• PM To Join • [Lake Lovalus] Puppies, Pegasus, Padraig and Potatoes.

[Nir'wei]

7th of Cylus 719.

Surprisingly, Faith's house wasn't actually too far from where he regularly set up camps. Little more than a five-bit ride on Vabina and he was stood outside their front door, admiring the view. Moonlight struck the lake and filled it with a ghostly, yet oddly apt glow that shone almost unnaturally bright in the perpetual twilight of the season. Greyhide trotted at a leisurely pace behind, sniffing the air and cocking a leg to mark the space. He must have smelled the presence of the puppies. Myrth was much more hesitant, eyes trying to look everywhere at once, ears twitching at unheard sounds, yet her furiously wagging tail and sparkling bright eyes betrayed her hidden excitement. Cold was the last, carrying their latest addition by the scruff of its neck. He'd had about a lifetime's worth of dealing with pups in the last few trials anyway, Nir'wei doubted he'd really want to come along, but he seemed quite adamant to never be far from Myrth - and besides, Squeak was definitely coming, which meant one way or another, Cold was going to find some dumb excuse to be there. Karem, looking over them all, he had to wonder what he'd ever done to deserve them.

As soon as they stopped, Jasper crawled from Nir's backpack and clambered over his shoulder, churring loudly and biting at his ear until Nir stroked him between the ears with a knuckle. The insufferable little guy was feeling extra affectionate today, though honestly the prospect of seeing Faith again certainly had Nir in a good mood, and his excitement in the days leading up to this had become contagious. A loud rumble followed by a deep thump that could probably be felt by the neighbours announced Traveler's landing as well, who'd been leisurely soaring from high above the whole way there, and rumbled just as loudly when he saw attention offered to Jasper and not him. "Hey, c'mon, cut it out!" he yelled as the Sohr Khal roughly shoved his head at Nir's side until he surrendered and scratched fingers down the top of his massive head. "Enough! I want you all on your best behaviour, got it?" Various rumbles and huffs came from all around, mostly non-committal, though there were a scant few that could actually understand him - the rest were just playing along, he suspected. "That means you Traveler, no barging in!" The Sohr Khal gave a loud huff of air against his face, pushing his unruly hair back.

"Hey, uhh. Nir'wei," Greyhide suddenly spoke up, glancing towards Nir with ears slightly pinned back. "Quick question. How're we all going to fit in there?"

Dismounting from the Zephyrus with a pat to her side, he looked from the crowd of animals to the front door and back again with a slight wince. Alright, perhaps it wasn't such a good idea bringing literally all of them with him on the first visit. "FAAAAAAAAAAAITH!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, quickly followed by loud barking from all four of the wolves currently crowded around his legs.

[Faith Augustin]

"Faith?" Luna said, looking out of the window. There was a tinge of concern to her voice and Faith looked up from the desk where she was working with a slight smile.

"Scruffy looking Sev'ryn with more animals than you know what to describe first?" Faith asked, a chipper expression on her face and a cheery sound to her voice. "Inordinately large, inappropriately large in fact, flying thing just landed?" Luna nodded and Faith started putting away the papers on the desk and grinned. "Nir'wei's here!" That was the only answer which fit all the facts, after all. Putting the papers neatly away, Faith grinned at Luna and put her hand on the young woman's arm. "I promise you, he's quite lovely. The animals can be a bit overwhelming, but they're all wonderful too." She smiled at Luna reassuringly and then, when she was sure that Luna was alright, Faith made her way down the stairs and out to greet her friend.

Of course, Faith's home was not without it's own creatures and, over the fence into the small area which they'd closed off as a paddock, Nir'wei could see some horses. Or, more precisely, a pony and a glowing white winged horse which watched him with eyes filled with intelligence. More so than an animal usually would. Then, as he heard the sounds of someone approaching, the first thing he saw in that direction was a large... very large.... dog-like-thing. With large pointing up ears and more eyes than were usually considered strictly necessary. It had tints of blue over it and a soft, vague glow.

