Scene Archives

considers the bed for one moment, two, and then thinks, sending out a thin tendril of burning gnosis, asking with the expectation of an enthusiastic ‘yes.’ The bed widens, then widens more, large enough for three people of Aurlieus’ size. Then the mattress plumps up softer and fluffier. She looks satisfied, then sits on the bed, leaning back on her hands and crossing her legs. That damned skirt panel falls away again. Did she–did she use gnosis-work to make sure it always would? How brazen!

: “I’ve been having nightmares,” she tells them frankly. “And I think it’d be helpful if I could sleep with you both. You know. To prevent Thoughtstorms.”

gives the Awoken a knowing look, before pulling the chair in front of the desk out and flopping into it. “Of course.”

was sort of waiting for the first line, to really set the mood of where to place himself- and at that, he moves to sit next to Salme, although his relaxed forward-hunch and elbows on knees give it a concerned-yet-casual air, notsomuch lascivious.

: “Absolutely. Would you like to talk about them?”

catches her lip. “No. Not. Yet, I don’t think. I actually have several other things I’d like to talk to you both about first, though the library is probably a more appropriate venue. Especially because you mentioned a … guestbook?”

: “Ah, that’s Aurelius’ design.”

: “Oh, just a thing to track who comes and goes. And can potentially limit it, too.”

looks at Aurelius for a long, appreciative moment. “Oh. Just something amazing and brilliant. Nothing to it.” She waves her hand dismissively. “Light, everyone thinks you’re full of yourself when you’re actually irritatingly humble. Show me?”

: “(‘Just’ a thing, hahah.)”

produces the tablet from where, then sets it down on the edge of the bed so that it’s within reach of everyone. “Well… it actually wasn’t hard to do, so. Anyway.”

catches Aurelius’ hand and kisses the palm. “And yet so very impressive anyway.” Then she reaches out, touches the tablet, and is a statue of gold and ivory.

puts a hand on the tablet, and is just as statuesque as though he were still there. But he’s elsewhere now.

lets out a breath, then follows them inside. And once then, flops down onto one of the central couches.

: “So, the guestbook-“ He moves to where it is, and opens it up. “Records of everyone who enters, allows for notes in the margin with the accompanying pen.”

looks at the entries, the newest one reading “Aurelius, Salme, and–“ she frowns at the azure smudge, then at the Awoken. “One point for Aurelius’ argument that ‘Awoken’ isn’t a name,” she says archly.

: “Y’know that’s a good point, he did make this.”

: “It’s objective.”

: “I certainly don’t think of Unua as ‘the Clockwork Knight’ in my head.”

: “Yes, and I’m not ‘my brilliant, beautiful scholar’ even though Aury obviously thinks of me that way,” she says, tapping her fingers on the pedestal.

: “Hmm.”

: “Two things,” she says, holding up two fingers with her free hand.

turns his head back near the entrance.

: “First, you may want to track who also exits the library. For instance, Aurelius and I stayed after we showed Caion the library with Wolf and Archie. Or when Aurelius got kicked out that … second time and I was here alone. That could be useful to know.”

folds one finger down and then says, “what the fuck was Wolf doing in here alone?”

: “Gee, I wonder what a person might ever do in here when left to their own devices and no one else to second guess them?”

: “Why would someone come here alone,” he asks, somewhat flatly, somewhat sarcastically.

: “But noted. Not… sure about the formatting but it should be tracking both directions in either case.”

drops both hands and turns to look at them both. “Wolf? You think Wolf fucked around with the sun shade?”

: “You think it’s out-of-character for him?” he asks, tilting his head.

: “Did we mention the ‘do not touch’ sign was askew?”

: “I mean. Yes? He’s the type … he’s reckless but not out of sheer curiosity like you,” gesturing at the Awoken. “Or out of a sense that you know exactly how to play the game like you,” gesturing at Aurelius. “Or out of sheer self-destructive urges like yours truly,” another truly dramatic curtsy. “So he had to have had a reason.”

: “Oh I should also mention Jorule watched him do it.”

: “So.”

: “Likely, it directly has to do with that one Sun.” He shrugs. “At least from the jump, he’s been the one of us that’s been ready to kill from the word ‘go’–“

shrugs from his flopped position.

: “…But, he probably had a good reason for it, yeah.”

rocks his head back and forth… “Hmm… yeah the ‘why’ hasn’t been mussed up yet, so we’re still good.”

