11004/A Little Vacation at the Oasis

A Little Vacation at the Oasis
Date of Scene:	03 May 2022
Location:	The Oasis, Egypt
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Lydia Dietrich, Raven Darkholme

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Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    It's been over half a year since Lydia first visited the oasis where her coven congregates. She'd been meaning to go back, but with Michael's assault on Manhattan she had been rather busy in the meantime. Now that things have died down, and life has resumed some semblance of normalcy, Lydia has decided to go.

    She'd given them about a week warning that she'll be down there, so they can set up her tent and make preparations. They'd been informed that she's a vampire, now, so precautions against the sun should be made. She'd been in and out of touch with her sisters during the crisis and she hopes that some of them can make it to meet her there and do some catching up.

    Dressed in the simple linen dress that she was originally given on her first visit, she has brought with her the airy garments that will keep her cool during the heat of the desert. She steps through a purple portal after giving Mystique a hug and a deep kiss.

    In front of her she's faced with the illusion that keeps the oasis hidden. She was given the trick to pass through it and finds herself in the desert encampment. "It's been too long," she breathes. "I miss this place."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Nighttime is when the Oasis was truly awake. The heat of the desert kept most activities of the day to a minimum, though magical means of means to keep the tents cool in the day time made live a little easier.

Due to the connection the thirteen shared, most already knew that Lydia was a vampire now. It wasn't information they openly shared of course, it wasn't their place and to them, it didn't really mattered. Her tent had been prepared and was cooled to a reasonable temperature all the same.

On the average day there was no way to know who of the thirteen would be there, save for Kezia who was always there. She had officially reached an age where she felt no need to go anywhere but home.

As Lydia appears, several of the younger residence offer quick bows before rushing over to greet her.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia grins widely as she's greeted, and greets each girl as they appear. To one she says, "Tell Kezia and Anja that I'm here, please." They already know she's here through the link that they share, just as she knows that they're here. Still, it's good protocol to announce your presence officially.

    She hasn't seen Sabri, her personal assistant yet, so she goes to bring her trunk of clothes to her tent. She picks it up with her power, glittering motes of light lifting it up into the air to follow her. She pauses outside of her tent to look around and take in the view. Colorful tents dotted around a serene oasis, lined with fig trees. She takes a deep breath through her nose and sighs in contentment. "God, the clean air here is wonderful," she says. She'd forgotten what it was like, especially now that her sense of smell has been heightened.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
There is a sense of good will and cheer among those who make it to Lydia, a few offering to carry her trunk before she gets it herself. A few others accept her words and rush off to give the message to the Elders. The return of someone was always good news, it seemed to liven the place up as there were smiles everywhere.

As Lydia heads toward her tent, she is offered waves from those who have come out of their own tents, and others were already outside working. Sabri can be seen now, coming up the path quickly from the direction of Lydia's tent.

"Mistress Lydia!" She announces cheerfully. It had been a long while since she'd seen her benefactor, or heard from her. Sometimes assistance like Sabri could go years without hearing from their superiors, it's just how things went. "You are looking lovely as ever."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "As are you, Sabri," Lydia says to the young woman, as she walks out of her tent to go to the fig trees. "It's a pleasure to be back. I hope you've been doing well?" She plucks one of the figs, and takes a bite of it, closing her eyes in pleasure. So good. Her enhanced senses lets her pick out the sweet, earthy flavor of the fruit. Too bad this really doesn't sate the hunger inside of her. When she was living she could easily gorge herself on these things.

    "Anything interesting happen while I was gone?" she asks of her assistant. "I mean, besides the angel invasion of Manhattan. I was there at ground zero. God, I'm glad that's over with."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sabri walks along with Lydia, a smile on her face. Her dress is simple, a loose fitting linen sheath dress, no sandals needed now that the sun was down and the sand was cool.

"A couple of babies born," she offers as an answer. "Beyond that, prayer for the stupidity that is Michael to end. Hatshepsut kept us apprised of what was occurring, at least the parts she knew. She has been away seeking something, though what it is even the Thirteen do not know. How she has kept it from them, we do not know."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia scowls, as she walks along the edge of the oasis. "That explains why I haven't been able to get a hold of her. I've been wanting to catch up with her ever since the business with the angels was over." She takes in another deep breath and lets it out as an equally deep sigh. "I'm sure the others have questions as to what exactly has transpired. I'll be more than happy to share all the details if they wish to ask."

