[WORLD ONE | FINAL GOODBYES]

[spellbindmods]

Who: Coven members and the Palai
Where: The Palai Marketplace
When: Days 75 & 76
Open/Closed: Open to All
OOC Note: This is for any and all unresolved threads you'd like to get out of the way before the coven leaves Aimintas. Feel free to backdate specific prompts to whatever day is suitable for you.

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!

Since the Palai discovered that the coven is preparing to leave, they've been preparing for the moment their friends do eventually vanish. This means wrapping up large baskets of food and other supplies that will be given to the coven for their large caravan -- but they also like to give out little personal gifts to those that they recognize or have formed a bond with. Though the Palai are usually people of celebrations, this event is much more muted and personal. Gifts are given and they're certainly congregating, but there's also a dull hum of sadness in the air. The coven has done a lot for their people and helped them establish protection for themselves, so how they fare from here should be positive. With the Uvi gone, will another threat arrive? Who knows -- but the coven won't be here to witness it. A ▢ For those who have Palai children to take care of, the time for their final decision is here. Will they leave their hatchling with their people, or has it become a part of their own family? The Palai are fine with either decision. If your character wants to give up their Palai baby, this is their chance to say goodbye. If they don't want to, the time to choose has come. The Palai will tell them more about their children and how to care for them -- think a regular baby parenting class, except with lizards. B ▢ Certain Palai may have gotten to know your character over their time in Aimintas -- or maybe they barely know your character because they're newer! No matter who your character is, the Palai will give them personalized gifts. These can be based on your character's appearance, extremely insulting, just what your character needed, etc. C ▢ Finally, the Palai are grateful for what the coven's magic has done for them. Some of the Lyna have created little amulets out of the Elto bones, inserting them into glass spheres that glow and prevent some of the electrical sting. These can help your character amplify their powers, which may be fun to play with. Focusing on telepathy while using these amulets, however, will also amplify speech -- leading to some telepathic screaming that your character maybe didn't intend. D ▢ Wildcard! What unfinished business does your character have remaining in Aimintas? Now's the time to take care of it. They'll be gone come tomorrow afternoon.

Comments

[splinten]

[Dirk follows along, as best as he can in pursuit of GIANT DRAGON. He may have to resort to flight.]

I can't decide that for you, bro. A man must look in himself and find the true expression of his soul when he wishes to vandalize public property.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir DOES stay slow enough that Dirk can keep up! this isn't his first rodeo spent in the company of tiny, slow humans.]

Okay, I think I've got it. But you still have to help, all right?

[splinten]

I can't tell if you mean in terms of creative direction or if you want me to leave a splinter of myself in this place.

[jokes only for himself]

[rootandbranch]

A splinter of yourself?

[Geir pauses in front of a marketplace wall, nicely set between the corner he and Dirk curled up in to get out of the rain, and a place selling pastries. nice. correct. all the most important things. he reaches out to touch the wall, then carefully begins to carve a shape.]

[splinten]

Like a bit of who I am. It's a metaphor.

[He gestures at Geir's initiating efforts.]

You could consider this a splinter of you.

[rootandbranch]

Hmmm... I dunno. I see what you're saying, but I feel pretty all-of-me. I'm not sure how much I leave behind anywhere.

[he's left himself very lightly imprinted on the world up till now, and even this is something he considers more of a broadcast of sorts than a piece of who he is. he doubts any of the places he's been remember him either; all of him that exists is right here.

unless Vern has some of him...? no, Geir decides, after a moment of thought and another adjustment to his creation. Vern has him, and that's why it's so important Geir doesn't leave him. he doesn't have a piece.]

Do you feel like you do that a lot?

[splinten]

[He didn't really expect Geir to follow this line of reasoning. Maybe he should have. The dude has a knack for finding the little cracks in things and pursuing them to their roots. For the argument itself, it's a matter of different perspectives on what 'leaving behind a piece of yourself' means, but the actual concept Geir is working with is something else.]

You're aware it's a question of semantics more than anything. 'Leaving a bit of yourself behind' can mean a trace or impression, and it doesn't require you to lose and component of yourself.

[He adds,]

I know you won't let me go if I don't answer your question directly, so no, I actually don't. I haven't been a lot of places, and most of the places I've been aren't exactly suited for leaving anything behind. There isn't much point in dropping a fragment in the middle of ruins.

[rootandbranch]

I don't know who Semantics is. They seem useful, if they can answer that sort of question.

[he turns a bright curious eye towards Dirk, and adds thoughtfully:]

...that's how I've always felt. Like there's no point. Now part of me wishes I had clawed up all of Odin's table legs. Impressions seem more important than they used to.

