Topic: ~Tranquility at the Hallowed Manor~ {Closed Post}

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-04 02:14 EST
(( Author's Note: This tale depicts Private Instructor for The Practical Applications of Magicks and Eldritch Lore, Zynisch Lucis, in his morning efforts of contemplation and his summarily uncommon stay within the grounds of the Academy. As such, I encourage any and all who wish it to participate in helping him feel welcome again. ))

First Scene's Ambient Tune: "A Moment's Rest" -a la Final Fantasy XII-

Ah, Lake Eternal. It served as a bastion of peace to many a beleaguered Crios denizen's weary mind. So too did it prompt the lonely morning sojourn of one cynical light to its shores of reprieve. The heavy mantle of a bifurcated cloak hung in an airborne stasis of mystical energies as its master hid his features beneath the upright collar it sported. Perched upon winds of his own stirring did Zynisch Lucis rest, perusing his troubled thoughts for answers to a myriad of the prior eve's inquiries. Hundreds of burdening ideas and worries were subject to defragmentation and subsequent compartmentalized within his mindscape with unerring and ruthless scrutiny, save perhaps for the momentary glimpses of his beloved. Her presence therein was a sedating one that served to encourage and will his fleeting thoughts to a mental script. Nevertheless, each pondering would be relegated to a page or two within the fabric of the engorged textbook that framed his perspective. From frivolous considerations to more pressing personal concerns, naught was safe from his examination.

Suffice it to say, though, that whilst he remained in that state of indefatigable recollection and processing, he was not entirely aware of his surroundings. Why even as the surface of lake water beneath him started to ripple and the grass enveloping the area for yards wove to and fro at the beckoning of his winds did his concentration ne'er waver a mote. Rather, it was this inward withdrawal that coaxed the elements borne of his will to manifest thus. Spheres of moderate size would congeal around him into several, large effigies of basic elemental composition that tended to be constant within this realm. Passively, they would rotate at a fixed rate and dance reverently about his impeccably stationary frame. Transfixed were they by his presently unshakable resolve to introspect that the representations of magicks willingly submitted themselves to his will that they might aid him amid his reverie.

That was....until a certain incident sprang to mind. The piecemeal scenery of the docks pushed to the forefront of the academic's formerly wild musing, eschewed merely by his still-incomplete reformation of the event's details. Try as might have, he could never quite achieve the eidetic memory he both desperately desired and rightfully feared. The chilling notion of being privy to any and all thoughts one might ever had was humbling to the man, as there were numerous instances of unforgiving memories he would have thought it serendipitous to be rid of. Incidentally, the silhouetted images of himself and one other beset by the astral sea, the impending cloud cover which threatened its clarity, and the lesser maw of the churning sea depths below resonated intensely with him. The Swordmage recounted the two speaking as a faint light far removed from the shoreline banished the visible light of the moon with its jealous glow, yet he could not recall the particulars of their exchange.

With true haste did the luminescence of the unrecognizable, celestial anomaly grow heavy on his mind, blanketing all of his hard-earning mental compression beforehand. At once, the lids of the formerly fastened, azure hues Zynisch boasted parted in the fallout of his resurrection into the waking world. The spheres halted their almost sprite-like admiration for the scholar's focused trance and sunk low to the water before expunging themselves in wispy bursts of untamed lightning, incandescent flames, gelid frost, stony matter, hallowed brilliance, and eldritch shade. The otherworldly gleam of his eyes succumbed to rest, fading into the collected cerulean they were known for. He would sigh and place his hands upon the crossed legs that comprised much of his discernible posture. Instructor Lucis's head would rise to the sight of another presence that made itself known to him purely at the behest of the aggravated senses that revived at a peculiar degree of potency with the advent of his awakening. Chilly lips parted to facilitate an expression of his thoughts, no doubt profound given the nature of his ostensible meditation.

"....Did that occur on a Monday or a Tuesday?"

...Okay. Or maybe he was just that much of a dork.

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-04 19:26 EST
Perhaps it was that intense focus upon the reliquary of memories; that life affirming meditation that stole presence of mind from that which stirred the world around Zynisch that allowed the stirring presence of an elusive creature. Across the rippling waters of Lake Eternal stood someone most thought mad and lost to time and study. Cool winds blew through hair once vibrant red that now shimmered and faded into golds and white as the matron that wore gazed to the heavens, golden's glimmer with the radiance of a child receiving the praise of it's mother's love as the woman stared into the sun.

A close look upon the hermit, for she was one these days in the Coven, touched some say in the head and soul, would reveal the woman was clothed in white fur and she shared more kindred spirit with wolves than mankind. A light cloth robe of gray was gathered about her shoulders and belted firmly in place by a supple leather belt of many pouches holding such an array of vials and flasks one may think she was a healer or shaman. A furred hand rested upon the head of a wolf that sat by her, stock still, unusual for it save for one more startling quality. The beast was made up of pure sunlight and pulsed and glowed by her side.

It would seem the lady was lost in her own meditation and reflection, maybe a quiet morning bask in the sunlight she so loved before the long winter nights. Long, tri-tipped ears, feathered in white fur did twitch, catching sound of the words uttered across the waters in the quiet morning. Golden eyes that glittered like coins in the bottom of a wishing well fell from the heavens to land upon Zynisch to give him a long and full study like a master craftsman pealing away the layers of a machine to get to the innermost workings of heart and soul.

"I should leave . . ." Her fine muzzle moved and brought life the barest sound from her graceful form.

The solar familiar looked across the waters and then back to his master. "You should stay. More sunlight. He is on the other side."

Ammy looked down to the familiar stroked the rolling wisps of solar fur upon his head. "And if he does not stay on that side, then what?

The solar familiar gave a sneezing snort and leaned into the adorning pets more. "Then talk."

Simple. Direct. Scary. Fearful. Such was the way of directness from familiars.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-04 20:16 EST
Resplendence....

As one could likely expect from having not seen such a curious being with that particular clarity in a while, such majesty was all that he could find in the ego-wearying specimen. Truth be told, despite being a member of House Eternal, the Master Alchemist's proximity suggested that he was somewhere he wasn't meant to be. It was an admitted rarity for him to venture outside his office and the ne'er-faltering attendance of his ward, Elle, during one of his visits. A swift round of the grounds' defensive measures and an extended measure of solitude within that quiet space oft served his purposes well enough. Regardless, he'd been known for regarding the other members of Crios with the utmost respect in public, with the Advisors receiving the greatest portions of his quiet, scholarly admiration. Many could recount him all but praising Catalyst Ammy for her impressive efforts in the realms of creation; her plethora of forays into alchemy were laudable at the very least.

