Madness: Our House
Log Info
- Title: Madness: Our House
- Emitter: Ashes
- Characters: Aryia, Culix, Seyardu, Un'eth
- Place: A07: Lower Alexandria Market District
- Time: Sunday, October 03, 2021, 2:38 PM
- Summary: Lower market shopping. Seyardu is covering 'in season' scents and getting questioned about it. Un'eth is shopping. Culix and Aryia are also looking for things, Aryia for her seamstressing. Granny Gurgleguts is selling things on strings, some fireworks hawkers explain the origins of the Spooky Season. It was annual flooding which exhumed the graves near the river, creating a 'Month of the Dead' where people had their Gran-Rents back. Maddy, the servant from the Swadling estate that Aryia befriended, finds her and updates her regarding how things are going. Priori is taking charge and kicking out all the servants to replace them with younger ones. Aryia advises her to get out, and her friends suggest several options. Meanwhile, a lumpy looking Sith'makar in a trenchoat discovers they are 'in season' and goes off to do something about it.
-=--=--=--=--=--=<* A07: Lower Alexandria Market District *>-=--=--=--=--=--=-
Just west of the Northern Highbridge and east of the arena, commerce blooms. Noisy and bustling, most anything may be purchased here for a price. Vendors from all cultures sell their wares from exotically colored carts, and the smells of different nations and far-off city-states mix with local ones from Alexandria and its riverbanks.
For all its commerce, visitors are advised to keep hold of their purses. Even the merchants possess a certain, cunning look. Most are positioned at carts or stalls as opposed to a formal storefront, with trade here being mobile, and visiting from all parts of the world.
Though the quality of goods suffers here compared to Upper Alexandria, the options are more diverse. Too, the oversight of the Watch is slightly less, and during times events are held at the Arena, chaos abounds. After dark, the square becomes a hangout for bards and other entrepreneurs whose business is best conducted by night; the shadows at the edges of the square often contain furtive figures engaging in their own brand of business.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=-
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Appearing -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Aryia 4'8" 110 Lb Shadow Elf Female A heavily scarred mul with a resolved look about her. Culix 3'2" 36 Lb Goblin Female Beady-eyed goblin female in leathers and hood. Seyardu 5'6" 150 Lb Sith-Makar Female A friendly silver sith-makar with a perpetual squint. Un'eth 6'2" 275 Lb Sith-Makar Female An ebon-scaled female Sith-makar. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--= -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Naturally Fashionable for the Season =-= Ashes 5'11" 177 Lb Hobgoblin Female A somber arvec in grey clothes with a skull face. -=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
The tide is low, the moon is up, not that you can see it during the day with all the rain.
There's a lot of rain. A heat seeking drizzle that doesn't have the confidence to turn into a full thunderstorm. The sky has been waffling and slicking down the streets for hours. Everything is grey. While there are lights, they don't seem to illuminate whatever they are near, making the environment dark.
Yet commerce continues. The market is in full, wet, swing.
More grey to add to it all. Aryia is wrapped up in a treated, heavy grey cloak, stepping back into the rain with a bundle of cloth getting tucked away under her arm, as well as a few bottles of dye being shoved away. Damn, this trade was getting really expensive to practice. She casts her gaze about the dim market, people still going about the day with things to do. At least the sun wasn't out, so she wasn't too bothered by it all. Pros and cons to everything.
Rain was always pleasant, at least for most Makari. A warm rain made her want to curl up on a rock somewhere, but she still had errands to run. So she wandered the markets, looking relatively soaked. Though it came with a new problem, the rain washing away the perfume ahe was wearing. So she was lingering by several stalls, trying to figure out a solution. She comes across the familiar Mul'niessa, and gives a smile and wave.
"Peace on your nest, Aryia. How goes the sewing?" She asks curiously.
A spot of dark adds to the grey, splashed with bits of color. Un'eth travels up from the bank of the Tornmawr to the east. In something of a reverse to the norm, her cloak is absent in the weather. There is no reason to soak the overgarment, afterall, when scales shed water far better. She appears comfortable with her scales bared, despite the chill or softskin modesty.
"Hey, Mr. Lizard! Would you like to buy a cloak?" A nearby merchant, a human, shouts at Un'eth, then calls to Seyardu as well, "How about you Sir? Umbrella? Keep off the rain?"
With no flowery scents to hint otherwise and a nose as blind as a door-post, assumptions are made about the lizardfolk, or if the merchant is old fashioned, the lizardmen. "Rain sale."