The dog in question didn't stay far from her at any point and so, as Nir'wei saw him, so too did Faith come around the corner. With a beaming smile, she ran to him and flung her arms around him. "It is so good to see you!" If she was in any way phased by the large numbers of animals, she certainly didn't show it. Though, it must be said that there was something which his animals would detect, without a doubt. There were other wolves here, their scent would be obvious to another animal.

"How are you? Oh, it's good to see you! Hello, Greyhide.. hello!" Faith was totally unconcerned by the number or size of the animals and she gestured around. "The five acres are ours. If anyone wants to roam, they are more than welcome. Not you! You have to come meet my babies!"

The last, of course, was to Nir'wei, who she would half walk with - half tug - to the large house. Complete with a tower, it was an impressive building, but Faith was focused on him. "Tell me, then, how are things? I can't wait for you to meet the children, Nir'wei. They have wolves, too. Velduris puppies - remember when Karem touched my pregnant stomach? Then, I think, she gave them guardians. " With a wide smile, she continued her man-handling of him. "Are you hungry? I hope you're hungry!"

[Nir'wei]

He called out twice more, much to the howling and barking of the four wolves all crowded around his feet, only one of which she'd be familiar with - the others white, a bright red and a deeper grey, bordering on black. "Well hello there!" He'd never seen Faith with animals of her own, though she clearly had good taste in them. Especially the winged horse, that he simply couldn't pull his eyes away from until the deep thumping roused him back just in time to see a massive four-eyed glowing dog. Greyhide was the first to pad over and investigate, sniffing at it curiously and staring up with slightly confused eyes. Squeak started to make an excited mad-dash for it but Cold plucked the little pup off the ground by the scruff of his neck and carried him off, leaving Myrth to rub herself over the backs of Faith's legs while Nir embraced her firmly. "I'm sorry we didn't make it sooner, there were, well, you know how it is." A sheepish half-smile graced his beaming face for just about a half-tick, before her rough tugging pulled him deeper inside. "Things are great, mostly, I knew you'd cook so I haven't eaten for three trials, and yes I remember, you've only mentioned it five times and made me endlessly jealous. Come on, show me, hurry up! Where's Padraig as well? And you're telling me everything about what happened in Scalvoris while I was away, and this stuff with a lich, and the things outside, and the Order, OH..."

The animals slowly scattered, apparently eager to take up her offer, especially Vabina and Traveller, each finding space to explore every inch, perhaps find a nice spot to curl up for a spell. Greyhide and Myrth padded close behind them both, sniffing the air constantly as if searching for the smell of puppies, almost trying to shove past in their eagerness until Nir patted them each on the head with one free hand. "Also, you didn't tell me anything about animals! You realise normal dogs don't have four eyes, right? What is that thing, where... where did you even find it?" Of course he'd dive straight for the animals at the earliest opportunity, but then again, this was Nir'wei, and if there was anyone who knew this best, it'd be her. "And... wait, these wolves, they're still puppies right? How old are the kids? You said plural, are they twins?" He didn't even know, she always seemed so caught up in the moment every time they met that she'd never managed to stop herself for a tick and explain anything about them other than the fact they existed. "What're their names?" Like that. "You think anyone else might have touched you and given them something that you can't see yet, because they're not old enough?"

Alright, now he was the one bombarding her. "Oh, right, sorry about Myrth." The red wolf was constantly pressing into her free hand at every opportunity, licking at her palm and nuzzling into her thigh. "She gets very excited around new people in general. Most people find it cute, but it can be a little embarrassing meeting with senior knights and trying to have serious conversations while a wolf keeps licking their face and jumping into their lap." She hadn't succeeded, yet, but it was a growing inevitability now.

