[Center][h2] Hermes & Xiaoli & Eurysthenes[/h2][/center] Hermes lazily scooted forward, nuzzling her face into the back of Xiaoli's head and taking in her scent. The two had come back to the room without getting much else done, and so it was still rather bare, but Hermes didn't mind. She was surprised that Xiaoli was tired enough to have fallen asleep alongside her, unless she had made it so on purpose. The Dreamer poked her sleeping companion, a tiny smile forming on Hermes’ face, she didn't doubt it. Poppler buzzed out of Xiaoli's hair, drunk with sleep and crackled on its way to go get fresh air. Hermes shot the cloudling a look before continuing her gentle prodding, “Xiaoli?” Xiaoli let out a quiet snore, rolling a bit further away from Hermes while hugging a pillow. Hermes leaned up into her elbow and rolled her eyes, at least she might be dreaming. The woman sat up and patted her lap idly, thinking of what to do. Her eyes drifted to the right until they fell onto her weathered bag, the corner of a particular leather bound book poking out. A wide smile formed and she fell flat onto her stomach, attempting to reach the book without leaving bed. She was half hanging off the bed, one leg up in the air to counter her balance and an arms stretched as far as it could go before she managed to pinch the corner of the book and slide it out. With a silent “hup” she pulled back to the bed and sat up. Her eyes fell on the sleeping form of Xiaoli, making sure she didn't accidentally wake her. Xiaoli let out some semi-coherent mumbles and then rolled over on her back. She evidently needed a new dress, or at least to mend parts of it, which became especially evident now that she did not focus on the way she carried herself. Hermes made a face, she'll have to figure out a way to get fabric for Xiaoli. Letting her shoulders fall into the plush of some stacked pillows, Hermes cracked Abanoc's book open. Almost immediately her eyes widened as whispers entered her head. Her eyes scanned the blank pages and her brow furrowed. It only took a few minutes before the Dreamer slapped the book shut, her head buzzing with ideas as everything settled. A certain confidence overtook her and she slipped out bed, carefully padding over to get her sandals and club. She peeked over her shoulder at the sleeping form of Xiaoli and gave herself a smug smile, having made a successful escape. Slipping outside, Hermes feet brushed through the dew that gathered in the mossy glade. She wasn't sure why, but she rather liked waking up in the morning more than any other time. There was something peaceful about the world, as if it too was just waking up. Sucking in a large dewey breath, Hermes smiled and hefted her club in both hands. Her eyes focused, and the images from the book popped into her head: it was basically a dance in its own right. She stepped, her arms weaved through the air, her club following. She stepped, the club came down at a surprising angle. She stepped, it came back up in such an arc to compliment the former. She turned, she stepped, her arms weaved and before she knew it, she had turned her dance into a dangerous one. Her sandals fluttered and she sped up. She stepped, a blur. She stepped, a danger. She stepped, the club erupted from the blur. She stepped, her imaginary foe was defeated. With a confident smile, Hermes continued her repetitions, turning every facet of her dance into a defensive or offensive maneuver, using the advice of the book to perfect what she had created. By the time sweat dripped down her chin, she was red faced and only somewhat satisfied. Leaning on her club she let out an expensive exhale and tried to replay the entire dance in her mind; if only she could actually put it to the test. It was fluid and beautiful, but was it effective and deadly? She didn't want to be the laughing end of a fight again, and certainly not when-- She looked down at her abdomen, her shirt clinging to her stomach -- certainly not when it mattered the most. “Keep it up, my love,” Xiaoli said with a gentle smile. “You’re doing great.” She leaned against a nearby tree and observed Hermes intently while nibbling on some blades of sweetgrass. Hermes nearly jumped out of her skin. Quickly recomposing herself she swung the club over her shoulder and spun to meet Xiaoli, “I thought it'd be good to learn. You know-- to fight.” She let the club fall head first into the ground and leaned against it, “How did you sleep?” Xiaoli swallowed a few more blades and let out a hum. “Like Beihe outside the flood season! I didn’t even hear you leave.” The avatar shuffled over and placed her hand on the enormous club. “Is it heavy, may I ask?” “Probably not for you,” Hermes gave her a smirk and pushed the handle towards Xiaoli, “Any dreams?” Xiaoli grabbed the club by the handle and picked it up as it if was a stick. “No… Not this time, either,” she said with a huff and swung the club around in the air as if it was a reed, causing minor windshear. “Hmph,” Hermes grunted and crossed her arms. She watched Xiaoli swing the club around intently, “I