A Small Joke

Log Info

• Title: A Small Joke
• Emitter: Skielstregar
• Characters: Skielstregar, Eztli
• Place: Temple District
• Time: September 13th, 2022
• Summary: Skielstregar is hanging around the temples, enjoying the day, nothing remiss will happen, right? Well, Eztli is prime witness to the well meaning yet thick skulled silverscale picking up an errant scroll planted by some Tarien Luckbringers. He reads it. It goes off. And now he's comically small. There's no shortage of jokes to be had, though Eztli does make she he's alright before the duo end up taking a stroll to the gardens with the smol-stregar on her shoulders. Until the spell wears off. Coyote laughs.

Temple District, Midday

Clank. Roll. Thunk.

"Hmm? What'sss thisss?" A glimmering silverscaled makari, massive in stature, bends down to pick up a tiny tube that's clanks against their taloned foot. Standing back up, the sun shines bright off his scales, it seated high in a nearly clear sapphire sky. There's a twinge of a chill in the air, whispers of autumn letting it be known that it's just around the corner.

It's none too populated here today, efforts being focused outside of the city at present. Still, the warrior caste was here, ferrying folks to and fro. Mostly back from the city to the pointe.

He gives the tube a curious sniff, twisting it about and looking it from various directions before- >pop<. A cap comes off. Curious fingers pull out and unfurl a scroll. Dead eyes widen, and his tail idly sways back and forth. "What doesss thisss sssay..." he murmurs, reading it quietly to himself.

Eztli had learned her lesson from last time, that was for certain. Reading crimson pen novels on top of Tarien's temple was just asking for trouble, wasn't it?

No, much better if she was reading trashy romance novels in the temple district to do it on top of the roof and entrance to Ceinara's temple, that made much more sense, and was less likely to end with being sent tumbling into a bush by the wayside. Eztli was propper up on her stomach on the roof in question, perusing one of said books as a means to pass the time, where she had an excellent view to watch people passing by. Including Skielstregar! The small makari waves energetically to him from up above.

Skielstregar is busy with a scroll unfurled, maw moving faintly as a finger traces lines on it. Movement from above makes him cease for a beat, head craning up and squinting slightly to see- ah! He waves a large arm back, the silverscale slowly ambling his way towards that temple.

"-soh, zan, kathuun? Thisss is gibberish-" The runes on the scroll light up. Skiel's eyes widen as he suddenly drops the scroll and ducks away. But he's too slow. There's a large >paff!< of smoke and sparkles, totally obscuring him from view.

The smoke fades, leaving behind it... a kobold?

Wait, no, that's just a really tiny... shiny silver scale? Hold on just a second, that's a tiny Skielstregar! He's standing there, arms still over his head as he was preparing to defend against something exploding. And yet...

Eztli waves again, and is in the process of closing and stowing her book when the silver sith-makar goes up in smoke.

Eztli blinks, and bunches up the back of her robes with one hand before leaping off the building, floating slowly down to the ground nearby.

"Skielstregar? Are you alright?" She asks, looking at him, and trying to surpress a laugh in spite of the situation. "What was that about?"

Skiel is too busy girding (cowering? protecting his face?) himself from an explosion to see Eztli approach, but hearing her means that all should be well. "Uhh..." he rumbles out, "... thisss one is-" He stops. Puts his hands to this throat.

His voice is about two octaves higher than normal. A high tenor. And finally he opens his eyes. Skiel jumps. "Dragonfather's light!" he squeaks. "When did you get ssso tall- wait, WHY ISSS THISSS ONE SMALL?!"

The little makari is looking all about the space frantically, sparkling like a little glitter ball. "T-Thisss one doesss not know! They just found sssome paper and-"

A group of Tarenites hiding behind the fountain flee to their temple, cackling along the way.

Eztli blinks and looks up at the 'priests' who were on their way off. Was it priestly behaviour? Was it not? Hard to tell with them.

But what she was sure of was that Skielstregar was still there, and very, very small. "Ah, I think I know what happened Skielstregar, don't fret, little one." Eztli laughs, patting him on the head. "You should be more careful about reading scrolls left lying around. Especially out loud like that."

