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Pleiades Porter Dawnhaven -post office

When the woman @amorphical seemed to flip a switch on how she was speaking to him, his shoulders seemed to settle, and he smiled slightly. A light curl to the corner of his lips. “You can call me Pleiades,” He stated since he didn’t care for formalities. There was no reason to refer to him by his family name, and he honestly doesn’t know why he brings up the surname. “And it costs nothing, Flynn pays for all the services here,” Pleiades explained while his moonlit eyes focused on the woman.

Olivia felt so rushed was she really doing all of this for her people? She had felt so urgently rushed that she had run out of her meeting with the Prince, yet she also felt so justified with her abrupt departure after he had made such a deeply intimate request. "Let me know all your strengths and weaknesses while I debase you for my pleasure." or something like that followed by a maniac laugh. There was just something off about him she couldnt place. Yet now faced with the fact her letter was about to be paid for by him made the lady wonder about why. Astaros was charming, blond hair, fair complexion, yet he was royalty and as Olivia knew all royalty were flawed without exception. Children brought up in high society twisted them into dark sinister creatures with masks of human faces.

The lady of Durnatel knew this better then anyone. How her father was charming, regal, a fencer of wordplay. In his chamber, dark, monstrous, cold to both family and service maids alike. Olivia had the deeper parts of the keep walled off after a priest placed multiple blessing in those nightmarish tunnels of hell. The unspeakable atrocities under his reign made the blight borne lady's acts blessings by comparison. Too many dark rumors and silent whispers were all that remained of his legacy. Good riddance she thought. Now she was in the midst of more and even stronger royals.

"Purple. I would like a light lavender if you have it kind Pleiades." Her tone flattering and soft. She never wanted to be this monster, or the one her father wanted.

Looking over his shoulder, he smiled slightly, “I would say that this town has the best courier service, though I am extremely biased,” Pleiades chuckled while waiting for her to name her wax color.

‘Also, it doesn't cost anything. Prince Flynn pays for everything,” He mentioned casually. “And I am not allowed to accept sex offers here, so it’s your lucky day,” The bird-like man teased her with a grin that said more than his words.

After knowing her wax seal color and finding the seal that matched her desired description, Pleiades would hand those over to her, and wait behind the counter while watching the woman work on her letter. “I’ll be leaving once I make sure that all the letters that are going out today are in my courier bag. Once that’s done. I’ll be gone, so I should be gone before noon,” He explained with his arms crossed over his bare chest, and he waited patiently for the woman.

“One more thing, do you expect a letter back from Jaylen? I will not be back for a handful of days since I enjoy roaming around the outskirts of the city, but I want to make sure I don’t have to stop by Jaylen’s again to pick anything up,”

All these services were free? She shook her head. "Its fine." She pressed the seal to the liquid wax. Scowling at the mark of her family crest. Silently she shook her head no. "You should not wait for a reply." Even the thought of her Sya couldnt lighten her mood. She already knew the reply. She knew that girl better than anyone which is to say no one really knew Jaylen at all. Not the real girl under all that ice. Silent as an iceberg and just as deep beneath the surface. Thought one would surly drown trying to find the truth to that depth. The dark cloaked woman silently handed over the letter with but a smile. When it was over, she left without a word. The dark angel would deliver her message and the wheel would turn.

The dark creature within herself stirred slowly with its thoughts of fear and nightmares. Things she rather not think of right at the moment, there were simply too many things to be done and no time for detours. This place, seemed to be balanced on the edge of a knife. Olivia thought more on the matter of this Dawn haven when she was interrupted unintentionally by her chaperone, the guard.

Lord Coswain was on alert around this woman, his sense was usually correct and he had a feeling that she was far more dangerous than the regular towns folk. “Market likely for dry stock, not far away from here. Seller on right shady, fake castle forged.” He said not wanting people to purchase that kind of rubbish, he deserved to not have any customers, they were liable to be made from some scrap rather than steel. He knew what castle forged steel was and that was not it. Prince might need guards to cheek more detailed gate duty.

“Sunni. Trader, or so the eye folk say can get that.” He said as was alone, only a fool started a fight, not sure you could win if you had a choice, cheat, dirty tricks, anything you could to level or make the odds in your favor. Much as the religious caste might be Zealots, soldiers like that died young, they leveraged intelligence, tactics, cheated and used any advantage they had. Sometimes you just had to go with the situation you found yourself in.

She wanted to stop by and get something nice for Sya, if only some fancy garments. Olivia would also need a few more changes of clothes the streets were not the best in this weather. With more hands to help distribute the work more could be improved and the web would cling a little more to her favorite blonde. "Thank you for that information. You are very helpful. Here is where we part terms it seems." She said beneath the black bear cloak. Her voice a sullen whisper. Olivia always felt trapped in moments like this, never to be herself. Yet with Sya that bitter sweet moment of freedom was the only moment she knew could never truly last. Silent as she entered his store she left without a glance back heading to this Sunni market keep. Though her footsteps were slower and at times she paused trying to make sense of it all, while burying her demons a little deeper.

Had the noble woman really been such a glutton in her keep? Unable to go one day and night without the need for a feeding? Her mind fractured thinking of Sya, the prince, her people, her demon, her father, all spinning about in her mind pulling equally at her soul for dominance. "Enough." She growled under her breath, regaining control for the time being. The dark cloaked demon slowly moved to the store front waiting by the corner when she saw the thicker woman and her love enter the place. The nightmare felt her anger grow a little with the two so casually together. Her sins whispering their desires into Olivia's ear like honey.

