RP:A Few More Days

Part of the Mearcstapa Arc

Summary: Brennia wakes up the next morning after being saved in the garden’s by Nico. Yozenra comes to visit the avian, having see what transpired in the garden the night before. She also comes to tell Brennia that Reginae’s requesting her presence at the Vailkrin Blood Bowl match.

Brennia's Guest Room

When Brennia wakes up the morning after falling asleep against Nico, he'll no longer be there. It's not a big surprise considering the nature of his fractured mind. If anything, it's a testament to how well Brennia must have slept for him to sneak out so completely. Nothing is left to mark his existence in the space except for the make shift bandages on her hands left over from the night before.

Mid-afternoon, Yozenra would come to find Brennia.

The Queen's Guard is accompanied by Nadia, her brother is off on rounds. Both women seek out the avian for news on what happened the night before.

"Good afternoon," Yozenra greets calmly. She's already aware of what happened in the garden with Brennia's sleepwalking injuries and Nico's fission.

Nadia is a bit more excited with her greeting. "Lady Brennia!" The healer rushes to take Brennia's hands in her own but notices bandages (or the strips of Nico's shirt he'd used to bind them). "My Lady!" Nadia gasps, looking at Yozenra with concern. "What happened?" Nadia looks back at Brennia with growing anxiety. "Did they hurt you?"

Brennia is disappointed when she wakes up alone, but not surprised as she sits up and checks her hands because she’s unsure if last night even happened. In her mind, she fully expected to wake up to him or even Regi yelling in her face and accusing her of tricking them into bed with her somehow, but he just snuck out and she anticipates that is worse in its own way. Just when the pair come in, she is grinning and touching her lips while reminiscing every delicate moment from last night. “Afternoon?” She is surprised it’s so late as the joy is wiped from her face briefly and she’s worried of how long Nico had been gone. Then sweet Nadia greets her and she’s offering the young lady a firm hug, “hello dear, how are you?”

She lets Nadia take her hands to properly inspect them, “oh. It was me, I mistakenly picked these flowers that had thorns,” she doesn’t outright lie. Then she tsks playfully at Nadia before a kind smile pokes dimples in her cheeks, “I told you that you could call me Bre.” Her gaze finds Yozenra and she casually tries to ask, “have you seen the Queen out and about this morning by chance?” Or even Nico? Brennia doesn’t realize that Yozenra was watching them in the gardens and she checks to make sure her door is closed to speak a little quieter, “there may have been a development last night.” As thrilling as the prospect might be that Nico doesn’t share the same xenophobia as Regi and what they shared could possibly be something more, Brennia knows it isn’t realistic. “Although, I have no idea what it means,” the avian concludes with a sigh.

Nadia looks up at Brennia with wide eyes and a smile. "Yes m'lady - I mean Bre." The naga healer feels odd being informal with their beautiful guest. Brennia's so nice and kind to Nadia and her brother, like a merciful Queen. And to stay to help with their Queen! Nadia blinks behind her mousy glasses at Bre's question. "Oh, no, I have yet to see her or her other form." That didn't matter so much right now. "I'm going to look at these." Nadia announces, trying to sound firm on the matter but her voice wavers with uncertainty until Bre let's her remove the torn shirt rags. She pulls vials and bandages from a pouch on her hip.

Yozenra's quiet, having seen the exchange from nearby. She doesn't argue Brennia's reason for being hurt. She does confirm Nadia's story. "No one's seen her this morning. I was hoping she was with you." Yozenra's amethyst eyes hold on Brennia's face while Nadia tends to the Avian's wounds. "What do you mean, a development?" The guard's body stays stiff and leaning against the closed door frame. To sell the idea of her knowing nothing, Yozenra asks. "Did she do this to you?"

Brennia adores Thedez and by extension his sister. Yozenra she is still uncertain of even though they conspire together and she feels like head Queen’s guard looks at her like a piece of meat being dangled for a lion’s den, but he makes sure to keep her emotions in check while constantly reminding herself why she is here. To help Reginae. “Thank you so much, Nadia. I appreciate you,” she holds her hands still for Nadia to do what she did best. It does worry her that no one has seen either form and she fears Regi went back to that damn tank of snails, but Yozenra’s comment about hoping the Queen was with her is odd. “Honestly, me too,” she admits softly.

She shakes her head, “not at all. Actually… uh. I needed some air so I snuck out to the gardens,” lie. “I saw this beautiful flower that has some bioluminescence accents, so I tried to pick two of them without thinking and hurt myself. She was out there as Nico,” but she doesn’t even know why he as there. “At first he was screaming at me to leave Alithrya while helping me wrap my hands in pieces of his shirt and I started crying, telling him I couldn’t, leaving it at that because every time I try to call back to things we’ve been through together - it sends Nico into a craze.”

