TIMESTAMP: Earth's Rest 10, Ash 122
NOTES: -
NOTES: -
► Show Spoiler
- - -
- - -
- - -
Of course, there were some who lacked any kind of defense against prying, ætheric eyes. It was these souls he was looking for as his gaze cut through crowds, though many he found were not exactly that scintillating to look at. His pseudo sort of goal for the moment was to see if anyone here had mastered any Craft but allowed themselves to be seen by even a rather weak Sembler's eye. And while he doubted he would find one such individual, it was notably less boring to search for something than to simply stare into an endless abyss of people for no real reason.
Well, he had an overarching, two pronged purpose for being here, but still. Æros wanted distraction from his current circumstances as well as gaining comfort with his new skills, but when it came to the latter goal, this was easier to focus on if he had some sort of idea of what to use his magic on. And as his gaze continued to check over individual after individual, one at a time, the rather distracted Færie did not notice that a stranger had come to approach him until said stranger lay a hand on his shoulder.
Startled, he blinked away the æther from his eyes and turned his head to look at whomever it was that apparently wanted his attention. The figure before him was certainly not one Æros had ever seen before…or at least not one that he at all recognized. Warm toned and pretty, another Re’hyæn stood before him.
Eyes half lidded and a sort of tired, dream-like expression, the starborn then inquired, "...caught your interest for one reason or another, I presume?" His voice was markedly devoid of emotion, though the question was asked rather smoothly.
The stranger laughed, for why else would he have approached if that were not the case? "I was doing the same thing you were– peeking behind the veil at people's souls for the sheer fun of it. However, I did notice your rune…it's rather newly acquired, is it not?" The other paused for a moment after presenting this question before quickly adding, "...and may I sit with you?" His voice held an odd sort of lilt to it, pleasant on the ear but almost exaggerated in a way as if to mask intent.
In his Symphony, all Æros heard for the moment was curiosity, interest, and subtler melodies of attraction. Such emotions were fairly normal when first meeting somebody in a place like this, so for what reason did he really have to decline? Bored and looking for distractions as he was, having a complete stranger to talk to could be fun– after all, he needn't mention any of his anxieties to somebody who didn't need to know…though if this man was another Sembler of decent to high skill, it would probably be difficult to outright lie to him. A shame, that one.
"Go right ahead," the Færie replied.
As soon as he said that, the solar stranger sat across from him with a rather delighted sort of expression.
Regarding his original question, "...but yes, I received the rune a little over a week ago. I figured using it here would be harmless enough, though I wasn't exactly anticipating another person doing the same thing would approach me. Not that I'm bothered, mind you. I assume you're far more acquainted with the Craft than I am, then?" Though friendly enough, Æros did sound distinctly tired.
"Correct! If I go out alone, I usually look around with it– both for my own entertainment and to see if there's anyone that piques my interest. And in this case, that would be you. You're…unique to look at, but I'm sure you've heard that one many times over. Fæ-ethelan and Platinum blood certainly is a very rare combination to say the least," the other man giggled.
Æros was surprised at first that the other had immediately known what he was, though that surprise quickly faded when he remembered that with Semblance of sufficient skill, he’d be able to see that well enough. Most people could only tell at a glance that he was Fæ and mixed lwith some kind of elf–and even then, a lot of people in Solunarium below the noble classes didn’t quite recognize a Færie for what it was.
A faint smile and a sharp breath of air through his nose pointed towards amusement at the stranger's bluntness. "That's true…though a lot of people aren't so quick to guess platinum. Most are just fascinated by the Fæ-ethalan features; some have even gone so far as to assume it's all a Masquerade façade. But with your magic? I might as well be transparent. Ever eager am I to get a better handle on the Craft." Æros made no attempt to obfuscate his enthusiasm.
"Things like that take time…but for you? I wouldn't worry too much. Your rune might be new, but from what I can tell, you've an affinity for magic that'll help you go far…if you've the mind to use it." The stranger smiled with bronze eyes narrowed like a fox. "But tell me, how much can you see if you look at me? What sense can you make of the information?"
Æros was curious by whatever the other meant by 'affinity' regarding magic. His blood? The fact that he'd already mastered a rune? Something else? He wasn't sure, but he figured asking would be pointless until he first answered the other's questions.
The golden elf had, originally, been unreadable to the Færie's Semblance. That changed rather quickly as whatever had been protecting him fell away. If Æros were to guess, it was a Negation ward. Familiar enough with the magic, he spotted two runes held within the stranger's æther– one obviously being Semblance and the other he was sure to be Negation. Both of them were powerful; vibrant and strong, the æther that flowed through them came across as if the other was notably skilled with both. Other than that, he could tell the other man was middle aged for an elf, old for a human. He could tell that the man was focused on him in a curious, toying way. Almost like somebody observing a strange animal. Everything else was so bright as to be unreadable, blurry or just plain hard to look at. At this point, it was a struggle to parse all of the information that Semblance could reveal, a lot of it failing to come into focus no matter how hard he tried. Even just gleaning what he had took a reasonable amount of effort on his end.
