Open A Little Boys Birthday Party

[Tazrae]

Summer 1, 522 A.V.

Tazrae was up long before the sun, striding out onto the beach and enjoying a long run. The scarlet Ixam came with her as well as the rest of her lounge, complaining about her two legs rather than her four. The Innkeeper wanted to feel more human today though. She wanted to feel the wet sand between her human toes rather than claws. She drank in the air, tucking in her elbows and letting her curls bounce free in the wind. It felt good, even when the sunshine gold Ixam reached out and snapped at a lock of her hair, tugging playfully. Taz turned and shoved at her laughing, pulling her curls free of the monster’s teeth.

She growled playfully at Sunny, picked up a piece of driftwood rather than jumping it, and threw it. All five Ixams with her gave chase to the thrown stick, and raced off grabbing and shouldering each other out of the way. Taz thought Sunny would get the stick, but one of the smaller smarter green ones dodged in under the scarlet’s nose and snagged it. They raced off after the little male, who gave chase neatly. The hissing and growling made her laugh as she kept running, her stride just a bit longer than usual. Tazrae felt good, strong in fact, and was glad to be out running when the light was kissing the sky.

Tazrae badly needed a distraction. She hadn’t been feeling the best lately mentally, and she was desperate to find something to give herself a sense of renewed energy and a fresh spark on life. In fact, cheering up everyone wouldn’t be too bad of a plan. At least the occupants of The Protea could use a pick-me-up. So as the light crept across the sky streaking the dark with the first hints of dawn, Tazrae remembered something that Shiress had mentioned earlier. Ian’s birthday was today. She’d never had a birthday party on her birthday and she wondered if Ian wouldn’t just love to have one on his? Taz let the thought sink in as more light streaked the sky and Syna rose up over Solitude Island. The Wildling felt like her run was a conversation with her body, a communication between her legs and her mind fueled by her breath and the bellows of her lungs.

A party? Hrm. Taz would enjoy making a cake, snacks, and maybe a special meal for some guests. She could make all kinds of candy, treats, and they could play some games. Did she know any games? Taz wasn’t sure… she’d heard a game called ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ and figured she could adapt it to an Ixam instead. They could play hot potato with a little gift Taz could make for the other children. Should she invite the other children? Sure… why not?

Maybe that would kick off hosting parties at The Inn for others.

Taz also knew of a game where someone pinned a word or picture on someone’s back and everyone spent all the party asking other people three questions about their word or picture and whomever guessed what was on their back got a little treat as well. That was three games people could play. Taz thought harder as she made the turn at her usual turning point to head back. She wouldn’t go back to the Pavilion. Instead, if she wanted to make treats and a cake, she’d have to get started early.

At her usual turn around spot, Taz reversed direction and headed back to The Protea at a jog.

No one would know who she was, of course, but Taz decided she’d head to the Inn, knock on Shiress’ door or wait for the woman to put in an appearance in the kitchen, then hand her a note saying she was planning a party for Ian. That way the woman wouldn’t forget the Innkeeper was planning something, making a cake, and looking for more party ideas. Taz had little knowledge of children and what they might like to do for their birthdays. But she’d give it a try. She might even be able to swing some icecream since she’d picked up that crank icecream maker at the Outpost with Ialari.

When she arrived a half bell later Taz got busy in the kitchen.

Tazrae visualized pulling a sheet of paper from her messenger bag charm and one materialized in her hands. She set it aside, visualized pulling a vial of ink and the Listener out as well. They too materialized in her hands. She gave the quill pen a kiss on its bright feather plume and set it loose. “Listener… we’re making a to-do list. Add to it when I say ‘to-do’. She said, then grinned as the quill tried to prep itself by dancing around the vial of ink. But the ink was corked tightly, so Taz had to reach over and uncork the vial. “Sorry.” She said, and the quill neatly dipped itself. It blotted and then hovered over the sheet.

“To-do” Taz started out. “Menu. Cake for thirty. Vanilla with pineapple mango filling.” Ian liked pineapple mango, Tazrae remembered. The Listener jumped to attention, scrolling out the list at her command all on its own. Taz grinned at it, very much liking the ornate magical quill.

“Punch, keg from Stu, fruit, crackers, cheese and maybe icecream.” I’ll try it. Tazrae thought, not sure if she could pull it off. She might have to get Duncan to help with ice. She wasn’t sure otherwise she could swing it. She had the rock salt she needed. And Muncha had the milk, thanks to her mysteriously turning up pregnant. Taz had no idea how that happened, but she was thankful for it nonetheless. Without the cow having milk, who would Mathias steal milk from anyhow?

“To-do.” She stated, setting The Listener into motion again. “Decorations. Get Shade to do flowers. Streamers. Candles. Raid Juli’s party supplies to see what she has. Decorate the Common Room. Invite people over for snacks and cake… possibly icecream.” She announced, then shook her head. Could she get it all done in time for a little celebration before or after dinner? What about at Sunset? That would be the perfect time.

Tazrae would make it work…

Words: 1025

[Cleon]

He was clinging to a plank of wood in the middle of the sea while a storm raged overhead. Rain whipped at his face, obscuring his vision so that he couldn’t see anything but the huge waves coming in after him. One after another they came, sweeping over his head and filling his mouth with salt water. He clung onto that scrap of wood as tightly as he possibly could, ignoring the splinters that bit into the underside of his palm. Another wave was coming, bigger than all the rest. A bolt of lightning illuminated the wave as it towered over him. In it he saw the visage of a monster with great white teeth bearing down upon him. It swept over him and..




Cleon sat up bolt upright in his bed, covered in a cold sweat and breathing hard as he slowly realized it had just been a dream. Beside him Faye stirred awake, concern plain on her face as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes with the heel of her palm. Looking over at her, he smiled gently and shook his head.

“It was just a dream Faye. Go back to sleep if you want.” Cleon said quietly. The sun was just starting to come up so the room was still dimly lit. He could make out more of it as his eyes adjusted to the gloom, and saw everything was how they had left it the previous night. His charms were still very much so on his wrist which added to his sense of safety. Reaching out mentally, he also knew his sword was were he had left it underneath the bed. Orenmir, the mysterious blade that asked more questions than it gave answers. Cleon shook his head, and smiled at something Faye had said.

