MASKTOURN

Though it might have once been clean and pristine like the main square, this courtyard appears to have been overgrown by plant life. The walls surrounding it are crumbled and broken, their stone bricks scattered around the courtyard by time and bad weather. No one has come to clean out the plants, or tend to them, and yet they have flourished- the ground is covered in thick grass, the walls are decorated in vines, and twisting fruit trees loom over the courtyard proper. It’s one of the few welcoming places in the Citadel, though it’d be smart to watch out for anything lurking in the shadowy underbrush.

Isi felt a small amount of tension leave her when she discovered the garden. The overgrown plants offered further comfort, though she couldn't bring herself to play any music even so. She sat herself criss-crossed under a looming fruit tree, pulling the snake mask out of her pocket and turning it over in her hands. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs ))

The only other being in the garden- at least that Isi could see- was a singular black-feathered crow, perched on one of the crumbling stone walls. It watched Isi curiously. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi tilted their head at the crow as it entered their vision, smiling up at it. She brought the ocarina to her lips after all, playing a few notes of friendly greeting. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The crow listened to the greeting song, and cawed back. Isi would get the message pretty clearly- 'HI- WHO ARE YOU'. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Crows did tend to be easier with communication than some other creatures. They're smart birds. Isi played a few more notes. I am Isi! These simpler statements were nearly second nature now especially with birds. Who are you? Isi returned the question in kind. Come to think of it, not normally something a crow would ask. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The crow flew up into the air, and in a quick, dark flash, transformed into a gangly, dark-haired woman, with large black-feathered wings. She brushed her dark braids behind her back, and gave Isi a bright smile. "I'm Kyrie! Nice to meet you!" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi yelped as the bird flew up in a flash, springing to a standing position. The second Kyrie was revealed, her face broke into something of wonder, with a smile. "You just! Oh goodness- that was amazing!" She looked at Kyrie, craning to glance at her large wings, clearly excited. He own braid swayed in the breeze as her near-completely dark eyes took in the woman in front of her. "It's nice to meet you too! I didn't think anyone else was around here" isi stated. There was something like relief in her voice but a tinge of apprehension could also be found there. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie let out a strong, cawing laugh, her wings shaking with her shoulders as she tossed her head up. "Thanks! I think it's a pretty neat trick!" "I didn't either- and then I saw you!" She hummed. "You're a deer, right? A deer-person? Because of the antlers? I've never met a deer person before." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded. "Yep! A faun is what I believe I'm called. I have met a bird person before, but I think I already like you more." Isi laughed a little. She looked towards the sky for a second, then back at Kyrie, and frowned. "How did- you end up here?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, nice! A faun!" Kyrie smiled. "I'm glad I exceed expectations, then?" She laughed again. "I was brought here for, uh, a tournament of some kind. I didn't actually get much information out of the person that... interviewed me, I guess is the right term. Too much fire for my liking." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi grinned, laughing along with Kyrie for a moment before listening to her explanation. Isi nodded, remembering the firey individual who approached her in the forest. "The firey person? They 'interviewed' you?" She frowned, adding air quotes around the word interview, though there wasn't a much better term to describe it. Isi seemed to find this fact puzzling. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I think so? They had the same voice, but... I don't know. I was kinda too freaked out to make much sense of it. I don't like fire." She frowned. "Did you talk to someone else?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's hands went to the ocarina at her neck, and she looked down at the undergrowth around them as she spoke. "Trust me, me neither" she replied with an uneasy smile. "But- I didn't talk to the fire person, no. I talked to someone named Albanes." They explained, looking back up so they could gesture with their hands as they spoke. "Did you have to- drink from one of three bowls?" Isi wrinkled their nose. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh. Huh." Kyrie thought. "Albanes..... yeah, I had to drink from some bowls. The one I picked had some broth in it. It was... pretty ok." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded. "Yeah i think that was one of mine too but..I ended up choosing the milk. I don't know what that could even mean-" She was silent for a moment, softly stamping one hoof on the ground and hand going to something in her pocket while she looked at the sky, puzzled expression present before she let out a growl of frustration. "I don't want to have to figure out weird bowl meanings or- or deal with snake masks and sides! At least last time I technically had a choice!" Isi stated with a final stamp at the ground. Her shoulders dropped, but the frustration remained on her face. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie fliched slightly at the sudden outburst- she'd always been terrible with reading people's emotions, and hadn't been expecting it. "You, uh, have been to something like this before?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi stepped back a little, carrying a now-apologetic expression. When she next spoke, her tone was carefully quieter. ".... unfortunately. Another lifebringer sent out an invite to a tournament and I took it." Isi cringed. "A lot of stuff happened. It wasn't fun." Isi had met the best people she knew there. She'd have done it all again for them sure, but this wasn't for them. This was something worse. "If this is going to be anything like what I remember, or worse, then," Isi looked up. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry you're here." She told Kyrie quietly. Her emotions seemed hectic. Pretty hard to be an optimist here, even so- "-but! Me and my friends got out before, I'm sure we can do that too." Isi finished firmly, with a more confident smile. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- that sounds awful, I'm so sorry- to go through all that and do it again..." Kyrie frowned. "Don't apologize- there's nothing any of us could've done about it. We're all stuck here-" she managed an optimistic smile. "And if you got out of something like this before, we can get out of this!" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded evenly, but kept the smile on her face despite the way it struggled to reach her eyes at points. After a short silence, she got a little light in her eyes and looked at Kyrie. "You can fly, right? Have you tried flying out?" She frowned. "If it's an island again- I know most birds don't do well flying for that long with no rest but, maybe it's worth a look." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, I can fly- I'm actually pretty fast." Kyrie said. "Hmmm.... I can do a little circle around, try and see what I can find. Maybe there's a way out of here." She gazed upward. "Do you wanna wait here while I check it out?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi grinned, flapping her hands a little bit. Isi looked up at the sky, a bit of renewed hope, small as it was. "Wonderful! Yes. I'll do that. I hope you find something" Isi replied earnestly. She leaned against the same fruit tree as before. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie gave Isi a double thumbs-up before taking off from the ground. Isi would be able to watch her travel upwards into the sky, before disappearing completely into a thick cloud. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi mirrored Kyrie's thumbs up before watching her take off with somewhat of an awestruck expression, reflexively shading her eyes to look up despite the clouds. The dark wings against the sky made for an impressive sight until they were no more. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

After a short while, Kyrie returned, making a careful landing before folding her wings back up. "Not much up there to see. It was really cloudy, but from what I could tell it's an island, with sheer cliff drops on all sides. Big mountain in the middle, and nothing else as far as I could see." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi watched Kyrie return, stepping back a bit as she landed. Listening to the explanation they frowned, seeming a bit more dejected but not surprised. They still held a smile on their face despite that. She tried to recall the landmarks of the island she'd found herself on years ago, but had never gotten to explore it much. Well, not the topside of it anyway. "That's...not ideal. It's good to know, though." She nodded, and looked at Kyrie. "Thank you" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, no worries! Maybe I can get a better look at it when it's not as foggy, there might be something I missed." Kyrie thought out loud. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded, looking around the garden and then at the sky. "Well we have time!" she frowned. "I think. Either way, there's probably enough to explore down here too." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, it all looks pretty neat down here! If a bit... weird and spooky." Kyrie hummed. Her attention quickly shifted, though. "Hey, why do you have a worm in a jar? I'm curious." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned. "Definitely spooky.*" She tilted her head as Kyrie asked the question. "Oh-" she pulled the little jar out of her pocket, unsure of how Kyrie had even seen it. "Im taking care of it. Sorta. its not all that friendly though, so I try and keep an eye on 'em" she smiled. The worm seemed to hardly move in it's jar, like it was asleep. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Huh. Neat." Kyrie inspected the worm as Isi showed it- clearly interested but still hesitant. "I've never seen a worm like that before. And I've seen a lot of worms." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi shrugged. Kinda made sense that Kyrie would know a lot of worms, didn't it. "this is the only one of it I've ever seen-" Isi replied, carefully putting it back in her pocket. "It was left behind by someone I knew, and I've talked to it before, I didn't wanna just leave it." She frowned. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie got the sense Isi didn't want to talk too much more about the worm, and left it at that. "Makes sense. Nice of you to take care of it for your friend." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's shoulders dropped a little, and an easier smile appeared once the topic seemed to be closing. She simply nodded. "What were you up to before getting zapped here?" She asked after a short silence, seeming genuinely curious. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, I was just walking home from work when the flame guy zapped me here. Nothing... too special, honestly. Probably gonna loose my job when I go back, though..." Kyrie hummed. "You?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi listened, ears going downturned. "I sure hope you don't, I mean I don't see how they could blame you for this, right?" Isi looked at one of the branches above Kyrie's head. "I was out trying to get some food, I was supposed to meet back up with a friend of mine after, we travel together, but. . ." Her eyes crinkled a little. She seemed suddenly weary, as if this had been weighing on her, but inhaled quickly and reset her face somewhat. "- he's tough, and he's smart. I know he'll be okay until I get back." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ehhhh.... my boss doesn't like me much anyways. I think they'll take any excuse they can get to fire me." She sighed. She was, at the moment, ignoring all the 'death' stuff. "But I'll manage." "Oh- I really hope your friend's okay." She frowned. "But- like you said, he'll be able to take care of himself, yeah? We'll all get through this, and he'll get through it, too." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Her and Isi both were ignoring all the death stuff. "Well, at least you can get a better job, then!" Isi smiled, ever the optimist. Isi nodded firmly. "Don't I know it." It was at this point Isi finally seemed to notice Kyrie's attire, and how it differed from her own 'uniform'. She recalled what the letter said about 'sides'. She fiddled with her own robe a little, and finally pulled out the snake mask. "You got a uniform like me, huh?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah! That's the spirit." Kyrie laughed. "Oh, yeah! The letter I got said I'm on the bird side, so that's fitting. I did, uh, forget the mask. Guess I should go get it... god, I hate having things on my face." She glanced back to the bird building. "You're not on the bird team, though, are you? Your uniform is different." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi laughed along, and shuddered in agreement with Kyries sentiment about having things on her face. "My letter said I was a snake." She looked thoughtful. "Snakes and birds, huh?" She looked down at the mask. "Birds are... normally much nicer than snakes." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Huh. Guess they didn't have a deer side?" Kyrie hummed. "Not a huge fan of snakes, honestly. Kind of a weird naming convention for the sides... you're obviously not a snake of any kind, and I doubt everyone on my side is bird people. Hmmm...." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"I'd like to hope they didn't mistake me for a snake, so I'm guessing you're right. That the sides weren't based on that." Isi thought for a moment. "I doubt we're the only non-humans here, though, even so." Isi thought back to the last tournament. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. The letter I got in my room was signed by someone named Kairas, and that's a Corvi name, so I'm betting they're Corvi, too." Kyrie hummed. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked confused for a moment. "Corvi?" Like corvids? Like crows? So theres more of people like Kyrie? That was neat to think about. Sometimes Isi wondered if there were more fauns. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, corvi! Like me. We're bird people, corvids specifically. I'm a crow. Obviously." Kyrie explained enthusiastically. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi listened, pretty enthralled. "The flight must come in handy now and then, I bet." After a few moments, her face formed into a little :o expression. "Oh! I think I've met a Corvi before actually," Isi didn't know whether to state exactly in what context this meeting was yet. Felt a little heavy. "Jus' didnt know it at the time. You're very neat" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah! I can't imagine not being able to fly." She laughed. "Oh, really? What kind of bird were they?" Kyrie asked, clearly intrigued. "And thank you!" @sketti | Isi 🦌

