• Open • Falling Tears and Floating Snowflakes (Open)

[Hankley]

Timestamp: Zi'da 1st, 720

It was around mid-trial as The Greenhorn first saw the coastline of the southern continent. Hankley stood near at the front of the ship, her cloak wrapped tight around her. It was so cold down here, it was not something she was used to. The water the clung to her skin from her spark was starting to glisten as it was constantly on the verge of turning to ice. There were strange, cold, white things falling from the sky. When they landed on Hankley's skin, they melted and turned into water. It was fascinating to Hankley's defiance spark, but the woman just felt cold. The ship's crew began rapidly adjusting and working on the sails to slow down at the docks that were coming into view. But Hankley paid them no mind. Her heart was racing, with fear, anxiety, and pain.

When she stepped off of this boat, she will have successfully left her desert home for the first time in her life. And aside from the sparks on her soul, and Brach's totem that she wore, she was completely and utterly alone. She didn't mind being away from people on her farm in the Hotlands, for she had Brach, she had the animals around her, she had her plants that she cared for, she had the well water to talk to.

But on this journey she had closed herself off. She didn't speak to any crew members or other passengers except when absolutely necessary. She clutched the totem of Brach. She knew he was still alive within her, thanks to her magic, but she couldn't get the memory of him dying out of her head nor out of her heart. He had died protecting her, and it was the first time he had ever shown a sign of bravery. She knew that in that exact moment, he had gone from adolescent to adult. And as his adoptive mother, she was so proud of him.

And she had cried that much harder as she felt his life ebb away after the bandits cut him down.

She had sold her farm, caught a ship that was leaving, not caring where it went. She just had to get away from the place where her Brach had died. And so, as the ship docked and readied the gangplank, she took a deep breath, steeling herself for what came next. She carried her belongings off the ship and onto the dock, each step causing her heart to stutter until she felt completely cold and alone inside.

She felt her becoming spark within her yearning, screaming, desperate to reach out and be with people, be with creatures, to do something. It was such a social spark. But it wasn't until her foot stepped on the Desnind soil for the first time that her defiance spark popped up too. Upon feeling the soil, it came to life. The soft, sandy loam reminded them all of home, though with more water. Both of her sparks were wishing to be let out, to do something. Unlike her, they weren't mourning, they were yearning to move forward. And so, for them, she moved forward too, carrying her belongings along with the procession of people walking toward Desnind proper.

Still, a single tear fell down her cheek.

[Rakvald]

Rakvald was out of the house again. Ildred had decided his antics were enough for the tentrial, and so sent him on a series of 'errands'. More like a wild goose chase. It was alright, he could sleep in the sty tonight, surrounded by the warmth of his pigs. Beside him, strode the proud scion of a long line of Quacian Ginger Hogs. He... forgot it's name. Was it Snuffles? Truffles? He forgot, and it was beginning to vex him deeply... Flappy! That was it. The ginger hog's name was Flappy.

Anyways, it strode happily beside Rakvald as he set out toward the coast of Desnind. He thought a swim would do him good, as well as getting some air for his little friend, Flappy. Yes Flappy, must not forget his name again.

So as he approached the coastal areas where the docks were set up, on the western coast of the peninsula of Desnind, he thought he caught the scent of fading autumn in the wind. Yes, it was getting cold and would likely be a hard winter to come.

Even so, he was glad for his magics, which kept him strong and fortified his health. Between Graft, becoming, and hone, he was as hale as... well whatever was the most healthy of animals of the woodlands.

He was cutting across the path leading directly to the docks, thinking to see if Cirrina still resided at her Cove in the coastal areas of Desnind. However, Flappy had other ideas, and bolted off down the path, instead of following Rakvald. He'd caught the scent of something, apparently. Something that intersted him.

Ambivalent at any rate about what he'd be doing on this excursion, Rakvald followed after the wee hog, jogging at its heels. Eventually, they came by a mahogany-skinned woman. Very pretty, but sad-looking.

"Hey, hey Lady. How's it?" He grinned, giving his most charming monstrous smile as Flappy sniffed at her feet. "Fresh off the boat, eh?"

He crossed his arms as he smirked, and leaned against a nearby tree as he looked her over. "Don't mind Flappy. I think he likes strangers."

[Hankley]

Out of the path ahead, a loud grunting and the flurrying rush of legs, came bounding around a soft bend. Hankley looked up, and saw a large... something... bolting toward her. Hankley stopped in her tracks, taking a step backward, looking to run. But her Becoming spark had very different ideas. It flared up within her, spying this creature that neither it nor Hankley knew. And her spark grew excited. Thirty seconds into this new place and a creature practically served itself up on a silver platter for it.

