ITT: Flamy RPs as a child

[4:48 AM] Flamy: Through the next five years, Menaulyon came by the library, and learned much under Sarnai's guidance. Magic, lost languages, loss, how people were so long ago. A good deal of dusting and cleaning up was done, mostly from Menaulyon's insistence to do something in gratitude.

A half-manakete! This excited her immensely, to know that she met even a half-blooded manakete. Of course, she could hardly tell anyone about how she met such a person in the woods. Her excuse was, as always, just a ride through the woods. Her time to do so shrank with time, and she would sometimes never come for a few weeks.

"Lady Sarnaibileg!" One day, Menaulyon comes to the library with company- A rather small lass, surely no older than thirteen years of age. "Er, I hope you don't mind, but I've brought some company. Her name is Sarissa."

Cowed by the darkness that Sarnaibileg so loved, the young Sarissa hides behind Menaulyon's legs. "It's scary, Lyon..."
[6:14 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai, who was deeply absorbed into her books as she usually was, looked up, smiled, and chuckled softly.

"Just call me Sarnai, Lyon. And ah, who do we have here-"

She brought her gaze lower and was pleased with what she saw. It seemed that her friend had brought with her a child, and she seemed to be just about Yuuko's age too-

"Come, child. There is naught to fear," she said as she gently patted her lap.

She was sitting on a chair today. It was not something she often did, her back and her behind had gotten a bit sore from squatting today, and she did not want to stop reading just yet.
[7:09 AM] Flamy: Ah, she was finally using that chair. Menaulyon opened her book, muttering a chant quickly to brighten the room with a small ball of light trailing around the three.

Ah, now there was light, and Sarissa could see more clearly! Sometimes, Menaulyon's room was as dark as this. How did she get around in that room? She backed out of her cover, and saw that lady- Sar-something or the other. Were they... inviting Sarissa to their lap? Menaulyon pushed her towards the woman, so she must be safe, right?

"Hello, my name is Sarissa of House Caramelir," She would bow, before being lifted up by Menaulyon, and being placed onto the woman's lap.
"She's my youngest sibling," Menaulyon explained. "Sarissa, this is Sarnaibileg. She's my teacher."
"Nice to meet you, Sarrie!"
[8:53 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: What a sweet child. "Nice to meet you too, Sarissa," said she as she gave the little girl a couple of pats on the head and then looked up at Menaulyon with an uncharacteristically sunny smile on her face. "Now this certainly is a surprise. A pleasant one."
[11:04 AM] Flamy: Sarissa... took well to being given such affection! Menaulyon and Mother did sometimes brush or stroke her hair, but something like this coming from a stranger? How nice of them!

"Ah, I am glad you do not mind her, Lady Sarnaibileg," Menaulyon couldn't help but crack a smile. Sarissa seemed to enjoy Sarnaibileg well enough. "I suppose today won't be as productive a day, what with her and Yew-ko. Perhaps we should let them play together...?"
[1:18 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai hummed as she gave Sarissa another round of petting. The girl seemed to enjoy it, which was nice- "I have time," said the half-blood scholar as she shut the book that she had left open on the table beside her. "But ah, Yuuko won't be here I'm afraid. She is out exploring with Clara."

She then leaned back a little and sighed. "Now, ah... care for a story, little one?"
[7:57 PM] Flamy: Oh, she was not only giving more headpats, but also a story? Look at her, being so nice. She must be like, one of those really nice old people, huh? She looked a little young for that, though! Weird. Sarissa nodded vigorously to her question.

"Yuuko's with Clara? I suppose some things CAN be done- Er, Lady Sarnaibileg, are you quite sure about this? You don't have to, really. I do not think she really-"
"I wanna hear a story, Sarrie! Please, please, pleeease?"
[10:34 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "Well, she certainly sounds eager," said Sarnai with a smile as she looked at the pile of books beside her and then idly ran her fingers over them-- one tome in particular caught her eye: an account of the rise and fall of a certain empire from a time long before her birth.

