WHEN: 2044 or thereabouts, mid-morning
WHERE: Khymeia Academy Library WHO: Ichi and Alectrona Windgrace
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[11:34] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): The School of Necromancy had a bit of a reputation, even before death became so strange a thing on Callisto. There was an initial surge of new applicants when the Gate fell - the churches pushing their seminarians and acolytes to learn how to deal with the lingering not-so-dead, those magically-inclined among the healers and hospitals attempting to help languishing patients at end of life - but that had petered out as efforts more often than not proved fruitless. Even the existing students were weary and a bit jaded; it took a special sort of person to want to dabble in the deathly arts when the world was so saturated with suffering souls.
But Ichi had long been taught that pragmatism was more useful than sentiment. Professor Dashrix was not one to waste an abundant resource when it could be used for the better and Ichi was every bit his Abba's student; in his mind it was better to wrangle and direct the dead than let them mill about aimlessly. Besides, his own nature made it a necessary course of study. Control of the dead was, in a way, control of his baser instincts. So when he approached the study session meant to tackle their first major project of the semester, he did so with enthusiasm in his eyes.
Ichi waited by the library desk, a tome already cracked open in his hand so he could skim over the recommended reading while he waited for others to appear. Few did when he called for these sessions but the young Sato didn't exactly mind.
[11:47] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) could have been a junior Professor in Hermetics. Certainly, that department had nothing really left for Alec and, honestly, hadn't for some time. It was only her own driving perfectionism that had pushed her to take on every class and blow the grading curve out of the water until there was literally nothing left. Certainly, she could have moved on to other things than the University rather than remaining a student of any stripe, but Alec's need for knowledge was voracious and she had time. Nothing but time, really. It was that crippling anxiety that kept her from throwing herself into the family faith. That and, if Alec were truly honest, the occasional doubt that went hand in hand with never feeling quite good enough for her Mother's legacy. None of that ever showed, not in public, not among her peers and future associates. Instead, she floated through the door with the polished and practiced smile that was splashed all over the AetherNet.
Where Freddy enjoyed his reputation as the family rebel, Alec was determined to represent their parents at all times in the best way possible. Her blonde curls were artfully tossed up, her nails freshly done and not a smudge marred the light makeup that went well with the pastel princess she presented to the world at large. She tipped her head, scanning the room before it landed on Ichi. "Necromantic Study Group?" Alec asked before offering one elegant hand, "Alectrona Windgrace. Alec, if you prefer." It was really unnecessary. Alec knew who he was, of course. Professor Dashrix and his unusual household were as infamous as the Windgraces were famous, lurking in their sky castle while the Windgraces built an empire. Ichi's mother was, after all, something like a friend to Alec's own but Ichi was... older. Alec had vague memories of the boy being older than her brother, or perhaps younger? Time was... a little odd around the Dashrix's ward. Certainly Alec knew his name, and was well aware that he undoubtedly knew her face but manners, as her mother said, were Important.
Plus, this provided an opportunity for Alec to hear which last name the man preferred as she'd heard both the Professor's and his protege's applied to the young man. It wouldn't do to call him by one if he preferred another.
[11:58] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi was every bit as meticulously well-kept as all of Prof. Dashrix's projects. His hair was neatly combed and slicked away from his face, unruly strands mimicking the slight wave of his mother's at his hairline. The dress shirt beneath his vest was pressed and ironed, even the peek of shirt tail unruffled and even, as if leaving it untucked were a matter of style choice rather than slovenly habit. It was his mother, likely that encouraged that - she had taken up the habit of encouraging little bits of rebellion in her son to keep his father's legacy alive beneath the Dashrix ways.
