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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 22, 2023 17:09:00 GMT -5
Moonveil forest was often a calm place, even with its mischievous creatures and monstrous residents, stirring behind every bush and shadow. The monstrous were the least of her problems, as what often brought chaos to the woods often walked upright in two legs...
The sun was already setting on the horizon, painting the sky with vivid oranges and reds. The breeze that brushed their black feathers was warm, and would probably get even warmer on the days to come, as summer approached. Two ravens soared high, cawing to each other while dancing on the sky in large circles over the area. It was hard to know if Mischief, one of the ravens, was taking his job seriously, as it was not in his best interest to find the pink pixie. Kamille had to work doubly to pick up his slack, her dark blue eyes scanning the area like a worried first-time mother. Mishap could be so loud and chaotic at times, how could she lose her now?! The flower pixie was still oh-so young and would often wander about and get lost in the woods; the Witch would fear for the delicate flowery while not under her gaze, as she was still too naive to take care of herself...
Oh, dear... Where are you... I hope you're okay... Please, be okay...
The shadows were starting to get tall and dark. If the Witch didn't find the pixie soon, it would be much harder to find her at nightfall...
Mishap was, in fact, in trouble. She never thought there would be things, in the forest, that would want to eat her! A monstrous, giant, evil owl was possibly trying to make an early dinner out of the pixie! Mishap was just trying to make its nest more comfy and pretty, with a nice splash of colors and flowers, but the owl didn't seem to like it! Well, she ended up waking up the owl too, and in her experience, big things that fly didn't like to be waken up..... Kalaf was big too, but he was no meanie. But he could be when he was waken up.....
The small pink pixie had found a small nook in a tree where she could squeeze herself to hide after the owl woke up and tried to eat it. Her entire tiny body shaking from the scare, the cried softly as she recovered from the chase. She saw shadows overhead and thought the owl was still around, searching for her for the crime of trying to redecorate its nest - nevermind the fact it was actually Mother Raven and Mischief.
"....What should I do.... What should I do... Sniff..."
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 22, 2023 19:00:28 GMT -5
Ube was simply and utterly exhausted. They had not taken a long trip away from their humble cabin in ages, much less travelled far in general after that day. But finally, after weeks of asking around, offering whatever they could for information and going through the complications of communications as they are, Ube learned the location of a powerful witch who could help them with their problem. Moonveil Forest. At least... thats where this witch's abode would be. The directions given to Ube weren't very clear as all just simply pointed to the forest. And so, they walked and walked to the forest. Once they reached it, well... from there, they had no idea where to go. So, they wandered the forest aimlessly. While tired, Ube always found comfort being alone with pretty landscapes. They trekked through, taking in the sights of the flora.
After some time, Ube wasn't having any luck. The day stretched on and on as it soon turned to dusk. Suddenly, Ube heard quiet but still slightly audible crying. It wasn't a noise one would typically hear in a forest, obviously. They rushed towards the noise, fearing that someone was in trouble. Following the noise, Ube pinpointed the sounds to a lone tree. "Strange... Its coming from the tree?" Ube thought to themself. They carefully and quietly circled around the tree, observing carefully. Ube took notice of a small cranny within this tree. Taking a quick peek, they spy... a living flower? They've never seen a creature like this, despite often venturing into their local forest back home often. Ube took a step back, thinking of a way to interact with this creature without startling it... They smile to themselves, a fun idea popping into their head. Ube takes out their booklet of empty of pages from their bag as well as pulling from their pocket, a piece of charcoal. They swiftly begin to draw out a doodle of a simple cake with three candles. Holding the booklet up to the indentation of the tree, the page of the cake drawing facing towards the hole, Ube raised their fist and begin to lightly knock on the tree to the tune of the happy birthday song.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 27, 2023 4:38:40 GMT -5
The crying imediately stopped. For a moment or two there was only silence, as the little fairy shook off the tears and took in the drawing of the cake, as well as the song. Slowly, she peaked out, her eyes still teary, but admitedly more curious than it was safe for her.
In shades of soft pink, with tiny little arms and legs as thin and green as the stalk of a rose, she was equally spiky. She had big, innocent, child-like eyes. Despite being a pixie, it was clear it was either very young or didn’t meet that many people.
"....snif... do you have cake?....... do you know how to draw?... what's your name? Is the owl gone? Mom said I should be wary of strangers in the forest.......... But if you give me your name and I give you mine, we won't be strangers anymore, right? I'm Mishap... Who are you?"
The pixie wiped her tears away, looking curiously at the fellblood, probably with such amount of curiosity and innocence that brought her so much trouble in the first place.
