[ action | open ] it starts with a rattle

[magus_majere]

(( OOC: Let me know if your character doesn't age, or would age slower than normal. Raistlin is cursed to see time as it effects all things. ))

---

The voice that disturbed the quiet of the Bay was a horrible, rasping whisper, "...Shirak."

Light, cold and sterile, blazed into sudden life from the crystal atop of the newcomer's staff. It had been thrust out into the dark in the grip of a thin, attenuated hand, and Raistlin Majere stared at the unfamiliar surroundings that greeted him from where he sat in the odd... bed? he'd woken in.

This wasn't the Abyss.

Nor did it look like some new, creative setting invented by Takhisis to torture him with.

Well, then.

Something new.

The mage let the bottom of his staff hit the floor, and used it to help him swing his legs over the side of the bed, struggling his way to standing in the damp cave. Raistlin stayed there for a minute, swaying in place, both hands clutching the staff for support as a wave of dizziness threatened to pitch him down into the murky water.

He knew he didn't dare linger longer than he must in the cold water seeping into his boots and creeping up the thick velvet of his black robes and cloak, but it would be worse to fall. The instant he felt able, Raistlin moved forward and eventually out of the water entirely, before pausing once more, this time to steady his breathing.

The rattle; the wet, sucking wheeze of it was as clear as the way the light glinted off his strange, metallic golden skin. Moving quickly, he retrieved a pouch of foul-smelling medicine from inside his robes to breathe into -- in, rattle, rasp, out, wheeeeze. In...

Don't cough, don't cough, don't cough!

Comments

[captain_by_the_book]

[OOC: Normie human but he's taken from post-canon death, if that matters.]

Cassian didn't often visit the Bay, not being a fan of beaches, but today an investigation had taken him to the area. It had seemed like a good idea to visit the place his second life had begun.

When he caught sight of the humanoid with the metallic golden skin, obviously a new arrival, he decided he must have been right to think so if in an unexpected way. He approached him slowly, not wishing to startle him.

"Hello. Do you require medical attention?"

[magus_majere]

Well... good? With no Crysania or Caramon or even Dalamar -- or, gods forbid, Tasslehoff -- at hand to make play fetch, this stranger would do. Feeling the catch in his throat that signaled coughing wouldn't be held at bay for too much longer, Raistlin glanced over the stranger and managed to rasp out a couple words before it started.

"Hot... water!"

Aaaand there it went, Raistlin doubling over as the first of the coughs wracked his frail frame, one hand clutching the staff at his side for support as the other nearly dropped the pouch of foul-smelling herbs on the ground. The coughing sounded... in general, really not good. With no time to inhale properly between fits, the mage swayed visibly in place as his dizziness returned.

[captain_by_the_book]

Hot water? While not without sympathy for his coughing fit, Cassian gave the man a puzzled look. How did he expect him to come up with hot water here and now, with not a tea kettle in sight?

He stepped a little closer, not quite touching, but placing himself close enough that he could be used as a crutch if the man wished. "Do you think you can make it to a nearby bar? We should be able to get you hot water there." Cassian gave him another scrutinizing look. "Although I would rather call you a medic."

[wonderland_vogue]

(Lydia's a lich, so she doesn't age anymore. Also her skeleton in a black robe self is visible if he can see through illusions since that's all that shit is.)

Honestly, why she bothered to come see what new arrivals had shown up was anyone's guess. It wasn't something she normally did by any stretch of the imagination but something had pulled at her to actually come and check this sort of thing out this time.

And she can't say it's disappointed her, this... person, thing, hell if she knew what he was, at least seemed different from the usual fare of this place. The skin in particular was rather interesting and she merely stood near the entrance to the bay, arms crossed over her chest and a slender brow raised in question.

"I have to say, you certainly stand out in a crowd. Though what are you?" Blunt and rude and to the point as usual.

[magus_majere]

(( Hello fellow D&D canon! Going by his canon encounter with another lich lady, Raist won't see through it at first, but definitely will as the scene progresses. For the moment she'll just look immortal, which is enough to make him suspicious. ))

That skin of his gleamed like metal, but Raistlin's eyes were odder yet. Attention snapping to the stranger, his gaze followed suit from behind straggly, slightly damp white hair. Hourglass shaped pupils in the middle of unnaturally-golden irises.

A moment longer of breathing into the little pouch in his long fingers, and Raistlin's lungs finally un-clenched enough to let him lower it to his side. Not tucked back away yet, of course, he wasn't that far out of danger just yet. Still, here came that whisper of his, "...I could ask the same of you, my lady."

Sorry for being late af

[wonderland_vogue]

(That works, that works~)

Oh. She's quiet for a moment as she debates over the way to answer that question, probably bullshitting it is the best way for her to go. As far as she knows, he might just not know what an elf is, it's very possible.

"I'm an elf, darling, have you never seen one before?" Her voice is calm, casual, though her stance is showing much different with how stiff and defensive it appears to be. Though her eyes remain focused on him and nothing else in this area, not that there was anything here she hadn't seen before. Nothing... intriguing, at the very least.

