[SE] If the Sun Should Fall
Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
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Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#1
It had taken no magic, only a keen eye and ear to know that the warchief wanted them out of the Sidhe village sooner, not later, and preferably immediately. Normally Jigano tried to be a gracious guest and not overstay his welcome, but he knew he would have few chances to come visit after this, out of courtesy for the Fae's ways, and so he allowed himself a few hours of selfishness to explore just a bit - just enough to get a feel for these people, how they lived, what they loved, so he would know best how to approach them in the future should shared curiosity and interest bring their peoples together again.

Had he not made friends with Eliza? As she had been quick to point out, he could not judge all Fae based on the actions of one or two, whether that one was as glorious as Arduinna or as insular as the chieftess.

His wandering steps took him upwards, as so much of the village was, high into branches and then higher still. He had thought to get a view of the forest from the top of the tallest tree in hopes of orienting himself without the woods playing such tricks on him, but what he found at the top of the tree instead was a construction that caught his imagination afire and left him breathless with delight. At the sound of a creak on the ladder behind him he turned from his awestruck study of the platform; even lit by the afternoon sun and not the stars it had been so clearly made to study it was magnificent. He grinned brightly at the sight of a familiar tawny head, reaching down a hand to help his heartsister the rest of the way up. " Amalia , have you ever seen anyplace so beautiful?"
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#2

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


"I have not."

Amalia, too, is reluctant to leave, having become enamored by the woods, dangerous and unforgiving as they may be. Eager to say her last goodbyes she has lingered and lasted, visiting favored places and haunts, trying to see and discover all she can before they find their way home. But the time to leave is fast approaching, and the baker knows better than to linger, to push and encroach too strongly on the hospitality of the fae. So as the day begins to wane she sets about gathering her people, collecting them for an early night that they may set out come the dawn. Jyoti delights in the game of it all; as Amalia seeks she swims behind, circling trees and vanishing behind boughs, hiding finding and playing merry games, too young to appreciate the bittersweet aching of her soulmate's mind.

The baker had spotted Jigano before, his tall figure and shock-white hair unmistakable in a place such as this. That her friend should seek refuge of the Observatory does not at all surprise the girl, though she rather expected the Undercroft to be his preferred haunt. Still, Amalia knows the appeal of this haven. Towering above the rest of the woods, it offers a vantage of haunting beauty, vistas and starlight coming together to paint a pristine panorama. In the waning sunlight it is doused in gold, radiant and splendid, warm and alive.

Amalia smiles warmly at Jigano, reaching out to accept his proffered hand. Rising onto the platform the girl inhales deeply, delighting in the clear, fresh air, relishing its pristine nature in comparison to the Hollowed Grounds. Walking toward the edge of the platform she sits upon the wood, long legs dangling over the side, her hand extending an invitation for the bard to come beside. "This whole place is beautiful." She is unafraid of the drop below her, unperturbed by the idea of falling off the platform: in her time within this forest, the girl has gained wings.

Glancing sidelong at the tree behind them, Amalia grins as she spots a flash of starlight and blue. "Jyoti is spying on you," she whispers, leaning conspiratorially toward Jigano's ear. "She thinks she is very good at hiding."

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#3
She had been such a timid, shy creature when he had met her, as delicate and skittish as the luxere they had made music for. She had worried, and walked in silence, alone even when surrounded by friends - by decision and choice, not because anyone wished to exclude her, but because she had held herself apart for reasons he was only slowly beginning to untangle from this complex, curious woman who had become as close as family to him. Her head was bowed too often, her voice so soft as if she was afraid it would be heard... or at least, it had been.

Jigano was not the only one who had been changing, however. He watched the sister of his heart walk with easy confidence to the edge of the platform, inviting him to join her as if he had not arrived first, as gracious as any queen upon her throne. His lips quirked in a fond smile at how she was blossoming, and he rather thought her grandmother would be proud of the woman who sat, self-assured and confident, before him.

