This Little Light of Mine

Log Info

• Title: This Little Light of Mine
• Emitter: Aryia
• Characters: Aryia, Venom, Vaera, Merek
• Place: Quill's Repose
• Time: September 12th, 2021
• Summary:

Quill's Repose, Noon.

It's a quiet day within the aisles of the city's library, as it should be. Lest one fear the wrath of the head librarian. Thankfully, such a task was simple for a mute mul'neissa who had squirreled themselves away in the corner of the building.

Aryia holds a book in one hand with a small stack of open ones next to her, as well as a pen in the other, taking simple notes of what she could parse. Though, her gaze settles on a flickering flame of a candle set just out of arm's length. She closes the book with a small huff and adjusts herself in her seat, leaning forward and staring intensely at the offending flame, as if it slandered her with its mere existence.

Nothing happens. Which was enough for the shadow elf to sigh through her nose and lean back, her journal coming up and thudding into her face. "...c-m- th- f-ck -n..." she hisses to herself.

The door opens, and a shadow slips into the repository of accessible knowledge. This shadow is tinged from it's usual hues by the introduction of a new element to replace an older one.

Venom's new poncho, unfrayed, unrent, unbroken, is still black, though traced with thin, repeating lines that bend into loosely interlocked geometric shapes; the scent of the weatherproofing oilcloth treatment much, much fresher than her old. The custodian on hand blinks at the figure, who lifts a hand for a brief wave before stepping past to wander the aisles. By providence, or serendipity, the shrouded one's footfalls eventualy lead her to one of the less lit corners and the soft ragged complaint reaching her ears puts her head into a cant as she steps 'round the aisle.

She probably blinks.

Wave.

Most knowledge was free within the library. Even though kulthian was frowned upon by many, there were still tomes available for regular use and perusal within the building. Vaera had been frequenting the place when she had free time, for books on artifice, kulthian script, and the Sildanyari language as well, having found her speech rusty previously. And she needed to check over several runes on her weapon. So she had several tomes in her hands, and was walking by. She was used to the city, and heard someone nearby being a bit frustrated. So she looks into the area, finding two familiar figures inside.

"Greetings, Venom, Aryia." They say, quiet due to necessity, though with the usual rumble. "Is something the matter?"

Aryia's ears twitch at the almost nonexistent sound, a couple of the six small silver bands that adorn them reflecting some of the candle light in front of her. The journal slides down, shimmering eyes settling on whoever it was watching her.

Aryia does blink.

She sits upright, frustration melting away to be replaced with a warm smile. A hand is caught halfway as she was to return the greeting, but easily spots the new difference. Her brows shoot up, and her smile grows. "Hey! You got the poncho! It looks really good on you!" a hand gestures.

Her head swivels over to the larger figure entering, the joy in her visage blunted slightly. "Hello Vaera, Peace on your nest." Aryia glances to the candle, her eyes narrowing at it briefly before sighing and lightly tossing her journal onto the table. "Just trying to figure out some shit and getting zero progress. Scattered about in front of her were some books in Sildanyari and Undercommon, though those were open to pages with pictures, ones that depict various lights and dark objects, as well as how shadows were cast. Others were in Tradespeak, brief glances shown they were speaking about the subject of elves. <Handspeech>

Venom turns slightly as Vaera joins them from another vector, signing a quick, "Hello, how are you two doing?"

The enigmatic one shifts her position a smidge to get both into a single angle of view.

At the compliment, she spreads her hands, daintily pinching the hem of said garment between her fingers to effect a somewhat odd curtsey with it.

The glitter catches her eyes, most likely, for she signs a quick, "You got your ear rings. Very nice How do they feel?" <handspeech>

"There is none." She states flatly, shaking her head and lingering a bit farther away. "But you are not getting zero progress most likely, even if you see it as such. Perhaps you need a different perspective to realize that."

She turns to Venom, and nods. "I am doing well enough as I can. And yourself? That is a new poncho then. And Aryia got some new earrings. The metal is a nice color."

