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TARBIN'S CAMP - WEST GATE - MORNING
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Tarbin rolls over in the uncomfortable-looking bed, even though it's really quite nice. Soft green leaves over flexible roots, giving way nicely to the lizard's form. Inside the hut, the morning light streams through gaps in a magically grown dome, with large, thin leaves covering the outside for weather protection. Thin enough that it is tinted green, washing the small home with a strange aura. As he turns over, Tarbin feels sleep slipping away, clenching his eyelids against the filtering light with a grunt. Against something he hasn't known for a few months. His eyes open suddenly, adjusting to the light as the grey-blue irises shine in the sunlight. He can see the Flow around the hut, of course, though now it's muted behind the overwhelming light and view out through the doorway to the woods. He sits up slowly, his heart beating harder as a giddy grin spreads across his lips.
Melia stirs inside Tarbin at the feeling of excitement in him, feeling more than a bit groggy herself. [Mmm... mornin...] She gathers herself for a second before focusing in another direction: [...oh wow that is a lot of light.] The being within Tarbin goes from tired to excited feeling in a matter of seconds: [Oh wait... It worked?!]
Tarbin blinks as the unfamiliar brightness starts to take it's toll, rubbing at the corners of his eyes as he stands up and nods. "Y... Yes... Oh yes it worked... Melia! You're amazing!" He steps toward the door slowly, wiping joyful tears before standing just outside the hut and looking around. Looking around. "I thought... Part of me thought I would never see again. A big part..."
Melia starts feeling pretty elated as Tarbin does: [W-well, oh wow, I'm glad I was able to help while I am here. That's... has this place always been this green? I mean, green-er. Greenish? I'm not sure. But anyway, I'm happy to make you see what I see... well, except I don't, but I do but I didn't... I don't know.]
Tarbin laughs at Melia's rambling, blushing under his scales as he surveys their spot. "I only knew it was so lush because of the Flow but it... It is all so beautiful..." He rubs his eyes again, shaking his head slightly. "It's a little hard to focus but... Seeing a little blurrily is much better than not at all." The trees whisper with a gentle breeze overhead as Tarbin takes a few steps out, instinctively turning towards the little vegetable garden he'd started, and pausing when he sees the city wall looming some fifty meters away. There is a clear-cut zone along the wall about half that distance, and the lizard never knew it would seem so imposing. Still, even with his moment of hesitation, he can't feel much other than joy right now.
Melia lets out a happy, relieved, contented giggle: [I-it's maybe not perfect, but a lot better than before! I'm happy that you're happy, which makes me happy, you know? I guess you know by now.] She does/creates a happy swirl of green mist around Tarbin's hands before settling again: [Definitely makes things easier, I didn't even realize!]
Tarbin looks down at his hands, feeling the tingle of Melia's magic, his scales turning orange under the contact. He continues grinning, turning away from the wall to walk forward, his head on a swivel as he takes in the surroundings. He drags his palm across the bark of a large tree, still seeing the magic of Nature coursing through it's trunk. "I... Welll we can search for a new home for you much easier, now."
Melia brightens at that: [Oooh, you're right! I do wonder if... oh wait, that's sort of where the desert starts isn't it. Hmm.] She pauses, idly twirling one of Tarbin's tails around the other without thinking: [Maybe if...]
Tarbin stops, shuddering as he turns to look over his shoulder, spotting his tails. "Ah... How are you... Moving my tail?"
Melia pauses in shock, feeling about Tarbin's body herself: [I am?]
Tarbin nods slowly, turning to face forward again. "Y-yeah..." He turns the other tail around the one Melia managed to move. "It's alright, though." He leans against the tree, looking out towards the edge of the woods, across a short treeless grassland and as far out into the scrubby desert as he can. "I guess this is as far out as they wanted to travel when Respite was started. I wonder how wide the desert is?"
Melia feels fascinated by the tails for a second, before turning her attention back towards the grassland ahead of them: [Dunno. I have some memories that say 'pretty far', but I don't think Erika ever crossed that either? I'm so very much not sure about that though, I don't wanna trust anything of hers inside me if that makes sense.]
Tarbin nods, returning to grinning as he watches birds flitting about in and out of a lush berry bush. "Yes, that is for the best. Don't forget everything, but it's time for you to start making all your own memories. I... Would be glad to be there for them. Hopefully better ones than... Well..."
Melia lets out a nervous giggle as she watches the wildlife and natural magic around them: [...better than that, yeah.] She gives a bit of warmth at Tarbin's chest: [T-though I'm glad I'm here with you, making memories at least. Still around.]
Tarbin puts a hand to his chest, his grin fading into a warm smile as he nods. "I am too."
Melia swirls her green magic about and around Tarbin: [Different sort of memories, if nothing else. And hey, you - or we? - can see now! So there's that.]
Tarbin chuckles, nodding as he starts along the slightly worn path to the garden. "We can, yes. I... Heh. I can't wait to see what our friends actually look like. Perhaps it would be a good time to pay them a visit today?"
Melia giggles excitedly: [That sounds great! I mean, I wanna see 'em too, even if... er hum. They likely can't see me.] She fades emotionally a bit at that: [...w-well, I'll be here with you anyway, of course.]
Tarbin sighs, nodding slowly. "Yes... It will be difficult, I think. I can see your magic, but I don't know if that's because it's so similar to the Flow or if your power is actually visible. From what I know, Elizabeth's magic is... was visible to others."
Melia gives the mental equivalent of a head-tilt: [W-well, we just have to, uh... see? Or see if people see? And if not, then er... I will work on that trick I tried that was pretty painful but sorta got extra motivation now?]
Tarbin grins, kneeling next to the patch of wild carrots as he picks out two for breakfast. "Even if you can't be seen by others normally, we have Teis. She has some tools that let her see magic of all kinds." He taps the soil from the healthy looking veggies, nodding. "Yes, I think we have options. I... We have to deliver this news, though. For the others. I imagine they are feeling something like I did."
Melia feels her magic about Tarbin's hand and the carrots. [Mm, you're maybe right. I don't know what it looked like when I went 'out', but can't have been good...] She sighs: [Wish I could do more.]
Tarbin chuckles lightly, grinning as he stands again and watches Melia's magic. "Melia, you can do so much even like this. You're incredible."
Melia is quiet for a moment: [...I'm not. I'm almost nothing, and you're making me blush. Well. You know what I mean.] To emphasize her point, she creates more warmth around Tarbin's chest region.
Tarbin puts his hand to his chest as he blushes as well, shrugging. He pushes a bit with Melia's magic, turning back toward the wall and beginning to head toward the West Gate. "Sorry, but anything is better than nothing, and even like this you can still tend to the plants."
Melia gives another nervous giggle: [W-well, if you say so. I'm here anyway, might as well do something?] She looks at the Gate: [...I haven't actually seen most of the town. Well, myself. Got those memories, but... you know.]
Tarbin grins, nodding. "Well I suppose that goes for both of us. A bit of exploring in our future, hmm?"
Melia swirls hesitantly at first, then more happily: [Y-yeah. Let's do this.]
Tarbin lets the carrots hang from his hand as they head towards town, grinning happily as they go. He certainly doesn't rush, letting the two of them take in their surroundings fully and chattering on with Melia. The West Gate stands ahead, Tarbin hesitating as he once again wonders how this is going to play out with the others.