    "How have /you/ been doing these eight months or so?" Lydia asks with a grin. "Find any romance?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sabri giggles softly over the questions, but for the moment focuses on more important things.

"There may be a few questions, but we all place our faith in Isis and know she will take care of it," she offers first, pulling another fig off a tree to offer to Lydia.

"Hatshepsut has been distant for the last several months, but we all know that whatever it is she is searching for, she must fine," she pauses a moment, glancing toward the tents then looks back to Lydia. "In regards to my uh... personal life. Those who serve in the position I do, are not permitted to seek partners. Our lives are devoted to the Thirteen and those we serve."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Thank you," Lydia says, taking the fig. Seriously. She can't get enough of these things. "Isis helped," she says, taking a bite out of the fruit. "I got a chance to speak with her, and she helped us get into the Duat. It turns out Ammit had indigestion and was very cranky," she grins. It's not /quite/ what was going on but good enough.

    She scowls when she mentions that she isn't supposed to take any lovers. "Well, that's a shame," she says. She surreptitiously looks around and leans in close to whisper, "I won't say a thing if you find a pretty girl or a handsome lad and elope for a night or two. I write romance novels after all." She gives Sabri a knowing wink as they walk on.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Sabri laughs, her cheeks flushing a rosy red. "Miss Lydia you really /are/ the worse," she whispers. "Encouraging me to break the rules."

"Yes," Kezia suddenly says from behind them, a smile on her face. "Incorrigible, Miss Lydia.... so go on. Should be forget all her duties to you for a night passion with Tahir?" She wasn't really upset, the tone of her voice was completely and totally playful, but she had to at least pretend to be upset, so it was in the words chosen and not the intent behind them.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "For a night of passion? Most certainly," Lydia says with a grin. "Like I said, I write romance novels. Nights of passion are my stock and trade. I'd consider it an educational moment, as long as she stays safe. May God have mercy on anybody who would take advantage of my sweet Sabri," she growls dangerously.

    Now that they've had their little jest, she turns to face Kezia fully. "Miss Kezia," she says opening her arms to invite her into a hug. How have you been? It's been a while."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Kezia does not move very quickly at all, in fact her footsteps are often aided by another person rather than a cane or walker. This time however, she laughs at Lydia's jest and steps right up to hug her.

"You should share some of that sass with all of us, perhaps the rules could be adjusted to allow for that night of passion," she teases back while she hugs. Stepping back, she looks up at Lydia's face.

"Forget how I am, that matters little at this exact moment... you are still in pain, you are tired, you need rest but not the physical kind." Reaching up, she runs her hand over Lydia's cheek. "My dear child, you have been through so much... I am well pleased you have come to recuperate, to lay your head down in a place where you are safe and your heart is welcome."

Sabri steps back now, her eyes shifting to Anja who had been the one helping Kezia walk. They share a knowing look before both look back to the older woman and vampire.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia matches Kezia's slow pace without a complaint, after giving her a warm hug. "I think we all could use a little bit of passion in our lives," she says, as she finishes off her second fig. "It's the spice that elevates the dish. I'm a romantic at heart, though, so it's no surprise I think that way."

    She's silent for a bit as they walk. "I don't know about pain," she says, "but I /am/ still recovering from the rite in Central Park. It took a lot out of me. More... more than what I show. I'm surprised I didn't completely burn out from it, since I nearly killed myself powering the thing. I probably would have were I not a vampire."

    "I was hoping that Hatshepsut would be here," she says. "There's some vampire things I want to talk to her about. I've done some... upsetting things. I know I should talk to Raven about them, and I will. But I want to get my sire's perspective on them first."

    She suddenly brightens, "Oh! Speaking of which, Raven and I are engaged!" She holds out her hand which has the engagement ring on it. "Isn't it beautiful?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Kezia's pace is slow, and since Lydia is the one right there, it is her arm she takes to ensure she stays steady. The trek seems to be around the garden for the time being, a nice and peaceful place to talk. Anja and Sabri have fallen into place behind them, a short distance back, talking quietly to one another in Arabic.

"She is on her way," comes her reply. "She also need to rest, though I doubt she will remain for long. She is obsessed over something but will not accept our assistance."

