Birdbath - RPLOG
Participants
Date
14/6/477
Log
A click of Trace's beak, a small smile as he gestures at the summit of the volcano in front of him and Sveta. "Well then... Shall we? Ever flew before?" he asks after a moment of contemplation, scratching at the back of his head with a small smile.
Sveta eyes the summit. Convection schmonvection, she was the phoenix, he wasn't, and if he couldn't feel the heat, then she wasn't, either. Still..."Trace Blackwing, let it be known, for the last time, that I do have my apprehensions about this. But still, you are an adult, and presumably you know what you are doing - and I trust you to be as such." She coughs. "And yes, I have. Not in the manner in which you've suggested, though."
Oh, Trace definitely feels the heat. For one, there's the literal heat from the volcano, and for another, there's the metaphysical heat of the rather... Daring stunt he's about to perform. He's already mentally mapping the collection of spells needed for this trick, working on fire and air magic intended to steer the winds and heat just the way it needs to be. "I have to see the depth of the lava before I decide to jump, mind... There needs to be enough wiggle-space to make sure the jump is possible," he mumbles, guiding Sveta along and peering over the edge. "I'm not doing it if there's a real possibility of things going wrong."
Sveta nods and peers over the edge, across at the phoenix dedication point on the other side of the circular rim, then at the ascetic camp back on the mountain plateau behind them. It's a long drop down into the caldera, with bits and bobs of semi-solidified magma floating on the surface. Even though the heat is not that much of a bother to her, she still feels the rising air, smells the sulphurous stink of volcanic gases rising from the pit far below.
"You go first."
Trace chuckles and nods faintly as he tests out his spells with a click of his beak. "All in due time. Cliffjumping is... Different. Sure, you have to worry about the drop just as well, and the rising, but here... The flow of air is different. It swirls and shifts around more than normally," he mumbles with a small click of his beak as he adjusts the spell. "A miscalculation could put you right in a downwards spiral you can't get out of."
Sveta nods and leans back with a stretch, carefully watching Trace in silence. He definitely seems to be more comfortable with this topic than most others...a trait which should be encouraged.
Trace nods and smiles faintly as he spreads his wings, feathers wafting in the foul-smelling winds. A final few adjustments to the formulae, and he forms some sort of foil made up of swirling air over his wings, along with a somewhat clean bubble over his beak as he readies his jump.
Soon enough, he's diving into the volcano at a rather... Steep angle, wings folded back while he builds up speed.
Sveta clicks her beak and eyes Trace. Unknown to even herself, she's holding her breath.
While Trace falls with his wings folded back, he's merely waiting for the right moment, the right current of air... And even though his descent is still exceptionally steep, it's flattening out about two-thirds of the way down, before he spreads his wings and practically soars upwards on a combination of the upwards flow hitting his wings and his own magic.
Sveta cocks her head to one side and watches Trace for a while. Her gaze follows the kite as he moves in the air, then eventually, she brings her gloved hands together in three slow claps. "Impressive."
A smile, a click of Trace's beak as he rides the convection up into the sky, before gliding down along the volcano, circling the caldera and occasionally slipping back into the rising air to gain more height... He appears to be enjoying himself quite a bit, with the warm air flowing between his feathers.
Well. At least it's one of the few times that Trace truly seems to be enjoying himself, without worrying all the time or giving off the impression that he's there to be polite...with a soft sigh, Sveta readies herself, knowing that her turn will be up soon.
Another click of the beak, a smile as Trace continues his path, smiling faintly and looking down at Sveta. He seems to be lowering his altitude a little further, about one-third of the height of his flight, while he dips in and out of the airstream to maintain that height.
Taking her cue from Trace, Sveta looks out over the caldera and leaps as well, letting herself gain a little speed before unfurling her wings and catch the thermals rising up from the lava. She does so much more conservatively than Trace does and as a result doesn't get as much height or look as impressive, but that's only to be expected, right?
A smile, a swoop, and Trace speeds up to fly right above Sveta, only two meters higher to ensure there is enough airflow for the both of them. "If you spread your wings and swoop back into the stream, you can gain more altitude!" he notes after a moment, demonstrating by executing a short, upwards glide, followed by a spiraling downfall to his original height.