"I'm not exactly sure but- her wings were dark, like yours. So maybe also a crow?" Isi frowned in thought, trying to remember anything specific, but in her defense there'd been a lot of things going on. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm.... what were her eyes like? That's usually the easiest way to tell for corvi in human form. Since so many different corvids have dark feathers." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi thought back, then slowly shook her head. "I don't...think so," she replied. "She didn't even want it known that she had wings at first, honestly." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hmm.... if she had human-looking eyes, maybe she was a jackdaw. They tend to have the most human eyes. Crows like me have dark sclera and gold irises." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"a jackdaw- hm." Isi tapped her fingers against her opposite shoulder, hugging herself a little bit. She looked up, catching sight of Kyrie's eyes. "They're very pretty, the way the gold stands out" Isi remarked, smiling a bit. She returned looking towards the sky in thought. Everything seemed so offputtingly connected. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Aw, thank you! Your eyes are very pretty, too." She smiled, and let Isi have her moment of contemplation. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi grinned at Kyrie in acknowledgement of the returned compliment. Her hoof lightly stamped on the ground a few times as she sorted her thoughts. "All of this is so- so strange. I mean even besides the, fire and the bowls and all that. The last tournament I was at, it-" she paused. "It's all so difficult to explain. But here it all feels...shifted I guess." She sighed, then looked back at Kyrie apologetically. "Sorry, I bet you're still trying to figure out your own stuff without needing to deal with mine too" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mmhmmmmm..." Kyrie sat down in the grass and thought. "Hey, don't worry about me. Maybe, if you explain it to me, we can make sense of it together? I mean, it's better to be aware of what's going on, and two heads are better than one." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi considered for a moment, and then carefully sat down near Kyrie in the grass. She regarded Kyrie with a grateful expression before listening to her. "Do you mean, explain my tournament? Or my thoughts? Or both?" She tilted her head.

6:10 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I mean, either. Whatever you feel like you need to say." Kyrie shrugged. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's eyebrows scrunched together a bit. "Well. In my tournament, there was someone named Albanes. Her father called himself the Life Bringer. There was also someone named Madeline. Albanes was- I think she was around my age? So was Madeline. Those two worked for the Life Bringer. Madeline-" Isi took the worm jar back out of her pocket. She'd started talking slowly, but seemed to be getting into a better rhythm now. "-had this. She asked me to talk to it, so I did. It tipped me off about some things. Got me to look for tunnels under the island I was on. So I did, and-" Isi paused, mouth still partially open before she shut it with a click. Her hands tightened around the jar. She... really hadn't spoken about this in long time. She preferred it that way. She looked up at the sky, listened to the wind, made sure it was still there. She shook her head slightly, like there was a fly buzzing around it. ". . .What I found wasn't fun. When I got out, I warned my friends about the Life Bringer. I didn't know how to tell everyone else, but someone else beat me to the punch so it worked out. All I'd done was run" she shrugged, giving a short smile. "That's when we all started trying to leave, y'know? Madeline and Albanes too." She put the jar back in her pocket. "They never left the ship when we got back to shore, even though I found Madeline's worm on the boat, so I just kept it." She paused for a moment before finally meeting Kyrie's eyes again. "So that's why I'm confused. I got here and- and apparently the Life Bringer I knew has been dead for hundreds of years, even though his tournament was only a few years ago! And Albanes is older- much older- and her Madeline has been dead for a while, and she didn't recognize me at all but she recognized that worm. And she's the Life Bringer now, too. If she's telling the truth, none of this makes any sense." Isi finally finished. She seemed...so relieved to finally have said all that.

7:40 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- wow." Kyrie said to.. all that. It was a lot to take in. "Huh. Yikes. Uh, I'm from the Loucari, but I'm not exactly sure who the current Lifebringer is... it's kinda a mess right now." She frowned. "Maybe it's a different Albanes? I think that's a pretty common name..." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"it's a lot, isn't it" Isi laughed it off a little, unwilling to dwell on the nitpicky bits more. Isi frowned, she'd definitely heard the term Loucari before but wasn't too knowledgeable. "A mess? How so?" Isi asked, curiosity piqued. "She looked- so much like the one I knew, maybe you're right but it doesn't explain the timing, or the worm, or Madeline- I don't know. Been trying to puzzle it out." Isi shrugged. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I think the Lifebringer is currently Missing In Action." Kyrie hummed. "And no one knows where he went. But I don't get involved in politics, so.... eh." "Hmm..... we can figure this out, though. Maybe we can find her, and talk to her again?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded. A direction of action seemed to strengthen her somewhat. "Yeah! Yeah I think so. After talking to her once I think, maybe, if anyone would help it might be her." She frowned. "I wanna be careful though. The last Life Bringer, her dad, at least the one I knew, he had that whole kindly-old-person shtick down, before it turned out he was crazy, so..." Her face hardened a little. "I just hope she's not like that. Like him, y'know?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm.... I didn't meet her, so I really can't offer any judgement about that. The person I talked to was... kinda a weirdo freak, honestly." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's eyebrows rose a little in questioning. "How so?" She asked. "Other than- all the fire." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, uh- it asked if I was Corvi, which is... a perfectly normal question, but they way it said it...." She shuddered, her feathers slightly ruffling up at the unpleasant memory. "Made me feel all weird." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned, noting the shuddering with concern. "Weird like- how it was when we first got here? The flashes and the heat and- that?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah..... I still don't get the bowls. I thought I was having a heart attack or something before it showed up...." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi shuddered to remember the feeling before she'd arrived here. Not fun. "I don't get the bowls either. I do know one of them had blood..the other two seemed normal enough, don't trust them though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Eugh. Nasty." Kyrie shuddered again. "Hope they didn't poison us, or something... but I feel pretty normal though. If it was poison, it's slow-acting." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded in agreement. "I don't think it's poison either but I'd almost rather it was because at least I'd know. For all I know we all just- chose our own deaths, or something." Isi made more emphatic hand gestures, and changed her voice a bit to make it clear she didn't actually think that was the case. Probably. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhmm..." Kyrie sighed. "I guess... there's not much we can do about now." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's ears went a little down turned. Looking around, she felt a little restless. "I think I wanna explore this place more." She stated, starting to stand up. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm, I think I'll try and find something to eat. I'll see you around, hopefully!!" Kyrie waved goodbye. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi smiled and gave a little wave. "I'll see you around, Kyrie!" She replied cheerfully as she left the garden. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie turned back into her crow form, and flew off!

Albanes brought Ace all the way down to the courtyard to ensure his safe return. "Well, here you are." She said. "Again, if you need anything, please reach out to Kairas or Reagan." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Augh. It was a nicer hike down and all, but that didn't necessarily mean it was great for them. "Of course," Ace reassures, nodding. "And thank you for accompanying me back to the Citadel." "I suppose this is where we part ways, then?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes nodded. "I will see you around, though. Good luck, Ace." She left back towards the Acropolis. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah- wait, there was one thing I remembered on our return." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh?" She turned around. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hm, the hiker," he thinks, for only a brief moment. "I believe it mentioned your name a few times, yes. And it seemed to have some sort of...darkness within them?" "Ah, I'm not entirely sure, it must have been me seeing things," Ace quickly dismisses, lifting his hand to bid her farewell. "Thank you for your time, Albanes, and for the brief history lesson. I'll be seeing you around." At that, he wanders off in a different direction, hands folded lightly behind their back. [Their back is aching.] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Thank you for telling me." Albanes said. She'd already figured that might be the case. "Of course. Good luck, again." She leaves before she can say anything else. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Returning from the brook didn’t take too long, but finding Albanes proved to be trickier than he’d been expecting. Not that he’d particularly paid much attention to the path that led him there—there’s too many thoughts jumbled around in his mind, and the constant dull headache sure isn’t helping in the slightest. After some time of aimlessly poking around, Kenji finally finds himself pacing back and forth in the overgrown courtyard of the main citadel area. He’s fidgeting with his wedding ring, twisting it back and forth on his ring finger, and well….even with the mask, clearly looks distressed. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kenji would soon become aware of another person in the garden- a tall, white-dressed person crouched low in the bushes. They seemed to be looking at something, and paying more attention to that than Kenji. Their long snake tail coiled gently with curious interest in whatever they were looking at. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Rustling by the bushes definitely does catch his attention, to see the person in white observing something there. They’re not familiar, he doesn’t think so at least, so why….? For some reason, he’s moving towards the person half-before he even realizes it. “Hello..?” The least he can do right now is figure out who they are, and then go from there. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, you scared it away!" The person said with slight disappointment, and watched the bushes for only a second more before turning to Kenji. "Hello, there. How are you?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Oh—“ He’s momentarily caught off guard by that, gaze distracted to the bushes, but redirected once the person continues speaking. “I’m— Okay..” Very clearly not true. “..Do you.. Are you someone who.. works here?” ‘Works’ feels like the wrong word—they don’t look like a guard, exactly—but he’s not actually sure if Albanes had mentioned anyone alongside her here. Then again, he’s not sure about a lot of things. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, yes! My name is Reagan, I'm the leader of the Snake side," they extend out a hand for a handshake. "Judging by your outfit, you're one of Kairas's contestants- but I can help you out, if you need anything!" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji slowly takes the offered hand. “Yes, that’s.. that’s what the letter said..” The letter. Right. He lets go of Reagan’s hand, awkwardly silent for a moment or two at their offer before he’s able to form the question. “…..What’s going on here?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, it's a tournament! You and the other contestants will be organized into fights and compete to, well, to the death, under decree of the Lifebringer." Reagan explained. They placed a hand on their chest. "I really am sorry for all of you... but that's what the Gods decree." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“But I— Albanes decreed it? Or the gods decreed it?” Gods. The word tastes like dust in his mouth, and the headache behind his eyes spikes so harshly that he stumbles a half step back. “I— I came to her for help, I don’t— Why is she doing this?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Albanes is the Lifebringer." Reagan clarified. "Here, sit down." They guided him over to a bench in the shaded. "It's going to be alright. The Lifebringer has everyone's best interests at heart. It will be okay." The words seem rehearsed, and Reagan doesn't sound fully convinced themself. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

There’s no outward resistance from Kenji as he lets himself be sat down. Sure, he knows that, but it doesn’t mean she isn’t his friend anymore, does it? Though Reagan seems unsure, their words appear to have somewhat of a calming effect on him. At the very least, the emotion written across his face has morphed from upset to more of confusion. “What about.. What about my husband?” He asks quietly. “I told him— I said I was coming here, I said I wouldn’t be too long, I said…” His voice trails off, and chokes up entirely. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hey- hey, calm down. Deep breaths." A cool chill formed at the back of Kenji's mind, and he'd begin to actually calm down. His thoughts were redirected from his worries to more... pleasant topics. He was being made to enjoy the weather, the peace of the garden. "It's alright. It'll all turn out okay." Reagan said carefully. And Kenji would be made to think: yes, it will. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

His head is pounding—until it isn’t. Or at least, it’s ignorable. Kenji breathes along with Reagan, the first few stuttering in his chest briefly until he feels his shoulders begin to relax. Maybe he should have checked places the garden first, instead of rushing out into the wild. That might have helped. But it doesn’t matter, now he’s here and now Reagan is helping and now everything is going to be fine. Why had he thought it wouldn’t be? @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"There... are you feeling better now?" Reagan asked carefully, still not letting Kenji full control over his mind. The chill receded a bit, though. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji takes a moment to wrap his head around the words, but slowly he nods. “I… Yes, I think so..” It sort of feels like hearing himself from a distance, almost familiar, strangely, for a moment or two. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Good." The chill receded completely, and Kenji was left alone in his mind. As alone as he could be. "It will all be alright. I promise." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

