brave_kreyu | OOM All Skate Skellig Dream Magic Weirdness -Part 12

Skellig makes no comment on either of their appearance - and likewise, no comment is made on them either.

"Yes, it seems Gorgon made...quite a mess," Skellig agrees - allowing his hearing to adjust to the sounds below them and outside. There is definitely shouting, and wailing. "It would be easier I think, if we were not seen leaving through the doors he tore off the hinges."

Ajax grimaces at Skellig's words. "I would rather not deal with that mess, to be frank."

"I can conceal us, if you'll get us through the wall, Koschei," Kreyu offers, standing up from where they have been seated.

"Easy enough," he agrees.

They bid the Procession farewell, for now, and make their way out. Kreyu sighs in relief once they are out of sight of the palace. "It's been quite the day already, and it's not even noon."

"How would you suggest we continue our course for the day?"

The question is mostly posed to Ajax - after all, he is the one who knows the most about this area and the things that there are to do - but anyone is free to offer input.

"Many of my haunts other than the House of the Setting Sun are shut down at the moment, what with all the...mess, currently." He taps his fingers against one thigh. "A trip to an herbalist acquaintance of mine and then a return to the House to celebrate the rediscovery of such a wonder."

"I admit I haven't dabbled much with herbs for recreational purposes," Kreyu tells Ajax as she takes a hold of Skellig's hand. "Given my....metabolism, I've never had them produce a noticeable effect."

"So long as not red mushrooms with white spots, taste terrible, am game." Koschei rumbles.

"Red with white," Kreyu begins, mind whirring. "Koschei, those are POISONOUS!"

Kreyu says it before Skellig is able to - after all, when they went foraging, that was one of the FIRST things she instilled upon his memory - which mushrooms were deadly and to be avoided!

"Think we'll skip those this time," he offers 'helpfully', softly squeezing Kreyu's hand as they begin to walk and follow Ajax through the streets.

"Didn't notice," Koschei rumbles, looking a bit sheepish.

"I'm just glad they didn't make you ill," Ajax says, putting a hand briefly on Koschei's shoulder.

The herbalists shop is in a relatively well to do neighborhood, and it's nice to get out of the sun. The inside of the shop smells of an abundance of herbs, many hanging from the ceiling behind the counter.

"Ah, Prince Ajax," the herbalist calls in greeting. "And companions. I'm afraid I'm out of several of your favorites. Demand has been up and my usual suppliers have been...lacking."

Ajax gives her a charming smile. "That's quite alright, Hera. I would like to see what you DO have."

Some of the drugs are quite familiar to Skellig, the marijuana, the magic mushrooms, but there is also a black root that he hasn't seen before. The SMELL is familiar though, it was part of the sacred oils he's smelled on Kreyu before.

The black root is what catches his interest at first - mainly because he senses it is familiar, but he can't quite put his mind on why right away.

(After a moment, he realizes it is the scent of the sacred oils, and his mind wanders to the way it smells when it has been dabbed onto Kreyu's skin...)

"From what Prince Ajax speaks of your products, I am not surprised that demand has been heightened," Skellig comments idly, as he browses a small shelf full of pots of herbal tinctures and ointments.

Kreyu is surprised to see the black root. "You have moly? I only know of it from its use in certain religious rituals on the Ring Islands." The Ring Islands being where the Lair is located.

Hera smiles. "I do indeed, the same kind they use in the rituals for their Great Lady."

Kreyu grins at Skellig, as if at a private joke. "Vivid dreams and recovery of the mind and the body, moly can give."

"An interesting experience," Ajax offers. "Won't muddle your mind or your senses while you're awake."

Skellig returns her grin with a matching one of his own - and hums appreciatively at the description of this 'moly' herb, and what it is able to do for a person.

"That does sound like quite the interesting experience," he agrees. "Especially if it is used in rituals for their Great Lady...we have heard a fair amount of tales of their goddess, and she sounds most powerful..."

And worthy of the finest herbs!

"Dangerous to take too often," Hera cautions. "But safe enough if only used for no more than three days in a moon cycle."

"Brewed in water with honey and salt, as I recall," Kreyu adds. "The Great Lady is powerful, and hopefully kinder than the goddess they used to worship." She frowns slightly. "There are tales of the high priest dying from time to time when they served THAT goddess and drank the sacred moly."

Hera snorts. "I'd blame the moly for that, not their old goddess. It is harder to come by, off the Ring Islands, and the line between effective and toxic is hair thin in roots from other lands. Lost a former customer that way, the damn fool."

Inwardly, Skellig wonders if this is something he might end up taking...and mentally, he is taking notes of the preparation (and precautions!) of it, just to be on the safe side...

"Moderation is important, as is quality control," he comments.

His focus wanders to the selection of dried mushrooms - now these he senses inwardly that it would be best if he avoided, though he can see why others might find their effects appealing. (The idea of his reality being altered and his senses shifted is a bit unnerving - marijuana is one thing; mushrooms are another entirely.) Plus, they are much more risky, for those with much more of a delicate system - humans.

Moly is likely in his future, yes. The safer version. "I would purchase a little of the moly, two doses, please," Kreyu asks.

"A bit of the marijuana for me, I think," Ajax asks. "Nothing else striking my fancy at the moment."