She pauses in speaking as she looks back up to Lydia, "I am well pleased to hear you have found love!" she exclaims, then looks at the ring. "Oh my... that is stunning."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia can't help but wonder what their assistants are talking about. She can overhear them thanks to her enhanced hearing but that doesn't mean much when she doesn't understand the language. She makes a note to add Arabic to the small list of languages that she wishes to learn.

    "I'm only staying for a few nights myself," she says. "It seems I have traded being busy with the angels with being busy with the chronicle of them. /And/ planning the wedding," she adds with a grin. "I'll be sending out invites as soon as we have something more solid than 'somewhere in Paris at some point in the future.'"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
A smile remains on Kezia's face, small wrinkles forming around the corner of her mouth and eyes because of it. Her eyes, no matter how old she might be, are still alert and bright. Perhaps part of the age was an act, perhaps not.

"Paris is a lovely city," she comments then slowly looks up and to the south before adding, "Hatshepsut is here." and looking back to Lydia.

"If you can get her to admit to this obsession and what it is, so be, but do not press her too hard on it," she states before stopping completely. "It is more important that you seek from her what /you/ need. It is her place to aid you, and if she fails at this... well, I'm not nearly old enough to spank her, but I will."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia bursts out laughing at the image of this old lady spanking a millennia old vampire. "I'm sure if anybody could get away with spanking her it would be you. It was good seeing you again, Kezia," she says, still chuckling, "be well."

    She takes her leave with a bow, showing deference to the elder, and turns to head back towards the camp to search for her sire.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
The lights surrounding Hatshepsut's tent have all been lit, not true fire as that is a serious hazard, but instead the magical white light that is used in all the lanterns and sconces. When Lydia has first arrived, they were all dark, but now that the tent's resident was in the oasis, they were illuminating the area as an indication of her presence.

Sitting on the bench to the left of the tent's main entrance, Hatshepsut is dressed much like Indiana Jones, including the whip on her belt. Aside from that, she looks exactly the same as she always has, no indications of any trouble on her face or in her body language.

Upon seeing Lydia emerge from the gardens, she lifts a hand to wave and calls her over. "Lydia! It's good to see you, come, sit."

Yvette emerges from the tent with a clay pitcher and two cups on a tray, she offers Lydia a nod and smile, but goes right to setting the tray on the table near the bench and pouring the liquid from the pitcher into the glasses.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Savta!" Lydia calls out when she sees Hatshepsut, using the Hebrew word for 'grandmother'. She rushes over, almost childlike in her excitement in seeing her sire and mentor. "Nice fedora," she says, grinning as she takes her seat beside her. "I'm glad you're here."

    She watches as Yvette pours them some kind of liquid, and her nostrils flare as she takes in its scent. "Wine?" she asks, puzzling over what it is that she's smelling. "Not quite but... I don't recognize it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Leaning over to wrap Lydia in a quick hug, Hattie sits back and adjusts the hat on her head. "I was feeling nostalgic for a time not too long ago," she offers with a smile. "It is so good to see you. I have been exceedingly worried about you since I was forced to flee Manhattan to avoid the angelic host. I would stand out like a beacon in the night to them."

Now that the glasses are full, she reaches over to pick them up, one getting offered to Lydia. "This is my person creation," she explains, running the glass under her nose to sniff. "You will find it packs more of a punch than average wine. If you like it, I will instruct you on how to create it, but be warned... it takes months to finish."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods in understanding. "I don't blame you," she says. "It was a dire situation, and gaining the Archangels attention was always a dangerous prospect. Even limiting themselves as they did we barely managed to scrape by most fights." She lets out a breath, "I'm glad it's over now. Things can go back to being normal." She chuckles as she amends, "Well, as normal as anything ever gets around me."

    She raises her eyebrows when Hatshepsut explains what's in the glass. Mirroring her sire, she brings the glass up to her nose so she can get a better whiff of it. "Interesting..." she says before taking a tentative sip. Her eyes shoot up in surprise. It's an odd mixture of blood and wine, tasting more like the latter but having the texture of the former. Plus it slakes the thirst that only blood can sate while having the pleasant burn of alcohol. "Does this... can I get drunk off of this?"

