RP: Rona Psychoanalyzes Elian
It's Kesenday, Rhaltaas 07 16:11:27 1018. The full moon is up. The tide is low and ebbing. The fair weather clouds in the west turn orange, gold, carmine, and purple as the sun sets. A chill wind blows from the west.
A05: Warehouse District
Ga'Elian looks at Erithamiel and says, "Well, buddy, I guess I have to take you... wait. That arvek never said where! Maybe Yelrona will know when she reads this temporary license."
Speak of the devil, and she appears before you! Rona jumps off a nearby roof and drifts lightly to the ground below. A second later a young boy reaches the edge of the same roof, out of breath. "No fair!" he shouts, "that's cheating!!!" He doesn't seem too terribly upset by it, though.
Spotting her friends not far from where she left them earlier, she trots over. "Well met again!" She looks around. "I take it Mel is off renewing his meat supply in the sewers somewhere?"
"With vermin or vermin-hunting dog, yes," Aya answers Yelrona's question from unexpectedly nearby following her discussion with the mounted mystery meat man.
Ga'Elian watches delightedly at Yelrona's feat of magic-enhanced parcour. As he is about to say something, he hears Aya, and instead says, "Oh, hi again... both of you." Then to Yelrona, "You have a Ring like mine, then?" He shows his hand, on which is a golden ring, finely wrought to depict a pair of feathers encircling the band.
Yelrona nods. "I got it off of a rather insane gnome who'd summoned an invisible stalker to ruin a local theatre. Given that the creature nearly killed me, it seemed only fair recompense."
"You extracted more than a ring from the gnome, I would hope?" Aya asks somewhat rhetorically, brow lifting. "Leaving such things to run amok and murder would not be an option."
Ga'Elian says, "Anyway, some official stopped me earlier and gave me some mumbo jumbo about having to have Erithamiel licensed and inspected. She said I was supposed to do it when I came into the City, so she sold me this temporary license and said I was supposed to exchange it for some token to put on him. But she left so suddenly, I never heard where to exchange this at for the token. You can read gobber, right? Does this say?" He holds the paper up, showing the writing to Yelrona.
Yelrona shrugs. "Well, there's no shortage of things running amok and murdering. Or in this case floating amok. But the gnome is dead, if that's what you're asking," she reassures Aya, then takes the paper. Looks at it. Smiles. Looks back at Ga'Elian. Shakes her head slowly and pinches the bridge of her nose. "You... ah... paid her the licensing fee, you say?"
Ga'Elian nods. "Well, yeah. I didn't want to get in trouble."
"You. Didn't want to..." Yelrona gets about that far in repeating the sentiment before she laughs outright, a pure unattenuated laugh that seems somehow transcendent. "Right, of course. Who wants to get into trouble, after all?" she observes in a reasonable tone once she gets herself under control. "Um. It's a good thing you're adorable. Elian, sweetheart, darling... this isn't an official anything. Neither was whoever sold it to you. It was a scam."
Ga'Elian's face reddens, "What? Again? These city folks turn their noses at me all the time, like I'm the smelly one. They live in their boxes of stone or wood, and eat food that they never have to kill, and wear clothes even when they're swimming. And this is the third time in as many weeks that they've tricked me. And for what? These curious little bits of metal! I just don't get it. I mean, I get playing a joke on somebody for fun, but these folks never come clean about it. I tell you, in the forest we had to look out for each other to survive, we would never do this kind of stuff!"
Yelrona nods sympathetically. Though she doesn't share Elian's fondness for forest living, nor his aversion to civilization — quite the contrary, really — she nevertheless understands his point of view: city living just isn't his strength. "It's not a joke, Elian," she explains. "They aren't playing. They're... hunting," she explains, the closest metaphor she can come up with. "The coins they steal from you, that's their livelihood. Like, uh, weasels stealing eggs from nests, maybe?" She's sure she read something about that once.
Ga'Elian calms visibly as he considers. "Hm. Well, yes. I suppose the city is like any other terrain, with its predators and its prey. You are very wise, and the best friend I have in this... urban jungle." He sighs, "I don't mind the coins, really, but the tricks they employ are, as you say, no jokes. I'm not dim-witted, but their approach makes me feel so used, so disdained. Such things are meaningless in the animal realm, and the fey, although they may seem capricious, really do make sense when you become familiar with them." He shrugs, "You're a worthy guide, and it is apparent that I need one in this terrain."
