Sketched Angel

Log Info

• Title: Sketched Angel
• Emitter: Slixvah
• Characters: Slixvah, Simony, Crik
• Place: Genrivian Gorge Camp
• Time: March 20th, 2023
• Summary: Slixvah is resting after breaking her arm from the insanity of the Vagrant Tower egress. She gets acquainted with Simony, a Navosian she met in less than ideal circumstances. Simony shares a bit about the Tower thus far, as well as some sketches before Crik suddenly appears. He hands Slix a dish from the Aerie that's wrapped up oddly, meanwhile thumbing through Simony's sketchbook. They two leave after a bit to let Slix rest.

Genrivian Gorge, Forward Camp

The aftermath of the chaotic retrieval is plain to see across the blasted grounds next to where the portal once was. Academics, injured yet still curious, are all but frothing at the mouth to get started exploring the first reconstructed floor of the tower on the Material Plane.

However, wounds need be tended, and among them is that of a rust red and white feathered egalrin woman. She is propped up on a cot, many of her robes used as blankets and pillows. Her left arm is wrapped in a cast and held secure with a sling. Upon her lap is a tiny, white feathered thrush, sleeping. Kept that way by her only free hand petting them.

Wandering among the tents, cots and frothing academics is a small, pale Goblin dressed in Navos' colours. A notebook is held to her stomach by both hands, the book itself looking well worn, crinkled and judging by the stains, it has seen some water and mud.

Eventually, she finds the subject of her search, the red and white Egalrin woman. The Gobbo pauses nearby, seeming hesitant to approach, concern and shyness evident in her expression.

The egalrin is, despite the pain she recently went through, peacefully resting. Eyes closed. Wings half furled around them, though the colorful of ribbons are splayed out like a makeshift rainbow.

A sky blue eye cracks open. "If ya jus' gonna stand there, might as well paint a pict'cha. Get in tha' tent, right windy and chilly!" she croons, tone soft and smooth. "I must commend ya jaw strength supersedes that of most of the brawny type. Though, desperation does beget some incredible feats."

The Goblin moves to enter and stand at Slix's feet. The Sleeping bird is eyed, and Simony cracks a smile. "How are you feeling?", she wonders quietly, "Arm feeling better?" Her eyes look about, the coloured ribbons taken in.

"Yes, when one is desperate, one does what one needs to hang on. I guess being small has some benefits. I do apologize for the gnaw marks on the rope."

"Better? Absolutely not," the egalrin quietly chuckles. "Arm's still broke, but at least it's set, and not much more ya blessings and my magics gonna do. Waitin' game. But that's aight. I pulled off some crazy stuff and I'm still ridin' that high."

She shakes her head. "Wasn't my rope. Stole it. Don't matter tho', it held and did it's job. How you doin'? Bet all that wasn't the most... fun."

Simony manages to look embarrassed. "No, it was not. I think I... did not contribute as much as everyone else. It is not a comfortable feeling thinking you're the one holding people back. Like... you might not have had to do such crazy stuff if it were not for me." The albino takes a deep breath and releases. "Thank you for coming to our rescue, and thank you for saving Sloan's life. You're the heroine of our story."

The egalrin's face floofs up somewhat as she rubs her neck. "D'awww, tha's reall' sweet of ya's ta say that. But, honestly shug, ya'll stayin' alive up ta tha' point is also supa brave."

Her eyes crinkle in a smile. "It ain't a comfortable feelin', but listen this: suckin' at something is the first step at bein' good at somethin'. I bet ya help in loads of other ways."

She extends a hand. "Dressy for success-y, takes lil' ta impress me. Name's Slixvah Unmesi," she sing songs.

The tattered notebook is set at Slixvah's feet, and the Egalrin's hand is taken up by both of Simony's. "Simony Smithsdottir.", she says quietly. "Still, was pretty powerful seeing you dropping through the portal like that, wings spread out an' the rope trailing behind you. And you, of us all, sustained the most hurt. You saved my life, and I won't forget that, ever." She laughs then, "You made a favourable impression on us all."

