"Point for Gurashi."

**Gurashi, doing usual breadstuffs early in the morning and chatting with Tridemon**

Harmony echoes in your mind as you sing to Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters, "OH. Uhm. I keep forgetting to ask - when you are not so busy doing not much of anything, can you help me fix my shirt??"

The melodious voice of Tridemon resonates in your mind, "Is your shirt in need of mending?"

Harmony echoes in your mind as you sing to Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters, "Yeah... it's got lots of holes."

Harmony echoes in your mind as you sing to Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters, "It is a great shirt!"

The evening air is warm and still, and your surroundings glitter with dappled, luminous starlight.
It is now the 9th of Avechary, 559 years after the Coming of Estarra.
There are 7 days until the New Moon

The melodious voice of Tridemon resonates in your mind, "Well, you can come over here if you like."

<-- walkwalkwalk

The Starweaver Tailoring Cartel.
This location is flooded with shallow, crystal clear water. The trade union of tailors and seamstresses has always prided itself as being the oldest still functional trade union in New Celest, having its roots in ancient Celest. This tradition shows visibly in the garish, overly extravagant decoration of the interior itself. Shiny silks in brilliant colours drape the walls, embroidered with gold and silver threads to create tapestries that sparkle in the light. A very thin carpet covers the floor in a complex weave. Long tables lined with benches fill the hall in two long rows, giving plenty of workspace. Prominently in this tailoring workshop rests a bench that holds an assortment of tools for sewing, haberdashery and cobbling. There are 2 thoughtful scholars here. A slender leothin sits here motionless, brightening its surroundings with its natural golden bio-luminescence. Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters lingers nearby, the air about him singing with the rush of the ocean. He wields a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand.
You see a single exit leading north.

A thoughtful scholar says, "Gurashi, I am following you. You haven't forgotten where one of the Great Libraries is, have you?"

You bounce up and down.

Faintly buzzing, you say to a thoughtful scholar, "I know, just a sec."

Fretfully, you give a royal blue silken shirt to Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "See? It is all... worn out."

You let out a soft, buzzing sigh.

You chirp happily at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: / *sudden, as if distracted and once more present* Oh, Tiso - we're here.. *welcoming chittering* Greetings, Keeper /.

You nod your head emphatically.

You hum softly to yourself.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Hmm..."

With needle and thread, Tridemon sets about busily mending a royal blue silken shirt, though it obviously isn't in as good a shape as it once was.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

Tridemon gives a royal blue silken shirt to you.

You hands fly to your mouth as you give a short gasp of elation.

You have emoted: Gurashi shakes the shirt out gently, then folds it using all four arms, carefully tucking it away.

You beam broadly.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Be aware that if it's mended too many times, it will become unrecognizable."

You blink.

Faintly buzzing, you ask Tridemon, "Unrecognizable...?"

You boggle at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Oh... erm. Hmm. My glamrock remembers how it looks..."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "As long ... as do not let it decay."

You glance askance.

You pat a cracked glamrock heart of dark granite in a friendly manner.

You face lights up as you smile brightly at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Oh! Stay here! Or, come with? Am going to give these scholars something to look at."

You bounce up and down.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Well, as soon as you get enough crystals into your wonderbelt, it'll keep everything inside of it forever new."

Tridemon begins to follow you.
==== Tridemon is following you ====

You glance in Tridemon's direction, eyes narrowing slightly as you grin.

You pat a Rope Belt of Advantage in a friendly manner.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Already done."

<-- walky

Within the Lodestar Athenaeum.
Shimmering mist hangs in the air, drifting away from a healing shrine of Carakhan nearby. This location is flooded with shallow, crystal clear water. High, arching ceilings encompass rows upon rows of bookshelves, wrapping around the vast circular library. Niches high along the wall hold coral candelabras, their sharp light streaming through panels of stained glass laid over the openings. At the apex of the arches, a grand mural of the Celestial heavens has been painted, the radiant forms of Elohora and Her Supernal entourage peering down upon the books below. Spread evenly throughout the chamber, cherrywood tables and high-backed chairs of fine mahogany provide ample space for study, and the quills and inkwells set along the tables allow for the delicate work of the scribe. The arched entryway opens out into the Lodestar Athenaeum, the outer edge bordered in gold paint, silver conch shells decorating the length. A library catalogue rests here on a pedestal. Standing with grace and poise, an elegant pearl chair with a silken cushion awaits use here. A horseshoe shaped aquarium desk sits in the centre of the room, its drawers ajar. Ribbons of vibrant colours flow through the glassy interior of this prismatic rocking chair. A slender leothin sits here motionless, brightening its surroundings with its natural golden bio-luminescence. Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters lingers nearby, the air about him singing with the rush of the ocean. He wields a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand. You may use the LIBRARY commands here.
You see a single exit leading north.
A thoughtful scholar gasps and looks around, eyes filling with tears.
A thoughtful scholar says, "So many books! Oh, I never imagined. I could lose myself here forever! Here, take this with my thanks."
The group of 2 scholars gathers, offering their thanks and giving you several small bags of gold before rushing off and disappearing amongst the bookshelves.

You chirp happily.

You clap your hands together merrily.

You think to yourself: ...I am carrying entirely... too many things. What are some of these things.

You think to yourself: Who gave me a wand?

You stare blankly at an elegant willow wand.

A sense of longing fills the air, accentuated by the lapping of the ocean waves upon the distant walls of the city.

You close your eyes and inhale deeply, absorbing the scent of your surroundings.

You have emoted: Gurashi's antennae raise and bob as he turns to look towards the stained glass windows, listening to the ocean outside. "It is a nice night, yes."