So Hankley held her ground, closing her eyes as she could only assume this creature was going to crash into her. She didn't know how to fight anything. But it never came. She opened her eyes, only to see that a person, a man, of some sort that Hankley had never seen before, was standing there with the creature. The creature, quite sizable, was sniffing at Hankley's bare feet, and a smile grew on her face, and she wiped away her tears.

"Hello you and you," she said softly. They were both interesting looking beings, she'd never seen the like of either. Fascinating. "Yes, I being come just now. I being come from Nashaki" He accent was thick, guttural and choppy, though the word Nashaki flowed smooth as silk. Hearing the creature's name, she smiled down at it, and squatted, bringing herself down to its level.

"Hello Flappy. My name is being Hankley. I am being so happy be meeting you."

She reached out slowly toward Flappy, letting the critter see her hand first. She went slow, not fearful, but certainly cautious, her eyes searching the face of the beast to see if it showed any fear of her and her hand. If it allowed her to, she reached out, to rub it between the ears, slowly moving along its face to scratch under its chin. Brach loved being scratched under his chin. If it didn't allow her to, she simply withdrew her hand, and either way, she stood back up, smiling brightly at the man.

"My name is being Hankley. Your friend is being so nice. Very pretty too. What is being Flappy? I know not the kind, never been seeing one in the sands."

And the entire time, her spark was going nuts with enthusiasm and desire, and this caused her eyes to constantly be tugged in Flappy's direction, and a certain look just in the back of her eyes. It was almost like hunger, but it was not Hankley's own, but rather was the hunger in her soul, the hunger shared with her spark, to make this creature into a totem and let it live forever through them. To join them and become one with them. This was the strongest she'd ever felt this urge, and she didn't know where her mentor was in the world. She couldn't just attack this animal for no good reason, and it seemed this animal was with someone.

She fought the urges back, just a bit, but the evidence was obvious all over her. Her hands were clencing and unclenching, her eyes constantly looking back and away from flappy, her balance shifting left and right on each foot as though she were some creature ready to pounce. She held it together, barely. She didn't know anything about this land, but she did know it was never right to do this to another person and creature without good reason.

Gritting her teeth just a bit, "What is being your name?"

[Rakvald]

It was quite unlikely that Hankley had met a man or a being such as Rakvald before. He was quite beyond Lotharro, or man, or human, or even mer. He was a becomer, and had formed a gestalt of his Mer form and his Lotharro, creating a creature entirely unique to Idalos, as far as he knew. Most reacted in fear to the strange, unnatural man that he was, with his bat-like features, pointed ears, scaley, grayish pink skin and blackened mass of tentacles that made up his left arm. Of course the latter he kept hidden beneath a cloak most of the time.

He thought he sensed a strange look to the woman, as she beheld his pig. But then perhaps she was hungry, and thought he looked like a future ham sandwich? At any rate, she returned his greeting and confessed to being from Nashaki. Rakvald scratched his chin, thinking that name over. He thought perhaps he'd heard of Nashaki before... sometimes in decades past, in passing. But he knew very little of the place. "Nashaki, eh? Sounds fancy."

Flappy snorted and snuffled into Hankley's hand as she scratched beneath his chin. He squealed a little in happiness, and nearly flipped over in excitement. "Calmly, Flappy! You only just met!"

Rakvald turned from Flappy to meet Hankley's gaze, and said, "We run a small sty, and stable. With other pigs and such... Flappy is a pig, you see. We raise them for their meat, and sometimes companionship. But Flappy is a sire, he will never be meat."

She said something about never seeing pigs in the sands... Did that mean that Nashaki was in the desert? Or a dry land? It stood to reason. Rakvald idly wondered what manner of creatures inhabited such lands as those. Perhaps he'd have a chance to find out someday!

"No, I don't think a pig would do well in a dry land. But he did well enough in Quacia... That's where his line started."

Again, a strange look seemed to come over Hankley, but Rakvald couldn't recognize what it meant. Did it resemble something between hunger and longing? But that was just a hunch. It was probably nothing.

"Oh, sorry. I am Rakvald. Mage, healer, and animal tamer by trade." He smiled broadly at the woman, "Pleasure to meet you Hankley... Uh, are you okay?"

[Hankley]

Hankley openly studied the man more and more as she listened to him speak. Her spark was also curious about him too. Neither of them knew what he was. But interesting... fascinating... beautiful in his own unique way, were certainly among them. Then he mentioned that he himself was a mage, and Hankley visibly stiffened. Where she was from, being a mage was illegal and those discovered were not heard from again, or so the rumours went.

