XianaEvermor

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[ShieldTown - Locklear Residence]

[A Fate001/XianaEvermor Collaboration]

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Without breaking eye contact, Dean dug into a pocket and slapped something on the table. he pushed it forward to reveal the round coin-like green stone no larger around then a quarter. Even without Astral sight the stone's geometric carvings thrummed with latent power. He gave Ash a rather flat look as if he hadn't just sat down piece of Locklear Jade.

ID tried to keep a neutral expression, but she could not disguise the momentary flash of amber in her eyes, nor the ripple of crimson scales that crawled down her neck from her temples. Locklear Jade was no cheap bauble or trinket to be traded away on a whimsy... and this one held a noticeable amount more potency than some of the newly minted pieces she'd come across.

Oh. This was serious. What kind of mess had she stepped in now?

To be honest, she probably would have conceded for the promise of more of Alex's cooking, and the opportunity to study him. For a while she sipped her coffee while staring at it, and resisting the compulsion to immediately snatch it.

"May I ask... why you trust me with this?" ID paused, placing a finger on the Jade piece, and then flicking her eyes to Dean. "We've only just met."

"First of all, you could have stayed quiet, but you didn't. Alex is my friend. I'd even say he's family to me. He's important to a lot of people and does a lot of good around here." Dean paused for a moment and chose his next words carefully. "And . . . . I had a [Dream] about him a long while ago. Never made sense but I've stuck with him ever since . . . I don't know whats coming or what the future holds but after that scream yesterday, I had that same [Dream] for the first time in years."

[Smoldering armor and costumes across a battlefield. Figures of myth clashing with one another and with monsters he could barely describe.]

[A shining tower of steel and light that scraped the heavens, a titanic tree of flesh and wood.]

[The only thing that could be seen clearly was Alex, shining in colors more than just his blue and holding a shield that both inspired and terrified.]

[A world in chaos.]

The earth mage shuddered and poorly hid the worry and uncertainty that flashed across his face. His bond with Golem helped to keep him stable though. Maybe he should have talked to Archer about this? Maybe Dawn could make sense of it. No. Not now. Had to help Alex first. 

ID regarded him in silence. The portents of Awakened dreams weren't her area of study, but it was generally accepted to be prudent to pay attention to them. She was tempted to have him recount it for her, but if she was involved in it somehow just knowing the contents might warp the intent. Her finger pressed down on the edge of the Jade piece, and she rolled it across her knuckles and into her palm.

"This isn't something I can do from afar, and if we're to keep him ignorant of the awakened world it may take a while. If you're okay with me intruding on your [Sanctum] then I can accept," she answered carefully, with a bit of a sigh. At least it was something Mother might be interested in too.

"My scientific recommendation would be to observe him until we know what we're dealing with. It should be safe to covertly treat his symptoms as well... I can think of a few ways myself, and I've earned some goodwill with the Runesmith that runs the Stoneworks. I could call in a favor if you're comfortable with that... I'm sure she's eager to claw more material enchanting out of me," she muttered, grumpily.  

"I have other responsibilities that demand my time later in the morning, but I intend to return by evening. I'll have something to ease his symptoms then... for now just keep him away from any strong magic, else we worsen his condition."

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

"Don't be daft," Dawn replied. "I only hung some of the stars," she chirped. Felix's display of remorse seemed to inject some confidence back into her posture, though it was impossible to tell whether or not her statement was sarcasm.

Dawn pushed herself to her feet, brushing off her jeans. She reached to take Felix's arm in hers, though she ended up jamming her hands into her kangaroo pocket awkwardly instead. Her golden eyes glimmered as she regarded him, and she perked up at the mention of tattooing but let her gaze drift out up to the slowly fading snowfall of light. An expression of mild disappointment crossed her face for a split second... it was a cute sketch. If she'd had a couple more minutes she could have made it linger until Archer... or whoever was covering for him at least came in.

"Some coffee sounds nice... why don't we go sit down somewhere and figure out what we're doing," she decided uncertainly. Her premonitions weren't generally wrong, but she couldn't help wonder what exactly she was supposed to accomplish with the help of someone so... adorably scattered?

