Safety Dance

[Doran]

When Leona explained that the curse might go deeper, Doran inclined his head. “We should keep our eyes open and not focus too much on a single one of Daia’s domains then”, he decided before he glanced at his other two companions. His suggestion of participating in the contest in order to gain access to the backstage area seemed to be met with unequivocal approval. He also agreed that they were more likely to be let backstage if they performed exceptionally in the contest. He was a good dancer, but he was definitely not an exceptional one – he was under no illusions in that regard.

As for props …

“I won’t need much to demonstrate my talent”, he assured Leona in a calm tone of voice. “Although a volunteer that would be willing to work with me would be appreciated”, he added, but he didn’t say more. Perhaps it was a bit silly – he could be like that as well, on very rare occasions – but he wanted Leona, Vega and Tio to wonder what he’d be doing as well. He wanted to keep up the suspense, even though his participation in the contest would just be a means to an end.

Of course, he had an alternative if nobody agreed to volunteer, but for the time being, he was hopeful that the first option would be possible.

“There’s no need to apologize”, he remarked in a gentler tone of voice when the conversation turned to the matter of the cub once more. “We will find them, Leona.” He didn’t just say that in order to try and alleviate her worries; he was confident that they would find them, even though he didn’t notice anything that pointed towards CURSED when he let his gaze sweep across the room (As he had pretty much concluded before, that would have been too easy, anyway.).

“The cub and the cursed are not in the audience, from what I can tell”, he stated in a matter-of-fact tone of voice before he turned to listen to what Tio had to say once more. He had met a number of Immortals over the course of his exceptionally long life; Tio was definitely the strangest one out of all of them though. He smirked when he noticed how he almost flirted with Vega and Leona, and when he bowed in a flamboyant fashion. Tio was quite unlike the rest of them, but he decided that he liked him regardless – or maybe because of it.

“I’m glad to hear that”, he remarked, his blue eyes twinkling slightly, when Tio told him that he thought he might be one of Cassion’s favorites.

Tio, he noticed, grew visibly excited at the mention of curses. It briefly made him wonder if Daia felt like that when she saw a well-made piece of cloth, or if Ziell got excited at the mention of peace, or winter.

“So, you can’t only tell if somebody’s cursed, but also which curse they bear?” he asked and raised an eyebrow slightly before he fell silent again in order to listen once more. He was truly fascinated by what Tio said. He hadn’t known that Immortals could create custom curses as well; he had thought that a Cursed of Syroa always became a Sessfiend, for example, and that people always received the same kind of punishment, no matter what they did.

(Which hadn’t seemed particularly fair to him, but then again, he wasn’t sure if fairness was a primary concern when it came to curses.)

“Do you think your having born several curses might be the reason why you became the Immortal of Curses?” he wanted to know, briefly allowing himself to ask about something that was unrelated to their task. It was a matter that he found fascinating though. How exactly were domains assigned to a newly made Immortal? Did the way they had lived their mortal life play a part – or did they just get to choose their new domains?

He had to admit, he didn’t like the idea of a sentient curse that didn’t play by the usual rules particularly – things were even worse than he had thought at first – but the expression on his face remained calm regardless. He was also somewhat confused by the two options that Tio had presented to them. Could you really transfer a curse of Daia to someone that already bore her mark? Wouldn’t the curse and the mark simply negate each other? They would find out before long, he decided, and turned to Vega, nodding when he heard what she said.

“I agree. It would be best to hold off on making a decision in that regard until we’ve found the cursed and possess more information. They might have something to say as well”, he replied – the cursed might insist on trying to satisfy the grudge themselves, for example - and added, as it might be relevant, “I have the same ability that Vega has.”

“Let’s go”, he agreed with her, smirking slightly and followed her in order to sign up for the contest.

She had said “Look lively!”, and he had no problem in that regard, at least.

[Pig Boy]

When Doran said that he hadn't spotted any signs of the cub or the cursed within the audience, her heart sank a little. But then, she hadn't expected to find them there. All the same, Vega did have an object that would make it easier to find the cub, the lost lion. That in itself would help. "Vega, do you still have that compass that points toward the lions? The one that came alive from the Mummer's Ball? Perhaps once we're back stage, we can seek it out."

