Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
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Post by Citrine on Mar 20, 2019 14:08:13 GMT
She still felt like she was missing something, the way Orin kept bringing up 'this' afternoon as if she had been obscenely drunk the night before… but that didn't make any sense. Nothing of note had really happened yesterday. "Ye've the constitution of a fookin' dwarven raised mule, Orin, drinkin' me under teh table even." She said, mostly just to stay something in response to learning about how she'd woken with a hangover - a hangover that had the impression of being her own little birdy fault. "Ah friend, tae.. wut nae…?" As if she was so insecure to send someone else to do her dirty work of a 'break off'. Alright.... maybe her of a few centuries ago... but that was besides the point. Her head cocked as her eyes narrowed in confusion and consideration more than any other emotion, trying to catch Orin's eye though the elven woman kept evading.
But Orin kept going, apparently a lot on her mind. And the 'lot' was none other than Lady Susan.
That topic shut the phoenix up more than anything possibly could have, listening now to the events of what had happened with a slight slackjaw to her features. She leaned against the food counter, watching Orin season and then begin to grill, nose showing interest in the smells from the moment the meat started cooking.
"Oooo, Mo Ghraidh." She cooed then, wings slacking behind her to waterfall down like a cap instead of staying proud along her back. "Tha'…. Tha's ah lot." It was a rather trivlious way to describe it. And she would have gone into more discussion about it had Orin not ended the silence of her shame with a request. "A..Aye… O' course." Citrine agreed, floundering for something to do. She wanted to wrap Orin in a hug, cocoon her in her wings and feathers and shelter her from the chaotic mess that her head no doubt was. But the enormous wall of her knowing their combined past and Orin remembering nothing was just too staggering to fly around. "Anythin' fer ye, Captain." She smiled, slightly unsure, trying to be sincere but the concern of hearing of her brother, the Walker, and more? It was a stressful mess of tangled string.
The meat cooked in awkward silence, Citrine trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. Her wings shifted through a tidal wave storm of rain-themed scents, thunderstorms, the musky smell after a rainstorm, the rain itself falling then steaming off the hot ground. The smells grew so strong it was as if it were actually raining, just without the actual wetness or sounds associated.
Finally. "Fer what et's worth, since, ye… well… ye knae me but ye dane't knae me... But… Aye swear tae ye, Orin, tha' Aye daen't think o' feel anythin' less o' ye." She struggled with how to get across her sincerity. "Just like when ye struggled with gainin' ye fifth element. An' when ye pondered ye own struggle with gainin' power - wonderin' ef et was ye usin' et o' et usin' ye. Teh addiction o' et… O' bein' greedy en wantin' moar. All o' et. Aye'm still 'ere. Right as Rain." She grinned softly then, moving so she could place her hand on Orin's even as she still worked the grill. "An - Aye'll tell ye ah secret." She stage whispered, giving Orin's hand a squeeze. "Aye enjoyed killin' Marguerite. Very much sae. Got ah right zing o' pleasure fer et. An Aye'll be feelin' even moar pleased once Aye set this whole hillside ablaze… We might 'ave been powerful avatars o' teh deities an' archfey tha' control us Luv, but we're still mortal beings. We'll find ourselves en positions where we 'ave teh power tae behave like them. But then? We'll recover from et. Ground ourselves again. Learn frum et. An' 'ave each other tae lean on when et gets tae be too much. Ye've always been powerful, Orin. Et's somethin' Aye find quite fetchin' en ye, but Aye promise ye, Aye'll 'elp keep ye from abusin' said power - help ye re acclimate tae teh changes ye're feelin' with ah reincarnation ye're still workin' through. But at teh end of teh day - ye destroyed teh gem, ye feel remorse fer what ye did when attuned tae et. THa' means quite ah bit, daen't ye think? Check an' balances. Had ye still wanted tae keep et? Well..." Her thumb ran small circles across Orin's hand, letting the thought of how events would be different right now unspoken.
"Sae, let's take all this meat ye've been near burnin' tae sit with teh others, gae inside, pre-eat fer our date Aye'm late tae tanight, then go out an' walk teh coast? We can talk moar about what 'appened on teh shoreline." She invited/asked with a final hand squeeze. "When teh shock o' events 'ave had ah bit o' time tae sink en."
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Post by Ossular on Mar 20, 2019 19:10:25 GMT
As Citrine agreed, Orin would nod quietly, and proceed to cook the skewers through awkward silence. It felt like it was going to rain in the next little bit, at least with the scents that the eladrin was picking up on the wind, but she didn't mind. The best part of spring was the random rain storms, and being as close to the coast as they were, it wouldn't have bothered her in the least. In fact, it would have probably helped her mood, considering her alignment, but it never came.
The phoenix-aarakocra spoke, and Orin would listen, not interjecting. She would get an glance of Orin's eyes here or there as the elvish woman turned the skewers, the meat cooking over the fires that sometimes danced and licked over the grating that separated them. She would stop at the mention of her being greedy- it was a character trait she possessed, and she knew it, and apparently Citrine did too. Even as Citrine gave one hand a squeeze, though she would look at Citrine when she mentioned setting the entire hillside ablaze. Ye-ah, that wouldn't be happening, Orin mentally decided, but she would turn to look at the sorcerer.
