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things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
There is so much to do, that upon waking that morning, you were nearly paralyzed with indecision. There was absolutely no rational way to decide where you ought to start, and so instead of merely picking one at random, you began to create lists and lists and lists. Only when Kai intervened, suggesting alphabetical was an ad hoc, but pragmatic suggestion, did your anxiety abate. However given that your records of the Hollowed Grounds were three hundred and nine years old now, only the naturally-occurring locations had been listed.
So it was that you found yourself by the bone bridge.
You’re dressed simply, or what passes for ‘simply’ at home: a pale coloured dress made out of something that appears to have a high spandex content meant to be moisture wicking. But because you aren’t by the ocean anymore and because it is only just Flowerbirth here, you’ve also thrown on one of Kai’s baby-blue sweaters that is riddled with holes.
You sit with a straight back, notebook rested upon a rock, as you furiously take notes. Despite how quickly your hands move, your writing is precise and the detail amazing if not utterly dry and incoherent to anyone but you. The longer you sit, the more embalmed in your surroundings you become; your crossed legs have turned to stone and moss has begun to creep up your back as if you are nothing more than a terribly inaccurate statue.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Wonder of wonders, Loren had survived LongNight. Somehow, despite the darkness and the monsters and the fact the gods were not there to look out for them during that terrible week, he’d made it through. In fact, compared to previous years, it seemed they’d emerged remarkably unscathed; while there were more than a few casualties, it had been a much lower death toll than last year and years past.
That didn’t mean all was well. Indeed, while he’d gotten through LongNight untouched, he couldn’t say the same for his magic. Something had changed with his summoning, and he was terrified how his spells and abilities kept shifting on him without warning. The unpredictability, especially for someone who’d honed his magic for his entire life, was terrifying.
Which was why he’d come to a secluded place to test it. Rexanna was supposed to help him with this, but she was no longer the blue-eyed woman: the monsters had gotten to her, taking her vision. Supposedly The Voice was going to heal her, but the summoner didn’t know if he trusted that. Unfortunately, he couldn’t afford to wait for her help.
Coming to the center of the bone bridge—it was mostly as white as when it had been covered in snow, though moss and other plants were beginning to poke through—he took a cross-legged position and closed his eyes, breathing steadily. Once he’d found his center, he opened his eyes and called upon that magic that seemed uniquely his, at least for now. Then the Launceleyn started cycling through monsters. Pegasus, luxere, Spark Bird, ogre, golem, siren, any number of creatures that he’d called upon recently. Yet none of them responded to his call this time. Trying not to let his frustration get the better of him, he summoned the one creature he knew would answer: a unicorn appeared, standing next to him, head raised high. At least his magic hadn’t abandoned him entirely, but it was distressing nonetheless.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
You decide to start with the local flora and fauna. The records that you have are, as one would expect, three hundred and nine years out of date.Though it might seem a tedious task to nearly anyone else, to your mind starting with the basics and building your way up is the only method that makes any sort of sense. It fills you with a sense of calm to know that there is a clear outline for what you ought to do and the order in which you ought to do it. So as the man walks into the center of the bridge, you feel your quill stutter in your hand as your eyes take him in. You aren’t really seeing any characteristics of him, moreso it is his mere presence here that has thrown you.
You are working. This is meant to be a closed environment (though it absolutely isn’t), and for several long moments you are entirely frozen with the sort of indecision you typically feel in these situations. Without Kai to guide you, you simply sit and stare, allowing your passive to take hold and further bury you in the surrounding environment.
After several moments of nothingness from both of you, a unicorn suddenly appears on the bridge. Your blue eyes blink. Without thinking your hand begins to move, sending bits of moss and pebbles tumbling away from you as you furiously begin to take notes. You list things about Loren that seem mildly relevant—health, objects used and such—as well as several notes regarding the magic displayed. Summoning seems an obvious answer, but of course there are variations on that magic. Waiting with a studious interest now, you watch to see what will become of the unicorn and indeed, whether any other summoned creatures might pop into existence. Vaguely you consider the tensile strength of the bridge, but not insofar as it makes you concerned for this stranger. You rarely feel concern. Merely you are aware that your observation may end abruptly should he summon something large enough to make the bridge collapse around him.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Although Loren hadn’t seen anything amiss when he’d come out here, he hadn’t really been looking that closely. As always, when he had his own concerns, he was a little blinded to the world and reality around him. Besides, given how desolate the Bone Bridge was, he’d expected both that he would be alone and that he would see anyone there or anyone coming. However, while his eyes hadn’t registered anything out of the ordinary, his ears were another matter; given how attuned he was to himself and his surroundings, the sound of pebbles tumbling onto the stone below was enough to ping his instincts. Something was out there with him.
