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Fudou the Mountain	Old habits die hard, and if there's one thing that is true of Fudou and Great FOrks..it's that the vices and means of entertainment offered here in the city have done more to keep him around then he's let on. He's played at mentioning keeping an eye on the Solars as the reason he hasn't moved on t other pursuits but various levels of debaucheries have appealed to the urges to satisfy his flesh and that satisfaction may range from being a special guest at the brothels and houses of pleasure to the rush of adrenaline that comes from gambling to the feel of his body in action here in the arena. And so he's become something of an attraction from time to time.. leveraging his reputation as a former Champion Gladiator of the Hundred Kingdoms and the mystery of his origins as a Yennin of VOlivat.. But right now..he just watches, lounging sprawled out on his side on an entire row of benches that overlook the arena, watching the fights with a look of boredom on his face as a smoke pipe hangs lazily from his mouth. He's not in his warform at least, having some common sense..even if he's still basically ten or more feet tall even outside of it and his body is closer to that of a sunning giantly muscled yeddim then that of a normal mans.
Amethyst	For Amethyst, she's found money here, lots and lots of money making all manners of various alchemies and remedies and the occasional custom-made brews for the more interesting clients of Great Forks. Oh and then there's the drugs, all the drugs, especially now that she has someone to sell and distribute them. Making a name for herself as an incredibly competent alchemist certainly helps too. More than once she's considered just making this incredibly heretic and decadant city her own, but today that's not what's on her mind. Instead, today she's looking out for a particular strong and tough and muscular warrior who's also gotten himself some bits of fame. It's almost comical, the size difference between Amethyst, who's a head under five feet and while not lanky, she's definitely not bulky, and Fudou who's something of a 10 foot colossus of a man. But that just makes him the perfect person to talk to. And so she's found her way to the benches where he's sprawled out, and stands before him. "Greetings Mr. Mountain." She gives him a grin.
Fudou the Mountain	Between tombs of Solar Ghosts, magical training dojos, Malfean Portals and other assorted madcap situations..Fudou's beyond the point where he can pretend to ignore Amethyst, even at his most brusqueness..and so after she presents herself and greets him, he pauses just long enough as if debating continuing to mind his own business...and then caves to her while turning his head in her direction like the movements of somes ort of first age construct for how thick his massive neck is. Despite himself a close mouthed grin pulls from ear to ear on his features and he peers at her silently, pale green eyes locking on her from behind his odd silver spectacles. "Amethyst! You come before me again. No Rishi in tow? She's so over protective of you I am sometimes surprised you get out on your own..."
Amethyst	"I was not the greatest one injured this time." Amethyst says, "Whether or not she'd threaten to cacoon the others is beyond me tho." "Or uh, I should say I healed the fastest, but my injuries weren't very pretty." The young dragon rubs her head, ear drooping "So hmph, I get to go out all by myself. Tho that one is definitely a bit overprotective sometimes..." "But talking about Rishi isn't why I've come, I've got news to share and a request." There's those determined eyes and perked ears.
Fudou the Mountain	"You speak of things I don't now of, luv." rumbles Fudou, sounding amused at the way the Dragonblood just launched into context he doesn't quite grasp. He remains lounged, lazily, but his gaze looks to become slightly more keen and observant now as he studies her. "...What do you mean 'injured this time' and 'cocooned' Is this the news you wish to share?"
Amethyst	"Well you remember when we fought those zombies? I got bitten. and Rishi insisted I stay resting of else she was going to get her demon spider to go, get me, and cacoon me so that I cannot attempt to do anything other than rest." Amethyst explains, her ears lowering in embarrassment. "I was the only one who got hurt. But we went on another adventure. And by we I mean myself, Bright, and a lady by the name of Misa. We went to the malfean portal, and discovered some sort of radiating light that hurt all of us. Someone had set a trap, presumably to try to kill us." Her ears middle out as she finishes her explanation.
