2053/The Awaited Wind

The Awaited Wind
Date of Scene:	19 April 2015
Location:	Vinay del Zexay <VZ>
Synopsis:	In an attempt to share information about the way her world's runes work, Sarah takes Reiji Arisu and his assistant, Xiaomu, to the trade port of Vinay del Zexay to introduce him to basic runes.
Cast of Characters:	237, 248, 316, Reiji Arisu, 707

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Sarah (316) has posed:
Vinay del Zexay is a sprawling port city, with a heavy focus on trade. The heart of the Zexen Confederation, this large confederation of merchant guilds and wealthy traders has become a mercantile powerhouse, and an international port of trade. Goods pass through this city from all the world over at some point in their journey, usually arriving by sea, and either departing overland to further trade cities, or deparing across the water to other continents... and as they have for some time now, they've made a tidy potch through multiversal trade, too.

Clean and well-maintained, the heavy mercantile presence ensures that the city is presentable and profitable both. The avenues are well-paved and maintained, the clean sea breeze smells fresh rather than like the rot of so many harbour cities, and it appears to have a strong military presence, with guardsmen patrolling and ensuring the safety of those broad avenues. Representing its trade heritage, the lively town square holds its markets daily, with a number of permanent shops, and itinerant traders both filling in the holes and setting up stalls in the central areas.

Reiji Arisu, Xiaomu, and Fassad had all been given directions to the port city by warpgate, which would leave them a little ways outside the city; from there, a short stroll through the soaring archway of the Seigal Gate would take them into the city itself, on a descent to the market square.

It's there that Sarah waits, quiet and patient. She's standing a little ways off to one side, but the woman is immediately recognisable – her standard of dress isn't like anybody else in this area; its layered, Harmonian design recognisable right away. She holds loosely in the crook of one arm a greatstaff of ebonwood and silver, taller than she is, set at its head with a perfectly spherical crystal of blue. Her head is lowered, eyes half-closed, as though in meditation; what's visible of her eyes are obviously unfocused.

Her layered dress aside, she stands out easily from the crowd, so pale as to seem almost a ghost in the midst of normally-complexioned folk; very nearly on the verge of albinism, or perhaps there. Her hair is a blonde so pale it seems almost whitish in the sun, touched with only the faintest hint of colour, her skin very much the same. Her blue eyes so pale they seem nearly colourless, veiled by pale, near-colourless lashes.

People in general seem kind of creeped out by her, and they're giving her a very, very wide berth. The reason why is pretty simple. There is a sensation of magic in this place that is very nearly oppressive in its strength; so strong and clear that its very alignment can be discerned even by the insensitive – this woman carries in her soul the force of water; as some have said, all the Water of the World. That primal force radiates from this incongruously pale, slightly woman like a floodlamp among dim candles.

Every so often she gets weird looks from visitors who might be magicians, and others veer away from her, muttering and holding their heads.

The woman, however, appears completely undisturbed, content to meditate, or whatever it is she's doing. Perhaps she might radiate power like a lightbulb throws off light – but at the same time, she radiates calm, too. She is, it would seem, content to wait for as long as it may take for her guests.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Unless Reiji thought to warn Xiaomu that her normal outfit might not blend in here, Xiaomu is dressed almost exactly as she usually is: black qipao with silver embroidery and big-enough-to-draw-attention zippers, red vest, sandals, Buddhist monk staff. Also the carrypack that she occasionally totes around for additional storage space.

And from the moment she emerges from the warpgate, she's rubbernecking much like a tourist. It's not just to take in the sights and scenery, though - at least, not once the sense of *magic* hits her awareness. It's not a familiar kind of magic, at least not beyond the elemental force that particularly radiates from Sarah; water magic is quite familiar to Xiaomu, that being the element with which her staff-sword Suiren is imbued. As such, she barely needs the directions which were provided to find her way to Sarah.

Having those directions does make it easier to be sure that this is the woman they're here to see, though, and the sage fox inclines her head to the water-user upon reaching her.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
Travelling through strange new worlds is something that takes a little while to get used to. Fortunately, the place he finds himself in now is nowhere near as strange and jarring as walking around inside a computer. There's an actual sky here, for one. And nothing seems to be covered in more neon than your average red light district.

Like his partner, Reiji has elected to wear his usual outfit on today's excursion, with the notable inclusion of his body armor. It's not that Vinay del Zexay is a particularly dangerous destination, only that he may do a bit more travelling through the area once he's done here. You never know what you might find outside a city's walls, especially in a place so thick with magic.

And it is, indeed, thick with magic. Reiji's senses aren't as well tuned as his partner's, but his attunement to the five elements of his homeland makes him keenly aware the something similar exists here. It's... Different, though. Two elements are missing, replaced by other, not-so-different forces.

These senses also allow him to feel the waves of energy washing out from Sarah. It's a familiar sort of power, but subtly changed from its counterpart in his world. Still, water is as water is, and it shines out from the woman like a beacon. Waves of elemental essence beat against his senses like the sea beats the shore. He follows Xiaomu as she goes, casually pursuing that current of power.

Unlike the other travellers turning their heads away, Reiji doesn't seem too bothered by Sarah's presence. At least, he can look straight at her without developing a headache. It comes with dealing with divinities- albeit generally ones of far less power than a True Rune. "You're Sarah, I presume?" He says, lowering his head in a slight bow, "I am Reiji Arisu. This–" Reiji indicates towards the blonde woman at his side, "Is my partner, Xiaomu. I appreciate you taking the time to meet us today."

