Culuril's Strixhaven Adventure

When Mae starts to run off, Larine is quick to jump up to go after her  Aurora stops the green-haired girl for just a moment, saying something quietly to her. Larine then runs to catch up with Mae. 

By the time Aurora turned her attention back to the rest of the tavern, Malvyn had just headed back to their table. She looks puzzle a moment as she walks back to him.  Passing near the table with the others, she waves and briefly stops. "If you are interested in the music, the stage will be just through the doors on the patio. Our table has one of the best views, if you wanted to join us. Although I'm sure Malvyn already offered." 

She smiles faintly, suggesting maybe she suspected he hadn't. But she moves along to join the Tiefling. "I saw you went over to greet the fans," she says jokingly. "I presume you saw Mae left. I'd hoped she'd come do a song with me tonight. I think though it was better she left."

The responses come quickly enough, and Aspen stills. For just a moment, she doesn’t move at all. Her ears dip low, not sharply, but enough to betray the shift as the pieces fall into place. Arinchu had apparently gone looking for her. Aspen hadn’t been there. Didn't see her when she left. And still, to learn Arinchu was left waiting... A quiet breath catches in her chest before she lets it out just as softly, her gaze lowering for a heartbeat as she gathers herself. “…oh.” It’s barely more than a whisper, but it carries. Her tail stills behind her, the earlier easy sway gone thoughtful and low.

When she looks back up, some warmth is still there, just faded now. Dimmed from internally held frustration over something that shouldn't of turned out this complex. “Thanks.” She says gently to the group, and there’s sincerity in it, even through the small knot forming in her chest. "She shouldn’t be left to wait alone and have to wander on her own.”

Chierhy’s offer draws her attention, and Aspen’s expression softens with quiet gratitude, a small dimple returning. “If you’d like the walk, I wouldn’t mind the company.” It could help keep her mind out of the weeds, from resigning to just head home for the night and reset tomorrow. "Thank you, Chierhy." With that, she turns toward the door, her pace measured but purposeful now. She reaches it just ahead of Chierhy, her hand finding the handle and pulling it open, stepping aside to hold it for her when someone else rushes out.

(Unsure if I'd be overstepping here or making assumptions, but thought this could be a possibility. Player can ignore it if they don't want to interact:)

Aspen startles, ears flicking up sharply, instinct taking over as she shifts her footing to avoid any potential impact. “Oh!” The word slips out before she can stop it, her hand lifting slightly as if to steady her, though she doesn’t grab without permission. The movement, the breath, the tears... She seemed in distress. Aspen’s expression softens immediately. “Hey…” she says gently, her voice lowering on instinct, careful, non-threatening. Not blocking the way, just present. “Are you ok?” Her tail settles low behind her, still now. There’s gentle concern there, quiet and genuine, but not pressing, not trapping her. Just a wellness check prior to potentially extending an invite to walk with them, even if it were just to guide her back to the hall.

From his table, the purple-skinned tiefling watches as Mae rushes off.

"Yes, well, I said hello I suppose." Malvyn answers Aurora and scratches his neck. He then gives her a concerned look. "Why was it better she left? What is the matter with her? There's something more than simply her being mad at me right?" He asks with a worried tone. He realized now he was the only one here from the fourth floor of Dresar hall.

As Mae ran out, she only barely registered someone else by the door trying to get her attention. But what Aspen would see, is not just distress, but genuine fear. Mae's only response is a very brief cry of shock, completely and utterly frightened of Aspen, as if they were going to apprehend Mae. She doesn't stop, she just keeps fleeing in terror, tears dampening her cheeks as she makes a run for it back toward her dorm. As soon as she could, she throws herself into her room and locks the door behind her, then buries herself in her blankets and things, and sobs.

“Oh!,” Chierhy gasps as Mae darts in front of her and through the door Aspen had kindly held for her. A moment of indignation that the cat-eared woman’s grace was suddenly taken advantage of by a stranger passes quickly, as Mae’s apparent upset filters in. Chierhy can’t help but watch Mae's retreating figure for a moment in surprised curiosity, then locking eyes with Aspen in an unspoken question: Did she seem as upset to you as she seemed to me? Whatever Aspen’s reaction, the thought that the girl had been sitting with someone else comes hot on its heels, and Chierhy’s head turns to find the table where she had been sitting, and the Wagaduan notes Larine rising in pursuit. Chierhy tries to make out the woman’s expression and motive for rushing after Mae (Insight: 18+2 =20). She has a gut feeling that Larine is not the cause of the upset, and Chierhy, who had been shifting her body slightly to block easy passage through the door – thereby allowing Mae a clean(er) escape – instead moves out of the way. A lover’s spat? An argument between friends? A friend trying to offer a kind word? Chierhy had no idea, and it was none of her business. She steps out of the way, concern – slight, but present – showing on her face.

She looks back to the others at her table, acknowledging the moment, before taking a breath and facing Aspen again, still ready to accompany her back to Cloudblower Hall. If Aspen so indicates, Chierhy will (finally) pass through the door she has been holding, relieving her of some of its weight as she goes. “I wonder what that was about…,” she offers if they begin to walk.

As Aspen and Chierhy start to head out the door, Mae is quickly gone. Larine pauses barely long enough to comment, "Excuse us. Sorry to disturb you."  (Chierhy Insight: Larine look shows a worry for a friend. You get a sense that she wants to protect her as she races to catch up.) She then hurries off in pursuit. 