"Yeah," Orin would quietly speak, agreeing with the fact that she felt remorse, and that it had meant something that she did. She would press her lips as Citrine brought up the date again, though she squeezed her hand back. "Citrine?" she would look over her. She wanted to bluntly tell her that she had already missed the date by about a day at this point; tell her that it had already been missed, and that they'd have to reschedule, but she didn't have the heart at the moment. Here Citrine was, trying to cheer her up, to make her feel better, so-
"How about we just take a rain-check on the date for now and just go walk the shore?" she would ask, squeezing the hand back. "That way we can make sure everyone else gets back... and we should probably tell the guards about the basilisk that's in a cage out here?" Oh. Right. There was a basilisk in the cage that had been turned around to face away from the bleachers. She would think for a moment before patting herself down. "Here- uh, put all of these on a platter, uh- over there!" Orin would pat across a pouch and reach in, retrieving a flat steel mirror (part of the Monster Hunter's Pack that Orin has in her inventory) and looking at her reflection in it. A little foggy, but it should do the trick.
"Wait- are basilisks the monsters with the gaze that at petrify you? Or is that Gorgons? Maybe, uh, medusa? Well, it's worth a try, right?" Orin would shrug. "I guess we'll find out, right?" She would smile, just a little bit, before deciding to just walk with Citrine instead to head back into the tent, back toward the front where Arioch, Thea, Pip, and Hopebringer were. "I think-!" she would look up to see Pip asleep on the stage. Silencing herself until she got closer, holding a mirror in her free hand. "I think I have an idea for the basilisk. We can just... make it petrify itself, right? Basilisks have a gaze, right?" the eladrin would ask, looking between the couatl, Arioch and Thea. In Orin's defense, she had traversed through multiple realms of existence in her previous lives.
"I can take care of it real quick, if that's the case, so that way it won't break free. I'm pretty sure... it's what the guards would do either way."
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 20, 2019 19:21:18 GMT
Orin and Citrine would re-enter the tent to see Thea sitting on the stage, holding her stomach and laughing so hard that tears were streaming from the corner of her eyes. She managed to stop at the sight of the two of them with a last giggle, looking up, and, slowly, turned a deep embarrassed blue, practically glowing in the torchlight. Pip was still asleep, her dirty, tear-stained face surprisingly peaceful. The couatl was still gently stroking her back with the end of its tail, soft feathers stroking up and down her mud-splattered, rumpled tunic.
“Oh,” Thea bit her lip, slowly coming back to her feet. “Yes, it does – it can petrify you if you meet its gaze. But… I have – “ She pulled the burlap sack from her back pocket, extending it out towards Orin. It looked like someone had spent a little while sewing a ribbon into it; if it could be got around the basilisk’s head, they could pull on the two ends of the ribbon and tie it in place. “But I’m not sure what we would do with it after, even if we got the bag on. It just – it doesn’t seem fair, does it? The basilisk didn’t… do anything,” Thea lowered her gaze to the burlap sack, still holding it out into the air.
A little earlier that evening...
“Phi.” The door was a crack open, and a silvery gust of wind swirled through, blowing it into the wall with a bang as Thea stepped through.
“Thea!” Phi rose from his seat at a desk resting against one wall of his room, hands extended. “What a lovely surprise,” he was smiling. “After our last drink, I have to admit I didn’t expect you in my bedroom any time soon. I suppose you got my note?” He paused, glancing at her. “I have to admit, darling, you look a little…”
“Ah,” Thea’s voice rasped in her throat, hands trembling at her side. The breeze in her hair was dancing, violently. She took a deep breath.
“I wasn’t expecting a circus invite from you,” Thea managed a pale smile. “Tell me – how did you hear about it?” Thea stared at him, biting her lip for a long moment, then plunging ahead. “From Dom?”
Phi raised an eyebrow. “Well, I have to admit, I wasn’t sure it would be entirely your speed. Dom says you’re a bit… squeamish. But, I thought, well, if she’s got a free evening, perhaps she’d enjoy it. It certainly is unusual, didn’t you think? Funny, I didn’t see you there, but then, I left before the show had really gotten started.”
Thea clenched her jaw, then consciously relaxed. She took another step into the room, glancing around – at the papers strewn across the desk, the trunk half-open, odds and ends here. She knew something about Dom’s hiding places, and it wasn’t hard to spot a few of his tricks here: the table lamp with a base that could be hollowed out next to the bed, a portrait that didn’t hang quite right on the wall anymore.
“Funny,” Thea agreed. “Yes, unusual is one word for it.” Thea tried her best to keep a smooth, even tone through the lightning simmering in her veins. “Did you – bring something for them, Phi? You’re ever so good at that,” she even managed a smile at him.
Phi raised an eyebrow. “Funny you should ask! Yes, the basilisk,” he grinned. “I never thought Ivor would get it trained in time, but I suppose he does know what he’s doing. You wouldn’t believe what a time we had transporting it – turned two of my worst men to stone.”
Thea felt her heart pounding in her chest. “No collar then?” she asked, casually.
“Ahhhh,” Phi grinned, leaning forward. “You can be quick when it suits you, I see. Yes, that’s how the trick’s done. But no – the collars are all Ivor’s, now.”
Thea was close to the table lamp now, and by extension the bed – close enough to make her skin crawl. Her fingers rested on the bedside table, delicately; it was easier with her back to Phi, she thought.
At least – so she thought until his hands rested on her shoulders. “But, Thea, what’s got you all worked up? I’ve never seen you such a mess.”
“Oh,” Thea glanced down at herself, at the mud on her clothing. Phi’s touch made her skin crawl; she couldn’t think of anything she’d like to do half as well as lash out with the lightning swirling in her veins. “It’s nothing, just a bit of an – an odd night.”
