Toxic Love: The Exalt Oracle

[beleos]

NOTHING GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH

You feel it, the moment that the Exalt oracle opens its eyes, like something that rips through your body from head to toe, something that feel like fire, wild. It sears into your veins, like acid and fire, something that triggers something that makes you want to run, or perhaps turn and face something head on. Before you can find what sets you off – if you could find it. Bearers know what this sensation is, it is different but the same at its core. The emotions, the feelings it sparks are different – but in the end, you know it for what it is: An Oracle.

Kenos groans from the awakening, like a part of a whole sparks to life, and though you do not know what it is that they want yet, you understand and know their existence down to your core. That feeling to attack or defend, perhaps even flee, does not leave you, but instead it fills your veins, you feel it thrumming, pulsing, like the beat of a heart – if one has one. With the sense of awakening, bearers know the shape of what comes next, they will be asked to act, to do. You do not know how it will happen, or what the Exalt will ask of you, but the knowledge that it will happen is borne from experience, not from the Oracle itself.

As you begin to move, to… look, you are not long for this day, it clouds your mind, a hazy, drowsy feeling takes over, the encroaching dark that threatens to swarm, crowding from the sides, taking over your vision – until… it fully takes over, and Bearers are put into a deep slumber.

---

When bearers awaken, it’s difficult to make sense of what your sleepy eyes see. Structures begin to swim into view, and they like tall figures looking down upon you. It’s difficult to tell what they are at first, but as you wake up, you begin to see, they are not people, or creatures, but long spore-like stalks. Some have ribbed overgrowths that you can see, and some end in growths that ripple and hang over, but have no “cap”. They tower over the bearers, like towering spires and buildings, on all sides, as if they were trapped in a ring of them. As bearers look around them they will notice tall green spires around them as well, and it takes a moment for things to really settle in. Mushrooms. Blades of grass. The springy moss about them is almost as tall as they are, low to the ground. There are pebbles that appear as boulders, and the thunderous steps nearby indicate an insect or arachnid walking by, far larger than you. There is a stillness to this space, like a held breath, and as the bearers awake, and regard one another, and then to the center of the circle is – a small effigy in the center.

It is here, the Exalt Oracle, and you feel compelled to regard it, before you are given a pang down to your core. It compels you – pleads, asks, begs, and demands, all in one – for what it wishes for. Precious mementos and precious items that they are missing. They have been lost, and they are somewhere within the Liosachán. It beseeches the bearers to return its items, and begs they be returned here to the circle. There are no words, but there is a pleading sensation, a feeling that these items are treasured by this Oracle.

You feel at your sides, your pockets, and find one item on your person, a weapon, a companion, whatever it is you would bring with you to the conflict, shrunk down to a tiny size with you.

Stay steadfast, bearers, and capture the flag Oracle!

SURVIVAL OF THE SMALLEST ( DAYS 1 - 5 )

Unlike the still, stale apocalypse that had been the setting of the Iconoclast Oracle, the greenhouse is lush and vibrant with activity.

The Effigy present within yearns to be reunited with what belongs to it, fixated upon the five items lost within the greenhouse. The swell of its longing fills all Shardbearers, urging them to take action, claim the items and present all five to it to attain victory for that Faction.

Over a period of ten days, Shardbearers of both factions will have to navigate environmental dangers, and the normal procession of time, as the greenhouse is going about its daily routine. Workers plod around like towering goliaths, weeding and watering and pruning the greenhouse's contents. The Liosachán's native population of fae begin to take notice of the newcomers in their midst, emerging from grassy mounds hidden in the natural landscape to spy and pry about the newness surrounding them.

Naturally curious, and equally dangerous, the fae of the Liosachán are Highstorm natives. They range in cool coloration, from soft violet-greys to deep stormy blues, and wear clothes fashioned from of goods pilfered from the pockets of workers, dropped on the ground or handcrafted from the environment itself. Wielding bits of copper tightly wound into blades and spears, they are a ferocious and cunning little people who seek to trick, trap and toy with Shardbearers. Direct violence is anathema to them, but violence that happens as a result of falling to one of their ploys is a badge of honor.

