Delicate White Wings
Log Info
- Title: Delicate White Wings
- Emitter: Ravenstongue
- Characters: Cryosanthia, Ravenstongue, Shalethiste, Aya, Stjepan
- Place: A07: Lower Alexandria Market District
- Time: Saturday, April 03, 2021, 7:27 PM
- Summary: Cryosanthia is having tea in the Lower Market District, with Little Fang, when Ravenstongue and Apotheosis 'Pothy' come by and inquire regarding the blend. Cryo is recognized from the Resurrectionist society meeting, and the 'Death Orb' expedition, and invites the sorceress to join her. They talk about various things, discovering they both suffered a period of memory loss. Cryo attempts to be encouraging, but warns getting the memories back doesn't really resolve anything. Meanwhile, Lily plays with a goblin cannon, firing partial cookes for Pothy to snap out of the air. Shalethise and Stjepan arrive, and Lily mistakes the Silverguard for Aya, not knowing many Mul'niessa. Mistake resolved, Aya appears and shadow-step-snatches Lily to the top of the Fernwood. Lily's mother, Cryo, has been on edge for various reasons, in part because she's growing wings. Her sudden defensive reaction to get Lily back causes another painful growth spurt, which knocks her flat. Attending to Cryo's distress requires everyone, and she is steadied, on her feet and the partial wings captured and strapped up so they're a little more manageable for her. She leaves, with Shalethise escorting her and Lily, to go to Mikilos' and ask her mage friend for assistance.
-=--=--=--=--=--=<* A07: Lower Alexandria Market District *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-
Just west of the Northern Highbridge and east of the arena, commerce blooms. Noisy and bustling, most anything may be purchased here for a price. Vendors from all cultures sell their wares from exotically colored carts, and the smells of different nations and far-off city-states mix with local ones from Alexandria and its riverbanks.
For all its commerce, visitors are advised to keep hold of their purses. Even the merchants possess a certain, cunning look. Most are positioned at carts or stalls as opposed to a formal storefront, with trade here being mobile, and visiting from all parts of the world.
Though the quality of goods suffers here compared to Upper Alexandria, the options are more diverse. Too, the oversight of the Watch is slightly less, and during times events are held at the Arena, chaos abounds. After dark, the square becomes a hangout for bards and other entrepreneurs whose business is best conducted by night; the shadows at the edges of the square often contain furtive figures engaging in their own brand of business.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Appearing =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Cryosanthia 6'9" 291 Lb Sith-Makar Female A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman. Ravenstongue 5'0" 99 Lb Half-Elf Female A short, slender half-sil woman with violet eyes Shalethiste 4'6" 96 Lb Shadow Elf Female A copper maned elf maiden, hued in the night sky. Aya 4'7" 105 Lb Shadow Elf Female Mul'niessa. Braided hair. Simple clothing. Stjepan 8'0" 534 Lb Giantborn Male Big, blonde jotun. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
A fair day like today, with light wind and mild warmth, is perfect for a certain white raven to stretch his wings in the sky. A bespectacled half-elf girl watches him fly overhead, leaning against a building to do so, with a small smile on her face. "Pothy!" she calls out, holding her bare arm out, and the white raven lands on it. The girl pats him on his feathered head, and he croaks happily.
The day has also brought out a white-scaled Sith'makar, and she's brought along a carnation-scaled Kobold. The two are seated at a patio outside a tea shop. There's a pot of tea, a plate of cookies in front of the Kobold, and both lizards are seated. The smaller one in a tall chair, and the whitescale on a bench, as that's easier for her and her tail.
They're doing nothing in particular, although the white one is watching the white raven fly around.
Pothy the white raven casts a blue-eyed glance around the market, and does eventually spot the Sith'makar and the kobold seated at the teashop. More accurately, he spots the cookies, and he makes a small, high-pitch noise that can only be interpreted as *whining*. The girl sighs. "Okay, okay, I'll get you snacks... But not theirs. That's their food." She comes up closer to the Sith'makar and the Kobold, smiling. "Hello! Sorry to interrupt you, I was wondering where you got the cookies--are they from the tea shop?"
The raven croaks a little, as though to echo the question.
Lily, being young, is instantly protective of the cookies. She holds her hands over them, looks at Apotheosis and hisses, "No!" She rarely gets to say that word and she hears it all the time.
The whitescale exhales. "Lily, it is fine. Peace on your Nest. It's Ravenstongue, yes? The cookies are from the tea shop. This one was ordering another plate and Lily will not be eating them all, if you wished to share.' Her head turns, she stares at the raven. No particular expression, simply watching.
Ravenstongue nods, smiling at the Sith'makar and young Lily. "I'd love to share! I think I remember you from the Resurrectionist meeting. It's really nice to see you again. May I sit with you? I promise Pothy won't be a pain, he'll sit on my shoulder the whole time," she says, already shifting Pothy from her arm to her shoulder, which the bird doesn't object to at all, simply looking around in that curious way corvids tend to do.
