Unbroken

A strong wind blows against you, bringing with it swirls of mute green leaves in a fragrant, jade cloud. The buffeting winds whip the leaves against you, their edges almost cutting marks into your skin as they make stinging contact. You feel your small body lifted into the air, your wings stretched.

You have emoted: Lief makes a strangled cry, her head whipping about herself as she hugs her elbows, wild-eyed.

The winds die down as quickly as they come, swirling into a series of wildflower petals of blue and green that land to cover the ground in thick layers. Within their rustling hush, a voice calls out, "Eldin." You feel yourself find your steadiness in the air once more.

You have emoted: Lief continues to search the air around her, her eyes still wide, pulse jumping beneath her skin. The name, though - that softens her, as do the flower petals which begin to blanket the earth. She releases her elbows, one by one, and searches the ruins about herself, wings resuming their fast-paced buzz. "My Lady?" she calls out in turn.

Rising from the petals upon the ground like a figure made of green, Maylea emerges, covered in their blue-jade hues. Her golden eyes are prominent, bright, as they open and study you. And then She shakes ever so slightly, and the foliage upon Her falls to Her feet to reveal Her prismatic figure once more. "Eldin," She says softly, breaking into a smile.

The wisps of condensation in the sky spread slightly as a few light clouds develop.

You have emoted: "Oh!" Lief exclaims with a gasp, winging up close to Maylea, her eyes bright. "Oh, You gave me a start!" Laughter finds its way into her voice, tinged with a hint of wildness from emotions still lingering. She gazes up into her Goddess's eyes, her own gray eyes swimming with snatches of color, merry and content.

-l maylea
She is a radiant immortal and glows with effulgent life, a powerful sense of vibrancy emanating from Her presence. There is something thoughtful and introspective about Her expression and Her brilliant golden eyes, as though She gazes farther into the soul, brushing aside the impermanent layers of existence to seek the truth within. Streaks of deep blue wind through Her chestnut hair as it falls straight down Her back to the hips, several shorter locks dangling forward to frame Her heart-shaped face. A thin line crosses the skin of Her left forearm, the only remnant of the scar from a savage bite. An aura of power plays about Her slender frame and sets Her tawny skin aglow in faint, prismatic hues.

She is wearing:
a woven sari edged in prismatic embroidery
a trailing rainbow sash
an armband of twining vines
a sky-hued bluebell
a translucent crystal bindi
an anklet hung with crystal chimes.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Imagine surprise when got big dragonfly that thought was yours, but it gave me... a -head-. It was NOT yours. Aha. Hah. Ehh."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "Oh, goodness, no! I very specifically told Esei I did not appreciate the, ah...gifts? they attempted to give to me. I would never force such morbid gifts upon another person unless they wished for it."

"I did not mean to startle you, little one." Maylea approaches, holding both Her hands out. "But hold well in a storm, hm?" A smile plays upon Her lips.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Ahhh, got another head... peoples are weird. Many apologies for disrupting."

You have emoted: Lief laughs again, her hands stretching out to touch Maylea's own, her calloused musician's fingertips rough to the touch. "I didn't fall apart," she points out, her eyes twinkling in merriment.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "....tell Her do not really want heads no ... they are very ... dirty?"

Maylea squeezes your fingers lightly, a small flickering of colours floating from Her form into yours. "No, you did not." Abruptly, She lets go again and breaks into laughter, walking about you in a slow circle, appraising. "You are strong, My Eldin?"

You have emoted: Lief clasps her hands together before herself, beaming, her head twisting to follow Maylea's path as best as she can without winging her body about to follow along. "I am," she says, her voice soft, outward appearances at odds, perhaps, with the declaration. "And I know because of You - You had shown me that I had that potential within me, my Lady, and so I have grown to become it. And I think I've only just realized it."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "Ah..." Her attention is distracted, her voice lighter upon the aethers than usual. "...Surely you may tell Her yourself, though?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...heads ARE for thinking."

Sunlight billows across the realm, revealing the full glory of the majestic sun's luminous presence as he climbs higher into the sky.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...wait, did... She think that wanted YOUR head??"

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "You do not, do you?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "N-n-no!!"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Miss Lief think Miss Lady of Serenity is reading our conversation."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "Oh, but that is okay if She hears!"

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "I told you, yes? She is always beside me."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...oh my goodness."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...OH NO."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "SHE HEARD WHAT SAID ABOUT MISS DUET OH NO."

