networkinthenight | Trinkets ; ( text + action prompt)

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Trinkets ; ( text + action prompt)

[This is the only way she knows how to reach out to the residents of Beacon she doesn't know. Xayah seriously wishes Rastus was more specific with his request.]

Rastus asked me to make trinkets, bracelets, and necklaces for people that are sad. There are too many people around though and I don't know everyone.

So, if you have a friend that could use one (or want one for yourself), drop by the Greenhouse. I can also show you the elements I work with so I can make you something of your own choice in the end.

Drop by in the evening hours; I have some stuff to do right now.

Action prompt

[She's been standing in front of the church for an hour now, two long necklaces dangling from her hand- one made from white and yellow stones with a citrine rock on the edge; the other made from dark beads and pebbles, with a bright red stone on it.

She doesn't believe in the Gods others believe in. Xayah only believed in her father and Rakan in the past and that's where it ended. The world had betrayed her too many times to put her trust in it again. Yet, despite that...

The door creaks when she pushes them open, stepping close towards the altar with candles. She's not taking them, touching them or trying to blow them out. She just puts what she made on the wax-stained stone and takes a step back.]

I don't know how to pray the way you two do but... I hope you're fine. [She looks around the church, pulls coat tighter around herself and turns around to leave-] ...wherever you are...

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[There's a dude sitting in the back of the church, hunched in on themselves, hair loose rather than pulled back today and a notebook on their knees that they're not writing in. Xayah can spot them when she turns to leave. Soldat lifts their pencil in greeting and invitation to come sit with them for a while.

Come say hi? They're here for the same reason you are, gal.]

[She doesn't know how he slipped from her radar when she walked in. Maybe she was in the church longer than she thought she was. Then again, time is irrelevant here. Folding her wings so that they don't bother her, she walks over and takes a seat next to him.

For the moment, she doesn't say anything either. Just stares at those candles flickering insecurely in the draft that's ever-present in this church.]

[The Winter Soldier is a ghost. Of course she didn't spot them. (More likely they're just quiet and hunched down in the pew, in the darkest spot in the whole place.) They sit in silence for a long moment, tapping the pencil slowly and thoughtfully on the blank page of the notebook.]

Haven't found Crowley. I looked. M'sorry.

[Because they know she was close with him. Can't let it be thought they didn't at least look for him.]

[Is there anything to be said though? She doesn't know how to deal with emotions; at least, in a non-violent way. Everything that she's done so far was anger-driven, and when she was sad about her people disappearing, that too she turned into anger and violence. But now- she can't do that and mostly because she doesn't know who got them to disappear to direct her anger at.]

Don't be. I didn't find him either...

[She had flown around for hours and sat in trees overseeing the paths. No use.]

[Soldat is still learning methods of coping with feelings. So far, it mostly boils down to origami, feeding people, writing things down, and occasionally hitting a boiling point and punching trees. They're not at their punching trees stage yet.]

He spent two months sleeping. And then wakes up and disappears as soon as Aziraphale flies a little too high and gets eaten. Or whatever happened. So now they're both gone.

[They do sound pretty unhappy about that. They get it. They do. But it still hurts in a whole weird collection of ways.]

[That's way more productive than what she does. Luckily she didn't reach the anger stage just yet otherwise she'd go into the forest and do dumb shit (by dumb shit I mean get in trouble with spirits).

Xayah rubs her eyes with the palms of her hands-]

This place needs to stop.

[She's not sure how her sanity remained intact but she can feel it slip away at moments. And people she cared about that disappear don't help the matter.]

I know.

[Soldat curls forward to rest their arms on their upraised knees, feet propped up on the pew in front of them and chin tucked onto their arms. Metal one on the bottom, since it's both hard and cold.]

Ain't fair to let somebody make friends for the first time in seventy years, and then take 'em away.

[Xayah slouches into her seat, despite it being uncomfortable because of her wings, but honestly, a bit of pain is good to keep her sane. Just the thought of her wings and flying reminds her of Crowley, as he helped her get to the skies again, and she feels a piercing stab through her gut.]

This better be some kind of test. Spirits fucking with us again to see if we can handle it.

Spirits have left us alone, mostly, since the siege. Or done good things.

[A pause.]