While certainly unreadable and much too technical for a child such as her, it is not as though she could not translate its words into that which a child could understand, yes?

"Yuuko has promise," she said as she took the book, held it open in front of her, and started flipping through the pages. "There's a lot she can learn from going out with Clara instead of staying here with me... ah, here we are."

She stopped on a page with an illustration of what looked like a market. One person in the crowd stood out, what with her having long, pointed ears and what looked like wings jutting out of her back. The other people in the scene were pointing towards this person with dirty looks on their faces.
[11:02 PM] Flamy: "I suppose there is much to learn past mere training, but... I fear that others may not be so approving of that magic she practices," Menaulyon shook her head. "But already have I said my piece on that, and we need not retread this ground. In any case, I shall leave you two be, and get back to cleaning. Even after five years, I still cannot believe the state of this place."

With a curtsy, Menaulyon headed off. Sarissa, meanwhile, looked at the drawing carefully. This one was familiar, a lot like those drawings they made in those biiig books her older siblings had! "Oh, oh! This is, this is um, a mamukoot, right?! I wanna meet one someday."
August 25, 2018
[9:16 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai merely chuckled as she fondly traced her hand upon the illustration that was upon the open page. She knew what her friend was talking about: dark magic, and the fact that she was teaching young Yuuko of such in addition to the light.

She thought it amusing; not all that is with the dark is evil, and not all that is with the light is good. The history books hold a wealth of examples illustrating this fact. Yet.... it could not be helped.

"It's a large place, there's only so much we can do," said Sarnai as she tapped the manakete in the scene. "Ah-- and yes, she is a manakete. Tell me, young one, what do you know of manaketes?"

...ah, what was her name again? Sarina? Serena?
[10:53 AM] Flamy: "It's part-dragony, and has those dragon powers, right? But I don't see any of those anywhere," Ehehe, calling her young one was like, such an "old sage" thing. Maybe she really was actually a really old person. She had a library and everything, she totally was an old, wise sage-person! Menaulyon told her about how big and dusty it was- And they were still cleaning it? Menaulyon wasn't a slacker or anything, so it must be really big! "Lyon says that they don't like people. I don't think that's true, she's probably never met one, herself!"
August 26, 2018
[10:32 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "You have the right of it," said Sarnai as she ruffled the girl's hair. "Manaketes, ah, mamkoots  have these special stones that they can use to turn into big, scary dragons and long, long lives. You see the thing she is holding in her cloak here?"

As she said so, she placed her thumb just above the manakete's chest, where she held tight a glowing white orb-- a light dragonstone, she reckoned. "That's her dragonstone, and she's keeping it safe while these meanies laugh at her."
[10:56 AM] Flamy: So they were not only human-looking, but also could become actual dragons? That was... honestly kinda scary. The girl in the book also did look very scary, herself.

"Do the mamukoots not like people, because they're so different? ...I'd be scared, too. You could never be with people, and then you'd have all this time to do nothing with. Mom and Lyon don't let me do a whole lot. Can't they hide those parts of themselves?"
[11:07 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Oh right, she said mamukoot, with second *u*, and not mamkoot. Not that it meant much, but her noticing this allowed her to adjust her words around the girl a little-

She gave a sad smile as she flipped back a few pages until she came to an illustration of a dragon turning into a manakete. "Things are a little better now... but no. It's the people who hated them because they looked different."

She ran her fingers along the text accompanying the illustration and said, "Manaketes were originally dragons, you see, but because they wanted to get along with humans they decided to look like humans too."

...not quite the full picture, but how was she going to explain draconic degeneration to a child?

"But humans hated how they looked different, and treated them badly."
[11:14 AM] Flamy: Huh, was that... Whoa, so this was what happened? Sarissa's hand traced out the path of dragon-to-manakete, tilting her head.

