[ This isn't the first time he's encountered the weird sparkly text. He's too observant not to, but even if he had been the completely oblivious sort, sparkly words appearing out of nowhere is kind of hard to miss.
It had been easy to ignore the other general chatter that appeared in front of him - something about someone asking about everyone's holidays and their wishes for the year, which had then quickly devolved into lots of people yelling at some guy. At least, that's what it seemed like. He hadn't read too much into it to find out.
This message however is clearly for him. It takes him a minute to respond because he doesn't know how. ]
i'm getting a lot of exercise in. learning the routes around the castle. do you always check on the new hires?
I was thinking of trying to get bicycles developed for whichever of you might prefer to use them. It might only be one to share at first, there's not much interest for them in Thorne at large.
I'm a temporary supervisor at best, if that helps.
Manual. [ He will send a simple drawing of a bicycle for reference. ] There'll be some enchantments involved but not for hovering. Although you might speak to Viktor in the Free Cities if you have any expertise or interest, he's working on the blueprints.
I would've thought the same a year ago after the attack on Libertas.
I considered other options, but passing the prototype through Nocwich via Thorne's portal and checkpoint guards seems like a good test of what they're willing to allow.
[ If it causes any future trouble, it'll be on him. ]
Hey Sorry Hi, I don't know if you remember me, it's that guy who like Stole your memories and then immediately made it really weird and stuff I'm so sorry to bother you but um I think there might be an incident happening in your room right now
Raccoons are like furry little bandit squirrels that have a mind of their own and cannot be controlled by any force on this or any other planet, so whoever it belongs to, it's probably not their fault and you shouldn't blame them.
Not that I know who that is. It could be anybody. Maybe it's the queen's raccoon. Maybe we should all just stop speculating, I guess we'll never know haha crazy, but anyway, something definitely broke a few minutes ago?
I tried, she's not listening to me. She's kind of feral.
I mean, not that I would know. She just seems feral, from the two seconds that I saw her as an absolute stranger in the hallway we both happened to be walking down before she went into your room. I tried too stop her, there was a whole kung-fu battle, I think lasers were involved, I
( And then, very abruptly, there's Cassian. He tries not to look startled, and immediately forgets what he'd been saying.
His eyes flick from the man to the basket, a look of understanding, and then an enthusiastic nod. )
She absolutely can, yeah. Junk food and shiny things are like her two highest priorities. ( Wait, shit, he's supposed to be maintaining plausible deniability — so he tacks on an unconvincing: ) ...I assume.
[ His long pause had been due to a quick detour through the kitchens and an fast on his feet explanation to the chef about why he was looking for food to bribe a creature. Thankfully they hadn't seemed (too) fazed by the request from a charming man to question it too throughly.
The look in his eyes is clearly a disbelieving one but he'll let it slide. Again. Stepping up to the door and beside Jack he opens up the basket. ]
( He gives the contents a quick look-over and nods approvingly — with a particular gesture toward one of the tiny, slimy-looking fish they'd had the foresight to pack. )
That'll probably work, especially if it smells... loud.
( Look, he doesn't make the trash panda rules, they like stinky things. )
Maybe if you kind of... hold it up to the crack under the door, I can call to her, and she'll unlock it?
[ There's only a beat of confusion before the smell hits him. Ah. Loud. His nose wrinkles mildly but nods, extracting the fish from the basket and positions himself by the door.
He can hear the chaos from here which means the state of his room is probably going to be a sorry state. ]
Do you think she'll listen? [ A pause as he gives him a look. ] Since you just fought her with lasers.
( Loud, he nods sagely at Cassian's wrinkled nose. You get it now.
Jack takes up post just to Cassian's side, hand hovering over the knob, waiting to spring with reflexes decidedly less than catlike. It's fine. They've got this. They can do it. )
Only one way to find out.
( He says, instead of owning up to his terrible lie. And so he begins to coo gently, his voice soft and appealing: )
Rita! Dinner! Come get some food. Come on, girl. Good dog.
( Evidently giving up all pretense that he isn't familiar with this creature. After a beat, whiskers stick out of the door near Cassian's hand. A moment later, a tiny little paw reaches underneath the crack, groping at Cassian's fish-hand. )
No- no, you have to open the door, Rita. It won't fit. It's a big fish.
( After a mistrustful moment, the paw disappears. There's a soft click of the lock, and Jack jerks the knob before she can change her mind, swinging the door open.
Cassian's room is in disarray. Beneath his bed, two glowing, wary eyes peer out of the darkness. Jack nudges him forth — after all, he's holding the fish. )
[ The tiny paw looks...awfully familiar to something he's seen recently. It doesn't take him that much longer to connect the dots. Rocket. Then again he shouldn't be so quick to rush to conclusions here. Just because a species had the same hands didn't mean they were exactly the same.
The realization distracts him momentarily from his skepticism that Jack looks suited for this particular adventure they're about to embark on. By the time he's about to question this a little further however the door swings open.
The state of his room is as he suspected it would be and his mouth settles into a line that holds back the sigh written on his face. Fortunately he isn't the sort to keep many trinkets or have a lot of stuff in general so it's nothing that can't be replaced. It's probably better to focus on the fact that he might not have a room after this if he can't Rita out of it.
Jack's nudge is met with a mild look of exasperation but he crouches, creeping forward towards his bed holding out the fish. ]
Rita...was it? If you come out of the room, there's more fish where this came from.
( Those two glowing eyes blink at Cassian as though they understand him — and then, ever so slowly, something creeps out from under the bed. She looks like rocket a little, except for the part where she's ever-so-faintly glowing, and there are two luna moth wings folded at her back.
None of that matters right now. What matters now is that her tiny little paw is reachy-reaching for the fish in Cassian's hand. )
Throw it.
( Jack murmurs out of the side of his mouth, and then repeats in a faintly lower whisper: )
[ The glowing eyes which are quickly followed by the glowing body leave him relatively unfazed. His interactions with animals is slim to none; little wildlife could actually survive on Ferrix's barren landscape and anything that could would sooner rip your hand off than be pet.
He figures following that same logic will save him from a similar fate. Which is why he takes Jack's advice and launches the fish out into the hall.
The fish goes sailing - but smacks Jack right in the face. Cassian's eyes widen only to see a glowing streak fly from beneath the bed straight for the man. ]
( And this is the story all about how Jack got slapped in the face with a fish and almost mauled by his own raccoon familiar. One second he's bracing himself to slam the door shut, the next it's a Holy Mackerel in the most literal sense, and a streaking blur of black and neon green as Rita fucking launches herself at sonic speeds toward Jack.
Jack may trust Rita's loyalty in life or death situations, but he does not trust her not to maul him in pursuit of fish, and so he squawks in undignified protest- )
Rita no!
( Stumbling backward, his heel clips a book and his legs go flying out from under him. His ass hits the stonework hard, but it puts enough distance between himself and the furry homing missile that he manages to peel the fish off and he flings it--
[ It probably goes without saying that Cassian definitely hadn't intended on throwing the fish at Jack's face. But he had just been there. He hadn't asked him to stand in the fish's trajectory. There's a brief moment of watching this chaos unfold and being absolutely dumbfounded by it before trying to launch into action and grapple Rita off of Jack.
Key word being try.
As he reaches down to grasp for Rita the fish smacks him square in the face prompting his own undignified squawk. Quick reflexes have him grabbing a hold of the fish and trying to fling it out the door again, but before he can, a blur tackles him to the ground. With his hands up trying to protect his face he doesn't see the smelly fish in all its slimy glory goes flying...right back towards Jack. ]
Not with the portals, as far as I know. But it feels like this is something that's been slowly building. We had issues with 'rifts' last summer, like portals but they would appear at random and let loose beasts from other worlds that some of us recognized. And a year before that we'd been contacted by gods called the Heralds. They left gifts in our domains, those items have been resurfacing.
[ And not because it's gruesome or because it involves magic but because he'd rather die doing something that mattered. He'd rather die for people he cared for rather than a relic or credits. ]
Kyle told you about what happened with the portal, right? The bike that went missing? Well, I found it using a spell, so Kyle thought it would be a good idea for me to teach it to you too.
Yeah, I got it from Istredd. You say the spell and it sort of gives you a path to follow back to whatever you lost. It doesn't work from super far away, but it will save you from wasting your time.
[ Truthfully, he doesn't want the air cleared with anyone. If he had his way he'd just chalk it up to a horrible dream and nothing more than that. What happened to them was wildly out of their control, something that even he can see despite the coiling anger and frustration in his belly aimed at the faction leaders and at himself.
And it's for that reason alone that he doesn't outright ignore Heather. Because they didn't ask for that to happen to them. It just did. And now they had to deal with the aftermath and learn how to move on from it. ]
we had nice conversations before those memories. we can still have those. and one future where i fell in love with you doesn't mean i'm holding you to that or trying to do that either. it's not a guide for what's going to happen.
i've never had magic, but i believe what i do is to help and protect people. being 'a god' changed how that applies. though so does a lack of technology.
[ Without tone it might be hard to tell if he's judging her. But if she remembers anything about the "eight hundred years", it's that he didn't mind bending the rules every once in a while. ]
[ Be that as it may, he understands. Because while the hunger had called to him so deeply within his bones and he'd often wandered without memory or sense of self, he had been more content than he's ever been towards the end. The peace he had known had been so fleeting because shortly after that he'd realized he needed to wake up from the dream. ]
happiness can exist outside of that dream, istredd
i know. they told me as much when i arrived but they don't get to use my name
[ His gaze lingers on the words, particularly the last one. It's not something he can give him right now - no matter how much something in his bones urges him to. All he can offer instead is - ]
you'll find all of that again i'll help you
she hasn't spoken a word to me, but i managed to get her to bathe the other day
you aren't the only one who wants to leave there's already unrest in nott and we saw a future they found their independence there's a spark already - it doesn't mean it has to take decades or centuries
[ Even if it means he has to tear it down with his own hands. ]
she isn't the only one who forgot it wasn't a choice, it was forced on her
I was trained in court politics. As soon as I graduated, I left all that behind to be a researcher, but some training never goes away. I've had to learn again while here, to protect everyone else.
I hope that part of the fantasy ends up true. I was ready to spend decades here if need be, but it's more difficult.
I know, believe me. Lucifer offered to wipe the memories after it happened, as if that would help, but I had to live with it. I just didn't appreciate experiencing it a second time.
don't give up hope, istredd it's the thing that keeps us going
[ There's another pause. ]
several experiences i've been part of a war - am part of a war. i've seen other prisoners "reprimanded", and i saw my adoptive father hung for trying to keep protesters safe
[ It's only a summary of his life and doesn't even begin to cover his life before Ferrix, but recounting those things, even briefly, is still enough to make him weary and to remind him of the anger in his veins. ]
Hope is not something I put a lot of stock in, but I know that's very cynical of me.
