aefenglom | text; un: scenarios

[He's not a dragon expert but considering his current Bonded is one he'd like to think he can help whatever Monster he comes across.]

Would forming a temporary Bond be acceptable until you are able to find a permanent partner?

I also know some warming enchantments that, until the blizzard, saw some success in my Bonded's garments. They will have to be recharged, but it is far preferable to watching Monsters freeze.

Edited 2019-12-18 16:09 (UTC)

A temporary Bond is a temporary solution, yes. I have resorted to it in moments of desperation, but it does not compare to having a stable, more permanent one. If I still do not have a Bond by the next full moon, I will have to fall back on that. I take it that you aren't interested in Bonding with me.

Actually, I am wearing such enchanted clothes as I type. While they are effective at warding off most of the chill, I still find myself a little more torpid than usual. It wasn't like this the last time it snowed in Juril. Possible explanations for this are that the weather is harsher than before, my transformations are more complete, or even that the enchantments woven into the garments need to be stronger. It is likely a combination of those factors.

Your advice is appreciated, however. If you are offering to enchant my clothes, I might take you up on it.

[He isn't quick to jump to any sort of conclusion about the kind of Monster he's dealing with, so he takes a minute to respond. Soren is... interesting.]

I was suggesting the opposite, actually. If a temporary Bond would help your situation immediately, I am happy to help. Should you decide I am tolerable after a time, we could proceed from there-- and if not, there would be no harm done and no offense taken.

Enchantment is my strongest subject after illusion, mostly out of necessity. I have no issue enchanting your clothes for free.

But here I am, prattling on and on... Pray forgive my indiscretion. I am called the Crystal Exarch, yet I would respond to another, simpler name if desired.

Ah, I see what you are saying. That is indeed part of the process I was going to take should someone accept my proposal. I'm not one to dive headfirst into a commitment until I am more assured that the arrangement is a good one, you see. You seem to understand that.

Thank you. Better yet, we could use it as our first experience in cycling your magic. When are you available, and where would be ideal for us to meet?

The Crystal Exarch, is it? Now I'm curious. What is the background behind such a title?

One could only expect such caution, I think. We are not natives to this world and the risks can be great whether we are Bonded or not. Having someone you can trust certainly offers a measure of safety, however.

That seems sensible. I would be available most late afternoons and evenings, including today. I help with an herbology shop in the early parts of the day. I could meet you wherever is comfortable for you.

It is more literal than you would suspect. Simply put, I am the keeper of a magical fortress that sadly did not follow me here. The people around it came up with that auspicious moniker on their own.

Edited (Missed something because phone tagging sucks.) 2019-12-18 20:58 (UTC)

Somewhere on Coven grounds should do for the both of us, I would think. Alternatively, I have heard of a new tea shop run by a Mirrorbound that has recently opened up called DiplomaTea, should you prefer that we sit down and get to know each other over a relaxing brew once our magic session has ended. But I am open to other bonding activities of your choosing.

Something tells me I will come to understand how literally I should be taking it when we meet. I can sympathize with you to a certain degree. It is very disorienting to have your life's purpose ripped out from underneath your feet.

Unless you have an objection, I think both would be a wonderful idea. Tea soothes many ills, and this cold is still something to contend with!

["Other bonding activities of your choosing", he says. The Exarch is a touch charmed by Soren's perceived stiffness. It reminds him of himself.]

Ah, what a terrible thing to have in common... but it is a common thread that binds us here.

[He's definitely, definitely reminded of himself.]

Allow me a few minutes and I should be able to make my way to the Coven. I did not quite catch your name...?

No objections. The cold is my worst enemy, after all.

That would be Soren. I will await you just inside of the main entrance.

Is it now? I think most people do not enjoy becoming ice sculptures if given the choice. Hopefully a stronger enchantment will help with that.

Soren, then. I look forward to our meeting.

[About twenty minutes later he finally shows up at the Coven. Soren will be able to plainly see that the title is literal; crystal makes up the entirety of his right arm, and creeps up his neck and his cheek, though his eyes are curiously held in shadow by the hood of his jacket. A coppery staff remains fastened to his back, matching a long black coat and ornate robes over fur boots.

He looks very warm and fluffy besides. If Soren has a keen nose, he might detect the scent of another dragon on him.]

Now where would he be...

[Soren has little time to get ready for his ~~hot date~~ bonding prospect, but he doesn't need much. He's already at the Coven.

