[the Stone Garden] Suprise it is My Birthday (Altaira)

[Millicent]

Speech

Altaira's slowly forming smile drew one forth from Millicent. A warm glow in her stomach started to melt the ice forming inside of her. The sun seemed to shine a bit brighter. It was not everyday that she could make her friends happy. Finding the urge beyond her control, she wrapped her arms around the middle of the older woman.

An odd happiness grew like a flower in the cold winter. A simple hand on her head was enough to make her forget all this nasty things that had happened over the last night. Nodding, she held a little tighter to her friend. “Everything is hard” Muttered words echoed only in the silence of the early morning.

“Your probably right. “ The words fell like stones. Millicent let out a puff of white fog into the air. Her head turned sideways again and she stared blankly at the middle of Altaira's chest. Thoughts flowed through her mind. Biting her lower lip, she shook her head. “I can't imagine having to child much less what I would do.”

Slowly, reluctantly, she pulled away from her friend. Cold air rushed into the girls lungs and her whole body trembled. “I don't hate her.” The words left her body with a deep sigh. White mist rose of in the morning air. “I just want to understand her, though I do think I understand why my dad left.” Her eyes left Altaira and stared out toward the ocean again.

“I want to leave.” Millicent stated plainly. “But I am a coward” The words caused her to wince. Even the thought of going through the gates makes her heart pound quicker. Breathing quickly, she felt her legs go weak. Like metal finally giving up, she collapsed under her own weight. “Why?” She begged looking up at Altaira. The ice was gone from her gaze. Instead there was a frightened animal “Why am I so scared?”

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others

Altaira wasn't all that sure what to do when she was hugged a second time around, a light little chuckle leaving her lips as she playfully ruffled the younger woman's sandy hair. "Think it'd be easy?" Her words carried with it a giggle and lightness, such a concept one that she herself was born and raised with. Fight or Flight. There are no winners in the fight to live and prosper, only survivors.

Normally any kind of appraisal or confirmation that she was 'right' would life the kelvic to cloud nine, but when the words were so weak and icy there hardly any shred of warm or pride that the kelvic could draw from it, keeping Millicent close as she turned and shifted, her own form rock solid as she chose to remain still and constant. "You never truly know something until you feel it for yourself," she murmured, trying in earnest to boost the heavy atmosphere that had settled, her failure in such quite clear with Millicent detached herself and the weight of her words on increased.

"Fear is..." she said, careful with her own phrasing and words, her own mind not wired the same as her dear friends, not wishing to cause the dissonance to further. "Threat, it's uncomfortable," She pressed her lips as the task proved harder than she first thought. "You, you're scared that where you might go could be worse than where you are now, yes?" The nod that she gave was slow and careful, mulling over the premise and how it affected herself, taking in the form and expression of Millicent, trying to guess or tell the emotion that registered in her brown eyes.

"Or something else?" she tried, narrowing her gaze as she began to trail, a dozen situations forming and springing to life in her mind, each one spiralling for nuances said or hinted at in the meetings that she'd thus far had with the human. "Is it something else you wish not to leave? Or a state or situation you don't like?" There was little more than she knew of than that.

She'd felt fear herself a dozen times over. Fear that her siblings would live poor lives. Fear that something would occur to a loved one when she was not around. But that was fate. The run of time has already been set, to struggle against it would be to swim against a raging river. One could fight against it their entire life, and still be swept away, they could let it carry them however it wished, or they could swim with it.

ooc :

Anything here that you like? In terms of pictures for Milli?

[Millicent]

Speech |

A puff of fog carried her sigh to the heavens. "You’re probably right” Millicent admitted, pulling closer against Altaira for warmth. She made a happy mummer at the ruffling of her hair, and she buried her face against the older woman. Biting her lip, she stared up at Altaira. In her mind, she did not see a Kelvic woman. Nor did she see the beautiful and wonderful friend. Instead she saw her guardian, her mother. Of herself she saw a weak and frail thing. Opening her mouth, she closed it again before looking away. “I am not sure what I am afraid of…it is just completely new.“ She managed to whispered.