So, why' When all was said and done....Why did he sense such loneliness from her" By all rights, how could he even glean that from the goddess that she was, especially from such a distance" Surely, her abilities prevented his keen observation from prying too much. 'Twas then that his luminous hues caught a glimpse of her own. As though he were looking into the sun itself, his eyes would reflexively squint until his perception of her radiance died down a tad. Settling into his characteristic calm once more, he would bring stillness to his form. In the moments following, his body would visibly solidify into its crystalline components and abruptly shatter into a haze of shimmering dust atop the lake's surface. Along the tranquil breeze did the cloudy mass of cryst waft until it reached the shoreline, whereupon it began to collect and reform to retake the Instructor's frame.

"It's likely best that I not bother her. I fear she may have enough to deal with already to fret over someone like me," he lamentably surmised, proceeding to step away toward his House proper, were he not impeded in some fashion. Though it might not have been intrinsically noteworthy, he would briefly halt his pace and remove an arm from the lengthy cloak he wore to take a look at a peculiar wristband. A mite bit of luster remained in its gem; however, the rest had since lost its light.

"I should probably get this to Izumi sometime soon so that she can infuse it with her energy again. Keeping a low level of Resonance-ready mana is a recipe for disaster."

Huh....What was he on about with that?

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-04 20:56 EST
Ammy's ears twitched hearing his words with ease. Gleaning loneliness from the master alchemist was not hard. She cloaked herself in it often as a defense to spare many harm for what takes note of her achievements. She did have her moments though, like a cabin fevered child seeing sunlight and soft grass to roll in after a long spell of fugue. Perhaps her familiar had a point. She needed more sun and less drafty days in rooms with lantern light and musty books.

"At my call Solaris." Ammy said quietly and the wolf stood, shook it's sunny coat and shimmered away like mist on a hot summer day.

Seeing Zynisch shatter and reform upon the shore brought not only a point of interest but a furrow to her canine features. She walking along the shore line now. Grace, lethality and welcoming warmth like summer sun if one new the right precautions to take. Drawing nigh, within distance so words would not have to ring across the lake she spoke.

"Morning, Master Lucis. Lake Eternal is rather calm today, is it not?" Ammy gave the wrist band he bore attention to some study.

"Crafts by the fair Lady Takamine is a rare treat to enjoy on the grounds of the Coven. You know of Izumi?" She asked without a smile or a frown. Calm, quiet, watchful, like someone ready to part ways in haste. Something else though touched upon her senses, a connection and hum upon her personage and within a pouch on her belt.

She placed a hand over the pouch in quiet reflection as its content stirred from a slumber since the last time she'd seen Arthour, her old friend and once teacher. Golden's ticked to Zynisch now in interest wondering if the instructor was indeed entrusted with such a sacred link to the Sword Mage of old.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-04 21:32 EST
Ammy's nearing was not lost on him, as his arm withdrew into the safety and comfort of his shroud. It was habitual of him to reside mostly in the darkness of his cloak, so the luminescence and warmth she exhibited was a bit of a sore spot for him. Izumi, too, felt similarly when they had first joined together. Resonance was heady tonic, indeed: perhaps more so than for which he'd initially bargained. Squinting would come and go as he offered her a respectful nod of his half-obscured head.

"Lady Catalyst. It has been some time. the last I saw of you prior to my most recent period of absence, I was marveling at your creation of the drake from metal spheres in the Inn with Andu," he remarked. That was a curiously sharp memory. Then again, perhaps when one had few encounters with someone one respected, one tended to focus on the particulars rather than the levity of the event itself. Not to mention, the art of breathing life into inanimate matter wasn't a practice those who witnessed it were wont to consign to oblivion.

Alas, his warm eyes failed to betray the collective coldness that his expression had developed. It wasn't something he actively maintained in the presence of friendly acquaintances, no. More aptly put, after months of not taking a genuine interest in anything outside of Crios beyond a cursory examination with his somewhat exceptional spheres, his face had likely adopted that indifferent stare as its default. If anything, for better or worse, he had grown to vaguely resemble Lord Atticus in that vein. Not being able to see the lower half didn't help matters, nor did his relative inexperience with Lupinossai. It wasn't as though he disliked them, either. They just never struck him as particularly noteworthy....Even now, his eyes were passively darting about in a desperate attempt to find somewhere comfortable to fix upon. Not only that, but her brief palming at the pouch on her belt merely aggravated his curiosity further. At the mention of Izumi, however, those learned hues wistfully and bashfully wandered elsewhere in the midst of his answer.

"I'm not certain how I wouldn't be familiar with my partner, my lady. It's unbecoming of me to forget intimate relationships. Do so too often, and experience lends me to believe the bonds will weaken." Ah, yes, and that delinquent was an unforgettable lass, to be sure. Her fiery passion for all things enjoyable and commercial was enough to get anyone's spirits ready t— Did he just say partner?

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-05 00:20 EST
The uncomfortable nature Zynisch was displaying in her presence hadn't gone unnoticed to Ammy. It was hard to get things past the sharp eyed alchemist, a sore point Atticus often found amusing about her. With a bit of summation on the facts and persons often in House Eternal she had a fairly educated guess that her radiance was a heated contention with him and not by opinion but perhaps a conflict of natures.

A slight twitch of her ears and a glance to the lake, he'd find her sunny radiance dulled, like muted light during a solar eclipse. As to his gaze and bearing, she was used to her meetings with Atticus and had grown accustomed to aloof visages and stolid masks. The nervousness with which he wouldn't look at her much was not new either. She could only imagine what thoughts he had about seeing a person before him that was more canine than human.

"Lady Catalyst?" Ammy said in a bit of confusion and loss. She had once been called that she supposed but she'd heard few conversations or words since the rebuilding of the Mage Wing. A time when she locked herself away and found renewed vigor in her studies.

"Perhaps I am a catalyst. Been some time since I've heard that title." she said in honestly. "Yes, the mini-drake of iron sand. My first triumph in creating life in matter. Not my last . . ." She looked to where her solar familiar had been and seemed to shake the sand of memory and melancholy from the halls of her mind.

His attention to her pawing of the pouch was noted keenly and she drew another tick upward to perhaps pursue a question that kept in the shadows of her mind and fled. Hearing what he mentioned of Izumi though had her thoroughly staring at him in complete fascination like he was suddenly a formula to study, take apart and digest fully to understand his workings.

