27. Rest and Revelry-Planning
General Summary
Training
Ta'lok absolutely doesn't feel right if he doesn't at least do some basic cardio or stretches in the morning. he gets up, acquires covfefe, and makes an iquiry about where a fella can get some calisthenics in, and is probably directed to an appropriate training space. Outdoors, sheltered from most of the wind, daylit. Alejandro's there doing striking practice on a dummy, part of the warmups he does with his dual blades. Carrying equipment around is obviously not feasible for life on the road, and hauling a massive hammer around the house is probably going to make some people nervous on day one, so I think Ta'lok's empty handed, planning on just doing some bodyweight stuff. He's not put off at all by realizing someone else is there - he's trained in groups more than he's traind solo, for sure “Keenstrider! Youre up early. What can I help you with.” Ta'lok gives a one-hand-raise kind of wave and say something to the effect of never having been good at sleeping in. Alejandro absolutely clocked him as military, and is unsurprised. There are arms-racks with a wide array of training equipment. Alejandro can use use it all. He’s been trained with lots of different kinds of weapons. A real Swiss Army knife kind of fighter. But he also doesn't get much practice sparring people larger than himself these days Alejandro gestures to the options like 'go for it' Ta'lok won't go for a hammer, this is an opportunity to practice other stuff. a glaive, maybe “Take it easy on me though, I have to train Marwa later and I need my arms to still work to do that.” "I've seen that kid do things with daggers that'd make a bladeling stare, you better not pull any punches" The implicit invitation to spar gets a grin It’s a pretty even fight. Between the polearm and the height advantage, he's gonna make Alejandro work for a hit They're both respectfully surprised at each other's skill, enjoying the challenge. They're both seasoned strategists too so it’s a mind game as much as jt is about athletics I think Alejandro let’s out a loud laugh like he’s clearly enjoying the fight. He's fast, darting in and out of reach like dancer, more nimble than one might guess from his build. Alejandro's fire powers are the tipping factor. Ta'lok spars with Marwa all the time. He's used to countering smaller, faster, but remembering that there's a radius of heat to flames, that it doesn't have to touch you to burn you or trigger innate "GETAWAY" reflexes of survival, isn't something he encounters as much He's not a sore loser though, they both learned something there I think they start with the assumption it'll be a points game, but then it takes so long for either to land a hit that it becomes implicitly a game of first-touch-wins. I think post-match they're both down for a breather Ta'lok can tell stories of fights the party's been in with more focus on the combat Alejandro wants to understand the mind of the man Marwa has chosen to follow And is impressed he focuses on Marwa's role obviously She can fucking float, shes almost always got the aerial advantage in an open fight, absent corners to sneak around, she plays a mix of melee and clean-up-crew, picking off the ones he and Saeldor batter down we mentioned before that Cypher's debilitating powers make a good complement to her sneak attacks I think Ta'lok's used to playing it vague about the warlock, as much in respect to his desire for secrecy as anything else Alejandro wants to clarify a bit. “Arcane caster, I’m guessing?” "Your guess is as good as mine. Kid's locked up tighter than a safe about the details. Handy though" Alejandro nods but he’s stewing. he doesn’t like not knowing things. I think Ta'lok doesn't want to insult the guy by transparently changing topic. But also he's conflicted because this is clearly a smart man with more merc/adventuring experience than himself and his insights could be useful for a problem that Ta'lok presently doesn't have any leads for I feel like they probably had some probative banter during the fight enough to tell that neither of them are particularly thin-skinned I also think Ta'lok can clock that he's stewing A: “And that doesn’t rub you the wrong way?” I think Ta'lok thinks about it, he's a tactical enough person not to speak the obvious "of course it does" that comes to mind right away "I'd be a fool if it didn't. "I won't lie to you I kept a pretty close eye on him for the first bit there "but its long since become apparent that he's not a threat to anyone who isn't a threat back." Alejandro gives a nod. “I’ll trust your judgment, and Marwa’s. Still. It’s interesting.” <say-more cocking of the head> “Knew a guy back in our adventuring days a long time ago. Got his power from a… I’ll just say unlikely source. Unsavory.” He goes to return his blades to their proper place “Great intentions, but. There were times it was clear he wasn’t always the one driving, you know?” “A father worries about these things.” Ta'lok was already listening, but he's now, a'la Norrington gif, "listening intently" "What happened with mister good-intentions?" Ta'lok's thinking about the episode on the ride here. It's obvious whatever's eating at the kid is progressing. “Don’t know.” And his expression says that it still bothers him “He dipped and we couldn’t track him. Pity, seemed like a nice enough guy.” Oh that absolutely lands The disappearances have always been the biggest indicator of liability in Ta'lok's view I think Ta'lok looks troubled in a way that's telling of the paralell, even if he doesn't say it aloud Alejandro shrugs and walks away. Ta'lok heads to his room to shower. He's got a bunch to think about.Morning Smoke
