"Why?"

You have emoted: Gurashi begins to stir the colors within the bowl, reds folding into oranges into greens and violets. "Do not think that should be so sad that the dark things are bad," He says almost cheerfully, stirring with more vigor. "The beautiful black roses. The amazing-ness of the night sky."

You have emoted: Gurashi watches the paint as he stirs, bit by bit each unique color swallowed up by folds of brown-gray nothing, then slowly, darker, and darker still, until just a shade off of true black. "They are all of the colors." He whispers, looking pleased.

You have emoted: Gurashi takes the end of the handle and slaps it against his chest, the pain leaving a wet spot on the carapace. The colors are nearly the same. "See! Look!"

Lief watches as you stirs, her easygoing air fading with each circuit around the bowl. She stares in silence at the void-like blackness, her lips parting, her brow drawing together. "You would mix all of yourself together like this until you're unrecognizable?" she whispers.

You flail about helplessly.

Dropping the spoon in his disbelief, you say to Lief, "What!"

You have emoted: Gurashi makes a sound like laughter, then confusion. "What? Is not what was trying to make...!"

You flail about helplessly.

You think to yourself: Heck.

You think to yourself: Thought that would get.

You think to yourself: Why did not get.

You think to yourself: Should have rattled.

You think to yourself: Heck!

You think to yourself: Am I being too nice?

Shadows swirl around your arm as the Fingerblade of dha'Wyrden-cree digs itself more painfully into your finger.

Lief lifts her hair from her brow, showing a translucent crystal bindi fully. It faintly glows, painting her forehead with threads of every hue. "This is all of the colours," she insists. "You can see every one. And when something passes through - the light, the sun, a candle - it shifts and changes and adapts to all that's around it. This is what you're like - you aren't like...like..."

Lief gestures helplessly at the bowl of black paint with her other hand.

You have emoted: Gurashi stares at Lief, looking positively heartbroken. "...but ... how can think is bad....?"

You have emoted: Gurashi looks at the bindi, then back at you, frowning. "Is beautiful ... is amazing..." He looks at the bowl, increasingly flustered.

Setting the bowl down and sitting with a huff, you say to Lief, "Just because is different is not meaning is bad, know."

Lief parts her lips again, then closes them, lowering her hand from her brow. "What you did to your colours in that bowl," she finally says, sorrow once more taking her features, "was violence."

You boggle at Lief.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks down at the bowl, equally bewildered.

Dumbfounded, you say to Lief, "...but ..."

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "...they are paints?"

You look about in confusion.

Faintly buzzing, you whisper, "Do paints feel pain? is that why pain is in name?? Paint?"

Lief hugs her arms to herself, something haunted entering her eyes as she stares at the bowl of black paint, of every colour blended together. "You are not paint, Gurashi. Please don't treat yourself like you treated them."

You blink a few times and stare at Lief in confusion.

You think to yourself: What?

Confused, you ask Lief, "....are ... what? Are O-K? Look kind of like are gonna puke. Can get some water?"

Lief lifts her gaze from the bowl to your carapace, where the black had been slapped in place, then to your eyes themselves. "I have a lot to think about, Gurashi," she says quietly, almost inaudibly. "We will talk again. If that is agreeable?"

You crease your brow in a frown.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks back down at the bowl, stricken with confusion. "...oh,uhm - sure."

Almost an afterthought, you say, "Please take some food with."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "...ehm, many apologies - is compulsion, heh."

You have emoted: Gurashi doesn't move from his spot, still looking hurt and confused.

Lief turns to search the tabletop for something, then selects an iridescent peacock cookie, her fingertips lingering against it before she lifts it from its place. "Thank you," she murmurs, more to the baked good than to the kephera.

Lief picks up an iridescent peacock cookie.

You have emoted: Gurashi leans back in his chair, then slowly rises. "...let me see out," He mutters as politely as he can.

Lief follows you north.
A chilling, forestal curiosities room.
The shadowy outline of a twisted forest casts a dark gloom here. The first discernible sensation upon entering this room is a mixture of earthy smells; mulch, petrichor, decaying wood, and the heady scent of Wyrden roses saturate the air. As one's eyes adjust to the darkness, barely abated by shadowflame sconces hung on the walls, tall figures begin to emerge. Expansive shelves carved to look like tree trunks seem to grow out of the floor and reach clear to the ceiling. The moss-green rug has been cut to fit neatly between each root and around each curve, giving the illusion of springy turf underfoot. Gently glowing fungi, which seem to be growing out of the shelves at random, make it just possible to see their contents. On one shelf, a scorched dragonturtle shell and a dried starfish sit beside a glistening glasswork recreation of a pile of salmon roe. On another, a pair of arrows with heart-shaped heads are arranged with one crossed over the other, and a scented love-letter lies on top of them. Other shelves are crammed with an increasingly peculiar assortment of knickknacks: an ice pick, a tiny red stone, a dusty brown bottle with "Alchywhole" written in a barely legible script, a cuddly stuffed Tae'dae bear, a miniature rockeater figurine, an ornate ivory pipe, a pile of glittering Czigany coins, and a charm bracelet that looks to be of Fae origin. One rather macabre shelf holds a coiled slave master's whip and a skull that appears to have belonged to a Krokani before it made its way here. Still other shelves lie bare, waiting to be filled with more mementos of adventure to come, and in the corner of one of them a tiny black spider has made its web. Soft, thick carpet covers the ground here, a deep mossy green in hue. A painting of Gurashi's Staring Contest is proudly exhibited on a nearby wall. A painting of blackthorn thicket has been thrown on the ground here. There are 2 ethereal cats here. You see a sign here instructing you to use the PORTAL command to enter the aetherplex system.
You see exits leading north and south.

