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June-July 2024 Test Drive Meme
June-July 2024 TDM
Introduction
Welcome to Folkmore's monthly Test Drive Meme! Please feel free to test drive any and all characters regardless of your intent to apply or whether you have an invite or not.
All TDMs are game canon and work like "mini-events". For new players and characters, you can choose to have your TDM thread be your introduction thread upon acceptance or start fresh. Current players are also allowed to have in-game characters post to the TDM so long as they mark their top levels ‘Current Character.’
TDM threads can be used for spoon spending at any time by characters accepted into the game.
Playing and interacting with the TDMs will allow characters to immediately obtain canon items from homes especially weapons or other things they may have had on their person when they were pulled from their worlds! There will always be a prompt that provides some sort of "reward" to characters who complete certain tasks.
🦊 New Star Children meet the Fox still in their worlds, and she brings them into the new realm of Folkmore. As you follow her, your body begins to change and new characteristics emerge. These may stay for a while, or perhaps they will hide away after. And during all of this, the Fox explains to you where you will be going: to Folkmore.
and then... you fall like a shooting star, falling to the land in a burst of starlight.
🦊 Experienced Star Children are already familiar with this time of the month. There are shooting stars all across the sky, and some fall to the land, which means the Fox has brought new arrivals. These newly arrived Star Children will face some tests, but Thirteen wants the more seasoned residents to participate as well.
Perhaps you follow the falling stars on your own, or perhaps the Fox simply teleports you there, but it appears you too will be part of this.
Content Warnings: Ghosts, Potential Violence, Potential Death
Summer has hit. It's hot, and nowhere is it hotter than Cruel Summer. Naturally, new Star Children arrive in Cruel Summer with no indication of which direction to go to escape, unless they're so lucky as to arrive near the Selkie River. The water provides a break, and a selkie skin will protect Star Children from the heat. Though beware the cruelty of leaving a selkie without their skin. Along with the heat, Star Children can hear whispers and the echoes of screams throughout Cruel Summer. There's no obvious source of the noises. Not the normal creatures. Not anything anyone can see.
Whether new or old Star Child, anyone lost, overheated, in need of a rest, or anything else will find a friendly spirit will find them in the sands, rock, or shores of Cruel Summer. They'll guide the way toward the huts found in Cruel Summer. These huts have changed; the huts are bigger and grow together, making them one interconnected twisting winding empty town. No one appears to live there. The wooden town is in disrepair, varying from building to building. Even so, they are cool inside, a welcome break from the summer heat.
No matter how one entered, even through the swinging doors to the saloon, that exit disappears behind Star Children. There's no turning back. The only way out is to explore the way through the buildings. This fact continues to be true building to building as exits continue to vanish. The abandoned town isn't as empty as it first seems. As Star Children explore the branching paths through the wooden structures, they see ghosts of spirits going through the paces of their lives. They're familiar to these spaces and interact with missing objects that sometimes shimmer in spirit energy.
Spirit Children may interrupt these routines to try to talk with the ghosts. Some ghostly spirits are friendly. They may interact with Star Children as though they're someone else, someone the spirits used to know. Others, like the bartender, may treat them like a new customer. Other ghosts are determined to stick to their routines and, should Star Children continue to interrupt, will attack those who disturb them.
These spirits may kill Star Children when they attack. Normal weapons won't hurt them. There are revolvers, shotguns, iron pokers, hunting knives, and other plain weapons around to grab in self-defense. Salt bullets and iron will dispel ghosts. These weapons may be grabbed at any time. However, doing so attracts the creatures in Cruel Summer. A blood red worm spitting yellow acid may break through the floor to eat or spray Star Children. An enormous coyote may leap through the window. Whether attracted by the use of weapons or passing by, any dangerous creature found in Cruel Summer seems agitated when they come near these structures and will attack them and anyone inside. They will focus especially on anyone with a stolen selkie skin.
