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and so it goes - Flora - 08-10-2025
Flora laughs, tipping her head in agreement. [say]"Cold showers and cold nights. Double the fun,"[/say] she quips, the sparkle in her eyes making it hard to tell whether she’s joking about enjoying the thought or just picturing it in perfect detail.
When Maea talks about her dads changing, Flora only shrugs, the motion loose but not dismissive. [say]"Maybe,"[/say] she allows, [say]"but they’re still my dads. And I figure it’s my right to demand the best from them all the time. They didn’t exactly sign up for kids in the traditional way, but once they had us? That’s theirs to deal with. No excuses."[/say] The words are light enough on the surface, but the conviction beneath them is solid, anchored deep.
A few will-o-wisps drift lazily between the trees, their haunting calls curling like ribbons through the cool Leafchange air. Flora doesn’t even break stride—she just waves a hand at them, more shooing than greeting, too used to their games to bother playing along.
As the forest closes in again around the narrow path, her gaze slides back to Maea, head tilting slightly. [say]"You said you didn’t talk to my dads when you were Ascended..but..what were you before?"[/say]
RE: and so it goes - Maea - 08-11-2025
Glancing at Flora, the shorter woman ended up bowing her head in acknowledgement of the point she was making. [say]"True enough. That's the ideal, at least. I guess there really are parents you can demand those things from."[/say] What was it, this feeling that simmered in her chest? More jealousy? Breathing deep of the cool air, Maea turned her gaze to the sky, the gaps in the canopy where a pale sun strained to bring warmth to the air. Tried and failed... her breath still fogged subtly with every exhale, barely visible in the bright daylight.
[say]"Hm? I was born abandoned. Not the best considering what the Grounds were like back then... my father wasn't really the type you could argue with. He was more of the 'get in line or get out!' type... Ah, but Ludo attuned me, so I guess I was a hybrid for a while. Just before I died the first time."[/say] Her dad had been dead for a few years by that point, so she never got to know if it made him proud, that a Herald showed her - the troublesome child, the drain on the family's resources, the constant disappointment - such favor. He would have been surprised, she thought; no one ever expected her to amount to anything, herself least of all.
RE: and so it goes - Flora - 08-11-2025
Flora just shrugs, the movement easy but carrying more weight than she bothers to put into words. [say]"Isn’t that the point of parents?"[/say] she asks, her tone light enough, though it’s not meant as a joke. In her mind, that was the whole deal—maybe they didn’t get everything right, maybe they even screwed things up spectacularly, but doing their best had to be the baseline. Anything less, and you ended up with kids like her and Mateo, who were both walking examples of just how jaded you could make someone when you didn’t. Her fingers tuck deeper into her pockets as they walk, shoulders loose, though the thought lingers like a stone at the bottom of a tidepool.
Listening as Maea speaks, Flora's brows lift higher with each revelation, curiosity and a flicker of amusement sliding across her features. [say]"So basically you’ve been everything,"[/say] she murmurs, the corner of her mouth tilting upward. There’s something almost enviable about the range of it, though Flora isn’t sure she’d ever want to live through that much change herself.
After a moment’s thought, she tilts her head toward Maea, curiosity sparking openly now. [say]"Which one was your favourite?"[/say] she asks, voice warm but genuinely interested. [say]"Not the most useful, or the most practical, just..the one you liked being the most."[/say]
RE: and so it goes - Maea - 08-13-2025
[say]"Mmh... Unfortunately there aren't a lot who try to be good ones. Or perhaps I just gave up on mine before we could have that conversation. My father... wasn't the worst, but I definitely know where all my insecurities come from."[/say] That she still loved and respected him despite it only made it more complicated. Perhaps it was having living parents that she envied, in the end; actual physical individuals to clash with, seek comfort from, to whom she belonged. A fleeting thought went towards the other ancients, and just as quickly abandoned that idea. It was too painful.
Far better was to play along with Flora's questions, idly pondering past experiences and comparing them like colorful rocks. [say]"Almost,"[/say] she agreed, mouth quirking to the side. [say]"The favourite... that would be the hybrid."[/say] It took less thought than expected to reach that conclusion, perhaps because of how much time spent wishing she could rewind time. [say]"This body is by far the most convenient, but I do miss my old magic. And I could do without the bloodlust. Mmh... but I think I'd miss my tail if it disappeared."[/say] Glancing over a shoulder at the swaying appendage, the days where she'd cursed it for catching on things and getting in the way we're long gone. Now it was as familiar as her own hands, and almost as dexterous. Swiping a stick off the ground, pale coils twined around it and peeled off the bark, wiith little more effort than if it was another finger.
[say]"Were you ever tempted to attune?"[/say] Cocking her head aside, Maea tried to picture Flora as an animal, but couldn't quite decide what should hide beneath her sun-kissed skin. Too much ocean for the lioness, not enough forest for the shark; dragon, perhaps, or griffin might suit her best.
RE: and so it goes - Random Event - 08-13-2025
Was that a scream? Could they be in trouble?
Is it all in your head? Just your imagination?
Or something else altogether – because what if it’s true?
You’ve encountered a Will-O-Wisp. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.
Will-O-Wisps (common): Glowing orbs of light that dance and weave between the branches, despite their usefulness, these creatures are not to be trusted. Mischievous and loyal to no one, they will lead travellers astray at a moment's notice.