"I was unaware that Izumi had a boyfriend much less a mate . . ." Something touched her muzzle that started to work and slide into a small, amused grin doing a feeble attempt to hide canine teeth oh so sharp. "Is she still watching horror movies?" She caught that memory well and held onto it with joy.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-06 01:00 EST
"...I see. She's not told you, either. I'd have you forgive the both of us. It's not like we made attempts to hide it. According to her, it just never came up in conversation. Well, it didn't until she idly mentioned wedding planning in the Inn the other night," he remarked, quite pleased that she was finally showing semblance of equanimity in the wake of her erstwhile absence. Of course, his features wouldn't give that away, considering half of them remained to be seen. At least she'd made strides to placate his sensibilities by toning her brilliance down a peg; moments aft, he'd found the resolve to meet her eyes with his own, were she not distressed by it. 'Twas his silent hope that not having that excess of warmth about her didn't bring her discomfort. The shifting from earlier did prompt him to speak up about the pouch.

"Tell me....Has my younger brother, Arthour, contacted you with the crystal as of late" I couldn't quite ignore the pouch at which you've been...ahem....pawing at all this time," he revealed, shuffling within his cloak for a moment before producing from its parted veil a shard that he surmised matched hers, what with the reaction that had taken place over the interval he had mentioned. "I admit, I do worry about him. I've heard nothing of note on my end. Of course, that's likely due to having my focus....elsewhere." The bashful Swordmage must have been referring to Izumi with that line. Regardless of the 'mask' that claimed his expression, whenever he cast his gelid hues toward the ground in a sidelong glance, there was a fondness to be glimpsed that wasn't present in the other topics of their talk. Love took all sorts of forms, 'twould seem. Moments passed before his eyes ...frantically met hers once again, as though he'd forgotten to sate one of her inquiries.

"Ah. It wasn't all that long ago that I purchased both a film and a game for her. Both of them fell into that genre, so....yes. Her interests seem to align with the macabre even still. As for the event planning, she spoke of wanting the ceremony to take place in the Spring. You....didn't wish to attend....did you?" he finished, canting his head to the side whilst he awaited his response, all the while mentally cursing himself that he'd inadvertently taken the reins of the conversation without realizing it. He'd most certainly allow her the time she needed to join in. Gods, what a jerky and stilted man he'd become.

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-07 15:37 EST
The overall bashfulness and unease she was picking up on Zynisch tones, mannerism and even eye contact had told her much. He was like many in the Coven locked in their own worlds, coping, wandering about sometimes lost within themselves until they hit the crossroads of meeting such as today. Just like her, locked in her own labyrinth of misery and self imposed hermitage. Was an odd thought to consider how often people built their own mental prisons to peer out of daily no matter how powerful or weak their minds were.

The sounds of his voice drew her hand away from the pouch to rub her muzzle and gently pulled her mind from the drifting she'd found herself in memories and thoughts. What was it that Atticus had called her" High Eternal and something about long sleeps and such'

She snapped back to the present here and now and gave Zynisch a focused stare that may have been cold, maybe too intent as she marshaled her mind to order again.

"Arthour" I . . . He . . ." She was quiet a moment more in thought. "You're presence is the first time his crystal has hummed in my pouch since the destruction of mage hall nigh a year or two ago. Then again most that once knew me, knew of me, perhaps they give me space or have simply forgotten me among the books. Necessity and chaos is often when most find me or have a use for me. Or misplaced love . . ." Her words had a brittle edge to them as if they were once solid and firm yet now weathered and lost of their usual vitality. Her lasts words lead her hand of its own will to a locket on the pouch, crafted in the unique styling of Crowe Thorne's metalworking.

"I am quite sure the horror game and video you got for Izumi was pleasantly received. She has a flair for them and after seeing her homeland with her some time ago, I can see why she enjoys them. I am not worried about an invitation Master Lucis. If Izumi would like me to attend, she knows how to find. I will have to warn you that if you truly upset her, I will gladly restrain you while she rips you apart. She has my utmost respect and that is given to few." Ammy tone was chilly for a sun goddess.

She forced her hand from the locket in silent rebuke. Too many memories for her. Too many people she once knew. Too many she's withdrawn from or perhaps they had pulled from her, afraid? The nudge and niggle of dark doubt in her mind about herself and where she really stood in life with many she shared air with.

"It is not often I meet people in the coven, Master Lucis. Perhaps, at one point I did. Even the city near us and my own home city in this realm but now, crowds of people heighten the isolation I feel. I have no one to blame but myself. I am a Phoenix. I bring fire and death to all that get too close to me, leaving me with ash. Alone to rebuild again." Ammy turned for a moment to regard the lake, her gray robed back and white furred tail given to his view. After a long puzzled moment of thought she spoke. "But sometimes I find diamonds in those ashes and those are the treasured people that I can never let go of."

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-08 23:57 EST
"I see....That's unfortunate. With the visions I've had, I've begun to worry about him," the man responded initially. Ah, that repressed sorrow of his had begun to seep into his inflection, tainting the intentions behind his words with a morose gloom. Compounded by his sudden onset of depression, he felt a sobering relief at hearing it was indeed bestowed upon her by Arthour, suggesting she was close enough a friend of his that she could be trusted with any further inquiries his brand of intrigue would have had him seek out. Whatever prison she mused that he'd erected for himself was not of his own choosing. At least....he felt that way. The look she'd given him had mildly shaken him at first, as coldness was odd upon visage like hers; however, that apprehension gave way to but a singular instance....nay, a twinge of offense with one of her following statements. How quickly did a minor comment shift the desires of the participants.

His desire to know more of her plight was cast to the wayside as she pitched her seemingly harmless slight toward him. There were a number of ways to take it, and whilst he could lash out as was well within his rights, he perceived such an endeavor to oft be a waste of energy at the user's expense. Instead when all was said and done, he would be truthful in his expression of distaste for her words with the way he phrased his next remark, all life in his expression having since faded. "You will, will you...? Hn." A respectful pause was extended to her as the remainder of her spiel, for lack of a better term, ran its course, finally prompting the Swordmage to speak his mind.

