auriphrygiate | { ic | ryslig

[ There's an actual letter. Written in ink on paper, as civilized people do. It had taken some doing to figure out the address but Jiang Cheng figured Traejan more than most would know to appreciate it. ]

Traejan Lightrend,

I hope this letter finds you well.

It is regrettable that our paths haven't crossed again after we met on the island.

I left Bavan as soon as the opportunity arose and live now at the edge of the forest to the south of Bavan. I'm hoping to barter for permanent accommodations soon, if negotiations go well.

Did you ever follow up on our speculation how the Fog God chooses her victims? I've settled on a theory I hold to but I would like to hear your opinion.

Jiang Wanyin

[ he's very pleased to receive the letter and definitely went around showing it off to his companions because whatever humans they'd name dropped in the past hadn't sent letters. ]

Jiang Wanyin,

Things here are as well as can be expected given the circumstances lately. Your decision to leave the city was probably wise. I suspect we will need to relocate eventually here as well, the ceilings in human buildings here are frustratingly low.

I have been looking into things in regards to the Fog God and I would be curious to hear your theory. If you give me a time and a place I can meet you. The only benefit to all of this is fast travel, I suppose. I would invite you here, but I happen to live with someone unpleasant and will spare you the trouble.

Traejan Lightrend

[ She'd done it. The plan was executed with a cold calculation Rosefica herself hadn't tapped into in years and years. She wondered idly if this was due to her new form, but it seemed unlikely. Instead incensed by the challenge laid before her.

And honestly, how dare Eridanus not seek the counsel of his wife. She might be younger, but it did not make her either inexperienced or stupid. He was a man who had captured her and then let her weave her net around him. Except this time it had been literal - a quick netting that rendered him surprised, and before he could try using any of that trollish strength. she'd picked him up with her longest legs and launched him over the balcony of their apartment.

Only a brief moment had her looking over the rail just to make sure he wasn't dead. No, he was twitching. Probably fine. The fool.

It was only after this that Rosefica crumpled herself into a little pile of spider legs and limbs and sniffled, head resting against the arm of the couch. She tilted her head back to refuse the tears that gathered and threatened to spill. She was a Riverglint. And Riverglints did not deal with weak men. Her father hadn't been weak. Her husband, Anthemis, hadn't been either.

After all, she was Queen, wasn't she? Hmph.]

Traejan...! I am overwhelmed. Will you please get me some coffee?

Edited 2020-09-09 22:43 (UTC)

[ naturally, none of this surprised him. he'd been having his own 'conversation' with eridanus, if one could call it that. the back and forth, just as always, although by the end of it traejan was feeling far more smug than he had been when he'd started. after all, eridanus' insistence on calling back repeatedly to their time together was amusing. whatever traejan lightrend considered a regret, whom he slept with and the circumstances of those encounters never numbered among them. what a stupid thing to feel ashamed of, especially by this point in his long life.

at rosefica's request he emerges from his room, having heard something going on beyond it but letting it sort itself out without his interference. rosefica was perfectly capable. ]

'Overwhelmed'? You know you're allowed to be honest with me after as long as we've known each other..

[ it's curious how he's found himself in a similar situation with the both of them by now but he doesn't complain, setting to work in their kitchen preparing a cup for her. ]

I will kill him, if you like..

[ regardless of how much he would enjoy that he has the respect for her to not be so gleeful just then. his offer is purely for rosefica, because of how terribly she's been wronged. he isn't sure why he feels that more intensely than he ever had ( certainly not gargoyle instincts, noooo... ), but he has no doubt the feeling is correct. ]

I am overwhelmed. I haven't lost my temper like that since... well since I attacked Solandis. Or rather, defended myself. And Eridanus is one to get under one's skin, but.

[She sucked in a breath and let it out through her nose. Temper would do her exactly no good here now. Better to get it out verbally. ]

I can't imagine you wouldn't have consulted Vittani if you decided to fuck off and swear allegiances to some random creature with all the power here of a thimble.

