View source for When the Numbers Change

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== Log Info ==
*Title: When the Numbers Change
*Emitter: Cryosanthia
*Characters: Cryosanthia, Mikilos, Seyardu, Jinks
*Place: W02: Mictlan, the Nesting Grounds
*Time: Saturday, January 01, 2022, 12:10 AM
*Summary: Cryosanthia is celebrating the New Years in Mictlan, with firewords and her friends. She's on her nest, as are the other Nest-Mothers, with Mikilos, and the pair are shooting firewords and fireballs up into the sky. The softskins are having a New Year, and while the whitescale finds it an amusing concept, she also loves a celebration. It's a low-key performance on Cryo's part, she's not up dancing, singing or weaving illusions. Drinks arrive with a cartfull of drinks, alcoholic and non, for the Nesters and the Watchers. Seyardu criticises Jinks for wrecking a home, and wants to make some pointed points about that. Cryo, who has had her own experience with Jinks wrecking her home, advises that whatever it is, it can't be that bad. It seems it is, and Jinks' escapades are discussed further before the silverscale ultimately leaves. Cryo politely askes Mikilos to make a Magic Mansion matching a proposed floorplan for Sabina's new spa, so the softskins can stay overnight in it. He thanks her for asking, does so, and the fireworks end and the New Year, and just possibly, a new chapter to all their stories, begins.</div>

-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-<* W02: Mictlan *>-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Located within the Deep Woods, and hours past Wilderness Pointe, in the heart of its northern woods, bones frame this hollowed-out space. Massive and heavy, they reach towards the sky, meeting--almost--in the center like great and worn stalagmites. Or giant teeth. After a few seconds--it's quickly evident that this is a space carved from a dragon's bones. A very, very large...dragon's bones. The air smells of ash, brimstone, and earth. Underneath the apex of the bones lie the workings of a central Fire. 

The grounds are run by shamans of the sith-makar, and the sacred space dedicated to the Death Singing Dragon, one of their names for the goddess, Vardama. There are always a number of them about, from a mixture of tribes. Formally, the sith use it to sing the souls of their dead back to the land of Wing and Flame, and celebrate the Memory of Blood. It was here that brave heroes stood, and vanquished the ashen warriors of old, thereby freeing the land from Thul's curse. Informally, it is a gathering place.
    
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<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'9"     291 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, elegant white-scaled lizard woman.
Mikilos      6'8"     180 Lb     Dawn Elf          Male      Tall male dawn elf, rosey blonde and handsome.
Seyardu      5'6"     150 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint.
Jinks        3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Nest Mothers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Xochicotzin, 'Xochi'             Sith-Makar        Female    A red-scaled, mesomorphic, Egg-Watcher, nesting.
Cozamalotl, 'Zama'               Sith-Makar        Female    A brass-scaled, stringy, Lore-Keeper, nesting.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Egg Watchers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Tayanna                          Sith-Makar        Female    A green-scaled, muscular, Egg-Watcher, patient.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Littlest Big Sister -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Little Fang, 'Lily'              Kobold            Female    A crafty and creative, pinkscale youngling, Cryo's daughter.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=</pre>

:: Zrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrp!

:: Wvvvzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

:: >>>BANG<<<

:: >>Cr-cr-cr-crack-kle-kle<<

Fireworks. It starts with fireworks, zipping up into the sky and exploding in great umbrellas of sparks and light. The bones of Sufri'gan are illuminated against the canopy of black. Some are spells, some are artifice, some chemicals.

It's no different out at the mastaba of the Nest-Mothers'. Cryo is setting off her snapdragon fireworks, and Lily... has come up with some things.

:: >>>BOOOOO<<<

Hers have to be set off outside the palisade, using long leads.

::: KA-FOOSH! 

Mikilos has his own fiireworks... that aren't allowed near the city. Most are arcane, a few alchemical, all tend to either be big booms, or showers of rainbow sparkles. The wizard has his own littlte area set up to launch in relative safety. To others, that is.

Seyardu was asleep in the nests, where she seemed to pass out quite often these days, only to be on hand often. This was one of those many times. 

This time, it was not a nest mother need assistance which woke her, but, an explosion? 

The cleric is up to her feet quickly, bonking her head on one of the walls of the small building. She looks over to the entrance at a flash of light, and squints. 

