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Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 15, 2023 17:32:25 GMT -5
It has been some time since Askr last stepped foot into the Frost Gale.
The snow is as strange now as it was then; it whirls around in a little frozen dance, dipped about and beckoned forth by the eerily whistling winds, cold and cloying as it falls. It is tenacious, clinging to the external fabric of his cloak in a thin, powdery sheen, sitting in the strands of his hair that fall over his shoulders like dew on a spider's web, not helped at all by the way snow continues to fall in a relentless onslaught. It had been gentler the last time, Askr thinks-- a softer, more manageable snowfall. He believes most would call this a blizzard.
A deep chill settles into his skin as he walks, trailing a respectable and precise two feet behind his companion for this venture, the cold finding a way to sink bone-deep despite the fact that he leaves scarcely any skin exposed. The furs layered beneath his gloves and cloak and carefully packed beneath his vest and around the rim of his hood feel as though they do little to stave off the chill, the sting of the cold finding its way to resonate through his chalk-bound bones, through gold-stained blood. It is not comfortable, but not unbearable, either; mercenaries have little need for comfort, as is. Askr is not a person motivated by ease or by consolation, as is.
It is hard to say if the deep chill is bothering the woman he came to accompany. It is hard to say much of anything about her at all; Askr already has no skill with reading faces, with understanding the myriad things that lie beneath the contours of a countenance, and the woman Zarius had introduced to him as Mei is a well-sealed book, as far as he is concerned. She does not stand tall, but she walks with assurance, even in the midst of the snow cascading down around them both, even as wisps of snow pelt her face and settle in the platinum waves of her hair. She has not spoken much for most of this venture, and Askr is not keen on speaking unless he is spoken to, so silence settles over them both, only intercepted by the howling wind whipping around them.
He still does not quite get why Zarius wished for the two of them to venture out this way.
Some time had passed since that wretched night in the Deadwood, since Askr had set out with the intent to kill and the tides had so effortlessly turned, since one mission unveiled a potential plan to lay a hit on his mercenary captain. For the majority of that time since, he had not left her side, only stepping away here and there to be set out on a few missions outside of the Ash Lands, and only under the very firm promise that Oleeae would not be going anywhere without watchful, trustworthy eyes set on her.
And then Zarius had laid forth the information that all was well, that he had figured some things out, and that he wanted Askr to go out of the Ash Lands for a while with a trusted companion of his, and now, here they are.
They are headed to the Pale City, he thinks. He does not know much of such a place, and he does not know if the blizzards of the Ice Fields are so common, and it is not his place to ask. But based on how slowed their travel progress has become, on how different the snowfall is here than it was when he was last here, infiltrating a caravan, he gets the eerie feeling that this is not normal.
He does not like to speak without being spoken to first, but one of them must give.
"...Ma'am," Askr says, voice as monotone as always, only loud enough to sound above the howling wind. "Is snowfall of this severity normal within the Frost Gale?"
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 17, 2023 22:34:10 GMT -5
Mei takes a slow breath to better ease the burning embers of her repressed temper. How long has it been since they crossed the border from Dragon’s Cradle into Frost Gale? She almost misses the homicidal nature of the storms left behind; she’d take it over the cold. She’s been doing her damndest to act like the chilling winds of the Frost Gale don’t bother her; and her face remains a respectable neutral as she plunges step after step through snow that piles above her ankles, but… Lunala’s tits it’s fucking cold! Is Zarius serious, sending her all the way out to Frost Gale with this helpless little duckling who hasn’t uttered a god’s damn word in nearly days? What is she, a babysitter? She breathes out, exasperated; notably, the woman produces no mist from between her lips as she does; there’s simply no warmth for her left to lose within her own body. Her last meal’s long since faded from her veins, leaving her bloodless, and significantly more susceptible to the cold of the Frost Gale… …which is rapidly turning into a blizzard. Good. Fantastic. This is great. She’s going to kick Zarius’ ass when she gets back to the Rookery for making her come all the way out here.