Then, I can't imagine you'd be so seduced in the first place. So yes, I am also furious at him. He can stay out until he learns his place, wedding vows be damned.

[ She pulled off the lovely wedding ring and replaced it with her Riverglint signet from her other hand. ]

And since when did seniority command respect? I developed cures, elixirs, and poisons that never even existed in the last two decades. And I was a baker before that. Trifling fool.

[At least the tears had dried up in the presence of her fury.]

I've done what I must in this place, including pledging myself to a god we do not even know we can fully trust. But we've no doubt of that god's power, at least. What does this human have but arrogance?

[ he is himself somewhat acquainted with lucius, after all. ]

But your thoughts are correct — I do not serve without cause.

[ he'd been grateful for his second chance at living, even if it was through undeath. the same is true of the Fog, because he is not yet convinced that he wasn't at risk of dying when he'd been taken from their world. he considers death a very valid reason to make such a choice.

when the coffee is poured and ready he carries it over to rosefica and offers it to her carefully. ]

I asked him once if he truly believed he was deserving of you. He said yes, so in a way I'm not surprised that he thinks he can just do as he pleases without consequence..

[ traejan gets up to make himself a drink after that. ]

... but at the same time perhaps it isn't entirely his fault. These changes likely affect more than just the physical and he is clearly turning into some sort of beast. Maybe one not known for its intelligence.

Nothing. Not even remnants of power to draw upon from his old world. I swear. If Eridanus had better not show his face to me unless he is on his face and begging my forgiveness. What I wouldn't do to have a vial of my final breath here with me.

[Eridanus would melt and turn to little more than seafoam and memory if she did. Logically, part of her knew it was hurt. Their marriage had always been a mutually beneficial and romantic arrangement. No one had managed to turn Eridanus's head anywhere but her direction. And even when one had, he'd always gained her agreement first. It was, after all, a matter of trust and loyalty.

She herself had not taken any additional lovers. Perhaps he was bored with her? Bored with the life they could not have, the daughter they could not raise?

Ugh, she bore his child and even that didn't seem to hold any sort of meaning anymore. Eucryphia was safe, and Sisina and Vittani would make sure she grew up well. Her stepson could protect her. Rose comforted herself with that, making a mental note to change her child's name back to Riverglint.]

Even if it isn't entirely his fault - I understand we have changed - but the fact he never even asked. Even I asked you, with Vittani. A support of mutual trust between us.

[She took a deep drink of her coffee - it worked faster than the brandy, anyway - and sighed deeply, offering one of her free hands out to Traejan.]

Perhaps it is better this way. He can be whatever he wishes to be, however stupid he wishes to be, and I need not bear witness to it. [ Ah, lying to herself never felt so very comforting. The anger would be a more loving bedfellow than the depression anyway.]

I should cover his clothing in oil and set it aflame.

Edited 2020-09-10 00:40 (UTC)

[ he simply remains quiet and listens, saying nothing for a time although he can't entirely keep what he's thinking out of his expression.

which is to say that he doesn't entirely believe her, but only because he's well-acquainted with denial himself ~~and you can't bullshit a master bullshitter.~~]

If he wanted to serve someone who talks about how wonderful they are.. I'm right here. And not human. It would be entirely justified.

[ it's a joke but also not entirely. honestly.

traejan returns with a glass of something clear and strong smelling, settling down in the most comfortable position he can manage considering the furniture they have is really not ideal for all the extra body parts he's dealing with these days. ]

You should take this opportunity to focus on other things. You and I still want to go home. What matters is there, not here. We should spend this time gathering what we can.. power. Resources. Allies. Let him waste his time with trivial creatures.

[ he pauses for a moment before he looks over at rosefica with a smirk. ]

And if you really wanted to light up all his things you wouldn't need oil.

[ Rosefica's tears stopped for a second to laugh. She threw one of the small throw pillows at him in mock anger. She caught the briefest scent of Eridanus on it and felt her heart squeeze painfully in her chest.]

