Intro Log: February

[faileas]

Intro Log: February

I. ARRIVAL Out of nowhere, a glint of light catches your eye; your heart thunders in your ears as your body moves on its own, your mind consumed with inspecting the source. Your reflection stares back at you, just as curious from the surface - a mirror, a pool of water, your most trusted sword, something fleeting that your mind can barely remember - then ripples at your touch. A moment later, you feel a tug, and you find yourself stumbling into a dark, musty room. Behind you, a mirror stands ornately decorated with reminders of home wrought in brass and wood: the faces of people you know, and symbols important to you; all things that send a pang through your chest with the desire to return to them. Touching the mirror's surface does nothing but leave the stain of your fingerprints. When you turn to survey the room, you find there are hundreds of other mirrors. None of them are as decorated as yours - they're plain and dusty, speckled with age. Then you realize a second thing: You're not alone. Distantly, the ringing bell of a clocktower can be heard. But no matter its distance, the time is clear to make out: it chimes three times, stark, resonating like a pulse of something in this mirrored hall that you and many others have found yourselves in. For those familiar with magic, they might feel the power of the witching hour upon them, though it will feel different from what they're used to - in fact, everything does. You're certainly not the only ones here, however. On the first floor, with the doors wide open behind them in the foyer, is a small group headed by two individuals. As people begin to arrive, to come from the higher floor, they're waiting - and they're waiting for you, and your questions. Explore the rest of the mirrored halls you've now found yourselves in, or proceed to the foyer? Leaving the Looking-Glass House makes it obvious that the clock striking three was for 3 AM - the night sky is faintly cloudy, but the stars are dim in the face of two moons, even so close to the new moon as it is. The Looking-Glass House is rather nondescript two-story cottage made of grey brick, sitting at the edge of The Coven's courtyard; stones which glow as you step on them mark the path to and from the two buildings. While fairly small and plain on the outside, the inside has been enchanted to be the size of a large library, with hundreds upon hundreds of mirrors hanging, standing, and resting inside its walls. Some are broken, some are cracked, and some seem completely uninjured - but all of them are just as plain as the cottage itself, showing age in the silver beneath their glass and in the greening of their metals... Well, all except a character's personal mirror; to characters, one mirror - the one they came through - will be decorated lavishly with metal-and-wood-wrought reminders of home, and the surface will be as clear as a brand-new mirror.

II. THE WELCOME PARTY Whether you've decided to find a way out of the building you've arrived in, or decided to explore the rest of the Looking-Glass House - and perhaps finding a few familiar faces among the crowd - you feel a pull towards the foyer of the first floor. It's like a firm suggestion, as if to take you by the hand and draw you to where it begins, and the source of it becomes quite apparent upon finding one's way to the front room: a tall, comfortably-dressed older woman and her even taller wolfish companion, along with those which feel to resemble yourselves in a world-traversing sense: Mirrorbound, they're called. "There's always a right lot of you coming in, aren't there." The woman sets her hands on her hips, with her Bonded casting a glance at those looking confused - newly arrived - and those who may have followed them in to talk to the newest addition of their mirrorbound bunch. "About time for introductions though- this here's Mhairi Ainsley, ambassador to the Parliament and my Bonded, and I'm Nerissa Bell, Head Witch of the Coven - but you can just call me Miss Nessie, you can," she adds, winking. "The lot of you must be as tired and confused as the last batch - hullo to those who've joined us, too! - so just a moment, dearests, I'll set all you right up—" With nothing more than a wave of her hand, rows of seats are summoned; despite their wooden nature, they're all sturdy and comfortable, filling the foyer and spreading out a ways into the lawn behind them, making room for all of the new arrivals as well as the previous batch. After all, they'll find this just as interesting. The Witches and Monsters that accompanied Nessie and Mhairi move to make room, and some disperse into the building itself to see if there's anyone who needs tending to. Mhairi steps forward as the chairs materialize. "Please, those who are able, join us for a moment. There are many questions that I'm sure you have - we will do our utmost best to answer them, and you may take any that we can't as a promise to find some sort of solution or answer." NOTE: If you wish to interact with Nessie and Mhairi, please comment here. You have the option of handwaving the IC interaction to OOCly ask what questions your character might have for them, or for us to summarize an answer. Simply specify in your comment's subject and we'll respond accordingly. For those that'd like a more player-based interaction, Aefenglom has its own Welcome Wagon under the same header! These are players who've volunteered for the role, and those that didn't sign up may assist as well if they'd feel their character would -- have fun, and make friends. Additionally, those with notable injuries or sickness will be attended to ASAP by Coven-based witches, and should anyone be curious about what they are - if they have magic potential, or if they swing a different way - then this can be done during this and the general hour or so the new arrivals are within the Coven's grounds. There are ongoing classes on magic, monsters, and Bonding as well, though they take place more during the day than at night - feel free to have your characters attend them at any time!

