fairyland fun! (your levels of fun may vary)

[fair_trouble]

[New day, new town, and hopefully new opportunities. Specifically opportunities to make some money because Zel and Emery’s funds have been running kind of low after their most recent misadventure. This has meant a temporary separation while Zelgadis goes to look for merc-type work and potential cure leads and Emery goes around chatting up the locals without terrifying them.

Or at least that was the plan, until Calanthe showed up.

By the time Zel gets back to the inn, Emery’s still busy talking to Calanthe in their inn room, although the conversation’s just about wrapping up. If he’s perceptive he might even catch a bit of Emery’s words.

“...some funds this time? ...Seriously, is that it? He’s always such a cheapskate. …Okay I got it. I’ll see you later.”

A few moments later a woman wearing a green cloak exits their inn room. Her hood is up, partly obscuring a pale face and hair, and she barely spares anyone a passing glance as she drifts down the hallway.

Emery is still standing inside the inn room looking pensive, but when Zel enters he’ll give him a bright smile.]

Oh! Hey, Zel. Did you manage to find anything?

Comments

[chimerad]

[he flashes a little tooth with a smile before his expression wanes back it's softer state.]

It's still a moment, I think.

[fair_trouble]

[Emery pointedly huffs, but he can’t help but smile.]

Oh, fine. It’s a nice moment too.

[And it isn’t as if Emery can complain too hard when Zel went and did all that for him. He came on Zel’s hand, so he supposes Zel’s entitled to a smart remark or two.]

[chimerad]

[it is a nice moment: Zel didn't hurt him. words can't fully cover how relieved he is for that, though it will hardly seed any confidence in himself in the future. he can't get complacent about it!

but he can get a bit more comfortable with intimacy from here - responding and initiating. it's only thanks to Emery being so patient and free of criticism about his skittishness that they'd get so far, really.

his head dips slightly, carefully, so he can kiss at his shoulder. he smells nice, and his skin is warm where his lips can tell.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery settles back against Zel, enjoying the sight and feeling of that kiss against his shoulder. He feels like he’s melting from sheer contentment.

I love you.

Emery almost says it as he thinks it. But he can’t quite bring himself to do so… It’s just too scary a prospect to say it out loud. Even though he’s pretty damned sure at this point that Zel reciprocates. He’s not scared of being rejected, it’s just… A lot. And he’s just too happy with where he is right at the moment to want to risk dropping that bomb in the middle of things.

Still, he sets his hand over Zel’s and hopes that gets something of his current feelings across.]

[chimerad]

[hopefully it's not the messy hand, otherwise he'll have some of that mess on-hand, too...

either way, it's hard for Zel to notice until he opens his eyes and sees it there, feeling a little squeeze in his chest.

after a minute or so:] Unless you're meaning to sit here until daybreak...you should get up.

[fair_trouble]

[Hey, Emery is a little more discerning than that! Although they’re both messy and sticky right now anyway…

Alas, even nice moments have to end eventually. Emery hums.]

I mean it is tempting… But you’re right, we should probably go over our supplies, see if we need to pick anything up. Oh, and I should look for the entrance to the fae realm while it’s still light out, so we don’t have to waste a bunch of time stomping around in the dark tomorrow night.

[chimerad]

[so the rest of the night, up to early morning, has a plan. though both are a bit slow to fully disengaging from that moment, Zel does relent and get his pants on right, his hands washed, and set to checking that gear. since coming into town, they already replenished the core travel needs, but until they were planning to leave, food was the last on the list just by merit of freshness. an at-dawn resupply will likely be in order before they sleep the rest of the day off...

that's about as far as his expertise can take them - though he does suggest having a look over the maps he's collected in case they'd be of any use in finding that entrance Emery's talking about. beyond that, he has to defer to Emery. admittedly, he's used to be the one charting the courses and taking lead, so he is a little worried...but also curious to see how this find-the-fae-realm works. not many people are likely to know, so he's lucky for the chance.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery likewise gets cleaned up, and assists where he’s able, although this remains an area where Zel usually takes the lead. Scouting’s going to be his primary duty and accordingly, he takes a look at the maps Zel gives him.]

These should be useful in the fae realm too, the terrain is usually identical. Same hills and rivers, that sort of thing.

