Aura of Paranoia (Aislyn)

[Tail]

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"In a way true. But luck is merely child's play. If you take a chance at one thing you could be risking another thing." It was basic cause and effect. What one chooses to do, either; you play by risk or you wait to find out the consequence of your choice. Albeit if it were a good decision or a bad one even.

For the first time in Alvadas, he was starting to feel fairly comfortable. Though, he didn't know whether or not how long he'll be teaching Maya. Aislyns aura flickered. Her aura flared in a warm delicate glow. Reading auras. It was basically a sixth sense one of which that includes all other five senses.

Learning and knowing Auristics is an easy magic to know. Yet it can be quite difficult as well. Aislyn opened up her door to her home and she lead him to a bedroom. Assuming it was a bedroom. Aislyn carefully placed Tail on the edge of the bed. Tail nodded his plump clay head. His fox ears stuck straight up in the air. "Oh, thank you. We can eat, but our quantity of intake has to be very small. We sort of eat like... A little mouse because of our small metabolism. We can also absorb clay, in which we can use it to change what we look like. Right now, I look like a fox and a human. I find having opposable thumbs was useful. Instead of having paws." He said smiling and playing around with his thumbs.

So, she wasn't planning to support him with food. No matter. He lives on his own for a year in Lhavit. Learning and trying to understand his true form of what he'll look like. Unfortunately, ten years of life is not long enough. Well, at least for now it isn't. How is he supposed to figure out who he truly is before passing on? Harameus bless my clay soul. Bless Maya as she looks after me. I follow you as if you were my father. Bless us. He thought. This lady has been so kind and generous so far. Though, he isn't being fed, he can always find his own source of food and what not.

"One hundred, plus twenty five every session?" He said slowly. He was hoping, for a place that didn't trust magic. He thought he could bargain for more. Though, Maya might not be the only person in Alvadas who is looking for someone to teach them magic. "I can live with that, plus you'll probably not be the only person here in Alvadas who wants to learn magic, right?" He chuckled lightly. Coin is what he needs now. To survive and thrive.

So, nothing would happen. Besides getting looked down upon and perhaps being stoned if Tail misused his magic. Auristics isn't as baleful as it might sound. It's a fairly easy magic to learn. In fact, Auristics is the most easiest magic to learn and understand. "Alright. I think I understand now. I'll try to refrain from asking to much about Alvadas and it's ways, if that is what you seek?" He asked her with a curved smile.

Now, she wants the lesson now? Tail sighed heavily thinking for a moment. He looked around, trying to remember what his teacher Flick in Lhavit had told him about Auristics. "Alright to begin. You know of Djed right? The magic that flows throughout Mizahar. You need to understand and be able to control it. Focus in on your senses. Auristics, it's like a sixth sense, it works once all other five senses; sight, taste, hear, and smell work together to formulate the auras around you. All you need is to understand Djed and focus your attention on that one aura."


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[Aislyn Leavold]

So the clay ate… Clay. That was a tad bit strange. It also seemed rather cannibalistic, but Aislyn was in no room to judge. And the clay spoke as if he had chosen what form he had taken, with the talk of liking opposable thumbs. Do clay creatures mold themselves in whatever shape they wished? Did their parents, or whatever spawned them, choose to mold the child in their image? Were these sentient creatures merely art pieces given air to breathe? Every answer brought upon five more questions, it seemed, but at least Aislyn was learning. Education was rather hard to come by in her circumstance, after all.

”Now, don’t misinterpret this, but while Alvadas itself will not punish you...” Aislyn thought over exactly how she wanted to phrase this. The city of illusions could be rather fickle, she supposed. ”...Alvads are not reserved when it comes to displaying displeasure. I may not be the only one interested in magic, but I assure you there are more denizens of this city that would shun such an act rather than embrace it. Like I said, you may not be stoned for simply using your magic, but to use magic is already a slap in the face to the illusions, to advertise it, and take Ionu’s name in vain...” Once again, the illusionist prayed her newfound acquaintance was not a fool. ”...That would put a rather large target on your rather small back.”

