Cast: Seed (Deme) & Millie (Cyber)
TLDR:
Support Points Earned: 2
March 5, 2018
March 6, 2018
March 7, 2018
March 9, 2018
March 10, 2018
March 11, 2018
March 13, 2018
March 14, 2018
March 15, 2018
TLDR:
Support Points Earned: 2
[7:43 PM] LadyDeme: Seed's figure bent like a tree in the wind over a book; though, given the expression on his face of a stirred serenity, with the feelings of the writing playing across his expressions moment-by-moment against a background of this momentary contentment, it might have been easier to claim that he bent towards it like a flower to the sun. Being both, and neither, either was equally apt. The last page turned to a blank expanse, mere weight to pad out the folio, and it left Seed blinking like he'd just stepped out from a dark place. He leaned back in his chair as the library around him filled in: the overstuffed arm chairs with little side tables, set around a few central tables like the one he was in, tucked in amid the shelves of books, which cast their shadows amid the large, airy windows and mostly shielded lights.
Seed closed the book, satisfied with its ending. He had a few other small items he intended to get through today beside him in a stack, or to check out later, anyway, but for the moment, he could roll around the completed feeling in his head, the way one rolls a mint in their mouths. It was...gratifying. With an excess caution, he tried moving his chair very quietly back, so he could head towards a shelf to replace it.(edited)
[1:12 AM] cybershadowX: The sound of Millie’s pen scratching into her notebook combines with the rustling of the pages quietly echoes across the library hall. The open windows give entrance to the seaside breeze, which gently caresses Millie’s silky long hair and lazily turns the pages of a few open books.
”It’s more complicated than I thought. Maybe if I could read Pallo it would help.”
Millie rested her head on her left hand which was propped against the desk. She had been at the library for a few hours trying to figure out how to forge the glyph onto her weapon, but results were limited. Surrounding her were the stacks of books that she had taken from the shelves.
Advanced Forging Techniques: Glyphing
Ignatius Fury’s Glyph Catalogue
(Kairen’s Laquoean Glyph Encyclopedia 7th edition)
Fantastic Glyphs and Where to Find Them
The Impact of Glyphing in Forging History
(Forbidden Glyphs)
I Can’t Believe My Step-Brother is This Handsome?!
My Cute and Secret Prince
The Last Princess of Laqueos
[1:33 PM] LadyDeme: There was a clatter behind Seed as he'd been walking towards the bookshelf -- a clatter of what was distinctly paper and binding, followed by a single sound of surprise. It was only natural for him to turn his head and spot the collection of books that was now sprawled out an inch from the backs of his heels. Before his eyes swept up to the girl who'd tripped with them, he thought it a good collection, noting the different scripts on the open pages. Of course, then he saw the girl, and immediately knelt down to offer her a hand.
"Are you alright?" He was checking for the degree of spill she'd taken, though usually a fall that resulted in injury would be met with something a little more than an eep, usually swearing, which meant that, with something of a gentle smile, he added, "Would you accept my help with recollecting these?"
[2:08 PM] cybershadowX: Millie rubbed her head from where she sat on the ground. Scattered around her were the various books that she had just dropped, along with her own backpack.
"Are you alright?"
Millie turned to locate the source of the speaker, a nice, gentle looking florkana man who held out an outstretched hand. Realizing she may have just bumped into him Millie's face flushes bright red and she frantically picks herself off the ground.
"A-Awawa-Ah I'm sorry! I'll pick it up myself!"
Quickly bending down she scoops as many of the books into her arms. She manages to secure one of her backpack straps with her arm but can't seem to restore the stack herself. With every book she adds another somehow magically falls back onto the ground.
"I'm sorry I'm so sorry"
[3:26 PM] LadyDeme: "You didn't actually --" Seed started, trying to be heard over her frantic apologies; not having much luck, given the degree of panic. She hadn't exactly hit him, or run into him, and even her books had only come close to landing at him. Instead, he tried to think of another way to calm her, and settled for scooping up a book as she dropped it, flattening out a creased page with a little tut, tut of concern, before tucking it into the start of his own pile of books she'd dropped.