Aryia peers up from under her hood, shimmery eyes aglow in the dim lighting. She smiles at Seyardu as she sees the silverscale approach. She gives a bobbing nod, lifting up her cloak to show a few experimental cuts of cloth. Patterns and designs, as well as a few different dyes. "Goes good," her spare hand flashes. "What are you up to?"
They do spot Un'eth a bit away, her raising a brow at the attire choice, but then remembered something or another and shook their head. She snorts at the merchant selling wares, finding the honest mistakes funny. <Handspeech>
Un'eth's eyes shift to the merchant with a snort. "No," she states firmly, adding after a moment, "and I am not Zeke." She then...smiles(?) widely, in as much as her facial structure allows. Un'eth can be polite, afterall. It is not her doing if the softscale misinterprets the display of many sharp teeth.
The hawking to another draws her attention to the silver, and ...that one in the vicinity. Still, her course alters towards the pair, with no particular haste.
Seyardu blinks as the merchant addresses the black scaled Makari, and they squint at them, sniff at the air, before they chuckle and shake their head at the merchant. "That is miss Lizard to you. you can tell by the, ah, never mind. It is not obvious. Thank you for the offer, but I do not mind the rain."
"That is good Aryia. I am here attempting to look into a few wares. As it turns out, the perfume I purchased, it is not waterproof. So I was trying to fund a solution. An umbrella may work, but would be unwieldy."
"Ah." The merchant says. "But you... never mind. I have hat umbrella options, keep your hands free!"
His pitch is immediately drowned out by another merchant. "Snack? Lizard on a ... Mystery meat on a stick!" A goblin cries out, only to be punched by a goblin beside him. "You idiot! No one buys mystery meat! And you didn't say the name! You have to say the name. Granny Gurglegut's Lizard on a Stick! Granny Gurglegut's Rat on a Stick! Yum yum! It's all I eat!"
There's a breathy laugh under the hood as Aryia shakes her head from both of the sith-makar's jabs. She shakes her head at the umbrellamancer and waves them off dismissively. "Peace on your nest," she gestures to both of them, a thrice familiar motion now to the ebonscale.
She regards Seyardu with a raised brow. "Why are you wearing that stuff? Are you stressed out or something? I don't blame you for trying out new things but uh... it's really strong," she inquires before grimacing at the other gobber's hawking of food. Mystery meat? Lizard meat? She knew the latter was probably some kind of small lizard, but really? It made her lose her appetite.
... almost.
She turns to the goblins, pulls out a handful of copper pieces, and points to the whatever the rat on a stick was. <Handspeech>
"Peace on your nests," Un'eth offers to both, delaying further words a moment as Aryia makes her selection and purchase. She may recognize the greeting hands, but the remainder may be lost upon her as she echoes the mul'niessa's curiosity. "Why do you seek false scents?" she inquires of Seyardu. Last, to the gobbers, she offers a similar response as to the past merchant. "No. I do not hunger. There are ample fish in the Tornmawr." Again a toothy smile, likely accompanied by the scent of raw fish. Bath and a meal. Perhaps that is why she considers the TarRaCe somewhat redundant.
Seyardy blinks as the topic turns to the subject of whys. "Perhaps maybe a hat with an umbrella would be good to have on hand. Apologies, Aryia, I understand it is likely very strong, but it needs to be overpowering."
She turns to Un'eth. "The scents are not false, they are made from natural wildflowers. But, they are so this one can remain approachable to kin. I do not wish them to act too strangely around myself." She offers to the shaman, before turning to squint at the food vendors. "What sort of lizard meat do you mean?" She asks, a bit on edge after the colosseum.
"Ok! There are many options!" The umbrella merchant points at a hat-rack, which is very dry, all things considered. "Colours, slogans? Here's a fetching one, Make Animus God Again, sells well with the Resurrectionists. Or I Heart Nobles."
"Fish on a stick! That's a great idea." The one goblin says, earning another smack, "Granny Gurgleguts Fish on a Stick! You idiot! Now go jump in the Tornmawr and get me some fish."
Following this, a Rat-on-a-Stick is eagerly held out to Aryia. It has been skinned, fried, de-boned slightly, rendering it both appetizing in a riske' way while retaining it's rat appearance.
"Little lizards. They run up along the walls." The old, female goblin, Granny, explains. She smacks her fist into her palm, "bop 'em hard, they don't suffer."
Aryia stares at the I Heart Nobles hats. For a long, long minute. She considers how many there are, how much coin she has, and how close the Tamwar river was. The answer was: within throwing distance.
The impulse passes, coin is exchanged, and she has a rat-on-a-stick. Experienced teeth were quick to de-bone what was left and spit it aside, her resting on her back foot and nibbling on her food.