”There’s a balance. No one can outright tell if you’re using this ‘auristics’, correct? So you will have no issue.” In normal circumstance, Aislyn would welcome the opportunity to see someone learn firsthand how mercurial the law in Alvadas was, but for the moment, she needed her clay acquaintance to remain out of trouble. After all, though the interpretation of the rules might vary, one thing stayed the same in the city of illusions- the punishment always fits the crime. If Tail couldn't use his magic, he wouldn't exactly be of much use anymore. So Aislyn needed him out of trouble, for the moment. ”But if you go about advertising magic lessons, that is when you will have your problems.”

When the topic switched to the beginning of the lesson, Aislyn took a seat at the table in the center of the room, sliding her notebook so it came to a rest in front of her. Opening to a blank page, she jotted down notes of what the tiny clay ball said. After all, the woman had never seen a magic book in the Sunken Conundrum- or ever, really- so it seemed useful to have at least one written resource for future use. However, she quickly ran into an obstacle at the first hurdle.

”Djed.” That was a new word. Aislyn must have heard it at least once in her life, as the term rung a bell, but to say she had an understanding of it was a different story. ”I apologize, but when I say magic is not spoken of in Alvadas, I really do mean it’s never spoken of. You’ll have to start at the beginning.” When Tail defined it, Aislyn took a piece of charcoal to his words.

Djed. The magic that flows through Mizahar.

Then, the definition of the magic she aimed to learn.

Auristics. A sixth sense, used to read the ‘auras’ of those in proximity.

Setting the charcoal down, Aislyn tried to see just how much concentration the clay expected. In the back of her mind, she always had her focus on upkeeping her illusions. Perhaps this was similar? With her gnosis, Aislyn had always imagined illusionism as an art, like drawing an illusion on the world around her. To create what she wanted, she had to keep it in mind, possibly have a reference, and then create. Auristics seemed like a way to see past that, like to see more than what met the eyes. Aislyn was rather good at that- seeing what wasn’t immediately seen. Any Alvad was, growing up in a city where everything was not as it seemed. It was like looking at a fire but seeing only smoke; focusing on a different part in order to sense the whole. Or smelling smoke. Or breathing in the fumes. All the other senses work together to formulate the auras around you.

For a moment, Aislyn simply thought. The interaction between illusions and reality was an interesting thought, and the way the two might work together even more so. Aislyn’s illusions molded reality to be what she wanted, but could an aura be affected by illusion as well? If Aislyn could see an aura, could she illusion it to appear as something else on more than a physical level? Tail didn’t seem to have much knowledge of illusions, so he certainly couldn’t answer such question, but perhaps, if all of this magic stuff worked out, Aislyn could explore such questions on her own.

All she needed was for this to work out.

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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Auristics. A magic that was easl learnt and wielded. Though, experience is what Tail lacked and he needed to learn more himself. He can't just straight out teach this Maya that he knows, though he can hopefully stall his time to get her to understand what Auristics is and how she'll be able to use it and what not. Tail understood how it worked, well most of it anyhow. There are risk factors of using Auristics and especially when you use too much of it.

"There are a few differences between illusions and Auristics. Illusion is pure disguise. From what I understand, illusions is something without magic. Simply, if I were human I'd probably go around Alvadas and conceal my true self to others. Though, since I am a Pycon. I can't really do that. I don't think. I haven't really heard of anyone doing that as a Pycon. Or anyone non Pycon. Auristics as I said before you'll need a huge level of focus. And with what I'm trying to say, you need tunnel focus. Focus on that one aura. Conjure what Djed you can." Tail took in a breath before continuing. Who k ew he'll be having to explain what Auristics was.

"If you know someone who has something of value that they hold dear. With enough Djed, the magic that flows through the air around us, you'll be able to read it's history one day. I've done that before, but a great deal of a risk comes in play. That outcome is known as Overgiving. It is a consequence when you use too much of your magic. The first few occurances would probably lead to you falling unconscious for awhile..."

Tail recalled his time in Lhavit. Reading the aura of a murder weapon that killed an old man. An old man that was obsessed with his work. Thisbood man was a jewel crafter of a sorts and that old man did not care that his own son had killed him. It was peculiar, really. Though, as Levi, a friend of Tails and a spiritist in Lhavit discovered the gem. The spirit had seemed to go off into a better place. More likely, Diras realm.