"Let me help. It's fine; you didn't actually hit me, and I understand an accident when I see one."
The Florkana glanced at the next book still on the ground, (Forbidden Glyphs) His eyebrows went up -- not so much for the title, which didn't worry him much, but both a part of its number and in part its language. Beorc who read Pallo were fairly rare. In a tone of voice intended to soothe her as he reached around the carpet to help pick up another book, he added,
"You're clearly quite the reader; and you read Pallo, as well? That's very impressive."
[3:48 PM] cybershadowX: Millie had managed to stack up about half of her books while still apologizing profusely when seed asked about the book.
"I'm sor-huh?"
Halting her futile struggle Millie peeks over to examine the book seed held. The dark leather cover is incredibly worn with faint Pallo etchings and a large diagram in the center.
"Oh uh, I actually can't really read Pallo."
Looking around she finds another book and bends down to pick it up, dropping another in the process, again.
"I found this Pallo-Milo dictionary that can do basic translations but the grammar structure is too different from Milo to do anything beyond single words and titles."
The embarrasment from earlier had already faded as she began to rattle about (Forbidden Glyphs).
"That one also uses an older dialect compared to the other 2 Pallo books I had. But the main reason I got that one was because it had a lot more glyphs along with some extremely complicated ones. It also has a few diagrams on some older glyphing techniques but those require different tools and need a bit of clarification. Hopefully I can find someone that can translate it more efficiently than me someday."
Realizing she had just bombarded her new Florkana friend with half of her notes on that single book her face blushed again.
"Oh sorry I started rambling again thank you so much for helping me."(edited)
[6:40 PM] LadyDeme: As she rambled, Seed took a moment to sit back on his heels and listen, trying to follow -- or, he supposed, construct -- the sort of glyphwork she was picturing; it seemed like she was involved in some interesting business, though he hoped not too forbidden. His roots could support his crouch well enough, so he simply waited and listened.
"Oh, it's quite alright! That sounds very interesting," he said, grinning. It was wholly sincere; while he himself had little interests in glyphs or that particular practice of magic, preferring things of a more small and portable option, he had recognized it -- in her posture and in her voice, in the way her words had bombarded out at him -- that he'd seen a passion, a true and earnest passion, in front of him. And that was a special pleasure, he always believed, as a fellow with a certain vocation of his own, about which he could speak fluently, about which he guarded a little, because it was special; he could see that specialness in her embaressment, too, and it all just put a smile on his face and a little bit of perkiness to the purple flowers about his branches, stirring in some unknown breeze.
"I don't know how long I'll be in the area," he added as he picked up another book. The cover was equally battered and faded, another old Pallo book that had seen the ages on the scuffed imprint of its title, where the paint across the title had been carefully stamped and re-stamped and re-applied. It spoke to a level of care the library had, he thought, even if there was a noted tendency here for water stains. He brushed off the lettering before he stacked it with the other one. "But I read Pallo rather well, and I think even with the dialect, might be able to translate a few things for you, if you like..."(edited)
[8:37 PM] cybershadowX: "Wait really? That would be super helpful"
Millie jumped back to her feet and scooped up the books that were in Pallo and quickly returned the ones that weren't. She took out (Kairen’s Laquoean Glyph Encyclopedia 7th edition) and showed a page to Seed.
"This one in particular is pretty important since it details on how to apply a glyph onto an item that's already been enchanted."
Taking out her pen she quickly jots down the page number in Pallo and turns to the next.
"And this one should tell us how glyphs should be organized on the blade for maximum efficiency,"
As Millie began to find and record pages she realized just how helpful knowing Pallo would be. Many of her tutors in Rettati didn't teach Pallo at all simply due to the lack of Laguz population.
"Oh, where are my manners? I should have told you earlier but my name is Milaya, it's a pleasure to meet you!"