[Faith Augustin]

She looked at Nir'wei and chuckled. "Haven't eaten for three trials? Shush you. That isn't true is it?" She hoped not. Faith would like it if she could feed him well enough that he didn't eat for three trials after, but three trials before seemed a touch excessive to her. "What do you think, Greyhide?" She tugged him along with her and when he spoke about their animals, Faith chuckled. "This is Cosmo. He's a nightpup, they're a Scalvoris-specific breed. He glows in the dark, is daft as a brush and fiercely loyal." Nodding her head, she agreed. "Most dogs don't it's true. You wait till you see Quattro. Our cat. Four tails and electrified." Nir'wei might think she was joking, but she was not. Not at all. Scalvoris was a strange place, filled with unusual people and animals which were just downright weird. But she nodded, "Yes, they're puppies. The babies are just a few trials over one arc old. And... oh, hello!" She made a fuss of Myrth and continued to answer Nir'wei's questions. "They're twins. Madison and Noah. And... I hadn't thought about it, no. Why would they?"

Into the living room where there was an elderly man who looked a lot like Padraig ~ or whom Padraig looked a lot like ~ sitting and looking at the four beings on the floor in something akin to amazement. Two children, two wolf puppies and some kind of game the rules of which obviously only they knew. They were intricate rules, by all accounts and they involved a lot of chatter. First one, then the other child would speak in babbling, nonsensical words; once this had happened, the wolves would get up and move around in a circle, much to the toddlers' delight.

However, that all stopped as the two of them entered the room. "Mama!" Madison called and there was a rush of toddler, wolf and Faith too rushed to them and swept the children up in her arms. "You two! This is Uncle Nir'wei. He's Mama's brother, in her heart. Say hello uncle Nir'wei." Two small faced turned to examine him with curiosity and then Faith handed one of them - the little girl, if it helped - into his arms. "There we go. That's Madison, and this is Noah." Madison was in his arms and Faith held Noah up to see him. Both twins lifted hands up and then did the open-close-open gesture for a wave. 'Nirweeeeee', Noah said. Madison, meanwhile, lifted her hand to his cheek. 'Ungle Nir.'

The puppies, during this, watched carefully. Each of the pair observed 'their' twin and they seemed poisoned, ready to move at a moments notice. Except, of course, they recognised Nir'wei for who he was.

He was one of theirs.

[Nir'wei]

He snorted loudly. Gullible as ever, so easy to tease that he just couldn't resist. "No, of course not. Don't be daft." Rolling his eyes and looking away with the most innocent of faces, he muttered under his breath, "it was actually four trials, but who's counting, am I right?" Greyhide seemed to be thinking the exact same as Faith, because he bit at Nir's free hand until he yelped in shock, batting at the snorting wolf until he huffed and shook his head. "Alright, alright, I was joking! Jeez, grow a sense of humour!"

"Only if you grow a sense of common," the wolf retorted.

He swore Greyhide could feel the joke coming before he even thought it up, and he stuffed his free hand into his pocket moments before Greyhide reached up to try and bite at it again. "It's not my fault, how can I grow anything when I haven't eaten for four trials?" The annoyed groan it made reverberated in his skull.

Honestly, he'd never heard of Nightpups, or Quattros, but then again he'd been slightly preoccupied through most of his time in Scalvoris... hell, when hadn't he been preoccupied, to think of it. "I'll have to go back there sometime then, they sound... quite remarkable." What he'd seen so far looked a hell of a lot more so. He'd need to see if he could get a second alone for a proper examination. "And daft as a brush, huh? Sounds like you and him were made for each-other." Oh, she knew he was kidding, surely, but she'd also walked straight into that one. Practically opened the door for it.

As she pulled him along, he could only shrug his shoulders - he wouldn't really know why, he just wondered - and dwell briefly on their names, their potential powers, what it could say about them, just before the seemingly-endless corridor came to an abrupt end and the living room opened up before them. "Oh my." He offered a slightly sheepish wave to the elderly man, he could only assume some relative of Padraig, but his eyes were squarely on the children and their strange wolf pups. Greyhide and Myrth stopped dead at either side of him, cautious and sniffing the air thoroughly before they padded in and approached the two poised pups, but Myrth was the first to make a move, licking at Noah's pup. Greyhide took his time sniffing Madison's, circling it several times, nudging it with an oversized snout and huffing before licking one ear and lying down next to it.

