thehometree | [Amber]

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[Amber]

[The amber glows upon the face of a frustrated young man. It's turned a few degrees, then a hand slips up and messes with with tangled strands of hair. His face shifts from side to side, eyes following the outline of his face. He's fascinated with the odd little mirror. Comfortable with the outcome of his quick-fix effort, he looks up towards the hole in the ceiling.]

Now, I will surely get up there this time!

[Alla spreads his midnight-blue wings and wobbles into the air. The room around him tilts, then shrinks as he ascends. The scrunched-up lines in his face soften into a smile. He's done it!

Then, without warning, he slips from view, crashing back down onto the floor with a yelp of surprise followed by a moan.]

Oh dear... this was my best garment. Oh no...

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[She shakes her head, tucking a strand of hair behind a pointed ear.]

No, but I'm a mage who specializes in healing magic, among other things. I try to be available to all those within the Tree, though am aware that not all favor it or are even aware it exists until arriving. Are you among them?

[A few blinks and moment of silence while he processes that and the pointed ears.]

Y-Y-You have magic? And can heal?!

My apologies. I-I am afraid there is no such thing where I am from. Not unless you are blessed by an angel...

[And his eyes grow even wider]

A-Are you an angel?

[That makes her chuckle, and she shakes her head.]

No, hardly. Though I am willing to help, or at least provide what information I can. We were all new to the Tree at one time, so it's only fair.

[This tree truly sounds more like a Tree. He cocks his head, wondering just how enormous it might be.]

Euh, I suppose what matters is that you are kind enough to help.

[He tilts his head slightly in thought.]

Do you mean that this happens...often?

Yes, it does. There's no set pattern, however; newcomers can arrive at any time. Currently, we number around the mid-twenties. At least, that's my best guess.

[She hasn't been up and around lately, so not too confident in that.]

I am Ivaera, by the way. What is your name?

Hm... It is still quite a number of people. I wonder if Duke Airen has arrived safely...

[His pondering is quickly brushed aside when introductions begin.]

Oh, dear! My apologies. I did not mean to be so rude.

It is a pleasure to meet you, Healer Ivaera.

I am Alla dAubergine.

[He gives a small nod of his head, followed by a soft smile.]

[She nods politely, echoing the smile.]

It's a pleasure to meet you as well--and truly, no apologies need be given. I understand entirely too well how this circumstance can cause one to forget such matters.

Your duke is unknown to me, I'm afraid. Either he is recently arrived and I have yet to meet him, or he is not here yet. I can't guarantee that such will happen, either, though it's entirely possible.

[Alla's eyebrows scrunch together, mostly in worry, but otherwise in confusion.]

I would assume he has recently arrived here, just as I. We were in the same carriage before I found myself here. So, surely he must be here as well but I do not see him in this room with me...

[He looks to his side, than upwards.]

Is there perhaps another way up, aside from the opening with the light? I wish to look for him, but I am afraid to test these wings once more.

[Ivaera's expression is sympathetic, but she doesn't want to give Alla false hope. So she turns her attention to the other matter.]

There is no other reliable way, no. But try again? Only pace yourself and try not to overthink it. If you relax and let the wings move as they're meant to, it's actually a pretty smooth form of transportation.

And don't worry about how you'll look. I assure you there was a learning curve for many of us here.

[It seemed rather inconvenient to not have stairs. He thought about asking about horses, but they couldn't fly, so even his silly head knew better than to ask that.

He hadn't thought about what how he'd look until it was mentioned. His smile grew in an attempt to battle the worry building in his stomach.]

I shall try once more, then.

[Alla draws in a large breath, expression hardening with determination. He tries to not focus on his wings, and yet they're all he can think about. Even so, hi body begins to ascend, but only for a short duration. His feet stick out as the floor rapidly approaches, managing to keep his body from falling over this time./small>]

Euh... A-At least I did not fall this time?

[More nervousness escapes him ion the form of a chuckle.]

[She nods encouragingly, unfazed by the second attempt not being too much better than the first.]

Precisely, it's an improvement. Take what time you need, there's no reason to rush yourself. I live on the second floor, so it wouldn't be any trouble for me to give a demonstration if you like.

[Well, not much trouble. She's going to ignore the fact that the bug spreading around is making her feel less up to such things than usual.]

Euh...if, perhaps...

[Alla fidgets. It's not really polite for a gentleman to ask a lady to rescue him, at least, he's rather certain it isn't. After all, it never happens in the fairy tales, at least not the ones Duke Airen read him.]

Would it be...possible, to, perhaps come here, to where I am? I would like to see the demonstration?

Edited 2015-09-03 01:55 (UTC)

[Ivaera nods stoically, glad that the amber's tint doesn't reveal her illness. And that tea has helped with her cough, so hopefully it will remain suppressed for a while.]

