El Pasar Del Morado
2–10 Castormes, 334
Fate
LAST TIME...
HOMETOWN WAS SAVED!!!!!
NOW...
I was thinking we'd start off in Bakersfield, since that's where it seemed like y'all wanted to go next. That being said, I'd like what you intend to do in the five-day limit that Aaren set. Basically, I want to build a plan, figure out what we can do IC, and do the rest OOC.
Alternatively, if you're keen on RPing with the Hometown folks, we can do that instead, and move on to Bakersfield next week.
Aaren
I kinda wanna do RP hometowing, but I wouldn;t go so far as to say I was 'keen'—Don't let anyone get the idea that I might want something enough to like... work at it?? But I kinda wanted to talk to Ash and Kelly.
I'm okay if we don't though.
Slavina
I have a preference for bakersfield but I dont mind doing RP in hometown tonight if you guys would rather.
Fate
Before we go any further, I want to address matter of Daina's wall...
Upon urged to consider further by Jerri, Vanya is actually onboard with the idea of a wall around Hometown, because it will offer protection against a great deal short of a god. At the very least it can buy time for an evacuation.
Vir, on the other hand, is quite ambivalent. On the one hand, it would be really good to have some protection while healing from the wounds the community has suffered. On the other... there's no avoiding the fact that a wall around Hometown will exclude the Hunter's Lodge, the Rainbow Tree Grove, and the Crystal Pass, as all these places are much too far/in the wrong "biome". (Although maybe that's workaroundable, Vir allows.) And a wall will limit internal growth. Hometown has grown at a rapid rate in the past few years, and if it continues growing at that rate, people will have to live outside the walls and thus be divided from the community they're supposed to be part of. (This is, of course, assuming that Daina intends to make the wall permanent.)
They would also seek Aaren's input on this idea, as she is a fully-fledged priest in her own right.
Aaren
Aaren thinks we should go with a wall for now, with gates or something so people can get in or out, with the understanding that Daina will take it down as soon as its safe, or expand it every couple of years if neccesary.
Because she agrees with Vir it will be bad for long term community reasons. But in the short term agrees with Vanya.
Daina
Ohoh A tunnel for the other places
Like to get to the lodge and to the grove and and make walls arou8nd them?
Slavina
I'm gonna hazard a guess that tunneling is much more complicated than it sounds, because of the way transportation in the world works. Since how "close" things are seems to depend a lot on how you get there, who knows where a tunnel would end up? Maybe it's closest to other tunnels? But IDK. I'm just guessing.
Fate
Yes, I was about to point that out.
Tunnels aren't impossible, but they will require extended Psychopomp rolls.
At the very least.
Daina
ok I guess just around home town then... can I make them respond to touch to close up like the touch me not. so it doesn't have to be closed in totally
Fate
Alright!
So, what are the specifications for this wall?
Like, what are its features?
Daina
Stone hard, fire proof, regrow if some how broken, sticky outside, grow food on inside with ports for donations of compost etc. and if possible like the touch me not.
Fate
Okay! Now, are we talking, like... bushes/hedges? Trees? Brambles? Vines? Some combination?
Daina
if it's like... able to do the touch me not thing then maybe trees and vines? if not then a wall of trees?
Fate
How are you picturing the tree wall working? Like, they're spaced out like parapets and the vines weave between them to seamlessly make a wall or... ?
Daina
yeah I was thinking like some baller cetlic knot archways and then when the trigger word or w/e is put into play vines grow between to make an impenitrable wall of stickyness to capture their projectiles
like I for sure could make it offensive but that's not what Daina is after, she's just wanting to keep Hometown safe from being taken again.
Fate
I gotcha.
I think that, given how a wall is in fact being built, Vanya and Vir would opt for having the wall part actually constant, and then use a command song or something to open it up. So, the inverse of what you suggested. Otherwise human error may come into play in locking the place down and actually fail to lock the place down.
Daina
hmm okie ... like so open the shades in the mornin close 'em at night or when attacked kind of thing?
Slavina
Could each section open individually too?
Fate
That's what I was picturing.
Daina
oo that'd be nice
Fate
I'm not sure either Vir or Vanya would be on board with time-based open and closing. Constantly closed except when you have the key to open a particular section will suffice.
Daina
okie and Jerri and Aaren are ok with that?
Aaren
Yes, that's perfect.
Fate
Jerri's not in charge, nor does she want to be. That being said, if consulted she will happily offer her opinion. But Vir and Vanya will not consult her.