Skellig consults with Ajax and Hera for a moment in regards to the marijuana and also gets a small amount for his own consumption - it has a different scent than the type he has tucked away in one of his pouches back in their room, so he is curious if the effect on his system will be any different.

Once they have settled up with the transactions and their purchases have been wrapped and secured away, he glances at Ajax and Koschei as he reaches for Kreyu's hand.

"Where to next, gentlemen?"

"The House of the Setting Sun, I think," Ajax says after a moment of thought. Koschei rumbles in agreement. "Other distractions are either out of operation at the moment entirely or likely to cause too much trouble for the rest of you if I am present."

He's being more honest than he intends when he speaks of distractions. His carefully crafted reputation as a playboy, a sybarite, a mostly useless dilettante, isn't ENTIRELY false. He can FEEL the knowledge of his eldest brother's almost certain death trying to get it's claws into him. He hated him, with every fiber of his being! (But he loved him, once, was the worshipful younger brother.)

Edited 2025-01-04 02:15 (UTC)

Death can be (and often is) complicated - especially when it comes to those who you know personally and care for. Friends, family, lovers... the lines blur a bit and emotions tangle and weave their way through your soul in the strangest of ways.

"The House it is," Skellig agrees.

(And that also makes the most sense - as if they grow tired of shared company, it will not be any trouble to retire to their own rooms.)

Edited 2025-01-04 02:57 (UTC)

They settle back into Ajax and Koschei's suite, where they were yesterday, with a celebratory feast.

The drugs won't actually DO anything for Kreyu or Koschei, so neither of them are indulging in those purchases.

The conversation ebbs and flows. At the moment, Koschei and Kreyu are on one side of the room discussing rather technical details about wards. Kreyu is sketching DIAGRAMS on pieces of broken pottery! (Koschei is VERY interested in protecting Ajax in as many ways as he can.)

With the ebb and flow of conversation (and subject matter) mixed with the consumption (and comparison) of herbs, Skellig and Ajax have found themselves on one of the low couches, flipping through one of Ajax's many sketchbooks.

"You can truly see how your skill has grown over your years of practice," Skellig comments idly as he slowly turns through the pages. "Especially with your studies of birds."

After all, a conversation about birds in art was one of their first, so it seems appropriate to discuss it now, relaxed as they both are.

Ajax is quite relaxed, comfortable in this space, with his friend. "Thank you," he says, smiling softly. "I do not think I will ever be a master, but I continue to make progress."

He turns a page, and a very familiar feather is sketched on the page, life sized and in color! "Couldn't resist trying my hand at the mystery you left me," he quips.

"The detail is quite accurate," Skellig says, impressed. "Not that I would think you would settle for anything less, but still..."

He uses his fingertip to lightly trace the edge of the father on the page - it is a familiar shape to his touch, a gentle slope he has drawn his fingers over countless times while preening.

"... it is lovely to see reflected in such a fine way."

Ajax chuckles. "I have spent many hours looking at it, which helps."

He watches Skellig's fingertip trace the edge of the feather. "Thank you. I am sure it pales before the wings it must have come from." His lips quirk in a grin. "Would take the risk of being close to sketch it, even if it might be inclined to eat me."

Skellig huffs a laugh - and then shakes his head. (At one point in time his initial, instinctive response would have been the creature would not be inclined to eat you but his mindset is not that way anymore. No longer does he consider himself a 'creature', especially when in the company of others like himself.)

"He would not be inclined to eat you," he murmurs softly, voice a bit coy. "But speaking of sketches..." Lifting his glass of wine to his lips, he drinks a swallow (perhaps looking for liquid courage) before he glances at Ajax. "He might ask if you would be interested in maybe creating a sketch that he could gift his wife...of his whole form, wings included?"

Ajax's breath catches, his heart thunders, when it sinks in that SKELLIG is winged. "Yes," he replies, almost stammering. "I, I would love to."

He takes a swallow of wine, emotions surging. Eager curiosity, wonder, joy. And if he aches with envy of Skellig being winged, he is also aware enough of human nature to have SOME idea of what it must cost his friend to have them. "No wonder you understood, when we met," he says, voice soft.

Even mildly intoxicated as he is, Skellig can still sense the strong output of emotions that engulf Ajax's being once the realization hits - and for the vast majority of it to be so overwhelmingly POSITIVE... it is deeply touching, in a sense.

(No fear, no revulsion or disgust.)

"Then perhaps on an occasion when our partners are working on..." He glances over at Kreyu and Koschei - where now more detailed diagrams are being plotted out. "...their skillets, maybe in regards to protecting the Procession of the Heavens... we could find time for that."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Ajax replies, smiling. "I would want to gather some additional supplies before I attempted the final piece, but we might be able to get some preliminary sketches down now, if you'd like?"

Ajax's smile softens, warms, in a way that might be familiar to Skellig as he looks at Koschei. "From the way he is holding himself, I think they will be at this topic for a while. The light in the next room should be excellent this time of day."

"I believe you are right," Skellig agrees, smiling gently as Kreyu motions with her hands, mimicking... something. (What it is? Who is to say.) "And yes, I would like that."

More wine is collected, before they move to the other room. "And your words are proof that you are the artist," Skellig adds, as he places his glass down. "As it would not even really occur to me that the light might change the piece..."

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