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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 1, 2024 2:06:26 GMT -5
𓂋 ʚ♡ɞ Wrath
♡♡♡♡♡
He didn't need Forester hounding him any more than usual, so Wrath ate in his car for the last leg of their journey, demolishing both breakfast items in a few bites. He ate with with decorum drilled into him by etiquette intructors, but it was difficult to make the consumption of pastries no bigger than your hand 'delicate, like the graceful pecking of a yuhina'. They didn't even take the edge off of his hunger, but he appreciated them nonetheless. Getting to eat again is one of his many favorite reasons for having this corporeal body. The rain hasn't let up by the time he slides into a parking spot (the lot is sparsely populated so he takes one as close to the doors as possible) and Wrath is suddenly reminded that his companion had spent much of their morning in the same sodden clothes. He whips toward Edwin as if this is a matter of utmost concern, nearly spilling his half-drunk tea on himself. "Do you have a change of clothes inside? Or towels, at least?" 'I'll never hear the end of it from the Kit if he really gets sick!'
Although his russet brows are pulled down in concern, he otherwise moves as if unaware of the fact that he's fumbling with his cup and the umbrellas as they leave the car and walk into the building. Wrath had managed to balance the chai on his inner arm whilst holding his own larger umbrella over both of them for the short walk. He nearly drops his drink as they step through the doors, but catches it right before it spills. Wrath twists his leg inward and kicks up Edwin's umbrella when it fell as well, catching it when it's level with his face. Forester is near the front of the building for whatever reason, and watches it all play out with his usual distaste.
"Good morning Edwin....I see you've brought the airish fop today. Pity. I thought the sky wreaking havoc on our city was punishment enough." And with these cutting words, the graying redhead neatly arranges the books hefted in his thin arms and melts back into the shadows without sparing the dramatically offended Eudaemon a glance. He once admitted to looking at Wrath as little as possible so as not to 'offend his senses'. Wrath sweeps a hand in the old man's general direction and looks wide-eyed at Edwin as if to say, 'did you see that?!'
"I swear he shows up just to leave a parting shot." Wrath grumbles, handing Edwin his own umbrella. "Now, don't forget to dry off thoroughly." The command is punctuated with a wagging finger. He's channeling one of his mothers, here. "And just leave if you're feeling peaky. I'll give you a ride home if it's still raining- we can't risk those moving men dropping a replacement piano on you." He softens his words with a smile, stepping back to allow Edwin space not previously afforded to him. "I'll find you when I need you~" |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 1, 2024 2:10:27 GMT -5
( I don't mind! I think I'm CST for the US!
ngl I'm having fun just dunking on Wrath~ )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 2, 2024 16:19:00 GMT -5
Edwin inhaled his croissant and savoured his coffee, as was habit. He sighed into his coffee. It was a more welcome friend today than usual, warming him from the inside out.
He slid out into the rain again, letting himself be shielded by Enlai's umbrella despite his better judgement. The taller man might've saved his morning and his legs, but he impressivly clumsy. Even more impressive was that he almost always managed to save whatever he was currently stuggling with, catching himself before any real damage was done. Still. Edwin feared one of the prongs of his open umbrella might eventually come a little too close to his eyeball.
Sudden as a crack of thunder, the man whipped around. Instinctively, Edwin pulled his head back, but the concern that followed put a small smile on his face. "Yes, I carry three changes of clothes at all times," he said, unable to keep his expression as deadpan as needed to really make it land. "Four, when the fancy strikes. We have blankets, and I'm sure I've left a hoodie sometime. I'll be fine." He could also make the trek to one of the main buildings and raid the lost-and-found, as he knew Penny did from time to time on days like this, but he was pretty sure any clothes he brought back would be rainsoaked upon arrival anyway. Besides, it was warm inside. The thick stone walls locked heat in during even the dreariest of days, and the radiators would do the rest of the work. The thought of wearing wet slacks for the rest of the day was, admittedly, not pleasant, but he'd survive.
Forester arrived with a morning greeting, a quick jab, then quickly disappeared again. "Good morning to you, too!" Edwin called out brightly as his colleague slunk away into the dimly lit library. He could only shake his head at Enlai's indignation. "I'm pretty sure you're right, actually," he agreed, his eyes flicking back to Forester's retreating form. He respected the man immensly, but it would have reflected better on him if he could hold back his disdain a little better.
"I promise I'll go home if I start snivelling," he said, soberly holding a hand over his heart. "If I sneeze on the books, I'm a dead man." He smiled wryly, then quickly added, "Good luck. You know where to find me." With that, he went to hand up his wet coat and umbrella before finally facing the workday.
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 2, 2024 16:19:56 GMT -5
( so like 7-8 hours behind me, i think. i'll try to keep it in mind!
it is fun to dunk on your characters lol big fan of making fun of my own as well haha ) |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 2, 2024 18:01:33 GMT -5
𓂋
ʚ♡ɞ Wrath
♡♡♡♡♡
Wrath straightened with a huff at Edwin's teasing words, though he couldn't help the amused twitching of his lips. "I should hope so! Good sense dictates that one has at least three outfit changes available to them at all times. One never knows when a festive occasion would prevent itself, or when clothing that isn't susceptible to permanent blood stains is required."
The redhead himself actually has three clothing changes in his car- he would have offered one to Edwin if necessary, despite knowing that he'd likely be turned down. Not only is their height disparity rather severe, but Edwin's style is the complete opposite of Wrath's. He'd certainly look cute though~
"Hm. I'll take your word for it." He responded to the brunet's reassurance with a regal cant of his head. Keeping 'the peace of my household is dependent on your wellbeing' to himself. Gluttony took his job much too seriously. One of their Trusts had frequented an icecream parlor that offered peanut sauce, and the overprotective Eudaemon seriously considered getting rid of it all just so she would never have the chance to come into contact with it. It's fortunate that the years have mellowed him out some, but his dutiful qianbei is definitely not going to risk it.
"I am!" Wrath crossed his arms with a moue, feeling vindicated- but near immedaitely dropped the stance when a blonde waved at him from one of the far tables. He returned it with his characteristic dimpled grin before turning back to Edwin.
"I'll hold you to that." His tone was equally solemn, and he managed to maintain it despite a playful wince when sneezing on books was mentioned. Wrath was well-acquainted with the consequences of that. "A fate that even I may not be able to save you from." He sighed, clapping a hand on Edwin's shoulder as if they were parting under grave circumstances. He could never maintain a somber attitude for long however, so he bounced back- both figuratively and literally- with Edwin's farewell.
"Indeed I do! I'll see you around~" Wrath treated him to a grin and a brief wave before leaving the man to start his shift.