Yelrona nods agreement, and smiles at the flattery. (Of course, she has no doubt that Elian doesn't mean it as flattery, which makes it even more flattering.) "You are not at all dim-witted," she assures him, glancing at the goblin-talk note and stuffing it in her pocket. "And you're right of course... it's different from the fey trickery. Though there are similarities. And different again from the Lord and Lady Tarien's humor, though again there are similarities." She frowns thoughtfully. "I could try to teach you, if you wanted. But to be honest I'm not sure how well that would work. It's... well, I suppose it's like hunting, or tracking... more of an _attitude_, in some ways, than a skill. At least you're uncannily alert," she remarks, "which protects you from pickpockets. But you could check with me first before investing your little bits of metal with the First Bank of Doug, or any such thing? Or," she adds with a smile, "you could just give me all your metal bits for safekeeping, so nobody _else_ could steal them."
Ga'Elian nods and puts his hand on Yelrona's shoulder. He says, "Thanks. I will certainly ask you about this sort of thing in the future. And I think it might be better for me to hold them. I do travel quite a lot, and frequently need them. Anyway, a while back, you suggested that I might show you some of the wilderness and what's so appealing about it. I think I have something in mind. Just let me know when you can get away from your business for a while, and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised."
Yelrona laughs at the reference to her 'business.' Which she supposes it is. "Oh, I imagine I can get away for a time or two. How much warning do you need?"
Ga'Elian shakes his head. "Nah. Tonight I need to check on some other matters around here. How about I look for you in a couple days, then?"
Fazahd emerges from the Ox-Strength, brushing at his coat as he does so. No real hurry, mind, just a sort of general looming. The usual.
Among the several people milling around the area under the light of several new mana-lamps, Ga'Elian catches sight of Fazahd emerging from the Ox-Strength. He calls over, "Good evening, Enginebreaker."
Yelrona smiles. "In a couple of days is fine." She removes her hand from her pocket, surprised to find a small card in her palm. She looks at it surreptitiously and looks up at the heavens as though to say 'Really?' before sighing acceptance and waving to Fazahd. "Good day! I hear your name often these days... mostly grousing about the mana-lamps, but also," she prompts, "in the most intriguing stories about the Artificer's Hall?"
"Good evening," Fazahd says in increasingly accentless Sildanyari; he lifts his hand in hail, approaching the two of you. "And I'm sure you do. People seem to pin my name to the slightest thing of late. How are the two of you?"
"Oh, well enough, well enough," Rona replies in the same language, returning the open-palmed greeting from which the card she'd been holding a moment ago seems to have vanished.
GAME: Yelrona takes ten on sleight of hand +3: (10)+14+3: 27
Ga'Elian chuckles. "Cold. and hungry." Erithamiel emits a rumbling purr. The ranger looks at his companion. "He's used to it though. Lots of griffons live in colder places than this. Anyway, Eli has set, so I suppose he'll be wanting to sleep fairly soon. It still feels like a new experience for me, being bonded to a creature that spends a third of its life unconscious."
"Good." Fazahd slips his hands into his pockets, looking between the two of you. "Well, then. We are fragile creatures, we sleepers, but at least we get to dream, eh?"
Yelrona nods sympathetically. "It _is_ a weird habit of the mortal races. One wonders how they survived this long, really. But you are a fine bond-companion, I'm sure you take care of Erithamiel's needs as well as he does your own," she adds reassuringly, clapping the ranger on the back.
Those in a position to observe Ga'Elian's back will subsequently notice a small self-adhesive placard bearing the logo "Gullible But Endearing" in ornate script.
Ga'Elian smiles. He says, "Well, of course, Rona. In the wild, it doesn't take long to learn that there's strength in numbers." To Fazahd he says, "And of what have been dreaming lately? Anything... portentous?"
Yelrona notices Fazahd's expression and raises an eyebrow. "No offense intended, of course. Haven't you noticed the same thing in your travels, master khazad?" Her eyes twinkle with humor, and then nods approvingly as Ga'Elian changes the subject.
