Active Magic (TatlTails and othyrworld)

Dagger transformed right about when Sequoia approached Madi. He'd hesitated a moment because this obviously wasn't the first time he'd seen it, but as stupid as it seemed, seeing someone else get so worried about Madi got him worried as well. So he slid out of cat form to set a stabilizing hand on Madi's back.

Madi was just trying to get her breath back for the first few seconds, but she noticed Sequoia's hand enough to squeeze it gratefully, and she had enough grit to use the last of the potion's effects to calm the panicking witch down even as she could actively feel her body and the potion protesting.

"Yeah." She managed to croak out between coughs, since it really would wear off in another minute. "Sorry..."

As that word broke off into another coughing session, Dagger was flabbergasted enough to tell her "Don't apologize, just stop talking! You're going to make it worse!"

Madi could only reply to that by waving her free hand at him, in the dismissive kind of way that said "Oh calm down, you're worrying too much" even as she continued hacking up a lung. It was another thirty seconds before the coughing finally stopped, slowly fading into actual breaths as she tried to catch said breath, and she wiped strained tears from her eyes before giving the two worriers a thumbs-up.
 
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Sequoia bit her lip. Coughing fits were never good. Ever. You were either sick, hiding some kind of injury, or losing your voice. She supposed the last one was appropriate, even though you usually just lost your voice because you talked too much not because of magic. Once Madi was done coughing, Sequoia took a few steps back. "So I guess our lesson is over now. I'll just, like, wake up Flora and go. Is that okay will y'all? Will you be alright?" Her last question was aimed at Madi. Sequoia hoped she'd answer with a nod, not try to speak and cough herself into a coma.
 
Madi replied with another thumbs up, and an only-slightly strained smile sent right in Sequoia's direction. She did not try to talk, though it did make her a little ansty to not at least try to stutter a goodbye or a final apology. She knew better than to try once the potion's side effects fully set in, all it would get her was a complete absence of sound, frustration, and even sorer vocal chords.

Dagger picked up on the frustration that was already setting in, and he attempted to ease it by telling Sequoia "She'll be fine. And if you weren't completely traumatized by this experience, you're welcome to come back. Tomorrow at the earliest, because you both clearly need to rest before doing something like this again."

The last portion of his comment was aimed at Madi, because he knew her too well and he was not going to let her do anything else today because for fuck's sake the last thing she needed was to overwork herself after both today and yesterday under her belt.
 
"Yeah, okay. I think I will. It's nice down here," Sequoia said, walking over to Flora and shaking her gently. She groaned and smacked Sequoia's hands away, burrowing her head back into her arms. Sequoia laughed and shook her even harder. "Get up, Lazy. Face the world. Be a man!"

"Nooo-ooooo," Flora whined. "Go away!" Despite her protests, she straightened up, rubbing her eyes. "What happened? Did you learn anything?"

"Madi chugged a potion and now she can't talk, I learned how to put my magic into stuff, and I made a pretty crappy potion. So yeah, I learned a lot," Sequoia answered, grabbing Flora's hand. "Do you want to go somewhere else?"

Flora looked anxiously at Madi. She looked at the girl closely, as if making sure she was really okay. Once she assured herself that Madi was okay, and not hurt or dying, she nodded quietly. "Sure. Let's go."
 
Madi was getting real good at giving thumbs-ups and reassuring smiles. Once Flora seemed satiated and the two were on their way out, she got off her seat and started to clean up. There wasn't that much to clean, but it was her way of winding down after doing a bunch of stuff in here. Dagger chipped in out of habit, which she always appreciated.

However, the moment Dagger assumed the newbie duo were out of earshot, he muttered to Madi "I have no idea how that girl slept through everything that just happened."

That got a silent laugh out of Madi, and a shrug since she couldn't exactly reply. Neither of them expected one, even though Dagger kept talking to fill the silence. "Seriously, after all the yelling from both sides and that coughing fit, you would think she would at least stir, but no! That circus must have been wonderful training, maybe I should go there and finally get a good night's sleep."

