2023.12.20 The Calm Before the Solstice Storm

The Calm Before the Solstice Storm
Utterly exhausted, Eirlys and Alicia prepare for the troubling times to come with some troubled conversation of their own
IC Date	2023.12.20
IC Time	Evening
Players	Eirlys, Alicia
Location	Cornerstone Villas - 305 Living Room
Spheres	Changeling

The last few days have taken a toll on Alicia. Her glamour and willpower are both sapped, and if the sinking feeling in her gut tells her anything, it's that she's going to need to recover. So, she has a sage smudge stick lit, and is going about the room, making sure the smoke gets into all the corners. The actress is murmuring a soft prayer in Irish. "Eirlys, love, there is some salt on the table there, can you sprinkle some on each of the windowsills and by the door?" Alicia asks

Eil looks, to put it nicely, absolutely drained. Pale skin, bags under her droopy eyes, arms hanging limply. She watches the ritual, leaning over the counter, barely staying awake. `Mmmm... salt? We trying to ward off evil spirits or somethin? I'll try...` she mumbles, getting to the sprinkling.

"We're doing a bunk, love. If I actually was worried about evil sprits, I would use things much better than salt," Alicia answers before putting out the smudge stick. She goes to the table and lights a candle. "This is Vesta's Blessing. Vesta was the Roman interpretation of the goddess of hearth and home. I don't know her true name, but I believe, without a shred of evidence mind you, that she was one of the Tuatha de Danann." The actress puts her hand over the candle, to feel its heat. "Give us comfort, Vesta. Give us rest, Vesta. Give us safety, Vesta." At the thrice invocation, Alicia casts the spell.

Alicia loses one Magical Essence Alicia loses one Magical Essence Alicia loses one Willpower <---======##====================[ Dice Roll ]=====================##======---> Alicia rolls Fae + Summer vs 3 for 6 successes. 1 +6 +7 +8 +8 +8 +10 10 <-------------=============++++++++++++++++++++++++=============------------->

Eil nods. `Riiight... I'll have to ask ya what that stronger thing is sometime.` Then, once she's finished she stands nearby Alicia while she finishes the casting of the spell. `Tuatha... ain't that somethin. But yeah, we need it!`

The cantrip works fantastically, and Alicia radiates with the comfort of a warm summer night, under the stars in a peaceful meadow. "Now, we just have to stay here all night long and we'll feel better in the morning, full of glamour and refreshed." She goes over to embrace her goat tightly.

Eil's eyes widen, then listfully close, as she feels the warmth and comfort wash over like a soft blanket. `Ohhh... oh yeah, that's good.` At the embrace, her eyes open for a moment before her chin comes to rest on Alicias shoulder, weight drooping. `Sorry for being such trouble... I mean, I -like- trouble but this is a bit much, hah....`

The Fiona takes her lover over to the couch. "You're not trouble, my love. Surrounded by it, maybe, but not you." Holding Eirlys in her lap and kisses her cheek. "I have to ask something of you. And you won't like it, but you need to do it anyways. I need you to NEVER cast winter unless I am with you." Of course, not that Alicia has let Eirlys out of her sight since that day in the stream.

Eil sighs, squeezing lightly. `Yeah, knew that one was coming. But... why all of winter when you seem to be fixated on my sculpting specifically? I've used it so much and blacked out so little. What even happened when I was out, anyways?`

"I think that when you cast winter, it is like a beacon to something evil," Alicia says. "I don't know enough of what we're facing, but ever since I peered into Dan to scry you, something dark has clouded my thoughts. And when you cast Winter, you . . . you seem to be not yourself."

`Well... that's pretty metal. Also horrifying. But uh... there's something I have to tell you that definitely won't make things better.` Eil mumbles, quite quiet towards that last part. `Kinda... freaking me out a bit, can't lie.`

"Go ahead, don't sugar coat it," Alicia responds.