[One of the Field Lord’s more amiable guests had regaled Emery with a dramatic retelling of the battle between Shabranigdu and Cepheid and how the shockwaves had blown the crater straight through the human realm and into the fae realm as well.]



Calanthe said the entrance is towards the top of the trail up Cordial Hill. [Emery pokes the hill in question, where it’s indicated on the map.] I’ll just check out the area and try to find the exact location. I won’t be going into the fae realm without you.

[Not that he thinks someone as cool and self-assured as Zelgadis might be worried about Emery running off into another plane of existence to promptly get eaten by a pooka or something.]

[chimerad]

[okay, but Zelgadis is going to worry about Emery going there against his will - pookas or otherwise. not every old wives' tale was complete bunk when it came to the occult, after all...]

Will the location be visible? Or is it more of a magic-sense.

[fair_trouble]

[Over a year too late to be worrying about that, bucko.]

More of the latter. It’s just a matter of the right mental exercise- and having the aptitude doesn’t hurt either. Seeing routes between planes like the human realm and the fae realm is like…

[Emery drums his fingers against the map. This is going to be hard to explain.]



You know how your right eye and your left eye both have slightly different perspectives but your mind makes the view overlap so you don’t see double, unless something’s wrong? Or how you can see your nose in your peripheral vision but you normally tune it out as if it weren’t there? When you’re looking for an entrance to the fae realm you kind of have to… shift your perspective and look for something you can’t see. But with magic.

[Emery makes a face.]

Okay, that was a terrible explanation. Never mind. Anyway, it’s easier to learn just by doing. And the location should be visible, but it won’t necessarily look like an entrance to anything. What they look like just sort of depends on the entrance itself.

[chimerad]

[Zel can't help but smile, endeared by the explanation. eyes and peripherals... the way it's told is both practical and kind of innately magical in a way outside the everyday uses of magic in the life he knows.

he nods.]

Sounds like a good skill to learn. [whether the applications are beyond just door-finding isn't clear, but he likes to strengthen his magical muscles where he can anyway.]

[fair_trouble]

[Well it’s clear from Zel’s reaction that he didn’t think Emery’s explanation was too terrible, which is nice.]

You’re a quick study [Emery grins here, thinking of their earlier intimate moment in particular.] so I can’t imagine you’ll have much trouble picking this up either.

[He folds up the map to take with him, just in case, and then leans over to give Zel a quick kiss.]

I’ll head out while the light’s still good. Behave while I’m gone, alright?

[chimerad]

...

[Zel's expression falters a bit. you don't...want me to go?

he recovers quickly enough, though his voice is a bit wary.]

...Sure. I'll be here.

[though he feels he shouldn't be.]

Unless you take too long.

whoops this turned into another Character Ruminating Post

[fair_trouble]

Thanks~ I appreciate it.

[Emery didn’t have pets growing up, but Zel’s demeanor right now kind of makes him imagine a dog being left behind at home. Emery’s not dead set on leaving Zel behind for this errand and when Zel droops like that he’s a little tempted to say that Oh, but of course I meant to take you along! But Zel isn’t pushing the point, so Emery breezes on as cheerily as ever-]

Maybe when I get back we can go for a second round.

[-though not without trying to make Zel sputter at least once before he heads out.

Doing the scout work alone gives him a chance to brood about his situation properly, even if he doesn’t exactly need to and probably shouldn’t be. But his feelings about the fae realm are complex- he was technically a prisoner there for about a year and he'd naturally been homesick during that time. So his feelings about going back there would logically involve fear and apprehension and all that fun stuff.

But when he was actually talking about the place to Zel, his enthusiasm was genuine. Emery thinks… he might actually miss the place. He’d always had the sense that there was something not quite right with himself when he was young, and finding out about the entire mess with the Field Lord filled in a lot of gaps, good or bad.

…He really hopes Zel has a good time while they’re there.

Cordial Hill is a steep place but the path that winds between the thickets of trees is walkable enough. A few abandoned cottages in various states of disrepair can be found just off the road, in the process of being reclaimed by the trees. It’s a curious sight, one that makes Emery wish he’d gotten a chance to chat with the locals about the area.

The entrance to the fae realm is also just off the road, albeit protected by brambles and branches that make it hard for the unwitting to spot and even harder for the unwitting to just stumble through. Emery examines it for a while, gazing at the fae version of Cordial Hill just beyond, but not going through yet. Just in case.