"You presume overmuch, Lady Catalyst. Truly, I am appreciative for you taking the time to speak with me. Yours has, thus far, been welcome company; however, as much as I accept your utterances of distress and depictions of your woe, I fail to see what they have to do with me....Nor do I see the usefulness in suggesting harm upon a person you've only just met. You presume I have no sense of self-propriety. You presume I am a person prone enough to upsetting others I've expended a great deal of time in solidifying trust with that I delight in hurting them, and above all else, you presume I am a person with enough patience to passively accept that from someone I've only known in passing. God or nil, you overstep your bounds, great one. Poor form, indeed."

Whilst his words were authoritative to the point of almost being demanding, he remained eerily calm in tone and timbre, having been merely caught off guard by the revelation that even someone vaunted so greatly like Ammy was equally as wont to employ such a careless choice of words. Her consistent lamentations, were she to have chosen any other means of greeting him, would have gone unremarked on; however, this was a man slighted. Perhaps the insinuation that he would bring anguish to the one he loved beyond anyone else was causing such a pronounced reaction in him' Hells, she'd not even said she would be the one to do him in, and yet....Gods. Nevertheless, he would lower his head after taking a moment to reflect on his reaction.

"Forgive me....I know you don't mean ill will by it. I just....I'm not the sort of person who has the tact or the clout to dismiss idle remarks from those I'm supposed to respect, jest or otherwise."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-09 00:47 EST
Ammy winced considerably seeing the reactions she'd drawn from Zynisch. Truly she'd been away from people too much. Books were perfect company for someone that never wanted or expected feed back. Not so with the living. Well, damage was done and like an alchemist facing an equation now over balanced and rapidly progressing she surmised mentally her options for reparation if any.

"Apologies are in order for what is done. I am . . . long out of practice for conversation and the only other instructor who has called on me is Atticus and that man can sometimes throw any means of sense and sensibility awry. That said, I am not excused. I am sorry Lord Lucis for my comments or insinuations that you'd harm Lady Takamine." Ammy felt herself withdrawing inside, formalities now raised as part of the bulwark shutting away who she was.

"Perhaps I should take my leave and allow you peace and quiet to continue your meditations . . ." She drew away several steps before something deep in her wrenched her to a stop. Why her mind wanted her to utter more words to a man she's inflicted wounds to on his pride and dignity was beyond her. "I rarely speak my words in jest or light heartedness Master Lucis. I'm simply an old woman, in a new body that has seen every kind of brutality and violence known to mankind and beastkind possible that I have lost most faith in things until I have seen the proofing of the batch to come." She said throwing in a term amongst alchemists.

"Perhaps I've seen what can happen to people when something dire enough turns their hands back upon what they love and cherish." She said. A glance to her white hand a moment, visions of a bloody knife held in it. "Perhaps I am mad, insane, rabid and should be shot on sight. Maybe I'm not good company. Either the case, the morning is nice, the lake is calm . . ." She looked over the waters again and began to move away feeling perhaps she was not fit for living company anymore.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-09 03:37 EST
It would again be Zynisch's turn to rebuke her sullen candor; although, this time, it could and would be done without harsher words. Rather, he would step forward....past her even to observe the lake's gentle rippling even now. It had not been long since they'd begun speaking when he'd all but ripped the comfort free from the cadaver that was their conversation. Wheeling about on the heels of his boots, he would slip his arm free from his robes and offer a hand to the woman with the same dismal visage he bore when breaking her confidence, if even for a moment there. "Feel....Don't just think, friend. You've more senses than your sight. Use them." he urged, gently nudging her own hand with his pale counterpart. Were she to indulge him in his experiment and take hold, she would feel the atypical, frigidity of his otherwise relatively normal, human skin. At this juncture, he would reach up to lower the zipper on his collar, effectively rendering the meager guise he'd built up over himself null. He was a man in the prime of his youth, not unlike Arthour's ilk. Despite being taller than his brother, his features were considerably more boyish. Why did he appear the way he did.

"Once, I very nearly killed Arthour....My life was taken from me, and twice now I've been denied the peaceful passing of death I deserve. You and I, Lady Ammy....That is to say, I sense that our circumstances aren't all that different. Surely as night and day, the moon yearns for the light of its star because of how incomplete an existence it is without. So, too, do I yearn for understanding from others regardless of my apathy. By all rights, I'm essentially dead....and yet, I persist in living. So, tell me honestly....If a veritable wraith like me, with no business even existing, can deem even the meager enjoyment I perceive on a daily basis to be worthwhile....how can you, a purveyor and granter of life itself, give up so willingly on living your own?" His features softened naturally with the ability to fully glimpse his face, and yet he spoke with the collected demeanor of one who had seen death all around him and failed to bat an eye. Indeed, he was an example of how to accept and push through one's curse.

"I claim to be no wise man. Verily, I have much more to learn than you likely ever will again in your life. Should I ever attain the knowledge and proficiency you have, though, I doubt I'll be satisfied with an eternity of meaningless solitude for my trouble. Quite literally, you are meant to be a catalyst for greater things: a component to built upon, am I wrong" I am as well, to a different extent," he trailed off, releasing her hand if they ever made contact. Once again, his eyes found purchase in the lake's activity; although, it had grown still at last. Reaching up to return the zipper to its original position and regain the pseudo veil within he found contentment, he peered back over his shoulder to the woman, in the hopes that she yet remained even after he'd tapered off in his rambling.

"...You look at yourself, and you see an individual driven insane with sorrow over what has befallen you. When I look at you, I glimpse loneliness. When I reach out and touch you, I feel the radiant warmth and acceptance of a still-burning star. When I hear your voice, it brings me hope that you're not yet ready to accept life purely for what it is, but to change it for the better. Isn't that what alchemy was meant to accomplish to begin with' Alas, I might be....presuming overmuch, myself." the Swordmage finally admitted, not expecting nor actually desiring of a straight answer. After all, he'd told her to feel, as well as think. What would merely responding to his words ultimately accomplish....that she thought about it' No, he would let his eyes drift closed and allow his body to rise into the air in order to reform the meditative posture from earlier on in the morning. Doing so would undoubtedly permit her the time she needed to search for what she considered to be her version of truth. With any luck, he would be pleased with knowing she wouldn't give up on everything like he had once. For now, he would focus his energies once again on compartmentalizing the storm of ideas that now breathed life into his own mental nexus.

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-09 14:38 EST
For someone quite reluctant to be in the company of others, she was finding it very difficult to vanish as she was oft used to doing. Perhaps it was common sense still rolling about between her canine ears; the self-conscience bolstered by the words and demonstrations of Zynisch that took her by the reigns and demanded she actually grow up and wear the centuries as she was meant to. Ammy stopped in her retreat, watched him with calm, golden eyes, any irritation in them were gone but a tired puzzlement had settled.

