The faint sound of splashing accompanies a mingled sense of excitement and bewilderment, seemingly coming from the stage of New Celest.
You tilt your head curiously.
<Run to the stage!>Tentatively peeking about, you say, "Um... hello?"
Nalurei is bobbing up and down in front of the stage, dripping water profusely.
You have emoted: Farvu lifts the curtains, then pauses as she hears the drip-drop of someone nearby. Turning, she blinks with astonishment at Nalurei.
l nalurei
Strands of seaweed align to form the sleek, arcing lines of a leaping dolphin, balancing almost perfectly upon a leafy tail. Nalurei's back is composed of dark green weeds, while paler, yellower strands form the belly, in homage to the colouration of a normal dolphin. Despite the leafiness and static pose, the kelpie has captured something of the speed and joy of the dolphin's movements within her form. Her pale blue eyes sparkle, set behind the perpetually smiling mouth. Nestled within the strands of kelp, a small shell figurine is cradled protectively.
You say to Nalurei, "Oh hello! I'm so sorry I didn't see you there."
With a flourish of your arm, you bow deeply.
Nalurei says, "Oh! Oh. Hello! I ummmmm was told there was a play! And She said I should watch it, but I came here and there is no play?"
Pushing up her spectacles as she smiles, you say, "Ah! Well, what's very exciting about plays is that they are recorded, so any time you want to rewatch, you can."
You say, "Niralahi's newest play was quite fun! Is that the one you wanted to see? It's called..." She pauses for dramatic effect. "The Spy Who Loved the Sea."
Nalurei nods her head vigorously. "That one, yes. She said it might help inspire me, and that it would be good for me to see other art forms. The Serene Water's paintings are lovely, but so far my own paintings are not," she explains confidingly.
You clap your hands together merrily.
You say, "What's lovely about art I think is the way it inspires others. You see, the Lady Carakhan was actually the one who inspired Niralahi to write this play."
Bubbling over with excitement, you say, "I was really excited to act in it, actually! Niralahi let me play the best part."
You hum a happy tune.
Suitably impressed, Nalurei says, "Ooooh! And did it inspire you?"
You laughingly say, "It did! Now I have a play of my own I need to perform soon."
The rowdy notes of a drinking song, faint at first, then rising to the undisputed intensity of a Dwarf On A Mission, herald the arrival of Ironbeard the Magnanimous who casts his beam of a smile about himself as he arrives.
Laughing deeply, Ironbeard the Magnanimous proclaims, "Merry Solstice, Farvu!"
Ironbeard the Magnanimous just gave you a crystal anniversary present!
You jump into the air and land with a bump.
Visibly startled, you say, "Th-thank you!"
Ironbeard the Magnanimous exclaims, "No nneed to thaek me! Thaalnk thhff Gods foq Their gift off lifee!"
With a sudden look of concentration, Ironbeard the Magnanimous smiles a crooked smile, rubs his ample stomach, and fades to nothingness, followed by the sound of a distant belch.
You quickly unwrap a crystal anniversary present, which sprays glittering silver dust and cheerful confetti into the air, and grin enormously upon receiving a plush doll of a coronuli.
You've unwrapped A STANDARD PRESENT! Type PRESENTS to see your Gift Counter.
You say to Nalurei, "He must be a patron of the arts."
Comments
<To avoid spoilers of the play, I've chosen to only clip the best parts. For context, Farvu plays a mugwump bard named Phelosh, a devout member of the Lady Carakhan's order. I'll put any parts that are from the play in italics. It has been heavily abridged to make it easier to read!>
Nalurei looks at you, then at the stage, then back at you. "It's a very handsome form. Do you use it much?" she asks curiously.
You laughingly say to Nalurei, "Only the once!"
-----
<after Phelosh prepares for his spy mission with a costume change>
Nalurei says to you, "I like how you changed your shape only a little bit there."
You say to Nalurei, "Thank you! Niralahi came up with both shapes."
-----
In a hushed gasp, Phelosh Mellulog says, "Lady Carakhan?"
