Breakfast, Spirits, and talk of Kittens - RPLOG
Participants
Date
27/4/477
Log
A small smile, a flick of Flora's tails. "It is... Not about a discovery. It's about something else," the feline mumbles as she rides her golem back into the building, towards the dining-room. "Flora has... Things going on. Lots of things. Flora is... Planning a lifebond, for one... That stays secret for now, yes," she mumbles, ears folded back as she looks between Lina and Selena... "Flora has... Reasons."
Lina blinks and nods as she eyes Flora. "Of course, I'll keep everything I know secret..." as she thinks things over she twitches a little and looks to Selena. "What will you be having, I should get food ready."
Selena blinks, looking back to the cat. "I see. Congratulations." She replies, sounding a little taken aback. "Well, first, let's head inside?" She suggests, frowning slightly and falling quiet for a few moments as she considers.
"That is... Part of the thing. But yes, dining room first, yes. Right this way," she mumbles with a smile, guiding Selena along and allowing Lina to make her way to the kitchen.
Sveta enters the manor after a long day out on the streets, looking slightly ruffled. She notices everyone out in the courtyard, and pauses to regard them. "Lady Longtail. Selena. Lina. Why...why are you all out here? Did something happen?"
Lina is slightly disheartened when she again fails to get a response out of Selena, but is a patient feline. She walks along wih the others for a bit, hoping to get a response before she moves off towards the kitchen, only to stop and wave to Sveta. "Hey! We met the deer spirit and he didn't want any food so he left, but FLora talked to him about something interesting."
Selena looks back over at Lina for a few moments, before her ears perk up a little more, calling after the cat "Pardon, Lina; I might pass on any food for now. I'm not terribly hungry." She finally replies, waving over to Sveta. "And now you're here. You did just meet Kendrac, as Lina said, following after the others.
A soft rumble, a nod. "Yes. We spoke to sir Kendrac. Flora will explain everything over breakfast, yes. Is friend Sveta alright?" she asks curiously, her tails twitching lightly as she moves along. "Flora also needs to ask friend Sveta the same thing she wants to ask friend Selena... It means... A lot to Flora, yes."
As Flora and Selena move to the dining hall Lina recruits Sveta in aiding with the cooking, because two folks cooking is faster than one in her mind. Soon a meal of chicken, with added lime and lemon as requested, with the feline taking special note as Sveta makes a few additives of her own. She excitedly brings it out for all involved to enjoy, sitting down so that Flora can tell those gathered what they need to know.
Flora smiles softly as she takes her own seat, still resting sideways atop her golem and mumbling to herself. "As Flora noted... Flora has her reasons to plan a lifebond... Flora has... Two of them," she mumbles, before looking between Sveta and Selena. "Flora would ask friends Sveta and Selena to function as... Caretakers as well. As... What's the word... Flora isn't sure." she asks hesitantly, looking between the two. "To. To consider them family, teach them things... Flora would... Flora would appreciate it."
Sveta fluffs, still not quite having started poking at the chicken. "I can consent to that, I believe. It does not seem any different from what I was planning, anyway. Even if the formality of such a relationship can be strenuous at times."
It takes a few moments for Flora's admission to sink in, the wolfess taking a deep breath and resting her elbows on the table, closing her hands over the base of her muzzle in such a way it also keeps her eyes from view. "Twins, then." She comments quietly, drawing a longer than average breath.
"... I'll do what I can, Flora. I'd rather not give a definite answer at the moment, there's... Something I have to take care of before I can take on any more responsibility like that. I hope you're content with your situation as far as partners go."
Lina smiles, looking to Sveta and giving an excited "Congratulations!" before she looks to Selena and listens, looking to Flora. As she does so she tries to clam down a little bit, adjusting her clothes and straightening out. This was exciting news and talk. "So there are two?"
Flora nods. "Two... Two kittens," she mutters hesitantly, her ears folded back lightly as she takes a bite from her food, before looking to Selena. "Flora... Flora would also ask friend Selena to help them with magic, if they show talent. And Flora would ask friend Sveta to teach them to craft, if they show talent for that," she mumbles, looking out over the table. "Flora can teach not-magic math herself, but... There are things Flora can't teach them, and times that Flora can't be with them, of course... Flora wants to be sure someone Flora can trust unconditionally can help with those things, yes," she mutters, poking at her food a tad.
"Two really isn't that much more work than one, I've heard," Sveta muses. "And since I live here now, it's going to be much easier on me to do what you ask of me - and hence for me to agree - than it is for Selena. Of course, I shouldn't have to say this, but...I can look after them from time to time, but you are their mother, Flora. I can only hope those times will not come too often."
