Senkha mechanically drops the stick in the fire and, brushing aside the flowers, sits down beside Oliver, swallowing a few more times and not saying anything.
Ariadine quietly lies on the rug, her crayons and papers spread out around her.
Stehlp sniffs around Oliver some more and makes another, more concerned noise. More flowers sprout. Helpful dargon is helpful.
Macglynn 's eyes are closed, though blue flame still pours from them, like smoke. He still smiles up in her general direction. Without moving his arm much, he picks a dargonflower. "Hi."
Senkha doesn't look at Oliver, still exactly as closed off as she was the night before, though at least she's since washed her face. She stares down at the bedsheets. "Hello. Are you feeling better?"
Ariadine hums quietly to herself, still drawing mang. Like a pro.
Macglynn doesn't answer the question, but instead asks, "Where's Dizzy?"
Senkha looks up and out of the door. "Downstairs. Coloring, I'd assume." She doesn't say as much, but the clear implication is that Senkha has been avoiding them both as much as she can while living in the same house.
Macglynn looks almost pained as he raises his voice. "Diz-," and it doesn't last long at all. He slumps back against the covers. "Feel like Ah weigh a hunnerd thousan' pounds."
Senkha nods, still not looking at him. "You're recovering. You were pretty beat up. It'll take a while." Her words are clipped, emotionless. "Anythihng I can get for you?"
Macglynn says: ... No. Stay here.
Senkha nods again, still not looking at him. Stehlp, meanwhile, hops off Oliver's chest and trots downstairs to inspect Dizzy like the good nursemaid whelp he is. He squeaks at her and causes a flower to grow out of the top of her head.
Ariadine frowns slightly at her collection of pictures and shoves them inside her notebook. She squeaks in surprise at the sudden flowerpop! She smiles and pats Stehl on the head. The girl takes the flower and tucks it behind her ear.
Ariadine stills hasn't spoken a word.
Macglynn says: ... Is it bad.
Senkha says: Is what bad.
Macglynn gestures to his general upper chest/shoulders/neck/face area.
Ariadine tries to hug Stehlp around the neck.
Senkha finally looks at his body, though she doesn't look at his face. "You were nearly beheaded, but it's on the mend. Everything's on the mend, really, except your eyes. I didn't do anything." The last part sounds more bitter than anything else, but she's still largely emotionless.
Stehlp nuzzles at Dizzy's cheek with a soft whining sound. More flowers sprout from the floor around her, from her notebook, and especially from her arm. Helpful whelp is helpful.
Macglynn makes a sound that's probably supposed to be a laugh, but there's really no force behind it so it sounds more like a "hnn." "Fuck," he finally states, trying to sit up.
Macglynn doesn't manage this task. He flops back onto the bed.
Senkha looks away from him again, staring back at the bedclothes. "You're recovering," she repeats firmly. "You'll probably have to go to Acherus before you're completely mended, but if this is anything like last time..."
Senkha says: ...it'll be a couple of days. Just rest.
Ariadine beams at the flowurz! She gets up and hurries over to the kitchen and emerges with a donut!
Ariadine breaks it in half and offers Stehl a piece.
Stehlp follows Dizzy to the kitchen and gives a "crawww" of joy at being offered a donut. He plops back on his haunches and takes the donut between his two front paws, nomming cheerfully and letting out floral farts everywhere.
Macglynn smiles. "Ah'll get--"
Macglynn reaches his hand up to feel his eyes. "... Ah'll get over it."
Macglynn says: Ah must look horrifyin'.
Ariadine smiles happily and joins Stehl in the donut nomming.
Senkha doesn't answer this one way or the other, idly picking at the bedclothes.
Macglynn laughs again, though strained. He tries to sit up again, quicker this time.
Senkha says: Don't.
Senkha sounds harsher than she intends to when she says this.
Stehlp tries to find a way to seat himself in Dizzy's lap while still nomming on his half of the donut.
Macglynn rests back again at her demand and stares deadpan upwards, his eyes now open. He doesn't say anything, kind of worried he'll somehow set her off.
Senkha 's shoulders sag as she senses Oliver's worry. It's clear that she's not going to get angry, but the sads, they are definitely here. "You're too weak," she explains, still staring down at the bedclothes.