In reality, she’s not, but out here in the freezing temperatures, she thinks she might actually have the moxie to do it. Realistically, she’ll just find a way to get back at him. In the present though, she is… not in the best of moods. It takes every ounce of her self control not to snap at Askr when she hears his voice carry far above the howling winds; it’s not necessarily his fault that whatever gods that still rule charon are cruel, but god she is tired of the wind and snow. She looks out to the expanse of white before them; grey, bleak, and depressing, then looks over her shoulder just enough to side-eye him. “ What do you think?” she calls back, arms crossed tightly over her chest, as if that’s going to do anything to preserve what body heat she doesn’t have. “ How far can you see in front of yourself, kid? We’re about to be walking right through a blizzard; it’s getting worse by the second. This couldn't be farther from normal, in fact.” She closes her eyes, blinking snowflakes from her pale lashes; although she would be miserable, but alive, through a blizzard, the kid… Maybe not so much. “ Which is frankly our cue to find a place to camp out for the night,” she admits, “ No way we’re going to hit Pale City before this storm rolls over on us…” she trails off, red eyes narrowing against the gale. “ Keep an eye out for a decent place to settle… y’know, if you can; bit hard to see through all this white bullshit.”
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Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 18, 2023 20:55:27 GMT -5
Askr is starting to get the distant feeling that Mei just might be a bit unhappy.
He knows what a narrowed eye means, usually, though it, like every other twitch and pull and stretch of the face, can indicate myriad things. It can show contemplation, pensiveness, deep thought over a particularly troubling bit of information– it can display worry, unease, fear. Askr typically sees it in the faces of those who try to project an aura of intimidation, those who are angry or upset, mercenaries who wish to deliver a message with eyelids alone. There are many things one little pinch between the brows and the tension of eyelids can convey, but the key unifying factor among them all is that not one of them is good.
And as Mei glances over her shoulder, eye as sharp and dark and red as a leaf in high autumn, it is quite plain to see from the way her eyes narrow that whatever feeling hangs at the forefront of her mind, it is not a good one.
It is hard to say if he is the cause of her ire, or if it is the weather, or perhaps something else. He does not know, and he will not know unless he asks, but time has taught Askr that it is best not to walk up to people and ask them what plagues their mind; most are not keen on talking, and he is not very good at understanding, and he does not know where that would leave them. So he refrains, opting to simply wonder over the specifics instead of confirming them for himself. It is best not to make this journey any more uncomfortable for Miss Mei than it already seems to be.
He does, however, tilt his head when she asks him what he thinks.
“I think this snowfall is likely unnatural, ma’am,” he answers honestly, expression unchanging as he speaks. “I have only been to the Frost Gale once before. It was not this harsh.”
Askr falls silent again as soon as he gives his answer, opting to shift his focus to the fruitless task of brushing snow off of his cloak. Little frozen crystals sink in between whorls of fur, content to nestle among the fluff sewn into the hem of it, little seeds aspiring to blossom into a new boreal garden within this strange textile field. It is tedious and pointless and he is wasting his time by doing it, but he needs something to keep his hands busy so he does not have to walk for so long with his arms hanging limply and uselessly at his sides, and he needs something to keep his awareness off of the sharpness of Mei’s vermilion gaze.
His attention is, however, immediately seized once more as soon as Mei speaks up, mentioning something about finding someplace to camp for the night. As far as he can see– which is not very– there are not many places to find sanctuary within the whirling snow. The fields are endless and devoid of shelter, the snow brutal and merciless as it falls down on them both. There are no caves, no ravines– not yet, at least.
“...yes, ma’am,” he says simply, continuing to look around as well as he can. He hastens his gait just slightly, moving along just a bit faster so he can get a bit of a better look at the area around them both–
…he notices, then, the way Mei’s arms are wrapped around herself, unwaveringly set in place, hands wedged beneath her arms and cradled against the sides of her chest, desperate to lock in warmth that will not come.
…
“Miss Mei,” he begins, voice a little quieter, almost shy, as shy as one who speaks so monotonously can sound. “...you seem cold. Do you want my cloak?”
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 22, 2023 22:22:26 GMT -5
“No kidding?” Mei answers back, her voice lilting sarcastically despite the exasperation with the sheer innocence in the young man’s voice. She unwraps one arm from her death hold long enough to pinch her frozen fingers over the bridge of her nose, then pushes up into her hair; she claws through her wavy platinum locks, but is unable to knock off the snowfall before it all gathers again.
She closes her eyes as she walks, tucking her arms back close to her chest, and snagging her cloak tighter around herself. There are some times when she can trick herself into believing everything is normal; and there are other times, like when she travels through Frost Gale or bears a wound, that it’s so blatantly obvious she is not really the same.
