OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 10

[brave_kreyu]

Kreyu has taken a different shape than is usual for her. A dragon, yes, but one of quite different build and coloration!

This shape is more serpentine, although it still has four legs and wings. Her body and her wings are covered in feathers that are all the colors of the rainbow. She fusses with some of her wing feathers, the claws of this shape far smaller, as dexterous as human hands.

"How do I look?" she asks, a little nervous about her appearance.

Comments

[27_53]

"I mean, that is a generous offer of 'rescue', and one I could also support. No one should be forced to wed another who they do not care for. I understand that it is just...the way some of these kingdoms have gone on for hundreds of years, but it does not make it right."

He reaches for her hand, intertwines their fingers. He is very glad that he has a wife that WANTS to be with him!

[brave_kreyu]

"I would too," Kreyu replies. "The nobility in many nations rarely marry for love. Marriage is a matter of alliances, of diplomacy, the consolidation of power."

She squeezes his hand. "Luckily, I do not HAVE parents to arrange a marriage for me," she quips, tone slightly teasing. "So I may have who my heart desires."

[27_53]

"Lucky indeed," he teases right back. "Whoever it is who ends up by your side will benefit greatly from your kindness, your wit and cunning, your fierce loyalty to the one you call mate."

A smirk pulls at the corner of his mouth. "And will also benefit from your desires and wants, very much so."

[brave_kreyu]

"So certain, you sound. Almost as if you had some experience to back up your opinion." Still clearly teasing.

She puffs up a little in pride at his praise.

[27_53]

"I may have a small bit of experience in the matter. Maybe a rumor or two made it to my ear."

There is a stray wildflower growing in a crack near a low wall that they pass; he contemplates plucking it and handing it to her, but knowing that they are soon to be headed skyward and further on their travels, he leaves it for another to find. Perhaps a child, or a young suitor for their lover to be...

[brave_kreyu]

She kisses him on the cheek, smiles widely.

"And I may have heard a few rumors about a lovely man with magical hands and an owl's wings. A gentle soul made for me."

Soon enough they are outside the city, in a hidden place where she can change shape. "Time for me to take these off, I suppose," she says, gesturing to her clothes. "Unless you'd like to get more practice in with the pins?"

[27_53]

"It would do well for me to practice," he admits. "You are still so much faster than I am."

He steps closer to her, brings his hands to her left shoulder, allows his fingers to fall to the pin that holds the fabric in place. With their bodies this close together, it is not purely an accident that his chest brushes softly against her side as he works, or that his glances to meet her eyes is faintly loaded with other intentions.

"I would kiss you, if you'd have me do so," he whispers softly. "Should learn how to do this while distracted."

[brave_kreyu]

"I would like that," she says, voice soft.

She tilts her head for easier kissing. The bronze of the pins is textured, easy to grip and a stark contrast to the smooth linen.

[27_53]

They have Plans for travel and other dragons they must seek out, so Skellig is not going to be TOO rowdy with his kissing. But he can manage a little bit of teasing, lingering kisses as he works the bronze pin free from the linen.

"Gets easier every time."

[brave_kreyu]

She chuckles at his comment. "That is good to hear. I have grown fond of you helping me dress and undress."

Once her clothes and jewelry are safely packed away, she takes the feathered dragon shape.

It takes another day of flight to reach a city, more northern than any they have reached before. The climate is colder here at this time of year, and they will need more than chitons if they are outside very long!

On the plus side, shopping is also a chance to overhear news, rumors, gossip, and pick up the local languages quickly with magic.

[27_53]

This climate is different, so much of a shift in such a short period of travel is slightly disorienting but he is adapting easily enough as they enter a busy market area.

"Where would you like to start, love?"

He reaches for her hand out of instinct, partially to keep track of her, partially to keep himself focused as there is just so very much that is new...

[brave_kreyu]

"Clothing I think," she murmurs. She squeezes his hand gently.

The clothes people are wearing are more like what Skellig might remember from Before. Pants, long dresses, shirts, and coats are all being worn.

They find refuge inside a small building with a sign with clothing painted on it out front. Thanks to magic, they can communicate with the tailor, if only roughly. Their fluency will increase while they talk with him. Wool in many colors is available, leather in fewer shades, sometimes in combination for certain items.

They might as well buy for Winter too, while they're here. She might need some help in making choices.

[27_53]

The fabrics here are much more familiar, in an odd sense because while he doesn't truly REMEMBER objects from Before, there are just fragments here and there that seem to fall into place.

"Feel free to look about, touch anything you'd like," pipes up a voice from beyond a shelf of folded woolen pants, stacked neatly. "I can make adjustments on some things, others have to be custom cut..."

Skellig runs his fingertips across a fine-woven wool shirt, then spots what it is the tailor is currently pinning into shape...it is a coat. A true coat, one that would fall to mid-thigh on his frame (he prefers mid-calf, it hides the tips of his wings) and Kreyu will be able to sense his surge of WANT as it floods his mind.

[brave_kreyu]

"Could we get something like that piece you are working on?" Kreyu asks, feeling Skellig's surge of want.

