Raelynn 2022/10/28(Fri)20:34 No. 1047749 ID: 8483cf
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At first I didn’t recognize it. It was disorienting. Unnatural. Dizzying, almost.

There’s a pep in my step.

I have enough money to go where I want. Learn what I want. Be who I want. I even have a companion to do it with; someone to watch my back. Someone who maybe, just maybe, understands a small part of me.

There’s nothing stopping me from getting that enchantment on my bow I’d considered a luxury. Or splurging on a new set of casual clothes. Taking that trip and not having to scavenge for provisions on the way. Buying a whole shelf of books. Just locking myself in my room for a week, turning a page and and enjoying the fruits of my-

There’s a knocking at my door.

Oh.

“Come out, ranger,” a woman calls. “We need to talk. Now.”

No, we don’t.

The knocking continues, this time more urgently. “I know you’re in there. I can see the light under the door.” She knocks again, even louder. “I’m not going anywhere, so you had better come out now, if you know what’s good for your bird!”

Taranis? What’s he gotten into? Is she threatening him? Faster than I’d admit, the door is open and I’m staring at a glowering witch.

“I thought that might work,” the witch says. “I’m here to get reclaim some stolen property. Your bird stole some powerful… artifacts a few minutes ago from my friends and me.”

“He’s not my bird,” I say.

“Don’t play dumb,” the witch hisses. “I’ve seen that crow on your shoulder, coming and going from this room.”

“And you think this gives me… authority over him?” I raise my eyebrow. “If you have a problem with Taranis, take it up with him yourself.”

“Oh, I will,” she says. “And you’re going to help me find him. Right now.”

I fail to see how this is my problem.

I close the door on her.

“Hey!” the witch shouts. “I’m going to assume you’re getting dressed to come help me find your bird! Or else!”

1. Get dressed
2. Else

Else. You have undergarments on and she does not. This gives you authority over her, per the witch code.

Get dressed, but not because she told you to. You don't gotta help her if you don't want to, though admittedly you probably should.

2. Just yell through the door that she is being impatient which isn't nice, and explain that there's no point or sense in running around town looking for him when he'll come find you eventually at some point since he's our companion, so why waste our energy playing hide and seek?

>>1047753
2, supporting this

Raelynn 2022/10/29(Sat)16:07 No. 1047833 ID: 8483cf
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This witch is obviously not thinking clearly. Why would I waste my time looking for Taranis when I know he’ll just be back here later?

“He’ll be back later,” I tell her through the door. “There. I’ve helped you find him.”

The witch gives positively catlike hiss and stomps away. Good riddance. I’ll have to have a talk with Taranis later to get his side of the story.

In the meantime, I’ve got the afternoon all to myself. I’ve finished my workout, topped off my Go Bag, and thanks to my work getting everyone to and from the Terrorscale Lair safely, I’ve got more money than I’ve ever had in my life. I toss myself back on my bed and enjoy the smell of freshly washed sheets.

I feel pret-t-t-y good.

I let my thoughts wander aimlessly until they settle on the book on my nightstand. I reach out and thumb through the pages of Applied Alchemy. It used to rub me the wrong way to incorporate items I couldn’t make or fix in the field into my arsenal, but ever since Serah gave me that Feline Grace mutagen, I’ve taken a new approach to mixing things up.

Well, that and staring down a life-size dragon may have forced me to reconsider how far my purist approach will get me.

With my new practice making traps, I could ask Serah to coach me on how to safely store, carry and prime freezing and/or explosive traps. Or I could ask for some rudimentary bombs I can fit to special arrowshafts for precision warheads. Maybe I could even ask for her to improve my mutagen to the next level, or even try something entirely new.

The sky’s the limit.

Maybe cat ears?

No. No cat ears.

Should I:
1. Focus on incorporating alchemical bombs and acids into my traps and arrows;
2. Offer to let Serah test out improving her mutagens on me (suggest improvements/specific upgrades); or
3. Other (Refer to Serah’s schools of alchemy here: https://questden.org/kusaba/questarch/res/984338.html#986206)

YES CAT EARS

But also B) why not something to enhance your vision if you're not gonna give in to the cat ears?

CAT EARS! BECOME CAT ELF

Nah, no cat ears as fun as it sounds. She's fine the way she is.

A. Serah has gotten experienced at making these bombs, and her confidence probably got better. I think she's ready to make a GRAVITY BOMB now. I want to see if she'll succeed in making one after all her fears of failing of making one

2! Test out mutagens, those don't need specialist upkeep in the field! Something that allows temporary form shifting, or upgrades to your catlike grace. is there anything that helps her iterate on her patented jotund juice that would have benefits for you too? Potions to make you a longer, more graceful elf that can leap to amazing heights?

Do you really want to be spending your days in a lab for 1? Really? Even if you come up with dumbed down versions that's still money, and you only just now solved your money problems. Your value is in the utility you have access to and are able to respond with. I think

2

Would be a good choice, though if you do not prefer the ears of a cat, maybe something more on the eyes, or something shifting related that will add to your flexibility.

OR, if you wanted a good in between, Oils. Oils are less high maintenance to make, can be done with resources gathered in the fields, stored for a long time, and are less volatile and can be used to augment weapons and more importantly *arrows*

So, to clarify, my vote is 2 unless other people agree that 3 is a better option (imo it is), in which case my vote will be to back up 3-oils

Yes to cat tail. With the right setup, you could effectively have a third limb for balance and holding your spare arrows.
Plus they feels good.

Cat tail AND cat ears.

But only if you end up with only two ears, not four!

And also, claws, but ONLY the type that can be retracted when not in use!

And fur, but only on tail/ears.

And the ability to purr (not roar), but only if it doesn't interfere with your existing speech!

>>1047861
This, but also most importantly, add beans!

And have her have fur everywhere instead of just ears and tail!

>>1047833
I'm gonna put an anti-vote on being a cat-girl here, you're more original than that!

Go for 2 though, ask for mutagens that can increase the density of your muscles and their tensile strength! You could be bounding and leaping your way across city rooftops with your super legs!

>>1047863
I'm going to support this one if 1 loses (though we really need to make sure Serah is confident enough to make gravity bombs at some point at a later date if we don't do it now)

I prefer Rae's current design over becoming a cat.

>>1047863

Ahhh, muscle density. The old standby of transhuman (and elf and dwarf or whatever) augmentation.

See, there's a thing with this. If you are going to want to increase muscle density, then you're going to want to adjust the composition of your bones to be sturdier while still being light. Then you're going to want to adjust the muscles to also be faster at moving, not just stronger. Then you'll want to adjust the connective tissues so that they can handle the extra stresses. Then you're going to want to adjust your blood's ability to handle oxygen, and the efficiency of your lungs to go with it. Then the nerve rate of signal propagation so you can handle the extra capacity for speed and reflexes and such. Then you'll want to tweak your nutrient intake, what sorts of food you can digest (and where in your body/by what mechanism that digestion happens), your metabolic rate, to balance all these extra calorie-intensive tweaks so that you don't have to spend literally all your time eating, and also to manage your sleep cycle AND by the way, your longevity as well. THEN you start looking into disease and cancer and poison resistance, because a lot of this stuff probably does negatively impact your propensity for cancer later in life... Really if you are going to start down the path of 'just be stronger!', you really, REALLY need a plan. Transspeciesism is NOT for the feint of the heart, the un-dedicated, OR those incapable of pre-planning!

So... for an example, what would a 'basic' comprehensive mutagenic enhancement plan that tweaks a little bit of everything look like, from where you stand?

>>1047864

The thing with being a catgirl, you either keep the changes very minor (ears, tail, fur on those), IE, stuff that might go with whatever you look like, OR you go all in (facial structure, fur everywhere, whiskers, cat eyes of some sort, tail, handpaws/footpaws, claws, sense improvements to smell hearing and night sight, balance and proprioception improvement, ability to purr or roar, extra suppleness and flexibility, etc. etc. etc.). You DON'T want to end up in kind of a halfway 'that just looks off' kind of look. You want your look --and capabilities-- to be cohesive and coherent and make sense!

2, Mutagens

I'm against cat ears on Rae. Rae has a great aesthetic as is, we don't need to fuck it up by introducing traits that don't fit with it.

Muscle density sounds a bit like Jotund's Might, which may give Serah war flashbacks if you suggest it. Maybe she can brew up some Greater Dragon Armor instead? Inspiration from being around Kayk.

Mutagen.

Have you considered squid (or perhaps even kraken?). Hard to break bendy bones. Squeeze through all sorts of places. Chamelon skin! Stretch your limbs out to be the tallest whenever desired.

>>1048004
+1 woomy to catsquid.

>>1048004

You're a kid! You're a squid!

Squid mutagen. Yes.

Extra arms could increase the firing rate of a bow...

>>1048038

So could those fancy repeating longbow device thingies. She should get one of those, they're great fun.

Raelynn 2022/11/02(Wed)17:58 No. 1048294 ID: 8483cf
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I am conflicted. Frankly, I didn’t expect this question to be so difficult to answer.

I’m proud of my body and how well I’ve trained myself. I have a good forty-three years of experience with it, and my muscle memory is very, very good. I can draw and fire an arrow in less than a second completely flat-footed, and if I’m prepared, that only gets faster. I’m not concerned about my rate of fire or my accuracy.

What does concern me are my reflexes and senses. In a fight, the first shot usually wins. Strength is great, but the strongest warrior will still (usually) die to an arrow through the eye socket, barring enchantments, and those can be bypassed with the right counterspells on your arrowheads.

My right eye is fine. I’ve trained it well enough that I have my depth perception back.

My left eye… it should be so, so much more than it is.

The necrotic rot from the bear’s claws should have killed me. My family would have probably preferred that. If I hadn’t been cut down before I was ready, I’d be unstoppable. I’d be able to see my opponents’ moves before they knew what they’d do themselves.

Now? I’m lucky to see their silhouette. Granted, I can see it through solid objects, but it’s still a far cry from what I fucking should be able to do.

I grip my knees tight. Let it go, Rae. No sense being upset over the things you can’t change. No priest or priestess has been able to heal my wound; I’m not surprised, since my rival Druidic Circle prides themselves on that kind of handiwork. I can say many things about how far my people have fallen culturally, I can’t say elves have lost touch with the fine art of battle.

Refocusing on the issue at hand, bomb-arrows are a good idea in theory, but I’m not sure I’d appreciate the time and money sink in practice. Perhaps they could be useful if I had a patron or master-at-arms providing them free of charge, but I really don’t want to join up with anyone long-term. I like my freedom to do, and be, who I want.

I can’t change what’s been done to me. But I could change other things about myself. Just to try it. Just a few weeks of cat ears, maybe a tail? For the sensory boost and extra limb, of course.

No. I already covered this. I’m not the cute one, Taranis has that covered. I have my dignity. My very, very important dignity.

Mutagens that strengthen my strengths are a good idea, I think. I want to be fast, balanced, and maintain my muscle memory. I keep finding myself drawn to the cat mutagens that enhance reflexes and twitch muscles. I think I may be able to train my scarred left eye to be not as horrible, and maybe regain a little more use of it, but it always causes me a bit of pain to remember what I could have been.

I don’t like the idea of softening my body or skeleton with squid mutagens. I need power and precision, not the ability to take a hit. Same goes for dragon armor. Though it is tempting to imagine what Serah could do with a real, live dragon like Kayk to take samples from… hmm.

I like the idea of asking Serah to improve my Feline Grace mutagen to improve my reflexes and regular, allowing me to synergize with my seersight. Feline Grace also already provides perfect balance and increased precision in melee attacks with my ancestral blade. Perhaps she could also improve my tensile strength as well, if she’s confident enough to test her skills on me.

Rae has voiced her opinions on mutagens. This is an additional chance to influence her ultimate decision.

>>1048294
Cat reflexes it is. Also, perhaps more of a focus on learning to use your damaged eye could restore some of the precognition it had.
...maybe the problem is not the flesh, but the magic? Have you tried seeing a wizard about it, instead of a priest?

Pushing the boundaries of her craft? Samples from Kayk? Go for it!

Well I guess squids are almost entirely muscle too? Especially krakens if Serah can get a sample. And have an interesting level of bodily awareness give their cameoflague and mimicry.

Also planning around never getting hit means you'll crumble when you do get hit.

>>1048305
oh squid/octopus skin mimicry could be REALLY useful, if you feel like that's achievable

The only thing worse than losing something forever is realizing you could never have had it in the first place. Think about it.

... For now, why not take from that which has stolen from you?
Bear Wrists Mutagen - Your grip can shatter bones. Aimed attacks at your arms and wrists will not disarm your bow or arrows. You'll never lose your clawing when hanging on for dear life.

The druids stole your future. Steal theirs.

Agree on improving the Feline Grace stuff with associated skills and aptitudes!

Raelynn 2022/11/05(Sat)13:31 No. 1048520 ID: 8483cf
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I definitely want to improve my reflexes, and see what Serah can do with Kayk to improve her mutagens. The squid mutagen idea seems terrible, but then I remember that they can make their skin blend in with their surroundings. If I was able to do that myself, I’d eliminate the need for my Camouflage spell (assuming the mutagen somehow worked on my hair, too).

Wait. Could the squid mutagen let me change my hair color without magic, whenever I want?

This demands further investigation.

I roll out of bed and get dressed into my supremely comfortable outfit Miss Venmiphi made me a few months ago. I’m tempted to visit her again, but even flush with money as I am, she’s expensive enough to put me off the idea. I’ll find something cheap and casual… but still, that was what got me stuck in that miniskirt and too-small blouse for months. Maybe I can use the fact that her assistant, Patches, burned my old outfit to get another discount? No, still too expensive.

I have other things to occupy my attention, like finding Serah. Despite what I’ve said about my eye, it’s still very, very useful for stealth and searching. Thanks to my training on the trip to the Terrorscale lair, if I focus, my ruined eye can see through most anything, and focus in on shapes from a distance. It’s saved me so much time in searching for Taranis, Dotti and Landi whenever they wander off.

I don’t see Serah anywhere in the guild, not even in the Alchemist’s Lab (there seems to be some minor chaos being cleaned up in there; perhaps the witch wasn’t exaggerating). However, I do find a familiar fluttering fairy’s form in the Adventurers’ Guild lounge. Perhaps she’ll know what Serah is up to. I let my x-ray vision fade into the background and make my way over to Landi.

Landi is even more hyperactive than usual. She’s harassing any adventurer that passes her by, and they’re all fleeing for some reason. This is a red flag, but in Landi’s case, I’m so used to those I could make a quilt out of those.

“Landi,” I say, announcing myself behind her.

“Gah! Stealth elf!” she jolts. “You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!”

It’s pretty nice being able to sneak up on a fairy.

“I need to speak with Lady Kensington,” I say.

“She’s out,” Landi says. “Helping my sorority sister Rocio move house. Won’t be back for a bit.”

“Shouldn’t you be helping? You’re her companion.”

“She’ll be fine,” Landi says. “It’s just moving some heavy boxes in a place famous for its highly caloric food. What’s the worst that could happen?”

“I see. Well, when she returns, tell her I’d like to talk to her about-“

“Sure, sure,” Landi interrupts. “But first, can you help a girl out? Pleeeeeeeease?”

“No.”

“Come on, don’t be like that,” Landi says. “Look, I’ve got a kind of… uh… performance review tomorrow with Big Sodium, and I need to prove I’ve been doing stuff that makes her happy. And you’re PERFECT for that. Just hang around me tomorrow for a bit in some nice makeup and let me pizzazz your outfit a bit, and everything will be great!”

“No.”

“Agh!” Landi spins crazily in midair as she tugs on her own wings in distress, the physics of which I can’t begin to comprehend. “Rae, please! You gotta help me look good for the Dandruff Djinn! I’ll do anything within reason.”

“No.”

“You’re killing me, Rae! Please!”

“You said you’d do anything?”

“Yes!”

Everything about this is suspicious. I seriously doubt Landi would be able to make it worth my while for… whatever this is.

Can she? Should I take the deal?

Take the deal. Now, what was Nasty Clarice fond of again? Ah right, change or halting it. The latter is harder without her help, so agree to a chance to dress up in exchange for a chance to change up Landi's outfit too. How'd she look in a leather jacket and tightpants?

Absolutely take this deal. Putting aside what she can do for you, Salt isn't the kind of entity you fuck around with. Do your part to keep her happy, so that Serah continues to have a fairy companion at all.

Plus, it never hurts to have a favor you can call in from a magical creature.

>>1048520
Hmmmm... ok, take the deal, but instead of the outfit thing, tell her about your witch problem. Throwing a monkey wrench into her plans should be good.

Raelynn 2022/11/06(Sun)15:41 No. 1048617 ID: 8483cf
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I’m not sure why I’m suddenly the go-to for trouble with tiny winged creatures. Somehow it feels vaguely offensive. Plus, procrastination on Landi’s part doesn’t mean I should reward her by bailing her out with clown makeup and frilly dresses, which for some reason she sees as essential to winning her patron Djinn’s favor.

Still, Landi needs my help, and she’s offered to pay for it. I’ve definitely taken worse jobs.

“Deal,” I say. “You provide the makeup and dress tomorrow, as long as it’s not that gaudy abomination from Girls’ Night at the library.”

“YES!” Landi shrieks. “You saved my butt, Rae. Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

“Don’t mention it. Seriously.”

I leave a very relieved fairy behind and head to the park to clear my head.

---------

Things have changed over the past few months. I’ve changed.

As it turns out, I am worthy of an animal companion. A divine one, at that, if a troublesome one.

I have money and respect from Lady Kensington, and potentially future employment if she ventures out again. I have a favor from a manic fairy who has more social connections than common sense. And Dotti isn’t scared out of her wits when she sees me, at least when I don’t look like I’m about to take her out to go jogging.