Millie herself wasn't sure why she used her full name but something about the scholarly looking Florkana made her feel like she should act more mature.(edited)
[11:03 AM] LadyDeme: He nodded thoughtfully as she noted pages and, besides, gave a decent summary of what she expected from them, which at least gave him some grounding of what sort of terms to use on both sides of the translation; jargon was always a trick to translate, in his opinion. He would hope to see that list a bit more thoroughly later.
"I'm Seed Viridius, but simply calling me Seed is perfectly fine," he offered. For a moment he extended a hand, before he realized that it wouldn't go well, as she was still holding books and quickly writing notes with her hands, so that would just create more books that needed picking up. And so instead, he bowed his head.
"So, you work enchanting blades, if I understand your reading material -- or is it a more general interest in item enchanting?"
[2:03 PM] cybershadowX: Seed Viridius....Viridius
The name swam around her head, like a koi fish in a pond. She knew it lived there, but couldn't see what color it was. She would have to investigate later.
It never occurred to Millie that it might be better to move to a table but at this point in time she was to focused on her work again.
"So, you work enchanting blades, if I understand your reading material -- or is it a more general interest in item enchanting?"
Millie absentmindedly nibbled the tip of her pen before answering.
"Before I came to Maufi I worked as an apprentice spellblade forger. Blades would definetely be my are of expertise but I can probably work with other mediums as well. Wood should actually be easier since carving the basic runes should be easier and energy flows smoother anyways. Smaller items get a bit tricky if you want the enchant to be hold any significance."
Realizing that she had been chewing on her pen she quickly removes it from her mouth and wipes it against her jacket.
"That's why rune organization is so important. If i can fit 7 runes onto a blade compared to 1 relatively powerful rune. Which is why the [Forbidden Runes] book may be helpful. Even if the rune itself is malicious or dangerous, many of them are just multiple runes combined into 1 big amalgamated construct. If i can reverse engineer that it would be helpful."
Setting her notebook down she takes out of the of the glyphs she had bought earlier.
[2:03 PM] cybershadowX: "But the real reason I came to the library was this."
Seemed to be carved into a smooth stone, but it felt more like a liquid. When shaken one could feel the insides slosh, not unlike a half full water flask. The surface of the glyph radiated AQUA.
"Once a blade is enchanted, wiping the enchant and starting over is a bit difficult, and wears down the blade. Furthermore, if I were to add the runes on the glyph I would have to rearrange all the current enchantwork to make room. But from the base translation of this book,"
She turns to a page in (Kairen’s Laquoean Glyph Encyclopedia 7th edition).
"It says that there shouldn't any issues with rearranging or wiping."
By now Millie had laid out all the books and notes on the floor between the bookshelves, blocking anyone that might be passing through.
"According to my dictionary translation this chapter should go through most of it. As for the Forbidden Glyphs book I think this portion focuses on glyph-rune synergy."(edited)
[10:57 AM] LadyDeme: "I see, so you're working on organizing things with a greater structural flexibility; it's certainly a difficult matter. My skillset, magically, relies a lot more on one-off spells, or the creation of tools by using that sort of spell to alter the material, so this is a rather refreshing change of pace."
He was interested enough that the sensible option itself didn't occur to him, but he instead crossed his legs beneath him and selected the book of Forbidden Glyphs, glancing down at the page. One hand motioned to hold his pen, before he realized both that it was still on the table with his inkpot, but also, because he wasn't sure what she wanted.
"Would you like me to tell you the more precise translations, or to write them down so you may study them at your own lengths?" Frankly, given that she apparently had rather full sense of things from her own work, he wondered how far she'd go given a proper background in the language, rather than stringing dictionary words together in what she hoped were the correct and encouraging, arrangements -- and that wondering showed a little on his face, his smile a slightly lopsided one of bemusement, but warmly regarding her in the green-gold of his eyes.(edited)
[11:57 AM] cybershadowX: Millie leaned her back against a bookshelf as she considered Seed's offer. Depending on the complexity of the text it may be better for him to write it down. But she felt like just asking him to write it down would be rude.
