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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 11, 2023 20:31:49 GMT -5
It’s the moment where Cypress is impressed by the things Astrid has mentioned offhandedly that Astrid is reminded that she is still but a child, and she has indeed done many things. Right, it’s been a busy year. Oh, it’s been a year. Over a year since she met Cantio! Later, later. Shoot. Don’t get distracted.
“Erm, yeah, I s’pose that’s right,” she says awkwardly before perking up again. “It’s all tryin’ new thin’s. I’m sure ya can do it too if ya want ta!” And even if Cypress can’t, that won’t stop Astrid from encouraging her. Who knows what the fawn could learn in a short time with the right people for support? (Not that Cyran and Del are the wrong people.)
“Well, first, if ya wanna come along, we should probably tell Del an’ Cyran,” she says, remembering the first time she left the house without telling Cantio and then didn’t return for several weeks. The poor fellblood was sick with worry, so that’s why she got them the communication devices. Astrid ponders if Cyran might have the Red Rogue’s hood… then she sees Cypress’ basket. “An’ ya should probably drop that off at home, huh? C’mon, we can let ‘em know!”
With confidence, Astrid strolls off toward the orphanage. “Then we’ll go ta Sol City since that’s the last place ya saw Everett! An’ ya’ll wanna pack a bag ‘cause we could be gone fer a while. Trackin’ folks down ain’t exactly easy or a science.”
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Oct 23, 2023 17:54:20 GMT -5
Cypress smiles sheepishly, her posture tightening minutely before she relaxes with the ghost of a defeated sigh. “Maybe,” she agrees noncommittally, her smile carefully neutral. She doesn’t know exactly why she feels so anxious about the idea of even trying; maybe it’s the lingering, unanswered questions that she posed as her initial obstacles. Maybe she doesn’t want to know the answer- especially if the answer crumbles any last semblance of hope that she has left of a life that, maybe, she can choose for herself.
Her ears lift slightly when Astrid mentions Del and Cyran, and she covers her mouth with a hand. “Oh! You’re right.” she admits sheepishly, curling her fingers as she lowers to hold the basket again.
Everything that’s happened today… paired with the excitement of meeting Astrid, and the possibility of finding Everett in Sol City in the hopes of delivering on a promise that he probably doesn’t even remember, has been understandably distracting. She nods when Astrid points out her basket; the satyr is about to point them in the direction of the orphanage, when Astrid jangles past in her armour. Cypress blinks in surprise, then turns and scurries along after her, hooves clicking on the pavement. “I forgot you already know where it is.” she chuckles, adjusting a few things in her basket that have been jumbled around since she originally bought them.
She’s actually… not sure what Del or Cyran will say about this. Cypress has been, more or less, a bit of a homebody since moving to Darkveil to stay at the orphanage with Cashmere. This request might come as a shock- and she’s not sure if it’ll be a good one, or a bad one- but knowing Astrid already might prove a bonus to it.
She listens while Astrid prattles about packing a bag to take with them, because they might be out a while. “What kind of stuff do you take with you…? Water, snacks… maybe a first aid kit…?” she trails off, swinging her basket in front of her while she walks. “I guess you’d need a blanket, and maybe some solars… but I just spent most of my allowance.” She winces slightly, glancing sheepishly into her basket. “Maybe Del and Cyran could give me an advance on next month if I ask.”
At some point, she stopped actually talking to Astrid- instead, beginning to prattle quietly about idle planning on what to bring with her in soft mumbles and murmurs. When she finally catches herself, she offers Astrid an apologetic look, “You probably know more about this stuff than me, though. Do you, um…. Do you have to track down people a lot?”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Oct 24, 2023 17:43:19 GMT -5
As Astrid clanks past Cypress, she giggles. “Sure do! Ain’t a lot a’ nice places in Darkveil, so the orphanage is pretty easy ta find.” The building has definitely taken a beating with all the earthquakes and exploding volcanoes, but Cyran and Del have put a lot of effort into making improvements so the kids have a place to live that’s actually habitable. Not to mention, it isn’t too far from the rubble of the Rookery. She wonders when the heck Zarius will get that old place fixed up.
