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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 28, 2023 23:15:01 GMT -5
Just exiting the Marsh Flats, Elvira trudged alone. The only sounds were her shoes against the grass, the wind blowing through the occasional tree, and the song she had begun singing out loud. She wasn't exactly sure where the song had come from, but she remembered her family singing "The Parting Glass" at the end of parties, get-togethers, and even at funerals as a child and now she refused to let it slip from her mind.
"And of all the sweethearts that e'er I've had
They'd wish me one more day to stay"
She almost paused at those lyrics. The past few weeks raced through her head, mostly of one person in particular. The tone of her next words nearly falters as she begins to smile. She thought of the messy black hair, the glowing eyes...
Elvira laughed. She wasn't exactly sure what her brain was playing at, but it was kind of... fun? It made her think of another song. Though it was slightly embarrassing, she decided just to go with it. Nobody was around to hear, right? She decided to belt the song out. Her voice was angelically smooth and pronounced from all the years of the choir at Temple of the Moon. The lyrics filled the night air, only accentuated by the stars above.
"Black is the colour of my true love’s hair.
Her lips are like some roses fair
She has the sweetest smile and the gentlest hands
And I love the ground whereon she stands.
I love my love and well she knows
I love the ground whereon she goes
I wish the day it soon would come
When she and I could be as one"
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 29, 2023 0:03:19 GMT -5
Rena hums softly to herself, idly chirping and trilling as she lays back against a tree, cradling one of her eggs to her chest, occasionally letting out a gentle coo as she nuzzles the smooth shell.
Her feathers ruffle as she hear the singing, shining silver eyes flicking up to track toward the source of the sound...then relaxes as she sees the somewhat familiar form of Elvira pass below her branch. The cursed crow smiles softly, gently tucking the egg away and savoring the sound of the cleric's singing as she hums a little louder to join in.
It's a lilting tune, soft and gentle and carrying on the wind, reminding the crow of better times...of times spent with her husband and mate, of the time before the snow came and refused to leave, before starvation and hunger and betrayal and hate/hurt/pain/anger - she jolts, eyes snapping wide open as the thing under her skin writhes in a bid to gain control and hunt/kill/feast - Rena shudders, digging the blunt talons of one hand into the feathered flesh of the opposite arm in a desperate, determined, almost spiteful bid to ground herself and retain control of her own faculties and body.
"...oh no ye don't, ye bi'lyrtr n'ta'fal br'okke1," she growls, glaring at where she can see the curse straining against the inside of her skin, "not todae, not ever. not the way ye want"
1. you bloody [expletive redacted]
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 29, 2023 1:02:47 GMT -5
Despite being in song, Elvira had caught the sound coming from her left. She began to walk over to give a warm welcome, but no sooner than her smile had appeared did it wash away as her gentle gait turned into a hurried jog. She had spotted her feathered acquaintance digging into their own skin, and she worried about the endless possibilities behind the cause of this.
The language was strange to her as she hadn't been requested much by the feathered race; they typically held their own funerals or not at all. At least, that's what she was told in her schooling. Regardless, the tone of Rena's voice was all she needed to hear to understand. Something was bothering the avian, and bothering her bad.
As Elvira approached, she didn't notice the wriggling, writhing skin of Rena. The feathers had covered it from her perspective, only camouflaged more by the iridescence of Rena's feathers. The moon elf opted to not do her usual first-contact actions of putting a hand on her patient's shoulder. She was wary of the talons. One of the few avian patients she had gave her that lesson the hard way. Instead, she knelt nearby in the grass, just out of reach.
"Mae govannen, málo1. What bothers you?"
1. "Well met, friend."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 29, 2023 1:15:35 GMT -5
Rena glances back up, a pained grimace on her beak, "...ach, t'os n'hil1 - er, it's nothin'. just...just a condition o' mine. part o' the transformation I demonstrated back at Darkveil. Comes with more downsides than benefits, and this is just one o' them," there's something in her voice...an attempt to warn the other without revealing her cursed nature, to ward the cleric away so as to prevent any risk of the thing writhing against her bones forcing her hand to some...regrettable course of action.
