Making Connections

[Celeste Arumen]

35th Day of Fall, 513 AV

Appearances were absolutely everything. Celeste could only present the best possible image for Amaryllis. With painstaking effort, she’d brushed her hair until it shone, polished the grime off her heart-shaped earrings and donned her arcane robes, the gold accent flowing nicely alongside the auric glow of her phials, each one carefully wrapped to be fit for presentation. Elsene had threatened an extra three days of work for use of the materials, but it was worth it. By the end of the day, she’d either be dead or further along the path to political supremacy and either way, the extra labor seemed inconsequential at best.

She stretched, attempting to ignore the hammering of her heart. This was certainly not going to be easy. It was difficult to say just what she even expected out of this little impromptu affair. Garnering favor was one thing, but Amaryllis was the most well connected official in the Citadel. She’d clearly see right through the maneuver and when Celeste was prompted on what she truly desired, that she could not say. Maybe she wanted to be simply recognized, so when the time came, the Chief Embalmer would know her to be valuable. Perhaps there was a hidden opportunity to be found, one she’d not thought of. Whatever the risk, whatever the reward, she only knew one thing for certain; it was worth it. So she went, breathing deeply, rehearsing what she wanted to say.

The walk was mercifully short, the only real noise being the soft tinkling of her earrings as she moved across the way. Celeste always loved to admire the architecture. Take away all the adornment and a wall was still a wall, yet the Alaheans had a special talent for making the decorative look wholly necessary. The stucco and mosaic, the taper and garland, each worked in harmony to provide a stark, dramatic effect, which lent the whole place an especially rich and tasteful feeling. Celeste tried to distract her worried mind with the filigree of the overhead beams, her eyes tracing the etching, so very akin to the energy that flowed boundlessly through her. Everything was simply a reflection. In the end, life was nothing more than a pastiche of itself, replicating flawlessly the very djed that gave it meaning and shape.

Her philosophical thoughts were rudely interrupted by the approach of Amaryllis’ office. Celeste sighed and after casting a single last look over the placid waters of the central bathing pool, she turned and knocked on the door lightly, waiting for a reply. The wrapped packages winked emerald and gold up at her in the faint, azure light. If there were to be a reply, her stomach would flip and she’d enter, doing her best to swallow the rising gorge.

Whatever happened, it would likely be for the best. Right?

[Mirage]

Amaryllis sat behind her ornate desk, papers scattered and stack all around her. She did not seem to notice when Celeste entered, and her eyes kept scanning the parchment she held in her hands. From time to time she would make a note, a scribble or two, and then go back to reading. She wore her usual peacock feather robes, briliantly colored and flowing. The nuit's flesh, while pale, seemed to hold the slightest flush of color unlike any other nuit that traversed the Citadel. Her body seemed fresh, not even a hint of rot marred the smooth flesh and her nails were painted in intricate swirls, each a work of art. Her hair was long and flowed loosely over her shoulders to her back.

If Celeste did not make a move to call attention to herself Amaryllis would go on as she was, not noticing the Initiate until a full chime later. Brushing a strand of hair from her face she would glance up, back down, and then up once more. Slowly placing the parchment down she would lower her quill, eyes searching Celeste up and down, an slightly annoyed expression crossing her features, "It is customary to knock if you come unannounced, which you should never do. Who are you, what business do you have with me, and why have you not made an appointment?" Brisk and business like, Amaryllis would raise an eyebrow, falling silent until Celeste finally replied.

[Celeste Arumen]

Celeste froze for a brief moment. She could’ve sworn she had been called in, but perhaps she’d heard wrong. Regaining her composure, she smiled, the inverted triangle just below her left ear tinting her teeth a flawless, pearly white. Amaryllis was notoriously preoccupied with beauty, having been an Eypharian in a past life. Presentation was everything. She bowed but not too low, showing just enough respect without prostrating herself. ”Good afternoon, Lady Amaryllis. My apologies for arriving unannounced. I’m truly sorry.” Okay, well that was a start anyway.

”When I heard of your beauty, I had to see it for myself though, it seems even words cannot suffice. Please, accept this tribute. It is my hope you’ll find it to your liking.” She moved gracefully forward, eyes low, placing the colorfully wrapped phials on the desk before her. They were kept in paper-thin glass, layered in gossamer green wrapping, each neck encircled with a bow of twine – simple, but elegant. The scent wafting from the corked opening was mild, but divine. Celeste felt adrenaline dancing madly through her veins.