“Well – I certainly wouldn’t mind helping you make it nicer,” Phi’s hands slid down her arms, slowly.
Thea took a hasty step away, along the bed, putting some space between them and twisting, turning back to look at him. “Actually, I wondered – how do those collars work? I knew you’d be able to tell me.” She did her best to smile, hoping it would come out less like a grimace.
Phi tsk’ed, shaking his head. “Ahh, Thea, you know better than to ask. Didn’t Dom train you well enough?” There was something cold and hard glinting in his eyes.
Thea faltered, a surge of anger in her chest making it momentarily impossible to keep up the charade. She lowered her eyes, hoping the surge of color in her cheeks could be mistaken for a blush. “Well – about the basilisk then?” She flicked her eyes up at Phi, then back at the door. “How did you tame it?”
“A hood,” Phi laughed. “I thought the crew would be able to handle it, you know. How hard is it, not looking a basilisk in the eyes? But after the second petrification, they nearly rioted,” he laughed again, amused at the memory. “It was simple enough, really – a bit of burlap with a ribbon tied through. I still have it around here somewhere,” he gestured towards the open chest; Thea would see a corner of burlap peeking out over the edge of it. “Ivor said he wouldn’t need it. Funny fellow, Ivor. He really hates those beasts – never hesitates with that whip of his.” He watched her face as he spoke, smiling.
Thea couldn’t – she couldn’t. She broke, hair swirling out around her head. A gust of wind whipped in through Phi’s open window, scattering the papers on his desk and whipping through Thea’s clothes before vanishing. “You are going to tell me about those collars,” Thea’s voice was calm and even, although her hands had clenched into tight fists.
“I am not,” Phi said, laughter trickling into his voice. “Really, Thea, get yourself together. I can’t remember when you’ve ever looked so – unkempt.”
Thea turned took a step back, and reached out, slapping one hand against the slightly not-flat picture frame. Lightning rippled from her fingers, the smell of singed paper rising in the air.
Phi jerked, genuine worry crossing his face. “Thea!”
“The collars,” Thea kept her eyes on him, shifting one, two steps to the desk. She reached again; lightning surged from her fingers to strike the papers, sending char marks across a group of them.
“Stop it,” Phi’s voice was harsh and angry, not at all his usual teasing tone. He stepped closer.
Thea continued to edge in a circle; Phi followed her, drawn away from the bedside table – and Thea darted forward, grabbing the lamp with her left hand.
“Thea!” Phi gritted his teeth, lunging forward, clamping his hand down on her wrist with all his strength. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed, something cold and dark and dangerous peeking out from behind the pleasant façade.
“Tell me about the collars then,” Thea stared straight at him. He was hurting her – her whole arm was throbbing – but she didn’t yield.
Phi’s eyes were fixed on the lamp. “Dom won’t like this,” he said, voice tight.
“I don’t care what Dom likes,” Thea spat the words.
“Fine,” Phi didn’t relax his grip on her arm; Thea could feel his palm and fingers digging into her skin, bruising her. “Ivor controls them with a gem. I don’t know where he keeps it. He can control whoever’s wearing one. Whatever’s wearing one. Is that enough for you?”
“How do you take them off?” Thea asked.
“You can’t,” Phi smiled, showing a few too many teeth. “Ivor can, I suppose. Good luck convincing him. Why do you care, Thea? What’s it to you if some pathetic beasts are trapped in his little circus?”
Thea shuddered. “Go to hell, Phi.” She dropped the lamp, sending a shock through his hand and up his arm.
Phi yelled, grip on her arm loosening as his hand went numb. He dived for the lamp, just catching it with his working hand.
Thea’s hair flared out around her as she turned to the chest, grabbing the burlap sack and making her way to the door.
“You know – when you’re like this, I can almost imagine what Dom saw in you,” Phi clasped the lamp against his torso with one hand, the other arm still dangling uselessly at his side. “I knew it couldn’t be just those exotic looks– “
Thea spun back, hair swirling wildly around her head. She spoke and pushed – an insubstantial lightning bolt split the air nearly where Phi was standing, and a massive clap of thunder swept out, reducing anything not already destroyed to splinters: the papers on his desk, the bed, the trunk, the clothing inside. Even the curtains were shredded. She left Phi staggered but standing in the midst of it all with the lamp in hand, his nasty, cruel laugh echoing through her head.
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Gigi
Approved
5 Cleric of Graves
Posts: 109
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Post by Gigi on Mar 20, 2019 19:29:56 GMT
Int check for Citrine to realize she's missed a day due to petrification. No DC really in mind, we'll just see what it rolls zhs6Qa_X1d20-11d20-1
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Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
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Post by Citrine on Mar 20, 2019 20:07:58 GMT
The phoenix frowned, making a little begging sound to pair with it at the thought of having to reschedule. "Laassssssssssssss." She whined like a seven year old who was being denied a cookie, but relented with a huff and a sigh at the reasoning. "Aye, fine. Fine." At least the idea of walking the shore was still on the table. "Ye're right, as usual. Et'll be fair tae be sure everyone else es fine. Hopebringer. Teh saytr, cockatrice, aye, even teh basilisk," She nodded in agreement when Orin mentioned the creature.
