ꙮ Afternoon of the third, and last, day of your stay at Cloudset. Silver-Throat’s got her Glass-Ship ready to take you home - she and her crew were having a bit of a vacation, themselves, on the tower; a few of her crew wound up spending quite some time exploring the new island and cataloguing (by which I mean smelling, rolling around in, and/or eating when applicable) the flowers growing there.
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#full cast session
#chapter 3: samudra
#caion
spent a little bit of time shooting some of those same trees, but that’s probably not relevant. Unless one of them was eating shredded tree bark. Then it might be. But it’s also not really his problem at this point, and so, he arrives at the gathering point for the return trip home with a clear conscious.
ꙮ You’ve eaten breakfast already, and probably lunch. It’s been simple fare here - potato stew, seaweed soup, fried fish, some greens from a small hydroponics setup in one of the Cloudset towers - but nonetheless delicious.
ꙮ Luĉja may have sampled the shredded tree bark, honestly. I wouldn’t put it past them.
: “So… what’d ya’ name the island, Salme?” he remarks, giving her a curious look and a headtilt before popping half a buttered potato into his mouth. (Probably too much for a single bite, but he’ll chew on it for a bit.)
looks around for Ksenija. “I want to make sure it’s … good enough, first. Before I tell anyone else.”
lifts an eyebrow at Salme. “If it is the name you desire for the island, then it is good enough by definition.”
smiles at her. “I’d think as its creator, anything you decide would be good enough, but I understand the instinct.”
shakes his head. “Nah, there could be some very… very silly names.” He stares off into the distance at nobody and nothing in particular.
: “They don’t even name all their towers here, just give some numbers. You’re fine.”
: “(And to be honest, you don’t need a name, strictly-speaking, in the first place.)”
is there, of course. She’s been spending as much time with Silver-Throat as she can, while Silver-Throat is here, but it’s soon time to see all of you off, so she’s milling about, and waves to Salme.
looks at Awoken, disapprovingly.
ꙮ If you don’t have a name, someone will start calling you “NIP” as a bit and then it’ll stick, and you’ll even be unreasonably fond of it after no time at all. Not having a name is a dangerous thing.
allows himself a brief flicker of eyes and eyebrows, no more.
waves back and slips over next to her quickly. “I’ve been thinking. About a name for the island. And if it’s not too much of a mouthful, I think calling it … Tulinsuojat would be. Right. Suoja for short. It means … a shield made of fire. A safe harbor. Something like that.”
looks up at NIP with a smile, pleased that it likes the name he came up with for it. Naming things is a bit of a talent of his, as it turns out.
: “Good stuff!” He nods in approval.
beams at Salme. “Tulinsuojat. That’s a lovely name.” And she does get it right the first time, so it can’t be too much of a mouthful!
nods with approval. “I like it! And I should think that a name that invokes safety would help avoid thought storms as people continue to learn of its existence.”
very pointedly does not give Salme a look that says “I told you so,” and in pointedly not doing so…does so. He’s like that.
: “It’s both from a language that is very much mine, and also a hope. That it can be a shield or a harbor when necessary. Much like one might hope to love the strangers whom they meet.” She smiles at Ksenija, takes her hands, gives them a quick squeeze, and then turns and laughs at Wolf.
beams at Salme, holds her hands, also nods to Archie. “We could all use some safe harbors in our lives, I think. And we’ve always tried to make sure Cloudset was one, so it fits.” She gives him a hug, too.
thumbs up at Salme.
returns the thumbs up, smiles at Archie, grabs Awoken into a quick hug, and mutters, “yes, yes, the yeresh knows best.” Somehow all of this happens in quick succession. Pretty amazing, honestly.
smirks, playfully. “Not always. Just usually. Mostly. Constantly?” Makes a musing face.
ꙮ Consistently, for sure.
ꙮ In any event, once you’re ready to depart, the docks await.
climbs on down once the door’s open.
quickhugs Salme, and waves goodbye to Cloudset before hopping onto the deck of the boat, making for one of the many rugs.
scrunches into the glass ship once more
takes one last look at Cloudset and Suoja and slips into the ship as well.
ꙮ (“The Docks” like it’s not… one dock, that’s clearly got adjustments made to it specifically for Silver-Throat’s ship. There’s the dock on the island if they need to handle more incoming ships come to check out Tulinsuojat, it’ll be fine.)
parks himself in what is becoming his usual spot in a Glass Ship, nearest to the prow, and lets his eyes fix on the newly-christened island of Tulinsuojat until they’re past it.
heads to the docks and gets on board the ship.