Cryosanthia nods, "Yes, this one was there, and you were along when we went to see the Death Orb. Stjepan was with you." She seems to remember names and faces. A gentle gesture is made towards one of the chairs, "Please, be seated. It's a pleasure to meet your familiar as well, 'Pothy'? This one has seen some strange ones, not that he is strange. Though, he has a lovely colour."
Lily also keeps watch. She knows birds, especially ravens, are skilled at snatching. No cookies will be lost on her watch!
Ravenstongue seats herself, Pothy readjusting to look between Cryosanthia and Lily. He croaks, "Merp!" as though he's trying to greet them in his own way.
"He's an odd one! Apotheosis is his full name, but that's a mouthful, so I just call him Pothy," Ravenstongue adds with a giggle. "He doesn't need to eat but he loves eating everything he can get his beak on, although he's much more polite compared to when I first met him."
"Peace on your Nest then, Apotheosis," Cryo greets the raven, her gaze remaining fixed on him, "Interesting name. Does it mean 'sudden realization' or is this one thinking of Epiphany?"
She takes a cookie from the plate, makes a small throat noise at Lily, who sits back taking a cookie with her. The whitescale holds it out for the white raven, "it's a good habit, food can be scarce adventuring. Not as good in town. One becomes flightless."
Pothy politely takes the cookie from Cryo's hand, scarfing it down in that funny way that birds eat things. He gives her a small, appreciative croak in thanks.
Ravenstongue looks thoughtful at the question. "I've always understood it to mean the culmination of something a person might be working on, like their artwork. You could say a person who writes a lot, and they write a book that is undoubtedly their best book, has reached their apotheosis, for instance. I don't know why that's his name, to be honest," she says, looking at Pothy for a moment. "He told me that was his name, after all."
Cryo nods, "Ah, this one will remember the definition. Useful." She stares some more at the white raven, in case other secrets reveal themselves. She has something curious going on, what seem to be two long spars attached to her shoulders, reaching behind her to the ground, covered with a long cape that make them seem like a folded sail. "Perhaps he will lead you to your greatest achievement then?"
Lily sits forward, takes another cookie, while Cryo raises her teacup and sips carefully from it.
Ravenstongue smiles, although it's a small smile, at the notion presented. "Maybe," she says, patting Pothy on his feathered head. He makes the closest equivalent to a purr that a raven can make. "I'm more focused on trying to figure myself out before I figure out any great achievements."
The half-elf does notice the spears and seems curious, perhaps out of an eagerness to talk about something else. "What is that on your back, if you don't mind me asking? It looks interesting."
"Ah, haha, ha, yes." Cryosanthia laughs awkwardly, touching at one of her eye ridges and setting her teacup down. "This one is... growing wings, according to my Mage friend. They are not functional... currently. In any way."
She folds her hands carefully on the table, "It is a magical mishap, of sorts. And I can relate. I seem to be suffering some sort of second puberty and this is quite the surprise after a century, but the experiences are much like when my magic first manifested."
Sorcerers often have a bit of wild magic effects around them when they first get their powers.
The half-elf's eyes widen. "Oh wow. I had no clue that could... Well, that could happen at all. I guess that makes us both people dealing with major magical mishaps, then," she adds, a hand going to her chin in thought. "Wings, however... I don't think I've ever heard of that happening, outside of the stories I read when I was a child."
Pothy preens Ravenstongue's black hair, which the girl doesn't seem to mind much at all, mostly because he seems to know better than to tug at her braid.
"Magical Mishap? What was the one in your case?" Cryo tilts her head, examining the half-elf for a moment. She presses her shoulders back, the spars behind her move slightly, "I've tried alter-self to go back to 'normal', and it lasts only as long as the spell does. Mikilos suggested it may be early or late because of some things... which are unlikely to occur elsewhere. I've read of it, but mostly in plays or the Crimson Pen."
The whitescale watches the raven. "He's good at that. You should get him a comb." She dutifully checks on Lily, who seems to have a box that she's setting up on the table.
Ravenstongue frowns a little, and takes a moment to think about how to even describe it. "I lost a lot of my memories, my mother disappeared, and people I thought I knew seemed to forget I ever existed," Ravenstongue says. "The whole story is... pretty long, but I gained Pothy in the process, so I suppose it's not all bad. I came here from Rune to find people willing to help me. Madame Sandy actually took me on as her apprentice, so I suppose I succeeded there," she adds, smiling again.
Pothy pauses from his grooming to croak at Cryo, as though to say thank you. Ravenstongue giggles. "I think he'd try to eat it if I gave him one."