When he turned to the newcomer he shut his book, brought his feet together and bowed at the waist. "My name is Sato," he offered with a small, polite smile. "...but my given name is Ichi. Most people seem more comfortable using that. It's a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Windgrace. I think our... families are acquainted." He had paused to search for the appropriate term - it wasn't exactly easy to describe the Dashrix household but the word came closest, Ichi felt. His smile turned sheepish, if ever so slightly. "I'm afraid it may just be the two of us. Not many people come to these sessions anymore." [12:04] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) tipped her head to the side, a small smile lifting the corners of her mouth beyond the practiced curve into genuine amusement. "Acquainted is a good way to put it." With her books in her hand, she returned the bow appropriately although just a bit too practiced. Not a natural custom but Dorian loved the Seiiki district and so Alec had diligently learned the manners appropriate to that half of Callisto as well. "Acquainted is a good term," Alec agreed with that little smile that hinted at the genuine woman below the practiced exterior. "The pleasure is mine, I assure you. Which do *you* prefer? It would be a little odd to insist on one name over another based on my preferences when it happens to be your name, don't you think?" Alec asked though the question seemed rhetorical as she turned towards the librarian to request quietly that any one else looking for necromantic studies be directed upstairs. "We might as well get started then, don't you think? Personally, I always prefer the private study sessions over classes myself. I never understand why people miss them but go to class instead, honestly. I feel like I have so much a better feel for the material when I'm given time and resources to devote to personal study."
[12:15] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma) smiled a little wider when he saw Alec return the bow. "That was a good bow," he observed. The habit of providing feedback for such things was something he picked up from the Professor to be sure; feedback was vital for people to understand when they did things properly, after all. The question seemed to surprise him however and he hummed, tilting his head a bit to consider Alec and her expression. It took until after Alec had spoken with the librarian for him to actually come up with an answer. "My mother chose Ichi," he began. Something crossed his features as he rolled through his memories to search for moments his name had been discussed. "I - " he began haltingly before shaking his head and clearing his throat. "- I think I like that better. The name, that is. I think both lecture classes and private study are important for thorough understanding of the material." Ichi turned to move toward the stairs, pausing at the bottom to wait for Alectrona to either catch up with or surpass him and his longer strides. "Have you done much personal study in Necromancy?"
[12:21] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) hummed a little at the question. "I've done some light reading," Alec offered thoughtfully. "Nothing I would consider practical experience which I think is probably the better way to fully understand the practice." She was light on her feet, graceful from years of dance and certainly used to stretching her legs to try and keep pace with a lanky older brother. "I mean, I've certainly encountered restless spirits and walking dead but I've always stuck to my strengths. My primary studies are in Hermeticism - that's your base as well isn't it?" Alec asked the question, though she was very familiar with his father's work. Well, one of his fathers. She had read no small amount of Professor Dashrix's older and very dry publishings on the hermetic arts as well as her mother's own theories. "But with the ongoing issues, it seemed an interesting focus in studies as Necromancy is often quicker in the field than rite and ritual and one doesn't always have the choice and time to prepare, yes?"
[12:33] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi let her go ahead of him on the stairs out of politeness. It had the unexpected outcome of affording him a view of the middle Windgrace's figure as he climbed behind her, something that proved distracting enough that he was quiet for a moment at the top of the stairs. Luckily he wasn't staring at her when she turned to answer his question - at least, not at the object of his distraction. Ichi's eyes were on her face. He blinked himself out of the idle fascination and nodded, his brain finally catching up to the conversation. "I'm very lucky to have been under the Professor's tutelage from birth," he said with a little respectful dip of his head. "So Hermetics is the base for the majority of my casting. It makes for a stable and controlled use of Aether." He made his way to an unoccupied table and set his book down, glancing up at the other students dotted sparsely around the second floor study area. "The Professor says that with enough foresight one can be prepared for almost anything ahead of time." Ichi pulled out a seat for his study partner. "Even my Necromancy is tempered by Hermetic rituals. It helps keep things - ah, um. In check? Productive. The part of me that I inherited from my father makes it an easy form of magic for me but it's also very easy to get carried away. And that's unproductive."
[12:37] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) tipped her head to the side, listening to what was said and what was not said in the phrasing. "So you think of Professor Dashrix as a teacher and your biological father as your father?" Alec asked with perhaps a little too much interest though she masked it some by setting her collection of papers and tablet down on the edge of the desk, freeing up her hands. With her hands free, Alec seemed to use them to talk, her fingers fluttering gracefully to punctuate words and statements. "I understand, though, what you mean about the advantage of teaching from birth. My Mother has tutored me since the cradle and I remain grateful for such a broad and well versed education afforded. She's absolutely brilliant. I should be following her in studying the family Faith next but I'd like to bring something more to my family first, hence trying to get as broad an education as possible from the university. I was debating on Necromancy or Technomancy but technomancy is so popular these days and I... well, I don't enjoy crowds, honestly." Alec admitted after a moment.