Nir'wei, meanwhile, wasn't sure his smile could grow any wider as he watched the two toddlers scrambling for their mother, hefted up... and offered. Karem above, he'd never held a child before, and it showed as he struggled to handle her, pulling the little girl close to his chest and staring down from above. "Well hello there! Ooh, goodness you're heavier than you look!" He bounced Madison lightly in his grip and chuckled, letting her touch his cheek before turning his head and kissing her palm. "Yes, Ungle Nir. D'awwh, look at you. Just like your mama, aren't you? Yeah you are, look at that button nose and chubby cheeks, you're gonna grow up to be a perfect little princess." Then he scooted a little closer to Faith, so he could nudge Noah too. "And you! Big strong boy, awwh. What were you two playing, huh?"

[Faith Augustin]

In all the arcs that she had been a slave, Faith had felt that she was where she should be. She had no wish or need to be anything more, at the time, and she did not bemoan her fate, or wish for the freedom of others. She had believed, whoileheartedly, that she was where she was supposed to be. She couldn't argue with that, in one way, and Faith would go through it all again - a hundred times - in order to be where she was but, as she watched her friend, the man who was her brother in all ways that mattered, lift her daughter into his arms, Faith felt a rare urge to cry. Even more rare was that the urge was due to sheer happiness.

"They know Ungle Nir, don't you?" Faith said with a smile. "We tell them, every night, all the people who love them. Yes, we do.. oh!" The chuckle of delight as Noah 'stole' her nose was honest and Faith looked at Nir'wei with a grin. "Aren't they beautiful?" Solemnly, she lowered her head and blew a raspberry on Noah's neck and her serious young son let out a howl of laughter. "This is Cyrus," Faith said, motioning to the older man. "Padraig's grandfather. Katie is Cyrus' wife, the lady who opened the door." The wolf pups looked, impassively, as Nir'wei's animals examined them, sniffing around and so on. Cyrus nodded his head as Faith said "Cyrus, this is Nir'wei." The older man smiled.

"Pleasure to meet you. I've heard a lot about you," he said and left it at that. That said, he nodded to Faith, who stood on tip toe and kissed him on the cheek before he left. "He raised Padraig. He's an amazing man, and a wonderful grandfather to the children." Madison and Noah were happy to play for a while but then, when it was time for them to nap, Faith suggested that they might want to have a look around.

"There's lots of room here. You are welcome to set up camp if you wish. We can whip up some more permanent buildings, too. If you'd like. Let me show you the lake." Slipping her arm into his, Faith was quite content to walk with him. "There's so much to do here, Nir'wei. I've set up an Alliance, between the Lightning Knights, Thunder Priestesses, Order of the Adunih, Merchants' Guild and Isonomia. I.." Glancing at him, she rolled her eyes slightly. "I've been made the head of the Order of the Adunih. Globally. I'm going to bring the HQ here, to Rharne. Set up a new branch of the University, too, working with the Cathedral to provide training in all sorts. I want to.."

Looking across the lake, which glistened, Faith sighed slightly and then spoke, honestly. "I want to make this where we live the rest of our lives. The people, they're so accepting. I believe that we can do real good here. The Dust Quarter is getting more sorted. I think.. I believe that we can make a real difference you know. To everyone here, and all the children." Grinning she looked at him and said, quite honestly. "Padraig is a saint, you know. I don't know how he puts up with me, but I really think that we can fight poverty, inequality. For everyone. You know?" He had the same ideals, she knew and, very much, when she said we, she meant her and him and Padraig. Qit'ria and Kura and those people who were here to do good - real good - in the world.

[Sceptre]

The beauty of life was the myriad of ways to express oneself. Through words. Through actions. Through living itself. Often, time alone bore witness to these behaviors, given their mundanity. But sometimes, when ideals and beliefs that were so alike and so powerful came together, it drew other eyes. Eyes that, long ago, had sought out men and women like Faith and Nir’wei, and were now searching once more. Be it fate or mere coincidence that brought them to the shores of Lake Lovalus could be debated later, but one thing was certain about to-trial: it represented hope.

