Fourth Quest: Makeovers, Magic, and Meditation

[lightnovelexperiences]

1: Makeovers
Deedee has, after a rough month, healed enough to start treating people in the spa and in her space in the Vault, personally, again. She's a little worse for wear, of course - but she's turned half of her hair burning off into an excuse for a hairstyle where half her head is shaved, and the other is in a side ponytail; it's a good look on her, if a bit... butch for her tastes.

As promised, she's doing a sale on beauty treatments; haircuts, dye-jobs, mani-pedis, nail painting. While she's still healing with her hands, she's also giving people new looks with a smile.

2: Magic
During her time healing and enforced Vault time, Deedee has been studying magic diligently, not wanted to get caught flatfooted by Imperial witches - be they jannisaries or otherwise - ever again. She's be studying the theory, practicing the techniques Ziel taught and in classrooms, and she finally feels like she's going to make a breakthrough.

Which is when you may find her in a training hall across from a candle, sitting seiza, taking deep breaths, fingers in a mudra before her. She exhales -

- a gout of flame that lights the candle, without melting it.

She opens her eyes, and whoops triumph.

3: Meditation

There is a shrine in the courtyard of the spa, now.

It doesn't advertise it's religious affiliation. To those who don't know what it is, it just looks like a pleasant little open-air structure; in moments of weakness Deedee refers to it with a smile as "The Dread Gazebo." But it has windchimes, and streamers of red tipped with white triangular "tails," and a central altar made of little brass flutes that catch the wind to make music; and every so often, you can see Deedee in there, meditating in motion, by dancing or practicing her martial arts.

It is her way of thanking and honoring Sylphan for delivering on his half of a vow made in desperation and in earnest; to help them free Terra Branford, and live to see her live free.

All are welcome to pray to Sylphan, the trickster-fox, the laughing wind, friend of travellers and fools, foe of tyrants - if you have need of him.

Comments

Re: 2

[lightnovelexperiences]

“For what, doing my part for the team?” Deedee says, grinning ear to ear. “Thank you for keeping a level head and getting us and our friend out alive.”

She rises, rolling her neck, then her shoulders, shaking out tension and ether flow in her arms.

[purplexing]

"Still. You could've healed any of the others instead." And he'd be a lot worse off, so it's not like he's not thankful that he'd been spared the additional treatment they'd needed. "So thanks for making me at least feel a little less like a roasted side dish."

Donnie's smile grows a bit tight at the thanks given in turn. He shakes his head. "Barely. If the captain wasn't there, things could've gone a whole lot differently."

[lightnovelexperiences]

“I know,” she says. “Things could easily have gotten much worse. There’s a reason I made good on my promises to Sylphan; he’s the god that knows we needed the help.”

She sighs.

“If you need any more healing, or even just a change in look, let me know, okay? I… think I’m back where I was. Stronger, even, as you saw.”

[purplexing]

Donnie flexes his fingers. His hands had gotten burned from his staff when things got super-heated from the fire that engulfed them, but they feel a whole lot better, and not as stiff as they'd been.

"I think I'm feeling a lot better," he says. "I...wasn't sure if there were any lasting effects from what she cast on me before the captain pulled her crown, but I don't feel as tired anymore, anyway."

Deedee does get a bit of a blank look at the offer of a change in look, because he really has no idea what that entails, but most of his life he'd also lived out on the coast away from Elysium and people in general. Spas? What are those!