"Though perhaps getting out of this wretched and gloomy place should be the first of your priorities? The city is by far better when you're out in the sun, after all."

[sarcastass]

[ooc: TOTALLY NORMAL HUMAN COMPLETELY NORMAL HUMAN WE'RE ALL NORMAL HERE NO ONE'S WEIRD HERE HOW DO YOU DO FELLOW HUMAN]

He almost thought, aaaalllllmost thought, that another shitty, constantly ill, wheezy bag of bones had decided to go spelunking for whatever reason in the bay caves. He was so ready to harass him.

He could do that, him and Tannusen were friends. It was allowed as long as no one got hurt. He has permission.

The hair was spot on, the robe color right.... and then it all just sort of fell apart after that because Szel's favorite wheezy angry alcoholic playmate was as white as bone.

Ain't none of that gold shit on him. He'd be tempted to think the priest had done something stupid, alchemy wise, but no. Nope.

That's not him. Which, honestly, spurred a little bit of curiosity. Hey, no one here has gold skin and is also made of flesh and blood, it's a curious affair.

So the first thing Raistlin is presented with is... Midge. A fat, fluffy corgi, golden eyes like a pair of saucers, nubby tail wiggling and stupid pink bandana bright enough to be seen from space.

"Bad day?" Ah, there he was, cane in hand, the smile just barely on the edge of being shit eating.

Look, look. He's bored, he's so bored, this isn't going to be personal he promises.

He hates everyone equally.

[magus_majere]

(( SO NORMAL. AND YOUR LITTLE DOG, TOO! (For anyone else paying attention, I've talked with Squid behind the scenes about how Raist will see Szelbutt and Midgebutt.) ))

Oh-ho, mockery. Raistlin's favorite. While many would have shrugged that 'level' of 'mockery' off, the mage was hyper-sensitive to the very whiff of that shit. He continued to breathe -- poorly -- into the pouch in his hand, and fixed Szel -- then Midge, and then Szel again -- with a decidedly unfriendly look.

"...Yes." The whisper was barely audible around all the rasping of his airway, and muffled into the pouch.

[sarcastass]

It'd definitely be an interesting sight for Raistlin, at least. The flashing of a multitude of black wings, visions of shredded, brilliant cloth. The smile anywhere from unpleasant to outright ghoulish at any point, while the animal sitting not far from the mages feet seemed to have a pair too many legs, fur and carapace, ears and antenna.

"It looks like it. I'd say welcome to Genessia, but I'm pretty sure there might be actual demilitarized zones more welcoming for you right now. Got something in your throat?"

[magus_majere]

The war-mage wouldn't argue the sentiment of those words, although he remained on guard about the tone the... creature, delivered them in.

Still, this place was already better than the Abyss. It didn't take much. At least he was standing.

Rather than reply with words, Raistlin's airway decided now was a great time to catch, and thus began the dreaded coughing fit. Tearing, wet, the scent of his blood was in the air after the third cough, with not enough chance to inhale again before the next. Raistlin swayed in place, clutching the staff at his side for support.

[sarcastass]

Oh, coughing!

"I guess the answer is yes!" And blood in it too, huh? Well shit, that was a bit more pronounced than his own wheezy windbag. The demon moved closer, those seen and unseen coal colored wings here and there and everywhere, smoke openly beginning to curl from the corners of his mouth.

Or perhaps, ragged gashes, it might be hard to tell.

"As much as I'd like to stand around and wait for you to finish, I actually do have some questions so-" A puff, just one cloud of sweet smelling smoke shot right at Raistin's face.

Akin to salbutamol, the mage might just begin to feel whatever was gumming him up starting to loosen and lessen, constricted airways relaxing.

[magus_majere]

It worked well enough! But when the effect started to take hold, Raistlin's head snapped up from his sleeve, a thin trail of blood trailing down his chin.

One hand still firmly clenched around the Staff of Magius, Raistlin's other snapped out to grab for a sooty black wing. His grip, if it landed, wasn't exactly gentle either -- there was more strength in those thin, bony, elegant fingers of his than anyone would have any reason to expect.

"What was that?"

[sarcastass]

This is the last time he does favors for wheezy fuckin strangers, goddamn.

He'd not expected the wings. The face, maybe. Hair grabbing attempt, maybe a shot at the cane.

Wings? That was a surprise. As far as he figured, no one could fucking see those shits. Raistlin got a good handful too, and all the oily soot that came along with them. The second he snagged them, all six wings openly flared fully into the physical plane, the shimmering sunset colors just beneath that film of dust and grease barely visible where Raistlin's hand had rubbed it off.

Not that he'd be given a lot of time to look at that because BITCH, NO TOUCHING. The reaction was violent and instantaneous: Szel was never a fan of being touched, but grabbing at the wings, of all things, was a surefire way to get a one way ticket on the Pain Train, and Raistlin was not gentle.

