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Post by moralhazard on Mar 16, 2019 10:50:11 GMT
Thea giggled. “I’m not sure, really. I just woke up one day and I was twenty two!” She grinned down at Enchee. How long did goblins live? She wasn’t really sure; she suspected it probably wasn’t the hundred plus years she could expect to live. For that matter, was Enchee an adult by goblin standards? She certainly didn’t act like one; Thea very much doubted it. Was twenty two unbelieveably ancient by goblin standards?
“Genasi can live over a hundred years,” Thea explained. “So hopefully I’ll just keep getting older.” She smiled at Enchee.
“I think it is very hard work,” Thea said, seriously. “But it’s very important work too, protecting the citizens of Waterdeep. We should always respect the guards.”
Thea bit her lip, looking down at Enchee. “No,” she said, slowly. “No, they don’t, always.” She thought of the caravan she’d met on one of her first days in Waterdeep, the young boy who’d spat the word witch at her in terror, thought of the way her easy friendship with a few cousins had vanished after it became known in the keep that she was a sorcerer now. “Sometimes they’re afraid of it,” Thea said, quietly. “It’s very easy to be afraid of things you don’t understand. But there are a lot of people who do like magic – like me,” she grinned at Enchee. “But you also can’t let what people like and don’t like determine what you do. You have magic from your father, Enchee, even if it scares people sometimes. It’s a special gift from him, and you have to keep practicing with it. Just – be careful.”
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Post by enchilada on Mar 17, 2019 12:53:53 GMT
“That’s forever!” Enchee held her head almost as if she had a headache. “The biggest goblins are like, fifty eight!” That was the oldest she’d heard about. She couldn’t quite remember where from, likely her mother speaking of the outside world. The outside goblin world, really, but she didn’t know any more than that. Enchee remembered her talking about how hard it had been to get used to it here in Waterdeep, she didn’t really know what that could mean., because she’d only ever been inside the walls. She’d never even peeked outside. Not once.
“I know people are scared of it... They... The people who, they used to um, we used to kind of live together, when I was even littler, they um, they really didn’t like what I could see, what I knew. They wanted me to go away forever, except that’s not quite what they said, they wanted something else and it was really scary and they didn’t want to get in trouble so they just wanted me to... be alone in the cold by myself and...” Enchee couldn’t quite put these things into terms that she could speak. Her parents had gone away forever and when they came back they were cold and lifeless and gone but they were still there physically, but they were asleep but forever. She grappled with the concept for months, for years, but she came back still not quite understanding. The word dead was just too simple for how it looks, and feels to see that, she thought.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 17, 2019 18:41:08 GMT
“I know, right?” Thea giggled. In reality – with a well-lived life, it could be closer to 120 years. Thea wasn’t really sure she could understand what it would be like to live another hundred years. The humans she knew seemed so… old… even by their fiftieth or sixtieth year. Elves, on the other hand, seemed the same in the hundreds as they were much younger. What would it be like for her? Thea really didn’t know. Here in Waterdeep, at least, there were other genasi – there had been very few in Urmlaspyr. Maybe she could find someone to ask.
Thea listened to Enchee’s somewhat muddled explanation. She had lived with people who were afraid of their talents; they had wanted her to… go away? To be alone in the cold by herself? As best as Thea could interpret, someone had kicked Enchee out because of her ability, most likely her ability to tell the future. She didn’t think harmless little illusions would inspire such behavior. "That was - very terrible of them," Thea said, firmly.
“Have you told – Crucible?” Thea checked on the name for a moment, hoping she’d gotten it right. She didn’t want to outright advise Enchee to tell him. All Thea really knew was that Enchee was living with him and seemed to like him, but she wouldn’t stake the little girl’s safety on Enchee’s own perception, not without meeting Crucible herself. After all, if she hadn’t told him yet – it could be either lingering nerves from her past experience, or a true sense that it would be a problem. Thea couldn’t gauge yet.
