LadyAnnaLee

- Fragmented - (dead; stay tuned for the next one!)

Isaac Abramson was surprisingly chill about the whole thing though that might have something to do with the fact that his clothes seemed designed to repeal water while looking beyond fashionable. For a moment all Ashe could do was stare at the still pristine outfit as he gently guided them away from the puddle on the floor. Ashe’s head turned from looking at the twin’s clothes to the puddle on the floor with wide eyes. They still couldn’t wrap their minds around the fact that everything was fine. As such they were not sure how to protest when the glass of champagne was pressed into their hand. In the end it was the question that shook their brain back into some level of functionality.

Ashe sputtered for a moment, “Um, well, it was fine. I enjoyed it. I’ve never seen mountains like this before. The views were simply magnificent. Though I think it is a good thing I’m not too terribly afraid of heights. I can’t imagine that the trip would be easy for anyone that was. Your house is magnificent. It truly was the best view.” They tapped their translator, “And the level of technology is incredible. I must say I’m very impressed.”

They were babbling again. They needed to learn to stop that. What if they met their soul mate? They didn’t want to babble and ruin their one shot at a good first impression. Though knowing their luck their soul mate saw them crash into one of the hosts and spill wine all over them. Ashe wanted to melt into the floor. Well, that wasn’t one hundred percent true. They just wanted to get out of this room with too many people and find a place to decompress. Their social battery had run out a long time ago. Too bad that Ashe had no idea what the socialize rules were here. They did know that they couldn’t just leave in the middle of a conversation with one of their hosts. That would be beyond rude.

To their internal dismay Ashe started babbling again, “You must be extremely proud of how your party turned out. You’ve already got people Reuniting. Hopefully that number will only increase as the week goes on. I imagine you have planned a variety of activities designed to help people Reunite and get to know their soul mates better. I imagine no expense was spared.” Ashe let out a desperate chuckle, “Alright. I’m shutting up now.”

They took a healthy swallow of their champagne to discover that it wasn’t all that bad. They actually liked it a lot which was surprising since they didn’t actually like champagne that much. The bubbles usually turned them off of it. Still the flavor was extremely nice. That was all Ashe could say about it though. They were not an expert by any means. They usually tended to drink wine from the grocery store. They had a feeling this was a bit more expensive than grocery store wine; well, a lot more expensive. They were so going to have a headache when they woke up tomorrow.

@Obscene Symphony

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Darin managed to keep up with the switches in languages, but only just barely. It was probably because they were already so closely related. Darin wasn’t sure she would be able to keep up if that happened all the time; especially if Ridahne continued to talk as fast as she was currently. Then again, she had never seen the Elf look so excited or happy. Darin supposed that was a good thing. Still it was a little unsettling to see. Darin mentally chided herself for that thought. Ridahne was allowed to be excited for things even if it was for something relatively small. Darin just found so little to be exciting right now.

She continued in the same language, “We can speak solely in Azurein, but you are going to have to speak slower than you are now. I can barely keep up right now. The Tree gave me the knowledge, but not the practice. Hopefully I will get better with practice.” She switched to the dialect she spoke at home, “If not I’m in trouble.”

Okay. That was kind of nice to hear. Maybe that was why Ridahne had gotten so excited when she had started to speak Azurien. It was like a little piece of home. Darin missed home. She gave her head a shake. Enough of that. The homesickness was getting out of hand. If she didn’t get her mental state under control the whole thing could be put at risk. She couldn’t spend her entire time missing home. She didn’t need to spend her time worrying about the past. She needed to focus on the future, everything that was at stake. There were more important things than her homesickness. That was for sure.

Darin look towards the horizon to see if she could figure out where they were headed. She wasn’t sure why she cared. It wasn’t like she would be able to tell where they were. They had been traveling on The Farm towards the other end from where they had entered. It seemed like that there was more forest on the other side. Darin was kind of bored with forests and woods. She had seen all of Astral after a fashion. She wanted to see deserts and oceans with her own eyes. She has seen mountains before. There were a few near her home. She wanted to see the rest of the continent. She was almost eager to see cities and palaces. She already knew she would stick out like a sore thumb. She didn’t care.

Darin asked, “How far do you think we’ll get tonight? How long until we reach Elven lands? The Eluri right? What are their lands like? Do you know? Did you travel though them to get to where you found me? Or did you take a different route? What is Astra like? I want to know it all.” Her brow furrowed, “I suppose that is why I’m traveling Astra. I need to know the country. I need to learn the people. They are who I’m fighting for. As dramatic as that sounds it’s true.”

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

My work has me exhausted. I will have to wait until this weekend to respond. It has nothing to do with the role-play and everything to do with the fact that I'm just tired.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Talbot nodded as Ridahne mentioned keeping together at night as Darin scowled at him. She knew perfectly well that it was safer to keep together. It was just sometimes she didn’t want to and felt that it was wiser for both their mental and physical stability to spend some time apart. She didn’t need the warrior telling her that, and she didn’t need her horse agreeing with her. Still, she wouldn’t complain out loud. That would just start another argument, and she didn’t need one of those this close, or this soon from leaving, The Farm. She was trying to be better. She had to be better. Despite what Ravi said she wasn’t magnificent. She had a hard time believing that she ever would be.

