Closed [Event- 39th: Of Being] The Nuances of Noon [Nephti]

[Kaleidoscope]

39th Spring, 516 AV
A plaza somewhere in Alvadas
12th bell

It had been grey all day so far in Alvadas. The sky's dreary atmosphere painted the day with hues of grey, grey and more grey. Amongst the grey of the sky and the Weaving, there stood a building. It was a tall one, in a plaza of three others that all overlooked each other. The buildings near to it were houses, filled with light and cleanliness. This building, however, looked nothing like its nearby counterparts.

It stood slightly crooked, with no obvious door to get into it. The windows were grimy and caked shut with filth. Curtains obscured the interior. It was isolated from its neighbours by a small gap, as if the other houses felt disgusted by being in its presence. Three stories up on the top floor was a balcony, with a rusting, green-painted iron fence tentatively separating the sky from the floor. Its roof was missing tiles with some laying undisturbed on the balcony, and its chimney had a large nest of some kind perched precariously on it, with the occasional bird flying to and fro.

However, the most striking part of the building was not the building itself, but its inhabitant. Her neighbours had never seen her, and assumed the house was empty. But that morning, they had recieved a shock. Standing on the balcony was a woman, tall, with dark hair and pale skin. She wore a dress, artfully dramatic and made of some kind of dark crimson crimped material.

But her presence wasn't the reason that a large crowd now gathered in the plaza. No, they were there because of what she was threatening. Her beautiful face was drawn and almost haggard, and she clutched the railings tightly. Even from a distance, one could see the whites of her knuckles.

The crowd was a loud one, shouting and calling up to her, a woman obviously on the verge of something drastic. Their shouts drew others, observers who watched with horror as the woman started to hitch up her dress, clambering slowly and fearfully onto the railings.

She called down, in a cracked voice that spoke of an education, "So, should I, crowd?"

"Don't do it lady!"
"What've yer got to lose?"
"We can hel-" "Do it!" "I'd catch you, beautiful woman!"

[Nephti]

Wherever she went, she heard people talking about her. The woman, who stood on a balcony, asking the city whether to jump. Basing her life on the decisions of strangers. Placing her fate in the hands of anyone that came to see her. Of course Nephti was interested. This woman seemed to have forgotten that light always came, even when it seemed to be the darkness. This woman seemed to have lost sight of hope and couldn’t find it again.

She knew instantly that she needed to see this woman and show her the light again. First, for Priskil. The goddess had given her a mark, and Nephti wanted to use it, to help people just like this woman. For Priskil, she had to share hope, to spread it. For her goddess, she had to help.

Second, something inside the girl needed to reach out to this woman too. More than the simply respect for what her goddess stood for, she had this conscience inside her, one that would forever hate her if she ignored this woman in need. The girl had once been through something terrible, where she had lost all hope. But she had come out the other side, the side that was so much brighter than she could have believed. Marked by a goddess, free, powerful inside, if not out. She knew that no matter how dark the night was, dawn would always come. Nephti hoped to help guide this woman to the dawn.

And finally, for this woman. No one should have to come to a point where taking their life was a decision they were making. No one should be in a position where that was happening. Nephti could tell, however, that this woman wasn’t certain. That there was a sliver of hope inside her. If she was certain, she would have done it. She wouldn’t have asked for guidance. By asking for the city’s decision, she was asking for help. Nephti knew that. She could feel it.

Finally, the city brought her to the woman. It wasn’t hard to miss – a crowd of noise spreading from the plaza. Nephti stepped forward, searching for the balcony where the woman stood. There, a picture of beauty, black hair tumbling down her back. Her dress was almost the colour of blood, and her knuckles were so pale that they stood out against the white skin. Her movement seemed slow and steady, clambering up onto the railing. She was scared, uncertain. Her voice called out, cracked with fear and uncertainty. At once came a clamour of replies, some advising her not to, other encouraging it. It shocked the girl. How were there so many who had lost all sign of humanity, beasts who were encouraging someone to kill themselves? It scared her. Trembling a little, Nephti pushed forward, trying to find a place to stand where she could see the woman and the woman could see her.

