World Tree MUSH

    Following Yukong out of the Palace of Aurum, the group head over toward Earthrise Agora in Starskiff Haven. Several Starskiffs are moored on the various piers, and families gather around them, placing items on them and then stepping back.

    There's not just Foxians here. Natives and Vidyadhara also attend to pay respects to those being sent into the void.

    "Please, travellers from the Express and beyond... place your offerings onto the Starskiff, so we may send Tingyun's spirit out into the sky." says Yukong, as she places a worn Amacassidor's seal on the Starskiff... and holds a little prayer for a moment, then steps back.

    Stelle is about to step forward, when Yanming comes running up. "Wait! Please!" he calls, stumbling a moment, but catching himself. "I finally have my offering for Miss Tingyun..." he holds out an ornate paper kite, it has a stylized design of a hawk or some other bird of prey on it... he places it on the skiff. "May your spirit grow wings, so it may visit all the worlds you never could in life... Goodbye, Miss Tingyun."

    Clara follows out after Yukong, Svarog quietly in tow. The barefoot child is still pretty sullen, all things considered, why wouldn't she be?
    Nevertheless, the girl is biting her lip hard when Yanming arrives, almost late with his offering.
    Poor Clara looks to be on the verge of tears.
    Nevertheless, after a light nudge from Svarog, she steps forward.
    Clasped in her hands is a red ribbon similar to the ones Tingyun wore.
    It's one of Clara's own ribbons, but that's niether here nor there as she rests the ribbon on the skiff and steps back, looking just about ready to lose it.

    "Oh, that's very..." Jessica ponders what she's seeing, ears flattening lightly. She thinks very hard as she watches everyone set their gifts out, then walks slowly forward once it's her turn. She has a wonderful-smelling food bowl, the bowl keeping the contents warm. Setting the chili-oil spiced stew down, she huffs. "We didn't have long to know you, but you touched a lot of people's lives. I hope this finds you wherever people go in this realm. It sounds like an old favorite."

    With the others, Talia maintains a stoic front as she holds her gift; the tea that was promised to the teahouse by Tingyun. She's been to enough funerals to maintain the decorum, and when it's her turn she provides the tea, holding it out in its packets. "It's a shame, you would've enjoyed this blend." She says softly, bowing her head. "May you find peace, in the afterlife."

    Bi De doesn't have a physical gift, but the rooster isn't that big. He walks forward, head held high... then bows deeply, wings spread. "May your spirit, wherever it resides, have rest, happiness, and safety."

    Stelle, representing the Express crew, places a replica of Tingyun's fan on the Starskiff. She silently bows her head, then backs away.

    The Skiff's siding closes, and with a quiet signal from Yukong, who has retreated to a higher vantage, overseeing the whole pier array... the skiffs are launched toward the large glowing portal in the outer field envelope, the 'gate' cycling open to allow the vehicles passage.

    It's a sombre affair, noone speaks, some cry openly, others simply look on with tears running down their cheeks.

    Yukong herself is dry-eyed, but fundamental sorrow can be seen in her purple eyes are she watches Tingyun's Skiff, until it fades from view with distance.

    Someone is clinging to Talia's side.
    ... It's Clara.
    She does her best to hide her face and her sniffling in the jedi's robe, but there's no mistaking the telltale sob of a child's getting muffled by the fabric as the sobbing begins. Soft, quiet, muffled. Clara attempts to hold it in and be a good, big, girl, but she fails. She fails miserably as she holds on tight and refuses to let go, as she stands, trembling and vulnerable, hands balled into tight fists clutching Talia's robes.

    Timidly, Jessica reaches out and gives Clara a little pat on the side as well. She's not exactly a comforting mother figure, even if she gives amazing hugs. The catgirl's tail sways slowly, and she lets out a long, exhausted sigh. "It's really never easy, why is that?"

    Obviously referring to funerals and the like. By now the others should know Jessica is no stranger to death, no matter how cheerful she often seems.

    "If it ever gets easy or not sad, isn't that when you should worry about yourself?" Bi De remarks. "Let the girl cry, it is the human way of dealing with this. What we should focus on afterward is honoring the memory of the Tingyun we knew." He doesn't say more out loud, about the Ravager. Best not to refer to that in public.

    Talia feels Clara and her face softens, she doesn't have it in her to shove away a crying child, even if it's surprising she's not clinging to Svarog. All the same, Talia's hand gently pats Clara on the shoulder, and she embraces the girl back. "It's alright..." she whispers gently, stroking Clara's hair. "Let it all out."

    March drops to her knees next to Clara, hugging the girl gently and surprisingly saying nothing... just holding the white-haired girl and letting her cry.

    Elsewhere, Yanqing says to Jing Yuan. "The service is over... shall I send word to the Express Crew you wish to see them?"

    THe General looks down from his vantage at the crew, and the other outworlders. "Not yet, I think... let them grieve." He turns toward the door leading inward, limping a little from his still healing wounds.

    Talia says nothing more, as she comforts Clara in her arms. She'll let the little one grieve much as she wishes. Talia can't say the same, sad as she is she didn't quite have that connection to Tingyun. All the same, she shows respect as needed.

    Jessica takes a deep breath. "Do you think the whole thing is over? At least here." The journey will continue, of course. She's mostly worried that the Ravager is going to return, that the defeat wasn't final. Maybe she's even looking forward to that...

    "We should focus on mourning tonight," Bi De replies to Jessica. "Tomorrow, we can learn more about what we can do... or if anything more needs to be done. Thinking about it too early will only exhaust yourself."