Just as the Crystal Exarch speaks, a small young man with long black hair tied back edges into view at the top of the staircase as if on cue, though it has really been a coincidence and not a work of planning. The longer he descends, the smaller he really seems, a few marks over five feet tall if taking exception to the twin horns poking out straight from the top of his skull and slanted gently backwards. His wings are folded neatly behind him, scarlet like his bold and penetrating eyes and bordered at the bones and edges in midnight-hued scales, which cover his clawed hands and the growing four-foot-long tail that trails behind him. At the end of that tail, a cluster of red spikes decorates it, much like a stegosaur's.

He's rather cool and collected as he assesses the hooded figure below, but a spark of recognition flashes in his eyes when he notices the gleaming crystalline arm. Combined with how he scans the area as though looking for someone (that is, until he takes notice of his arrival), there can be no mistake.]

Ah, you must be the Crystal Exarch. Good timing; I'm Soren. I hope I didn't keep you waiting for long.

[The closer he gets, the more a certain scent... no, a bouquet of scents piques him. He can pick out something familiar in the mix. It reminds him of himself. He's smelled it before on other dragons... but he's no dragon himself. It's not very strong, more like a lingering scent, so it probably means that he relates closely to a dragon. A bond, perhaps? Everything about this man is shrouded in mystery, including his face, and Soren finds himself drawn to discover more about him. It does make him a little bit more on guard about him, though. He slides the two vials of the silvery bonding solution from his coat pocket in preparation, for that will be the first order of business after the greeting is out of the way, and reaches the bottom of the steps.]

[The Crystal Exarch can appreciate an extremely dramatic entrance, though he's more fond of doing so from on high. His head turns to Soren as he's addressed. Here is a man who is some kind of dragon, surely; knowing K'rihnn as well as he does, he can recognize the draconic traits for what they were, if they weren't obvious anyway. He's a touch surprised, but then his lips curve into an impish smile.]

Ah, Soren! 'Tis a pleasure to meet the man behind the watch, as it were. Worry not, I have only just arrived.

[The height is... whatever. The Exarch is a rousing 5'2" himself, so having more people around his height is a welcome change.]

Are you wearing the clothes you wish to be enchanted? Or would you like to work on the temporary Bond first?

Let's take the draft of bonding fluid to start. [He plucks one of the glass vials from between his fingers and hands it over for the Exarch to take.] These clothes already have an enchantment on them, but I believe it can be dispelled or overriden. I didn't have the time to head back to the barracks for a change, and... I seem to be going through clothes rather quickly these days, anyway. I'm due for a tailor.

[His stupid tail...! Stupid full moon effects!]

Very well. [There's nothing to fear from a temporary Bond. It's standard procedure for training outside the Bright Wall, though his unfortunate reaction to a high concentration of Cwyld corruption last time put a damper on all that. He reaches out to take it delicately with his crystal fingers, which Soren will notice are just as nimble as normal ones, living crystal with a bit of gold coursing through it.]

I am somewhat accustomed to refreshing old enchantments, so it should not prove a hindrance. [He smiles a little in sympathy.] It appears to be a common problem. My Bonded only recently grew his wings, so we had to hastily reorganize his closet.

[He unseals the vial. It isn't his first temporary Bond and he assumes it isn't Soren's, either, but he still pauses.]

Are you ready?

Edited 2019-12-21 09:35 (UTC)

I'm ready.

[In spite of the preparation, in spite of having done this before, the usual anxiety twists inside his gut at the precipice of connecting on such a level with someone he only just met. He could be the most unassuming persona on all of Talam; he could be a child and Soren's uneasiness would rise, his walls would fortify in response to the current of his moods being so legible to someone else. On the surface he looks as tranquil and unaffected as ever as he uncorks the vial, holds it up to indicate his next action, and tips the glass to his lips while ensuring that his temporary partner would be following along.

And when the bond is sealed, that faint, guarded tension can be felt firsthand, along with the anticipation of how it feels to connect for the first time. And, somewhere very distant, if the Exarch focuses just enough on it, a startling ache stems from his core that makes him feel cold from within, not just without. Something is missing inside of him. Maybe a few things have gone missing... pain Soren has gone almost numb to from experiencing over and over again throbs at a dull constant.]

[The Exarch nods and follows suit, tipping the silvery liquid into his mouth at the same time. He swallows hastily so he doesn't have to taste it for long, though there's always some kind of magical kick to it he doesn't like. He grimaces, though most of it is hidden behind the cowl, and then he coughs a few times.]

Kg--ugh. It never fails to be as unappealing as possible.

