Success with just a MINOR side effect.

[wewillwewill]

Who: Elidibus, K'zeka Tia, Q'uila Sunrise [closed]
Where: Quiet Coach Booth
When: Nebula 21
What: After a near miss, Elidibus decides to speak candidly to the present Warriors of Light.
Warnings: CW: FFXIV spoilers. Things might get violent. Implied mild brainwashing(??)


Someone might say you never realize how small a room is until you're about to be trapped in it with two alternate universe reflections of your mortal enemy.

If they don't, they should. Elidibus stands in the room, waiting with all the cool presence of mind someone who knows he can swifty teleport out of the room might possess in these circumstances. He sent messages via the individual messaging system of the SCA. Each will get an actual use of their proper name. Not Warrior of Light, not Warrior of Darkness.

"K'zeka Tia--"

"Q'uila Sunrise--"

The message following is the same.

"Pray join me in the quiet coach. There is a matter of importance I wish to speak with you about. I will be asking the other Warrior of Light to join us."

On the table there are a small arrangement of snacks (mostly biscuits and finger sandwiches) and beverages (cold water, a kettle of hot water and tea bags, coffee). Cups and small plates are also present. Social niceties meant for small talk. Though whether there'll be interest in them is another matter.

The Ascian waits patiently to see if his guests will arrive.

Comments

[catti]

In all honesty, if Elidibus had sent his message and not said he was inviting the other Miqo'te, K'zeka likely wouldn't have shown up. For one thing, they may have declared a truce, but he didn't quite trust Elidibus due to his...everything, mostly. That, and he was very involved in a video game where he could be a hero without the risks of dying or being physically or mentally injured in some way. He was very bad at it so far.

"So what is it that's so important?" he asks immediately upon showing up, curious rather than accusatory. Hopefully the Ascian won't mind if he helps himself to a biscuit and a sandwich.

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila shares some of K'zeha's caution, however, having spent more time on the train with Elidibus she probably would have turned up by herself to sate her curiosity. As it is, she shoots Elidibus a curious look before smiling at K'zeha and offering him a friendly fistbump before grabbing herself a biscuit.

"Wellmet, Elidibus, hvae you been baking again?" She watches the Ascian carefully as K'zeha speaks their mind.

[wewillwewill]

Yes, yes, Zeka. Don't trust Elidibus, complete reasonable. Also have a biscuit.

"They were leftovers from a recipe known as Danish biscuits." Whoever the Danes are. "The sandwiches are egg salad."

Yes, K'zeka, Elidibus bakes. The Ascian turns to face the now that both have arrived and gives a response to both.

"We have a truce, yet I know it's an uneasy one so I make an effort to keep you informed of certain actions." Though it is old news to Q'uila and he starts by looking at her, his gaze shifts toward Zeka so as to include him in this.

Elidibus doesn't press them to enjoy food. At the end of the day, it had been a judge of atmosphere; to see whether they were tense enough to trouble themselves over a civil nicety. Zeka dived in. Q'uila acknowledged it but didn't engage.

Could be worse. Elidibus doesn't waste further time.

"Q'uila is aware, I have recently started teaching a young man named Rich Goranski how to harness his aether. He'll be training as a pugilist once he's able to maintain focus."

This is pretty old hat for Q'uila. Hardly 'important' at least. There's probably a huge 'but' hanging in the air.

[catti]

Zeka trusts the Ascians not to mess with food, figuring if they didn't have any reason to do it in the past couple years he's known of them, they aren't likely to feel like doing it in the future. That might come back to bite him sometime in the future, but he'll deal with that if it happens.

He has to transfer the sandwich to his other hand before happily returning Q'uila's fistbump, being careful not to squish the filling out or drop it, lest V'kebbe find her way to the train to berate him for wasting egg salad.

'Rich Goranski' isn't a name he's familiar with and pugilist isn't one of his disciplines--though he can't speak for Q'uila, of course--so he's not sure how it's important.

"...And you need assistance with the training?"