His own 'library routine' involved meeting with whatever friends and acquaintances that happened to be there on that day, catching up with their lives since they'd last met and asking after their work. Under Forester's hawk-like gaze, Wrath flitted from one table or bookshelf to the next, not starting his own research until Edwin was well into his shift.
◇◇◇◇◇
He hums an upbeat song to himself as he gathers up the neat lists of reference material that Gluttony had so graciously written out for him. (The younger Eudaemon had snatched away the loose pages of guesswork he'd been working on and returned it in alphabetized order. Delivered with some choice words about his apparent intelligence) Wrath is a lover, not a scholar, so he honestly doesn't mind his partner doing the heavy lifting for him. All he has to do is badger Edwin about material and evidences and other research terms, and pretend to copy them all down into a paper that he's writing. Or is he working on a thesis now? He forgot...Either way, it's work that doesn't feel like work. Made better by the fact that he enjoys Edwin's company~
"Win~" Wrath rounds one of the towering bookshelves to find the brunet looking much dryer, much to his relief. The rain and wind weren't kind to his hair, however- but Wrath can foist a brush on him later. "I've only been able to find half the items on my list. The system hasn't changed, has it?"
He approaches the shorter man, shuffling papers in his arms. It shouldn't be hard because there are only three- plus his notebook and pen- which he drops when inattention causes him to stumble. Wrath ignores it. "I'm looking into the history of Etteshire- particularly during the year 1771." He finally finds the appropiate page and offers it to the archivist. "There's a so-called alchemist by the name of Mundi that I'd like more information on. It would appear that she was a particularly obscure figure during that time, but I am seeing evidence of her existence so far."
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 2, 2024 18:06:06 GMT -5
( Oh wow, I'll try to keep that in mind too!
It is~ For me it's necessary sometimes- Wrath's ego is too big to go unchecked- but Glue is just too cute so I have to tease him haha~ I look forward to when he can be formally introduced! I'll be going between his and Wrath's POV so you can see things from both of their perspectives~
lol at Edwin fearing for his eyes with Wrath around! He does generally manage to save himself with both reflexes and lifelong experience with being a klutz, but there was a time that he fell on Gluttony and the poor fox was like 'this is it. This is how I die...'
Now Wrath uses it as a threat 'don't make me fall on you again!'
and Gluttony permanently stands far away from him just in case pfft )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 3, 2024 12:56:47 GMT -5
Edwin's morning had, once inside and away from pouring rain and murderous grand pianos, started well. As soon as he'd gotten out of his coat and wet socks, he'd felt much drier. For the first hour, he'd wandered the shelves wrapped in a blanket, but he'd shed it sometime along the way. His hair... Well, he didn't actually know how messy his hair was, but he could quite easily guess based on the ruffled hairdos of the patrons. He'd tried to fix it with his hands when he'd had a moment to spare, but he suspected it had done more harm than good.
The library and his inbox had been emptier than usual, so he'd had time to spend some time in down in the archives, by far the part of his job he loved most. The archives were cool, dry and, with very few exceptions, almost always dimly lit or not lit at all until necessary. The rooms were as old as the main library, of course, but they were not nearly as cosy. They'd been built with a utilitarian mindset, and maintained with one as well. The old oak shelves had been gradually replaced with more modern, minimally designed versions, and if there had ever been any ornamentation along the walls - Edwin doubted it - it was now long gone, replaced with a pale grey wall paint and print-outs reminding employees to wash their hands before and after handling any documents past this point. It was not the sort of place one went to rest up with a fascinating new read. It was the sort of place one went to find a fascinating new read, probably about a topic one hadn't even considered someone might choose to study.
He spent as much time as he could down there, both in search of new things he might learn himself and to familiarise himself with the endless shelves. The university had started a digital record of their manuscripts, books and artefacts nearly two decades ago but it was not anywhere near completed, so it was his job to know the stacks well enough and keep them neat enough that he could quickly and accurately respond to requests from researchers, facaulty and students alike. The analog records were, unfortunately, not nearly up to the task on their own.
Forester had taken an early lunch, though, sending him back up the stairs sooner than he'd like to cover the part of the library that was acessible to the public. It had pained him slightly to leave his preferred work behind. He'd been in the midst of recataloguing a section that had been reorganised before he ever started his tenure but never renoted, and he'd left with the knowledge that he might not get to it for weeks. Still, it was easy not to mind when he was immediately descended upon with questions.
Edwin was working his way through a stack of discarded books when Enlai rounded the corner, shuffling a small pile of papers still somehow too big for him to manage in his arms. He greeted him with a warm smile, though it quickly turned to a frown as he explained his problem. Edwin set the last three books down on a rare bit of empty shelf-space, taking the paper. "No, same system as always," he said, peering down at the list provided. "Oh!" What a coincidence. He knew these items, one bound book and three unpublished manuscripts, because he'd pulled three of them for himself only a few weeks ago - discarding the last because it was far too new to be of use to him. The book, some strange combination of law text and trading log, was still laying on his desk.
"Let me put these back," he said, handing the slip back and picking the stack he'd been carrying back up. "I know exactly where they are. I pulled them not long ago." Quickly, he shuffled the next book into place before walking along to the next overflowing shelf, assuming Enlai would follow.
"Is it important to your reasearch that the writing's contemporary?" he asked as he moved, swift in aisles he'd walked thousands of times by now. "The Philosophy of Alchemy is from the late 19th century." It was from the right area, and often cited elsewhere as being a potential Mundi work, so he wasn't surprised it was on Enlai's list. The alchemists were eccentric and secretive, so while they may have kept records of their work, it wasn't often shared eagerly or signed with their name. The result was later scholars attributing work to them that they could not possibly have created. With Edwin's skillset, this was more a frustrating nuisance than a real issue, but for most it became a cycle of bad information.
( me too! i'm really curious to see a little better what he's like~ i figure after win goes home for the evening, the conversation with wrath could've reinvogorated him to look into things a little closer, leading us to the break-in
lol gotta keep him in check somehow. & poor guy, not easy to be a whole foot shorter than your klutz of a partner haha )
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 3, 2024 23:53:32 GMT -5
𓂋 ʚ♡ɞ Wrath
♡♡♡♡♡
Wrath's eyes crinkled with his smile at Edwin's soft exclamation, pleased that once again Gluttony was accurate with his choice of subject. They were behind Edwin for once- as the redhead had been just a bit lax when it came to keeping up with the sheer volume of information the human could consume in one sitting- but their goals were still aligned. The Archons wanted the pair to encourage Edwin's unofficial duties as much as possible in order to make him more effective in the future and like everything, Gluttony took to it with aplomb. Well, everything barring the more mundane aspects of their job~
"Did you now~?" He hums, voice almost lost under the screech of a table that he bumped into when moving to follow the archivist. Wrath stoops briefly to retrieve his pen but catches up to Edwin easily with his longer strides. "You're looking into alchemy? It's always something new with you~" With the man walking ahead of him, he's free to shoot him a fond look. Even though the nights spent hovering nearby while the brunet read dusty old tomes for what felt like hours at a time were mind-numbingly boring (until he found small ways to entertain himself) sitting in relative silence but for the whisper of fingers against pages reminded him of the occasions on which he accompanied his younger sister to their sect's archives. His presence was similarly unwelcomed by many, but he'd had some of his best naps when lulled by the scent of mulberry bark and ink, her gentle voice reading passages aloud to him and making little noises of intrigue when she found what she was looking for.