was certain you sleeping next to me would let you go to my dreams if you couldn't find any.” “Oh, you wish I would, don’t you,” Xiaoli smirked and giggled before handing the club back to Hermes, who had to wrap both hands around it to heave it back over her shoulder. Xiaoli took a moment to absorb Hermes’ toned features and glistening skin. She walked over and squeezed her right bicep affectionately. “I wouldn’t mind if you kept practicing, just so you know,” she said and winked. “Mhm,” Hermes grunted knowingly, a smug smile toying across her face, “And what are you going to do?” Xiaoli shrugged. “I made the rest of the house while you were practicing. I guess I will continue with the rest of the mansion.” She looked down at her clothes. “Alternatively, I could spruce up my wardrobe… Actually, I think I’m going to do that.” She let out a sigh. “Would you happen to know if there is any flax on Tendlepog? Any fiberous grass will do, really.” “Well,” Hermes let the club fall as she thought, “There is the trip vine, but that's no good for covering yourself. Hmm.” She looked over Xiaoli and then nodded, “it's not a plant, but the tree chasers have pretty fluffy coats.” She perked up, “Oh! If you take their coats, can you make me some clothes too? They look very cozy when they sleep and I'm not going to lie, I get jealous now and again.” Xiaoli drummed her chin thoughtfully with her fingers. “Hmm.. Yeah, from what I can remember, they do seem rather soft! I’ll be right back, then.” With that, Xiaoli skipped happily into the woods. Hermes gave a cheshire grin, only turning away once Xiaoli was out of sight. She laughed to herself, content, and swung her club. [hr] Why didn’t she fly, Xiaoli wondered as she strolled through the undergrowth. She was perfectly capable of flight - all she had to do was bend gravity to her will and demand that the winds push her forward in a controlled manner; yet, something about that method felt inherently like… Cheating. She reasoned the birds she would pass by would be awfully jealous, having to flap and flap and flap to maintain lift. It all just seemed a little too cheap to her - besides, the forest was lovely this time of day. Xiaoli chuckled as she heard the birds sing to each other, but furrowed her brow as soon as she actually paid attention to the lyrics. She decided to merely clear her throat and move on. The occasional chameleon squirrel complained about having ironically camouflaged its nuts too well again, and the avatar sometimes had to dodge patches of curious flying moss that probably thought her hair looked like tasty dead grass. Eventually, that nice little stroll brought her to the vast open plains of Tendlepog, characterised by the docile flocks of trees crowding around the water holes, only to be ambushed by-- There was one! A tree eater! Xiaoli hurried over, taking cover behind a rock to observe the creatures closer. It was large - likely the size of a farmer ape, or larger - with a colossal mouth and a cozy-looking coat. Xiaoli pondered for a moment - she wouldn’t have to kill to steal its coat, right? The huge beast had seemingly just managed to snatch one of the elder, sicklier trees, its massive jaws gnawing menacingly on the wiggling wood. Now was her chance! She snuck a little closer. The beast did not notice her, or did perhaps not care enough - either way, she would not waste this opportunity. She slowly stood up, eliciting a sideways glance from the wooly beast, though little more. She slowly approached and, with a careful hand, reached out to pat the beast. Thankfully, it seemed rather preoccupied with eating. It was likely a beast without many predators - generally calm and sweet, unless one happened to have bark and leaves. The question still remained, though: How on Galbar would she get the pelt without killing, or at the very least maiming, the poor creature? Xiaoli tugged gently at a handful of strands, eliciting a deep rumble from the chewing beast. Perhaps she could cut it, somehow - shear it, even. Xiaoli looked around for suitable rocks, though she dared now wander too far and lose sight of the tree eater. Eventually, she came upon a stone suitable for sharpening, its shape tending towards oval with an almost natural handle. As she ran her hand over the blade and sharpened it, however, she heard the unmistakable sound of rustling grass. “Noooo, no, no, no!” Xiaoli whispered angrily to herself and jogged back to the water hole. The tree eater had finished its meal, leaving only twigs and a sticky pool of sap on the ground. In the distance, a happy beast trundled through the grass. “Oh no, you don’t!” Xiaoli shouted and gave chase. The beast looked around and, initiating what little fight-or-flight response it was born with, started sprinting away from the knife-wielding avatar. “Come back here!” Xiaoli shouted again, her knife in one hand and the front of her skirt in the other. The rest of the afternoon on the savannah was characterised with humanoid shouting, animalistic whimpering, and a sudden appearance of slightly nuder tree eaters. [hr] Xiaoli returned to the house with her hands full of colourful striped fleece. But as soon as she turned a tree, entering the glade she stopped in her tracks. There by the newly built house, Hermes was looking up at and talking with the many armed crystalline form of the Lord of Riddle: Eurysthenes. It had reached down with an arm to point at Hermes’ forehead. [Color=8A0886]”Tell me. This mark, the one of spirals. Does it betray loyalty, or merely showcase it?”