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Post by Tatalia on Jan 22, 2024 13:42:37 GMT -5
Being the headmistress of a school was never easy, and least of all not in a place like the Marsh Flats. Tatalia was learning that the hard way.
The goblin had just finished a long morning teaching the subjects of history and basic lettering to a variety of students at her school, and after serving the attendees lunch, well... The pantry's stock was drying up. The roots and berries were running low; the spice cabinet was just depressingly empty; the fruit had all been eaten by one very hungry student who would not be named; and the mushrooms, the only thing that remained in any significant quantity, were a week and a half old and were definitely not safe for consumption anymore. Couple that with dwindling writing supplies and the fact that Tatalia only had only scant few books suitable for beginner level reading and, well...
It was market day. It was going to be a very long market day.
Tatalia marched through Lilicors Village with a pensive expression on her face. She had a list of errands listed on a piece of parchment that she held in her hand, and of course she had her quill pen deposited in her jacket pocket, the bright rooster feather shining proudly in the light of the marsh. The goblin strode across a rough wooden bridge as she made her way to the town's market, which really wasn't all that impressive compared to... uh, any other capital on Charon. But there was food!
Picking out food was a laborious task. More roots and dried berries were always a good pick; they lasted a long time. Trail rations were useful for similar reasons, of course. Tatalia decided to pick out a mixture of jerkies and fresh rat meat; the meat to cook tomorrow and the jerky to store for snacks. Salt; pepper; various herbs and edible plants native to the swamp; some seaweed from the coast; crickets; eggs... Really, anything was edible with enough preparation.
The weary adventurer-turned-schoolteacher swiped sweat off her forehead as she surveyed her surroundings. She was about to head to the lending library to see if she could borrow some children's literature when the sound of crashing wood, breaking pottery and raucous laughter caught Tatalia's attention. She turned her head.
A group of brawny men of different species - newcomers in town, Tatalia knew - were laughing over a potter's busted stall. The louts were drunk, and they didn't seem at all fazed by the angry shouts of the shopkeeper, and their leader, some smaller, chubby dwarf, laughed and offered the shopkeep a few sparse coins as recompense. It wasn't nearly enough to pay for the damages, but whatever he whispered to the merchant was enough to shut the half-orc man up.
"Just another day in the market," Tatalia grumbled to herself with a sigh.
The Marsh Flats could be so much better, Tatalia knew, but people weren't meant to live in the sorts of poverty that was experienced in the place she called home. What passed as fine dining in the Lilicors Village would be considered beggar's food in other places, a meal only for the truly desperate. The buildings were ramshackle, the water tasted funny, and education was... lacking. There was so, so much work Tatalia had to do before she could fix things in town, and picking a fight with every bully she crossed wasn't a viable long term solution.
Still, Tatalia took solace in the fact that the brutes she'd watched bash a shopkeeper's stall for fun wouldn't last long in the Marsh. She watched the dwarf and his hulking companions march off toward the Fighting Pits, probably to watch the games. Idly, she twisted her finger around her lone earring,1 listening to them chatter from a distance for a while with her keen hearing2 before she lowered her hand and shook her head.
"It'd be nice to see a friendly face for once," muttered the young adventurer.
1. Earring of Secrets; 2. Tracker Extraordinaire
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 22, 2024 18:33:00 GMT -5
So of course it’s about then that Rena just sort of…appears1 nearby, just out of the goblin’s sight but in a place Tatalia had just glanced at, eyes gleaming white as she eyes the retreating hoodlums for a minute, those same eyes shining silver when she turns to glance over at the adventurer turned teacher, “...well, someone’s been busy…” the crow murmurs, letting out a low, amused trill as she watches the goblin’s reaction, “‘s been a while since the city in the Ash, hm? ‘been meanin’ t’ have a talk with you after what I heard from ka’ lor’tyrlr ‘no2…” there’s something about the corvid’s words, something about the quiet politeness that just feels…wrong coming from Rena, even with the little interaction Tatalia had had with the woman.
Truth is, Rena has no ill will toward the smaller woman - and wasn’t that a thought; an adult shorter than her. it had been strange enough with her warrior-smith of a husband - but she feels this…instinct to perform some sort of evaluation of Tatalia’s intentions toward her adopted daughter. Nothing harmful, either. Just enough that the crow would know whether to be prepared for a…mess. Elvira’s a strong fledgling, but still somewhat naive so far as Rena can tell, so…really, it all hinges on what she learns here. Absolute worst case scenario, Tatalia turns out to be an active danger and needs to be removed before the fledgling gets hurt or worse…but that’s the worst it’s likely to be. after that…it’s all either learning experiences for Elvira or joy and celebration.
