Spring is Coming

Log Info

• Title: Spring is Coming
• Emitter: Cryosanthia
• Characters: Cryosanthia, Aryia, Irshya, Jinks
• Place: A03: The TarRaCe - Bathhouse
• Time: Friday, October 15, 2021, 8:27 PM
• Summary: Cryosanthia has invited Aryia to the baths and brought Lily along. Much like last time, the whitescale has stripped down completely. Unlike the last time with Aya, her scale patterns have changed and she is gravid. Lily swims around in one of Irshya's borrowed bathing suits and finds Jinks sitting on the edge of the pool. Irshya has been lurking in the depths, and surprise flops on Aryia's lap. Aryia, who was starting to relax, flings the gobbo across the pools. Apologies are given, Cryo fields questions about her condition but seems to want to talk about other things, Aya primarily. This is not a great topic for either Aryia or Jinks, especially with Lily staring at him. The gnome sings a song to the little kobold, then is overcome with guilt or other emotions and leaves quickly. Cryo relates how grateful and helpless she feels, regarding Aya, and Aryia echoes the sentiment. The Mul'niessa recognizes she can't save her, and tells Cryo that Aya charged her with being Lily's new mul'niessian aunt. This seems to parallel Cryo's thoughts to a degree. The sith woman is considering her upcoming nest, who her helpers and guardians will be, and wants Aryia to be one. She agrees.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--<* A03: The TarRaCe - Bathhouse *>--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

A light, warm mist welcomes those entering the grand bathing chamber. Rising from pools warmed by unseen sources of heat, the moisture makes the air somewhat muggy but still comfortable to breathe. The room it fills has been divided into three portions - the dividing walls, like the bathing pools themselves, clad in pale marble that contrasts with the dark granite that bears the weight of it all.

Attendants politely direct people to changing areas and appropriate services, and ensure that no one winds up where they should not. The central pool is open to both sexes, with a strict requirement for bathing attire to be worn. Those located to either side are mirrors of each other, each restricted to one sex and discreetly guarded to preserve patrons' privacy.

Beyond the central pool a pair of massage tables offer another form of politely-supervised relaxation, with cabinets holding an impressive array of aromatic oils for the use of trained members of staff. More prosaically, signs announce the availability of a service to clean clothes while patrons wash themselves, so that they can return to the outer world fresh from head to toe.

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Aryia        4'8"     110 Lb     Shadow Elf        Female    A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her.
Irshya       3'0"     35 Lb      Goblin            Female    A small, blue-skinned Goblin in sea-green robes.
Jinks        3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  NPCs of Note  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Little Fang, 'Lily'              Kobold            Female    A pinkscale youngling, tan leather dress, Cryo's daughter.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

It's Kesenday. There's a full moon around somewhere but good luck finding it. The tide is low and ebbing. There's a chill wind and dark clouds. All of this is outside, giving the city a gloomy atmosphere.

Inside the Tarrace, the Baths have been spared the influx of worshipers and inquisitors. It's almost business as usual. Cryosanthia has invited Aryia to join her in the baths. The conversations in the main dining hall were getting to her. After she retrieves Lily from her temporary room it's time to swim.

It takes the white sith'makar a while to change her clothes. She's got a lot of magic items to take off and she's a little obsessed about them. It's comparatively easier to change Lily into one of Irshya's spare bathing suits.

Cryosanthia has stripped down, she's completely naked under that robe! She approaches the edge of the pools, her arrival heralded by Lily belly flopping into the water. The whitescale holds off her entry, be it flop or dive, and looks around for Aryia.

It's not hard to find the mute mul'neissa in the slightest. If she's present in the TarRaCe, she only in one of two places: the main hall eating, or in the bathhouse. Said shadow elf was massing her left arm under the waters, eyes closed and sighing softly.

She sits upright in her seat as there's a splash next to her, glowing eyes looking to the pinkscale and blinking a few times. She turns some to look to the entrance. Aryia herself was in just under clothes and a chest wrap, though her head tilted to the side at the sight of Cryosanthia. Something was off. But she couldn't exactly put a finger on it....