[/color] it asked in a confusingly straightforward manner. Xiaoli immediately dropped all the fleece she had in her hands and knelt into a kowtow. “Y-y-your Holiness! This servant apologises profusely for her insolence in not noticing Your exalted presence earlier!” The gesture was firm and serious, though it would have looked better had Xiaoli not been shouting into the ball of fleece she had just dropped. Hermes seemed to have been pulled from her finger-biting thoughts and looked over. A short moment of groveling passed, before Xiaoli felt herself being lifted by her back to her feet. The wool was dangling in the air in front of her. [Color=8A0886]”Such gestures are unbecoming of an Avatar,”[/color] it clicked, and began reeling in its arms, [color=8A0886]”What, I would ask of you, is the reason?”[/color] Xiaoli seemed dumbstruck for a moment, slowly picking the fleece out of the air and piling it back up in her arms. “Y-your Holiness, it’s a gesture of respect - to honour Your Holiest of presences. As a student of the Flow, such courtesy is a must, in this servant’s eyes.” She tipped a bow upon finishing her sentence. The stare of [i]This One[/i] was scrutinizing. It patted her on the head. [Color=8A0886]”Respect yourself and stay on your feet. Better yet, respect your creator and use those feet to hold yourself up. Covering your face with ground is not respect, it is silly.[/color] “Oh!” Hermes spoke up from behind Eurysthenes and in defense of Xiaoli, “She’s not from Swahhitteh-Tendlepog,” The Dreamer started to explain, “These are different customs, it took me a while to understand them, too.” “Did you really build all of this with K’nell?” Hermes asked the riddle god with wide eyes. Eurysthenes blinked without eyes at Hermes. Whether this was out of understanding or uncaring was unknown. It tapped her on the forehead, directly on the center of the spiral. Hermes’ vision swam, and while she was completely sure there was ground underneath her feet, she was soaring above it. There was nothing but ocean in sight. Ocean, a staircase, and the entrance to Limbo. Ever so slowly the massive cogs spiraled into existence. Each rock, ridge, and slope meticulously placed. Each trick of the light curated. Even the parts Hermes thought she knew were hazy. When she came to, the feeling that she had been gone for years could not escape her, though everything was unmoved. The woman stood in shock, wavering back and forth as it all assimilated into the correct parts of her mind until finally she blinked. Sucking in a huge breath, all she could mutter was, “Wow.” A smile formed on Eurysthenes’ face. It was a grotesque thing, though undeniably friendly at its core. [Color=A80886]”Do you know what it is at the core? What it is to have been mean. Simply put, have you shown others what?”[/color] “What?” Hermes almost echoed the riddle, her face befuddled. [i]This One[/i] hummed. [Color=A80886]”What is brown and sticky?”[/color] “--Sap?” Hermes pondered out loud. Silence. Eurysthenes scratched it's head. [Color=8A0886]”That is… not the answer I'm looking for. Tell me, what has layer upon layer, though makes you cry the more you see of it?”[/color] Hermes bit her finger in thought, “Oh! Li’Kalla had some in her kitchen--” She thumped a hand against her head, “Little round plant bulb, flaky outer skin, mushy insides, juice that makes you cry.” It patted her on the head. [Color=8A0886]”You know what I speak of, child. Well done.”[/color] Hermes seemed to scrunch a little under the pat but didn’t outright object to being told she was right, “Thank you.” [i]This One[/i] turned as if to go, but stopped halfway. [Color=8A0886]”But before I leave, tell me, why did K’nell make you?”[/color] “At first,” Hermes said with a shrug, “To experience, but then, to be more than that.” Eurysthenes nodded. [color=8A0886]”And tell me, what is the most worthy thing to experience?”