Daina
Daina will consult her though,
like when designing it
Fate
Okay. Jerri thinks that's a really cool idea. Also, she suggests Daina make it flower, because that would be pretty.
Aaren
AS LONG AS IT DOESN'T REPRODUCE IN ANY WAY.
Daina
oh Jerri
XD I mean course not
Fate
Right. That. No reproducing.
(Not that she's one to point fingers.)
Aaren
XD
Daina
XD
Ok yeup those things and flowers of all the colors, maybe able to make ink for tats some of them eh? cause why not
Fate
Logan's TOTALLY ONBOARD
(Considering she's an apprentice tattooist.)
Okay. Anything else before I start tallying up a Diff?
Daina
I think that's it. ... did I say fireproof?
Fate
You did!
Daina
yeah ok I think that's it
Fate
For each of the following extended rolls, the roll interval is 8 hours. That's roughly two rolls per day. You can opt for a third roll, but Daina will eventually accrue sleep deprivation penalties.
GROWING THE THING
I'm assuming it's a (Fertility + Gardening) roll. You may of course suggest a different roll you feel is appropriate/better suited.
Diff: 42
(If you take an average on Fertility + Gardening, get enough sleep, and don't spend any Legend, it'll take a little more than 3 days.)
MAKING IT DO THE THINGS
This is almost certainly a Magic roll of some kind. You may pair it with Gardening, if you like, but that may not match what kind of approach you'd take.
(You may also do this with Fertility, but that'll push it to 2x the current difficulty.)
Diff: 40
(If you take an average on Magic + Gardening, get enough sleep, and don't spend any Legend, it'll take an additional 4 days.)
Fate
So you're going to do averages, then?
Daina
Yeah I think that's the best way, make sure it gets done and it doesn't take a month or something
Fate
Okay!
So Daina will be busy from 2-10 Castormes. And there was mention somewhere that in that time Aaren and Slavina will be visiting Bakersfield?
Or did Daina want to go with too?
Daina
So long as she gets reports back that everyone is ok I think she'd be fine. The wall is important to her and yet we've got a time crunch.
Slavina
My understanding was we were going to spend a week or so in bakersfield after leaving hometown, which would take us several days past Daina's wall-ing. Is she going to come join us in bakersfield, stay in hometown, or what?
Fate
Uh... ? 8 days is more than a week... ?
Slavina
Yeah but we're not leaving on day 1?
Aaren
Yes, but we had origonally schedualed to spend 2 weeks in hometown, which (as of rescuing everyone) we haven't gotten to yet.
We also have a week schedualed in Bakersfeild after the 2 weeks in homew ton.
Fate
Alright. So. Here's the timeline as I understand it:
Arrival in Refugee Camp: 7 Zorromes (June 21)
Liberation launched: 8 Zorromes (June 22)
Liberation completed: 18 Zorromes (July 1)
(STUFF AND THINGS! RECONNECTING! HEALING THE PEEPS! GROWING THE THINGS!—4 days)
Daina begins growing the wall: 2 Castormes (July 5)
Daina finishes growing the wall: 10 Castormes (July 13)
Aaren
Oooh, okay. I thought Daina started on July 2.
Aaren and Slavina will leave on July 5th then, and it'll just be fine that we have more time then we expected before we get started on Tsarbog stuff again.
Slavina
Okay.
Aaren
When's Kelly leaving to go rescue the drafted people?
Slavina
Um, so, that does mean Daina won't get a chance to try and build connections with the Bakersfield peeps. Is that something you want to skip on, mel?
Fate
I believe she's already stated that she's fine staying behind in Hometown.
Slavina
Oh sorry, I missed that
Aaren
Are we Rping any Bakersfield stuff though, because I just assumed we weren't, and it would be pretty lame to have no Mel for that session.
Slavina
RPing bakersfield stuff is super important to me. I would really like to do that.
Fate
We can schedule a vignette!
Aaren
Okay, I don't care that much about us not spending time before going to do the Tsarbog peices.
So, we can schedual a vignette, but we could also just find more shit for us to be doing off screen so Daina can come with us to Bksfeidl.
Also, I suppose we can dicide this later.
Fate
Alrighty.
So. Kelly will want to leave leave on Day 3 post-liberation. And he will ask if he can take Seedless with him.
Aaren
Aaren wants to do the thing to bless him first, can I roll for that?