"I'm afraid not," says Fazahd. "Mostly just of beer and engineering. And of course, nightmares of events in Rune, but that is how war plays out." He looks at Yelrona. "Of course, some of us are more mortal than others. Why, my honorable Khazadi parents will have to suffer the loss of their son, for I shall die much sooner than they do."
Yelrona nods at Fazahd's comment, meeting his eyes and suddenly solemn. "Yes. I sorrow with them," she replies.
Fazahd lets his eyes linger on hers for a long moment befure he looks to Ga'Elian. "Well, I suppose I should buy a horse," he says. "Or some other thing. I don't suppose you'd be interested in teaching me how to handle animals, eh?"
Ga'Elian turns to face the griffon and says, "Sleepy time, buddy? Go on, then. I'll meet you in the morning." He then returns to facing as before, and says, "It is sad. While it is not the same, I expect that I shall outlive Erithamiel by hundreds of years.
The griffon stretches, then walks out to where he can unfold his wings to their full span, and takes off, launching toward the starry sky. Ga'Elian says, "I'd be only too glad to. And it will be much easier to do without Erithamiel around. He knows not to eat the horses in the City, but that doesn't prevent them from getting spooked when he's near."
Yelrona smiles. "Better him than me, certainly," she asserts. "I mostly know which end of a horse goes forward, but that's as far as my riding skills go."
Fazahd chuckles. "I'm only just learning to ride a horse myself," Fazahd says with a grunt. "I'm used to goats, to be honest. But I shall do well enough - though horseflesh seems...inefficient. Perhaps I shall see a different sort of mount."
Ga'Elian shrugs. "Actually, horses are among the most efficient runners, at least among animals that are easy to tame. Big cats run efficiently, but they eat a lot, and it's very, very hard to tame a cat."
"I recommend griffons, if you have the opportunity," Rona adds, grinning. "Just don't let go, is all."
"That is because Cats are independant, while horses move more in a pack." Says a cloaked woman from a short distance away. "Griffons are like big cats in a way, but if they accept you....so much the better."
"Well, we shall see," Fazahd says with a chuckle. "Well, I shall leave you to it, shall I?" But then there are Mystery Women(tm), and Fazahd gives Arisha a look. "Hello."
Yelrona says "Well, Erithamiel likes me well enough, but I suspect he wouldn't let me ride him without his companion's approval. Well-met, lady. Be welcome, and laugh with us." <sildanyari>
Just as Yelrona welcomes the Mystery Woman, Ga'Elian draws a bow and and arrow from his quiver. He nocks the bow, but as Yelrona has just expressed welcome, he does not raise it to take aim. He says, "Be you friend or foe?"
"Greetings, young one." She says to Yelrona.....pontedly since she's drawing glares from a dwarf and arrows from a Sylvanori. "So quick to draw an arrow....." She then makes a face. "Well...I can't say that I blame you, but you must be young to react so quickly to even a new Mul'niessa.....though I am only a foe....if you are an enemy of the church of the grey lady. I doubt you are, or else you wouldn't be alive." She then smirks again. "I am Arisha, Hunter of the walking dead."
Ga'Elian relaxes and stows his weapons. "Then you are well met, Hunter. I must say, I am rarely greeted as "young one," but I acknowledge it. I am a mere 116 years old."
Curiously, Rona tilts her head in Elian's direction. "Do you normally find that foes identify themselves as such, after going through all the trouble of announcing their presence?"
Gesturing with her right hand towards Yelrona, Arisha chuckles. "She has a point." She says as her left arm finally moves and pushes aside the cloak to hold up.....a pistol. "If I really wanted to hurt you, or kill you....you'd not hear the shot." The more curious part is not the fact that she's holding a pistol, but her left arm is Onyx while the rest of her body is grey. It's only a brief glance as she puts the pistol away. "And I don't like shooting people if I can help it. There's enough death."
Ga'Elian confesses, "Not normally, but her response, especially her non-verbal response, combined with your own open reaction, dear lady, convinced me. I hope you know, Yelrona, that I deeply trust both your judgment and your instincts about people, almost as much as I trust my own about... well, let's just say, other matters." To Arisha he nods his head and says, "I am Ga'Elian, a demon-hunter, ettin-slayer, warden of the wild, and defender of the Ygdrassil Union."