Leona looked from Tio, to Vega, to Doran, and sighed, "I know it sounds strange, but he's right. That may be the only way. I know it's possible to bear the curse blessing of an Immortal, as Cassion has done with some of his followers..." But for now, they were to focus on a happier task, that of attending the talent contest, in hopes of finding the subject they were after.

So, leaving Tio to either tag along, or take up position somewhere in the audience, lying in wait, Leona gathered Vega and Doran with her and brought them to where the sign-ups for the talent show were. The youth behind the counter sniffed lightly, then looked up at them. "Oy, you want in the talent contest? Just jot down what you're doing and with whom, and what yer name is."

So leaving them to fill it in, Leona put her name and talent, Dancing. When Vega was handed the parchment, and then Doran, Leona murmured just loud enough for Vega and Doran to hear her, "I know you're going to put on a strongman act, Doran, but we need your eyes for when Vega begins her performance, and I do my dance. Your abilities will be vital, just as Vegas are, and master Tio."

So saying, they were ushered behind the stage, to dressing rooms where Vega and Leona could get into costumes of a sort, if they weren't already prepared. Leona bid Doran to keep his eyes peeled, "Doran, please check and see if there's anything unusual about our surroundings, even objects left askew on the floor might hold clues... Vega, the compass?"

If Vega brought out the compass, she would indeed find it pointing to a location very close by. It was one thing to see the needle pointing in a specific direction, however, and quite another to find one's way through intricate hallways to find the right location.

However, eventually they made their way to a backstage room, where several performers were powdering their faces, and testing their singing voices, stretching, and doing various preparations you'd expect of performers.

The needle pointed into this room, but appeared to be wobbling some, not pointing at any one person at a given time. It was around this time that Leona gasped, and gripped Vega's arm. "That's him!" She buried her face in Vega's shoulder, her tears filling her eyes. In the room was a dusk skinned young man, spinning and sewing outfits for the performers, mending and needling where necessary.

He didn't appear to recognize Vega, Doran, Tio, or Leona, but was utterly engrossed in his work.

[Trouble]

Tio took another inquisitive glance over Vega when she asked if he could find out more about her curse, and started lightly prodding her in the cheek and bicep with a distant, but unmistakably concerned, look on his face. After a good minute of investigating he let out a sigh. "Sorry. I know a lot about curses, but I don't know much about you mortalborn, and this seems heavily tied into that whole shebang. From what I can tell the hidden function of the curse is waiting for a specific set of conditions to be met, then will try to forcibly activate one of your mortalborn domains in some way." He shrugged. "What those conditions are, or what it wants to use your powers to do, is unclear, but perhaps old firepants might have given some kind of hint when he placed the curse upon you?"

At Doran's questions about the curses affecting the domain he received upon apotheosis, Tio hummed slightly. "Oh they definitely were, but not in the way that I imagine you're thinking. Being cursed forced me to grow as a person, and widened my perspective on the world. I had a number of revelations about the importance and purpose of curses while I was a mortal, and I believe that was why I connected to the domain I did."

When a plan of action was decided on Tio shot them all a thumbs up. "Wonderful! Sounds like a game plan! Go team!" He pointed over to a nearby food stall, that seemed to be selling shish kebabs of some dubious looking meat, and licked his lips hungrily. "I'll go keep my eyes peeled over there. There's a good chance our curse victim is eventually going to want some food after all. Come bring them to me when you find them. Ciao." And with that he dashed over to the food stall like a child running towards an ice cream van, leaving everybody else to do the hard work.

Note

I'll drop out of the posting order for a while, since it doesn't seem like Tio will be needed anytime soon. Shoot me a PM when its time to bring him back again.

[Vega]

80th Zi'da, 721

Vega didn't like what Tio said one little bit. In fact, she didn't like it so much that she ignored the fact that he was poking at her like a side of beef and instead she listened to him. Her curse was drawing power from her and Faldrun. Ok. That was odd. Her curse was what it was, but it also had something hidden within it. More odd. And, of course, it was set to trigger when a set of specific circumstances occured, and it would trigger one of her Domains.

