buttsbuttsbuttsmate | Consequences of Our Actions

Quiet moments are few and far between, whether back home or with this particular band of assholes. Not that Naeris minded that much. Loud meant jubilance and the undeniable fact that everyone was together. At least, that's what it signified in the Temple. Nowadays, loud meant the sort of chaos that didn't allow anyone the chance to thrive, instead overwhelming them all with decision-making and consequences that affected far more than their circle.

Once, that had been an abstract concept. She'd always been told that her actions would leave an impact on others, even in ways that were subtle and unseen in the moment. She thought she'd even understood that. But now, with this merry band of miscreants, Naeris has finally witnessed just how deep and winding the byproducts of every action could be, and while it did little to curve the impulsivity that fueled the very core of her being (and, perhaps, a byproduct her chaotic upbringing), things could be a lot worse. Maybe.

They'll have to see with Sune.

Regardless, whatever guilt Naeris feels is tempered by a certain weight lifted off her body (physically and metaphorically). She did and said what she had to, and she didn't waver. Her beliefs held up to one of the hardest tests to date and remained intact and uncompromised: loyalty to the people and principles she cares about over all else, even at the cost of practicality. How high that cost would run is yet to be seen, but she's certain there'll be a way to work with it, even if she has to give herself up to that particular solution. It's the least she could do for the trouble she's certainly caused.

So when Velo calls out to her, she answers easily with a smile.

"Hey, Velo! What's up?"

As much as Velo wants to dive right in to the Sune incident, she knows how evasive Naeris can be with sensitive subjects. Better to ease into it, perhaps with a lighter topic, first.

"There's a Bropovat tent down the way that just finished a batch of ice cream. You want to get some? I want to know how Roho and Azul are doing with Mishka, and I think I'll need a good snack to accompany whatever drama's going on."

It may be a bit underhanded to lure Naeris in with sweets and gossip, but to be fair Velo does really want to know how it's going. It's a much more manageable, less world-ending kind of drama. Sune will come afterword.

Hey, when there's plenty of hot goss to go around, then may as well take part in it, right? It's all about entertainment value... provided nobody gets (seriously) hurt in the process.

So sweets and conspiring over them are more than fair bait. Bait that Naeris takes willingly and happily.

"Yeah, sure! Nothing beats some good handmade ice cream. Do you think they're going to have fun flavors?"

She's a chatterbox all the way to the Bropovat tent, peppering Velo with questions about her favorite ice cream flavors, food in general, and what she's heard last about the misadventures of everybody's favorite orc twins. Rojo and Azul may not be around to defend themselves, but, honestly, where would they even begin to try had they actually been there?

"I didn't get a good look, but I did see something extremely green inside while I was passing so I want to find out what that is."

Velo does her best to answer the barrage of questions. Her answers are mostly normal, but a lot of her favorite foods involve extremely hot peppers, which she talks about as if they were no more dangerous than a bell pepper.

Soon enough they get to the tent, and Velo sticks to her word and gets the green flavor, which turns out to be avocado. Strange, but hey, it's worth trying. Once they both get something and find a seat, Velo takes the opportunity to ask the important question:

"Okay, but be real with me: do either of them have a shot?"

Velo's responses, exotic as they are (at least to someone who can actually taste things that are spicy), are met with eager nods and genuine requests for more details. After all, this is a key part of any friendship: asking questions, learning more about the other, and tucking that information away for later.

Naeris hops into the seat next to Velo's and, after ordering the largest sundae ("All the toppings, please, and as many flavors as you can fit!") the tent has available, considers that all-important question.

"Azul doesn't, unfortunately. His attempt went pretty rough," she begins, openly cringing for the poor guy, "but I think Rojo can do it!"

Velo winces along with her. Poor guy must have really blown it.

"Hopefully Azul can get over it soon enough. No matter what, though, the two of them are going to be a little bitter with each other for a while. Maybe it will do them some good in the end..."

Or it could go real south. Only time will tell.

"Do you think it was bad that we told Mishka about them beforehand? Maybe we should have started with forcing them to talk to him in the first place."

"Nah, I think giving Mishka the head's up was the best call for everyone involved. At least he was expecting them to come up to him, you know?"

