint leaves? Maybe a few other things. But when you use mint it tends to dominate the other flavors.

[Just gonna throw some plants from his pouch in hot water and see what happens.]

[shaft]

I don't mind mint, if that's what you end up making.

[ He tucks up beside his wyvern on the couch, slumping there and stroking over her scales. ]

Had any interesting encounters this week?

[branches]

That would require any of you to be interesting in the first place.
[HMPHS!!! As he goes to brew the tea.]

I guess it was nice to see Principal Bear again, though.

[shaft]

That's a little harsh, isn't it...

[ isn't it nice week?! ]

[branches]

...

Well. I guess some of you are alright. I still think the best one in the dorm is her, though.
[Pointing at the wyvern.]

[shaft]

[ He snorts. ]

Well, I won't argue with you there. [ Rubs around her chin. ] She's not too happy with the cold though.

[branches]

Makes sense. She's a reptile, isn't she? Byakuroku didn't like the cold either.

[Anyway, he's pouring the tea and handing Claude a cup. It smells minty and herbal, there's clearly a few other things mixed in as well.]

[shaft]

[ Thank you, Claude will take one (1) small sip. ]

I'm wondering if I should get her a sweater. The wyverns at my old school did fine, but I wonder if they were bred differently.

[branches]

[Tsuyukusa is watching Claude perhaps a bit too pointedly and also is not drinking his own cup.]

I mean, she's roughly child sized? I took my winter coat from the costume storage, maybe you could find one for her there too.

[shaft]

I could, I'd either have to find something where her wings are tucked in or I can cut a hole for them...

Which would defeat the purpose, I guess.

[ Stares back at him. ]

[branches]

Or maybe get her something loose like a cloak?

[......]

You should drink the rest of your tea before it gets cold.

[shaft]

Don't worry, whatever you put in it should be effective even after the tea's gone cold.

[branches]

[Stiffens up.]

Wh-How did you-

[shaft]

[ Claude just grins, pulling a small vial out of his school jacket. Same hat! (It's also stomach poison.) ]

You just picked a poor target, I'm afraid. Do you normally work with poison?

[branches]

No, usually if I want someone dead I do it myself?
[Like with his hands and staff and perhaps teeth.]

But since I have to know what plants are safe and useful for medicine I have to know what ones aren't, too. And some plants are useful in small doses but toxic if used too much.
[Anyway;]

Why aren't you mad?

[shaft]

[ Spicy. ]

Very smart. [ He shrugs. ] You weren't trying to kill me, were you?

[branches]

Of course not.
[HE THINKS CLAUDE IS ALRIGHT.]

It's just the.... the extra assignment. So I picked something that would technically poison someone but not kill them.

[shaft]

And you picked me because...?

[branches]

Well, it seemed easiest to use someone in the dorm, and of the people here, you seem like the toughest.

[And thus the one best equipped to weather it.]

[shaft]

[ ... He looks a little touched? ]

A little too tough, unfortunately. I've been eating poisoned food since I was a boy.

[branches]

[Blinks.]

What, to build up a tolerance? Were you anticipating getting poisoned a lot?

[shaft]

Later on I did test my own poisons, yeah. But it was a common method used by the people who wanted to kill me.

[ He doesn't seem broken up about it. ]

Royalty.

[branches]

[.....

????]

Royalty??