thehometree

"Orcelito!" Kit hurries over to meet him, giving him a brief, awkward hug while trying not to bop him with the feather. Behind her at a much slower pace comes a glow worm, crawling along the floor; Joe had been awakened just as abruptly as his owner had, but isn't nearly so quick.

"I dunno," Kit says. "I was asleep, then there was this crack of thunder or something that shook the whole tree and now there's smoke and stuff everywhere."

Forest fires are new to him, but distraught little girls are not. Orcelito opens his arms to catch her in a hug. Her fright is understandable but concerning nonetheless; he hides his own alarm as he pats her back.

“I don’t think that was thunder.” He coughs after speaking. There’s a dry, ashy taste in the back of his throat. This heat and darkness… this is like fire… but fire shouldn’t be sustainable around the Tree!

He covers his mouth with his hand, muffling his words. “I’ll check the balcony. But first we need to open the front door and close the windows.” The first order of business is to get his younger roommates to safety. Then he’ll focus on finding the source of the smoke.

The hug is both reassuring and grounding, settling Kit firmly back into reality and shaking off the last of the night's disturbing dreams. Knowing that there is a plan of some sort and that there is something she can do is also helpful.

"Right," she says. "I'll get the door and start on the windows, OK?"

The too-warm temperatures make the rain and dark skies that much more inviting for Riona, more than they normally are. But there's always something about this forest that just has to go wrong at the worst of times, and tonight is evidently going to be one those nights.

The tell-tale sounds of a storm are like a lullaby, but it's a foul scent that wakes her. Then, somewhere in the midst of the thunder and rain, she hears voices and she's upright in half a second. Kit, Orcelito! She exits her room in time to see her two roommates bustling about, trying to settle the house down. The sight of them is reassuring only for a moment until her brain registers just what exactly the smell is. Panic doesn't take long to rise within her, as well as old, terrible memories she's been trying to forget. This can't be happening, fire isn't supposed to be possible in this place! But what could this be if not the scent of smoke?

She coughs when the smoke reaches her, forcing her to jog forward.

"Kit! Orce—" Another cough, and her body shudders. The fire isn't even visible yet and it's already taking its toll on her incompatible body. She leans a hand against a wall to support herself before trying to yell again. She wants to help too, but doesn't know how.

"Where is it?! Where's the fire?"

If those two are handling with closing doors and windows, then she will take care of whatever is causing this mess. Or certainly try her very best.

Edited 2015-08-24 02:09 (UTC)

With all the proficiency of someone trained to handle crisis, Orcelito hastens to help to clear the house. When Kit opens the front door, he’s relieved to taste clean air and see the Life Stream shining golden. He leaves Kit to finish the windows so he can check outside.

He’s halfway to the balcony door when he hears a fragment of his name followed by a cough. “Riona!” He hurries to her, and once close enough he realizes just how much danger they may be in. Assuming she’s suffering from smoke inhalation, he speaks urgently. “Please go inside the Tree! The air is clear there.”

A terrible crack sounds from outside, like wood splintering in a fireplace. Orcelito looks sharply at the door to the balcony. “The fire must be outside.”

The plan is opening the front door and closing the windows, and Kit is already nearly done with that. "Riona!", Kit says. At first relieved to see her other housemate is OK, but then notices the fact that she doesn't look well.

She flinches at the loud crack from outside. "Orcelito's right," she says. "The noise and the smoke are coming from outside."

The last window closed so no more smoke can get in that way, she goes over and tugs lightly on Riona's arm indicating that Riona should follow her out into the tree proper. "C'mon," she says. "We should get out there where the air is clear. Can't do anything if we can't breathe."

Unlike Kit, she doesn't flinch from the thunder crack, but the smoke is doing more than enough damage. It's frustrating and frightening all at once, but with the three of them there, she feels they can find a way through this. So she listens to them as best she can while covering her mouth, then glancing down at Kit when she tugs at her free arm. She looks to Orcelito briefly, wondering if he's going to come with them.

"... All right," she says from underneath her hand before following the younger girl. "But what's going on?! I heard the storm, but that can't be cause of the smoke. I can—if it's a small fire, I think I can put it out! Are you sure it's outside? The house isn't in danger?"

“I’ll find out.” Is his brief reply. He waits just long enough see Kit and Riona make it to the door before he turns to deal with the situation outside.