Daina
we've got lots of plantimals right so Seedless can go without leaving anyone vulnerable? is Kelly coming back?
Fate
Yes, and yes, assuming he's successful. He intends to go rescue the Hometown conscripts and bring them back.
And yes, you may roll to bless him, Elena.
Daina
on his own?? is everyone behind this?
Aaren
Yup! Aaren is.
Fate
He will go on his own if no one can be spared.
Slavina
Awwwwww Kelly D:
Good luck buddy!
Daina
... I'm not cool with Kelly going off to his possible death??
Aaren
OOOoh! Did you wanna RP that?
Fate
We can certainly do that.
Aaren
I'm sure he checked with the hunters and stuff, is there anyone who can go with him?
Fate
Dragomir, the Green Man, and Sonja (the Pearl Speaker) will volunteer to go with him. Auntie Harley wants to also, but she's among the few senior hunters, so it's better if she stays. In fact, they'll need all the hunters just in case something comes up, since there are so few currently.
Daina
can we spare a few plantimals for them? I can leave some kind of short lived pheromone for the plantimals to be able to reproduce for a limited time?
Fate
I mean, Daina amassed a small army of the things already, plus they have napalm. Frankly, just one plantimal will be effective.
Aaren
Also, remember Mel, if they get there and see it's gonna be too hard, they'll come back and get more help.
Fate
Yeah.
They're not going to be stupid about it.
Daina
Okie :smiley:
I just want to make sure we keep a Kelly ^^
Slavina
A-greeeeed!
Fate
Okay! Last call for other OOC matters before we start Hometown RP!
Slavina
I'm good.
Daina
Pretty sure I'm good :smiley:
Fate
@Aaren ?
Aaren
Good to go.
Until ten seconds in when I think of something else.
Fate
Hah.
I know how that is.
Okay! Gonna set the scene now.
Fate
1 Castormes
Sweat drips down Quinn's face as she takes another laborious step forward in the soft grass of the yard just outside the Arechavaleta household. On her right is Logan, offering her shoulder as one grip; on her left is Felix Litz, doing the same; and near them every step of the way is Tris, counseling Quinn through another step at a measured but firm cadence after each previous. Logan and Felix sing Quinn's encouragement song, joined by Gramma Lavern, who is standing at the edge of the rabbit hutch (which is now lacking a certain rabbit called Ulysses) as a goalpost, taut with equal parts anticipation and trepidation.
It's a hot day for a task like this—Black Sun's glare grows more intense even as it starts to very gradually shorten day-by-day. Many Hometowners have opted to spend time in the river. Despite that, there's a bit of an audience, full of people (aside from most of the Arechavaletas) either watching transfixed or joining in the encouragement song, or otherwise offering other forms of reassurance or emboldening.
Aaren
Aaren is sitting next to Grandma Lavern, grinning at her sister.
She's been working basically non-stop since she arrived in HomeTown, on one thing or another, and even with breaks for sleep (which she did take) she's starting to look a little raggid around the edges.
But now, for the moment, she's on break. Watching Quinn, listening to the faultering song of her nerves as they grow in slow certainty, singing nothing more than the song of the crowd and the river and the cool breeze she's trying to coax into motion.
Daina
Daina sits at the side lines with a tray of plants that she's slowly leaking energy into while she soaks up sunlight to help make more warmth for her to dole out as needed. Her voice chiming along with the encouragement songs.
She looks down at the plants occasionally and wonders if the encouragement will help them as well, a smile turning her lips as she returns her attention to the work Quinn is doing. Her hands on her knees radiating the warmth that trickles to the plantlings around her.
Slavina
Slavina, a bit behind the times on river recreation, is still making her way down the path. Vanya (yes, Vanya, not Prepekti Kovac) on one side, Nora on the other—unsurprisingly, as she's been practically inseperable from both of them since arriving in hometown.
Fate
Ash is among the audience, cleaned up and with some more color to his cheeks but still looking rangy. He stands still despite himself, and weaving a sturdy rope from a number of fibers with fingers that remember the motions but are clumsy and sluggish all the same. He's hardly paying attention to it, though—it's more a fidget activity than anything else—instead watching Quinn with wide, intent eyes. Jerri, beside him and half-sitting half-leaning on the nearby fence, is alternating between watching with a taut stillness and cheering Quinn. She eases back from cheering for a moment, glancing toward Ash. Wordlessly, she reaches up to gently thumb one of Ash's leaking tears away. He looks to her, then turns his gaze toward the ground with a small breath of a chuckle.