"Is everything alright?" She asks quietly.

"LOUDER! Yes!" Xochi stands straddled on her nest, shouting at the sky with both hands, her tail whipping.

"Is this absolutely necessary?" Zama asks, from within her book fort. "Oh, are you awake Seyardu?"

"It is," Cryo says, part of the problem, "this one explained the significance of the annual numerical shift?"

Mikilos blinks innocently, launching another Fireball high into the air, "'Necessary'? Questionable. 'Fun'? Certainly. And sometimes, that's all that matters."

"You did?" Seyardu asks blearily as she manages to get to her feet. "This one must have been half awake when you did, apologies. Do you need anything Zama?" 

"What is the importance, then? I know so few softskin holidays, it feels. Is the turning of the year more important for them?"

"Yes, if you would please Seyardu," the brass scale says, without appearing.

"There is a numerical significance," Cryo says, "and the desire to have a celebration to mark a change." She flips her lef hand through a graceful, arcane motion. Her chest scales sparkle, and then a cascade of light moves out along her arm, to her hand. On her fingertips, five little fiery dragons form this time, each wizzing up into the sky.

:: >>POP pop-pop-pop POP POP<<

Mikilos hehs. "On the currently most popular calendar. Are numerous others that celebrate the new year at different times. This one happens to be used in Myrr and Alexandros... Charn as well, but don't hold that against it."

"I suppose there is relevance to the movement of ea, I have heard. Sjach has told me a lot about the stars." Seyardu admits. "Ah, yes of course Zama, I will be right in." 

The cleric stops to pick up the small kobold and hug them, before she sets them down and enters the book fort.

Even after two or three visits, Jinks isn't exactly comfortable in this neck of the woods. People might change and grow but those racial biases run deep. Generations of territorial disputes and bloody wars-- and the decades of learning about them in lessons, hearing about them in tales-- are hard to forget. So the colorful gnome rides casually in the saddle with a white flag flapping over Enness. Coming today without an escort he wants to be doubly sure. 
 
The gnome wears his oversized, wine-colored coat and his usual over-abundance of jewels (gold and emeralds tonight, primarily). A loose wool shawl is wrapped loosely around his lower face and shoulders beneath the coat; green with elaborate orange and yellow stitchwork. 
 
A small wagon is pulled behind Neighsayers the pony, wobbling and squeeking slightly with a payload concealed beneath a canvas tarp lightly dusted by the snow.

The gnome would have been given an escort, transferred from the Mictlan watchers to the Egg Watchers then led up to the Nesting Grounds. He's met first by Lily, who seems to be everywhere, and a black-scaled sith'makar woman that appears out of nowhere.

Cryo is sending another flight of exploding dragons to light up the sky, making distant explosions of light.

Mikilos is, for his part, running shy of Boom, so settles for a nice bright Light to glow softly around him. Less dramatic, but the skyshow is wrapping up anyaway... maybe. His part is.

Cryo has a lot more juice, but runs out also. Her Snapdragons continue to appear for a while longer, letting her mark the moment. Lily has one last thing remaining, a giant katheryn wheel, at least a large as the average person. She spends a few moments, sparking a fuse.

"Ensure it is aimed away," Cryo cautions. She also waves when she notices Jinks. This sends a firework zipping past him, and it explodes harmlessly a few hundred feet away.

"Coyote laughs, tallman," Jinks laughs, leaning to the side and tossing a thumb up at his flag. "I come in peace." He stands and bundles the coat in the crook of his arm before swinging his leg and dropping down to the ground. A groan issues when the gnome arches his back and then he takes a moment to massage the inside of his thighs. "... I bet if you asked real nice you could move the dragon bones closer to the city," he half-jokes with a feigned wince and a wink. 
 
Patting Enness, he goes around to the cart and lifts the tarp. Folding it quickly and stuffing it down between his payload. Bottles clatter as they're jostled and a keg -doonks- as the gnome pats it. 
 
"Wine and mead, bottled, and cider in the keg. Though... I guess nursing isn't a concern..." The gnome hadn't stopped to consider the different biology in play until this very moment it seems. He shrugs and waves a finger in a circle. "Well, cider for the ones on duty, then. 'Responsible folk,'" he adds, lip curling in mock disgust.

It's apparently a soft cider.

"Oh? We can drink alcohol again? I guess we can, we've laid." Cryo says.