Skielstregar is stymied as his head is pat. His face grows icicles. He is still very small, yes. He's not wearing his armor nor has all his weapons, even his halberd isn't nearby. So he's just in his shirt and pants. Being all smol. "L-Little one...?" he huffs out, crossing his arms. "You are right. Godsss forbid if thisss one's Chiuaa or sssissster ssaw thisss...."

"Yes, little one. It seems that the priests at Tarien's temple thought fit to thank you for your work ferrying people out of the city, but forgot to mention not to read their scroll immediately. Or point it out to you at all." Eztli continues laughing. "I haven't felt this tall in, ever? Even Nemori lords what little height she has over me. Don't worry, your secret is safe with me, I won't tell anyone about this."

Tiny-stregar huffs, a gout of cold air wafting past Eztli's legs. He casts a sideways glance at the Tarien temple, then shakes his head. "... at leassst it isss nothing harmful," he sighs, rubbing the ice off of his face.

He looks up at Eztli, tail flicking from side to side in slight annoyance. "... isss thisss how it feels for you?" he squeaks up at her, him looking around at the benches that were too high, the mixed scale towering over him, wagons that looked like they could run him over.

"Yes, it's not harmful, you'll be alright in just a couple minutes I think." Eztli nods.

"How it feels? Well no, I'm not halfling height, at least." The small makari huffs. "But yes, it's kind of like that, I guess? Gods, to think I end up like this, and still manage to end up being tiny. I used to be taller, you know."

Skielstregar points a tiny finger up at Eztli. "But thisss one thought what you were before wass that tall anyhow?" he muses. The usually massive makari is so tiny, barely even coming up to Eztli's shoulders. He looks down at himself.

The man frowns somehow, him going over to a bench nearby. The seat is at his shoulders. "... thisss feelsss insulting," he murmbles, reaching up to pull himself up, but struggling a bit because he wasn't used to being so tiny.

"Well yes, which makes the fact of being a sith-makar now, a race well known for towering over almost everyone around them, and being three and a half inches shorter, a bit of a cruel twist of fate." Eztli huffs , hopping onto the bench beside Skielstregar. "Not to mention losing more than a few around the chest."

"It's not all bad though, Skielstregar, the lucht-siul manage to get by just fine, and they're pleasant folk, gnomes too. Even if most places aren't specifically designed for them, they get by."

Skiel finally manages to pull himself up once he figures out how to use his tail. Which, he just gives up and rolls to lay down on it. "Well, erm, perhapsss it isss better you are ssslightly smaller now than massively large? That would be much more jarring. If it wasssn't already."

He nods, sighing and propping himself up on an elbow. "Yesss, there are thingsss that are made for them. Giantborn too."

Dead silver gaze eventually rests on Eztli. "How are you now that the wightsss are lessser now?" he asks honestly, him thumbing the medal and ribbon on his necklace.

"Well, I'm not sure." Eztli sighs, resting her snout in one hand. "Before I was just you know, normal, but now, I'm shockingly below average. So I don't know really, if there's any potential concerns or complications from that, you know?"

"I'm doing better, I think, but it's not like I can relax completely, either. That was one attack, and it took a lot out of a lot of people, and the entirety didn't even show up, you know? So the future is still uncertain and all that. But, I guess I'm able to relax a bit more, so that's good, and people are less at risk in the city."

Skielstregar quietly laughs. Which sounds more like an actual laugh than the air rumbling. "Everyone isss below average to thisss one." A beat. "Except now, thisss doesss not count. Have you ssspoken to the ssshamansss about complicationsss?"

He smiles slightly, tail thwack-thwack-thwacking against the back of the bench. "Thiss one iss glad you are fairing better. It wasss one attack, yesss, but we have more knowledge of the enemy, yesss? The ssshamansss of light warded well in the fight, including thisss one'sss sssissster," he expresses proudly. "We will overcome."

"It'll be over in a couple minutes, you do still count, even if you're small in the moment." Eztli nods slowly. "I haven't, I should, though. Miss Un'eth could probably help me out like she has in the past."

"We do, yes, and maybe now they'll be prepared if they show up again, instead of being caught off guard." She sighs. "At least, yeah, when it came down to it, they were able to push them back. But they might have learned more about us, too. I'm glad your sister is alright after that, Skielstregar."