When they first started Summoning people here, Thorne threw most of them in the dungeons and kept them there. They almost executed one of us. I'm afraid you haven't come to a much safer place.
it would be different if they didn't keep us here under pretenses it would be different if that's exactly how oppression operates and wants you to feel
[ They're perhaps harsh, direct words, but Cassian has so rarely been a soft, indirect person. ]
it doesn't always have to feel like that, istredd it won't always feel like that
Lucifer's dead. This is his only chance at life, our only chance to be together. It makes us weak and vulnerable to Thorne, yes, but I can't be sorry about anything to do with him.
[ While she might not be as outwardly troubled as some after their recent strange circumstances, Merrin isn't entirely unbothered. What happened has given her a glimpse more deeply into the nature of this world's power, what it is capable of, what they have to contend with for however long they remain. It is powerful, unpredictable, capable even of twisting their thoughts and stealing their memories. It is not fear that she feels deep within, though it would be false to say she isn't concerned. Rather, there is respect for what little she knows of it, a deep resolve to continue learning, strengthening her power, pushing back against what would seek to harm them all.
It is the exact nature of the stone structure at the center of everything that continues to elude her (and everyone else). It would be impossible and foolish to ignore the Singularity entirely, yet she is also a doer, someone of action. She is not the type to puzzle things out as much as some, so she will focus her efforts on reacting, protecting, doing what she can, where she can, as much as she can.
That continues to manifest in learning about where she currently resides, and given their close quarters and their knowledge of their shared galaxy, she wishes to better know the man who seems understandably troubled after the mass shared illusion. It seems an easy way to start a conversation to offer what ended up being an unexpectedly pleasing treat at the Blossom Cake Festival. Carrying a small plate and returning to their shared room, Merrin sets the plate down, carrying a few cupcakes with some pretty designs. ]
[ Whereas Merrin has come out of this whole ordeal with respect for the unknowns of this magical maelstrom they've been thrust into, Cassian can't say the same. But a similarity that they do share is that sense of needing to learn more of this place, to really dig his fingers into understanding how he can protect the few that he's quietly resolved to look after.
Doing so is a fine balance however. In order to do that means venturing into topics and areas he had so staunchly refused to for the last six months of him being here. The process has been slow going as he continues in a constant back and forth between trying not to be a stubborn ass and falling back to occupying himself with caring for River, courier duties, and his own black market dealings.
It's rare that he and the woman to run into each other in this room. Both seem to use this room as simply a place to sleep and little else. But he's between jobs and just removing his coat and gloves when she appears. He gives her a nod of thanks before his eyes skip to the beautifully coloured cupcakes. ]
Is that 'not unpleasant' in a good way or a I would be better off saving room for proper dinner?
In the way of — you will not have room for dinner. Unless you are equipped with powers to restrain yourself. I do not possess these.
[ Her way of saying, they are really good. Just. With not quite that inflection or level of enthusiasm. It is a rare moment to see him here, though she is equally absent since...everything that happened. She's more often roaming the castle or taking advantage of the opportunities to explore Borrel and Nott, when possible. In addition to learning more about this world, she also wishes to have assigned duties where and when possible. Something to explore another time.
As previously mentioned, she is unable to quell the desire for another cupcake, so she takes one and sits on the edge of her bed, swiping a finger through the frosting and having a taste. ]
I did not see the purpose in decorating them at first, but...I understand it now.
[ They're going to get eaten, why take the time to make fancy designs? But...they do look nice, admittedly. ]
You not having any restraint isn't very believable.
[ There's a lilt to his voice, almost as if he's joking. But can she blame him? Everything down to her word choice and even-keeled nature makes it hard for him to think that she doesn't show self-restraint on a daily basis. Then again, everyone has their weaknesses and maybe sweet treats is hers.
He doesn't think that the cupcakes are laced or poisoned in any way but even as he scoops one up he follows suit, tasting the icing first. It's second nature to him at this point. Thanks, paranoia. ]
Presentation is important. Making it look good shouldn't always be as important as how it tastes but it lends to the experience. People see what they want to believe.
[ He might, perhaps, catch the slightest, briefest of almost-but-not-quite smirks on her face in response to his joke. In this, he would be correct. Mostly. It seems she's uncovered a fondness for sweet things she hadn't realized she even had before. ]
And people might assume the one who made it gives — what I am told — is a shit. [ The word shit sounds absolutely stilted, strange, very awkward on her tongue, like it doesn't fit. It's not something she would repeat or use regularly either, she is only mimicking what she heard. ] I would not use such words myself to describe it, but I understood the meaning from the one who decorated these.
Hmmm. [ She is not smiling yet, but there is a softer lilt in her tone as she speaks. ] An unexpected and acceptable treat today. I would enjoy these again and even save one for you.
[ Someone with lesser powers of perception might have missed it, but he's spent as much time observing those around him as he's sure that she has. So when he sees it, it has the corners of his lips twitching slightly in amusement too. And while he's certain that she doesn't mean to try and make light of the word 'shit', how it rolls inelegantly off her tongue has his lips twitching up that much further. ]
You can tell that they gave a shit. I feel bad eating it after all the hard work they put in.
[ Not bad enough apparently. A beat later he bites into it with reckless abandon, savoring the taste of sweetness of vanilla and strawberry coating his tongue. When he's swallowed he gives her a nod. ]
Thank you. I'll return the favour the next baking tournament. [ There's a pause before he decides to address the bantha in the room. ] How are you doing?
You are only honoring its noble sacrifice. [ Her lips twitch in slight amusement, but truthfully, she's glad to see him enjoying at least a bite. She has worried for him and others since...everything that happened. ]
There is much power in this world, the way it can twist memory. The forced dream of possible futures — I would not accept this as the only fate for myself or anyone else.
[ She has considered perhaps that there may be a few who didn't mind that potential future and she would not think anything of them if that were so, but it's the way their minds were tampered with that she doesn't care for. Nor would she simply accept being trapped here for hundreds of years and forced down this one path. ]
I wish to understand it better, this magic, this world. To be of use.
[ To help far more than she has.
Perhaps that's not quite an answer, but for her, it's made her more determined than ever. ]
[ He doesn’t know what to expect when he poses the question, but when she says it, he realizes with faint amusement that that’s more or less what he had expected to hear. In the short time that he'd come to know Merrin, he had already gathered that she was incredibly pragmatic and difficult to shake. Both were good traits to have.
Cassian bides his time in answering by taking another bite of the cupcake. His stance on learning magic remained more or less the same; if he were to posses any weapon it would be something physical he could use. And besides which, even as the rich flavours dance across his tongue once more, he can still taste the phantom remains of fear and despair from those he had devoured as a so called god. ]
My views on what happened to us differ from yours. You’d still want to talk about it?
If we disagree and say nothing of it, where does that leave us? Any of us.
[ This is not some naive hope-talk on her part, though. She doesn't for a moment think that all the ills of the galaxy (and every galaxy) can be fixed by just having a chat. But this is an entirely different matter. Something happened to all of them and it was troubling (even if there is much she doesn't reveal on the surface). It had the effect of making her want to dig in to better understand this world and the people in it — Summoned and not — so that she can better help everyone. But everyone went through different things — some far worse than others. ]
So, yes. I wish to talk about it. If you wish for it to be known.
[ Cassian hasn’t lived his life by playing nice for the sake of playing nice. He’s had a nose for trouble, a fire to defy ever since he had witnessed the destruction wrought on Kenari. It was only after that that he had begun to crystallize the feelings that had sat dormant in the pit of his belly for years until he could no longer ignore it.
But he understands that the rules are somewhat different here. Disagreeing with the Summoned is one thing - but to make enemies of them would make it vastly difficult for them to get home or to stay here if their lives here were better than what they had at home. From what he could tell, the ones that he knew, were for the Summoned through and through. And that didn’t count for nothing.
And maybe because there’s a kindred spirit in Merrin, a quiet distaste that he can sense from her regarding the state of their galaxy, because she is in some ways, his only tie to home, that he relents. ]
What happened to us should never have happened. I don’t like that this world's magic can twist and effect us in ways like that and we’re none the wiser. How do we know it won’t happen again? That all of our history and memories can’t be taken from us? The factions apologized to us but they’re just as complicit as whatever gods or magic exists here. We’re just pawns. Objects for them to play with.
[ Merrin is not necessarily about keeping the peace herself. She has no qualms with fighting those who harm others. She can be swift in doling out what she feels is suitable punishment, too, but that fire in her that was motivated so heavily from seeking vengeance against those who had destroyed her people, her family, her heart itself — it nearly consumed her. All Imperials were targets for her wrath.
She does not hesitate to fight back and she does not regret when doing what must be done, but she is careful not to let her anger go unchecked as it once did. ]
It should not have happened. On this, we agree. But to stop it happening again, I need to know it better — this world and its people. Understand this — I do not trust those who brought us here and harbor us. They provide for us but it is a false comfort. They expect obedience of us and I answer to no one. They want loyalty and I do not give it freely.
I will protect those of this world being harmed. I will not allow other Summoned to suffer. There is power in this world I need to understand, Alyx. It is the only way to protect us.
[ Cassian's anger and rage had been simmering beneath his skin long before he understood where to direct it at or the cause of it. But now he knew. And that was something that they both shared.
They hadn't spoken extensively about their ideologies or what they stood for in their shared galaxy. But he can tell, a part of him knows in the way that he suspects Luthen could sense it in him, that she isn't someone who would easily bend to what the Empire had done. Understanding fills his gaze and some of that bristle that had never been directed at her quiets. ]
I can't help you understand this world's magic. But I know people who might be able to. I can make introductions if you haven't met them.
[ The fake name he had given her doesn't go unnoticed either. From what he could recall from their time in the crater and as gods, he and Merrin had interacted little if at all. His god persona kept to himself and to the far reaches of god society so he can't blame her for not knowing. And while it would normally be something he would just let lie, it doesn't feel right when Merrin is the only tether to home that he has here.
This is a sign of trust more than anything. ]
My name isn't Alyx. It's Cassian. You can call me whichever you want, but I'd prefer Alyx in public.
[ A slight nod of her head then, both in gratitude that he's trusted her with his name, and by way of essentially re-introducing themselves. She need not know why he has two identities, though she would not find it unusual at all especially given the state of their galaxy. Even those who seemed trustworthy could be capable of betraying others, and it was difficult to let that guard down. So, it is no small thing that he gives it to her. She will repay that gratitude by trusting him in return. ]
I know Istredd, but few others. Introductions with others were...disrupted.
