TIMESTAMP: 67 Ash, 122
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► Show Spoiler
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It was not long after Gaius Sælyan Janus, the head of house Sælyan, had welcomed his wayward nephew back into the fold of his kin that many more of the boy's estranged family found themselves reaching out to him. One of the earliest people to seek him out was his eldest sibling, Calypso Sælyan Lunara. She had always adored her half-brother and was far and above the most sympathetic to him regarding how he was raised. Her support helped him brook the cruel standards to which he was held, yet at the same time, there really wasn't much she could have done in the past to override their mother. She did, however, succeed in dissuading their mother from particular paths or assuaging the woman's ire many a time. Despite this, she’s never taken ownership for this ‘protector’ sort of role, though Æros considers himself indebted to her all the same.
They’d met a few times prior to today, her being absolutely delighted that he was back. Ever curious was she for more details, as all Janus had said was precisely what his intent was, nothing more, nothing less. During their earlier conversations, they spoke of their mother’s vexation at this play of their house’s head, but what could she do? Beneath him, she had no say at this point, and Janus was done with her squandering the starborn blood she’d brought into the family. ‘He is no longer yours to ruin,’ was all he had told her. Æros found this deeply satisfying to hear, given the relationship that he had with her. To that end, he had actively avoided interacting with the woman– he had no desire to, really, for what purpose would that serve?
As the sun began to set and the false one, so called the Sceptre of Aværys, still hung high in the sky, Æros and Luna made their way into an art gallery not too far away from their family’s Umbrium demesne. “What do you make of the second sun, dear brother? Pretty, isn’t it? But…such a fascinating choice, to make an actual ætheric sun instead of a Masquerade-based facsimile, no? This one actually affects wildlife, nature– it erases the night. And the amount of resources to accomplish it…my, they really must have something special planned for the jubilee then, hm?” Luna speculated idly as the two of them made their way inside.
“I’m of two minds about it; my initial gut reaction is that I adore it– such an immense amount of æther dedicated to something that is apparently just a gesture of grandiose frivolity? Ever spellbound am I at the resources our beloved Solunarium possesses, but…” Æros trailed off, his voice shifting from something excited, fascinated to more contemplative. “...but then, if one were to think more about it, is such a thing truly an exercise in æsthetics? Or is its purpose greater? Have you looked closely at the night’s sky obfuscated by the æther’s brilliance? Altogether eldritch, is it not? Is that a facsimile? If not…is the sun then meant to hide it? For why?” His eyes narrowed in thought as he spoke these musing questions aloud.
Truthfully, Luna did not mean to have made him think so deeply about the subject, but the two of them had not spoken to one another since the Sceptre was hung in the heavens– she was wholly unaware of what he thought about the subject. Nevertheless, the questions he raised did have merit alongside her own. She did wonder about the strange sky that lay veiled beneath their new source of eternal daylight.
“Hm…you raise decent questions; of course, I know little more than you. I am just an artist, after all,” the waifish woman giggled. “It’s very rare I am told anything of true import, even considering my own magical skills.” Luna laughed into a sigh; this did vex her, but there was nothing she could do about it aside from charm her way into loosening lips whilst attending parties and the like. “Should anyone play the role of fool and tell me more, you may freely read it from my memories with your newly acquired Semblance– I’ll let you know, but…doubtful, inasmuch as such a thing would be nice.” She pouted at the fact that the likelihood of this happening was very low. Sharing the information herself would be a questionable decision; this method was far more subtle.
Æros laughed at her intentionally dramatic display of emotion and exaggerated demeanor, but he did empathize with her desire to unveil the truth one way or another. Arguably, his own curiosity was far stronger, and he known to be far less patient than she was. “I’ll surely take you up on that, if possible.”
The gallery they stood within was one that held rotating exhibitions of presently living artists residing within Solunarium. There were plenty of others that held pieces of historical import or even the works of foreigners, but this one was dedicated to showcasing the work of those who were both born here and still yet breathed. In this case, Luna had suggested it because the work of a friend of hers was on display and she wanted to see it. She’d attended before, on the debut of their work, but it was exceptionally crowded at the time and she had wanted to return with less of a crowd.
