Scene Archives

comes into the common room, tablet under her arm, hair a little askew. When she sees Aurelius she’s drawn up short. “Oh. Hi,” she says.

takes the tablet out of her hands (and then out of his own) and replaces it with a glass that’s about… a third of the way filled with a thin, syrup-y looking drink and three large ice cubes that have somehow avoided melting inside of it.

takes a sip without thinking, and then makes a face. “Why?”

: “I’m sure as hell not finishing it, and so the task falls to you, my most trusted companion.”

: “Absolutely not. I’m not even big on Almachadtan sweets. This is … something else.” She does take another sip, grimaces, and frowns. “No. Nope. You’re on your own.”

pushes the glass into his hands, or tries to.

: “Really, you’re just going to abandon me in my time of need like this…?”

rolls her eyes, and sets the glass on a nearby table. “I’m not that easy to manipulate,” she huffs.

: “Tragic.”

: “Anyway. I just wanted to give the tablet back. I had to use messenger-Bird to get access so.”

: “Yeah.”

: “Aha. Well, package received then.”

shifts from foot to foot, like she’s waiting, or hoping for something, and then she says, “I know you said you like that I’m nosy but. Do you ever think that it might. Cause problems, in the long run? That I do too much? That—you can kill a seed by over-watering it, you know?”

: “Can I imagine a world in which my dear Salme, whom I love very much, has ever been entirely Too Much for someone and caused problems with her persistent and insistent personality…? Hmm…! Hmm…! Really going to need to think about this one.”

clenches her jaw and looks down. “Yeah. Okay. Generally, yes, it’s obvious. I seethe with it, right? Anyone who knows how to look can see it, I’m sure. I was asking about you, specifically.”

: “Sorry, didn’t think you’d be back in a bad mood so soon.” He reaches out and pulls Salme into a hug.

: “Considering how our relationship started out, I’m not… particularly worried? And if I was there’d be concern in both directions, not just the one.”

lets him pull her into a hug, but she laughs hollowly. “What are you talking about? I can’t leave you alone and … the only time you’ve ever sought me out is when you thought something had gone horribly wrong.”

: “I think we both know I have, within me, the capacity to be an insensitive asshole that doesn’t know when to stop talking. Which is LIKE pestering someone too much.” He shakes his head, before resting his chin on the top of her head. “But honestly I think it’s mostly just that you’re so busy and always running about doing this or that. You never stay away from me long enough to register that I might be feeling lonely, though. It’s not as if we haven’t hung out several times today, you know?”

hesitates before wrapping his arms around his waist. “I like when you can’t stop talking. It makes it feel okay that—I’m like that too, you know? And I just. Like that. About you more generally. But. Hmm.” She’d look up at him, but his chin is on her head so she can’t, not really. “That’s sort of it. I realized … I spoke a bit with Archie, after we last talked, and then I asked him and Caion to help me with something, and the whole time I kept wishing you were there with me. And afterwards I also wanted to talk to you, and ended up. Well. Finding out some interesting things.”

: “Well. I would have been happy to accompany you on your little research trip, had you not slipped off to do it alone. Presumably, I assume, born of a desire to focus on the specific task and hand and not wanted to show up with surprises…? I am sorry you were feeling lonely, though.”

pulls away. “Okay. Well. Could we talk? There’s a couple things I want to tell you, and a couple I want to ask about, and. It’d be easier to do sitting down?”

: “We can talk.” And he loses his hold on her.

sits down on the couch. “So. Wanna hear about the fact that I talked to a constellation first, or do you want to hear about my problems first?”

: “My first instinct is to let you choose, but I also feel like that is the wrong choice right now, so…” He sits as well, thinking. “…Lets start with the problems and works back up to the fun stuff so we end on a high note?”

laughs, and then immediately scoots over, throwing her feet over his lap and curling under his arm. He fell into her trap. “So. I think. Well. Hm. The biggest thing is—had a long talk with Jorule. Did you know he can manifest in the liminal library without needing your body? Probably not, I’m not sure he knew that, but. I didn’t realize when you said you talked with Caion you manifested Jorule-level talked with Caion.”