III. THE HAVEN After an hour or two of general chaos, questions that the natives attempt to help with, and injuries tended to for those who arrive in poor condition, it's time to make a trek to where you'll be staying while Nessie and Mhairi continue to search for a solution to the situation. As you're leaving with a few Bonded for guides, peculiar-looking devices - watches, the native Witches explain, compliments of Parliament - are passed around to all the new arrivals; they're given a quick rundown on their functions and bid to test them out when they can. They can even do it as they make their way out of the Coven's courtyard and to the Haven. Formerly part of the Aristocratic District, The Haven is just as well-kept and brightly-lit as the district it hails from. The houses err on the tall and ornamental-side, large enough to fit several families (or, according to the upper class, their one family, several dozen servants, and guests), especially closest to the Aristocratic District. They become a little more modest and smaller as one gets away from the realm of high society and nearer to the Residential District proper. Newcomers are shuffled here and invited to find somewhere to live - the Coven is currently handling expenses for the houses themselves in a program implemented by the Parliament, though if your character wishes to have anything extra - like maids, chefs, and so on - they'll have to pay for them themselves with their own earned money. Much of the landscape and fixtures are the same as in the Aristocratic Districts, though it lacks formal emergency services due to its roots as part of a district that already did. Much of the housing already has furnishing due to the speed at which homeowners were relocated; they were given enough time to collect their valuables, but standard furniture such as kitchenware, couches, beds, etc. were left behind for those moving in. Other houses appear the same, but the dust on the floors suggest these houses were left before the new arrivals even showed up - a reminder that the Cwyld can strike just about anyone, regardless of standing. Another portion of this district has been opened up to the new arrivals: the barracks, the row of buildings pressed against the very edge of the Bright Wall. As the city's military force no longer has the same presence it previously did, the barracks have gone into disuse, and a cleanup effort has been in place since before the new arrivals came through the Looking-Glass House. For those who desire something a little less opulent, the barracks might just be the answer. The barracks can also be used for business, for a welcome center, a communal space, for anything that the residents of the Haven see fit to use it for - so long as the legality isn't questionable, on the surface. To help with filling up the larger houses - and even some of the smaller ones, and the shared rooms in the barracks - the Witches put together a little roommate finding service, on a smaller scale from the grand opening of the Haven. For those who aren't entirely sure who they want to shack up with, they have a small survey for them to fill out and post on the board they've magicked up in the center of The Haven. The board also very helpfully reads aloud each form for everyone to hear in a cheerful, monotone voice. It isn't able to be shut up, nor is it easy to ignore, being imbued with a kind of amplification magic. It reads simply the information you've offered up yourself, or that someone might have written up for you, should that be their idea of fun.