ꙮ Silver-Throat waves Wolf welcome - she’s already tied to her post, but her hands are free - and Ksenija waves you off with a couple other of the inhabitants of Cloudset come to wish you farewell, and the Glass-Ship casts off, and Silver-Throat and her crew begin to sing and play, and Cloudset and its new island fall away behind you a little slower than you’re used to seeing things fall away when departing on a Glass-Ship, you think.
wonders if that has anything to do with the strange solidity she felt on Tulinsuojat.
: “Hmm…”
ꙮ That, or it’s just always a little slower going when you’re heading away from home. Especially when ‘home’ contains solid ground to frolick around on, now. The crew seemed, and seems, enthusiastic.
is enthusiastic as well. She’s braided deep blue and purple hydrangea blossoms into her hair, and as they sail, she tucks a spring behind Awoken’s ear.
leans into the tuck, humming along with the song of the otten crew. “Hmm…wonder if I should have left an orb on Suoja… ahh it’ll be fine.”
ꙮ As the Glass-Ship cuts through the water, you notice not one but several immense greenish presences, distantly below, surrounding it like an honor guard.
: “I was considering putting a gate there too but never actually got around to it either…”
: “How long do one of those orbs last anyway?”
: “Excellent question, I have no idea!” he says with a grin.
glances down and notices immediately, but casually slides his eyes up and away–not bringing attention to them. His eyes go heavy, however, and he lets a little bit of himself quest downwards, quietly.
, against his better judgment but thinking of Salme and Caion’s experiences with the Pleasant Visitors, reaches out a momentary thought to acknowledge the presence of the greenish presences and try to learn something of them.
Not sure if this should be Flourishing or Pellucid but I wanna do a roll about this
ꙮ Either is appropriate in this instance, face whichever way your heart tells you and believe.
tries to catch Archie’s eye, flickering his fingers to suggest a weave of gnosis which might be helpful.
- The Archivist/Archie invoked their 🟢flourishing gnosis [d8] -> 8! It ✨explodes!
- The Archivist/Archie invoked their 🟢flourishing gnosis [d8] -> 4.
ꙮ That would be a success, then, even before factoring in the bonus from Wolf’s advice -
looks up from looking down, and looks over at Archie and nods, before looking back into the depths.
ꙮ You sense a tendril of gnosis questing -upwards- to meet you. It feels… unreal, shifting, dreamlike and alien, but it is reaching towards you, just as you are reaching towards it. You feel a -mesh- of gnosis, perfectly tracking the Glass-Ship, that feels for all the world like someone who saw a picture of a Bubble and tried to make their own, and were very good at the process but also starting from a wholly different set of geometrical axioms. It functions, though.
blinks at feeling Archie’s gesture, and at the resulting gesture, and sends her own roolet of burning gnosis expressing joy, happiness, excitement, hello, hello, hello.
- Salme, The Sword-Saint invoked their 🔴burning gnosis [d6] -> 4.
sits cross-legged and cross-armed, straight back, feeling as though he’s being wheeled about by a chariot drawn by multiple entities, on top of the world.
keeps half an eye on Archie and Salme, not offering his own input, just…minding.
ꙮ Steady pulses of green light rising from the depths; the immense presences getting closer and closer. Silver-Throat and the crew modulate their song, ever so slightly- there’s a note of questioning, of consensus, of watchful observation.
rumbles a soothing note at Silver-Throat–trust me, fear not.
ꙮ A pod of the entities - pleasant visitors, Dream-Whales, what-have-you - is ringing Silver-Throat’s ship, and rising to the surface, matching its speed exactly- as it slows, as it accelerate- all the while spinning a magnificantly elegant if tremendously strange moveable bubble-webwork around it.
ꙮ They look…
ꙮ Well.
ꙮ Two things are true at the same time, about the way they look.