Should Star Children die, whether to ghosts or creatures, they will not immediately return to life.Do not pass go. Instead they will haunt the ghost town for one week in the room where they were killed. Other Star Children may recognize them and work to snap them out of their routines. Yet nothing will free the Star Children's spirits before the week is through. At the end of the week, they'll come to, alive, in their bodies in the room they died in. Best get through and out of the ghost town before dying again!
A constant through these scenes are the spirits' spoons, visible somewhere in each scene. The ghost spoons are whole. Once free of the ghost town, Star Children may choose to travel to the Shattered Spoon Shrine in Never Fade to search for the broken fragments of any of these spoons. They are in such small pieces, however, that no Star Child may feed them enough Lore alone to bring the spirit back. Two or more Star Children may spend time in the Shrine creating and feeding Lore toward the spoons to heal them. It just may be enough to bring someone back.
Summer has hit. It's hot, and nowhere is it hotter than Cruel Summer. Naturally, new Star Children arrive in Cruel Summer with no indication of which direction to go to escape, unless they're so lucky as to arrive near the Selkie River. The water provides a break, and a selkie skin will protect Star Children from the heat. Though beware the cruelty of leaving a selkie without their skin. Along with the heat, Star Children can hear whispers and the echoes of screams throughout Cruel Summer. There's no obvious source of the noises. Not the normal creatures. Not anything anyone can see.
Whether new or old Star Child, anyone lost, overheated, in need of a rest, or anything else will find a friendly spirit will find them in the sands, rock, or shores of Cruel Summer. They'll guide the way toward the huts found in Cruel Summer. These huts have changed; the huts are bigger and grow together, making them one interconnected twisting winding empty town. No one appears to live there. The wooden town is in disrepair, varying from building to building. Even so, they are cool inside, a welcome break from the summer heat.
No matter how one entered, even through the swinging doors to the saloon, that exit disappears behind Star Children. There's no turning back. The only way out is to explore the way through the buildings. This fact continues to be true building to building as exits continue to vanish. The abandoned town isn't as empty as it first seems. As Star Children explore the branching paths through the wooden structures, they see ghosts of spirits going through the paces of their lives. They're familiar to these spaces and interact with missing objects that sometimes shimmer in spirit energy.
Spirit Children may interrupt these routines to try to talk with the ghosts. Some ghostly spirits are friendly. They may interact with Star Children as though they're someone else, someone the spirits used to know. Others, like the bartender, may treat them like a new customer. Other ghosts are determined to stick to their routines and, should Star Children continue to interrupt, will attack those who disturb them.
These spirits may kill Star Children when they attack. Normal weapons won't hurt them. There are revolvers, shotguns, iron pokers, hunting knives, and other plain weapons around to grab in self-defense. Salt bullets and iron will dispel ghosts. These weapons may be grabbed at any time. However, doing so attracts the creatures in Cruel Summer. A blood red worm spitting yellow acid may break through the floor to eat or spray Star Children. An enormous coyote may leap through the window. Whether attracted by the use of weapons or passing by, any dangerous creature found in Cruel Summer seems agitated when they come near these structures and will attack them and anyone inside. They will focus especially on anyone with a stolen selkie skin.
Should Star Children die, whether to ghosts or creatures, they will not immediately return to life.
A constant through these scenes are the spirits' spoons, visible somewhere in each scene. The ghost spoons are whole. Once free of the ghost town, Star Children may choose to travel to the Shattered Spoon Shrine in Never Fade to search for the broken fragments of any of these spoons. They are in such small pieces, however, that no Star Child may feed them enough Lore alone to bring the spirit back. Two or more Star Children may spend time in the Shrine creating and feeding Lore toward the spoons to heal them. It just may be enough to bring someone back.
