[PLOT - PRP] A Formal Invitation (Vanya and Cosworth)

[Teigra]

Immediately starting to perk up at the indication that Cosworth might be changing his mind (or at least just thinking of maybe entertaining the idea), Vanya started to remind him that they hadn't settled on a date. Uncharacteristically enthusiastic, she started to interrupt, speaking over her friend, "Oh, I can make sure you'll have plenty of time to mull it over! I'll let you know as soon as we deci--"

She halted mid-sentence, her other senses kicking in suddenly as if to warn 'something---no, someone's coming' and her ear flicked backwards towards the door seconds before it burst inwards with a cacophony of noise and energy. A bright pink blur, green touching the edges, but primarily brilliant pink and glowing with energy, streaked across her senses. She was momentarily stunned, unsure how to react. She felt Cosworth pull away and he began addressing the strange intruder. Pinkie Pie? Okay, well, most Faun in the Tree had at least heard that name by now, even if they hadn't dealt much with her face-to-face. Vanya didn't remember speaking with her long, though she did remember a moment during the Faunies' arrival, when she'd been approached by a particularly energetic new arrival and been questioned eagerly for her name. And whether she liked parties.

Hard to forget that glowing pink aura full of energy and motion.

She hadn't followed much of the exchange at this point and Pinkie had seemingly retreated beyond the door again as the brilliant pink aura faded. Slightly. The exchange that followed, then the ensuing silence seemed a stark contrast. Vanya didn't need her Sight to sense Cosworth's embarrassment. It was contagious. Her cheeks flushed warmly as she caught the implication, rising to her own hooves to follow. But too slowly, as Cosworth was already heading for the door. She hesitated as he asked her to wait here, but he was gone before she could actually raise an argument against it. The Seer was left standing awkwardly besides the tea table, nearly speechless at the whirlwind that had just swept through the cottage.

Oh Great Spirits...hopefully Cosworth could explain that the Fauny'd gotten the wrong idea entirely... Vanya was equally as mortified as Cosworth had been, perhaps a bit stunned as well. Suddenly, she was glad she'd been left alone for a moment to cope with what had just happened. Whatever it was. The silence in the cottage was welcome and she heard little other than the hiss of the steam engine outside as it continued circulating the air within.

Being left alone with her thoughts, she fell back to the sudden turmoil she'd sensed in her friend's aura while they'd been speaking. Before Pinkie had arrived. What could she have said to upset him so? She shuffled awkwardly on her hooves, feeling a bit strange being left alone in the cottage with only her thoughts. Her hoof brushed against something on the floor that wasn't stone...sounded like parchment? Puzzled, she reached down to verify her hypothesis. Yep, a piece of parchment, with another nearby as she found out. Perhaps Pinkie's entrance had dislodged some of Cosworth's designs in her haste. Well, she couldn't possibly organize them in any sort of order or put them back where they belonged, but she could at least pick them up off the floor. It would give her something to do to distract from her thoughts, she figured, kneeling and beginning to gather the rough parchments from the floor as her hands brushed over them.
 

[Seruta]

It was here that Pinkie went into a small gigglefit.

"And you called ME random!" she snorted softly. "Why would anyone want to leave their goggles on the doorknob? They go on your head, silly!" she patted his head softly then immediately returned to her current programming of panic.

"I-It's my Cannon! I know you said I had limited shots, and to be honest I never really remembered how many you had said! Well, at my party practice today for tomorrow's-..." she leaned in and whispered... sort of... "Super awesome surprise party!..." she leaned back and returned to her currently panicked tones. "- I went to practice the usual Pinkie Pie confetti ceremony and it didn't go off!"

She grabbed his shoulders and pushed out her lower lip. "You gotta fix it before tomorrow! Please, Cosworth! The Confetti Ceremony is important! It's the most important part of any Pinkie Pie approved Party! So important that there can't BE a party without it!! And if there's no party, then a lot of people will be sad and you know how I get when I see someone sad! Omigosh! I dunno if I can deal with that kind of trauma! It would be awful! Oh! Please, Cosworth!! Pleeeeaaaase!!" Her lower lip gave a bit of a quiver for a half second before her features did another 180.

"Oh, and did you read that invitation I gave you back when you gave me the cannon? The one that invited you to this super secret party that's happening tomorrow? I mean, I know how you are about that sort of thing, but I figured it was only right to invite you since you're such an amazingly stupendous friend and I really didn't want you to feel left out."

She then smiled. One of her hopeful, kazoo-sounding smiles.  

[Doof]

Cosworth hoped that Lady Vanya would be all right inside. Certainly she seemed to be able to handle herself well enough, and he'd put away most of the dangerous items in his cottage, but he couldn't help but worry. She was the seer after all, and as far as he knew that would take some interesting explaining if she somehow hurt herself, and he wasn't very good at explaining. So long as she didn't poke around- and she didn't seem like the pokey type, nothing interesting would happen.

As for Pinkie...

"Never mind about the goggles. It was just something between me and..." He paused. "You forgot how many shots already?" He held up three fingers. "It was three, Pinkie Pie. And you fired one off right after I gave it to you, remember?" He pulled down one finger accordingly. "That means you've fired it twice since I gave it to you. You've certainly been busy, haven't you?"

