RP:Skip to My Lugh

Part of the Larketian Fault Lines Arc

As you travel the road east of the sink hole you come to cobblestone paved road which stretches a ways to east before turning to the north. As you proceed northward you come to high iron fence, with an elaborate gate. the gate which is cracked open you are able to slip through and glance at the beautiful estate around you a seemingly vast acres of soft green grassy rolling hils and flower beds as well as many hedges. Coiled around a Fountain you can spot a very large anthromporphic Naga with python like features, of dark scales and neon green stripes running down his back. His red eyes make him look fierce at a distance, however as you draw closer you realize that these eyes are soft, and kind, and the scarf of red and white stripes around his neck seems to remove the fierceness. He smiles in your direction as he busy at his easle painting who knows what. Behind him the massive fountain blocks your view only breifly of Medium sized Mansion of five gables and six stories. Made of marble, brick and glass.

Valrae and a newly released Marcus find themselves strolling the length of the cobblestone road in search of a boy. Hanna's boy, Lugh, to be exact. In the madness that had followed her murder and the riots, the boy had been lost among the panicking crowd. This event, added with the amount of time that had passed without word, had left the witch community grieving for what they thought were two great losses. That was until one of them spotted an ad in the local paper. Eventually, the community closest to the late mother rallied and it was decided that Valrae and Marcus would be the ones to retrieve and look after him. As they neared, a nervousness seemed to settle into the large man beside her. Perhaps it was the even larger naga painting peacefully by the water, maybe the intimidatingly tended grounds that spoke of means beyond the man's own, or maybe it was just excitement for seeing the child of his love again. In any case, Val found herself introducing them both. "Excuse me, hi?" The woman tucks a curling strand of gold behind her ear and offers a smile. "Your gate was open... Ah, I'm Valrae and this is Marcus," She gestured to the man beside her and he offered a nod. "Not to impose but we were looking for someone to talk to about a boy?"

Aaken made an effort to move himself away from his easle. The towering 12' tall 14' long anthro naga,, slithered over to the group. "Your hear for Lugh?" Aaken made a motion with his hand. "I am typically not welcome in the house at least when my girlfriend's parents are home, they don't like naga that much." Still some distance from the door, "Are you his family?"

Valrae was far too interested in the artwork and supplies that Aaken was moving away from to be overly nervous in the presence of such a large naga. Plus, Marcus, while not as large as the naga and decidedly more human, was beside her and it made her feel relatively safe. Added to the fact that he seemed friendly and had excellent taste in scarves and that was good enough for her. The witch made a sympathetic sound as she listened and they follow, surely she understood prejudice. "We are, in a manner of speaking," She answered, when it was obvious Marcus wouldn't. He had wedged himself between her and Aaken as they moved toward the house, stone silent and watching cautiously with haunted eyes. Not that he had a particular hatred for naga, but the man was a body guard who had recently lost a loved one and would be damned before he took any more chances. "I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name?" The witch said, her voice cheery as she tried to make light conversation.

Aaken smiled. "It Aaken," He said with a smile. Turning back to them for a second, before seeing the door open, for a 5ft tall curvacous female Salamander of a lime green color to emerge. "Hey, Aaken, who are they?" "Lemoni, these are Lugh's family." Lemoni nodded, she wore nothing which might have made it hard for some, but not for aaken, kindof an exoitc beauty with color, but the stil noticable traits shared by females of many species, and particular large traits, Her blue eyes looked at them before opening the door, "Just a word of caution, my family is a little crazy." Opening the door to a Large atrium that seemed to extend about 300' to another large door, on the left three large hallways went to west, and on the right four large hallways went to the east. All around sitting on couches or literal climbing on the walls or surfing down the bannister were salalmander jersher, some of them kids others teens, and only two three young adults in the center were near formed salamander hatchlings swimming in an aquarium, behind them lay a large stair which connect to other stairs all the way up to the 5th floor the 6th floor out of sight. Aaken would turn his head trying to figure out where everyone is, "Lemoni has a lot brothers and sisters, how many did you say again Lemoni?" Lemoni was seated by the stairs her jaws open wide to recieve two children sliding down the bannister right into her throat with a swallow her stomach bulgeing to accomodate them. She smiled an opened her jaws to see both of the kids smiling and soon crawling out and letting them drop onto the couch. High above them crawling on the ceiling were others as well a male one was reading a book on the ceiling while to others were playing chess. "I have 72 brothers and sisters Aaken." Aaken laughed genuinely "silly me, I am sorry right this way up the stairs." he said slithering up them. When they followed they would enter a large hall with many doors and even more of Lemoni's brothers and sisters, like lemoni and those downstairs none wore clothing, maybe it was simplier or maybe they didn't care. "he's right in here." Lemoni said opening a door in the middle of the hall. The room would have been open with a large glass window facing south if it was not for the amount of pillows that made up the room, Obviously a child fort of some kind. Lugh sat with a salamander female about his age, she holding him, as he watched a the memory of his mother on a glass pane Aaken had made for him. "Aaken made that for him so he can always remember his mother, visually and all the memories he had of her, before she passed on." Lemoni said being quiet. Aaken had to lower his head to enter the room. "Nia, has been the only person he talks to since he came here."

