Mellia — Frog
????, Fire Season, Season/Illusion Week
Context
Fire Season/Illusion Week/Waterday/early morning , specifically the morning after Session 42. [[[s01:session-42|Session 42]]]
Events
Mellia yells, “If you’re really sleepy, come over here!”
Berra comes over, looking wide awake – until she is up close. There are dark smudges under her eyes, and her face is too pale. She does not seem tired so much as ill without being ill.
Mellia fixes a mug of the mixture for Berra. It tastes slightly bitter. “You look horrible,” she says quietly to Berra.
“I feel pretty awful,” Berra admits, but her shoulders stay high and she keeps a smile on. “But if we can get it back, I can put it in a room on its own and then I won’t have to keep Yamia away. She’s … she’s always pushing. I can’t look sleepy to her.”
“I see,” Mellia answers. “What can you tell me about Yamia?”
Berra shrugs, keeping it light, and making the movement precise. “It’s hard to put my finger on. But she doesn’t stop trying to be her. You know when two stallions meet and they know pretty soon who is top? She wouldn’t stop until she was. I don’t think she knows that’s not how to behave. Maybe because she’s Humakti, to her it is.” Putting on a good act of not looking entirely exhausted, Berra turns casually, cup in hand. She takes her first sip, and says, “This isn’t bad. I’ve had worse to keep me awake, on watch.”
“Thanks,” Mellia replies. “I wonder why Yamia is like that?”
“I don’t know. But… she seems to get along with the cross. It’s odd. I’ve seen artefacts of Humakt before, but this is different. They seem to be calling somehow. Maybe for a Regiment they don’t have, but I’m not sure that’s it. I… it doesn’t feel right somehow. Like it’s… I don’t know. Just wrong. Only she’s happy there. I keep having to remind her not to worship. We shouldn’t.”
“There’s no telling what would happen,” Mellia agrees. “The sooner we hand the relics off, the happier I will be.”
“Yes. I’ll let you know if I feel anything strange, if you like? It tested me, and I … it was hard, but I wasn’t afraid. But it shouldn’t be around people who don’t know Humakt’s secrets.” Berra watches the camp be very busy while it pretends not to be waiting for Mellia. Maybe she has worked out they are delaying on purpose.
“Please do,” Mellia replies. “Be careful, Berra.”
Berra sighs, slowly, and manages to make it look like she is just blowing on her cup. “I do this so you don’t have to,” she replies. “I’ll take care. This is what I decided to be.”
Mellia nods. She will get back to handing out the mixture. Mellia will eventually bring Irillo a mug of the mixture. After getting a good look at him, she frowns. “I think you should drink this,” she tells him. “I also would like a good look at you when we’ve got time.”
He sighs, “I’m not sleepy. Should it wait until I am?”
Irillo’s eyes are strange. The pupils are massive, or else someone has painted the irises black. His sight seems absolutely fine, despite that. The black, however, is not reflecting anything.
Mellia stares at Irillo’s eyes for a moment. “If you’re not sleepy,” she finally says, “then you shouldn’t drink this.”
He nods, “Keep it for when I need it.”
“Do you have a broad-brimmed hat? You should wear it today.”
That earns a confused blink, then he simply says “As you advise, healer!”
“It’s your eyes,” Mellia explains quietly. “They look very dilated. Try to avoid bright light if you can.”
He nods. “I feel fine.”
Mellia looks puzzled by that, but says nothing.
A moment after that they are interrupted by a man who wants to know if he should rub a frog on the cut on his foot. He seems confused by the rules about frogs here.
“Absolutely not,” Mellia tells the man with the cut foot. “I do want a look at that cut, though. Will you excuse us, cousin?”
“Of course!”