A passing moment allowed Millicent to find her strength again. I can’t let myself be a child any longer. The words burned through her muscles as she took back her own weight. The ice and fear in her eyes, shimmered and boiled away to be replaced by a sudden fire. Yet warmth of the embrace held her. Fingers traced down Altaira’s back. Reaching the edge of the shirt, Millicent tugged on it lightly before her arms fell like weights.

Despite two cloaks to ward off the cold, a slight tremble worked its way through the younger woman’s body. Heavily as if weighed down by lead, Millicent’s feet moved. They barely lifted off the ground as she scooted backward. Her eyes focused on the ground as stepped just out or reach. Slowly her head rose back up to focus on Altaira. Her cheeks twitched as it pulled her lips into a smile.

“I am leaving this city. I want to see the world beyond these walls. I don’t care if it is full of monsters or worse.” The fire of her eyes burned in the words. The lead that weighed down her steps melted away. As if floating on the wind, she drifted to the wall of the garden. Dragging her finger down the surface of the wall she caressed the stone. Her finger slide down the smooth surface without resistance. “If I stay, I will forever be a child cuddled by these walls.” A small crash punctuated her sentence, and sharp jabs of pain rose from her closed fist. The wall bore the punch like a parent endures the trashing of an upset child.

Wide eyes turned back to Altaira. Eyes that seemed almost too big for Millicent’s face, but eyes that set as firmly as stone. ”You are not my mother” A simple declaration that did not need to be shouted for its rebellion to be heard. A frown spread across her face and she stared down at her own body. “I can’t be so weak.” Her judgment came as a whisper before she straightened herself up. Breathing deeply, she felt cold air rushing into her lungs. The fire in her eyes guttered and died.

Far softer eyes looked back at Altaira tears temporarily threatened them, but they were quickly blinked away. “Thank you for the last thirty days or so.” The words flew softly through the air, and whether intentionally or not carried with them a sense of finality. Millicent’s shoulders fell and she slumped against the wall. “I can’t afford to be this weak any longer” Another puff of fog carried the words upward.

Pushing herself off the wall, she turned back to Altaira. “Today I turned 16, so I can’t pretend to be a kid anymore.” Her eyes twinkled with light mist of tears, yet they were as set as the walls of Syliras themselves. Her right had crossed over her body and to hold her left arm at the elbow. Wind pulled back both cloaks with a sudden. It struck her small body with enough force to send her stumbling back. Without mercy, it cut through her cloaking and shook her whole being.


As the wind died, the cloaks fell back around her. Her form disappeared under the cloaks as they twirled in the aftermath of the breeze. Millicent’s had slipped off her elbow and grabbed the inside of Altaira’s cloak. A quick tug dragged the cloak over the girl’s shoulder. Extending her left arm, she draped the cloak over it. “I am going to protect everyone” She offered the words with the cloak.

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others | oocWow I am just horrible with replies O.o Sorry for the length! I was unsure how to write it such that we could get the end that we wanted - we could probably wrap this up in another post or two!

Altaira bit her lip, her head tilting slowly as she keenly regarded the girl, before letting the expression slip from her face as she realised her unintentional mimic. There was a raging rift between them in that short moment, and set herself at ease with a short glare about the Gardens and a swooping once over of the younger woman's form. It was well and truly morning, then. It paid to be cautious. "Good, good," she mused, a light tone and look as she played, hovering in place as she set herself to catch the girl should she fall.

She'd already come so far - from scarlet flushes to pained contortions - the expression Millicent then wore was one far more fitting, at least in the kelvic's own mind.

A flinch rippled her body when her dearest little friend broke off, taking a quick step forward as she confirmed that the strength that she saw was not something that played little more on the surface, the words and actions that she witnessed following allowing the release of a breath she hadn't realised she held. 'Quick, quick. She's grown up fast.' A smile of her own was soon enough etched into her features, dimples and laugh lines prominent enough, the upward tug of her lips nothing so great as to cause the sharp pain that usually came with the kelvic grinned too broadly for too long. She liked being thanked, almost as much as she revelled in the feelings of pride that shot through her.

"No weakness in needing help, only stupidity in denying it when needed." The words fell quickly, cutting through the morning aid as though they needed life to be breathed into them as quickly as could be managed, before their meaning was lost.