Eil pulls back frok the hug then whips out her phone. `You know that new Satyr in town? We've been hanging out some... we get along quite well as you might imagine. He's a drifter that tries not to keep ties anywhere, but I think he's taken quite the fondness of me... and I don't even mean in the sexy way.` She pauses, pulling up her texts and showing it to Alicia. `That being said, he sent me... this. Out of nowhere.` "I know the solstice is tomorrow. I have to go away for a bit. I was hoping I would make it back before your ritual thing or whatever, but I'm not sure I will. I'm afraid that the people that care most about you may accidentally kill away something terrifyingly beautiful inside of you thinking they are doing what is best because they don't understand. If you have any reservations, please don't go through with it. I'm trying my best. I'll be back."

Alicia reads the text in silence. "Understanding is a key step in victory," She says after a long pause. "It would be nice if he would explain what he thought he understood to the rest of us."

`I... yeah, I have no idea where this comes from. I never trained with winter sculpts with him. Only my mountaineering and shapeshifting.` Eil mumbles. `I -did- black out one time shapeshifting, but he said it looked like I got overwhelmed with the Glamour and couldn't settle on one form, leading to me collapsing.`

"Well, let's keep to one shape for now," Alicia says. "You know about werewolves? Our very long lost umteenth cousins? Well, The Tuatha de Danaan decreed all beings must find forms and remain within them, so better to know themselves. The werewolves didn't. And since you don't know yourself at all yet, stay in this form." It's clear that Alicia is choosing her words carefully.

Eil's face turns into a scowl at this. `Of course there's werewolves... but that line of reasoning is awful! I get the ability to experience all new things in ways beyond imagining and suddenly I can't because I won't "know myself?" Bullshit! And what about the Pooka huh? I read in a book in the Snowfang library that some think we were like them once but just forgot how to change fully! Ugh....`

"The Tuatha de Denaan are to the Sidhe what a Sidhe is to a Boggan. You do not get to call bullshit on them. As for Pookas, they try to break rules on the regular. As for the average fae that dabbles in metamorphoses and such, they don't have the litany of problems that plague you!" Alicia says. "You're a fledgeling with magic that is advancing in an extreme delta. You're not wise enough to know how to break the rules, yet. Unseelie or not."

Eil steps back more, visage twisted now into full, burning rage that practically radiates out in intensity. `Oh, I can't call that on them? Guess. What. I JUST DID!` She starts laughing to herself, quite jarring with the current emotions. `I... I see what he means now. You... you hold me down. "Don't do this, we don't like this kind of magic." I find anither kind of magic that allows me to express my soul, and you say "No, bad. Keep one form. You're exactly what I tell you you are." You know who ELSE said that, hmmmm? MY GODDAMN PARENTS I HAD TO SPEND MY DAYS HIDING FROM!` Tears stream down her face as she yells louder, visible pain joining the palpable fury on her face.

Alicia lets go of Eirlys. "It's not forever," she says, calm in the face of a tantrum. "I don't know what you are, but I do know that there's something dark out there that wants you. And your magic is feeding it. I planned for tomorrow to see about what I could do to entice it out."

Eil chokes on her breath, tantrum of Satyr proportions still burning strong as her rage fades to full on pain and sadness. `You... you don't know. Tell me something... do you love me? Or do you love some construct of me?` She wipes her face on her arm. `I... can agree with you there is something after me. But... I'm not going to do it unless you tell me exactly what you're planning on doing to me.`

"I love your passion. I love your mischief. I love your warmth. I know that might not make sense given the whole . . . winter thing, but cuddled up with you I feel happy. I love your wit, your sarcasm. I love your butt." It really is a nice butt, Alicia thinks. "Tomorrow, I plan on asking your to cast winter, to give yourself armor, so that I can see what you are like then, when you black out. And I am going to ask it questions in a way it cannot refuse to answer."

Eil brings her shirt up to press into her face, soaking up the tears. `Okay... okay. I believe you, it's just... this situation is triggering very bad memories.` When she pulls the shirt down, she's still wet, but not actively crying. She stares with odd resolve. `I thought as much... you're gonna do what you did to Jester. He... he'll have to be the one watching my back this time.`

"I still have your back, darling. I always have. I always will." Alicia says with some finality.

Eil takes a large breath. `Okay... okay... it is what it is. I can't do this anymore, I'm exhausted. Can we rest now?`

I've been waiting for that for a while, love," Alicia says with a smile, holding out her arms for Eil to curl up with her on the couch.