“No I feel normal actually. Better than I have in a while even and you’re..” Cleon tilted his head and realized suddenly that his sister was young again. Well, he had expecting to wake up and find her a baby, only she had skipped several days of her normal transition. She was back to being the girl he brought with him to Syka, and smiling he wrapped Faye in a broad hug.

“I don’t know. I hope so! I mean, this certainly has to be a good sign right? I don’t really feel any different. Well I guess I do, like there is something missing and-” Cleon quit rabbling as Faye tackled him with another hug, and her long hair tickled his face. “I suppose we ought to go out and see if its really true.” Cleon said with a hint of a grin playing on his features.

Rolling over with Faye in tow, he deposited her beside the bed to go get dressed while he rummaged through his pack. Despite him no longer feeling the compulsion to do so, he found himself looking for his pipe out of habit, and finding it he started to dig further in his back for the scraps of tobacco he should have left in the bottom of it. Before he could find the container however he found another one that he didn’t remember putting in there before. It was a sleek black metal container with what looked to be tobacco leaves gilding the side of it. They were silver and tastefully etched.

Curious, Cleon popped the lid. The container was packed with preground tobacco that smelled beautifully pungent. It didn’t smell like the tobacco he frequently smoked. This didn’t smell sweet at all. Instead it reminded him of the essence of the plant, the layer under all of the flavor that Syliran tobacco had over top. He took a pinch out and stuffed his pipe with it before closing the container.

At a comment from Faye, he rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out. “Of all my habits, this one was the least detrimental so I think I’ll keep it for a while thank you.” Cleon chided as he stood up and held the pipe between his teeth. He wasn’t going to light it just yet. No, he’d do that outside out of respect for Tazrae.. Tazrae. His eyes went wide as the pipe fell out of his mouth and spilled across the floor. Faye gave him a look like he was crazy then squealed when he snatched her up in his arms.

“Tazrae. Tazrae! Do you remember her?” Cleon asked almost manically as he swung her around, then let her down gently on the floor as he recalled the early hour with a small measure of embarrassment.

“Maybe the curses really are gone then?” He whispered excitedly, and hastily he set about cleaning the tobacco off of the floor with Faye’s help. Stubbornly he repacked most of it back into his pipe only to realize he had gotten a little dirt mixed in. After emptying it out, he repacked it with a fresh pinch of tobacco while Faye waited impatiently for him by the door. He joined her shortly thereafter with the pipe cradled in his hand, and together they walked out into the hallway.

Switching the pipe to his other hand, he threaded his fingers through Faye’s as he walked her up the hall to the main room of the inn. Hearing some noise from the kitchen, Cleon turned the corner to see Tazrae hard at work. At first he was at a loss for words for what to say to the woman who had done so much for him over the course of last season, but then Faye ran up to hug the woman and the spell was broken.

“Good morning Tazrae. Nice to see you again.” He said, smiling awkwardly. Then it was as if he noticed the state of the room for the first time as he took a cursory look around. “Planning something special? Is it anything we can help with?”

WC - 985

[Faye]

Faye woke with a start as Cleon sat up suddenly in the bed beside her. Concerned Faye twisted towards Cleon while rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She had been right in the middle of a lovely dream where she was swimming across a bed of clouds when this happened. Though she tried not to hold it against Cleon. She knew his struggles well by this point and this certainly wasn’t the first time he had startled her awake.

Noticing how early it still was, she almost did just that as she let her head fall back on the pillow and closed her eyes, trying to relax her mind enough that she could drift back to sleep. “What was it anyways. A bad dream or something else.. Do you need me to get you a drink.” Faye asked softly as the bed shifted under Cleon’s weight. She listened half aware to his response when suddenly he scooped her up in a big hug and.. Faye suddenly realized she wasn’t old anymore, and she wasn’t a toddler either.. She’d skipped right back to her normal age which was definitely out of the ordinary.

“Does this mean the curse has been broken?” Faye asked, feeling a bit of her brother’s infectious excitement. She really hoped that was the case as she was tired of growing out of cute outfits, and not being able to feel normal around the other children. Honestly she wondered if she ever would feel normal after last season but that was a thought for later, it did her little good to think of such things now.

She slapped at her brothers arms as he pulled her around like a doll, and realized belatedly how much taller her brother had gotten over the course of the season. He almost made her really feel like a doll as she slapped at his arms ineffectually.

“Let me down.” She protested, and when he deposited her at the side of the bed, she straightened her night shift before walking over to the side of the room where she kept her clothes. Hastily she pulled on a cream colored skirt and light pink top that Oralie had bought her for the spare few days of the season that she was her own age. They fit beautifully and Faye was marveling at the clothes when she heard Cleon pop something open. A familiar smell filled the room, and scrunching up her nose, she turned to give her brother a look.

“Are you really going to smoke that? I thought you said you felt better.” Faye chided as she sat on the end of the bed and pulled on her shoes. She was staring at him when he got this funny expression on his face and then ran over to scoop her up in his arms. Rolling her eyes exasperated, she tried to push her way out of his grasp as he held onto her and swung her about.

“Cleon! Cleon! People are probably trying to sleep.” She protested with a giggle, pushing against him until finally he let her go. Then she fussed with straightening her shirt for a moment as he had mussed it up with his wild charge, then she registered that she really did remember Tazrae. It seemed a funny thing to recall that she shouldn’t but remember the woman that they had met during their first day in Syka. She hadn’t had much interaction with the woman beyond that point, but from Cleon’s reaction she suspected he had which made her kind of curious. Humoring him with a smile, she nodded at his suggestion and finished straightening her shirt before she bent down to help him clean the tobacco off the floor.

She gave him a briefly disgusted look as he put it back in his pipe but then he regained some sense and deposited it in the trash. However when he reached back into his bag to pack it again out of a black container she just rolled her eyes. Faye held her tongue though, not wanting to spoil his mood as he joined her out in the hallway. Reaching down, he held his hand before they started walking towards the sounds of someone fussing about in the kitchen. Faye felt a hint of anticipation as they neared the corner where the hallway opened up into the main room and felt a small surge of excitement when she saw and recognized Tazrae.

Unable to contain herself she raced over to wrap the woman in a hug if she would allow it, holding her tight as Cleon finally found his voice. Eventually she separated from the hug, and beamed a smile at Cleon then Tazrae.

“Yes, anything you need help with I’d be happy to lend a hand. Its so good to see you again.” Faye gushed, biting her lower lips slightly as she looked about the kitchen surreptitiously.


