strikes are very cathartic

---> We saw Rhalkyr at the Domoth, which led to some uneasy words and (minor) accusations from the Tiger Man. Cheliyi has been sort of dropping items to him as a starting apology, and he said that it was better than Gurashi's "empty words" which. *gun emoji*

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *a sense of guilt - was not offering just words ..*.
Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *uncertainty - should reach out? no - let it go - but*.
Gurashi purses their lips.

Leaning forward, you gently press a kiss to Gurashi's brow.

Wearily, you say, "You are not just offering hollow words. It is your Word. Has weight. Just does not understand."
Faintly amused, you say, "It will be fine. Now, don't you have more strikes?"

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *at this, a sudden chill ... "...your word..."*.

You glance askance.
You give Gurashi a friendly squeeze.
Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "I am... a little worried too, yes. But we will get through it."

Distractedly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Strikes. Right. Forty more to-day."
Gurashi nods their head sagely at you.
Gurashi reaches over and ruffles your hair with a fond expression.

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *the chill remains, a stillness - worried*.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Oh!"
Gurashi gives a horrified gasp.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Miss Netra, that is right."

(Celest): Aeldra says, "How is everyone?"

You hum softly, your frills vibrating with song.
You nod your head emphatically.

Muginn, the ghost-feathered crow trots in with head high, butting you gently with his head.

Distractedly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Right. Figuring out...uhm."

Gurashi taps their chin with a finger. "Do you want to see if he has some... -something-, that wants in apology?" They ask at last, shrugging. "Do not have to, of course. Have strikes. And am needing to talk to Miss Netra. And should probably say hi to the mothies, since haven't seen Beloved Shulamit for a few months..."

You have emoted: Cheliyi purses her lips, gaze growing distant. Eventually, she nods. "Alright. Will go see."

You think to yourself: **a sense of unease, have to face your mistakes**.

Quietly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Do not have to."

A rush of summer warmth passes through you as you smell grass and flowers and glimpse the limitless blue of a perfectly blue, sunlit sky.

Leaning forward, you gently press a kiss to Gurashi's brow.
Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Am going to."
You purse your lips pensively, gazing off into the distance as you carefully gather your thoughts.

You are already following Gurashi.

Light radiates from Gurashi's heart, warming with shades of gold, wheat, and saffron.

Eventually, you say, "Let's finish strikes first, yes."

Gurashi nods their head emphatically.

You follow Gurashi, The Heart's Friend northwest to sparring against the training dummies.

Gurashi nods their head emphatically.
Gurashi nods their head emphatically.
Gurashi ceases to wield a vibrant mandolin of songbirds and stars in their left hand.
Quietly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Forty, yes. For today."
Gurashi begins to wield a wooden training katana in their hands.

Torchlight travels across the curtain wall, illuminating patrollers who keep their keen eyes upon the darkness of the valley beyond.
Across the heavens, the stars and moon challenge night's dark reign, revealing familiar constellations that tell the tales of myth and legend.

Gurashi assumes their stance, gazing cooly at a grimacing burlap dummy as their attention clearly drifts elsewhere for a moment. They tie back their hair again.

You have emoted: Cheliyi watches quietly, settling down beside Bizirik with a soft sigh. She leans against the leothin, eyes sliding shut.

Gurashi sips a potion of bromides from a rune-inscribed vial of gleaming emerald.

The gentle, slumbering whinny disturbs the otherwise quiet courtyard, echoing from the hitching post.

Bizirik, the leothin sniffs you, trying to decipher just what that smell emanating from you is.

The ghost of a smile passes fleetingly across your lips.
You gasp in delight, reaching out to boop Bizirik, the leothin lightly on the nose with a finger.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at you. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

Gurashi assumes their stance, sword in hand, nose wrinkling as they stare almost grumpily at the dummy, resuming their earlier training.

You think to yourself: **as you stare at them, you can't help the sinking weight that dangles in your chest, like a stone suspended by hooks digging into your lungs. This. all of this. It's your fault, isn't it?**.

You have emoted: Cheliyi closes her eyes, half-way hugging Bizirik, the leothin's side with a quiet frown.