Edwin's next words pull him out of his reminiscing (and nearly into a passing librarian, but he manages to catch himself with an apologetic smile and wave). Wrath tries not to hem and haw as he makes sense of the question. "Ah, no. My research partner is particularly interested in that one." It's how the overachiever kept himself occupied and out of Wrath's hair. Much of their duties involved waiting and watching, and Gluttony is allergic to sitting still unless he feels it serves a purpose. Following their Trust through the pages provided much-needed enrichment for his staid environment. Else Wrath suspects he'd begin gnawing on his shoes like a bored puppy.
"Apparently there's a passage in there that could very well be attributed to Mundi based on the symbols used in the sample formula, but he wants the book itself to cross-reference." He's quite proud of himself for remembering that much. Gluttony had been droning on about it while he was deciding on whether he wanted sake or huang jiu to pair with his cheesecake for dinner.
"If I returned without the damn thing he'd lock me out of the house until I had it." Wrath sighs, catching himself on a bookcase when he nearly trips. He straightens just before they reach their destination, and his next words are accompanied with a dismissive wave of his hand; he's forced to grapple with its contents when the movement nearly dislodges his notebook. "You know how...exacting he is." With Gluttony's identity remaining a secret, Wrath was free to complain about his extreme opposite to Edwin on occasion when he got tied up with the therian's various demands- such grievances never got him very far, however. Unfortunately both his Trust and his partner are utterly unrepentant nerds. He has wound up in a number of confusing conversations acting as the go-between and sounding board for their Magical Mystery Hour.
"Huh." Wrath blinks as he recognizes the section they now stand in, having honestly missed it his first go around. He usually tries to at least put some effort into finding his own material before recruiting Edwin but he can never seem to find his way in labyrinthine buildings like this one. |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 4, 2024 0:05:44 GMT -5
( Haha so am I ^^" I've never gotten the proper opportunity to write him so I hope that I can portray him correctly- there is always so much going on with him pfft
But I look forward to his first official meeting with Win! Here's to hoping he doesn't muck it up~
Wrath: Please be normal...
Gluttony: I am! I just made his coffee exactly how he likes it without any prior input from him!
Yep! That's how I thought it'd go~ We have male protagonists so I'm thinking our antagonists could be a coven of female witches, what do you think?
Oh definitely. Poor Glue is suffering. Wrath is always putting things on high shelves (sometimes on purpose, sometimes just out of habit) and accidentally drops them on his head, and he absolutely squats down dramatically 'to look Gluttony in the eyes' or pretends he doesn't hear him due to the height difference.
Writing them together is honestly a lot of fun because they hate each other but are also always thinking of the other and put up with each other's shenanigans so What Is The Truth
also pushing the Himbo!Wrath agenda. He's smart but not book smart lol )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 4, 2024 5:34:30 GMT -5
( win is the exact right amount of suspicious and generally unbothered by magic for him to be very clear about the fact that its all a bit weird lol
ooo yes! i love me a good coven haha. is the thinking that they have magic, or nah? i think it might be interesting if they work a lot like win does except possibly with more resources if they're an old enough group, but don't actually have their own magic anymore. possibly enough to use magical objects, but no more, and that's their main goal - to rise to their former glory. but i'm more than open to other suggestions!
how rude! as a fellow short person, my deepest condolencces. & i can see that! honestly frienemies is the dynamic, so understandable ) |
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 4, 2024 6:02:12 GMT -5
Edwin only grinned, offering a small shrug. He'd never bothered to be really secretive about what he did on his many nights in. Of course he couldn't go around telling everybody - or anybody, for that matter - how he did it, or for what purpose. He would not be believed, and if he was, he'd have other things to worry about. Even the friends he'd met through his unpaid work didn't know why he was so good at it, just that he was. Nobody was surprised to learn that he read a ridiculous amount of old literature on esoteric topics, though. He looked the type, and he had a degree and job that gave him as good an excuse as was possible. Who was going to question him? Still, he didn't need to elaborate any further.
"Hmm, well, you'll have to get a room somewhere, then. Or convince him to come in himself. It's not leaving the library." He took the first of the items on Enlai's list and handed it to him before shifting down another shelf to get the next two. "Penny won't let you take these two out, but the first you can bring home." Techincally, there were small brass decals on each shelf declaring if the books and documents on it were possible to borrow or not, but he found it easiest by far to simply ask Penny and was known to impart the same widsom to his patrons. She was less pleased about this arrangement, but too nice to say more than simply grumble at him.
"Your last item isn't in, I'm afraid." Edwin's eyes glittered with amusement. It wasn't hard to guess who had it, but he wasn't going to offer it back. He wasn't done with it. It was an enormous tome, a thousand pages of dense law and boring recipts. Parsing information quickly was likely his greatest skill, but he was human, had a full time job, and was all too easily bored. It was trying even for him, but he could just tell there was something in there. "I can put you down on the reservation list if you'd like, or you can come back next week. Hopefully it's returned by then."
"Why are you looking into Mundi, then? It's a very specific topic."
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 4, 2024 17:04:56 GMT -5
( lol then he has the right mindset for it! Wrath and Glue would be quietly freaking out about him having magic while he's like '?'
You got it all in one! That's exactly what I'm thinking~ And once they learn that Win has magic, they focus their efforts on acquiring him. First they'd try persuasion, then recruiting, and finally outright kidnapping if the first two don't work. I'm also going to give them magical items that disrupt the Eudaemons' own Geis and abilities because they need a handicap ^^"
Wrath and Glue are way too powerful to lose to mere mortals without good reason- and then I can use that for more angst and drama haha~
But also the goal is to have Wrath and Gluttony's identities revealed to Edwin during or after the break in. He won't know the full story yet, but just his being aware of them would raise the stakes.