ꙮ Their true visage, an enormous and utterly impossible collection of iridescent streamers, pulsing chromatic jellyfish-appendages, nineteen eyes pointing in random directions and a single central eye that always seems to be looking in your direction. Those of you who have not seen this visage before know that all six of you are seeing this, now. But, also, and at the same time, equally true, and- you know this- what Silver-Throat and her crew are seeing-
have, for the moment, taken the form of truly gargantuan froglike entities, swimming elegantly through the water- they’re VERY very close to the surface, right now, responding to an unspoken summons. They are a lush and vibrant green, and nestled in each of their bellies is an entire swirling galaxy of gnosis; they’re each wearing a pair of tiny, round glasses perched delicately on their frog noses, and academic mortarboards on their heads, with rainbow tassels.
- You hear — and your Star hears — a song, echoing from the stillness: Dream-Whales
: “Ah… ahahahah…”
: “I. What?” Aurelius blinks twice, then begin laughing.
me slaps his hands on his knees in joy and begins to cackle riotously.
: “Ahahahahahaha!! Yes!! Yessssss!!!!”
’s throat catches on…something, warning or aid, that he was going to say to Silver-Throat…and then he starts laughing, helplessly, bracing himself with a hand on the wall of the Glass Ship.
: “Welcome to the surface, friends!”
tries not to laugh, but. It’s just. “So. So stupid.” And then she loses it, falling back on the rug, laughing.
ꙮ Something shifts in Silver-Throat’s crew’s song- surprise and joy and laughter, almost interfering with their ability to keep the Ship moving forward. Bafflement, joy. Always returning to joy.
: “Are they…are they shielding us from themselves?” Wolf’s laughter is clearly inflected by a deep wonder.
: “It’s the best form I could ever imagine for them!”
ꙮ There is, somehow, a profound dignity to their presence, a gravity to them that was certainly not present in, say, the Maw Eel technique. This is, somehow, in a way that matters, also what they Are.
raises his voice carefully, sliding in between the instruments and voices of Aunt Silver-Throat and the group, adding harmonies of joy and welcome.
puts a hand to his face, how many were there again? One, two, three…?
ꙮ (They’re also enormous magical frogs wearing tiny glasses and mortarboards; it’s impossible not to laugh.)
ꙮ (Also, and this is important, they are not causing any problems, although if they were, only they would know what problems they were causing, or how many there would be.)
ꙮ Six of them, ringing the Glass-Ship.
glances over at Awa, shaking his head.
looks over to Aurelius, nodding enthusastically. “Yeah! Yeah! It worked, Aury!”
, from where she is literally rolling around on the ground, laughing, asks, “wait. Is this. Did you somehow come up with this form, Awa?” At least she wheezes something like it, between giggles.
ꙮ Somehow, their mortarboards and glasses stay on even as they swim matching the Glass-Ship’s pace? Truly the world contains wonders.
: “Lil’ bit, yeah! Big thanks to them for agreeing and playing along, too!”
: “Who better to teach another than a professor?”
puts his other hand over his face.
stares at Awoken in surprise. “What did you do? When did you..?”
looks up at them with a joyful smile. “Teach, you say? I would like to learn what they have to share.”
: “Thusly, the crowned and resplendent, Professor Frog!”
ꙮ One of the Professors Frog waves, pleasantly, but it’s weirdly impossible to tell precisely which one of them it was.
looks to Wolf with a conspiritorial grin. “Back when I was doing my dive. There was intention and purpose behind the notes I sung. I’ll share the memory and annotate it when I get a minute, if that’d be okay!”
makes an amused “be my guest” gesture.
sits back up, enough she can wave back. “Did you sing a special … frog song?”
: “You remember the joke with Professor Frog is that they were... just a frog... right...“
ꙮ All frog songs are special, Salme.
: “A…frog song?” For some reason, that sets Wolf off into gales of laughter again.
: “I mean, kind of sort of! If you sing a frog and sing of the twelve principles you get, well…”
looks to Aurelius, and his mouth curls up at the edges, his eyes half-lidded in humor.
murmurs, to herself. “Frogs. The thirteenth principle.”
: “The principle of Frog!” He’s not having much luck controlling himself.
chuckles at that one, continuing to look up at the Dream-Whales with a sense of warm curiosity.
ꙮ Somehow it seems like they’re still always keeping one eye on you. (It helps that frogs have eyes that can point in all SORTS of different directions. Or at least, these frogs do.)
: “Though wouldn’t, on Samudra at least, they be referred to Scholar-Professors Frog?”
starts and stops several different sentences in Awoken’s direction, but doesn’t manage to get anything else out.
starts laughing again at Aurelius’ speechlessness.
