Circles and Triangles

[Blythe]

The ale poured slowly into her cup as he sat behind a new yet vaguely familiar bar . As a delicate finger strummed across the slippery smooth lacquered veneer of the bartop. As the other hand propped her head up beneath her chin in drab boredom. Blythe was busy trying to go over her meddlesome affairs and put them in order as she watched the tapped oakwood barrel dispense its ruby ale nectar.

It was long awaited as the bartender clacked the frothy mug in front of the elf. And eager hands and thirsty lips propped up to life while all to eager silver eyes enthusiastically danced around the item as she tried to slurp the foam that had trickled off the edge. The siltori was delighted with herself and there was a certain positive mood that radiated off of her.

She had long wild and free hair that erupted into carefree curls and locks. The strands were almost platinum that shimmered with a dazzling sheen as free fingers whisped pesky strands behind a long elven ear. Her eyes had an ethereal glow dimly hued milky blue that cast themselves like pale moonlight. Her pointy nose lofted around her drink taking in the aroma of warm spices that lofted from the glass. A dark navy blue cloak of velvet draped over her shoulders the only thing she was missing to complete the onsombo was a point hat. Sadly without this her merit as a true sorceress of distinction was all together lacking, one day though one day.

Her attention was caught on a person and as she made her first attempt to press the glass to her parched lips the veil of her royal blue sleeve rolled back revealing a Signet Ring that made a very bold statement. There was a circle surrounding an inverted triangle at the center of which rests an unblinking eye inlaid in all silver which which was carved into a piece of lapis lazuli and encircled in gleaming sapphires

"Hi who might you be?" Her voice was warm and her smile assuring."Don't tell me sister problems too right? Urgh it's so hard being in Fioras shadow all the time, it's not like my brother Ryom is any help in the matter either! Just once it would be nice to you know, be me." The sorceress wasn't at all sure if if this other girl got her but it would be nice to know or better yet feel like she wasn't alone in a big unforgiving city. Blythe was far from the snow and wyverns of her mountainside aboad, oh how she missed the warmth smell and cackle of a fire while reading books with coffee and cocoa.

[Vanessa Quill]

Vanessa had always been drawn to the seedier bars. The sort where people were eager enough to risk their coin on games of chance, but also weren't terribly keen on knowing where each gambler's avens had come from. She had developed a sense for finding these sorts of dives, and stepped into one on her exploration through the city's poorer districts. She was still getting the lay of the land, having spent much of Searing tending to all the paperwork and permits that came with living in the Imperium. It had been the closest she'd come to cursing Anton for having taught her to read, as it meant she no longer had an easy excuse to pawn off the work to someone else. After all that manner of bureaucratic business, Vanessa was eager to relax with some cheap beer and lose a few avens to far better card sharks.

She didn't match the clientele, what with her well tailored, high quality black and gold hussar's uniform. It was enough to make a few people shift in their seats to turn away from her, not wanting to be involved in whatever she had come around for. Any lingering reservations from the barkeep melted away though when she placed her hands on the counter to hand over her coin, revealing the calloused and tattooed hands of a seasoned sailor. And since she wasn't wearing a naval uniform, assumptions could be made.

"Mn?" Vanessa intoned while mid-drink, turning towards the woman beside her. Her icy blue eyes flicked down to the ring, and she recognized it for what it was. For an instant, her tension rose. While Vanessa was inherently more tolerant than most of mages because she happened to work for one, those that brazenly expressed their power in Zaichaer had ever been a tool of the state. They were things that went bump in the night, and the sort of folk that even she had done her best to avoid drawing the attention of.

..So why the pit was this one talking about problems with her sisters? The notion that an important mage could have such ordinary problems actually made Vanessa splutter and momentarily choke on her drink. After the momentary misfire, she set the mug down and wiped some ale froth from her lips before attempting to speak. "You mean your actual sisters, right? Not part of your 'coven', or whatever?" Vanessa had to be sure. Witches were weird, after all. "In that case, uh..." She ran a hand through her long brown hair. "I'm not much good for family troubles. No siblings, n' all." Even still, she couldn't help but offer some advice. "But if you're worried about being stuck in someone's shadow, you've got to find a new angle." She gestured down to the ring. "You both got the same runes?"

