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Amilar Ereyo	Asking for directions to Ereyo's guest tutor office presented hardly a challenge. After a few encounters with busy clerks pointing her this way and that, Amethyst finds herself on one of the upper floors of a comparably quiet side building, with windows along the corridor's walls offering a nice view over the academy's lavish gardens. The door she has been directed to doesn't look any different than any of the others in the hallway: Made of fine dark wood, with a chiseled name plate presented at head height, and currently closed. The only distinctive feature absent from the other offices is immediately obvious: Two guards, both clad in blue-tinged lamellar armour bearing the mons of Gens Amilar, and armed with a set of long and short curved swords. They look watchful enough, and as soon as Amethyst walks into their line of sight, their stern faces both turn towards her, looking her up and down. When it becomes clear that she is in fact headed for the door they are guarding, one of them gives a polite salute and asks: "Greetings. Can I help you?"
Amethyst	Amethyst gives her polite little headbow. She's had time to slip back into her alchemy garb and hide the majority of her mutations again. "Greetings! I'm here to check up on Ereyo, she seemed pretty upset earlier and I wanna make sure she's doing alright." No carefully held back emotions or even tone, she seems to have dropped most of her carefully poised mannerisms for a more relaxed stance. She does, however, gauage how the guards feel about her and her request. Her eyes sparkle when she asks, "Please?" There's obviously a bit of remorse in her tone.
Amilar Ereyo	The guards exchange a puzzled look. It seems reasonably certain that they have not been included into Ereyo's private affairs, at least not more than necessary. A few moments of silence pass by before the same guard who already greeted Amethyst speaks again: "You would be Amethyst, then. Wai Tan-Junai Ereyo mentioned you." She gives a quick nod towards the other guard, who proceeds to rap on the door with his armoured knuckles. Ereyo's delayed answer can only be dimly heared through the thick wood. The guard announce her visitor, and this time her reply comes almost instantly, at which both soldiers step aside and beckon the alchemist inside. They even hold open the door for her. As a guest tutor, the sorcerer-engineer's office isn't particularly large or lavishly decorated. There's a desk across the room from the door, with a large window behind (currently open to the winds outside), two functional chairs for visitors, and several rows of bookshelves, most of them empty. Boxes in various stages of, well, unboxing are strewn across the floor - Ereyo seems to have brought a few things with her, but didn't transfer everything to the shelves yet. The Air Dragon herself awaits Amethyst seated at her desk, from behind piles of books and carefully stacked letters, ink quill in hand. Her smile seems genuine, although a bit nervous. "Please, come in and have a seat. I'm happy to see you."
Amethyst	There's a sigh of relief both when she's let in and when she sees Ereyo's mood. Her tense ears relax, she enters, and takes a seat. "Hey." She says quietly with a smile, ears down. "Sorry about what happened, I should've guessed that Fudou've come knockin' sooner or later. He's usually pretty understanding, but man does he like to spook people sometimes." She sighs. "How've you been holding up?"
Amilar Ereyo	The door is closed behind Amethyst. It doesn't get more private than that. Even if the guards decided to eavesdrop on them, they would probably be respectful enough not to gossip about it - well, hopefully. en the alchemist starts to apologize, Ereyo's eyes widen in surprise. She puts her quill aside with a gentle motion and leans back in her chair, eyes clouded with the sorrowful grey of an overcast sky. "Oh, Amethyst... please, I appreciate the gesture, but it's not your fault. Or Fudou's, for that matter. In fact, I am the one who should offer you an apology." She bows her head towards the other Dragon-Blooded, continuing in a slightly shaky voice: "Your friend's physical appearance might be, ah, a bit overwhelming, but he seemed kind enough. My behaviour was rude, dishonorable, and cowardly. Please forgive me."
Amethyst	Amethyst's smile brightens a little and her ears middle out as Ereyo also apologizes. "Heh, look at us, each blaming ourselves for what happened. It's quite the sign of humility." "In truth I am a little bit curious as to what happened there. But I do feel bad about it and about spooking you before too..." She rubs the back of her neck. "Either way, I do forgive you."
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo's eyes shift upward, searching Amethyst's face. She might have seen something there, had she been able to keep her focus... but is distracted by the movement of long, pointed ears. She breathes a sigh of relief, then offers a matching smile. Gradually, her irises return to vivid violet. "Thank you. I'm glad, truly. You have nothing to blame yourself for. Everything you showed me back there in your shop was marvelous. I regret nothing." Now her smile widens into an enthusastic grin. "And I definitely want to see more. But..." Just as quickly as it appeared, the excited expression on her face begins to fade. "...I still owe Fudou an apology, too. He must think me incredibly rude."
Amethyst	"He's a good friend of mine, I'm sure we'll end up running into him again at some point. He's hard to miss!" Amethyst chuckels. "You are hardly the first one to get spooked by him too. Don't feel too bad about it." "On the topic of the wonders I have, well," She rubs her neck again, ears drooping. "Let's just say that I have a lot of gifts from the wyld. It's a very long story that involved my soul nearly exploding." She then pauses, trying to find the words to what she wants to say. "...I can show you more of the strange wonders that I've wrought, but first maybe we should get to know each other better." the alchemist suggests, ears perking just a little.
