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XOCHI'S HOSUE - AFTERNOON
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Xochi slithers back into the house from the back yard, having just finished watering her flowers. She takes a moment to stretch, then retrieves a roll to eat for a quick snack while she thinks on something for lunch.
Annika: There was a knock on the door. Annika's role of home cleaner was being expanded a little, to delivery girl! There was some airy talk about 'customer engagement' and 'personality'..but she knew what was up. She was cute, and customers liked to be serve by cute girls. It paid the bills, and she had been able to get a uniform that at the least was respectful enough, a blazer over a light linen shirt, with a skirt that stopped
Annika: just below the knees (There had been debate about the exact length, and this was the compromise), both tails had little ribbons tied in to them too. Now that she was used to them..she kinda liked them! Extra tails were a sign of prestige in a lot of old fox tales....
Xochi glances at the door and raises herself up to wind her way to answer it. She smiles, glancing down at the well-presented fox at the door. "Yes? Hello there! Can I help you?"
Annika puts on her best smile, and holds out the box "Delivery Miss!" The gem was still embedded in her left paw, the red gem swirling softly. "Would you be able to sign off, and I can be on my way, and you can enjoy your delivery" Her sachet over her shoulder was empty, and considering the time, it was likely the last delivery of the day for her.
Xochi blinks. "Delivery? Curious. I am expecting nothing. You are certain it is for me? If so, I can... sign?"
Annika: "This is the right address!" She puts the box down, and takes out a small notebook, turning it over, and producing a pen "Just put a marking down there, and it will confirm receipt!" She's simply sticking to the script, she's not quite experienced enough to be able handle any issues like this.
Xochi takes the notebook and the pen, eyes reading over the receipt. "This is my name... and my address. Very strange." She carefully writes her name where Annika indicated in a delicate, almost florid script in the Snake alphabet before handing it back to her. "Like this, yes? That will do?"
Annika: "Yes Miss!" She takes the notebook back, and puts it in her pocket "That is all yours. If you have any problems, there is an address you can visit marked on the left hand side of the box" She does a little polite curtsy, "I hope you have an excellent day!"
Xochi takes the package and examines it curiously before nodding back to the fox, "Ah! You as well... um... I didn't catch your name? I do not believe we have met before, in fact. Are you also new to town?"
Annika: "My name is Annika. I've been in the city for some time now. I wasn't born here, but I do feel like it's my home" She gives a gentle smile, which, after a moment's realization, becomes a little bit more genuine. She's done for the day after all!
Xochi 's own smile widens, "Very good! I am afraid I am still fairly new here in Respite, but already it feels the same to me." She bows a bit formally, "I am Xochi, though I suppose you may have already seen that from your list. Your tails are quite lovely."
Annika wiggles both those tails self consciously "Um..thanks, I don't really know why I have the second, it just kinda..happened. Something about" She wiggles her left paw "But it's not the worst. If only cursed artifacts stuck to stuff like this, they might not get such a bad rap" She gives a soft laugh at the silliness of it all.
Xochi tilts her head, "Oh, I did not realize they weren't natural. I am so unfamiliar with the non-reptilians. All I saw as a child were lizards and other snakes. You furry folks are always so diverse and wonderful!" She lowers her head slightly to peer at the gem in her paw, "A curse, you say? But one of mortal origin? How curious."
Annika: "Well..yeah..it grew when this thing got stuck to my paw" She shows the swirling gem to Xochi. It's fairly obviously magic, Old magic too. "It hasn't done anything else though, so I'm not too worried. I'll get someone to look at it eventually"
Xochi stares at the gem a moment, feeling the magic in it, but unable to tell anything else beyond that. "Ah. I wish I could help you. I have some magic..." She holds up her hand to Annika, palm forward, closing her eyes to focus. After a moment, she twists her wrist and a flower appears in her hand. It seems completely real, held in her hand. "Illusion magic. I trained myself over many, many years. But I have little other knowledge of magic or curses."
Annika: "Oooh" She's suitably impressed, and moves to pick it up, before she's told its an illusion, she takes it from Xochi's hand, and sniffs it "Oh? It's an illusion? It feels so real! You even managed to get the smell right!" A gentle smell of lavender wafted in the air around the two of them.....