Citrine shrugged. "Ye're asking teh wrong sister, ef ye want tae knae somethin' like tha' Orin. But et's caged up en back, opposite where Aye was, Aye'm thinkin'. Aye never made et tha' far through teh cages, so et's teh only place he could be. Shouldn't need teh mirror." She commented on the petrifying gaze, having no clue whatsoever about it. Things like petrification? That was more an earth-aligned thing to know. Fire or water? Even wind? She'd probably have a better idea. Earth? Not so much. Helping to plate up and carry the food Citrine chatted to keep the silence from pressing down on the both of them. She hoped it would give Orin something else to think about. Holding the platter with her mage hand Citrine busied herself with finding the coin purse kept behind the counter. Snagging it with glee she hooked the string on her finger. Ivor was dead. Coins were hers. She couldn't wait to set the place ablaze.
"So, Aye, ah quick bite, an checkin' on teh others, then teh coast. Aye've want tae be sure their collars 'ave fallen off... Aye couldn't leave when Aye knae there were others 'ere trapped. Aye got 'Ope out, she's ah stunnin' couatl - ah right Bonnie Lass! Beautiful, flies like ah sunset." She went off about Hopebringer, realizing halfway through she'd seen the snake inside the tent but keeping the charge so to speak anyways. "She 'elped me with some o' Igor's men, swooping 'em up and droppin' 'em like deadweight. Tha' was right before teh boy-o came out an' saw me trying tae break out teh saytr. Sent teh cockatrice after me… saytr was right, he was ah nasty piece o' work. Aye'm hopin' tha' nae? Tha' teh collar's dead an' fallen off o' him he'll be en ah better mood…"
They'd walked in, and the magnitude of the blood started to creep into her awareness. Heads, slightly off putting, and the grass and dirt looking like the deck of a ship after a battle had her wrinkling her nose. It was never pleasant. And then she noticed the hacked up cockatrice.
She paused, mouth closing as stared at its body even as laughter from up on stage from Thea of all people wrapped around her. Frowning, she watched as Thea and the blood soaked man interacted. A huff through her nose, a spark of frustration and anger coming back and heat shimmering off her wings. She pitched her voice, sending a shocking sharp whistle through the air, loud enough to no doubt wake up Pip.
"Oi! Aye take et ye killed teh cockatrice then?" She irritatedily asked even as part of her lonnngggeeeedddd to know who the hell that person was who could make Thea laugh like that. Clearly, they knew each other. Clearly, Citrine had never heard of this person. Clearly, this wasn't going to end well. Orin has said she'd snunk around, letting someone else hack through. He must be it.
"He was bein' forced an' commanded tae do as 'e did - by teh by - en case ye missed tha'. Ye didn't need tae fookin' kill teh lad under teh influence." She stalked closer to the group, food bobbing behind her with her mage hand, watching the hood be handed over by Thea. A surge of heat ran through Citrine at the sight of something else used to suppress and control another creature. The firebird snapped a frazzled wing and sent a firebolt to the hood, burning the burlap in a rush of phoenix fire unless someone pulled it away fast enough so she missed. "An' nae ye're gonna try tae sentence teh basilisk tae teh same fate?" Her foot clawed into the ground, agitated. "As ye said Thea… he's done nothuing. Just like teh cockatrice."
She folded her arms, looking around to see who was around and where now that she was in a better frame of mind. Pip was with Hopebringer, the saytr was missing - but she doubted he'd gone too far - they'd been rudely interrupted and she at least hoped he wouldn't have left without saying goodbye. Thea and whoever were on the stage. Her posture was not that of someone in a good mood, and her wings smelled like sulfur and, oddly enough, old books you'd find like in a used bookstore. Both scents slowly grew to mist around the room, replacing any hint of rain she'd had before.
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 20, 2019 21:01:25 GMT
He was briefly enjoying the moment, remembering how he liked Thea's laughter like that. It was a strange thing that had a simplicity to it. Like forgetting how nice a bonfire was until you were cold, or simply think about the pleasantness of warmth while your basking in it. It was one of the strangest places to be laughing about, but he'd take her and her joy anywhere. Seeing her like that made him instantly remember what was he on about before they encountered Pip, and the kind of indecent proposal he was going to make. That was until the bird woman known as Citrine and Orin arrived again, it took him a bit to realise that she was talking to him. Slowly, reluctancly, he turned his attention away from Thea towards Citrine.
"Soldiers are folloving orders too, but I don't see standing armies letting themselves get killed because of it. Someone tries to kill me. I kill them."
He stated, as if it was a simple undeniable fact like the basics of math. The fire caught his attention quickly, and then the first fire thread came out he went back to grabbing the handle of his sword with one hand. Shooting fire at things was not something that had him feeling precisely at ease, considering the whole bunch of shenanigans that had happened moments ago with the strange creatures appearing, the nearly attacking them, the talking man-goat and the suicide by Orin situation. Of, which, he still thought Orin might have killed the man, that being his plan all along with the collar, but all thought about that had been swiftly pushed aside by Thea's arrival.
And now it smelled awful like the bodies hadn't even begun to decompose yet but...
"Vere you related?"
He asked with a straight face. He didn't know the bird woman at all but it was a friend of Thea's. How could she be friends with her was anyone's guess, considering the situation they had met but maybe she had other, hidden charms that only came out when not under a stressful situation, or being put under torture for at least twenty hours.And then he realised that the target of the fire had been Thea and not something to the side, that she had targeted the burlap. That was the selling point. The woman as clearly insane, and bird people were a danger to themselves and everyone else around. He wasn't sure Thea's judgement on her friends was right or that they were even that friends to begin with. Granted Pip had been on board and clearly liked the bird woman, but maybe she didn't knew her at all all up until that point. At the realisation it was not one hand but two hands that gripped the handle, and the sword was up and ready again.