Sarah (316) has posed:
There's just enough warmth from the sun to suggest that the weather would be oppressive if not for that pleasant sea breeze. It smells of salt and sun, fresh and clean; and to some, perhaps, it carries the promise of distant horizons. Many ships leave from Vinay del Zexay's waters to the far-flung corners of this world. Some sail even beyond that.

Slowly, so slowly it might seem as though she weren't fully aware of her visitors, the pale woman's eyes raise to regard her visitors. Her head remains somewhat downturned, but the motion causes her jewelled earrings to clink softly. In spite of her frailty, the deliberateness of the motion is almost reminiscent of a dragon or a serpent uncoiling; certainly, she seems calm enough to fit the bill. With the power radiating out from her, and her apparent fragility, maybe she's not even human. Maybe this is just some kind of guise.

Those colourless eyes settle on Xiaomu, and then they settle on Reiji. They linger most on him, perhaps because he's the one to address her directly. Definitely her awaited guests. No one else here has the courage to approach her directly. Perhaps they suspect she bears a True Rune, or perhaps they simply don't know what to make of her; whether Runebearer or unknown, both are regarded apprehensively in equal measure.

Sarah looks between the two for a moment once more, as though she were considering her words before she speaks.

"Greetings." And then, finally, she does. Her voice is quiet. Unimpressive. In fact, it's very nearly lost in the din of the port town and the hubbub of trade; whispery and quiet, almost frail, without actually being a whisper. One might have to wonder if she's even physically capable of raising her voice. "I am indeed, although you would be hard-pressed to find another here matching my description." Wryness, although so faint it could be taken straight. "A pleasure, Mister Arisu, and Miss Xiaomu. Welcome to Vinay del Zexay."

She turns, beckoning with that gleaming greatstaff for both to follow. "This is not a city I am formally allied with, nor does it boast alliance to the Union; it is indepdenent, and so you may be regarded with some curiosity. It wishes to remain neutral, as one of the greatest centres of trade in the Northern Continent." Glancing over her shoulder to make sure they're still following, she leads them on to an open-air stall. "I would have taken you to Crystal Valley, the capital of Harmonia, but I do not believe you would have enjoyed the experience any more than I."

But doesn't she work for them? She's mentioned it before...

"We may be joined by another. His name is Master Luc, and he is, as I, a Reserve Captain of the Union; I am his aide and assistant, but I do not expect him to arrive immediately. That will be up to him." She comes to a halt near the centre of the marketplace, apparently oblivious to the few among the crowd who are very suddenly edging away from her general presence. "He will also be able to explain more on runes. I have dedicated my studies largely towards True Runes, but I know enough of lesser runes to convey a general understanding. Even so, if we are joined by Master Luc, he will perhaps fill in the holes, if he is in a conversational mood. Another variable that I cannot guarantee," she adds, shrugging one narrow shoulder. "Do you have any questions, thus far?"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"Reiji knows more about you to start with than I do," Xiaomu admits. "So I'm playing catch-up for once. Runes ... anything like the Norse glyphs of power and meaning from our world?" That is, admittedly, the first thing she thinks of when she hears the term 'runes' - although her knowledge of them is fairly limited as well. She basically just knows that they're a thing, and can be used for some forms of divination and spellcasting.

Of course, her mental image for those is basically 'Scrabble with magic letter-tiles'.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
Reiji follows as Sarah guides the two exorcists deeper into Vinay del Zexay. Being in such proximity to the sea- even if it is a completely different sea entirely- reminds him of the shore back home. Specifically, the shore in summertime, when the temperature could creep close to the hundreds of degrees fahrenheit. It's not quite that hot here- the sea helps, as it does at home.

"I see. Never heard him speak on the network before, so if he does show up, it'll be a proper first meeting," Reiji says with regards to Luc. He doesn't sound like the most sociable guy in the world, from what Sarah is saying- but he reserves judgment. "Harmonia's not the most receptive to guests, then?" Reiji asks, peering out over the mass of people meandering through the marketplace, "That's fine. This place works just fine."

Going there would be particularly problematic for the two of them as they are, anyway. Reiji doesn't realize what it means to carry a gun in this world, after all, and he has two. Maybe that's why all those people are giving the group strange looks? Probably not. That's probably whatever Sarah's got going.

He nods, then, as he turns back to Sarah. "Besides what Xiaomu's asking, yeah, just a few," he says, rolling his shoulders in a mild shrug. "These runes are pretty common here, right? Do most people know how to use them? And I think you mentioned something about attunement, or affinity over the radio the other day- you think you could explain a bit more about that?"

Sarah (316) has posed:
"No, these are inherent to my world." Sarah doesn't bother looking over her shoulder. Her skirts rustle about her ankles as she walks, and despite the obvious cost and refinement of her dress, her boots seem a bit less ornamented; plain and scuffed in a manner that suggests use. Comfortable walking boots, more or less. "They are a means of making use of magic, which anyone can use, with the proper attunement, training, and dedication to their practise."

She ignores the lesser magicians parting like the Red Sea around her, pale eyes turning back to regard Reiji when he asks his questions. Her earrings clink softly as she looks around to him. She seems to consider him for a moment, although her own regard seems almost languid; sleepy-eyed, as though she were still meditating even in motion. It's an easy mistake to make, with that mien of absolute calm.