: “I’m not sure I knew, but I think we both assumed he could.” A pause. “Was I supposed to mention that? It wasn’t even something I did, really. All him.” This said with the hint of a smirk.

looks up at him, and narrows her eyes. “Yes, good boy for acknowledging you’re two different people with your own distinct autonomy but. I guess. I don’t know. I guess I thought you might’ve told me? And I want to respect if you don’t want to tell me something, but Aury, I want to know everything, all of the time.”

: “Do you tell me every single little detail of every single thing you do? The strange spooky ghost that lives in my head said hello to our gracious host, didn’t seem particularly noteworthy to me.”

winces. “I … tell you a lot. Which is maybe. Why I felt a little. Stupid? Embarrassed? I don’t know.”

: “I’d probably tell you more if I didn’t try to stop myself from shutting up occasionally.”

: “Hmm…”

: “Okay, well. At the very least I don’t think that’s anything you should feel stupid or embarrassed about, at the very least.”

: “I might’ve mentioned if I’d been pressed to go into more detail about what we talked about…?” He seems thoughtful, “But it seemed as if you had other things on your mind, so you didn’t, and that particular detail didn’t seem any more important than the others so… didn’t seem as though it was worth bringing up on it’s own.”

: “…Though, uh, if that having slipped past you is bothering you I really should recount a few things from it.” He scratches at the side of his face, before lowering the hand back down around Salme.

: “Well it’s more. I just. Does it make sense if I say I want you to … want to tell me? It probably doesn’t, and it’s okay if you don’t. It’s not about … important information, or mission-critical details, it’s about … sharing things, because we like each other, and want the other to know?”

: “Sure.” He tilts his head backwards, looking up. “I think I can understand that.”

: “Too much?”

shakes his head. “No, it doesn’t sound unreasonable to me. It’s just something I’ll have to keep in mind - remembering that not everyone has a second pair of eyes and mind in their head keeping track of multiple things, and they don’t all innately have access to a second or third opinion. And that even the tiny, unimportant details can matter as much as the larger, more interesting ones to others.”

: “Though I think, perhaps, it might ALSO be reasonable to give a person until the end of the day to recount, uh, the details of said day, and try not to fret if something from the morning isn’t brought up before noon…?”

laughs. “That’s fair.”

: “I did tell you I talked with Jorule and … I mean, you can probably tell from the pamphlet but I wanted to be clear that. I do care about him? As a separate entity? Part of you, but not. And that doesn’t diminish who you are to me at all. I think it strengthens it. That I can love both of you, in different ways, and see the similarities and differences and where they overlap and don’t?”

: “Mmhm.”

: “I think maybe I was feeling guilty about it. I have no idea how you’re feeling about it, how you feel about him. But I wanted to be clear.”

: “…Feeling guilty about caring about a person?”

clears his throat before continuing with Salme’s enunciation rather this his own. “You are a ridiculous woman, Salme.”

laughs again, maybe a little chagrined. “Caring about someone after I spent so much time telling you he didn’t matter. And I stand by that, in the sense that you are yourself, not Jorule or Annarr or … Seth or anyone else? But I was maybe a bit premature in acting like he didn’t matter at all. I keep. Letting so many people matter. It’s exhausting and ridiculous.*

: “It definitely looks exhausting, being you. We should really find a way of letting you trick yourself into relaxing.”

: “Other than, you know, being on the cusp of having nearly worked youself into a panic attack.”

: “Ah. Yeah. That would be useful.”

laughs. “I think. Part of it is just. Wearing so many masks? I told Jorule this but—it’s odd, being around you and Awa, where I don’t feel like I have to thread increasingly smaller needle-eyes? To be what someone needs in a given moment? And maybe that’s also part of learning to trust.”

thinks back of the various conversations he’s had with Archie, Wolf and Salme all since they arrived here, and nods in understanding.

: “That’s the other thing. I talked to Archie about him maybe opening up a bit more to us and. I felt like I was balancing on a very, very high rope strung between two very, very tall trees and it was just. Afterwards, I against just wanted to find you and be … stupid?”

: “Thoughtless.”

: “And instead I was embarrassed and scared and didn’t trust, so I sought comfort from the Mask. Which, in this instance worked out but. I mean. A living, breathing person who loves me or. The Mask. What a choice, Salme.”

