| Logs |
2026 August 18
| Goblin Town |
| Realms |
Retired
| Reality Fault |
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| Realms: Goblin Town Logs |
It's Always Better When We're Together
The compound is lovely but sparse; people here live with a kind of peaceful beauty that doesn't need pointless augmentation or ostentation. What needs packing goes into bags and crates which are carefully padded with clothes or other cloth rather than some kind of disposable packing material. The little dragon helps as much as she can -- and that she's allowed -- and otherwise stays out of the way. At some point she realizes she's more effective, in fact, not packing so much as helping out in the courtyard -- lashing the various packages together in such a way that they'll easily attach to her harness.
In the meantime, one of the young human women of the compound almost shyly shows Thorn inside and sets him up in a room that seems like it might be some sort of guest room. There's a small table that's low to the ground with sitting cushions. She also unrolls a futon in case he needs to have his patients lie down to be examined. Thorn thanks the woman gratefully for the 'office space' that she's set him up in, then happily takes notes where he can on all the different peoples he's meeting. His code is certainly getting a workout with the non-English, non-Latin-alphabet names he's getting!
There are a plethora of different spirits to be met. Thorn's going to get at least twenty new entries into his book from Tao's people. It turns out that Asian spirits don't split neatly into large categories, the way sidhe and other fae do. The healer gets tree spirits and wind spirits and earth spirits. He even gets a chattery little fire spirit -- no more than four feet tall -- that's going to be staying at the compound because she says the desert is the most welcoming place she's ever been. The only person that needs any actual medical care is one of the humans... and even then she wants only to be looked over because (she smiles shyly when she tells Thorn this) she has just found out she is pregnant by one of the earth spirits and wants to make sure the baby is healthy.
Thorn beams, very pleased indeed for her, and is more than happy to help check on the baby's health. He does a set of baseline vitals for her and the baby using a stethoscope and other regular tools before attempting any sort of magic. When Thorn reaches out with his magic, he gets a very clear image in his head of the baby. Where a human fetus at this point would still look sort of like a chest-burster of the Xenomorph variety, this one is looking very human but very tiny. The heartbeat is a tiny flutter in its chest and there's a kind of warm glow around it inside its mother, as if there's something magical surrounding and protecting it. Thorn is very pleased to let the woman know about her baby -- clearly healthy, and magical in nature as well! The woman is delighted, thanking Thorn over and over in both Mandarin and English -- not quite going so far as to hug him. But she does take his hands and press her forehead against them several times before she almost floats out of the room on a cloud of happiness. Thorn is beaming, pleased to see that she's so happy to be with child. He gives his usual suggestions, and urges her to come to the Infirmary or let Tao know if she has any issues or problems.
There are enough people wanting to see Thorn that it gives Cinnamon and the others plenty of time to get things packed and lashed together in ways that the two dragons will easily be able to carry it back to Coblyn. Cinnamon is very pleased! While the planning and packing took several hours, it looks like they're still going to get home sometime tonight! She's excited, burbling happily to Marcus and Shane about Hawai'i as they all load up. Both young men are happily indulging the young scarlet dragon's babbling by chatting back to her about the trip. Shane keeps stroking Cinnamon's nose and scratching around her horns and ears to get her to make the rumbling sound he thinks of as her purr.
Marcus watches this and determines to work himself up to the same sort of affection soon -- maybe being affectionate with dragon-Cinnamon will feel a little less like an imposition to her? At that thought the young elf stops dead in his tracks and furrows his brow: is he starting to... "grow up"? Once upon a time he'd never have considered whether he was imposing on someone!
Cinnamon is indeed rumbling happily between chattering, and she calls a cheerful greeting to Thorn and Tao when they re-appear in the courtyard. There are five other people as well who came outside with their things during the packing. Cinnamon checks with the yellow dragon: are there enough special people who Tao needs to have come along with them on this trip, such that Cinnamon should help with the carrying? Tao hmms and looks over his harness, "Perhaps. How many will your harness hold? Mine holds seven comfortably without all the cargo, but I think perhaps three with the portion I'm carrying would be better."
