[PLOT - PRP] Healing Touch [Finished]

[Daisicle]

Looking up at the towering branches above her, Twinkleshine tried to remember the last time she'd come to the tree for anything other than supplies of food, such as grain, to cook with or materials to use to decorate her new home. It was probably when she participated in the ceremony and was given her power, some many weeks ago. She still didn't know exactly what she was supposed to be able to do, only that her mentor was Vanya, the seer, and that she should probably learn of it sooner rather than later.

That was the reason she had come today: to learn her ability.

Walking around, she scratched her head and wondered how she would find the woman she needed in the middle of so many others. She carried on her way, keeping an eye open as she did so, for anything that might give her mentor's position away. After all, Twinkleshine did seem to have a knack for finding the pae she needed in the most unlikely of circumstances.  

[Teigra]

The dark-furred Seer was crossing the open floor of the Great Tree, her attention completely focused on the bundles of roots and herbs in her arms. But, focus could only aid one so much. As her staff was also indisposed, she did not have it free to aid her balance when one of the herb bundles started to slip from her grasp. She tried to shift her grip to save the bundle, only to lose another instead. The domino effect was soon to follow, ingredients tumbling to the floor at her hooves. She halted, nearly stumbling and following the ingredients to the floor, but managing to save herself from the fall at least with a few compensating hop-steps.

There was a moment where she stood there, wooden staff held at her side, with herbs and roots lying around the floor at her hooves, where she seemed calm and unaffected. Then, she stomped her hoof childishly with a huff of disapproval, turning a glare towards the floor, as if she could see the culprits there. After a moment, she sighed and relaxed her tense posture, slumping. These weren't going to clean themselves up.

"This is the last time I go out without a basket," she grumbled to herself, sinking to her knees and reaching out to trace her hands over the floor in slowly moving arcs. She normally gathered her ingredients with a woven basket, however, the handle had been somewhat frayed and she'd made a note to repair it before taking it out again in case the handle gave way. She'd not had time to do so yet, and had decided that it wouldn't hurt to carry things herself; she wasn't going out for much.

Then, she'd found that lovely patch of heather and elder roots...then the dandelions in bloom...then...

Never again.
 

[Daisicle]

The girl had not stepped into the main floor of the Great Tree for but a minute when the sound of a hoof slamming to the ground echoing caught her attention. Turning to look at the figure, her eyes laid on the dark-skinned woman for a few moments before following her movements to the ground. There was only a momentary pause, enough for the situation to sink in, before Twinkleshine quickly ran over.

"Oh, hi! Do you need some help?!" she asked as she neared, her hand waving a hello to her. There seemed to be an awful large amount of plants around the ground, most of it unknown to her. But, she didn't have to know what something was to help pick it up.

Bending down, she began to carefully collect the leaves into little piles. "I'm Twinkleshine..." she offered, realizing that it was probably rude to not introduce herself. "You are...?"

As she asked the question, a little ball of light seemed to appear from no where, circling around the fauny before 'sitting' on Vanya's shoulder. "Oh, Twinkle da'ling. Honey. You can't serious?" After a few moments of a blank stare, it continued. "Oh goodness gracious, you are serious! This is the Miss Lady Vanya. Isn't that right, Miss Lady Vanya?"

...what?

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

One was never really alone when inside the Tree, so Vanya wasn't startled to hear someone approach with an offer of help. Still, it was encouraging to the former loner that others were so eager to come to her aid. "It would be much appreciated," she answered graciously, bowing her head.

Before she could answer with her name, however, it was already being given, from a voice near her shoulder. Somewhat surprised, she 'looked' towards the voice, sensing a similar, but lesser extension of the aura of the one before her. Her Mellon then? While not unheard of, it was outside of Vanya's experience for another's Mellon to be quite so friendly with another Faun upon first meeting. "I...yes, that's right. I am Lady Vanya," she answered, automatically adopting the title as part of her introduction. "I do not believe we have met," she said to the Faun...or was it Fauny?...before her. She didn't recall meeting anyone by that name, though she could assume this was of the new arrivals, given her aura and her name. Then, she paused with some doubt, regarding what the Mellon had said. "Unless I am mistaken. I apologize if I have forgotten. So many new, friendly faces as of late," she said by way of apology, smiling and glossing over the fact that 'faces' meant little to her anyway.
 