The crow chirps softly, white-flecked eyes of silver glancing over Tatalia’s burden, “...you need any help carrying that?”
another crow appears suddenly3 on Tatalia's other side, this one shorter and seeming to be composed from wisps of smoke, "I'd let her help if'n I were you. ka'to'bi4 likes being able to help people when she can manage it...besides," there's a sudden, calculating glint in the phantasm's amber eyes, "you're practically family at this point. and family helps family," there's an implication there, something almost akin to both a threat and a promise...
1 - Blink 2 - my little one 3 - Spirit Guardian 4 - My love
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Post by Tatalia on Jan 23, 2024 7:38:45 GMT -5
Tatalia cast a big, friendly smile at first when she saw Rena. She had been about to greet her, but... Well, there was just something a little odd about the bird's speech patterns. Her words, her mannerisms; they were laced with a very subtle tone of warning, something sharp eared Tatalia was able to pick up on pretty easily. Sure, she was being polite, but...
"It has been quite a while since we had a chance to speak!" the goblin replied, hefting her bag of foodstuffs up. "But such is the life of an adventurer! Though I daresay the life of a teacher is a considerably greater challenge, if I'm being honest!"
Really, despite the odd way which Rena was speaking, Tatalia didn't mind having a friendly conversation with her as she went about her day. When Rena offered to carry her things, Tatalia had been just a second away from accepting her help... until the smoky crow appeared and said they were "practically family."
That, apparently, struck a previously unseen chord with Tatalia, and she missed the veiled threat entirely because she started going off on a tangent.
"Not you, too!" the goblin whined, throwing her hands up and walking toward the lending library with her heavy sack of food. "Family, family, family! I am tired of everyone telling me I'm family! My best friend's daughter calls me auntie; then people say I'm part of their family because of that! And then one of my students called me mom! And now you're saying I'm family for... some reason?"
Tatalia twirled about on one leg to face the two crows of varying corporeality in order to give them the world's biggest, most annoyed shrug. She threw her hands up again, the bag of food swaying above her head.
"I'm not family! I'm just me! I'm twenty years old, dammit! I am firmly in the age bracket of self discovery and actualization! Ask any author of fiction, especially the romantic variety!"
Tatalia paused. She cleared her throat.
"Erm, not that I know anything about romantic fiction, mind you," she added sheepishly.
Yes. Good job, Tatalia. You did it. Very convincing.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 23, 2024 8:15:19 GMT -5
Rena tilts her head, glancing at the other, less corporeal crow, letting out a quietly amused trill as she murmurs, “...y’know, perhaps it would be best if we took this…inside. Where we’re less likely to make spectacles of ourselves. Though…it does seem you’ve got some stress to work out…hm…what to do, what to do…” those silver eyes shimmer in the light, motes of bone white swirling in those shining irises as she considers, “...your definition may be…different than ours. Stricter, perhaps…”
“I do believe you just said it would be best to take things inside, to’bi1…” Bell chuckles, his bright amber eyes flicking from Rena to Tatalia, “though if you’re planning a sparring session now of all times, I rather don’t think I could stop you…” the phantasm cocks his head, then blinks before letting out another chuckle, “...ah. Is that it, then? No wonder…” he hums softly, quite obviously considering how to phrase something, “...ka’to’bi2, I do believe that she has no idea about how her choice of partner changes things,” at this point the ghost is struggling to stifle his chuckles.
The living crow blinks, then tilts her head back to let out a heartfelt groan, “...and that means this whole thing was pointless beyond actually visiting,” Rena sighs, shaking her head ruefully, “...sorry ‘bout that. For one thing, ka’ tor’ydri3 of a dead husband here-” she gestures to Bell, who proceeds to wave, waggling dull-taloned fingers as his shining amber orbs dance with amusement, “-has a tendency to jump the shark whenever he gets a chance. As for the reason behind his choice of words…I’ll explain once we’ve got this stuff inside,” she shoots her husband a silver-eyed glare at her husband before glancing back at the goblin, “...the next question, I suppose, is whether you’ll even let me help after that”
1 - love 2 - my love 3 - my idiot(affectionate)
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Post by Tatalia on Jan 23, 2024 9:22:30 GMT -5
"Stress? I'm not stressed!" replied the goblin, leaning against the nearby wall with bags under her eyes, laughing and heaving the big bag of foodstuffs over her shoulder. Her eye twitched. "How ever did you reach such a strange conclusion?"
