Log View

Source	Contents
Amethyst	An infallable messenger goes to chase Fudou down about an hour after Eleyo left in a hurry. It said only a few words, "I'm ready to talk, meet me at my shop when you're ready." Amethyst herself is waiting outside of her shop, waiting for Fudou and to fill him in on exactly what's been going on in that noggin of hers.
Fudou the Mountain	Ramen had sounded like a good idea. So when the messenger arrives, Fudou had already begun an order. A very large order. He groans softly and rubs his head. When focused on something it's hard for him to immediately switch gears and mindsets you see, but ultimately he just cancels the order....much to the relief of the vendor...and makes his way back through the streets at a leisurely pace. When he arrives, his expression is curious now. "Did your guest not return? SHe seemed...unsettled. Not used to Great Forks. I can't imagine she'll handle meeting Rishi very well."
Amethyst	"She can meet Rishi after she comes to deal with my weirdness." Amethyst says simply, back in her silken tunic. She opens the door and invites Fudou inside, further and further into the room she has with a pool. A fairly shallow pool, but still a pool. "If I had to guess, you're wondering what's been bothering me, huh. Ever since talking about the possible and inevitable Wyld Hunt."
Fudou the Mountain	"I don't thinkj I've been this far in here.." Fudou looks around, realizing that he's not really been through the interior of her shop. He notes the pool curiously but then turns to finally answer her. "Yes, luv. You were very troubled. You've been out of sorts since you brought the information to us. I daresay more then the ones who would be in the most legitiamte danger from this thing should it happen. I take it to mean you are bouncing between extremes once again...." That last part said with some reefulness. He seems not unkind on this but there is also a tirenness to his tone. "What weighs on you so? A fleeting possiblity of having to fight your kin? Or something else?"
Amethyst	"Can you even blame me from bouncing between extremes in times like these?" Amethyst asks, also tired. "In truth, there's a pretty good chance I could be part of Lookshy, with my wyld-weirdness and all. And this is what has me troubled. Before I just figured I'd be anathema as much as any of you thanks to how closely I'm tied to the Wyld. Gods where does the name even come from if not from fighting fae once upon a time forever ago or something?" "And yet there's one place I think I could find a home. A single place to be among my kin without needing to be an outsider. Ya know, the thing I've wanted from the very start." "And so I've decided I want to try my best to join one of their Gens and join their ranks of Sorcerer Engineers." There's... gravity to her words. She takes a deep breath, then continues. "Not, mind you, because I intend on betraying any of you, but because a few reasons. One of which is that if I'm in their mechanisms I'll probably be able to keep tabs on any potential wyld hunts. Another because heaven forbid, I might get some of the expertise needed to repair technology from Elderloch. And finally? Because I /need/ to be among my kin, I need contacts, I need friends on the other side, people that I can pull on and talk to, and hopefully eventually get on my side."
Fudou the Mountain	The giant folds his arms as he listens, eyes narrowing a touch and focusing on Amethyst. He says nothing, letting her finish of course..and when she does he purses his lips and then makes a slight gesture of his head, leaning in towards her as if expecting more. When it does not come right away he promps: "..And...? Is that it? Is that what's bothering you so? So much you didn't want to even see me when I Came by earlier? That you wanted to go to Lookshy?" Fudou purses his lips and then asks again, "..Is there nothing else?"
Amethyst	"You're not /angry/ that I want to do that?" Amethyst asks, actually taken aback "Even Salara had something to say about my goals. She'd very much rather I stay here, really." She rubs her head, "I expected you to be a little upset at the least. Me going and becoming part of an organization that might as well be sworn enemies with the Lunars in the region, and you're just... okay with it?" "Not even a speech about how this is a stupid idea or anything? And yeah of course I don't want to slay my own kin, and I'd rather do it in disguise so that they won't be able to figure out it was Ametis that did it. But I think I'd do it if I really had to." "Anyway, I just... thought you'd be mad." She rubs her head and shrugs, looking embarrassed and a lil' shameful.