Glancing up, he tilted his head, looking for the source of the sound. He was shocked to see that what he’d assumed was a pile of moss-covered stones in the vague shape of a statue—one of those funny tricks of eyes and nature, where his mind tried to supply patterns that weren’t there—had resolved itself into a person. A young woman, rather. Although she still blended in almost harmoniously with the background, the movement of her hand as she took notes was enough to break the illusion, if that’s what it was.
Staring at her a little wide-eyed, the summoner hesitated as he tried to figure out this development. [say]”Hello?”[/say] As he called out softly, so as not to startle her, his unicorn stayed right where it was. Without direction, it was little better than a statue itself, and he wasn’t consciously giving it commands. Indeed for a moment, his magical woes were forgotten: all he could think about was the strange lady and how she’d managed to hide herself in plain sight. It was a mystery, and he was determined to get to the bottom of it.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
For a moment you don’t notice, your attention thoroughly devoted to your note. Glancing up to see what it is he’s doing now, you notice that he’s staring straight at you. So, you do the only reasonable thing you can think of: you freeze. The longer you stay motionless the more a part of the environment you become, but the magic is slow moving. Still, many human-animals are quite stupid. It is entirely possible that if you stay still long enough that he’ll—
—Hello?
Assumption falsified.
[say] “Greeting.”[/say] You call out. Not greetings, but greeting. It’s a habit you have, of merely saying what it is you are doing, or feeling (often as that might be). He has offered you a greeting and social norm indicates you ought to return it. Perhaps you should have added an upwards inflection at the end as he did, but it’s too late for that now.
Shrewdly perhaps, you let your eyes lower for a moment and quickly scratch out a few more notes. The more you witness the more evidence you have that this is indeed summoning magic, but it is entirely possible that thus far it’s all been compatible with some other magic. And, like Loren, you’re eager to find out.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Well, this wasn’t exactly how he’d been expecting to spend his day; instead of silent meditation as he tested the new limits of his magic—sad as it was to think, it appeared that his summoning was indeed severely limited now, though whether it stemmed from new or ongoing mental issues or a more fundamental development he couldn’t say—he was now in a bizarre exchange with a girl who seemed partially made of stones and plants. Even as Loren watched, moss and rock crept over her slowly, as if to hide her from his gaze once more. Unfortunately, now that he’d seen her, he couldn’t seem to tear his eyes away.
The encounter just got weirder at her admittedly strange response to his hello. He did indeed note her reply’s lack of an s, and his eyebrows rose as she went straight back to writing. Bemused and more than a bit baffled, the Launceleyn found himself wondering exactly how he ended up in these odd situations. At least she didn’t seem hostile in the slightest. Small blessings. [say]”Um. Can I help you?”[/say] His eyes flicked down to the journal she was holding and he strained his eyes to read at least a part of it, but try as he might he couldn’t figure it out.
Well, he could always ask. Hopefully she would get offended, though knowing his luck he wouldn’t rely on that, having the unicorn come around so that it could intercept any potential attack. Just because he would probably survive and could heal didn’t mean he wanted to take that risk. [say]”What are you working on?”[/say] His voice came out friendly enough: these days, the summoner had mostly recovered from his stint as cold and cruel. While he still had his relapses, they were few and far between. [say]”I’m Loren, by the way.”[/say] Scooching a bit closer to her, he held out his hand for her to shake.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
[say] “No.”[/say] You answer, your voice as neutral and clinical as it normally is. There isn’t so much as a hint of emotion in it, nor on your face, to reveal the inner workings of your mind. Then again, to look within would be to see more of the same. You're Not an overly emotive creature. Every bout of feelings that you do experience are usually random and chaotic at best, leaving you feeling quite unnerved. Kai has taught you enough to function in the world, though really that is all you are doing. Functioning. You have never felt as though you belong, and were you so inclined you might think you’d been created wrong somehow. If the term Asbergers was one that was known in this world, your behaviours might make a great deal more sense. As it wasn’t, you are merely characterized as odd or strange, mostly annoying and difficult to all save for your twin.
As you answer the stranger’s question, you assume that this exchange is over and go back to your notes (which has the added effect of more bits of stone bouncing away from your shoulders as they move slightly).