He clearly didn't mean that last part, the bite in his tone making it clear he was both being sarcastic and showing some concern for what Flora had been through. Madi still papped him on the shoulder in admonishment, since it was a really dark joke regardless of intention. He took it in stride, rolling his eyes and not saying anything further.
 
Flora yawned and stretched her hands far above her head, feeling her back pop in a satisfying way. "So, did you have fun? Did you make a good potion?" She was surprised she'd slept so long, but it kind of made sense. She hadn't had a good nights sleep in... in months, probably. Wow. That was kind of a weird thing to process. There was no way she was sleeping tonight, was there? She could only hope she hadn't completely ruined her sleeping schedule.

Sequoia laughed. "Well, I made a potion. That's kind of all I can say." She shrugged and Flora bumped her hip in a small attempt to make her happy. Sequoia let out a small smile. "I just figured that if verbal magic was easy, this should be too. But it totally wasn't. I just couldn't concentrate long enough to let the energy soak into the ingredients in stuff."

Flora nodded in solidarity. "It's okay. When I was younger I was terrible at using my magic. Besides, this was only your first lesson. You can't expect to become an expert after a couple hours of schooling. These things take time. TIme and practice and patience."

Sequoia smiled with more sincerity. "Thanks, Flora. That...That really helps. You're a really good friend." Flora bumped her hip again.

"Duh. Let's go check on out clothes. I know you want to see what kind of magic Jaqueline's been working," Flora suggested. She took Sequoia's hand without waiting for a response and led her up to the mermaid's room. She knocked on the door three times, hoping Jaqueline was actually inside and she wouldn't have to stand awkwardly outside an empty room for fifteen minutes.
 
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The door was answered in just enough of a moment to make one wonder if their knock was heard. Jacqueline was on the other side, her hair just slightly disheveled and her expression just a bit distracted. But that expression melted into a smile at the sight of the girls, and she opened the door wider as she said "Oh, come in! I've just been working on some things for you, I've gotten most of the alterations done!"
 
Sequoia smiled and raced inside, throwing herself onto the beanbag in the corner of the room. Flora took a bit more time, quickly growing a small patch of white roses to hand over to Jaqueline. It seemed like the least she could do.

"So what did you make? Oh, can we have a fashion show?" Sequoia asked, scooting over so Flora could sit beside her. The fairy took her place beside Sequoia once she had passed Jaqueline her roses. Flora wouldn't mind a fashion show actually. It seemed like a chance to have some good, clean fun. Especially because she was very excited to see what had been made.
 
Jacqueline blushed red when Flora handed her a whole bouquet of white roses, and took them gingerly as she breathed "Oh, thank you! These are lovely!"

While the girls settled themselves into the room, she busied herself with trying to find a place to display the flowers. Once she managed to set them in a little pencil cup, she returned her attention to her guests, just in time to hear their request for a fashion show.

Well! If that wasn't an honor! "Oh, thank you!" She beamed, bringing up a hand to cool her ever-growing blush. "I'm afraid I don't have enough for a proper fashion show, but you are absolutely welcome to try on what I do have. Here, let me pull it out for you."

Okay, so the two shirts for Flora were over here. One a forest green sweater and the other one a cream buttoned blouse, both with carefully-hemmed slits for her wings to fit through. And the pair of jeans, briefly tailored for her so the dirt-proofing enchantment could be woven in. For Sequoia, she had a similar pair of jeans with a burn-proof charm, and a large sweater just as requested.

As she laid the full assortment out, she commented "I've just about got a pattern ready for that yellow dress, but it'll be another day or two before I can show you anything concrete. I really think you'll like the end results, though! For now, try these on and tell me how they fit. I'll step out of the room if you'd like your privacy."
 
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Sequoia rifled through the clothes with a smile like she was a kid in a candy store. She tossed the sweater at Flora with a grin. The fairy caught it with an uncertain look. One that quickly morphed into a look of glee when she noticed the carefully tailored holes for her wings. Sequoia shrugged on the sweater with a grin, stopping to take a spin and feel the thick fabric on her skin.