"As long as you don't step on an egg." Tayanna answers, stepping up to inspect the gnome's cart and cases. She has a mug she brings out of nowhere.

"Oh... uh. Oh there's a on duty version?" The whitescale says.

"This one would like some of that." Zama tells Seyardu.

There's a groan, Papalotl puts some ear protection over her ears and goes back to sleep.

Seyardu slips out of the small fort and sighs, before she is on our way out. Just in time to catch the gnome coming in on their steed. "A spinning wheel with explosives, strange. Ah, yes. They can drink, if they wish to." 

She seems about ready to say something to Jinks, there is irritation on the air to those that understand the scent, but Zama's request for a drink was changed to a more specific one. The cleric sighs. "Very well, I will take a mug of the cider if you are offering it. As long as you are not seeking to tear any families apart with this offering."

Mikilos smiles mildly. "If I'm tallman, is there a ShortGirl around somewhere? Though I do sometimes wonder how easy it might be to move the city closer instead." He totally mishears Cryo, and stares for a moment.

"Yesssss. Issss me!" Lily tells Mikilos, as she lights her giant, explosive filled wheel. Each rocket ignites and it starts rolling and then the device shoots off, bouncing down the hill and past the outer limits of Mictlan to explode somewhere in the forest.

Her Ssassa watches, then looks at Mikilos staring at her. She blinks and ends up tilting her head to the side, "So that you are not drunk on patrol, this one means. Or on the nest."

Which ought to be safer, but a lot of deadly accidents happen in the home.

"I--" Jinks blinks at Seyardu, his expression going tight for the blink of an eye. "No," grins the gnome, pulling the big cowl on his jacket a little lower. "Not enough time for that. I just wanted to drop off a gift and then be on my way." 
 
The dandy turns and futzes at the saddle, working loose the straps to unbuckle the wagon. He gives a little hiss and mutters in Gnomish when the strap comes loose and the arms of the wagon swing up, the back end tilting with the weight of its cargo. The bottles clatter and the keg slides but nothing breaks. "Mulria's sideways smile... well, no harm done." And he's climbing back up into the saddle.

Mikilos blinks, nods, realizing he misheard, and shifts focus to Lily. "Well so far as ShortGirls go, you're the best I know." He watches the explosive wheel of fire race off, mildly curious what sort of wildlife just got the scare of their lives.

"It does not take much time." Seyardu notes as she moves to secure the cart and pull the keg out of it. "Just a bit of convincing." 

"So be it, I doubt that I will get an explanation out of you while that geas is still up. I should not be ungracious, and thank you for this gift." 

The cleric sighs and sees about making sure the keg is tapped. She pulls one mug out of her bag, pours a bit out to try, and afterwards another mug which she fills more to bring to Zama.

"We will have to go check that in the light." Cryo says, watching the distant explosion. "There is a druid who remains unhappy at Tenoc for some goblin activities. It's probably fine, scorched only a rock and some trees."

Lily nods up at Mikilos, he understands.

Xochi remains crouched over her nest, "Drinks! Bring Drinks Tayanna!" She demands. The excitement and explosions clearly energizing her.

Cryo looks between Jinks and Seyardu, "This one is suspecting some story. Wait, a geas? Oh my scales, is Alexandria geasing all adventurers now?"

She jumps to conclusions. A possibly prophetic one, but not a currently active and accurate one.

Mikilos frowns. "I understand geas can be useful in some situations... But I think Alexandros is playing with forces they shouldn't be."

"Especially when you're so good at it," Jinks offers the hearthguard a lopsided smile. He nudges the pony beyond the cart and then turns the mount, doubling back pass the contents to lean down and pluck a bottle loose. "I can talk whenever you want, Seyardu, unless it spoils the fun for someone else." 
 
The gnome lifts the bottle and pulls the cork loose with his back teeth, spitting it onto the ground. "Not all of them, Cryosanthia. Just the blackhearted ones." He winks at the new-mom and taps his finger to his chest. A quiet, self-deprecating laugh and he salutes Mikilos with the bottle before looking for whoever will usher him back towards the settlement border and the wilds beyond.

"Come here," Cryo says, waving the small man over. Lily has also returned, and belly-flopped over the side of the nest and into it. She curls up in a spot that is clearly hers beside the grouping of eggs. The whitescale watches Jinks' intently, concerned about her smell.

