The Perfect Party Guest (Destyn)

[Korvaelis]

Korvaelis Dahshida

Korvaelis just simply shook his head at Destyn’s apology, he didn’t think it was that big of a deal and would rather move on.

What was he? The young lord was sometimes ashamed to admit that he didn’t look that much into his own culture nor did he ever think much of it. People might’ve thought it was due in part to growing up in Zaichaer and how they looked down on anything but humans, however, it was truly his own family to blame for Korvaelis’ identity crisis. No one, not even his brother, acknowledged the mere fact that they were druskai and the only time Korvaelis could even acknowledge it was in the bathtub. Whenever he’d emerge himself in a full tub of water, he was somehow capable of breathing as if he were walking the land. He found it so fascinating, nonetheless, he did not ever think of exploring any Druskai information. “Truthfully, I cannot tell you anything. I wish I had the same background as you and I wish I knew my people. But...I haven’t met many outside my own family. Plus, I am only half-Druskai.” A sigh slipped from his lips as he looked toward the pretty pond.

“That is interesting! I did not know there were so many. And clans? There are other families aside from your own!” It seemed to make him the most excited. Deep down inside, Korvaelis valued family and he was often envious of other people with their own loving families. “I would love to see it right alongside you. I too was born in Karnor. I have never seen an ocean.” He frowned at his companion. “I’m sorry I cannot tell you much. About my people or the ocean, I mean. All I know so far involves this city and maybe the one I was born in, but that information is very vague as well.” Korvaelis bit his lip as silence would follow. “I don’t mean to intrude, but what happened to your clan? How did you come to Kalzasi?”

“That’s okay. Kalzasi society is probably more than you can take in. It’s more than any outsider can take in...including myself!” He playful nudge the guy’s arm. It was pretty weird, it probably felt strange for Destyn as weird since he didn’t know how to do it without appearing slightly odd himself. “I’ll call you Destyn. Don’t worry.”

“And if you find my name to be pretty, call me by my name. I too enjoy my name. I believe...my mother put a lot of effort into it…”

20 of Searing, 121

[Destyn]

The Perfect Party Guest

20 Searing, 121

The answer to Destyn's query about Korvaelis' heritage yielded meagre results, but the Fae's response was less of disappointment and more of concern and sympathy. While he didn't know what it was like to be ignorant of his heritage, he did know what it was like to feel like an outsider- to be the only one in a room.

"I suppose that makes sense..." Destyn conjectured, "...being as we are so far from the coast." So far that, in all of Destyn's vasty realm of travel, he'd never even seen it himself. When the sigh of the half-Druskai gave way to enthusiasm about Destyn's own people, his shoulders unslumped and he sat upright and attentive again.

"Most of us are, I think, not in these realms. I do not know how many tread the soils and swim the seas of Ransera, but I have known few Fae outside of my clan. Mostly I have heard tales from the elders and the Lorekeeper. My kin were subjects of what is called the 'Summer Court'. The other Courts are, I believe, less social with outsiders." And his clan wasn't particularly social either so that was saying something.

His expression darkened and his eyes turned away at the inevitable question that plagued him- What happened to his clan?

"Ah..." He stared gravely at the fountain before them and drew his hands to his chest, where both sets of digits fidgeted with the worrystone that hung there from a string about his slender neck.

"That is the question I came here to hide from." He sighed ponderously, "I will answer. But briefly." He steeled himself and returned his gaze to meet Korvaelis', "In our travels to the South, I was sent to trade with a village. A sad, grey place populated only by humans who worship at the altar of the fell god Industry. When I was there, I gave offence and they came after me. Ambushed my clan. Only I survived, I am..." His eyes glistened with woe, "...the last."

He clenched his eyes shut and focused for a long moment upon the soothing music of the garden, and the gentle trickling of the fountain's waters. After a beat, he opened his eyes and contrived a faint smile.

"Does your name bear meaning?" The mention of his mother's efforts made Destyn curious and he was more than happy to turn the subject away from his tragedies.

The Perfect Party Guest

[Korvaelis]

Korvaelis Dahshida

Korvaelis turned his head slightly to the side as he mentioned that most of his kind do not exist in the realm--as if they are some sort of mystical creature or fairytale people only heard when they were children. “Are you gods or demigods? How come many do not exist within this realm?” When he mentioned that he had not seen many outside his clan, it made him wonder if there was something special about him particularly or his people. Are these particular fae few alive in the realm?

“What is a Summer Court? Is it similar to Kalzasi’s own?”