"He is a better magician than I, and the one whom I formally answer to. He will show, if that is his whim; if it is not, he will not. He has little to do with the Union's numbers, on most occasions, although we have been known to carry out missions for them from time to time. It is rare, though; in most cases our attention is required in Harmonia. Visitors are not necessarily treated as openly as they are in Vinay del Zexay, and the prices of certain goods are somewhat less here."

"Many know how to use runes. They are the facilitators of magic in my world, as most people understand it." She bares her left hand, eyes hooding for a moment.

The wind seems to pick up a bit, and a mark of gold appears over her pale skin, slightly luminous – a Cyclone Rune, with its sleek, stylised lines reminiscent of blowing wind. "This is a Cyclone Rune, a wind-allied rune, somewhere between a lesser Wind Rune and the True Wind Rune in strengt. It is not as common as a Wind Rune, but it allows me to use the element of wind; water has always been my specialty."

"A rune must be attuned to its user, and to do this, the rune is physically inscribed upon the user's body. Runemasters and Runemistresses exist to provide these services. I am also capable of such, although my methods are different, and not half as gentle." She looks to Reiji directly, earrings clinking softly as she watches him. "It is a common process, and one that many use. There are ways to make use of a rune without inscription, but it is far more common to simply inscribe it. They become more efficient with use and practise over time."

Luc (237) has posed:
"I may as well be retired, for as much as I do."

The voice comes from a few feet away. Luc is easy to miss in the crowd, a powerful contrast compared to the more exotic-looking Sarah. He's of average height at most, dressed in earthy colors that blend in well. His magical presence is doubtlessly enormous, though it is more restrained and practiced than Sarah's is. He's had a lifetime to perfect wrapping up the True Wind Rune. He has a demeanor somewhere set awkwardly between distant and mischevious. His appearance wasn't as sudden as it might have seen at first, for moments before he approached the group he had been standing at a nearby street vendor ordering something.

Skewered meat and vegetables, by the look of it up close. Luc is tearing some kind of pepper off the end of the skewer. It seems he's not exactly a polite fellow, because he talks while he's chewing.

"Teaching people about runes, Sarah... well, I can't see any reason for people to come all the way out here for anything else. The Zexen Confederacy, of all places?" Luc doesn't think highly of these people. Probably because he has a history of manipulating them into doing his dirty work for him. After clearing another piece of meat from his skewer, he gestures between Sarah, Reiji, and Xiaomu with the skewer.

"Are these the kinds of tourists I need to be testing?" Luc asks Sarah, flatly.

Luc's idea of testing people is summoning a giant rock golem to fight them.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
"I see. So there are no other methods of performing magic native to this world that do not rely on runes?" It seems a bit odd to him that access to magic would be gated so much through a singular source. That said, there are worlds where magic does not exist in any form at all, so perhaps it's not so strange? "So where do they come from, exactly? Are they manufactured–"

Then, there's another presence. An unfamiliar nexus of elemental energy that seems to come out of nowhere- or maybe it was just able to conceal its own presence more readily than Water? Reiji cranes his neck towards the sudden wash of magical power, to find... A man eating a shishkebob, and talking with his mouth open.

This... This is not what Reiji had in mind when Sarah was talking about Luc.

He was thinking of someone significantly more imposing. Maybe with a mask that covers his whole face, and glowing eyes, and maybe he's been watching Xiaomu play too many video games lately. "You must be the man Sarah has been talking so much about. Only good things, though," Reiji says with another slight bow of his head. "Reiji Arisu of the Shinra organization, it's a pleasure."

He turns back towards Sarah, then. "So there are tiers of runes as well," Reiji says, his voice acquiring an inquisitive, contemplative note, like a scholar about to launch into his favorite topic. "But you don't make it sound like the scale is that granular. That is, there are Wind Runes, and there are Cyclone Runes, but there are no wind-affiliated runes between those two levels of power? Interesting."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"So why don't they like outsiders in Harmonia?" wonders Xiaomu. "You make it sound like it's not really a good place to visit unless you've got business with someone there, and even then it might not be advisable ..."

She's soaking up what gets said about the runes, though, and when Luc shows up, the sage fox takes a moment to stop walking and bow to him. "Xiaomu, also of Shinra. Pleased to make your acquaintance!"

Sarah (316) has posed:
"Master Luc." The Runebearer's voice never changes from its soft, almost whispery tone, but there's a hint of respect in it that wasn't there before, overriding its usual neutrality. Clearly this is someone she respects a great deal.

One has to wonder why, based on appearances alone.

She looks over to him, colourless eyes settling on the skewer in a pointed look, as though in silent criticism of Vinay del Zexay's answer to unhealthy fast food. They flick to the wind mage's face, then, and she raises one pale brow. "Cost, and attention. I have no particular attention to mingle Union dealings with Harmonian politics. It would be no trouble to me, but our guests might not prefer to experience Harmonian hospitality."

There's a second or two of silence when he asks his question.

Sarah's expression never changes, but the air seems to get markedly colder for a moment, and more damp; the presence of the True Water Rune looming in silence, reacting to her silent annoyance.

"No," she responds, just as flatly. "No tests."

The air returns to normal, just like that. Maybe it was imagined after all? Whatever the case, her attention returns to Reiji, mild and deferential as ever.

