The Thaw - Campfire

General Summary

The past two nights have been a blessed blur of exhaustion. Myra's body overriding her mind and allowing to slip into sweet darkness instead of her normal night terrors. But as the exhaustion leaves her body a growing fear of what sleep will bring, returns.
It's late, just past midnight, when Myra slips from her office into the hall. She's already gone over every piece of work she can think of three times, avoiding the large empty bedroom beside her. She moves like a ghost haunting her childhood home, her feet taking her to a room just outside the kitchens before she realizes where she was going. Candle light flickers under the door and she can hear soft muffled conversation from the other side.
She pauses, considering the voices, letting the timbre wash over her though she can't hear what they are saying. She hasn't said more than a few words these past couple days to one of them. Ayen's been busy. Every time Myra sees him, he seems to be in the middle of something, and every time she can't help but think it's her fault for making his life more complicated. She saw him with Raijun and Adama earlier, training, talking. She was too far away to read their lips, she didn't want to interrupt. But her heart aches with the memories of Ayen training her, and the bond they shared that now seems broken between them.
She starts to raise her hand to knock before thinking better of it. As she goes to turn she realizes the voices have stopped and there is only silence.
Nari's voice comes into her mind, "You know it's usually polite to knock and not just stand around outside people's doors."
Myra's startled, having never heard Nari in her head before. And as the door opens illuminating the hallway she freezes like the doe with which she is so often compared. Inside, Nari stands at the door as Ayen is further back by a small table.
"I was -" Myra starts before trailing off, not really sure what she was doing.
Nari looks between Myra and Ayen, "Oh, well, look at the time. I better be getting these old ass bones to bed. I'm not getting any younger, you know." She somehow maneuvers herself into the hall and Myra into the room in a true show of wizardry. "Remember to look over those proofs," she reminds Myra. "Night," she says to both as she closes the door leaving Myra alone with Ayen.
Myra looks at the door for a moment before turning back to Ayen, "Sorry, I ah didn't mean to interrupt."
“Not at all Ayen closes his book and sits up in his chair it would be nice to talk to someone who doesn’t know just what you are about to say. Well maybe not as quickly….”
Myra smiles softly, considering, "I hadn't realized she could," She taps the side of her head, "Honestly that makes a number of things clearer." There's a pause that's just long enough to feel the strain between them in what once would have been comfortable, "I wanted to check on you and make sure you were okay after... The other night. I'm not nearly as skilled as Lylah or Ky in at kind of thing."
“Ha it doesn’t come from her abilities, well maybe a little bit but it’s more about the time we have spent together,” Ayen smiles. “I am doing just fine, ya know you were the one in more dire state - you had a lot of us scared, but we know you are tough.”
"It was not one of my finer nights..." she rubs her arm where the skin is still pink and new in some spots, "I'm just glad that everyone made it out." She pauses, not meeting his eyes, "I'm sorry. I went against all your advice. I was stupid and cocky and I didn't tell you everything. And people got hurt... You got hurt... They got hurt..."
Ayen closes his book and looks at Myra "Would you like to get some ice cream from the kitchen?"
The suggestion surprises Myra in a bark of laughter as she nods. She scrubs at her eyes with her sleeves, as she breathes and mutters under her breath, "pull your shit together." She looks up meeting Ayen's gaze smiling, "Only if Azer still keeps one with cookie dough in it."
"Azer never stopped on your mothers' instructions just incase you decided to come home" Ayen stands and leads you into the kitchen, goes to grab bowls but just grabs spoons and then just grabs the tub from the ice box "You even cleaned the blood from behind your ears this time - cant tell if I'm proud or if I should be concerned."
Myra shrugs and takes a spoonful of the ice cream instead of responding, methodically analyzing the tub of ice cream for where she can strategically get the most cookie dough. "You training Raijun and Adama?" Myra asks, swallowing the ice cream.
"Ya between you and me they got potential but they need a little refinement to realize they don't have to try so hard," Ayen take a small scope of ice cream holding it in their mouth as they talk.
Myra nods spearing her next spoonful. Sadly, "I think their work ethics were beaten into them..." Talking through the ice cream, "I suppose we can't all have teachers as patient as you and Vila. It will be good, you working with them..." There's a twinge of jealousy. She gesticulates with her spoon, "Adama can be bribed with doughnuts. Raijun can be bribed with.... well basically anything shiny or soft. If you find they need to be distracted from themselves."
Myra shovels another spoonful into her mouth staring distantly at a wall, "Some days I wish I could wrap them up and give them one day of what you all gave me. They could play pirates with wooden swords and there wouldn't be any repercussions for whoever lost. Sarya could be a parrot or a land shark or something. Hagren would be a captain of course, of some box or structure they would have designated their ship. They would come back bruised and smiling and laughing and I'd give them sweets and ice cream and tuck them in. And they'd know that it was going to be okay, and that they were loved, not conditionally but absolutely."