"Better go somewhere with Net coverage, so your voltaic himbo doesn't kool-aid-man through Elysium's walls," she added with a note of playful bitterness as she made her way to the lift. "What's even open this late?" Dawn grumbled, staring at the mélange of buttons with a lost expression, and no helpful glimmer of clairvoyance to guide her hand.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

*STHSTHSTHSTH* Hissed Rat. It was echoed throughout the alley behind him. The alleyway was filled with uncomfortable fidgets and rustles, and the occasional pair of gleaming Rat eyes peering at them "stealthily" from the shadows. As Maire began to look away, a Rat shaped figure at the back of the alley attempted to slowly cross, though a hand reached out and grabbed him by the collar, pulling him back into the darkness with a grunt. Rat shuffled to the side a little to obscure their view of the alley.

"Information-gets, knife-lady," he informed, hefting the sword onto his shoulder with a grunt. Rat's eyes flicked towards Doll for a moment, probably wondering if the boy would scamper off now that his task was complete. Rat turned his gaze back and forth between Maire and Doll uncomfortably for a long minute before he focused on the Templar.

"Information-gets," Rat whispered loudly, holding up a hand to cover up Doll in his vision like that would prevent the boy from listening in. "Gossip-Talks reveal big-man brings guest to ShieldTown. Injured. Unconscious," rat explained.

"Unconscious," the alley echoed, followed by ripple of shushes.

"Shiney-plates, she had. One you seek, perhaps. Go see big-man," he instructed, pointing behind Maire to the stylized shield painted in blue graffiti on the adjacent building. "Late, it is. Rest now, perhaps. Rat will guide you. Rat is your guide," he chirped, then shuffled hesitantly out of the alleyway to look left and right down the streets.

"Where is cat-kitty?"

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

"You mean a pantheon of frat boys and sluts?" Archer grinned. Yue had been pulling on her cigarette and nearly choked, hunched over in grimace, alternating between fits of coughing and laughter. "As for advice from the one 'healthy' relationship in our clan of deviants and weirdos: I'm not sure what you would get from the God of [Darkness] and [Fear], and the Goddess of [Chaos] and [Death] constitutes 'normal' for a lasting relationship... but I'll pass your inquiry along," he snickered while Yue recovered, and held out his cigarette case to Raudd.

"It's a secret blend. He won't tell me what it is," Yue fit in between giggles. "I think he's just afraid he won't be my sole supplier anymore."

"You were the one that said you wanted to quit smoking," Archer grinned. "Kindle makes them for me."

"Who's Kindle? I don't recognize that name from any of the mythology I learned," Yue asked with a note of curiosity.

"Ah. Yes. Kindle is Hecate's fox familiar," explained archer, raising an eyebrow at Yue's expression of rapt attention. Clearly he wasn't going to be able to brush this inquiry off now that the can of worms had been opened. "How do I explain this? Hecate is kind of unique in the pantheon in that she... adopts... things, and has accumulated a large number of 'companions' from multiple cultures..." Yue gasped, her eyes widening with amusement and wonder.

"IS SHE A YOKAI?? YOU GUYS ADOPTED A KITSUNE??"

"Amongst other things," laughed Archer.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[Stoneworks - Erling Manor]

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"So... how much of the Greek Mythology that I learned is real?" Yue asked with a note of excitement. Archer laughed as they slowly strolled the edge of the garden, passing a Bonsai tree shaped like a looming giant.

"Much of it is greatly exaggerated," he answered.

"That doesn't sound very magical to me," Yue replied with a bit of a pout.

"Oh are we disappointed?" Archer laughed.

"You can't just tell me 'Magic is Real' and then backpedal and say Myths and Legends aren't true," she teased. They had reached the farthest part of the garden from the house and Yue sat down on the tall wall encircling a pond several meters below, swinging her feet. Archer lowered himself next to her.

"'Exaggerated' does not mean 'untrue,'" laughed Archer.

"Oh! Don't you have a brother?"

"Apollo is a terminally irresponsible frat-boy, and she is my sister this go around," he grinned, taking a drag on his cigarette.

"Does that happen a lot?"

"No, for the most part we get to choose," he answered, amused at Yue's child-like curiosity. "I uh... I arranged for this to happen as a prank after Apollo and I got into a fight. We made up later and I forgot all about it, then years later I wake up in my newest incarnation to a rude surprise. Hermes thinks its great fun, but most of the others tiptoe around her like she's made of glass which is... hilarious to me," he chuckled. Yue was blowing a string of smoke rings when she erupted into laughter.

"I'm sorry," she snorted, covering her mouth.

"Oh don't be, we're all hilariously fucked up."

