UUU: "A Meeting by the Fire"

Cast: Mars (Midas) and Seed (Deme) and Nyrandisa (Netha)

TLDR:

Support Points Earned: 2 each

[10:34 PM] != Dendi: === Start RP === It was late, the sun had set a while ago, one could now clearly see the night sky, and the stars that dotted it. Mars was, for the first time in a long time, not training, translating, writting, or doing anything of the sort. He was outside in front of the campfire, just... thinking. Ok, I've apologized to everyone in camp for the big sound grenade from yesterday, assured that no one in town knows that I was the one who made it... now what? Mars stared into the embers of the flame 'Course you wouldn't know. You're just fire. The perfect analogy for life. Destructive, warm, soothing, burning... and of course... temporary. Mars kicked up some of the leaves by his feet into the flames But unlike you... we people can remember. More importantly, we can be remembered. Mars stood up and gave the fire a salute. Thank you... for reminding me of something very important. ... it looked cooler in his head.

[10:49 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa had been out rather late looking for things in the dark. The things she was looking for were plants and herbs that could be useful in various brews or even cooking. However, her results were coming up a little bare. There wasn't much she recognized as safe or not, so she didn't bother collecting that stuff. Better to leave it alone than to take a risk and end up regretting it. However, she had honestly gotten a little lost in her own little adventure. She spent a good amount of time trying to retrace her steps to find her way back to the camp. As her luck would have it, though, after what felt like an hour, she saw some small red light in the distance. That could only mean fire. She made her way towards the light, bein careful in her hovering flight not to rustle anything or clip her wings on something. When she got to the source of the flame, she noticed that Mars was sitting at the fire. "What a sight for sore eyes. And a lucky one too." She remarked with a smile, glad to have found someone she knew.

[10:59 PM] LadyDeme: Seed was restless. While he'd grown accustomed to the sort of human circadian rhythm, he didn't actually need that much rest. And so he decided to step free of his pot and head towards the nearest large light source, book and pen in hand. And he found that he wasn't the only one taking in the night; there was the shape of wings that acted as a paper-thin shade, the light showing the underlying structure clearly in a way uncommon to daylight. Seed slowed his approach a moment, considering those patterns of veins. But when he did get nearer, his attention was drawn to that little salute. He couldn't help but smile as he walked up, tucking his notebook under his arm. "Good evening, Nyrandisa. Good evening, Mars; honoring the fire for its noble service to the course of civilization?"

[11:44 PM] != Dendi: "GAH!" Mars jumped at the sound of his 2 allies' voices. "Oh... it's just you two." Mars wiped the sweat that had formed on his brow, mostly from sitting adjacent to a campfire. "I uh... Seed... I was just..." Mars' face had turned a shade more red "I was just... uh... pushing my hood back! See?" Mars grabbed at the back of his robes... only to not find his hood. Oh, right, I cut the hood off my robes. "Uhhhhhhhh..." Mars' face went a shade redder once more "...Alright fine... I was actually saluting a damn flame. It was silly... Whatever. Nyrandisa, surely you have something you want to talk about!" Mars' face stayed that red shade even after admitting to actually saluting a flame and then changing the subject.

[11:55 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa hadn't noticed anyone else coming upon the scene until she spoke. When the voice did speak, Nyrandisa recognized it right away as Seed. She turned to give him a smiling wave. Before she could say much, though, Mars started to try and pull up a hood that he didn't have. As he spoke of saluting to the fire, she laughed a little. "A little silly of you, don't you think, Mars?" She said with a cheery tone of voice. "Anyways, I was just going back to camp and stumbled upon this scene. Figured I would take a look, and I am glad I did." She added with more explaination as she just fluttered in place, her wing beats moving the fire a little, though away from Mars and Seed.