Ah, frenemies I forgot about the word! But yes, essentially! There's a little more going on as well though, and I look forward to portraying that~ )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 5, 2024 14:56:57 GMT -5
( oh, absolutely. by all metrics it should be a bigger shift in world view for him, but i genuinely think it will take him 2 seconds to stop freaking out about the guardian angel thing. of course after a while he'll need to start freaking out about other, more important things like if they've been judging his diet which consists only of boring pasta dishes and sandwiches or that apparently he's now highly desirable on the magical stage. he's going to be more disoriented by what he doesn't know than confused/upset by what he now does know, im sure
makes sense, absolutely! i have no idea what the eudaemons are capable of and not, but regardless i think it makes a lot of sense for humans to create, store and weild magic that's effective against them/slows them down, especially if they've historically been around important humans who other humans might like to hurt
ive also been thinking about how i want everyone to find out about win's magic since it's usually so invisible and internal. glue's probably already seen him use it if he's been hanging around at night but he clearly hasn't noticed. so i was thinking maybe part of it is actually externalising the past, not like time travel but more like a projector. i see it more as a higher level skill he simply hasn't known to practice, but it could be triggered by contact with some especially magical object during the break in that amplifies or startles his system enough. another option is that instead he's simply overwhelmed by it, leading him to lose control and experince something like a magical seizure. in that case, i imagine his magic would 'leak' out of him, meaning it can be sensed by other magic users around him. that might not be so useful at revealing his exact abilities - but that could go either way as to whether it's good or bad. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ they can of course also be combined! im torn honestly, i keep going back and forth on which i like most so im more than open to hearing your thoughts )
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 5, 2024 20:27:14 GMT -5
𓂋 ʚ♡ɞ Wrath
♡♡♡♡♡
"Ah, I see you're leaving me to face his wrath~ Even so, I couldn't possibly loose him on you~" Wrath laughs at Edwin's subdued but cheeky grin, envisioning Gluttony waiting impatiently at the door only to hurriedly close and lock all of the windows upon sensing his return empty-handed. He hums as the archivist neatly stacks books in his extended arms, flexing his fingers before securing them as gently as possible. "Perhaps I'll see if he can be appeased with one~ I'll simply take pictures of relevant pages for the others." Merely to keep up appearances- Gluttony spends his 'shift' reading for the most part.
He notes the amusement in Edwin's hazel eyes, brows arching as he affects a wondering tone. "Is that so~?" His words are made musical by the accompanying laugh, "well then, I can only hope for its safe return. Although I'm sure it's in good hands~ Perhaps safeguarded on a certain desk..." Wrath continues to smile, even as he nearly trips on the trailing belt of his coat. It had fluttered loose when he'd struggled with the microfiche machine earlier, and he'd been too occupied to retie it. His stack of books and papers wobble, and he pivots to catch himself against a sturdy bookcase, tipping them so that they fall against his chest.
'I could ask you the same~'
Wrath blows a few loosened cinnabar strands from his face, raising bluish eyes to meet Edwin's as he lazily shrugs a shoulder. "There's untapped potential there. She was almost lost to the annals of history with her work either stolen or attributed to others...by piecing together what we can find of her original efforts however, it's clear that whatever she discovered was big enough to have her silenced or disgraced." It wouldn't do to show their hand early, so he straightens with a lackadaisical wave of his free hand. "And whatever it is, the paper trail points to Etteshire." Though his voice flows as it usually does, the 'matter-of-fact' nature of his tone fades in favor of his usual vivacity in his next words. "And that's why my partner has me slaving away day and night. My eyes are strained from looking at all of these tiny letters- and I'd probably get papercuts if I wasn't so afraid of what Forester would have to say for my bleeding on his precious books. I literally don't bleed while I'm here! And some of these journals aren't bound properly!" Wrath huffs, tossing back his hair. "I don't know how you do this all day- but I suppose nothing is impossible to a willing mind~"
He shifts the items in his arms with a minute sigh, a dimple revealing itself despite his put-upon mien. "And he who is uncertain must start early. Thank you for your help, I'll need to get through these before he begins bombarding me with 'where are you' texts like a jealous lover." Gluttony doesn't technically need to text him but he prefers it to the alternative, and so Wrath must suffer through his phone vibrating constantly throughout the day. He can only stay him with a well-curated supply of fox and cat memes. It's unclear whether they appease or stun him, however.
"I'll be nearby~" He always posts up somewhere near the center of the library, from which he can have an eye on the entrance and approach Edwin from any direction. When he heads to the archives, Wrath will change locations so that he is as close to the entrance as possible. Enemies have yet to reveal themselves, but any number of fates can befall the archivist before his appointed time.
"Come find me if it's still raining by the time you must leave. You are already on my return trip, so it will be no trouble~" Hm, perhaps Wrath should have kept his umbrella hostage to ensure he had no choice but to approach him. Ah, but then he'd have to steal the umbrellas of his coworkers too, and because he has the devil's own luck, Forester is sure to catch him red-handed. Wrath makes a face at that. |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 5, 2024 20:39:06 GMT -5
( Yeah I figured! Suddenly finding out that the world is bigger than you thought and learning you subsequently have a bigger role in it has to be a lot! Also lol at him worrying about the gingers judging him for his diet- he has his priorties straight!
Hmhm precisely so! I just need to figure out if I'm creating my own or going with real mythical items/weapons- still need to research that!
Oh, I think those are both great ideas! I was thinking of suggesting something along those lines, too! Like Edwin comes into contact with either Glue or the witches' magical item, and it triggers a strong response for him. I got you covered with discerning the nature of his magic too- Their powers are severely dampened when not needed, but awaken during serious situations. One of Wrath's skills is the ability to not only sense and 'see' magic, but the ability to puzzle out its nature. So whether Win leaks it or projects it, he'd quickly be clued in to the fact that it was meant to belong to the Chosen One. And Gluttony would know as well because he also has sensory magic.
As for which direction you want to go, it's up to you! I can provide this though: If you want the witches to learn he has magic right away we can go the projecting route. If you want there to be a period of time where they don't know and find out at a later date, we can go the seizure/leaking route because they won't be able to sense it. Hope that helps! ^^" )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 7, 2024 15:12:14 GMT -5
( you could always do some of both! best of both worlds lol
i see~! that's both really helpful and not at all ahaha i think i'll weigh the options a little longer. i'm indecisive as hell lmfao i think i'm leaning to the second, less visible option. i like the idea of the stakes increasing a bit more gradually. but then i second guess it, so we'll see. i'll circle back! ) |
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 8, 2024 9:56:08 GMT -5
Far beyond startling every time Enlai stumbled into something in his vicinity, Edwin simply forged ahead, humming in response to Enlai's answer. It didn't really satisfy his curiosity, but it was clear the resset-haired man had things to do. As did Edwin himself, although he would have been more than happy to talk shop for a while longer. "Of course. Glad to help."