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Post by enchilada on Mar 18, 2019 10:04:37 GMT
“I get to be an old lady before you!” She laughed and poked Thea’s cheek, wrinkling up her nose and completely ignoring the existential dread that could quite easily stem from that statement. She wasn’t quite capable of the feeling or the thoughts, and the limited range she did feel would come through in dreams, or just late night thoughts to keep her up that she wouldn’t be able to put properly into words for some time to come. In a world filled with elves, dwarves, even just plain old humans, it was something of a misfortune to be a goblin, just in terms of the life she had been given, regardless of the feelings she felt that others had for her race. Sixty years or a couple hundred? It was a big gap, especially since most people didn’t live up to the actual expectancy. But as long as she stayed in Waterdeep, she wouldn’t be killed, so it was fine and safe and good.
“Crucible? Oh yeah!” She nodded. “Probably, I mean, I tell him everything so I might have forgotten to say, or maybe I forgot if I told him at all.” She was good at rambling, and she was good at talking at people, especially Crucible. She was more than happy to go on and on all day. He was a very safe person to talk to and tell things because he made her feel very safe and that was all she really needed. Even if it got annoying sometimes, the freedom of the street was definitely ughtweighed by having to take a few baths, having a full belly and having a warm bed every night. Even if she liked to complain on occasion that she wanted to be left alone, she liked that someone actually cared that much to keep her safe.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 20, 2019 6:58:36 GMT
Thea laughed, wrinkling up her nose as well with a grin. “Yes you do! All grumpy and wrinkly and wise. Old people are the best at seeing into the future, you know.” Thea grinned at Enchee, thinking of all the wizened old crones of stories. It was hard to picture Enchee was a little old lady, a shawl draped over her head, hobbling about with a cane in one hand and her crystal in the other – actually, it wasn’t particularly hard to picture.
“Good,” Thea smiled. Enchee’s frantic confession had left Thea a little worried there was no one else she could talk to about this; Thea didn’t like the idea of Enchee staying with someone who wasn’t safe, or to whom she was afraid to discuss her magic. Or her dreams? “And your dreams?” Thea asked, gently prodding a little more. There was a certain cheerful relaxation that came over Enchee when she thought of this Crucible; it was pretty clear to Thea that she felt… reassured, perhaps? … by the thought of him. Something positive, definitely.
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Post by enchilada on Mar 20, 2019 10:32:30 GMT
“Do you... go outside the city?” She seemed oddly serious about this, staring on at Thea with something of fear in her eyes. If she went outside the city she could get hurt and then she wouldn’t get to be a hundred. Maybe she’d even come back like her parents. That would be the worst case, but Enchee couldn’t see into the future for something so... intangible, uncertain. She didn’t know everything Thea would do, she could guess, but then her vision would be a guess. If she could wrangle it to be about Thea, and the cards could be vague. They could be wrong. They could have many meanings. If she didn’t go anywhere then she wouldn’t need to see into the future because Thea was big and didn’t need to be with mean people.
“Dreeeams... sometimes. Sometimes it doesn’t matter too much. But if they get scary or something I tell him! He keeps me happy afterwards.” She nodded, sort of hugging her arms around herself. “He’s good at it but sometimes it’s... uncomfortable. He’s not very soft or squishy like you.” She loosened her grip on herself, sighing a little. “It would be nicer if he was very cuddly and warm but I don’t mind! It’s not his fault. He’s aaaaaa....”
She took a few seconds to think about what he’d said. She didn’t remember. “He’s metal.”
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 22, 2019 6:16:21 GMT
Thea looked back at Enchee, seeing something dark creeping into her eyes again. “I do,” she said, gently. “I live here in Waterdeep, but sometimes I go outside. I can protect myself though,” she grinned at Enchee. To her surprise, Thea almost believed it herself. “I promise.”
Thea laughed at being called soft and squishy. It wasn’t quite how she liked to think of herself; if anything, she was usually considered a little too slim. Like Enchee’s comment about how old she was, though, she couldn’t take offense; there was no chance of it.
“He’s – metal?” Thea sat back a little, eyes widening. What did that even mean? He walked around in armor? That must be what Enchee meant. Why someone would wear armor in the house Thea couldn’t imagine, but perhaps he was paranoid or anxious. At least it meant he would probably keep the goblin girl safe. “I can see how that would be a little uncomfortable,” Thea agreed. “But even metal hugs can be good ones.”
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Post by enchilada on Mar 26, 2019 12:13:38 GMT
“Do you wanna meet him? Crucible?”