She looks at Seyardu, tilts her head to the side, and...
GAME: Aryia rolls intelligence: (13)+1: 14
She blinks. "Oh." <Handspeech>
Un'eth listens, inhales, and bobs her snout to Seyardu as understanding s gained. "False in that they are not yours." She makes a possibly bemused staccato hiss. "A tailslap to the snout often works, as well." She then glances between Aryia and the merchants. Thrice. She could offer note that swallowing whole avoids the need to debone, or that there are oft large, carnivorous aquatic creatures in the Tornmawr. Then again, all of Ea's creatures must feed as they wish.
Seyardu looks to the hand movements, blinks, and chuffs, a touch embarrassed. She offers payment for one of the unadorned hats, which she puts away in her satchel.
"This one does not like being so forceful." She admits with a sigh. "But perhaps, if it is bothering Aryia and others. But when you are a healer, it often requires being close to those in need of healing."
The hat is exchanged.
"Fireworks!" Another goblin's stand, "Celebrate the spooky season!"
"They're wet."
"Discount Fire works! Bundle sales!" The proprietor keeps going without missing a beat.
Aryia's brows rise as Seyardu grows embarrassed. Damn, the mute woman was just guessing. That sounds kind of annoying to deal with. "I'd take perfume over you having to deal with annoyances. Please, tail slap them. It'd be funny."
One benefit of signing with one hand while eating meant you didn't have to stop consuming, as her measly meal was halfway through. A glance is stolen towards the fireworks stand, her tilting her head to the side. She flails a hand at them. "Hey, you guys know Handspeech? What's the spooky season? I'm not from here." <Handspeech>
Un'eth gives Seyardu's fretting, at least in regards to perfumes, a somewhat dismissive wave of claws. "If it is better for most that you smell of wildflowers, do not fret of it. There are far more worrisome concerns in this city at this moment than that." She eyes the merchants askew and adds, "or even them."
The silverscale sighs. "I will consider it, if I have to. Only if truly necessary." Seyardu chuckles. "I know there are other concerns in the city, but concerns of myself should not be pushed out of the way."
She too is curious about this spooky season, and she turns to the stall with a raised brow. "Yes, what is spooky season? Are people afraid of harvest time here, and scare away predators with explosives, or something of that sort?"
"Yes. Do." One of the fireworks goblins signs, although in a very rough, uncertain way. She switches to words to explain.
"Usetabe there was a cemetary near the Tornmawr, and come every Fall with more rain, the river would swell. Then with the moon right and full overhead, the tide would be so high, that between the river and the sea the coffins in the ground would float and just pop right out and there'd be skeletons and bodies and unburied people everywhere."
"But just dead, not undead. So they'd have to be repackaged and put back in the ground, but sometimes it'd be a week or two." She grins widely, "Some families didn't mind if Gran-ma-ma come to visit, so they'd have big parties and everyone be dressing up like they were dead. Then when the ground was dry enough they're all put back in. There'd be a big parade day, everyone bringing out their dead, done up in scary makeup to look like them too."
"Drainage was fixed a while back, better breakwall, pipe underground. Cemetery no longer pops them tops. Turns out people like dressing up all spooky scary, and drinking all weekend. So's now when the weather turns and it gets chill, it's tha Spook Season."
"Buy some fireworks!" The other goblin summarizes.
Culix is making her way up the street, cloak bundled up around her, glad the rain is not so heavy as it had been, but feeling the chill nonetheless. Her nose twitches, the smell of roasted lizard carrying despite the drizzle, and she follows it towards the food stand. She spies some familiar faces on the way, so she lifts a hand, exposing it from beneath her cloak, to offer a wave as she approaches- though she seeems to be headed towards the food, rather than the congregation, for the time being.
Aryia's brows pinch together at the explanation. Slowly, her head tilted to a more perpendicular cant. "... that is... probably the weirdest fucking way to start a tradition I've ever heard," she bluntly opines with a hand before shrugging. "But whatever. Good to know. Fuck me if I have to make a cost-"
She stops motioning. An idea crossing her face. One that makes a smirk crack across her lips. She looks down at her bolts of cloth, noticing a distinct lack of red and black. The novice seamstress was going to need more cloth.
Her diversion of attention snaps to Culix, ignoring the decree to purchase ruined explosives. She smiles once more and raises her almost eaten rat-on-a-stick in a return greeting. <Handspeech>
Un'eth's eyes widen at the explanation. "This was cause for celebration?! Why do they not burn the remains to send their spirits on their way?" She looks to the others, as if they might have some insight. "Softskins are strange." Her eyes shift to peer at Aryia's gesticulations in case it is some form of explanation. At best she might pick out a few basic concepts. Tradition. Good. Mating(?). Admittedly, those three concept could be cause for celebration; much more than corpses floating downstream.