You know, I would accept that, if he were being reasonable and not... whatever has happened. I thought him a more honest man, if only with me. I also hate that I want to go to him. But he doesn't deserve my forgiveness right now, does he?

[Rosefica sighed, feeling the coffee start to have its effect at long last. She could feel her heartbeat in her chest, and her body was starting to feel pleasantly light. It wasn't the same as being held, or kissed, or having someone lace their fingers through her hair. But it worked for now. Still, Traejan was there.

She scooted herself over from her side to his seat, resting her head against his knee.]

But, you're right. I should be thinking of Bahela, Corinalaia, Iolanthe and Eucryphia. Especially if he isn't going to think of his own child. Can you believe that? Our daughter on my mind every day, while he gets his ass plowed.

[She looked up at him from her lower position.] Will you run my fingers through my hair? I have need of comfort that I don't wish to find in more carnal relations.

Though it would serve him right if I did.

So, power, resources, allies... I believe we've found a few, haven't we? For me, it's that lovely Bucciarati man. Surprisingly thoughtful for a human. I am sure I can find others. And you? If Eridanus had been a more faithful man, we'd have had more information on the Fourth God.

[ traejan grins and shields his glass behind his other arm when she tosses the pillow so he doesn't spill a drop. ]

'Whatever has happened' is an apt description. I expected better considering he broke down and wept right in front of me. [ he shrugged a shoulder. ] No, you should not forgive him because he is a damned fool. I could kill him myself.. a few times.. and he'd deserve more. You're right here.

[ he peers down into his glass for a moment or two, because he's sure he didn't make his drink that strong. mostly that what he feels about this is infuriating and impossible to fully contain, even though this is the last thing he ever wants to make about himself. it's not like he enjoys thinking about what he doesn't have.

but he can't wholly shake his anger at the fact that the selfish bastard had the woman he seemed to behave like he couldn't live without here beside him and still managed to have his head turned anyway. ]

Anyway, that is why you are a good mother who will raise fine children and he will die alone and remembered as little more than a donor..

[ he is mindful of the fact that he has claws on his right hand now as he gently lets his fingers card through her hair. he says nothing of carnal relations at all, although he does find it amusing that she should even comment on it as she does. it's true that he'd teased before and even told her there was a standing offer back when it was only the two of them, but those were much different circumstances at the time. ]

Mm. I have been in contact with one called Jiang Wanyin. He struggles with the reality of what we are now but has a strong motivation to fight. And anger. Almost an exhausting amount of anger. [ seriously, just thinking about it is tiring. ] Even if we cannot deal with the Fourth directly I'm sure there are priests one could gather some information from. They must have a hard sell to convince anyone their god can stand on equal ground. New people continue to show up here and the fog rolls in for days at a time, allowing even those who would burn under the sun freedom to venture out whenever they please. Where does the Fourth God display its power? I haven't seen a thing.

Jiang Wanyin? I met him briefly, and he seemed a very lovely man. Helped me part of the way home before Eridanus found me. He is an honorable sort.

[She knows that name, at least and relaxes slightly, the tight line of her shoulders rounding out into softness. Surely, she knows she's right. Eridanus cried over her body, carried her home to safety, loved her and then...

Then... Then what happened? Where did his eyes find someone who wasn't her after all their time together? What point did she seem to stop being the "one and only." Why hadn't he talked to her about it, as she would've him if some lovely lady had asked for her time? A dalliance, and nothing more. That was the agreement. Nothing to attempt to overshadow their marriage. No vows but the ones to each other.

Rosefica sighed deeply.]

Yes, I will be the Good Mother, the Long-suffering Wife, the Jilted Lover. It seems he's pigeonholed me into the role without my consent. I wonder if the issue is that Eridanus is rejecting our reality as well.

Oh, yes. That as well. He'd simply written me a letter not too long ago but I ended up encountering him sooner than expected by chance. I hardly know what to say to anyone in that situation..

[ not if he intends to remain on good terms with someone, anyway. it's perfectly easy to ridicule people. ]

It's possible he feels that way. This place took us away from our lives, took our magic. Now he looks in the mirror and sees a creature instead of the man he's been..

