Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Fri Apr 07, 2023 5:15 pm**

“One of my friends has that Rune, and I've thought of asking him about it, but perhaps in Glade or Searing,” Hilana admitted. She didn’t flat out say who that friend was or explicitly state their relationship: that Raithen was her favourite bedmate and she considered him her primary. But Æros could likely tell from her symphony exactly what and whom she was thinking about. Raithen had no say over his relationships, knowing his mother would make decisions when the time came, if it ever did… especially since he was now His Divine Radiance’s retinue. So chances were, Deus Avaerys likely would make that choice if he ever did - but the girl rather thought that her lover was committed for all of his days to the Golden Founder, He of the Sceptre. That was okay, too: he was around the city more, and if he was not at Avaerys' side or on a task for him... they still had plenty of opportunity to meet up.

"If I can get it from him, once I am able, I can pass it to you. But there are many of the Guard that also have Kinetics, because as you say, it's incredibly useful." She wasn't about to admit that Raithen and her also used it to send Hilana skyward, and from there, she could do aerial acrobatics, only for him to catch her, and send her skyward again like an extremely strong trampoline. "If you would like to do that one first before Elementalism... We could always ask Commander Asim to recommend someone that has it that could bestow it on you," the Vastiana was thoughtful as she continued to eat, nodding along at his explanation and his reasoning. They were both excellent choices, he couldn't go wrong with either of them. But with the way that Raithen used his Kinetics with his flechettes, and she knew full well from seeing him in combat multiple times... and there was also Prince Phocion's ability with Kinetics, too. That was another option, though as Æros wasn't about to approach Arvaelyn about it... his elder Moonborn brother was not likely to be an option either. Truthfully, Hilana wouldn't have dared approach him to ask him to give it to her. Raithen was far safer, and far more likely to say yes.

When he admitted his vices were in fact poisons, Hilana only smiled at him. They were, true, but he understood it and she knew he had been doing a lot better. He was more aware, awake, and alert than he had been when she first met him; so perhaps it was that he had options, goals, an Amatus, and a position in politics where appearances mattered even more... whatever it was, it was strong motivation. Alcohol had a tendency to destroy the organs when overdone, drugs could impact even more... but she wasn't about to lecture. Everyone had their vices. Some of his might just lead to his being extremely sick with alcohol poisoning, her own might end up with paralysis or death. She had no room to talk.

She did have to wonder just what he meant about making waves again, but in almost the same breath, he had dismissed it. Hilana was curious, but she knew enough to let it go. If he felt it might be pertinent, or that it was worth mentioning, she trusted him to tell her. And if it didn't, then that was that. "I will be there," she promised him when he gave her the date. "Just let me know when and where, and I will attend and make sure that you are taken care of." She could prepare the area, witness the Rune and the fight for his life, and then she would clean him up again once it was done. Nineteenth of Glacial Dusk. Not far away, and she hoped that he was excited for it. She had to imagine that he was, because Dominus Æros really did have such a skill over Arcana, and she had seen his interest that day earlier in the season when they had witnessed the initiations. Another Rune, another step. If the Commander felt he was ready, then he was, in fact, ready.

With their meal done, and he was ready, Hilana nodded. She was also ready. "Let me grab Tiaz and then we can go and get settled," she got up, offering him drink refills in the meantime - because she wasn't sure if she was going to be flat out quickly or not. Elementalism had been a slow burner, but it had hit her like a river bison when it did, even under Vasilei's care. Hopefully Semblance was easier, but then again, nothing worth having came easy. "Would you like to see the snake room first?" she offered, giving her larger python the chance to move up along her arm before draping him around her shoulders. If he was, then she could take him there first. If he wasn't interested in seeing her danger noodles and the nope ropes and would rather work on the Semblance initiation, she was fine with that too.

Posted: **Tue Apr 11, 2023 8:39 am**

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

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While Hilana didn't mention the name of said 'friend' in possession of Kinetics, Æros, being nosy as he was, plucked the name from her head with what information he could glean from his combined Crafts of Mesmer and Semblance. Prior to this, he'd actually not realized how close the two of them had gotten– on his end, he'd only encountered Raithen a few times in passing. The two of them had never even had a full conversation, but from the girl's song, he managed to pull a decent picture of the man, albeit with the conscious caveat that such an image was only accurate to her perception thereof.

