Closed Preparatory Actions [Azuridae]

[Cabochon]

86th of Summer, 517 AV The wind picked up on the streets of the illusory city that day. Window shutters clacked and bounced unforgivably against their stone walls. Self-conscious women held their skirts close to their frames while grabbing their children's hands. Workers carrying heavy loads of equipment and other things were tested by the sweeping power of the invisible force. Some had more trouble than others, but no one had as much trouble as the foot-tall Pycon. When the wind broke the empty air, the creature nearly toppled over every time, if not staggering to control his balance. A violent thing, it was! Dear Ionu, he had too much on his hands! At one point, the wind became so consistently troublesome that he had to hold onto a lamppost. His shoulder protected his face against the debris swept up and launched into the air. These were the days he wished he had both legs. Two, stable, sturdy legs that could ease his kind of motion. Eventually, the wind died down again, and his pace quickened to get to where he wanted to be. He only wanted one thing, and if he ducked behind the heavily populated street, there'd be enough drag to hinder the wind's effects. Bad for the taller residents, good for him. Then, he'd make his way back to the gardening shelf. He hoped one day it'd become an actual house, like the hole in the city wall he'd discovered earlier that summer. During his scuttle to the Bizarre, he had to slow himself down and preserve his energy. The last stretch before the alleyway had a corridor of houses perfectly aligned for a wind tunnel. Peering around the edge, the wind whipped up, and he pulled his head back quickly. When it died down, he made a run for it, but didn't wait long enough. The wind subtly picked up again, and it caught the Pycon underneath his legs! It threw him down the street, and he rolled and tumbled to a stop! Right as he caught up to his senses, a foot was placed squarely over his entire body! A gasp of shock escaped from his mouth as he curled into a ball. Suddenly, a heavy shift of clothing was heard, followed by a staggering of footsteps acquainted by a surprised grunt. A young man's voice was heard and it was lined with anger. "The hell was that for?" he prodded. Cabochon suddenly felt himself being picked up, and after uncovering his eyes, his gaze was met with relief. "Thaddeus!" he exclaimed. The Svefra's concerned face revealed a smile. The man looked up to the pedestrian, his concern changing to contempt. "You nearly crushed a fellow Alvad. I'd watch your steps if I were you," Moorwater warned. The gentleman's anger was quickly replaced by a renewed understanding. "Oh, I apologize," the man replied. Nodding, he shuffled by them and melded back into the city crowd. Cabochon and Thaddeus watched the man walk off before returning to their own conversation. The Svefra began. "Well, I thought I'd never see you again," he admitted. Aged wrinkles appeared at the edges of his eyes, and he fixed Cabochon's coin purse. The Pycon's previous predicament completely washed away with meeting the old man again. He was overjoyed at seeing him! "I can say the same!" Cabochon replied. "What are you doing out here?" "Looking for new shelter," Thaddeus scratched the back of his neck as he responded. "The old one I was sharing with some others has proven unstable. What of you?" "Me?" the Pycon repeated. "I came out here to buy something. Just one thing, though!" he added. A look of disbelief crossed the Svefra's face. He looked as if he was going to ask something, but decided against it. Shaking his head, he allowed Cabochon to settle into the crook of his arm. "From when we last met, that is a surprise. I have nothing to do; mind if I accompany you?" "Mr. Moorwater, that would be an honor," Cabochon replied, a toothless smile appearing on his face. Without another word, they made their way into the small crowd of the Bizarre, surprised at seeing how many citizens were as crazy as they were.

[Azuridae]

"This wind!" Azuridae exclaimed to no one in particular. Clutching part of her dress as the green and grey hems flapped wildly as she walked, a knapsack secured on her back this time.

The city was still not kind and had lead her astray from the docks once again, but also once again complyed in a different way. It had lead her to the Bizarre where merchants and traders came to hawk their wares and transfer their goods of all shapes, sizes, and uses. There was a little bit of everything here and it was a sight to behold upon entering, it was definitely bigger on the inside, rather than how it looked drabbish on the outside. Azuridae wasn't sure if this was where she needed to be and to be honest she would have preferred the docks where the illusions wouldn't play tricks on her as she shopped. Silently she pined for the order of Syliras, how easy it would have been to get where she needed. The only downside was that it became menial after awhile.

