[Last we saw Arisa and Julie, they were looking for a magic circle. Unfortunately, the only magic circle either of them could think of was at Guna's house, which is where you both are. You are just walking in the door. Session start!] * Arisa heads back into the house, looking about. She seems bashful about the intrusion. "Hello? Anyone here?" [Nobody responds. Julie looks over at Arisa and says, "They were at the party, remember? I'm going to change out of my kunj'lo'nap... it's probably not good for fun near the river."] * Arisa purses her lips and thinks for a moment before glancing at Julie. "I thought they might have stopped back." She sighs and looks at her gul'tari. "To be honest, I don't really...HAVE all that much to change in to. This is far from traditional for me, but I didn't come with clothes..." [Julie nods and says, "Well, all I came with was my military outfit, so my options are pretty limited too. Well, there was a pile of clothes here..."] * Arisa frowns and starts at least looking for a cloak/robe to wrap around her. It's not traditional either for her, but at least it'd cover her better than her current fair. She's certainly not likely to find something close to her usual outfit. (There's the t-shirt and shorts stuff like what you wore before... Guna wore robes. You can probably find one of those too.) [Julie goes to your guys' room to change herself.] * Arisa gets a robe, preferably knee-length but not longer if she can, because she really doesn't want to go through the hassle of changing * Arisa does look for if she can find a pack or something though. [Not much luck on knee length, I'm afraid.] (Longer, though, yep.) * Arisa sighs and brings it anyhow, looking for one that's at least easily discarded if trouble arises. Hard to run in long robes. [You find satisfactory robes, at least. Browns and reds are what you're stuck with.] * Arisa goes with brown [Julie comes out of your room in her military outfit, although no armor, and looks at the circle. "Are you ready?"] * Arisa nods. "I have been." She looks Julie over critically. 'Are you sure you're comfortable in that though?" * Arisa finds something to attach the scythe to her back as well. Anything that could be used as a simple tie. [Julie says, "I'd really like something nice and comfortable, but I don't think any of this'll fit me." Meanwhile, you find a number of things that will work for ties, and can get that sucker strapped to your back straight away.] * Arisa works on doing it, speaking idly to Julie. "It's a shame. Sometime I'd have to see you more normal. It'd be a shame to have such a harsh impression of the Op'Hak as solely militaristic." * Arisa finishes her tie and smiles, standing. "I am ready." She steps towards the circle. [Julie blinks, then blushes, then says, "You're right. Maybe I can stop home at some point and pick up different clothes."] [Julie then walks over to the circle and starts, as opposed to picking at it like Guna, making wide swishy gestures, causing large sections of it to change.] * Arisa pays mild attention but not too much to it. She has no idea what Julie's doing and probably won't from simply watching her. [Suddenly, with one last swish, she nods and walks to the center. "Okay, ready? This should put us near the river... after that, who knows."] * Arisa nods simply and adjusts her stance to try and stay relaxed. [Julie gestures outwards and a small fire starts to light up the circle, and then suddenly you're surrounded by flames.] * Arisa doesn't flinch at the flames. Really. [The christmas-colored dimension is nowhere to be found, as it is more like you're screaming at high speed through a tunnel of fire.] [Julie helpfully yells out, "Don't worry, you won't get burned!" It's incredibly comforting. Really.] [There's suddenly a wall of fire in front of you, or so it seems, and you have time to scream, maybe, before running into it... and then suddenly there's the oppressive sound of rushing water, and darkness. But you're OK!] * Arisa doesn't scream but she looks over her hands, turning them this way and that before looking at Julie silently [It's super-dark. Julie looks over towards you, and then a flame burns in her hand, illuminating the area. She was right when she said you were going to be near the river. It's about 10 feet away. And it's fast and angry.] * Arisa 's ears twitch as she listens to the river. She tilts her head for a better hear and glances over at Julie. "Is this the effect of the crystal's destruction?" [Julie looks over at the river and nods slightly. "The Yu'Mon is nearly the only river that is left, and that only because it is so angry. It randomly floods the surrounding area, slowing