Mention: Astaros@The Muse Sunni@The Savant
Interaction: Pleiades@The Savant lord Coswain@PrinceAlexus

Redacted

Redacted

Wenyr let the door fall into its frame, confused and slightly shaken by the scene that had just unfolded in front of him. The blacksmith had no illusions about all the shady and weird things that certainly happened behind closed doors and solid walls in Aurelia's capital, but this here was a vastly different case. This was a fledgeling, small settlement where most people knew each other, so shouldn't the prince also be more aware about the details of its inhabitants ? Doubts started to gnaw at the fringes of Wenyr's so far very benign opinion about the man. Maybe Flynn was a little too enthusiastic about all of this, slightly neglecting reality and the strict rule it sometimes required ? This Willis guy, last but not least because of being blight born, should have been subjected to a bit more scrutiny upon arrival, perhals.

Or maybe he himself was just too pessimistic at the moment. Maybe the whole thing would appear as nothing more than a sequence of mishaps one could laugh about later on. Wenyr placed the bucket of daggers onto the workbench and made the decision not to melt them down today for certain. There were other priorities and just what was he supposed to do with all the other stuff Willis had dumped at the last possible moment ?

Breakfast first... The day would be long and he needed something in his stomach first. It could also offer an opportunity to ask around whether anybody knew something about this insignia, so one of the daggers found its way first into a small leather satchel so it couldn't sting anymore, then into a large pocket. If nobody in the Eye would be able to tell him, nobody in Dawnhaven could. One thing came to the other. Efficient.

---

Ivor was impossible to overlook for pretty much anybody on his or her way to the inn and neither was the fact that the giant apparently had not bothered himself with taking anything less than an entire tree for the repair work he was doing. For a brief moment, Wenyr wondered whether it might also have been him to have broken the door in the first place, but that was pure speculation.

"Good morning, Ivor. If that hatchet needs sharpening later on, just tell me." He waved towards the blightborn with a smile, completely unware of the fact that the person he had just greeted was maybe four times the volume, but not even one quarter of the trouble of his own, most recent visitor. The much more elderly looking warrior, Marcon, had just left moments prior and so Wenyr didn't witness just how... commanding... this individual could be on almost every occasion.

In spite of the momentary lack of a room separator, the tavern's inside welcomed Wenyr with almost the same familiar warmth he had come to like already. The one thing he couldn't see was the one-eyed ruler of the place. Wasn't she supposed to be in here ? Wenyr looked around briefly, combining this with a search for an empty chair, but couldn't see the one-eyed woman anywhere. Hopefully today's service would not be impaired by this too much, the day before had not been exactly welcoming already.

_{Interactions: Ivor @SkeankySnack
Generally anybody in the vicinity, possibly}

While the tension in his muscles was slightly more relaxed, Tia did little to quell the storm swirling in Flynn’s mind. Her behavior left him with more questions than he had expected. The clergy members he was used to dealing with had little empathy for his decided fate, but Dawnhaven’s new Priestess seemed to share his inner turmoil. Even more confusing was her shared hope that there might be a path beyond what the seer had seen in his vision. Flynn wondered if she had expressed that thought to her peers and what they would think of it. Why had she been the one they sent? She was a powerful healer, no doubt, but she did not seem as confident as the other clerics he had met who dealt directly with the royal family. Perhaps she was just a very good actress…

As Flynn made his way to the post office, he took a deep breath, held it for a few moments, and then released it, trying to clear his mind. Next on his task list was to speak with the blight-born man Pleiades. The creature who had been cuddling with Flynn’s wife, in her bed chambers, the night before. Flynn took another deep breath, doing his best to keep his anger at bay. Pleiades was not someone he wanted to pick a fight with—he hadn’t even brought his sword, such a careless oversight. Not that it would do him much good against a blight born without a quick skillfully placed swing.

If Flynn had it his way, he wouldn’t be talking with Pleiades at all this morning, but he needed to inform him about the new employee that would be joining him. Flynn always took it upon himself to personally handle these matters; sending a squire would immediately raise suspicions. Besides, this required an in-person discussion. Willis was dangerous—a new blight-born who barely understood his own power. Flynn knew Pleiades could hold his own, and thought this would be a good opportunity for Willis to learn while helping the town. Alongside Sya and Ivor, Pleiades had proven to be one of their most valuable blight-born in all of Dawnhaven. For the good of the town, Flynn would need to swallow his pride.

Opening the door to the post office, Flynn stepped inside and looked around. It was quiet on the first floor, though he could hear footsteps coming from upstairs. “Pleiades?” Flynn called out, raising his voice so that he could be heard on the second floor as he headed toward the exchange counter. “Do you have a moment to speak with me?”

Pleiades stood there in his living space, staring at the area that Willis had been moments before, and glancing up at the window that he locked. A silent call to stay out of his space to the man. Licking his teeth and applying pressure with his tongue to his canines, he wanted to feel the sharpness of them against the soft tissue of the muscle, as he was letting his frustrations die down. How could the prince be such an idiot? Those thoughts were the loudest in his mind at the moment. How could he approve someone like Willis into this town? A blightborn with such… careless and low standards was not comforting to think about.

