View source for A calm before the storm

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2013/10/30
|Location=Mountainside
|Synopsis=Echo meets Vesper and Maira for the first time and tries out her new polymorphing toy on them.
|Cast of Characters=Maira, Vespa,  Echo
|pretty=yes
}}

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> Shortly after attending to some business in less rural area, it would appear Echo is alighting down here from her flight with a snap of her white wings, a final beat against the air as she smoothed her dress out. She took a moment to fix her hair too naturally, before raising a white-furred finger upwards and producing what appeared to be a multi-faceted crystal ball out of thin air, taking what appeared to be a kleenex out and breathing on it--wiping away what was apparently some sort of smudge before lenaing back with satisfaction. Clean.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> Maira is out for a walk. Yes, she walked out of the castle. Just look at all that walking out freely thing that she was doing! She supposes she really shouldn't be indignant. She knows how it all seems. It seems /crazy/. But if she could see that Mateus was different, surely someone else could as well? Thus her and Avira had come. While Avira was busy however, Maira had the escort of Vespa. Really as far as bodyguards go, one can't do much better than and battle maiden with a giant axe that she /talks/ to. That is pretty darn intimidating. <br /><br /> A walk would test her stamina, and surely the fresh air would do her health some good? Hopefully, it might also clear her thoughts. Maira had a lot on her mind--and when that happened, she was prone to stupid decisions in the eyes of some of the people she cared about most. <br /><br /> Then there was the fact that she hadn't seen nor heard from Perci in...what, weeks? That knowledge is eating away at her slowly and steadily. She needs answers. <br /><br /> With a sigh, Maira flops down on a rock, looking around the scenery before she turns to Vespa with a light smile. "Nice view, isn't it?" she asks.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yes, it is.", Vepsa said looking around as well. She took in a breath of the fresh moutain air. "Al thinks so too.", she says this looking at the overisde axe she carry aorund over her shoulder. She was staying close to Maira looking around once and a while for any possible dangers thought she doupted they would meet anyone in a seculed area like this. They might see a bear or a wolf possibly but she doupt they would try and attack the two of them. <br /><br /> "You doing allright Maira?", the maid say looking at her, she wasn't out of breath, she was used to this kind of exerise she was a bit worried Maira might not be.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>As the two would walk, it would be fortunate--or perhaps unfortunate? that they would run into the bat woman as she tested the crystal ball for what might be the first time, at least it looked like she was looking into it with some distant level of scrutiny. "Ah... lovely night for a walk, yes?" Echo exclaimed as the two young ladies drew closer, drawing her arms out with the crystal ball floating off to Echo's right side. "The air is cool and the wind is nice," she nodded again, taking a glance at the crystal ball again before looking back at the girls. "How do you do? I am called Echo," she explained with good natured cheeriness.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> In fact, she isn't. Maira has never really been hardy physically, but she's doing better than she thought she would at least. She has rested, now it is time to test herself a little. <br /><br /> Maira smiles to Vespa, nodding. "Out of breath, but I'm alright," she responds. Unless Vespa meant in a more general sense, but Maira doesn't really want to talk about that now. "It helps I think, being here. I hoped that it would. Now, I think its time to test my magic a bit," she responds, taking a deep breath in preparation. <br /><br /> Casting was always so natural, especially fire. Summoning the flame was as natural as breathing--which for a long time had been a problem. You're not generally conscious of breathing, but you really need to be conscious of setting things on fire. Since Vector? It has been more difficult. With concentration, Maira pulls up the magic, holding out her hand to let the grace her fingertips, dancing from one nail to another before it sheaths her hand like a glove, not burning her flesh. <br /><br /> At this, she smiles widely. "Its coming back..." she says, disbelief and excitement in her voice. <br /><br /> Its then, of course, that they come across Echo. The flames wink out and Maira nearly jumps. "Oh! H-hello! I didn't see you there...ah..yes, it is a nice night," she answers, taking in the bat wings. Her mouth forms a small o of pleasure and curiosity. "Oooh, you have wings! That's excellent. Wings are...just great..." she says, her momentary glee seeming to fade as quickly as it came. Wings remind her of a certain missing gargoyle.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa smiles seeing Maira produce some flames from her hand. "That's great!" Then she see the bat girl What was someone walking out her in the middle of nowhere? Vepsa looked her over sptting floating cystal ball, looked like she is a mage She gets into a defense postion her massive axe point toward Echo <br /><br />"I`m Vepsa. What are you doing in a place like this?"

