aquaveiled | Abraxas IC Inbox

[ Thancred should know better than to try to address Himeka in the middle of a meal. He shakes his head to himself as he takes the seat across from her, glancing at the plate of cookies with mild consideration. After a moment, a tankard full of ale appears in front of him. He's more in the mood for a drink than sweets right now. ]

Do you want to try that again? Unlike you, I can't inherently understand every language.

[ Not that "mouth full of coffee biscuits" is a language, but he's allowed a ~~dad~~ joke here or there. He takes a swig of his drink. ]

I'm back at the castle, as you might have guessed. And I returned to another familiar face. [ He pauses for just a moment. He won't leave her in suspense. ] Y'shtola has joined us.

[ Thancred you should be well-versed now, but she'll give him a pass. The right thing to do is to swallow before she speaks, but sometimes Himeak gets excited. She does just that, taking a moment to wash them down with the cup of coffee she'd made sure to acquire along with the biscuits. ]

I said, "the door was open".

[ Metaphorically, at least.

When he says he's back at the castle, she nods and figured as much. Their correspondences while he has been out have been brief messages more than "in person" meetings, so reason would only hold he was somewhere comfortable (and probably alone) to visit his domain properly.

It's the mention of Y'shtola that makes Himeka freeze. ]

Wh--Y'sthola? When?

[ Naturally the door would be open for her. Thancred has no reason to keep her out, his space being as good as hers. He knows the reverse would be true as well, though he has yet to actually find and explore Himeka's Horizon. That will have to change soon, now that he's back.

While he in theory could have come into the Horizon while traveling with Stephen and Yennefer, it had felt more prudent to remain aware of his surroundings at all times. Given the number of monster encounters and other obstacles they'd run into along the way, he believes that was the correct choice. At least he'd still had a means of checking in with Himeka throughout the trip to let her know all was going as planned.

Naturally, she's shocked to hear of yet another Scion arriving. Thancred smiles and nods. ]

She's been here for a few suns now — she arrived while I was still away from the castle. Her magick's currently muted, as with all newly summoned, so she doesn't have her aether-sight. I assured her it would return soon. [ He pauses to take another pull from his tankard. ] I let her know you're here as well, of course. Once she's accustomed to the Horizon I'm certain she'll come find you.

[ There's a great deal for the two of them to discuss. ]

[ For a few suns--and neither of them had known! Not that Y'shtola isn't perfectly capable of handling herself with or without her fellow Scions, but--

--goodness, Y'sthola of all people. Himeka isn't sure why it's a shock when all of the closest Scions were the same ones that were transported to the First, but she knows that summonings here have absolutely nothing to do with her, not with the Warrior of Light. Thorne saw fight to take her...and Thancred.

That may not sit entirely well with her, but it doesn't seem like Thorne has summoned anyone it's regretted for several moons now. Mayhaps they are finally safe there.

It's after a moment Himeka realizes she's done one of those things were all she's doing is sitting there staring at Thancred like she's waiting for some prompt to speak. (She's not sure why she does that.) Himeka takes another drink and finishes off her coffee. ]

Yes, yes--...I imagine she's settling in well enough without us around?

[ It may sound dismissive but it's said with a fond smile. Himeka sets her cup down. ]

It's been so long...for the both of you. And now suddenly you're here.

[ While Thancred will sometimes give Himeka a hard time for the silent smiling and nodding, it's not as if he can blame her either. With the sheer amount that she's had to deal with over the years, the stories she's heard and kept close to her chest, it's only natural that sometimes she lapses into "listening mode."

Besides, some of his fellow Scions do have a tendency to go on and on, Alphinaud and Urianger chief among them. ]

I suppose she couldn't bear to let me go ahead on my own. [ He winks as he continues to nurse his drunk. ] But you know Y'shtola. There isn't much that unsettles her. I suspect she'll have memorized all of Castle Thorne's library ere long.