A loud, garbled roar echoes from beyond the curtain wall, causing the patrolling guards to gather and shout in desperate search for its source.
Ignoring the distant garbled roar, Gurashi stares intently at a grimacing burlap dummy, stepping and swinging and striking the dummy forcefully, moreso than they had before, something fearsome brimming behind their gaze as they practice.

Bizirik, the leothin snuffles softly, nudging you, tail slapping the ground softly, just once.

You have emoted: Cheliyi hums faintly in response, hugging the leothin just a little tighter.

You think to yourself: **a seed of bitterness, but this time, meant for you. your chest was meant to grow lighter things, and yet...**.
You think to yourself: **you always manage to make it worse, when you do something. useless.**.

Bizirik, the leothin licks you, just the barest amount, tail slapping the ground again.

Pale gold in hue, the wreath about Gurashi's brow shimmers in a steady pattern, like unto a heartbeat in its gentle pulsations, and crowns Gurashi in a flickering halo before settling still once more.

You have emoted: Cheliyi makes a noise that -could- be a laugh, but comes out more like a sharp exhale. She doesn't move, simply clinging onto Bizirik, the leothin with a glazed look in her eyes.

Bizirik, the leothin licks you again, snuffling louder, then suddenly flopping over onto her, chattering happily and ruffling her hair, disturbing it as they begin to groom the mugwump.

You have emoted: Cheliyi lets out a quiet, protesting laugh as Bizirik, the leothin flops her and begins to groom her hair. Initially making a face, she nonetheless does not attempt to push the leothin away.

You think to yourself: **strangely... it is comforting.**.

Gurashi's melodic voice sings into your mind, "*you feel as the leothin presses its hide into your hands, a sudden flood of emotion, of empathatic adoration and sensations that must belong to Bizi herself - yes good small egg of friend no cry no cry good yes give many pets feed foods yes good lovely make friend happy good egg yes good*."

Bizirik, the leothin's tail slaps the ground behind it as it continues to groom you, snuffling happily.

You blink.
Tears fill your eyes and begin to slowly run down your face.

Gurashi's melodic voice sings into your mind, "*a continued impression, continued desire - yes have good activity yes you feed i eat good egg feed me eggy good eggy yes*."

Above, a constellation of stars blink in the evening sky: distant, different, and dim in the dark shroud of night.

Bizirik, the leothin snorts at you happily, licking her face and glasses, leaving a smeary streak across her skin and hair.

You have emoted: Cheliyi lets out a soft, choked noise somewhere between a laugh and a sob, smiling even as tears stream down her face.

Leaning forward, you gently press a kiss to Bizirik, the leothin's brow.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at you. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: * a sudden strain makes you stop, pain radiating from your palms, aware of the leather and how it has rubbed and rubbed and rubbed at the skin, now one-hundred and eighty times*.

Nearby, Gurashi gives pause, heaving for air, leaning against a grimacing burlap dummy as they lower their sword, huffing.

You have emoted: Cheliyi pauses, wiping down her face with a fading smile.

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *a scolding* am out of shapes.

You snap your fingers and warm water showers down upon yourself, and you scrub under your armpits until you are squeaky clean.

You have emoted: Giving Bizirik, the leothin one last forehead kiss, Cheliyi pushes herself to her feet and shuffles over to Gurashi to pull at their hands with a frown. "You need bandages, yes. Not enough strong, thick skin."

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The rhythmic sound of a forging hammer striking its anvil reverberates throughout the courtyard.

You remove a pair of supple leather hunting gloves.

Bizirik, the leothin whines as you moves away, leaving the leothin unfed. Famished, it keels over, snorting.

You have emoted: Cheliyi pulls off her a pair of supple leather hunting gloves, offering them to Gurashi. Carefully wrapped bandages line her palms, implying frequent wrapping. "Will protect your palms like they protect mine."

You give a pair of supple leather hunting gloves to Gurashi, The Heart's Friend.

You remove 1 fish, bringing the total in the rift to 98.
You begin to wield a fish wrapped in paper in your left hand.

You quickly toss a fish wrapped in paper to Bizirik, the leothin, who catches it nimbly.