Maylea stops before you. Her golden eyes examine you with quiet interest, no threat nor malice in Her gaze. "You have grown to strength, My little one, indeed." She reaches forward, touching a hand to your cheek. "More than meets the eye." She meets your grey gaze, "With colours between and beneath, ready to unfurl." Her hand drifts to your shoulder. "A push," She pushes you, and you feel yourself falling back. "But no fall." You steady yourself. She adds, "Your friend should not be so afraid."

The musky scent of loam and leaves fills you with vibrancy.

You have emoted: Lief's attention is rapt as she listens to Maylea. Faint color suffuses her cheeks, a quiet and gentle pride casting itself into her mien. She makes a startled sound when she is pushed, and the motion of her beginning to fall is not the most elegant - her wings stutter, and then resume their perpetual hum when she rights herself with a laugh. And then a startled one, to her Lady's comment. "I don't think he should be, either, my Lady. He knows who I am, I should hope." She flashes Maylea a beaming smile, her eyes still bright. "I am so glad You see this in me, too," she says softly. "With Your gaze, not just by my words."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "Why does that make you worried, Gurashi?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "... b-because, uhm."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Uh."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "**You can sense distraction, disturbance -- dreaminess** Uhmmmmmmmm."

Maylea finds a stump upon which She sits Herself, Her eyes still upon yours. The surface of the stump suddenly bursts into vibrancy, the mosses greener than green, the small mushrooms bright with brown and red and orange, and at Her feet, tiny white flowers bloom in snowy clusters. "To bend, My dear, to be strong as you are, requires change." Her golden gaze searches, "Have you changed, Eldin?"

A sluggishness momentarily grips you as the world around seems to briefly speed up.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...is embarrassing to bear heart and soul about another persons and realize someone else was listen--oog."

You have emoted: Lief follows Maylea, alighting on the ground to stand before Her, bare feet sinking against the cool soil. She cannot help spending a quiet moment admiring the life that surrounds her Goddess - the vibrant colors, the sudden burst of flowers. She sways a moment in that queer sluggishness, and then she steadies herself, finding Maylea's eyes again. "I have," she says, her toes digging in. "Even the things about me which have stayed the same have changed, too. My desire for strength - the seed that brought me to You - was selfish and jealous before, born from admiration and desire. And now maybe it's still a little bit selfish, but differently. I want to bend and not break for those around me - for my friends, for the hope of the First Forest, and for You."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "...She knows about Miss Duet."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "It does not surprise me! Duethielle wanders these woods that my Lady loves, and she sings such lovely music, too."

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.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "I-I didn't..."

Maylea breaks into a smile at you. "And do you think, My unbroken one, that you would be able to lead others to persevere, through love, through loss, through pain and hurt, to bear fruit when all is dire, to find the rays of light in the darkest night? To grow despite that, and to show the colours they have learned, through change?" She laces Her fingers together, placing them upon Her knees. "It seems your friend is bending, grown in the shadow of the Wyrd. Is he breaking?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Know what to say to Her about it..."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "Would you like to speak your heart to Her?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "... B..."

As the sun passes below the horizon's edge, Mother Night unveils her terrible, shadowy beauty, spreading darkness across the land.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "**The disbelief is palpable** ME? To Miss Lady of -Serenity-? ....about a -girl-???"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "O-K, have made Mister Lord Silence upset before but do not think He would like that very much!"

(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "Aka yes."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "Aka yes i want to yes LOL."

In a swirl of blue fire, a gentle spirit stag leaps out of the Flame of dae'Seren upon you and prances in a slow circle before fading.

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "It is the most selfish aspect of my life - it is a hard thing to... find words for??"

You have emoted: Lief's antlered head nods along to Maylea's questions, her gray eyes considering Her every word. And then she is given pause by the final question, and her hands clasp before herself, a sadness casting its shadow about her features. She gives the question much thought, even as a little spirit stag dances about her for its brief life. "I can only speak to those willing to listen," she says softly. "I cannot force them to listen, but I can keep trying different ways to speak. I use my words - I use my actions - I use my very being, and I listen to them, too. I wrote him a song." She squeezes her hands together tightly. "If even one thing shows him the color within himself, if even one thing can show him the way to light, to show him how strong *he* is, how *he* can stand for his own self, I will keep trying. As I would for anyone who will let me try."

Breaking in a smile, Maylea, Bloom of Serenity says to you, "And that little band, that little circle of those who walk the Way of the Blossom with you, what would you like it to be called, My dear?"

