Post by dee on Jun 29, 2023 11:16:55 GMT
(Cowritten with the industrious Harry)
Rae is moving around Daring, but very focused on getting from one place to another. They walk straight past Calla without noticing she is there, but when she blips right in front of them, appearing in a swirl of embers and ash, Rae stops with a stagger and blinks a couple times before processing.
“Oh, Calla! Didn’t see you there! Hello, how are you? All okay?”
"More or less! You seem busy- I just wanted to say hello, let you know that I've been thinking about you, and that we should catch up soon. It sounds like a lot has been happening with you, and I want you to know you've got friends. Also...." she looks very mildly guilty, "something's come up and I might need one of your spells".
Rae blinks a couple of times, as if readjusting their priorities like switching a light on once Calla speaks. “That’s so kind of you to say! Hey my spells are your spells that’s fine, let’s go copy them over right now.” Rae grabs Calla’s arm to lead her swiftly off. “I heard something went on in the Academy, is it still okay? Or should we go somewhere else. I have been busy.”
"Yeah... uh...", Calla's gaze drifts to the Academy, and then to the Dragon, both clearly far from ideal "let's find somewhere else?"
“I’ve been staying at The Hung Rabbit, decent sized booths, should be enough space?” Rae is already moving as they suggest this idea.
"Perfect, let's head ther..." Calla lets Rae forge ahead, but her eyes narrow at the very sudden change in direction. She can't help but look around to see if they're being followed or paid undue attention to.
As the two arrive, Rae sidles into a booth they seem very comfortable with, after asking for a cider from Dhauzith, the owner, almost without looking at him. They pull out their spellbook and quickly flip through without asking Calla if she wants anything but instead moving quickly to ask “What spell was it you were looking for?”
"Nothing complicated, just the ability to make myself and others Invisible," Calla pauses for a second, and then puts her hand on Rae's, midflip, "is everything okay? You seem a little... preoccupied?"
"Preoccupied? I'm sorry. You wanted to copy spells and catch up so I've got my spellbook, I've got Invisibility on this page. Did I miss something else? Sorry if I did I feel like I'm.. missing things recently." Rae is wearing a new outfit, their big coat is gone and instead they are wearing a short sleeved shirt with a waistcoast, as well as a number of accessories, necklaces, belts and a new ring on their left hand.
"You're missing things? That's worrying". Calla's eyes narrow again. She gently turns Rae's book, opens her own with a muttered command, and finds a blank page in her increasingly mazed grimoire. "Why don't you tell me what you've been up to while I make my notes?"
The page opposite Calla's blank is mostly written in Primordial, a language she knows that Rae understands. While she gathers scribing materials her attention is firmly on Rae's gaze, watching for the dip she'd expect from any wizard presented with novel arcana. Among her signature schematics and sigils, that page is packed, top to bottom, with necromancy.
“Okay, so a lot has happened. I spent some time recently in this brilliant place called Enlace, don’t know if you know it. Filled with incredible genasi of more variation than just the four elements like I am. They have this very powerful crystal in the centre of their community, the magical capabilities.. I could discuss them for days. But I had a bit of a misunderstanding with one of the keepers, brilliant person named Ziha. I upset her, and in turn my good friend at the time Keros, it was a scary time.” Rae idly fiddles with their ring as they recall this time. “But I returned to make things right, helped fix their crystal because it was fracturing, fought off some invaders.. And everything is mostly okay and Keros is now my boyfriend.” Rae turns a darker shade of pink. “It’s very nice and sweet, but we have a lot we need to do together and things keep.. happening.”
Rae overall seems unaware of how incoherent their rambling must seem, and has hardly even looked at the necromancy in Calla’s spellbook, much less noticed it.
As Rae speaks Calla makes affirming replies and noises, "I haven't"s and "That's wonderful"s. Although they include a genuine sigh of relief at the news about Keros, they also include the occasional and deliberate non-sequitur. Three deep and she slips in a quick "I'm going to cast a spell on you, okay?" When Rae stops talking, all they likely hear is "Of course, of course. I mean, if that's alright with you?" Everything in Calla's body language implies that it's a harmless question with a simple and positive answer.
“Huh? Oh yeah of course, go for it, whatever helps.” Rae smiles at Calla.
"That's what I thought. I heard you had some business in Kul Goran as well?" It's a reach, but she knows that Keros is from there, so it's a confident one. Even a rambling rebuttal will get Rae talking again.
“Lots going on in K’ul Goran, very uneasy political situation, they’re practically on the brink of civil war. We’re doing all we can to prevent that. But now we’ve even got some new individuals out of nowhere attacking us..”
As Rae talks about their brand new enemies, Calla mutters to herself a quick "Can't hurt, I guess" before curling her fingers into the unnatural configuration needed for curse breaking.
One spell complete, the next turns Calla’s vision to the Weave. A world writ in power shimmers heat-haze across Rae’s body. She admires its elegant flow around her friend’s hands and gestures before honing in on their gear. Calla vaguely recognises a horn from stories. She discounts a mask, currently unused. Recognises a ruby similar to her own. The most pernicious vehicles for curses are those that can be worn consistently. With the evidence slowly stacking up that something is seriously awry, Calla interrupts Rae mid-sentence, “Hey, I, uh, don’t suppose I can take a look at that new ring of yours? Maybe put it right here to get the best of the light?” She taps a spot on the table. No trace of a demand, just a sensible suggestion.