Fudou the Mountain	"All this time and you still don't seem to know me...." Fudou shakes his head and then slowly sits down and then gestures absently, "Of course I'd rather you not leave luv, but you're not going to embrace Lookshayn orthodoxy, you're looking to be among more of your people and learn what you can of them in order to better help your own homeland. What is there to be angry about? And between Lookshy and The Blessed Isle, if I had to choose I would say Lookshy. Not only are they more flexible in their beliefs I"ve even heard rumors they are more 'tolerant' of anathema in their own way. It may simply be that they have other things to worry about such as Thorns. I never feared a potential Lookshy Wyld Hunt. They aren't as zealous and have other priorities...an even so that is besides the point. YOu have to stop letting Rishi and Salara be so posessive of you. Rishi especially. I've told her about this myself in the past. You are an individual and have your own destiny. If it takes you away from Great Forks for awhile then so be it." Fudou frowns mildly and then says, "Of course you will be missed but you're not journeying into Malfeas or something. You can always leave Lookshy and come back here or wherever we may be. I won't always be in Great Forks as a residence. Other lands beckon but that doesn't mean you sever ties it just means you travel to another location to meet and talk." Fudou shake shis head, "You have always been caught between different extremes. I told you before to be what you are and to stop chasing things to be like others. You woudlnt listen. Then it seemed like you started to. If you've found this...how in the world could I be mad?"
Amethyst	"Frankly the thing that helped me figure this out?" And Amethyst holds up her silver bangle, "My essence fever being dimmed enough that I could see that I fell head over heals for well, one of them could have me killed in my sleep if she was really upset at me. And the other, well, just considering that I went from being a somewhat orthadox immaculate to falling head over heels for a Lunar. Hell I wasn't even originally interested in Rishi, it was a different one, but RIshi just sorta pushed her way into my life." "And then she grabbed me and tried to control me. And... yeah I think maybe leaving those two back here will not be the worst thing. I still do love them dearly, but I am /going/ to be my own person. At least Salara seems to be on board with that now that I talked to her. I'm still afraid I melted her a little bit with bringing her into the wyld tho." Then she considers, "How do I even /tell/ Rishi about this? Rishi will /insist/ on coming with I'm almost certain. And while I certainly don't mind you guys coming to see me in Lookshy, I think I'd best not live with any of the people that they may deem 'anathema.'" Then she grins. "But you are right that they're a lot more lax about the whole anathema thing than the Realm. The Realm would kill me for my use of 'anathematic magics' or whatever the hell. The very fact that I can do Sapphire Circle Workings might be evil in their eyes, and there's no place for me in their coming civil war anyway. I'd rather stand with Lookshy and help them ready against the /next/ Thorns. Because I hardly think that'll be the last we see if the deathlords and their terrible chosen."
Fudou the Mountain	"Once, long ago, RIshi told me that some of her ..habits...stem from her time in Ysyr..." Fudou quiets as he considers this and then concedes, "She's likely to not understand or be concerned with where she went wrong or not understand what shey may have done that was wrong. SHe can go to extremes to prove a point, even if it doesn't need to be proven." He frowns, looking troubled now. "She came to me once to insist on me 'testing' her resilence. She said it was because I didn't respect her or saw her as a child or weak and that was not true. BUt I did what she asked, out in the forest and I nearly killed her. She recovered quickly and acknowledged what went wrong but it could have gone very, very badly.." He is silent for a long while, looking away as if staring off into the distance and then says, "As a lunar she is subject to extreme passions just as any of us are. You should take care with hw you share this with her. But you can't hide your intentions either. That would just make matters worse."
Amethyst	"I wouldn't know anything about extreme passions." Amethyst says as her ears droop. And as she listens to Fudou's story, her ears pull back and some color drains from her face. She goes to speak several times, but nothing goes out. "What the fuck Rishi. And you, you consented to this? Gods imagine if you /had/ killed her out there. There was a reason I yielded in the Arena. You hit like a rock slide." She shakes her head to try to regain composure. "I'm glad that she's alright. But man what a stupid thing for her to ask for." Then she too falls silent for aa while. She weighs things in her head, and finally speaks, "...Do you have any advice on how to approach Rishi about this? And do you know any others in our circle that will likely react negatively to this? I think Bright will take it alright. Silk I can't read. Makara I can't trust not to go blabbing. I'm sure there's others too but their names escape me at this moment. Of course I could also just... not tell people I'm doing this." "But I gotta tell Rishi, somehow, someway. Maybe if I could convince her that I can take care of myself, and maybe if I let her teach me about medicine or something so I can heal myself if need be... Of course I'm sure that Lookshy has plenty of medical facilities but I'm sure that wouldn't be good enough for her. Hmm..."