[Blythe]

"Yes my real sister and my real brother." She wore a sarcastic kind of smile when asked if she was in a coven to which she responded. "How are you so sure I am a sorceress? I don't even have a pointy hat, that's a very forward and dangerous accusation. Are you sure your not an enchantress trying to bewitch me with glamor?" She emphasized the word accusation to try and feel out who the suave dresser was by merit of her reaction to that single test word in the conversation. "Yea I guess we all share the sigil of House Briathos, the smallest but perhaps most powerful house in all of Kalzasi." Alluding to the fact she was in fact a mage of some caliber without saying it, if her drinking partner was aware of the status quo in the hierarchy of kalzasi nobles.

"I'm Blythe Briathos and who might you be?"

Blythe seemed fixated on the woman's dapper attire as she leaned in, she liked the flamboyant frill of lace work and tassles. It was so out of the ordinary, and the enticing shine of the buttons coaxed her hand out of hiding once more to gently touch it. The alcohol made her a little emboldened, enough to test boundaries. "I've never seen this kind of style before, is it from Zaichaer? I heard the place is in rough shape all kinds of talk you know. You look like a traveler! You've seen things, do you think the place could honestly recover from something like that in our lifetime?" Blythe was of the opinion that Zaichaer got hit so hard that according to rumor it was a smoldering hole with ruins encrusting it. The time it actually would take to recover and with a big if on recover it would be so far behind the other kingdoms it would no longer be viable on the world stage. Nothing more then a shadow of its former self.

Putting her attention on her drink as she was mulling over what the woman said to her. "Your absolutely right! Im going to run away from home and my responsibilities and join your motley crew. I will carve my own path with fire and steel across the ocean. So what if my family sends the most heinous arch mages ransera has ever seen to hunt down my alleged captors with extreme prejudice and procure there baby girl! A small price to pay for booty and glory" Blythe just wanted to see her reaction as she clanked her mug on the table like she meant serious business as she hyped herself up with pretend fire in her belly, it was pretend though right?

The noble might have jested but she was delighted with her new acquaintance.

[Vanessa Quill]

"That ring you've got doesn't really shout 'taken' to me." Vanessa said good-naturedly. Her reaction to the word 'accusation' was more of a lack of one. "It'd only be dangerous if you weren't licensed to practice here, least that's what my employer tells me." Vanessa knew broadly what the Imperium represented and believed, but had relied upon Anton's family to fill in the gaps so she didn't make a fool of herself on her first few weeks here. "Name doesn't ring a bell though. never was much for Kalzasi though. If you start traveling between it and Zaichaer too much, suddenly both sides think you're a problem." Vanessa took another drink. "I'll remember that though, if I'm ever in town." It wasn't a serious proposal.

"Vanessa Quill." She paused for a moment afterward, pondering something. "Bodyguard and captain." A curious combination, to be sure. It wasn't the whole of the truth either, but Vanessa was still yet unsure of what the future held for Zaichaer. No sense admitting to heresy when there was but a chance order might be restored. It was paranoid, but she had not lived so long to have grown a loose tongue now.

Vanessa's eyes trailed Blythe's as she reached out and touched the buttons on her dolman. Her hands twitched uncomfortably by instinct, but Vanessa made a conscious effort not to stop Blythe. She had embarrassed House Michaelis often enough in Zaichaer, and now was her chance to establish herself as someone worthy of the title they had bestowed upon her those years ago. She focused on the question instead, and found it calmed the urge well enough. "Imperial, but old-fashioned. Guess that description fits Zaichaer pretty well though, aye?" She barked a laugh at that. She then gestured toward Blythe. "You're perceptive though. Zaichaer's where I'm from. Born n' raised, least until I was old enough to sail away."