She raises a hand in greeting.

At the very bottom of the pool, a shadow moves. Something just a touch darker than the water and the colour of the pool. A little, stubby tail flicks back and forth, and the shadow moves towards Aryia at a slow and lazy pace.

It's Irshya, the Gobbo of the Baths.

Jinks quits the men's changing room after a long, careful look into the bath's open general area. The gnome perspires profusely, probably punished by quick passage from street to baths; the difference in temperature and humidities. His left breast and shoulder remains wrapped and he wears blue-violet briefs, excess cloth hanging down and over a drawstring to drape just past mid-thigh a bit like a skirt.

The approach of a tallman makes the gnome surrender his post in the doorway and he steps full into the baths. Jinks frowns, considering the damp floor and the splashing footfalls as folk come and go. Mayhap he's forgotten what he was on about here.

Cryosanthia drops the robe. Underneath she is only scales, all her patterns and lines on display. They have been changed, somehow, where once there were actual spells are now symbols and letters from the ancient magic language. There's a mild glow to them at times, like now, a faint pale blue. In all other ways, she is the sith'makar she was before, tall, lean and graceful with sweeping horns.

Although she is thicker around her middle, her lithe lines interrupted. She was trying for a nest and it seems she was successful and will need one ... soon-ish. She has that distinctive roundness. Pushing the robe back from the edge, out of the splash zone, Cryo slips her tailtip in the water then follows the rest of it with her feet. She plunges to the bottom, pushes off to burst through the surface, and glides towards an edge she can hang off.

Lily, meanwhile, submerged and surfaced and now she paddles about with loud splashes and a kickboard Cryo tossed in for her.

Cryo makes a noise at Aryia, a rumble in her throat which can function as 'hello' and 'come here'. She's watching her youngling.

Aryia's tilts further to the side as Cryo's robe falls free. Staring. Processing. It had been some time since she's seen dragon-less palescale. And she herself wasn't too familiar with makari in general.

But as they plunge into the water, there's an almost visible /click/ that goes off in her head.

The figure lazily creeping towards Aryia is given a glance. Did... someone leave with makari kid in here? She looks around. Shrugs, and slips around them as she glides over to the palescale and settles in beside her. Another wave hello, and a light smile. Glances stolen to the midsection and a brow raised high.

As Aryia steals glances at Cryosanthia, there's a sudden splash, followed by a light weight upon Aryia's lap. A wet, nude, blue-skinned Gobbo has flopped there, and occupied it. A wee tail wiggles back and forth, much like a cat's, though bearing the pointed fins of a shark. And adorning Irshya's back is another wee fin. "Helloooo Aryia. Cryo! Lil'Fang! Strange man!"

Both tables are occupied, masseuse and masseur kneading like early-morning bakers up before the sun. An attendant discusses herbs and oils with a robe-wrapped oruch from her counter, sliding tinctures and little wrapped bundles indicatively. A pair of lucht rejoin and resume conversation after their trips to either of the gender-specific baths.

Jinks has no time for any of it. He's left his swagger in a coat pocket, hanging next to the rest of his accoutrements. He turns his head as he goes, narrowing his eyes and people make quick appearances in his line of sight. Once he's taken those first two steps into the pool he manages to relax a fraction, opening his hand from a fist he doesn't recall making. As others splash about the gnome settles for a seat on the lip of the pool, scooting away from the stairs until his feet dangle.

Lily paddles around on the surface, splashing a rooster tail of water and her tail thrashing. She points down into the water, "Ssassa! Sssharrk! sssharrk!" The little pink kobold sounds more happy than frightened. For her, a small shark might be a fun playmate, with comparable teeth.

Cryosanthia slides an arm around Aryia, holding her to her side. She's cooler than the water, making for an odd temperature difference, and a solid and strong presence. Her embrace is careful, protective. She nods, noticing Aryia's glance. The edges of her lips curl, "This one was surprised too, when I changed back. I had hopes, I did not expect..." She exhales a breath that freezes a brief sheet of ice on the water, which melts nigh instantly.