Fudou the Mountain	"Yes I consented..." mutters Fudou, tone implying he's not wholly sure why. "I think when she first approached me about it I had a different idea in mind. I thought she just wanted to train and practice but she then insisted on me hitting her as hard as I could. She wanted to prove the strength of her defenses. I know of such capabilities so...I guess..." His voice quiets and then he turns back towards Amethyst, "You can trust Makara but there's no real reason to tell him if you don't need to. I don't think Silk will react one way or another. Bright may have some counsel for you on it but...she...." Fudou pauses, uncomfortably at first and then he laughs, "She has another distraction that has recently arrived. Trust me when I say that she won't be befuddled by any decision you make for long due to what is occupying her attention at the moment." Cryptic but he leaves off on that unles pushed further. "I dont' know how to deal with Rishi on this. You may have to just be firm and trust your instincts. Put your foot down. Seperation happens. We must learn to deal with it..and this isn't -really- seperation is it?"
Amethyst	"I dunno is he ever gonna make up for the time that he came into my shop, saw me, and said, in order, 'Hi I'm a lunar, are you Amethyst?'" Amethyst asks with a teasing grin. "I'm so glad that there weren't any customers there at the time." She shakes her head. "And if Bright's already busy then I'll just leave her to her own issues then. Maybe I should see if I could help out. And seeking advice would be good." "As for Rish? I'll figure something out. I oughta just put my foot down and be done with it. And yeah I'm gonna be coming back here ever so often anyway." "Oh yeah! And I've already found a few contacts for Lookshy, including that lass you scared half to death. I'll be trying to find her to comfort her sometime later here I think. She seems hopeful and filled with wonder and those traits are pretty damn hard to find in this day and age. I'm pretty sure I won't be telling her about Rishi unless I absolutely must. ANd she's even part of the Gens I'd want to join! Like I called them earlier, unorthadox innovators who maintain much of the 7th legion's arsenal. Imagine getting to see a warstrider up close if not one day pilot one, even if just on a test run after fixing it."
Fudou the Mountain	"It's nothing you need to help Bright with." Fudou explains. He considers things and then says, "Has Rishi told you anything about....the bond?" He pauses an then says, "The things you speak of are beyond me, luv, but I am glad you are excited for this. If for no other reason then your own passion, your friends ought to be willing to support you, not hold you back. Rishi may surprise you. She'll be hurt. She wears her emotions rather oenly, but it'll pass. But the longer you sit on this the harder it'll be."
Amethyst	"I know there's a way for Dragons like me to link with Lunars, but I only understand what the bond means to us, not what it means to them." Amethyst explains. "And..." she nods, "I am pretty excited. For the first time in my life I think I might be able to be with folks like me, all working towards some common goal /and/ without the same cut throat politics that have plagued the Realm for so long." Her ears are perked up and back. "I never had a chance to be a Dynast but I think I can get most of what I want out of becoming part of the Gens." She does look quite excited. Matter of fact, when's the last time Fudou's seen Amethyst /this/ excited about something?
Fudou the Mountain	He studies her for a few long seconds and then slowly smiles, "Yes..." Fudou looks away, eyes hooded and still smiling. "Very good, Amethyst! I think you should be happy yes. Of course it won't be without its challenges but you, more then most of your peers, should be well prepared. You're unique and you will give them that uniqueness. They will learn from you as much, if not more, then you from them. As to the bond.." Fudou pauses and then says, "Every lunar...solar.. Well.. One is connected to one other. Somewhere out there ....is a solar whom..in a past life I was..." he pauses, mind drifting as he tries to recall, "A lover perhaps? A soul bond? A friend deeper then all others? Someone to whom I was connected in a way that goes beyond simple...attraction. Many 'mates' are indeed that but others may simply be brothers or sisters in spirit, connected in ways that can't be easily described." He smirks and says, "Even Rishi. There is one for her as well, somewhere, wandering Creation... The two not even knowing they seek each other until they meet." He pauses and then finally says, "Well I was meeting with Bright when a lunar I had recently met arrived and the two instantly knew each other. I left them to their own devices as it was a moment unique and special to them. I don't know what happened but I imagine she's preoccupied with her own thoughts."
Amethyst	Amethyst's eyes sparkle, and she grins widely. "Imagine that. Imagine how I'll be among them. I hope to do great things, better than great, maybe. I just gotta learn the process of adoption. And the nice thing is that Lookshy has a functioning government." Unlike the Realm, Amethyst thinks to herself. And then she pauses, and listens. "So... hum. That's incredible. So Bright's literally found her soul mate from another lifetime. That's amazing. And yeah I see why you say I don't need to help." She gives a cheeky chuckle with her ears down and back. "I should still see if she has time for me to speak with her, her mastery of all things social might be able to help advise me on this whole Lookshyian thing as you mentioned. It's worth asking, regardless." Then Amethyst, perhaps surprisingly, goes over and gives Fudou a hug. She really is excited, and for once, unabashedly joyful and happy.