He’s… fairly confident he can get Zel through tomorrow night. Fairly confident.

Scouting done, Emery marks the rough position of the entrance on the map and heads back. Hopefully Zel has found some way to occupy that time that doesn’t involve staring at the door, waiting for Emery to get back.]

its good food for me!!!!!!!!

[chimerad]

[he should've gone with him. it's not even that it would be dangerous alone in the early dawn - hardly, bandits prefer to sleep in - it's more that...he wanted to know how it works! but Emery's never let him look when he shapeshifts, he seemed a bit surprised by the want to join him on the expedition at all...what if pushing too much would push him entirely away?

all questions easily answered if he had just...you know...asked them aloud, but come on.

being the guy left behind is weird. he's usually the one who just up and leaves on a whim or when nonsense gets too untenable. what to do...

clean? sure. sort loot and rearrange? ok, fine, that needs to happen anyway.

...hang on. does he need to leave iron things behind? he can't remember if Emery mentioned that, or if he's just misremembering old superstition. either way, he'll sort those things separately too. just in case.

needless to say: Emery can be proud to discover Zel wasn't sitting on the floor like a forlorn dog waiting for him to return!

...he's sitting on the floor rearranging all his stuff instead. dogs don't have these skills.]

[fair_trouble]

[Emery returns to the inn with his head hopefully somewhat more in order. He politely brushes off a few attempts from other guests at making conversation, and heads back to the room he’s sharing with Zel. He opens the door, and announces his presence:]

Honey, I’m home~!

[Emery intends to show Zel the map, but he’s distracted when he notices what Zel is doing. Sort of. More specifically he notices that Zel’s stuff is in piles on the floor.

Emery shuts the door and moves closer to lean in and examine the piles.]

Hm? What’s going on here?

[He is, of course, proud that Zel has found something to occupy his time.]

[chimerad]

[all the unease and second-guessing that was clawing at the edge of his mind is shoved aside as he hears the door pull open; Zel perks up just as he's finished wrapping up his charcoal sticks (because this artsy nerd carries some for sketching when the mood hits him) and set them next to the thieves' kit he'd already finished up.]

Organizing. I realized I forgot to ask: Is iron poisonous to the fey realm?

[fair_trouble]

[Emery hmms a little at the question. He’s also heard that superstition before.]

I don’t think so? The Field Lord keeps farm tools and stuff on display in his manor and some of those have iron parts. But fairies are a pretty varied bunch, it might be a situation where it’s true for some kinds but not all. I never actually asked about it before.

[He’d just taken note of the farm tools and not thought much about it beyond that, and most fairies aren’t inclined to share tales of their weaknesses unprompted.]

I’ve also heard iron can repel ghosts so if that’s true maybe someone got the two confused at some point.

[chimerad]

Mn. [fair enough. good, too: he'd hate to have to leave some of this stuff behind.

while stowing tools away:] Did you find it, then?

[fair_trouble]

Yup. It's got some trees protecting it, and it's part of the way up the hill- here, I made a mark on the map.

[And Emery goes ahead and profers the map in question.]

I saw some abandoned buildings in the area as well. But there was nothing magical about them as far as I could tell.

[So, probably irrelevant, but neat info, right?]

[chimerad]

[Zel chews on that for a bit.]

What kind of condition were they in? If they're still mostly intact, then they're abandoned for a reason... [sickness? murder? magic curse stuff?]

[fair_trouble]

I dunno, I guess they'd been abandoned for a while? One of them was kind of... [Emery makes a gesture with his hands like he's trying to squish something between them and downwards.] You know. All rotten and looked like it was going to collapse in on itself. But you could tell they used to be cottages.

[chimerad]

Mn...

[and they'll be dropping in at night. possibility of an ambush or encounter with some nefarious sorts... he files that away.]

Right. We can fly there, then, to avoid attracting attention from the locals.

[fair_trouble]

I’m not sure if that’ll work if anyone happens to decide to glance up, but I have no objections to being carried.

[One day Emery will learn to do a proper levitation or ray wing spell, but he has no inclination to make that day today.]

[chimerad]

Far as I've experienced, most people are too caught up in their lives to look up. Except kids. [and what kid's going to be out after bedtime to tattle?]