I Wish...

<-- after much RPing in which Tridemon was unfortunately not very responsive and eventually timed out

LOOKIT ME
The being standing before you exudes friendly energy, standing several inches shy of six feet tall with an athletic build. They are an ordinary human kindly demigod changeling. Their arms and legs are sinewy, the muscles in their upper body evidence of recent training efforts. Their calloused hands are constantly in motion, either loosely balled into fists at their side or resting on their instrument. Their most prominent three knuckles of their right hand are faintly scarred, pale star-shapes etched across their flesh. Their sandy skin has been tanned from repeated exposure to the sun, causing an array of tawny-colored freckles to appear upon their round cheeks and thin, upturned nose. A hint of discolored flesh can be seen near the center of their sternum, mostly obscured by their clothing. A moderately-sized, crescent-shaped scar mars their right cheek. Perhaps the most noteworthy thing about them is their untamed mop of fiery red hair, complete with a few strands at their part that fail to obey the natural laws of gravity. A shock of bone-white hair has grown in along their temple. A pair of kind gray-blue eyes gaze out from below red bangs, their color striking against all the surrounding warm hues. A steel-hued scar traces along their cheek, gifted by Terentia, the Even Bladed, for their mettle in the field of battle.
They are wearing:
a starry wreath of celestial light set atop their head like a halo
a circlet of crystal thorns resting loosely atop their head
a vivid red-orange poppy tucked lovingly behind their left ear
a sunset cloak of the darkening sea which hangs majestically off-center from their right shoulder
the Mantle of Starlight which flows dreamily about their shoulders and back
a breezy blue cotton tunic which hangs flatteringly from their form
mercurial Mysraian prayer beads pulled taut against their right wrist
a Glomdoring friendship bracelet which jingles softly on their left wrist
minty citrus incense beads pulled taut against their right wrist
aromatic cedar and cinnamon incense beads pulled taut against their right wrist
an abyssal sandstorm poppy worn delicately upon their left wrist
a driftwood ring of sea breezes fitted tightly to their left middle finger
a pair of black trousers bearing silver stars which fit their shape nicely
Refined Boots of the Paladin, worn and weathered from use.

Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters has left the realm of Lusternia.
Tridemon is enveloped in translucent fire for a moment and is gone, his soul safe until he returns to Lusternia.

You fidget impatiently.

Your shoulders sag slightly as you sigh.

"Is something the matter?" The twinkling sound brightens the air around you, somehow.

Bizirik, the leothin trots in with head high, butting you gently with her head.
As Bizirik, the leothin comes to a stop in front of you, you pull out A Trusty Saddle of the Rider and place it upon her back, pulling and tightening the straps until the saddle is fitting firmly and snugly upon Bizirik, the leothin.

Bizirik, the leothin obediently falls into line behind you.

You have emoted: Gurashi frowns a little, then lolls their head back, staring up at the sky around them. "...mmm," They hum, hands finding their lap. "I do not know."

Bizirik, the leothin snorts as it arrives, bumping into Gurashi, causing the human to ruffle the creature's crest soothingly, turning their attention from the sky overhead.

The stars high above you sparkle, some a bit brighter than others - some a big nearer than others. Yet the voice comes from all around you, nearby, sending shimmers of iridescence rippling through the air. "You heaved such a great sigh," the voice wonders, "as though you could gust in some clouds all on your own. What is on your mind?"

You have emoted: Gurashi's ears redden a little as they continue to pet Bizirik's back, then slowly look up again, scanning the night sky, the stars above. "I do not suppose, being a star, would be as muchly of a problems..." Their eyes shine back the glittering pinpoints up above as they scan the source of the voice. "But - have you ever, felt invisibles to those who you wanted to see you, mostest...?"

Bizirik, the leothin leans on you seeking consolation.

You think to yourself: *a sinking feeling, like submerging slowly bit by bit in lukewarm water*.

A gentle sigh of wind tugs at the hem of your cloak, dancing with pleasant coolness along both you and Bizirik in the humid heat of this late spring evening, trailing faint, evanescing motes of light like glitter across rippling water. "I have," the chimes sing softly in unison to you. "When the great and greedy storm covered the sky, and I couldn't see any of you, and so many people were looking down instead of up... but the storm is clear now."

"What storm has begun to wrap itself around you?"

You have emoted: Gurashi looks down as their mantle and cloak together and blown by the wind, mouth quirking to the side. They lift a hand, brushing their bangs from their face. "It is hard to put into words, that make sense," They attempt to explain, cheeks still flushed as they look towards their booted feet. "How now, that am finally safely, in what thoughts was a goodly place with the ones dearest to me. Finally, ah, have a tie, that will gives me, and most importantly my -daughter-, a family. A whole real ones, on papers." They hesitate. "Not that it matters, the papers, I mean..."