He can’t see out the windows… but it could still be night. Nor can he hear thunder or rain – only the wind. Cautiously, he cracks open the door to the balcony, bringing his arm up as a shield between himself and the warm air blowing in. It’s so dark outside he can’t even see the railing on the balcony. But there are glints of red light riding on the wind – not fireflies, but embers.

He shuts the door. On his way out, he grabs a petal on a table by feel more than sight and scrubs his face. He hasn’t been this sooty since he climbed the castle fireplaces as a child.

“It's too dark to see what's happening outside.” He falters in a cough. His eyes still sting. He presses the petal to his face again, muffling his voice. “There wasn’t enough light for a large fire… but I don’t think it’s a small one either.” He lowers his hands, mild confusion flickering over his face as he thinks about his words. It’s a fire that’s putting out smoke but not light? There was the lightning fire that happened on their sports day... “It could be related to the tree that caught fire a few weeks ago.”

While keeping close to Kit, Riona waits somewhat impatiently for Orcelito to come out of the house because she's worried for him being in there alone. A hand is still over her mouth and every so often she coughs, but being out where it's cleaner is definitely working on easing her discomfort.

After Orcelito returns, she frowns to herself at his words. Right, that fire... She was glad not to be too close to it, and panicked too much to be of any help with putting it out, but that was okay because there were others to take care of the problem. But tonight is different. This is their shared home, and if anything had happened to Kit or Orcelito...

"Perhaps... But this fire has to be big enough if the smoke is spreading so far. But you're certain the house isn't in danger? Nothing is burning?"

Being out of the house definitely helps, yes. Kit is breathing a little easier herself too, possibly a bit more so than Riona due to being a bit closer to the ground. Joesits at her feet, where she set him after pausing to scoop him up on the way out. Orcelito's firefly could get out on its own if there was danger, but a glowworm might be too slow.

"Maybe the lightning hit one of the other trees?", Kit suggests. "If the rain mostly put it out it might just be smoldering; that can make a lot of smoke."

Orcelito feels a pang of distress at Riona’s suggestion. He has very little experience with fires; when one lives in a stone building, indoor fires are uncommon and don’t spread far. The vulnerability of living inside a tree is not something he thinks about often, but in times like these he's thankful that the Tree doesn’t let them start fires.

“No… I don’t think so.” He looks to Kit. She went into all the rooms when they closed the windows. If she’d seen anything on fire, she would’ve told him. A quick glance at the other houses around them doesn’t reveal anything amiss.

“I think we’re safe.” He sighs with relief, and relaxes into an appearance of calm. “This Tree has a resistance to fire, right? So even if there are embers outside, we should be fine.” He nods at Kit’s suggestion and manages a reassured smile. “And if it's only smoke we just have to keep the windows closed.”

They may be fine for the moment but… he feels concern for those who may have been caught outside. It’s still early and the high winds would’ve driven everyone to shelter. But those who fought the fire before are likely outside fighting it again. He’d like to go back into the house and retrieve his amber slice, but he’ll let the smoke clear first.

“Are you all right?” Riona seemed to have taken it worse than himself and Kit. He’s not sure why that is, but he takes the opportunity to observe her. “Can you breathe? Do you need water?” He could use a drink himself, but priorities first!

Orcelito's declaration sets her at ease just a bit. There's also the possibility that the storm helped spread the smoke—Kit's deduction about smoldering may not be too far off either—but she's never too cautious when it comes to fire. At least for the moment, there are indeed safe. She takes a look around at each of them, insects included, before her gaze grows distant toward the other houses. Orcelito's voice pulls her back to reality, and she looks back at him without lowering her hand.

"I'm..." She swallows. Being farther from the smoke is helping, but she won't be able to go back in the house for a while. This isn't the time to explain her physical deficiencies, but she realizes that she's still been keeping her secrets. About her magic, her race—that will need to change soon.

"I'm no good with fire. Big fires. I can breathe a bit better now...but water would be nice." She pauses, thinking back on her observations of the group. "We all could use some water."

Kit nods to Orcelito. "I'm alright," she says. "It's easier to breathe out here."

Kit looks curious at Riona's statement about fire. Few people really are good with big fires as far as Kit knows; they tend to be dangerous. But with Riona it seems like there's more to it.