"Oh! Irshya! Peace on your Nest." She adjusts how she's resting against the wall, sighing, "The water feels so good. Supportive. I think I want to swim the next few months."

Aryia softly leans into Cryosanthia, her closing her eyes and rela-

Splash! Plop!

The mute woman's eyes grow wide as there was now a blue gobbo on her person. "-ck! Wh- th- f-ck?!" she click/hisses out, picking up the azure creature and tossing them overhand into the deeper side of the pool.

With that... surprise dealt with, she gives a light, if still confused, wave towards Jinks as she resettles her attention on Crysoanthia. The mute gives a little nod, glancing one more time downwards and scratching her head. Huh.

It was a fact that would need to be processed for sure.

Irshya looks quite surprised as she's lifted up and tossed into the deeper end of the pool. She lets out a squeak as she comes down into the deeper part with a splash. She surfaces immediately, and glowers at Aryia. The Gobbo-shark huffs and moves to simply float upon her stomach, partly submerged under the water.

Jinks leans forward with his hands holding the edge of the pool on either side of his knees, leaning back and turning his head when the gobber takes flight. He glances back and bobs his head at Aryia with a ghost of a smile before returning to curling and uncurling his toes in the water. His shoulders are hunched forward and attention on the swivel, tracking folk as they walk this way and that.

Cryosanthia sits up as Irshya is tossed, making a short chuff of a laugh, "I hope you will be okay." She tells the gobbo. Aryia is hugged again, against her side and the curves of her side. She seems just as solid there. "This one hopes she isn't over-sharing, my discretion in this area has not been good previously. The people carry eggs for three months or so and are not terribly inconvenienced. This is followed by a longer time on the nest, and the hatchlings."

There is a splash in front of Jinks, a pink head breaks the surface. Lily treads water in front of the smallman, opening her maw.

Cryosanthia watches the exchange, just in case. Lily isn't that far away and she knows Jinks. It isn't an issue. Still, she watches. She brushes at Aryia's arm, keeping her close. "This one asked Aya to strip, so I could examine her for pact marks. Showing her I did not trust her. She did not have a mark, but she did have a pact."

Another exhale, "this one feels foolish."

Irshya submerges, a little shadow moving along the bottom of the pool. She darts upwards then, her head bumping Lily upwards as she surfaces. "Lily!", she says with a squeak. Her eyes peeeeeer at Jinks curiously for a moment, before she gives the pink Kobold a splash.

"Irshya is okay.", the Gobbo finally replies, to Cryosanthia. "She did not sustain any injury in her short flight."

Jinks looks down at Lily from the corner of his eye, rocking even as he turns his head to face her full. He's been uncomfortable about something this whole time and the proximity of the kobold doesn't change that. He opens his mouth to say something, jaw working and face contorting as he tries to find the mouthshape for Draconic. He quits before he can, sighing, and sings quietly instead.

"I kneel and pluck the lily

"for it's a pretty thing.

"I give the lily as a gift,

"to satisfy a king.

"The lily wilts and turns to rot

"taken from her home.

"The forest lillies bloom and grow

"never knowing gnomes." <gnomish>

Aryia gives a neutral wave to Irshya as she's glared at. "Sorry, I don't deal well with random people jumping on me," she explains with a hand. If the gobbo knew what she was talking about, that'd be up to other to fill her in. The elf is hugged once more, this time it being returned with a little pat on a scaled back.

At the mention of Aya, Aryia cranes her head back to raise a white brow at Cryostanthia. Unsure of why this was being shared. <Handspeech>

"Okay!" Cryo says, taking Irshya at her word, diligently watching.

Lily returns the splashing with a gleeful lizard squeal, before looking staring at Jinks some more. She doesn't seem to completely understand his words, but some of it gets through. He's sad and unsettled. Finally she asks, "You okaaaysss?"