You beam broadly at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Thank you for helping with my shirt, yes."

You move about quickly and lose Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters.

You begin to follow Tridemon.

You strike a pose.

Bizirik, the leothin strikes a pose.

Bizirik, the leothin looks exhausted and opens her mouth in an enormous yawn.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Esei."

You blink.

Looking up suddenly, you ask, "Esei?"

You tilt your head and listen intently to Tridemon.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... the person who gave you the wand."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "It'll have been Esei."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "...ah!"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "It IS."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "They craft all sorts of things and give them away."

You have emoted: Gurashi holds the wand and waves it around. "How am supposed to use it?"

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly turns to Bizirik, very lightly tapping the leothin on the nose with the end of the wand. Bizirik licks its snout, confused.

Bizirik, the leothin stares implacably at you.

Bizirik, the leothin chirps happily at you.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I will have to thank them, then....! Feel awful when do not notice their gifts..."

You have emoted: Gurashi takes the wand and boops Bizirik's nose again.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "It's for enchanting, like a ring or brooch. Unlike a ring or brooch, you have to wield it and point it for the effect to take place."

You have emoted: Gurashi slowly nods, listening to Tridemon explain while lightly tapping Bizirik on the nose with the wand. As you finish, he looks down, whispering to the leothin, "I have magicked you. You are now a potato yes. Maybe a squash."

Bizirik, the leothin gives a short gasp of elation.

Bizirik, the leothin flops down onto the ground.

Bizirik, the leothin proceeds to do its best impression of a potato.

You think to yourself: / *amused buzzing* /.

You think to yourself: / -Most- handlers teach their pets to heel, or attack on command... /.

You have emoted: Gurashi leans down, patting Bizirik on the head as it proceeds to sit up, impression done.

Beaming with pride, you whisper, "Bizi know how to pretend to be things."

Tridemon pets Bizirik, the leothin ingratiatingly.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at Tridemon. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

Laughing, you say, "Good girl."

You think to yourself: / *a chitter - shaking her head* /.

Bizirik, the leothin strikes a pose.

Bizirik, the leothin proceeds to turn and stare up at Tridemon, tail slowly sweeping back and forth.

You have emoted: Gurashi soothingly pets Bizirik's head.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to you, "Did you ever find a suitable ball?"

Looking up, you say, "I was JUST about to say..."

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Tridemon beckons you to him.

You are already following Tridemon.

You nod your head sagely.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "You have already caught me in shadow."

You strike a pose.

Smiling, you say, "So, was trying to think of how to make a ball that would not be... as damaging or as heavy as a grapefruit... Miss Khep said the ones they use are pure rubber so they are really bouncy but -heavy-..."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I thought of maybe getting a bunch of clothes - or maybe leather? Something not so... oh."

You think to yourself: / *listening* /.

<--we went to Caroo Carai or w/e!

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters west to a halt in growth.

A halt in growth.
Deep red seavines snake their way in from the west, encompassing and enfolding everything. Only a few feet in length, the seavines seem to have grown as far east as they can, their continuance halted by some force that causes them to create a line where on one side is abundant growth and on the other is a desolate barren. The line that halts the progression continues to bar any flora that may grow even up the wall or on the ceiling. There are 2 kelpie warriors here. Completely motionless, a slender leothin intently surveys its surroundings. Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters lingers nearby, the air about him singing with the rush of the ocean. He wields a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand.
You see exits leading east, south, and west.

Tridemon picks up a colourful orange ball.

You blink.

You blink.

You stare blankly at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: / ....was that a ball /.

Tridemon gives a colourful orange ball to you.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Orange."

LOOK BALL
The pale orange ball is made from fluffy yet dense seaweed. Small designs have been carved on the various visible strands in the shapes reminiscent of childhood. Many scratches and scrapes adorn the designs, and on one part there's even a little chunk missing.
It weighs about 4 pounds and 0 ounce(s).
It has the following aliases: ball, seaweed.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Oh my....!"

You have emoted: Gurashi pauses. "I do not know if I can test it here." He glances around. "..being... underwaters..."

You ponder the situation.

You think to yourself: / The ball is indeed... orange. The weight isn't bad, but it is hard to be a real judge down here... playing this game underwater might actually be... easier? Mm /.

You think to yourself: / I do not know how much it would affect gameplay. It is pretty fast moving.... /.

You have emoted: Gurashi tosses the ball into the air and catches it again, smiling.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Well, it wouldn't effect me terribly much."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I will do it if it makes it more fun for you."

You chirp happily at Tridemon.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "The ball... possibly an issue."

You think to yourself: / The ball would definitely be an issue /.

You think to yourself: / Take it up to the surface? Let's see if it bounces /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "It is...plants."

Tossing the ball to himself, you say, "Do plants bounce?"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Muku does."

Faintly buzzing, you exclaim, "Oh! Muku balls!"

You beam broadly.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "We could get one ofthose if this doesn't work?? That is easy!"

You think to yourself: / Muku... ? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "It is a plant! Big plant. Beautiful plant. I helped Miss Lief design a cookie to honor them once, yes."

You hum softly to yourself.

You think to yourself: **a gentle pang and a wash of blue**.

Tossing the ball to himself still, you say, "Anyway. Will be O-K if doesn't bounce?"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Well, let's head to the surface."

You think to yourself: / Mm... we'll see /.

You nod your head at Tridemon.

<-- walkies!