[ traejan had originally been building up to a snide remark, likely the usual dig on eridanus' age but something occurred to him as he'd been speaking. ]

So much of what he's done lately has been rather performative even for him, don't you think? He was already hunting humans not long after we arrived here. On the network he's talked about the superiority of monsters and the acceptance of it all. Even his need to air his grievances about me publicly is suspect. What did I even do to earn that reaction? I'm certain I've done worse and tried harder to get under his skin before. In any case, he behaves like someone in desperate need of an identity and a purpose.

[ it's another thing he's familiar with, but of course he doesn't know eridanus well enough to be sure if any of his conclusions are accurate. ]

Even so, why not choose a real god? At least there are very tangible benefits to doing so. The desire to commiserate with someone else unfathomably ancient must be particularly strong.

[ there it is. ]

[ She swatted his calf in response to his jab. Though it was well within her right to make fun of his age, especially after disparaging her own for being "less accomplished." Her, who had saved their people's children from choking on their own blood. Her, who had broken down lacecap mushrooms to carefully extract that terrible poison-turned-savior. Her, who fought and argued and stood her ground for months to get them to agree to a small amount of the mushroom to avoid the costs of importing. What had he done?

Shout in his sleep.

Cry for the bodies of children long dead.

Failed teacher. Failed magister. Failed archmage. She had been a phoenix, though Anthemis had been lost to her in that same Fall. He was satisfied to be a slave.

But she had woken him from his night terrors, she had been the one to love him and care for him. Even here, where their titles meant less and little. She was used to that. He had no magic here. The more Traejan reasoned, the more she found him to be right.

She hated that her heart and her guts kept twisting in desire to see him. To talk. To rip Lucius's claws out of him. To make him see reason.

To, for once, see her hurt.

Rose took a deep breath through her nose, refusing to let another round of tears fall. She finished the rest of her coffee quickly to avoid it. ]

You're right; it has been.

I'll give it some days and pray he sees reason. Or I shall kill him. One of those two. I'll decide when I've calmed down more. Now, I do believe there's a bourbon in this cabinet, and I should like a lot before I sleep.

[If she slept.]

What about potential option C? Kill Lucius. Make Eridanus watch..

[ yes, he manages to make this suggestion just fine while still petting her hair, sipping the drink he has in his other hand. ]

Maybe he will wake up when he's faced with the reminder that Lucius is just another average monster trying to survive on this peninsula. Besides, you tossed him out but he's essentially a child you've sent to his room as a punishment, where he can entertain himself perfectly well.

Consider taking his toy away instead.

[ Rosefica leaned away for a few moments to garner herself the large bottle of bourbon, pouring herself a dram of it into her coffee cup. It was decidedly common of her, she knew, but she wanted comfort, not culture. She put her head back against his knee, thoughtfully humming. ]

That is also a valid plan. Still, he may also be in the midst of his changes and we don't know what creature he may turn into. I suppose this requires more information into him.

[ She ran her tongue over her fangs as she thought. The venom was potent; it never bothered her, but it made short work of humans. Monsters were considerably tougher, but she could make a concentrate, slather it on a blade and strike him in the night... No, too easy.

Hide arsenic in almond cookies? No, the human probably thought himself too far above "petty" tastes to eat it.

Rosefica drained her glass of bourbon in three large swallows, then poured herself more, ignoring the sharp burn in her gullet for more of the pleasant numbness it would eventually bring her. ]

I should simply ask you to kill him, in that case. I'll get a nice chair and sit in the background. We could poison your blades, after all. I am nothing if not full of venom. Both literally and figuratively, in this case.

Edited 2020-09-13 20:14 (UTC)

Unless he is turning into something completely intangible, does it really matter? Unless we are the same, I'm sure he'll burn, at least.

[ don't ask how it is that he knows that he himself won't burn. ]

Does your venom have particular properties? I haven't yet gotten to the point where I've been able to look into the capability of other phenotypes. Aside from having a common thread of 'spider' you are completely different from the other arachne I've dealt with, although I'm certain you are perfectly potent..