[12:46] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi blinked at her. "I was conceived by a sexual act between Sato, Naoki and my mother so father is the most accurate term," he explained as if it were a simple thing devoid of the tangle of emotional baggage that went along with it. "The Professor has raised and taught me since - well," he nodded at Alec's own terminology, " - since the cradle. He is The Professor, and a lifelong teacher. That's the most accurate, too. There are other teachers here at the Academy of course but none of them are like The Professor." There was reverence, almost in the way he spoke that particular title and a fondness in the smile that accompanied his answer. "I'm sure your family will be very proud of your accomplishments. And we can do our best to add Necromancy to them. At least, I can do my best to help as a study partner." He tapped his fingers on the chair he'd pulled out for her before looking around again at the other students. Lowering his voice, he asked, "Is it too crowded here for you?"
[12:53] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) gave a little shake of her head, easing down into the chair and tucking her legs together. "I mean, they *are* proud, I know, but I just..." Alec's words trailed off and she cleared her throat, giving a little shake of her head as she let whatever she was going to say die away. "I was just curious about the family dynamics, I suppose. There are few of us with, well, dynasties, I suppose? I'm not sure that's the best term. I was curious what life was like in Castle Dashrix though, I imagine, you get that a lot. There is something rather mysterious in living in a castle that floats above the school and no one really visits." Alec commented though there was no judgement in her words and a hint of a smile around her lips made it clear that she saw the similarities. Windgrace tower might be located on and really, through, the island but that didn't make it any more accessible to the masses.
[13:03] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi scooted the chair in to a comfortable closeness to the table and went to claim his own seat next to her. "Dynasty... rulers in succession that come from the same family - is that what you mean?" he asked as he settled in and slid the book so it sat in front of them both, midway between them. "I know that applies to the Windgrace & Windgrace company. I am not sure that applies with the Professor and the castle. Neither my father nor I would 'rule' over it, I think, if the Professor were to ever to die. And the Professor's own familial history..." He frowned, his mind grasping at holes and blank spaces where he had either not been informed or the knowledge had been removed at the discretion of exacting minds. "...well I don't think it applies," he said definitively despite the knowledge gaps. He turned pages in the necromantic tome set in front of them until he reached a chapter about communicating with and calming angered spirits. "We should focus on Necromancy. Have you dealt with volatile or violent spirits before?"
[13:09] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) pursed her lips, clearly wanting to explain why dynasties *was* accurate given near or actual immortality but with the clear request to focus on their mutual studies, she let it drop. "Yes, of course. I don't think one can live in this island without having encountered them although, as I mentioned, I've largely dealt with them with application of hermetics or assisting my Mother in her various rituals - or observing. We don't have a problem ever at the tower - obviously," that place, after all, was warded to hell or back, "But, out and about, of course. I assume you have as well?"
[13:13] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi furrowed his brow at the expression on her face. His mother had tried to teach him about reading people and he certainly wasn't going to ignore the clear sign of - displeasure? Frustration? - he read in her expression. "Did I say something wrong?" he asked, polite as ever. Nothing in his tone or posture was defensive; on the contrary he seemed contrite, as if assuming his fault before any confirmation. Stubbornly, he said nothing on the topic of necromancy until she responded though his hand remained on the book to keep the page open and ready once they could return to the topic.
[13:21] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) scrunched her nose, "Oh, no, no. I was prying. Really, I should be apologizing though not for anything nefarious. You see, when I said dynasties. Rather than the, ah, emphasis on heredity nature, I more meant...." Her fingers flexed, the rings glittering on them. They were expensive, certainly, the gems absolutely real, but the large emerald on her finger was much more than an expensive gem; protective charms woven into by Alec's own mother. Her fingers moved as she searched for words, almost physically groping for them before she hesitated and then with quick precise gestures wove a simple spell that would ensure their conversation would remain private. It was not so different from Lex's hermetic charms, though from a different branch of teacher, the hermetic arts were fundamentally the same. Once that was woven and tight to keep them from prying ears, Alec turned fully in her chair to face Ichi with intense curiosity. "Your... Professor, my mother, they're basically Immortal and fixtures on the island. They are... if not dynasties, then perhaps pillars of Callisto might be better. There are very, very few such families on the island, and even less with children raised in such an environment. Aren't you... well, curious about us?" Alec asked, folding her leg up and finally settling those restless hands on her ankle, right where her foot tucked under her other thigh. Her shoulders curved towards him, clearly more interested in the answers to these questions of Necromancy 101. "I mean, my siblings and I? How our lives differ from yours? How they are similar?"