"If you need to recharge the cannon, I can do it for you. It'll take some time, so maybe you can stay for tea, if Lady Vanya doesn't mind." Cosworth glanced over at his steam engine- working like a charm- and realized he'd have to disconnect his home's ventilation fan and connect the driveshaft to his air compressor to refill the party cannon's air cartridges. That meant that he and Vanya might have to enjoy tea outdoors after all. With all the noise of the engine and his air compressor. Nice timing, Pinkie Pie. Maybe he'd need to find a way to more easily connect and disconnect his accessories in future.

Cosworth's mind had been racing about the whole social occasion invitation thing since Vanya had brought it up. "Yes, I did read your invitation Pinkie. I can't say I wasn't expecting it, but you know how I am. It's difficult for me to bring myself to go." In fact, he'd had no intention to go, but with a much larger and more formal occasion apparently looming on the horizon, perhaps it would be to his advantage to... acclimatize.

Or not, he still wasn't sure. "Maybe I'll see you there, maybe not. Don't count on it." He shrugged helplessly. He really had no idea if he would show or not.

A quick check of his steam engine's temperature and output reassured Cosworth that things were well in hand. He glanced up and looked around. "So you did remember to bring the cannon, didn't you?"  

[Teigra]

Having cleared the floor of any stray parchment and stacked them on the workbench, Vanya had returned to standing in the middle of the empty cottage awkwardly, shuffling her hooves. Still nothing from outside. She wondered what sort of 'emergency' it was, having caught that much from Pinkie's earlier panicked speech. Hopefully nothing too serious. She frowned, thinking back. She'd said that only Cosworth could help her? She'd seemed surprised to find Vanya here, so she'd not come looking for the Seer, that was for sure. So...probably not an accident or injury sort of emergency. That was a relief at least. But...what could it be?

Was everything alright out there? She didn't want to interrupt, but... She took a deep breath, concentrating on focusing her senses towards the outside. She felt the presence of the two auras outside, but not much more than that. Nothing obviously wrong. She also picked up a tiny familiar aura overhead...Veryan, likely waiting for her to finish her visit and return home...also likely to be taking a nap under the roof's overhang at this time of day, she thought, smiling to herself.

She did not expect another...something...to show up at the edge of her senses.

What in the name of the Earth...?

Startled, she turned her attentions towards...whatever it was. It was something small...subtle. A Mellon? When the topic of her own Mellon had come up on her first trip here, Cosworth had seemed surprised by the idea of Vanya sending him a message via her Fairy companion. She'd assumed that he hadn't had one as a result, if the thought hadn't occurred to him. She didn't ask, thinking it might be rude...had she been wrong? Whatever it was, it was still and unchanging...still very faint to her though, so not a Mellon?

Curiosity taking over, she started moving towards the mystery, moving slowly. She was wary of anything in the way of her hooves, also holding her hands out for any furniture she may have been unaware of. Like many seeing Pae, however, she forgot to 'look' up. The impact was fairly solid, and there may have been a curse mixed in with the sound of items tumbling from the shelf.

"...blasted, accursed, rotten tree nuts!" Vanya grumbled out of frustration more than pain, though she reached up to rub her head reflexively. Sometimes, it didn't matter if it was nonsense if it made one feel better. Now she just felt stupid. And she'd likely just made a mess of her host's things. Hopefully nothing had broken.

Sighing softly, she reached up to the shelf, feeling something that felt like books that had toppled over and trying to pick them up and set them in some semblance of order once more. Assuming they had been in some order before. Perhaps that was why everything had toppled so easily, if it had been precariously balanced to begin with. She straightened up whatever was on the shelf, then turned her attention to what had fallen to the floor. Something had hit near her hoof and she reached down, taking hold of what felt like a wooden box.

And then drew her hand back with a sharp hiss as if she'd been burned. She froze, realizing that whatever was in front of her was what she'd been sensing before. But...she couldn't 'see' inanimate objects. Hence the whole problem with the shelf (and numerous pieces of furniture in the past). But an object, particularly one with strong emotions attached to it or spiritual in nature...

She shouldn't. She knew she shouldn't. But, she couldn't help herself. Prepared for the tingle of energy when she touched it this time, she lifted the small box in her hands and stood upright. Her fingers traced the surface lightly, but there didn't seem to be much about the box itself that seemed special...perhaps what was inside. Her deft fingers quickly found the hinge and turned the box around to open it correctly. Nothing happened. Well, there wasn't some creature being kept captive inside then. That settled that.

That was silly.

She reached in cautiously, finding something...soft. Delicate. Not what she had expected, if she'd known what to expect at all. After a moment, understanding started to blossom slowly, as the shape, the texture had all become so familiar to her recently. As she made the connection, she gasped, unsure what to make of what she'd found.

An engagement flower.
 

[Seruta]

Pinkie Pie blinked and tilted her head slowly. After what seemed to be a bit too long of a pause for the thought to process, she snapped back into the current timeline. "Only three shots?!" She tapped her chin. "Why didn't I remember this before?! Hmm. I'll have to refill it again after the party as well. It's going to take three shots to get the confetti everywhere in the main hall. That place is HUGE!"

For the moment, it would seem like she was more or less talking to herself. Out loud. Because Pinkie...

Her ears perked at the mention of tea, however. "Oh! I LOVE tea parties. And look!!" Once again, Pinkie retrieved a plate of cookies from her mane and held them as if she was proud to have remembered them at all. "I've already brought the cookies! Or would you prefer I call them biscuits? Cause I know some people prefer to eat biscuits with their tea at tea parties. So we can just pretend if you like?"