[ Rose hums thoughtfully as she pours herself another glass of bourbon. Heat blooms in her cheeks and chest as she takes another sip. When was the last time she'd eaten? This morning? No matter. ]

Well, I've bitten them and had them follow me to my web, they don't even fight. And before that, I found I could make them be completely unable to lie.

[ No wonder that human man she was essentially bankrupting with literally no promise of sex liked her so much. He has certainly padded her accounts with solars.]

Other than that, it kills them regularly. I just have to think about not murdering them.

[ he reaches over to take the bottle from her once she's finished pouring, not to stop her but to refill his own glass so he doesn't have to get up again. he won't stop anyone drinking their fill if in turn they'll leave him alone just the same. ]

Ah. I imagine that suits you very well. Needing to trap something just sounds tiring. I much prefer to hunt..

[ which is even more entertaining for him now that he can fly. he really hopes he's earning a reputation among the humans for it. ]

Even if it kills other monsters less effectively, steel works just as well, especially if they can't see.

[ because the fog god gave him napalm and he will definitely spit it in your eyes. ]

It... Well, I hate to say it, but it's just as fun as it was at home, Traejan, why wouldn't I enjoy it?

[Rose closed her eyes. She could still feel Eridanus's struggling in her many-limbed grasp as her long legs wrapped him like a hastily bought gift before she threw him out.

Why had she done that? The challenge of him daring to further hurt her heart? Jealousy? Green wasn't her color, she had told him once. It should be simple enough to understand it for him, and yet apparently impossible.]

It does help that now I can just simply walk on the walls and ceilings of places, to be fair.

Well it.. wasn't so literal before. And you might've still preferred not to have to get your hands dirty. I assumed that was the primary reason why you'd send me to do things for you, since that is something I never mind..

[ but if she'd just thought he was exceptionally talented at that sort of thing, he'll accept that as well. ]

I'm glad you feel that way, however. I wondered if you might not take to this whole.. situation.. very well. The better we adapt to all of this the more of an advantage we'll have. People who have been here for years have been trying to seek a way out, so I don't expect this will turn around tomorrow just because we want it to. If this is the game we have to play in the meantime, then we should become very good at it.

I don't prefer to dirty my hands. And your results were always above expectation, Traejan. It pleased me very much to be able to trust you with such things.

[She breathes a long sigh.]

I miss my daughter, Traejan. The idea that I won't see her any time soon weighs very heavily on my heart. No matter how I try to make the most of this place, that is more like a boulder I am also trying to push up the proverbial mountain. I imagine you feel much the same way, so I will not act as though I am the only one struggling to come to terms with that.

I would give my eyeteeth to have some assurance that she was safe, though. What do you suppose I should do about finding a way to adapt past this? You know I've never been one to give over to my passions recklessly.

[ he can't help but look pleased with himself at first, given how much he enjoys praise. it's short-lived though when rosefica mentions her daughter and refers to his own feelings on the matter, which of course he actively tries to literally drown out and not think about too hard. ]

The more power we have, the easier it will be to act. The easiest source of power are the gods..

[ he glances at her as he pauses for a moment. ]

I assume that's what you're referring to? Or something else? For what it's worth, the Fog God asks nothing from you but loyalty. Her only desire is for us to be free in the truest sense of the word. What you do with what you're given is your choice. Obviously I am not saying that is the only solution, but every day I consider that we're here with no magic or wormholes or anything and we can all discuss magical theory forever and none of it will matter because this world doesn't even operate the same way as we're used to. I'm simply confident that even if you have to play someone else's game, you'll find a way to make it benefit you.

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[Action] [After Tossing Eridanus Out]

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WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, TRAEJAN LIGHTREND. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 011.17.177.13 * BONE_DADDY has joined 011.17.177.13 <BONE_DADDY> They claim this is a place for completely private messages no one else can see. <BONE_DADDY> Unsure if I believe that. <BONE_DADDY>** But.. if you have some pressing message, leave it here.