He'd told her to feel with her senses beyond just thinking. She indeed took up that pale hand of his he offered. The coldness was not missed nor did the myriad of other information her finely tune senses flooded her mind about what was keeping him anchored to the mortal realm. So one suspicion she had seeing him shatter and re-materialize on the lake shore had been confirmed. Zynisch's further confession to the attempts on Arthour and the fate that followed such folly solidified her true understanding that he was damned to being a homunculi. This brought sharper clarity to her actions and that she'd been unduly inhospitable to someone that was going through something she had at one point been subject to.

He had said a lot to her, and that was something rare indeed. Words spoken among hermits, among the often solitary. Words counted like coin by misers at the hearth. They'd exchanged much today and he was still extolling a higher debt upon her. As he resumed his meditations to allow her to distill and refine what had been shown and discussed, she stood there with much on her mind.

Feeling with her senses. Just feeling in general is what had put her into her prison and started her on this long road of living among mortals. It was something that made her different from Atticus. She had emotions and took them to heart and they hurt often as much as they gladdened and uplifted her soul. The curse of mortals, the warning from the Celestials to the young, ever bright spark of sunlight that wanted to do more than just shine on several planets. It wanted to roam and be among living beings and so it was warned to do so, it would never escape their curse save one small grace, death was never permanent but a small resting point until the next beginning of her trip.

Wind tugged at her red hair streaked gold and white as her own true identity showed within her mortality as she watched that lake again. The lake was like a centering point, anchoring her mind when thoughts and emotions nearly swept her out and dragged her under with the riptides of the ages. Oh, how she'd experienced a lot of humanity and what did she show for it' Threats and coldness to someone. What had she become" She'd become a scared, self pitying fool after the disaster in Mage Hall that she took full blame for when it was not hers to take. So then, why was she still taking and administering this punishment' Why even now was she forcing people away from her" It was her own hand and mind setting herself aside from others, not the other way around. She'd become a sun hiding among moons and letting herself become mute and shadowed.

A small smirk touched upon her muzzle throughout her thoughts. It would seem that every time she'd hit a breaking point many were there to bring her out of it. Aside from family, for she surrounded herself heavily with family that would anchor and keep her from slipping to full darkness again for a while, there was several key figures to guide her back to sanity. She thought back on that for a moment or two then chuckled. All of them were of a similar ideal or rough set of characteristics.

Arthour and his ancient wisdom to look beyond anything his near sighted friend kept focusing on. Crowe and his exuberance for life and living in the now and not on the past or the future. Even Atticus and his peculiarities with the bigger picture focusing and fitting only with the small pictures aligning as well. And now . . . she quietly looked at Zynisch. A man barely staying on this mortal realm with a sharp tongue and wit unafraid to reflect what I've become for me to see and react to.

Ammy was starting to chuckle, then she began to laugh deeply as if something made sense in a humorous way. "Always men. It's always men . . ." She laughed more, the feeling warming to her and a comfort almost forgotten. The act stirred the grass and trees about them to blooming and vigor. She then realized she was laughing after what had happened and worried she would be found uncaring or indeed raving mad.

Laughter subsiding she looked to Zynisch a long moment. "I take back my ill spoken words. I'm no better than a spoiled, ill behaved child, Master Lucis. Please forgive me." She said for a start. "You told me to feel with my senses and not think. I did that often and it hurt too much. I became a coward or maybe I just simply didn't want to hurt so I became selfish and locked myself away. For that I am ashamed and I will stop it. I am in grave error hiding my light and warmth from all. You are not wrong. I haven't given up on living or being there for people. I am just not sure how to proceed or to cope with severity of emotions and feelings that I have accumulated for centuries. That inept preparedness has done much to set me stumbling through many lives."

Ammy took in a deep sigh and worked at pulling her hair back to gather into a pony tail. She spoke more as she looked for a suitable tie. "You are more than entitled to feel happiness. To live and do as you wish and enjoy it full measure. My words and threat was harsh and born from the fear spawned by seeing many I've known and cared for hurt. I over step and think I can protect them and fail miserably often. If you have become betrothed to Izumi this deeply, then I am quite the fool for even saying what I did. I am sorry. You two will most likely endure and flourish."

Silver wire found she made a passable hair tie and held her hair back regaining a small semblance of the woman she once was. "Though I can see and feel why some things are uncertain with you. It is not easy being a homunculus. Though you have the advantage of your soul being relatively intact. When my husband revived me in this realm after my untimely death he had neither the full concept or knowledge I do and I spent a year or so chased by our own people, thrown out of my town, and sent looking for fragments of my soul and grovelling for them from a Lich King. Many had regarded me as something less than undead but hated more than an elder demon. It is not easy nor certain being in the position you are in Master Lucis." Ammy said softly.

She hesitantly considered something, an offering to place out between them to rebuild the torn apart bridge of possibly acquaintance they'd both bombarded.

"Feel free to tell me to shut up, but have you considered seeking out a living body, created to place your soul into that is less fragile than that lattice? It is quite possible to do, well within the realm of obtainable and . . . wholly justifiable in my jurisdiction of alchemy and celestial domain. I'm quite familiar with handling lives and helping stabilize or extend them. In fact . . . Crowe Thorne, a friend of mine that I've not seen in a long while is still living today because of a special potion and amulet I've made for him." Ammy said gently in hopes of redeeming herself with what she did best, work wonders.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-10 16:27 EST
"Forgiving and forgetting the misgivings imposed on me by others once they've acknowledged their folly....is a peculiarly easy thing for me to accomplish. My pride as a warrior affords me a certain degree of self-efficacy; however, it is extinguished quite swiftly in the presence of an ally..." he paused, trailing off into silence as he briefly examined his own choice of words. He'd offer an addendum that he was certain she would respond positively to, as he'd made himself certain of her genuine good will by now. "...Nay, rather....in the presence of a friend." Lowering his hands to the knees of his levitating, crossed legs, he would peer over his shoulder to the woman he'd been counseling. Odd that a false-mortal like him would be the one to bring joy back into the heart of a goddess. Then again, mythology always spoke of the heart inherent in humanity's oft vice-addled existence....Perhaps that was what spurred him to console her" Of course, her mention of Crowe prompted him to shift his orientation so that he could speak with her more directly.