She softly sucks air through her teeth at whatever Nadia is doing, but she continues to stay still for her while continuing, “I do not understand what clicked or came over him, but he kissed me and started being his sweet flirty self again, but also not Regi. As if Nico has become his own little part in her brain? I wasn’t sure. For once he knew who I was and he wasn’t trying to cut me or shout at me, so I took a chance.” She gently takes Nadia’s hands within her own and holds her gaze, “thank you again Nadia.”

She takes a deep breath and continues, “but I was afraid to let him out of my sight if he slipped back into that madness, so I asked him to sleep in here tonight.” Teal hues glance over to the spot he once occupied, “he said he will try to fight, but I could tell he was barely hanging on and weak. After offering some more sweet words, we drifted off to sleep and that was it. I don’t know how long he stayed or what state of mind he or Reginae must have been in when they snuck out.”

Yozenra considers Brennia's words in a long silence. It's clear she's thinking about the logistics and possibilities. Regi might be locked in Muzo's lab or she might be roaming around the gardens as Nico. The labs would be their best guess for now, since it was the most common place to find her.

Brennia's story is almost the truth or the truth as the Queen's guard knows it. She did go to the garden, he did scream, she did cry, they did kiss, he did bandage her hands and follow her back to her room. "Their brain can't process reality properly anymore. Anything that threatens the truth they've built around this strange entity is rejected." Yozenra says, watching Nadia hover near Brennia affectionately. "Whatever that thing is is like a parasite. Magic or not, it's changed her." Yozenra shoots a look at Nadia and Nadia frowns.

"She sort of kidnapped a couple people a while ago." The naga healer whispers, hands clasped together. "They escaped but...she was still Regi but didn't understand she was kidnapping them. A small woman and another avian who was fighting in the arena. She made him her champion and collected the small woman as a companion for him." Nadia looks horrified.

"They have since escaped." Yozenra adds in a way that suggests she might have had a hand in helping them. It's also a way to end the conversation so they don't divulge how Reginae had murdered one of the tailors and rolled their body into the ballroom for everyone to see. The black ooze that filled up his eye sockets and the jerky way he moved after, like he wasn't dead at all. "She is like a powerful child that can't imagine things going any way but the way she wants. But what she wants is the Great Serpent that has yet to call."

Nadia looks back at Brennia, Yozenra's eyes hold Brennia's harshly behind Nadia's head. "Part of her must know it's dangerous. To keep warning you to go and pushing you away." The healer's voice is slight but hopeful. "Maybe we're closer than we thought."

Nico was neither in the lab nor in the gardens. He'd excused himself upon waking to the surface realm looking, truthfully, for a fight. That avian woman tricked him or drugged him into bed with her. He had every right to end her life but his frustration was too bold for just one creature. If only he could stumble upon an army on Cenril's shores. Wouldn't that be grand? A flyer rolls along the sand, catching on his boot as he walks. Curiously, the rogue male picks it up and examines the writing. His expression grows grave before he rushes his way back to Alithrya.

Brennia considers something while watching Yozenra, “a parasite… this might be a silly question, have you checked her physically for a parasite?” It seems too simple and a stretch, but you never know. “During mating season, there is his bird native to Island Vere which secret this gel-like substance and it attracts a mate, but it also attracts attention to this weird worm and it gets drunk off the pheromones. When it slips off the branches, coated in the gel, it can sort of dangle there for a while and it’s so small that you wouldn’t even realize you’ve walked under it. During these times, we’ve been advised to stay from under the trees because it till make a home in your hair and lay eggs sometimes in the ear canal. You’d never notice, but the little pheromone crazed larvae can possibly slip into the brain and become a parasite.” Surely she’s getting some squeamish look from Nadia by now, “of course it isn’t the same because only avians can get to Vere, but I’m just saying how easy it is to miss something so mundane and small like that.”

She has an idea of who those two are, but she likes to keep pretending Edlin, or Irenic, even exists - he did try to kill her after all (or plotted to.) Brennia considers for a moment if she’s ‘kidnapped’, but she is here because she wants to be… right? She surely doesn’t feel like a kidnapping victim with how well they take care of her!

“I sure hope so,” she mentions at Nadia’a comment about being closer. Then she sighs, looking out the fake window while sighing again, “Regi… where are you?” The worry evident on her expression.

Days later, Reginae does return. She summons Yozenra to the throne room and declares that she’ll be entering a tournament in the city of vampires. And she does this, as Reginae. It could be because Brennia wasn’t in the throne room but the Queen seemed determined to compete for whatever reason. Yozenra had been thinking about what Brennia said about a parasite but she had no way of checking. What even would she look for?