And while he did glean this information, the patrician would hold his tongue on the matter. If Hilana didn't even want to say the man's name, Æros figured she didn't really care to have an entire conversation about the subject, at least, not at this junction. Perhaps he'd ask later.

The prospect of collecting Kinetics from Hilana after it was passed on to her was a viable one. Even if her acquisition and training thereof took awhile, there'd be ample time in the interim within which he could spend training his Reaving and, perhaps, Elementalism, timing dependent.

"Getting it from you would certainly be the safest route, I'd think, because your penchant for care alludes to you being ideal to have around…that, and, I trust you." There was ample vulnerability when it came to subjecting oneself to the trials of an initiation on top of the subsequent threshold sickness. Given his status, too, one can never be too careful. Hence why, well, he'd never ask the only other prolific Kineticist he knew– Phocion. Absolutely not.

"Depending on how I feel after I get Reaving…and how my training ends up going, I'll probably poke at Palæmon for Elementalism next, if only because I would prefer Kinetics from you as opposed to a stranger." Even if Hilana introduced him to Raithen, making that request would be even more unrealistic than petitioning Arvælyn, because at least he and Arvælyn had some semblance of pre-established rapport.

Regarding his impending initiation in Reaving, "...the initiation itself will take place at the same location he conducts most of his initiations unless I can convince him to conduct it somewhere in the Umbrium." Æros paused, realizing making that request might be an idea that serves him well. "Which, now that I think about it, I might prefer that…fighting in the sun is ever so tedious." The fact that he was Winter Court Fæ aside, he also had spent the vast majority of his life living underground and really wasn't used to subjecting himself to the sun's unrelenting rays. Worse yet, due to the false sun, having his initiation during the day time would imply it'd be done under two suns. Horrifying, truly.

As the two were now finished eating what of the veritable feast Hilana had crafted that they could, they were ready to move on to the point of today's meeting. "I can see the snakes another time…as much as I may want to, I'd hate to impose further delays to your initiation," he said, chuckling a bit.

Once the two of them were to get up, he would gather all the necessary elements and tools needed while she would go and collect Tiaz.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

Posted: **Tue Apr 11, 2023 11:36 am**

Any other time, Hilana would happily babble at Æros about Raithen. She knew a great deal about his and Khyan’s relationship, but she also knew he could pull all the juicy details about her and Raithen’s relationship from her without her even knowing. And it would make for a fun conversation later. Though the issue was perhaps that it wasn’t a relationship between two males, but a male and a female, and she already knew full well that the starry Fae was not interested in women, and she didn’t want to squick him out about it, either. And while Hilana certainly had her share of bedmates, Cithaera’s winged son kept up with her more than anyone else did. He made whatever that energy in her was sing, and sing loudly.

When he told her that getting it from her would be the safest route, she inclined her head to him. He could tell that she was touched by that preference and that trust, considering she was altogether quite new to magic, but she was holding her own thus far. She would have been honoured to do so, and it was telling that he did trust her with it. She would just have to see if Raithen would give it to her. Granted, if something happened to Dominus Æros in the initiation, well, she would be in very hot water, but thus far, her horned friend had managed three. Masquerade, Mesmer, Semblance. He would do two more before they aimed for Kinetics by the sound of it, so surely success in five, especially when Reaving was arguably one of the scariest and hardest initiations to get through, meant he would be fine for the sixth.

Hilana was absolutely deluding herself, but it was better to be optimistic than not.

She nodded when he told her where, so out at the training area, and if that changed, then surely Æros would let her know. “If it is out in the Expanse at their training grounds and you want a lift out there on Hayima’el, I could take you out there and then I can bring you back, too, if that would help,” she offered. The camel made for a pleasant ride, as big as the gargantuan beast was, and he could save his energy and relax while they prepared for it. But whatever was decided, Hilana would be there and have her supplies on hand for him. She had faith in Æros, and she knew Commander Asim would certainly ensure his readiness before the initiation went through.

