grantuseyes: (knees)
Micolash, Host of the Nightmare ([personal profile] grantuseyes) wrote in [community profile] nexus_crossings2017-10-12 07:51 pm

This Mortal Coil

Micolash is in the Nexus Plaza, thankfully looking cleaner and smelling better than the last time he'd been asking questions. The cage is still in place, of course; why would it not be? He even looks a little healthier! Not much, as his skin is still sallow and gaunt over angular bones and features. But at least not as unsteady and proportionally more alert as well.

He's not quick to ask a question, however. The scholar is instead on a sofa, long legs pulled up onto the seat with him and folded in front of him. The rest of the sofa, normally big enough to seat three, is piled with books. Easily two dozen, if not more. A glance at the covers that are visible will show a selection of possibly recognizable names: Erwin Schrödinger. Charles Hartshorne. René Descartes. David Ray Griffin. The one he has open on his knees right now is a collection of Thomas Aquinas' summae and related theories.

The scholar is content to immerse himself in this reading for hours on end, but eventually, he seems to recall where he is. And that he can ask questions if the fancy takes him.

"What do you think. Or believe. Happens after death?"

Getting RIGHT to the heavy stuff, it appears.
chiron_survivor: (you're kidding right?)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-20 01:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oddly enough, it's his whining that lets her shake off the last of her hard feelings. She's even trying to come up with something else she can say to help him end his pity party, but it seems like he is doing that himself by dropping the subject completely.

"Who is Ebrietas? Is she another Great One?" She doesn't understand why that means that the tentacles aren't his, and is about to ask another question, when he makes his offer to show her said tentacles.

Hmm. She looks him over, her mouth pinched with uncertainty. He's not the only scholar here, and she'd be lying to herself if she weren't at least a little curious about what it looks like...

"You can control it, right? You aren't going to start smacking books around or anything?" She can't remember if his friend told her that both the blood and tentacles are explosive, or only the blood. Her hand presses into Bucky's side. She has a feeling he's not going to like the display. "If you can do it safely, then okay."
chiron_survivor: (woobie eyes)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-20 12:56 pm (UTC)(link)
Adia watches him stand, wishing he'd step away from the couch as well to put more space between them. If he's going to grow tentacles out of his arm, better to do so while not being in range of any --

Holy frak!

Flinching, she shrinks back into her seat, watching the tentacles in awe and fear. Bucky has a similar reaction, puffing up in reminiscence of his earlier evolution. "It's okay, Bucky," she whispers, even if she isn't entirely sure that it is. How much control does Micolash really have over those slithering, slippery appendages?

She's never been afraid of snakes, or worms, but something about the sound they make as they writhe against one another makes her a little queasy. She can't stop staring at them, though. They're beautiful, in their own way, like a glimpse into another world.

...what's a polite way to tell someone that they can put their tentacles away? "They're remarkable," she says quietly. "I, um... I think I get the idea, thank you."
chiron_survivor: (you're kidding right?)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-22 12:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Nothing to be afraid of," she repeats, as if she's trying to puzzle out the punchline to a joke. She's grateful for the opportunity to have seen something so unusual, but it's a relief that it's over. "How are you able to do that? You said it was through someone's blessing?"

What kind of blessing could that possibly be?

"It concerned your friend," she remarks, absently smoothing down the feathers that are in a permanent poof around Bucky's neck. "But it doesn't seem to hurt you at all. What do you use them for? Self-defense?"
chiron_survivor: (woobie eyes)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-22 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, well that clears that up. What does he mean by choir? And why would a daughter of the Cosmos be abandoned? But before she can ask anything, he has his eyes closed and is concentrating on showing her something else.

She grips the arms of her chair instinctively. It's not going to be the explosive blood, is it? She can handle all sorts of things, but lots of blood, especially blood exploding from someone's head, nope, no thank you, she will get out her PINpoint and --

But it's not blood that pulls itself from his temple. Iinstead it's a... slug? A pale, glowing slug. And though she was completely unprepared for its appearance, its gentle arrival and almost playful way it climbs upon Micolash's head cage set her immediately at ease. Even Bucky seems to ease up on the hate glare a little.

"It's cute," she half-whispers, before blushing and clearing her throat. "I mean... it is marvelous. Does it talk to you at all? Can you touch it, or will your fingers pass through it?" Her own fingers stray from Bucky's feathers before she folds her hands neatly in her lap to avoid the temptation.

