[The Midnight Gem] Becoming More Immersed II

by **Kelski** on May 27th, 2019, 3:39 am

Timestamp - 64th of Spring, 519 A.V.

Kelski woke to a gentle nudge on her mind. She stretched, turned over, and felt the warm body of Ebon curled up at her back on the couch. She smiled softly, shoved him over, and felt him shift with a grunt giving her room to get up. Cats. They loved sleeping in piles. She rose from what she thought was a solo nap and pressed a kiss on his forehead before she discovered her niece stretched out on top of the cat’s legs, sleeping just as soundly. Mice. The Kelvic shook her head and laughed, giving Ember a second kiss as she looked around. “What is it?” She asked gently, glancing all around her to see if there was any trouble.

Questions. I have many.

Kelski scrubbed the side of her face, nodding absently, and wandered over to grab water from the ice box they kept in the kitchen area. She gripped the cool mug of water and sipped at it as she settled in to the other unoccupied couch. The Gem’s voice was echoing in her mind, filled with curiosity and interest. The building was stimulated, Kelski decided, a bit in awe that a creature such as an Arch could have such sentient scenarios. The Gem was questioning and thus interested; her intelligence engaged. Kelski loved the feeling. It soothed her and gave her nurturing side a real boost. “Ask your questions then. And I will do my best to answer.” Kelski said softly, keeping her voice in her mind so that she did not disturb the other two sleeping Kelvics.

What things have you ‘seen’ with your empowered vision? Tell me what it is like. I see much now, in bursts, but I am not understanding what I see.

The Gem was careful how it asked the question. Kelski knew why. It didn’t perceive the same way she did. And she suspected it used the word ‘see’ loosely. It was a highly sensitive structure. But she had no idea how it felt things.

“People like me… creatures…. humans, Kelvics, even the dogs that Anja has… we have five senses. We see with our eyes, feel with our hands, taste with our tongues, hear with our ears, and smell with our noses. When I look at something with the auristics… with the magesight… it augments all those things. But it matters most to my vision… what I can see. If I glance at something with magesight, I get more information. I can tell if someone is overheated, and that might indicate they are ill. I can look at food and see or even smell if it looks healthy, or if it is spoiled and no good to eat. I can see into objects, to some extent, that allow me to see flesh under things like clothing or perhaps a hiding person behind a closed door. I can see magic because it spirals out from its source and wraps the mages that use it in odd colorful ways. I can usually tell a kelvic because they don’t look like a human or their animal but slightly ‘wrong’, almost as if they don’t belong here on this world. I am not the best at auristics though, so that’s most of what I can know at this time. Later, as I get better, Ill learn more and see more.” She added, then took a deep breath.

by **Kelski** on July 5th, 2019, 12:59 am

“Gem, can you tell me how you see?” She asked cautiously, taking another sip of her water and then carefully setting the mug down on the small table beside her chair. She was curious but didn’t want to press the structure too far.

I feel. I send out tendrils of energy. Waves. It forms pictures for me like your eyes do for you. I see as good as you, but differently. If I pulse them in waves, I see more clearly. I can see what you see a little when I am connecting to you. But you cannot see as I do, not at least now because you do not connect to me as I connect to you; as deep.

Kelski looked thoughtful and then got a wondering expression on her face. “Shall I try to go deeper and if I do will you show me?” She asked cautiously, equal parts stupid and brave, as she reached out her awareness, leaning heavily on the sliver in her arm and its link to The Gem. She connected to it, but instead of the light caress of conversation they normally enjoyed, Kelski linked deeper, surprised that such a thing was possible. She was sinking so deep into the Midnight Gem’s awareness that she almost failed to hear its words.

Yes. Come deeper.

The Kelvic was unafraid. She’d never been this deep in The Midnight Gem’s awareness before, but she was willing to try. The Gem linked with her, doing no damage, so she couldn’t imagine it would be any worse going deep into the buildings psyche. At least, that’s was a reasonable assumption. They were united through the magic, facets of one another though separate. Kelski wanted to try.

It was an odd sensation. She could feel her physical form as walls. Kelski could feel each individual floor of the Midnight Gem and even the hidden rooms in the basement she didn’t even know existed. She stretched her awareness, and realized she could feel everywhere. The grasses brushing her foundations, the pigeons on the roof, and even a stray brat wandering by on the street was as clear to her as if she were looking at them though she had no eyes. It was immediately evident that The Midnight Gem saw a great deal in the way that Kelski had been able to see practicing her dolphin form. She sent out waves of energy that bounced off things and the return signal gave her a clue as to what she was looking for by painting a three-dimensional picture in her mind of filled and absent spaces. The result was surprisingly like actually really seeing with eyes.