Fudou the Mountain	It's..alot to take in. That's for sure. Fudou inclines his head in thought and then finally muses, "..That seems mighty careless but at the same time I suppose there was no way to know for sure. You are fortunante to be alive. As for Rishi.. well..I shouldn't say everything on my mind there. She clearly cares for you but perhaps ..some boundaries are necessary? I will say nothing more on that, luv.." He finally moves, sitting up and leaning forward to reset his elbows on his knees, "..But what about this trap? Was it newly set?"
Amethyst	"Yeah. I think Rishi mentioned that I was not far from death." Amethyst murmurs. and sighs. "I might be getting too cocky. But yes, it was a newly set trap, probably for us. They were also clearly competent sorcerers of their own right. It took some doing to undo what they did. But in the end everyone was ok. There was talk of doing some investigations in figuring out who's behind this, but it hasn't been done just yet."
Fudou the Mountain	"You're probably lucky to be alive." says Fudou, bluntly, ".I'm no sorcerer but I've made some mild study of Malfeas and its denizens for personal reasons. The light of Ligier is..well I suppose you might as well ahve attempted to hold the Daystar in your hands or pull the Silver Chair from the skies.. Small wonder Rishi may have panicked." Fudou leans back, rubbing his jaw, "If newly set that seems to imply this portal isn't abandoned or inactive after all. Someone knew we'd been down there and someone doesn't want us looking any more closely at it.." He inclines his head and looks Amethyst over, "What will you do now?"
Amethyst	"For now, I've done what I can to analyze the portal, and we have the keystone that summoned the light, hopefully with our heads together we can make something of it. But I'm not that great at investigating." Amethyst explains, "What I wanna do is to find ways to be tougher so that if I encounter such things again, it won't just be luck that keeps me alive."
Fudou the Mountain	"That is a tall order. One does ot simply 'become tougher' so that the rays of Ligier aren't a problem." offers Fudou with a vague handwave, "Perhaps if you were a Lunar even one of the Unconquered Sun's chosen then I could suggest some sort of magic or martial arts or personal technique that may help 'ere but....you're not. You're a Dragonblood. How would a Dragonblood handle concern about being harmed? And no matter what you can't avoid the very fundementals.."
Amethyst	"I know that Dragonblooded monks are able to endure some intense things, but before I can learn how to do magic, I need to understand the fundamentals. Those at least don't change from Exalt to Exalt." Amethyst says, rubbing her head, "I guess I dunno what I expected asking you for help in such things. Maybe if I keep at it enough the magic techniques will flow from the mundane ones?"
Fudou the Mountain	"Well now, no, don't give up and get grouchy." counters Fudou, "You just need to have realistic expectations.." He presses a massive hand against his chest, bunching the muscle there quite deliberately in a massive flex of his pectorals as he indicates himself, "While trye, I have some advantages of the Lunar gifts, I also had some natural gifts because of...well.,,.me being me. And in addition to that, I pushed myself and worked those gifts to make them better and stronger over time. So as I exalted..my gifts continued to grow and expand because that is what I wished to do. But without the foundation there..I would not have earned them.." Fudou relaxes his vast body and then nods his head to Amethyst, "You can find the training you seek..the question is more if you wish to really engage with it and how far do you want to go and why? It's not something that's...a matter of instant satisfaction. At least among mortals. These things take time. Much eating and drinking and physical activity."
Amethyst	"I am well aware of how long it takes for training to truly set in. Though I find it much easier now that the blood of the dragons is flowing through my veins. It will not flow as naturally as my training with my whip, but that's something that I happened to be good at even before I exalted, so it only makes sense that I'd become even better. But this is something that I've not done before. I know it will take weeks or months to get to where I want to be." "And getting out of my lab and doing something to better myself for a reason that isn't just trying to imitate others, I think that's a good a reason as any, yeah? I certainly have no desire to be ten feet tall and weigh as much as a standing stone." She jests and giggles just a little.