WC - 819

[Shiress]

Mizahar was moving.

No, Shiress was moving. Bouncing, actually, or her bed was, anyway.

"Mommy?"

Shiress groaned and rolled over.

"Mommy??"
...

"Mommy!!!"

"Ian?! What's wrong?" Shiress screeched, sitting bolt upright in bed, heart-pounding, eyes searching her son.

Ian grinned down at her, "Guess what?"

Shiress fell back on the pillows, scrubbing a hand down her weary face, "What is it, baby?"

"Guess what day it is?" Ian asked, bed bouncing again.

Shiress smiled, "It's my birthday!"

The bouncing stopped abruptly, and Ian let out a very frustrated sigh.

"No, mommy, it my birfday!"

Shiress dropped her arm, looking over at Ian, her face a mask of feigned surprise, "Your birthday? No, it's my birthday!"

The look of absolute indignation on her four-year-old's face had Shiress chuckling. "Oh, that's right! You're what, twenty? Twenty-five?" she said, grabbing the little boy around the waist and dragging him down on the bed in a flurry of tickles, squeals, and laughter. They played like that for several chimes until Shiress and Ian were breathless and redfaced from laughter.

Ian crawled his way to freedom from his mother's ticklish wrath, on to another adventure as quickly as toddlers were ought to do, and began lining up the wooden animals that Shiress had bought him on her trip to Sunberth for what looked to be a forthcoming stampede across the floor of their room.

Shiress pulled herself out of bed, straightening her sore and weak body slowly to calculate the day's aches and pains. But there wasn't any. Shiress frowned, stretching, reaching, and twisting. No pain whatsoever. She held her thin arms out before her, looking for the multitude of bruises that, just yesterday, had dotted her flesh like large black and blue freckles, but they were gone.

Kicking a leg up on the bed, Shiress hiked the hem of her nightgown up to study one leg, then the other. Nothing. No bruises or scratches, not even a sore muscle. They were still thin, though. Too thin. Just skin stretched taut over bone and sinew, just as was the entirety of her body. In fact, Shiress looked starved and emaciated, much as she did in the days leading up to her escape from slavery. It saddened her, knowing how hard she had to fight to gain her health back after ages in chains and understanding, in some way, her past had come back to steal it all away again.

Head swimming, Shiress lowered herself to the edge of the bed, sighing as she realized with a jolt of heartache that she was still very weak though her bruises and aches were gone. Had it been Rak'Keli's mark that had healed her? Had she healed herself, somehow, during the night? She shook her head at the thought, unsure but grateful, nonetheless.

"I'm hungry," Ian called from the floor as he carefully scrutinized a horse's foot, "us go eat?"

Shiress fought a hard shiver at the thought of food but got Ian dressed and momentarily distracted as she rummaged for something to put on. After the Goddess had...well, not healed her scars exactly...more moderated them into beautiful, etched roses on her skin, Shiress's confidence had soared, albeit briefly until she was reminded of how much like a starved alleycat she now resembled. A skin-covered skeleton with sharp, jutting bone where supple curves once were.

So, instead of bikini tops and short pants, Shiress reached for more...covering attire and pulled on a beige, long-sleeved tunic and belted it across narrow hips, above a pair of brown cotton riding pants, then pulled her long hair in a tail behind her head. Just dressing had the doctor's heart thudding hard behind her ribs, breaths sawing in and out, and her limbs shaking. Shiress swore to herself at having to sit and catch her breath just to be able to walk her son to the kitchen.

Eventually, they exited the room, Shiress pausing to pluck a note from the floor that someone had slid beneath her door. Had someone knocked, and she not heard it? She had been sleeping soundly. More soundly than she had in weeks.

The eating area was nearly empty when Ian and Shiress arrived, with only a handful of the tables occupied. Shiress sat Ian in a chair at one of the empty ones and instructed the boy to stay put as she went to the kitchen area in search of breakfast and one very kind innkeeper.

Shiress crossed the open space and turned the corner to the kitchen, spotting a busy Tazrae standing at a counter just as someone else apparently did also. A young, blonde girl raced to Tazrae and slung her arms around the surprised innkeeper. Standing a ways behind the enthusiastic embrace stood a man Shiress recognized, and when his eyes met hers, Shiress gave the young man a small smile.

"Hey, Cleon, good morning," she said, hoping the smile she gave the boy wasn't faltering as much as her strength was, "how are you and Faye?"

Spotting a chair nearby, Shiress shuffled over to it and lowered herself down, acting as if that had been her plan all along. Glancing over to where Faye and Tazrae chatted amiably, she waited for the chance to catch the innkeeper's attention.

Shiress smiled when Tazrae glanced over at her and stood, stepping closer to where she and Faye were standing, giving the little girl a soft smile in greeting.

"Hey, Tazrae, I got your note," she said, holding up a small piece of paper, "your offer to throw Ian a party is so incredibly kind." Shiress's smile deepened, "I...I don't know what to say, but thank you. Thank you so much. And, Is there anything I can do? I'd love to help." she paused for a long while, then added, "Oh! I need to get Ian a breakfast plate, too. Sorry," she laughed, "I'm still half asleep. Has Shade been to eat yet? No, probably not. It's still early. I'll get him a plate, too, please."

After their conversation and plates in hand, Shiress made her way back to Ian, careful to avoid looking down at the food piled onto each plate. There would be no telling what disgusting and vile illusion wiggling and squirming in place of the food. Shiress lowered one plate in front of Ian, and the other she placed safely away from her across the table to offer Shade when he arrived. Resting her arm on the table, Shiress propped her chin in her hand and smiled over at her son, brushing a wheat-colored curl off his forehead.

"Happy birthday, sweetie, and guess what? You're going to have your very first birthday party!"

[Tazrae]

Tazrae looked up from where she was doing double duty. She was in the middle of scrambling eggs for the breakfast crowd and writing out a new recipe for a cake she wanted to make for Ian’s birthday. She blinked momentarily at Cleon when he walked in, then resorted to flat out staring at him. How many times had he walked into the room last season and hadn’t even seen her? He’d never called her by name, for sure, and she frowned a little over it, wondering if she’d somehow left him a note and forgot she did.