[13:33] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi seemed relieved. He smiled and nodded, straightening up in his chair to listen attentively as she explained. His brows rose when she wove her magic and he looked around them, stare lingering on each of the other students and staff in the vicinity to ensure they weren't paying undue attention to the conversation. It didn't take much puzzling to figure out what sort of spell she'd cast. "They're very prominent people," he agreed. "And the Professor has alluded to my upbringing differing from most people. I never assume any household would be like mine." He watched the movements of her hands until they rested there on her ankle. His eyes froze on the spot, focusing studiously on anklebone and fingers rather than anything else that might be nearby. "...yes, I'm curious," he admitted quietly. There was a little rustling of movement behind one of the shelves, a quiet shuffle of smooth mechanical joints moving and settling. Ichi glanced up in that direction and chewed on his lip enough to draw a little blood for him to suckle on. "...but we - we should focus on Necromancy," he said after a lengthy pause.
[13:41] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) watched him for a moment, those dual colored eyes searching his for a moment before she took a slow breath, assuming his tension came from nerves and similar hesitations. "I'll go first," Alec said softly. Except for her siblings, there was *no one* who understood and as much as she loved her brother and sister, they were so very different. Passionate and creative in different ways, the both of them. Neither seemed to feel the pressure that Alec did, or the failure to live up to those internal expectations and so Alec was lonely. Which is what gave her the determination to press on, "I wasn't supposed to exist. Not really. I mean, without some, ah, serious magical intervention, my mother wouldn't be able to have children. A gift, I suppose, but that's so much pressure." Alec cleared her throat once, her hands briefly shifting before resettling and rubbing her thumb along her ankle bone absently., her gaze dropping to the droplet of blood before it vanished. "And Father is a vampire, so." She didn't get into the other suspicions. Lonely, perhaps, but not enough to mutter theories of incest and paternity. Certainly not yet.
[13:54] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi drew in a breath. "Oh, you don't have to - " he started before quickly shutting himself up as she went on. Swallowing a nervous little lump he glanced again at the bookshelves before resolving to listen and digest the insights she gave. His hidden mechanical chaperone remained quiet and unobtrusive anyway so Ichi took the silence as a sign he wasn't doing anything too problematic. When she mentioned the circumstances of her birth his face brightened up a little and he smiled widely, leaning in to tap at his own chest. "Ah, I'm the same way!" he said almost a bit too excitedly. A clearing of his throat and he calmed himself down, waving a hand at her. "Sorry, it's - it's just very similar. Serious magical intervention was involved in my conception. I'm told the Professor's wards would have prevented it otherwise." Mention of her father derailed other delvings into what else he knew about the incident and he opened his mouth to comment further before shutting it and humming instead. "Vampires are undead, not so very different from Jikininki. It's not impossible, clearly. Though you don't look very much like Dr. Roesler, and my mother has mentioned he is much less a father than my own."
[14:02] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) smiled slightly, lifting her hand up towards the golden eye absently. "No, no. I'm all my mother. Well, and a little bit of her twin - my uncle Dorian," she said, skirting the suspected truth carefully. "Freddy, I am told, was a blood thirsty little thing when he was born one stormy night but I have none of that. I'm, well, mostly human. A little god touched but human with a knack for magic and languages and all of that. What you see is largely what you get. Well..." She let her glamour drop for a moment, the blue eye going black and stygian, shadows trailing over her cheek while the golden eye glowed like a small star in her face before she restored it with an absent wave of her hands. "Human-adjacent at most. Your father is also death aspected, I did know that. And no," she added candidly, "Father is not much involved in our day to day care. I think, at best, he is mildly disinterested in me. I have no lack of attention though. My uncles are very doting and Mother is, well. She's Mother." It was not entirely unlike the reverence that Ichi held for Lex. "She's everything, you know. I don't feel the lack."