: “In the Mask’s defense, you have known it a lot longer than you’ve known any of us. And it is, apparently, quite alive after all.”

: “Probably worked out anyway, I had a chat with Wolf while you were otherwise preoccupied as well.”

: “Oh. How’d that go?”

: “Good, I think? He seemed tired when he left, rather than exhausted or annoyed? Like the tired someone gets after accomplishing an important task they’d set for themself that day, while on their way back home or a pub.”

: “Good. I’m glad.”

: “He was struggling with it, I think. With you. How do you feel after your conversation?”

: “Like I drank too much of that hideously sweet tea during it.” A beat. “But good, more seriously. Closer to being on the same page.”

laughs. “Well you did drink a lot of that hideously sweet tea, so I can’t blame you.” A beat. “Wanna know a truly stupid Salme Thought?”

: “Always excited to file a new one away to bring up when you least expect it later.”

laughs again. “I keep trying to think of something I can do for you. I’ve given Sininen several gifts, and, well, even the rest of our companions. I have something planned for Caion. But I can’t think of anything for you. I was going to offer to—compose the story, your story, not as it’s unfolding, but of before. To help everyone understand you. But it seems like you’ve been able to do that all on your own.”

: “Ah. Yes.”

: “Sometimes I worry that once everyone knows each other better, I won’t have any use or place here.”

: “Your greatest challenge yet: the man that wants for nothing.”

: “Save your company.”

laughs wryly. “Not even that, since I can’t leave you alone.”

: “You’re your own greatest enemy, it would seem.”

: “Yeah. I guess.”

pokes her in the side. “Why do you think you of the six of us would become the unwanted one instead of anyone else?”

twitches away from the poke. “Oh. Because you’re all. Brilliant, in your own way. Archie is so intelligent and clever; he knows so much about this big thing we’re doing. Unua protects and cares for all of us. Wolf is—Wolf is like a hero out of a story from when I was a child. He’s steady and charismatic and can hear the World-Song. Awoken is able to … collapse the distance between any problem and its solution. He knows how to be bold when he must and kind when he must. And you—“⁂

: “Is there anything you couldn’t do? That you don’t do? You’ve crafted the tablet, discovered the sun, made lovely and useful fiends. You’re amazing in battle and kind and generous outside it. You—every time I talk about you, Caion’s eyes bug out about the impossibility of the things you can do. And I know some of that is Jorule, but you’re able to take Jorule’s knowledge and make it your own, make it work in this world. And—you’ve reconciled the different parts of yourself way better than I’ve managed, and those different parts of me aren’t even separate … Sparks.” She laughs. “I know I’m necessary. Every story needs someone to chronicle it. But I’ve been working so hard partially because. I don’t know. I want to be more than the chronicler?” 🙧

leans down and plants a kiss on her forehead. “…Thank you. That was beautiful, and it brings me so much joy to know you think of me that way.”

: “But, also.”

almost starts to sit back up, but instead chooses to lean into her a bit more and wrap his arms around her. “Here, watch this:” He clears his throat before continuing. “Because you’re also so much more obviously important. Wolf is the World-Singer, able to hear the Song in ways few if any other can. He’ll surely be needed for repairing our shattered worlds. Unua is the First Endjinn, born with clear knowledge and mission he must fufill, to save his world! Archie is the top mind in perhaps the entire spread of the worlds, able to understand things no one else had even thought to question. The Awoken? The only known man from a world no one else can remember, but we have records of existing. A true enigma, impossible to replace. Then there’s you. The only one with not only knowledge, but extensive records of a lost, hidden history of an entire world, entrusted with a mission to keep that knowledge alive. Who’s so blessed by a Star that she was able to not only speak with it, but also understand it. Me? I’m just Some Guy with a big weapon that’s a little better at hunting things than most people. You could replace me with any number of others and it wouldn’t make a difference.”

laughs a little but also returns the lean. “Yeah, Aurelius. You’re just Some Guy. Of course. But … point taken. Again, I did say it was stupid.”

: “I know. I just wanted to demonstrate how easy it is to shift those kinds of idle intrusive thoughts around to anyone.”