Vega frowned, her expression darkening. Why would he want to do that? Her mind went back, at Tio's words, to the moment he cursed her and she considered it. But not from her viewpoint - from his. What did she have that he could want? What could she possible offer him that the forcing of one her Domains would help him?

During her time at Storm's Edge, Vega had learned a lot about tactics and she was quite good at it Master with 94 knowledges so she turned her mind to what she could possibly offer Faldrun. What he could want, what tactical advantage she could give him. Her Domains, rhythm, emotion and....

"Children," she whispered. Nodding to Tio, she smiled. "Thank you, that's well helpful. I appreciate it." And she said no more than that.

They were here to do a job, after all, and she had to focus on that. But, Vega knew in that moment what she thought Faldrun had done with her and why, and she knew what she had to do. Or, more precisely, who she had to talk to. So, she sent a prayer to Xiur. "If you're listenin' Xiur, I were wonderin' if you could maybe arrange a meetin' with Famula for me? I think Faldrun's got a backup plan for my blood, an' the fact that I can reussurect children." It was rare that Vega prayed to Xiur asking him such things, but that was important. Because suddenly, she realised, she had two things - three things - going for Faldrun.

She had his blood in her veins.

She could resurrect children.

She was directly connected to him via this curse, and his power within it.

If that meant that she could inadvertantly resurrect Ash-breath, she wanted none of it, but she accepted that they had to get on and do this first and so Vega sent her prayer and put it out of her mind and then moved. They signed up for the talent show and she looked at the compass as they went to the back room. "Hold on," Vega said. Leona was overwhelmed and Vega understood that, so she comforted her. Wrapping her arms around her, Vega whispered quietly, soothingly. "It's a'right. We'll go talk to him, alright? But look, look here," and she showed her the compass. "He's sewin' an' this is wobblin' round. I wonder if he's puttin' some of himself in each of those costumes he's makin'?" She didn't know if he was or even if it was possible, but she felt that it might well be, on both counts.

Once Leona was relatively calm, Vega squeezed her hand. "We'll go talk to him, come on," and she moved to him, gesturing for Doran and Leona to do the same - Tio too, if he was about. "Hey," Vega said quietly, speaking gently to the young man. "I'm Vega. It's right nice to meet you. We're performin' in this competition, an' we're lookin' for someone. We're tryin' to find someone connected to the Immortal Daia. You know anyone who fits that bill?"

Quietly, she thought. Quietly, softly, carefully. All the things that she wasn't good at. Typical. Still, she smiled and waited to see what he said.

[Doran]

That Vega possessed a compass that pointed towards lions would definitely be helpful, Doran decided as he remembered the Mummer’s Ball and tried to figure out if anything else that had happened there might be of use now. He also found it interesting that it was possible to bear both the curse and the blessing of the same Immortal. He’d always thought that they would cancel each other out, or that being blessed and cursed at the same time just wasn’t possible. Under normal circumstances, he might have wondered what kind of reason an Immortal could have for cursing and blessing someone, but as it was, he was focused on the task at hand. Leona was so worried, and he wanted to help her.

“I would very much like to hear more about that if we ever meet again”, he remarked when Tio mentioned his revelations about the importance and purpose of curses. He had to admit, he found his personality interesting, and his story intriguing. There were so many questions he wanted to ask the newly ascended Immortal, and so many things that he wanted to talk about to him. He didn’t know of any other person that had gone through such a change in recent times, with the exception of Valtharn maybe – she had been mentioned during the most recent council meeting. She had already been a Mortalborn though, whereas Tio had been – he abruptly realized that he didn’t know for sure what his original race had been. Had he always looked like a human man?

When Tio offered them a thumbs up, he did the same, smirking slightly, and watched him walk over to the food stall with a kind of excitement that he couldn’t help but find endearing rather than irritating before he followed Leona and Vega to the counter and put his name and talent. Upon hearing Leona state that they needed his eyes for when Vega began her performance, and she did her dance, he inclined his head almost imperceptibly in order to let her know that he understood and that he agreed that this would be a good course of action.

