A Moment To Think

Log Info

• Title: A Moment To Think
• Emitter: Seyardu
• Characters: Aryia, Aya, Seyardu
• Place: A08: Northern Banks of the Tornmawr
• Time: Wednesday, September 01, 2021, 9:42 PM
• Summary:

-=--=--=--=--=--=-<* A08: Northern Banks of the Tornmawr *>--=--=--=--=--=--=-

In the shadow of the great Highbridge, and beneath the guardhouses, a stretch of 
river has been laid out as a public park and fishing area. Here, the descending 
landscape of Alexandria folds into the river and crafts a comfortable view. On a 
typical day, a number of small boats and picnic blankets dot the landscape. To the 
side, a small shrine to Rada the River Serpent, as well as a dual shrine to Althea 
and Daeus, in their guise as Mother and Father of the world. 
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-

Aryia's predictions proved sound, as the darkening sky gave way to a steady rainfall, only exacerbated by the strong wind from the east. Thankfully the eastern shore gave cover from the worst of it, but it still brought with it a sharp chill to the air despite the season. There were not many out and about, save for the bravest or most fanatical of fishermen, and even they were a rare sight.

Perhaps unfortunate for them, as there was what appeared to be a massive fish in the tornmawr that day. Or, perhaps not, as Seyardu was finishing up her swim, and leaving the river, wearing a light blue bathing suit, and her leather satchel they had acquired recently. It was still raining, so there was no sense in drying off, and the swimsuit morphs into their usual attire, this time with a light red tunic.

Aya has arrived.

The aforementioned mute elf had seek shelter as the rain began hit hard. Seeing as she was just crossing the northern bridge, seeking a dry patch underneath seemed to be the best of calls. In her now slightly damp casual wear, Aryia steps off the last of the stairs, her hands in her pockets. Face pensive as her shimmery gaze was like that of two floating candle lights in the darkened corner of the stairwell.

She steps out and under the bridge on the bank, leaning against the support of the structure. Her gaze wanders. Shadow listens to you? A head thunks against the wall. That's about as concrete reaching down and picking up her own shadow.

The mute woman squints at it. ... probably wouldn't work. Though, her aimless looking does land on a familiar looking sith. Brows raised, she waves a hand gives a sharp whistle to catch her attention.

GAME: Seyardu rolls 1d20+20: (7)+20: 27

The whistle was enough to make the silver sith-makar freeze in place, and from the satchel, she was pulling out a large polearm with the head wrapped in cloth... somehow. And just as she was twisting around to see where it came from, she spots Aryia. Her head droops, and she shoves it back into her bag, before offering Aryia a wave.

The twin candle lights blink in surprise at the weapon being pulled free. She shakes her head, beckoning the sith-makar closer to be in shelter. "Come on over here, you'll catch a cold!" <Handspeech>

Seyardu looks back up, squints, and walks over slowly. She shakes her head before joining her underneath. "Rain does not bother me as it may you, Aryia. But I, will join you." She replies. "Peace on your nest."

Aryia's lips move, but it's drowned out by a rolling thunder. "Peace on your nest," she gestures, adding with it a light, if relieved smile. They take a step and a half forward, a hand reaching out to clasp on the silverscale's shoulder. "Good to see you. I... hope you're alright." <Handspeech>

The weather outside is frightful, yet inside is so delightful. This means that under the bridge is middling to fair. While free of trolls, it appears to have become a popular gathering spot.

"Are all enjoying the weather?" inquires a cloaked and hooded one in from further under the bridge, in Aya's voice. Perhaps she just arrived unobtrusively? Perhaps she was present before even more unobtrusively?

Seyardu squints, sniffs at the air. It smelled like Aryia. She relaxes some more, but at the response, the hand on her shoulder, she just sighs.

"Even for myself, any attempt to lie, would be blatant. How can I even begin to feel alright?"

She turns, looks at the voice, and sighs again. "Peace on your nest, Aya. The weather is alright." They greet, sniffing at the air again.

Aryia, by this point in time, only flinches at the sound of a new voice joining. She looks over her shoulder, a singular shimmering eye peering. She gives a small wave, putting her back against the wall so she could sign where both parties could see.