Aryia shrugs, giving a breathy huff of a laugh at the curtsy. "I'm... alright. You?" she motions uncertainly, not sure of her answer. Though, her mood doesn't dip. Even perking up a bit. Her hands come up to fold her ears over and release them, showing all sides of the simple bands. "Thank you," she gestures to the two of them. "They feel nice. Barely even know they're there. The suggestion for clasps was a good idea."

Though, now she directs her attention to the situation before her. "Maybe I do. I don't know. Can't read most of this crap anyways." <Handspeech>

Venom shrugs to Vaera's preliminary assertion and nods, "What's the matter?" she signs first.

Her head picots between the two women and she starts to frame affirmation to her latter, "It's true, even ruling out mistakes is progress." She steps over to see what Aryia's working on and inquires, "What are you working on?" <handspeech>

"Mul'niessa ears are sensitive a lot of the time. A lot of them do not like direct piercings." She says, even if she felt it should be obvious. She steps closer to the other free side, tilting her head. "Perhaps I can read some of it, Or Venom can. What are you trying to accomplish?"

Aryia looks up at Venom, her visage shifting a touch to show a deep seated worry. One that certainly has come up during their face to face talks. "... a lot of things. But now's not the time..." she gestures lamely, closing her eyes to take a steadying breath.

She turns to look at Vaera. "I also don't want to feel like a tagged cattle on top of that." The pages before Aryia are mostly speaking about mul'neissa culture, more specifically their use of light and adaptability towards the lack of having it. The text in the more native tongue of Sildanyari and Undercommon much more accurate in their assessments, while the ones in Tradespeak were second hand knowledge and observations.

The mute woman points a finger at the lone flame of the candle. "I'm trying to snuff that out. Without touching it. I've never learned to do it, and my mentor could only point me in the right direction." <Handspech>

Venom's poncho does the rise-fall thing again at the answers she gets, followed by the hem of her veils.

There will likely be a lot of 'later' talks, going forward.

Wait. Headcant, "Cattle?"

Her further explanation lays that all out and Venom nods again, "That's outside my experience." she confesses. <handspeech>

"Another reason for the clasps." Vaera explains to the veiled woman, not elaborating further, as it was likely a sore subject. Though as Aryia explains, the red makari tilts her head again. "Despite sensitivity to light, or perhaps because of it, near all mul'niessa have propensity and natural aptitude for the manipulation of it."

She looks at the candle, and at Aryia, for a moment. "Snuffing out lights however, is not a common form this magic takes. Perhaps you are thinking about it the wrong way. You are not snuffing out the candle, so much as making the light absent in the area around it. The candle still burns even if someone cannot see the flame is there, it will still burn them."

Aryia blinks at Venom, a white brow raising. "... like... cows? You know? Animals in a pen? Keep track of animals with tags in their ears?" The elf's own ears give a twitch, as if accentuating her point. Hopefully that explained it without outright saying it.

She turns to Vaera, the shadow elf squinting at her for a moment before looking at the candle. Command shadow... absent light... The elf rubs her chin, staring at the offending light. It flickers in response. Teasing. While she was pensive, a thought occurs to her. Her head cants upwards towards the tall sith-makar. "... how do you know such much about mul'neissa? Especially that stuff," her hands query. <Handspeech>

Venom shrugs and signs, "I thought they just burned marks on their butts."

She turns to Vaera as she elaborates on the Mul'niessa, and their.... understanding with the darkness, a little camber to her head.

Aryia's question gets a little nod-nod. She does know a lot about them, more than most, she imagines. <handspeech>

"That is for those without ears, Venom." Vaera states with a chuff. "It is a long story. suffice to say, I spent many years in that place, and I learned quite a bit about Mul'niessa society in general."

She looks to the flickering candle, to the Mul'niessa who had never learned to do these things. She reaches over, and pinches the flame out without any look of pain or discomfort. "There is easier magic to start with. You know how your eyes react to darkness? That is partly magical in nature. Think about that, how it works. Use it to will light into place almost how you adjust to the darkness, much like a candle being lit. It may be tiring, however."