"There are other methods, but they are not as common." Her earrings clink softly as she tilts her head, studying both of the foreigners in evident thought. "Among these, Rune Scrolls are the most common. They often bear the magic of a rune, but they may only be used once before their power is exhausted. They are far less efficient a method than simply inscribing a lesser rune."

Reiji is watched for a moment, and Sarah stifles a faint half-smile. Nobody really expects much when they meet Luc for the first time; he could probably milk that unexpectedness for all it's worth. Then again, her reasons for such reverence are not necessarily obvious ones...

Her head tilts toward Reiji, the gesture deferential in the way she closes her eyes for a moment. "Yes. There are four tiers of runes, in order from greatest to least: True Runes, unique runes, common runes, and those runes which do not fit into any category. The twenty-seven True Runes are in a class by themselves, for they are the generative forces of this world, and simply do not compare to any other known rune; they possess a will of their own, although they are not sentient, and can overpower a bearer. Unique runes are spawned of the True Runes, but their effects are somewhat lesser, often unique to the particular rune, and unlike the True Runes their will may be subjugated by one of suffcient focus and skill."

"Common runes are similarly spawned of the True Runes," she continues, "but they bear no will of their own and may be used by nearly anyone. There are then those which do not fit any category. To wit the only two I can think of are Bright Shield and Black Sword, the two halves of the Rune of Beginning, for they do not behave as a True Rune when they are not whole. I do not believe they qualify as True Runes in their separated states, from what limited understanding I have of them."

Her eyes flick back to Xiaomu, considering her question. "I have heard of a place called 'Rome' in many of these 'Earth' worlds, where the politics are said to be especially treacherous and vicious. Harmonia is not unlike this. Its people of authority are accepting of the multiverse, but only as far as they believe it may be used to better Harmonia's own power. I do not recommend visiting, particularly not without myself or Master Luc present. We carry a certain amount of influence, as it were."

Fassad (248) has posed:
Fassad is here somewhat late. Most likely, he got distracted on the way here. After all, this is a world of FANTASY and ADVENTURE. Why, around every corner, there is some great beast that must be slain!

Specifically, he got held up fighting a rabbit weilding an axe, and a piece of animated holly.

Still, though, he has finally tied up his horse at a stable outside the town. And, he walks, regally, through the streets. His head held high. Ever with the bearing of a prince.

As he walks forward, he smiles, looking at the group. Waving strongly at them. He smirks, a small glimmer of light coming from his teeth as he does so.

"Greetings! I apologize for my delay. I encountered a FEARSOME AND FOUL beast on the way here! Why, they might make a song of it one day!"

He arives just in time to hear Sarah talk about the runes/exposition, at least a bit.

Luc (237) has posed:
"I'm Luc. Nice to meet you." The Wind Mage answers, though it is fairly hollow. Evidently he hasn't made up his mind about whether or not this is actually worth his time, though he doesn't seem precisely hostile either. Before he offers anything else to the conversation (and therefore, the gathering) he polishes off what remains on the skewer. Idly, he wonders exactly what 'Shinra' is. It's usually not a good sign when people are wandering about looking for sources of power. At any rate, since Sarah had been the one explaining Runes in the first place, he keeps his mouth shut and leaves it to her.

To Xiaomu, he explains, "Harmonia is a theocracy with two prominent political structures. There is of course the military, in which birth caste doesn't mean much of anything. And then there are the levels of citizenship and civil matters. They are very particular about the kind of people who are 'superior' outside of the structure of the military. Most outsiders wouldn't rate first-class citizenship."

"In short, they're aggressively snobby imperialists." He concludes, on the subject of Harmonia.

Luc sighs heavily in answer to Sarah's dismissal of his tests. "Fine. I don't really feel like doing a lot of summoning, anyway." With regards to the Bright Shield and Black Sword however, he says, "They are in essence two True Runes when divided. They may be split, but their behavior is identical. They are distinct only in that they may only be taken up consequence-free in complete form. Otherwise the bearers must come into conflict, or die. Or both."

Fassad approaches, and Luc looks at him. He reaches over and whaps Sarah lightly on the shoulder to get her attention. "Are you sure I'm not supposed to be testing these people?"

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"No tests," Xiaomu grouses in a tone remarkably reminiscent of a certain super fashion designer disdaining to ever make a costume with a cape for any of her clients ever. "I had a bad enough day in Gun Gale Online before coming out here to keep Reiji company while he's exploring your world and learning about your magic ... although I have to say, these Runes do sound interesting."

She'd done a remarkably good job of burying that bit of foul mood under bubbly tourist, admittedly ....

"And yeah, single-use scrolls are a thing I've heard of," she adds, grinning briefly at Sarah. Granted, she's 'heard of them' in games and stuff, not so much in any of the real worlds she's been in.

"And ... yeah, theocracies sound like a good thing for me to try to avoid," she finishes. Monk staff notwithstanding, her ears have a distinctly foxy look to them, as does her hair in the way it seems to be divided into five tails. And they ain't exactly ponytails.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
"I see, so these twenty-seven runes are something like... What, the defining principles of this world?" If that's the case, then they really are something close to 'gods.' Or maybe even above and beyond that. Even Izanagi existed as he was before the beginning of things- Takamagahara had already been given order by then. Fortunately, he's not slapping one of those on a wrist today.