DAY ONE - THREE. The Effigy initially urges Shardbearers to build bases of operation for defense and practicality, as surviving ten days without supporting one another is a surefire way to meet a grisly, tiny little end. Resources must be gathered: gather food and water, prepare shelter, establish unity and organization and prepare to set off into the wilds soon.

For Shardbearers demonstrating particular selflessness, favoring the protection and defense of another, the Effigy responds warmly from the third day onward — rewarding them with a sign of their dutiful nature towards others in the form of fairy wings, the form of which are unique to the Shardbearer themselves.

DAY FOUR. The sudden thunderous sound of a storm begins. No, not a storm, the tumble and crash of water pouring down upon the greenhouse — the workers of the Liosachán perform their routines faithfully, after all. In watering the garden, the danger of the environment threatens to overtake Shardbearers and their work alike. Drops of water fall, their size equal or larger than even the tallest of characters, and trickles of water muddy the ground in the form of raging rapids.

The security of Meridian and Zenith's camps is even called into question, because as simple as the act of watering a garden is, it is a nightmarish situation for such itty bitty Bearers to be in!

DAY FIVE. By day five, the fae of the Liosachán no longer lurk and linger in the corner of one's eye. They make themselves known, having prepared a banquet below one of the mushrooms, within sight of the Effigy. A table draped in spider-silk lace awaits any Bearer who comes near enough, the sagging piece of driftwood polished to a gleam with golden sap, leaving it waterproofed and pretty to behold. A handful of corks serve as seating, with most of the fae draping themselves across scraps of cotton as though they are simply at a picnic.

They invitingly wave to Shardbearers, chattering brightly in their foreign, lilting tongue, waving tiny sandwiches and little clay pots full of jams and honeys, brandishing sugared berries that they bite into with gusto, staining their arms and faces in swathes of blue and red. They clearly are welcoming to whomever comes upon them, urging them to avail themselves to the bounty they have prepared. Perhaps some characters know better than to eat the food of the fae, recalling legends and lore about the mystical properties and implicit bargains made in becoming a guest. Perhaps some have no idea, and are simply hungry enough to dig in!

UNWILLING TEN-ANTS ( DAYS SIX - EIGHT )

The scuttling, scrabbling feet of ants crawling over surfaces, winding their way through this grassy playground, has become normal. Their feet thunder as they go about their business, and it seems to be a normal cadence to life here in the underbrush, in the greenhouse. It is normal, and it is has become nothing to really concern oneself with. They are ants, after all, what do they do, but work? Endlessly, continuously.

That is, until the heavy, loud sounds of their feet draw closer to whatever place that the bearers have found to camp in. Whether solitary or as a group, these workers are no longer content to simply ignore the bearers, but they are a curiosity, perhaps even a bother. You have disrupted their lifestyle. The sleepy pattern of obtain food, return ot the hive, and back out again now has obstacles. Now there are not simply the fairies, who live their own lives and existences, a part of the ecosystem, but now there are these tiny bearers. Fighting, working together, arguing and disagreeing.

You are disruptive to their way of life.

The ants have come to collect on this due, and some bearers that are vulnerable, or perhaps merely caught, are taken away, your weight so light compared to the rest of their burdens that they carry. The strength of these ants is overwhelming, incredible at this size, and try as you might, if you are caught in their strong mandibles, you cannot escape. An ant, after all, carries 1000 times their weight with those powerful jaws. You, bearer, are nothing to them.

They squirrel away the bearers within their hill, a complicated network of tunnels, junctions, and large spaces. Down within, where the air becomes stifling, and stale. The ants guard their pray, and you get the distinct sense that they see you not as people, not even as enemies, but as prey. You will be food – perhaps to the eggs that are gathered within this room, where you can see the stirring of new life, just beneath the surface. You may not have very long to live, if these little larvae get their mouths on you.

Or perhaps, your friends will save you? Once it is discovered that bearers are missing, the trail of ant prints on the ground is apparent – they are not stealthy creatures – and the feet lead from the locations of several kidnapped bearers toward the grainy ant hill that lies not far away. The hill itself swarms with life, with worker ants all over the surface, scuttling about, looking for the next meal for te colony. Or perhaps for more bearers to bring back for their young.