: “Anyway!”

is arrested mid-movement toward her own couch of choice to glare at Aurelius. “Isn’t that cheating? That seems very much like you’re cheating.”

: “Sage’s wouldn’t write things down if they didn’t want them to be read.”

: “We can narrow it down with a bit of thinking and (rotating) our dear friend.”

: “We could also just ask later…? And potentially embarrass him, but y’know.”

: “That would be a different kind of fun.”

: “But I mean, we’re here, might as well gossip!”

just looks at Aurelius and lets out a long sigh, caught somewhere between ‘fond’ and ‘exasperated.’ Both at the same time, even. Then she goes and takes a seat on her own couch, pulling her legs up to her chest. The panels of her skirt fall away on both sides, and she yelps at the sudden cold air on her skin, and then she drops her feet to the ground and crosses one leg over the other. “We can, though I … hm. Well I’d like to talk to him about the why, though Aurelius certainly has dibs on confronting him about doing it at all. And I have actual things I want to talk about both of you with that don’t involve our dear yeresh.”

blinks a few times, looking between Aurelius and Salme, and shifts his jaw a bit. He blinks harder and shakes off the feeling (through literally shaking his head) and moves over towards the two of them, but doesn’t sit.

: “Oh, I don’t really mind. The warning’s there for your comfort and safety, and if you feel comfortable taking 14.06… don’t remember the number off hand, stress at once then by all means I guess…?”

looks at the Awoken. “Are you okay?”

: “(14.0625)”

gives an odd smile. “We’ve shifted topical tracks like three times now, I’m considering how comfortable I should get for the next one, or should I be ready to move scene again.”

: “Things feel very… strange.”

: “…It’s largely been one? I thought? Maybe there was some context you were missing.”

: “Well. I suppose I should be honest. There are at least three things I want to talk about. One will probably make you uncomfortable, Sininen. One will probably make Aurelius uncomfortable, though perhaps not. And one is absolutely going to make me uncomfortable. Would one of you like to pick? I’ve dragged you both around enough it seems only fair.”

makes a deferring gesture to the Awoken.

: “Now this I can handle.” He crosses his arms, but they’re held high in confidence, like a prize fighter posing for a portrait. “I will take the brunt of this, head on!”

laughs.

stops laughing, almost abruptly. “When we first brought you in here, and you saw this sun, you disappeared.”

: “You were still here, but you were gone. Where did you go?”

: “Ah.” He relaxes his hands to his hips now. “I didn’t go anywhere, though I certainly did try to close the space between myself and the loving, 100% Sun, which I am pleased has kept its grace to a lower din. It wouldn’t do for me to fumble about like a drunk in the dark, futily trying to strike match to lantern each time I wanted a sitdown session- except the reverse, more-positive version of that.”

‘s own hands clench into fists and there might be just a bit, just a hint of tenebrous gnosis there. “Only you were able to hear it. See it. Feel it. What do you think that means?”

: “Also what we’re you talking about?”

: “Whimsically, I’d say it was because I’m a very good listener. Metaphysically, though?”

: “That me and the loving sun have some sort of forgotten connection.”

: “‘Associating familiarity’ is the bare threads that show that my prior-Sanctuary memory did perhaps exist at some point, it seems.”

: “Also- context, Aury!” He waves a hand, cupped, and underhandedly. “I talk about a lot of things, what in specific do you reference?”

: “I mean, yeah, if you were fully fresh out of the vat like the others you’d be a lot less weird, I think…”

: “Oh, well. When you got that far away look in your eye you were doing a lot of mumbling to yourself, as if you were communicating with someone. Or perhaps possessed.”

: “I assume you’re referencing the non-Architect beings within Sanctuary. Which- I’d be more bland, and you can take that as ‘weird’ or not.”

nods. “Interesting theory about me being an Architect creation. It’s not as though I hadn’t noticed some similarities myself.”

: “I don’t think it fully registered at the time, but thinking back on it, yeah. I’d probably sooner bet they were based on you than the other way around, though.”

grins, his eyes haughtily lid. “The clone could never be as perfect as the mold.”

frowns. “I don’t think they were creations, though? He couldn’t even make cheese. I think they were … I think he’d call them refugees, from other worlds. Though how he acquired them I’m not sure I could say.”

: “Yeah, actually.”

: “Oh yeah, just coincidentally found a dozen people that all look and sound exactly the same with a striking resemblance to another person totally unrelated to them.”

