dawn of a new day [OPEN SE]
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#1
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
Well well well, there were certainly a lot of new faces in the Wilds recently. Mildew had, for the most part, enjoyed her various mortal visitors, who had been polite and respectful as she liked them to be. After all, she was an old part of this swamp, a being much wiser and more a part of Caido than any of them. If they wanted to be welcome in her home, they had to show the proper respect for her, but also for the trees and muds, the creatures in her care.

She had begun to stray further from the comfort of her little hut now that she was confident her guest could look after themselves. No shoes, of course, but she was wearing a coat and her most sturdy skirt, and a larger bag than usual, walking towards the borders of the Feverlands. Just where she was going, Mildew wasn't sure, but she hadn't seen the world outside of the swamp for over three hundred years - it was time to see what had changed.

Humming a soft tune to herself, she artfully jumped over and around obstacles, stepping on rocks and logs in a way that didn't hurt her bare feet from years of experience. While she was indeed an ancient witch, to anyone unawares, she would simply look like a messy young woman on a cheerful walk.
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!
Anju Rao
Captain

Age: 31 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 3 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 10 - Int:
RIYA - Mythical - Dragon (Fire Breath)
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 245 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#2
you were born a leader - no throne or crown needed
Anju had not been a child prone to adventuring in her youth. Wanderlust was a word skimmed over in books and shrugged at in conversation. Stormbreak was her home, and so she would roost there like a dragon protecting its clutch, content with the familiar and dependable schedules she had organized her life into. Alas, life itself is not so content to leave her similarly unbothered. The newfound freedom of the Heralds has set into motion a roiling wave of changes, and so Anju must adapt to the newly flowing rivers that bring newcomers past the gates and - unexpectedly - sweep her out in turn.

Despite its relative proximity to Stormbreak, the noxious swamp she finds herself in is unfamiliar to her. Shocker. Were it up to her and her alone, this particular region would remain unexplored. It is far from enticing or palatable, and how Riya can stand the stench with her more sensitive nose is beyond Anju. Though knowing her soul sister, it is precisely the stench that drags her excitedly forward, splashing up muck and reeds with her talons as she goes rampaging through the freshly thawed mud. Far too many years of experience had Anju adequately preparing for such tomfoolery; cloaked in a long traveler's coat, it protects the worst of the spray from the clothes underneath, though her shoes may just be a wash.

Trailing behind Riya like an exasperated mother following her toddler's illogical rampage, Anju lets her mind wander and her feet carry her on autopilot until a ping! of emotion comes from Riya's side of the bond. At first she assumes the dragon has spotted a creature to hunt, but as she takes to the sky the excitement only builds, rousing Anju's attention. Hurrying after her wreckingball of a sister, she comes across the muddy excuse for a lizard hurtling towards a young woman wandering alone across the barer stones. "Riya!" she snaps firmly, commanding voice cracking through the fog. The dragon swoops low, circling the figure in what is clearly an intentional toeing of the line of Anju's forbiddance before landing and giving a draconic chirrup of greeting.

Anju - familiar exasperation already climbing - scowls and tries not to slip as she moves to retrieve her companion. "I apologize on her behalf." Anju is not one for plentiful words, though her mahogany irises flit down to the woman's bare feet and she can't help the slight cringe of sympathy that fleetingly crosses her brow.
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#3
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
Hearing something approaching, Mildew stood and waited to see what it was; upon seeing a dragon, a creature she had not laid eyes on in many years, she smiled and reached out in greeting to the little beast, kneeling to be closer to her eye level. Glancing over to the apologetic woman, presumably some kind of companion to the dragon, she shook her head. "It is fine. Nice to see someone so excited to see me."

Softly stroking Riya's scales, if the dragon came close, Mildew adjusted so she could actually look at Anju, easily rotating around on her toes. "There are more and more visitors to the Feverlands these days...have you come to see it too, love?" The Witch had mixed feelings about the new tourists; on the one hand it was nice to see life in the swamp again beyond the bugs and birds, but on the other it spoke of danger, change.