Amilar Ereyo	The Air Aspect's brisk smile returns, more confident now. A gust of wind rustles her papers - coming from outside, not her. Thankfully, she has taken care to secure every lightweight object on her desk with small metal clamps, including her writing quill. "I have no first-hand experience with the Wyld, but from what I know, you're quite lucky to have returned with actual /gifts/, not something more... sinister." She clears her throat. Her hands fiddle with the inkwell, firmly shoving the cork stopper into place, then her eyes flick up again to meet Ameythst's." I would love to see more, as you can probably guess by now. And I'm glad you're not mad with me. I was immensely happy to meet another Dragon right on the day of my arrival in this bustling city. It got me thinking... Are there others you've met? Maybe you have chosen kin here?" With that question, she leans forward, forearms resting on the large wooden desk and fingers entwined.
Amethyst	"It helps that I had someone to train me. And later I got rid of all of the more sinister things the wyld gave me with my sorcerery. The wyld sure as hell didn't give me the power to hide my mutations." Amethyst says, shaking her head. "My closest are a circle of strange exigents that took me in during my early days in this city. I've been here a few years and Exalted about a year or two ago now. They got to know me before and after. Fudou's among them. But I was never really one of them myself. Exigents are strange and diverse though some of my own powers do remind me of theirs." Amethyst thinks, ears middled out. "Then there's Cynis Salara, runs a place called the Chateau of Resplendant Delights. Me and her ended up oath mates after some rather tense moments." She chuckles and her ears lower, "So I can't actually say very much about her, alas. I swore to keep her secrets with me." "Other than those there's Makara, a Tepet from Greyfalls that comes around every so often, but I don't care for him much. Hammering Heron I think was the name of the Lookshyian who gave me this." And gestures at... nothing. "Wait, oh by the dragons no wonder I'm falling apart I guess I forgot to actually don it this morning. It's a little jade ring with a silver bangle that's made to help tide essence fever. Essence fever really messes with your head, especially when no one around really seems to know how teach me to manage it. Only Heron's managed to help me with that so far." She explains. "And finally there's you, another curious mind and someone that's managed to not judge me for my wyld heritage." She grins.
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo listens with quiet attention. The mention of Exigents doesn't seem to raise any immediate red flags for her. When Amethyst tells of her hearthmate and her obligation, the Amilar scion gives a firm, approving nod. "Hammering Heron, you say", she repeats, staring at the ceiling intently, as if she expects the wooden beams to offer a full personnel file. "Doesn't ring a bell. However, I can hardly claim to know every single Dragon of Lookshy by name." After a chuckle, she adds: "At least not yet." As she looks back at Amethyst, her expression becomes more serious. Contemplative, even. "I've been taught how to master my Essence at primary school, and then later refined that knowledge during my time at Valkhawsen Academy. If you're interested, I could show you a few meditative rituals. It's not a definitive cure - as far as I'm aware, nothing is, except perhaps advanced age - but offers some relief." Finally, she grins back and leans in a tiny bit closer towards Amethyst. "I'm not used to seeing extensive mutations. Still, I would never judge you for your outward appearance. In fact, some of what you've shown me was quite beautiful."
Amethyst	"I'm so tired of meditation." Amethyst almost whines, staring up at the ceiling for a moment herself. "Like I know it helps, I even had a chamber specifically made for it, but sometimes I'd really rather be doing stuff than meditating." She shakes her head and looks back at Ereyo. "The bangle does help, letting me do little meditations fairly easily. But it's still annoying." She says. "Maybe after I've gotten a few more decades on me the essence fever won't be as bad." "In any case," She leans closer to Ereyo, "Beautiful enough to see again?" She asks, grinning. "And why don't you tell me a little bit about your history and how you ended up tutoring her in Great Forks?"
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo rolls her eyes with an empathetic sigh. "I know, I know... it's always meditation. Boring, tedious. Believe me, I wish there was a more... exciting way to deal with that inner call. If I ever find one, I'll let you know." After that, she lets the topic of essence fever slide for good and seems to mull over Ametyhst's offer for a few moments before shaking her head with a tentative smile. "Maybe some other time. This might not be the right place... if you're concerned about secrecy, that is." She raises an eyebrow, taking a while to answer Ameythst's last request. It seems like she's choosing her words carefully. "Well. I...There's not much history yet. After graduation, I entered military service, as is the duty of every Lookshyan citizen." Her inflection grows more formal. "I was supposed to serve for at least the required five years term, and I nearly managed to get there. On the way, I made new friends, discovered wonderful artifacts, and were able to get my hands on some of the greatest miracles in our arsenal." Here, a smile spreads across her face, but it's fleeting. "I've one year of compulsory service left now. At my last deployment, there was... an incident." She swallows, hard, but tries her best to keep a straight, impassive face. "As a soldier, I knew the risk, of course. I've been given some time to recuperate before I re-enter service. Teaching seemed like the best option. There's much joy in spreading knowledge."
