aquaveiled | Abraxas IC Inbox

[ It's true that this is ultimately a good thing, just as it had been when Y'shtola left, or when Estinien did before that — though Thancred did not experience that himself, only Himeka. He doesn't feel the same about the Ascians or Ancients, of course.

He and Urianger have grown close, not just here in Abraxas but before that, and so yes, it does feel like a loss. Even with the knowledge that Urianger has returned to where he's meant to be. ]

I noticed his absence about a day ago, and he wasn't replying to any of my messages. I wanted to be certain before I told you, however.

[ Their friends, she believes they will meet again. But the ancients? Well, at least after gaining new memories, she is at peace that Emet-Selch and Hytholdaeus will find rest. And that is the best she can hope for them. ]

I know you wouldn't.

Do have time to meet? In the Horizon.

Of course.

[ It would be a gift to be able to see her right now, given all of this. While it stings that they're currently blocked from Nocwich, that was their choice at Epulum and they have to live with it.

The Horizon will do. ]

Mine or yours?

I'll come to yours.

[ Something about that just seems right, mayhaps because Urianger has been with Thancred for so long now. ]

Now?

[ It isn't exactly urgent, but...it feels it. ]

[ Maybe it isn't urgent, but to see the face of a good friend would be nice under these circumstances. Since it appears that Himeka is able to drop what she's doing, Thancred will certainly not turn her down. ]

Give me about ten minutes to return to our flat, and then I'll be there.

[ Naturally, every part of his domain is open to her. ]

[ "Our flat." She doesn't point out how that is different, now. A place that had been a joint refuge for so long. Himeka had always hoped that one day travel between the factions would be open for more than just a request during an emergency, that she could have dinner with them and--

Well.

One thing at a time.

Himeka goes immediately, settling in to the bar that they so often frequented in the Crystarium. The Wandering Stairs had become one of her favorite places and she thinks that maybe a few drinks and coffee biscuits are exactly what they need now.

She's already ordered two steins for them, holding one untouched as she waits. ]

[ As soon as Himeka arrives, Thancred can feel her presence, and he wastes no time finding where in his domain she's decided to settle. Not the Rising Stones, perhaps that's a bit much at a time like this, but the Wandering Stairs are just as good.

Besides, the outdoor setting (even if it's unreal) is welcome right now.

He settles into the seat across from her with a nod, reaching to grab the stein that's meant for him. For once he doesn't have a smirk or some snappy comment with which to greet her. ]

It's good to see you.

[ And there's so much he could say right now, but instead he decides to hold his stein up toward her so that they can knock them together and then take a moment to drown their sorrows in a rather literal sense. ]

[ She waits quietly and patiently as she ever does, offering Thancred a weak smile out of habit. It is good to see him, as always, but they both wish the nature of their meeting was one of celebration than lamentation.

But this ought to be a cause for celebration, shouldn't it? That Urianger has returned to their star--their ultimate goal.

Himeka taps her stein against his, glad for the silent toast to their friend. Whether they are crying his loss or hailing his triumph, she isn't sure. It feels like mostly the former. Himeka takes just a moment to stare at the cup before downing half in one go--the exact sort of thing Urianger could never do. ]

You recreated this beautifully.

[ It should be a cause for celebration, and yet it's an odd feeling that Thancred is saddled with now. To have someone who has become such a constant in his life suddenly gone without so much as a word said on either end had still come as quite the blow.

Especially when their flat is full of things that Urianger had collected to make it his favorite brand of cluttered. Books, herbs, candles, tarot decks — his signature is all over the place.

Thancred also drinks a decent portion from his stein in one go, as he's never struggled to keep up with Himeka in this particular arena. He lets out a breath as he lowers the stein from his mouth, then wipes at his lips with the back of his hand.

He blinks a few times at Himeka's compliment. ]

Ah, well... [ He takes a look around. It would feel more authentic if there were people here, but the night sky can let them pretend that everyone has simple retired to their beds, leaving them alone here to chat. ] It felt important to preserve some memories of Norvrandt. This way my recollection of it won't fade with time.

[ He leaves the rest unsaid. He doesn't want to forget Norvrandt, but it's less about the place and more about who he left there. Of course, Himeka already knows all of that quite well. ]

[ Memories are precious things. When the worst happens, they may be all you have to comfort you in the dark. And the memories they've made as Scions and as friends are some of the most important she can recall.