Ariadine lets Stehl seat himself on her lap and begins to scratch him behind his horns.
Macglynn says: D-do you know whut-
Macglynn tries again.
Macglynn says: Is he dead.
Stehlp drapes his wings lazily over Dizzy's knees and smiles up at her as she scratches behind his horns, tail wagging. He exhales a tiny plume of fire that turns into flowers and falls to the ground.
Senkha says: As far as I know.
Senkha says: If he wasn't, I wouldn't be here.
Ariadine kisses Stehl's nose, god he is so cute.
Macglynn says: Dizzy needs you fer more'n yer daggers.
Stehlp returns the affection with a nuzzle and creates more flower fire for Dizzy's amusement. He experiments with making only red flowers and then only white flowers.
Senkha 's composure -almost- breaks for a minute, but she doesn't allow it. She shakes her head. "If he was still alive, I would be more interested in making sure he never comes near either of you again."
Ariadine squeals in delight and gathers the flowers together.
Ariadine begins to braid them together.
Stehlp creates more and more flowers, all of them piling up all around the downstairs of the house. He tries for only purple, then only blue, then only yellow.
Macglynn says: But you-
Senkha says: But I what.
Macglynn seems hesitant to even say it. "She needs you -here-."
Ariadine finishes a fart-flower chain and plops it on Stehl's head. She looks at the pile of fart-flowers, WHAT DO WITH THEM NOW?
Senkha doesn't answer this at all, simply staring at the covers still. She's still incredibly closed off, as closed off as she can be where Oliver is concerned.
Stehlp pushes his flower chain out of his eyes, chirruping happily and rolling around in one of the flower piles like the dragon he is. He starts chittering, too, as if trying to tell Dizzy a story.
Macglynn says: ... Can she come up here.
Ariadine laughs and begins to trolololroll around in the flowers with Stehl too.
Senkha closes her eyes; Oliver would sense a great deal of reluctance coming from her. "Is that what you want."
Stehlp continues to chitter at Dizzy. His chitterings clearly mean something in draconic, but what they mean is anyone's guess.
Ariadine begins braiding more fart-flowers, and nods sagely between the small pauses in Stehl's speech.
Macglynn lifts a hand to his neck, but frowns. What the heck, his bandana is gone. He stops, and quietly says, "Please talk t' me."
Senkha runs her hand along the covers vaguely, mindlessly. "I am."
Stehlp totally gets bored with the flowers and is much more interested in chattering at Dizzy. He gesticulates with his front claws; it looks like something big and wings and kissing.
Ariadine grins, and begins to draw Stehl in her red crayon. As he chatters away she begins to add another dragon with very long eyelashes.
Macglynn says: No yer not.
Stehlp crows triumphantly as he sees her drawing beginning to take shape. SHE GETS IT! He goes on, trying to describe the girl dragon to Dizzy in extended detail and then sighs, happily, more white flowers growing all over the place.
Senkha is silent a moment longer, hands still fussing with the covers. "What do you want me to say?" she eventually asks.
Ariadine takes her pink crayon and draws scales over the red and adding little hearts around the two.
Macglynn 's hand covers hers as she messes with the bedspread. "Dunno."
Ariadine scrawls across the top of the drawing, "STEHL AND WATSERFACE IT WAS MENT 2 B"
Stehlp claps his claws together excitedly and trots over to hug Dizzy tightly about the waist, as much as he can. Best sister ever.
Ariadine grins and returns the hug, SIBLING BONDING YEEEAAAH.
Senkha flinches as Oliver's hand covers hers, looking for a moment like she's going to pull her hand away. She doesn't, though. "You already know what I'm feeling."
Macglynn says: No. It ain't my place t' look, Ah jus' take whut y'give me an' guess.
Senkha closes her eyes for a minute, her hand clenching on the covers. For just a minute, her mind is completely open to him again, and it's not a happy place. No real voices or anything along those lines, but an overwhelming sense of guilt. Beyond that, almost tangibly, terror, anger, frustration, and uselessness. In that order. She closes off the bond after only a second; he doesn't need that.
Macglynn smiles. "Stop that. Ah'm th' dead one, 's mah job t' be th' miser'ble one."
Stehlp lets go of Dizzy's waist for a second and begins trotting around, picking up extra flowers and creating more. He seems determined to create more wreaths for some reason.