Overhead, at least one raven still soared, cawing from time to time. Mishap seemed to perk up at the sound, even if still not abandoning her hiding place.
"Is.... is that a raven? It must he mom! Or Mischief! Oh, I should get back home....... but what if the owl comes back...?"
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 27, 2023 6:28:51 GMT -5
Ube offered a warm smile, letting out a sigh of relief that their silly idea worked. They bring their booklet close, flipping the page to a blank one, and raising their charcoal piece once more to write “My name is Ube. I didn’t see an owl around, I had just heard crying and grew concerned. If you’d like, I can take you to your mother. Oh and I don’t have cake with me but if your mother allowed, I would happily make you some if she has the ingredients“
They turn the booklet around to them and offer their hand for this living flower to rest upon. As they did, Ube looked over this creature more closely, now having a better look. They were incredibly intrigued. Their own mother would tell them stories of beings such as this but Ube never considered something like sentient plants to exist, much less meet one in such a manner. Ube shook their head, trying not to think too much of back then.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 29, 2023 4:59:28 GMT -5
The pixie named Mishap fidgeted a bit, nervously. Then she stared a long, long time at Ube's paper, squinting her eyes and seemingly making a huge effort to read the words. She promptly flew over to Ube's hand, sitting down as her legs dangled a bit. For the most part, she was very soft, like a rose really, but still kinda prickly, with a few thorns in her arms and legs. But the pixie seemed to be wary of that, avoiding to hurt the person who showed her nothing but kindness so far.
"Uhm.... I... I still can't read all words... Mom is teaching me... Are these the letters of your name? They are pretty! But you don't have cake, do you? Don't worry, mom knows how to cook! Maybe-EEEP!"
The fluttering of wings stops her train of thought, as she runs to hide behind Ube. But it wasn't the owl the pixie had mentioned. It was not one, but two ravens! Mishap peeks over Ube's shoulder as the ravens landed on a nearby tree, cawing intensely. One of them, however, jumped to the ground, and an incredible transformation happened.
What jumped as a raven landed as a woman. A wind whirl of black feathers enveloped her, and the bird's wings seemed to grow larger as they neared the floor. The feathers made up for the entirety of her black cloak, covering the woman's features and giving her a very dramatic look. Beyond that, she looked your average half-elf beauty, with deep blue eyes with a strange pull to them, inevitable as the tide, strong as the undertow. And while she was often quick to smile, her expression was worried. She promptly tried to ease the fellblood from the shock of the sudden transformation.
"Please don't be alarmed, I just thought I saw-"
"MOM!"
"Mishap!"
Upon hearing the woman's voice, the pixie quickly got out of her hideout behind Ube, jumping to the woman with a childish, happy excitement.
" Mom! I made a new friend! Not the owl, the owl is not my friend... But this person helped me! They don't have cake, but that's okay!"
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 29, 2023 12:07:16 GMT -5
Stood in front of this elf, a very perplexed purple tiefling. They tug on their robing uncomfortably, a half robe with their right arm and left leg sleeved and hidden respectively. The counterparts being sleeveless and exposed to the thigh, even showing a strange birthmark: three hexagons, one small, one medium, and a large one placed close to each other. Though, seeing this flower happily leaping to what they call their mother can't help but make Ube smile, albeit their violet eyes giving off a feeling of pained memories coming back. Tucking their booklet in between their thin tail and body, which was wrapped around their waist as a makeshift belt, Ube bowed in respect, their hair of a lighter violet shade, flopping a little as they moved down. This must be the witch with magic like that. Ube thought. Rising back up, they pull off their bag, setting it to the side next to them as they crouched down to rummage through it. After a bit, they pull out an envelope, one they had prepared before starting their journey in case they had lost their booklet on the way. They approached and hand the letter towards the lady they assumed to be the witch they were searching for.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 30, 2023 4:37:56 GMT -5
The Witch sounded confused by the pixie. Cake? What cake? And what owl? Once again, Mishap had wandered off to find her own troubles and adventures, and most likely found more than she could handle. She would have to have a serious talk to her again when they got home, but then she turned her attention to the fellblood before her...
It was a curious one - one she never saw before. She couldn't expect to know everyone in Moonglade, but she did know a lot of people. Most importantly, a lot of people knew her; and with her status and her black, feathery cloak, she was easily recognizable at this point.
"I'm sorry if she's been bothering you, but thanks for keeping her safe. What's your name?"