In a flash, her eyes nearly bugged. "OMIGOSH! I left my cannon back at the tree with the neato looking 'Y' shape branch!!" She quickly shoved the plate at Cosworth, though surprisingly didn't lose a single cookie in the effort. She gigglesnorted and shrugged a bit. "When running at a full sprint, it can get a bit heavy to carry after a while." She turned on her hooves in a (almost) fancy spin and bolted back into the trees.

"BE RIGHT BACK!!" she hollered over her shoulder.  

[Doof]

The engineer nodded. "Yes, three shots. I couldn't pack more charges into the compressed air chamber or it would start to get too large to carry around." He turned his eyes upwards, taking his chin into his right hand, momentarily distracted by his thoughts. "Although there was potential for smaller but higher pressure compartments, they tended to explode a little too often for my liking. If only I had stronger materials..."

Cosworth's left eye twitched at his pink visitor's suggestion that a party was what was going on. "Pinkie Pie, this isn't exactly a party we're having. More of a quiet, afternoon get-together. You know, sort of with... Quiet." He had to admit, whilst he was warming to Pinkie Pie's company, the prospect of her, himself and Lady Vanya sitting down to tea and trying to relax brought to mind images of barely contained mayhem as he imagined Pinkie Pie trying to find fancy ways to make the day more interesting.

He found himself moments later balancing an entire plate of cookies in his left hand, almost losing one or two over the edge before he stabilized himself. He took the cookie closest to falling off in his right hand, eyeing it to see what kind of cookie it was exactly.

It was then with momentary relief that Cosworth listen to her state the location of where she'd stashed the cannon (in typically cryptic fashion), and as she turned to retrieve it, Cosworth called after her, "Take your time!" Then more quietly, "We've got all afternoon." He folded his arms and shook his head. He probably could have- and should have- gone along with her to help, but he owed Lady Vanya his presence, and didn't know exactly how far this 'Y-shaped branch' was.

Cosworth sighed and pondered letting the pink Pony know how to operate his steam engine and compressor assembly herself, but the thought of Pinkie Pie arriving unannounced and taking control of his painstakingly-repaired engine unsupervised sent a shudder down his spine. Nope. He turned his back to the trail back to the main road that Pinkie had bounded down, and pushed open the door to his cottage with his elbow, stuffing the whole cookie that he'd been holding into his mouth.

His eyes needed a little time to re-adjust to the darker interior, and he took a moment to quickly chew and swallow the very sweet cookie. and began to turn to where Vanya had been sitting. "I'm sorry about that. She's nice enough but has a very unique-" The brown faun blinked as he gained enough vision to realize that his guest was no longer at her seat. "Lady Vanya?"

He let his gaze scan the room, and saw, in the back corner by his shelves and cabinets, the seer holding a small, open Laisidhiel-wood box, and a pristine, brilliant-white engagement flower. His engagement flower, picked and gifted countless seasons ago.

Cosworth's blood ran cold, but his cheeks grew hot. "Vanya, You-!" He cut his own sentence short, to spare his venerated friend the expletive that almost burst from his mouth.. "You were going through my things?!" The mood that took him was not one of rage, but more one of disappointment and disbelief that his trust would be violated so. He roughly set down the plate he was carrying on their table next to the tea, a couple of the cookies bouncing off of it; although this time he did not try to retrieve them. He immediately followed this by advancing on the seer in what might have been seen as an intimidating fashion, although if Vanya could see his face, she would have seen a vision of dismay, and more than a shade of regret. Cosworth loomed over her for a moment, his hands reaching for the box and flower.

The brown faun paused. He did not mean in any way to frighten or chastise one of the few friends he had anymore. She could not have known what he was hiding away, or why, and while he considered her the least likely to probe him about his past, she was, without a doubt, the most fitting of his new friends to learn of it. To her aura sight, he figured, his emotions must have been cascading off of him like a waterfall. His outstretched hands hovered near hers, shaking, as they always did, on the rare occasions he wanted to close that box.

Cosworth stilled his emotions, washing down the anger, the disappointment, the expected touch of grief, and replaced it with calm, and an underlying sadness, which left a little aching sensation to his chest. He gently placed his hands over Vanya's, pulling them away from the flower and slowly closing the box once more until it latched shut. He held the box there between them for a moment before he slowly withdrew it from her grasp, holding it close to his chest as he stared down at the simple design he'd seared onto its lid. He said nothing, simply running a thumb over the edge of the box until a hiss from outside broke the silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He said quietly. "It's not quite as big as yours, is it? But it was the best I could do for her." He quirked a sad, feeble half-grin, finally taking his eyes off his box and leaning heavily on an engine-block-turned-countertop by his waist, looking hunched and weary as he turned his gaze to Vanya, hoping he had not earned another staff-strike to the face.  

[Teigra]

The Seer had indeed been startled when the door had opened, catching her red-handed as it were, and she froze, unable to move and unsure what to do or say. The silence first...then the sudden flood of noise and movement caused her to lay her ears back, cowering slightly where she stood, though the instinct felt strong telling her to flee. She couldn't see Cosworth closing in on her, but she could see the sudden explosion of emotion that accompanied his outburst. She expected anger, in his tone and in her Sight...but that wasn't what was there. As strong as the reaction had been, it had not been fury.

It was worse.

"You were going through my things?!"

She visibly winced, feeling like the accusation had been a physical blow. No! She hadn't-- But that's exactly what she had done, wasn't it? As her friend (possibly former friend at this rate) neared, the emotional onslaught only grew stronger; she could practically experience the feelings of betrayal and hurt personally as they radiated from him. Spirits, what had she done? She didn't need her Sight to be able to tell how much she'd upset him. She flinched as he took her hands, surprised as he seemed to close his emotions away even as he closed the box. She was too shocked to say anything, but when he started to pull the box from her hands, she quickly let go and retreated.