One moment, the pair were standing on the shore of the lake, and the next moment they were elsewhere. Together, they stood in a cavern of sorts. The edges of the room were dark and hard to discern, but it was doubtful that either were looking there in the first place. No, their eyes were most likely focused on the pulsating stalactite that extended from the ceiling of the cavern, radiating in a neon blue hue. It was a surreal sight, one that perhaps had them questioning if this was real or not. The answer was both. The place that Faith and Nir’wei currently stood in was a physical space, but normally it was completely submerged hundreds of feet beneath the lake. But that wouldn’t do for a meeting as important as this, so temporary changes were made.

Such was the power of Lake Lovalus’ Induk.

Faith and Nir’wei felt themselves drawn to the stalactite. The feeling would not wane until they drew forward, either in tandem or one after another, and place their hand on the glowing stone. Sensations and images would bombard them after this, some hopeful and some laced with sadness. Lakes shrinking and grasslands burning as far as the eye could see. Men, women, and children laughing and crying. And, ever looming, Flameborn on the horizon. No words were spoken, but the intent was rather clear: they were being chosen.

It was on them to respond once the sensations faded away. The Induk had given no instructions on what it was expecting from them because it did not want to taint their reaction with protocol. Faith and Nir’wei would be faced with glimpses of Rharne’s past and its potential future and they would answer with their truest feelings. That is what made heroes who they were. Not by the forced selection of another, but by their hearts.

The floor was theirs.

[Nir'wei]

It never ceased to amaze him how much the little things mattered. To think they already knew so much about him because Faith talked about him... it was the sweetest gift she could have ever given him, and he treasured it more than she could know. "They're delightful." He spent as much time with them as he could, though it soon became clear that they were happy to continue playing with each-other instead, and with a nod and a smile to Cyrus, he followed her outside, to the chill afternoon. Cold and Myrth remained behind, but Greyhide followed, with Vabina and Traveller both watching him go from their comfortable spots.

"I think I'd like that." She'd offered before already, but he'd had time to mull over it of course... and, well, it certainly had a lot more room than he'd first anticipated. "I think I'll still need to head to the barracks from time to time, just because they'll be expecting me there if duty calls or something." The prospect of permannet housing felt a little more daunting than he cared to admit, but he let her pull him all the same towards the shining lake with a concealed smile. Just a short arc ago she never would have plucked up the confidence to do that. Had it really only been a few arcs ago that she'd appeared in his life with literally nothing to her name? Now she offered him housing on the land of her estate.

The second bit of news made him blink a little. The head of the entire thing? He let her continue, and his smile softened. Yes, of course. How could they say no to such ambition? Just a single glance to the work done in Scalvoris said everything that needed to be said. "It is a nice place," he agreed. "One of the best, I think. The people, the land, the... everything." His smile turned sheepish. "I think... I think this is actually a place I wouldn't mind settling in. For good. That's why I joined the Knights. I just hope at some point I can start doing more than just promising to help every time we meet." It was true, he'd been a woefully inadequate partner in all of this, but she had such a momentum behind everything she did that he couldn't match. Brokering alliances between all the factions in Rharne with a single swoop? How could he ever top that? "It's a good place though, I agree. We'll make something of it yet." He squeezed her arm briefly and looked out over the calm stillness of the lake.

And then he felt it. The same tug he'd felt in the Azurewind Market. Pulling him towards the lake. Towards something inside.

Honestly, he didn't entirely appreciate being thrown into the middle of a cave... what he could only assume to be a cave, but there was something very different about it. A tingling on his skin, a strange sensation in the back of his mind. He looked to Faith, trying to read her expression and hoping the nerves of his own weren't too obvious. "I... I think we're okay." He shuffled a step forward, keeping his arm locked with hers. "After that attack on the Azurewind Market by the Ring of Fire, something tugged at me. It was watching." If she was here with him, then it wasn't a coincidence. "It's been watching us both." It would have done to give them both a little more introduction perhaps, but he hoped he'd eased her enough that when he pressed his free hand against the glowing tooth of rock, she'd do the same.

