Republic Day-Beets...I think...19/10/22
Oct 21, 2022 21:25:23 GMT
Jaezred Vandree, Ian, and 4 more like this
Post by Beets The Beetle (Feenix) on Oct 21, 2022 21:25:23 GMT
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"Not what you were buggin'expecting!"
"Not what you were buggin'expecting!"
The fairy sits up upon the unfamiliar rooftop of the Zot’ Goran tower as the night draws on.
The everlasting wind of this place ripples constantly through the air, pulling at her loose hair, whipping across her skin where her now long dried tears have crusted with the mud into a mask of sorrow upon her face. Her gaze held aloft in the direction her beloved moon, willing it, almost pleading it to her reach down and pull her up into its all knowing, comforting embrace.
“Who am I anymore?”
I woke with start, someone was shaking me, calling my name. “Beets!
-heave-
Beets wake up you’re gonna be late!-heave heave- Oh Diana’s gonna kill me for this!” -heave-wheeze-cough-
It was Jeremy, my 2nd in command and current stand-in leader of the Rooftop Beetles. His long face was dripping with sweat, his messy blonde hair sticking out madly around his strange round ears, his large eyes wild with fright.
Judging by his appearance-and smell-he had clearly bug’kored it here double time-which was impressive as speed was never Jeremy’s strong suit.
But, judging but that wild look in his eyes I already knew what this was about. He had forgotten to deliver something-again. And buggin’believe me you do not want to let Diana a parcel you’ve forgotten kicking around the floor of the Beetle Base. She’s got the temper of a dragon, and the claws to match.
“W-what is it Jer? You didn’t forget to deliver another approval form to Aurelia did you-?”
I stopped as Jeremy-still panting and wheezing-shook his head, reaching into his very battered delivery pouch and holding out a, slightly crumped, yet very fancy looking cream envelope-with some grease stains on it. An Envelope…With my name on it.
Beets
“It arrived the other day”-wheeze- “and Diana said to just leave it on the table for a day for you to pick up, and that if you didn’t happen to come by for me to come personally deliver it to you.
But then, me Axel and Gary pulled an all nighter starting our new campaign-you know of Dispatchers & Dragons-and it kinda sorta got buried under the all snacks and stuff. And then Gary found it when he was tidying up, and we kinda, accidentally, opened it to look-To check it was important you know! And-oh-well! Y-you gotta get to Town Hall buggin’asap! Gary said you’ve been invited somewhere-probably an award ceremony for that super speedy delivery you did the other day! But you gotta go now! If you miss it Diana is gonna murder me! Last time she fixed me with all the manure deliveries to the apothecaries for a month! My nose still hasn’t full recovered!
I stood up and brushed a couple stray leaves of River’s from my hair and stretched, my bug legs giving big buggy clickity-clacks. It must be late afternoon as the sun was already bending to kiss the rooftops of Daring Heights steeples, which also meant I’d also slept through breakfast and lunch! Though, given my terrible restless nights worrying, I wasn’t surprised. Still, an award ceremony sounded just the thing to cheer me up, so with nod to Jerm, I flitted up and off the roof, in the direction of Town Hall.
Well I wasn’t late, but given the pained greeting I got from that Council guy Phillip compared to the almost grovelling one he gave Lord Jaezred when he turned up all suited and booted, you’d think I’d been covered in mud-Well apart from the usual amount on my face anyways! A young girl was there too some fancy armour. It took me a minute to realise it was Silvia! Bug, I hadn’t seen her since the big red slime murder mystery in the Daring Chasm Caves, and she’d been a dog for most of the time! W-wait she died! When did that happen-?! But Silvia, halted my sudden flurry of questioning, As Phil began where we were off to and I started to wish, that maybe I could have a sudden conveniently timed sort-term departure, from this life.
Apparently, this wasn’t going to be award ceremony. But some kind of diplomatic…B-ball. A ball we’d not only be attending, but also be representing the Daring Council-and the whole entire Dawnlands! I almost choked on my third Scone from Jaezred’s summoned platter.