Ariadine gathers the flowers and starts to braid a very long fart-flower chain.
Senkha 's hand clenches on the covers again. "Please don't tell me to stop it," she says in a quiet voice.
Ariadine 's chain is now as long as the rug.
Macglynn says: Whut'll it change.
Stehlp is color coding his smaller wreaths for no apparent reason.
Senkha snorts, finally showing some emotion. "So I'm not allowed to feel like shit because my family almost all died and I did -nothing-, but you're allowed to wallow when you don't even -do- anything wrong?"
Ariadine takes some of Stehl's wreaths and undoes a side to add on to her s00per chain.
Macglynn says: Ah never said Ah wasn't a hypacrit. Whut could you 'a done. Tell me.
Stehlp makes an irritated noise and tries to unbraid his wreaths from the superwreath. Dizzy is messing with his plan, man.
Senkha says: If I hadn't passed out? I could've fought him with you. I could've stopped him before he took your eyes. I could've healed Dizzy. I could've done -so many things-.
Ariadine sighs and helps Stehl untie his wreath from her chain.
Senkha 's hand on the covers clenches again, and her voice breaks. "But no. I passed out and by the time I came to, there was -nothing- I could've done."
Ariadine continues on her masterpiece. It now ranges from the door to the fireplace.
Macglynn says: Did y'hear whut y'just said? There was nuthin' y'could'a done.
Macglynn says: So maybe y'should start thinkin' about whut y'can do, instead.
Macglynn glares at her somewhat.
Stehlp nods sagely as Dizzy undoes his wreaths from the chain. He places his wreaths aside and begins helping Dizzy with her huge wreath.
Senkha says: I -could have- done something! I could have pushed through it! I -tried-, Light knows I -tried-, but I failed you both--
Senkha doesn't notice Oliver glaring at her. Her eyes are closed.
Ariadine smiles proudly, they did good mang. She picks up an end and drags it to the staircase.
Macglynn thinks she can FEEL IT.
Stehlp goes to gather two of his wreaths in his mouth and joins Dizzy at the stairs.
Senkha says: And don't try to tell me that I didn't fail you. You wouldn't be lying here if I'd pushed through.
Ariadine drags the long braid of flowers up the stairs, and weaves it between the banister as she goes up.
Macglynn says: There was -nuthin' you could'a done-. That's like sayin' Ah'd still be alive if' Lordaeron never got skurged! Nuthin' could'a been done!
Macglynn says: If y'pushed it more, yuh'd 'a hurt yerself more!
Senkha gives a growl of frustration, slamming her fist on the bed. "I could've helped, damnit!"
Senkha says: This wasn't the Scourge, this was one man!
Senkha says: And he -took- my -daughter-!
Ariadine drags the long braid of flowers up the stairs, and weaves it between the banister as she goes up.
Senkha says: I was too weak to be there when she needed me.
Macglynn says: Well, Ah guess that jus' means yer gunna have t' practice more, don't it?
Stehlp bounds up the stairs with Dizzy, leaving a trail of flowers behind him.
Senkha calms as he says this, though it's not any sort of relenting or happy calm. It's more of a determination. "Yes. I will."
Macglynn says: Good.
Macglynn says: ... Ah'll train with you.
Senkha doesn't respond to this; it's pretty clear that this plan does not make her feel better in the least, really.
Ariadine reaches the doorway, still plenty of chain leftover for her plans. She softly knocks on the door.
Senkha flinches as she hears the knock on the door. She doesn't get up to answer it or say anything. She suddenly looks terrified and ready to just sort of sink through the bed.
Macglynn says: Ah realize this. There ain't no sense in hatin' whut y'can't help.
Macglynn says: So y'jus' learn t' help it.
Senkha still doesn't say anything; her eyes are on the door like she expects the Lich King to come marching through it at any minute.
Macglynn says: ... Open the door, love.
Ariadine peeks inside, the end of the flower chain clenched tightly in her hand. She looks around the dark room uncertainly.
Senkha takes a moment to register this and then finally gets up and walks to the door with jerky motions, as if she doesn't want to be doing this. She pulls the door open slowly, kind of hiding behind it.
Ariadine beams at the sight of Senkha and gives her a quick hug before scuttling inside the room with her fart-flower chain trailing behind her.
