RP:Bastrien's First RP

Bastrien descends from the Sky Pier, a look of the deepest sadness on his face. He searches the bridge below for a face, any face. Spotting the child he accelerates towards her, having always felt a closer kinship with the children of other races.

Bastrien landing softly in front of her, he kneels, places his face in his hands, and tries to compose himself.

Layla is making her way across the bridge, occasionally looking over her shoulder. She would appear to be about ten, due to her size of frame, though in truth she's much closer to twelve. She's checking to be sure that she is not followed, having given her babysitter the slip not moments ago.

Bastrien wipes his face and stands, smiling at the child. "My dear, are there others in this land like me?" Upon saying this, he turns and flexes his wings, exemplifying that he means other avians.

Layla stops walking, and looks at the man before her. While she might appear almost human, the kitten ears on her head and the tail from her rear would suggest otherwise. At the scent of his wings, she smiles. Felines love the smell of birds. "Sirr?" Tilting her head to the side a little, she thinks of what an odd question that is. "I've seen a few, though I'm not surre how many therre rreally arre." Each letter 'r' rolls from her tongue, like a purr.

Bastrien breathes a sigh of relief. "Thank you, darling. I've traveled the world, searching for avain cities, never finding one of my own kind, and finding our sanctuaries all like this one. Empty." With many years of loneliness slowly dissolving, Bastrien rise to his feet. "So," he says, his tone much more jovial. "My name is Bastrien. Whats yours?"

Layla looks around for a moment. Empty? She had just come from Kelay, it was not empty there. And Cenril looked to be as busy as ever. Why was he calling them empty? Of course, lacking wings, Layla was unaware that an Avian city existed upon the clouds. "My name is Layla." She smiled. "Nice to meet you, Bastrrien."

Bastrien cocks his head to the side, a very bird-like reaction to the look of confusion on the young felines face. Looking up, he realizes that she has no idea of the magestic, pearlescent city floating above them at this very moment. He chuckles, then absentmindedly tugs the feathers at the nape of his neck. Crouching down, he smiles directly into the girls face, "Very nice to meet you Layla. And what a beautiful name you have." If everyone in this land shared the kindness of the child in front of him, this may just be the home he's been searching for.

Layla wrinkles her nose a little as he draws closer. Acute sense of smell means that she's more than overwhelmed with his scent of feathers. It makes her mouth water. When she was younger, she might have attempted to eat his wings, but now that she is older, Layla finds it a little easier to ignore the sudden urges. "Thank you. Wherre arre you frrom?" She fidgets now, twisting slowly to one side and then the other. "My tutorr says that avians arren't frrom Kelay orr Cenrril, like most of us arre."

Bastrien instinctually draws back from the young feline, tucking his wings close to his body. "I was born years ago in a beautiful city called Bardriel. And no little one," he says with a chuckle. "I'm not from this land."

Bastrien delves into a story of his home, spinning yarns of beautiful white marbles halls and streets filled with winged people, the finest wines and most delicious food. Catching himself, he grins sheepishly, knowing he's boring the young one to death. "So, where are you from little lady?"

Layla frowned when he called her 'little'. It was a pet peeve of hers. But ignoring it, she listened to his story with some interest. Being a child, she did like stories to some extent. "Frrom Cenrril," she said, while pointing across the bridge to the town. "It's a nice place, lots of shops and people." Shrugging, she began to fidget again. She seemed to have attention problems. "Wherre arre you going?"

Bastrien shrugs. "No idea. But you have throughly convinced me that this is the land I've been searching for." As he watched the girl fidget, he's reminded of his childhood, having just reached social maturity by avain standards. "I think I will explore these lands, familiarize myself with the people."

Layla reached up and scratched her head a little. "I did?" She thought about it. What had she done to impress him so? Whatever it was, she suddenly felt proud of herself. "Most people arre frriendly," she offered. "Kelay and Cenrril arre rreally nice places. Rrynvale... Is not so much. The Empirre has taken it." As she speaks, she ticks off the thoughts on her hands, as if counting the bits of information she is giving him. "Anything West of the mines is to be taken serriously, as therre arre lots of bad things arround there. Oh! And the Blood Fountain on the way to the Hanging Corrpse! Be carreful that you don't fall in! It's awfully messy."

Bastrien cocks his head to the side again, then lets loose a high-pitched, though not unpleasant, laugh. "How informative!" He reaches out his hand to the feline, offering it as the age-old gesture of friendship.

Layla grimaces at first, her acute hearing producing his laugh louder in her ears. But when the noise passes, she smiles and puts her own hand into his. "It's harrd to forrget these things when yourr tutorr is always quizzing you." She lets go of his hand after an appropriate amount of time. Fidgeting once more, she looks over her shoulder once, ears twitching. "If you arre going to Kelay, I can not accompany you." Cute, the child assumes she is to be invited along. Though, that's how most children are.

Bastrien grins apologetically for his outburst. "I am going to Kelay, my dear. And as much as I would enjoy your company, I think this is a trip I must undertake alone. I don't wish to burden your free mind with my sorrows. Thank you again for showing me such kindness."

Layla nodded at him. "It was no prroblem." She again looked back to Kelay. Was that the person she had run off on? Perhaps, but they had turned down a side street. She was safe for now. "Arre you headed therre dirrectly?"

Bastrien nods back. "Yes. I think I will visit the Tavern there, rest a while. It has been a very....taxing day."

Layla smiled. "The taverrn is always good forr converrsation. Usually lots of people arround."

Bastrien unfurls his wings, streching the perigrine patterned limbs, preparing for flight. "I will keep my ears open. Take care of yourself Layla, and if you're even in need of my assistance, I will offer all I can. And," he adds with a wink, "stay out of trouble."

Bastrien spreads his wings, then folds them back down. "You know," he says with a glance at the sunny sky. "I think I'll walk."