When asked about Zaichaer, she pulled from her mug again. The memories were fresh, but not so fresh that she found it difficult to speak of. "It was awful. I flew some folks out, and it's hard to imagine anything rising up out of that." She shrugged. "My employer's fixin' to try though, so I suppose I am too." She, like Blythe, wasn't convinced there was much left to save. Having returned there after the initial blast, the captain had not been filled with confidence to see twisted monstrosities still prowling the streets. It wasn't a knight's place to question orders though, and so she would do as bid.

When Blythe mentioned sailing off with Vanessa, the captain sat back. "Careful." She warned with good humor. "That's dangerously close to swearin' an oath. Us skyskimmers take that sort of thing real seriously. Could end up pressed into service sayin' things like that to the wrong person." Vanessa spread her arms out in over-exaggerated magnanimity. "Luckily I'd never do something so cruel. "

She settled forward, both hands on her nearly empty drink now. "Plenty of crews could use a mage like you though, if you were interested in strikin' out. Whatever runes you've got, I'm sure they'd find a use for 'em. They always do."

[Blythe]

" I didnt take you for the paperwork sort, it's always best to file your paperwork accordingly as per what ive been lead to believe is true Imperium tradition. For your sake I hope you bribed the clerk to process your application, less it might be stuck at the bottom of there quota for seasons or worse lost in transit.

Blythe liked Vanessa a little more every time she spoke. And while she had an intimidating presence the noble felt strangely secure and comforted. Her home was cold and harsh and the people within it colder and harsher still. It was unforgiving like the icy chill of a howling winter gale. And Vanessa was like the warm glow of whiskey before treading the storm.

The lady was painting a humanized Zaichaer in Blythes perspective. And in the moment of the captains company she no longer viewed the city so narrow mindedly as bigoted troglodites deserving of there fate.

But the sorceress knew better and scolded herself internally because in the end she was being naive and misguided by feelings. Keenly aware of how Quills hand shook with refrain with what she believed was inent to strike her. Maybe it was toxic and selfish but she needed this though, so she'd play make believe and pretend a little while longer. By the gods it felt good to have a friend even if the gesture redacted it to smoke and mirrors.

"So you were there when everything happened? You are braver then most welcoming strangers onto your ship. Whoever it Is under your wing Is very lucky to have you, I hope they appreciate you the way I appreciate you. So a sky ship? I've heard of them but never had the experience riding one. So whats your ships name? Bet its something cool like Windrunner or maybe Steel Breeze, am I close?"

Blythe would have liked to tell Vanessa everything about herself but the fact was painfully obvious. She very well knew every tool in her arsenal was completely twisted, and she knew and understood that to lay these truths about herself bare would end in instant rejection. It was the only way she knew to live as she barricaded herself in boundaries.

"I'm not sure my runes are good for much other then twisting folks inside out."

The Briathos noble would take another sip of her drink before putting it down. Its not that Blythe didnt trust Vanessa but she scared her, so she wanted to see for herself. Maybe it was best to take precaution eith a stranger as she began tapping into her reservoir of aether as it flowed within the runes of semblance and mesmer.

Blythe used the sounds and vibrations of the symphony as it became attuned to its target. To judge her intent, trying to get an idea of what Vanessas rhythm and tempo was trying to convey. With semblance she wanted to match her tune with what was going on inside. It was just a quick peak inside her think pan to pan to paint a picture with better clarity of her point of view. But beyond that she was testing herself as she was using semblance like a metal detector scanning Vanessa's form of auras of steel attempting to sniff out hidden weapons. As the witch was assessing risk and her situation, her theory was the aura would betray the metals shape . It was really all the Sorceress wanted to do was carve through the lies and deception to uncover the truth of things. This was her way of reading in-between the lines.

"You seem to be really interested in my runes so I'll tell you what! Because I like you ill show you the magic of free drinks, so pay attention sorcery like this is not for the feignt of heart." As Blythe was speaking she waved the bartender down for a shot of rum and when it was recieved she dragged it closer to herself, and gestured for Vanessa to pay close attention to it."This only works once, I bet I can take this shot without touching the napkin." As she was speaking she draped it over the shot glass so it was completely concealed."Care to wager on it, maybe the next round?"