[ That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. ]

We may not be with you in Solvunn, but we are here. And I'm happy to help Y'shtola make her way there, if she decides to join you. [ Thorne is a bit of a double-edged sword, knowing what they do about its darker practices. It is still a wellspring of knowledge and that might be difficult for Y'shtola to give up. ]

There's something else, however. [ At this, his expression shifts into something a tad more somber as he regards Himeka. ] Have you noticed any effects among the Summoned in Solvunn? [ He does not yet know if the Echo-like symptoms are affecting all Summoned, but he would not be surprised were that the case. ]

[ Alphinaud tends to go on and on, but Urianger gets lost in translation sometimes. She's gotten better at deciphering him over the years, of course, but initially she just enjoyed listening to him because it sounded fun, not because she was actually parsing much of what he was saying. An attentive, if lost, audience.

Thancred is right, though. Y'sthola is the most unflappable of them all and would readily take on Thorne as a new challenge. She wouldn't say she needs the support, but that Thancred can be there with her is a good thing. A good thing for the both of them.

It strikes her that she may be coming off a little lonely on her own--and, well, she is but that's far from the point. Himeka shakes her head, still holding onto her now empty coffee cup. ]

Knowing what I do of Thorne despite not seeing the nicer parts..it does seem like the sort of place she'll be running given time.

[ The thought in and of itself is a little amusing--Ambrose, having to cowtow to Y'shtola's stubborn quest for knowledge--

--humor that's quickly lost as Thancred brings up the very thing she's absolutely been trying to avoid. The way that her face goes from soft bemusement to sudden panic, then to an awkward attempt to smile through it probably says it all. She's never had the best poker face. That's partially why just saying nothing sometimes has been th best option. ]

...A few things?

[ This is important. She won't pretend like it's not happening, but it isn't easy. Her tail twitches behind her. ]

There...aren't as many Summoned in Solvunn.

[ It does feel like between them two of them, Thancred and Y'shtola may be able to make some headway within Thorne, especially when Thancred also has Stephen and Yennefer as trusted contacts. Indeed, it might be worth updating Himeka on some of that as well, but it's ultimately this sharing of memories between the Summoned that has more of his attention at the moment. Particularly when it comes to Himeka.

No, she's not one who can generally hide what she's feeling, and perhaps Thancred had even been banking on that. For all the time they've known each other, she's never quite been able to pick up any of the art of subtlety from him.

Of course, there is something endearing in that too. Spy work is certainly not for everyone.

He taps his fingers on the table a few times, as if sounding out some tune, before pinning Himeka down with his stare. She can't wriggle out of this one, unfortunately. ]

True enough. There may therefore be less instances of this... well, I may as well come out and say it. It's an Echo-like phenomena. I assume you also had a dream about the eclipse?

[ Thus far everyone who he's asked has reported the same dream. Much like the Horizon is a shared vision of sorts, it seems that the Summoned can even share dreams. All of it comes from the Singularity, it must be, and yet it feels like there's still so little that they understand about the monolith. Frustrating, yet true. ]

[ If anyone can do it, it would be them. Himeka believes that whole heartedly. And she wants to believe that this is all just a temporary situation. They will all find a way back. Estinien has, unintentionally or otherwise, so surely they can as well.

But that's for a future conversation, it seems. Thancred comes right out with and honestly that is usually easier for her than beating around the proverbial bush.

The eclipse...it's not quite a star shower, but a shared vision is something to note no matter the circumstances. It's what's followed that's really thrown her--she saw it first with Nero and then with Wanda, two people who have no connection at all to Hydaelyn or their star. Why would they suddenly succumb to the same visions and same side effects?

Himeka bows her head slightly, fingers tightening on the cup. ]

Mhmm.

[ She nods, then exhales slowly. ]

And then it wasn't long after that I saw a friend's past...and then another's. And then they saw mine.