- Whispers, echoes of screams, etc become common throughout Cruel Summer
- Huts become bigger, interconnected, growing together. Anyone lost, overheated, in need of something in Cruel Summer gets a friendly spirit redirecting them to these buildings
- Buildings will still be in some state of disrepair, but like a whole twisting winding town
- Insides are a cool respite
supernatural ghost spirit air conditioning - Only way out is through, no turning back, as the exits disappear behind you
- Many are friendly, but some are not. One can attempt to talk to them, but how interactive they are varies
- Occasionally other creatures from Cruel Summer may burst in and attack
- If a Star Child dies, rather than return to life immediately, they stay a ghost for about a week, part of the tour
Content Warnings: Fire, Coerced Confessions
Fire! Fire across the realm! For the second half of June, wildfire burns everywhere. While it doesn’t hurt Star Children, it can reduce everything else to ash: homes, businesses, gardens, spirits. The local spirits will be in a panic and beg Star Children for help from small ice mice in Wintermute to fennec foxes in Cruel Summer. How can Star Children help? Confessions. Anything the person they are with doesn’t know. The more earnest and meaningful the better.
When wildfire erupts and spreads, Star Children may stand in or in front of an area they want to protect and confess something to another Star Child who happens to be nearby. Their neighbor? Their partner? A stranger lost in a new land? These confessions simply need to be something the other person doesn’t know to protect structures and spirits. Memories related to the confession will show in the fire. The fire will fuel these memories until they run out of energy, dying down to embers. At least in that place at that time.
Should something start to burn before someone confesses, multiple confessions are necessary to catch the wildfire’s attention and distract it from the fuel source it is feeding on. Two or more Star Children will need to make confessions whose memories are shared in the flames. Water powers can also help quell the flames, but confessions are necessary in the end.
Once July hits, the wildfires are mostly gone, only sparking up here and there on occasion. In their stead are embers. They spark in the air like fireflies and fly around Folkmore, attracted to Star Children. These embers land on Star Children and make them glow. There’s no pain. In fact, the embers provide sparks of insight into memories, situations, and other emotional dilemmas that Star Children haven’t previously understood. Talking the issue over with another Star Children provides further emotional clarity.
Spirits are welcoming to both embers and Star Children. Confessionshelp Folkmore grow as well. Gardens bloom in beautiful displays. Crops grow healthy and joyful. It’s even possible to hear humming from some of the vegetables and fruits. The land grows with the Star Children. Anyone who lacks a green thumb can work their way around that with confessions! Save that dying plant and grow those tomatoes.
One time that a Star Child confesses, either to wildfire or to embers, they will find a jeweled box shaped like a flame. The peak of the flame comes off to reveal the insides. Within, there is an item from home. It may even be a weapon or magical item. Larger more meaningful confessions are more likely to receive weapons. These items may even be larger than should fit in the box or its entrance. Whether the box should only hold a single ring or fill the palm of one’s hand, these items fit. Star Children also can keep the jeweled box, and this one item from home can be stored within the box. Other items too large to fit the box will not enter it. Only the one from the box.
Fire! Fire across the realm! For the second half of June, wildfire burns everywhere. While it doesn’t hurt Star Children, it can reduce everything else to ash: homes, businesses, gardens, spirits. The local spirits will be in a panic and beg Star Children for help from small ice mice in Wintermute to fennec foxes in Cruel Summer. How can Star Children help? Confessions. Anything the person they are with doesn’t know. The more earnest and meaningful the better.
When wildfire erupts and spreads, Star Children may stand in or in front of an area they want to protect and confess something to another Star Child who happens to be nearby. Their neighbor? Their partner? A stranger lost in a new land? These confessions simply need to be something the other person doesn’t know to protect structures and spirits. Memories related to the confession will show in the fire. The fire will fuel these memories until they run out of energy, dying down to embers. At least in that place at that time.
Should something start to burn before someone confesses, multiple confessions are necessary to catch the wildfire’s attention and distract it from the fuel source it is feeding on. Two or more Star Children will need to make confessions whose memories are shared in the flames. Water powers can also help quell the flames, but confessions are necessary in the end.
Once July hits, the wildfires are mostly gone, only sparking up here and there on occasion. In their stead are embers. They spark in the air like fireflies and fly around Folkmore, attracted to Star Children. These embers land on Star Children and make them glow. There’s no pain. In fact, the embers provide sparks of insight into memories, situations, and other emotional dilemmas that Star Children haven’t previously understood. Talking the issue over with another Star Children provides further emotional clarity.
