Cast: Cabaletto (Iron) and Nyrandisa (Netha)
TLDR:
Support Points Earned: 2
January 27, 2018
January 28, 2018
January 29, 2018
January 30, 2018
January 31, 2018
NEW MESSAGES
February 1, 2018
February 2, 2018
February 4, 2018
February 5, 2018
February 7, 2018
TLDR:
Support Points Earned: 2
[9:36 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: The day was dim and gloomy; clouds had rolled in overnight and left the sky in a overcast state. The depressive atmosphere was well suited to the state of the town: wind whistled forlornly through the empty streets, wood creaked gently as buildings settled, and there were occasional outbursts of sound as birds fought in the rafters of homes. It was peaceful, but in a way that made your hackles want to stand on end. Streets and houses that should have been filled with life were instead dormant.
In the remains of one particular house, the silence was distrupted by the grunts of a tall man garbed in white. Cabaletto had decided to use their brief period of rest to do some exploring: namely, into what had happened in the town. The house he was currently searching was in decent repair, but its inside had been ransack by whomever had torn apart the town. There were many things to be moved out of the way - overturned beds, broken plates and bowls, a wooden chair that had been shattered against a wall - as he proceeded through the halls and rooms. Presently, the Heron had his shoulder braced against a particularly stubborn door that was refusing to open.
Thud! He rammed it yet again, elicting a sharp pain through his side. "Blast it, you stupid door! Move!" he grumbled.
[9:49 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa was working in the empty house next over on her Flower Necklace, replacing some bad flowers with fresh ones and imbuing them with magic. She was almost done with the whole process when a soft thud from the place next over caused her antennae to prop up a little bit in startlement. Deciding to put a small halt to her current project, she stood up from the ground she sat on, patted some dust off her robes, and with necklace in hand, moved to the next building to take a look.
She followed the recent trail through the debris to see what was going on, and she saw now bad the inside was.
"Despicable what they did to this place. I'll be sure to make them suffer for this." She thought to herself. Eventually, she came to the source of the noise. Rugging her eyes at the sight, she thought it was Cirocco, but realized quickly that it wasn't.
"Need any help there?" She asked, mentally prepared to fight.
[10:25 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Nay, verily 'tis just about to yield," he replied as he turned around to see who had addressed him. His searching gaze was met with a familiar Jera woman standing in the hall behind him. In one hand, she grasped a vibrant wreath of flowers, some of which looked freshly picked. The Heron noticed that her stance was wary, as if she was prepared to do battle. Perhaps I can set her at ease.
"Greetings, my fine lady! Nyrandisa, is it not?" The black-haired man bowed grandly at the waist. "To what do I owe the pleasure of thine company? Hast I disturbed thee with mine ruckus?"
[10:32 PM] NethaEmerald: "I was trying to figure out the sound of the noise, and it looks like to be a bird and a door mimic. And the door appears to be winning." She remarked with a small smile, cracking a joke at his expense.
"Anyways, yes, I am Nyrandisa. And you kind of did. Though i'll finish what I was doing when I see how this battle plays out."
[10:50 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Madam, thou wound me!" He grasped at his chest in mock pain. "I wouldst never allow a door to best me! I shalt have this open in nary a moment."
The lanky man braced himself once more against the wood. The door had been, he noted, surprisingly resilient. There might be something blocking it on the other side. I can't give up now though! Not with my pride is at stake! With a few deep breaths, he readied himself for another blow to the shoulder. Thud! The door stood firm. Thud! Thud! Thud!
"Just . . . a . . . few more," he huffed. "I think ... it shifted on the last one." The Heron took a few steps back and angled his shoulder at the door once more. It's now or never. With a burst of speed, he charged the door. THUD! There was a snapping of wood and the crash of some very large object falling backwards into the room as the door exploded inwards. Cabaletto, propelled by his momentum, did not stop at the doorframe but instead went sprawling into the room with a very undignified yelp of pain and surprise.(edited)
[10:53 PM] NethaEmerald: When Cabaletto insisisted he had the door, she just let him have at it. As he failed the first few times, a smirk grew across her lips. However, as he finally managed to break into the room, complete with a yelp, she followed him inside, smirk still on her face.
"Looks like you won, but your pride did not." She said to him as she held a hand down to hep him up, brushing some splintered pieces of wood away with her foot from where he should be moving to be pulled up from.
[11:21 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Nonsense. I wast expecting that," he coughed as he extracted himself from the rubble. "Yond chest wast blocking the entry." Indeed, the culprit behind the door's obstruction revealed itself: a carved trunk rested on its back at the center of the room. He accepted her hand to lift himself up the rest of the way.
