Welcome to Gaia! ::

Vanya felt a blush creeping into her cheeks again. Now she needed help dressing herself? Okay, this was embarrassing...for a number of reasons now...most of which she'd rather not dwell on at this point. She honestly didn't have the energy. "Tomorrow," she agreed quietly. Rest was first on her things to do. And possibly the only thing for a week or so the way she felt. And though she was still getting used to the idea of calling the Tree home again, the idea wasn't entirely foreign anymore.

Still, she cast her attention towards the Earthmother, the Chief, and his new betrothed. She couldn't see them obviously, but she could easily pick their energies out from amongst those of the other Faun gathered here. With a frown, she muttered, "But...I'm not sure we're done here yet. Something doesn't feel...'complete.' I think there's something else to do before we're dismissed, but...I'm not sure what."

She really was tired, and she wasn't sure how much longer she could keep her eyes o--wait. Strike that. Correction: she wasn't sure how much longer she could stay awake. She felt that as soon as she let her guard down, she'd collapse and fall into slumber almost immediately. Still, perhaps she could rest while she waited.

She shifted closer to Takis, then reclined against him, completely relaxed as she was far too tired to worry about personal boundaries or physical contact. All she cared was that this was comfortable and she could take a little solace in that for the time being. A ghost of a smile crossed her face in the firelight and she let her eyes drift closed. She wasn't using them anyway.

Takis shifts his body into Vanya's as she reclines against him. She feels comfortable in his arms, and he almost automatically wraps one arm around her waist, his hand resting on her hip. The other hand rests on her elbow, his thumb moving back and forth soothingly over her skin. "We'll worry about it tomorrow," he agrees again, leaning his cheek against the top of her head. Her hair had gotten so long over the past weeks. How could he not have noticed? He inhales deeply to sigh comfortably, and his nose is filled with the smell of her. Earthy, smoky from the incense, and a puzzling sweet scent that seemed to be uniquely hers.

Takis' eyes pop open. Jeepers, he realizes. I'm in love...!

Thara giggled with spiteful gusto. What a dummy she had encountered! "Void, dear simple pink poodle of a pae, is everything and nothing at the same time. It is life and death. It is good and evil. It is the split second when you are choosing between two paths. We can never catch Void, nor can we ever run away from it."

After a silent moment between the two, the teen started to have misgivings. The faun looked like she would burst into tears at any moment. Maetharanel's wicked grin straightened out to a blank thoughtful look. She sat this way for another silent moment before frowning. Ok, this was no longer amusing.

It was one thing to belittle someone with the aptitude to at least counterattack. She started to feel like she was picking on the slow kid, and it was not the best feeling. She saw in those dark eyes the same despair that had taken residence behind her own. It was a humbling moment for the fae who rarely felt the need for humility.

Looking off so that she appeared in profile to Kishi, Thara muttered an address to the faun. "I grow tired of this. You obviously have no idea what you are even looking for. I could sit here and taunt you all day, but you're boring me. There is no Void here. There is only a weary fae with no prospects locked in a battle of wits with a foe unable to defend herself. You will find nothing here but broken walls and the decaying shadows of the way things were. A light dulled to darkness. A heart slowed to a deathly still."

Thara felt momentarily vulnerable. Realizing, her anger flared, and she hopped down and took a defiant pose. "You should leave."

"LEAVE!" She yelled in anger, more at herself than Kishi.

((Gah, meant couch-like rocks! Sorry all!))

Rais turned to see his mother none too happy. They weren't finished? Rais moved Belvah to the rocks that formed a couch and smiled, "Excuse me." He walked over to Earthmother with the tiniest of sheepish grins. She was the one that wanted him to have a betrothed in the first place.

Kishi listened to this girl talk about what Void really is. She had no idea it was that complex. Then what did a blackhole have to do with-- "Ooooh, I get it now."

But before she could ask for something would show proof of Void, the fae turned all serious and sad for a minute. Kishi just watched her, and and she started talking like an emo-faun, it was all Kishi could do to not gag.

"I can't leave yet." was all Kishi said. She didn't know this temple belonged to anyone. She was just told to bring back proof she encountered the Void element.

She was not one to take orders from strange teenagers either. For all she knew this kid was just some brat playing around. But that sadness she seen, that was real. Kishi pitied the girl for a brief moment.

She snarled at the teen when she yelled and flopped her butt down on the cracked marble floor. She folded her arms in front of her and said, "You flea dip. You aren't the boss of me. I was sent here, and I won't leave till I get what I came for."

"Oh, ok, I be here," Caleigh said, beaming as she too her bundle off to find a nook to claim as her own. For now, she needs a place to stay instead of outside. Including, changing into this outfit she was given.

Vanya's blank stare was still directed where the fire had been; she couldn't tell that the light was gone, but the absence of warmth was definitely felt, and the pleasant scent of the burnt herbs on the air wafted past her face. She inhaled deeply, taking in the soothing scent, already feeling its relaxing effects. Still...

"You're sure, nothing's wrong?" She sighed, accepting his assurance for now. "Alright, alright, if you say so. Anyway, there's always the resting room behind the mural...no one would disturb us there," she offered...then froze, blushing as she realized how what she'd said might be taken wrongly. "I-I mean, we could sleep for three days, like you said. No one would bother us or...uh...let's...just go, okay?" She started to stand, but couldn't see the loose gravel around the edge of the boulder where they were sitting. She placed her hoof awkwardly and it shot out from under her, sending her falling back on her tail. "Ow!" She rubbed her hip, wincing, the exhaustion and trauma from the day starting to catch up with her at last, her patience wearing thin.

"Can we just...go sleep now?" she muttered sadly, back in Takis' arms where she'd previously started. She had her face down, realizing that the day was taking its toll on her at last and that she wasn't able to keep up a strong mask for much longer. Takis said that he'd watch over her. She believed him...and there weren't many Faun that she'd trust to do that. "Promise?" she murmured, wrapping her arms around him in her first open expression of trust or affection. "I think...I might need some help getting there," she admitted with a touch of shame.

((And just for wrap-up, to make everything feel complete...))

Relying on Takis help, Vanya managed to get her hooves beneath her and planted at least a bit more solidly this time. "Thank you," she murmured again, nodding and starting to take a few steps alongside her friend back towards Laisidhiel. "Although, honestly, I could sleep soundly on one of these rocks at this point," she admitted with a tired half-smile.

She carried her new staff in her hand opposite Takis, the soft clothing items draped over her arm. She'd figure the rest of this out later, after some sleep, but for now, after everything that had happened, she was just glad it was all over.

Or was it? The Earthmother's closing words had left Vanya at unease. She was too tired at the moment to hear anything that might have been coming from the spirit realm, so there was little she could do but take the ancient Faun's words as presented. All this talk though of prophecies and wars...

No time or brain power for that right now. The day had been eventful enough already. Surely there was time for rest before any impending wars erupted overnight.

For now, she'd focus on the present. The warmth of her friend at her side. The feeling of the earth beneath her tired hooves. And the promise of a long, well-deserved rest. Good enough for this simple Faun.

Or perhaps, not so simple anymore...