The visions rolled over him in a wave, as if the lake itself had swallowed him. Smoke in his lungs and fire in his eyes. Everywhere burning, the land, the animals, the people. It was horrible... it would be horrible. Most of all, however, were the sensations of tipping. A grand scale, tilting out of balance, tumbling slowly to one side, drawing the fire to spread, and spread, and spread...

Gone. His eyes flickered back to the present and Nir'wei realised he was panting shallowly. "No, no no no. I won't let that happen." Something was watching him again, watching them both with cool and impassive eyes. "I won't let it happen." It felt as though it was waiting for something, and he grit his teeth. It wasn't enough to just want the Flameborn gone. Or end Faldrun. This was something even bigger than them. Something bigger than himself. "No matter what it takes," he vowed, "I will never let the flames engulf us." In that moment, something seemed to click, for him. A cool rush, like being splashed with cold water. He waited for the same from Faith, smiling at her with reassurance. Then, with a flick, they were back at the shore, staring out at its gently rippling surface. "That... that just happened, right?"

[Faith Augustin]

Faith smiled at him, at the expression on his face when she told him she was now in charge of the Order of the Adunih. "I am sure there are people much more qualified. I neither asked for it, nor wanted it, but it's a chance. An opportunity. I can make a difference here." Shaking her head, Faith looked at Nir'wei and gave a slight, almost ironic, smile. He understood - he knew her, after all. She shook her head as he said that he could do more than promising to help. "Stop that," she admonished, gently putting a hand on his arm. "You do far more than promise. You act. You are a Knight, a good man. Befriender of the hopeless and hopeless optimist. I know of no better person." It was true; as far as she was concerned, he was very much one of the good people in the world.

His hand on her arm squeezed and Faith smiled at her friend - her brother in every sense - and then she felt a strange sensation and they were... well, wherever it was, it wasn't where they had been but trill before. Her hand, the one not on him, dropped to her sword, but she did not draw it. There was a large, impressive, pulsating and glowing stalactite in the middle of the cave and so, Faith looked anywhere but that. She was quite sure that her eyes were supposed to be drawn there, but Faith was a pragmatic individual, to say the least.

Soon, however, her eyes were drawn to the stalactite and Faith watched it with fascination in her silver eyes. As Nir'wei stepped forward, Faith was in place beside him. As they had been side by side so many times, in so many situations, so they were now. Faith had no worries or doubts about the man next to her, though she kept one eye on him to make sure that he was safe. Her hand squeezed his arm and she nodded. "Like now?" Faith asked, one side of her mouth lifting in an almost-ironic smile. She nodded her head though and reached out her hand with his, touching the strange tooth-like thing.

And then, the visions fell in on them. One after another, a bombardment. In some ways it was reminiscent of the moment that Vri had given her back her memories after the amnesia, but these were not hers. These were something else entirely - something else which risked the people of Rharne. It was strange, perhaps, to see for those who did not know her in this way, but Faith had faced a lot of enemies now and she knew that losing her head, allowing her emotions to overtake her would be, ultimately, counter-productive to what they were being asked.

So, Faith observed. It might seem almost calm and clinical the way that she did that; it wasn't of course. But she turned her gaze - her attention - to the creature which showed them this and, as she began the journey to understanding, she whispered the promise she had already made. "Unto my final breath," she said.

And with a blink of the eye, they were back. She smiled at Nir'wei and grasped his arm as he spoke. "It did," she replied when he asked if it had happened. "It certainly did." Looking out to the water, she frowned slightly and then a beaming smile lit her face. "It very much did. That's good. There is strength in unity, brother mine."

It seemed they were siblings now, in more ways than one.

[Nir'wei]

Strange. It hadn't been the first time he'd been thrust into something... odd. That business with Thetros. That other business with Ziell. Nearly getting into business with Faldrun. Getting thrown into matters and forced to make agreements he didn't know the terms or conditions for seemed pretty par for the course so far in his life. Almost every time he'd ended up regretting the parts he'd played. Often mere moments after signing up, in fact. This, though. This felt different. Simple, direct. Faith's hand grabbed his arm, and he looped it around her shoulder to pull her close. "Strength in unity, sis." He liked the sound of that.