As alone as he could be, indeed. Not that he noticed the feeling. Kenji breathes out, closing his eyes. “I understand. Thank you.” He doesn’t seem to intend on leaving any time soon, and carefully reaches up to remove the mask obscuring his face. One eye is a dull gold, the other dull gray, and a single tear tracks down the side of his face. He brushes it away almost absent-mindedly, before readjusting the mask firmly in place. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan didn't reply verbally, but turned so Kenji wouldn't have to see their face. Even so, they're still clearly very tense, but their thoughts are as much of a mystery as their expression behind the mask. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji, whether fortunately or unfortunately, doesn’t appear to be picking up on Reagan’s tenseness as he stares out at the garden. Reagan would probably be able to feel his gaze flick towards them when they shift, but it doesn’t linger long. Distantly, he wonders if he should still ask to speak with Albanes. But that’s quickly decided—no need, of course. Instead, he settles for a question that hadn’t been able to break through the worry before. “Can I ask, how come the masks?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Finally, a question Reagan could answer! "Oh, the masks are to preserve uniformity for the contestants. You're all equal in the eyes of the Lifebringer, after all," They hummed. "And they also keep all us who work here more anonymous!" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji nods after a second. “I guess that makes sense. Are there..a lot of you? I feel like I haven’t seen many people here yet.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan nodded. "You will likely not encounter the majority of us. The lower-ranked attendants will be staying out of the contestant's way." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“..I see.” Kenji’s quiet for a moment, then stands up somewhat abruptly like he hadn’t quite decided on doing so until he did. “I think I might head back to my room for a little bit. But thank you, again.” He offers Reagan a thin smile, though with the mask it’s hard to tell whether or not it reaches his eyes. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Of course. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me." They returned the smile, though they remain on the bench. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Of course. If you need anything else, please don't hesitate to contact me." They returned the smile, though they remain on the bench. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

His head ducks in a sort of half nod, half bow, before he makes his way out of the garden.

The announcement hadn't gone over well for Isi, and had to stalled her trip to her room. She was sat cross legged under the same tree she'd been under before, taking her mask on and off, trying to get comfortable with wearing it. Little success was being made. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

…Isi‘s ears would pick up the distant beating of wings, and her nose a strange smell getting closer. …The wing beats stopped, and the smell was only getting closer, closer- SPLAT. ….There was a person(?) here now, face up and sprawled out on the ground, with a strange black liquid oozing out beneath them. It smelled like rot. They at least seemed to be breathing, heavily at that. @sketti | Isi 🦌

As soon as the smell and sound hit her nose, Isi's head jerked up to the sky. Her first thought was vultures, but- what would one be doing out here? Then the wing beats stopped, but the smell didn't leave. Isi stood up, looking around, ready to bolt. SPLAT. Isi yelped and jumped back. She instinctively covered her nose with her hand, but upon seeing an actual person on the ground, the shock morphed to concern near instantly. If it weren't for the heavy smell of rot, Isi would have thought the dark liquid to be blood- whatever it was didn't matter, someone had just crash-landed in front of her. "Are- are you okay?" She asked with a clear amount of concern in her voice. That same concern overpowered her aversion to the smell enough for her to try and get closer. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Their ears would pick up their weak mumbling voice. ”yoli.. yoli, y-you can’t ssleep now w- hhh.. nneed t-to go.. p-please..” As Isi spoke, they went ridged- before turning over to look at her. That same liquid was running down the side of their face like tears. ”hhh.. go- go away..” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's pupils shrank a little when they turned to look at her, at the voice, at the smell. She froze on the spot, practically mid step, tense. And apprehensive. "Wh-..who are you?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

He sounded… young. And scared, fear rolled off of him, clear in his eyes, in the way he trembled. (gross, rot mentions) The smell would be near overwhelming to her. A mix of freshly dead, old and rotting meat, the scent of coagulating blood. Looking at the strange, viscous blood(?) beneath him would send a shiver up their spine. The sort of feeling of looking at something rotting, flesh melting away from bone, mold overtaking- Everything about them felt off. …they were trying to get up, but seemed too exhausted to. They didn’t respond. @sketti | Isi 🦌

As Isi looked at the stranger, her initial fear gave way to confusion and more concern. She managed to force herself to breathe more through her mouth, which helped a little bit. She finally got close enough to crouch beside him as a shiver went up her spine. She could not reach out just yet, but the longer she spent there the easier it got to push through the gut discomfort. "Can you stand? I can't- I can't heal you or anything but, you need help" she told them earnestly. She'd believe that regardless of their appearance considering they just crash landed. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

…They tried once more to move, and couldn’t manage to even roll over. The smallest whimper escaped them- cutting off as Isi spoke. ”…don’t.. t-touch mme.. I- I nneed.. nneed fff- ffood..” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's ears lowered as he tried to move unsuccessfully, and at the whimper. She reached out her hand instinctually, pulling it back before actually touching him. "What do you want to eat? I can try and get it" Isi replied quickly. She was speaking quietly, trying to be as reassuring as she could manage. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Their eyes turned to the fruit trees above them. They managed to shift to their side and reached their left arm up to try and grab the hanging fruit. Of course it was too far for them to reach on their own. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi followed their arm with her eyes, a look of realization and relief on her face. "Oh! I really like fruit too." She could definitely reach the fruit. She stood up, picking a few of them, jumping a bit to reach one the fruit did smell good. She sat back down, having picked around 5 just in case. She set them as near Carrion as she dared, definitely within arms length. She was somewhat relieved the solution was seemingly right there. (I'm so sorry I so thought I'd replied

) @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They withdrew their arm as she approached, flinching a bit. They watched as they gathered the fruit, confusion clear on their face. Why were they helping him? Did they want something? Were they trying to hurt them? …As she set down the fruit, their hunger overrides their fear and they grab for the nearest fruit. Whether it was a fruit meant to be bitten into or not, they tore into the fruit- chewing down skin and flesh like some rabid dog. …seems they were pretty hungry. About halfway through their fruit they paused- looking to Isi with a trembling jaw. ”…..thh- thank you.” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi tried to move a little slower when they flinched, staying crouched beside them and trying to keep a little smile on her face. She'd never known herself to be threatening, well not unintentionally anyway, but sometimes if you're scared enough anything can be, she supposed. She watched them tear into the fruit, realizing how truly hungry they must have been. She met his eyes and nodded, her smile got a bit more genuine out of relief. "It's no trouble, really- I can pick more if you'd like! But are you doing okay? That looked like a bad fall" she frowned. She kept her voice quieter, not wanting to startle. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

…Why were they smiling at him. ”…’m ffine. wh-why..’d you hhelp me..?” They took another huge bite out of the fruit. The black liquid beneath them was beginning to regress, seemingly disappearing into them. …Yoli still wasn’t waking up- if he could finish eating enough to feel better, they could get away before this person tries to get whatever they want from him- They were sort of staring her down, though any intimidation from it was negated by how much they were trembling. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi tilted their head. "You're hurt- you looked like you could use some" she replied, as if there had never been any other option. They were a little relieved as the black liquid started to disappear, less rot smell, though extremely confused as to how. She met their stare with raised ears and that same little smile, though it dipped into confusion when they continued to stare that way. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

To Carrion, that wasn’t an option. They gave her another hard look and tried to get up- only to fail fucking miserably and flop flat on their back with a pathetic little wheeze. ”l-liar- whh.. what d’you want. what d’you….” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's eyebrows came together in confusion, with a frown. "...I want you to be okay." She sounds a little bit incredulous. "Do you want help sitting up?" She finally offers a hand after watching that...attempt. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They bared their teeth, their breathing getting harsher. ”ssstop lying- I- I don’t.. don’t hhave a-anything. G-go away..” As she offered a hand, they flinched again. ”don’t t-touch me! I- I’ll hh.. hurt you.. you.. go away..!” Like a barking dog with its tail between its legs. @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

"Why do you think I'm lying?" Isi asked, sounding like a genuine question. She withdrew the hand and moved a little bit back, giving them some space. Her face held nothing but confusion and concern. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Why? Because- because who would want to help you? Bastard- Murderer- MONSTER! Again, they tried to get up, and failed. They growled in frustration, their one working hand twisting into their hair. ”I don’t- rrggh- I don’t knnow!! Don’t knn.. what you w-want fffrom me..” They wouldn’t look at her. @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

"hey- hey maybe just let yourself rest a little, okay? I know the ground isn't comfy but it doesn't look like you can get up easy right now" Isi cautioned, ears down turned now. She adjusted herself to be sitting rather than crouching, intent on sticking with them, apparently. "I don't want anything from you, and that's gonna still be true no matter what you think." She tried to meet their gaze even as they avoided hers. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

And again, they tried to move, and again, nothing. Why couldn’t they get up? Why couldn’t they get away? Why wouldn’t Yoli wake up already- Their breathing worsened, the grip on their hair tighter. Their body shuddered- and while they wouldn’t- couldn’t cry anymore- their body still remembered how to. Their breath became harsh and hiccuping as they lied there. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked more alarmed as they started to hiccup, shifting closer again on instinct. "Hey it's okay- it's okay-" Isi was a little lost on what to say. "You're safe, and I can get you more food if you'd like, or anything really. You're going to be alright" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

”No! I- I’m ssstuck here! I- mmghh.. I- I wanna-“ ‘Go home? Where? Where’s home?’ “…I d-don’t wanna d-die hhhhere. Don’t wanna be hhere.” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi looked so, genuinely sad for just a moment at that statement before some determination returned. "I don't wanna die here either. I'll bet anything we can figure a way out of this, but as long as we are stuck here I wanna try and make sure you're okay." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

….that’s what they wanted. To go home. They just wanted his help. So they’d help them feel better and then he could help. They took a harsh breath, trying to calm down. ”…o-okay…..d-do you.. hhhave more ff-food..?” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's shoulders dropped a little in relief. They themselves breathed evenly, as if to encourage the same in the other. "I can get some- do you want more fruit, or-?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Their hand was slowly easing out of their hair as they calmed. ”..mhm. mmore ffruit- p-please..” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded. That, she could do. She stood up once more, looking for some more easy-to-reach fruits. She did find some, About 3 this time, to start. She sat back down after retrieving the fruit, setting it close by then but knowing better than to reach too close. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Isi!" She told them with a smile. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They watched her through the cracks of their fingers, then finally moving it away from their face. They grabbed at the fruit once more- but paused as she spoke. ”mm…..c-carrion.” Watching her smile, they gave their own crooked one. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi had kept a fruit for herself to eat, as it's only just occured to her she's definitely missing the party. This felt a bit more important anyway, she'd ask Darcy to catch her up later. In a bit of an impulse decision, Isi maneuvered herself to be lying on her stomach, upper body propped up with her elbows. It felt weird sitting with Carrion lying down. "Carrion, huh?" That felt kinda fitting, if a little strange, but it did sound nice. "Neat!" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

He watched her curiously as she shifted to the ground, and started munching on the fruit (still ravenously though). ”nneat. Eehee.. I-iiissss- Isii. heehee.. mm, wh-why do.. you have ss- sticks.. on your head, Isi?” @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Isi started eating the fruit more slowly, but once she liked how it tasted she was a bit quicker. She smiled a bit as Carrion sounded out their name. Their eyebrows rose in confusion at the question before realizing. "Oh! My antlers?" Isi reached up for a second to touch one herself. "Theyre a part of me. They fell off a few months back actually, but they grow back pretty fast" she explained. The last bit probably wasn't necessary but she felt like saying it. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Carrion watched as she touched them, eying them curiously. ”ant..lers… y-you’re.. mm, p-people.. don’t hhave.. what a-are..you?” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi let out a little laugh. "I'm a faun! I've got hooves and fur n' everything" she replied. Also noticeable were her near-completely dark eyes as she smiled at them. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Faun was a barely familiar word, but the hooves and fur sort of filled in the gaps. Some.. sort of animal thingy. They smiled back. ”hee, fffaun. I don’t.. know what- what’s that.” They were halfway through their second fruit already, only pausing to speak. @sketti | Isi 🦌