"Ssshaman Un'eth isss wissse. Thisss one iss still ferrying people to and from Mictlan, if you need to return," Tiny-stregar hums, kicking his feet off the bench, slightly fascinated by how they're no where near the cobble road.

He shrugs a shoulder. "We were not caught off guard, thisss one helped with that," he says, tapping the medal on his necklace. "They may have learned, yesss, but Eztli, do not underessstimate the power of light when all grows dark." Small hand goes pat-pat on her arm.

There's a proud look about him. "Thisss one isss glad too, and they know that the Celestial Mother wassss keeping her sssafe."

"Yes, she is, she knows a lot of things , and she has a lot of experience." Eztli nods. "Though, I should be the one ferrying you, shouldn't I? If you need to get somewhere, you can always ride on my shoulders."

"That's... not what I mean though, Skielstregar, but thank you for figuring out what was going on. I mean that no one was prepared for the undead coming, despite what happened. There should have been contingencies in place already, instead of at the last moment?"

Skielstregar stares at her. "... thisss, right now, isss your only chance to ever do sssuch a thing," he squeaks flatly.

His brows pinch. "It isss a bit far for them to get to here to prepare for sssuch a thing. But sssince it happened, their plan isss shown, and now we can prepare better for sssuch with beter contingencies, no?"

"It's not far enough. It was wishful thinking to think it'd be contained to Dragonier and not elsewhere." Eztli huffs. "They should have at least considered the possibility, at the very least."

"Well, now is a time for it I guess?" Eztli shrugs, hopping off the bench. "Come on, I feel like going for a walk anyways." She states, looking back and over to Skielstregar. "Anywhere in particular you want to go?"

Skielstregar chuffs. "One cannot plan for everything, especially with Charn so close."

He blinks, surprised that this was actually happening. "Uh... o... okay," he mumbles, standing up on the bench. The smol-stregar ambles over and reaches up to Eztli's shoulders. He easily hefts himself up. Gods, he may be small, but he's nothing but forty pounds of condensed muscle.

Once he gets himself settled on her shoulder,he guffaws in a squeak. "Hah! Thisss one isss tall once more! Thisss one does not know where, just not far. They left their things at the dragon father temple."

"Well, you're tall, but you're standing on the shoulders of giants right now, Skielstregar." Eztli laughs, hefting a bit to stand fully upright.

"By the gods though what's your method of working out? Feels like I'm lugging around a pile of muscles. I guess you were always strong, but I didn't stop to think how strong you are." The small makari notes. "Not far, to the river? Or the gardens? Lead the way, just point me in the right direction!"

Skielstregar looks down at Eztli between her horns, him resting an arm atop one to stay stable. "... thisss one carries whole trees..." he mentions as his method of muscle maintenance. "Could probably lift you with one arm, if they are honessst. And, well, not thisss sssize."

He looks about, shrugs, then points towards the gardens. "... thisss feelsss incredibly odd," he notes.

Eztli looks up, grins, and boops the tiny Skiel on the nose, cackling madly. "By the gods you're adorable Skielstregar, yet you probably could still lift me easily, maybe not with one arm though."

"Carrying trees? I guess that would explain it, I don't know a lot of people who make a hobby of that personally. I know at least one now, though! I think it's a lot of fun, but it is kind of odd, too, being on the other end of things. Just make sure not to crush me when you turn back, okay?" She offers while steering off towards the garden district. "You'll be able to get an even better view of the plants than usual, you're in for a treat!"

Smolstregar flinches as he receives a snoot boop, him rubbing his nose afterwards. There's a crinkling of ice coming from him. "... very funny," he mumbles, faintly chuckling.

He shakes his head, leaning back slightly so he can see better. "Worry not, thisss one will do their bessst to not crush you. Though... usually, thisss one can tell when their magicsss that make them larger are about to wear off. Thiss one on the other hand-"

>poof!<

The absolutely titanic Skielstregar is perched on Eztli's shoulders. He's there briefly. Comically so, just enough time to blink the wafting spell-dust out of one's eyes.

Then he teeters backwards and falls on his back with a massive >thud!<, taking Eztli along with him.

A moment passes. Then Skielstregar breaks out into a uproarious laughter.

-End Scene-