July 12, 2018

[7:47 PM] LadyDeme: Seed's papery lips were pulled into themselves as he tried -- valiantly, with the little catch of a chortle escaping -- not to laugh. It was a titanic effort. His face got hidden behind a hand until the moment passed, and he could try and find some way of keeping a straight face. "It's nothing to be ashamed of; we all have moments we get swept up, right, Nyrandisa?" Seed asked. It wasn't as if he never swanned about, attributing feelings or ideals onto the natural world -- and, surprisingly, it was one of his traits he was least ashamed of. He settled down by the fire, a careful distance back. "What about it had you feeling like bestowing honors upon our fire, Mars?"(edited)

[9:28 PM] != Dendi: "I...!" Mars raised his hand to object, but his hand slowly fell back down to his side "I... can't tell you that. It was... something stupid anyways..." Mars had a habit of trying to make himself sound less flustered than he was by trailing off, he thought it made him sound deep in thought. It sounded more like someone who forgot what they are going to say, or simply couldn't find the words to begin with. "But... regardless of for what or why I was..." Mars audibly sighed "saluting the fire... I... wanted to say something to you 2. Truth be told I think I should've said it a while ago..." Mars' face turned redder still "I... I..." Mars was having a lot of difficulty getting the words out "I... consider you 2... to be more than... comrades." Mars turned away from his allies "THERE, I SAID IT!"

[9:37 PM] NethaEmerald: When Seed had said what he did to Nyra, she just turned away a little. Hearing that after what happened the last few times the two of them had met up stung a little, but was also sweet. She knew she was taking it way out of context, but she couldn't help it. She knew she still thought that way about him. While turned away, her face went a little red. She knew she would need to talk to Seed about it soon, but now was likely not the time. She just responded with "Uh... yes, I do." with almost a saddened tone of voice, though it remained chipper. However, as Mars got out what he wanted to say, she turned to him as her face's redness didn't improve; it only got a little worse. "Woah, woah, woah. In what context, Mars? Like friends, i'm assuming?" She asked for clarification.

[9:52 PM] LadyDeme: Given how seriously he was taking this, Seed was momentarily uncertain as to what Mars meant -- for a moment, he felt the burden of someone else's unrequited love; he wasn't sure he was in a place he could love someone new, still loving who he'd loved, still feeling that loss. If it wouldn't be cruel. His face grew very grave. Then, of course, Nyra said what she did, and he was knocked abruptly off-kilter, blinking as if the firelight were too bright for him as it fluttered among them. He let loose a small, contented sigh. But...Having come that far, Seed felt that -- were he in Mars' shoes -- he'd want the worry tackled right away, before he could clear that hurry. "Ah, if that were the case... Then I'd be... I'd be very flattered, to know that we both think that," he admitted, ducking his head faintly.

[10:02 PM] != Dendi: "YES! Yes.. I..." Mars was barely able to speak, and given that he still want turning back, it wasn't easy to hear him either "I mean that... I've lived for 25 years now and rarely have I had friends for as long a time as you both... So... for me... it's more than just being comrades or brothers... er... siblings in arms... It's... it's not love. But... I..." Mars was handling the situation with all the delicacy of a fireball, trying desperately to not sound like he was confessing to something that wasn't true "It's... it's important me that you 2 know that I enjoy your company... and that I haven't told anyone else that in a long time!" Mars yelled out the last bit of his thought as he just about dove over the log he'd been sitting on to find something to hide behind "It's not special to you 2 I'm sure but..." Mars was silent, laying down behind the log, thinking about just how badly he'd botched that whole thing(edited)

[10:09 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa listened as Mars spoke. When he seemed to struggle with it, she reasured him by saying "Just say what you want to say. I'm sure Seed and I can piece things together, even if they don't make the most sense to you. It seems that would be easier for you. Though hmm... it almost seems like you said what you needed to. Sounds like you value the friendships we bring to you, along with everything else." Nyrandisa smiled at that thought. She didn't have many friends after leaving Neraida on the terms that she did. She wanted to add more, but didn't want to make Mars feel any worse than he currently did.

[10:23 PM] LadyDeme: "...Of course it's special," Seed said, without any sort of hesitation. Now that the move had been made, everything else was a little easier; like starting something rolling down a hill. Seed scooched a little closer to the log as the fire crackled, glancing back behind it where his friend -- ah, a triumph! -- lay. "I... would say... That I'm not dissimilar, in many ways. It's frightening, isn't it? Telling someone that you treasure them, when you can't divine their feelings; the arrogance you feel in assuming it, even if no one would agree, is a barb in the heart." Seed clutched over his chest -- a hollow gesture for a heartwood rather than a heart -- but turned to glance over at Mars' embarrassed face. "Well. That part might just be me. But what I mean to say is... I'm very glad you said so, Mars. I... I treasure." He adjusted an errant leaf that the fire's heat had wafted about, shifting it away from his face. "If I may say so, I really do treasure both of you." And then, a little too quickly, "Though I'm surprised you care so much about a nagging nursemaid, Mars."