Spirits are welcoming to both embers and Star Children. Confessions
One time that a Star Child confesses, either to wildfire or to embers, they will find a jeweled box shaped like a flame. The peak of the flame comes off to reveal the insides. Within, there is an item from home. It may even be a weapon or magical item. Larger more meaningful confessions are more likely to receive weapons. These items may even be larger than should fit in the box or its entrance. Whether the box should only hold a single ring or fill the palm of one’s hand, these items fit. Star Children also can keep the jeweled box, and this one item from home can be stored within the box. Other items too large to fit the box will not enter it. Only the one from the box.
- Last two weeks of June, wildfire burns across Folkmore. After that, they are rare.
- Confessions can protect or rescue buildings, land areas, and spirits.
- Come July, embers spark across Folkmore like fireflies. They provide insight for Star Children. Talking helps.
- Confessions help the land grow.
- Confessions reveal a jeweled box containing an item from home.
no subject
So she was left with one of her defaults in a situation like this: What would Aden do?
Well, for one thing, Aden would save all questions about how someone who looked Human was able to perform any kind of magic at all. It wasn't unheard of, but it didn't exactly happen a lot, back home. Later. That could wait. Aden would also probably hold off on questions about his poor memory. Obviously, it was important. But not as important as putting out a fire.
No, no, Aden would notice that the flames seemed to be marginally calmer. He would mull over everything this stranger had said. And he would probably see that whatever else he might be, it was possible he was telling the truth. About the whole confession thing. And he'd be fucking polite about it.
Tranns wasn't the best at polite, but she tried to offer the guy a reassuring smile. "Not something you need to apologize for," she said. "Memory loss. Unless you intentionally wanted to forget."
no subject
The fields and streams and trees, punctuated by pleasant stonework, become a backdrop to spiral towers and large skyscrapers of a city skyline while the man continues.
"Though we settled many places I, along with many others, dwelled in the city of Amaurot. There, guided by the decisions of the Convocation of Fourteen, did we ever seek the best possible future for our beloved star. It was not our way to place any individual above another. In public we oft walked clad in simple robes and mask. Save for few small exceptions to color and form respectively, to denote respect for the importance of their roles."
This cannot be easily seen in the passers by given the washout of any particular color. Though if Tranns was to watch closely, she might see that an occasional robe was more 'white' flame than red and orange while once a person in a mask of pure red fire walks through the now visible streets of the city called Amaurot.
Here Elidibus stops again. For all he's made manifest in the flames, there's yet to be some which are more interested in depicting his memories, still pushing to get past the magic he's cast to prevent its spread.
"What of your world? Is there aught you would share of your experiences? Your home?"
no subject
His question made a small muscle twitch in her jaw. She made a vague gesture to the fire. "This? This kind of is my world. It was destroyed. By a warlord. Called himself 'the Red Dragon,' probably because he thought it sounded scary, or something like that."
Playing out in the flames, there arose the image of a small cohort of young people, racing through the marble corridors of a temple; Five Elves, a blond man who looked Human, Tranns herself, and bringing up the rear, Folkmore's infamous Ariadne, albeit a much younger version. All eight of them had a look of terror and fierce determination. One or two turned back. There was fire reflected in their eyes.
"We only escaped Valeria by going back in time," she said.
Shit. She'd just said that. Definitely not something Aden would have done. But she just fucking wasn't Aden.
sorry a bit short on this tag!
He looks away from the fire- Ariadne may look passing familiar from the network but he will touch on that later- and at Tranns and chooses one of the two possibilities to ask after. "Is Valeria the name of your star? Or the location of that temple?"
no subject
And there was the serious kick-in-the-ass irony. When she spoke of Valeria as her kingdom, it wasn't just the place where she'd grown up. It wasn't just her homeland. She was the damn heir to the throne. Or would have been, in another life, in a life where the Red Dragon hadn't forced a desperate, last-hope kind of plan.
It was probably for the best. She would have been a terrible queen. But that didn't take away her sense of obligation. Or her sense of failure.