Cinnamon nods, "My harness is set up to safely hold six, and I've got three folks with me, so three open spots here!"
Tao nods, rumbling, "Then I shall take three if you will take the other two!"
"Sure!" Cinnamon swings her big head around to grin toothily at her friends, "Can you show them how the straps work, please, guys?" Thorn is more than happy to help. The harness on Cinnamon's dragon form was made first and foremost for safety, so the process is a bit elaborate, but secure. As they work, Cinnamon starts out in sphynx pose, but unwittingly curls her front paw-hands around to tuck them under her chest, laying comfortably like a cat-loaf as she waits for everyone to strap on their luggage, climb on, learn how to buckle in, and let her know they're all ready.
Shane helps Thorn with showing people how to strap in. The harness is safe and comfortable, and secure -- no one's going to so much as shift more than a few inches, even if Cinnamon gets enthusiastic in her flying. While the other two are helping, Marcus comes around to Cinnamon's head and rests his hand on her nose. He's not petting exactly, but it's a fond touch. He smiles, "You're always so ready to help people. It's amazing."
Cinnamon grins down at Marcus, her ears tilted shyly back, "It's actually really nice-feeling to help folks though, don't you think, Daki-chan?"
Marcus smiles again and dares to give her nose a little stroke before letting his hand come to rest again, "I'm beginning to. It's a lesson that's taken me a while to learn."
Cinnamon's grin unwittingly morphs into a fond smile, "Awww! I think you're doing a great job, Daki-chan -- don't you?"
Marcus chuckles, "I'm doing a better job than I was." He pats her nose and looks up to where Shane and Thorn are helping people, "I should probably go get strapped in." He resists kissing the soft pad of Cinnamon's nose and moves to climb up and get strapped into the harness.
Cinnamon leans her head over to give Marcus a gentle tongue-flicker on the top of his head, "You're doing super, scha- uhh, D-daki-chan!" Then she draws her head back a bit with a touch of embarrassment -- was that too forward of her? Will Marcus be annoyed that she messed up his hair or something? Instead of looking annoyed, Marcus gives her his full-wattage grin and another pat on the nose before leaving to climb aboard. Cinnamon has to suppress a tiny, happy, full-body wiggle at that!
Once everyone is strapped into the harnesses, Tao does a little shake to make sure everything is secure and asks Cinnamon, "Ready to go? We'll get some more practice with using the thermals and catching the boom." He hadn't been joking about it being partially magic. The way they'd been cupping their wings seemed to muffle what should have been an ear-splitting sound.
Cinnamon finishes her own pre-flight wiggle-shake, checks over her shoulder that everyone's good still? ...good, good... then grins at Tao, "Yeah! Let's do it!"
Tao leaps gracefully into the air, undulating as he leads the way back to Coblyn. The return flight is even quicker than the flight out, with Tao calling encouragement to Cinnamon the whole way, approvingly telling her how well she's learned the tricks of faster and easier flying. Consequently, Cinnamon is panting but thrilled by the time they land at Currier's -- not only was she able to hit the high thermals with Tao, but she also managed to break the sound barrier fairly early on in their flight! Of course, part of her breathlessness is due to her excited chatter as she succeeds in her efforts -- she almost trills the whole way home -- both about how wonderful it is to learn such fun and useful, amazing new skills -- and exuberantly singing thanks to Tao! She's also quite hungry by landing -- to the point that she suggests to everyone that they unload everything at the Asian chair's house, then have a late dinner at the nearby Bunch 'o Grapes tavern.
Tao is also ravenous -- it's been a long day! He's more than happy to agree to the late dinner, though his people mostly beg off to get the house set up, since there's plenty of food there for them. They do all profusely thank Cinnamon for the invitation, however. Cinnamon waves cheerfully to them, after she's been unloaded, then changed shape -- then grins at her friends, "Food now, yes?"
Shane laughs, "Food now, yes." Marcus nods as well; he's not ready to be parted from the cheerful, happy little dragon.
Tao nods and lays a hand on his stomach, smiling, "I feel hollow!"
Thorn grins, "Food sounds like a wonderful idea."