I don't think Julius is an early bird, but I don't think he sleeps late either. I think he's just slow and relaxed in the morning, generates day momentum slowly. He steps out onto a patio, pyjamas-and-sweater-and-coffeecup, gets halfway into sitting in favourite armchair before he clocks the half-giant blowing smoke rings into the breeze Saeldor probably feels more comfortable here than he did on the airship combination of the privacy screen and the greenery helps make it easy to forget how high up you are, and the gardens are built with respect to the needs of the plants within them, it's not wild and brambly, but it is balanced, healthy. I think Saeldor would apologize, “I know your wife said last night that we have the run of the place, but if this is your little patch of quiet, I’m happy to amble on.” A 'no no no' kind of handwave "You're quite welcome." Slow drink of coffee, then he remembers you have to say things out loud for people to react to them. Doesn’t know that Saeldor loves a good companionable silence "My perception always wakes a moment behind the rest of me, that's all." I don't think he sounds grumpy? but Marwa's not a morning person either and Saeldor can absolutely clock the "I did not expect to have to manage conversational energy and etiquette yet" “You sound like your daughter. With fewer cuss words.” That gets a chuckle "Her baba's influence, I'm afraid." Saeldor smiles, slow and easy “Keeps us all on our toes. Wouldn’t have her any other way.” A smile into the coffee cup. He knows a few people he can file under that description. I think they're both quiet for a while. Once he's got the coffee down and had a moment to breathe, Julius comments, still looking at the view of the lower gardens which are mostly groves of fruit trees with a narrow stream winding through, "I had a look at that journal." "If you see Marwa before I do, will you tell her to come find me?" theres a faint trace of worry line Saeldor’s gaze swings over “Can do.” alarmed? “I trust that you know much more about this than I do, friend. But if you want a willing ear, you’ve got mine.” He thinks about it, tracing a finger around the edge of the empty mug "Only theories, at the moment. I'd like to have a look at that tattoo." there's an unexpected venom on the word, and likely not due to any compunctions about body art "See if I can't work out a way to remove it." “Ah. I’m sure she’d appreciate that. Although our boy Cypher seems to have been able to ‘scramble the signal’. I admit a lot of that goes over my head, but sounded like he’d at least hindered their attempts to track her.” "Ah, yes. Curiously vague, that part of the story." academicbrain says I NEED ALL THE INFO IF IM GONNA FIGURE OUT A SOLUTION dadbrain says YOU CAST A SPELL ON MY DAUGHTER AND YES IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN HELPFUL BUT ALSO YOU BETTER TELL ME WHAT IT WAS "In any event, I'll need the details of the modification before I can attempt a removal." I think Saeldor definitely clocks the shift in tone. Still giving that easygoing smile “She is lucky to have such a loving, capable family. Reminds me of my people back home. She seems to collect people that care about her without effort though, doesn’t she? People who will use all their skills to keep her safe at the drop of a hat.” I think these comments don't fully relax him; he's shifted the previous line of thinking aside for the moment, but its not forgotten, but they do contribute. He smiles. "I'm thankful every day that she found good company out there. Not everyone is so fortunate." Saeldor just felt the need to stick up for cypher, He’s not going to overshare or speak on cyphers behalf though I think he’s just content to let things stay as they are of all the characters to have a scene that's mostly shared silence, it'st hese two Julius smokes on-again-off-again (stress-relieving vice. Alejandro never minded) I thinK Lydia keeps asking him to quit, and he usually does Saeldor would offer to share I think Julius probably has a better handle on moderation about it but still if their conversation on, say, the personhood of plant life, was interrupted by a djinni voice from behind them exclaiming some variation of WHAT IS THAT IN YOUR MOUTH/I THOUGHT YOU QUIT/WHAT ARE YOU DOING I don't know what pet name Lydia uses for him but that's in there btw Julius switches IMMEDIATELY into pacifying mode "My love, no, it means nothing, only one, I swear, of course you mean more to me my heart" etc etc fade out lmaoTattoo Removal