"Having the precise translations should be good enough. I can always take notes and study them later."
Her right hand fidgeted with her pen as she stared at the books. If only she knew how to speak Pallo herself she wouldn't have to ask someone else to translate it for her. Perhaps she should buy a book on learning Pallo.
[5:29 PM] LadyDeme: Seed nodded and got to work -- though before he began reading (Forbidden Glyphs) in the place she'd advised, he quickly skimmed over an introduction, letting sentences fly by as he scanned the words, the fluttering of pages marking the passage of seconds; to Seed, such a thing was more reliable and comforting than the methodical sound of a heartbeat. Aside from those pages and the darting of his eyes, he settled into an otherwise complete stillness; the room and the carpet underneath him and the bookshelves looming around them seemingly vanished.
"(Ah, I see...)" He dipped into pallo as he read the language, the script jumping out at him. When he returned to what she was interested in, having arrived at a slightly better understanding of the text, he became once again aware of his audience. He tilted his head slightly away, a greenish flush on his brown face as he explained,
"Ah. I'm very sorry. I think I understand the context a little better now. I think we were mistranslating the name earlier -- it's a fairly common mistake, since that word can have a number of Millo equivalents, depending on the context. Forbidden is one, of course; it can also be used for something like 'forgotten,' which is I think it more specific to this context. It spends a bit too long on the topic of how Glyphs get lost to history for it to simply by 'forbidden,' I think."
About midway through his explanation, the embarrassment of their mutual error, a tinge of excitement was allowed to sneak its way into his voice.
[5:29 PM] LadyDeme: "Language certainly is a wonderful thing; we collect our best efforts at expressing things, and for all that they at times seem universal, we don't all make the same sort of best efforts. We chase the thing, if it truly exists, endlessly, clumsily; we say kindness and (kindness) and," he broke his rambling for a moment with a smooth motion, a sort of cycling of his hands that came in the space between them and was [kindness], "All trying to capture, all succeeding and all failing to capture, the thing you recognize in someone in the moment when they reach a hand out to you."
Seed sat back for a minute, reflecting on the topic, now that it had been drawn out of him, his tone sweeping and soft, the sort of warm honey color of a golden afternoon, tapped by a wistful sigh. The cieling didn't contain much of the feeling diffusing its way through his veins, spreading a bittersweet wonder the way tea spread through water; it was simply the place he ought to look. Ah, but he'd rambled too long, and not done much more than a word's worth of actual translating; the flush returned, he chuckled and motioned with his branches in a swaying, self deprecating-way, like a shrug, and he sat properly back up.
"I'd like to think I'm at least a little useful for my own effort, in that regard; if a single word could contain everything we wished, no one would heed or pay me."(edited)
[10:05 PM] cybershadowX: Millie jotted her notes down rapidly as Seed began to translate. She watched him as he did so, almost like he left our world and entered another. The afternoon sunlight slanted between the bookshelves and illuminated the dust, giving the library hall a mysterious atmosphere.
"Ah. I'm very sorry. I think I understand the context a little better now. I think we were mistranslating the name earlier -- it's a fairly common mistake, since that word can have a number of Millo equivalents, depending on the context. Forbidden is one, of course; it can also be used for something like 'forgotten,' which is I think it more specific to this context. It spends a bit too long on the topic of how Glyphs get lost to history for it to simply by 'forbidden,' I think."
Mille blushed and put her knees to her legs in embarrassment. Even if he was right about it being difficult to translate, she still wished she did a better job.
---
Despite Seed's casual pace in translating and frequent tangents Millie didn't mind it too much. She enjoyed his musings, and actually took notes on the language related ones in a different notebook. To her, Seed was just like one of her teachers from school, and Pallo was one of the things she wished she could learn.