"well, I'm the only one I've ever met, but I've got deer legs and antlers" she smiled while explaining. "I don't know if this is a faun thing, but I can talk to a lot of creatures other people can't, too" Isi continued. She was glad to make conversation, and glad it seemed to calm Carrion down a little. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Deer… deer.. where had he heard that.. The mental image of a far off brown animal came to mind- that and a similar brown animal lying dead and full of flies. That one also had sticks on its head! “Ohh.. deer, I- I’ve ss- I’ve seen those..” As she continued, Carrion seemed to look more excited. ”y-you can t-talk to animals? Eeehee, wh-what do they ssay?” @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Isi nodded. "Yep!" She paused to look up at the sky and think. "They say a lot of things. It really depends on who I'm talking to. Sometimes it's full words, sometimes it's just feelings" she explained. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

His smile got just a bit bigger, still a bit strained. ”thh- that’s.. nice. I thhink… mm..animals are sscared of me. If- if we sssee some c-could you ask.. why?” @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi hesitated for a second, then nodded, with a bit of a softer smile. "Most animals avoid people, you're not alone there, promise- I bet they'd like you if I introduced you" she replied. Isi gave Carrion a quick once-over as they continued to eat the fruit. "Are you feeling any better?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They smiled a little more genuinely now, excitement in their eye. ”r-really? Hee… thh- thank you..” He had just about finished his last fruit now. ”mm.. Y-Yoli isn’t.. awake yet. I- I think I.. we o-over did it t-trying to.. get away.” @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Isi frowned. "Yoli?" She looked around the garden, worried she'd somehow completely missed a separate person in there with them. Get away? Were you being chased?" Her ears rose a bit in concern. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

”Yoli.. is my ffriend.. w-we go everywhere t-together. Um… it’s n-not awake- I can’t shh- show you..” ’Were you being chased?’ Their smile fell. ”…the voicce- sspoke i-in my head. invite… w-wanted to get a-away..” @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Isi tilted their head, looking puzzled. "Oh- I have a friend like that too, actually. It's not awake right now either" she pulled out a little jar with a strange worm in it to show, but placed it back in her pocket quickly. "I'm glad you have Yoli, it's okay that I can't see it though" she added quickly. Isi frowned sympathetically, ears down turned at the explanation. "I hate that voice too, trust me. I'm sorry it freaked you out like that" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

They shifted to their side, curling in and making themself smaller. A frown forming on his face. ”…Yoli k-keeps me safe…. ‘n the v-voice- I hate it. I hhate p-people in- in my head.. ‘s not ffair. I’m free. Sh-shouldn’t… shouldn’t be there.” @sketti | Isi 🦌

"That's pretty kind of it. where is Yoli?" Isi asked, prodding a little. "I wish it wasn't there too, I don't like knowing they can reach in my head" Isi nodded, wrapping her arms around herself briefly. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

10:54 AM

(we should tjme bubble this shouldn't we)

(Yea, I won’t be able to respond til after work so good idea)

Cool!)

Kyrie returned to the courtyard the next day, and began milling about, taking interest in the flowers but more in the fruit trees. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

He doesn't feel...as terribly sore as he did the day prior, so that was. Good. Walking around felt less of a chore, though it seemed a bit smarter to stay closer to the Citadel this time around. Ace soon found a little area he hadn't yet explored yet, and was a bit surprised to find flowers and fruit trees thriving here in such a mess. [Though, well, that wasn't as surprising. They were resilient little things, after all.] Looking at the garden was another bird contestant with wings. [Another Corvi? Huh.] "The fruits trees look nice, don't they?" Ace asked after a moment, looking up at one of them. "I didn't expect to see any here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

If Ace looked at Kyrie closely, he'd notice she had some inhuman features Kairas didn't- most notably, pointed ears and dark sclera. "Oh, yeah! It looks like they have a lot of citrus." Kyrie smiled, and pointed up towards the orange tree she was looking at. "I'm happy they have this here. I like having trees around." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

The pointed ears were a bit familiar, as he'd seen Kairas have them as well, though the dark sclera was new. Huh. Fascinating. "Oh- they do?" Ace asked, actually a bit surprised. Yes. Oranges. "Hm. That's actually very nice. I didn't expect them to have oranges here." "It's nice to have trees and greenery around- it's just, very calming, in some way. Having nature around, and whatnot." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"Yeah... I'm grew up in a really forested area, so get antsy when I'm in a place without a lot of trees." Kyrie hummed. "Oh! I haven't introduced myself yet, my name's Kyrie." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Kyrie, not Gale.] "Ah, I understand," Ace said, nodding a little with a smile. "In some way, it's a bit like home, yes? It's nice to meet you, Kyrie. My name is Ace. I believe we're both on the same side?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, it's... nice, as nice as it can be, here." Kyrie's brow furrowed, only for a moment. "Hm. You wouldn't happen to be Ace Lao, would you?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hm. Yes, that is my full name," Ace simply said, feeling as if that was the wrong answer. "Why?" [Kyrie, not Gale.] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I heard your name in the fight announcements last night." Kyrie explained. "You're, uh, fighting someone I know." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[.auhgh.] "I see. Is it, ah, Gale, by any chance?" they asked. Yeah, dummy. Who else? @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Uh. Yeah. It's my friend Gale." Was friend the right term for them? She wanted to ask her before attempting anything else. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

A friend. Oh, okay. "I...noted," Ace said after a moment, some unreadable sort of expression on their face. "Well, ah, thank you for telling me. I haven't met Gale just yet, but I was looking forward to speaking with them at some point. It's...certainly nice to meet you, though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm." Kyrie's gaze was dark for only a moment, but quickly softened. It seemed she didn't want to have poor relations with Ace, despite the situation being what it was. "It's nice to meet you, too." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

What to say. What to do? What to do during all of...this? [How do you say that you're so set and determined on doing anything to bring your family back, even if it meant killing someone? How do you say that?] "...Do you think Gale likes fruits?" he asked, tapping their finger against their arm. "I wouldn't...know. I haven't met them." [Well, he didn't want to say it, so he'd leave it at that.] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie looked back up at the trees. "I'm not sure, honestly. I hope she does, I was planning on getting her some." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

A bit relieved that the conversation shifted so smoothly, Ace turned their attention back to the trees as well. "Apples might be a safe bet," they quietly said, still tapping against their arm. "And oranges, maybe. They're, ah, classics." Maybe he'd gather an extra one for Ellie, wherever she was. It said it was in the fields, earlier with...a string of emojis that he could not discern. [The apple meant that she wanted one, right?] @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhmmm... she said she likes sour stuff, so I'll probably get her some citrus." Kyrie hummed. She very convieniently remmebered the groupchat at just that moment, and typed out a message on it just to confirm. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Citruses are nice," Ace said, trying to fill the silence as he waited for Kyrie to finish whatever it was she needed to do. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie typed out another message, taking the time to draw out cute little lemon doodles. "Mhm, she said she likes lemons. I'll get some for her," Kyrie nodded sagely. "What kinds of fruit to you like?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Lemons, I see," Ace said, nodding as well. "They're very beneficial." "Me? Hm. I think I prefer tangerines, oranges, the like. Mostly tangerines, though. How about you?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, that's good. Those are really tasty." Kyrie hummed. "I'm a big fan of berries- blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, all sorts of berries." Kyrie nodded. She scanned the garden, looking for a lemon tree. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Berries are very nice, too. I tend to freeze them a bit before eating them. It's...hm. It's just interesting, like that." Maybe the texture of it unfrozen was unsettling? It felt strange. "Though, I don't think there's any berry bushes around here," he murmured, looking around at the thicket. "...Maybe they're underneath all of this?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ohhhhhh, that sounds good. I should try that sometime. I like to eat them when they're warm, they get really nice and sweet that way." Kyrie hummed. She glanced around the bushes briefly, and crouched down beside them. "Hmmm... maybe. I can't tell if these are berry bushes or not." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"They are pretty sweet unfrozen," they said, crouching down next to Kyrie. "I think freezing them is a bit more of a texture thing, personally. Though, they are very good in smoothies and bowls." They squinted into the bushes, seeing what they thought was a bit of color hidden in the leaves. "Let me see," they said, carefully reaching into the bushes to hopefully grasp something. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Do they get crunchy? I feel like they'd get crunchy." Kyrie asked, peering into the bushes as Ace did. All Ace would feel were leaves, twigs and thornes... but he couldn't see much in the dark of the thicket. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ow. Ouch. Pokey. "They get pretty crunchy, yeah," Ace said, squinting a bit more. "Hm. The almost-frozen ones kind of 'pop'? Not really like the fresh ones, though...they're still good, though." "Hff. I can't see anything in there," they finally said, pulling their arm out of the bush. Prickly. "I think it's mostly twigs and thorns in there. Do...are berry bushes...thorny?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ooh, I'll have to try that at some point." Kyrie nodded. "Some of them are." She looked back towards the bushes, "But I'll be fine without them." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I believe the refectory might have some berries," Ace said, pushing himself to his feet. "I'm not sure, though. I haven't exactly checked since last night." As they stood, they caught sight of a lemon tree not too far off. "Ah. I found the lemons." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Maybe I'll go there in a bit." Kyrie thought out loud. "Aw, sweet!" She abruptly spun to where Ace was facing, and flew up to the top of the tree. "Hey, do you know how to tell when lemons are ready to be picked?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