[ To say the least. Being forcibly trapped in a crater and robbed of your memory definitely screws with everything in a major way. ]
You give me your name, I will give you more of myself. My kind — the Nightsisters of Dathomir — were once in abundance, powerful and invincible. I thought, at least. But I was young when they were struck down by a Jedi, or so I was told — it was the Empire. I was all that remained for a time.
[ She says it all with practiced detachment, but it's a measure of protection for herself. She has lived with only the dead in her hearts for a long time. The emotion is always there, in reality, but it manifested as anger and hatred for so long that she lost sight of herself. She has come to a peace within — the sadness and grief rest in her soul always, but she carries the ones she lost and what they left behind is like a beacon guiding her down the path she wants and needs to follow now. ]
I would not see others suffer the same fate, not in our galaxy and not here.
[ While the lack of questions about why it is he chose to take on two identities is appreciated, if she had asked, he probably would have told her. There's a kinship of sorts there. A trust that he has no choice but to acknowledge despite whatever his paranoia may tell him otherwise. They had been through enough together now at this point which may not have earned her much in the past but does so now simply given the circumstances.
He doesn't expect the same in return, but when she does offer up her full name and her home world, it's met with quiet acknowledgement. The Nightsisters aren't known to him; it doesn't even ring a bell. But the name of the planet does - along with the warnings for travelers to stay away from it. The mention of it isn't enough to draw his attention away from what's more important however: the way that she recounts the loss of her people.
What she says brings about a question of his own - but in the same way that she granted him trust, he extends the same to her. ]
We're in agreement there. [ There's a brief pause. ] You have an ally in me here, Merrin. And when we make it back to our galaxy, you'll have one there too.
Cassian. I've been alerted that there is about to be a coup in Thorne. We won't be able to stop it, it's already in motion. I don't know what we'll be doing, if they just shut us in our rooms or something else, so I need you to get to River and stay with her.
[ He's not asleep. How can he sleep when something akin to a storm rages in his veins? For once not sleeping is a benefit because when Istredd's handwriting scrawls across the ceiling of his room, he knows it isn't a dream. ]
i'm going now how did you find out?
[ He's already moving across the room, casting a glance towards his slumbering roommate. He'd wake her momentarily once he's dressed. ]
I can't give any details in case they question us. Just know that it is happening and it will be violent. The Summoned should be safe, we are not the target.
i'll do my best i don't have powers or magic. you know that
[ As time is put between them and the events that transpired at the crater, he's been faced with the fact that a lack of powers in this magic-based world has grated on him more than he'd like to admit. ]
you were tipped off if that gets you can't rule out the possibility that someone might make you a concern they have to deal with someone important like you shouldn't be the one putting themself at risk
I know, but you're smart and capable. We may not be allowed to leave our rooms and will stay in place, it's difficult to know what will go down. Whatever instructions you get, follow them. It'll be too dangerous to go against them right now.
[ It is an army of magically powerful and well-trained warriors. Even Istredd could do only so much against them. ]
I was given the option to flee the castle and I chose to stay. I am in a dangerous position but I don't think I'm high on the priority list of Sidwell right now.
[ Asking him to behave when it comes to authority is a tall order, but he understands when he has to bide his time and watch before striking. Like Istredd alluded to, there's too many unknown variables right now. ]
asking me to behave is a lot but i'll do it for river
escape the castle? to where?
[ And in there is a very plain: Why didn't you choose to go? ]
I just want her to be safe. I'm afraid of what will happen if she panics.
I don't know to where. My guess is Nott, it's the area that doesn't care about the throne's power, we have a good working relationship with the leader there Lyle.
A few of us did decide to go. Thancred, Stephen. Yennefer.
[ If Cassian is observant enough, he'd know that Yennefer and Istredd are openly in a relationship of some kind. They are very tight knit, and that was true of the AU future too. ]
I think what we all need to focus on first is the coup. We can worry about me another day.
Just stay with her. See if you can stop her from fighting. I know that's asking a lot, but they have impressive magical restraints here, I don't want her to be placed in them.
something dropped a biological weapon on cadens a couple hours ago, looks like a cloud of gas/dust. might have have come from the west/north, debilitating if it gets in the respiratory system/eyes. keep water on hand and an eye out to the south/east in case it moves far.
[ The first part of Dan Heng's message comes through and because of the shit night that they're having he almost responds with a sassy 'what' because he honestly has more important things to do like trying to figure out how to get out of this stupid safe room. Thankfully patience wins out in the end. ]
are you safe? there's a coup happening in thorne right now we don't have any details but we're in a safe room - one that we can't get out of
summoned can do enough damage without a coup happening that i'd wager you're leverage for someone. if you're not prisoners, what do you mean you can't get out
i left solvunn during the storms.
[ before all the, god stuff. and yinyue. and brother dirt, "cassian." he had a feeling, that there was a path open to him, and he took it without waiting for it to close. if you hesitate, you are lost. ]
[ they words slip out from his mind, half unbidden. dan heng stares at them for a long moment, before moving on instead to the OTHER topic ]
portal
[ you remember when the portals were acting fucky, right? when you looked at them and you knew, if you wanted to, you could get it to take you somewhere other than the creator's intended destination? ]
i wouldn't rule out deliberate imprisonment, then. proper seals for warding and binding need to be made with disparate interlocking elements to create different rates of decay in the secondary seals, and if those aren't in the safe room with you...
i knew it wasn't going to be in solvunn.
[ What's the worst that could happen, it dropped him in the ocean? that's a GREAT scenario thank you. ]
[ in the quiet, chaotic drone of thousands of people trying to find a space to rest for the night in the bunker, dan heng closes his eyes, and mentally pokes at the memory of the seals in scalegorge waterscape. ]
i don't know how much i can do without being there in person, but i will try
yes. my best theory is that because the portal in solvunn usually only goes to nocwich and cadens is almost directly in between the two of them it forced an early exit, like an interrupted warp jump.
theres no beds outside the infirmary, heard someone say something about the food stocks, couple walls aren't finished
[ is it airtight? he could check, with cloudhymn, to see where there's water vapor and if it can move, or not... and with most people starting to fall asleep, now's the tiem to do so. okay. sure. fine. give him a minute. ]
i can't tell if its airtight or not. looks like there's a filtration system so its possible but its technically in aquila so
[ another pause. while he was checking the size of the bunker, he was thinking about something. ]
i don't know why they bothered with the bunker if they already had portals to get people out of cadens, unless the military knows more about what the gas does than theyre telling anyone
its summer now, too -- there's no moisture in the air so we have no idea if it reacts with water either. it's too hot to move with an aerosol vapor right now.
i think so. they were adamant we go through "to protect evacuated civilians"
[ ...................................... MAN, FUCK. he is tired. dan heng's response is fast, words appearing before cassian even has time to finish his second message ]
i'm responsible for determining environmental hazards on planets with low human populations when the navigator picks landings, so i usually try to take it into account
[ would other people think to ask him about this? he definitely remembers blasting cassian in the face a few times with water, when the guy started looking like he was liable to blow to pieces at the smallest breeze, but that doesn't prove anything. notably he's not asking about DIRT in the cracks of the floorboards. ]
nobody's explicitly given orders expecting subordination yet... mostly just instructions and triage so far. but they locked us in.
[ It's easier to tell when someone is lying in person. You have the full context of their facial expression, their body language and the way their breath might hitch of stall. Text is harder.
But the speed at which Dan Heng's reply comes is telling.
And whether or not he chose to dismiss it at the end of the day, Cassian knew he had eight hundred years or so of getting to know someone who had effectively been his nephew. And that some of whoever they were still stemmed from a point of truth. ]
right you'll have to educate me more next time
[ Which is to say he doesn't believe him for a minute. But he'll let him keep lying. ]
I think they will, yes. We don't know what questions they'll ask yet, that's the big question.
I don't believe they'd be stupid enough to actually harm either of us. Sidwell doesn't want to start his relationship with the Summoned with that. It'd only cause drama. My guess is he wants to smooth everything over now that he's made his show of strength.
You can't help, just keep people calm if you notice them getting agitated. I don't want to cause a riot.
They know we were warned. Otherwise the other three wouldn't have fled with Ambrose hours before the coup happened. They want to know how that happened.
That's why they want me, at least. I'm unsure if they think Kyle knows anything about that, or they wanted to question him at the same time due to his relationship with the King.
Was it similar to how Yennefer positioned herself aside the queen?
[ He can't say he's particularly surprised to hear that Kyle had connections that he was unaware of. They both kept their fair share of secrets, and he knows Kyle well enough now to assume that it wasn't because he agreed with everything the monarchy did and said. ]
Not quite as close, but he had a special brooch from the King that allowed him to travel all over Thorne as a courier. It did show a certain favor, even if their relationship wasn't personal.
I don't think they know we have a private way of messaging like this, so we'll be able to say something if it goes wrong. For now, I'm assuming the best.
Unless it comes from the type of magic this place blocks, but it doesn't. I suppose because it's thought this magic came from the Singularity as a gift to us.
Yes, when we graduate from magic school they put a variety of enchantments and spells on our bodies, from the inside so it's set in place permanently. We can change what we look like entirely if we want, it's irreversible once you do it. The magic sustains us for centuries. 800 is a bit steep but not impossible, most mages have around 400-600 years.
Yes, exactly. My elders started to look older around 400. The enchantments we have put on us stretches it out. It fundamentally changes our biology. I'd say we do get to choose, but we don't. They make it seem like this big exciting thing for us to graduate, but we're still servants of the Brotherhood, and controlled by them, used by them. You can't leave, they always pull us back in.
Or I should say they used to. A short time ago, the Brotherhood was destroyed. Most everyone I know died in a coup.
The Brotherhood had many enemies. One of our own planned the coup to wipe the group out, and he knew the people to bring in. They all had reasons.
The Brotherhood was corrupt and the way it treated the children it stole was inhumane. My youth was full of fear and manipulation. It's why I try to protect our youths here, so they can be safer. But they were still the only family I knew, so I grieve them.
[ It's not prying because it's Istredd and they have some kind of weird god-bond that's hard for him to shake.
If anything it's because he's been incredibly cagey about his background for the last 28 system years. Habits like that are hard to break. Even with those he might deem a friend. ]
it just doesn't seem like an appropriate time to tell you when you're in jail, istredd
[ There is perhaps a hint of wry amusement in his text. ]
good there's been nothing else since the explosions there's news of the garrison being dead or heavily injured if i had to guess, they were trying to hit the castle - hard
From what we could see, they did. It cut through their wards fairly efficiently.
Are there any whispers on if it's retaliation from Thorne itself against the coup, or the Cities? It feels like something the Cities would pull off, except that they've avoided Nott this time around.