Seyardu was inclined to agree with Un'eth. "You had, bodies floating in your river water?" Seyardu asks, seeming surprised by the thought of it. She glances to Aryia, and chuckles. "Inspiration has struck? Best to capitalize on it."
The familiar face draws a wave as they investigate the food. "Peace on your nest, Culix."
"Yes", the handsign comprehending gobbo answers, "there is a lot of fucking too. Especially among the Gownies."
Mostly handsign comprehending gobbo.
"Well some like their family visiting, buy some fireworks!" The Fireworks gobbo adds.
Aryia feels a tapping on her shoulder. It's a woman with an almost shorn head, blond hair, green clothes. It takes a moment to recognize her out of context. It's one of the Swadling's servants. "Hi, can we talk."
Culix snags herself a lizard-onna-stick from the merchant, snatching it up and tossing a coin over, she turns to face the others- but she's already bitten off a chunk of the lizard. Bones and all, and munches away at it. Goblin gnashers are nothing to sneer at. After the mouthfull, she finally speaks, "Hey, peace on yours too. Hey again Aryia." she offers in greeting then to the two she knows.
Aryia just snorts and rolls her eyes as the gobbo tacks on to the mute woman's observations. She smirks to Seyardu and gives a slight nod. "Yes... I have an idea. We'll see how it pans out."
"Hello, and good to see you again," she gestures to the one gobbo that she knew.
The hooded, cloaked elf turns at the prod and pauses. A moment passes before her eyes light up in recognition. "Oh! Hey! I'm... surprised to see you out here! Uh, sure," she motions, ending with suggesting an awning a few steps away for some privacy with a thumb. <Handspeech>
"I hope you have been well, Culix." The sith-makar offers with a sharp toothed smile to the goblin. Though the newcomer draws her attention, and she nods. "I will be here, Aryia. I hope your idea goes well. Sounds interesting, perhaps I should see about taking part in such festivities, to get a better understanding."
The servant of the Swadling household moves over to the indicated awning with Aryia, once under cover she says, "Hey, thanks, hi. I never gave you my name."
"I'm Maddy. It's short for Madness." There's an awkward smile, "the story goes my Mum already had four kiddos and said if 'if I have one more it will be Madness'. Then she got pregnant and I popped out."
"Sorry, I'm oversharing. So. Um. Ah... how you doing?" She avoids asking what she'd really like to with some small talk. Seyardu has partially disconnected.
"Oh you talking about the dress up piss up?" Culix wonders of Seyardu then as she takes another bite of the lizard on a stick. "I usually skip the dressing up and get right to the drinking, myself." she adds. "Well, used to, anyhow. Missed it the past few years running." she shrugs her shoulders. "I've been alright, you know, getting by." she answers the other question.
The mute shadow elf stares at Seyardu, her lips quivering as she tries to keep a massive, stupid grin off her face. And failing. Her hands move before her mind stops her, "I didn't know you partied like that," she gestures quickly before snickering and patting the silverscale's arm. "I jest."
Aryia holds up a finger for a moment of reprieve from the group as she steps away. She doesn't walk far, but the rain kept the earshot distance quite small. Shimmery eyes watch the short haired servant, an easy smile snaking it's way onto her features. She shakes her head and pats them on the arm. "M-A-D-D-Y. Nice to meet you. I'm A-R-Y-I-A. I'm... okay, could be better, thank you for asking. And yourself? You wouldn't come all the way to the other side of the city for nothing."
A white brow raises. "Especially if you're looking for me." <Handspech>
Un'eth's head tilts at Seyardu's comment and the mul's grinning. Mostly the former, as she combines that with the gobber's expert translation. "If you do, you will not require perfumes..." She pauses a moment before reconsidering, "that or you should acquire several barrels..."
"I was talking about the dressing up, but the drinking, could be enjoyable as well." Seyardu notes in response to the goblin, before her attention is taken by the mul'niessa before she parts, and the observations of the other Makari. One hand covers their snout as they dip it, clearly embarrassed.
"That is not what this one was intending, Aryia." She responds finally, before turning back to Un'eth. "This one meant the parties, not the _other_ festivities. Perhaps, I will need more perfume in that case."
Maddy smiles, sounding out the name, "Errryahh. Nice to meet you Eryah." It's the posh, upper Alexandria noble accent you see.