"I'll have to start at the beginning?" His brows morphed into a manner of confusion. The clay figure shifted position as he sat on the bed. Thinking more of when magic had been first created. It was definitely before pre-valterrian, right? "Well, it was expressed that the magic, Auristics. If was meant to be a gift from Avalis. The goddess of visions. Some people might think that because you can possibly read the past of auras. They'll be able to read the future. No. You just can't. Being a fortune teller, maybe, but that won't get you very far. I don't think.*

Tail stood up on the bed and started pacing, each step he took across the mattress his clay form shrunk a half inch or so. He took in his surroundings. Trying to understand how Maya organized herself and tried to maybe see things at a different perspective. He could see the difference between each aura that the items inside contained. Some of which were fading. Though, Tail figured that it was because those items hadn't been used in awhile.

"Auras. In analytical terms. They're created, just like when one creates smoke. An aura is created around the object. An aura can depict many other things. Physical properties, internal structures, magic activity, residual activity, and intent."



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[Aislyn Leavold]

As Tail explained Auristics, Aislyn began to wonder about the accuracies of his words. She managed to keep a straight face as he explained illusions- as if she didn’t already know- but for the moment, the tiny clay being was all she had. She had to pay attention to what he said, and, for now at least, take his word as fact. Focus. That seemed to be the main factor in approaching magic. Tail spoke as if magic was such an easy thing.

Just conjure what djed she could. Alright. Aislyn could do that. Aislyn was already doing that. She was conjuring all the djed she could. Which was none. Because she was not a wizard. Because this was Alvadas.

Djed seemed more like a religious experience than a tangible thing at the moment, and Aislyn was certainly not connecting with it. Tunnel vision, the clay had said. Concentrate.

Why was magic so complicated?

For a moment, she listened wordlessly as Tail explained the dangers of reading too far into an aura. ‘Overgiving’. Another new term. Too much magic, unconsciousness… That was problematic. Unconsciousness meant a loss of concentration, and a loss of concentration meant a loss of illusions. Perhaps she would have to practice more of this ‘auristics’ on her own terms, as well as with Tail. It would do her no use to confuse matters with a change of personality. Speaking of confusion…
The small clay creature jumped into a spheel surrounding the history of auristics. Not quite what Aislyn had in mind, but rather useful information, certainly. Eagerly, she noted it, alongside notations of the ‘overgiving’ mentioned earlier.

Overgiving. Consequence of using too much magic. First few occurrences lead to unconsciousness. Further consequences … death?

Avalis. Goddess of visions. Possibly creator of Auristics ? Predict the future read the past.

An idea occurred to her. In a footnote to the side of the Avalis, she recorded a second memorandum. As Tail spoke, she added his facts to musings of her own.

Visualize the feelings of others? History of objects? Physical properties. Internal structures. Magic activity. Residual activity. Intent.

It was almost like she was being teased with the possibility of a great opportunity, only for it to be revealed that such an opportunity was, in reality, unattainable. It was as if she were missing a step. Like she had to unlock this ‘djed’ first, then use it in the way Tail described. But she had only just learned of the existence of such a thing; how was she supposed to learn so fast?
There was nothing more determined than an illusionist with a taste for power.
Challenge was not a new concept. She had learned how to kill in less than a day. She had learned her gnosis almost instantly. She needed to see this from a new perspective, that was all. Tail had mentioned the history of an item. Something of value to someone else, something they held dear.

Careful to keep her movements slow, Aislyn casually reached around behind her neck to unhook her locket. It came off cleanly, her fingers well versed in every nook of the age-old chain. As Tail paced, she slipped a single azure bead off the string before rehooking the necklace around her neck and tucking it back beneath her shirt. In her fingers, she toyed with the small bauble. It was just a bead, of a soft blue colour. It was shiny, and had a hole in the center for the necklace to be strung through. But there was more. She just needed to learn how to see it.

Staring intently at the bead, the woman hoped Tail would ignore her movements, or continue speaking. Anything, as long as she didn’t have to return conversation. In a strange way, the background noise of the clay speaking helped her concentration. Or maybe it didn't. Maybe she was doing this all wrong. Who knew, really?