[ It doesn't mean he won't be keeping an ear out for news though. ]
there's too much panic right now to tell if anything has basis or not some think the free cities is to blame, other think its those still loyal to the queen
[ Cassian lets out a sound that could very well be a snort at the mention of omens. It's harder for him now to disregard their existence but after "being" a god, he can't exactly refute them now.
That doesn't mean he's going to be quick to believe in them himself however. ]
god or omen - they'll end up getting involved somehow
It's the most consequential thing she has expressed concern about. Other points of interest are finding new ways to ask when I plan to get married, and whether or not her cat is having kittens under her pantry.
You're planning on leaving Thorne? Will they let you?
[ See, when dan heng said "when i leave" he meant "when i decide to go into another busted portal or on some weird adventure" and he assumes cassian is too. he doesn't yet think about going through a doorway some day and disappearing. ]
[ at some point over the wintertide & solstice season, shortly before their invitation and arrival to the nether, cassian will find a package delivered to his current home in nott, containing a handmade knitted gift for the occasion. ]
wrapped neatly and tied with a bow, please find inside a starry blue scarf and space themed hat that didn't turn out as galaxy-esque as she hoped. there's only a short note that simply reads:
I'm not sure where you are right now, but I know the officials in the minor territories are allowing limited travel to reclaim items we were unable to take with us to the crater.
If you're able to get to Cadens, I left something important there.
I took my important notes--my plans for the automaton and the mines, my hydroponics schematics and research on environmental reclamation. I was working on a new magic-based shielding system, as well. All of that is safe with me, but the rest...I don't want the government to take it, in my absence.
[ Cassian is fully capable of reading and comprehending the words that are coming through but he's still stuck on the fact that this man wants him to literally commit arson to his own property.
But also he gets it. It's just not the sort of thing you expect to get from a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. ]
should i be flattered that you thought of me first to set fire to your lab?
you're my friend. you looked after Bee for me. flattery isn't necessary
i don't like the idea of getting someone else involved with something like this but i'm assuming the thing you need me to bring is too big for one person to carry?
It's the automaton, which will need to be partially dismantled. I know you have experience with robotics, but given the multi-pronged nature of this task, I'd like to recommend someone to accompany you.
[ river has taken to life in the feywilds better than one might expect, given their circumstances and the troubled state of the world. it'd be easy enough to call it her endless fascination with the place itself, this enchanted forest that seems like a much grander version of her domain in the horizon. but simple curiosity isn't enough to explain the way she seems... lighter, almost floaty, if there was any one word to describe her behavior lately.
like the way she appears now, wearing one of the few dresses she's kept with her since their time in castle thorne. it's starting to stain, worn at the edges from her adventures through the duskwoods. at least she's been good about wearing her boots when she's out there, unlike the bare feet that pitter patter against the ground as she all but skips through the cascading boughs to find where cassian might be choring today. ]
Kassa!
[ she smiles when she sees him, this man that was once a stranger and is now a central pinnacle of her ability to survive in this chaotic world. after months ( or centuries ) of practice, kenari rolls easily off her tongue as she beams at him. ]
Are you ready for today's game?
[ it's her new favorite game of "which of these strange fruit will we eat for breakfast tomorrow and which ones are poison?" as she starts pulling a colorful array out of her trusty bag of holding. ]
[ For all his grump and constant exasperation, Cassian has taken to the Feywilds too. Then again, that's always been his way regardless of planet or environment: Adapt. Survive. It's a familiar pattern, something easy and reliable to fall back on. He just hadn't expected to add something else in his two step plan: Live.
Taking up residence with River in the Feywilds had been something temporary, or at least he had told himself as much. She would always have a safe place to rest no matter where she spun or danced off into the universe and that has remained true now. But then they had grown into normalcy and dare he say, it came with a sense of domesticity too. It crept up in small ways: with the patching of her dresses that grow worn at the edges, the mending of the soles of her boots to keep her steady and safe on her adventures, making passable meals that are slowly becoming more than just a bachelor's way of cooking.
Bent over a patch in the garden is she finds him. Though he looks up with a wary expression there is a fondness there that he doesn't bother to hide as the days have stretched on. Back in Mandarin he asks - ]
[ she rolls her eyes in fond exasperation as she kneels down in the dirt beside him, adding yet another stain to her dress without a care in the world. ]
So dramatic. A man gets the runs once and it's like he never stops running.
[ is that a poop joke? surely we have more class than that, but river's eyebrows stay playfully quirked over a quiet smile as she sets her bounty of fruit out in front of cassian.
she's been learning how to identify things from elizabeth and she's studied under yennefer long enough to brew some of her own potions by now. cassian has been hard at work trying to make this place more habitable too, pushing back against the wildlife that has started to take over this land without the fey to keep it all at bay. they've been at this for weeks now, so the chance of them getting concerningly ill is relatively low, but it's still best to remain cautious in this unpredictable world of magic.
so naturally, the responsible thing to do is to turn it into a game! river smiles at him again once their options are all laid out. ]
[ He huffs as he moves over, making room for her though there's plenty out in the garden that they've claimed as their own. Subconsciously, even having her close in a balm that helps with the loneliness that had rooted in him ever since leaving Kenari. It's a fact that he can't deny outright. Not anymore. Not after everything they had been through together. ]
If I remember correctly, I did it because you didn't want to eat it first.
[ In other words, who saved who from the runs, River?
But there's no malice or real grudge in his words, however. There never has been even when they had been volitile god siblings born of stars and made of cosmic dust. That being said, he does offer her a look that is absolutely laced with skepticism that is then transferred to the fruits laid out before him.
After a moment's contemplation he reaches for the one that looks suspiciously shaped like cheese before falling back rather unceremoniously onto his butt. ]
Youngers next. This time we're taking a bite at the same time.
[ river only grins in response to his not-so-subtle accusation, and there it is again: that lightness about her, something bright that had gotten lost in the turmoil of the last year. it's hard to imagine that they've really been here that long, and cassian has been there with her every single step of the way. from the castle to nott to solvunn and now here, lost in the wilds with no one around to pull their strings -
it's like being free, even if only in this moment. beyond a war that is not theirs to fight or the collapse of a sphere that they do not belong to, right now, she's just a girl, playing in the dirt with someone she loves like her own brother.
if a moment is all they have before they wake up from the dream, then this is good enough. it has to be.
so she turns her attention back to the task before her, her hand hovering just over each fruit as she considers them carefully. she's been picking anything she can find that isn't actively oozing or otherwise overly suspect. this is a quiz for herself as much as it is for him. ]
Gotta look beneath the skin. The truth is tricky. If it's too shiny to be true...
[ she mutters absently until she finally picks up one with orange and pink stripes. she holds it up to observe it more closely from each angle before turning back to cassian and speaking in kenari again. ]
Ready or not, here we come.
[ she'll bite into it at the same time he does, eyeing him with a playful smile as she watches. ]
[ Ever since their time as gods, it has occurred to him that this could also very well be a dream. After all, there had been nothing indicating that it had been a dream then. Why couldn't all of this be some illusion stirred up by the gods or the Singularity or whatever powers that be?
Turning off the part of his mind that is ever alert and ever questioning is hard - particularly when he is loathe to do so when they have found what is essentially a quiet peaceful sort of life that neither of them have had in a long while. Survival instincts still prickle at the back of his mind now as he stares at the brightly coloured, oddly shaped fruit River has brought back. Save the "running" incident, River's foraging hadn't ended in disaster. And apart from doing this to appease her, it also feels somewhat like he's back on Kenari. They'd had to forage then too though that had been arguably far more difficult then than it is now.
He hears her mutter to herself and his eyes dart quickly to his own fruit. Kriff. Was it too shiny? It's hard to say with the way the light filters above them dappling them in sunlight and by the time he's about to swap it for something else River has made her choice. Ah well. Glancing back towards her timing his bite. Juice bursts in his mouth and the texture is akin to a horned melon he's had before but the taste starts sweet before turning oddly...sour? He winces, swapping back into Kenari. ]
...Why make it look like cheese if it isn't going to taste like it? [ And then in Mandarin - ] What does yours taste like?
[ it's as she said: the truth is tricky. the moment her teeth break the skin of the fruit, river lets out a muted cry of surprise when the whole damn thing bursts. it's like biting into a water balloon as the skin deflates and a flood of reddish-purple juice spills all over. she quickly raises her other hand to try to catch some of the mess and exclaims through a mouth half-full: ]
Structural integrity has been compromised.
[ it's getting absolutely everywhere, including all over her dress, and it spreads even further when she carelessly flaps her hands to shuck the remains of the fruit onto the ground ( and consequentially all over cassian too ). she keeps her now faintly stained hands raised, turning them over and back to observe just as curiously as she had the fruit before biting into it. ]
Doesn't make sense. It had a quantifiable mass and density comparable to a standard earth-based fruit, nothing to suggest a fluid state of matter.
[ she seems somewhere between disgruntled by the mess and fascinated by the unexpected turn of events. she looks around at the mess in her lap, on the ground around them, and eventually turns her gaze to the new stains on cassian's clothes before finally looking up to his face again.
her eyes are still bright, earnest, undeterred. ]
Non-toxic, though. We can make juice.
[ despite the mishap, she's not conceding defeat in this round! ]
[ Watching River bite into the fruit and then subsequently become shocked at the splattering of juice that runs down the front of her dress is more than enough to give him pause, causing him to bite down with a little more force than intended into his and then having it burst all over him in turn. By the time he realizes that he's covered in the juice of not one but two fruits, River has already come to a conclusion all on her own.
There's another beat. And then laughter. ]
Non-toxic juice? That was your first thought?
[ The question is not the least bit incredulous but rather overflows with affection and warmth - two things that are becoming easier and easier to pull from him with little resistance nowadays. He can't even bring himself to teasingly chide her about all the work he's going to have to do later to get the stains out even though they both know that she has the magic and ability to do so herself with ease.
Holding out his remaining fruit towards her he motions for the staining her hands. ]
I don't think we want to add too much of this one. It's too sour. It might spoil the juice.
[ his laughter rings out like wind-chimes dancing in a light breeze, and river can't help but think of the day they first met. when his smile creaked like old leather, stale air in his lungs that choked out humor and happiness before it could fully form.
things are different now. they're different, and nowhere can it be seen more clearly than the way distant stars glitter across her skin to see this lightness in him. she smiles in return, her eyes bright with deep, unadulterated fondness, and then she holds up both hands toward him. ]
Acids can cut through fatty meats and bitter flavors. Good for cooking, or mixing a stiff drink.
