[center][h3]A Quiet Place[/h3] [b]Astarte Goddess of Magic 33 MP, 5 FP[/b] & [colour=9e0b0f][b]Jvan[/b] Goddess of Moles and Pimples not enough MP, peanuts FP[/colour] [hider=Two Absolute Dorks Come to Town]Astarte is chilling out in a forest with her best friend Big the Ogre, who's lost a lot of weight lately. Big appears to have swallowed something! It's Jvan. Jvan's messenger malfunctions after the swallowing and the wordy message she made comes out about as nicely as a blended pizza smoothie. This is awkward, and Jvan tries to apologise for it and her latest screaming hissy fit in the Deadwood. Astarte responds by chewing on her messenger. After briefly discussing Jvan's new boyfriend Amartia, the two decide to go to space. Jvan forgets that Astarte dropped out of Chem in the first month of high school. Then they go to space. Astarte and Jvan have some serious girl talk in space about Astarte's feelings of purposelessness. Astarte is a little cheered up, but still doesn't really know who she is. Eventually the two round up with Jvan telling Astarte about Slough's current weirdness. Big has the time of his life. The end![/hider][/center] [hider=Might Summary]Astarte: 1 Might used to imbue Big with potential for Astartian Magic. 32 MP, 5 FP remaining [/hider] Astarte bit her lower lip and frowned at the image in front of her. Big, wearing a skirt made out of oversized flowers and dancing to an unheard rhythm. It wasn't that he looked [i]ugly[/i] that bothered Astarte, it was that he looked awfully good. Over the years as her friend, Big had grown to like the Goddess to such a point that he'd actually listen to her complaints and suggestions about his appearance. Last time she visited, Astarte actually told him he was so big that it was impossible to wrap her hands around him. For some reason that had hurt quite a bit, and since then he'd done his best to be not so big. It worked, as he had now become a lean, muscular ogre. Astarte shouldn't have any problem wrapping her arms around him now, even though his lean body was still pretty damned gigantic compared to hers. "You know, I really should change your name to Lean, Big," Astarte pouted, "... Why aren't you big any more, Big?" "Asta don't like big Big, Asta couldn't wrap arms around big Big." Big said in his deep, rumbling voice. "I remember laughing after mentioning I couldn't wrap my arms around you." "Asta don-PAH!" Big gasped and doubled over. Then he started coughing. A moment later, when Astarte decided to fly over to him, a small creature showed itself. It flew out from Big's mouth. [b]"AH!"[/b] Astarte screamed as the baby-blue colored creature slapped itself against her arm, emitting a high pitched, needy noise. "GET IT OFF, GET IT OFF!" She yelled while flailing and trying to get the creature off of her. Then, as Big prepared to slap it away and Astarte aimed at it with her free arm... "WAIT-" She panted, "Wait! I think... I think this is one of Jvan's thingies! Only she could make something so weird! This does not look like a mole or smell like one of those holes humans dig around their campsites, though..." Astarte mused, letting her guard down and putting a finger to her lower lip. Indeed, the transparent jelly-like [i]thingy[/i] did not smell like a latrine. In fact, as it bobbed around on its side, struggling to calibrate its movement outside of Big's unfortunate gob, it started to smell rather unlike anything that usually came out of an ogre's mouth. It was just impossible to say exactly [i]what[/i], other than, maybe, a remarkably bad judgement. For a moment it smelled of coffee grounds incinerated in a jet engine. Then it jumped, shuddered a little, and regained a little stability, now surrounded by a peculiar aroma of iron filings in sea water. Jitter again and the fragrance resembled sawdust. It bounced like a frightened helium balloon, each shake a little closer to being upright. The scents mellowed out into a peaceable ambience. Stable at last, hovering with a slow, constant twirl. The flesh machine's antics, it seemed, were over. [colour=9e0b0f]"Astar!lesh artist, an-ould apologise, anyw"icularly well. Forgiv-rst impression![sub]Hopefu[/sub]f Lex Ther"st, a pleasure garden I've ma...think you'll like themayhem. nd don't [i]do[/i] tell Veste[sub]bastard![/sub]"ou choo. See you!"