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Amilar Ereyo	It's a rainy midday in Great Forks. Despite that, one can find the Violet Meadows' great library sparsely populated at this hour, with most students enjoying their lunch break elsewhere. Amilar Ereyo has claimed one of the small reading rooms on the upper floor for herself - her usual one, as Rishi would know by now. The door stands slightly ajar - indicating, according to the library's etiquette, that she isn't adverse to visitors, but doesn't want to be disturbed by any random person walking by. The rustling of paper and soft scratching of a dip pen can be heard from within.
Rishi	A soft knock on the door and a quiet, but melodious, voice with a thick Firetongue accent heralds Rishi's arrival. "Ereyo? Are you being here? I wished to be having the chat with you." When she pushes open the door, Ereyo can see that she's wearing a leather cloak, presumably to keep out the rain. ...Except the "cloak" twitches as her wings unfold back behind her. "Don't be doing the worrying, my collar is doing the keeping of me dry, I do not dream of doing the dripping on the books."
Amilar Ereyo	Inside, the air is thick with the smells of old parchment, leather binding, and the wall paneling's pine scent. Gray daylight seeps in through a small window. Ereyo sits perched on a stool over the reading desk, frame by two piles of tomes. A notebook, along with her writing implements, lies within easy reach. Upon seeing Rishi enter, she perks up with a smile and rises to greet her. "Dragon's blessings, it is good to see you! Come on in. Make yourself comfortable." The room feels a bit cramped already, with only one stool and the desk available for sitting, but there's a nicely cushioned divan in the corner. "How are things at the temple? I trust that you received my latest donation...?", asks Ereyo a bit anxiously, fiddling with her violet glass dip pen.
Rishi	"Oh yes! You were being most generous! And it was quite appreciated. Things are being well there." Rishi bows in thanks, smiling at her, before perching on the divan, wings pulled back so she's taking up as little space as she can. The smile slips as she looks Ereyo over. "And...you have been having the sleep? You seemed like you had made the breakthrough, but you never did the coming back to be doing the talking of it, so... How are you doing the fairing?" Rishi tilts her head slightly, looking concerned, as her hair moves like a dark waterfall over her shoulders.
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo can't quite help herself - she watches the movement of Rishi's hair with some fascination for a few moments, then blinks rapidly, snapping out of it to meet the other woman's eyes. A soft sigh, followed by a guilty look. "Sleep comes a bit easier to me now, thanks to the effects of your tea. I still find myself waking up multiple times on some nights, then struggling to drift off again. Well, I still consider this an improvement..." The Dragon-Blooded pauses, realizing that she's still gripping the pen, and quickly puts it down on the table. A few quick steps take her over to the door. She closes it firm a firm "clack". "I can't help but think about the implications of what you've helped me discover. And I realized how little I actually know about the Lunar Anathema." A skittish gesture towards the stacked books. "There's precious little information in this library. I'm trying to find as much as I can, but the more reading I do on the subject, the less I believe that I'm going to find actual answers from publicly available books."
Rishi	Rishi gets an odd look on her face, then shakes her head. "Well, if you cannot be doing the finding of the publicly avilable books, then it is seeming like you are having the two of the options. Either you need to be doing the finding of the friendly Anathema to be doing the talking with...or you need to be doing the finding of the books that are being the secret." Rishi smiles. "I am assuming you are doing the preferring the latter, yes? Can you be doing the pulling of the rank to be getting access to the Lookshy secret libraries? Or the more elder of the books here?"