While they walk, Astrid thinks about Cypress might need. “Yeah, alla that sounds good… stuff fer campin’, like a tent an’ stuff, but I’ve got that. Don’t worry ‘bout the solars, I got more than I know what ta do with.” Despite keeping a massive food budget for traveling ever since becoming a noble, Astrid still can’t spend as many Solars as she earns from adventuring and being a noble. Part of it comes down to still being pretty frugal. She doesn’t buy new clothes very often (much to Kamille and Cantio’s chagrin), and she stays in modest inn rooms at best when in a town. Things obviously get more expensive when she travels with Blue, but even still, there isn’t a lot they want for except food.
Then it occurs to her that traveling without Blue Raspberry means carrying all their own stuff. A look of dismay crosses Astrid’s face, but she remembers there’s a simple fix for this: the house key, which will turn any door into a door into her foyer. Cantio has tripped over her traveling gear left haphazardly in the foyer more than once, but Astrid finds that to be the next most convenient way to store things when she’s close enough to a town or village. Plus, with the Elsewhere Juice, getting to major cities is significantly easier. Overall, travel is much less of a hassle than it was when she first started, so thinking about what she needs for traveling by the roads again takes a lot of brain power.
It’s when Cypress asks if Astrid knows how to track people down that the girl stops in place and considers that no, no she does not. “Uh…. Nope. Not really.” Admittedly, she's bad at finding people on purpose. There was a whole month she couldn't find a lick of Cantio, but then again, he was kidnapped by Veliky the whole time apparently... And then her mind goes down the rabbit hole of “How do we do that?” on top of “What if Cypress gets upset about somethin’ an’ blows it up again?” On one hand, it isn’t like the guards of Sol City can have any more of a problem with Astrid, and getting away from them has accidentally become a specialty of the little half-dwarf, but on the other hand, it’s probably better to get that under control.
Suddenly, Astrid whips around to face Cypress. “How about we work on gettin’ yer magic under wraps, an’ I can find someone ta help us track down this guy in the meantime?” Cyran can probably point her toward someone who could help. He used to do something shady for work, didn’t he? He could probably get Zarius to help since that fellblood seems to know everything all the time.
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 9, 2023 11:05:29 GMT -5
“ Yeah…” Cypress smiles sheepishly before shaking her head a little; she brushes a thumb over the woven texture of the basket held in her hands. “ I suppose that’s true; although, it’s a little rougher around the edges now, especially after everything that happened with the mountain…. But Cyran and Del are working hard to get everything back together.” Her remnant smile vanishes when she offers Astrid a small look of surprise when the girl admits she has more solars than she actually knows what to do with. “ Really?” She asks, her ears flopping as she tilts her head; how in the world does Astrid have that much? Was she adopted into a wealthy family, or… does adventuring really pay that well? Cypress has heard endless tales of treasure troves and ambitious people who risked their lives for great wealth; and everyone in those stories is way older than Astrid! The satyr’s eyes glitter, utterly taken by the accomplishments Astrid’s presumably has under her belt. “ Wow… I can’t imagine.” She chuckles wistfully. What would she do if she had more solars than she knew what to do with? She’d probably spend it helping Cyran and Del rebuild the orphanage, honestly; but if she used some for herself, she’d want a greenhouse. She could live in a greenhouse, right? Surrounded by flora and fauna, snuggled under a sleeping bag beneath the stars? It sounds nice; it sounds really nice, and it leaves a hungry, dreamy yearning in her chest.
She needs to stop thinking about things that simply won’t happen— and thankfully, Astrid cutting in is very distracting. Distracted by her daydreaming, Cypress blinks rapidly, “ Huh?” Cypress repeats, offering her a puzzled expression; she… doesn’t track down people? “ Wait, but then how are we going to find Everett? He could be anywhere across all of Charon by now…” Her tail flicks back and forth nervously, and she brings a curled finger to her chin while she tries to consider what she knows about him— but what she knows about Everett doesn’t help, because isn’t he a captain!? Or a sailor, maybe? Even Everett doesn’t know! But if he was really sea-faring, he could even BE ON THE LUNA SEA.Her expression darkens slightly. How… how is she supposed to find him when he could literally be anywhere!? Was he an aviary, too???