Fudou the Mountain	"Well I should hope not, I can't very well be in high demand if there's a lot of me running around." remarks the giant with a bemused snort. "Anyway, it's not likely to even be possible unless you train -for- size and strength but it doesn't sound like you want to do that. But you do need to start somewhere." Fudou gestures into the arena, "There's plenty of places here, open and available, for such regiments. I suggest you decide exactly on your course of action and then pick a regular training and diet routine to help you in that way. If it is durability and sturdiness you are after then exercises meant to improve your stamina and toughen your body are necessary. Strength will come alongside that naturally even you're not focusing on that. But much running and lifting and acts of endurance are needed. You know how the monks train, you said?"
Amethyst	"If I wanted to be bigger I'd just use my sorcery or ask Rishi." Amethyst says chuckling a little, "But being smaller has its advantages, especially when larger opponents underestimate you." "I know a bit about how the monks do their things, largely by eating very little and training oneself to find nourishment through the earth itself, focusing and cultivating both wooden and earthern essence to nourish and strengthen one's physical form. Tho such methods will take... a very long time if I want to accomplish all that I've heard in stories." Amethyst explains. "As useful as that would be, to need not to rest, to sleep, to eat or drink or breath, I don't wanna think how long it would take for me to figure out how to do those things on my own. So I'll stick to more basic techniques, unless I can find a dragon willing to teach me." "I suppose that starts with, like you said, some sort of training regime. And I know a lot about how to practice my technique, it's how I managed to go toe-to-toe with you after all. But less about training my body more as a whole." "Hey maybe after I do this for a while we should have a rematch. That could be fun."
Fudou the Mountain	"Hn. It seems to me that to even do the methods you're describing they must already be at a certain level regarding their ability to go without food and sustain harm in their martial artraiing." notes Fudou, "I would imagine that before that degree of training even begins, they have to be physically able to manage the regiments necessary to handle learning those arts...wouldn't you say I think that's what you need to find out more about. Or you can try the methods some in here do.." Fudou grins slowly and then rumbles, "Ooh..a rematch eh?"
Amethyst	"One day I'll topple the mountain." Amethyst grins wolifshly, determination flashing her eyes. "I actually found a technique explicitly made for dealing with those that can take a lot of punishment. And in addition to training my body, even before this I've begun further training of my spirit." The alchemist stops for a moment, focusing, and it's almost like a wave of pressure eminates from the dragon, pressing down on everything near her. It's no longer just something one just notices, it's like an actual weight is pressing down. All whiler her tattoos become this inky blue-green color, matching the color of her anima. It only lasts for moments, but it's clear that she's been working on strengthening her sorcery. She grins widely.
Fudou the Mountain	"Hn. Did you forget the ruin? Bright saw it. When I fight you all in that dojo I'm not truly fightnig you as I would if I were engaged for my life. There are many things I could do that I don't simply because ..it'd be too dangerous and maybe too much work. Even for a place with that magic. But sure, continue to chase me, luv! I love it when I'm pursued." Fudou grins almost like a siaka before noting, "But that pressure was..intense. Perhaps you should focus more on what you are already good at instead of ths...direction change simply for the sake of a trap that nobody is going to be equiupped to handle if caught by surprise?"
Amethyst	"It's not /just/ the trap. It's also how I tend to lose any fight that I get hit. If I'm not fast enough to avoid getting hit or blocking, then I'll just get mowed over in an instant. It just hasn't been truly life-threatening until now." Amethyst explains. "But yes, doing more workings might not be a bad idea. Can I... do a working to just /make/ me stronger?" She considers. "And tougher. I know that my scales are very thin and could protect me more if they were thicker. And then there's the matter of me not having any sort of artifact armor, which is helpful too."
Fudou the Mountain	"Probably you can yes and are there not spells that...strengthen one and add defense? And you know you can probably siimply -wear- armor. Not all of it must be forged from one of the magical materials, so highly sought after. But anyway, Amethyst.. You're dipping into the territory of wanting to do it all. You simply are -not- a front line fighter. What woudl you suggest I do if I were to start complaining about sorcery." asks Fudou, "Just 'become' a sorcerer? Should I do that over pursue bettering the areas that I am already training in?" He thenr ubs his jaw as if actually thinking more on it, "..I suppose I could though..."