[10:46 PM] != Dendi: "I..." Mars' face was not going to get any redder, if it did, he may have just passed out from not letting enough blood get to his brain "Thank... you... Both of you. I'm going to stay down here... if you don't mind... I'd like to just... calm myself down... I uh... imagine my face is no less red than the embers of our fire." Mars covered his face with his arms, a feeble attempt to cover his embarrassment. Great job Mars. You just told the only 2 people you consider friends that they are your friends in the least smooth way possible. You planned it, you rehearsed it, you memorized exactly what to say and how to respond and now you are curled up next to a log with a face as bright red as a tomato. Mars continued to mentally berate himself for everything he did wrong. He knew deep down that it was to be expected. You can't plan a human interaction, and Mars knew this.

[10:52 PM] NethaEmerald: As Mars elected to remain laid down on the log, Nyra stopped fluttering in place and landed down onto her feet, stopping the flames from softly waving from the wing beats. After she did, she took a deep breath and took the hood to her robes down, to give her antennae a little break from the cloth of the robes rubbing against them. As she did, she chimed in with "I treasure you two as well. I came into this whole investigation expecting to just be a loner. Perhaps it was my own fault for thinking so. I think the circumstances many, many years ago led me to believe so. However, I have realized that isn't the case. I say i've made a lot of friends here in The Pack, and I have you two to blame for that for the most part. I've learned to open up more and... supress some urges, and in doing so, I feel the best i've been in a long time." She took a glance down at the flame, just staring for a little bit. "And I do hope that this can continue for a while."

July 13, 2018

[5:26 PM] LadyDeme: "...Thank you." Seed sighed in palpable relief at the return of that particular volley. While he felt there was an understanding, after seeing such an ugly side of him before... Seed hadn't been wholly sure where he'd stood in her regard. The tree's head tilted starward and hung, tilted back. He was, for a long moment, quiet as his feet seemed to lose their structure, unravelling into an aimless collection of roots. "Would you like some privacy until you calm yourself there, then, or is just leaving you alright, Mars?"

[10:23 PM] != Dendi: "Prease... jist retend I'm not ere or a whale..." Mars' voice was muffled by his sleeve as he continued to cover his face "I'l bee fin afta uh fit." Mars hoped the 2 could decipher his words through his sleeves, and continued to lay there, beating himself up.

[10:27 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyra got the first part right: 'Please... just pretent i'm not here for a while', but the second party eluded her. At least, ut a little bit it did. 'I'll be fine after a bit.' "You sure? That log doesn't seem like the most comfy things to lay on. Wouldn't you prefer going back to camp to be left alone?" Nyrandisa asked Mars with a tilted hear, her antenna flopping a little to follow the way her head tilted.

[10:38 PM] != Dendi: "Yesh." Mars quickly replied "I'l be fin. I... engoy talking wif yu to."

[10:49 PM] LadyDeme: "I see... Well then, I can get a little work done while the firelight's good," Seed said, giving Mars something of a sympathetic smile before releasing his notebook from its pinned position at his side, and opening it up to prop it on the back of his leg. The advantage, he mused, of being wood: you were a solid surface, wheras a lot of human writers he knew had a much harder time of the same. His pen scratched for a while, the flames offering him a good view of, well, half the page, as the dark ink dried on it. What he was doing was... Decidedly not working. The sonnet was a bad idea, and Seed's face scrunched in the momentary frustration before he sighed. Let the ink dry, and then turn the page. The air to one side of him was bright and cool, and to the other, it lapped warmly. "Hmmm... I think it'd be better if I started entirely afresh with this one. " He might have said it to them, but he might have just been saying it for himself. "I think that, while I sometimes like a poem as a formal exercise, I should mostly do them with forms I actually like, and for all its virtues, the Millo Sonnet is not one of them."

[10:58 PM] NethaEmerald: When Seed made the remark about a sonnet, she had no clue what he was even talking about. Regardless of such, she did bring out the few useful plants she did find and examined them in the firelight a little. "Can't say i'm aware of that form of poetry. Name doesn't ring a bell. Perhaps you could explain a little, Seed?" Nyrandisa asked the Florkana while still examining the herbs. She eventually took a seat, though did so on the ground. Any seat was more comfortable than not sitting down at all. Her wings remained fairly stiff behind her, only moving when wind dictated so. She needed to give them a rest. "Though it would have been helpful to bring all my own books. Could have been useful right now." She mumbled offhandedly.