[ the latter isn't as relevant in their current situation but the point still stands. their forays into cooking out here have been fun, every bit as much as this little game and the rest of their lives out here in the feywilds. it's hard not to imagine what it might be like to stay here forever, far away from the rest of society like peter pan's lost boys on an endless adventure. ]
[ Sometimes he catches himself laughing like this. Notices how light full of joy it sounds, and how it is completely free of any burden or weight that still hides in the shadowy corners of his home waiting for him to recall that it exists. And when he catches himself he finds himself faltering because how can he do that even if those he loves would want him to do so in their stead? Thankfully, he doesn't notice now, too concerned with juice staining the sleeves of their clothing and how he could possibly incorporate this into a meal later.
He's not so caught up in his domesticated thoughts to not notice the glow that shimmers softly from beneath her skin. And like a snowball effect, his own skin begins to softly glow too in response as like calls to like. Pulling over the watering can he waits for her to lower her hands before pouring it the water over her palms. ]
How did you know we were having steak for dinner?
[ Because obviously she wouldn't be having a stiff drink tonight - even if she is of age. Besides, those were saved for special occasions. His brow furrows in jest. ]
Unless this is your way of saying you don't like my dinner plans.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bike stuff
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It had been easy to ignore the other general chatter that appeared in front of him - something about someone asking about everyone's holidays and their wishes for the year, which had then quickly devolved into lots of people yelling at some guy. At least, that's what it seemed like. He hadn't read too much into it to find out.
This message however is clearly for him. It takes him a minute to respond because he doesn't know how. ]
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I was thinking of trying to get bicycles developed for whichever of you might prefer to use them. It might only be one to share at first, there's not much interest for them in Thorne at large.
Have you used one before?
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[ He's trying to make a joke. Not a very funny one but a joke all the same. ]
i've used them before. do they hover or are they manual?
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Manual. [ He will send a simple drawing of a bicycle for reference. ] There'll be some enchantments involved but not for hovering. Although you might speak to Viktor in the Free Cities if you have any expertise or interest, he's working on the blueprints.
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He notes the name, still not entirely certain that his message will get to where it needs to go, but figures it's a future him problem. ]
𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘧𝘰𝘳?
𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴? 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴?
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The carriages here make do somehow.
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you think wood, leather and magic is going to be enough?
[ Skeptical? Cassian Andor? No. ]
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[ His balls are in their hands. ]
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𝘴𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘢 𝘭𝘰𝘵 𝘰𝘧 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.
𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴?
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Viktor is in the Free Cities, he's usually willing to help most of us with this sort of thing.
[ Friends with Istredd, yes. Viktor, probably. ]
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he encouraged me to read more.
[ Something that he's surprisingly taken to heart because there is little else to do here. ]
i'm surprised the monarchy here is willing to let free cities technology into its boarders.
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I would've thought the same a year ago after the attack on Libertas.
I considered other options, but passing the prototype through Nocwich via Thorne's portal and checkpoint guards seems like a good test of what they're willing to allow.
[ If it causes any future trouble, it'll be on him. ]
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what other means were you considering?
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I'll let you know how it goes.
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Early April
Sorry
Hi, I don't know if you remember me, it's that guy who like
Stole your memories and then immediately made it really weird and stuff
I'm so sorry to bother you but um
I think there might be an incident happening in your room right now
Re: Early April
incident?
what incident?
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( S o m e b o d y ' s. Who could it belong to.
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what is a raccoon and why is it in my room
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Not that I know who that is. It could be anybody. Maybe it's the queen's raccoon. Maybe we should all just stop speculating, I guess we'll never know haha crazy, but anyway, something definitely broke a few minutes ago?
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Wherever he is, he's doing a hard u-turn back around to his room. ]
right
if they have a mind of their own can't you reason with them and ask them to not break anything else
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I mean, not that I would know. She just seems feral, from the two seconds that I saw her as an absolute stranger in the hallway we both happened to be walking down before she went into your room. I tried too stop her, there was a whole kung-fu battle, I think lasers were involved, I
I am so sorry.
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I just have a really deep-rooted sense of empathy
( It doesn't end in a question mark, but something about it kind of makes it feel like it absolutely ends in a question mark. )
1/2
2/2 LMASDF EM I FORGOT TO HIT SEND!!!
negl i was fully dead about only having that first expression for so long lmaooo
just imagine that there was that much of a pause between messages LMASDKL
[ And that's when Jack will see him emerge from around the corner...with a basket full of food. ]
Can it be bribed?
looool
( And then, very abruptly, there's Cassian. He tries not to look startled, and immediately forgets what he'd been saying.
His eyes flick from the man to the basket, a look of understanding, and then an enthusiastic nod. )
She absolutely can, yeah. Junk food and shiny things are like her two highest priorities. ( Wait, shit, he's supposed to be maintaining plausible deniability — so he tacks on an unconvincing: ) ...I assume.
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The look in his eyes is clearly a disbelieving one but he'll let it slide. Again. Stepping up to the door and beside Jack he opens up the basket. ]
Will any of this do? I don't have anything shiny.
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That'll probably work, especially if it smells... loud.
( Look, he doesn't make the trash panda rules, they like stinky things. )
Maybe if you kind of... hold it up to the crack under the door, I can call to her, and she'll unlock it?
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[ There's only a beat of confusion before the smell hits him. Ah. Loud. His nose wrinkles mildly but nods, extracting the fish from the basket and positions himself by the door.
He can hear the chaos from here which means the state of his room is probably going to be a sorry state. ]
Do you think she'll listen? [ A pause as he gives him a look. ] Since you just fought her with lasers.
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Jack takes up post just to Cassian's side, hand hovering over the knob, waiting to spring with reflexes decidedly less than catlike. It's fine. They've got this. They can do it. )
Only one way to find out.
( He says, instead of owning up to his terrible lie. And so he begins to coo gently, his voice soft and appealing: )
Rita! Dinner! Come get some food. Come on, girl. Good dog.
( Evidently giving up all pretense that he isn't familiar with this creature. After a beat, whiskers stick out of the door near Cassian's hand. A moment later, a tiny little paw reaches underneath the crack, groping at Cassian's fish-hand. )
No- no, you have to open the door, Rita. It won't fit. It's a big fish.
( After a mistrustful moment, the paw disappears. There's a soft click of the lock, and Jack jerks the knob before she can change her mind, swinging the door open.
Cassian's room is in disarray. Beneath his bed, two glowing, wary eyes peer out of the darkness. Jack nudges him forth — after all, he's holding the fish. )
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The realization distracts him momentarily from his skepticism that Jack looks suited for this particular adventure they're about to embark on. By the time he's about to question this a little further however the door swings open.
The state of his room is as he suspected it would be and his mouth settles into a line that holds back the sigh written on his face. Fortunately he isn't the sort to keep many trinkets or have a lot of stuff in general so it's nothing that can't be replaced. It's probably better to focus on the fact that he might not have a room after this if he can't Rita out of it.
Jack's nudge is met with a mild look of exasperation but he crouches, creeping forward towards his bed holding out the fish. ]
Rita...was it? If you come out of the room, there's more fish where this came from.
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None of that matters right now. What matters now is that her tiny little paw is reachy-reaching for the fish in Cassian's hand. )
Throw it.
( Jack murmurs out of the side of his mouth, and then repeats in a faintly lower whisper: )
Throw it into the hall.
( Maybe she'll chase after it. )
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He figures following that same logic will save him from a similar fate. Which is why he takes Jack's advice and launches the fish out into the hall.
The fish goes sailing - but smacks Jack right in the face. Cassian's eyes widen only to see a glowing streak fly from beneath the bed straight for the man. ]
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Jack may trust Rita's loyalty in life or death situations, but he does not trust her not to maul him in pursuit of fish, and so he squawks in undignified protest- )
Rita no!
( Stumbling backward, his heel clips a book and his legs go flying out from under him. His ass hits the stonework hard, but it puts enough distance between himself and the furry homing missile that he manages to peel the fish off and he flings it--
Directly back at Cassian. )
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Key word being try.
As he reaches down to grasp for Rita the fish smacks him square in the face prompting his own undignified squawk. Quick reflexes have him grabbing a hold of the fish and trying to fling it out the door again, but before he can, a blur tackles him to the ground. With his hands up trying to protect his face he doesn't see the smelly fish in all its slimy glory goes flying...right back towards Jack. ]
end of march
We're still looking for it.
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i'll keep an eye out for the bike
worse comes to worse we can make another one
he's alright otherwise?
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He's fine, just upset about losing the bike and his deliveries.
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if the portals are malfunctioning it could be tied to the weather
has that happened before?
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Not with the portals, as far as I know.
But it feels like this is something that's been slowly building. We had issues with 'rifts' last summer, like portals but they would appear at random and let loose beasts from other worlds that some of us recognized. And a year before that we'd been contacted by gods called the Heralds. They left gifts in our domains, those items have been resurfacing.
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i thought i read something about that. sparklers?
[ He's still ambivalent about the gods. Realizing magic is real in this world is one thing. Gods are a completely different matter altogether. ]
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Maybe we just have to ride this out, but be careful.
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[ And then a beat later because he can't help but wonder - ]
what else did they leave you?
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Do you pray to anything?
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i don't believe in gods
if they exist in my galaxy they've never done anything to help
do you?
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I was a priest.
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then again, i didn't believe in magic but look where we are
was? not anymore?
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Am.
Everything before here starts to feel far away after a year and a half.
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[ Kenari feels like a distant dream some days. A haze of green, brown, yellow and the laughter of children that haunts him at night. ]
do you want to return home?
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I want to be where I'm meant to be. Where I'm needed. Right now, that seems to be here.
Do you want to go home?
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yes. i have people to look after. friends that need protecting.
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From what?
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...that seems like a good as sign as any
the Crown's equivalent
they're called the Empire
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they take and they oppress with no regard for anyone else's lives
i can't leave them to fight on their own
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Rebels fought back. It was a long, bloody war.
Time works differently here. People who have gone and returned say it's like no time passed, no one knew they were gone.
[ If that's any solace. ]
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but i'd still rather return to my galaxy
[ There's a pause. ]
did you fight in your war?
is that why it's better to be here?
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I did, but I was usually stationed far away from the battlefield.
I had no one there.
I like it here. In spite of everything.
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in spite of an oppressing crown and magic that can turn people inside out?
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it's not how i would want to go
[ And not because it's gruesome or because it involves magic but because he'd rather die doing something that mattered. He'd rather die for people he cared for rather than a relic or credits. ]
i'll let you know if i find the bike
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Thank you.
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glad to hear you're alright
[ He had said as much to Kyle but a bike was a simple thing to replace. Wilhelm wasn't.
The offer catches him off guard though. There's a pause before he responds. ]
a finding spell?
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but you might be teaching me a while
[ He's shit at magic. ]
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Faintly, it dawns on him that he might be stalling. ]
where should i meet you?