It will be dangerous, bearers, to save your friends. Should you choose to do so, you will be kicking the anthill, and the ants will protect what is theirs. Even if they just took it. Those bearers belong to them, now! Rescuers will find not only your average worker ant, ready to defend, but winged male ants will attack from above, and deeper, within the nest, near where the bearers are kept, lies the strongest ant in the colony: The Queen. Staggeringly large, strong, and vicious, when her subjects begin dying. She will do everything in her power to protect her colony, and that includes killing bearers, if need be. Or trying, at least.

Good luck rescuing your friends, bearers!

IN SMALL PACKAGES ( DAYS NINE - TEN )

The day after the ant-pocalypse brings with it the brush of recognition — the Effigy has foreseen the likely victors, and calls to them to approach it once they have suitably recovered. It judges them the ones whom are most devoted to what binds them, loyal to memory and remembrance, and begins to clamor for them to restore to it what belongs rightfully. Thus begins a full day of resting, locating last-minute items, shoring up defenses and preparing for the sprint to the finish line.

Certainly your rivals will not allow you to simply walk to the Effigy unassailed and unchallenged.

Eat, rest, ensure your fellows are close and bolstered, for tomorrow begins the final rally.

On the morning of the tenth day, Meridian Shardbearers approach the Effigy with its five items in hand. In the midst of the mushroom ring, the Effigy stands as it had in the beginning — arms outstretched and back bowed skyward, gnarled fingers seeking contact with that which has been lost to it. It awaits, it strains, and even as it does, it requires one last test of ability. From the shadows of the towering mushrooms, the rasp of scale and soft hiss of a great beast descends upon the fae ring.

A gleaming garden snake, with glossy black and green stripes, blocks the way between approaching Shardbearers and the Effigy.

Between its bright eyes, pressed upon its brow is a scattering of brighter scales that appear to be in the shape of a delicate, three-leafed plant with spiraling patterns for leaves. It braces itself against the approach, and there is no doubt that to claim victory, the serpent must be subdued. Though Meridian approaches with victory in hand, they have not yet attained it — their rival faction and this beast remain in their way.

MISSING LINKS ( THROUGHOUT )

As the Effigy desires to be reunited with what belongs to it, the swell of its longing stirs something more within all present Shardbearers.

With that foreign longing arrives knowledge: beyond the five items prized by the Effigy itself, there are other lost things within the greenhouse. Like a compass, each Shardbearer's mind points them in direction after direction, urging them to seek and explore. Implicitly, the thrum of comprehension fills your mind: these are things that do not belong to you, per se, but seek to have your hands ferry them home.

Amidst tangled brush, hidden under doffed acorn cap, tucked away in the belly of a fae's glittering den, lost in the depths of a puddle of spilled water that seems an insurmountable lake now, folded secretly into the petals of a towering, skyscraper-like flower, there are three additional items hidden within the tumultuous landscape that each Shardbearer feels a draw towards. Things that belong to someone else, eager to be reunited with them, but subject to whim.

Upon locating and retrieving one, the Shardbearer is filled with a sense of information — they know who this item belongs to, and they will know that they have a choice. Bonds are fragile things after all, and they exist to be enforced or abused, in order to advance a goal or to deepen a connection. How will you treat someone's precious bond? How will they treat yours?

NOTES

Here are some prompts to set the scene and foundation of the Exalt Oracle! — The theme of this Oracle is a loose edition of capture the flag, where the Effigy's items can pass through multiple hands within the ten day allotment.

— For additional ideas and fun, it is known that several Shardbearers have concluded their efforts to fulfill the Greenwood Yards' sidequest request.

— All details of the Exalt Oracle can be found here, and questions for the mods can be submitted here.

CODING

Comments

kind of wildcard but what if it turns into b,

[muchalucha]

[ After receiving Liem’s message through Communion, of course Quetzalcoatl had been quick to drop what she was doing and come to help. Granted… This would have been her reaction with just about anything, especially when it was someone she liked as much as Liem asking. But! It did help that it was something very important to her too!

And luckily, Liem had given her good directions, all things considered. She would have happily summoned her (now tiny) Quetzalcoatlus to fly through the garden until she found him, but it is better to save her energy. She’d at least taken the lesson she’d learned about that thanks to Silco seriously.