it down, but it is always violent."] * Arisa frowns. "And there's no way to fix this?" She sighs and turns towards the roaring. "The plants can't live like this...I can't imagine how it might be..." [Julie mms, and turns her flame inland, which illuminates a half-a-dozen trees nearby. They're a weird sort of tree, very hardy bark, and some very tough looking stuff near them, but no grass. It's also a bit muddy.] * Arisa looks around for any herbs, but she doubts she'll find anything (Casual or detailed?) [Julie starts to walk inland a bit, herself. Not at a fast pace, just... away from the water.] (Casual right now. She'd do a detailed look if she thought there was a chance and since there's no grass, she doesn't.) [Then she's right. Nothing obviously there. Julie looks back at her, from walking, and says, "Coming, Arisa?"] (You get to roll a hearing check!) * Arisa nods and starts to follow, ears scouting the area. 2d8-6 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Arisa (2d8-6) and gets 8. (Barely @_@) [You can hear the faint sound of wind instruments in the distance, and drums. Most strongly coming from 'away from the river'.] * Arisa hmms and hums along with the instruments for a moment before turning to Julie. "Do the humans hold such festivals at the same time?" [Julie blinks. "They... not unless they heard about it. I wouldn't think anyone would have told them. If they heard about it, maybe... they worship the same gods as us, after all."] * Arisa points in the direction of the music. "Well, I hear some instruments coming from that direction. It sounds as if they're celebrating *something*" [Julie listens and says, "I can't hear anything... well, if you can, we might as well walk that way."] * Arisa starts to walk, her ears twitching still as they listen to the music, knocking any hairs that may have been covering them aside. She still seems to be humming in time to the music as she walks, arms stretching overhead. [It's currently a fastish drum and flute beat. Very tribal celebration style. Julie ahs and says, "Oh, I can hear it now. It's..." she trails off and smiles a little as she looks over at you stretching and humming and generally seeming happy.] * Arisa doesn't seem to notice. There does seem to be a slight bounce in her step though. Very fond of the music. [Julie continues looking at you, and seems happy herself.] * Arisa turns around, skipping a bit. "Come, Julie. Do you dance?" [Julie blinks, and says, "I... um... yes." She smiles. "Yes I do."] * Arisa laughs airily and holds out her hand. "Come on." [Julie smiles widely and takes your hand, at least, with the hand that _isn't_ on fire.] * Arisa starts skipping and semi-dancing with Julie to the beat, slowly advancing towards the source of the music. Her laughter seems boisterous and full of energy. [Julie at first runs along, and then skips along too once she figures out skipping.] * Arisa giggles and grins at Julie. "I never thought I'd see someone who's an awkward skipper." [Julie almost stumbles, and says, "I never... skipped? before. "] ["That's what this is? Skipping?"] * Arisa laughs at Julie's response. "Your people are tremendously silly. Of course it's skipping." [Julie says a little indignantly, "Well, just because we don't skip doesn't mean anything." Then she laughs a little.] * Arisa stops skipping to smile at Julie. "Honestly, a culture that is so proud that it forgets to enjoy themselves is no culture I wish to be a part of." [Julie sounds scandalized and says, "I know how to enjoy myself!"] * Arisa chuckles and pokes her. "Prove it. You seemed so glum before I came along. And if I have to teach you everything...well..." * Arisa stands up suddenly. "But there'll be time for that later. Right now we have to investigate that music." [Julie blinks and takes a step back, and says, "Prov..." then Arisa's second statement comes in and she nods. "Fine, we'll investigate the music."] * Arisa smiles faintly. "It's not as if I plan on going anywhere else any time soon. I'm stranded on this planet." * Arisa starts heading towards the music. (Still holding hands and possibly skipping?) (Not any more, no) [Julie stays where she's standing for a second, then grins and chases after you, to keep your path lit.] [Julie says grinning, "I'll prove it to you, I promise," as you close the distance to the music.] * Arisa grins back to herself as she searches for the music's source. [Closer and closer you get, and you can start seeing lights in the distance, including a bright one that's probably a big fire.] [You've been walking through a forest the entire time, and the ground has been getting progressively dryer.] * Arisa whispers to Julie. "Put