"You're alive, that's a start," she gestures with one hand, letting out a long sigh. "But... I don't know. There's a lot of fucked up stuff right now..." She too, hangs her head in solidarity. <Handspeech>

"Peace on your nest, Seyardu," Aya returns that greeting, and offers an almost-smiling nod to Aryia. Possibly only almost due to her next words, "She's right. It is a good start, and matters could have resolved far, far worse. If I recall the Endless Winter's words well, he reigns on fear and chaos, which would describe ...that all too well."

"I am alive, yes." Seyardu sighs. "Thankfully."

She looks between both of them, both Mul'niessa. She squints some more, and looks all around them , even peering above the bridge a moment. "You are, bother from Charn. Do you realize the gravity, of what they were doing?"

Aryia makes a face as Seyardu brings that up. She makes a sucking sound, then spits off into the river, face faintly green from the memory. Chili is ruined for her. "Yes, I'm aware. Had to fight some of them before back in Charn." To accentuate her point, she taps her leg a few times with her palm. Must have some related scars. "He's trying to sew chaos. Thank fuck you didn't have any yet." <Handspeech>

Aya frowns. "I am aware of some of the concept and concerns, yes... though I believe that was more a side-effect than his goal. Not that it makes it any less unpleasant." She looks over and down at Aryia's tapping before her eyes shift back to Seyardu. "I wish that we knew more of the true plans."

GAME: Seyardu rolls perception: (6)+4: 10

"And what am I supposed to do about them creating chaos? They are an incredibly powerful fiend." Seyardu responds, looking out to the river, and shaking her head. "Intent or not. Children of my people are set to stone, shipped off to slave trading lands, kept in cages for who knows what. Intent or not, he almost turned my people into mindless cannibals. I have nearly exhausted myself keeping an eye on those not staying in mictlan, to monitor for any symptoms or concerns."

"And it is my fault for not killing that noble when I had the chance, or forcing more oversight on their actions. Even if I did that, what am I supposed to do? The fiend, I can not stop them, and they know this. You saw them in the colosseum. And it turns out, sleeping in the temples is not even safe."

Aryia stands there for a moment, overlong, processing it all. Staring at Seyardu. She turns her head back to Aya, blinking. She felt the roles were... reversed. If but for a brief moment.

She steps out in front of Seyardu, blocking her view of the river. "S-du," she hisses. "We can't do it all. Not you, or me, or Aya or... anyone. We have to cut him low, and execute him." She smacks a fist into her palm. "There is something we can do. We can fuck his plans up. We don't know WHAT those plans are. But we can fuck him up. Do you remember the guy in the portal? With Aimarra getting returned back to us? That's him. He wants these statues for SOMETHING. We-" she points to herself and Seyardu, "Need to bust that so they-" she points to Aya, "can hit him where it hurts."

She puts a hand on Seyardu's arm again, her face showing some fatigue, but underneath that, she was just really, really mad about it all. "We can do this." <Handspeech>

Aya may not dispute the bit of reversal as her head and eyes lower at Seyardu's words. She replies, though seems to find the hem of the sith's robes quite fascinating. "Neither of us wish any in cages any more than you. As for where he may or may not travel freely... he may be unable to enter the temples unbidden." She then lifts her eyes, her gaze firming.

"Aryia is right. We may not be able to stand against him as individuals, but as a whole we are potent. If he cannot be battled in force of arms, then he must be outwitted; learn his plans, unravel them. He cannot be invulnerable. Yet..."

She glances aside to Aryia and back. "Should we come face him, directly..." her brow furrows and she frowns, considering her words " Do not rely upon me to halt him. Do not. Inform others of the same."

Seyardu blinks, squints, and focuses on the mul'niessa in front of her. "But we do not know their plans. I could speak with that noble from the other day, but they have proven, incredibly useless in sharing any relevant info. Perhaps they need to be forced by magic. This one, will have to go to Charn, before they do more to those kept there. I have been too slow to act too many times, now." Seyardu responds, looking crestfallen. It lasts but a moment, as she listens to Aya. She looks to her, squinting more.

"Explain Aya, if you can. Please."

"I can beat it out of him, should we get an audience. And I can go with you to Charn." She steps closer, patting Seyardu on the shoulder as she does so.