IV. Faiolleach From the 1st to the 3rd of Feoveuer is the holiday of Faiolleach, a time of spring-cleaning and purification in preparation for the new solar year, of rebirth and youth. It comes at a fitting time, after the dark happenings of the previous month - happenings that most natives are not willing to discuss, except in hushed, sympathetic voices. It was horrible, you know, best to cast that negative energy out. They won't discuss the details, not being privy to them; that's for Mirrorbound to clue the new arrivals in on. Many who have been here longer, though, will notice that Mirrorbound do not receive such a negative response in the wealthier areas of town as they did before. The vast majority of citizens, wealthy elites included, are, at the very least, polite. Despite the storm cloud of the Rathmores' trial on the 3rd hanging over the city, citizens are trying to put on their cheerful faces to celebrate Faiolleach. Originally celebrating the arrival of the sun, it was represented by a daughter of heaven whose name has been lost to ages - many still leave small offerings of food and drink out to this mythical figure, believing it bad luck not to do so. This is mostly done by older natives; the younger generation brushes it off as superstition. They're much more excited about speed-dating parties set up around the city, and blind dating, encompassing the traits of good luck and fertility traditionally held by the holiday. a. Speed-Dating The popular Faiolleach trend among the youths of Aefenglom is speed-dating, normally held in small to mid-sized gatherings of similarly-aged humans and Monsters both. The parties are all independent, usually held at small restaurants or bars, or other local shops rented out for the occasion, and many try to out-do the others - different themes, costumes or dress codes, and magical gimmicks are present at different bashes. They all hold to a similar mechanic: party participants are encouraged to make the rounds and spend just a handful of minutes with each person, sharing information about themselves in order to determine compatibility, but the level of structure (casual to organized) and the types of icebreaker games differ wildly. Revelers in the streets are out to pull walk-in participation in whatever bash is going on nearby, but they back off easily if the person isn't interested. It's certainly not a required part of the holiday, but they're eager to see people having fun. Whatever a person's tastes or interests, it's probable they'll find a gathering to their liking; some are skewed more toward finding someone to Bond with or making a new friend rather than finding someone to date, while some held in the Red Light District are a little spicier, with lingerie or kink themes to their parties. Participation is all optional, but meeting new people, regardless of how, is highly encouraged. b. Bonfires After dark, on all three nights of Faiolleach, bonfires of different sizes are held, scattered around the city, the flames magically contained in circles of runes (to avoid more possible fire damage, with repairs still ongoing from last month). People gather around them to dance, sing folk songs, and share warming drinks with one another. Like the speed-dating parties, they vary wildly from area to area; some are folksy, all-ages affairs where grandmothers tut and offer hot chocolate to ward against the evening chill. A common children's and young adults' activity at these bonfires are decorating wands of white birch wood with ribbons and baubles, and using them in the group dances to create mesmerizing swirls of color and sparkle. Others, especially those in the Entertainment District, feature beautiful dancers of all species in fine silks and satins, performing dances that are a little more sultry. At the obviously-adults-only bonfires, the favorite drink passed around is alcoholic in nature, and lightly spiked with a potion to help the drinker lose some of their inhibitions and help them loosen up. These effects will be readily disclosed to anybody who is offered a cup, to let them choose for themselves - but hey, where's your sense of adventure? c. Light a Candle The 2nd of Feoveuer brings with it a more minor, but still well-loved tradition. As dusk falls, all candles in the city are lit, casting a warm glow from every window and on every street corner as the dark of night sets in. The flickering lights lining paths and shining in homes lend a more metaphorically-magical air to Aefenglom, bringing with it a sense of renewal and shared joy. Light a candle with loved ones and new bonds alike, and it's said to bring good fortune to your friendship or relationship. As the candles burn, several food vendors can be found selling a particular festival dish, a thin pancake topped with fruits, nuts, and cream, meant to be shared with someone by feeding it to them. For couples (or those pretending to be couples), often the vendors will offer the sweet treats for free with well-wishes for their future together.