[dragoonrouge]

The warm burst of happiness of the returned fistbump is short-lived as Q'uila pauses, mid-munch, her eyes narrowing at Elidibus. Zeka's question didn't match what she knew of Elidibus' plans for Rich's training.

Which meant that this was something else. Something else from an Ascian.

She swallow her food and glances at Zeka, "I made the boy some beginners hora, he would not require us to teach a sprout the basic arts of pugilist."

Her voice and ears are flat as Elidibus finds himself pinned once more by sharp, amber eyes. "Explain."

[wewillwewill]

It's not that he's reluctant to admit the truth. But Elidibus does pause momentarily and closes his eyes to sum up the best way to explain it candidly. Another habit. What is the best course to put this conversation on? When his eyes open again they briefly rest on Zeka.

"Q'uila is right. I don't need aid in training him as a pugilist. Though his skill with invoking aether are too nascent. And if either of you were able to help him further his talent for it, I would be grateful."

This much should make sense. The skills and.... lifespans of mortals such as Q'uila and K'zeka should be better at teaching an inborn talent than Elidibus, whose whole perspective on the birthright, much less beginners' teachings, might actually make it more difficult for Rich to comprehend. Particularly given the circumstances of that budding talent.

But this is still not reason for Elidibus to have called them both, much less to a discussion so important that he is referring to them by actual name, convenience of it when they're in the same room aside.

"The world from which the boy hails has lost touch with the concept of aether. What he told me suggests the people turned away from what is still common on the Star we know. When I offered to train him, I also gave him the opportunity to see if the connection to his aether could be reawakened. He agreed."

So far, not bad. Yet the 'but' still lingers in the air and it is about to drop.

"This was during our stay at the temple of the void nexus." Elidibus glances at Q'uila, knowing she would have knowledge of that time. Then he returns to addressing both. "For most of the following moon by this train's reckoning, I would channel him a small portion of my aether daily, so he could come to recognize the sensation and adapt his lifeforce to the flow. He persisted through the discomfort and has met with success." It's a very basic grasp and can't yet be held for combat purposes, but Rich can successfully use aether. Sort of.

But. "Though I made every effort against it, there has been an inevitable side-effect of my method." Elidibus closes his eyes again. "You are both in your respective times from a point past the defeat of my other selves. Thus you should know enough of my past, if not of our last encounter, to understand."

Zeka's offhand suggestion of helping train may have been something he took timely advantage of in the moment, but it may be suddenly clear it has another and more vital benefit.

[catti]

In his defense, he's not the best at judging Ascian motives; he's better at kicking their asses when they eventually do something that threatens him or anyone he cares about.

He holds his hands up in a gesture of surrender at Q'uila's glance, ears flattening slightly, then nearly disappearing into his hair when Q'uila flattens hers, though he looks more nervous than angry.

So Rich isn't familiar with harnessing aether, and Elidibus has been training him to do just that, by channeling his own aether into Rich so he can recognize the feeling and attempt to do it himself. Sounds like a--

Hang on.

"Wait, you've been transferring your own aether into him?" Elidibus is essentially a Primal, so this most likely Not Good. "That'll corrupt his own before he can even use it!" Right?

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila's fur bristles as she squares her stance next to Zeka.

"You are enthralling a young man, one whom 'tis clear has no understanding of aether." Her lips pull back over her teeth in a snarl, "You better give me a good reason not to consign your soul to the luggage compartment, Elidibus. For this toes the line of any good will you might have earnt from me."

[wewillwewill]

"There is no good reason I could give," Elidibus states. "We all are aware of the gravity of this matter." He won't make excuses for himself. That's not why he called the two here, for absolution.

His straightforward expression is grim. "Though I did little more than what you might have done to share aether with one another, I'm was not ignorant of the risk. It was not my specific intention and I made every effort to keep the impact to its minimum. But I was aware."

Elidibus then focuses on Q'uila. "He was not exposed long. A small amount and two weeks, always withdrawn." It didn't change the fact that it left an imprint and he knows it. "Once he could reach it on his own, I no longer did." This is not spoken with the air of someone attempting to downplay the severity. Instead, the Ascian is laying out the actual facts and knows it makes nothing better.