[ As uncomfortable as Himeka may be with discussing this, there is truly no safer place to do so. No one will be walking in on them, not when Thancred's domain has certain security measures in place which make it something of a chore to navigate. ]

That must have been an adjustment. You've seen the memories of so many others, and yet is a rare thing for them to see yours.

[ Rare, or perhaps even unprecedented. Had Minfilia or Krile or anyone else with the Echo ever glimpsed a silver of Himeka's past? If so, news of it had never made it to Thancred.

Following a brief pause, he leans forward, bridging a few ilms of distance between them. There is still the majority of the large table separating them, but the shift is a silent indication that what he's about to say is something he means sincerely, and that he wants Himeka to listen. ]

I know what you're thinking. That somehow, this is your fault. The Singularity is capable of much that until now, we would have thought impossible. [ He lifts one arm to gesture at the facsimile of the Crystarium around them. ] The Horizon, for one, but it also possesses energy that puts the Crystal Tower to shame. Let's heap the blame on it, shall we?

[ She nods again. An adjustment is a kind way to put it. It isn't as if Himeka hasn't realized how invasive it must feel for others when she sees their pasts, their moments of weakness and memories they would prefer not to revisit, but...she hadn't fully understood how it can be. Too used to being on the receiving end. ]

I hadn't realized-...

[ Just how awkward it made one feel? Something like that. But the rest of her thought dies on her tongue as Thancred hits the nail on the head.

Himeka looks up slowly at that. Of course he can see right through her, can't he? IT does feel like her fault. How or why it's happened she doesn't know, but it's much too close to the Echo to ignore. And with no one else seemingly in possession of that ability, it...it has to be coming from her, hasn't it? Somehow... ]

...

[ G'raha had been able to control the Crystal Tower. He was bound to it. If...she were somehow the same with the Singularity, could she control it?

She could send all of them back? ]

...

[ No, he's right. It's so much more powerful, beyond their current understanding. It's a long moment but Himeka finally nods and forces something of a somber smile of her own. ]

Yeah...you're right, Thancred.

[ Looking down at her cup again, it changes from a coffee cup to a tankard, now full of ale. She needs it. ]

It does seem like that whole eyeball dream and the visions are connected, but I don't know how.

[ The shift in Himeka's choice of drink would be difficult to miss, yet it's not as if Thancred can blame her. This sudden bout of memory sharing between the Summoned would be a lot to handle even without the added pressure that Himeka's heaping on herself, regardless of what he might say. He does hope she'll take his words to heart, but he also understand it's easier said than done.

Simply put, he knows a thing or two about guilt and how it eats at you.

Her use of the term "eyeball dream" does bring a small huff of a laugh out of him, mainly because it's so her. ] Yes, that's yet another hint that the Singularity is at the center of all this. We'll need to do more research on the eclipse, it seems. [ Which is not his area of expertise, but he can work with Y'shtola on it.

He'd rather not dwell on this subject overly long, not wanting to make Himeka too uncomfortable, and there's plenty more for them to discuss. ]

Is there aught else I should know of that took place over the course of my trip?

[ It had been three weeks, after all, and while the two of them kept up with each other, it was more checking in than full reports. He has much to tell her as well, but you know what they say. Ladies first. ]

[ She nods in agreement with that. Though she's far from the best notetaker, she does try to wrack her brain if she's seen anything like that before, both in the Horizon and without. But she comes up with nothing to shake out any relevant memories. ]

I don't think I'd seen anything like it before. Though...eyeballs...eclipses--they do kind of look like the same thing, don't they?

[ She looks up from her drink then like she's assuming Thancred will concur. ]

You know...large. Balls that can be hidden by other things?

[ Makes perfect sense right? ]

Ah...I went on somethin of a trip myself.

[ That topic puts her in something of a better mood. ]

The caskets that we'd retrieve in the winter-- [ She had won one herself from Thorne and brought it back to the Commune. ] --myself and another were tasked with delivering it to a shrine in the forest.