Old Imperial Road by the Inner Sea. (road).
This location is flooded with shallow, crystal clear water. Thick dreamy cotton clouds are spread across the firmament. The road is paved with stones and mortar, and wraps around the Razine Mountains. Its surface is scuffed and scarred by centuries of use of grinding traffic, yet its serviceable condition bespeaks that its construction was assisted by mysterious powers. No grass or weeds have been able to penetrate the road's surface, and any detritus is quickly blown to the side by the low winds that sweep down from the mountain range. The road passes near the Inner Sea, its waters rippling softly from the low winds coming off the Razine mountains. The scent of the salty sea blows in the breeze. Completely motionless, a slender leothin intently surveys its surroundings. Tridemon is here, pondering thoughtfully. He wields a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand.
You see exits leading east, south, and west.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Road."

You have emoted: Gurashi carefully holds the ball between his two primary hands, then hurls it at the ground as hard as he can. It makes an audible SPLAT, and... doesn't do much else.

You have emoted: Gurashi nudges the ball with his foot, making it roll.

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly starts trembling, looking like he's trying not to laugh.

You think to yourself: ......!!

You think to yourself: / Mm. What I worried - too dense out of the water... though. That could be fun for water sports /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Hmm. Well, not entirely unexpected."

You have emoted: Gurashi continues to try and suppress his laughter, staring down at the ball before picking it up.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I can go to Lyraa."

You pet a colourful orange ball ingratiatingly.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "So! Off to aetherspace!"

You think to yourself: Oh - it is missing...

<-- suddenly, Lyraa!

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters to a hollow in blue rock.

South of a formation of crystal.
A flat environs, the ground here is covered in fine grains of powdered blue and green stone. A few broad pieces of rock mold and bend around themselves, the strange formations like bits of wood or bone left to decompose. More strands of vegetation creep along the ground. The tendrils dodge in and out and around every stone. Just to the east, a structure of cyan towers over the rest of the terrain, with an odd formation of rock crystal on its southern face. Leaping up from the ground at the slightest touch, a dense, rubbery muku ball bounces here.

You blink.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Ah!"

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters up to passing over rough terrain.

You pick up a bouncing muku ball.
A bouncing muku ball bounces energetically out of your hands.
A dense muku ball bounces away to the southeast.

<-- and then 2 minutes of us scrambling to catch the stupid ball

Great waves crash over one another as they pour in from the northwest, finally swirling together before solidifying into Tridemon.

You flail about helplessly.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "It won't."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Did you catch it?"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Hold...STILL."

You flail about helplessly.

A bouncing muku ball bounces energetically out of your hands.
A dense muku ball bounces away to the southeast.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Ah!"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Hold STILL."

You huff and puff in outrage.

Tridemon picks up a bouncing muku ball.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

You stare blankly at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you exclaim, "You got it!"

Tridemon gives a bouncing muku ball to you.

A low humming vibrates at the edge of hearing, issuing from the magnetic fields that pierce this land.

You think to yourself: / *an attempt at communication, though far too broken up to understand* /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Woo!"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Miss Khep we got it!"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Tridemon's the best - he caught it!"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Should probably get back- this place is far away and it has odd fields."

You follow Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters to the Aetherplex Chamber.

You think to yourself: / ...llo? Hello? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "We're back!"

You pet a bouncing muku ball ingratiatingly.

You have emoted: Gurashi proceeds to bounce the ball against the ground, catching it each time it returns only to bounce it again. "Will work?"

You think to yourself: / ......... /.

You think to yourself: / ....*almost...excited* that is perfect /.

You chitter at Tridemon with energetic clicks of your mandibles.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "The only issue is making sure it doesn't get anywhere near fire."

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "Fire?"

You tilt your head curiously at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: / Why? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "So...don't play in the kitchen..."

You twitch your mandibles as you voice a soft, curious chirr.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... You don't know? Muku balls are explosive when exposed to open flame or lightning. It's part of their life cycle."

You stare blankly at Tridemon.

You have emoted: Gurashi shakes his head furiously, suddenly holding the ball at arm's length, his everlasting ember kept equally far away with his smaller right hand.

You think to yourself: / *an amused chitter* /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... Maybe put them in seperate packs, yes."

You think to yourself: / Anyway. I don't suppose you went through all this effort to get a ball just to -talk- about the game /.

You have emoted: Gurashi puts the ember safely away, still keeping the ball far, far away from his body. "O-K."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Well... the ball helps, but I don't think we have a space with a hoop?"

Faintly buzzing, you say, ".... oh!"

You have emoted: Gurashi flails, looking around. "Oh, uh. Wait! I can make one!!"

<--run run run back to manse

Tridemon follows you south.
A charming patio overlooking oblivion.                 (#HAH_2)
The shadowy outline of a twisted forest casts a dark gloom here. From outside the door, both stories of this timber-framed, two-story building are visible. Gnarled, blackened trunks bow out at the corners, and ivy creeps up each exterior wall, giving the structure a rounded, organic look. The roof is steeply pitched and shingled in mossy cedar, save for the rounded upstairs windows that peek out like a pair of sleepy eyes. A flagstone patio extends out from the facade for several feet, before coming to an abrupt end at the edge of the bubble, beyond which only the churning, stygian nothingness of aetherspace is visible. A narrow footpath curls around the side of the building. Beneath it, hard-packed dirt and stringy grass roots give way to the emptiness below. There are 3 smooth ravenwood benches here. An expansive picnic table seems to burst from the ground here, a trunk-like protrusion of whorled walnut wood. A shimmering blue circle floats in the room here.
You see a single exit leading north (open door).

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Wait."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Uhm - need ...oh!"