Amethyst	Amethyst considers, "I almost feel like we've had this conversation before." She rubs her head as she thinks, taking a seat next to Fudou. "I guess it just comes with not knowing what I wanna do or be, wanting to do /all/ the things. And I've heard of spells for strengthening one's defense, but offensively, well, my principle weapon is one of the stronger offensive spells out there. And my blood whip is quite powerful, as I've shown on many occasions, especially paired with the elemental magic of my kind, setting it ablaze, turning it into a tsunami, and the like." "I just worry one day I'll go against someone, and they'll get a lucky hit and that'll just be it for me. We live dangerous lives, and I dunno, almost dying is a cause for wanting to find ways to not almost die, yeah?"
Fudou the Mountain	"We have because you continously don't move yourself past this part of your life and you continue to circle and cycle around this key core element. That of trying to find yourself. You're buffeted between forces that are more powrful then you while trying to keep up with powers you were never meant to 'keep up' with." notes FUdou bluntly, "The strength of the Dragonblod are in their -numbers- but you are alone within a group fo celestial friends and you are constantly trying to find your way among them, altering yourself to be like them and feeling inadquate at your very real weaknsses and limitations. Which we all have." Fudou shrugs and then rumbles, "My opinion on this hasn't changed and so we have this conversation over and over again when you come to me on more advice on 'improving' yourself..."
Amethyst	Amethyst sighs, and is silent for a time. "I guess I keep coming back to you to see if I've learned my lesson yet. Why do I even feel like I have something to prove?" "And you aren't wrong when you say that our strength lies in numbers. Yet this Dragon ended up on her own, and most of the collections of those like me would probably sooner see me killed than help me with anything. But if I keep adventuring with you guys that may end up happening anyway." "I won't ask you what I should do though. I don't think anyone can tell me what I should do but me. But I am going to keep trying to find something to define myself by."
Fudou the Mountain	"Well you're not truly on your own you're just not with the rest of the Dragons.." notes Fudou after a moment of silence. Finally he shrugs and indicates the arena, "Well there's nothing wrong with seeking self improvement you just..want to know your own strengths. I think improving your stamina is a goal worth going for but..you know...have you considered simply not getting hit? You are lithe and dexterous. Perhaps you are closer to improving that then you are toughening up> And you can always wear some light armor at least. Because right now you wear ...well..none! Listen..you dn't see Bright Journey trying out the heaviest armor she can find do you? She knows what works best for her. It can go sour for any of us at any time. That's simply..life."
Amethyst	"I haven't been able to get any better at using my whip to defend myself in some time. And I do wear light armor when I know I'll be fighting! It also happens to be what I wear when doing alchemy that I don't fully understand in case something explodes." Amethyst counters. "At a certain point I can't get any better at things. I hit what must be the limit for what I can do with sheer skill. Not getting hit would be great 'xcept that's a pretty tall order when facing someone on the level of Celestial Exalts. And don't tell me there won't come a day that we face down someone with at least that much power." "I wonder if there's some way I can synergize my powers with you guys rather than doing it with other dragons. While it is true that we work best together, there was a time that Dragons and Celestials stood side by side. There's gotta be techniques in some old manuscript about us helping the Celestials do their thing."
Fudou the Mountain	"I would suggest that you are not meant to face down celestial opponents directly." says Fudou, sounding exasperated, "The very idea is..well.. You've had some luck during our little training sessions but the reality, Amethyst, is that you are not a celestial so at the best you can just do what you can do. Listen, are you going to start wandering around in Jade full plate? Of course not! If you're looking for a means to simply toughen up you can do that but I think you should have..reasonable expectations."
