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AELIA'S DANCE STUDIO - EARLY AFTERNOON
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Scilla has been skulking around the outside of the studio, very poorly hesitating around the premises to maybe find one deer... but really not trying all that hard. The desire to apologize versus the desire to not explain the embarrassing reasonings. Eventually, the genet swallows some of her pride and walks to the door... and pauses in front of it just short of opening it.
Ninell has been milling around inside the studio for the past while, just tending to the place in Aelia's absence. He hasn't noticed Scilla lurking around outside, as he's been mostly just focusing on cleaning and keeping the studio orderly than watching for anyone showing up.
Scilla takes a deep breath and opens the door... as quietly as she is able, peering in both hoping to find Aelia and hoping to not find her. This would be so much easier if she didn't have conscience weighing on her!
Ninell looks up and around when the bell hanging on the door rings in response to being opened, then smiles and waves Scilla in. "Oh, hello there! Please, by all means, come in! Can I help you?"
Scilla jumps at the sound of the bell, then nearly again at Ninell speaking. She looks at him with a sheepish grin: "H-hi! Um, hi. Is uh Aelia here? Or d-did I come to the wrong place?" She knows the place is right, but is just stalling for excuses.
Ninell tilts his head a bit at the question, then smiles kindly as he does what he can to try and help Scilla relax a bit, since she seems nervous. "Aelia? Ah, you have an appointment with her, I take it?"
Scilla nods: "Yes! Well, had. Could have?"
Ninell hums quietly. "Mmh, well... I am afraid to say that if your appointment was scheduled for today, Aelia is currently unavailable due to some outside circumstances. If you wish to leave a note for her, I will let her know when I next see her."
Scilla frowns briefly, but nods: "O-oh. Well um, okay... no problem. I will just come another time." She gives Ninell a nod and turns to leave, somewhat relieved.
Phoebe steps in through the door as Scilla turns to leave, having going off to get some lunch from the market for herself and Ninell. She's now blocking the exit, eyeing Scilla suspiciously. "Going somewhere, Scilla?"
Scilla pauses in her step, opening her mouth to object, then closes it. She then blinks a couple of times. "Wait, who are you?"
Ninell is about to nod in farewell when Phoebe shows up. He notes her demeanor, then gives Scilla a curious look. "You know her, Phoebe?"
Phoebe nods, setting down the lunch bags to cross her arms. "You were supposed to be one of Aelia's students, yeah? Arranged an appointment and everything."
Scilla raises an eyebrow, hesitating: "W-well, yes. Complications came up, were overcome, I was here to apologize?" That sounded better inside her head...
Ninell props up the broom he'd been using to sweep the main floor of the studio and leans a bit against it, just watching the two interact. "Complications? They happen without warning, yes."
Phoebe taps a finger against her arm, "You know, it's the strangest thing, but someone else came during your appointment time. Just a random drop-in, but they seemed to be rather confused."
Scilla blinks, silently cursing. "O-oh? Funny how that happens. Well, glad the time did not go unused, right?"
Phoebe nods. "Aelia was probably too happy just to have a student, but she doesn't pay attention to the details. The little things." She leans forward to eye Scilla. "So... complications, eh? Want to explain?"
Scilla gives Ninell a sideways glance before looking at Phoebe's... legs. "Er well, thing is... there was a bit of a trouble at one of the out-range generators and..." She waves her hand: "And well, you know how it goes with those, not always as planned. Sometimes you end up all covered in mud. But at least Aelia is a good teacher, right?"
Ninell shrugs a little. "An accident that meant you could not show up for your appointment, then? I suppose that tends to happen."
Phoebe gives Ninell a cautious look as well, trying to warn him to be read for anything. She then looks back to Scilla, trying to be subtle, "An accident, eh? Guess it happens. At least what's-her-name got a lesson."
Scilla shrugs: "Y-yeah, good. She could probably use some exercise."
Ninell catches Phoebe's look and adjusts his grip on the broom. He doesn't really think he needs to to use anything bigger if anything does happen.
Phoebe raises an eyebrow at Scilla, "Oh you know her, hm?"
Scilla blinks, silently cursing herself again: "I eh, well, I know of her, a-anyway. Big one, that."