When she glanced up, her expression was confident but slightly contrite. She needed to be aware of her transgressions. No one simply walked into the Chief Embalmer’s office without knocking – even though she did knock – and no one came in unannounced. ”My name is Celeste Arumen,” she said softly, looking Amaryllis in the eye. ”Apprentice and Initiate to Riyanna Sterder, Warden of the Prairie.” She knew that the woman was likely already aware of her, at least vaguely. There weren’t many pulsers on the island.

What came to pass next was utterly in the Nuit’s hands. She’d know there had been no requisition order for those phials, that they were handmade and further, that Celeste was clearly apprenticed for a completely different art form altogether. She couldn’t really say what these things would mean to the woman. The young girl only hoped the reaction would be positive. Otherwise, she was in a world of trouble.

Elsene’s words rang out in her mind. ’Tractable,’ she had said. Celeste would have to look useful, but easily manipulated. She bit her lip and gathered her hands, casting her gaze to the floor. It wouldn’t do to look too confident, too in control. Her heart clattered out a desperate rhythm. Gods, she hoped this would work.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis glanced at the vials, though quickly her gaze came back to Celeste. She made no move to accept them, or even to acknowledge their existence. Drumming her fingers slowly on her arm Amaryllis spoke in a measured tone, "Ah, so you're the newest piece in the game. Celeste was it? Take a seat." She motioned to the cushioned chair that sat before her desk.

Picking up the feathered quill once more Amaryllis began scribbling on her parchment, eyes intent on her work, "Your master does not know what your up to." It wasn't a question, it was a statement of fact, "Some might say you are being bold, taking the initiative, playing the game as it were." She would make a long streak through once sentence, lifting her eyes to catch Celeste's as she did, "They are wrong."

Rolling up the parchment the Embalmer would take a bit of red twine, tying it so that the scroll would not come undone, "In fact what you are doing now is perhaps the most foolish thing you could possibly do in Sahova. You have placed your life into my hands, given me all of the pieces, and you have left yourself with no options or escape."

Setting the scroll aside Amaryllis would cross her legs, folding her arms under her breasts, tilting her head back slightly to look down her nose at the Initiate, "I know why you have come, and sadly girl you are not ready to play on my level. You would have done well to think harder and listen to Elsene's advice. You come bearing a gift to open the lines of negotiation, however, you have nothing of interest to me and I hold much that you need and want. You want to form alliances, where as I have no need of any further parties supporting my action. Tell me girl, Celeste, of what use are you to me?"

She absently glanced at her nails, seeming to take more interest in them than in the girl before her, "You have three chimes to tell me what you have to offer me, and why I should not simply have you taken and thrown into the dungeons for your arrogance. If you cannot convince me then you will quickly be stripped of all rank and title, your Master will be rounded up and most likely killed, for I doubt that she would go willingly. Then, very slowly, you will watch as Brom and Tierra are tortured right before your eyes, until they finally die on the table." She looked up at Celeste, "You are playing games with the lies of everyone you love. If you fail it will not be only you that suffers, but each and every person you hold dear. This is what you have suddenly walked into. Then tell me, two chimes and forty ticks you have to show me that you are a real piece on the board, and not just a silly girl playing games. You're not in Alvadas any longer." The nuit smiled a very knowing smile.

[Celeste Arumen]

Celeste felt her blood run cold. As the Emblamer spoke, her gut curled in on itself, knotting desperately in fear. She’d seriously underestimated her opponent and now she’d pay for it, at the cost of many lives. The little initiate hadn’t thought she’d put them at risk! Years of living on her own, of having nothing to lose, of being the blackmailer rather than the blackmailee, had made her blind to consequence. Stomach bile embarked on a steady upward climb, unrelenting as she struggled to maintain control.

’Don’t you dare,’ her mind spat back at her. ’Don’t you go shutting down now. Think about what you’d planned to say!’ But she couldn’t remember. The image of Riyanna, struggling as she was cut down before the Council of Five, as Amaryllis yanked at her chains… Fear gave way to anger, rage. What could she hope to accomplish by killing her, anyway? What good would it do her?

Wait. Amaryllis had known she’d come. She’d anticipated this, knew everything there was to know about the little girl from Alvadas. This was a plan, one with a set outcome. It was a tactic to disarm her, to see what she was made of. Celeste had done this same thing before, using the intimate knowledge of someone’s life against them. ”Had that been your plan all along, you wouldn’t have given me three chimes,” she finally said, biting back tears. What did she have now? Two chimes? Now was the time to talk fast.