She began looking around with paranoid eyes, only then remembering that not only did no one know she was a mage, but this was a new place. Maybe mages weren't illegal here. She stepped in close, whispering at Rakvald, "Is being magic being lawful here?" She looked up and down the path, "Mages in Nashaki no is being heared from again."

Being a step closer to the man, she felt small, in a good way. He was massive in comparison to her, and had so many unique features about him. She looked up, way up, at him. "I am is being mage too. And plant farmer. I no is having animal friend now." She stepped back from the man, wearing her sadness plainly, "My friend Brach. He is being died now. He is being saved me from bandits. Such a good oxen."

She reached into her cloak pocket, pulling out the totem she had made from his beak and some of his hide. "He still is being with me."

But Hankley knew now that she was avoiding Rakvald's question. She smiled softly at him, "I is not being okay. I is being sad. And..." Dropping back to a bare whisper, "My spark is being wanting Flappy. Very excited, very stubborn. Curious it is being about you too."

Hankley didn't know why she was trusting this man with information she hadn't told anyone, not even her mentor. Not that her mentor had been around anytime recently. But Hankley did always believe in being open and honest about everything, she hated having to hide this aspect of herself in Nashaki. It was freeing, being able to say it out loud. She didn't care if it scared off this man or caused trouble, she had needed to say it for herself.

"Is you being a Sev'ryn? I never is meeting a Sev'ryn. I is being Qi'ora. You is being very interesting looking."

[Rakvald]

Rakvald smiled warmly as the little plant woman approached closer. The way she spoke, so unfamiliar with common as he had been once upon a season… It was endearing. Yet he didn’t have trouble puzzling out what she was saying, and was alarmed when she suggested that mages weren’t entirely welcome in Nashaki. A revelation that struck to his core. Afterall, he was from Quacia, a magic rich place that welcomed any and all mages, even necromancers!

”They disappearing mages in Nashaki!? Sounds like a horrible place, not at all fancy like I thought!” Rakvald scratched his chin thoughtfully at her prior question, ”It depends… Using magic to profane anything the Sev’ryn hold sacred? Might not be the best idea. Mages aren’t hated or outlawed, but they aren’t always trusted. Best keep it to yourself if you can help it… As you can see, I can’t really hide it!” He said, sneaking a wave of the mass of tentacles that made up his left arm, as it slipped past his cloak momentarily.

”Oh, a fellow rancher!? I used to own a ranch in Quacia, very good business, until my wife ran me out of it… She’s mostly okay now though, we work together now.” His mouth twisted at that, ”How she ended up my wife… long story.”

Rakvald knew too well the pain of losing a prized animal, and sympathized with the small Qi’ora woman. ”Poor Brach! He deserved to live and play and eat. Here’s to all of our prized animals we’ve lost over the years!” He said, and drew out a flask from behind his cloak’s pocket. His tentacle arm worried with the cork until it came undone, then took a long drink from the mead inside. Then he offered the flask to Hankley. ”It’s good for sadness.”

It took a few moments for it to register, but eventually he recognized the small object she showed him, an amulet made of his beak and some of his hide… a totem. She was a Becomer too! Like him!

He nearly lost his composure at that. He wanted to throw off all his clothes, and show her one or another of his forms right then and there! Maybe he wouldn’t even need to remove his clothes… If he became something smaller… like the Dubaebo…

”I am not a Sev’ryn… I was a Lotharro, but now I’m something far beyond even that… I’m swiftly reaching apotheosis, but in the meantime I’m a mix of Lotharro, and Mer… I used my magics to change the nature of my being… I’m a flesh sculpture and a Becomer… You want some of Flappy!!? You can have! Let me show you something!”

So saying, he knelt by Flappy, and pat the hog on the head a few times. Once he used the physical contact to numb an area around his left haunch, he went to work. He channeled ether from his Graft spark, into the dermis of the beast. Flappy didn’t seem to mind, it merely grunted and squealed happily as it sat itself down on its haunch, as the entire limb went numb.

Gradually, Rakvald’s tentacle hand began to knead and coax a shape of flesh into a warty protrusion from the pig’s flesh. The wart changed shape a few times, growing a few hairs, and then covering over with an ossified layer of bone over it all. By the time he was done, nearly a few bits later, he’d crafted what looked like a shiny pearl, or a marble on the pig’s haunch. With one last act, he reverse adhered the pearly structure from the pig’s skin, and it fell into his tentacle hand.