Not an inch of warmth remains in her; and it’s the chill of undeath that reminds her every time that it’s real. It’s not that significant, honestly. It’s not that big of a deal. She gets cold, so what? She’s a changeling, and she should know how to adapt to change— no, she does know how to adapt to change, but this…
She opens her eyes, staring down at her boots; frigid steps which aren’t quite as coordinated, joints forced to work despite their attempts to lock up, skin cold and unblushed by the ice.
She hasn’t accepted this part.
Not yet.
This body in its undeath feels surreal to her sometimes, no matter the form she takes, and it’s troubling.
She hates the feeling, and the cold only exacerbates her reality.
Askr’s voice carries over the howl of the wind, interrupting whatever internal agonizing she’s in the middle of all by her lonesome; it’s nothing, but in her ill temper, it’s enough to for Mei to shoot another glare at the young man right as he’s offering him her cloak.
The words, quiet in the frigid gale, take a moment to settle in; but after a moment, her brows furrow; and then her gaze softens somewhat.
It’s not his fault; but she’s certainly trying to take out something he couldn’t possibly understand on him, isn’t she? She breathes a heavy sigh through slightly parted lips and shakes her head. “The cold won’t kill me, kid— keep it. You’ll need it more than I will when the blizzard starts hitting harder.” Her voice is softer than it has been, relenting against her temper.
Mei reluctantly unwinds her arms from around herself to keep face in front of a stranger, stretching her shoulders back with less mobility than usual. “You said you’ve only come to Frost Gale once? What, you don’t travel much or something? How old are you— like, 20’s?” Mei spins around on her heels in the snow, and it is a miracle that she doesn’t fall on her ass.
She cocks her head at him, lifting a hand beneath her chin thoughtfully. “Maybe 30’s, at most?”
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Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 24, 2023 0:32:15 GMT -5
Oh. So she is upset with him.
It is not necessarily the only possibility, but it is a possibility nonetheless, and one that only becomes more concrete as Mei whips around to look at him in response to his offer, ruby eyes sharp and narrow, the shadow of what must be annoyance cast over them, amplified by the dark lines of her lashes. Askr almost winces, prepares a swift and proper apology for whatever he has done wrong, but before it can leap from his tongue, Mei's expression softens almost indistinguishably, the pinch between her brows and the shadow in her eyes slowly melting away. It is enough to give him pause. He does not think he has done anything to warrant such a swift change in attitude, but she seems to have decided that his sins are minor, or that he has been absolved of them.
He hesitates for a moment, waiting for her to change her mind, gloved fingertips still lingering against the clasp of his cloak, ready to unlatch it in case she decides otherwise, but the change in decision does not come. Her voice goes from the harsh fall of rain to soft mist, from sharp to what he believes might even be curious, and he lets his hand fall from where it is settled, waiting for the strange, cloying buzz of Something that had crept down to try and root within his chalk-bound ribs to fade away, to be forgotten with the howl of the wind.
"If you are certain, ma'am," Askr answers, giving a quick nod, and he tries not to wonder what he did to cause such a drastic shift in her behavior.
And then Miss Mei is asking him questions, and he nearly pauses to let himself process them-- he cannot help but wonder how much, exactly, Mister Zarius told her, and how much Captain Bleier told Mister Zarius in turn. He still remembers sitting in the hideout for the Ring of Cinders, dragging the same cloth over Tethra's claymore in the same tentative cycle, pretending he did not know exactly what his captain intended in asking him to commit himself to such a tedious task while she spoke with Zarius. He has no idea what they had discussed, but he knows Captain Bleier makes no secret of the fact that she thinks Askr is a, quote, "bit of an odd duck."
Perhaps she had not told Zarius much, if Mei does not know much in turn. It is not as if there is much to know, anyway.
"Captain Bleier's work tends to strictly keep us on the easternmost side of Charon," Askr says simply, because it is true. There are the rare times when work will drag them out to the Moonglade, but the long strip of land below the Dragon's Cradle tends to be their primary area of functionality. "I have only been working with her for a few months, now. And... I do not know how old I am, ma'am. I would tell you if I knew."
It is odd to hear Mei assume he's even close to his thirties, though; he has never heard anyone assess his age to be that high. Everyone he has ever met seems to assume he is in his early twenties, or around his late teens, and it is not as though he has a decent enough concept of the passage of time to prove them wrong.
"...If it helps, I believe most assume I am... around my late teenaged years or early twenties."