”You knew I’d come. You wouldn’t have bothered with threatening me at all if you didn’t think I had something to show you. This is just a power play, to see what I’m made of.” As she spoke, her confidence grew. She would not give this up without a fight, for Riyanna’s sake if nothing else. ”I’ve noticed some things I thought I’d share with you –“ she maintained, breathing deeply, trying to calm her nerves. This was what she’d prepared to say before the woman had rattled her composure. ”things I’m certain you already know.”

”The TAR is malfunctioning and I find that fact peculiar, as do many others I’m sure. Whether this was planned or not, I cannot say. The fact is however, the Island has seen more humans within the last few seasons than ever before. The balance of power is shifting. Pieces like me are starting to occupy the board and before long, they’ll be swearing their allegiances left, right and center.”

She shifted. One chime, ten ticks. ”No one would expect you to throw your support in with me. No one would expect me to ascend to any kind of power within the Citadel. The unexpected strategy often tends to be the most effective strategy, wouldn’t you agree?” Her eyes were meaningful. She was obvious referring to whatever had put Qiao into power.

Fourty ticks.

”You know I can get around unseen.” To demonstrate, she turned the phials upon the desk to nothing more than an innocuous stack of paperwork. ”You control the flow of information and whether or not others know it, too. You can control me and I will obey.” There was fire in her eyes. ”And you know I will. So long as I get what I want out of it.”

Ten ticks.

”I’m not in Alvadas any longer,” she said, shifting the papers back to her gift of tribute. ”I’m home.”

And she smiled with her teeth, all the fear and anger and spite she could manage hidden beneath a porcelain veneer.

[Mirage]

Amaryllis did not move, her eyes watching with one raised eyebrow arching high. She drummed her fingers softly, and finally when Celeste finished she would reach forward and accept the vial as it changed back to its original form. Opening the top the nuit would lightly sent the fragrance, eyes intent on the bribery as she said, "They are all dead. Your Master, your fellow Initiates, and everyone else you hold dear." Capping the perfume and setting it aside Amaryllis folded her hands in her lap, looking to Celeste once more, "Or they will be, unless you quickly learn the lessons I have to teach."

She smiled slowly, looking down to a loose leaf sheet of parchment, picking it up and scanning a few lines, "Never again will you play your hand as you have. Do not offer your greatest secret as a bargaining chip. Surely a follower of Ionu would no better." Taking up her quill Evalin began to scribble, "Your tactics are near non existent, and were it not I you surely would be dead now along with all those you hold dear. Tell me girl how much work have you done in preparation for this meeting? Do you know who my contacts are? Do you know where my allegiance lie? Do you have any idea of what it is I seek to accomplish?" She chuckled, "No... There is no need to answer, for I HAVE done my preparations. Then Celeste Arumen, I give you this as your first lesson."

She finished writing, folding the sheet of paper and storing it away, "Learn it well. In Sahova you play with lives, not Illusions. You tamper with forces beyond your control, and with people who can rend the fabrics of this reality. You deal with the mad, and the insane, and the terribly terribly brilliant." She looked up, her eyes hard, "You can never afford to know less than your opponent, and you must accept that no one here will aid you willingly. The ties of contracts are feeble and easily broken, and you cannot trust even the words of those closest to you. I have no need for foolish pawns, I can collect those at any time. Never make a move until you know more about your opponent than they know about themselves."

Leaning forward the Master Embalmer steepled her fingers, looking threw them at the Initiate, "Your one and only mistake has been made today. You cannot afford to so much as stumble from this point on. If you do, death will not await you. No something far worse than death shall be your prize." She was not smiling now, "Well then child here are your options. Leave this office now and go back to your Master where you will find true love and companionship. You will be truly happy there, doing as she wishes, and safe as you may be in Sahova. Or you may stay here, and become my piece in this game. If you do you will suffer, and so shall any and all you hold dear. You will never find happiness, and you will be unable to trust anyone, not even those that you call friend." She waved a hand to Celeste, motioning to the door, "Decide now child, and decide carefully, for you shall never be able to undo what comes next."

[Celeste Arumen]

She froze. The taste of failure was like ash upon her tongue. For just a brief moment, she thought of Kit – and of home. She should’ve follow the girl to Ravok instead, lived in sin and debauchery. She should’ve stayed in Alvadas. Anything but this. But Amaryllis once again had other plans and visibly relieved, the little girl sank into her chair. Gods, she was cruel. Worse than Grams had ever been.

No, she did not know who her contacts were, or where her loyalties led. The young girl felt sick. She could’ve sworn Amaryllis had already known about her illusionism. How else would she have guessed about Elsene? Did the woman report to the Chief Embalmer? ’Of course she does,’ her mind replied spitefully. ’Why else would the woman be allowed to operate as she does? Where do you think the Chief Embalmer gets her perfume in the first place?’ There was a deep shame in her heart, suddenly. She should’ve known better. Ionu was doubtless, disappointed in her.