Excited to show another becomer how he harvested the sovereign substances, he nearly lost his grip on the object, before giving it over to Hankly. ”You can have Flappy’s flesh! All three substances are in there!”

”Channel some ether in it now to keep fresh, and dedicate it later, when you have time.” Rakvald sighed happily. He was very excited when meeting others like him, others who knew the becoming magics. ”You must stay with my family and I, while here in Desnind! I have a ranch, just a few miles southeast. We have a small amount of acreage, just enough to raise a few pigs, not too many.” He wrung his hands as he waited for her response. He still wanted to show her the Dubaebo!

[Hankley]

She took the man's words about protecting herself and her magic seriously, nodding at it. But then... he said something and she was sure she had misunderstood his Common. His... wife had caused him to lose his ranch, and they were still together? That didn't make much sense to Hankley. Though marriage itself never made much sense to her either. Long story or mistranslation indeed.

At the offering of the flask, Hankley smiled, nodding. She accepted it, taking a small drink from it, feeling her face scrunching up a bit as she felt it burn. But she smiled after, handing it back. "Thanks being to you."

And then her confusion only grew as he launched into a very excited speech, using words she certainly didn't know in either Common nor her native tongue. But she did pick out a few key things. He was a becomer too! And clearly as excitable as her own spark. Then he was... offering up what her spark desired. And at this, the spark hummed curiously, its hunger and desire filling Hankley's eyes with its own intent.

She watched him lay hands on Flappy, seeing the pig sit, under a trained command she had assumed. Then he began to work the skin as though it were clay, and Hankley's eyes grew wide in interest, and concern, for Flappy. But the pig seemed completely unfazed by what was occurring. The man sculpted the flesh until he had plucked it off with a sign of wound or scar.

Hankley's jaw was visibly dropped open. She had no idea Becoming could be used in that way!

She was still speechless as she accepted the pearl from him, blinking several times in wonder and disbelief. She was absolutely stunned. She realised she was being rude when he began to tell her to do things, "Thanks being to you! That.. amazing!" She curled her hand around the pearl, and reached inside. She called to her spark, asking for its help. And it was more than eager. She drew ether from it, flowing it through her body until it reached the pearl, infusing into it, giving her spark just a taste of that which it desired. And this only spurred it on further. Once there was enough inside it for the moment, Hankley gently cut the connection, with a promise they would dedicate it later, together.

Her spark sulked, but begrudgingly agreed, settling down for a moment.

And with his offer, she smiled wide, "I would be liking that much! I be helping you too, I be working hard. I be finding land for me to be caring for later. I be thanking you, again, Rakvald. I be accepting."

She knelt down again, to pet Flappy, just to double check that he was okay. And it seemed he was just as happy now as he had been before. She kissed him on his nose, returning to standing. "I not be knowing Becoming do that. It... be fascinating. I not being good at Becoming, I being still new to it. I also be speaking to winds and waters." She flooded a little bit of ether into her ears, activating Calling, hearing the laughter of the winds as they swirled past Rakvald's large form. "The winds be liking to race around you."

[Rakvald]

The Merthorro took the drink back from Hankley, and then sampled it for himself. It was always good to share a nice drink. He definitely liked his new friend, and wanted to introduce them to his family as soon as possible. Yet Ildred was probably still mad at him, so perhaps that could wait until later.

Rakvald smiled as his little trick using Graft magic to craft a marble of the three substances impressed the interesting plant-lady, Hankley. But he shook his head when she seemed to misunderstand, "No no, it isn't Becoming magic that does that. It's Graft. Graft can be used to mold the flesh, and even create new flesh... I... would you like to learn?!"

Suddenly Rakvald was very enthused and energetic with excitement, as he thought perhaps he'd found an Initiate! He'd never had one of those before. But even if she refused, on learning what the Graft initiation entailed, he could teach her about becoming, surely, since her mentor apparently abandoned her. "My Mentor abandoned me too..." Rakvald said, surmising just why she was still a newcomer to the magic, and misunderstanding aspects of it. "I can teach you! Rakvald is an expert becomer! You can be my apprentice, and you're a farmer too?? Maybe you can help out around my ranch till you find a place of your own."

When she spoke of the winds racing around him, he cocked an eyebrow. Then realization dawned on him. He'd met an elementalist before, but didn't know much about the discipline. "Ahh, you're one of them elementalists? Hmm, interesting magic that."