So, it takes her some time to navigate and find Liem, but it does help that he has quite the landmark with him. She in fact sees the carefully carved rock before she even sees Liem himself. It is quite large, relative to them… Not that she thinks there’s all that much sense to what got picked and why, but she feels bad that something so unwieldy got was picked for him anyways! ]

¡Hola Liem!

[ Once she’s within earshot, she brightly waves with her whole arm. She’s a chipper and warm as ever, naturally. Even being tiny doesn’t seem to bother her in the slightest. ]

Ay, you’re having better luck finding things than me, yes! I haven’t found a single thing yet! But maybe it’s lucky that mine is so big, maybe? It makes it easier to find!

oh no, what if... bird...

[sterngaze]

[Once Liem locates the carved stone from his vision, mixed in amongst a sea of other similarly-sized boulders that makes up a gravel pathway, he tucks himself into a space between two of the huge rocks, and he simply waits. Fortunately, the stone from atop Quetz’s temple is relatively near the edge of the path, so there’s only a small chance of a worker stepping on it while they thunder past. Unfortunately, there isn’t any plant cover at all over the area where the rock is, which means anyone and anything glancing that way will be able to see the tiny people clambering around out in the open.

Unsurprisingly, the stone itself is much more obvious than Liem himself at the moment. He peers back at Quetz from his hiding place clinging to the rounded side of one of the pathway rocks, brightening visibly at the sight of her but not waving himself. He’s seen more than a few enormous birds fly overhead as he was waiting, and he’s not keen to get mistaken for a tasty bug.]

You could say I have professional experience in this area, but in this instance, the size certainly helps.

[With finding it, at least. It had also, obviously, made bringing the item back with him rather impossible. As he speaks, Liem emerges slowly from his hiding place, crawling up the rock like a spider to perch once again on its top surface.]

Will you be able to move it? The terrain here is a little challenging.

b for bird!!!

[muchalucha]

[ She quirks an eyebrow curiously as Liem explains his experience, since she does have to wonder what that means… More Liem Lore™!!

Or, in theory, because as usual, how he follows is a suitable distraction. She laughs and holds up one arm as she places a hand on her bicep and flexes. It’s a purely playful gesture, though, since her smile and laugh stays bright. ]

¡Si, absolutamente! [ wait ] Or, no, probably! Ah, if it were home, it’d be no problem, but I forget that I’m a little weaker here!

[ Don’t think too hard about what a terrifying prospect that is… Quetzalcoatl walks up to the stone and places her hands on its carved face with a fond smile. It was clearly important, considering its prominent place at her temple, but that warmth makes it clear that there’s a sentimentality to it as well. ]

Eh, if I can’t pick it up and carry it, I can probably roll it, at least? Once it’s out of the rocks, anyways!

[sterngaze]

[The fact that Quetz considers “probably” being able to move this huge stone slab a sign that she isn’t as strong as usual is a little bit terrifying, yes, though it’s not entirely surprising. Surely a summoned aspect of the divine should be absurdly powerful, even at a fraction of their true strength. That reduction in strength might make a little bit of a challenge for them at the moment, though.]

Oh… I hope we can get it off the path, then…

[Liem gets to his feet, and almost offers to help, but then he remembers that what they’re trying to move is an absurdly huge (3.6 cm) rock weighing hundreds of times what he does, and that he is an athletic but still largely normal mortal man. The only thing he’ll be able to do if that stone starts to tip over is provide a nice decoration flattened against it if it lands on him.

So, it’ll be less of a “we” and more of a “Quetz only” sort of endeavour, realistically.]

I suppose that puts me on lookout duty.

[He can at least tell her where to go if the rock is blocking her vision! He’s helping.]

[muchalucha]

¡Si!

[ She gives her cheery agreement, then starts to circle around the stone, since she’s looking for the best place to grab it without damaging it. She’s not sure if there is a place, considering all of the intricate carving, but maybe just somewhere where she can minimize the damage her too-strong hands will cause… ]

I trust you to keep an eye open! For Zenites and anything else, yes? [ She laughs a little, since she’s personally not too concerned about it, but she’s also not encountered any problems whatsoever just yet. ] Ey, but this Oracle, it’s not so bad, is it? Definitely not as scary as the last one!

