The Lost Gifts - Mother

A carefully wrapped gift in pale blues, painted delicately with snowflake spots, tumbled into a cradle of glowing crystal near the center of Orion. Here it lay, glowing softly for awhile, as if to attract attention. It was long, tall, but very light weight.

The attached paper tag said, "To: 'Mother,'" but anyone unable to read who might touch the package would also know who it was for. This package would need to be escorted to Ursa, to (or at least near) its recipient. Otherwise, Mother's holiday gift might never reach her.

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This is one of six Lost Gifts threads in the Holiday 2023 event! Characters may each choose one NPC to aid this year, but players can have as many characters as they like take part.

Characters who wish to aid Mother should first post in this thread, and can then create more threads to travel with or simply deliver the package! Anyone may join any of these threads (but remember, just one NPC per character).

The delivery thread can be found here.

Doru knew of Order from his dad, but not a lot. His dad and his dad's siblings had left their cave of hatching, and so his dad said Order was dangerous. His dad also said that the cave next to the cave he had grown up in had been infested with Order.

The cave he was currently in was next to an infested cave, as well. (Little did he know this was the cave of his dad's youth.)

But, that was not the only way that Doru had encountered Order. Doru had also encountered Vindicator, who was different to him in the same ways he was different to them. Vindicator who Doru had found interesting in its oddities.

He did not think he would want to be of Order, but he could understand why another might. And he was curious to meet more of Vindicator's sort.

So when he found the package, picked it up in golden clawed hands and Knew who it was for, Doru decided that he would bring it.

The sound of jingling bells passing over Orion had been hard to miss, and Pride's quizzical arrival was made moreso by the sight of the strange creature (which really defied all description) hefting a box in their hands. He was about to congratulate Doru on their receiving what Pride was pretty sure was a holiday gift from Naskital when his silver gaze fell upon the tag attached to the box.

Mother..? he thought, puzzled. His recent conversation with Jinyi flashed through his mind, and three thoughts struck him.

First, he wasn't so rude that he'd not return a gift intended to even Order, given the olive branch that they'd extended. Second was that it might be a trap--and even if not, this stranger might not be aware of the danger that Order potentially posed. Third, the antlers.

Pride drew up closer to Doru, offering a nod of greeting before speaking--but his brow was slightly furrowed as his mind raced over Doru's appearance. The draconic wings were one thing--but the antlers? It spoke of Gaheris and Alek, drawn from Cadenza. Is that bloodline spreading-? he wondered, half-amused. He wasn't sure how he felt about that prospect, in particular having family he didn't even know. It was a strange thought, given that he'd always been close to family.

It made him feel a little old.

"Hello," he fluted softly, with a nod to the package. "My name is Pride. I know the way to that one, if you wouldn't mind the company-?" He'd not speak of Order's dangers (it'd be, he felt, rather rude to the Hive given said olive branch)--but he'd accompany Doru, if allowed, so that if those dangers did rear their head, Pride could at least attempt to defend them from it.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

@Doru (for visibility)

Doru looked up from the gift he was contemplating to the sight of a white deer. He had heard his dad mention his family before, if briefly. His dad loved his family, even if they had never visited when Bez and he was younger. It was odd, but Doru suspected it had to do with his other parent, for whatever reason.

Still, Doru did not assume anything about the deer's identity until the deer mentioned his name.

"Pride," He repeated, somewhat startled. "Are you one of my dad's parent's dads? My dad is Alek, his parent is Cadenza," Doru specified. His curiosity had been poked at further now. He was fairly certain he was correct in his inquiry.

"I've never met anyone from dad's family before," He commented, voice tone intrigued. "Well. Other than my brother, Bez, I guess. ...Oh! My name is Doru."

"I certainly wouldn't mind the company," Doru agreed with enthusiasm. "Though, I was planning on flying. I suppose I could walk, though?" He considered.

@Pride

The distant sound of jingling bells piqued the angel's interest, leading it to the package set upon the groubd, already gathering the eyes of two. One it did not know, the other it did. A soft hum resonated from its form, announcing its approach as it slowly drifted before them.

It was quiet at first, metallic ring shifting oddly as it observed Pride, the beautiful perfection that was him, the clean shimmering white of his fur, and the drone of Order felt content and...something else.

"Doru," it hummed in its twin voices. "It is good to seeth thee again. This one, however, it doest not knoweth." Its attention was turned to Pride now, although its head nor body turned to face him. "...Thou art quite beautiful." It was an odd feeling, like Cleaners skittering within its hlllow form, tickling. Was it...nervous? Is this what it felt to be shy, almost self conscious under the gaze of this wondrous being?

It showed little, but it still felt like it had to cover its momentary lapse of composure so it turned attention to the package, leaning down and raising a pointed arm, spindly fingers opening to gently touch the tag. "For Mother? A gift? Ah, tis the time for giving, The Vindicator hast felt it within. Doest thou intend to deliver this one to Her? The Vndicator can show the way. It is of Her creation."

Gaze moving back to look at the other two and it struck it that they both shared an odd trait. The branching antlers, of which the Vindicator did not understand the purpose, but also of which it felt a little left out. An odd thing to feel, but as it stood straight up again, a glassy chitin began to creep along the top of its halo and a pair of branching antlers began to stretch back. Now it bore a similar white crown as the others.