Cryosanthia listens, watching intently. She has fine, fancy clothes which are mostly white with pale blue highlights. There's an aristocratic elegance about her, something elfin in the way she moves. Very unusual for a lizard, and despite these when she stares with sapphire eyes, her reptilian 'other' aspects rise and overwhelm the civilizing ones. She seems closer to a Swiftclaw than a person.
Her words interrupt the growing 'tea with the dragon' sensation. "I lost eight decades of memory. I got them back not long ago. I know the feeling of uncertainty, not understanding what has happened, why you've changed, how you got to where you are. Friends... did not receive me the same. Some are no longer friends."
She keeps staring. Lily has stopped working with her toys and is watching her mother. Cryo continues, "be careful about geting your memories back. It doesn't... resolve anything."
Ravenstongue stiffens a little at the words Cryo has to say, looking downcast for a moment. "I understand," she says, frowning again. "I'm glad I've met someone who has been through the same experience as I have. I just... want to know, if only for my peace of mind. My life's more questions than it is answers. But I understand the answers might be something I really don't want to know."
She sighs, and Pothy nuzzles her cheek, the sweet bird trying to reassure her.
Cryo hesitates, then reaches forward and lightly touches Raventongue's forearm. Her touch is cold, even through her gloves, and her blunt claws can be felt. She removes it swiftly, her consoling efforts are best when they're quick. "Be assured. There were no horrendous revelations. I didn't discover any unforgiveable acts or great evil. How you know yourself now, your soul, is the same shape. There are no surprises in that sense."
She sits back, adjusts her shoulders again, making the spars scrape behind her. "There was only the crush of years, all of it coming back, seeing the road that brought me to where I am. I still struggle with it."
>Pling<
A small ball launches from the box Lily is playing with, and bounces off Cryo's nose. She snorts and sits up, turning to stare at the pink Kobold. She nods and leans, picking up the ball before it rolls too far.
Ravenstongue smiles at the reassuring touch, even though it's delivered with the sensation that a chilled hand brings. It's the sentiment that matters. "Thank you," she says, and tears bubble to the edge of her violet eyes. "I'm just scared--"
Then the ball launches from the box and Ravenstongue giggles. Surprisingly, Pothy also laughs, a rather posh-sounding laugh, too--probably mimicked from some noble with overstuffed pockets that the corvid heard and liked enough to copy. "That's a neat toy you have there," Ravenstongue says, addressing Lily more directly. "Is it like a cannon?"
"Yessss," The little pink Kobold hisses, and then switches into something that sounds like draconic, but with a lot of goblin words, "Is gobling cannon. Mini. Siege Weapon. Because gnome and khazadi don't share their seige weapons. It is for blowing holes in castle walls and all the king's men." <draconic>
Adult attention gets her talkative.
Cryo smiles indulgingly, "She said it's a kobold cannon, I think. She doesn't like me reminescing." The whitescale moves her hand back, "Getting colder was also something that happened while I was away. I can only advise, find good friends, keep them, let them know they are important to you. They will carry you when you need it."
"This one needs the cannon ball." Lily hisses. Cryo leans and passes the ball over, "Ssassa understands, she will talk about your toys or something else, not the past."
Ravenstongue nods to Cryo. "I'm still new to Alexandria," she says, "but I'm already finding good friends. I'll keep your words at heart." She smiles, and turns her attention back more fully to the little kobold.
"That sounds like it's really fun! When I was really small, I used to build block towers and then throw a ball at them to destroy them, too. It was a lot of fun," the half-elf says. Pothy preens at her hair again, as he has not been offered tribute--err, snacks--in some time, and would like Ravenstongue to address this grave injustice.
"Yesss! kerhbluahgnding." Lily says, excitedly, switching to hissing draconic again, "All the blockss. My wallss and ssoldierss all fall down, and the catapault and that." She looks at Pothy for a moment, and breaks a cookie into smaller chunks, then rotates her cannon. <draconic>
"Lily is going to shoot a cookie at Apotheosis." Cryo warns.
"Sshooting Posshy!" The pink kobold says, and pushes a tiny lever.
>Plink<
A rounded quarter-cookie is fired at the white raven.
This is it. The height of Pothy's career as a gourmand avian and as a proud member of the avian species has arrived.
Pothy snatches it from the air, scarfing it down, and he looks at Lily with excitement, daring her to do it again as he croaks. Ravenstongue is beside herself in laughter, giggling tremendously. "Oh no, I think she's discovered a whole new world of entertainment for Pothy!"
"Haaaa!" Lily is scrabbling. She chews another cookie into the right shape. This ensures she gets some of it. The Posh poshy raven Apotheosis will have to live with lizard lips being on his cookie. She reloads, adjusts aim, alerts the gunnery crew, "Posshy!"
>Plang<
Another cookie arcs towards the white raven.
The whitescale smiles, her sapphire eyes glittering. She picks up the teapot, "It seems so. I hope you don't mind him getting a few cookies. Would you like some Tea?"