Another deep breath is drawn by Selena as the cat continues. "Twins." She repeats to herself, perhaps not quiet loud enough that others at the table would hear were they eating. "What's more important than talent is a desire to apply it, though. I can't stress that enough." She says quietly - the very specific kind of quiet one's voice falls to to cover the rest of their tone. For a moment, she opens her muzzle again to speak, though after a split second she just shuts it again and shakes her head. "I don't have anything important to add." She finally manages.
The lioness looks to everyone once more then moves to serve Flora, allowing the shock of the moment to go over its course, and trying to find an output for her bottled up excitement. She thinks to say something but stops herself, realizing it's far too early to ask this question. "I hope you enjoy the food, is there anything else I can get you?" she asks as she looks to Selena and Sveta, more specifically Selena who seems to be taking things in a strange manner.
Flora nods to Selena, tail flicking lightly behind her. "If they want, of course, yes. Flora just means to give them the tools, not force them to use them. That doesn't work.
It takes a while, before she looks towards Selena, mumbling a tad and asking a simple question. "Is... Is friend Selena alright?" she ventures, her tail twitching behind her lightly as she looks towards Lina. "Food is good, yes."
"And friend Sveta? Flora prefers being around, yes... Flora will take care of them, yes yes."
Sveta nods. "Well, that settles that. Selena?" It's a little while before the goshawk realises her friend's reaction. "Are you okay? You appear slightly ill."
Selena sighs quietly. "I don't suppose you have any cider here?" She replies to the ever-inquisitive Lina, rubbing at her eyes for a moment. Her hands don't leave the odd perch on her muzzle, though, keeping them well covered afterwards.
The Goshawk's comment on the other hand, prompts a half-smile from the wolfess that fades equally quickly. "I'm not sick, Sveta. I'm just having some very strong regrets about something I've done. Or perhaps didn't do, depending on how you look at things."
A blink from Flora, a soft whine leaving her muzzle. "Flora... Flora doesn't think so, no... But... Flora would like to know what's wrong, yes... See if Flora can help," she mumbles, looking back to Selena.
"My apologies, Selena. We don't have any drink in this house yet. I don't drink, Flora doesn't, and as for Matthews and Lina...well, I'm not sure if they do or not. Do you, Lina? But it stands. The wine cellar's been converted into the factory floor, I'm afraid. But if you're uncomfortable with saying it...I don't think you should need to."
The lioness shakes her head to Flora and Sveta. "I don't normally drink heavily, not unless I'm out. And it's never anything in paticular. I think Flora has seen me a little drunk however, when we met."
For a few moments it would seem Selena has no intention to respond to either of the comments or questions, the wolfess remaining dead silent.
Finally, with a tremendous, ragged sigh: "It's fine, Sveta. It's not something that either of you can honestly do anything about. The comment about 'unconditional trust'..." Her voice trails off for a few moments. "And Lifebonding. It's complicated. But my relationship with Arimia has been deteriorating for a long time and it effected... Has effected a lot of things. Trust? Trust is something that I just can't place in her anymore."
"I...see. I'll not inquire further." A glance to Flora, requesting the tigress to do the same. "Cheer up, Selena. This is meant to be a happy occasion...if it weren't for Arimia threatening me a long time ago when I mentioned cider to her, I'd offer to take you out for a drink."
Another mumble, a small, encouraging smile. "Flora won't talk of it more," she mumbles, offering that same smile and flicking her tails a little more, before gently pushing a plate with a bit of food on it towards Selena. "Flora... Suggests eating a bit. If only a little," she mumbles, before turning to Sveta. In any case... Friend Selena called for sir Kendrac, and Flora explained about the... Troubles we are facing with LongTech and... The family. Sir Kendrac suggested finding the 'Spark of discovery', yes. So that's what we will do, yes yes... And friend Selena mentioned a 'Wulf'? Flora will have to find them, yes, ask how they found... Adrestia? Flora imagines the process is different, but still similiar, yes."
Selena tilts her head down for a moment, a slight shift of her hand allowing her to see straight down to the plate pushed in front of her, quiet again for a few moments. "Wulf has been hard to get in contact with lately. She's a lovely woman, but she's been taking care of her own children. She met the spirit in Eastbank Forest, just like most of the first group of callers." She explains, swallowing before taking a bit of the food in a free hand and taking a bite. "Any place there aren't many people works, really."