[11:32 PM] LadyDeme: "The sonnet is a rather well-known form of poetry in both Pallo and Millo, though the form takes different structures as the most popular version in each language, in order to adapt to that language's needs," answered Seed, who began quickly writing a few things down in his notebook -- specifically, a sort of rough framework to the shape of the poem, with letters standing in to represent the lines. "The version popular with beorc in particular, but also other Millo speakers, goes thusly: A quatrain of alternating rhymes; a quatrain of a second pair of alternating rhymes, and a third quatrain with yet another pair of alternating rhymes, followed by a rhyming couplet. They tend to be in iambic pentameter, which I also cannot say I care much for." With a sheepish smile, he passed the sheet to Nyra, where it was written out: a b a b c d c d e f e f g g "There are writers who, in this form, can pull off pieces of splendid grace... But I've never come to like it; it leaves me unsatisfied, and while I enjoy the final couplet as a way to answer the fundemental question of the poem, which is the sonnet's nature -- to have a call and a response, a question and an answer, a turning point embedded in the form -- I find myself more comfortable with the Palloan Sonnet, even in Millo."(edited)

[11:41 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyrandisa took the sheet and looked over it. She began thinking of ways she could write a poem, mostly involving her feelings towards him, but deccided to just study is a little closer. "I could see what you mean. Not all pieces of literature need to have a concrete ending told to you. Sometimes it's better to leave it open to reader interpretation or make an ending that leaves itself open. Though I say this like I write for a living. I just do it occasionally for fun, even though I know I could learn to do it well." She still held the piece of paper, unsure if Seed wanted it back or not. "I personally like writing mostly for myself. My thoughts, feelings, studies, plant notes, and so forth."

July 14, 2018

[12:23 AM] != Dendi: Well I suppose I should probably start talking now before they forget I'm here and then it would just get even worse if I do end up speaking up later. Mars lifted his arms from his face and sat up on his log. Now fully upright, Mars chimed in when he got the chance. "You know I try and write just... whateva. Anythin'. Often that kinda stuff just comes out as nonsense, but hey, it's somethin'." Mars' tone, and for that matter, accent, had shifted. This was a much less refined way of speaking than what he'd been using. Even throughout all the times he'd been stabbed, bleeding out, confessing to love he didn't have, etc. he maintained a level of, well, he'd call it class. "Usually it's songs, just, whatever pops into my head at the time. More often 'n not those just get thrown away afta a couple a days though. Most of em are no good anyways." As Mars paused to well, remember why he'd brought up his song making hobbies, he realised what he'd been doing. "Oh..." Mars' face went back to being a bright red "I... apologize. You um... you weren't supposed to hear that." Mars turned away again "I um...heh, I don't usually speak in such a way. But I... I um... uh... hah hah..." Mars was trying to laugh it off... it wasn't very convincing.(edited)

[12:32 PM] LadyDeme: Seed sighed, a little dejected -- while he didn't disagree with what she was saying, she missed what he has said; come to that, she missed the point of wanting to write a sonnet at all. And he didn't know what to do with that. It hardly felt worth explaining. ...No, she was his friend. She would...She would want to understand correctly, wouldn't she? "That may be so -- but then, you would write something that was not a sonnet, and there is absolutely a place for what the sonnet is. And, as I said, I think the final couplet is a fine way to do that. It's just... Unfortunate for me, that it's attached to the rest of the Milloan Sonnet. I've played a bit with the form in that regard in the past, taking the elements I prefer of the Palloan, but... Well. I'm rambling. My apologies." That was as far as he was willing to go without real permission, and he turned his head as a little voice shouted at him. He was glad when Mars broke in. "...Songs sound fun, though... I, well, I don't think I'd be any good at writing them; it's different from writing poetry or prose, I couldn't handle a tune, so I think those efforts are --" He blinked as Mars himself realized the accent the man had been using. It hadn't really registered as significant, though on reflection, it was a little curious. "It's really nothing to be embarrassed about." In truth, Seed felt it was perhaps a little flattering, in a strange way. "Everyone has an accent, in one way or another; it's rather a surprise to hear it now, though, and not when you're bleeding out over the countryside."(edited)