"Are you insane? Ivor vent dovn first. Little bird kept attacking me. Marguerite lay dovn her veapon instead. Guess vhich one got to live?"
He said.
A small pause followed.
"Actually, both died."
Arioch said then, a bit thoughtful, like he had just realised that.
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Post by Ossular on Mar 20, 2019 23:31:41 GMT
"...you're right," Orin would look down to the burlap face mask about the same time that Thea did. Orin would put the steel mirror away and would be reaching out for it when Citrine would question Arioch before lobbing a fire-bolt toward the hood, and instead of grabbing it, Orin would step in front of the bolt, turning and lifting her shield before the fire dissipated around the circle of wood and metal. It was more aimed to overlap Thea, just in case, and the only thing that would blow past it would be the heat from the bolt and nothing more.
"Citrine!" the eladrin would shout back before taking the burlap mask from the air genasi before Arioch responded. Orin took a breath- this was going to be a long night. "You do realize that this sack is the only way to move the basilisk out of here without killing it, right?!" she would ask the phoenix. "I get it- both ways- but let's just... make sure it can't petrify us before we move it out somewhere, okay? Away from the town?" Where in the hell were they going to take a basilisk, anyways? There wasn't really a way to bring it into Waterdeep, the guards were just going to kill it, and eventually, there would be a contract for the creature after it ravaged a farm for cattle.
"I'll get it on," Orin declared. "Let's just-" the eladrin would take a relaxing breath- "calm down, eat some food, and figure out where to take this... basilisk," Orin would trail off at the end for a moment, looking back to the one cage that hadn't been facing them to the north side of the stage. She would turn to Hopebringer, the only other being here that might know something else. "Do you know if there's any way we can, like, put the basilisk to sleep for a moment? Make it easier to get the mask over it's eyes?"
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Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
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Post by Citrine on Mar 21, 2019 0:26:03 GMT
The strange creatures vanished, disappearing as suddenly as they appeared, a background thing that was unheeded by everyone in the room. As flumps should be.
"Related?" She questioned, completely unconcerned that Orin had shielded against her fire. "O' course nae't! Aye'm ah phoenix, nae ah chicken, ye eejit. An' there's ah fooking difference between chosen submission an' magical compulsion." She scoffed, feeling a bit better from the firebolt she'd let off. A literal example of 'letting off steam'. Then? She snorted, a quick plume of fire materializing out of her nose. "Nae teh only way. Ye ever think o' just askin' et how et's doin'? But Aye - Aye can enchant et fer ah minute sae ye can ensure et won't petrify anyone." It was spoken in the most forced casual tone she possibly could have.
Overall Citrine was speaking rather sarcastically, the calmness she had outside seemingly evaporated. Her claws were clawing into the soil again, she kept glancing around the inside of the tent with glaring raptor eyes, and generally behaving rather irritated. Finally though the irritation was forced aside and she sat down in a huff, right where she stood, settling into the dirt of the main space between the stage and the bleachers.
A mage hand snagged three skewers towards her and Citrine just sat there, violently tearing off a piece of meat, and chewing it, stewing in her temper. "Teh basilisk is already en ah cage - pretty sure he was bein' whipped right after Aye was caged. Sae, ye knae. Naethin' tae fear from him. He's freshly whipped an' caged en addition tae teh mental lashes o' teh collar." At the recalling of the whip Citrine paused her chewing, looked over to the stands, then popped from her sitting position to over where Ivor's body lay limp. Turning him over rather violently, claws sinking into the corpse, her osprey jagged claws -strong enough to grip large fish from the ocean- piercing into the skin. Skreeing in satisfaction she saw it - the whip.
The tri-braided cat with the gem in the handle, the one she'd thought had been the one controlling the collars, was plucked from the rubble. Popping from the bleachers to the space she'd been in before Citrine held up the ringmaster's weapon of choice towards Hopebringer, "An what do ye wish tae see 'appen tae teh whip Bonnie Lass?" She asked, her tail lashing to the side like a fox's. "Course we should get teh saytr's opinion tae… figured ye two 'ave teh most say. Anythin's on teh table - Aye plan on burnin' everythin' 'ere before we leave. Ye 'ave any dreams ye wanted tae commit towards this bastard o' a place?"
Pip registered to her then, who was all curled up in the folds and curves of Hopebringer. "Hullo Lass." She nodded towards the elf girl. "Glad tae see ye safe, s'rry fer getting' separated like we did. Next time et'll be better, Aye promise. Fought et off at first, fer ye." She grinned lightly for the girl, then whispered to her. "Fought et fer ye, Aye did." Her mage hand brought her skewer to her mouth again, another bite - then she handed one to the couatl. The third? She was saving it for the saytr. At this point though? A wave of exhaustion pressed firmly behind her eyes and through her limbs. She was almost out of magic for the day, she could feel it. It'd been quite some time since that had happened. So she sat again, there, on the ground, eating her skewer.
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Post by Ossular on Mar 21, 2019 0:58:53 GMT
"...ask-asking... how it's- doing?" Even Orin, repeating the words, would raise an eyebrow to Citrine in moderate confusion, pursing her lips. It was, of course, the time that her head pounded again, reminding the eladrin of her now mortal constitution. A hand was brought up to her temple, fingers massaging the side of her head.