Not that it helped either of those poor orc saps in the long run aside from Rojo. That, however, brings up another compounding factor...

"...Though, now that Varis is involved, too, I'm wondering if maybe poor Rojo won't exactly have much of a shot anymore."

She leans her elbows on the counter before contemplatively dipping the long, complementary spoon into the very depths of her massive sundae. She can catch hints of chocolate, caramel, some of that avocado that Velo is so bravely diving headfirst into, and a myriad of other flavors. Some of them are strange, but the masterful chef has found a way to make them complement one another almost perfectly.

"-Wait, hold up," Velo stops mid bite, spoon still hanging from her mouth, "Varis got involved? Great, they hit it off after going to watch that fight, didn't they?"

Velo would like to say this gives Rojo a better chance by being compared to Varis' mouth, but she knows all too well his previous track record with dates, which was far better than it should be.

"I should feel bad for Rojo. This is kind of unfair for a first crush."

“You’re right about everything,” Naeris sighs, taking another bite of sundae. The inevitable sugar high will be welcome, if for no other reason than to balance out the emotional drain that’s helping out the twins in tandem with defending her father’s honor.

But those are both goals worthy of pursuit (one more so than the other, arguably), especially when ice cream gets involved.

“But, chances aside, if Rojo’s not ready to give up, then neither am I. It’s not over until someone’s holding hands!”

"Like Mishka said, though, it's got to be his decision, too. We'll see how it goes."

Velo doesn't really have the highest of hopes, but Naeris would know more about this than her. Besides, stranger things have happened.

"If hand-holding is what you want, though, just look at Gorudak and Mor. Those two are bound to end up together by the end of this."

"Yeah, I'm not too worried about them. They're a good match, so unless someone really messes up, it's going to go swimmingly."

Another thoughtful bite--ooh, sprinkles this time!--and Naeris continues.

"No matter who winds up with who, though, it's nice to have something to celebrate while we get ready for war, you know?"

"War, yeah..."

It was the reason they were there, but the mention of war is still an intimidating prospect.

"You're right, though. It'll be good to be able to celebrate the victories we can. Who knows how long it will take?"

Like this ice cream. It wasn't much, but it certainly helps relieve the stress, even if just a little.

"Mmhmm!"

And to be fair, there's plenty to celebrate even outside of the topic of paramours and delicious food. Between family reunions far and wide (whether it be adoptive fathers or distant relatives) and the overall mirth of a bigass party, the temptation to let one's guard down is less a matter of vulnerability and more one of necessity.

There's a lot to do, and a lot being done, but that just makes these moments all the more precious.

"It's part of Lliiran philosophy. We take the time to celebrate everything, even little victories in the middle of crisis. It puts everything into perspective. Sure, we have a big fight up ahead, and the whole world is counting on us... but that doesn't mean we can't enjoy what we've gained, you know? That stuff's special, and if we start letting the negative take away what's special to us, then what will be left for us to fight for?"

Edited (GRAMMAR... and then lots of words repetition hi i'm dumb) 2020-10-26 17:24 (UTC)

There it is. Naeris' unique brand of optimism that's been able to carry the group through all sorts of bad times. Velo can't help but smile.

"Not much. We've sacrificed a lot to get here, and we'll pay even more before this mess is done. Might as well take some time to celebrate what those costs have given us."

Like this ice cream, or the multiple soap operas playing out in front of them. Of which, there was one more that she needs the details on...

"Speaking of loss, though, I need to ask you something. What went down with Sune? I don't know much about gods, but I have a feeling your new hairstyle wasn't just on a whim."

That depends--what's the difference between a whim and an anger-induced impulse?

The answer is that the former implies something a little more laissez faire than what actually happened, so Velo is right. Her haircut wasn't just on a whim, and it certainly wasn't planned. Very little of what Naeris does is planned. She runs on emotion, instinct, intrinsic values, and the resolve to follow through on them all, for better or for worse. If nothing else, at least she's consistent in that.

She plays with the spoon, twirling it between her fingers as she purses her lips and stares at what remains of her (still sizable) sundae. The cogs turn in her head in tandem with what her heart is trying to tell her.

Velo is trustworthy.