: “That also didn’t have names. Or even know what names WERE.”

: “(Shit we’re drifting away from the initial question…!)”

: “Highly improbable that I would have a vast number of progeny of around the same age, but… impossible?” He playfully looks from one of them to the other and back and back again.

opens his mouth, closes it. “…Okay.”

laughs a little, but she’s bothered. “We only met one. We don’t know what the others looked like? Though if you’re right I don’t know what that means.”

: “There were others in the kitchen.”

dismissively waves a hand. “I’m counting it as ‘so improbable it likely isn’t the answer.’ Parsimony is one of the twelve virtues, and all.”

: “Yes but did we see them? Do we know what they looked like?”

closes his eyes, deep in thought.

looks at the Awoken and untenses a hitch. “I actually wanted to … after you saw the sun, I wanted to look at the entry of Valaïs on in the pamphlet again, with you, and see if any of it sounded familiar or not. I hadn’t been worrying about if you were secretly a creation of the Architect, but now I am.” She laughs, again, without a lot of humor.

slowly opens his eyes. “We saw at least two, and they were identical.”

: “Oh that stiff git couldn’t be this colorful. Not without external help. Could be a product of the Architect and Omniclast, working together.”

nods to Salme. “We can go line by line, or I can give it another once-over if you’d like.”

: “That one opening with ‘you don’t remember’ instead of ‘you may remember’ is still kind of amusing.”

: “Ah. Thank you Aurelius.” She bites her lip. Gnaws at it, really. “Well. You’re here now and that’s what matters,” but she says it more like she hopes it than believes it.

looks at Aurelius. “Do you have the pamphlet?”

: “‘do I have the pamphlet’ she asks,” He says dismissively, and produces it with a flick of the wrist.

: “(It’s always irritatingly hot when you do that),” she mutters, and then to Awoken. “If you’d do me the honor?”

: “Right.” He takes the pamphlet, opens it up, flicks his fingers a few times to scroll over to Valais.

tries to enjoy watching the play of the Awoken’s fingers on the pamphlet’s pages, but her eyes keep drifting up to his face. Worried. Concerned.

: “‘You do not remember Valais, try as you might.’ I mean, so far this feels accurate.”

: “But let me describe it to you anyways:” And he does, line by line, a poetic reading, with ebb and flow as the punctuation allows and the words roll.

: “You know… the way it describes the Pathos seems similar to your fish. Maybe not aesthetically, but in feeling…? And it’s easy to imagine the hands as undead.”

frowns. “His fish? I was thinking it sounded like his sun.”

: “It’s also very specific on what the undead are like, so I figure that’s out.”

: “Two things can be true at the same time.”

: “I think you’re casting for fish when you’ve got dreams for bait.” He winks.

: “…Is that a thing people say?”

: “If it wasn’t before, it will be now!” He grins, happily.

makes a sound that absolutely is attempting to be a laugh and failing miserably. “It’s a thing Sininen says, so it is now.” Then she swallows. “But the … call. Of something that draws you away, towards it.”

eyes Awoken suspiciously.

: “Oh wait, right, there’s a picture at the top of the entry isn’t there?” Aurelius suddenly sits up, then leans over to take a better look.

gestures with a point to Salme. “That’s something more workable. It’s got more of a basis in feeling, but that’s at least observed and felt. But it’s never felt quite like how it’s described in the pamphlet.”

: “…Hmm that does LOOK like a giant light source at least.”

: “Not a word in here written about love.”

inclines her head. “Fair enough. There’s also something about … the songs of the dead, though, and their beauty. Wanting to join.” She frowns. “I don’t know how it fits together. If it fits together. But if the sun that can only harm belongs to Mu, which it seems to, then … something of this loving sun seems to belong to Valaïs.”

: “Could be! Maybe we’ll get to witness it when we get there.”

: “Could also be unrelated and just surface level similarities, but yeah.”

opens her mouth like she’s about to say something, and then shuts it. She closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens her eyes and looks directly at the Awoken. “I don’t want to lose you to some loving sun.” And then she looks at Aurelius. “I don’t want to lose either of you, and I’m terrified it’s going to happen. I just got both of you.”

purses his lips. “Well… should I not say the more looming question that nobody has asked yet?”