I hear a familiar chirrup. The skunk is back, fluffier than before. Fall is just a few days away.

“Hello,” I reply. The skunk scoots up to me.

“You look well,” I say, giving it a pet. “I take it that means you’ve been successfully competing for trash with Dotti.”

The skunk chirrups again. It’s a very perceptive animal. I stop petting it, and it looks up at me in displeasure.

“No pets until you answer me honestly,” I say. “You’re not some druid shapeshifting to mess with me, are you?”

The skunk growls indignantly.

“Not a druid, then,” I say. “Are you secretly the Mastermind of Minga, deciding who lives and who dies?”

The skunk sticks out its tongue.

“I knew it,” I say, and resume petting.

I feel very good today.

Rae has FREE TIME today. She has already worked out, studied traps, read a tawdry book, and pondered mutagens.

Suggest an activity.

Archery practice! Can she beat her high score?

After accomplishing so much, doing a bunch of training, and having enough money to live a relatively good life, and since we're in this moment of peace...

Do you want to see about giving dating a try and see if it works for you?

You said you weren't looking for a relationship, but that was when you were busy trying to get by. Now that your living comfortably, maybe you're free to look now?

Go into a bar, or the heroes guild cafeteria, find if any adventurers are willing to mingle, just talk and share stories of yours and their adventures. Maybe something will sprout from that.

>>1048626
And even if Rae doesn't want to find a suitor, she can still share stories from adventurers. Who knows, she might hear some interesting information for the future. (and love tends to strike when you're not actually actually looking, so who knows, she might unintentionally find a potential date)

Raelynn 2022/11/07(Mon)17:39 No. 1048726 ID: 8483cf
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I continue to pet the skunk. The skunk continues to enjoy it. This has to be some form of meditation, because it’s easy to lose track of time.

Time. There are only so many hours in the day, and now that I don’t have to worry about so many different things, I’m not sure how to spend it. My first thought is to do what I’ve always done: keep my skills sharp. Maybe I could try out a different style of bow, mix a few things up to get just a little more piercing power? It’s tempting, and I wouldn’t have the pressure of needing a 100% reliable setup to pay for my guild dues.

Or maybe, just maybe, I could go prowling.

It’s been a while since I bothered to let anyone catch my eye… maybe we could shake the bedposts a bit.

It could be fun. It could also be a disappointment, a waste of time, or even worse. I don’t need anybody chasing after something I’m not interested in giving.

No, it’s not worth the hassle. I’m not feeling up to seeing the look of yet another clod when they lean in for a kiss and pull back my bangs.

Archery practice it is.

Raelynn 2022/11/07(Mon)17:40 No. 1048727 ID: 8483cf
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No high scores today, but I did get more familiar with several different strings and bows. The best part is that they’re all maintainable in the field- it’s the extra boost of freedom that makes my heart pound.

I make my way back from the bowmaker and spy a familiar silver-streaked crow in the marketplace. He’s perched on a woodlark-kin’s shoulder next to a glowing orange fairy.

Hold on a moment- she’s a ranger from the guild, too. Have I been replaced? I quicken my stride and-

No, that’s ridiculous. I slow back down. He’s probably just flirting with the fairy. Somehow.

A few seconds later, Taranis sees me out of the corner of his eye and flaps his wings excitedly. The ranger girl and her fairy companion turn to greet me.

“Oh! Hi!” the wing-kin says. “You must be Raelynn! I’m Apricot, and this is Autumn.”

“Hello,” says the fairy.

“Taranis invited us to hang out with you tonight,” Apricot says, “And how could we say no?”

“Taranis has very good taste in friends.” Autumn gives a tiny flutter of her wings. “I love your happy hair.”

Oh. Oh, no. It’s so much worse than it seemed.

Taranis has minions.

Choose one or more:
1. Decline the invitation to hang out
2. Tell Taranis he’s in deep trouble with some witches
3. Assert dominance
4. Other

3. Stretch your wings wide and boop all the snoots, the fairy's included. If Taranis is going to gather minions you are going to drill them into birds of one feather!

3. Let them know that you were harassed by a witch, and you're going to need their protection if she starts bothering you again, said something about panties stealing or whatever, and you're not sure if she'll have friends to help her against you, so you need Taranis, Autumn, and Apricot on your side to make things even just in case. (pay attention as to how Taranis reacts to your "request")

(You're not REALLY going to fight the witches, rather, you're just playing along to to mess with Taranis a little. If Apricot and Autumn is unsure about this, just whisper to them out of Taranis' earshot that you're mainly doing this to mess with Taranis for stealing. See if he feels guilty for getting you into this mess)

Yes, I'm turning this into the Witch who lost their panties, but this time from the villains perspective.

>>1048728
Assert dominance playfully, you may not be in a romantic mood, but you were in a good mood, so playing with Taranis in this way when you know that shit's going to come down for *whatever* he did is fair play since you obveously wont throw him under a bus for her to like kill or imprison him.

So... why does he want panties? Is he amorously unfulfilled and lusting after biped peole? Has he figured out some sort of weird magic involving items obtained by trickery? Or just... some kind of clothing based magic? Why panties in particular, rather than the traditional corvid shiny things? Does he need a supply of powerful magic for self improvement? This might be a bird after your own heart! You have a duty to investigate, and then, as long as it isn't something horrible, *do right by your familiar"!

2. Tell him about the witches. Ruin his day!

Raelynn 2022/11/08(Tue)21:03 No. 1048793 ID: 8483cf
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It’s time to establish the pecking order. I hold out my arm and Taranis lands atop it.

“Thank you for the compliment,” I tell Apricot, and give her a quick boop on the beak with the arm opposite Taranis. She lets out a high-pitched chirp of surprise. “It’s good of you to keep Taranis safe.”

“Safe?” Autumn asks. “Is he in danger?”

I nod. “Yes. He’s being hunted. By a coven of witches, in fact.”

“Oooh!” Apricot flaps her wings wide. “Why would want to hunt him? Lemme at ‘em!”

“Why indeed?” I look at Taranis. “The witch I spoke to was very vague about the whole thing. She didn’t give very many details.”

Taranis flutters his wings nervously. Everyone looks at him.

I’m not going to throw Taranis under the figurative wagon by saying my suspicions. That’s up to him if he wants to come clean to his new minions.

Does Taranis confess his crimes?

Confess? He fucking boasts about it.

To one of his marks? No.

He does not, because this is the more silly choice.

>>1048793
What ever could you mean Taranis commits no crimes, Taranis only engages in daring resuces and good deeds, all else is slander!

Taranis doesn't confess per se. But he boasts about things... and inadvertently lets on precisely what he was ACTUALLY doing, since he IS actually proud of what he did! It's too much to resist, how horrible would it be if no one knew of his genius?!

Taranis takes the shrewd option and short-sells the truth! He chants a lewd song about his newfound powers manifested from the servants of the gods and the wealth they'll bring and the many undergarments he had to steal as ritual components for these boons!

Raelynn 2022/11/09(Wed)20:19 No. 1048891 ID: 8483cf
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Taranis shrugs his wings. He has absolutely no idea why some witches would be hunting such a helpful and noble bird like him who only does good deeds and performs daring wardrobe-related rescues.

“Yeah!” Apricot says. “A witch hunt doesn’t make sense. What could a cute lil’ bird like Taranis do to a whole bunch of powerful witches with big spells and stuff?”

“Maybe there’s another black bird or familiar who stole something from them,” Autumn says, “and they’re blaming Taranis for it. Clearly, any bird who stole something from a coven of witches would have to be exceptionally clever and quick-clawed to avoid being roasted, especially if that crow had stolen something exceptionally powerful from them.”

Taranis bobs his head in vigorous agreement.

“I heard some witches have magical undergarments,” I say nonchalantly. “Maybe the bird stole it right off them?”

“No way,” Apricot says. “That’s ridiculous. I don’t care how clever some birds might be, they can’t steal the panties right off somebody.”

Taranis ruffles his feathers indignantly. Of course it’s possible!

“It’s silly,” Apricot scoffs. “I think it’s very unfair of those witches to blame you for something you obviously didn’t do. Don’t worry, we’ll defend you.”

“I’m glad you’re on his side,” I say. “What would he do without you?”

Taranis glares at me and makes a long, drawn-out squawk.

“It might not be safe for Taranis at the adventurers’ guild until the witches realize they have the wrong bird,” Autumn says. “Maybe we could go camping for a bit? There’s a reward for information on malevolent spirits in the woods outside Minga, we might even get paid for it.”

“I’m not in my adventuring gear,” Apricot complains. “And I hate getting into it. Plus I left it at the guild.”

“Don’t worry, I have it in my inventory!”

Apricot groans.

“The woods shouldn’t be too dangerous,” Autumn continues, “Except for that Spirit of Bloodshed that got reported a few months ago, and those other ones we haven’t identified yet,” Autumn says. “And gear wouldn’t be very useful against them anyway, unless you have an enchanted weapon. We would just keep an eye out and report back what we see.”

As a matter of fact, I do have a sword that can harm spirits. Samhain is my go-to against… well, everything that gets close, but doubly so against spirits that can’t be affected by normal arrows. I’ve got it and my archery gear with me at the moment.

I don’t like the idea of camping with these two newbie adventurers, but there’s no separating them from Taranis at the moment. And I won’t leave Taranis to deal with either the witches or spirits alone.

What should I suggest?
1. Forget camping; insist we solve the situation with the witches right now
2. Go straight out to camping, and let Apricot go casual
3. Go camping, but insist Apricot gear up first

3.

3. I'd say 1, but the newbies might follow. Taranis is probably totally guilty. Let's not out him in front of his minions.

>>1048891
3 I think

kinda 2, kinda 3 (but lean towards 2) Let her decide while giving her a simple warning

Let Apricot know If she doesn't want to gear up, she doesn't have to as you understand it might be less restrictive on a bird that needs their entire wings to fly, and that gear would hold her down... but also warn her that while it might be safe in the forest, she should know that as an adventurer, she should always be prepared for the unexpected and stay protected with gear to protect herself from wardrobe malfunctions or injuries that could happen during a surprise fight.

it's up to her to listen to that warning, as It'll be a learning experience if something does happens to her that required her to gear up, and if she doesn't gear up, you're strong enough to make sure things to get worse for her and she'll learn her lesson. Experience is the greatest teacher after all, and she could use it. And if she complains, just say "i tried to warn you"

>>1048891
3. Give advice for her to make the gear more comfortable.

Raelynn 2022/11/10(Thu)20:31 No. 1048998 ID: 8483cf
File 166814110113.png - (63.04KB , 1059x1112 , LF6c_10.png )

“A quick foray into the woods is a good plan to make money and buy time,” I say, “But not without protection.”

“Awww,” Apricot whines. “I hate getting into my gear. It’s such a hassle.”

“Even with my help?” Autumn asks, a little downcast.

“I know you’re trying your best,” Apricot says. “Sorry.”

“We could get a few extra accessories, if that would make things more exciting,” Autumn adds. “You have a little money left over from your first mission.”

“Yeah!”

I follow the duo to a nearby armorer’s shop. They disappear into the changing stall, and I ask them what kind of gear might help her combat style.

Apricot is a dive-bombing melee fighter who relies on Autumn to provide armor and spell resistance, as well as buffs to strength so she can lift magic casters up and drop them from high in the air. With Autumn’s inventory magic adding aerial bombardment capabilities, she also has an (expensive) option for safer assaults if she can buy alchemist’s bombs.

Paperdoll! Edit in an outfit for Apricot to wear.

Higuera 2022/11/11(Fri)00:03 No. 1049002 ID: fb2164
File 166815379569.png - (80.68KB , 1059x1112 , x-tremetactical.png )

Tactical.
Maneuverability.

Belt (with room for any consumables to hook in) and Goggles.

Nothing else :V

Okay, I'm no artist, but artist people... those talons are going to need some metal bits for extra damage and to protect her primary means of attack! And maybe some cloth armor, something lightweight? But focused on protecting the legs and groin, often from attacks from below! And a leather helmet of some sort! And goggles!

Suggestion 2022/11/11(Fri)12:29 No. 1049026 ID: 481e64
File 166819859536.png - (185.21KB , 1059x1112 , Illustration3.png )

My suggestion is for an outfit which allows the swift delivery of payloads upon all your foes

Suggestion 2022/11/11(Fri)12:31 No. 1049028 ID: 481e64
File 166819866922.png - (214.56KB , 1059x1112 , Illustration4.png )

Here is another featuring some of the suggestions from >>1049014

>>1049028
That is one badass aviatrix!

LW 2022/11/11(Fri)16:37 No. 1049052 ID: 9b127b
File 166821343220.png - (166.71KB , 1059x1112 , PaperDoll1.png )

A perfectly practical outfit...

EDMNGO - ID:0838d6 2022/11/11(Fri)20:30 No. 1049071 ID: 5499f4
File 166822741870.png - (72.86KB , 1059x1112 , DonutApricotPaperDoll.png )

She doesen't like it because it's hard to get the belts on and the shoulder armor. The leg strap for the knife is also annoying but very neccesary to grasp with her other leg!

Crotches out! Bird crotch power!

>>1049028

Out of curiosity, what would cloth armor that is less 'khaki-wearing explorer kit' and more 'actual gambeson or linothorax or something, I dunno!' look like? Most of those tend to be very much torso armor, so I don't know if there's a viable way to do that in a 'you expect attack to come from below' means, hmmm! Still, it's pretty awesome!

As far as the other suggested options... it doesn't LOOK like those claws on the wings can grab things especially well; what sorts of bags and satchels and bandoliers would synergize most with the actual available inventory magic? Maybe something that lets the inventory magic throw alchemical bombs OR metal aerial flechettes equally well??

Suggestion 2022/11/12(Sat)07:12 No. 1049097 ID: a7a180
File 166826596290.png - (93.46KB , 1059x1112 , death from above.png )

Don't need to fuss about your top half when you're flying above your enemies. Save that weight for an armored underside and steel talons. Steel talons rule!

>>1049097

Needs more foot and thigh armor! Getting your foot cut off would be horrible! Also lots of important arteries on the thighs!

>>1049071
Wings need to move a lot to fly so the pauldrons would probable be more trouble than help. Excluding that belts and pouches seem function.

>>1049097
The skirt may restrict how far apart she can move the legs.
Would this claw accessories be glued in place? They would need to be attached to a custom glove with buckles to stay in place.

>>1049028
For the most part this seem very functional. If votes count my is for this.
The belts doesn't seem to serve any function as they are, but they could be support for pouches.
The sleeves got to go, they interfere with the feathers.

Raelynn 2022/11/19(Sat)14:25 No. 1049647 ID: 8483cf
File 166889670516.png - (42.30KB , 579x500 , LF6c_11.png )

>>1049002
Apricot thinks goggles are cool. She has at least three pairs.

>>1049026
I ask what she’s used to wearing, and Apricot mentions her first part-time job was a mail carrier. She’s used to flying long distances with a payload, despite her small stature.

>>1049028
Apricot’s current scouting and ground attack outfit has buckles for payload release as well as places for Apricot to grab on to, but it’s relatively unarmored.

>>1049052
Autumn insists Apricot try on a nightie to kill time while the shopkeep works on a few adjustments to her armor. It’s a huge hit with the Murder members, but I don’t see the big deal. At least it doesn’t take up much space in Autumn’s inventory.

>>1049071
This outfit is a solid choice for defending attacks from above and maintaining light weight. However, Apricot refuses to wear her aerial dogfighting armor without pants.

“I’m a big city bird with big city fashion sense. The pantsless look is so backwater bird,” Apricot declares with utter finality.

>>1049097
Likewise, Apricot also refuses to skimp on her top. The dressed-down look is so provincial.

“Wait,” Autumn says. “Didn’t you come from a small little-“

“SHHH!”

>>1049103
Apricot can put on tee shirts, but taking them off is an adventure all by itself. Plus the sleeves get in the way of her feathers.

Apricot is mixing and matching among different sets of armor. I agree that she should likely armor her talons and/or thighs, but as we’ll be on a reconnaissance mission, this is a preventative measure against unexpected enemies more than anything else. If we actually run into a spirit, there’s very little Apricot can do other than point out its location and relay it to me to finish off with my blade, Samhain.

It would be a terrific help if any of Taranis’s Murder could communicate with me over long distance. I ask if they know any spells that would make communication easier and clearer than using the coded bird calls I normally do. Apricot and Autumn don’t have anything like that. Taranis hesitates, but eventually shakes his head. He’s hiding something, I can tell, but I won’t press him over something so minor.

What genuinely concerns me is that we’ll be searching the area adjacent to where I saw the uncleansed circle of ritual druidic combat. If my old Circle is using that place to fight against other Circles, they’ll likely have a presence in the area. They won’t want to make it known, of course, and Autumn isn’t well-trained enough to spot my Circle’s warriors, scouts or pick out their thralled wildlife. I’ll have to do that myself.

I sincerely do not want to encounter any Circle members, even Uí Liatháin. If they make their presence known, it’s because they have issues with someone. Usually brought up at point of blade, claw or arrow. And that’s assuming we- they- don’t just kill their target without giving it a chance to fight.

Circle members will ignore Apricot, Autumn and Taranis; the Murder is utterly beneath their notice. For me… well, I’ve operated out of neutral territory for years and haven’t run into them yet. But that was before the fights started. My one advantage is that no Circle expects my ruined eye to be working again. I’m the only one of the group who stands a chance at spotting the signs of an elven ambush and surviving. I’m also the only one worth ambushing from their point of view. Again, that’s assuming any of the Circles have an active presence in the area.

With all that said…

Do I give Apricot any advice on whether to armor specific parts of her body? Which armor set/s should she choose?