[Daisicle]

Twinkleshine shook her head quickly as Vanya second-guessed herself, moving frantically to reply. "O-oh! No, no we haven't. Unless you count the power ceremony, I guess, but I was kind of distracted during that...;" she laughed hesitantly, not sure if she should be admitting such a thing, but figuring it should help

Her mellon seemed to think so, at least. "Twinkle, gurl, that's not something you should be saying out loud, eeeeeven if it was true." It moved over to Twinkleshine's shoulder, 'sitting' there instead.

The poor fauny was utterly confused at this point, her eyes rapidly going from the light to Vanya and back. Each time it stayed on the other faun a bit longer, as if pleading her to help and explain the situation. Naturally, she was unaware of the seer's blindness, otherwise she would not have tried to communicate with that sort of subtlety.  

[Teigra]

Chuckling softly, sensing the other's growing distress, Vanya reached out to lay her hand reassuringly on her arm with a smile. "No worries. The power ceremony can be somewhat overwhelming. And it's not as if there's much time allowed for one-on-one socializing at the time." She withdrew her hand, turning towards the floor with an unfocused stare. "I much appreciate the assistance. Now, if I can just get these things up to my quarters without throwing them all over the ground again," she teased lightly, carefully waving her hand cautiously over the ground until she came in contact with one of the piles, then beginning to gather them again in her other arm.

"If you don't mind my asking, might I ask what you were told at your particular ceremony?" Unfortunately, she couldn't remember off the top of her head, however, there had been so many new loyalties sworn as of late, it was no wonder, as she hadn't had time to match a face to each name yet. Or...at least, an aura to each name. She wondered if this was one of her Circle brothers' new students, or perhaps...another of her own charges.
 

[Daisicle]

Twinkleshine visibly exhaled and relaxed at the assurance. "Oh, okay. If you're sure--" pausing mid-sentence as she looked to copy Vanya's gaze, she flustered herself lightly and rushed to pick some up. "Oh, please, let me help you, Miss Lady Vanya!" As far as she understood, the seer's name was 'Lady Vanya' much as Mo's name was 'JustMo.' Mixing up names must be a fauny thing. "Doing something like this will be no problem for me!"

The mellon laughed, floating about Twinkle's head as she continued to freak herself out. "Oh da'ling, you don't do well with authority, do you? Even with Lady Vanya who is simply the sweetest of them all~!"

Looking over to the light, the fauny pouted and had to catch herself from whining in the other's presence. "N-no, I haven't really talked to such important people before, but first impressions are everything so..." She stood up, a sizable amount of the seer's things in her arms. "Um... Where should I help you take these?"

Before she could reply to the other question, "Twinkle. Girl. Calm breaths, in and out. Thaaaaaaat's what I'm saying. Okay. Now you can talk."

Having taken the breaths as her mellon instructed, she glanced away, the nervousness which had been previously covered up by volume and speed now evident in her tone, eyes downcast. "I'm... Well... They said I'm a healer, but I don't really understand what that means." Looking back up, she laughed hesitantly and shrugged. "Nothing really changed, though. I don't live in the tree, and I really, really busy with Sparrow, so that's probably why."

Yes... She had been so preoccupied with this baby bird of hers and trying to keep it alive that she never really had truly considered her loyalties to the tree. Was it to it she swore, or just to the fact her princesses had done the same? It was all so overwhelming for her simple mind.