[/colour] The rapid blurt of scrambled words dropped off suddenly, its echoes quickly fading. The delicate flying creature twirled on, blissfully unaware that it had done anything wrong. Astarte stared at the creature, blinking as she struggled to process what it just said. Then, the same voice, in the quiet. A little newer, a little grainier, with a slight warble of distortion by distance and guilt. [colour=9e0b0f]"...Astarte? Can you hear this?"[/colour] Astarte looked at Big. He was looking intently at the creature, enchanted by its different aromas. Astarte could swear she even saw how much he was salivating when his mouth hung slightly open. Astarte non chalantly flew over to Big. Then she slapped him on the back of the head, "Don't eat the Thingy!" She grinned and then turned towards the creature, "Hear what, [b]Thingy[/b]? I only heard this weird message before, it was as if you were a singing Hain." She chuckled. The messenger veered upwards, as if to follow Astarte, and drooped indignantly back when she came too close to the ogre. What the colourful device was doing went unknown to the voice it carried. There were some more metallic warbles, tin sheets shuddering far away. Tuning. [colour=9e0b0f]"The channel's working,"[/colour] said the voice, softly. [colour=9e0b0f]"I can hear you too. This is Jvan."[/colour] A short pause. Listen closely, and one could almost hear the distant splash of plans being thrown out the window. Astarte raised an eyebrow and smirked. [colour=9e0b0f]"...I wrote you a letter,"[/colour] Beat. [colour=9e0b0f]"It wasn't very good."[/colour] The goddess's voice disappeared again, but this time there was no sign of technical interference. [colour=9e0b0f]"I like your ogre. He has a nice frame,"[/colour] and the comment sounded genuine, if limp. "Yeah? Zephyrion let me grab him a long time ago, back when the Rock was a thing... He used to be a lot softer and rounder a year ago, though." Astarte pursed her lips and climbed onto Big's back, who was busy trying not to look at the small blue creature. She wrapped her arms around his neck and looked at Jvan's messenger. "So, you wrote me a letter? Was that letter by any chance the crazy message I just heard?" [colour=9e0b0f]"...How much [i]did[/i] you hear?"[/colour] Then again, did it matter? Almost certainly too much, at least in that state. [colour=9e0b0f]"No, I don't need to know. It was an apology. For Slough Rottenbone. And, ah, I suppose this is one, too. There hasn't been- I was-"[/colour] The softly bobbing mechanism curled its tail around itself for a moment, but the voice on the other end had no warm ogre to hold on to for reassurance. [colour=9e0b0f]"I'm a wreck,"[/colour] dropped Jvan, flat. [colour=9e0b0f]"I've been sick, and sorry, and chasing distractions. ...I met a nice boy. I planted a garden. I, ah, think I was going to invite you there. That was in it too."[/colour] "... Oh," Astarte looked away and disentangled herself from Big, "Well, gardens are awesome, why don't we go there? Also, you [i]have[/i] to tell me about this boy you met," She forced a grin and looked back at Jvan. She never knew others Gods were capable of showing such amounts of emotion, so this was a bit of a shock to her. [colour=9e0b0f]"Him? His name's Amartía. He keeps pets. I, ah, built him a palace."[/colour] There was an upwards beat to Jvan's tone, perhaps simply from leaving the topic of what she'd said, and done. Even on its own, it seemed to be a good memory. She was talking freely. [colour=9e0b0f]"It's on the Purple Sands. My garden, though, my forest, that is still in high-orbit, on the Ring. Not quite our sister's set of motifs, I'm afraid, but-"[/colour] The voice stopped. Jvan picked up on Astarte's unease, and was lost on how to address it. [colour=9e0b0f]"The ogre, he, ah. He'll need some help, if you'd like him to accompany you. His body has some mechanical limitations, in space."[/colour] "Big? I don't know. I generally let him do his thing down here in the forests... You know what? Alright. What help does he need to get up there?" Astarte said while straightening out her long white dress, "You may not know, but I love nature. That's why I want to see your garden." Nature, so the Djinni had taught Jvan, could sometimes change with perspective, but Astarte was no mere judgemental spirit. The Engineer was eager to leave, and have the mood lightened. [colour=9e0b0f]"For a start, the intrastitial fluid of the ogre's outer surfaces have to be crystallised or otherwise increased in viscosity in order to prevent desiccation. High concentrations of melanin analogues can block most stellar radiation, while a redundant triple- or quad-heliced nucleic acid structure should protect him from any other mutations. As for heat, I- Could... Would recommend-"[/colour] [colour=9e0b0f][i]Does Astarte approve of modifying her companion's body?