Knee armor and skirt of >>1049097
Shoulder armor, top, of >>1049071
metal talon claw shoes of >>1049028
bag to carry stuff in of >>1049026
goggles of >>1049002
pajamas for night time camping of >>1049052
And finally, this symbol somewhere on her top >>1049103

A little bit of one thing from each of the costumes

Poltergeist Ethanoic Acid 2022/11/19(Sat)15:38 No. 1049656 ID: e51896
File 166890108884.png - (356.24KB , 1059x2224 , gear.png )

>>1049652
pictured is what I'm talking about

One with scarf, one without. (scarf might be a little much since it covers the shoulder armor, but I'll leave it up to Donut and other suggestions)

>>1049656
this is a really good get-up, I personally would go for further the look of hoplites, if its armor she needs leave her arms bare, give her greaves and a muscle cuirass!

NO PANTS THOUGH! Just a birdly skirt...

>>1049661

If it's not some kind of leather armor skirt thing with strips of armor hanging down, you definitely want it to have pleats and not be so tight, so your legs have the most freedom of movement!

I also REALLY don't like those poorly designed pauldrons (they REALLY restrict wing movement), nor do I like the memetic design.

Honestly, this:

>>1049028

With only the short sleeves removed so as not to impact wing movement, is perfectly fine.

>>1049097

Honestly, this is my favorite of the lot. It's got my vote.

Wouldn't mind adding the top from >>1049071 if she feels this is a bit too lacking in shirt. Leave off the shoulder bits though, they're a bit much.

Raelynn 2022/11/23(Wed)19:45 No. 1050075 ID: 8483cf
File 166926150262.png - (63.19KB , 855x1094 , LF6c_12.png )

Apricot’s basic combat gear is lightweight and protects her upper thighs; armoring her lower legs isn’t as necessary, since she can tuck her legs in if she needs to protect herself from enemy fire. I point out that a trained fighter is going to try swinging at her as she attacks, and I recommend she protect against glancing strikes by wrapping her talons and legs in tight, rigid bandages and leather boots that allow maximum mobility without adding too much weight.

The end result is fairly decent protection against anyone that’s not an elf.

Autumn is very proud of her adventurer. Taranis gives a head bob of approval.

With that, we head out to the woods outside Minga. Autumn’s inventory has enough supplies for a one-night trip for two, and I’m more than comfortable roughing it. The only disadvantage is that I’m not able to change into my ghille gear I created specifically for woodland stealth; I’m stuck in my cloak, but it’ll do just fine with a simple camouflage spell. Anything to avoid going back to the adventurers’ guild and dealing with angry witches. Speaking of which, I’ll have to ask Taranis more about that later if we have time away from his minions.

It takes a few hours for us to hike to the edge of the area that malevolent spirits are suspected to be haunting. Autumn hops inside the pouch on the small of Apricot’s back (perfect for dropping things out of mid-flight, and keeping her safe at high speeds) and they fly high into the air. Taranis heads in a different direction to cover more area. We’ve gone over the bird calls we’re to use if we find trouble, and agree to meet up at a designated point in a few hours.

I stick to the ground, and begin my search for things out of the ordinary.

I find nothing.

No signs of ritual combat. No blood or carcasses from spirits of bloodshed. No signs of desperate overhunting or prey starvation, either. Interestingly, the insect population is far below what it should be, and there’s even fewer as I progress inward. It’s almost as if the woodland creatures have just… abandoned the area. The silence is unnerving.

I slow my search after an hour. My senses are on high alert for any signs of movement, sounds of life, or traces of covered tracks. Still nothing.

Something is terribly wrong.

I find a peculiarly shaped rocky outcropping on a slope. It’s a convenient landmark, one I remember from decades ago, and plot my position relative to my Druidic Circle. It’s about a day and a half’s trek from the edge of our territory, and it’s a straight shot from this landmark to the nearest rival Circle as the crow flies.

I peer between the rocks, to the center, where the largest formation is. There’s a straight, narrow slice on the biggest one, cut impossibly deep.

I pull out Samhain and place its blade inside the cut. It slides cleanly through the groove. A perfect match.

My brother was here, and he wants everyone to know it.

-----

I meet up with Apricot, Autumn and Taranis as planned. We pick a spot to camp at, thankfully far from my brother’s mark.

Taranis met up with a flock of starlings passing through. They didn’t spare him much time, but they did tell him this specific area was no longer good to find food in. There are no insects, and the berries and nuts have all gone dry and husky, lacking any nutrients. They told him that it’s safe to spend the night here, but no birds are comfortable spending any time longer than necessary.

Autumn and Apricot haven’t been able to find any signs of spirits or paranormal activity. Theoretically, there might be a spirit that leeches nutrients out of the soil and scares off the wildlife, but I don’t believe a single spirit could affect the area we searched today without leaving any marks, or setting off Autumn’s attunement to magical disturbances. What we’re dealing with is something that’s scared off everything and left nothing.

The sun is setting, and we’ve found no hard evidence of what might be causing the depopulation.

Apricot wants to make camp. Autumn asks if she wants to try on her new nightie, and Taranis cheers the idea. Apricot looks to me with those big bird eyes and asks if I want to call it a night.

I think Apricot’s confused an expedition for a sleepover. She’s far too cavalier.

On the other hand, this is my home turf, and I know the signs of danger and what to watch out for, even from my Circle. It used to be a well-traveled area for adventurers, until the word got out about sprits. My Circle’s eyes may be elsewhere at the moment, and even if they do somehow know I’m here and send a scout to ask what I’m doing, they won’t know I’ve got my ruined eye working again.

It’s a calculated risk, especially considering I don’t know what’s going on. But on the other hand, a little bait might draw out answers.

Should we call it a night?
1. Yes, and tell Apricot, Autumn and Taranis to relax and have fun. Apricot will probably put on her new nightie.
2. Yes, but tell Apricot and the team to stay armored and ready for anything.
3. No, return to Minga and report back now. We’ll still be paid for the day’s scouting work.

2.

I originally went with 2, but I think I'll go with 1 instead.

2, at least those types of armor that isn't unreasonable to sleep in -- there is a set of armor where you can reasonably do that, yes?

2, Some precautions are necessary. 3 sounds safer, but you could be ambushed on the way back while you're exhausted. Better to get some rest and try in the morning, while being ready in case of a late night attack.

Raelynn 2022/11/26(Sat)02:18 No. 1050227 ID: 8483cf
File 166945790212.png - (128.66KB , 501x500 , LF6c_13.png )

I tell Autumn and Apricot to stay armored and ready. Apricot’s armor is lightweight for flying, so she can sleep in it comfortably.

I volunteer to take second watch, since I could probably just stay up all night anyway. It gives Apricot, Autumn and Taranis time to wind down after their day. I lie back against a tree and let my thoughts wander, keeping a half-conscious ear to the woods, and letting my ruined eye keep watch for suspicious movements through the shadows of the trees. Soon enough it’s my turn to take watch, and when I do, I hear a distinct, high-pitched single-tone whistle, barely more than a breeze through the branches. It’s almost impossible to distinguish from the wind, but if you know to listen for it, it’s there.

My Circle is calling me. I surrepetitiously scan the surroundings, and find a single hunched figure a few dozen meters away. There aren’t any others- it’s a note meant to summon me specifically.

I nudge Taranis into wakefulness and whisper to him to keep back and be ready to rouse Autumn and Apricot if I give the signal. He nods and takes flight, and I send the reply whistle back. Three quick clicks come back: we’re to meet at the midpoint of where those clicks came from.

I make my way forward and spy a familiar face.

“Ailín,” I say quietly.

“Ráichéalín,” he responds. “I am happy to see you well.”

“And you,” I say. “Did you receive my messages about the Spirit of Bloodshed?”

“We were already aware of the situation,” he says. “I am here on another matter. There is no time for pleasantries, I’m afraid. Your brother wishes to warn you of an impending conflict, likely greater than any you have seen before. He recommends you seek shelter elsewhere. It would be a tragedy for you to be caught up in it without knowledge, and if you were to be captured by another Circle, it would force Ciarán to respond.”

“How sentimental.” I say, crossing my arms. “You can already guess my response. My family’s made it clear they wished I’d died instead of getting these scars. Why would Ciarán care if a failure like me got captured?”

“You are still his sister,” Ailín says. “A slight to a member of the Circle cannot go unanswered.”

“Of course.” The unspoken implication is that it’s not my honor my brother would need to defend, but his. “I take it he’s been answering other slights to his honor in ritual combat. He’s getting sloppy. Skipping steps in the ritual, letting spirits congregate. Leaving obvious marks where he’s been.”

“Ciarán’s name echoes in the forest,” Ailín nods. “He has become mighty since you left. He has risen to take up your mantle, and done so admirably.”

“Well, good for him,” I say, turning my head aside. “But he’s reckless. The humans are noticing the side effects of the Circle’s work. Just how much blood has my brother spilled in these rituals? How many challengers to his authority has he put down?”

“Many, and he has done so in pursuit of a greater goal. We are no longer binding animals to our will. Instead, Ciarán has found more powerful thralls. Ones we have not seen since twoscore years ago.”

Forty years. That was the time of the great fire. I can’t remember the details- I was too young. But everyone in the Circle knows what horrors the fire banished.

“He’s trying to summon them?” My throat is almost too dry to say it. “The Airceacháin. Father would have beat him bloody for even saying the name. Does my mother know about this madness?”

“No,” Ailín says softly. “She has lain down her arms forever.”

The air chills. My legs go weak.

“M-Mom?” A hand goes to my good eye unbidden, and despite everything, I can’t keep the tears from coming. “She’s gone?”

“It was a good death,” Ailín says. “A great battle. She killed many Clann an lasair before falling. It’s been more than a year, and they still haven’t dared challenge us.”

“A year?” An icy hand wraps around my gut and squeezes tight, filling my throat with sick, acrid bile. “Ciarán didn’t even… not even a single… he… he really does wish me dead, doesn’t he?”

“I’m sorry, Ráichéalín.”

“Fuck you.” I spit at his feet, tears threatening to spill down my cheek. “You didn’t tell me, either. How hard could have been? Just a simple fucking letter.”

“It would have changed nothing. We were far from home, deep within what was once Iasair land. You wouldn’t have been able to-”

“I know! I know that. But she’s my… was my mother. Once the battle was over, Ciarán could have invited me to Mom’s pyre. He couldn’t even let me say goodbye to her, could he?!”

“You know as well as I that our rites are closely kept,” Ailín says, his voice as empty as his heart. “You are not a warrior of the Uí Liatháin. Not anymore.”

“And I’m better off for it.”

Ailín doesn’t respond.

I take a deep, shuddering breath. I can barely hold myself back. I want to murder the elf I thought was my friend since we were children.

“So that’s it?” I ask. “You’ve come here to… to tell me there’s nothing left for me? That I’m not wanted? That I’m free to go? Well, I don’t fucking think so. I’ve got a place here, now.”

“With the humans?” Ailín gestures toward Minga. “You are selling scraps for coin. You could be so much more. And what will you do now? Will you tell the humans that the elves are warring once again? Scurrying in their backyard, growing in power? What will you do, Ráichéalín? Share our secrets with outsiders? Lead them to our beds, as a traitor to your kin?”

“How dare you?!” My voice cracks. “Is that what you really think of me? That I’d stoop so low? Slit my own people’s throats? Fuck you, Ailín. I thought you knew me better, but I’m obviously wrong. Wrong about so many things, and people, that… that are… important, and… and… I…”

A sob bursts out of my throat and I clap a hand to my mouth, finding it wet with tears. My shoulders hitch, and I feel a great, dull emptiness inside my chest that’s growing with every breath.

There’s a soft flutter of wings, and a gentle caress of feathers. When did Taranis land on my shoulder? He’s supposed to be hanging back, and… I don’t care. I just don’t care anymore. I cry into Taranis’s wings until I don’t have any tears left.

Ailín is gone.

I walk back to camp. Apricot and Autumn are still sleeping.

Taranis takes watch and I fall into a deep, deep sleep.

------

When I wake, I find Apricot and Autumn preparing breakfast. Taranis is gone, probably on patrol.

“Oh! You’re up!” Apricot says. “How are you feeling? Taranis said to let you sleep in. Are you okay?”

Okay? Why would I not be-

Oh.

“Leave me alone,” I say, and wrap my cloak tight around me.

I thought I was cast out before, but now, I truly am alone. Alone in every way that matters.

No more adventuring. No more exploring. I just want to curl up and wither away.

I’m done.

>>1050227
Your brother is out of control. Let me guess- this barren land is like this because of what your brother is trying to summon? Don't you have a duty to protect nature, and stop him? You don't have to betray any secrets... maybe all you have to do is beat him. How did his skill compare to yours? Does he have the eye? Perhaps even a half-working seer's eye will be enough to counteract his, and his overconfidence will be his undoing. You could beat him in ritual combat, then use your position to force the druids to heal the land they've been abusing...

Or maybe the solution lies in the very land itself. Surely the forest must realize what is happening, and that the druids no longer serve nature? Turn the force of the very world against them, and teach them the lesson they have forgotten-- that all live by the mercy of life itself.

Has he given you a single reason not to report them to relevant authorities? That they're family? Not according to them they aren't. Take that spite and throw it on the pyre for fuel.

Think about why Serah, Landi, and Dotti wanted you on their team in the first place, why you were hired, and how well you've protected them this whole time. think about why Taranis chose you to be your companion. If you can't figure out why, ask them. Realize in a way, you have a circle of your own with them.

In fact, here's an idea, while your asking Landi, remember that she has that review coming up with Salt. Maybe if Salt sees that Landi can get Rae out of that slump she is in regarding her circle, it might be a big enough change to help Landi pass. In any case, maybe go talk to Landi about helping you get through your issues.

Alternatively, Maybe you should search out where your mother's grave is at and pay your respects for some closure at least. I'm not sure where it might be, but maybe it could be where your Circle used to hang out a lot in.

But really, don't be an adventurer for yourself and for anyone's approval, become an adventurer to help people who needs it, like Taranis and his witch problem. He trusts you to have his back, just like you trusted him to have yours.

What a jerk.

"He has become mighty since you left. He has risen to take up your mantle, and done so admirably."

Dude could have just said "He has become mighty" and left it there. Instead he went out of his way to emphasize your failure in his phrasing, contrasting it with how your bro has taken to it well in the way you should have.

"You are selling scraps for coin. You could be so much more."

What the fuck is he talking about? What part of "My family’s made it clear they wished I’d died instead of getting these scars" is he not comprehending here. You aren't wanted there, so you have effectively been FORCED to find your own life outside of it. Why the hell is he shitting on what you've made for yourself and acting like you should just come back to the circle, when it was the circle that seemed to decide it didn't want you? Like, you deciding you still want to be part of the circle doesn't change the fact that nobody there has even the minimum quantity of affection you would need to dedicate yourself to them. Not one fucking letter about mom.

For the record, Ailín didn't deny that your brother wants you dead. He only said "I'm sorry" when you suggested it. So why is he trying to push you into coming back in the same conversation?

Look, my point is that Ailín went out of his way to not simply give you the information he needed to, but to try to guilt you into going back to a place where you aren't welcome. And the fact that you aren't welcome isn't because you're not good enough, it's because they aren't.

You've met people with the capacity to care about people who've made mistakes. Serah kept Landi around in the face of all her screw-ups and bad habits; you had to go on an entire quest to the Terrorscale caves because Dotti amnestied someone, and she's still a member of the party you're all watching out for; and speaking of your failures to the others hasn't seemed to degrade their opinions of you any.

You don't ignore the bad shit, you just accept it. Try to do better next time. If the people of your circle can't accept you because of one screw up that they basically set you up for by tossing you to the wolves before you were ready, then you shouldn't go back to them. They're the ones who need to change, not you. And judging by this conversation with Ailín, they aren't ready yet.

Let's talk about what you should do.

Cuddle with Taranis. It'll make you feel better.

Go back and talk to Serah. You don't want to betray the circle, but the fact is that they've been getting sloppy, and it's putting innocent people in danger. They cannot just be leaving Spirits of Bloodshed behind for others to stumble upon. Something needs to be done, and if you don't have all the answers on the best way to handle it then Serah will. This isn't you being a traitor, it's about protecting others from being caught in the crossfire.

Spend some time with your friends. You could use the distraction.

...You know what? Your brother doesn't deserve a fair fight. The little psychopath is on the verge of starting a war. And for what? To help a demon lord covertly transport an entire army, all because he can't even tell chaos from order anymore?

Screw your secrets. He needs to be stopped, by any means necessary. The province, for all its flaws, doesn't deserve a fucking horde to rape it raw. This could even ruin the continent. Warn the entire country. Rally every human, dwarf, and dragon you can scream to. Stop your family from going down in history as The Hellbringers.

If he wants to slaughter families just to provoke a fight, you'll dump the whole Royal Army on his ass.

And as for Ailín? It's clear that he's simply a tool. His loyalty to your family is used for the purposes of bigotry and genocide. He's been groomed to believe that the more humans he stomps on, the more honor and respect he brings you and your family. His delusions are not worth the lives of your friends. You may need to neutralize him as well, if only to bring the potential body count down by a few hundred.

Maybe we're focusing too much on what your family is doing. You need to find another purpose? Commune with nature, center yourself, maybe find out if it wants you to do something.

Raelynn 2022/11/27(Sun)15:12 No. 1050347 ID: 8483cf
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There’s food in front of me, but I’d just vomit it back up if I ate any.

There’s whispering around me, but I don’t listen. I curl up tight into my cloak and smother myself in darkness.

I’m not sure when it happens, but at some point I feel Taranis nestled against me.

He’s got a life to live. Having fun. Stealing stuff. Migrating around. Living it up. All things I don’t want to do.