Once in the backstage area, he took note of the performers powdering their faces and testing their singing voices, and getting ready for the contest in general, but stopped abruptly when Leona buried her face in Vega’s shoulder and began to cry. The reason for her tears soon became obvious. Was the dusk-skinned young man the cub they were looking for?

“It will be alright”, he said to Leona before he followed Vega and her over to the man and listened to the daughter of Faldrun speak. When she asked him if he knew anyone who “fit the bill”, he told him, “I’m Doran. We would greatly appreciate it if you could help us”, he added.

His tone of voice was gentle and friendly, and once he had spoken, he entered a state of calm and focus – doing so only took him a short moment nowadays – which would hopefully make it easier for the people around him, Leona who seemed so worried among them, to be calm and relaxed in turn. A moment later, he turned to the task that she had given to him and let his gaze sweep around their surroundings again, in order to see if there was anything unusual or extraordinary about their surroundings, such as objects that were askew on the floor or seemed out of place. Every little thing might hold clues.

Notes

Doran uses his Meditation capstone “Radiance of Calm” to radiate calm and make it easier for people to stay calm in turn. Furthermore, he uses his Detection capstone “Big Picture, Small Detail” in order to check the room for small details and unusual things.

[Pig Boy]

The compass was wobbling and pointing directly toward the man sewing. There could be no doubt to Vega, as she knew and had hope in the way her gadget worked. She approached the person, impassively enough. He almost didn't notice her at first, but continued stitching a costume for one of the performers. He looked over his shoulder to side-glance at Vega, when she asked him her question. "Daia? That's the Immortal of tailoring yes? Very good. Could you hand me that thimble, please?"

Assuming any of them went ahead to hand it to them, he'd thank them, and go on to sew his stitches. He began humming and tapping his foot as he did so, and even began whistling as he worked.

Leona was comforted by Vega's words previously, and also by Doran's radiant calm. It was perhaps this that gave her enough courage to approach her child, and speak to him. "Banje?"

He lifted his head, seeming to have thoughts now, and there were definitely emotions behind his eyes. "Daia you said?" He asked.

At this point, Doran as he swept the room in looking over the details and little nooks and crannies of the surroundings, would notice a few things that seemed sorely out of place. There were crutches nearby, leaning against the corner of the room. Beside them, a pair of matching shoes, both for the left feet. There were also limb-braces, the kind that were used to support those who had trouble standing. He'd seen similar advanced contraptions during his time in viden, in the Infirmary and used on weakened patients.

"Yes, Daia Banje. She's returned, don't you remember?" Leona said, emotion cracking the calm in her voice.

He sighed, and breathed in and out. "I had heard that the Immortal returned... In a dream. I was in a grand ballroom, and there were people all around. Moseke was there... And you were there." He turned to look at Vega fully. "How funny!"

"But then there were things nonsensical that happened there. Memories of things that haven't happened. Faldrun, and a blade, and the Lion Queen getting killed."

He hummed to himself. "Would you hand over that little spool of red thread over there, the one with silky shine?" He asked the companions. In the meantime, he went on to say. "I don't remember much before that... It's almost as if... I was pulled out of the dream and plopped into the world."

"Funny thing memories." He said, "But I know... or I wouldn't know how to sew so well, would I!"

So saying, he went to work on the stitch once more.

A voice called from the front of the area that had been set as the stage for the talent contest. "Five bits! You all have five bits!"

"I'm sorry, I really must get this costume to Carmen Sinist." Banje said. As he got up, gathering the costume, he didn't even seem to notice Leona. "You'd probably all better get ready for your acts too! Good luck, and break a leg!"

So saying, he began walking out of the backstage area, down a corridor. The compass of Vega began wobbling, the needle following after the supposed cub.

[Vega]

80th Zi'da, 721

"Yeah," she said softly. "The Immortal of tailorin' an' dance." She looked at him and while she was mostly entirely sure that it was him, she just checked behind him, to make sure that he wasn't simply in the way of someone else. The more he spoke, the less likely that seemed to Vega, but she thought it was wise to check.