“No!” she called out, her voice shaking a little. A few turned to look at the girl, expressions that showed they thought her too innocent to be here, too young to understand. They didn’t know her. They didn’t know her. Stepping forward a little more, she spoke louder, just a little, for her voice carried well. It became stronger as she spoke, the words carried to their mark through the air. “No! You can’t! Listen! You are beautiful. You are young. You have life in front of you. Lots of life. You can’t die. Light will come. Light will come! Priskil protect you.”

Her voice stopped, waiting for a response. Her eyes tried to meet the woman’s, full of honesty and hope. Surely she would have second thoughts. Nephti didn’t know what else to say, not yet.

[Kaleidoscope]

The crowd pushed Nephti forwards, causing her to stumble. But now she stood in direct eyesight of the woman, some floors above. Already there were voices trying to drown out the girl's. But something in her impassioned speech seemed to catch the woman's attention, and she looked down with a dark, frantic gaze at Nephti, her dress swirling in the breeze.

She took a deep breath, before speaking with a low, trembling voice, "Priskil! If I believed in the gods... would they save me? I've seen..." She shook her head frantically from side to side, dark hair spinning around her shoulders like wings. For a few moments she simply clung to the balcony, whilst a man jeered and a woman shouted, "It doesn't matter what you've seen!" Then, with a harsh shout, the woman cried, "And as for beauty!" The man who'd said he would catch her shuffled awkwardly nearby. "Beauty means nothing. No, I..."

Her speech was cut short as she wobbled, her hands gripping the railing. A sudden look of fear shot through her eyes, and several people in the crowd gasped. A woman nearby sighed dramatically, and turned away muttering, "She's been humming and hawing like this for an age now, tch!"

Others near to Nephti were looking at the girl with a mix of curiosity and re-appraisal. She was far the youngest there, but seemed to be the most vocal, or at least, the most worried for the other woman's safety. Someone said to her with a soft tone, "What do you know of Priskil? Gods help that poor woman."

[Nephti]

"Priskil would save you!" Nephti called out, speaking honestly, "The gods are real." She held out her hand, the glowing vortex in clear view of the woman above. Focusing on it, she felt the divine power pour out, glowing brighter. She tried to direct it towards the woman, although wasn't certain whether it would work. The light brought hope and positive feelings to those nearby. This woman needed this touch from Priskil, to show her that the goddess was with her. "Priskil is here."

Whether or not the light did anything to actually settle the woman, the display had to convince her that Priskil was real. That Priskil would help her. "Have hope in gods and they will save you!" she called out again, then turned to the soft voice near her, asking of Priskil.

Nephti smiled, showing this person the mark more directly. "Priskil gave me this mark. She helped me find hope and light, like she will help this woman. I know it - that is why I am here." She gave a deep smile, looking up at the woman who clutched the railing terrified. This woman needed so much help. Priskil wasn't certain if she could convince her.

Turning back to the person who had spoken to her, Priskil smiled. "Please, help me. Help me help her," she asked, knowing that if all those who weren't sick and desired the death of the woman worked together, they would get the message across a lot more. Besides, Nephti wasn't certain what to do. She could repeat herself, a lot, but that would scarcely help. She decided to do so anyway, for she had to say something.

"Please, woman whose name I don't know, listen. You saw the light? More light, in your future!" she called out, shifting anxiously as she waited for a reply. For the first time since Sayana had gone, she felt this urge to bring out the tarot cards she carried and ask them for this woman's fate. They found themselves in her hand, ready to be shuffled, to be chosen. The top card was Priskil's. That had to be sign.

[Kaleidoscope]

Despite her frantic words, the woman above did in fact seem calmer. Her fingers, if noticeable at that distance, were clenched that little bit less violently, and a bit of colour returned to her pale cheeks. She stepped hesitantly down from the railing, but gazed down at Nephti with hopeless eyes.

"I don't know... I don't know who or what this Priskil is, but your light. Your light is strange and beuatiful child. Thank you..." At the mention of a future, though, the woman seemed to close in on herself, withdrawing from the hopeful light that Nephti radiated, like a cowering creature from a too-bright flame. "I don't want to hear about futures."

"Too right!", called out a short man nearby. "No-one wants to hear about a future when theirs is so bleak, right lady?" His words once again sparked a heated discussion, or even argument that overflowed and echoed around the square the crowd stood in.