"I see your runes, your age, your focus, your intent…? There's a lot of…bloom and bleed; a lot of glare around everything else. Trying to look deeper causes strain…" Æros trailed off, sounding almost a bit disappointed he couldn't see more.
The stranger wore a friendly smile, amused yet encouraging. "For a fledgling like you, I would expect little more. You do recognize my other rune, though, yes?" The words were delivered with an expectant look.
"Oh– Negation? I'm still figuring out what each Craft looks like under this lens, so to speak." Some were more obvious than others, but if one was educated enough about common runes it wasn't that hard to guess.
"Semblance sight is a funny thing, isn't it? But yes– you're correct. When you're more familiar with your Semblance, I do recommend it. It'll help you with those lofty goals of yours." The other elf spoke to him like one would a familiar friend despite the fact that Æros had told him nothing of his life. He was using Semblance's ability to see echoes, digging into Æros' memories to gather a picture of the Færie's current mindscape.
"I-...wait, and what do you know? How much information have you sifted through in just a few minutes?" He was surprised at the speed at which the other had acquired the information as opposed to the simple fact that he could. Any competent Sembler could, sure, but processing a large amount very quickly was another skill in and of itself.
"Oh, nevermind that," the other responded, voice playful, almost taunting. "Speed comes with time, too– you've the faculties for it…but really, I do recommend working to alter yourself such that other Semblers can't read you so clearly. The Vigilia might not be pleased at some of the information I can simply pick out of your mind," he laughed, something sweet and musical. "...but don't you worry. I won't say a word. I can try talking you through basic alteration? You'll not be able to block somebody of too great a skill, now, but…it's never too early to learn."
Æros blinked. He forgot to think about that. He really should've invested in perhaps a Negation-enchanted item of sorts, or should work on doing that in the meantime until he could reliably obfuscate himself. "Ah…" He cleared his throat, "...you have a point. I haven't met much with the person who gave me the rune to learn of that, yet. I'd…appreciate whatever information you'd be willing to share, really." The Færie sounded almost sheepish, clearly embarrassed at the fact that a skilled mage could randomly come across such…privileged information.
While such a thing was unlikely in the day to day, all it took was one nosy person to stare at him a little too hard. This was even more of a risk if he dared enter the political sphere– he imagined many would gaze upon him with eyes most discerning in that arena. It would be incredibly dangerous to walk into that field with little in regards to protection.
And with that offer being taken, the two stayed for quite a few more hours. Enlightening an experience, that; Æros had also made a useful new connection.
Well, he had an overarching, two pronged purpose for being here, but still. Æros wanted distraction from his current circumstances as well as gaining comfort with his new skills, but when it came to the latter goal, this was easier to focus on if he had some sort of idea of what to use his magic on. And as his gaze continued to check over individual after individual, one at a time, the rather distracted Færie did not notice that a stranger had come to approach him until said stranger lay a hand on his shoulder.
Startled, he blinked away the æther from his eyes and turned his head to look at whomever it was that apparently wanted his attention. The figure before him was certainly not one Æros had ever seen before…or at least not one that he at all recognized. Warm toned and pretty, another Re’hyæn stood before him.
Eyes half lidded and a sort of tired, dream-like expression, the starborn then inquired, "...caught your interest for one reason or another, I presume?" His voice was markedly devoid of emotion, though the question was asked rather smoothly.
The stranger laughed, for why else would he have approached if that were not the case? "I was doing the same thing you were– peeking behind the veil at people's souls for the sheer fun of it. However, I did notice your rune…it's rather newly acquired, is it not?" The other paused for a moment after presenting this question before quickly adding, "...and may I sit with you?" His voice held an odd sort of lilt to it, pleasant on the ear but almost exaggerated in a way as if to mask intent.
In his Symphony, all Æros heard for the moment was curiosity, interest, and subtler melodies of attraction. Such emotions were fairly normal when first meeting somebody in a place like this, so for what reason did he really have to decline? Bored and looking for distractions as he was, having a complete stranger to talk to could be fun– after all, he needn't mention any of his anxieties to somebody who didn't need to know…though if this man was another Sembler of decent to high skill, it would probably be difficult to outright lie to him. A shame, that one.
"Go right ahead," the Færie replied.
As soon as he said that, the solar stranger sat across from him with a rather delighted sort of expression.
Regarding his original question, "...but yes, I received the rune a little over a week ago. I figured using it here would be harmless enough, though I wasn't exactly anticipating another person doing the same thing would approach me. Not that I'm bothered, mind you. I assume you're far more acquainted with the Craft than I am, then?" Though friendly enough, Æros did sound distinctly tired.
