[WORLD ONE | AIMINTAS REBUILDING]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Coven members and the Palai
Where: Rebuilding the Aimintas marketplace.
When: Day 59
Open/Closed: Open to All
OOC Note: For Prompt A -- the egg claiming is closed to those who selected eggs from this thread! Anyone can use the prompt creatively, but please don't give your character an egg if they aren't listed in the above thread.

The initial setting information found here should be utilized for threads here.

There's no official OOC account for the Palai people. You're free to roleplay their actions and reactions on your own, as in depth as you want -- asking questions, hand-waved interactions, becoming best friends. The new world is your oyster!

Many efforts have been made to help rebuild Aimintas, which has become a little bit water-logged and bloodied after the confrontation a few days previously. The Palai are fully capable of rebuilding their own city on their own, but with coven members around and willing to help, hopefully the repairs that need to be done can be completed much more quickly. The marketplace is quite expansive, which is both good and bad when it comes to coven involvement. While the areas that need to be repaired are expansive, this creates the opportunity for most coven members to help rebuild in some way or another. With everyone taking responsibility for a task, the work can get done much more quickly. Aside from the repairs, many Palai are still in mourning. Because this incident happened during their mating season, many Palai are essentially shut out of reproduction or are going to potentially lay eggs a month from now without one of their previously supposed parents. The demeanor around the marketplace is glum for this reason, though the steadfast species is certainly not giving up. A ▢ Because some Palai families were killed in their entirety, the hatchery is being cleaned out. There is a big discussion in the marketplace with those responsible for taking care of eggs making sure they have the future Palai youth properly sorted. Those eggs that are orphaned have mostly been handed out to Palai family units, though there are some left over. Because the Palai trust the coven members as stronger and more capable to protect their eggs than they are right now, these eggs are being handed out to them instead of doubling up already child-bearing families. Are you willing to take an egg? B ▢ Half of the battle when it comes to rebuilding the marketplace will be the large quantities of standing water in certain stalls and enclosed spaces. Some of the Uvi's ocean masses burst or were used as a sort of liquid smoke grenade for defensive measures -- some water was absorbed into the dirt in outdoor eating areas, but a lot of it is stuck in businesses, suites and other rooms. The Palai have buckets, but they sure could use a hand getting this stuff out of here. C ▢ From slamming large sharks into the front of stone store fronts to stabbing down doors without barriers, the Uvi certainly did a number on Aimintas. Stone fixtures are certainly more difficult to repair, though the Palai have concocted a cement paste that they're using to help fill in seams. The biggest issue to deal with here is that water-logged and damaged wood needs to be hauled away or destroyed (safely!). At the same time, new wood needs to be installed to doors and stalls, and tables need to be rebuilt in order to return the majority of shops to well-working order. D ▢ Working hard isn't the only task at hand, either. There are Palai in restaurants and eateries that ARE mostly functional, hard at work preparing canteens and food sacks that need to be passed out to workers expending so much energy for their city. This also means the return of their energy drink (see TDM #2, Prompt E). This can cause hallucinations, power malfunctions and extreme giddiness and euphoria, for those who didn't experience this drink the last time it made the rounds. E ▢ Another "low-level" task focuses on keeping the younger Palai entertained and out from under the feet of those who are working hard to repair the city. The hatchery is being emptied for repairs, so one of the more untouched open-air areas of the marketplace is now a makeshift daycare. There are obviously Palai helping to attend to the children, but there are a lot of them -- some are more docile and easy to entertain, others scuttle out of the enclosure and try to help the coven with their chores. This may or may not go well...have you made a new little friend? F ▢ More detail-oriented coven members can help with the management side of things. These tasks can include restocking and carting a round food stuffs (produce, shrimp, other food goods), getting rid of damaged goods (some of these are only slightly damaged, so maybe you can get some discounted, barely working merchandise), and redecorating storefronts. This work is great for those who aren't as good at physical labor and still want to help. G ▢ Most of the Palai who were put up against the Uvi found themselves fatally wounded, though there were some lucky lizards out there. One of the other open-air areas of the marketplace is essentially a medic tent, which serves as both a makeshift hospital for coven members and Palai alike who are still nursing Uvi wounds, as well as a first aid station for any rebuilding-related injuries. Healers would definitely be appreciated! H ▢ Wildcard!

Comments

[enflame]

( Despite trusting Lalli, Emil hears the egg shift against the rock and swivels immediately to watch him tap at the egg. It won't hurt, so he'll let him. )

It's not like I'll automatically follow every order you give me. ( Emil has limits, they just haven't been tested yet. ) But if it will make you feel better and I can do it, why not?

( He already said something to the tune of this, but it feels...tingly? To say it again somehow. ) Yesterday, I liked that you asked me to do those things, so it's not weird that I'd say yes.

[lalliho]

[Satisfied, he steadies the egg again and rests his hand against it. Gentle, gentle, little lizard. No causing even more trouble for them just yet.]

Okay...

