Dissonance [Carina]

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: 20 Sun's Zenith, 122
NOTES: -

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Adjusting to life in the Imperium was easy in as many ways as it was hard for Hector. The lifestyle he'd been dropped into was really quite nice, but many still treated him as an outsider, isolating him. He was quick to pick up that which he was being taught, but he often found it hard to focus– his mind drifting consistently back to Searing's 34th and its aftermath. All of his physical needs were being met; he was safe, sheltered, well fed…but he still couldn't fall asleep at night without first exhausting himself from crying. Something in him had been fundamentally broken that day.

A gentle tap on his shoulder snapped the fledgling vampyre back to reality. Hector had been staring off into space, not at anything in particular, just an empty gaze looking far into the distance. Startled, he blinked a few times before his mind settled back into reality. He had no idea how long he'd been standing there like that, frozen while the world continued to turn around him.

The person who'd wanted his attention was actually a store attendant. He was in Wraeston's– a department store. Vergil had sent him to do the other half of their errands that day. Hector genuinely could not remember what had tripped him up and caused him to zone out so completely.

"Do you need help?" Surprisingly, the woman who'd pulled him back to his senses was speaking Common, though notably accented. She must think him a lost tourist. Honestly, this was preferred. The alternative, generally, was a kind of cold condescension many in Gel'Grandel had to those who were unable to speak Kathalan.

"I…no. I'm sorry…I, ah…got distracted. Thank you, though." Hector's voice had a soft shake to it; a gentle tremble from embarrassment. She didn't believe him. It was exceptionally obvious that there was something wrong with the young man, but unfortunately, she was on the clock and hadn't the time to be nosy and poke about a stranger's business. In response, she gave him a soft smile and spoke again. "Feel free to ask if you can't find something." Then, she walked away.

He shook his head and sighed, trying to recollect his jumbled thoughts and remember precisely what it was he came here for in the first place. While it was, on paper, more efficient for him and Vergil to split their errands, Hector really didn't function well when it came to being alone at this point in time. Not wanting to put any additional stress on the other, the elf didn't complain. In fact, Vergil had no clue how much he was struggling. Even if the older vampyre were to notice and ask, all he would do is deflect or deny.

Right. Neither he nor Vergil were fond of hot weather, and with the technology here, there was a solution to this problem: fans powered by magitek. He was in the right section of the store, now he just had to locate and pick one.

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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech

[Carina]

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Zaichaer had stores, even big stores, but nothing like Wraeston's. The building was well-warded against Traversion, and the wards were certainly stronger than she was for now. She had explored at least half of the massive department store, mapping it as she went. It was a truly massive endeavor, but Semblance made quick work of the layout. From there, it was adding the details to her mental map... and associating sections of the store with each other. She was free to mingle amongst the rest of the shoppers, going so far as trying on a ready-made dress so she could more easily map the dressing rooms.

Now she was in a home goods section, one of a few she had noticed in the massive department store. It was really less home goods and more appliances — everything from electric fans, to refrigerators, to a very expensive block that claimed it could clean any clothing you put inside of it. Carina was skeptical, of course, but she usually liked to wash her clothing by hand, anyway. She was meticulous with her delicates. Of everything in the store, an electric fan was most appealing.

Not that she could afford it, or that she had a home to put it in, anyway. Gel'Grandal was not as hot as she expected, so far south, but it was warmer than Zaichaer had been, in a balmy sort of way. Carina had been standing in front of the fan, enjoying the artificial breeze as it blew across her bangs, when she heard the most familiar of accents. The man it was attached to didn't matter — any Zaichaeri in Gel'Grandal would have her attention.

She sidled up to Hector and looked at what he was looking at. "Zaichaeri, eh? I'm from there myself." Carina always had a particularly thick accent that refused to dwindle even in Kalzasi. It stuck around so far in Gel'Grandal, too. "What part were you from?"