Slix's hand is squeezed gently, before being released, the well worn notebook reclaimed and held to her stomach once more.

"Are you going to join the teams in exploring the tower, once your arm is healed up and whole again?"

"Simony Smithsdottir," Slix echoes in a hum, her squeezing the hand in hers. "Pleasure ta meet ya." The described imagery of the egalrin blasting through the portal obvious stokes some kind of ego, her grinning as best as one with a beak can. "I admit I did feel pre-tty cool diving in like that!"

She ponders that question. "Hrm. Mayhaps, little Temperance," she coos. "I do quite enjoy a bit of intellectual exploration'. Tho', I could be lendin' a hand out and about here. Digestin' what ya'll get and what not. Just depends."

"I've always had an eagerness for knowledge. My parents tended to hide me away, ostensibly to protect me from the sun. So books were my way to explore. Once I was able to free myself, to wander on my own, books became more of an obsession. So, I uhm, I take notes. Lots of notes, when not desperately clinging for my life, that is. I uhm also sketch things. Usually what I am taking notes on, sometimes random things, sometimes... well."

The notebook is set down again, pages flipped though, showing diagrams of the tower's architecture, a rough plan of the first floor, and of her fellow companions. Then comes a two pages spread. The portal, front and center, with a sketch of an Egalrin dropping through it. The ribbons are coloured in an approximation of Slixvah's, the only colours other than grey-black seen in the entire book, thus far. "It's obviously not exactly how you looked, But how I remember it in my head."

The Goblin nods, "Ah yes, you could read and interpret while your arm heals. I hope we find exciting stuff, and not some old guy's digest on his sock collection."

Slixvah ahs. "Not bein' able ta explore, right sorr' 'bout that. Us Egalrin haaaate bein' trapped indoors." At the notion of sketching things, she leans forward some, her looking about each of the drawings. "... oh wow. Ya really good at thi' stuff. Loads can be figured out with-"

And then it gets to the sketch of herself. Her beak remains ajar, feathered brow raised high. There's a subtle low whistle, and a muttered chirping sound. "Gawds damn, I look cool as fuck." <Auran>

She looks back to Simony, ego completely and totally stoked to dangerous levels. "Ya interpretation is positively lovely. I love it."

Another nod. "Yuppers. Could totally do that. And who knows, maybe a digest on socks might be somethin' hidden within! Always stuff ta find between the lines."

"Good? You think so? Just sketches. I mean, I think they get the point across, which is what I wanted in sketches. Easier to understand what the heck I was thinking when there's a sketch to go with it."

Simony grins, her head canted. "That is a new language to me. But uh, it sounded positive. Erm. Maybe if you have time, you might uh take me through the basics of it?" The sketch is hidden quickly, as the notebook is swept up and held once more. "I am happy that you like it. I could draw it out on a clean sheet of paper and give it to you, if you want?"

The Gobbo rubs at her chin. "Well, I hope we get things that are more exciting than that, but it could be really funny if that's the treasure trove protected by the most traps and spells higher up on the Tower. I do wonder how big it is..."

"Auran. Language of the skies, and my mother tongue," Slix hums. But she blinks, a giggle leaving her. "You know what? Sure. If you draw it out a copy, I'll /gladly/ pay you for it. Love me some good art."

She gives a little shrug. "I mean, sure. Might be a little hard 'cause ya ain't got two voice boxes, but I can teach a lil'." Her gaze shifts to the barely built tower beyond. "If it gets mo' dangerous, I can help some. I'm good at a lot of random shtuff, but in a straight up fight? I ain' much."

"N.no, I couldn't take coin. If you ask me to sketch something specific, that's one thing. But this is a thing I wish to give you, yes?" She rubs a hand on her neck, and then shoves her hood down to expose unevenly cut hair and pale ears. Her notebook is opened while Slixvah speak, and a pencil is pulled from a pocket sewn into her robes. Goblin text is scrawled out quickly. "Two voice boxes? Is that how your voice is so melodious and beautiful? Even if it sounds like you may be cursing slightly?"

