The Parrot Parade ~ Chyril 26th, OPEN to all!

[Arnholt]

"You heard the lady, Master Beacon! Behold, the Great Western God!"

"Hmm? Ah, Brother Matthew." Arnholt turned toward the man with a pleased smile. The monk's next quip drew a mild chuckle. "A stirring sight indeed," he agreed, and added piously, "though of course the true beauty of the One God is unknowable. It is something beyond our mortal comprehension; we may observe only the beauty of His creation."

The fledgling cultist merely waved away Matthew's apology. "As they say, brother, it's the thought that counts. Can't blame you for your confusion, neither. My own map of the city leaves it a little unclear as to what exactly the walls encircle. Nonetheless..." Arnholt paused a moment, casting a glance at the altercation between parrot effigies just ahead. Might have liked to see how the parade turns out. But no matter. The festival's probably one of them all-day affairs anyway. "...if your buying me a meal's what it'll take to set your heart at ease, brother, then I can hardly refuse your generosity."

"Good day, ma'am," he said to the Roque woman. "And my thanks again for your takin' the time to educate me." And to Matthew, "Shall we?"

OOC: Opening a side-thread now.

[Tarnuun]

“Brawk!” Aster screeched angrily

-" Ohh, sorry. Excuse me. Coming through."
Tarnuun said now and then, trying to find a place in the crowd. Considering his size, it wasn't exactly easy for him to move through, but he did find a place where he could watch the whole parade. Finally, Tarnuun could just watch and enjoy the parade or so he thought.

“Brawk!” Aster screeched angrily

Tarnuun turned his attention to the elf and started grinning but had no idea why the elf did that. Attention perhaps? Or maybe just to cause havoc? The only thing that worried Tarnuun was the boy's reaction to all of it, but it could have been a part of the act so he stood in a distance. Fear or no fear from the boy, Tarnuun did start grinning at the whole idea of what it seemed to be some sort of "parrot talk". Not understanding one blasted word, Tarnuun just watched with a smile on his face.

"I take it that you are lost?"

Tarnuun turned his attention to the man.

-" Ohh! It's you."
Tarnuun gave a quick salute.

-" Thank you for helping me get in the gates, was very generous of you to help me like that. And of me being lost, well, I found a spot for the parade but yes I am lost. Haven't been in the city for three years and so many things have changed."
Tarnuun tried to keep watch with the parade since it seemed interesting, but nonetheless kept eye contact with the man.
The only thing that came to mind afterwards was why was this man helping him again?

[Callara]

Callara felt it...

She felt it deep inside, the blood started to rage again, coarsing along the strands of magic she tried to weave to purposefully steer the boy towards damnation it seemed to take a more direct approach and went straight for the throat. Ushuaia had started to teach her about control, about measure and timing, but the blood was powerful, both in it's motivation and in it's desire for death.

Her mind was overwhelmed with that feeling again. The feeling of want, of desire, of the lingering memory of the sensation of death at her hand. She saw the boy, felt the boy. She had him locked in her grip and all that she needed to do was grasp his heart and yank it out to feast on it's energy.

So it spoke to her.

And she to it...

You know...for a mighty spirit you're mightily impatient...

Thoughts raced through her mind as she held her grasp on the boy. Her hand reaching out in an empowering grasping motion as the strain became tangible in her limbs and her head.

We can kill the boy right there and have your blood

This shot through her mind in a flicker of a flicker.

Or we can fling him off the rock and make the whole city dread in horror. The despair, the carnage. They will be susceptible, eager, easy.

Reasoning with blood, the primal force of life and death that coarsed and boiled within. If only her mother could see her now.

I am not here for petty pickings of one boy. I want to destroy the city. And so help me...I...will!

Her mind switched at that instant, as the boy walked, oblivious of the scene around him, subconciously, she picked up the rock from yesterday and threw it away, away, up, higher, over the edge, forward.

You will have your death, I will have my mayhem. We'll both triumph, now help me out gods damnit!

With her hand she made a fierce grasping motion, clinging on to the essence of the boy, the form filled with blood, pumped through the tiny vessel by a heart so young...

And then she cast it away.