She listened closely, her mouth a grim line. This was the choice given her. Celeste suddenly felt as if she were on a precipice, looking into the inky blackness beyond. She could jump and perhaps die, or she could stand, forever gazing upon the terrifying unknown. The idea that everyone around her would suffer turned her inside out, too. Riyanna had shown her nothing but kindness and love. She couldn’t betray her.

There was a moment of pure indecision. ’Ionu,’ she thought. ’What do I do?’ In silence, she beseeched Them. She reached within her heart. Beneath the layers and layers of regret and pain, the answer awaited. She would serve his will. This had been her destiny from the moment Isolde cradled her in those withered arms. If ever there was an opportunity to change something profoundly, to imagine a better place, it was through serving Amaryllis’ wicked will. She had to start somewhere, after all.

So she leapt, in spite of everything, leapt with arms wide open.

”Words are like stones from a sling.” She grew older, just for a moment. ”Once cast, you can’t call them back.” The young apprentice paused. ”I will learn.” Gods forgive her. She could only hope she hadn’t just thrown her life away.

”And I will never, make these mistakes again.”

[Mirage]

e
The Embalmer nodded slowly, sitting back and folding her hands in her lap, "Very well, then your choice is made." Picking up another document on her desk Amaryllis began to skim once more, "Your time as a child is over. Your days of happy and carefree pleasure have come to an end. It is best that you come to terms with this and accept it as quickly as possible."

The document seemed to be capturing most of Amaryllis' attention, with each line her eyebrow rose just a little more, and then suddenly it was like she remembered that Celeste was still there. Lowering the paper the woman leveled a gaze at the girl, looking her up and down, "Well now, it seems we have come to an accord of sorts. You have peeked my interest, and I will remember your name in the future. Do not contact me again unless I summon for you, and it may be some time before that happens." The Nuit was quickly growing tired of the conversation, this beginning to show in her voice, "I will contact you when I have need of your services, and should you do well at the task I set to you then we shall talk of your future in Sahova."

Raising the paper the woman waved a hand in dismissal, "Now then, unless you have further business with you I shall leave you to find your way to the door. Oh, and Celeste dear," She lowered the paper to stare at the girl with cold eyes, "Do not speak of our contact with anyone, not even your Master. You are now a piece of mine in the game, and so I will be keeping watch over you. Be mindful of what you say, and who you say it too." She would look at Celeste for a moment more before disappearing behind the parchment once more, making it clear that she felt their meeting was over.

OOCRather abrupt I know, but that is Amaryllis for you ^.^
e

[Celeste Arumen]

Celeste nodded. It was unnecessary to say anything further. She’d never anticipated a life of happiness in Sahova. The mere fact it’d been an option at all was truly beyond belief. And whatever she might say to the contrary, Riyanna’s behavior had grown strange. It was almost as if she was saying goodbye, each time they embraced. Was it because of this strange and twisted path she’d undertaken? Or were they merely two ribbons entwined for a brief, blissful moment, before the wind carried them apart?

”Thank you,” she replied, rising on leaden feet. Just as Amaryllis bade her, she numbly walked to the door. So it was done, then. In the final moment she called her back, just to remind her of what she already knew. ”Yes. Of course.” She wouldn’t tell another living soul. She’d long since chosen her path. Now it was simply to walk it, to bear it with pride.

She moved without thinking. Her feet carried her along. She could not rebuke Elsene for betraying her. She could not express her dread to Riyanna, not to Brom, Tierra or anyone else. This was true loneliness. It frightened her to think that her life would soon be drowned in the feeling. It was worse even, because she could now contemplate what she had given up. Happiness, safety as Amaryllis had said. Lhex had granted her love so that she could understand sorrow.

So she embraced it. The apprentice swallowed down the lump in her throat, with such conviction that it loosened and fell within her. It took up residence somewhere inside. It began to take root. Celeste carried this stone, this seed in her heart and nurtured it, fed it so that it might grow, that it might one day consume the grief that was sure to follow.

End!I think we're good here!

[Mirage]

Celeste

XP:
Rhetoric: 3
Persuasion: 4
Negotiation: 3
Politics: 2

Lores:
Amaryllis: A new Contact
Amaryllis: A Warning of Silence
Lore of Self: An End of Happiness

Grave Points
+2 (New Contact)

Additional:
Good job!! You also are the first person to receive Grave Points in Sahova! Please add them to a separate Ledger in your CS . Now then, time to move forward with the plots