ꙮ They do not seems to be doing anything, other than swimming, steadfastly, in formation with you, and the Glass-Ship speeds along its way, its crew having recovered from the profoundly strange apparition of the (Scholar-)Professors Frog.
ꙮ As the Glass Ship cuts through the water, and your eyes scan the horizon, you realise that something’s not right. You do not see the Academy complex first against the horizon. It’s there - your heart jumps into your throat, for a moment, to be sure. The towers still stand. ⁂
- You hear — and your Star hears — a song, echoing from the stillness: Water-Cold the Knowing
ꙮ Overshadowing them, in every possible sense, is an absolutely massive -wave- of water, taller by far than the Circle-crown of the Central tower where you met Solei. It is held in an eternal moment, water turned to white shimmering crystal, held in place. ⁂
ꙮ The seas are turbulent, and the clouds are still, actively, roiling. It seems possible that they may never stop, and in the shadow of the Tower - rather, in the shadow of the wave - there is something not entirely unlike a Bubble covering the entire Academy complex. It is larger than you can process; you’ve never seen a single sustained gnosis-work of that magnitude. ⁂
ꙮ There is a small aperture in the Bubble, opposite that of the wave of crystal and close to the Academy complex’ docks; the Glass-Ship swiftly makes its way towards it. 🙧
is no longer laughing, his eyes fixed on that incredible, terrifying arch of crystal. “Oh. Oh Goddess Bright,” he breathes.
: “…Thoughtstorm? Or something else?”
sits, and hopes, knowing they can do nothing until ashore.
: “Whole bunch of people holding their breaths and thoughts right now.” He pounds a fist into a palm. “Gotta smooth things over, somehow!”
just forces his eyes from the crystallized wave to look at Archie–whose world this is…whose home this is.
ꙮ As slow as the Ship left Cloudset, that’s how fast it beelines for the aperture in the field - you’re close enough now to see an actual arch, an angle made of white crystal piercing up out of the water, big enough for a couple of the biggest Glass-Ships to transit abreast, but no bigger than it has to be.
ꙮ You can see, in the depths, another pod - possibly more than one - of dream-whales, circling, protectively; describing with their circling the rough outline of the gnosis-work shielding the Academy. The six that were accompanying you descend to the depths, to join them.
lets his eyes glaze over, replacing their usual playful glint with the cold, appraising stare of someone assessing damage, calculating probabilities, running through scenarios, mentally reconstructing what must have taken place here. There is no anger or fear behind it, but nor is there sentiment or love. After a few moments of looking over the scene, he slowly exhales. “This was a thought-storm that was repelled. If the clouds are still active and the seas still raging, we’re not out of the thick of it yet, but something - or from the sound of it, somethings - is keeping the Academy safe, at least for now.”
: “Aye. Glad I am of that.” He lets his gaze follow the descending Dream-Whales, briefly. “I take it that so many in one place is…not common.”
nods. “Drawing-near is danger. Ever since we heard that song, I’ve been thinking about whether the drawing near is the danger, or merely signifies its presence. I think this solidly confirms the latter.”
ꙮ There’s someone waiting at the docks; it looks like he was hauling as much ass as he could, accompanied by an assistant. Holding a tall staff in one hand - an archaic insignia of Academic office and ultimate authority that has not been used in generations, but which Archie would immediately recognise - holding himself strangely stiff otherwise, moving slowly but -relentlessly- to the dock where Silver-Throat guides her ship.
ꙮ Caion’s assistant– someone Archie recognises as one of Solei’s confidantes and amanuenses– is aboard the ship almost immediately, untying Silver-Throat rather hurriedly and then opening the door to the ship’s bubble from the outside.
gives a glance to the sky where the Radiant Star had been before they left as they unload from the ship.
straightens his coat, clasping his forearms behind his back, expression yeresh-calm, but grave.
spins to his feet, ready to hustle at a word’s mention.