She stood frozen for a moment, staring openly with her spoon outstretched from her body as if she could use it to ward him away. “Cleon? You know me?” She said carefully, uncertainly, then glanced around and spotted Faye heading in right after Cleon. Faye was really really old last time she saw her… yesterday? The day before? Taz figured she should be a baby today if her trending curse went as planned.

But Faye looked… normal.

Faye barreled straight into her and Taz caught her up and swung her around. “Gods… you look so normal, Faye. Are you doing okay today?” She said, setting the girl back on her feet and beaming at her.

“I take it you know me too. Does this mean that the curses are over?” She asked quietly, glancing between the two of them. They were the first people she’d had contact with today. She waited, listening to them, then glanced around.

“It’s Ian’s birthday. I was just throwing together breakfast for the guests and planning a cake and thinking of some decorations and maybe some party games we could play after dinner.” She held up a hand, as if to forestall them, and opened her ice box and pulled out the sausages she’d stuffed the night before. Links for breakfast had sounded good and the grill top was all sprawled across her stove ready to take them on. She splayed out the meats after liberally rubbing the grill with coconut oil and set the sausage to grilling.

Then she got out her giant skillet and scooped a big wad of butter in it, let it melt, and poured in a bowl of already scrambled eggs and got them to heating. “You guys hungry? I’ll have breakfast in a few chimes.” She said, glancing at open journal and pointing it out. “I made a list of potential games… some ideas for decorations… and I’ll need to make some party foods. I thought a cake, cheeses, crackers, cookies, candies, after dinner tonight. Do you guys know any party games? Or easy ideas for decorations? I haven’t ever been to a birthday party but I’ve heard of people having them and they were really fun. I thought I could sing to Ian.” She said softly, thoughtfully. Those parties she’d heard about were things other girls her age had enjoyed. She’d never had one, having always been the Innkeeper’s daughter… the one that had to work.

Taz turned the sausages, scrambled the eggs into a massive bowl, and even added sliced bread to the oven to toast. She set out the butter crock, assorted jams and jellies, and slowly pulled the food but left it on the warm oven to stay hot. As guests wandered in, she’d dish them up a plate and even offering them alternative selections if they wanted different eggs or a bowl of fruit for something lighter.

It was then that Shiress and Ian came in and Taz clammed up immediately. She glanced at Faye and Cleon, not sure what Shiress was about. Guilt. Taz recognized it immediately. She was guilty she was potentially planning a party for Ian without asking Shiress first. When Shiress said she got her note, Taz raised an eyebrow and relaxed slightly, offering her a tentative smile. “You know who I am?” She asked again, dumbly.

“I’m sure there’s enough to do for everyone to help. I can take care of the food, but I know nothing about games for kids. I’ll invite all the children over too. I bet they’d like a party.” She added, wondering if she did one for Ian if she’d have to throw one for every child. Probably. She liked that idea, actually.

Taz frowned when Shiress took the plate she dished up and placed it across from her. She immediately went over, grabbed another plate, and piled it high for Shiress. She even went back to the icebox and dished her up a bowl of fruit to go with it complete with toast which she heavily buttered and added dollops of mango jam to.

“Eat. You need it.” Taz said, firmly setting the loaded plate down in front of Shiress along with a set of silverware and a napkin in a ring. She returned a moment later and left salt, pepper, and more napkins (because of Ian) on the table. Then she poured them all waters with that had cubes of ice in them and smiled.

“Eat. Please. Just try.” Taz encouraged, then turned back to Cleon and Faye.

“Faye… what can you do about decorations? Cleon? Can I trust you for some games… and maybe a run to The Tidepool for a keg from Stu of whatever he has ready for the adults?” She asked?

“I can help make decorations between batches and baking, but I know nothing of games… I thought maybe pin the tail on the Ixam, hot potato, and this one weird game for the adults and kids… where you write a whole bunch of things on paper… things of a same theme…. Like say nautical… sailboat, sail, anchor, dock, sailor, etc… and pin them on the back of people… and people have to mingle and ask people questions about whats on their back to get to know one another? Is that even fun?” Taz wracked her brain for more ideas. But she honestly didn’t have any.

“I completely need help.” She admitted, keeping an eye on Shiress and hoping she’d actually put food in her mouth this time.

Words: 1019

[Alric Lysane]

As his eyes opened, the light finally getting too bright for sleep to keep wrapping its dark blanket around him, the blurred vision of a few small reptiles cleared and resolved into three tiny Ixam of various colours, watching him intently, as if wondering if he were edible perhaps. It was becoming a daily occurence, he was mostly just thankful at this point when it was less than ten – waking up to being literally smothered by scaled things had been an…experience. He had even grown used to the disturbed sleep, surprisingly quickly all things considered. It was difficult not to crack an eye open when a small Ixam butted its head on your face until you paid attention. They were stubborn indeed when they wanted attention. He idly scratched the heads of the three he had for company before rolling and feeling them scatter across the bed, and then across the tent.

“You know guys, I wouldn’t mind if you didn’t spend as much time trying to smother me,” he groaned as he pinched his brow for a few moments before heaving himself out of the spacious bed, stretching and noticing that the Scarlet one wasn’t around, an oddity as it seemed to be watching him quite intently, “peace at last”

Not quite Nymkarta…I liked it better when you slept clothed…there is a party at the inn…you might want to go Jade appeared and tapped his forehead firmly, waking him properly.

Party? Gods what has Lys done now? he thought at Jade as he stifled a yawn.

Nothing yet…just go…Mathias told me to tell you

And how does he know?

How does he know anything?

Fine…go watch over Lys please, wake her and Nasta up maybe…we still need to talk about things..many things…you did say

Not today Alric…today you will want to be…elsewhere…a few days from now perhaps

With that Jade vanished as the Gasvik seemed to be able to do, a skill Alric was quite envious of if he were honest with himself. Teleportation…that would solve so many issues he suspected. Not to mention making other things quite a bit more fun. He grinned at himself, scratching his gnosis marks and feeling their givers out…distant and removed…they were nowhere near. A shame, he felt that Ionu could help give him quite a few pointers on parties too. He sighed to himself, pulled on his clothing loosely, checked his boots for damned snakes and when he found nothing he slipped them on. Old habits died hard – he still wore his weapons – but he looked messy, he was heading to the showers first and not the party, he was a mess after a couple days of many incidents.