V. Inkchanted For some time already this has been hailed as the opening day for Inkchanted, a Mirrorbound led tattoo parlor in the Harbor district that offers… well tattoos, but not normal tattoos: these are enchanted. It’s not a popular use of enchantment school, but it works nevertheless. With the use of special ink, runic spells are weaved into the tattoo’s design, which allows for various effects. For Witches, this can mean instant activation of spells without the need for chanting or gestures. Just run your magical energy through the design and the effect is instantaneous! For Monsters... that’s where things become interesting because Monsters also are granted use of that specific tattooed spell. The caveat is that the tattoo must be charged with Witch magic, or draw on magic stored in a sort of ‘battery’ they also have in the store. Said batteries are made of various jewelry or pendants, ranging from simple materials like copper and glass to more expensive made of silver and opals. Ink in the tattoos does not last forever, though; they will fade away entirely after reaching the limit of their use (which is said to be anywhere between 15-30 hours of continuous use, depending on the design’s size). A cheaper alternative to the tattoos are painted spells, with similar specialized paint to help them stick to the skin. Instead of a time limit, these have a limited number of uses and will disappear afterwards. That’s what it says on the paper, but a keen eye will notice that despite opening on the advertised day, there must have been some complications quite recently. There are signs of fire around the building, and any help with painting over them is greatly appreciated. Likewise, windows seem particularly new, and there are still shards of glass that could be found outside; anyone willing to help with this particular detail will be compensated by an old sailor named William who is renting the space to the young Mirrorbound, If asked what happened here recently, he becomes serious but tries to brush off the questions. When it becomes apparent that new Mirrorbound have appeared, the owners of the parlor scramble to find something for them to do, and thus end up encouraging a simple activity meant as practice for Witches and Monsters, both old and new. They offer a vast amount of magical energy batteries and encourage the Mirrorbound to form pairs, where one person fills the battery with magic, while the other attempts to siphon it out, cycling the energy this way. The only thing they ask is to have the batteries left fully filled. Soon, it turns out that the exercise might come with some side-effects, from getting memory-flashes of another person that used the battery, to sharing their emotional state or even simple thoughts. And should someone try and steal the magical battery… they might find themselves chased by one of the owners or… knocked right into the harbor’s water by a magical ward placed on the entrance if they don’t have a way to counter it! Note: More on this player-run business and its owners can be found on the Locations page! Big thanks to Shuu and Lena and co. for this prompt!

Welcome to the intro log! While mingling on the log itself is highly encouraged, feel free to make your own logs; take the prompts offered and go wild, go crazy, go stupid, have fun. The network system is free to use once characters have their watches as well; information on that can be found at the bottom of the Setting page, while any extra questions about it can be found in the FAQ index. Quests can be picked up now as well! While new characters will have to get settled in, you can go ahead and put your name on some by replying to the February's Quest Pickup thread on the Quest Board. Finally, if your character is getting into any Shenanigans, let the mods know and if you have any questions about the log, ask them here!

Comments

[seemstressed]

<sub>[Ah, he's laughing. Thank god. That makes her laugh in return, her gaze cast down for a moment as she looks at her drink. Sure, it was a ridiculous thing to ask but at least he gets the intention behind her question. Nothing about the situation she's found herself in makes sense so why wouldn't the most ridiculous possibility be true?

Thankfully for her sanity it's not.

The relief that washes over her is palpable as she sighs, perhaps a little more at ease than she should be with a Garlean man she doesn't know. Still, an unfamiliar face of a familiar race is better than someone completely unknown. If he says he's a friend then why should she doubt him? He's given her no reason to...and she won't be That Person who judges someone solely based on what they are rather than who they are.]</sub>

Cheers are in order then, are they not?

_{[She raises her mug, another laugh slipping from her throat.]}

To neither of us being weighed down by such a lofty title!

[unsundered]

[...lofty titles, indeed.

Ridiculous questions all around, it seemed, but considering the outlandishness of their very real situation- it was hard not to harbor a moment's impossibility. With an incline of his head at her words, he takes up one of the other drinks on the table, and echoes her gesture.]

To the avoidance of such a fate.

[So what did this woman know about the Warrior? Probably nothing useful, but there was no reason to throw away such a promising start without cause.]