"Well. Things are changing at the Estate, and you told me I should get out, and... yeah."
She huffs, crosses her arms, "It sounds like gold-digging, but we weren't. Lord Swadling wasn't going to live forever, we've all been loyal servants, we were expecting some consideration in his will. Especially for those who gave him sons."
"Except he's transferring it all to Priori now, and Priori has made it pretty clear he's keeping most of it for himself, there's going to be no largess for the other brothers, let alone us."
Another shrug "The digs were nice, but it's just a job, and I'm not putting up with it for a 'thanks for your services, you were paid for your work, g'bye'. Not if devils keep popping up."
She smiles hopefully, "So... do you have suggestions on where I should get out to?"
Culix sniggers a bit at Seyardu's embarrassment, though Un'eth gets a quizzical look for her own contribution to the conversation. Not sure what the other Sith is getting at. Either way, the gobber removes the remainder of the lizard from the stick it's on with a final bite and tosses the stick. "Well, anyhow, good seeing ya. Maybe I'll see you at the pub, eh?" she wonders. She gestures Aryia's way to get her attention, offering her a wave, since she's busy chatting, and then offers the others a dip of her head before she stuffs her hands in her pockets and continues on her way.
Aryia gives a parting wave from the hip and a dip of her head as they goblin heads off. Though, most of her attention is affixed on Maddy.
Her brows knit and nods along, listening closely, not bothering to correct her name as it was close enough. But her eyes widen ever so slightly. Aryia... had an impact? This little mul?
"I..." she starts to gesture, surprised by the change of events. "... well. Shit. What a prick for not even considering the mothers. I am really glad you're getting out. Honestly, I think more of you all should get out. You don't deserve to be treated like that."
She rubs her neck, looking off to the side. The smile was hopeful, and Aryia did her best to mirror despite how weak it was. "Uh... where to go? Uh... I'm not sure about your quality of living. I'm used to sleeping in alleyways and on the floor. Inns and taverns always need hosts and cleaners. F-E-R-N-W-O-O-D Pub isn't too far from here. T-A-R-R-A-C-E too, down near the Colloseum. The owner at that last one is nice." <Handspeech>
Un'eth bobs her head to Seyardu. "Ssa. If you wish an escort, I can direct a number of our strong and skilled hunters or warriors to your side. For your protection." What sort of shaman would she be if she didn't have Seyardu's best interests in mind?
Her focus and snout now shift to Aryia and the one she converses with. Curious or suspicious is not clear. Perhaps both? After a time, she pans back to the silverscale.
Seyardu turns her attention back to Un'eth. She blinks.
"... For my protection, right." She chuffs. "Ssa. For going to celebrate. You are wise, Shaman Un'eth."
Shaking her head and blowing the thought out of it, she turns her own attention to where Aryia was conversing. But seeing as it was subdued, she turns back to the ebonscale. "What brings you to the markets, anyways? This one would not expect to see you out here."
"Tarrace, do they have rooms there? The Fernwood does, I've... ah... yeah the Fernwood has rooms." Maddy says, "I was hoping more for a job lead."
"Except you're an adventurer... your leads are probably, kill a whole pile of man eating frogs. I should... well know any nobles looking for servants? I guess I could get a decent recommendation."
She nods some more, "And yeah. I'll tell the others. We're all kind of upset, after everything. All those years, some of us decades there. Prori has made it clear he wants a different set of household staff."
She grumbles, her teeth grind. Her eyes turn hard, "Younger cows his dad hasn't slept with. Not his words, but he is an oruch."
Aryia nods, an apologetic smile on her face. "Yes, they have rooms. But they probably have some side jobs for the time being. My day job is a dock hand," she adds with a thumb jabbed over her shoulder. She gives a slight, voiceless chuckle. "Kill devils and stuff, but basically, yes. I know... only one nobleman that's a nice guy. But I don't think he's one to have servants," she motions in elaboration.
A slight bit of mischievousness crosses her visage. "It'd be a shame if you all resigned at once. What are they going to do, hurt you for it? Their image is already tainted. Anything more would make them fall out of favor."
Though that last bit makes her brows knit. "... what a piece of shit." <Handspeech>
"Well, if you need help buying supplies, I spend a lot of time in the city. I know a few places for what you need." Seyardu suggests with a thump of her tail to the shaman. "What is this about respect for dragons, though?"
One brow raised. "Does this have something to do with what was in the newspaper yesterday?"