You have emoted: Gurashi promptly begins to scoot the benches out of the way, clearing as much space on the patio as he can. "Hang on hang on hang on."

You have emoted: Gurashi promptly turns to face the mostly cleared off patio, squeezing his eyes shut and waving his arms in the air.

You weave your illusion before Tridemon. <-- it was a hoop! I don't know why logs don't capture illusions
You feel capable of weaving another illusion.

Beads of sweat break out on your face.

Peeking, you say, "...t...here?"

You think to yourself: / *a chitter* Ah - will it stay? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "...I don't know..."

You have emoted: Gurashi lowers his arms hesitantly, watching as the circle remains in place, though dim. "Can that work?"

You think to yourself: / *chittering more excitedly* It's not ... that bad... /.

You click your mandibles together energetically, chittering to yourself.

You glance in Tridemon's direction, eyes narrowing slightly as you grin.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks up at the illusion again as it flickers, but remains. "It is not bad - that means it's workable! We can play?"

You think to yourself: / Well. Once everyone's the appropriate height and... species *you feel her gaze on you* /.

You bounce up and down.

You bounce up and down.

Tridemon passes his hands over his face and changes from a crystalline lucidian to a compound-eyed kephera tidebourne demigod before your eyes.
He is a compound-eyed kephera tidebourne demigod and his body is a strange combination of colours. Most of his body is covered in a series of chitinous plates, shimmering with violet-blue iridescence as the light hits him at different angles. In the gaps between the plates, the colouration becomes bright white, standing in start contrast to the deeper colour of most of his carapace. Standing at just under seven feet tall, his right shoulder supports the usual set of kepheran limbs, but his left shoulder and arm are decidedly different. Hundreds of shards of sea-shaded crystals have been embedded in his carapace, making his left arm look much more robust, if irregular, than the right arms, culminating in fingertips which have sharp shards of bright green crystal extending out well past the ends of the digits, as if they were gemstone claws. In addition, his lower left arm appears to be completely missing, with the gap in his carapace filled in with more of those sea green and blue crystals. Along his back is more evidence of some sort of trauma, with a half a set of folded insectoid wings with bright violet veins along the right side of his back, but with the left side completely missing, save for a jagged spike of shimmering blue and green crystal where the wing should have emerged from his carapace. His head is triangular and somewhat narrow, with the top of his head- a deeper violet-blue than the rest of his carapace- culminating in a pair of antennae, one of which is the same colour as his head and in two segments, while the other is in three segments in three colours. The top segment is an amber colour, the middle segment is emerald, and the base is an iridescent rainbow of opal. His eyes less extreme in their variety, but it exists nonetheless, with a hundred different shifting shades of violet playing across them at any one time.
Resembling an entity from the cosmic planes, his head is wreathed in undulating strands of shimmering cosmic fire. Attuned to his moods, the chromatic waves are in constant flux, from rising up in a halo of incandescent anger to streaming back in ripples of pleasure.

You have emoted: Gurashi's face lights up, and he looks Tridemon up and down, mandibles clicking excitedly. "AaaaaaAaaaaah! Hi!"

You bounce up and down.

Tridemon glances about alertly, his antennae twitching as he scans the immediate area.

You beam broadly at Tridemon.

You chitter at Tridemon with energetic clicks of your mandibles.

You think to yourself: / *a smirk* Welcome back, Kepheran Keeper /.

You bounce up and down.

You think to yourself: Ahhh! He looks so p.......... **frantic buzzing and embarrassed colors** very cool!

You think to yourself: / *amused buzzing* Good. Two ...approximately equi-sized males. Shouldn't be too unfair. Tiso's a little smaller but possibly also faster /.

You bounce up and down.

You have emoted: Gurashi bounces the ball against the patio excitedly, looking up at Tridemon. "How do we do the game Miss Khep!"

Suddenly, you say to Tridemon, "Oh!"

Tridemon ceases to wield a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand.
The aquatic power shining from the platinum pearl abruptly dims and fades.

Pointing at your face, you say to Tridemon, "Your glasses! Take off your glasses."

You cease wielding a wooden lute engraved with spiders in your left hand.

You stop wielding your weapon

Tridemon blinks.

Faintly buzzing, you ask Tridemon, "What if you get hit in the face?"

Tridemon shrugs helplessly.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "That would hurt. Do not care if you are lucidian do not want to get -glasses- glass in eyeballs."

You tilt your head, gaze softening as you frown.

You think to yourself: / *continued amused buzzing* /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "They're fairly sturdy, being an artifact, but..."

Tridemon removes a pair of thin spectacles.

Nervously, you say to Tridemon, "I promise I will try not to hit you in the face but."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Just in case!"

You have emoted: Gurashi points at the nearby table, where he's also set his lute. "You can keep them with my stuff!"

You bounce up and down.

You beam broadly.

You think to yourself: / So..... this game is called *a series of chitters and chirrs* /.

Tridemon tilts his head slightly, a band of glittering light playing across each eyeball in turn. "... I caught about three syllables of that."

You have emoted: Gurashi watches Tridemon excitedly, smaller hands laced together while his primary ones wield the muku ball, bouncing it occasionally. "She said--" He repeats the sound back. "Uhm. It means..."

You twitch your mandibles as you voice a soft, curious chirr.

You think to yourself: / ...some words are hard to translate /.

You have emoted: Gurashi bobs his head side to side. "Whatever it means - how do play!" He asks again, bouncing in his spot, then bouncing the ball. He looks towards Tridemon, lifting the ball and canting his head.