Settling beside her he nodded agreement, eyes turned to the forest and the village that blended into its branches below them. "Beautiful... but not for us," he said softly, remembering the warchief's knife-edged smile. "We are all of us Outlanders here." Intruders, interlopers, invaders... but by choice rather than circumstance alone. He sighed, his regret a physical knot in his chest, but Amalia would not let him and he carefully did not look at the small flying whale who was trying so hard to hide. He leaned back against his sister's shoulder, smiling lightly as his eyes turned to take in the glory of gold painted against the clouds in the late afternoon light. "Isuma will be thrilled to have a baby sister," he murmured back, laughter in his voice. "I just hope she isn't jealous at no longer being the youngest!" Given the little gryphon's sweet and sunny personality he had trouble imagining it.

I was worried sick about you, my Ama, he admitted in the privacy of their thoughts, his mindvoice soft. I was terrified that I had lost you... that I had failed you. I am sorry that I could not protect you. There was deep guilt, and an aching regret beneath his words, but there was pride, too, that she had not needed to be rescued. That the leopard-girl had rescued herself, and emerged stronger for it.
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#4

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


Perhaps it is true that Amalia has changed: to the sunlit girl she is not much different, still fearful, still anxious, but there is something more to her slender frame. A stronger backbone, a straighter spine, a little less weight on her narrow shoulders, a few more lines around her eyes. She smiles up at her fair-haired friend, though the smile grows troubled as she takes her seat, a shadow passing over sun. "We are," the baker agrees quietly, turning her gaze back to the horizon, a wistful longing in her voice. To be unwelcome, uprooted, uninvited- is this how all the Outlanders feel, tossed by winds of fate to a fickle new home? Though she is often lonely in the Hollowed Grounds, Amalia has at least belonged, always known herself to be part of a place.

She wishes she could find that here. It is unsettling to be an outsider, watching through a broken window, hands cut on the glass each time she tries to go inside. Jigano leans against her shoulder and the girl responds in kind, letting her head rest on his a moment, a sigh moving easily from her lungs. "I am sorry if we made you feel unwelcome," she murmurs, earnestly understanding, a mask for an unspoken vow. You belong with us now. We can not belong together.

Jigano's reply elicits a giggle, the girl turning around to glance at the starwhale, fondly teasing with a friendly smirk. "Jyoti is incorrigible. Isuma will have her work cut out." Drawn by the mention of her name, the little whale trills and coos, bursting suddenly from the trees to circle around the pair before vanishing beneath the suspended platform, once more attempting futilely to hide. Amalia laughs warmly at the antics, anxiety and uncertainty momentarily assuaged, until Jigano draws them back. Shaking her head ruefully, the girl bites her lips, pulling thoughtfully at a lock of tawny hair. "It was my fault for getting captured. I should have been more alert."

Guilt and regret ring through her voice, shame at being such a fool. She had let the anxious excitement of the moment overwhelm her, succumbed to the leopard once again, and how had it turned out? With her and Kiada and Caiside captured, and a whale child cast down from the sky, and her friends left to forge through forest to protect her, utterly and justifiably believing of her inability to save herself.

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#5
"You? You have never made me feel unwelcome," he reassured her gently, fond affection in his voice. "You have given me a home and a family, far more than I ever could have dreamed of having again. I regret nothing, least of all that I was brought here to you." Her smile, her laugh, her quiet silences, her anxious eyes, her spontaneous hugs, her teasing, her fears, her dreams... he loved them all, and cherished the connection they had forged in shared adventure, in joy and pain, and in the lives they had come to share.

"Isuma is a hard worker, never fear!" he teased back, momentarily distracted to laughter by Jyoti's antics as he tried to get a better look at the little flying whale and her star-spangled skin. He was fascinated by her, even as she slipped away again into hiding and left his laughter fading once more to quiet honesty and the truth that had gnawed holes in his heart.