"Hm, well, regardless. Those rune-scrolls seem to be pretty similar to the talismans some of our exorcists use." Reiji doesn't seem to be carrying any of them on him at the moment- or maybe there's a sheaf of ofuda hidden in one of his many pockets? Seals can be pretty handy, after all. "That is," he continues, "Specific spells enscribed onto consumable paper slips. We usually use them for rapid deployment of pre-prepared magic. It's pretty helpful when you know that you'll be using a particular spell often, or if you want to keep specific ones around for utility."

One doesn't often find oneself in a situation where you'll need to wrest control of a hopping corpse. But if it ever comes up, preparing a talisman ahead of time is incredibly useful.

And then, there's another arrival! A... spectactularly foppish arrival. Hhhhuh. "Hey," Reiji says to Prince Valiant as he and his shiny teeth make their appearance. "Looks like you're unharmed. Good. Monsters are pretty bad news if you're not prepared for them."

Reiji inclines his head at Luc, then. "As opposed to just regular imperialists?" He asks, smirking just a bit. "They sound pretty awful. We had a run of imperialism a while back- didn't end very well."

Nuclear bombs are never a good end to anything.

"Sounds like these runes can get pretty..." Reiji looks for a good word. Eventually he finds it. "Willful. At least, the true ones do, forcing their bearers into conflict like that." Probably don't even give a proper contract or anything, like proper faustian bargains. "When you say that they 'must,' do you mean there's some kind of mental compulsion involved? Do the common ones have a habit of being picky with their users, too?"

Reiji's eyes flicker towards Xiaomu. He gives her a look that's somewhere between an apology and appreciation. "I appreciate it, by the way. Travelling is more interesting when you're around."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
Beat.

Reiji turns to Luc and narrows his eyes ever so slightly. "When you say test," he says, suspicion creeping into his voice, "And summon. What exactly do you mean?"

Sarah (316) has posed:
The water mage blinks owlishly and turns to regard Fassad for a second or two. Briefly, she wonders if she shouldn't have let Luc summon something nasty after all, but it wouldn't do to threaten civilians here. The Zexen Confederacy is still a neutral party, and she wouldn't want to invite hostilities here.

Mostly because /she'd/ be the one cleaning up the political fallout. Sigh, what a bother.

"Master Luc has the right of it. Harmonia is essentially a theocracy. It takes a somewhat dim view of that which most have come to understand as basic civil liberties." She shakes her head, earrings clinking softly. "They have been less aggressive in their foreign policies, of late, but that only leads me to believe that they are planning towards something, as a whole. But, I digress; forgive me. You did not come here to hear about the politics of our world."

Fassad, finally, warrants her full attention. She turns to regard him, although somewhat dubiously. Armour gleaming far too brightly to have seen practical use; playing up whatever scuffle he'd gotten into on the way here... arrogant, perhaps, but possibly harmless. "I do not believe I am familiar with you. And you are?" She lets the question hang, long enough for him to introduce himself.

Xiaomu and Reiji earn her attention once more; she shifts her greatstaff to the other arm, leaning against it very slightly. Which is good thing – because before she can answer them, Luc takes a whack at her shoulder, neatly unbalancing her and forcing her to jam the spike-shod end into a chink in the path to keep herself upright, startling briefly. She doesn't say anything, but she turns and fixes him with a look of clear annoyance.

"Not here," she insists, flatly. "I will be the one to clean up your diplomatic mess, Master Luc."

The title carries just a hint of sarcasm.

"Defining principles, underpinnings. Gods. Affix whatever label you wish to them, but it does not change the role they play within the scope of this, their creation." Sarah flicks a hand almost dismissively. "Perhaps. Although not necessarily costly, rune scrolls' expendable nature means that one relying on them exclusively will inevitably pay more for them than the single cost of a common rune."

In other words, it's a lot more expensive to keep buying rune scrolls.

"Yes, such methods seem to be a commonality across many worlds. I have heard of many systems of magic using such means for temporary measures." She looks back to Reiji, earrings clinking quietly; those colourless eyes seem to appraise him, briefly. "I believe you would not have particular difficulty using a common rune. You and your partner seem well accustomed to magic in some form or another."

When Reiji asks about testing, Sarah just...

...smiles. It's an innocent and sweet expression.

Something about it is also incredibly sinister and threatning in the present context.

She'll let him answer that. It'll probably be blunt and matter-of-fact.

"No. Only the True Runes impose their will upon their bearers thus." She lowers her head. "Each True Rune reacts differently to its bearer. Most of them seek to express themselves upon the world, often through destructive means; in the case of the Five Elements, through simple manifestation. Bearing one is a constant battle to keep them suppressed when their more destructive tendencies are not required."

Fassad (248) has posed:
Fassad smiles at Luc. He really has no idea what they mean by a test, but, he simply smiles at the thought of it. He put places his fists at his hips, his arms out to the side, and he pushes out his chest a bit.

"Oh, I can handle any test that is thrown my way! I am, after all, one of the Multiverse's greatest heroes, the Hero of Light from the Land of Arcadia!"

But, Fassad pauses. As Sarah talks, he realizes. "AH! Of course, I should introduce myself properly! I am Prince Fassad, from the far off land of Arcadia. A hero who travels the land, fighting evil, and righting wrongs! It is a pleasure to meet you, m'lady Sarah!"

