RP:A Short Stack and a Feather Stick

Summary Emilia is runs into a stranger at the Northern Highlands where the two get into a verbal banter with one another. A fall chasing after him gets her a personal flight to Ara along with the name Short Stack, and in return she named Irenic Feather Stick.

Emilia walked along with slow steps south toward the mines with bare feet almost gliding over the frozen path below. The Genasi was slightly more a mess than her usual self with those wild curls filled with bits of debris from little rocks to dirt and tiny twig pieces. The rough look was accompanied by the patches of dirt and scrap over otherwise snow-white flesh. Her white gown that she wore torn up, dirt splotched, and falling off one bony shoulder. Were it not for the earth tones, spots of red from dried blood, and torn up attire one might mistake the lass for a walking snow-woman of child sized proportions. This fallen appearance gave her a more lively look than a ghostly one, though her lips were still frost-blue that nearly matched the bright blue of her eyes, which gaze was currently down watching her bare-dirt-bruise-scrapped-up feet take each slow step after the next.

Irenic was instructed to refrain from flying for a while and sort of lay low until further instruction. So, after a long day of mining for his owner he lugs his loot off in search of said owner once more. The soot upon his tawny skin, evident of a hard working day and he left his attire ragged as to not ruin anything. He was departing the mines now while pushing light brown/greying locks from his face so his silvery gaze my look up at the star lit sky through the clouds. His admiration of the dark sky is interrupted by something as his elongated pointy ears perk at the sound of footsteps. His gaze narrows in suspicion while he slyly tucks his gold away , but for a moment he can't seem to find who is approaching… His 6'11 height a disadvantage for once. Irenic finally spots her, a pretty her, but who isn't these days. His low gruff tone asks, "Rough day?" His grimace upon scarred lips shows easily from the mucked up accessories this stranger currently adorns.

Emilia heard the stranger long before he spotted her small figure making way close to him in her traveling. Her height barely reached 5’0 and that was including the fraction of an inch or two given by the wild curls of hers which had Irenic towering over her like a winged giant. Lifting her gaze slowly up to stare into those silver-hued eyes of the stranger the Genasi revealed the bruise that took up nearly her entire left cheek, though with the curls falling in her face it was almost hidden...almost. “Yes,” she replied softly to his comment about her day, her voice light and spoken on an exhaled breath of cold air. In fact, it was not just her breath that gave off a chill of cold, it was being within a few feet of the tiny woman that the temperature dropped significantly from the surroundings. “Rough day yourself?” she questioned back after having spent some passing minutes in silence studying over him from head to toe to wings, a good part of the stare at the wings with a most curious look.

Irenic was carrying a black cloak in hand for this reason here, everyone he met was 'so special' and what-not that you never knew what they were going to throw at you. He concluded the frost was coming from the woman, impressive, of course, but he wasn't bothered by it in the least… Although, it wasn't exactly pleasant, was it? He glides the black cloak on which covers his massive Ivory wings; what a glorious thing those are all accented with pearl and silver hues gleaming in the moonlight, shame he's covering them up... As their proximity might be close she would smell her most favorite scent emitting from the man; classic Avain trait that is. "Why's that?" A long slender pointer finger aims at the bruise on her cheek, he wasn't a very subtle man and was actually quite rude to most people. His brow perks down a her question as he wasn't making an attempt to lower himself to her; I mean - she should be taller. Irenic's gaze analyzes her for a small moment and she doesn't seem the type to just let people beat her around regardless of her stature.

Emilia found that looking to to most average height people was not a problem for her, but looking up to this winged man was making her neck sore. To resolve the issue the little woman slowly started to rise up from the ground. At first it almost appeared she was floating upwards, but upon a closer look she had harnessed her element to create a rising platform made of ice. It would continue to rise from the ground, flakes of snow falling around the magic using woman in accompaniment to her energy being used to create ice, until she was at a point where her eyes were level with his. What a different view of the world from this height. Tilting her head left then right little pops as her neck cracked before she replied to him, “I lost my footing. Hitting a rock hard enough with the face tends to cause a bruise...I am Fine.” That last word spoken with an almost harsh emphasis to it. “Why you cover them?” She pointed to his wings with a crocked finger, broken or dislocated by the way it bent unnaturally, yet she didn’t seem to notice it. Later, she’d set it and repair the wound. Keeping the ice column alive was easy in this chilled space, but it caused a constant light falling of snow around the pairing.