[/i][/colour] Jvan wasn't sure. If she was as possessive as Amartía, then, maybe not. [colour=9e0b0f]"...Or you could use magic,"[/colour] she finished, for once turning tail on her own art. [colour=9e0b0f]"He needs warmth, shade, air- Both skin and lungs- and locomotion. Shouldn't be more than a spell or two."[/colour] Was magic even measured in spells? Jvan didn't know. [colour=9e0b0f]"Apologies. I'm still in the mind to design orbital life, I guess. My nature isn't... Isn't Slough Rottenbone's. She, ah. There's been a grave accident. Not an accident. A crime."[/colour] A pause. [colour=9e0b0f]"I'd rather not talk about it here."[/colour] Astarte had merely watched the small creature as Jvan talked on and on. At some moment, the Goddess had lost the entirety of Astarte's attention. Attention that came rushing back when she heard of modifications being made to Big's body. "Ah, sure, sure, feel free to chang- modify him enough to have him survive! It's not like I can't revert those changes later when we're back here," Astarte winked at the messenger. The wink was not returned. This was because the fragile messenger had no eyes, mostly, but also because Jvan was confused. Somewhere there came a wavering sound of rapid tinkering. [colour=9e0b0f]"Hold on. I think I lost you. Can you hear this?"[/colour] Big's eyes momentarily returned to the creature when it spoke, so Jvan assumed she could. [colour=9e0b0f]"I think I'll leave him to you, actually. I'm perfectly confident you can, uh, magic up a solution. Also, this device only talks. Can't do much else. You might have to carry it."[/colour] Should she repeat the part about their skeletal sister, and where she was now imprisoned? No, not yet. "Aaaw!" Astarte cooed and went up to the messenger, taking it in her arms, "don't you get shy on me, Jvaaaan!" She chuckled and playfully bit the messenger's tendril. It immediately tasted like nothing she'd ever tasted before. She didn't have any idea whether this was good or bad, but she did know that it made her want to bite the thing for real. So she withdrew and sat on Big's shoulders. She preferred not to eat a new friend's pet, if it was possible. [colour=9e0b0f][i]"Um,"[/i][/colour] "Such a shy huge little meatball Jvanny!" Astarte grinned. [colour=9e0b0f]"I'm, ah. I. I am."[/colour] Light, what was she even meant to [i]say[/i] now? [colour=9e0b0f]"...That is not [i]quite[/i] the intended use, Astarte."[/colour] Did she know, that as the messenger lay like a quiet little eldritch baby in her arms, Jvan was staring back at her like a horseman without reins stares at his empty hands? [colour=9e0b0f]"But I guess it's fine. Just... Don't eat too much. Sometimes I forget what goes into these things."[/colour] Big had swallowed it, after all, and they were both still fine. So far, at least. [colour=9e0b0f]"The, ah, the garden's still, ah, up there."[/colour] "Bleh," Astarte pouted, "It's no fun if you give me permission." She let the creature go and wasted no time in getting Big ready. She put a hand on Big's shoulder and after a moment, Big's veins started to pulse and grow. Another moment later, they started to emit a soft light and finally, his body emitted an aura of hot, white light. It was meant to keep away the cold of space and enhance Big's magical and spiritual potential in order to help him hold his breath for the amount of time it took them to travel from Galbar to Jvan's garden. "Alright, we're done." Astarte said. The messenger immediately wriggled up towards the air in front of Big's face, braving the ogre just enough to tap it on the nose and feel its sudden warmth. Cross-eyed from trying to look at the little flier, Big seemed about to say something, only to realise that he now had to sneeze. Jvan's effigy dived aside and narrowly avoided an embarassing end. [colour=9e0b0f]"...He has superb lungs,"[/colour] said she, as Big finished and the aftershocks faded. Soon enough the thing was leaning in again, maybe not so close, but still curious. Jvan talked on unaware. [colour=9e0b0f]"See that patch of colour in the Ring, where it's even more purple than normal? That's where we're heading. Aim high."