Only after he broke the silence first did she dare follow. He was apologizing...to her? She should be the one begging for forgiveness. "Cosworth, I...I'm so sorry, I didn't..." Her voice was quieter than normal, but in the silence between them, it was enough to be heard. "I didn't mean to. I was just picking up some parchments after you and Pinkie left, and I bumped into the shelf, and...and..." She felt she was apologizing for things she couldn't help, after all, what reason could she have had to NOT pick up a mess? There was one thing she could have helped though. One thing that she had no idea why she'd done it, nor explanation for other than her own curiosity and selfishness. She dropped her head, ashamed. "I'm sorry. I had no reason to open the box. I should have just put it back and left it alone. If you want me to leave, I'll go. I understand."

At the moment, she sounded almost as upset as Cosworth had a few moments ago...only she sounded on the verge of tears instead. Put her in a tense situation with threatening Pae'il, or an important interrogation and she'd stand her ground until the end. But, put her in a situation in which she felt she'd possibly wronged one of the few friends she had in a way that could never be made up for? Well, that was more than a bit difficult for her to cope with...

She had never, NEVER experienced such a strong reaction from Cosworth before. Part of her wanted to reach out, just a little further, see what it was that had upset him so much, left this lingering sadness in his voice. She had never been so tempted to Read a friend. On the other hand, wasn't that exactly the problem here? She'd already invaded his privacy once. She didn't dare do so again. It was just...wrong...at the best of times. This was far from the best of times.

She was still puzzled by what he'd last said. Did he...want to talk? Surely not. He'd probably rather throw her out the front door at this point. But then, why would he have offered that comment so freely? It was a few moments while she tossed the idea around before deciding that if he hadn't thrown her out already for what she'd done, then a simple question couldn't make things much worse.

Having taken a moment to calm herself as well, she wrung her hands nervously before lifting her head slightly. "...her?" Then, after a beat, she added, "I can't really see it, you know. But size isn't exactly what's important. From what I can See...I'm sure it's quite lovely in any case."
 

[Doof]

Cosworth waved a hand dismissively, once more completely forgetting about his guest's blindness. "You were only trying to help, I realize that now." He could plainly see Vanya's distress, and immediately knew he had been perhaps a little too quick to lose his temper. It was fortuitous that he could quell it just as quickly. "Of everyone to open this box, I suspect that none would have done so quite as carefully or respectfully as you. You don't have to apologize." The male faun hesitantly reached out with one hand, and as he had done many times in the past, placed it reassuringly on her shoulder and squeezed gently. "You don't have to go anywhere, Vanya. Not unless you want to." The tone of his voice had come full circle; It was quiet and soothing, worn but warm.

A quick glance out the window told the engineer that they were still alone, and he was glad the pink party pony hadn't just dropped the cannon a few feet down the trail. He turned his attention back to his honoured guest. "Please, stay. Let's sit for a moment. I insist." Cosworth guided the seer back to their table, being more careful than usual not to exert any force or to squeeze her shoulder too hard. I need to sit for a moment. Might have been a more honest request but at that moment he was grateful that he hadn't scared the poor lass off, and he didn't want to show any more discomfort than he already had. He absentmindedly rubbed his chest with the back of the hand that was holding his box, trying to ease away the sudden sad mood that had taken him. It did not help much. Perhaps she had read him. Perhaps she already knew. Part of him hoped she had- it would save the long story. On the other hand, perhaps right now was not the best time for the long story. We'll see.

Cosworth steadily helped Vanya to her seat. Perhaps it would help them both calm down a little. He set the box in the middle of the table and quickly poured and set down a couple of fresh cups of tea, knowing that his fan would waft the relaxing aromas between them. When he took his seat, he did so heavily, indulging in a long, slow exhale as he let go some of the stress that had just bubbled up in the last few minutes. "Yes, my dear Lady Vanya, 'her'. The one I gifted this flower to, many years ago." He tried to recall just how many exactly, and came to the same conclusion he always did. Too many. And for too few of those years, it had actually been with her; for after that, it was back in his hands, a reminder of his broken dreams, and a beautiful, but distressing companion to his solitude. Although he kept his face and posture steady, the turmoil within grew once more, a combination of a grief that had dulled from a searing agony into a relentless ache over the course of a lifetime, and a wistful warmth, coming from dreams or memories, recalling a long absent, but never forgotten love.

He did not offer more details. Part of him wanted to, but he had not talked about it for many years. It had always hurt to talk about, and one day he had just stopped talking about it. It was how he stopped dwelling and moved on with his life. Or so he thought. Truth was, he hadn't, and he was simply shuttering away everything that had broken him all those years ago. Yet even though he acknowledged this, it was just too difficult to open that old wound again.

No, he would just let Lady Vanya know what he should have told her a long time ago. The rest? Well, that could wait until she asked, or until perhaps, he was ready to offer it up voluntarily.

Cosworth took a sip from his hot tea. His hand shook again, and he burned his lip, but that didn't matter. His voice was soft, and it carried the same warmth as before, as well as the sadness that the seer opposite him must have detected by this point. "Sometimes I see the box, and I can't help but feel ashamed. I keep it locked away, but my late wife Kiana wore that flower every day and waking hour. From the day I proposed, to our wedding day and without fail... until the day she died..." He traced his finger around the rim of his cup, eyes staring at the table. "...Trying to save our daughter."  

