Consulting chiron_survivor on matters between dawn and dusk

[heirtothearcane]

Almost as soon as the translator has been fixed Viatorus sends a message to Adia. Their planned meeting gave him plenty to do while he waited, plenty to think about to prepare himself to try and give the best explanation of things that he could. But by the time the translator is back he's relieved to be able to arrange a meeting to finally talk about it.

There are a few changes to Viatorus' office. The most immediate difference is the mirrors placed in the front door around a newly made circular pattern. The door swings open seconds after the sound of a knock to reveal Viatorus dressed smartly in tweed. Inside is still much the same with fresh flowers and bundles of herbs hung over doorways. Lyall sits on one of the couches, flipping idly through a magazine.

Viatorus opens an arm to gesture for her to go through to his study.  "Hello Adia! Would you like a drink? Shall I take your coat for you?"

Comments

[chiron_survivor]

The mirrors certainly attract her attention, and she blinks at her multiple reflections curiously before the door swings open and she steps through. She greets her friend with a warm smile; Lyall gets a smile, too, albeit much shyer, and with a wave of her hand. Hello, grumpy middle-aged bodyguard.

"Oh, sure," she says to Viatorus, slipping out of her coat and handing it to him. "I'll have whatever you're having." Long gone are the days of without, when she would have meekly requested something that could no longer be found in her ship's mess hall. She heads into his study, back to her usual seat, a hopeful look around for his pet cat.

[heirtothearcane]

"I hope you don't mind black tea."

Adia's coat is taken and hung up by the door and then Viatorus pops into the kitchen to make the tea for them. Lyall only spares her a passing glance and what might be a nod (or he might have just been looking back to his magazine, it's hard to tell).

In the office Viatorus' cat isn't hard to spot. She's taken prize place in the scholar's special chair. With it right by the windows it has plenty of sunlight so she has stretched out, half turned so that her belly gets all the warmth. Clearly she's content, as her snoring comes out as tiny buzzing sounds.

It doesn't take long for Viatorus to reappear, setting the tray that floats in front of him down on the table between the chairs they sat at last time. As well as the tea there is milk, lemon, honey, sugar, and a plate with a small variety of biscuits.

"I wasn't sure how you take your tea," he explains. He makes sure the door is shut behind them before sitting down. "How are you?"

[chiron_survivor]

"No, black tea is fine," she calls out lightly as she settles into her seat. She smiles brightly at the sight of the cat lounging in the sun. Is that tiny buzzing sound a snore? So cute! She restrains herself from making kissy noises, not wanting to disturb the cat from its adorable slumber.

"Someone stole your chair," she notes with amusement when Viatorus joins her. She looks over the floating tray, not entirely surprised to see some thoughtful extras along with the two cups of tea. "Thank you, this is lovely." She takes her cup, adding a little milk to it, then selects one of the cookies and puts it neatly on the edge of her saucer.

"I'm good. Things on Atlantis are quieter now that it's winter. They finally finished the memorial, so Caspar is back in the lab with me." She pauses a moment, then adds quietly, "I wanted to apologize for his behavior when you met. It's not personal, he just worries about my safety. He sees the Nexus as full of danger, and it's hard for him to trust others."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus is all set to smile and say how nice that sounds when she brings up how they last parted. Though he fixes his smile firmly in place he still sets about fussing over his tea to help him keep his expression in place. He never was as good at that as Isidor, giving himself something else to do helps him immensely.

"There's r-really no need to apologise. He's quite right. I was rude and I shouldn't have said anything. Really I-I should be the one to apologise. I lectured you when I know you didn't mean any harm. You never mean any harm to anyone. I should have just listened instead of speaking to you like that. He's just like Isidor- Caspar, I mean. That's all, I know. All worry and protectiveness- Not just worry, I mean. I know there's more to him than that, I'm sure there is. B-But he's looking out for you, I know that now. I fully understand." Tea poured, he pulls his hands back onto his lap, fidgets, and clears his throat, wondering where to rest his gaze.