Maybe her mama’s shouting is what wakes Marwa up Left her window open and the garden isn’t far She can probably also smell it on the wind, but she's used to it from Saeldor. It takes her sleepy brain a minute to clock why mom's mad about it? "Is Mom yelling at Saeldor, wtf?" so she just lays there with a confused frown on her face until she figures it out lmao and then laughs "Good morning, Nimbus. Happy to be home?" He is She gets some dry lightning flashes from Nimbus, who's darting around the room. And then she remembers that her parents have good coffee and she forces herself out of her INSANELY comfortable bed Yeah she can head down and get herself a cuppa the good shit Erik had a cup already made for her, just the way she likes it. and a friend meets her with it which makes her fucking weepy lmao Friend is a half-drow named Quinn. He's a wheelchair user and his chair is tricked out with ALL the cool shit. Only person who gets around the estate faster is Lydia herself. "Oh Quinn! Thank you so much, you are an angel of truth and light." Takes the coffee and guzzles it down "It's good to have you back Race you round the grounds later?" "Good to be back. How's your better half?" "Oh you KNOW IT." "Give me a minute for this coffee to kick in." "Raph's been buried in their work all week, but we have a date night on friday and deadline's monday, so there's an end in sight!" (Quinn's partner is a painter; not especially famous, which they prefer operating small-time anyway, but still kept busy enough to rankle sometimes) "Of course, you'll need it." she sticks her tongue out "I'm working this morning anyway, but come find me in the afternoon if you're free. And look forward to breakfast!" he Rolls away, pops a wheelie on the corner for fun She smiles and raises her mug in salute She'd park in her favorite comfy chair, which is big and floofy and full of pillows, and just let the sounds of the house soothe her spirit. She's finishing off a second cup that's more about enjoying it than it is about needing the caffeine boost, when a grey cat hops up on her lap "Grim, my favorite darling girl!" Purr, headbonks "Where have you been all my life." She does that kind of stare that cats only give you when they WANTsomething "What do you want, love. Want some kitty treats?" brrrt kittyburble hops down, takes a few steps to the door, looks back at you high happy tail I get up and follow her. You quickly realize she's taking you to dad's study There are a few places in the house that have both books, comfortable seating, and quiet, but Julius' study is a haven of all three. Thick carpet on the floor muffles sound and insulates warmth. There are windows, but the curtains are half-drawn. It's the only room with no art on the walls, because there's no room between the bookshelves. No desk, just a table at a comfortable height for studying. it's one of those ones you can't see the whole thing from the door either like the shape is kind of a "T". this place has always been a sanctuary (excpet when Dad is working, in which case it's a no-go zone) "Dad, you in here?" "Come in, little thunder" Its from around the corner. It doesn't make sound because the whole place is engineered to avoid irritations like that, but he does get up and meets you halfway for a Goodmorning/hello hug while Grim rubs his ankles "Mmmmm good morning. Why do you smell like smoke?" A slight grimace tinged with guilt. "So you were the one on the receiving end of Mom's tirade, not Saeldor." "A man has his vices, sweetie" he sounds tired but not in an Actual-Tired serious way I think he's going to try to read where she's at re: trauma, before bringing up the journal She can see it on the table behind him, a pair of gloves neatly folded beside it, along with a tidy sack of looseleaf with a pen. "You have your 'We Need to Talk, Marwa' expression on your face. Am I in trouble?" She seems warm and calm and happy right now, "I mean, moreso than usual?" "No, of course not. You did amazing. I am so sorry at what you went through, but I am just as proud of how you handled it. You're not in trouble. If you're feeling up to it, I wanted to ask about that tattoo." Marwa is a percher, so I think she's got her mug in front of her and is sitting with her knees bent in front of her, and the ankle with the tattoo is on display "Okay. What did you want to know?" she would tell him what she remembers about the process of getting it, that it was a condition of her release with Jadeira, and that someone else has the other one, but that Cypher was able to talk to it - somehow - so the messages it was sending made no sense anymore, essentially cloaking her. He would also see her scratch marks, where she thought she could disrupt the sigil. She sticks her leg out so he can get a better look and shrugs, "It doesn't hurt, but I wanted the first tattoo I got to be a more fun experience, you know?" He's studying but he smiles when you say that, "What would you get?" Her eyes light up at this "I don't know! Something fun and badass." "A self-portrait? We didn't raise you for such vanity." She laughs "I love you but you're a nerd." Fond smile "But what do you think - can you get rid of it? I tried to interrupt the sigil, like I did with the runes keeping Cobbles restrained. You can see how well that worked." "You're lucky you didn't hurt yourself." He looks up at you. "I'd like to try a spell of my own, if that's all right with you, just to get a better idea of what I'm looking at." "Of course." Implicit trust. Julius' casting focus is worn about the neck by a chain; it hovers when he uses it. His hands move over your tattoo, drawing faint, glowing runes into the air, like ghostly copies, rearranging them, shrinking and expanding, inspecting. Then the spell drops abruptly, his casting hand flies to his forehead in a wince. "Dad? You okay?" "Yes," he blinks a few times, drops his hand. "Flash headache, it's already