Hearing the post office door open caused him to put his face into his hands, he wanted to scream, but he internalized each bit of the emotion flowing through his system. If anyone could see him, they would notice that his feathers would puff up with stress, but luckily no one was around to see how overly stressed his whole demeanor was.

A grumble came from Pleiades as his hands left his face as he heard the familiar voice of prince charming — Flynn. His irritation made him want to stay up in his living quarters. He could decide to be petty today, couldn’t he? Avoid the man and everyone else in this god forsaken town. Then that fire inside him went from burning to coals. A sigh left his lips while his teeth carefully chewed on the inside of his gums with thought. That was when he let his whole demeanor change and by the time he got to the ground floor, he wasn’t necessarily happy looking, but he was in a neutral state. “Did you have a moment to think about asking me if I wanted any help with the courier tasks?” Pleiades hissed out while opening the door and slamming it. It caused the whole building to shake. His eyes looked surprised and at the door to check if it was okay. Clearly, he didn’t mean to slam it that hard or react like he did, though he glared at Flynn.

Flynn clenched his jaw as Pleiades spoke, his attempts to keep himself calm quickly dissipating. The door slam caused him to glare back at Pleiades, their green and slate eyes both holding a fiery energy between them. Somehow, news of Willis had reached Pleiades before Flynn had the chance to tell him first, which was frustrating for both of them, but Flynn was not about to apologize.

“I really don’t want to give you a moment. I’m irritated. What do you want?” Pleiades tried his best to keep himself neutral and open with what mood he was in. It was hard to control the outburst of questions and statements he wanted to throw at the prince about Willis, but he was trying very very much not to let himself explode and his tongue to become too loose with the man.

“You’re irritated,” Flynn replied in a mocking, sarcastic tone, a fed-up sort of smile reaching his lips. He continued locking eyes with the man, letting out a breath from his nose and shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he had just heard. Flynn’s previous idea of swallowing his pride seemingly went out the door now that he was faced with the man who had been in his wife's bed just the night before. “That’s rich.”

“Good, you already know. I have nothing more to say to you.” he stated, beginning to turn as if he was going to leave the post office.

When Flynn decides to mock him, all of the positivity fell from the blightborns face, and the emotions began to fade from Pleiades moonstruck eyes. “He told me he doesn’t care if it’s a rat or a human he drains dry, prince charming. I told him that he’s forbidden to step into this post office. Our little exchange showed me that I couldn’t trust a bloodsucker like him and if you want him to be a courier. Don’t be surprised if people start turning up dead because of you lack of intelligence and over-trusting fucking abominations like that,” Pleaides spat out as he watched Prince Flynn go to leave the post office. “People will die because of you.”

Facing the door, Flynn paused, throwing his head back toward the ceiling, taking a deep breath, and closing his eyes while he listened to Pleiades. He let silence linger between them for a few moments as he released his deep sigh, feeling the weight of this responsibility pressing down on his shoulders. Willis had already almost killed someone—Pleiades wasn’t wrong.

“I give people second chances,” Flynn stated as he turned back towards the winged man, his eyes fiery with anger. “People like you.” He clenched his jaw again, conjured up images of Pleiades and Octavia in bed together flashing in his mind's eye. “I thought you’d be a good mentor. And I thought you’d like some help from another blight-born who can fly to take some of the work off your plate.” At another time, this might have sounded caring and thoughtful, like a compliment, but Flynn’s tone now conveyed it as an insult. He had once believed in Pleiades' character, but now he felt betrayed.

“I will find somewhere else for him, if it pleases you.” he gritted his teeth, his body itching to leave. “It seems you can’t be trusted anyway.” he blurted out against his better judgment.

His greenish-gray lips parted to say something then pursed in a line when Flynn stated people like you — What the hell do you mean by that?” Screamed through his mind as his teeth clenched hard. Do not react.” He reminded himself not to explode. Over and over and over again. The tightness in his chest increased as a fist was made out of frustration to the comment.

Listening to each and every word, the last statement was what caused his brows to furrow in confusion, and his face to change from its hardened state. “What do you mean by that?” He couldn’t get himself to comment on the statements of help and so on. Not with that statement lingering in the air.

Pleiades' voice almost sounded hurt since he had never done anything to break the Prince’s trust. Not anything that he could think of. “I’ve never done anything to break your trust, Flynn. Nothing that I can think at the moment,” His shoulders relaxed in an almost defeated way while that neutral lip turned into a slight frown. This was when emotions began to build in the winged man. Actual emotions of anger and hate towards Flynn.

“Nothing you can think of?” Flynn questioned, raising his brows as if to urge Pleiades to dig deeper into his memory. He waited a few moments, crossing his arms over his chest uncomfortably. “My wife, Pleiades. She told me you were in bed together last night.” His voice dropped, losing its louder tone, but anger dripped from every word. “While I’m trying to keep this town alive, to create a safe haven for people affected by the blight, to find a cure, to save her life and mine own—” his eyes darkened as he continued to glare back at Pleiades, “You two are abed.” He let out a bitter laugh, wishing his mind would stop imagining what the scene would have looked like. Lips pursed together, he waited for Pleiades to respond to such an affront.

At first the man was bewildered by the question, since he honestly could think of nothing. Did someone figure out that he slept with Sylestar for exchange for his services? No, he did not tell anyone about that. Not that he could think of. He knew that Flynn would be upset about him allowing sexual services for payment. That wouldn’t make Flynn this mad, would it? Then the man continued to speak and Pleiades face began to twist and turn.