The pat is pleasant, Cryo wants more of those. Her tail stirs the water, back and forth in the depths. "This one was fooled. I invited her into my life, despite warnings. She sacrificed everything for me. She sacrificed everything and I can't save her. I've been told to run, or fight her. This one is not without feeling, and..."

Aryia is not the substitute for Aya, even if she is a Mul'niessa in the water with her, just like the last time she took a swim. Even if there is an unexpected connection and trust. The speaker is lost for words but squeezes Aryia a little tighter. "This one will try to be here for you, when I wasn't for her."

The Gobbo-shark eyes the Gnome once more as he sings, her head canted to one side. When Lily asks if he is okay, Irshya moves to lift the Kobold to her shoulders, the Goblin sinking into the water, while Lily remains aloft. The pink Kobold then begins to lazily move around the pool.

"Always," Jinks answers Lily with a practiced smile. He blinks sweat from his eyes and lifts both hands to wipe down his face as she floats away on the HMS Gobber. The gnome turns to look at Cryosanthia and Aryia when the subject turns to Aya. A few beats of that and he's drawing his legs up out of the pool, standing and padding wetly towards the changing room with one hand scratching at his bandages.

Aryia's confusion bleeds away as Cryosanthia begins to talk more. Ah. Yes. A pact. With the one in front of her. The mute's eyes dim some, her gaze dropping just a touch. Aryia was not a replacement. Despite the two's tales having many parallels, there were a slew of differences. One being that Aryia was here.

A hand reaches up to curl her fingers at her chest. Her heart ached still. Despite the weeks it has been since that day.

"... I miss her so much..." her lips move, voiceless, but it was spoken more out of her heart than any voice could carry it.

She gives a little nod, and loosely gestures towards the makarai with a common gesture, "Thank you." <Handspeech>

Dimmed eyes look to Jinks as he goes. Watching. Observing. Thinking. Remembering. Reliving. Regretting. Grieving. She shakes her head. Where did all that come from?

"Yaaaaaaaaah!" Lily squeals! She's riding a shark! She's all over the pool. Her little tail thrashes behind her and she splashes anyone she comes near. Her concern for Jinks is forgotten. He confirmed he's fine. She doesn't understand the body language of softskins enough to tell if he's lying.

"Jinks?" Cryo calls, noticing him stand and start to leave. There's concern in her voice, "Thank you for helping me." A few thoughts nag at her mind, "This one apologizes... if... this one doesn't remember a lot of the carriage. I was not in a good place." Like you still seem to be, goes unsaid.

The look in Aryia's eyes is caught, as are the silent words. The whitescale nods, slowly. "I do too. I don't know how to free her. I'll ask Mikilos. Ending... Him seems the only way." There's a painful trilling noise in her throat as she looks Lily's way, calling for her youngling. She wouldn't have asked Aya to make the trade... and yet, it is something she does not refuse.

Lily looks at her Ssassa as she calls, and searchs for horns to steer Irshya with. Why don't goblins come with head handles for easy turning? She will complain to the god to gobbos when she gets the chance. Jink's song trickles through her mind, and she finally tells him, "notsss rottty gnome." She's misunderstood him.

Or perhaps not.

Lily does, eventually, get to Ssassa, the Gobbo seemingly having a marvelous time being Lily's ride. The Gobbo emerges then, as Lily does as she is wont to do, and begin to ascend Cryosanthia. Something about horns, it seems.

Irshya gasps then, and stares at Cryo's rounding middle. "Is... is Cryosanthia with child?", she wonders loudly, in the ice dragon's direction. Irshya carefully leans in, spreading her arms across Cryo's middle, an ear pressed to the woman's belly.

Her eyes meet Aryia's, her expression thoughtful. "Irshya is sorry for surprising you. She enjoys hiding at the bottom of the pools."

Jinks has forgotten a date or the like, most-likely. His strides turn longer when Cryosanthia calls after him and the odd little minstrel bounces through an attendant-- shoulder to hip-- to disappear into the changing room.

Aryia looks between Jinks and Cryo, her tilting her head to the side. Must have been something the two did.