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[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
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When he first went over to look at the options, he didn't even notice the woman standing in front of one of the various models of fans. His current state of mind resulted in him being rather oblivious to those around him, focused solely now on his task. She wasn't quite strange enough to pull him away from the mire of his thoughts.

It was nice that the store had display models. Otherwise, he wouldn't really be able to tell the difference between the varying models beyond aesthetics, brand and price. While those things are something to consider, what mattered most to him were noise level and efficiency. Before he decided which type would work best, the young woman spoke to him.

Her accent was heavily Zaichaeri and it would appear she'd overheard him. Hector turned his head and blinked at her, an expression something similar to what a concerned cat would wear if it were unsure of your intentions. She was young with dark hair and pale features; those aspects in combination with the shape of face made her quite attractive in the elf's opinion. However, he was certainly not in the right frame of mind or place in time where he'd have any interest in flirting with anyone, much less a complete stranger.

Enough time passed for it to be…at least a little awkward before he remembered he should respond.

"Oh..! Yeah…I lived along the eastern riverbank. My family ran an apothecary shop…it was called Heron's Grace." Although he spoke clearly, there were some pauses as he made quick internal decisions about exactly how he wanted to answer. Hector was soft spoken and his Zaichaeri accent was distinct– though an astute listener would notice the pull of Vallenor on some of his vowels, given he actually learned that first and spoke it often with family for most of his life. "Did you leave the city recently? Or have you been here awhile?" He genuinely hoped she'd left prior to the Dread Mists and hadn't been forced to endure what he and others went through.

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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech

[Carina]

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Carina thought back to the various apothecaries, pharmacies, and chemists she had patroned in Zaichaer. Though Heron's Grace sounded vaguely familiar, she couldn't place it. Maybe she had gone there once. It didn't matter that much, though. Another Zaichaeri face was welcome in this foreign land.

"I was a ballet dancer at the Pfenning!" She spoke with enthusiasm. "I've been in Gel'Grandal for the entirety of the season. I missed... the excitement that happened." She knew what happened, but she did not want to elaborate more on what could have been a touchy subject for a stranger she didn't know.

"It's awfully different here... I always thought that Zaichaer took too much from Imperial style, but I didn't ever realize how little they have in common." She gestured to the magitek fans. Similar electric fans were found in Zaichaer, but nothing of such a small, personal size. These fans were meant to place on the floor or a table rather than in the window of a factory. The empire's embrace of magic tools allowed them to make great technological strides that had been baffling when she first arrived.

"When did you come to Grandal?" The locals skipped the "Gel" in front, and Carina had taken to adopting it when she wanted to fit in more, though the urge to say the whole name came and went. It rolled off of the tongue. "How are you liking it here? Planning to stay?"

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[Hector]

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The woman didn’t appear to recognize the name of his family's shop when he'd said it, but to be fair, this made sense. Most people only had niche use for an apothecary shop unless they worked in a related field– or in the case of his family, were particularly fond of tea. His parents had a whole section dedicated to a large variety of such as well as some perfumes on top of a plethora of various botanicals and medical components.

So she'd been here the whole of Searing. This was a relief to hear, but he was a little jealous, admittedly. Anyone that missed that lovely event was lucky. Going on, she revealed she was also a dancer. How lovely– her face did look a little familiar. Hector, along with some family and friends, were fans of the Pfenning and its various performances. He was particularly fond of the musicians but he appreciated any artist for their dedication to their craft.

"Oh, really? I've probably seen you once or twice, then, and just didn't know it. I am- or… maybe was…? A fan of the Pfenning." He gave her an appreciative smile and tried to match the enthusiasm with which she spoke, but he did trip a little bit when he realized the Pfenning was probably in shambles.

"I, ah…didn't. My…companion…? And I missed the blast by a hair's breadth. We were on the city outskirts, returning home, and I suppose a particularly sturdy building shielded us from the brunt of the blasts. Failed to outrun one of the beasts, though! My friend had to kill it…"
The young mage laughed uncomfortably at the last two sentences. He still felt guilty about how useless he was in combat at the time. In the days since, he'd been bugging Vergil to help him advance Vitalis and some other things to avoid a repeat of that ever again.