He reaches for Sarah's right hand, bowing a bit. Kneeling on one leg, as he moves to kiss it, before righting himself. It's quite obvious that this is just him acting liek a noble, rather than any actual attraction. She isn't a princess, after all. That would change things a bit. But still, he'll treat her with respect.

As he stands, he smiles still. "Well, True Runes that guide the lands... It is always wonderful when lands have magical artifacts to help guide things. Sure, it sounds like these things are dangerous, if they try and express themselves through destruction, but truly whoever must weild such things must be quite great people, worthy of such!"

A smile, "Why, in my world, there are legends of a Golden Power, three artifacts granted by the Golden Goddesses that help guide history, and can bring an age of peace. I seek them a bit on the side, hoping to help free the land a bit."

He looks around, though. "Now, where does one get one of the normal runes? I'm assuming one can buy them."

He glances at Reiji, though. "Well, the beast I fought was quite powerful. One of the strongest I ever faced! And yet, I defeated it readily anyways! Here, one second."

Fassad pulls out a pictograph, a photo of himself, on horseback, facing a small rabbit with an axe. The angle is taken in such a way to make the rabbit look larger than it really is, while still making Fassad look grander.

It's worth noting that he probably couldn't have taken this photo on his own, though who knows how the hell he did it.

Luc (237) has posed:
"Some other time, then." Luc chimes in, on the subject of tests. Everybody seems quite aggravated at the notion, and this really isn't the setting. It's not like Leknaat's tower, where there's nothing to be damaged by the summoning of a golem or some other minor threat. As it is though, he doesn't seem all that weirded out by Xiaomu, so it might not be -that- odd for her to be in Harmonia. Granted, Luc is a far more well-traveled person than most Harmonians.

To Reiji he says, "They're much better at what they do than regular Imperialists. Or at least they were. They've been sitting on their laurels for a while now. Not too many great victories of late, either." A lot of that has to do with him, though. Their only recent deployment was in defense of Highland, and it was more or less a token force. Granted, one that could have swayed the tide of the battle if it wasn't eliminated, but not nearly their full might.

With regards to the True Runes, Luc answers, "The Bright Shield and the Black Sword have a unique relationship. The users could elect to surrender their Runes instead of continue into conflict. But if they chose to continue on with the Runes, without resolving their conflict and reuniting them into the Rune of Beginning, then they would grow ill and die. So there is a choice... but they are quite picky."

"To be clear though, the true answer is that it depends on the Rune. The price of using my own is significantly less than those two. The Sun Rune lies at the opposite end of the spectrum. It can't be surrendered, and can only be mitigated through the use of companion Runes to calm it. Otherwise the bearer inevitably goes insane." He elaborates.

Luc does not answer the matter of testing, allowing Sarah's answer – little as it is – to stand.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
Imperialists will never change, no matter where they might be found or what flag they might be goosestepping over. Reiji smiles a bit- there's a knowing edge to it, though, "Yeah. No problem. It must be pretty awkward sometimes, coming to other places when you technically work for that sort of government. We've had our share of run-ins with parliament. Politicians seem to be a pain no matter where you go."

He nods to Sarah, then. "Sort of interesting that they're both essential underpinnings as well as active agents, though. Most primal gods I've read about tend to be pretty hands-off." There's a beat of silence as Sarah moves on to the topic of scrolls. "Really? Huh," Reiji pinches softly at his chin, "For us, it's just a matter of sitting down and spending the time to make the things. It helps to have an expert to pay to do that kind of thing, though."

Or interns.

Interns are amazing.

Something sends a shiver down his spine. Out of the blue, it feels like the temperature's dropped several degrees. Oh, he thinks, it's that dreadful little glimmer in Sarah's eye. He's seen that one before. It's the 'don't fuck up' stare.

Best not to fuck up, then.

"So the five elements are less likely to strongly influence their bearer? Sounds about right. Xiaomu and I work with the elemental cycle we have back home pretty much constantly. If there's any similarity, then they're unlikely to bite you in the ass if you don't provoke them." But if you do, it's a totally different story. He frowns slightly at the anecdote of the Sun Rune, though. "That's... Problematic. As is are the Sword and Shield, but at least they're willing to let their users go. I guess the Sun is pretty domineering."

And then... Fassad.

Oh Fassad.

"Fate's kind of a bitch sometimes, though," Reiji says with a shrug. "I imagine it gets worse when there're twenty-seven temperamental deific forces pulling people this way and that. Gods can get pretty fickle, y'kno–"

Picture. Axe-bunny.

He squints at the photograph. His eyes dart from the photo to Fassad, then back to the photo, then back to Fassad. And then he says, "Well, can't blame you. Rabbits can be jerks." Especially ones that live in Bamboo Groves.

Those are just total assholes.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu is still really happy not to mess with a theocracy; most self-proclaimed holy types tend to have problems with a 'fox demon' roaming through their territory. Prince Fassad provides a welcome distraction from that, though, and she turns to observe his greeting and introduction and tale –

Then blinks. "Hang on a sec, lemme see that photo ..." She reaches out to try and take it off his hands for a closer inspection.

"... oh, yeah," she deadpans a moment later. "That rabbit was certainly a deadly menace to your toenails if it could possibly have bitten through your boots to start with. Or if the axe got through, that could have been a real danger to your ankles." She sighs, looking up, her ears and hairtails limp. "Do you have ANY idea how old camera angle tricks like this are?" she asks, tossing the photo back carelessly towards its owner. "I mean, TV shows and movies have been using forced perspective and matte tricks to make it look like giants are rampaging through cities almost as long as humans have had photography, moving or otherwise. Crouch and close one eye, I can make it look like I'm a fifty-foot foxgirl ready to crush Reiji under my heel."