Sveta follows Trace's lead, swooping back into the thermal to gain height while letting her wings rest at the same time. Her movements are still measured, careful - there's still danger, after all - but at least the initial trepidation is fading.
A smile, another swoop towards Sveta. It seems Trace is doing some sort of aerial acrobatics, making a corkscrew around her, before grinning faintly in her direction. "If you feel your energy run out, land immediately. At that point, things can go bad fast," he calls out... "'Course, I'm sure you already knew that, but still."
Sveta nods, saying nothing, concentrating. It's almost like a dance, with Trace leading. She trusts him to handle himself, and judging by his words, he feels the same way, too. Maybe this whole venture is quite insane, but at least she's prepared to handle this brand of insanity.
A smile, a click of the beak, another swoop, another spiral around Sveta, and he almost seems to invite her to join in on the 'dance', to follow his lead, his eyes focused on the goshawk, his mind on the flight, the dance, the motions with and towards Sveta.
Sveta follows Trace once more, using the easier time in the wake of his passage to catch up to him, passing dangerously close to the kite before catching another thermal and wheeling away. She passes closer to the surface that one would rather, ignoring the rising heat from the convection and finally moving to land on the caldera's rim once more.
A smile, a short, evasive roll sideways as Sveta passes him by, almost as if he planned for that, before he too breaks off and lands besides Sveta after one last circling of the caldera, smiling faintly and looking back towards Sveta in silence, waiting for her to say something.
Alas, Sveta doesn't say anything - not at first, at least. Slowly, she clears her throat and smiles. "Why don't we rest a while, and then we can do it again?"
A nod, a smile, another click. "Sounds good to me," he confirms with a smile, before looking around. "Here? Or down in the valley? Down there is... Obviously safer, but we'd have to hike back up here after that," he mumbles after a bit of contemplation, casting another glance at the caldera.
Sveta flaps her wings a little, settling her feathers. "There's a camp near the summit. We can head there for a bit, get some tea. I'm sure that's far preferable..."
As afternoon approaches, many of the visitors to Firebough scurry for the shade in order to beat the blazing desert heat out over the cloudless sky. Today, though, as the two avians make their way into the tea house, it's not that crowded, and they're able to find a low table without too much bother. There are no chairs here, only cushions for one to sit or kneel on.
The scents of steaming flour and freshly brewed tea waft through the air, invigorating the senses.
A nod, a smile, a click of the beak as Trace and Sveta make their way over towards one of the tables, the kite curiously gazing around the teahouse and smiling faintly as he looks back towards Sveta.
So far, he seems to be waiting on her incentive, having decided that 'lets go flying above the volcano' was enough taking charge for him, at least for now.
"Seating for two, please," Sveta says to the orange-furred wolf behind the counter, who flashes a wolfish grin to her in reply. Seems like she's no stranger here. "Tea and buns." With that, she leads Trace over to a corner table, pats down a cushion and invites the kite onto it before pulling over one for herself, settling down on it with a small sigh. "So, did you hear of this place recently?"
Trace smiles faintly. "I've explored the area a bit more... Those bone-dragons down there... Well, lets not focus on them," he mumbles with a slight frown. "I've been exploring the area and all that," he mumbles with a faint smile, looking through the window for a moment. "Haven't set been here specifically, though... I've mostly been exploring the surrounding area."
At length, the wolf comes over with a small tea set, clay cups, and a plate fo steaming buns, wordlessly setting them down before bowing and leaving off. Sveta dismisses him with a wave of a gloved hand, then pours out the reddish-brown concoction from the teapot, letting the steam billow out before setting it back down.
Slowly, Sveta raises her cup to her beak, although she doesn't sip yet, instead waiting for Trace to do so and watching for his reaction.
Another small smile, another click of the beak, and Trace uses a faint bit of air and fire magic to guide the steam away from his cup and gently lower the temperature until his tea is drinkable. Soon enough, he takes a sip of the concoction, smiling faintly and perhaps a bit wryly, but so far, he's still holding firm.
Sveta raises an eyebrows at Trace's reaction, then shakes her head, downing her down steaming tea in one gulp. The goshawk doesn't say anything, but maybe there's a gleam in her eye, perhaps a challenge for Trace to outdo her...if he can, that is.