[he tugs back from the wall again to look at his creation: it's a single line in a simple, sinuous shape, not even the head of the snake there to distinguish it.]

Hey, add something!

[splinten]

[Oh Geir.]

Semantics is what words mean. If something is a question of semantics, then you're disagreeing less about the actual matter at hand than the words being used for it.

[Clarifying that just because, as before, he thinks Geir should have all his questions answered where possible. How else is Geir supposed to learn if no one tells him things?]

It could be argued they only make sense in a situation where the place you make an impression is going to stick around.

[So, you know. World destroyer dragon kind of is against that.

At least Geir isn't drawing Cherub sex. Dirk considers it a moment, and then takes out his sword from his sylladex. It's unbreakable, after all, so this should work.

The sword swings; sparks fly up. Dirk scratches in the outline of a hat.]

[rootandbranch]

Yeah, you get it. And okay. I'll remember about semantics.

[he watches intently while Dirk scratches in the hat, and actually holds his breath till it's done. he recognizes it as some kind of crest for him, since the hat t-shirt is apparently the only item of clothing he owns. when Dirk completes the figure, he lets out his held breath in a long, slow trickle between his teeth.

they do look very permanent like that.]

There. We were both here!

[splinten]

[Hey he has a shitty maroon shirt with a weird heart on it too???

God. Why'd he pick a hat as a crest.]

Fuck yeah we were.

[Dirk holds up his hand in a fist. For a fistbump. With a dragon.

Yeah, he knows what he's doing.]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir... nudges his hand with his nose gently? are you going to pet me with that, Dirk.]

Are we friends now?

[splinten]

[Well maybe he would but now he's frozen awkwardly again.]

Uh.

Are we?

[Look he was kind of hoping speed dating wouldn't come up because he is bad at this and Geir never told him if he WANTED to be friends???]

[rootandbranch]

[with a bit of an interrogative tone:]

I don't know! You asked me if I wanted to be, and obviously I do, but then we never talked about it again.

[DIRK, WE NEVER CANCELLED THIS TRANSACTION. IT'S BEEN PENDING, DIRK.]

[splinten]

You do? Why? [FUCK] I mean—we can if you want to. That's cool. I'm cool with that. We're cool.

[No one present is cool.]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir nudges his shoulder instead. Diiiiiiiirk.]

What do you mean, why? You just helped me draw things on a building!

[are those even related concepts??]

[splinten]

You're right. I'm an idiot. The explanation has become clear. All is revealed in our hat and snake.

[rootandbranch]

[Geir sighs out between his teeth. Dirk!]

You're nice to me, and I like you. So I don't care what you think about yourself, unless it's making you unhappy. And then-- you can tell me, if you want. It's fine.

[feeling like he understands someone-- like he can understand them in return, when they have questions too-- isn't something to quibble about. it makes him feel like he can make an impression, leave something permanent there, something that has nothing to do with his intimidating mythological destiny; as simple and as difficult to erase as a hat and a snake carved next to a public thoroughfare. doubtless in a few days the Palai will notice and there will be town hall meetings about the kids around here, but that day is not today.]

That's sort of what you were saying when you talked about what being friends was, right? So, yeah. Let's be friends.

[splinten]

[internal screaming







loudly.]

Okay. Cool.

[fucking nailed it]

[rootandbranch]

Okay!

[the relief of it makes Geir giddy, and he bounces on the tips of his claws, just a little. he did it. he made someone agree to be his friend. OPERATION SUCCESSFUL. this is a significant Life Competency milestone and he's allowed to be proud of himself.]

Geez, I'm glad we finally finished that conversation.

[nudge.]

You want to draw a hat on anything else?

[splinten]

[Dirk, still a boy who has been previously assaulted and in desperate need of a shock blanket, intones,]

Sure.

[Point him to a canvas. He'll make hats transpire.]

[rootandbranch]

[Geir, puppyish with excitement, is perfectly willing to drag Dirk to a couple of other locations in Aimintas for further defacement opportunities.

IF DIRK CONTINUES TO ONLY SPEAK IN MONOSYLLABLES his clever disguise may slip, though...]

[splinten]

[NO HE'LL COME OUT OF SHOCK to talk about hats and symbolism and maybe ouroboroses, he's that kind of nerd.]

[rootandbranch]

[if Dirk talks about ouroboroses then Geir will tell him that the snake is not biting its own tail because the snake is staring at its own side wondering where the fuck to go next instead, and that proves that they should be friends, probably.

nerds.]