She made that clear when she took it upon herself to apologize for her part in what happened with Kasim and Jahlil. She's taken care of the group and, as a fellow arbiter of absolute chaos, has proven that while logic is her operant she also understands that sometimes Things Happen and you have to find a way to deal with it. The two just happen to follow different approaches thereof. Maybe she'd understand the circumstances and why Naeris had to react the way she did, if for no other reason than to find a way to work with what she'd been given. And even if she didn't understand, Naeris knows she can place her trust in her friend to at least keep her judgment quiet.

"The short version is that Sune said some awful things about my dad. This was my way of letting her know it was unacceptable."

She stops turning the spoon and uses it to scoop some whipped cream into her mouth. It's still good.

"The long version is... pretty long. But I don't mind telling it if you need to hear more."

It's clear to Velo that Naeris is conflicted about whatever had happened. It's understandable; any decision made to spit in the face of a god, calculated or impulsive, is not something to be taken lightly. Everyone in the group knows this first-hand by this point. Still, it's not something done without good reason, and Velo is willing to hear it out.

"I think it would be best to hear the long version. I don't know much about Sune, so the more I know about what happened, the better prepared we can all be for what happens next."

She lets that hang a moment, before realizing how grave that sounded.

"...I'm not going to judge, no matter how it happened. I know you wouldn't do something like that without good reason. We can go somewhere quieter if you want."

Velo's ice cream is more or less forgotten about at this point, but this might be a little more important.

Naeris considers Velo's offer for a few moments, eyeing the rest of her sundae with a concentrated gaze. It's not a small bowl by any means, and the ice cream sits piled high in multicolored scoops decked with syrup and confectionery.

"Okay, let's go."

She wraps her arms around it.

The balance is precarious, and that mountain is definitely blocking at least some of her vision, but she's nimble enough to dodge and weave as necessary. Orcs aren't exactly easy to miss.

"I'll follow your lead and we can talk along the way."

Wherever Velo leads Naeris, she'll follow easily, tackling the problem of making sure her dessert stays put while also giving her friend her full attention.

"So, um, just for some basics," Naeris begins, "Sune is the goddess of love and beauty, and though I don't serve her directly, by serving Lliira, I technically belong to her domain."

Or... belonged. It's a bit messy, now.

"Sune cares a lot about both outer and inner beauty. To remain in her good graces, we have to take care of how we look. Especially our hair. Hair's a big deal to her."

She glances up to check for Velo's understanding so far.

The safest place that's close by would probably be their yurt, so that's where she leads them. It may be bugged, but honestly it doesn't matter if Duminak hears any of it. He'll probably know one way or another.

Velo quietly listens on the way over, while also helping keep the ice cream from toppling with subtle applications of mage hand.

"I get what you mean. Now that you mention it, most Lliirans I've seen do have long hair..." She contemplates this for a minute, mentally putting together the pieces. Sune views hair as important, but Naeris cut it off. That would indeed be considered an insult. She doesn't try to make any assumptions yet, though, instead letting Naeris tell the story at her own pace.

That mage hand is coming in clutch, Velo, thank you.

"The Lliirans you've met have all probably been close to Sune," Naeris confirms, "My dad was one of her favorites, actually."

Was.

It hurts to think that Githal's undying loyalty to the goddess had been thrown away over something that wasn't his fault (and something that arguably be seen as Naeris' fault, instead). He still had Lliira, who would never abandon him over a matter as arbitrary as a scarred body, but the principle still stands.

As for Coruthel...

Well, Naeris got her defiant streak from somewhere.

"Once, both my dad and my mom were close with Sune. They're closer with Lliira, and they're still with Lliira, but it's not uncommon for that kind of overlap. Mom, um, you've never met her, but her hair is short. I've never seen it long, but according to Dad, it used to go down to her hips. She cut it because it got in the way on a mission where she had to protect Dad. I don't know the details outside of that, but Sune was angry enough about it that she gave Mom the cold shoulder. Mom's kept her hair short ever since. Just to make a point. Sune still loved Githal, though."

When they reach the yurt, Naeris dips inside and immediately searches for a table to place her sundae on.

"That's, um, that's just an example of how seriously she takes the hair thing. Does it make sense?"