She folded her arms, then, the gravity of Millicent's word setting firmly in her bones, nodding as she found herself more and more pleased with the turns of the conversation, once more pressing and smothering her own beliefs as he took care not hinder how far the girl had already come. "We each have much to learn, it seems," she said, nodding slowly, her sweet smile still playing on her lips, taking the cloak as she felt another breath of bliss leaving her.

The weight of words was something that she found to be of increasing importance, and Altaira took care in choosing what left her next with practised caution. "It'd do better to think of me as a friend than mother, no?" A giggle left her as thoughts bubbled to mind before words, "It seems like we'll be helping each other in a whole new world of ways, and you need not a worrying woman perched on your shoulder, but instead someone to stand firmly by your side. Should you wish it, that is."

[Millicent]

| Speech | Thoughts

There is no weakness in accepting help. Millicent could accept this with a simple nod. I want to stop being weak, not start being stupid. Such a thought turned her mind turned to strength and how she could stop being weak. Eyes set in stone widened. what does it even mean to be weak? Words formed on her lips to ask the internal question. The words stopped short as her mind turned to her uncle and the scarred man. With a snap her jaw closed and she shook her head clear of the thoughts.

Again Millicent found herself nodding to Altaira’s word before her lips turned back down. A small pain grew in her gut take drew her arm forward to clench her stomach. Her eyes darted away from Altaira toward the ground. Fire burned at the tip of Millicent’s ears like they had become candles. Hidden under wheat colored curls a smile spread across her. It kept growing and growing and as much as she wanted it to stop, it would not. The pain she felt in her stomach faded and turned into a warm glow that pierced the coldness in her body. Nodding, she found she could not look up. Still hidden behind the curtain of hair, Millicent’s lips moved forming silent words.

Taking a deep breath, Millicent snapped her head back throwing her hair behind her. A grin spread from ear to ear, but she managed to quell the glowing feeling in her stomach. “I need your help, Altaira.” She declared taking no heed to the location or others present. Brown eyes darted around the garden and toward the exit. “Where should I go?” She questioned realizing she did not even know anything about the outside world. “I don’t think I want to go to Ravok, so should I go to Avanthal?”

oocSorry for the length. I thought something short and to the point was best. If you want I will increase the length.

[Altaira Readva]

Bird Speak | Common | Vani | Others | ooc*Strums Guitar* I Hate Studying~ I'm so sorry like holy hai this is ridiculous I can't believe I took this long~

Altaira's body stiffened and then relaxed, ice slipping through her veins before fire; the words from the younger woman's mouth shooting a motherly mirth through the kelvic's system, before she pressed and held back the creeping feeling. 'Think on your own words. Support, do not mother. A being of your own kin at her age could very well be a couple generations senior.'

When choices and a request of input and mediation was thrown her way, she almost reeled back as the shock sliced to her bone, mind faltering and shifting into gear as she took note on how quick the human was to take her words to head and heart. Each place was one she knew of, and neither she herself wished to see - one ever and the other again. "Ravok is not kind to my people," she almost spat the words, a slight tender linger as she lingered on her kin, eyes glaring at some far off structure; gaze slipping over its form and build, as though lazily contemplating how long it had been set to age. "I know no more of it, and wish no more."

Millicent knew that Altaira was born in the frozen city to the North, with its guards of men and beasts, and towering walls and boundless snowfields, though the pace and theme of their ventures and conversations allowed little for pleasantries and needless banter. "I've told you little of Avanthal. You'd not like it, I think. Cold, isolated. Once you're there movement is difficult. Only in summer. But the people are warm." Blonde hair and bright eyes flashed to mind, slipping to chestnut curls and the vibrant glints of the native peoples.

Time froze then chugged on, Altaira shifting her weight and balance as she regarded Millicent once more, sights washing over her small stature and sweet looks, the kelvic woman tilting her head as she sought any and all information on the cities that neighboured the stone bastion in which they stood. "There is another city across the seas, I think. Travel is quicker by water than by land, though still not as swift as sky. Shame you cannot fly."

There was yet another city to the south, was there not? 'One would think,' senseless wandering was quick out of the question, with a life other than the kelvic's own at risk, a host of new precautions had to be made.