During the commotion however, the softly-spoken woman standing near to Nephti spoke up. She was tall, not overly so, but looked fit. Her hair was flaxen and butterscotch-coloured, waving in lazy curls over her shoulders. Friendly brown eyes gazed at Nephti and at her hands, curious at the light that could be found there.

"What's your name, child? I'm Claudia, Claudia Windrun. I've been here a while now, unsure whether my voice was able to be heard above this chaotic rabble. This woman, I don't like to see a woman in pain. I'd love to help her, with you." She looked bashful all of a sudden, tucking her hair behind her ear with a quirky movement. "I'd love to learn more of Priskil too, if you wanted to teach me."

With that, the woman turned to add her voice to Nephti's. "Lady, please! Think about this. There's so much more to live for than a short plummet and pain. Look at the hope in this child, the hope this child has for you!" It wasn't in her nature to make a scene, but she reached for Nephti's hand, taking her wrist in a soft grip and holding it aloft, before removing her hand again, with a quick smile to the girl.

[Nephti]

The woman seemed grateful, until she drew back at the mention of future. What was wrong - was something going to happen in the future, something the woman couldn't avoid, that was driving her to this madness. All futures had hope and light in them, however hard it was to see. Perhaps she knew there would be darkness soon, but past that, there had to be light, she knew that. After night, there was always day.

A nearby man shouted out, agreeing with her, joined or argued with by the rest of the crowd. Nephti found herself unable to say anything over the noise. Her voice was strong, but the others overpowered her too much. Another woman caught her attention, a friendly looking one. Beautiful in a way different to the one on the balcony. She was kind and honest, or at least, that was what she looked like.

"Hello Claudia," Nephti smiled, trying to connect the name with the face in her mind,"My name is Nephti. I want to help, with you. If you want." She grinned even more at her stilted common, "And I will teach you Priskil. Everything I know."

The woman smiled, speaking up with Nephti and grabbing her hand. She pulled it up, then released her hand once Nephti's was aloft. Nephti smiled back, moving down to snatch the woman's hand. They were working together now. Show unison. She held the hand softly up in the sky, Nephti looking up at the woman.

"Look at hope of woman, who help anyway! Look at people who stop to help! Look to gods, to Priskil! Look forward to-" She bit her tongue before she mentioned the future. She had a feeling it would only make things worse. The blood in her mouth brought a realisation of what else could work. Magic, a tiny bit, just to make this woman feel better, happier. Something. Turning to Claudia, she spoke in a hushed tone. "Help me nearer. I can help her."

[Kaleidoscope]

The words of the two woman, young and older, was that of strain. The dark-haired woman above tore at her hair, wild and anxious. With a shout, she flung down her worries, her fears, her pains, "Listen to all these people! All these people who aren't connected to me, have nothing to do with me, are just poking into my business without knowing me! What does it matter, really, at the end of the day whether I live or die? Even you aren't going to be affected by my death! You might remember me for a season, a year even, but soon enough the memory of me will fade from your mind like everything else, so what's the point?"

Claudia gasped quietly as the crowd around responded, with voices shouting even louder than before. Through the hustle and bustle, the older woman quickly took hold of Nephti's hand and pulled her forwards, "Quick now child!" She possessed elbows capable of some damage, and with a fair degree of push and shove and complaining, the two managed to get to the front of the crowd.

Now they were confronted with even more of a challenge. Because although they were at the front of the queue, as it were, there was no visible way of getting up to the woman. Claudia, believing Nephti to have some kind of magic, was willing to give Nephti as much chance as she needed however.

The front of the house did have windows, with window ledges. It was technically possible for someone to climb the façade, as long as they took care. Claudia quickly pointed it out, saying, "Look, Nephti. I don't know exactly what you need from me, but I'm happy to help. You say you need to get closer? If you climb onto my shoulders, then you should be able to reach that window, there." She pointed, indicating a window that seemed halfway between the two floors. "After that, I can try and direct you. It looks like you should be able to reach the next ledge, there, but if not I'm sure we'll think of something. Are you willing to try that?"

Claudia looked doubtful, but from a vicious sob from above, steeled her nerve. However, if Nephti even expressed one hesitation about the climb, she'd think of something else with the girl. It wasn't fair to send someone so young on a potentially dangerous mission, after all.