Hard to believe multiple people can carry the same title, isn't it? And yet none are the one I remember from home- I assume it's been the same for you, thus far?

[seemstressed]

_{[There's a little clink of their drinks as they're both raised and Tataru's quick to take a sip when she returns the edge of her mug to her lips. To the avoidance of such a fate indeed. As much as she respected what the Warrior of Light did for Eorzea and even herself included, she wouldn't want to be in their position. No way. Wanting to be stronger than she currently was is one thing but even she knows her very real limits. She's not cut out to be a Hero - not the kind cut from that sort of cloth at least.]}

It is...it sort of loses a bit of its meaning if there's more than one, does it not? _[Pause.] I suppose there's no reason for them to be lying about it but at the same time it's just so strange!

_{[There's a quiet tapping of tiny fingertips against the outside of her mug as she looks from it and back to Emet-Selch's face.]}

None of them are familiar to me and yet they know of me. It's bizarre. I feel a bit bad about it. _{[Since, y'know, it's kind of sad...]} I wonder if the person you and I know are the same?

[unsundered]

[Heroes weren't something to emulate, wish for, or admire, or tolerate, as far as Emet-Selch was concerned.

It would be better if they never existed.]

It does make it a touch less unique, doesn't it? But they are, almost certainly, the same person. And yet at the same time, very different people.

[It was a contradiction he didn't have that much trouble accepting. Ascians could take different bodies, yet possessed the same soul. That the same soul of a particular hero could be housed in different shapes, have different backgrounds- it wasn't too far of a stretch.]

I've found it easier to treat them as though they were the person I know- at least to start. Whatever connection they have to us is real enough to them, in any case; if you trust your hero, you can trust the four of them to the same degree. [As to whether they knew the same Warrior... he can only shrug.] And considering the variety here... I wouldn't be at all surprised if our friend is likewise different.

[seemstressed]

<sub>[The same person and yet very different people. That just sounds wrong. Alisaie and Alphinaud hated being mistaken for one another and they looked near identical...wouldn't it be similar in a way to mistake these Warriors as the same person, even if they look different?

It's a lot for her brain to handle right now. Still, he does have a point. There's no reason not to trust them, much like she had the person she knew before arriving here. At least there's that, right?]</sub>

It's all so much...

_{[Another sip. She's not an alcoholic, truly, but right now the hot, spiked cider is something she needs to keep from becoming too jittery.]}

If you don't mind me asking, what sort of connection do you have then to our mutual friend? How did you meet? Forgive me for saying as much but usually Garleans aren't on very good terms with Eorzeans.

[unsundered]

[It's okay, Tataru. 'There are multiple versions of the same friend, possibly infinite versions of them, also you're on an entirely different world' isn't something anyone should take in their stride.

But the inevitable question. Emet-Selch taps his chin idly as he considers. How to explain.... How much did this Tataru woman know about the Warrior's presence on the First? Or about Ascians at all? Their group's existence wasn't exactly common knowledge, but friends of that hero tended to be well-informed.]

Hmm... it was in a distant land, practically another world entirely. Oh, they were quite skeptical of my motivations at first, and considering the history of our two groups, I can't hold it entirely against them- but they came around eventually. I was still assisting in their current adventure, before being brought here.

[Entirely true. Misleading, but true.]

And what of you? Another Scion, perhaps?

[seemstressed]

<sub>[Well, his story seems to make sense. As much sense as any of this makes, at least. So far this man hasn't given her any reason to doubt him or thrown up any red flags...so why not take him at his word? The only thing that would be something to be wary of would be his race but again, she wasn't one to judge a person on that.

So Emet-Selch, you've past Tataru's litmus test. For now, at least.

There's a small laugh when he mentions the Scions and she shakes her head. The sound is laced with uncertainty and worry though, easily heard when she finally speaks again.]</sub>

I suppose in a way I am. I balance the organization's books and budget and am in charge of all receptionist duties. I guess you could say I run the whole operation from the shadows. If someone wants an audience with the Scions they usually have to go through me first. However...due to circumstances the Scions have become quite fragmented. It's a sorry state of affairs, I'll admit.

