ruinsprofessor

Valdis winced, "It was not one of my finer moments," she replied, "The enemy's drug got into my system while exploring the palace and I offended the wrong person on my way home." That was putting it lightly to be sure, but she waved a hand dismissively, "Your Solomon showed up and managed to talk some sense into my slightly unstable mindset and a fight was avoided."

Her Solomon, hm. Raine blinked at the phrasing, briefly bemused, but didn't disagree. "Fortunate," she said instead. "An outright fight at that point could have been disastrous."

The entire thing sounded like a complete understatement, however. "The wrong person?" Raine repeated, curious. Any of them could be the wrong person, really, given the right motivation.

Considering the powers of the people involved, 'disastrous' may also have been putting it lightly. Raine's reaction to her phrasing was not missed and Valdis felt slightly elated that she had been correct in her assumption. There was a relationship between the Light Mage and the Death Bringer, which was interesting, but she decided not to press it further at this time.

"Solomon said that his name was Bakura," she answered, "He held a hundred souls within him, his own and ninety-nine others." Which was nothing compared to the number she held, but he seemed to care deeply about his souls, whereas hers meant little. "The ninety-nine took offense to my presence. I assume they sensed the souls I hold and divined that I had the ability to steal souls." She shrugged, even if she hadn't made the empty threat to take his ghosts, the relationship had probably been doomed anyway.

Edited 2014-12-04 03:18 (UTC)

Oh, no. No wonder that had gone horribly. Valdis had, effectively, threatened Bakura's family. Raine covered her eyes briefly with one hand, sighing. "Yes, I'm not surprised," she said, resigned. "I would recommend that you avoid him in the future. He will have taken that personally, I think."

But the other woman had likely already come to that conclusion. "Doubly fortunate, then, that the confrontation didn't devolve."

Edited 2014-12-06 03:22 (UTC)

"Fortunate, yes." Valdis rolled her eyes, "And don't worry, I tend to avoid the people who take extreme offense to my existence."

She had little interest in Bakura, he was a threat, but a threat that probably wouldn't mess with her. But Solomon, on the other hand, had called himself 'Death Bringer', something carrying far more weight in her mind that a simple man carrying a few souls.

"Then you have more sense than half the people I know," Raine said, light, with a faintly amused smile. Unfortunately true. "Our powers, and the planes. Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?"

It seemed like most of what Valdis had wanted had been covered, but she wouldn't be surprised if more had come up in the interim.

Considering that most of her curiosity had been satiated, and her original purpose for coming had been fulfilled, Valdis shook her head, "No. Thank you for your time."

She stood and made for the door, she had taken up enough of the mage's time for one day. But when she reached it, she turned back to where Raine was, "And thank you for the other stuff too."

Raine followed her to the door, and nodded acknowledgment. "You're welcome. Be careful, Valdis." She shut the door behind the woman, and when she had gone, exhaled heavily. Troubled times indeed, but at least other Foreigners were stepping up. There might be some hope for unified purpose yet.

I need to speak with you immediately. Meet me outside of Khatronma, on the cliffs overlooking the sea.

Following the path of orange soil toward the sunlit clouds, come to the red
embers lighting the sapphire tides. The violet ore feeds the roots of the
viridian trees. Breathe deep to find the pause within your core, and meditate
upon your needs in the appointed time and place so they may be real to you.

I..umm...might have a small problem on my hands...

[Oh, that is not promising at all. No preamble, no context, just 'a problem.' ...Coming from Valdis. When Raine answers, it's with some trepidation.]

How urgent? Is someone hurt?

I...can't really say...I mean...

[there is a loud, exasperated sigh]

I didn't do it.

[Oh. Oh no. Valdis, why do you do this. Or... not do this, as the case may be.]

If your problem is already dead, there's not much I'll be able to do about it.

You do, however, have a necromancer...might he help?

[There's a noticeable pause before a reply. Long enough, for instance, for someone to have a brief discussion across the apartment regarding the arrival of a corpse and a hellhound.]

He might be able to help, yes. Bring the body-- do you know where we live?

...yes. I will be there shortly.

We'll see you soon, then. Please be as discreet as you can.

[Corpses don't lend themselves to it, but Raine can dream.]

[ Following this conversation prompted by Genis' disappearance, Raine will one morning find a plain envelope in her house mailbox, addressed to her in Bakura's distinctive hand. Inside is a small round charm with an insignia on it, and a very short note:

"Keep it on you, just in case. It works by itself."

It's affixed with a Trap -- Call of the Earthbound, to be exact, and set to go off if Raine feels in danger or is attacked... not that he's included that particular instruction, but so it goes. ]

[Raine does not mention it, except an otherwise sourceless "thank you" the next time she sees him. The charm joins the moonstone she wears, which she is never without in any case, and Bakura may see it looped around one wrist when she reaches out or up.]

[If he'd been in the mood to submit to an interrogation, he'd have delivered it in person. She is going to get around to prodding for magical details eventually, but for now, it's enough that she trusts Bakura and he's looking out for her, in his way.]

[ Late evening, after this happened; not so late as though he'd expect her to be asleep, but late enough that she'd likely be in for the night. ]

Could I ask a favour, seba-rekhet...?

[She's absent her jacket, but not particularly rumpled. The day's end, but not the end of the day.]

Of course. What do you need?

[Unqualified assent only because she knows him, knows he knows her in turn, and she trusts he won't ask anything she's not willing to give.]

Would you just... talk, for a little while? About Sylvarant, or Iselia if you feel like it. Or artes or-- anything. I don't really care about what.

[It is, bluntly put, a request for the sound of her voice. Raine's thoughts again hover briefly over the potential he has feelings for her before moving on.]

[There's something she can do to help a friend. It's really as simple as that.]

Very well.

Perhaps... Aska, then. [A brief pause, and a thoughtful hum.] The spirit of light has a dual nature. Unlike Sylph, who are three-in-one, Luna and Aska are two distinct beings. I've often thought they are the two 'faces' of light-- it's closely associated with healing, after all, but is also the single most destructive element our world has to offer.

Aska is a peculiarity. He takes the form of a glowing bird with two heads and pinions in all the colors of the rainbow, and he resists spells of every element. And, unlike the other summon spirits, who are bound near to their seals or their summoner, he wanders the world at his leisure. He's drawn, specifically, to the sound a particular tree makes in the wind.

[She laughs a little, then, a quiet sound.] Frankly, by everything I've learned about the summon spirits, Aska still makes very little sense. I almost wonder if, instead of being born from light, he wasn't something else first.

[Definitely set to go on a ramble about summon spirits and her hypotheses regarding their nature.]

You sound like you have some ideas on that...

[ Just enough engagement in the topic to keep her talking, because he is listening, but not enough to pose a block to her if she got on a roll. ]

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