Clearing the Scales

Log Info

• Title: Clearing the Scales
• Emitter: Eztli
• Characters: Eztli, Skielstregar
• Place: Fernwood Pub
• Time: June 29th, 2022
• Summary: Skielstregar and Eztli run into each other at the Fernwood for a lunch and late breakfast (respectively). They clear the air on some things that have been plaguing the other, as well as share a bit about their past. Skiel offers some advice for Eztli to help deal with daily life, as well as something to work on.

Fernwood Pub, early afternoon.

It was a pleasant day in the city, all things considered. Any with little of note going on tended to be these days. That being said, such a bright and sunny day meant the pub was relatively empty at this hour, as may were out by the river or getting work done while it held up.

Eztli was busy getting sleeping done, but there was only so much time you could rest for. She was a bit confused for a moment, but it passed, and she found her way downstairs, walking to find a table near the fire where she could sit down, where she picked up a menu with one hand, and rubbed the bridge of her snout with the other.

The door opens.

Light bounces all around the inside of the pub like a wind chime made of mirrors. A lumbering figure with a creepy looking halberd stoops into the establishment, them pulling a cloak around them to cut off the light from being thrown absolutely everywhere. Skielstregar inhales deeply, him putting a hand on his back and streeeetching. He looks about, perks, then ambles carefully over to the small makari.

"Peace on your nessst, Eztli," he rumbles warmly, then chuckles. "You ssssleep well?"

Well, Skielstregar certainly does not have a subtle entrance, and Eztli turns to find the source of the light. She blinks, and squints, but the small makari quickly smiles back.

"It was a good sleep, really quite good." Eztli chuckles. "Peace on your nest, Skielstregar. And what about you? Though I doubt you just woke up yourself."

Skiel chuckles, him stealing two chairs and putting them together (with the backs to the side, so his tail could flop to the floor), before taking a seat. "That'sss good. Thisss one woke up sssome hoursss ago. But they think it wasss well."

His dead gaze flicks over the mixed-scale. He raises a hand to a passing tender, him asking for a pitch of water and some cups for them. "You ssseem more relaxed. Did your wordsss- er, talk with Ssshaman Un'eth go well?"

"Think? You can't remember? Must have definitely been a pleasant sleep in that case." Eztli chuckles again. "I was going to ask if you wanted to join, but this works."

The small makari raises one brow before she places her own order with the passing staff so she could get a belated breakfast.

"With Un'eyh? Yes, it went quite well, I would say. Un'eth carried me back here I think, since I don't remember coming back on my own."

Skiel rumbles a quiet laugh. "Thisss one ssupossess. They woke up early."

He himself gets something akin to lunch sorted as well. He crocks a brow. "Hmmm. Really? Thisss one isss surprised sssshe did not build sssomething under the bridge for you. Un'eth isss very... natural," he says, rolling a hand before rubbing his snout. "But that isss good to hear."

Eztli coughs into her hand, and nods. "Yes, she is very close to nature. It's a bit hard to het used to, but I admire her confidence. As for not staying outside, I'm sure she had her reasons."

"We spoke about a lot of things. And it put a lot on my mind. Nothing bad." She adds quickly. "I'd like to apologize again, for lying to you. It wasn't right of me to do that. I hope you can forgive me, and not just as a response you gelt to give before even processing it."

Skielstregar nods. "Yesss. Sssshe isss like that. Though makarai do not have the sssame perceptionsss about clothesss as sssoftskinsss. Mossst wear them to appease the sssoftskins." Says the man with a tunic under his armor.

"That isss good," he hums as a plate of various meats and vegetables is slid in front of him. Then, just as quick as the last response came, he repeats, "Thisss one forgivesss you." He gives her a firm look. "Thisss one doesss not ssay wordsss they do not mean. You protect yoursself with wordsss and magic. It isss fine."

He stabs a steak. "Though one doesss not sssimply walk out Charn if you are a makari. If you want to patch that hole in the ssstory..."

"No, it's not fine." Eztli huffs. "It's not fair to you, as someone who went through things like that, to pretend, no matter the reason. And it's just digging a hole with a betrayal of trust."