Fudou the Mountain	he knows he gives good hugs but it's still a bit of a surprise. HE recoils slightly but then recovers and wraps a gigantic arm about her to hold her tight. "Very good" he rumbles, deep voice likely vibrating through her given her proximity now. "See there? A purpose always helps! You were busy fretting over nothing. Don't do that in Lookshy. They'll see right through you, yes?" HE releases her and slowly stands back up. "As to Bright, yes speak with her but be confident about it. However, I must ask, waht about this business with the Consortium? You shouldn't do anything until you're sure your name isn't attached to anything that might follow you to Lookshy."
Amethyst	"Yeah, I best finish translating those runes. I finally found the damn source document I needed. As soon as I'm done with that I'll be talking with Bright." Amethyst says. "And, I'll be sitting down and figuring out a proper 'public' persona to put on when dealing with Lookshy so it's obvious to them what my own priorities are gonna be. Probably something like learn about and help repair their first age tech, form new connections and contacts, leverage the new opportunities to grow my business in the rest of the scavenger lands (provided those in charge of me'll be alright with that, anyway). And most of all, just mingle about with my own kind, look for opportunity when it comes, and do the most I can. Of course I'll also be looking for chances for other things, but all that training Pearls taught me about hiding my true face will be very helpful here. And it'll be comparatively easy since I do geninuely want most of those things." "But yeah, making sure that my name doesn't end up on some 'possible anathema' list would be good." Amethyst mutters, "Even without that though I'm sure the General Staff are /going/ to sweat me and I'll need to be ready for it. They don't let just anyone become part of Lookshy, after all. And the fact that I have wyld heritage will be an unfun topic at that interview or whatever it'll be. Gotta ask Ereyo about how the process works after I get to know her and befriend her a bit more, and after this mess with nine sheeves of perfect bullshit."
Fudou the Mountain	"You should be able to leverage your time in the arena as a champion of note as well." notes Fudou. "But you just should not have your name attached to any anathema that they may take issue with. This may mean we need to create a ruse so you can be 'surprised'...perhaps...if it comes out. I understand that there is a push to simply intercept any messages that might be going out and deal with it before it becomes a problem. I'm sure most would prefer not to fight but many will if they must." Fudou nods his head and folds his arms, "I'd considered just drawing them out myself in my true warform and then disappearing in the hundred kingdoms as it. Perhaps with Makara and Tiziri's help. But I'd need some sort of way to make it look like the 'Exigent' that is fudou is still in Great Forks so it doesn't seem as if there's a connection to one giant missing and then a monster turning up nearby."
Amethyst	"Could always learn the Tiziri trick and have, um, no. No don't I can barely deal with there being /one/ of you." Amethyst was serious but then she bursts into laugher. She sobers up immediately after. "I shouldn't joke. But yeah, I only fell to someone that would've taken a warstrider to beat. There's no shame there." Amethyst says. "And as much as they may want to intercept my messages." She starts, that deep, brackish feeling of the sea comes up as she focuses on her sorcerous power. "It's pretty hard to intercept infallable messengers, but I will, in fact, be careful. If I truly need secrecy I'd find a way to leave the city, do my business and return." "And yes, if any of you were to be revealed, I'd be faux surprised. If it were the Realm I'd be expected to ride in a Hunt against you. At least with Rishi it'd be easy for us to plan her faking her death. I imagine Lookshy would be similar. But this is no worse than the situation similar to Makara and especially Pearls are in with the Realm. But unless one of you guys started like, I dunno killing and eating babies there's no way in hell I'd ride against any of you. I'm not gonna kill my friends." She says assuredly.
Fudou the Mountain	"Mm..I think the situation would be more serious then that if it comes to it. I've mentioned this before but The Bull of the North destroyed the Realm legions and there are far more celestials here then were with him. Furthermore there are celestials you may not even know of in the area. More then are gathered even under the wings of some shahan-ya of the Silver Pact are gathered here in this place. IF a WYld Hunt rides they will be met by force, not by death being faked unless someone truly wishes that but most don't. If we want to keep Great Forks out of it then we'll simply have to meet them on our own terms but there will -not- be a return to the days of simply running from the hunt." Fudous' eyes narrow more and more as he speaks, "Of that I promise you. So no, do not ride against any of your allies but I doubt very much they will muster a force that can do so and if they do--? Then it means that there is a greater threat and other celestials would come. Other lunars. Other solars..."