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see you there
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( it seemed like a good starting point for clearing the air... maybe? )
private 5ever
And it's for that reason alone that he doesn't outright ignore Heather. Because they didn't ask for that to happen to them. It just did. And now they had to deal with the aftermath and learn how to move on from it. ]
if we're outside the castle, alyx.
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( they're not inside the castle )
i'd pretend we could start over and forget what happened but i can't. ( literally can't ) but we could find a new ground?
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i'm surprised you want to
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or presenting some false version of themselves?
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( not when she did exactly the same daily )
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how much of what you did is what you did before coming here?
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[ He appreciates his privacy - just like he's sure she prefers hers. ]
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( she's not sure why she's telling him this outside of that memory of trust. even if the rest didn't count she wanted to believe that feeling )
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[ Without tone it might be hard to tell if he's judging her. But if she remembers anything about the "eight hundred years", it's that he didn't mind bending the rules every once in a while. ]
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( if the job was right, girl had standards )
mostly my own agenda. why?
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fin?
[ If that's an invitation, he doesn't seem to clarify. Then again, even he might not be certain himself. ]
backdated to right post-event
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[ There's a pause as if he's thinking about how to answer. Or maybe even how truthful he wants to be. ]
it's too soon to say
how are you doing?
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Would you prefer I not call you by your name? I know you were going by another by choice.
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cassian is fine in private
[ There's another pause. ]
i didn't trust anyone in the castle. i still don't.
[ It's not an outright apology but he feels like he owes Istredd some kind of explanation. ]
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[ Cassian had more of a struggle obviously, his life there difficult, but for Istredd it was ideal. He was very happy, he had everything he wanted. ]
I understand. I'll be careful. Though I should note that the summoners know all our names.
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happiness can exist outside of that dream, istredd
i know. they told me as much when i arrived
but they don't get to use my name
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Understood. Have you spoken to River since we got back?
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no. she doesn't speak
i've been reading to her and making sure she eats, even if it's just a bit
[ In fact he's barely left her room. ]
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We spoke telepathically, I thought that would be easier for her. I'm glad you're there with her.
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you'll find all of that again
i'll help you
she hasn't spoken a word to me, but i managed to get her to bathe the other day
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She feels guilty about forgetting her family.
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there's already unrest in nott and we saw a future they found their independence
there's a spark already - it doesn't mean it has to take decades or centuries
[ Even if it means he has to tear it down with his own hands. ]
she isn't the only one who forgot
it wasn't a choice, it was forced on her
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I know, which is what I told her, but logic doesn't really work against guilty feelings.
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you play the part well
feelings get the best of us
i forgot everything about who i was and the people i care for. a part of me blames myself for it
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I forgot things I wanted to forget.
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i can't forget. i don't want to forget.
is it something you want to talk about?
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Not long ago, I gained memories of my entire organization being slaughtered in front of me. It's been difficult.
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[ The sentiment has been like a guiding light long before he had ended up here. ]
...i'm sorry
memories like that are difficult to live with
[ There's a pause. ]
but sometimes memories like that are worth having if only to remind you what you're trying to protect
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I know, believe me. Lucifer offered to wipe the memories after it happened, as if that would help, but I had to live with it. I just didn't appreciate experiencing it a second time.
It sounds like you're speaking from experience?
private b/c it's cassian
it's the thing that keeps us going
[ There's another pause. ]
several experiences
i've been part of a war - am part of a war. i've seen other prisoners "reprimanded", and i saw my adoptive father hung for trying to keep protesters safe
[ It's only a summary of his life and doesn't even begin to cover his life before Ferrix, but recounting those things, even briefly, is still enough to make him weary and to remind him of the anger in his veins. ]
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When they first started Summoning people here, Thorne threw most of them in the dungeons and kept them there. They almost executed one of us. I'm afraid you haven't come to a much safer place.
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hope persists all the same
i didn't expect to come to a safer place if they have to resort to kidnapping us
[ And maybe, Istredd might get the impression that Cassian might be very used to things like this happening to him in his life. ]
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it would be different if that's exactly how oppression operates and wants you to feel
[ They're perhaps harsh, direct words, but Cassian has so rarely been a soft, indirect person. ]
it doesn't always have to feel like that, istredd
it won't always feel like that
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— post event!
It is the exact nature of the stone structure at the center of everything that continues to elude her (and everyone else). It would be impossible and foolish to ignore the Singularity entirely, yet she is also a doer, someone of action. She is not the type to puzzle things out as much as some, so she will focus her efforts on reacting, protecting, doing what she can, where she can, as much as she can.
That continues to manifest in learning about where she currently resides, and given their close quarters and their knowledge of their shared galaxy, she wishes to better know the man who seems understandably troubled after the mass shared illusion. It seems an easy way to start a conversation to offer what ended up being an unexpectedly pleasing treat at the Blossom Cake Festival. Carrying a small plate and returning to their shared room, Merrin sets the plate down, carrying a few cupcakes with some pretty designs. ]
You should eat. They were not unpleasant.
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Doing so is a fine balance however. In order to do that means venturing into topics and areas he had so staunchly refused to for the last six months of him being here. The process has been slow going as he continues in a constant back and forth between trying not to be a stubborn ass and falling back to occupying himself with caring for River, courier duties, and his own black market dealings.
It's rare that he and the woman to run into each other in this room. Both seem to use this room as simply a place to sleep and little else. But he's between jobs and just removing his coat and gloves when she appears. He gives her a nod of thanks before his eyes skip to the beautifully coloured cupcakes. ]
Is that 'not unpleasant' in a good way or a I would be better off saving room for proper dinner?
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[ Her way of saying, they are really good. Just. With not quite that inflection or level of enthusiasm. It is a rare moment to see him here, though she is equally absent since...everything that happened. She's more often roaming the castle or taking advantage of the opportunities to explore Borrel and Nott, when possible. In addition to learning more about this world, she also wishes to have assigned duties where and when possible. Something to explore another time.
As previously mentioned, she is unable to quell the desire for another cupcake, so she takes one and sits on the edge of her bed, swiping a finger through the frosting and having a taste. ]
I did not see the purpose in decorating them at first, but...I understand it now.
[ They're going to get eaten, why take the time to make fancy designs? But...they do look nice, admittedly. ]
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[ There's a lilt to his voice, almost as if he's joking. But can she blame him? Everything down to her word choice and even-keeled nature makes it hard for him to think that she doesn't show self-restraint on a daily basis. Then again, everyone has their weaknesses and maybe sweet treats is hers.
He doesn't think that the cupcakes are laced or poisoned in any way but even as he scoops one up he follows suit, tasting the icing first. It's second nature to him at this point. Thanks, paranoia. ]
Presentation is important. Making it look good shouldn't always be as important as how it tastes but it lends to the experience. People see what they want to believe.
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And people might assume the one who made it gives — what I am told — is a shit. [ The word shit sounds absolutely stilted, strange, very awkward on her tongue, like it doesn't fit. It's not something she would repeat or use regularly either, she is only mimicking what she heard. ] I would not use such words myself to describe it, but I understood the meaning from the one who decorated these.
Hmmm. [ She is not smiling yet, but there is a softer lilt in her tone as she speaks. ] An unexpected and acceptable treat today. I would enjoy these again and even save one for you.
[ Ha. ]
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You can tell that they gave a shit. I feel bad eating it after all the hard work they put in.
[ Not bad enough apparently. A beat later he bites into it with reckless abandon, savoring the taste of sweetness of vanilla and strawberry coating his tongue. When he's swallowed he gives her a nod. ]
Thank you. I'll return the favour the next baking tournament. [ There's a pause before he decides to address the bantha in the room. ] How are you doing?
sorry for this delay, was traveling for work <3
There is much power in this world, the way it can twist memory. The forced dream of possible futures — I would not accept this as the only fate for myself or anyone else.
[ She has considered perhaps that there may be a few who didn't mind that potential future and she would not think anything of them if that were so, but it's the way their minds were tampered with that she doesn't care for. Nor would she simply accept being trapped here for hundreds of years and forced down this one path. ]
I wish to understand it better, this magic, this world. To be of use.
[ To help far more than she has.
Perhaps that's not quite an answer, but for her, it's made her more determined than ever. ]
And you? Do you wish to speak of it?
don't you worry!! 💕
Cassian bides his time in answering by taking another bite of the cupcake. His stance on learning magic remained more or less the same; if he were to posses any weapon it would be something physical he could use. And besides which, even as the rich flavours dance across his tongue once more, he can still taste the phantom remains of fear and despair from those he had devoured as a so called god. ]
My views on what happened to us differ from yours. You’d still want to talk about it?
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[ This is not some naive hope-talk on her part, though. She doesn't for a moment think that all the ills of the galaxy (and every galaxy) can be fixed by just having a chat. But this is an entirely different matter. Something happened to all of them and it was troubling (even if there is much she doesn't reveal on the surface). It had the effect of making her want to dig in to better understand this world and the people in it — Summoned and not — so that she can better help everyone. But everyone went through different things — some far worse than others. ]
So, yes. I wish to talk about it. If you wish for it to be known.
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But he understands that the rules are somewhat different here. Disagreeing with the Summoned is one thing - but to make enemies of them would make it vastly difficult for them to get home or to stay here if their lives here were better than what they had at home. From what he could tell, the ones that he knew, were for the Summoned through and through. And that didn’t count for nothing.
And maybe because there’s a kindred spirit in Merrin, a quiet distaste that he can sense from her regarding the state of their galaxy, because she is in some ways, his only tie to home, that he relents. ]
What happened to us should never have happened. I don’t like that this world's magic can twist and effect us in ways like that and we’re none the wiser. How do we know it won’t happen again? That all of our history and memories can’t be taken from us? The factions apologized to us but they’re just as complicit as whatever gods or magic exists here. We’re just pawns. Objects for them to play with.
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She does not hesitate to fight back and she does not regret when doing what must be done, but she is careful not to let her anger go unchecked as it once did. ]
It should not have happened. On this, we agree. But to stop it happening again, I need to know it better — this world and its people. Understand this — I do not trust those who brought us here and harbor us. They provide for us but it is a false comfort. They expect obedience of us and I answer to no one. They want loyalty and I do not give it freely.
I will protect those of this world being harmed. I will not allow other Summoned to suffer. There is power in this world I need to understand, Alyx. It is the only way to protect us.
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They hadn't spoken extensively about their ideologies or what they stood for in their shared galaxy. But he can tell, a part of him knows in the way that he suspects Luthen could sense it in him, that she isn't someone who would easily bend to what the Empire had done. Understanding fills his gaze and some of that bristle that had never been directed at her quiets. ]
I can't help you understand this world's magic. But I know people who might be able to. I can make introductions if you haven't met them.