”Tell me,” The bead passed smoothly between her fingers. Concentrate. ”How did you learn your magic?”


OOCWriting a frustrated Aislyn is an enjoyable experience

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TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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Gail stopped pacing as Aislyr spoke. "Yes Maya?" He asked her curiously. One of his eyebrows cocked in confusion, Tail sat once again. "How did you learn your magic?" Asked Aislyn as she sat playing around with a bead in her hand. Passing it through her fingers. Tail watched intently as if trying to measure her emotion. Tail conjured a slight amount of Sjed, the magic that flows through the air. He sensed Aislyns aura. It was difficult at first. Strong, independent.

"You look..." Tail thought of the word to suit what he's trying to say. "Agitated." He said firmly. He let go. The Djed flowed out of him and Tail could sense it escaping him. He felt relived. "You've asked how I learnt my magic?" Replied the Pycon as he eyed her with a still curious look. "I had my own teacher. In Lhavit. I was his understudy." Said Tail proudly with a sly smile.

Tail had grown slightly tired from all of the use of Auristics of the day. Including the walking and the explaining of how Auristics and Djed works. "What do you want to learn first? As you progress all of these things that Auristics could read. You'll most likely pick them up later on albeit if you either try on your own or with me. It'll come to you once you learn more of it. Beginners are most likely to focus on one aura of the time. It is fairly difficult to sustain a level of concentration. To understand one aura is to understand focus. Focus is key." Said Tai matter of factly as he continued to watch Aislyn pass the bead through her hands.

"Why do you ask where I've learnt the magic from?" He asked cordially.

Tail didn't know a lot about Auristics he's still trying to discover a lot of other things that it takes part with as well. "Please, could you show me how Ionu works her illusions?" He said slowly.

"I need to know. If I'm to live here for the time being." He looked at the girl with the glasses. He was curious and his want for learning itched Tail. He didn't like the anticipation.

"I... Need to know."



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[Aislyn Leavold]

It was a bead. It was blue, with the slightest hint of green. It was almost the colour of the Suvan, though slightly richer than what the waters of the sea had to offer. It was perfectly round, though there was the faintest chip on one side next to the hole in the bead. Tail’s conversation droned on behind her, and with the hand that wasn't holding the bead Aislyn absentmindedly noted his words.

Lhavit. Magical city.

Again, he repeated the mantra about focus. Again, Aislyn focused. There was nothing else in the world other than the bead. The whole world surrounded this tiny piece of glass, or perhaps it was clay? No, it looked like glass. It felt like glass. Gradually, Aislyn closed her eyes. ‘Djed’. Surely she must have used that to craft her illusions? But she neither grew tired nor bled from her eyes when she utilized her mark, no matter how long she held her illusions up. Or perhaps that wasn’t true. Eventually, they did fizzle out and die, but they could be refreshed easily, like a fresh coat of paint. To create an illusion was to paint a new reality, choose a sense- a colour, a shade- and craft a work of art. To view an aura was to inspect reality, inspect that paint, and see where it came to form. How it came to form.
That’s how it seemed, at least.

Now, Aislyn needed to focus on that paint. The ‘djed’ was her brush, and she had it within her, somewhere. Her right hand drew aimless lines on a blank page blindly as she focused, clearing her mind as best she could. In her left, she still clutched the bead. One aura at a time.

It was a bead. It was blue. There was so much more to that, why couldn’t she see it? For long chimes she sat in silence, until it felt like even if she wanted to her eyes wouldn’t open anymore. Like her eyelids had permanently been shut by some unseen force. Like she was asleep, except her mind was still awake. It was dark. Very, very dark. She was blind to magic, and she was trying to see. Except someone who had been blind for all their life had no idea what seeing was like, no matter how it was described. If something was said to be red, how would someone that had never seen ‘red’ before know what to think of? Colourblindness made everything look alike, no matter how well something was described. It was like imagining a new colour. Impossible.

Well, impossibilities be damned, she was an artist. And an illusionist, to add on to that. If there was anyone that should have been able to think up an entirely new colour, it was her.