OOC :

Really sorry about the wait for this reply! I'll try and keep more on top of it now.

[Nephti]

Nephti clung to hope as she listened to the woman despair. But it was true. Like candles, their lives were fragile, delicate. The memory of them could be extinguished just like that. They could burn for a while, but eventually, the flame would go out, and no one would even remember it. Another candle could just be lit, and their absence wouldn't even be spotted. But while they burned, they were beautiful. They could light other fires, light the dark and make a difference. Just because they would be forgotten one day didn't mean they didn't have to live. After all, the longer they burned, the longer they would live in the memories of others, the more people they could touch, the more they could do. Life was never something to give up. It didn't matter what happened after.

Claudia spotted their chance as Nephti did, pushing her through the crowd. The facade of the house met her eyes, Nephti struggling to spot a way up, closer to the woman with so little hope. The windows were closed, dirty, uncared for. Curtains were drawn, and the girl hoped things were better inside than outside. Surely if the outside did reflect the inside, it wasn't a home. It was simply the vessel for the balcony, whatever its true purpose.

The plan was laid out, and Nephti gave a quick nod before anything could change. Priskil would protect her, even if it was only to help her spread hope. Besides, the Eypharian had six arms to rely on to hold her, not two. That had to count for something. With a little help from Claudia, she clambered onto her shoulders, hoping she didn't cause too much discomfort for the woman. As quickly as possible, she reached out, fingers of her top set of hands wrapping around the ledge. Once they were steady, she reached the middle set and stepped forward, grabbing on tight to whatever she could. She took a deep breath, although she didn't know why exactly. It wasn't like she was that high up, and she was pretty secure in where she stood. Looking down, she reassured herself she was fine, ignoring the slight dizzy feeling. "Where now?" she asked, announcing that she was ready to continue, although she wasn't certain if she really was.

She looked up at the ledge Claudia had pointed to, reaching out a single hand toward it. Her fingers brushed against it, but it was just too high. She tried again, standing on her tiptoes and caught it, just at the very edge. Trembling, she wondered what to do next. She was unsteady on her toes, and her grip on the ledge above wasn't holding her either, yet she couldn't see a way to fix that, without going back to how she was before. Claudia yelled out from below. "By your left knee, there's a slight indent. Perhaps you could put your foot there?"

Putting faith into Claudia's judgement, Nephti closed her eyes for a second, before shifting her leg up, finding the place she had mentioned. it was a lot smaller than expected, and her foot slid out a few times, not settling nicely. Finally, she wedged it in just right, and pushed up with that leg, stretching another hand up. There. The ledge met her hand firmly, and the rest of her hands joined it, pulling herself up. Her muscles ached, weak from little work, but she was higher. Her heart started beating a little faster, and Nephti pushed feelings of doubt and fear from her mind. It was all okay. It would be alright. Looking up, she was almost there. The balcony was just in reach. She pulled her feet up, placing them on the ledge below before reaching up again, this time with two hands. She found the balcony a lot easier to grip and scrambled up, panting from fright and the effort it took to scale the building.

She looked up at the woman, so fragile and weak. Willing to give up her life for nothing. Up close, it reminded Nephti even more how important her gift was, her goal was. Up close, she looked so much more real, so much more alive. Nephti looked at her with almost sad eyes, extending a hand towards her. The hand. If the woman took it, it would make it so much easier, but if she didn't, it wouldn't matter. Nephti settled her breathing, closing her eyes and focusing deep within herself, searching for the essence inside her that kept her fire burning. She tugged at it, letting it run through her, sensing ever trail, until it formed near her heart, a tight collection of energy. Taking a deep breath, she let the hope and strength within her seep together, binding closer, infusing it with the single thought of "don't jump". If she had more time, if she had thought about it more, if she had been more clever with her approach, she would have tried something less basic, less simple. Something designed for this woman. But the pain of seeing someone like this hurt Nephti, and she couldn't dare leave her like this. The quicker she could help, the better. Slowly, she let it all seep through her hand, through the air if there was some, through skin if there wasn't. She met the woman's eyes, letting the magic through that connection too. Then she laced it over her tongue, speaking Arumenic. "There is nothing to fear. Your life is not ready to end. Your fire is still burning. Don't put it out. Make it spread."