The Witch was caught a little off guard as the silent young person before her bowed, showing her some respect she should be used to by now. She was even more surprised when they pulled out an envelope. Maybe it was one of her sparrows she didn't know in person yet? It was not unusual for random people to give her pieces of paper and whisper in her ear in the middle of the towns, but for some reason it didn't look like one of those. And they didn't look like a courier either.
She extended her hand and grabbed the envelope, and the young fellblood could notice that there were claws sewn to the tip of her gloves, adding to her dramatic appearance.
"Is this for me?"
She waited for their confirmation before opening it and reading. Mishap sat on her shoulder, squinting her eyes and trying to read it too.
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 30, 2023 5:40:20 GMT -5
“Greetings miss. If you are reading this, I have come seeking aid. My mother has been struck with a disease thats been keeping her bedridden for years. Her illness began a large rift amidst my family and along that, pained memories through desperate choices. This was a long time back when I was much younger. I wish to return to my birth home and hopefully hold the cure for not only my mother, but for my father’s fury and the ill will of his father. I do not have any money, however I am more than willing to offer whatever may be of use for you. I can cook, clean, and I am capable of performing most forms of labor work. - signed Ube Calisto”
Ube held themselves as they stood in wait, worried about the witch’s response. Have I asked too much of her?… Perhaps I need an offering Ube concluded within their head. They quickly reached into their bag, pulling out a small hemp sack: their collected food for the trip. They flipped it over to reveal the left over contents… a single berry… They sighed in annoyance as Ube also hands the single berry as their offering, giving a falsely confident smile. I’m so dead…
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 30, 2023 8:48:03 GMT -5
For a minute or so she stood quiet as she read his letter, her head tilted curiously to the side. Mishap's expression of concentration didn’t seem to help her much. Soon it was evident the Witch had finished reading, as her eyes were not focused on the paper anymore. It was clear she was thinking.
Folding the paper, she took a good look at Ube, clearly evaluating them. They were a quiet one, that's for sure... did they talk at all? She wouldn’t have a problem with that. The half elf flashed at them a genuine, warm smile, and it was clear she was one of those people that smiled with their eyes, dimples and all. Despite her dramatic and intimidating persona, she came off as a warm person.
"So your name is Ube, right? Do you talk? Do you sign?"
The Witch joined the spoken speech with a couple of signs herself, if only to make it clear the fellblood could chose to sign and she would understand.
Ube had offered to help around the house, but they would soon learn she didn’t need that. In fact, the first thing that came to mind as to what she could do with Ube was exactly what she had initially mistaken them for.
Perhaps... Perhaps Ube would accept becoming one of her sparrows.
Then......... They offered her a berry? It was evident by her confused expression that she didn’t know what to make of it. Mishap promptly took the berry, examining it in her tiny hands.
"Ah, yes! Such a proper berry! It is round, and juicy... and just the right color! Yes, mom! It's a good-"
A flutter of wings, and the raven that stood quiet until then flew from the tree it was perched on. It landed on the woman's unnocupied shoulder and, quick as a snake, snatched the berry from the pixie's hand, quickly swallowing it. Mishap's eyes widened in surprise, starting to tear up again.
"Mischief! MOM! Mischief ate the berry! I want a berry too! Make him give it back!"
"I'll give you a berry too, dear... Don’t worry. Well.... I believe your offering was accepted.....?"
The Witch hardly looked surprised by their behavior, as it clearly was routine. The raven named Mischief started a little victorious dance, bouncing up and down, but the woman turned her attention to Ube once more.
"My name is Kamille, a pleasure meeting you, Ube. This is hardly the place for such a talk, however. I would need more details to know if I can help. I can’t promise you anything. How about you join me for dinner tonight? I can also let you stay the night, if you don’t have a place to stay already. I have plenty of space."
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 30, 2023 10:58:07 GMT -5
Ube nodded to the offer of staying for the night, their stomach in fact growling at the word of food. Under any other circumstance, Ube would’ve rejected as communing with others was a hassle in its own right, not to mention most didn’t have good intentions when it came to their kind. This half-elf, however, was oddly calming to be around. They felt as if she could be trusted despite this being their first time meeting. To be fair though, Ube figured if she had wanted them gone, she would’ve done so already.