: “No you definitely should because she’s gunna dwell on what you didn’t say if you don’t.” He then reaches out and places a hand on Salme’s head, before letting it slide down to the side.

leans into the touch, and nods in encouragement to the Awoken.

walks forward, and puts a boot up on the edge of the coffee table, leaning forward onto his leading knee.

: “What happened to the Empty-Space-In-The-Sky. Why does a constellation we are all acutely aware of, not itself reference in the pamphlet? And why does the Sun, loving and I assume angry, bleed into that curiously empty space where a thirteenth pane should be?”

: “Oh. I did ask that actually. (Just. For the record.) But yeah, it’s. A good question.”

: “Personally, I suspect the loving sun exists there and something is currently hiding it.”

: “There’s naught a pane above us. Something is missing, entirely. I suspect it is not hidden, but missing.”

: “I don’t know. I thought, at first, that the sun belonged there, but I’m not sure.” She tilts her head up and looks at the sun above them. “And now that I have a concept of the ‘sun,’ I don’t think … a sun that can only comfort is any more complete than a sun that can only harm. Shouldn’t a sun do both?”

nods. “The other obvious answer.”

: “The most parsimonious is, incomplete craftsmanship.”

: “Classic Architect.”

: “Oh no, I mean the pamphlet and this room, both.”

frowns. “When did you learn the howevermany virtues?”

: “…You didn’t immediately pick up a copy of them?”

: “I was busy throwing myself into the ocean and communing with the Polite Visitors.”

: “Synthesis and I met prior the the luncheon, I got a quick rundown of it and spent a bit of time reading them as a nightcap.”

: “Also the pamphlet and the room are both a work in progress so… fair, but I also reckon even if they weren’t they wouldn’t show us something we shouldn’t know. Probably.”

: “And you’re worried about losing me to something…” He moves to take a seat next to Salme.

gives a strained smile to Salme and gently pets her.

: “But not yourseeeeeeeeeeeeelf.” He pokes her on the shoulder and gently digs it in a bit.

shrugs. “It doesn’t count if it’s me,” she says lightly, letting them both do what they will. “Aurelius said I’m a hypocrite and he’s right.”

: “That’s how we’re all really similar.” He gives her a quick peck on the cheek.

: “I did?”

: “You did.”

laughs this time a lot more convincingly. “I think so? Oh. Well. I called myself a hypocrite and I’m right.”

looks at the Awoken and pecks him back on the cheek. “Maybe you can explain them to me? And get me a copy of the pamphlet?”

: “The one about the virtues.”

: “Not now but … later.”

pulls a copy of “Concerning the Structure of the Inquiring Mind” out from his robe - pauses, slides it back in.

: “Of course. We’ll have to learn before making spectacles of ourselves to the academics- I mean, we’ll have learned, but we’ll still be spectacles.”

nods and thinks for a moment. “So that’s one topic. Sininen, which one of us should be up next?”

: “Hold on, hold on.”

: “It’s time for the reversal game.”

: “(Turn the chessboard around!)”

: “And, really, to be serious, because I do want to know-“

: “A fear of losing me to a loving Sun, or that I could be a creation of the Architect and having fear of… I guess, being secretly mind-controlled?”

: “I could understand the first, though I still held a foot to reality, and called for the dimming of its strength- perhaps there would be a different time, a different universe where I would not, but through the force of will of our goals, and love of memories we have created, and through a belief that I must be myself…”

: “The second though… where’s it come from?”

: “Oh. Well. The first, certainly. The second–not that, not mind-controlled, but if he made you, what if he could … unmake you? Or the Omniclast could? What if.”

: “I try to believe it’s different this time. I trust you both, I want it to be different this time. But I’ve lived so many lives that wanted it to be different before, and it wasn’t. Anything that means it might be easier for someone to take you away from me? That terrifies me.”

‘s eyes are gentle. “Do you spend each day, running toward what you fear most?”

: “I’ve been trying but. You know. A new outfit was enough to make me. Anxious. It’s just. The stakes are high. They’re the highest they’ve ever been. And the story is divided into two parts. Who knows what happens in the abyss between.”

reaches over and holds her hand, entertwining fingers. “In the presence of fear, this is admirable. In the lack of presence, it is torture.”

: “Please don’t feel as though you must challenge each day with a sword pointed at the greatest evil you could imagine.”

: “Hone the edge, but waste it not on the waving reeds.”

raises an eyebrow at something she said, but doesn’t interrupt the Awoken.