"Zeus and Hera?"

"Marriage counseling, and lots and lots of therapy. He's still a slut, but he's getting better."

"Oh! Hades and Persephone?"

"You mean 'Emo Boy' and his rebellious Goth wife? They're so cute together... Last year at the Halloween party they came as Morticia and Gomez Addams; Hades was Morticia. It was great. Demeter still tries to frame it like he kidnapped her at every family gathering and let me tell you: if there was any of that happening 'Thena would have murdered the lot of them," he revealed, rolling his eyes. "Wait, are you going to keep going until we run the whole pantheon?"

"Maybe...?" She grinned, blowing smoke at him. "Actually, tell me why the lore of Final Odyssey matches so closely to all this magic stuff," Yue asked, with a note of amusement.

"Oh that's Hypnos' doing. He's one of the principal partners of the company that owns the game, and also their lead creative director. It's kind of our secret project," he explained, leaning back on his hands. "He's been using it like a pseudo-outreach program to identify at-risk Awakened or potential awakened. I helped with the funding, and also keeping it from the rest of the more 'conservative' pantheon members."

"I knew it!"

"Hey whatever happened to 'no magic talk?'" Archer teased, with an amused grin.

"Nuh uh, honey, this is family gossip. It's completely different," she giggled.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[ShieldTown - Locklear Residence]

[A Fate001/XianaEvermor Collaboration]

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Dean sat back down across from Ash and set down their coffee. Cream and sugar was also pushed forward after his own brew was dyed tan with how much he doused his cup to sweeten it. Alex seemed oblivious to Ash's wording, and Dean's strained expression and subtle head shacks were hopefully a good enough sign that Alex was not in fact initiated. The question about there being [Haze] around Alex confused him though. "Hey big guy, when your done can you please put a shirt on? I think you've tortured the poor woman enough with how hard she's trying not to stare at your abs."

ID scooped up her cup as it was served and cradled it in both hands, mainly to enjoy the aroma, and had been eyeing Alex over the rim when Dean called her out. She flinched, flicking her eyes out the window with the most nonchalant expression she could muster.

"It's not strictly necessary...," she muttered, sipping her coffee black. ID closed her eyes for a few moments to savor the experience: she hadn't had a real cup of coffee since her last visit to Ichabod. "If you're feeling left out, you could take your shirt off too," she teased, passing a smug grin towards Dean.

"Oh bugger off you." Dean spat out with a grin between bites and sips. 

Despite having a serving well twice the size of the other two at the table, Alex's food had all but disappeared save a few crumbs and signs of residue. His demeanor made it very clear that he was used to this type of talk around him. Though there had been the slight sign of blush on his face from learning that Ash had been trying not to eye him up. After Alex put his dishes in the sink Dean got a painful flick to his shoulder for his comments as he walked past him. Dean for his part merely winced slightly and rubbed the extremity that was going to grow a dime sized bruise. "I'll go put a shirt on already. and I need to call one of the handymen to repair our broken window anyway. Dean, behave please."

The hedge mage gave a look that could best be translated as "I haven't done anything yet." and flipped off his best friend playfully while the brute went out of the room. After waiting for a solid minute to make sure Alex had walked off, Dean leaned forward towards Ash and spoke in a hushed tone. "OK first rule, Big man isn't [Awoken] or even [Initiated] and we are keeping it that way for the time being. Second, what did you mean Haze in his aura? That doesn't make any sense." While Dean had pivoted into "serious mage" mode, there was a hint of concern in his voice regarding the situation. He really wish he wasn't astral-y nearsighted so he could at least attempt to try and see what Ash was even talking about. 

"Are you so sure?" She asked, raising an eyebrow, flicking eyes back to Dean after watching Alex leave. ID was eating slowly and purposefully, and for a moment during each bite she closed her eyes. "He carries a signature that reads as Mana... something off about it though: couldn't say what without some equipment," she explained, turning her gaze back towards the stairs and seeming lost in thought for a moment.

That got her a rather flat look that made it exceedingly clear that Dean was sure his best friend of YEARS was not in fact among the ranks of the awoken world. That or he was trying to shoot mind lasers through her skeptical skull.

"I can see he's recently been in contact with a Haze signature that's extremely polluted with emotional turmoil. There's other signatures being smothered in there I could probably pull apart with some time. Seems his body is hanging onto it, but he says he doesn't feel sick so...," she shrugged. "This," she pointed at the plate with her fork. "This is really good. I'll have to peep into your windows more often," she smiled.