Oh gods, will she have to look for him in the sky!? Astrid’s quick movement startles Cypress; she pulls back slightly, the colour in her eyes flares when she pauses; and almost as if some kind of sick irony, an apple manifests in front of her. It just, pops into existence, as Astrid asks if she wants to get her magic under wraps. Cypress scrambles to grab the fruit before it hits the ground, her face darkening in embarrassment as it falls into her palms. (1)
Gosh, dang it!
“… Huh,” she sighs, shoulders dropping in exasperation; she offers the fruit out to Astrid. “That… um… might be a good idea.” She agrees, “Do you want this? It’ll go bad by tonight if it’s not eaten quickly.”
(1.) Create Food
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 10, 2023 17:32:01 GMT -5
“I’m sure Cyran an’ Del are doin’ a good job,” Astrid says with a reassuring smile. “They’re good people, always doin’ their best. Wish I could offer ‘em more help, but I’ve been busy helpin’ the cleanup efforts in Dragon’s Cradle. We established a whole new village fer the refugees there! Erm, royal “we,” like lots a’ folks came together ta make that happen.”
Astrid notices the quizzical look on Cypress’ face and tilts her own head in response. “Huh? Oh, the solars? Aye, yeah, I went real rags ta riches!” A giggle burbles up from her chest. “Bit a’ adventurin’, got meself a job now, so aye, when ya go from havin’ nothin’ ta havin’ enough, it’s like… more than ya needed a year ago, ya know?” It immediately occurs to her that Cypress would, in fact, not know. Embarrassment crosses Astrid’s face, and she shuffles ahead quickly.
It’s just in time for Astrid to ponder how the heck they’re going to find this Everett fellow. She doesn’t have a clue, so she’ll need to pool together some resources that can be extra eyes for her. Too bad she doesn’t know how to cast Kamille’s scrying spell or this might be a lot easier. Nope, better work on that magic!
And to her surprise, the magic manifests itself in the form of a fruit, which Cypress scrambles to catch and is successful. Astrid blinks, looking at it, then can’t help breaking into a soft laugh. “Aye, we need ta work on yer magic a bit,” she says, taking the apple and taking a big bite of it. She wipes the juices from her mouth and turns to head to the orphanage.
“Should we knock?” she calls back as she approaches the door. But she doesn’t wait for an answer before she just enters and shouts, “Helloooooooooooooo! Astrid an’ Cypress are here! I’m takin’ Cypress ta my house unless someone says otherwiiiiise!”
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 28, 2023 23:11:19 GMT -5
Is there anything that Astrid hasn’t done? She’s adventured, she’s found a family, she’s become well-off from being a street orphan, Cypress can only assume, anyways… She’s helped people, and she’s a part of the Golden Consortium… She feels a little twinge of something ugly in her chest amongst all the admiration, but she pushes it away with a sheepish chuckle while Astrid takes the apple. “ Uh… yeah, I know.” She admits with an embarrassed smile. Then there’s her, struggling to control her magic, and always in her own way. Astrid really is the kind of kid that any orphan would wish to be; but there’s probably more to the story. Cypress doesn’t like comparing herself to others, but sometimes that’s hard when she hears such wondrous stories— and she just can’t help wondering what it might feel like to have that sort of freedom. “ Oh, you can just—” —go in. Cypress does not finish before Astrid throws the door open, making her jump a little before she follows Astrid inside. She winces a little while Astrid shouts right next to her ear (her voice carries with an impressive boom), then calls out. “ Miss Del, Mister Cyran? I’m back from the market, and um, I ran into Miss Astrid while I was there.” She ushers Astrid into the orphanage, wiping the bottom of her hooves on the welcome mat, before shutting the door behind them. She adjusts her basket on one arm before hopping after Astrid. There’s a soft, lived-in buzz in the orphanage; kids giggling in separate rooms, a squeal, the clacking of toys. Cypress is very used to the sound. “ They might be in Mister Cyran’s office? It’s down this way.”
As Cypress makes her way to the office, Cyran’s door is unlocked; as it often is during the day when children are prone to slipping in and out to find him for whatever they might need. The man himself is leaning against his table, looking over a few scattered pieces of paper, too far away for Cypress to see, if she was so inclined to look - but the elven man flinches at the sound of Cypress letting herself and Astrid in (or more accurately, Astrid letting herself in, and Cypress following) and waves a gloved hand over the documents, making them disappear from sight. (Klepto Gloves - Cyran) He straightens, affixing a smile on his face and brushing hair over the side of his cheek, as if to hastily obscure some of the still-healing bruises remaining from the battle of Vulcadreus from sight of the kids, lest he worry them. He leans closer to Del, the two looking very much like a united parental front in that moment. ”Cypress? How can we help you, Sprout? And Astrid, it’s good to see you too. It’s been a while." Well, if one did not account for the battle against Vulcadreus, but the elven man doesn't see fit to ask about that in front of Cypress. "Um, what’s this about going to your house?”