Teeth, needle sharp and far more numerous than one could count, were bared as he reeled back the hand that held his cane, both to strike with the cane itself, and spit a mouthful of poisonous black bile at the mages face. Midge, of course, was here to assist, all clattering carapace and vicious hissing, the clicking and rusty clattering, grating of gears sounding like an alarm as the lesser demon dropped its fuzzier shape in favor of the massive roach like insect he actually was.

RUMBLE.

[feckinboomstick]

Look, there were some products better found in Genessia City than Everglade. For instance, if you wanted spell components to say, curse someone with awful, nightmarish luck for the rest of their mortal life, you'd go to Everglade!

And if you wanted salami on sale... Genessia... Genessia might be a better choice, look he doesn't buy anything not on sale.

In his quest for half priced salami, he did actually have to walk past the bay cave and... Well. It was... it was hard to miss the person stumbling out of it. Both from what he could see and hear. Cassian almost, for one wild, confusing second, thought perhaps that was his own uncomfortable rattle, reaching for that stupid fucking inhaler at the pouch at his side before his brain caught up with him. His chest wasn't tight-

"... Ye alright, mate?" The newcomer at the cave, that was him?

[magus_majere]

Raistlin didn't dare answer immediately, just trying to control his breathing, back it away from the ledge that would involve a coughing fit. To that end, though his strange eyes locked on Cassian from over the top of the pouch he was breathing into, the mage managed a slight nod.

He was fine this was fine this was f i n e.

Wheeze, gurgle.

It was fine.

[feckinboomstick]

"... Fine, is it?" Look who doesn't look convinced.

"Right. You'll forgive a bit of healthy skepticism, aye?" You're not fine, Raistlin, but for the moment, Cassian made no move to approach him.

But he wasn't leaving either.

"I'll not tell ye your business though."

[magus_majere]

In, out, in, out. Slowly, Raistlin just kept breathing without saying a word, and slowly, it improved. The foul-smelling herbs in the pouch did their work, this time, and after a few long, long minutes, the mage lowered the pouch.

"Who are you?"

[feckinboomstick]

He slowly relaxed as the episode seemed to pass without incident, his shoulders lowering just a bit.

"Cassian Lynch. Take it you're new here then? Ain't seen your face about the network."

[magus_majere]

"I suppose I am," and Raistlin filed the word 'network' away for later inquiry. "My name is Raistlin Majere."

And even as he said it, he watched Cassian closely for any twitch, any hint of a reaction to that name.

[feckinboomstick]

"Tis a pleasure to make your acquaintance then, though I 'spose it'd be more so if ye didn't just crawl out of a soggy cave."

No reaction at all. It's a name!

"Ought to have it dredged really. Welcome to Genessia."

[blackrose_born]

The next creature he meets in this strange realm is... very short. Maybe even shorter than Tasslehoff. She almost passes the odd hyur by, intent as she is on her errand, but his rattling wheeze stops her. "You have the look and sound of a man who's in dire need of help." What kind of help? Physical, surely, but there's more to it than that. The man's aether is seething, a roiling mass of darkness that she doesn't even need the special goggles Sharlayans use to sense it. "Here. Sit a moment, and I'll fetch you something for that cough."

She appears to be wearing robes of some kind, though what self-respecting magus would wear black AND white? The book on her belt seems legitimate enough, though.

[magus_majere]

Raistlin was easy enough to herd, sort of, although he didn't sit down. Breathing into the pouch in his hand, trying to ease his lungs away from the fit they so badly wanted to cause. The staff at his side, moved with every slow step he may have taken, stood bolt upright from the ground and his hand stayed locked around it for support.

Had he a hand free, of course, Raistlin may well have reflexively checked that none of his components had just been borrowed.

[blackrose_born]

He'd have found all of them intact; Aeslyn isn't that kind of little person. She's as good as her word, though, returning very quickly bearing a small packet of cough lozenges and a bottle of cough syrup. She pours a dram of the syrup first, using the little plastic cup it came with. "Here. Drink this; it should start to ease things a bit immediately. Once you've got that down, suck on one of these - don't chew. It may taste like candy, but it's got a fair amount of menthol in it. And I really wish you would sit - you're going to give me a neck cramp if I have to keep looking up to speak to you like this."

[magus_majere]

Raistlin let go of the staff to take the tiny cup in his now-freed hand, holding it up to examine it. The... syrup, when he took his nose out of the pouch of herbs for a moment to sniff at it, was curious. It didn't smell like much of anything that he was familiar with, and that made it immediately of great interest.

Back into the herbs his lower face went, odd eyes fixed on the colorful goop in the little cup. "What is this?"

[blackrose_born]

"Medicine. It's a type that's mass produced here; I believe it has codeine in it, among other things. It also has a tiny bit of alcohol as a base - it may burn a little going down. Or, if you prefer, I can try to make something up for you from more natural herbs. I haven't had much call to practice alchemy here, but I'm certain I remember the methods." She waits patiently for him to make his decision - she won't force him to drink the cherry-flavored syrup, but she's not going to walk away while he's still obviously suffering. "Or I could try to heal you with magic."