[It's a very weak croak, but hey, it's actual talking. That's good. He's still not sure he understands Emil's way of thinking, but it's abundantly clear that Emil doesn't understand his way of thinking, either. That was kind of...a thing between them.]

What do you mean you liked it?

[enflame]

( If he was entirely honest, Emil would probably say he still didn't understand what the big deal was, especially considering it was enough to elbow him and run off faster than he'd seen him sprint before.

At this point, it just seems like he won't ever fully understand some eccentricities Lalli harbors. He's taking the note that maybe he should watch how much he unconsciously touches him in the future, just to avoid anything similar in the future. It's a subconscious entitlement Emil never had to examine before.

Changing course slightly, the question is a little harder to answer because...half of it he gets, half of it he doesn't exactly understand that well himself. )

I don't know. ( See, he can telepathy too. ) I guess I liked that I could do something for you, you know...make you feel better? Holding hands and things like that are supposed to be mutually nice... I think.

( He's never actually done that before so he's going off of mutual experience and his minimal knowledge of relationships, okay. )

[lalliho]

[ooh mindspeaking ooh... how nice. Lalli sighs, not unhappily, and let's his eyes drift shut while his arm outside the blanket relaxes to signify the gentle change. It wasn't immediate relief of his problems, but it was...something. Hard to put his finger on, like so many other somethings.]

They are, I think. I didn't think so before.

[It really had been a nice feeling... Getting to be so close to someone, knowing they trusted him and feeling like he could trust for a little while. He wishes he didn't so firmly believe in the walls he'd built around himself. Being someone else -- to him, that's what it was like -- had been indescribable. But he couldn't be someone else for long, nor would he want to. Lalli's accepted the kind of person he is, even if it comes with hardship after hardship crashing down around him and swooping loved ones off to the other side.]

Being around you...hurts? Sometimes? Because I'm still...scared of what could all happen. But you help me by being you. No one else is like you.

[Though that still begged the question of how Emil could comfort him, when he went off the rails like this. Mrrh...]

I wish I knew what to ask for, like that...other me did, but I don't. I don't even understand what I'm feeling. Just...bad. I feel bad.

[enflame]

( Lalli is relaxing visibly, but Emil doesn't feel any of the sleepiness he'd indulged in earlier, despite the fitful sleeping he'd tried to do. Instead that prickly sensation in his skin returns -- Lalli has a way with saying something that he thinks is supposed to make him feel badly, but instead it starts up that odd feeling in his flesh.

...Of course, Lalli had just given him such a supreme compliment that it was hard not to feel a little palpitation about it. His usual ego-stroking giddiness instead feels more like something that sticks in his chest. The instinct to pat himself on the back for it is missing and replaced with that mysterious shy embarrassment.

Maybe if he can't touch Lalli, he can at least touch the blanket that still cocoons most of him. Emil pats an odd spot in the blanket with an awkward hand, not sure what of Lalli is underneath it, but he feels like it gets his emotions across. Hopefully this doesn't result in something horrible. )

I'm sorry. ( There's so much he can respond to with half of it making the words catch in his throat and his brain, but the natural response to 'I feel bad' is simply that. ) I don't want you to feel bad, but I'm happy that I can help you somehow. Even if it hurts.

( Revisiting that...that's does hit him a little harder when he thinks about it for himself. He superficially understands the hurt and fear that comes with what happened to Tuuri, but he knows they've talked about this before. Frustration comes with not being able to be as reassuring as he wishes he could be. )

I hope one day it doesn't, though.

[lalliho]

[The impact is dulled by the thickness of the comforter, but the fact that he isn't expecting it still makes him flinch. It's...not so bad, though, and he goes limp beneath the cover again almost immediately. Definitely better than what he would have expected...]

...Yes.

[SURE WOULD BE GREAT. After a few more deep breaths, he moves to a sitting position and shakes his head to move the "hood" of the blanket and peek his face out again. Still not looking at Emil... Shouldn't look directly at the sun so much, you know.]

...I hope the lizard isn't like me. Even if it's a horrible monster like those other three.

[enflame]

( ...Look. He likes you and all, Lalli, but part of Emil does agree that some of his tendencies...well, he would appreciate if they weren't replicated in his charged lizard baby. What's happening now is a good example -- it would be hard to handle a baby if one day it was fine with being picked up and tucked in, and then the next day threw a tantrum when he tried to do the same. It's also not great to have different communication styles with a baby you need to tell things to and have them listen fully.

But those qualities are just some of Lalli's negative quirks. He has good qualities. Great qualities. Otherwise, why would Emil be friends with him in the first place?

Despite Lalli's refusal to look at him, Emil stares at him quite openly, in between peeks at his egg. At least he's not still a blanket burrito slug. )

Why? I wouldn't mind if it was at least a little like you. ( Y'all talking like this thing actually has a chance at having his DNA or something. )

[lalliho]

That's because you're nice.