"We chase the thing, if it truly exists, endlessly, clumsily; we say kindness and Qotjtkyy and,"
Seed performed some form of motion, as if praying or a dance. Tilting her her head in curiosity Millie asked,
"What was that, uh, dance? The thing you did just now."
Millie tried her best to mimic the action but she only managed some form of arm flop.
"Is it like a prayer?"
[4:07 PM] LadyDeme: Seed had spent the time amid his rambling translating the other points, the pages and chapters she'd directed him to, about the arts of interlocking glyphs to create old super-glyphs, how modifying the structure would allow that sort of interlocking that was likely what Mille sought, in a way: doing more with less.
When she asked about his comment as to a kindness of words (He filed away the idea of using collective nouns for birds to convey things about words for his own personal use later -- the black-feathered wings of an unkindess, the lifting notes, the fanning wings of exaltation -- was there a bird that came in a secret? He felt so; his response might have been a little delayed.) When he looked up from his thoughts, he explained,
"Ah, no. That was Florkana Sign Language, and specifically its sign for 'kindness'. Many Florkana are deaf or hard of hearing; so Florkana developed a language of their own to fill that need, and most Florkana learn in addition to Pallo and Millo if they can, but it doesn't see much use off the island."
[4:26 PM] cybershadowX: Seed Viridius....
The name occasionally interrupted her thoughts as she copied down Seed's notes. It was definitely familiar, but the source eluded her. No matter how hard she tried to remember it simply escaped her grasp. Just like a fish, the harder you grasp the faster the fish escapes.
"Ah, no. That was Florkana Sign Language, and specifically its sign for 'kindness'. Many Florkana are deaf or hard of hearing; so Florkana developed a language of their own to fill that need, and most Florkana learn in addition to Pallo and Millo if they can, but it doesn't see much use off the island."
Millie nodded. It made sense that a species that had inconsistent verbal communication to adopt a visual form.
Viridius!
Millie practically jumped in excitement as she recognized the name. She pointed her pen at Seed and rudely interrupted,
"Wait, Seed Viridius! Did you write And so Like a Candle?"
[1:09 PM] LadyDeme: Seed was a little surprised to hear his work mentioned out the blue like that, and it flip-flopped around in his stomach between a warring elation and nerves -- as if at any moment the next words out of her mouth would decide which emotional state it had been the whole time. He smiled, regardless, and decided to find out. He wanted, after all, to believe in the unexpected success of that volume.
"Yes, that's one of mine; it certainly seems to have spread well... Have you read it? Did you enjoy it?"
He might have added that follow-up a little too eagerly, leaning forward so his branchy, light-diffusing shadow landed over the book he'd been translating; it was a little piece of the forest, the way it dappled the light over the parchment through his crown of leaves.
[4:16 PM] cybershadowX: Millie nodded. She was quite excited to actually meet an author of a book she read. And so Like a Candle was honestly not her favorite, but she still enjoyed reading it.
"I read it a while ago back home and I quite liked it. The imagery was really deep."
She fidgeted with her pen and twirled her hair with her finger again. There was a period of time where a bunch of the snobbier girls in Rettati would always talk about it, slightly ruining her own enjoyment of it. It was a good book, but not exactly her favorite. Of course, telling Seed that would be rude, so she kept it to herself. Maybe if she read it again or read a different book by him she would like it better.
"Are you a writer by profession? I don't think I've ever read any of your other works"
[10:43 AM] LadyDeme: "Ah, thank you!" His flowers perked up as his face was given over to bright and eager smile; a few buds of flowers that had been awaiting the next wave poked out the edge of a petal, curved as a grin.
"I'd call imagery one of my..." He paused. His book merchants were always scolding him for underselling himself, even as the word 'few' hovered there on his tongue. "It's one of my strengths, I suppose, so I'm glad you enjoyed it."
To her next question, he nodded. If he was going to list them off, he had to wonder how, and sort out his favorite. Should he just list the most recent? He bit his inner lip.