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 28, 2023 23:11:51 GMT -5
As Cyran abruptly pulls away from the desk, so too does Del, doing her absolute best to look casual, nonchalant, even. It's to her credit that she does not simply vault across the room in surprise— given the situation they were currently in the midst of dealing with (or, rather, trying to avoid) that could have been expected. Fortunately, the people bursting through the door are sweet Cypress and—
Oh, gods.
"Welcome home, Cypress. Astrid!" Del's smile is tight around the corners. Delighted to see the young girl, and recalling how very sharp she was. She tries to find a casual, defintely-not-awkward way to stand near the table before taking refuge with Cyran as he shifted closer to her. "I didn't know you and Cypress were friends! It's good to see you're, ah. Well." 'Good' might be a stretch, but in Del's experience, the fellblood-dwarf was usually quite upbeat. "So. House. You, ah. Didn't suddenly move to Darkveil last we met, yes?"
Seeing Cyran and Del sitting close, Astrid finally has all of her suspicions confirmed about the two of them. Some real confirmation is nice to say the least.
"Hiya, lovebirds," Astrid says as nonchalantly as she ever could as if the last time she saw them both wasn't on the battlefield against a giant dragon god of rebirth and the time before that after nearly dying to a vengeful Ur-Beast in the mountains of Dragon's Cradle. The kid bounces back like rubber, it seems.
She looks at Cypress beside her then back at the two parental units, for lack of a better term. "Aye, we're friends as of about ten minutes ago, as a matter a' fact!" The nice thing about other kids who aren't exactly usual is that they don't tend to make a lot of judgments about also unusual kids.
It doesn't hurt to run up and flying punch a scam artist in the streets in their defense though.
"Nah, I ain't moved ta Darkveil, just me house in Sky Peak," Astrid continues. "Need a safe place fer Cypress ta potentially blow herself or me up. A mountainside ain't a bad place fer that." She speaks as if an expert on the matter - probably because she has enough experience to be just that. "Askin' ya is just a courtesy, really," she says with a smile. "Didn't wanna worry ya."
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 28, 2023 23:19:32 GMT -5
The young satyr has been a member of Shade’s Valley for long enough that Cyran can read when she is nervous - he sees it in the way she suddenly cannot bring herself to look him in the eye the way she does when she thinks she might be about to ask for something that she feels is overly selfish but in reality is something most children should be allowed to have. Snacks, allowance, the like. Cyran laughs nervously at the word ‘lovebirds’, waving the word away while Astrid forges on. It should not surprise him that they met quite recently and became quickly acquainted. He wants Cypress to have friends and normal child experiences and moments to enjoy. Though the words that Astrid boldly explains next do not inspire much confidence. Cyran straightens, a knot of tension creeping into his shoulders, especially at Astrid’s bold assertion that this is ‘just a courtesy’, which. Does not make him happy to hear, especially right on the tail end of stating that they’re planning on blowing themselves up.And, well, perhaps it is the recent events that have left him more tetchy than normal, but Cyran must stand his ground. “Well, it’s not a courtesy to let one’s legal guardian know when they’re leaving. I have to know where Cypress is in the event of any emergency, and she’s not an adventurer, so it’s for her own safety that her guardian is aware of where she’s going.”He can already feel a headache brewing. Oh, goddess, he never would have thought that he’d find a bad influence for his kids in the form of Astrid of all people. Youths these days, thinking they can go about all willy-nilly. He turns now to Cypress, who seems especially nervous at the request, his cold, no-nonsense tone warming. “Of course you can go, poppet. So long as, um, you’re not… blowing yourself up, really.” He knows that she’s not got the strongest grip on her magic, and it is true that Astrid likely has a better compound for handling magical mishaps than an orphanage. He does worry, oh, how he does. But she will never be able to learn how to love life and enjoy all it has to offer if she remains sequestered in a home filled with tension and anxiety, despite his best efforts. He walks up to her and bends down, putting his hands on her shoulders. “I do appreciate you asking.” He takes a moment to give Astrid another stern look in response to her smug grin. The ‘try and stop me’ attitude does not work on him. Especially when it comes to kids under his care. It is, perhaps, the one rare instance he does not mind being assertive. Turning back to Cypress, he continues, “I don’t want you to live in fear of your gifts, okay? They are such a wonderful thing, and I know Astrid is a good soul,” despite her proclivity for challenging Cyran’s authority, apparently, “And I don’t think there’s a better peer out there to help lift you up and give that lovely spirit confidence. I’m sure Del agrees.”He glanced back at his fiance before turning back, a pleading look on his face. “You will write for us in an emergency, won’t you? The two of us love you a hell of a lot, and we’ll come pick you up if you need it. Just say the word.”