"Wouldn't you be scared of someone who could become a dragon, too? And living so long, I bet they'd be really smart! I don't like it when Lyon outsmarts me- But, shouldn't they be given a chance?"
[10:24 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "They should have, but they weren't," said Sarnai with a sad sigh. "They were different, and that scared people."
[10:24 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: She then flipped back to the original page with the woman who was holding a dragonstone close to her heart and pointed out the terrified expression on her face.
[10:25 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "So people decided they didn't like them, and were mean to mamukoots, and that made them scared too. And angry."
[10:25 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: She paused for a moment, and then chuckled.
[10:29 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "Well, mamukoots do see more, but a mamukoot who looks like a ten year old is going to think like a ten year old... even if they are a thousand years old."
[10:39 PM] Flamy: Sarissa shrunk back into Sarnai's lap a bit, incredibly disappointed that because of people way back before her, she could no longer meet these manaketes. She pouted, and placed a finger over the woman's heart- It'd be the closest she could get to a manakete now, she reckoned.

"Have you met any manaketes yourself, Sarrie? Were they just like what you said? ...Were they afraid of you, too?"
[10:55 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "Well, I have," said Sarnai as she shifted a little and then craned her neck to show the little girl her smile. "If there's anything you'd like to know, just ask."

She then shook her head. "I was never afraid of her though, even when she turned into a dragon."
[10:58 PM] Flamy: "Whoooaaa, so you HAVE met one before!" Sarissa looked up to Sarnai, lips forming a surprised "o". "But... you look so young. Who was it? C'mon, tell me, Sarrie!"
August 27, 2018
[3:13 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai subtly tilted her head as she took a moment or two to think things over.
[3:14 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "Well," said Sarnai after her brief pause, face brightening in memory, "she was someone who kept me safe, cared for me, and taught me things when I was little. She was, ah... a very kind person, but she often acted like she was a little kid."
[3:14 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: She chuckled.
[3:15 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "I remember her putting peppers into my food for fun, once. I ended up liking them."
[7:24 AM] Flamy: Huh... What a nice person. She cared for Sarnai kinda like a mother. Maybe manaketes weren't THAT different from people!

"Peppers? That seems awfully mean of her! I don't like them, myself. But she sounds like a nice person. And she wasn't scary? You must have really liked her!"
[8:34 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai chuckled again as she pulled the girl closer to her and then placed her hand on her shoulder. "I really do," she said. "I still go look for her whenever I have the time, but she lives far from here."

There was a short pause as she gave the girl a gentle hum.

"She wasn't scary at all-- and she only put a little bit of pepper on my food that day. She wanted to surprise me, not hurt me after all~"
[1:34 PM] Flamy: "Ah, she's very far, huh..." That described a lot of people that Lyon or Glaive talked about, too. What a weird coincidence. Hm, what else to talk about-

"Oh yeah, Sarrie, check this out!" She would hold up a silver ring, clearly made for larger hands like Sarnai's. "A friend of my big brother gave me this a long time ago. I'm supposed to keep it safe. Isn't that nice?"
[7:37 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Ah, that should be enough storytelling for now--- the rest of the story was perhaps something she ought to say later, when she had grown up a little more. Sarnai shut her book and placed it back on the table.
[7:38 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "It's a very beautiful ring," said Sarnai with a knowing smile. She must be betrothed at her young age then-- something not entirely uncommon amongst nobility, she found. "it'll fit your fingers someday, hm?"
[8:00 PM] Flamy: "Huh? Wait, MY fingers? Lyon says I shouldn't wear other people's stuff," Sarissa looked around, making sure Menaulyon wasn't listening in on their conversation. "But I've worn it a few times, and it gives me a sort of warm feeling inside. Kinda like he's encouraging me to keep going, ehe! Before he went, he told me that I'd be a fine young lady. I kinda forget what he looked like, but they say he's gonna come back soon. You know the Leyvelitail ruling Jungby, right? It was their oldest son who gave me this!"
August 28, 2018
[7:31 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: ----oh, of course. Sarnai chuckled.

The girl, it seemed, was still too innocent to understand the meaning of that gesture. Still, it seemed as though somewhere deep inside she had an idea what it was about.