I poke my head out of my cloak. Taranis hops in front of me, beady little eyes glimmering. Apricot and Autumn are sitting in a tree, keeping watch for… I’m not sure what. The camp is packed up. My food is gone.

“Go with them,” I say.

Taranis shakes his head.

“You don’t get it,” I say, voice hoarse. “I quit. We’re through.”

Taranis squawks loudly and hops down to my hands holding my cloak tight. He pecks and nips them. Hard. When I pull them away and let go of the cloak, he places himself right in my palms.

“He’s not leaving you,” Autumn says softly. “Neither are we.”

“We’re all going back to Minga,” Apricot insists. “And, fair warning, I’ve carried heavier loads than you with Autumn’s strength spells. So you’re coming back with us one way or another.”

I don’t respond. Taranis is warm and fluffy. It’s kind of nice to cuddle him. Just a little.

At some point I find myself walking again, on the road back Minga.

-------

There’s a knock at my door.

“Rae? Are you in there?”

It’s Serah.

I don’t care.

“Rae, I’m leaving some food outside,” Serah says. “Taranis and his friends told us what happened. I’m sorry, and… if you want to talk, I’m here.”

I go back to sleep.

-------

Raelynn 2022/11/27(Sun)15:12 No. 1050348 ID: 8483cf
File 166959075141.png - (50.14KB , 450x352 , LF6c_15.png )

There’s fluttering and flapping, and my window blows open to admit Taranis and Landi.

“Room service!” Landi says. A sparkle of inventory magic grows into a glimmer, and a platter of sandwiches and vegetables appear on my desk. “Can’t let good food go to waste. Seriously, you should see some people’s reactions to it. Eat up!”

Taranis lands next to me and nudges my hand. I don’t bother to reply.

“Wow,” Landi says. “You should see the look on Taranis’s face right now, girl. He’s, like, super worried about you. And it’s making me worried too. You sure you don’t want to eat anything?”

“No,” I say.

“Well, it’s here for you when you want it. Can I get you anything else? I know you like books, right? Yeah, I’ll grab some books for ya. Any book you want. Seriously, any. I’ve got a friend who works for literally the biggest library ever. We’ve got myths and fables and stories you barely remember.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“Sure, sure,” Landi says. “But I don’t have anything to do today. I put off my performance review with Big Sodium, so all I have on my calendar is to hang out with you. Guess you and Taranis are gonna have to live with it.”

That’s enough to get me to roll over. “You what? Your performance review?” I remember I agreed to let Landi dress me up for some reason. Was that supposed to be earlier today? Oh, shit...

I let her down. I let Landi down like the complete fucking failure I am.

“I’m sorry,” I mumble into the blankets. “I’m so sorry.”

“No! Nonono!” Landi says. “Don’t worry about it. I’m sure Nancy Clarice will be happy if I, like, turn Dotti’s fur green or something. It’s not a big deal at all. We’ve got bigger issues here, like a sad elf. I’m here for you.”

“Landi,” I say, voice rising, “You need to go talk with your djinn. Now. Please.”

“Too late,” Landi says. “I already told her I’ve got an emergency on my hands, so that meeting is kaput. I’ll find something that’ll make it up to her, and that’s my problem, not yours.”

I’m too stupid, forgetful and slow to help Landi. I can’t help anyone.

I push Taranis aside and roll over, facing away from them both.

What do Landi and Taranis do?

Use your combined magic to pull Raelynn straight out of bed and up to Salt.

Landi realizes that getting Rae out of her depression might actually help her succeed in her performance review with Salt. She decides to do what Rae said and summons salt right now, and tell her the performance review is back on, and that she is going to attempt to make a depressed elf find a reason to keep on living. That should be a big enough change to succeed in the performance review.

Now to figure out HOW to make Rae feel better. Will figure something out in a future post.

Remember when Landi dusted people at a party and it enhanced the mood? Do that here Landi! Goooo fairy drugs.

In all seriousness just using a light spritz of dust on her to get her into a lightly more active state to have her like vent or talk or act and then you can go "So I didn't actually use that much dust on you" And get Rae all emberassed and in a somewhat functional mood. It won't resolve it all, but this isn't an immediately resolvable thing, getting her to not wallow is the first step.

>>1050348
Landi wants extra credit for her performance review, and shaking Rae out of her funk is indeed a big change. So she is very motivated to do it.

Hmmm... the witches might be able to help as well. Perhaps Landi can arrange a trade? The panties, in exchange for their expertise in bringing someone out of depression.

I just thought of something, but in order for it to work, Taranis is going to have to sacrifice one of his beloved trophies. But it is for the greater good, to save Rae's life... AND it might also help a certain priestess out.

So right now, Rae have lost all faith, in herself, and in everyone, in life. So what we might need to do is bring her to somebody who is an expert on faith in order to learn how to have faith in herself again, and that person is: Priscilla, the Priestess of Peace!

We need to take Rae to The Church of Eirene to see Priscilla so that she can give some Rae some advice from her sermons on the goddess Eirene, and learn to have faith in herself again.

Now, I'm not expecting Rae will convert to this religion, but I think at least hearing stories from Priscilla about the religion may have some lessons Rae could learn from.

Also, this could help Priscilla out too, her church has been pretty low on attendance. Maybe Rae being there will make Priscilla a little happier that there is someone willing to listen to her preach.

Now, in order to actually GET Rae over there, we'll need to make the ultimate sacrifice, and give Rae Priscilla's panties. the panties have the religion of the goddess Eirene's logo on it, so that might give Rae some incentive to at least go there to return them to Priscilla. From there, perhaps Priscilla will see how depressed Rae is, and invite her in for one of her sermons.

Raelynn 2022/12/13(Tue)13:58 No. 1051665 ID: 8483cf
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“If you really don’t wanna eat, that’s fine ,” Landi says. “Naptime again, huh? Can I join?”

I don’t reply.

There’s a tiny flutter of wings and a sudden warmth on my cheek as Landi pulls my hair over her like a blanket.

She’s insane. What if I roll over and trap her? Fairy force field or not, she’d be stuck. Well, it doesn’t matter. I’m just going to lie here and wither away. It’s best for everyone.

Talons click-clacking across my bookshelf. Taranis is pacing.

He should go find someone else to adventure with. Someone who actually wants to adventure. Someone who can actually deal with the fallout of whatever he’s been stealing from the witches at the guild.

----

Taranis is VERY WORRIED about Raelynn, and is thinking of eating crow to make her feel better. He’s dragged her into his feud with the witches, and it’s making him feel bad.

He can RETURN some or all of his Witchy trophies and try to make peace with the witches;
He can “FIND” one or both of Priscilla’s trophies and try to get her help cheering Rae up;
Or try SOMETHING ELSE.

Losing trophies will make Taranis’s collection LESS IMPRESSIVE to lady birds.

Why don't you just return the magic panties? Everything else should be easily replaceable, the witches won't come after you over mere garments, but those panties have put a target on your friend's back just as much as your own. It'll be a tragic loss, they were pretty darn sweet, but parting with them will do the most to make things better for Rae.

No Taranis, don't become a cannibal!
Help Priscilla find some of her stuff.

>>1051665
Return the slaaaaaaab
I mean the panties.

Don't return a thing. In fact he should steal more trophies instead. Become more powerful.

I dont think giving the witches their stuff back is going to help much. They are already angry at Rae, and I feel Rae will think Taranis didnt need her help dealing with the witches if we give the panties back, making her feel more useless.

Instead, Priscilla is our best bet. She is an expert at finding inner peace considering she worships a peace god. I say we give her her stuff back and bring her to Rae

OR

better yet, this: >>1051677 SOMETHING ELSE. But in a cute way

DONT return anything, and instead, STEAL Pricillia's sash that she has around her shoulders.

BUT make sure she see's you taking it, and try to get her to chase you. Slow down if you need to have her catch up. Bring it to Rae's room, while having Pricillia follow you, and as soon as she is at the destination, give her the sash back, and get her attention on Rae.

Raelynn 2022/12/15(Thu)21:34 No. 1051934 ID: 8483cf
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By Odin, Taranis got himself into this situation by stealing clothes, and he’s going to get out of it the same way! He ruffles his feathers and takes flight out the window.

I drift in and out of reality, drinking deep from a fountain of emptiness. The bed is warm and comfy. Safe. Peaceful. I float on that abyss of nothingness and let it buoy me upwards.

Emptiness is good. An empty world feels no pain.

An empty stomach, however…

I hear a growling. It’s not a bird, bear or beast. It’s me.

Landi hops out of my hair. I shiver and hold the blanket tight. When did this room get so cold?

There’s food on my desk. It’s a long way away. Not worth getting up.

Landi, without a word, grabs a spoon and loads a slice of bread up with jam, and bodily lifts the whole slice over her head, carrying it straight to me.

I accept it, wolf it down and move to get the tray. The rest of the food is good too.

The room isn’t so cold anymore.

Raelynn 2022/12/15(Thu)21:35 No. 1051935 ID: 8483cf
File 167116890704.png - (72.88KB , 450x514 , LF6c_18.png )

There’s a knock at the door.

“Hello?” a girl’s voice calls out. “Hello, is anyone here?”

“Yeah!” Landi replies. “Who’s there?”

“I’m Priscilla. Ah, a little bird asked me to drop by. He’s very insistent.”

“Taranis is back!” Landi bobs in front of me. “Can Priscilla come in? Do you wanna get out of your jammies?”

I shrug.

“Come on in, Priscilla!” Landi says.

The door opens, and Taranis swoops in, landing on my bed like the cat that caught the canary. A small priestess follows behind. She’s barely taller than Dotti… but if I count her fox ears, Dotti probably has the edge.

“Now it’s a party!” Landi declares. “Nice work, Taranis. I dunno who this Priscilla is, but strangers are just friends you haven’t gotten wasted with yet.”

“A party?” Priscilla looks on in confusion. “I didn’t expect one of Odin’s stormcrows to have that in mind when I followed him here. Are you sure this is a party?”

“Of course I’m sure!” Landi says. She zips up and flutters her wings eagerly, getting dust all over my meal. I frown at her and move the tray away. “Um, I mean, if Raelynn wants one.”

“No parties.”

“She speaks!” Landi emits a high-pitched squee and I cover my ears. “Come on, Rae, say something else! I wanna hear what you’re thinking!”

“Hungry.”

“She’s hungry! C’mon, let’s go get more food!” Landi seizes Priscilla by the sleeve and drags her out the door.

“What’s going on?”

“I’ll catch ya up downstairs,” Landi says. “First, though, a question. Is Eirene cool enough to let you turn just a little water into wine? Like, not a lot, just enough to make things fun.”

“I’d have to ask her,” Priscilla says, her voice fading as she follows Landi down the hall. “If it was just a little, I guess I could do it just to be social…”

“Girl we are gonna be best friends forever.”

Raelynn 2022/12/15(Thu)21:35 No. 1051937 ID: 8483cf
File 167116894418.png - (8.54KB , 200x200 , LF6c_19.png )

Taranis happily watches me eat some more food. I don’t know why he brought that priestess here, but it’s probably to try and cheer me up somehow. That’s nice of him, but I don’t want to know how he did it.

A priestess of Eirene… wasn’t she a minor goddess of peace? What is Taranis trying to accomplish? And did she say something about Taranis being one of Odin’s birds? I’m curious, but more hungry than curious. A priestess is an odd choice of companionship, it’s almost like he wants to hold a wedding, or a-

That familiar bleak emptiness descends down on me.

I don’t want my own funeral for my mother. In fact, I don’t want to think about my mother at all. A priestess of peace? My mother would have nothing to do with her, and even if her spirit hasn’t departed beyond the veil (which most sentient spirits do after a funeral), she’d reject any kind of communion with Priscilla. And it’s been more than a year. She’s almost certainly moved on.

My mother felt the same way as my brother about me after I failed her. She was the one who cast me out. I don’t want to be hurt by seeking her out and learning she’s rejected me yet again.

Still… if there’s even the smallest chance I could talk to her one last time…

That emptiness turns to a dull, throbbing ache.

Should I ask Priscilla to try and commune with my mother?

>>1051937
Yes. Tell her you have your eye working, to redeem yourself, then tell her about your brother(or the other way around?). Ask what must be done.

You should, but... not yet. I think you should be emotionally ready first.

Talk to Priscilla, let her know your situation, and have her thoughts and advice... her holy advice.

The alternative is to sit here and do nothing. What do you have to lose?

>>1051937
Contacting your dead, abusive mother seems like a great way to get told your worthless by a ghost, lets skip that particular emotional ordeal.

>>1051947
Exactly this. But I wouldn't dismiss the opportunity to talk to mother entirely. Just, not now when Rae is in this state. As I said, it's best to have Rae fix her mental state with Priscilla, and the others before she can be better prepared to deal with her mother.

Commune with mom but make sure Landi and the others are there if you can, don’t do it solo, maybe they can let out some choice words you never thought you could say to her, or at least they can understand where you come from if it goes south and provide better support to help!

Raelynn 2022/12/18(Sun)13:01 No. 1052183 ID: 8483cf
File 167139729455.png - (14.50KB , 500x350 , LF6c_20.png )

I have to reach my mother. This is my one, final chance to redeem myself.

I finish my food just as Priscilla returns with Landi.

The food was good.

“Let me take those plates,” Priscilla says, and I don’t stop her. As she moves the dishes off my bed, I summon up the courage to ask her the most important question of my life so far.

“I need to ask something of you,” I say.

“Anything,” Priscilla replies without hesitation.

“Can… can you contact a spirit that’s already had a funeral? One that doesn’t agree with your Goddess?”

“Yes,” Priscilla says, “If the spirit accepts, and if they’ve decided to linger. It’s dangerous to do so, though, so very few sprits decide to.”

“Danger never scared this one,” I say. “Can you contact them right now?”

“I’d need to prepare the spell, and be certain I’m finding the right spirit,” Priscilla says. “May I ask… is the spirit your mother?”

I nod. Landi already filled her in. Great. I think.

“A little extra preparation is good, in that case,” Priscilla says. “Could you come by my chapel tomorrow? I’ll be tending the garden in the morning. The pumpkins and squash have a few weeks before they’re ready. I’m happy to talk with you while I work.”

“Yeah!” Landi pipes in. “Rae, you wanna help tend some gardens? It’s super relaxing.”

“Can’t I just make a donation instead?” I ask. I want this now, damn it.

“I’m sorry, but that’s not something I’m allowed to accept,” Priscilla says. “It’s a long story, but taking money for communion with the departed is specifically prohibited. That implies that the rich are closer to the heavens, when it’s actually the opposite.”

This is obviously a strategy by Priscilla to try and get me in what she thinks is the right headspace for contacting my mother. Priestesses think they’re so subtle, but they’re as transparent as glass. This is ridiculous; I just want her to try contacting my mom. Why shouldn’t I just go find a priest or priestess of a warrior god or goddess and get them to do it for me? It’s more likely to work, and mom would be happier I’d taken the extra effort to do it right. Plus they’d probably take my money instead of playing gardener.

“What if my mom is tired of waiting for me?” I ask. “What if today is the last day she can wait, and she moves on right now?”

“She might,” Priscilla says, “But time moves differently on the threshold of the veiled gates. Intent matters. If your mother wanted to move on, she would have moved on. If she wants to take the time to stay, her perception of time will speed up, so a day may seem as an hour, a minute, a day.”

“Dotti said it was like that,” Landi agrees. She swoops in and gives me another hug around my neck. “My friend Ellie’s gonna be so disappointed when she hears she can’t calculate the time dilation on the other side. Or maybe she still can. She’s smart!”

“Fine,” I agree. “One more day isn’t going to change anything.”

“You seem better,” Landi says, giving me yet another hug. “Hey, while we’ve got a priestess in the room, I have a confession to make.”

“Oh?” Priscilla says. “Don’t you want to do it in private?”

“Nah, here’s good,” Landi says. “Forgive me, priesty lady, I have sinned! I’ve totally dusted up Rae with my feel good vibes.”

“That explains a lot,” I say, glaring at her.

“It is for the Divine to judge, not mortals,” Priscilla says. “But it’s up to Rae whether to forgive you or not.

“What are the side effects, other than getting my appetite back and, apparently, a fever?” I ask.

“Depends on the person, and how I’m feeling at the moment,” Landi says. “But usually? People that get dusted just wanna party! Or they get really excited and happy. Or they start glowing blue. Usually all three.” She flutters up next to me. “I can give you some more if you wanna…”

Landi’s dust is probably already affecting my mood and judgment, but really, what’s the worst that could happen? It’s not like I care about anything anymore.

Do I accept Landi’s offer for more dust?
1. No
2. Yes
3. Very Yes

Yes. Glowing blue sounds fun.

>“What are the side effects, other than getting my appetite back and, apparently, a fever?” I ask.

1,

Don't do drugs... or Fairy dust. Especially while depressed. Have a bit of patience.

Rae got a fever from Landi after taking the fairy dust, her fever is going to get worse tomorrow if she takes more, and she won't be able to meet up with Priscilla to help garden and talk to mom, and will just feel worse about not being able to meet her.

Yes.

Very yes!
Wasn't it said in the first thread that fairy dust can make you fly? As the Gelf said in the first thread, grab Landi by the wings, and spank the fairy dust out of her, then fly around town.

>>1052183
1. No. You've already had some. Don't overdose.

No, let's not get Rae addicted to fairy dust or let her go to a warrior god who will help her commune with her mom right now. Like it or not, the way that seems hardest right now is the best way for her to come out healthy and sane in the long run.

Is it actually possible to overdose on Fairy Dust?
What are the effects of the use of Fairy Dust on someone with clinical depression?
What are the effects of long term Fairy Dust use?
Is there a similar substance, like some sorts of hallucinogens, that with the right ritual (read: therapy/trip sitter), can reset a humanoid brain out of clinical depression?
Can mind control magic be used therapeutically and ethically as a cure for clinical depression?