Possible and quite easy, I assure you. I just need a moment, and then I'll join you below.

Oh, my! Thank you.

[...except that sounds far too excitable and rude on top of it. His voice is rather sheepish now.]

Euh, I mean, it would be my pleasure if you joined me.

[Alla will be standing, head craned back, brow furrowed as he concentrates on making his wings flutter. As if that will somehow improve his flying.]

[She can't help but chuckle as he corrects himself.]

You're welcome, of course. One moment....

[The amber will go blank as she tucks it away. A few minutes later, the pale elf woman will descend to the first floor, clad in armor, with a pair of luna moth wings on her back. Those wings have seen better days, as they're missing patches of scales in places if inspected closely, and there's some slight shadowing under her eyes, probably more visible now without the amber's tint to obscure them. Nonetheless, they might as well not exist for all that she fails to acknowledge them, instead responding with a welcoming smile as she descends to the entry area.]

See? No problem at all.

[Alla's eyes and mouth widen to a set of O shapes as the woman descends. After all, she does look almost the part of a fairy tale prince, with her strong bearing and armor. The patchy wings add, rather than detract, from that picture, at least in his eyes. He's not quite used to women quite like that...although he thinks his friend Ariel would like her. The pink haired fellow's wings twitch once, twice, head slowly leveling as Ivaera lands to face him.]

I hope I will one day fly so well. Perhaps you could help me to try?

[The pink hair is noted with interest, not the most unusual thing Ivaera's seen in her time at the Tree but definitely not inside the norm for her own world. Given the amber's tint, she had thought him to be blonde. But it matters little.]

Of course, I can.

[She lands neatly before him.]

It might be best to begin with something simple. Watch me take off and attempt to mimic me? I won't ascend very far, just enough so you can get a proper sense of it all.

[He has hardly considered his hair color with everything that has happened and all. Ivaera's suggestion delights Alla with a ping of hope.]

Yes! Let us do just that. I feel mimicking your actions would be for the best.

[The youth's dark blue and black wings lift a little, anxious to fly.]

Good. I'll remain close, in case you need someone to stabilize you.

[Not that she's very strong even when completely healthy, but Ivaera trusts in her wings and her familiarity with them. It doesn't take any effort to push off from the ground, using the wings to guide her upward. She remains within jumping distance of Alla, wanting to begin with the ground close at hand.]

Now, you. Pay attention to how your wings move, and work with them.

[Alla's eyes dazzle as he watches his flying tutor take off. When instructed, the young man unfolds his wings and tries to move them the same way as shown to him. The stormy blue moth wings push for lift and begin fluttering wildly, causing him to shoot up and fly a little past Ivaeran.]

Ah!

W-Wait!

[Yes, he's speaking out loud to his wings. Alla attempts to slow them to drift downward but hovers instead. A puzzled yet worried look is shot Ivaera's way, waiting for his next instructions.]

[Ivaera flies up to meet him, holding out a hand.]

Here, use me to steady yourself if you're worried about falling. You had the right idea, but you gave yourself too much lift earlier. You don't need to put quite as much effort as you're doing right now; your wings want to help keep you aloft, so let them do the work. When you want to descend, remember that it's not about speed but the angle.

I never realized it was so difficult to fly.

[Alla's brows draw together, sheepish, as he hovers. He extends a hand, bobbing drunkenly in mid-air.]

Perhaps we should try to do that now...descend?

[Hesitantly, Alla takes the woman's hand and slows his wing beats, then steadies himself for (he hopes) a good angle to descend at.]

[Watching him to ensure that he has it right, Ivaera then gives a nod of approval.]

Yes, let's. And it won't seem difficult with time. Before long, you won't even need to think about it. Trust me, I had never had wings or flown before this.

[She waits for him to begin, not wanting to do it all for him but fine with being the buffer he needs in order to get this right.]

[The young Alla nods before drawing a breath and slowly releasing it. His hand slips away from Ivaeran's as he swoops downward, legs slightly bent in anticipation of the approaching floor.

His boots scuff along the grain of the wood, stumbling from the speed of his landing. Nothing a bit of flailing doesn't fix. Alla stands still a moment, glancing at his feet and then around the room. A laugh leaves him, relieved he made it down safely without crashing again.]

Did you see? I was able to land without falling!

[His wings begin to flutter once more and this time the little gentleman lifts up slowly from where he stood. He still wobbles a little, but it's an improvement from a few moments ago.]

You are correct. I am already feeling more used to these wings!

[His gaze lifts to the hole in the ceiling, but he says nothing as he ponders about trying that venture once more.]

[Watching intently, Ivaera then smiles as he completes the landing.]

I did see. Well done.

[She notes the glance to the hole in the ceiling, of course.]

The rest of the Tree is certainly worth exploring, and I can at least show you were we get our food. But only when you're ready, of course. If you want to try again, it can't hurt.

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