Pothy's blue eyes are bright with the joy of high-velocity cookie delivery as he snatches the cookie from the air again, with no concern for the sanitary aspects of the cookie. He scarfs it down and wags his tail feathers, the true sign of raven joy. "Posshy!" he says, mimicking Lily's voice almost perfectly.
Ravenstongue giggles and nods to Cryo. "I don't mind at all; he usually eats everything I eat anyway. I would *love* some tea."
Cryo pours a cup. "Here, just a moment. This one /can/ warm things up too." Her hands flip though some graceful arcane motions. There's a trickling of light along the scales of her arms, individual ones flashing. She makes circular rubbing motions and the tea starts to steam.
"Posshy!" Lily announces. >PLANG< Another cookie is launched.
The whitescale takes up her own cup. She holds it with a finger extended. "This one is not sure if you heard, after we saw the Death Orb, Griva has determined what is necessary to Renew the Pact. It's largely symbolic re-enactments of the first wizards' conclave, and finding some of the items they had. The Society is handling it, but are sending a few jobs to the Explorer's Guild, if you want to stay involved."
"The tea is wintermint and black, a mix that's a personal favourite."
Pothy ducks a little, and *springs* up into the air to catch it, now apparently interested in some trick shots to go with his cookies. He even does his little posh laugh again after scarfing the cookie down.
Ravenstongue watches the process of the tea steaming with great interest, looking to Cryo as she explains the details of the pact renewal. "I would like to stay involved, even though I might not be very helpful," Raven says, smiling. "Rune is, after all, still where I came from, and even though it's... Well, it's in disarray, to put it lightly, I feel I should be involved for that purpose alone. Also, that blend sounds *delicious*."
"Thank you. This one hopes you enjoy. They have a lot of great selections." Cryo says, briefly advertizing. She looks at the tea shop for a lingering moment, exhaling slowly. She looks back, "Sandy is good. You're lucky she's mentoring you."
Lily has reloaded. She does something with her device. Two clicks. She aims it much higher.
>Pllinnnginging<
The cookie launches high. It will miss the raven, Pothy will have to work for it. The little pink kobold laughs in a hissy, cackling sort of way.
Cryo takes a sip, "Don't feel that way. You might be surprised how you can contribute. In my first adventures, this one found that many experienced adventurers... have specialized? Feel they have seen it all, or have one approach that always works. Their personal 'Big Hammer', and everything looks like a nail."
Another sip, "Fresh adventurers are more creative, think of other things. They... don't always work, but your insights may be better than someone who thinks they know everything. Also, this one is not very familiar with Rune." Long distance to Venom: Cryosanthia hugs! "hihi, how is?"
Pothy takes off and flies into the air, the graceful flight of the raven... for a cookie chunk. He catches it and returns to Ravenstongue's shoulder, scarfing down the cookie as Ravenstongue can't help but laugh along with Lily.
She pours herself a cup of tea and sips from it herself as Cryo muses on the nature of experienced adventurers and newbies. She looks thoughtful, albeit still smirking from the background comedy of raven and kobold cookie antics.
"I hope so. I do remember my mother taught me enchanting magic, so we'll see how useful it is when I'm adventuring."
She sets down her cup again, nodding in appreciation of the tea's taste and the advice given. "You'd think I would be more familiar, but I mostly kept to my mother's home and her books after she went missing, and my memory from beforehand is... Well, I mostly remember other children teasing me for my ears and running home to mother. Not lots of half-sil like me there."
The whitescale laughs as Pothy launches, her movements scraping her spars on the cobbles. There's a small flicker of expression, pain perhaps. She laughs, "Well, the enchantments are very useful if you do them before hand, or do you mean things like charm? I'm a terrible sorceress, I've never studied. That might be why my magic doesn't work so well."
She nods, listening to stories about Rune, snakes her head a little closer to Ravenstongue. She inhales, nostrils flaring, then moves back. There's movements in her lips as if she's about to flicker her tongue, and doesn't. "This one was not teased. This one may have done the teasing. It was a very long time ago. I have a hard time with softskin features. Your ears look fine."
Ravenstongue smiles a little, not offended at all by Cryo's statements. "It's okay. I'd accept teasing from you! This was more... Well, it was human and elf kids making fun of the fact I'm neither one. And it wasn't... Well, it wasn't nice teasing. I came home with bruises sometimes." She sighs. "I ended up just staying home and preferring to read books instead. But there's a lot of half-elves like me around here. That's part of why I like being here so much."
She sips from her teacup again. "Yes, I meant charming. Because I'm a half-elf, I had to study how to be charming... Either with just my words and appearance alone, or with the aid of magic. My mother was worried I wouldn't make it in the world without charming magic, which was her specialty, too, so she had me learn a little. I'm the best at that."