Ninell tilts his head curiously. "Who is this 'her' you two are speaking of?"
Phoebe nods at Ninell, "Aelia's 'other' student. The camel." She leans down towards Scilla. "I think she knows her. The same way I know Aelia."
Ninell blinks at Phoebe, then gives Scilla another look. "Hm... really, now? Interesting... What makes you say that, Phoebe?"
Scilla looks at Phoebe, suddenly a bit put-upon: "Do I look like a camel to you?" She blinks, then corrects herself: "I mean, like someone who would associate with one."
Phoebe pokes Scilla again. "Looks don't prove much to me. You say and do some pretty stupid stuff if you're trying to keep a secret. Don't know if the other you showing up for Aelia's lesson was doing her a favor, or just keeping you in the loop. So which one of the two of you is the real you?"
Scilla blinks a couple of times as she parses what Phoebe is saying. "...what?"
Ninell simply resumes leaning on the broom as he lets Phoebe take the lead in this... unexpected interrogation.
Scilla takes a step back from the menacing wolf. "R-real me?"
Phoebe edges forward to keep poking. "You heard me. You're hiding something! Two of you in one body, yes?"
Scilla takes another step back: "W-h... n-no. O-of course not! I'm just m-me a-and why a-are you asking me of this nonsense?" She gives Ninell a helpless look.
Ninell looks at Scilla, then looks at Phoebe. "Do you think we should give a little background information, Phoebe? Right now, it just seems like a rather unreasonable line of questioning."
Phoebe pulls back and sneers. "You know what I know about this kind of thing, Ninell. I can smell it on her. Secrets, and magic."
Scilla sneers right back at Phoebe: "W-who are you to ambush me like t-that, anyway? How do you know me?"
Ninell shrugs at Phoebe. "And interrogating her out of nowhere is supposed to help us solve things, dear?"
Phoebe 's hackles rise up a bit, only to deflate as Ninell seems to come to Scilla's support. "Er... I... I mean..."
Scilla frowns, staring at Phoebe: "I d-don't even know you! What's the big deal?"
Ninell sighs a little as he sees Phoebe deflate. "So, you can sense that she can change forms. I doubt she would be willing to assist with information when being interrogated... especially if she does want to try and keep it a secret."
Phoebe seems a little less aggressive after Ninell's interjection, nodding slightly at his words. She watches Scilla cautiously. "Ugh... I... whatever. I just... it's important to me, I guess."
Scilla frowns, crossing her arms as she stares (somehow) down at the wolf: "Why? Why is it important to you?" Her tail swishes agitatedly, fear changed into something else at this point.
Ninell remains standing where he is, having gotten Phoebe to dial back the aggression a bit like he'd intended.
Phoebe glances at Ninell, eyes darting down to the ground. She's still struggling with this trust thing. "Because... because I'm Aelia. I mean, I'm Phoebe, but this is Aelia's body, just, transformed. We change back and forth."
Scilla blinks, and is taken aback: "Wait huh what?" She looks between Ninell and Phoebe... or Aelia. "W-well, then. Then you might understand why Prachi came to the dance lesson quite well."
Ninell looks at Scilla. "This is not something that Aelia and Phoebe talk about with just anyone. I trust you will keep your mouth shut about this outside of this studio, miss." He speaks evenly, but there's an air of tension radiating off of him as he speaks.
Phoebe nods cautiously, having only revealed this because Ninell was standing there. "I understand, yeah. Sorta, at least. I just... If your curse is like ours, I just... anything more I can learn about it... to figure this out between Aelia and I."
Scilla glances aside, then lets out a deep sigh. She then glances up at the two: "Okay, but same goes to you. I don't want anyone to know." She takes a breath as she gathers herself: "My name is Priscilla... or, 'Prachi', if you asked my babysitter back then. So... Prachi, she's me."
Phoebe sucks in a breath, "Wait, so it's... all you?"
Scilla raises an eyebrow: "Who else, 'Aelia'?"
Ninell frowns curiously. "So... you mean to say that you just... change physically?"
Phoebe slumps further, "That's not how it is for us. It's both physical and mental for us."