Senkha flinches as Dizzy hugs her, not responding in the least. She stays hidden behind the door for the most part, looking very much like she wants to run but like something is keeping her there regardless.
Stehlp trots into the room and drapes one of the flower wreaths on Oliver's head. He flaps his wings hard, creating a veritable tornado in the room, and places the other on Senkha's head.
Macglynn has gone back to resting, the whole conversation having taken a lot out of him.
Ariadine ties the end of the chain to the bedpost and then crawls onto the bed with Oliver. The girl looks down at him, her large pale blue eyes filled with concern. She leans over and lightly kisses his forehead.
Stehlp frowns down at Oliver and plops down beside him on the bed. He blows out a jet of fire that turns into flowers all over the place.
Macglynn looks up at Dizzy with closed eyes and smiles. "Hey. How y'feelin'?"
Senkha watches Dizzy do this and sinks to the ground, drawing her knees up to her chest. She doesn't make a sound, but her shoulders begin to shake as she drops her face to rest on her knees.
At the sound of Oliver's voice Ariadine squeals in delight and bounces on the bed, "You're okay! You're okay!" Her voice is hoarse, this is the first time she spoken since being captured. She turns to smiles widely at Senkha, "Momma, he's okay!"
Ariadine gives Stehl the thumbs-up.
Senkha makes a choked sound and -forces- herself to look up, -forces- herself to smile and stop looking so miserable. "Of course he is. Your Daddy's a hero," she manages in a weak voice.
Ariadine nods sagely, "He is."
Macglynn laughs, pulling an arm around her and patting her on the back. Where is this energy coming from, what the heck. His smile fades some as Senkha talks.
Senkha looks at the two of them a moment more and then abruptly stands. "I'm going to go make dinner," she says quickly, almost brusquely. Before anyone can protest, she's out the door and down in the kitchen.
Ariadine frowns, "Daddy, why is Momma so sad?"
Senkha actually does start cooking dinner! Breakfast for dinner, even! Pancakes and Thalassian toast! With bacon! Granted, she's sobbing uncontrollably as she does it, but at least she's a woman of her word!
Macglynn reaches-- stretches-- SO MUCH EFFORT-- but he manages to grab his bandana from the bedside table and folds it. He then wraps it around his eyes. He rests back against the pillow again, spent. "She's upset she couldn'a been there yesturday."
Ariadine frowns even more at the eye-covering, "Oh... 'S not her fault 'r anything." Her shoulders sag in shame, "'M sorry."
Macglynn says: Heck, everybody in this house's gotta be sorry fer things they didn' mean t' happen, don't they?
Senkha whips the pancake batter pretty violently. She's making a mess, but it's good batter. Cinnamon sugar and everything. She's also talking to the batter in a low voice, as if it's done something wrong. Poor batter.
Ariadine sighs, "S'ppose. I-I promise 't not leave th' ship wi'out someone anymore."
Senkha pours pancake batter onto the griddle and messes with it until it's shaped like a reasonably recognizeable chicken.
Macglynn smiles. "That's good. Ah'm glad y'learned that." He seems somewhat dazed, maybe a little too happy.
Macglynn says: Shit!
Macglynn frowns.
Macglynn says: Er.
Senkha creates a second pancake, trying to shape it like a bear. The earthquake messes it up and she swears quietly, scraping the batter off of the griddle and into the fire. She tries again, successfully this time.
Ariadine winces at the tremor, but stays still. She pats Mac on the forehead, "'S 'kay I'll protect you."
Macglynn chuckles again. "Thanks. That's good t' know. Ah'm right useless, look 'a me!"
Ariadine says: Naaaw! Y'look purty.
Macglynn says: Ah look "purty".
Ariadine says: Reeaal purty.
Ariadine says: As purty as Stehl!
Senkha creates a third pancake, just a regular circle, nothing fancy. It's smaller than the other two; that's all the batter she has left. "...prefer Thalassian toast anyway," she murmurs before flipping the pancakes in quick succession.
Macglynn says: Ah can't see w' this thing over me. Y'didn' cover me in flowers, didja?
Stehlp notes his father's line of questioning and does, in fact, cover him in flowers.
Ariadine piles on more flowers with Stehl, "Nu-uh."
