realityshifted | (no subject)

[Firesong is seated at a fancy look dressing table, his long hair handing lose as he carefully brushes, then stats to plait in tiny braids that are accented with red and gold beads that match his current outfit, with the occasional sparkling feather added to the end of said braids. The firebird that the feathers had to have come from is perched on the mirror, watching her bondmate with fascination since his grooming is being accompanied by a great deal of grumbling.]

I am tempted to find out who suggested these meetings be so early, if only so that I can let him have a piece of my mind! No decent person is up this early, I know fully half the court is still in bed at this hour! I fail to see how these meetings are going to accomplish anything if half of those attending are asleep on our feet. But, I suppose the military members are probably happy with the time. They seemed to have an unhealthy obsession with being up at the crack of dawn.

[He finishes another braid, then slowly starts separating out a few more strands of hair]....I truly do miss the hertasi. Doing this by myself is tedious and boring.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Aya gives a little please coo and flares her wings a little, pleased by the acknowledgment while Firesong gives the bear an amused look.] So your world has just been through a war as well? I suppose somethings are universal.

So Aloysius...talks?

It is meant to be the last one there shall ever be.

Oh, it would be quite silly to suggest that animals, even ones as intelligent and educated as Aloysius, can talk. [after taking a sip from his wine] Or perhaps they can, in some places. They are always doing such strange things in the Bible, mummy says. I wonder if they ever speak there. Do you know any speaking animals?

[Arches an eyebrow in disbelief] So now everyone gets along with each other? There's no misunderstandings or people getting annoyed with one another? What a nice world you must live in!

[Aya gives an annoyed squawk and flutters down to Firesong's shoulder. She's a large bird, but Firesong doesn't even appear to notice her weight as he laughs.] Quite a few actually, although not all of them speak aloud. Most bondbirds, dyheli, and the Kyree can use mindspeech while hertasi, tervardi, and the gryphons can speak perfectly well. Gryphons in particular happen to be very vocal and would probably object to being called 'animals'. I take it such things are not common in your world?

It's because of the horror of it all, I'm told. It was so horrible no one would ever risk that again. But then, most people my age didn't see it, so I can't imagine what would stop us.

As far as I know, only humans and angels and so on can speak. But if they can here, then perhaps they can speak elsewhere in my world and I simply don't know it. I certainly don't recognize almost all of the words you just used.

Oh, I imagine it won't. People talk about how horrible their war is, but somewhere down the line something will make people angry and another war will happen. So seems to be the nature of things in the so-called 'civilized' lands.

Don't feel to badly, even most people in the world I come from don't know all those terms. Most of them are the non-human allies of the Tayledras. We are a rather secretive people who liked to run people off our lands at arrow points. Doesn't really lend itself well to the sharing of information, does it?

I can't say I've seen angels in my world, but I have seen two who were make Avatars of the Goddess. I think that amounts to the same thing.

I hope the next one happens after I die. I can't say I much care for such violence.

The kinds of beings in your world seem much more plentiful in my own. We hardly even get to see angels, so most don't believe they exist. As long as they take messages, they would be angels enough, I think.

I am inclined to agree with you. I would have avoided war if I could have.

I wouldn't say plentiful, I just happened to be in several places the gods were taking an interest in at the time.

You mentioned the military at your far-too-early morning meeting. Is another war coming?

[there is genuine grief in the way he holds his bear to his chest.]

..Perhaps. We hope not, but there is a very large empire that has decided to conquer the country we just defeated. We don't know if they intend to stop at the border or not.

Oh, but you don't seem much like a warrior yourself, if you'll pardon me saying it. You're too beautiful for that ugliness.

[there's such complete sincerity in his words that it is less a compliment than earnest confusion and concern]

[Firesong gives him a completely honest smile as he finishes off his braids] You are right, I am not a warrior. I am a mage, and more to the point, I was the only one with the power and training to be able to truly end the war. [This was said without any hint of bragging. It is simply a fact to Firesong] It was the most unpleasant thing I have ever been forced to to do, but it is in the past and I did earn something from it.

I hope it never happens again. This place will serve as a haven, I'd like to think.

We are in accord on that, believe me. I would like to think this place will be of some use, even if it is not a Vale.

A river valley? No, I suppose it isn't one. Not the first thing I'd think of to see it, though.