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 Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 5:44 pm
“No.” Replied Toulouse in an airy daze. It felt so strange to be talking to another about magic that had nothing to with anything but magic. “You lack three basic principles: focus, disciple, and understanding.” Toulouse ticked them off on his fingers as he spoke. “Since you don’t understand how your magic really works yet, it’d be nearly impossible for you to direct it without practice. You only healed Mir and I because you wanted it badly.”
Toulouse blinked his eyes, suddenly hearing what Julien had said. “What do you mean your side ached for days?” Toulouse asked, shooting up to a sitting position. “I thought you said you weren’t hurt!” Without thinking really, he grabbed at Julien’s shirt and pulled it up baring the boy’s pale stomach. “You’re all better right?” Blue eyes scanned the soft skin for any kind of blemish or laceration in worry.
“Yes. I’m glad of it. Toulouse needed a friend and someone he could talk to. He never likes to talk to me about anything.” Felicity responded, thinking back on how Toulouse evaded all of her questions that regarded him.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:07 pm
Whoops! Wrong thing to say. Julien squirmed a bit, but didn't really fight to keep his shirt down, knowing that he'd brought Toulouse's worry down on himself. "It wasn't that bad," he protested. "It was just a little ache. Nothing was broken or anything. I didn't even bleed!" 'Besides,' his eyes said silently, 'I was worried about you.' But those words didn't leave his mouth, and he lay still as he waited for Toulouse to finish examining his skin. "I just would've expected that if I can heal things, I would've wanted the pain to stop enough for it to go away."
Mireille nodded, offering a crooked smile at that. "I think he loves you, all the same," she said simply, pushing the plate a little toward Felicity. "If you watch him, there are times when he looks over at you, and there's fondness in his eyes." Of course, that could totally be the idealist in her wanting to see it... but Mireille believed that it was there, nonetheless.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:19 pm
“Nope.” Toulouse said reaching out a hand to gently feel along the side of Julien’s torso where he had fallen, ignoring the look Jules gave him. He couldn’t feel any broken bones and nodded, satisfied. Toulouse let the shirt drop back down trying not to frown. “There’s a huge difference between wanting something and really wanting something. It’s like the difference between loving someone and only liking someone. You see? You just wanted to fix Mir very, very badly is all.”
Felicity snorted and gave a laugh. “Ah, no I don’t think that’s quite it. Nice to think of it though.” She delicately picked up a morsel of food from the offered plate. “Oh, I’m sure he likes that I wait on him hand and foot, but I also don’t think he’d fret too much if I was suddenly replaced with a completely different person.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:32 pm
"Tickles," Julien complained, twisting away from Toulouse with a wry laugh that quickly faded. "I love Mir," he agreed then, sitting up to face Toulouse. "I don't want anyone around me to be hurt."
"Maybe you don't give yourself enough due," Mireille suggested. "Surely he was entrusted to you for a reason."
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:51 pm
“Yes, that’s good.” Toulouse agreed. “But don’t hurt yourself in the process. To be able to keep another safe you also have to take care of yourself.” He sighed, thinking longingly of his little sister. She had trusted him. They all had and he had let them down. We wasn’t able to protect them in the end “Don’t let it happened to you too, okay Jules?” Toulouse smiled suddenly. “Is there anything else you need to ask me about? Magic related or otherwise?”
“I know it’s cliché to keep disagreeing with you, but I really think that’s not true at all. Toulouse just jumped out of the bushes when I went to get the mail and followed me home. I’m sure that the mailman would have had the same luck with him if I wasn't around.” Felicity smiled. “How did you come across Julien anyways? Was he an egg when you found him?”
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 6:54 pm
"If we're right about this being magic... I need to learn to control it," Julien said, frowning at the way Toulouse's expression seemed to shift. He reached out, resting a hand on his friend's arm in comfort. "But I don't have a teacher, and I can't exactly go to Mir and ask her to get hurt just so I can practice healing her. How do I find what I need to learn?"
"Yeah, he was an egg," Mireille agreed. "I found it wrapped in a quilt in a little shop, and the shopowner raised hell because she thought I'd brought him in with me." She paused, then half-smiled. "I take it you don't believe in fate?"
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:25 pm
“I can teach you.” Toulouse said after one long hard moment. “Or try at least. There’s really no one else and I don’t want to leave you to your own devices. You’re still too young. It’s weird for your power to have manifested so early. I teach you what I can Jules, though goodness knows what will become of it. Would that be okay with you.” Toulouse looked at the boy questioningly, wondering if Julien would really accept that or just try and do things on his own. Toulouse wouldn’t blame him though. He had done that same thing as a child and the consequences were somewhat devastating.
“That’s kind of amusing.” Felicity giggled. “Why would the store owner think you brought your pet egg with you? Trippy. Anyhow, I believe in a God if that’s what you mean by fate.”
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:29 pm
Julien nodded solemnly, staring Toulouse straight in the eyes as he spoke. "I have faith in you. I'll follow your teachings," he promised quietly, then smiled gently, the look relaxed for the first time since they'd reached the top of the stairs. "At least about magic."
"If you believe in a God... why don't you think Toulouse was meant to be with you?" Mir asked curiously.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:44 pm
Toulouse laughed. “I’m sensing a double meaning in that.” He patted Julien on the shoulder. “Are we done being serious for now? I’ve smelt that chocolate since I’ve gotten in here and it’s driving me crazy!”
“Ahh I don’t know. I know he’s here for a reason, but he’s just so troublesome. He always makes me worry about him and then acts like it’s okay.” Felicity shrugged really not knowing how to answer.
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 8:47 pm
Fully relaxing now that he had some sort of handle on what to do, Julien nodded, hopping off the bed and waving Toulouse to follow him. "You have to try my pickles first, though," he said firmly. "I made them myself this time, and I tried to find a recipe I thought you'd like. They'll be sweeter than the last ones." He looked back at Toulouse, his eyes warm. "...Thanks."
"I think that's most children, actually," Mireille said. "They're so small, it's easy to forget they have their own mind, and their own way of doing things... and even harder to balance that against how much they still need us."
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Posted: Sun Jul 20, 2008 9:07 pm
“Yeah, I guess-” Suddenly Felicity’s annoying little jingle of a cell phone went off. “Oh, sorry Mir, hang on.” Felicity picked up to the voice of her nagging sister in-law wondering where she was and why she wasn’t at home. She went on about how she had drove all the way out to see her favorite sister only to find her gone. Felicity tried chivalrously to explain where she was, but the Dragon Lady would have none of it. The call ended with a click.
“Uh…I guess this means I have to leave now.” Felicity blushed embarrassed, peaking a glance at Mir. “Duty calls I guess.”
Toulouse heard Felicity’s call from downstairs, saying that it was time to leave, quickly. Toulouse gave a hasty goodbye to Julien. “I’ll have Felicity set something up later, so we can get together and practice. Oh, and my first order as Supreme Teacher Overlord Man is, don’t trying any kind of healing. I don’t want you to explode or something. Keep safe”
Felicity and Toulouse thanked Mir and Julien for having them over and hurridly bounced out the door. Toulouse was irked that he didn’t get to see more of the house, and Felicity was angry that her stupid sister in-law always had to ruin things.
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