"He was concerned that it was a symptom of an illness," she murmurs, her gaze transfixed on the slug. It really is a strangely pleasant creature. She smiles a little at his comment. "You've never been tempted? That's because you aren't short... does that mean those tentacles are solid? How were they able to dissolve into mist?"
Edited (the broken italic! MY EYES) 2017-10-22 02:02 (UTC)
chiron_survivor: (a shy smile)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-22 01:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Surprised and a little honored that he would offer her the opportunity, she reaches out and very gently runs a finger down the slug's back, careful to avoid its eyestalks. She's surprised at how cold it is. Cold and tingly, like touching freshly fallen snow. And though her mind insists that the slug should feel slimy, its pale skin is as dry as a bone.

For a moment, she thinks of the sea and its salty breeze, of hordes of butterflies taking to the sky. She pets the slug one more time before setting her hands in her lap again. "How often do you let it out?" she asks, admiring its shimmering luminescence. "Does it still know what's going on, even when it's in your head?"

The gentle way Micolash handles the creature, combined with refreshingly normal response to her questions, put the disheveled scholar in a new light. She gives him a real, genuine smile, only pulling back a little when he speaks of shoving others away. She hasn't forgotten his talk of hunters, of those who would defile his Nightmare. Still, how bad are tentacles from another realm, really, if they can protect you and come with a little slug friend of your very own?

"It's a good thing you didn't lose your little friend after leaving the Nightmare," she comments thoughtfully. "You're not likely to be attacked here, though. There's an anti-violence field."
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-23 01:29 pm (UTC)(link)
His confession draws her gaze away from the slug and up to his face, her smile fading into a soft, sympathetic line. How frenetic must his thoughts be to drive out this otherworldly creature? She even feels a little guilty when he adds that he would have questioned whether it had even been real in the first place. She had assumed initially that his ramblings had been at least partly delusions... well, obviously he was telling the truth, at least in his own way...

Bucky, who had also been examining the slug, tilting its head to stare at it one eye at a time, lets out a soft croak of approval. This man is still creepy and weird and Adia should absolutely not be on friendly terms with him, but the tiny glowing gastrodon is all right.

His surprised question is met with surprise in turn. No one told him about the anti-violence field yet? "In the Nexus, there's a kind of forcefield that gets activated if someone tries to physically harm someone else. It's strongest here in the Plaza, a little spotty if you go out into the Wilds." And sometimes it fails spectacularly. With a somewhat pensive frown, she adds, "I wouldn't bet my life on it, but it does make things safer here than they would be otherwise."
chiron_survivor: (not sure about that)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-25 02:53 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not her place to judge, that's for sure. Although her suspicions that he kidnapped a baby are going to nag at her for a while, even as she seems rather comfortable now, looking back at the slug briefly and smiling.

She doesn't interrupt his audible musings, although there are a couple moments where she seems tempted to speak up, to redirect him from the path that his thoughts are taking him. Far be it from her to make assumptions of the true nature of the Nexus, but she's not sold on the idea that a Great One is responsible. How strange of him to ponder if violence could have been prevented in the Nightmare. Isn't that the point of of a nightmare? Maybe she's relying too heavily on its traditional definition.

"I don't know who are what maintains it, but it's likely a combination of advanced magic and technology... I don't know how a place like this would function without it, honestly. Many powerful people visit or live in the Nexus. It'd be a... a might makes right sort of place, if physical violence was acceptable."
chiron_survivor: (mildly suspicious)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-27 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
"And technology," she reminds him, unable to stay silent on that point. As for his question, she less quick to respond. "I, um... I wouldn't normally consider myself sensitive to magic, but..."

Her gaze drifts down to the slug, which is now disobeying the laws of gravity along with everything else. Adorable! She smiles at it again and says, "Your friend gives off a... a feeling of the sea. And... butterflies?" She looks up at him uncertainly. "Is that typical of Ebrietas' blessings?"

If only they could stay on that subject. His opinion of survival of the fittest makes her frown softly in disappointment, but she stays silent while he sorts through his books. She has not, in fact, heard of Rousseau. "Is he an Earth writer?" she asks, her curiosity returning. It's hard to say no to that hopeful expression. "Yes, please. Go ahead."
chiron_survivor: (thoughtful but hopeful)

I really hope you cut and pasted that. ;)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-27 04:12 pm (UTC)(link)
It's a relief to know that her impressions were spot-on, although she'll have to take his word on Ebrietas' beauty. "But they aren't water deities?" she asks, to clarify. It does seem rather fitting for Great Ones to be linked to the sea. Bodies of water are often associated with secrets and mysteries.