Things they think are good. I don't think this is them. I think. If Aziraphale went somewhere. Did something. Crowley followed him. If one comes back. They both will.

[And if one doesn't come back... neither will the other. Or they won't stay long. Soldat is trying not to think about that too hard.]

That doesn't mean we can just put our guard down around them.

[Xayah doesn't know about him, but she certainly doesn't intend to relax. Getting lulled into false sense of security is the most dangerous thing around here.]

Hmm... they really are like a hand and a glove.

[She knows Crowley is a demon and she wonders if, when he was created, the first thing he saw was Aziraphale across of him, like an opposite side of the same coin.]

I can like someone without trusting them.

[But you're not going to convince Soldat that some of the spirits can't be actual friends. The loss of Owl Friend is still one big ache, behind the stress of these new potential losses. They turn their head, resting their cheek on the flesh arm instead, to look in Xayah's general direction.]

You're still angry at them. Over the siege. Would it help to know that the green eyes might literally control the other spirits? Made them do those things?

How the hell does that work?

[She can't like someone whom she distrusts. Maybe she's just bad at hiding her feelings. She was never good at it to begin with. Her temper is mild these days, but it only needs one thing to get her out of control.
Xayah realizes that some of the spirits are helpful, but others that are 50/50 always fall onto the bad side for her.]

Oh? And what about those spirits in the Courthouse? No one seems to be controlling them. Or some other spirits that lash out as we try to explore the rest of the Beacon to try and utilize it to help.

[She shakes her head and sighs,] Who knows. Maybe, in the end, the rest of the spirits were using green-eyed ones as a scapegoat. They are the ones that stand out to us right now, it's easy to hide behind them.

All I know is my friend was afraid of them. And afraid of Mewtwo when I brought them to meet each other, because Mewtwo only spoke in the mind. Like the green-eyes, apparently.

[They shake their head a little against their arm, then actually shut their eyes a moment.]

They're like people. Have to take them as they come. As individuals. Green-eyes are all bad, but the others. They vary.

[Soldat is a champ at hiding their feelings, tbh. It was their best defense with HYDRA. And since the people they actually completely trust they can count on one hand-- and one of the people on that list is gone, now-- they wouldn't get anywhere without being able to like even while half-expecting to be hurt.]

We don't have the means to separate the good ones from the bad ones. Even the good ones attacked us with pretenses that it's for "own good" when half of us died.

[Xayah had only ever trusted two people fully in her life- her father and Rakan. And neither of them are here. Everything else seemed like a temporary alliance. Crowley earned her respect and favor, but before things could move on- he was gone.]

Finding a way to defend against green-eyed ones is our priority now. We can't move around the forest.

[Soldat is moderately sure that was less their choice and more because they were being forced, at this point. They remember snatches of the fight with Crowley and the hound spirits, and how the green-eyed one protected itself by forcing the others to take hits for it. But they're not here to argue.]

Might be ways. Fjord has a wisdom charm Pluto gave him, something magic. Wants to test it. Won't let him until his ribs heal up more. And I've got... an idea, too. Would only work for me, though.

[They haven't told Xayah yet about the whole Sergeant-and-Asset thing. They're not really sure how she'd take it.]

[A wisdom charm. She frowns- weren't those sold on the Night Market? She doesn't know what kind of magic is involved in those so she didn't dare buy it and use it. That machine rendering her useless for a month was enough as it is. She learned her lesson.]

Tell him to be careful. Magic never comes free. To get magic you need to give something back. Usually it is mana, the innate flow in magical creatures. But he's human so he should be alert.

[She nods- Xayah has her views on things, but she's not stubborn or dumb to let it get in the way if things can get better.]

If you need my help, ask. Our points of view can differ but we are after the same thing.

It doesn't come for free. It gives wisdom, but it takes something away instead.

[Soldat dredges up a little smile.]

He can't lie when he wears it. All magic has a price, yeah?

[And Fjord isn't entirely human. The guy's green. But Soldat doesn't know for sure what he is, so they don't really correct her. Fjord can someday, if he wants to.]

I'll keep it in mind. Not sure if it'll work. Requires finding green-eyes and testing. So. Pretty dangerous.

Yes, indeed it does.

[No telling lies? That's a cheap price to pay, considering no one should be lying in the first place. But then again, even if she's not keen on lying, she doesn't say everything all the time.]