"You know, I heard there was a Witch further into the swamp, so you might want to be careful." She warned, mischief glittering in her eyes but voice solemn enough to be serious.
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!
Anju Rao
Captain

Age: 31 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 3 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 10 - Int:
RIYA - Mythical - Dragon (Fire Breath)
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 245 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#4
you were born a leader - no throne or crown needed
For all Anju's reticence, Riya makes up for it with effusive eagerness. The hand that reaches for her is bumped into with her scaly snout in a motion found more often in cats than Bernese-sized dragons. Anju spares only a moment of relief that Riya doesn't bowl this one over as she pulls her leg free of a particularly thick patch of mud and climbs up the rocks to the pair. "Excitement is something she does not lack," she comments dryly, though there's a slight melting of the stiffness to her face when there is no negative reaction forthcoming. Riya has garnered nearly every possible reaction, even in Stormbreak where her kind are far more common.

Riya preens beneath the gentle touch, smoke curling out of her nostrils as she shakes down her spine, ending in a flirtatious flick of her tail. Anju joins them, squatting leisurely on the other side of Riya as she sinks into the stretch of her hips, an enjoyable respite from the journey. The pet name causes a flutter of the eyes, a slight pinkening of her cheeks, for all the rest of her is unmoved. "I've never been one to wander," she admits, voice a hum of contemplation. "But it has been an enjoyable enough day trip." Though she's not surprised to hear that there are more visitors, the tides have been changing even in Stormbreak, safe though it is from any Abandoned or Ascended. "Are you a native then?" Riya seems more than content to weave back and forth between them for more pets, the least Anju can do is attempt conversation, no matter how bad she is at it.

She is not good enough at reading people - or perhaps Mildew is merely a fantastic actor - to discern any kind of mischief, so she takes the words at face value. "It is her home, not ours. I will have to ensure Riya does not bother her as well," she gripes, with what passes as her version of amusement. Anju does not fear the title 'witch' when her home is so superstitious, but as a Stormbreak girl born and raised, she fully understands notions such as territory, ownership, and the desire to be left alone. Riya swats her ankle with her tail, and Anju snatches it up in her fingers playfully, giving it a shake and pinning the dragon with an exasperated gaze.
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#5
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
Smile widening, Mildew wasted no time in giving Riya all the scritches and love she wanted, glad to see such a happy little dragon. She often worried about the creatures outside of the Wilds that were confined to more traditionally human buildings and lives, but it seemed that this companion was well taken care of. "It's the mark of being young and happy."

As for if she was native to the Wilds...Mildew wondered if it wasn't obvious, but humoured Anju, nodding and reaching to affectionately run her hand over grasses before her. "Yes. I don't know anything but the Wilds, and Wilds know me very well." She was about to leave, to explore, but already Mildew was looking forward to her return; she would always be a part of the trees and creatures that made up the space between cities. "Where are you from, love? Close by?"

Humming (though genuinely impressed by the respectful answer), Mildew tilted her head side to side. "I've heard though, that for those brave enough to wander nearby, she can read fortunes or grant wishes. Isn't that interesting?"
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!
Anju Rao
Captain

Age: 31 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 3 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 10 - Int:
RIYA - Mythical - Dragon (Fire Breath)
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 245 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#6
you were born a leader - no throne or crown needed
A crack of a smile fissures across her face, a rare sight but no less full of warmth now that it has appeared. Riya's side of the bond blossoms with some convoluted mix of emotions that just translates to smug success at having gotten a smile from it all, and burps a little trail of flame from her maw. Anju has no real response - or perhaps has exceeded some unknown word limitation for the morning - but her indulgent smile is answer enough for both companion and unnamed stranger.

"This is the first I have seen, but it is not without its beauty," she compliments, mahogany irises scanning over their immediate surroundings with no small measure of appreciation. Far more greenery than Stormbreak offers at the very least. "Is your family from here then?" Had she been born into the clutches of the wilderness? Or had she merely found them in her travels and resonated with the area, finding herself drawn and unable to depart? Anju dreams at times to feel that way, if only because her allegiance to Stormbreak is crafted only through bloodline and religious loyalty. She has never felt the true call of 'home', at least not externally. "Yes, quite close. I was born in Stormbreak, and know little else beyond her stone walls." Precisely what had finally pushed her to explore beyond their boundaries.