Ayen smiles warmly "I am very glad you found some real friends, and not a bunch of stuffy rich kids to run around these halls with." Ayen pats his book, "Even with their past, they have really turned themselves around"
Myra smiles as he pats the book, "So how long did it take for you to have full checks on them from when they met up with me?"
"Some were a little easier than others, would it surprise you that you could have been close to meeting one or two of them when you were little enough to play pirates? You have always been a good judge of character aside from my teachings so I knew I didn't have to worry to much - it was more for convincing your parents"
Myra snorts through another spoonful, "How much did you have to omit to convince them?"
"You know I don't make a habit of lying to your parents, but they trust the judgement I have behind reports. There were also other plans in place in case you were ever truly in danger"
Under her breath, "Guess you really don't know everything." She takes a very large spoonful, sticking it in her mouth before she can insert her foot further into it.
Ayen looks at Myra with a real look of somber regret, "Do you want to know how many came out of the thaw at Nightwell okay?"
Myra swallows hard and pushes off the counter she was sitting on, walking over to the sink. She braces herself on it like she's going to be sick, "Maybe you do know then." She laughs hurt, "I assume it's less than went in. Certainly less by at least a few," she looks like she might hurl "was it more than ten?"
Ayen looks at Myra with an odd smile like they are finally the more intelligent person in the room, "Wow, I figured you have figured it out by now.... let me just savor this moment as I know it wont come again for a while." He takes a nice big spoon full of ice cream.
"Do my parents know why I don't eat meat anymore?"
"Don't change the subject - think about it.... what happens to trees in winter?"
"It's funny that you think they aren't related." She closes her eyes trying to concentrate on his words, "I mean generally they slow down the bark is somewhat insulating but the sap still freezes. The leaves die they stop photosynthesizing. Is there a reason you are asking me about botany? Sarya might be more helpful."
"Right but the sap was not warm to begin with, and those who do not break during the coldest of days of Rimecalling, blossom within the first days of Bloomscrest. Those who had ingested the seeds, and remained intact which was most of the citizens came out with only minor frost burn, few fingers lost maybe a nose or two but most are okay."
Myra looks at Ayen with a look that vacillates between wild hope and deep fear that this might be some kind of cruel joke, "Ayen. I was there the morning after. You didn't hear the wails. The cries as people found their loved ones dead..."
"They found them frozen, or dead because of what the guards and or devils did to them non of which had anything to do with you. More would have been dead if you were not there to ... protect them. Don't get me wrong that must have be horrible to be there before and after the destruction but that is happening in the world every day. That day it was in Nightwell, and they were lucky to have the smartest woman I know there on that day."
A different kind of tear streaks down Myra's face, as she turns to face Ayen more fully, "Ky didn't say anything..." She closes her eyes and laughs a sob escaping, "I'm going to punch him so hard."
"You left him there with a lot, a town in ruin, faith in authority shaken and a punk kid that likes the sun. He was the only one that was left that they could turn to."
"He never wanted my help before." She runs a hand through her hair sighing, "Point taken. Don't need punch him while he's dealing with shit. Especially given that I've probably caused him some new headaches given his sudden summoning," gestures broadly to the house.
"Of course not your his big sister, he looks up to you. He saw your example his entire life and look at him now. Out on his own and while he would never admit it himself a very respectable leader of his order."
Myra walks back over and grabs the ice cream pushing herself onto the opposing counter, "Yes well with me as a role model how could anyone go wrong," Attacks the ice cream.
Ayen genuinely smiles watching Myra, "there are much, much worse role models, any one that is able to look to you would be really lucky. Is your time staying here dependent on the ice cream remaining?"
Myra looks down at the mostly empty container of ice cream, blushing, she hands it back over, "do you mean specifically now? Or more generally? Because yes," She smiles jokingly "We all know my love has always been contingent on ice cream."
Ayen reaches over and opens the ice box and retrieves another large container "Well i know I can keep you here for at least another 5 minutes with this, but I want to make sure you know you have time to rest and relax a bit - under the watchful eyes of yours truly and with all the benefits of your family."
She smiles, "I'm not bolting out the door Ayen..." More somberly, "Lylah thinks I have a couple more days before I'm back in fighting shape anyway. And I could use a minute with Nari and frankly just getting back in shape. Besides I don't even know where we'll go next until she gets some kind of hit or I hear something back... I already talked to mother and they seem willing to admit that I'm going to walk off the grounds again. I agreed to stop breaking out if she would stop locking the gate to keep me in." She pauses, "Have you heard anything? About where they might have gone or about the other person I asked you to look into?"