The two continue on out the door, following the most direct route back to Cloudblower Hall. It doesn't take too long to get there.  You take the Levitation Disk up to the ninth floor, and as you step out you spot Arinchu sitting in the Lounge.  She is now dressed in a crimson-colored loose-fitting sleeveless top which fades to an orange color at the bottom. Her black pants have trim of a matching orange color. She seems to be focused on writing in a small bound notebook. 

At the Bow's End, Aurora continues speaking to Malvyn. "Mal, I think Mae is having a tough time right now. I'm going to go talk to her tomorrow, and hopefully Larine will keep her company tonight."  She pauses a moment, "She didn't seem mad, Mal. Scared. Perhaps worried? I honestly would not pretend to know."  

At the other table Myala is left to converse with Kadyr and Naevyn. "I wonder what happened? Arinchu was telling me all about the garden inside the Biblioplex and that she and Aspen were headed out to walk around a bit before coming here."  She grins, "She seemed pretty excited about it."  Kadyr shrugs. "All I know was she was hanging out in the lounge when we left."  The group continues to talk, wondering if they should move to the other table as Aurora mentioned. Naevyn suggests that they do. "Afterall, Arinchu seemed really interested to hear her perform. She'll want to be near the stage when she gets here I think."

So, the group collects up their drinks and heads over to join Malvyn and Aurora. "You really don't mind?" Myala asks. "We figured Arinchu would want to be near the stage."  

On the way back to Cloudblower Hall, Chierhy asks Aspen where she comes from and how she knows Arinchu. “…You must have known each other before your arrival here today, I assume,” she adds warmly.

Aspen's ears would flick back as the woman cried in shock, looking genuinely frightened. All she could really do was watch her flee in terror. However, that didn't stop Aspen from tossing some flower petals into the air 'after' her. It was lavender and chamomile. Two calming scents. Lavender eases nervous tension and can aid sleep, while chamomile reduces anxiety and calms the digestive system. With any luck, the wind may carry it along with her.
(Druidcraft scent of lavender/chamomile)

"Was it my ears?" The words fall from her lips before she could catch them. Aspen would pull their tail forward to fidget with it while her ears shimmy to tuck in to hide in her hair while she'd watch the other student follow swiftly after her. "I'm not sure... But at least she won't be alone?" Was all that she could hope for for the distraught girl.

"Mmn?" It was Chierhy's question that would have Aspen tilt her head as they walk. "Where I'm from? I uh..." She comes to start chewing her lip. "I come from the central region." She gestures into the air as if pointing out the approximate area on a map. "I suppose I'm a local compared to those who have traveled from other planes." Aspen notes before she adds. "I admit I wasn't familiar with where you're from. But I'm excited to continue to learn from what you share. Your culture's formal attire is unlike anything I've seen, and it's beautiful in colour, texture and style." She smiles. It was all genuine. She could see herself finding inspiration in it.

"Actually..." Aspen starts to respond to Chierhy's second question. "I only met Arinchu today." She explains. "If I remember correctly, she was standing in the Hall with Shin during registration. However, it wasn't until after, while I was dropping off my bags in my room, that she poked her head in to introduce herself, and Myala before I rushed myself downstairs for breakfast." Kind of like she did to get to the tavern... Her hand had moved to rub at the back of her head. Rushing off in a sense of urgency seems to be a trending theme for Aspen today. Something that's come to 'bite' her. "When someone extends an olive branch like that, to a bit of a hermit like me... It tends to make an impression. One of familiarity and comfort in a new environment... " She finds herself thinking out loud. "And I hope I can return that." She admits before adding. "Purhaps not unlike you and Myala? You've bonded over similarities, and gravitate toward each other naturally almost as if you've known each other all along." Assuming she hasn't! "But also, the little things like inviting me to sit with you, accepting and genuinely enjoying the bracelet I gifted you, and joining me for my 'walk of shame' back to the Hall to pick up Arinchu because I rushed out without pausing to wait there first like I should have..." She waves to cut herself off from her own ramblings there to get back to her point. "Has built up similar rapport, and trust, in you." She smiles.

Eventually coming to a stop at the ninth floor, Aspen would step off. Mismatched eyes would look around to find Arinchu dressed in her dance attire. She pauses herself long enough to watch for a moment as the dancer seemed focused writing in her notebook. Aspen didn't want to interrupt her mid thought, and it gave her a moment to bloom an orange flower. When it would appear that Arinchu had finished punctuating her sentence, Aspen would step forward to approach. "Arinchu."

Arinchu glances up at the sound of her name, with a very neutral look on her face. "Aspen," she says as a tiny smile turns the corners of her mouth. She closes the book she was writing in, hooking the pen to a loop on one edge. Her eyes dart over to Chierhy for a moment before moving back to Aspen. "I'm... um... ready to go," she says a bit nervously. "Uhm... I suppose it's about time to get over to the Bow's End?"  

Slowly she stands, giving Chierhy an awkward little nod in greeting. "You're going too, right?"  

She steps towards the two. "I just need to put this in my room. I'll..."  Stopping mid-sentance, Arinchu looks at orange flower Aspen holds, her smile growing. "Is that..." She then hesitates, furrowing her brow a bit. She didn't want to presume, so she changes up her words. "The flower is very nice. I'll be just a moment."  She moves quickly past, heading towards her room.