[Aster Lu'ulnen]

“Braaaaawk? Braack brawk brawk… Brawk brawkbrawkbrawk brawkbrawk braaack brawk …” Aster continued, remaining a pace or two ahead of the boy for as long as he could, stealing glances over his shoulder on occasion to make sure that he did not offer himself up as a sacrifice by accidentally backpedaling over the cliff’s edge. He would not bar the child from making the sacrifice – he wanted to be in good with the Fowls, true, but he did not want to be lynched by the whole island either and only be remembered with a single blue feather on a plaque in the Fowl’s theater baring the epitaph “Aster Lu’Ulnen. He was a big hit at the Parrot Parade…an even bigger hit in the Mer flickers later.” Truly, this close to the cliffs and at the height of the celebrations, the crowd was expecting to see a blue parrot go overboard whether it screamed on its way down or not.

With that possibility in mind, Aster sidestepped when appropriate and calmed his act down, a smile on his face as he removed the mask and lowered his hood to show the crowd what only the most obtuse would not have guessed by now – that he was not really a bird – his smile beaming down upon the boy in friendly support before growing larger as he looked out across the sea of faces and saw the object of his desires standing on a barrel.

He was unaware of the monks in the crowd. Unaware of Matthew’s odd desires for carrots after witnessing Raydon and Alexandrya’s duel. Unaware of Motley’s presence at the opposing end of the crowd. Unaware of Tarnun’s culture shock after even such a relatively short absence from the city. Unaware of many of the other stories which wound their way through the living tapestry behind himself and the parrot-bearing boy.

Of all these things, he was unaware, but two bigger things that slipped his consciousness were quickly coming to a head.

The first of these things was Callara’s spell, the bard already unknowingly coming into her crosshairs once in the gardens, and the second was his own Adhiel nature and reflexes which, should her spell happen to go off as she planned, would find him grasping for the boy and/or following the child over the edge before he could think twice about the danger to himself or the fact that he had never given much focus to swimming as a skill, much less cliff-diving.

[Syra]

ooc
Continuing despite Baxter's absence in the hope he'll jump back in

ic
Some might call it coincidence that Parrot day always knew sunshine. Others had faint suspicions that perhaps it was indeed a blessed day. With their faithful blue protector one could even argue that the One god had some special interest invested in this miraculous city.

Yet those that worked on the outskirts of the human mind, those with insight in the workings of otherwise hidden energies knew better. The story of the parrot had changed throughout the yahren from an unbelievable story into a tale of true faith and conviction and nobody cared. Why did it matter what people believed if it simply worked? Yet it did not change the underlying energy.

To Callara it manifested itself in hunger, sheer greed for the young, forceful life teetering on the brink of panick. She saw the boy, she felt the boy...

"Brawk brawk!" A big blue man jumped in front, obscuring the boy from view and grating at the precarious lines that connected the parrot-carrier to Callara. The blood inside raged, urging her to just grab whatever was available! It was hard to withstand, especially with her special prize out of sight -and as such out of reach! The grasping motion took something...

The chaos of the crowd was getting to be unbearable, the blood buzzing and humming and taking away concentration.

On the other side of town Ushuaia frowned, so certain he felt something that might help him in his cause, yet equally certain that something was not going according to plan.

The little boy gasped, going pale at the sudden interruptions.
His knees buckled.

YES
The blood triumphed as it latched on it's prize.

To Tarnuun it was almost impossible to stay in touch with his unexpected saviour, unless Baxter actively tried to stay close now that the climax was near.

The boy stepped up to the cliffs, slow steps bringing the parrot closer to the edge.

Alexandrya's valiant tries at rousing the people ended in laughter and applause as suddenly people turned away, wanting to see the actual happening. Raydon shrugged and grinned, mouthing 'was worth a try' at the girl.

RAGE

The feeling spat at Alex, so raw, so powerful that it burst through whatever defenses she had up!

With Motley at the very end of the parade, he missed the annual happening up front, but was perectly capable of seeing what went on around the Fowls.

GREED

Another blast at Alexandrya's delicate senses as Callara lashed out to draw in her prey.

The boy took his step and stumbled, holding the parrot low over the edge. He frowned, looking dizzy for a moment and...