As he asks another question, your eyes rise and you consider an answer. However before you can, he has offered yet more information and stretched his hand towards you. Confused about the order in which you ought to deal with this, you find yourself blinking rapidly, your head tilting slightly to the side. You have several ticks that you try to ignore, but in moments such as this you find the noise of the world deafening.
jus’ answer him Oia! It’s okay! You hear Kai in your mind. Turning (and causing yet more moss and stone to break away), you give the stranger a wide-eyed stare looking half-robot and half deer-in-the-headlights. [say] “A report.”[/say] Nodding your head in a perfunctory acknowledgement of his name and adding [say] “Acknowledgement.”[/say] Just to be safe, you then turn towards his hand. You hate physical contact but as your twin as reminded you time and time again, sometimes it is necessary. Reaching out a freckled hand, you lock your fingers against his for a moment, give a perfectly practiced pump, before stealing your fingers quickly back.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Something was definitely off in the woman’s words and mannerisms. Indeed, each of her responses just added to the impression of someone who wasn’t quite normal. However, abnormal didn’t mean bad. It just meant different. Loren himself hardly had the most normal or rational reactions to other people and the world, and while he wasn’t quite ready to admit that he wasn’t bad, he objectively knew there wasn’t anything wrong with approaching situations differently than others did. In fact, sometimes it was a boon.
Which was why, when she gave him another practically monotone one word answer, the summoner just smiled gently at her. If he couldn’t help her with her project, then that was fine: unlike past versions of himself, he wasn’t going to force himself where he wasn’t welcome or meddle where he shouldn’t.
Or at least he would try to hold himself to that. [say]”Alright.”[/say] His tone was light and easy. His eyes watched as more stone fell from her statuesque body as she went back to her note-taking. Perhaps she wasn’t quite human, or perhaps her method of interacting with the world had something to do with her abilities. Or maybe he was just reading into it and trying to find explanations that weren’t there. Regardless, his interest in her had certainly been piqued.
At her mention that she was working on a report, the Launceleyn straight up grinned. [say]”A report on what?”[/say] Presumably he’d get another monosyllabic reply, but at least she seemed willing to answer his questions, albeit in a weird way. Indeed, acknowledgement wasn’t exactly what he’d been expecting to hear from her in response to his introduction, though he supposed it was accurate enough. She even shook his hand.
However, his sharp eyes noted that she’d shook his hand for the shortest possible time to be polite before she pulled her hand back a bit too quickly. Perhaps she was like he’d been once upon a time, reluctant to touch and be touched. Or maybe she was just worried around a strange man. Either way, that would be easy enough to accommodate. His smile was even kinder this time, and his voice was soothing, as if she was more skittish animal than anything else. [say]”What’s your name?”[/say] It was odd that she hadn’t told him, though no odder than anything else about this conversation.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
He grins at you, and for a moment you wonder about the animal kingdom and how it is that human-animals have gone from bearing their teeth as a sign of aggression, to a display of...comedy, praise, happiness, lust, pleasure, approval, appreciation. That is the list Kai gave you anyways and you find yourself wondering what emotion the summoner’s teeth and lip positions are meant to convey.
[say] “Currently on the flora and fauna of the Bone Bridge, as viewed during Flower Birth PC 309. The entirety of the report will include such sections on the entirety of the Hollowed Grounds.”[/say] You answer, and were you the type to have control over the tone of your voice, you might well have said it with pride.
He asks your name, and though you do indeed tell him, the word falls from your lips more like the sound of trickling water than a sound most are able to repeat. [say] “Oia’i’o.”[/say]
Now that this is a dialogue, you think it has opened certainly conversational doors not otherwise available. [say] “There is a unicorn on the bridge.”[/say] You observe. [say] “It appeared in the way summoning magic normally does. Was it summoning magic?”[/say] You ask, the words a jumble as your head tilts ever so slightly to the side, quill vertical in your hand as you prepare to note down the response. With Loren sitting as close to you as he is now, he might well see a few scattered notes about himself, a rather accurate drawing of the Bone Bridge, and then several questions about the creature that apparently lives in the mist, as well as questions about the mist itself.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Well. Definitely not a monosyllabic response, though it was still monotone. Loren blinked at her explanation, though he quickly grinned again. [say]”That’s very impressive.”[/say] Once upon a time he might have offered to assist her (again). However, his days of being a scholar were far over. Beyond that, he was really trying to commit to not forcing himself on people. That being said, he could still probably keep the conversation going; now that she was speaking more freely, and was downright talkative, it might yield some useful information. [say]”What prompted you to take on this project?”[/say]
Her name was beautiful. However, it was also almost unpronounceable, and he wasn’t even going to try. Instead he sidestepped the issue neatly. [say]”It’s nice to meet you.”[/say] Again, though, when Oia’i’o displayed a much more chatty side—though it wasn’t the sort of conversational manner that most folks possessed—the Launceleyn smiled softly at her. She was even asking questions now, which was a marked improvement. [say]”It is summoning. Why do you ask?”[/say] That was actually a bit surprising to hear: no one the summoner had met in the Hollowed Grounds had recognized his magic at first and it was only lately that they’d begun to understand his magic. Unfortunately, he himself now felt ignorant of his own art.