The newly-revealed room seemed to be that of a child. There was a small bed in the corner, strewn with bits of hay and fabric from the remains of its shredded mattress. A well-worn rug covered the floor in a fanciful pattern; once it had been colorful, but its vibrancy had been faded by time and dirt. There were toys scattered about as well: a set of carved wooden horses, a human doll formed from a bundle of rough straw, and ball. Cabaletto noticed with some annoyance that the sole window in the room had been smashed in. That must have been how they got out. It would have made for an easier entry point.
"I wonder what is in this trunk," he mused. "Shalt we open it?"
[11:29 PM] NethaEmerald: As Nyrandisa inspected the room, she gathered the same thing as Cabaletto: their point of exit was the broken window, which was visible from the small house she had been doing her own work in. Reagrdless, as he spoke of a chest, she became suspicious. She thought that a curse might be laid upon it.
"Let me look it over first." She responded as she went over and carefully examined it. She went over it like a fine comb; looking at every little thing on it, trying to feel some magic pulse. When none was found, she motioned to him
"Go for it. No harmful magics seem to be laid upon it."
[1:12 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: Cabaletto waited patiently while the Jera examined the trunk with a sharp eye. He wasn't exactly sure what she was looking for or why she was so worried, but it must be fairly serious to require such attentiveness. It took many long moments for the inspection to be complete, after which Nyrandisa announced that it was safe to proceed. Well, that's a relief. Though why a trunk in a child's room would be boobytrapped is beyond me.
"Thank thee, Nyrandisa." He bent down beside the chest to hook his fingers underneath the inverted lid. "Pray tell, didst thee encounter magical traps elsewhere in the town? Is that the source of thine caution?" With a grunt and a heavy thunk, the man rolled the wooden box upright. A light film of dust motes took flight from its surface at the motion. It took him a moment to find the clasp and, with a snap, he undid it.
[1:15 AM] NethaEmerald: When Cabaletto asked about magical trap, Nyrandisa giggled a little and said
"No, not in this town. I don't know how much about Jera you know of, but out homeland, Neraida, is booby-trapped with enough magical curses so that evey flying above the forest is disoreinting. The curses are meant to keep wanderers away from our land. Many don't make it back out. However, some sharp individuals do make it in, and we let them in. I was one of many Jera who set up such curses. Was a fun game keeping the Elephant Laguz next to us on their toes that they couldn't crack our code."
[2:23 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: The man paused with the chest lid mid-way open. "Why doth thine kind desire so strongly to keep others from entering thine land?" he asked, puzzled. The concept of repelling vistors in this manner was very foreign to him. The Isle of White was naturally secluded at sea, but the Herons were never ones to rebuff those who turned up on their shores. In fact, typically the occasion was celebrated with a hearty meal in honor of their guests.
[2:37 PM] NethaEmerald: When asked that question, she responded back with
"Simple for the protection of our people. There might be unsavory folks who want to harm us by means of murder, kidnapping, slavery, or what have you, because of our innate magical powers. Every Jera, no matter who they are, can channel magic in the small fields we can set up. Some, like myself, take it further and learn more magic than that. It's not really out of spite in particular... except for one... but to keep ourselves safe."
[5:25 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Except for one?" he prodded further.
With a flick of his wrist, the lid was thrown back to reveal the chest's contents. Once it had probably contained neat rows of clothing, but in its most recent tumble everything had become twisted up into one matted ball. Cabaletto began to separate out individual pieces: a shirt here, a pair of pants there, a spare blanket waiting for colder months. Eventually, he extracted a small fabric satchel sealed at the top with a ribbon. Something clattered within as he shook it.
[5:34 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa nodded.
"Yes. Jera aren't too fond of Ingwaz, also known as Angels. It goes way far back, as well as their looks. Most of us are actually jealous of Angels, and hate them because they have wings, are kind, magical in nature... like we are. Some don't hold that grudge, but most do."
She explained back as she watched him go through the contents of this child's trunk. When the Heron focused on one thing in particular, she came a little closer, curious about it.
"Huh. What's in there?"
[5:49 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Thou art jealous of them because they possess magical wings also?" The Heron frowned. "Tis a petty sentiment. Wouldst thee hate a Beorc for having arms? Or a Laguz for having eyes? Nay, one cannot control the form of his body. Just because thee has doth not mean that others cannot." His tone had turned sharp, chiding.
"I think it a set of marbles? But nay, the sound 'tis too dull for glass. Clay, mayhap? Or wood?" He began to turn out the bag into his hand.
[5:53 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa laughed.
"I never said that I was jealous of them. I was speaking for almost all the Jera back home, as they have that sentiment. I know it's silly, but myths like that, passed from generation to generation? It's hard to let them go in that case. " She was halg-telling the truth. It was true she hated Angels, but it was in aa different way than other Jera.