Sounding confused, you say, "...at firstly, felt, so very wanted, yes. But..." They hesitate. "lately it is all." They fidget. "Feelings are confusing."

You think to yourself: *all at once a great wave of frustration rouses up in their gut, how often they've wanted to scream and cry and be selfish and like a child and demand attention, affection, a -response- only to be met with inky black void-filled silence, static, not every time, but often enough it makes their gut clench and their hands feel cold and face feel hot*.

Innocence sparkles around you, dancing in a thin, sidereal current of light. "Papers?" the voices ask, some of the stars flickering in time with each choral utterance of the word. "Papers can be very nice. They can help add to a story. But I've seen papers make people upset, too. People I care about."

A hesitation in the trickle of starlight, and then a question. "Are these papers very important to your daughter?"

You have emoted: Gurashi nods sadly. "Yeah, papers are kind of dumb, sometimes," They whisper. "When are related to family things. Family papers are silly." They pause, bunching their shoulders. "...I do not know. I thinks, I have made them seem important, to her." They look up, frowning. "When I lost my family the first times, I tried so hard to gets them back, so that could adopts she, and then she could be a family there." They pause. "And, now, my dear one is proposed, and so, she could be part of -that- family." Suddenly their eyes are full of tears. "...I want her, to have ties. To have somethings physical to looks at and be proud ofs. Something to remembers, when she gets married too, somedays. Roots, goodly ones."

You think to yourself: *that miserable feeling only continues to grow as they realize: they really are the only one who seems to care about the papers*.

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly reaches up to wipe at their eyes with the palm of their hand, quickly alternating between the two, face flushed.

Golden shades radiate from your chest and your heart beats faster with newly-appeared determination.

You fidget impatiently.

The touch of starlight upon your cheek does nothing to dry the tears that begin to gather. Indeed, the infinitesimally small mote of cosmic radiance is too bright to look directly upon while it remains. When it lowers, Vaevaya, the Refulgent is there, fully coalesced, her stars wrapping you up in a hug felt in the pull of gravity at your solar plexus. "Don't be sad, Gurashi." Her voice is a whisper. "You want very good and kind things for the people you love."

LOOKIT SHE
Drawn down from the heavens themselves, peculiar points of starlight constellate into the coruscating form of Vaevaya, the Refulgent. Like glittering night scattered across the surface of the open sea, she wavers upon ripples of celestial energy, shifting and flowing with stirrings in the air. If they exist, any features that might contour the finer details of her face - or indeed a body of any sort - lose themselves in her twinkling glow. Her nebulous shape would find a vaguely humanoid frame in spite of it, if only one could trace lines between the brightest of her aspects. Ephemeral and insubstantial as she is, her every step sheds sparkles of evanescing brilliance, their stellular trails lingering in her wake, winking and then dwindling into nothing.
She is wearing:
a band of starlight spinning contracurrent to her movements, undimmed around each would-be wrist
a whirling stardust anklet pealing with gossamer music where she steps
a nebulous wreath of stars dancing above her, caught within her wayward orbit
a haloed circlet of cosmic rings revolving around her crown, casting galactic afterimages as it circuits.

You have emoted: Gurashi furrows their brow, looking at the starry being as she coalesces before them. They set their jaw, offering a faint smile. "Right, sorry," They whisper back in agreement. "I am sorry to troubles you, with my troubles," They croon to the refulgent, frowning. "You are kindly, to come here."

You think to yourself: *their heart just keeps sinking, like a weighted stone - wanting good and kindly things for others, but a nagging feeling jabs in the center of their stomach - they want good and kindly things for themselves, too*.

The Mantle of Starlight flows gently against your form, twinkling stars shifting across its surface as the starry infinity continues its eternal motion.

The embrace of starlight draws back to float in the air before you and Bizirik, the leothin, its twinkling unmuted, no matter how quiet Vaevaya's tintinnabulating voice is. "You are always making such kind wishes for others," she observes, a star shooting through her form. "Do you have wishes for yourself now, too? Something I may keep safe with me, and help you to realize?"

You have emoted: Gurashi quirks their mouth to the side, considers the starry being before them as their tears continue to well up in their eyes, threatening to spill over. They open their mouth, keep it open for a time, looking blankly at Vaevaya before finally uttering out a soft: "I wish ... to loves someone," They do their best to keep their voice even, "and to be loved back, so fully, that, do would not have any doubts." Their chin quivers. "Not have doubts that they love fully me, too."