Dean sat there there for a moment to gather his thoughts. Nothing he could think of or any of his lessons could answer the real burning question. "How can a mundane collect haze? The Big guy is at minimum a Brute 7 which could explain why he's fine but-!" Dean suddenly froze in realization.

"He said that he had been very . . . sloppy and sluggish yesterday during, well, everything. And without going into personal detail about him i can tell you that's not normal for him. That damn scream aside."

"Could be that this has been happening slowly for some time, which is why it went unnoticed, and some new factor or catalyst is what's tipping him over the edge," she mused. Like spending time with an unstable and reckless mage with marginal control over her abilities... 

Curious that the charm didn't prevent her from omitting information.

"That still doesn't explain how he would be sucking haze of all things into his body." Dean pointed his fork at her before taking another bite.

ID tapped her plate in thought, and then speared Dean with a shrewd look for an uncomfortably long time while she savored a bite of omurice. For just a moment her eyes flashed amber. and then she considered her plate with a sly smile.

"I mean... I could look into it," she mused, prodding at her food. "... If you're really that worried about him," she mentioned dismissively. ID turned her eyes back towards him to gauge his reaction, the corners of her lips curled into an amused grin.

Dean made a face at her. "Of course I'm worried. I can't even begin to consider how long this has been going on. or how much he might have been keeping to himself so me and everyone else wouldn't worry." He muttered aggressively to himself before downing the rest of his coffee and setting the mug down with a clack.

He stared at Ash for a moment. There was a decision formulating in his head, probably a risky one but he needed more help with this. Probably a good idea to contact the Nordic's about this. There really wasn't any telling what a contained Haze buildup could do to someone like Alex, especially with his powers. "So you'd be willing to help?"

"Not for free," she answered slyly, holding his gaze for an uncomfortably long moment. "The good news is...," she paused to gaze back at the stairs for a second while cradling her cup of coffee in both hands. "His enhanced physiology is probably slowing the progress of symptoms a great deal. Fatigue and cognitive fog are early signs of Haze poisoning though," she answered, eyeing Dean over the rim of her cup evenly.

What will you do now, little Earth Mage?

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[Stoneworks - Erling Manor]

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Yue found herself in Raudd's garden after a walk of some length, head abuzz with thoughts about everything that she'd experienced tonight. Still, she couldn't shake the thought that she'd forgotten something important. It wasn't every day you got pulled into an intervention and told you're some kind of wizard... She'd been reflecting on past events through this new lens of information and pieces of a puzzle she didn't realize she'd been assembling were starting to fit together.

Since the garden was supposed to be a sanctuary from all the "magic bullshit" saturating the Stoneworks, Yue had left the book unopened in the room they'd prepared for her. It seemed content that she had resolved to read it once she'd had a moment to process and, thankfully, was no longer screaming for her attention. She leaned against a length of fence to stare up into the inky darkness of the plate ceiling, watching the occasional constellation of stars fly past on its surveillance pattern.

"Ayo!" Archer slipped out of the aether, feet crunching purposefully as he approached... It was hard to tell what was more unnerving: The knowledge that he was being purposefully considerate so he didn't startle her, or that he was basically invisible to her super-advanced senses otherwise.

"Hey," she replied, as he leaned against the fence next to her. He reached into his jacket and held out a cigarette case to her. Silver, and beautifully engraved with a scene depicting Artemis and Orion. She pulled a pair of cigarettes from inside and handed one to Archer. With a snap of his fingers both were lit. For a moment Yue just pulled deep and inhaled the fragrant blend with her eyes closed.

Archer had ruined smoking for her. On purpose most likely. It only took one of his hand rolled, mystery blend cigarettes to make even high quality tobacco taste like chemically treated soot. He refused to disclose the blend, or where he got them... though she did recognize the aroma and flavor of Kizami tobacco.

"So... you're a God then?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at him. Archer gave an amused snort.

"I'm a person, same as you," he answered with a chuckle. "Back then, there was no distinction between magic and divinity, so we were worshiped as Gods. Some real bad shit happened before my time, and some of the others found a way for us to stick around so it doesn't happen again," he explained. He grinned, knowing from Yue's hard expression that his blanket explanation wouldn't be enough.