Amethyst	"...Right." Amethyst rubs her face. There's this expression on her face, perhaps a mixture of disappointment and disbelief in the words being offered, "I guess I thought that since I had luck standing up to you guys during sparring that my power could rival yours. I've learned so many techniques and poured so many hours into perfecting them that maybe somewhere in the mix I forgot I'm still just a dragon at the end of the day. Yet I also need to keep in mind that despite that, I'm still quite potent in my own right." There comes a frustrated sigh, "So on the one hand I'm not as good but on the other I'm just good in different ways. If I just stick to what I'm already good at, most of that is just down to either learning new spells, doing new workings, or learning different techniques to apply my skills in different ways. But I'm at my limit in some of those things, especially with my whip, where there's just not much more for me to grow." "So I figured maybe the key is to branch out, do more, find other skills and abilities to dip into. Combine the disparate elements to continue to grow stronger. Expand my horizon beyond my wheelhouse, because I can't even compare to Rishi's sorcery, and I'm sure that a solar alchemist would out-do me in a single day." "But maybe I can be a jack of all trades. I don't need to be super /good/ at anything that way and I don't need to feel bad about reaching my limits. And the greatest advantage I have, mastery over the elements, becomes more and more useful as I grow to be able to use more and more techniques, yeah?" "I want to be clear, I don't want to be as tough or as strong or as powerful as you. I don't think I'd stand a chance short of finding a way to turn into a full on dragon myself. But maybe I can find some tricks that not even a lunar or a solar could pull off, mmm?"
Fudou the Mountain	"Rival? I don't think you're being very..uh...down to earth. Listen.. Those matches are..as interesting as they are..not entirely accurate examples of how facing a celestial in danger goes and also for the most part you've only engage in them during free for alls with our attention distracted between different other celestials. You did -well-. It is entirely reasonable for a Dragonblood to be able to face a celestial and perhaps even win but we should all just know our limits. Stop trying to be something you're not and stop trying to impress us. It's not necessary." Fudou shakes his head and then shrugs, "RIshi and Hoarfrost may coddle you with this but I'm going to simply say it like it is. FOcus on what you -can- do..not what you can't." He points at the arena, "You -can- increase your stamina and overall resistance but if your goal is to do so simply to 'keep up' ..? That will take some time. Better for you to focus on what you know how to do and tighten that further."
Amethyst	"To be fair, if I'm facing them one-on-one it's probably not going to end well for me. But odds are I'll have at least some of you with me. And you're a bigger threat then I am, giving me the room I'd need to do my thing." Amethyst says, maybe with a bit of desperation in her voice. "I, I uh..." Amethyst has gone for a long time just simply steadily improving her skills, gaining strength, increasing her power and resources, but she figured this would just simply continue, not... plateau as it had. And it seems like it's really, really bothering her that just about everyone around her will be better at things than her, regardless of what she tries to do. Her skill is one of the only things that really defines her, and she fears what her skill will mean next to someone who can do it much better than her. And she doesn't manage to form another word as much as she tries to grasp for some straw or the other. Yet, it seems the Dragon has finally run out of ideas for how she can be 'equal' the power of the Celestial Exalted. So instead she just whimpers a little in defeat.
Fudou the Mountain	This much FUdou had surmised though he would not call it jealousy as some more cynical might ..but rather a feeling of being inadequate possibly exagerrated by her closeness with some..some of whom from his observings might have diffculty understanding Amethyst due to their embracing of their own unique natures. "I think, perhaps, you should consider embracing your fellow Dragons more and trying to build yourself up to accomodate a niceh less. Consider this. What will you do..if a dedicated celestial sorceress or sorcerer allies themselves with the others. Perhaps one that is also a trained martial artist? How will you feel then? You cannot possibly live up to that if your worth is strictly based upon your personal sense of power." Fudou quiets and then leans oer, making as if as he has a secret to tell. "I tell you..I have heard rumor on the wind of Solars who have dedicated tehmselves to feats of physical strength and ability. I have given myself to that ideal but perhaps a Solar may challenge me one day? I can only do what I can do and maintain my own legend..and if I lose..be motivated to be better. But still know that I am a Lunar and I hae gifts they can never have..."