fading." but he's frowning. "Your friend, you said he talked to it. Do you remember what he said? Any of it?" "Talk - talked to it? I don't know, he mumbled some magic stuff. Sounded weird, I didn't understand it. Should we ask him?" (the warlock Alejandro mentioned before - were he and Julius travelling together at that time?) yep "Yes, yes I think we should." I don't think he sounds angry, but he does sound worried, troubled. He's not going to assume anything until he has all the information, But he's doin a heckin suspicion "Uh, okay." "Let me go find him, and I'll meet you back in the study?" I wait for a millisecond before I'm gone, not giving him a chance to turn me down. Nod. Grim nudges at his hand and he glances down, grants her the forehead/ear skritches. Some of the tension leaves his face. "That sounds fine. Thank you," he says, to her retreating back."Think, think, think. Where is he," Marwa mumbles to herself. "Nimbus, I'll check his room, you check the roof." She knocks on the door. "Hey, it's Mirage. Do you have a second?" "Yeah" You find him pretty much where you left him. Erik is a goddamn SAINT and had someone send up some coffee at some point, and he changed into some warmer clothes. Era equivalent of sweater and jeans, but thats the only changes. He's at the provided table with his grimoire and a couple of different books open, plus some loose pages. spinning pen in his hand, few inkstains on his fingers probably from prior fidgeting "Okay night?" He shrugs, gestures vaguely with the pen, "uneventful." He was bored to tears It occurs to you that the night is long when you don't have a watch to maintain "You didn't have to stay cooped up in here you know. Doofus." She pauses, "Oh - unless you don't...want people to know." He shrugs. "It's not generally a conversation that ends in anything... productive. Speaking of, you needed something?" She nods. "Yeah, uh. So I talked with Dad this morning, he took a look at my tattoo." "Your dad the wizard?" he's sitting up straight, pen forgotten "Yeah." She's biting her lip at this "Merta." The inflection tells you its a curse. "I can try, but we both know it's not going to be anything close to a complete explanation." "Okay. I think anything you can give him would be helpful. He had the infernal journal behind him with gloves, I assume he found something and wanted to take a closer look at how it relates to the tattoo. I didn't - I didn't tell him you spoke in Infernal. I was really vague." he looks surprised, "It's not a secret. Unless-" he's remembering the reactions he got back in Taifun. "I just - I don't want to share things that aren't mine to share." A small smile, "appreciated. But like, it's mom's language; I'm the opposite of ashamed of it." "Oh of course - that's awesome! Hey, did you eat already? If Mom finds out I didn't feed you breakfast she will literally murder me. After dinner last night, I wouldn't be surprised if she makes it her personal mission to keep you fed at all times." She gives a half laugh, "We can hit up the kitchen on our way by." He laughs too, the pressure to eat was familiar in a grounding way, but waves off the offer. "Someone dropped off food earlier, I'm good." I lead him down to the study he thinks the study is the coolest thing he's seen in a while. He's looking around with an expression similar to when he was showing you around the Library She smiles at that "Hey Dad, I found him." Julius is standing next to a bookshelf with an open book in hand "Good." snaps it shut with one hand. Cypher looks a little nervous "Have a seat." Julius indicates the table, already heading to his own well-loved chair (this is very much giving being sent to the principal's office) Warlock has the sneaking suspicion that he's been summoned to an interrogation and is trying to gauge how much Mirage knew that Mirage is not sitting, and has a stubborn set to her jaw. she is standing next to him, looking at her Dad like, "Say something." He looks at you with a version of "what did I do?" on his face I think he's often oblivious to the way he comes off in that way "What were your questions, Dad?" Mirage has taken up the mantle of public defender in case this turns into a trial, just so Dad knows the score I think he clocks that and is a little confused at it, but he's going to attempt to smooth it out. "As I said," patient, directs the rest to Cypher, "I've been looking into a way to remove her tattoo. I understand you modified it. I'd like the details." Cypher's been trying to gauge just what steps Julius has already taken in investigating the tattoo and still has a disturbingly uncertain read on it. He (Cypher) will look at the journal. "You read it?" "What I could. I will admit my infernal is a little rusty." "Then rehashing's a waste of time. Tell me what you know already and I'll fill in any blanks I can." Marwa's not the only one who can look like a wall when they want to. Mirage's eyebrows raise at that commanding tone I don't think he means to come off that way, but he sticks by it. Like hey clearly I'm the one who has something you want here, why make bones about it. Also if he knows what Julius knows already he can further limit what he gives away; both very worth a little lost esteem. I'm going to let Julius clock that second objective without a roll, because it's somewhat obvious that this kid's avoiding the question. But