[ The fake name he had given her doesn't go unnoticed either. From what he could recall from their time in the crater and as gods, he and Merrin had interacted little if at all. His god persona kept to himself and to the far reaches of god society so he can't blame her for not knowing. And while it would normally be something he would just let lie, it doesn't feel right when Merrin is the only tether to home that he has here.
This is a sign of trust more than anything. ]
My name isn't Alyx. It's Cassian. You can call me whichever you want, but I'd prefer Alyx in public.
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[ A slight nod of her head then, both in gratitude that he's trusted her with his name, and by way of essentially re-introducing themselves. She need not know why he has two identities, though she would not find it unusual at all especially given the state of their galaxy. Even those who seemed trustworthy could be capable of betraying others, and it was difficult to let that guard down. So, it is no small thing that he gives it to her. She will repay that gratitude by trusting him in return. ]
I know Istredd, but few others. Introductions with others were...disrupted.
[ To say the least. Being forcibly trapped in a crater and robbed of your memory definitely screws with everything in a major way. ]
You give me your name, I will give you more of myself. My kind — the Nightsisters of Dathomir — were once in abundance, powerful and invincible. I thought, at least. But I was young when they were struck down by a Jedi, or so I was told — it was the Empire. I was all that remained for a time.
[ She says it all with practiced detachment, but it's a measure of protection for herself. She has lived with only the dead in her hearts for a long time. The emotion is always there, in reality, but it manifested as anger and hatred for so long that she lost sight of herself. She has come to a peace within — the sadness and grief rest in her soul always, but she carries the ones she lost and what they left behind is like a beacon guiding her down the path she wants and needs to follow now. ]
I would not see others suffer the same fate, not in our galaxy and not here.
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He doesn't expect the same in return, but when she does offer up her full name and her home world, it's met with quiet acknowledgement. The Nightsisters aren't known to him; it doesn't even ring a bell. But the name of the planet does - along with the warnings for travelers to stay away from it. The mention of it isn't enough to draw his attention away from what's more important however: the way that she recounts the loss of her people.
What she says brings about a question of his own - but in the same way that she granted him trust, he extends the same to her. ]
We're in agreement there. [ There's a brief pause. ] You have an ally in me here, Merrin. And when we make it back to our galaxy, you'll have one there too.
Forward Dated to a few hours before the coup
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i'm going now
how did you find out?
[ He's already moving across the room, casting a glance towards his slumbering roommate. He'd wake her momentarily once he's dressed. ]
are you safe?
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[ That's the Summoned. Not him. ]
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chaos is a good cover for more damage
[ Also he sees that side-step Istredd. ]
that didn't answer my question
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I don't know the answer to the question as of right now. But I doubt I will be a concern for now, they have bigger problems.
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i don't have powers or magic. you know that
[ As time is put between them and the events that transpired at the crater, he's been faced with the fact that a lack of powers in this magic-based world has grated on him more than he'd like to admit. ]
you were tipped off if that gets you can't rule out the possibility that someone might make you a concern they have to deal with
someone important like you shouldn't be the one putting themself at risk
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[ It is an army of magically powerful and well-trained warriors. Even Istredd could do only so much against them. ]
I was given the option to flee the castle and I chose to stay. I am in a dangerous position but I don't think I'm high on the priority list of Sidwell right now.
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asking me to behave is a lot but i'll do it for river
escape the castle? to where?
[ And in there is a very plain: Why didn't you choose to go? ]
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I don't know to where. My guess is Nott, it's the area that doesn't care about the throne's power, we have a good working relationship with the leader there Lyle.
A few of us did decide to go. Thancred, Stephen. Yennefer.
[ If Cassian is observant enough, he'd know that Yennefer and Istredd are openly in a relationship of some kind. They are very tight knit, and that was true of the AU future too. ]
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[ They're cut from the same cloth in some ways, but he needs - wants - Istredd to focus on his present now that he'd given them the heads up. ]
and you were the only one that decided to stay?
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No. One more did, he wouldn't want me to say.
[ Kyle is very private and Istredd respects that. The other three being gone will be very evident soon and hardly a secret. ]
I couldn't leave any of you. There was never another choice.
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[ It's not Cassian asking a question as much as it is asking Istredd to promise him that he would. ]
you do too much for us
i'm leaving for river's room i let her know i'm coming
you should try and reach out to her if you have time
if it's safe
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We can worry about me another day.
Just stay with her. See if you can stop her from fighting. I know that's asking a lot, but they have impressive magical restraints here, I don't want her to be placed in them.
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you don't have to tell me twice, istredd - i know.
[ His frustration - his worry - is palpable even through words. He's almost done packing his bag when he stops, sighing. ]
will you let me know once you're safe?
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[ He's heard it before, sorry Cassian, now you're just part of the group of being frustrated by his stubbornness. ]
Of course. I'll find you when we know what happens on the other end of this.
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stay safe, istredd
river won't forgive you if you don't
[ Neither will he. ]
THE NIGHT IT ALL GOES TO SHIT, at some ungodly time in the morning. like 4 am.
[ dude are you awake ]
2 minutes later.
something dropped a biological weapon on cadens a couple hours ago, looks like a cloud of gas/dust. might have have come from the west/north, debilitating if it gets in the respiratory system/eyes. keep water on hand and an eye out to the south/east in case it moves far.
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are you safe?
there's a coup happening in thorne right now
we don't have any details but we're in a safe room - one that we can't get out of
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?
by who
are you prisoners?
[ ok wait thats unhelpful ]
at least part of the city was evacuated to a bunker via portal
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no we're not prisoners. we weren't the targets
[ Not that it feels like it. Wait.
Wait. ]
the city? you mean the settlement?
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i left solvunn during the storms.
[ before all the, god stuff. and yinyue. and brother dirt, "cassian." he had a feeling, that there was a path open to him, and he took it without waiting for it to close. if you hesitate, you are lost. ]
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[ He doesn't kriffing know! He can shoot a man in the chest with a blaster, not pick magical locks. ]
what? how?
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[ they words slip out from his mind, half unbidden. dan heng stares at them for a long moment, before moving on instead to the OTHER topic ]
portal
[ you remember when the portals were acting fucky, right? when you looked at them and you knew, if you wanted to, you could get it to take you somewhere other than the creator's intended destination? ]
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we aren't getting answers from outside either. they're a little busy
[ The moment he reads 'portal', he connects the dots. And can't help but immediately think teenagers. ]
you walked into that without knowing what was on the other side?
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i knew it wasn't going to be in solvunn.
[ What's the worst that could happen, it dropped him in the ocean? that's a GREAT scenario thank you. ]
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[ In the Thorne's saferoom he closes his eyes and sighs. Heavily. ]
so you ended up in the free cities then?
[ Because by process of elimination, there's only that left. ]
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i don't know how much i can do without being there in person, but i will try
yes. my best theory is that because the portal in solvunn usually only goes to nocwich and cadens is almost directly in between the two of them it forced an early exit, like an interrupted warp jump.
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[ A beat later. ]
thank you, dan heng
it's a sound theory
but it was still reckless
[ Cassian, stop trying to brother hen every teenager. ]
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it was a very stable spatial distortion. easily the least disruptive one that i've ever observed
[ dan heng. no. ]
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[ Cassian!!! ]
you've walked into more than one unknown portal?
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a few. usually without any other choice. local authorities don't like to mess with them
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you're lucky nothing worse happened
[ And then a beat later - ]
did you settle in okay
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oh
or not
ok fuck it, sure ]
the bunker isn't finished, apparently
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is it finished enough so that the fog can't get in?
1/2.
[ is it airtight? he could check, with cloudhymn, to see where there's water vapor and if it can move, or not... and with most people starting to fall asleep, now's the tiem to do so. okay. sure. fine. give him a minute. ]
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[ another pause. while he was checking the size of the bunker, he was thinking about something. ]
i don't know why they bothered with the bunker if they already had portals to get people out of cadens, unless the military knows more about what the gas does than theyre telling anyone
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and if it's by the sea, the city has the advantage of wind currents
there might not have been time to get everyone through the portals
not that i trust the military
all of the summoned seem accounted for?
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i think so. they were adamant we go through "to protect evacuated civilians"
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is it knowledge from what happened to us or is it from before?
[ Don't think he hasn't noticed. ]
ah
so you're all a part of the military for the duration of this?
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i'm responsible for determining environmental hazards on planets with low human populations when the navigator picks landings, so i usually try to take it into account
[ would other people think to ask him about this? he definitely remembers blasting cassian in the face a few times with water, when the guy started looking like he was liable to blow to pieces at the smallest breeze, but that doesn't prove anything. notably he's not asking about DIRT in the cracks of the floorboards. ]
nobody's explicitly given orders expecting subordination yet... mostly just instructions and triage so far. but they locked us in.
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But the speed at which Dan Heng's reply comes is telling.
And whether or not he chose to dismiss it at the end of the day, Cassian knew he had eight hundred years or so of getting to know someone who had effectively been his nephew. And that some of whoever they were still stemmed from a point of truth. ]
right
you'll have to educate me more next time
[ Which is to say he doesn't believe him for a minute. But he'll let him keep lying. ]
it's better than leaving you to the gas cloud
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sure
[ it's getting late, though. this is a graceless attempt to leave the conversation before he sticks his foot in his mouth again. ]
i'm going to try to grab a dormitory before it's too late; let me know if you find out anymore information about the seal
fin! 🎀
let me know how you're doing and if anything escalates there
July 1st
I don't want you or River to worry.
I'm being brought to the dungeons. I don't know for how long.
But I'll be okay.
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what was the charge?
did they find out about your knowledge of the coup?
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They haven't given us many details so far.
Yes, it is most likely that they did. Or have suspicions.
I have a close relationship with all of the people who left, so.
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how can i help?
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I don't believe they'd be stupid enough to actually harm either of us. Sidwell doesn't want to start his relationship with the Summoned with that. It'd only cause drama. My guess is he wants to smooth everything over now that he's made his show of strength.
You can't help, just keep people calm if you notice them getting agitated. I don't want to cause a riot.
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you don't actually believe that do you?
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That's why they want me, at least. I'm unsure if they think Kyle knows anything about that, or they wanted to question him at the same time due to his relationship with the King.
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[ He can't say he's particularly surprised to hear that Kyle had connections that he was unaware of. They both kept their fair share of secrets, and he knows Kyle well enough now to assume that it wasn't because he agreed with everything the monarchy did and said. ]
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the rest of just deliver regular packages
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i'll be there
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i imagine it's hard to intercept messages that are sent via the mind than physical messages
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i'm still not sure about that one
it is convenient though i will give it that
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[ get off his lawn ]
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[ Namely Annabeth, Percy and River. ]
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is it your magic that keeps you looking young?