Darin just nodded at Ridahne, “Of course, safety first.”

Though Darin rather suspect that it was a moot point. If they continued her training odds were that she would be too exhausted to storm off after. She wasn’t sure, but she was still willing to bet that it was true. Besides, if she really needed to get away from Ridahne she could probably climb a tree. She wondered of the warrior knew how to climb trees. Darin knew that the Elf had grown up in a desert, but she had seen a few trees in Azurei. Not many, and they didn’t look the same as pines and oaks, but Darin still saw them when she had been part of The Tree. Darin wasn’t sure and she wasn’t going to ask either.

Instead she said, “If you wouldn’t mind talking to me in Azurein. The Tree gave me a gift as we were leaving, but it will still take practice to learn how to use. So, I would like to practice while we travel; if that’s alright with you.”

Darin didn’t see how it would be a problem though she was still trying to wrap her mind around the fact that she had understood Ridahne when she used the Azurein word to refer to Ravi as “Sighted One.” She had picked up on the fact that it was a different language which caught her off guard. She had imagined that it would all sound the same and she would have to practice telling the difference between languages. That hadn’t been right at all. Instead she knew it had been Azurein, and she had been left scrambling to mentally translate for a moment. She figured that meant she needed to practice knowing what had been said and mentally processing the words. Darin also thought she might have to practice speaking the various tongues as well.

So, she took her time to see if she could make her request in Azurein, “I will have to speak to many, many people on this trip.” She was saying the words, but she could tell that she was butchering the cadence, tone, and pronunciation/ It made her cringe, “So, I need as much practice as possible if you can help. Please and thank you.”

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Alright. As long as your not over doing it.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

I'm so glad you are feeling better! Don't overdo it though or you'll be right back where you started. And I don't think we want that.

That sounds so pretty! I'm almost jealous!

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Darin pointed at Ridahne as the Elf mentioned the leather, “Good! He got my other shoulder. If I don’t do something soon then Taja will rip at least one arm off. Maybe even both of them!” Taja let out a screech and Darin scowled at him, “You hush! I like my arms! It would be like if you lost a wing. Which, by the way, I can’t fix if I’m missing an arm.”

Taja looked at the human with a baleful eye. Then he let out a screech before fluttering towards the travel basket that was currently on her lap. Darin let out a small hiss of pain as his claws left her skin. This was not going to be a pleasant six weeks. Darin supposed it might not take that long, but that was a good estimate. Darin reached over to make sure that Taja was in the basket comfortably. When that was taken care of, she looked at her shoulder. The injuries were not wide, but they were deep. In addition, her new shirt was already ruined. Darin resisted the urge to sigh. It certainly wouldn’t help. She studied her shoulder until Talbot stopped. Darin looked up to see that Ravi was standing smiling at her.

Darin smiled back, “Goodbye Overseer Ravi.” She laughed lightly, “Despite our differences it was an honor to meet you.”

Ravi reached out with a hand that Darin gladly took, “It was an honor to meet you Seed-Bearer.” He was being surprisingly serious, “You take all of the hope of Astra with you. It is grand task, but I have faith in you.” He looked at her dead in the eyes, “If you learn nothing else learn to have that same faith in yourself. You are simply marvelous. You must learn to believe that.”

Darin chuckled nervously, “I guess I can try.”

Ravi’s laugh was much more genuine, “In the end that’s all any of us can do. But if we try with all our hearts and all our strength, we may just do instead of just try.” He then turned his attention to Ridahne, “You have been called to a grand task young Guardian. You too must learn to have faith in who you are rather than what your face claims you are.” Ravi held out his free hand for Ridahne to take, “Darin my carry our hope, but you protect it. This is not a job for the faint of heart. Go with courage. Go with determination. Go with every ounce of strength you have and then find some more. Darin will not succeed without you, so do not think that you can be used as a sacrifice.”

Well Darin agreed with that one. She didn’t think that she would get very far without the Azurei. She didn’t want to even fathom trying. It had still been less than a week since she meet Ridahne, yet she already couldn’t not imagine doing this without her. In the end she didn’t think she and Ravi were actually that different. They just had different ways to see the world. That did not make either one of them wrong, and if the Overseer was willing to agree that Ridahne was someone that couldn’t just be thrown away Darin supposed that she could at least try to understand him better.

When Ridahne and Ravi was done speaking Darin sat up straight and looked at the gathered Workers, “And we are off! Thank you so much for your hospitality. May The Tree Bless you. Until we meet again whenever and wherever that may be.” She looked over to Ridahne with a smile on her face, “Are we ready to go? The day is still early. We should be able to cover a fair distance before the sun begins to set.”

- Fragmented - (dead; stay tuned for the next one!)

Ashe had successfully gotten another drink. For a moment they just studied the light pink liquid. This was their second glass, and they could already feel the headache they would have tomorrow. Ashe almost wanted to escape to their room now. Instead they took a carefully controlled sip of their rosé. Maybe if they found real food instead of a couple of crackers, they would fare better. This was why they didn’t like this type of party. There were too many people, too much noise, and not enough food. Ashe started looking for an exit. At least they could get away from the noise for a moment. Even a restroom would be good for now.