In her mind, a small and somewhat dog-like dragon gives her a look.

"This one is concerned about the forces at play." She exhales, "there are only a few more tasks remaining. Thank you for celebrating whatever this is with me. Ha, we should have done this when we finished."

"You shot off fireworks and we were too tired to celebrate." Zama corrects.

"Oh right."

"I can never tell what you are thinking or saying, because you honest half the time Jinks." Seyardu chuffs after delivering her drink to the bookwyrm in their nest, and returning outside. "If they did not wish for your gifts, I have half a mind to turn you away and ask you not to return until you explain yourself." 

"It is a story, yes." The cleric sighs. "I am sorry. I should be kinder, but I find it difficult. I have known Jinks for months, and every time I try to think they may be alright, something else pops up. There are only so many times I can accept it."

Mikilos is a guest here himself, and has certainly brought troubles to others in ways he did not intend. So for now, the elf stays silent.

"Mmmm." Cryosanthia says, exhaling carefully. A drunken night and a morning after come to mind, and the whitescale rubs at her front. There is a lot of loose skin and scale over her belly. She can even roll it up, it's wonderful, she tries not to think about that. Focusing on other priorities. She ends up quoting a famous ambassador, "Well, whatever it is, it can't be that bad."

"Talk tomorrow, Jinks is my underfoot trainer, and bringing of drinks." Cryo finishes off with a smile.

"If he comes near my nest, I'll kill him." Xochi doesn't mean it, really. He's been near her nest before and not died. There weren't eggs in it though.

Lily pops up, to lean and hold her arms out, for pickup by Mikilos, drinks from Jinks, or high-fives from Seyardu, it's not clear.

"One face of the coin is Coyote and the other the Sly One," Jinks shrugs at Seyardu, pausing long enough to have a drink from the bottle he's selected. He grimaces and chokes, turning his lip when he reads the label that declares the contents as mead. He stomachs a second drink regardless. "Money still spends." 
 
The gnome takes a deep breath and looks across at Cryosanthia, tilting his head to one side so he's a clear look out from under the cowl with one eye. He hesitates long enough that the white sith-makar has time to respond to the silver but then works up the courage to steer Enness that direction. Regardless of the truth of the words, the death threat is enough that he avoids Xochi's nest. He turns the pony so his flank faces the swashbuckling sorceress and pulls his hood back. "Hmm?" he wonders.

"Just hmmm." Cryo says, crawling off her nest to reach and grab Jinks. She's rudely overwhelming him with her size again, but it seems she will not abandon these liberties. Faran gets the worst of it, usually, though the whitescale picks up the gnome and pulls him to her front, curling her arms around and sniffing his head.

There's a moment, where she lives with his scent, analyzing it and the significance associated. She bumps him once with her nose, "This one does find you threatening."

She gives him a squeeze then sits back, "The damaged ones must stick together. Do you have something Lily can safely drink? This one would like it also."

"I'd kill for a drink." Xochi says, glaring at Jinks. Damning him if he does, damning him if he doesn't.

Tayanna appears out of the shadows beside the red-scale, "here. The silver-scale has business with him. You do not have to prove yourself best amongst all."

"It is like that. Jinks." Seyardu growls, standing up straighter. "The way you act, it is as if you wish to anger people. Which only confuses me more. This one does not care about coin, they find value in other things. It is a means to an end since softskins will not help each other otherwise at points." 

The cleric sighs, and moves to the door. "I am sorry, I need to step out from here. this confusion and frustration will lead to me punching him if I do not go to clear my head."

Jinks' thumb goes into the neck of the bottle at the very last second to keep it from sloshing and spilling everywhere. He issues a little 'ack' of surprise but follows it with a resigned sigh; he's apparently been here before. Solid-black eyes close hard when he's sniffed. The bard tenses. It's not an especially comfortable place to be. 
 
"Tallm-- Seyardu. Just," he issues an exasperated sigh. "Fucking stay. Ask your questions and I'll be honest. Cast a spell and make Telmentar keep my tongue straight if you don't trust me to." The gnome tries to relax and realizes his nails are grinding against Cryosanthia's arm scales. He forces his grip to ease and pats the back of a clawed hand. An awkward, if somewhat-familiar gesture. 
 