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Jan 29, 2023 15:05:00 GMT -5
“Very certain.” Mei answers; her attitude seems to have switched with Askr’s attention upon her. Her steps are somewhat exaggerated and child-like; she kicks up snow with the verticality in her steps. “Keep it, you’ll freeze to the core out here in a blizzard; besides, Zarius would kill me if I let you turn into an Askrcicle on my watch.” She shrugs; her joke comes off a bit clumsy, a noticeable click and chatter in some of her words.
She is clearly cold, despite her insistence that she's fine. “ Oh yeah?” She tries to keep interest in the conversation— partially to give Askr a chance— partially in hopes that it will distract her from the freezing gale. As prepared as she had tried to be for a trip through the Frost Gale, it still pierces through her layers; and though her steps are exaggerated, there’s still an unwieldy stiffness in her joints. Mei’s expression, clouded by the haze and the thickness of snowfall, furrows at Askr’s mention. “ You don’t know how old you are.” she repeats in more of a fact than a question. So, what does that mean? She looks at Askr with a slight tilt in her head; her platinum hair catches the kisses of Frost Gale’s snowfall, tangling amongst blonde tresses. It could be that Askr is so old even he doesn’t know his age— it’s not uncommon from Elven folk to just not care, or stop keeping track, after so long of their lives passing— but at the same time, he is so… unfamiliar with the world around him; and he does not seem necessarily elven in lineage… although, she could always be wrong in her judgment. Mei breathes out, producing no heat in her sigh; Askr is dreadfully hard to read. “ Late teenager or early twenties,” she repeats; she crosses her arms over her chest, “ So you’re… what, from the Ash Lands, then? In fact, how’d you meet Zarius?” She tilts her head, index finger curling thoughtfully beneath her chin as she considers Askr for the briefest of moments; this is admittedly the most talkative Mei has been through most of this travel, and… it will not last. Not necessarily because she grows quiet, but because she reaches a literal impasse; a slip of the boot when the ground unexpectedly gives way beneath her weight. She doesn’t have much time to register the slip-up, save for a high pitched, ineloquent yip of surprise when she tips backwards and proceeds to tumble backwards into the snow. She lands with a muffled puff! face down in the freshly fallen snow, hood tipping up over the back of her head. Dazed, she lifts herself out of the snow with a grimace; she can’t tell if the searing heat comes from the freezing chill, or the embarrassment of her fall catching up to her… but before she can even process the feelings or the cold, a shadow falls over her person. Pale eyes narrowing sharply, Mei rolls backwards and lands on the flats of her boots, knees bent and one of her knives unsheathed in preparation to launch herself at an attacker— “ Oohoo! Goodness, she’s got spring left in her!” A plump halfling, cheeks rosy and auburn mustache and beard sprinkled with snow like powdered sugar, laughs with his hands placed on his hips, exaggerating the wrinkles and poofs of his chunky jacket. “ Quite a tumble you took there, lassie! We were ‘fraid you mighta gotten hurt. You alright?” “ ...” Mei stares for a moment, then looks over the halfling’s shoulder with skeptical eyes; another halfling, plump and rosy-cheeked as the first, is sitting by a fire with a group of other individuals looking at her with a confused but well-meaning smile. “ Lassie?” the halfling in front of her prompts. She looks farther behind that halfling and their little group, and notices their crashed caravan angled awkwardly on the slope of the ditch behind them. Merchants? “... I’m fine.” she answers finally, completely covered in patches of freezing snow from head to foot. One falls anticlimactically off her shoulder while she remains in a defensive stance.
She’s not sure if they haven’t seen the knife in her hand, or if they’re blatantly ignoring it. “ Oh, my! Good, good! Good to hear! I’m Ben, and this is Jerry!” he gestures to the other halfling at the fire, who waves happily and calls back with a, “ Yoohoo!” Mei stares back, looking between them quizzically without offering a single word.
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Post by Askr Mimameith on Jan 31, 2023 18:39:48 GMT -5
The shift in Miss Mei's attitude, sudden as it is, is... strange.
For most of this venture, from their departure from the familiarity of Darkveil City into the tempestuous heights of Dragon's Cradle, well into the chilly maw of the Frost Gale, Miss Mei has remained steadfastly silent. There were sparse questions here and there, a few necessary comments of guidance in rougher terrain, but for the most part, she had seemed content to stew in her own thoughts. It is... unusual that she would opt to pick now, of all times, to go chasing after any threads of curiosity, and yet she does, her footfalls careless against the snow, eyes shining like rubies as they linger on Askr.