[chiron_survivor]

That smile isn't fooling her, and all the back-tracking apology does is make her feel guilty. "Well.. you're more gracious than I was," she replies slowly. "We had a big fight about it after you left. I told him he was out of line, he said he was only looking out for me. We went around a few times until he confessed that what you said reminded him of me, and then I reminded him that he wouldn't even be with me if I didn't give second chances, and... well, we made up after that."

She smiles a little, then sighs and looks down at her tea. "You weren't rude. You made some very good points. Caspar and Isidor, they try to protect us from so much, and sometimes it's not necessary, but sometimes it's very necessary, and... well, it's about finding balance. Caspar is still finding his."

[heirtothearcane]

As soon as she said they had a fight his purposeful smile drops, replaced by an expression of horror. That was really the last thing he wanted. To think he was the cause is absolutely dreadful. "O-Oh, no, you shouldn't have fought...!"

"I know. I do, I really do." Now that his facade is broken, he presses his lips into a thin line and turns his troubled look to his cluttered desk. He's quiet for a while, taking the time to think before he says anything. "I..." He meets her gaze briefly, and then looks at his hands, rubbing his knuckles. "It's just that I hear it so often. So many of the people I care for and respect... People always say and think such bad things about them. Harrowheart, Dr. Hill, Micolash, Isidor..." When he looks her in the eye his expression pleads with her. "They're not bad people. They're not." And then just like that his confidence is gone again and he looks back to his hands and shakes his head. "People just don't know them, don't understand them. They make mistakes, they're misunderstood and they're judged for it... And I hate that. I just want people to get along. I shouldn't have said anything, though. I'm no good at defending people like that. No good at explaining. That's Isidor's talent, not mine."

He sighs and waves a hand. "I'm sorry, I'm rambling. I... I just wanted you to know why I spoke out of turn."

[chiron_survivor]

His reaction is so over-the-top horrified that she almost laughs, a giggle sitting in her throat as she raises her hands to calm his nerves. "Hey, it's okay! It's okay, I promise. That's what couples do sometimes. We didn't yell or anything, we just argued about it." The laugh does escape then, and she runs a hand through her hair. "This is going to sound ridiculous, but Caspar is one of the few people I feel comfortable arguing with, and I think that's a good sign because we both know that we can speak our minds without hurting one another. So don't feel bad, please. It's something we needed to talk about, anyway."

She takes a sip of tea, giving him a chance to speak his mind. It amazes her sometimes how alike they think, and yet how different they are at times. But at least she can understand where he's coming from. And this... oh, this she understands. "No, I get it. I have the same problem. I mean, Caspar... that's all most people on Atlantis do. Judge him. It's a good impulse to defend those that you respect. I... I'll keep an open mind about Doctor Hill. I promise."

Another sip of tea, and then a soft smile. "Thank you for greeting Caspar so kindly, by the way. He appreciated it, even if he didn't show it."

[heirtothearcane]

It's not hard to tell by the look on his face that he's no quite convinced. His own family might not be the epitome of healthy relationships but even his parents, cold and distant as they could be, never fought. They certainly never admitted to it. Still, Adia seems happy regardless, so despite his uncertainty he has no reason to question her. "If you're sure…"

Sometimes it baffles him how people can inflict the same things they endure on others so freely. He almost asks how Caspar can judge others so harshly when he knows what that feels like, but then he remembers why they're having this conversation in the first place. Thankfully Adia mentions Dr. Hill and all thoughts of Caspar are forgotten. His shoulders sag in relief. "Thank you, that's all I ask."

"Oh." Viatorus fidgets. He doesn't think Caspar likes him very much, which doesn't surprise him so much as disappoint him. That's not Adia's fault though. It's not even Caspar's fault. But then, like he told Adia before, even Harrowheart didn't like him at first. "Well, I meant it. I know how much he means to you, and how highly you think of him. I was glad to get to meet him."

[chiron_survivor]

Perhaps he would have been more reassured if there hadn't been a giant bird pokémon preventing from Adia and Caspar demonstrating their typical closeness. Or maybe mention of a fight would have put him in a tizzy anyway. "I'm sure," she says, reaching over to pat his hand. "I only brought it up so you wouldn't think that I was okay with the attitude he gave you."