[ She finds an acceptable spot and nods as she steps close enough to press her cheek to the stone, since it takes being close to grab it properly. Her hands dig in to grip it, and the stone buckles and cracks as she applies her true, brutish strength. With a grunt of effort, Quetzalcoatl does slowly lift the huge rock, but it’s also clearly right at the limits of what she can carry. Still, she starts to carefully make her way to a smoother place to roll it. ]

Ay, heavy! This feels way heavier that the Axe of Marduk, sheesh!

[sterngaze]

[Despite his admittedly important duty as lookout, Liem’s eyes slide away from a glance around them to watch Quetz grab the enormous rock, digging her fingers in like it was made of unfired clay and not solid stone, and heft the whole thing up. Sweet lord, she could crush him like a grape without even breaking a sweat. The thought makes heat prickle over his skin despite Highstorm’s balmy night breeze, and he rather deliberately returns his eyes to the skies and foliage around them.]

Well, the atmosphere is less oppressive, certainly.

[He thinks their current situation might actually be more dangerous than the abandoned cities or that cavern under the Tree’s roots, but at least they can conduct their activities under Highstorm’s moons and stars rather than beneath the glare of that terrible, scorching sun. For someone of his lineage, endless summer nights are about as pleasant a setting as he might wish for, despite their diminutive size.

As Quetz moves, he strolls along nearby — though not so nearby that he might get squished — scanning the surrounds with a sharp eye. A fluttering overhead makes him tilt his face up abruptly, frowning at the glass roof above. That was definitely a bird, but was it just passing by, or is it still around…?]

Though I do wish we’d had some warning. I’m not at all dressed to be tramping around— Ah!

[Up above, one of Highstorm’s night-dwelling songbirds appears on a branch and casts a keen eye at the little bugs moving their rock down below. After only a moment’s inspection, it swoops right for them — and in a split second decision, Liem darts for Quetzalcoatl and tackles her into a crevice between two of the path’s stones, leaving the Piedra del Sol to topple and clatter atop them.]

[muchalucha]

Oh, yes! I don’t come to Highstorm except for los templos, but even super pequeño, it’s nice! If Springstar could just have more forests and jungles, it would be perfect, yes!

[ She nods with a little huff as she makes her way, and she’d clearly be happy to just chat happily as she carries a stone that would definitely weigh many tons at its real size with far less problem than should seem possible… Even amongst the strong Shard-Bearers, she’s absurdly so. Or maybe it’s just that her absurd strength is strongly contrasted against her bright, sunny attitude? Either way— ]

Yes! Yes, I agree! I’d rather it be peaceful than war, but if it’s war, it’s better if there’s—

[ She stops midsentence with a little noise of surprise as the quite serious threat of the bird swoops their way. There’s a moment where Quetzalcoatl bears down and steadies herself with a serious look, and… Surely, she wouldn’t throw the rock at the bird. That’s the impression her stance gives, but she wouldn’t be that reckless, right?

…Luckily, it’s a mystery! Because Liem is far smarter to tackle her. She loses her grip on the precious rock as they fall in between the stones, but as it starts to come their way just as dangerously as the bird. ]

¡Mierda!

[ She quickly grabs Liem in return and hugs him very close and holds him tightly. She fully expects to bear the weight of the stone, and she knows her body can handle that kind of strain where Liem’s (presumably) can’t. It’s a simple, split-second decision to protect him. And it’s not a bad one, since the sunstone hits the boulder-sized pebbles hard enough for them to rumble and send some debris down on them both. The sunstone slips, threatens to fall, but—

It holds.

She waits for a moment as she holds him with protective strength, but as the rocks seem to hold in place, she looks up tentatively. She does not remember to lessen that hold, though. ]

[sterngaze]

[Tackling Quetz while she’s holding a huge rock seems deeply unsafe, granted, but Liem likes their odds better tucked between the path stones than he does if they stay up above to be bird food. (For the record, he’s also against the plan of trying to hurl the rock that Quetz can barely carry at the bird as a projectile weapon.) He tries his best to pull them deep enough between the stones that Quetz’s cargo won’t just crush them both, both arms wound tight about her toned waist, but he’s somehow caught off-guard when she grabs him in return, hugging him tight against her body as the stone shifts threateningly above them.