At the decision to see the snakes another time, Hilana nodded. That made sense - better to get it over and done with, especially now that they’d shared a nice meal and a fun conversation. It was time to get on with it, and Hilana put the used plates on the counter to attend to before scooping up Tiaz and heading for her bedroom. She had set up everything on the list as per Æros’ requests, and when he got in there, he would find all in readiness inside the Vastiana’s colourful bedroom. It wasn’t large, but considering it was one person and a bedmate who stayed over from time to time? It worked for her. It wasn’t luxurious, but at the same time... she had made it into a home. He could tell that the overly ostentatious family estate was not to her tastes, but she had made this one to it. While the curtains were half-drawn to make it comfortable, he could see multiple plants on the window ledge, including some rather cute succulents that the girl was in a state of growing from pups. His refilled drinks were set down for him where he could help himself when he was done.

Risdra followed him into the bedroom, and when he was ready, Hilana and Tiaz would sit on the chair that she had brought into the bedroom for him, if only to make it easier for him to paint the Rune on her scalp where it could be hidden with her hair. Tiaz was perfectly chilled out. She smiled up at him. “Gratias, Dominus,” she told him. She was ready, and she had implicit faith in him with this. Semblance was a necessary step for every project she had, and with it... she could help hide things from her family. And most everyone else, with luck. Except, of course, the exceptionally curious Fae gifting it to her.

Posted: **Fri Apr 14, 2023 7:00 pm**

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

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Æros was well aware of the fact that due to their difference in status, actually accepting a rune from Hilana posed a risk to her as well as him. Under normal circumstances, such as in the theoretical situation of Palæmon granting him Elementalism, this would be something done among peers. If he ended up passing, that would be tragic, and Palæmon himself would be beset with grief alongside anyone else who held any love for Æros, but his cousin would not face punitive measures. It would be expected that both parties were well aware of the risks beforehand.

However, as it stood, the starlit senator and his Vastian friend were not considered peers when viewed through the lens of Solunarian society. If Æros were to die, his bereaved family would very likely seek punitive measures against Hilana, as their grief would seek an outlet, and legally, they could get away with quite a bit in that regard. As such, both parties stood to lose greatly should the patrician succumb to the initiation.

And yet, he still did intend to ask her, not because he did not care for the risk posed to either party, but because he genuinely believed that he would be fine. He might suffer greatly, as one should expect, but he had the confidence in both himself and his very essence that he would at, the very least, live through it. And for all arcane endeavors, Æros didn’t mind paying with his own suffering, even at great magnitudes.

“I might consider that– I do enjoy traveling with Hayima’el, precious as he is.” The horned hybrid really did like Hilana’s camel; he found the big ol’ beast to be adorable. “...but it depends. I don’t really like going to the Luxium so when I do, I tend to lump multiple things together, so I might run other errands pathing through the city and the like.” One long trip might not be pleasant, but to him, it was far better than multiple, more frequent trips.

Once the gathering of ingredients was complete and the two of them, plus some pets, had gathered in Hilana’s bedchambers, Æros began the process of combining the ink she had provided him with and crushed ætheryte powder. Khyan had done the same for him, claiming that it could help the rune meld into the soul of the recipient a bit easier. He wasn’t entirely sure to what degree this would help, but anything’s worth a shot if there’s no downside.

With ink prepared, the patrician pulled a sheet of paper from within his tunic and unfolded it. On this, he’d transcribed the words his lover had spoken prior to his own initiation, words that he’d parroted from a text regarding this purpose. He considered this part necessary, religious as he was, all seeing as They were.

With all ingredients prepared, in ancient Vallenor, he spoke thusly:

“Under the watchful eye of Aværys, Searing Be His Scrutiny…
Under the subtle stare of Varvara, Glaring Be Her Gaze…
We, Thy mortal supplicants invoke Thine indulgence, as we beg Thee for a meagre shred of Thine æternal pow’r.