His one hand went over his face to try and hide the smile and grin, as his body began to hiccup a little with laughter. Pleiades was trying his best to not burst out into laughter as Flynn spoke but he couldn’t help it. The man was laughing hard especially when Flynn decided to emphasize that they were abed. “I’m sorry,” The man was not apologizing for what Flynn would assume he was. He was apologizing for his laughter as he tried to tighten his hand around his mouth to not laugh, he stood there, his free arm wrapping around himself as his torso moved from the suppressed laughter and the grin hid behind his darker hands and claws.

Flynn’s lips twitched as Pleiades began to laugh, his eyes growing cold and his expression clearly not sharing the amusement.

Inhaling deeply and holding it, Pleiades was trying to take control over the laughter, but he was failing at doing so. His one arm stayed wrapped around his bare chest. As his other hand stopped covering his mouth from jawline to jawline. Pleiades held his chin in his hand with his pointer finger curled before his smiling mouth. His lips pursed, “If we are being honest, here, prince charming. You are more likely to get me naked than Octavia is,” Pleiades chuckled.

Flynn sighed and ran a hand through his hair, the anger beginning to melt as Pleiades spoke and disarmed the Prince with his sudden laughter. Rubbing his temples with one hand, Flynn stared at the ground, listening and wondering if he should truly believe him or not.

“I wouldn’t bed your wife, Flynn, nor would I care to have sex with a virgin. They are not as fun. Plus, you can tell she is. She was so distraught last night that my aura only made her want comfort. The only thing I did was let her cuddle me as she fell asleep from emotional exhaustion. It’s not like you or Elara were around to comfort her. You are a busy man and fuck… I have no idea where Elara was. It was somewhat odd she came into the room when Octavia was out of it,” The man chuckled a little more as his teeth showed, his tongue licking at the sides of his upper teeth and stopping at his canines.

Flynn furrowed his brows and looked up at Pleiades then. A virgin? Is that what he had just said? He knew the Princess had been sheltered, but had she never snuck out or had her own fun on the side as he did? It explained much of why Octavia had been so hesitant around him, but he had just blamed that on her also hating him for dragging her to Dawnhaven and marrying her without having even met.

Shrugging his shoulders at the thought while he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned on the back wall behind the counter. “Do you really think she would really have sex with me? Especially after I informed her of more things about her mother. She was pretty upset to discover that I had an affair with the Lunarian Queen. I doubt she would have done anything with me but who knows. Royals are quite different at times,” Pleiades grinned at the man and shook his head with another chuckle.

“Thank you for the laugh, Flynn. I needed that,” Pleiades stated as he opened the door to go back up to his living quarters. He was honestly done for today and glad he was leaving Dawnhaven for at least a handful of days.

Flynn pursed his lips as he watched Pleiades turn to leave, trying to gauge his honesty. He had never known Pleiades to be a liar, but Flynn still found it hard to fully believe him. Pleiades was a sexual blight-born; why wouldn’t he take advantage of a meal presented on a silver platter in the royal bedchambers, especially when the princess resembled her mother so much?

“Pleiades,” Flynn called after him as Pleiades opened the door to the upstairs, “I will choose to believe you,” he stated, waiting for Pleiades to meet his eyes. “I would prefer if you stay out of my wife’s bed in the future, however.” Although the prince had been disarmed by Pleiades’ laughter, it didn’t mean Flynn was any more comfortable with the thought of another man in her bed, especially not a sexually fed blight-born.

Flynn began to turn to leave but paused as another idea came to mind. “Admittedly, I know nothing of the Princess and her intentions.” He glanced towards the ground, formulating his thoughts. “You seem to know more about them than most.” He raised his gaze to Pleiades again, recalling the treasonous affair he had with the Lunarian Queen. “If you will not have Willis here, can you offer me some insight instead?” He asked, watching for a reaction on Pleiades' face. “What can you tell me of the Queen? Of Octavia? She’s unwilling to open up to me, no matter what I try.”

Pleiades was standing in the doorframe and he shook his head at the prince’s words, “Please don’t do that. I know you don’t trust me. If I am telling the truth or not. I’ve always thought you would never trust me so don’t act like you would,” The man held an intense eye contact with the prince. His blind–looking eyes seemed to have a lot of emotion in them at the moment but nothing that could be exactly placed. He was trying to not express how hurt he felt but he wasn’t surprised at the same time.

Listening to the other man’s comments about the Lunarian royal family, he shook his head in the negative, and sighed. The comment about Willis caused him to roll his eyes. “Stop talking to me like I owe you anything, Flynn,” Pleiades sounded somewhat snappy and defensive with his statement. He was annoyed. For some reason, he allowed himself to believe that Flynn did trust him. This situation made him realize that he wasn’t trusted at all and it was hard to hide how that hurt. His chest felt empty and sickening like when he had colds as a child while human.

Flynn clenched his fist at his side, struggling to hold back another flash of anger. It seemed that each blight-born in this town had forgotten the debt they owed him for negotiating their safe haven—a sanctuary where they could live without fear for their lives and attempt to regain some semblance of normalcy. For all they knew, he could easily turn them over to the capitals, who would then orchestrate a massacre. Flynn could even inform the King of Lunaris about Pleiades’ actions with his Queen, and the King would undoubtedly send armies after him. Despite this, Flynn kept his mouth shut, biting his tongue in an effort to maintain peace between them.