ꙮ Aurelius: The wall of crystal reaches its absolute apex precisely, you are sure, where the Radiant Star had been.
all but leaps out of the hatch, once they are able
steps outside quickly and gets to work helping untie the rest of the crew, moving with practiced calm and efficiency.
nods to himself, then gives a glance to Lucja and gives him a nod as well, before gesturing with his head.
looks up, and understands Aurelius, but not the circumstances.
boards the ship without his assistant’s help, but not with ease or dignity. He is -ragged-, half-standing. Something has happened to him. There’s a softly glowing crystal formation where his left eye ought to be; his left hand up to most of his shoulder has become crystal, reaching out in a gesture of warding, fingers locked in a complicated gnosis-weave. Still, he -beams- with relief, when he sees you, rushes towards Archie on his own power to throw his good arm around him, press his face into Archie’s hair.
wraps himself around Caion, returning the embrace, letting that fleeting moment take up an eternity in his mind before turning back to the work of untying the crew and getting everyone to safety.
slips out of the ship and stands with her companions, ready and waiting to hear how she can help. She hesitates, for a moment, and then she takes out the Mask and slips it on. This seems—having the second set of memories will be useful, she thinks.
waits with the rest, though his brows lower as he sees Caion. He projects calm, patience, arms folded behind his back…but anyone standing behind him would see his fingers tapping on his own forearm in a rather anxious rhythm.
nearly lets the staff drop to the deck of the Glass-Ship, holding Archie and just- steadying himself against his body, breathing him in. You can tell he’s been holding it together by the fingertips, for- for some time, now, and he doesn’t come unwound, not here, not in front of everyone, but he lets himself just -stay there-, hugging Archie for dear life for a minute or two, or three until Archie pulls away to help the rest of the crew.
waits for the moment to pass before clearing his throat. “What do you need us to do to help?”
: “Principles, it’s good to see all of you. I—“ He takes a breath. His voice is– not different, but he’s projecting authority and confidence Archie’s probably heard before once or twice in moments of direst need, but probably none of the rest of you have. “The situation is, for the moment, under control. It would. Help me to be able to talk about what happened, though. I would like to– to show you, rather than describe it. I also have a gift for you, and a formal proclamation. Walk with me?”
nods, silently, and falls in beside Caion if he moves on.
: “Absolutely, lead away!” He shakes down his coat and prepares to walk in formation.
: “Of course.”
: “Of course.”
nods. “If you have issue walking, I will carry you.”
says nothing, but takes Caion’s hand, holding delicately but firmly, fingers reassuringly stroking the back of his palm.
takes a moment to glance at Luĉja and then doesn’t -wait- to say: “I don’t know how, or why, but that crystal saved all of us. ‘Thank you’ feels inappropriate in response, but it’s what I’ve got.”
: “What good fortune that I learned to swim. No thanks are required, Friend-Caion. I will always be happy to help.”
seems like he can walk- his left hip’s at least moderately fucked by whatever happened to his left arm and eye, so he can’t walk fast, but he can walk, his staff of office making a satisfying clank against the coral. He’s leaning on it decently hard. Once the seven of them are relatively on their own- he dismissed his attendant to help with Silver-Throat’s moorings- “It was a thoughtstorm. I don’t blame Elizet, or anyone else. There was an argument in the solarium that did not deëscalate as it ought to have done. The entire Academy was wound tight as a spring- you probably felt it yourselves. The Visitors being so close to the surface, what happened to the outlying towers. It was only a matter of time, probably.”
ꙮ A short walk to an elevator, a bridge across to the central tower. Caion’s taking you to the solarium.
nods. “Clearly, now is not a time for assigning blame. What happened next?”
is silent, for the elevator ride, because there are things it’s better to show, than to try and explain; he leans against Archie gently in the interim.
catches Caion’s expression and thinks the better of asking, letting the question die in his throat, supporting Caion instead.
ꙮ The crown-room of the Academy Tower, and what Caion wished to show you there. Standing near the centre of the room, facing the wave of water stopped still in its eternal moment, is a crystalline statue that was, once, Solei. Their feet are rooted to the floor itself, their body twisted in a fluid, desperate arc, hand outstretched towards the crystal glass. Their expression is determined. Light gleams, softly and stubbornly, in the statue’s eyes. They were crying, when it happened.
ꙮ Around them, like a shawl they’re wearing - you didn’t even notice it at first - is a fine filigree of gold, tracing arcs in the air between a somewhat depleted cluster’s worth of Pearls.
stifles a groan–it comes out merely as a pained grunt–and presses a fist tightly to their chest.
ꙮ There are others, crystallised, clearly Circling with Solei- Elizet, a look of horror on their face. Other members of the Zeroth Circle, in the room when it occurred.
: “It does not appear that I saved everyone at all, Friend-Caion.” Luĉja can hardly look at their faces.
resolutely, but not coldly: “No. You did. So did they. So did we all.”
pats Lucja on the back once, firmly.