[Vanessa Quill]

"Money makes the gears turn, you got that right." Vanessa agreed. Luckily, in her case, Anton's status as a noble and humanitarian had helped expedite the paperwork. A bribe had been exchanged too of course, but a far smaller sum than the captain had been prepared to pay. "But you'd be surprised how much cheaper everything gets when you're rich."

She laughed at the almost paradoxical statement, but it was true enough. Far greater leeway was afforded to those of affluence, as words could pay where gold would not. Vanessa was of two minds about that. The first, and more prevalent, posed that anything making her life easier was a good thing and that she was in no position to change systemic woes. She was a hired goon, nothing more. The second was that pesky little conscience of hers, and it prattled on about justice and equal application of the law. Being a knight had some side effects it seemed, and not all of them welcome to a woman of her persuasion.

Coming back to her senses at the question, Vanessa smiled thinly. "Her name is the Every Waking Moment. Got her off a captain after I helped save his ship. Law of Salvage, n' all that. She's an old girl, but reliable. Whoever made her put every bit of themselves into it, and I make sure to thank 'em for it whenever I make it out of a storm in one piece, hah." While the Law of Salvage was a genuine maritime practice, it had oft been used as convenient cover for stolen goods. Vanessa didn't need to tell Blythe that. If she knew, she knew. "And aye, he appreciates me. Wouldn't put up with me if he didn't. With what he's payin' me, I'm sure there's a dozen people a day looking to impress him and take my job." That was a boast, clearly, but Vanessa's impressive form and way she moved with confident power did justify a small amount of self-congratulations.

"You'd be surprised how useful turning someone inside out can be, or at least threatening to." She pointed out. "I knew a crew that had one of them cursemakers aboard. They'd sail right up to a ship, and the other bloody crew would surrender before anyone even fired a shot. Never even saw the mage cast a damn spell. Might've been a fake for all I know!" It was grim, sure, but Vanessa hoped it got the point across. Magic was just as much performance as it was power.

When searched for weapons, the first to appear was Vanessa's runeforged blade. Hardly hidden, the executioner's sword hung from her sword belt, but radiated an absolute void of energy. Not merely content to be invisible to magic, the magebane blade was cut from the night's sky when viewed through a mage's lens. Luckily its antimagic effects were inactive when the blade was stowed, and so Vanessa's two concealed weapons were otherwise easy to pick out. A six shooter was stowed in an inner pocket of her pelisse, and a backup knife was stowed in her boot.

Vanessa leaned forward, propping her elbows up on the bartop when Blythe made her proposal. The captain wasn't so foolish as to think she might come out of this bet with her coin intact, but decided there was far greater worth in seeing a mage's party trick than in a handful of avens. "Aye, I'll wager." She said, placing a few coins on the counter to show she was good for it. "I bet you can't take that shot without touching the napkin."

[Blythe]

The concept of this so called law of salvage tickled her just a bit. Without much in-depth context she felt like she could float into Zaichaer triumphantly put her foot on the rubble and declare law of salvage. Make the city hers legally binding based on what she assumed was maritime finders keepers on a location that wasnt that far off from a shipwreck.

Possession was nine tenths of the law afterall.

The young elf sort of fidgeted with her locks and curls as she with care free measure had made a decision. It was mostly based on Vanessa herself as she cataloged her flow of sounds and colors as they exchanged words. The captain was kind of gruff on the outside. But the music that lay within wasnt exactly what Blythe expected, there was confliction that was swirling like a storm.

There was many degrees of morality that could be held to in-depth scrutiny and question, when her runes of influence allowed her privileges to other people's privacy unbeknownst to the casual observer. Blythe was adapted as a mage for court, often surrounded by the most influential and powerful people where even the gentlest sway of suggestion could carry long lasting ramifications. It was hard to tell what she was looking at but something was emanating off Vanessa's sword that was unexplainable through her arcanic lense like for lack of better words her steel had taken a blurry distorted bite out of the reading. As if this anomolous blob of emanated off of it. Unlike the glowing outline of a pistol or the thin slender shape of a dagger that revealed itself through her fabric. The sword it could not be discerned it was as if her magic didn't exist within that interference of the pocket.