The protective hold is so unexpected, in fact, that it isn’t until rocks and rubble stop raining down on them that he realizes— He’s being crushed into her ample chest. And he can scarcely breathe for it.]

Ma’am…

[His muffled voice can only just be heard over the thumps and cheeps of the bird hopping around up above, looking for the tasty bugs that have hidden themselves from view. Liem uses one hand to pat Quetz on the back of a shoulder, hoping to draw her attention to the fact that he is slowly being smothered. No rush, though! There are other important things going on, he knows.]

[muchalucha]

[ Quetzalcoatl first frowns up at the bird still trying to grab the tasty not-bugs, but Liem’s soft voice and the pat on her shoulder at least do the intended job of catching her attention. Today is not the day that Liem dies via suffocation, how sad (?). ]

Oh! Oh—

[ Her grip relaxes with a sheepish laugh so that Liem can breathe again, but it’s also accompanied by apologetic fussing. She reaches out to his cheek to give it a little pat, smooths his hair, all fond little gestures to make sure that he’s okay. ]

Lo siento, no, ¡Lo siento mucho! Ah, are you alright? Silly me…!! You're so valiant, Liem!

[ The bird is at least ignored for the moment, but not for long. With each cheep and peck to try to move things out of the way, Quetzalcoatl will become more and more likely to go 1v1 a huge bird. help,,, ]

[sterngaze]

[Having been released from the protective embrace crushing him against Quetz’s chest, Liem leans back until his nose is no-longer buried in her cleavage, looking up at her sheepishly even as she does the same. Never having tackled a taller woman into a crevasse before, he hadn’t realized this would be something he needed to be wary of. The somewhat doting attention she gives him as she releases her hold also manages to raise a bit of a flush to his cheeks.]

I’m fine, yes.

[She had succeeded in protecting him from any scrapes or bruises he might otherwise have suffered, after all, and while her embrace may have been a tad overenthusiastic, there’s no harm done now that he can draw breath properly.]

I’m sorry for grabbing you so suddenly.

[Fortunately it seems to have turned out all right, though he can’t help but notice that they still remain in a bit of a predicament. Though the bird outside might have trouble moving the boulder-sized pebbles in which they’re hiding, it still might be able to shift something enough that they could end up in danger all over again.]

I don’t know how we’re going to rid ourselves of a bird that big…

[muchalucha]

No, no, ¡esta bien! It was the good thing to do!

[ She nods as she stands again and looks up at the dragon-sized bird with a frown, but with a little noise turns again to offer a hand to help Liem stand as well. There’s not much room, but it’s at least enough to stand. It definitely seems better to be standing in case anything shifts, she thinks. ]

Mm, he’s… Really big! I guess I could call my Quetzalcoatlus, but I don’t know if that would help! He wouldn’t be as big as him!

[ Plus, Liem probably isn’t too eager to fly away from this problem, but. She doesn’t know that. She plants her hands on her hips, then starts to look around for maybe something she can throw…? ]

Ay, I don’t want to hurt him too bad, but maybe if I throw a little rock hard enough, he’ll go away?

[sterngaze]

[Granted, Liem still can’t think of any other courses of action that would have been obviously better for evading this giant bird than diving into a crack in the ground, but he is still very aware of their awkward predicament now that they’re just trapped here like rats in a little burrow. As he maneuvers to his feet, accepting Quetz’s hand as he straightens next to her, he considers the noises and glimpses of giant, feathered avian up above with an intent frown.]

I could probably distract it with magic long enough for us to sneak off, but I’m sure it would notice if we tried to take the stone with us. That’s troublesome.

[They really do need to shoo the bird off properly if they want to actually continue off with their prize, and that is almost certainly going to be a dangerous proposition. But, perhaps Quetz is onto something with her suggestion. Maybe they don’t need to leave the relative safety of their shelter to discourage the creature from sticking around.]

Something small enough to throw? I suppose you could try.

[There’s bound to be something small enough around here, given her strength. Liem begins shimmying along through the crevice, eyeing the stones around them and underfoot. Most of them are simply too large to grab without immediately shifting all the other rocks out of place, but he spies one that’s just a little smaller than he is, lying propped between two larger stones nearby.]

Maybe this one…?