Xochi blinks, slightly shocked by this. "No? It... isn't real. That should be impossible, Annika. At least, impossible for me? My skills with illusions have never extended to this degree. Are you skilled at magic as well?"
Annika blinks, confused "..um..no..I'm..just a normal country fox! No magic.." She lets go of the flower, shocked by the reaction, the flower withering to nothing once it left her fingers "I..I don't know how that happened!"
Xochi watches the flower disintegrate. "Nor do I, but it would seem something has happened." She points to the gem, "The... 'curse'?"
Annika: "Well..um...Mama always said that there were great Fox sages with many tails..but.." She looks to the gem in her paw "How would that be from a curse?"
Xochi settles back and gives Annika a kind smile, "Some say power is its own form of curse. Learning it, using it wisely. I wish I could help you more, however."
Annika: "Oh! Don't worry, it's not something you should worry about! There's probably lots of people who will be able to help me out!" She rubs the back of her head bashfully "But.if its just uh..tail, and magic..I don't have to worry, right?"
Xochi folds her hands in front of her, "Perhaps not... but I would not dismiss such a thing so easily. It is my belief that all such things happen for a reason, and one ignores such things at their own peril."
Annika: "Okay! But, if things happen for a reason, then perhaps trying to stop it from continuing is what I shouldn't do? I should try to see where this ends instead?"
Xochi shakes her head, "I cannot say. The gods work towards their own purposes, both good and ill. Perhaps their reason is revealed in finding a way to remove this 'curse', perhaps not. I would still seek answers, were I you."
Annika: "I suppose so" She concedes the point, rocking on her heels a little "I still don't really know who I could go to get help though.."
Xochi: "I am certain the Doctor Plume would help. And I am friends with Elizabeth, a skunk who knows much about magic." She pauses, remembering her recent encounter with a certain lizard. "Also... there is a patient whom Plume is attending. 'Tarbin', he is called. He seems to have strong affinity for healing magic. Perhaps he could see the nature of this curse?"
Annika: "Oh! I know Elizabeth. We share an employer! I..suppose I could talk to her,but I don't want to..it would be..um..a bit embarrassing, and I don't really want to be mean" Magic lady working for someone, who just got whacked with some sort of magic, it perhaps doesn't take a genius to work out what the issue is
Xochi nods. "Embarrassing... perhaps the god's intent is to keep you humble?" She chuckles, a quiet rasping sound, as she thinks of this fox who has been nothing but polite needing a lesson in humility. "None the less, I would seek her aid, or someone's aid. At the very least, if only to learn control of whatever power you have gained."
Annika: "Yeah...um..maybe that wouldn't be a bad idea" She rubs her arms "I shouldn't be going into this one blind at all..."
Xochi: "Agreed. And this is from one who flew into the unknown blind as could be! One should never be ashamed of not knowing, or ever be afraid to ask."
Annika nods "Thank you for your wise words..then..um...I suppose I should drop the signatures back, and then pick Oliver up from afterschool..." She bows her head again "Perhaps we will see each other again, and enjoy your package miss!"
Xochi bows in return, hands peaked together in front of her. "Perhaps we shall, Annika. Good luck, and may the Moon watch over you."
Xochi watches the fox turn and wander off, still a little bit of admiration in the way her tails bob along as she goes. She watches curiously, thinking on the fox's magical display earlier, in seizing control of her illusion, unsure what to make on it. She closes the door, then turns, package in hand, and slips back to her table.
Xochi at last takes a moment to examine the package. It's a rather plain looking package, with only the markings to point it along its shipment route visible upon the face. She turns it in her hands, looking across it and stops. On the back side, softly imprinted as if old ink, long faded, is the worn image of a skull, with two snakes entwined above it.
Xochi tenses, carefully putting the package back down. It is a symbol she has seen before, one which she had not thought to see again, here. She closes her eyes, shifting away from the box without opening it, as she now finds herself deep in thought about the past, and wondering if she even wishes to open this box...