Amethyst	Amethyst chuckles, "Understandable. I'll have to show you more when we do make it back to my shop. Maybe by then I can show you what's behind the really ornate doorway." She says, almost in a teasing sort of tone, ears back and grinning. But then she listens to Ereyo, and considers. "Five years service, is that something required by everyone who becomes a citizen?" She asks, such a thing would defintiely put kinks into her carefully thought out plans. "And I'd love to hear about those wonders you've found yourself." SOmehow she still hasn't asked about the leg, but maybe now's not the time. Then she grows quiet, and looks down. She takes a long moment to process, and when she speaks, it's much more calm and reserved. "My father once told me about a story of how he lost his ship. How Anathema baited him and the fleet into an ambush and then summoned great whirlpools to drown us. He liked to say he was commanding that fleet but mom always said he just likes to exaggerate. Either way, he lost a lot of good men that day, and his vessel. So he swore to hunt down the trio of witches, but he was only able to kill..." And then there's realization on her face, "Two of them..." Amethyst makes a grumbly noise as her brain connects the dots. "Anyway, I'm sorry for what happened to your unit." She says as she reasserts her composure.
Amilar Ereyo	Amethyst can feel the weight of Ereyo's gaze on her as the other Dragon listens intently, stiffening at the mention of Anathema. For a moment, she looks like she's going to ask something... but then thinks better of it. There's genuine concern written all over her face, and the air arounds her moves a bit more swiftly, picking up strands of her hair and letting them fall again a moment later. "And I'm sorry for your loss", she offers with grave sincerity. Below the desk, she bends her legs backwards, causing it to whir, then click almost inaudibly as some complex mechanism shifts to accomodate her wish. "I'm sure your father did everything he could. His was a terrible task." After that, she looks away, and silence stretches between them, punctuated only by the distant sounds of the city below and above. Finally, Ereyo takes a deep breath, and her thoughts latch onto a less grim topic: "As for military service... Yes, that's required of every citizen and every helot. We /are/ the Seventh Legion, after all. Even if you choose to join one of the directorates - the non-military branches - after serving your time, you would still be considered part of the reserve force. It's an important duty, after all."
Amethyst	Amethyst returns the severe gaze, eyes sparkling and ears back, trying to read whatever this expression is on her friend's face. Once satisfied, she notes. "I'm sure he did all he could, yeah. My father did survive the encounter, just barely. But that was one of the incidents that got us exiled. The Realm can be merciless." She says this with a great bitter disdain. Almost a hatred, and her sorcerous strength can be felt, emphesizing her mood. But then, she softens. She considers, and then notes, "I still miss him, and one day, I'll find him." Like the tide going out, the pressure also vanishes. And yes, less grim matters. She fully relaxes after such a topic, letting her ears finally droop back down. "I do want to be a sorcerer-engineer myself someday. To be part of Lookshy and help maintain all the wonders it has." Then she sighs, "But I guess that still would mean leaving most of what I built up here in Great Forks behind, wouldn't it? I thought I'd just be able to move my alchemy production to Lookshy proper and just ship things down here. "
Amilar Ereyo	Seeing - and sensing - the emotional shift in Amethyst, Ereyo once again listens in silence. She's a good listener, it seems, not hearing her out only to rush in with her own thoughts, but considering what the other Dragon is actually saying. Instead of commenting on the ordeal of Amethyst's family, she lets it slide for now. Perhaps this is a topic to be explored another day, carefully. Now, her interest is piqued by something else. "You would seek to enlist with the Seventh Legion?", she asks, bringing her folded hands up on her elbows to rest her chin on them. There's something like tentative hopefulness in her voice. "That's wonderful! I'm sure you wouldn't have to leave everyhing behind... Plus, a skilled sorcerer such as you would be an enormous asset. But I'm not going to lie, it's going to require time and dedication. There will be tests, intense training, military drills... and above all that, you would be well advised to seek adoption into one of the gentes, which comes with another, different set of challenges."
Amethyst	"I do." Amethyst grins. "It's been a decision I've been tossing over in my head for a long time. I hate the Realm. I'm not heretical enough to want to go to Prasaad. And though I love those here that've taken me in... I'm a Dragon-Blooded and I feel like I oughta be workin' with my own kind than just being out here in this city. And Lookshy might be more willing to overlook my weirdness than the Realm ever would." "Trials, tribulations, drills, tests, done that all before. Except I won't be risking mutation, soul loss, and insanity. /That/ I can handle." Amethyst says assuredly. "As for the gens, I'm slowly learning about them, but it looks like Amilar would be the most likely to accept such a wyrd bastard child like myself." She's less sure here, but still confident. "Maybe another Gens would be more accepting -- I haven't even gotten through the big names yet, let alone all the smaller gens. But I really grok Amilar's whole attitude of innovation first, even if through sometimes unorthadox means." She grins. "But, that should be a conversation for when we're alone back in my shop. For now, I'm just glad you're alright. And now that you're settled in we can figure out some point in your schedule for you to come back and complete the tour."