In the fire, the small team made their way to a cavernous chamber. The floor was a black-and-white checkerboard pattern. Except for the altar in the center, which was pure white, charged with intricate triangular patterns. All eight of them formed a circle around the altar. Just like they'd practiced. As one, they dropped down to their knees, using their fingers to form the shape of triangles, bowing their heads in prayer. As they prayed, a light started to emanate from the altar, growing brighter and brighter, bigger and bigger, consuming them.
Tranns had lived through it. She'd never actually seen it, though. It was startling and wonderful to see. Despite her sadness, a look of pride started to mask her face. It wasn't just every day that prayers were answered.
no subject
"You are its sovereign?" Elidibus does not sound surprised nor alarmed. A thread of curiosity colors his voice no more than one might expect of one attempting to confirm a conclusion drawn from context and the weight of Tranns's words.
Elidibus seems more interested in the scene played out in flames however. Once an answer is given, he'll return his attention to it. The patterns and their familiarity to the tattoo upon the woman's palm are noted. What is happening does not escape him; not magic but prayer and the suggestion of seeking aid from higher power in exchange for the faith.
He knows very intimately the power of prayer, regardless of the nature of divinity.
Now the flames are not pushing at his wards. Stories are playing out, of Amaurot and ancient world shepherds, of terror and determination as escape is bought on the wings of prayer.
No longer are the fires interested in consuming house and barn and thus he relaxes the effort on maintaining the wards' strengths, leaving them in place in case there is renewed assault but content with how things are proceeding.
The spirits are gathered at a distance, likewise bearing witness to the tales but hugging each other and looking relieved. Certainly the house may need to be rebuilt, the barn repaired and some things are lost. But not everything. And they have each other.
"It seems this may be enough for the time being." A good reason to stop where they are. Still there's a 'but' that appears to linger and Elidibus's next words hint at its reason.
"...I have no intention of prying for further elaboration should you not wish. Still, there is one matter I wish to speak on." Raising a hand, Elidibus points to the place in the scene where Ariadne once stood; now indistinguishable because of the bright light.
"Though she is young in your memories, I believe I have seen one of your companions in this realm. I have yet to meet or speak with her personally." His hand drops again and he turns to focus his attention on the half-elf. "Those who spoke to her called her Ariadne. Or Airy."
no subject
She blinked in surprise at the fire, before snapping her attention back on the stranger. "Airy?" she said, the fondness in her tone unmistakable. "Airy's here?."
Well, if nothing else, it seemed to prove that the Fox was telling the truth. About the whole 'some other version of you stays behind.' Because she'd been in close quarters with the kid for long enough that she would probably have noticed if she disappeared one day.
Thank the gods. There would be someone left behind to keep Aden from doing anything stupid.
"Well, that's unexpected." She shook her head. Maybe she would avoid seeing the kid for the moment. "But, uh...yeah. About this high?" She held up her hand to shoulder level. "Long hair? Aggressively cheerful? Talks to plants? I've known her for years. We share a sister in law."
no subject
Some things are not worth thinking too hard about. Even for Elidibus. For a moment the man closes his eyes, dwelling over the small amount of information he has on the individual in question.
"I believe there was some manner of circumstances involving difficulty with plants. I fear there is little I can offer with any certainty, though the relic you were gifted by the Fox should prove sufficient means to contact her."
Whether Tranns does or does not is not any of Elidibus's business in the end.
"Regardless, I thank you for your willingness to assist me, despite the unusual nature of the request. Though late in coming, allow me to introduce myself. I am Elidibus."
no subject
Later. Definitely later.
For the moment, she squared her shoulders, giving Elidibus a bow of her head. Tranns wasn't big on the formalities, but there was something very formal about the man.
Maybe it was the robes in the vision.
"Tranns," she replied. She was hesitant to use her last name, even if it meant next to nothing here. "Of Valeria," she said instead, which felt just as personal, anyway. "I, uh, take it you have a little bit more of an understanding of this place than I do?"
no subject
But that will be later.