Still, now isn't the time to discuss it. "Yeah," Kit agrees. "Water would be good. For all of us, I think."

Orcelito attributes Riona’s words to simply having weak lungs, as that is the best guess he can make. Then again, he’s never seen her have difficulty flying, and she’s never complained about pollen… perhaps there is something else going on?

He hesitates to leave the house, but the smoke needs time to clear. If there is a fire outside, he’ll have to leave it to the others. After witnessing their firefighting a few weeks ago, he trusts they’ll deal with it efficiently but… he still wants to know what’s going on. Are they really safe in here?

Well, he can’t let those doubts show. Right now, he gives an encouraging nod to Kit and Riona. “We’ll go together then.” Then hesitantly, “Do both of you have your gems?”

Which brings up another concern. He studies Riona, thinking back to his earlier observation. The baths are only three floors down, and the reservoir five floors. Either is a dive away. But like running, flying requires breathing. “Riona, can you fly right now? If you need help, Kit and I can give you support.”

He’s not entirely sure how that would work. He’s supported others with his shoulder while walking, but flying is another matter. He imagines they could use the golden dust from the fountain if they have to.

She's grateful that they leave her statement at that, but Orcelito's question makes her freeze for a second before she finally drops her hand to pat herself. No, it's no use anyway, she knows her gem is still tucked under her pillow, where she always keeps it at night. She left her room in such a rush that she forgot to grab it.

"... It's still in my room," she answers as her expression falls. Ideally, she would send Ninna to retrieve it, but she also shies away from fire and just the presence of smoke will startle the infant dragon. Riona certainly isn't going to ask her housemates to go back inside, either, so she appreciates the offer for support.

"Where are we going? Further up?"

"I've got mine," Kit says, fishing the crude necklace containing her gem out of one of her belt pouches. It might seem odd to the others that Kit sleeps with her belt on, but she's so used to it by now that she doesn't even notice it.

Kit shakes her head at the notion of going up, though, even as her wings reappear. "If there's smoke, we want to go down," Kit says. "Smoke rises, and the water's below us anyway."

She reaches into a belt pouch again and offers Riona a vial of the glittering golden dust. "Here," she says. "It wears off eventually, but this'll let you fly without your wings for a little while." Certainly long enough to get down to the water.

For a moment, Orcelito considers going back into the house and fetching Riona’s gem for her. Then he remembers what happened when he touched Kit’s gem, and he can almost feel his arm burning again. They'll have to find another solution.

“Kit’s right. Fire climbs, so we should stay near the ground.” Anyone who’s ever lit a torch knows that. Once again, Riona’s lack of real-world experience puzzles him. But if she’s ‘no good with fire’, he will accept that as an explanation for now.

He bursts into a relieved smile when Kit draws out the vial. He does find it peculiar that she chooses to sleep with her equipment, but he’s learned to accept such idiosyncrasies, especially when they turn out to be blessings. “Yes, that’s perfect! I’ve heard the effects last an hour. That should be enough time to reenter the house.” He hopes. To Riona, he adds, “You'll need to pour the entire vial over yourself for it to work.”

As for himself, Orcelito rolls back the cuff of his left sleeve to reveal his night gem, the bracelet turned so it doesn’t touch his skin. It’s another piece of jewelry he’s taken to wearing constantly. But he'll wait until the others are in the air before he takes off.

Is that how it works? Riona looks at Kit and Orcelito with intrigue as they explain, and then nods in understanding. As opposed as she is to fire, she should learn more about the science behind it to better protect herself in the future. Liam isn't here to take care of their problems, and she certainly wouldn't do well if something like this happened again while she was alone.

Her eyes widen slightly when Kit reveals the vial of gold dust because she recognizes it instantly. She had no idea Kit had her share of it as well. Riona's vials are also back in her room, tucked away in her burlap sack. Her surprise extends to Orcelito's words as well—it sounds like he has some of his own as well? But she can think more about that later when they're out of danger, so she reaches to take it and cautiously pop it open.

"Thank you, Kit," she says with a tight smile before turning her attention to Orcelito. Seeing that they both have their gems at the ready, she takes the initiative to do as she's told and pour the dust over herself, eyes shut as the gold shimmers around her. It isn't long before her feet lift off the ground, and Riona spends a few moments to get her bearings before taking a breath to ease her anxiousness. Her coughs aren't so bad anymore, but her throat still itches so she's eager to get to the water.