We're already dead. What's the worst that can happen that already didn't?

[She kind of gets what other forests spirits mean by 'what is death to dead'.]

There's worse things than death.

[Soldat has experienced those, too. Death isn't really that bad, for the most part, especially here when you can come back perfectly healed and energized and not even hungry.]

I'd rather die than lose my memories of this place. Of these people. The pieces of what I've gotten back.

I would like something…
If it isn't too much trouble.
I will be there this evening.

[Naminé doesn't actually know when evening is in Beacon. The darkness has a way of playing tricks on her perception but she wakes up, goes about her day, and when she is tired she sleeps. It's an odd feeling but one that she's slowly come accustomed to over the last month of her stay here.

At approximately 4:30 pm, she makes her way towards the glass greenhouse. This is her first time visiting despite her conversation with Xayah a few weeks before hand but she manages to find it after about an hour of walking from downtown. Her steps slow when she spots the lantern light and she begins to look around for anyone who might be staying here.]

Hello?

[Her voice is sweet as it calls above the sound of silence and nervous.]

It's no trouble at all
I'll wait for you

[It was hard to navigate the time at first, but that edgy doctor actually made something on the device to use to track time, so she tries to use that to orient herself. Her stop at the church was long but not enough to miss Namine's arrival.

She's sitting on one of the benches she made in the back of the greenhouse, covered by a bunch of blankets to be nice to sit on. The box is open next to her and she's fiddling with one of the bracelets. When she hears someone open the door and call out, she stands up, ears perked up. The greenhouse has two torches- one in the front, and one in the back, and all the glass reflects the light so it's quite visible inside. Xayah raises her hand and waves-]

Over here.

[Naminé pads over to where she's sitting on one of the benches and hesitates.]

May I sit with you?

[If it's alright to sit, she'll begin releasing her lantern from her hip. It takes her a moment to take her lantern from the belt around her center, placing it safely on the ground, but once that is done she takes a seat and peers at the bracelet in her hand.]

That's beautiful.

[A beat.]

Can you make charms and things?

Of course.

[Xayah doesn't see why not. She scoots off to the side and places the box between them because it has a few more of the bracelets and two or three necklaces as well.]

Thanks. You can pick whichever you want. I like these the most.

[Xayah pulls out two bracelets and offers them to her. They are a bit on the rougher side, but it's mostly because they are handmade.]

If you don't like those, I can make you something else. [She nods,] I think I could make one.

Their beautiful.

[Naminé lightly takes the bracelets into her palm and looks them over. She's never seen something like this except in Sora's memories.] Could... that is... would it be too much trouble to ask for something specific? Not for me but someone close to me.

It would be a charm with shells like these. [She points to the bracelet that Xayah had indicated.] But in a star. There are legends about an island with a fruit shaped like that and if you share one with someone your destiny's become intertwined.

I know that sounds silly here but I would like something like that. [A beat.] If you can. If not, that's alright.

[She likes these bracelets too.]

[Xayah listens carefully to what she asks- a star made out of seashells huh?]

Hmmm, I can give it a go.

[She'll turn to her box and dig around for nice, similar pieces of seashells. Once she's found them, she takes a big, white pearl and a glue, and starts fiddling around with it. It takes around fifteen minutes, but in the end, she finally manages to connect the seashells in one spot and cover it with a pearl, making it look like a pendant. Then she takes one of the thin chains and pulls the star through it.]

How about this? [Xayah asks, offering her what she made.]

[Naminé waits patiently, watching Xayah's fingers as they lace the shells together.]

That's perfect!

[She claps her palms together and smiles brightly as she looks at the shell star piece. She hadn't thought she could make a charm like that here and she's very happy to be proven wrong.] Is there anything I can do in return?

These are all so wonderful.

Oh.

[She reaches down for a small stone that fits at the center of her palm. It's smooth though it takes Naminé brushing away some of the dirt before it looks clean enough.] How about this? [After a moment and a little bit of magic, the stone in Naminé's palm glimmers as if it's suddenly a crystal piece.]