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Or I should say they used to. A short time ago, the Brotherhood was destroyed. Most everyone I know died in a coup.
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[ It’s a lame attempt at a joke. ]
was the coupe because they realized the brotherhood was corrupt?
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The Brotherhood was corrupt and the way it treated the children it stole was inhumane. My youth was full of fear and manipulation. It's why I try to protect our youths here, so they can be safer. But they were still the only family I knew, so I grieve them.
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none of them are perfect
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that's important to acknowledge
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It occurs to me I know so little about you still.
Not to pry.
Just maybe a conversation for a later day.
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[ It's not prying because it's Istredd and they have some kind of weird god-bond that's hard for him to shake.
If anything it's because he's been incredibly cagey about his background for the last 28 system years. Habits like that are hard to break. Even with those he might deem a friend. ]
it just doesn't seem like an appropriate time to tell you when you're in jail, istredd
[ There is perhaps a hint of wry amusement in his text. ]
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[ Wry amusement on this end too. ]
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[ But it's not a no. It's not a never. ]
We can wrap on this one!
moments after the explosion.
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are you? was there damage to nott?
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there's been nothing else since the explosions
there's news of the garrison being dead or heavily injured
if i had to guess, they were trying to hit the castle - hard
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[ It doesn't mean he won't be keeping an ear out for news though. ]
there's too much panic right now to tell if anything has basis or not
some think the free cities is to blame, other think its those still loyal to the queen
July 5, evening.
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has anyone claimed the assassinations?
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i doubt solvunn cares
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Unless one of their gods instructs them otherwise, I would not bet on it. Then again, they'll take anything as an omen.
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That doesn't mean he's going to be quick to believe in them himself however. ]
god or omen - they'll end up getting involved somehow
how is the free cities taking the news?
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[ It happened this afternoon, dude!!!! he doesnt kNOW hes a BABY ]
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Do you want a cat? The babies will be old enough to be on their own the if not this next month, then the following time we are in Nocwich.
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i've never raised a pet
you aren't adopting one yourself?
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No. I already have to live with them right now, and when I leave the Free Cities, it wouldn't be fair to the cat.
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[ See, when dan heng said "when i leave" he meant "when i decide to go into another busted portal or on some weird adventure" and he assumes cassian is too. he doesn't yet think about going through a doorway some day and disappearing. ]
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if i ever leave thorne i doubt it would be because they let me
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You could try a portal.
[ Is. Is that a joke? ]
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[ wait, actually. comment. ]
Evidence points to it being a viable option.
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viable but probably not likely to happen again any time soon
even if it did, i wouldn't just leave on my own
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delivery 🎁
portal shenanigans
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where are you?
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What about you?
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i hear they give the Summoned more freedom there than thorne but those are for ones that they consider "theirs"
there's lots of goats, mud, and farm
aside from some curious questions from the locals they're nice
[ They're rather generous actually, all things considered. ]
you know ;)
👀
what is it?
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If you're able to get to Cadens, I left something important there.
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1/2
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It seems increasingly unlikely that I'll return.
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But also he gets it. It's just not the sort of thing you expect to get from a friend you haven't spoken to in a while. ]
should i be flattered that you thought of me first to set fire to your lab?
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I wouldn't do it alone, though.
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i don't like the idea of getting someone else involved with something like this but i'm assuming the thing you need me to bring is too big for one person to carry?
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does she know that you want me to burn down your workshop?
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is anything else in the area flammable? any other security features i need to be aware of or disable?
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[ It shouldn't be that hard to find even with the Fey having seemingly abandoned what had once been their home. ]
where do you want me to bring the parts?
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if not i know someone there who could get them to you
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she'll want to be more involved but don't let her
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she's a teenager
summoned or not she doesn't need more attention on her from people in high places
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action!
like the way she appears now, wearing one of the few dresses she's kept with her since their time in castle thorne. it's starting to stain, worn at the edges from her adventures through the duskwoods. at least she's been good about wearing her boots when she's out there, unlike the bare feet that pitter patter against the ground as she all but skips through the cascading boughs to find where cassian might be choring today. ]
Kassa!
[ she smiles when she sees him, this man that was once a stranger and is now a central pinnacle of her ability to survive in this chaotic world. after months ( or centuries ) of practice, kenari rolls easily off her tongue as she beams at him. ]
Are you ready for today's game?
[ it's her new favorite game of "which of these strange fruit will we eat for breakfast tomorrow and which ones are poison?" as she starts pulling a colorful array out of her trusty bag of holding. ]
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Taking up residence with River in the Feywilds had been something temporary, or at least he had told himself as much. She would always have a safe place to rest no matter where she spun or danced off into the universe and that has remained true now. But then they had grown into normalcy and dare he say, it came with a sense of domesticity too. It crept up in small ways: with the patching of her dresses that grow worn at the edges, the mending of the soles of her boots to keep her steady and safe on her adventures, making passable meals that are slowly becoming more than just a bachelor's way of cooking.
Bent over a patch in the garden is she finds him. Though he looks up with a wary expression there is a fondness there that he doesn't bother to hide as the days have stretched on. Back in Mandarin he asks - ]
Do I have to get my antidotes ready?
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So dramatic. A man gets the runs once and it's like he never stops running.
[ is that a poop joke? surely we have more class than that, but river's eyebrows stay playfully quirked over a quiet smile as she sets her bounty of fruit out in front of cassian.
she's been learning how to identify things from elizabeth and she's studied under yennefer long enough to brew some of her own potions by now. cassian has been hard at work trying to make this place more habitable too, pushing back against the wildlife that has started to take over this land without the fey to keep it all at bay. they've been at this for weeks now, so the chance of them getting concerningly ill is relatively low, but it's still best to remain cautious in this unpredictable world of magic.
so naturally, the responsible thing to do is to turn it into a game! river smiles at him again once their options are all laid out. ]
Elders go first.
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If I remember correctly, I did it because you didn't want to eat it first.
[ In other words, who saved who from the runs, River?
But there's no malice or real grudge in his words, however. There never has been even when they had been volitile god siblings born of stars and made of cosmic dust. That being said, he does offer her a look that is absolutely laced with skepticism that is then transferred to the fruits laid out before him.
After a moment's contemplation he reaches for the one that looks suspiciously shaped like cheese before falling back rather unceremoniously onto his butt. ]
Youngers next. This time we're taking a bite at the same time.
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it's like being free, even if only in this moment. beyond a war that is not theirs to fight or the collapse of a sphere that they do not belong to, right now, she's just a girl, playing in the dirt with someone she loves like her own brother.
if a moment is all they have before they wake up from the dream, then this is good enough. it has to be.
so she turns her attention back to the task before her, her hand hovering just over each fruit as she considers them carefully. she's been picking anything she can find that isn't actively oozing or otherwise overly suspect. this is a quiz for herself as much as it is for him. ]
Gotta look beneath the skin. The truth is tricky. If it's too shiny to be true...
[ she mutters absently until she finally picks up one with orange and pink stripes. she holds it up to observe it more closely from each angle before turning back to cassian and speaking in kenari again. ]
Ready or not, here we come.
[ she'll bite into it at the same time he does, eyeing him with a playful smile as she watches. ]
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Turning off the part of his mind that is ever alert and ever questioning is hard - particularly when he is loathe to do so when they have found what is essentially a quiet peaceful sort of life that neither of them have had in a long while. Survival instincts still prickle at the back of his mind now as he stares at the brightly coloured, oddly shaped fruit River has brought back. Save the "running" incident, River's foraging hadn't ended in disaster. And apart from doing this to appease her, it also feels somewhat like he's back on Kenari. They'd had to forage then too though that had been arguably far more difficult then than it is now.
He hears her mutter to herself and his eyes dart quickly to his own fruit. Kriff. Was it too shiny? It's hard to say with the way the light filters above them dappling them in sunlight and by the time he's about to swap it for something else River has made her choice. Ah well. Glancing back towards her timing his bite. Juice bursts in his mouth and the texture is akin to a horned melon he's had before but the taste starts sweet before turning oddly...sour? He winces, swapping back into Kenari. ]
...Why make it look like cheese if it isn't going to taste like it? [ And then in Mandarin - ] What does yours taste like?
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Structural integrity has been compromised.
[ it's getting absolutely everywhere, including all over her dress, and it spreads even further when she carelessly flaps her hands to shuck the remains of the fruit onto the ground ( and consequentially all over cassian too ). she keeps her now faintly stained hands raised, turning them over and back to observe just as curiously as she had the fruit before biting into it. ]
Doesn't make sense. It had a quantifiable mass and density comparable to a standard earth-based fruit, nothing to suggest a fluid state of matter.
[ she seems somewhere between disgruntled by the mess and fascinated by the unexpected turn of events. she looks around at the mess in her lap, on the ground around them, and eventually turns her gaze to the new stains on cassian's clothes before finally looking up to his face again.
her eyes are still bright, earnest, undeterred. ]
Non-toxic, though. We can make juice.
[ despite the mishap, she's not conceding defeat in this round! ]
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There's another beat. And then laughter. ]
Non-toxic juice? That was your first thought?
[ The question is not the least bit incredulous but rather overflows with affection and warmth - two things that are becoming easier and easier to pull from him with little resistance nowadays. He can't even bring himself to teasingly chide her about all the work he's going to have to do later to get the stains out even though they both know that she has the magic and ability to do so herself with ease.
Holding out his remaining fruit towards her he motions for the staining her hands. ]
I don't think we want to add too much of this one. It's too sour. It might spoil the juice.
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things are different now. they're different, and nowhere can it be seen more clearly than the way distant stars glitter across her skin to see this lightness in him. she smiles in return, her eyes bright with deep, unadulterated fondness, and then she holds up both hands toward him. ]
Acids can cut through fatty meats and bitter flavors. Good for cooking, or mixing a stiff drink.
[ the latter isn't as relevant in their current situation but the point still stands. their forays into cooking out here have been fun, every bit as much as this little game and the rest of their lives out here in the feywilds. it's hard not to imagine what it might be like to stay here forever, far away from the rest of society like peter pan's lost boys on an endless adventure. ]
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He's not so caught up in his domesticated thoughts to not notice the glow that shimmers softly from beneath her skin. And like a snowball effect, his own skin begins to softly glow too in response as like calls to like. Pulling over the watering can he waits for her to lower her hands before pouring it the water over her palms. ]
How did you know we were having steak for dinner?
[ Because obviously she wouldn't be having a stiff drink tonight - even if she is of age. Besides, those were saved for special occasions. His brow furrows in jest. ]
Unless this is your way of saying you don't like my dinner plans.