The elf's shoulders droop. She doesn't know either. Her gaze drops to the waters, eyes dimming until they were almost extinguished. But she closes her eyes, tightly grips a fist in front of her until the knuckles turn white. And a heavy sigh leaves her. A drop of shadow drips from her fingers, passes through the water, and splashes against her lap.

Her eyes reopen and the shimmer was back to-if not stronger- where it was before. The gaze settles on Irshya, and she gives a little shrug, and a small thumbs up. She points to Irshya and makes a twirling motion with her fingers. "You sign?" <Handspeech>

Cryosanthia is climbed, Lily reaching her head and shoulders and hanging off her horns. It pulls the icy woman's head back, just a little, although she seems happy at the weight. She makes a pleasing warble, a little like a purr, that's easily sensed by Aryia and Irshya.

She nods to Irshya, smiling as she spreads her arms across her rounded belly. She laughs, it's a light and happy sound, also easily audible through her, "With eggs, much like with child, though more of them. This one is not sure you'll hear anything."

Her tail curls at the contact, it is a pleasant feeling.

The tension in the mul'niessa, sees her fist, her knuckles. She knows. She shares the feelings. She squeezes, just a little, another cold hug. Her voice crackles, "Aya's letter told me... how much our friendship meant. That I should... hatch... or move from winter to spring. This one enjoys all the winter things but she is right. I am not Endless Winter."

She slides her free hand against her belly, feeling the girth and weight of it. Her hand moves to rub at Irshya's head. "I am full of new life. I am Spring. Something."

Irshya's ears perk up at Aryia's hand signs, and she shrugs her shoulders slowly. "Your hands move too quickly. Irshya has.. trouble learning new languages. However, she can cheat!" She closes her eyes for a few moments, her fingers tracing something in the air. "Try again, please!"

With her eyes on Aryia, the Gobbo goes back to listening. "Five?", she wonders of Cryosanthia then. "Six?"

Aryia blinks at the motions, a tinge of tension in her frame before it quickly passes. Hands move again, "Was just asking if you signed. But I guess not. That's okay. I was just saying earlier I don't like surprises. Especially from people I don't know."

The mute herself seemed to be a bit lost in thought, but she looks up at Cryo and leans into the hug. The contents of her own letter a mystery to all save one. Not forgetting the past. But not being enshrouded by it either. Whatever it was that Aryia was going through, she was moving forward. Not on. Forward.

But that forward meant... shimmering lamps flick to the carnation scale. This was going to be a bit tricky, but she figures she can make it work without a book.

The pugilist makes sure she has Cryo's undivided attention. She pats her scarred chest. "L-tt-r," she hisses. She points to Lily. Then to herself. Her face somber, but hopeful that it wouldn't be a permanent thing. "T- -y -y n-w. N-t s-r- wh-t t- d-."

"No sssurrprissess." Lily translates, watching Aryia's hands. She leans one way, turning Cryo's head, then slings her weight to the other side, "Breath weaponssss!" She commands.

"This one is not firing her breath weapon in the baths Lily, you know that." Cryo laughs, chrrring happily, sinking into the sensations. Warm water lapping against her, Aryia's warmth, Irshya's warmth, the press of her hands. "Five... or six... would be about right, a normal clutch size. This one did not get a count. Only... confirmation of sire." A long exhale follows that. Surely there is a story.

Which will have to wait, as Cryo focuses on Aryia and listens, her ear fins curling forward to catch the clipped words. The whitescale nods, "This one is not sure either. I will... Aryia I will help as best I can. This one can still fight in emergencies, but must seek other solutions. Merek, Cesran, Mikilos, I will see what they can do for her. We must not forget."

"She's... so brave. It was a terrible sacrifice. We have to save her."

Announcement: Aftershock shouts, "Williwaw is considering running something. Please page with interest. It is rather late, so this would likely be just a prologue for a multi evening plot. Level range to be decided depending on interest."

"Irshya understands. She just uhm... likes to touch and be touched. Hugs." The Gobbo giggles at Lily. "That would make the water cold. Which would probably upset Aryia a little, Irshya thinks. Most people like warm baths, not cold. Not everyone has ice in their veins, or were born in the sea."