Apology was met with apology, and he reached up to loosen his braid, slowly working the plaiting out to let his hair fall rumpled and wavy against his back. "Not your fault at all, dear one. I've seen how the Fae can hide among the trees, their illusions making them one with the forest. We had no chance, no way of knowing... They are a strong, fierce people with magics we've never seen before. No, I was a fool for not keeping us close together once Ianto mentioned that there were 'Fae' in the woods, but I am glad beyond words that I my mistakes were survivable." Tentatively, still learning how to reach out and initiate such contact, he shifted to wrap an arm around Amalia's shoulders and pull her gently against his side in a half-hug. "But you were here for two nights and days, held among these new people. Neighbors... whether they wish to be or not. Have you learned much of them? Or were you captive most of that time?"
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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MP: 2580
#6

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


Amalia smiles at Jigano's reassurance, dropping her head to hide her gratitude behind a curtain of tawny hair. Reaching silently for his hand, she squeezes it gently within her own, dark eyes still on the far horizon, seeking the edge of a world she can finally see. "It's beautiful," she reiterates wistfully, aching to think of an unclouded sky, the potential of a kingdom without end. How easy it would be to simply fly, spread her wings and leave this behind, set off for the furthest point from the epicenter of her life.

She used to dream of that escape, first as a child and then an adult, lonely and anxious, chafing and bewildered, surrounded by nothing but cruel memories and a brittle heart. What happiness might she find out there, what mirth and adventure, what freedom, what life?

But what would she have to leave behind, to gain that chance at redemption? Time was no so long ago that Amalia could count on very few ties, some tenuous threads but nothing quite lasting to bind her to this place. Now she has friends, family, love- and so once again she squeezes Jigano, leaning in willingly against his embrace despite the raging guilt and shame which writhes within her breast. Sighing, the girl chuckles slightly, gently shaking her golden head. "The important thing is that everyone is safe."

Have you learned much? How to answer such a question, except with another lilting laugh, another poignant sigh? "Has it only been two days?" She runs a hand through her hair, reaching down with pointed toes to scratch at Jyoti, who now swims about their feet. "I escaped - well - was allowed out the first night, when Jyoti fell. I spent the second day trying to learn about the fae, and talking to Ianto. They're such an interesting people- they have a custom where they catch the sun in a basket, so it doesn't go away again at LongNight." The baker has become particularly enamored with this fact, given her dislike of that bitter week. There are so many things she wants to learn, to discover from the people who have made her their unwilling guest. Yes, Amalia will return, no matter Delah's warnings. It goes against her curious nature to do anything else.


a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#7
”Freedom always is,” came the contentedly murmured response to Amalia’s words, the bard turning his attention to the vista before them, the world painted in brilliance and light, life and vitality. Vitality that would, with time, return to the Hollowed Grounds now that seeds and animals and rain could cross the barrier again… but it would be a slow process unless Rae or Vi could be convinced to speed it along. For now he would settle for the renewed hopes and dreams of his friends and found-family, and Jigano smiled with relief and joy at the warm body beside him and the strong heart of the woman who leaned into his embrace.

He nodded silent agreement, his own priorities having shifted swiftly from exploration to rescue, and now to simply seeing his lost ones home safely. There would be other adventures in the future, other explorations, other dangers they would face, together and separately… but for now he had much to be grateful for, not least that his friends were whole and well. And his family had unexpectedly grown with the addition of Jyoti! He peered down at the little calf, watching her play with Amalia’s feet with bemused delight as he studied the pattern of stars, the echo of the distant cosmos, that sparkled throughout her skin. The mention of Ianto had him frowning slightly, however, raising his head to arch a brow at his companion. ”Catching the sun in a basket? However do they do that?” But there was something else she said that put a chill in his bones, and Jigano’s frown deepened. ”But… Ianto was here after all? So he did lead us into that ambush?” The question held a hint of steel behind it, a flicker of cold anger as the uncertainty of the red fox’s treachery gave way to surety. Things may have turned out well in the end, but the fear and pain the bard had felt in the two days he had drowned in his failure to protect his people would not so easily be washed away.
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#8

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


Jyoti swims in a lazy figure eight, circling Amalia and Jigano's feet with the infinite interest of those new to the world. Watching through soft black eyes, she wiggles her toes in response, chuckling quietly as the whale blows bubbly starlight between them. "It's a game, I think- they do it figuratively. I saw some children trying to catch it from the river."