Rae, still on autopilot as they explain their stories just nods idly. "Oh yeah, for sure. I picked it up when I wasn't feeling great after a mission in the city.." They slide the ring off their finger, and then their eyes briefly dilate. They take a sharp intake of breath as their vision opens up again and they blink a couple of times to reacclimatise. "Ohh that is.. weird what was." Rae pinches the bridge of their nose.
While that’s happening Mal suddenly appears from under the table, scrabbles over the ledge, and then sits on the ring like the worst possible dragon.
Calla gives him an approving nod, and turns back to her friend with a belaboured sigh, “I’m afraid to say it, Rae, but you were cursed. Nasty piece of work too, not long left for it to run its course, and then…”. She makes a grimace and shrugs, meaningfully.
Rae takes a moment to process what Calla is saying, then looks at the edge of th ring and re-contextualises their past few weeks of adventuring, before returning their gaze to Calla.
“Oh I am so sorry, I feel as though I’ve been acting terribly rude. Thank you so much for catching me. What an annoying thing..”
“There you are. What a relief!”
"Sorry that a curse made me monologue at you about my personal life.. I need to figure out what to do with this but.. Please don't leave before I hear what's going on with you, I'd feel awfully selfish." Rae wipes their face with their hands and looks sympathetically at Calla.
"Honestly, that was the best part of the curse! But yeah, I might have a little bit of news". Calla laughs it off, but now Rae's faculties have returned they can see that she's playing things down. Small patches of gauze dot her arms, and one of her eyes is slitted like a cat's.
"As for the ring, might I suggest melting it down? Or encasing it in a similar metal before burying it? Or dropping it into a pocket realm with very limited access? Or.... maybe... changing the way it looks to rid oneself of an enemy? I'm more than happy to help. These sort of things have a tendency to show up again unless properly disposed of".
"Yes yes, I shall dispose of the ring in due time, but what has gone on? Your appearance is.. certainly changed." Rae takes in all the new details now they are properly able to again.
"Oh, my appearance is changed?" Calla touches her index fingers together, and suddenly her Autumn aspect, the one in which she originally met Rae, is back. Another touch heralds a swirl of snow and Winter returns. One more, and diminutive Spring is sat opposite Rae. She winks, cackles, touches her fingers, and an imperious short-furred Tabaxi takes her place. Two claws touch with a raised eyebrow and a burst of sparks, and she's back to Summer.
"So, let's see..." Calla screws up her face and starts counting off on her fingers, "I went on a 'ship', turns out I hate the sea; learnt how to avert prophecies; met some very unpleasant bugs; found a tutor at the Academy; went to a ball, felt kind of awkward about that but they had great books; went to the City of Brass, which is fabulous, you should go; Uh, got involved with a kind of archaeological dig in a forgotten fey temple, learnt how to shift Season on purpose, and then my entire face; prevented a warehouse from burni.... oh no, wait, you were there for that one; went to a different temple and nearly caught mummy rot; caught a murderous butler; went back to the first temple and nearly got murdered by a chimera; pulled off a heist, kind of; took a quick trip to the celestial planes and pissed off some sprites; went to the Witching court and helped out some goblins; Um, had-a-super-quick-jaunt-into-interplanar-space-whatever; got turned into a sheep on heist number two and then nearly got friggin' murdered BY MYSELF; met a very unpleasant aboleth, I still need to track that thing down to be honest; saved Port Ffirst from a malignant vine; aaaaand kept a.." she takes a big breath, clearly chosing her next word very carefully "..n adolescent tabaxi alive long enough to complete his journey into adulthood". She squints, looking up at the ceiling, "Is that everything? I think that's... yup. Pretty sure that's everything. Oh, no, wait, met a whole bunch of wizards at the Academy and I know I've been pretty adamant about being an Arcanist but I think I might also be a wizard now. Which is probably Ruthenia's fault". Calla smiles a big smile, and it's... maybe too clear she's not had much quality time with anyone she considers a direct peer in the last few weeks.
Rae, who had previously not been able to even acknowledge that Calla might’ve had something to say, now listens attentively and checks off a response to every mentioned event. Ranging from “Oh yep I was there for that.” to “You what? That sounds incredible.” And then eventually comes around to: “Well hey, I’ve always considered you my closest Wizard friend I have here, what better reason to class yourself as Wizard than for the camaraderie? And for moments like this, helping each other out.” Rae returns the beaming smile and gestures to the spellbook and ring.
"Oh crap, right, I should do the thing..." Calla picks up her pen and starts scribing the spell she came for, "Kantas Class of '99, am I right?" Another wink and she practically buries her nose in the pages.
"And huge congratulations on the boyfriend, can't wait to say hi".
Rae blushes and smiles. “He is brilliant I’m sure you two will get along.”
Calla doesn't look up, which is for the best because she's a terrible liar, "I'm absolutely positive we will".
Just as much as Calla is a terrible liar, Rae is still terrible at reading people. “Oh, and once you’re finished, remind me to show you the ritual I formulated to aid in the healing of the crystal in Enlace. I think you’ll really appreciate the spell work.”