She does not ask an overwhelming number of questions or make too many comments, and yet they feel innumerable in comparison to the silence of before. Hearing her voice in such a quantity when before he could barely remember the sound of it is jarring, a sensory whiplash, but it is not... bad. In truth, the glass thing caged within his ribs feels a little less heavy with her attention upon him, her voice a little lighter, her movements less confined, mechanical. It feels less like she is angry with him, less like he needs to spend all this time searching for the reason why.
"...An... 'Askrcicle?'" he tilts his head at that, confusion brushed into the edges of his expression, bleeding through like watercolor even though his facial muscles hardly twitch. He does not get it, but he thinks it might be a joke, based on the way her words lift, even if her words tremble, brittle breath shaking in the cold air.
...Miss Mei is strange, and stranger still, for refusing additional warmth when she shudders so.
"...oh-- Mister Zarius...?" a small spike of unease bristles through Askr's voice at the question, at the way Miss Mei's curiosity begs an answer of him he is afraid to give. Mister Zarius had told him little of Miss Mei, but she seemed like someone he trusted-- someone he might care about. The gentle edge to her eyes would sharpen if Askr honestly told her that an assassination commission had been what gotten them acquainted, and the silence would return, and he would spend the remainder of this journey feeling the weight of her anger upon him. Lying to her is not an option. He does not like the weight of a lie on his tongue, does not like how easy the threads are to lose. That is why he is best silent.
It is a strange and cruel mercy that he does not have to answer the question, because as soon as he opens his mouth, the ground gives beneath Miss Mei's feet, and he has to watch her tumble down into what looks like a small ravine.
He blinks.
Then, of course, he slides down to follow.
It is not an overly long way to go. Askr is careful, as he should be, but it is hardly an especially long drop. A well-concealed one beneath the veil of the blizzard, yes, but not the kind of tumble that could kill a human. This is good. Mister Zarius would probably murder him if he accidentally got Miss Mei killed out here. He remains surprised that the tiefling has not leapt upon the chance sooner.
"Miss Mei," he calls in that same monotone, a small ember of worry flickering in his eyes as he moves to her side, already glancing over her to see if she has been injured or not-- but his attention is quickly seized by the fact that they are not alone down here. A fire burns, distantly, a cluster of what looks to be merchants crowding a fire, one of them standing far closer, remarkably unfazed by the knife Mei brandishes.
...It is normal behavior to feel threatened when someone points a weapon at you, is it not? This is... a disruption of all Askr knows as normal.
"Oooh, she's brought a friend!" chimes a cheerful, feminine voice over from the fire. "Well, hello there! We weren't expecting much in the way of company out here! Why don't you come over and join us? We've got a nice fire going-- it's real cold, don'tcha know."
...lackadaisical behavior about a situation like this is also a defiance of everything Askr knows to be normal.
There's a silent plea for guidance in his eyes as he looks up to Mei, his tongue stilling in the face of social interaction that twists and strangles what few vestiges of patterns he has found.
Unfortunately, based on the look on her own face, he doubts there is much she can do to help, either.
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Feb 17, 2023 14:16:05 GMT -5
After a moment of staring with an open blankness in her expression, Mei concludes that this situation is overwhelmingly stupid. To continue such absurdity, the plump halfling continues to chatter as if she had just dropped by for tea; treating her as if she is not a stranger trying to defend herself at knife point in a ravine in the middle of a blizzard in Frost Gale. “ Yeh, we were jus’ trying to get on over to the Pale City, y’know? An’ then our wagon wheels froze up! Did’cha know that wagon wheels can just freeze? I didn’ until we just started glidin’ an…” Mei searches him helplessly as he uses emotion-filled gesturing to point at the crashed wagon; and at some point in those few moments of speech, she just gives up trying to intimidate him altogether. Mei slouches her shoulders with a puff of a sigh, brows furrowing in a thoroughly unamused expression while she stares at the rosy halfling, attempting to silently bid him into silence; but his head is as thick as his accent. “ ...and now we’re stuck down here! It’s mighty unfortunate, y’know? But it’s okay, because we’ve got each other, and—” “ Miss Mei.” She feels a shock of pinpricks travel up her spine; and she sucks in a sharp breath as Askr’s voice travels over the wind above and the prattling of the halfling. He doesn’t look the least bit surprised; in fact, his smile only grows wider as a feminine voice calls out about her friend. “ Yes, yes — Join us 'round the fire, won'tcha? Little ol' me, chatterin’ up a storm, keepin’ you out in the cold.” The halfling places his hands on his round belly and laughs. " My apologies!" Mei looks at Askr, clearly displeased with the company they’ve just run into; but she’s lost her hostility towards them. Askr looks back at her; and his expression is about as clueless as her own, so she clears her throat and gets it together. She looks out at the rosy-faced crowd of merchants huddled together; most are smiling sheepishly, or chattering amongst themselves. Jerry waves welcomingly, trying to gesture them over to the fire where they’re huddled; and Ben is still chatting about how he’s such a chatterbox and how he’d hate for them to freeze on his account.