Simony nods, "There were some uhm, I am told they are mephits, but they look like imps to me... they were the only thing we fought. Everything else was traps and deception, it seems. Assuming that holds, and that's probably a big assumption, you should be okay. Your ingenuity will be needed for the exploration part, and you can let others fight." The Goblin pulls up her sleeves, showing off forearms that have seen combat, scarred and slightly bruised. Her knuckles have also seen combat. "I've a mace and some armor too." She raps at her chest, a slight metallic sound heard.

"Then I will accept such a gift," Slixvah hums warmly, her eying the gobbo briefly before leaning back and closing her eyes. Which doesn't help her face feathers from floofing once more. "Well, er, perhaps tha's part of it. But I'm jus' reall' good at talkin' wit' folk. Makes it easy ta sound pretty. Or... be like Crik and copy whatever's talkin'."

She nods along, a taloned foot tapping along at the air from an unheard beat. "Mmm. Mephits, beings of th' planes. Those can be dealt wit'. Traps and whatnot, that too."

The clinking of metal gets her to open her eyes and glance over. Studying. "Pray tell your experience with fighting, Simony? I myself am more prone to talkin' out of it or avoiding it altogether."

The bed moves slightly, as the Goblin climbs up and sits on the very edge of the side, her wrapped feet swinging back and forth lightly. "That is pretty neat.", Simony says, admiration evident in her voice. The scratching of her pencil can be heard in the silence between voiced thoughts. "Yes, I suppose they were air mephits, given where the tower was. There were very desperate to destroy Animus's statue, and its gem. As well the scrolls or book on the pedestal, it was hard to tell what it was originally just from looking, the creatures had shredded it so." She pauses in her scratchings to tap at one of her ears with the pencil. "We might run into more creatures, and it saddens me that they may be in there right now, just beyond the first floor, destroying valuable knowledge. What a waste."

She is quiet for a little while, pondering an answer for the Egalrin's question. "I have but basic training as a monk, as one might expect of Navos. I also can wield a mace, and if pressed, I will also bear a shield. I will fight if I must, but your way of doing things is much better, I think. Save fighting for those things who will not reason, and will not back down, and will not let you back down."

Slix pulls her legs in as the gobbo pulls themselves up. Her good arm takes the snoozing thrush and unceremoniously puts them in a pocket on her robe. Surprisingly, its still sleeping. "It is neat. Lot of different folk have lots of little neat things about them. Elves can flick their ears. Gobbers teeth grow back usually."

She frowns slightly at the mention of knowledge getting destroyed. "Hrm. Perhaps it is an incursion, the mephits. Sent to destroy the tower? Dunno, speculation."

A the mention of combat training, she bobs her head along. "Sounds betta than me. I ain't much good wit' fightin'. But fo' th' things that won't back down, I got a lotta tricks up my sleeves for 'em and anyone dealin' wit' 'em."

She cheekily puts a finger to her beak. "Just know if I'm wit' ya group, the odds get pushed a lil' bit more favorable. I can supplement a load of healin' as well as arcane solutions. Speakin' of healin'- d'ya need some fo' ya boo boos?" She gestures to Simony's arms.

The albino watches the bird get deposited into a pocket, and she laughs. "Was that a familiar? Or are there birds around here who just accept being placed into a pocket to sleep." She grins then, showing off a bunch of teeth and fangs. "I have generally tried to avoid getting hit in the face. The thought of losing teeth is a worry. Comforting that the teeth may grow back... though I'm hoping I am powerful enough to fix such things."

Her expression darkens, and Simony nods to Slixvah. "That is a possible reason, I think. I mean, Taara ended Animus, yes? If mephits are related to imps, then perhaps Taara has a hand in it? Perhaps there is something in the tower.." The Gobbo closes her mouth with a click of teeth. She clears her throat. "Having tricks up your sleeves will be welcomed, I think. If you're able to sus out traps, or at least, find solutions for them... before us ahead stumble into them, you'd save us a bunch of pain."