[He says it with the air of a child being forced to take medicine, but he settles after that as the Bond goes into effect and he becomes aware of the other. In contrast to Soren's tension, the Exarch is mostly calm. There's a flutter of anxiety that ebbs away with the moments, giving way to his normal emotional state of being: warmth and calm and patience. And beneath that, rather poorly guarded, is an unshakable sadness born of grief and loneliness, steeled by determination.

Whatever turbulence Soren might be feeling, whatever pain, it's clear that the Exarch is the kind of person who supports others. Maybe he's missing something but it doesn't daunt the Exarch at all. He smiles gently, easily, patiently, and he holds out his human hand for Soren to hold if he needs it.]

Are you all right? Shall we rest for a moment?

[Soren mellows out once the dust settles upon linking to the Exarch. The loneliness and grief have always been there, but it's like the same chord is struck by two different instruments, giving it a kind of harmonious dimension that makes the back of one's brain tingle. It's not something he minds... Rather, it's something that can be appreciated from a sympathetic standpoint. It makes his own loneliness curiously more bearable, if only for these moments.

It's the warmth and patience, the sense that he can be relied upon that relaxes Soren more. He cannot judge based on first impressions, but this feeling alone is a promising start. It's comfort balanced against the prior wariness that has lessened. When offered a hand, he lifts his own scaly one, but doesn't bring it close enough to take. He's... really not sure what he's doing, what it means. He decides not to take it, embarrassed.]

...No, we don't need to rest. I'm fine.

[He is. He fingers the collar of his long frock coat and contemplates for a second.]

Would it be easier for you if I removed these? Or perhaps just the coat and the scarves will do, if it is.

[He lets his hand fall back to his side when Soren seems hesitant to take it. The Exarch has spent so long reaching out to others that he's almost forgotten what it's like when someone doesn't reach back. But he takes the reluctance in stride. They've only just met, after all.]

I believe that will be easiest. In the meantime, you can keep warm beside the fire. I do not need a wide space to work, merely a quiet one.

[Luckily the fire is warm and welcoming, with plenty of places to sit, whether Soren prefers chairs or fuzzy rugs to sit on. This time when the Exarch holds out his hands, it's with the expectation that he'll have a coat shoved into them.]

Full glad am I that the storm has passed and my enchantments are no longer doomed to fail, though it was a good excuse to curl up and read a book or two.

[Soren unbuttons his coat and shrugs it off his shoulders while he speaks, and once he passes it to the Exarch, he begins unraveling his deep red woolen scarves from his neck. His mood darkens a little.]

It's interesting... How deeply woven magic is in the fabric of this society. Without spells and magitech, life grinds to a stop for humans, doesn't it?

[For a while, anyway. Then they adapt, finding firewood the old-fashioned way, taking a horse and buggy instead of teleporting, sweep their floors manually... They go back to living the way Soren had been accustomed to in his old life, even when he could use magic on his own accord. But these are trivialities compared to the damage done by malfunctioning portions of the Bright Wall.]

And thanks to the Cwyld, life really could grind to a stop if this occurs on a broader scale. Our security would be compromised, and that would spell doom.

[...Soren, the Exarch was just trying to find the silver lining in all of this! Why do you have to go and be the opposite and spoil it all with your smelly pessimism? At any rate, you now have some of his trappings, so Soren is going to go huddle where it's warmer by the hearth. He never "shuts" him out emotionally in spite of the sour turn his mood has taken, so it's safe to say he's welcome to follow should he choose.]

[Humans, he says, as if he isn't human himself. It's a more general term where he comes from, but he's come to recognize that in Aefenglom, it means those without Monster traits. He makes a noncommittal noise.]

I have seen such a thing firsthand. They adapt and persevere, rising against the darkness. They would do so again here—indeed, I suspect they already have.

[Soren's mood crash doesn't seem to crash things that much. The Exarch has some kind of levity, and he brings that out now, as he shuffles over to sit beside Soren. He uses a nearby chair to help spread the coat out, so he can use his hands (well, hand and a staff) for casting.]

Yet I fear the only way to return to our worlds is to solve the crisis in front of us. To that end, I would work toward the conclusion myself, rather than trusting my fate to the Coven alone.

[His lip forms a line as he concentrates, biting his lip for a moment, and then the words return to him. He mouths the spell and the warm tingle of magic settles over the coat, little sparks of warmth sinking into the threads. It permeates the Bond, too. The Exarch's magic is as warm and calm as he is-- recalling a nap beneath a tree in summer, or a spot of cool water in a desert. He's both and neither.