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Listening to the exchange with a quiet smile, Vanya continued gathering her things until she was sure that between the two of them, they'd managed to retrieve everything from the floor. "Thank you. I really appreciate the help. I'm not normally so klutzy." She paused, seeming to consider this for a moment, then laughed. "Though, on second thought, maybe I am sometimes! Must be one of those days," she chuckled, shifting the herbs to one arm so that she could get her hooves beneath her to stand once more.

"If you wouldn't mind helping me a bit more, you could follow me to my alcove? I'll just drop these off there and do something with them later." She'd need to sort everything out later, and she didn't want to have to try to focus on that while talking with someone. Smiling, she nodded in the general direction of the ramp leading up to some of the lower-level living spaces. "Oh, and I have enough titles, dear. I don't need to use them all at once. It gets so cumbersome," she teased. "Just 'Vanya' will do if it will help you relax a bit."

She lead the way towards her home, continuing to listen. "Ah, another healer! That means you're one of mine," she mused, intrigued sometimes by how the spirits worked. Still, it could be a big overwhelming, realizing how many new individuals were looking to her, not only for guidance on fitting in here at the Tree, but also for advice on learning to use and control their new abilities.

"Perhaps I can help then, when you have time of course. That's actually what many of these herbs are for," Vanya admitted, nearing her alcove. She held out a hand, feeling for the door before pushing it open and crossing the threshold. She moved to drop the herbs she carried on a table near the entrance, tucked her staff in the corner behind the door, then offered Twinkleshine a wave of welcome. "Just drop those here. No, you said something about sparrows? You like birds then?"
 

[Daisicle]

Nodding once, Twinkleshine shifted the items in her arms a bit for a better grip before replying to the seer. "Yes ma'am!" Glancing up at this new ball of light that she assumed was going to hang around longer, her eyes blinked when she noticed it had disappeared from her sight altogether. Strange. She internally shrugged before following after Vanya, continuing to speak with her as she did so.

"I'm one of yours?" she questioned, perplexed. Did that mean she could teach her what her power was then? That would be really awesome if she could. For them to run into each other, it was almost like fate. When they came to a stop at the entrance to the alcove, that was when Twinkleshine finally noticed her blindness, and couldn't help but stare. How funny, a seer that can't actually see?

"Twinkleshine, honey. Even if they don't know you're doing it, it's rude to stare."

Jolting at the unexpected tone and reappearance of the light, Twinkleshine almost dropped what she was holding as her cheeks flushed a deep red. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" she quickly said to Vanya before quietly following her into the room. "Yes ma'am..." she mumbled as she set the items where they were meant to go before turning around to face her once more. Her hands fell to her sides, her heads tilting. "Oh, no. Well, I do like birds, but Sparrow isn't a bird." A pause. "Well... Okay, she is a bird, but she's a bird-pae, like how I'm a pony-pae. Rais asked me to leave with her when she hatched because he didn't know what she was, so I've been living outside the tree with one of my friends." She smiled. "He's a really nice naiad that I met when I first got to the island. He helped me make some friends with other faun too." Her smile was warm as she recollected the time she'd spent building her friendships with Atlantis, Tafari, and Aladora. Her voice grew softer and her eyes glanced away as she continued. "Miss Vanya... You said you could help me with my healing? What did you mean by that?"

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Even if the statement had been meant for the other Faun, Vanya's sharp hearing had picked up the Mellon's reprimand. She only chuckled softly in response, shaking her head as she made the assumptions on just why the other was staring. To the apology, she responded, "It's alright. I'm quite used to it at this point. Afterall, within the Tree, I fare well enough that some don't realize at first."

Listening to the explanation, she realized her earlier mistake. Not 'sparrows', but a 'Sparrow'. "You know...I do remember hearing something about that," she mused in recollection. "Wings, yes? But talons, like a bird?" How strange. Of course, she understood immediately why the Chieftain had refused to let the odd creature live within the Tree. Even if it had turned out to be a Pae'il, there was no telling just what it was. Nothing like that had ever been seen before.