Just then, Quinn draws to just a few paces away from her goal, sending the encouragement mounting in volume and frequency.
Meanwhile, down near the river...
"We, we gonna play in the water!" Gabrijel sings from his perch atop Vanya's shoulders.
"Oh, yes?" Nora asks, sarcasm heavy in her voice. "Is it more true now that you've said that five times instead of just four?"
Vanya glances at Slavina, then turns her attention Nora's way. "Do you know how to swim, Nora?"
Nora furrows her brow, then looks to Slavina. 'What's this word "swim"?' she asks in the language of Tír na Tearmann.
Aaren
Aaren turns one of her songs to sing the 'Hey Dad, I'm here' song, in case he wants a song-hug.
With the rest of her, she's tensing down in anticipation of the huuuuuge cheer she's going to let out as soon as Quinn makes it.
Slavina
"It's the opposite of sinking." Slavina explains. "Particularly in water. The goal is to keep your head above the water often enough that you don't drown."
She switches back to Hometownlish to ask Gabrijel, "Do you like playing in the water?" She gives him a little sly smile and adds, "Do you like to catch guppies?"
Daina
Daina watches and takes a deep breath for the last of the steps, tense and singing encouragement with what breath she took in. The plants in front of her seem to quiver with excitement as well.
Fate
At Slavina's clarification, Nora lets out an 'ah', then returns to Hometownlish. "No, I always kept my head above water by not going into the water past my knees, if I could help it."
Gabrijel bounces eagerly. "I've never catched guppies. But I catched a buttfly!"
This elicits a snerk from Nora, a mere half-moment's translation later.
"Butterfly, Jelochka," corrects Vanya, gently.
"Bullerfie."
And then, Quinn makes it.
The cheer goes up. Gramma Lavern wraps her up in a big, tight hug, soon followed by Logan and Felix.
Down near the river, this gets Nora whirling around entirely, startled.
Aaren
Aaren throws back her head and whoops, long and lound and undulating, (And no one can whoop like a woman with six free voices.) She leaps to her feet and grabs all four of them in a huge hug—stopping short of trying to pick them all up and spin them around.
Daina
Daina rises to her feet with a whoop and the plants and shake and shiver as she raises her arms in the air. "Hell Yeah" Then pops a hand stand and starts dancing on her hands feet up in the air as she does one handed hand stands and lets her other hand do a sort of cool swishy motion and switches over.
Slavina
Slavina perks up at the sound. "Oh! Quinn must've done it... Think she'd want us to join the celebration?" She looks to Vanya for guidance. Slavina doesn't really know Quinn anymore. It's been so long.
Fate
More people gather in to give Quinn their own brand of congratulations (many of them also hugs).
"Okay, okay—I get the idea." Despite Quinn's half-heartedly brusque tone, a smile spreads over her and she flushes yet further in equal parts pleasure and bashfulness. "Sing the hug song instead, please. It's too fuckin' hot and I just wanna lie down on the ground right now." Her words are mostly lost in the fading cheer.
Once they've had their fill of shouting at the top of their lungs, Ash helps Jerri straighten and they head over too, albeit at an easy pace. Jerri pats Daina's foot at an opportune time in her dance and waves her over in invitation.
Near the river, Nora sends a sharp look Slavina's way, then crosses her arms, saying nothing.
Vanya eyes the way back thoughtfully. "Quinn isn't one to enjoy the, eh... stagelamp, as it were. But a 'congratulations' wouldn't be remiss."
"What did Quinn do?" Gabrijel asks.
Slavina
can I get more info on what nora's sharp look might mean?
Aaren
Aaren pulls back from her hug, singing the hug song and the "Thundering Congratulations" song, while slowily singing the brownian motion of the crowd out of Quinn's space—and finally getting that cooling breeze to twist through the bodies.
Daina
Daina smiles and walks over on her hands before flopping onto her back, leaving lots of room for Quinn to flop herself. The grass sort of cool for a few moments, Daina smiles some and draws warmth away from the air around Quinn to help cooling off time.
Fate
It's a dubious look. Like, Nora isn't convinced that's all that is. Seems disproportionate to her.
Slavina
"She's learning to walk again, sweetie." Slavina says. "Alright. Backstage congratulations it is, then." She turns around, shifts the bundle on her head for better balance, and heads back towards the Arechavalita house.