"I mainly write poetry, but I've collected a few short stories and written one novel besides And So Like a Candle; those are Wind Whispers, the novel -- it's another romance -- and the short stories are collected as Delicate Things. For poetry volumes... That's a hard one. Perhaps Presence and Absence?"
He thought that one might work well as an introduction to his poetry; it wasn't as oddly specific to his experiences as Moss Footsteps, even if that specificity made it so important to him. Presence and Absence had a lot in it from his years as an itinerant writer; you saw the world in it, and you saw it slant.(edited)
[9:01 PM] cybershadowX: Millie began to zone out. Poetry wasn't exactly her favorite but a couple of her friends back in Rettati liked it. She wrote down the names of the books and poems Seed listed anyways. Maybe she would like his poems.
Talking about Rettati began to dampen her spirits. As much as she lived her home the memories a till stung. She winced and hugged her legs close to her.
The sun began to set outside, and the sound of seagulls could be heard in the distance. Millie looked out the window and saw a large pelican gracefully dive into the water, barely creating a splash.
Turning back to the (Forbidden Glyphs) book Millie asked one last question.
"When you were looking through the book...Did you see anything about... Bringing back the dead?"
Millie's eyes faintly hollowed out. Her voice echoed oddly, as if it was trying to reach seed from across the ocean. She had already searched all over the book herself but she had to be sure. She just had to.
[11:18 PM] LadyDeme: Seed's cautious enthusiasm for his own work died quietly, seeing her reaction. Somehow, somewhere, he'd touched something he ought not have, and for a moment, he hovered uncertainly, hanging breathlessly between asking her or moving away, or both, or neither. There might have been nothing he could do. He reached over the book and, at a loss, patted her knee comfortingly. Just gently, just once.
When she asked that question, his flowers and expression drooped a little, his smile growing sad. The answer was obvious, of course, but he shook his head anyway. It pricked his
"No, I'm afraid this book doesn't have anything like that..." He sighed, having reached the final page she'd wanted him to look for. It was a little overdue, he supposed, but it seemed like a good time to close the book, allowing the fall of pages to punctuate what he said next. "There are things in this world that, once lost, cannot be regained... But I think there might be things that you can't truly lose, either. I want to think that."
He shook his head again. That distinction...Was something that was deep in him, in his work, in everything.
"I'm sorry, it's none of my business."
[1:07 AM] cybershadowX: "..."
Millie silently closed her notebook and packed it into her bag. She regretted asking that question. Seed was right. some things once lost can never be found again.
"I'm sorry..."
Millie turned her head away. Whether it was in embarrassment or shock, she didn't know. She wasn't sure whether to draw her head into her shoulders like a turtle or just jump out the window like a bird.
"I..."
She couldn't believe she had just revealed herself to someone she had just met that day. She would have found out if the book had anything that could bring him back herself, she shouldn't have asked Seed to look.
Millie shook her head.
"Don't worry about it, I was just curious."
She quickly plastered an obviously fake smile onto her face and quickly packed her things.
"Thank you so much for helping today. I learned a lot of new things thanks to you."
[7:50 PM] LadyDeme: "It's fine; you don't have to apologize. I do mean that," he added, a moment after the rest for emphasis. He tried, but perhaps did not succeed, to catch her eye; had she glanced, she would have seen... Concern, yes, but just the weight of it, a recognition loss as the golden edges of his eyes were closed over, leaving only a deep green heart. In the end, what he'd really meant... Had probably gotten swallowed up.
"I'm glad I was useful... Even if there's little one can do, at times. Good luck in your crafting."
Seed stood back up, dusted himself off, and turned to go back to his own work on the desk... For a moment, he thought of that, of things that were forgotten -- things that were forbidden -- and things that could not be lost or regained. His ink pooled at the base of his pen for just a moment, before he looked up and said, to an empty library...
"Oh, how rude. We were on the floor."
[7:50 PM] LadyDeme: == RP End ==
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