[12:53 PM] NethaEmerald: Upon having to have what Seed meant explained by the man himself, Nyrandisa felt... uneasy now. Nevertheless, she responded with "O-oh... well... thank you for the explaination. I, er, apologize if I understood it wrong. Poetry, as i've said, is not my forte, and not easy for me to comprehend right now. I'm more used to folk songs and stories when not writing down my thoughts." When she was done responding, she turned away from the group, a frown on her face. Without even realizing it, her hand came up to her face in anger at herself for that mishap. "Why can't I grasp everything he is saying? I get most of it, but I hate screwing things up with him. I just... don't want things to turn more south than they are. Sigh... maybe i'll just talk to him soon; to put my heart and mind at ease." She thought to herself in a scolding, then gentle manner. Eventually, she turned back around towards the two and responded to what Mars said with "I know a little bit about songs. I could give a crack at helping you, though it's mostly in the Neraidan style that I am familiar with."

[5:52 PM] != Dendi: "I um... I... I still don't want anyone to hear me talk like that... it's a part of me that I want dead." Mars' face, now turned back towards his allies, was one of seriousness "Most people may not really care about it but... it's a part of me I'm not proud of." Mars looked down at his hands "I need you to forget that... please." Mars looked back up with a weak smile "Wow uh, that got pretty serious pretty quickly didn't it? Hah. Want to go back to talking about writting or some such? I um... well I told you that I write songs, and I suppose you may have seen when I performed one in that old talent show bit... you can remember that... even I thought it was a little funny on reflection." Mars tried to restore a carefree environment after messing that up, well, twice now. "Poetry is also something that I dabbled in, but that was mostly a distraction before I got something more concrete and, well, involving to work on." Mars pulled a black bound book out of his robes to show what he was referring to; his tome, or at least, the one he'd been translating.

July 15, 2018

[11:49 AM] LadyDeme: "Ah, no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to trouble you by pointing it out, I just..." Seed's smile faltered, and he shrugged, helplessly, over at Nyra. "Please, consider it forgiven. Don't let it trouble you." But then he felt he should -- he wanted to -- add something. It wouldn't have helped... knowing or not knowing about poetry would have helped at all; she hadn't misunderstood the form. No, this was only selfish. "I'd be happy to tell either of you more about poetry, though...I just...didn't want to overload you at once." As for Mars... Seed wasn't sure what to say. He understood more than most the feeling of wanting parts of you to just go out into the jungle and die -- well, that was probably more direct than Mars meant, but he was in a mood, he could tell. But that was also why... He felt like he wanted to embrace that part of his friend. It was a hard feeling, and Seed was quiet for a second, before he nodded, and allowed the subject to change. "What have you been working on with that?" He seemed relieved, for one, because Mars had a hobby that hopefully would not involve hurting himself. He considered a joke about a pen-knife, but that sounded too mean. Instead, he looked at the cover of the book being shown, its details uncertain in the flickering light of the fire. There was, however, something about it that was at least a little clear. "Ah, that's a tome, isn't it?"(edited)

[2:04 PM] NethaEmerald: The Jera sighed when Seed's body actions seemed to give up on her. She felt that it wasn't anything serious, but she still felt bad about it. "Okay, noted." She simply responded with, a small frown replacing the neutral expression on her face. When the Beorc man brought his tome out, she wondered if it was the dark energy one he had used on the battlefield. "Is that the dark energy one? I'd be careful if I were you. If you aren't capable of handling the contents well. Depending on the source of it's power, it will either lead to amazing discoveries or backfire catastrophically. Trust me: I know how bad it could backfire." She said to Mars.

[2:27 PM] != Dendi: "Yes, that's correct." Mars said to Seed before turning the Nyra "I should be fine." Mars said, before realizing that the last time he said those words with Seed nearby, he was near death. "But, thank you for your concern." Mars said, tone changing to be less overconfident and more thankful "Regardless. It's not dark energy. The tome is an anima tome, much like the rest of the ones I use. It's just... different." Mars turned back to Seed "Nyrandisa has already heard this bit so I'll try and make it brief so we can talk more about things that you are both interested in. Stop me if you need me to repeat something." Mars took a deep breath "Before I get to why this tome is special I'm going to have to go over how anima magic in general works. Anima magic gathers naturally occurring energy, and reforms that energy to be another naturally occurring type of energy, depending on the tome. It's a lot like alchemy, a fire tome turns whatever energy is available into flames. Though I am less experienced in dark and light magic, as I understand it light magic takes energy from gods, and dark magic takes it from elder entities, but in the end they essentially do the same thing." Mars took another deep breath "This is what makes this tome interesting. Instead of reforming the energy into some type, it stays as raw energy. A good example would just be to show you." Mars lifted his right hand up as he used his left hand to open the tome "{Come forth!}" Mars chanted a short, but impossibly difficult to pronounce spell and after a short time, the purple glowing outline of a sword appeared in his raised hand. He lowered his hand down to show the sword off. It was a standard looking short sword in form, other than the fact that it was totally see-through barring the purple outlines of the blade, hand guard, and hilt. "Of course that's just the start, but I will ask, did you follow all that? Would you like me to repeat anything?" Mars was staring at Seed expectantly.

