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Esmeralda & Minerva - Hybrid Camp

Taking some time off had done Esmeralda some good; she’d been able to take care of Minerva for the past seven years and put her research on ice. She wanted her daughter to be on good footing before she attempted to leave home for long periods, she wanted to reach master within the scholars and knew it would take long nights of hard work. She just wasn’t ready to leave the quiet routine she’d fallen into, not yet anyway. However, tonight wasn’t about work, a subject she hadn’t thought about in a while, it was about the stars and taking Minerva out to meet other Hybrids while they were here.

They’d just reached the Hybrid camp, and Esmeralda was getting glances that she ignored. One simply had to look down at her daughter to know why she was here. Her own family was at the Dovaa camp, her parents had sent her a letter asking if she’d come. Maybe later she would visit them, they hadn’t seen Minerva in a while now and it would do her some good as well to see her grandparents and uncles. Esme briefly wondered where Eku was, but knew he’d show up some way or another, he wouldn’t pass up some time with his daughter that was for sure.

The duo found a spot and Esmeralda laid out a blanket for them to settle, Minerva would probably go off wondering if she didn’t watch her carefully. Granted there were faces that she was on the lookout for, both Hybrid Dovaas. Though looking for them in the darkness probably wouldn’t be the best idea, Esme sighed deeply. She really wanted Ekundayo to show up, Minerva she could feel was itching to run out and find children of her own age to play with until she came back to settle beside her.

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Minerva was excited that she be able to go out and play with people her own age for once, most of her company included her mother and father and sometimes if they went out other family members. There times, she was in her family library reading away at her mother’s work and learning from her father’s books. Rarely if ever did she like to be with other children, however from time to time all she wanted to do was play instead of study. She’d actually been surprised when her mother had said they’d be going out for the star gazing, Minnie would certainly not turn down such an opportunity.

The Hybrid camp was for Minerva, like opening up a treasure chest full of wonders. Everywhere she turned there was a hybrid. Though they glanced at her with smiles when they caught her looking at them, the smile quickly left their lips when they looked up to the mother. She’d read about the war that had happened before she was born, one which her family had participated in. It had brought peace but it looked like some of them still weren’t all too happy to see a purebred walk around their camp. Hadn’t her mother said something about seeing family in the Dovaa area?

“Here’s dad mom?” Minerva asked, eyes looking through the crowd to see if her father was anywhere in sight.
“He’ll be here soon enough.”

Minerva settled down beside her mother to wait, she really did want to see her father before she went to explore the area a bit. Her mother seemed to be quite relaxed about letting her roam around as much as she wanted today and that was always a bonus in her books. Though she was getting impatient quickly, if her father wasn’t here in the next few minute she’d go off on her own.

Sam and Carrion - Feral Orakovans
Company: Kadryn
Position: Merchant Stalls

Sam quirked the blue woman a smile. She seemed friendly enough, and if she'd really ever meant them any harm, he doubted he'd be here talking to her now. So maybe... having a spot of food alongside her wouldn't be too terrible a thing. If it could make any Khehora as prissy as Grrel lighten up, maybe she was a pretty decent cook. He'd just started to nod when Kadryn mentioned Kirosh. That was... Ah, yes, her Oblivionite friend. The one that clearly had some type of strange complex that made him think he could talk about a man's son and get away with it. Sam shrugged. "I really don't mind him." he admitted honestly. I mean, the guy hadn't continued after the Gaili reprimanded him, so there was really no reason to hold a grudge. And especially no reason to let it keep him from what could be a very good meal. He lay a hand across Carrion's neck to keep him from getting snippy, himself. "We may just take you up on that, if you're willing to have us." He replied as politely as he possibly could.

Carrion could only snort and roll his eyes. He wasn't interested in dining with these two-leggers at all, no matter how good their food might be. He was sure some of the festival snacks were just as tasty... The woman would probably poison anything she tried to feed him, anyway... He'd show her...

Raemos: Observation Station
Talking to: Nobody yet!


Raemos wouldn't have passed up a star shower even if he wasn't meeting his friend here. His family were in the Orderite camp and, though Sonia and Vona wanted him to join them there, Raemos had declined. He'd only dirty the place up. He hadn't given them that reason, of course, and they had looked disappointed, but he was reasonably sure his mother and sister would enjoy the stars falling without him. He wondered, briefly, why his father hadn't come. Mallew had chosen to return to the ranch and take care of things, which was necessary, of course, but Raemos wondered whether the man had an ounce of romance in him at all. Obviously he did. Raemos had heard... things... when he was supposed to be asleep. But where was it when he was awake? That aside, Raemos would not have volunteered to stay home. This was a rare and beautiful occurance and there was no particle of his being that would not have gone to it. That it happened to be on Ayr where he was to go anyway with Maeron was a bonus.
He bought a looking glass from a merchant and looked it over delightedly. It was a lovely little bronze and glass thing - he wanted to learn how to make it himself.
For now though... He looked through it at the glittering sky, adjusting the looking glass into clarity so that he could see through it even with his goggles. He knew he'd get a better view without the goggles, and he wanted to take them off. But with all the people nearby - even the oblivionites and hybrids - he felt uncomfortable revealing his sockets. For now, though, he decided to manage. The view from the observation post was too lovely.

