WHEN: 1 APRIL 1943; around noon
WHERE: Khymeia Academy's quad, the orangery
WHO: Naoki, Lex, and Thirteen and a Luciano cameo
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[11:31] Naoki Sato knew that Thirteen could feel his thoughts. The urging for her to meet him at the Academy and to bring the Professor was a strong one and he was confident she would make it happen. Settled against one of the benches on the Academy quad, Naoki looked over the letter Kyuu had sent him with a frown. He was wearing one of the outfits he'd gotten from the fox shortly before his odd disappearance - a little more ornate than Naoki was used to but certainly fit perfectly to his form. Leather creaked as he stood and began pacing in the grass as he waited, students either watching him from a safe distance away or skittering by while giving him a wide berth.
[11:35] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) had collected the Professor in short order with a few soft words. It helped that he wasn't deeply entrenched this morning in one of his experiments. There was no hiding the pregnancy these days and Thirteen had stopped making the effort. The silk dress, like Naoki's outfit, was one of Kyuu's presents. She kept her hand light on the crook of Lex's arm as they alighted on the platform before stepping forward with a bright smile for Naoki despite the pensive timbre of his thoughts. "We're here," she said simply as she closed the distance with her skirts brushing the soft grass of the island.
[11:41] Lex Dashrix held thirteens arm as they crossed the precarious bridge from the circle to the converted orangery releasing her to go to his side as he followed at a sedate pace. He glanced to the staffer at the small café wagon and with a snap of his finger to get her attention and holding up three fingers ordered a light tea for the group. He pointed to Thirteen, "With ginger." he annunciated clearly and turned to usher the pair to the more comfortable seating within confident the barista knew to start with a green and white tea bled at this hour. "I assume this is not a private matter given your request." He indicated to Naoki with a nod as he offered an arm to Thirteen to aid in her descent into one of the padded chairs.
[11:47] Naoki Sato went to meet Thirteen as she approached him, the letter in one hand as the other circled around her waist. He skimmed her over carefully as he typically did when first seeing her after being away, checking for signs of discomfort or injuries he needed to chase someone down for. "Thank you," he murmured, leaning in to press a kiss to her forehead. Once the Professor joined them he stepped back and turned a bit more toward him, nodding to confirm the assumption. "Not private. I'm curious in fact to see if anyone that overhears might react in a way that would be telling. He's been on the island a while. I'm not sure who else he may have... influenced." As they stepped toward the doors to the orangery Naoki moved to open it for Thirteen and Lex to pass through, a look at Thirteen's skirts bidding something to lift them gingerly so she didn't trip on the upward step. Rather than his blood it was a shadow, lifting form Thirteen's own to quickly assist where his blood would have taken more time to ooze from his skin to do the same - and potentially stain her dress.
[11:54] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) gave Naoki an appreciative smile for the slight assist and let out a soft sigh as she rested her hand on Lex once again to be helped into the chair. So much of Thirteen's ability to control her body was learned and not innate and the rapid shifting center of gravity had been more difficult to adjust to than most humans would have. Her hand smoothed her skirts down as she relaxed into the swing with a slight creak of ropes, her ankles tucked primly together. "The Professor's father? Would you like me to look?" Thirteen offered as she glanced around, her gaze sweeping the Orangeries and the students milling about. "Though he's not going to be up here. He avoids the university because he's utilizing unawakened vessels for conveyance." Thirteen said, the tone matter of fact as if this was something the men would be aware of though it was definitely a quirk of her unique senses rather than common knowledge. "And his incorporeal existence would have to shatter the wards. Considering all the summoning precautions, it's one of the most protected places on the island against those sorts of manifestations."
[12:01] Lex Dashrix: The professors eyes narrowed ever so slightly for a brief moment at the shadow appendages aiding the constructs progress but he left the new trick unremarked upon for the moment at least. He nodded agreement with Thirteen's assessment and swung his gaze toward Naoki. "Unless of course a student were foolish enough to invite him in directly." he added with a sigh. "Even without his direct presence with the time he's had it is wise to assume he has compromised some eyes and ears in one manner or another." he suggested evenly. His eyes drifted to the letter in his protégé's hand and he raised a brow meeting Naoki's eyes, "I expect you however have some news of potential import."