"So both of my brothers took of your aid when you offered, did they' Hn. I must say, the two of them are perhaps simultaneously the worst and best judges of character that I've ever met," he responded, an affectionate smile only momentarily appearing behind the veil that was his collar. That must have been it; every time that his family members had been spoken of, a fleeting warmth came to the cryst-bound wraith. How much did those ephemeral connections really mean to him" "I'm leaning more to the latter in this case, though. Unfortunately, I will have to decline....I am not, nor have I ever been one who seeks out solutions to situations that aren't imminent concerns. This form....This body that my brother had fashioned for me, it is not a poor one. It is a gift that he provided to me that displays his desire for me to remain. Restful death would be a blessing, true enough. Life, instead, has imparted upon me a number of more worthwhile treasures than a peaceful sleep could ever have given me. I would not part with this form just yet..."

Then, out of nowhere, was he furnished with an idea, a simple thought that might serve both of their purposes well enough. Of course, deigning to even suggest it would be akin to blasphemy. 'Twas a good thing he, unlike many others, placed little faith in the pursuits of deities that failed to address their more human effects. "Instead....I would have you fashion for me a stone, if you would. A magicked stone of the deepest darkness that would only attain a worthy gleam when attuned to the potent light borne of your gifts....Such a modest bauble would permit me to understand you all the more as I went about my own life. Was he asking to partake of her power" He had done so before in the presence of several others, boasting an uncanny level of success in the field. One had to wonder what kind of Faustian charisma the otherwise shady man possessed. "Arthour once told me of a similar practice when I was subject to my first life. In truth, I used to possess something akin to it, though I suppose rather than a 'God's Shard' as he put it, yours would be a Goddess's. The Jewel of a Goddess, perhaps" Call it what you will..."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-13 18:03 EST
Ammy nodded her head, thankful that the conversation was not given last rites and that something was still left to breathe life into. She missed talking to people in the Coven, even is she was rather rusty and bad at it. A small smile touched her muzzle hearing the word 'friend' uttered.

"Friend" Hmm . . . I could live with being a friend if you don't think I'll be . . . too much trouble." She said with a small trill of warmth from her.

"As to the brothers you refer to, I'd trust Arthour's judgement on character about me vastly than . . . well Crowe never judged me. I think he just liked how my hair smelled and the way I walked. Was hard to tell with that lunk of a wolf. Not meaning that in a bad way, but some days . . ." She chuckled.

The decline of her offer to help him with a body didn't bother her. Many times her services were turned away in life but she was of the mind to at least say she offered. When he asked about fashioning a Goddess Jewel, this had her puzzled some.

"The decline for my offer is fine Lord Lucis. Just a professional courtesy I extend when I hear needs within my abilities. As to you request for a Goddess Jewel, may I ask for a bit more understanding by what you mean in knowing me better with it?" She asked.

He may notice she seemed hesitant about something. A cloud or moon obscuring her warmth and radiance of confidence as a Sun Goddess brought about in wanting to know her more.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-14 04:47 EST
"As an academic, I am inherently a greed-laden soul, Lady Catalyst. My desire to understand all compelling, interesting things that surround me is a part of my nature. As such, I wish to comprehend you," he began, brushing off the sediment debris that happened to cling to his cloak as he rose beforehand. "...A simple way to do this is to experience a person's powers firsthand. As I'd mentioned before, the moon covets the light of its star because of how lonely and meaningless an existence without warmth can be. Do not think ill of me for speaking so brazenly; I never learned to omit my thoughts in the company of those I would trust," he politely fibbed; although, given the lack of ill intent behind his words thus far, one could assume that such was a harmless lie. So, then why did he wish for a piece of her power, then" He spoke of being greedy and needing to know about her, but what was his true agenda in gaining a portion of the goddess for his study and use"

"I am no trained alchemist, as most of what I craft is purely magicked necessity and rarely holds form in any sense of permanence. Whilst I do not require a body, I concede that this form remains fragile, as you have reminded me. Whether it's by the ignorance of pride or an indifference to my mortality, a chance that an impeding of my peaceful life remains. Mind you that, on their own merits, I place no real worth in the more everlasting qualities of the undying celestials and eternals that roam my house. That being said, I suppose the more divine protection and potency borne of a deity would serve to keep me safe in my pursuits whilst retaining the shape I was blessed with by my brother. Surely, you wouldn't deny me this minor consolation..." His words were true enough, and he didn't appear to be goading her purely on the principles of obtaining more strength. Those were the words of a scholar and not a brute craving what he could not hope to contain. Finally, he would end his elaboration with a turn of phrase that would only serve to cause more confusion than it elucidated fact.

"I suppose you could say that the closer one is to being an immortal being, the more one can understand its good and its bad. Nevertheless, I intend to do so from the standpoint of one wishing to keep a semblance of humanity about him."

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-16 01:44 EST
Ammy thought about what Zynisch said. Closing her golden eyes, she focused on what he'd requested and described. To make such a Goddess Jewel wouldn't be hard, but what he may learn may be a bit odd and difficult to understand about her in particular. The sun upon them both seemed to dim, then go dark as if a solar eclipse was happening. Ammy opened her eyes, molten gold shimmering with the flames of the sun itself. She looked up to the heavens and from the deepest blackness the moon blotted upon the face of the sun; she reached and impossibly plucked a mote of infinite ebony from that darkness. Her hand closed about the mote as the sun resumed its radiance upon the lake with normal daylight. Her hand glowed infusing what was held firm in her hand with celestial energy.

"I may have to warn you Master Lucis. To study me you might find both appeal and disappointment. My powers and my own deific being is still quite shattered and locked to the memories I'm still unfolding. But perhaps what I am at the moment, minor and still rising like a new born sunrise is enough to quench curiosity for a short while."

She opened her palm and offered to him a Black Solar Pearl, the only one of it's kind for she'd made it herself. It was infinite blackness yet held the fire and radiance of a master cut diamond when struck just right by natural sunlight.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-16 03:27 EST
"The mere acquiescence of such a bold request assures me that you will return to your original self in time. I am admittedly quite honored that you would even go through with it. You've made a great deal of personal progress in just this brief meeting, Lady Ammy," he returned, quieting thereafter to marvel as the sheer darkness that the cryst possessed. 'Twas as though he were staring into the Abyss itself, and yet he feared it not. True terror on the part of a scholar was to, in a way, staunch the proverbial fires of passion for one's craft. Rather, the ancient mage would learn to respect this gift, wholly unaware of what it would truly mean to him once he possessed it proper. With his next turn of phrase, he would inadvertently demonstrate just how potent a humbling force heavenly power in even its weaker variants could be.