She looks and sounds *TERRIBLY* unimpressed with the Hero of Light. At least she's holding back the real snark, or she might deal multiple critical hits to Fassad's ego. She's not actively disputing Reiji's assessment of rabbits, though, so there IS that.

Sarah (316) has posed:
Before she has the opportunity to pull away, the princeling reaches for Sarah's hand and bestows a courtly kiss upon the back of it. He may find it particularly cold, all of a sudden, and he may notice the sensation of cold mist hovering closely about her person. She's not happy about that gesture, although her expression never changes; once he's let her go, she draws her hand away in an extremely deliberate manner. There's none of the implicit teasing of her earlier smile; she is deadly serious.

"I appreciate the spirit of the gesture, Prince Fassad, but do not touch me again," she murmurs, markedly quieter even than her soft speaking voice. "I do not like to be touched."

"Any of the common shops in Vinay del Zexay will have them," Sarah states crisply, in regards to the common runes. "They are, after all, quite common. True Runes are also known to produce them when they remain in one area for a period of time."

She stares somewhat blankly at the pictoraph of Cavalier Fassad bravely facing the axe bunny. In fact, she stares at it for a good ten seconds.

"I have never seen one of those so large," she states, blandly; almost deadpan. "Truly a fearsome opponent."

Definitely mocking his self-aggrandising.

She retreats, slightly, standing behind and slightly to the left of Luc; the deferential position of a subservient attending their master. She looks visibly disturbed at the mention of the Sun Rune. "The Sun Rune is somewhat of an extreme example. It is also a hereditary treasure of the Queendom of Falena."

On the matter of testing, she seems content to leave her answer lie. After all, the imagination is far worse than any candid answer could be, isn't it?

Sarah shifts, somewhat uncomfortably, one hand curling around the haft of the greatstaff, as though she draws some kind of comfort from it. Her eyes slide away from Reiji and Xiaomu, lingering somewhere in the vicinity of the flagstones underfoot.

"Yes and no," she answers, to the matter of the Five Elements and their influence. "They react in other ways, more subtle and insidious ways, but to presume that they are quiescent is a foolish assumption. They simply act through other means." Like blood-chilling nightmares of a world forged of the perfect force of Order. It doesn't sound like much, but nothing else can drag her out of a dead sleep in a cold sweat. "They are no less distressing than the overt insanity of the Sun Rune, although perhaps their destruction is more limited in an immediate sense. But, that depends on how one looks at the situation, I suppose."

She half-glances to Luc, then back to Reiji. "I would not even call them 'fickle.' No one knows what their machinations are towards, ultimately. Some say a world of perfect Order; others say they seek Chaos, and still others hypothesise that the True Runes are split amongst their number, each seeking an ultimate goal for their creations. But though they may be the generative force of this world, I hold no illusions that they have no care for their 'creations.' Not as we would think of it," she adds, with a shrug of one narrow shoulder.

Luc (237) has posed:
"I have yet to encounter a conflict that was not driven by the True Runes. We'd be better off without them." Luc asides to Reiji, more than a hint of bitterness in his voice. He turns away from the group now, raising a hand to wave in departure, "I think I'll take my leave now. Sarah is going to be better for instructing you in these matters than I am, and I feel like combing the street vendors some more. Oh... one more thing. Your test."

A sigil etched into Luc's back flares up, glowing through his clothing. A great ominous gate gapes open in the air above him, heralding the arrival of...

... A single, aggressive-looking bunny wielding an axe. Exactly the sort found in Fassad's picture.

"Take care." He offers half-heartedly, departing down an adjacent street without even troubling to look back.

Fassad (248) has posed:
While Fassad can not sense magic, the cold surrounding things as Sarah gets mad is obvious to even him. And so, making a bit more awkward. But, he bows a little bit. "Ah, I apologize, m'lady. Truly. If I had known, I would not have done so. The gesture was meant entirely in kindness."

He turns to Xiamu, "Ah! But the bunny! Look at its teeth, and the sharpness of the axe. No matter the size, it really was a threat."

...And then the axe weilding bunny appears. Despit Fassad's protests of it being a truly great threat, the creature is now present. Fassad sighs, reaching for his blade. This is honestly compeletely, and utterly, embarrasing.

But he lifts his sword with his right hand, and with his left he grabs for his shield. If there is one thing he is good at, it's making a scene and acting.

"AH! Another such foul beast! Do not worry, I shall prove my valiant nature again!"

And, he leaps forward, bringing his blade down at the bunny from above.

"HAVE AT THEE, VILLAIN!"

If he kills it fast enough they won't see how weak it is.

Reiji Arisu has posed:
It's hard for Reiji to hide his smirk when Xiaomu tears into Fassad's photo. It's much easier to conceal his sympathy, though that's largely because *smirk* sort of takes precedence over everything except the tremendously versatile 'deadpan.' "Well," he says to the prince, "You tried, at least."

And then Sarah happens. She reacts to Fassad's princely charisma in about the way Reiji had expected. Well, maybe not quite. He didn't predict the drop in temperature, or the fog. Otherwise, pretty much expected.

Of course, it seems he's touched a bit of a nerve, too.