Alvadas was always an adventure, for certain, and today it seemed to be sending Azuridae off on one once again. Upon entrance of the building the winds died down and she could relinquish her dress from its tight hold, patting out the wrinkles that had formed. There were so many things, and so many people, she eyed trinkets and jewelry, brightly colored clothing, and the ridiculously fading fad of the sashes. It was a short lived fashion but she couldn't help but admire what was still in stock, and even the used ones that were sold back after the fad had finished. There was a particular sash that caught her eye in what was labeled on a rack of used clothes, she ran it through her hands gently, a nice, soft cloth. Dyed midnight blue with dots of white, light blues, and the occasional red and yellow.

Perhaps whoever made this attempted to make the night sky? She tenderly bit her lip in consideration, it was difficult to refuse what reminded her of a murkier time. Flashes of a girl watching the stars in wonder, silently wishing for an escape, how she wanted to get out there to see the world and all of its magnificent wonders before it was too late. Tears watered at the rims of her eyes, but she was quick to blink the feeling away. Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves that had been riled. Looking up a man caught her eye, he looked scruffy, as if he had been on a boat, hair windswept back. He was carrying a piece of what looked to be clay, a shelf ornament, perhaps?

Maybe Azuridae could find an ornament for her home while she was here, she abandoned the idea of the sash and approached the man. "Excuse me" She started with a smile "Excuse me, where did you find that piece of decoration?" She pointed at the clay figure in tandem with the wholly innocent question. "My home is awfully boring and I was hoping I could spice it up a bit."

[Cabochon]

Before any kind of of proper conversation could begin, a clearly offended voice made its way into the air. The atmosphere surrounding the three blurred out any interactions that didn't involve them. "I beg your pardon!" the voice exclaimed. Looking down, the poor Ethaefal would find that the ornament, in fact, wasn't. Cabochon's frame screamed "insulted". His back was arched with intimidating pause and his face showed that of dismissive attitude. His eyes watched her with intense care, waiting for the apology he hoped would spring up. His pupils almost jumped tick for tick with hers as she tried to avert her vision from clay to flesh. Clearly, the surprise he'd received from chance-meeting the Svefra was short lived. While they'd walked, they shared personal conversation and publicized their complaints. The Pycon discovered Thaddeus was a peacemaker of both god and man, a middleman in the highest respect. It wasn't a good start for the clay creature, and her unintended inquiry happened to tip over his boiling frustration. He wasn't angered by her question, but it had just enough of a kick to make him twinge at the thought of being someone's "decoration". That was when the old sailor interrupted their small exchange. "Will you slow yourself down, please? I don't think anyone is in a "favorable mood" right now," Moorwater begged. Then, returning to the young woman, he extended a hand of apologetic nature. "I apologize for my friend. The wind hasn't been very kind to him today." After they shook hands, Thaddeus nudged the Pycon to introduce himself. There was a hint of guilt in his frame for reacting so negatively. He truly didn't wish to be like that, but the morning steered him the wrong way. Taking a quick huff of air, he refocused his thoughts and extended his shorter right hand. "Hello," he began. "My name is Cabochon. This is Thaddeus Moorwater. I'm sorry you had to witness that." Cabochon knew he didn't feel entirely terrible about exposing that part of his personality. However, his nature dictated that he show a proper amount of respect to all, regardless of his personal feelings. It was who he was. He added his own question afterward. "Whom might you be?" With their introduction, things got off to lighter terms. While the Pycon wasn't entirely in a mindset to take on other company, he bore the brunt of it and kept it to himself. They were all in this together, after all. The wind had no favorites and the wind took no precedence. Usually, it had wonderful purposes and brought another layer of beauty when present. Unfortunately, with overcast skies and lighter objects being whipped about mercilessly, that day was a day when the wind left much to be desired.

[Azuridae]

Her attention was firmly fixed on the man, smiling, attempting to give off an air of charm and charisma as she brushed her hair back behind her ear. There was suddenly a voice, right in front of her, and it caught her off guard as she glanced between the man, the air, and the clay figurine. Then she saw it. The clay was moving and alive by some magic, it spoke, as she and the man, and everyone else around her would and she couldn't help but be mesmerized as what appeared to be living clay. Her smile cracked into a bewildered expression.