Would it help if she mentioned the way that they made up? No, it would probably make him blush so hard that he'd catch on fire. Moving on, then...

"The next time you talk to him, I'll make sure he's better behaved. Just, um... best not to bring up Doctor Hill with him again." And, anyway, it's not like the good doctor has made an appearance in the entire time that Adia has been in the Nexus, so far as she knows. It's probably moot to even be concerned about it. "By the way, he likes Isidor, and I think he likes Harrowheart, despite how much he complains about him."

As for Micolash... well. That's complicated. She rubs the back of her head absently. "Did you know Micolash, before the Nightmare? Those little, um.. skeleton children, they drew me a picture of you with his little slug friend."

[heirtothearcane]

He's not sure what to say, or what to think. It's not often that people are apologising to him, promising better behaviour on behalf of others. That's something for Patrons, something for the Archon. It's much easier to grasp onto what he does know how to comment on. "I'm glad he likes Isidor, a-and Harrowheart. He... He does remind me of Isidor, a-and it can be hard for people like that to get many close friends. I hope they get along."

The mention of the small latern-folk brightens his mood considerably. He perks up and smiles. "Oh? How delightful! I- Uh. Yes, I-I knew him. Not terribly well. Not nearly as much as I'd like to." He tilts his head forward and explains, "He's a very knowledgeable scholar." Then he fidgets. "I, ah, I've actually put things in motion to make him my tutor. Consultant, at least."

Only if he can get Isidor to actually do as he's asked her, that is, but details...

[chiron_survivor]

"I hope so, too." A smile returns to her face, one of amusement this time. "Not too well or they'll never stop worrying every time we're in the Nexus." She says it in jest, but there's a seed of truth there. Caspar's protective streak has only seemed to ramp up the more he learns about the Nexus. She'd rather that the two of them not fuel each other's fire.

It's nice to see him smile again, and she sets aside her tea so she can fish out the drawing that the Messengers drew for her during the translator malfunction. It seems as good a time as any to ask about her rune. And thank goodness she has her head bowed while she rifles through her bag, because the look on her face when he says that he wants Micolash to be his tutor...!

"Yes, he... he sure knows a lot." Her fingers catch on the drawing, but she pretends to look for a little while longer in an effort to regain her composure. They had literally just talked about giving people second chances, it wouldn't do to express her concerns about the caged scholar right off the bat. And anyway, hadn't she made a promise to help Abysa find Micolash's empathy? It must be in there somewhere... deep, deep down...

When she looks up, her expression is muted. "I had spoken to him once before the Nightmare. I'm not sure if that's his typical state or not... but I think it's going to be a while before he's in a tutoring sort of mood. He's very upset about the loss of his sight." And now possibly some other things, but that's between him and Abysa.

"Those little people drew me this during the translator malfunction." She shows him the drawing -- her in her red costume hat, surrounded by moon runes. "Do you recognize this?"

[heirtothearcane]

They both know their protectors. They both know the truth behind her words. That doesn't make it any less true or any less amusing for it. Viatorus laughs a soft, "I hope not!"

"I know. He needs to rest, a-and recover. I can be patient. Though it's always lifted his spirits to talk about teaching again. Maybe even transcribe some of the books he lost back to paper..." He realises that he's steadily become more excitable again, so he stops to calm himself. "I have plenty to do to prepare anyway."

Speaking of other things to do, Adia pulls out the drawing and Viatorus leans closer, falling silent as he scans the picture. Despite the simplicity of the image, his eyes dart back and forth as he moves from considering the picture to trying to remember anything relevant. After some thought he straightens and sighs. "It doesn't look familiar to me. It looks like an alchemical symbol, but I can't think of which one. Admittedly I'm not thoroughly versed on alchemy, but there's something different about the way it's constructed..." He squints at her hopefully. "Do you know what it is...?"

[chiron_survivor]

She smiles faintly, but says nothing in response to his plans. Though he didn't mention his sister, she can't imagine Isidor allowing such a thing. Then again, perhaps the influence of his inherent kindness for others will help the caged scholar learn to be a better person... all the same, she can't help but remain concerned. At least she hides it better this time. She can't bear to ruin his optimistic mood.