Senkha finishes cooking the pancakes and sets them on plates to keep hot while she fixes the Thalassian toast and bacon. She makes enough of each of these to feed a small army.
Macglynn says: Oh, good. That'd be more somthin' fer S- f'yer mother. She's th' pretty one.
Ariadine grins wickedly at Macglynn.
Senkha finishes cooking up the Thalassian toast and bacon and adds those to the three plates. She then finds a bowl of whipped cream in the icebox and begins decorating the pancakes with that and chocolate chips.
Ariadine smiles brightly at Stehl, "Stehl can fart flowers! Can I fart flowers someday?"
Stehlp looks indignant and huffs, as if to say, "I do not -fart- flowers."
Macglynn shakes his head, the smile still not having left him. "Ah don't think it quite works like that, 'less yer akshully a dragon an' that's whut y'don't remember."
Ariadine says: WOah!
Ariadine says: I wanna be a dargon!
Ariadine flexes her muscles. Oooooh so strong!
Ariadine flaps her arms, "RAAAWR! Shit howdy!"
Senkha drizzles the pancakes with chocolate syrup and adds strawberries and powdered sugar to the Thalassian toast.
Ariadine smacks her bandaged arm against the bed-post in her dargon-flapping and lets out a whimper of pain. She glares at it like it came out of a wood-work just to hit her.
Macglynn laughs, though he can't see it. "Ah dun think that'll happen." He pauses, though, as she whimpers. He lifts a hand and holds it blindly up in her direction. "Whut happened?"
Ariadine scowls, "The bed hit 'm pirate arm."
Macglynn says: ... Yer pahrit arm?
Ariadine nods sagely, "I gots scars an' tattoos now, an' pirates have scars an' tattoos."
Senkha sets about placing the plates of breakfast for dinner on a serving tray. The smell of cooked bacon and toast and pancakes would be incredible. She then pours three glasses of orange juice, hefts the tray with practiced skill, and heads for the stairs.
Macglynn pushes himself up on his elbow with some effort, and lifts the bandana around his eyes to look at her arm without really thinking.
Macglynn just sees bandages, though. Really, what was he expecting?
Senkha doesn't go in the room still, setting the tray gently on the library table. She sets out the food and drinks carefully, mumbling something to herself.
Ariadine says: Why didja put your bandanana over your eyes?
Senkha realizes that she forgot forks and knives.
Macglynn slides it back over his eyes as she asks this and looks in her direction. "They jus' don't look so good right na's all."
Ariadine says: Issokay, Daddy I think 'y look purty no matter what.
Macglynn says: ... Is 'purty' th' right word yer lookin' fer?
Ariadine taps her chin, "Wha's th' other word?"
Ariadine says: Hamblersum?
Ariadine says: Bootyful?
Macglynn fwumps back onto his back. "Let's go with "impossibly good-lookin'"."
Senkha carefully sets out forks and knives and napkins. The table looks like it's set for royalty or possibly Winter Veil dinner. She sighs when she's finished setting the table, deciding that she can't avoid it any longer, and goes to knock on the doorjamb.
Ariadine grins, "'Kay."
Ariadine kisses Oliver's not-so-disgusting cheek, "I smell bacon!"
Senkha knocks lightly on the doorjamb but doesn't come in the room. "Do you two want dinner in there or out here?" she asks, sounding more like the family cook than anything else.
Ariadine tugs Oliver's arm, "Can you come downstairs?"
Macglynn again pushes himself up onto his elbows. He grunts as he does, obviously straining himself. "We'll see 'bout me movin', hah."
Senkha still stands outside the door. "I can bring it in there. It's alright," she says quietly and turns to go and start stacking plates and cups on the tray again.
Macglynn says: Oh, Ah'm not gunna be much good on m' ass anyway, Ah gotta walk sometahm.
Ariadine grins, and butt-scootches off the bed. "Can Stehl have pancakes?"
Senkha continues to stack plates and cups on the tray, not quite aware that Oliver answered her question and focused entirely on the task at hand.
Macglynn pushes himself up further. His arms shake as they support his upper body.
Ariadine smiles, and tugs Senkha's sleeve. "Thanks for makin' dinner."