You have emoted: Gurashi's voice cuts off, and they bunch their shoulders, lowering their gaze, staring at, no, through Vaevaya.

You think to yourself: *a memory of deep c rimson feathers, of glittering towers and warming sunlight - a sense of belonging*.

Vaevaya's form wavers in the air before you, shimmering with all the hues of stardust and clean, haloed starlight, and then her quick flickering is like soft, glowing affirmation. "And you will be, Gurashi," she sings softly to you. Her focus is entirely upon you for several more moments, and then she draws into herself, stars coming together to form a twinkling wish doll when she withdraws it. "This gives me comfort - when I am frightened, or worried. Remember? Avaris wished for it, and you helped its wishes to fully sing forth?"

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." Vaevaya whispers to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in her gaze.
As Vaevaya whispers to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes her with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a voice sings forth, its tone mellifluous with contagious, uplifting joy: "I wish for us boths to have courage, to be bravely together even when we are alone, for the times when we need to be bravest for ourselves and those around us."

You have emoted: Gurashi's face lights up as the doll comes into being, gazing upon it as it is held in the starry being's grasp. "I remember," They whisper, recognition crossing their face now. "Oh, that is..." They point. "Ah, was that, uhm, my wish... from be-fore...? It is so beautiful and full of stars, now, Miss Vaevaya..."

Bright and clear, you whisper, "... so many wishes ..."

Floating it upon a slipstream of cosmic light, Vaevaya gives a twinkling wish doll to you.

You have emoted: Gurashi blinks very slowly, taking the doll as if it were the most precious thing in the world. "Ah..."

Comprising far too many pinpricks of light to count - and spinning far too quickly within their enchanted bounds to properly study - this little doll twinkles here with all its might. Many details are difficult to discern through the concentrated glow of sidereal luminescence, but it certainly seems modelled after mortals with its rounded head and four appendages. Instead of clothing, a veil of galactic colour shifts and dances over its entirety, blue and pink and purple and many other hues besides. A pale, iridescent halo enfolds the toy within its shimmering embrace, occasionally pierced by a tiny, orbiting comet whose cosmic-dusted trail quickly vaporises into nothingness.
It is strangely weightless.
It has the following aliases: doll.

You tilt your head curiously at a twinkling wish doll.

Calioliahali Skydrifter has entered the realm of Lusternia.

"Maybe it will give you some small comfort, for a time?" Vaevaya asks softly, flickering as she observes you with a twinkling wish doll. "Do as I did, and maybe...maybe..."

You have emoted: Gurashi glances up at Vaevaya, then down at the doll, gray eyes wide and curious as they begin to speak. "I wish..."

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a quiet voice echoes from within, the words trickling forth like gentle rain, or like tears: "I wish She would heal as best She could."

A glowing sphere buzzes in and circles several times around you. Glowing gemstones flash before a door opens up and shoots slate-colored stationery decorated with doodled polytopes into your hands.
A glowing sphere beeps several times before buzzing away at great speed.

Vaevaya trails off - literally - her form shifting and thinning ever-so-little as she drifts about you and Bizirik, the leothin, shedding sparkles of light.

You have emoted: Gurashi holds the doll with wide eyes as it speaks, mouth opening and closing. "...it works..."

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a voice sings forth, its tone mellifluous with contagious, uplifting joy: "I wish for us boths to have courage, to be bravely together even when we are alone, for the times when we need to be bravest for ourselves and those around us."

You have emoted: Gurashi's eyes glaze over with fresh tears, and they look up at Vaevaya, smiling weakly. "Maybe?" They repeat back, bringing the doll near to their heart.

You tilt your head and listen intently to Vaevaya.

Shadows grow longer in anticipation for the return of their dark mistress as Father Sun's chase brings him closer to the world's edge.

A gust of starlight blows about you, and she gently sings with those pinpricks of light that pass over you, "Maybe my wishes will start to come true, too."

Vaevaya's coalescence scatters, leaving nought but a pale dusting of starlight to glimmer and fade.

[OOC]: The doll will stay with you for about a real-life hour!

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out a little noise as the sphere floats in just before the starry being vanishes, ejecting the letter in a manner that causes them to frantically grab for it before it can touch the grassy ground. Quickly they look up, about to say their thank yous, but the ephemeral being is gone, leaving them quietly gawking. "Ah..."

You blush furiously.

Softly, you say, "...thank you."

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
Bizirik's head begins to droop. It opens its great maw and curls back its lips to allow its forked tongue to unfurl as it yawns before snapping its mouth shut.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a voice layered with celestial, choral harmonics fervently sings: "I wish for her to have something that will bring her comfort in these trying times, something that will make her feel safe, protected, and loved, no matter how terrible it becomes. A fixed point to hold to when the world spins to chaos, when I cannot be there to shelter her."