By the time Ace had managed to stand completely (without their back aching, thank hell), Kyrie was already at the tree. They blinked, a bit surprised at her speed, and made their way over, though with less...speed. "Ah, I think they might be slightly glossy and a bit firm," they said, "though I'm not entirely certain. I don't eat lemons often." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie inspected the lemons carefully, picking a few that seemed to match the description Ace gave. "Mhm, I hope she likes them." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Hopefully so," they agreed. "Ah, could you come down so I could get a better look at them?" From where they were standing, they couldn't exactly see the lemons she had gathered, though they seemed very intrigued by her wings. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, sure!" Kyrie said, and landed. She still had her wings extended out when she stepped over to Ace, but showed him the lemons. "Do these look good?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace adjusted their glasses, looking over the lemons before nodding with a smile. "Mhm. They look perfect. I think Gale would like them quite a lot." He leaned back, still glancing over at her wings. "Apologies for being so blunt, but you're a Corvi, yes?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Aw, sweet! Or I guess, they're sour!" She laughed a cackling, bright laugh. Kyrie's feathers fluffed up a bit when she noticed Ace looking at them. "Oh, uh, yeah! I'm a corvi crow!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Fascinating.] "Hm," he hummed, tilting his head a bit to the side. "I've only recently learned about the Corvi- the. The day earlier, really, so it's a bit incredible. Where I'm from, there's...ah, there's mostly just humans and Serpentine." "You said you were a Corvi crow, yes?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Serpentine? Are those, like, snake people?" Kyrie asked. "Yep! I'm an american crow specifically, but that's just taxonomy. I'm actually from the north Loucari." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mhm, the Serpentine are snake people- though, they're more snake-like than human-like. Ninjago has quite a few Serpentine tribes." "North Loucari, I see. I...I keep hearing about the Loucari, but I'm not sure what it is. Is it a country?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, neat." Kyrie nodded. Being a bird person herself, understanding the concept of different groups of snake people wasn't the biggest stretch of the imagination. "Yeah, it's a country! Actually, I think it's two countries now, the Loucari and the South Loucari. I live in the northest parts of the regular Loucari, which is in the north. Hence the term North Loucari. It gets a bit confusing. We're a bit north-east of Ninjago, on a big archipelago." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah, that makes sense." So it was a country. They probably should have picked that up sooner, but it was better late than never. "You. You say that we're a bit north-east of Ninjago...as in." Ace seemed...a bit more than puzzled. "As in, where we are now? I thought we were. In a different 'realm', that's how it was described." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"No, as in- where the Loucari is." Kyrie explained. "Sorry. I have no idea where we are, I was just zapped in here like everyone else." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah, apologies. That makes a bit more sense now." "By it getting. Confusing, you say, what do you mean? Again, it's my first time learning of all of this, so I do apologize if my questions get overwhelming." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- I just meant that it's a lot of very similar terms for different places, so people tend to get them mixed up when they're first learning about it. And it's, uh, kinda a fraught political moment right now, cause no one can agree on who's running what parts of the country, and I'm techincally a refugee, so... it's all kind of weird." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mm. Politics," Ace flatly said, their voice bearing no shred of pleasure. "I...see. My condolences, that's very unfortunate. And...weird, as described." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's... ah, it's not something you can do anything about. It's not really something I can do anything baout either. We're all just trying to survive as best we can." Kyrie sighed, her smile faltering for a moment. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace was quiet, brows furrowed slightly. It...really was an very unfortunate situation for the residents, wasn't it? "I understand," they said after a moment, folding their arms over their chest. They didn't know what else to say, or how else to reassure Kyrie. "But I do hope it can be resolved soon, Kyrie." "...Do you think Gale would like any other citruses?" he asked, inclining his head a bit to the orange tree. "I'm not quite sure what other fruits would pair well with lemons. I, ah, don't eat them often." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie sincerely and complete doubted it would be resolved soon. But dwelling on her worries had never done her any good. She looked back up at the trees. "Hmmm... maybe. I wish we could get some berries, I bet blueberries and lemons would go well together." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

( @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs are there...berries in the bushes here or is that a roll and find out (and snake jumpscare))

(there are berries but you have to risk snake to find them @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 )

(lets risk a snake to find them)

"Oh, they would go well, wouldn't they?" Ace mused, crouching down again. It. Wasn't the best of conversation shifts, but it seemed to work a bit, at least. "Hopefully there's some sort of berries in here..." They looked at a bush for a good bit before reaching inside again. This time, when they did, they began to make one of their arrows to see within it a bit better. To Kyrie, the bush would just appear to be glowing from within. And to others, well. Well. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The light seemed to aggravate a small snake that was currently taking a very nice nap in the bush. It snapped out its head to bite Ace on the hand- but slithered away deeper into the thicket before he could get a good look at it. OUCH! @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Shit-" [Ace is at 15 HP] Ace immediately pulled their arm out of the thicket with a curse, clutching at their hand as they fell back onto the grass. Ow. Ow. Ouch indeed. Ow. "H- ow- something bit me," he managed out with a wince as he squeezed his hand tighter. Mhm. They were cerrrtainly bleeding now. Ow. Mend. Mend. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- shit!" Kyrie crouched by Ace as he fell back into the grass. She couldn't see exactly what the bite looked like from how they held their hand. "Did you see what it was?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Sst- ah- no, I didn't get a good look at it." Blood was starting to trickle down the side of their palm, staining the already rusty ground below them. Ouch. Ace squeezed their hand a bit tighter. They really didn't want to get healed again. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah- fuck. It could be anything- we should get you to someone that can heal. I can pick you up and fly you, we just need to find out where to go..." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Augh. "I? Heal?" Ace repeated, despite how that was the exact thing he was thinking of. "Th- that would be for the best, thank you." Now that the adrenaline rush had faded, it was...very clearly hurting. Worse than before. Ow. "I- I can stand on my own," they said, starting to shuffle to a standing position. "But as for someone who can heal...well." "In any other...occasion, I'd be able to heal myself," he muttered, absolutely bitter. "Though a certain Lifebringer made sure to. Remove that aspect of me." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- damn, that's awful." Kyrie helped Ace up, and shifted to where she was standing behind him- easier to pick him up and fly that way. "We'll find the Lifebringer. Hopefully the nice one." She wrapped her arms around Ace, holding him under the armpits, and extended out her wings. "Hold on. If you're afraid of heights, close your eyes." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

If they found Albanes, she'd be nicer. Much nicer. Sure, maybe he tried to dig some information out of her about that corpse, but their interaction was...nice. It was nice enough. "Mhm," Ace said, nodding a bit in response. Still bleeding. Fun. And it wasn't quite the Normal Blood, either. It was a strikingly vibrant gold. "I'm not afraid of heights, but thank you for the warning." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hold on." Kyrie cautioned again, before taking off... @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They were going now! Airborne! This felt verrry surreal and also not very safe but that's okay. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Soon, they'd returned to the garden. Kyrie was pleased to see her lemons on the ground. "Hah, they're still here! No snakes stole them." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"That's a relief," Ace smiled, casting a wary glance at the bush from before. "Ah, thank you for just. Dropping everything and bringing me to a healer. I appreciate it, truly." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hey, of course! You needed help- and we didn't know how dangerous that bite was." Kyrie shrugged as she picked up her lemons. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"That's...reasonable," Ace hummed, nodding a little in regards to her statement. "Still, thank you." They were still flexing their hand, fingers pressed into the pad of their palm, though they didn't seem to have any new thoughts to share. "So, I suppose that's a no on the blueberries-lemon combo, then?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeahhh... berries might be too dangerous. I'll see if they have any in the refectory- probably less danger that way." Kyrie laughed. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Certainly less threat of vipers, that's for certain," they agreed, laughing lightly as well. "In that case, I think I'll leave you be. Hopefully there's some berries in the refectory, instead." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, thanks for helping with the lemons! And sorry that you got bit by a snake. Stay safe out there! I'll see you around!" Kyrie waved goodbye. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"It was nothing. Stay safe as well, Kyrie," Ace said, waving farewell before setting off to (hopefully) not get bit by something. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

A tight frown pulls at Kenji's jaw as he paces into the garden area, somewhat without a mind as to where he's going. He seems pretty distracted in general as he sits down, coincidentally, in the same spot Reagan had sat him. He props his elbows on his knees and head in his hands as he stares blankly ahead through the mask. With it, it's...hard to tell who he is, but if Asha had seen his scars before it'd be more clear. That or the fact that there's not many people his age here. Either way, something is clearly bothering him. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

After Asha had her nap, and handed off more bottles to some random attendant she found, she decided to go on a little walk. She kept a sparkler in one hand as she walked, which looked a bit different to the other ones she had. It was.. sharp at the end. "Oh- Kenji! You're not dead- I owe Ariana like twenty bucks.." Asha laughed as she walked up to him. "I guess I should ask- do you know me?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji tenses at the sound of his name, but relaxes (mostly out of confusion) once he spots Asha. “I— Um, no, I..don’t?” “You thought…. I’m not dead?” He frowns a little, at the way his own statement feels strangely like a question (though he chalks that up to the discussion with Albanes, and the headache dulls a little more), and at the Sharp Object in her hand. “Are you from the.. the future or something? Aarni said he was from my past…” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Yep, not her Kenji. Maybe she didn't owe Ariana anything.. "Um- judging by your age, we're just not from the same universe. I knew a version of you that was younger." Asha said. "How have you been doing..? The version of you I knew wasn't doing super well." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Darcy had mentioned different dimensions, now Asha was talking about different universes. The idea is tugging at..something, in the back of his mind, but after a moment whatever it is seems like nothing at all. “I’ve been…alright, I think,” he answers, a little hesitantly, but it’s more interesting to ask, “What… How did— How do you know me?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You were in a different tournament with me a few years back.. But you were in the first group of losers, I really only talked to you after we broke everyone out of the dungeon.. And then you never responded to my texts after that, so I figured you died." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“A different tournament,” Kenji repeats, his expression hard to judge past the mask. The words don’t seem to fit right in his mouth, but Kenji doesn’t seem to notice that. “‘Not doing super well’ at least kind of sounds like it was something better than this…” He suggests weakly. “I’m..sure the other me—“ Fuck, that’s weird to say. “—is doing fine. Unless we’re drastically different or something.” Yeah. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well, I don't know you enough to tell yet.. But you look pretty similar. I really didn't talk to him all that much.." Asha sighed. "Well, I can change that now. Do you have any kids or.. Are you married?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji straightens up with a smile at that, though it’s dimmed by something already close to grief. “Yes, my husband Jax. We’ve been married for over twenty years now. No kids besides our cats. But we did take my little sister in until she graduated college,” he adds with a small laugh. “What about you?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

If the other Kenji had known a guy named Jax, he hadn't mentioned it.. "I have a husband too, his name is Roman. There's a Roman here who's an.. Alternate universe version of him, and I've heard he's weird.. But in my universe he's normal and we have three kids. Dekha, Lupita, and Kaisa. They're six, four, and five werks old.." Asha sighed. "So my friends and Roman are going to have their hands full with them until I can get home." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Seki was quiet after the fight. They made sure Isi was alright, and led them both away from the arena. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi's ears still felt like they were ringing as they entered the garden, and she felt like the orange spot on her vision might never go away. She was hugging herself as they walked. Still, she turned to Seki. "You okay?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki blinked, and glanced at Isi, their stern expression fading. Their ears were also still ringing, and their fur hadn't fully sleeked since the explosion. "I am. Are you?" they asked gently. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi hesitated but nodded her head. "I think- yeah" she replied, looking at Seki. "Just a bit shaken, y'know?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki nodded, and looked at Isi with a sad smile. "Do you need a hug?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi smiled a little bit back. "Would you?" She asked, finally unfurling her arms. Her voice was wavering a bit. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki laughed softly and warmly, turning to face Isi. "Of coure! What sort of question is that?" they opened their arms with a kind, reassuring smile. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi gave a bit of a watery laugh and wrapped her arms around Seki, head against their shoulder. They weren't normally that tearful of a person but- well. A bit of sniffling could be heard. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki's strong arms wrapped securely but gently around Isi. They were careful not to bring their head too close to tge antlers, but gave Isi some reassuring pats on the back. Their shoulders and chest were covered by soft, fluffy white fur that felt cushy and nice to rest against. Seki smiled sadly, listening to Isi's sniffles. Truthfully, they also found some comfort in the embrace. "Do you wanna... talk about what happened? Or would you like to talk about something else?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi lifted their face up carefully, seemingly conscious of the antlers as well and not wanting to hit Seki on the way out. "Thank you, Seki" she told them quietly. They did one big inhale and exhale, as if to center themselves, and did seem steadier than they had been during the walk from the arena. They didn't fully let go of Seki yet, unless Seki moved away. "I just- I just wanna find a way out of here. I don't want anyone else to go out like that." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Mhm, it's alright", he said softly, and gave Isi a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, definitely... I. I sure hope nobody else is going to... blast away, like that, but... yeah. We need to get the fuck out of here. Sooner rather than later", they said gravely. "Have you found out anything yet?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi shook her head. "I know there's this- temple-like place here, I feel like its Important but I haven't gone in there yet. Have you? Did they tell you anything interesting at the first party?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Up on that hill? The big one? Yeah, I went to the first guy's funeral. I didn't pay too much attention on anything else, though, but it sure has some weird vibes. They didn't say much in the party, just announced our opponents." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded. "the last tournament I was in had these strange tunnels- I went looking around and thats how I figured out things weren't right. We already know things aren't right here, but- maybe exploring could still get us something useful. Maybe the temple has something" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

(Isi quick consult with the worm)

2:37 PM

(It'll find your corpse table)

"Hmm", Seki's ears shifted. "There's an idea. That sounds risky, though. They probably guard places like that closely", Seki hummed. "This place seems like it's brimming with secrets and stories, though. Every brick and stone seems like they've seen some stuff. Like those statues? Who are they, and why are they here? Why is this place in ruins? Why is it so big and so empty? It's so weird, especially if this isn't really a real place, but just the Lifebringer's own fantasy world, why is it in this shit condition?" They gently and slightly rocked Isi from side to side in their arms idly as they talked. @sketti | Isi 🦌 (edited)

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

(It'll find your corpse table)

(HM.