The Gobbo looks to Cryosanthia. "There will be heartbeats soon. And then they will start moving. And talking to you." Irshya pats at Cryo's stomach. "Irshya hopes the eggs don't get too big. It might be a long, tiring birth."

Whatever the story was, Aryia wasn't going to prod about that. It's just the current state of things. She does nod, however. Cold waters was not what she was here for. "I don't like strangers touching me. I tend to break fingers on accident." Wasn't a threat, just a fact. <Handspeech>

Her brows furrow a bit, her resting against the coldscale for a few moments. She points to herself languidly, and shakes her head. 'I can't.'

Feeling as Cryo didn't catch what she was trying to pantomime, she gives a little sigh, and rises to her feet. All those horrid scars from head to toe on display, only broken up by what little she had worn. Lips move to be near Cryo's ear fin, and for once, the whitescale could hear the full range of the mute woman's hisses. Full of subwhisper, lack of timbre. All air. But still, a voice on the wind.

She waits for the background noise to settle before breathing out.

"That's not what I said. I will leave it to them to save her, as all I can do right now is better myself for her. What I was saying..."

She takes a moment to breathe and relaxes her throat before continuing.

".. was that my letter said that I was Tia Ay Ay now. The responsibility fell to me. I don't accept that it is a permanent thing, but I'll do it for Aya. I just... don't know what that means."

Shivering from the cold scales, she plops back down into the warm waters and massages her throat.

Cryo nods at Irshya, exhaling, "This one definitely hopes they will not get too large. I had hoped to pray for easy laying to the Nest-Mother of the Stars, but that will have to wait." She sighs, "The water feels good, the support all around. And this one likes hugs."

That's an invitation.

The whitescale watches Aryia as she stands, looking over each and every scar on her body. What wrote this one, she wonders, extending a finger. She does not touch; she knows Aryia. The woman's past suffering is a shock, one that has left her thoughtful. She listens so carefully to her delicately breathed words. "I understand." She hisses.

The shared words sink in, reminding Cryosanthia of the depths of her soul. She stares at the mul'niessa, her sapphire eyes unblinking. "I need you. Lily needs you."

The Gobbo's ears perk up, but as Aryia begins to speak, Irshya submerges herself quickly. She sinks down to the bottom of the pool, a distance away from the other women.

There's a commotion in the men's changing room. Complaints as someone opens a window to escape, and lets the cold, night air in. Someone has gone full chicken, sneaking out so he won't have to pass the women in the baths.

A white clad finger extended towards an old scar that went straight from shoulder to sternum. Like a blade landed perfectly straight against it. The extended finger is reached for and held onto. Aryia's glowing gaze firmly locked on Cryosanthia's.

She squeezes the hand. Her eyes pulse like a passing lantern. A drop of shadow leaks from her hand.

The mute mul'neissa nods firmly.

She deeply inhales. Then exhales. Her intensity abates as she waves a hand at Lily. "Can you ask your mother what she wanted to talk with me about?" she requests of the little one. The gobbo's absence slipped Aryia's attention. She was a little bit too focused in the moment.<Handspeech>

"Uh-huuh!" Lily says, then crawls over Cryo's head in a way only a lizard can, to stare at her eye to eye as she stands straddled on her Ssassa's horns, "Tias Ariass wantss know whats ssay?"

The translation is a little garbled.

Cryosanthia seems to understand it. Irshya's departure is noted, but the whitescale turns to the Mul'niessa. She squeezes back, that scar is a bad one. Her free hand slides down over her belly, rubbing the curve. The sith'makar tenses up, just a little. She doesn't show embarrassment as easily as softskins.

She still is, at times.

"This one will need clutch-mothers, and Egg-Watchers. Soon. It is a great imposition, and this one wishes she could shelter you from all you face." Her wings are wide, but not enough, "Instead... would you... consider it? I need you."

The Gobbo dives down, becoming just a little shadow again at the bottom of the pool.