"Hm. I hadn't realized how pervasive they were," he says, frowning. "Or how aggressive. But being the driving force behind as many wars as you imply is... Pretty bad. In any case, I can't exactly approve of a world of total chaos or complete order. Everything is fine in moderation, but too much of one or the other never turns out well."

"My misunderstanding," he muses, "Probably comes from my familiarity with the elements we have back home. Things move in a cycle, there- each one becomes the other, and if everything's moving properly, you'll rarely have an accumulation. Though as you might expect, if Fire starts to build up, things get pretty explosive." He nods after Luc when he departs, "Right. Nice meeting you. Tune into the radio more of–"

Portal.

Bunny.

Reiji squints at the bunny as it hops out onto the street, and then looks to Fassad. "You must've been fighting some pretty shitty beasts if this is one of the worst things you've run into."

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
Xiaomu actually doesn't have anything to say at this point.

Unless you count the *munch munch* as she noshes on fried tofu from a bag she had in her carrypack. She's just watching now, Reiji laid out plenty enough snark to take up her slack this time.

She's clearly expecting a really impressive show, though. Don't disappoint her, Fassad!

Sarah (316) has posed:
"Every conflict of this world I have witnessed, tere have indeed been True Runes behind it in some manner or another. Still, I would not be hasty in ruling whether these conflicts were caused by the True Runes themselves, or men desirous of their power." Sarah's voice lowers, something in her tone darkening. "I cannot underestimate the avarice of men."

Words of personal experience, perhaps?

She turns away as though to follow Luc, although she pauses when he takes a moment to summon something for their guests. It's considerably less destructive and dangerous than she was expecting.

Sarah's expression remains so carefully neutral that it's obvious she's trying to keep it that way.

"I believe I've explained everything that I can, for now. Good luck with your test," she intones solemnly, turning away quickly. Luc is a terrible influence. Sarah isn't quite able to stifle her snicker behind a pale hand as she drifts after the wind mage. Ordinarily she might have yelled at him because they are Union guests, but let's face it, after Fassad's boasts that was hilarious. Even to Sarah.

She'll accompany him through the alleys of Vinay del Zexay, for now, though. Maybe there's some good sweet-wine to be found here in the trade port...

Luc (237) has posed:
The Axe Rabbit, while relatively large for a rabbit, is exactly as pathetic as you might expect. It raises its axe to strike – or perhaps defend itself – but is cut down with ease! It's hard to tell whether or not this is because of Fassad's prowess, or the Axe Rabbit's lack of prowess. It probably gives Fassad the reasonable doubt he was seeking, though...

Fassad (248) has posed:
And, as Fassad strikes through the rabbit, he stands tall, looking at the others. And it's commented that the monsters he has fought must suck. He just smiles, "Ah, you do not realize how much effort that took. It's not a matter of it being weak; it's a matter of me being simply that strong!"

Fassad pauses, smiling as charismatically as he can. He's overcompensating a bit, because he has a bit of a glowing brightness around him. And his teeth are practically sparkling.

Suddenly something can be heard coming from nearby. Hiding behind one of the stands is his Shinki, Serafina. An Olbern. It shouts out, trying to get the crowd riled up a bit about Fassad's heroics.

"Hey, did you just see that? He just beat that monster so effortlessly! Isn't he amazing?"

It's probably going to fail to get people's attention to the GRAND HERO in their mist, but Serafina is hoping to help her master in any way possible.

Xiaomu (707) has posed:
"Yeeeeeeep, you sure made some fine stew meat out of that rabbit," Xiaomu deadpans, putting her fried tofu away with an air of 'show's over, folks'. "And thanks for the tour and the five-yen lecture on Runes, Sarah," she adds, rather more warmly to the water-user. "Might want to ask you a few more things about tme sometime - I'm not sure how well they'd integrate with any of the magic Reiji and I use, but it might at least be worth asking sometime."

Reiji Arisu has posed:
"Hm, that's true," Reiji says to Sarah, "Humanity will find reasons to go to war, no matter where they are. And when they do, it's usually about power, and since these True Runes are about the most powerful things around. Well," he shrugs, not failing to note her shift in tone. He doesn't comment on it, but he hears it loud and clear, "Then it's a matter of men more than gods."

The two mages walk off, then. Reiji lifts a hand in farewell, "Yeah. We'll take a look around, see what they've got, maybe experiment here and there. We might have questions, but they can probably be addressed over the radio. Thanks again, you two."

...And then Fassad stabs a Rabbit with a sharp, pointy stick. Reiji shakes his head. He just... There are some people in the world and– and then a little robot person hops out of a stand. That'd explain how he got the camera angle. "So did it take effort, or did it not take effort? Because if that tiny girl over there is telling the truth, then you've been pulling our leg- and if you're being honest, then..."

Deadpan. Utterly, tremendously deadpan, "You're saying you'd stand a chance at losing a fight to a rabbit."

Fassad (248) has posed:
Fassad pauses.

He looks at the sky, "–oh, look at the time. I really must be off. I forgot, today is the day I have... A thing. YES. A thing. It's very secret and private and not something to be ignored. Pardon my sudden farewell! May we fight as allies in battle one day!"

And he briskly walks off.

On his way out of here, his Shinki also comes out of hiding, shouting, "Waaaait for me!", and then hops on his shoulder. Proving that not even the crowd was paying attention.

This is quite embarrasing.