Threes

Esei gives a shadow-limned wreath of stygian feathers to you.

-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "GAZE into
that until you come across the vision regarding the Greev, please?"

                 Turning the wreath over slowly in his hands, Rhalkyr shifts his gaze from Esei, to
it, where he stares fixedly.

You hold up a shadow-limned wreath of stygian feathers front of you, your eyes narrowing in
intensity at the candle in its centre lit with shadowfire. The eerie glow begins to pull at your
mind, slowly consuming your waking consciousness, until all that you are in this brief moment are
the visions playing before your mind's eye.
-
Flummoxed by an elusive memory, you finally admit defeat and rise from your perch in the study.
Almost lazily, taking for granted the volumes and volumes of lore around you, you stroll across the
stone floor of the subterranean library and select a tome titled, "The Greev: A Retrospect," taking
for granted that this new trove of knowledge exists, and that the mystery of the Wyrd keeps it lush
with knowledge.

                 Blinking several times, as if to clear his vision, Rhalkyr darts a questioning
glance to Esei. "Greev, book? Must, have missed."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "The thing is,
it does not exist."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I looked."
-

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Give me the
wreath?"

                 Rhalkyr stares at Esei for a time, eyes thinning and widening by turns, before he
lowers his head to regard the wreath in an almost accusing manner.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "There are
more."

Esei murmurs softly to themself.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Apologies, it
is not showing me the right one."

Esei lets out a soft sigh.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "There is one
that shows a perspective from the Greev itself."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Ah, there you
are..."

                 Rhalkyr waves his hand aside in a small gesture of dismissal. "No, apologies."
Watching Esei intently, his regard is, for once, unswerving as he awaits the wreath's cooperation.

Voice ritualistically soft, as if quoting something else, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the
Ascending Dusk murmurs, "When they see me, will they see only the fae horror called the Greev? Will
they understand? Will the Wyrd permit two of us to exist, or shall I remain hidden?"

                 Rhalkyr's eyes thin to slits, his chin gradually lifting up and to the side.
"Greev, supposed to be, unthinking." A pause, and then, "Two."
-
Esei raises a slender brow.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Two?"

In a perfect rendition of ^Esei's voice, you say, "Will the Wyrd permit two of us to exist, or shall
I remain hidden?"

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "Ah,
yes."
-
The shadow of a crow seeps in from the northwest.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Technically it
exists now."
-
Esei's brow furrows thoughtfully.

Esei caresses a mound of writhing vines gently.

As if attached to the larger half of an enormous wyrden insect, this mound of earth stretches
outward with eight appendages, all segmented and covered in writhing vines. The expanse of this
hovel is permeated with all manner of twisting insects, from worms to fleshy tubers, spiders and
crawling maggots, and the bulk of its design is rotting foliage.
A mound of writhing vines looks weak and feeble.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I believe this
is the only thing remaining of the Greev that has been left aboveground."
-
The shadow of a crow seeps in from the southeast.
-

                 Rhalkyr studies the mound intently, eyes bright and alert as he paces about the
thing, head twisting from side to side almost with each step.

[[More wreath checking]]

Esei murmurs softly to themself.

Esei taps their finger against their cheek, frowning.

                 Rhalkyr flicks a glance at Esei, but says nothing, waiting with patient silence as
he slows to a halt by the mound.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Oh."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I see now."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "The book
resides in a library that does not currently exist."

                 Rhalkyr blinks slowly at Esei, head tilting, ever so gradually to one side. "Do
not, understand."

Esei tilts their head curiously at you.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Which part?"

Rhalkyr gestures at the wreath with a vague motion of his hand. "Is, prophetic?"

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Aye."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Mother Night
shrouds many secrets, and the Lady's web is subtle. Both are immense, and one must be patient for
revelations."

                 A look of comprehension flits across Rhalkyr's eyes as he dips his head in a
thoughtful nod. "All, visions, of future, or some, of past?"
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I believe this
one is of the present and the future."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "A few of the
past, but mostly of the present and future."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "One is that of
a student within the Shadowmaze, some of Mother Night and Rowena... and of course, the Greev."
-
Esei ponders a mound of writhing vines thoughtfully, looking him up and down.