[ Thancred braces his elbow on the table and then rests his chin in his open palm, easing up slightly with the drink and the less fraught conversation. ]

I assumed the term 'eye' was more a nickname of sorts for the eclipse, given how it does look a bit like one, yes.

[ As in, they probably shouldn't read into that word too much. Or mayhap they should? But it struck him as a term that the people of Abraxas used for the eclipse, rather than having some deeper meaning.

Again, though, that will require further research. He sees a trip to Thorne's library in his future — one wherein he'll be fetching loads of books for Y'shtola.

Himeka had mentioned her own trip during their correspondence, though she had shied away from including too many details. Which had been the right choice, of course. Thancred's glad that she's picked up on some of his lessons by now. ]

A shrine, eh? To one of the old gods, I'd wager. [ Though there's something he's still confused about, he'll admit. ] What is the significance of these caskets, exactly? I had heard that Summoned squared up against each other to claim them, but what makes them so desirable?

[ She nods several times in succession. Theorizing is the sort of thing she's always preferred to leave up to the other Scions, chiming in only when prompted. But when it was only her and Estinien--arguably two of the absolute worst at it--she's tried to step up to the plate. ]

I can't shake the feeling that it's like...like the Singularity is watching us somehow. That's silly, right?

[ Please tell her that's silly, Thancred.

She takes a moment to take a drink from her tankard before going into the details of her journey. Her nerves are arguably more calmed after moving away from the subject of the Echo. ]

I'm not entirely certain, but I imagine if Y'shtola was close to one she would find something interesting. Even I can sense the aether is different.

[ While naturally sensitive to aether given her proclivity to manipulating it to her will, no one has the sort of aether insight as Y'sthola at this point. All Himeka can feel is that it's special, even if she can't discern why. ]

They came from Thorne. The Council in Solvunn said that they couldn't be trusted with Thorne or the Free Cities. Given the history with Thorne and the reputation of the Free Cities, Estinien and I actually agreed on that point. But...we did so knowing that we would be entrusting this strange energy to the Council.

[ People that have thus far been kind, but truthfully Himeka doesn't know too well. She's used to bumping elbows with nation leaders at this point, so it's a work in progress. ]

They said they would be kept safe and part of me hoped that would be the end of it. Just keep it secret and safe? But when the opportunity came up to transport them...

[ She was curious but also felt responsible given that she had helped deliver some of those caskets to Solvunn. ]

The shrine was remote, Thancred. There are many shrines and altars in the towns proper, but they really sent us out and away from everyone else.

[ While Himeka might want some manner of reassurance on the point of the Singularity, Thancred isn't in a place to offer that. He instead lifts his eyebrows and gives a noncommittal little shrug. It very well could be watching them, particularly their actions within the Horizon. The Singularity being sentient in some way doesn't strike him as particularly farfetched, after all they've seen.

Look at Eden, for example.

The explanation of the caskets that Himeka gives still manages to be rather vague, but Thancred gathers that they are a great source of energy. Naturally he thinks to the large caches of crystals that would be gathered by anyone wishing to perform a primal summoning back home. No, none of this sounds good. His rests both his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together in front of his face.

Perhaps he could learn more of these caskets from within Thorne, if that is where they originated. Thancred can understand why Himeka would have wanted to take power out of Thorne's hands, having gone through what she did at their whims, but where the casket ended up doesn't sound particularly reassuring either. ]

It's not often that leaders of any nation make a bid for a power source and don't eventually plan to do something with it. [ And so Himeka had felt a personal responsibility to see things through, to know where her actions in taking the casket would lead.

The shrine was remote. He frowns, hands falling away as he straightens and heaves out a sigh. ] They wanted it taken to that particular shrine, then. Or are you implying that they chose that location to ensure the safety of their people? [ Himeka has always wanted to see the best in people, and he is here to temper that. ]

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