The idea of wishes and fortunes does, at least, quirk an inquisitive brow. "There is little I wish for, but fortunes..." trailing off, her gaze falls to Riya, who has flopped onto her back and pauses only to stare soulfully up at Anju. "It is a kindness, to give to those who trample through your home in search of unearned gifts. It is tempting to ask if you know where she dwells, hypocrite though it would make me," she admits, perhaps a bit shamefaced by her own curios desire to hear of what the future could hold for her. "But I'm sure she would see very little for one such as myself. I have it on good authority that I am quite a bore." It's aimed to be some form of humor, an awkward tilt to the side of her lips that hints at a smile. Something to fruitlessly grasp at in her socially stunted manner to try and inspire more of the lovely cajoling and teasing the woman has given her. Belatedly she sticks out a hand, far too stiffly in comparison to the hesitant light in her eyes. "I am Anju."
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#7
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
Anju's question about family was one of the few things that could make Mildew pause. The Demi-Goddess not prepared for that question. She blinked a couple of times, not even sure what to say; she didn't have a family, but she did: the bugs and animals and trees of the swamp, but that wasn't typically what the mortals would consider one. "No. I live here alone, though I'm not lonely."

Stormbreak...a place that Mildew knew little of. "I've never been to Stormbreak. Do you think I should visit?" She asked, not considering that her bare-foot, muddy and young look might mark her out as someone not quite ready for the big city (though little did she know she'd probably get a hero's welcome there, if they knew who she was).

Her eyes looked Anju up and down and Mildew smirked to hear she was interested in fortunes; it seemed she might have to break her disguise eventually after all, because she couldn't pass up the chance to read another future. Not when she'd had so long without being able to do it. "Darling, you're only as boring as you say you are. Don't bring yourself down like that. Say that you are the most exciting, beautiful person you know - it might become true. I'm Mildew, and I am absolutely not a bore." Laughing, she tossed her hair over her shoulder, then looked over at Anju through the corner of her eyes.

"You know, I could take you to where her hut is meant to be. If nothing else, it's an interesting place. I've heard it could be haunted, as well. Are you interested in ghosts?" Mildew began to take some steps back towards the swamp already, though they were slow and her eyes stayed on Anju.
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!
Anju Rao
Captain

Age: 31 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 3 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 10 - Int:
RIYA - Mythical - Dragon (Fire Breath)
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 245 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#8
you were born a leader - no throne or crown needed
If the pause is noted, it is not pointed out. In fact there is almost a sense of sunlight breaking through clouds over Anju's expression at the response the beautiful woman gives, a sense of camaraderie dawning in her eyes. "Not many understand that notion," she says in what passes for warmth for her tone. Her own parents had often expressed their concerns for their daughter growing up; she should try to make more friends, to get out of Stormbreak more, to try to find love. Anju had brushed each aside without care. She had her faith in Rae and Frey, her sword, her platoon, Riya. What more was necessary?

"It may be overwhelming, the city. In comparison to here. But it is beautiful, in a rugged way. Perhaps I could show you, were you ever to visit." It's quite the gesture, but Anju is protective over those who are like her. Mildew is certainly no closed-petal flower like Anju - far more open and charming - but she is clearly a creature of nature, and Anju will gladly lend her knowledge of Stormbreak to the woman if it means preserving that inner peace. She has a feeling that Mildew would love the Celestine as much as Anju already does. Lena would certainly appreciate a new face to the rotating visitors as well.

A flush comes to her brown skin at the nicest chastisement she has ever been privy to. "That you are not," she agrees, fumbling over her words in a manner far too expected considering her social ineptitude. Dark, arresting eyes smile at her, and Anju only startles into motion when Riya pulls her tail out of her still-grasping hand, bounding after the curly-haired anomaly in clear expression of their shared interest. Standing, Anju doesn't bother to brush off her clothes, already beginning to step down into the swamp to follow as an expression of interest forms on her features. "I am a follower of Rae, but Mort's realm is...intriguing. Ghosts must come in all types, as many as there are personalities. That seems...daunting." A crooked smile forms on her lips. No more daunting than the living people those ghosts may have once been at least. Still, she does not hesitate in joining Mildew, fearless by nature. A clear tilt of her head meant to urge the woman to lead on.
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#9
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
"Enjoying your own company is a skill and one more people should have, in my opinion. Though it's good not to forget how to speak to others." Mildew advised with a twinkle in her eye, her voice wise; though without the context of her age, her advice could come across as patronising. Not considering that, she just smiled, wondering if any of these new friends she'd picked up in the last season would last.

Stormbreak would be an exciting new venture; she nodded and looked down at herself; the dirty clothes, bare feet, leaf-covered hair, and for a moment was conscious of how she had to look to anyone else. "Do you think I ought to change before I arrive there? While it's good to be oneself...I don't want to offend." Though, Mildew was sure once they knew she was a Demi God, there would be no disrespect (and if there was, there would be retribution for it).