RE: and so it goes - Flora - 08-14-2025
Flora’s brows shoot up, the reaction instant and emphatic. [say]"Saaaame,"[/say] she says, the word stretched out like it’s half-groan, half-solidarity. There’s no bitterness in the delivery—just the blunt certainty of someone who’s long since mapped out exactly where the cracks came from. The majority of her daddy issues were a direct result of Remi and Ronin's actions when she'd been young.
She could probably be more sympathetic if she tried, but the thought doesn’t stick. Parents might fall short, sure, but to her mind, doing your best was the minimum. If you couldn’t manage that, why have kids in the first place? She and Mateo were proof of what happened when you didn’t—jaded, sharp-edged, and quick to spot where someone was phoning it in.
[say]"What do you mean by ‘convenient’?"[/say] she asks, genuinely curious before nodding about the rest. [say]"And yeah, bloodlust… sounds like being hangry, but on steroids. Which, no thanks. I get cranky enough as it is."[/say] She tucks her chin down into her scarf, as if the image itself sends a chill through her.
The question about Attuning makes her lips twitch in a half-smile. [say]"Sometimes I’ve thought about it,"[/say] she admits. [say]"But especially these last few years, it’s been way too convenient to be able to call in my parents—or the heralds—when I need something."[/say] Her tone softens, a note of pride slipping in. [say]"When we were trying to save the Mathair after cleansing the Greatwood, I managed to call down Rae. And no amount of being a cool animal could ever come close to that kind of power."[/say]
She shrugs, the motion thoughtful this time rather than dismissive. [say]"But...in the future? Who knows."[/say]
A few more will-o-wisps drift lazily through the trees ahead, their eerie calls curling through the Leafchange air. Flora just rolls her eyes at them, too used to their antics to give them the satisfaction.
RE: and so it goes - Maea - 08-16-2025
Placing a hand over her heart, Maea grimaced in a slightly exaggerated way to convey her condolences. It brought her no pleasure to know that Flora was fighting demons too in that regard, despite the sneaky, not so pretty relief to have company in her misery. [say]"You do a wonderful job of compensating for whatever those insecurities are,"[/say] she remarked, with a wry smile. [say]"That's probably the last word I'd ever use to describe you. Teach me the trick?"[/say] She longed to be Flora's brand of unapologetically herself, the kind of confident that didn't let action stop at pretty words and good intentions. Whatever she was compensating for had resulted in an image of resolute competence that Maea only dreamed of attaining - even though she was vaguely aware of how it had cost the young queen.
Reaching up to pull out the hair pin, Maea redid the updo as they walked and tried to put words on what she meant. [say]"It's fireproof, right? And heat proof, and can resist the crush of lava,"[/say] she explained. [say]"Between tolerating heat or cold, this is far better - if nothing else the instances where one interacts with heat are far more common."[/say] Cooking, bathing, working outside in the summer, touching heated surfaces et cetera were all hard to avoid, whereas cold... well, you just had to heat it up. Or put on some more clothes. Or not go outside in cold climates.
Thus she could appreciate Flora's reasons for remaining Accepted. Being able to call on Rae was absolutely something to be proud of, and Maea was suitably impressed to hear of the feat. [say]"True enough. Mh, but... I do hope you don't feel forced to remain Accepted for the sake of power alone, and that you can choose what fulfills you more. On a personal level."[/say] Twisting the stick into the milky hair, she patted the bun to ensure it would hold, and waved off a wisp that came drifting to whisper tempting nonsense in her ear. [say]"Sometimes the shift is more than merely another shape to assume. When I learned to fly... it healed something within me, that I don't think could have mended on its own. I've never felt trapped or tied down in the same way as I used to before."[/say] Certainly the gore crow wasn't the most powerful shift, nor anywhere near as useful as summoning a god. But Maea knew that she would never trade it away for anything, now that she knew the peace it brought to her mind.
RE: and so it goes - Flora - 08-16-2025
Flora shrugs, not entirely sure if Maea’s being serious but willing to roll with it anyway. [say]"Honestly? A lot of practice in front of a mirror,"[/say] she admits, grinning crookedly as she glances over her shoulder at the ancient. [say]"The number of hours I’ve spent making sure my smile looks exactly the way I want it so that I can fool people into thinking things are fine..."[/say] She trails off with a little shake of her head, curls bouncing. [say]"Faking it ‘til you make it isn’t that hard if there’s at least one person actually on your side. For me, it was always Enzo. Maybe now that you’ve got Liam, he can be that for you."[/say]
She listens to Maea’s rundown of the whole fireproof-body thing with a nod, wrinkling her nose at the idea of “fulfillment” in the way Maea framed it. [say]"If I don’t know what I’m missing, it’s not like I can really compare, right? But...flying does sound pretty epic."[/say] There’s a wistfulness in her tone, a rare softness she doesn’t usually let linger before she shrugs it away again.
Her gaze tracks a pair of drifting will-o-wisps until they disappear back into the underbrush. Then she sighs. [say]"I think I’m about done with flower-searching for the day. I think I'll sweet-talk the woods into taking me to my friend Niki’s house, but maybe you and I can pick it up again another day?"[/say]
Flora flashes Maea a genuine smile, bright as lantern-light. [say]"I really do appreciate your help today,"[/say] she says, voice gentler now. She lifts her hand in a casual wave before turning to head off, curls bouncing and boots crunching through the leaves as she goes.
~FIN