What he said next, though, threw him off. It wasn't enough to be truly disconcerting, but he frowned just slightly. Had he told Enlai where he lived? He didn't think so, certainly not with any specificity. Was he just guessing? He had more than no information, enough to make an educated guess. Or was he misremembering - had they talked about it in passing? If they lived near each other, maybe he'd seen him leave his apartment building at some point. He wanted desperately to know, not so much because it made him uncomfortable but because he wanted resolution to the unexpected question. He couldn't think of a way to phrase the question that didn't sound accusatory quickly enough, though, so he settled for simply nodding. "If you're still around, I might just take you up on that. But you don't need to wait for me, I don't know when I'll be able to wrap up for the day."
With some final see you laters, the two men went their seperate ways again. If he'd been less busy, Edwin might've spent some more time considering the unlikely, pleasantly surprising overlap in topics they were interested in, or Enlai's apparant knowledge of where his home was. But neither revalation was really a large enough splinter underfoot to be distracting, and it wasn't long before he had plenty to do.
As the rain slowed, the in-flow of people increased. Everyone who'd held off on coming in the morning had the same bright idea of coming during the afternoon instead, and so he had little unoccupied time. He spent his afternoon dashing between shelves, bouncing ideas off students with a deadline looming close, and giving a tour of the library to a visiting lecturer. When the library closed, he had at least an hour of work left before he could head home. At least the rain had stopped.
( i figure we can skip forward a few days, give win some time to research before he contacts his 'friends'~ unless there's something you want to squeeze in first? )
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 8, 2024 16:26:33 GMT -5
( I might!
No problem! I'm still working out some stuff too ^^"
Nope, we can do the timeskip, I'll reflect it in my next post! )
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 12, 2024 15:14:49 GMT -5
( Sorry, I plan on writing soon! Just working out some things ^^" )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 13, 2024 1:19:13 GMT -5
( no stress! i hope everything's okay ) |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 16, 2024 5:52:32 GMT -5
( Thanks! ^^" Family drama interrupted my flow for a while...
But I have a possible monster of a reply that just needs editing and I'll post it today!
I was thinking that it would allow you to have Edwin do his research and contact his 'friends'. My next post ends with the break-in, but I'll write the witches' side after your next post so I know what they're bent on stealing? Or you could just tell me in OOC and I'll write for them after Wrath?
Sorry if this doesn't make sense- 'm sleepy haha )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 16, 2024 11:56:14 GMT -5
( oh yeah, family drama can do that ^^"
you'd think i'd know what they wanted, but I don't lmao i was leaning toward him finding some alchemical instructions previously thought lost, though. so not an item in itself but the means to produce one. now i know nothing about alchemy and my (tbf quite poor) googling hasn't yielded anything that interests me, but i was thinking maybe whatever it is has the ability to detect magic - possibly similarly to a maagnet? i know alchemy technically isn't supposed to be magical, but im not attatched to that rule. or, if we want a more questy vibe it could be that it's a compass type thing that is though to lead to mundi's hime/lab thought to include some more powerful object, but I was leaning more towards the former.
you can include whatever we decide on or i can, btww! whichever is easiest )
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 16, 2024 15:21:21 GMT -5
𓂋 ʚ♡ɞ Wrath ♡♡♡♡♡ The dreary weather had held throughout the week, forcing Wrath into more conservative hairstyles but allowing him reasons to 'come across' Edwin during his walks to work so that he could offer him a ride. He supposed the trade-off was acceptable- there were more opportunities to personally ensure the man's safety after all. He used requiring the books that couldn't be brought home as an excuse to visit so frequently, and Gluttony being such a fussy researcher provided ample reason to do revisions or unexpectedly switch research materials. The weather is also perfect for nursing warm soju while admiring how lightning emblazons the sky~
It isn't exactly conducive to his more social forms of entertainment, however, as apparently 'poor' weather dampened spirits. Seeking stiumlation in a world gone gray, Wrath soon found himself engaging with the bottom rungs of his neverending To Do List. (After replacing his poor curtains) Puzzling out the enigma that is his partner (and apprentice, on a technicality) proved to be irksome even when the little pumpkin-headed kit was being cooperative. He made Wrath work for every flicker of light that chance illuminated the dark recesses of his mind. Sometimes Wrath wished he'd be a little less forthcoming, if only because it was a hassle to peer at the individual, nonsensical parts from every angle and hold them to a light that would give them meaning. Technically, he is Gluttony's senior probationary partner as a Eudaemon who has been active for years now. It is expected of him to 'guide' the younger Eudaemon, and he needs to know him to do it properly. Apparently learning the many ways to trigger his anger or contempt will not suffice-
Usually their identity is stripped from them but for everything that makes up their Sin, so that they can never forget it. It's more frowned upon than expressly forbidden to simply share one's reason for being, but it seems Glue is firmly of the belief that they cannot commiserate and sing of friendship together. Wrath had suggested this- in all earnestness, he had the guqin ready and everything- and was shot down so hard that Gluttony refused to cook dinner for him. (This was a relief) With 'work' being slow as they settle into a lower stakes mission- compared to their previous- Wrath supposed it was about time to make an Attempt at his secondary role. He had been putting it off- but his 'performance review' is coming up, and he always rushes for something that can be deemed satisfactory by the time the Archons peel back the many layers of reality that separate them to micromanage his decisions.
If he could teach Gluttony to have a normal social interaction- or hells, even smile without looking like it had been painted on- he could consider that a success worthy of taking it easy for the next three assignments. But before Wrath can even begin to do that. He has to teach him the simple courtesy of letting a man sleep.
~ Is he dreaming? Or is this another memory? ~ ~ There are small hands on his shoulders, attempting to shake him but barely managing to stir the sweat-slicked hair that falls loose around him in rivulets like spilled blood. It's almost indistinguishable from the dark streaks on his armor. ~ ~ A bloodied mouth is moving but he can barely make out the words over the ringing in his ears. Or is that the screams? ~ ~ "How- you- they're all- are you happy now?! Is this what you- " ~
[ Bishop to C5. ]
[ What. You egg. ] Wrath inhales sharply and jolts awake, but remains still in his twisted blankets. He forms his thoughts into a placid river, flowing gently with not a wayward ripple to disturb them. Gluttony, however, is met with a jolt of irritation.
[ Bishop. To C5. ]
[ Gluttony...I was dreaming about- ]
[ No words can properly convey how much I do not wish to know. ]
[ -The best wine I'd ever tasted! I'm trying to sleep. Is nothing sacred?! ]
There's a ripple of something over the psychic link established between their aureole. There and gone before he can properly analyze it, but he can guess at its meaning. Good. Wrath goes for the throat when his sleep is threatened- but Gluttony recovers with unexpected swiftness. It's as if that hint of some distant ache is quickly soothed by his need to plague Wrath's unwaking moments.