Alexandrya felt the power of emotion.
Motley was in plain view of the girl.
Aster saw the boy hesitate and falter, making a grab out of sheer instinct.
Callara was blown back by the raw strength of the life she took, whichever one it was.

The boy
went

FLASH

A bright blue flash
Aster's hands slipping past the boy
The boy staggering back, shocked by the light
Aster suddenly finding the boy's tunic firmly within his reach.

A collective gasp went up
as the parrot went down
down
down
...

*splash*

It hit the surface of the Mer, disappearing from view for the few who actually followed it's trail down.

The boy blinked his eyes.
"Did you see that?" He whispered in awe, clasping Aster's arm, still looking faint.

Somewhere on a balcony Ushuaia growled and turned away from the fiasco.
Somewhere in the city Gerben sighed in relief.
Somewhere Angelica lay utterly silent, pale as the sheets that covered her fragile body, waiting for the guardian bird to return to her.

But nothing of that mattered to the commoners and nobles who stood gathered at the cliffs. None of it mattered to those that missed the clash of unseen forces.

All that mattered to them was the parrot disappearing into the Mer as it should be.
All was as it should be.
After all, nothing was ever wrong in Roque.

[Callara]

YES!

NO!

Callara got cast backwards as she got struck by the blast of energy that traveled back along the line between her and her prey. She felt the blood take the life it wanted, the surge of power that accompanied it filling her with power and extasy. Her theory had been correct, her focus had drawn all the power into her and now she had to peel herself off the ground. She'd been unprepared for the amount of force that came with this measure of focus. It felt great.

Yet, something was wrong.

"Ugh..." She groaned as she got back up slowly, dizzy and disoriented from the shock of energy. It whirled within her which wreaked havoc on her perception.

The boy lived?

It was hard to see, her vision blurry, but she did not see or hear any shock, no horror or dread accompanied the demise of the parrot effigy. Looking down at the crowd she grasped her head, the blood soaring through her veins like a run-away donkey cart in the market square. "He...lives...? But who's life did I take then?" Scanning the crowd from her now seated position she tried to ascertain what had happened. Her focus on the boy had been broken by that stumbling idiot in his parrot costume. yet he still stood aswell.

"It must have jumped. The line must have jumped."

It took her several burns to find the cohesion of mind to come up with that assumption. Which was shortly followed by another blood induced one;

"That idiot is going down."

Far less important became where the energy had come from. She had killed at random and felt no remorse. It was blocked by the rush of power and the newly aquired goal. She had hoped to obtain more than a brief shot of power. She had hoped to turn the feeling of the day around, turn it into a bad...omen...

"No one said that bad omens have to come immediately."

The plan shaped in her mind faster than lightning. Her eyes shot towards the scene where the boy stood, and focused on the people in his direct vicinity. First on Aster, who seemed vaguely familiar, then the boy, and finally on the nearest five or so people around them. If she knew any of them, all the better, if not she tried to imprint their appearance and the sense of them in her mind. A number of inexplainable deaths shortly after the ceremony, of people close to the parrot would give rise to plenty of superstition to work with.

"Fine, if you won't die now, then you will die later."

She got back up, dusted herself off and turned her gaze towards the person who messed up her perfect plan in the first place. The half-wit in his bird outfit.

"Starting with you."

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

A brilliant smile appeared as the people laughed and applauded not feeling bad for a flicker that their attentions had already changed to the parade. Her eyes twinkled as she gave Raydon a wink when she caught his mouthed words. At least you had fun my fri...

The smile dropped from her lips and the achadhiel teetered and stepped back, a stunned look on her face as if she was struck by an unseen force and about to crumble to the ground.

A soft groan escaped as she fell forward onto the ground with her hands to shield her from falling completely on her face. She did not let it consume her this time. Instead, she tried to sought out the source while trying to dam up the emotions that were not her own.

Her eyes shut as she felt through whatever emotions she could. Obviously, it was something important, a strong force that wanted to be heard. Is it the same? Her own anger surmounting as well as her determination to put a stop to whomever was causing a disruption in the balance.

Then the crowd's reactions intermingled and twisted with the rage and the greed which caused Alexandrya to look up, all eyes forward, her own as well while trying capture that control that she once had. Jonah, where are you?