Cinnamon laughs delightedly at Tao's comment, "You too? Awesome, let's go fill up again!" She nearly skips to the restaurant with her friends, holding hands with Shane because eeeee he lets her do that! -- and chattering happily: has Tao been to Hawai'i? Has he flown over oceans? Does he have any recommendations for doing that safely? Does he think maybe she could fly to Hawaii from, say, San Francisco?
Tao nods, "I have flown over oceans. Once, I flew over them all the time from China to Japan and to the smaller islands. Hawaii will be a long flight, but with your new abilities I think you can do it. Make sure you have food waiting for you on the other end of it, though -- it will be a hard journey. Take high protein food with you and maybe have some mid-flight."
Cinnamon nods thoughtfully, "Okay, that makes good sense! Hmm... I wonder if the Flying Fish folks would allow us to land at their airport outpost there, even if we're not taking one of their planes?" She laughs happily, "Bet that'd be nicer for you, Daki-chan, right? I'll have to check!"
Marcus looks thoughtful, "We might want to offer to pay them for use of their facility, but I think they'd be amenable to it."
Cinnamon grins, "Hope so! Are you guys all okay with me trying that flight? I figure we can fly to San Francisco, where they have their US mainland outpost near the airport there, and spend a day for me to recover... and then, if I feel good about it, we could try the Atlantic flight? What do you all think?"
Thorn nods, "Sounds good to me!"
Shane grins, "A day in San Francisco and then a flight to Hawai'i? Sounds good to me. I have faith in you. Especially with the new speeds you've discovered!"
Cinnamon is deeply touched at the faith in her shown by all her friends! "Wow, you guys, this is awesome! Well, okay then... let's tentatively plan on that, okay?"
Shane nods, "Absolutely."
Marcus also nods, "I trust in you."
Cinnamon gives a tiny, happy squeak of delight, turning bright red as she does so! Consequently, she deeply hopes her little faux pas is overlooked when she hastily changes the subject, "So, uh, Tao! Any idea when Jiajun can give his talk about hydroponics, dŕ ge? I've got almost ten folks who want to hear it, after all!"
Tao smiles, "Any time now. I would like to wait until after you've returned from Hawai'i though. That way you can hear it as well."
Marcus nods at that, "I would like to hear as well. We do some hydroponics for ornamentals at the Residence, but nothing like you do."
"W-well, we do actually have, umm..." Cinnamon counts on her fingers, then grins happily up at everyone, "We were so much faster than I expected us to be in Arizona that we've got a full two weeks before the Hawaii takeoff, guys!" She adds confidingly, "Spice seems to think I rush too much though I've no idea why she'd think that but anyways so it's May 25th tomorrow and we're not scheduled to take off for San Francisco until June 8th which means we have a few days before the actual full moon which for some reason Spice gave me really strict instructions to go to the beach every day you know?"
Cinnamon happily adds in almost the same breath, "Plus we wrote Uncle Kai that we were coming out and he wants us to swing by for a family party at some point and we also made sure there's a little catamaran rented for us to use any time we want to go snorkeling out at the coral reef and we made sure there are fins and masks and stuff and all for all of us for the entire two weeks too so what do you guys think does that sound like fun?!" The little dragon adds in a quick aside to Tao, "Spice is amazing at computer stuff and finding things like this!" To all of them she enthusiastically adds, "Oh, and also Veles says he's happy to go help Josie's and Sparrow's folks in both setting up the rocket stove company and in arranging stuff for the refugees to move which I'm guessing from what he said that it won't be ready until after Hawaii!" The little dragon thoughtfully concludes with, "So I also gotta get right on to some cooking and stuff to thank the appropriate folks about the council meeting too I think. What're you all going to be working on for the next two weeks or so?"
Marcus blinks as he listens to all the things Cinnamon has set up... and thinks about just how much sunblock he's going to need to wear. He may be a gealsidhe and therefore ostensibly aligned with the light, but the gealsidhe are creatures of the forest and of air. They still burn in the bright sunlight if they haven't inured themselves to it -- and Marcus is certainly not inured to it. Shane laughs delightedly, "And this time you won't be so shy about getting out in the water with me!" Shane, on the other hand, spends so much of his time outside that he's not as worried about burning.