                 Rhalkyr turns his attention to the mound, the gleam in his eyes calculating.
"Greev, perspective. Past, or future? May not, be, this, Greev."
-
Esei shakes their head.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "It referred to
being a fae horror. This Greev is all Greevs, in one way."

                 Rhalkyr utters a noncommittal rumble, crouching before the mound. "Two. What, two?
Wyrd, and Greev?"
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Yes."

Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "But is the Greev not also the
Wyrd?"

                 Rhalkyr cocks his head at the thing, fingers rippling a short, staccato beat upon
his knee. "Yes. Is why, asked. Speaks, of Wyrd, as separate." A pause, in which his eyes narrow
faintly. "Greev, supposed to be, thoughtless. Mad. Clear, thoughts. Concerned, thoughts."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Where is it
said to be thoughtless, or mad?"
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "It was
ruthless, yes. Merciless."

 Rhalkyr flutters his hand aside, replying, "Thornwatch, scrolls, on Greev."

Esei tilts their head and listens intently to you.

Mildly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I'm afraid we do not cover as
much on the Greev as the Thornwatch does."

                 In voice that is thin, dry, and somehow reminiscent of crackling parchment, Rhalkyr
says, "The greev is a mindless defense mechanism."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Defense
mechanism yes, mindless, clearly not."
-emote dips his head in a slight nod. "Scroll, needs, amending."
You have emoted: Rhalkyr dips his head in a slight nod. "Scroll, needs, amending."

A wry smile spreads across Esei's face.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Quite so."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "You might
bring that up with the fel'Greev, in that case."

                 Rhalkyr taps an unhurried beat upon the hard bone of his knee, studying the remains
with a dogged determination glinting in his eyes. "Will. Understand, what? They, imagine, is us." He
flits his free hand from Esei, to himself, and then about the forest in general. "Will Wyrd,
/permit/, to exist. Greev, supposed to be, strongest, yes? How, can Wyrd, permit?"

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I think the
folly here is that it imagines that we would reject it for pruning the old guilds."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "But that
helped us grow."
-
Esei caresses a mound of writhing vines gently.

                 Rhalkyr taps an unhurried beat upon the hard bone of his knee, studying the remains
with a dogged determination glinting in his eyes. "Will. Understand, what? They, imagine, is us." He
flits his free hand from Esei, to himself, and then about the forest in general. "Will Wyrd,
/permit/, to exist. Greev, supposed to be, strongest, yes? How, can Wyrd, permit?"

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I think the
folly here is that it imagines that we would reject it for pruning the old guilds."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "But that
helped us grow."
-
Esei caresses a mound of writhing vines gently.
-
                 A low, curling sound ripples forth from Rhalkyr as he lays his palm upon the mound,
eyes closing. "Why, would Greev, care?"

Esei hums thoughtfully.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "It appears to
be..."

Esei pauses, brow furrowing thoughtfully, as though coming to a realization. "Perhaps... it is a
sentient part of the Wyrd."

                 Rhalkyr nods curtly, turning his head away so that he can flip his mask up, unseen,
to rub wearily at his face. Massaging at his eyes with a massive hand, he utters a soft, long sigh.
"Have thought, this. Many, theories. Fragment, of the Lady. Portion, of old, forest. Sliver, of
Wyrd, Awakened, by self. Many, many theories. No proof, for any."

Khasur Stormcrow sweeps in from the northeast like a bad omen, her eyes critiquing her surroundings
with a razor's efficiency.

Esei blinks.

Esei gives Khasur Stormcrow a respectful bow, one hand clasped over their heart.

Khasur Stormcrow inclines her head, a swift graceful curve of the neck, and then tilts her head.
"Still toiling over your task, Rhalkyr?"

                 At the arrival of Khasur Stormcrow, Rhalkyr snatches his hand from his face and
slams his mask back into place. Dipping his head to Khasur Stormcrow in a swift jerk, he rumbles,
"Yes, elder." A pause, and then, hesitantly, "Am taking, too long?"