Even still, some part of her wants Elvira to stay, for whatever small measure of comfort the cleric could provide someone like her...perhaps even to take the eggs away, should the worst happen and cause the crow to lose all control of both her faculties and flesh.
Regardless, it had been days since she last indulged the Hunger, since she'd last allowed the thing behind her eyes to hunt and feed, and now there was meat/prey/flesh a person coming within harm's reach. There was a reason she kept away from cities, barely went into towns and villages, and this was exactly it.
1. "oh, it's nothing"
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 29, 2023 19:11:13 GMT -5
Elvira gave a soft smile and adjusted herself to a seated position, scooting her back against the same tree that Rena had chosen. She glanced up to the stars and focused, feeling their warmth and their energy flow. "Isn't it fascinating? There are perhaps billions of stars, maybe even more worlds, and we were placed on this one. It gives me a sense of wonder to think that all of history... every war, every political dispute, every death, even every breath... it all leads up to the moment we live in now."
The cleric laughs softly. "Apologies, my ramblings have gone existential. I meant not to give you a crisis! As for your affliction, is there any way for me to aid you? Give me the word, and I will do anything in my power to render aid."
It was about now that she spotted the writhing of the skin underneath Rena's feathers. She remembered the stories from back in her schooling, how they were taught to be fearful of those with the curse. Of course she had a bit of instilled fear but, with Rena, she had seen her control this back in Darkveil. She had trust for the bird. Trust, and an innate sense of curiosity. She reaches out and gently takes the avian's arm into her hands, carefully turning it over to see. "Is it painful?"
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 29, 2023 19:34:54 GMT -5
an approximation of a smile forms on the crow's beak, "...ach, I appreciate that, lass. but I'm afraid nothin' short o' me death could lift this affliction o' mine...'n p'raps not even that"
the thing squirms under her skin some more, slowly calming as Rena focuses on grounding herself...five things to see, four to hear, three to feel, two to smell, one to taste...just breathe. there's meat/prey/flesh a friend here, she doesn't have to be afraid...
those silver eyes open once more, something alien and unknowable shifting behind them as she sighs, "...but t' answer y're question...it is fascinating. makes me wonder what could've caused to snow to stay as long as it did," there's a bitterness in her voice as she mentions the disaster that claimed her clansfolk...the people local to the area it had effected had called it fimbulwinter...the Eternal Snow. It hadn't effected a very large area, but the place that had been impacted was already a struggling area isolated by the mountains, so the extension of the last winter the valley had experienced from a mere three months to almost twelve had been more than crippling.
Crops had failed, animals and people alike had starved, and more than a few of the survivors had come down with a flavor of curse similar to Rena's own, with the few cursed individuals who'd survived long enough to talk about it mentioning that they'd been utterly unafflicted before having to resort to cannibalism.
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 29, 2023 20:53:56 GMT -5
Elvira's smile visibly faded upon hearing of the snow once more. She had heard some tales of the extraordinary weather event, none of them ended well. In fact, she had helped a few of the funerals that had taken place. It was unusual for avians to request help, but the amount of death was impossible for them to handle. She remembered the sorrow of those families, forever changed.
Her eyes dart downwards, gazing upon the eggs inside the satchel to Rena's side. She considered touching one, they looked so smooth, but she decided against it as she felt it would be rude... and potentially a dangerous maneuver, too. Her mind began to wonder, though, about the storms themselves. She remembers all the talk of aid being given, all the politics around it. She wasn't sure what came of it, though.
As she's thinking of this, she began to feel sorrow deep down. She knew what it was like to have one's life turned entirely upside down. Despite this, she knew she couldn't entirely relate as she had a support system afterwards. Losing an entire village of people was rather hard to imagine for her. With this in mind, she decided to try to carefully navigate the situation.
She decides to take her hood down, revealing her curious and caring deep blue eyes and dark gray hair. After a moment, she looks to Rena and speaks with a soft tone. "I'm not sure I had asked back in Darkveil, as we had other tasks to focus on. What is your story, Rena? What brought you to where we are now?"
