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Lily and Sable journey in search of a new life
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Lily walks briskly through the city square, her hood up, her jaw clenched. She's headed for the edge of town, for the bed and breakfast that's where her few scant possessions remain.

Everyone wants something from her. Fine, then. She has a little money and her skills at alchemy. She'll... figure something out. 

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Sable walks up alongside her and matches her pace. "We're heading to your room so you can pack, I'm guessing?"

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She sighs.

"Yeah. I don't own much, but I do have a few things I'd like to keep."

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"Sounds entirely reasonable to me," she says with a smile, "but then I keep everything I own in one enchanted bag. I would agree."

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Lily just shrugs, and keeps walking.

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Sable keeps pace, an idle smile on her face, tails swishing calmly.

 

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Lily stays quiet all the way to the bed and breakfast, though after a few minutes her expression goes from "angry" to "anxious."

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"Anxious" gets a headtilt and a curious hum when it persists past a minute itself.

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At the bed and breakfast, Lily looks over at Sable. 

"... My things are just inside. Could you wait out here for a few minutes?"

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"Certainly." She leans comfortably against a wall to wait.

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A few minutes later she comes out with a small leather bag over one shoulder and a hunted look. 

"... I think I'm ready. Let's go."

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She nods. "Here's how this works. I'll use my tails to hold you securely against me, your back to my front. We can stop for lunch halfway through, if you'd like a snack from my non-perishable supplies, or for anything else you need, though I'd prefer you not request that lightly. My job is to take you safely to an accepting, non-Bell city of your choosing. Currently I'm planning on a guild-popular city in north-central Relvos called Spasiba.

"My job is not to have unrequested opinions about your choices, regardless of how familiar I may find some of your frustrations. You're welcome to conversation or advice if you wish it; I'm familiar with much of the area and may be useful in helping you get started at your destination. Unless you start a conversation, however, I will simply be watching for threats and designing enchantments in my head.

"Any questions at this time, or any desire to grab a snack while we're still in town and prepared food is available?"

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She sighs.

"... I would appreciate help when we get there, thank you. I don't... know much about Spasiba or Relvos. I've never held a job other than my apprenticeship with Amira, and... she found me, not the other way around."

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"That's easy enough to do," she says with a confident smile, before widening her stance and holding her arms open. "If you don't mind, I'd like to pick you up first and jump to the roof before takeoff. Launching with a passenger is always easier with some initial elevation."

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She doesn't look happy about it, but she nods and steps in.

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Sable bends her knees, effortlessly scoops Lily into a princess carry, and then with a jump and a hard flap, leaps skyward, landing atop the roof of the bed and breakfast with a light ta-tap.

She sets Lily back down. "Again, this is just as optional as my last offer of conversation, but despite not being made of porcelain, I think I may be able to relate to some aspects of your situation." She holds up her right hand, which flattens and spreads out into a disc of violet ink at the end of her wrist before reforming.

"Just something to have as an option. Come lean back against me when you're ready to go."

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"... I don't want to talk about it." Right now, at least. 

She turns her back to Sable, then carefully backs up against her.

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Sable nods at the response. "Arms out wide, now."

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She raises them.

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She crouches down a bit, matching her height a bit closer to Lily's, then wraps her tails tightly around her: one goes around her chest, under her arms, another around her waist, and the third around her legs. The tails are sinfully soft and fluffy, but hold Lily extremely snugly and securely.

Sable stands with a grin, Lily held aloft by her tails. She strides to the edge of the roof, and leaps.

There's a thrilling, vertiginous moment of weightlessness, and then her wings catch the air and she flaps hard. They rise quickly into the sky.

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That is a long way up!!!!

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She closes her eyes and does her best not to tense up too much.

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It's not a problem if she does. All tensing does is add a small tally mark to Sable's count of worries about Lily, and even then only if it lasts longer than a minute or two past reaching cruising altitude.

It certainly does nothing to dampen her delight — which may or may not be very quietly noticeable even to a non-telepath — as she climbs. Before long they reach high enough to be out of reach of most anything on the ground, and she settles into an easy soar with periodic flaps.

Gods she loves flying.

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Eventually she looks. 

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... yes that is a very long way up she is closing her eyes again now thank you.

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That flinch tips one of her tallies over the line, though.

"You seem to need a distraction," she suggests gently. "Keep your eyes closed, and tell me what you like about whatever you've been studying?"

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