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo's face goes pale at the phrase "friendly Anathema". For a few heartbeats, she simply... stares at Rishi, unblinking, eyes swirling with an uncertain jumble of bright violet and dark blue, as if even her aspect markings are having trouble deciding how she feels about this. The Dragon swallows once, hard, before responding: "I most ~definitely~ prefer not talking to Anathema at all, not even to those you would call 'friendly', thank you very much." Grim determination settles on her face. "As for access to secret libraries... they're secret for a reason, you know. I'm not that high in rank. A Taimyo might be able to pull that off, or maybe even the Imperator of my gens." She huffs in frustration. "I've already visited a few monasteries in the area. No matter where I asked, the answer I received was always the same: 'If you want to learn about such things, join us.' Becoming a monk is very low on my list of life goals." Her hands slowly curl into fists. "And I certainly don't want to devote my life to hunting Anathema either. I want to ~know~ what I'm dealing with, Rishi. Why that creature haunts me in my dreams. What does it want? What else is it capable of? How can I ~defeat~ it?"
Rishi	Rishi's eyes go very ..sad for a moment, before she smiles again, head tilted. "Well, then, could you be doing the asking of the Imperator of your Gens to be giving you the permission?" "Or...well, I could be doing the casting of the spell once more?" She taps her mouth, thinking. "After all, if we cannot be doing the finding of the answers in the books, we must be doing the finding of them ourselves, yes? And doing the exploring of your dreams might be doing the giving you more of the answers? If nothing of the else, I could try to be using the Sorcery to be giving you the dream of the relaxing." She hrms. "I am doing the wondering if doing the sleeping in the dream is even more of the restful?"
Amilar Ereyo	With a heavy sigh, Ereyo slumps down on the stool. She sounds tired. "The imperator is a very busy man. Besides, I would have to explain why I am seeking that information... information about a topic that doesn't concern my regular duties at all. And if I did, he might tell my parents." Groaning, she covers her face with both hands, then grows silent for a long moment before lowering her hands and meeting Rishi's eyes again. This time, she holds the other woman's gaze only briefly before looking away. "As for the dream spell... I've been thinking on how to improve our methods. As useful as it might be, it's also highly unreliable. We have no control over what I dream, when I dream it. It's completely random. At this rate, we're not going to make much progress." After a quick rub of her eyelids, she continues: "What if I had a way to record my dreams instead? That would allow me to analyze them along with you, and it would also lessen the burden on your shoulders. Are you familiar with the dreamstones of Gem?"
Rishi	"I am not knowing the too much of them. Gem is being most far of the way from my homeland. But, if you can be doing the finding of one, it would be doing the turning of your dream into the illusion? So that we can both be doing the seeing of it?" Rishi nods. "Well, I will try brewing more of the special tea satchets. I can be adding the extra herbs to be helping you to be having more of the dreaming, if you are doing the wanting for this thing." Rishi hesitates, then says "...Are you sure you are wanting me to be doing the seeing of your dreams too? They are being of the most private and ...well, I can be doing the understanding if you are doing the wishing to be not showing them."
Amilar Ereyo	Ereyo considers this for a while, searching Rishi's face while chewing on the back end of her pen. She doesn't appear to be distrustful of the healer, not anymore. "That's a valid concern. Of course I would have to be on control of what I show you. There are other matters to consider: For one, obtaining such a stone won't be easy - or cheap. Dream opals are supposedly quite rare, even in the mines of Gem. Also..." Here, she stretches across the table to pull her notebook closer, then leafs through the pages, muttering to herself: "Hold on... where did I... Dragons, why is this such a mess." Finally, she finds the right page. Ereyo brightens and takes the book over to Rishi, allowing her to look at a surprisingly detailed drawing of a massive, oval-shaped stone. It takes up almost half of a double page. The entire other half is covered in notes. "See, I did a bit of research on dreamstones. Apparently, they record dreams only for ~others~ to experience them. Of course, if one were to sorcerously modify the function of such a stone... or create a device that does so... we could get around that." She stops talking for a second, only to resume as another thought crosses her mind, growing even more excited: "OR! We could try to find someone with such as stone in their possession, ask them to let us look at it, analyze the Essence flowing through it - and then, I could try to come up with a way to build a device that mimics its function, only ~better~." The Dragon beams at Rishi, clearly satisfied with herself. "Wouldn't that be a boon for everyone suffering from bad dreams?"