“Yes Beets-a Ball! And didn’t ‘glue’ have so much fun at the last one too?” The sharply dressed lord said. leaning down on their cane to speak to me. Their wide smile reminding me just a little too much of those so called ‘friendly’ taxbaxi outlanders I had met when rescuing Zalmern the giant.
Our guide council guide Phil reeled off some ongoing topics that would likely be discussed. New Supply contracts, the Githyanki invasion, forming new alliances.“Politics” Silvia said, with a roll of her eyes, as we were expedited to the front queue of Portal Plaza.
“Politics? B-But I don’t don’t the first thing about politics! Maybe someone else sho-” I started, before feeling a sudden tug and ripple across my wings as my two fellow party goers pulled me through the portal with them, replacing my final look of the profusely sweating and pale Phil, with blank, emotionless brickwork.
Ambassador Vellus, a smiley blonde elf whose fancy threads were on par with Jaezred’s, greeted us. The apparent representative for Daring Heights here in Zot Goran. Great!-Maybe he could take my place!! He seemed to find this suggestion this very funny, along with my name and introduction as one of the Rooftop Beetles delivery squad-What did he mean, ‘a funny joke’ to tell later?
The halls where lined with minotaurs.
Like my new friend Keros they were huge, muscular, well-armed, and likely able to rip a small fairy limb from limb for merely saying the wrong thing. -Gulp-
Like my new friend Keros they were huge, muscular, well-armed, and likely able to rip a small fairy limb from limb for merely saying the wrong thing. -Gulp-
The streets as we exited the transport hall were tall and winding, a strong whistling from the rooftops up above. Normally I loved flitting about a new city, but this place…Felt oppressive. Scary.
There was a lot recent of dark history here apparently that our all so smiley guide was more than happy to fill us in on as we made out way through town. The regaling of tales of Arch devil invasions with their devious hordes, and the noble sacrificing of downland heroes to protect a doorway from hell were really selling me on this place!
It was then as we reached the venue for this union of equal-loss between our nations, The Kul-Goran Senate house-under ominous blood red sky. That Girelle told us that we now had our part to play in a ‘fun’ little ‘game’, in helping to potentially prevent more potential bloodshed and suffering in the future.
No flittin’pressure then!
The ‘party’ was mostly attended by people of two different …‘Interests’. The Purists, and the Optimates. “More politics!’ Silvia assured me, amongst the applause following a speech from an elderly minotaur, who looked more to have risen for the grave themselves than her, given their vacant blue eyes and ghostly complexion-What’s that? Oh an Aerotaur huh? Well they sure look buggin’strange to me-and I’m one to talk!
After the speeches and greetings with political big wigs…Big horns. It was time for the autumnal dancing to begin, and apparently, the challenge was to try and last all four rounds. “Well!” I said, cracking my knuckles and flexing my wings, “Challenge accepted.”
I was loving the energy of the music. All the flitting and spinning, that is, till I jabbed a bull right in his leg with my horn. Mr Blouse I think his name was, as he said it through a kinda ‘pained smile.’ A working detective-just like Derthaad. Though, like me, he had never been to Dert’s hometown of Waterdeep-Said it could be his retirement-plan. I assured him he didn’t look-‘That old!’ Apparently he must have a fear of heights or something, as when he said he likes to work from the shadows under the cover of night, I told him I must preferred being in the moonlight, that’s why I liked sleeping on roofs! He insisted it had been lovely and might catch me later!-I assured him if there was a game of tag, he’d have his work cut out for him.
Jaezred and Silvia seemed very involved with their own partners, a pretty young robbed girl and a fancy old minotaur knight. Well, I wasn’t gonna let that first ‘bump’ on the dance floor ruin my groove.
So, scanning the crowd, it was then that I spotted that too-cool blue dude. The way he swirled on the dance floor, with his pale long hair and dazzling smile almost sparkling in the chandelier light. It was like someone had invited the moon’s cool cousin to party. Twenty percent cool, 60 percent dude. Eddie, was his name, of Eddie and the Airheads-it seemed he had his own ‘band’ of peeps too, just like me! He was pretty impressed overall with me, and we even split my ‘Just for emergencies’ scarf’stashed-brownie from Paradise Frost, before he has to swirl out. I told him I’d, heh, catch him on the flit’side! I was enjoying this party now.