Noticing the hand movement as she talked, Ube’s face gave off a look of confusion. An incantation? Oh, maybe she’s doing a spell to reveal her home. Ube rationalized as they took note of some of the consistent movements she would do. They pull out their booklet and begin to write a response. However, amidst all this excitement and an interesting meeting, Ube had forgotten one important detail. As their eyes began to feel heavy and hands starting to lose feeling, they slowly stop writing, even dropping their charcoal piece. Ah, I forgot how long I’ve been walking… This is embarrassing isn’t it?… Their last thoughts before passing out completely and falling over onto the grass. The booklet landing flat, pages faced up and reading “I would love to, though I hope I’m not intruding. Also, what are you doing wi-“, the written i leaving a trail down the page from when the charcoal was let go.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on May 31, 2023 5:43:58 GMT -5
"....Ube?.... Ube!"
Her voice was the last thing they heard before passing out, but also the first one as they woke up. Ube may have a faint recollection of stone giants carrying them around and into a strange house that sat upon two bird's legs, but it was hard to say whether it was his flickering consciousness or just some weird dream...
What was real was the wooden ceiling before him as they woke up, nicely tucked in a warm, soft feather bed. It was quiet, but not too quiet, as they could clearly hear movement around. They would wake up to the sight of what looked like a dormitory or infirmary, a large room with two rows of beds in either sides, with large windows at the end of the room. Ube was placed in one of the beds next to the window, where they could still see the forest outside. Not very far from him, slumped over in another bed was a tall man, his face buried in a pillow and his foot dangling out of the bed. The only evidence he was alive was the loud snoring that resembled to that of a monster.
Soon another, more familiar figure entered the room. Kamille had changed from her dramatic feathery attire to something lighter, a luxurious purple robe that fell perfectly on her curves. Without her claws and feathers she almost looked like a mortal... if not for the starry eyes.
Kamille approached Ube's bed. Besides the gentle breeze coming from the window, it felt comfortably warm at all times. She sat down at the end of the bed. On the small stand near them, Ube's belongings were neatly arranged, including his booklet.
"Ube? Ube, are you alright?"
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Post by Ube Calisto on May 31, 2023 10:49:08 GMT -5
When Ube opened their eyes, they weren’t in the forest no more. Stretching for miles was purely an inky black expanse, devoid of anything. They stood, sighing as they knew exactly what was happening. Ube hated their dreams as they often were just memories of the past. Refusing to look, they closed their eyes in wait for their eventual awakening. Familiar sounds echoed not only around them, but seemingly in their head as well. The sounds of childrens’ laughter, the bustle of a kitchen, a school bell. Ube dared not to look. It would only hurt them seeing it all. Until, a voice spoke. ”Ube?” They flinched… Why did it have to be now? Though, it was true that should Ube find the cure for her ailment, they would be seeing her again. Seeing her shouldn’t be too painful right? Ube slowly opened their eyes, this time actually waking up to the real world, and spoke in their weak and unused voice, the word: ”Aíti?” The voice itself, hoarse from neglect, was a little light and soft. Even if Ube were to speak, it'd seem that they were already a soft spoken individual with their shy speech.
Ube stared at the ceiling for a bit. She wasn’t here. They knew that but it still hurt a bit. Ube sighed, not really believing they had actually spoken. They talked in their head often, not to mention that they were dreaming before this so it made more sense to the fellblood. Taking in their surroundings: the other beds that were neatly made, the loud snore of a nearby creature Ube couldn't see, and Kamille who was sat at the foot of the bed... They paused, Ube’s confused gaze fixated on the half-elf as they try to recall why this lady seemed familiar… “Oh gods-“ They thought, cutting themselves off and immediately sitting up to look for their booklet. Frantically reaching over, they grab their booklet that was sat on the end table and charcoal piece from their bag as they begin hurriedly writing an apology. A few seconds of panicked writing later, they turned it over and placed it down on the bed in front of her. The page messily read: ”I’M SO SORRY I DIDN’T MEAN TO BE A PROBLEM I’D UNDERSTAND IF YOU NEED ME TO LEAVE”. Ube’s very guilt-ridden and embarrassed face flushed with a bright violet.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 2, 2023 8:16:10 GMT -5
Curiously, Ube talked. She was not going crazy, right? She heard them talk. But it felt like a lapse, like a slip up, as when they came to their senses, they chose to write instead of speaking.
Interesting....
The Witch tried to look reassuring as she read Ube's writing and looked up at them right after, seeing how embarrassed and flustered they were.
"Don’t worry, you're not a problem. You came seeking for help, and that's what I do. I help people. I see you're not hurt, so that's a relief. How about we go have dinner already? Come. They say it's bad manners to refuse a Witch's hospitality."
It was probably not true, but just a jest. She rose and exited the room, hoping Ube would follow. The next room looked like both a living room and a library, and.... it looked much bigger than a Witch's cottage would be assumed to be. It felt like a castle, with books covering nearly every wall and surfaces, much more luxurious than people assumed her home to be. To one side of the room, a big fireplace sat with a fur rug before it and some beautiful, expensive couches and arm chairs.
