Curiosities and Enchantments

[Savis Maren]

51st of Autumn, 518

Deep within the halls of Bharani Library, Savis Maren engaged in a bit of study. Strewn about a long, stone table lay texts, ranging from a to-scale Atlas of Lhavit's geography to a guide on the fauna of the mountain. However, Savis Maren found her attention fixated primarily on the Gadget Arm she'd brought to life with the assistance of the strange, red-headed hunter known as Raeyn. She'd not met the Inarta again in the short time since their initial meeting, but the undead was nothing if not patient. She certainly wanted to dissect his mind, to reap from it the qualities of greater, more elaborate tools, but for the moment, she satisfied herself with the tool before her.

The mechanisms of the Gadget Arm did not interest the Nuit in the moment. Instead, her attentions were fixed on analyzing its movements and their limitations. Savis Maren positioned the arm so that the hand stretched towards the sky. The Nuit fixed the other end of the arm to the table, holding it place with the implementation of a makeshift stand made from books. Four of them all leaned on the wire and metallic surface of the arm, suspending it in a perfectly vertical position.

"Breathe" she uttered to the automaton, and immediately it obeyed. The fingers stretched out, flexing autonomously before it ceased altogether, obeying the Nuit's command.

"Oh no, continue doing that. While you're at it, I want you to bend, shift from side to side. Demonstrate to me your capacities," she ordered it. The automaton seemed to hesitate before the inevitable compliance ensued. Fingers wiggled, flexing and clenching into fists. The entire arm wriggled against the books, and the limb nearly lost its balance. It stretched out its digits, bending at the elbow until those fingers brushed against the stone table. Its balance restored, Savis looked at the gadget with a measure of intrigue. She opened her journal, using a quill she'd snagged from the library's registrar to jot down notes. She lacked traditional ink, and instead utilized her black paint, inscribing into the tome.

Gadget Arm Analysis, Day 3.

The automaton continues to demonstrate its understanding of the Common tongue. It follows commands with ease, and is intelligent enough to follow open-ended commands with only the slightest showing of hestitation. It lacks the capacity, or rather, utility that Wheels demonstrates, but... it's meant to serve a different purpose. In my next endeavor... I'll provide to it a brush and see how agile its limb is. Of course, the Gadget Arm is incapable of sight, and its usage requires acute verbal command to manipulate precisely. But, that's the point.

The Nuit took a break from writing, allowing her thoughts to encompass her entirely as her gaze flickered over to another recent creation, Wheels. The two were very different automata, indeed.

This sort of intelligence is very dangerous to give sight to. Wheels lacks emotional capacity. It sees and moves, following orders blindly because of its directives. Its limitations are in lacking arms or limbs to lash out and go mad with. The Gadget Arm, however... she mused, quite alarmed by just what the gadget could do if let loose with eyes of its own.

Its loyalty to me is juxtaposed on the premise that without my direction, it is but metal and wire, she noted one final time before looking up from her journal. Wheels motioned back and forth, keeping its balance on its namesake wheels, spinning back and forth while it sought to keep to the distance parameter Savis implemented into it. All without interrupting her work, of course. In the distance, two young people pointed and spoked in hushed tones in the distance. They gestured to the automata before looking to Savis herself. The Nuit's pallid features were visible to the eye, her unnerving silver hues directed towards the table. However, their expressions weren't laden with fear.

Curiosity? she mused, narrowing her eyes before realizing they were discussing the contraptions she had with her. It was several awkward chimes of ignoring the two before they stood on their feet and approached the Nuit of their own accord. Savis Maren wasn't a sociable creature. She purposely avoided eye contact, instead delving back into her notes. She scribbled into the tome, dipping the quill into her paint before the shape of an arm, more of a stick with five lines coming off an end was presented on the paper. She'd just begun the effort of making notes before the accursed fools broke the silence with a question.

"Did Elena Animate those? We've seen some of her work here and there. She's lovely!" the shorter of the two, a female with horrid, short hair artifically colored to be blonde.

Elena? Savis thought, raising her eyes to meet the wannabe blonde before the other, a taller young man, just out of boyhood with a meticulously crafted moustache, interjected.

"The shells are made by Lucis, right? Masterworks like these aren't made by anyone else," he added, quite sure of his comment. The boy seemed to have an aura of knowledge and presence about him. Perhaps they were mages? Students of the towers? Savis Maren shook her head towards the woman, who by the moment grew uglier and uglier in Savis' eyes.

"You," she began, shifting her gaze to the young man, "Are correct. These innovations were crafted by Edward Lucis at my behest. However, the magic bringing them to life was performed by me."

Any look of triumph was lost on the boy's expression once Savis finished speaking. Eyes widened, a hunger that was all too familiar to the Nuit caught on his visage. The Nuit stifled a chuckle with a great deal of effort, allowing the boy to collect himself before the girl blurted out,

"You're an Animator?! Elena taught you, didn't she? I wish she'd teach me..." she whined.