At present, she and Æros stood before a rather exquisite painting. It was a mix of mediums: traditional oil paints and then further enchanted with Masquerade and a bit of Mesmer by use of Runeforging and Scrivening. The magic was used to add depth and dimension, to enhance the more traditional medium rather than overshadow it. Overall, it was a consummate blend of each involved technique and the result was utterly enchanting.
The work depicted a faceless dancer, a consummate magus, one and the same. She stood small on a large ballroom floor, her pose a snapshot of her movement. Around her, large, grand architecture that made her look tiny– strong, sturdy pillars and short stone walls that gave way to a brilliant night sky above. Surrounding her was her magic which burst forth from the canvas in a refined yet chaotic sort of resplendence. The palette was vibrant; concentrated color contrasted against lovingly placed lights and darks.
Æros continued to gaze at it, his perception enhanced by his Sembler’s eye, taking the time to pick apart the work layer by layer. It was truly fascinating to examine the properties thereof, the alterations and such that the painting had gone through. Further, he found himself bewitched by the Echoes; he could watch the artist as they worked to create it from start to finish if he so chose, shifting the speed around as he wished. He did so adore the way in which this Craft allowed him to examine and perceive the world– everything felt so new to him, and, in truth, it was helping him stoke the fires of his newly minted passion simply for being alive.
Neither party paid much attention to how long they had been standing in front of it. Eventually: “What do you think of this one, Æros?” Luna’s soft, velvety voice managed to yank him from his reverie rather abruptly.
Æros blinked, as if pulled from a trance, and delayed for a moment before answering, reorienting himself. “I adore it. Your friend– the artist– her process is almost as enthralling as the work itself. The fact that she possesses all of the skills required, the runes, the world magics, to do this herself is truly wild. I am awestruck,” and every bit of that opinion was woven warmly into his tone. The starlit Fæ held a great deal of admiration for those who made it their life’s goal to create.
“Isn’t she just exquisite?” Luna remarked. “...and all the better that you now have Semblance! Honestly, I can’t imagine life without it at this point. Admirable, too, how much skill you have with it after such little time…” the woman nearly cooed; she could see just how far he’d come in the span of a month with her own Sembler’s eye.
They’d met a few times prior to today, her being absolutely delighted that he was back. Ever curious was she for more details, as all Janus had said was precisely what his intent was, nothing more, nothing less. During their earlier conversations, they spoke of their mother’s vexation at this play of their house’s head, but what could she do? Beneath him, she had no say at this point, and Janus was done with her squandering the starborn blood she’d brought into the family. ‘He is no longer yours to ruin,’ was all he had told her. Æros found this deeply satisfying to hear, given the relationship that he had with her. To that end, he had actively avoided interacting with the woman– he had no desire to, really, for what purpose would that serve?
As the sun began to set and the false one, so called the Sceptre of Aværys, still hung high in the sky, Æros and Luna made their way into an art gallery not too far away from their family’s Umbrium demesne. “What do you make of the second sun, dear brother? Pretty, isn’t it? But…such a fascinating choice, to make an actual ætheric sun instead of a Masquerade-based facsimile, no? This one actually affects wildlife, nature– it erases the night. And the amount of resources to accomplish it…my, they really must have something special planned for the jubilee then, hm?” Luna speculated idly as the two of them made their way inside.
“I’m of two minds about it; my initial gut reaction is that I adore it– such an immense amount of æther dedicated to something that is apparently just a gesture of grandiose frivolity? Ever spellbound am I at the resources our beloved Solunarium possesses, but…” Æros trailed off, his voice shifting from something excited, fascinated to more contemplative. “...but then, if one were to think more about it, is such a thing truly an exercise in æsthetics? Or is its purpose greater? Have you looked closely at the night’s sky obfuscated by the æther’s brilliance? Altogether eldritch, is it not? Is that a facsimile? If not…is the sun then meant to hide it? For why?” His eyes narrowed in thought as he spoke these musing questions aloud.