[/colour] Astarte nodded and looked at Big, who was still looking up at the sky. "Big." Astarte said and stared into his eyes as he turned toward her. It only took a moment, but by the time Big averted his gaze, he started levitating. Astarte's gaze shifted toward the sky, and so did Big's. Then they shot up toward their destiny, the Ring. When the long cold leap began to slow, and the smooth purple curve began to resolve into colourful motes of dust, the noctus forest was waiting to greet them. Webbed like the underside of a leaf, flat, wavy nocti bobbed and drifted around them on stalks, casting dappled shadows. From between the rippling coral-pink on indigo, a long, iridescent creature like a whale emerged for a moment, seemed to look at them, and floated back into the fronds, leaving halo puffs of mist in its [url=http://senpenbanka.deviantart.com/art/Angel-wip-3-341274251]wake[/url]. On the sides of a meteoroid with a shady hollow in its center, little crab-like things stepped and nibbled, lighting the way with dim blue torches on their [url=http://pre01.deviantart.net/1614/th/pre/f/2012/152/c/2/space_plasma_bug_by_davesrightmind-d51w7cv.jpg]arms[/url]. Another messenger was waiting for them, for once not so obviously out of place.[colour=9e0b0f]"Look! Isn't it gorgeous?"[/colour] Jvan was proud of her work, and it showed. [colour=9e0b0f]"I confess I hadn't planned an itenary, or even a tour. But you can come here whenever you like. You're always welcome with my grandaughters and I."[/colour] The place was like nothing Astarte had ever seen. The strange creatures only added to the environment. How something so big could exist and not be hostile, Astarte had no idea. "Wow..." Astarte muttered, her eyes wide and trying to focus on everything at once, "It truly [i]is[/i] beautiful..." A moment of silence passed as the Goddess admired her sister's work. She winced a little as she felt a pang of sadness in her chest, brought up by the bittersweet memories of long past explorations in the Deepwoods. "You know, I half expected the place to be weird and creepy, but-" Astarte stopped, watched one of the many crab-like beings digging something out of the meteoroid, "but it really is very pretty. Nice work Jvan, I wish I was smart enough to create stuff like this." [colour=9e0b0f]"...Oh?"[/colour] Jvan's excitement faded as she began to pick out signs of Astarte's melancholy. Those words clearly rung deep with Jvan; Her enthusiasm dimmed. [colour=9e0b0f]"But you [i]can,[/i] Astarte! Look at this ogre!"[/colour] It wasn't much of an illustration. Big was doing quite well, with regards to breathing and staying warm. Beyond that the new place seemed a bit too much for him. He held on to the noctus fronds to stop himself drifting away, and wore a bewildered little smile, as if in a dream. Every few seconds Big looked back to Asta, to make sure she hadn't floated off. [colour=9e0b0f]"I mean... Actually, let me spin you a few words."[/colour] Her's voice took a breath. [colour=9e0b0f]"All things that glow and walk on Galbar today are the works of our family. Each one of us designs in our own way, each one unique. But we are not, at heart, different. We are all artists. Maybe not in the same way Ilunabar is, but even Teknall in his engineering, Zephyrion in his boasting, and Vestec, though he's... Far... Off the rails. We're artists, because we express ourselves." "You have an identity, Astarte. You have thoughts, and feelings, and things that make you happy. No god needs to be [i]smart[/i] to make something beautiful, or even really understand what they're doing. You only have to be yourself, and put a little of yourself into the world. Like Slough. All she wants is a place to wander. Everything else solves itself."[/colour] If there was ground beneath her feet, Astarte would be looking at it right now. Instead, she looked down into the darkness of space. "I-I don't know who I am," Astarte's voice quivered and she let her hair hide her face from view, "I mean, I know my name but-" She spoke so quickly that she tripped over her own words. "But I don't know what I'm supposed to do. Everyone seems to know what they have to do and everyone has an area they excel at but I don't. I remember spending so much time before time was even a thing, just flying around in the emptiness. I flew while others did amazing things. And even after we created this place..." Astarte let out a noise not unlike a hurt kitten's mewl, "I did nothing but play." "You know how Vowzra keeps talking about this 'Fate'? Well, I-I have no idea what that is! I've never heard the voices in my head, nor have I seen great beings that deserve so much of my respect. I'm a Goddess, yet I know so little I compare more to a child than anything else... Nobody spoke to me when I came into being. Nobody told me what I was, or who I was supposed to be." Astarte remained silent for a moment. Afterward, she straightened up, moved her hair away from her face and wiped her eyes. Big only watched as Astarte showed her feelings. She'd never been so open to him, and it made him feel bad to see his Goddess so vulnerable. [colour=9e0b0f]"...Me neither, sister. Me neither."