At least Eztli gets breakfast despite the hour. Mostly eggs, and sausages, with a small bit of buttered toast.

"The truth of it is, I thought it was convenient. I heard that Charn keeps a lot of sith-makar slaves, and I hoped it would be a good way to deter any questions. But it was a bad idea to begin with. I never was in Charn, Skielstregar."

Skielstregar sighs, him picking up the hunk of steak and easily chomping half of it off in a single bite. Chew, chew, gulp. "Ok. Then you've admitted it, we've essstablished the farce and recognized it, we forgive for the ssssin and move on. It doesss no good for thisss one to get angry and upssset over it."

He settles his gaze on her. "Trussst thisss one. They do not wisssh to be angry."

The shiny makari pauses for a drink, him listening before bobbing his head. "Thisss one surmissssed asss sssuch. Sssslavesss in Charn do not leave. Usually. Mossst.... well..."

He leans back some. "... perhapsss thisss one should share too. About sssome thingsss."

"And what about me? Maybe I need to acknowledge what I'm doing." Eztli huffs. "I'm glad you're not angry, but I need to get the thought out of my head."

The small makari half heartedly skewers a sausage. "If I want to feel comfortable with myself again, then fabricating a shell like that isn't going to help. You're right, slaves don't leave. At least most don't. You don't have to share anything if you don't want to though, it's not an obligation."

Skielstregar nods. "Yess, it iss important to know fault. Jusssst... do not dwell on it too much, they are not offended. Jussst know there are sssome refugeess from Charn in Mictlan that may think otherwissse."

He tilts his head to the side. "Again? Were the mixed scalesss a recent thing?" he asks off the cuff before looks down at his lap.

"No no, thiss one mussst inform you... they usssed to be a ssslave to Charn." A bit he says with a growl. "But not anymore. No."

He's quiet for a beat. Then. "Sssince you grew up with sssoftskinsss. What do you know of the Forgotten?"

Eztli takes a bite out of the eggs she had, and the small makari spends a long time chewing on them. More than was needed. "There might be, yeah. Which is why it was a wake up call I needed. So, it's as much a thank you, as it's an apology."

"The scales are a recent thing." She replies. "You did tell me you where, or you were from there, which would be reasonable to infer. As for, forgotten? I'm not sure. Are you talking about Kulthos? I know it's kind of a touchy subject for a lot of people, but I don't think it should be approached with so much hatred."

"Ssssometimes magic manifesstss, and it changesss you. Thisss one can understand assss such," Skiel murmurs before giving a light shrug. "Thiss one wass born in Am'shere. Home. Then was captured and taken to Charn."

He shakes his head. "No, not that. Kulthossss hasss nothing to do with it." A pause. He leans forward, speaking softly and quietly. "The People. The memories are important to usss. They live in our flesh and blood. The Forgotten are... twissted corruptions of the People. Makari. They once were. Either sssomething went wrong with the magic in them from our draconic ancestors. It isss so potent that if one'ss memoriess were... mixed."

He picks up his steak, then chomps on it. It oozes juices. "Like that, over time, repeatedly... you get mana-wrought monsterssss. That isss the Forgotten. They take on many formsss. Half formed wingsss. Ssscalesss that overlap and tarnish. Long fangssss and clawsss...."

He lets Eztli pick up the pieces.

Eztli blinks, and the small makari smacks her forehead once. "That wasn't clear, was it. I have, not always had mixed scales, but I always had the brass ones. What I lacked were the white scales, along with the tail, the horns, and, everything else."

Eztli sighs, and picks up another sausage, not bothering with a fork and just skewering it on a claw instead. "That, makes some sense at least. Even if I don't understand it completely."

"Mul'niessa have been known to eat their own kind." Eztli sighs, growing quiet. "It wouldn't surprise me if they did the same for their slaves, if for even less pleasant purposes."

Skielstregar tilts his head to the side. "... thisss one can get the hornsss, but no tail? Your wordsss are confusssing thisss one."

