{suddenly, you lose your way and lose the thread.

[terraria]

WHO: Aspen, various
WHERE: Shadowlands, Stygia, and more
WHEN: December
WHAT: Catch-all log (event + general)
WARNINGS: Refer to Aspen's blanket warnings to be safe. Includes nonsexual descriptions of nudity (nude model thread.)

→ harbor

( in this white-out winter, a slender figure steps through the snow with dogged determination. aspen acts like the wind doesn't really bother him, and in a sense, it doesn't - these winters are not unlike the ones he's witnessed in petir. he's missed them - in a sense that he hasn't seen snow for almost two years. he's been so used to rains that he almost forgot that most places got snow instead of flooding. while most seem to be bundled up and bustling, aspen enjoys the snowflakes dancing in the air and some that stick to his cheeks and lashes. that, however, doesn't mean he doesn't take notice when some people are freezing their tails off.

as he unlocks the side entrance to his still-remodeling shop, he calls - )

If you're cold, you can come in here for a reprieve.

( aspen's expression isn't as cheery as it usually is - even as he rustles and flaps his wings to knock the frost off of his feathers, there's something heavy hanging in the air about him. he pushes his braid out of his coat so it falls over his shoulder like usual, setting down the coat that he'd kept over his clothes. he's traded in pastels for darker blues and blacks, and he heads to the stone counter - opening the side gate so he stands behind the counter and starts taking care of the plants and walls of powders, tonics, and salves he has stashed away. )

What are you doing out here, if I may ask? You're not going to cross the sea, are you? If you get knocked off the ship, who knows if you'll freeze or not at this point - ghk...

( he covers his mouth as he coughs up a few flower petals, his sigh melding with an exhausted wheeze. he shakes his head with disappointment. )

Apologies.

Comments

[chokuto]

[Sasuke's frown deepens, gaze turning away.]

I speak my mind, that's all. [Even when it may come across as rude and confrontational. Truthfully, he just doesn't enjoy most people's company, and it's easier to be withholding than falsely amiable. Safer, too.] Or when the topic is personally interesting to me. The philosophy of leadership doesn't seem to vary much across worlds.

This Amir chose you as an ally. Are you royalty as well?

[terraria]

Ah -

Well, to start, royalty doesn't seek other royalty for safety. Or... well, not at first. A king or prince, for example, would usually have his own guard - people whose task it is to keep him and his family safe. This tends to be a group of warriors. Sometimes there are ancillaries to the guard, such as a personal doctor or some advisors. While they still carry the same function - to keep them safe - they do no combat.

That was my position. I was his personal healer, and something of an advisor.

( like a lock clicking shut, aspen's demeanor almost perfectly shifts from casual to guarded. )

[chokuto]

[It's an interesting contrast to the position of Kage, a leader levied up above everyone else for their individual strength regardless of bloodline or inheritance. He struggles to imagine someone in a position of leadership relying on other warriors for the matter of personal safety. Then again, even the Hokage had ANBU personnel on hand, however their power may have paled in comparison.

The description of advisor is more familiar, even if it leaves a bitter taste in his mouth for memory of the Konoha Council specifically.]

I see. You suit that position. [He notices the shift in demeanor, but says nothing to bring attention to it, reading instead a signal that it may be time he moved on.] ... Thank you for the serum. It helped. I need to return to my task before, so I'll leave you now.

[terraria]

Ah - I'm glad it helped...

( ... he does note sasuke's pale demeanor - was he this pale out in the forest too? - and his stance and can't help but frown.

but can he offer sasuke anything he'd prefer other than this task of his? aspen knows those who are goal-oriented are rarely taken off from their paths.

he'd know that best. instead - )

Take care. This frigid winter can creep up on you - I want to hear more about your home next time, so be careful out there!

[chokuto]

[He glances at Aspen once more, saying nothing about the expressed desire — or that he doesn't expect to live long enough to fulfill it. But Aspen's generosity and kindness during the short visit earn a brief nod of his head.

Then he turns from the counter and heads for the door, back out into the blistering cold.]