Lily reloads. Oops, the cookie was nibbled too small, so she eats all of it. She also grins at Pothy. She selects another, chews it down to the right size and puts it in her mini goblin cannon. Click, click... click. Three clicks.
"Poshy!" The carnation scales aims long. >Plinkling!<
"Lily, not into the crowd. Pothy and whom he hits will not enjoy it at all." The whitescale cautions her foundling. She turns back to listen intently as Ravenstongue speaks. She has a reptilian focus that emphasizes where her attention is. All on the half-elf sorceress. "This one grew up in a swamp, we did not have easily portable books, but this one remembers bruises."
More nodding, "It's good Sandy is teaching you. Watch out for a Bard named Lars, he uses a lot of Charm spells indiscriminately. There's a friend of mine, another half-elf, she works at the Fernwood. She's developing her sorceress powers and he was trying to take her off places." She snorts a laugh, "Mikilos was terrible with charm experiments, but he's fine."
Taking time aside from her quests while awaiting certain word to come back, a lone Mul'niessa ventures through the Market district to get some air and make sure no deviltry is afoot. She walks with her hand lightly curled over the hilt of her sword to discourage ne-er do wells. Her eyes sweep the area about, noting the white Sith and pink... Kobold? There's a bit of recognition and she ventures closer to be social, as it seems she has company, she doesn't intend to be long. About several paces distant, her hand lifts from the hllt to offer a little wave and a, "Hello!" to the gathered.
Pothy manages to catch the cookie in mid-air, zooming like the wind for the sake of cookie-catching. The threat to social decency neutralized, he returns to Ravenstongue's shoulder, scarfing it down like a protector of the people enjoying his feast.
Ravenstongue grins at Pothy's display and pets him on the head again. She turns to Cryo and nods. "I'll make sure to keep a watch out for him. That seems like an awful usage of charming."
To the mul'niessa's wave, Ravenstongue waves back. "Hello!" she calls back. The white raven on her shoulder also croaks a hello, although he looks like he's winding up for another spectacular cookie catch.
"Ay...ah?" Lily squeals happily, then goes silent.
"No, not Tia Aya, Lily. This is..." Cryosanthia looks at Shalethiste. Inhales in a scenting way, then bops her nose up a little, "Silvergaurd Shalethiste, you serve the Dreaming Dragon, we met when I prayed to her. And I've seen you at the TarRaCe a few times."
The whitescale gestures to the half-elf and white raven, "This is Ravenstongue, and Pothy. Adventurers."
The pink kobold, used Pothy's long flight for a little sleight of hand. She loaded a cookie already, but waits until he returns to load a second. Click-click. She aims high. Two cookie cannonballs will launch this time!
>plink< They arc off in different directions.
Shalethiste smiles warmly on the return wave with a, "Good day, miss!" and looks between the group, "May the Sky Dancer's light be on you."
Cryosanthia's recognition draws her attention and she gives a little bow of her head, "You're seeming..." there's a curious look to the spires emerging from the Sith woman's shoulders, "well." She turns to the little pink kobold and she, "Hello, little one!"
As the introductions proceed, she offers her hand to the half elf, "Well met, miss Ravenstongue, and you as well, Pothy."
Was the specified mul'niessa lurking in the vicinity all along?
Has the carnation-scale mastered ancient reptilian magic?
Were someone's pointed ears merely burning?
Any one (or more) of these is perhaps equally possible. Regardless of the precise cause, the effect is the same:
Aya appears behind Grand Admiral Lily's artillery positions! Immediately behind the Grand Admiral, herself, in fact. All in a sudden puff of shadowy miasma. Before said miasma dissipates, Aya and Lily, both, vanish just as the mul'niessa arrived. The pair reappear some distance away, in all three axes, with Aya perched atop the eaves of the Fernwood. Her military hostage well in hand.
It is yet another lizard-napping!
The whitescale shifts a little on her bench, the spires drag behind her, tips bouncing on the cobbles. "Ah, ha, th... LILY!"
Cryo is instantly on her feet. She moves fast, startlingly fast for one her size. She's already casting, stripes on her back glowing intently, and the markings on her chest. It's an unusually big spell, or something is going wrong. The light flares along her right arm to coalesce into a dagger.
The spars behind her fling out also. The cape covering them flung away. They snap wide, to either side, and there's a loud CRACK.
Cryo screams as if something stabbed her between her shoulders, and crashes forward over the bench she was sitting on.
Her focus never leaves Lily, and Lily's captor, who is...
Aya.
Scales.
Ravenstongue was about to take Shalethiste's hand and shake it in greeting when, well, the great lizard-napping happens. She's also concerned, looking between Aya and Cryo, and sighs a little when she realizes that Aya is... well, Aya, and not a big bad scary kidnapper. "It seems like Aya heard Lily and answered her call. Are you okay?" Ravenstongue asks, going over to Cryo in concern.