Un'eth exhales in a near-yet-not-quite snort. "If the words tell of a green dragon near the temples, yes. Zeke and The Dragonfather's temple tasked us to bring a man from the noble's homes to the temple. A mul noble with information of the fiends." Now she snorts. "From what is heard, the nobles are in league with the fiends." Which would conveniently explain why he would have information.
"Oh? Is that the noble you're talking about?" Maddy asks Aryia, overhearing some of Un'eth's comments. All adventurers know each other, right? They're always in cahoots. That's the word around the noble quarters at least.
"I wouldn't mind meeting this Noble. Maybe I could convince him he needs a servant." She smiles at Aryia, "Or her, if it's not him or a different him."
Aryia turns, her blinking. "Uh... yes, actually. It'd be him. But his estate is very small, I..." she trails off, letting Maddy have her hopes. "But you could meet him. He's... probably the only mul'neissa noble in Alexandria. Shouldn't be too hard to track down." <Handspeech>
Un'eth's ear-frill rustles as part of the other conversation reaches her. Her snout pans around towards the mul and companion. "He is in the hands of the Dragonfather's healers. They have questions once or if they revive him." She turns back partway towards Seyardu. "The fiends attacked. He may indeed know things they do not wish said."
"They, revive him?" Seyardu asks, the brow remaining raised. "They passed then. This is unfortunate to hear. If that is the case, then they should be heard. I hope they will be."
"Oh... ah... if that woman is after him too, maybe I don't want to work for him. Out of the frying pan, into another frying pan." Maddy says, sighing unhappily.
She smiles downwards at Aryia, "thanks though, for listening, and thinking I mattered. Encouraging me to get out. I kind of... wasn't seeing what I was seeing, until outside eyes gave me a new view."
"Want a Rat on a Stick?"
"Yes! You Do! Granny Gurgleguts Rat on a Stick. Or Lizard on a Stick. Soon to include Fish sticks on a stick! Take two!"
The gobbo seems to have been working on something at her fryer. She holds it up triumphant, "Also! Granny Gurgleguts Stickbug on a Stick! It's candied!"
Like an apple, with a worm in it, without the apple.
Aryia turns to Un'eth. And she blinks.
And she blinks again.
And yet again. This time the shimmer dimming out until nothing is left. A hand lifts slowly, trembling slightly, a drop of water coalescing at her wrist and falling to the ground, splashing the ground and throwing shadows around like spilled ink. Running across the ground to join the soft penumbras around.
Like a statue, she turns towards the soon to be ex-servant. It's clear that the mute woman's disposition flipped from chipper and eager, to shocked and closed off.
She starts to gesture once more, more in front of her and to herself. "... of course he would use her to kill him..." the signs say, wisps of shade following in her finger's wake.
Back up Maddy. She forces a smile. It looks like she's about to cry. "I'm glad I... I-I could... help... you-I'm really sorry. I-I need to... to..."
She takes a step back, a boot stepping into a puddle, yet the splash was shadow. "Maddy, I'd... I'd like to talk to you more. B-But I... I-I need... need to..."
Aryia stumbles back, trembling, and latching onto Seyardu. <Handspeech>
Un'eth looks back to Maddy. "Ssa. A woman. You know this ... mul-fiend? The noble did. He sought to speak to her, to his doom. The others also seemed to know the fiend. The one of Coyote, the Laughing Dragon, from the bathing meal place spoke to her." A pause to recall. "Sabina. Yet once the noble fell and she turned upon them, they fled."
"This-"
She looks down to Aryia, who was now latched onto her. She sighs, and gently hugs them with one arm. "Yes, this one knows who they are, know Sabina. They were involved with helping Cryosanthia, and her daughter."
"They may have accomplished what they came for, and fled. Another time, but if you would share more, it would be appreciated."
A rather lumpy looking Sith'makar in a trechcoat scurries up to the goblin. Small head, small hands, small tail. Correct height however, "Greetingss fellow human." It hisses, "Thiss one will have the Stick on a Stick."
"I'm a gobbo."
There is some strange movement, the makari bends oddly to look down. "Fellow gobbo. I will still have the stick on a stick."
"It's a stickbug. Granny Gurgleguts' Stickbug on a Stick."
Maddy meanwhile follows the conversation and the sudden change in Aryia. She gasps. "I'm sorry. I... I didn't realize." There is a desperate look to Seyardu, to Un'eth, "She needs a hug? I ... I don't know her, I shouldn't. I'm..." He, her, him. Too many pronouns, not enough names. Maddy jumps to conclusions, "Tran? Tran used that Devil woman to kill... the other noble? And she's also a Mul-fiend? I need to warn the staff! I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'll find you again Eryah!"
She runs off, into the crowd and the rain.