The sensation was so like the dolphin form Kelski had learned to take through Morphing, that it didn’t shock her like her first taste of echolocation had. She could send pings out into the water and using the return feedback of the sound bouncing off of things, get a very clear picture of what was all around her even if the actual eyes of the dolphin couldn’t see in murky water. There was no murky water here though. The Gem didn’t actually have eyes, not like she did, but it saw just as in depth in its own way.

by **Kelski** on July 5th, 2019, 1:01 am

To The Gem, the air and space around it was like the water surrounding a dolphin. And it got feedback in other ways… rain hitting roofs, wind blowing sand across the dunes, birds roosting on its roof making little vibrations with their feet. It even felt color. Kelski couldn’t explain it, not in a way a normal seeing person not immersed in an Arch would understand, but the Kelvic could tell The Gem saw color. It saw emotion too. Kelski could see herself and her curiosity surrounding her physical shape when she looked at her own form using The Gem’s senses. The way the Architectrix saw things was endlessly fascinating to Kelski and as deep as she was, the Kelvic found it easy to understand in some ways where The Gem was coming from in regards to its questions.

You see as me. Help me understand what I see.

The Gem asked quietly and Kelski settled down, reined in her curiosity, and started to concentrate. “Do you understand what emotions are? Feeling happy, sad, tired… that sort of thing?” The Kelvic asked her Arch, her mind still deeply buried in The Gem’s awareness. Understanding came immediately and though the Gem didn’t answer, Kelski could tell it did indeed understand emotion. So, at that point, the two of them together began looking around.

The world was lush and full, mostly rife with misery. The Gem could see with its unique vision all the way down to the docks where emotions of exhaustion mingled with excitement and the usual bustle of commerce. People wandering by on the street were a mixed bag of things, and together the Arch mage and her Arch viewed each of them, picking apart the emotions and learning even more about each other as they did so.

Then Kelski urged the Arch to pour more djed into her unique vision, and the Arch complied, lighting up more than what it could see with its strange sort of echolocation. She started picking apart internal structure, seeing if the neighboring buildings had interior walls. The Midnight Gem could see to some extent the thinness of the ground, and what manifested beneath the streets in the form of tunnels. The feelings they’d already played with, but what was unusual was that some people walking by either oozed a magical type aura indicating they were a mage or had something that in and of itself – like a ring or even a bag – had a similar magical aura. The instances of these notables were not frequent, but as long as the mage and structure was joined, they did see some of these going by.

Anja’s dogs were playing on the lower floor. They were happy, playful, and Kelski helped The Gem understand what it was seeing. The dog’s emotions wound around them almost like a scent. The Gem understood completely once Kelski identified the emotions for it, and they moved on. Little Rhaus was playing a tune for Caitlyn, a lullaby in Caitlyn’s crib. And the child was grumpy. Kelski was able to see that through The Gem’s vision because the Gem could tell the girl was wet and it could see the rumblings of her hunger that was driving the grouchy attitude. Little Rhaus was trying to help, but he was frustrated and though his voice was calm and his song soothing, he was worried about the girl. Kelski wasn’t. Mercy was due home at any time and would change and feed the little toddler and if it went very much longer, Kelski herself would get involved. But because she’d really tried to let Mercy be the parent, she’d wait and give the young mother a chance.

by **Kelski** on July 5th, 2019, 1:03 am

But, back to the Midnight Gem.

So far so good. Kelski's plan was working, albeit very grudgingly. The Midnight Gem was even more stubborn than she was. But slowly and surly, with the knowledge Kelski was offering the building, the sentient structure was coming around to her way of thinking.

The more they looked, the more their understanding improved; both of each other and of their bond. Kelski felt her trust of the building growing as she felt its protective and highly intelligent emotions wash over her. Looking through her eyes and her looking through its eyes taught her more about auristics in just that short bell or two than she’d learned the whole time she was slowly picking up the skill.

So, when she finally pulled back, disengaged, and returned fully to herself, Kelski was a whole lot wiser about what her beautiful clever Arch was capable of.

“I want to teach you something else.” She said softly, rising to pace away from the couch she’d been sitting on. She moved out into the balcony and could still feel her link to the Midnight Gem as she stroked the railing protecting its edge. “I want to teach you Reimancy.” She said casually… wondering how hard it would be to induct a building into the magic.