[Motley]

The little man had seen the parrot go into the water many times before. But now, being back in Roque for the first time in a few yahren, he found watching the people much more interesting.

The familiar faces of the Fowls danced and hovered in the crowd before him, including the countenance of his friend Alexandrya, whom he still knew as Alazandra. There was something particularly appealing about the silvery haired half Adhiel. Perhaps it was the way the sea air made her hair bounce, perhaps it was the flush of her cheeks...

She fell to her knees, which prompted the ugly little bard to propel himself forward against the surging tide of the crowd and fight his way to her side. He shoved and twisted and pulled his way to her, until at last he was near. The last time something like this had happened, she had touched Angelica, and Motley could only assume she had come into contact with his adopted daughter once more.

"Alazandra? It's Motley. Are you alright?"

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

A voice peeked through the waves of other negative emotions. A familiar voice. It was not Jonah, but someone else she knew and trusted. A person that at times she could speak in her mind and he heard.

An evil force is here Motley. A power strong enough to break through my defenses. Her words did not come so readily so she thought them as she did once a couple days ago in greeting to the little man, her eyes still closed, her mouth shut. Alexandrya tried to lower her other senses and let her mind work harder. Soothing her friend, Jonah, anyone that was concerned for her until the moment passed and she could safely be moved. Where is the source and what sort of tragedy did it leave behind? Greed...rage...and then a brilliant flash of light. She remembered the very last feeling before and it was not the same as the first two, this one stopped them, propelled the first two emotions away from their goal. Relax, you are going to give yourself a headache.

"I-I am fine, my friend. I think I may have just slipped. So clumsy at times, I do need to be more careful." Her voice still trembled with the lingering emotions but still kept trying to locate the source, as well as what it wanted and what it took.

It would be so much easier sometimes to explain by a touch. Would Motley or even Jonah look at her unkindly if she shared with them what she had experienced. It is a footprint in the right direction but perhaps something she needed to ask permission first but was this really the place to do that? "I think I am ready to stand up." Did you hear my messages Motley? We need a moment to speak in private. There is so very much to tell you.

[Aster Lu'ulnen]

Aster’s eyes widened at the flashes of light, unsure of what caused them, but fairly sure it was not the proximity to the cliff as he had spent many a time up in the all trees of Taloh without fear – why would a dropoff like this with so much solid ground startle him?

One thing that he knew for sure was that the boy was shaky on both firm land and precipice and that, had he not reached out, terrible things might have happened. His eyes were blinded to the parrot as it fell, his concerns lying with the young lad as he tried to lead the boy away from the edge, halting as the boy asked him if he had seen that.

Were those lights part of the…? Aster thought, his eyes widening further as a nasty realization hit him. Fun, joy, and celebration were great for the layman, but what if he had just taken part in a more sinister play - one in which the director opted for tragedy, loss, and plight? One where the people would not laugh it up as an act of the Fowls but rather as an act most foul? His eyes searched around as he practically shoved the boy into the waiting arms of whomever followed in the procession and began to move out of mounting terror, ripping off the costume bit by bit with each step, determination in his eyes as he purposefully aimed for the larger clusters of people, changing direction often within the crowds, if able, as he shed more and more of the recognizable blue feathers.

He had to move…shift…change profile…

If his suspicion about the flashes and the boy’s near tumble were true, then some other ‘actor or actress’ was likely to be highly pissed that their ‘play’ was ruined.

Move…shift…change profile…

Aster knelt within a crowd and shrugged off his cloak, leaving it behind to be trampled in the mud and dirt at will, all of his true valuables still on him or back at his room in safety.

Move…shift…change profile…

He arose and loosened his hair, shaking out the long tresses in order to further disguise himself as a random face within the crowd as he knew not who had thrown the spell, if that was indeed what it was, nor where they might be located. For all he knew, it was someone in the crowd itself.

Move…shift…change profile…

He aimed for Mainy’s position in the same way a leaf in the summer breeze aims for the center of a stilled pond. She might not be able to do a damned thing for him, but she was worth a shot, if only for advice. He got to thinking about his options as he moved and thought of Haifra. Had whoever done this…he was convinced that someone had indeed made an attempt…seen him at the Dog’s Inn? Would they think to look for him there? Would harm fall upon Haifra or her business because she knew him? Aster began to panic.