His mannerisms as he prepares to read, right down to the squinting and clearing of his throat, remind her so much of professors in her past that she forgets about the cage on his head and pays attention as if she were back in school, focusing on his words and trying to make sense of them. The writing is verbose, but Rousseau's line of thought is fairly straight-forward, and she follows along easily enough.

It's easy to see what kind of student she was back in college: eager, well-behaved, but a little shy when it becomes her turn to speak. "He, um, he's making a good argument against might making right. Just because you force others to follow your rules, it doesn't make those rules 'right'. Not if someone even stronger than you can come along and knock you off your pedestal."
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-28 02:43 pm (UTC)(link)
She shifts uneasily in her seat as she listens to his argument. She's heard this sort of thing before, usually from philosophy majors who are cutting their teeth on the concept of moral relativism. But it doesn't sit well with her, the idea that there is no "right", that the entire idea is some sort of get out of jail free card for those who wish to do whatever they want with impunity.

Combined with his earlier cluelessness on talking about people as if they are a collection of curious parts, and she really doesn't like where this conversation is going.

"There are other ways to measure morality. If it cannot be understood through the lens of obedience and enforcement, then try looking at it through the lens of society itself. How can a group of people live together in harmony if they don't treat one another with compassion and respect?" She pauses, glancing once at his collection of books. "Have you ever heard of the golden rule? 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you?' That gets close to my views on morality, but I generally take it a step further. 'Treat others as they wish to be treated.' And I have yet to meet anyone who wishes to be treated badly, unless they have some underlying psychological problem."
chiron_survivor: (not sure about that)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-30 01:42 pm (UTC)(link)
For once, they have matching expressions, although Adia seems a touch relieved that the conversation has veered into something more manageable, by her standards. Talk of decorum she can handle. Debating the innateness of morality is a little out of her reach. Mostly because she doesn't know how to argue something that feels innately right to her. She doesn't even have religion to fall back on. Just her empathy.

"Giving others the privacy they ask for is important," she agrees slowly. Yharnam's golden rule sounds good in theory, but she's reluctant to endorse a way of life for a town that uses blood as currency. "I'm not a huge fan of secrets, but no one should be forced to reveal personal things about themselves, especially if others will use that information to hurt or exploit them."

She smiles wryly and gives Bucky's neck feathers another scratch. "Most people don't agree with me... or they do, but they make exceptions for people that they don't like." She shrugs. "It's too easy for me to feel the suffering of others, no matter how small. I don't like adding to it, if I can help it."
chiron_survivor: (Default)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-31 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
The way he describes his town fills her with a profound sadness for the man who sits before her. How was he able to fit into such a society? Was he an outlier even before communed with Great Ones? That sadness mixes with disappointment when he talks about being impartial to the suffering of others. She doesn't know what a beast plague is, but even without the threat of disease and madness, Yharnam sounds like a horrible place.

"I don't think I'd last an hour in your world," she confesses. "But here, I think I've managed okay, following my own philosophy."

She glances over at his piles of books. It reminds her of her own research she needs to do, and now is as good a time as any to end the conversation.

"I need to go. Thank you for showing me your, um... blessings." She stands up and Bucky stretches his wings, eager to follow. "Hopefully we'll get another chance to talk soon." If anything to make sure he is minding his manners around his demon benefactor.

chiron_survivor: (reporting for duty)

[personal profile] chiron_survivor 2017-10-31 12:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Whoops, she forgot to say goodbye to his little slug friend. Oh, well. At least there's something quiet and gentle living among all the disorder in that caged, troubled head.

As a matter of fact, she had given him her name, and Bucky's as well, but she's not insulted, or even surprised that he's already forgotten. "Adia Costas," she replies easily, shaking his hand and trying not to wrinkle her nose at its clamminess. She doesn't bother re-introducing Bucky; maybe it'd be better if he forgot about her pokémon friend entirely.

"Take care, Micolash." She gives him a sincere smile, with only a hint of her earlier nervousness. "I'll see you around."

The braviary waits for Adia to turn and walk away before giving him one last glare. A look that says he's going to be keeping his eyes on you, buddy. No funny business. A few flaps of his wings, and he takes to the sky.