YYYYYeeesssss…

The building’s voice was greedy, wanting, and eager. But another voice interrupted her. “Is that wise?” Kelski looked up to see Gilthas standing at the doorway that lead out onto the balcony. He was leaning casually on the doorframe an eyebrow lifted. He looked beautiful in the sunlight, curious, and far younger than he really was. Kelski had no idea how long he’d been standing there, but she hoped he’d just arrived. “You cannot control what this building does once you give her those kinds of weapons.” He said softly, concern coloring his voice.

“I’m certain. It’s going to be fine. She’s not only highly intelligent, but she doesn’t have a mean beam or brick in her body. She’s very protective, and I think it would help her a lot to be able to do things like light her own hearths and control her own air flow throughout her structure. She can suppress fire and if she can create water make her own drinking supply. I’ve been inside her mind. I am very sure.” Kelski said.

Gilthas nodded. “So you are going to induct her like you would another person?” He asked softly, curious as to the Kelvics thinking, and unsure of where she was going to go from here to teach the building to make res.

Kelski nodded. “It’s going to take a lot of res. Do you think its possible for two mages to contribute Res? Would you help me?” She asked, then continued speculatively. “There shouldn’t be any problem because we are of the same djedline. Its not like the magic will react badly to teach other. We’ve worked Reimancy before together and the magic meshes very well.” The Kelvic said, glancing at her Djedfather to see what the thought.

by **Kelski** on July 5th, 2019, 1:04 am

Gilthas looked speculatively at the building all around him for a moment, thinking things over. “If this were any other city than Sunberth, Kelski, I’d call you crazy. But this is Sunberth and a crazed Architectrix wouldn’t be out of place. When did you think you wanted to do this induction?” He asked cautiously. Kelski could tell he wasn’t quite talked into the whole process yet.

She was willing to give the extra push to see if he would agree.

“Now would be good. She’s in a very curious learning mood. And she likes the idea of being able to light her own fires and vent her own chimneys. And if she has earth, she can make her own walls, all kinds of things, really. It would be like having a third Reimancer around here, one that has a larger pool of djed at her disposal.” Kelski said softly, looking thoughtfully.

“When you inducted me, there was a ritual to it. Is that something we should do with her? Ritualistically induct her? She will be part of our djedline and when she gets old enough and powerful enough at her Reimancy, she will be able to induct others I suspect.” Kelski speculated. “Maybe even other Architectrixs.” She added, smiling softly at thinking about her own child, her beloved building, founding a line of buildings through her gifts of seeds and magic.

“It wouldn’t be such a bad thing would it?” She asked Gilthas, who was still intently thinking it over.

He met Kelski’s eyes, turned to study The Gem once more, and then took a deep breath. He seemed to be thinking hard. The mage never reacted without thought and never rushed into anything. But the more the idea clung to him, the more Kelski realized he was actually contemplating helping her.

“Okay. I’ll help.” He said softly, shaking his head as if he couldn’t believe he was being talked into this by his djeddauther. Then he met Kelski’s gaze and shook his head like he automatically called himself insane. “Here’s my first question… “ He said, glancing at Kelski as she turned from where she was griping the railing of the balcony to lead him inside. “How in the world do we make cuts in the Midnight Gem to actually infuse her with Res?” He asked, looking speculatively at the walls of the building surrounding them.

Kelski started to open her mouth to reply when the building gave itself a shake and big ugly cracks appeared in the walls on either side of the door leading out to the balcony. Gilthas and the Sea Eagle Kelvic both stared at them… then as one they started to chuckle.

“She seems eager.” Gilthas said softly, glancing at Kelski.

The Kelvic knew why. “Her loves are from my loves… and I dearly love Reimancy.” Kelski added, offering Gilthas an apologetic smile. “Shall we get started?” She asked, slipping into the kitchen to pull two knives out of the cupboard, handing one to Gil. She made a deep cut in her own palm then held it up to the wall on the right side right of the door right where the crack was. Gilthas did the same on the left side, slicing his palm open as well.

“Alright. Lets do this. I don’t think she wants a ritual. It would be wasted on her anyhow.” He said softly, looking determined now that he’d fully committed to the procedure.

Word Count: 2809

by **Kelski** on July 5th, 2019, 1:08 am

G R A D E S

Kelski-

Architectrix +5, Auristics +5, Arcanology +3, Psychology +2, Persuasion +3, Leadership +3

Architectrix : Learning How An Arch Sees, Teaching: Teaching Auristics To An Architectrix, Persuasion: Talking an Arch Into Explaining Its Secrets, Psychology: Understanding How Ones Arch Thinks, Persuasion: Talking Another Mage Into A Group Project, Auristics: How Auristics Augments Archs, Architectrix: Linking Deeper

PM me with questions or concerns.

Completed [The Midnight Gem] Becoming More Immersed II