Amethyst	Amethyst nods, "Go figure the full moon would want to fight." She grins. "But yeah, I... don't wanna die fighting for the wrong cause. If I'm gonna die it's gonna be fighting some monster or the other protecting those I care about, not fighting against them. And yeah it'd turn into a blood bath real fast. Suddenly so many reports of Solars out here and everywhere, along with the appearance of the chosen of hell and the chosen of the dead." She shakes her head. "I wanna be the one in the warstrider wrestling with that terrible juggernaut in Thorns, not hunting down those who don't deserve it." "Anyway, um, I think that about does it for what I wanted to talk about? I'm glad we had this conversation"
Fudou the Mountain	"That's not it. It's nothing to do with my caste." says Fudou sharply. "It's...it's just necessity. It's practicality. Look around us! Is it going to always be run when the wyld hunt comes? Those days ended with the return of the Solars and the Realm's weakness. Now Exalted walk empowered by Malfeas. The Deathlords have their servants. Creation is not as it was during the days of the wyld hunt's supremacy. So what do we do? Try and maintian the status quo? If the hunt comes, is simply running away the correct choice?" He pauses and then considers, "...I don't have the answers..but I know that simply continuing to maintain a lie is not it...and no matter how much Rishi wishes otherwise, there cannot be change without some conflict because there are those who refuse to change and will fight to keep the world changing around them."
Amethyst	"Forgive me." Amethyst says, sighing. "I shouldn't have made that remark. It was mostly in jest, given that the no-moon wants to hide and decieve and the full moon wants to attack, which if I understand your castes right neatly aligns." "I wasn't trying to tell you not to fight. The old wyld hunt really can't continue with how things are now. And my own vision is to one day see Lookshy's pragmatism be used to allow Celestial Exalted to openly work along side us Dragons in the name of defending Creation as a whole. That's what /I/ want to see. And with the times of termoil we're in, anything can happen." "And I'm sure that any hunt undertaken by Lookshy is done while considering all of the matters of how much it will cost if such a hunt is unsuccessful versus what it will gain."
Fudou the Mountain	"It's not simply the full moons and dawns that are willing to fight. Rishi, I think, is stuck in place and ....she's not wrong about some of her criticisms but there comes a point where you have to work with what you have and not wish for something that isn't and can't be." Fudou pauses and then finally shrugs, "What you say makes sense. It is a balance that many would agree with if others can get past their grudges of the past. Grudges centuries old. Older. A common foe can do much to unite people. We'll see what happens but I would be surprised if it came from Lookshy."
Amethyst	"I guess the aspects affect us Dragons much more. Tho I've surprised folks by the fact that I'm a water caste and not fire." She shrugs. "I know very little of the political state inside of Lookshy, but I do know it's a strong and powerful city-state with many pies in many fingers and they like their meritocracy and their pragmatism. If any /major/ Dragon-Blooded power would be willing to at least /negociate/ with the Solars and Lunars, it would probably be them." Amethyst shrugs. "The other option is founding our own nation and hoping that the likes of Lookshy and the Realm and maybe even Prasaad don't see us as an existential threat. Some of this is why I want to talk to Bright before truly committing to any of these things, as I'm sure having the diplomat of the circle involved with such plans would be ideal."
Fudou the Mountain	"We're not....effected by our caste but our caste reflects who -we- are...." suggests Fudou, "You can have a quiet full moon warrior prone to dedicated tactics and hit and run strategies and you can have a bombastic full moon gladiator or freedom fighter just as much as you can have a full moon sorcerer who uses his sorcery to defend others. I get your ...'joke'. Perhaps it was simply ill timed." suggests Fudou, looking more humored now. He turns for the exit now, "You should focus on Rishi for now, and your plans...and try meeting with that Lookshayan from earlier. If you get too distracted you'll be pulled in too many different directions.."
Amethyst	"I'm always pulled in too many directions, it comes with being a water aspect." Amethyst grins entirely too widely and chuckles. "I oughta go find Rishi. And hope that she doesn't completely explode. Who knows. Maybe she'll have learned and will just be /okay/ with things." Amethyst suggests. "...I can dream, right?"