It was then that the music picked up, even more. Despite my wings and feet starting to sting, I wasn’t buggin’ready to end this thing. I was determined to show..To show everyone, to show myself, that I rub shoulders with these ‘political-types.’ Time to show these guys ‘The beats of this beetle,’ and so I challenged another one of those aero’eotaur-a tough looking female one I thought-to a dance off.
She kept pace with me pretty well, till she tried to turn up the beat, and prompts stomped on a Tabaxi’s foot-Yeow’meow! Then she tried to buggin’blame for it! The cheeky…moo. Tried to say I had just proved the rubbish she’d heard about Dawnlanders, that we were all brash and no tash! I told her that rich coming from someone couldn’t keep their hooves straighter that her horns!-That got her storming! She said we should settle this after the dance ‘little one. A wrestling match. You and me.’
You’re on, ‘little cloud!” I retorted confidently. I never buggin’back down from a fight, especial one I’ve been challenged to!
“Kyra Strum’ she snorted haughtily, “You’d do well to know it. “Oh well in that case it’s gonna be ‘Bye-ya-Ky-ra!” I cheeked back with a merry waive, till a very fancy looking minotaur twirled past us with a low head bow. “Senator.”
‘Oh bug!’ I realised, as Kyra gave me stormy smirk, before evaporating into the crowd.
I’d done it again.
I’d done it again.
The dance finally came to an end, but I didn’t know if I was either shaking from exertion, or fear. The storm-front Kyra has left in her wake pressed heavily on my senses as I gulped down a platter full of glasses I had flitted’off a passing waiter.
These waters didn’t taste right, but did help to ever so slightly to ease the feeling of panic building up in my gut.
Guide-Vellus seemed impressed with our efforts on the dance floor despite ‘certaint complications.’I didn’t even need to turn from gulping my final glass to know his eyes were upon me. Whilst he and the others went to make ‘polite’ conversation at the bar, I made my into a hall he has directed that some ‘fun’ sparring matches were available to ‘par-take’ in.
The last sparring match I took part at an event like this had been against King Verin. I had been so excited, egged on by the cheers and chants of my friends, of..Marto…Smiling as he thrust what was to be his third flagon of ale of so flittin’many more that night into the air with a roar, as I triumphantly managed to flit’n’pin the King!
We’d has so much fun together that night. H-he show me how caring and special a true friendship can really be. ‘A fairy filled with the strength of a rhinoceros with the heart of a lion’, he’d called me…
How things have changed.
As I entered the wrestling hall Kyra was waiting for me in front of a marked ring, an entourage of stern, unflinching minotaurs surrounding her. “Ah good, so you’ve decided to show up.”
“Yes” I replied, my voice sounding very small in the cavernous hall.
‘Well, let us step us into the ring then. We fight until the other yields, or falls unconscious. But not to the death. After all, this is meant to be for fun. Just a friendly little spar to settle…Differences.” The look in her eyes told me, she wasn’t going to go easy on me.
As I stepped into the ring, the mountain range of minotaurs enclosed around us, pressing in like a heavy storm-front, just waiting to unleash its deluge upon us.
As I looked into the stoney shadowy faces towering above me, they suddenly became animated before my eyes, looming down to speak to me. Their bull features morphing into distorted versions of my friend’s faces. Their mouths opening to speak jeering, taunting versions of their own voices, words I heard them speak aloud to me before.
One became Derthad, the horns curling back and becoming spiky, it’s snout growing long and scaled as it leered at me. “Why do you keep smearing mud on your face? War paint, or something? The actor is Beets, and the mask hides her.
Another became Kavel, its jawline sprouting a thick beard, it’s body ripping with muscles as it lifts its beefy arms and places them around two shadowy minotaurs either side of it.
“These are my brothers, they are your friends. In fact, they are dying to meet the little fairy that bested their strong bro in an arm wrestle.”
The next is a horribly stretched Lolli, its horns morphing into long ears, a sickly sweet smile forming on its face as sprouts whiskers from its muzzle.