Ayen looks at Myra kindly, "Your parents are just concerned I am sure they will want to talk with you before you decide to return out to the world but for now.... after the events of the other evening .... they know the cage doesn't exist any more. Nari's abilities only go so far she has begun gathering information but if true insight is going to be gathered it happens to happen elsewhere. I know she is trying and I know she is not happy with the lack of information she has been able to gather"
"I figured, she's been..." Myra smiles, "colorful in explaining to me the problems she's been having." She pauses, the ice cream forgotten, "Ayen the other night..."
Ayen lets the spoon fall back into the tub of ice cream "Ever since you came into my life, became my charge, I have fought to protect you in every way I can from this world. Everything from falling off the trees you seemed so apt to climb when you were a kid, to the boys like Urza, to even from time to time yourself and your family. The other night I genuinely thought - I mean I vetted them myself, I practically selected them myself - I wanted you to be happy. I wanted you to be safe...."
"Did you really think I could ever love anyone who only saw you as the help?"
Ayen faces the table staring at the ice-cream, "The world is not a kind place but that shouldn't stop you from living in it. This... arrangement would not have been ideal but it would have given you options. My feelings should not factor into your life choices." Ayen looks up his visible eye welled with tears.
"Goddamn it Ayen! Shouldn't my feelings count!" She slams her hand into the counter in frustration and the top of the counter dents like she was punching putty instead of rock. Tears stream from her own eyes, "Shouldn't they?" she says unsure as she tries to take deep breaths. Quieter, she repeats through gritted teeth, "Did you believe I could love someone who only saw you as help?"
Ayen looks to Myra as he steels his look “Who said anything about love? While I wish for you to be happy and I hope for love some things are more important than love. I helped pick the options so that you would be happy in other ways. In one life you would be free to create and invent while your husband ran the business creativity was your limitation. In another you would have a companion who saw your passion for adventure and outreach and you and your wife would be able to explore the world together. But above all you would …." he pauses and takes a breath, "you would have the opportunity to free to be yourself.” Ayen plays with the spoon in the suddenly frosted ice cream.
"And when my husband," she bites, "thought I was too wild and tried to leash me in? Or when my wife thought me mad with my crazy ideas and told me to stop? What then Ayen? Would you have broken me out? If one night in the throws of guilt I had confessed what I did in Nightwell and they had me committed? What if," She picks up a jar from the counter, "they locked me in this bloody estate and never let me out?" She smashes the jar at her feet. Tears streaming down her face. "How could I possibly be myself when you would have me marry someone who would dismiss one of the people I love most in this world?!"
Ayen looks stunned as image of the little girl playing in the garden or the young woman at the desk buried in papers from all of her creations is broken and the reality of the woman in pain stands before him “I ….. don’t …. I am …. I should not be a reason that you wouldn’t find happiness in a way that you could meet the destiny you are meant to have. I am so sorry …." The light on Ayen’s chest glows as he rushes around the table and tears and ice cream spills to the side as he attempts to wrap Myra in his arms
Myra allows the hug to envelop her as she folds herself into it, sobbing into his chest as he holds her, "Of course you matter. You matter to me." She stands wrapped in the hug until the sobbing abates. With no motion to leave the hug, "Besides who the fuck wants a destiny anyway?" She hiccups a laugh, "Or do you mean the one where Nari thinks I'm going to marry and then immediately murder Urza?"
Ayen hold Myra deeply as she can feel the stress and the glow fade from him for the first time in a long time. "I'm so sorry Myra, you are my entire reason for being... Destiny is important and catches up with you one way or another" He tenses at the mention of Nari's vision, "So she let you read her work. What else have you learned from her?"
Myra wipes her eyes on his shirt burrowing deeper into the hug. "I don't think I'm worth nearly whatever you think I am, but does this mean that you're offering to kill Urza if I have marry him? I think I'm a queen in there so are you my knight?"
She turns her head to the side, closing her eyes and laying her ear upon his chest. Finding comfort in the sound of his heartbeat. But as she jokes about Nari's prophecy she hears it quicken. Her brow furrows, "Ayen I was kidding I don't want you to kill Urza." She opens her eyes and looks up at Ayen, "There were a lot of inconsistencies. I figured it was just wrong... Ayen?"
Ayen looks down pulling away from Myra, "She has been working on that for a very long time, has she shared where this came from with you?"