"Permit me to take upon the remainder of this task. Such would only be right of me. With this, I will become your scion: your willing student....I only pray that you guide me as you make to discover yourself anew."

Appropriating the stone from her via another of his artificial aether currents, he would guide the dusk-light gem toward his frame, bringing it to a gentle hover just abreast of him. His once-empty hues took upon themselves a shy, powerful luminescence not typically displayed outside of mental and physical duress. Identifying the key points of the stone, he would mark the unfathomable depths of its paradoxical light and shade. At his further behest, his chest would fray and shatter away to reveal a chasm within his otherwise empty form. Slowly, the stone would be guided into the aperture that he had formed, wherein it would be joined with a contained array of floating crystals. At once, they went to work analyzing the best possible integration paths for his lattice to take during the process. Quietly nodding to himself, Zynisch would give a nod, as if to command his internal structure to begin.

Minor gem pieces would then acclimate to the foreign stone, wandering about it before attaching themselves its outermost layer. Over a short period of time, the continuous surrounding of the Pearl with his own crystals would come to seal the interstice in his chest, providing the alchemist a quite literal bit of closure. Near the process's denouement, the mage's frame would begin to feel excessively heated, denoted physically by the abrupt appearance of white-hot pupils within previously vacuous, cerulean irises. Without warning, the whole of his body burst into a violent, whistling mass of dust around the shadowy stone at its core. What had been Zynisch's meager attempts at understanding might have indeed proven too great a burden for his fragile frame to bear. Even so, his existence would not be so easily rebuked by a singular stone. Instead, the Swordmage's estranged lattice would once again warp about the gem to encase it in its entirety. This second wreathing seemed to effect what he had intended with the former; however, when the instructor eventually retook his shape, he dropped to the ground, grasping the grass below him amid gasps for air he had otherwise not needed. An unoccupied palm met his chest, requisite digits clutching tightly to the silken fabric of the garb he was known for; his eyes, too, accepted the gravity of the situation in their willful closing.

"Haah....hannh....haah....Beegh....Gods be preserved. Nay, they be damned. What manner of treachery..."! No....This is not..."

No, he would not give into the temptation of blaming Ammy for what he had invoked upon himself. Given the appropriate measure of minutes with which to collect his thoughts....and then recollect them, he would rise from the crumpled heap he'd been reduced to. What had just occurred, he'd nothing of an idea where to begin examining. It took all of his energy merely to regain his composure in the wake of such a profound shift in himself. Slowly allowing those alienating windows to his proverbial soul to reopen, the lady Spiritor would be treated to a rather curious and unexpected surprise.

"...T-tell me....What is it that you see?" was all that he could muster, silence stealing away his words as his erstwhile plight's weight bore down on his mind. What she would bear witness to was a man of nearly the exact same specifications, and yet he bore longer hair that fell beyond the typical reach of his shoulders to his waist. What's more, each lengthy strand of mellow blue gave way to a gradual silvering as it neared its tip. Additionally, whilst his hues failed to retain those fiery centers that the transmogrification had briefly imbued them with, he had managed to claim a very subtle ring of dim white within each of those irises.

What nonsense be this?!

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-19 00:41 EST
Ammy pulled back a bit as the Black Solar Pearl seemed to react with Zynisch's crystalline lattice. She watched with the flare of several protection wards swirling about her creating a quarter dome shield before her of scales made of translucent sunlight. She watched as he tried to assimilate the Pearl once, it took hold then he lost the synchronization as the power flow shift of her domain broke synchronicity with his own resonance.

Seeing him shatter to reform did not surprise the Master Alchemist. Alchemy was the study of shaping, changing, manipulating everything about you into new forms to suit your needs and something a full deconstruction was the natural order for synchronicity to happen. She watched as he reformed, his lattice work and energy reweaving in a better pattern with Black Solar Pearl and she flinched a bit as ghosts of his history tacked into her mind like pinpricks of ice cold. For the briefest moment of time, no longer than a snow flake liquefying upon the touch of skin did the sensation and memories come and go. She didn't get enough of the memories to know him more, just a better sense of the path and past he and Arthour shared and a mental imagery of what the two roughly looked like.

Ammy did stare hard at Zynisch a bit when he stood and asked his question. "Well, uhm.....well....you're hair is longer and silver tinted and you have a white ring to your eyes...." She said softly then dropped her wards seeing the instability and danger of blow back from magic abate. "I got a glimpse....of your mind, your history Master Lucis. You....uhm....well you look like..." She raised her hands and small sphere of gold appeared in the air between them, swirled and flattened razor thin and to a mirrored polish to show him his reflection. "You look like.....history."

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-22 01:48 EST
An outstretched arm and flattened palm would release a minor jet of aether toward the mirror to wind about and coax the mirror toward the Swordmage on the fabricated breeze. Zynisch's momentarily vibrant eyes wandered about his slightly-altered visage, his unoccupied hand rising so that he might touch and feel his cheek for deformities an anomalies in his meticulously-crafted, crystal structure. When he found none, he loosed a sigh of relief; he was still himself. 'Twas strange how the mind worked: the fact that one's original form might frighten or perturb him so much that one might refuse to return to it, even if such was what he had originally desired.

"History....Then, this is how I....used to look. This is what I looked like before the schism in memory occurred," he solemnly mused, admittedly having been rendered more than a mite bewildered by the transformation imposed upon his lattice's glamour.

It was then that a tiny, nagging pair of thoughts entered his mind, coercing him to attempt a couple of curious actions that he might not have otherwise considered had the change not taken place. The same extended arm, upon gingerly waving the mirror aside, would serve as the focal point for Zynisch's concentration. Slowly, crystal vapor would collect and coalesce just beyond the palm of his hand to form shards and then more complex solids. During this period of time, the twin rings the shift in form had given him would illuminate in tandem with phantom light pulses from the stone within him.

Another quizzical glance at the half-hearted formation of gems he'd fashioned set his mind alight with intrigue as they rapidly wove together to create something he'd not seen in quite some time....His original sword. Memories as much as magicked enchantments littered the turquoise blade, emptying his mind of present thoughts and all but entrenching the man in the depths of his past. Consequently, one of the runic patterns etched into the plate protecting his upper right arm began to take on a glow all its own, as if it were calling unto the blade itself. This was all so alien to him, and yet, there was a burgeoning sense of familiarity therein....Remnants of promises made and oaths sworn. To be so close to knowing the truth and yet be that much further from obtaining it was maddening to him. Were she to react at all to the warmth emanating from the bestowed piece of magicite, she might envision what he had....a silhouette of a large being superimposed over the cloak-laden magus's form. Was it a human....or....was it the carapace of something unknown to her"

"....Should I" I'm honestly a tad worried at what might happen if I did," he muttered, having since parted his cloak's mantle with his hand so that it might come to hover apprehensively above the sheet of spellbound metal. Just what had he intended to do' Did he expect something to happen with the application of his hand to the surface" The better question perhaps was....Did they both' "Perhaps you should reestablish your wards as a precaution?"