Aryia shrugs. "They do that sometimes too. Thankfully, no one branded my ass," the elf gestures with a hint of a smirk. Enjoying her own joke. Though, her eyes settle on the redscale, head tilting to the side. A long story...? Hmm. Perhaps she would have to pick her brain some time about that. Later. Always later...

Her lips cant downwards as the flame was snuffed out, though she listens. And blinks. Ah, yes, her eyes. However... "But I don't even think about that. It just happens...." she motions slowly. Hands shade her eyes as she looks to the two of them, the act of darkness casting over the orbs makes the shimmering more apparent. Though, she does look at where the flame was wisping, the smoke trail going off into nothing. She tries to imagine it, the clarity of darkness being right there. Just right... right there.

Her jaw tenses, a finger pointing at the spot....

Her eyes shimmer brighter. And the shadows around the candle twitch. Leaving a pale grey orb of shimmery, soft light.

Aryia blinks. Then blinks again. Then abruptly stands up and gestures wildly it in utter disbelief. <Handspeech>

It hasn't been a topic of discussion previously, but now that the door is open....

Venom continues to observe the coaching, this time without any of her own imput, not making any indications about wether the darkness confounds her or not.

The sudden willowisp of Aryia's willwork straightens her posture just a momet, and she brings her hands together in soft applause.

Vaera watches, crossing her arms and seeing how the Mul'niessa took the advice. She was about to say something, when the mote of light blinks into existence. She nods to the gesturing woman, taking a step back. "Excellent job, I knew that you could do it, Aryia." She says. "With practice, you should be able to summon more at once. And the one you have there, you can make it move by thinking where you wish it to move to."

Aryia ceases her wordless flailing to catch a hand on the table, steadying herself. A sudden wave of light headedness hitting her. It lasts no longer than a heartbeat before she shakes her head and resumes her wide gestures, though this time with meaning. "Are you fucking KIDDING ME?! That's IT?! That's ALL it took?!" Were her motions given voice, she would have been tossed out. Though, her bewilderment does bleed slowly into joy, an infectious grin plastering her visage as she pumps a fist into the air.

With Venom's near silent cheer only stoking Aryia further, she swivels over to Vaera. "Holy fuck, THANK YOU!" she crudely gestures, but the sentiment was genuine. Taking a breath to calm down, she turns her attention back to the glowing orb, her reaching a hand out to poke at it. Expectedly, her finger goes through it, the entry point wavering slightly to accommodate for the digit. Her free hand motions, "Those are all good points. I guess I'll need to do all of those before I move on." <Handspeech>

Venom steps forward and lightly curls her hand around Aryia's shoulder, giving her a quick, tender squeeze and a thumb's up. Her other hand extends to Vaera's arm, a light knuckle bump preceeding a smililar gentle clasp.

"Understand this before moving on, yes." Vaera replies with a nod. "It is probably the easiest to master, but it should allow you to understand more advanced uses in time."

She hangs her head somewhat despite the excitement, but the hand on her arm makes her turn to Venom, and nod once, pulled out of whatever thought she had.

Aryia smiles warmly at Venom, her hand retracting from the orb and curling around the one on her shoulder. She sighs contently and leans faintly into the hand, quite proud of getting some visible progress. She tries the same thing again, shimmering eyes flicking over to another spot on the table that probably needed some light. The orb nudges slightly. Rolling vaguely in the direction she wanted, but otherwise unobedient. "I'll keep at it," the elf shrugs. Ah well.

The not caring aspect seemed to make the shadows reform, and reclaim the light that was stolen: the orb dissipates. Aryia pouts briefly before shaking her head and looking up at Vaera.

She tilts her head to the side. "Something the matter?" <Handspeech>

The shrouded one nods to them both, then returns her hands to speakful purposes, she hesitates to frame anything at first, as it seems Aryia's beaten her to the punch. She turns more fully to face Vaera and she offers a, "Maybe we can help." <handspeech>

Vaera looks to the two hands responding, and she shakes her head. "Do not worry about it. Old memories, is all." They state, crossing their arms again. "Nothing to be helped there, but I appreciate the offer."