[6:00 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: Cabaletto said nothing in response, though he suspected that the woman was not telling the whole truth. She was too quick to dismiss the notion as 'silly' when chastised.
In his hand now rested a set of colored spheres, freed from their bag. They were coated in a film of white powder and came in a variety of colors, purple being the most prominent. There was a spot on one where the powder had worn away; the surface beneath was shinier and vaguely sticky. Before Nyrandisa could say anything, he popped one of the orbs into his mouth.
[6:16 PM] NethaEmerald: As Cabaletto put one of the orbs into her mouth, she got a small look before shaking her head, face palming along the way.
"I hope you know what you ate..." she mumbled.(edited)
[6:49 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Worry not, my lady. I merely wished to acertain mine guess." His lips parted in a knowing smile. "Might I interest thee in a sweet?" A hand was extended towards the Jera, one of the blue spheres held tenderly in its grasp. "I hast heard tell that Jera quite enjoy confections."
[7:06 PM] NethaEmerald: When offered what was in his hand, she inspected it carefully in his hands. Being honest, she didn't trust what he had in his hands, even if he seemed to indicate it was candy. She decided to be honest.
"Uh, no thanks. I don't completely trust those. No offense to you, but I don't know what's in them or who made them. I'd rather not take the chance. Sorry."
She responded as she felt around in her robes for a pouch of her own recently-maded Honey Taffy Candies. She'd rather trust those than anything else. Even if she wanted something sweet...
[7:39 PM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: I guess the rumors were over exaggerated. She turned it down without a second thought. "No matter. That means there art more for me!" The blue candy quickly disappeared into his gullet along with another purple. He wrapped the tips of the pouch's ribbons around his belt so it would hang at his hip for easy access later.
He dug around in the chest for a few minutes more, but came up with nothing of further interest. "Alas, 'tis the end of that. It may have yielded nary a secret about what happened, but I shalt not argue with free sweets." The Heron pulled himself to his feet. "I hast not ventured further into the house yet. Wouldst thou care to join me?"
[11:34 PM] NethaEmerald: When he asked her if she wanted to follow him around the house, she nodded.
"I don't see why not. Lead the way."
As she responded, she reached into that puch and pulled out one of her taffy candies and started to chew on it, sweetness oozing from every bite.
[3:36 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: Or perhaps not. I seem to have tempted her into eating her own stash. The thought brought a subtle smirk to his lips.
He gingerly stepped through the doorframe, trying to avoid the worst of the debris; he didn't fancy tripping and taking another face-first plunge onto the floor. The hallway branched to the left into a kitchen area. Just as with the rest of the house, the ransackers' handiwork was clear there as well. The cauldron in the fireplace had been upset onto the floor. Ashy bootprints were trailed everywhere. There was a complete lack of food - someone had taken all the herbs and meats down from the rafters - except for a dried white-and-yellow mess on the wall that Cabaletto suspected was eggs.
"What doth thee suppose they were after?" he asked as he righted a fallen chair. "Why cause all of this mess? 'Tis like a whole battalion forced their way through. Or a herd of elephant Laguz!"
[11:03 AM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa meanwhile was lightly fluttering over most of the debris on the ground, being a couple of inches in the air. It was actually really convinient at a time like this to do that. However, she did have to maneuver around the bigger things on the floor. She had been tempted to eat more of her own candy, but she refrained from doing so. As she followed Cabaletto along, he asked her what she thought the cause was. Her response was
"Well, if they knew that we might follow them, they wanted to destroy any supplies for us. If they were following us, then still the same reason. Just for the intent to try and screw us over."
[1:22 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "Thee think we were the cause of all this?" He blinked. The implications of that were huge: that there was a band of people actively looking for them, hunting them. Willing to decimate an entire village of people just to inconvience them. The thought was, overall, a little terrifying and he was glad he already had the chair set up to subtlely brace himself against. "Art thou certain of that? This could hast been just a group of bandits. Unrelated."(edited)
[8:45 AM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa shook her head.
"It was merely a possibility. I can't say for sure. However, considering this was the last location we had heard of them going to, and finding it destroyed, it's likely to assume some scorched land tactics were happening here. Either by their army or maybe hired thugs. Or it could be an entirely unrelated bandit attack. I don't know"
She explained back to Cabaletto as she drifted off to where the kitchen was, hoping to find some food or stuff to make food.
[12:10 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: He rubbed his brow with a strained look. "If that's the case, 'tis foul news for us." And even worse news for the innocent people in our path. "I dearly pray that thee art wrong."
There was a pause as he watched the Jera woman search about the kitchen. "Art thou hungry?"
[12:31 PM] NethaEmerald: "I hope it's not the case, but we can't rule that out." She responded with when Cabaletto mentioned that fact.