Tridemon sips white tea from a salt-paned lantern vial.
Tridemon sips oolong tea from a salt-paned lantern vial.
Tridemon sips green tea from a salt-paned lantern vial.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

You think to yourself: / Rules are simple. The one with the ball puts it into play by rolling it - the other player has to return the ball using their hip, forearm, elbow or knee. No hands, no feet. *an attempt to stifle her excitement, but she is buzzing audibly now* /

You begin to wield a bouncing muku ball in your left hand.

You quickly toss a bouncing muku ball to Tridemon, who catches it nimbly.

The evening air is warm and still, and your surroundings glitter with dappled, luminous starlight.
Midnight shadows coalesce around a new day, and Mother Night embraces the land in utter darkness.
It is now the 10th of Avechary, 559 years after the Coming of Estarra.
There are 6 days until the New Moon

You beam broadly at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: / Wait, I'm not finished... /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I know! I was just letting Tridemon have the ball too."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I was holding onto it selfishly bouncing bouncing bouncing it."

You hum softly to yourself.

You think to yourself: / ... /.

Tridemon gives the muku ball a small squeeze.

You think to yourself: / *distracted shake of the head* Anyway. You want to get it into the hoop. Person with the most points by the time whatever timer you are using runs out is the victor. Games can go on anywhere from half a day to... a week, depending on the team and score overseer /.

Watching Tridemon, you say, "A whole week!?"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "That's a lot of running!"

You think to yourself: / Well... some teams don't like the timers /.

You think to yourself: / Like... I said, we'll play a less... aggressive version /.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "What about my head?"

You think to yourself: / Sorry? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Can I bounce the ball off of my head."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "So they will keep going until their entire side drops from exhaustion? Hmm."

You click your mandibles together energetically, chittering to yourself.

You think to yourself: / *a somewhat embarrassed laugh* Ah - yeah. It's. A good way to take out aggression without actual weaponized combat /.

You think to yourself: / Did I mention we don't all get along so great? /.

You click your mandibles together energetically, chittering to yourself.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I just want to play until it is not fun anymore. Do not want to go until pass out or -die- or anything."

You think to yourself: / Anyway... go for it. Use your head - if, you want. Why not. It won't feel great though /.

You beam broadly.

You think to yourself: My head is covered in chitin, am hitting it all of the time! A ball will not hurt it yes.

You think to yourself: No? Yes.

You twitch your mandibles as you voice a soft, curious chirr.

You bounce up and down.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks over at Tridemon again, bouncing in his spot.

Tridemon squints a little bit at the ball, and lets out a breath, stepping forward slightly before bringing his other foot forward in a semicircle, his toe just barely scraping the ground before he puts his weight on it. It's the same sort of fluid motion that should be familiar to anyone who has watched him set up a demesne from scratch, though with less magic.

You have emoted: Gurashi watches, antennae raised, face light with excitement. He steps back, leaning forward, raising his hands, ready for the ball.

You think to yourself: / No hands, Tiso /.

You have emoted: Gurashi lowers his arms quickly, hands balled into fists.

You think to yourself: Right!

You think to yourself: This is exciting!

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Not sure how well this is going to go... these things are VERY bouncy."

Laughing, you exclaim, "I am ready!"

You think to yourself: / Try not to use your head /.

You beam broadly at Tridemon.

You have recognised Tridemon for: For playing BALL with my BUG *screams*.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Ah, wait. One more thing..."

Tridemon drops a palm sigil.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

Laughing, you exclaim, "Oh! Good idea!"

You think to yourself: / *chittering softly and excitedly* Whenever you're ready. Just lob it to Tiso /.

You bounce up and down.

Tridemon begins to wield a bouncing muku ball in his left hand.

You are startled as a bouncing muku ball bounces harmlessly off you after being thrown at you by Tridemon.

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out a high pitched yelp as the ball comes flying at him, throwing his arms into the air to defensively cover his face. The ball strikes his shoulder and flies off wildly into the bushes. He looks up, gasping. "AHHHH am sorry!" He laughs, running after it.

You pick up a bouncing muku ball.
A bouncing muku ball bounces energetically out of your hands.
You pick up a bouncing muku ball.

You have emoted: Gurashi plucks the ball with some struggling from the bushes, laughing. "It was fast! I wasn't expecting it to be so -fast-!!!"

You chitter at Tridemon with energetic clicks of your mandibles.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Am ready now am not scared!"

You think to yourself: / *through high-pitched, sharp laughter* Ah - you could just see if you could bounce it back to the Keeper yourself /.

You tilt your head curiously.

You tilt your head curiously at a bouncing muku ball.

You nod your head slowly in understanding.

You chitter at Tridemon with energetic clicks of your mandibles.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "O-K O-K O-K incoming yes!"

You have emoted: Gurashi suddenly removes his cloak, draping it over the nearby bench. He holds the ball in hand, tossing it once lightly to himself, then tossing it a second time. As it comes back down, her turns sharply and hip checks it, sending it flying in Tridemon's direction. "Ooah!"

You remove an ebon throwover cloak striated with lilac patterns.

Tridemon moves significantly less quickly, but it is a great deal more deliberate- there's little to no sharpness to his motions as he turns and steps forward, a circular motion that brings his raised right forearm up to the level of the ball to bounce the ball right back toward you.

You hands fly to your mouth as you give a short gasp of elation.

You think to yourself: / Nice return! /.

You have emoted: Gurashi hops in place as he sees Tridemon return the ball with a swing of the arm. Then, the ball is flying at him again, and for a moment he looks utterly terrified, twisting suddenly and raising his left arms defensively. The ball strikes his elbow, once more bouncing wildly, hitting first the table, then bouncing chaotically in Tridemon's direction again.