Taking a step out of the frame, Pleiades opened up the small entrance in the counter, “If you want to talk. We can talk upstairs, but I am really getting sick of company today. I already had to destroy a cup out of disgust because of your little experiment. You call him Willis. I’ll call him a parasite,” Pleiades decided to go up the stairs with that comment. Leaving the prince’s sight as he went to the floor of his living space. Going over and lying in his hammock since he wasn’t feeling courtesy or being a decent host today. Not anymore.

As Pleiades left, Flynn turned and exited the post office without a word, slamming the door on his way out this time. He had had enough for today, as well.

_{Interactions: Sunni-@The Savant}

---

Sya just smiled at her lovely exited Baker next to her as she walked and took a comment to pause, she had said so much in such a short time and the woman had to pause to think. “Let's see what market has, Sunni has a few lads who work for him, they liked the ale last night.” Sya said without care, if they could work as she saw it they could choose to drink. “We are planning a larger kitchen in the extension” Sya added, noting Becky would likely jump at the idea of more advanced facilities than what they had now.

“Full on hot spring you can practically swim in.” Sya said with a happy expression, much as she was nervous about going so openly, she also wanted a soak and that was taking over right now. She felt…liberated to be more open and her ears were far more free.

“We have to get started first, Sunni should be good with this. I'm trying to expand the market and expand my … foothold? Footfall?” Sya was not unkind, just she was more.focused on the practical side, unable to think of words to describe the idea, she would add more things to sell, more things to lure customers into the Eye and thus make more money overall. She softened her words with a tone that she was very much interested in but had to consider the practical sides of them.

Sya left Ivor and Becky to their moment, she could see the notable change of pose, if Becky wanted a man bigger than her and if so Ivor certainly ticked the box. She wondered how that would even work but that was a them problem not a Sya problem, how would it even fit … Sya just had a blank moment at that one and had no idea but Becky wanted it. For borders sake she was happy that Oliva would have scared off half of the people or more and she enjoyed it… she enjoyed her lover's dangerous quirks. If Becky wants her own, feel free.

Walking into the market and finding her way across the open area set aside for traders.

If they wanted to, that was their choice and she did not really worry.

On that note spot her and smile, giving her a look she only reserved for her, letting her eye glow a little and dropping her guard before being led to the traders and so on. “Let's go” Sya said, letting Becky enthusiasm lead. She looked over to the market behind before she followed, her big eye caught the dark fur, the simple skirt that Olivia she had worn the night before, her eye softened guard down and the gentle glow intensified in such a way only Sya let Olivia see, a side she reserved in private. She raised her back of hand and kissed it like they had shared and gave her a “until later.” Look with a gesture over her heart before she turns away embracing her more public mask" Sya knew she could see, so Sya pointed to the bathhouse, Market Place then to the Inn as to her plans today.

Turning she followed letting Becky pull her along in enthusiasm greeting the two of the boys she recognised, they had the ales the night before and seemed very much to enjoy them, Young men, Working men, Sya allowed them the courtesy of young men. “Gentlemen” Sya said kindly and gave them a little respect, they were working and they seemed to flush with pride.

“Becky, She has a list for the Eye, hopefully Sunni can acquire it for us. Becky?” Sya said and let Becky take the lead on what was required for a small Bakery and potential to make sweets and breads.

“If you want a good lunch n drink you'll have to wait till after the speech and lunch, I am taking a little time to relax and have a hot soak” Sya said to the young men, she knew Sunni looked after them and potentially they would want to spend their hard earned coin on a hot meal and so, everyone especially a young worked needed a good meal to grow strong. Sya was her small size because she was not so fed in her growing years.

Sya stood back and would veto if needed but let Becky take the charge unless needed.

@amorphical@The Savant@SkeankySnack

Redacted

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

Although the initial greeting was somewhat awkward, Anathema didn’t hesitate to choose a rock close to the blight-born woman and enjoy the springs’ warmth. It was unusual, how long had it been since someone was so comfortable to be around her? Since the transformation most humans regarded her with fear and suspicion, even when she made her intentions clear; even after she healed them… To be treated like a person again or the human connection that came with that was a comfort Céline realized she had sorely missed.

"No apologies are necessary." Anathema began, "You actually happen to be the first blightborn I've met, but I am a sage--a researcher--I've come to Dawnhaven to study the blight and, ah-um, those affected by it."

It was even more surprising when Anathema revealed that Céline was her first blight-born interaction and yet somehow that only made her respect for the woman grow. Anathema seemed somewhat hesitant to share her reasons for coming to Dawnhaven, but perhaps it had to do with her subject of choice being the one to ask the big ‘why?’ Still Céline felt a kindred spirit within this person, someone who, despite the risks, was willing to go the distance.

"I just feel it's too late for me to be afraid. I've come all this way, by my choice, afterall.”

“I think some people might call that pretty reckless, stupid even,” Céline smiled, interlocking her own hands together, rubbing them for warmth, “personally it’s something I can relate to. Even after my transformation I never tried to stop helping people, even after…well they said some pretty nasty things to me.” She chuckled nervously, “When I first heard of this town, having no other information than a name and that both human and blight-born coexisted, I knew I had to come. Call it…intuition or faith, I felt this town needed my help.”

"You said that you're a doctor. Do you mean that you use healing magic? Do you also come here from Aurelia?"