the light out when we're close enough to see using theirs. We don't want to be interpretted as hostile by mistake." [Julie nods once. "It should be OK. Humans don't like to fight people."] Even so, we don't want to startle them. Well, it's your judgement. [You get close enough to see by the light of the fire, and she puts out her hand flame as you ordered. The music is loud and joyous, and you can see people dancing all over in the area.] [They're humans, and none of them seem naked. In fact, they're all wearing mud/bark/plant based clothing as they dance around. One dancing person, a fairly nice looking guy, cleaner than most of the humans, and not dancing too strenuously, sees you and begins to walk over, striding with purpose.] * Arisa blinks at that and ducks down behind any closeby hills in the landscape suddenly. [There are none. There are trees, though, if you wanna do that. Julie gives you a funny look.] [The man closes the distance to Julie and bows at her slightly. "Welcome, fire person. I'm Bart, the young leader of the Bluewood Forest Tribe." He glances off the direction you went, then back at Julie.] * Arisa whispers harshly. "What?" as she found the tree, halfway behind it. [Julie chuckles and turns towards Bart. "I'm Jul'pmak'guby, and the woman hiding behind a tree over there is shy."] * Arisa blushes at the statement and takes a step out, timidly waving at Bart. [They both look over at you. The guy's smiling slightly, and says, "I've been meeting a lot of shy women rececntly... wearing weird things. Hello, I'm Bart, as you heard."] * Arisa raises an eyebrow at that. "Shy women how?" * Arisa steps out a little further. [Bart says, "A nice woman who helped stop the war... very weird, though. Didn't let Sheila touch her at all, even with har shoulder hurt."] * Arisa blinks at Bart, eyes widening. "Miss Shimiru is here?" [Bart blinks and looks at you. "Missshimiru? Takishimiru is here... she's taking a bath with Sheila."] She's... * Arisa turns to Julie, with an odd look on her face. "What would have possessed her to come out here I wonder?" [Bart finishes, "Taking a bath with Sheila, yes. She didn't want to dance." Julie looks over at you, and says, "She did want to go hit things, remember?"] * Arisa frowns. "I hope she didn't mean people...although I'd gather that they'd have been less receptive of her if she had." She turns to Bart. "Might you take us there?" [Bart laughs faintly, and says, "As much as I would like that, I'm afraid I have to stay. However, it is off in that direction," he points. "Not too far." He glances back towards the fire. "I'd better be getting back." Um...excuse me..but what is this celebration for if I may ask? [Bart says, "The big fight is over! The gods' children are at peace again. Takishimiru said so."] * Arisa blinks. "She said that?" [Bart says, "Well, not the gods' children part... I guess she doesn't come from normal humans. Krystal seems to know something, but we haven't gotten to talk much, with the celebration."] [Bart looks back towards a woman who's waving at him, and he laughs, before turning back to both of you. "I'm sorry to be so abrupt, but I've still got a lot of dancing to do. Just go off that way," he points again, "And you'll find Takishimiru and Sheila."] ["Be sure to come back. We've got a lot more celebrating to go tonight!"] * Arisa nods and looks off in the distance in the direction of the pointing. [You can't see anything. It's off into the darkness.] [The people continue dancing, the music continues going! There's a little food going around, carried by a guy who's a few inches taller than you.] [Julie watches the music and smiles more and more, before saying, "Are we going to see Taki, or am I going to have to prove a thing or two to you?"] * Arisa doesn't fully seem to be listening to Julie as she walks towards the bathes. [Julie hurries along. And unless Arisa grabs a torch, lights it up for her.] * Arisa doesn't really need the torchlight, but takes it anyhow. Make Julie feel she's important (No, if you _didn't_ take a lit torch, Julie does her handlight thing.) (If you did, then she doesn't bother.) (She didn't. But Arisa has low-light vision. Perks of being part elvish. ^^;) (Aha.) (Okay!) [Julie lights up her hand as you walk.] * Arisa doesn't seem quite as talkative as she approaches the bathes. Not unfriendly, but contemplative. [Julie lets you get away with it.] (Hah) [As you continue walking, YOU get a chance to make a vision check.] (HA count?) (Sure.) 2d8-2 * Dicesuke throws the bones for Arisa (2d8-2) and gets 11. (Arisa's caught unawares) [You don't see anything! Stupid Julie's fire's too bright.] [The story continues in 'A Warm Reunion'!]