With a loud yet playful whistle, a mechanical dirigible comes puttering in on currents of air, its metallic claw grasping an iridescent peacock cookie, which it quickly deposits in your hands.

The chirping of crickets surrounds you in a medley of night-time music.

A mechanical dirigible bobs up and down on the air currents before jets of steam erupt from several of its valves, then putters off.

The howl of a distant wolf momentarily silences the crickets.

You have emoted: Lief's sadness fades, and she returns Maylea's smile, quieted by consideration but no less sincere. Her hands reach out automatically to claim an iridescent peacock cookie, and she gazes down upon it, her rough and unfeeling thumb gently tracing the outline of one tail feather. "Gurashi made this to offer me small comfort, after Shashi was taken from us," she murmurs, half to herself. She continues to gaze upon the little baked pastry, and something in her resolves. She looks up to meet Maylea's eyes again. "What do You think of us being called the Unbroken, this circle? I know it doesn't fit together neatly with Barrin's group, or Lendren's, but I am not Barrin, nor am I Lendren."

You tell Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe, "...thank you, for this cookie."

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Oh! Ah, er, of course. Do want another one? Do have.... e-ehm, c-comapny?"

The melodious voice of Gurashi resonates in your mind, "Er, company, mean. Company."

Maylea's eyes fall upon the cookie in your hands. "It's a beautiful work, Eldin, of good likeness." She reaches out and draws it from your grasp. Applying slight pressure upon the cookie with a single finger, the treat falls apart in Her hands. She shows you the component parts, the soft colours, the crumble of the flour. Before long, She molds it back together again, adding a dash of iridescence to the pastry peacock's eyes. "Unbroken, indeed."

Maylea gives an iridescent peacock cookie with bright, glittering eyes to you.

-p 349465
No bigger than a faeling's hand, this cookie has been carefully crafted to resemble a proud peacock with its tail feathers expanded. A shining mirror glaze of blue, green, and violet swirl together to mimic the peacock's natural iridescent plumage. The edges have been lined with shiny edible gold leaf, giving this bird a hallowed appearance. Its eyes glitter brightly, giving it the appearance of being alive, especially as it blinks now and again.
It has 1 months of usefulness left.
It is strangely weightless.
It has a trade valuation of worthless.
It bears the distinctive mark of Exemplar of the Tah'vrai, Gurashi An'Ryshe.
It has the following aliases: cookie.

You have emoted: With both her hands cupped, Lief accepts the cookie, then cradles it, her expression overcome with tenderness. "Just like his," she says quietly. Her lashes blink rapidly, moistening with the faintest glint of tears, but her cheeks are dry when she gazes up at Maylea again. "Thank You." Her throat is tight, but a smile tugs at the corners of her lips.

(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "I really wanna know."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "Does this mean maylea on board with gurathielle ship lol."
(REDACTED): You say, "All you gotta do to make all of us happy is figure out who her wife is, then...*gestures vaguely*."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "STOP."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "UGH."
(REDACTED): Elexia says, "Yess."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "Wait what are you planning to do to said wife lol."
(REDACTED): Gurashi says, "I just mis'd that."

(Cult housekeeping stuff, what needs to be prepared and done.)

Glorious rays of morning light burst forth from Father Sun's crown as it peeks over the world's edge, announcing a bright and shining new dawn.

You have emoted: Lief inhales the fragrance of the forest's wildflowers as she listens, her eyes bright upon Maylea. "Yes, my Lady," she says softly, her lips parted in a half-smile touched by her thoughtfulness. "I will meditate upon these things."

Maylea draws Her sari about Herself, turning to depart. A sudden storm of wind blows through the trees, bringing scatters of leaves that surround Her form in blue-green swirls. As Her form is subsumed by the foliage, you sense a memory upon your mind, that of curling, waiting within a warm, fragrant cocoon; that of the scent of peaches, of your thoughts flowing and slowing, transforming into something new; that of searing pain driving through your left eye - until your vision becomes a blur in truth. When you blink again, the Goddess is gone.

You have emoted: One of Lief's hands flies up, heel pressing into her left eye, a gasp upon her lips. She sways on her feet, and when she blinks again, and Maylea is gone, she steadies herself. Her antlered head bows low, her other hand still cupping her cookie protectively.

You think to yourself: You are Unbroken, my Lady - despite all You have suffered. ...I will teach others this way, the Way of the Blossom. I will.

You start as everything seems to skip a beat, your heart included.