"Oh! I'm so sorry." She apologized with a sliver of disappointment, this man obviously did not pick the clay figure up at any shop. "I didn't notice that you were a live being."

The little clay thing's friend, the man, was quick to bring the conversation back to being reasonable. With an odd mentioning of the wind. It was likely the clay thing was small enough to be swept away in such violent gusts. Azuridae certainly hadn't take any offence, and found the clay thing and its outburst too adorable to be even the least bit intimidating, so she once again offered a smile to the man. The start of her adventure seemed to be just a jumble of mishaps. The little clay thing seemed so upset about her choice of wording.

"It's alright, the wind has been awful today." She started in jest, and with some hesitation. "I hope your.. friend.. can forgive my choice of words."

Azuridae eyed the man's hand and shook it after some moments pause. For his rough exterior he seemed to be very polite and cordial. The clay thing introduced itself, and the man, a Cabochon and Thaddeus Moorwater. The Ethaefal's eyes narrowed slightly in amusement, wondering what and how the proper way to shake hands with Cabochon would be. She offered her index finger rather than trying to perform a normal handshake as she was afraid her hand would engulf its hand and accidentally tear it off. As the clay wrapped around her finger she shook it up and down gently.

"I call myself Azuridae." She introduced herself and with a gesture she indicated that they could walk and talk at the same time, returning her attention to Cabochon. "Might I ask what you are?"

OOC Edit 1: Eyelids blinking, sorry about that.

[Cabochon]

By shaking her index finger, something about her personality began to fill the Pycon with guilt. She was extremely ginger with her actions, her speech, her dynamics. When their limbs separated and returned to their proper owners, Cabochon shifted his jaw around with contemplative thought. Did he act out too harshly? It was almost as if she lifted the veil of irritation from his eyes, and his mind gained an uncanny kind of clarity. That wasn't normal for him; while his mood would change once being around others, this was different. He suddenly felt self-conscious and disgusting in her presence. His gaze then changed from the ground to look up at the Svefra. Did he experience what he did, or was his regret getting the best of him again? There seemed to be no change of attitude or aura about Thaddeus' frame, so Cabochon was left with the thought that he was the only one who felt that way. Her apology not only became odd, but now it sounded unnecessary. He'd asked for forgiveness, sure, except now there was an earnest demand for genuine proof. By this point, his face changed from tense dismay to personal disappointment. That was when Thaddeus called him out of his processes'. Shaking his head, the Pycon looked up to the Svefra. "What is it?" he asked. "Were you listening?" Moorwater reflected. "She told you her name." "Oh," he commented. Turning to the young woman, he held out his hand again, forgetting he'd already shaken her finger. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms..." Thaddeus lowered his right hand slowly, "Azuridae," he filled in. "Ms. Azuridae," Cabochon finished. Moorwater glanced at Azuridae, completely bewildered by his friend's new demeanor. The Svefra didn't know him well enough to find that this was commonplace for the creature. While Thaddeus was still understanding his new acquaintance, the Pycon raised some of his own questions. "What brings you out into this kind of weather? I imagine it's important." "You've yet to tell me of your own plans," Thaddeus muttered to himself, his eyes traversing the tops of the buildings as he spoke. Cabochon rounded on him rather quickly. "What was that?" he asked. There was a surprising amount of naivety in his voice. "Nothing," the Svefra shook his head.

OOCPycon don't normally blink. Just a heads up.

[Azuridae]

Cabochon seemed to have missed her question, she gave him a few moments to respond. When he went for another hand shake she decided he hadn't heard her and that perhaps it was best to just let it go. Come to think of it, the clay things, Azuridae was certain she had seen something like that from somewheres before but they always disappeared from view and she hadn't the time to go searching after them. There was too much that needed to be done in a day and chasing after the unusual wasn't a productive way to spend it. The Ethaefal blinked and remembered that she didn't need to do nearly as much as before, from what floated in, the memories were always far too hazy.

"I meant to visit the docks." Azuridae stated wearily, subtly avoiding the question. "I suppose it wasn't meant to be today, again. It seems like every time I feel homesick it doesn't want to cooperate."