[/colour] For now, it seemed, those empty words were all Jvan had to say, or could. She was little less helpless than Big. Truly, she [i]thought[/i] she understood what Astarte was trying to say. When a thing named Flux had once asked her, she'd said much the same. But she had never felt lost. Not like Astarte. Jvan was so good at working with living hearts, but now she realised she had no idea how to fix a broken one. [colour=9e0b0f]"If you like,"[/colour] she said, cautious. [colour=9e0b0f]"I can tell you who I think you are. If it'll help you. A little."[/colour] Astarte pursed her lips in hesitation, but nodded nonetheless. "Tell me." [colour=9e0b0f]"You are... Someone who found magic, and bottled it for her friends. Who asks nothing of chaos but a joke and a naked man. Who enjoyed flight, when everyone else took it for granted."[/colour] Beat. [colour=9e0b0f]"Maybe the reason you can't find a grand design for yourself is because you're the one who sees that even the small things are grand enough. I don't think you're lost, Astarte. I think you're a wanderer."[/colour] That didn't sound right, not quite, and yet it was something. It was all Jvan could do, so she said it, and was quiet. Astarte looked downcast, yet still smiled. It was one of those bittersweet smiles that left an unforgettable taste in your mouth, one of those smiles that you simply could not ignore. After a moment, Astarte looked down and away from Jvan's messenger. "I think you're right, thank you for the words, Jvan..." She said in a soft tone of voice, before shrugging her shoulders and lifting her gaze up. Her expression was back to normal. A bit of a mischievous smirk. "I remember you asked me to come here to speak about something important. What was it?" Jvan took a moment to adapt- Behind the twirling messenger, she was wearing a deep quiet. [colour=9e0b0f]"I, ah, I. That. Yes."[/colour] Change gear, change gear. [colour=9e0b0f]"The letter. The original copy had a note, to pique your curiousity- I was planning to guide your interests towards Slough Rottenbone. The last time I saw her, her body was trapped. Locked in an egg by Vowzra. I thought I'd need help to free her. But I was wrong."[/colour] A brief silence. Rather different, if felt, to the one she'd just left behind. Less pondering, more calculating. [colour=9e0b0f]"When I saw her I was stricken, but I underestimated her ingenuity. She's turned the Riddler's trap to her own advantage, wearing it like a suit. Now Slough's on the move, and gaining vigour. She came as far as the Venomweald before something broke my envoy. Now I've lost track of her."[/colour] That came with a distinctly bitter taste of regret. [colour=9e0b0f]"I've a feeling she's on her way to the Drenched Flowerbed, but there's no way to say. What I'm worried about is that something might be wrong with her. Since she went into the rainforest, none of my Eyes have seen any trace of the Great Flower that lives there, the demigod that kept its pools of life fresh. I think Slough might have killed it. I can't imagine why, but she's the only one who could do it without a fight. My sister is... Strong."[/colour] Intimately genuine concern had returned to her voice, just a faint, cautious touch, but it was there. "Huh," Astarte pursed her lips, "you say something broke your envoy? Couldn't Slough have done it herself? I've never seen her fight, though. Not even when I gave her a scare." [colour=9e0b0f]"I haven't, either. That's..."[/colour] The long spiel seemed to have drained her. [colour=9e0b0f]"Why I'm concerned."[/colour] A heart-shaped animal pumped its way over the hollow, like a reminder. [colour=9e0b0f]"But it's [i]my[/i] concern, and I'm deciding to keep it that way. Talking to you now, Astarte, I think you have enough on your hands already. Don't worry about me and my plans. Fix yourself."[/colour] [colour=9e0b0f]"If you do see Slough, take notes. If not... There's a whole world down there. Wander, wanderer."[/colour] And in the distance, catching Big's dreamy gaze in its glow, Galbar sparkled like a jewel.