She's only minutely aware of the discrepancies that sometimes occur with her own recollections, but to Himeka, Thancred's version here is edging perfection. It makes sense, too--he's been trained in mapping out areas as a means for infiltration. She thinks this is likely even better than her own version. ]

It feels like it was ages ago since we were actually here...

[ Although she has made her own forays into the First since then, both for personal and professional reasons. Still, it's never quite the same without the people who journeyed so far ahead of her. ]

I'm sure by the time we get back, Y'shtola will have figured out how to traverse the rift again.

[ Because they will all return one day. Just like Urianger did. ]

[ It does feel like ages, even longer for Thancred than for Himeka for a number of reasons. Naturally he's envious of her ability to still travel to the First as she pleases, but he's never held it against her. At least it means that she can ferry messages back and forth between him and Ryne, though that's hardly the same as seeing her face-to-face.

Now he has to accept that it might be another however-many years before he sees Urianger again as well. Perhaps instead of sulking about it, though, he should instead be grateful for how much time they had together here.

He lets out a snort at Himeka's comment and shakes his head. ]

Isn't the whole point that time doesn't pass while we're here? We should return to the precise point we came from. Then again, I wouldn't put it past her, even so.

[ Y'shtola has shown the seemingly impossible to be possible in the past, quite a number of times. She seems to somehow always have a trick up her sleeve, yet Thancred knows that's simply because of all the time she's dedicated to her scholarly pursuits.

There's a pause, and he takes another sip of his drink before glancing up toward the night sky. ]

I miss her too. There's been a serious dearth of judging comments, hasn't there?

[ They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and there is certainly some truth to that. But can't one simply grow more fond the more they bask in the presence of those they love?

Yes, she is grateful too for the time they have together. She's grateful for this time with Thancred and part of wonders if he, too, will be next. Estinien left, Y'shtola left--hells, even G'raha was here for a moment.

Who is next?

Is it her? ]

Mhmm. If anyone can figure this out, it will be her, won't it? And then we can visit this realm whenever we want as well. All the friends we've made.

[ That is the trouble with adventuring--the more places you go, the more people you meet, the more you have to say "goodbye" to again and again. Or, well, Himeka prefers an "I'll see you later".

At his appraisal of Y'shotla's usual manner, she chuckles. ]

I can try to fill the void, though I'm not sure if I'll ever be as appropriately scathing.

[ Urianger, on the other hand, always had a way to bring others up. She pauses, following Thancred's gaze to the sky. ]

...He'll be working right alongside her, won't he? To figure this out.

[ It had not yet occurred to Thancred that it might be possible to return home to Etheirys and then figure out a path back to Abraxas, but that would be the dream, wouldn't it? For all their memories of this place and their connections here to be kept intact. He doubts that sort of travel will ever be easy, but they've done it before, haven't they?

Who's to say the Ragnarok couldn't travel to other worlds? ]

I suppose we could, couldn't we? The tricky part is ensuring that we return home with our memories. So long as we have those, I'm confident we could find out where in the cosmos Abraxas is located.

[ Somehow Himeka has found a way to cheer him up, even during this dark moment. He sends her a warm smile when she offers to try and fill Y'shtola's shoes. ]

Aye, and I'm not certain it would suit you. I like you just as you are, Himeka.

[ He doesn't miss a beat at her next question. Those two working together is simply the default, isn't it? ]

Of course he will. And we'll certainly have a whole host of stories for them when we return. I suspect we'll be kept up all night answering their questions.

[ But he wouldn't mind at all. With a glance back down to the table, he plucks a coffee biscuit off the plate and takes a bite. ]

[ Yes, with their memories is certainly the hardest part. Himeka remembered Abraxas as soon as she reawakened in Solvunn once again, but the months she spent back on their own star, she had been none the wiser.

Why is that? Why would the Singularity not want them to know? Especially if they felt they had reason to come back? Mayhaps it would be worth it trying to convince the Singularity that they want to help no matter where they are in the universe.

Not playing the right role is something that troubled her for a while, especially once they began calling her the "Warrior of Light". These days she's much more secure in who she is, but it is nice to hear it from someone she holds in such high regard. It brings a pleased, honest smile to her own face. ]

Thank you. I think she'd kill me if she heard me try to do an impression anyway.

[ Which is partially a joke but also...anyone who knows Y'shtola recognizes the truth threat therein. ]

That's something we can look forward to, then. It's our job to collect as many memories for them as possible. For when we return.

[ She's wholly convinced they will.

Himeka takes another drink, gulping down more than is strictly necessary. ]

Our memories have to just be locked away somewhere in our heads. I remembered everything as soon as I came back, right? So...we just have to find out why that is. Maybe it has to do with being close to the Singularity?