There was a brief moment of silence in between explanations, and in it, Aislyn let the darkness become everything. A dark room. Not even a room, for there were no walls. Just darkness, with a single bead enveloped within it. A blue bead. A slightly green, mostly blue, glass bead. Even with her eyes closed, she could see it very clearly. It was blue, it was green, and it was...

All of a sudden, Aislyn had the urge to open her eyes once again.

When she did, everything looked very different. Like her eyes were unfocused; slightly blurred. Like she was going cross-eyed, or she had opened her eyes underwater. Was this it? The bead was blue, it was made of glass, and it was so much more. It looked quiet, like its story had been dormant for a long time. It looked… Sad, almost. It looked like faded paint, scratched with the wear and tear of time. Aislyn could hear the blood rushing in her ears. That wasn’t from the bead, was it? No, it couldn’t be from the bead. She could see the bead, but could she hear it as well? Focus, focus.

The bead was blue. It was old, it was hers. Or, no, it wasn’t. But she knew that already. She knew who it belonged to. Faintly, beneath the blue tinge, there was the occasional flash of red. The true owner, from all those years ago. Was it possible to listen to an aura? What would an aura say? Staring at the bead intensely, the rushing of blood in her ears spread to the front of her forehead, where a headache began to take root. Look. See. Listen.
Aislyn closed her eyes again.
It was dark. It was quiet.
The bead screamed.

Immediately, Aislyn pushed backwards in her chair, nearly toppling it over. With a start, she regained her balance, pulling herself back towards the table. Tail had been speaking; she hadn’t even noticed. Pushing her left palm to her forehead to still the rush of heat, her right fell on empty space where the artist had believed she’d put her charcoal down. Struggling to focus blurry vision on the table, she found the previous piece to be snapped in half atop a page of scribbles. Her hand was coated in black. Attempting to play off her sudden outburst, she focused on the smudges. Had that been an aura? When she had opened her eyes, what she had seen looked nothing like what she’d expected. It wasn’t just a glowing mist around the object, it was… Alive. Or… No, not alive. Not in the living, breathing sense. It had feeling.

Picking a new piece of charcoal from behind the sketchbook, the illusionist documented every detail of what exactly she had done as she answered Tail’s questions hoarsely. Her throat burned, like she’d just run across the city full speed without even leaving her home. Her gnosis had never done that. Perhaps trying more than one sense was not something she was meant to be attempting at the moment. Besides, she already knew plenty about the bead. It was hers, after all. At least, it was now.
”I ask because… I’m curious. Nothing much more to it.” She paused, attempting to catch her breath without leading on that she had lost it in the first place. ”You’ll need to be more specific than that with your questions.” She stalled for the moment, allowing her time to breathe before launching into a full-scale explanation. ”What illusions in particular? The city? The people? Or...”
There were plenty of independent illusions that held no allegiance. ”...Something else?”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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Tail spotted a little something in Aislyns hand. The aura passed through each and everyone of her fingers as she appeared to be tensed and intent on concentrating. Was she trying to understand how Auristics worked already? Surely, she hasn't read the aura of the bead yet. Had she? Tail was slightly confused of this Maya. He didn't know what to think of her as of yet.

”I ask because… I’m curious. Nothing much more to it.”

"Well, if you ever find yourself in Lhavit, you could pay a visit to my teacher who resides there. He'll most likely teach you." Said Tail with a sly smile across his face as he stopped pacing and sat his legs drapped over the edge of the bed.

Tail's fox ears perked up as he continued to understand the sense of tension. "You're tense. You should relax. Learning Auristics is difficult. You should rest before you give in to the temptation." Said the fox as he looked over at Aislyn, feeling worried. He didn't want to come into her home and teach her magic to just kill her the first day. That would be a negative on his reputation. That's not all that he cared about. He didn't want to harm his own students.

”What illusions in particular? The city? The people? Or...Something else?”

"Everything. I'd like to know how it all works. What I can use it for, what I can't. I'll like to know, all you know." Said Tail looking at her intently. The want to know everything teased him. He needed to ingest all knowledge he can. He has to. It is his life time goal. Or at least that is what he deems it to be.