"I have no idea who you're talking about. I learned Animation from another. Someone who's long since passed," she said with a tone of finality.

"You don't know Elena?" the woman retorted, hands on her hips with an air of superiority about her that bled deep sentiments of ire into the Nuit. The girl seemed ready to continue, but Savis cut her off.

"I do not. Now, if you would, point me in her direction? I'd love to meet her," she added, withholding the nausea of needing to be so utterly civil with such incompetents.

"Uh, sure!" the woman added. It was by this point that the astringent, chemical scent of the Nuit became too heavy for the boy to bear. He took a step back, blowing air forcibly from his nostrils as the woman stomached the aroma for long enough to point Savis in Elena's direction.

Sartu Peak? No wonder, I've not wandered there more than a few times since I came to the city! she thought. The Nuit quickly turned to Wheels.

"Radjud," she said, prompting the automaton to spring its door open. Savis packed her things away, including the Gadget Arm, and left without another word to the two children. Looks of bewilderment followed Savis as she left Bharani Library.

I've not had a contemporary for years, she reasoned out as she led Wheels through the library and out, navigating the Tenten peak until she returned to Sartu. Following the directions she was given, she found herself at Elena's Studio of Enchantment, a behemoth of a building that stood several stories tall. Immediately, a swell of jealousy caught within the Nuit, and she was growing more and more curious to meet the illustrious Elena, who was clearly every mage's first thought when it came to Animated constructs within the city. Wheels followed close behind Savis, who helped the automaton through the door before shutting it behind her.

"Elena?" she called out, finding no one present to greet her.

WC: 1322

[Luminescence]

The hall that Savis entered was long, with high arching ceilings; another hallway branched off to the right and left, and a few doorways dotted the main hall, with two staircases at the end of the hall spiraling upwards.

The scent of incense wafted faintly through the halls, smoky and spicy yet floral and sweet all at once, different scents somehow mingling pleasantly rather than clashing. The shutting of the front doors echoed down the hall, as did Savis' voice as she called out.

Elena Lariet was lounging on a sofa in one of the classrooms on the main floor, having just dismissed a class. The silk skirt of her dress was draped over her long legs as she tossed an apple in her hand before taking a bite of it, the crunch loud in the empty classroom as she chewed.

The woman perked up suddenly when she heard her name called from the entrance hall; she didn't recognize the voice, and while she didn't exactly socialize with all her students, she was picky enough that she could tell their voices, if not identify them in that way.

She stood in one graceful movement, flinging the skirt of her dress behind her as she strode towards the door of the class and out into the hall, the heels of her boots clicking on the smooth marble floor. Entering the hallway, Elena was surprised, annoyed, and yet delighted all at once to see a stranger lingering by the front doors.

She strode towards the figure, finally halting a few feet away, where she cocked one hip to the side, planting her hand on it as she eyed Savis, taking another bite of her apple. She chewed thoughtfully for a long moment, steely gaze examining the other woman blatantly, beginning at her feet and moving up from there.

The sickly-sweet smell of decay mixed with embalming fluid was familiar to her, and Elena's suspicions were confirmed when she finally took a look at Savis' face; pale complexion, black-tinged lips, dark bags under unnaturally shaded eyes...the girl was a Nuit. How curious; a Nuit in Lhavit. Of course she had heard rumours, she had eyes and ears all across the city, but she had never bothered with tracking down their exact sources to verify them.

"Well, how curious," Elena finally purred, cold gaze not leaving Savis' as she took another bite from her apple. Her gaze finally dropped to the creation that was following Savis; a Nuit interested in animation, at that. "I don't believe we've had the pleasure. My name is Elena Lariet," She introduced herself to Savis, not deigning to offer her hand.

"And you are?" Normally, Elena wouldn't bother with a stranger turning up at her door seeking her out; not unless they had a very good reason that they could explain to her very quickly. But the presence of a Nuit, and an animation mage at that, was enough to pique her interest, so she was cordial if cool for the moment.

It wouldn't take her long to deem whether or not Savis was worthy of her time; if the Nuit proved to be boring, dull, or incompetent, she would be quick to dismiss her as she would any other.

"I must admit, I am surprised to see a Nuit in the city. Your kind are so unwelcome here...but I suppose you must have some sort of arrangement, to come see me so boldly, yes?" The question was posed with innocent curiosity, but Elena's eyes were sharp; she wanted to know who the Nuit had struck a bargain with to earn her stay in the city.

It would have to have been with someone high-up, perhaps even Aysel or Talora; if not, that was important information should Elena need any kind of advantage over the Nuit at a later date. Everyone she met was either a potential foe or ally, and they always started as the former until they could prove themselves. It was important she figure out which one Savis was as soon as possible.