[muchalucha]

[ Quetzalcoatl hums to herself and first things that maybe it’s best to just come back later for the sunstone… If nothing else, it’s not like anyone else is going to move it, so far as she’s aware. Maybe Set, but even then, he’s a good boy that wouldn’t do anything with it (her bias at work). So, she starts to look around for something as well, but the first few pebbles she sees are too small, little more than specs of dirt for the bird. But when Liem calls one out, she makes a happy little noise and trots over to inspect it. ]

¡Sí! This might work!

[ She grabs it with both hands and lifts, and it’s definitely much easier than the sunstone. She shifts it between her hands, testing its weight to make sure she can throw it. ]

Well, if this doesn’t work, we’ll just make a run for it, yes? I can come grab it later, I’m sure!

[ With a nod, she decides the verdict is yes! She thinks so! She just might have to chuck it like the Axe of Marduk… So, she starts to move and find a good angle where she can turn and toss it. ]

¡Bueno! Ready for a súper move?

[ Even if it’s just a poor, innocent bird doing bird things… She’s still excited to show off a little. She can’t help it! It’s the luchadora in her! ]

[sterngaze]

[Much as Liem is loath to abandon their prize now that they’ve come all the way here to retrieve it, he does have to accept that, if they can’t frighten away the bird trying to make a meal out of them, they probably will have to just scurry away and leave the stone for the time being. It does seem rather unlikely that anyone else could or would do anything nefarious with it in their absence — Liem just doesn’t like being anything less than thorough.

For now, though, they can at least attempt to see the giant songbird off before giving up on that course of action. Liem moves aside so Quetz can access the rock he’d been pointing at, watching her heft it to test its weight. She certainly looks to have much better command of this (relatively) little stone than she had of the gigantic slab they came here for. If she can hurl it with enough force, he thinks that should make even a gigantic creature like the one hopping around above think twice about sticking around. He certainly wouldn’t like to get clobbered by a rock half the size of his head.]

Whenever you’re ready, Ma’am.

[He doesn’t really know what to expect, but she does seem excited. For now, Liem will take the role of audience member, looking appropriately attentive, even if he doesn’t really have the energy level that would be optimal for a lucha fan.]

[muchalucha]

¡Vamos!

[ Her exclamation is full of mirth that first her perfectly, but would be much more out of place with anyone else. Quetzalcoatl takes a few steps back, then as she steps forward, she spins like she’s throwing shotput instead of what’s proportionally a boulder. She swings it around to give it momentum, and as she gets to the perfect part of the arc, heaves it out of her hands.

It’s still impressive just how fast it leaves her hands, though. Plenty of people have seen Quetzalcoatl’s strength at the Coliseum, Liem included, but she was usually holding back. It was for fun, after all, not anything where she’s looking to hurt people! This is a much more genuine display of it as it shoots out of her hands and manages to hit the (poor) bird right in its chest.

It squawks and flutters, surprised that these “ants” are fighting back, and flutters away, though still stays within curious distance. So clearly, it’s hurt, but not super injured. And to help shoo it off, Quetzalcoatl takes the few more steps to shake her fist up at it. ]

That’s right, go! We have things to do, yes!

[ She looks over to Liem, then beckons him over. Come yell at a bird, it’ll totally help!! ]

[sterngaze]

[Liem watches from an respectful distance as Quetz hurls the boulder around and flings it directly at the dragon-sized bird peering down at them, shooting the rock right at its feathery breast. The thump of impact is audible even above the squawking cry the bird releases as it flaps hurriedly away — but it still hasn’t left, so clearly the missile didn’t do any real damage.]

Hm.

[Drawing nearer to Quetz, out from under the shadow of the sunstone, he stops next to her, and for a moment her infectious energy almost tempts him into joining her in an attempt to intimidate the bird into leaving. Her throw was very impressive! Surely the bird is still feeling the sting, at least.

But he doesn’t think a couple people their size is going to frighten off that bird just by yelling and waving their arms. If they don’t keep up the pressure, it’s just going to get bold again. They need to add a “two” to their one-two punch.

So Liem advances a little further, gesturing with one hand, and when he incants a rapid prayer — the huge bird convulses as if struck, and flaps away even further, its wingbeats clumsy and off-kilter. Though he keeps a wary eye on it as it takes to the air, it seems to be in full retreat. He sounds pleasantly surprised when he says,]

Ah — we actually did it.