Amethyst	"Most of my fellow dragons would have you and I killed, and I'm sure there are Lunars that would gleefully hunt my kind to exinction. Finding new Dragon-Blooded allies is less easy than finding new Lunar and Solar allies." Amethyst sounds cynical. "I know something like, maybe two dragons I could trust not to summon a wyld hunt." "And for my personal sense of power, I feel like I have little else to offer. I haven't dedicated myself to any real grand ideals, I don't have much of a name, personal or familial. I hardly have any contacts and most of those who I do know are folks like you. The only prestige I have is that of being an alchemist in a city with at least a dozen others and being better than the mortals that I competed against, and that is hardly a legacy. I'm a god damned disgrace of a dragon and I know it, and I'm long past the point of accepting that. So what else do I have if I do not have my power?"
Fudou the Mountain	"Perhaps there are some, on the extreme, who might or who might at least exact some sort of justice or revenge but... Certainly this is true of the Dragons, as you said, and you've already encountered at least one Dragon who is like minded. This Pearl?" notes Fudou. "Perhaps there are more out there that would be willing to accept your perspective?" He quiets and then adds after a thought "You should build these contacts. You lack them because you haven't tried. What can you and Pearl accomplish?"
Amethyst	"I also happen to have a weird issue that if my name goes too far, the folks back on the blessed isle will know that I'm not dead and missing like they think I am. And gods only know what they may do with that information. They may do nothing, or I might end up 'escorted' back to the isle." Amethyst contemplates, "But Pearl is a different story. She's a god damn Cynis in, maybe not great standing but that's certainly a name that will open doors. And we're already making bank here. With a bit of effort it might be possible for the two of us to be the wealthiest of our group." "And, ugh, I can /remember/ something about Champoor where I came from, but I can't remember very much. It's like a whole bunch of my childhood memories are just /gone/. I think I might know what part of my soul was carved out. Now just figuring out 'who' and 'why', because the wyld would just make me less, it would not extract specific memories." Amethyst has that look in her eyes again. "Before I am truly whole I will need to go back to the wyld and reclaim that bit of my soul, or find someone who has the magic to restore it. One of the best ways that Dynastic children make contacts is through their childhood, and I know that I must've gotten into some sort of trouble."
Fudou the Mountain	"Perhaps your name should spread though. Perhap sthat is a conversation that needs to happen." notes Fudou, "Why be so concerned? You have allies here. The Realm has no power here. Listen.." Fudou waves a massive hand, almost as if dispersing smoke and fog, "You have paths before you but your own hesitation and struggles with things you can't and aren't meant to control continue to be the real reason why you're being held back. Don't worry about what will happen with The Realm. If your next step is to reclaim what was lost to you in the wyld..focus on -that-..not...running laps in the arena."
Amethyst	Amethyst nods, "Then all I need to do is gather up those who are coming with, and head to the ocean. And face whatever awaits us." Her eyes flash just a little, and her tattoos vibrate. "And this time, I'll be utterly immune to its energies, and instead I will be able to make them my own. After I regain my soul I'll need to find somewhere to make a workshop for my sorceries. I can't keep up with a Celestial Sorcerer but I can sure as hell do stuff they can't, and I need the wyld for that." "Following that I'll use my sorceries to boost our business and we will be rolling in money, and that will finance whatever /else/ we do. And then, I dunno, maybe I'll do some laps." She gives a tiny grin.
Fudou the Mountain	"Now you are talking with more sense." offers Fudou with that big shark like grin of his, "Of course you can get laps in, every now and then, between all of that. But it sounds like you have a path that is now distinctly yours..and not something made up by someone else or you thiking about trying to keep up with someone else."
Amethyst	"It only took you re-explaining things six times." Amethyst grins. "Oh, and after I get my soul back, I'm definitely going to spar with you again. See how well my newfound sorcery stacks up against all those muscles. I'll probably lose but it'll be fun to see what happens." "In the meantime? I'm gonna go get some laps in, and then maybe read some books on both how to make a demesne and maybe see if I can chase down a rumor about converting one into a boardermarch. Oh, and make sure I get the letters out to people letting them know it's wyld time."