Raelynn 2022/12/26(Mon)22:14 No. 1052633 ID: 8483cf
File 167212165742.png - (10.55KB , 500x500 , LF6c_21.png )

“You said you felt like you had a fever,” Priscilla reminds me. “Are you sure getting dusted even more is a good idea?”

“Is it really a fever?” Landi asks. “Or is it just being cooped up under all those blankets?”

The blankets are getting hot. I’m not sweaty or anything. How long have I been lying here? Have I even showered since I came back from my trip? Deep questions which I cannot be bothered to answer.

I look over to Taranis. He looks back at me. He’s still concerned, but he’s looking to Landi.

She swoops in front of me and dims her light just enough to see her big smile

“C’mon, come with me and feel the wind on your face. Lemme take your mind off things. Tonight is a worry-free zone.”

She leans in and gives my cheek a nuzzle. She’s warm. Not the uncomfortable heat of the stifling blankets, but more a soft, soothing breeze at my back.

“No more dust,” I say, but I let her keep nuzzling.

It feels kind of nice.

“Atta girl,” Landi says. “Hey, I promise everything’s gonna be okay. No matter what.”

I don’t believe her, but that doesn’t matter. She’s trying her best.

“Hey, I have an idea,” Landi says. “Last time you picked Girls’ Night at the Library. You wanna do that again?”

I shrug.

“Oh, we have Taranis here,” Landi says. “That’s not Girls’ Night. So we can do whatever we want, and you can pick it again!”

“I don’t want to pick,” I say. “Just pick for me.”

“Are you sure?” Landi asks

“I’m sure,” I say.

Landi flutters her wings in delight. “We’re going out tonight! Girls’ Night Out With A Bird! You’re coming, too, Priscilla!”

“Is it because I can turn water into wine?”

“It’s because you’re a sweetie,” Landi giggles, “And because of that, too, yes.”

Landi takes me by the hand and drags me to the showers. I really don’t care what we do tonight, but apparently whatever they have in mind needs me to get cleaned up.

Where do Landi, Taranis and Priscilla end up taking me?

Orcish wrestling night at the adventurers' guild. The champion is defending his belt tonight.

Start small. We go to the lake to go fishing. It's relaxing, it requires very little action other than attention, and is rewarding if you catch a fish. And if you don't, you have the nice relaxing ambient sound of the lake to keep you relaxed. (since Rae wasn't doing much to begin with.) Taranis can keep attention to the bobber if Rae isn't feeling it. I'm sure she'll get some interest if a bite happens and she gets the incentive to reel in the catch.

Landi had other plans for the lake tho, she wanted to go here to have Priscilla turn as much of the lake as she can into wine.

>>1052641
To add on, if Rae succeeds in catching a fish, maybe she'll feel a little more proud of herself and not feel like a complete failure, and motivate her a little to try other things

Another option, visit Priscilla's church and listen to her sermon

Go to a cat cafe! I'm sure the kittens won't eat you all alive and leave you squirming in their premature digestive systems for hours...

>>1052927

If not a cat cafe, I happen to know of another establishment in town you could visit. It's rather new, but is garnering a bit of a reputation for the strange women running the shop. What better way to brighten Rae's day than with a bit of sweetness from a local bakery?

Raelynn 2023/01/03(Tue)17:42 No. 1053184 ID: 8483cf
File 167279652731.png - (47.87KB , 500x500 , LF6c_22.png )

I am surrounded by cats.

I am okay with this.

“Who’s a good kitty? Yesyouare! Yesyouare!” Landi says, fluffing one cat’s cheeks. The cat bats at her playfully, and she bobs around, teasing it with a quick bob and midair bounce.

Taranis has chosen to remain outside. A few cats are staring at him from the window. He stares back. I think he’s traumatized by something. Oh, well. I’ll see him again. Sometime. Whenever I’m done here. It might be a while.

A cat sits on my head.

“Cat,” I say.

The cat purrs. Can he sense my mutagen? Probably. Does he care? That’s the real question.

“Hey,” Priscilla says as she rubs a cat’s tummy. “I know you. You’re the one catching the rats around Eirene’s church.”

“These cats all have jobs,” says the waiter. He’s not wearing cat ears and I find it distressing for some reason. “They’re mousers. Don’t worry, we ensure they’re clean when they play with our guests.”

“They’re murderous fluffballs!” Landi says. “Just like Rae!”

“I am not a fluffball,” I say, but my heart isn’t in it. I should also probably object to the murderer thing, but it’s true. I should expect to get a talking to from Priscilla. She’s a priestess of peace, after all.

And… she’s not saying anything.

Aren’t priestesses supposed to evangelize?

I look at her. She looks at me.

“You okay?” Priscilla says, cocking her head to one side.

“No,” I say. “But that’s not important. You’re confusing me.”

“It is important,” Priscilla says, “And I’m sorry about the confusion. I think.”

“You aren’t as preachy as I expected,” I say bluntly. The cat on my head meows.

“Do you want me to preach? I didn’t get the feeling you would appreciate it. I mean, I can, but… there are kitties.”

My head-cat tugs on my bangs. I don’t bother to stop him.

Priscilla sees my ruined eye.

I don’t say anything.

She doesn’t say anything back.

I like her.

We order tea, scones and cat munchies, Landi’s treat. I get an extra scone for Taranis.

“So, like, I have a question for you, Priscilla,” Landi asks tentatively. “You like these cats, yeah? Even though they murder little mice and rats. Isn’t that against Eirene’s teachings of peace and stuff?”

“That’s a common misconception,” Priscilla says. “Eirene is the Goddess of Peace, yes. And violence makes her upset. But peace is often kept through upsetting means, and she understands that. Nature is violent, and it takes enlightenment to overcome it. Not everyone is enlightened.”

“That’s why petting cats is okay?”

“That’s why petting cats is okay.”

Oh.

I’m not an idiot. I can connect the lines that Landi and Priscilla both had this moralizing in mind. They’re trying to make me feel better about myself by comparing me to these cats.

I’m not bothered, though. Is it because of Landi’s dust? Is it because I’m part cat now?

It doesn’t matter. The real question is: how do I convince Landi, Taranis and Priscilla to leave me alone and let me roll around with cats for the rest of the day?

Just say that that's what you want to do.

Use your catlike stealth to ghost them. Maybe Landi has a spell that will turn you into a cat for a day.

>>1053185
This. They'll understand.
Just tell them you genuinely appreciate them for bringing you here, and would like to be alone with the cats for comfort and silently do some thinking and self reflection on your own. Let them know youll consider going to the garden tomorrow depending how you feel after.

>>1053185 This
If you need a cat destress then a cat destress is what you should have.

Also, after you manage to get everyone out and be alone with the cats and your thoughts, start considering a couple things:

>>1053184
>“They’re murderous fluffballs!” Landi says. “Just like Rae!”

>“I am not a fluffball,” I say, but my heart isn’t in it

>They’re trying to make me feel better about myself by comparing me to these cats.

>I’m not bothered, though. Is it because of Landi’s dust? Is it because I’m part cat now?

>>1047833
>Maybe I could even ask for her to improve my mutagen to the next level, or even try something entirely new.

>The sky’s the limit.

>Maybe cat ears?

>No. No cat ears.

Start thinking that maybe this is actually what you want deep inside, despite the weak objections to it you've been giving: to become a cat in some way. Start to imagine what it would be like to become a cat, and how much of a cat you'd want to become through Serahs mutagens. Would you just want cat ears like you thought? Or maybe you'd also want a tail, pawpads and retractable claws, fangs... being able to purr? Would you want to Be half elf and half cat, or go anthro cat, or full on cat. Wonder if you'll be happier this way

Also wonder if this is what Dotti has been feeling with her wishes to become human. Think also about asking Serah about feline mutagens sometime tomorrow before or after you visit Priscilla in the garden.

Raelynn 2023/01/08(Sun)19:58 No. 1053513 ID: 8483cf
File 167323672181.png - (7.35KB , 401x354 , LF6c_23.png )

This cat cafe is a good place. A calm place. No drunk adventurers slamming doors and screaming. No roommates getting into trouble. Just cats taking time off from their “jobs” to lounge.

Curious cats line up to see me. Some are outgoing. Some are suspicious. Some demand to be held.

I oblige. It feels nice.

Landi and Priscilla are sipping tea and having idle conversation I don’t feel like joining. They’re relaxed, but guarded. I can tell they’re watching me. Feeling me out. Worried about me. Well, they shouldn’t be. I’m in a good place right now.

After a few more minutes, Landi’s the one to drag me back into the conversation.

“These cats like you a lot,” she says. “Did you ever want a cat companion, Rae?”

“I thought about it,” I say. “I like cats.”

“Hell yeah! Uh, sorry ‘bout the language, priesty girl,” Landi says.

“No need to apologize,” Priscilla says.

“Taranis might not be a big fan of this place,” Landi says, “But I am.”

“I am, too,” I say. “This was a good idea, Landi. Thank you.”

“I am a fountain of great ideas!” Landi beams. “What next? You wanna go back to the adventurers’ guild? I think they’ve got wrestling tonight. Maybe even audience participation! Whattya say we get wasted and flirt with some oiled-up orcs? You know you wanna!”

“I… think I’m fine here,” I say. “I have some thinking to do, and this feels like the right place.”

“I understand,” Priscilla says. “Well, Eirene’s doors are always open. Literally. The locks are all broken; you can drop in any time you want. I’ll be in the garden tomorrow morning if you’d like to chat.”

“Hey!” Landi says. “You don’t get off so easy. Not you, Rae. Priscilla!”

“Me?”

“Yeah! We’re totally gonna go scream at some big muscly dudes.”

“Wrestling sounds violent. I’m not sure Eirene would approve…”

“That’s the secret! They’re not actually trying to hurt each other. I’ll fill you in. Come on! And Rae, put everything you order’s on me. Enjoy! I’mma take care of Taranis too and make sure he doesn’t get ambushed by those witch ladies.”

Priscilla seems even paler than normal, but allows herself to be led out the door.

That went better than expected. It’s just me, the cats, and the waiter/cat herder. Just me and my thoughts, which are unsurprisingly cat-related.

I have the option to be more cat-like if I want. These cats seem to like it just fine. Would a prehensile tail help me pull off more trick shots? Would retractable claws help in an emergency? If I had cat ears, would Taranis have to acknowledge me as the cute one? These are deep questions, but ultimately, I like my body the way it is. Maybe I could have fun changing a few things, but I’ve spent so long as I am now that I couldn’t see myself any other way.

Is this Dotti’s dilemma? She’s been a fox for her whole life, and becoming something else must be stressful and challenging. Maybe I should ask her if she wants to talk about it sometime. Is that prying? I don’t want to bother her when there’s no reason to. Besides, I have bigger conversations to have… like with my mother, if she’s still able to be reached.

I miss her. Despite everything, I miss her.

I miss her looking out for me. Teaching me. Tending my bruises and telling me everything will be okay. After dad died, she was the only one I had to encourage me. Tell me I had a bright future. That all went away when my eye was ruined. She was the one bright spot in my life, and it feels like I lost her even before she died.

I’m not angry at her. Am I? Should I be?

I wish I had that feeling of being safe again. Of being loved. Of having hope.

I miss it so, so much.

>I wish I had that feeling of being safe again. Of being loved. Of having hope.

as far as love goes, What about Taranis and Landi? they seemed genuinely worried about you. Landi even went out of her way to cancel her evaluation with the dangerous and strict Salt, risking a whole lot just to make sure you were okay. And Taranis even went out of his way to stay with you despite your rejections, and even brought someone out of the church to help you. If that's not love, I dunno what is.

or maybe it's a sign to go out dating to find someone who could love you... if you'd like. though you did say you weren't too comfortable about it considering your eye injury, but Landi did think it was cool, and Priscilla didn't say anything about it. Maybe you need a wingwoman or something. There is somebody for everybody after all, you might not get a match all the time, but you will find somebody eventually if you tried. And if nothing matters like you've been saying it is, then what do you have to lose if you fail after trying?

For safety, Serah has provided you with a lot of money to make you feel safe, and live a better life than you had before you accepted her job to protect her earlier. You have a nice place with a roof above your head, and meals, and enough money to even have fun or buy souvenirs if you wanted, maybe even enough money to visit this cafe now and then to play with the cats.

and hope is determined by what you are hoping for currently. And right now, you do have some spark of hope. You are planning to speak to your mother after all, so in a way, you are hoping you can resolve some things with her when you talk to her.

But maybe, you also need a new goal and purpose in life to gain that spark of hope again. Since you are right now with your thoughts, with a bunch of cats calming you down. Like... maybe you'd like to spend your life protecting this town as it's guard to maintain its peace? People might appreciate your protection, and you did do a real great job in protecting Serah and her adventuring party during your adventure with them.

or maybe go out and see the world and its lovely different environments and civilizations?

I think right now, this is what you should be thinking about during this quiet moment with the cats, what do you want to do with your life right now, whether your mother forgives you or not?

>>1053513
You should probably talk to Dotti. Hardly anyone takes Dotti's problems seriously, I'm sure she'd appreciate someone earnestly listening to her point of view on something so important to her identity.

As for your relationship with your mother: you have to avoid romanticizing the dead. She's not literally dead, but she's made it clear you might as well think of her like that.

The mother you had is not the mother you have. She's made choices, and they're painful, awful choices. They're not the kind of choices the mother you have memories of would make. She's isn't the mother of your memories anymore. It's a loss, something to be mourned, but not clung to out of desperation and denial. If you love her so much, you have to respect her wishes and move on from her.

That feeling of security you feel from her, it's something everyone longs to return to. We all want to feel that naiive, innocent sense of pure comfort and peace. But that's just it, it's so perfect a sense of security because it's incomplete. As adults we know better. We understand what truly threatens us now, and it's not the kinds of things we can merely fight and destroy. Life is complicated. It's up to us to build our own safety net and cover ourselves from the things that are out to get us. You don't need to be self reliant, but you do need to be the one to build it.

That's the beauty of being your own woman: you get to set your life up however works for you. You've got these wonderful friends already who are trying so hard to cheer you up. They're quirky, but each one really, honestly does love you and want your success and happiness. Is them going out of their way to make you smile not being loved? Is it not safety to be able to trust them to take care of you? Is the adventure they bring, the stability in your life they offer, not enough of a hope for a future? You have a home, at least for the foreseeable future. You have people who actively want to socialize with you, and most likely more out there in the world who feel similarly! There's adventures and mysteries out there that a woman with your skill set is well suited to. For goodness sakes, you just met someone new today who was practically falling over herself to be your friend. You still have all the potential to make an impact and be a positive influence in the world even if you're doing it with a different group than you originally envisioned. There's plenty to be hopeful for.

It all begins with accepting that the old vision for Raelynn ends here, though. If you continue trying to cling to a reality that's no longer there, then everything will look hopeless, because there's nothing you can do. You'll need to work through your feelings and pick out the acute pain from the deep seated pain to really understand where you sit on this. For now, however, things are still fresh. Don't blame yourself too much for how you're feeling. This kind of thing hurts, no matter how much we might not wish it did.

>>I wish I had that feeling of being safe again. Of being loved. Of having hope.

Imagine how those things feel, how it feels to have them. Imagine each feeling in turn, let it sit in you, take your time and savor it. If other thoughts come up that scorn you or the feelings, or try to distract you from what you're imagining, thank them for their opinion and politely set them aside. Focus on the good feelings. You're safe, you matter, you belong, you are loved.

You don't need family, or friends, or things, to have those feelings. They're already yours.

Raelynn 2023/01/16(Mon)20:00 No. 1053977 ID: 8483cf
File 167392803673.png - (11.49KB , 380x475 , LF6c_24.png )

The cats come in and go out of little cubbies. One aloof cat is staring at me from his hiding hole, curious but unwilling to venture out. I order a few treats from the waiter, asking for the aloof cat’s favorite kind, placing them on the cat-sized pillow beside me. Maybe she’ll join me, maybe she won’t.

I think about going back to my own cubby back at the adventurers’ guild. I’ve got a place there, sort of. Serah will recommend me to anyone else who needs someone watching their back. But would they still give me the job if they knew who I really am, and what I’ve done? Will they ever really trust me?

Circle Uí Liatháin will never take me back. My oldest friend made that clear. He told me, to my face, I needed to get far, far away from their backyard. That I should leave Minga, and never return to darken my brother’s doorstep.

It hurts. It hurts like an arrowhead lodged in my chest, knowing that I can never go home. Even after all the horrible things I’ve seen, experienced, and done, I miss the good times I can never have back. I don’t think I’ll ever really get over it. How could I? Being cast aside and treated like an outsider, by my own mother, even when she was still alive.

I want to think death has given her a new perspective. That she’ll have changed, somehow. That she has her own regrets. I won’t use the word hope; it’s not right. It’s foolish. And yet… I can’t turn that chance away. I have to try, even if it opens me up to being cut again.

I can’t go home again. So now what? Do I shrivel up and shrink away to nothing, like I wanted to this morning? Do I want it now?

The aloof cat approaches me. Cautiously. Delicately. Step by step she tests me, seeing me toy with my hair, staring at of the deformed elf in front of her, watching for any move I might make, even though I’ve played with plenty of cats already with nothing bad happening to them.

Am I that cat? Am I the wary, suspicious girl in Minga, afraid of what might happen if I go for the treats?

I don’t know. I don’t know if I want to run, to fight, to curl up and die. All I know for certain is that if I want this aching wound to heal, I need to stop the bleeding. Even if that means cauterizing it by calling back my mother for one last talk.