Tatalia paused. She took a deep breath, composed herself, and forced her muscles to relax. She shook her head and waved for the pair to follow her inside the lending library. She did, at least, let Rena take her bag from her.
"I'll admit, I am a little stressed. Even my days off from adventuring aren't days of rest these days," Tatalia mused, rubbing her forehead as she entered the old, musty smelling library. "The truth is, I've had an awful lot on my mind, both about my studies and my adventures but also about the school that I'm building, and there's the appearance of these faerie circles, the curse, and... personal matters...
"Oh, wait!" Tatalia snapped her fingers. "I almost forgot!"
With a flick of her wrist, the green skinned scholar chanted a few arcane words. A light shined in her yellow eyes for a moment, then faded away, and she let out a relieved sigh.
"Much better!" Tatalia mused. "Now I'll understand you when you use your own language!1 I know it's not always acceptable to casually cast magic in polite society, but I truly hate missing out on so many parts of a conversation!"
With that, Tatalia started to speak with a bespectacled half-orc librarian who just so happened to be sharpening her axe. Tatalia cheerily passed her a few books, then took a few in return from the children section of the collection. Finally, she focused on Rena and Bell, really inspecting them closely.
"Oh! You're a ghost," she noted casually, nodding slowly at Bell. "That's new!"
What- really, Tatalia? That's all you have to say when seeing a ghost?
"You know, I know you're lovers," Tatalia continued, glancing between the two of them. "I know there was something you really wanted to tell me, but maybe you can help me? I could the advice of someone with a little more experience than me.
"If, ah... If you are, say, romantically entangled with someone else," the goblin began, pressing her index fingers together and shifting awkwardly in place, "and they want to move quickly but you want to move more slowly, and they want to respect your wishes but they also sometimes accidentally cross your boundaries and make you uncomfortable, but you know they're not trying to, and, uh... and it's your, ah, your first such entanglement...?"
Tatalia tried to make a proper question there. She really, really did. She just seemed to be having trouble putting the words together in a meaningful way. She huffed, folded her hands against one another, and tried again.
"I'm seeing someone, and she's very wonderful, but, um... I want to keep going slowly, especially because I'm a little... scared?" The goblin paused. "And she's been changing, and that sort of scares me, and I'm still working out my whole situation after being stuck in the woods for so long, and I haven't told her about my, ah... my condition. And..."
Tatalia sighed. She stepped back through the doorway, peered outside toward the Fighting Pits, and watched the group of thugs reach their destination. She shook her head, turned back toward Rena, and slumped against the wall.
"Is it wrong for me to want to move at my own pace?" she asked seriously. "Is it alright to... not tell her everything right now?"
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 23, 2024 12:39:20 GMT -5
Rena tilts her head as she listens, then winces and sighs, “...I…okay. First off, yes. It is alright to not tell Elvira everything right away…but it’s a balancing act. You know how the idea of telling her everything now hurts? Putting it off for too long will hurt her. And I’m not saying she needs to know everything, either. Stars, it’s likely that you’ll never learn everything there is to know about her without both of you investing a serious chunk of your lives into that relationship. This sort of thing goes both ways; both partners have secrets worth varying degrees of potential hurt should that information come out at the wrong time. And…sometimes there is no right time. And that’s okay, too,” the living crow trills softly, leaning back against the wall, “...personally? If I were in your shoes? I’d tell Elvira…most of why I was uncomfortable, try to come to some flavor of compromise. And…” she lets out a soft chirp, “...my influence may be a confounding factor with regards to her behavior. The lor’tyrlr ‘no1 and I have been doing various jobs around Charon, and…I may have wound up on something of a pedestal in her mind. Not…not the same flavor as you, more…parental, and I’ve been doing my best to live up to that. But, well…you saw what I nearly did back in Darkveil. Not exactly the best role model one could look for when it comes to…peaceful behavior”
Bell hums softly, amber eyes glittering as he thinks back, “...my recollection is…fuzzy - I was very thoroughly entrenched in those bayonets I forged for ka’to’bi2 at the time - but…I believe that it started about a month after this…Darkveil incident. Elvira stumbled upon Rena, and the two settled in for camp. Stories were told, Elvira actually took the time to check up on both my blade-bound self and our surviving clutch - I think that’s what won her the most points, to be honest - and…eventually Rena wound up singing Elvira to sleep. I don't remember when specifically it started, but she started called Rena emmë3. hence the 'you're practically family' comment”
1 - Ravenstongue - Little/tiny/young one/singular 2 - Ravenstongue - Me/my/mine love/dear/heart 3 - Elvish - Mother
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Post by Tatalia on Jan 24, 2024 1:58:03 GMT -5
There was a lot of information for Tatalia to absorb. The tired young woman thumped her head against the wall behind her and a few tousled lengths of hair fell over her eyes. She blew the strands out of her face with a blow of air from her mouth. They fell right back into place, so she reached up with her green fingers and brushed the hairs away. Slowly, she looked over at Rena and Bell pensively. Silence draped the air between them for several seconds.