It is also worth noting that when he spoke of Vergil, this 'friend' of his, he seemed quite unsure of the title. What was appropriate to call the other vampyre now? Back in Zaichaer, he held the role of a teacher, a mentor. Close as he wanted them to be, for the sake of professionalism, Vergil had tried to hold him at something of an arm's length despite how much he evidently cared. Ever since they'd left the city, he'd been much closer. More akin to favored friends than anything else. Still very protective, though. Then…in the early hours of the morning the day before, they'd fallen into each other's arms with a sort of intimacy Hector never expected to achieve with the older man. So what was he now? What were they to one another? His confusion was evident in his voice when talking about Vergil.

"We escaped on the wings of a stranger's airship. A godsend, that captain and her crew were, really. She was a fan of us, too, given Vergil's– my, ah, friend's…– skills as a Necrodoctor. I could only assist him because I'm still learning, but still." The elf's voice held admiration for both the captain and crew as well as his friend, though a bit more affection for the latter.

Hector, admittedly, had a tendency to overshare with pretty much anyone that showed vague interest in him. Some people found this off putting, some people found it endearing. Only time would tell, really, which type of person this stranger was.

The next comment the woman made was true and made him laugh. He had somewhat of a similar opinion, actually, until he'd arrived here. "I thought so, too. There's…things I think both cities could've learned from one another, especially in regards to magic but…" at first, he laughed, but then his voice trailed off. Too late now, he supposed.

"I arrived on the 41st of the season, I believe the day was. 12th of the month, I think? Haven't been here long, only about a bit over a week." He swallowed and tilted his head before continuing, was it…appropriate? for him to share his magic with random strangers here? If yes, this was something he'd have to get used to, but also a relief.

"My companion and I are…mages, I guess a type of particular value…maybe danger? To the Imperium, so upon our arrival they were…somewhat insistent we stay. Which is fine, really. We've nowhere else to go." Hector skirted around the exact job he was given as well as the rather unique type of mage both he and his companion were. Honestly, vampyres were probably still a bit intimidating to random citizens so he didn't want to scare her away. People also had extremely varied opinions on the inquisitors and the elf wanted to befriend this person before saying that, too, for the same reason.

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'Thoughts'
"Common Tongue/Speech"
"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
Aidolon Speech

[Carina]

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Carina nodded as Hector explained he had been to the Pfenning before, and as he explained his close-cut escape from Zaichaer just after the blast. She, too, was useless against any sort of beasties without Imogen around, and she knew the value of protection.

A necrodoctor. Necromancers were not entirely uncommon in Zaichaer, some with permits to practice their craft, but the vast majority of trained Necromancers in the city were Grymalka. Perhaps she had suddenly come across another member of the covens.

She stopped ambiently studying the aura of the building and focused her Semblance on the man before her, stretching her awareness. To her view, his aura did not seem manipulated, but she also knew she was not skilled enough to sense it. After a few moments, as he spoke, she noticed the marks of magic in his aura. First was the strange, subtle shivers she felt that accompanied his Summoning rune — and then she felt her heartbeat in her ears as she noticed a magic she had never seen before. She blinked, and her attention

”A stranger’s airship? Do you know who?” She asked with a tilt of her head. Before he could answer, however, she began to connect the dots between his last statement. The Imperium had not paid her much attention when she had entered, and she had not been arrested or stopped by Inquisitors, though most of her time was spent Northside, and she had tried to keep to her usual habit of keeping magic hidden, even subtly changing her aura to attempt to hide the runes she knew.

She wondered if it had to do with the magic she could not quite identify, the magic that quickened her heartbeat when she focused on its point in the aura.

”Oh? They wanted you to stay? Did they hire you?”

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[Hector]

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Upon the woman’s inquiry regarding the owner of the airship, he tilted his head in consideration. He knew he had been told the captain’s name…and though he had to think about it, he did remember.