Sveta clicks her beak. "That's where you're in luck, Flora. Selena and I were privy to the first appearance of the Spirits - namely Kendrac and his sister - on Promise. We were amongst the first to draft quick papers on the subject - you can find them at the library. I know how one goes about finding a spirit, but admittedly, success is far from guaranteed. We won't need to find Wulf, what we DO need to find is a place where you think this spirit would have an affinity for, that represents it. You'll want to find a quiet place away from many beings, to begin with. As Selena said, Kendrac and Shalia appeared in Eastbank. Akros, a spirit of decay and foulness, appeared in the coastal swamps to the south. A water serpent - fellow's name eludes me at the moment - manifested itself in a clean mountain lake. Do you know of such a location that would match the personality of the spirit Kendrac mentioned?"
"We have one right here, right downstairs, yes yess. Or the academy... Or Cliffside," she mutters with a frown at that last one. She really, really didn't want to have to go by boat. Or airship, for that matter. "Lots of places where things are being discovered. Flora needs to think, yes... Needs to think about places. Our lab would work, but... Does the place have to have anything special about it? What is Flora supposed to do? Should Flora wave her arms around and say 'Spark, Flora wants to talk?'" she asks with an utterly confused look on her face.
"The undertunnels is the best thought I have, Flora. It was the first place of settlement here, it's riddled with machines and a lot of discoveries were made and can still be made there. There's even a group of beings we've been referring to as 'The Lost' down there." Selena replies simply. "There's a group of scholars down there that have a saferoom we could take you to and try to call it there. But yes, you essentially do just that."
Lina tilts her head. "So you think we should go somewhere where there are people to look?" she says as she cleans the table a little.
"Flora... Half expected it to just appear above the table, yes," that cat mumbles with a bemused look, before looking back to Selena. "Once Flora is there, what does Flora do? Does Flora just keep calling for this 'Spark' and hope the bad things that are in the area don't come instead? Does Flora have to walk around aimlessly? Flora has no idea how to do this."
Selena shakes her head, picking at the food for a moment and rubbing her eyes again before finally removing the hand that had been covering it - a little pink as though she'd been crying, though it's not the most obvious of differences in her sclerae and there aren't any distinctly wet parts of her face to betray it any further if she was. "No... As empty as the manor may be, it's still in Firmament. Think of it a bit like "noise", but from emotions and thought. It's how it was explained to us - and the Spirits either don't hear or don't like 'loud' places." She explains. "The beings in the undertunnels are all out for discovery as well, so there's more of that 'noise' there - but it's the kind the spark would be interested in, so there's a better chance you'd be 'heard' there."
A nod, a mumble, and Flora flicks her tails a little. "Flora... Guesses that works? More voices shouting the same thing make it louder and clearer, more voices shouting different things make it a mess, yes... Flora can... Understand that, yes. Flora will go to the undertunnels, but... Flora doesn't like being in dangerous locations. Flora wants people to go with her, yes."
Sveta nods. "I've been into the Undertunnels before, and the saferoom Selena speaks of is just by the entrance. I can guarantee your safety there and back, if need be." She glances at Selena, as if about to say something, then must have thought better of it. "Right, Selena?"
Lina nods to her explanation, not entirely understanding but gathering enough to know why the tunnels would be a good choice. "I hope that they respond, it would be helpful to have... help? No assistance... with making things work better right? Hopefully they are the right one for the job."
"I wouldn't ask you to go there alone, especially not while pregnant." The wolfess states bluntly, nodding in agreement with Sveta as her voice and her composure slowly return to a more normal state. "But yes. Though voices aren't the only thing that draw Spirits."
Flora nods and flicks her tails as she looks to sveta, her ears flicking a tad. "Flora would appreciate that, yes." she mumbles, her ears flicking lightly atop her head as she finishes up her food. "Flora will see if they can help. And if not, Flora will be the first to find this 'Spark', yes. Would be a nice thing to be able to claim, yes yes."
Meanwhile, the doorbell from at the gate sounds.
Sveta perks up at the sound of the doorbell. "There will need to be plans made, but not many," the goshawk says. "It is a short trip, and we can be back within a day, if not two. Please, sit. I'll go get it."
Selena nods back to the cat, glancing back over at the goshawk. "I can come with you if you'd like another being on your venture, Flora." She replies, then chuckling quietly. "If we're going on that logic, I was one of the first three to encounter a spirit at all. Myself, Ictus and... One other were there. There was a short visit to their realm at the time, which was an experience." She notes. It's not too long after the goshawk's departure that she speaks again; "I'm sorry, Flora, but I'll have to leave. There's... Something I have to do that I should've done already. Perhaps a lock or two to be changed."
Flora nods and flicks her tails lightly, shaking her head. "Flora would ask friend Selena to be safe, but... That's hardly a concern, yes," she mumbles, before nodding again. "Flora thinks Flora will take a short nap, yes."