Move…shift…change profile…

Aster would not bother with words, if he managed to reach Mainy, instead grabbing at her skirts subtly and signaling with his eyes to follow, altering course once more toward Motley’s location if it looked like she would, indeed, follow.

Paranoia was setting in and had gripped him by both testicles. Something in his gut was telling him to move and move quickly as his eyes sought furiously for Solange – the only Fowl he knew.

OOC: Please let me know if this is too much action for one post.

[Callara]

Callara had recovered as Motley rushed to the fallen Alexandra. She stood there and watched as the two friends tried to make sense of what had occurred to them. Perhaps Alex had been close enough to feel her magic, perhaps she had been the one struck by it. But no, then she'd have been dead.

At the same time, Aster started to move in a very peculiar way.

"That is odd, it's almost as if he knows he's being watched..."

Like a bee had struck him he started to get rid of his costume and push his way through the crowd, away from where she stood.

"Oh, how nice of him. He removes his outfit to give me a better look at his face." He ducked and covered among the people gathered in the street however, making it hard for her to follow him with normal eyes. She was filled to the brim with energy and another thought she had been pondering came to her.

"Who needs eyes anyway..."

She started to move a bit closer to the crowd, not at all worried about Alex or Motley seeing her. They were no match for her in her current state. She would strike them down if they interfered. She stayed at the edge of the crowd and waited for it to clear a bit, in the meantime watching the spot where Aster had gotten rid of his outfit. When there were a few less people there she moved in and picked up the trodden down outfit.

"This will be going to the dogs..."

With a smile on her face she turned around and headed back into the maze quickly before the headache she was already getting grew too nasty. The Summer Palace would give her shelter until the crowds of the Parrot Festival had cleared. After that, tomorrow perhaps, she would continue her search.

[Syra]

Even though a strand of music might have wafted in Motley's direction in the past, it might have been due to the insane workings of the red storm, for right now none of Alexandrya's words reached the little man- at least not those left unspoken.

"Alex!" Jonah jumped forward, trying to get to the girl through the masses. Motley beat him to it, yet the former scout would not give up until he was at her side. This mass of people was not healthy for someone who was just learning to control her shielding, as he had noticed often enough.

"Come on, you need to get out of here." He insisted, looking at Motley for confirmation. They seemed to share a common goal and if the little man was going to insist Alex would stay, Jonah was going to have to do a lot of reasoning!

Meanwhile Aster had to deal with a flabbergasted boy and a cheering crowd. While the flash of light had swiftly disappeared, it left a strong imprint on anyone who'd been looking in the right direction. Behind him someone else had fallen, appearantly unconscious as the man was being carried away. Yet other than that it was only Aster's paranoia that made him act the way he did. For there was no obvious sign of anyhting wrong. There was no sign of a malevolent presence. There was not even a drop of rain to disturb the euphoria of the day!

In short: people looked at him as if he'd gone mad, not understanding at all why anyone would feel the need to hide after such a grand climax. The boy himself certainly did not seem worse...

There was no sign of Solange or Mainy in the cheering crowd, leaving Aster to his own devices as he darted off.

Now, although Aster might have no reason or proof that anything was wrong, Callara had the advantage of standing on the other side of this particular situation; a side which granted her both the frustration and the insight of what had happened.

She got her death, that much was sure. Whoever was being carried away, would not be getting up again. Yet the boy lived and the insane parrot man was fleeing as if the demons were on his blue tail. Of course Callara could not know Aster had no magical senses. Of course she could not know it was only his vivid imagination which played up. Perhaps the man was indeed blessed or cursed with some kind of sense that made him pick up on her motives, but the fact was that he was running...he was running for his life and it took no magic to see that.

Unfortunately it would take a lot more than just her eyes to discern a face or even a posture, with the man shedding his costume and diving into the masses. By the time Callara made it to the cliffs, the costume was gone, only a few dyed feathers left to prove the parrot man ever existed.

[Motley]

"Here, let me help you..."

Motley was trying to assist her to her feet when Jonah arrived.

"Think nothing of it... it's quite..."