”Oof—“ Cypress rocks forwards with the unexpected clap; beneath her feet, there’s a sudden explosion of clovers from the cracks in the floorboard. She looks sheepishly at Astrid, the complete opposite of her smug, confident air; but at the very least, Astrid’s complete lapse in any visible nerves does seem to calm her enough to offer a weak smile and a nod to the girl. She takes a little breath before daring to peek towards Cyran and Del, doing her best to project some of Astrid’s confidence to little avail.
When Cyran quickly scolds Astrid about what she’s said though, that confidence curls like the small ferns branching up beneath her hooves. Cypress shifts between her feet nervously, offering Astrid an awkward glance before looking rather specifically at the desk rather than her guardians. It’s not… a no, not yet— but then Cyran speaks again, and Cypress perks up a little; although, her expression wrinkles with embarrassment when he mentions it again. “I don’t want to blow myself up.” she objects hesitantly— but she also doesn’t really know if she can promise that she won’t— given how poor her command over her magic really is.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 28, 2023 23:20:19 GMT -5
Doing a poor job of hiding her sputter at being referred to as 'love-birds' Del clears her throat, quieting so as to hear the story behind how Cypress and Astrid had met and what sort of antics they were bound to get up to. It did not take long for Del to be sporting a similar countenance of stern worry as the pair enthusiastically describe their plans.
Del's jaw sets as she looks between the two girls. Not out of disapproval (though she was against blowing ones self up, as a matter of principle) but because she had very recently seen Astrid unmoving in a crater and brought her back to her frantic father and had quite seen enough of that to last a life-time, especially after the even more recent battle involving the giant primordial being that had sat in the volcano.
That said, her experience with Fish ensured that she knew that when confronted with capable, willful children, it was best to give them room to explore– provided they had the appropriate safety nets. She arches both brows as she looks at Cypress and Astrid, nodding her agreement with Cyran's words. "I can't think of anyone better suited to showing you the ropes, Cypress." An encouraging smile appears on her lips. "Make sure you have something on hand to put out any fires and you stop to take breaks for refreshment. I recommend dirt. For putting out fires, not eating." She waves a hand as if they should know what she meant.
"In any case... we'll be there quick as we can if you need anything at all."
Astrid takes note of Cyran's look and tones it down immediately. She does lean in to say in a hushed, almost slightly embarrassed tone, "Erm, we can be back in an instant. Won't take us but a few steps ta get ta me home then a potion ta get back. So we can come back whenever ya want."
Understandably, the girl hadn’t done the best of jobs introducing her brilliant plan to the two adults in the room, for a moment forgetting that most kids aren’t exactly like her in their experiences. Cyran is right about Cypress not being an adventurer, and Astrid should do well to respect that. As fun as she might find throwing herself into risky situations, she doesn’t need to pressure anyone, especially not a new friend, into that. They can’t all just eat their problems like Blue Raspberry or beat them with a hammer into submission like herself.
And it isn’t like she forgot the situation with the Ur-Beast, she’s just not thinking about it, nor is she thinking about how it affected Del – at least, not in this moment.
Yeah, she feels a bit awkward. Cyran and Del have enough going on, they don’t need more worrying on their plate. Even if it’s fun to tease them, she really shouldn’t give them a hard time given the mess with the volcano and Darkveil and Vulcadreaus and who knows what other aftermath is on their mind.