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-09-24 14:08 EST
Ammy watched him inspect his visage within the gold mirror. He didn't appear odd or deformed to her but then again she didn't know his history or former physical manifestations all to clearly either. The reactions he was having though clued her in that he was at least accepting of the outcome that befell him for taking the Black Solar Pearl.

The manifestation of the enchanted sword drew her curiosity but only because she was one drawn to weaponry, technology, magic and the like. The was fascinated with learning how things functioned and worked, though she doubted Zynisch would allow her to take his sword and break it down into its infinitesimal components for an in depth study.

She pulled out of her slight muse at a loss of research when he mentioned she may want protection again. That made her blink and step back a few steps. "Uhm, what are you doing Master Lucis?" She asked. Her quarter dome of sunlight hexes shimmering back into place again for safety.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-09-25 17:56 EST
(( Author's Note: Proper shift in tone. Cue scene music change in the tune of "A Land of Memories" a la "Final Fantasy XII". ))

"Answering a call..." he trailed off, pressing his palm down on the magicked light armor affixed to his sleeve. The gleam that it had been emitting soon grew brighter and more intense as his body succumbed to silhouetted entrapment within an intense, white veil of brilliance. At the behest of the hallowed darklight cryst serving as the fixed point for his soul, his frame grew steadily larger. Ivory flames danced leisurely from and around his shifting state in seemingly controlled arcs until the brightness itself waned. In the mage's stead stood a slightly larger, crystalline suit of knight's plate armor; bifurcated and resting along the sides of his leg pieces to about shin length, a cerulean, skirt-like length of ornately woven cloth fell. A glance toward his head would reveal naught but a pair of openings in the helmet he now wore, twin spheres of cyan light radiating from within. As would be expected of a heroic-looking visage such as that, a measure of indigo cloth similar in design to the aforementioned adornments draped over his neck and down his back, hemmed at the ankle.

A gauntlet would rise from its stationary position at his side that he might examine it further. Tightening into a fist and then relaxing his metal-covered digits, his mental processes would run wild with the unforeseen stimuli. 'Twould seem that the armor, too, teemed with magical engravings meant to alter or perhaps even restrict his abilities. What they meant, he couldn't be certain; however, what he was sure of was the flood of minor memories that resurfaced within his conscious mind, subtly blending idealized fiction with what he had assumed to be reality. He faintly recalled a number of similarly-dressed knights at his sides as they strode along the path to an as-of-yet unknown destination. As he tried to ascertain more, he would be met with a quite literal mental block that halted the troupe's advance and ultimately drove him free from his reverie. By this juncture, the palm of his other gauntlet was grasping at his helmet in a vain attempt to soothe his newly troubled thoughts.

"Just what.....was I" Before now..." he inquired, his metallic, filtered tones shuddering with both apprehension and curiosity. Doubtless was his bewilderment, unparalleled by anything he'd ever witnessed before. His mind could wrap around his being related to Arthour's past, and he could accept the absurd anomaly that was his former master's existence. That being said, how could a stone and clothing that he'd had fashioned himself prompt a transformation into a form he'd simultaneously forgotten he could avail of and with which experienced such familiarity. So wracked with disorder was his previously accounted for library of concepts and adherence to the assumed status quo that his next utterance would only further compound and exemplify his worries: worries that he might not even be the same person that he believed he had been for so long.

"Just who was Zynisch Lucis prior to me becoming him?"

Ammy Spiritor

Date: 2016-10-11 20:36 EST
Ammy watched Zynisch transform with that suit of magical armor encasing him. She peered beyond the shimmering sunlit hexes of energy her quarter dome of shielding made. Her goldens swept over every piece, facet and inlay with interest. She could feel his powers hum and build yet cascade within like a charging capacitor. She lowered her shielding, the sunny hexes fading away.

"Would seem that you have gained some memetic memories with a restoration of some abilities. Perhaps in time you can sort out who you are or were. It will not be an easy path most likely." She said.

She contemplated some things and looked across the lake to where the Alchemy House was. "I best take my leave for now, Master Lucis. Some things are in play that need tending or hard work will come to ruin with any more dalliance given. I wish you grace and good intentions on your inner journey. If....you ever wish to talk, I'm always at the Alchemy House in my quarters, at the Library of the Academy, or at my Alchemist Shop in Rhy'Din City. Feel free to stop by if you need someone to talk to."

With a polite nod of her head she walked for the lake. "Fair thee well . . . friend." Her form faded into gossamer threads of sunlight then gone as if a cloud moved over the sun during fall showers.

Zynisch Lucis

Date: 2016-10-15 00:59 EST
The man would observe the Goddess's departure with a mixture of disappointment alongside a well-earned sliver of hope. Even as the radiant light from his newfound sun faded away, he would find a bit of solace in having met her at all. Indeed, his formerly luminous, yet dead hues had finally gained some definition to call their own. Unconsciously dismissing his woes, and thereby permitting his armor to dissolve away, he would let his gaze wander over toward the approximate location of Alchemy House. Then, it would drift toward the Library's general direction. With each and every glance he took, more and more of his loneliness would begin to show, albeit to no one who yet remained nearby. Lifting the hood of his cloak to mask his sentiments of longing for the past, the Instructor would reach a hand out from his moderately thick sleeve to brush against the area upon his chest wherein his new core resided. Before he could even marvel at its formerly uncomfortable heat, he would bear witness to another form of Resonance that he'd not accounted for.

Without much warning, the minor swell of divine energy from the darklight stone would wind free from its reaches and mingle with the energies that the bracelet he wore held. Given enough time, the two would develop a sort of union: a bond between twin suns, if you will. Their combined forms of tranquil warmth....for once brought a true smile to the ancient man's young features and further prompted him to clutch the bit of cloth above where his heart would have been.

"I will, Lady Amaterasu. My second sun....and....heh. 'Friend' would be the word for it, wouldn't it?"

END.