He made his way there normally, no magic or anything else, he had decided that he had started to treat it far too casually. He loved how he could do things with it, but he had felt his control slipping as he pushed boundaries, how the desire to use it in place of the ‘normal’ had started to creep into play. He wasn’t about to fall victim to the pride and foolishness that other mages had, and as such had made the decision to only use his abilities when he was either practising or needed to. The summer was a time for growth and enjoyment, and in Syka he planned on getting a lot of both, but that ironically meant showing restraint in some cases, he felt. He got there quick enough anyway, getting the water going after placing his things into a pile and stepping under it, placing a dagger upon the shelf and propping up the small mirror he had found there after some ferreting about.

“Syka is turning out stranger than Sunberth,” he noted as he thoroughly soaked himself and started scrubbing soap all over himself, including his hair and beard, “curses, cantankerous ghosts, evil priests and then a few days alter…parties. No boring here…actually that does sound like Sunberth” he continued, he had picked up the habit of talking to himself, given that he knew few people in Syka and so conversation was sparse if existent.

It was as he thought about what kind of party it could possibly be, in the middle of shaving is quite unkempt beard at this point, that the realisation slammed into him and caused him to drop the dagger – thankfully not onto his own foot but instead to clatter to the stone. Memory flooded in, flickered, kaleidascoped…and that was the easy part. Emotion came next, along with context, and tore though him, leaving him filled with what seemed like another lifetime of sensations and memories, his head filling up and his vision swimming as his hands reached out to grab at the frame holding things for the shower to prevent his legs from giving out.

“Taz” he whispered, then started to jog towards the inn before realising he was still half-washed, naked and then ran back to the shower, slipped and sprawled before shaking his head, checking nothing was damaged – it wasn’t – and then standing up to hastily finish his cleaning and grooming.

“Shykeshykeshyke…bloody curses…did I really treat her li- gods I hate the…gods! Well…not all gods…oh fu-” he breathed before he shut himself up before he sliced his lip off, or his own jugular, before the flash of the Reimancy initiation and the last time they had shared a shower not only left him staring into the mirror as it was relived but also a small cut on his left cheek that caused him to hiss and break the memories with a curse.

He set about continuing the attempt to make himself as presentable and clean as possible, knowing that she was likely in the building already, so close and yet until the shower was finished, so far. Still, it seemed a good idea to actually be presentable.


Words - 976


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[Cleon]

A small wonder memory. Everything he had forgotten about Tazrae came flooding back it an instant as his smile broadened watching Tazrae swing Faye around. For the first time in a long time, it felt good to belong, and they really did belong here he realized. Rubbing the back of his neck, he gave Tazrae a thoughtful look before responding.

“I think so. I.. Well Faye should have been a baby this morning, and I can recall our jungle jaunt.” He said slowly, unsure of how to touch on how he knew his curse was gone. It was like trying to grasp a ghost. There was a hint of solidity but when he tried to put it into words his hands just slipped on through. How does one describe the absence of compulsion? Better yet, how could he explain the nascent feelings it left him with. Cleon didn’t know why, but he had a feeling if he tried to explain it that he would just end up confusing them as to if the curses were really gone right now. He wouldn’t do that. Faye needed that certainty. Perhaps Tazrae did too. The burdens of his doubts were not so heavy that he couldn’t bear them himself.

“Oh a party. That sounds fun.” Cleon said as he walked a little closer, but around to the other side of the stove to avoid crowding her. It was then that Faye took the opportunity to say something outrageous, and he could’ve swatted her only she stepped out of his reach before he did. Rolling his eyes, he shook his head vigorously before looking over at Tazrae. “It was a joke. A bad joke, and one I’m surprised you remember Faye. You were so little then.” Cleon said, narrowing his eyes at her, then sticking his tongue out.

“There was this one game I used to play when I was younger. You get a group of children together and pick one of them to be the finder while the rest of the children hide. The finder counts to ninety then they have to find where the rest of the children are hiding. For the adults, I guess we could do a bit of gambling. I don’t know about other children’s games though, what do you think Faye?” Cleon asked as he put the pipe in his mouth and then felt around in his pockets for a bit of tinder. He held it absentmindedly in one hand, twisting it about thumb and forefinger as he got a good whiff of what Tazrae was cooking. In combination with the smell of the tobacco in his pipe, it was glorious, and made his stomach rumble something fierce.

“Hey Shiress, how was your sleep?” He asked as Shiress walked up, and Cleon turned to favor her with a smile right back. She looked like she was doing rather poorly which wasn’t all that surprising given the curse she had to deal with the season before. He still felt guilty about their last interaction, but was glad she didn’t bring it up. He looked over to where Shiress took a seat at a nearby table, then looked at Faye, making a small gesture for her to join the woman. For his part, he remained standing for the moment and probably just to frustrate him, so did Faye, lingering beside him as they watch Tazrae bring a plate piled high with food over to Shiress.

Then when Tazrae turned to them, Cleon’s eyes lit up and he took the pipe out of his mouth. “Sure, I can probably think of something else on my way to get that keg. If not I can maybe get a few ideas out of Stu in exchange for refilling one of his kegs.” Cleon said with a smile that spread generously across his face. He rather liked Stu, and not just because of his little problem last season. The man possessed an infectious sort of joy that had helped Cleon on some of his darker days last season. Refilling his keg with a charm was the least he could do, especially considering that strange provenience of said charm that he linked to Sivah.

Patting Faye on the shoulder, he gave her a nudge towards the table while he remained where he was, spinning his pipe slowly in his hand.

“That could be fun.” Cleon remarked about the paper game while still thinking about what he could contribute. “I’ll ask Stu what else he thinks might be fun for the kids and adults alike. Maybe I could even get the birds in on the fun. They are surprisingly good at gambling.” He mused, rubbing his chin with the back of his hand as he remembered he was still holding a bit of tinder. “Pardon me while I step out for a quick smoke. I’ll be back with that keg, and a few ideas.” Cleon said as he started walking for the front doors, and then hesitated a moment to place his pipe carefully down while he retrieved something to light the tinder with. With the flint and steel in hand and the tinder on the ground, he struck the two pieces together several times causing a shower of sparks, not stopping until the tinder caught. Then quickly he grabbed the pipe and brought the lit portion of tinder over it, pulling in on the flame. It was always such a chore to get the pipe going for the first time in the morning. So much tamping down, adjusting the tobacco, pulling in more air till finally there was a proper cherry going in the bowl.