[/color] “I don’t know,” Hermes answered, “And with how experiences tend to go, I don’t think I ever will.” It stared at her for a second, waved, and left, melding into the surrounding forest. The moment it could no longer be seen, Hermes’ form flickered for a brief second and she blinked in confusion, her face twisting with thought. Xiaoli appeared as if she had been hiding behind the mountain of fleece in her arms, her face pink with shame and embarrassment. “D-do you think I insulted him?” she whimpered at Hermes. She lifted her gaze and let her eyes lock on to Hermes’, furrowing her brow. “Did His Holiness Eurysthenes do anything to you? Your aura is different.” Hermes’ eyes disappeared and then reappeared, “I can make things seem a way that they are not, it seems.” She seemed shocked, but admittedly less shocked than expected, likely getting used to the blessings. “I like Eurysthenes--” She looked over at Xiaoli’s pout, “I think he liked you too, he is just hard to read.” Xiaoli blinked and dropped her fleece yet again. She quickly paced over to Hermes and put her hands on her cheeks, squinting as she let her eyes scan her with great detail. “‘Make things seem a way that they are not’,” she echoed. “C-can you show this power now, you think?” Hermes pursed her lips in thought, and then in an instant Hermes’ face flickered and then the River-girl was staring at a reflection of herself where Hermes’ face should be. Xiaoli jumped back and hid her face in her hands, only peering back through a split opening between two fingers. “That’s-... Very frightening, I’ll be honest… Also, do I really look that boney in the face?” Hermes’ face reappeared, “I think you mean to say beautiful.” Xiaoli’s pale face reddened and she giggled faintly. “... Dumby.” She turned around and picked up the fleece yet again. “Did He tell you anything else, by the way? You seemed a bit… Lost for a moment, there.” She walked over to the house and stored the wool just behind the door. Hermes peeked at the fleece, “Oh, he said a lot of things, but they were all questions, and I am not sure how well I answered them.” Xiaoli hummed curtly. “Well, I’m glad His intent was good, either way.” She clapped some dust off her hands. “K’nell does the same thing,” Hermes observed, taking a few scanning steps towards Xiaoli “Is it a Divinity thing?” Xiaoli nodded sheepishly. “The Exalted Creators do have a… Less than fortunate tendency to be quite indirect in their ways of speaking… I may be, too, on occasion.” “Not that,” Hermes chuckled and poked Xiaoli’s nose, eliciting a blink and an ‘oh’ from her, “You all hum when you think.” “M-maybe we do. I’ve never thought about it.” She began to hum, but then cut herself off. “Is it annoying?” “I like it,” Hermes shrugged, “I just noticed is all.” “Oh! Well, I’m glad you don’t mind it.” She winked and poked Hermes’ nose back. “I’m going to find some materials to make a spindle, okay? I won’t be long.” Hermes gently bit Xiaoli's finger, “Mmkay.” She let go and smiled. Xiaoli grinned and giggled before skipping happily into the woods. “You seem taken to her,” A grainy voice appeared from the woods. “Yep!-” Hermes turned and froze. K'nell stood at the border of the glade, a crow on each shoulder, “K'nell!” The God's smile crecented and he tilted his head, “And I see you have met Eurysthenes.” “Yes,” Hermes smiled wide, “He was very nice.” “Good,” K'nell began to walk past Hermes, only to suddenly stop, “I had felt Limbo fluctuate and wane as if someone had stepped into it. Would you know why?” His silver eyes studied the house. “It was me,” Hermes answered sheepishly, “I had gotten curious.” K'nell hummed in thought, causing anxiety to split over Hermes’ face, “I see.” He turned to her, “It is good you are okay, such a place is not for idle walks.” Hermes’ anxiety turned to guilt, “I know-- now.” “Then I will be wise to keep it closed, and you will compliment by heeding my advice,” K'nell stepped towards the Dreamer. Hermes nodded, and K'nell put a hand on her shoulder, “I wish you luck on your house, and your-” The God smiled, “Your new family.” Hermes smiled back and with a silvery wink, K'nell had disappeared back into the woods, in the direction of Limbo. [hider=Summary] Hermes wakes up after one hell of a night and pokes Xiaoli a little. It seems she is fast asleep, so Hermes gets out of bed and reads a bit in Abanoc’s book. There, she learns kung fu and hears Mobius say, “show me” from the outside, so she goes out to train. She combines her war dance with her sandals and trains both defensive and offensive strategies. After a while, Xiaoli shows up and compliments her. The two discuss dreams, then flirt a bit, then Hermes asks what Xiaoli’s up to. She answers that she needs some new clothes and Hermes recommends she goes to hunt tree eaters. Xiaoli does this and comes back with fleece for new clothes. Upon returning, she finds that Hermes has received a visit from Eurysthenes and proceeds to kowtow. Eurys finds this silly and lifts her back up before giving Hermes helluvan acid trip. Pimp Daddy Eurys then disappears, leaving Hermes with the ability to create minor illusions on herself. Xiaoli, still a little bummed after Eurys told her her kowtowing was silly, is a little wary at first, but then Hermes shows her her new power and Xiaoli freaks out. Hermes manages to flirt her back into reality. Xiaoli then strolls off into the woods to the woods to make a spindle so they can turn the fleece into yarn. While she is gone, K’nell returns to Tendlepog, asks Hermes if she’s been to Limbo and then considers closing it to outsiders. He then disappears, too. [/hider] [hider=MP] Eurys: Somehow or another she becomes aware that she can manipulate minor parts of her appearance through illusions. 1 FP for praising [/hider]