Myra searches Ayen's face for answers, her eyes still puffy from the tears which have left salt trails down her cheeks, "I mean she shared that she had it as a girl, she shared that she thinks it's true prophecy. She seems very convinced of what it says and I won't begrudge her her work. I am by no means a divination specialist. But Ayen... I've seen some of the groups pasts. It doesn't align. I mean mine doesn't align. Suddenly questioning her own words. Frightened, "It doesn't right Ayen?"
Ayen steps back from Myra such that they can look Myra in the eyes "This was all part of a fever dream she had when she was a child, she was on the brink of death and she awake with this words in her head. She has worked on these for years even before I knew her and that has been a long time. I have never doubted her ability she is immensely talented and skilled but she has an obsession when it comes to this work. Many words have been spoken over the eons about what will happen in the days to come you should pay them no mind."
Myra searches Ayen's face confused and concerned about the mixed signals he's sending. Ayen appears sincere and comforting in his appeal looking to dispel any source of worry from Myra's mind.
Myra beings to shiver, Ayen's hands still resting on her shoulders. The air around her starts to chill as the line "a hollow apple" rings through her mind. The pit of anxiety in her stomach feels like it's growing, hollowing her out, "Nari knows what she's doing..." Her words come out with a puff of mist like they are talking on a cold morning. Her voice is almost childish in how small it sounds, "I don't want to be hollow Ayen..." Tears start to form in her eyes, "I don't want hurt people."
Ayen looks down seeing his attempt to comfort the person they treasures so much in the world has failed "You are not a monster, you aren't seeking out people to hurt because there are cruelty in your heart or for some game because you were alone and bored child. You grew up with love, and happiness around you while misguided at times always sought to fill your life with the joy you had given to others, you gave to me. A true soul that was lost and bound to a purpose I did not understand nor wanted, but found hope, found joy and ... found love in you. Myra I have always loved you as my own and nothing will ever stop that, not monsters, not magic, not for all the seasons in all of my years and in all the ones still to come. You will always have my love and I will never fail you again" Ayen holds Myra tight within his arms as he hold his only purpose to this world and only reason of being closet to his soul.
Myra is wrapped in Ayen's hug, the warmth filling her and settling into the hollow spot within her. It doesn't disappear, but it shrinks, no longer feeling all consuming. Her lips that had started to turn blue begin to return to a normal color. As the shivering and sobs slowly abate as she's held by Ayen and feels his love wash over her. Myra sniffles burying further into the hug, her words almost incomprehensible as she speaks into his chest, "I'm sorry I might have almost tried to eat you... I love you Ayen. I'm sorry if you ever thought that you were just staff. Or unimportant. Or if I'm cold and calculating. You're so important. I just... Everything I say and do can be used against me and I'm so scared. I'm scared all the time. But I'll love you forever. Even when I'm old you still have centuries to see. I'm sorry I couldn't be what you wanted... I'm sorry..." She buries her head further squeezing tightly into the hug.
Ayen holds Myra tight, "The only thing I ever wanted from you is for you to be happy. You have that now, I want nothing else in the world for that to continue."
Myra shifts, content to still be held but no longer trying to bury her pain in the hug with Ayen. She turns her head looking up at him from below, "Do you remember when I was very little and when I would have a hard time sleeping father would come and lay down with me?" She smiles softly, "He'd pretend to fall asleep stroking my head and then when I'd wake up he'd gone and it would be morning." She laughs, "Well when I was lucky. I've never been much good at sleep have I?" She pauses, "Do you remember, one time, when they were away, I can't remember where they were anymore, but I came out looking for them and found you. And you came back and lied with me. Just like father did. But I think you forgot to leave 'cause when I woke up you were still there. Just stroking my head soothingly."
"You forget early on it was a very long walk from your room to my quarters at the time, before the door transport system was implemented. I needed to make sure you were safe and I didn't want to walk all the way back to my bed to just have to come back 30 minutes later," Ayen laughs and smiles deeply.
Myra smiles. She hesitates, "I know I'm far too old. And it's a silly request. But... would you mind... Just tonight..." she closes her eyes and swallows, "When I close my eyes... I can still feel hands wrapped around my throat. And teeth piecing my skin." Her nose crinkles in distaste, "And smell that awful rotting wood." She opens her eyes and while there's no tears this time but she has to work to steady her breathing.
Ayen smiles walks back around the table, grabs the ice cream and spoons "I'm gonna need a little treat, come on we can finish this off and reminisce some more" Just like these halls have seen many years ago Ayen extends out his hand out to the summer sun of his life off to lead her through the halls to the chamber of memories of joy to watch over her while she dreams once again.

Raijun's Room

It's another day, the sun shines as it always seems to on the estate. It's mid afternoon when Myra knocks on Raijun's door.
"Good morrow your eminence, to what do I owe this pleasure?" Raijun asks as though he's been practicing his lordly manner in the mirror right before this.