No robes here. Just a short-sleeved shirt and dark pants right now. The leather boots that lace up to the knee seem a bit out of place to the type of fabric on his other clothes but it's not completely odd. Of course the halo and the dark wings with the starry night might be impressive even though they are tightly folded against his back. There's a few soot smears, probably engendered by coming into contact with the spirits since the fire wouldn't have affected him.
Elidibus inclines his head graciously in return. "It is good to make your acquaintance. As to this realm, it seems I would have the advantage, though I am far from the most veteran occupant of the Fox's domain. Is there aught you would care to ask? I will try to answer to the best of my ability."
no subject
The funny thing--not funny ha-ha, but decidedly ironic--was that Aden was always comparing himself, unfavorably, to her. In his eyes, she was the golden child, the one who could do no wrong. The heir of two kingdoms by blood. And the only one of their father's children born out of love instead of obligation.
Screwy kind of love, though.
And not important right now.
Tranns shrugged. "Maybe you should start. What are the important things? What should I know?"
no subject
And Elidibus has yet to be in a position of wanting to take advantage of whatever knowledge Tranns might hold regarding the... famous(?) infamous(?) Ariadne.
He'll not be leaving the site until the flames are gone. But the Ascian does nod in the direction of a place a little ways off not touched by the fire which could be used for sitting. If Tranns shows signs of wanting to take a seat while they talk, he'll simply follow and give time for them both to settle before beginning.
"Let us begin with what you might already have some knowledge of. The spoon and your relic. I trust the Fox rendered some manner of explanation of their use?"
no subject
She didn't like feeling out of control.
And she was spiraling a little now.
"Yeah, yeah," she said, with half a shrug. "The relic lets you communicate with people somehow. The spoon is currency. Right?"
no subject
"Lore is the currency of the realm. The spoon bears the tally of what you've earned. It can be lost or stolen, as can your relic. Though I do not oft hear of any malfeasance, and relics will inevitably be returned to the nearest of the academies if it was simply misplaced."
Or Tranns came back from one of the weird trials without it.
"It is said lore sustains us, as it does the spirits. A simple conversation will earn it. You may also use lore in a ritual to summon objects and possessions from your original world. Though their costs will vary depending on their nature. The relic is a means to communicate over distance. It is based on technology that may be unfamiliar to you. Or perhaps your star would find it archaic. But it is easy enough to learn."
Elidibus is watching the woman's building agitation. Perhaps that is why he pauses then and briefly touches on it. Does she have wings? A halo? These are common traits of Legends and the man knows from experience what it does to amplify one's emotional state.
"Do you need a moment to gather your thoughts?"
no subject
Yeah, something that he wasn't.
"You keep saying 'star,'" she said. "What, exactly, does that mean to you? Is it the same as kingdom? World?"
In Valeria, stars were the Polarians. Magical creatures who existed slightly outside of time and space. They were people, not places. She was enough of a poet, however, to understand symbology.
no subject
"Ah, my apologies. My world. In the celestial realm, our worlds are but one of many and at a distance, may seem as the myriad stars in the sky. It was once... common to name it as such and a habit I still hold in this realm."
Elidibus does not seem to see a 'star' in the same way as Tranns then. Well, unless you counted as referring to Polarians as 'stars' themselves. Then it's just all poetics and philosophy.
The man pulls out his relic. It is a simple, white affair and unadorned. It's opened up. "More importantly, do you have need of any instruction in its use?"
no subject
Impulse seized her before she could stop herself. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a pen, quickly trying to scribble what he'd said across the plane of her arm.
In the celestial realm...our worlds are but one of many...as the myriad stars in the sky...
It was too beautiful to let the words simply fade into memory.
She glanced up at his relic though. "Uh, yeah. Probably," she admitted.
It's time for a montage o/~
"I will assist you in the basics then. If you would bring out your own." They are small enough that it would a little crowded to constantly look over one or the other's shoulder. But a follow-along should be a little less claustrophobic even if they need to stand side by side.