"Alright alright," he chuckled. "You could say that I am the collection of memories and experiences that identifies as the entity 'Artemis.' But... I've lived many mortal lives and each one leaves its little marks and influences, so even though she and I are the same entity, I am an individual amongst all the people who have been Artemis."

"So it's 'soundtrack inspired by,' then?" Yue asked with a smirk.

"You got the right of it," he laughed. "I'm surprised you're not mad," he noted, blowing a smoke ring at her. Yue shot one back through its center.

"I was," she answered, flicking a bit of ash from the end of her cigarette. "From my perspective, I've also had several hours to process everything that was said... and I think if our relationship was a lie you probably wouldn't have rushed to find me so quickly. I think I've always kind of known you were hiding something, but it never felt like you were being dishonest so I just figured you'd talk about it when you were ready. You tell me: am I just a job to you?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean...," he hesitated for a long moment. She smacked him in the chest and they both started laughing. "It's complicated. Protecting you from all the shit that goes bump in the night is my job. However, because of who I am, the nature of that protection is very personal. Because of that I get to choose, and I chose you because of the person you are, knowing we would become close. For better or for worse, we're basically family and the others will treat you as such... or I'll beat them up," he grinned.

"I see," replied Yue, smiling. She took a deep drag on the cigarette and closed her eyes, exhaling slowly and just enjoying the aroma.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[ShieldTown - Interior]

[A Fate001/XianaEvermor Collaboration]

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This was punishment.  

Dean was clearly exacting payment for her attempt to peep into his home, evident by the tone in his voice that her attendance wasn't optional. ID could think of worse punishments than being treated to a free meal and some coffee while under a truth spell. Truth spell probably wasn't accurate: data manipulation spells usually had rules and technicalities that you could navigate to avoid revealing information. "Creative truth-telling" as it were.

The problem was... without knowing the rules that governed the spell, the only way to discover them was through trial and error. ID couldn't quite place the air of smug amusement Dean exuded: it didn't sound like he was going to interrogate her, and the lasting effect may have even been a miscalculation on his part depending on who had made the charm that had contained the spell.

However, everything became clear once the door opened...

"Whoa...," she blurted out, her eyebrows shooting upwards upon getting a face-full of Alex's naked chest. It became noticeably warmer in the doorway as she cleared her throat uncomfortably. Her eyes flicked past him for a moment to the active stove and she took a breath reflexively.

"Yes, a stranger," she grimaced, forcing herself to look away. "In the context that we haven't met," she corrected herself.

Alex took in the new information and glanced to the now recovering Dean, when he got a thumbs up through the remnants of his laughing fit Alex stopped tensing and gave a friendly smile. "Well, make yourself at home, i was just going to start second breakfast for myself. want any? I'm making omurice." There had been a split second when the woman had claimed to be a stranger that Alex's eyes flashed blue with momentary power. 

Oh no. He could cook.  

Dean finally recovered and went over to the kitchen table. "Ash, meet Alex. Alex, This is Ash." He pulled two chairs out and sat down in one. "I'll just have coffee." He looked back at Ash and motioned to the other seat. holding back a grin when he noticed that she was very obviously trying not to look at Alex.

"I'd love that," she answered, eyes flicking over the gold sheen in Alex's tattoos with interest. ID crossed behind Dean to the seat by the window, spearing him with a narrowed gaze

"[払拭する]," she whispered tersely into Dean's ear as she passed. The command echoed through the Manascape and for a moment the golden threads of the Truth charm shuddered. ID flinched as she was rebuffed and squinted at Dean as she sat down. She let out a breath as she opened the window, momentarily more interested in the origin of the charm than the slab of man in the kitchen. Prodding an enchantment that had resisted a Dispelling Command any further probably wouldn't be a good idea.

"So how are you two related?" She asked, changing the subject.

"College roommates. He hasn't been able to get rid of me ever since." Dean replied as-a-matter-of-factly and gave Ash a smug look that indicated that he was well aware of her failings to dispel the charm.

Alex piped up, ignorant of the mage's stare down. "I majored in electrical engineering, while lazy bones here got a degree in Geological sciences. and to think neither of us really use them for jack." Dean and Alex gave chuckles, Though Dean's was for ironic and on the nose reasons. Alex looked back at the two. "Mind getting the coffee going?"

ID snorted quietly... Geological Science was actually very important for an Earth Mage.

Dean made a scene as if it was the most annoying thing in the world to do. "Fiiiiiine." He lurched out of his chair and moved intentionally slow towards the counter before prepping a fresh pot.