he's not happy about the tone I think he keeps his tone even. Explains what Mirage already told him, fills in some technical details of the likely method by which this spell was embedded on her, watching to see how well this 'unidentified flavour of caster' can follow academic discussion of the arcane (and doing very well) "What I really want to know is how you modified it. And to be clear, 'modified' is a kind word for that absolute wreckage." Cypher's eyes widen. "Jesus christ you didn't listen to it did you?" I think Julius takes a second to parse that by 'listen' Cypher likely means 'to scry upon, to read magic, etc' "I did." "Merta, you okay?" Julius can tell that Cypher knows whatever he did to the tattoo is fucked up in a way that makes touching it dangerous. Mirage drops her crossed arms, and is trying to follow the thread of the conversation, looking confused between the two of them, because there are undertones she's not picking up. I think she doesn't understand why Cypher is worried that her dad tried to listen to the tattoo, but she does clock it. "He just heard nonsense, right Dad?" I think Julius is quiet before responding. When he does, he directs it to Cypher. "Why don't you tell us both what I heard?" His tone is quiet. It's a genuine question and an invitation with no threat in either. There's a layer put over this thing that he doesn't understand. Cypher hesitates. Julius lets the silence go a moment, then says, "I'm trying to understand. I just want it off her." I think that lowers the walls a little. Cypher will actually sit, looking tired. "At a guess? Screaming. Or maybe whispers." He looks up. "Did you know it was language, or did it just feel like it had to be?" Julius will take his seat as well. Steepled hands before him, elbows on table. "The second." "Could you repeat any of it? Don't, if you can, but can you?" "No." "Good. Be glad." Wheels are turning in your dad's mind. He already suspected the same parallel Alejandro mentioned earlier, and he's considering it as good as confirmed. I think Alejandro's still on the fence - kid could also just be an edgy sorcerer or psionicist, though those are rarer "Can you undo it?" - J Cypher laughs, he can't help it That'd be fucking NICE, wouldn't it? (internal) Mirage flinches "Sorry, no. Even if I could, it'd just start tracking her again." Julius waves that off like 'let them come' "Dad. I don't want anyone coming after you because of me." "It will take more than a cambion with a tattoo gun to get past me, sweetheart, let alone your mother and baba." "I know that, but what if they're working with more powerful people? You always taught me to think of people and how they're connected to one another. Who's to say more than this Cambion wouldn't come after me? Not that it matters, because the tattoo is apparently stuck the way it is." Cypher's watching her, trying to read how much this is her doing strategy talk and how much this is the upper edge of another spiral/panic attack She's not there yet, but she's emphatic. She'd be inconsolable if they came after her family, her safe place, not that they can't fend for themselves, but she'd take responsibility, and want to run. "Not necessarily." - Julius Cypher's gaze swings back to the wizard. Julius is going to propose a cooperative approach. The tattoo is spellweave ink; Weave made physically manifest and inlaid in the skin. It's a risky practice but this one seems stable. The convenient thing about these kinds of "tattoos" is that they're removeable; You simply return the weave to its original form. the problem here is that a decent part of this particular weave is all interlaced with something that it's probably best not to interact with (emphatic agreement from the warlock here) "A bad idea. For most people." Julius is looking at Cypher directly. He's going to suggest a cooperative maneuver. Julius can guide him along, and if he's correct in assuming that Cypher can interact with the damage he did without getting the reaction J got, he can take care of the parts that J couldn't look at. Mirage turns her back to her Dad and looks at Cypher. "Okay so having a tattoo I didn't choose for myself, not ideal. Having some nonconsensual infernal magic etcetera on my body, not great. But it doesn't hurt, and they can't track me with it." She looks him in the eye. "You can say no to this." He's looking conflicted, drops the eye contact almost immediately. He wants that horrible reminder off of you as badly as anyone. But he doesn't use the weave and he thinks Julius is probably overestimating how much he can make use of a wizard's directions. But he's also thinking, chewing his inner lip, drumming fingers, wheels spinning. She lets him think "If I made it shut up, just for a second, could you do it?" Julius thinks a moment too, then nods. Cypher looks back at you "Then I want to." 