Slavina catches Nora's concern with the look, makes a quiet excuse-me to Vanya, and says in Nora's language, "Are you worried about something?"
Fate
Once the triumph has all been passed around and there's enough space, Quinn carefully lowers herself to the ground and splays as wide as she can, chest rising and falling with a breath that's steadily catching up with her. Logan takes this opportunity to run off and get some water from inside the house.
Jerri settles to her knees beside Quinn, pushing her stray strands of hair out of her sweaty face. "You done good, Quinnlet!"
Quinn merely sings an affirmative, and then puts an arm over her face to block out the sun.
Ash stands just behind her, clearing his throat and blinking away the sting in his eyes with some success. Gramma Lavern gives him a gentle squeeze on the shoulder, and he gives her a wavering hum of gratitude.
Back down the pathway to the river, Gabrijel says, "Oh." Then, after Vanya turns around to head back to town proper, "What about the gup, guppies, Mami?"
Vanya rubs his legs with her thumbs in reassurance. "Don't worry. There'll always be guppies."
Nora, meanwhile, shrugs a shoulder. 'Not if you aren't. Just seems like a big to-do. That's more like... I dunno, a bunch of folk suddenly karked or something?'
Aaren
Aaren sits back down. She wants to talk to dad, but she's willing to wait. She begins singing again, the songs to strengthen Quinn, songs to heal a few straggiling injuries in the crowd.
When Ash is done congradulating Quinn, Aaren smiles at him and sings the 'Hey, can I talk to you?' song.
Slavina
"Maybe you can find me a butterfly instead, okay Jelochka?" Slavina sings a few verses of a song about butterflies to get Jelochka on the right track. She falls silent after a few verses (the kind of slightly-too-silent that occasionally betrays her actual mood).
After a bit she says quietly, "Oh, Vanya, I got Daina's permission to send some letters with Frankie. Will two days be enough time for you to finish writing?"
Fate
Ash looks her way, smiles, and sings an affirmative. Even after just a couple weeks, his voice is stronger, his ear surer. He gives a parting rub of the head to Quinn and steps away from the diminishing crowd a little.
"Okay!" chirps Gabrijel, bouncing again.
To Slavina, Vanya waves a hand. "More than enough." Then she hesitates. "Well, unless you intend to send something manifest-sized."
Daina
Daina looks up from the ground and reaches up with a small smile she offers her hand to Aaren "need a boost sissa?" she questions as she gathers some Warmth on the tips of her fingers and offers it. "Could help with all the healing up you're working on" she notes as she closes her eyes and bakes in the warmth of the sun, drawing it in for all she's worth gathering as best she's able so she can make batteries for the green houses again.
Fate
Ash hesitates, glancing at Daina. "I don't think—" And then he cuts himself off, waiting for Aaren to decide for herself.
Aaren
Aaren uses the warmth-vaccume Daina is creating to make another cool breeze. It springs up around them, brushing at the grass, making everyones hair twitch. She opens her mouth to answer, and then shuts it as her eyes flicker to Dad.
Then Aaren sighs. "Thanks, Daina. But I should really just go take a nap and take some time off." She reaches over and gives Daina a hug.
Slavina
Slavina whuffs out a tiny laugh. "You might be kidding, but I wrote a whole manuscript for a letter recently. I don't recommend it. I swear, my hand is still cramping."
Daina
Daina smiles a little "Ok, Just wanted to offer" she returns the hug from where she's laying on the ground. "Get a good rest" she murmurs with gentle encouragement. She then returns to focusing her will on the plants again to help them along with their growth again.
Fate
Vanya wrinkles her nose playfully. "Let's not do that, then. I need my hand."
Aaren
Aaren turns back to Ash. "I want to talk to you about how you feel and what you need. Is now a good time?"
Fate
Ash looks back towards where Quinn and the others have gathered. (Felix has joined her in the collapse-to-the-ground, and Logan has just returned with water.) Then he returns his attention to Aaren and sings another affirmative.
Meanwhile, Tris tromps over to Daina, craning her neck as if sneaking a peek at what Daina's doing. "I know it's not super likely, but anything I can help with?"
Aaren
Aaren stands up and moves her conversation over to some of the lengthening shade their house is casting, bringing the breeze with her.
"How do you feel?" She asks, after she and dad are settled on the grass.
Slavina
She nods vigorously. "I do my corrospondance by dictation now. I highly recommend it... Frankie is great with voices."