Her hands and forearms are quickly hidden with a shake, the sleeves sliding back into place. "I am sufficiently soothed. It was my ego that was suffering, not my hands." The Gobbo smiles beatifically. "And one of my older masters said never to discount luck, good on yours and bad on the other guys."

Slixvah cheekily hums, winking, "Maybe it was? Maybe it wasn't?" Though, further thought of speculation makes her tap her beak in thought. "Maybe. But Animus is done-zo already, dunno what it could be. Prolly somethin' deeper in the tower."

She chuckles. "I ain't good wit' traps and th' like, ya'd be better off askin' Crik fo' that. Buuuut. If it's magic sorta dealio, I can prolly figure it."

She winks. "Wise masters. Luck ain't nothin' ta discount. And luck ain't random."

GAME: Crik rolls stealth: (12)+11: 23
GAME: Slixvah rolls perception: (9)+13: 22
GAME: Simony rolls perception: (10)+9: 19

Simony chuckles at the Egalrin's wink. "Hah!" A few notes are scribbled quickly in her notebook. SUCH A TEASE! "He is done. But uh. It seems to me that we should make as much effort as we can to preserve this place. Who knows how much knowledge is in here? And it irks me that it is potentially being destroyed. If I were less reasonable, I would be trying to get in there myself." Both of the Goblin's hands ball up into fists, some of the knuckles cracking with little popping sounds. She nods, "Oh yes, Crik is quite good at finding them... it is just that some were much better at finding them with their feet, if you know what I mean. I mean, they took it well, and a bit of Navos' help held serious injury at bay. And I don't think I would notice the traps any better than they did."

Slix' final comment has the albino's head turning quick. "Say what now?", she wonders, her expression one of curiosity. "How do you figure?"

Speak of murder, and --

One of the tent's flaps just slightly shifts, as if by breeze, gently rippling across the sides. It would be much of nothing. Except the sheet behind Simony slowly rises on its own accord, a very subtle shifting motion that _almost_ looks natural. If it didn't keep rising and leaving a dark beaked egalrin slowly ascending behind Simony.

-- and murder appears. With a neatly folded tiny bag in hand.

"The butler is even better at exposing the lurking death." Black beak opens and Crik tilts his head upwards a touch, neck feathers ruffled.

Slixvah nods seriously. "Yeah. Gotta keep th' knowledge in there in check. It'd be right terrible if it was all destroyed, but it ain't worth us dyin' ova'. But, I'm glad ya'll at least got out safe."

The question gets a wink in return. "Just gotta read between the lines is all-"

The egalrin flinches from the bassy voice appearing out of seemingly nowhere. She blinks. "Ah. Hello Crik. Glad ta see ya made it out okay from there."

"With a huge thanks to you, and the team who hauled us out.", the Gobbo says, nodding in agreement. "Read between the EEEEEK!" Startled, Simony jumps from the bed, turning around in the air, to land against the edge of the tent. She simply leans and breathes, staring at Crik.

Her expression slowly changes from surprise to annoyance. "W.why do you insist on doing that?", she growls.

Crik's beak snaps shut; he doesn't flinch when he gets screamed at, instead his attention is tilted towards the bed and Simony; eyes glancing towards the notebook. Definitely not been trying to spy on it. His cloak flutters and he gives his head a bit of a shake. "I heard my name." He responds to Simony. "A place to enter the conversation. Should I have greeted first?" He looks down at the blanket by his feet. Then at Simony.

The black eyes turn towards Slixvah then, and he takes a step forward. Looking at her for a moment, he gives a jerking bow of his head, then leans down for a second. "Slixvah." Straightening, he holds out the very disheveled looking package at her. "Gift for the rescue." It had several ties and knots around it; it seemed to hold it barely together.It also had a very delicate, fresh scent. "A dish from my aerie. Try to open the strings without spoiling the contents."

