[se] the secret history
Open Seasonal Thread!
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
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#1
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
The way the world had been working lately made the young Caretaker breeze through long, winding streets. Past stone pillars. Past tall columns of buildings she’d peered at again and again. Past towering, colossal things, and onto the Collegium – here for the sole purpose of getting to the bottom of the recent influx of vampire gourds.

She couldn’t recall a time it’d been in such an array – from what she’d known and learnt, they’d kept to themselves within the Grounds. But based on recent reports, they were everywhere; some small, some massive, some all-encompassing. So what had altered? What had changed?

Perhaps if she was lucky, the library would hold some information. Peering amongst and amidst the shelves, the woman made a beeline for familiarity in the creature section, intending to search a row of spines and titles for more clues, more context.

And Lena would’ve persisted, had she not heard a quiet rumbling around the corner – moving her head and looking downward to see the aforementioned subject, nibbling on some fallen tome. “Oh dear, not here too,” she murmured to herself, bending downward and attempting to sneak the marred book out of its fangs, ignoring the way it grumbled, hissed, and wheezed.
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
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#2
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
For a woman who has lived her whole life trying to fill in the gaps that she felt she was truly missing, Stormbreak was the place to be. She had only been in the city a few weeks now, but she visited the library often. She had never been a reader before, really. She always had too much to do, and before she got to Stormbreak after leaving the Grounds, there was too much to see.

Being from the Grounds, Ellyra was no stranger to the vampire gourds that bobbed and bumped around the streets. 'Twas the season, after all. She hardly even grumbled as she moved around, punting tiny gourds in her way as she collected what she wanted to read. She rounded a corner book shelf, catching sight of another woman trying to pry a book from a rather unyeilding gourd's jaws. "It's better if you kick them." She advised with a smirk, a hand coming up to rest on her hip.

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
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Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#3
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
Pre-occupied with her latest actions, hands snagging hold of more and more of the book as the pumpkin began to lose its grip, she was momentarily distracted, lifting the creature upwards entirely, as another’s voice intertwined through the midst. She didn’t recognize the woman, but her features held a look of utter dismay at the thought of harming one of Rae’s fauna. “Oh, I couldn’t do that.” A grimace, a wrinkle of her nose. “They’re just doing what vampire gourds do,” with a hapless shrug, a little bit of a smile following through. Eventually, the wayward beast began to slip off the spine, vines outstretched and snaking to no avail.

“Though I don’t know why we have so many here,” she muttered out loud, as the tiny cretin slid downwards, and then scampered off with an antagonistic hiss when it no longer had its bound prey. Only thereafter did she extend her hand, warm and bright, genuine and kind, towards the stranger. “I’m Lena, Caretaker of the Celestine.” Which could’ve explained her affinity for not assaulting the miniature fiend, even though many of her constituents and fellow citizens seemed to take no issue. “Who are you? I don’t believe I’ve seen you in Stormbreak before.” But that could account for her occupation as well.
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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#4
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
"Why not? Wouldn't you just be a people doing people things?" She tilted her head some, goldenrod hair tumbling over her shoulder, and pursed her lips. Her tone was even and cool, but not malicious. In her core, Ellyra was not someone who just threw violence around whenever action needed to be taken, but these were gourds for Vi's sake.

The stranger seemed to be perfectly content with her own actions though, and Ellyra simply shrugged it off mentally. As she introduced herself, Ellyra's mind clicked and her initial response made much more sense. "That's like the animal sanctuary, right?" She reached her hand out to grasp the other's in greeting. "My name is Ellyra Fox. I'm from the Hollowed Grounds originally. This is my first time in Stormbreak. I've been, uh, mostly living here in this library." She gestured around after breaking the handshake, and lifted the books in her other hand to solidify her motives.

"I'm not familiar with how many gourds should be here. This isn't unusual for me." Ellyra turned her head then as she heard a sharp gasp, followed by the thunk of a book smacking against hollow gourd.

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
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Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#5
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
“Maybe,” and she laughed. “But I won’t harm any creatures if I can help it.” Even if they were little terrors; but these cretins could’ve been far worse, and she’d dealt with far more dangerous. While hands shook, she tilted her head, genuine and curious, insightful and generous. Ellyra Fox of the Grounds.

Once their hands broke apart, the Caretaker launched into the venues of curiosity, her grin all the more effervescent. “Oh! The Grounds! Do you know where they come from then?” And if she’d been living amongst and amidst the library, perhaps the next series of undertakings wouldn’t be so bad. “I was hoping to gain some insight into why they’d ventured here – or how. If not, perhaps I can ask Frey the next time I get an opportunity.” Talking animatedly, gesturing wildly, she began to walk along the spines again, studying the titles, and wandering amongst stacks.