Which circles it, shark-like.

It was less that it was a bad scar, and more of 'I need to let Cryosanthia know I'm right here.' She wasn't one to stare at the curved belly, her a bit occupied with patting Lily on the leg to thank her for the translation. Though, she couldn't help but lightly smile at being called that.

The request makes the elf tilt her head faaar to the side. Not understanding. No, not just that, the kind of not understanding that many sith-makar know when a softskin is thrown for a loop on makari culture.

Cryosanthia seems like she would nod her head, if she didn't have her youngling draped all over her horns. Instead she moves carefully, turning her head. The edges of her lips curl, "Ah."

She adjusts how she leans against the wall, taller, an attempt to hide her profile. Her tail keeps washing back and forth, supporting her. "The terms are like soft-skins, but not. The Nest-Mother is the one that lays the eggs. The People make their nests at the same time, often. Our fertile seasons align. Clutch-Mothers, are the females who have not laid, but assist the Nest-Mothers. They might have been Nest-Mothers before, wish to be and desire the experience, or have an interest. They are closest to 'Aunts' for softskins. Related, sometimes. Egg-Watchers are the warrior guards, they protect the nests, the laying and attending females, the nestling, hatchlings."

Cryo grins, "They are quite fierce and stern. All have terrifying memories of the Egg-Watchers. Even the hardscale adult warriors will shy from an angry Egg-Watcher."

She pauses, watches her tailtip stirring within the water. "The Egg-Watchers are warriors, and Nest-Mothers who have lost their nests, or suffered greatly. The People... do not handle the loss of younglings well. Or, injured younglings."

Her sapphire eyes fix on the Mul'niessa's glowing ones. "This one was trained by the Egg-Watchers, when I returned from Salina's tower, after I lost my first foundling, after my... after the one I believed my cihuaa, left me."

"Ssassaa!" Lily says, rocking on Cryo's horns.

"Yes Lily, this one will not dwell, but she must explain." Cryo reaches up to pat along the pinkscale's back.

Aryia is attentive. Doing her best to not get lost in all the terminology, even going so far as to mouth the words along with the explanation. She leans against the wall as well, head craned back to watch Cryosanthia go about makari customs. She does scratch her head a bit about alignment of seasons, probably something not worth asking more about.

Hoping Little Fang would translate, Aryia gestures slowly, "And you want me to help with that? Be guard, or help with the eggs? I... I'm not that good with taking care of babies. I've tried but they yell at me a lot. But..." She gives a soft smile, and a nod. "I am very good at breaking faces. So I can help with that." <Handspeech>

Cryo watches Aryia's handsigns, there's a reserved nervousness, she can't catch all the meanings. She understands some negations, but not what has been said.

Lily is quite happy to translate, flicking out her tongue, her eyes fixed on the handsigns, "Tias Ariass wants know help or guard. She breakss facess, worriess she breakss eggs."

"This one was hoping, Egg-watcher." Cryo says, taking Lily down from her horns and hugging her protectively to her front. Both her arms wrap over the small pinkscale. "This one would have asked Aya, to be Egg-Watcher."

"Runss from Tia Ay-ayss." Lily repeats.

"Yes.." Cryo can nod nows. She inhales then exhales, a small puff of visible breath, "Once this one lays, she will be on the nest all times, to protect, to keep the temperature right. This one will be... more aggressive than usual. I will need to know your scent well, so I do not react like I did before."

She gazes across the baths, "I am not sure I can nest in Mictlan, there are reasons. If I nest alone I will need a lot of assistance." Aryia's visage remains solid this time around at the mention of Aya. She gives a slow nod, understanding. "I can egg watch. Yes. I will need to tell..." Her face grows a hint red. "... V-I-O-L-E-T. That I'll be helping you." Aryia reaches out and wraps an arm around a whitescaled one. She gives a thumbs up, and a surprisingly confident smile that reaches her glowing gaze. <Handspeech>

"Yesss. Likess violetsss." Lily summarizes, then bunches up her eye-ridges. There was no stated approval of lillies. She notches Jinks up a point, he sung about those.