It would make sense that maybe it had some form of anti magic qualities or perhaps it was a Zaichaeri relic. The usually more vocal and thirsty black robe was a little less talkative and was ignoring her drink as she was perplexed trying to wrap her mind around it. Her body language was definitely hinting that she was spooked by this as she kept accidentally fixating on the sheathed blade as she was not a master of subtly.

Trying to take her mind off the thing that was vexing her, she responded.

"With those types you will never know for sure, most afflictionists never grasp the magic doing irreparable damage to themselves long before they ever curse anybody. But the way you speak, it makes me think I could actually join be welcome and sail on your ship. I have a lifetime of experience around magic but martial skills I'm afraid im lacking. I know I was playing and made light of the idea at first. But I think I'd like to sail the sky and get a taste of what might actually be real freedom.

I want to keep being a mage secret and if you'd protect me in Zaichaer I'd swear an oath to be a good and loyal shipmate."

The whole idea of just picking up and moving on that was a lot to really process. But even if the concept of change was difficult the thought was equally attractive. She could spend in everyone else's shadow or carve her own path and make her own name on Every Waking Moment.

With the napkin over the shot glass, Blythe would lean into the bar right next to the items. And put her hand over her mouth making loud slurping noises, she was making a show of this like she was definitely doing something with sleight of hand. When she finished making a spectacle of herself she would urge Vanessa to lift the napkin.

The big reveal if she did however was nothing had happened the shot was still in its glass.

[Vanessa Quill]

Vanessa caught Blythe staring at the blade. The mage didn't make it particularly hard, but even if she had, Vanessa always had a knack for tracking wandering eyes. A load of good that did her when dealing with a blind man as a patron. "Runeforged." Vanessa said, sitting up in her chair and gripping the hilt of the blade with one hand. From the new position, the abjurinium inlaid in the pommel was more clearly visible, a grand black dragonshard with flecks of white like stars in the sky. The blade rasped from its sheath when Vanessa pulled it free, exposing just a few inches of that exquisitely crafted steel to the mage.

The instant she did, the blade begun drinking Blythe's aether. A fog covered Vanessa's aura, smearing the ensemble together like wet paint on a canvas. That blotting effect covered Vanessa like a blanket, and only grew more intense the longer the blade was drawn. Soon, viewing Vanessa's aura was much like trying to look at the blade. It wasn't that it no longer existed, it was that a fathomless, hungering absence of light stood stalwart before eldritch sorcery. Trying to overwhelm the blade was fruitless, and it gorged ravenously until Vanessa pushed the blade back down into its sheath. As quickly as the blade's hunger had sprung forth, so too did it quell.

"Belonged to someone special to me." Vanessa said, showing little interest in following that particular conversation any further. "Pretty good though, right?"

A grin split her face.

When Blythe mentioned sailing, Vanessa shrugged. "You'd be useful on a crew, aye." Vanessa acknowledged. She had grown adept at knowing which crewmates would buckle under pressure and which would endure, even when she hadn't had the luxury of refusing anyone. "I can teach you to tack sails, run rigging, hell I can even teach you how to repel boarders. Can't teach the spirit, though." She looked Blythe over again. "I'll give it some thought." She said, her tone measured but teetering on optimistic. "I've seen too many good kids get themselves killed swearing themselves to me when they ought have gone home and apologized for whatever sorry thing they did that brought them to my crew." She didn't think the same was true for Blythe. It was hard to think that of any mage, considering that even getting a rune could be a death sentence.

Back to the drink, Vanessa yanked off the napkin... only to be left with a shot still there. She looked at it quizzically, then back to Blythe. "Did you... fuck up the trick?" Vanessa finally asked.