️. I know that's probably a joke but like she actually was gonna lmao)

She nodded at their questions, brow furrowed. She tilted along with the rocking. "Anything is risky here, but I think it's better to risk something than just sit here waiting to kill or be killed," she told Seki, sounding determined, "So I wanna do what I can anyway." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki smiled. "That's a good attitude. But try to be smart about it. I'm not really the smartest person to strategize for something like that... not anymore, at least. If my husband was here, he'd probably know how to go about it", they sighed. @sketti | Isi 🦌

"Being smart about it's not my strong suit" she replied honestly. "But I made it out last time anyway!" She smiled. As Seki went on speaking, she frowned. "I'm with you there. I've got a friend here, and one I was with when they took me- they're both more cautious than me." She paused. "Is your husband smart like that too?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki chuckled and patted Isi's back. "Oh yeah? Well, good job, buddy!" "Oh, maybe you should ask someone like that before you go investigate, then. Maybe they could make a battle plan. And yeah, heh, Riki is a captain in a palace guard, so he's really smart and good at stuff like this. He was my personal guard when we still lived in Empire of the Nine Sisters..." Seki started reminiscing. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi laughed a little bit when Seki patted her on the back. She thought about Seki's suggestion, and her eyes briefly dropped down to one of her own robe pockets with a contemplative expression before she looked back up at Seki as they continued talking. Her brow furrowed slightly when Seki mentioned the empire, then she took on a look of surprise and realization. "The empire of the nine sisters? That's where my friend used to live! That's so cool!" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki glanced at Isi with a surprised grin. "Really? Oh wow! Are they a Ninetales by any chance?" @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi nodded and smiled. "He is- he talks about home sometimes, it sounds pretty nice!" She'd seemed to have paused for a moment before speaking, as if trying to figure out exactly what, or how much to say. "You said Riki was a palace guard captain? Did you live in a palace?" There was a little wonder in Isi's voice. By this point she was too interested in new information to stand super still, and pulled fully away from Seki so she could look at them instead. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeah, it has its perks. Really beautiful mountains, good food, and pretty arts, for example", Seki hummed. "What is he like? Is he an ice or fire Ninetales?" Seki chuckled and let go of Isi, putting their hands on their hips. "I did! In the Imperial Palace of Light. Can't complain about the accommodations." @sketti | Isi 🦌

"Yuga's great-" Isi began, stating his name finally. "-he's very resourcefuland a great listener, we've been traveling together for a while." She paused for a moment to consider the question. "He told me he was mixed, if I remember right-" she replied. "Imperial Palace of light, huh? Sounds really fancy" she grinned. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Mixed?" Seki blinked, seemingly baffled. "...I don't think I've ever seen a mixed Ninetales or even a Vulpix in the Empire. I guess that might be why he moved out of there, huh.." "Yeah, it was fancy. Kind of too stuck up for my liking, but it was... well, they kept me safe, for the most part, and took good care of me, so I can't complain too much", he chuckles softly. @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned. "That- may have been part of it, yeah" she shrugged, not entirely keen on explaining more. Instead she listened to the explanation of the palace. "That does sound nice- not worrying about that. Did you leave because it was too stuck up?" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Seki hummed, shrugged, and shifted their weight, crossing their arms. "Kinda. That place has some stupid laws, for example homosexual acts are considered criminal, so me and Riki couldn't be together openly. Once I was able to move back to my own country, me, Riki and his wife at the time moved to Ninjago, Lilia and him got divorced, and me and him got married." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi wrinkled her nose, looking genuine baffled for a moment. "But....why?" She stated, then listened to the rest of Seki's explanation. "I'm glad you all could move to Ninjago, I hope you and Riki are doing really well here!" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Beats me", Seki sighed and shook their head. "They are very... old fashioned over there. I guess one reason could be that they have way less guys than they have girls so they don't want boys getting together? But it doesn't really justify it. And yeah, Riki is a lot happier in Ninjago, even though he had to kinda break ties with his family to do this... but, it's overall a lot better now, regardless of some social bumps on the road. Besides, things are getting a bit heated over at the Empire. The revolutionaries are more and more active recently. We're worried there might be another civil war brewing." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned, thinking about Yuga for a moment. "Another civil war? That sounds really rough. I'm glad you guys are outta there but that's still pretty worrying" @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Yeeeaahh.. The place has thousands of years of history with warring between the fire and ice foxes. There hasn't been one in a couple of centuries I think, although the resistance has existed for a long time. It is.. hm. I don't know. I... wouldn't say this with Riki around, but I don't know if a revolution would be so bad this time..." Seki mused, shifted again and looked up at the flickering auroras. "I've only seen the leader of them talk once on a video, and he spoke about how his revolution isn't just for fire foxes. He says he's fighting for equality between species, as well as men and women. Sure, he could be full of shit and lying, but I don't know.. Apart from the violent attacks that happened before Riki was born, the resistance hasn't done anything very violent, and there has been surprisingly few causalities, like they really choose to avoid spilling unnecessary blood. Eh, that's just how I feel, I dunno. Hm." Seki tilted their head in thought. "Y'know what? I've been thinking he might be mixed race himself. That would explain his unique appearance." @sketti | Isi 🦌

Isi frowned. "Hm. I'm not one to pay attention to that kind of thing a whole ton, but it sounds to me like the resistance leader you're talking about does have a point. Maybe I could talk to my friend about it when I get back-" she mused, folding her arms. @Twig | Seki / Aarni (so sorry it took so long)

"Yeah.. I don't like the idea of a violent revolution, but, eh. Hard to know. I'm not a politician or anything. But it is interesting in a way. The way the dude looks is just like in their mythology, this 'Fallen Prince' figure. Red eyes, black fur, and only one tail. You would think he's just dyed his fur to look like that, but it looks genuine. Besides it's not pure black or red, either. It's more of a dark, silverish blue and a cold, almost purple red. If they were to fake something, I'm sure they'd do it more carefully. Well, anyway." Seki shook their fur in the intense rain that had started. "We should probably head indoors and try to catch some sleep. It's been a long day." @sketti | Isi 🦌 (nw!)

Isi was giving Seki the oddest look as he started describing the Fallen Prince figure, and didn't seem able to find the words to respond immediately before the rain began. "Oh- uh, yeah, yeah we should" she had a look of puzzlement on her face, but nodded in agreement. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

If Seki saw Isi's expression, they didn't mention it. They only smiled and patted her shoulder, starting towards the #snake-hallway . @sketti | Isi 🦌

Well, this was a good a place to sulk as any. Reagan entered the garden, and upon finding it welcomingly empty, let out a deep, heavy sigh. It was all... a lot. Instead of the benches, Reagan chose to lay on the soft, earthy ground, in the shade of an orange tree. It was hard to tell if they were asleep, but they were definitely resting. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Unfortunately for Reagan, the garden would not remain empty. Or welcoming. In sauntered Peregrine, who signed dramatically upon seeing another person, though he pranced around pretending to admire the overwhelming plantlife before plonking himself next to Reagan. Certainly unwelcome. "There's no good people to fuck here," he sighed again. "Just my luck." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan didn't move from their position, laying on their stomach with their snake tail draped lazily over one leg, but moved to look Peregrine in the eye. "Usually, I'd say that not being able to find anyone to sleep with is a measure of your own charisma." They hummed flatly. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine chuckled. "Darling, my charisma has nothing to do with it. So many here just seem prudish, or already biased against me. Or both." He slouched in the grass. "Though I've been informed that the god here may be open to my advances... alas, I've not had a chance to see them as of yet." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I think Naiyta's already got someone to take care of their needs. Multiple 'someone's." Reagan said dryly, propping their head up on their hand. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Well, they haven't had me, have they. Otherwise they wouldn't need multiples just to achieve my brilliance." Peregrine mimed throwing hair sassily over his shoulder. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. You're a confident one." Reagan hummed, settling into an easier manner. They glanced over Peregrine's body- not hiding it, but not making a show of it either. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine noticed and twisted his body so he was half curled, half still laid flat on his stomach. "Not bad, am I? I believe I've made myself rather desirable over the years." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Reagan softly clicked their tongue. "You'd certainly be appealing to some." "Though- is it me you're trying to seduce? I thought you had your sights set on the Lifebringer." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"I shouldn't play favourites. I'm game for anyone who wants me." Peregrine curled his body the rest of the way to properly lay on his side. Still being a bit slutty about it. "Why? Am I appealing?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You're something, alright." Reagan chuckled. "I don't think we've been properly introduced yet. I'm Reagan, the leader of the snake side." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine chuckled back. "Aren't I just? Peregrine Marvell. Bird side. What a Romeo and Juliet tale," he teased. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Maybe if consorting with the other side was forbidden. Which it isn't." Reagan teased. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Even better, means dying won't be necessary." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Presuming I'd die for you in the first place. Right now, I have very little reason to care about you at all." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Well, perhaps I can give you reason to care," Peregrine said, tilting his body closer and raising his eyebrow flirtily. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan hummed a contemplative hum, and let out a sigh. "It is my purpose to serve the guests." They said in a less playful tone than they'd used before. "If you'd like to spend some time with me, then I can't refuse." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine leaned forward. "Darling, do you want to spend time with me? In this case, I'm the one serving." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan didn't lean away. "Frankly, I couldn't care less either way. But it seems like that's what you want. If it is, well," They shrugged. "I can't say no." (tw lack of consent) @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine sighed dramatically. "You couldn't be more enthusiastic. Practically overjoyed you are, aren't you?" He rolled his eyes. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't have to be enthusiastic. I just have to do it." Reagan said, emphasizing the innuendo in their sentence. @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

"Darling, enthusiasm is all part of the job," Peregrine huffed. "How on earth are you suppose to make anyone happy? Truly, the best way to serve." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Really? And who are you to tell me how to do my job?" Reagan teased. "You wanna show me any of that enthusiasm?" @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine laughed, then shuffled closer, wings fluttering slightly as he pressed his lips to their shoulder, though not quite kissing, no effort put to it. "Already putting me to work." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan let their hand trail through Peregrine's hair. "Hm. I figure you've got your mind made up about continuing this?" @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine raised an eyebrow. "Have you? Darling, you're supposed to be having fun with me." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. Fun." Reagan hummed. "You're topping, then." It looked down at Peregrine. "My other stipulation is no oral. And that's a hard rule. Not even any kissing." They opened their mouth, so Peregrine would get to see a glimpse of their fangs folded within it. "You don't want to risk getting any of my venom in you." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭 (nsfw) (edited)

(nsfw ofc Peregrine laughed. "I'm not sure your venom would be the worst thing to be inside me..." He shifted to sit up. "But I suppose I can work with those demands, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"We'd have to amputate anything I bit." Reagan hummed, and sat up with Peregrine. "You seem like a man too attached to his privates for that." "Your room, I presume? We'd have to go up to the acropolis for mine. Lots of walking." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

(nsfw ofc Peregrine shook his head, though it contradicted his statement. "Unfortunately yes, I'd rather keep my cock, thank you very much." "My my, so eager to move. Is it so forbidden to, well, stay put?" Peregrine. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You'll be needing it." Reagan said bluntly as it stood up. They laughed, a low chuckle in the back of their throat. "There's another rule, I guess, then. I'm not fucking you, or anyone else, in public." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine threw his head back and cackled. "Here, public? Darling, only if the plants have eyes." But he stood up too, not all that bothered about scenery. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Anyone could walk in on us." Reagan hummed, and began to walk out of the garden, towards the bird quarters. They held out a hand to Peregrine if he wanted to get touchy. "And besides, this spot's popular with some of my reptilian friends. While I might not be too keen on biting you, they might have other ideas if we decide to get busy in the wrong bush." @soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine took the hand, kissing it with dry lips. "Not the sort of bites I'd be fond of, presumably. Very well, my room it is." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

soul | kallum 🔥 + peregrine 🎭

Peregrine took the hand, kissing it with dry lips. "Not the sort of bites I'd be fond of, presumably. Very well, my room it is." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Reagan reacted to the kiss with a faked smile, and led Peregrine towards his room...