Aryia blinks, her gaze settling on Aya. Smoke and mirrors again. She squints. She squints really, really hard. She inhales slowly, then does the same in reverse. And closes her eyes. These are the facts of the matter, they cannot be changed, and they must be worked around. "As we already know, she's compromised," Aryia motions stoically, fact laid bare like a cold slap. Painful, but necessary. "It's no use making her explain further. Zeke said as much. We just have to work with that fact. The dickhead has some hook in her. The temples are, indeed, safe. Just not stay in the same as Aya."

She turns to Aya, a bit of sadness in her visage that she had to throw her under the carriage like that. "Sorry. But it's just the state of things." <Handspeech>

Aya lifts an open hand in attempt to... placate? pause? Aryia, but it recoils back smartly with her words, as if slapped aside. The wince in her features only adds to the appearance. Upon the last words, she nods slightly, then inhales. Her eyes close a moment before she exhales. One more fresh breath after to supply her response as her eyes open

"Speaking as plainly as I can, I will not stand against him in combat. If any action of mine allowed him into the temple that night, it will not happen again."

"So it was true then. I will have to trust that you did not know, or it had something to do with the statue in that tower." Seyardu sighs, trying to convince herself. "I can not stop you from coming with me to Charn, and I would welcome your aid." She responds to Aryia.

From somewhere above, there is a noise. a low voice speaking from the darkness. "You will not go to Charn. Do not make further plans to do so. It is for your safety, Gentle Moon."

And just as quickly as the voice spoke, it was gone. Seyardu, unlike usual, had wide eyes as she looked upwards, sniffing at the air. <draconic>

Aya does not comment on the unexpected voice. In fact, she makes almost no sound. Only a soft puffing-like sound and nothing further. There is naught but fading tendrils of shadow where she once stood, dissipating into those under the bridge.

Defensive reflex, perhaps?

Relocation to a more advantageous position?

It made her ink?

Aya has left.

Aryia gives a small sigh, looking between her mentor, and Seyardu. She felt bad that she did that to Aya, but it looked like it really needed to be said. She starts to address Seyardu. "Who knows. It's just the board game we're set to play, and we're only just know figuring out the pieces. I look forward to going with you, I have some unfinished business with some assho-"

The pugilist freezes, her turning her head towards the sound, looking up and around, perplexed from the sound, and the fact that the light puff of wind nearby meant Aya made like a squid and inked out.

"... what the fuck was that, Seyardu?" she gestures towards the sith without looking, slowly raising her fists and putting herself between the voice and the silverscale. <Handspeech>

Seyardu was barely paying attention for the moment. It was only when Aya suddenly vanished with a puff of shadows that she looked back down, and saw Aryia standing to her side near the overhand of the bridge. She did not speak for several minutes, and she was just sniffing at the air. Only after did she sigh.

"This one, I do not know. I know not what to make of that. Razyl should be back in Am'shere, why is he here? I would recognize that scent easily." She finally speaks, shaking her head and trying to shake off the confusion.

Aryia was growing really confused and agitated in the silence. Only when she received an answer did she look a touch exasperated as she motions, "Was that dragon tongue? What did they say? Who the fuck is R-A-Z-I-E-L?" <Handspeech>

"Draconic, yes. Apologies." Seyardu offers after she finishes shaking her head, with another long sigh. "This, I do not know why he said it, or did not say it to my face. I, would have been happy to see them." She continues, looking up to the bridge again and sniffing. "Razyl is a hunter from my tribe. He taught me what I was able to learn about fighting, among other things."

She blinks, and shakes her head again. "He told me not to go or plan to go to Charn."

Aryia blinks a couple of times before craning her head up to the shadows. Them affording no cover for the Dark Sighted mul'neissa. She gestures up at where she thinks they are. "Hey! Get down here! Why can't she go to Charn? You're a hunter I KNOW you understand me!" <Handspeech>

Seyardu looks to Aryia, and places a hand on her friend's shoulder. "Aryia, he is gone. I cannot sense him here. The scent was growing fainter, he must have traveled eastward." She says, watching the hands. "I, do not know why I cannot. I know not why he would not even say so to my face."

She leans back against the stonework, shaking her head. "Can I even trust him?"