Finally, she finds her words again, a quiet and less confident voice, one that says she’s sorry without saying so outright. “Um, hope everythin’s goin’ alright after all the… everythin’. I promise we’ll be safe. I won’t let Cypress get hurt. Not beyond nothin’ we can’t fix with a bit a’ Da’s magic an’ some potions. The yard’s good fer practicin’ magic, honest. Ain’t nothin’ ta break there that I ain’t already broken an’ fixed.”
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 28, 2023 23:22:06 GMT -5
She looks sheepishly at Del, head tucked just slightly, before looking back at Cyran; and Astrid adds in, too, that they’ll be safe and anything broken can be fixed.
She’s about to continue, when Cyran bends down to put his hands on her shoulders; and Cypress blinks, quieting down while he speaks. She offers Astrid another awkward glance when Cyran looks sternly at her, before looking back at him when he continues. While he speaks, the plants beneath her hooves stop their reaching for the sky.
Something about hearing this thing she’s felt plagued with for so long being called a gift is strange, but it makes Cypress feel light on her hooves. Like, maybe it isn’t a parasite; like, maybe if she tries hard enough she can control it. She feels a burning behind her eyes and along the bridge of her nose while Cyran continues; her lip wobbles, and she buries her fingertips into the fabric of her skirts when he says that they love her, and they’ll come pick her up if they need to.
It’s such a small thing to say, and Cypress hasn’t really heard it before; and she’s not really sure if it’s because she isn’t avoiding Cyran’s eye, or if it’s because she’s made a friend, or if it’s because there’s a little glimmer of hope, but she doesn’t know how to quite contain the childish glee she feels when it all finally sets in. She breaks into a big grin, laughing sheepishly to hide the tears over something that feels so very minuscule; she suddenly bounces up on the tip of her hooves, clumsily wrapping her arms around mister Cyran’s shoulders, and burrowing her head against him.
“I will! I’ll write right away if I need to, and I’ll eat dirt! I mean—” Cypress pushes herself away from Cyran, looking embarrassed. “I won’t eat the dirt, I’ll put fires out with it. I mean, hopefully there won’t be any fires, but— but if there is, then dirt…” She panics a little while trying to recover herself, but ultimately wiggles away from Cyran for long enough to boof into Del for a hug. “Thank you, Miss Del!” She beams, before glancing back excitedly over her shoulder at Astrid— now with official permission to visit her house in Dragon’s Cradle.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 29, 2023 20:29:01 GMT -5
Cyran is relieved to see that Cypress isn’t too upset, and that the nerves die down when she realizes that she’s not going to be in trouble simply for asking for the opportunity to go have a little fun (with the risk of danger, but it was a hard-learned lesson for Cyran to remember that oft times nothing was without its own troubles). The relief turns to worry once more at the sight of tears brimming the corners of her eyes, but then she wraps him and Del in excited hugs, and he can practically feel the excitement thrumming in the air. Cyran must not cry in front of her. He is a full grown man, damnit. So instead he bends down and presses a little kiss to her forehead and ruffles her hair. It is a little nerve-wracking to see her go, leaving on her first big adventure since coming under his care. But he has faith she will be alright.
“Be safe, both of you.” He says gently, pulling himself to his legs and ignoring the pop of his knees. “We’re only a messenger bird away.”
He watches the kids bound off, gone as quickly as they’d come in their excitement, running his fingers along the plants that have spontaneously grown in his office. They really are beautiful… perhaps one day she will be able to see them the way he sees them.
For now, he will settle for keeping some clippings. They will make a lovely plant on his desk, a reminder of the first time he got to see her truly happy.
Being around children as much as she has for the better part of a year has been an enlightening experience, one that Del was certain bore no further surprises... but watching the expressions on both Cypress and Astrid's faces, finds a unique way to melt her heart. Cypress's bewildered joy in feeling protected and cared for, and Astrid's sheepishness both. Maybe she was getting soft.
That was a good thing.
Del wraps Cypress in a tight hug, strong arms squeezing the satyr in a warm embrace before letting her go. "Be safe, and thank you for not eating dirt," she laughs softly. Then, she offers one to Astrid as well, smiling gently. "I trust you, and I know you have everything under control. You be safe, too."