"I came out here to keep away from some old habits," he admits. Unplugging his thumb from the bottle and taking another long drink. He needs to be quite a bit less sober if Truth is on the table. 
 
"Lily might like the cider. There's nothing in it to get you drunk." He finally adds, remembering another question.

Mikilos boops the tiny kobold on the snoot and heads to fetch some cider himself, bringing two servings, one for himself. "....I'm half tempted to go around and Disjoin the various Geas, but know that would just cause more problems in the long run."

"Then two ciders please, this one is rather thirsty." Cryo says, releasing Jinks after he's scratched at her arms.

"Yessss." Lily concurs happily, adding, "Apples." She knows what it's made from, and "gunpowderss." She has the goblin recipe.

Sitting back, Cryo perches on the edge of her nest, sitting with her feet hooked into the edges by two toes. She glances at Mikilos, "How reliable are those? Also, this one had a question about the secret chest spell, but... later."

"I did not prepare any spells for making people tell the truth. As much as it may seem like it, I do not like interrogating people." Seyardu sighs. She takes another mug out of her bag, fills it, and passes it to the red nest mother. "I really do not know what to ask at the moment, and my frustration will make it difficult to listen. If I think of something, I will ask."

Setting down his bottle carefully, Jinks stands and takes hold of Enness' reins. He leads the pony back to the cart and loosely loops the reins through the wheel. It won't keep the animal there if he decides it's time to go but Neighsayers is well-trained and knows that the tethering means 'stay.' 
 
A pair of wood mugs are secured from the cart and he fills them with cider. Too distracted by topics at hand to put thought into grabbing Lily a smaller-size, the little kobold ends up with the same hefty tankard her mother is handed. Drinks delivered, he picks his bottle back up. 
 
"I accepted the geas from an ex-lover in exchange for her getting my bastard children out of the city." The gnome explains, glancing from Cryosanthia to Seyardu. He tilts his head at Mikilos and lifts his eyebrows subtly. "The city, its officials, and the other powers-that-be had nothing to do with it. She thought I was making a play to expose the children so I could have easier access to them. This was the only way to make her believe that wasn't my end goal." 
 
Another long drink from the bottle. The bard pauses to lick his lips and he turns towards Seyardu. "This happened more than 8-years ago for me. Almost fourteen so far as most of Ea is concerned. You didn't know about it because it has no impact on you; it's a mistake I made a long time ago that I'm now suffering the consequences of. If my actions now don't demonstrate that I'm not the same person who would..." the gnome pauses and glances at Lily, thinking long enough to filter before he continues. "Who would do what I did whatever I have to say for myself isn't going to convince you, either."

Mikilos looks to Cryo. "Geas, or Disjuctions? Neither are perfect, but do far worse when used foolishly. And the Secret Chest will remain a secret." He frowns midly, but nodsto Jinks. "City is still too fond of placing Geas."

Cryosanthia nods, as if Mikilos somehow answered a question without answering one. "We'll talk later."

Lily, blessed with an abundance of drink, buries her face in it.

Cryo is taking longer sips of her own, which is necessary as Jinks relays his story. "Oh." She ought to say more, but she's not sure what. She takes another sip. "This is good cider."

Seyardu listens, carefully after she hands out what cider she was able to. When Jinks pauses, she too glances to Lily, for other reasons. She had no drink for herself, but she was starting to wish she did. 

"Yes." She finally states after. "I do not think you have changed that much. Or am I supposed to forget everything you have done that I have seen you do?"

"This is feeling an awful lot like a conversation where this one was told she was not changing fast enough, was not remorseful enough, and was not... something else she was supposed to be, in defiance of her upbringing and experience." Cryosanthia says flatly, having run out of cider to drink.

She makes as nose-nudging gesture in Jinks' direction. "He has done some..." well, they weren't unforgivable, "... unforgettable things. He has to live with that, you will have to find a way too."

Jinks' shoulders tense when Cryosanthia speaks in his defense. Or, at least she offers a different framework from which to consider his actions. He relaxes visibly when the white sith-makar stops speaking, issuing a quiet sigh. 
 
"I don't expect most will forget many of the mistakes I've made." The gnome finally responds after taking some time to think. "And I'll never be Silver Guard, or Sunblade. A Sentinel or even a Luckbringer. But I'm here," he lifts his ringed fingers up to gesture vaguely around the nesting grounds. "I thought to celebrate here tonight instead of getting blind drunk and waking up in a stranger's bed for the first time since before even my exile from my home." 
 