Stjepan is coming up the street, shoulder-bag bouncing jauntily, when light flares and there's a CRACK, and he's down into a fighting crouch, knees-bent, hand going to his... oh... okay. He straightens up, brushing at the shoulders of his tunic, cheeks flaming red in embarassment.
Shalethiste is being friendly, and thus far things are going well. It's delightful, really, after most of her social interactions for the last few months, that things are going so well.
Then of course, the child is suddenly bamf'ed out of Cryosanthia's care. She straightens at once and her hand goes to her longblade as she looks frantically around for an hint of where she could have...
Hmmm, "Should I be concerned....?" she asks.
Aya expected a shriek or two, albeit primarily from Lily. Surprise? Terror? Glee? Not that Aya could easily tell the difference between them from a child, reptilian or otherwise. She had not predicted that Cryosanthia's response would be ... well, -that-. In hindsight, perhaps she should have made the whitescale aware of her presence while remaining out of the pink one's awareness. With a final blamf of darkness, the 'porting pair re-relocate to Cryosanthia's immediate proximity. One white brow arches. "Is something amiss?"
Lily is squirming and laughing. She's never shadow-stepped before, she recognizes Aya's scent, Aya's hands. It's all jolly and she gets to look down from the roof of the Fernwood, it's like that time with the boots.
Then she sees her foster mother bent over, on the ground surrounded and in pain. It's too close a memory. "Ssassa! Ssasaa! Tia Ay-Ay! Ssassa!" She's reaching out as if she could pull herself on the air alone. <draconic>
Cryo is occupying a lot more space. The two spars from her back have doubled in size, easily 16 feet each, with a bend in the middle. She's supporting herself on her hands, trying to stand. She puts her weight on the bench, badly, it flips over. She gasps again, "No. Yes. Something's wrong. My back. Ow. Lily. Lily it's ok."
"Little Fang, don't upset. Ssassa is fine." The whitescale pants some more, making a thrumming noise, reaching for her youngling, reaching for a table to stand. Trying to see what's going on behind her. <draconic>
Stjepan winces, and starts forwards. He calls out, "Cyro! Get your weight over your feet!" He knows for heavy things and knocking over furniture. He can help! At least, that's the look on his face.
Shalethiste moves toward Cryo with a concerned look in her eye and crouches down near her, "What's happening...?" she asks, reaching toward her with a softly glowing golden nimbus about her hand. "Are you in pain, I can try to help."
Ravenstongue purses her lips for a moment in thought. "I think it's her wings. They might be really sensitive and trying to grow in response to her magical use," she says. "They weren't that long before."
Meanwhile, Pothy has caught both cookies, and is *completely* oblivious to that situation, more concerned with Lily and why the operator of his cookie cannon has been snatched away.
The cookie cannoneer was returned, though Aya keeps hold of her. 'She is alright, little one,' she assures Lily with quiet words at her ear-frills; in Draconic, even. As Cryosanthia is now working on getting herself reoriented, Aya presumes a scrambling kobold would not make that any easier; not that she expects Lily to understand that. Less so as Aya takes them both a step or two away to ensure the wobbly winged whitescale has ample room.
"What's pushing me down, what's pulling me back." Cryo asks, disoriented. She places a hand firmly on the ground, grabs a table leg, starts to pull and it starts to slide towards her. Both hands on the ground then, get her tail placed. Her spars are flexing and waving all around, like loose booms on a sailboat. "Yes. Yes to all."
"I'm fine, I'm in pain. Lay on hands sound great. My back hurts, they hurt, and something went wrong with my magic." Cryo says, raising her head up, twisting to see down her back. Her mouth is open, the thrumming noise a little louder. As much for herself as her youngling right now. "Yes Stjepan, a hand. I could use a strong hand."
Lily continues to squirm, though it lessens once Aya whispers to her and as her mother seems to be calming down.
Stjepan gets to the sith, and steadies Cryo -- arranging her center of mass over her feet, eyeing the wing-stub/wing-spars for a good long moment. He shrugs, and tries to figure out the best balance. Looking around, "Remember to move slowly for a little while, until you get used to this."
Shalethiste seems a little puzzled, but, "Shhhhh...! Easy, now. You've had some... growth on your back, miss. Here, this should help the pain." and the Mul gently closes her hand on Cryo's shoulder. She looks to the others about, then she smiles up to the big man as he helps get the Sith woman straightened out.
Ravenstongue seems relieved that there are others more able to help here, and she gives Stjepan a wide smile of recognition as he gets in to help. "Please be careful with her. Wings can be awfully fragile," Ravenstongue comments. She'd presumably know from having a pair of them around her at all times.
Cryosanthia leans very heavily on Stjepan, using his assistance to stand. Careful, as others have warned her, about her wings, which stick out and seem uncontrollable. Even staring at them, rolling her shoulders, they don't seem to respond the way she expects. "It's like trying to move something in a mirror."