Rishi	Rishi headtilts, considering, hair flowing. "Hmmm! Perhaps I could be taking a small amount of the water from the Pool and doing the enchanting to be causing the image of the dreams from the stones to be doing the reflecting on the surface? So, then, you just are doing the immersing of the stone in the container of the water and it is doing the showing you of the dream?" Rishi looks a bit grave still. "But...from what I was doing the seeing before, it is seeming like the monsters in the dream are looking for the ...bad dreams and the sad memories. It is being possible that doing the talking about them will be much of the helpful." Rishi studies her a bit. "Are you doing the trusting of me enough to be doing the telling me of your mother?"
Amilar Ereyo	Rishi's suggestion coaxes a series of nods from Ereyo - tentative at first, then enthusiastic. Quickly, she dips her pen into the waiting inkwell, finds an empty corner on the double page and jots down a few notes. "Yes, that's an entirely viable option as well. Obtaining access to a dream opal remains the biggest concern..." She freezes in mid-thought as Rishi touches the subject of her mother again. When she turns to face the other woman, Rishi can see fondness for her - for a friend - warring with strong reluctance. This is accompanied by tense silence. Eventually, Ereyo sits down again and busies herself with cleaning the nib. "I don't know", she sighs. "My mother is a... difficult subject. Family business always is, somehow." A fleeting glance at Rishi. For a brief moment, the ghost of a smile touches the Air aspect's lips, but it flees quickly. "Let me put it this way: She hates not being in control. Which is why she makes certain to always ~be~ in control. She has ~opinions~ on how I am supposed to live my life, on who I am supposed to be." After putting the pen aside once more, Ereyo rubs her temples. "The letters she keeps sending me grow more persistent each time. Especially those concerning marriage... last week, I've received another list of potential candidates - or suitors, if you want to call them that. Her lists keep shrinking as she slowly weeds them out one by one. Soon, I will either have to pick one from the list... or let her choose for me." She barely suppresses a shudder. "I think Mother wants to see me married until the end of the year. According to her, I also should return to duty soon. She is growing impatient."
Rishi	Rishi is nodding along. "Ah, yes, I am doing the understanding. My homeland, it was also having the opinions and making the demands that I am being the certain of the ways." Rishi headtilts, pausing. "I did not do the agreeing, so I did the leaving." Her voice goes very calm and gentle. "You can be doing the same."
Amilar Ereyo	"What?! Oh, no no no. No. I could ~never~!" Ereyo looks horrified. "I'm a soldier of the Seventh Legion, a scion of a honorable military dynasty. To run from my duties, to betray my home... just because I don't agree with Mother's intrusions into my life...?" She slowly shakes her head, eyes still wide with shock from the mere suggestion. A sudden gust of wind emerges from her invisible anima and flips the notebook over to a different page. Realizing that she is close to another outburst, Ereyo pauses in an attempt to calm herself, studying Rishi's expression. "I can't imagine how bad it must have been... for you to leave behind your home, and everything you held dear, just to escape", she says in a much softer voice. "Do you... want to talk about it?" Her smile is tentative, but warm.
Rishi	Rishi sighs. "It is being ....most of the complicated. It was being hard and I was being most sad as I was doing the traveling of the north. But... I was doing the helping of the people and, aside from being a little of the lonely, it was being ...fine. I was being the content." She frowns at the memory. Then she smiles. "But, after I did the arriving here, I found the circle of friends that did the accepting of me, I didn't feel the lonely, I found the church here, and...after everything, I am being most of the happy." She grins. "I have found the place I am belonging." Rishi reaches out and air boops the Dragon's nose, carefully, not quite touching her. "If you are ever not feeling like you are doing the belonging in the Lookshy, you may be doing the coming to me and ...partaking of the Pool's Miracle." She taps the side of her nose. "If you are having the new face, your Mother cannot be doing the finding of you." Rishi settles back. "But, if you are still feeling like Lookshy is doing the fitting of you, then... We are going to be needing to be finding the way to be keeping your mother from doing the interfering." Rishi hrms. "...Can you be more of the ...specific about the trouble you are doing the having with the marriage? Is it being the children? The choices? The needing to be doing this at the all?" Rishi shrinks a little, "I am being most sorry if I am doing the overstepping, but I am wishing to be having the understanding."