: “Such heroism rarely comes without cost,” Wolf says, his voice low and rough. “It does not negate the depth of what was saved.*
: “We did what we could. What felt impossible, until we tried it. And you gave us the power to, and I suspect I’ll spend quite a while attempting to understand how.”
: “The Academy stands. I attended the first session of classes this morning. It felt important to.” He looks up, fingers clenched around the ancient staff.
absorbs the tableau, noting the cluster of pearls, the other members of the Circle, and at the center of it, Solei. She steps over to them, and even though she doesn’t think they can hear, she says, “you acted decisively when it mattered, Solei. Well done,” before turning to Caion. “I am guessing the crystal is something new?”
nods, impressed. “I’m in awe of your continuance and commitment of form.”
: “It’s been theorised but never proven. There is gnosis-work too dangerous to attempt except as a matter of last resort. Work that, consequently, we’ve little experience -doing-, and yet.” He nods. “Solei…” He laughs, softly. “They and Synthesis pushed me out of the Circle. Rather roughly, at that.”
clenches his jaw as his suspicion as to who the Pearls were is confirmed.
scrunches up his lips and brings a hand out from his pocket, rolling a single pearl along his knuckles.
: “Someone needed to take charge of the dust as it settled.” For the first time, a familiar wryness. Like he’s -more- comfortable here.
beams for a moment, under the Mask. “Full of piss and vinegar still,” she murmurs to Solei, and then to Caion. “Good. Someone needed to survive this.”
gives a short, humorless bark of laughter as she says the same thing at the same time as Caion.
hugs him again, this time not caring how long it lasts or who sees. Right now, he’s grateful to still have him. As they hug, he briefly extends his gnosis, looking for any sign that his crystallization is continuing to develop.
Could I roll Pellucid or Liminal for this?
ꙮ Pellucid, [Take Half] - whatever happened seems to be done happening.
allows the last of his tension of slump out of him in the hug before reluctantly letting go to face the scene, his expression stony. “Can I ask the subject of the argument that started all this? If it matters.”
just hugs Archie, and some of the ramrod-straight tension -does- leach out of him, then. He’s been putting on a very firm face for the Academy, and he doesn’t have to do that, here and now. He breathes, a little shakily, and with no small relief. “It concerned the Septentrione. Which.” Despite that there are no flesh-and-blood witnesses other than those to whom it’s unnecessary, he DOES draw himself up, formally. “In the current of the River Without Water, I, Caion of Whisker-Clan, by my authority as the acting primus of the Zeroth Circle of the Academy, authorize the expedition to the Septentrione projected to the Circle by the Scholar-Archivist and his research assistants.” He slams his staff into the floor of the solarium, rather harder than was strictly necessary; it makes a loud, resounding clang. “There. For fuck’s sake.”
hugs him again, this time briefly but with bittersweet excitement about having the necessary approvals to continue his work. “We won’t squander this opportunity to do all we can to make things right. I promise.”
grins dangerously at him. “I know, and I can’t wait to learn about what you find. ON WHICH NOTE.”
: “Right before everything happened, Synthesis and I put the finishing touches on the project I’ve been working on. It— it uses their pearls as a key component, they—“ He lets Archie hold his staff for a second, which may have been the first time he’s let it out of his hand since midday yesterday, rummages around in an inside pocket for a blue velvet bag. “Aurelius, c’mere.”
nods, before making his way over to Caion.
hands over the bag, and a large, iridescent conch shell filigreed with goldwork and tiny blue crystals. “There’s one for each of you in there, a pile of preworked tomestones- I finally got the process down to a science- if you find someone you want to keep in touch with on your journey, the shell will have enough pearls for you, just take one out put it in the tomestone, and you’ll be good to go. Synthesis– it’s irrational, but I swear they knew something was going to happen. They kept saying they were glad that some part of them was going to be traveling with you, between this and their other gift for you.”
nods, making that fist-against-heart gesture again–clearly not trusting himself to speak.
looks at the conch in Caion’s hand, and then, satisfied, removes the Mask to watch Aurelius instead.
nods slowly, helping distribute the devices. And once that’s done, he produces a seventh shell, places it in a tomestone, then hands it back to Caion.
accepts it, gratefully, and - fuck it, he just smiles at him, at all six of them. “Thank you. I’m glad to be a part of what you’re doing.”