Gale entered the overgrown garden, carefully stepping through the tall grass as loose blades danced on the air. There was a distant look in their eyes, thoughtful and quiet. She probably wouldn’t notice if anyone else were to walk in.. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Gale wasn't alone long. Soon, Kyrie landed in the garden beside her- looking distressed, but hesitant. "Gale! I've been looking all over for you, I need to talk to you and Ellie. Like- as soon as possible." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Well she certainly noticed someone flying in- Gale quickly snapped out of her thoughts, turning to Kyrie. They step towards her, touching her arm lightly with clear concern. “Kyr? Hey- hey, I’m here, what’s wrong?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie was faltering, averting her gaze but leaning to Gale's touch. "I don't wanna talk about til Ellie's here, but- I made such a stupid decision, I'm so scared-" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

There was soon rustling at the far end of the garden- before Ellie was also carefully picking her way through the thrush. Her face lit up at the sight of the two- but quickly fell at the unsettling tension in the air. Um. "I- hey," it greeted, making it's way over to the girls with a bit more speed. "Um- is everything alright? Is something wrong?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Gale stepped closer to her and held her shoulders, breathing calmly as she tried to ground her. “That’s alright, I’m right here for you, okay? We’ll figure this out, can you look at me? Just breathe for me, Kyrie.” Their eyes glanced towards Ellie’s voice. “Alright, we’re both here now. When you’re ready, Kyr.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ellie- good, you're here too." Kyrie said, wringing her hands together. "I- uh, I got some- some really bad news recently. My fight is going to be really soon." That was the easy part to say. @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

It made it's way a bit closer to the pair, carefully holding her hands as she wrung them. "It's alright, Kyrie," she quietly assured, brows pinched together in worry. "we're here for y-y.y-" A-ah? "Already?" Ellie suddenly gasped, before forcing herself to stay calm. Calm. "I- w-what? How? Are you alright?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

It made it's way a bit closer to the pair, carefully holding her hands as she wrung them. "It's alright, Kyrie," she quietly assured, brows pinched together in worry. "we're here for y-y.y-" A-ah? "Already?" Ellie suddenly gasped, before forcing herself to stay calm. Calm. "I- w-what? How? Are you alright?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

@Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Their breath hitched as Kyrie spoke. “Shit- That’s- bad, yeah.” Gale took her hands off of her shoulders, moving to hold a hand instead. “..Is- is there anything we can do?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Kyrie shut her eyes firmly closed. "That's... that's not even the worst part." She couldn't manage to look at them while she said it- would they think less of her for agreeing to it? She would've thought less of her. She did think less of her. It was the kind of bargain an idiot would make- a desperate, hopeless idiot. Someone just like her. "I- I made a deal with Naiyta. That- they would rig the fight to make it so I won, but-" She covered her face in her hands. "I have to go have sex with them afterwards." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 (nsfw, transactional sex)

If it didn't look horrified before, it certainly did now. Ellie's eyes widened as it's hold on Kyrie's hands grew ever slightly. No- no way, no way! "K-ky- I- faen, that's-" Awful, awful, awful, she was gonna kill Naiyta! Twice! "I- no, that's- I-" Ellie winced as she covered her face, hands fluttering in the air for a moment. "Kyrie, I'm- I'm sorry, that...ohh. That's...are you okay? D-do you need a sit?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

If it didn't look horrified before, it certainly did now. Ellie's eyes widened as it's hold on Kyrie's hands grew ever slightly. No- no way, no way! "K-ky- I- faen, that's-" Awful, awful, awful, she was gonna kill Naiyta! Twice! "I- no, that's- I-" Ellie winced as she covered her face, hands fluttering in the air for a moment. "Kyrie, I'm- I'm sorry, that...ohh. That's...are you okay? D-do you need a sit?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

@Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Gale listened quietly, her furrowed gaze fell to the ground as anger boiled in her. She wasn’t mad at Kyrie, she could never be, not for wanting to live- but Naiyta. Her breathing slipped from its typical steadiness, her breath heavy as they bit at their lip. “I’m gonna fucking kill Naiyta- that’s- that fucking pig-” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie seemed to melt, falling down onto her knees and then laying on her stomach with her face down. She was shaking, her hands over her head. "I'm gonna die..." She whimpered, which wasn't the most accurate assesment of her own situation but was probably easier to rationalize in her brain. "Ohhh my god.... it's gonna kill me..." She couldn't keep the panic and stress out of her voice. "What am I going to do? How could I be so stupid?" (edited)

3:44 PM

@Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Faen, faen, faen, faen. Ellie shifted to her knees as well, wringing her hands all the while. That vile, vile, stupid pile of bones and dirt- disgusting! Absolutely disgusting, what a creep! "Y-you're not stupid or anythin'," it mumbled. "You're not. Y-you're not stupid- I- and you're not gonna die either." Mm. Desperate times called for rather desperate measures- which made it even more vile that Naiyta even dared to suggest that. It was the host of this death trap, not some- some person who didn't wanna die or anythin'! It only made Ellie's heart ache even more for this awful situation that Ky was in. Kill, kill, kill, it was gonna kill Naiyta so fffff "We're here, Ky; everything's going to be alright, I swear," it said, fighting to keep the unease out of it's voice. It reached out to lightly touch Kyrie's shoulder- carefully. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

God, she was pissed. It sucked that it would take advantage of her like that, it sucked that there wasn’t any other option, it sucked that they were all stuck here, and it sucked that Gale knew she couldn’t fix this. This was more than some jackass at the school yard or some party, it was death matches and gods and Gale was fucking powerless. Anger stewed in their gut and simmered as Kyrie fell to her knees in panic. Gale forced herself to breathe, calm the fuck down. Being angry didn’t help here. Gale crouched down next to her, letting out a deep breath. “You’re not stupid for wanting to live, Kyr. It’s alright.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Kyrie's wing flinched a bit as Ellie touched her shoulder, but she leaned into the touch, still keeping her eyes shut. They didn't blame her- or, at least, it didn't seem like they did. Why didn't they? Didn't they understand it was her own stupid fault she got into this mess in the first place? They were too good for her. She was going to ruin this all, somehow. With pleading, golden eyes brimming with tears she looked up at both Ellie and Gale. "You'll... take care of me? After? Please?" @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Of course," Ellie softly reassured, smiling softly at Kyrie. It was clear she was absolutely furious at Naiyta- but the worry she had for Kyrie overrode that. "Of course we'll take care of you, Kyrie. Now and afterwards, too, okay?" She lightly rubbed Kyrie's shoulder as she leaned into her touch, shifting to be closer on the ground to her. "It's going to be alright. You're not stupid for wanting to live- this- this isn't on you. None of this is your fault, I promise." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Their anger was cooling into dread, gnawing at her as Kyrie looked at her with tears in her eyes. “Of course, always. We’re gonna be here for you no matter what Kyrie, I promise.” It was all she could do for her at this point. As much as they wanted to do more, she knew it would only make things worse. “Ellie’s right. It’s using its power over you to get what it wants, and that’s not your fault whatsoever, you’re not stupid. Fuck that thing- it’s fucking stupid for keeping us here.” @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Always. They would always there for her. She'd hold onto that word like a treasure. "Thank you...." She whimpered, her voice cracking as she broke into tears. "... love you guys...." She drew herself into a sitting pose again. Her arms, legs and clothes were all caked in mud from laying down in the dirt, but she didn't mind- not right now. She held out a hand each to Gale and Ellie, wanting to hold onto them forever. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷 @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Worry melted into slight relief- only slightly -as Kyrie spoke, and it felt a wave of thanks for Gale being here. She seemed to be much better at words of comfort. "We love you too, Ky," she murmured, taking Kyrie's hand as she pressed up against her side. It could care less about the mess. "We love you so much- It's gonna be alright, we're gonna be here for you, 'kay? Just- just take it easy right now." Gods. What she wouldn't give to see Kyrie smiling and happy again- they were all laughing and chatting not too long ago. Fuck, she really hated Naiyta. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

Gale quickly took her hand in hers, holding Kyrie gently like a windswept bird. “We love you so much, Kyr. We’re gonna be right here for you, alright? We’re not going anywhere.” Anger still stormed inside them, but within its eye there was that soft feeling of love. Gale would tear this whole damn place apart for these two if she could. But for now, they would hold each other close. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They loved her. She hadn't heard those words in a long time- a longer time, since she'd heard them in a context like this one. The only thing that mattered was this moment, right here. Come what may, no matter what happened in that arena, she would hold onto this warmth. Kyrie wrapped her wings around Ellie and Gale, holding them as close as she could. "Thank you.... thank you so much. I don't even know what I would do without you." @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄 @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"You don't have to thank us for anything," Ellie softly said, soothingly rubbing along her knuckles. Hells, it cared about them both so much. It didn't feel...real how much she loved them, but she did. Terribly so. This tournament was absolutely just- just awful. It was horrible, and by some miracle the three of them managed to find each other (here, of all places). Whatever the hosts had next for them was a complete mystery, but somehow, Ellie felt stronger knowing that they were all here, now. "You're strong, Kyrie, it's alright- just take it easy," it mumbled, pressing a light kiss to her temple. Light, tender, careful. "We love you, Ky; we're here for you, and we'll always be, m'kay?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Saj | Gale🌪+Carrion🍄

3

... Roman had scarfed down his omelet and headed outside for some fresh air. He had his band jacket with him, as well as some sewing supplies. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As he walked into the garden, he'd feel the (rather familiar at this point) sensation of being watched from above. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