[unsundered]

[A vague enough story to hold together for the moment, at least. Though he had no issue admitting to be an Ascian- and assumed the truth of it would come out eventually- well, he'd see how far this particular persona would last.]

The power behind the throne, hm? [Lightly enough, with a friendly sort of head-tilt.] While the hero takes the glory- and the danger.

[So she was probably not much of a fighter then. Though honestly? The one who controlled the finances had the real power.]

Hard to keep the group together, isn't it? As soon as you've gathered them up, some crisis or misfortune has them scattering once more- whether they wish it or not. [But which particular scattering was this? The events of the First involved a separation, but that had hardly been the first time...] Apart from that Warrior, I've only met a few of them myself.

[seemstressed]

_{[She supposes one could look at it like that. At least she likes to, while she's stuck with her nose in ledgers and wondering wistfully what sort of shenanigans her friends are getting up to. It's not as if it was entirely untrue - usually those who held the drawstrings of the purse were the ones who were in charge.]}

You're not wrong...they have a tendency of scattering. _{[Especially when it's least convenient.]} Before I arrived here I was attempting to round them all up again.

_{[A neverending struggle.]}

I know one of them is here but I haven't a clue as to where he might be. I do hope he's well though. Which of them have you met?

[unsundered]

You're bound to run into him eventually... those from our star seem drawn together, somehow. And I'm sure you'll collect your thoughtless companions from whatever corners they've decided to frequent.

[Like herding cats, wasn't it? Despite the few numbers of mi'qote.]

Oh, on our adventures, I traveled for a time with Thancred, Urianger, Y'shtola, and a pair of twins- Alphinaud and Alisaie, I believe. A fair number. Though I have to say you provide a far warmer welcome. They could learn a thing or two about assumptions.

[seemstressed]

_{[Well that's quite the collection of individuals he's met, she thinks, save for the omission of Yda and Papalymo respectively.]}

You've met most of them then.

_{[The thoughtless comment does have her laughing lightly as she sips at her drink again. Despite the amount of good intention her companions had within them sometimes the act of not thinking (or in Alphinaud's case thinking too much) got them in trouble.]}

They're good people, I can assure you, although I know first hand how they can be quick to jump to assumptions. I can tell you if I did the same the Scions would have far less gil in their coffers.

_{[Which is to say she's willing to give people the benefit of the doubt, especially if it'll end up profitable to build a relationship with them to some degree. No reason to cut people out and dismiss them at first glance unless given an outright, justifiable reason for it.]}

[unsundered]

They're all quite good, to the last of them... a kindness uncommon to the world at large.

[And there's no scorn there, and not even because he's pretending otherwise. Oh, all the nobility and good deeds could get a bit tiresome to watch, leading him to nap through the boring bits- but he didn't disapprove of the impulse. It was much preferable to the cruelty and pettiness of the average mortal.]

Of course, that didn't make it any less frustrating to deal with, but 'tis not as though my kind hasn't encouraged a certain degree of... hostility.

[A contemplative look, followed by a small shrug.]

I have no love for Garlemald, nor her wars. My devotion is towards my people, nothing more or less- not any pretense of empire.

[As with everything else, it's entirely true.]

'Twas my hope to find a common ground. Perhaps I should've come to you first, and saved us all some time.

[The Scions would've loved that.....]

[seemstressed]

_{[A loyalty to one's people is something to be respected; a loyalty to an expansionist hungry empire was not. Emet-Selch, by his own admission, had the former. She can hold no ill will toward a person who felt that way. Didn't they all have loyalties to their own groups?]}

Perhaps indeed. If that truly is your wish, to see the best for your people, then you'll have no hostilities from me. It isn't an unreasonable desire; in fact it's one most share. I would imagine you're quite tired of war, as am I. The last thing I wish is to deal with conflict here if it can be avoided.

