[ Righto. Now that I've found my brain... ] [ Last we saw anything in particular, Ada had left the rest of the group to go inspect the supposed witches' cottage. Nobody was quite of the mind or ability to follow, so at the moment she's alone. Which is probably just fine with her. ] [ Session Start! ] * Ada walks with determined, steady steps back to where it was. Her face is a careful blank, though she's not on the watch for anything set to ambush her. [ No cute little pixies ambush Ada on the way to the cottage, which she reaches before too long. It's changed. ] * Ada stops, now, looking it over. She doesn't seem particularly surprised it's changed, but... [ The tree looks overgrown, now, and is beginning to warp the roof of the houst build onto it. The paint is dried and peeling, and everything about it seems old, as though nobody had lived in it for years. ] * Ada frowns slightly. She glances around, then walks over to the door and tries to open it. [ Ada succeeds, although she has to turn the rusty old knob pretty hard. Inside, the house is surprisingly dusty. ] * Ada enters, coughing and blinking at all the dust she's unsettling. She brings up a hand to gesture... then pulls it back down to her side before she can cast. * Ada looks around the front room, then starts checking the others. [ The others are in similar states of disarray. Ada finds what apparently used to be someone's closet, and the clothes haven't been eaten by moths - maybe the pixies keep them at bay. ] * Ada tilts her head and gets a better look at the clothes. They similar to what the demon was wearing? [ They are. ] * Ada pulls one of the sets out, lets a frown pass over her face, and then places it back with unusual care. She returns to looking around. [ Ada finds some books she can't read, some miscelaneous items, and some old, old furniture; all of it collecting dust. The lab equipment is all intact, although liquids that were in it have dried. There's a few small oil paintings on the walls in some of the rooms. The telescope is still in working order, although it needs cleaning. ] [ All in all, the place looks like the inhabitant just disappeared one day, and nobody's dared touch it since. ] * Ada lets out a faint sigh and shakes her head. She gives the home another, almost sad glance, then moves to leave. [ Ada walks out the door of the old dead house. Once outside, she notices something odd about a larg bole on the tree. It seems to have a pair of latches holding it closed. ] * Ada leans against the doorway for a moment, then spots the bole. She blinks, shakes her head as if to clear it, and finally goes over. * Ada runs her fingers over it before just trying to open the thing. [ The bole looks like it's been turned into a small trunk or chest, now that she looks at it. The opening is so finely cut that, without the latches, you might not know one was there. ] * Ada kneels in front of it and opens the thing. If she can. [ It's easy enough to open; it, of all the things here, seems new and alive. ] * Ada looks inside. Gold? Jewels? Trinkets? [ Inside is a folded piece of vellum with a solid ruby ring resting on top of it. ] * Ada hesitates, then reaches in and picks up the ring, followed by the vellum. ( This ring is a symbol of my love. Ada, will you marry me? ... ) (A better choice than Ethan! ;P) ( Knew you were gonna say that o/~ ) [ The vellum has writing on the inside of the folded area. The ring has all manner of curious runes and figures on it, each in incredible detail. ] * Ada peers at the ring for a moment, then closes her hand around it. She goes from kneeling to sitting as she opens the vellum and takes a look. [ The ring is warm to the touch, and oddly comforting. The vellum has the words, which are in Elnohfec of an older form of popular speech, burned into it rather than written on with ink. ] * Ada blinks. She looks down at the ring, then to the letter, and starts to read. ( "Call me Ishmael..." ) (*shoots Ethan*) ( *kills Jesse* ) [ "Dearest Ada," begins the letter, "I'm sorry I wasn't there to raise you. My labor was troubled, and I'm afraid I died shortly after naming you.I'm sure you understand that this wasn't by choice, and I never meant to abandon you in any way" ] * Ada frowns, but keeps reading. [ "Some time after my death, I was fortunate enough to have become a spirit of the forest, which is why I'm able to communicate with you in some small way now." ] [ "I don't know how you came to be under a faerie lord's care, much less one such as Xivilai, but I assure you it wasn't my choice. However, I did