He opened his mouth to pester him about his clan since he seemed so open about it so far, however, the fae’s face had grown so grim. So...serious that he immediately shut his mouth and sat back more on his seat.

Korvaelis’ eyes fell to the floor as he spoke about his clan. Guilt took over the druskai’s body, he felt he had forced the poor man to speak on his experience and the tragedy that struck his people. The lord could not relate to the story since he hadn’t experienced an event so sad. He couldn’t imagine what it’s like to lose your people--your entire world in such a short time. All he could do is place a hand on the man’s shoulder and pat it slowly.

“I don’t know what to say aside from the obvious. I am sorry to hear about the passing of your clan. Your survival isn’t sheer luck though. I think...you were chosen to carry on your clan’s legacy. Grieve their death, but do not let it be in vain. Do not hide from it, speak proudly of your clan. I’m sure they would enjoy it.”

Korvaelis too heard the music and he almost laughed. The song was a tune belonging to a ballad, a beautiful tune that he butchered many times on the piano when his eldest brother thought it would be a great idea for him to take up some sort of hobby and lessons in music. What kept him from laughing was the state of the fae in front of him. Instead, he had a better idea.

“Would you like to dance?” Korvaelis stood and held a hand out to his friend. “I’m not the best dancer, but this is a party, no?”

He began swaying a bit to the music as he thought of the next question. The lord liked to think his name had meaning, he just couldn’t think of it at the moment. “My mother’s nurse spoke of my grandmother from time to time...our names sound similar. I do not know whether or not my mother loved her mother and that’s why she gave me a similar name. But I’d like to think so?”

20 of Searing, 121

[Destyn]

The Perfect Party Guest

20 Searing, 121

Destyn tilted his head, considering. In his travels he'd met many outsiders to his clan, and he'd found that knowledge of the Fae'ethalan in these areas was sparse, at best. He'd met a few people with an intimate knowledge of their history, but mostly Elves. This made sense, given their connection to the Elven peoples of Ransera. It didn't really surprise Destyn that this half-Druskai knew as little of the Fae as Destyn knew of the Druskai.

"We are not gods, nor demi-gods but rather we hail from another realm of existence. Our ancestors were of Ransera, but they journeyed through ancient Rift Gates into the Everwilds. Once they were Elves, but over time they were changed by the magics of that realm. My ancestors were drawn back to Ransera during the Sundering and we have been trapped here ever since." He shrugged slightly,

"I know little enough of Kalzasern politics, to be candid, and not much of the Fae'ethalan Court of Summer, for our liege lord remains abroad of Ransera in the Everwilds. I wish I could tell you more, but without many members of the other courts to contrast with, I can only tell you that I was born a child of Summer."

He twitched slightly- startled by Korvaelis' touch, but he softened upon realising it was just a gesture of consolation.

"Thank you..." He replied to the sympathies with a solemn nod, "I will commune with them again in due course." And it sounded like a pledge when he said so.

"You would fain dance with me?" Destyn blinked at the invitation. "I... do not ken your courtly dances, but I am not without rhythm if you would care to teach me." There was, of course, dancing amongst his people albeit nothing like he'd seen in the ballroom here. It had seemed so practised and polished and not particularly heartfelt. Like so many things he'd found in the city- An artifice. He started to get up and winced at the sudden sting. Caught up with Korvaelis, he seemed to have forgotten...

"There is also the matter of my leg..." He frowned and gestured to the bandaged, splinted shin. "I was wounded in the battle to the South. Shot." He explained, apologetically.

The Perfect Party Guest

[Korvaelis]

Korvaelis Dahshida

Everything stated by Destyn seemed completely foreign to the young man. His knowledge of the Sundering was vague and made up of what little he learned from Zaichaer, which spoke more of the hate they had for everyone else when the incident occured. He had no idea magic could do such a thing to people, let alone an entire group of people--the new appearance and all. He couldn’t imagine not looking like himself after tapping into it for so long. The druskai considered himself intrigued about this Rift Gate and the Everwild, but he considered how overwhelming it must be to answer so many questions.

Instead, he nodded.

“That is a very rich background. I did not know such people existed outside of this plane. It kind of makes you wonder...who else exists aside from us?” The question was rhetorical, followed by a finger placed on his own lips. He wasn’t the kind of person that lingered on a subject or harped on it too much, but he was curious to know if other worlds existed with other people and if magic allowed traveling and intermingling between these different worlds.

“These Everwilds must be an ultimate goal for most of your kind. If your liege is there, then I’m sure many families and clans connected to you are there...too.” Korvaelis grew quiet, his eyes widening as he realized what he had just said to this man, a grieving one who had lost those he cared about the most. It was a mistake, a terrible one at that. “I mean, this Everwilds must be beautiful and interesting for such creatures like yourself to come out of it.”