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[Aislyn Leavold]

Setting the bead down on the table, Aislyn sighed. She still had no idea what she was doing. What she had done had seemed more like a hallucination than actual magic, and Tail was certainly right about one thing- Auristics was difficult.

”I do not plan on leaving Alvadas anytime soon,” she paused to note Tail’s offer on the paper before her. Within Lhavit- Auristics teacher? ”But your offer is certainly appreciated.”

For a moment, she pondered asking more questions of Tail about this Lhavit. If Aislyn did ever leave Alvadas, it seemed all signs pointed to this strange, foreign city. It was the only one she had heard on multiple occasions, after all; and even then, she knew next to nothing about it. Tail’s questions weighed on her mind. Illusions, where to begin?

”In Alvadas, the streets change,” She had to start somewhere, after all. ”As I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

”That’s controlled by Ionu, and Ionu alone.” Supposedly. If Aislyn were entirely honest, she more believed the idea that Alvadas was alive, versus Ionu being the one controlling every single change. Even if it was Their power that caused the change, it seemed like it would get awfully redundant for one god to personally rearrange the layout of a city each and every waking moment. Or perhaps Ionu did personally control it, how would Aislyn know? Perhaps They enjoyed the redundancy of it all. ”There’s no way to reliably maneuver about Alvadas, and there’s no way to tell where you’ll end up.”

”Usually, attitude is everything. No one really minds when you show up, after all. Just as long as you show up, in the end.” Taking a breath, Aislyn got up from her seat, tossing a glance out the window before continuing. ”You go out cursing the city and all she stands for, and you’ll end up walking in circles for bells.” The best direction is no direction, as the Alvad saying always went. ”You go out on a whim, and perhaps then you’ll find your way. It’s all a gamble, in the end.”

Aislyn had learned early on that the city hailed to no master, and certainly hailed to no citizen. Perhaps Alvadas was kinder to those that were kind to it- illusionists, Speakers, Listeners, maybe- but even then they were treated like old friends. Poked fun at, played with, and only occasionally given favors. There were no straight lines in Alvadas, no way around that would lead you to your destination without fail. There was only hope, and faith in Ionu.

”The illusions you’d see on the streets- say, for example, flying fish, or maybe giant bees- they’re unlikely to hurt you, so just go along for the ride. The more you resist the illusions, the more the illusions’ll get to you.” Aislyn often made friends with those short-lived illusions; they were akin to those she created with her mark, after all. On occasion she would interact with them, utilizing her gnosis to create some new element to the illusion. Adding on to it, like one big mural she painted alongside Ionu themself. She took solace in such moments. After all, those ‘normal’ illusions were crafted by her god, and walking alongside them made her feel that much closer to Ionu. ”Those ones differ day by day, bell by bell.”

”On the other hands, some illusions don’t change for several days, perhaps even seasons.” Aislyn tried to think of a time where she’d ever laid out her thoughts on illusions so concisely. She’d tried explaining to Sayana, once, but not quite to this extent. Perhaps it was the mizas, perhaps it was just her mood. Either way, she was on a roll, and there was no reason to stop now. ”You could wake up one day and the whole city was underwater, or suspended in the sky.” She shrugged. ”Usually, those won’t harm you either, but if you think yourself smarter than the city...” Aislyn thought back to when the city had been flooded, and a man had tried to figure out how they could all suddenly breathe underwater. Poor fool had drowned, right then and there.
”...It doesn’t end well.”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS

[Tail]

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”I do not plan on leaving Alvadas anytime soon,”

Said Aislyn simply. Tail observed the pause before she spoke. She does plan on leaving, not soon though. If she needs Tail to assist her, she'll most likely follow him. Though, it'd take time. That's if these first few lessons go well. ”But your offer is certainly appreciated.” Tail took a breath of relief as he observed the looks in Aislyns eyes once more. She looks... Tired. Almost as if energy slowly poured out of her.

"My teacher goes by the name of Flick. If you see him. He's a human with blonde hair. If you overhear Auristics, you'll most likely know it's him." Said Tail kindly as he took his eyes elsewhere, looking around the large bedroom he studied the auras of the objects. Well, he skimmed them. He didn't focus on them as he didn't want to exert himself into Overgiving. He shook his head a bit. A feeling of dizziness slowly crept inside him. The sensation of Djed flowed out and Tail felt a calming sensation.