With the assuredness of a dignitary, Khasur Stormcrow replies, "I will forgive your use of the word
'elder' and assume you mean 'Lady Khasur.'" Pausing briefly, she continues with, "I suppose I would
take Herald, as well."

Khasur Stormcrow waves her hand dismissively.

Bowing low, Khasur Stormcrow says, "I am the Herald of the Rose, in service to my Mistress."

                 Rhalkyr tilts his head up to bare an expanse of his throat at Khasur Stormcrow, as
he lifts his hand to slap it over his heart in three short, sharp bursts. "Did not, intend, offense,
Herald. Gratitude, for, correction."

Khasur Stormcrow lifts her head to stare directly into your eyes, her body still bent in a bow.
"Perhaps you've heard of me?" She rises slowly, and with a predator's grace, she glides over to a
nearby tree and leans her back against it. She folds her hands so they rest easily against her torso
and then says, "And you are forgiven, of course. No pride, and all that."

Lifting a brow, Khasur Stormcrow says, "Well, on with it, I suppose."

                 Rhalkyr's gaze holds upon Khasur Stormcrow's steadily, his glittering eyes
unwavering from Khasur Stormcrow's own. Angling his head aside, he lifts his hand to brush his
fingertips across his ear, uttering, "Have, not. Am, young. Still, learning." A pause, and then,
diplomatically, "Would have, soon, am sure." Lapsing into silence, he settles back onto his heels,
listening intently.

Leaning her head back against the tree, Khasur Stormcrow says, "My Mistress has allowed you to ask
me three questions about the Greev. I get to decide whether I wish to answer them." She smiles to
herself, the grin playful and dark.

                 Rhalkyr stares at Khasur Stormcrow for a long moment, before he lets out a faintly
sour grunt. "Moment, to ponder, if, would give."

                 The fingers of Rhalkyr's right hand lower to tap a glacially slow rhythm upon the
hard, flat bone of his shin as he stares down at the ground, eyes unfocused. After a time, he flicks
a glance to Khasur Stormcrow and asks, "Vision, from wreath. Greev, mentions, Wyrd, permitting two,
of them, to exist. Two, refers, to what, who?"
-
Her head still reclining easily against the trunk, Khasur Stormcrow lazily reaches out to grab a
nearby leaf and pulls it close, just so she can inspect it.

Khasur Stormcrow lifts a brow and then furrows them both in thought. Finally, she lifts her head to
ask, "Before I answer, can you clarify your question?" She leans forward then and continues with,
"In fact, perhaps describe the vision to me, so I know which one you mean." She leans back again and
mutters, "Mortals" under her breath.

                 Entirely unruffled, Rhalkyr swivels his head to stare at Esei, gesturing at them
with a truncated swipe of his left hand. "Beloved, Warden. Have, seen. Describe, if, would."
-

Tipping their head, Esei gives a shallow nod as they turn to Khasur Stormcrow. "It is, from my
understanding, from the perspective of what we know as the Greev, itself," the faeling glances
briefly towards the mound of writhing vines. "It portrays that the Greev feels through vibrations in
a web. It thinks, and doubts about whether it will be accepted by the Wyrd, and we mortals of the
Glomdoring. Specifically, it asks if the Wyrd would permit the two of us to exist, or if it would
remain hidden?"

                 In a replica of Esei's voice, Rhalkyr quotes, "When they see me, will they see only
the fae horror called the Greev? Will they understand? Will the Wyrd permit two of us to exist, or
shall I remain hidden?"

Khasur Stormcrow leans her head back against the trunk of the tree she's claimed as her perch and
then laughs to herself, a short, quiet chuckling. "Broaden your perspective on that one, dear Esei,"
she suggests. She pretends to make her hand crawl against her leg, like a spider creeping, and she
continues, "And remember that the Greev doesn't think." After a few heartbeats pass, she lifts her
head and asks, "Knowing that, is the subject of that vision the Greev? Or someone else?"

You think to yourself: A triumphant glint, as a troubling snarl in earlier thought is untangled once
more - thought tempered by the same knowledge forming a knot elsewhere. Fantastic.