Myra smiles," I don't think I'm much of an eminence. I wanted to collect your injured friend," she points to the broken grapple hook on one of the tables in the room, "so that I might see them made whole again. But mostly I ah wanted to check on you. I'm sorry I haven't been around as much but I wanted to check in with you know... everything."
"Yeah totally thought I could snag Iroh or the scroll, but that teleport got the best of me." He shifts his position as he thinks of where he's at, like it hasn't crossed his mind recently. "Ah Im alright, Trained a bit with your sempai, ate my weight in nobles food, just been resting recently. You healing up ok? Looked like your branches got all twisted up when we found ya."
"I think with the amount of healing Lylah has pumped into me in the last 48 hours I am not only healed but potentially pre healed. Is that possible? Probably shouldn't be. Azer's cooking doesn't hurt either." Myra looks genuinely good. She looks different than when you first met her on the docks, but the bags that have been perpetually under her eyes are gone and aside from your knowledge of being present you would not know that several days ago she almost died several times. "I ah... wasn't conscious for the teleport but it sounded like it was probably not much anyone could do about it. Did you get seen to? You ah - weren't in the best shape when I was ... removed from the train station."
"Yes your healers remarked they had never quite seen a skull as thick as mine before, so I made out ok, mostly bruised my ego. You look like your glowing, that's nice to see. I think a little rest will do us all some good, been at it for quite some time now, things got pretty crazy. You been thinking about our next move at all?"
Myra smirks, "I didn't get clocked in the head that hard." she pauses biting her lip, "If we have to go after them, the immortals that is, you okay with that? I mean look I know your on the side of truth, and justice, and orphans but those people used to be your family Raijun. If there's a bridge too far there. That's okay. I just want to know before we cross it."
"Well the only ones I'd consider my family are gone and I don't have much love for the rest of them so yes, I would be ready if we had to. Maybe some of them might be open to a change in employment, but we'll see..." He looks off into the distance.
"Even Iroh? I know he wasn't in your group but in the subway... I don't know it seemed like that relationship was more than your relationship to the Voiceless."
"He was my mentor and sponsor, I suppose in a similar way to Ayen is to you, albeit a different world...but he haa become consumed with power, my words fell on deaf ears, I don't think I will have a choice." Raijun shrugs, "But at the end of the day, we are both adults who have chosen our paths...should they cross again, I won't hesitate," He says rather firmly, like he's been contemplating the same question.
"It's not a weakness you know? To not want to kill someone like that to you. I couldn't. Well I almost did... but you all stopped me and I'm incredibly thankful that that's the version of the timeline we live in. I'm just saying. If you need other options I'll find one."
"I know, I'm just saying I'm prepared to do what I must should getting him to surrender fails. I was hoping maybe my orphans talk could get thru to him, he always liked screenings and the mentoring even if he never admitted it. But all he could see was the endless power awaiting in front of him, and it literally blew up in his face."
"Yes about that, I can't help but feel like we're playing a giant game of capture the flag without knowing the rules. You mentioned Iroh knew other thing about the scrolls. And then obviously Nasir knew about them to start with. Meanwhile most of the realm thinks they don't exist. In addition to trying to retrieve the scroll we lost I would like to gather information about what we might do with them once acquired because as much as I am loathe to limit our potential future knowledge I would also like to not have to looking over my shoulder the rest of my life."
"Yeah agreed, someone or something will always want them for something...but what can we even do with them, where could they be stored, or released to? Maybe if we could dig into who created them, we might find some answers to help us."
"I think Nari might have a way to tap into some... larger questions. She was going to have to pull some strings to get us in there though."
"As long as she knows what she's doing this time, last time was rather unpleasant. Are there any grand libraries we might be able to find some information in the meantime? Kolis Tane seems like the kind of place with books dating back millennia..."
"Yes the Pinnacle has quite and extensive collection. But I believe the location Nari mentioned to me was up at the Abbey which is interesting as I mostly consider them the religious center... Though thinking on it given that most of the arcane texts date after the Ruination perhaps they have access to older religious texts. And what Nari went through before had nothing to do with the scrolls themselves so I believe this line of questioning should be okay. Though that reminds me to ask Lylah about that..." Pulls out a notebook and jots a note.
"Religious Centers huh? I mean, it could make sense the gods are involved, but this has always felt like arcane energy to me rather than divine."
"I mean I agree but to be fair the weave was created by a god. Mystra has always kind of straddled that line between arcane and divine. I don't know a huge amount about the mother of magic but if there was a god to go about the weave she would be it. I don't know what it is that the Abbey might have access to either. I mean your goddess seems to have been involved for a while. Have you spoken to her recently?"