”In Alvadas, the streets change,” Tail looked over to Aislyn and nodded, taking this information in. He could feel the knowledge slowly stepping inside his head. As if a new door opened up. ”As I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

"Yeah..." Said Tail a bit exhaustedly. Tail watched Aislyn intently, perking up his fox like ears for hearing as he listened. Watching. She continued to speak. ”That’s controlled by Ionu, and Ionu alone.”

'So, Ionu is active? Does she ever visit the city of Alvadas? Or does she control it from above and let the people do whatever?' Thought Tail as he listened. Tail should really pay his respect to the Illusion goddess. If he ever ticks her off. Tail would pay the worse of consequences. It seemed like a rough domain to live within. Being under the control of a goddess, instead of government. "So, if Ionu controls the city with her illusions. Do matters give in her hand in political views?" Asked Tai curiously wondering how Alvadas still worked. Both physically and politically.

”There’s no way to reliably maneuver about Alvadas, and there’s no way to tell where you’ll end up.” Tail pondered that for a few moments as he continued to sit on top of the mattress. He didn't understand. He should. He wanted to. He couldn't. Breath. Just breath. In and out, his breathing was slow, yet steady. "What does that mean exactly? Do you always have to wish upon Ionu to get where you wanted?" Asked Tail, feeling a bit confused and agrivated at the same time.

”You go out cursing the city and all she stands for, and you’ll end up walking in circles for bells.”

"So what kind of alternative should you take? What precautions..." Ionus domain... It feels like a harsh place to live in. But, as long as it provides the protection the citizens and guests need. They'll be fine, right?

”You go out on a whim, and perhaps then you’ll find your way. It’s all a gamble, in the end.”

Hmmm. A gamble. Tail isn't too good with gambles. He's a bit risky when it comes to them. Surely, he'll be lucky some times though... Some times.

"Are there Illusions that can harm a living being?" Asked Tail. Sure, illusions can be made to scare of others. Though, do they have the ability of making any physical contact? Ever since Tail was born he had realized that to listen to those whom are teaching and talking, you can learn more than one thing at a time. Though, he hasn't figured out how to completely understand illusions. He must know. He must! He shall.

They're not done here. Not yet. It appeared that Aislyn was still talking and explaining of the illusions. Tail sighed a bit tired still from reailding all of these auras. Well, at least conjuring Djed. Or was it just from the lengthy walk?

”The illusions you’d see on the streets- say, for example, flying fish, or maybe giant bees- they’re unlikely to hurt you, so just go along for the ride. The more you resist the illusions, the more the illusions’ll get to you.”

"So, you don't resist them. They'll be more aggressive?" Said Tail in almost complete confusion. Understanding Ionu is difficult. Why did she have to make the concept of illusions to be challenging to the mind? Or it just might be Tail. Who knows.


”Those ones differ day by day, bell by bell.On the other hands, some illusions don’t change for several days, perhaps even seasons.”Tail nodded somewhat awkwardly. Getting the slight understanding of what illusions can do and when they can happen.”You could wake up one day and the whole city was underwater, or suspended in the sky.” 'Illusions, can be quite deceiving.' Thought Tail as he noted it down.

"So, Ionu could manipulate her people with illusions. Doesn't it seem, peculiar that your all pawns in a game? We're all pawns. You must understand that, right. You can't trust every God here on Mizahar. It's chance whether you befriend them or not and it's risk." Said Tai calmly. He hoped that Maya understood.

”Usually, those won’t harm you either, but if you think yourself smarter than the city...” Tail understood. He didn't need Maya to finish the sentence. ”...It doesn’t end well.” She said. She held the azure bead in her hand and Tail watched. "So, Ionu can manipulate her illusions any way she wants? She doesn't have any limitations. So one day, she could just barricade Alvadas and imprison the people? Would she ever do something like that? Probably for a good reason maybe, but..."

"It's getting fairly late, you must be tired. I am as well. We can talk more about the magics in the morning, yeah?"

OOCWriting a stressed Tail is difficult, yet fun and long...

This is an option for speech.
This is an option for speech.