You perk your ears up as an errant topic catches your interest.
Nalurei beams broadly.
-----
<when things got a little too scary in the play>
Nalurei glances at you, and takes a deep breath, seeming calmer as she watches poor Phelosh get dragged away.
-----
Phelosh Mellulog sings, "Though the reefs of calamity lurk beneath, though we sail through winds we cannot control, my Lady's waters still carry me far and cradle the ship that is my soul."
Nalurei hums along with the hymn, kelp twitching in worry.
You whisper to Nalurei, "The hymns Niralahi wrote are some of my favorite parts of this play."
Nalurei says to you, "They are lovely! And a welcome respite from the horrible things happening. I wish we could hear the whole verses."
Nalurei says to you, "Without the torture in between."
You have emoted: Farvu nods firmly in agreement.
Nalurei rustles in distress at Phelosh's predicament. "It didn't hurt -you- did it?" she asks worriedly.
With a vigorous shake of her head, you say to Nalurei, "Nope! It's all illusions in stagecraft. Smoke and mirrors! We pretended."
-----
<as our hero faces the daring climax of the play>
You whisper, "You'll like this next part."
Sir Romaan D'Rose, Knight of the Paladins says to you, "No spoilers!"
Evette hides a grin behind her hand.
You quickly clamp your hands over your mouth.
Nalurei covers her eyes with a strand of kelp to avoid looking at the bridge, but at your words she peeks around it.
-----
Phelosh Mellulog holds his breath as he waits for more, looking from side by side as he and the constables regain their balance and slowly walk further along the Bridge. "Lady Carakhan?" he whispers hopefully.
Nalurei bobs up and down in excitement. "Lady Carakhan!" she echoes, confidently.
Phelosh Mellulog lets out a sigh of relief that emerges as a stream of bubbles rising from his mouth through the water as he gratefully tests his limbs and begins kicking out his legs in a smooth swimming stroke.
Nalurei claps her kelp-flippers together in delight.
-----
<after the play concludes>
Romaan gives up a round of applause.
Brightly, you say to Nalurei, "What did you think?"
Nalurei gasps happily, her attention still fixed upon the stage. Imitating Romaan, she applauds wildly with her flippers.
Nalurei says to Farvu, "It was so good! I am so glad I got to watch it, thank you very much for helping me."
<Niralahi, the playwright, arrives belatedly>
Nalurei exclaims, "It was very alarming for a little bit, but I suppose that made the rescue- oh! Hello!"
Nalurei exclaims to Niralahi, "It was a lovely play! You were so many shapes!"
Radiant Soul Niralahi looks thoughtful and says, "I'm so glad that that fascinating little creature seemed to like the play, though! Nalurei was her name, right?"
You nod your head emphatically. You say, "She is a kelpie that the Lady Carakhan seems to have taken under Her wing. Er, flipper. Fin?" She ponders the term, rubbing her chin thoughtfully, before dismissing it. "She expressed great admiration for your characters and your prayers!"
"Oooooooooh!" Niralahi says, eyes wide with wonder.
Radiant Soul Niralahi says, "I had no idea. Perhaps I would have been a bit more...reverent, or something, if I had known that she was sort of a special ward of Lady Carakhan's."
You say to Niralahi, "We also discussed how art inspires art. I mentioned how the Lady Sculptor inspired you to write this, and how you inspired me to create my own work."
Considering this, you say, "Hmm, I don't know. She didn't seem particularly uptight about that sort of thing."
Showing that she understands, Niralahi nods her head slowly. Radiant Soul Niralahi says, "That is true, what you said, though. Art is like a cycle that keeps on leading to more art, which is what makes it so wonderful."
You nod your head in agreement.
You say, "Sort of like how water is always flowing, from one source to another?"
Carakhan, Sculptor of Waves has bestowed Her divine truefavour upon you.
It’s easy to be cruel without meaning to be. There’s nothing you can do about that. But you can choose to be kind. Be kind.’