voidgates | IC Inbox

All life's connected, amongst each other and the star itself, givin' and takin' all the time and we're all in the balance together.

[ He traces a shape on G'raha's thigh with his fingertip, the interconnecting lines of a web. ]

If the good I do matters, so does the ill. Can't keep one and ignore the other.

[ He snorts. ]

But I'm no... philosopher or anything such as that. That's just as I was taught and there's no reason to argue over it.

[ Another soft snort that turns into a sigh. Thinking about talking that much, about trying to argue out ideas, already feels exhausting. G'raha would run circles around him anyway. He could talk the leaves off a tree. ]

'sides, I think I'd know what I'd do, now, if I could have one selfish thing and it'd work.

I'd go home with the both of you.

Edited 2022-06-30 22:04 (UTC)

[Summer's been listening quietly up until this point, mulling both over G'raha's offer — and trying to determine what, if anything, she would even have an interest in pursuing, what she cares about, what's important enough to her that she would want to devote hours upon hours of study to unraveling it — but it's Ezar's decision that draws her back out of her thoughts and into the flow of conversation.

He'd follow them home if he could, selfishly? He must mean joining the Scions, then. And he hadn't known the outcome of Ala Mhigo, so he must be from a time before she or any of the others left for the First — back when she and G'raha were still a world apart, themselves. He would keep this, he means. Be a part of them. And that's —

It's such an abrupt change from his insistence that he's not like them that she almost doesn't want to poke at it any further, for fear of shattering the fragile thread of hope it rests on. Whatever's made him come around to the idea, it's enough. And as for bringing them together...

Well.]

There. Might be a way it could work. Sometime when we're not all like this, there's something we should test.

[The power of the seat of Azem is to call allies from far afield, isn't it? So maybe between the two of them, herself and G'raha...]

And I know what I would study, if I could. For myself, the Ancients. And for the star...to find a cure for tempering. That's what I would do, if I knew I would get it.

[ G'raha's clearly gearing up to argue something about taking the negative with the positive - but when Ezar says there's no reason to argue he does, at least, let his ears relax down from where they had stiffened up and lets out a soft sigh. He keeps petting Ezar's hair as he speaks, and when he says he'd come back - well.

He's got much the same thought process as Summer, if he's honest. That to pull Ezar with them might not be impossible, if they only remembered. His hand stills, looking over at her when she speaks. ]

Maybe. Certainly not now, when magic is running high.

[ And then she says that and G'raha's eyes widen just a little bit. He's careful not to react too obviously, lest he spoil the truth for her - but there's a fractional jump of surprise in the synchrony. ]

You would be well assisted by Alisaie, I think, in that endeavor.

[ Not a lie, but not spoiling the truth for her, either. ]

And there is no one saying you can not study the Ancients and what they left. You still have access to the First; Emet-Selch's magics remain. They shall inevitably fade, and he did bade you remember.

Perhaps knowing what the Ancients are, as well, there are secrets not yet found across the rest of Hydaelyn.

[ Ezar does not believe for one second that there is a way such a thing could happen. He's read too much about how "going home" works in this place. Returning, out of his control, will be the final act of a delayed death sentence and he has accepted it. So for him, it is more wistful wish than anything... but he does not expect them to understand that, because he's told no one that truth, and he has no intention of doing so. There's no point.

So the best course is agreeing, he thinks, to something he knows to be futile. It is an ultimately harmless lie and better than the truth. A world he can pretend could exist, an adventure he might tentatively dream of going on, wherever it might lead. It's easy to offer that kind of idea when he knows it cannot happen. ]

What manner of thing to test?

[ He has nothing to say or ask, after. What they've already said about the Ancients has been interesting, and made him curious, but he can't think of a way to ask any of the questions on his mind without revealing too much. ]

When Raha mentioned the magicks he used to pull us across the rift — and then the same ones that Elidibus used thereafter, summoning phantoms of heroes? It's — well.

[The edge of her lip catches beneath her teeth, and she casts a quick glance in G'raha's direction.]

In what you remember. Have you heard me mention the name "Azem" before?

Oi Summer you awake

No, I'm asleep. Zzzzzzzz. Mrrrrrrrr. Zzzzzzzz. Mrrrrrrrr.

Why are you awake?

Oh hey I got some ice cream and they fucked up the order so it's too much for me to eat

want some?

[ Lalala not answering that question, offering a transparent lie instead. ]

It takes a strong man to admit there's an amount of ice cream too much for him to eat. That's bold of you.

You realize I'm well aware this is a bribe because you could just as easily save the extra ice cream for later.

I could eat it all if I wanted but then I'd be texting you about how much my stomach hurts so this is really in your own best interest.

Maybe my freezer thingy is full.

Uh-huh. A likely story.

What flavor?

It has a dumb name but it's got chocolate and marshmallow and some kind of berries in

Rolanberries?

Suppose I accept. Am I coming to join you somewhere for my share?

I don't think they have rolanberries here

or snurbleberries

this place is fucking weird

um... "moonberries"?

I can come there unless it'll bother G'raha

I doubt it would ever bother Raha to see you. He's rather taken with you, I think.