: “I’m trying,” she says, frustrated, “but it’s–it feels like we’re getting conflicting messages from the universe itself. One of the Polite Visitors (who, apparently, are somehow related to the noöplankton, who are somehow about 250,000 years old) told me that … anything is possible, that this time things will be different. And then Synthesis sang a song about how we shouldn’t think we’ll get a chance to choose. You may disappear into the sun or get unraveled like a badly-knitted sock, and Aury could … get devoured by Annarr or Jorule or something else entirely! Things go wrong so easily.”

: “Damn it, this isn’t even what I wanted to talk about.”

: “Naw he's all yours, what would I even do with 'em long term?“

laughs. “Okay, you wouldn’t … devour him, but what if what happened before happens again?”

nods, the torch has been passed.

: “…Isn’t that what this place is for?”

: “No?”

: “…Hmm maybe a wire got crossed…”

: “Was the worry about about if we all lost our memories again?”

: “Well, let’s start at the beginning then, though I figure it’s off-target from whatever inquiry she has- what IS this place for, if not a safe space for us and our friends and memories we want to share with each other?”

has never actually been in a desert but her laugh is dry as one. “No? It was … just. To share memories where it would be useful to be able to see things. Like. When Unua and I dove in the mask and saw the Architect waiting for Wolf and I at the shrine in Almachadta. Things that someone might explain but seeing might … be more useful?”

: “I can’t believe I failed to explain myself well to Aurelius. This never happens.”

: “Oh. Well. …”

: “…Maybe we didn’t need all this power after all…”

: “…too late it’s already here.”

turns his head, his shoulders shaking, and he’s suppressing his mouth with his other open hand.

: “Guess it’ll just get hit by feature creep and expand past its initial pitch…!”

: “Sorry. I guess. No. I don’t think … you can’t … save a person just by … having their memories anyway. That’s why you’re Aurelius and not Annarr, at least in part.”

: “There’s a pretty big difference between mixing blue and red together to get purple, and then erasing the purple but having a - this metaphor has already gotten away from me. Hm.”

‘s far knee is now bouncing rapidly and several hisses of exhalation escape his nose.

tilts her head at him. “What is it, Awoken?”

: “…Anyway the REASSURING point is that it’s HIGHLY unlikely those very specific conditions will ever arise again.”

: “Gheheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeh!” he finally exlaims, and exhales, and he pounds the now-free hand onto the couch, and he’s laughing.

: “Ohh…”

: “It’s just… that’s how he says he loves us. It’s so… cute…!”

wipes away a tear in between catching his breath inbetween fading laughs.

pats the Awoken on the back. A bit forcefully.

: “It IS!”

: “That’s ALSO how we’re all alike, sort of!”

looks at Aurelius, questioningly, then back to Awoken. “What’s how he says he loves us?”

: “You know what’s funny, is I mentioned us all being kind of messed up in similar ways before. And she thought I was crazy!”

: “But you get it.”

waves a hand, gesticulating to the library. “The entire… this! The library, the various settings on the light, the couches, the guestbook-“

: “(I just think both of you are a lot more likeable and desirable and worthy of love, for whatever it’s worth),” she mutters.

: “There is a reverance and priority of memories and his preparedness for the safety of us and those memories that he helped design and construct, and is still refining.”

: “(Mur mur mur murrr murr mur murr.)” Pointer-And-Middle finger flapping against a thumb.

: “It’s more than a place we can share, it’s a bastion. An increasingly unassaible bastion that shields those whom he loves and gives no speck towards any who would seek to plunder or steal from it.”

does look to the side and scratches at the back of his head as Awoken continues, however.

: “However easy it is to actually do- of which multiple people have been in awe at merely the concept of- it is still a labor. A crafted, specialized, cared for and examined labor of love.”

: “I do not think you hide these things, no, it is just… expressed differently than a bouquet or a grand song.”

is looking at Aurelius now, and especially looking at him not looking them. “Oh. Well. I knew that, even if it hadn’t been articulated so beautifully. Though I think he’d do that for any one of us in the group, because he cares with a fierceness that overwhelms even me sometimes.”

: “Well. Yes.”