Cinnamon nods excitedly to Shane, "Right?!" then blushes a little, "I mean -- just if you want...?"
Shane chuckles, "Of course I want!" Last time they were in Hawai'i he had to make excuses to touch Cinnamon. This time will be different!
Cinnamon wryly adds, "Plus, I'm gonna have to pack like a gallon of sunblock for this time -- and I know I'm not the only one who'll need it!"
Tao looks pleased, "If you're going to be here a while we can certainly do the talk in the next couple of days! There's room in Currier's Hall, obviously."
Cinnamon beams at Tao, "Okay! If you want, we can ask Jiajun when's good for him -- I'm hoping it'll be at least a day or two -- and then I'll talk to all the folks who're interested and let them know when it is. Sound good?"
Tao nods, "Let us say three days, then. It will give us time to let people know and arrange the room."
Cinnamon says, "-and is it okay if it's at night, so the night folks can attend without eye pain?"
Tao nods, "Of course! Some of them are underground folk, yes? I have some people that are cave spirits; they too prefer being underground. Further, should Elias wish to attend, having it at night would simply be polite!"
Cinnamon nods earnestly, "Right, they're underground folks! Oh, I didn't ask Elias but I bet you're right and he'd be interested too! Hmm... maybe, if it's okay with Jiajun, we can put it into the broadsheets? That way anyone who wants to, that I don't know about already, can come too?"
Tao nods, "I'm sure he will be. Let us do that. I know some people may simply be curious about the process, even if it will not affect them directly."
Marcus nods in agreement, "There may be more people wishing to use the techniques than we know personally. Coblyn wants to be as self-sufficient as possible."
The next day Cinnamon bustles all up and down Coblyn Street! After a lovely and delightfully rousing morning 'making snackies' with Shane, the little dragon makes up a list -- then purchases all the makings for cakes and cookies for somewhere between nine and twenty folks! In between doing that, she checks in with Jiajun about the talk's incipient timing and location, Elias about both attending and helping her prepare tasty nibblies for it, Llewellyn for the scheduling at Currier's Hall, Astrid for the broadsheets notification, Daniella for Killa's favorite sweet, and Tre for helping cart goodies around!
Jiajun is happy to do the talk in three days' time; he's been preparing for it since the topic was first brought up. Elias seems quite excited about the talk too, mentioning that he's been thinking about growing his own hops for making homemade beer -- so having hydroponics in his cellar might help with that! He's also happy to help with the cooking, as he always enjoys getting to feed people. Astrid quickly writes up a notification after Cinnamon's request and careful description; the older woman assures the little dragon that the notice will be in the broadsheets every day until the talk. Later, Daniella lets Cinnamon know that Killa has a weakness for dulce de leche -- so if the little dragon can make something flavored like that, he would very much like it. Finally, Tre is not only willing but quite eager to help out! -just like normal, for the cheerful ipotane.
Cinnamon is a very happy little dragon that day! She also checks with Spice and Veles, letting them know about her new-found flight capabilities and checking to see what, if anything, they need help with in order to organize the supernatural refugees for transport to their new homes. The two humans have been working together on that; they assure Cinnamon that things are coming together well. It's actually as they're having that conversation, in fact, that there's a knock on Cinnamon's door. The little dragon blinks and momentarily excuses herself, then trots over to open her door, "Yes?" She's not too worried about incipient attack in the middle of the day, while she's lunching with friends, after all!
At the door is one of the many pages that inhabit the palace. She dips a little curtsey and smiles at Cinnamon, "Hello! I have a message for you from the king!" She holds out a large, cream-colored envelope for Cinnamon.
The little dragon blinks again, her self-deprecating reply reflexive, "For... me? I wonder why?" She accepts the envelope and checks, "Are you supposed to wait for a reply, or what, please?" She neatly slits open the envelope as she asks.
The page drops another little curtsey and beams, "You can send an answer anytime in the next three days! Have a wonderful day, Ms. Dragon!" Then she scampers away. She's got a little messenger bag slung across her body, so she may be delivering more messages.