Which if she doesn't say something, they will probably freeze on his account.
She internally runs through their options: they could leave, that’s an easy one. It’s also the most ideal one given the already ill mood she’s in and the fact that these people are either actors of uncanny caliber or incredibly dense-minded, and she cannot tell which is which right off the bat… but there’s also the blizzard roaring above them. Even as she stands, she can hear and feel the wind picking up over the ravine, dusting cold crystals down into the pit they’re all stuck in… and although she could choose to leave and tough it… she has to consider that she has a tagalong today. “ Well.” Mei pockets her dagger and claps her hands together as she comes to a decision, immediately displacing a chunk of snow from her shoulder with the sharp motion. Her voice is high pitched in feigned kindness. “ Aren’t you folks kind? We really appreciate the offer, and if you don’t mind… we’re half frozen to the core, so we’d appreciate the help.” The atmosphere is overjoyed at her acceptance. “ Come on over, hons! You’ll catch your death standing over there like that, don’tcha know!” The voice calls over, “ Plenty o’ room round the fire for the both of ya! Scooch over a bit, will ya? Make room for our guests!” She waves her hands at the dwarf sitting next to her, who scooches over a bit to allow a pocket of space around the fire. Ben starts heading back with a laugh, while Mei offers Askr a glance. “ We’ll stay until the blizzard passes; better than freezing to death before we even get to our destination… just keep an eye out, alright? We don’t know these people—” There’s a joyous raucous of laughter from around the fire; Mei breathes a sigh. “ —they might seem nice, but… you just never know.” She turns, brushing the remnants of her fall from her cloak as she heads towards the fire— pace slow, so Askr can keep in line with her.
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Post by Askr Mimameith on Feb 20, 2023 3:10:25 GMT -5
It is an indisputable fact that there are some incomprehensible people across Charon.
Despite how little time Askr has spent above ground, mercenary work inevitably leads to an amplitude of travel, and an amplitude of travel leads to an abundance of encounters with other people; he already cannot fathom human logic very well as is, cannot wrap his mind around some of the decisions they make and the nuances of the ways they interact with one another, but there are always those that are impossibly odd, odd enough to stand out amidst the sea of things he cannot comprehend. Mister Zarius is odd, in a way, with his striking strength and distaste of drinking and unfathomable mercy in the face of deep wrongs-- Mister Leandros had been strange, too, with his noble grace and unshakeable smile.
This caravan of merchants makes their oddities seem easily comprehensible-- the halfling standing before Miss Mei, her knife still brandished directly at him, is hardly fazed by the unspoken threat of violence, cheerfully chattering away about guilt over chattering away. It is odd and contradictory. His companions, too, are disturbingly cheerful, with their bright smiles and glinting eyes, as though the rage of the blizzard does not bother them.
It should bother them, clearly. Miss Mei has been bothered by it-- Askr is bothered by it, and his systems are hardly comparable to an organic specimen's. He is shaped from ash and dust while they are born of blood. If the cold troubles him, it should undoubtedly trouble them-- and yet, they smile all the same.
It is... suspicious.
But even so, Miss Mei's stance shifts from one of defense to one of gracious acceptance, her voice light as she speaks to the halfling merchants. As odd and vaguely threatening as these merchants are, Askr is here to follow her lead. She is here to make the decisions, and he is here to listen and abide by them. If she wishes to stay and embrace the warmth of firelight as offered, then he will follow along.
He stays obediently behind her as the halfling merchant starts walking back to the fire, clearly in high spirits, though he pauses as indicated as soon as Mei speaks, looking up at her unblinkingly as she lays forth instructions. It is... comforting to hear that she also has some degree of suspicion. Askr believes such a thing might be healthy.
"Yes, ma'am," he says with a nod. "Being careful is... best. I will be careful."