_{[The Calamity, the Empire and their shenanigans, then the Dragonsong War...all she wants is a bit of peace.]}

[unsundered]

If only more felt the same. Alas, here we are. And here we remain.

[There's a touch of something like melancholy there, or at least, a deep, underlying exhaustion. But he gestures lazily with one hand.]

As, well, you picked a fine time to arrive if you wanted to avoid conflict. I'm not sure how much you've heard, but this city hasn't exactly been a font of peace, particularly lately.

[seemstressed]

_{[Maybe you need a nap, Emet-Selch. Exhaustion isn't good for your skin.]}

Oh...is that so? _{[Her features seem to take on a look of worry as she regards him from across the table.]} I'll admit I wasn't paying attention much at all when I first arrived. I was too overwhelmed to make much sense of anything. Did something occur recently that I should be aware of?

[unsundered]

[He gets naps a plenty, but it never seems to be enough.]

Oh, just a spot of violence, kidnappings and the like....

[How much would Tataru's actual allies tell her, he wondered. She seemed kind, and not a soldier; they might hold some details back, he supposed.

The Ascian had few such compunctions.]

There's been a certain amount of unrest here for a while now. Distrust of us Mirrorbound, of refugees from another area- all of us blamed for any and all problems within our city's walls. Perhaps even for the ills of the world itself. That's how-- [Mortals.] people are.

A little over a fortnight back, several dozen of us were captured and secreted away by one of the noble families of the city, with the help of some other sympathetic aristocrats. From there we were tortured, harvested, experimented upon- a week of unrelenting cruelty. Many minds were, at least temporarily, rendered broken, unable to distinguish friend from foe. Our captors were, shall we say... thorough.

[Unconsciously, he raises his hand to the edges of his blinded eye, realizes what he's doing, and taps the fresh scarring around it with a half-smile.]

--A Garlean's third eye wasn't interesting enough, I fear, so they turned towards one of the others. To my misfortune, we were not rescued before the damage became permanent. Though we were- being as I'm speaking to you now- eventually found and freed.

[seemstressed]

<sub>[Just a spot of violence. Some kidnappings. Y'know, the usual. Tataru wishes she could be surprised by hearing such shenanigans took place in a world such as this but it's par for the course, isn't it? Every world where there was Monster and Man there would be unrest, war and strife to some degree.

That doesn't mean she's not looking at Emet-Selch like he's grown a fourth eye right now. Sure, she'd noticed his scarring eye but of course she hadn't nor would she dare ask about it. He probably doesn't want pity - most men didn't - but she can still offer sympathy. The whole ordeal he'd suffered through wasn't something she'd wish upon anyone, but at least the silver lining was he and others had escaped and had been rescued.]</sub>

...I'm terribly sorry you had to endure such a hardship. Being kidnapped can be a terrifying ordeal in of itself.

_{[She'd, uh, know. First hand. At least she still has both her eyes though.]}

Was there a point to their cruelty or was it simply a demonstration of power?

[unsundered]

[Pity definitely would've been unwanted, but he can acknowledge sympathy with a small nod. He supposed it was probably better to volunteer information about obvious injuries like this, get it out of the way.]

It wasn't the high point of my life, I'll give it that. But when is kidnapping ever enjoyable?

[It had been... quite genuinely unpleasant. When was the last time he, an Ascian, had been so entirely helpless? It was more than disquieting, and certainly nothing he liked to dwell on.]

And is there ever a reason for torture? [Yes. Whenever he did it, it was entirely justified.] Only to inflict terror, so far as I can tell... a poorly thought-out plan altogether. They were bound to be discovered, and it's not as though we can actually be coerced into leaving.

[So all of that suffering- and for what? Nothing had been achieved.]