Laughing happily as Anju agreed, Mildew continued to head back home. This would make it the second traveller she'd lured back to her hut, but there weren't really any malicious intentions behind it; mischief, more than anything. Maybe the chance to tell a fortune. "Well, so do people. After all, they're only dead people, aren't they? Not much scarier than the ones you see on the street...I suppose what it is that scares people is the reminder they may die themselves, hm?"
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!
Anju Rao
Captain

Age: 31 | Height: 5'10 | Race: Accepted | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 3 - Strg: 18 - Dext: 12 - Endr: 18 - Luck: 10 - Int:
RIYA - Mythical - Dragon (Fire Breath)
Played by: Brit Offline
Change author:
Posts: 245 | Total: 6,168
MP: 9427
#10
you were born a leader - no throne or crown needed
"You are my practice today so I do not forget." There is amusement that dwells and pools in her tone as she says it, oxblood irises shrouded as her eyes crinkle with a rare, crooked smile. Mildew makes it easy to loosen the iron bands around her chest that always seem to form when speaking to...well, anyone. Anju is not ashamed of her own introverted nature. It is simply who she is and it in no way impedes her when it comes to being a Dragoon; the only thing that matters to her. Still, it is nice to not be thinking and re-thinking her responses before they even leave her mouth. Mildew inspires that sort of relaxation whether she's aware of it or not.

As such, the question that is posed is met with a small snort. "I am not the best to ask for that. I find you to be perfect as you are." Such bold words are not uncommon from Anju, who wouldn't know the different between flirting and general compliments even if she was given a definition with accompanying diagrams. Mildew's current state of appearance does not bother her, is quite charming in fact, and so Anju assumes all others would feel the same way.

Riya springs on sprightly claws as the two women begin to move, taking to the skies and disappearing to play in the branches. Anju watches the flashes of her silver underbelly for a moment before Mildew steals her attention once more. "Them being people is the problem," she grumbles slightly, briefly self-conscious herself. "I do not understand people well. Ghosts surely are no different." Perhaps more inclined to try and scare her if all the hyped up tales from childhood are to be believed. Though Mildew cannot see it, Anju shakes her head slowly, prominent brows drawn together in a contemplative moue. "Death does not scare me. I am a Dragoon, I may lose my life to a blade at any moment. I know this every time I open my eyes. Death is the ultimate peace. What more could I hope to ask for than peace and the eternal love of Mort?" Her faith may not be showy and full of heartfelt prayers or eager tasks to be carried out. Instead it is like bedrock; reliable, unbreakable, all-encompassing. Riya's side of the bond turns a tinge exasperated, and Anju uncomfortably clears her throat in the wake of the silent chastisement. "Ghosts are much more intimidating. Boredom instead of peace, blech." It's a stilted response, but she makes the disgusted sound with a slight upturn of her lips, hoping her seriousness had not scared off Mildew who is far more lighthearted and amiable than she.
Swamp Witch

Age: 517 | Height: 5'2" | Race: Demi-god | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Nomadic
Level: 2 - Strg: 17 - Dext: 15 - Endr: 17 - Luck: 11 - Int:
Played by: lancydulac Offline
Change author:
Posts: 164 | Total: 8,707
MP: 0
#11
Rusalka, Rusalka your arms out of water
Your hair like an alien bloom
"Oh dear. I'm not very good practice for anyone else. I've spent too long alone in the Wilds...not that the bugs and birds and so on aren't wonderful company, but they don't communicate the same ways." In some ways she'd been surprised she'd remembered how to talk at all after leaving the Feverlands, but Mildew had still had to pray and sing and cast her spells, she supposed; maybe that had been enough practice to keep her mind active.

Hearing she was perfect in Anju's eyes, Mildew grinned and faked a little curtsey. She knew it was unlikely everyone in the city would have the same opinions, but it was good to see that some still had good taste and sense. There were very few manmade accessories that could match the beauty of nature, after all.

Giggling at Riya's excited bounding in the branches, Mildew only shrugged at Anju's explanation. "Just as with living people, you can tell them to go away if they won't. Mostly, I've found they listen to that. Most don't expect to just be told to leave." She laughed after this, apparently not concerned about whether it was rude. "Hmm. How do you think people become ghosts, though? They must miss out on Mort's love? Doesn't that possibility scare you? It's a consequence of death and that can be all we know for certain."
Dark-eyed Rusalka, your brow tressed in flowers
Mildew
Base Code by Sky!


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)


RPG-D