Irenic watched her ice create a pillar for her meet his gaze was a nice touch and he offered a small clap one might take as sarcasm, like a 'golf clap' of sorts. He didn't recall asking if she was fine and simply replied, "Good for you?" At closer look she would spot a scar on his lips and spanning down his eye, maybe this wasn't someone she should be associating with? Spotting her broken finger, "Am I supposed to be dumb enough to assume that is from falling on a rock, too?" His gaze was still cold and uncaring to match his voice and mannerisms. His wings shift a little under the cloak, "Because it's (expletive) cold around you…" His gaze narrows once more wondering how she didn't realize she was making it snow, "I don't mind, but I would rather not lose an-" He stopped himself to reword the last part of the sentence for his own reasons, "Not lose a limb…" He was analyzing her again, "So, 'lost your footing'? I am to believe this little woman standing on ice is the clumsy sort?" His wicked smirk shows he doesn't care for her lies, he's not the judgmental type and f she wanted to lie then so be it, he'll let her. "Must have been mistaken then, it wasn't a rock you fell upon to cause that bruise, it would have to be a tiny little pebble then, huh? Short stack…" He would go on all pompous and explain, "Because, you see… If -I- 'lost my footing' and fell on a rock it would bruise. But you can't fall on a rock because rocks are probably as tall as you…" His smirk was wicked in exposing crowded, but white teeth.

Emilia found the wit of the winged man to be both amusing and a refreshing change of pace from the people she knew in daily life. He wasn’t treating her like a child, even if he was acting like one, and freaking out because she sported a bruise or ten. As he mentioned the finger that was askew her gaze dropped long enough to confirm he was correct about his statement before taking said finger in her other hand and giving a good ol’ yank that was followed by a series of small popping noises, but the finger was straight again afterwards. The Genasi had lost most all feeling for pain long away when the cold settled in, but extremes would get her...especially the heat. “I lost my footing when climbing my way down. And, are you blind? I am not standing on ice, that would be silly.” Close inspection of her feet at the top of the pillar would reveal a tiny gap of space, her feet not even gracing the ice with her presence, almost like two opposite ends of magnets being pushed together. “And what do you mean it is cold around me? You are in the Northern Highlands, it is cold here.” Cold here coming from the snow white woman without shoes and dressed in a dress normally meant for the spring to summer season. Those blue lips of hers, was she dead?, curled into a smirk that nearly matched the one on his face after he clearly pointed out her lack of height. “See, the Gods only let things grow until they have reached perfection...some of us didn’t take as long to reach that status,” A retort back against his taller than average height paired with a faint almost giggle that sounded like ice clinking against glass.

Irenic winced at her popping her finger back into place, "That's one way to do it…" He narrowed his gaze and leaned forward a bit to notice the floating, "Floating, standing… Same difference. That was beside the point…" He offered while standing erect again. Irenic nodded like some dull dud as she was explaining how it was cold in the Northern Lands, "Yeah, yeah, uh huh… You are right, woman. It -is- cold here, but as I said it's (expletive) cold around -you-… Do you have ice stuck in your ears, too?" He didn't care about a name, if she offered that would be up to her, but her name is short stack now. He le out an obnoxious guffaw at her retort, nice come back, "All right, short stack, you win that one." His looks showed he was not ever worried about perfection, there probably wasn't one perfect thing about this man, personality included - obviously." His expression slowly falls when those silvery optics seem to look past her in the distance as if distracted by something. His pointed ears perk a little, but there is no sound and he does look as if intently listening to something… "What?" He asks the stranger after a moment of awkward silence in thinking she had asked him a question or said something in the moment he was distracted just now.

Emilia half smiled for just a moment when he verbally admitted she won that one. Whatever it was that had stolen his attention behind the pairing was not noticed by the little woman on a pedestal of ice before the tall winged stranger. However, when he turned to question her with a dumbfound ‘what’ that she used the moment to counter his previous word attack, “I might have some icewax in my ears, but at least I have a brain between my ears and not empty space, Feather Stick” Perhaps a poor comeback, but she was not used to such more childish word play. Where he called her Short Stack for a name over asking for her actual one she chose to assign him a name and not worry about figuring out his actual name. Tall and winged with feathers landed him Feather Stick for a given name for him. “Tell me, what is it that one such as yourself is doing out this way? If you cannot handle the cold in fear of losing a limb then why are you wandering this toward the frigid North? It only gets worse from here up.” It was still snowing around the woman, yet still she seemed to not notice the falling fluff of flakes. For the Genasi it had become so normal that it didn’t phase her like those whom had not spent time with the frozen lady.

Irenic was enjoying this banter between them, most people get offended and leave him by now. Just as he wanted to offer a response that he was looking for a place to drink he looked liked he stiffened up a bit more, like a dog being called by it's master… He remembered what she, a different pretty she, told him, "Keep it short…" He didn't realize he had said it out loud, but it kind of fit anyway, "I've… Kept her waiting long enough…" His gaze finally averted from her to look back to where he came from, he felt confused now as to why he started to head this way in the first place. She doesn't let him wonder this far for this long and there it was, her voice in his head, 'Say - I must go now..' Irenic's smirk wavers as if struggling with something, 'Say it.' He mumbles, "I must go now…" In the most monotone way of speaking as if they aren't his own words and with a pivot on his heels he begins walking away almost as if a robot of sorts. No wave of good byes no deep bow of respect to a lady, just a departure.

