Legend of Ransera

She laughed at his fumble, though there wasn't a hint of malice in it. At his movement's implied invitation, she perched at the edge of his bed. Unless she sprawled over it, she wasn't going to take up much room. The ice cream she handed him was white, but one could smell the mint coming off of it.

"The place is fancy so all the flavors are a bit complicated. Yours has spearmint, but it also has a bit of tea to it. If you don't like it, you can have mine: pistachio." Hers was also off-white, but the nuts were visible, as well, the only real difference between theirs unless one had an artist's eye and could name different shades of white.

Once her hand was free, she made a little gesture and the water rose into the air. After a moment to wick it all up into one nebulous shape, then, with a flick of her wrist, she sent it streaming back into his cup.

"That's better." He seemed to her semblance to have remained much the same in her absence; the seepage had slowed, though she didn't know if it would stop. That was for more practiced healers to attend to. "Anyway, if you like it, I can bring more tomorrow. I won't be doing rounds, but I will be nearby at my studies." There were some nerves in her at the thought of assisting in an autopsy, but she couldn't quite put her finger on the why of it all. The thought of bringing a smile to someone's face by delivering something as simple as ice cream right before might make her feel a bit more capable. She wasn't squeamish about blood, so perhaps it was a normal atavistic fear of the dead. But that didn't seem right either. She had treated with ghosts after all.

He didn't seem thrilled by the mint, but then he remarked upon her rune. She nodded.

"I've Semblance and Elementalism, and I'm learning several of the world magics, as well. My brother surpasses me with Elementalism, perhaps because Air chose him quickly. Wings, you know?" She smiled. She couldn't be jealous of him, exactly, but she did want to ask the Masked Queen why women weren't allowed wings. It seemed an unfair and unwise decision, but then she didn't know the minds of the Gods. "I suppose I might seek another Rune once I have achieved a certain level of mastery with what I have. Negation seems honorable; the ability to protect. Only Affliction seems immoral to me, though Animus might be as well—if the grafting of animal aether onto one's own harms the animal, I mean."

Kala paused when he sampled his ice cream. He definitely didn't like it. Reviewing what he had said, she realized she had made a mistake.

"Oh, no... you said you didn't like mint! I misremembered entirely. Forgive me. Here, please. Let's switch. I haven't even tasted mine and I know I do like mint tea."

She held out hers and an open hand to trade if he would be so kind. Kala always tried to be thoughtful, and it was distressing to have made a mistake. If he let her rectify it, she would be much happier.

"I certainly shan't make that mistake again tomorrow."

Again, she laughed, but she took a small bite of the pistachio ice cream before completing the trade.

"And if that one doesn't please you, I'll figure something out on the morrow." Her smile was untroubled now.

"But I've certainly considered Animus all the same," she said, returning to the topic of runes. "At the very least, I would feel more comfortable if I could give myself wings. I don't know how it is for other Avialae women, but I grew up with a twin. We are core-bonded and have been since the womb, and it always felt wrong that I couldn't fly with him." A live multiple birth was rare among their kind, and an in utero core bond even rarer. Kala and Kaus were strange. Perhaps that was why she had no trouble connecting with Baudric, who was a fish out of water in Kalzasi.

"I also used to wish I would be the one to recover Dreamsailing, but I suppose many children have. These days I try to make the world a better place rather than wish for pleasant dreams, though they do help." She let her chatter subside, curious to know more of Baudric and his thoughts. It was a rare opportunity to spend time with a Kathar Avialae of the Imperium; tales were told, but she would rather know a real person. There was so much talk about the possibility of war with Zaichaer, and she wished she had the opportunity to meet more Zaichaeri citizens like Carina.

Perhaps it was the governments that were at odds and not the people, though stories could easily become considered truth. That was as dangerous as wilful propaganda.

The ignorance of his question gave her pause. In that pause, she realized it was a cultural difference rather than rudeness on his part. In Kalzasi, the Avialae were the ruling class; in the Imperium, they were slaves. But she didn't know how to educate him as to their differences without running up against what he held to be true. This, then, would be a trial of diplomacy. Perhaps they would offer each other a note of cognitive dissonance. Already, she felt it unfair that only an Avialae man could rule in Kalzasi, but that was an unpopular opinion among her people.

She sighed sadly.

"Bonds can be broken. The deeper the bond, the deeper the wound it leaves behind. If my bond with my brother was broken, he would likely die from grief. I... I likely would as well, though it is said the pain is worse for the one with wings. The Bond developed to protect us from the Hellmaw's influence, or so the lore says. Forgive my ignorance... but I think your collar binds you to the Obelisk? Perhaps it is just a different way to make that connection that is a part of the Avialae.

"But, as you said, I have never known life without it. I believe that we did choose it. Our souls if not our minds. I always know what he is feeling and we can speak our minds silently to each other. We both have our purposes in life, I think, but without him, I would lose my sense of direction." It was difficult to articulate a thing that she knew in her bones. Many erroneously assumed there was some romantic or sexual aspect to it, but really, she felt as though in some ways they were one person in two bodies with two personalities. They were partly separate, but never fully alone.

"I hope they recognize your loyalty and take you back into their fold."

A part of her hoped he would stay and adopt the Synnekar ways, but she knew that might be cursing him to a life of never fitting in.

"Well, it is a magic rock," she allowed with a smile, hoping her lightheartedness wouldn't be read as blasphemy or disrespect.

"Oh, no," she said. "I am not upset, merely meditating upon our differences, I suppose." She took a bite of her ice cream and then quickly did a little damage control before any of it melted onto her hand. "I am sometimes a slow eater. But I have always enjoyed ice cream most when the weather is cold. Isn't that strange?"

She did end up staying for a while, finishing her ice cream without losing a drop to melt. The conversation stayed mostly on the surface from then on, both of them attempting not to upset the other. It was a sort of a dance. In the end, she was shooed out by a nurse who claimed he needed his rest, which was true. He also needed his supper, which was true. She said she hoped she hadn't ruined his appetite, though that was a joke, of course. A man his size could put away more than an ice cream cone in short order.

When she left, she stopped by the creamery and placed an order for the morrow. She would pick up a sampler to bring to the Tranquil Gardens with her, leaving it with the nurses to dole out a different flavor with each of his meals.

He deserved something to look forward to during his recuperation, and she hoped that observing the autopsy wouldn't put her out of sorts so she could visit with him again afterward.