Truthfully, Luna did not mean to have made him think so deeply about the subject, but the two of them had not spoken to one another since the Sceptre was hung in the heavens– she was wholly unaware of what he thought about the subject. Nevertheless, the questions he raised did have merit alongside her own. She did wonder about the strange sky that lay veiled beneath their new source of eternal daylight.
“Hm…you raise decent questions; of course, I know little more than you. I am just an artist, after all,” the waifish woman giggled. “It’s very rare I am told anything of true import, even considering my own magical skills.” Luna laughed into a sigh; this did vex her, but there was nothing she could do about it aside from charm her way into loosening lips whilst attending parties and the like. “Should anyone play the role of fool and tell me more, you may freely read it from my memories with your newly acquired Semblance– I’ll let you know, but…doubtful, inasmuch as such a thing would be nice.” She pouted at the fact that the likelihood of this happening was very low. Sharing the information herself would be a questionable decision; this method was far more subtle.
Æros laughed at her intentionally dramatic display of emotion and exaggerated demeanor, but he did empathize with her desire to unveil the truth one way or another. Arguably, his own curiosity was far stronger, and he known to be far less patient than she was. “I’ll surely take you up on that, if possible.”
—
The gallery they stood within was one that held rotating exhibitions of presently living artists residing within Solunarium. There were plenty of others that held pieces of historical import or even the works of foreigners, but this one was dedicated to showcasing the work of those who were both born here and still yet breathed. In this case, Luna had suggested it because the work of a friend of hers was on display and she wanted to see it. She’d attended before, on the debut of their work, but it was exceptionally crowded at the time and she had wanted to return with less of a crowd.
At present, she and Æros stood before a rather exquisite painting. It was a mix of mediums: traditional oil paints and then further enchanted with Masquerade and a bit of Mesmer by use of Runeforging and Scrivening. The magic was used to add depth and dimension, to enhance the more traditional medium rather than overshadow it. Overall, it was a consummate blend of each involved technique and the result was utterly enchanting.
The work depicted a faceless dancer, a consummate magus, one and the same. She stood small on a large ballroom floor, her pose a snapshot of her movement. Around her, large, grand architecture that made her look tiny– strong, sturdy pillars and short stone walls that gave way to a brilliant night sky above. Surrounding her was her magic which burst forth from the canvas in a refined yet chaotic sort of resplendence. The palette was vibrant; concentrated color contrasted against lovingly placed lights and darks.
Æros continued to gaze at it, his perception enhanced by his Sembler’s eye, taking the time to pick apart the work layer by layer. It was truly fascinating to examine the properties thereof, the alterations and such that the painting had gone through. Further, he found himself bewitched by the Echoes; he could watch the artist as they worked to create it from start to finish if he so chose, shifting the speed around as he wished. He did so adore the way in which this Craft allowed him to examine and perceive the world– everything felt so new to him, and, in truth, it was helping him stoke the fires of his newly minted passion simply for being alive.
Neither party paid much attention to how long they had been standing in front of it. Eventually: “What do you think of this one, Æros?” Luna’s soft, velvety voice managed to yank him from his reverie rather abruptly.
Æros blinked, as if pulled from a trance, and delayed for a moment before answering, reorienting himself. “I adore it. Your friend– the artist– her process is almost as enthralling as the work itself. The fact that she possesses all of the skills required, the runes, the world magics, to do this herself is truly wild. I am awestruck,” and every bit of that opinion was woven warmly into his tone. The starlit Fæ held a great deal of admiration for those who made it their life’s goal to create.
“Isn’t she just exquisite?” Luna remarked. “...and all the better that you now have Semblance! Honestly, I can’t imagine life without it at this point. Admirable, too, how much skill you have with it after such little time…” the woman nearly cooed; she could see just how far he’d come in the span of a month with her own Sembler’s eye.
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