[12:05] Naoki Sato noticed that, the narrowing of the Professor's eyes. He avoided his stare and watched Thirteen as she eased into the chair instead, his eyes on the swell in her belly, then the look on her face as she relaxed. It was clear the physical changes were taxing on her and he nearly got sidetracked thinking of ways to alleviate the discomfort when Lex brought him back to the task at hand. "...yes," he said and held out the letter. "I assume he has either taken Tenno, the tailor, or someone close to him. I haven't seen him or heard from him since he sent this," he explained. "...it looks... like a portal. A gateway, torn in half." He turned to Thirteen. "I'm sure the kitsune can handle himself but I thought I might ask if you knew what this meant."
[12:11] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) glanced over at the letter and then lifted her shoulders in a shrug, "The Betrayer's Aether clings to the tailor. I do not know if he made a deal or was merely... hmm..." Thirteen paused, pursing her lips as her fingers stroked over where a foot or elbow dug into her flesh in mute protest at its mother's slight tension. Her fingers flickered with subdued light that absorbed through her skin and into the growing child with absentminded ease. "...Or if he was simply tempted into actions. It isn't the action, you know, it's the perception of the action. The Professor's father cares little for society's malleable opinions save for how they influence someone to think of 'good' and 'evil'. What counts is betrayal of one's own internal coda. The greater the internal violation, the stronger the thrall of his power." Thirteen raised her hand slightly, turning her head towards the darkening horizon. "That said, I have been clocking where the Professor's father spends his time though little more. I have been told not to pry." She turned to tip her head towards Lex, "Shall I Look?"
[12:26] Lex Dashrix ran a hand along Thirteens cheek as she spoke an absent gesture of comfort or possession perhaps both. He took the letter in hand and looked over the contents with a critical eye. "I suspect the Tailor has been caught in his web but not turned to service." he spoke softly as he considered the implications. "I fail to see the benefits to my father were this misdirection, we were not seeking conflict nor his purpose here before." he stated flatly eyes resting on Naoki as he was well aware how far the Jikininki had strayed from his instructions in this. "If it is truth." he looked down at the torn card and shook his head, "If it is truth, impeding his goal would be the height of folly." he stated flatly lips set in a grim line. "His," Lex frowned slightly, "Desire to convince me of his goals," he struggled to name the complex game he and his father played, "Will not protect us should we oppose his true goals and this..." he tapped the card, "This if true is the closest he's come to success in my lifetime at the least." He looked form Thirteen to Naoki and nodded, "Shall she?" he asked leaving the decision on what she might risk peering deeper into those shadows to Naokit to decide. A test or perhaps, a boon, witht he professor it may be both.
[12:32] Naoki Sato frowned. He sat himself on the edge of the fountain, watching the shadows the sun of high noon cast on the orangery floor. "No," he said flatly. "...no there's no need." He shook his head and looked up to Thirteen, able to meet her eyes at least if not Lex's, not when he had things in mind he didn't particularly feel keen on saying to the man. "Don't do anything that might leave you open or vulnerable to him," he stated as if it needed to be clarified. Naoki nodded at the paper in Lex's hand. "If it's truth... what does it refer to?" he asked more directly. "You say he's close to success - or closer than he's previously been. Would succeeding endanger her - them?" he added with a nod to Thirteen.
[12:37] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) gave a little shake of her head, "Unlikely. The Professor would not find his father's side of things so very tempting if it posed a threat to me or our son," Thirteen said with her usual absolute and unshakable confidence. Her hand moved over the swell of her stomach once more, a soft maternal smile touching her lips before she looked up at Lex's stern profile. "They weren't always at odds. Before my existence began - when the Professor was young. His father was the parent that the Professor was close to - aspired to," Thirteen said, with her usual direct honesty despite the sensitive subject. "Though the Professor has not elaborated fully, I have some guesses as to the goal of his father and their difference of opinion is more... nuanced than directly oppositional in nature. Hence the great game that he plays in hopes that the Professor will come to realize his father's opinions."
[12:50] Luciano could be found wandering the campus. Hands in his pockets as he whistled a little tune. Walking in step to the beat as he explored his newfound surroundings. The holster tucked neatly under his armpit as it occasionally swayed from each step. He seemed generally unaware of the people around him, putting his focus on the fact he was -floating-. Keeping a safe distance away from the edge of the islands as he admired the natural beauty.