"That'll be our little secret then," said Sarnai as she gave the girl a smile. "But hm, yes. I have heard of him, seen him from a distance, even."

Of course, here she meant seeing him from so far away that she could see the colour of his clothes, and his bearing, but naught of what he looked like. Of course, the girl need not know that. Sarnai's lips curled up in a mischievous grin as she brought her lips close to the girl's ear and whispered.

"So what was he like?"
[10:53 AM] Flamy: Ah, it was a silly thing to ask, of COURSE she would know! He was next in line, after all.

"He's um, very pretty. He had this long black hair- Kinda like yours, ehe," Sarissa held the ring close to her heart, a small smile of reminiscence resting on her. "And his smile was really nice, too. I didn't get to talk with him, but I'm sure he's a nice person!"
[11:21 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai raised an eyebrow--- perhaps the darkness must have gotten the girl to see her hair as being black. A little amused (but otherwise having no particular thoughts towards it) she then said, "It sounds like you really like him! "

What she had said came to her as no surprise; this was something she had come to understand was a common thing for nobility. What life had she in store, she wondered. She the randomly ruffles the girl's hair again.

What was his name again....

"Serre," said Sarnai after a short pause. "I believe that's his name~"
[9:33 PM] Flamy: "Wheh? Hum..." Sarissa placed a finger on her chin. "I guess I do! I like him lots- Big brother tells me he's very gentle and helpful."

"And yep, that's his name, Serre!" Man, she sure liked ruffling her hair a lot, playing with it an awful lot, too. "Say, um, do you like my hair, Sarrie? You keep touching it a lot- Lyon says to make sure that I keep my balance, so I don't mess up anything."
August 29, 2018
[7:37 AM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai nodded along -- she didn't really know that much of this Serre, but she was inclined to believe the girl's words, given how the Leyvelitail family ruled their territory.

"He does seem to be, yes," said she, following up her words shortly by a brief hum. "And of course! It's nice and soft, and you're a sweet little girl, hm?"

As if to prove her point she gave the girl another pat on the head. "You don't dislike it, don't you?"
[7:14 PM] Flamy: "Ehehe, thanks, Sarrie!" A sweet little girl, huh. That's what they all called her, and she was pretty sure it was true. Sarissa smiles back at Sarnai. "I'm glad you like my hair, it takes so long for them to do it like this, though I-"

"Lady Sarnaibileg, it's about time for Sarissa and I to leave," Menaulyon's intrusion breaks the moment, and so a new one takes the stage. "I... hope she wasn't too much for you. She usually doesn't like storytime, you see."
[7:31 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: Sarnai leaned back against her chair, one hand on her waist and the other on the table beside her. "Thank you again for today, Lyon," she said. She then chuckled, and then smiled broadly. "On the contrary I quite enjoyed our conversation,. What about you, Sarissa?"

---thank the gods that Menaulyon had to say her name right then. She should make a sketch with the girl's name on it as usual, when they have left. Starting first with the name, then the sketch.
[7:42 PM] Flamy: "Yeah, Sarrie's stories are interesting, unlike YOURS," Sarissa stuck out her tongue at Menaulyon as she got off of Sarnai's lap, prompting a sigh from her. "I loved it, Sarrie, and I hope you can tell me more later!"

"No, no, I ought to be the one thanking you, Lady Sarnaibileg, you were the one who had spared time for my sister," Menaulyon would bow, taking Sarissa's hand as she joined her. "Farewell for now, in any case. Sarissa, if you're a good girl, I'll let you come with me next time, alright?"

"Okay! See you later, Sarrie!" And so, the two would wave goodbye, as they parted ways with Sarnai.
[7:51 PM] Sarnaibileg Sansar: "Oh please do come again," said Sarnai as she raised her hand in farewell. "Yuuko would love to meet you."

And with that she opened her sketchbook and then flipped to the first blank page she could find. On the upper right-hand corner she wrote down "Sarissa, of Caramelir" in her shorthand.

She looked up from the parchment to watch the sisters depart.