Emilia watched him with a curious yet studying gaze as he fumbled over his reply differently than moments ago with their bantering at one another. Something about his silence followed by his almost drone like departure without warning struck the frozen woman as familiar. He walked off and she leaped off that frozen ground she hovered over in the air to keep eye contact with the towering man. It was in this moment the grace he seemed to think the ice-lady had revealed its ugly side. Not a cat, not in the least bit the woman did not land on her feet, but rather hit the ground with a slip over her own foot as she stepped on one toe with the other heel in landing. Face first into the chilled ground the lass went, sliding with the momentum across the hard cold ground, adding more dirt and scratches to her pale flesh as she went along behind him. Scrambling she got herself back up onto her feet, dusted her hands off on her dress, and hurried along after him. Reaching out she attempted to grab his arm so that he couldn’t keep walking away from her and her bloody nose. If she managed to get a grasp on him the man would feel the instant death cold of her touch, “Who is it? Where do I find them? How much do they want for your freedom?” Ah, she’d been a slave once...twice...and would never forget it.

Irenic could see she wasn't going to leave him alone, 'Do as you must.' This might be interpreted of just knocking the little thing out, but this one wasn't to be harmed as his master knows this woman, "Lady Dragana… I am informed I am only alive because of Lady Dragana…" He blinks a couple times as if coming to and seeing she acquired even more injuries. He sighs after an eye roll his voice goes back to gruff sarcasm. " You -are- a clumsy one, short-stack." He doesn't really care if it's too forward or what-not he picks the little woman up like a piece of luggage; not very tactful either. There was no malcontent behind it and he kept his hands respectfully; I mean - there would be no point in getting a woman of any sort 'worked up', he couldn't do a thing about it. "Where wherever you are headed, you need to stay there, and stay out of this. I'm not going to try to save you and you don’t try to save me, do we have a deal?" With that his cloak would come free and his massive wings pushed the air around them until they were flying up above the lands of Hollow and he would fly in whatever direction she pointed him to, wherever she was headed before they ran into each other. Of course if she wanted to throw a fit and be put down he would oblige, but, hey! Free ride, amiright?

Emilia let out one strange startled sound that was a mix of a squeak and a sound like cracking ice when he without warning picked her up from the ground. The tiny frail stature of the ice woman was complete with the lack of weight when lifted, if he wasn’t careful Ire could accidentally throw her up instead of just picking her up. Holding onto her, even as politely as he did, there was no escaping the physical contact with the woman, exposing him directly to her frozen touch for a prolonged time. Try as she might to control it she was unable for long causing frost to begin to form in a faintly thin layer on him for brief moments, not really sticking for long. “Sure...deal...” No, it was a lie, those fingers of hers were crossed out of sight. There was no way her curious-self would let this go without at least investigating the details later in a visit to Lady Dragana, once she sorted through the memories of hers to place who that was. In the air, she was fine flying as she did have a dragon for a husband, so this wasn’t her first air travel, however different it was from flying on a dragon’s back. “Ara.” She would state a bit loudly to be heard of the wind from the flapping wings.

Irenic wasn't too bothered by the frost on his abdomen, but he would just reposition her carefully (as to not to drop her) whenever more frost started to become too cold. Irenic thought for a long moment, he's heard of a place called Ara, but cannot remember until that voice comes through again 'Ara, it's in Larket by the river bank.' He redirected his coarse to bring this stranger to a place he thinks he's never heard of before or even stepped foot in. Once he hands he attempts to set the woman down gently, might not go so well. "And there you are…" He eyes the place with a fresh perspective and a long awkward pause, he stays at the front door and wont go further, "Who would want to live here?" A grimace on his face before that familiar glazed over look becomes him again and his movement become forced again… "Keep it short… Time to go now… Good day…" He said as if to no one and with that he turns on his heel again to walk back to Lady Dragana.

Emilia would have went after Irenic the moment he started to walk away after setting her down before the house of Ara, but the moment one of the visiting healers noticed the Genasi in her state there was no way she would let the ice-woman get away. “Emilia! What on Hollow have you gotten yourself into this time! March that frozen butt of yours inside this instant!” The lady bellowed at the woman in a stern voice with little room for argument on Emi’s part. It also would give the stranger the true name of his Short Stack. With a half wave of a hand, like a child waving to a departing friend because they were in trouble, Emz watched him go as the nurse folded her arms over her chest and was tapping her foot on the ground, waiting. Before he vanished and before she disappeared inside the Genasi turned to call out to him, “Take are Feather Stick, make sure to come visit sometime.” And then she was being pulled inside by her ear for having taken too long in responding to the nurse. It was clear that the lass was well known in this place.