Elidibus will prove to be a very good teacher, one who can explain the fundamentals well, is patient and more importantly, does not appear to judge. Somehow he even manages to balance... well, one would be hard pressed to take anything he offers in the instructions as presumptive of Tranns's skill level.
Other than a few early questions about the level of technology her world had to offer which probably shaped how he then taught the relic's functions. Well, inasmuch as Tranns is ready to take in all at once. He'll watch for those signs that imply her ability to absorb more is reaching its limits as well.
During one of the lessons, delivered adroitly as a direct message for her to receive and open, are the very words he spoke.
'In the celestial realm, our worlds are but one of many and at a distance, may seem as the myriad stars in the sky.'
Suggesting he was well aware, despite the message's written language, what it was Tranns wrote on her arm. It might bring to mind that earlier, he'd mentioned that messages can be saved and archived.
Hopefully, the half-elf will not take offense at the subtle efforts to alert her to this alternate method of note taking.
no subject
She did, however, crack a wry smile when he typed out the little bit of poetry she'd snatched from him.
"Couldn't help it," she said, glancing at her arm. "You just said it so prettily. Didn't want to let myself forget." She shook her head. "I could have been a poet, if my life had ever been my own. I would have liked that."
no subject
As for the words she sought to record, Elidibus offers a polite nod of his head. It's not an arrogant assumption for him to expect some interest in what he says. He has spent all of his life in one form or another using words to convince, eloquence to impart reconciliation and half-truths to weave a narrative that others will march to.
It is no surprise that someone finds these poetic or pretty. But there is a hint of gratitude and maybe something earnest in his response to the half-elf's explanation.
"You are kind to say so. Though I only sought to impart the perspective I had, I am glad you have found joy in its description."
Because he spoke those words without any intention of manipulations or plans or plotting. They were just ones that sought to convey the joy he had in his world and its wonder of existence among so many other possibilities in the night sky.
"As for poetry, provided your sojourn extends beyond a few brief moments, perhaps you may find time to spare to explore such pursuits. I am oft told the Fox seeks to explore our potential in ways we might not have had time for on our worlds. Whatever her true intentions to shape us, it does not entirely preclude the possibility of seeking your own path."
no subject
Stupid, on occasion, but good.
Right now, though? Right now, Tranns was beginning to see the appeal of life more dedicated to peace, for a change.
And one apart from her whole inane extended family, who would all have opinions about what she ought to be doing, no doubt.
no subject
Elidibus was willing to wait now, perhaps by chance for another meeting. He had his own troubles to sort through and escape had become... less a pressing, obsessive need than it once was. Eyes opened once again, the man offers Tranns a smile.
"Then I wish you luck in your efforts to discover the best path forward for your future." He closes his relic and returns it to a pocket. "You have my information. You may contact me should you have difficulties in the future." Briefly his eyes flick to the fire. It has by this time nearly burned out. The family is tending more carefully to the injured and inspecting the minor damage to the barn. The house will likely need to be rebuilt, but that is a relatively small matter to what might have actually been lost.
"I will remain to aid these spirits, should you wish to continue your travels. Though if there are further matters you wish to speak to me about, you are welcome to do so."
no subject
Something to consider. Maybe she'd write a poem about it.
Meanwhile, she turned to Elidibus. "Listen, you've been really kind. I don't want to take advantage of that kindness or anything but..."
Deep breath.
"Don't tell Airy you saw me, all right? At least...not yet."
no subject
"The solutions will not always be so easy. Or kind. To that end, I also wish you luck in the trials ahead."
Though the man appears a little curious, he offers Tranns a courteous nod of agreement.
"There is no need for concern over such a request. Ariadne is no close confidante, nor have we spoken. It will be no difficult matter to refrain from speaking of you to her."
The earlier curiosity seemed to have been a fleeting thing. If Tranns wants to take time and meet with an old ally in her own time, there is absolutely no reason for Elidibus to deny her that.
no subject
It was hard to run away if your scout was there.
This was so embarrassing.
After a few seconds of swallowing, she looked up at Elidibus. "You're a decent guy."
(no subject)