[Teigra]

Despite Cosworth's reassurances, Vanya still felt extremely guilty for her actions. For intruding on his privacy. For making him upset with her actions. For the fact that he seemed to feel driven to make her feel better now when he obviously was not okay himself. Yet, she knew enough to sense that arguing with him over it would only make things worse. Conceal and calm, help others before yourself, she lectured herself mentally, following Cosworth without a word of argument.

The scent of hot tea wafted on the air and Vanya took it in with a deep breath, the odor instinctively calming some of the tension from her shoulders. She kept patient, letting Cosworth lead the conversation now, if there was to be any. His acknowledgement that there had once been someone very special in his life, special enough to take that step, wasn't so much shocking as...she'd just not considered it before. Not that she was surprised. He was a very kind man, if private...she supposed, this could have something to do with why, in retrospect. Whether it was the weariness she heard in his voice or simply the way he said 'many years ago', she couldn't say, but Vanya got the implication that her friend was far older than she'd thought before. Sure, he'd always sounded like he'd experienced more in life than the young Seer...even if she'd experienced quite a bit herself in past seasons. She suddenly became aware that the way he talked...it was likely that whatever had happened, had happened long before she was even born.

Vanya couldn't see the calm exterior, the steady expression and body language...she saw only the turmoil beneath. And to see a dear friend in such pain broke her heart. Perhaps this was why she didn't allow herself many friends. Because for all the troubles she heard and advice she had to give, if she allowed herself to empathize on such a deep level with everyone, she'd probably never be able to keep herself together. Such was the life of an empath.

That just made them all the more dear to her when they needed help.

Unsure if the gesture would be appreciated, she reached across the table for his free hand...though it took her a couple of tries to find it. She meant it for both support and encouragement, wishing to hear more.

Or perhaps she didn't.

She had not expected what came next. It was one thing to learn that her friend had lost a wife...but a daughter too? She squeezed his hand as her own stomach drew up in knots. By the spirits... "Cosworth..." her voice faltered, "I...had no idea. I'm so very, very sorry." There were no words to express how sorry she really was to have unearthed such painful memories on what was supposed to be a pleasant day.

She wasn't sure why, but for as long ago as he implied this to have happened...the pain still seemed so...fresh. No, that wasn't the word she wanted. But, the roiling emotions beneath the calm surface spoke to pain that hadn't been as tempered by such time as one would believe. Not that Vanya had much experience in such matters either. This was more...instinct than experience speaking. But...had Cosworth learned to cope with the loss on his own? Or had he merely pushed it aside, burying it deep until foolish Seers came along and dug up those memories again? Either way...what could she really do?

And this was one of the hardest parts of being a counselor...knowing when to push for more...and when to let things go. Of course, she wanted to know what happened, but that was her own selfish curiosity at work again. Maybe he didn't want to talk about it. Maybe she should leave it be at what he'd already said. On the other hand...sometimes the only way to help someone was to push them to talk about issues that they didn't want to face on their own. To help by facing it with them.

Or she could just push him too far and get herself evicted from his home forever.

She debated for a while what to do, meanwhile taking his hand in both of hers in sympathy. Finally, running her thumb over the back of his hand in a soothing motion, she asked softly, "...what happened?"
 

[Doof]

"Don't trouble yourself, M'Lady." Cosworth patted her hand comfortingly. "It was not my intention to keep this a secret. I just never brought it up because, well, I try to forget." He didn't care that this was more or less and open admission that he hadn't made peace with it. The truth was he likely never would.

Cosworth shifted uncomfortably to lean on the table as he considered her question. It was, in truth, the first time anyone had asked about his wife. All his old friends knew the story, and amongst his 'new' friends only Vanya had come to learn of his old life, as far as he knew. In the last couple of minutes, no less. He made a mental note to expect a similar reaction if any of his other acquaintences were to hear of it.

That the seer was asking, of course, meant that she had not yet tried to read his memories, an ability he knew was well within her power. Cosworth considered telling her to read him, to spare him the effort, but he knew there were things buried in his memories that he would rather not have his friend see. He balanced this against what would more than likely be a broken, and possibly unintelligible recollection of that day, when everything changed for the worst.

The older faun stared into his guest's eyes. Certainly they were blind, not quite matching his gaze. Her sight, however, was not what he was seeking. To him, most faun seemed young by comparison. Not by obvious visual cues, since wrinkles and frailty were uncommon in (theoretically) ageless beings such as they were, but there was something to a Pae's eyes, as many old sayings went, something that could tell you more about their spirit than mere appearances could. Lady Vanya could not see him staring straight at her, but he seemed to find what he was looking for. Somewhere in her youthful (to his perspective) eyes was the wisdom requisite of the Circle's Seer, and the geniune concern and tenderness of a good friend. Someone he could trust to see him at his most vulnerable.

Cosworth cast his mind back. For all of the effort he put into shutting away those memories, through work, through isolation and through potentially lethal amounts of liquor, his old life came back to him as clear as though he were still living it. Their home in Laisidhiel. Her brilliant blue eyes. The young one's laughter. As always it made his world seem warm, and yet his heart would ache even more than before. After all, he knew how the story ended, and regardless of how many times he'd been back there in his dreams, there was nothing he could do to change that. Cosworth wasn't aware that he'd subconsciously let go of his teacup and was now wringing his hands.