[seemstressed]

_{[The curious side of Tataru definitely appreciates knowing even if the emotive side of her Feels Bad. He's right though, kidnapping is anything but enjoyable. The last thing Tataru hates being made feel is helpless - she already gets enough of that simply by virtue of her stature and assumptions people make of her. Sure she cried easily enough and was prone to panic, but she had an iron will as well. It was her desire to become stronger, to be less dependent on her friends to protect her when things became dangerous, that had her dabbling in magic originally. That endevour hadn't exactly been successful but even so...the desire never went away.]}

So it was done thoughtlessly, to no true end? Seven Hells...

_{[There's a nervous tapping of her little fingers against the outside of her mug as she takes a moment to compose herself.]}

If I may ask, if it isn't too much prying, what do you do here Emet-Selch?

_{[Tell all: your hobbies, your job, your work-out regiment etc, etc...]}

[unsundered]

[Perhaps Emet-Selch will witness that Iron Will one day....]

And with nothing solved, I doubt this shall be the last... unfortunate occurrence.

[But the change from the dark topic is more than fine with him, though the question gets a lifted eyebrow. Not that he minds answering, though he'll leave out the 'takes a lot of naps' hobby.]

But I would say much of my time is spent looking after our dear friends. With four of them to keep an eye on, it takes some doing. The rest I primarily spend practicing my magic- as, ironically enough, this world has deigned to designate myself as a 'Witch.'

[A Garlean with magic, how about that.]

What of you? Have they informed you of which side you fall on?

[seemstressed]

<sub>[A Garlean with magic, again, is pretty funny, but at least the Twelve decided to hold off from making him a Warrior of Light, she thinks. There's a point when irony becomes too much.

She nods understandably at the mention of wrangling those they're both familiar with. That will probably become her fate as well, although the mention of practicing magic has her perk up a bit on the stool she's sitting on.]</sub>

They've told me I am a 'Witch'. It's a relief, I'll admit.

_{[She quite enjoys being fully Lalafellian, okay.]}

You must have learned much if you've been studying so dutifully. Forgive me if I'm too forward but...you wouldn't be averse to allowing me to study with you, would you? I'd compensate you for your time, of course! Once I'm settled more.

[unsundered]

[It was worth relief, as far as he was concerned. Monsters faced far more discrimination, potential ferality, on top of all of their physical changes. Magic- even as pathetic as this variety was- remained the superior option.

At the request, he looks surprised, then quietly amused. What would any of the Scions think of that...? On one hand, he was lazy. On the other... it might annoy a few of them, once they found out. It might be worth the small hassle.]

I'll warn you that I'm quite serious about my work... but if you're willing to put in the effort, I don't mind a bit of instruction. My preferred fields are Conjuration and Evocation, if either of those interest. As for compensation... I won't refuse any, but it's not strictly necessary. As a favor to our mutual friends, I'm willing to waive it.

[seemstressed]

I always put in 110%!

_{[She's not lying either. When Tataru attempts to do something it's never half-assed, regardless of whether she ends up successful at it or not. Up her hands go with excitement when he accepts her offer. She's delighted, clearly.]}

Both are interesting to me! You're quite kind.

_{[Haha...ha...]}

Tell you what...once I get settled and I get my hands on a sewing machine and some nice fabric I'll make you something! I'm quite a skilled seamstress, so nothing is too hard to craft - be it a robe, cloak, coat, shirt, pants...

_{[You get the picture.]}

[unsundered]

[Kind...? Emet-Selch is certainly not looking any less amused, both at the statement, and at her clear enthusiasm. Well, he'd see what sort of pupil she turned out to be, he supposed.]

Oh...? You do make a tempting offer. While I can duplicate the clothing I'm most familiar with, I'm no tailor. Creating something from scratch is a valuable skill.

[And while he neither knew nor cared enough about sewing machines to be able to create something like that--]

And I may be able to assist with fabrics, at least until you're able to procure or create your own.

[seemstressed]

How do you manage to duplicate it?

_{[That has her eyes going wide with wonder. Just how exactly did he manage to pull that off? What kind of sorcery was this? She doesn't press further though, suddenly excited at the offer he's given her. Fabrics? For free? Uh, yes. Sign her up.]}

Oh really? You could? That would be brilliant!