"There's- wait- wh- No!" Orin would raise her voice toward Citrine, half-annoyed and half-frustrated, still trying to talk to Citrine over her headache. "There's so many things wrong with what you just said! Like-" Citrine would blink, and Orin would turn naturally toward her, not understanding how she was following where Citrine had misty stepped to- "When I had the gem, I didn't feel the basilisk-" not really the thing she wanted to talk about, honestly,- "I don't think it had a collar.
"And we're not setting anything on fire!" Orin would turn again, stepping past Thea toward Citrine, continuing on, trying to talk through to her. "They're already dead. Everything's handled. Everyone's free, and if you start a fire, it could carry across the forest- to Waterdeep- are you even listening to me?!" Orin would remark to Citrine as the avian plopped down.
"Do you even listen to yourself? Think about what you're even doing half the gods-forsaken time?!" the eladrin would scoff, exhaling air through her nose. "No. Fuck it. I'm just gonna go get the guards and give them something to do tonight," Orin would walk back, hopping from the stage and walking back out toward the main entrance, but not before tossing the burlap hood to the edge of the stage. There was... a lot of stuff that had happened, and she was done. She was going to go get sleep- food, then sleep, the chicken she had cooked still floating in Citrine's mage hand.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 21, 2019 3:33:48 GMT
Citrine shot a firebolt at her – at her! – or at least at the hood in her hand, which felt very much like the same thing. Before Thea could even start to react, Orin was there in front of her with a shield, dissipating it and sending a wash of heat over her. Thea just – stood there, stunned, staring at Citrine for a long moment. A sense of hurt crept in. Orin was the one who had suggested killing it; Thea was the one looking for a non-lethal option, a way to get the thing out of the tent and maybe somewhere it could be set free!
"What the - Rain! We have to move it somehow!" Thea let go of the hood when Orin snatched at it, hand lowering to her side.
Arioch was gripping his sword with both hands, and Thea reached out, blindly, setting her hand on one bloody arm and pushing down slightly, shaking her head at him. "Please," she said, quietly, not feeling like the sword would help much. She would leave a smeared handprint against in the gore.
Pip had, unsurprisingly, woken up at Citrine’s sharp whistle. She was rubbing her head a little, sitting up between Hopebringer’s coils. Hopebringer’s tail was still loosely coiled around her, but Pip didn’t seem to mind. She watched, wide-eyed, as the adults in the room started to fight, Citrine yelling at everyone. ‘ I have tried to speak with the creature,’ Hopebringer said, politely. ‘ It does not seem to understand. I do not believe basilisks are capable of such. I could, perhaps, put it to sleep with my bite, but I feel it has suffered enough. Knyr, the satyr, would be able to do it much more gently.’ Hopebringer flicked out her tongue to taste the air, tilting her head to the side to regard Citrine as she held out the whip. ‘ It is only an object,’ She said, gently. ‘ The man who wielded it is dead. I would derive no satisfaction from further revenging myself against his things.’ The couatl took the edge of the skewer in her mouth and lowered it to Pip. ‘ Take it, little one. I prefer my meat uncooked.’ Whether it was true or just a kindness was unclear, but Pip had been staring wide-eyed and longingly at the meat from the moment it came close, and if Citrine, Thea, Arioch and Orin could all hear the grumbling of her stomach, it was sure that that Hopebringer was well aware of it too. “Thank you!” Pip took the skewer, eating ravenously and messily, practically inhaling the food. She looked up mid-bite when Citrine spoke to her, wide-eyed, and swallowed, hard, setting the half-eaten skewer down on her lap, working up her courage to speak. Maybe she would have, too, if not for Orin’s outburst and her storming out of the tent. Thea sighed, rubbing her face with one hand. “Rain – ” Thea didn’t want to pile on to what Orin had already said; it didn’t seem particularly helpful. She was furious at Citrine – look at what she had put Pip through! – but she was also aware that it wasn’t, well, entirely rational. Citrine certainly hadn’t intended to be captured, and it did sound like she’d done her best to protect Pip. But she never should have brought her to the circus in the first place! What could she possibly have been thinking? Oh, that’s right, she hadn’t been thinking, again. In fairness, though, Citrine had certainly suffered enough for it. Thea exhaled the anger out, even willing to forgive the firebolt. This time. In the midst of all this, Knyr strolled back into the tent, whistling cheerfully, a little bundled satchel over one shoulder. He paused at the sight of everyone tense and angry, glancing around the room.
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Arioch
Approved
Level 6 — Barbarian
Posts: 333
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Post by Arioch on Mar 21, 2019 10:04:25 GMT
The elf was quicker and reacted to the firebolt, blocking the fire; for which he was thankful internally.
"You can try"
He proposed and tensed up, ready to retaliate. It was true by all means, she was free to try it as he was sure she understood the consequences for failure, which meant she was alright with it whether she knew it or not. At least she had to be. He had just stated that anyone who attacked him would be met in kind and she was casually teasing the idea she just might, for fun. He didn't like that. And just like that she sat down and began to eat, commenting on the Basilisk... Of whose existance Arioch had all but forgotten up to that point. He had been concerned about the Basilisk but... it looked like it was still on a cage so what was the big deal about that.
Only Thea had proposed a plan which was... Well she had some pretty commendable ovaries for that strategy, not many people would be willing to try and put a burlac sack on the head of a huge creature that could petrify you and instantly kill you on the slightest mistake. As Citrine got up again and began to claw at the dead man wantonly, Arioch was wondering if Citrine was not a deluded harpy. Certainly she wasn't a phoenix. Mainly because he had no idea what a phoenix was, but harpies were supposed to be wantonly violent, sexually deviant evil avian women.