When it was done, he snuffed the rest of the tinder out, and replaced the flint & steel in his pocket before setting off down the beach towards the Tidepool. The tobacco tasted as good as it smelled, burning low and slow. He was able to enjoy it for most of his walk without repacking the bowl so by the time he reached the bar he was finished with it, and had the pipe stowed away in his pocket as he walked up to the small cluster of buildings that sat on stilts over the water. He caught sight of Stu moving between the kitchen and bar. Cleon gave a small wave that Stu returned as Cleon quickly hurried up the rest of the way up the dock.

“Good to see you again.” Cleon said, greeting the man with a handshake. “Tazrae is throwing a birthday party down at the Protea and asked me to grab a keg of whatever you had on hand.”

“Tazrae.. Huh, its nice to remember that woman again. I think I’ll go back with you if you don’t mind the company.” Stu said as the brief surprise on his face was replaced with a joyous expression as he walked behind the bar to retrieve a keg. Suddenly remembering something, Cleon followed him up to the bar but waited just on the other side of it.

“Hey, so uh do you know any good party games for kids and adults? Tazrae is looking for ideas, and I don’t really have much experience with attending parties.” Cleon said nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Stu looked up from behind the bar with a warm smile on his face as he hefted a small keg onto the bar.

“I know a few that are relatively easy to set up. There is this one game called ‘Just under’ where you set up sticks that people then have to walk under. Its easy at first, but once everyone has made a pass under you lower the stick to the next rung down so that people have to get lower and lower to clear it. Oh, and you can only bend backwards while doing so. Its a good bit of fun I assure you!” Stu said, laughing at the strange expression that passed over Cleon’s face. “I think we can reuse some torch poles for that purpose, I’ll gather up enough for the game.”

“Well, I’ll try to participate but I’m not sure how good I will be at it.” Cleon said scratching his head as he inspected the keg.

“Another game you could try would be ‘In the hole’. Basically you cut a hole in a plank of wood and set it at an angle on the ground. Then you take bags of sand and try to toss them into the hole. I imagine that would be relatively easy to set up.” Stu said, tapping the side of the keg. “Say how about I rustle up those poles while you take this keg back to the Protea, then we can figure out getting the wood for that other game.”

Cleon nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. Thanks for the suggestions. Say, you wouldn’t by happen to have an empty keg I could fill to thank you for the trouble.” Cleon asked, leaning against the bar slightly. “Come on, its the least I could do. I mean I found the charm here after all. Its the least I could do.” Cleon protested when Stu started to shake his head. The man gave a joking roll of his eyes before he dipped behind the counter and produced an empty keg.

Smiling, Cleon took hold of the charm on his wrist and tapped the opening to the keg. “What do you want me to fill this one with?”

“Rum is fine.” Stu said amicably.

“What’s that?” Cleon asked hooking a thumb over to the other keg.

“Oh that? Its a mango infused rum I think will go over well tonight.” Stu said.

“Mind if I try a lick?” Cleon asked, then hastily added. “Just so I can refill this keg with the same.” He felt the need to explain himself after last season, a habit he didn’t see himself losing any time soon.

Stu grinned and poured him a sip which Cleon quickly swished in his mouth before swallowing. Trying to keep the flavor in his mind, he started refilling the keg by focusing on his charm until eventually it was more or less operating on its own until the keg was filled. He rather liked the flavor of this rum, and he knew immediately he would be tempted to drink more of it tonight. Only in moderation though, he wouldn’t allow himself to drink in excess ever again. When the keg was filled and stoppered, Cleon shouldered the other keg.

“I guess I’ll see you soon then. Thank you again for the ideas!” Cleon said as he started walking down the dock.

“See you soon Cleon. Give Tazrae my best!” Stu called out from behind and Cleon intended to do just that when he got back to the Inn. It wasn’t a very long walk, but with a keg on his shoulder he managed to work up quite a sweat, his thin shirt sticking to his skin as he walked up the last few paces to the Protea. He smiled looking upon a few Ixam sunning themselves on the beach, and recalled what the guide book had to say about them toward the end of last season. After that point he didn’t feel so much afraid of them as he was curious, and seeing them play fetch kind of helped him along that notion.

He brushed aside those idle thoughts as he walked up the stairs into the Protea. “I’m back, and I’ve got a few more game ideas courtesy of Stu” He called out as he walked in, looking for a place to set down the keg.

WC - 1,938

[Faye]

Faye beamed up at Tazrae as the woman swung her around. It felt like things were finally moving along from the darkness that had shadowed last season, and she treasured her rekindled memories of this woman whom had been so kind to them the previous season. “I can, I really can.” Faye giggled holding onto Tazrae briefly before letting her go so she could get back to what she had been doing. It didn’t take much to remember Tazrae was a fantastic cook, and Faye did her best to get out of the woman’s way by moving across to the other side of the stove to stand near Cleon. She perked up at the mention of a party and games.

“OH! Cleon used to play a game with me where he would throw a stick down the mineshaft and told me I had to find it without using a torch, but Farren always stopped it before I got very far.” Faye said, then dodged out of the way when Cleon reached to swat at her. Sticking her tongue out right back at him, she shimmed over so she was standing just out of his reach as she traded another teasing look his way.

When Shiress and Ian walked in, Faye turned with Cleon to greet them, offering a little wave to the boy she had pushed on the swing not so long ago. She traded a bright little smile, then looked up at his mother whom she was still more than a little intimidated by after their last encounter. She offered the woman a small little wave, then watched as she took a seat over at one of the tables. Then looked back at her brother who seemed to be motioning her in that direction.

‘I don’t know her’ she mouthed but of course Cleon wasn’t paying her any attention so Faye stayed rooted just where she was, following Tazrae with her eyes as she reconsidered her position about taking a seat at the table. Finally after another nudge from Cleon, she gratefully took a plate over while considering what Tazrae asked her about the decorations.

“I could do something pretty with paper. I think my brother Cleon has some in his room. Its real easy, I just fold the paper then cut out a pretty shape and then you have a string of pretty shapes.” Faye said smiling, then looked over at Shiress. “What kind of designs does Ian like?” She asked as she took a spoonful of eggs and stuffed them into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully for a moment while she swung her legs about under the table. She supposed she could do something with the sand too outside of the Protea. As she recalled, wet sand had been pretty fun to play with when she had been out and about earlier last season.