Khasur Stormcrow waves the hand she used to conjure a pretend spider and notes, "Two questions left.
Make them good." She leans her head back and then looks to the side, as if bored.

Esei furrows their brow in thought, but makes no comment.

You think to yourself: Ask of the author of the Greev Retrospective? Useless, as they won't have the
knowledge yet with which to write it. Damnable quandry. Ask what the Greev is? Already know,
supposedly, it is the Glomdoring itself. Maddening. Who did the thoughts belong to? Who are the two?

                 Rhalkyr slips his attention over to the mound, studying it for a time in silence.
"If, thoughts, not of Greev, then of something, someone, inside. Possibly." Tapping against his knee
in rapid, agitated motions, he scowls, visible even beneath the mask. "Unsure, if question,
pertains, to Greev." Flicking a glance to Esei, he asks, "Think, will count?"

A headstrong young manticore tenses slightly before emitting a low, threatening growl.

Rhalkyr absently thwaps the manticore cub into silence.

Shrugging lazily, Khasur Stormcrow says, "You get to ask the questions. If that's how you want to
use one, then by all means."

Esei quirks a brow, their own eyes flicking to Khasur Stormcrow, then back.

Tilting her head, still not making eye contact, Khasur Stormcrow says, "Is that the one you wish to
use?"

You think to yourself: Nebulous. Avatar, well chosen.

                 Rhalkyr utters a low, frustrated growl of his own, followed by an abrupt, heavy
breath. "Who, did thoughts, belong to?"

Khasur Stormcrow smiles wickedly and replies, "Pass. You have a third and final question." Without
looking up, she gestures vaguely for you to continue.

Khasur Stormcrow pauses to consider for a moment and then says, "Well..."

Khasur Stormcrow says, "Hmm, hmm."

Sighing loosely and a bit dramatically, Khasur Stormcrow says, "Maybe just a little answer..."

                 Rhalkyr turns his head to face Khasur Stormcrow fully at this, eyes nearly afire
with a hungry, feverish gleam.

Khasur Stormcrow quirks a brow and whispers, a mischievous lilt to her voice, "What shape did the
Greev take?" She turns her head and smiles innocently.

Esei glances up briefly.

                 Rhalkyr's attention flits sharply to the spider as it enters, then to the mound,
and back to Khasur Stormcrow. His eyes narrow to slivers of glinting emerald as he studies Khasur
Stormcrow for a time, then abruptly angles his head aside. "Similar, to one, of Her children."

Khasur Stormcrow winks then and nestles herself back into a comfortable position. "So a giant
spider, is that what you're saying?" she replies.

Grinning again, Khasur Stormcrow says, "It looked like a giant spider to me, that's for sure."

Khasur Stormcrow shrugs again and then commands, "Next question."

                 Rhalkyr juts his chin at one of the scuttling arachnids, as if in confirmation,
before lowering it again. His scrutiny of Khasur Stormcrow is long, this time, his gaze fixed as he
taps out an unchanging rhythm upon his shin, deep in thought.
-
You think to yourself: So many questions, so many possibilities and theories, and only one chance to
cut through the murk. Why has this fallen to someone so young, so inexperienced? A crackling sense
of frustrated self-recrimination, a savage lashing of rebuke for not being quick enough, sharp
enough, knowledgeable enough.

Esei tilts their head back and looks up at the sky.

                 Rhalkyr lets out a prolonged, hissing breath as his fingers come to an abrupt stop.
"Have, theory. Blackpetal, is, the Glomdoring. Greev, is, the Glomdoring. Blackpetal, is, the Greev.
Correct, or, not?"

Khasur Stormcrow steps forward then, and tilts her head. "Blackpetal is the Summer Song?" she asks.

                 Rhalkyr jerks his head down in an affirmative nod, but says nothing, simply staring
at Khasur Stormcrow with all the rapt attention of a starving animal.

Khasur Stormcrow folds her arms for a moment and, as if deep in thought, she looks skyward. Finally,
she says, as simply as possible, "No."