"Ssa..." Un'eth answers Seyardu, noting Aryia's sudden change in mood more than she can understand the flailing hands. Still, it may be enough, or Un'eth may have other things to do. Comforting a mul is ... not within her area of expertise. Nor capability at the moment. "Another time." One has already run off for things and she now excuses herself. "I will seek you out after." She then moves on to continue her supply run.
Aryia leans into the hug, her closing her eyes and doing her best to breathe. Focus. Feel that inner turmoil. That grit. Tap it. Hold it. Fuel it. Let it flood and let it dampen the pain.
She drips shadow, and suddenly draws breath. "No, wait!" Aryia quickly gestures to Maddy, her stepping forward quickly. "No, Tran has nothing to do with it. That Devil woman is not involved. This is something completely different." Yet all the same.
Despite her shaky breathing and her spiraling mood, she instructs, "Please. R-Remain... calm. This has nothing to d-do with... with your house..."
She does look like she needs a hug. <Handspeech>
"Aryia has the right of it." Seyardu shouts herself as the familiar enough woman is already starting to head off. "It would not do to spread wrong information to them." She adds if they come back, much quieter."
"It is alright Aryia. It will be alright." She says gently, crouching down slightly to pull the mul'niessa into a full hug.
Maddy is gone. Handspeech does not carry well in a crowd, in a rain, to a person's back. The comfort derived from hugging a cold, cypher like reptile is enjoyed too long to hold the Swadling servant back.
Madness remains.
"Yer either a gobbo or a human and ye look like a sith, which is it?"
"Gobbo." The lumpy sith'makar says. "Human." Comes an answer from their midsection. "Get the damn sssticksss!" The last much closer to the ground.
"Granny Gurgleguts StickBUGS on a stick, ye yobbo gobbo human makar!" Granny Gurgleguts shouts back at them. Them is the appropriate pronoun in this instance. "Ask for them by name."
Maddy is caught, with some effort, and watches the signs. "I... oh... I don't understand." Although, she recognizes Aryia's need for a warm hug, and gives her one.
Aryia dashes forward, ripping out of Seyardu's hug. No. There's too much disinformation going on nowadays. Denouncing adventurers when they try so fucking hard to make things right. The cloaked elf is far too fast to outrun, her tapping on Maddy's arm to get her to stop. She repeats her gestures before shaking her head. "Look. It's alright. There's nothing more going on with your house than you already know. It's some absolute bullshit going on, just-"
Hugged.
A long... long pause. Her arms go slack. And she starts to sniffle, burying her face into the near-stranger's shoulder as the water that drips off of her splashes shade onto the ground. <Handspeech>
"Are you not welcome to shop here normally? I do not see why you would not be." Seyardu asks the 'Sith-makar' in their trench coat as she passes them by, to where Aryia, and the other woman were hugging. She waits nearby, not interrupting. "I saw a few signs. You are looking for a place to go, right? I would seek out the Tarrace. Speak to the owner, a woman named Sabina. With your experience, I am sure she would be more than happy to hire you on, and provide a place to stay in addition."
Maddy simply hugs Aryia, warm and strong. She serves half-orcs after all, their mugs probably weigh five pounds. "It's ok, it's ok. I don't know what's going on but it'll be ok. You are strong, your friends are very strong."
She releases the embrace enough to face the mul'niessa directly, "There's so many things, and we talk. The servants talk between the houses. The ones in the yard talk over the fences with the neighbours, outside talks to inside, we meet other houses at the market."
"We're not blind, to the Upstairs faults and their lies, but we don't know what is true. So, you're saying, whatever happened isn't connected to Tran, and Lord Altay, and Lord Morgan, or Lord Merek?"
"Of course not, Fellow human, we are welcome to sshop anywhere." The 'sith-makar' in the trenchcoat replies to Seyardu, and is corrected from a voice out of nowhere, "You idiot! Can't you tell? Thasss a Makari! Sshe's in sseasson and cooking!"
"Sshe iss?" Third voice. "I thought that wass me."
Stereo surprise, "You are?"
The lumpy makari in a trenchcoat whips about awkwardly and wobbles off swiftly.
Aryia sort of just crumbles a bit in the strong hold, her shuddering and shaking in the rain. She gulps. Nods. And lets herself be broken for a scant few moments. More will be shared with Seyardu later to mend.
She pulls away, lightless eyes watching Maddy as she speaks. "What happened in the noble district isn't related to Tran. That's a different devil thing going on. One that we're working on trying to fix. I don't know who Lord Morgan is. I have no idea if it's connect to Altay or not, that asshole is everywhere with his bullshit. Just..."