"I'll admit, I'm not used to letting secret things slip out into the open," the goblin mused, breaking the quiet and flicking her glance away from the crows. She stared out toward the village in the marsh, toward the people still going about their daily labors. "At least, I'm not used to letting my secrets out. It's not easy for me. I've spent the last few years trying to reveal the truth of history to the world, but there's so much about myself I simply don't want to share."
Tatalia sighed. She glanced back over toward Rena. "I suppose that makes me a hypocrite, doesn't it?" she asked the crow mother.
The goblin turned away once again. She set her bag of books to the ground, physically admitting she wasn't going to be traveling anywhere any time soon. It was worth putting her work on pause for a little bit to have a real conversation, wasn't it? She closed her eyes and breathed in the swamp air, slowly letting herself relax. She didn't open her eyes as she continued speaking.
"This love I share with Elvira is still so... new to me. I mean, I didn't even know my type included women, let alone elves!" the goblin joked, a little grin spreading across her mouth. It faded, though, as she forced herself to remain serious. "It's a new relationship, and I'm still discerning the exact nature of my feelings toward her and their complexities. And, well... Frankly, I don't want to be defined by my relationship with any person.
"So, I understand that she's your little one, and that you're her mother. But please, don't call me family," Tatalia told Rena and Bell, opening her eyes slightly to peer at them. "I have a family, and I promise you they're very much deceased. I'm not rushing to replace them."
The goblin popped her back, then reached down and picked her books up again. She shot a grin across at Bell.
"Also, please do be kind enough not to threaten me in the future!" the adventurer extraordinaire added with a cheery tone that differed so much from her last that it could've given someone audio whiplash. "I'm not in the mood for a spar, but I would absolutely demolish you in any real conflict! Have you seen me on a dungeon dive yet? I daresay you have not!"
Oh. So, she had picked up on the threat earlier after all. She was just pretending not to have heard it,1 the cheeky little rogue.
"Now, I have one last errand to run before I return home! You're welcome to come with me if you wish!" Tatalia added happily.
1. Smooth Talking
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 24, 2024 22:53:23 GMT -5
“...fair enough…” Rena pauses, frowning as she considers, then shakes her head, “...we’ll abstain from anything of that sort until after you’ve said otherwise, if’n ye ever do. But in the meantime…y’make her happy, an’ that’s more’n enough t’get us in your corner. All y’need t’do is ask,” she smiles, trilling softly and glancing at Bell, “...anyhoo, I heard something about you being a teacher? ‘Bout time this place got someone to help educate them…makes me wonder if the Valley could’ve been helped if we’d been less stubborn about foreigners…”
The Valley of Crows is…was home to a number of clans, and unusual in that those clans were all almost entirely comprised of crow and raven aviankin. The valley had been isolated deep in the mountains, and the clans themselves were of an isolationist bent, barely tolerating eachother, let alone outsiders. The valley…well, it’s still isolated, but it’s no home to anything anymore. The Valley of Crows had suffered a bad harvest followed by a year long winter that had led the clanspeople to desperate attempts at escape…and worse. Details were sparse, and the survivors…none of them had lived long after getting out. None except Rena…
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Post by Tatalia on Jan 25, 2024 3:54:09 GMT -5
The shift in topic was a welcome one for Tatalia. Talking about things like family and romance and the secrets she was withholding from her paramour was a very good way to upset herself. She needed some time to think about something else, or really anything else. Talking about the school seemed like a fine way to do that!
"Yes! A teacher! Well, the headmistress, actually; I just happen to do a fair bit of teaching as well." Tatalia flashed a grin across at Rea as she led the crows down a path past the Fighting Pits, making her way slowly into the wilderness to do a little herb gathering. She did pay some quiet attention to the Fighting Pits, though, visibly bothered though she was by the violence that was happening just out of sight. "I, ah... I've been able to hire a couple of teachers, and I've brought on a temporary teacher for the time being to supplement our geographical lessons. She's a bit of an oddball, to be frank, but her knowledge of the Crescent Isle surpasses my own.