After the announcement, Yozenra rushes to Brennia’s room. She knocks, three quick times, before letting herself in. Nadia and her brother were in the floor, trying to teach Brennia this naga gambling game they learned when they were young. Yozenra’s amethyst eyes deduces they are playing for circular biscuits with dark flecks on them. (Cookies) Nadia jumps at the sound, all her cards flying up and away.

“A development.” Yozenra says quickly. Nadia looks nervous but Thedez appears unphased.

“The Queen’s returned -“ Yozenra pauses, hesitating on how to continue but Nadia looks over at Brennia excitedly. “-but she’s refusing all visitors until after…the tournament.” Yozenra looks at Brennia. All visitors, Brennia included.

Brennia recognizes the three distinct knocks at her door, knowing it is Yoz and she turns from the game expectantly. The minute Brennia hears ‘returned’ the avian raises from her feet to head for the door, but when her hand reaches the knob the news of refusing all visitors hits her and she stops. Even though her face twists in frustration while all she is facing the door for a moment, she fixes it to be respectful and pleasant because she remembers that Reginae is a Queen after all. What she says is law and she wouldn’t be a fool to run to her, expecting anything to be different from the last time when she ended up with a laceration on her cheek.

“Very well,” she says in a muted manner before taking her seat next to Nadia, helping her pick up the cards she dropped without looking to keep the game fair. “I hope she does well in the tournament,” she says a bit dryly while picking up her cards again because she is certain Reginae won’t be taking her ‘friend’ with her to watch. Brennia makes a thoughtful face while scrutinizing her hand of cards, shifting them around to make more sense and maybe set her up for a win- finally. “I guess I’ll just see her when she gets back,” the avian says cooly while rolling the dye.

Yozenra doesn’t flinch away when Brennia stops right by her, the guard was still leaning on the doorframe. “But it’s -her-.” She reassured everyone in the room. Not Nico but Reginae.

Brennia looks back up to Yozenra, her fake smile still on her face, “yeah,” but she regains from adding, ‘I heard you.’ Brennia could tell Nico was struggling to hold the form and his consciousness, so she expected as much to happen no matter how disappointing it still feels. “Let’s hope that it’s continued progress and not a step backwards,” but she isn’t in that damn lab is she? So that is something.

Yozenra flinches at Brennia's direct gaze. The undercurrent of 'obviously' flows between them like static tension until Bre's back with Nadia, helping with the cards.

Nadia's grateful for Bre's help and Thedez is there, but quiet. The room has been tense since Yozenra's arrival. Yet Yozenra doesn't leave. Nadia sheepishly calls out Brennia's roll results and Thedez groans but casts a glance back at Yozenra while he does. Why is she still here?

Yozenra, sensing the palpable wish for her to leave, sighs loudly. "She wants you to attend." The naga's amethyst eyes settle on Brennia again. "The fight." Her words are clipped, suggesting Yozenra didn't approve of this request but how could she refuse it? "You'll be given a choice of clothes in Alithryian colors to wear to the event, body guards will be present for your protection as well as the Queen's." Nadia's expression wilts with worry, looking between Brennia and Yozenra.

"What is she thinking...?" The little healer asks, frowning behind her cards.

Yozenra nods, agreeing with Nadia's sentiment. "Armath above, I wish I knew." Then, to Brennia, she adds. "It's in Vailkrin. Make whatever plans you need to make, we'll be riding in a small procession train to the arena." Yozenra, feeling uncomfortable, took this time to leave. The door clicks quietly behind her. At the end of the hall, Reginae looms in female humanoid form with a frown. Regi gestures silently for her guard to follow as she took a side path through the palace and Yozenra slowly but obediently follows. At least it's not the damn lab.

Thedez, sensing this whole thing needs to be cleared out, throws a couple of his chips into the pot. "Nadia went to beauty school," He smiles up at Brennia. "You should let her do your hair."

Brennia doesn’t mean to be so cold to Yozenra, but sometimes Brennia cannot hide her disappointment in this situation while knowing she’s being played like some weird pawn when she doesn’t even understand who the heck are the players!? Brennia’s wings slump a little at the demand veiled as a request for her to attend like some Alithrya cheerleader even though it is a surprise and she still has no idea how to feel about all of it, “I always feel so helpless watching my friends get pulverized in the duels, but if she insists.” There is a shrug to show her casual attitude to this obscene affair even though it is an interesting prospect to be allowed outside of Alithrya and maybe she could catch up with a friend or two.

With a defeated sigh and a last look to Yozenra that says ‘I know you’ve got to be tired, too’, she offers a sweet, “Yozenra? Thank you,” and then a thin lipped grin as she watches the naga slip out. “Oh yeah,” her attention is back on Nadia with pride, “I would be honored.” She raises Thedez’s chips with a better offer of her own and a mischievous grin aimed his way.