Only to see the next interim of gourds, with a sigh following through. “Best be off then,” and she shooed it away. Likely due to her Attuned roots and capability of extending her wherewithal to such animals, the thing mulishly cowered, leaving its book behind as it bumbled further out of range.
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Time Offline
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Posts: 79 | Total: 2,366
MP: 1005
#6
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
Ellyra brought her books to her chest, an eyebrow lifting in thought. "Well, I don't really know where any plant or animal comes from, but if the land is fertile they come. Maybe they came up here because they weren't contained. Like, think of a garden. If you plant something and don't give it parameters to grow, eventually it just takes over right? Now that there's no barrier, it's just taken them this long to spread around." It was just her own speculation, a whirlwind of thoughts rolling from her tongue, but it made sense to her.

"You know Frey?" She asked then, interest piqued. Both eyebrows lifted and she turned hazel eyes on the woman. "Are you attuned, then? I mean, if you take care of the animals it just makes sense. I'm not trying to pry or anything -- sorry if that's too personal a question..." She rambled a bit, clutching her books a little tighter. She hadn't meant to be offensive, and she hoped she wasn't, but her tongue usually worked faster than her brain.

She watched Lena as the woman shooed away the other gourd, the adolescent boy it had stolen the book from running off and down the steps of the library. Ellyra pursed her lips again, thinking it would be easier to just kick them.

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
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Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#7
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
As Ellyra offered insights, wisdom, and parallels, the Caretaker tapped her chin in thought. “A plausible theory,” she pondered, humming under her breath; wondering of the little gourds’ travels, to make it from the Grounds and all the way here. Determined, at the very least. “I wonder…there was an incident some time ago with the blight and a much larger gourd. Maybe there are others like it.” Though hopefully not carrying disease again – which made her brows furrow slightly; eyes sharpening as she saw another sneaking around a corner of a bookshelf.

As for the inquiry back towards her, spirits lifted again, as she carefully tiptoed around the case and followed quietly after the wayward pumpkin. “Yes! They gave me my position. I’ve always been honored to be in their service.” As best she could – hopefully fulfilling the role to the best of her ability. “Oh, that’s nothing personal. Yes, I’m Attuned,” another proud flitter; indulgent with her brightening grin. By way of how the world worked, the newcomer either had to be Accepted, Demigod, or Attuned herself; and the nature of the question had her wondering in multitudes. “What about yourself?”
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Time Offline
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Posts: 79 | Total: 2,366
MP: 1005
#8
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
Ellyra made her own humming noise and nodded with Lena. "That is a good thought. It's definitely possible." She offered a small smile, a lifting of her brow. The caretaker moved, then, and Ellyra followed. She was curious to see how Lena would handle the gourd she stalked, and Ellyra held herself back from pushing passed her and squashing it under her boots. It's what she had always done.

"Accepted." She said, biting her tongue. "My parents both attuned, recently, to keep their alliances with the old gods rather than the Voice. I am...still waiting, I guess." Her parents had given her the freedom to choose, but if they had taken that freedom from her, then she surely would have asked Frey for some big and brave skin. Something to help her search for who she was and what she was to be. "I left the Grounds because I couldn't decide, but I couldn't listen to one more person trying to convince me to follow her.." Ellyra trailed off and, not paying attention, nearly stumbled over another gourd that rolled between two bookshelves.

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
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Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#9
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
Lena’s stalking likely couldn’t even be called as such – little gliding steps, light and airy, elegant and refined, but poised for nothing but obvious following. She trailed after this particular gourd as it rounded another bookshelf, leading them closer to the entrance, and she pondered over another set of possibilities and parameters while Ellyra spoke.

Another warm, genuine smile crossed over her features, looking back at the Accepted; all effervescence and sincerity. “Are you waiting for a sign?” A signal that proved her worth? That made her wonder and dream? That made her choose? Or was being herself – just like this – more than enough? “Is it expected to become Attuned in your family? Accepted are just as loved and cherished here.” The Caretaker could surmise who her was by the change of tone, the trailing off, and if her grin slipped away, it returned in a flash.

As Ellyra tripped over another, the youth narrowed her eyes in speculation. “I’d like to try something. Could you go open the door?” A pause, her eyes gazing after the other bumbling pumpkin. “I want to see if I could compel them outside, where they belong.”
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
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Posts: 79 | Total: 2,366
MP: 1005
#10
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
"I think the expectation isn't the attunement itself, but the fact that it truly solidifies me to the old gods and takes me out of the contestants for the Voice." Ellyra tried to explain as she steadied herself from her near-fall over a pumpkin. She made a frustrated huffing sound as she nudged it with her toe, trying not to kick it hard under the eye of Lena. She was so kind, Ellyra wasn't ready to write her off as a possible friend yet.

"Oh, okay!" she chirped at Lena's idea. Setting her books to the side on a cart between two shelves, the blonde trotted over to the door and swung it wide open. Several heads turned within the library and a symphony of shhhhhh's filled the space just as the autumn air came filling in between the hundreds of shelves of books.