As he watches the ball go, you exclaim, "S-sorry!"

You think to yourself: / *with a laugh* Tiso, stop being afraid of the ball! /.

Flailing, you say, "It is so fast!"

You think to yourself: / *laughing still* That is the point! /.

Tridemon turns again, still a fluid, circular motion that looks almost like he's getting out of the way... until he brings one leg up in a much more energetic motion than before, sending the ball up toward the sky in a high arc back toward you.

You flail about helplessly.

You flail about helplessly.

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out a high-pitched whistle of surprise as he watches the ball go up, arms still flailing. He keeps his eye on it this time, however, backing up.

You think to yourself: / Don't close your eyes at the last second - keep your eyes on it, Tiso! Hit it! /.

You flail about helplessly.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... useful for training tahtetso stances..."

You have emoted: Gurashi continues to buzz, then looks towards the illusory circle, then again at the descending ball. With a bewildered expression, he turns and hits the ball with his elbow, sending it towards the circle - so CLOSE, but not quite. It whizzes past, hits the wall of the house behind Tridemon, then comes bouncing back your way.

You think to yourself: / Mm. Everything is for teaching down here - even the games /.

You flail about helplessly.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Ahhh!"

Bizirik, the leothin watches the ball game unfold with wide eyes, tucked underneath the nearby table to avoid being smacked by the ball on accident.

Tridemon turns again, almost letting the ball pass him... but sending it on its way with a little more momentum by managing to hit it with his shin, sending it back toward you a little more quickly than it had been. ... it... kind of looks like he might have forgotten that the point is to put the ball in the hoop.

You have emoted: Gurashi stumbles, gasping. He laughs, bringing up a leg to hit the ball with his knee and promptly send it straight back to Tridemon. "Hey! Yeah!" He chirps excitedly, wings flitting once.

You think to yourself: / *oddly cheerful buzzing, not bothering to correct the fallacy of the forgotten hoop* /.

Tridemon it starting to move faster- and more like a tahtetso, though he never seems to stop using those fluid, circular motions to position himself. This time, an elbow strike- from his lower right arm- to send the ball down to the ground to bounce high again, though not quite as high as that knee strike from earlier.

You have emoted: With a delighted chirp, Gurashi backs up again to chase after the ball, waving his arms. As it descends, he finds himself nearing the edge of the manse, teetering close to the edge of aetherspace. He looks up at the ball, back into oblivion - suddenly, he jumps, squeezing shut his eyes and hitting the ball with the front of his face, sending it bouncing loosely in Tridemon's direction, losing some of its momentum. As he lands, he staggers, then laughs, rushing forward. "Ow! Haha!!!"

You think to yourself: / *a laugh* I'll allow it.... /.

You think to yourself: / *observing still, yes, unable to stifle a content and cheerful buzzing... a curious chirr at the use of tahtetso, but still mostly drawn into the game* /.

Tridemon turns his body again, this time lifting up his left arm, hitting the ball with his forearm... which, due to the uneven nature of the crystals embedded in his carapace, sends the ball at a rather different angle than he had intended, though still vaguely in your direction.

You hands fly to your mouth as you give a short gasp of elation.

You flail about helplessly.

You think to yourself: / *continued buzzing, thrumming, unintentionally lulling* /.

You have emoted: Gurashi laughs aloud sharply, chasing after the ball and managing to knock it back with the side of his leg. "This is fun!" He calls out breathlessly. "Tridemon are having fun?!"

You look at Tridemon hopefully.

You bounce up and down.

You think to yourself: **excited! excited, happy happy warm yellows bright blues pastels fun! also breathing, need to breathe but -fun-**.

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.

Tridemon turns his body again and... this time completely misses the ball, letting it past his position to bounce toward the house behind him, whereupon it promptly sends him staggering forward slightly by hitting the small of his back and bouncing high up into the air again.

You give a horrified gasp.

You think to yourself: / Ooh -- /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Ah!"

You have emoted: Gurashi watches the ball, then abandons it, instead scrambling over Tridemon as you stagger forward. "Are O-K?" He asks. Suddenly he becomes aware of the ball again, letting out a surprised yelp and swinging wildly to knock it away before it strikes either of you, sending it off into the void beyond the manse.

You give a horrified gasp.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "... oh NO--."

You think to yourself: / Where's it going to-- /.

You have emoted: There's a faint whirring sound as the muku ball comes sailing in from seemingly nowhere, striking the ground near the table with way too much force before soaring off, again, into the nothing. Gurashi bursts into laughter, covering his head. "OH NO."

You think to yourself: / *both laughing and concerned* It seems to be going -very- fast now /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... I'm okay, but I don't think it's a good idea to stay in this room for much longer!"

You have emoted: Gurashi lets out a terrified "EEK" as the ball strikes the ground again, faster, and louder, and harder. He suddenly shoves Tridemon towards the door, then beckons for Bizirik, who doesn't need to be told twice.