"My intentions were to teach him and nothing more. When it was clear the train would offer no protection of what little affect lingered, I decided I would wait until the impact of my aether lessened before I spoke to him and then to you both."

Then he focuses on the female miqo'te.

"Yet Q'uila's actions the other day made me realize I would need to address the matter to you both instead, lest happenstance cause you to discover the influence ere I came to speak of the matter."

[catti]

As much as he'd like to see Q'uila banish Elidibus to the luggage carriage in whatever capacity she would be able, he has a feeling he shouldn't encourage that, nor would it be as satisfying as it sounds.

"Little effect is still an effect, and not one that goes away...but if you're aware, that means you aren't of a mind to keep doing it..." This is a statement rather than a question; Elidibus is free to interpret it however he likes.

[dragoonrouge]

"We will be keeping an eye on Rich." That goes without saying really, "And I will step in if it looks like he is going to be harmed because of what you have done or if a negative effect rises in the future."

She picks up another biscuit and takes an angry bite lest she says something a bit more impulsive.

[wewillwewill]

I don't intend to undermine the gravity of the matter by saying it was a limited exposure, K'zeka," Elidibus answers in a firm tone. "Nor to dismiss it as inconsequential. But without further influence, he would likely return to a state where he won't deny the truth."

The Ascian does cast the newest Warrior of Light a dry look. "That I'm aware and my intentions have little to do with each other." He knew it was a risk before he started and he still did it after all. "But it's true I don't intend to continue. And I would work with you to see that it grows no worse."

Elidibus looks at both and nods as Q'uila speaks up.

"As unpleasant as this outcome is, there is now something we all know. The train will provide no protection against enthrallment. And if any others wishing to learn our Star's methods come from a world like the boy's, where aether has long been a dormant force, I can't be the one to awaken them."

An unfortunate habit or a pragmatic one; Elidibus ever looks for a gain even when the outcome is not as he'd hoped or intended.

[catti]

"I didn't--" he starts, before cutting himself off with a huff and crossing his arms. Arguing with Elidibus will go in circles for the better part of forever and he doesn't have the patience or the debating skill to do that successfully.

So he keeps quiet aside from that and nods in affirmation to what Q'uila says...and then a more hesitant one at the train not providing enthrallment protection.

"Either one of us can take up the aether training part, if there are any others who want to learn."

[dragoonrouge]

Q'uila sighs a bone-deep, weary sigh. Maybe one day she and Zeka will be able to go longer than a couple of months without an Ascian doing something alarming that they then have to do damage control on.

"Right... No more aetherial manipulation of other people for you. And let us all pray that no one else catches word of this lest they turn their ire on us all."

[wewillwewill]

"I will teach you what method I used. Even in your sundered states, it should be straightforward enough. If done correctly, those unused to any form of awareness of their aether should only feel mild discomfort as they adapt." Well, in cases like Rich where magic or psychic ability or cultivation and the like weren't part of their everyday lives.

"Though I suggest you impress on those individuals that trust is necessary, as well as patience. The boy is now capable of making it manifest, but it's hardly a state he'll be able to use it reliably in combat. I have given him basic exercises to help with his focus but any input you have would be welcome."

With the practical comments out of the way, Elidibus turns his attention to Q'uila's words about the ire of other passengers.

"Since I intend to tell the boy the truth when he can accept its reality, there's a chance it will become common knowledge. But neither of you had any part in this and you are taking steps to make certain it doesn't happen again." So is he, as per this meeting's intent. But he's also well aware that won't matter much.

"Any blame for what has happened to him is my burden to bear. Those who can't accept that and seek to accuse you are simply blinded by their fears. Don't try to take their accusations upon yourselves. Nor should you feel responsible. It's not as if I informed you of my intentions and methods."

It may seem pretentious of him to remark on the matter in such a way. But he's had millennia of experience in how mortals react. And he's witnessed what the Warrior of Light (and Warriors of Light in general) will try to take onto themselves. Sometimes it seems it just needs to be pointed out that it's not their fault.