The smaller woman's feisty questioning dies down as a throttle in the form of a hand is placed on her. She glares at the spot for a moment before giving a deep sigh mirroring her friend. Back against the wall. Head against a scaled arm. "I don't know. You said he taught you a lot. Do you think you can talk with him later? Like, in Mictlan?" <Handspeech>

"He did. I have known him since I was young." Seyardu nods. The silver sith-makar was not standing up, most of her wait was against the wall, trembling. "He saved my life most likely, and never said anything about it. Razyl, my father, neither ever said a single word about my brother."

At this, Aryia blinks. "I... thought you couldn't remember much back then?" she inquires. Her attention shifts to some of the trembling. She knew, by this point, kind of how others felt, and had grown a bit more in tune with how she herself felt. None too long ago she was like this. And just like before, the roles were reveresed. A small sigh leaves her, and she steps around to be in front of the silverscale.

The clouds rumble, rain masking most if not all the sounds around them with the river rushing steady. And, unprompted, she opens her arms. Offering a damp hug. <Handspeech>

"I could not.I can now. I remember that memory, the one I shared with Cryosanthia." Seyardu notes. The rain was noisy, the waters sloshing violently against the shore from the wind. The silver sith-makar freezes from the hug. Exhales, and gingerly hugs her friend back, trembling.

"I remember now. He found me after the raiders attacked. He knows, and never said anything. If I can, I need to know why."

Aryia holds on, closing her eyes and trying to not shiver with from the faint chill in the air. She nods along against Seyardu, following the recounting. "Maybe if he's around, I can try and find him for you?" she asks, looking up with a hand free to talk. "I'm not sure how well liked I'll be in Mictlan, but I can ask around for him." <Handspeech>

"I do not know if I could confront him right now, Aryia." Seyardu sighs. "It is like trust was shattered. But, I know not the reasons, like with Aya. Perhaps there is something that can explain what happened, that I do not know."

Seyardu lets go of the hug, and places a hand back on Aryia's shoulder. "Thank you, for that, but I worry about you getting sick, now. You would be welcome in Mictlan, the guards are wary, but if you spoke my name, they would listen, allow you in. I have spoken, about my friend Aryia amongst those there before."

Aryia gives a small shrug at the speculations, her easing out of the hug and tilting her head up to look at the silverscale. There's a light smile that forms under the glowing gaze. "You're welcome. No, I'll be fine. Been out on the ocean too long in weather like this to get sick from it. I appreciate your concern."

"I'll... keep that in mind. If they'll have me. But I wouldn't want to go up there without reason." She looks down to her hands, the scabs and cuts almost done healing. Her eyes close, and she cycles a breath. "You and I, when the weather doesn't suck as much, should go do something. Like... drink or... something." <Handspeech>

"I suppose you are used to it. But still, the cold must be unpleasant in some form." Seyardu chuckles, finally returning the smile. "I know I probably did not make you wish to go before. But it is a good place. Another day, when the weather is good. You have been through so much, and I have as well. Taking care of yourself is important, so we should both take some time to relax. I would like that, I think."

Aryia nods, sighing some at the notion of their shared burden. "Then let's do that. Bathhouse and drink. Or... whatever else you do to relax. That's what I do."

The mul does shiver some, shimmering eyes in the dark glancing down the river. "Right, I should be back to the Fernwood. You going that way?" <Handspeech>

Seyardu seems to think for a moment, before she nods. "Bathhouse and a drink sounds good. Usually, when I have time, I do food deliveries for the temples. Or other similar errands. Not exactly relaxing, at least not in the usual way."

"I should go back to the temple of Daeus, so not the same way. But, I do not mind walking longer, and at least walking with you to the Fernwood would mean more time together. So that sounds good." She continues, looking back up to the bridge.

Aryia just shakes her head. "No, it's alright. It's late, and I know other kind need their rest. Fernwood isn't that far. Here, let's say... meet me in the bathhouse in a couple days at dusk. We can relax then."

She steps forward once more, giving Seyardu another, yet brief, hug before stepping back. "Peace on your nest. Take care."

With that, Aryia sticks her hands back in her pockets, and steps back out into the rain. She almost vanished in the dark, but the bobbing of two candle lights up the stairs was the only way to ssee her go.<Handspeech>

Aryia has left.