He tried not to let how much that bothered him show.
There were indeed notes scattered about, but he was doing his best not to stare at them, though his fingers twitched with the effort. His curiosity about others and the world had never really gone away. It had just been suppressed by other concerns. However, Oia’i’o was different enough that Loren didn’t want to do anything that might upset, distress, or anger her. No touching the notes without permission.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
You aren’t interested in his assessment of your duties. Whether or not it is impressive is entirely irrelevant and already your mind has skipped over this conversation outlier. Or at least, what you take as an outlier. To everyone else, it would be a perfectly normal if not polite way to have responded. [say] “Rae requested it.”[/say] You answer. You and Kai had debated whether or not to hide your lineage but decided that in the end, given what poor liars the both of you were, it would not be useful. You of all people don’t understand why people might find this surprising, being a demi-god, but Kai has warned you that others might treat you even more strangely because of it. For once, you don’t think it has anything to do with your lack of imagination that you can’t fathom what that might be like.
[say] “Magic comes in the standard manifestations, but then as mutations as well. Given that this was a closed ecosystem for so long I want to collect data about the prevalence of each.”[/say] Pausing, you flip back through your notes, bright eyes scanning over the words, before turning to Loren. [say] “Are you an Outlander?”[/say] Scattered reports indicate that was how the voice successfully broke her way out, though so far there is almost no evidence to support this. Hence your presence here.
Luckily or unluckily perhaps, whatever emotional flickers appeared across the Launceleyn’s face went entirely unnoticed. Kai has taught you how to read his specific expressions, hundreds of them though there are, and how to identify basic ones in others: frowning for sadness, tears are an indication of upset (though occasionally also happy—look for a smile!), and so on. Minute tugs of the lips, and irregular amount of blinking, a propensity to look away? All of these are far too subtle for you to take notice of. Which is just to say that no, you absolutely do not notice that this subject might be upsetting your new
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Loren had thought the conversation was strange before. However, that was nothing compared to his surprise when Oia’i’o casually mentioned that she’d been given her task by Rae. The summoner’s response was anything but casual: his jaw dropped and he stared at her for a long moment before remembering it was rude and snapping his mouth shut, looking away with a slight blush. [say]”I’m sorry, did you say Rae? You’ve met Rae?”[/say] She was the first person he’d ever met who had met that particular god. In fact, he could count on the fingers of one hand the number of people who’d met one of the higher powers, above Frey, Safrin, and Ludo. Plus, Frey—whom the Launceleyn did have a slight relationship with—was Rae’s herald, so the summoner was even more interested than he otherwise might have been.
The cool way in which she explained her work helped Loren recover his senses and gather hsi scattered thoughts. Although he had no idea what she meant by closed ecosystems, he was far more intrigued by her discussion of magic. [say]”Mutations? You mean those unique abilities that some people with magic develop?”[/say] He tilted his head at her; it was unlikely that she’d find many individuals on the Bone Bridge with such spells. So perhaps she meant something else. [say]”Or do you mean in the environment?”[/say] He was probably asking too many questions, but he was now totally fascinated and captivated by Oia’i’o.
Apparently, she was now at least a little bit interested in him as well. He was caught off guard by her question about his past, so wrapped up in what she’d already revealed to him that he wasn’t expecting her to ask about him. Indeed, he seemed positively humdrum in comparison. [say]”Oh, uh, yes, yes I am.”[/say] Presumably she had a reason for asking, but he’d wait for her to reveal it.