Raven Darkholme has posed:
After another small sniff, Hatshepsut takes a small sip from the glass followed by a partial breath through her mouth across her tongue, the combination enhancing the flavor. Only once she had swallowed does she looks back to Lydia was a smile.

"You could get very drunk off this," she replies and wiggles her brows. "Admittedly, I have only done so... hm... three times? Creating it takes a ritual and six months to create a small barrel, though I suppose it could be adapted to make a larger batch."

Taking another small sip, she sets the glass on the bench beside her. "Kezia has been worried about you, and thus nagging me," she then says. "I knew that you were involved with the group fighting the angels, and felt it best that I not interfere with that. Kezia on the other hand felt I should have taken you out of New York and made you stay here."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia looks at the liquid in her cup with newfound respect. She holds it under her nose one more time before taking a cautious sip. "I wonder if the ritual can be modified to make it slightly less alcoholic so that I can have an emergency store of blood stashed somewhere." She looks up at her mentor and grins, "I would very much like to know how to make this."

    Taking another sip she closes her eyes, and rolls the liquid around on her tongue savoring the flavor. "I'm not surprised she was worried about me, though I'm a bit disappointed that she didn't have faith in my abilities to keep myself alive. Alive-ish."

    She looks up to meet Hatshepsut's eyes. "I had to be there. To fight. To protect the universe and help set things right." She shakes her head, "It fell unto me to create the ritual to banish Michael to the astral plane. So I did. It was.... intense."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hateshepsut immediately shakes her head with a profound, "No, it is not a lack of faith or trust." She reaches over and takes Lydia's free hand. "Kezia is a grandmother, a great-grandmother, and her heart leads her now. She knew you were more than capable of taking care of yourself, they all do... remember, we are connected. It may not always be at the surface of your thoughts, but we /know/ you."

A smile spreads across her face. "Kezia wanted all of her 'children' here, together, in case the world ended. That is the only reason she wanted me to collect you and bring you here, to get myself and you here with her."

She lifts the hand she holds and kisses the back of it lightly before letting it go. "We all knew you had to be where you were, that is why I did not come and get you. We were all where we needed to be, even if Kezia's heart was not satisfied." She collects her glass again.

"Blood storage is another ritual completely," she then explains, switching topics as easy as one might change their shirt. "There is still a slight stale taste to the blood from storage, but the effectiveness remains the same. The ritual is on containers, not the blood itself, but it is another I can teach you."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia smiles when the back of her hand is captured and given an affectionate kiss. "I see. I guess I don't blame her, then. I would want my family with me if I knew the world has the possibility of ending." She sighs as she takes her hand back. "That seems to happen on a frequent basis, it seems. We have to have faith that those who are capable of stopping such will do so."

    Lydia nods enthusiastically, "These are things that I want to learn. Especially this," she says holding up the cup. "It'd be nice to actually /drink/ with my friends again."

    "You know what else I want you to teach me?" she asks, golden eyes glittering. "Bats. I taught myself how to turn into one, but I don't where how to begin turning into a colony of them."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hatshepsut looks out toward the camp, perhaps small village was more the correct way to describe it. Although they all lived in tents, they weren't exactly your average camping tents. Each was massive, constructed of light weight materials to allow natural cooling at night, but heavy enough to keep the cooler temperature inside as long as possible in the heat of the day.

The women of the Oasis of Aset went about their nightly duties of gathering water, washing clothing, cleaning tents (sand really does get everywhere), cooking meals, preparing foods for storage, and many, many other tasks. Children, who in the normal world would be in bed at this time of night, were out playing in the light offered by the magical lanterns, the game tonight being tag mingled with hide and seek. This was their life, their home, and it was peaceful. It was hard to believe that just one month ago it had all been as risk of ending.

"I can teach you anything you wish to learn," she finally says as her dark eyes shift back to Lydia. "But I am certain there was more than learning to be a colony of bats behind your reason for coming to visit tonight."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia falls silent as Hatshepsut looks out upon the Oasis, and she follows her gaze to watch the comings and goings of the camp's inhabitants. "Mostly to relax," she says, finally. "To re-center myself and be with my sisters. I'd been away for too long. I was planning to come sooner, but then Michael and his Host showed up and I was busy trying to keep Manhattan... and the universe... safe, so I couldn't take a break."