The cat darts up to the pillow, grabs a treat, and races back to her cubby. It feasts, eyes shining in triumph over me, even though there was no danger at all.

I tug at my bangs and touch the tender scar underneath.

I find myself reaching for the hilt of my only inheritance: one of a pair of twin shortswords. Samhain.

Should I cut my bangs?

No. They're nice, and whatever symbolic thing they're tied to is probably fine as is. Your eye can see through them just fine.

Dont cut it, as it is still symbolically a part of you, no matter how much your reject it or run from it.

That said, still change your hairstyle, brush the bangs off your eye, and pull it back to make it a ponytail or something cool.

Dont reject the rough past you suffered, and instead, learn from their experience by accepting it, and strive to change for the better from it.

>>1053980

What he said. Don't make a drastic call you can't take back immediately.

>>1053979
>>1053980
>>1053982
man, don't you guys recognize a symbolic hairstyle change representing character development when you see one? It's a standard trope, and this one is doubly obvious, because she is literally hiding behind the hair.

Cutting the hair is not rejecting the rough past. Cutting the hair is owning it and not hiding the scars any more. And doing something that can't instantly be taken back is the whole point of the gesture, the dramatic break with the past. The commitment to the new way of doing things.

Cut that hair girl. I like your hair, but I can like a new style too.

>>1053984
I understood the trope, I just wanted to put a different spin on it where she keeps the hair, but still changes the hairstyle to no longer cover the eye and not hiding the scars.

>>1053986
Nope. Gotta cut so it can't be easily undone the moment the going gets rough. It's a whole thing.

>>1053987
Nope. Tired of the whole short hair = character development schtick.

>>1053980
I like this, the bangs are a part of you like your past, but if you restyle them in a new way then its symbolic of you choosing to master that part of you rather than hide from it.

>>1053977
Talk to a hairstylist first.

>>1053992

Ya, restyle them! Go for a glam up, change your look, but nothing that can't be easily undone, yaknow? Changing the outside makes changing the inside easier!

> Cut bangs

Arhra 2023/01/16(Mon)23:17 No. 1053996 ID: 429658
File 167393987836.png - (10.70KB , 380x475 , elf_shaved.png )

Elf shaved, spirits defeated.

I say, wear a half-mask. But make it badass. Add even more scars. Blood and thorns. Make up a motto and make your mask scream it. But most importantly, have it cover up any indication that your eye has power.

Because let me make this clear. The scars are disturbing. The rot in your eye is disturbing. But you know what is outright disgusting? The actual eye itself, and all the powers your parents forced onto you and your eye in a bid for power or glory, and the way they cast all of you aside when their precious eye was damaged. It's like they retroactively defiled their child before she was even born. That's how screwed up your family truly is.

While it's comforting to know that your mother did love you in her own twisted way, she was more enamored with what you could be in her eyes than what you were in the present. That is like gambling with love itself. Not in a "maybe they'll still love me or maybe they'll break up/disown me and I'll crawl into a goth" kind of way, but in a "I sincerely regret ever loving you in the first place" kind of way. They betrayed you.

And that extends to your retainers. The way the circle exiled you for sustaining a wound, rather than inflicting harm upon an innocent or dishonorably. The way your sole confidant willfully chose their clan over you.

Once, you could say that they could have had a point. That perhaps they needed someone who had strength to defend their borders and lead their people.
Now your idiot brother is on the verge of opening a portal to hell for some deal that clearly was not made for the benefit of the reasonable or empathic.
Their argument is now invalid. Fuck them all. You'll build your own legend with the tools you have, the tools they rejected.

Keep the bangs, braiding them with friends can be quite therapeutic.

Wow, you look badass!! You should try out a Pirate Queen type look! Lean into the fun of it!!

Raelynn 2023/01/21(Sat)21:59 No. 1054364 ID: 8483cf
File 167436718284.png - (38.44KB , 1000x993 , LF6c_25.png )

I grip Samhain’s hilt, pull it loose in its sheath and… don’t see the point to going through with it. Why give myself fewer options for hairstyles? In fact, if I have the option to cover my eye up every day, doesn’t that make me more courageous for choosing the option to show it off?

I’m not that great at choosing hairstyles. I don’t exactly have lots of experience in that department. What options are there, even? I could go to a stylist… I can afford one, now.

Paperdoll! Edit in a hairstyle and color for Raelynn.

kome 2023/01/21(Sat)23:53 No. 1054370 ID: e5709d
File 167437403105.png - (86.15KB , 751x823 , Rae Haircut attempt.png )

You get the idea.
Add a half-mask and more accessories, whatever works.

Kaktus 2023/01/22(Sun)09:06 No. 1054389 ID: 681cb5
File 167440720860.png - (65.95KB , 700x700 , Metalgear.png )

Metal Gear!?

Can someone do her up with a version of the Jack Sparrow dreadlocks and bandana and beads, to really tie into the badass pirate queen thing?

Silly Zealot 2023/01/22(Sun)14:33 No. 1054408 ID: ccbbb0
File 167442679245.png - (51.61KB , 1010x999 , Raellish elves.png )

Celtic tribal tatoos, let's go!

Silly Zealot 2023/01/22(Sun)14:34 No. 1054409 ID: ccbbb0
File 167442684314.png - (45.66KB , 1010x999 , Raered Leto.png )

Or, y'know, this.
Might work, might work.

Some of these answers are really cruel and you all should be ashamed. Can we get some serious, constructive answers please? To help the elf look amazing and badass like she can?

>>1054707
I mean, this one was pretty good >>1053996

>>1054756

The pink topknot one is pretty good too
>>1054373

Though it's a bit Aeldari...

>>1053996
I vote for this one.

Suggestion 2023/01/29(Sun)01:41 No. 1054973 ID: a7a180
File 167498531281.png - (85.06KB , 604x795 , wubba lubba.png )

Serious and constructive haircuts only.

Suggestion 2023/01/29(Sun)02:26 No. 1054974 ID: a7a180
File 167498797664.png - (212.18KB , 800x794 , elf_shelfem.png )

Who's more amazing and badass than the king?

>>1054974
kick gum and chew ass...

Suggestion 2023/01/29(Sun)13:42 No. 1054982 ID: a7a180
File 167502852165.png - (82.01KB , 800x794 , raven locks.png )

Now for the real ones.
Change hair colors for your moody goth phase to the Taranis-matching one. Twin ponytails in back and a long wave in front to make that long hair dark and mysterious.

Suggestion 2023/01/29(Sun)13:43 No. 1054983 ID: a7a180
File 167502858752.png - (71.33KB , 900x894 , secured.png )

You could also batten down the hatches with a tight side bun. No nonsense, all business.

Suggestion 2023/01/29(Sun)13:44 No. 1054984 ID: a7a180
File 167502866919.png - (103.13KB , 900x894 , caduceus.png )

Lastly, put it all into one big braid that goes down the front and wraps around. Can serve as an emergency whip when you nae nae. (The other ponytail becomes a bun tied in the back.)

How about something that shows off the eye?

Raelynn 2023/03/04(Sat)12:52 No. 1057405 ID: a0671f
File 167796317587.png - (22.80KB , 745x785 , LF6c_26.png )

Plenty of ideas pop into my head for new hairstyles. Maybe some tattoos, too. Maybe I could even go bald? No, I like having the option of dyeing my hair new colors. It’s nice to change things up.

One thing’s for sure, though. I don’t like my happy hair colors. They don’t fit. It’s time to try out the style Taranis suggested, and go for black and white. I’ll dye it tonight, while I have the energy.

I twirl my hair in my fingers, undo my braids and pull my bangs aside. The air is cold on my scarred skin. I don’t like it, but I’m not supposed to. This isn’t a comfortable thing for me, for people who see me, or for anyone. I push my hair back over my eye for a moment. I don’t have to do this. I don’t have to make myself, or everyone else, deal with this hideousness every time they see me.

Ah, fuck ‘em. I wasn’t born to make people comfortable.

I pull my bangs back again and tuck them behind my ear as best I can. With a wave, I say goodbye to the cats and the waiter. Most of the cats don’t care, but the cautious cat in her cubby watches me go.

Immediately when I step outside, I feel like everyone is staring at me. The streets of Minga aren’t crowded out here in the evening, but even so, it’s enough to set me on edge. One of the women I see stops and does a double-take. I try my best to ignore her and move on.

I continue back to the guild. This is more stressful than I’d thought it would be. How am I supposed to deal with people just… staring at me every time I walk down the street? Is this what it’ll be like for the rest of my life?

I catch a man looking at me for a little too long. Our gazes meet, and his breaks away instantly.

It feels kind of good.

A minute later, I realize I’ve been paying so much attention to what people think of me that I’ve been completely ignoring the sky above me. My stormcrow companion and an unfamiliar magpie are circling midair, passing and pirouetting in a choreographed display with me as the center of their invisible dance floor.

Soon it becomes clear that the magpie is testing Taranis’s maneuverability with tighter and tighter turns. I’m not sure if his ragged tailfeathers, still not recovered from an old injury, are making it hard for him to keep up with the magpie’s showiest moves; either that, or he’s just terribly awkward. The colorful bird sees this and takes the opportunity to shake Taranis off the dance, and dives straight for me. I tense up; Taranis lets out a shriek and cuts her off a few feet before she would have hit me.

The magpie cackles and flaps backward, perching on a lamppost. Taranis is perturbed.

“Who’s that?” I ask him.

Taranis lands on my shoulder and ruffles his feathers in dismissal. It’s no one important, obviously. Just a lady with bad manners.

The magpie cackles again, flaps her wings and shocks us both.

“My manners are as good as your friend’s dancing,” she says, her voice a perfect imitation of a young lady’s. “He thinks he’s cute, but has two left wings. You’re the cute one here, elf. He’s deluded.”

I really don’t know how to take that, so I say nothing. Taranis caws at her.

“Don’t get your feathers in a bunch,” says the magpie. “I don’t see any trinkets worth snatching off your friend here. I have standards. Her shortsword is nice, but it would be such a chore to carry off. It would ruin my perfectly done plumage.”

I feel left out of this conversation, but frankly I don’t want to join it either. I just want to go back to my room at the Guild. I’m tired and this is inane.

Do I:

1. Keep walking and leave these birdbrains to their flirting
2. Defend Taranis from this teasing
3. Ask the magpie about herself
4. Other

2. It will feel good to help a friend. Plus he's your animal companion and had tried to help you before, and will probably get you back into the spirit of helping others again.

Ask the magpie if you can have her name.

2. Though asking the magpie her name, about herself, maybe how she learned to talk like that might be an interesting thing to do -- but only after getting a jibe in.

3. “Okay, so who is this Colour duo bird that Taranis can’t impress with his dance moves? She’s not a simple flashy bird of mystery, is she?”
I dunno why for sure but a part of me wants to be a little catty in response.

>>1057405
2, Isn't he a larger bird anyway? Bigger birds are less agile, as a rule. Also he hasn't used his other abilities...

Raelynn 2023/03/04(Sat)16:13 No. 1057423 ID: 943fe3
File 167797518756.png - (7.48KB , 467x467 , LF6c_27.png )

“Do we know you?” I ask the magpie.

“I’ve seen your stormcrow buddy around,” she says, flapping around me excitedly. “I thought he knew how to dance, is all. Guess I was wrong.”

She’s small, but she has to be getting at least a little tired after all this. I hold out my finger. “If I let you land, are you going to keep bothering Taranis?”

“You’re no fun,” she says, but accepts the offer and lands on my finger. “Hey, Taranis! Why aren’t you speaking up for yourself here? You’re smart enough. Come on, join our oh-so-stimulating conversation! Or am I not stimulating enough for you?”

Taranis tilts his head to one side and gives a dismissive caw.

“Like, I get that you don’t get to use the vocabulary that often,” Aífe says, “But isn’t it so much more fun to mess with people when they can understand you? I know you’ve got the pipes for it.”

Taranis rolls his beady little eyes, but I I can tell he’s embarrassed. I bet he’s not willing to try talking in front of a pretty girl. I suppose it’s up to me to carry him out of his mess.

“A talking magpie,” I say, my tone dry as a desert. “Fascinating. Taranis, does this bird of mystery have a dash of parakeet blood in her? That may also explain why she’s so proud of being smaller and faster than you.”

“Hey now. No need to get catty, lady,” the magpie says.

“Then try again,” I say. “My name is Raelynn.”

“I’m Aífe. I’m the granddaughter of one of Aengus’s kisses,” she says, as if I’m supposed to know what that means.

“Uh-huh.”

“It’s a long story that I’ve mostly forgotten, but it explains everything up and including why I’m so beautiful! Anyway, Taranis!” She hops up to my elbow and stares up to Taranis, who’s still perched on my shoulder. “At first I was worried you were part of Macha’s war goddess murder ‘cause of all the the trouble you’re causing that priestess of Eirene, but nah, I see it now. You’re totally working for Odin! You’re way too sneaky and peeky to be with anybody else. Am I right? Eh? Eh? I’m totally right, aren’t I? Come on, admit it!”

This is the second time today Taranis has been called one of Odin’s birds. I look at him too, and Taranis lets out an irritated chatter.

“Okay, fine,” Aífe says, “So what if it’s more of an informal thing? You still fill him in on what you’re up to every so often, right?”

Taranis nods.

“And he backs you up on stuff, right? And throws you some tasty birdseed spells when he likes your work, right?”

Taranis nods again.

“So I’m right, right?” Aífe chirps. “I’m always right!”

If she says ‘right’ one more time, I’m going to assume she has a parakeet somewhere in her family tree no matter what she says.

“Annnnnnnyway,” Aífe says, “This is probably going to ruin someone’s fun, but I figured you’d wanna know at some point that there’s this redheaded witch waiting to ambush you both as soon as you get to the front door of the adventurers’ guild. You might wanna take the back way in.”


What do I do? Choose one or more.

1. Pat Aífe on the head. This is a bad idea and will only encourage her inflated sense of self-importance.
2. Tell Aífe she reminds me of a fairy I know. This is a bad idea and will only encourage her to meet Landi.
3. Invite Aífe to spend more time with us. This is a bad idea and will only encourage her to date Taranis.
4. Ask Aífe if she’d enjoy messing with the redheaded witch for us while we sneak around back. This is a bad idea and will only get Aífe on Anita’s bad side.
4. Politely thank Aífe but inform her that I can handle the witch myself. This is the only good option.
5. Other

>>1057423
3. Taranis could use the practice, and you saw him TRYING to dance with her, he's at least somewhat interested.

2 & 4. Get swooped, witches.

2 and 3

2 because I think she'll annoy Landi with her ego, which will let Landi know how that feels

3 because it'll be good training for Taranis.

>>1057428
Also, if we choose 2, we can ask her to help with Landi's favor with Salt's performance review thing, and maybe change Aífe's attitude a bit from it.

Just 2 for me, for the reasons Polt gave.

You may want to ask Taranis to climb in your hand. Hold him tightly, and the ambush you walk in on will probably see it as "Oh, she went out and captured her bird for us", lowering the odds they fire spells on sight.

Not that you couldn't take 'em, but that's a whole thing. Besides, it's Taranis fight to engage in or ignore as he pleases. Doing this just gives you more time to decide whether or how you'll participate.

46) Ask Aífe if she'd like to murder your brother.

2 + 3, I'm full of bad ideas today.

Raelynn 2023/03/12(Sun)14:33 No. 1058351 ID: da497c
File 167865680212.png - (10.31KB , 450x460 , LF6c_28.png )

Aífe may be more energetic and full of herself than I’d like, but at least she’s helpful. That’s more than I can say about some people I know.

“Thank you for the warning,” I tell her. “Taranis, that witch isn’t going to give up. Do you plan on avoiding her forever? She’s going to end up pounding on my door again if we take the back way in. Do you have a plan to handle things, or do you need my help?”

Taranis clicks his beak in irritation.

“I understand that you can handle it,” I say, “But if you’d rather deal with this now, when you can set the terms of engagement, rather than later, it would save me a headache. Or you could take off for parts unknown. I wouldn’t judge you.”

Taranis shuffles up my shoulder and leans against my head. He’s not going anywhere.

That dumb bird.

“Yay! You’re staying!” Aífe cheers. “So what’s the plan? Are you two gonna go in hot, blasting lightning and wind and sword-a-swinging? I wanna see you two in action!”

“What would that solve?”

“It’d solve my lack of evening entertainment. What’s the matter, are you both chicken?”

Taranis squawks at her.

“I don’t fight without good reason,” I say. “There are always consequences.”

“Exciting consequences.”

I rub my forehead in irritation. I don’t need this magpie causing trouble just because she’s bored. I have an idea for how to keep her from making things worse. It’s a bad idea, but not as bad as her trying to goad Taranis into a fight.

“If you’re that bored,” I say, “Tag along on my other shoulder. You’ll have a front-row seat to whatever happens, and when we get inside, there’s a fairy I know who I think you’d get along with.”

“Sure!” Aífe chirps. “Smart move bringing me along. No witch is gonna blast my pretty face.”

Maybe they would if she opened her beak, but I don’t say it out loud.

Taranis hops down my arm and perches himself in my palm. It looks like he wants to place himself in my grip for when we arrive at the guild.

“Are you sure?” I ask. “Diplomacy isn’t necessarily going to work.”

Taranis nods. Diplomacy it is.

We decide to approach the guild head-on, with Taranis mock-encaged in my grip. Sure enough, Anita the red-headed witch is waiting for us at the guild door. I train my enchanted eye on the alleyways around us, and with my transparent vision I can see her three friends crouched behind strategically placed crates where they can open fire on us if need be. I doubt they’ll use lethal spells, but I don’t expect them to hold back on Taranis just because I’m here.