[Aislyn Leavold]

Flick. Human; blonde hair.

”Political views?” Aislyn had never thought much of Alvad politics before. She supposed the Speakers could be considered political figures, but there wasn’t really anything to tell. The only reference the woman had of the political systems of other cities was through books, of which weren’t exactly the epitome of accuracy and oftentimes didn’t even include the name of the city they were describing. They didn’t even mention how the Speakers or Listeners of other cities functioned, or if Ionu touched their cities as they did Alvadas.
”Ionu shows favor to those that show respect the city. There’s no unfair favor.”

”If I am to speak frankly,” Now that she thought about it, the city of illusions could seem rather daunting to someone that had never experienced before. ”There are no precautions. You’ll find your way- eventually- I assure you. Alvadas does not care what rush you are in, but it is not a cruel mistress.”

When Tail asked of harmful illusions, Aislyn hesitated.

The city is ill. They are coming.

She didn’t want to scare off her new acquaintance, but the city did come with its dangers. But so did every city. Aislyn had gone twenty-one years without ever losing trust in her city. It was safe to say what had happened in winter was not something that would happen regularly.
”That is a rare occurrence.”

When Tail repeated her phrase, Aislyn sighed as she went to push her hair away from her face. ”No, you misunderstand. You don’t resist the illusions, the illusions don’t resist you.” It was a simple concept- to Aislyn, at least- give and you shall receive. If what was given was respectful to the city, what would be given would be kind. Why wasn’t he understanding?

”Ionu is not a malicious deity.” When Tail began to probe on the question of pawns, Aislyn furrowed her brow. He was so misguided. Turning to face the clay ball, Aislyn managed with some difficulty to keep her tone even. ”Ionu does not manipulate the people, that’s not what I said.” He was twisting her words. Why? ”Ionu has control over the illusions of Alvadas. Ionu does not manipulate the city in the way you seem to think.” Alvadas lived, it breathed, just as any denizen of it did. Alvadas followed its own rules, and it spoke out when it was wronged. To question Ionu’s authority in their own city…

”Ionu creates illusions like an artist creates their craft. Each illusion is a work of art, and has a will of its own.” Aislyn personally played both the part of the artist and the illusionist. She knew how these things worked. Why didn’t he accept that? ”They are living works of art, and to label them as mere annoyances...” Aislyn took a breath. She was going to be housing the clay lump for the season, at least. She needed to stay on good terms with him. ”...Is disrespectful.”

’You can’t trust every God here on Mizahar. It’s chance whether you befriend them…’
Chance. Chance. Aislyn inadvertently murdered a man at the age of fifteen, her deity showed her mercy in the form of a portion of Their power and she was to believe it was chance? She faces down insurmountable odds in what seemed like the end of Alvadas at the age of twenty-one, staring death in the face, and her deity rewarded her, yet her actions were an act of chance, rather than the will of her god?
”You…” Rubbing her temples, Aislyn took a moment to face away from the side of the room the clay infiltrated. ”...do not understand.”

When Tail mentioned manipulating illusions in any circumstance, Aislyn had a glimmer of hope that the sentence would end respectfully. Unfortunately, it turned out to be quite the opposite. ”Gods do not have limitations.” Barricade Alvadas and imprison the people? Ionu preserve her mind, was the ungrateful lump of clay delusional? When she spoke again, the illusionist sharpened her tone slightly. Tail was exactly the kind of person to end up walking straight into a pit of killer bees on his way out to the market. ”What's your definition of a good reason?”

”Any God could come down at this moment and smite us where we stand. You say you believe in only your creator,” What had he called the god? Harameus. What a peculiar title. ”What if such a deity were to suddenly find ‘a good enough reason’ to eliminate every one of your race?” Surely that must make him see how blasphemous his words seemed. And they were nothing but blasphemy, after all. It didn't matter what he said; his words held no truth.

”I digress,” Perhaps it was late by Tail’s standards, but Aislyn wasn't particularly ready to attempt unconsciousness yet. After all, sleep was not exactly a thing that came to her liberally anymore. ”Perhaps rest is in order. I'll be staying up for a while longer, but if you'd like you can sleep now.”

~

TRUTH IN ILLUSIONS