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
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Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#11
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
“Ah. I see.” And she hummed once more, drumming her fingers lightly on passing bookshelves, watching, waiting for a moment as pumpkins roamed and scholars glanced upward. “I presume you’ve never thought about her in the first place?” A careful arch to her brow, with a friendly, affable ease; perhaps a stark assumption – but this woman wouldn’t be here if she’d ever thought of giving into the Voice. As they moved through aisles and eaves, she considered, pondering, wondering, never quite giving in to that range of curiosity long since stoked. “There are always benefits to either. Though, if you enjoy calling for the spirits or gods themselves, you might be more inclined to stay as an Accepted.” A shrug of her shoulders, free of judgment, before they motioned into their plan.

Lena waved away the others who weren’t quite as content with their notions (besides, it’d benefit the other library-goers in the process). Within half a moment, her compelling stretched from her soul, ushering, clambering, pushing, cajoling the wayward gourds out of their hiding places. Multitudes began to surface, wandering through avenues, routes, and hidden, tucked away nooks and crannies. With a shake of her head, they angled towards the door, grumbling lowly, unhappy and grumpy about their situation, but silently leaving just the same.
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Time Offline
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Posts: 79 | Total: 2,366
MP: 1005
#12
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
To be honest, Ellyra had thought about it. But, ultimately, her family had talked her out of the decision. She knew a few ascended from having lived in the Hollowed Grounds her whole life, and to her the idea of losing all of what made her human -- what tied her to life and exhilaration -- was too much to give up. They had traded the visceral, gritty parts of life for shiny mechanics and eternal youth. Ellyra was not much for that. To lose the feeling of sand on her feet, of snow on her tongue, of the touch of another person...she simply couldn't. Her family made it clear that all of that love for life, of her humanity, that came from Vi and Vi alone. The Voice could not match anything that Vi could, and she was the reason the people the Hollowed Grounds had suffered for hundreds of years.

"Oh, of course not." Ellyra said instead, a smile cracking the corners of her lips.

The hoard of gourds bumbled and rolled from the library, groaning their displeasure as Lena worked her magic. The smile continued to grow on the blonde's face at the power of the attuned, and she exclaimed, 'I see now why Frey chose you to watch over their sanctuary!"

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are
Lena Magnus
Celestine Caretaker

Age: 28 | Height: 5'9" | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 5 - Strg: 20 - Dext: 20 - Endr: 20 - Luck: 19 - Int:
MITTENS - Mythical - Abominable Snowball
Played by: Heather Offline
Change author:
Posts: 755 | Total: 10,652
MP: 9824
#13
Lena
hope is the thing with feathers
that perches in the soul
Lena had been raised to never even believe the Voice to be an option. The education had been mired and rooted deep into her mind for as long as she could walk and talk and remember; and thus she’d long since been instilled in the eye of the Old Gods. In the presence of beautiful stars and endless paradise, in the fixtures of sagacity and archaic overtures. She’d settled into her role with the grace, air, and dignity of a methodical, curious, and compassionate young woman – who cared and cared and cared, but had yet to truly step outside these walls, save for whirlwind moments of going with Cian to snag and save Falke.

So she took the “of course not” for validity and truth, with the widened smile of her usual grace and poise.

The gourds hastened their retreat, back out into the wilderness, and the Caretaker laughed lightly, like a sprig of harmony and humming over the gestures of silence amidst the rest of the library’s crowd. “Thank you.” She lowered the admission to a whisper, so as not to disturb anyone, beckoning Ellyra to close the door behind them, and leave the cold air outside. “Do you have a favorite?” Old God, of course.

Then she began to traipse her way back to the stacks and shelves, presuming Ellyra would follow and do the same, another crisis averted.
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all
Ellyra Fox
Nurse

Age: 22 | Height: 5'7 | Race: Attuned | Nationality: Natural | Citizenship: Stormbreak
Level: 1 - Strg: 7 - Dext: 11 - Endr: 11 - Luck: 16 - Int:
Played by: Time Offline
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Posts: 79 | Total: 2,366
MP: 1005
#14
Ellyra
We made plans to kiss the sun at night
Hopeless dreamers, hopeless types
The gourds took their leave as Lena commanded and Ellyra's eyes widened. There had been some attuned in the Hollowed Grounds throughout her life, but she had never known any to have such will over wildlife. She heard stories and rumors, of course, of the outlanders that had been brought in by the Voice and their powers growing as they reached closer and closer to the Old Gods. But, Ellyra did not know them. She only heard of them.

Closing the doors, Ellyra nearly bounced her way back to the books she had gathered before clutching them to her chest and returning to Lena's side. "Vi." She breathed out, a smile curling up in a familiar way on her face. She lifted a hand to tuck a lock of golden hair behind her ears, and made her assumption, "And you follow Frey? Since they placed you where you are."

Shedding skin you show your beauty scars
Don't forget me or who you are


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