"That might not seem like a great deal to you but it's fucking hard for me," the gnome adds after a brief pause to wet his whistle. "I am a different person and I am trying to do even more. I know that." He gestures up with a thumb towards himself. "If it's not enough for you then I'm sorry, Seyardu, but this is a steep hill and my legs are a lot shorter than yours."

Mikilos considers quietly. "There's expectations that vary from society to society on what is proper social behavior. And while I have my own bias grounded in a mildly strict social base, I have to wonder... if getting blind drunk and waking up with strangers makes you happy, is it really a bad thing?"

Mikilos is Helping!

Mikilos has a monster lady trying to seduce him in the hottub. MIGHT be projecting a little.

"I am not sure what you are speaking of, Cryosanthia." Seyardu notes at the response. The silver cleric was both saddened and accepting at the same time. "But, I suppose you are right in some way. My concerns may simply be unfounded, or irrelevant." 

"I have long legs though?" She asks the gnome, with one brow raised. "You are, you do not know how far from the truth you are. This one is lucky the gods even pay them any mind. Does the length of ones limbs matter when they trip over them on the regular?"

"This one does not wish to speak of it. True or not, there were words shared when this one asked for them to stop." Cryosanthia says, examining her eggs, adjusting the cozy on each one, and brushing Little Fang on the head. She stands and moves with a lightness that comes from practicing a lot of squats and suddenly dropping a lot of weight.

Her tankard is refilled. She returns and sits on the edge of her bowl. "This one wants Peace in her Nest. This one could not get blind drunk but made the pretense and woke up in a strange closet."

Her tail coils around the edge of her nest. "When this one first adventured, I would throw myself between the foe and the friend." She takes a sip, glances across at the black and red-scale, who are watching with interest, "The Egg-Watchers taught me where those instincts came from."

She shrugs a little, "I can't say Mikilos, if what makes me happy is the best, but if it makes me upset it better have a strong reason why I endure it. Knowing Jinks awakes among friends makes me happy. So... " She looks at Jinks, "Stay. This one will find you a pillow or something. Or... OOH."

Cryo grins at the dawn elf, "can you cast your Mansion here?"

Mikilos nods to Cryo. "If something DOSEN'T make you happy, that is of course an entirely different matter. But yes, I do have a casting of the spell memorized. Do you have something specific in mind?"

The gnome laughs in spite of himself when Mikilos offers his query, the mead starting to make his cheeks flush. "The Hymn has gifted me with a force of personality that makes certain things easier than they should be; I'm making an effort to be more considerate of other's feelings and less of my immediate physical desires." A little shallow shrug at the humble brag; as far as he's concerned it's a fact. 
 
"I don't mean to dismiss your concerns, Seyardu. I won't speak for Cryosanthia but we shared unlikely solace in each other's company when we were both in a very dark and private way." He smiles faintly between the sith-makar and shrugs again. "It was a kindness I didn't deserve and will never properly repay." He raises the wine bottle in toast to Cryo. "But it's important to me that I try. 
 
"We're all imperfect." He decides with a long sigh, deep into heavy topics he'd no intention of broaching on an evening meant for celebrations. "And more often than not I'm so focused on myself that I miss the trials of those around me; it took me far too long to see what Aryia was enduring in Charn."

Jinks blinks and pinches his nose, trying to find his train of thought through the haze. "We're going to disagree on a lot of things, Seyardu, and we might often frustrate each other... but it's important to me that you know you can rely on me when it matters. Even if we never manage to be friends." 
 
The gnome pauses, surprised that he actually believes that last bit, and takes to glugging down the last of the bottle.

"Actually..." Cryosanthia says, bringing her fingertips up to her lips, "... I have some ideas for a layout for Sabina's new place. I've made a few floorplan sketches. She's making a spa, near Wilderness Point, since she had to leave Alexandria."

She stands, reaches into an invisible space which is above her nest, and returns with some drawings. She unrolls a couple, and they keep scrolling back into tubes.

"Try this one." The diagram is handed to the mage, she glances around, "We're not moving the nests, obviously, so it's more for the softskins. You, Jinks, Braelnoir, Ay... Aryia, Faran and the professor, if they end up dropping by."