@Pride @Doru

Pride smiled, in a deer-like way--a gentle half-close of the eyes, a dip of the head, a flick of the ears--at Doru. "I am Cadenza's lifegiver. It is good to meet you," he added. Part of him belatedly wondered why they had not yet been introduced, but before he could think too deeply on this, Vindicator had arrived. "I can fly, as long as my magic allows it," he murmured, but his eyes were on the approaching stranger.

An unusual shape, he thought, studying it briefly. Its strange manner of speaking took Pride by surprise--it was understandable, but stilted, both strangely formal and eloquent. Its blunt statement that Pride was 'quite beautiful' took him further aback, his eyes widening and blinking in some confusion. His own eloquence he found abruptly stumbling. "Ahh-... th... Thank you? Thank you," he repeated, hesitating. It took him a moment to register the meaning of its final words: that it was a creature of Order. A drone.

"Ah," he managed, blinking. That complicated things--if Order chose to attack, after all... well. And what are the chances of one of them to show up now-? An interesting thought. He drew himself up, a little with a nod, and attempted to make normal conversation by repaying the compliment. "You are both unusual and quite--ethereal," he decided on, and his tone of voice and following nod made it clear that this was a compliment. Like marble and gold, he mused, glancing to Doru. I'd best be ready to protect this one. My kin. Just in case. But assuming all was on the level-? "I admit, a trek to deliver a package isn't something I have done, but it should be interesting."

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

@Doru @Vindicator for visibility!

"It is good to meet you as well," Doru agreed.

Flight with the use of magic was not something that Doru had heard of before, but he was certain that there was much he had not yet learned. He was not much of a magic user, either, for all that he possessed magic like all greater gembounds did.

It was odd, in a way that Doru had never considered before, that for all that his dad clearly loved his family, he and Bez had been kept away. Now that Doru knew Pride was here, it seemed too much a coincidence that the cave next to this one was infested.

Perhaps he would return to Cetus and seek answers for that. For all that Doru was curious about family, found it intriguing, he was not attached to it to the same degree his parents were. Still, he was a being full of questions who desired answers, and this was quite the curious question, indeed.

Lost in thought a bit, he at first did not hear the soft hum of approach. But he did hear his name spoken in familiar twin voices. He nodded towards the other. "It is good to see you again as well, Vindicator." His gaze studied Vindicator, thoughtful.

The other was smaller than Doru remembered- Or rather, Doru was larger than he had been. Vindicator was still taller, of course, but three feet of height was a far cry from their first meeting.

Vindicator's reaction to Pride... It was different, than how Doru had seen Vindicator be in the past. Yet, clearly, by the change in topic, practical though it may be, Vindicator was shy regarding the proclamation. Perhaps even nervous.

Doru understood the surface emotions, but did not understand the why yet. Beautiful was a compliment, of course, based upon aesthetics. But there was nothing to be shy or nervous about regarding complimenting aesthetics of a being, surely? Except, for the fact that it clearly was to Vindicator.

Was it based on the fact that Vindicator had praised a being that was not Order? That could be part of it, Doru supposed. But, it reminded Doru more of Erasmus's reactions to compliments from Alek specifically, and vice versa, for all that Vindicator had started the compliments. Not entirely, but... enough so.

It was something like admiration, he was fairly sure. And it felt weird to Doru that Vindicator was acting that kind of admiration to Pride of all beings.

Doru was suddenly eager to change this line of thought. "I don't mind following you, Vindicator. I was intending to deliver this package, but I also would be interested to meet some of your family, if they are not opposed to meeting me."

"Shall we go, then?" Doru felt restless now, eager to move away from this weirdness.

@Vindicator @Pride

It did not catch upon the awkwardness that followed its compliment, too busy covering up its own flustering to pay attention to Doru's response completely. It, too, was eager to go - it had done little for Mother, personally, since it had awoken, and it felt this was a good moment to show its appreciation to her. To help deliver a gift intended for the giver of its life.

It hummed softly. "It thanks thee," responding to the returned compliment. Ethereal was good - it liked that, maybe. It thought that maybe that beauty that Mother was going for in creating it was one of ethereal beauty. Ah, but no need to dwell upon such a thing now. "Yes, we shalt be off. The Vindicator shalt show the way to Mother." Without even turning its body, the attention shifted around towards the path to Ursa and it floated forward, looking almost like it had straight up just began moving backwards. Or was it forward? Hard to tell with such an alien shape that the Vindicator had.

*exit

@Pride @Doru

Pride nodded. "I will follow," he assured, polite and aloof as ever.

He made an attempt to summon up the new magical wings that he had gathered--the ones that had not ever failed him. They shot out from his shoulders, but in strange form: misshapen, one growing comically large and the other comically small, before adjusting back the other way--again too far, entirely mismatched. He looked a bit over his shoulder, puzzled, and watched as they kept swinging this way and that size-wise.

He gave them a beat--they worked, lifting him slightly off the ground in a ribbon of gold-and-purple energy--but seemed unsteady, hard to control, nearly flinging him back to the ground after a moment. "I think I need more practice with these," he admitted, amused, and set himself back on the ground.

He would walk, for now.

red deer img credit - dan seagrave

exit Pride