"Perhaps you'd like to offer a guest lesson at some point?" Tatalia suggested, smiling eagerly over at Rena. "Honestly, from what I know of you, there's a lot of cultural history and tradition of your people that rests solely within you now. But there is a sort of life to be had in the retelling of old stories, of history, and of beliefs. You could share your traditions here."
The goblin's smile grew a little sad. Quietly, she thought to herself that it was entirely possible that asking Rena to do that might actually hurt her a little. Just considering that all that was left of a whole people was your direct descendants was... It was incredibly sad. Honestly, Tatalia wasn't sure how much Rena had dwelt on that possibility.
But Tatalia wanted to offer the crow mother a chance to teach. Maybe it would be healing for her.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 25, 2024 13:53:45 GMT -5
Rena tilts her head, frowning in thought, “...I…I’m glad you’ve been able to hire some teachers…but I’m not sure if I should be one of them. In all honesty…the Valley was a bloody, brutal place, and I’d much prefer to avoid tainting this place with more of it than I need to…” she sighs, “...but I suppose I could write something down so you can decide whether you want your students to learn the ways of my people”
The living crow glances at her husband, seeming lost in thought as she trills, “...though, there are some things I’d rather not be forgotten…traditions around hunting, how we would pay our respects to the creatures slain for our survival…hm…perhaps there is something I could teach…”
Bell chuckles softly, nodding slowly as he considers, “...some things are best left forgotten…but it’s better to remember so things won’t be repeated due to ignorance…”
Rena chuckles, one hand staying on the satchel at her side as she trills, smiling softly, "...that's true. perhaps it would be best to try and illustrate why things in the Valley went sour...wouldn't want anyone else making deals with a Hag if it can be avoided..."
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Post by Tatalia on Jan 31, 2024 0:57:37 GMT -5
Tatalia couldn't help but beam at the crows living and unliving alike as she heard them mull over the idea aloud. Truthfully, she herself didn't want to see a whole culture forgotten. Hunting traditions, prayer rites, harsh lessons born of experience: each of those things would be worth teaching in and of itself. Tatalia was happy to hear that Rena was considering the idea. But there was one comment that caught Tatalia's attention like no other.
"Hags?" the small sized scholar repeated, slowing in her step so she could raise her eyebrows back at Rena. "Could you clarify? Is... is that where your curse stems from?"
Perhaps it was a bit too personal a question. Perhaps Tatalia shouldn't have been so curious about how exactly Rena came to be cursed, or about what role Rena played in her people's destruction. But Tatalia was curious at heart, and she spoke on instinct.
Of course, she'd chosen to become curious just as the trio had made it deep enough into the marsh to start looking for the herbs Tatalia was after.
"Ah, do me a favor and let me know if you spot any blue flowers with red pollen, or any bees with red pollen, let me know. That'll be blood nettle," Tatalia explained, stooping down to dig underneath a log. "Alternatively, if you find any particularly noisy beetles, try to see where they're congregating. Their favorite prey is a worm that feeds on stinkroot, which is more useful than its name implies."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Feb 2, 2024 0:58:38 GMT -5
Rena and Bell both wilt a little at the question about the source of Rena’s curse, Bell softly nuzzling under his wife’s beak and letting out a comforting coo as he gently hugs her before she speaks, “...it’s…a long story…” the crow murmurs, before shaking herself from her funk and turning her focus on the task at hand, her sharp silver eyes picking out details as she crouches down to examine them, searching for these…blue flowers or the noisy beetles.
Bell floats close behind, trilling softly and helping his wife search, his own shining amber eyes flitting about as he occasionally distracts her by pressing close and nuzzling under her beak or against her shoulder, eliciting flustered chirps and admonishments of, “not now, to’bi,” as she bats at him to his chuckles, his eyes glinting with mirth as he dances back out of his wife’s reach.
Eventually, and despite her husband’s distracting attentions, Rena lets out a triumphant cry as she spots a patch of bloodnettle, quickly slipping a bayonet free to sever a handful of the plant stalks with a gloved hand, grasping the stuff firmly as her feathers puff out in excitement. The crow rushes over to Tatalia, presenting the goblin with the blue petaled, red pollened plants.
Tolling Bell, meanwhile, drifts onto his back and rests a scaled, dull-taloned head on his feathered forehead, "oh, woe is me, abandoned by my love for a younger, more lively specimen..." he trails off into chuckles, amber eyes dancing with amusement.
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