“Maybe we could make little sand huts on the beach, and have a game to see who makes the best one.” She suggested idly realizing rather quickly that wasn’t exactly a decoration. She had a bit of skill with a needle in thread, maybe she could do something with that although just what she didn’t know unless they had a lot of spare fabric lying around. Looking down she also noticed she was already halfway through her plate. She had been hungrier than she realized, and looked over shyly at Shiress to see how she was doing.

“What do you think about paper lanterns Shiress? We could make them and then float them out onto the sea at night. I think that would look really pretty.” She said although she had yet to hit on an idea that she was completely certain of. It was still so strange waking up in her own body and part of her felt a surge of trepidation at the thought of what tomorrow morning might bring though she hoped that was just her fears getting the best of her.

She finished up her plate not long after the suggestion, and took it up to get washed if Tazrae would let her wash it herself.

“Do we have some way of coloring the paper. It could be pretty to have strings of various designs and colors.” Faye asked Tazrae as she walked up, setting her plate aside for the moment. “Thank you for breakfast by the way, it was delicious.”

Just then Cleon walked in, and Faye smiled, giving him a wave.

WC - 743

[Shiress]

Shiress hesitated, giving Tazrae a confused look at her question. Did she remember her? Of course, she did. Why would...then it dawned on Shiress; Tazrae's curse had been that everyone forgot her. Shiress gave the woman a smile, genuinely relieved for the innkeeper that her curse may have ended.

"I do," Shiress said, hands reaching for the plates offered to her, "It's good to see you again, Tazrae," she added, giving her head a slight bow before retreating to the table where Ian was waiting.

Ian wasted no time digging into his breakfast, grabbing sausage with one chubby hand and a fistful of eggs.

"Ian!" Shiress scowled down at the toddler in admonishment, then handed the boy a spoon, "We've talked about this, son. You use a spoon or fork," one eyebrow raised in a challenge at her son, "not your dirty hands."

Ian, looking not one bit ashamed or rightly admonished, raised his hand, shoved the eggs into his mouth, then reached for the spoon with an inaudible apology said around his mouthful.

Shiress struggled not to chuckle at the boy when another plate clattered in front of her, startling her. She glanced up, so shocked at Tazrae's firm order for her to eat that she failed to reply before the other woman had walked away. A moment later, however, the innkeeper reappeared by the table with two small containers of salt and pepper and extra napkins. When Tazrae spoke again, her statement was more a plea than an order. Shiress's eyes softened, offering the woman a tentative smile.

"I'll try," she replied.

Shiress grimaced at Tazrae's back as she turned away, then let her eyes fall on her son, not down at the food in front of her, and smiled. Shiress was forming the words to avert the boy's curiosity back to his plate when Faye slid into the empty seat at her and Ian's table. Shiress didn't know Faye very well, having met the young girl only once before, but she recalled the fondness with which Cleon had spoken of the girl at the pool. Faye looked nervous, and Shiress suddenly felt guilty because she had a sneaking suspicion of what had the girl fidgety.

At Faye's question, Shiress glanced at Ian, seeing a lesson opportunity for her son. He was getting old enough to politely answer questions on his own, and it was past time for the bow to break out of his shell of shyness.

"Faye would like to know what sort of things designs you like," Shiress said, nodding her head toward Faye, "can you tell her?"

Ian opened his mouth, and a bit of egg fell out. Shiress made a noise of disapproval and gave her son a look that had the boy chewing rapidly and bouncing in his seat in an effort to chew and swallow as fast as he could so not to talk with his mouth full. Shiress grinned, winking at Faye.

"Horsies!" Ian said excitedly, then lifted his hand, displaying five fingers, before dropping one at a time, "and cows, and deers, and wolfs," his little face scrunched up as he thought, "and dogs and cats.."

"Animals," Shiress offered, shifting her gaze back to Faye, chuckling, "anything with animals."

"Mhm," Ian agreed happily, grinning at the girl.

Shiress found herself quietly watching Faye as the girl ate, trying to recall what Cleon had said her curse was. When she remembered, curiosity flitted across her face. Faye had been cursed to age over and over, but she looked...normal. Could Faye's curse have ended, too? Shiress's gaze wandered over the distance to Tazrae, where she stood chatting with Cleon, noting how the young man looked less afflicted and anxious and more...happy, like his curse, too, had lifted.

A glimmer of hope sparked to life in Shiress. Last night, for the first time in nearly a season, her master's ghost had not come during the night. Was her curse...

Swallowing hard, Shiress slowly lowered her eyes down to the plate of food in front of her, and after a tick, when the sausage and eggs remained just that, sausage and eggs, she cautiously plucked a link sausage off her plate, lifted it to her mouth, and pulled off a small bite with her teeth and chewed, eyes scrunching closed at the vile taste that she was sure was about to flood her senses.

When nothing but the delicious taste of the breakfast meat filled her mouth, Shiress's eyes flew open in elation, then crammed the rest of the sausage into her mouth. Following that up with a spoonful of eggs a moment later and a bite of toast and some pineapple, Shiress felt stuffed. It would take time for her lean belly to be able to accommodate proper portions of food, but she had just eaten more than she had in one sitting in a fortnight, not since spending time at Mathias's home.

Faye spoke up, and Shiress had been so wrapped up in the disbelief that the curse might be gone and eating that she almost forgot the girl was there. Shiress smiled at Faye. The first in an age that actually reached her eyes and said, "When I was a little girl in Zeltiva, we would make something similar to your lantern idea. The lanterns we made looked sort of like a small tent, opened at the bottom. We'd tie a small, lightweight candle to the bottom, and the heat from the candle would fill the top of the tent roof and make the lantern sore through the air."

Shiress looked away, shaking her head fondly at the memory, "there would be a hundred glowing lanterns floating through the air out over the sea. Sometimes, we'd make tiny boats with candles, too, and watch as they sailed out over the waves," she returned her attention back to Faye, the idea growing on her, "Maybe we can try and figure out how to make a few of those and maybe some of your lanterns, too?"

Shiress followed Faye back to the kitchen area with Ian's empty plate, her own a little less full than it had been. Placing them down, she caught Tazrae's gaze.

"Thank you," she said, hoping the innkeeper could see that her gratitude was not only for the food, "I have a few ideas of activities we might can do for the party. I think a game called 'Quack, Quack, Honk' would be fun. If you can think of anything else, please let me know."