"Define speak, most of our conversations are me yelling into the void and getting some cryptic clues, what I gathered from yesterday morning is that I'm on the right track... but for what exactly, I am unsure." Raijun looks a bit uneasy, like he isn't really sure where he stands right now.
Sarya pokes her head into the doorway, "What about the other planes, like the Feywild or the Shadow Realm, or even demons or devils? I thought that I saw one at Thompson's facility, but Hagren said that he didn't see anything."
Raijun reactions invisibility as Sarya somehow gets the drop on him and startles him.
Myra doesn't look surprised but smiles softly at Sarya's entrance, "You saw another plane?"
"Oh, sorry - I forgot that I'm supposed to make noise here." She appears to make a mental note. "I don't know if it was another plane, but it was a big armored... being, wreathed in flame. Reminded me of what I saw as we were leaving Vlypeum"
"Sounds like the Aspect of War that Adama routinely runs into," Raijun offers.
"You saw War in Vlypeum?" Myra asks.
"So they're buddies?" Sarya questions.
"That's a complicated question that I try not to ponder deeply."
"Kind of, I get the feeling they just both mutually need each other," Raijun shrugs.
"We killed his avatar and foiled some plans he had for, you know spreading the blood war more broadly on Vloyuth. That's where Adama got his sword from. I personally wanted to melt it down..." Myra trails off.
"Interesting... But yes, I saw them just before we fought Voice and your doubles."
"To be completely fair to Adama he may have just wanted the flaming sword no strings attached. We killed a lot of devils." Myra shrugs, "That could be more my mind that wants to make connections than anything actually being there. Oh I didn't realize we all saw different planes. Interesting."
"Could maybe be related to Surrat - I'd assume that a place like Thompson's is protected, though he seems to have some unsavory friends."
"I mean Surat has proven that it does not matter if you have wards up. I should ask Nari if she's seen him around. I assume that some of our studies has not all been charity on her part. Did your group have a clear affiliation with Devils previously? I don't believe we found anything in Nightwell indicating them but," Myra shrugs. "Thompson's company has always been rumored to have shadier silent partners, one of the reasons I had not worked with him previously. But I don't know exactly whom. Though Irik's information could certainly point to at least previous ties with the Immortals. or perhaps they know who to pay to look the other way."
Sarya shrugs, "Probably, looking back on it. The As'ler didn't like The Untamed's methods but I was doing a good job of not thinking about why."
"We can all be intentionally blind sometimes. Did you actually see War at Thompsons? I admit I had thought that due to the way his son died, I had thought Thompson was clear of association with the devils. But... Oh. Well that would put a new spin on things wouldn't it?"
“I’m pretty sure, it matched the description that you and Raijin mentioned. What do you mean by that?
"Well usually when someone tells you they're 'putting up with hell' you don't think they mean it literally right... I messaged Carter after," nods at Raijun, "you mentioned that you had filled the position you had offered her. There may be more to dear Ms. Carter's contract than just debt...."
"Do tell because I'm tired of getting yelled at, and yeah I offered it to Gameta who then promptly fainted, so I think that was a yes. We're supposed to go get lunch and catch up soon."
Myra smiles, "I had heard she made it out of the train station, I'm glad she is okay. You should tell her that I would very much like to have tea with her at some point. I'd happily exchange the time for allowing her to peruse the library." She pulls out a book and her brow furrows as she looks through the pages. "On Carter. Raijun I think you're thinking of it as a closed wound something that could heal. But what if she wanted to take your offer but was prevented? And so every time she sees you it's a reminder of all the things she can't have."
Myra seems to find the page she was looking for scanning it, "What if it was no coincidence that Thompson's son was in the same place as War? What if Thompson had struck his own deal with a devil. I mean from talking to the Queen he clearly had to pull a number of strings to get his son appointed the mayor of the town. If Viridus hadn't caused problems the devils would have been able to quietly manufacture an army of souls.
In literature, there are contracts that are nigh unbreakable unless a loop hole is found. Those are contracts with devils, often coming with clauses where souls are at stake. I hope for her sake that Carter herself did not sign away her soul. But giving her the benefit of the doubt it makes me wonder if perhaps some of that enforcement of contracts has been granted to Thompson. Hagren needs to go back in later right? I wonder if some of us may join him with another target in mind as I would like very much to find Thompson or Carter's office."
"Pretty sure Hagren got kicked out so unlikely he goes back anytime soon. I don't get why she doesn't just flip him off and break the contract?" Raijun asks, "We can always get creative on the employment, call her a volunteer, funnel money off the side, we had a whole class about it with the Immortals, Laundering 101."