She is surprised by Jigano's suden steel, pulling away to look up in interest at the silver haired man. But then she softens, realizing why his tone had changed: she had been similarly on edge on once more seeing the fox, believing him to have had a hand in their disappearance, their stealth. Laying a soothing hand on his arm, Amalia tries to set her friend at ease. "He did not know about the ambush. He was given safe passage by another Fae. He does not work with Delah."

Leaning forward, knees on her elbows, the girl looks toward the horizon again, a frown growing between her brows. "He's been alone here for a long time, I think. He's just as trapped as us."

Summoned by her companion's turn to the morose, Jyoti swims into Amalia's arms, lying upon the girls lap with a pointed, soothing coo. The girl reaches suddenly down, scooping up the calf in a hug before releasing it to rest in the crook of her arm, fingers gently tracing the constellations reflected on its skin.

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#9
A children's game? A curious tradition, but one that might be fun to take back to the Hollowed Grounds with them, especially if it could be used to show respect for Fae ways and begin building a bridge between their people. "Do you think any figurative capturing of the sun will do?" he asked contemplatively, agile mind already working out different ways they might manage such a task. To catch the sun's rays in reflection, in an image, or perhaps to catch the representation of the sun - fire itself - in some way?

Ianto's name cooled his curiosity to a degree, his voice taking on an aspect of ice rather than raised hackles, something he regretted when Amalia pulled away. She had become too close to him for lies, however, for any but the most intimate of masks and mirrors. He gave her truth, and his honest reaction to the cowardly, treacherous fox, wondering how he would deal with him in kind should the chance arise--

But Amalia's hand on his arm soothed the cold temper before it could completely ruin the peace of the evening, and her reassurance forced him to reevaluate what he had assumed. He tilted his head at her, some of the tension easing from his jaw as he considered her words, looking into dark eyes for a hint of uncertainty on her part, the worry that she might have been tricked. She seemed sure, though, confident in her statements, however she had come by them. She had been the in the Village, among Delah - the warchief? - and the Fae far longer than he. As she turned away to stare pensively at the sunset with the compassion that burned so brightly in her heart he exhaled, turning to watch the sky as well.

Jyoti's nearness was a further balm, and he extended his hand to the little calf with a flicker of a smile for her sweetness. "May I pet her?" he asked his friend first, waiting for permission before stroking a light finger over star-spangled skin if he received it.

"Can he not leave the Woods, as we could not leave the Barrier?" he continued cautiously on their previous topic, curious to learn more about this man who had earned his heartsister's sympathy. An outlander, a Northhavener dropped outside the barrier... had he, too, found himself flung into the pit for a time?
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#10

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


"Probably. She throws a sidelong glance at the bard, amusement flickering on her face as she correctly surmises the direction of his thoughts. What solution will the clever man come up with, to entrap the sun within his grasp? The girl has had some thoughts of her own: a sun-shaped loaf comes first to mind, or perhaps a bouquet of sunflowers, if the fires do not get them first.

When he askes permission to touch Jyoti the girl cannot help laugh in surprise. "Of course." Amalia smiles at Jigano, opening her arms to allow him access to the starwhale's spangled skin. It is surprisingly warm, soft and supple. She has learned in a brief time to relish the feel of it, be comforted by the way starlight seems to linger on her fingers after brushes the child with her hands. Jyoti, in turn, relishes the attention, crooning and cooing beneath ministrations, rolling over to expose her belly to the gentle bard. "She likes you," the baker comments unnecessarily, feeling the fondness pulse through their bond, happy to have her little family somewhat reunited, if not in full.

Leaning back once again, Amalia lets out a sigh. "I... don't know." She worries her bottom lip with her teeth, thinking of the collar on Ianto's neck. "But I know he came here alone, and that there were no other humans before the barrier fell. Some of the Fae seem to like him, but some..."

And again the girl thinks of Delah, rolling her shoulders in an unhappy shrug. "It sounds like he was taken in by someone named Adriunna, and that's why he's allowed to stay."

