expiationlogs | open log....2!

[ Minato has an affinity for poking around in places he's not really supposed to be. And thus, he finds himself in the back of the inn where he spots Koharu staring very intently on a wooden stepstool. He spends a mere three seconds pondering whether he should interrupt her focus before calling out to her. ]

...Koharu?

[ Huh. Where's her coat? ]

What are you doing?

—Gyah!

[ So focused, she didn't hear him coming. Koharu starts in place, whipping around on her heel. ]

O... Oh, Minato! You startled me... I didn't think anyone would come by here.

[ Oh. Was this supposed to be something secret?

Minato averts his gaze, as if that would change the fact that he'd already stumbled upon Koharu. ]

Sorry. ...should I leave?

[ Which would be fine, for the record. ]

[ She pauses, giving this some thought, before eventually giving a shake of her head. ]

No, it's okay... I don't think I'm getting anywhere with this, anyway.

[ Koharu seems troubled, which means Minato definitely can't leave now.

He looks back at his friend with a curious frown. ]

What were you doing?

[ And in that question is the tacit, inevitable follow-up of, "and is it anything that I can help with? ]

Um...

[ Her hesitation isn't subtle; there's a grimace in her expression as she forces herself to confess: ]

I... well. I don't know how to fly yet, so I thought if I took some time to figure out, then maybe... [ She trails off, embarrassed. ] But it's not really going so well.

[ That's right -- Koharu's a "cupid" and has the wings to prove it. ]

Oh.

[ Minato knows he doesn't have anything of substance to contribute. He doesn't know anything about flight, let alone, anything about having wings. He frowns, pensive, trying to recall whether there's anyone who might be able to help.

Alas, all he can think of is Zafeera, Claude's trusty wyvern. ]

...what have you tried so far?

[ To his credit, Koharu likewise doesn't know anything about it either—and frankly, it isn't something that bothered her, either.

... Until it came up. A lot. ]

Jumping and flapping a lot, I guess... [ And she's certain it looked as silly as it felt, but at least she tried in private. ] But if falling off a building didn't help, I don't know what would. Birds make it look so easy.

[ It is, in a sense, a natural question to pose upon seeing someone with wings. On the other hand it can be a rude question to ask...

Falling off a building for the sake of learning to fly though? If intentional, it sounds like Koharu's been working really hard at this flying business. ]

I guess there isn't anyone else here with wings.

[ Other than Zafeera! ]

...do you know Claude? From the apothecary. Maybe he taught his wyvern Zafeera how to fly.

[ "If intentional"... who's gonna tell him. But that aside, realization does, at least, flicker across her expression. ]

Oh, yeah, I've met Claude—and Zafeera, too!

[ In this house we love a wyvern. Koharu thinks over this a moment, then: ]

Do you think he did? I would've thought she just... figured it out by instinct. Birds are like that too, aren't they?

[ Oh good. If that's the case, maybe Koharu will feel a little less awkward about asking them for help. ]

I don't know.

[ Because he doesn't. ]

Even if he didn't, maybe he's watched her figure it out.

[ Claude's a sharp man. Surely he'd taken note of a thing or two by observing her? ]

[ Hmmm... ]

Well... It wouldn't hurt to ask.

[ A little embarrassing to think about doing, but her dignity has already taken a few hits regarding this already. ]

So I'll save this for another day. I suppose there isn't any real reason to rush it.

[ r... right ]

[ Don't mind him as he glances at the small pair of wings at Koharu's back... They're tiny compared to the rest of her body. Is it possible that they didn't actually work, and that this entire ordeal was ultimately futile? ]

...are you supposed to fly...?

[ Perhaps something had happened to give her a little push into trying to figure it out.

Actually, that didn't quite come out properly, huh. ]

Do you want to learn?

[ 'Supposed to', he asks. Uhhhhh. ]

Well. No one's told me I need to or anything, so I've kind of been putting it off...