He trails behind Mei as she walks toward the fire, his pace as slow as hers, a snow-dusted duckling trailing behind a wiser mother duck-- he sticks close to her side, ensuring he stays next to her even as they sit before the fire. As disconcerting as the sound of chatter and the presence of so many unfamiliar faces is, the comfort of the warmth of flame is undeniable, the heat seeping into his ash-spun skin so readily that he cannot hold back the soft, content sigh that escapes him as it chases away the bite of frost.
"So," the owner of that voice from earlier chimes-- a half-dwarf woman with big eyes and a bigger smile. "My name's Jeni-- lovely to meetcha, absolutely wonderful, we're so happy you decided to join us! We've had an awfully tricky time out here-- really, didja know wagon wheels could just freeze like that?-- and it's real nice to have some company in the middle of this awful blizzard. Good spirits are the first step to getting through any disaster, dontcha know?"
All Askr can think to do is give a tilt of the head-- no, he... did not know that. As far as he knows, the first step to surviving a cataclysm is ensuring you have the necessities for survival required for your species. He does not think good spirits alone are enough to sustain any race.
"Well, they are," Jeni says without missing a beat, barely allowing a chance to respond. "Oh, gosh, we've had one heck of a day. Ooh, we'll have to introduce you both to everyone properly-- what are your names? Names are real important to an introduction, dontcha know?"
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Post by Caedes Oleander on Mar 6, 2023 20:48:48 GMT -5
Mei nods when she looks over her shoulder; there’s the crunch of snow beneath Askr’s boots; and like a newly hatched duckling; the young man trails after her obediently. Without question. If there’s anything she can compliment him on thus far, it’s his ability to follow directions: yet, there’s something strange about even that. Almost as though it’s not that he’s obedient, but that he holds a strange naivety and innocence which lingers behind his actions and words, in a way that is… dare she say, childlike? Yet, if Askr has gotten himself involved with Zarius, then he’s certainly no child: his business is as dirty as any of their own, and yet… she just can’t put her finger on what it is about him that throws her off. It’s almost like he doesn’t quite understand what or why he’s following certain direction; but he does. An interesting kind of blind faith, to the point where Mei wonders if he would have given her the same answer no matter what she said about the people around the fire. She breathes out through her nose, drifting into reality with a feigned, warm smile as the owner of the feminine voice— Jeni— pitches in. “ It is so nice to meet you,” Mei agrees; she checks that Askr is present before taking a seat around the fire between Jeni and the previously introduced Ben; who sits on Askr’s other side with a huff. She brushes close to Askr, her shoulder bumped against his, as she pulls her cloak closer to her body to keep it out of the fire. “ Mm’hm…” Mei’s smile is tight; god, this woman’s on some bullshit. Good spirits are the first step to getting through a disaster? She might be sick. “ I did not know that, actually.” she seems to speak with a pitch higher than usual; clearly false to anyone who might know how she typically used her voice. It’s simply a ploy to make herself sound just a bit more friendly. “ I hate to hear how much you all have been through; and really, thank you for having us; we’re so far out between either side of society, honestly I thought we might freeze to death out here before we ever reached Frost Gale…” There’s a small gaggle of laughter when Mei bubbles into an easy laugh to keep the mood light; Ben grins on Askr’s other side, his cheeks still rosy. “ I’m afraid we walked on foot, so no wagons to speak of.” Mei burrows the tips of her boots into the snow near the fire, gaze drifting between each and every individual present: Jeni, the half-dwarf woman; Ben, the rosy halfling; Jerry, an equally rosy halfling sat next to Ben; and more who linger about. She turns her gaze back to Jeni, her smile never fading. “ My name is Mei,” she answers; she leans back to gesture at Askr through her cloak. “ And this is my son, Ashe.” She offers Askr a glance, an unspoken expression of, ’Just go with it,’ lingers behind her eyes as Jeni gives a small gasp beside her, curled fingers over her lips. “ No!” She muses, clapping her hands on her knees. “ Your son! Really!? How old are you?” “ Forty-two.” “ Nah! You don’t look a day over twenty, hon! What’s your secret?” “ Ohhh, I'm afraid I couldn't tell you." “ Hoo! Hoohoohoo!” Jeni bubbles, the whites of her teeth showing in her smile. “ Y’gotta bit of elf in you, don’tcha? Now that I’m gettin’ a better look at ya’, ya got the ears!” Jeni grabs her own rosy-tipped ears; while Mei sighs, resting a hand against her chest. “ Guilty.” She is practically begging to reroute the conversation. “ Hoohoohoo,” Jeni chuckles, then perks up. “ Oh! My, that’s right: introductions! Mei, Ashe. I’m Jeni, as you already know; that’s Ben, and that’s his husband, Jerry.” The rosy-cheeked halflings just smile. “ That stout dwarf fella with the big bushy beard’s me husband, asleep next to the wagon over there,— yep, that’s my Edy; and right here is Miss Talenti.” She points at a curly-haired halfling, who offers them a sheepish wave over her bundles of blankets, which covers her up to her mouth. “ An’ next to her’s Haagen-Dazs—“ The human woman next to Talenti offers a wave, but doesn’t speak. “ —she don’t speak much common, actually, an—” Jeni cuts off, relieving her albeit temporarily of her long-winded spiel, when a loud, sheepish baa bleats out beneath the sound of the wind. Mei looks towards the wagon with furrowed brows, “ Oops! Hoohoo, sorry— that’s Blue Bell!” “ Blue Bell?” “ Our goat!” “ You have goats?” “ Oh, yes! Two of ‘em! Come with us everywhere, like part of the family they are!” ...........