manage to drop by from time to time, and it was through these visits - and some peeks into the faerie's mind - that I decided that you'd be safe, possibly even happy, there." ] [ "I've done my best to see to it that you were raised well, but after only the first few years of your life, Yxonumei decided to come along. She's a demon, and an ancient one, who existed long before the Empire was formed. But a battle with a god weakened her, and since then, she sought ways to increase her power." ] [ "That's what brought her to my forest... and to you." ] [ "Try as I might, I couldn't stop her from taking control of my forest. Had she gone somewhere else, or done anything else, I might have gotten a warning to you, but she determined you would be back and held me captive for fifteen horrific years, secure in her plan to kill you and turn you into her host." ] [ "I worried and thought about you constantly, but I couldn't do anything. I promise you, I had no choice, or things would have turned out differently." ] [ "I did, however, use the time to devise a plan to stop her when you finally neared. It partially worked, weakening Yxonumei further, but she retaliated by sending one of my manifestations to attack you and your friends, and later using my own appearance to lure you into a sense of security." ] [ "It was terrible. I had to watch as she held me fast, feeding you lies and attempting time after time to kill or hinder your friends. That cookie wasn't a dragon sedative - it was intended to be lethal. Among other things, but you've discovered the truth behind the red moon already." ] [ "All I could do was wait, and when she led you into the cave, I had my chance. Once there, she couldn't affect the rest of the forest. I used this time to heal your faerie friends and show them where you were." ] [ "I burned the cake that demon left in the oven so your other friends would search for you. When the demon tried to control that boy a second time, I helped him... though I couldn't stop it entirely. The only thing I couldn't do was keep Yxonumei from harming you. But I would have, if it were within my power." ] [ "The last thing I've done was create this letter and ring, placing it where you would find it. The ring is infused with my essence. If you wear it, I will always be close, and will always be able to watch over you. I'm sorry I couldn't - and can't - do anything more, but even so, I'm glad. Because if you wish, I will finally be able to take some small part in your life." ] [ "I would manifest here and speak with you, but with all that's happened, I simply don't have the power anymore. But there is a way... if you wish, you can use one of the magic mirrors in Xivilai's keep to communicate with me. The ring will show you when you are ready. I look forward to meeting you, my dear Ada." ] [ It is signed, "Your Mother, Who will Always Love You," ] [ "Lydia Taltos". ] * Ada reads, her expression shifting: blank, hurt and angry, confused, and eventually blank again, but with the interesting addition of silent and slow crying. She ignores it, concentrating on the letter, her lips eventually moving as she reads the last few sentences. * Ada finishes and just... stares before crumpling in on herself as she bursts into tears. * Ethan suddenly appears, as if out of nowhere, kneeling next to Ada and silently putting an arm around her shoulder reassuringly. His glaive is held in his free hand, and he's looking... pale. Not great. But oddly serious. * Ada doesn't seem to notice as she sobs, clutching the letter and ring with her head bowed, hair falling in disarray around her. * Ethan squeezes Ada's shoulder lightly, in another attempt to conver "reassuring", but doesn't otherwise make any other moves/sounds. * Ada looks up at the squeeze. "Ethan?" she asks shakily, though she doesn't stop crying. "I- I-" * Ethan nods, forcing out a warm smile, despite the fact that he looks like hell. * Ada pauses for a moment, mouth open, then bursts into tears again, burying her face in his shoulder this time. "'m sorry." * Ethan rests his glaive on the ground, and brings the newly free arm around to hug Ada. "Shh. s'okay. I'm here for ya." Shouldn't be. Never been there. For... anybody. Doesn't matter. I'm here, and I ain't goin' anywhere. * Ada sobs, her voice somewhat muffled. "Why?" Stupidity, mostly. Some degree of insanity, too. * Ethan shrugs. "And like I said before... I care about ya. And I don't say that lightly." But- I- I don't know if... if I- * Ethan nods. "I know. I may not be the most observant guy in the world, 'specially with