There’s a dozen different ways I could see this playing out, and most of them involve taking advantage of the fact that Anita herself is in the line of fire for her friends’ spells. I also highly doubt Anita is trained in unarmed combat, so even if things escalate, the fight is already decided if I get within grappling distance. Spellcasters are dangerous but manageable, especially if they think they hold all the cards.

None of that matters, though, if she’s shocked by the sight of my scar that she forgets all her plans.

I walk right into the ambush, Aífe on my shoulder, Taranis in my grip, and my scar front and center.

“O-oh,” Anita says, taking a step back and bumping into the door in shock. “Ah. Are… are you okay? Do I need to call a cleric?”

Anita is extremely uncomfortable. What do I do with the initiative? Choose one or more.

1. Hold out Taranis and say he’s come to bargain. Suggest negotiating points.
2. Say Taranis wants to settle this in honorable combat, one-on-one, winner take all
3. Tell Anita to leave me out of her dispute with Taranis, I don’t care how they settle it
4. Stare at her with my ruined eye for a long time
5. Other

4. Gaze into the abyss... gaze into her very soul, if she has one!

1, Tell her to give Taranis a few pairs of non-magical panties to appease him. He's a pervy birdy. A pair from her and each of her obviously hiding friends would probably satisfy his egotistic want for trophies.

The value exchange should be sufficient for both parties. Underwear isn't super expensive, and Taranis probably wasn't going to use the magic enchantments for much (as it's a bit awkward to carry panties into battle when you can't just wear them).

4 and then 1. Let's tell Anita that we should address Taranis perverted ways and stealing in a way that doesn't involve someone getting hurt further.

Either that, or.... uhh..... we can turn Taranis into a khajiit. That way, he will have to avoid stealing or collecting underwear to avoud furthering negative stereotypes!

5) "It's an old scar, magically linked to betrayal. Unless you murder the rest of my sociopathic family, there's no healing it."
1) *Grab Taranis with one hand and shove him in Anita's face* "Which is why I'd rather fix this drama before it festers."

>>1058351
I'm liking the 4 into 1 combo. Put her off balance for negotiations.

Raelynn 2023/03/22(Wed)21:04 No. 1059329 ID: 683784
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I stare at Anita, unblinking.

It’s obvious she’s trying to maintain eye contact on my good golden eye. She fails. Finally, after an eternity, she shakes herself out of the staring contest from hell.

“Are you going to say anything?” Anita asks, her voice cracking a bit.

“She’s shy,” Aífe says, hopping out from behind my neck and perching on my shoulder.

“By the Gods!” Anita backs up against the door. “Another one!”

“Hey now,” Aífe says. “I’m not just another magical bird. I’m Aífe the Magnificent Magpie.”

“Are you here to steal underwear, too?” Anita asks.

“I’m a collector of rare shinies. Is the underwear shiny and/or sparkly?”

“It was,” Anita says. “Then it was stolen. By that bird right there.”

“Bummer. Well, you know what they say, right? Snatchers, keepers and all that.”

“That’s not what they say.”

“Eh, if I was supposed to have perfect recall, I’d have been born a parrot,” Aífe says with a shrug. “So, are you gonna let us in or what?”

“Not until your crow friend gives me back my underwear,” Anita says.

“Hey! Did you hear that, Taranis? We’re friends now! But we can be more than that if you want…”

I glare at the lovebirds. This is what I get for inviting Aífe along.

“Ooh, nasty face,” Aífe says. “So gloomy. So spooky. You should hug her, witch lady. Elves need love too.”

Anita and I look at each other and both agree that this would be a terrible idea. It’s time for me to end this farce.

“This is getting us nowhere,” I say, holding out Taranis in my outstretched hands. “Here. Anita, you and Taranis are going to resolve this matter. Now.”

“We are going to resolve it by him giving me back my underwear,” Anita insists. “And Gloria’s, too. And if he doesn’t, we’re going to make him.”

“No, you aren’t,” I say. “It’s underwear. If my underwear got stolen by a bird, I would absolutely not want it back. Why are you so bent out of shape over this?”

“Well, if you insist on knowing, my panties and Gloria’s bra are enchanted. We spent a lot of time and effort weaving those spells into the material, and they’re very valuable.”

“I’m not even going to go into how ridiculous that sounds,” I say, “But if a single bird like Taranis can just steal them off you, then surely that wasn’t the greatest idea to begin with.”

“That doesn’t matter!” Anita huffs. “He needs to give them back right now, or else I’ll perform a citizen’s arrest!”

“On a bird?”

“Yes, on a bird!”

“Uh-huh. I’m sure you and your three friends hiding behind those crates will have great success in pulling that off without him flying away.”

“How did you know about…” Anita shakes her head. “Never mind. Girls, you can come out now. There’s no point in a surprise attack anymore.”

Anita’s friends come out from hiding, but they don’t let their guards down. I hold Taranis up to Anita.

“You two. Settle this. Now. I’m sure a prisoner exchange will suffice.”

“Why should we give up anything further to this thief?!”

“Because otherwise, you’re probably going to cause enough of a fuss in the guild to get a reputation as The Witch Who Lost Her Panties To A Bird.”

“Fine,” Anita huffs. “We can discuss terms. Only, ah… I don’t speak bird.”

“I do!” Aífe chirps.

We all head inside, and the witches begin negotiating the exchange of “hostages.”

I’m exhausted, and all this social interaction is giving me a headache. However, I feel like I should stick around to defend Taranis in case things go south.

Should I excuse myself and go to my room?
1. Yes. Taranis and Aífe can handle this, and I should go address my headache.
2. No, I need to be the enforcer just in case Taranis needs my help.

2. You still have something Taranis doesn't: Thumbs. Also, you can watch a witch lose a very vocal argument about her panties to a bird.

2. You're Taranis' companion after all. You probably don't have to do much anyways since this is ridiculous and will probably solve itself with little interactions. Maybe offer drinks at least to set things off on the right foot, with water for yourself.

>>1059331
Gotta agree here.

1, If Taranis could perform the theft himself, then he can handle the negotiation himself. You just needed to bring him out of the combat-zone to the diplomacy-zone, and now your job is done. If he makes shit offers and gets blasted when the deal falls through, that's on him for getting greedy. You need rest.

2. My goodness this is going to be amazing and hilarious, you just know it!

>>1059332
actually, has popcorn been invented in this world yet? pop some up for yourself if so. This gonna be good

1/2 Raelynn 2023/03/26(Sun)22:56 No. 1059603 ID: 529427
File 167989659665.png - (62.18KB , 1573x539 , LF6c_30.png )

This negotiation for the exchange of magical underwear is inane and should never have been necessary in the first place. I have no stake in this other than to make sure Taranis doesn’t get turned into crow pâté by these spellcasters. Though they’re unlikely to use their most dangerous spells inside the Adventurers’ Guild, I can’t let down my guard. The only harmless spellcaster is one that’s been properly bound, gagged and blindfolded, and even then you can’t really be sure what magical trinkets they’re carrying that lets them get out of jail free.

Being outnumbered by hostile, competent trained spellcasters ranks high on my list of worst-case scenarios. This could get bad.

“Let this hostage exchange come to order,” says Gloria the water witch. “We, fellow classmates of the Academies of the Elements, sharing the bonds of academic sisterhood and ancient magic, hereby demand that this bird, Taranis, return the items he has stolen from us, on pain of…”

“On pain of getting his butt roasted,” says Rebecca the fire witch.

“And wind-whipped,” Anita the wind witch adds. “I want my enchanted panties back right now.”

“Taranis stole my bra and my panties,” Gloria remarks matter-of-factly. “And Lily’s… uh… Lily, I thought he took your bow?”

“He did,” Lily the earth witch says.

“Then, um,” Gloria bites her lip. “Why aren’t you wearing a bra?”

“Shh!” Gloria puts a hand to her mouth. “Don’t say it so loud!”

“Lily, Gloria could scream it and it would still be less noticeable than those bouncing boulders,” Rebecca snickers. “Seriously, what’s up? You never go braless. Like, ever.”

Lily’s face flushes. “Well, it was common sense. You said we were ambushing a bird who steals underwear. I can’t have my underwear stolen if I’m, um, not wearing it.”

“That’s very, ah… bold of you.” Anita tries to keep her eyes up and fails. “Ah! I didn’t mean because your boobs are, ah, never mind! I meant it’s bold because you don’t have access to your good spells without your enchanted bra.”

“Well, I didn’t want to hurt the poor bird,” Lily mutters.

Rebecca groans. “That was the whole point!”

This is now significantly lower on my list of worst-case scenarios.

“Um, regardless of the status of everyone’s undergarments, we have things to talk about,” Anita says. “Bird. Panties. Now.”

Taranis clacks his beak.

“Not so fast!” Aífe says. “Why should Taranis give up trophies he stole fair and square? It’s the law.”

“What law?”

“Bird law.” Aífe flies over to another table, picks up some pieces of parchment and drops them in front of the witches. “See? We even have paper with words on it. Don’t make me get my bird lawyer, he knows how to read.”

“Ridiculous! Be reasonable,” Anita scoffs. “If I go get the town guard, they’ll make Taranis give my panties back.”

Taranis lets out a long series of caws that sounds suspiciously like laughter. He raises his wing and quietly communicates something to Aífe.

“Taranis doesn’t think so,” Aífe says. “And even if you somehow get them to arrest someone they will bother with, like Raelynn, do you really think Raelynn will care about getting arrested?”

The witches look at me.

I look back with tired, dead eyes. I have bigger problems than getting arrested.

Like, for example, if I should attempt contact my deceased mom who tried her hardest to forget I ever existed. And I also have to deal with my brother, who I’m fairly certain is trying to tear the veil of the dead and let the Airceacháin bleed through. Which are, by the way, the only monstrosities horrifying enough to get the elven Circles to agree on anything in the last hundred years.

So yeah.

“Negotiations it is,” Anita sighs. “Fine. I’ll talk terms for my panties. Lily, do you want to trade something to get your bow back? Gloria, how about you?”

“He can keep my bow,” Lily says. “I have more.”

“My thong has a small enchantment, but I don’t really want it back now that it’s been, you know, bird-ed,” Gloria says. “I need my bra back, though. It’s got the gem and the strongest spells.”

“Okay, since you’re being reasonable now, we’ll be reasonable too. See?” Aífe says. “Everyone’s gonna be reasonable, right? So because Gloria’s bra and Anita’s panties are super magical and have gems, they are worth… two million pairs of regular panties.”

“What?! That’s absurd!”

“Oh yeah and one million bras.”

There is much bickering and gnashing of teeth.

2/2 Raelynn 2023/03/26(Sun)22:56 No. 1059604 ID: 529427
File 167989661249.png - (40.94KB , 466x1000 , LF6c_31.png )

Taranis whispers to Aífe.

“Since it’s hard to pay the fair bird market value,” Aífe says, “Taranis will instead accept installment payments of two pairs of panties and one bra every week, from now until forever.”

“You’re crazy!”

“That’s nonsense!”

“How is that magpie talking?”

“Shh!”

“Enough!” Anita huffs. “So you’ll accept regular underwear, then? You like going around and collecting new pairs of panties like a perv?”

Taranis nods.

“Then here’s an offer. We’ll all give you two pieces of underwear. That’s even better than you had before. It’s more than fair.”

“Wait, I zoned out for a second. Why am I giving this bird my panties?” Rebecca asks.

“Because the bonds of sisterhood know no limits, that’s why,” Anita says.

Taranis shakes his head and caws.

“Nope,” Aífe translates. “Not good enough. You’re just gonna unload all your old ratty pairs of panties! Taranis wants first pick of all your underwear drawers for two items each of regular underwear, including bras and stockings and all the frilly stuff. And no trying to say one stocking is a single thing!”

The witches huddle and whisper angrily. Soon they reach a conclusion. They’re not happy, but it’s done.

“You drive a hard bargain,” Anita says sullenly. “But if Taranis agrees to never ever try to steal any of our stuff again, and to never bother us as long as he lives, we have a deal.”

Taranis plucks a feather from his wing and dips it in a conveniently placed inkwell to sign on the Bird Law “paperwork”. The witches roll their eyes, but each of them pass around the feather to sign the faux contract with a signature.

After signing, Lily drops the feather on the floor. “Ah!”

Taranis and Aífe share a conspiratorial glance and my instincts tell me something bad is about to happen. Are they really going to risk messing up a done deal? Why? For what reason?

Because they feel like it, apparently.

Aífe flaps her wings and a powerful gust of wind blows up Lily’s skirt, confirming that yes, she did indeed keep her panties safe from bird theft. Lily shrieks. Anita tries once more to keep her eyes up and once again fails.

“We had a deal!” Rebecca shouts.

"Ahaha!” Aífe cackles. “Not with me, you didn’t! So long, ladies! Ciao ciao!”

With that, Aífe shoots down the hall and out the window. The witches glare at Taranis, who shrugs his wings.

“Do I need to supervise you while you go shopping?” I sigh, disappointed in every way.

Taranis shakes his head in the negative.

Good. I can only take so much of this in one sitting. Still, to be sure, I look Anita dead in the eyes and make it abundantly clear I expect Taranis to be in one piece the next time I see him, or else.

I am absolutely, one hundred percent done with today. It’s time to sleep.

------------------------------------

I wake up the next morning to see Taranis snoozing inside the cups of a breathtakingly huge bra and surrounded by a shimmering mound of ill-gotten underwear.

I can’t believe I have to deal with this bird.

The sun is just barely peeking over the horizon. I’m feeling tired and drained, not really up to doing anything that feels like effort.

Do I force myself to get up and exercise, or do I sleep in?

Wake up briefly to eat, and bathe at least. After that, decide at that point if you're feeling up to exercise, or would want to sleep in. You had a busy day yesterday after all.

>>1059604
Exercise will make you feel better.

Parkour time

1/1 Raelynn 2023/03/28(Tue)19:44 No. 1059744 ID: c171f5
File 168005784765.png - (30.32KB , 400x343 , LF6c_32.png )

The morning air is chill and crisp. Fall is beginning to set in. There are no trees in Minga, but the nearby hills are becoming tinged with orange. My gaze wanders and my stride lengthens. Soon the buildings blur together.

My mind dulls into the pleasant, floating sensation as I reach my cadence. The cobblestones, once rough and treacherous under my feet, seem as smooth as glass. I’ve reached the point where I’m so comfortable using the extra balance of Feline Grace mutagen that it feels as natural as breathing.

The city is quiet this early in the morning. I have the streets to myself. There’s nothing that can reach me. Not when I’m like this. Here, I can’t be hurt by anything or anyone.

Before I know it, the buildings are repeating themselves. I’ve completed a lap around the City. I don’t care. I go again, losing myself in the rhythm of my stride.

Some time later, I feel a tingling on the back of my neck. Adrenaline floods my body. I immediately drop and slide into the cover of a door frame, closing off as many lines of sight as possible.

I sweep the area quickly with my ruined eye, peering through the wood and stone around me. There are moving shapes in the buildings, but the tingling sensation I felt was higher up. I look higher and see a winged shape high above.

I put a hand to my chest and sigh deeply. It’s okay, Rae. Just a wing-kin on delivery. Nothing to worry about.

No, it is something to worry about. How long did it take me to pick up on the telltale flapping of wings? How long was she my blind spot? If she’d really meant to do me harm, could I have reacted in time? I know this isn’t a warzone, but I can’t just turn the thoughts off. They’re a part of me. Protecting me. I need them.

Wait. The wing-kin is circling around and doubling back to my last position. It was following me. I knew it.

I focus my ruined eye on the shape through the building walls, tracking the wing-kin until it’s facing far enough away from me. When I’m sure the overhead avian won’t see, I dash into an alleyway out of its line of sight. It’s my turn to double back.

I scale the building façade nearest to me, press myself under the eaves and wait for the shape to come back for a third pass. This time I get a good look at my pursuer.

It’s Apricot. Not a threat, then. I don’t think so, at least. Why was she following me? Why is she searching for me? Doesn’t she know how dangerous it is to try and sneak up on someone like that? She could have been mistaken for a…

My hands are shaking.

I take a moment to collect myself.

Easy, girl.

It’s okay.

I carefully climb down the façade and walk to the middle of the street, waiting for Apricot to find me again. It doesn’t take her long, and she alights on the cobblestones in a clatter of claws and flutter of wings.

“Hi! There you are! Thought I lost ya for a second. You’re fast!”

I don’t say anything back.

“Guess we’re both early birds, huh? I just, you know, wanted to say hi. See how you were doing, since, you know, uh... you know.

"Are you feeling okay? You're kinda quiet.”

I don’t like her. I don't like this. I just want to be left alone. Why is that so hard to understand?

I take a breath and prepare to tell her exactly what I'm thinking.

I'm under a lot of stress and I am feeling really really grumpy and I need a lot of space and I was HOPING that exercising would make me FEEL BETTER BUT FUCKING NO, THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN, SO I'M JUST GOING TO SNAP AT EVERYONE!!!

Grab her around the arms (commonly known as a 'hug') and whisper: "Don't sneak up on me again."

>>1059744
Tell her you're not doing okay. You just want to be left alone. Maybe pet a cat.

“Meditation” or maybe “Bad dreams” might get across the vibe of ‘bad thoughts, running as a means to calm down/deal with bad mood’ and the lack of elaboration should give the hint you don’t want to talk right now.

Just tell her you'll be fine once you get some alone time.

Raelynn 2023/04/08(Sat)12:36 No. 1061007 ID: 05aeff
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I clamp down on my frustration and say exactly what I need to. No more, no less.

“Don’t ever do that again.”

Apricot wilts. She shrinks back, feathers drooping. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sneak up on you. You looked so focused… I was happy to see you. I’m sorry.”

I don’t know what to say to that. I let out a deep sigh. “I was meditating. Alone.”