"Of course," the tailor replies. "Longer, shorter, color?" Skellig will have to tell the man what kind of thing he wants.

"I am a bit backed up at..." Kreyu sets a stack of gold coins on the counter, they make quite a solid thunk. "Ah, yes. Nothing that won't wait a bit. Whatever you need!"

[27_53]

"I do like the shape of that one you have mocked up on your form," Skellig says, moving with confidence to study the coat the tailor is working on. "But as I am taller I typically prefer them to come to at least the knee, or better yet to.fall slightly below it."

"If you would stand here sir," the tailor pulls out a small wooden box for him to stand on. "I will take some measurements. My lady," he says to Kreyu. "My assistant had to run an errand but should be back soon. There is hot water for tea near the hearth, if you'd wish for some while you browse?"

Taking measurements is easy enough; Skellig makes sure to ask for a touch of extra room in the shoulders, as well as a few tweaks to the usual design. Then there is the matter of color. Skellig wanders to Kreyu (who is contemplating which style of pants might look best on her body) with a small stack of wool swatches, dyed different colors.

"Which color, Love? I have typically gone with black, or gray..." But those colors are harder to produce in natural fabrics in this era, so instead he has a few shades of brown, a blue, and a dark greenish one, which is the swatch he holds up near his face, letting her see it next to his eyes. "I was thinking this. It will have a hood."

[brave_kreyu]

"Thank you, that would be lovely."

Kreyu helps herself to some tea while pondering pants. She is thinking the ones that fit less tightly to her body. They will fit better under boots, although breaking those boots in is likely to be a pain!

"Oh, I like that green!" she says, seeing the color near his eyes. "It will look very nice in a hooded coat."

[27_53]

"It is the one I think I prefer the most, so I am glad that you agree." Skellig smiles gently, and then nods to the tailor. "We will go with the green."

Now it is his turn to fetch a cup of tea and then he rejoins Kreyu near the pants. "Which ones are you thinking," he asks, looking them over.

[brave_kreyu]

"I am thinking of these two," she says, pointing. One pair is a medium brown, the other a green near to the color of Skellig's coat.

"They will work best with the boots, I think. Though THOSE will need to be broken in, I've heard?" Kreyu is used to sandals.

[27_53]

"Yes, we will need to break in the boots," Skellig says. "If the leather is of fine enough grain it will be easier, but with our...situation... we should not have too much trouble."

He stops short of using the word abilities because he is not sure what ears might be listening. "And we should get socks as well, while we are here. I saw some over there..."

Since they are traveling 'light' there is no need to outfit themselves with an entire closet's worth; one or two high-quality pieces of each type will do. The coat will take at least the majority of the day to finish, perhaps even until tomorrow, but there are many taverns and inns where their coin will be good!

[brave_kreyu]

They select high quality items, get measured for boots. It will take a few days for EVERYTHING to be ready, but they can walk out with enough that they can be outside for a while and not get TOO cold!

"Oh," she says, stopping suddenly as they round a corner on the way to an inn. There are woods outside the city, the trees in shades of orange, red, yellow. "I've never seen trees look like that before, so brilliant."

The trees DO change where she's from, but the colors were never so bright, so true.

[27_53]

There is plenty here within this area that there will be no shortage of things for them to explore - especially should they happen to run into her friend. Skellig is not sure if he is up for that tonight, after their travels...

"They are quite beautiful," he agrees. A part of his heart jumps when she mentions that she has never seen trees like that before. "I am glad to be here to experience it with you."

[brave_kreyu]

"So am I," she replies. She kisses his cheek, takes hold of his hand. "Shall we go look at them up close?"

The wind has blown the leaves into piles near the edge of the forest. She steps into the piles and the leaves make the most satisfying crunching sounds, just the right state of dryness!

She laughs, delighted, at the sound. Crunch, crunch, crunch! On a whim, she flings herself into a pile of leaves, feels them crackle under her weight, cushion her leap. She's smiling so wide, looking up at him from the leaf pile.

[27_53]

Now she earns another laugh from him - this one is much brighter, less devious and husky - this one is amused and joyful, as she flings herself down and lands sprawled on her back among the leaves.

(Her energetic nature is feeding his Light, her joy spreading to him.)

"That looks fun," he says, before he jumps as well - though his landing is more of a 'pounce' even as he cushions himself from hurting her as he straddles his body atop bers, leaning down for a kiss.

[brave_kreyu]

Her energy is all joy, delight, as he pounces on her, leans down for a kiss. She meets him for the kiss, her lips warm and soft, reaches out to wrap her arms around him.

The sound of the leaves crunching, her heart, her breath , crisp autumn air carrying a whiff of apple cider and wood smoke, sunlight filtering through the leaves onto them into shifting patterns. The magic of Autumn.

[27_53]

It certainly is a new experience - for both of them - and one that he is discovering he enjoys very much! There is beauty in the harsh landscape of the desert, and that of the coastal mountains near the Lair. But this is different, and invigorating.

"I think I will enjoy getting to explore these woods with you," he breathes gently against her lips as he presses gentle, lingering kisses. "Find other places like this to hide with one another, curl up among the trees, just us..."