"I do," she replies. "It's a moon rune. It was given to me by the Brain of Mensis, a Great One. Ghost and I helped it when we were trapped in our personal Nightmare. It's, um..." She rubs the back of her head. "It's in my brain. I think I understand why the Brain gave it to me, and what it symbolizes, too, but... I'm not sure what the greater repercussions are. A psychic friend of mine checked it out and didn't seem to think I was in any danger, but, I mean... it's in my brain. That has to change things for me, doesn't it?"

[heirtothearcane]

"It's a rune!" Viatorus goes wide eyed, looking back and forth frantically from the page to Adia's forehead. He shifts restless in his seat, somewhere between excitement and concern. "You have a rune! A moon rune… Given to you by a Great One. Wow… Wow…"

Finally his gaze turns to one side as he runs through his thoughts, a thousand at a time. Why her? Did she do something? Was she simply right for it? Was her mind suited for it, and was that enough? What does it feel like? What does it look like? So many questions so little time…

Something hits him and he looks back to Adia, suddenly uncertain again. "Why are you asking me about this? A rune… A rune is a big gift, and… Micolash has a rune. He knows them, he knows the Great Ones. All I have to offer is theories and knowledge from the wrong world. He… He has experience. Where I can only guess, but he can tell you. With certainty. It would surely be safer, be wiser, to ask him for guidance. I'm sure he'd gladly give it, too."

[chiron_survivor]

In contrast to his excitement, she seems rather calm about the entire matter. She sets aside the drawing and picks up her tea, content to sip at it while she waits patiently for him to figure out what he wants to ask first.

He brings up Micolash again and she drops her gaze.

"I already did," she replies softly. The cup of tea shakes a little in her hands and she gently puts it back down, then wrings her hands together anxiously. "He has a moon rune, too. We... we communicated with them, and it was wonderful. I've never had any sort of psychic connection before..."

And that -- if based on the look on her face -- is when things went wrong.

"I asked him about the Brain of Mensis. I had figured out it was a Great One, because I knew it didn't belong to any of my memories or fears, nor to Ghost's, who shared the Nightmare with me. It was in such pain, Viatorus. I've never felt such suffering in my life. It was like I was drowning in it. And yet, in order to escape the Nightmare, we had to end its suffering. We were on a ship, locked down by contagion, but there was a syringe with medication. I gave it to the Brain and -- and it stopped hurting. I think... I think that's why it gave me the rune. As thanks."

She looks up, a shadow of that pain reflected in her eyes. It's not something she'll ever forget. "I asked Micolash about the Brain, why it was in such pain. That's when he told me --" She swallows, her throat dry despite the recent sip of tea. "The Brain is not like other Great Ones. It was an experiment at his school -- one he led, as headmaster. The goal was for his class to ascend their human forms, to become... Kin, he calls it, or even more elevated than that... but. Something went wrong. And all those students -- they became a Great One, but a Great One that is constantly in pain, that constantly suffers. That can't be killed, or even stood near because of the aura it admits. It's... this giant, pulsing thing with a dozen eyes and pair of clawed hands, and all it wants to do is be free of pain, and it can't. I may have helped it in the Nightmare, but only in the Nightmare. Wherever it is, it's still suffering."

Her voice shakes a little while she speaks, but she doesn't raise it. Not even when she continues, finally getting to the point of her answer. "He felt terrible for his students. He even tried to kill it. But when that didn't work, he used it as... I don't know, some sort of guard to the university. Like a -- a mascot. And when I asked him why he tried to deny what I saw, why he didn't do more to try to help his students, he got all defensive and refused to take responsibility. He curled up into a ball and ignored me... that's when Caspar got me." She drops her gaze again, embarrassed. "I haven't talked to him since."

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus knew there was a reason she didn't want to talk to Micolash. Truth be told, he didn't want to explain to her just how things can go wrong with these sorts of things if you get the wrong information. Whatever her issue was with him, perhaps his mannerisms or his odd phrasings, Viatorus was certain that they paled in comparison to the risks involved. He listens attentively, perched on the edge of his seat, ready to continue to try and convince her to seek out the expert on this matter... That is, until she explains.