Valrae smiled back at Aaken. "It's so nice to meet you!" And she found herself repeating those words as she was introduced to Lemoni. Her scholarly and curious mind was again far too fascinated to be very frightened or uncomfortable. In fact, if they hadn't come for a pretty somber reason, she would peppering both Lemoni and Aaken with all manner of questions. "72!" Val exclaimed, "That's fascinating!" Marcus was obviously uncomfortable, almost painfully so, but he soldiered on and kept his mouth shut. Admittedly, he did make a panicked noise when the Salamander woman swallowed the young-lings. He seemed embarrassed enough when they came out fine. They followed up the stairs, Valrae hungrily taking in all the unfamiliar sights she was able too and Marcus trying to do the exact opposite of that. They finally came to the room Lugh was being kept and a relief, along with bitter sadness, seemed to permeate the pair. While the man took a step forward and called out to the boy, Valrae stood behind and spoke to Lemoni and in the same hushed tone. "We really cannot thank you enough for all you've done. I couldn't, and wouldn't want to imagine what might have happened if he'd been left on his own or found by someone who... Shared the anti-witch sentiment that seems to be everywhere in Larket now."

Aaken nodded, he understood prejudice for than most, even from his own people, he was very different, abilities he had his artistic talent, all things considered not very naga. Lemoni smiled putting out her hand to hold the woman's. "You know we have no problem with witches, at least 7 of my sisters are in the practice, and two of my brothers are studying into fire manipulation, its all good." she smiled, watching aaken slither over to the Lugh, she said, "You know besides Nia right there, whom Lugh looks onto as a sister and close friend, by this point, Aaken's been everything to that boy, he told him of his time in the barracks and how he was taken from his mother, and how he hasn't ever seen her again, but just like Lugh's mom his mom told him, 'when you lose your home, you find another, because like every baby bird a mother bird lays, has to leave the nest, and make a nest for their own, in a way they never leave us, but they never hinder us'" aaken meanwhile put his hand on Lugh's shoulder, "Hey, so um do you know this man?" he asked pointing to Marcus. Nia sat close by her hand on lugh's hand. she was Black skinned salamander female roughly Lugh's age. She had a purple back, but unlike her brothers and sisters she wore a red t-shirt and black shorts.

Valrae smiled at Lemoni. "Always happy to hear of fellow craft sisters! They should consider joining the community, I was a solitary witch for most of my life before Larket but they have excellent opportunities here." The conversation turned back to Lugh. "That's quite a lovely way of looking at things," She says, "I've never quite heard of that before. Again, it was such a miracle that he found his way here. It could have been so much worse for him... Hanna was an excellent mother." Marcus waits, palms sweating, as Lugh turns to look at him. "Lugh, I've come to take you home," The man starts. The boy's face scrunches with anger, tears forming in his eyes, and he clutches the magical memories of his mother tightly. "There is no home!" He says defiantly, instead of answering him or Aaken. Marcus's own face twists with grief. "Lugh, I know things wont be the same with out your ma but... I can't leave you here buddy. We're supposed to look out for each other, remember?" Valrae watches on silently, unsure of the situation and what her role might be.

Aaken coiled around the bed, Offering a spot his coils which Nia, nudged Lugh to sit on. "Lugh, I know a home is where the heart is, and I know loss, what you saw was, very similar to what happened to my sister." Lemoni paused, this was clearly something she hadn't heard about. "I was about your age when it happened, she was being trained to be a mage, just like when you hung out with Cameron, yesterday, well in a duel I was invited to see, her teammates turned on her and... she was burned burned beyond repair,, she meant the world to me, but as she lay dying she told me, that I need to go on, I need to find a new home, a new kin, and like both our like my sister and your mother once said, "We make our own home, and that home is in our heart and our memories." Aaken held the kid as he cried for a second, tears down both of their faces. But, when Lugh, arose he seemed to be at peace. "Lugh, I have a gift for you and your father, its nothing to quench your loss, but it helped me to bear with the loss of my sister. Aaken felt with his mind for a memory that both of them shared, and then focusing on a jewel a crystal he made it glow white with energy, and then tired but with smile he held it into the light, and the memory no longer on glass formed, It was Hanah, she felt them as she held them, it felt like she was there, for a moment, holding them, in her arms, and then she took a step back and smiled and waved, and vanished. Taking the gem, he placed in Lugh's trembling hands. "For every rainy day, there is rainbow in the morning." Lemoni was shedding some tears near Valrae.

Valrae and Marcus watched on as Aaken comforted Lugh, both feeling their own twisted knots of sadness and anger. A happy sigh escaped the witch when it seemed Lugh had been comforted enough to make the journey home with him. Marucs seemed to shift uncomfortably as Aaken offered a gift, unsure of how he should respond and feeling overwhelmed. Lugh didn't seem as troubled with it, instead happy to hear one of his most favorite people had something nice to give him. Valrae had spilled her own tears with Lemoni as she watched on. Hanna, or the magical incarnation of her, had seemed so real and wonderful. Marcus was stunned, even as she wrapped him and the boy in her arms, and was sure he could smell the familiar scent of vanilla and sandalwood she'd always worn. Lugh clung to between them and cried. When the moment was gone, Valrae moved to clean the boys snot and tear stained face, with the helm of her dress because she had nothing better to do so with. Marcus collected himself while the witch hugged and reassured the child, his face fixed back into seriousness. Suddenly a trio, they collected the boy's things and said their goodbyes. Lugh made both Valrae and Marcus promise to let him visit frequently, as it was his new favorite place, and they assured him they would. Soon enough, they found themselves walking down the long cobblestone drive as Lugh filled the silence with stories of his friends.