Tridemon turns towards the north and steps forward, instantly collapsing into a torrent of water that rushes outwards with a thunderous crash of water.
<-- heckin RUN

A chilling, forestal curiosities room.                 (#HAH_1)
The shadowy outline of a twisted forest casts a dark gloom here. A comforting feeling of privacy pervades the area. 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. A brightly colourful tapestry depicting a bear filled picnic has been hung on a nearby wall. A small table hewn from a ravenwood trunk has been upended here, providing a small surface on which to rest various objects. Depicting the four trees of Glomdoring in stylistic renditions, a woven, rose-scented rug spreads across the floor. There are 2 lyre-backed chairs here. Hanging from fine silver, this large snowflake lantern has light blue gems dangling beneath it, causing a gentle sway. A broad glass-faced display rack for musical instruments stands proudly here. A painting of Gurashi's Staring Contest is proudly exhibited on a nearby wall. A marble archway stands here, elegantly arcing up from ground to ceiling. A gilded pedestal, displaying a painting of A Wee Highland Cow, stands here, its gold leaf cracked and weathered. A gilded pedestal, displaying a painting of A Future Endeavor, stands here, its gold leaf cracked and weathered. A gilded pedestal, displaying a painting of the Lazing Leothin, stands here, its gold leaf cracked and weathered. A solitary violet iris is here. There are 2 ethereal cats here. A luminescent butterfly flutters about here, emanating a soft glow. Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters lingers nearby, the air about him singing with the rush of the ocean. You see a sign here instructing you to use the PORTAL command to enter the aetherplex system.
You see exits leading north, east (open door), and south (open door).

You close the oak door to the south.

You have emoted: Gurashi pulls the door shut, then presses the side of his head to it, listening... wincing....

You stare blankly into space.

You think to yourself: / ........ /.

You think to yourself: ......

You have emoted: Gurashi slowly looks over his shoulder at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: ... **growing amusement**.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "I'm... sure it'll be fine."

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "... I'm sure it'll go through the hoop EVENTUALLY."

You have emoted: Gurashi brings up a hand to cover his beak, shutting his eyes as he stifles a laugh. "Yeah."

You think to yourself: / So. -That-. Was *chittering sounds* /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Point for Gurashi."

You think to yourself: / Not... terrible /.

Tridemon nods his head sagely.

You suddenly let loose a chittering laugh.

Raising his arms and laughing, you say, "Yaaay, am winning!"

Tridemon pats Bizirik, the leothin in a friendly manner.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at Tridemon. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

You have emoted: Gurashi winces as he hears a light crash outside, listening. "T-the ball will break eventually yes?"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Yes, it'll eventually break and stop. Shouldn't take more than a day or two."

You suddenly let loose a chittering laugh.

You have emoted: Gurashi covers his face with his hands. "Oh man am going to have a mess, aren't I...." Suddenly, he gasps. "OH. It will stay on the patio I hope...!"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "The cats...should know to stay away."

Tridemon begins to wield a dazzling white staff crowned by a platinum pearl in his left hand.
From atop the staff, the platinum pearl shines with aquatic power.

You clap your hands together merrily.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Tridemon...!"

Faintly buzzing, you exclaim, "....that was fun!"

You think to yourself: / Mm - you enjoyed yourselves? /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Yes yes yes yes yes."

You bounce up and down.

You bounce up and down.

You bounce up and down.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I hit it with my head and I didn't die."

Faintly buzzing, you say to a luminescent butterfly, "Did you see? Oh - don't go outside."

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

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "I was a little bit worried about... well, breaking the ball, rather than it breaking me. I'm a little bit sharp in places."

Still laughing, you say to Tridemon, "You were better than me! Tridemon! Oh! You looked so cool!"

Gasping, you say, "You were all like, 'whoosh'," He moves his arm and takes a step, "All like the Illithoid scourges do when they are warming up. Sort of, kind of."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Mm... a lot of that was adapted from what I watched Ayi use while she was hunting and such. Tahtetso monk."

You think to yourself: / *a curious chirr* Your wife studied Tahtetso? /.

You have emoted: Gurashi's face changes a bit, and he tilts his head, watching Tridemon curiously. "Miss Ayi was a monk...?"

Faintly buzzing, you say, "I didn't know that..."

You twitch your mandibles as you voice a soft, curious chirr.

You think to yourself: Oh. I do not know why I didn't know what she was. .. never asked - rude!

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Yes, she was even the Grandmistress of... Discipline, I think it was, for a time. The Guild Administrator."

You think to yourself: / It wasn't bad form. Actually, pretty... flawless. Your wife studied well *a buzz* /.

You have emoted: Gurashi watches Tridemon speak, folding his hands together as he listens, expression hard to read. "Oh my gosh - like... in charge...?"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "It's not really the same without a proper tahto staff, of course. It gets used for leverage so much."

You think to yourself: ...

You think to yourself: **red fish**.

You nod your head slowly in understanding.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "And the grappling techniques would be... inappropriate."

You think to yourself: / *a laugh* Indeed /.

You think to yourself: / Well, consider me impressed /.

You think to yourself: / I don't suppose you'll be wanting a rematch anytime soon - Tiso's winning /.

You have emoted: Gurashi perks up as he is addressed, wringing his hands together and nodding. "One point to me."

Tridemon glances over toward the door. "... perhaps at a later date. In a room where something dropped off the side doesn't come crashing back down on us."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Oh no, my hat..."

You have emoted: Gurashi stares at the door as well, reaching up to touch his head. "And cloak. Oops."

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "You may need to fix more clothes for me later."

You glance in Tridemon's direction, eyes narrowing slightly as you grin.

You think to yourself: A monk...

You think to yourself: **swirls of every color**.

An ethereal cat makes a plaintive meow, looking pitiable.

Faintly buzzing, you say to an ethereal cat, "Biscuit. Be polite."

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Parade of cats."

Smiling, you say, "They like company."

You have emoted: Gurashi reaches down to pet one of the nearest cats, eliciting a little purr before it wanders off.

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

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Hello yes."

You face lights up as you smile brightly at Tridemon.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "That was fun!"