: “And we’re glad to have your help and company.”
doesn’t care how many times he’s hugged Caion today in front of everyone, it will never be enough. “We’re so much better off for it. And also, I was never going to let you not be a part of it.” He flashes him a smile that somehow manages to sit between playfully mischievous and lovingly reassuring.
: “Despite everything, eh? You’ve got guts!”
: “Is there…aught that we can do here, to give aid?” Wolf asks. His voice is mostly steady. “Much…much transpired at Cloudset, but I fear it pales in comparison to the happenings here.”
smiles, bonks his forehead against Archie’s gently. “Also, I didn’t set up the stuff on the flip side of this system, if anything’s utterly baffling it’s because Jorule has a weird sense of humor. Haven’t dug too deep in yet, didn’t seem right until, y’know.” He gestures at his own tomestone, and then looks at Wolf. “Well, I’d -very- much like to hear about it regardless- but I can’t say I couldn’t use the six of your help settling things down, still. Let’s talk about it sometime later?”
nods, once. “Of course.”
: “It's just a BBS, nothing that complicated.“
: “You have a much different sense of complicated, friend-Jorule,” Luĉja laughs
manages an eye-roll at Jorule, though his heart’s not really in it.
snorts softly at that. “Oh, I don’t know, I can see him getting along well at the Academy.”
: “This’ll be handy for keeping in touch for these calming efforts, at least. It’ll help us get used to the system, and all.”
laugh-sighs at Caion’s statement, thinking back to all of the colorful professors he’s helped find rare materials for over the years.
: “Thank you, Caion. And Aurelius and Jorule. For this system. And thank you Caion, for everything else. For surviving.” She takes a moment to meet Caion’s eyes, then looks back to Aurelius.
nods slightly, though he seems a bit distracted.
: “Exactly! I think I’ll. Go back to spending time in the 36 th again, too, at least while the six of you are still here, so you’ll know where to find me when I’m not up to my ears in it. The -entire- Academy’s under something a lot like a Bubble, too, now, that we’re still investigating, or else the situation would have probably deteriorated again immediately, so that’s certainly helping. I hope that sticks around.”
blinks. “The Bubble is not the work of the Academy?”
: “I think there is some additional support from our…new friends.”
looks to Caion. “I just want to clarify a few things about the present state of affairs to make sure I’m clear. Has the thought-storm abated or is it still a present danger? You’ve mentioned classes are still going, but are there any practical considerations under these circumstances we should keep in mind?” He turns to Wolf and nods. “Luĉja is right, I think, but we can discuss it soon enough.”
: “River, I wish we were that good. We stopped the thoughtstorm, we shielded against the crisis, I think… if another thoughtstorm DID hit we’d probably be fine, honestly, but then something -else- happened, and–“ -he glances at Luĉja, and smiles- “–and I had my suspicions as to what. It’s not quite a Bubble, but it’s not NOT a Bubble.”
: “It seems like you’re not the only one they’ve saved, now. We should talk to them together sometime soon, I think. You’ll never believe the forms they revealed themselves to us as this time, though.”
raises both eyebrows, at that. “Another thing to look forward to, then.” And he -starts- to head back to the elevator, slowly.
walks with him and retraces the old, familiar path back to his quarters in the 36th.
glances around as he starts to feel the group making their way to somewhere to rest, and lets out a slow breath. He then takes off his glasses as he moves into the room, eventually coming to a stop before Solei. He stares into their eyes for a moment, his own beginning to dimly glow gold before he places a hand on Solei’s shoulder. “I spoke with Thesis, the other day. Not for very long, a brief, impossible conversation. They had something they wanted me to relay to you. And I… know these aren’t the best circumstances anymore, but given the impossible having already happened once, I hope it can happen again, and this message somehow reaches you beyond time and space, to whenever you can hear it. Know that Thesis was proud of you, and surely would be even more so now.”
ꙮ And perhaps it can, and perhaps it shall.
does not linger in the room, giving him privacy, but she does linger in the door just outside, waiting, in case he might need—or want—to lean on her after this task.
lingers by the exit to the Solarium with Salme for Aury to return and pass him, and–briefly, for just a moment–wraps an arm around his shoulder, and gives a quick squeeze. “You are a good man, Aurelius.” And then he follows the rest, leaving Aurelius and Salme together.
puts the glasses back on as he gold fades from his eyes, then nods before leaving with the others.