How many gods-forsaken people and creatures are in this one wagon?
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Post by Askr Mimameith on Mar 16, 2023 3:50:50 GMT -5
It is a rare thing that anyone is capable of eliciting true surprise from Askr.
The feelings that surge within his chest are always muted, quiet, restrained things, so subtle they scarcely show on his face-- he hardly understands the meaning behind the emotion that sometimes burns like candle-flame within him, hardly can wrap his mind around what they mean, let alone how to wear them properly on his face. And yet, as Miss Mei looks to the terminally delightful woman across from them and introduces him as her son, Askr can hardly conceal the way his eyes fly wide, lips parting in shock.
His gaze flits over to Mei in a silent question, only for those scarlet eyes to land back on him in turn, a sense of what he thinks may be pleading burning like a ruby flame, and any words of shock he could muster die in his throat. Instead, he gives a short nod as if to emphasize the nonexistent truth behind her words, steeling his expression back into its usual blank, easy neutrality.
It... makes sense for Miss Mei to fabricate a false identity for him, considering how wary she is of the strangers all around them. It is... odd, however, for her to present her own as is, still, but it is not his place to question it. If she sees fit to lay forth her name, then she must have her reasons, and he will harbor no doubt toward her for it-- no, he will simply nod along and fit into the narrative she's constructing, in which she is a part-elf woman of age forty-two and he is her son, her son that she seems content to remain beside, and they are merely travelers venturing through the boundless cold, remaining side by side.
...there is another feeling that creeps up somewhere in his chest, overpowering the vestiges of shock still lingering there-- this one is warm as a low flame, the kind of warm that nearly counters the cold of the world around him. It is odd. He does not know where it came from, or why it roots there, but it is there all the same, burning steadily with every thought he spares for the roles Miss Mei has set up.
He does not know what it is like to be a beloved son. He does not know how to play the part of one.
He will merely have to try.
Askr shifts awkwardly in place as Miss Mei and Jeni carry on their conversation, certain to pay close attention as the latter introduces the people all around-- she speaks so quickly and gestures in turn, and it is difficult to remember who is who and who is what. He knows he will struggle with their names-- everyone but the goat, of course-- but he hopefully will not need to address them by said names overly often. As far as he can tell, Miss Mei seems... quite eager to cut their time with these odd people as short as possible. He cannot say he blames her.
And yet... they seem eerily content by their campfire, despite how the blizzard rages all around them, the wind howling as snow falls. He tilts his head at how easily they have settled into their surroundings-- by the logic he knows, they... should be more distressed, yes?
"...Miss Jeni," he says quietly, blinking curiously at the woman before him. "How long do you intend to stay here?"
"Ooh, well," Jeni begins, jumping at the chance to chat again. "As long as we need to! We're making the most of it-- always very important to do, don'tcha know--, and so we figured we would wait out the blizzard and then worry about repairing the wagon when the snow's not so bad. If you're in a hurry, we won't keep ya, but we're happy to offer some accommodations to some fellow travelers, even if we don't have too much. Still, you've got to keep your hospitality, even in the snow, eh?"
Once more, Askr tilts his head at the steady stream of chatter flowing from Jeni's lips-- he is not entirely certain if they are in a position to lose so much time, and... he believes Miss Mei might go mad from upholding the persona she's crafted for this situation.
They will need a way out of this.
"...ah," he mumbles, casting a glance toward Miss Mei before looking back to the people before him, his voice low. "Per...haps Mi-- Mother and I could... try to help with repairs."
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