Céline had to laugh a little at that one, but it was an understandable mistake, “No no, I’m sorry, I was actually born with no magical affinity whatsoever, in a land far east of the Aurelian capital. My ‘healing magic’ is something a bit more practical, sometimes long-winded depending on the injury, but effective nonetheless.” Her eyes wandered to the steaming pools below, the moonlight somewhat diluted upon the waters’ surface. “In a time where healing magic is so limited, especially those affected by the suns’ disappearance, I think a little practicality is something people desperately need right now.”

The anxiety that was emanating from Anathema hadn’t gone away since she had revealed her role as a researcher in this town. It didn’t take much to draw a line that the research was around blight-born; people like her. There was a lot of curiosity and excitement, but that anxiety was holding her back from being more open. Despite risking the floodgates of emotion once more, Céline decided to broach that topic. “On a serious note, it’s pretty dangerous to approach a blight-born you don’t know.” A light scolding for sure, but Céline liked this person and didn’t want to see her get eaten after just arriving, “There are some pretty…feral and wild ones out there that don’t hold as much pleasant conversation as I do,” Céline smirked, “that being said, this seems like a perfect opportunity for you to conduct some rese-”

Céline’s ears perked up, suddenly picking up the noise of crunching snow, “It sounds like someone’s coming,” her eyes narrowed and moved towards the directions of the sound, footfalls crunching and winding their way through the springs rather hurriedly, followed by a splash as if someone plunged themselves in. There was something else that she could hear coming from that direction, something faint, yet deep, “Do you hear.. _that”

As she turned to face Anathema, she was gone from her vision, turning back the trees and sky had dissipated, leaving something large and aching in its wake. It felt like a pulse, looked like one too, a black and viscous ichor that seemed to pull and gnaw at Céline. She tried to pull away from it, but it wouldn’t let her look at anything else, move anywhere else, as the world faded away around her. It called her in, beckoned, something that was pure and raw; anger, fear, loss, anguish, despair, hopelessness, survival, desperation. It was beautiful, violent, awe-inspiring and she wanted to let herself be drowned in it. Something stopped her though..

Blinking, Céline looked around and realized she had stepped away from the pool of water and was now standing barefoot in the snow, some couple dozen or so feet away from another individual. She looked at the brunette haired woman in the water, beautiful, fearful, and the reason Céline had been so inexplicably drawn here. A meal of raw, fresh, undiluted emotion was just sitting there waiting to be eaten and Céline’s eyes grew wide in fear as she tried to step back. Her body just didn’t seem to want to listen as she collapsed to her knee, the back leg suddenly giving out underneath her weight. Everything just felt so difficult right in that moment, an aching hunger, a free meal right in front of her, a moral obligation to do no harm. The weight of all that stress on her mind locked her in place. ‘I-I-I I can’t, I can’t do this, I won’t Iwon’tIwon’tIwon’tIwon’t-I …I can-’ and like her leg, the mind gave out.

Throwing her body forward onto her hands and knees Céline emptied the contents of her stomach; a mixture of whatever bile and mucus had settled its way there. Before more could be said or done, Céline collapsed on her side, her ears ringing loudly and her mind going blank, unable to comprehend the violent convulsions her body was going through from the shock of rejecting one too many meals.

---

_{Interacts with: Anathema @Lu; mentions: Octavia @The Savant}

Redacted

Time: Early Morning, Location: Communal Hotspring to Dawnhaven Market

---

Anathema listened with some amusement as Céline chastised her. Certainly, she was right and it was nothing to be laughed at, Anathema had taken an awful risk for curiosity's sake--her fortune notwithstanding. Still, there was some sort of humor in that the first blightborn she had met was chastising her as a parent might a child; admittedly gentler and with far fewer declarations about "abominations" than her own parents had when she had announced her plans to leave, but ultimately with the same intention at heart. Anathema was relieved that Céline seemed to take no issue with her reason for coming to Dawnhaven, beyond encouraging her to proceed with a hint more caution, and that she wasn't pressed for a deeper why.

Céline disappeared in a whirlwind. Anathema's head whipped around to see what she was running from, finding nothing; where she was running, seeing movement in the dark as a form entered the hotspring. Perplexed, Anathema stood and once again waded in the water. She wasn't about to step out barefoot into the snow as Céline had done, not yet at the very least. Céline stood above the new figure in the water, rigid, she didn't look well.

She was about halfway to the other side of the hotspring when the blighted woman fell forward in the form of a penitent worshipper at an altar. Anathema abandoned the warmth of the water now, taking to the snow. Céline retched, and Anathema ran to close the distance, her feet stinging from the shock of the transition between the welcoming warmth of the spring to the biting cold of the snow.

"Oh, dear..." she murmured. Is she sick? It didn't seem likely, she hadn't seemed to be sick before, this all seemed so sudden. Anathema studied Céline's heaving form; concern tied up her insides like a net.

“Can you help us!? Can you go get help? I’ll watch her,”

Anathema thought to contradict, surely this woman would be able to find help more readily? That was, assuming she was not also a newcomer to the young village, of course. Anathema wished for the sun more than she had ever before yet. If only the sun still rose, she would be more helpful. As it stood, her healing abilities were certainly not sufficient for a severe condition.

Nodding to the stranger, Anathema laid her hand upon Céline's dark cheek and spoke quickly, "Céline? Céline, I'm going to find help."