Senkha stiffens as Dizzy tugs on her sleeve, but she doesn't look at the girl at all. "It's fine," she says in a flat voice. "Do you want to eat up here or in bed?"
Ariadine pales as the runes under her bandages suddenly flash a bright azure glow. She falls to the ground screaming bloody-murder and curling into a ball. Bordros wat u do. >B[
Macglynn pushes himself up again, this time with all the effort he has. The result is him falling forward and crashing to the floor. HE IS UPSET.
Senkha drops the tray altogether, the glasses and plates shattering. So much for dinner! She turns and trops to her knees, taking Dizzy by the arms and sounding terrified. "Dizzy. DIZZY!"
A voice would resonate from around Dizzy, "'Ello Blightreaver and wench... My name is Edwin... Wot's hers?" the voice laughed darkly.
Ariadine pulls her arm into her chest, sobbing. "I-It HURTS."
Senkha reaches for Dizzy's arm with both hands, a smile coming to her face, comforting, motherly. "Let me see your arm, Dizz. Let me see if I can fix it." Her cheek twitches as she hears the voice, the look in her eyes cold.
Macglynn rolls onto his side and tears the bandana from his eyes. He stares with flaring lichfires at the goings-on in the other room and seems incredibly frustrated that he can't get up. He also doesn't respond to the voice because bad troll is bad.
Ariadine chokes back another wail and lets Senkha take her arm. The dark blue runes pulse softly as Bordros speaks.
"My, Blightreaver... I must hand it to you. You share my taste in women. Mayhaps I'll add another trophy wench to my gallery when I have your head under my boot."
The voice laughed wildly at its own joke, being the egotistical voice it is.
Senkha very gently unwinds the bandages around her arm, her smile faltering for just a minute when she sees them. Still, she continues to smile, despite the voice, and leans down to kiss the runes. "Ah, love, just a scratch. I'll fix those up for you." She sounds much more certain than she really is and for the first time since the previous night, she reaches out for Oliver's mind: help.
Macglynn rests on his side, looking almost kind of pitifully at the situation with his wide, hollow, blazing eyes. At Senkha's call he rolls onto his stomach and tries to push himself up again. It doesn't go so well.
To Macglynn: "Not with your body. Tell me what to do. How can I make these runes stop hurting her."
Ariadine cries out again, and drags herself to rest on Senkha's lap.
The voice sighed happily, "Mmmm... I like this, home... It's quaint, reminds me of my living days. But I digress, I assure you your daughter isn't safe from me... No one on this Light-forsaken rock is."
Macglynn very calmly rests back on his side and nods. His voice is level. "Y'have t' destroy th' runes. Y'need magic t' do that."
Senkha pulls Dizzy close and still holds her arm in one hand. She snarls as she hears the voice but kisses Dizzy's temple. "Don't you listen to that, baby. Nothing's going to hurt you anymore." She casts another glance up at Oliver. "How."
Macglynn's hand lifts and then slams down on the rug in front of him. Not out of anger, it just fell because he couldn't hold it up. He taps the rug with a finger. "Runes is got a c-center."
Macglynn then circles his finger around the place he tapped. "An' that's whut makes th' whole thing work. A magic attack aimed at th' center--"
Senkha continues to hold her crying daughter close. "Lie still, love. I need you to focus your energy on telling me how to fix this. Runes have a center. Magic--" Her voice breaks some. "What kind of magic?"
"So... You're going to blanket her from the outside world? Blightreaver, I expected -far- better parenting from you. Mayhaps you should make the right decision and drop her off in Duskwood. She'll be -far- more succesful with me." the voice hissed in delight at this.
Ariadine spasms in Senkha's lap and lets out another pained scream. She digs her nails into her runed arm, tearing at the skin.
Macglynn says: Yeah. Yer doin' a-- ngh. Doin' a great job, pal.
"Do you read wot is on her arm... No hope... As there will always be."
Macglynn says: Ah don't rightly care whut y'wrote.
"-It- knows sarcasm?" the voice gasps, "I'm impressed."
Senkha grabs both of Dizzy's hands and closes her eyes tightly, furrowing her brow. She holds tight to the girl's injured arm, focusing her energy on closing the word-wounds carved there.
"Am I getting in your head, wench? Come now, tell me your name."
Macglynn says: It's gunna hurt 'er.