That...and winged Faun were already enough for the denizens of the Earth to get used to. Another winged creature of unknown origin, more closely resembling those Blood Pae from the sound of it?

Keeping her expression masked, reminding herself that there was no proof that this 'Sparrow' could be connected to the Blood Pae, Vanya nodded in understanding. "I am sorry you had to leave Laisidhiel, but I am glad to hear that you found other living arrangements outside the Tree. Despite some troubles at the start," she said with a smile, "it sounds like you've been settling in and making friends here in your new home."

Reaching for the herbs on the table, she picked up one stem and twirled it between her fingers as she spoke. "In addition to my duties as a seer and counselor to those seeking advice, I also have responsibilities related to healing for the Tree. I am responsible for making some of our most powerful, if also rarest, healing potions and poultices. Of course, that means I can also keep busy by making some more common remedies, hence my collection here today," she said, returning the stem to the pile.

"I can teach others to make some basic remedies," she explained, "but of course, this is a skill that can be taught to any willing to learn. Your unique healing talents, possessed by you and you alone?" She glanced towards the faint dot, an extension of the aura of the one before her. "Well, that knowledge is going to come initially from your new friend here."

o0_Daisuke_0o

 

[Daisicle]

Smiling brightly, the girl nodded and hummed a bubbly "Mmm-hmmm!" before responding, "I've been really lucky here I think. Sure there have been a few downs, but it feels like everything recently has been up, up up." All of her dearest friends and her little one had become such an integral part of her life that it was hard at times to even remember her life without them. Each day, Equestria and her family were becoming but a warm and distant memory, replaced instead by Laisidhiel, the faun, and all of those she'd met on the island.

Twinkleshine quieted down as Vanya continued further. Wow, that was crazy that she could know so much; and she had spoken so informally with her? How embarrassing! Better not make that mistake again. Her eyes glanced to the pile as it was mentioned, biting her lip as she looked back to the seer. Her? Learn how to create remedies to help others in healing? "You can...?" She didn't mean for her tone to have the slight disbelief that it carried, but it was only moments latter that she reached to grab her hands and pull her close. Reached; somehow she managed to control herself mere centimeters from touching the other's hands. "Miss Lady Vanya..." apparently the double honorific was back "...I would love to learn from you!" Her eyes moved to the light. "And you too, Mr. Light."

"It's Jean-Philippe sweetie; don't wear it out."

Nodding, she turned her attention back to Vanya. "I can come each week and learn a little more from you, if you would teach me." Well... "And if you have the time too, of course."

Teigra

 

[Teigra]

Chuckling softly at the enthusiastic Fauny, Vanya smiled kindly and bowed her head. "Of course, it would be my honor to share what knowledge I can with you. Besides, the more healers we have, the more free time I'LL have!" She closed the distance with a chuckle, completing the motion to pat Twinkleshine's hands reassuringly.

"We'll start with some basics, good for anyone to know, then we'll see where your interests take us from there. Does that sound acceptable?"

o0_Daisuke_0o

((Apologies for being short. I suppose we're just about done here. We can probably wrap up soon and can assume that these lessons would have continued on a weekly basis, giving Twinkle some basic herbal remedy knowledge, in addition to what she'd have learned about her ability from her mellon. ^_^ ))

 

[Daisicle]

Twinkleshine's smile grew to either cheek, and one could practically feel her glowing with excitement. She nodded with such vigor, Vanya could probably have felt the movement through her hands. "Yes, anything you wish to teach me, Miss Vanya..." Lady Vanya? Whatever. She'd get it eventually, right? Heh... "...I am ready and willing to learn." No matter how difficult it might be, she could and would do this. There were others that depended on her: her friends, her Sparrow, her family, her community... maybe through this, she could be of some use to them. Maybe by learning to heal, she could help others through more than just laughter, a sort of placebo affect. Maybe, just maybe, she could carve out a little niche just perfect for her!

Teigra

Mhm! I'd say this is a good stopping point myself :3