: “But. It was your idea, initially.”

swallows and stands, and steps over to where Aurelius sits on his couch, and kneels down on one knee before him. She takes his hand and squeezes it. “I meant to wait to ask this until I had … found a gift worthy of you. And in private,” she gives the Awoken an apologetic look. “But. I’m scared that as you become more yourself, beautiful, brilliant, golden, you’ll realize that you can do so much better than me. And I don’t think you’d ever discard me–you aren’t like that–but. I’m still scared. And so I’m asking–no, saying–openly, that I don’t want that. That I want whatever we’re building to last, like what Archie and Caion have. And so I am asking for you to always leave space for me at your side, Aurelius. Please.”

smiles slightly, turning back to face her. He considers for a good long moment, before putting one hand on her shoulder, and the other hand to the opposite side of her head. Takes a deep breath, then lets it out slowly. “Salme. I am not going to promise you that. This is not because I do not care for you. I do. I care for you deeply. And I have no plans to outgrow you, to leave your side, or move on from you. But I think, somewhere in the back of your mind, that if I do promise you this… that in time you’ll begin to convince yourself that you’ve placed a curse upon me. That the only reason I stay with you is because of a promise I made to you once, long ago. And you’ll convince yourself that it’s only because I keep my promises that I would never think to break it, no matter how much I might want to. So instead I will ask this of you instead: to trust that I am with you because I want to be.”

looks up at him, and, yes, there are unshed tears in her eyes–and maybe some shed tears on her cheeks–and she considers him, carefully and fully, and this is absolutely what he deserves, and this is absolutely how she should love him–with trust in the face of uncertainty. “I’ll do my best,” she says, and then shakes her head, and says, “no. I will. I will trust that.”

: “And I will do all I otherwise can to make you not feel that fear.” He pauses for a moment, then leans down to kiss her.

kisses him back, and when they break, she rests he head against his thigh for a moment.

stands up. “Well. It’s obvious now that I need both of you to wrangle me,” she says, a little wryly. “Glad I get to have you both.”

: “Of course.”

is absolutely beaming with delight, one leg crossed over the other, eyes sparkling.

: “Sometimes, you really can have it all.”

looks at the Awoken and beams back at him. “Sometimes you can,” she says.

rolls her shoulders. “And I guess, since … I can’t imagine anything more … difficult than doing that I’d like to ask about. Our songs.”

: “…What in the world could possibly be difficult about that?” Beat. “Other than the fact that neither of yours have played yet.”

: “I imagine mine’s holding out for dramatic reasons.”

: “All signs continue to point to the playwright background.”

: “Because mine isn’t about me. Or–it is, but it’s about … the Sword-Saint. But it could be any Sword-Saint’s song. And I thought that was … how all ours were, but no one else’s that we know is.” She looks at the Awoken. “And you … I know you’ll want a dramatic reveal, but … I was wondering if you could say if you felt like yours was about you as a person instead of … you as a role?”

: “Point of order, you, very specifically, have a habit of trying to convince yourself you are nothing more than a cog in the machine and unimportant in the macro so… like… are we sure that doesn’t have some thematic relevance?”

leans his head back, closes his eyes… after a few moments they open, and they’re looking up.

: “Actually… I can’t, really, say…? Yes…? No…? Not out of hesitation, just… I don’t feel like it would be very relevatory.”

: “(Also most of the other ‘roles’ are probably on Mu…)”

considers the Awoken for a moment, and then shrugs. “Well, that’s about what I expected you to say,” she says.

: “I am nothing if not consistent.”

turns to Aurelius, considering. “I mean. Fair point but I don’t … think so? I never questioned it before. It never bothered me? But maybe?”

: “Well.”

mouths ‘I think it does bother you.’

laughs for a half second.

: “Yes, it bothers me now.”

: “It might be a bit hard for this conversation to go much further without both of you doing something cool, though?”

is out of crumbs, elsewise there’d be one headed straight for the Awoken’s big, beautiful azure eyes.

: “And, honestly, several more data points besides.”

: “What are we running on? Three? Me, wolf and Caion? Synthesis, so four. And whatever you know about yours but we don’t.”

: “Out of thirteen.”

: “Oh wait Tsem’s too, five.”

: “Hmm… at least, that’s assuming that it’s only Stars that have lyrics.”

: “Or that lyrics are a neccessity for Stars.”

: “(Tsem’s doesn’t even mention him being half Lightdrinker tho.)”

: “Neither Pal-King or Solei had lyrics, at least.”