Cinnamon laughs and waves, then carefully closes and locks the door before turning back to her friends. She muses aloud, "Wonder what's up?" as she pulls out the message and opens the fine linen paper.
The paper inside is a lovely, calligraphed invitation to a costume ball being held by Caradog to welcome Tao to Coblyn. It gives the date as June 1st in the evening. Cinnamon is also being given a plus-one, so she can bring a date. She brightens, "Oh, wow, cool! It's a costume ball, peeps!" She sits down at the table again, handing the paper to the inquisitive Spice and grinning shyly at Shane, "W-will you, ummm... w-wanna be my plus one, asthore?"
Spice cranes her neck, "A fuckin' masquerade ball in goddamn June? Isn't that an October kinda thing?"
Veles relaxedly smiles his scary lopsided smile, "These are fae. They do enjoy their masques."
Spice blinks -- then grins, "And Jo'll be invited! We'll figure out some cute fuckin' thing to dress as."
Cinnamon laughs! She smiles at Veles, "Do you want to come too, Velya?"
Shane rests a hand on Cinnamon's shoulder and kisses the top of her head, "I'd have been disappointed if you'd asked someone else."
Veles shakes his head, "I haven't been invited and it's not my kind of thing."
Thorn looks intrigued, "A masquerade in June? Interesting!"
Cinnamon beams almost goofily up at Shane! It takes a few seconds before she blushes, coughs, and tries to look more competent and adult while replying to Veles, "Well, I bet there'll be friends who don't have plus ones to take that'd be good with sharing it with you if you want and haven't gotten an invite, Veles!" She grins at Thorn and nodnods, "Right?!"
Veles nods, "If someone asks me, I will go." He smiles, "I am certain I can think of something to be."
Cinnamon laughs happily! "Ohmygosh, that's a good point -- what should we go as? Hmm... I wonder if I can re-use some of the gorgeous dresses I've already gotten?" She considers for a few moments -- then shakes her head firmly, "Wait. One thing at a time! First the refugees, then the thank-you baked goods... then the costume ball!" With that, she goes back to enjoying her lunch with friends. She makes a mental note, though, to check with Elias: if he doesn't have a plus one in mind, she'll ask if he'd be willing to make Veles his plus one, as a thank you to the man's hard work for her!
Shane nuzzles Cinnamon's hair, "I'm sure you can... though this isn't like the other one -- like a Venetian masque where you have to try and conceal your identity. This is more like a costume party, so you don't have to cover your face."
Cinnamon grins up at Shane, "That'll definitely make it easier!" Next to them, Erin flits onto Thorn's shoulder and nibbles a pilfered redcurrant. Her appearance does make Thorn wonder if Athala was invited. The magpie nips cheekily at Thorn's hair once the redcurrant is gone, and seems quite content.
Once Thorn gets back to his quarters after lunch with Cinnamon and friends, he finds that he too has been invited and given a plus-one. He also has a message from Jaeger: the elders of the trod have been invited! That means Athala has been invited as well. It has been a while since Thorn has seen her. Thorn is very happy to hear that! Even so, he's not sure who his plus-one should be, at that. He looks to Erin, asking her with a grin, "What do you think, pretty lady?"
Erin caws quietly and nips at his hair. The picture in his head is of Veles -- perhaps because she was there when that conversation was on-going, and therefore knows most of the rest of the group has their own invitation or is someone else's plus-one. Thorn blinks to Erin. "Oh, that sounds like a good idea! Thank you!" Erin preens as if to say 'Of course it is!' She's a proud creature, after all.
Once lunch is concluded, Cinnamon gets to work! That afternoon her house smells heavenly as she bakes appropriate cakes or cookies for several of the folks she wants to thank, and they start going out the next day. She trots down all the way to the end of the street with Tre to deliver a large batch of heavily traditional, warmly spiced German lebkuchen or gingerbread cookies to Elm Manor, to thank both Marcus and Jaeger for their help regarding Nusantara and afterwards -- enough cookies that hopefully the servants there (except for Butler, alas) will get to enjoy them too! The little dragon also heads up the stairs to Shane's former apartment where Veles is staying for now to hand off what she read was a very popular Bulgarian dessert: a decadent chocolate torta Garash! While the creamy chocolate ganache is not decorated with the usual chocolate ornaments, Cinnamon did pipe a carefully cursive, vanilla icing 'Thank you Veles!' across the top of the five delicate walnut sponges layered with dark chocolate!