    Another sip of the divine liquid is taken, and she looks over to her sire and grins, "I'm getting married, you know." She laughs, "I thought when the angel stuff was done I would give myself a break, but instead I dived right back into the fire with planning a wedding." Her expression sobers as she sighs, "I haven't told my parents yet. Hell, my mother doesn't even know I'm a vampire. I can't imagine how she'd handle that."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hatshepsut raises a brow slightly hearing that Lydia hasn't told her mother. It made sense, not a lot of vampires kept contact with their families after being turned, but Lydia had, sort of. New generation vampires, like millennials, doing things their own way.

"Your family is welcome here Lydia," she says first. "And by that I mean Mystique and Clarice. I would like to say that your father could visit, but things would require special arrangements, men are rarely permitted in the oasis."

Taking another sip from her glass, she cants her head slight. "I find myself wondering why you haven't told your mother about your up coming wedding, congratulations are in order, but I always assumed it would happen. Mystique's love for you is..." she pauses, having to consider the words carefully. "The only way I can think to describe it is that her love is like the heat of the surface of the sun, never ending and burning. So why do you fear your mother's reaction to you finding a love as blinding as the sun?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "I know what you're thinking," Lydia says at Hatshepsut's raised brows. "Most vampires cut themselves off from their family after they're turned." She turns to consider the dark liquid in her cup. "I thought about it some. It would have been to have staged a convincing death, and being with Raven would mean that sooner or later I'd be captured on video with her, and... I couldn't stand the thought of keeping my life with her secret."

    "Coming out to my parents as a lesbian was hard enough," she says. "My mother blew a gasket when she found out. She blew several more when she found out *who* it was that I was dating." She pauses to take another sip of the blood wine. "My dad kind of figured it out, so I ended up telling him. He's been helping me keep my secret, but he's been pushing me to tell mom since he doesn't like keeping secrets from her."

    "I haven't told them about the wedding because I haven't told her about me being a vampire," she explains. "When the wedding happens, she's going to want to know why I'm so pale. Why I don't really eat. Why my eyes are they way they are. Why my power is all /twinkly/ now. She doesn't /like/ the fact that I've gotten involved with Raven. She doesn't /like/ the fact that I've been an MRA. She doesn't /like/ the fact that I've dipped my toes into magic. She was /horrified/ when she found out about the golem. She's never understood my fascination with the supernatural, and she thinks that my writing career is nothing but a 'passing phase.'"

    "Telling her that I'm a vampire frightens me," she admits, as blood tears well up and roll down her cheeks. "It could very well be the straw that broke the camel's back and cause her to disown me." She looks up at Hatshepsut with red rimmed eyes, "I know it may seem like an overreaction, but you don't know her like I do, and it's something well within the realm of possibility."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Reaching over, Hatshepsut wipes away one of the tears, a gentle smile on her face. "I do not have to know her well to know your fears of what could be, of what might be," she says softly, then wipes the other tear before either can roll down her face. "I can tell that you love your mother very much, that even after everything you have been through you still seek her approval and acceptance."

She sighs a little, shaking her head, "We all seek such from our parents, Lydia. I am no stranger to that. It may have been a very, very long time ago, but I remember doing everything perfectly, the way my mother wanted, to ensure her love and acceptance. Then she handed me to my half-brother to marry him, to be the pharaoh's wife, and I still did as she wanted as she wanted."

Wiping the blood from her finger on her pants, not caring about it, she reaches to take Lydia's hand again. "But there comes a time when the child of a mother /must/ make her own way. You must decide your own life, your own path, and if your mother will not accept, then you must find a way to be alright with that. I believe, in the end, that your mother will throw her tantrum, she will rant and rave and complain, but at the end, she will still love you, you just have to stop being afraid of the what ifs, maybes, and it could happens."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Goddammit," Lydia mutters as Hatshepsut wipes away the tears. "I was able to move past all the things I missed about being human, but this one still bugs me every time it happens. That's /another/ thing my mom would notice. I'm going to cry at my wedding, and she'll wonder why I'm weeping blood."

    "You're right, of course," Lydia says. "And I /am/ going to tell her. I keep putting it off, but sooner or later I just need to /rip/ the bandaid off and do it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Folding her hands back into her lap, Hatshepsut offers a plain smile, one of happiness. "You are a smart woman, Lydia," she comments. "But emotions will always be a complex thing that tear at you. It is as much a part of being human as it is being a vampire, you can't escape emotions."