On her feet now, she exhales. There's frost surrounding her on the ground, and her teacup has cracked. She's also bringing down the ambient temperature. "This one apologizes. This has been... odder than the other developments. Can someone... catch the end please? I just got used to the other versions."
Lily squirms out of Aya's grasp and runs over and holds tightly to Cryo's leg, making her own high pitched thrumming noise.
Stjepan looks up and over, and gives Ravenstongue a smile in greeting and reply. "Of course." He pauses briefly for effect, and a small grin, "I'm always gentle with small people." He steadies Cryosantha, relying on his grappler's instincts and mass advantage to make sure the lizard stays steady. He rimes up a little, but seems to be doing okay. Giantbloods.
Shalethiste is a bit out of her immediate depth, but at least no one's panicking, and... whatever's happened, seems to have finished, for the moment.
"Other developments?" she asks gently, drawing back as requested to gently keep one of the spars from lashing around too much, "Has this been going on for a while, then?"
Pothy flies over to Lily, standing by her side, as though he was offering emotional assistance to his cookie cannon operator. He makes a funny noise, presumably to try and make her laugh... or because he wants to. Awfully hard to tell with this one.
"One afternoon my jaw completely unhinged and it took a couple days to get it back to normal, and then I could bite people. I bit Seldan." Cryo says, looking around, then pointing at her cape on the ground, "Could someone grab that? They're easier to keep track of if they're together."
Lily looks over at Pothy and smiles with lots of teeth. She seems to like the noise. She does squeeze Cryo's leg tighter though.
She relaxes, as the healing energy goes through her, but doesn't seem to fix anything. Her scales flash a little in the aftermath, randomly. "At one point my heat pits got better and I could tell where people were with my eyes closed. It's been going on since I left the Tower. Several months."
Pothy is doing Pothy things, Raventongue is just... anxiously observing. Unexpected magic, just like in the stories.
"Why would you...?" Shelly begins to ask, then shakes her head. More people seem to have trouble with Ser Seldan...
That the healing surge doesn't do anything overt is somewhat troubling, but, she does ask, "Does it still hurt...?" Mention of the Tower, of many, that is the sole structure simply referred so, she nods, her concerns growing from her memories of the horrors it's foul Mistress wrought upon flesh and world.
Aya bows in apology, releasing Little Fang, and vanishes.
Stjepan glances at Shale. "Do you mind grabbing the cloak? I can, but I'd rather not let Cryo go just right now." He considers. "A lot of changes in a short amount of time."
Ravenstongue still looks nervous for Cryo's condition. "Is there anything I can do for you, Madame Cryo?" she asks. Pothy continues to make a variety of funny noises for Lily to giggle at.
Cryo is a very skilled acrobat, her balance is usually excellent. Not so now. She hasn't dealt with her centre of gravity being thrown off and quite so mobile as it currently is. She holds onto Stjepan, is still flexing her back trying to work out some kink, while the spars bend around in the air above her. She nods to Shalethiste, "She did something. It still hurts, it's been hurting before they appeared."
The whitescale looks over at Ravenstongue, "it was part of my eighty years away. I was altered... This one is... somewhat embarassed by her body's new tricks. I'm sorry. Mikilos is helping me figure it out. I think if I can get them wrapped up I can get someplace safe to... adjust again."
Lily is captivated by Pothy. Especialy now that arch enemty Tia Aya has vanished. She opens her mouth whenever the raven opens his beak. Shalethiste has reconnected.
"Of course!" the Mul'niessa replies, "As you have her." She releases the spar a bit hesitantly before moving over to collect the cloak.
Ravenstongue looks completely sympathetic. "You don't have any reason to be sorry," she says. "You aren't imposing on anyone here. We're all trying to help because we care about you, right? I've only met you twice, after all, and I still fall under that definition!"
Pothy eventually... Dances? Oh yes, he is dancing now, bobbing his little head around to make Lily giggle and keep her entertained.
Stjepan smiles over at Shale, "Thank you." He keeps steadying Cryo, then asks, "Are you okay to try to have us help wrap up the wings? You'll have to let us know what works and what doesn't, though." He nods to Raven. "Well-said."
Lily looks up at Ssassa, who seems to be doing ok. The little kobold's attention returns to the very distracting raven. She bobs her head in alternate time to him, up when he's down, down when he's up.
"Thank you Shalethiste, Stjepan, Ravenstongue, for understanding." Cryo is still having insecurities and is on the formal side. "This one is not liking the implications. I was using a lot of magic last time too. So it's either strong magic, or strong emotions that are progressing it."
She can think of at least one bad way to get one of those. Neither is appealing, "Or perhaps its just days, and a few more days it will be ok. If you could wrap up the wings, that would help a lot."
She looks over at one spar, "I think.. see if they'll fold, just gently get the end then put the... elbows? together? Maybe? I should read a book."