When he spoke of the ballroom, Vega nodded. "I remember," she said, quietly. "I remember because it were a real memory, Banje. That was the moment Daia was resurrected." She felt like it was all just on the tip of his remembering, but it wasn't quite there. She wound her fingers around the spool of red thread and handed it to him. "Here you go. Can you try an' remember?" She frowned as she thought about it and then, he said that he could sew well.

And Vega had an idea. "I tell you what," she said, softly. "I'm gonna play my fiddle. I'll play the music from that ballroom," she smiled at him, encouragingly. "That memory, it can't be a fake one if I can play the music. An' I tell you what." Vega said to him. "When I do, will you do me a favour, an' will you dance? For Daia, will you dance?" She gestured to the stage. "You don't have to come out on stage if you don't want to. It would be good if you did though, to keep me company," companionship, and all that.

Someone called out that it was five bits and he stood and walked. Vega's first instinct was that yes, they should get ready. But then, she thought again. "Companionship," she said, firmly. "Companionship is what he needs. All Daia's domains. So, I'm stickin' with him." And that was what she did. She hoped that Leona and Doran came with her, but Vega was who Vega was and so she walked, striding purposely with him. "Wait up," she said to Banji. "I can sew well enough. I'll help out." She hoped that they all would, because she was quite convinced now that she'd considered it, that companionship needed to be shown to this man.

And so, that was what she did.

[Doran]

When the man asked for his thimble, Doran immediately turned his head and looked around. When he spotted it, his eyes lit up, and he picked it up and handed it to him before he proceeded to watch him sew his stitches. Leona’s supposed child seemed to enjoy what he was doing. He was humming and tapping his foot, and at one point, he even whistled. To Doran who still found needlework a bit of a challenge – in the past, when he had been far poorer, he’d mended his clothes, but he had only recently picked the needle up again - there was something quite fascinating about it, something almost calming and relaxing.

After a few moments, he focused his attention on Leona regardless though, to make sure that she’d manage. Banje talked to her about events that were largely unknown to him, a grand ballroom, about Faldrun and a blade and all the people that had been there, and that he didn’t remember much before that which caused Doran to furrow his brow slightly. How could it be that Leona’s child seemed to have forgotten most of his previous life?

While Vega handed Banje the spool of thread, the son of Ziell told him in a gentle tone of voice, “I can read memories. If your memories are not truly gone, but simply inaccessible, I might be able to take a look at them with a touch of my hand. It is only an offer, of course”, he added, aware of the fact that not everybody appreciated someone being inside their head. Some likely found the notion downright uncomfortable, in fact.

Regardless of how Banje decided, Doran inclined his head in approval when Vega said that she’d play the music from the ballroom. If she could play the music that had been there, it might trigger something. Perhaps, he thought, companionship was indeed what Banje needed. Perhaps, the combination of all of Daia’s domains was what was needed that evening. When Vega followed the supposed cub and told him that she’d help out, he didn’t join her right away though. There was something that had caught his attention.

“Leona, I think I may have found something that belongs to the cursed”, he told the lioness in an urgent tone of voice and tried to direct her attention to the items that he had seen. “I saw similar contraptions when I worked as a doctor in the Infirmary in Viden. If the curse involves compulsive and uncontrolled dancing, they might be using the braces to stabilize their legs. They are probably somewhere nearby. I can’t imagine that they’ll be able to get very far without braces or crutches”, he added.

“Banje, a moment before you head on stage”, he asked the supposed cub (Was he really the cub?). “Do you know where the person that the crutches, the braces and the shoes belong to is? We need to find them”, he said. Judging by the looks of it, Banje had probably been at the Scholar’s Nook for a while. He had likely seen whoever the items in question belonged to. Maybe, he had even talked to them and knew their name.

As he waited for Banje’s answer, he briefly looked at Leona again. Vega wanted them all to be on stage. If Leona decided that she wanted to join Banje and Vega, he would come with them, of course. Otherwise, he would stay with the lioness and help her. You didn’t leave any of her companions alone, especially if they had clearly been distraught before; besides, there might still be something that Leona wanted him to do for her.