After giving Astrid a tight hug, if she would allow for it, Del watches the pair of kids tear off on their grand adventure, until they're out of sight and their voices cannot be heard echoing excitedly off the wooden halls.
“We’ll be safe,” Astrid promises again, this time with an extra nod. It’s clear how much Cyran and Del care about Cypress, which only serves to further solidify Astrid’s decision to bring that gaggle of kids here those months ago. She knows they’re loved just as much as Cantio loves her. That’s the most important thing, in her opinion. After all, that’s something she longed for in her time alone.
She’s glad Cypress has people like that in her life.
Without hesitation, Astrid accepts Del’s hug. She never turns down a good hug when one is offered. If hugs could buy food, she’d probably accept them as payment for her adventuring. It’s a good hug, appreciative, especially after Astrid was a bit too delirious and out of it to really show as much gratitude as she wanted to after the whole last situation. At least after the whole Vulcadreaus situation, she went home relatively unscathed to a relieved Cantio. Del and Cyran deserve that, too.
Besides, it’s just a multi-day training-sleepover-type-thing!
Wait, sleepover.
This is her first real sleepover! For a moment she considers Blue Raspberry but then decides that they don’t exactly count since they live there.
A wave of excitement rushes down Astrid’s spine and down to her extremities as she waves Cyran and Del goodbye and tears off down the hall with Cypress. She shoves her hand into her pockets and fishes out her key to the house. “Come on!” she says. “There’s all sorts a’ stuff we can do that ain’ just practicin’ magic! We can make cookies, an’ me da makes the best cocoa, an’ I can teach ya stuff about potions an’ smithin’ and–”
Astrid’s voice trails off as, rather than opening the front door, she instead checks for a keyhole then shoves her house key inside. When she opens the door, rather than the shabby streets of Darkveil, they’re looking into the foyer of Astrid’s house in Sky Peak Village. “See? Told ya it was a quick trip!”
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 29, 2023 20:50:21 GMT -5
Cypress giggles; when she finally pulls away from Del; tears still glaze her eyes. She sniffs, her face rosey in an unflattering way from her resistance to the tears, but the affection from Del and Cyran and the promises that she’s loved, and that she can come back, and that they want her to come back, is a lot. It feels nice.
Warm, like Del’s hugs; safe, like the press of Cyran’s kiss against her forehead. She swoops away from Del to rejoin Astrid, wiping beneath her eyes with a sleeve while Del offers Astrid a hug— and once they’ve bid all they need to say— Cypress grins and tears after Astrid down the hall, her hooves clacking against the old wood of Shade’s Orphanage. “ Bye Del, bye Cyran!” She calls over her shoulder, waving just before she disappears out the door to join Astrid. " We'll be careful, promise!!" This is… this is great! This is really exciting! She feels like she's on pins and needles! This morning, Cypress had woken to a bleak view of her room; to everything being the same; habits that never changed, and routines that never faltered; feelings that always haunted her in the back of her mind. For just a moment, though, the excitement drowns out anything else. It drowns out the hesitance, the uncertainty, the fear; all she can think about is how different, how fun this is going to be.
All she can hear is Astrid’s excited chattering, and Cypress wiggles her ears and tail, unable to stifle her own excitement. “ I love baking!” She exclaims excitedly; she bounces on her hooves, waiting for Astrid to open the door; but she doesn’t quite do that. Instead, she pulls out a key, and sticks it in the lock; but even that is mute to Cypress’ chatter. “ Have you ever baked chocolate-chip muffins? I make them here for the kids once in a while, they go really well with— woah.” She finally shuts up when the door opens, and gawks at the image through it. Instead of the Darkveil streets, it’s… It’s her house!? “ Is this your HOUSE?” She burbles, sticking a hand immediately through the door, and waving it around; nothing really happens, of course, but she’s never actually seen magic like this. “ Wait, this goes right to your house? How??” Well, she saw how— she saw Astrid pull out the key— but! But! AHHHH, THIS IS COOL.Seeing magic like this up close! Cypress glances excitedly at Astrid for permission before she hops through the door to the other side.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 29, 2023 21:14:38 GMT -5
The two of them immediately start feeding off of each other’s energy. Their excitement in the air could literally be called electric, in Astrid’s case, and possibly Cypress’ case. “Chocolate chip muffins sound real good! I like chocolate in me pancakes. I mean… I just like chocolate! It’s real expensive apparently ‘cause the beans only grow in certain parts a’ the world, but it’s soooo good!” As she opens the door, she looks at Cypress. “Say, have ya ever had a Blixt?”