[muchalucha]

[ She makes a surprised little noise as Liem starts his incantation, just pleasantly surprised to hear it. It may not be for her in the slightest, but still, she can simply feel it for what it is. For her, it’s almost nostalgic, because how long had it been since she’d heard such a thing…? But that’s also a bit of a sad thought, so she pushes it away. Easy enough to do when it clearly works, and she’s quick to cheer in response. ]

Ah, ¡increíble! You really got him!!

[ Ah, she’s jealous!! Abadar really is so lucky, she thinks, and though this is not at all what Liem asked for (or expected, probably), she thinks that she’ll just dote on Liem for a moment in his stead, clearly! Which is to say she’s quick to give him a big, affectionate hug. ]

Ey, but tell me, tell me, what did you do!

[sterngaze]

[Liem is (for some reason) not expecting to be hugged as celebration for their victory. For a moment he just freezes, still in the midst of turning to smile at Quetz as she throws her arms around him — but he rallies and slides an arm around her waist, joining her just briefly in her jubilation. His own hug is a little restrained and awkward, not to mention less soft and warm than hers, but the thought is there. As might be apparent, Liem doesn’t get hugged very often.]

Well, you got him first.

[Any more reasonably-sized creature would, he’s sure, be completely clobbered by the rock she’d hurled at it. She could definitely take out an unwary beetle or grasshopper. It’s just their misfortune that basically everything other than insect life is much too large for them to actually defeat at the moment.]

I used magic to make it feel more pain.

[A lot of pain, given by the bird’s full-body reaction. Why does Liem have a spell for this? Don’t worry about it. 🙂]

It’ll wear off shortly, but I doubt the bird will come back.

[muchalucha]

[ It is apparent, and this is why Quetzalcoatl quickly makes the decision to double the effort. She’s open and easy with her physical affection (very obviously), and even how he awkwardly returns the gesture is very nice to her! Liem gets the full-on nuzzle since she has some height on him, and it comes with cheerful laughter. All and all, it’s a very nice hug! Maybe the best one, who knows! ]

Wow, that’s handy!

[ So! She’s not worried about it at all! Yay useful magic! ]

Well, ¡muy bien hecho!

[ She pulls away from him with another happy little noise, then claps a hand on her bicep as she looks at her sunstone again. ]

Okay! So, let’s try again! And I’ll go faster this time so that no little birds get any bright ideas!

[sterngaze]

[Bless Quetzalcoatl for being so head empty, and also for her divine hugs. Liem leans into the hug just a little more, since he so rarely has the pleasure and she is so clearly enthusiastic to bestow it. It’s a shame their aspects aren’t closer together, or he might use the excuse of discord to accept her bright, sunshine-y hugs more often.

Anyway, they should both feel proud of besting a bird that was easily big enough to have eaten either of them. It’s only fair to take victories when they come. When Quetz pulls back, Liem regards the sunstone with a pensive look, his eyes falling on the areas where her fingers had dug into the rock to grip it previously.]

If you get it to somewhere the stone can be rolled instead, and we can get below somewhere sheltered, I can repair the, ah, damage you had to do to lift it. As long as the damaged areas stay small.

[He seems apologetic that he can’t help more with moving it, considering this is turning out to be such a big hassle…]

[muchalucha]

[ wiem… The way that Liem leans into that hug isn’t something she misses, but she doesn’t draw any attention to it. She just makes a mental note to give him more hugs and physical affection in the future! ♥ ]

¡Sí!

[ She nods enthusiastically and heads back to her sunstone and takes a look at it. Since it’s toppled a bit, she’ll have to grab it again, so she’s looking for a good grip… It’s too bad she can’t just tip it over, but she’d hate to damage any of the actual carving! ]

I’ll find a good spot to make sure that you don’t have to work too hard on it, yes! Ah, and I really owe you, Liem! You’re being such a big help! ¡Mucho!

[ But she laughs as she finds the spot and grabs it, and with a little noise of effort, up it goes again. She’ll lift it this way to get it back on a smooth part of the path, and then indeed, she’ll start rolling it instead. ]