Motley complied by giving over her hand and arm to the handsome newcomer as Jonah mad it obvious he wanted to spirit her away. It wasn't his decision what she was to do next. That was a question that could only be answered by her.

He glanced around at the crowd, suddenly feeling in the way and awkward.

[Alexandrya L`handriel]

"Thank you, Motley." The silver-haired achadhiel murmured as she accepted Motley's offered assistance trying not to be too much of a burden even though she still felt a bit wobbly.

"Jonah!" Her slender arms instinctively wrapped around Jonah's neck as she buried her face against his neck and steadied herself. You will not cry, you fool. Who acts like a child in this dire moment? Her will being the only thing to stop her from breaking down from the overwhelming feelings but it could not stave the trembling that were the only other effects that could be visibly felt or seen.

After Alexandrya took a moment to re-gain her composure, she looked towards Motley and then back to Jonah. She did not want run away just yet, but she doubted she could stay standing or even defend herself if the unnamed force came back. "Yes, please...let us go elsewhere that is a bit more quiet. Motley, would you please accompany us? We need to talk. I think most of the festivities will be all right without us. The rest of the Fowls should be doing well enough without me..."

Stormy grey eyes peered out into the crowd to try to sense if anything was still amiss, she swore she saw Callara walking towards the cliff where the Parrot procession was earlier and frowned. Have we lost you completely, Callara?

"Home, Jonah. Please." She murmured as she leaned heavily against the former scout. "It does not hurt as much anymore."

[Callara]

Callara picked up the feathers, looked them over a few times and tucked them away. They were, if nothing else, an interesting reminder of the event and might serve her regardless of the plan she had had for the rest of the costume.

So with that in hand, without a face or a name she returned to the maze. It would take more effort to find this man than she might have hoped, but then again nothing was ever easy she had already discovered.

"Nothing is ever easy..."

[Aster Lu'ulnen]

This is madness… this is madness… this is… Aster thought as he continued to quickly weave his way through the crowd, slowing after a few flickers after not finding Mainy. His eyes peered around at the revelry around him and a glance behind him showed no obvious movement his way. Had there been some grand plot like he had thought, certainly those behind it would be combing the crowds for him already. The Adhiel allowed himself a small chuckle as he peered around once more. “This is madness…” he muttered through his smile, putting aside his unfounded fears and turning back toward the head of the procession. Mainy had to be about somewhere…he just had to find her. Perhaps it had just been the thrill of being center stage at such a location – standing next to the one object that all eyes were upon – that had invoked his fear.

Stage fright…simple stage fright… Mother, please tell me that it was not her eyes that I was afraid of… Aster thought, picturing Mainy’s face as he prayed.

It appeared that neither Death nor jeers were coming for him, from what he could guess. Aster took a flicker to alter his appearance some more, combing his hair neatly into one thick ponytail and tying it neatly with a bow, straightening up his featherless tunic in order to make himself look more presentable, a touch of nobility added at the last flicker to further transform himself from paranoid fool to distinguished actor.

Once his appearance was to his liking, Aster began to move again, keeping an eye open for Mainy or Solange, this time moving with the natural flow of the crowds instead of against them.

[Syra]

Jonah nodded, shooting a worried glance at Motley as he mouthed 'you okay?'. He kept his arms protectively around the silverhaired girl. "Easy, Alex, easy. You're safe." He mumbled in her ear.

"Come, we'll get you out of here." Supporting here where necessary -and perhaps a little more than necessary- the former scout guided both Alex and Motley out of the crowd to move home. It was his protective measures that took all of their attention away from the young woman who moved in to find the parrot costume. As such Callara went unseen and unnoticed by those that migth have reocognized her appearance or even intentions...

When Aster finally caught his breath, people were already dispersing, no longer interested after the parrot had been thrown. The deed was done, the day was over and it was time to see to some necessary festivities. There was a glimpse of his favourite redhead up ahead, but it kept disappearing in the movement of the crowd.

At least it brought one little comfort to the poor young fowl: at least he'd not made a fool of himself under Mainy's nose! Yet although this day was slightly less disastrous than Aster had feared, there was no saying what his dreams might bring that night.

ooc
The end, time to move to the 27th

[Turi]

locked, skilled and archived