Daina
Daina looks up from the ground where she's splatted and considers "anything you can think of that needs growing real bad before we have to head out again? I'm like... should I take a poll or something?" she chuckles a bit uncertainly. "I just want to make sure I cover all the bases I can ya know?"
Fate
Ash leans back, planting his hands on the ground and spreading his feet out. The tears spill freely, unhindered, but he smiles. "All the feelings," he says. Then his gaze drops and he shakes his head, some tears dripping off the tip of his nose. He wipes them off with his palm. "It's a nice change. And a terrible one." He takes in a shaky breath and looks up again. "Thanks, Aar-Bear." It's genuine.
Vanya laughs uneasily at Slavina's statement. "I'm... not sure how I feel about that. That sounds... slightly blasphemous."
Nora snorts. "Why?"
Tris rests her hands on her hips, arms akimbo, giving Daina a good-natured but flat look. "You know, the point of me offering to help was to take work off your hands, not to give you more work to do."
Aaren
Aaren offers her dad a hug, listening, waiting to see if he has more to say about how he feels or what he wants.
Slavina
Slavina hums her curiosity, but keeps it pretty low-key. Vanya's incredibly literate anyways so it's not like she'll have trouble with written letters.
Daina
Daina pauses and considers "uhhmn hmmn " thinking a moment "OH ... can you triple check my measurements for the trees?" she digs around in her pouches and takes out a paper with a crude map and some markings around the town. "I think I've got them right but another look would make me feel better about actually putting down roots and all" She holds out the items. "I really don't want to screw this project up"
Fate
Ash leans into Aaren's hug, shaking a little with sobs. When they part, he wipes his tears again, looks her over, and gives her a slight warning grimace of a smile. "You're bearing a lot on your shoulders. It's written all over you. Please take care of yourself."
Seeing that she's in the minority, Vanya shrugs almost defensively. "We're talking one of Morevuka's shadows, forged in service to Svarozhich. And you're using it to dictate letters."
Nora shakes her head as if to clear it. "Who's-a-what-now?"
Tris takes the map, glancing it over. "Alright, sure." Then she looks back to Daina, pulling the map a little closer to herself. "You're not gonna screw it up. This is, like, your thing."
Daina
Daina looks up with a grateful smile "Glad you've got faith in me! I'm going to do my best ... I'm just sorry I wasn't here when it all went down."
Aaren
"Fiii_iiii_ne." Aaren teases. Then she smiles. "I'll go take a nap as soon as we're done talking, okay?" Then she hands him the corner of her pancho to wipe his face with.
"I think you just need time, dad." She sings, after a bit of silence. "I'll teach you your learning song again, that should help you adjust. Does that sound good?"
Fate
Tris sings the flippant 'Just the facts' song, except with a much more good-natured tone to it. But, as Daina laments about not being around, Tris's manner fades some. "Yeah, well. Not really your fault or anything."
Ash nods, cleaning his face off further. Then a smile flickers over him. "Thanks, but I could've told you that, Aar-Bear." His smile fades in favor of weariness. "Still, it's good to hear not in my own head."
Daina
Daina presses her lips "I mean ... I guess not but still wish I was here" she sits up and then stands. "Still all I can do is try and help now right?" she looks around "though I mean hey hopefully we'll be back more regularly eh?"
Slavina
"Morevuka: shadow of Lord Svarozich's hammer, herald of oblivion and sanctuary." Her voice slips into a melodic, rhythmic cadence and she closes her eyes as she starts to talk about the gods. "Her dark wolves prowl the world to do her bidding. Which, under Daina's command, apparently includes sending letters."
Slavina shrugs. "I hadn't considered it might be blasphemous. Dictating felt more... right. Like poetry. More like an offering than a menial task."
Aaren
Aaren throws her hands up in mock disgust, and then leans over to kiss him on the cheek.
Then she settles in to teach him his new learning song before tromping off to bed.
Fate
Tris offers Daina a half-smile. "You better be. We missed you something terrible." Then she waves the map. "Alright. I'd better go about doing the making myself useful thing." At that she heads off.
Vanya considers this for a while. "Well. That's why you're the Wayfinder and I'm not." She offers Slavina a smile.
"Right." Nora heaves a breath. "That'd be real helpful if I knew who the fuck this Lord Svarozhich is." She pulls back on her acerbic tone. "Pretty, though."
Vanya looks to Nora, her manner fading somewhat. Then she girds herself with an inward breath and explains to Nora just who the fuck this Lord Svarozhich is.