[ Bishop to C5. How do you respond? ]
[ Why are you doing this? Go gawk over esoteric scribbles with your Trust! ]
There is a confusing silence on the other end. Wrath actually shifts in his sheets- stubbornly refusing to open his eyes- but finding his brows furrowing in confusion. Gluttony is usually quick with his retorts even if he refuses to explain any of his actions. He is just as apt to be silent when he feels it suits him best, however. It makes interacting with him vexing because Wrath can rarely tell when he's being calculating or is merely at a loss for words. The faint hum of disquiet over their link suggests the latter.
Alone in his room, Wrath heaves the sigh of the unfairly burdened and sits up in his bed with an angry grunt. Though it had been loosely braided for sleep, his hair tumbles around him and pools in his lap when he hangs his head, trying to reorient himself in the dark. Blowing curls out of his face, he gathers it into his hands and sets about rebraiding it, head tilted back to stare sightlessly at the ceiling (he refuses to remove his pink satin sleep mask) in another silent bid for patience. It's going to be one of those nights, then. Gluttony has some nerve after the stunt that Wrath still hasn't forgiven him for. He probably should, it's part of his 'penance'- but he will not. Until the Archons pick up on it, at least.
[ Knight to D5. ] There's a grumble in his mental voice as he pulls up his memories of where they'd left off. They could simply visualize it together and share the mental image, but Glue likes to be difficult.
He should have never taught Gluttony chess. Or any games at all. The kit is incredibly competitive and even though their wins and losses are fairly balanced, he never lets a defeat go undefended and will hound Wrath with rematches at times that are solely convenient to him. Wrath has still not recovered from the time he had to balance flirting and playing Mental Monopoly. He kept track of how much money he had by recording it on napkins and ended up accidentally obscuring the number the cute blonde had written for him. His defeat was especially bitter.
Unfortunately, competitive games are one of the very few ways that they can approximate bonding. Gluttony does not understand the concept of playing for fun. Or the concept of fun at all- but the games double as insight into how his mind works and so Wrath allows them to continue. Even when they disturb the beauty sleep that he absolutely does not need but would like. Please.
[ Queen takes pawn at D2. ] Gluttony does not give the impression of smugness at having his way, he simply settles and his side of the link evens out.
[ Bishop to D6. ] Wrath tilts his head as he re-visualizes the board.
[ Queen takes rook. I have you in check. What are you playing at Lackadaisy? ]
[ Chess, have you forgotten already~? King to E2. ]
[ Bishop takes your last rook. ] Wrath can feel him re-analyzing the board. Wrath's white pieces extend in a less uniform shape than Gluttony's own concentrated forces, yet they cannot be said to have made much headway in comparison.
[ Pawn to E5. ]
[ Did you forget your half of the 'board'? The might of my forces will be bearing down on your king. What use is one pawn? ] Gluttony's end of the link is muted, but Wrath can imagine his fur bristling as if at an invisible threat. His lips quirk in a smile that doesn't show in his 'voice'.
[ Have I? Perhaps I'm not at my best, having been pointlessly awoken from my slumber- ]
[ Knight to A6. ] Gluttony swiftly moves to cut him off before he can get started.
[ Knight takes pawn at G7. Check. ] Wrath pauses in the act of braiding his hair, fingers tapping as if manually moving the piece.
[ Hm. King to D8. ]
[ Queen to F6. Check. ] Here Wrath allows himself to appear cocky, a self-satisfied thrum on his end of the link. It seems to baffle his partner.
[ My knight takes your queen. You have no rooks left, you are down to a single bishop- why did you move your pawn when you could have- Wait... ] Gluttony's own rooks are still guarding their 'stations', his own bishop and pawn are hemming the black king in...and Wrath's white pawn prevents his queen from taking the knight that could turn this around.
[ Bishop to E7. Checkmate. ] Wrath's tone is one of finality as he tilts back further to lean against his cushioned headboard. Hm~ Was he playing from memory or reflex? He'd only ever played conservatively so far... This was supposed to be a distraction and yet it only echoes back toward what had shaken him awake in the first place. He'd almost think the Archons planned this.
There is silence on the other end as Gluttony prowls the corners of his awareness. He can feel some part of him sit up and take notice. Adorable ebon-tipped fox ears perking up and swiveling in his direction. He's not so arrogant as to assume that his assessments don't go both ways. Wrath has been careful not to show his hand as much as his partner, however.
[ I see...You sacrificed valuable officers with the intention of positioning that pawn at the right moment to prevent my counter-attacking during your play, and used wild moves to hide its significance. ] 'Wow, thank you for that brilliant post-game analysis~'
[ Are you sure that you are not the fox between us? ] On anyone else this might have been playful or wry, but Gluttony can only ever make it sound solemn or like an accusation.
[ Don't tease~ ] Wrath's tone is light, allowing something of a laugh to escape. [ I can't think straight when I was dreaming but a moment ago- ]
Gluttony cuts him off again, but this time there's a little more emotion in his voice. Not quite respect, still appraising. [ Well played Wrath. You will not catch me off-guard a second time. ]
Wrath groans at this. That's as good as a promise to make their matches even longer while Glue over-analyzes his over-analysis.
[ I'm sure I won't. ] He tries not to sound patronizing.
Despite his determination to use his brain as little as possible tonight, the conclusion of their latest match has added a valuable piece to the puzzle that he's using to reconstruct his partner's brain. He can chalk that up to time well-spent, but he's not going to turn over the results of his discovery until he's had his morning tea. Wrath arches his back in a stretch and extends his arms over his head, tossing the heavy half-completed braid over his shoulder. [ Now if you're quite finished harassing me- ]
[ Do you sense that? ]
Gluttony's tone has changed. He's more alert now, staid baritone bearing a tightness that hardens his consonants.
[ No I do not. Something you'd like to share with the class? ] Wrath's tone is patient, despite physically throwing his arms up and sliding down his headboard in a fit of pique. They don't like to open more than the surface of the mind link unless strictly necessary and keep forgetting anything more is an option- but he's more upset about the fact that Gluttony's tone bodes ill. He isn't the type to overreact, so if something injects steel beneath the velvet of his voice then it's definitely a concern. Not necessarily one that Wrath has to deal with, but he can't very well sleep through it. And even if it's easily managed, he always has to talk the other Eudaemon down from tense or dangerous situations.
[ It is nothing. I will handle it. ]
Gluttony's side of their psychic link immediately goes dark, as if he's turned off the light on his side of their shared room.
Wrath pulls up his sleep mask and scrubs a hand over his face. He's definitely not getting any sleep tonight. |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 16, 2024 15:35:37 GMT -5
( Yep! It's mostly calmed down now, though. And writing is a welcome distraction~
Oh we're in the same boat then ^^" I've been trying to research alchemy but it's not going lol I am also not attached to that rule, and I think it's a great idea! We can go with the blueprints to a magic-detector, then!