The man watches for a moment overlong. "It isss abhorrent in makari culture to do that. It ressultsss in Forgotten. We burn our dead."

"It would not sssurprisssse thisss one. Consssidering they... forced such a condition on ssssome."

He huffs. A gout of frozen air. "Thisss one will cut to the chassse, asss the ssssoftskinsss say. Thisss one died."

A pause.

"Then wasss brought back. Partially. It wasss interrupted, they think."

They put a hand to their face. "... to put it bluntly. Thisss one is undead. Partially. You have the right to know..." he mumbles quietly.

Eztli huffs, and reaches up to scratch one of her horns. "I was raised by softskins as you call them. My mother was a softskin, and my father."

The small makari snorts, but she stops to shake her head. "Sorry, that's not me laughing at you, or finding it weird. I'll cut to the chase as well. I was an elf. And I also, well, pretty sure I died too. And, I came back as a sith-makar. "

"I won't think of you any different, you've shown you're nice and kind, and I don't think you mean any harm. I figured there was something like that, anyways. You can think whatever you want of me though, but you deserve to know, too."

Skielstregar stares at her. Stares. Then chuffs. "It isss fine, family isss what you make it. It isss wissse of them to raissse you for ssso long. Thisss one hopesss the differencesss from you being scaled and them being sssoftskin wasssn't too difficult." He smiles. Lots of sharp teeth.

A blink. "Oh."

Pause.

He stares at his hands for a long, long moment. "... thisss one apologizesss. Their skull isss thick. That...." he trails off, only for it to come back a moment later, "... makessss a lot more sssense. Erm, have you sssspoken with Sssshaman Un'et-"

Smack. Facepalm. "Yesss, of courssse you have..."

He sighs in relief. "That isss... good. They know you are afraid of the undead so... they felt they were obligated to tell you. Don't worry, thisss one hass it under control."

He waves a dismissive hand. "Thisss one caresss little about form. Actionsss speak louder."

Eztli stops, and bonks her forehead into the table. It stays there for some time. "It was hard enough to be vague about." Eztli sighs. "I was worried I was going to have to get into the fact I wasn't hatched from an egg or something."

"I hope it makes sense why I'm so terrified of undead, then." She mumbles to the table, before she tries to sit up again. tries to, as her horns catch on the underside for a moment, and she needs to duck further down to free herself.

"Well, I'm not surprised you're accepting. But, I don't know. I want to be accepted, but I need to acknowledge that I'm not used to this. Actions speak louder, but you can't move a tailnif you don't have one."

Skielstregar can't help chuckle at the horns getting caught. "Mind them. The hornsss can get in the way sssome timesss. Just like the tail."

His gaze settles on her, taking Eztli in a different light. "Yesss, that isss why thisss one didn't usse their magicsss in front of you."

The man gives a sigh. "... it will take time to get usssed to your new ssskin. To accept you for the way you are. It isss... a want to wisssh thingssss could go back to the way they were. But thingsss have changed. And even thiss one... has had to deal with that."

The halberd drips.

"Thisss one isss unsure of what the Shaman sssaid, but othersss will accept you, regardless if you are used to thingsss or not."

"Yes, they can." The small makari grumbles. "Least I don't need to worry about dropping anything on my chest when I'm eating though."

"Appreciate it, though." She nods. "It should be alright, I don't want you to get hurt holding back or something. Just use your common sense."

"Un'eth said I could go back. I'm not sure though. I should get used to this, if I'm happy. And I haven't really given myself time or a chance to be, yet."

Skielstregar chuffs once. "Yesss. Thisss one hass been told it isss annoying."

He gives a slow nod. "Thisss one hasss learned when and when not to hold back," he moves a hand to and fro like he was showing a line. "They jussst wisssh for you to know, that if they do have to do that, for you to not to fear them."

A little sigh escapes the massive silver scale. "It isss up to you. Perhapsss in time, you can, but also, perhapsss thisss can be an opportunity to learn what it meansss to be truly you."