Enchee grinned, seemingly very excited about her two friends meeting up. Mostly about the potential of them getting along, and they could be friends too and then Enchee would have a very nice circle of friends, but shared friends and not friends that she kept to herself and were separate. That kind of friends.
“He’s a little weird to look at, maybe, if you’ve never met someone like him before, but I guess you kinda are too! And the red lady I met. Setreen? Zidreeeee... I can’t remember.” She shrugged, laughing a little at herself. She could easily remember where food came from, first time, but never names, labels, titles. She didn’t really care, it didn’t feel important. She had no idea she’d ever meet any of these people again, so why remember anything?
“Oh and the pink lady was funny-looking too! But I guess I probably look a bit weird too, but goblins are kinda common, I thought, but maybe not. Who knows.” She shrugged again, seemingly oblivious to the mess of hair that was almost glowing orange-red with the backlight. So many flyaways. She’d been struggling with it. It wouldn’t lie flat, and when she combed it, it got so much worse. It was curly but coily, but also wavy in places. Cold water, hot water, dry brush, wet brush. Nothing really helped with it. And don’t even get her started on trying to get her bangs to lie straight and flat some days. It was a fresh experience every single day. Joy.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 28, 2019 12:16:44 GMT
“Oh, yes, I would like to meet him!” Thea smiled at Enchee. Weird to look at? Thea experienced a faint moment of unease. Had Enchee not just meant that this Crucible liked to walk around in armor? But what else could…
Thea laughed at Enchee’s description of her as weird to look at. “Oh, thanks,” She giggled; she didn’t mind really. To someone who had never met a genasi before she probably did look a bit weird; then again, Enchee – a goblin! – really didn’t have much room to talk, did she? Oh well; it was so artless that Thea couldn’t possibly be offended.
“Citrine,” Thea corrected, smiling. “Waterdeep has a lot of unusual people, I’d say. I like it here,” she grinned at Enchee. “And Proserpina, who’s a tiefling.” Thea giggled, guessing that the unfamiliar words wouldn’t stick with Enchee any longer this time than they had before. She paused, eyes lingering on Enchee’s hair – and didn’t ask. She felt there had been a few too many questions already today.
“All right,” Thea scooped up her boxes of cookies, although she didn’t stand just yet. “Where are you heading next, Enchee? I’ll walk you there.” She didn’t leave it as a question; she may have found Enchee standing alone hawking cookies on the street, but she meant to leave her in the hands of a responsible-seeming adult or, failing that, not literally sitting on the street.
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Post by enchilada on Mar 29, 2019 22:41:10 GMT
Enchee hopped up, dusted herself down and grabbed the unsold cookies. “Well, I should probably try and sell these off.” She gestured with her head towards the boxes in her arms once more. They hadn’t been missed too much, but it was good to hold them again. She hated just leaving things where they were easily picked up and walked off with.
“But if not,” she began, smiling lightly, far more than her resting face, which was between a thousand yard stare and a deep frown, “I should hand over the spares and the float money to the scout leaders over there, there’s a table and stuff, main base of operations. Sorta.” Enchee shrugged, her misshapen nose crinkling in the middle of her face enough to scrunch up the rest of her face for a brief moment. She was still smiling, although maybe a little less focused.
“Nice of you to insist, by the way. It’s not like I’d be fine no matter what.” She rolled her eyes, blowing her hair out of her face quickly before looking back at Thea again. “I should have gotten my silly hand thingy before I picked these up. Stupid Enchee, psh.” Her hair bobbed as she shook her head in something resembling disapproval towards her own slight forgetfulness.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 1, 2019 7:56:18 GMT
Thea grinned down at the goblin, unabashed by Enchee’s firm pronouncement that she was fine, would be fine, and definitely didn’t need any help from Thea. That plus the eye-rolling was almost enough to make the air genasi laugh, although she didn’t; she wasn’t sure Enchee’s dignity could stand it.
“Of course you would be,” Thea said, keeping her tone simple and light, as if she’d never thought otherwise. “Is the only reason to walk somewhere with someone because you’re worried about them?” She raised an eyebrow at Enchee. Enchee had been, of course, entirely right about her motives, but Thea felt a little bit of deception practiced against a child, with the best of intentions, was entirely forgivable.