regards to women, but I figured that out already." * Ada chokes on her tears and nods into Ethan's shoulder. And while I certainly wouldn't object to the feelin' being mutual... I'm still here if it ain't. * Ada shakes her head, but doesn't say anything more for a long while, eventually settling down aside from the occasional sniffle. * Ethan falls silent, content to let Ada emotions run their course. * Ada pulls back, wiping at her eyes, then freezes for a moment. * Ada frantically starts trying to smooth the crushed letter. * Ethan pulls out one of the massive tomes on military strategy from his backpack, and hands it to Ada. "Use this." [ The letter, being written on something halfway between cloth and paper, smooths out easily and without much wrinkling. ] Somethin' really important on that letter... * Ada peeks to make sure it's okay, then lets out a breath of relief. "It's... it's from my mother. My real one." ... really important, then. * Ethan hesitates a bit before speaking. "Is she..." * Ada nods. "When I was born." There's a certain sad resignation to it. Then how... magic? I don't know. * Ada falls silent for a moment, then says, "I've always hated her." You didn't know. Couldn't have known. s'only natural. But I did. I didn't even know her. And- and she does all of this to protect me, and... * Ada trails off. Again, Ada... she wasn't there. Your only reasonable assumption was the one you made. I doubt even she could blame you for that, if she were still here. * Ada shakes her head. "What about you? You don't make any sense. I never did anything for you. Not really." * Ethan grins widely at that. "Has anything I've done since we've met made sense?" * Ada doesn't respond in kind, folding the letter. "It should." * Ethan shrugs. "I never asked for anything in return. I never really expected anything in return. I'm giving what I want to give." * Ada sighs, opening the hand with the ring. "I just don't see why." I dunno. Does there have to be a logical reason? It'd be nice. I mean... Hmm? * Ada sighs. "I don't know what I mean." If you want, we can go with "I have strange taste in women" for the time being. *smirks* * Ada shifts. "Okay." She looks down at the letter. "Thanks, I think." * Ethan grins. "No prob, Ada. Anytime." * Ethan grabs his glaive, plants the blunt end on the ground, and uses it to push himself unsteadily to his feet. After taking a moment to get his balance, he reaches down, offering Ada a hand up. * Ada slips the ruby ring on her right ring finger, then accepts Ethan's help. * Ethan notices the ring for the first time as he pulls Ada to her feet. "... a gift?" From my mother. * Ada pauses, then says, "Her name was Lydia. Lydia Taltos." That would make you... Ada Taltos? * Ada nods. "That would be one name." * Ethan nods. "Has a nice ring to it." * Ada smiles faintly and looks away, mouthing something. This is followed with, "I guess we weren't able to lift your curse after all. Yet, anyway." Well, on the bright side, whatever the new part of my curse is, we know it doesn't involve my becoming psychotic and homicidal. That was the snake lady messin' with my head. She might do it again. Yeah, but at least this time you guys'll know what's going on. * Ada shakes her head. "I don't know." * Ethan frowns. "Sei managed to snap me out of it with that healing blade of his, but not before I took a decent chunk outta Nebrinel's torso. Wasn't good." On the bright side, I think we showed snake lady who's boss. ... I mean, despite the fact that we really weren't able to hurt her in any way, shape, or form. The Great Weapons can probably hurt her, if used right. * Ada shakes her head. "I just don't like it. Everything comes down to them." Not really. Even the greatest of weapons is nothing without a person to wield it. But relying on items... * Ada shrugs. ... of course, a warrior is only as good as the tools he or she carries. ... so I have absolutely no idea what point I was trying to make. You were babbling to fill in empty space. That sounds likely. * Ada tucks the letter in her cloak, hesitates for a moment, then gives Ethan a hug. * Ethan blinks, blushes, then tilts his head at Ada quizzically. * Ada pulls away and gives a small, genuine smile. "I owe you one." * Ethan blinks again, then grins. * Ada takes his hand. "And I don't say things like that lightly," she continues, mirroring Ethan's statement earlier. "Don't forget." * Ethan nods, somehow managing not to completely ruin the moment by walking into a tree or something. "Not gonna, lass." * Ada nods. "Good." [ Session end! ;_; ]