[12:51] Lex Dashrix shook his head, "It would not, if anything it might," he paused thoughtfully seeking the specific words for a nuanced acknowledgment of his fathers plans on The soon to be mother and the child she bore. "Ease." he finally settled upon though not entirely satisfied with the term, "their way at least in the short term." his tone still flat and without expression. He looked down at Thirteen and his expression softened ever so slightly as he tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. He fell silent for a long moment eyes lost tracing the intricate designs on the tiled floor. "Our world has been shaped by two great shifts in Aether." he state finally. "The invocation of the Covenant that quieted the conflict between the traditions, and the rising of the veil that brought an end to the mythic age." he elaborated though both were at least aware fo the broad strokes of these events. The professors lessons had been nothing if not complete. "My father considers these to be insult upon injury." he looked up to Naoki and handed him the card and letter, "If this is true he has found a weakness, and he will exploit that weakness, to find others or to damage the rules by which Aether is ruled."
[12:56] Naoki Sato stood to reach for both, taking it and looking down as Lex spoke. Thirteen's revelation about the professor seemed to land as a surprise considering the man's adamant efforts to distance both of them from his father's influence. "Ease," he repeated, the whistling bringing his notice to the mercenary wandering around the central island. He watched Luciano briefly to ascertain whether the man was wandering or attempting to eavesdrop. Whatever question had next been on his mind was evidently deemed too personal for their relatively public setting so he let it drop, instead tucking the card away and folding the letter to do the same with it. "You mentioned the short term. Does that mean in the long run there would be negative effects? On her, on them," he specified, turning back to Thirteen. Striding to her he set a hand on the swell of her abdomen, feeling for the movement he'd observed when the child within had elbowed and kicked at the fleshy confines that held it. "...soon, isn't it?"
[13:02] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) smiled up at Naoki, her hand coming down to touch the back of his. She clocked the stranger but paid him no concern. Thirteen's confidence in her makers was more devout than most people had for their gods. She trusted in their ability to keep her safe. "The child would likely thrive. In a world with weakened constraints around aetheric use, he would be a peak predator, like his father." Thirteen said with that soft smile she saved for intimate moments. "Unhampered by the external pressures of human belief. I, on the other hand, become a more appealing target as a source of aetheric energy. There is some chance that significant aetheric fluctuations could disturb the underpinnings of the magic that bind me to my vessel and additional efforts to rework some of that magic might be necessary but that depends greatly on the nature of the shift." The shifts under Naoki's hand of his child were strong though not painfully so for Thirteen, not more than any other woman in the later stages of a pregnancy. The child, like his parents, was not overly large and she carried the pregnancy well overall despite her occasional issues with balance. "Soon, yes. A few weeks. Perhaps less. I hope not before the sakura festivals."
[13:05] Luciano seemed unaware of Naoki's wary gaze. Genuinely absorbed in his own world as he just... Walked by. Continuing on towards the dorms.
[13:09] Lex Dashrix: "If I thought my Fathers long term goals were not flawed I would still be at his side." Lex replied flatly to Naoki's question. He nodded to Thirteen as he watched the man outside pass noting Naoki's reaction and filing it away for later analysis. "Should my Fathers goals be realized a vessel would become unnecessary though yes a potent font of Aether such as Thirteen would also be a target by those hungry for power in such a chaotic world." He rest a hand on her shoulder protectively, "Though we would likewise be empowered to protect that source." he smiled down at her gravid form and nodded agreement his calculations agreed with her intuition. "I think not until after the festival yes."
[13:17] Naoki Sato sighed, frowning at the floor. It was more complicated than he wished it were and his frustration with that was clear on his face, mild as the affect to his expression was. His hand trailed upwards from Thirteen's abdomen, tracing his finger tips up her sternum to cup her chin. "I wouldn't allow anything to take her," he said quietly, bending down to place a kiss on her lips that tasted of blood. The shadows stirred around his feet, responding to his possessiveness by rising as if to shroud her from other eyes. It wasn't until the use of power made the mark on his forehead ache that he stepped away, licking his lips.
[13:22] Thirteen (aimee.frakture): "I know," Thirteen said simply, with profound confidence. The tip of her tongue darted out to lick the tip of her lips, tracing the taste that lingered as her gaze darkened. She reached out a hand to stroke over the shadow tendril that curled around her feet and legs. Her fingertips stroked over the ephemeral shadows with open affection. "Do you want to ask about calling the shadows? They're his, you know. The Professor's by birthright and I suppose that his father has deemed you of sufficient interest to call on them as well. Partner to the Professor? Defacto grandchild? If nothing else, he accepts Naoki as your chosen protégé for good or for ill."