"Strength in unity." HOLY SHIT, that voice was loud. Unnaturally deep and rumbling, like a waterfall inches from his ears. Gods, had Faith summoned an Immortal again or something? Immediately gritting his teeth, he reached up to cup both hands to either side of his face and shield his ears from the noise, and as he did, a zipping line of blue flitted past his eyes, quick as a diving bird. "Oh, sorry!" Wait, did... did it just apologize. "Is, uhh, is this better? Hello?"

It was times like these he was really thankful that he had Faith at his side. For the second time that day he looked at her with the 'am I dreaming right now?' face of questioning, while loosening the iron grip he'd put on her arm when he'd practically thrown himself between her and whoever had spoken with the voice of the Creator. Bobbing playfully in the air was... well, it looked like a large droplet of bright blue water perpetually spinning, but the longer it span, the more features slowly fuzzed into definition. Four stubby little legs, a long whip-like tail, a head with a full mane of frills and two antennae drooping from the middle of its forehead. And a playful smile. "Sorry, sorry! Still getting used to this." Her new voice - her normal voice, was soft and musical, and almost aggressively cheerful. Considering the fact that she'd nearly turned him deaf. In the face of it, he really didn't know what to say, or do.

After a moment's silence, his lips worked of their own accord and said the first thing that came to his head, just to fill the awkward silence. "Bloody hell, you're adorable."

It seemed the right thing to say. "Awwwh, well aren't you a sweetie!" she beamed with a musical giggle, swirling just a little faster in what he now understood to be somersaults. "I can tell you and I are going to get along swimmingly~!" Okay, he had to crack a smile at that god-awful joke. "It's good too, 'cause y'know, I had this whoooole speech set out about... y'know, all the silly stuff, and honestly it's just silly semantics, you'll get it eventually, and..." Okay, he was starting to lose her now, this was just all getting too-- "Yes yes yes, I know, it's confusing, yes." Wait, did she just-- "Yes, I can hear your thoughts." Did that mean she wa-- "Yes, I'm a spirit." Oh bloody hell. That probably meant... "Yes, they know about it too." Greyhide felt still and silent, eyes locked with the strange entity, though he felt neither alert nor relaxed. Just there, observing. Silent as the grave. Archailist was an inverted maelstrom. On the outside, calm and still, but Nir'wei could feel what bubbled just below the surface, and it rolled with such thunder that he couldn't even comprehend half the things running through it. Well. That certainly felt encouraging. "Yeah, my thoughts exactly." Not helping! "Sorry!"

Nir'wei pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Moving on!" she beamed, "I've completely lost my train of thought!" The way she said it sounded like a celebration. "Let's just start from the top. I'm Cyshe! Hello, hello! You're Nir'wei, but I think your name is really boring, so from now on I'mma call you... mmm, Blossom. Yeah, Blossom. 'Cause you're small but pretty to look at, when you're not getting caught up in peoples hair and stuff." Was he supposed to be flattered or insulted by all this?

"Excuse me?"

"Excused!" From one of her stubby little paws she seemed to extend a portion of herself, creating a long thin blue rod, which she tapped playfully to his nose. Then, out of nowhere, she realised that Faith existed, spinning towards her in a flurry of activity that only a flying water-dragon-creature-thing could have possibly done without snapping their own spine. Multiple times over. "And YOU must be FAITH!" Oh for the love of Karem. "Hehehe, Nir'wei idolises you just as much as he does Karem, it's quite sweet actually! He even thinks about you almost every waking mo--" How the hell did she know all of this stuff?! Oh. Right. Mindreading. Damn spirits.

"OKAY, THAT'S ENOUGH!" He was VERY certain Faith didn't need to hear any of this and he quickly swatted at the little demon like trying to shoo an unnaturally curious bird. "How about you actually... fill us in on some of the more important things? Like, you still... actually haven't said why you're here." The look she gave him in return did not inspire confidence.

"Welllll..." she said, swirling back into the air with several playful somersaults. "I thought she could explain..."