"The first thing you gotta know about becoming... Well, it's all pretty self-explanatory isn't it? You take bits and bobs from the animal you wanna make into a totem. Then, boom, meditate on it for a day or so, and it's yours. Takes long time, lots of patience. Gotta treat it with the seriousness it deserves... And not bite off more than you can chew."

Rakvald beamed at her, as he beckoned for her to follow him over to the path back to the city. "Desnind is a nice place. Lots of animals here, lots of green. At first I was scared to be here, with all the vegetation. There was a time I might've confused you for a Creep from Quacia..." Rakvald guffawed, "I'm more wise to the world now. Not all vegetation wants to eat people."

"Quacia is a great magical city, where mages are welcome... but it has big problems... Its far away to the west of here. That's where I came from."

"What's this place... this Nashaki like? What do you like most about your home?"

[Hankley]

"It being Graft?"

She didn't know that magic. She only knew of the two magics that her mentor had given her, and hadn't heard of any others before this moment. And Rakvald excitedly offered to teach it to her. And this flared up jealousy in her Defiance spark. The winds whipped around Hankley just a bit more angrily, stirring up hair and leaves alike. Meanwhile, her Becoming spark seemed curious. Another spark? Maybe another thing it could become. It hadn't figured out how to become the Defiance spark yet, but it would eventually, it seemed confident.

She smiled graciously, "I being happy to see you being doing it. But my sparks being not in balance with that idea. I no being wishing to learn Graft, but I being thanking you for the kind offer."

And when he said he had been abandoned too, she reached out with an arm, touching his gently, hoping to stop him to face her. She gave him a sad smile, and she opened her arms, offering up a hug for the man. She knew the pain of feeling abandoned by both a mentor and lover in the same. And she wouldn't wish it on anyone. So if he would hug her, she would hug him back.

At his second offer though, "You being very generous! I being very grateful! I would being liking to being helping you and being learning from you! Yes please!"

She listened intently as he spoke to her, following him along the path to the city. "Plants in Quacia being eating people?!" She'd never heard of such a thing, she hadn't ever fathomed there were plants like that.

At speaking about her home, "Nashaki being a most beautiful city! Right in the heart of the Hotlands! Oceans of sand being in all directions!" She was beaming as they walked, "City being full of water and gardens and plants! Every building being builted by masters of the craft. Nashaki being having many craft masters. I being living there when I being a girl. My parents being jewelry crafters there."

Her smile softened, "When I being meet my mentor, when I being receiving my sparks, I leave Nashaki. No longer safe. I being going to far south of Nashaki, and I being finding farm there on edge of mangrove swamp. Beautiful, green, lush, lots of water. Different green but just as much as being here. And no plants I find eat me."

Then sheepishly, she felt she had to mention something to her potential new becoming mentor. "I... never being transforming in Becoming yet... Before you being giving me Fappy totem, I only have totem of my Brach. But I try once. Not being working! Not being knowing why."

[Rakvald]

Rakvald grinned when she agreed to be his pupil, but then frowned sadly when she turned down his offer to learn graft. Nobody wanted Graft! Why? It was such a cool magic, with the ability to heal wounds, grow new limbs, and so on. It was dangerous, sure, but anything worth doing came with risks!

"Yeah, the Creep in Quacia eats people. Consumes them and turns them into plant people..." Rakvald said, and then was silent as she described her homeland.

It sounded like a nice place. Somewhere he'd enjoy visiting someday. It was probably a dry heat, and Rakvald thought he'd like it there.

Then, she came back to the topic of magic, particularly Becoming. Rakvald scratched his chin, to hear that she couldn't transform. There could be any number of reasons she wasn't able. From mental trauma, to overstepping, to just incompatibility with a totem. "Have you ever used the totem to take that form? It's possible the totem is shy. Our totems aren't just outfits or skins to be worn. Sometimes they have a mind of their own, and do not wish to come out. Take time with that totem, it'll be some time before you're able to dedicate to it."

Rakvald nodded at her, patting her on the shoulder lightly. "Meet me at steading when you have dedicated to the totem. Your spark wants to be used, it will show you the way if you quiet your mind, and listen..."

Having said this, the mage walked off into the village, whether she followed or not. He made his way back home, and would point her toward the Karshe Inn. "If you need place to stay, Karshe Inn is nearby, they take boarders if you're not comfortable living with me." Rakvald said, and then he parted ways with the Qi'ora, for now.

ooc

Sorry about the wait, this fell off my radar entirely. That said, I've submitted it for approval as I haven't seen you around lately. I'll take the liberty of figuring out your knowledge for you, hope that's alright.