[Pig Boy]

80th of Zi'da 721

“Ahh! Yes I heard she’d returned. Quite the buzz around town an arc past!” Banje said cheerfully. He was momentarily distracted by all the chatter, and then he swore as he pricked himself, just beside the skin along the rim of the thimble. “Blast. That won’t do, ow!”

Banje paused, as he sucked on the small cut AFter a moment, he responded to Doran’s offer of the touch of his hand to recover memories. “That’s quite the trick? It’s no emergency as far as I can tell, but I have to admit that I’m curious about this dream.”

“I don’t know who the brace and shoes belong to. They’ve been there since we’ve been setting up for the talent show, though.” Banje shrugged.

Banje glanced at Doran and shrugged at the mention of a curse, when he spoke to Leona.

“Cursed? Carmen is odd perhaps, but I wouldn’t know anything about as serious as a curse.”

“Actually, would you help mend this little gap in the cloth?” He asked Vega and Doran, since both of them offered to help out. “I’ll go fetch Carmen, and she can come and meet you then, since you seem to know of her…”

When Vega offered to play the fiddle, Banje brightened up. “I could certainly use an accompaniment for the talent show! I accept, but then you’d forfeit your own entry?” He quirked an eyebrow, wondering if the mortalborn would really prefer eto do that.

“Anyway, you can come with after we stitch up this little mend.” Having said this, he stood up from his seat, and wiated for Vega and or Doran to stitch up the cloth, then would allow them to accompany them to the backstage area where Carmen was preparing for their own act.

Leona touched Vega on the arm, speaking in a hushed whisper that Doran could overhear, “Can you use the Snitching Stitch with your hair? With the music and the thread, and with Doran’s ability. I think that might help him remember?” Leona choked up as she said it. “It hurts too much to not be remembered. I don’t know if I can stand it.”

This said, Leona slumped, seeming very depressed at the moment and feeling helpless. But there was a slight meager hope In her eyes, that with Doran and Vega’s ability, they might be able to combined restore the memory of who Banje was, and perhaps then he’d see his mother.

[Vega]

80th Zi'da, 721

"I don't mind that," Vega said, when he said that she'd forefeit her part in the show if she accompanied him. "I don't mind that at all." She happily took hold of some of the sewing and listened carefully as Leona spoke. "Of course. I'm sorry, I should have thought o' that," she said and smiled apologetically. She leaned forward and kissed Leona on the cheek. "We've got hope. An' we've got so bloody stubborn that I won't stop, so you know, we're doin' alright, aren't we?" She smiled then at Doran and Leona and she plucked a single golden hair from the tip of her finger, pulled it and began to work. As she worked, she focused on the memory that he needed to regain, on the fact that he was a cub and he needed to remember.

Doran thought that the leg equipment might lead to the cursed and Vega nodded her head. "That makes sense to me," she said. As they made their way backstage, she glanced at Doran. "You wanna talk to Carmen?" she said. She asked that for two reasons, really. Firstly, Doran was much more personable and less cantankerous than she was. Vega knew that, didn't mind that she was who she was and was just fine with her own cantankerousness - if, she considered, that was even a word. But also, she thought that Doran might be able to achieve more there than she could. Banje had brightened up when she offered to play in accompaniment to him and Vega believed that she could get through to him, get him to listen and remember.


She wanted him to dance for Daia, for himself, for his memory. And so, she handed him back the sewing with the Snitching Stitch mend and she smiled. "Here you go. What do you reckon, should we do a quick practice? It'll be like old times, playin' that music from the time we shared when we danced for Daia. Remember that?" She looked at him, her gaze intent. "Look, bottom line, here, Banje, this memory of yours is real. Now I get that you're busy an' you think this is important, but so is what we're tryin' to tell you. I need you to listen." She smiled at him, wanting him to know that she wasn't annoyed. Yet.

"I'm goin' to play that music, an' you're goin' to remember. When you do, it's all goin' to come tumblin' in an' that's ok. Because it's what we need an' want. But we need to get on an' do that now, so can we please?" If he would, she'd do that here and now. "Jus' a practice, yeah? But you'll remember."

Hopefully, she thought. Please Xiur, let him remember.