And she ran. The landscape around her shifted without its due consideration. Before she realized she came barreling down the streets of Dawnhaven, "Help! HELP!" she shrieked as she came upon a duo, a woman of moderate height and stout and another especially short. "Help! At hotspring...Céline...sick. she spoke through gasps, doubled over with her hands on her knees, staring at her bare feet.

---

Mentions/Interactions
Céline @SkeankySnack, Octavia @The Savant, Sya @PrinceAlexus, Becky @amorphical

Sya left Becky after agreeing her limits and headed to baths, the sign saying it was closed was long gone. Gossip said someone poisoned it but she doubted that and it was exaggerated.

Walking over she practically skipped and whistled to the bath house, the fact it was a temple to the sun and she was not setting on fire just by approaching the building was something the preachers claimed would happen to the unclean. Sya smiled and headed inside feeling the warmth radiate off the springs and found a line of slots where a person could leave their clothes safely out of the way.

She knew the custom as her lands aligned more with the sun than the moon, for all the good it did anyways she added with a huff. Sya removed and neatly folded her clothes , stacked her boots and wrapped her boot knife and longer combat dagger. entirely exposed, her marks of her lover's jealous claim and a rather distinctive scar over her heart visible for all to see. Putting her hair up, she did not want to lose her braids but they would get all wet in a simple messy bun. Bar her large eye and ears she looked remarkably normal, she was not a monster, just a woman who had the misfortune or fortune to survive what many others did not.

Vampire…really…the stake would likely have killed her regardless though… Stepping out she sighed feeling the heat on her skin and made way over before easing herself into the hot water and feeling the blessed heat warm her from her toes to shoulders.

She was starting to enjoy her relaxation stretching out, closing her eye and just letting time go by. Falling into a almost zen like state and calming, heart slowing and her whole busy began to feel like she had long rest after a busy day. Nothing mattered, warmth was all about her, her body floated slightly in the hot water taking pressure off her feet and joints, it was honestly something she would do more regularly.

“what” She heard shouting and commotion, Sya felt the pull of a blightborn, it was muted as being of the blight herself it was something that did not draw the same pull from. She alerted and looked around but saw nothing? Pushing off she swam across the deeper central public spring feeling her muscles stretch out and honestly…it felt really good for a short time, free, no aches at all! She was almost sad to reach the other bank, seeing no need she headed straight out and up to the pull, the feeling of energy and the noise.

Padding up the stone steps, she headed up quickly, though she paused and gripped her head, the world turned into hues of reds, yellows and arrangements a second before it stopped suddenly and felt like she got hit over the head. Staggering, she resumed her climb and looked around sharply. The one eyed blight born did not have to look hard to locate it seeing a Blightborn, a woman and pretty sure the Princess, she was a little less sure as Octavia was less put publicly than Flynn, she kept to the lodge so they said and honestly could not blame her if Sya had such a home she might.

“What?” Sya said seeing the scene, feeling snow under her feet, approaching and right now more concerned about this Bunny eared woman than her own modesty that frankly was a lower priority for her. Too much she had faced to be bothered by that. The black vomit? The blight born and so was more concerning.

This one was new, dark skinned, bunny ears, and pulled on her emotions though it was much reduced. Sya was able to block off the majority of it at least for now. Looking at her made her qualification here clear, the large bright blue eye glowed subtly and her ears ended in elefen points.“ I'm Sya, milady, please be careful.” Sya said to Octavia politely at the end and like she was not naked with marks of last night's activities wearing only her simple necklace. How she did that would be a mystery later to unravel.

“Hello? Who are you?” Sya softly asked the bunny woman, she was not an expert but damn she knew better than likely the others. Plus of all of them she was the only one who could even stand a chance against her however slim if she was powerful. “Has she ate anything? We… like food..food… ummm. It does not agree with us sometimes.” Sya enquired and tried to get a better look at the other blight born. Sya was no doctor but remembered a basic lesson her mother taught her and placed a hand to the side of neck feeling a rapid pulse that only concerned her more.

“Are you new? Is this new?” She asked, remembering how she felt when she was first turned into her current form. Was she still manifesting her change?

“What happened? I remember...but i do not... it was a traumatic time for me.” Sya asked the area, now concerned herself, aomthing was very wrong but what was evading her. She had no idea but at same time she almost knew...but could not turn it into answers.

@Lu@The Savant@SkeankySnack

[ Redacted. ]

_{Location: Communal Hotspring}

---

There was movement around her, Céline couldn’t quite tell what or who it was, but there seemed to be more than one person. Her head felt so out of sorts, the ringing in her ears hadn’t subsided and it made everything around her sound a hollow echo, almost as if she were underwater. She felt her own body shift in space, felt wisps upon her head and face, muffled voices as if just on the other side of a door. The one thing that Céline felt in absolute clarity in this moment, was cold. For the first time since her transformation, she was freezing and wanted nothing more than the ghostly maiden cradling her to just shove her into the springs or carry her gently to a roaring fire; goddess how she missed the sun.

Céline wasn’t sure how much time had passed while she was laying here, but whatever sensation had stricken her began to slowly fade away and consciousness would retake its place. The rapid spasms dissipated and her muscles relaxed gradually, eventually coming to rest. Céline’s eyes opened, immediately redacting her earlier thought, thankful the sun wasn’t shining to worsen her splitting migraine. The blight-born took a moment to recognize the very sore muscles from her spasms, and her rapid breathing and pulse. Some primal instinct wanted her to bolt upright, but logic told her it was better to lay and assess her current condition. Her hand reached down into her trouser pocket, pulling out her trusty watch. She flipped it open, holding it upright while she pressed her index and middle fingers into her wrist, counting the number of pulses… Abnormally high and worse yet she was still freezing in addition to being hungry.