[13:31] Lex Dashrix: "Of course you would not." Lex replied evenly, "You would see her safe and it would try on her nerves to be restricted where you and I deem safe." he let out a long sigh and shook his head. "The disordered world of my fathers designs, the liberties and power there for the taking, it is tempting, that is the point, but it is flawed, humanity has proven untrustworthy with such power." he philosophized absently as he looked out over the horizon and ran the back of one finger along the hollow of thirteens throat. He watched the shadows with mingled pride and concern of the deeper implications. He shook his head slightly at Thirteens remarks, "They simply are they are not mine, accidents of birth are not something to take pride in." He looked to Naoki though and nodded slowly, "It is what one masters on ones own that matters."
[13:36] Naoki Sato tilted his head, listening to both. Thirteen's statement held a weight, especially when Naoki himself had so often been at the mercy of those shadows. His eyes followed the movement of Lex's finger down Thirteen's throat and for a moment he sat still - but the moment was brief. The tendrils that had been curling so gently around Thirteen's ankles recoiled then shot, shooting to wrap around Lex's wrist and waist like Naoki had once attempted to do with his blood. There were no spikes or barbs, no attempts to hurt - simply to grab, and to move as Naoki pivoted to step forward toward the towering professor.
[13:40] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) smiled up at Lex with adoration as his fingers moved gently over her soft skin. The whisper of wind wasn't what had Thirteen pull back. No, she felt the intent from Naoki and then almost as quickly, the flux of the cool shadow-tinged aether as it responded to Naoki's will. She simply pulled her hand back from the now violent tendril, sitting a bit more back in her chair to watch this part of Lex and Naoki's dance play out with mingled arousal and interest. "Ah," she said simply, clocking the reaction and recording it in her mental trove of all the different nuances of her makers that served as Thirteen's own private bible.
[13:52] Lex Dashrix: The tendrils wrapped around Lex's wrist and waist unimpeded not melting away form his tattooed flesh like the bloodwork Naoki usually employed in these bouts of struggle for dominance. The professor withdrew his hand from Thirteen to keep her well clear of what might come next. "Careful Naoki." he warned as the smaller man stepped closer, "Do not count on borrowed power." he intoned firmly as his own eyes swam with shadowy darkness for a moment before the Tendrils melted away at the flex of his own mastery. Looking down at his protégé he stared for a long moment to see what the man might try next or would he yield.
[14:01] Naoki Sato hummed. He'd learned well enough from the attempt - the shadows could touch the man, unlike his blood... but they were just as easily dismissed considering Lex's superior mastery. It was a good thing he'd fed so recently or the hunger to taste Lex's flesh again might have spurred more irrational action. Instead he simply nodded his head, something of a bow. "Borrowed... for now. I'm a quick study." He hazarded another step closer and reached for that same wrist with his own hand. Naoki had touched and been touched by the Professor enough to know that his flesh hadn't been warded against, though whether or not Lex chose to stop him was a different story. The other hand flexed and curled at his side, shadows moving elsewhere, unseen - they slithered up the inside of Thirteen's leg, curling up her thigh to tease against her crotch. Evidently Naoki had noticed the arousal in her features when he'd turned to Lex. "Can you take us home?" he asked quietly. The thrill of a fight had still had an effect on the Jikininki.
[14:04] Thirteen (aimee.frakture) parted her thighs automatically for the stray tendril, her cheeks flushing with the pink of pleasure. Like her outerwear, her underthings were soft and silky, more for comfort than show. Mutely, at Naoki's request, she reached up her arms to reach for Lex in expectation. "The child likes traveling through the shadows. Is that strange? It makes him happy ; the sensation," Thirteen said, like a normal mother might share the sweet fact of an unborn child having hiccups. Though it was little surprise that Thirteen could touch the unborn child's thoughts and less surprise that she *would*, the enjoyment of the chill, breathless dark was not perhaps the most warming of thoughts for the nature of the unborn offspring.
[14:18] Lex Dashrix nodded imperceptibly at the implication in the nuanced submission. He let Naoki take his wrist and took Thirteens hand in the same. "It is not surprising he draws comfort from that place." he admitted , "There is a stillness and peace there." Lex acknowledged softly the darkness stirring in his eyes once more. The shallow shadows cast by the the trees and fountain deepened and stretched out toward them before swallowing them into that cold darkness. Naoki's shadow appendage grew in size and boldness as they entered the realm that birthed them. More clinging shadows brushed along the heavy breasts and gravid belly as they were pulled through the realm of darkness the shadows there responding to the unconscious desires of the the travelers. Emerging in Thirteens quarters at the estate there remained a chill in the air and a squirming touch along her thighs hinting of what was to come.
(( FTB / cont'd in Disc? ))