A man is making his way through the warehouse district. He is looking everywhere, clearly his first time here and is in awe of everything. "The smell, so not the same as Rune. So much... moldier!" He exclaims and continues walking. He then spots Ga'Elian, and waves over to him with a smile, "Hey I remember you!" Rushing over in a joyville mood, and completely oblivious to the situation around him.
Yelrona nods to Arisha. "I feel that way about stabbing people." She looks thoughtful and adds "Also poisoning them. And pushing them off of rooves. And setting fire to them. And --" she cuts off as they are joined by a new figure.
Ga'Elian nods at the human, and smiles at him. "I see you've arrived safely. Well met." Then, at Ashira's declaration of recognition, he blushes in a frustrated expression, "Madam, while your evaluation may have merit, I must say it is rather condescending of you to say so. What? Now total strangers know me as 'the gullible one'?"
Yelrona shrugs to Arisha. "I've never seen how the choice of weapon matters, honestly. They're just as dead, whether from cyanide in their steak-and-kidney pie, or steel in their kidneys." Not that she's ever poisoned anyone, or would even know how to go about it. At Elian's bristling she smiles again, looking only a little embarassed. "Well, yes," she admitted. "At least until you next go swimming, I imagine. And aren't you going to introduce us to your blue-robed friend?"
Astaren hmms a moment, "Gullible? When I first met you didn't seem that gullible, a bit weird, with a large bird." He glances over to the others and offers a friendly wave, "Hello, nice to meet you all. My name is Astaren, recent arrival to the city. He blinks to Yelrona, "Well dead is dead, but I always prefered fire, or ice. The occasional zap works too.'
"Well...." Arisha says, walking behind Ga'elian. ".....someone has made it so strangers can see." She says tugging a sign off of Ga'Elian's back. "Plus the fact you said demon slayer, Ettin slayer and other titles. If I said all of my former titles, I think you'd have your arrow back on your bow in short order." She then smiles a little. "you are young, and shall learn in time."
Yelrona chuckles. "So as long as you're claiming the wisdom of the ages, Arisha... just how old _are_ you? Oh, and, how's that walking statue doing?"
Ga'Elian says to Yelrona, "What has swimming to do with it?" Then, before he gets to answering her about the human, Astaren beats him to the punch. Ga'Elian says, "Indeed. His carriage from Rune had been delayed, and he was in unexpected need to pass a night in the woods. Durrankar and I assisted his coachman and ensured they made it out of the woods safely." Then he watches as Arisha passes behind him, and then stares at Yelrona immediately upon seeing the placard. After a moment, he says, "Now, that's a Tarienite, indeed." He gives her a peck-on-the-cheek, and turns toward Arisha with a simple, "Thank you." Then, adds "You did introduce yourself, I was merely doing likewise."
Astaren is completely lost in all the conversations and it is clear. He nods to Ga'Elian, "He is correct in that story. Was evacuated from Rune and we got delayed, not able to make up time. Must say his friend was a bit shadowy at first, I suspect trying to make a point." A glance over to Arisha and raises his eyebrows towards her, "Are not titles for those who need to remind themselves of their achievements, when true achievments become part of the name that a person carries themselves with?"
"Yes, that would be a Tarienite for you." Arisha says smiling to Yelrona, but her attention goes to Astaren. "Feel fortunate that you did not encounter the walking dead then, Asteren. If you see them, show no mercy, for they will show you none....and worse, they will turn you into one of them if they can."
She then chuckles to Astaren. "Titles are for those who wish to tell what they do. Many titles are for those stroking their own ego. I am simply Arisha, hunter of the dead. And..." She then looks to Yelrona. "I am 534 years old. I have done somethings I'm not entirely proud of, hence why I am cautioning others when I can. For arrogance is something you can ill afford in the best of times."
"A title yes, many titles are to tell ones story. Something I would suggest should be left to skalds and the bards would it not?" Astaren offers and then glances over to Rona, "I could, grew up in Spectrum Lyceum. My parents run a book store and such." Patting one of the two books at his side. "If you need a guide I can gladly help, but that is a good distance away. I was lucky to find somebody willing to travel here as cheap as I did. Even an airship would take a few days wouldn't it?"
Ga'Elian says, "Well, as... enlightening... as this evening has been, I need to eat, and I need to take my trance. If to Rune you go this evening, be safe. Adieu." He squeezes Yelrona's hand momentarily, then heads into the Guild hall.