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Thank you!"

Tridemon mixes the tinctures together and creates a palette of fine paints.

With great care, Tridemon restores a painting of Gurashi's Staring Contest to a pristine condition.

You blink.

Tridemon nods his head emphatically.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Oh - I have a lot of paintings..."

You suddenly let loose a chittering laugh.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Another time, I have bothered you -enough- this month yes."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Fixing my shirt and playing ball games yes."

You bounce up and down.

Faintly buzzing, you ask Bizirik, the leothin, "Sure had fun though, yes?"

Bizirik, the leothin snorts.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "I'm sure she had fun... since she managed to avoid being brained."

Bizirik, the leothin chirps happily.

You glance askance at Tridemon.

You have emoted: Gurashi presses his ear to the door again, listening. He winces. "Still going." Then, he laughs.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "This would be fun with more peoples, yes. Like, two more peoples, so could have teams..."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Wonder if Mixter Esei and Miss Olethea would also play? Would be hard... oh! But we could each be on one of their teams so there is a kephera each, maybe..."

You think to yourself: **a sense of curiosity - excited**.

You shake your head.

You face lights up as you smile brightly at Tridemon.

You sway back and forth.

You think to yourself: **happy. happy happy pastels**.

Tridemon ponders the situation.

Tridemon turns towards the north and steps forward, instantly collapsing into a torrent of water that rushes outwards with a thunderous crash of water.

You blink.

You have emoted: Gurashi follows after, chittering.

<-- goes to living room

You tilt your head curiously.

Tridemon sits himself down on a soft couch decorated with needlepoint poppies and makes himself comfortable.

You chirp happily at Tridemon.

Tridemon nods his head sagely.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "Ah! Rest time?"

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Mm."

Faintly buzzing, you say, "That was a lot of running!"

You beam broadly.

Tridemon nods his head sagely.

You have emoted: Gurashi shuts the door behind himself, shuffling over and sitting on the opposite couch, pulling out his notepad and humming.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Thank you!"

You beam broadly at Tridemon.

You think to yourself: **continued swirls of bright colors and gratitude**.

You sit yourself down on a soft couch decorated with needlepoint poppies and make yourself comfortable.

You think to yourself: / Mm ... you know /.

You have emoted: Gurashi glances up curiously, tapping his quill against his notepad.
You have recovered balance on all limbs.

You think to yourself: / *a short laugh* This game was actually how we met /.

You blink.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks up again. "Huuuuh?"

You think to yourself: / *a nod* /.

You think to yourself: / We were ..... *a thoughtful tick* six /.

Your eyes bug out as you boggle in amazement.

Faintly buzzing, you whisper, "-Babies-."

You think to yourself: / *a laugh* Yes. Young /.

You think to yourself: / I was sitting there, waiting for my governess when you just... -walked- up and asked if I wanted to play with you *another laugh* /.

You blink.

Faintly buzzing, you ask, "...oh - that's weird?"

You think to yourself: / *incredulous* Males don't approach Princesses - period! /.

You stare blankly into space.

You think to yourself: That's silly.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Heh. Even among the surface races, little boys and little girls tend to play apart from each other."

You think to yourself: / It is not allowed, no /.

You think to yourself: / But here he was, just this... child, asking if I wanted to play with him, and I asked if he meant *chittering*, and he goes... *she laughs* Wait. So, he goes... /.

You think to yourself: / 'Oh, that game is mean' *stifled giggles* 'I know a funner-er version'. And I had -no- idea. What to say /.

You click your mandibles together energetically, chittering to yourself.

You think to yourself: / I don't know. Your version -was- fun. None of the elbows to the face or body slams. Like how you played with the Keeper just now /.

You think to yourself: / Granted my governess -was- furious when she came out but. I was grateful regardless /.

You have emoted: Gurashi folds his hands awkwardly in his lap, looking down at his notepad.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Feh. Someone attempting a body slam would quickly find themselves on the receiving end of a very accidental series of eye gouges."

You think to yourself: / Listen, you may think you're tall - but even Nepra dwarfs Tiso's father /.

You think to yourself: / There are some -big- competitors in the game sometimes... anyway. We were very small so nobody got hurt /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says, "Hmm... well, there are reasons I fight with magic instead of hitting people with pointy things."

You gaze softens as you smile.

You think to yourself: / I don't think you'll be playing in any official games soon /.

You have emoted: Gurashi looks Tridemon over thoughtfully, gaze lingering on your missing lower left arm.

You think to yourself: / .... *hesitance* You two should get some rest, I think /.

You tilt your head curiously.

You think to yourself: / I've work to do /.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "...oh."

Tridemon nods his head sagely.

You think to yourself: **curious swirls of seafoam green* met when were little. little? little! that is a long time to know somebody...

You think to yourself: / Thanks for giving it a shot. Let me know if you ever need a referee again? *amused buzzing* /.

Ocean waves echoing softly behind his voice, Tridemon Regalis, Keeper of Pure Waters says to you, "I should go make sure that the unfinished beach hasn't somehow turned bright pink."

You blink.

You face lights up as you smile brightly at Tridemon.

You nod your head emphatically.

You chirp happily at Tridemon.

Tridemon pats you in a friendly manner.

Faintly buzzing, you say to Tridemon, "Thank you!"

You wave goodbye.

Faintly buzzing, you say, "Have fun!"

Tridemon touches his fingertips to his hand, illuminating the temporal tattoo upon it. The air beside him warps, as a clock-like portal manifests.

You chirp happily.

Tridemon waves goodbye.
The clock face shimmers as Tridemon steps through.