Suluksati: Hybrid Camp
Talking to: Minerva and Esmerelda

It really had been a while... just... how long? Suluksati found it difficult to remember. The days and nights and months and... gods, had it been years? They all blurred into each other... one long string of... but that wasn't important.
"My goodness!" Suluksati had little idea what she meant by 'Expert' or 'master' for that matter, but she could see that the Dovaa woman had wings. That was something she could understand - gaining flight. "Congratulations!" she said, remembering when she had first been able to fly with her own wings. She took in the other changes as well - the differences in clothing, the more confident bearing... life had treated the Dovaa fairly well, if Suluksati assessed correctly.

And then her attention was drawn to the child. Suluksati, predictably, had a soft spot for children. Her heart melted. She lowered her head to Minerva's level. "Hello!" she said, cooing a little. The Alikhora adored children, even magescan children. One day, she wanted a clutch of her own, not that that would happen anytime soon, but still. It would be nice. "I was just looking for a spot to sit and watch, but since you offer," she smiled a friendly version of a Khehora smile, her teeth not bared so much as extant, "I gladly accept." she looked back up at Esme. She couldn't help but feel slightly and guiltily envious of Esme. "Nothing so darling as your changes. You are quite fortunate!" she said. Nothing, really, had changed. There was still trouble and frustration and strife, and she still pursued a hopeless cause. No. Nothing new at all.

Raemos: Observation Station
Talking to: Maeron Aredan and Darke Frost


As Rae had grown up, He'd found that the bandages were actually sort of tacky and uncomfortable. Loose, covering, cloth was better in the long run. Plus, it kept the sun out and wasn't as conspicuous.

Yet he liked to wear the bandages. It made him feel as though there was something genuinely wrong with him, but not something horrible and terrible. Something, instead, that could be made better with a healer's touch, or some malady caused by an outside force. Because being an oblivionite was not curable. But he was a writer. He could pretend that it was, briefly. Also, it was nostalgic and Vona had gotten a kick out of their old disguise.

Either way, he was sporting both cloth and bandages in the chill of the mountainous lands, as well the goggles... Which were giving him a lot of trouble with his looking glass. He was almost ready to take off the goggles - at least a little - to give himself a better view of the remarkable spectacle.

He was glad he didn't when a familiar voice reached his ears. He brought the looking glass from his goggled gaze and looked over, grinning. "Maeron!" he said, delighted. He had come to Ayr to meet the older - much older - boy, but it was still nice to see him at such a momentous event.

He made his way through the throngs of people gathered to watch the event.

"I'm glad to see you!" he said, not quite sure how to greet his friend. With Vona, he would have given her a hug - after waiting to make sure that she wanted a hug. With his mother, he would have been swept up in a bone-crunching comfortable hug before he could even think. With his father... well... Not much to be said there. Raemos didn't know many other people really, certainly not closely enough to be greeted properly. So, he was at a loss.

He didn't want to fall flat on his face socially in front of his friend and mentor and awesome role model, though. So, he kept going and hoped for the best. A hug didn't seem to be in the cards, so he went for small talk.

"How long have you been here, Maeron?" he asked, "I only just got up here myself!"

"Of course I'm willing! And Kirosh is on his best behavior since my family's there so I don't think he'll do anything." Kadryn's eyes twinkled with amusement. Kirosh had been acting very... polite and not his normal teasing self.
"Come come! If you want, I can show you how to cook. Grrel was interested in cooking, though she didn't have hands like you do in your other form." She led them through the crowd, amused at how much more space the two khehora were given by the crowd. Once she reached her uncle's stall she waved at them and dropped her stuff off behind the stall.

"Hey Uncle. Kirosh ditch you? I've brought some Khehora's for you to meet."
Tarlon looked over at her and grinned.
"He's just off gettin' supplies. More? Ye seem to like bringing besties over to eat! I otta make you pay for the amount of food they consume." He ruffled her hair before turning back to serving and cooking food.
"Knoiwn' ye, ye'll wanna cook for them right? Use the back stove."

Even if he was hesitant about the two-legger food, he couldn't turn down a free snack in a place like this. Looking at the swarms of people around him, who knew when it would be calm enough to find a real meal? He shrugged and sat on the ground, near a small rocky outcrop and far enough out of the way of the majority of the traffic. He swooped out his tail and drew Avani near him, glaring at anyone who came too close to her while she settled in.

He stared at the small and sugary treat sitting in the middle of her palm. He didn't usually eat much outside of what he hunted, and it didn't take an Orderite engineer to see that this clearly wasn't meat off of any animal... But oh well... With a shrug, he leaned down to wrap his long, dark tongue around the cake, dragging the whole thing between his teeth without batting a feathery eyelash. It was... thick tasting and sticky. The kind of thing that probably made young two-legger children sick, let alone a Khehora... But he found that the taste wasn't half bad. Different. But not bad.

He glanced off the precipice of the observation deck, staring out to the sky beyond. He wondered when the show would start... Maybe he'd have time to hunt for a real meal while they waited... "Hn? Oh." He glanced back to the youngster as she passed him some other kind of two-legger food. But in this, hiding behind bread and cheese and vegetables... Meat. Tasty sheron meat. "Thank you." He purred, before gobbling the sandwich straight from her hand. Despite that... She was smiling at him. Levi couldn't help the way his tail swished in delight. "I'll be alright for now. Let's go see what this festival is all about."