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Indeed they are nice, though they are... well, they require exercise to maintain such a flight for long, you see--it is not as easy as one might think to bear themselves into the air," Echo grinned a little, showing ivory fangs, peering down a little as she thought about something. The bat lady's yellow eyes are then trained on the large axe pointed toward her. "Oh my, there is no need for such concern, I am simply enjoying the night air," she shook her head a little and raised her hands to show they were empty and non-threatening. The floating crystal ball continued to refracture light upon it's many surfaces quietly. "Would you indeed like to see what it is like to have wings, miss...?" she gestured toward Maira, smiling hesitantly as well to Vespa.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> "Its alright Vespa," she says, laying a gentle hand on her protective friend's shoulder. "She's not doing anything wrong," she adds. <br /><br /> "I'm Maira," she tells Echo, nodding her head in greeting. "Oh, I know it isn't easy. I um--I know others who have wings. I've flown with them before. There is little more fun than gliding through the air," she replies wistfully. <br /><br /> Maira then examines the crystal ball, tilting her head slightly. "What is that? It's beautiful," she asks. This, reminds her of Mateus--er, and the Goblin King, by default.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vepsa looks to Maira "Allright..", she lowered her axe, Echo seemed nice enough, She still quite trust her, yet. "Wings? eeh I'll have to pass I'll stick with walking...", her feet were meant to be on the ground and there going to stay there! She keeps close to Maira anyway letting the two talk.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ah, so you understand then," Echo nodded a little with some respect there, blinking a little as she looked over to her right side. "Oh! this?" she gestured with her right hand and the crystal ball floated up in front of the bat woman. "It's something I picked up the other day. It's pretty, eh?" she smiled toothily a little at that, nodding. "I was going to give it something of a test here, I believe it's energies can be channeled to change the shapes of things... objects, animals, people," she trailed her gaze over the grass and to the castle behind them, studying it for a moment before turning back to the girls. "Which is why I asked if you'd like to try having wings, naturally," she smiled.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> Maira smiles, a touch nervously. Shape changing magic was not something she wanted to mess with. "Ah, I see. Well, heh, I'll pass. Tempting as it is, I can't really be--a test...subject..." she says, choking on those last words. For a moment her breath quickens, her heart rate increasing as recent memories grip her. She turns away to examine some berries, trying to hide the near panic attack until she can get herself back under control.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Interesting, but sounds a bit unnatural.",Vespa says. She like the way she looked just fine. She glares back at her axe. "Get your mind out of the gutter Al! There fine! You can be such a pervert!" <br /><br /> She looks at Maira. "You okay?"

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Are you alright?" Echo asked with some genuine concern, stepping a little closer to the girl, though not too close. She blinked and raised her furry brows as the guardian maid girl began talking to... her axe? "Is the weapon enchanted?" Echo asked, taking just a step back as she peered between the two girls now a bit more concerned--or perhaps studying the two now, or maybe the three--as she eyed that axe too. <br /> <br /> The crystal ball however, perhaps picking up on the axe's... thoughts? began to shimmer, as Vespa would suddenly began to grow a furred tail, and then a pair of triangular furry ears over where her regular ones had been--her bust also increased a size, subtly. <br /> <br /> "Ahhh, I see!" Echo grinned a bit, as if satisfied with this development.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> Maira steadies herself and turns back to the others. "Fine, I'm fine. I'm just getting over an illness," she explains, not wanting to divulge too much information to the stranger. See? She's learned some caution! <br /><br /> Maira takes a seat to rest again, looking between Vespa and Echo curiously. "He must be enchanted I'd think...so you're a mage then? Me too," she replies.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa feels a change come over her. "What the?", her hands reach up and touch her new cat ears. "Ears?", she looks behind her and see she had a tail now too! "AAAHHHHHHHHHH What THE <GOOSHONK> is this???", she grabs the handle of her axe and start shaking it. "This is your fault Al! No it's not cute!!", acutally it is.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Fair enough," Echo doesn't seem to pry any further, likely understanding that something had been troubling Maira. She turned to look at Vespa with a grin, blinking at the sudden be-tailed and kitty appearance she had, as well as the added bounce to her chest area there. "Oh my, I didn't know your weapon was alive and could think," she stepped back a little from the sudden violent display Vespa created shaking the axe. <br /> <br /> "SO, that is what it keys into, hrmm..." Echo muttered this last part under her breath a little, as if to herself as she peered at the crystal ball, reflecting the image of Vespa with her cat ears and all. "Fascinating," she said aloud, one bat ear twitched perhaps with excitement.

