[Closed] Of Sleep and Soothsayers
Posted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 12:43 am
Over Dark Sands
some unfortunate hour on the 16th of Achtus, 2719
Maybe it was a comfortable benefit to have selected a shared sleeping cabin nestled just close enough to the airship's engines that the hum of them carried through the walls in some primal, relaxing fashion. Then again, maybe it wasn't exactly an extremely prudent idea to have chosen a shared sleeping cabin for the three of them simply from a personal logistics perspective—there were quite a few awkward realizations to cramming three different people into a small bunk-filled room, no matter how quaint the little side tables and small curtained circle of a window might have been. Thankfully, there wasn't an unexpected fourth guest, Ezre having assured their illusion of privacy with his choice of ticket purchases, but that didn't necessarily make everything entirely less awkward.
Two students, free of their long year of education, free from supervision, and free from social expectation had a habit of talking too long, especially considering one of them was Lilanee Kuleda and the young Guide seemed unwilling to resist entertaining any of her questions or conversation topics. What seemed like frivolity on the otherwise stoic Hoxian's part was a generous endurance, Ezre aware that arrival in his homeland would be a culture shock for the Hessean and aware of the immediate cultural requirements that would soon be placed upon himself and his own behavioral choices. He gave the young woman her opportunity of expression and perhaps selfishly enjoyed his own—within the comfortable limitations of his well-honed rhakor, of course—all because he knew what to expect. He knew what would change in a matter of days, and this in-between time of leaving Anaxas behind before entering Hox was a restful gift.
Mostly.
He did take the time to lay out his warnings, his guidelines, tangling it all in his language lessons, but he also allowed himself the distraction of the company he'd invited when he wasn't sneaking in a nap or tucking in a snack. He genuinely enjoyed both the raen and the Hessean, and while he was aware of their often extreme differences, it was difficult to dwell on them after their shared experiences, shared consciousnesses, and shared strangenesses.
Sure, the first evening had perhaps been a small, embarrassing disaster of whispered conversation between Ezre and Lilanee that carried on far later than it should have, that dissolved into chagrined giggles, and that finally ended in a very noisy, very ridiculous escape from the small bunked room to some less occupied, more secretive corner of the small but fashionably designed airship so as to not keep the not-Incumbent awake or further annoyed by their youthful shenanigans. And again, the pair also had to return to actually sleep, so, well, that was just another lesson learned.
Everyone thankfully made decidedly better choices the next evening, and while there was still quite a bit of whispering, sleep was far easier the second night of their journey once the initial giddiness of traveling had settled, just a little, and a long day of watching the shifting desert of Mugroba pass below them. Maybe there'd been a few excess whispers, but, eventually silence fell in the small, cramped sleeper cabin with its somewhat narrow bunks and stiff, carefully pressed sheets.
It was an odd sort of sensation to be reached for through scrying when asleep, though perhaps at this point to one Hexxos Guide, it wasn't so unfamiliar anymore, even if that truth was based on very different experiences and very different states of consciousness.
Ezre.
Just a few more minutes—
—no, child. This cannot wait.
"Umah."
The Hoxian stirred, dark eyes snapping open in the dark room, speaking too loudly and fumbling for his collection of seerstones he kept, half-awake, grasping at the sudden connection that was like cold water poured through his skull in urgency, the weight of his mother's presence settling firmly into his well-defined vestibule with all the force of someone in a hurry,
"One moment, please."
Grumbled the younger thing, rolling from the cozy little bunk with all the grace of someone who'd much rather still be asleep, distracted in the effort he put forth in concentrating on finding his mental footing in Lreya's mind. Still for a moment, he pressed his forehead against the tousled covers now tossed over the side of the bunk, Monite spoken as quietly as possible, Clairvoyant field ebbing and flowing etheric as he strengthened their scried connection with a spell of his own. Then, carefully, he tried to navigate his way through the small room in the dark. He was noisy, bumping into things, smashing a shin against that annoyingly cute side table with a hiss, and fumbling for the door to slip out into the hall, making every effort to close it quietly and totally failing miserably,
Was there an issue, child?
"No. Not of the sort you are implying, mother." It was impossible to hide anything, though Ezre was perhaps grateful that no one—no one at this hour even in the space between cabins of sleeping galdori—could see the blush that heated his cheeks. Inked fingers curled into loose, long hair, shoving it all from his face even though he closed his eyes, consonant-heavy Deftung strangely more harsh when whispered, "Instead, there is a problem with travel?"
Yes. The weather, of course. Tuhir will make it to Frecks safely, but you will have to make a decision on the return route to Kzecka with your guests.
"I will pray for wisdom. You are concerned about the ability of my friends to endure the alternative passage should the weather continue to be foul upon our arrival This could not be predicted, and yet, I should have known.."
They are not used to the altitude, let alone the temperatures. You are responsible for their safety.
"I understand." A hint of indignant discomfort crept between the ley channel, filtering from the young Guide's latibule, seeping into their shared space. Estuan, muddied in his concern and still too loud for the hall left his tattooed lips before he caught himself, frowning. He was aware of his duties, his choices, and yet he worried it had been doubt he felt in his mother's words, "What are your suggested routes. Do we have options?"