Next is a large batch of alfajores, or shortbread-style sandwich cookies filled with dulce de leche creme -- Cinnamon knows there's like ten other folks in Killa's compound too, after all! Spice and Josie receive a basket of traditional Welsh cakes, or small, round, spiced griddle cakes studded with sugared, dried fruit -- which Cinnamon considers to be most like very large cookies! Thorn receives a basket of redcurrant cream scones which he can, if he wishes, share with both his coworkers at the Infirmary, and with Erin, as a perfect light bridge between breakfast and lunch... while Jarek is gifted a small but delicious medovik, or Slavic honey cake.
Sparrow too receives a batch of Welsh cakes -- Cinnamon wants Sparrow to be able to share with Kestrel should they be on the street, after all, and the little dragon doesn't know what sorts of sweets the southwestern native tribes prefer. Sparrow thanks Cinnamon with a big hug and a kiss on the cheek. Kestrel is on the street when the sweets are delivered and they also hug Cinnamon tightly, beaming happily. Last of all, Tre receives more of his favorite 7-grain muffins. All of the sweet treats are delivered with Cinnamon's personal thanks for all the help she's received -- or in the case of Sparrow and Killa, for their courage and honor.
Cinnamon's thank-you treats are all very well-received! Indeed, in the following days she finds herself the recipient of several thoughtful, hand-written thank-you notes. The Elm Residence, in fact, is the origin of several of them -- as Marcus, Jaeger, and members of the staff all reply separately. Possibly surprisingly, the little dragon even gets a thank you note from Killa's people.
That, of course, takes a few days of hard work! Cinnamon squeaks in nervous happiness at the thanks from Sparrow and Kestrel, and is later delighted to receive so many lovely thank you notes! She carefully puts them up on her buffet table to admire and appreciate. Only once that's all done does she sit down with Shane to share a delicious mélange of all the goodies that didn't make the cut -- the cookies that crumbled too much, the leftover sauces and creams spread over the cake layers that broke -- it's a particularly deliciously messy and giggly affair! Shane, of course, is more than happy to reap the charmingly messy benefits of all his little dragon's baking and treat-making.
The next day's evening is Jiajun's planned talk, and Cinnamon is a happy little whirlwind of cooking activity again that day. By the time evening arrives, she's got several platters of tasty finger foods and their requisite utensils ready to roll -- and with Tre's and Shane's able assistance, it's all carted up to Currier's Hall, at the mouth of Coblyn Street. As Cinnamon happily informs her friends, she talked to Jiajun and Tao and they agreed to cover the drinks part of this affair. She hopes everyone has a great time and learns a bunch too! She adds excitedly, "Also, at the bare minimum, the folks who want to listen to Jiajun's talk are Sparrow and Kestrel, Elias, Josie, Merial from the pocket park, Hilde and maybe her sweetie Torben if he's here on the street, Caradog's representative Fiadh, me and you, and both the Akoesdi and Svnoyi elders! Pretty cool, huh?" Then she cheerfully adds to Shane, "Have you found someone on the street yet who can maybe build me an energy windmill too, asthore?"
Shane nods, "I asked Waylon -- he says he may be able to do it. He's never tried it before though, so it may take him some time and research. It seemed like doing the research may be something fun for him."
Cinnamon brightens, "Oh, yay! Waylon's a great idea, true. I'll stop by some time soon to chat with him about it -- maybe my online research might be of some use to him too?"
As the meeting's start time approaches, the room chosen at Currier's is actually quite full. There are the folks who Cinnamon notified, of course... plus a good twenty or thirty others have shown up -- fortunately in a room made to fit fifty or so. Tao and Jaw-long are also there, while Jiajun has a large flip-chart on an easel and several plants in their hydroponic pots on a table at the front of the room. Apparently he believes visual aids will help with his explanations.