As they were looking Ashe bumped into someone. Their wine went all over the person’s shirt and they started babbling an apology, “I am so so …”

Their voice trailed off as they saw who it was. It was Isaac Abramson, one of the hosts. Ashe felt their eyes grow impossibly wide. They had done some research on their hosts, but what they could find was very little. Since they were Noble_Dancer Ashe could respect the desire for privacy. However, that meant they had no idea how the white-haired twin was going to act given that they had just ruined his clothes. Ashe could feel what little courage the alcohol had given them crumble away like it was nothing. This was a worse disaster than their about to spring up migraine. IN fact, this was only making Ashe’s migraine come that much faster.

Ashe swallowed to try again, “I am so sorry. I wasn’t paying attention. It’s my fault. Do want me to see if I can find a towel?” Suddenly their hand shot out to offer a handshake, “I’m Ashe Cross by the way. Thank you for the invitation. This certainly is quite the party and a once in a lifetime opportunity.”

Ashe forced themselves to be quiet. They were babbling. The gamer was confident they were making a terrible first impression. They weren’t sure why they cared about making a good impression. It wasn’t like they would see anybody from this party again after this week. Still, it was possible that they would be thrown off the mountain for this incident. That wouldn’t be all bad, but it certainly wasn’t ideal. That would be a great thing to report to their father. “Hi dad. I know I’m home early. I spilled a glass of rosé on Isaac Abramson the first night so he had be shipped off.”

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Darin walked towards The Tree briskly. She didn’t really have time to waste, but she needed to say goodbye to The Tree. If all went well Darin planned on never being this close to The Tree again. This would be the last time Darin had a chance to speak directly to The Tree. That didn’t mean that she was being abandoned. She knew more about how The Tree worked. She knew how to listen and knew that The Tree would come to visit her in her dreams. That was already more than she could ask for Darin. Still Darin wanted to touch The Tree one last time. The Seed-Bearer did not think that was too much to ask for. At least she hoped it wasn’t.

The moment she crossed The Barrier The Tree called out “’Darin! You brought Taja to meet me!”

Darin continued heading towards The Tree, “Yes. And to say goodbye.” She moved to sit with her back against The Tree’s Trunk, “We will never be together like this again.”

“But I will always be with you.”

“That’s not true. You’ll only be with me as long as I am in Astra.”

“You’ll be here for a little while longer yet. I wouldn’t say a final goodbye right now.”

Darin sighed, “I will never see you again. Probably, if I don’t have to come and drag Workers with me.”

Darin got the impression that The Tree was laughing, “Some will come. Some will stay.” And it seemed like The Tree was heartbroken, “And some we will lose.”

There was a moment of silence before Darin spoke again, “In the end we can’t make anyone’s choices for them. We can only ask them to choose what’s right.”

The Tree agreed, “That has always been true. For everyone, everywhere.”

Darin just sat for a few minutes under The Branches of The Tree in order to watch them sway in the wind. In was funny how even The Tree followed the natural order of things. It could sway contrary to the wind if it wanted to, but it chose not to for the most part. There was no reason to break rules put in place by nature itself. Darin knew that she could do a lot of things contrary to nature; things she couldn’t do before that first conversation with The Tree. She didn’t see a reason to do them just because she could. She would have to need a good reason. Thankfully protecting The Seed was a good reason.

Finally, The Tree spoke again, “It’s time for you to go. Ridahne looks for you, and Ravi would speak to the two of you.”

Darin stood and brushed off the back of her pants, “I best be going then.”

The Tree commanded, “Hold out your hand.” Darin did so and an Apple fell into it, “A parting gift my glorious Darin. It is all the tongues the Children of Astra speak. This should help you make friends. It will take practice to use them, but you will know them.”

Darin nodded solemnly, “Thank you.” Then she turned to hug The Tree as best she could, “I will do my best. I promise.”

The Tree laughed again, “That is all I can ask any of my Children to do. Now off you go and go with my blessing.”

Darin nodded and then walked off. As she walked, she studied the fruit in her hand. It looked like a normal apple but knew it was much more. Most of the Apples were essentially normal. Only when The Tree chose to make them more did they become more. Still each Apple was of great importance. It was almost a metaphor for people. Most people were normal and average even though not one was unimportant. Then occasionally, like her or Ridahne, a person became vastly important to all the people of Astra. Eventually Darin rubbed the fruit off on her shirt and took a bite out of it. It tasted like an apple; sweet and just a little tart. She ate it all, including the seeds. It wouldn’t kill her, but she knew she had to take even the bad parts of the words of Astra. She was finishing up as she, Talbot, and Taja joined Ridahne,

She nodded, “Yes we should go.” Talbot bent his knees and Taja was smart enough to hold still as she climbed up on the horse, “First we need to find Ravi or maybe let him find us. For while we don’t agree on many things, he is still more experienced than the both of us combined. We can at least listen to any parting wisdom he may have. It won’t hurt. That much is for sure.”

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

I'm sorry. I wish I could help. Hopefully the injections do.