[Savis Maren]

51st of Season, 518 AV

There was a moment of tension as Savis Maren stared down oblivion. Silence wasn't the only telling friend to confront her upon entry. Incense brushed against the Nuit's nostrils, but without breath to pull the scent into her lungs it was but wisps of smoke that created strange shadows that only seemed to accentuate the intrigue of suspense. At last, after a moment, it seemed that life stirred distantly. Footfalls echoed throughout, the clicking of heels resounding through the hallway until the visage of a woman who bore a similar age to the dark-haired shell she raised and walked in.

If this is Elena, mark me happily surprised.

If Savis Maren didn't know Elena's name, she'd know her by the sight of her. Beauty and poise carried the illustrious mage from an unknown room into the midst of confrontation. Two Animators who honed their magical knowledge on the same island (though Savis was unaware of this turn of fate) stared one another down, and Savis found herself utterly enthralled. Such favor was neither blessing nor curse, but those soulless, silver eyes drank in the sight of Elena Lariet.

"Well, how curious," poured from the caramel-kissed woman's lips as a shrewd purr. It was impossible for the Nuit to know what the other mage was thinking, but the both of them were clearly looking upon the visage of the other. For Savis, it was intrigue that guided her to the studio and it was a deep hunger for understanding that kept her there. The Nuit did not relish these sort of meetings, to arrive in a citadel of someone else's making and coax them into sharing themselves with her. Impersonable to begin with, it was the shift in demeanor, from abrasive to placating that rendered the discomfort so scathing.

"And you are?" she asked, clearly with more on her mind as that sharp gaze shifted from the Nuit herself to the automaton that shifted its wheels back and forth to retain its balance. Wheels used a sort of glide that kept its shell upright, and the shifting was silent despite the spectacle that its presence imposed on any given situation. Elena did not extend her hand, nor did the Nuit expect her to. Touching between Nuit and mortal was seen by many as revolting, and the Nuit was inclined to agree. Touching mortals is disgusting, indeed, she mused, withholding the chuckle that she suspected might have her escorted out of the Studio with hardly any knowledge of the woman at all.

"My name is Savis Maren," she answered simply, for it seemed that Elena was far more eager to speak than listen. It was to be expected, for it was the prerogative of mages to grow so self-important that the opinions of others scarcely mattered. Savis was guilty of that very fact, but not very often and certainly not now. Respect was given to those that deserved it, and Elena's accolades won the Nuit's respect without the need for such trifles as effort or causality.

"Is it such a surprise, Elena? Pardon the intrusion on your time, but I'd think you would be aware of others who delve in one of your presumed many practices. I'd have reached your door sooner, but gossip finds itself dead on arrival when you're... well, dead," she mused. The Nuit didn't smile or offer any sort of inclination as to the telling of a joke. She was candid with the savant mage and quickly turned the point of her words towards the satisfaction of her curiosity.

If others ask questions about you, it means you're in the periphery of their thoughts. It's silence that makes for death in such ventures, she reflected.

"Without an arrangement, I'd be thrown from this city by virtue of my existence. That's very true. The Twuele is a place I've come to know very well, and its Constellations allow me the freedom to pursue my ambitions in peace," she answered in kind. Savis Maren had very little to hide from the savant witch, only things to be admitted at the opportune moment.

"There is no helping my boldness. I came to see you as soon as I learned of your studio's existence. Pardon my ignorance, but I've neglected my exploration of Sartu since my arrival here. Zintia and Tenten, with all their appeal, have been the focus of my investment in this city," she admitted freely. The Bharani Library took up much of Savis' time, with her private research conducted wherever she could hide it from prying eyes.

[Luminescence]

Elena's eyes narrowed slightly at Savis' words; there was a joke somewhere in there, despite the flat words and lack of facial expression to express so, but that's not what caught the mage's attention. The implication that she was not entirely aware of the going-ons around Lhavit, that she had let competition slip in under her nose; those were the words that Elena honed in on, and she felt herself bristling at them.

Prideful as she was, it was not difficult to offend her, and Savis had managed to do so. She felt her irritation build, but held it in check, at least for the moment. She wasn't done with her visitor just yet.

She let Savis continue, curious to hear the Nuit's explanation. Whether she was clever enough to do so on purpose or she was simply being obtuse, Savis confirmed her arrangement without mentioning who specifically she was in contact with. Still, the Constellations...Elena was confident one of the ruling Ethaefal had been in contact with the Nuit at least once. They certainly knew of her, at the very least.

She filed the information away quietly; it would make for excellent blackmail material later, should she need it. And she just might; if Savis wasn't careful with her words moving forward, Elena would easily and happily mark her down as a 'foe' in her mental catalogue of people to keep an eye on.