But he is asleep, for once, so. Come by the door and not the window, so it won't wake him up.

I know who they are, yes. You've explained a bit.

[ More than a bit, of course, but that goes against the spirit of his keeping things from her. ]

Azem's power to summon their friends to their side is one I know about. Do you think it could be paired with the magic to call across the rift?

[ He can't deny - the times he's seen it used, the magic seemed to work similarly. ]

Ok be there soon

[ And he is there very soon, almost like he was in the neighborhood already when he texted Summer. Rather than knocking, since that's a sharp enough sound it might also wake up G'raha, he sends another message. ]

I'm at the door.

[ And he is, indeed, right outside the door and holding a bag with a large container of ice cream in it. While he normally dresses comfortably--if with a decent level of fashion, thanks to Aerith--he's looking notably rumpled. And... tired, at a level his resting bitch face can't hide. ]

I think so. I think her crystal can...I don't know how to put it, exactly. I think it can also hold the intentions of others, if imbued with them. Azem's incantation is to summon her friends to her side, but...

[She hesitates.]

Elidibus sent me into the rift when we fought, and I was able to send myself back. If all I could do was call others to myself, it wouldn't have done any of us any good. So I think it must be able to pair, somehow. It would make sense for Azem to draw her strength from the collaboration of others, anyway, and to be able to mingle their intentions with her own.

If we could find a way for you to put an intention of your own into it, for example. Mayhap that could work?

[What a knack this catboy has for showing up comparatively earlier than expected. Fortunately, Summer had already started carefully extracting herself from bed as soon as Ezar had signed off, so she's still mostly put-together and in position to sneak out by the time his next text arrives.

It takes her a minute to shuffle across the apartment toward the main entrance, closing the bedroom door silently behind her. Possibly she could've gotten more properly dressed if she'd had a little more time, but as it is, she's decent enough in what look like a pair of wind silk pants and camisole with an oversize shirt hastily thrown around her shoulders.

She cracks the door as quietly as she can, rubbing sleep from one eye, and frowns at the sight of Ezar.]

You look terrible.

[Hello to you too, Summer.]

What's wrong?

[ G'raha's ears perk up again as she says it, a smile crossing his face. Dynamis, or akasa as Nidhana had explained, would perhaps be the way that the crystal had interacted with Summer's desire to escape, with Emet's desire to help her. ]

I do not think we'd find it difficult to express that intention - there's a Thavnarian concept we learned about, Akasa, that dictates strong emotions affect the reality around them. It's hard to study an energy ruled by emotion but... we were able to prove its theory, somewhat.

The difference being, we are not so nearly experienced with concepts as the Ancients were. And effectively sealing such a force into the crystal would take practice - as much as the vessels were untested in their function, I'd be loathe to not do some practical testing either.

So does your face.

[ Good big brother instinct there, Ezar. ]

Nothin's wrong.

[ Blatant lie. But if he'd wanted to talk about it, he would have included it in the text. He just wants to not be by himself... and thought Summer was more likely to be awake than Aerith.

Summer is also not capable of randomly reading his mind, nor does she have such a similar array of nightmares, which is... good in his estimation. He's less likely to accidentally upset her with his own stupid problems.

He holds out the ice cream as if to ward off any further questions. ]

Not with you around for comparison.

[POWERFUL SIBLING ENERGY.]

Here, bring that into the kitchen. It'll be fine if we put the light on in there.

[And she motions him inside, closing and locking the door behind him once he's entered before leading him toward the kitchen with a hand over her mouth to stifle a spare yawn.]

How about this. If you're honest with me about why we're pretending nothing's wrong, I promise to go along with the actual pretending for as long as you want.

[ He follows her, chewing over that offer. The problem is, he already knows that if he keeps denying it, she's not going to believe him. And he knows he's not that great at the art of the bald-faced lie. He's just good at not saying things that shouldn't be said. So really, in that light, her offer is a rather merciful one.

He breathes an annoyed sigh through his nose all the same. ]

Couldn't sleep. Nightmares.

[ Though to be more accurate--and from how tired he looks--he hasn't been sleeping well for several days.

It's a stupid problem to have, in his opinion. ]

We've also no Crystal Tower to draw on here, and no Beq Lugg to ask for guidance and expertise. ...But that doesn't mean it can't be done.

[She doesn't understand, not fully, the source of G'raha's abrupt delight, but she doesn't need to know the source to appreciate the result of it. Later she'll think back on this conversation and realize it may well be her first attempt at academia that didn't leave her feeling woefully behind or out of step.

But for the moment, the mention of testing has her glancing back at Ezar.]

Would it bother you? If we were to try summoning...well, er. You?

...Aye. I know that feeling.

[And true to her word, that's all she says about it, as she goes to the cupboard, peers inside at the dishware, and seems to make a rapid decision to close it again and just retrieve a pair of spoons, instead.

As she sits back down, and in the spirit of pretending, she continues loftily: ]

Well, I think it's charming that you were so desperate to enjoy the pleasure of my company that you simply couldn't wait until daylight for it.

IC Inbox | noctiumrp

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(very)late night text

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