[14:14] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi, like his mother, was not really one to refrain from sharing his conclusions. When Alectrona shared the dual influences on her appearance he simply nodded. "Dr. Roesler has distinctive angles in his face and dark hair is a dominant trait in hair color. It's rare for those types of features to be completely absent in the child, I think." He sat back as she dropped her glamour, smiling all the wider when she did. His own teeth appeared sharper, a little of the ghostly pallor and Thirteen's aethereal glow showing in his skin as his own flickered in response. "You know... there is no death about you, even unveiled like that. I have a sense for it like my father does. My mother has spoken frequently of the fondness between your mother and her twin besides. I think it would make sense for your biological father not to be the doctor, honestly." Her reverence for her mother softened his smile. He hummed and looked down at the book beneath his hand. Books and learning were things that always would remind him of The Professor. "I understand," he said simply.
[14:19] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) blinked once at that direct assessment. She did not, however, look shocked, merely casting her gaze down once more towards her hands, finger twisting the emerald on her hand absently. "No," she agreed simply, "No sense of death. I have no natural gift for it but as a daughter of Niles Roesler, necromancy would make sense. All I have is -" Her gaze flicked over as shadows thumped one of the open books shut. Alec gave a little shake of her head flipping her hand once to open the book once more though this time the shadows were notably absent. It was as if they weren't entirely under her control though the light telekinetics clearly were. "- I have a little bit of basic, movement of things with my mind but no, no natural vampiric gifts to speak of. Nor the curses though, so, there's that."
[14:27] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Blinking was not necessarily a bad thing so Ichi refrained from another apology. Instead he watched her demonstrate what abilities she'd inherited from her parents, listening quietly as she spoke. "Can your mother control shadows like that?" he asked curiously, reaching out himself to open and close the book with his physical hand before putting his palm to a shark-like canine and making a slit in the skin. Blood dribbled from the wound before reaching out like a tendril to mimic the motion, turning pages without leaving marks. "My hemomancy comes from my father. It isn't as well-honed. If it were I could - " he stopped, the blood from his hand dripping to puddle on the table before he regained the focus needed to pull it all back in. It took a focused stare for him to properly will the wound to clot. "Sorry. I meant to say... truly advanced hemomancy could likely tell paternity from your blood, you know. If you were really very curious." The offer had his chaperone shuffling forward and peeking around the bookshelf, the rounded head of his first friend's shiny chassis peering at them like a warning.
[14:35] Alectrona (tempest.vyper) scrunched her nose. "I mean, yes and no. But I'm not really controlling it." She frowned a little at the admittance. It was very, very hard to admit aloud that she wasn't in full control. "I mean, I can control things with my mind... but the shadows. Uh." She lowered her chin and her voice, muttering in a tone that wasn't meant to be overheard. "That's-my-imaginary-friend." Alec muttered before the book they had been manipulating thumped down on the desk with a shadowy tendril that looked like a hand. "Knock it *off*, Actis," Alec hissed through her teeth at her not-so-imaginary-friend. "Sorry, he doesn't really like being called imaginary but I mean, its not inaccurate. Is your hand okay?" Alec asked as she went to reach for the hand that he'd bitten open.
[14:40] ᴄᴀᴇʟ (helio5igma): Ichi's brow furrowed when he saw her expression. There was some relief when context clues brought him to the conclusion that he hadn't caused the upset but her next revelation about the shadows came with other things to puzzle over instead. "Imaginary things can't interact with the tangible world," he said as he marveled at the shadow hand. "Actis. A spirit? Not something dead, certainly..." He reached out with his bloodied hand toward the shadow, the clotting process halting then reversing so the blood could pool as something of an offering. "Does he show himself beyond the shadows?" The question after his hand went unanswered though he was too focused on figuring out *her* secret companion to really do anything about her reach toward him or the steady metallic footfalls coming up behind them. (( Studious interrupted by mechanical chaperones til next time. ))