Sighing imperceptibly at the hand leaving hers, Aryia puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head the other way. A glance to Venom, then back up to Vaera. "Old memories tend to be laden within current problems." <Handspeech>

Venom gives that a moment to percolate, but she gives a little nod, then, "Sometimes." she grants.

There's a look between the pair, a little list of her head to either direction as she considers something or other, then, "How does it feel when you do that?" she wonders. <handspeech>

"It is not a current problem. It was a memory that I allow myself to feel some manner of sadness over. Time spent in Charn was not pleasant." The redscale chuffs. "Do not worry about it. Venom is right, understanding the feeling is important. That way it will be easier to manifest next time."

Aryia bunches her lips up. Were she able to speak, it's clear that a "hmmm" would be humming in her cordless throat. She a noncommittal nod, and leaves it for later.

Always. Always later.

Attention turning back towards her, Aryia puts a hand to her chin, visage pensive. One hand voices her thoughts, "It felt... odd. Like I moved a limb I did not have. Yet fatigue like I cannot lift it again. It felt... right? No... Normal? I think normal is the right word. Like taking a breath. I... see why Aya had difficulty describing how to do it." <Handspeech>

Venom nods slowly and gives a thumbs up to Aryia, "That makes some sense. she signs in concession, "But you did well."

Her attention turns to Vaera and she reaches out to gently knuckle bump the arm again, "And you. You help her where I can't" <handspeech>

"It is a magic innate to your kind. Other Sildanyari can do similar, but the shape it takes is different." Vaera notes. She reaches out, and gently bumps the arm against Venom's. "It is just chance that I was able to help. But it is good I was able to."

Aryia gives a warm smile from Venom's praise, doubly so as Venom vouches for her continued progress. "Thank you, Venom," she motions slowly, hand resting on Venom's arm for a moment before turning towards Vaera. "And you too. If I did not think of it that way, I don't think I'd ever had figured it out that way." <Handspeech>

Merek walks along and into the library while he takes the time to look about the place. He has on the dark attire he often does, with the beltcape and a hood up, watching the place from that technology visor which he wears from Merkabah. Then he's finding a place to look at the different books that might be able to be borrowed from the library. He does notice the three, and nods a bit.

The veiled one nods, lifting a gloved hand to lightly encompass the alightment on her arm, a squeeze, then release. Her hand twists, flexes and splays out, "It feels good." she signs cryptically, then she looks back to Aryia, continuing, "Eventually, you would have."

She shoots Vaera another thumbs up, then brings her hands together, "Drinks?" <handspeec>

"Understanding what you are doing is important. Remember what I said about the darkness magic, but focus on mastering this one first." Vaera advises with a nod. "You would have figured it out, I imagine, but it may have taken time."

She looks to Venom's hands, and tilts her head. "Yes, perhaps a meal is in order. Get back some energy after doing that for the first time. And celebrate."

Vaera kept an eye on the room, and movement was not unnoticed. She turns, finding the person downstairs, and nods back.

Aryia's face cants to the side at the cryptic signs. But she just nods and lightly squeezes the arm, pulling away. To stand between them all. She gives a thumbs up, and smiling at the notion. "That sounds good."

She turns a bit at the motion, her eyebrows raising in recognition, but growing a mix of annoyed and relieved afterwards. "Hey. We're getting a drink, want to come with?" <Handspeech>

Venom nods to Vaera's advice, as it's perfectly valid. Every journey and all that. She gives a thumbs-up as the assent to food and drink is returned. She looks off to the side as it seems Aryia has noticed someone else and is inviting them along for the trip. She cocks her head, but shrugs. A wave follows. HI.

"Ya, that would be fine," Merek will note to Aryia, while he turns to follow along with the two. The man seems to be mindful of the three, "If your friends don't mind it." He nods a bit and will take the time to relax, which he often looks pretty relaxed anyway.

"If you will allow me to join, I would do so." Vaera nods, before she begins putting her books away, to join the others on leaving.

Aryia gives a sharp nod to all and beckons them. "Come. To the Fernwood." The elf leaves all her found books, and takes only her journal, the candle, and leads the small party out.

A certain librarian was going to me maaaaaaad at her... <Handspeech>

-End Scene-