The only one speaking some sense into her was Orin. And Arioch silently approved of that, it was another point in favor of the elf not being absolutely mad, it would have been the cherry on the cake to have her lash out as well, but ever since she went out of the tent she came back like a different person. While he could raise the point of her mental sanity being fickle, he figured Citrine would take the word of a friend instead of his quicker. Also, it let him know that if Orin was surprised probably the bird woman's bout of madness were not such a frequent happening that she was numb to it.
And Orin had a point too, letting a place so big burn to the ground and be left to the mercy of the winds? Either Citrine had never slept out in the wilds or for the moment being simply didn't care of all the death and destruction that could potentially cause; to themselves included being that they arguably currently lived in the city.
All things considered it looked like Orin was being the voice of reason. The Basilisk would have to go, permanently. Letting him go would just put everyone in danger, like Aislinn, he thought, as an image of the druid walking through the forest crossed his mind. And what about hunters or farmers, or travelers? Oh, also, he lived there. He kinda had forgotten about that for a second. Definitely they were not going to let the beast walk out alive and kill people just because they were too faint of heart to kill it. Heck, he'd do it himself, put a blindfold over his own eyes if he had to.
It was Thea's touch, unexpected, that called for his attention; something similar had happened once before. The warm touch sliding slowly against the hardened arm, not giving an inch, but looking down at her to the side Arioch slowly began to lower the weapon a bit.
The obtrusive winged snake voice was being made itself heard inside his head again. It was... unsettling at best. But the comments she provided were sufficient to prove Orin's point correct. The creature couldn't be reasoned with. It was a wild animal that would probably try to kill anything it came into contact with, given the chance. Pip's return reminded him that she was also there.
"Hey vhy are you not at your house"
He asked
And then the Satyr happened. Arioch turned to the side to face him. His smiling, cheerful face seemed so out of place then.
"Karn."
Arioch called out to him
"Vhat do you know about Basilisks?"
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Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
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Post by Citrine on Mar 22, 2019 0:13:24 GMT
"What the - Rain! We have to move it somehow!"
The phoenix didn't give any heed to what Thea said, but did manage a half-look enough to spot the interaction of her hand on the man's arm… in which he then lowered his sword. Hopebringer passed her skewer to Pip, who had eyes so wide it was hard to tell what emotion lay behind them. ‘The man who wielded it is dead. I would derive no satisfaction from further revenging myself against his things.’ But I would Little One Burn them. Burn them for Me "…are you even listening to me?!"Was she listening to Orin? Goddess no, she wasn't listening. She was fully enraptured with what she was saying - hanging onto any and every word as if it would be the last. Even as she sat there, chicken stick in her mouth, and her temper simmered and boiled under her skin. At the statement of nothing would be set on fire? Citrine glared at Orin, wings catching light as another burst of magic spread over them… the dazzling bright heat of the violet red orange phoenix fire popping and sizzling with the repressed anger and commands of the Firebird to burn, destroy, turn it all to ash. His celestial demand for vengeance and pound of flesh from those who had captured her, taken her to unconsciousness not once -but twice-, singing like wardrums in her ears and mind. Over and over, keeping the blood pumping in her veins the longer she stayed inside the domain of those who had subdued her. It looked like Citrine was one wing beat from sending a cone of firebolts from her wings, each primary feather its own finger gesturing to the spread of destruction, but then? It then fizzled out. No doubt it was a surprise, especially to Thea, who never saw Citrine back down from doing something she said she would. In all their months of friendship Citrine always did what the firebird had said she would do - damn the consequences, ignore the laws, do as ye will. The moment she snuffed her own flame a sulfuric hellfire sort of smell filled her nose. A crackle like logs falling from configuration in a bonfire snapped. The feathers in her wings and those in her hair turned black and orange, glistening like coals of a fire burnt out - a visual effect no one here in the tent had ever seen before. The feathers were blackened, with only the hints of internal downy feathers still gleaming with the heat of orange fire. A few quills her hot yellow still, but overall? The looked like they had been burned to a crisp. Thea had seen her color dim, everyone here had smelled, whether they realized or not, the emotion tells of scents from her wings, but never a doused effect like this. The skree of the Firebird in her ears keened deeply, causing Citrine to wince - though everyone else might assume it was from Orin's sharp words, "Do you even listen to yourself?"Several things happened at once. Orin threw the burlap sack onto the stage, Thea said her name in such a tone you knew they were upset. The saytr walked back in. "Vhat do you know about Basilisks?" And the chicken Citrine had been holding with her mage hand fell to the ground as the arcane hand dissipated in smoke and wind. She moved to stand up, a certain poise-ness to the movement as if readying to cast a certain smoky spell, only to behave as if she'd tripped over a taunt line. Stumbling to the ground, irritating her wounds -particularly the shoulder, by the Sea- the birdfolk growled under her breath and hoisted herself up, feet clawing into the ground to get a grip against gravity, then awkwardly bird ran turned into a more graceful glide over to intercept Orin before she could make it out of the tent. "By the sea and Wind.. Damnit Orin, wait, Lass." She held out her arms to push against Orin's lower torso where she could reach. "Ye're.. ye're nae wrong, nae." She panted a bit from the effort required to actually physically move over here. "Aye rarely listen tae meself. 'Onestly Aye just spit out more than enough words an' hope somethin' sticks most o' teh time… But - ye're right. As always. Nae fire. Aye can enchant teh basilisk - an' et seems teh saytr… Karn?" She repeated the name she'd thought she heard the swordman say. "Might 'ave ah way as well ta tame et. Just, come back an' sit ah bit? Take ah rest before we go back tae town? Then ye can call teh guards, lette'm knae what 'appened, an' we can go tae teh.. err, well... we can just go." She ended it there though she had been about to say 'coast', highly doubting Orin would really like to still go to the coast anymore tonight. The whole time she talked her voice turned from the pent up agression she still displayed to a calmer resigned tone - sounding much more like the usual Citrine… though still a bit upset in general. "Besides." She added in a whisper, with a knock of her head towards Thea, far behind them. "From teh way she said me name? Aye'm bettin' someone wants tae yell at me, an Aye doubt ye want tae miss tha."