RE: things and how they seem - Oia'i'o - 11-01-2019
[say] “Yes.”[/say] You reply, wondering if he had some sort of hearing disorder or other ailment that made it hard for him to understand you. You pride yourself on speaking quite clearly and not mumbling. However as his jaw drops open, you filter through your mental list of images and their associated emotions, identifying this one tentatively as surprise, shock, awe, or horror. [say] “Yes.”[/say] You confirm again, and because he hasn’t asked about how it was that meeting came to be or how often, you keep those details to yourself.
[say] “Yes.”[/say] You agree, but then he adds another qualification to the question, and you shake your head deliberately once. [say] “The former. There are the thirteen base forms of magic, and then mutations that extend from them. Some mutations take on the powers of the host-magic and seem to increase them, whereas others seem to be entirely novel.”[/say]
As he answers that he is in fact an Outlander, for a moment you turn to look at him with clear eyes, dispelling all previous assumptions. You don’t intentionally display expressions (other than when Kai reminds you), but there is a genuine wonder that takes over your features make them look slightly less clinical and harsh. Though you do not like to be touched, you also do not precisely understand personal space either, and so you narrow your eyes and lean forward, probably uncomfortably so, to peer at him. You note the regular characteristics most human-animals seem to present—the expected number of eyes, hair in more or less the anticipated places, regular facial features. You sniff him, noting he smells clean and importantly healthy. Reaching out, you’ll poke his shoulder if he allows, all before turning back to your notes and writing a flurry of assessments, all of which boil down roughly to: he seems normal.
[say] “When did you arrive? Where? What magic do you posses?”[/say] You ask in a rushed voice, brows raised as your quill hovers above the page, ready to take down his account.
RE: things and how they seem - Loren - 11-01-2019
Yes, Loren knew he probably looked like an idiot, and yes he hadn’t asked how or why this strange woman had met Rae, and yes he was probably asking all the wrong questions, which was why he was getting yes as an answer to everything. Now that the initial shock had worn off, though, it was time to see if he could get something more from Oia’i’o. It would help if he asked something other than a yes-no question. [say]”How did you meet Rae?”[/say] That would do. The Launceleyn couldn’t help the eager tone that had crept into his voice, but this was probably as close as he’d ever get to the deity.
Thankfully, he was on much firmer and less shaky and awkward ground when it came to magic. Or at least, he thought he was: his own spellcasting had been so wonky of late that he couldn’t help but feel a little doubtful. At least his first guess about her studies had been right. Thirteen magics sounded correct to him: fire, water, earth, air, lightning, creation, transmutation, healing illusion, telekinesis, disintegration, life drain, and, of course, summoning. [say]”I know of a few people with mutations. You might want to speak with them. They’re mostly in the more settled areas of the Hollowed Grounds.”[/say] Not the desolate landscapes that still occasionally called to the summoner.
While he could’ve revealed what he knew to her, the information wasn’t really his to give, and unlike Jigano—with whom Loren had held a very similar conversation—this was a stranger. Even now, the summoner didn’t trust easily. If it had been his magic, he would’ve told her readily. Unfortunately for her, the Launceleyn didn’t have any mutations, at least none that he knew of. All he had was summoning magic that shifted so rapidly that he didn’t know what to make of it. Actually, given that he seemed to have an expert on his hands, he should talk to her. [say]”If you don’t mind me asking, what do you know about summoning?”[/say] She could probably guess why he was asking, given the unicorn by his side.
What Oia’i’o didn’t know, Loren quickly discovered, was how to respect personal space. As she leaned forward towards him, he leaned back, perturbed by the way she stared. And that was before she sniffed him; he suddenly felt like little more than an insect. While he allowed her to poke his shoulder, his expression was bemused and a little disturbed. Her questions were fair, given that he’d been asking his own, but he figured she could use a warning. [say]”Word of advice? I don’t mind letting you prod me, but most folks might take at least a little offense. So I’d ask before you go around examining others.”[/say] His voice was kindly, if firm, but it was a warning. Loren of even a season ago would’ve flinched away at best and summoned something nasty at worst.
Still, he’d be more than happy to answer her questions. [say]”I arrived two Leafchanges ago, so a little under a year and a half I suppose. We showed up by the Spire in the center of the Hollowed Grounds. I have summoning and healing, and a small amount of creation and telekinesis.”[/say] That hopefully answered all her questions, though she’d probably have more, given how intrigued she’d been by his status as an Outlander. However, seeing as she hadn’t been that forthcoming, he was going to wait until she’d asked exactly what she wanted.