[2:45 PM] LadyDeme: Oh, it was all his fault. He'd screwed up. She didn't forgive him at all. He bit his inner lip as he listened, trying to will himself to listen properly to Mars' explanation. He hunched up a little closer to himself. He shouldn't be rude... When he did, he smiled a little. Come to that, there was about as much that Mars didn't know about him as he didn't know about Mars; in this case, he let a mostly long-familiar explanation of combat magics wash over him for a while, until the specific details of the tome itself caught his attention and honed the starry sky back into focus. "I understood it rather well; actually, I'm something of a dabbler when it comes to magic... Even if I can't say I care for combat magic much." He added, with his thoughts turned to his own reluctant, silent, but existent, decision. He would use light magic, if he had to. He gave Mars a suspicious look. "Was this the spell you were working on seeing if you could do it with lower energy before?"(edited)

[2:53 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyra noticed Seed, again, give body language that wasn't good. If only she had a pen on her, then she could just write things out. However, she did not, so she had to deal with what she had. Deciding to address Seed a little, she turned to him and asked "Everything okay? You don't quite seem like you did moments ago." She wanted to make sure he was fine. She even slipped the paper he had given her and motioned writing on it, hoping he could get that hint if talking aloud wasn't what he wanted to do. As Mars then demonstrated his tome, she carefully examined it. "Hmm... well, it's not quite the anima you described, I can see that clearly. I know some dark magics do a similar thing to what you do, such as forming scissors to cut their target or form fangs to bite down. Though I could also be wrong. I also don't quite follow the elder entity for my dark magic, but that's to do with who I am; nothing else."

[3:07 PM] != Dendi: Oblivious to what was happening between Seed and Nyra, Mars responded to Seed's question "Yes actually. Most tomes take only a bit of effort to use, this tome however..." Mars held up the tome in his left hand as he threw the glowing sword to the side casually. The sword's outline began fading immediately upon leaving Mars' hand, and before it could hit the ground, it had disintegrated. "This tome uses the caster's body as well as its own pages to reform the energy. This, as one can imagine, it quite physically taxing. I've gotten to the point I can hold the spell for quite a long time, but I believe that I cou-" Mars cut himself off "A-anyways... that's not what most interests me about this tome. That would be exactly what it creates with the energy. I have very little control over what it makes, but it always seems to be useful. It's like...the tome itself reads the situation and decides on what would be best for any given scenario. I've had it create simple things like swords, spears, fireballs, ice spikes, et cetera. But I've also had more abnormal things, strands of rope, quarter staves with no magical powers, once I even had it create a full wooden ladder." Mars laughed a little "Hah, that was funny." Mars refocused himself "Anyways, one last thing, the tome is written quite strangely. It's not in any language anyone I've seen has heard of. Most tomes are either in Pallo or Millo, but this... this is... otherworldly. I've gone to the 6 archmages of the schools of each anima magic and yet only 1 of them had any idea. In fact, he said he didn't know what it was, just a bit on how to speak and read it. Which, of course, is necessary to actually use the tome. So, ever since then I've been constantly working to finish the tome, word by word." Mars took another deep breath "So... that's that. That's most of what I do, just translating the book and using it practically."(edited)