Scilla looks at Ninell, then at Phoebe curiously: "Wait, huh? What do you mean? Change gets mental, sure, but... more so, for you?"
Ninell shakes his head at Scilla. "But you are still you, yes?"
Scilla frowns: "Yes and no." She taps the side of her head: "But up here, yes. You mean Aelia... Phoebe, here, isn't?"
Phoebe shakes her head, as well, "I'm Phoebe. Aelia is uh... asleep right now. She won't remember any of this."
Ninell nods at Phoebe. "As she says. Phoebe and Aelia are two different people."
Scilla looks between the two again: "So... ugh. That makes even less sense."
Phoebe steps away from the Scilla to take a seat. She rubs her forehead a bit, "It's not much better from my perspective, trust me."
Ninell eases his stance a little, taking some of his weight off of the broom. "Phoebe's situation isn't exactly voluntary, and it's caused a lot of disruption in her life as well as Aelia's before now. I am... unsurprised Phoebe would be able to sense similar in you."
Scilla frowns: "So... a different kind of suckitude. My situation isn't... well, that, but it's not voluntary either. I just deal. And I deal best by being someone else when I am... well, someone else."
Phoebe sighs, looking up at Scilla. "Yeah, don't know... guess it's easier for me to keep a secret when I'm someone else. Still, frustrating... Ninell and I have been doing a bit of research when we can, but mostly dead ends so far."
Scilla shrugs: "Been changing for years at random intervals, and best I have are some vague hunches."
Phoebe: "Aelia was cursed, we think. It... created me. Somehow. Not much better than vague hunches either."
Ninell hums quietly. "We have at least some suspicions, but not much else to go by. It has... been a little frustrating at times, but if we are able to figure out what we might be able to do to fix this... well... it would give Phoebe and Aelia new opportunities in life."
Scilla sighs: "Well, the only things I can fix are of mechanical nature. I'm no use there."
Phoebe nods, looking back up. "Well, I'll let Aelia know... I'm trying to trust her too, but she can keep a secret... mostly. Maybe we can figure something out to help one of us at least."
Ninell hums in agreement. "At the very least, having another person assisting might lend us a few thoughts that we would not have had ourselves, hm?"
Scilla shrugs: "Perhaps. Honestly I'd already kinda given up."
Phoebe gives Scilla a sad look, less pity for Scilla and more a bit of despair for herself. "Well... whatever, then."
Ninell shrugs. "Then, it might be worthwhile to rekindle that intent to figure out what happened, now that you know of Phoebe and Aelia."
Scilla looks between the two: "Maybe. Guess I'll see you two... or three, around."
Phoebe nods to Scilla, feeling slightly crushed. "See ya... sorry for the uh... interrogation and all."
Ninell watches Scilla carefully. "Just... if you do not intend to help, at least keep quiet about this. Aelia and Phoebe do not need more troubles."
Scilla glances at Phoebe, nodding: "...see you." The genet heads out with almost camel-like stoic quiet, several kinds of feeling fighting for real estate in her head and just wanting to be alone right now as her thoughts wander.
Phoebe watches Scilla leave, then glances over towards Ninell and forces a smile.
Ninell eyes Scilla as she leaves the studio, then looks over at Phoebe with a softer expression. He leans the broom against the wall and goes to give the wolf a hug. "That was... unexpected, to say the least... How are you doing, Phoebe?"
Phoebe leans into the hug, "I'm... fine. I'm fine." Her voice speaks to the opposite. "I shouldn't have pushed her..."
Ninell hums quietly. "Maybe not quite so hard, no. But what is done is done, and she had best stay quiet about these transformational troubles you and Aelia have, especially if she intends to not help."
Phoebe raises an eyebrow at Ninell, but then nods slowly. She glances over at the table after a moment and the lunch bags she brought from the market. "We... should eat. Our food's gonna get cold."
Ninell nods as he gives Phoebe one more warm squeeze, then kisses her on the lips as the hug breaks. "Thank you for getting us lunch, dear. Maybe we could take your mind off of things for the moment afterwards with a little more dancing?"
Phoebe kisses back before nodding, "That... sounds good. We do have Aelia's studio all to ourselves, afterall."