It hasn't really changed but I can alter the way things work or how we see them.

do you make friendship bracelets

Of course. I could make you some in the way you want them to look.

what do you want in return

i dont have much

i think i have some candy left from halloween but i think its maybe not so good anymore

i also have some make up from the night market its really good

[ It's not. It's cheap teen drug store level make up. But Eleven doesn't know that. ]

I don't really need anything

Maybe if you found some shiny rocks I can use to make more of these

[She's thankful for the offer, but she doesn't really need makeup. She has no one to put it up on her face for.]

i dont have any shiny rocks im sorry i just have glitter pens

can you make a bracelet thats very dark

maybe black but maybe also with one light blue thing on it

i can come to the greenhouse soon so let me know if you want glitter pens and then i can help make it

thank you

[ ooc: I'm just putting this here for colour reference ]

Edited 2020-03-13 06:00 (UTC)

I think I can find some black pearls here

Rastus was kind enough to give me all sorts of trinkets to use.

You can keep glitter pens. This is on me.

But if you want to help, feel free to drop in whenever.

im on my way

[ It's not long after that Eleven shows up at the Greenhouse. A teenage girl, tall for her age, with brown hair and large, dark brown eyes. There are scars on her throat from when the Baubledook clawed at her. She wears a beak shaped mask over her nose and mouth, filled with pleasant smelling herbs, unaware of how creepy she looks with it.

Those eyes go wide as she looks around the greenhouse - Eleven hasn't been here before. ]

Hello?

[Xayah is sitting inside, in the back of the greenhouse. She's a short woman, dressed in a leather dress and leggings, tall feather ears that match her purple hair and pair of wings on her back. They are folded down so they resemble more of a cape than wings right now though, they are out of the way like that.

If she thinks anything of the mask Eleven's wearing, Xayah doesn't show it. Spirits have been forcing everyone to wear masks since she arrived so she's not surprised.]

Over here, [she waves.] Come on in.

[ He can be still, incredibly so. Unmoved and unmoving. He could stand in the same spot for hours and days and weeks and be more aking to a statue than a person. Castiel has done that in the past.

He stands in the shadows off to the side of the church. Something about the space is calming, despite his own frayed relationship to the God that created him. ]

Prayer doesn't need to be formal. Should you wish to know.

[Xayah's ears perk up at the unexpected voice. She's... seen this person around the Beacon, but didn't notice him standing there. He's really good at keeping silent, she'll give him that.

The wings on her back shift and fold more properly as she stands straighter. Did he hear her? Doesn't matter.]

Someone mentioned that before. [Was it Aziraphale? It was probably him.] But does it really work if it is not done properly?

[ It's hard to tell if he takes note of her unusual appearance. Though truth be told... he's seen a green man and a purple man with horns here, as well as all kinds of people who look human and yet are more than that. What she is, he cannot tell - but Beacon is not a place where much surprises him anymore in how its residents look. ]

A strong feeling often suffices - longing or yearning. It need not be more formal than that. If you want to be more certain, it helps to direct the prayer towards whom you want to reach with it. Angels can hear all prayers if they listen, but they'll always hear what's directed towards them, no matter how informal.

[ His lips twitch slightly. ]

A friend of mine is very... vulgar with his prayers. Downright blasphemous. It still works.

[If asked, she'd explain it to him. She's gotten better at it since she got here; while she was alive, she was very defensive to everything that invaded her personal life. But that could've been for the fact that 80% of people she knew tried to hunt her and her lover down.

But someone hearing her prayers and responding to them, maybe trying to make things better- it's a pipe dream she had long ago abandoned.]

Angels... what are angels? To you.

[Aziraphale was an angel but she never really asked him what that entails, what does he do. Demons are easy.]

Niceties don't work. The moment you show that you have a soft, polite spot everyone tries to exploit you.

My kin.

[ Castiel crosses his arms, brows drawing together in thought. ]

We're celestial wavelengths. Light and energy and will. Soldiers and shepherds. Not designed for feeling or free will, yet capable of it.

[ What does it mean to be an angel? His opinion on it has changed a lot over the years, since learning of the corruption in their own ranks.

At Xayah's last statement, Castiel inclines his head. ]

They do. Humans... well, people really, have a great capacity for cruelty.

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Trinkets ; ( text + action prompt)

[Action]

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@ Lingering-Will - Text/Action Mix

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@eleven | text (for now)

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text -> action

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