When asked about the kitchen, she joked back
"Hungry for some Honey. Always am. Or any food for our camp, really."
[1:01 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: Again with the sweets. I think she only rejected my candy to slight me! He popped another into his mouth in mock indignation.
"I am not certain thee shalt find much in here. The place seems quite cleaned out. But verily, have thyself a look around; there may be something still lurking in the cupboards." He quitely decided to oblige her pursuit and search himself, opening each container and vessel still left whole, but he came up with only crumbs and a portion of stale, moldy bread.
[8:28 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa frowned when he said that. "Such pessemism..." She thought to herself. She went to open a cupboard, but didn't find much in it; just some small, clay bowls and cups.
However, the next cupboard over, she opened it, and out scurried a mother spider and all of her children. The webside inside had some kind of cockroach encased in webbing, presumably their most recent meal, and not quite done yet. As the spiders poured out of the cupboard, she took a step back, shrieked at the sight of them, and stumbled on her own legs behind her. And only so shortly after she had told Seed she wasn't scared of spiders...
[12:09 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: The Heron watched from a few cupboards over as the Jera fell over herself in a rush to escape from the spiders. There were several hundred spiderlings, but as small as they were they dispersed like leaves before a gale and disappeared within seconds, leaving the cabinet barren except for the forgotten cockroach lunch.
Rising, he extended a hand to help her to her feet. "Art thou afraid of spiders?" The question was rhetorical, really; from her reaction, it was quite obvious that Nyrandisa harbored no affection for archnids. I wouldn't have expected that. She's so bug-like herself. Unless she's afraid they'll eat her?
[2:54 PM] NethaEmerald: As the spiders fled from their home, Nyrandisa got up just a little bit as Cabaletto helped her up. She took his hand and got herself up. Upon being asked about spiders, she sighed and responded
"Yes; I don't like spiders" she turned away from the scene, eyes closed as she did. "I don't quite know why either. Maybe a fear for the small Jera carried over I me."
[12:15 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "A fear for the small Jera?" he parroted as she turned away from him. But you're all small when compared to . . . just about anyone else.
"Art thou considered large by the standards of your race?" He had very nearly asked if there were others even smaller than her, but bit back his tongue in case she found the phrasing offensive. Who knew? Maybe Jera had short complexes. She certainly seemed diminuative enough to have one from where he stood; her head wasn't quite tall enough to reach the Heron's shoulder.
[8:32 AM] NethaEmerald: When he asked for more details, she laughed a little bit.
"Seems not many people of other races know that much about us, it seems."
She turned to look at him and explained
"So the common, normal Jera are only a few inches tall, like the butterflies we resemble. However, there also exist Giant Jera, which is what I am. Giant Jera are more Beorc-sized compare to our normal counterparts. So maybe that helps explain that small fear."
[1:56 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: "From what thee described earlier, it sounds like the Jera doth not wish to be known. Verily, 'tis the impression that thine trap-laden home gives." He chuckled and shrugged.
I guess she's not the smallest by far. A whole race of beings no taller than my hand is long! "Art the line of giant Jera separate from the common? How doth thou dwell together, with such size disparity?" The Heron made a bit of a face as a thought struck him. "Can common Jera parents give birth to a giant Jera?"
[10:05 AM] NethaEmerald: Nyra giggled a little at Cabaletto's joke and responded "You're actually right there, as much as i'd like for us to be more well-known."
However, the next question made her tilt her head in mental thought. "Honestly, im not quite sure. I don't think the small can give birth to a large. As for how we live together? We do so very carefully."
[12:30 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: The image of an ill-placed foot crushing a tiny Jera sprung to mind. Very carefully indeed. At that moment, his stomach gave out a rather insistent gurgle that echoed around the room. The Heron put a hand to his abdomen, embarrassed.
"'Twould seem that the candy and our search through the kitchen hast whet mine appetite. Since thee art also hungry, shalt we adjourn for a luncheon break back at camp?"
[8:37 AM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa knew there was very little concerns with the smaller Jera, as they flew around everywhere instead of being close to the ground. Giant Jera also usually moved around by fluttering a few inches of the ground as well.
However, when Cabaletto spoke of a break for lunch, she responded back in a lighthearted tone "What? Hungry already? You ju-"
She cut herself off when her own stomach growled in response to the thought of food.
"On second thought, that might not be such a bad idea" she finished saying as she started to make her way out, though had to stay behind the taller Heron to do so.
[12:24 AM] IronPeg | Official Facemaker :D: “Sweets are hardly filling,” he defended as he led the way. “I require something with more substance for mine meals!”
“Now, once we art done eating, which of these houses shalt we search next...?” Their chatter faded off into the distance as the pair left the house. Once again, the only noise to be heard on the lonely street was that of the wind and birds.
==END RP==
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