You have emoted: Gurashi bows his head to the transportation circle upon the floor. He keeps near the doorway once again, twiddling.

Lief bows her antlered head toward you, then touches her fingertips to her brow before shaking herself from her thoughts. "Thank you," she calls again to you before taking the circle.

Lief leaves to the ether, emanating an aura of immense power.

You think to yourself: ...heck.

You drop a hefty tome entitled "Select Histories of Lusternia: 15th Cosmic Cycle Anniversary Edition", by Weeky Peedia.

You have emoted: Gurashi noisily sets the tome down upon the table again, shaking his head and looking about himself, quite upset. He grabs the bowl from where he left it and storms into the kitchen with it, leaving it to solidify in the sink.

You think to yourself: Is not bad.

You think to yourself: Are not bad.

You think to yourself: Heck.

You think to yourself: Pointless.

Bizirik, the leothin creeps up close to Gurashi, sniffling at him, but he shoos her with an aggressive wave of his hands, kicking the chair in frustration.

You think to yourself: ...I failed.

An intrusive question asserts itself in your thoughts, "Why?"

With a twitch of his tail, an ethereal cat romps off to the north.

You think to yourself: ... because ... am trying .... so hard to be patient.

You think to yourself: ...and it didn't work.

It is now the 4th of Juliary, 542 years after the Coming of Estarra.
There are 20 days until the New Moon

You think to yourself: ...because patience and love are ... too slow if things are desperate.

You think to yourself: ...is nothing wrong with being the black paint ...

You have emoted: Gurashi continues to stare at the back of the chair, flexing and relaxing his hands.

The intrusive thoughts give way to incoherent whispers and finally, silence.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks ahead of himself, miserably rubbing the back of his neck.

You think to yourself: ... do not want to be too slow.

You give a pained sigh.

You have emoted: Gurashi roughly shoves the chair back into place. "Well what would want to do? Invite back to house again and say 'check out brought avatar of Lady of Serenity to Wyrden place! Woo," He huffs, then quickly interjects - "Amsorrywassaidinfrustrationnotrationally."

Beads of sweat break out on your face.

You shake your head.

Bizirik, the leothin sniffs at the air hopefully, not responding as Gurashi calls for her.

You think to yourself: Need to go to bed.

You stare implacably at Bizirik, the leothin.
Perking up, Bizirik, the leothin begins to chitter and thrum, its tail sweeping back and forth across the ground. It cranes its neck to gently headbutt your side contentedly.

An ethereal cat makes a plaintive meow, looking pitiable.

Unable to mask his disappointment, you say to Bizirik, the leothin, "...c'mon. We have lots of thinking to do. And thinking means resting brains too."

You pet an ethereal cat ingratiatingly.
An ethereal cat rubs up against your legs, a small purr barely audible.

A quaint bedroom overlooking the garden.               (#HAH_6)
Stepping inside this small, relatively plain bedroom, one might believe it belongs to a youth. Ikon collections have been displayed on thin wall-set shelves, and pretty stones, bug shells and picked flowers decorate various surfaces. A small wooden wind chime has been hung from a hook beside one open window, clunking softly while creating simple melodies. The fragrance of the garden wafts into this room, smelling of rich wet dirt and flowers. On the sill of the other window sits a small terrarium filled with moss and rotting wood, and a tiny death watch beetle ticks happily inside. A wooden board has been hung by the door, pinned with important news bulletins and a few lavender letters. A giant cookie-shaped chair sits here, appearing fresh baked and ready to eat. A four poster bed stands here, invitingly strewn with cushions and blankets. Invitingly deep and made of warmly coloured wood, a rocker is here. Pulled open to let the light shine in, a pair of forestal drapes is here. A large ravenwood chest rests on its side in the corner of the room, its front securely closed. A painting of Gurashi and the Faeling Princess is proudly exhibited on a nearby wall.
You see a single exit leading northeast (open door).

You close the oak door to the northeast.

You think to yourself: Talking won't work.

You think to yourself: So action ... will...

You are exhausted and open your mouth in an enormous yawn.

Soft whispers trail after you as you prepare to rest, the feeling of an ever-watching gaze upon you.

You have emoted: Gurashi sits on the edge of his bed, staring towards his feet. Bizirik pauses in the doorway, slowly laying its great body down to simply watch.

You think to yourself: ...but don't know what action to take.

You think to yourself: ...took from us ... so took from them ...

You think to yourself: Is anything that can take that would be enough to barter for cure...?

Your eyes bug out as you boggle in amazement.

You think to yourself: What do Gods even barter for?

You stare blankly into space.

You think to yourself: ...is not food.

You have emoted: Gurashi drums his fingers on the side of the bed, glancing up towards the painting mounted upon his wall before laying down. His expression remains troubled, staring blankly towards the ceiling.

Exhaustedly speaking through his fingers, you say, "Weird that cannot bind faelings to shadows like can with fae."

Flopping a pillow across his face, you say, "Then would see."

Bizirik, the leothin wrinkles her nose and sniffs.

Peeking through the pillow to glance at the door, you say, "Goodnight Bizirik."

Bizirik, the leothin stares implacably at you.