"Yeah, I noticed Dean has a... thing for rocks," she replied, giving Dean a suspicious glance before focusing her [Dreamsight]. The house itself was alight with charms and script hidden in the graffiti outside, and she noticed the subtle thread of caramel scented green tied about her pinky now that she was focused. A marking cantrip that she probably picked up when she entered. ID suppressed the urge to snuff it out.

"Do you feel alright?" She asked, her head tilting with a note of curious concern after observing Alex for a long moment. What had caught her eye was the knot of [Crimson] coiling around his insides like crawling vines. It was intermixed with a number of other signatures, including the static cling of [Blue] that read as awakened energy but felt foreign. The [Crimson] was smothering the other signatures, almost leaking out of him.

Ash's question was waved off as eggs were poared into the skillet. "Me? Im perfectly fine." There was a loud sound not too dissimilar to an oak barrel being smacked as Alex beat his chest a bit. "Super physiology brute. I'm healthy as can be. why do you ask?" Ash's question got a raised eyebrow from Dean and a quick gesture that would be best interpreted as "Where is that coming from?"

Hmm... informative. Was that the actual truth? Or just what he believed? Either way, retaining Haze was unusual.

"I'mmmmmmmmm...," ID bit the inside of her lips as her eyes flicked between Alex and Dean rapidly in a moment of panic. She wasn't sure whether or not Alex was initiated with Arcane knowledge. It wouldn't be unusual, particularly for a Hedge to be living amongst Mundane folk. Lack of strong magical community was part of why she chose ShieldTown to be her sanctuary.

"... Sensitive to strong emotions," she answered, with a note of relief. A technical truth. "I can [See] the [Haze] in your [Aura]," she said cryptically, flicking her eyes back to Dean to observe his reaction. Another technical truth. "Forgive me for prying, I... can't really turn it off." 

There was a pause in Alex's cooking before he finished up. "Some type of thinker power? I mean . . . I was dealing with some personal stuff and wasn't my best yesterday or this morning." His shoulders sagged somewhat at that. The moment quickly passed as food was plated. Japanese omelette over rice. Three servings were quickly set down at the table along with extra seasoning and condiments since he wasn't sure how their house guest wanted theirs.

ID just smiled and didn't clarify.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

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[Stoneworks - Interior]

[A Chaotix14 / XianaEvermor collaboration]

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[Silver] thread slithered through the gold filigree, consuming it and framing the cover in Shinto symbolism. A winged dragon clawed its way of the spine of the book, perching on the corner as its tail curled around the crescent moon forming on the cover.

"That's Tsukimoyo," Yue muttered, with a raised eyebrow. "The book knows my family religion?"

The binding cracked, peeling away and dissolving as draconic claws of brilliant [Silver] pierced through the cover. The book seemed to grow in thickness, silver pages glimmering throughout. A deep resonance thrummed throughout the Stoneworks, and though it made no sound its intent was understood.

[LEARN]

"Uh..."

"Going a little heavy on the theatrics, Freyja?" Archer asked jokingly, with the widest grin.

"Nah, I didn't anticipate that she was that closely affiliated with a primal aspect. Though now I'm not so sure I want her in the Black moon society, these sort of things always come in three's so I'm pretty sure somewhere in the future she's going to recruit a favorite of a primal as well." She responded with a mixed smile. "To quote her mentor when she got handed the book, 'Oh great, now I have to deal with that.' Heh, primals." Raudd teased with his grin widening to match that of Archer and giving both Zolya and Archer a few glances.

Zolya sighed before addressing Yue. "Well it would seem Tsukimoyo-no-Mikoto would prefer you to learn his traditions first, not that much of a problem Freyja did something similar to me. It does however mean that it no longer works as intended, and one of the reasons I'd like you to have that book is because it's one of the few convenient communication methods between the UnderCity and the surface." She said before placing her hand above the savant book once more and calling "[Reproduire, apprenti.]", producing another book.

She slid the book towards Archer on the table. "Tsukimoyo-no-Mikoto will likely do the same to this book if I immediately give it to you, so until you've gotten a chance to read the first few chapters in his book this one will stay with Archer for safekeeping and communications..." She explained to Yue before turning her head towards Archer. "And only those things, understood Artemis?" She said with a 'friendly' smile wanting to make explicitly sure Archer wouldn't take the opportunity to pull some similar fuckery.