Considering the amount of them, and how they were interlocked and intervowen with each other and barely holding whatever was inside, seemed like a task on its own.

"It is true, his name was used oft," Slixvah chuckles towards Simony, her free hand ushering calm. Though, Crik is sudo-bowing towards her, and her attention shifts to him.

She perks. "A dish from your aerie...?" she echoes, looking down at the... package? "I... humbly accept. Thank you."

A few of the feathers on her wings silently unfurl and animate, reaching out to take the package and place it on her lap. Them acting as her left hand, she uses her right to carefully tug and pull at the interlocked and woven strings. Man... food sounds really good after all that...

There's a gurgling sound from the Goblin's direction, and she huffs. "Yes. But a hello would have been uh nice? And not from directly behind me.", she says to Crik. Another breath is inhaled and exhaled, before she slowly ventures forward. The notebook isn't immediately reclaimed, Simony's attention on Slixvah and the package from Crik.

The albino's nose works at the air, perhaps attempting to sus out what is hidden under the wrapping. "How do you make your feathers do that?", she wonders of Slix, as the feathers animate.

It seemed that pulling one string will tighten the others yet undo the others - though some of them dig in threateningly deep into the soft contents within, threatening to spill it over her lap. "The least I can offer for saving our lives." There's a moment of staring, then he tilts upwards. "But if we are lost in the storm, is that where our wings should have been?" He ponders on this notion for a moment, before his attention gets returned to Simony.

"... I'll give a hello from your side." His mouth opens up and down for a second, as he makes his hunched over self a bit around the table. His black fingers try to subtly swipe towards the notebook to just quickly thumb over the next page. "Thank you for your assistance, Simony Smithsdottir. I am sure the secrets of the tower will require keen and dedicated attention."

GAME: Crik rolls sleight of hand: (8)+9: 17
GAME: Simony rolls perception: (5)+9: 14
GAME: Slixvah rolls perception: (13)+13: 26

A chirping chuckle rolls in Slix's throat. "How do you breathe? Move your arm? Turn your head? It's th' same. Tho', the magic I do can make some rather esoteric manifestations, and one of them is this. And, well, havin' a third hand sure is /handy/." She giggles at that.

Slix is perplexed by this puzzle laid before her. But, it's a puzzle, and she's focuses down on it. "Well, wings can only do so much in a storm, hon. I'm just glad none of ya'll got in that mess." She glances at the swipe, but doesn't comment. The esoteric egalrin does her best to not let the strings to mess up what lay within, her working her way through it. Her stomach grumbles.

"I assume that you and I breath fairly similarly and perhaps so for arms." The Gobbo shrugs her shoulders, her eyes turning to the puzzle. She really wants to interject, judging from her extending a hand a few times, and quickly pulling it back. Her gaze is drawn to Crik then, nodding in response of offering a hello to one side, and of her assistance. His turning of pages is missed, it seems, the notebook opening to a sketched image of what can only be Slixvah, descending from the portal above, a rope trailing out behind her, mimicking the coloured ribbons affixed to her.

"Wait a minute...", Simony says, her eyebrows furrowing. "How long were you listening?"

Crik quickly tilts his head to the side with an unnatural bend, looking at the sketch. Not exactly what he was looking for - but hey, it was a nice sketch. His fingers quickly flop over a few extra pages with unnatural speed, before he lays the notebook as it were - gently smoothing the pages down with his fingers.

"It is curious how it has began to manifest here. How often are things from the planes pushed here? What were the mephits searching for? What happened to the wizard?" The corvid leans his head back, beak opening. It was obvious he was dying from all the unanswered questions. He also seemed to be very adept at staying still - especially when questioned about how long he has been listening for.