Ariadine calms down as the reopened wound is closed. She buries her face into her mother's shoulder and whimpers softly.
Senkha says: Like setting a bone. Tell me what to do, Oliver.
"It appears I'm being ignored... Bother."
Senkha 's voice has taken on a desperate tone.
"Ssssssss." the voice began to hiss softly, even resorting to moaning... Like, a creepy old man moan, whom is also dead.
Macglynn stops trying to move at all. He stares at Dizzy's arm, unimpressed.
Senkha stares at Oliver through the door, trying to find some--any--answer from him.
Ariadine 's runes flare again and she wails loudly. She begins clawing at the runes in her arm as the "NO HOPE" was recarved into her arm.
Senkha screws her eyes shut again, closing the wounds as soon as they appear; the look on her face is one of furious determination. She holds tightly to both of Dizzy's hands to keep her from clawing at herself again.
Macglynn looks at his wife. "Y'need arcane m-magic. A mage. A d-druid. Anythin'. Y'gotta get her t' town or git somebody here... 'less y'think y'can conjure up fire."
The voice sang, "No hope. No hope. Ba-ha-ha-ha-haaaa-ha." it was more of a schoolyard chant.
Ariadine whimpers, "D-don't make me leave. He's gonna f-find me."
"Yes, yes I am..."
Macglynn looks at Ariadine.
Macglynn says: ... Or a runemaster.
Senkha says: Can I shield her until they get here?
"I'm coming for you, Dizzy... You'll be happy with me."
Senkha lets go of Dizzy's hands to cover her ears. She reaches out her mind to Dizzy's as well, trying to form a shield against any intrusion. If successful, it's pretty strong and bites back.
"Kitty has cl-." the voice was blocked for the time-being.
Ariadine huddles against Senkha, make the bad sounds stop plz.
Senkha keeps her eyes closed and her brow furrowed, even as the voice stops. This whole protecting her daughter's mind thing is taking a lot of energy.
Faronne leans heavily on the railing, and clears her throat, "Mm. I heard something was amiss... do you require assistance, Lady MacGlynn?"
Faronne remembers them from at the harbor! No sparta kicking this time.
Senkha opens her eyes just slightly enough to see the mage. It's probably the first time in her life that she's been glad to see a mage. "Can you destroy runes."
Ariadine has kept her eyes screwed shut the whole time, rocking back and forth in Senkha's arms.
Faronne takes hesitant steps over to Senkha and Dizzy, "Put her on the table, please? I'm afraid I cannot kneel."
Senkha nods and lifts Dizzy in a smooth motion, laying her down on the table gently. She still holds onto her daughter's head and hand. Also, there are totes no books on the table.
Macglynn simply watches helplessly from the other room. He seems to have come to terms with the fact that he is not walking any time soon.
Senkha indicates Dizzy's arm, which is covered with runes. "Can you remove those?" she asks weakly.
Faronne props her cane up on the table, and leans heavily on the edge. She digs through her satchel, for one tome or another-- there's a lotta books in there. Plus, a strange blue glow...
Faronne says: I will try my best, dove.
Senkha nods and smooths Dizzy's hair. Her brow is still furrowed in intense concentration.
Faronne plops a book on the table, and begins flipping through the tattered pages. There's many complex diagrams of runes, and near-illegible notes, "mmm. Let me have a look, here," she clicks her tongue, and lifts Dizzy's arm to get a better look at this.
Faronne says: Ah, fairly simple, I've seen things like this before. Won't take but a few minutes.
Senkha 's hand on Dizzy's forehead twitches, just barely. "Thank the Light..."
Faronne eyetics at the mention fo the Light, but offers a warm, almost motherly smile. She touches her palm to the runes and closes her eyes to focus. Magical energy gathers in the palm of her hand; she's magically extracting the rune and its magic.
Ariadine has slipped into a fevered and pained delirium. She occasionally twitches.
Faronne continues focusing on the runes for a few more moments, until her eyes snap open. She rips her hand away from Dizzy's arm which, now, is rune-free. Faro's hand glows blue with the rune magic, until she torches the remnants of the spell with arcane fire.
Faronne says: That should do it. Darling, open your eyes now.
Ariadine 's eyes flutter open. She slowly eases herself up, looking around.