Her eyes scanned the various stalls lined with goods, some filled with useless looking trinkets, ridiculous hats, swords, armor. Food carts had sparse pickings, probably from the intense heat of the season, how could anything grow? The few that did dot the streets hosted some crazy looking delicacies. Azuridae was fortunate that she didn't require food as others did. Moonlight was sufficient enough.

"I originally came from Syliras.." Her voice trailed off as a crowd of people bustled past them, girls in the oddest and most lavicious looking outfits. Frills, corsets, and feathers of various brightly colors, adorned with gemstones. They giggled in tandem as they gossiped excitedly, she could only half make out what the conversation was but it sounded like it could have been about a boy who might have won big time.

"He said..!"

"No! He didn't.. Did he?"

"He did..!"

Shrieks of laughter could be heard as they had certainly disappeared from their sensory perception. Azuridae glanced back at the two to make sure she wasn't just talking to the air and that both Thaddeus and Cabochon were still there, if they had disappeared she feared people would think her going mad finally. Azuridae wasn't sure if clay could have preference but she knew men did and she was almost certain Thaddeus would be no exception. "What of the both of you? You're an odd pair to be walking about."

OOC: Fixed it.

[Cabochon]

"He's a Pycon, by the way," Thaddeus commented. "They're creatures made entirely of clay." "Ah, and that, yes," Cabochon added. "We have to eat it to grow and shape ourselves as well." Something about Moorwater's demeanor changed when Azuridae mentioned her homesickness. Cabochon sensed a kind of empathetic melancholy surrounding his frame when she told of her origins in Syliras. The Pycon eyed him, but only momentarily. She filled their minds with a quick question afterward. "What of the both of you? You're an odd pair to be walking about." "You know, I was about to ask the same thing," Thaddeus replied, an air of sarcasm lining his matter-of-fact comment. Turning to the creature, he shifted his weight to his left leg. "Odd. Would you mind enlightening us?" His eyes squinted as a teasing smile grew on his face. Cabochon shook his head in response. "You're hilarious," came a monotonous voice. Then, addressing them both, he continued. "If you must know, I want to buy a deck of cards." The Svefra's face changed from wonder to confusion. Why in Laviku's name would he need a deck of cards? "Cards?" He repeated. The Pycon nodded his head. "Whatever for?" "A very special day is coming up, for me," Cabochon indicated to himself with his right hand, "and I have a game I want to play on that day. However, I can't do it without a deck of cards." Satisfied with the answer, Moorwater hinted a shrug. "Fair enough. Do you want a normal deck of cards or are you looking for something a little fancier?" "Well, nothing too expensive, obviously." "I know a vendor. She makes the cards all herself, and they're excellent quality." "Perfect. Lead the way!" Before taking off, Thaddeus turned back to the young woman in the most gentlemanly way possible. Extending an inviting hand, his face softened with a genuine smile. "Would you care to join us? Maybe we could find the docks at some point."

[Azuridae]

"Interesting." Azuridae replied, inspecting Cabochon a bit closer.

It was an odd thought but if this Pycon were to recieve gifts she supposed that a block of clay would make an excellent one. Did 'Pycons' have birthdays? She tucked the question away for later. Both Thaddeus and Cabochon had continued their conversation and she listened silently following along. The way they jested with eachother was comical and the Ethaefal couldn't help but feel a smile twinge its way into her lips.

The Ethaefal echoed Thaddeus' confusion. "Do you plan to gamble?"

If she had been anything but what she was then maybe Azuridae would have wondered why a Pycon would be in possession of the precious metal rimmed gems that others sqaundered away on sustenance. Granted she was briefly one of those beings every time Syna left the sky, and ironically there she was, in the Bizarre looking for something to buy. The Ethaefal mused on the things a Pycon could buy and make use of, the Pycon was of a tiny stature, most things wouldn't fit it unless they were tailor made to fit the owner. It certainly did not wear clothes that she herself would search for, but perhaps it could? The thought was almost too much to bear as she comically imagined the Pycon posed in different outfits.

The extension of Thaddeus' hand snapped her out of her thoughts. She glanced at it before cautiously taking it with a wary smile. "I would be very interested in this, yes please."