Gurashi jumps with a start as you takes their hand, causing them to flinch as their fingers are extended, naturally trying to curl back in defensively. "Oh, thank you..."

Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Yeah...need to get something to wears to help fix it, must."
Gurashi tilts their head curiously at you.
Noticing the minute puffiness around the mugwump's eyes, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend asks you, "...are O-K?"

You glance askance.
Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Um."
You have emoted: Cheliyi presses her lips together, glancing down at her bare feet.
Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Is... not important at the moment. Keep swinging, yes. And get gloves. Or stronger skins."

Gurashi takes their waterskin from their pack, pouring a bit of it over their hands, wincing as they do so. Shaking them out, they hold their sword awkwardly between their knees as they slip into the proffered gloves. "No - talk to me. Need to break every twenty or my hands will break."
Gurashi tilts their head and listens intently to you.

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *a thrum of concern, deep cool pastel colors rippling together - a throbbing pain in their hands, dull and distracting*.

You have emoted: Cheliyi chuckles, the sound a bit strained. "Just... feeling bad. Is my fault. Always try to help or protect, but I always make it worse. Maybe I am just a bad family person." The mugwump says it all nonchalantly, though her eyes never meet Gurashi's. "Got you into another mess, because I selfishly wanted vengeance. Pretty sure made it worse, way way back when, when I got angry in Her temple. Almost got mad at Shofets, once, too."

Quieter, you say, "Is a bit of a running theme. Like in stories."

Quickly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "You are not a badly family persons."
Gurashi stares at you, gaze softening and frowning at you as their expression fills with concern.

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *a ripple of concern, confusion - way back when? which do mean? scouring their brain - suddenly, another rousing concern - mad at the Shofets? The colors still*.
Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *confusion quiet confusion*.

Gurashi's eyes widen as they stare at you.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Peoples get -angry-, Cheliyi."
Quietly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Is O-K."
Gurashi reaches out and touches you.
Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *a ripple of saffron, familiar warmer pastel shades creeping in - a sense of comfort*.

Quietly, you say, "Well, the way back when was when you told me you were Beloved, first time. And um... asked the Shofet's a long time ago, to make sure you would be okay. Since I thought, at the time, that it was sort of Their fault you left. And.."

An errant breeze brings sweet reprieve to the stale, humid air, kicking up spirals of red dust in the process.

Faintly amused, you say, "They um... sent a shadow. Was an -orange- shadow in Glomdorings, spooked me, and I didn't know it was Them, and it kept saying your name, so I told it not to be mean to you."

Gurashi opens, then closes their mouth, letting you speak, brow furrowing. They reach up to remove their headband, allowing their bangs to tumble back into their face, disheveled and slightly sweaty.
Gurashi's eyes widen as they stare at you.

You chuckle softly, your frilled tail flicking idly with amusement.

Confused, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend asks, "...the Shofets sent an Orange Shadow?"
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend asks, "....MY name?"
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend asks, "It was most definitely the Shofets? MY Shofets?"
Gurashi boggles at you.

Shrugging, you say, "Looked like a weird flame orange thing. Had sands. It mentioned you, I got worried about you and it make all of your different shapes, and it um... was apparently the Shofets, because that was when They called me a morsel."
Gurashi tilts their head and listens intently to you.

Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Was like... 15 years ago, now."
You chuckle softly, your frilled tail flicking idly with amusement.

Gurashi wondrously lifts their one ungloved hand to their cheek, dazed. "Sands is Thems...morsels... sounds like possible..."

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *recalling all the times Afollia referred to them as a morsel - must be a Higher Up Thing*.

Gurashi stares at you, gaze softening and frowning at you as their expression fills with concern.

Softer, you say, "And... I know peoples get angry. But my anger helps me do stupid things that just hurt more people. Is not a good thing."

Gentle and earnest, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Is why are working to be better abouts its."
Looking down, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Am not the bestest teacher at how to not be angry. I say to throw...rocks."
Gurashi chuckles long and heartily.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "...or, learn how to do something practical..." They heft their blade, eyeing the wooden training katana. "Turn angers into fuels for something usefuls."