You think to yourself: *a sense of fondness, thinking of the starry being, remembering the weight and warmth of her arms - arms? - the comfort her fleeting presence brought even as they hold the doll tightly, preciously*.

You have emoted: Gurashi's attention turns to the letter they hold in their other hand, cheeks flushing slightly.

You reach out, pulling a twinkling wish doll into a tight embrace.

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a deep, soothing lullaby resonates from it: "Shine bright, shine sweet, O Little Star - Your light reaches so many friends, whether near or far~ Rest easy, sleep deep, sweet gentle Vae - All will be well, no matter how dark the day~ Sleep tight, rest well, and know this is true - Your friends on the ground here, we all love you~."

You think to yourself: So many wishes....

You have emoted: Gurashi settles onto the nearby swing as they continue to hold the doll in their lap, listening to the many wishes that spill forth from it while also turning their attention to the letter they've just received, ears still red.

You think to yourself: So many wishes for love and comfort, protection...

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a sweetly mellifluous voice rings with excitement: "I would wish to find a way to visit you in the sky, you among the stars and the other stars, to see thems, and meet thems! You can introduce me and then can introduce everyone else!"

You think to yourself: Bravery ... ah - this one is Miss Kennian's.

You have emoted: Gurashi smiles fondly to themselves.

You read what is written on slate-colored stationery decorated with doodled polytopes:
[There are a multitude of attempted salutations at the beginning of the
letter, each one meticulously blotted out with ink. It seems the author
never did settle on one.]
Included in this letter is another cluster of sketches.
Since our conversation, I have felt that my... insides? are themselves
polytopes, transitioning from simple two-dimensional shapes to the most
complex in a matter of moments. Seconds, at times.
It is at once distressing and invigorating. I feel powerless and
unstoppable. Lost and... found.
Have I been the true subject all this time, undergoing so many changes,
so many conflicting variations?
I am still uncertain of how to proceed. If the new year were upon us, I
would wish for guidance. I do not want to choose the incorrect path
forward.
I have come to the conclusion, at least, that I will not choose any
paths which do not include you. It is still overwhelming, having
determined this, but you have awakened in me so many possibilities, and
I can no longer fathom being as I was. Without you.
Forgive me for the nature of this letter. I am, beneath all of these
feelings, these sensations, these calibrations, acutely aware that the
details may be distressing to you as well.
But I am unable to stop. I want to share everything with you.
And I want to skip forward, past this tumultuous time, to a point at
which we have finally discovered the optimal path forward. The one in
which we are happy, with one another.
Simultaneously I do not want to skip any portion of this excruciating
process. I want to feel it all, I want to remember it all, I want to
hold it deep inside of myself.
[The legibility of the letter takes a drastic downward turn for its
remainder.]
I want to hold you deep inside of myself.
Forever.
I am now struggling, too much to continue, I think, so I will cease
here, for now.
[Incredibly difficult to read and yet easily recognizable:]
I love you.
- Calioliahali
Slate-colored stationery decorated with doodled polytopes is holding:
"origami355840"               an immaculate dodecahedron origami (modular origami)

You think to yourself: ...oh!

You think to yourself: ...oh! This is a -long-...

You have emoted: Gurashi carefully unfolds the page, and unfolds it again, blushing deeper as they consider the words written on it, eyes widening.

You have emoted: Gurashi's lip twitches as they follow along the words written in the letter they are holding, unable to mask their curiosity and excitement even as the twinkling star doll sits with them, glittering quietly with its wishes.

You gaze softens as you smile.

You have emoted: Gurashi hugs the doll to themselves, then lets out a little laugh, bringing the letter to their face, unable to mask their giddiness even behind the page.

Gentle pink bubbles descend upon the wind, dancing about a blessed sculpture of the Loving Radiance. Almost looking as if it were itself singing, a gentle voice begins to sing of love, joy and hope.

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a quiet voice echoes from within, its dulcet words glowing with swelling hope: "Wish, to do a goodly job! Wish, that Miss Calfuray finds comfort and peace within the City."

"I wish, I wish, I wish..." you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, hope blazing in your heart.
As you whisper to a twinkling wish doll, its haloed glow brightens in response, shedding fierce and pale illumination that bathes you with cosmic light.
One of a twinkling wish doll's stars pulsates as a sweetly mellifluous voice enchants the ears: "I usually wish for the same thing: for my loved ones to be happy, and healthy, and for those who are not to feel better soonly."

<-- and that until I went to the TQ! And ran into Cali and it was 10/10