With the coat finished, he lines up the scarves and repeats the enchantment. This one goes quickly with less surface area to cover. He breathes out when he's finished, slow and measured. He's been doing these sorts of enchantments a lot lately-- perhaps too much for his body to recharge completely, but he'll be okay for now as long as he doesn't overdo it.]

One thing is clear to me. We cannot stand divided, so we must find some way to win over the hearts of the citizens in Dorchacht... whom I have not had the displeasure of meeting, admittedly.

[Soren is perched on his knees directly in front of the fire but facing the Exarch, hands resting in his lap as he absorbs the pleasant excesses of his casting and listens. The bleak dip in his current mood could very well have been magically uplifted if it couldn't also be blamed on his temporary Bond's opposing but practical optimism: one weight bearing down, another force bearing it up.

This balance never erases his cynicism, of course, but it manages to influence him somehow. It's consoling, like a refreshing mountain breeze is upon debauching from the muggy depths of a cave. And yet in the same measure, he finds it dangerous, something to contest against in case they're not prepared for the absolute worst outcome. But most of what the Exarch says holds worth, no matter how dangerous it is to put too much stock in everything working out in the end. But maybe... it's nice to think that way, too. A relief. A perfect balance of perspectives. He continues to speak on the ever-looming shadow of Dorchacht with a calm mind.]

The Cwyld does not discriminate: it is the enemy of life itself, and as such, the enemy of all of Geardagas. If we could find compromise and combine efforts to more effectively combat our common enemy, we might find success. But I suspect that Dorchacht has something to gain from focusing on defense while our resources attenuate. Rather, it wouldn't surprise me if their current Coven head has her own designs. As I have come to understand, Aefenglom's Coven is situated in a rather advantageous location. One worth spilling swathes of blood over.

[And with the temporary Bond lapping up the excess, he no longer feels the excess energy coiling in his body, even if he has been well-balanced recently. It's still not perfect-- he's not sure it could ever be perfect, even with his first Bonded being the way that he is. They still have a lot of room to grow.

With those enchantments finished, he takes another moment to sit and simply let his energy return to him. He knows from experience that he might end up lightheaded if he gets up too fast. So he focuses on the conversation instead, and watches Soren from beneath his hood with an attentive gaze.]

If that is their aim, then their inaction makes perfect sense. Why overreach if their situation is stable? Better, then, to swoop in after our inevitable defeat and spread their wicked rule...

[He sits back a little.]

These are ready, if you would like to test them.

[Soren is pulled from his Dorchacht train of thought by two draws: tuning into the Exarch's flow of magic and energy, and the completion of his enchantment. The latter prompts him to rise from his perch by the hearth to come collect his coat and scarves. He lifts a scarf up to test first, since wings make putting heavy coats on just a little more of a process even when they're tailored for extra limbs, and wraps it around his neck. Almost immediately, the pleasant heat of his magic soaks into his skin, washing some of the fatigue brought upon by the chill away. He touches the fabric in quiet appreciation.]

Yes. This is much nicer than before. Thank you. [He returns his attention to the hooded figure below him, his features still obscured but some of his inner life revealed to him by way of the bonding solution. He'd been tracking it ever since they began.] But you feel... tired. Remarkably so. I don't think that one little spell should be capable of bringing someone to such exhaustion.

[He's aware of Soren's gaze. He must have many questions, and truthfully, the Exarch would like to divulge all and live freely without thought of concealment. But that is not the world they live in. And as the tensions between Witches and Monsters grow more profound, he becomes more confident in that decision.]

You are very welcome. If nothing else comes of our meeting, at least I was able to do this small thing for you.

[His smile fades slightly. Picked up on that already, has he? Soren is more observant than the Exarch is used to.]

Ah...

[He almost doesn't know what to do when people focus on him, actually.]

That is not the spell alone. Rather, I have been exerting myself lately in an attempt to stave off the cold... particularly with the incident earlier this month when magic became unreliable.

If you can feel it, then I suppose I should give it a rest. Even as an old man I find it difficult to acknowledge my limits at times.

[... old man...]

[...old... man... ok, what. This comes across as too genuine a remark to even sound like he's a 30-year-old making an exaggerated quip about lost youth, except that his speaking voice does sound closer to 30 than... well, ancient.]

That's funny. I would have never pinned you as an old man. Not by normal human standards, anyway.

[And that smile is back on again, the corners of his lips twitching in amusement.]

Is that so?

[He lifts his crystal hand and observes how the firelight refracts through it, catching a spark of gold veins here and there.]

I suppose you are not incorrect... I have not been human for a very long time.

'Twas the price I paid, but I did so gladly.

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