                 The expectant tension that sets Rhalkyr's form to thrumming with violent potential
abruptly evaporates, as his crouch grows loose-limbed, his chin dropping nearly to his chest.
Lifting his right hand, he scrubs it roughly through the dark golden hair at the back of his head,
muscles twitching as he breathes a quiet sigh. Raising his masked face to Khasur Stormcrow, he jerks
his head down, then up, to bare his throat. "Gratitude, Herald, for patience."

Tilting her head, Khasur Stormcrow says, "So...did you hear my answer, or shall I say it again?"

You think to yourself: The obscuring fog that permeates the silken, woven jungle of his mindscape is
as dense as ever, in parts, but thinner in others, with tantalising glimpses of /something/ visible
through the misty obfuscation. A huge, agitated tiger prowls back and forth, eyes livid with
frustration and commingled determination.

Rhalkyr cocks his head at Khasur Stormcrow in turn. "Said, no. Yes?"

You think to yourself: The threefold vision of the Greev, the Glodmoring, and the Lady Viravain
grows more indistinct, as certainty is dashed. A striped tail whips back and forth in displeasure as
it stares from it, to the mist, and back again. The three are not one and the same. Something was
not lining up. And what, precisely, is the presence within the vision? What relevance, a giant
spider? The forest teems with the children - Unless this is a unique one, or the Avatar alluded to
something else, to dance about a question too direct to answer. Something to chew on.

Khasur Stormcrow nods simply and opens her arms, as if to signal the end. "That's correct. I'll give
my Mistress your regards, and I hope this was satisfying." Before she vanishes into the nighttime
woods, she looks back to say, with a bright smile, "How much time do you think you'll need to figure
it out? I can let Her know, or...?"

Khasur Stormcrow lets her smile twist into a smirk as she says, "Mmm. Or I'll simply say nothing of
time, and let that be up to Her to decide."
-
With a flourish of her arm, Khasur Stormcrow bows deeply.
-
With a slight, imperious nod, Khasur Stormcrow sweeps out to the northeast.

Mildly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Well."

                 Rhalkyr stares after the Herald with eyes as flat as stone and then, in a voice
that is remarkably even, "Most, frustrating, woman." A pause, and then, "Like her, very much."

Esei tilts their head curiously at you.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Yes, I think
she is frustrating on purpose."

                 Rhalkyr dips his head in a light nod. "Yes. Cruel. Is, good." Exhaling slowly, he
shifts his attention back to the mound, regarding it balefully. "Thoughts, beloved, Warden?"

Esei hums faintly. "I will have to meditate it on the further, but now I know a few more things to
take into consid-" They cut themself off and pause, suddenly, staring at the mound.

Rhalkyr turns his head at the interruption, head cocking inquisitively.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Something else
to think about."

                 Rhalkyr blinks slowly at Esei, then makes an encouraging gesture with both hands.
"Yes?"

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "We know
it is not the Greev, but somehow related. Spider-like, if not an actual spider. Possibly not even
fae, like the Greev was."

Esei shakes their head.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Many
unknowns."

                 Rhalkyr tilts his head to his left by a few degrees. "Too, many. Begin, to see,
Rhalkyr's, frustration, yes?"
-
Faintly amused, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Yes, but now this is a
mystery I'm quite invested in."

                 Rhalkyr blows out a soft, wryly amused breath, turning from Esei to the mound.
"Surprised, none, thought, to ask, before."
-

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I do not think
we thought much about it, at the time."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "But now we
know things we did not know before, did we not?"
-
Esei tilts their head curiously at you.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "It might not
be much, but it -is- something, to remember and ponder upon while things fall further into place."

                 Rhalkyr lifts his hand and tilts it from side to side. "Some. Do not, think, have
much, time." He shifts his hand in the direction Khasur departed in. "Lady, grows impatient,
likely."

Esei shakes their head.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Do not
underestimate Her, Rhalkyr."

                 Rhalkyr stares at Esei as if them had suddenly sprouted seven heads. "Why,
everyone, think Rhalkyr, underestimate Her, always? Is not, Lady, is wanting." He raps the craggy
knuckles of his hand against his sternum, eliciting a muted thump. "Is, Rhalkyr. Should, be quicker.
Smarter. Sharper. Asked, bad questions." Abruptly, he falls back onto his rump,legs stretching out
before him. "Elders, should have had, questions. Not, Rhalkyr."