The blight-born woman breathed in deep and exhaled, thinking for a moment and calming herself. The cold was unusual, it couldn’t be just from the weather as she was surrounded by the hot springs, perhaps some kind of internal abnormality of the humours…. Her heartrate she needed to get down though, something in her pack might do. Realizing she hadn’t said anything yet, Céline took a moment to finally observe those around her. A woman above her, the one she felt pulled towards, was letting Céline use her lap as a pillow, a gentle hand caressing her head. Céline’s glassy purple eyes stared into the woman’s, wondering just what happened to her to exude such strong and raw emotions. Her eyes then drifted towards Anathema, looking somewhat disheveled and out of breath, but her eyes showing worry and concern. Céline felt horrible for having abandoned her to some primal urge from within, a wave of embarrassment washing over her. They then drifted towards a third individual, dark haired, one eyed, pointy eared and very much naked. Céline’s dark skin hid her blush well, but the quick aversion of her gaze gave away how uncomfortable she felt right now in this moment. Aurelians were known to show more skin compared to the Lunarian counterparts and growing up, nudity was not a rare sight. However, in this circumstance, having undergone…some unusual condition, only to wake up and find a naked woman staring over her was…awkward at best.
Returning her gaze to the woman above her, through a somewhat hoarse voice, Céline coughed through, “I thin- I think I’m okay to sit, can you please help me up?”

Once she was upright the migraine hit her head in full force for a few seconds, forcing her to hold herself upright until it dulled somewhat. Waiting just a moment longer she then readjusted herself to be sitting so as to view all three individuals around her, albeit only looking at the legs and feet of the naked, assumed blight-born. Céline wrapped her arms around her chest trying to retain some feeling of warmth, but she wanted something more than just that right now. Looking to Anathema, a pang of guilt in her chest as she was about to ask another request of the sage, “I’m sorry to ask, but you know where my things are…can I ask you to retrieve them,” Céline swallowed hard, feeling the swollen tissue in her throat, “You should get your things too, you look colder than I do,” another wave of guilt washed over her having cut this introduction in the hotsprings short. Turning back to the lower third of the blight-born individual, Céline blushed unsure on how to pose her question as her cheeks grew darker with each word, “I don’t mean to be rude but…is there…any chance your clothes are nearby?”

---

_{Interacting with: Octavia @The Savant, Anathema @Lu, Sya [@Prince Alexus]}

Redacted

Sya listened to Octavia and the information was lacking but it was some information more than what she had. Sya was no trained medic but living where she did, dying and her life after had taught her a few basics lessons. “OK, that's a start, turning and the first…well it's not a good time to say the least.” Sya said with a clear grimace and a look of pain in her eye just from the memories.

“Your doing well Milady” Sya said kindly and quietly, she saw it was hidden well but the woman was nervous and did not need her having a breakdown now. She saw the bunny eared woman raise her upper body andown sit up, the blight born looked unwell, you could definitely tell.

“Il try” Sya said and looked over to find where the items might be, there was not much around as the springs up here were more quiet. She had been bathing in the more open area until things were disturbed…sigh. She just wanted to soak for an hour… but she could not ignore a cry for help.

“Umm…I did not…locate them” Sya said sadly, the … Sya hid her pain as the world had gone into a colour shift, brighter and more vibrant than before, everything turned into that hot colour. She could barely tell the world apart as people glowed almost White forms, everything returned to reality painfully and quickly as it had happened. Sya returned not wanting to admit her pain or weakness. “Anyone else know?”

“My clothes are on the shelves, i left them on the other side of the springs. Honestly people stared at my eye more than me before... This is new.” Sya said but sat down, crossed her legs and put an arm over her chest for their comfort, Sya was not really bothered but would go with what people found comfortable and suited the situation. “I.. Well I do not really feel the cold, I enjoy warmth but since I changed..” Sya said a little awkwardly and found a discarded temple towel cloth she wrapped and tied into a wrap that just about covered her more private parts though it was close and showed most of her thigh with shoulders uncovered.

“I think we should get you to the Temple first, it's warmer, and closer and private. We can decide from there when we get you safe. Then try to find your clothes?” Sya reasoned, the Inn was across town, the temple was closer and what was a better use for a temple than aiding the sick? Right? No one would get angry for that?

“It will be warm, we can always send for a healer from there as we will be easier to find milady?.” Sya looked to Octavia for her approval, she still was the Princess even if she was unsure. “Also, Milady, i am immune, however i do not want to get into trouble for getting you ill. .” Sya said carefully. She was not in charge but was asked her opinion and gave it however she acted out a sense of concern for the Royal woman. It came out a tad sheepish and a odd tone and such for the usually confident and proud Inn Keeper to the public.

She looked about to see if anyone agreed with the suggestions. “Im Sya, the towns inn keeper, can I ask your name? We got all busy.” Sya asked the other blightborn her name, that was the polite thing to do. It also engaged her while someone else who might know her clothes location might be able to help and that it kept the blight born talking.

@The Savant@SkeankySnack@Lu