"Ah... yesss." Cryo says, more confused than illuminated, although Aryia's smile and arm against her scales give enough of an answer. She brings the mul'niessa into the embrace with her youngling, holding them both. Snuffling at Lily's head, and a more obvious exploration of her nose in Aryia's hair, with a heavy chuff of breath as she inhales her scent.

This one is not a threat. This one is a protector. This one is my youngling.

She isn't, of course, but the whitescale's epiphany remains. She is needed, and she needs others, and she will build her nest with the family that surrounds her. Even if they don't know they got adopted. Her maternal instincts are strong and only a little confused.

"Thank you."

OOC

Pre-scene warnings and consent
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Cryo will be both nude and obviously gravid. I understand are sensitive topics and not for everyone. I might need a nudge if I get too close to boundaries."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "so let me know please"
<OOC> Skielstregar doesn't mind
<OOC> Jinks says, "I tend to go for the implicit versus explicit but I imagine I'll be OK. I'll speak up if I get uncomfortable."
<OOC> Cryosanthia nods
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I'm inteding 'it makes story sense' level of presence, more than gratituous kinky-sexy reasons, trying to be respectful with it"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I trust you, Cryo. :)"
<OOC> Skielstregar snerk. "Yeah, trust ya"

Irshya pages: SO how long have the eggs been gestating?
You paged Irshya with 'Well, there's dramatic time. At least a month, likely closer to 2. Lizards have surprisingly short gestation periods, like 6 weeks, 3 months for crocs. I was OOC planning Cryo would lay start of December, so I figure she's halfway along. She also wouldn't be as large/impaired as a human pregnancy, as there's still several months of the eggs in the nest after.'
Irshya pages: Then Irshya can probably hear heartbeats. :D
Long distance to Irshya: Cryosanthia nods, "I will have to research that more. heartbeats through eggs, makes sense she could hear. leave it at 5 to 6 then, that seems a decent number. I hope this is OK RP for you?"
From afar, Irshya nodnods!

Moments
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "aryia: is that a kid drowning? eh, not my problem"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "heh heh"

Other OOC
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I very much enjoyed!"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "as did I"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "hope the lore works"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "the... lore?"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "how things work for the Sith'makar"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "it seems pretty solid tbh"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "thanks, I have been working on it a bit, going off hints from others."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "like Svarshan, et cet, Lahar, before they left"
<OOC> Skielstregar noddles. "it's very complex
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I figure, especially with Am'shere, that the females aren't really all that troubled or slowed by gestating eggs, but laying them effectively locks them in place"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "regardless, it seems like a solid process you laid out. I'm curious as to how confused Aryia will get"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "yeah, makes sense"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "then since there's a 'group raise the younglings' thing going on, they get separated so the mother doesn't become overly attached and go insane, but... I thnk that's... kind of variable."
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "yeah i think that'd be variable"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "or more simply, after a while day-care kicks in and the moms are told to go do stuff and not 24/7 their younglings."
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I was kind of planning for Cryo to do this around lvl 16, and then with the reset it makes a lot more sense"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "'cryo, go drop your kids off at day care, you gotta go blow something up!'"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "yupyup!"
<OOC> Skielstregar nod!
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "I still do kind of plan 'stuck on nest' RP, and sending others out to do things, and such."
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "Aryia : "why the fuck does she want me to get pickled frogs""
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "YUS"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Hey it totally works for random PrP missions"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "and... ice cream?"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "oh for sure"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "although I should be doing that -now- while I'm carrying the eggs. Sitting on them, they aren't likely to care what I eat."
<OOC> Cryosanthia makes notes
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "that was the 'yeah.. give me some tripe, tendons and spinal fluid' from earlier"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "oh no no, sitting on them, you need special, specific, insence"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "and egg shell polish"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "hee"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "oh yeah"
<OOC> Cryosanthia says, "it's an interesting character handicap, in any case"
<OOC> Skielstregar says, "for sure"