"Well, it could be annoying. But had it's benefits, too." Eztli sighs. "That's good though, I just wouldn't want you getting hurt while I'm around because you're worried about me or someone else getting scared or something. If Un'eth and the others trust you, I'm sure that I can, too."

"That's something complicated, though. I have to unlearn over a hundred years of this sort of thing, and relearn what it's like being something else." She replies with a small sigh, prodding at her tail once. "I don't know what it means to be myself though, or what you mean by that."

Skielstregar chomps down and finishes the last of his lunch, him moving on to skewering vegtables with his razor talons. "Well, thisss one isss... careful around thingsss for a reassson. Thisss one isss glad the Ssshaman trussssts thisss one."

He shakes his head. "It isss complicated, but you needn't unlearn, jusssst learn more."

He quiet for a beat. "... erm, thisss one... doesssn't know. It just sssounds like something Un'eth would say..." The massiev makari rubs his arm.

"I'm not sure what you mean about being careful around things, either. Everyone is, or should be a bit careful."

"Maybe it's just something I shouldn't press, really." Eztli shrugs. She ponders the words, and chuckles quietly. "You're like Nemori, talking about what Robert would expect her to say, just with Un'eth there. I'd hear what you mean, or I'd just go talk to Un'eth. But I kind of get what you mean, still. But also, I shouldn't react to someone using my old name, or feel like I need to cover up as much, there are things that just don't work now."

Skiel just stares at her. He raises a hand, lowers it underneath the table.

The whole table shifts a bit as the entire thing starts to lift up a few feet.

He gently places it back down. "That isss what thisss one means," he murmurs.

"Thisss one isss unaware of these people, but... they trussst the ssshaman'sss wordsss of wisssdom." He bobs his head a little. "Well... you do what you deem comfortable."

Eztli stops to blink at the table lifts up, and she scoots a bit back before it's set down to avoid getting caught. "Oh, that's what you mean. Just because you're strong doesn't mean you're clumsy, though." Eztli sighs. "Though it's a bit scary to think you could pick me up and walk off like it's nothing."

Eztli sighs and pulls her plate back to scrape off the last of the eggs onto the bit of toast that was left. "Really pretty Mul'niessa, but lot of work to well, work through. and Robert's just a cheerful old man who runs a smithy out in town. Un'eth's the wise and confident makari I told you about earlier."

"But it's not just about being comfortable, Skielstregar. Or I guess, what is and isn't changes."

"Yess, thisss one aware. That iss... what thiss one isss pointing out. They have to be aware of their ssstrength, ssso they are careful." Skielstregar shifts a bit and chuffs, looking off to the side. "Mossst are hard to work with," he grumble rumbles before staring at her. "... thisss one knowss who Un'eth isss. They were there with you..." he drags out, a bit confused, and a bit exasperated.

"All I'm saying is that strong people don't usually need to act differently, they just act how they normally would in a given situation." Eztli shrugs. "You know how to shake someone's hand, you'd have to intentionally try to crush someone in the process or something."

"That was a joke." Eztli sighs. "Not a really thought out one."

Skielstregar sighs, rubs his face, and shakes his head. "Yess. Thisss one underssstands. It jussst feelsss like you were talking in a circle with thisss one."

He waves dismissively. "No matter. Thisss one hasss forgotten what we are talking about."

"I tend to do that sometimes. When I'm either unsure if my point has gotten across, or I'm trying to focus on something else." Eztli shrugs. "We were talking about getting used to being a sith-makar, but nothing specific. That's what's on my mind, really."

"It confusesss thisss one," Skiel bluntly mentions before plucking the vegetables off one by one. "Regardlesss. Thisss one doess not know what elssse they can tell you to help you with thisss. But they can anssswer ssssome quesssstionsss about your form should you wisssh to know."

"Then I'll try not to reiterate." Eztli shrugs, and sighs. "I don't know. It's kind of hard to ask when I don't even know what I'm supposed to be asking or what I'm missing."

"I guess, what in the hells are you supposed to do about the _itching_?" She does manage to ask. "Every once in a while all the scales start flaking off and I feel like I want to take file them all off or something."