: “No one of us is any less important or unneeded than any other. You won’t be left behind.”

: “I do. Know that. Trust that. Hope. I just … worry. Just like I worry Awoken is going to get stolen by some loving cosmic force, or you’re going to … think that you as you are right now, alive and specific, aren’t as useful as whoever Annarr might of been or whatever Jorule could do.”

: “But I’m learning to combat worry with trust. You did ask me for that.”

: “I hope I can do the same for you as well.”

: “Though, uhm.”

: “…We’re not allowed to be mad at or suspicious of the Son That Loves anymore, on that note.”

narrows her eyes. “Why?”

laughs a little. “She uh. Restored Thesis to their old form, for a bit. Let them learn some details, and leave some messages in return, as well as some gifts for random acts of unintentional kindness. It was… kind of a whole Thing. Very emotional.”

stares at him. “Okay, yeah, I can see why Jorule birding out was kind of a footnote then.”

nods slightly. “And even that bit of interest and wonder was a footnote to me being worried about why you seemed so upset, when we met in the gym.”

: “Wait.”

: “Is the reason you didn’t … mention any of this at least in part because you were worried about me?”

sounds utterly baffled.

: “Yes? Did I not make that clear earlier?”

: “Oh. I. I mean. I guess? It’s just.” She laughs, and then once she laughs she laughs harder. “I was mostly. Worried and upset. Because you’d been so quiet around the group and I was worried about you.”

: “And, you know, exhausted by not only having to watch precisely what I do but also what I think but. Oh Light, yeah, that makes sense. You, dropping everything to focus on me, while I try to focus on you.”

: “Ridiculous couple.”

nods. “That also though … hm. Fun things now? I’m trying to draw the memories of previous Sword-Saints out of the Mask, as many as I can. I want to tell their stories. I asked Archie and Caion for help, and they—well, Caion might have already told you, but did you know that pearl clusters like Synthesis are held together by starlight?”

: “Oh, that’s what the golden light is? That makes sense.”

: “…I mean, not really, but, y’know.”

: “I’m not sure how much sense it makes but … you know how when we looked at the Mask, we saw it was alive? The bit of it that is alive is … some part of the Duelist’s Mask constellation?”

: “Yeah, I get you.”

: “But it isn’t the same, because of course it’s not. I looked—wait. Are you just going to use Bird Skills to spy on what happened?”

: “Huh?”

: “Because I won’t waste your time explaining the whole thing if you’re going to do that.”

: “Can’t you … don’t you sometimes. You know. Use your Bird powers to see what happened when you weren’t around? Like. Wolf with the Spicy Sun?”

: “Oh. Uh. I mean. … Depends on how much of a separation you think there is between the two of us? That’s a Jorule thing. … I assume he could maybe deign to find a way to tell me everything he reads in these ‘logs’ but it’s not. Like I know everything he does or sees.”

: “And isn’t something that happens often, I think he just thought bringing that up that one time would be funny.”

: “I have no idea what happened between you earlier, for example.”

: “(People get annoyed when someone acts like they were around for everything despite not, in fact, being around.)”

: “I didn’t realize he tattled on Wolf because he thought it was funny.” She blinks. “Kind of a dick move, but, you know. Bird.”

: “Also it was useful for me so.”

: “It was more your increasingly incredulous reactions to the assertions otherwise, I am given to understand.”

laughs. “Okay. Fair enough.”

pokes him in the side. “Are you okay? You’re starting to talk like an old epic hero. You only do that when you’re very. Well. Very.”

: “I think it also comes out a little when silliness is happening too?”

: “Oh. Well. Is this silliness or is it seriousness? I’d guess silliness, but I realized I’ve never asked what you think about Jorule and yourself and how separate you are or aren’t. Does it bother you that I treat you differently? Do you consider yourself otherwise?”

: “Hmm. I feel like, not to long ago, we have this whole big conversation about us being different people and me being my own person, and. There has not been any regression there. Still feeling pretty okay doing what comes naturally. And Jorule’s humoring your viewpoint too, so. Everything’s as expected and desired there.”

: “Then silliness. Okay. That works.”