She would certainly glare at you with such intensity you wished for death, if nothing else.

[ It's both warming to the heart and gutting in the same moment to speak of good friends like this, when they have been separated for so long with who knows how much more time left until they are sent home. Thancred takes a swig of his drink to wash some of the bitterness away.

For all his jesting, he does look forward to the possibility of returning to Etheirys with his memories and updating their fellow Scions on all that has happened. Himeka's certainty draws a smile out of him; that's how she is, always managing to balance out his naturally realistic outlook.

And she makes a good point, about the memories. Thancred's brow knits as he stares down into his mug of ale, as if it might have the answers for them. ]

It does feel as if everything comes back to that. If it's a matter of proximity, then that makes it a difficult problem to solve, but it's certainly worth some deeper research.

[ Too bad neither of them are the ideal Scions for that job, as they've already discussed. ]

[ She chuckles at that. Y'shtola's subtle warnings were some of the first things to really keep her in line in those early days, infrequent as they were. She certainly misses such admonishments whether they were true or jesting in their sincerity...

Yes, there are many friends and family they've been separated for some time. While missions can take them away, this does feel different. ]

It would be convenient if we could just take a piece, wouldn't it? Then we could carry it with us and mayhaps never lose our memories...

[ A thoughtful hum follows, a little sing-song as she imagines possibilities well beyond her ability to replicate. ]

...Oh! Wait!

[ She slams her hands down on the table as she turns to Thancred in earnest. ]

The crystals! We could put our memories in crystals like the Ancients did!

[ Breaking a piece off of the Singularity seems like quite the bold suggestion, given that it might cause some sort of political incident given how it's both cherished and mistrusted by the people of Abraxas.

Then again, none of them could actually get close to it to witness such a thing. Perhaps they would need to worry instead about how the Singularity would respond, or any Summoned who feel a strong attachment to it.

But before he can say anything about that idea, Himeka comes up with another. Right, the Ancients. As much as Thancred feels a healthy wariness toward them given what some of them become, he can't ignore the fact that this idea has some weight.

He glances down at Himeka's hand where it slammed on the table, amused by her enthusiasm if nothing else. ]

Are there crystals here that work in the same way as those from our world? That's the question. [ He pauses then, head tilting to one side in a brief moment of contemplation as something occurs to him. ] There is a tunnel made of some sort of crystal here in Thorne where they do some mining, to say nothing of Hayle, which has a great many crystal structures. Mayhap you're onto something.

[ He quirks a smile. As much as he feels Urianger's absence, this does prove that he and Himeka can manage on their own if that's how it must be. ]

A crystal tunnel?

[ Recognition flashes across her face--way back when all this began, getting shoved off to work the mines else waste away in the brig. She had led Estinien on something of a wild wyrm chase, but it did lead to their escape, short as it was. ]

Yes, the worm tunnels! Not wyrm tunnels. They're not very good at making that clear.

[ Thancred can doubtlessly imagine her disappointment when she realized her mistake. ]

Do they let you go there now? Like, when you're not in trouble?

[ Though even if they don't, if someone needs to go in under cover and sneak off with some crystals? Who better to do it than Thancred, Master of Stealth. ]

No, not wyrm tunnels, although a dragon did do damage to the place when those rifts opened. We were tasked with traveling there to clear out the rubble, but I'm unclear on whether we can access it without express permission.

[ Most likely not. Thorne takes a great deal of care with where it lets its Summoned travel, and Thancred's guess is that they only opened up the Frostwurm Tunnels to them because there was work to be done there.

Still, that doesn't mean it isn't possible to access the tunnels by other means.

He pauses for a moment, fingers drumming on the table as he takes a sip of his drink with his other hand. This smells of a task of some sort, and he does so love those. ]

I'll look into it when I can. How does that sound?

So they almost became wyrm tunnels...

[ She mumbles it a bit, smiling and feeling vindicated for her misunderstanding from years past. (It certainly wasn't her fault they weren't clear.)

Still, there were valuable crystals in those tunnels, wyrms or worms besides. If Thancred can gain access to them, then they might have a place to start.

She nods, knowing full well that he will do his best, leaving no stone or crystal unturned. There's a thoughtful pause as she regards him, nursing her own stein. ]

...We'll see him soon. I know it.

[ She holds the cup up in a toast. ]

For Urianger. And the others.

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maybe wrap this soon? 💖

that's fine.