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 29, 2023 21:03:14 GMT -5
Rena tilts her head, gently taking out one of the eggs and cradling it to her chest once more as she hums, silver eyes going up to the stars as she sighs, "...I...you've heard about Fimbulwinter? My clan's hold was near the center of the valley. near...the center of the storm. The other clans in the valley...they blamed us for it, said it started near us, so we must have caused it. I...I don't know if'n there's any truth to that, but I know that's why I had to fight my way out toward the mountains when I finally left," she shudders, clutching the egg a little tighter, "...these eggs of mine were laid only six months ago, now. middle of the winter, it was. I...I had no idea if my little ones were even alive in their shells, but...but I couldn't risk letting them hatch into that. for all we knew, the winter would never end...sometimes I think it only did because the survivors scattered...my husband, Tolling Bell, he was...he was with me for most of the journey out, but...we got separated near the end..." she curls in on herself, tears shining starkly on the black feathers of her cheeks, "...can barely sleep these days, now that I have noone to share the nest with save the little ones..."
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 29, 2023 23:14:57 GMT -5
"I doubt that one tribe could have caused that kind of storm. Unless, that is, a majority of the people had gotten together to do so." She shakes her head. "It reminds me of my own biases. I had thought Tatalia were some evil creature when I had first met her." As she speaks, a small smile creeps across her face. She began to daydream for a moment, only snapping out of it at Rena's next words.
When the avian clutched her egg to her chest, Elvira couldn't help but smile. She thought of what motherhood was like, but she failed to properly imagine it. She knew that, however much she wished, it was out of reach for her. It was a pained thought, but yet she lived on for she felt that her purpose lay elsewhere. "You are a good mother, despite what you may feel at times. Insurmountable odds had been placed in your path, yet you survived with your clutch. An impossible task for most, but you have proven yourself to be different than most. I rather hope you feel proud." Upon finishing the sentence, she leans back against the tree and looks up to the stars, a twinkle flashing across her darkened-blue eyes. "I have come across many-a-folk who did not make it to the elderly ages. In fact, I ventured here to perform a ritual to bless the lost souls beneath the stars. I feel for them, for I myself was lost once."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 29, 2023 23:26:30 GMT -5
The mother-crow smiles softly, gentle talons running across the egg's surface as she trills, "...we're all lost every once in a while...'s just some of us are lucky or spiteful or determined enough to keep from gettin' bogged down..." she hums softly, closing her eyes and simply holding close her unhatched child as she murmurs, "...'s not easy...'n sometimes y're left with mementos...but 's rare that making it to tomorrow isn't worth the cost."
Rena lets out a quiet chirp, softly trilling and humming and idly allowing a bayonet to slide free from her sleeve, examining the sliver of her reflection in the polished metal, "...these blades o' mine were a gift from me husband, y'know? 'e 'ammered 'em out 'imself as an engagement gift, mixed 'is own feathers into the metal while is was molten. some days...some days I imagine I can feel a little of 'im in them...and even if 'e is gone...at least I've still got a part o' 'im with me..."
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 30, 2023 0:18:08 GMT -5
Elvira looks to the blades with a wonder. A mere moment passes before her eyes practically bug out of her head. She lifts her hand and holds it over the blades as if she were feeling warmth from their metals. A gasp escapers her as she quickly jerks her hand back. She had felt something... someone, even. She felt him. Her eyes looked almost beady. "I... I can't believe this. I have heard stories of it, but-" she began to laugh "-I have never met a single person from my order who had seen this. Your husband, those blades. He remains with you! By your side, just as the blades are. He guides your blades to strike true, showing care in what ways he can. You have felt a special connection with these blades, no doubt?"
At this point, she nearly teared up. It was, to be quite frank, the most touching show of affection she had seen. One's lover, standing by them in the afterlife. It wasn't unheard of, but in her time most of them would opt to pass on, watching from the spiritual realms. From the power she felt, she had the feeling that Tolling Bell would have fought with her to stay should she try to guide his soul to the other realms. All she could do is stare in disbelief.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 30, 2023 0:38:15 GMT -5
Rena blinks, staring at the cleric for a long moment before the words click, "...you...y'mean t' tell me 'es in there? in my bayonets?" tears begin to flow down her cheeks, "...'es...my Bell...'es...'es dead...but...but 'es with me...oh...oh stars..." she shudders, letting out a soft cry as she chirps with broken joy, carefully holding the lone unsheathed bayonet close, "...I don' know if'n you can hear me in there, ka'to'bi1...but I'm gonna find a way to talk to you again...you're not gonna be alone in your head for much longer..."
she shudders again, letting out a wet laugh as she leans back against the tree, gently sliding the blade back up her sleeve, "...stars above...thank you for telling me, Elvira. I...I don't know what I would've done, if I'd found out later...stars, I hope he can hear me...can't imagine what it'd be like if he couldn't...if it was just him and the darkness..."