"No, I mean I believe her soul may be in literal jeopardy if she breaks contract. Also unless I was quite mistaken I do believe the plan was to go back in more... subtly? I do not think it would do well to have us obviously be there when the plans go missing."
"Well what exactly do you need from their office, and is it just like breaking into Thompsons, or Carters the priority? I mean I have a fair amount of tools for a break in, and at night, I'd be quite hard to trace, but it'd have to be a right to the point kind of extraction, it's a busy area and likely guarded as well."
Myra bites her lip in thought, "I mean the contract itself would be fantastic but I don't expect that to just be laying around. Also it may be best if nothing is actually removed. What would be ideal would be for me to have a bit of time in one of their offices. Hagren obviously needs the actual physical item but that would be in another location. Speaking of I should make sure someone goes and picks up my pen. It should have been thrown out by now. "
"Right but that doesn't quite answer my question, so that I could recommend an infiltration plan. You just want to like rummage papers or the like?"
"Yeah basically.... Is that a bad plan?"
"Maybe a better move would be to have someone get hired by him, so we could poach the contract for our own review? I'm guessing this is standard practice for him for his hires..."
"I mean I reviewed our previous contract with him extensively in Nightwell. Nothing seemed off about it at the time. And if I were him I wouldn't push it on everyone or word might get out. Like what - don't make your quarterly results lose your soul?"
"So it's for persons of interest, but why Carter? I wonder if this is like an NDA for him, incentive for her never to speak of his operations.."
"I mean she is his COO if ever you needed someone with a binding confidentially clause it would be for the person who knows where all the bodies are buried."
"My problem here are twofold for an extraction 1. conflict of interests, Hagren was expelled, I can't get within 50m of carter without a torrent of flying books coming in my direction, you have familial ties that will keep you away from details, and 2. We don't know what we're looking for and whose to say if it even is in the contract or like, laced in a special devil language of some kind." Raijun is minor illusioning a layout of the business, where the docks are, and pointing at the traffic, the guard patterns as he talks.
"Well I was thinking of using the skill sets this group actually has a history of in breaking and entering more than asking nicely for one. I mean weren't like three of you ex thieves?"
"Yes but a thief without a plan is just an inmate in the past tense. I need you to narrow down where we need to go, and what exactly to take if you want us to go undetected."
"Wow that was honestly very deep. Okay fair. I can respect the need for a plan though who are you and what have you done with Raijun?" She pokes him seemingly to make sure he's not an illusion.
"I have always had plans, it's just whether or not I stick to them based on how the situation degrades, and ya know, I only learned how to write like 6 months ago so it was all mental for the most part. I just speak in the language of instinct rather than spreadsheets."
Myra laughs, "Well I can make spreadsheets sing so we make a good pair."
"Maybe get a few going, speak to a few more people, maybe get an interview going for that artificer girl we spoke with before so we can learn more about the place from an unguarded place?" "once we narrow down a room, I can get to planning on my end."
"Salis? She worked for Fortis not Thompson. I know so many artificers one city."
"Didn't she say she was leaving Fortis to go work at Stagwood Ventures? She hasnt started yet, maybe we have her pretend she wants to go to thompson instead, stealing talent would be hard to pass up."
Over the mental link, "Hey Adama and Hagren I'm interested in braking into Thompson HQ now that I think it might save souls. Feel free to join us in Raijun's room I'll probably have snacks sent up otherwise I'll give you all the skinny version later." Back to Raijun, "Yeah I mean that's true. We can see what my little pen friend picked up too. I told them to explode ink after a couple hours. Figured that would land them in the trash where I could have them picked up"
"You made friends with a Pen?" Raijun looks confused.
Myra feigns confusion, "Wait your inanimate objects don't talk back?"
"Only one and its in abyssal and concerns me deeply..."
"Hopefully you just mean the rabbit that is still in Fortis's lab....." Myra's eyes narrow "Anyway it's not real life. I can just empower the spark of magic in small mundane items to become more animate for a while. the pen I gave Hagren was like that. I told it to get recon information on the office layout and the plans Hagren needed explicitly if possible and then to wait a little bit and start exploding ink everywhere."
“Why are we breaking into Thompson’s HQ? Not that I really care or don’t care for the guy, but I do generally prefer to not screw over former allies, acquaintances, people I have worked with”
"Hagren made a deal with a mob? Honestly we could pay them off... I think Thompson might be working with our enemies and War and that Carter might be caught in the middle. So while Hagren's interest is strictly businesses mine is more.... exploratory. Oh Raijun to that end," Myra pokes a bit of the map, "While we were waiting in the lobby I noticed the executive suite over here. Personally I would like to know if Thompson knew the Immortals were on his ship. You were talking about larger players Adama, does he not fit your profile?"