“That’s so cool you can do that while exercising!” Apricot says. “No wonder you’re in such great shape. I don’t really have exercises, but I do carry heavy packages around. I guess that counts? It’s something I do to make some extra cash while Autumn is doing fairy stuff. I like delivering packages way more than letters. People are always really happy when they see me deliver their stuff! It’s a nice way to start the day.”

I really wish she’d leave me be. Can’t she see I’d rather be exercising? I feel like turning away and just leaving, but then I realize something.

Apricot hasn’t mentioned my scar. In fact, she hasn’t even been staring at it. She’s just… making eye contact normally. Does she not care about my new hairstyle? Is she not put off by the necrotized skin all over my face?

Apricot is a weird bird.

“Well, while we’re here, do you want to grab some breakfast with me? There’s a new bakery that opened up about two weeks ago and it’s owned by a real live dragon! And that fox spirit who lives at the Adventurers’ Guild works there too, she’s the waitress! I think it’s called, uh… Rotisserie de Minga?”

“Pâtisserie.”

“Oh. Oops. Thanks. But can you blame me? Dragon! I bet she makes a great roast too!”

“I’d rather just go back to the guild and shower,” I say. That should give her the hint I want to be left alone.

“Oh, good idea,” Apricot says. She lifts her wings and gives a sniff. “Yeah, maybe I should too.”

Or not.

“Look,” I say, “I’m dealing with some big issues right now. I need to focus.”

“Oh,” Apricot says. “Do you want to talk about it? Oh! Sorry. Uh, maybe we don’t have to talk. I’ll be quiet if you want me to, I just wanted to thank you for helping me with my armor. Everyone needs breakfast! Or we could just go back to the guild and I can thank you there, or we can do something that you want to do to take your mind off those issues. Something to de-stress, maybe.”

I’m obviously not getting rid of Apricot just yet, and it’s not worth the effort to tell her off. I consider going to the Cat Café, but it’s closed this early in the day. There is, however, one pettable animal in Minga that somehow finds me no matter the time of day.

1. Go to Kayk’s Bakery
2. Go back to the Adventurers’ Guild
3. Go to the Church of Eirene
4. Go pet the skunk

Go to the bakery (she needs the business)

Bakery, we can hit up the skunk on the way out. Also maybe Dotti would be down for a quick pat or 2

Considering in the previous thread Apricot wanted Taranis as a animal companion since she is a ranger. She must be looking for an animal companion. That skunk might be perfect for her.

4. Go introduce Apricot to skunky

Bakery, the threads must converge.

Raelynn 2023/04/09(Sun)14:44 No. 1061058 ID: c74210
File 168107666647.png - (36.41KB , 391x603 , LF6c_34.png )

If Apricot insists on doing something together, it might as well be something that helps Serah’s party. Or is it my party? No, it isn’t. I’m a freelancer. I don’t have a permanent deal with Serah. I want to keep my options open. Maybe take a nice, long trip after I deal with things back home. I mean, with my brother.

My stomach churns. It’s because I’m hungry. There is no other reason.

I jog to the bakery, Apricot trailing above me. It’s good to get more exercise, and we cover the distance quickly enough to arrive before the morning crowds really start to appear. We’re the first ones at Kayk’s bakery.

A familiar fluffy face pokes her head out the front door, her eyes glimmering. She sees my scar and her glimmering eyes go wide for a moment, then she disappears inside.

“Kayk, Rae’s here! She brought a friend, and she’s kind of scary so I’m gonna help her, okay?” Dotti scampers out to greet us and gestures to a table. “Hi! Welcome! Kayk’s a little stressed right now, she’s busy with a few lawyerly things. Is that okay? I can go grab her if you really want to talk to her. Or are you here for breakfast? I like the pancakes with strawberries, the cream is fresh whipped! We have some poppyseed muffins too, and coffee and tea and milk. Here’s the menu!”

“We’re here for breakfast! The muffin sounds great,” Apricot says, and we take a seat at the table. “You know Rae? How wonderful! I’m Apricot.”

“Nice to meet you!” Dotti gives a curtsy, showing off a pair of stockings. Kayk’s fashion preferences are making an impression on her, I suppose.

Dotti looks at me for my order, and it’s obvious she’s trying her best to avoid staring at my scar. I suppose I’d better get used to that. I don’t like sweets, they’ll make me fat. There has to be something at this bakery that isn’t loaded with sugar. Maybe bread and butter.

Everyone is looking at me, and I realize I’ve been led into Apricot’s trap.

I have to say something to keep the conversation going.

Conversation. My least favorite thing.

Suggest something to talk about with Dotti, something to talk about with Apricot, and something for Rae to order for breakfast.

Inquire about their savory breakfast options with Dotti, and make smalltalk about availability of appropriate ingredients and such along those lines with her!

Discuss Taranis and that one skunk and Aife and the various animals and animal-people-that-look-like-normal-animals in your life with Apricot, as well as any that she's found have entered her life in a big way recently.

Order a savory breakfast pull-apart 'monkey bread' with some mix of sausage, eggs, cheese, and bacon in it! And some juice or milk to go with it.

Talk about Dotti's new tails and new job, Apricot's fairy Autumn and how they met, and order waffles with butter. Waffles are better than pancakes.

Get yourself a Focaccia

Talk to Apricot about that skunk that you keep running into, and Aife. Who knows, they could potentially become Apricot's companion if she wants to meet them.

Ask Dotti how she is liking working with Kayk. Also talk about your plan to see Priscilla later to deal with your own stress later. Serah, and Dotti probably havent heard from us in awhile and are probably worried about us since the last they saw us, we were in bed and depressed, so its probably a good idea to let them know you're handling yourself.

Make it clear your going there ALONE, so Apricot doesnt follow.

Ask Apricot about herself and where she comes from? Maybe how she got acquainted with Autumn?

>>1061075
This, also order pancakes but go light on the syrup, maybe some scrambled eggs as a side for protein.

Raelynn 2023/04/11(Tue)23:08 No. 1061214 ID: f38037
File 168127971385.png - (236.21KB , 600x338 , LF6c_35.png )

Conversation is the problem. Food is the solution.

“Savory,” I ask. “Eggs.”

“Do you want something filling?” Dotti asks. “If you do, we have focaccia bread stuffed with scrambled eggs, sausage, spinach and tomatoes. We’ll cook it fresh!”

I nod and hand her the menu back. The sooner I get the food, the better. I don’t have to talk if my mouth is full, and that’s a protein-filled entrée without sugar.

“Orange juice it is! I’ll have the waffles with strawberries and cream,” Apricot chirps. “With a lake of syrup. Do you have any juice?”

“We have orange juice today. I squeezed it myself so you know it’s good.”

“I’d like the orange juice.”

“You are very wise,” Dotti says, marking her notepad. “I’ll go get it ready. Just a few minutes, please, thank you!”

Dotti scampers back inside the bakery, which is fairly impressive given she’s wearing heels. She must have been practicing. Is she that invested in her job? Or is she excited about human fashion? Or both? I could ask her, but I don’t want to dive too deep into it. I know I’d feel odd if someone asked me if I’d practiced wearing heels. I don’t want people paying that much attention to me.

…But if that’s true, why am I putting my scar out in the open?

I don’t know. It’s frustrating. I’m frustrating. I give up thinking about it and let the tension out with a long sigh. Apricot notices, of course, and she’s right up in my business again.

“The fox spirit knows you? That’s so cool!” she says, trying to jolt the conversation forward again like a rider kicking a stubborn horse’s sides. “I’ve always wondered how a fox spirit got to fit in here so well. How did you meet?”

“We met a few months ago,” I say. “She wasn’t always so… well-socialized. Things happened, and I got hired to escort her to a dragon’s lair.”

“Whoa…” Apricot’s eyes go wide. “This dragon? The one running the bakery?”

“Her mother’s,” I say. Apricot is hanging on to my every word and it’s making me uncomfortable. “It was just a job.”

“Just a job?” Apricot gapes. “I wish my life was as exciting as yours.”

“No, you don’t.”

“I do! I really do! All I get to do is fly around and deliver letters and packages and fly so high I never get into any danger that isn’t cloud-shaped. Autumn and I are new contractors working together to support emergency service for adventurers, and she always warns me I haven’t ever been in a real battle and that I shouldn’t take tough assignments yet. I need to show I can handle delivering to hot spots or no one will ever take me seriously back home.”

“Hot spots?”

“You know,” Apricot says. “Stuff like urgent, secret, encoded messages to army generals that can’t be sent through magic ‘cause they’re shielded. Evacuating critically wounded or starving adventurers from areas no one else can get to. Taking precious tribute to dragons’ lairs, gems so valuable that everyone will be hunting for it. Bringing magic items and potions to merchants at the ends of the world, then bringing back rare items no one’s ever heard of. Stuff that’s worth telling stories about. Autumn keeps telling me I’m not ready yet, and at this rate I never will be.”

“You’re fortunate,” I say.

“I don’t want to be fortunate! I want to prove myself.”

“That could go one of two ways,” I say quietly, and I catch myself trying to toy with the bangs over my ruined eye but they aren’t there, they’re behind my ear, and I just look stupid. Thank goodness Dotti’s returning and bringing us our orange juice.

“Rae told me she helped take you to a dragon’s lair,” Apricot says as Dotti places the drinks on the table. “How did it go?”

“It was really scary,” Dotti says, “If it wasn’t for Rae, we wouldn’t have even gotten to the lair. And when we got there, two dragons threatened to kill me again, but Rae protected me.”

“She protected you against two dragons?”

“Uh… let me count.” Dotti holds out her paw. “One small one, and one big one and her paladin mate. I didn’t see Jek behind me, but I think he was ready to fight Rae too.”

“It wasn’t like that,” I say, but Apricot isn’t listening. Her eyes are glimmering in awe and I’m never going to live this down. “Ugh. I need to visit the Church of Eirene soon. Dotti, could you please just get our food?”

Dotti’s ears droop and she ducks back inside the bakery.

Shit. That came out harsher than I intended.

I drink my orange juice in silence. I could talk to Apricot about Aífe, or how she met Autumn, or tell her why she’s lucky to have never been in a warzone, but there’s no point. I’d only upset her, like I did with Dotti.

This is why I hate conversations.

>Dotti scampers back inside the bakery, which is fairly impressive given she’s wearing heels. She must have been practicing. Is she that invested in her job? Or is she excited about human fashion? Or both? I could ask her, but I don’t want to dive too deep into it

Realize the stockings and heels (mainly the stockings) are probably because Dotti is looking up to Kayk, and has high respect for her, so she is wearing stockings just like Kayk would sometimes wear, to be like more like her. Imitation is a high form of flattery. She seems much happier being adound Kayk than she does with others too

Start thinking about who you respect as much as Dotti respects Kayk. Do you still respect them enough to make them proud? Is there others you might look to gain respect from? Further down this line of thinking, Wonder if Apricot is actually showing some form of admiration and respect to you like Dotti does for Kayk. How does that make you feel? Would you want to train her like Kayk trained Dotti? If not, what would be something someone could do to gain your respect?

Try to explain to a birdbrain with big dreams why everyone comes out of a warzone with scars. point to your BIG OBVIOUS EXAMPLE because she only takes hints that have been dusted with cracker crumbs. Then tell her that not all the scars are physical.

>Why am I putting my scar out in the open?
So long as you spend needless effort hiding it and worrying about what others think about it rather than learning what others think about it, it truly is a wound.

If someone wants you to cover up, fine. But you'll never know how they feel if you waste your time making sure they can pretend you're nothing new.
That's a courtesy they don't deserve.

>Apricot wants to prove herself
"Proving yourself means taking on challenges until your success rate is 'sufficient'.
That won't happen if you die the first time you fail.
Take on challenges with consequences but don't ante anything you can't live without - like your life.
Being forced to bet your whole life isn't a challenge. It's slavery. It's what my House put me through. It's how I lost something I can never get back.
Screw 'em."

The heels might be an illusion. Or would your eye see through that?

Tell her how the dragon escort mission went.

Apologize to Dotti for snapping at her.
You don’t need to go lookin for trouble Apricot, trouble will find you. You should keep preparing because it’s a constant process, but the mail will still be an important delivery to someone stricken with disease or in a hurricane.

>>1061220
I kinda like this. As harsh as it is, Apricot needs a reality check for her own safety. Let her know flat out that adventuring is not a game, and if she continues to not be mature about it, it could, and will lead to this *points to scar* or worse, death. Mention how she even complained earlier about not wanting to gear up in her adventuring gear the other day too as another example. Let her know that her attitude of not taking adventuring seriously is the reason why Autumn is refusing her to go on adventures. If Apricot complains about what you're saying, tell her flat out to grow up.

>>1061222

this too, if things start turning out too harsh to put things in further perspective.

>>1061298

I'd just like to add onto this to say: Be gentle. That isn't in Rae's nature, I know, but if she doesn't even try then she'll make this poor bird cry. Just try to be nice about it.

Raelynn 2023/04/13(Thu)20:10 No. 1061346 ID: 18001e
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Apricot is still looking at me in awe, and it’s pushing all my buttons at once. I was sent to war before I was ready, and it destroyed everything I had. My eye. My future. My family.

If I can talk her out of delivering to “hot spots,” I’ll be doing her the biggest favor of her life.

“Whatever you have in your head about what Dotti just said,” I say, “That’s not what happened. If that dragon had actually started a fight, I’d be dead. Do you get that? Dotti would be dead. Landi would be dead. Serah would be dead. And there wouldn’t have been a thing I could have done to stop it.”

“But… you did stand up to the dragons,” Apricot says, confused. “You’re still brave. And you still protected Dotti.”

“I refuse to take credit for that. A dragon deciding not to eat us even after a loudmouth fairy pissed it off? That’s luck. You know what else is luck? Every time you fly into a warzone, luck is you not getting spotted when you’re exhausted from flying leagues in stormy weather, the enemy archers are fresh, and their arrows are sharp. You’re taking that gamble every time.”

“Please don’t worry about me,” Apricot says. “I’m fast, and Autumn can cast spells to protect me, and-”

“I can see I’m not getting through to you.” I stare her right in the eyes and point at my scar. “How many battles do you think I fought in before I got this?”

Apricot finally has the decency to acknowledge my scar. She looks at it. She gulps, but doesn’t say anything.

I stay silent too.

“Um…” Apricot can’t focus any more, and she stares at the table. “Twenty?”

“Wrong. Lower.”

“Ten. Um. Seven. Five?”

“Three.”

More silence.
“I…” Apricot looks like she’d rather be anywhere but here. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m really sorry.”

I want to snap at her, tell her she’s playing games, to stay far, far away from what she thinks she wants to do. It’d be for that birdbrain’s own good. Maybe, if I do it right, I’ll save her life.

I let out a long, deep sigh. No. No, I can do better. I can be better. I don’t need to lash out at her.

“I don’t want you to say anything,” I say. “I just want you to see, and understand, what happens every single day out there. Don’t complain about things that are meant to protect you, like your armor, and Autumn’s advice. Don’t get yourself hurt. Not all scars can be seen.”

“I’m really sorry,” she says again. “I want to help people, but I don’t know how. You know so many things about how to survive in dangerous places, and I’ve never even come close. You can go anywhere you want because you know how to stay safe, and I’m stuck doing kiddie missions because I don’t have experience.”

“Hm.” A wing-kin, jealous of an elf’s freedom to go places? Are my ears working right? “Keep training. Keep doing your missions. That’s experience.”

“Breakfast experience!” Dotti says, dropping in with our food. “Here you are. I’ll leave you to your food.”

I still feel somewhat badly about how I told Dotti off. I could apologize, but… no. It wouldn’t feel right.

“Dotti, I’m not angry with you,” I say. “I have a lot on my mind. You can stay here if you want.”

Dotti looks at me, then at the downcast Apricot. Impressive: counting myself, I’ve managed to ruin three people’s days just by opening my mouth. Dotti looks like she’s going to make an excuse to leave.

Ugh. I hate having to do this.

“Those are nice shoes, Dotti,” I say, hating how I sound with such an idiotic, awkward compliment.

“Um, thank you,” Dotti says. “They’re new. I really like them, even though they’re hard to walk in.”

“That must have been hard,” I say, soldiering on. “You could have cast an illusion instead, but you didn’t.”

Dotti’s eyes go wide. “You can tell when I’m casting an illusion? Am I that bad at it?”

“I can see through them,” I say, pointing at my damaged eye. “Don’t worry about it. Your illusions are fine, my eye is just different.”

Dotti is unconvinced.

“It still works? Wow! That’s incredible!” Apricot exclaims, then quickly ducks her head down. “I’m so sorry, that was really rude.”

I really don’t want to spend time talking about what it took to get my eye working, and what it’s capable of now versus what it should be capable of. It’s a very, very sore subject, and it’s private for many reasons, most of which are closely-held secrets within my clan.

Plus it’ll be really awkward if people know I can see through their clothes if I focus hard enough.

Do I let Apricot and Dotti drag me into talking about my eye?

Ooh, you already let some of it slip. No, it's kept close to the chest for a reason, let them speculate.

If it's a sore subject, then there is nothing wrong with keeping it private. If they push you to reveal some things, just let them know that it's a sore subject with you, and would like to change the subject. they'll understand. Otherwise, just simply change the subject if they don't bring it up.

>>1061346
If you tell them only a little you'll never hear the end of it. An incomplete story will only inspire an eternity of prodding, just spill it.

Offer to help Dotti mix her illusions with misdirection and makeup and costuming and stage magic and other performance art style techniques to help defend against those with weird abilities like yours. After all, she's duty bound as a trickster fox spirit to not get no-sold by cheat abilities like yours!

>>1061346
Tell her no. It doesn't, not like it should. Then leave it at that.