:'''[[Maira]] has posed:'''<br><span></span> Maira's eyes widen as she looks between Vespa, Echo, and the axe. <br /><br /> Eeeeeeep! Al is a pervert! <br /><br /> Slowly, Maira begins to back away.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vespa lets go of her axe sighing. "Al think this is all quite hilarous.", one of her new cat ears twich. She looks to Echo. "Any idea how long this is going to last?", <br /><br /> "No Al don't think of anything else!!"

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"I don't know," Echo took a step closer as she was questioned, examining the ears and tail, holding a hand out as if to test the magical 'heat' or resonance from it. "Should likely not be too long. It seems like a moderate baleful polymorph to me," she shrugged a little. "Not that it would appear to hamper you in any fashion, and those ears are quite cute," she giggled a little and stepped back after that, rubbing her chin. <br /> <br /> "This went better than I could have hoped, I knew this thing was more important than it looked," she nodded a little, but stared blankly for a moment as she rubbed a still tender spot on her face apparently, wincing just a little where Deelel had tried to knock out punch her. She let her hand fall away from her face with a light grimace.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"well that's good to know.",Vespa says. She mutters. "I'm not so sure about that.", her new cattail swishes behind her. "I'm still not happy that I was a test subject..", she looks at her chest, did they get bigger too? How embrassing she not going comment on them outloud thought.

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"It should be temporary, I think," Echo added as a bit of an afterthought at that, nodding as she kept her distance nevertheless. "Either way I thank you for your assistance there, I was trying to discern just /how/ this thing worked, now I think I have it nailed down," she grinned again, those ivory fangs glittering. "Oh yes, don't we indeed," she snickered.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>Vepsa looks at Echo a bit worried, she wondered what she had planned for her ne toy... "Your welcome, I think. I 'm glad it near haloween I won't stick out to much", this coming from someone who wears a maid outfit year round!

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Oh yes, I imagine you'll have many fans of your new look actually, especially for this time of year," Echo giggled a little, nodding as she overlooked Vespa's cat girl maid ensemble. "Not what I'd normally wear around, but who am I to talk?" she gestured to herself, all in an evening dress and all. "So your axe is free thinking and all that, yes?" she inquired to Vespa.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Yes Al is free thinking thought I'm the only one that can hear him, it leads to some aquarad situations.", Vespa says looking back at her axe. "Some people think I`m just talking to myself or just crazy. I just tend to ingore those people or if there really perisent give them a lesson with Al they won`t forget.."

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Ahh, so this thing must have sensed his desires then," Echo nodded and turned her chin toward the crystal ball and then toward Vespa's axe, brow furrowed in thought. "That would explain your sudden transformation I think," she waved a hand to Vespa. "It's no trouble at all, I understand the concept of talking or dancing weapons completely--though the last don't tend to talk so much as try to kill you," she grinned.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Al can't move on this own. He seem to have some carnal desires thought. I really wish I could get back at him for this somehow.", she hmms and thinks. "How about I cut pupkins with you and don't clean up afterwads? oh ho! You don`t like that sounds of that do you Al!", she turns to Echo "He doesn`t like being dirty for very long."

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Does he? Odd, I would think a weapon that was a spear or a sword might be more into that sort of psychology, you know how men can be with weapons like that," Echo sighed a little, shrugging. "I guess even axes can daydream like that," she muttered, blinking a little. "Well I'd imagine not, who does? besides maybe some sort of uncouth person," she peered at the thing.

:'''[[Vespa]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>� don`t thin anyone likes being dirty", Vespa replies "I really don't get how he think some of the time. I know he likes me, he never really taked about his past much. I`ve asked him a few times about he but he claim he doesn`t remeber much about it."

:'''[[Echo]] has posed:'''<br><span></span>"Indeed, well it's been fun, and... enlightening!" Echo smiled at Vespa and Maira, her wings spreading out behind her. "But now I think I shall have to retire, if you two need anything I shouldn't be far away," she grinned again and flapped off into the evening air.