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Post by Ossular on Mar 22, 2019 15:30:04 GMT
Orin would exhale through her nostrils as Citrine glided over on burnt wings before pressing against her torso. The eladrin would stop, and even more lithe and light than other races, she wouldn't move back from the spot she was. She would listen to Citrine's proposal about resting for a bit, about waiting and just sitting here for a bit longer. About watching as Thea would yell at her, about not missing that.
Her eyes would look over her shoulder, back to Thea, to Arioch, to the satyr, the couatl, Pip, then back to Citrine. The eladrin would think, briefly, for a moment, before exhaling, her ears going flat.
No. She was still done.
"Good night, Citrine," Orin would step to the side, walking past the phoenix before continuing out the front of the tent. She had seen the way that Citrine had glared at her, the wings flaring up as she held anger back, the wincing at her proclamation. Not to mention the chicken that now sat on the ground after she had dropped the mage hand. She would walk out, moving back toward the forest path that had led them to the circus from Waterdeep.
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Citrine
Approved
6 Wild Blooded Sorcerer+ 1 Celestial Warlock
Posts: 328
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Post by Citrine on Mar 23, 2019 18:39:58 GMT
Her wings drooped and a pitiful sad sort of trill coo whispered from her throat. "…Aye… Captain." She sighed, morosely, arms dropped as Orin walked around her and out the tent. There was a stiffness to her shoulders that had nothing to do with her charred wings. A hint of spearmint mixed with rain and a spicy cinnamon nutmeg smell hung around the blackened wings.
For a moment Citrine let the wallow of self pity wash over her, just a moment, before wiping at her face and scowling. Eyes narrowed as she sniffed once and snorted through her nose and turned around to go back to the group, temper now simmering again without the one thing that kept her from lashing out had left.
Staring at the chicken skewer she snorted at it, twice, then a third time before huffing and bending down to pick it up manually, dusting it off with a wing and blow from her mouth. Sitting down she took another bite from it, mood sour, grumbling under her breath. "Jist puckle hoors late, sae sorry Ah didne abandon uther sentient creatures jist loch myself tae ah life ay slavery an' forced servitude. Mah bad. Next time Aye'll jist gang abit mah day withit a caur in th' warld. Foockin' fey influenced huir…" Her accent was the heaviest Thea or Pip might have ever heard if they tried to listen to her ramblings. Her wings cracked as they shifted, the char not just visual. The feathers had turned semi rough as if burnt wood. No doubt flying would be difficult.
She glared at the cat that was still in the sand near Hopebringer with an intensity that would have lit it on fire, had she had the approval of Orin to do so. But nope, she's said nothing would burn, and so? Nothing would be.
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Post by moralhazard on Mar 23, 2019 18:49:32 GMT
There was a long tense moment when fire flared on Citrine’s wings, and Thea really thought she meant to burn the tent down. She turned to Hopebringer, eyes wide, thinking only about Pip. Was she close enough to get out of the tent before anything really caught? Could Hopebringer carry her out in her tail? Could Thea run there and scoop her up in time? Arioch – Arioch would be the better choice – Thea spun back to him, eyes wide, planning to –
‘Calm, little airwalker,’ Hopebringer’s voice echoed in her mind and her mind only, gently. ‘It will be well.’
And then – Citrine stopped. She stopped, and, more strangely still, the fire in her wings seemed to burn out, leaving behind what looked like – coal? Thea looked back at Orin, wide-eyed, feeling very impressed despite herself – and then immediately sympathetic when the eladrin left, leaving Citrine behind to gnaw grumpily on her chicken.
Pip had finished her skewer, almost mechanically, nibbling the rest of it while Citrine and Orin had talked – or while Citrine had talked, at least. Now, slowly, she gave Hopebringer a last pet and got to her feet. She glanced guiltily at Arioch, not answering his question just yet, and, summoning up all her courage, made her way over to Citrine.
“I thought you should burn it,” Pip said, loyally – and then burst into tears, diving at Citrine with a hug. “I’m sorry,” Pip sobbed, borderline hysterical once more. “Citrine I’m so sorry it was all my fault,” she dissolved into incoherent apologies.
Thea, watching, decided to leave this one to Citrine. She had coaxed Pip through half a dozen of these in the last hour, and, honestly, she wanted Citrine to understand something about how this had all affected Pip. Maybe it would knock some sense in to her. Thea knew it was a long shot, but she still thought it worth the try.
“Er,” Knyr had caught Arioch’s question, although he’d been much too fascinated with the drama going on before then. He turned back to Arioch. “Well, good sir Arioch,” he had finally figured out the eladrin was Orin, “I am afraid I know very little about a basilisk, other than that there is one trapped in that cage,” he pointed, dramatically, to the northmost cage, “and that any eye contact with it will petrify you! I believe it was brought here yesterday, shortly before the capture of that lovely phoenix.”
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