'Are you sure.' "To a pretty rare degree, yeah." "I'll be fine." Side glance to Julius, "It just needs to be quick." "If you can, how did you put it, 'make it shut up for a sec,' it will be." "Okay. Do I - do I need to do anything? Should I sit, or stand? Or...something?" "Take a seat, sweetie. Try to relax." "Sure. No problem." "Ouch," mock injury from the warlock, who's raising an eyebrow at your clipped cadence Her expression softens at that. "Sorry, I'm just nervous. I trust you both." He's still affecting insult. "On the road together what, a year and a bit? You don't think I can handle some noise?" "Are you implying that I'm the one making the noise? I'll reiterate that I'm a goddamn delight." He laughs, "Sure you are, it just takes a steady stream of coffee to make it happen" She fake-frowns at him He smiles I think Julius interrupts them. "Ready?" Cypher is disturbed at how easy it is to forget there's other people in the room lately. He nods. "Yeah, ready." I think Julius wants to check in about whether YOU want this. Because like, obviously he thinks its better to be not on you, he's frankly disturbed at it. but as you pointed out its currently benign if you're uncomfortable he won't make you cooperate no she wants it off, as long as Cypher is okay with it. she knows they're both taking some risk in doing this, but she won't make the decision for them, so she agrees as long as they both agree. Your dad waits until Cypher does whatever he's going to do to remove the corrupted weave they didn't set up a signal and he realizes pretty quick that its because you don't need one with this kid Like any time he's casting, his eyes fade out to white, focused on the tattoo, and almost immediately he stiffens like he's bracing himself. Jaw clenched fit to crack teeth, mouth a thin line, brow fissured with tension Dad works fast. His casting looks like before, but double time. he's filtering the weave from your skin, like unravelling a tapestry thread by thread, drawing it out in long strands and letting it dissipate, reintegrating. The mark fades piece by piece. It only takes a minute, then Julius straightens up. "Done." Cypher sits back down, hard. Holding his head with one hand, the rest of him is not as coiled as when he was casting, but his face/neck/shoulders are still tight. He looks up Manages a smile that's a little wobbly still. "How you feeling?" I exhale "It's gone." She looks up, pans between them. "Are you both okay?" Julius takes your hand and squeezes it. I throw myself at him and give him a big hug. and then I turn around and scooch down so I match Cypher's height, and I put my hand on his hand. "Thank you. Again." He gives you a smiling "Of course," that has the inflection of Of course I'd d this for you, silly. "Load off my mind." "You and me both." Mirage is so happy she's floating up to the ceiling, her hair flying around her, and she's smiling so wide, Nimbus zinging happy circles around her "FUCK YES, I'M FREE!" Cypher laughs, Julius is just watching you with such relief and pride and beaming because you're HOME, you're HOME and that wretched thing is OFF you and you don't have to worry about it anymore. In his mind he's already switched to working out the remaining tangles of the Amir problem She slowly comes back down, still smiling and says, "Now. Who do we give this journal to? I want that fucker Amir off the map." Julius will reiterate his statement that if you alleged a trespass by Amir against yourself and Laith, you have more than enough evidence to get the Teeth to assist in whatever compensation you saw fitting to demand. The place to get that started would probably be the Citadel. You could write to the headquarters there. "Let's fucking DO IT. Well let me check with Laith, although I'm sure he's cool with it. And then we can PARTY!" Eyebrow raise from both the introverts on that last point I point to Dad. "Pops' idea. You know once he decides it's happening, it's happening, so no hiding away in your library the whole time." Julius only recognizes one of the names you dropped, but will nod at that one. "I think we'd all like to express our thanks to Jadeira for her help bringing you home. And of course anyone she is pleased to bring along is welcome as well." "YES!" I spin in a circle, look over at Cypher, and smile, "We can invite your parents, if you want! Or Shiv! Or Asmira and Jadeira! Think of it like The Naiad with no interfering Fey!" He shakes his head immediately. "They both work. Shiv will ditch to hit up a party in the sky if you give her half a chance, though." he looks thoughtful. "I was gonna try to post a letter today anyway, could add a postscript if you want." He's prbably wishing Erik was here when Cypher says his parents cant come because they work, because Erik would know a discreet way of suggesting that if lost wages are an issue they could compensate for that. But he doesn't want to insult the kid, so he stays quiet there's an element of relief to the excuse, and he's not trying to hide it. Looking at him, Mirage clocks a familiar tension in his jaw, a middle-distance focus in his eyes. He's... concentrating? Her smile fades "Marwa?" - Julius, wondering at the loss of your good mood Cyphers doing his best to affect confusion at the same, and failing "It's all good, Dad. No worries." I bite my lip, thinking Cypher stands. "I just remembered I have to talk to the boss about something" I let him go Julius is watching you. I think he's good at just quietly waiting. If you want to share, you will when you're ready. He doesn't buy that its all good though I give him sort of a helpless look, and then follow Cypher out of the room. She's remembering the time he asked her to watch over him on the airship. I can't fight whatever he's fighting but I can stay with him, if he wants that. "Mika, wait!" After you leave the room, I think Julius does a big "oh boy" kind of sigh.