Shalethiste smiles benignly and nods, "Of course... We'll help you as much a we can." Hmmm, "You're logic is.. sound, but we will find a solution." That said, she starts to carefully bind the wings in progress, "Let me know if this is too tight..."
Pothy stops dancing and does his funny little nobleman's laugh again, encouraging Lily to copy him, leaving time for her to laugh back at him. Ravenstongue smiles to see that Pothy is doing his very important work of distracting the little one from the process of binding Cryo's wings.
"Okay, that's ok, oh, just, there, a little looser." Cryo directs the wrapping up of her wings, a cloak around them then a little bit of binding to keep them in place. Currently sticking straight up, though they did fold and the 'elbows' could touch, although it doesn't seem to be the most comfortable state for her.
Lily cannot laugh like a high class snooty-toot, but does her best with a hissing, almost snickering version. The pink kobod rocks her head from side to side as she does, mouth open. A very similar expression to one the whitescale makes from time to time.
"I think that's got it." The process is done. Cryo looks at the table, at the mess, tries not to look beyond at spectators, so many spectators. "You should finish the cookies, and order another pot of tea. Could someone pick up my haversack for me please. I will carry it. Lily, you're going to have to walk."
Ravenstongue nods at Cryo's suggestion. "Pothy can definitely finish the cookies up," she says. "I'll order another pot of tea, too."
Pothy flies back to her shoulder and preens Raven's hair again, seeming satisfied with his work of Lily-distracting.
Stjepan stoops to pick up the haversack, and offers it to Cryo. "Here. Should practice being as normal as you can." He considers her for a moment with a practiced eye. "I think, at least."
Shalethiste oh's with a soft, "pardon." and starts to carefully adjust the bindings. She looks to the Sith's face for signs of spikes in distress during the process, then nods to the Jotun as he sees to Cryo's request, "Would you like me to walk you both home?"
Cryo takes the haversack and hugs it to her chest. She works with Shalethiste to get the final adjustments. She laughs lightly, "As normal as I can? So I should attach a banner to it and pretend it's on purpose. Perhaps this one shall."
She dips her nose, "Thank you, Stjepan, the assistance is greatly appreciated."
The whitescale looks at Ravenstongue and Pothy next, "And both, please be assured, it is not always this crazy around this one." It's not exactly sedate though, either.
Lily has released her Sith'mom's leg enough she'll be able to walk, and holds her hand up to be taken, which Cry does. The whitescale looks at the Silverguard Mul'niessa next, "No, to Mithralla Merchandise. This one will impose on Mikilos for assistance again. He understands." One of four, more than anyone else possibly could.
She carefully steps, takes another, her balance seems decent once more. "Lily don't pull Ssassa. Silverguard, it may be some time walking. Could you fill me on what happened at the Quarantine Camp while we go?"
Cryosanthia looks back, she doesn't wave, that will come later, "Thank you once more, and Peace on your Nests."
Dramatis Personae
Ravenstongue
The half-sil Ravenstongue stands at 5 feet even, with a slender frame and pale skin. Her ebon hair has been smoothly braided into one large braid that goes down to her waist. Her striking violet eyes peer at her surroundings behind charming glasses, although whether she actually needs them is a question for the ages. Her clothes are neat and tidy, always appropriate for the weather, although she typically prefers to wear clothes in the preferred copper and blue of Navos the Raven. She smiles sweetly at most who pass by her, and even moreso for the white raven familiar she usually has on her shoulder.
The white raven on her shoulder has startling blue eyes, and likes to preen the half-sil lady's hair at random, much to her amusement.
Shalethiste
Given to a sinuous frame of just over five feet of height is this young Mul'Iessan elf. Her skin is bluish black and soft of luster. Coppery hair pours in a full, nearly fluid mass over her shoulders and back as it flows down from her widow's peak, bangs cut arrow straight at her thin, slightly arched brows. Her violet almond eyes are long of lash, and frequently glitter in mirth. Emerging from that shimmering, elbowlength mane are a pair of sharply pointed ears that peak a good inch or two above her eyebrows level, embellished and pierced in artful silver.
Her voice is proud and vibrant, given to the faintest accent, perhaps Myrrish, or Charneth, though undertones of her native dialect wreathe along it like a vine.
Clad at the base in a calf length dress of midnight blue, slit to an acceptable balance of mobility before scandal. Over this is a shirt of fine chainmail, the metal shining the cold blue of the full moon even under daylight. A well tooled belt the color of the midnight sky bears a dagger, a small flanged mace, and several pouches along her right hip, while the left bears a long, jeweled scabbard, possibly a unusually narrow bastard sword, based on it's ornate, gleaming blue crossguard. A narrow buckler, tempered blue-black about a burnished and embossed symbol of the Sky-singer, is itself etched about the boundries with Sildanyari script of the Silver Guard tenets.