She gives a long sigh. "Just be careful, alright? I was afraid with you running off like that it was going to make things even harder for us to sort out." <Handspeech>
The feuding 'makari' with itself is paid no mind. Aryia's world was dark, and the only light was Seyardu, and this stranger.
Shadow leaks from her.
Seyardu blinks. And shakes her head. "I am not. But peace on your nest, in that case. What I meant was that you do not need to dress up in a trench coat to do business here, you should be welcome. And less confusing."
But they were already wobbling off, and the silverscale sighs. She continues on, over to where Aryia and Madness were.
"Lord Morgan is one of the nobles working with Altay. And it is Lord Eric, not Lord Merek." Seyardu speaks up from nearby. "They are not related directly, to Tran, or Swadling."
Her tail flicks a few times in agitation. "Yes, please, things are dangerous. Be careful, looking into things more is dangerous." Maddy watches the handsigns, and nods, then listens to Seyardu's explanations. "Okay, I'll be careful. I'm just trying to get out of there. Maybe I'll get everyone to leave at the same time."
"Serve them right, if they're going to cut us off anyhow."
She sighs, "Maybe there's a nice, middle class family that needs a Nanny. Watch some actual babies instead of grown up ones, far from that scheming district."
Once Seyardu steps up, Aryia slides over to her light and holds onto the silverscale's arm. She's still trembling, and leaking shadow. But she's putting on a good front. "Maybe, yes. There's a bunch of refugees coming in as of late. There might be some families that need a hand taking care of some kids."
Her brows furrow. "Yes. Fuck them. Who knows? If you all leave, you've all been working together for a while. Maybe you all can open some kind of place to take care of people? On your own terms, this time." <Handspeech>
"If any of you are interested, there is a temple of Althea where you would be welcome to work. The pay, it is not too much, but food, and lodging is provided, and there are various jobs needed. Healers, caretakers, chefs, and all manner of things. But, I believe you will be able to find a place to work and stay, all of you." Seyardu reassures, re-wrapping her hand around the mul'niessa.
"I would not blame you for taking such actions. Just ensure if you do, to take them mindfully and safely."
"Well, we would need money to set up or own place. And our own place." Maddy says. "Hmm... we're not really 'churchy', but maybe..."
"Like, I don't know if they'll listen. Everyone is grumbling. Maybe if I go they'll all go. The groundskeepers are kind of, well, they didn't get a lot of attention and weren't expecting much."
She frowns, "it's us insiders that had to put up with the whole family all the time. The 'work hard you'll be rewarded when I'm gone' promise, that isn't much of a promise now. Yeah. They'd go."
"Gardeners wouldn't be much use in a temple that has no green either." She muses. "I'll.. yeah. I should go. Warn them. Start packing. Thanks, and be careful, I'll run into you later."
Aryia gives a small nod, smiling weakly as she holds onto Seyardu's hand tighter. "I'm not a church person either, but that place is nice. They're good people. I'm not sure about the gardeners. I hope they find something."
A pause in her gestures. "... thank you for seeking me out. It was nice to meet you M-A-D-D-Y. I hope all goes well for you and the other servants, and you get the respect you all deserve." <Handspeech>
"The gardeners... Hm." Seyardu muses, thinking for a moment. "The soldier's defense, they have had troubles with hiring for the gardens on the grounds. If they were willing to work there. I know, not everyone is a follower of the gods. But it does not change that many there simply seek to help those in need. Even if not a permanent place, they can help find you and those with you jobs as well in the meantime."
The sith-makar smiles. "I hope things will go well as well. Peace on your nest, Maddy."
"Yeah. Thanks. I... kinda get used to being treated badly and think it's normal." Maddy says, giving Aryia one last tight hug. "Thanks for giving me other eyes."
She bows to Seyardu, "You too. I'll follow up on those leads. Soldiers Defense, ok. Thanks for trying to help people at the party. The rest of us, we saw. Yeah, Peace on your nests!"
Then she waves, then she is gone.
Leaving only the rain as company.
And loudly shouting merchants. And groups of shoppers. It's very crowded for being alone.
Aryia returns the hug, suppressing her tremors for the time being. Still leaking shadow. She pulls away, and quick gestures, "I understand what its like to be treated badly for a long time. I hope you all find the peace that I am seeking. Be well."
Then she's gone.
The mute elf looks up at Seyardu, shimmerless eyes deep set and sorrow filled. The tremors return. Shade drips off her chin. "... one step forward. Four steps back. Can... you come with me to my room? I... I don't want to be alone right now..." <Handspeech>