You have emoted: Cheliyi sighs quietly, and nods.

Quietly, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Are young still, yes. Some things take muchly time."

The ghost of a smile passes fleetingly across your lips.

Quieter, you say, "But yes. This whole thing is my mess. You should not have to get involved, no."

Resting their gloved hand upon her shoulder, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Is already done."
Gurashi looks suddenly to you, face lighting up as they smile brightly.
With a little nod, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Must just make kinder choices next time."

You have emoted: Cheliyi smiles weakly, and nods.

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.

Gurashi huffs, puffing their cheeks.

Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you ask, "Need to do more strikes?"

Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "O-K. I just need twenty more, then can call it a day yes."
Gurashi nods their head sagely.
Gurashi stretches languidly.

You smile softly.

Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "If am being boring, can go home ahead of me."

You have emoted: Cheliyi returns to Bizirik, the leothin, offering her a fish wrapped in paper. "Better here, yes."

Bizirik, the leothin gives a short gasp of elation.
Bizirik, the leothin scoops up the fish and swallows it whole.

You chuckle softly, your frilled tail flicking idly with amusement.
You pet Bizirik, the leothin ingratiatingly.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at you. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.
You snuggle up close to Bizirik, the leothin, smiling happily.
Bizirik, the leothin stares blankly at you. After a moment its tail lifts once then thumps back against the ground with potential delight.

Bizirik, the leothin burps up a bit of wrapper, tail slap slapping the ground.

Gurashi slips into the other glove, returning their full attention to a grimacing burlap dummy. They keep their concentration, stepping and swinging and striking, and eventually concluding many minutes later, wheezing lightly as they lean against a grimacing burlap dummy. "Done!" They sing out, wobbling. "Two-hundred!"

Louder, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend sings, "Two-hundred strikes!"

You clap your hands together merrily.
Amused, you say, "Feeling alives?"

Gurashi, The Heart's Friend thinks to themself: *their hands t h r o b*.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Uh..."
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Am feeling -somethings-."
You have emoted: Cheliyi laughs, and shuffles over to Gurashi.
Gurashi shakes out their arms, lowering, then holstering their sword, huffing. "It is fun, though!"

Muttering the secret names of Hod, you trace a glowing triangle before you. The triangle enters your forehead and clears your mind.
You peer about yourself unscrupulously.
You have emoted: Cheliyi huff.
You have emoted: Cheliyi huffs. "How does Uncle Sutekh cast it on -you?-".

Gurashi stares at you blinking, obviously confused.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "Uhm."
Gurashi shrugs helplessly.
Gurashi blinks.
Gurashi blinks.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "...do want my magical pens? It draws in the airs, it does. Maybe if draw the shapes will work."

Fidgeting with her hands and mumbling under her breath, you say, "Why is High Magic so weirdly."

You have emoted: Muttering the secret names of Hod, Cheliyi traces a glowing triangle before Gurashi. The triangle enters Gurashi's forehead, disappearing in a flash.
You nod your head sagely.

Light radiates from Gurashi's heart, warming with shades of gold, wheat, and saffron.

Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Should make your head less sleepy. Don't know how to do the Gedulah for you, though. Is harder."

Gurashi blinks several times at the appearance of the triangle, leaning away and looking at it curiously. They blink at you, then smile.
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "That felt nicely - many thank yous."
Bright and clear, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "What... is...a Gedulah."
Like a gentle ripple in a crystalline pool, you say, "Um... is a sphere that makes you hurt less. Not sure to how to evoke it for you, no."

You cover a refreshing vegetarian platter with another of the same type, whispering softly under your breath. As the two items melt into each other, they suddenly shimmer with a brilliant, golden light until only one remains.

Gurashi's eyes light up as they smile.
Cheerful, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says to you, "Well. Do not worry. This gloves are helping, yes."
Stretching, Gurashi, The Heart's Friend says, "O-K. Let us go back to the city, perhaps. Can reconvenes yus."

You nod your head at Gurashi.

Gurashi gives you a friendly squeeze.
Gurashi points boldly towards the horizon and declares in a proud tone, "Onward!"