With the front door open to the familiar foyer of Astrid’s home, the half-dwarf beams proudly. “Aye, a special magical key I got from me adventurin’ that makes it real easy fer me ta get home! Helps me da not worry so much, ya know? An’ I don’t hafta camp out as much. Learned about a special potion that’ll let me travel ta any city on the map too, so I get ta spend a lot more time at home instead a’ hoofin’ it fer weeks on the road. That potion is how we’ll get ya back here real quick, so if ya get homesick, don’t feel bad about askin’. We can be back an’ forth in a jiffy!”
Motioning for Cypress to join her, Astrid steps inside and basks in the warm afternoon light pouring through the windows and warming the floors of the foyer and living room. “Ya can even have a whole room ta yerself. I’ll give ya the to–”
“BOOF!?”
Suddenly, a blur of black and red comes scraping across the floor from down the hall and leaping straight onto Astrid. Sturdy as she is, Astrid doesn’t fall over, but that’s not without getting a face full of fiery hot breath and a tongue to the face from Spicy Pawsage. “ACK! Spicy, down!” The hound backs off and spins around excitedly then his vision becomes laser-focused on Cypress.
“BOOF.”
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Post by Cypress Springleap on Nov 29, 2023 21:29:34 GMT -5
“ No! What’s a Blixt?” Cypress answers with both excitement and in earnest. She smiles while she listens to Astrid’s explanation; and although she’s a little embarrassed about the inclusion of possibly getting homesick; the fact that it’s so easy to return does ease what lingering nerves she might have. She nods enthusiastically before jumping into the door after Astrid. Both of her hooves clack against the floor in Astrid’s foyer, and Cypress lifts her hooves, still marveling at the sudden transportation right to Astrid’s house! Gosh, that’s so convenient! She looks up with a smile when Astrid starts speaking, and then— BOOF!?
She bristles, not expecting the sound of a dog, nor expecting the massive blur that comes rushing through the hall, into the foyer, and directly into Astrid. She takes a step back, a laugh escaping her lips; she covers her mouth, smiling while she watches Spicy excitedly lap at Astrid. “ I didn’t know you had a puppy!” She exclaims— but when the pupper stops its dancing and looks directly at her with a sort of intense focus— she feels a wave of nervousness that she hadn’t felt when it was interacting with Astrid's return home. Ohhhhhh that’s not a puppy. That’s a whole hellhound.
“ Hi puppy,” she tries to greet, but there’s a shake in her voice. The look it’s giving her and it’s big boof are a bit intimidating when she’s not sure what to expect. She laughs nervously, plants beginning to spring up ‘round her hooves once again. “ You’re a good boy, aren’t you? Um, is he okay with strangers?” She adds in a whisper, scooting just a little closer to Astrid for the extra insurance.
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Post by Lady Astrid Stormstone on Nov 29, 2023 21:53:53 GMT -5
“Oh, ho, you’ll see what a Blixt is,” Astrid says with a big, devious grin as she backs into the foyer. “Hope ya like all nighters!”
Being tackled by Spicy Pawsage upon first entering the house is not an unusual occurrence in the Storm-Lumen house, and Astrid really should have been better prepared for it, but she was so distracted by the excitement of everything that she completely forgot. As she pushes him off, wiping her face, she says, “Aye, yeah. Should a’ warned ya, but I weren’t thinkin’ about it. Spicy, get dow– No, nooooo. You leave Cypress alone!”
But Spicy Pawsage is just so dang excited. Before he manages to pounce, Astrid grabs his collar and forces him to sit, holding him still until the energy wiggles itself out of his hot body. It helps when she offers him a scrap of jerky which he immediately focuses on and sits still as the dead in the hell he is from.
She takes a breath. “Okay, now ya can pet him. He’s toasty, though, so don’t be surprised when he’s hot.”
And as she says, Spicy Pawsage sits still, ears perked and eyes focused on the jerky, only occasionally glancing back at Cypress with curiosity more than caution or the want to consume.
“Go on, he won’t bite ya. A few good sniffs an’ it’ll be right as rain.”
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