Mildly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Perhaps. But it -is- your
task."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "And I ask you
not to underestimate Her, because... Divine often do not work on the same time scale as we mortals
do."

                 Rhalkyr lowers his masked brow to thunk against his upraised knees, lifting his
hands to clasp them amidst the messy, dark gold quills of his hair. "/Why/, is Rhalkyr's?" Faintly
muffled, as he speaks into the ragged folds of his trousers, he says, "Could mean, less time, or,
more. Should not, be lax."

Esei tilts their head, eyes narrowed. "Clearly, She thinks you can complete that task. That you are
willing, and able, to do so, even if it seems impossible," they exhale sharply. "It may be years
until it comes to fruition. But search -anyway-."

                 Stubbornly, Rhalkyr grumbles, "Will not, give up. Butting head, against door, will
not, work. Need, key, to open." The thick, brutish fingers grind slowly back and forth upon the back
of his head. Eventually, in a small voice, he asks, "What, happens...If, fail?"

Esei's fingers brush lightly over yours. "Then you fail. After that, you pick yourself back up, learn
from why and how you failed, and -try again-," they say. "Failure is not condemnation unless you
make it so."

You think to yourself: A shudder of negative emotions, a black and sharp mass that oozes and cuts,
infecting and dissolving in equal measure. The very thought of being anything less than what She
wishes is anathema, but to /disappoint/ Her? Better, to have a slow and torturous unmaking at the
hands of the most sadistic of demons, better by far. A single, disappointed glance from those icy
eyes would wound him more than an eternity of Nil's tender attentions.
-

                 Rhalkyr's fingers grow still at the contact, though he makes no move to shift his
position. At length, he whispers, "Would rather, anything - /anything/, than, disappoint, Her."
Quieter still, in a voice twisted and writhing with anguish, "What, if She stops, loving, Rhalkyr?"

Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Never. Her love for us is...
immense, and unfathomable."

                 Rhalkyr hunches in on himself, seeming small, despite his immense bulk. "No love,
for bad, children. Not, deserving."

Esei frowns, worming their hand in to pull your face up to face theirs. "Do you think I am
undeserving of Her love, Rhalkyr?"

                 Rhalkyr offers only momentary resistance, before he relents, though with obvious
reluctance. His eyes flick to Esei's, the touch of his gaze as fleeting as a spark in a rainstorm,
before it drops down and away. The proximity affords Esei a modestly greater view of the eyes within
the mask, and the minute portion of the face the they are nestled within - currently drawn down,
contracted in a frown of displeasure. "Of course, not. Beloved, Warden, deserves, love, from all."

Mildly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "You are biased."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "But yes, I do.
Why?"

                 The look in Rhalkyr's eyes grows obstinate, though still he refuses to look at
Esei. "Many, reasons."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Perhaps. But
there is only one, here."

Esei looks down at you, eyes unfathomably dark in the shadow of night. "Why does the Lady Viravain
love me?"

                 Rhalkyr remains stubbornly silent for a long time, the fingers of both hands
curling and uncurling in slow, flexing motions. At great length, he mutters, "Beloved, Warden, is
good, child."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "No."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I am wyrden."

You think to yourself: Not like him, not at all. They are strong, and wise, and so very good in
every way.

Brow raised, brooking no argument, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks you,
"As are you, unless you are doubting that of yourself as well?"

You think to yourself: If he is an unworthy child, does that make him...Not wyrden?

                 Rhalkyr flinches, shrinking away as if caught in the act of committing some grave
wrong, gaze flitting about everywhere but to Esei.

Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "-Look- at me, Rhalkyr."

                 Deeply uncomfortable, Rhalkyr shoulders squirm as he strives to somehow escape from
his predicament, and fails. With all the reluctance of a man dragging his feet to the gallows, he
hauls his eyes up towards Esei's, one painful inch at a time - lingering on the precipice of direct
contact, as one might sway upon the edge of a cliff.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "I am
wyrden. So are you, so is Illyria, and Afollia, and Evette, and -everyone else- who calls the
Glomdoring home. -That- is why She loves us, not whether or not we are 'good' or fulfill some
arbitrary standard."