"So...downward, then. I'll follow you two." Her fists clench nervously at her sides despite her efforts to calm down, but she feels better with her company.

When one lives on the streets and all one's worldly possessions fit into a carry bag or a few belt pouches, one learns to keep them close. And being a fugitive from an evil sorcerer and his minions who might strike at any moment only reinforces it. These days, in the relative safety of the Tree, it's mostly habit, but one Kit's not inclined to break.

Especially when it proves useful. Kit smiles at Orcelito's indirect praise as she hands over the vial to Riona. "Glad I could help," she says, watching as Riona pours the glittering dust over herself. Once Riona is airborne and has gotten her bearings, Kit flutters her wings and heads for the hole that leads down to the lower levels.

"Do we want the baths or the wells clear at the bottom?", Kit asks as they begin their descent.

That is an excellent question. Orcelito stretches out his wings and gives them a heavy beat to scatter the lingering smoke while he considers.

“The baths.” He says finally. “If someone opens the entrance door to get water from the root system, I don’t want to be in the way.” He remembers Korra would pull water from the root system when she needed it. Others may do the same. Besides, the baths are a social area and others may be gathered there.

He takes off, turning a tight circle to get his bearings and then settling into a hover. The Life Stream feels positively wonderful as always; the stress and tension from the fire melt out of him, and his wings beats slow into a relaxed wave. He refocuses on Kit, then Riona. She looks tense… is it the fire or the flying without wings that bothers her?

“We’re right here if you need help, so just let us know.” He reassures. He'll stay close by during their descent in case she needs support.

She trails behind the two and lets herself get a bit distracted while they speak, her gaze flitting back and forth their surroundings to see if the fire or smoke will appear in a new direction. While that makes it easier to ignore the strange sensation of flying without wings, it doesn't ease her apprehension. They do seem relatively safer inside the tree than out, but if it was between staying in a closed space and an open one, Riona would most likely choose the latter. So she truly hopes this is the right way to go, and it's a good thing she has a fair amount of faith in her two companions.

Orcelito's voice drags her out of her thoughts and her eyes snap back at him. She blinks, then the words sink in and her body tightens up involuntarily.

"I—" She presses her lips together. 'I'm fine' is a bold-faced lie so she doesn't say it. For Kit and Orcelito to be so calm after the initial panic—she envies that. "... Thank you. Um..." What was Kit saying? Something about the baths.

"What happens when we get down there? Do we wait...?"

Kit sighs softly as they pass through the lifestream, its golden light melting the fear and tension out of her too. Maybe it's just a trick of the magic, but it still feels good. Everything will be fine, it says. You're safe. It feels good to be safe.

Kit also stays near Riona, on the opposite side from Orcelito, ready to help if its needed. She doesn't really think it will though. It's really not that far down to the baths and the magic will certainly hold til then. Plus it's easier to breathe as they move away from the smoke.

"We should probably wait a little while at least yeah," Kit says. "If we don't hear anything after a little while, one of us can go out and check what's going on, and whether it's safe to go back to the house."

As Orcelito watches Riona accustom herself to floating, he wonders why the residents of the Tree weren’t given more quantities of this dust. It looks easier than flying with wings. Wings are often bulky, disruptive, and take a great deal of coordination – floating appears effortless. Perhaps there is more significance behind the two gems on the ground floor, and the wings they give?

He nods at Kit’s suggestion. “Agreed. We’ll wait.” Since the baths are a social location, he hopes others may pass by so he can get a report on the situation.

Orcelito slows his decent as they reach the fifth floor. As he suspected, the large doors to the outside are shut tight and the animals are huddled in their pen. The tack is resting on the walls and there’s no sign of evacuation.

Where they would evacuate to is a pressing question. Would the mist let them leave if it was their only choice? He imagines so. But without knowing for sure his eyebrows draw together in a worried frown. If the Tree is in danger, they could be trapped by the very thing that should protect them. Wouldn’t that be absurd? He’d like to think whoever is in charge of this place is more intelligent than that.

Orcelito touches down on the bath floor, wings sweeping out for balance then folding neatly. Instead of heading straight to the pool to wash up, he kneels down and looks at the floors below.

He looks up to address his roommates. “I’m going check the lower floors. Stay here.”

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