: “(No one gives you enough credit. You really should be starlit all the time),” she mutters as she reaches up and unchains the ribbons keeping the jacket across her shoulders. She gives it to the Awoken to hold, and then she tugs off the translucent blouse and tosses it at Aury’s face so she’s just down to the shimmering light blue band for a top, which is really a system of very complex ribbons of varying thickness keeping her decent. “Something cool, hm?”

: “Or the Architect or Omniclast for that matter… though we have had non-Star songs with lyrics, too. Obviously.”

: “Well sure, but Polite Visitors got a whole lyric-filled dance number–“

: “I fear we about to be defeated, my friend.” He says through the shirt as it hangs from his face.

after another moment of consideration, she sets the swords, which were held at her back and beneath the jacket, on an unoccupied couch.

is silenced as he is now holding an intensely warm jacket, watching intently.

takes a few, slow breaths before she lowers herself to the ground, sitting seiza-style much like Wolf tends to, before bowing low, as if to an invisible partner.

and then she begins to move, pushing up with her feet to tilt up into a handstand, the gnosis-work in her skirt keeping it upright and covered. She holds that positions for about as long as she held the bow before tilting her feet backwards into a bridge, then pulling herself upright and summoning an approximation of her sabre write in flourishing gnosis with an elegant gesture of her hand.

dances, or maybe fights–the movements are precise and controlled, each muscle trained to perfection. She keeps pace to the music, moving through a series of rapid, precise slashes and jabs, tossing the gnosis-blade easily from hand to hand as she moves smoothly through each gesture, slowing to stretch her body languidly with the music as it slows. She kicks up into easy handstands, rolls into controlled tumbles, and it isn’t quite like gravity is a suggestion so much as an old dance partner she instinctively understands.

as the song crests halfway through, she draws up a dueling partner, or the suggestion of one, with flourishing gnosis as well, and then the dance does become more like a fight, but still a choreographed one. Blows are traded, but the rhythm remains steady, certain, intentional. The calculated movements of Breath, rather than the quick, opportunistic slicing of Claw. As at the height of the song, she shoves her saber through the chest of her dueling partner, then summons another blade and shoves that one through too, and lets them dissipate like leaves blown on the wind.

And then she steps back and bows, low, before seating herself again in the position in which she started and holds that to the end of the song.

‘s breathing isn’t labored, but her body is gleaming with sweat. She waits a couple more moments, and then looks up and goes. “Well?”

pulls the shirt from his face as the performance starts and then… he observes, as carefully as he observes anything. When the song and dance stops he lets the silence linger a few beats, then begins to clap.

blinks and says, “oh, Light, I’m glad that was cool enough.”

: “The uh…”

: “Ah… ah-!” He dashes from the couch, to kneel on the ground. His kneel is is more western, one knee up, the other flat down, a hand resting on one, the other into a fist, onto the ground.

: “Magnificent!”

: “The secret is that you can honestly make them play whenever the hell you want. But.” He continues to clap.

: “I rather enjoyed the show.”

: “Beautiful! Inspired! Real!”

: “And your story, is now!!”

laughs, blushing a little at them both. “I mean, I did figure I could but. I am a performer.”

: “You are.”

: “And it was your time- and it was masterful.”

pulls Awoken into a quick but heated kiss, eyes bright, exhilarated from the movements, before looking at Aurelius. “Are you, perhaps, feeling a bit of attraction to me right now?” she says, teasing.

: “Of course.”

returns the heat, and knows just when to pull away, because this too, is playing a part.

blinks, a little surprised at that, and buries her face in the Awoken’s neck. “Was it my time? Again, I used to think–but this song could be anyone’s, really.”

: “A sword could be anyone’s, a song could be for a crowd or but for none. Could be, could be, could be.”

: “But now- it is yours, and here, you sing.”

laughs. “It’s as much about you, as mine or Wolf’s or Caion’s are about us. They, too, could be about anyone from our worlds.”

: “The story needs a Sword-Saint but it doesn’t really need me,” and she says it like it’s a thing she worries is true, and she does worry it’s true, but right at this moment, the Awoken’s warmth, under Aurelius’ gaze, it’s not a worry she remembers being able to have.

: “And now, it is not anyone else’s.” He reaches up to hug her tightly.

nods.

: “I’m sweaty, Sinitöyhtönärhi. You’re going to ruin your nice jacket,” she protests, but not very forcefully.

: “A memory so striking could never ruin what we have.”