"Fate might suggest you found that flower before my other friends for a reason, if such a thing as fate existed." The male faun sighed. "I could tell you the story, but perhaps it might be to your preference to simply read it from me. It would spare you some questions..." Cosworth took a deep breath. "... And it might save me some answers."  

[Teigra]

"The spirits do many things for their own reasons; only sometimes, do we catch a glimpse of why," she answered softly. Reaching out, she laid her hand over his, an attempt to ease his anxieties. "It is not my preference I am concerned with, but yours, my friend." Vanya used the term pointedly. "If this is easier for you, then I will do so. That still does not mean it will be easy."

Standing, she took her chair with her as she moved around the table to close the distance between them. Easier if there wasn't a table in the way. When she sat again, she reached to take his hands, holding them in hers between them. Touch had become an important tool for her since losing her sight. Especially in the beginning. Even now, as she could not meet another's eyes, she sought out contact as a connection tool with those she spoke with. Especially for something as intimate as they were about to attempt.

"I'm not sure what you know of what I can do," she started to explain with some hesitation. Some found what she could do alarming, some fascinating, some...could hardly believe it, or instead seemed frightened. Clearly, Cosworth understood enough to know that she could read 'something' from others, if not how it worked or how much. That seemed to be enough that he wasn't overly concerned with the idea, if he was asking her to do so voluntarily. "This will be much easier on both of us if you're relaxed, calm, and willing to let me in. You'll be my guide. You'll choose what to show me...I'll only see the thoughts closest to the front of your mind, whatever you're focusing on. I won't look any deeper than that; only what you show me," she promised, meaning to reassure that she wasn't going to go poking about in his mind. Perhaps it was more alarming though that she'd implied she could. But she didn't think about that at the moment.

She lamented for a moment that she really wasn't prepared for this. All of her incense had been left at home. Of course, she hadn't expected to need to do 'Seer things' today...she was supposed to be relaxing and getting away from all that. Apparently, as usual, the spirits had had other plans. Well, she supposed they had the tea to aid in relaxation and focus. That would have to do. Adopting a soothing tone, she continued, "I'll be right there, watching with you, any memory you wish to share. If you're ready to do this, just relax and let me in." She took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the tea, but also the sweet scent from the platter of cookies that had been added to the table. Keeping one hand on his, she reached up with the other to gently touch her fingertips to Cosworth's temple. "Keep calm...and focus...I know this will be hard, but just remember, it's just a memory...we can stop at any time..."
 

[Doof]

With a slightly nervous shuffle to the side, Cosworth made a little room for the Seer to sit alongside him. Indeed he didn't know very much about what the Seer was capable of, but he had already assumed that it would be less strenuous to let her read him, rather than talk it out. The older male had never fully trusted the forces of magic, even the ones that sustained faun like himself, but he quelled his unease by recalling that the one wielding the magic was someone he could trust.

He listened carefully to what Vanya suggested he do, to help facilitate an easy reading. Hard as it would be to stay completely calm whilst summoning the memories, he was still somewhat confident that he could do it, show her, and have it done with. Perhaps this might even help her understand him a little better- and know exactly why he had been so cagey about the subject.

The thoughts were already fresh in Cosworth's mind when the Seer touched her fingers to his temple. He stared at her as she did so, watching the calm but focused expression on her face, and concluded that he had better try to find that kind of focus himself, to help her out. He ran backwards through his memories, seeking out some place that was peaceful, calm and easy to remember.

Funny, he had expected to feel something when the connection was made...

Suddenly the memories went from being clear to brilliantly vivid, and Cosworth's normally weary eyes snapped wide open. Though he stared at Vanya, what he saw was from deep within his own mind.



"Daddy!"

The voice was not a memory. At least it didn't sound like one. A child's voice, cheerful and energetic.

"Daddy wake up!"

The clarity startled Cosworth, and his calm wavered enough for something else to break through. He thought he heard Vanya's voice, but it was distant and fuzzy, as if she were the memory. It implored him to calm himself. He focused on his recollection. Hovering over his vision was the silhouette of a young faun,with orange fur and dark hair. Most noticeable, however, were her green eyes- the same shade as Cosworth's.

"Da-aaaad! Mum says to wake up RIGHT NOW!"

"I'm up!" The voice that replied was sleepy, but clear and youthful. Cosworth hardly recognized it as his own. Scents filled his nose, of the woody interior of Laisidhiel, the scorched odor that came from that fire he'd accidentally started, which never did seem to scrub out. He called loudly in the direction of his wife, who he presumed to be awake and working outside, likely cleaning again. "Spirits, what's the rush Kiana?" He rolled off the straw mattress and stood, his gaze seeking out a very familiar pair of goggles and a less familiar pair of shorts. "It's not as though I have to be up with the hunters or foragers." There was a little bouncing and wobbling as the shorts slid up his digitigrade legs.

The female voice that responded was higher-pitched than most, and her tone bounced up and down in an almost sing-song fashion. "To begin with, I've made you a little snack because it seems like you've got a big day ahead. Which leads to the second thing; Kilot wanted to see you before he went on his hunt today, down by the tree entrance. He came by just a second ago but had to get ready so he couldn't wait around for you."

By now Cosworth had shambled sleepily past the curtain he'd erected to separate their sleeping alcove from the rest of the room. There, as expected, was his red-furred, blue-eyed wife, Kiana. She was cleaning away some of the mess she'd made while putting together what was apparently a salad, on top of the counter he'd made some time ago. A lot of faun questioned why he hadn't just had the shaper make a genuine Laisidhiel-wood counter, but Cosworth had his reasons. Besides, for a simple surface to work on, regular wood was fine.