The hopefulness on his face turns to sympathy as she describes the Brain of Mensis. Then he pales as she explains where it came from, what it looks like, how much it suffers... and then what Micolash told her. At first he thinks the pain is hurt. Hurt by Micolash for doing something like that. Hurt by Adia for saying such things about the esteemed scholar. But just as quickly he realises that it's not hurt. It's just disappointment. The emotion settles on his face and he sits back into his chair to consider what he's been told.

It's horrible. It's absolutely horrible. And yet, he can't bring himself to hate Micolash, or be angry at him. A memory springs to mind of a man, his bright teeth flashing against dark skin as he laughs at the bird in the palm of his hand as it flails desperately and chitters a pathetic shriek. Micolash isn't the same. He doesn't take joy in the suffering of others, that's not what he aims for... Viatorus' hands curl as his stomach clenches. Even if he explained that, he knows Adia wouldn't understand. The things people do in the name of learning, of knowledge... Micolash is not like Harith Nur, but Viatorus is still obliged to welcome the Necromancer into his home, to dine with him, to treat him warmly, as family. How can he embrace one and condemn the other? How can Adia be expected to understand that?

After the long stretch of silence, Viatorus closes his eyes, breathes in deeply and exhales slowly. His hands unfurl and smooth out the creases on his trousers as he rises to his feet. He goes to his desk, collects a few items, and then sits down again, setting the notepad and pen on his lap.

"Tell me how I can help you."

[chiron_survivor]

She's not quite looking at him, but his long silence manages to speak volumes. It hurts to hear that someone is not what you expected, she knows that better than anyone. And it hurts that she has to be the one to share that news. It makes her want to apologize, even though deep down she knows she has nothing to apologize for. Micolash showed her in that moment how weak and withered his heart was. She's not ready to throw in the towel, but she came awfully close in that moment. Awfully close.

When he stands up, she worries for a moment that he'll ask her to leave, that he needs some time to himself, or he'll insist again that he isn't the right person for the job. But then he returns to his seat and puts the messy business of Micolash behind them both. She finally meets his eyes again, exhaling in relief.

"I'm not looking to unlock the great mysteries of the Great Ones," she says reassuringly. "Or anything specific to their world. I just..." She reaches for her tea again, wanting to give her hands something to do other than twist in the fabric of her scarf. "I want to know what this experience has done to my brain. Because... things aren't the same as they used to be. I walk into a room sometimes and can tell what the people who were there were feeling, or I'm looking for something and I know where it is. Other people's emotions are... crisper? More obvious. I'd chalk it all up to coincidence, but it hasn't seem to gone away since I started noticing it."

[heirtothearcane]

Putting thoughts of Micolash aside isn't easy. His mind wants to reel, to process, but he holds onto the unpleasant certainty that whatever he's done he's no worse than Viatorus' own family. He'll take what calm he can.

When she finishes explaining Viatorus almost tells her 'that sounds normal to me' when it strikes him that it sounds normal to him, but not to her. He goes still as he thinks about this, but then suddenly sets his notebook down and gets to his feet again. He heads to one of his bookcases, fingers brushing the spines of his books as he scans their titles. Eventually, on the bottom row, he finds what he's looking for. He sets the book on his desk so that he can open it, flicking back and froth through the pages until he settles on one. The book looks old with a worn fabric hardback cover and yellowing pages, which is why he carefully scoops it up and brings it over to where he and Adia are sitting. He turns it around and hands it over, tapping a particular paragraph.

"Is it like this?"

'The connection is unmistakeable. Poets, philosophers, artists and scientists have all written in great length of how everything on this world is intricately interlinked. It requires a small amount of aptitude, a great amount of effort, and the ability to open one's mind beyond anything taught in the modern world. It is this last challenge that remains insurmountable to the majority of humanity. However, those who are capable of this craft notice its initial manifestations appearing in subtle occurrences that are easily dismissed and explained away. It is one of life's greatest tragedies that this is where we lose our most apt peers.