Silly hand thingy? Thea honestly wasn’t sure what Enchee meant. “So – what do you want to do, then?” Thea glanced around, wondering if any of the other passers-by wanted to buy some goblin cookies. She didn’t really want to stay here helping Enchee, but she also didn’t want to buy the rest of the cookies and, most especially, she didn’t want to leave Enchee alone. No matter how fine she would be.
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Post by enchilada on Apr 1, 2019 8:41:23 GMT
“I know I would be! That’s why I said I would be fine, silly.” Enchee rolled her eyes and hopped over to the boxes, a grin plastered on her face as she played and still worked. ‘Worked’. She held out her orb, and stared into it, nothing changing for anyone else but her. For her the smoke became a form, and that form was useful to her. And it was a floating disembodied hand that scooped up the boxes she was planning to bring back to the table. It didn’t really matter how many she sold, it wasn’t her responsibility for this, she was just trying to help increase a couple sales. The adults were grateful for her help, yes, but they had it handled.
“Maaaaybe not, but like, I dunno.” Enchee shrugged, bouncing around idly. It was pretty clear that the conversation on the floor had filled her with restless energy. She would probably keep Crucible pretty busy until he caved in taking her out to park for a run, or something. Maybe she could do some skipping, oh or climb some trees. She was good at climbing things, sometimes. She put it down to being good at finding strange places to hide. One of these days he might power up to find her on the ceiling.
She stretched, her arms in front of her. Far for a goblin, about half a pace for most other people. “I’ll go bring these back to the table and they can do whatever with them. Sometimes they just share out the last boxes, it’s kinda easier. Or something.” Enchee mumbled towards the end, she wasn’t sure, so she didn’t want to speak too loud. If it was lost to the air, then that was cool by her. You couldn’t just be wrong on the streets.
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 1, 2019 15:49:10 GMT
Thea watched, amused and a little impressed, as Enchee scooped up the boxes with a casual, well-controlled mage hand. She thought, for a moment, about her own first experience with the spell – Citrine hurling a glass phoenix that Thea had slaved over at the wall and the frantic reaching that she’d felt – and wondered how Enchee had discovered it. She really had to get her and Citrine together; Citrine would be a much better mentor for Enchee magically than Thea would be. Thea couldn’t imagine trying to train someone in spell-casting when her own was still so… so… uncertain.
Reading though? Reading Thea could do.
“That sounds nice,” Thea would follow Enchee towards the table. “If I’d been selling cookies all day I’m sure I would want a snack,” she grinned down at the goblin. She didn’t use her own mage hand; she couldn’t exactly have said why. Instead, she just carried the boxes in her arms, even though they were a bit awkward.
Once they reached the table, Thea stopped. She paused. "Enchee," she said, "I do want to meet Crucible, and I'd like very much to start your lessons soon," she grinned down at Enchee. "So - can I come find you tomorrow evening? An hour past sunset." She had work during the day, but she could take a night off, at least to get started. "Just tell me where."
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Post by enchilada on Apr 2, 2019 10:26:20 GMT
“Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...”
Enchee handed over the float coinpurse and the extra cookies, and turned back to Thea. She stroked her chin in a comical echo of what she had, over time, come to associate with deep thought.
“Well, me and Crucible stay at a place over there.” She gestured vaguely, to her left, then to her right, then to her left again. She furrowed her eyebrows, then shook her head. Enchee could walk there, like a homing pigeon, she knew exactly where it was, but directions, definitely not. She wasn’t aware of the name, she didn’t like looking up.
“Huh. I’ll find you, maybe, I can drag you over!”
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Post by moralhazard on Apr 2, 2019 15:29:54 GMT
Thea bit her lip at Enchee's directions, then nodded, solemnly. "All right," she agreed. "You can find me at Thond Glass and Glazing on Sleeper's Walk, in the Trades Ward. North of the River Gate on the High Road, just near Belmonder's Meats." Thea hoped that would be enough directions for Enchee to find her. "I'll wait outside an hour after sunset," Thea added, not wanting to force Enchee to go inside - or to tempt her too much with the shiny glass objects. "Deal?" Thea extended a hand, expecting a handshake from the little goblin to seal their arrangement. She knew there was a decent chance Enchee wouldn't come, but she thought she'd try her best regardless.
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