Amilar Ereyo	This time around, Ereyo is the one listening carefullyto what her friend is willing to share. A slight frown creases her brow, and she shifts uncomfortably on the stool as Rishi talks about the transformative powers of the pool. On the other hand, she looks quite pleased that Rishi doesn't ~actually~ boop her this time. "I am glad you found a new home, and a place you belong to", she says, smiling with honest content at her friend's good fortune. "Some people, I'm told, never find theirs. But I don't think I'm one of them. Lookshy is my home, and I would defend it with my life." This is followed by an exasperated sigh. "Even with Mother inside it's walls. Despite everything, I love her. I'm certain she loves me as well. Her way of expressing that love is just... suboptimal." Her eyes wander over to her notes. She reaches out to thumb her notebook close before fully focusing on Rishi. "It's complicated. I don't want to be tied to a single person with so many obligations. I don't want to raise children, and I certainly don't want to ~bear~ a child." Here, she puckers her lips and shudders once more. "There's no helping it. If you're one of the Chosen... well, Exalted by the Elemental Dragons, that is ... you have responsibilities. One of these responsibilities includes passing the Blood of the Dragons on to the next generation. I suppose whoever is going to become my spouse would have to live with a sorcerous method of conception. I know a few sorcerer-exorcists who are capable of summoning demons. One of them could certainly help out with that." Ereyo pauses to blink at Rishi's face. "Do ~you~ have children? Or a spouse, for that matter?"
Rishi	Rishi smiles. "I am not having the children yet, no. But I am having the spouse, yes, and she is wishing to be having them." She visibly hesitates, then says, "And, as I did the learning of the art of the demon summoning before I did the leaving of my homeland, the having of the children should be much of the simple, when we are being ready. And, should you be wishing, I can be doing the teaching of you." Rishi headtilts. "Hmmm... How much are you knowing of these suitors? Perhaps ...one of them is also ...disinterested? Or, perhaps, one is wishing to be staying the home and doing the child raising, but isn't much interested in having the spouse?" Rishi shrugs. "I know it is not being much the likely, especially if your mother is doing the choosing of them, but...who is doing the knowing? Maybe, if you are telling her that you will do the consenting to the marriage, she will do the accepting of the choice you are doing the making?"
Amilar Ereyo	Rishi's "confession" about being a demon summoner is met with a look of disapproval, but she doesn't get the feeling that the engineer actively condemns her for it. Ereyo frowns furiously at the innocent stack of books to her right. "I know very little of them: Their lineage, of course, and whether they are Exalted, because Dragon's know that's the most important thing..." She rolls her eyes. "Their rank, jobs, approximate age - nothing that would really tell me who these people actually ~are~. Mother certainly wants me to meet them at some point, at least once. Their parents probably would want them to meet me before agreeing on the marriage arrangement, too. In a few weeks or so, I might know more." She still sounds mildly nauseous at the entire prospect, but finds something resembling a smile to throw Rishi's way regardless. "Thank you for your concern. I will manage, somehow. And I appreciate the offer, but... Learning summoning is out of the question. That would get me into trouble. Only sorcerer-exorcists are allowed to learn how to summon and bind demons and elementals." She shrugs. "That's just the way it is. In any case, I'm happy for you - you've found someone to have children with. That's wonderful." Her smile appears genuine, despite her own aversion to marriage and children. "But... I think for now, we should focus on that dreamstone..."
Rishi	"Well, If you are ever wishing to be doing the speaking about them to me, I am wishing to be listening. Or anything else." Rishi does look at the stack of books, noting where the info about the suitors is, for later perusal. "But, yes, please be doing the teaching of me about the Dreamstones."