Thankfully there are those who embrace this awareness of the inherent connection between all things. With much practice and study these people are able to hone their skills to not only gain a sense of their fellow man but to read their wonts and desires as an open book. Later a practitioner will often be described as 'lucky' by those unaware of his abilities as careful application of his craft grants him the intuition and awareness to navigate the most precarious situations with ease...'

[chiron_survivor]

She watches him browse the bookshelves, curious what he's looking for. She had considered researching her situation at the Grand Library, but didn't know where to start. Is there a self-help section for people with newly acquired brain runes? Well, possibly, but she wasn't about to start reading up on it without an expert's advice.

So it is a genuine surprise to her, when she gently takes the old, fragile book into her hands and begins to read the indicated paragraph, that the words so do well to describe her current condition.

Is this what is happening to her? Has her contact with the Brain of Mensis opened her mind to the unseen connections in the universe? That rather than dismiss what's been happening to her as chance, or an overactive imagination, she truly is developing paranormal skills?

Part of her wants to reject the notion. To insist that there is nothing "special" about her. But that voice comes from a place of insecurity. She cannot deny that she is different now.

"This is..." She exhales a weak laugh and runs a hand through her hair. "Yeah, like this."

[heirtothearcane]

That laugh, that sign of recognition soothes a knot of tension in Viatorus. His worst fear was that nothing he knew or said would hit home to her, that he wouldn't be able to help her. Those words in that book might not be his, but at least it's something.

"Good... Good," he repeats more firmly this time. "Then we have somewhere to start from."

"That's a book by a mage who isn't magical by blood," he explains. "He wasn't from any notable family, or apprenticed to any notable figure. He was normal, but he stumbled across magic and learned about it." With a pause he smiles sheepishly at Adia. "I've known magic all my life. I don't what it's like to not have it, and then have access to it. It's... always been there. But what you said reminded me of some of the things he wrote about. So... if this is right... and we work with the theory that you have access to magic, of an indeterminate kind, then I can try answering your questions a little better."

"With that in mind... Yes, things have changed for you. Theoretically you could try and ignore it, but..." He hesitates, looking over Adia with upturned eyebrows, and sighs. "With something literally imprinted on you that suggests there may be consequences for neglecting your understanding of it. Potentially even doing your best to learn about the Great Ones, or more about the Brain of Mensis would be to your benefit, since you'd be learning about the source and furthering your understanding of your gift, of your new abilities. It would be best for you to get to know this part of you, and find a way of incorporating into your life that you're comfortable with. Even if that's simply by acknowledging its existence."

[chiron_survivor]

With a finger to hold her place, she carefully shuts the book and examines the worn cover, listening to the description of the author. "I didn't know that was possible in your world," she confesses. She didn't know it was possible in any world, except perhaps those in which a source of magic comes from without, rather than within.

And now she has magic within her, too. It makes her smile, at least until Viatorus imparts his advice. Then she looks concerned again. "I don't want to ignore it," she agrees readily. "I'd... I mean, if it's something I can use to help others, I'd like to learn as much as I can... but, um..." That means talking to Micolash again...

"You know, in the books I read as a girl, this is around the time the protagonist would be whisked off to a secret magic school to learn how to use her powers." She smiles wryly, but there's a tiny bit of hope in her expression, too. "I don't suppose there's a school for someone like me?"

[heirtothearcane]

'Discussion on Ancient Magical Craft and Theory and Its Place in the Modern World by E. R. Wright' is printed in dull gold on the deep green cover. The corners of the cover are worn down but otherwise it looks to be in good condition apart from the thin layer of dust on it.

"It's possible. Maybe even more common than magic in bloodlines… I just don't know as much about it," he explains, trying not to seem as embarrassed as he feels. His lack of knowledge about apparently 'normal' aspects of his world always make him a bit shy, even when he's talking about magic.

He mirrors her smile, though his own is gentle and wavers it place. "There are schools... but opinions on them are mixed, and their reputations aren't usually all that good among the magical community. Apprenticeship is a more common method of learning. That's what my family does. Your experience still depends on your teacher, but at least you have a better idea of what you're getting into."