"How long have you been in Lhavit? One would think the first thing to do in a new city would be to explore it in its entirety, at least to acquire a passing familiarity with what it offers." Her words were calm and cool, yet there was something sharp to them just below their surface; a jab in return for the perceived earlier slight.

Elena took another bite of the apple she held. "And what did you come and seek me out for, then?" She asked, after a moment, her gaze wandering back to the animated contraption that accompanied the Nuit. She was curious about it, but she held herself back from asking just yet. Despite her newfound irritation with Savis, Elena wouldn't make her leave...at least not until pleasantries were out of the way and she had asked about the other mage's creation.

After that, it was hard to say. Once Savis was done explaining herself, Elena jerked her chin towards the creation. "Clearly you have at least some knowledge in the art of animation, unless you're going to tell me it was not you who was responsible for this creation. Tell me, what is it's purpose?" Elena drew slightly closer, peering down at the machine.

[Savis Maren]

Savis Maren did not come to Elena's studio in search of a friend. Those that she could bestow that sort of trust in were few and far between, and certainly, the children that shared the knowledge of this mage with Savis spoke of her in high regard. Those that made it up the ladder of political and social prestige were to be praised, but rarely trusted. The intelligent souls capable of using tongue and skill to ascend the ranks of the world need be treated with suspicion, but moreover, Savis Maren need show herself as a force to be reckoned with. No longer was the Nuit a slave, to be pushed back and forth by the whims of her 'betters', and she made it clear to herself that this was the case.

"You would be right, in most cases. However, climbing the peaks for the trivial concern of familiarity is simply not practical," she countered. Savis Maren had no reason to tell truths or lies to Elena, and so, she settled comfortably in the middle. She omitted her troubles and the conditions that rendered her exploration of Lhavit in the Summer impossible. In the Autumn, she'd simply never made the time, far too eager to recover lost time and begin her ambitions of self-realization immediately.

"The end of Spring saw my arrival," she answered at last, the tone of their conversation mutually crisp. Savis Maren was at home with being treated with suspicion, but she had her purpose in this place. And so, the Nuit pulled at the wellspring of djed. She felt the familiar shiver of pleasure cast through her senses, willing the power of the soul to rise into her eyes. She formed a connection between her awareness and the aura of Elena Lariat, fully intent on understanding the nuances that her measured tone and evenly paced speech sought to hide. She probed at the woman's presence, seeking to guide the future of their conversation with the insight of emotional breadth to guide her words.

When she was prompted to answer again, Savis Maren allowed her own insights to ascertain a bit of something while her djed worked to delve deeper. She's probing, trying to decide what to think of this meeting? she reasoned, judging the attempt by what the Nuit would do in a position of power. Determine whether the competition is a threat or if they're a potential ally, she thought, looking to the past before answering the questions of the present. "I've never seen another Animator in practice that wasn't bound to the citadel," she began, fingers moving to trail lightly along her jaw, as if soothing an itch.

As she spoke, Savis expanded her awareness past Elena Lariat, keeping the base read of her aura in play as she stretched out, probing the room for auras that might be present. She felt Wheels' aura beside her, but passed it by immediately. She sought to investigate for others like that aura, however, using Wheels' presence as a reference as she delved deeper. She continued to speak, silver eyes trained on Elena all the while.

"Call it a healthy curiosity to... investigate. A further exploration of the city and the important figures within it. I hear you're a tutor in the craft, as well? Perhaps even other disciplines?" she mused. The Nuit was reaching, melding common sense with what she'd truly heard in an effort to coax out information while also being wrung out for it in turn. Savis Maren wasn't the sort to waste time or allow another to dictate the flow of a conversation entirely. Then, when the topic changed again, and to something she was all to willing to discuss (given her curiosity about Elena's own indulgences), she allowed the shift to happen quite eagerly.

"Clearly," she agreed, her tone chipper as she encouraged Wheels to step forward and form an obstacle between the two mages. "Rather than explain it myself, why not allow it to do the talking?" she added, eager to show off the golem she'd made, the pinnacle of her magical achievement.

"Abase," she said first, encouraging the golem to move. "Go on, Wheels, tell the lady what you're for," she encouraged, taking a gentle tone as her cold, bony hand moved to affectionately caress the golem's shoulder. Using oneself was always a double-edged blade, but with this creation she found her lingering attachment absolutely justified.

"Wheels is Savis Maren's burden bearer. Mistress stay unencumbered because Wheels is there to help!" it stated. The tune was mellifluous, but the finer music of speech was tainted by the closed compartment. When the golem spoke, its words formed by virtue of the vibrating strings nestled within its inner hull.

Savis Maren was pleased to hear the coherent nature of Wheels' speech. She'd never asked it to speak before, but in an effort to show off, she did it now. The automaton sounded somewhat childish for her taste, but she brushed it aside in favor of stoicism in front of the other mage.