Flora looked at the sweater a bit longer, pausing to ask Jaqueline "Can we try on the pants later?" She wanted Jaqueline to stay in the room because she obviously took great pride in her work but she wasn't quite comfortable with stripping down. She pulled the sweater on over her shirt. It fit perfectly. She honestly wasn't surprised. What she was surprised by was how comfortable it was.
 
"Oh, of course!" Jacqueline insisted immediately, even taking a step back at the thought. She seemed, and was, way more concerned with her guests' level of consent than her meager pride. The last thing she wanted was to overstep any sort of boundaries. "As long as you let me know how they fit once you put them on, you can do whatever you like. I don't want to miss out on improving something if it needs improving, but you absolutely do whatever makes you most comfortable. Speaking of comfortable, though, how do those sweaters feel? Are they soft enough? The right sizes? And Flora, do your wings fit the alterations?"
 
Sequoia took another experimental spin, laughing when the sweater fanned out in a bell shape. "This is really comfy! No alterations needed!" She patted the fabric happily. "Can I get, like 20 more of these?"

While Sequoia was speaking, Flora flapped her wings tentatively, hoping she wouldn't blow any papers off the desk. The fit around her wings was a bit tight, and the fabric felt kind of scratchy. That wasn't much of a surprise, her wings were the most sensitive part of her, probably because they were so fragile. "Well..." She began, shifting her back to pull the fabric off her wings. "This fabric is very soft, but it doesn't quite fit my wings right. It's just a bit too tight."
 
"It'll take some time to make 20," Jacqueline warned Sequoia, unable to help having smiled at the girl's exuberance. "But I'll see how many of those I can find in my backlog."

Her heart sunk as Flora voiced her concerns, and she nodded along guiltily to said concerns as she mentally started planning a solution. "I am so sorry," She made sure to apologize, though she also knew better than to take things too far out of proportion. She felt bad, of course, but it was a problem she knew she could fix. "I can alter the slits in just a few minutes' time, give you a bit more breathing room. Would you mind trying on the blouse real quick before that, though, just to see if I should alter it too? If there's a problem with both shirts, then I'll know to rewrite the measurement in my notes. If it's just the sweater, then it was just a silly mistake and I'll simply have to be more careful next time."
 
Flora nodded, pulling off the sweater and yanking on the blouse. She fluttered her wings, feeling the uncomfortable scratch of fabric on her wings. "This has the same problem. I'm sorry, it's not your fault. My wings are just...sensative." She pulled the blouse off, folding it neatly and setting it back on the desk. "They're very comfortable otherwise! And I'm incredibly grateful! I'd just prefer to wear something a little more comfortable."

Sequoia helped fold the sweater FLora had thrown off. It wasn't as military perfect as Flora's folding, but it would do. "Thanks so much, Jacqueline. This is, like, the nicest thing anyone's ever done for us!"
 
Jacqueline took in Flora's critiques, taking a quick examination of how the clothing fit the fairy's wings before said fairy relieved herself of the offending garments. She immediately nodded away the apology, because of course the girl had every right to comfortable clothes. How coud Jacqueline possibly take offense? She didn't speak, however, until Sequoia spoke up with a touching and slightly worrying word of gratitude.

"If this is the nicest thing anyone has done for you," Jacqueline couldn't help but reply. "I truly hope that changes soon. You both deserve far nicer."

She carefully took back Flora's failed garments at that point and set them on the desk, taking the time to tell their eventual owner "I'll lengthen the slits an inch or two on both ends and re-hem them. Hopefully that will give your wings a little more breathing room. If that still doesn't work, I may try some wholly different tactics going forward. Do you have any concerns with showing your back? Because I think I could make you some lovely halter tops and low-backed items, things that won't restrict your wings nearly as much. Though I wouldn't dare give you something you'd be too embarrassed to wear, it wouldn't be of any use to either of us."
 