July 16, 2018

[1:38 PM] LadyDeme: "Oh, I'm fine, really. Just lost a little in my thoughts," he answered, with a little smile. While he didn't want to trouble her, being asked was...Surprising, maybe. Not bad, though, and he obliged her by writing down something, the charcoal occasionally bumping up from the paper where a small indent in his bark could be traced through his clothes. "I am sorry, I was thoughtless. You're not too bothered, are you? I'm worried you are, and there's nothing I can do about that." Is what he wrote, while listening to Mars' explanation. He's heard of students passing notes in classes -- perhaps it was a little like that. As for Mars' explanation, Seed chuckled at the thought of summoning up a ladder. But compared to other spells he knew, this was powerfully context-sensitive. Interesting... He looked back up, sort of dreamily. "It's rather an empty spell on its own, isn't it? A shell of a spell, building out not from itself, but to fill itself with what's around it..." He drifted a little in place, swaying like -- well, like a tree in the wind. "A language that no one knows, hmm? ... How sad. How did the fellow who helped tell you how to translate it come to learn a few words of it, then?" There's certainly something here... Word, heard...If you have to work bird in here, you're a hack, Viridius, and don't you forget it...

[3:49 PM] NethaEmerald: As Mars talked about his tome, Nyrandisa remembered that he had talked to her about the tome before. As such, she listened, but didn't pay it too much mind. However, she did want to join in on his little conversation. "It is an interesting tome, I will admit. Normally Anima doesn't take the form of something that isn't natural. Hopefully you can find someone soon who can help you make much more sense of it." As she was finishing up her response to Mars, Seed handed the paper back. She knew it was a good idea to go for that. However, she didn't have something right away she could write with. Looking at the fire didn't help, as there wasn't any cooled charcoal. She reached into her robes and found... some charcoal. She hadn't remembered picking it up. She inspected it and realized it had stuck to one of the plants she found. With a means to write in her grasp, she read the new words and responded with "I'm fine. Well, maybe not. I think we need to discuss some of the situations we've recently had our. There's a lot I need to tell you." She slipped the paper back to Seed and waited for Mars to speak again.

[11:03 PM] != Dendi: Still unaware of the written conversation happening directly in front of him, Mars answered Seed's question "The archmage told me he'd stumbled upon a tome of a similar nature, however was unable to translate it enough to be practically useful over what tomes he could already use, so he abandoned it. I didn't question it at the time but... thinking back... I suppose it was strange of an archmage to not continue to pursue it. Regardless, I have continued far beyond what he had done, he only barely had it translated enough to actually cast spells using the tome, and he had focused his entire life on earthern magic, so the lightning cast by the tome was useless to him." Mars looked up into the sky with a slight smile "I've mused on the nature of the tome... it's unlike anything I've ever seen, unlike anything anyone have ever seen. It is nigh otherworldly in nature... I have been having difficulties with it as of late. If it's possible I'd love it if 1 of you 2 would help me... but I can understand if you are busy." Mars looked back down and continued to stay oblivious to the note passing between Seed and Nyra "Regardless of all of that I... thank you, both of you, for... I don't quite know yet... everything I suppose."

July 17, 2018

[9:36 PM] LadyDeme: Seed gave Nyra a small nod, before considering the difficulties present to Mars. He... really didn't know if there was anything he could do -- while it was true he was accustomed to magic beyond what he practiced, he doubted he could ever offer anything even approaching that of an archmage. "I'd be glad to help, though...Perhaps not tonight. I think I've satisfied my restlessness long enough, and you people who sleep should." He stretched himself up and stood, briefly trailing a twiggy set of fingers across Nyra's shoulder, and giving Mars a friendly pat, also on the shoulder. "I wouldn't say I'm owed much gratitude... Even though I should accept. But? You two? Thank you as well. I need put this away before I lay down roots for the night." And with that, Seed began trailing off, back towards his belongings.

[9:48 PM] NethaEmerald: Nyra understood what Seed meant by the nod and the fingers across her shoulder. She did look to Mars and said "Maybe another time we can take a look at the tome together. Firelight isn't a great enviroment for light levels. I also need to head back to Convoy and drop uss some small plants." To show she wasn't lying, she pulled a few out from her robes. "Mostly basic stuff like Aloe, but some other helpful things are here too." She added on. "But do find me when i'm not busy, and i'll see what I can do to help you sort the contents of the tome out. I am rather interested in exactly how it works myself."

July 18, 2018

[11:59 AM] != Dendi: "Well, in that case I suppose I should be on my way as well." Mars stood up from his log and started moving away, before turning back and giving a final send off "See you two later." Mars waved, turned around, and kept walking, back to his tent.

[12:26 PM] LadyDeme: == RP End ==