Then she returned to her stilted common, hoping the magic had done something. "I am Nephti, daughter of Priskil. You tell me why, why you want to jump. I help. I promise."

[Kaleidoscope]

It soon became obvious to the crowd and thus to the woman above that there was some intrepid soul making their way up the face of the building. It was just a girl at that, young with multiple arms, crawling slowly up the façade. The crowd, at least those who weren't cheering or ranting, held their breath as she made her way. Some offered their suggestions, pointing out loose bricks, loops of ivy, but their suggestions were a blur, and so not useful. However, Claudia remained strong, pointing Nephti in the right direction whenever needed, her heart pounding in her chest with fear. Yet her fear was unfounded, Nephti was more agile than she'd thought, and with a sigh of relief she watched as the girl reached just beneath the balcony.

Whilst she'd been climbing however, Eleanor was looking over the edge, her face expressing itself in anxiety and worry for her. Despite her own disregard for her life, it was obvious in that look alone that she didn't want to hurt anyone else. As Nephti reached for her hand however, she hesitated. That was, until Nephti opened her eyes.

The magic hit her like a warm rainstorm, soft and relaxing and free, and she gasped slightly. The noise of the street seemed to fade away for moments, it was just Nephti and Eleanor, and Priskil's indirect influence radiating hope and peace and a need for survival. Yet as the girl spoke, Eleanor blinked rapidly and grabbed her hand, pulling her up and over the railings and onto the balcony properly.

It took an agonising few ticks, whilst Nephti was clambering before the woman had her safely on the solid ground. With a quiet 'hff', Eleanor slumped to the ground and looked through her hair at the girl. "You're not the first person to come up to talk to me you know, but it's the first time someone's actually climbed up my house to see me. I... thank you, Nephti, daughter of Priskil."

Her voice cracked, low and sad, like a kicked animal. "I'm overwhelmed, by kindness and sadness and hate and anger and this world and it's problems." She broke off, and lay her head in her arms. Silently, her shoulders shook, as she sobbed like a softly whispered breath. When she looked up again, her face was streaked unattractively with tears, tracking down her face and dripping off the tip of her chin. "I don't know what you've done to me, strange girl with the mysterious eyes, but you've brought something out in me. I..." She gulped. "I... My head feels like wool, I can't think straight. But you've given me some clarity. Tell me, why did you come up here, why did you want to help me? Perhaps then I can find a way to answer your question."

[Nephti]

Nephti shrunk to the ground beside the woman, observing her closely. Her hair obscured her face, but not her emotions, which seeped through everything to be noticed by the Eypharian. She wanted to help, so she needed to see. She needed to understand. Casting a small smile to the woman's thanks, she added a few words of her own. "They.." she gestured to everyone else, "Lots of people are stupid. I can help when... when I am here. Not down there. Not when other people are loud. I need to be close."

She hoped the meaning would come across clearly, stretching her hand out again for the woman to take it. No magic this time, simply as a support, as a sign of connection. But the woman was in no mood to take it, beginning to cry after what she said. Nephti didn't wait for permission, resting her arm around the woman and lightly reassuring her simply with her touch. It was true, the world was overwhelming. She knew that. Her world had once been limited to a golden life, no hardships, no evils. When she was shown the real world, the true world... she couldn't believe it. But, unlike this woman, she focused on the kindness and hope, and clung to it. Yes, there were problems, but they could overcome them. They just needed hope.

The next question shocked Nephti a little. Wasn't it obvious why she was here? She wanted to help - that's why half of the crowd were here. The next section clarified it. She wanted to know why Nephti was helping her. Even then, she was lost for words. She only wanted to help because it was the right thing to do. Because this woman didn't deserve to die. Because it hurt her to see people like this. Because Priskil had marked her, and this was her reason. Surely that was all obvious too. But she told her, anyway.

"We all need to live. You need to live. Death is not come for you yet. Don't go. Think. World gets better if you stay. You can only make world better. If you die, you can't." Nephti paused, realising she hadn't explained herself enough. She was only trying to convince her. "When I see you like this, I hurt too. I see hope disappear. But I know hope is there. Priskil showed me. She gave me hope. So I need - no, I want - to give you hope. Use her gift. And help you." Nephti hung her head. "I will help you. I promise you. Just let me. Explain."