Once in the yurt, Velo goes to pull up a couple seats for them at the nearest table where she's putting down the ice cream.

"I think I'm starting to get a sense of that, yes." Her response is measured, as it starts to dawn on her what kind of being Sune is. Giving someone the cold shoulder just because they did something out of necessity? It does put Naeris' actions into perspective, and while she didn't disapprove of the stunt before, it's starting to sound more and more justified. Still, she's withholding comment until her story is done.

She sets her own bowl down on the table and takes a seat.

"But anyway, what made her change her mind about Githal?"

Naeris hops into the proffered seat with a murmured word of gratitude and settles in, poise neat and straight like a dancer, even while sitting.

She shovels some of the more melted bits of ice cream into her mouth while Velo speaks, keeping eye contact the whole time and responding with the occasional nod. Her next question draws a pause from Naeris, who almost immediately goes from attempting a 100% no-glitch speed run on her sundae to a full stop.

This is the hard part.

Now that they've reached the present day in this little tale, the story goes from fanciful personal legend to the hard-hitting reality she's had to face the moment the party came across her father.

"He... didn't always look like that. His face, I mean. Before Drodon, he didn't have a single scar on his body."

She shifts in her seat, folding her knees up while still keeping her back straight.

"When everything happened, he'd been hurt pretty badly. He took a sword to the back so I could escape, and even before that, those guards had roughed him up. But nothing happened to his face. Nothing that would leave deep marks like that. Which means they must've done something to him after--"

After she left him there for dead.

"--after they captured him."

Ah, yep, there it was. A favorite of Sune's, discarded because of some scars. Velo tries to keep a straight face through all of this, but there is a notable twitch of her eye, similar to how Gorudak is when dealing with all their bullshit.

"And so I assume she didn't like that?" Not a big jump in logic, but best to hear it from Naeris directly. "I know I said I wouldn't judge, but if you would like my take on this, I can give it to you."

“You’d assume right.”

There’s more to it. A lot more, but it can wait. Velo’s been patiently waiting for Naeris to finish blabbing. The least she could do is defer to her friend so she could get a few words in, herself.

“Go for it.”

"This. Absolute bitch."

The more she processes the information, the angrier she gets. Really? Tossed out over scars?

"So what if he's got a few scars now? She's gonna snub him for that? It wasn't even his fault! Goddess of beauty my ass, she's the goddess of vapid bitches now. Please tell me you cut your in front of her. Please tell me you burned that hair up right in front of her shallow face. I get why you did it now, and honestly if she did that to either of my parents I'd have done the same thing. ...Or, something similar. I said I'd stand by your decision before but now I'm really in your corner."

Velo finally takes a breath after all that, centering herself. She could go on, but she's said her piece on the matter.

"I mean, yes, it might make things harder in the future, but now that we have her piece of the armor I don't think I want her help anymore if she's going to be like that."

Velo has Naeris' full, undivided attention during her monologue. There's something inspiring about seeing her get so passionate about an issue. The dragonborn always used logic and dry humor to offset her emotions, pushing them to the side for reasons Naeris hasn't had a chance to poke at more than Velo has seen fit to share. These fiery moments, few and far between, allow for a glimpse at the values and feelings that make Velo tick deep under that scaly, galaxy brain armor. It's a chance to peek into someone's personal truth, and one that Naeris relishes not with pompous or arrogant smugness, but with a delighted appreciation for the opportunity to get to know a friend.

That, and validation is one hell of a drug.

"Yup, I cut my hair in front of her. Didn't burn it, though. She didn't give me enough time to."

She'd never been bitchslapped back to the material plane before. Zero out of ten stars. Wouldn't recommend.

"And yeah, we got what we went there for. That part of the mission is complete, at least."

Which is part of why she refuses to feel too bad about it. Naeris did what she knows in her heart was right (at least in accordance to what she believes is important), and outside of the inevitable shitshow that's going to be delivering news of Milil's gruesome death to Lliira (whatever chiding Naeris is due for is, most likely, going to be shoved to the wayside in lieu of the more important, and heart-breaking, news), she's certain that the party will find a way to make things work.

Consequences of Our Actions

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