You're an air-person who can throw her voice, and he didn't get far. I think if you want to be heard, he hears you. You take a guess at direction (the way you came), and you see him stopped. He looks over his shoulder before he turns. "Yeah?" "One question. Do you want a friend, or do you want space?" He hesitates, I think that kind of question is so direct it frazzles him a bit. He looks uncertain. "did I... are you mad?" "What? No. I just want to make sure you're okay." "I am. Well, all things relative, you know." A self-deprecating smile. "Still. The crazies are nominal. Mostly." There's still that inattentive tension of concentration in his face, but it's lessened. "Okay, I just. If you wanted someone to watch your back for a minute, I could. But, if you're fine - then that's great. Good. Okay, I just. If you wanted someone to watch your back for a minute, I could." He softens a bit at that, guard drops. "I appreciate that-" "Nevermind, this was dumb, you're fine." I spin on my heel "Hey-!" I stop When she spoke, they were at a bit of a distance. He approaches into a more normal conversational space. "Okay first off would you quit calling yourself dumb? You're not. Second of all, that's legit decent of you to offer, but I think I've got it handled. I just kind of went a little hard on the initial scrambling. Took a second to wrangle it, that's all. I'd say sorry for worrying you but, you know, see previous notes on the inevitability." He shakes his head on that last point. She nods He offers a faltering smile. "I guess it's too late for you to go back to just thinking I'm an edgy asshole, huh?" "You're definitely an asshole, but I have to watch who I say that around or I'll get yelled at." Snort. "Your mom explains a lot about you" "Thanks - I think?" He chuckles, looks like he's thinking of clarifying, then decides its funnier to leave you wondering "Welcome. Hey since you're here I really did plan to post a letter today, I don't suppose you could let me know where-slash-how I can do that?" "Oh sure! You just - " She's cut off by a booming voice, "MARWA! You're up! Hope you rested well, baby girl, because you and I are resuming your training today." Alejandro saunters in Cypher highly amused, has a "this oughta be good" kind of expression. Seeing Mirage in trouble in a way where she's not actually in danger is kind of satisfying a bit. she usually gets a pass from her silver tongue, her looks, her stealth, or some combination of the three when they're on the road, but none of those things work here. It's similar how his parents don't fall for the "i am dark and mysterious ask me no more questions and I'll tell you no more lies" schtick. "Filho I have bandaged too many of your scraped knees to believe you never fall down." She grimaces. "I did, Baba, thanks - I was just about to show Mika how to post a letter. Could we do it this afternoon?" I think the second use of his personal name, which he absolutely clocks as a casual mention and not an expression of frustation/intensification/hey-you-pay-attention/come-here draws a glance She doesn't know what she did - she looks at him, confused by his expression "Honey, it is afternoon. Meet you outside, half an hour?" She purses her lips and very clearly wants to argue but knows how this conversation goes (short version - she does not win) "Can I come?" (Mika) "No no no you really don't want to watch, it's boring as hell." Incredulous expression. "You. Fighting. Boring." "I'm sure you just want to stay inside and...relax, or something. Right?" A grin "You'd like that, wouldn't you?" "Time's a-wasting, kiddo! See you in 28." Alejandro leaves "Fuck, okay. Fine. You can come watch me get my ass kicked. Quick, let's post your letter." I assume there's some staff member you can pass it off to. You loop back to his room to get the actual correspondence first, though. It only takes a minute to post the letters. Marwa doesn't drag her feet. She's mature enough to know that it's honestly just quicker to get it over with. the longer she drags it out, the longer she stays in training. Alejandro's already waiting when you get there, Ta'lok's seated on a side bench, raises a hand in greeting when they approach. Alejandro tosses her a set of blades (she's expected to catch them). this is all routine Cypher will wander over and take a seat next to the boss. Chin on knuckles elbows on knees "This should be interesting." Ta'lok says, casual. "Alejandro is a skilled fighter." the shit eating grin Mika's been wearing since he saw you were nervous has faded to a normal smile. "So's she. Who's your money on?" Ta'lok thinks about this one for a good second. "She's learning, but I still say her Baba's got her beat." "We'll see, won't we?" Mika thinks for a minute, then suggests, “KP back on the road?” “Sounds good. How many days?” “Just one, it’s only training.” “Done.” Handshake. Alejandro speaks. "I will begin with a Moulinet." And then he swings, and the training's begun. It's a tense back and forth; the first touch goes to the elder Noor, but a neat aerial backflip earns Mirage the second. On the sideline, Ta'lok and Mika are paying rapt attention. There's occasional commentary on a good move or clever counter, but it's to each other, not to the combatants. Mirage gets a fair few hits in, mostly due to some of the new tricks she learned on her latest adventure, like turning to mist and slipping through his strikes. She does her best to knock her baba off balance, but everything she can do he's done backward on the pitching deck of a ship at sea, and the training ends with her flat on her back, winded