You think to yourself: A flickering image of two others - A mugwump, maw parted in a slavering grin,
and a soft-hearted fool, weeping at the barest brush of the truth. Wyrden, once. Were they /ever/
wyrden, truly? Did She know, even then, that they were not of Her garden? That they did not belong?
Did She know, even when they did not, when they thought they were at home here, in this ineffably
wondrous paradise? Does She know that...About him?

                 Rhalkyr's initial response is a grunt, the sentiment of which is as murky as
muddied water. At length, in a bitter voice, he rasps, "Some, live, in the Glomdoring, and are not,
wyrden. Gurashi. Cheliyi. Thought, belonged. Did not."
-
Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "No. They were wyrden, once. A
long time ago; but that is the past."

                 A shiver runs through Rhalkyr's hulking, powerful form, that leaves him trembling
almost imperceptibly. In a hoarse whisper, so faint as to be barely audible, "Bad children, leave,
the garden. Do not, stay, in Her heart. Cast, out."

Esei lets out a soft sigh.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "That was their
own choice."
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Not the
Lady's, not Her Garden's. Their follies, their mistakes, their -choices-."
-
Esei's thumb gently swipes against your cheekbone through your mask.
-
Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "I am trying to make you
-understand-, but I sense as though my words alone will not work."

                 Rhalkyr's fingers coil about his biceps, and begin to squeeze, applying slow,
torturously intense force upon the stripes flesh. "Is what, afraid of. Task, is Rhalkyr's. Follies.
Mistakes. /Choices/. All, Rhalkyr's." He leans, reflexively, against Esei's touch, despite the
wooden barrier between the contact.

Voice harsh, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk whispers, "I know. But it was
their choice to -leave-, Rhalkyr."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says to you, "They
could have stayed. Could have shed their doubts and ties that weakened them. But they chose
otherwise, and left us."

                 Rhalkyr utters a non-committal grunt. "Lady, has never, cast children, out?"
-
Softly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Not to my knowledge."

Esei's thumb moves to your chin, cupping it with the rest of their fingers. They needle the point
gently against your chin, expression rather placid. "She loves you, Rhalkyr. Do not dismiss Her love
as something that must be earned."

                 Rhalkyr's gaze slides down Esei's face as slowly as chilled honey, until he stares,
eyes unfocused, upon Esei's chin. "What, happens, to disappointments?"

Esei raises a slender brow.
-
With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Presumably,
they learn from their mistakes, and do better."

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Would you like
to go ask Her?"

Esei crosses their arms, a stubborn glint in their eye.

You think to yourself: Disturbing Her with the petty mewlings of a child? The very thought was
mortifying.

Mildly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Do you want -me- to ask Her?"

                 Rhalkyr's side to side shaking of his head grows more frantic still, a wild, hunted
look in his eyes. More aghast still, he croacks, "/No./".

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks, "Why?"

You think to yourself: The least creature in a Queen's garden does not beg an audience to ask why,
oh why, my beloved, am I so flawed?

                 Rhalkyr's frenetic, jerking denial slows to a gradual halt, though the harried look
remains. "Beloved, Blackpetal, is busy. Better, things, to do. Would not, take, time, attention,
for, nonsense." More stubbornly, now, "Will not, bother, until, have answer."
-
Flatly, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk says, "Her children are not nonsense."

Esei flicks your temple with their claws - only hard enough to sting.

                 Rhalkyr flinches back from the contact, hunching so that his chin is tucked against
his throat. He says nothing, but makes only a small, contrite gesture with his hands, a peculiar,
oddly elegant motion that encapsulates his heart, and then mimes handing it over to Esei.

You think to yourself: Disappointment, to the beloved Warden, already. How could She be anything but
the same?

Esei furrows their brow in thought.

With smoky, sotto tones, Wyrden Auspice Esei Shee-Slaugh of the Ascending Dusk asks you,
"...what...?"

 Rhalkyr returns his hands to curling them about his upper arms, and remains silent.