"Correct! If I go out alone, I usually look around with it– both for my own entertainment and to see if there's anyone that piques my interest. And in this case, that would be you. You're…unique to look at, but I'm sure you've heard that one many times over. Fæ-ethelan and Platinum blood certainly is a very rare combination to say the least," the other man giggled.
Æros was surprised at first that the other had immediately known what he was, though that surprise quickly faded when he remembered that with Semblance of sufficient skill, he’d be able to see that well enough. Most people could only tell at a glance that he was Fæ and mixed lwith some kind of elf–and even then, a lot of people in Solunarium below the noble classes didn’t quite recognize a Færie for what it was.
A faint smile and a sharp breath of air through his nose pointed towards amusement at the stranger's bluntness. "That's true…though a lot of people aren't so quick to guess platinum. Most are just fascinated by the Fæ-ethalan features; some have even gone so far as to assume it's all a Masquerade façade. But with your magic? I might as well be transparent. Ever eager am I to get a better handle on the Craft." Æros made no attempt to obfuscate his enthusiasm.
"Things like that take time…but for you? I wouldn't worry too much. Your rune might be new, but from what I can tell, you've an affinity for magic that'll help you go far…if you've the mind to use it." The stranger smiled with bronze eyes narrowed like a fox. "But tell me, how much can you see if you look at me? What sense can you make of the information?"
Æros was curious by whatever the other meant by 'affinity' regarding magic. His blood? The fact that he'd already mastered a rune? Something else? He wasn't sure, but he figured asking would be pointless until he first answered the other's questions.
The golden elf had, originally, been unreadable to the Færie's Semblance. That changed rather quickly as whatever had been protecting him fell away. If Æros were to guess, it was a Negation ward. Familiar enough with the magic, he spotted two runes held within the stranger's æther– one obviously being Semblance and the other he was sure to be Negation. Both of them were powerful; vibrant and strong, the æther that flowed through them came across as if the other was notably skilled with both. Other than that, he could tell the other man was middle aged for an elf, old for a human. He could tell that the man was focused on him in a curious, toying way. Almost like somebody observing a strange animal. Everything else was so bright as to be unreadable, blurry or just plain hard to look at. At this point, it was a struggle to parse all of the information that Semblance could reveal, a lot of it failing to come into focus no matter how hard he tried. Even just gleaning what he had took a reasonable amount of effort on his end.
"I see your runes, your age, your focus, your intent…? There's a lot of…bloom and bleed; a lot of glare around everything else. Trying to look deeper causes strain…" Æros trailed off, sounding almost a bit disappointed he couldn't see more.
The stranger wore a friendly smile, amused yet encouraging. "For a fledgling like you, I would expect little more. You do recognize my other rune, though, yes?" The words were delivered with an expectant look.
"Oh– Negation? I'm still figuring out what each Craft looks like under this lens, so to speak." Some were more obvious than others, but if one was educated enough about common runes it wasn't that hard to guess.
"Semblance sight is a funny thing, isn't it? But yes– you're correct. When you're more familiar with your Semblance, I do recommend it. It'll help you with those lofty goals of yours." The other elf spoke to him like one would a familiar friend despite the fact that Æros had told him nothing of his life. He was using Semblance's ability to see echoes, digging into Æros' memories to gather a picture of the Færie's current mindscape.
"I-...wait, and what do you know? How much information have you sifted through in just a few minutes?" He was surprised at the speed at which the other had acquired the information as opposed to the simple fact that he could. Any competent Sembler could, sure, but processing a large amount very quickly was another skill in and of itself.
"Oh, nevermind that," the other responded, voice playful, almost taunting. "Speed comes with time, too– you've the faculties for it…but really, I do recommend working to alter yourself such that other Semblers can't read you so clearly. The Vigilia might not be pleased at some of the information I can simply pick out of your mind," he laughed, something sweet and musical. "...but don't you worry. I won't say a word. I can try talking you through basic alteration? You'll not be able to block somebody of too great a skill, now, but…it's never too early to learn."
Æros blinked. He forgot to think about that. He really should've invested in perhaps a Negation-enchanted item of sorts, or should work on doing that in the meantime until he could reliably obfuscate himself. "Ah…" He cleared his throat, "...you have a point. I haven't met much with the person who gave me the rune to learn of that, yet. I'd…appreciate whatever information you'd be willing to share, really." The Færie sounded almost sheepish, clearly embarrassed at the fact that a skilled mage could randomly come across such…privileged information.
While such a thing was unlikely in the day to day, all it took was one nosy person to stare at him a little too hard. This was even more of a risk if he dared enter the political sphere– he imagined many would gaze upon him with eyes most discerning in that arena. It would be incredibly dangerous to walk into that field with little in regards to protection.
And with that offer being taken, the two stayed for quite a few more hours. Enlightening an experience, that; Æros had also made a useful new connection.
- - -
'Thoughts'
"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"
"Vastien Tongue/Speech"
"Valasren Tongue/Speech"
"Common Tongue/Speech"