Skielstregar blinks, a cup of water held aloft in the air before he lets out a deep, rumbling laugh. "Ah, goodness. Sssorry, sssorry. Sssscales flake off over time and shed. Mud baths work well. The dirt and rocks help get rid of them," he answers honestly. "Then you can wasssh off like other sssoftskinsss. Don't be... ah, alarmed if you're misssing some ssscalesss. They'll come back."

"I wasn't sure what was going on the first time it happened, felt like someone covered my in paper or something." Eztli grumbles. "Mud baths, though? that sounds counter intuitice, though. Like, when you're already trying to get new scales, you'd make them dirty? Or is it the clay in them that scrubs them off? that'd make sense."

"So they can grow back too? I'll be mindful of that. Do they just not come back, sometimes?"

Skiel shakes his large head. "No. You are ssshedding. Dirt can be wassshed off. It getsss rid of the old ssskin and ssscale. You bathe again in clean water to be clean. To borrow sssoftskin termsss, you are effectively a lizzzard." The big lizard nods twice in his assertion. "A dragon lizard." Another nod.

He scratches at his chest over the breastplate. "Yess, ssscalesss grow back. Jusst like ssskin growss back. It can alssso ssscar and not grow back in that ssspot. We're not too dissimilar to sssoftskinsss like that."

"If you're a dragon lizard, then what does that make me?" Eztli asks with another chuckle. The breakfast had come with a large glass of milk thay was mostly poured down her mouth in one go. "Seriously, I'm kind of curious. Already had the scales and the claws, though, they're probably a bit less scary now, funnily enough. Lizard seems about right though, I guess. I'll pass on eating any insects for now, though."

"I had a few scars before, but those are gone. But that doesn't really count. Scales aren't completely solid, even if they feel like it sometimes."

Skielstregar blinks at her. Then states, "A dragon lizard. All makari are reflective of the dragonsss. No matter the form. Ssscalesss of a makari may-tell where their ancestors lay."

Another blink. A look to the side. ".. insectsss tassste good though..." He licks his chops with his blackened tongue.

He shakes his head. "No, no sssolid. Otherwissse, thisss one could never move and would break everything just by ssstanding on it."

"Yes, but, I was already a dragon-elf, or something like that." Eztli snorts. "Now, I don't know. I don't even know why I would have white scales now. If it's about where anscesters are, why wouldn't it just be all brass?"

The small makari shrugs and finishes off their drink. "If someone offers me some in town, I won't turn them down, I guess. Protein is protein, and I've noticed myself craving vegetables less these days. Which is, I don't know how much I should be eating, or what, and I still want to watch my figure."

"Yeah, they're still flexible. I just want to be careful since even if my feet can handle a stony road now, doesn't mean they can handle a monster bite or arrowhead."

Skiel rubs his snout. "Vegetablesss are ssstill important..." he grumbles, like he's repeating it from a scolding. But he chuckles. "Thisss one isss alwayssss eating. Heavy lifting needsss lotssss of food to keep going."

"Thisss one hass found the roadsss to be hard to walk. No dirt to grip on to-"

He blinks, then tilts his head all the way to the side. Like something finally clicked. "... wait. Dragon-elf? Explain?"

"They are, but I never felt like I needed to force myself to eat a salad before." Eztli sighs. "I should ask Un'eth what she eats, maybe she can help with the dietary side. I don't want to have come this far just to keel over from malnutrition or something."

. Eztli blinks, and nods. "Yes? Well, sort of, that's why I had to clarify myself when I was saying I always had scales. Well, the brass ones, they're not new. Or maybe I got some more after everything, but yeah."

"One of my great grabdparents probably shacked up with a dragon and I try not to think about it too much. Wasn't that uncommon, at least in Dragonier. My mother had them too actually. I hope she's alright somewhere."

She lets out a long sigh before continuing. "So, not completely unheard of. It's actually a big deal in Dragonier, but well, that's worth nothing nowadays."