1. my love - rough translation
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 30, 2023 1:30:19 GMT -5
Elvira nodded softly, feeling a sense of happiness and pride for helping someone- a friend- in a dark time. As the words and the tears spill from her avian friend, she carefully places a hand on their side. "You are welcome, but I must be honest with you, málo. We are not entirely sure if they can hear us. We are fairly certain that they can, but there's no way for us to tell. I can assure you, however, he knows how you feel now. He has linked to you, or rather an extension of you, and thus has bonded with you. I can only imagine this means he hears your every word, perhaps even your every thought."
She shakes her head, still in a state of absolute disbelief. "You... you must have had a serious bond with your lover, málo. If I may ask... what was it like, being with one who truly cared for you? One who caressed you, gave you the love that could only come from a burning passion lit by the bond betwixt two lovers?" The cleric looks up, her eyes now filled with a familiar pain, the kind of pain that could only come from one who longs for a meaningful companionship with another. In the front of her mind, she felt that she shouldn't seek a relationship, that she should stay her path as she would only harm others through a relationship since she could not be around due to her chosen path. The back of her mind, however, longed for the touch of another.
She caught herself longing and cleared her throat. Feeling bad now, she gave a sorrowful look. "I-I apologize. I should never have asked that question, it is rather unbecoming of me to have outed my feelings in such a way."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Dec 30, 2023 1:53:36 GMT -5
Rena blinks, flush thankfully hidden beneath her feathers as she considers the question, "...n-no...you're fine. just sorta came out of left field...it..." she pauses, "...it...it was incredible. like I'd been incomplete all my life without knowing it, and suddenly this missing half of my soul just...clicked into place. Wasn't as simple and clean as that, but...that's how it felt. It was good. we...we stayed by eachother, even during Fimbulwinter, y'know? he used that glaive of his to help me fend off our clanspeople when they went feral from hunger. So many other couples killed eachother for food, shattered their own eggs to drink the life of their offspring, but he...he stayed by me, even though it meant slaying his own siblings..." the crow sighs, sliding a bayonet from her sleeve and considering the gleaming blade for a moment, "...it's really something else, spending cold nights curled up with your love next to the fire..." there's a soft...sort of smile on her beak now, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears as she looks back at the cleric, "...if ye really want to know how it feels...find someone who makes you feel just a little more like yourself, and lean into that. not hard enough to scare 'em off...but you've got to trust your heart, your instincts. otherwise you'll never really be."
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Post by Elvira, Wandering Cleric on Dec 30, 2023 2:43:36 GMT -5
Elvira's deep blue eyes looked intensely at Rena as she spoke. She had focused on every single word to leave the beak of the avian sat next to her. By the end of it, she cracked a smile. Her mind had immediately thought of a certain someone she met recently. That feeling she felt when around them was it...?
She laughed softly. "I believe I have someone in mind. An adventurer with a golden heart, one that taught me not to judge others for the uncontrollable factors of life. One who had undone years of fears instilled in me by those who were ignorant to the truth. On top of all this, a wild and natural beauty. To be honest, I'm rather fascinated by her. The issue that presents itself, baring its ugly teeth, is how to approach her. I do fear that I will, as you say, 'scare her off.' I wish not to lose this person. They happen to be the first being I had found myself comfortable with in... well, a rather long time. See, it is only because of them that I am willing to lower my hood in your presence. The mere fact that they had been willing to speak so candidly to me, it gave me a comfort and confidence I had not yet seen in my life."
The cleric releases a long sigh before looking away. "How had you two begun?"
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