Picking up her glass once more, she takes another sip, finishing that last of it off. "Do you believe that you must face your mother alone, or do you accept that Mystique, and your father, may in fact be with you?"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "I know they're with me," Lydia says. "I don't think I could face her alone. If I was alone I probably /would/ have just... disappeared and rebuilt my identity rather than face them." She gives Hatshepsut a smile, "Raven gives me the strength and the support that I need to do it. It's just... /doing/ it... pulling the trigger that's being a hurdle for me."

    "Though, talking to you about it has helped," she admits, recognizing that she feels a bit lighter about the subject now that she's voiced it out. She nods to herself, coming to a decision. "Okay. When I get back I'll talk to my dad and set a date to come over and discuss it."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hatshepsut finally releases Lydia's hand, after giving it a light squeeze.

"Would you like to know what my mother did when I killed my brother and took over Egypt, to save the people from his tyranny?" She chuckles softly as she looks back to Lydia's eyes. "She disowned me as a traitor, because I did not follow her plans for Egypt, for her son. Do you want to know how I felt?" Somethings dark flashes through her eyes. "Free."

Looking back to the children playing she continues. "Children must be free to go there own way. Any mother who cannot accept this, when the time comes, has failed as a mother. I do not believe that your mother will fail, Lydia."

Turning eyes back to the woman beside her she smiles again, "So, when would you like to turn yourself into a colony of bats? If we do it soon enough, we could entertain all these children. Fatima there, she will be going to university some day to learn more about all the animals of the world, that is her dream. We should show her a bat."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Grateful for the change of subject, Lydia stands, her eyes glittering in anticipation. "As soon as possible!" This is one of those things that she always wanted to do when she fantasized about being a vampire. The prospect of being able to actually /do/ it has got her all excited.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Nodding once, Hatshepsut stands herself up and takes the bottle Yvette left on the tray to put the cork in it. She didn't want someone to come along and take a drink, you know how kids are.

"Alright then," she looks around, setting the bottle back on the tray on the bench. "You have mastered the singular bat? Show me and we will go from there."

Even as she is saying this, Yvette slips in behind the two to get the tray and take back in the tent.

"There, that is Fatima. Show me your bat and land on her shoulder." She points as she says, a young girl in a tan tunic and shorts, her hair cut short which is not at all like the other girls. She stands out.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia nods, "Right." She concentrates for a moment and *POOF* she's a bat, fluttering about. While her wolf and raven form can be rather menacing her bat form... isn't. It's rather cute in fact. With a white underbelly and a brown coat, it's a far cry from the black of her other forms. Absurdly large ears and wide red eyes give it the kind of comically cute face of a Pallid Bat.

    She flutters around Hatshepsut for a bit before flying her way to land on Fatima's shoulder, making cute little squeaky sounds.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
It takes every ounce of Hatshepsut's willpower not to simply fall over laughing. She had seen in her time many young vampires learn to change their forms; the savage wolf, the cunning raven, even a few dangerous cats, and of course bats... black bats, big and some one imposing black bats. Lydia had some how managed to find the most adorable bat on the planet as her bat form, and it was so incredibly difficult not to laugh.

"That..." she begins as smoothly and calmly as she can. "That is... very nicely done, Lydia."

Before she can say anything else however, the children take notice of the new adorable flying creature in the oasis. One of them squeals and runs, another stands there staring, but it is Fatima who looks up and calls out first in Arabic, then in Englush, what Lydia is, "Pallid bat! So cute!"

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    Lydia will one day figure out how to make herself into the big black scary bats. But today is not that day. Some days you just gotta be cute. She sits on Fatima's should and tries not to preen as the girl fawns all over her.

Raven Darkholme has posed:
While Fatima does her best to not squee loud enough to wake the dead, no pun intended, Hatshepsut is managing to keep herself from losing it all over the oasis. Nothing like a pallid bat to make an ancient vampire lose their shit. Fatima does in fact pet the bat, she can't stop herself, even though she knows it's one of Hattie's students.

"What do you think Fatima?" she asks, more in control of herself. "Should I teach young Lydia here how to be a black flying fox or does the pallid bat match her better?"

Fatima giggles profusely, blushing as she is addressed but answers promptly, "Both."