[ She'd feel a touch embarrassed admitting she turned down Kanna's offer to teach her right now. It didn't seem important at the time, but you know what they say about hindsight. ]

Though maybe I... should? Some stuff happened back home, but I also get asked about it a lot here, and everyone always seems so surprised I don't know how...

[ If she doesn't <need to then there's no rush, right?

He shrugs. ]

They're assuming you can fly because you have wings.

[ There's another pause as Minato falls back into thought. Koharu's a cupid, and... cupids were typically depicted as flying about, huh. ]

Ostriches have wings, but they can't fly either.

[ This, apparently, is supposed to make her feel better. What's this about "some stuff" though? Minato pockets that info to bring up later. Don't mind him... ]

[ Oh. Ohhhh. Wait a sec. ]

About that...

[ Koharu lifts her chin, peeking over a shoulder as she extends said wings again. ]

They aren't wrong—cupids can fly. I watch my senpai do it all the time, so it's just... me that doesn't know.

[ Oh.

Minato watches as Koharu extends her wings again. They're... not very big, now that he can see them at their full wingspan.

It feels insensitive to tell her something like, "keep trying," and it's not like he knows anything about flight. ]

...maybe a break could help?

[ Trying again after she's refreshed, anyways. And if she happened to want company any time she tried to tackle it again, Minato doesn't think he'd mind sticking around. ]

[ Her mouth purses into a thin line in thought—something that's immediately interrupted the second a gust of wind brushes through. With a shudder, Koharu wraps both arms around herself, tucking her wings back in with a sheepish air.

Maybe she should've at least brought a coat out with her. ]

And something warm... Should we go inside?

[ A break and something warm -- yes, perhaps that'll be enough to lift Koharu's spirits before tackling this again. In truth, Minato just doesn't see the point in throwing oneself over and over into a wall. ]

Yeah.

[ In fact, it seems they're in luck. There's plenty of hot chocolate still available, a staple that's been kept at the inn's kitchen ever since the weather's gotten cold. He'll grab a mug for each of them, offering one to Koharu. ]

...you said you've watched your senpai fly before.

[ Is there a cupid hierarchy or something...? ]

[ While Koharu typically isn't super bothered by the cold, she has to admit that coming back inside feels like a blessing. She happily accepts the mug, wrapping her hands around it to warm them up. ]

—Hm? Oh, yes. [ She says, after a sip. Perhaps lingering outside for so long without a coat wasn't one of her better ideas, she thinks after. ] All cupids do, not just them.

[ ... She thinks. Koharu doesn't actually know many cupids yet, but from what she's seen, anyway. ]

[ Minato takes a sip of his own hot chocolate. If all cupids could fly, that must mean they'd learned somewhere down the line, perhaps through an instructor or a reliable upperclassman.

But what about the world's very first cupid? ]

...maybe they use magic.

[ Another sip and a discreet glance at Koharu's wings. They are kind of small to be flapping around, so... ]

U.. uuugh... Maybe.

[ That wouldn't be unthinkable, right? Most of what they do is only possible because they're more or less supernatural entities. Normally, you couldn't slap wings on a person and expect flying to work. So then... ]

But if that's it, then it's hopeless...

[ He blinks because -- oops. He hadn't intended to make her feel worse...

...how is cupid "magic" supposed to work anyways? ]

...can you use other magic?

[ They're really grabbing at the same amount of straws here, huh. ]

[ They are... They're trying, but they are. ]

I can! My senpai is the one who's been showing me all the ropes, though, so I only know what I do because of her...

[ And how does one channel magic they don't know about? This learning curve is rough. ]

... But it could just be my inexperience. I'll keep trying, anyway.

[ Senpai can't save you now though... ]

Maybe you need... inspiration.

[ Doing something crazy. Perhaps a little bit unhinged for the sake of opening up all those brain channels for better ideas. He'll keep those thoughts to himself though and takes a sip of his hot chocolate instead. ]

You don't need to fly though. If you don't want to.

open log....2!

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