“Ah…I think her name was Vanessa? Ward of hers was also a young man named Anton, claimed nobility here. I am want to believe him, considering the welcome he and the rest of his family received upon our arrival,” he spoke with a bit of a nervous laugh at the end.

Hector wondered if the question was asked because his new acquaintance knew any airship captains. That would be funny, wouldn’t it? Especially so if the captain in question was the very same one he’d rode in with.

“Yes! They…made an offer that was pretty hard to refuse, I have to admit. My friend and I are reasonably skilled with magic, but all the same, it was both jarring and lucky. We’re rather well taken care of as we are now, though we are pawns of the Emperor.” His voice was a little confusing to read the emotion out of. He spoke with some hesitation, as if unsure of all he wanted to say. In some ways, he sounded appreciative about the Imperium and in others, he sounded intimidated or even scared.

“What was the process like for you when you arrived? I thought they had Semblers look at everyone?” A question asked with no shortage of curiosity, the elf really did want to know if he and his companion had been singled out in any particular way.

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Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Carina]

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Carina's breath caught in her throat. Anton and Vanessa were here, alive, and Anton was still rich, just in the Imperium now. She'd only met Anton a couple of times, but the blind man was interesting enough that he didn't escape her. And Vanessa... one of her dearest friends, and one of the people whose home she would break into constantly back in Zaichaer when she wasn't comfortable staying elsewhere. She'd moved around frequently here in Gel'Grandal, but it was more out of necessity than paranoia, though there was still paranoia mixed in.

"I know them," She breathed out, finally. "They're friends of mine. I'm glad they rescued you. Do you know where they may be staying? Do you know anyone else that was rescued?" Carina was hopeful, but she didn't really keep tabs on that many people, and she had no idea if Imogen was back in Zaichaer by the time this all...happened. She too didn't know if any of the other dancers or anyone working at the Pfenning managed to escape the tragedy.

"I think they do have Semblers, scanning the crowds. But," She leaned in towards Hector, almost conspiratorialy, "I too have Semblance." Having the rune of semblance wasn't a crime, though it was implied with certainty that it meant she used it to obscure a bit about herself from the casual observation and scanning of the Imperial Semblers.

"Maybe you were just interesting enough they had to keep you, then." She shrugged. "And I don't think you have Semblance to hide it, no?" While she was still leaned in, she focused on his aura again, the rune she didn't recognize, and got a coppery taste in her mouth, and the faint scent of blood. She refocused — Part of his aura seemed familiar, reminding her of the Kindred covens, for some reason. Perhaps he had been a member of the Covens before he had been displaced. With Zaichaer fractured as it was, a bit of her paranoia was whisked away. It was not illegal to be a mage in the Imperium, and she could register herself as one, perhaps, without much fear. But she preferred to be unknown to the government, truly.

"Say, do the 'Railrunners' mean anything to you?"

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[Hector]

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There was a spark of recognition in the eyes of the girl he’d just met once he had uttered the name ‘Vanessa.’ Such a spark coruscated with another sort of flash at the second name, ‘Anton.’ What odd, serendipitous sort of luck that he and his beloved mentor had been rescued by people that rang many a bell within the head of this fellow refugee he’d just run into. Strange, but he had seen far stranger over the course of his life, had he not? Nevertheless, the boy was always prone to questioning the arbitrations of fate and the steps he tread.

“Ah, how funny!” Hector remarked, chirping almost like a bird with the first syllable. “Last I heard Anton has a familial sort of estate here? Vanessa, I think, was going to stay on her vessel– which makes sense. She probably views it as a sort of ‘home’ in and of itself, no? I think it likely you would at least be able to find her near the airfield, but as for where Anton’s family resides? I am very much unsure.” He spoke in a way rather rambling, but this was because he felt a bit bad that he couldn’t give the other better directions with which to use to find her friends. He knew the pain of not knowing about loved ones all too well.

