Feytower - Side Entrance (Glen, Sithani)

Sithani waves a hand dismissively. "Everyone here's a mage; they could figure something out."

"I guess. Then there's also the matter of it being... somewhat... startling, if you don't know what to expect. Is your patron something like that alboleth?"

"Oh no. Well, maybe in terms of age, though I suspect mine is older. That is, assuming our conception of time applies to such as it. It's like... if fire cast a shadow. Except it exists in three dimensions, like a cloud of enormous crow wings, or a cluster of tentacles. And it's full of eyes." Sithani's own eyes are unfocused, like she's remembering a pleasant dream. "It sits there on that scarred plain under writhing constellations, and when you start to understand even a fragment of its glory... well. It's fascinating how unalike we are to the primal things in existence."

A three-dimensional shadow of fire cloud of crow wings and tentacles full of eyes.

Okay.

"Well, at least I can see why the alboleth piqued your curiosity. To make contact with such an entity, to learn and grow from it - you must be fearless. It sounds like something I would not be happy to meet, quite frankly, and I doubt telling it I knew you would be terribly helpful." He chuckles, half-joking, although it sounds like looking at her patron would probably break his brain. But, a cloud made of crow's wings and eyeballs also sounds kind of... funny?

She laughs. "I don't know if it even understands what language is!"

Glen turns to her, shaking his head with a smile. "Very little of what you're telling me about it makes any sense, but as long as you get it, I'll take your word for it."

A painting catches his eye, and he walks over to stop in front of it. A darkened wood, filled with greenery, is lit up gently by dancing fairy lights. A deer drinks from a stream. It's not an exciting painting, nor a terribly uncommon setting *although it's likely one of the more expensive things that Glen has ever seen) and yet, still, it brings him calm and comfort. This painting feels more like his true home - traveling in the wilds, never staying too long in one place - than the village that he and his sister settled down in when they finally stopped traveling. "Ha. See, I would rather run across something like this than the alboleth. Reminds me of my sister and the Silverwoods."

"That's where you're from?"

"Yeah. My sister and I grew up together, moving from place to place in the forest. She eventually settled down in a village not *too* far from the road north to the capital. Naïlo. She and her wife have a house there. I stay with them when I'm in town and I'm technically a member of the tribe, but I don't fit in there." He looks at the painting, smiling. "This is more my speed."

He thinks a moment. "You know, I should be more grateful. The Naïlo elders paid to bring me back after I was murdered, so I should probably be more... open-minded."

"Really? They wanted you to live; that means you should change yourself to be more agreeable to them? Sounds to me like you're agreeable to them just as you are." She shakes her head. "Kindness doesn't create an obligation. We do it... well, because we're kind. If you want to change to fit in better with your tribe, by all means do so, but not because you think it's a duty imposed on you. If they care about you, they'll respect that, and if they tried to buy your conformity with your life..."

Glen looks over at her, surprised at her candid reaction to his musings. "Thanks, Sithani. Your outlook on kindness is... well, it's really good." He smiles. Her words have shown that she gets him.

"I don't think they were trying to buy my conformity - I suspect my sister begged them to bring me back. They still did, and for that I am grateful, but I know that place and those people will never truly be my home. I'll just have to keep looking for the place that feels right." He looks at the painting. "Maybe like this. Maybe not. We'll just have to see. Maybe Miss Siannodel's mission will help me find it."

He turns back to her. "I'm sorry to drone on about myself. Are you from here in Brilight?"

"You can hardly apologise when I've been telling you all about my patron. But yes, I'm from here - from the Sun District to be precise. Born into the lap of luxury." There is a certain sardonic tone to this last sentence.

"Ah, I've heard of the Sun District but never visited. Sounds like you might not be brimming with affection for it."

"Oh, it's not so much that. It's just that such a small proportion of Brilight actually enjoys such luxury. Anyway, while I do enjoy being fashionably late, I'm told it comes across better at parties than when one has a job." She walks over to the door. "Shall we?"

"Good point." Glen joins her, knocks firmly on the door and, unless told to go away, opens it.

[OOC: And now we must wait, pls forgive.]

((No forgiveness necessary! Thanks Fruitbat, this was fun!))

Sent from Topic'it App

(OOC: Thank you too!)

[OOC: This scene continues in "Feytower - Laerdya's Laboratory".]

[Thread Close. You get 50 XP and the aboleth knows what you look like and will never forget.]