"Ahhh," comes Hatshepsut's response. "You are correct, Fatima, and so I shall."

Walking over to the girl, she lays her hand on her should as she looks to the pallid bat. "The sensation you feel when changing forms needs to memorized in every way, until it is a muscle memory to you," she says to Lydia. "Only then can you learn how to divide yourself and your mind into a colony."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "I don't know," squeaks Lydia, enjoying the pets. "Flying foxes are pretty cute too. I guess I always thought bats were more cute than scary, so when I looked for my 'inner bat' this is what came out."

    She leaps off and flutters around a bit before hanging onto a nearby branch. "I've been practicing this one for a while, and I think I've got it down pretty solidly. It's the dividing myself part that I don't know how to do."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hatshepsut's eyes follow the pallid bat to the branch, leaving Fatima to squeal in delight and follow to the tree.

"Your mind is a myriad of signals, learning to control those is the hardest part," she explains as she walks to the tree. "You have to think of yourself as two, then three, then more, but it is a step by step thing. First two bats, identical, and they will both fly into each other the first time."

There is a grin on her face as she looks up, "They always fly into each other the first time, then you recover and try for three. Just try it, it's the only way to really get started."

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Well. Okay...." Lydia squeaks doubtfully. She's been /trying/ to just imagine herself as two bats since she figured out her bat form, but it just never seemed to work for her. She lets go of her perch, and *POOF* lands on her feet lightly, grinning at Fatima.

    She looks hesitant to give it a try. "Is there... a trick or something that will help?" she asks. "I mean... it's easy to /say/ just be two bats, but I haven't quite figured it out yet."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
"I could show you," Hatshepsut says with a soft hmmm at the end. "But that would require me to look into your eyes. It would be me actually showing your mind how to do it, but that is an invasion into your mind and thus, requires your permission and understanding that I will not harm you, ever."

Fatima seems to sense the importance of this and steps back a little, she's not leaving because she wants to see two bats fly into each other, but she will move out of the way.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    "Of course you won't," Lydia says confidently. "You're my grandmother. My family." She stands square in front of Hatshepsut and looks her in the eye. "Let's do this."

Raven Darkholme has posed:
Hatshepsut lays a hand on each of Lydia's shoulders, the reason for this will become clear quite soon. Concentrating for a moment while looking down at the sand, she lifts her eyes to look into Lydia's. At that moment Lydia can see a faint sparkle to her eyes, or perhaps it was just a play of the lights, but the moment their eyes meet, the world around them fades away.

It feels like Lydia is standing alone, a serious of surges of energy through her body she recognizes as the powers of her blood being called forth. In her mind she can /feel/ how to separate her own consciousness into two, three, so many more if she wanted to. It felt so easy to do, as if it was second nature, something she has been doing for ages, centuries, and it is that moment that Lydia realizes she is Hatshepsut going through the steps.

Once the mind is prepared, ready to be divided, the blood use to transform comes, one bat first that then expands into two, then four, all a part of the whole and yet not. She can feel how it is that each functions as a set of eyes and sensations unique unto itself, and yet all the information comes back to one mind, one set of thoughts among the four.

That is when the disorientation hits, and the reason for Hatshepsut placing her hands on Lydia's shoulders becomes clear... to keep her from falling over as her mind experiences the one in four and four in one for the first time.

Lydia Dietrich has posed:
    The feeling is unlike anything she ever felt before, yet not too dissimilar than when she first started splitting her attention when she's making several objects out of her ectoplasm. If two is strange, then four is downright confusing, and she finds herself losing balance.

    "Woah," she says, breaking eye contact and wobbling a bit. She shakes her head to clear it, "I think I've got it. Just like an amoeba. Or a planarian."

    She takes a couple of steps back and shakes her hands to release some of the nervous energy from them, and closes her eyes. *POOF* and she's fluttering around as a cute bat again. She makes it a couple of laps around before she attempts to divide herself.

    *POOF* There's two! She did it! She doesn't have any time to celebrate as the contradictory information and of seeing things out of two separate pairs of eyes, and trying to coordinate two sets of wings causes her to careen out of control and she flies into her self, causing her to fall to the ground.

    "Ouch," she squeaks in unison. "This is... bizarre." She flutters a bit trying to coordinate herselves and manages to get off the ground only to collide with herself again. "I can see I'm going to need some practice...."