by a swift slam-down from midair. As she recovers, she sees Ta'lok nudging at Cypher until he finally rolls his eyes and agrees with something. Alejandro extends a hand, and she lets him help her up, dusts herself off with her personal winds. She'll walk away with some cuts and bruises but happy, and I learned a few more movesI think the guys do polite applause with little claps when you come over I give a dramatic bow. "Thank you, thank you." "Bem feito, now if only you could've won the first round," Cypher fake-grumbles "He rushed me! I forgot how quick he is, somehow." "Sure, sure. And to think, just a few days ago you were all "oh I can teach you knife skills" "Bitch you wanna GO?" I think he laughs, but then he looks considering I whip out my daggers, "I'm ready when you're ready." "I don't know about knives specifically, but I probably should have something outside the usual." he's thinking about the varying effectiveness of his stuff on the fey Ta'lok points out, "Wouldn't be a bad idea to have a fallback close-range option. You're almost exclusively ranged, and magical." "you're not wrong." "Sleep on it. We can train a bit while we're here, if you want. You can play around with different options." Mirage realizes what she said about sleeping on it and slams her eyes shut, like "What a fucking moron" "Or, whatever." He laughs "If you want me to do that you might be waiting a while" She snarks back, "You know, have you ever tried letting someone knock you the fuck out? I volunteer." <actually thinking about it> Her expression falls, "NO, dumbass! I was kidding." "Yeah nah, bad idea anyway. I don't need to know what this shit's like with brain damage on top of it. We'll stick to the usual flavours of -" he's definitely about to use some synonym for crazy when he clocks that your baba's still here. "-stuff" he finishes lamely. Alejandro will probably make some comment that daggers are a good fit. Something light, mobile. The unspoken "You obviously don't have the muscle to wield anything heavier effectively" is implicit in the top-down eyesweep. "Easier to conceal." I add Ta'lok probably grunts agreement, which gets a bit of an "I know but HEYYYY" expression from the warlock I think Alejandro would offer to let Cypher join trainings, if he wanted, as a means of assessing his character, getting to know him better, seeing past his reticence. Cypher knows he's not going to be any match for this guy even if he wasn't an outright beginner to melee, but he's also not the kind of person who backs down from a challenge or fears a high bar "Everybody starts somewhere. I wouldn't have you doing the exercises I'm asking Marwa to do, but the fundamentals are the same. And important. Could save your life one day." "Generous offer." He's thinking but only for a sec. "Sure." "Oh you've done it now." I snark He looks at you, a sideways smirk. "I'm not afraid of a challenge." "I'll remind you that you said that when you're looking up at me from the ground." A flicker in his smile and a brief indication that he's going to say something before he changes his mind. There's definitely a joke in there that's not appropriate with a parent in earshot lmao I think Ta'lok steps in. "Children. Please."
An Ear for Music
I think Cri stumbles upon Lydia, maybe practicing a new piece, and she hesitates at the open doorway, listening to Lydia play her lyre and sing. When the song ends, she says quietly, "What beautiful music." "Shukran. There is something not quite right with the bridge, but we will get there." She turns to face the doorway, looking over at the unassuming Aaracokra. "Cri, right? May I ask you for your full name?" Cri nods, sings her name. Lydia says, "I may not get this right at first, but I will try." She draws a breath, and sings the notes of Cri's language. The answering grin says it all And Lydia smiles in reply. "How are you finding things, sadiqa? Is there something you need?" "You're very kind to ask, but no. I'm well. Your home is beautiful. Almost as beautiful as my tower." and Lydia laughs "Nothing to compare to Aurian stars, is there?" Cri shakes her head "There are many wonders I've discovered in our travels, but the stars remain my favorite." "Mine too." Lydia smiles, stands up and sets her lyre down. "May I ask you a question, sadiqa?" Cri nods. "You appear to me to be someone who sees more than most. Tell me. Is my Marwa - is she alright? Did she suffer terribly at the hands of this Amir?" Cri's expression goes dark for a moment. She waits a long second before replying, Choosing her words with care. "She was hurt, in spirit as well as mind and body. The wounds she's sustained, I expect that they will heal over time. And with the love and comfort of her friends and family." Lydia nods, but her face has stormclouds. "I could kill that man myself, if I thought it would do any good." Her voice rumbles, crackles. Cri can feel static in the air, raising Cri looks up at her. "Your daughter has grown so much, I'm sure you can see that already. A fierce fighter and defender, although she has many who will do the honors for her." Lydia wants to try and read into that. She tilts her head. "Who else do I have to thank for my baby's protection?" Cr looks down at the floor for a second before replying. "Too many to count." "Indeed." Lydia is squinting, still a little worked up thinking about Amir. "Well. In any case, come. You seem like someone who would appreciate seeing our stargazing tower more than most." Cri's eyes get huge, and she follows Lydia out
Report Date
31 Mar 2025
Secondary Location
Related Plots
Related Characters