The meal-puzzle quickly gave away lots of its secrets - the cords were wrapped in particular fashion that if not pulled correctly, they would dig into the soft contents and tear them open. Tugged in other way, they would instead spread the contents apart; but she had to figure out the right way to unwrap the meal. The soft meat contents with that juicy something held over it were tantalizingly near - but unless she wanted to scrape the food off the scraps of paper and her lap, she had to proceed carefully. Or just violently. Corvids.

Slixvah is slowly working through it. And interesting puzzle. Intriguing. Intellectually challenging. Though, the rumbling in her stomach was growing louder. So, instead she choses a third option. Her arm dips to the side, and- a dagger falls out of her sleeve into her waiting hand, and she carefully slips it between some of the knots to slice through them. "... food..." she murmbles.

"Lotta stuff from other planes loves ta show up in the Material," Slix answers as she works. "But, alas, all questions that will have ta be answered in time. Especially now that th' first floor of the tower is stable."

The Goblin's maw opens, showing many pointy teeth as she tries her question again. "How long were you listening?", she demands, "I gave my name to her ages ago..."

The book contains a great many notes on things found in the tower. Also many sketches. Bits of architecture, a rough sketch of four-headed lightning trap that shocked numerous people in the group, individual sketches of Sloan, Crik, Magpie, Tlanexhuani, Jacob... and then later, sketches of Pelka, Slixvah and Ulthan. Most are decent enough sketches to readily identify the adventurers. However, there are closeups of several different feathers, and of Tlanexhuani's horns. Aside from the one of Slixvah, only one other takes up two pages, that of the fallen statue of Animus, and the gem itself, detailing potential damage to it.

"Time.", the albino echoes. "Hopefully we have enough."

Crik would probably have sweatdrops if he could sweat like that. Instead he tilts his head down and looks at the Goblin direct in the air. "Names are easily heard and held. Each spoken can carry their omen across the winds." Keep going, you'll confuse her, Crik!

His head swivels towards Slixvah, then Simony, and back to Slixvah. "Lucky that the tower is here, and not beyond the portal. How it wound up in the planes? ... or was it sent there?" Tail bops up and down and he keeps his beak open. "Reminds of home."

When she moves to cut open the package though, Crik reaches out with his hand to stall her. "Beak." His own opens up. "Beak is the trick." His beak moves up and down.

Slixvah pauses at the request to halt. She looks up. Stares. Then it clicks. "Oooooooh. Duh! Man, I've /really/ been outta the Aeries for such a /long/ time..!" The knife is slipped away back into her sleeve. "I sure hope so, but, if we don't, we don't. Regardless, we got a lotta stuff laid out for easy."

Her beak dips down into a knot, and pulls open in two directions.

The notebook is quickly snatched up, and held to the Goblin's stomach once more. Simony squints at Crik, and lets out a huff of breath once more. She is perhaps thankfully distracted when Slixvah uses her beak to solve the puzzle. "Uh huh, interesting. So you use your beak to worry it in a way your fingers and feathers cannot?"

The added extra twist lets Slixvah hold the strings open with enough tension that she can easily peel the last string. This one cuts into the soft watery sauce and it starts to drizzle over the pulled meat underneath, ripe for her picking right at her reach.

The corvid stares at Simony for a time, then bows his head. "... not that long." He finally admits to her, before he bows towards Slixvah, beak held open still. He gives his whole body a ruffle - neck feathers stretching out and then flattening through out his body. "See you at the tower." And with that, he heads off the tent, his cloak blending eerily well with the tents' walls. Oh, right, he just 'borrowed' some of the fabric somewhere for his cloak.

Slix blinks at the meal before her, stomach growling even louder. She smiles to Crik. "Thanks. I really appreciate it."

And then he's gone. "Yeah," to Simony. "Food easy ta open wit' just a beak while glidin' in the mountains. But uh... I'm gonna eat thi' and pass out fo' a beat. Thankies fo' checkin' in. And nice ta meet ya."

Simony spends a moment or two to tuck Slixvah in, and grins. "Sleep well, and it was nice to meet you. See you about!" Crik is offered a wave, as he makes his retreat.

-End Scene-