Destiny's Tears-Prologue: A Jewel in the Shadow Part I

[Rystil Arden]

Molpe:
[SBLOCK]
"My mommy always says my name is pretty like me," Esperanza replies, "But when I look in the muddy puddles, I can see that I'm not pretty like the pretty people. I think maybe mommy's eyes are hurt or something."

*Esperanza is surprised when Molpe lifts her into her lap, but she still giggles when the agile Naiad gently works her ticklish spots.*

*As Molpe finishes her spell, the dirt and contamination of the Labourer's Ward melts off of the little girl, leaving a radiantly beautiful child, if somewhat hollow-cheeked and thin from lack of hearty meals, whose beauty would not be out of place among the nymphs of Amaranthia.*

"What happened?" Esperanza asks after the spell, "I feel all funny now, and not tickly funny but differenty funny."

*Some of the onlooking Labourer's Ward folk gasp in awe when they see the effects of Molpe's magic on the little girl.*
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Molpe Lilypetals: Limnad/Female (Siren)

[sblock]* Molpe doesn’t offer a real answer to Esperanza’s question besides a charming smile; instead she reached over and digs around in her backpack. After a short time she pulls out an object that’s wrapped in a fairly old but soft piece of clothe that was probably valuable it itself at one point in time. The cloth was now nothing more than protection for the object inside and as Molpe pulled it away a small steel mirror appeared. *

Molpe couldn’t hide the happiness from her voice as she spoke and handed the mirror to the young child, “I don’t know what happened Esperanza. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Molpe:
[SBLOCK]
*Esperanza looks into the mirror glumly, thinking that she knows what to expect and that her new friend is trying to give her a subtle reminder that the little girl is still ugly, but when she looks into the mirror she gasps, and laughs in delight, throwing her arms around the Limnad and hugging her tightly.*

"I'm pretty now! I'm really truly pretty!"

*Then she turns serious as her perhaps-6-year-old mind tries to puzzle it out.*

"Hmm...I think that when you tickled me, you rubbed your prettiness on me like when I fall in the mud puddle and it covers my face all up and makes me get the sniffles, except this time its a happy thing instead of a sad thing because you're a really nice lady and not a mean mud puddle! Can you come tickle my friends? And my mommy?"
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Molpe Lilypetals: Limnad/Female (Siren)

[sblock]* Molpe cuddles the little girl, giving her a hug, out of the joy at seeing her so happy but Molpe doesn’t interrupt her as she tries to figure out how it happened but finally Esperanza stops to take a breath. *

“I was just a simple enchantment but you only have to tickle little girls when you cast it. Everyone else you simply have to touch.” Molpe can’t help but be drawn into the girl’s infectious smile and she quickly finds nodding hoping to please her once more, “Yes of course I can “tickle” your mother and friends, Esperanza, but you need to point your mother out to me.”

* Molpe looks up at the crowed for the first time in a long time in an effort to find both Esperanza’s mother but also to silent count heads… Her powers were finite but she hoped to save the young girl from disappointment for as long as she could. *[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Molpe:
[SBLOCK]
*Esperanza's eyes widen in excitement.*

"You know magic? Are you a Witch? Mommy told me a story about a good Witch with a fairy wand who comes and gives the poor girl a pretty dress and a carriage and then she marries the prince!"

*Molpe finishes her count. There are 19 people from the Labourer's Ward that approached to watch her performance, not many compared to the vast numbers in the Ward, but quite a lot considering how timid they were to approach the silvery gate. There is no one who Molpe thinks could be Esperanza's mother, at least not from this distance.*

*At Molpe's offer, Esperanza squeals in delight and hugs her again.*

"Oh thank you! Thank you! You're the nicest lady in the whole wide world! Well, except my mommy."

[OOC: Spot Untrained 11 + 2 - 2 = 11]
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Thanee]

Melody, Dolathi Eldritch Infiltrator

[SBLOCK]“A friend of yours, yes? Then I'll just head over to his table and see what he's up to. If he came here for the very same reasons, maybe we can join up together. It's surely better than to ask a complete stranger.”[/SBLOCK]

Abdiel & Zykovian:

[SBLOCK]A young Rowaini woman, who is standing at the bar, turns her head a few times in the direction of the table, Abdiel is sitting at, while chatting with the Altanian barkeeper. Her beautiful figure is dressed in a form-flattering dress of dark-green cloth, a long skirt and a short top, fully revealing her midriff and greatly enhancing her attractive appearance, with only a single necklace worn around the delicate neck to accentuate her look. The waist-long black hair is flowing down her back and the green eyes looking over the two patrons at the table curiously. Eventually, she turns her slender body around and heads towards it.

“Greetings, travelers!” she says in a melodic voice. “You must be Abdiel,” her eyes lingering on the powerful shape of the Mojin for a moment, before turning towards the equally impressive Altanian, “and you can only be Zykovian, the bounty hunter.” A knowing smile playing around her lips for a moment, she immediately continues. “You also came here because of the convocation? Of course, you did! Would you mind, if I joined you for a glass or two?”[/SBLOCK]

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Molpe Lilypetals: Limnad/Female (Siren)

[sblock]* Frowning to herself, there was far more people to clean than she could possible do via magic means, Molpe tries to keep up with the young girl’s questions. *

“Yes, I know magic, but no I’m not really a witch… My magic comes from within but it requires song for me to invoke it. Though that sounds like a wonderful story, honey.”

* Enthusiastic returning the hug, Molpe can’t help but wish she could do more for the girl and the “Witch” story didn’t help matters. Molpe realized that she couldn’t do that, that it was very likely she would never be able to make a profound impact upon the girl’s life, it was simply a story to convey hope but in that oppressive ward hope was all they had… Molpe was glad to be hugging Esperanza, and she clutched her even tighter, as it hid her face and the fact that her emotions where on the verge of realizing without her say… She tried not to cry, it was hard to do, but some how she managed for now and finally the hug was ended. *

“Your quite welcome, honey, and mommies are always the nicest of all so that’s a very favorable comparison you honor me with,” Even in all the seriousness Molpe cannot help but giggle as she admits to herself she sounded like Wei-Hon, “but I don’t see your mommy. Is your mommy around, little one?” [/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Molpe:
[SBLOCK]
*Esperanza's eye widen in wonder when she hears Melody's explanation*

"Can you teach me to sing like you? I want to help my mommy be pretty again! And my friends too!"

*When Molpe asks about Esperanza's mother, she shakes her head*

"Mommy's not here right now. She told me to play while she goes to work. I don't like that she works so much when she's sick. I wish she could stay home and play with me too, or rest until she gets all better, but even hugs and kisses don't make her feel all better again."
[/SBLOCK]

 

[Brother Shatterstone]

Molpe Lilypetals: Limnad/Female (Siren)

[sblock]“Well it takes years of dedicated study to learn to evoke a spell through song but we’ll have to wait and see,” replies Molpe as honest as she can before she frowns slightly, “I’m sorry your mother gets sick so much but she sounds like a very strong and loving woman. I’m sure she’ll recover in time. What sort of job does mom have?”[/sblock]

 

[Rystil Arden]

Molpe:
[SBLOCK]
*Esperanza thinks for a moment and then shrugs*

"I dunno. Mommy just works all day, and sometimes at night too, although she always comes home to make me dinner. Mommy says that work is something little girls don't have to worry about. Where can I learn to be a pretty singing-lady like you? I want to sing, and dance too. Mommy said when she was little she used to dance too, but she can't dance anymore on account of her leg."
[/SBLOCK]