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#11
His grin turned a touch wicked as he considered the many ways a figurative sun could be caught. Or the real sun could be caught figuratively! He did love to play with words and this seemed like an excellent excuse to do so. But the sun was almost gone for this day, and the curious little whale was finally within reach. Delight dawned over his face as he reached out to touch her, running his fingers gently across smooth, starry skin. He was tentative at first, careful of her youth and uncertain how sturdy she was, but as she pushed into his touch his smile grew radiant and he lavished attention on her in earnest, tickling her belly with an unself-conscious chortle.

"I like her, too!" he confided in his friend with a wink. "Gods most fortunate, Isuma is going to be in love with her! She's such a sweet little thing." Which was not the word one expected to use with a whale, according to the books he'd read on the creatures, but this was his first time seeing one - or something like one - and he was enchanted. "However did you two find each other?" Because they were a pair as much as he and his gryphon were, clearly bound and belonging together, two halves of the same whole.

Talk of Ianto was sobering in comparison, though the bard's fingers continued to scritch and tickle the little whale as long as she wanted the attention. He grimaced in agreement at the mention of some Fae, and it didn't take a psychic to know she meant the warchief. At the mention of another name, though, he tilted his head curiously. "Arduinna is the one who led us to the Village today," he revealed, grateful for the lovely woman's help. "A lovely creature, perhaps a dryad of some kind? The trees moved for her, branches and roots dancing for her smile. She commanded the warchief to give us hospitality... the Fae was clearly unhappy about it, but just as clearly deferred to Arduinna. There's a complicated knot to unravel at some point... after we get everyone home safe again," he added wryly. "Deimos was, ah, very insistent that he would be coming to the rescue. I hadn't realized you two had become so close..." he teased gently.
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#12

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


"She fell out of the sky." Amalia's voice grows wistful, heavy with unspilt emotions left from that night. Idly she tuns her fingers back and forth on Jyoti's back, not quite ready to look at those memories, to face her mistakes and wrestle with fear. "During a storm. I flew up to try and catch her, but she still fell. And once she fell she could not go back to swim among the stars. All she has now... Is me." A little bit bitter, a little insecure: what can she possibly give, how can she become the world to a child used to swimming cosmos, Vi-born and Safrin-kissed?

It is the girl's turn to grow subdued, talk of Arduianna bringing to mind the way Ianto's face had clouded, his fingers on the leather which encircled his neck. "Ianto mentioned she may be willing to teach me about the woods." For a price, she does not add, not wanting him to worry, to chase her into danger once again.

Oh, but then he speaks of Deimos, and an entirely different set of nervousness overtakes the girl. Starting studiously at her hands in her lap, she cannot help the flush that lights her cheeks. "He's a good friend," Amalia obfuscates, her fingers tracing Jyoti's back as she tries to quell the butterflies which rise within her at his name. "And a good man. He would have done the same for any of his friends." Of this she is certain: Demos loyal, and generous, asking for nothing in return. A smile pulls at the girl's lips, overtly fond despite attempts to hide. She has never been good at shielding her emotions, especially from the ones she loves.

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you


Jigano Silversmith
the Sage
Provost of the Loreseekers Soul Shepherd
Portal Guardian
Age: 36 | Height: 6'2" | Race: Attuned x Abandoned | Nationality: Outlander | Citizenship: Hollowed Grounds
Level: 12 - Strg: 30 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 38 - Luck: 42 - Int:
ISUMA - Mythical - Griffin (Venomous)
Played by: Cirago Offline
Change author:
Posts: 3,914 | Total: 7,219
MP: 10170
#13
"A whale who swims the sky," he mused, continuing his gentle scratches and pets of the joyful little creature. "I... think we had something similar on my world. Celestial whales, they were called. I never saw one, but I read about them. Creatures of great good, who swam the stars of the outer planes, and who could calm emotions and smite evil beings." He shook off his musing of a world lost, no less than Jyoti had lost her own, and turned to Amalia with a smile. "But you flew? On fair and feathered wings? Will you show me, someday? Fly with me, too?" How strange it would be, to fly beside someone he trusted. Remi had mentioned it, and Jigano had been hesitant only because he was unsure of sharing his mind with the alchemist even after he and Caiside had practiced how to shield and protect their thoughts from others. The young man had a great deal more practice with that method of communication than Jigano had...