Ariadine smiles faintly, "'S quiet."
Macglynn 's eyes close. He allows himself to rest.
Senkha looks at Dizzy hopefully. She smiles when the girl speaks, finally relaxing some, though the smile doesn't reach her eyes at all. "Good. It's going to stay quiet."
Faronne stands up straight, and grabs her cane, "Is there anything else that needs done?"
Ariadine smiles at Faronne, "Thankya."
Senkha glances between Dizzy and Oliver, still smiling. "I think we'll be alright," she says. "I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"
Ariadine crawls to the edge of the table to hug Senkha tightly.
Faronne says: Faronne Price. I remember you from the harbor the other night; thank you, by the way. I suppose debts are now repaid.
Senkha wraps her arms around Dizzy without thinking about it, her guilt complex temporarily set aside. "Ms. Price, it's a pleasure to meet you. Thank -you- for saving my daughter. If there's anything I can do for you..."
Faronne says: I will call upon you if I need assistance; but I do believe things are fine--
Faronne stops, and turns to her right, "It would appear not. Is that man all right?"
Senkha says: --Oliver? He's...exhausted. He's recovering from some pretty nasty injuries. I'll have to get him back into bed.
The voice would return, as if fighting back pain as he spoke, it hissed in pleasure, "Mmmm... Wh-why do you fight it? D-d-death is inevitable."
Faronne eyes Macglynn curiously, "I can take a look at him, if you wish. I've something that may perk him up."
Senkha sneers as she hears the voice, her wards immediately flaring up around Dizzy's mind again. "Please do. I suddenly have somewhere to go and it'd be good if he could at least stand before I leave."
Faronne says: Go do what you need to do, Lady MacGlynn. I'll take care of things here.
Ariadine says: Please Momma, don't go...
Senkha nods tersely at Faronne but holds Dizzy tightly just a second longer. "I'm going to go stop the bad man from hurting you," she says in a voice that says she is not kidding.
Ariadine is not so stupid to know when there is no way she can stop Momma Bear. She just nods sadly, "Don't end up like Daddy. You can't lose your eyes."
Senkha smiles, almost ferally, and kisses Dizzy's forehead before letting her go and moving into the bedroom to change into her whup-ass armor. "Don't worry. I won't."
Macglynn whispers: "He's like me. Protect yourself."
Senkha opens her travel pack and pulls out her geistskin armor, still stained with Blight from the night before. Below that, wrapped carefully in runecloth, are her two Light-blessed daggers. She lays these on top of the trunk, sighing softly.
Faronne watches Dizzy a moment, and takes off her cloak. She offers it to the girl, "She'll be fine, darling. Sit here a moment, okay?" Her cloak smells of cloves and other such exotic scents.
To Macglynn: "I am. I will." He would notice a strangeness about her tone, as if something managed to break out of its cage.
Ariadine wraps the cloak around her, nodding. "'Kay..."
Macglynn mutters, "Book. Find th'-" He tries yet again to push himself up. He hates this.
Senkha removes her regular armor, laying it neatly on the floor. She murmurs a prayer and begins to tug the geistskin armor on, exhaling slowly as she puts each piece into place.
To Macglynn: "Book? What book?"
Macglynn slumps. "... Needs to burn."
To Macglynn: "Get the book. Right. Don't overexert yourself. I'll be back soon."
To Macglynn: After a long pause. "I love you."
Macglynn whispers: "Tear his heart out."
Senkha says: --right.
To Macglynn: "Will do."
Macglynn grunts, obviously not entirely pleased with his helplessness. "Call fer help on yer way."
Senkha doesn't answer this. Instead, she just kisses Oliver again and turns out the door to face Dizzy.
Ariadine pokes her head out from her cloak-tent, smiling. "I love you, Momma."
Macglynn sounds pained, as though holding back tears. "Don't be stupid."
Senkha pokes her head into the cloak-tent, kissing Dizzy on the forehead. "I love you, Monkey. More than anything. Be good for Ms. Price and Daddy, alright? I'll be back before you know it."
Ariadine nods at you.
Ariadine smiles at you.
Senkha pulls back and squares her shoulders. She nods at Faronne and turns, walking down the stairs. It's whupass time.
Senkha tugs on her geistskin mask before descending.
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