He didn't really think much of it anymore, that feeling of being watched.. But this felt a little different than usual. "Hello-" He glanced around the area, and finally spotted Kairas. "Oh. Hi." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas was perched up on the wall. She wasn't wearing her mask- revealing one gold eye, the other pitch black. "Naiyta's made some changes around here. And... to you." She said by way of greeting. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Huh, like Reagan.. ".. Yes, you're very observant." Roman said, and shook out his wings behind him. "Those things are related, but I'm sure you already know that." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Observing is my job." She replied flatly. "And I know enough to have made the connections myself." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You're pretty good at your job then, you even go above and beyond I think, telling Naiyta things they don't need to know." Roman said. "Like what happened at the cliffs two nights ago. I figured that would stay between me, myself, and my blood creature. Somehow Naiyta knew about it, though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That is something you can thank your friend Reagan for." Kairas said simply, and crossed her arms. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. What?" Roman asked, looking completely puzzled. ".. But no one else was around, I made sure of it. The only person I spoke to it about was Seki. Well- after the event, anyway. Reagan didn't have a reason to tell Naiyta that I was planning to do something. It's not like either of them came to save me.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas shook her head. "Reagan made me tell Naiyta. Every time I've told it someone, it's because they've made me." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. But- but why would Reagan want them to know? It's not a good look for them either- I tried to stagger our conversation and that enough to throw suspicion off, but-.. Yknow, probably shouldn't be telling you any of this." Roman sighed. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You really shouldn't. Be telling me any of this. Because months ago, before this tournament even began, Reagan laid a compulsion over me, forcing me to report anything of suspicion to Naiyta." She said simply, hoping Roman would finally get it. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Well, that wasn't very nice. Let me guess, this interaction counts as a suspicious event." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It wasn't." She crossed her arms. "And it does. But, don't worry. I'll probably be the one taking the fall for this one." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"No that- that actually doesn't make me feel any better.." Roman sighed, and buried his face in his hands. "I'd rather it be me than you guys, it's always me being stupid.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas stood up, stretched out her wings, and began walking down the length of the wall. "Well, unfortunately for everyone, Naiyta's taken a liking to you." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman watched as she stretched her wings, and found himself subconsciously doing the same. "Why does that mean it hurts you all? Shouldn't that make it-" He quickly stepped to follow Kairas. "- want to hurt me more? Like, physically? Not these mind games it tries when it hurts someone else? I know it enjoys abusing me, and Roque did too, I.. I don't know why it is taking this out on you guys." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That, I don't know. I can see everything, but I can't look into minds." She hummed. "My guess is that it doesn't want to make you hate it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

.. Reagan might know, then. Not that he'll ever get the chance to ask.. "Well-" He paused. He had to be more careful here, basically everything he was going to say was going to go straight back to Naiyta.. If it had a chance to talk to Kairas again before the fight, anyway. (Suicidal thoughts tw) ".. Well, I end up hating myself and it when it hurts other people because of me. And that makes me feel like everyone would be better off if I was not even alive here." Roman said, trying to say everything in such a clear and obvious way Naiyta might understand it. "I never hated it as much as I did when it was hurting Reagan. Not even after it had hurt me right before that." "I'm sorry if you ever ended up getting hurt because of me, I don't even know. I don't mean to get people hurt, it just happens.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas could tell what was going on, why Roman was outlining his thoughts so particularly to her. Frankly, she couldn't care less about the reasoning beyond all his feelings and emotions, but that was beyond the point by now. It would all end up in Naiyta's ear somehow. "I was never hurt because of your actions. At least, not that I know." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"That's good to know.. I'm sorry if you got hurt for no reason at all, though.." Roman said. From what he had said so far, he didn't think Naiyta would be justified hurting anyone.. The conversation with Reagan had pointedly went nowhere, even with Roman's begging. So there wasn't really a reason to be mad at them- not that that would stop Naiyta from doing it anyway. "But that's probably enough about all that drama. Do you mind if we talk about something else, or do you want to leave?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas seemed pleased- if not outwardly happy- to be moving to a different topic. "That depends on what the topic is." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Corvi... stuff." Roman said with a tone that screamed he had no clue about anything ever. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You'd be better off asking someone else. I know very little about... corvi stuff, as you call it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What? No- I can't talk to Kyrie, there's no one else but you." Roman frowned. He would have mentioned Raikal, if Naiyta wasn't listening in. Plus, Raikal's Corvi info was from literal millenia ago.. Not super relevant. "You can at least take care of yourself, I don't even know the basics. I've never even been to the Loucari- well- I think not anyway.. The closest I've gotten is the south, and I wasn't exactly taking in the culture, besides what was super obvious..." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Naiyta had Reagan remove half my memories, and what I do have is barely relevant to being a crow. I was taken from my family when I was two." Kairas said bluntly. "Do you know how to take care of your feathers?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Yeesh- he didn't know how much bad had happened to Kairas here. "I can put them back in place, and I took a bath.. But besides that, I don't know if there's more." Roman said. ".. And I'm sorry that you got taken. A kind of similar thing happened to me but- reversed, I guess." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You'll want to regularly preen them to make sure they're all laying correctly. It looks like you still have a few pin feathers growing, so when those are ready you'll have to take care of them. It's instinctual for me." Kairas hummed. "You'll probably molt annually- your old feathers will shed and new ones will come in. It's a gradual process, usually happens in early fall for me." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"All new feathers.. Okay, good to know." Roman nodded. "And do you sleep on your front? I tried it last night and I wasn't really a fan, I ended up moving anyway.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I sleep on my back with my wings extended outwards." Kairas said, and held her wings out to demonstrate. "It's not too bad. More awkward if you're sharing a bed." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Hm, yeah, that may be an issue.." Roman said. "So feathers, sleeping.. I can fly alright, but I could definitely use more practice.. You probably, uh, saw that." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm." Kairas glanced over Roman. "Come up here." She stepped back a bit on the wall, giving Roman space to land. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh- okay." Roman said and stretched his wings out. He flapped them furiously, much more than necessary, and ascended up to the wall. He awkwardly stretched his legs out to try to make contact with the wall, but ended up overshooting it, and had to circle back around to land. He swayed back and forth a few times, holding his arms and wings out for balance, and took in a deep breath. "Alright, made it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You don't have to flap as rapidly when taking off. It'll actually hinder your movement." Kairas critiqued. "As we have seen. What you want to do is find a steady rhythm. Let the wind help guide you up, if conditions are good." "Watch and imitate." She said. Without warning, she abruptly took off, spending a few brief moments in the air before descending in a graceful motion. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

used /r

# 10
Details:[d20 (10)]

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 3
Details:[d20 (3)]

Roman watched as she took off, trying to carefully note everything she did. "Alright, I'll give that a shot.." He nodded, and lifted off from the wall. He at first managed to awkwardly hold his position in the air, but sooner than later a stray gust of wind hit him unexpectedly, and sent him falling back down toward the ground. "Ah!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Try not to get caught in the wind." Kairas cautioned. Thanks captain obvious. "Hovering midair is difficult. It'd be wise not to attempt it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱" (edited)

He landed with a bit of a thump in one of the bushes nearby. "Ow-" He sat up, and rubbed the back of his head. "How am I supposed to let the wind guide me if I can't get caught up in it?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"By knowing where you're trying to go." Kairas put her hands on her hips. "Obviously if you're trying to go somewhere the wind isn't going, you don't coast on it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm." Roman said. "None of this feels obvious to me, the weather was different when I flew yesterday.. Now I have to learn it all over again." "And I'm only half corvi, so maybe I just won't be as good.. is that how that works?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hmph. I don't know. I told you I wouldn't be any good at this." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I appreciate you trying." Roman said and stepped out of the bushes. He still was shirtless, so he had a few scrapes from landing so hard in the shrubs. "Who taught you how to fly if you, uh, left your family at two? I'm guessing you didn't go to a different corvi family.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The elder watchlings taught me. In secret, of course. I never matured, so I can't transform, and I'm a poorer flier than I would like to be." She confessed. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Uh, half of that is like, gibberish to me." Roman frowned. "You don't have to explain if you don't want to, but I am curious.. I have a guess on what a watchling is, but what do you mean by you never matured?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Do you?" Kairas asked. "Corvi maturity is... hm. It's a rite you can undergo as an adult, to equalize the bird and human forms you embody. You know how Kyrie has pointed ears and dark eyes? She's gone through the rites." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, interesting.. If I did that, what would happen?" Roman asked. "And I'm guessing.. A watchling is someone else with your seer powers? That would make sense to me." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not sure. I don't even know what goes on during them." Kairas frowned. "A watchling is a Watcher in Training, and a Watcher is one of the strongest soldiers in the Lifebringer's army. Many of them are corvi with seer powers, but not all. But that's what gives us the name." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Huh. So I guess you've been stuck with all this Lifebringer junk for a long time. That really sucks. Uh- that you were forced in to it." Roman said, just in case Naiyta took offense to that. "Did you have your powers before or after you got taken..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Don't apologize. It wasn't your doing." Kairas said bluntly. "I've had powers since I was born. A 'blessing' from our Goddess." The last sentence was said with more than a hint of sarcasm. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Ronan tilted his head to the side a little. ".. Do you not like the Nightwatcher? I- really don't know enough about it to have an opinion. But I feel like I should care now.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm neutral on her existence. Just I am neutral on the Lifebringer's. But I will say this- if I didn't have the powers I do, I would not have been taken from my home as a child." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman furrowed his eyebrows, perhaps trying to connect whatever semblances of thoughts he had anymore. ".. They take you if you have powers?" He asked. ".. to put you in the army or something?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes." She nodded. "That is the way the Lifebringer does things." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Couldn't say he was super surprised about that.. "I see.." Roman said. ".. Do a lot of corvi flee the Loucari? Like all the way to different continents because of that?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I wouldn't know." She reported plainly. "But... maybe. It seems likely when you spell it all out like that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"My mom was- is corvi, full-blooded, apparently. But I was born in a little village in Ninjago.. And I didn't even know she was Corvi at all. Her and my dad faked their deaths and fled, and I've been trying to think why they'd do that.. But maybe they just never wanted me to know I was Corvi at all to protect me somehow, they must've tried really hard to never let it slip in five years.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm." Kairas hummed. "That wouldn't surprise me. It's a very harsh world for our kind." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. I hope they got to somewhere safe." Roman said. He knew that Mlipuko wouldn't have been accepting of Corvi if the truth got out. It was too strange, especially at that time.. Asha helped to make it a bit less harsh on those who were different, but all this happened before she gained any power. "Do you ever wonder what it would be like, if you stayed with your family..? Do you think you'd be happier..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kairas remained silent for a while. "I try not to think about... what could've been. I don't think I could go back now. I don't think... there's a place for me in that world." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hah, there isn't a place for me either. Never been to the Loucari, Mlipuko got blown up, got evicted from Roque's apartment.. I'm pretty sure I was on my way to kill a different universe version of you right before this, actually.." Roman sighed. "Would they stop you from coming back, or would you stop yourself?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't know if there's a role for me in-" She stopped abruptly. "What do you mean, you were going to kill me?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Long story." Roman said. "To make it brief, you got my master killed in my universe, and my soul would be cursed if I didn't get revenge for her, post mortem. So I went to go kill you. I was actually right outside your house when I got taken." ".. But I don't think I would have beaten you and Sadihak, you'd have killed me. You saw how frail I was when I got here. It was a suicide mission." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You- yes, we would've killed you immediately, but- you know who I am?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. I'm assuming that you're Petrai, yeah? I know of you. I tried to dig up info on you online, and asked around your town, but I didn't get much. Most of my info is from Ryu." Roman shrugged. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Petrai..." She repeated, her tone uncertain. "I- I need to go." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What? Naiyta said you can use your real names now, it's okay that I know it." Roman tried to assure her. "Sorry if you're not Petrai, it just makes the most sense that you are.. And I don't want to kill you, or anything." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I- I just need to go." She turned away from him, and looked up to the sky, as if she might take off." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Wait, am I getting you in trouble with this?" Roman frowned, looking up where she was looking. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't know. Maybe." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh-.. I'm sorry, yeah, you should get going.." Roman frowned, and looked back down to the ground. "I hope you're okay." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Don't blame yourself if I'm not." Kairas said simply, and took off. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

.. he would, he always did. He waved, even though she wouldn't see it, and walked off in some other direction..

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