And a history of forcing his power on the unwilling.

There was light sparkling beneath their fingers, however, and Jyoti's presence was calming and serene, soothing the bard's momentary dip into darker waters. "You are more than enough, dear Amalia," he reassured her fondly. "You hold a cosmos in your heart, and all the night sky in your eyes. Your grandmother saw how you shine... and so do we." He and Isuma, Jyoti and Rory, and all those who came to know her could see the starlight in her soul, no matter how her anxieties tried to eclipse it.

Talk of Arduinna was another bright spot, however fickle and fey she might have been. The woman had led them as she had promised, and though he was a little worried that she hadn't claimed a price, she also hadn't asked for one... He tilted his head with a wry smile, nodding at her hesitant comment. "She might at that, but finding her will be another challenge altogether! With the way the trees moved around her, I doubt they'd let anyone reach her without her permission."

The dryad-woman was a curiosity and a splendor, but so was the connection between the pink-cheeked baker and the grim, glowering beast that walked on two legs. Jigano hid his delighted smile as Amalia blushed prettily, but some of it slipped through as her own smile softened in a way he could not realize mirrored his own expression when talking about Rory. "Ah, but how many friends can he claim as close as you?" he continued gently, eyes sparkling with happiness for his little sister's sweet charm.

Even if he might have hoped she had found someone a little less dour... well. Who could say what shape love would take? Certainly not a world-lost fox who had fallen in love with a hunter!
Amalia Chandrakant
the Archangel
Baker

Age: 29 | Height: 5'6 | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 49 - Dext: 45 - Endr: 52 - Luck: 49 - Int:
JYOTI - Mythical - Starwhale (Humpback)
Played by: shark Offline
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Posts: 3,098 | Total: 4,577
MP: 2580
#14

YOU SAID THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THE MOON
IT ROSE TOO SOON
AND WE'RE DOING WHAT WE SHOULD


"That does sound similar. Jyoti seemed to be able to calm the Fae when they were, ah..." She trails off, not sure what more to say. Furious? Cruel? Terrifying? All these things Delah had been, and though the girl remains unscathed, it will take time to heal from the fear. Running grateful fingers across the starwhale's skin, Amalia lets a sigh release, trying not to wonder what might have happened had Jyoti not fallen from the sky.

Still, she smiles shyly at Jigano, glowing softly beneath the praise. Whether or not she believes it is different, but it feels marvelous to be loved, to have others who believe in her when she cannot believe in herself. "I try," she answers honestly, the only reply she can give. To try to be better, aspire and strive, is all she can ever hope for, all she can ever be.

Jigano speaks of Arduianna, and Amalia nods her thoughtful agreement, chewing gently on her lip. "I think Ianto must know a way." More and more her determination hardens, a desire to know more forming in her breast. To leave without creating bonds is purposeless at this point: they are neighbors of the Fae, and need their help, to navigate a world in which they are babes. Sighing again, she runs her hand through her hair, trying to shake the thoughts from her head. "If Delah will not allow us to treat, it may be the only way."

There is no mercy from Jigano's teasing: fair play, in a sense. Amalia finds herself smiling again, the blush on her cheeks growing hotter as she pointedly does not look at the man. "Few, I suspect. Kiada is one of them. He came for her as much as for me." This is true, or so she firmly believes; she hides behind it, allows the certainty of her mundane nature to soothe the heat that plagues her face. She does not know what more to say, how to communicate what it is they are- especially when she cannot say she rightly knows herself.

Amalia turns back to the silver bard, as ardent and honest as ever, a selfless desire in her face. "Deimos is quiet, but he is good. He came here from a harsh world, too. I hope... I hope you can get to know him, like I have."

a m a l i a
You said it's life that moves too much
We're losing touch
But I'm not losing you




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