The fae’s bum leg did not register in his mind. Korvaelis just felt the need to make Destyn feel better after forcing him to harp on his situation for too long. He was not all too great of a dancer either, but he thought the two could possibly sway to the music and talk about much more cheerful topics.

“It’s fine! You and I can sway to the music and think of happier thoughts.” Korvaelis’ hand remained stretched out. “I can also support you! You tower over me in height so consider me your resting post while we dance.”

20 of Searing, 121

[Destyn]

The Perfect Party Guest

20 Searing, 121

With a faint smile painting his full lips, Destyn nodded.

"It does sound rather grand when I say it out loud." He acknowledged, sounding a bit reluctant in so doing. If Korvaelis had made some manner of faux pas, it didn't seem to register in the expression nor the words of the young Fae.

"I believe there are those who have been able to cross between the realms, but my clan has not been so fortunate as to find a functional rift. We know the places where the veil is thinner, and so we spent our days traveling between these places all throughout the Northlands hoping that one day we might locate a breech, but alas... no such luck." He said, with a shrug of one slender shoulder.

He chuckled a bit at Korvaelis' insistence that he dance, despite his wounded leg.

"Very well." How could he help but concede to such a well-intentioned entreaty? Besides, the half-Druskai promised to help him manage his less than formidable weight. He accepted Korvaelis' hand and tried to keep his weight on his good leg as his new acquaintance helped him up from his seat. Once he was standing, he took note of the height disparity Korvaelis had mentioned and protested,

"It's only a few inches. I wouldn't say I tower..." But he giggled at the notion, and found himself rather charmed by the other man's intention of making him feel better. He'd been afforded kindnesses from several strangers since being cast to the wind by fate, but there was something particularly sweet about this one, in his mind.

He placed his hands on Korvaelis' shoulders, and leaned his weight against him.

"Is this all right?" He inquired, sounding like some marriage of apologetic and bashful. "I'll let you lead."

The Perfect Party Guest

[Korvaelis]

Korvaelis Dahshida

This man was teaching him so much and he’s never been so intrigued. The more he heard about the Fae, the more interesting he found his new companion. Korvaelis couldn’t help but look at him differently. That didn’t mean anything bad, he just found Destyn more admirable and it was all due to this intricate background of the fae. He was wrapped in culture and intrigue, a backstory that is most likely as interesting as it gets for a simpleton like himself. Zaichaer stripped him of any ancestral history that could back his existence just like Destyn and so he was somewhat envious of the man.

The blue-colored man had never carried anything heavier than himself. He wasn’t wealthy enough to completely avoid lifting a figure, however, he lived comfortably enough to avoid any hard labor. Destyn wasn’t heavier than him but he surely wasn’t light enough to sweep off the ground like a damsel in distress. The blonde did his best to hold his weight so that made it manageable for the lord. Korvaelis wrapped both hands around him, keeping his arms and hands on his upper back so that it was much easier to support him.

“It’s a few inches, yes, but you still look down on me.” Korvaelis giggled as he began to sway back and forth. “This is the first time I’ve ever danced.”

He was careful not to hurt Destyn, watching their feet the entire time they moved. To be perfectly honest, Korvaelis was somewhat bad. He could avoid Destyn’s good foot, nonetheless, there were too many close calls. “This is fine.” He answered before giggling again. “I didn’t even dance at my wedding. So you are very lucky to witness this monstrosity.” His eyes bounced from their feet to Destyn’s eyes.

“Your eyes…” He whispered, catching himself before saying anything stupid.

“Anyway, I think you’ll like it here. Kalzasi is lovely. And if you ever need a friend, I’m sure I can make some arrangements.”

20 of Searing, 121

[Destyn]

The Perfect Party Guest

20 Searing, 121

To Destyn, his own backstory was relatively bland up until the recent tragedy. The same subjects that seemed to awe his companion, were run-of-the-mill to him. It wasn't that he felt he'd had a boring or an unexamined life, but his own stories were perforce familiar ones. He was much more interested in learning about the lives of others who'd had vastly different experiences. One good thing about living in the city now was that he found no dearth of people with unfamiliar stories. Present company included.

Destyn straightened out his back, which caused his wings to unconsciously flex out slightly before falling once more to rest under the hand Korvaelis placed there. Destyn blinked at the half-Druskai's admission.