“If e’er we o’erstep, take our Craft or our Corpi, for we are Thine. But if Ye fain consent, we pray Thee ease this transition between lesser and greater. For this supplicant, Matsi Chenzira Hilana, advanceth for Thee and with the goal of expanding Thy glorious dominion o’er the mortal world.

“As Majestic Aværys doth relish in hunger, know that this initiation doth answer the unslakable thirst of its subject.

“As Supreme Varvara doth sustain the chains of order that bind us all, know that this initiation doth bind its subject the more to Thee in gratitude for Thine indulgence.

“If Ye do object, halt now mine hand or, if it be Thy will, let my hand continue its course and strike me down after my task be executed for presuming upon Thine Empyreal Will.”

Once he finished, with little hesitation, he painted the previously-discussed design onto Hilana’s scalp, infusing it with æther and intention. Gazing at the mark on her skin for a moment, gilded eyes lit further with the ætheric limbal rings that appeared when using his own Semblance, he watched as the æther mingled with Hilana’s, finding the process fascinating. He imagined that when Khyan had conferred the mark unto him, his lover had done the same– why wouldn’t he?

It would be not long before the weight of threshold sickness would take hold of Hilana.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

Posted: **Sun Apr 16, 2023 1:33 pm**

Hilana was quiet, willing herself that nerves did not get the better of her. She would never back out from this, and both of them knew it. The girl absolutely needed Semblance for a multitude of projects that she had on the go, not to mention that it would assist her with everything they had talked about in terms of her careers at either end of the spectrum: healing and harming. Advancing this Rune was critical. And unlike the last times her father had tried to get Runes on her, either by his own hand with Negation or one of his cousins who had Semblance - Eliana’s eldest son, passed to him by his mother - Hilana was open to it and she was accepting.

Her hands were folded in her lap, her skirts pooled everywhere around her feet. She listened attentively to Dominus Æros’ words, struck with a bit of awe to hear it. The Fae was always impressive when he spoke, but the way he spoke in Vallenor made her straighten up even more in the padded chair. She understood those words, and some part of her wondered if the Gods were listening. If They were watching. Perhaps They were. She felt the brush, coated with the mixed oil with the powder as her friend painted the Rune on her scalp. Every touch of the outline of the design she could follow in her mind’s eye, the begonia, and she stayed as still and as quiet as they had during their trips to the Temple of Midnight’s Mother for meditation practice.

But once he was done, Hilana got up from the chair and bowed to him. “Gratias,” she told him again, before squeezing him with a hug, and indicated the padded chair for him before sitting down on her bed and sorting through the teas she had already brewed. Depending on his memory, he might have recognized the aromas of some of the liquids from those that she had prepared for him when she had kept him company after his own initiation. She took a long drink out of one of the cups and settled back, letting Tiaz shift himself to her chest and torso, spreading out as if he did this regularly. Her fingers stroked the snake’s soft skin, and Risdra popped herself up onto the bed, and then demanded Æros’ attention once again, reaching at him with a paw once he was comfortable in the chair, and would soon leap into his lap.

“She’s so funny, isn’t she?” Hilana told him. “Would you believe she’s scared of birds? When she was a kitten we had a pet magpie that was out by the herding grounds and we spoiled him shamelessly. Risdra was really curious and she tried to tap him with a paw to investigate him, and he poked her in the nose with his beak,” the girl laughed, though her voice was starting to sound a little funny as she grabbed the cold cloth from the basin and put it on her forehead and covering her eyes. “And ever since she’d always hidden when birds were around. She’s getting around to liking Raithen, though, I’ve seen her peeking at him and she got on the bed last time he was here when he was sleeping. I saw her but didn’t want to wake him up...” Hilana could very happily babble about her cat, and she kept up that steady stream of word vomit at him, and some of what she was saying was starting to fail to make sense. The auditory hallucinations were starting to take hold, as her voice went from being normal to far away as she kept on talking. Endless stories about the sands and people with funny names - he could tell with Mesmer that there was truth to them, just... no real relation to anything else. The girl wasn’t hearing things properly, though that was more from the effects of the initiation than anything else.