Oh, he can. He most definitely can. Trace grins faintly, preparing a small spell under the table with one hand, while taking the cup firmly with the other, downing the remainder in one gulp.
A few seconds later, the kite admits a small burp, flames literally spreading from his beak as he releases his spell with a smirk. "Spicy, that."
"All right, that's overdoing it," Sveta says with a shake of her head, although the tone of her voice suggests she's anything but serious. "Seriously, though, while you're here, you should get a case of tea to take back with you. Dried is never as good as freshly roasted, but it's good on a long, cold night when you have to remain awake. How do you like the atmosphere here?"
Trace chuckles lightly. "Point taken," he offers with a small smirk, before nodding faintly. "The atmosphere is nice, the wolf seems like a good sort... It's kindof warm, but that's to be expected this close to the volcano, of course," he mumbles after a moment of contemplation, nodding faintly.
Sveta nods. "It's a peaceful environment - I like it here. The ascetics are simple, their lives are plain, and the Good King lets them be. Even with the hot springs becoming popular, and folk flying in from Firmament just to soak for a day or two, their way of life hasn't changed much. It's what convinced me to be a phoenix in the first place, although I didn't spend the year as an ascetic that they recommend. Anyone is welcome to join in the exercises and meditation, though."
A nod, a smile, a faint flap of the wings and a light click of the beak as Trace listens to Sveta in near-silence, nodding along with her as he listens. "Is... Everyone in the camp a phoenix? Most people? Only some of them?" he ventures after a moment, head canted to the side just lightly.
"As far as I know, all of them are, save Reynar here. There're mining operations off to the east - the best crystals for use in spells come from here - but I don't think they count. It can be kind of strange - the way they live and think is so different from most folk - but it's an interesting change of perspective. Most visitors just for the hot springs, though. I think I should fancy a soak myself, later."
Trace nods again and smiles faintly, his beak clicking lightly and a small nod. "Wouldn't mind a soak myself, honestly," he mumbles after a long pause, smiling in her direction again, spreading his wings momentarily, before he lowers his arms again and simply waits for Sveta. "So... Other than what the tales say... What exactly is a phoenix supposed to be doing?
"Me? I don't know, to be honest. I just live my life as I would, and when it does come in useful, I do what I can." She tilts her head to one side, as if studying tRace for a moment, then smiles. "I'm sorry, that was a terribly vague answer. But it's the best I can come up with. Any intention the Creators had for us is long gone. We're just what we are. Speaking of which...I could use a dip right now. Don't worry about the food, it's a slow day. Reynar will hold the table until we get back."
Trace nods faintly. Well, that wasn't exactly helpful, but he'll figure out what he's supposed to do at some point. "I didn't mean what we were supposed to do for the Creators, of course," he offers after a bit, before nodding lightly. "Lead the way?"
He's first to rise, offering a hand to help her up, before waiting for her to take the lead.
Sveta nods and accepts the proffered hand. "They're that way, out by the side of the tea house. There're three pools - I don't think the private one's in use at the moment."
A small smile, a click, a step as Trace follows Sveta into the private springs, smiling faintly and, once again, waiting for her cues. It seems he's pretty clueless as far as this goes, clearly not having partaken of the hot springs before.
Sveta looks at Trace amusedly, perhaps even slightly contemptuously at the kite's clear befuddlement. "There's nothing to be confused about here. You just disrobe and step in - this isn't a creator machine where you have to turn around three times and clap your hands before approaching it. Of course there's some etiquette involved if you're using the public pools, but it's just us here."
Trace seems to be trying to process the information supplied to him. He doesn't recall bringing any sort of swimwear, and he's not sure Sveta brought any herself... This was totally not going to be incredibly awkward for the poor kite, was it? He looks a little... Petrified, though.
Sveta blinks. It's a while, though, before she realises what's wrong and bursts into laughter. "Silly! Look at the water!" She points down to the cloudy, mineral-rich water. "No one's going to see anything, silly. You're supposed to go in as you are - it's only that way they the water gets to your skin evenly. Are you shy? I'll turn my back, just today, but it's not something you're going to be getting used to, I say."