Given the apparent and unusual urgency to his morning, Cosworth wasted no time digging into the leafy vegetables that his wife gave him. His little girl Sierra appeared next to him, suddenly and unobserved as she always did.
"Daddy, why doesn't mum wear her flower anymore?"

Kiana spared him having to answer with his mouth stuffed full. "Because your father had to climb up high, very high in the tree to get it." She pointed at the roof. "And your father isn't such a great climber-"
Cosworth nodded as he swallowed. "Very true."
"And he went to such effort that it would be a shame if something happened to it." She bent over next to her daughter and leaned in close as though she were telling a secret. "That's why we keep it in a box."

By now, Cosworth had taken in another mouthful, but spoke through it anyway, to his wife's dismay. "Still think it looks better on you, beautiful." Her response was to tousle his hair, and walk away, saying "Hush."
Sierra looked to her mother. "I wanna see where the flowers grow. It must be beautiful."

Her father stood, having quickly finished his snack. "They don't exactly grow dense, Sierra."
"Well I've never been up in the branches before."
At that, Kiana seemed to perk up. "Well I've actually decided to help harvest some strawberries today. You know they only grow in the upper branches. You could come with me, if you stay close."
The child bounced in place, full of excitement. "And I can look for the flowers?"
"We're not going THAT high, sweetheart."

Cosworth made a gagging sound as he made his way to their door. Something else he'd made himself. "You two can have that. Be careful."
As he shut the door behind him, he heard the two females joking together. It was no secret to them why he was such a bad climber. He was, after all, terrified of heights.

Cosworth's memories jumped ahead again, now they were in a slightly chilly breeze outside the great tree as the sun was starting to peek over the horizon. He stood with an old friend, several hunters and a few who weren't.

"We don't need you to shoot a bow or anything." The burly hunter lowered his voice. "We wouldn't want you to shoot a bow, to be honest."

Cosworth rolled his eyes. "Well thank you very much. So why am I here?"

Kilot pointed in the direction the other hunters were headed. "Yesterday we saw a large sounder of large, wild razorbacks in a grove not too far from the tree. We don't normally hunt more than we need, but this group is getting large, and it's getting aggressive enough for us to want to control it a little." He looked to Cosworth. "That's why you and these extras are here. We're going to have more carcass than my Hunt can carry. You just need to stay out of the way until we're done, then help with the meat afterwards."

Cosworth huffed. "Such glorious duty." He muttered, and began to follow the hunters into the forest.

From there, with considerable trepidation, Cosworth cast the memories forward to the end of the hunt, where he, with the others, was helping carry one of several hog carcasses back to the tree. As they left the forest for the plain where Laisidhiel stood some distance away, the local canopy gave way to the vastness that was Laisidhiel's shadow. Some commotion ahead caused Cosworth to peer around their column, and he saw a younger faun bounding towards them with some haste, calling for Kilot. Strange. Kilot waved the boy over and the younger faun went straight to him.

The hunters continued to move forward- their burden was heavy, after all, and it wouldn't do to simply stop and wait- but Cosworth kept his eye on Kilot and the youngster. there was some rather animated conversation, and then the messenger pointed at the upper branches of Laisidhiel and then stared straight at Cosworth, before tearing his eyes away as though he was trying to hide that he was staring at all. Whatever the news was, it was enough to make Kilot stop dead in his tracks, and the other hunters behind him. Kilot turned and he too looked back at Cosworth, and the latter saw something in his friend's face that he rarely saw- utter dismay. Something caused Cosworth's stomach to knot. Something was wrong, very wrong, and he almost thought he could sense it without being told. Kilot told the other faun to hold his end of the carcass (the young boy almost collapsing under the weight as he complied) and began to walk slowly, hesitantly towards Cosworth.

"My friend, put down your burden. This will not be easy to hear."
Cosworth silently complied, his heart feeling as though it would explode from his chest. Somehow he knew.

No...

"There was an accident, up in the Branches, when your... Cosworth!"
He wasn't hearing Kilot at this point. He had begun to walk- then run- towards the great tree, faster though his legs already hurt, harder though his breath was coming ragged. On the plain, there stood a group of Faun, some in obvious distress. They were circled around something.

Spirits, no NO...

They saw him coming, and while the group parted for him, one, the brewmaster Mojo, stepped forward to stop him. His hands were bloody. "Wait a second, Lad. You need to prepare..."
Cosworth shoved past him callously. One or two faun still stood between him and... what seemed to be a red patch of grass, broken antlers...

"NO!"



Before a clear view of the scene could emerge, the memory shattered around them. It felt like Cosworth fell out of it, completely disoriented...

And then he hit the floor.

The male faun had tumbled backwards as he forced the recollection to end, and was now on his back, hyperventilating. He saw the stone walls around him, the thatch roof. Gone was his family again, his life in Laisidhiel. He was alone.

No, not alone.

Before he allowed himself to completely sink into despair, He sat up and got his hooves under him. "My lady, I am so sorry." He wiped his eyes, glad that his guest could not see him weep. "Ah, I didn't meant to startle you, if I startled you at all, that is to say..." His voice broke. The old faun swallowed and righted his stool. "I... I think I need something stronger than tea."  

[Teigra]

Vanya had perhaps oversimplified her explanation to Cosworth...though, she usually did. She told those she Read to guide her through their vision or memory or dream, whatever they wished to share, and that she'd watch whatever they wanted to show her.