After an hour or so, Vasilei let himself into the apartment, and following the girl’s ramblings, headed for the bedroom carrying a purple succulent in a ceramic pot that had been painted like the night sky, over the sands, complete with stars. “How is she?” he inquired, looking at his student, who was midway through a story about the time she had tried to practice with a mace as a child and when she had tried to spar with an older boy lost the mace on a swing and nearly hit another child with it. “In fine form,” the older Vastian chuckled. “I thank you, Dominus, for gifting Semblance to her and staying with her. This is for you. As you live in the Umbrium now, I suspect you’ll enjoy what happens to the colours of it. This is a graptoveria debbie, as we call them. She’s been babying it along in the greenhouse for you and my wife finished the pot for it last night.” A closer look with his own Semblance would show him that the stars were tiny pieces of empty crystal lodestones that Hilana had made, and had placed into the pot in order to give it the starry look. After a conversation, however long it went while Hilana kept up her own talking in the background that was down to a hushed volume, as if she was telling some great secret, he would see Æros on his way, with his new purple plant that would sit quite comfortably in the basket of all the goodies that Hilana had made for him, including that baklava cheesecake, that he might be hard-pressed to share once he got into it.

Posted: **Tue Apr 18, 2023 10:50 am**

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

► Show Spoiler

- - -

The process of conferring Semblance was a far simpler one than other magics, though the resultant threshold sickness from it was unique; a bit more cerebral in nature and a bit worse than normal. The common symptoms still affected everyone to varying degrees, however, and he wasn't sure how Hilana would take them. Æros himself held no true immunities, but the suffering being something both not new in general and similar to really bad hangovers, he had walked into Semblance knowing what to expect; he wasn't sure if the same could be said about his friend, really, as getting a rune from the gods must be different in some way, or, well, he thought- or at least it wouldn't be quite the same as mortal conference, would it?

Nonetheless, once he finished what part of this process was his to perform, he sat where she indicated, and, apparently, Risdra was all too eager to resume receiving his attention; the horned hybrid was only happy to oblige her. And while he did this, Hilana had begun to talk. At first, he thought her words would fade into murmurs and then cut off completely, but this was incorrect. She did not, in fact, stop at any point, though her voice changed and then she started to speak in increasing non-sequiturs.

Æros held his own Semblance for roughly this entire time, not responding too much, but not suggesting she stop. If talking was what she wanted to do, and it wasn't hurting her, then he'd let her. However, due to the fact that she, admittedly, wasn't making sense at times, he used his own applications of both Mesmer and Semblance to fill in some blanks. Her recollection was surprisingly accurate but she would get lost in her own words, or lose track of them, so forth, with fair frequency.

Eventually, Æros detected another Symphony entering the apartment, but it was one he recognized; Vasilei had come as promised, giving the starry senator somebody to pass on the baton of being Hilana's overseer.

"She is fine, from what I can tell; the change is progressing with stability, though that doesn't make it easy." Æros responded when prompted. She looked very much like the transition would proceed with little actual issue, the only cost being a bit of her suffering and some further discomfort during the adjustment period thereafter.

Though he was reluctant to part with the fuzzy friend who'd taken up residence in his lap, he stood to receive the plant from Vasilei, gazing at both it and the pot with intrigue. The structure and aesthetics of the plant itself were both lovely, but the lodestones were a really sweet touch. He always deeply appreciated the amount of consideration his friend put into hee gifts. He, unfortunately, could not steal Risdra; so after some more simple small talk, Æros collected what gifts he was left and went on his way, wishing Hilana the best.

Æros would likely return if he didn't hear anything in a few days, but he very much assumed she'd contact him.

- - -

'Thoughts'

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

Posted: **Tue Apr 18, 2023 10:54 am**

Review

Hilana

Lore: 13 aether-tinged lores
Points: 10, magic ok
Injuries/Ailments: Semblance initiation threshold sickness
Loot:
Rune of Semblance

Æros

Lore: 13 botanical lores & some concerning cake
Points: 10, n/a magic
Injuries/Ailments: n/a
Loot: None

Notes: it is complete uwu

Meant to have this done earlier but I am clown

Legend of Ransera

Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]

Re: Gaining Insight [Æros]