While she thinks on that, Viatorus fidgets, eventually managing to make his next suggestion. "If you like I can try and talk to Micolash about it on your behalf... I want to learn as much as I can from him, and I enjoy speaking with him. S-So if you want me to ask anything for you..."

[chiron_survivor]

His explanation makes her smile a little and politely keep her eyes on the book cover, not wanting to embarrass him further. Sometimes she forgets that he comes from a modern world entirely. Other times she forgets how sheltered he is, growing up rich and in a prestigious family. It makes sense that he wouldn't know about those with magic who weren't born into it, along with their wealth.

"Is it possible to borrow this?" she asks, holding up the book. "Or... well, is there more by this author? Or in this field? If a-- a class isn't an option, I need to learn somehow."

His suggestion is met with a long silence, her gaze sliding to the side as she thinks it over. "I don't think he'll tell you anything about the Brain of Mensis, but maybe you could ask him how one prays to Kos, some say Kosm? She's a Great One who is not answering his prayers, but he seems to think that she's the only one who could permanently ease the Brain's suffering."

[heirtothearcane]

"Oh, yes!" He waves a hand at her. "Take it. I... I'll try to find similar books that might interest you. Books I have plenty of to share."

He's heard Micolash repeatedly mention Kos (some say Kosm), and it brings him back to their first conversation. He wishes he'd taken more notes. There was so much detail, so much information in every word that man said. The things that Adia now tells him shine a new light on what he knows. Without realising, his face reflects the deep sadness he now suddenly feels for Micolash. "She's not answering his prayers? How terrible..."

To be so close to the divine, to know them, is an indescribably transcendent thing, Viatorus knows that. So to feel its absence... well, that must be equally agonising.

Lifting his gaze to Adia again, he brings his attention back to the conversation at hand. "I'll ask him, and I'll take notes this time, so I can share them with you."

He fidgets again, looking at her curiously. "Um, could you... could you tell me more about what you've experienced? What you've noticed, or think you've noticed, even if you think it might be nothing, even if you can explain it as something else."

[chiron_survivor]

"Thanks," she says gratefully. She tucks the book into her messenger bag, but her hands do not stay empty for long as she picks up her cup of tea again. "I'll read anything that you think is relevant. It's a relief to know that I'm not the first person to be going through this."

The sad look on his face doesn't surprise her, although she doesn't entirely share it. She can't help but wonder if there's a reason that this Great One is not speaking to him, if there's a line that he crossed that even otherworldly beings find abominable. "Not since the Brain of Mensis was created," she replies quietly.

When he meets her eyes, she smiles at him hesitantly. "I appreciate that." She raises her cup of tea for a sip, then sets it down again with a soft clink. "It's not as though I never want to speak to him again, Viatorus. I haven't given up on him. But he needs to at least try to meet me halfway. I won't learn anything if all I get are excuses and half-answers."

Which is why she clearly appreciates Viatorus asking for more details about what's been happening to her. This is how she would have liked the conversation with Micolash to go before he got all defensive and squirrelly. "Sure, sure... well, let's see." She takes her sip of tea, then, to give herself time to think of specific examples. "It started with... well, this is going to sound weird, but when Caspar came back. He had already been pardoned by the Quorum, but he wanted to see me. I... gosh, I was so mad, and scared, and... just everything I had been through with and without him, all mixed up together."

She pauses for a moment, her expression distant, a small, lopsided smile on her face. "He took me in his arms, and he said he was sorry, and I... I knew. I knew he meant it, even before he started crying, or said anything else. It was like there was some line between us, stretched thin, and when I was holding him again, it snapped back into place. Like it never left."

A blush creeps over her face and she glances at him askance. "It sounds really corny, I know. Since then, it's been other things like knowing where something is the moment I start looking for it. I have found so many four-leaf clovers in our yard, so much loose change in the Plaza, it's ridiculous. And the other day, I was in the middle of my medical volunteer shift and a man came in with his daughter. She had skinned her knee, he wasn't there for himself, but I asked to listen to his chest for practice. He was suffering from cardiac ischemia, any longer with his blocked artery and he would have had a heart attack." She shrugs helplessly. "He seemed... off, to me. That's the real reason I asked."