"Your first dance?" He repeated, wide-eyed. "I..." He stuttered slightly, taken aback, "I think that I am honoured to share it with you! I just assumed that someone like you would be familiar with all of the courtly steps..." Destyn did his best to keep his weight off of the wounded leg and, though he was not entirely successful, he did his best not to wince or cringe at the occasional stings that shot up from his foot.

"Ah yes..." Destyn forgot that Korvaelis had been married. The Fae had heard of the concept of weddings, but it was a relatively alien notion to him. Amongst his clan, there were those who gravitated toward one another, but it was not customary to make an event of it.

"What was it like?" He wondered aloud, "...your wedding?" He clarified. "I have never been to a wedding before. Is it customary to dance?" Based on Korvaelis' context clues, it seemed that it was, but Destyn could never rely upon his guesses when it came to the ways of these cityfolk and what they deemed 'common sense'.

Destyn knitted his brow, bemused at the mention of his eyes.

"Oh... Did they change colour? They usually do not do that unless I want them to. I apologise if I have startled you, Korvaelis." He pursed his lips, a vulnerable, apologetic expression darkening his soft features.

The Perfect Party Guest

[Korvaelis]

Korvaelis Dahshida

He understood the surprise, but the posh behavior is as far as he’ll go. Korvaelis had become so antisocial that even attending an event like this one was very new. He believed that putting on airs in public is the most he could do in public to establish his status. The druskai wasn’t acting a certain way to impress anyone in particular, but he believed carrying himself this way would most likely cover up or hide the other side of nobility he wasn’t participating in. He thought maybe people wouldn’t question whether or not he belonged.

“I wasn’t born into nobility of any sorts.” He looked off in the direction of the pond. “I had to learn many new skills. Dancing was one of those skills, but it’s a talent in my opinion. A talent I didn’t exactly hone.” He giggled. Korvaelis didn’t believe that nobility perfected every skill necessary for an outing, he did believe they were most likely better at it than he would ever be. “So I tried my hardest to avoid it. I guess I decided to dance so that I wouldn’t bore you with all my questions.”

That wasn’t exactly the truth, but he felt he was terrible at holding conversation. The subject was too touchy for him to continue too and he had no clue how to deflect it other than using the music cue to dance terribly and drum up another conversation that was much more interesting and not so personal.

“My wedding?” He echoed, doing his best to think about it. Korvaelis hardly had a say in it, the entire event was planned by the Dahshida family and he preferred it at the time. If it were up to him, he was afraid that his secret about his husband would show in that event alone. “The wedding was a beautiful ceremony and there should’ve been a dance to commemorate our loves…” he trailed off thinking about how much it made sense now, “that’s usually how it goes at some weddings. My dancing is terrible. I did not want to embarrass my husband in front of his friends and family. They all seemed to like me, but still. I would’ve been embarrassed too.”

He shook his head. Korvaelis did not exactly know how to describe what he had seen at that moment. “You just have very nice eyes and I did not notice it until now.” He looked down to avoid eye contact anymore too.

“I don’t remember you telling me what happened to your foot?”

20 of Searing, 121

[Destyn]

The Perfect Party Guest

20 Searing, 121

Destyn nodded, thoughtfully as he limped along in their little dance. If Korvaelis wasn't a good dancer, Destyn certainly didn't realise it. As far as he was concerned, Korvaelis' faltering might have been caused by the fact that he was helping Destyn not to put undue weight on the wounded leg. Moreover, he didn't know the ways of these folk, so perhaps it was just their fashion. He'd paid little enough attention to the dancing when he'd been in the ballroom, as he'd been busy being shown off until he had the chance to slip away.

"I do not really understand how it works... Your nobility." Destyn admitted, "But from what I have seen, you seem to display what is expected... Or at least I think so." Though, he was far from an expert, as he'd just admitted.

"I do not think your dancing is terrible... Are people very critical of such things? To my people, I think, dancing is about having fun and connecting with others in a different way. It is not a formal affair, it is, you know... Voluntary and... and people do not criticise others who dance differently or not as intricately." He tilted his head curiously at the compliment about his eyes.

"Do I?" He knitted his brow, "Well, that is nice to hear. Thank you!" He seemed genuinely taken aback, as if he was someone unaccustomed to having his appearance commented upon.

"My leg, actually. The foot is fine, but the leg..." He glanced down and grimaced, "I was shot by a human, whilst I fled the massacre that killed my clan. I made it to an airship carrying the prince, Talon, who brought me here to safety." He explained,

"I am sorry to darken the mood, but... That is the answer to your question." He offered in barely more than a whisper.

The Perfect Party Guest