Adama enters, “Devils are evil, lawful evil, they keep their contracts but when you say the devil is in the details that is literally true. If Carter is caught up in a contract with a devil, I would not presume myself capable of finding her loop hole to get out of it, as well she specializes in contract. What I would be more interested in understanding is what would be an equal trade to get her out, but as of now I don’t know enough to presume one way or the other, if you guys want to do it, I am in, I would just suggest caution. Turning on a former ally on the suggestion of speculation isn’t good business or a sound tactical move. Memory serving me correctly last time we went down that route Yamil well… Shit someone remind me to send him a message to know if he’s alive.”
Myra rubs her arm, "I've tried. To no response..."
Adama mind links with Sarya, “With that said, Sarya genuinely War chooses whom sees him, he’s an arch devil, be weary of devils bearing fruits speaking as someone that personally knows.“ Turning to Myra, “No response or no person?”
"Also I meant purely if we were going in anyway. If Hagren has not interest in robbing the place then I can satiate my curiosity through other means." To Adama's question, "No response. Do you still have that bit of hair? I was considering asking Nari to scry..."
“I do, I have a little keepsake box, where I keep everyone’s hair properly tagged. “
"How very serial killer of you... May I borrow Yamil's?"
“The serial killer box is the one I keep for all the people I am tracking down to kill, that’s another box. You want the hair from the I like this person box, 2 separate boxes. I will hand it to her, and then recover it from her when you desire to have the spell cast.”
"Oh uh, Sure. I have a lesson later I was just going to ask her then but I guess you can drop by whenever you're free. We're usually just in my office."
Turning back to the map, Myra shrugs, "If the group feels it is inadvisable to attempt a break in and Hagren decides to pursue other means to deal with the group he made a deal with I'm happy to satisfy my curiosity in other ways. I just thought might as well while we were already considering trespassing."
"I'd be more game if we had a clear objective," Raijun notes, "I think you may benefit from scheduling a lunch with Ms. Carter, maybe get some more details under the guise of meeting on something else...but speaking of which, I have a lunch engagement and I must be off!" Dramatic poof, comes back from invisibility seconds later, "Oh wait by the way, where can I find purple flowers around here?"
"Do you need a specific kind?"
"Glowing would be ideal."
"Um well Birch can help you with purple and if they can't make them glow I can just give me 2 minutes."
Poof and footsteps ensues followed by a surprised scream in hallway. Birch after recovering from a minor heart attack assists Raijun with gathering a pale purple flower that while does not glow during the day is to have a luminescent glow at night. Raijun comes back a few minutes later.
"Everyone okay out there?"
"Forgot I was invisible when I said what's up to Birch, my bad" Raijun extends a hand with a lovely bouquet of flowers.
"Ok great could you grab a vase? Literally anyone outside should be able to grab one." Myra starts pulling pulls out a number of things from her pouch and goes about combining them in precise quantities before grinding them together.
Raijun comes back with a vase, you notice he has also hastily styled his hair and for once looks & smells like he hasn't been wandering battlefield for a week straight.
Myra takes the vase from Raijun and dumps the powder into the water. She sniffs, "Did you... bathe?"
"Don't act so surprised, I bathe quite often!"
"Sureeee." Myra turns to the flowers, "Oh Birch did a lovely job this should be easy to make the glow express itself. @Sarya would you mind getting them to drink? The powder will just trick them into thinking it's night. Allowing them to glow consistently."
"Yeahh science woooo" Raijun enthusiastically
Myra smiles, "Well if we can't help with a quest of true love what are we even doing?"
Like a specter the figure of Lady Stagwood passes by the door watching the assembly of the flower arrangement. She pauses just long enough to hear the words of her daughter, meets here gaze with a raised eyebrow and continue on
"Goddamn it... stupid big mouth..."
Raijun still reactions invisibility when she passes.
"Raijun I don't think she knows if that helps," Myra says to the air.
"You cant be too careful," he whispers.
"She was too busy yelling at me to notice your silence."
"Well that's a problem I'll deal with on another day, I cant be late!"
After Raijun exits, gently glowing flowers in hand, Myra grabs the grappling hook from the side and tucks it away, "Well I need to leave Raijun's room before my mother comes by yet another time and thinks I've fallen even deeper in love with him... Maybe Max will have a letter for me," As Myra quickly makes an exit down the stairs.
Sarya turns to Adama and gestures like ladies first “Is War just always around then?”
“He kind of is almost omnipresent, he definitely appears when he desires, and there is little to do to stop him if he’s taken an interest in you.”
“Great” Sarya does not look happy that someone else has taken an interest in her.

Report Date

13 Sep 2022