She crouches cutely, makes her pupils go large, "Pleaaaase. Thanks!"

"I figured you did not. Otherwise I would have heard of it. Or perhaps not, you would have discussed it with someone else." Seyardu chuffs. The cleric was a mess of emotions, but she nods. She listens to Jinks, and shakes her head. "Ah, right. There are many here known much longer than I. That explains the defense and not even an acknowledgement." 

The cleric stands up, and shakes her head. "Apologies, I am exhausted, frustrated, and otherwise not thinking straight. If Cryosanthia wishes for you to wake up among friends, then it would not make sense for me to remain here. The Egg watchers no where my camp is and where to find me if I am needed." 

The silver makari offers a wave to those present, before she is out the door.

Mikilos smiles faintly. reading over the plans, making a few minor adjustments for the limits of the spell, and nods. "Thank you for asking. Some fail to realize how well that works." He watches the silverscale depart with a mild frown, but focuses and casts, forming the pocket dimension, then casts again, outlining the invisible door in a minor illusion. Handy if you're not sure where exactly the invisible door stands.

"Coyote laughs, hearthguard." Jinks offers. The perfect phrase; observation, apology, and farewell all in one. He's disappointed and frowning as he stands there... but at least she didn't punch him. 
 
The bard considers the dregs of the mead and goes 'blech' before walking to the cart. He tops off another tankard of the cider before making more careful selection of another bottle for himself. Amber-colored liquid this time: bourbon. A grin and he's turning back to rejoin the group of familiar faces, kneeling and topping off Lily and Cryosanthia's drink before making quick work of the remainder himself. 
 
"She's not wrong about me," Jinks tells Cryosanthia quietly, smiling sadly, "but thanks anyway." He drags his fingernail through the wax seal of the bottle and then pries out the stopper, lifting the neck up to inhale the warm aroma deeply with closed eyes.

Mikilos says, "...point of order, there' spirits and non-alcolic drinks to supply over a hundred inside. Mostly wines and ales, but a few bottles of burbon, as well as assorted foodstuffs."

"Foooood!" Lily knows that door. She's awake and through it as soon as Mikilos finishes outlining it with an illusion.

"Yes... ah... yes." Cryo says, watching as Seyardu departs. She glances at the book-fort, back outside the palisade. She exhales, sits back on her nest and arranges the blankets.

"It is a hard lesson to learn as a Speaker," she says to no one in particular, "that sometimes words are not enough, and sometimes, not important at all."

She focuses on the gnome. She looks older, somehow, closer to her real age and less like her younger self inhabiting her older self. There's a gravitas to her, of her ancestors, and the saying of ... a mentor... come to her mouth. "Jinks, all the words cannot change the past. Using them to bring it back is not always helpful. It's not that it shouldn't be discussed .... sometimes all that has to be said as been said. I do not tell some things because it will not help the audience and will only harm me. That does not mean there was not injury and great emotion."

"To let all that go but still hold you to a standard I can't meet?" She shrugs, "she is not wrong but she follows a good god, where intentions and actions matter. For mine, Ceinara... it is only that the show goes on."

She makes another slight shrug, "It is an arbitrary change of numbers, that suggests tomorrow morning is different from today's. Yet if everyone believes it, maybe it is so. A year ends, a chapter closes. You can work on your story when you awake."

"Thanks for celebrating with me, everyone. Peace on your nests."

{{LineSkulls|300px}}

==OOC==

<br><OOC> Jinks says, "Some day the 'gnome' market will not be cornered by that wascally bawd."
<br><OOC> Cryosanthia says, "Well there's Gadget, Disaster and Soup"
<br><OOC> Jinks says, "Yeah, I know I'm not the ONLY gnome PC. I just don't ever get to RP with any others."
<br><OOC> Seyardu says, "Give Tawyse a poke sometime"
<br><OOC> Jinks says, "Now I'm getting mixed signals from Seyardu"
<br><OOC> Jinks says, "'don't seduce everyone' then 'give this gnome a poke'"
<br><OOC> Jinks was being silly.
<br><OOC> Mikilos blames Sandy. Not saying its her fault, just gotta place the blame somwhere
<br><OOC> Jinks goes to find his old 'Jinks is drunk writing poetry about Sandy' log.