“I’m so happy to see you! I was worried. But of course I didn’t need to be. Nothing can stop you!”
Amble from behind, the rap of his closed fist tapping against my skull.
“What is it that makes you 'tick' these days? Can’t seem to get into your mind…Perhaps full of other stuff…”
“My daughter would be sad to see you like this Beets. She did not give her life for you to not live yours as you truly are.” Zanahthir, the shadowy minotaur morphing into an eerie combination of both dragon and human form.
“If you want your peers to take you more seriously, you should reconsider your use of language.” Scolds the growing form of Zitharis the Sphinx’otaur.
"I expect to hear great things of you, Beets the Beetle…” , booms the suddenly towering shadow of a horned Queen Nicnevin.
Then in front of me, just behind Kyra, taller than ever, wearing his armour, his bearded face set with no obvious sign of emotion. Marto.“Beets…What did you do?”
“Beets. Beets. Beets.” The voices begin to chant, their voices swirling in the circle around me.
Marto’s words once again ring in my head.
“Who are you trying to impress? What are you trying to prove?”
“Beets. Beets. Beets.”
“There are a lot of really powerful people out there and if you go around pissing them off then I-“-I can’t help you.”
“Beets! Beets! Beets!-What’s wrong with the fairy?!”
-“If you truly have been thinkin’ about what you’ve done you’d try to fix it, or change it, or stop it. Not continue to make excuses that result in foolish and reckless choices.”
“BEETS! BEETS! BEETS!”
-“I don’t have the emotional space to keep picking you up anymore.”
I feel my legs shaking as they begin to lower, the smell of stale sweat and..tears.
As I reach down,
and press my head to the floor.
“I yield…”
Silence.
“Y-you win…I-I’m sorry…I’m sorry if I insulted you…I was, wrong…”
My voice breaks at the final word.
I wait. And then hear a laugh. It’s Kyra.
“Well didn’t expect that. But yes. Okay then.”
I feel her reach down and pull me up to my feet, wrapping her arm around me as she turns to almost show me to the crowd of non once again-normal-minotaurs.
“Look, I beat one of the Dawnlanders!” She laughs. “But after all, we are all friends here!” They all laugh, good natured or mocking I no longer know, and I stumble but blindly but continue walking as they part and Kyra pushes me from the ring.
I walk on aimlessly, ears burning, eyes leaking once again. And suddenly just down fall down against a wall.
Curling up tightly into a ball.”
After a while there is sound of light footfall.
I do not care.
A hand gently stroking my hair.
“Are you okay?” Asks a soft voice.
“No…” My voice quivers.
“There there, it’s alright.”
“I don’t know who I am anymore.” Says my once voice.
“Hm..That’s a hard question. One many consider that all their lives. And yet, do we ever truly learn the answer?”
“I just want to go home. I want things to be b-ba-back to normal…”
“Yes. I hear that a lot lately. But what is normal? Who we are changes. And, well. I’m sure you’re going to find your answer. Everyone story develops. With or without them.
I uncurl myself to peer up at the figure. The soft white hair grey around it’s face-GRAMPS?!
But no, as my blurry vision focuses, the nose becomes a break, the hair turning into feathers.
Jahry Longbeak,” says the figure of an aracokra stood before me.
I’m an investigator, somewhat, storyteller.”
“These events bring out the worst people, he continues, as I sit myself up. “But you know what you’ve got to go to do? Just put on a little show. Say! Why don’t you come sit with me? We can just talk normally. Or sit quietly. I could ask you a couple questions, and we could just ‘pretend'. Pretend we know what all this, political nonsense, is they’re talking about.”
“L-like a game? I say, wiping my eyes with my hand.”
“Exactly.” He says, offering his own out to me.
The fairy does not remember the questions the strange figure of Jahry asked her, nor the answers she gave in response.
She just sits there upon the rooftop of strange tower, in possibility the biggest city she has ever visited in her life. Surrounded by more people that she has ever even thought possible.
And yet.
Feeling the absolute loneliest she has ever felt,
in her life.
in her life.