The connection was deeper than that, however. For her to witness and share the experience...she shared the entire experience. She not only saw what they saw, but shared in the emotions and the feelings of the experience as well, if slightly dampened. Slightly.

Especially strong memories could still be quite an emotional roller coaster. This looked to be one of those.

When the vision began, she could feel her friend's surprise shake his concentration. Apparently, he'd not realized just how 'real' it would be. "Calm and focus," Vanya murmured, stroking his hand with her thumb. "It's alright...just focus and show me what happened..." The connection stabilized and she quieted to watch and learn.

She could feel everything as the tale unfolded. Happiness. Pride. Contentment. Camaraderie. She could sense the dread beginning to grow as the memory continued, speeding forward. Not from the Cosworth in the memory, but from the one sitting with her in the cottage. Though she had smiled to herself at the happy memories to start, her expression fell, knowing that it wasn't going to last. In a silent show of support, she squeezed Cosworth's hand as the vision continued.

Before the younger Cosworth had put it together in the vision, Vanya had realized what had happened. Wary concern...fear...distress...panic. The images seemed to race and blend together, despair and heartbreak and--

The connection was severed abruptly, leaving the Seer reeling and disoriented as well. Enough so that she hadn't even realized her friend had fallen. As Cosworth had pulled away, she'd doubled in on herself, arms crossed over her chest and hands clutching her upper arms. She hadn't seen beyond the last of the fauns gathered, but she'd seen enough. Enough to infer and imagine. And unfortunately, her imagination was pretty vivid. For as much death and destruction as she'd seen on the battlefield in the memories of her past life, it was not so personal as this loss, though it gave her mind plenty of nightmare fuel to fill in the visual blanks.

At the back of her mind, a distracted thought passed: 'So that's why children weren't allowed into the branches when I was little...'

Silent tears trickled down her face as she emerged fully from the haze of the connection with a shudder. She was herself again...back in the present, back in the cottage. She was startled by the sound of Cosworth's stool being righted onto the stone floor once again, turning her focus back to her friend. By the spirits...

Without a thought that the gesture might be unwelcome, she rose to her hooves and moved towards him, wrapping her arms around his torso. Though he stood easily above her height, it was a gesture of both comfort and support. She could think of no other appropriate response at the moment; it didn't seem odd to her for two individuals who had just shared such an experience either. Maybe there would be awkwardness after, but for now, this was support she felt he needed...and perhaps, she needed a bit herself.

"No, I'm sorry."
 

[Doof]

Cosworth looked down in surprise at the sudden physical contact. In fact, he was actually a little confused and taken aback. Vanya was hugging him.

It wasn't exactly unwanted, just... unexpected.

Truth was, he was quite shaken by the experience, but he wasn't exactly the type to 'hug it out', at least not anymore. What had happened? His friend had come by to give him good news, and a gracious invitation, and instead, he'd revealed his worst memory and upset a good friend. He wanted to step away, have a seat and possibly a drink, but it would be impolite to just push her off.

The older faun raised an arm, but stopped just short of hugging Vanya back. He sighed and laid his hand on her head. "It's fine, Vanya. Really." He wiped his face with his other hand and closed his eyes. The vision had been far more vivid than any memory. He'd thought that all those casks of ale had dulled the edge somewhat, but if the seer had pulled all of that from somewhere inside his mind, he hadn't lost any of that clarity after all. "If it makes you feel better, I'm still considering your invitation."  

[Seruta]

"No. I'M the one who's sorry!"

Pinkie was standing in the doorway, lip quivering faintly for a brief moment.

"I remembered the Cannon and the cookies, but I comPLETEly forgot the Punch! It'd be a fair bit 'stronger' than tea. And perhaps a little more tingly to the tip of your tongue when it comes to the tangy delicious factor that punch can provide, but I didn't think to bring any! I was too worried about my Party Cannon! Buuuuut it's clear to little ol' Pinkie Pie here that you two definitely need a little pick-me-up!"

Before either of them could say anything, Pinkie was darting about the home, gathering various things: A blanket, a few cups for the tea and an empty vase.

"Nothing makes somepony happier and picked-uppier than a nice quiet picnic in the shade of a shady tree! And I know just the spot! Good thing there's a nice gentle breeze, otherwise it might be a bit too hot." She giggled softly. "Too bad there's not a lake nearby, otherwise I'd suggest we go swimming instead! Oh, speaking of swimming, I left the Cannon outside..." she started, turning to Cosworth. "Don't forget to bring the tea, you two!" she then added with another bright smile before slipping outside.

She darted to a nearby tree that gave off considerable amounts of shade and began to spread out the blanket and the cups. She placed the vase in the center and sat back, admiring her work. She then blinked and tapped her chin... It's missing something........ something... Colorful!!

She sprung to her hooves and gathered up some random flowers about, soon thrusting them into the vase in an... oddly cute formation given her rush to complete the task. But still not.... Her dim bulb brightened and in a flash, she was at her Cannon, thrusting an arm down the barrel. Her tongue flopped out to the side for a moment as she extended her reach to its limit then withdrew a fist full of confetti and small streamer bits. "Abso-Pinkie-Perfect!" she giggled and bounded over to the picnic area. She sprinkled a bit of the confetti onto the flowers, then once she was satisfied, she thrust the rest of the fistful into the air to allow it to shower down and scatter about the blanket.

"There..." She stood and dusted off her palms, admiring her decorating skills then blinked. "Now, we just need the tea!"