Shiress thought about asking the innkeeper after Shade again since her earlier inquiry wasn't answered but decided against it and instead, turned to Faye, having overheard her earlier question, and said, "Ian has different colored wax sticks in our room," she glanced at Cleon, though her question was meant for his sister, "if your brother doesn't mind that I borrow you for a few chimes?"

[Tazrae]

The siblings brought her joy, that much was for sure. She enjoyed Faye and Cleon’s company enormously and was glad they were willing to help with the party. Maybe they could actually be celebrating more than just Ian’s birthday. They could celebrate being together, each to their own, and surviving what was ultimately a very rough situation last season.

“I have paints in the cupboard for the guests if you guys want to paint streamers or something. But there’s not a lot of paper, just some sheets of parchment and a few blank books. You’d be better off running to the mercantile for some inexpensive cotton and to Tropical Fever Fashions to see if the owner there will give you some fabric dye. But all the rest of the decorations sound fun. The games sound fun too. What do you need from me to set them up? I think Juli might have paper lanterns for The Valterrian that she gets from Riverfall. They have a Remembrance Day for the dead.” Taz added, then smiled at Faye before turning to Cleon.

She wasn’t surprised that he excused himself for a smoke and to fetch the Keg right away. It was a good idea to get the heavy lifting done early.

She tried to feed Shiress breakfast with a vengeance and keep Faye talking while he was gone. She had to axe Faye’s Mindshaft game idea with a laugh, responding that none of them had enough time to craft a mine for just such a game nor was it safe to throw things in big holes in the ground regardless. Taz liked the sand hut idea though, and the paper lanterns were always a big hit in Riverfall.

“There’s art supplies in the guest cabinet. Maybe you could find something there. Definitely there’s paint and chalk, but I’m not sure what else…” Taz said, not sure she’d restocked it lately and what she’d restocked it with if she had.

Ian had terrible table manners, but then again, most kids did. He was a little bit spoiled by his abused mother, but Tazrae looked the other way knowing that Shiress hadn’t had it easy lately. She frowned at the tiny amount of food Shiress ate, but at least she didn’t gag, vomit, or otherwise look at her cooking with horror. That much was a relief.

That Ian liked animals wasn’t a surprise. Taz saw him carry his stuffed monkey everywhere. That monkey gave her the creeps, but she didn’t say anything because it wasn’t her place too. Taz swore its eyes watched her when it thought she wasn’t paying any attention. She’d decided to make Ian’s cake in the shape of one of the Ashta, thinking the boy would enjoy the elephant theme a bit. He seemed to be fascinated whenever a pair of the creatures came through with Lars. She’d never pick a monkey. For the most part they were despised in Syka and considered pests of the highest order. But maybe she could make some other foods in the shapes of jungle animals to make his party even more fun to him.

As she thought and planned things out, the awareness that people were actually remembering her sank deeper and deeper into her consciousness. She felt a huge urge to drop everything and head to Garden Beach to see if Alric was up yet, but the denizens of the Inn came first. Once breakfast was done, cleanup accomplished, and lunch prep carried out, she could find time to steal away and see if he was still being affected by her curse. Hopefully, it was like Faye, Cleon, and Shiress…. And she’d be remembered. Gods, she hoped so.

Shiress didn’t eat enough to make Tazrae happy. But there was no reason why she couldn’t feed the woman a ton of tiny meals throughout the day. She might not eat a whole bunch of breakfast, but a ton of little meals could do Shiress a world of good.

Taz, on her part, was busy with the cake. She’d gotten breakfast out to anyone who had presented themselves, and while there was plenty still to eat for latecomers and those that dropped by, she had it all piled on the warm oven which she was feeding sticks of firewood into. She had to get it up to the proper temperature for the cake to bake. And while that was happening, Taz was throwing together ingredients. She’d quadrupled the recipe to make the cake tall and elegant, plus she needed a wide firm base to anchor it too which meant other sorts of fun baking…. a sheet cake for the elephant to stand on which would provide extra cake for the guests and drop-bys.

She was going to use her tried and true recipe.

Quadrupling the recipe wasn’t difficult for Tazrae. She didn’t even bother with the math. Instead, she just added each ingredient to the batter four times in her absolutely gigantic mixing bowl. It took a while to whisk that amount of ingredients, but she didn’t mind doing the work. It gave her time to think through the fact that the curses seemed to be over and everyone was feeling much better.

Taz couldn’t help but think it was a storm eye or a quiet before the storm itself. She watched the three guests mill about talking about the party, getting excited, and she longed to slip away and check on Alric again… but the cake needed to be baked before anything else could be done. She’d also put together some filling and frosting once the cake was baked and cooled.

She paused in her whisking, and scrapped down the sides of the bowl, continued mixing until all the ingredients were incorporated neatly. Then she added in the buttermilk last, to smooth the batter over… and finally scraped her vanilla beans and added all the seeds from the inside into the batter making it speckled slightly with the addition of the vanilla. She gave the raw batter a taste, nodded to herself, and added a bit more vanilla and a bit more sugar.

Tazrae’s Vanilla Cake

3 and 2/3rds cups flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsps baking powder
¾ tsp baking soda
1 and ½ Cups butter
2 Cups sugar
3 large eggs plus two egg whites
5 scraped vanilla beans
1 and ½ Cups Buttermilk

When it looked incorporated enough, Taz floured and buttered her baking pans, then poured the batter in and gave each pan a hard tap on the counter. By the time she was done, she had a large sheet cake pan filled, and then multiple circular pans full that she was going to use to build her cake carving and make sure she had enough to carve out an ashta out of the stack she made.

Yawning, she smiled at Shiress, nodding when she saw the woman had ate a few bites… and grinned. “You’re going to like the cake. I promise.” She said, reassuring Shiress that there’d be enough of it for everyone to have some and it wouldn’t taste like shit. Then she slid the pans into the little open drawers of the oven, closed them up, and then mentally set her timers. Each of the shapes would bake for different times, but Taz would keep track of all of them in her head and check the cakes often enough they’d be perfect coming out.

“I hope he likes Ashta. I think that’s what kind of cake hes going to get… shape I mean… not taste.” Taz grinned, hoping that when everyone scattered, they’d come back with some sort of plan how to get the party started.

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