I was legit going to create a Whole New Strategy Game just for this scene. Then I realized 'you fool, you don't need to do that!'
So I channeled some of my favorite characters from somewhere else instead~ I know that I can be pretty forthcoming with some things, but I'm still trying not to spell everything out because I want you and Win to have an authentic experience in which you learn more about the gingers through picking things up while reading and watching them interact~ So I ah. Hope that came across okay ^^" I've actually been told that I've been too cagey and difficult to parse in the past, so I'm still working on balance!
Also changed Glue's dialogue color because I wanted to make it the color of his eyes- I'll be changing Wrath's too because it's not pink enough. )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 16, 2024 16:20:43 GMT -5
( i'm glad to hear it! & totally know what you mean, it's a nice escape.
glad to know i'm not alone haha. on it~!
haha yeah, that's unneccessary (but fun lol) chess is good too, though i'm very bad at it myself. and it's completely okay, i get it~! it's fun seeing their dynamic and individual personalities revealed bit by bit! ) |
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 16, 2024 18:37:06 GMT -5
It had taken Edwin another two long days to find the time to sit down with the The Law as Interpreted by Madam Henshaw. Every time he returned home from a long day at work, the sight of it on his desk taunted him. Every time Enlai found him on his way to (or at) work, he was reminded of it. It was like an invisible splinter in his palm, urgently distracting. Somehow, knowing that someone else saw value in it had reignited his enthusiasm for trawling through it.
His enthusiasm should have faded as he was once again faced with what might've been the most boring combination of words and numbers ever put to page, but he found the opposite to be true. After the first four hours spent silently leafing through it, he'd begun to bring it to work to spend his little free time there on it. That was rare for him. After all, he was usually the first and last person to use his research materials for months, if not years. He could take his time, if needed. This was different - someone had requested it, which meant it needed to be returned. And he refused to return it until he'd gone through it all. That was the downside to doing research blind, like he almost always had to. He rarely knew what the question was, which meant he couldn't simply scan for the answer. He had to turn every page, consider every word.
On the third night of work, he saw it. The page was as boring as every page that came before it. It listed the dates, yardage sold, and money exchanged for woven fabric. Sometimes the customer was listed as well, often there was a brief description of the specific fabric. Nothing that should be at all interesting. And to be fair, it wasn't. What caught his eye wasn't the long lists of compiled receipts. Near the stitched binding was a perfectly round mark. It had a slight sheen but no colour and would have been invisible if he hadn't had the book resting on drawn up knees, just beneath the lamp mounted behind his sofa. That had to mean something.
Edwin frowned, immediately intrigued. His spine straightened almost imperceivably. He cast a glance to his wall clock, lightly illuminated against the dark sky beyond his kitchen window. 23:47. He should have been in bed an hour ago. He knew he would not sleep now. As if against his will, he moved to the floor, sitting cross-legged with his back against the sofa. It had been years since scrying had caused him to pass out, but old habits die hard. With a deep, grounding breath he touched the page.
As a child, he had not forced the visions, they'd forced themselves on him. With practice and age, it had gotten easier for him to both open and close the gates of his mind, though it still required focus. Genuine curiosity helped, so he honed in on it now. He considered the feeling of the strange mark. It was cool against his skin, almost metallic. Had it been there during the binding process or was it added later? Was it significant or simply some sort of strange but irrelevant oddity? Who had put it there and why? How? It hummed a melody only he could hear, low and content, as if pleased someone was finally asking.
Reality unravelled at the seams.
His dark living room fell away, replaced by a candlelit desk and the smell of woodsmoke and dust. A woman sat hunched over the book he by now would know by touch alone. Her dark hair covered her face, but he could just make out a strong nose and furrowed brow. She dipped her brush in an inkwell giving off the faintest light.
Beyond the desk, the room was harder to make out. Edwin couldn't quite decide if it was because the vision was weaker there, or because the woman at the desk simply hadn't lit any other flame. Candlelight reflected off glass jars lined up neatly on a shelf, but he couldn't make out their contents. Feeling a sudden urge to see, he attempted to step closer but it was like swimming against the strongest current. It wasn't long before he tired and let himself be swept away by it, brought back to stand behind the woman, now putting brush to paper.
She didn't see him. She didn't so much as look up from her task. No-one in these visions ever did. Though Edwin could feel himself inhabiting a body, even he could not see it when he looked down to where his hands should be.
The list of transactions was as boring in a vision as in real life, but that wasn't what the woman was tending to. Edwin could just make out the letterforms as they dried. She curled them across the page, purposefully highlighting numbers and phrases with her iridescent ink. The ink shimmered for only a few seconds before drying down, nearly entirely invisible. He'd have to look closer when he could once more see out of his own eyes, but he thought he could make out three components of her work - symbols drawn large and bold, numbers so carefully selected, and words and phrases both taken from text and added with swift certainty. An alchemical formula, surely.
The vision disappeared with a sound like a book snapping shut. Despite his rapidly growing exhaustion, Edwin reached for his own journal and pen and began to put his discovery into words.
- - -
Hi C,
What do you know of Mundi's late discoveries? I think I've found something, a formula I believe she discovered around 1773-1775. I haven't been able to transcribe it in its entirety yet, but from what I can make out it's not something I've seen before. Whoever's it was, they were very protective of it. The only recipe I found was written in alchemical ink. Speaking of, do you know of a way to make it only temporarily visible without damaging the page?
Hope to hear from you soon,
E
After much internal debate, Edwin pressed send. He had around a half dozen people he might generously call colleagues or kindly call friends who not only knew his favoured pastime but had similar interests and who he could turn to for advice. Charlie was one of them, and the one best suited to this particular question. She was specifically interested in magical science and alchemy. If anyone would have answers for him, it was her. However, she was also the person he least expected to understand why he would plainly refuse to do anything to damage the book. There was no way she wouldn't demand to know why he didn't use one of the three known ways to make alchemical ink visible. She was hungrier for information than he was, and he feared she might view it as a personal offense that he wouldn't do so to send her a photo of the formula so she could investigate it further for herself.
Sure enough, when he checked in a few hours later, her reply was not pleased.
There are plenty of ways to read it if you really want to, which you already know. What's wrong with those?
They exchanged several more messages, though it could barely be called a back and forth. That would have required someone to yield some ground. But Edwin wasn't going to do anything to permanently alter the book, however boring it might be, and Charlie was too focused on the imagined slight to discuss anything else but how unnecessarily difficult Edwin was making it for himself. Eventually he stopped responding. She wasn't going to be of any help.