The Hytori’s pointed ears perked at the mention of the word ‘Semblance.’ It was a rune he did not possess, but it was a rune he did want to possess. It was hard to seek out particular runes in Zaichaer given the heavy control the government held over the yoke ‘round the necks of the citizenry. “I think, from the airship, they looked upon those of us departing with masters of the Craft so I…don’t know much how well I could’ve even avoided their eyes should I have possessed the rune myself.” Though he said this in a way reminiscent of one saying 'it can't be helped,' there was a bit of bitterness in his voice, distinct in the otherwise rather soft threads thereof. “I do wish I had it. I was not successful in finding anyone willing to grant it to me back home, however,” he said with a voice a bit brighter, punctuating the sentiment with a soft sort of laugh.

Hector was an oblivious sort of thing on his own and he wasn’t really equipped with magic to detect when another gazed on him with Sembled eyes. As such, he was none the wiser when his new companion looked upon him in such a way.

What she said, however, did intrigue him. “Oh, yes! A sister Coven, I suppose I would call them. I was a member of the Kindred when I lived there myself; I had some run-ins with Railrunners but nothing…extensive, I’d say. I was kept occupied mostly by the teachings of my parents and mentor– the very same mentor that ended up accompanying me here.” The admiration and affection with which he regarded the older man was palpable in his voice and the elf was none the wiser to the transparency thereof.

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Aidolon Speech

'Thoughts'

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Carina]

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Carina nodded along, her arms folded across her chest as Hector spoke. Vanessa staying on her ship... that seemed normal, considering how often her apartment was empty in Zaichaer. Anton's family was wealthy, which meant Southside. She'd have to put a bit of her investigative skills to work to find them, perhaps, unless Anton was planning on making himself known anytime soon. She furrowed her brow as she thought, and then realized she wasn't fully listening to what Hector was saying.

"...should I have possessed the rune myself."

Carina nodded in response, and smiled when Hector proclaimed himself part of the Kindred. It was interesting being in a place where that no longer mattered. And then she addressed his earlier concerns regarding his lack of Semblance. "I don't trust my skill to impart it on anyone. It is a straining initiation." If Carina had known more of Hector, his past, and his possession of Vitalis, it would not have been a comment she would have even considered making towards him. But, alas, she knew little of him. "I hope you can find it, my new friend. It is exceedingly useful in treading under the radar. But myself... I'm much more a fan of watching structures than people." She paused. Hector's aura had exuded affection when he spoke of his mentor, and she could tell clear as day what he felt about the man. But she was done spying on him, and she stretched her aether back to the building they stood in, admiring the structure and scanning for something interesting to bring up.

The auras of buildings were an underutilized part of Semblance, she had always thought, and so she spent a great amount of aether keeping track of them. Few realized how much was revealed when one could view a building's aura, even among mages, even among semblers. One such thing had been revealed to her, in a room that was warded against Traversion, but weakly, and otherwise not well-guarded, from what she could tell from here. Railrunners, however, could get in anywhere — it was what they were known for. And she was not even the most skilled Railrunner, but the Imperium was not prepared for their presence as much as Zaichaer was.

"Did you know there's a locked room on the third floor of this department store where..." She paused, again furrowing her brow in concentration as she examined the auras of the contents of that room. "they store excess jewelry? Some of it has dragonshards..." She whispered. "Do you want to go see it?" She asked, a conspiratorial tone to her voice. "We're on floor four, and I passed it earlier." She smiled again, with a far more mischievous look on her lips than the smile from before.

She was playing a bit of a dangerous game because of what she had learned about the Imperium. If you worked for them, you were almost unilaterally a cop of some degree, and she didn't want to get arrested so soon for them to find out that she hadn't registered as a mage. But Hector spoke so much, and she was inadvertently inclined to trust another member of the Covens in a foreign land.

"Or you can keep looking at fans. It is quite warm here..." She trailed off her words and marked them with a gesture towards the assortment that lay before them. She was still interested in the runes he already carried, but perhaps showing him a bit of excitement would get him to open up about what he had hidden. It was not a rune she had seen on most Kindred, and she wasn't sure if she had seen it before.

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