When Jacqueline complemented both of them, Flora blushed while Sequoia smiled cautiously. It... this was... A bit too much. For both of them. Sequoia babbled out a thanks and fell back into the bean bag chair, fiddling with the hem of her sweater. Flora pushed the complement to the back of her mind and considered some low back tops. She wasn't shy about bearing her skin, but she'd never worn anything like that before. It had been pretty much refitted potato sacks for years on end.

"I think I'd like some, as long as they aren't too revealing," She answered after a few seconds. It would be interesting to have so much room to move around. She just hoped no one was opposed to scars. Her back was littered with them.
 
Jacqueline noticed the shift in the air after her awkward showing of self-depricating praise. Perhaps she should back off on that front, she had begun to sound a tad insincere...

She was actually being completely sincere, but she also knew how dramatic she could get, so it was always an odd balance between what she meant to convey and what other people ended up absorbing. She would just have to be a bit more careful from now on.

When Flora gave her feedback on the potential new options, and approved of them, Jacqueline almost forgot what she literally had just been telling herself to do because her head was spinning with ideas. Plus the poor girl was worried she would get clothing that was overly-revealing, a worry that had to be rectified immediately!

"I wouldn't dare make anything even close to risque without a client's express permission." She stated, serious enough about the topic to convey her genuine opinion on the subject. Namely, that while she didn't judge revealing clothing whatsoever, she also knew much too well the dangers and insecurities that came with wearing them. "Trust me. Everything I give you will most certainly be tasteful, if nothing else. ...Unless you have a specific request, which by this point I doubt will come from you anyway but I like to keep the option open, just in case. Sometimes people change their minds, and I wouldn't want to refuse them because their opinions were a bit different some weeks or months ago. So to sum all of that up, my default is tasteful, but I cater to my clients' needs. And I am happy to do so, because making clothes of any kind is my hobby and borderline vocation, and I treat it as such."
 
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"Thank you. I... I may have some better suggestions later, but for now I can't come up with much," Flora said, scratching the back of her neck. She was glad she'd hung around with Sequoia for all these years or she'd never have been able to process everything Jacqueline had just said. She was having a bit of trouble coming up with a response though. She never knew how to respond when someone gave a heartfelt little tidbit about themselves. She felt bad when she didn't respond, but she also felt bad if she didn't respond the right way. It was a lose-lose situation.

Luckily, she had Sequoia. "Thank you sooooo much for the help. You're like, the best! I can tell you treat everyone with tons of respect and you really seem to love what you do," Sequoia said, now flopping her hands around with the sleeves pulled over them. "You're a genuinely great person."
 
Jacqueline could only really manage to nod at Flora's thanks and final statement, the motion seeming to be plenty enough of a response for a conversation that wished to end. Flora had said all she needed to say for now, and that was alright.

When Sequoia spoke, however, showering Jacqueline with compliments about exactly the qualities she wished to be her best? The mermaid's face went bright red, and her face crumpled up into a smile that was both bashful and went ear to ear.

"Awwwwww, thank you!" She squealed, hiding her face with one hand as she tried to keep her voice within the human range of hearing. "I think that's the nicest thing someone has said to me in... quite a while. Thank you so much! It really means a lot. I can only hope to not let you down in return for such kind words."
 
Sequoia shrugged. "You deserve compliments. It's fine." She waved her had as if to dismiss Jaqueline's words and looked around. She kind of wanted to leave, but...wouldn't that be rude? Jaqueline seemed to be having a good time. Sequoia couldn't ruin that. She wouldn't run that.

Flora, however, was less hesitant. "Jaqueline, this has been really fun, but we're going to go now. I..." She lagged, wondering if it would be weird to say have a nice day. She knew it was a perfectly normal thing to want, but it also seemed too unfamiliar. She knew Jaqueline. "Have good luck with your work." That was good enough. She opened the door and walked into the hall, Sequoia following not far behind.
 
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