But she guided Ube to the next room: the kitchen.... or laboratory? To one side of the room, your usual kitchen parafernalia: pans, cleavers and miscelaneous kitchen utensils. From the ceiling hung all kinds of spices, herbs, garlic and smoked meats. The middle of the room was shared by a wooden table and a big cauldron, and from there a rich, warm smell of comfort food rose. A big spoon stirred the cauldron on its own. But the other side of the kitchen was much more interesting: a long counter ran along the wall, and almost every bit of it was covered in weird shaped glassware and alchemy ingredients, notes and potions. And at the end of the room sat a large, ominous cabinet where she kept her potions, countless flasks of weird shapes, colored liquids swirling inside. Looked like it had no handle.
Kamille urged Ube inside and pointed to the table, as she prepared two servings of whatever was cooking on the cauldron. It looked like a thick stew, hot, with a particular blend of spices, balanced and rich. With some homemade bread and some cheese on the side, it felt like the kind of food that would fend off every bit of cold in one's body.
"Come sit with me, Ube. I will need a couple more details about you, but first, we eat."
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Post by Ube Calisto on Jun 2, 2023 18:56:30 GMT -5
They clambered their way out of bed, their tail rewrapping around Ube's waist as they tucked their booklet and charcoal in between. She's already been so kind to them already, they wouldn't wanna be rude. Leaving the infirmary, Ube followed Kamille closely. Entering the living room, the fellblood started to feel out of place among these expensive looking decor and furniture. Their childhood home and even their cabin back in the Isles were always modest at best. The main focus that had Ube enraptured besides the large fireplace was the surplus amount of books. They were sure that they could spend an entire month reading here and would hardly make a dent in the wall of stories and history. Finding themselves being left behind, Ube shook their head, coming back to reality, and started to catch up. "No time to admire her things. I still have work to do." they scolded themself. Walking into the kitchen, the aromatic smell of spices, smokey meats, and the cauldron with... a ladle moving on its own? With everything that they've already seen, Ube wondered what they could possibly help with besides maybe hunting. Though, they assumed she could probably kill something just by staring at it. Snapping out of their thoughts, they focused on the lovely smells of this kitchen. It reminded them of the market stalls and festivals back on the islands, how they and their friends would run around buying what they could with what solars they had at the time. Ube couldn't help but smile. Looking back at Kamille pointing towards the table, they quickly took a seat, making a large berth around the cutlery. It was still uncomfortable seeing those sharp object unfortunately.
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Post by Lady Kamille Verlithax on Jun 4, 2023 4:44:23 GMT -5
If Kamille noticed Ube avoiding the cutlery, she didn't say anything. Instead, she sat right before the young fellblood, with her own portion of stew, bread and cheese. With a flowery motion, a kettle and two cups came calmly floating to the table, gently pouring some tea into the cups as they sat before them. Somewhere behind them, on the living room, Ube could see a broom sweeping on its own. That seemed to wake up Mishap, that came out of her hiding and hovered over their table. " Ohhhhh! This smells goooood! Can I have some, mom? I'm starving!" " Watch out, sweetie. It's hot." For a moment, she and Mishap ate in silence - ...more or less - which also allowed Ube to eat for a moment without being interrupted. Despite being a somewhat luxurious place, the kitchen at least had that chaotic feel to it that made it more inviting and warm. It felt like the heart of the house, with several familiar smells, like freshly baked bread and smoked meat. Even with the presence of the alchemy parafernalia on the other side of it, it was still a comforting place. " We haven't had much opportunity to talk yet, Ube. That's your name, right?" she started, when she was aroud half way through her meal. A flutter of wings announced Mischief entered the room, but instead of coming to eat with them, he remained in a perch close to the ceiling, grooming himself and taking care of his lustrous feathers between the hanging herbs and spices. Mishap was given small bites from time to time, always before letting the food chill a bit. " I will need details of what ails you and your family, before making any decisions....... But before we go any further, I will need to ask if you're willing to pay my price." The Witch turned her starry eyes towards Ube. It was not their impression, she did have stars swirling in her eyes, a testament of her power in the arcane. A hint of the otherwordly in a woman that, at times, didn't look like she carried such an enormous pool of mana within. "Would you be willing to be my informant, Ube?"
As expected, she didn't need help around the house or with daily tasks. Her request wouldn't come as a surprise for those who knew her reputation.
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