Skielstregar listens attentively before his eyes widen and he sits straight up. "W-what? No that's- that'ssss ssstill a big deal within makari culture!" he manages to say, talking around his surprise. "Thisss one wasss not aware that the dragonsss were ssso engrained in Dragonier." A pause. He looks to his lap briefly. "... supossse that isss... in the name..."

He shakes his head, tampering his sudden excitement. "Ssso you've had your magicsss for some time. Maybe... there wasss ssome other dragon mixed in the passst? Far in the passst?"

A small sigh. "Thisss one thought they lossst their sssisster, ssso there may be hope."

The small makari rubbed their snout and shook their head. "It's not a big deal, really. Lot like nobility out here, it really doesn't matter who your parent's were, your own actions and impact matter more." Eztli sighs. "Not to say I'm not proud of myself though, at least to a degree."

"I guess you don't know that much about Dragonier, but yeah, it's in the name. Dragons were in charge there, before everything got destroyed. It was one of my great grandparents I think, but I don't know which. They disappeared a while ago, for whatever reason."

"I don't know if they're alive, but I'd just be happy if they were." Eztli mumbles. "I saw plenty of corpses on the way out of dragonier, and a lot of them were unrecognizeable. I had the stupid idea to look for them instead of teleporting out, and that didn't end up well."

Skielstregar chuffs, frosting the top of his water with it and downing the last of it. "That isss... interesting. Perhapsss there may be more in common with thossse from Dragonier and The People..." he rubs his chin. "Perhapsss something to asssk the Shamansss or Lore Keepers..."

He shakes his head. "It isss, hard, to leave sssometimesss. When you think ssstaying isss better..." he murmurs, looking aside before huffing. "Thisss one understands."

"Something to talk to them about, yes! I've heard your, keepers? They have a lot of old stories and knowledge. And, I don't think I'd like it all to be lost, for the place to be remembered just as some undead infested hellsscape."

Eztli sighs, and closes her eyes, resting her snout in one hand. "It wasn't a good idea to stay." She admits. "Felt right, but I didn't accomplish anything. But, I guess I'm still alive, so it could have gone worse."

Skielstregar gives a small nod, him looking down to the empty water pitcher. "Yesss, it iss... good. To ssstill be alive," he murmurs in understanding.

But, he perks up, running a hand over his head and smiling (as a makari does, like a softskin but with their head tilted down to hide their teeth). "Yess! Thisss one isss certain the lore keepersss would enjoy hearing what you have to sssay."

"It's something, yeah. Like not a complete failure." Eztli snorts. "Hells, with everything going on, need something to hold on to, no matter how small."

"Well, I'll have to go and talk to some of them, then." Eztli chuckles. "You seem happy that I'd do that. Is it just so you can hear more about my home from them later? You can just ask me about it yourself, you know."

"Ssssometimes it isss the sssmall thingsss that keep one going," Skiel muses. He blinks at Eztli, chuffs and shakes his head. "The People thrive on the memory of the passst. It iss why we have entire cassstesss for Lore Keepersss. Ssstories and memoriesss are important to ussss."

He thumbs his snout, rising to his feet. "But, thisss one can asssk about your home at a later day. It wasss a pleasure to talk with you, Eztli."

"And I'm already small, so it's easier to keep going then, Isn't it?" Eztli chuckles. "That does sound important. They used to have massive libraries in Dragonier, bigger than Alexandria even. I think some of them still are there, but not really reachable. I'm surprised there's a whole caste though, historians are usually an incredibly small subset out of, softskins? Still getting used to that term."

"Oh, another time then. I'd be okay talking about it more another time, I've got a lot to think about now, anyways." She offers with a small nod. "Thanks for talking, even if the subjects aren't all nice, it was still good to talk with you."

A quick, sharp laugh leaves the big lizard at that. "Hard to keep booksss in a jungle where water isss everywhere and everything issss damp. Besssidesss, we live long. Lesss need for booksss."

He thuds his chest twice. "Of courssse. If you need to share more wordsss, thisss one isss alwaysss able to ssspeak."

"Have a nicssse ressst of your morning," he chuckles, winks, then lumbers off to head back outside.

-End Scene-