: “I would wear it proudly on my chest like I do for all that I love.”

does eventually release, because you can’t just sit there forever, but however many moments it was- for then, for them, it was enough.

kisses the edge of his jaw, and then says, to Aurelius. “The thing with your song–or, well, Annarr’s song–it is about what happened to him, as a person. Wolf’s too. But would … you get anything about me from that song? Or just … the Sword-Saint of Almachadta, of which there have been so many no one could hope to remember?”

frowns and looks at Awoken. “And, even if it’s my song now, even if I make it my song, it makes me … wonder about the role the Sage expected me to play.”

considers for a moment, then shrugs. “…Does it really matter?”

jerks a thumb towards Aurelius. “What he said!”

: “No matter if we were chosen, or if it was simply timing of being caught in a net-“

: “We are something that Sages, and the Architect, and any other force out there cannot control.”

: “And… surely, truely, none of us are complete unknowables, even the ones that don’t know anything.”

: “But… it’s like knowing that someone always leaves what they find most delicious to eat for last, in a meal.”

: “Sometimes, they’ll surprise you anyway, and you may never know why.”

: “And you still love them and want them to live.”

: “Can’t imagine anyone expected us to be sitting in a sealed space with you dancing to a magical song conjured by your force of will while half naked at the outset of things in either case, so like, odds are good we’re kinda wildly off script as is.”

: “And… yeah, sure. Maybe it was a role of a wandering duelist, one facing inevitability of a cycle.”

: “But that wheel is freshly shattered.”

who had been nodding along to the Awoken’s words, bursts out into helpless laughter at Aurelius’ comment.

: “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it at all, either. Face-up!”

after composing herself for a moment, though, says, “It doesn’t really matter. It felt like it did, when I was in my own head, but,” she shrugs. “So what?”

: “So what!”

laughs again into the Awoken’s neck. “I never thought I’d be dancing around half naked at all, ever, but these things happen I guess. And I accept these changes with … love and … how do you say it, Awa?”

: “Wholly… and lovingly.”

: “I accept these changes wholly and lovingly.” She kisses the Awoken’s jaw again, and then stands, stretching. “I’d like to leave her and go wholly and lovingly back to our room, with both of you, if there’s enough interest,” she says.

draws himself up to a stand, and slings Salme’s jacket over his shoulder. He looks back to Aurelius, and nods toward Salme without facing her.

: “Ah but what if we sat in here and talked about nothing for three more hours instead,” He says, rolling to his feet and stepping through the gate.

laughs, and grins at the Awoken. “I can hold that bridge for at least twenty minutes,” she says, then gathers her discarded clothing and slips out the gate as well.

: “Oh no, you’re not getting this back. You threw it into the audience, it’s memorabilia now.” He waves the shirt in his has before fading back into reality.

back in reality, she considers Aurelius for a moment before she says, “do you really want me walking around like that for everyone to see?” And she’s more curious about it than anything else. Calculating, really.

heads for the gate, and before he’s the last to leave, he slips a pearl out from one of his pockets. “(You might have to stay in the pocket for this next one, too! Sorry not sorry!)”

laughs. “No? I knew we’d be back to normal as soon as we left.” And, they are. Exactly as they left themselves before entering the library.

: “Hmm.” She stands from where she’s seated on the bed, goes over to Aurelius, fists her hand in his robe, and if it falls open a little more, oh well. “See, I’ve been trying to figure you out for some time. If, in a context like this, you’d rather lead or be led.” She tugs him upward. “I didn’t know if the shirt thing was your attempt to force my hand.”

slants a quick smile when the Awoken returns as well, and says, “Sininen, which of the Academic Virtues is trying different things and recording the results?”

: “I think,” He pauses, staring Salme directly in the eye, “we both know I am in over my head and that you are. Far, far more Burning than I.”

: “Right now, it could only be Counsel.”

: “That’s true. Awoken had said you’d be the Burning and I’d be the Flourishing and he, of course, the Tenebrous. But theories change. Stand up, Aurelius.”

tilts a look at Awoken. “Are you offering Counsel, or is he?”

: “I am, I think very obviously, quite Radiant.”

: “It’s a collaborative effort with no bound.” Intentional pause. “Other than the ones you ask for.”

then rolls his eyes and moves closer to Salme.

laughs at the Awoken’s answer, and smiles at Aurelius. “Thank you. Exactly like that. I love you too.” And then she kisses him, even as she reaches for Awoken and wills the dark curtains closed and secure.