"Honey please... I would never...," Archer chirped, taking the book with a sly smile. He spun it by its corner on one finger, then pressed it into his palm with his free hand. The book flattened and vanished, and he held up a card: 2 - The High Priestess, before it vanished with a flick.

"I had to learn it from a specially prepared physical copy, but this book is perhaps the most sterile and scientific method aligned explanation for magic. Technically it would suffice as a tradition for a magic user, but it's more designed to provide a mage with foundational knowledge and understanding of magic. Kinda like how learning chemistry can give you a better understanding of biology. Which is why everyone learns (or develops) at least one other tradition somewhere along their study." Raudd explained to both Archer and Yue. Mostly to temper some of Yue's expectations about the book set by Archer, and to make clear that regardless of which of the many traditions she wanted to learn from there was always a gain in learning the contents of the book.

"To be fair, 'Sterile and Scientific' is a tradition unto itself: those who study it exclusively are called 'Students of the Will.' Although the practice isn't incredibly common due to a... kerfluffle that happened some time back. There were some bad eggs, and now the practice is kind of frowned upon even though some wonderful things came from it," he explained.

Yue leaned back in her seat, staring at the cover of the book with a bewildered expression. She did ask for concrete evidence... but now she wasn't sure she hadn't been handed something infinitely scarier than the troubled naivete she'd been struggling with before. She set the book down beside her, slightly unnerved by the way the whole room seemed to resonate around it, begging to be read.

"OK," she huffed. "I'm... a little overwhelmed. I think... I just need some time to come to terms with everything that's happening," she muttered, rubbing her eyes as if that would wipe away all the things she was seeing.

"I can imagine. I'm going to set up the guest room for two, at least I'm presuming it might be better for there to be a familiar face when you wake up. Feel free to roam the house, It should be free of any magic entities other than these two over here." He said pointing at Zolya and Archer with his final sentence.

Raudd stood up and walked off to do as he said and once Raudd had left the room Zolya turned to Yue with a cheeky smile. "Whenever he needs some time to think things through he always retreats to his back garden, I've never been allowed in there but I hear it is quite beautiful and serene place, and you've gotten permission to 'roam' the house." As much as she was egging her on to kind of trespass into the garden, Zolya thought it might be one of the places around that could lend itself well to quiet reflection that wasn't infested with the magic.

"Ooh! Sleepover!"

"Archer...," Yue groaned softly.

"No magic talk, I promise," he grinned, holding his hand over his heart. "Just office gossip and boys," he grinned. Yue rolled her eyes.

"Fiiiine," she sighed, a smile cracking the corner of her lips. "I need a few minutes of... Quiet... Thanks, Fr- ... Zolya. All of... this," Yue gestured vaguely at everything. "Isn't easy for me, but I feel a little better just being validated and knowing I have people in my corner. I'm gonna get some air," she announced, scooping up her book, which gave a soothing, low crystal tone before quieting.

At least it wasn't screaming at her for attention anymore.

Titan's Fall: The Abyssal Paradox

Dawn pursed her lips at him, squinting for a long moment before folding her arms and looking generally disgruntled. What could be more interesting than the magical girl right in his living room? Wait, right. His brain was filled with static. She quietly wondered if there was a vein of magic that could help him with that... would it be Restoration or Fortification? Would he even want it if she could help?

"It's fine," she huffed, looking away. "I'm creating... important... things too," she muttered, flicking her fingers haphazardly at the ceiling. Luminous golden dust shot from her fingertips, speckling the network of glowing arrays with stars. She weaved threads of [Light], dotting the arrays with stars and galaxies until she got to one corner of the ceiling where the whole network was exploding out of a sketch of Felix's head.

"So... does that mean I'm waiting for your medication?? Or...?" Her eyes flicked up towards him, and he was suddenly gazing intensely into them. She flinched, unable to look away. The image on the ceiling shattered, showering them with motes of glowing golden dust, she coughed uncomfortably.

"Right. Coffee. Y-yeah, I'm still up... down... for it... all," she stammered, as she struggled to right herself. He wasn't supposed to find out about her affiliation, but the Enchanter was annoyingly persistent and had blown her cover. Felix was surprisingly chill about her working with Ares, particularly after she explained it wasn't entirely voluntary.

"Let's go," she answered, doing her best to smooth out the hoodie she'd changed into and fix her hair before they left.