[Emil said horrible things and hit him sometimes, but it was different than when someone like Tuuri did it. It was gentle punches speaking of friendliness -- even if he still didn't understand the point of that -- and words meant to be uplifting that struck him oddly out of ignorance on the other's part. He knows this...]

It'll be easier if it's normal. For us and it.

[enflame]

( Lalli can't be too angry at him if he's throwing around compliments, even if he means them more as fact than flattery.

Emil uncrosses his knees -- which he didn't realize how sore he was after doing so much all day -- and instead stretches out, resting his weight on his arms. He'd certainly like a break from both emotional and physical issue.

"Us," though...he breaks using telepathy since he's no longer speaking on something that apparently emotionally compromises him more than he expected. )

I already told you I'd take care of it. You don't have to worry about it, and I'll make sure it doesn't paw at you like my cousins did.

[lalliho]

[He hums, but falls silent again shortly like that's going to help him straighten out his scattered thinking or help him figure out what it is he's tracing against the egg's shell. It doesn't...sit well with him. Not really.]

...Okay.

[But it might be for the best anyway.]

[enflame]

( Lalli's irritability and emotional volatility recently probably won't be made better by even more agitation in the form of being bothered by a tiny lizard he didn't want to deal with in the first place. Emil's sure that he'll have to keep clicking lizard claws away from his friend, but he's prepared to handle the situation -- or at least he thinks he is.

He reaches out to touch the egg himself, sitting up fully to feel how warm it is. Despite the blanket, the egg still feels more flush than warm. It's hard to stand at the edge of actually producing flame and the heat is intense, so he can't do it for very long. Still, it's better to heat the egg with his hand for a moment than let it get too cold.

After retracting his hand once the egg is relatively warm again, he examines the heat he can still feel tingling under his skin. That sort of energy...it reminds him of the temperature he felt feeling Lalli's skin. He can't but still feel a little unsettled. )

Lalli. Are you staying? ( Maybe that might have been implied earlier, but sometimes it feels like it's better to get things in black and white language. )

[lalliho]

[ARE YOU ACTUALLY FUCKING SAYING THAT TOUCHING LALLI IS MAGIC WHAT THE HECK

He hunkers down a bit more while he watches Emil work, letting his mind drift. The situation was settling now...sort of. When he's questioned, he even manages to have found the peace enough to look over, though his vision is slightly obscured by the comforter hood still hanging around.]

...I want to.

[Is that cool...]

[enflame]

( IT'S THE HEAT, IF HE HAD THAT FRIDGE MAGIC SHIT IT'D BE A DIFFERENT STORY

Wow, what a gremlin...Emil can barely see the tip of his nose under there. He doesn't understand why Lalli is so enamored by being concealed under things, from jackets to blankets to beds, but that's...just Lalli. He's also prone to making swift decisions Emil doesn't understand, so knowing he's not reneging on staying in his suite. )

Mmm...I'm honestly relieved. ( Knowing where Lalli is, as well as the state of his mood...both of these things seem like a good idea. Those are practical needs, but it's also comforting to know he'll be there. It's not the same as being in Denmark together, but also it's not different in a bad way. )

I want you to stay here, in the suite. ( Not this lizard hell place. There's no caveat that he wants that if Lalli wants to; there's still that selfishness that wants him to be there whether he likes it or not. Still, space is a limited commodity and fitting in himself, Lalli, an electrobaby....yikes. ) If the lizard bothers you too much then we'll figure something out.

[lalliho]

[what do you mean he isn't like the sudden arrival of a complex machine, cold to the touch and colder inside, but it works hard to preserve things

I can twist any magic power to be gay...that's my magic power]

...Hn.

[He nods, and with the assurance he can settle even more.]

Don't put your arm around me.

[That's the only warning Emil will get before Lalli rests his head against him, curling up to be a more formidable heat source next to the little egg -- though that isn't his reasoning. But maybe...getting a little closer wouldn't be so bad? He still shudders a little at the contact, but having control over the situation does help, as does the open option of escape should he need it.]

I'll stay.

[enflame]

( FAIR

The warning confuses Emil at first because...he wasn't planning on doing that, but okay. It makes sense when Lalli gets closer to him, head suddenly touching him -- he knows that what it is since he can still see a peek of that upturned nose. The vibration of the shudder makes it through to him, though only slightly. Emil takes it as a small shiver, despite being so blanketed.

It's actually hard, he discovers, to not do what he was instructed explicitly to avoid. Maybe not exactly that, but there's a tiny voice in his head that is humming shrilly because he can't put a hand on Lalli's shoulder or head. Boundaries...they kind of suck sometimes. With a sigh, Emil just lets him slump there, obeying Lalli's command. At least he's staying. As stressed as he felt before, and as muddled as he still feels right now, being like this for a while...it's not so bad. Something about it feels calming and completing.

...Which of course is preposterous, because he needs so much more to be complete. His family, his job, his home. However, this may be as close as he's felt to totally emotionally fulfilled since before he even left Sweden. )

I don't know if I can sleep again tonight. ( He's not moving, is what he means. Stay where you are as long as you like. )