The days and nights that followed were swallowed by this newfound hurdle. Edwin barely slept, all too preoccupied with mapping out his next steps. He could watch the alchemist write the formula over and over again, memorising and writing it down bit by bit until he had it completed. He could search for kinder ways of revealing the alchemical ink. If he assumed the alchemist had been Mundi, he could look into her rumoured discoveries. The breakthrough was turning into a crossroads without signage. Was there anything worse?
The slam of the complex entrance vibrated through the building. Edwin thought nothing of it where he lay staring at the ceiling. On a Saturday night, at least one tenant home late was to be expected. It wasn't until his own door creaked open that he bolted upright. What the hell? Adrenaline rushed through him, making his movements clumsy. He fumbled for the only thing he could think to defend himself with - his bedside lamp, which he yanked out of its socket - and slid carefully out into his living room.
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 16, 2024 19:09:38 GMT -5
( Especially now that we're getting to the good parts! Unfortunately I hadn't had the opportunity to put much thought into our witches- the mental sparring between the gingers was pretty much already written- but I'll crank something out for now! I already know who the the High Priestess is. I think I'll just introduce three 'rank and file' for the next scene and expand on them later.
I'm probably terrible at chess too! It's been years since I last played- I had to rely heavily on outside help for what little I showed. The downside to writing 'smart' characters ;;;
I'm glad you think so! ^^ They're fun to write~ It'll be especially fun to see their dynamics with Win~
Okay! down to brass tacks- Am I correct in assuming that Charlie is one of the witches and that Edwin lives in an apartment building?
Can you give me an idea of where the book & his notes are?
Also! I can help engineer a scenario where he touches one of Glue's weapons/magic items, but are you intending to reveal Win's magic through that or contact with one of the witches' items?
And to give you an idea of what I have planned- I was thinking that one of them would infiltrate using something that makes her invisible or close to it. She would only be looking to take Edwin's book and maybe any notes. Whether Win senses her or just notices a presence is up to you! Glue would come to stop her- also invisible- and another witch uses an item that disrupts his Guardian Angel abilities and renders him visible while also interfering with his magic. In the ensuing scuffle, Edwin makes contact with a magical item but whether this is noticed by the witches or not is still up to you! Hm, and we can decide if they actually manage to steal something or retreat empty-handed.
I don't want the Angels to truly take center stage, so although the witches may have an inkling that they exist, there's a number of reality-warping magics in place that ensure they never become a target or are looked at too closely. That way we can continue with Edwin being the sole target and the gingers merely being obstacles!
What do you think? )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 17, 2024 5:48:19 GMT -5
( i know exactly what you mean. for me writing charming characters is the hardest. at least with smart sharacters you can lean on existing smart people. with charm i can't make it not feel forced cx pain
yes, i thought so. she could also be their associate somehow, but i figure why complicate it?
he does live in an apartment building, yes. there are two flats on each floor placed on either side of a spiral staircase, his is the one immediately in front of the stairs. if you walk to the left from the hallway, you step into the living room with the kitchen on your right. bed and bathroom straight ahead. he sits both at a desk in his small home office/library which is the door furthest from the entrance and in the sofa, depending on the mood. he stores them in his office though, so that's where they'd have to go
it might be easier for him to come into contact with something of glue's? i don't feel like the witches would actually be interested in hurting him, and win's not the type to go rushing in, so it's liklier he'd get close to glue (or gluttony getting close to him).
i finally settled on the seizure-like reaction, so the witches would definitely notice his response at least. if they know what it means and why it happened is a different question. probably not immediately, but if they manage to get away with something - maybe not what they came for, could be one or even a couple of win's many old journals or maybe a lower level magical object he's picked up along the way - they could start to come to some (partially right) conclusions. ) |
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Post by Ave Domine Nox Noctis on Aug 17, 2024 9:56:32 GMT -5
( Oh 'charming' characters are the worst! ;;; I worried constantly about portraying them correctly and I tried to lean on existing 'charming' characters too, but the problem is that charm is subjective while intelligence usually isn't, so now I just throw my characters out there like "here's a guy YMMV"
It helps that they're usually meant to be disasters and not particularly charming though lol
Rosebud was the only normal person on offer pfft
Do you mean Charlie would be more of a middleman than a witch? That works too!
Got it! I'll describe more of the ~bachelor pad~ when Win gets there too!
Oh I had a ~plan~ for that but makes sense! Yep, I have ideas for that decision too! Depending on how I stage the scene, because it's only half-baked - Glue may simply summon an item meant to keep Win safe, which he ends up touching at some point- or he may pull him close and contact happens that way. Gluttony isn't initially one for physical contact but having Win touch his magical gloves or cloak is the simplest solution!
Oh, and what kind of history do you think he'll see in it? ^^
Like, their creation? A time they had been used? Just let me know and I'll provide you the details! Or, I can start off the memory & you can piggyback off of it in your post after mine~
Sounds good to me! We can have them get away with something small and slowly start to put things together, although I think it will take a few more run-ins for them to come to the correct conclusion. They could assume it was born from stress or Glue's magic harming him- maybe they meet while both groups are hunting for our macguffin and see or overhear that Edwin can figure out how to activate/use it?
Because by then Glue will have definitely instituted a Training Arc. My idea for them bonding would be him taking an interest in Win's magic and wanting to help him strengthen & better control it. But what do you think~? )
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Post by 𝘨𝘰𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘯 𝘴𝘶𝘯 on Aug 17, 2024 11:40:24 GMT -5
( a good approach for sure cx
yes, something like that! i was thinking something along the lines of she's paid by the coven to share her research with them so she's definitely involved with them but not lika a part of the group, if that makes sense. but i don't have a preference either way
ooo what was your plan? i'd love to hear it.
i was actually going to ask you about that! win's involuntary visions generally come in two varieties. the first is something that's been repeated many times or that he himself is in the process of doing. so if he touched a weapon, he might see it fire on loop. the second is something with very strong or recent emotions attatched - if he touched the railing of one of those love-lock bridges he might see the proposal that happened there last month or something similar. when purposefully scrying, he's a lot more flexible, but those two kinds of "memory" are by far easiest then as well. i personally think the second is more interesting, but either could work. there is also the option of him being so overwhelmed that he sees several things at once or in quick succession. whatever he saw would still almost definitely fall into the first two categories, but he would struggle to seperate them into seperate moments of the past if that makes sense. so i guess once we know what he's going to make contact with the question is what you think would fall into either of those categories.
i totally agree! i really enjoy the tension of the antagonist slowly getting more and more information, so it would be a waste to have them get it right on the first try.
oh, win is going to be all in on a training arc. he'd kick-start one himself if neither of the eudaemon offered. & seems like a perfect bonding exercise to me ^^ ) |
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