: “Yeah.”

: “So. The Mask that I carry is apparently called an … entelecheia of the Duelist’s Mask constellation. I don’t know what that means, but. Since I held the mask, and wished to know, the constellation was able to speak with me through the Mask. Literally through it—the mouth moved and everything.”

: “Neat.”

: “Neat?”

: “Neat!”

rolls her eyes and curls in just a little closer. She can’t get much closer, but she manages. “It spoke. Well. IT SPOKE LIKE THIS. It called me ‘Salme tou alsos‘ and referred to an ‘alsos‘ several times. The ‘alsos,’ whatever that is, is something that has a light that you could theoretically curl up in.”

: “Ooh, bet that was exciting for you.”

: “Yes we had a lovely, alethic conversation.”

: “So other than a weird name, what else did it bring?”

: “Confirmation that there were stars, plural, where the empty space is now. And that the stars were eaten. It sounded … horrified.”

: “Other than that we mostly just … talked. I asked questions it couldn’t answer.”

: “Yeah, I imagine the idea of several giant burning balls of cosmic fire being eaten by something would be pretty scary to anyone in general, but another star in particular.”

: “Good to get some confirmation and a bit extra on something we’d all considered, though.”

: “That there was a constellation there, and it’s not just the sun?”

: “Yeah.”

: “And that it’s gone, not hidden.”

: “Eaten. Yeah.”

: “The. Er. Our. Narrator. Claimed they weren’t the one who did it. That was a whole other thing. The narrator showing up and talking with me?”

: “And I assume that was what then summoned Jorule in turn?”

: “Yeah. He was … concerned. That I’d mess things up outside a Bubble and manifest. Something. I’m not sure what.”

: “He’s been squacking about that at every not just you, for what it’s worth.”

grimaces. “Oh. Can he like, yell at you? In your head? I mean, I’m sure Caion got an earful probably, but I didn’t know if he’s started to directly communicate with you since you two are doing some. Project? In the tablet?”

: “Oh.”

: “Independent things, turns out…?”

: “I didn’t know about the ink wall with the pearl alcove until earlier, either.”

: “The … okay. I’m not supposed to know about that either. He’d made it sound … a little more collaborative, I think?”

: “Are you … okay with that?”

: “That’s he’s walking around doing … whatever?”

: “Oh I knew he was trying to build some way of connecting to the tablet remotely and a communication system on top of it, at least? But not really the specifics, or that it would involve taking up another wall beside the viewing screen. I think he probably meant in collaboration with Caion for part of that too…?”

: “And it’s. Fine? Seems potentially useful.*

: “It probably will be. Is it really fine?” She pulls out the handpuppet. “Want me to kill him for you?”

: “No dial…” He signs exasperated, but it’s clear he knows she’s joking.

: “But yes, it’s really fine.”

: “I don’t know if I’d really want him running every idle thought and potential action through me first anyway.”

: “That’s fair.”

: “Are you okay? You sound tired.”

: “Been givin’ the old Feeling Things muscle a bit of a workout all day.”

: “Also fair.”

: “Last thing I wanted to mention is that our narrator seems to like us a lot. Seems to claim that they’ve got just as little information as the rest of us. I’m not sure I believe it, really.”

: “And I guess the final thing I wanted to ask is if you wanted to try doing a little bit of magic on the Mask, but if you need a break it can wait.”

does sit up and reach across him, grabbing the remnants of the sweet tea and taking another sip, and frowning again. “No. Still too sweet.”

: “Hmm. Yes, Schrodinger’s Writer. Can only know things as they are observed. Probably makes sense.*

: “I. What?”

: “Notably, not Laplace’s Demon, that would be the opposite.”

: “Aury, is this important enough to ask you to focus and explain it to me or are you just twittering?”

: “Uh. I have. No fucking idea.”

: “Probably not.”

: “Do you need a nap?” Frowning at him.

: “I would not be entirely opposed to one.”

: “Yeah okay.” She frees herself from him and stretches. “I’m kind of tired too. Come with me?” She offers him her hand.

: “Of course.” He takes a moment to disappear the rest of the sweet tea, before taking her hand. Maybe they’ll find a use for it later…?