week 2; monday w/ fane

[alchemenace]

[ it's been a long weekend, but finally it's a new week, and tonight varian has an important question for fane. ]

Hey, Fane? [ don't ask if he was ever hot don't ask if he was ever hot do NOT ask if he was ever hot ] Don't tell me if I'm just going insane, but I believe I... might be seeing your memories?

[ AND HUMAN FANE SHOULD NOT BE THIS ... NOT-SKELETON-Y ]

Comments

[faceripper]

[ Fane is doing what he always does in the evening—Try to take over the world.

Or, you know, bury himself in writing. Even with a library, he's keeping to his stiff fabrics for writing, since it's still easier to read than just writing over the existing book's contents. He absolutely tried that earlier today and hated the result. ]

Hm? [ He acknowledges that Varian spoke, but he also doesn't look up from whatever he's focused on tonight. ] Ah, yes. As have I of you. Something about black rocks?

[ He lifts a hand to wave it dismissively ]

I wouldn't toy with those. They're likely Void-touched.

[ This definitely happened and Fane didn't feel like mentioning it, which is...

No, that's about what to expect from Fane at this point, huh ]

[alchemenace]

I wouldn't say Void-touched, but they are indestructible and connected to-- [ wait ] youuuuu are shockingly not surprised by this development. [ well. no. maybe it isn't so shocking at all. it's fane. ]

So that, you sinking in the water, that was real?

[faceripper]

[ That at least gets Fane to stop his writing (once he's gotten to a stopping point, at least), and he sits back comfortably. ]

No, I'm not. All I find surprising is that no Source was required to do it. [ He shrugs ] My people shared memories. Well, in a manner of speaking. It is...

[ Fane trails off as he, for once, thinks through what he's about to say. And then decides he probably shouldn't tell it to a child (by human standards, at least). It's a, uh. Intimate thing to do, to say the least. He waves it off. ]

—Regardless, yes. I assume that was when that ship was torn apart on the way to Fort Joy, as I've not sunken in water in a memorable way otherwise.

[alchemenace]

[ fuck memories. nice. Varian does not understand the trail off, but he accepts it. That doesn't make him any less curious about the memories he's witnessed from Fane ]

It must be something about this place, similar to that feeling from last week. [ that guess aside ... ] How did you end up at Fort Joy if your ship sunk? Did you ... walk there?

[ UNDER THE SEA?? ]

[faceripper]

Well, yes. Obviously.

[ SOMETIMES... It really is that simple. ]

I'm not exactly buoyant anymore. All I had to do was play dead to avoid the sea monster making a snack of me, then walk along to my... Well, not freedom. Quite the opposite, really. But it was the only place to get that blasted Source collar removed.

[alchemenace]

That... explains why you went.

[ it seemed odd, from the description, that Fane would've decided to walk there. under water. no that's still weird. ]

That collar... Did it block your Source in a manner similar to this place?

[faceripper]

[ He nods ]

It's a nasty little invention. I should have asked that blacksmith more about just how she made them, but my concerns were... elsewhere.

[ Mainly, obtaining something to rip off faces. She did not appreciate Fane attempting to ask for this. ]

It doesn't block magic completely as this place does, but any Sourcerery was gone. Which, to be honest, was perfectly ridiculous. I didn't know any Sourcerery at the time, but now I do. The Magisters gave me quite a vested interest in picking it up. [ A pause, and then he admits with a shrug: ] ...Well, and Lady Amadia, technically. But I prefer using the spells over blessing things.

[alchemenace]

So it's not outside the realm of possibility for them to be able to do the same thing as that collar, but on a wider scale.

[ it's a bit more to himself than to Fane, but Fane should ... know what that's like. ]

You didn't know any Sourcerey back when you were... [ not a skeleton ] flesh? Really? [ that part does surprise him a little. ]

[faceripper]

[ Fane is ready to respond that it's what he believes, dumping his various theories about what could block magic so powerfully here (and therefore, how to destroy it), but the second question catches him lightly off guard. There's a pause that lingers just long enough to be a bit uncomfortable, but Fane's voice is soft. ]

...I do not know. I may have. But I no longer remember it.

[ He sighs, and that moment passes, since his tone turns back to his more normal acerbic one. ]

It's why I hardly recommend being thrown in a tomb. Memories become a rather tricky thing. [ Because Fane's memories of being flesh and blood are spotty at best now. There's so much beyond his grasp, and it's why he assumes that Varian has probably just seen memories from when he had emerged into Rivellon. ] Hm. If you're to be seeing my memories, then I suppose it's all the better. At least someone will know what I'm talking about. Rivellon is an absolute shithole, yet no one seems to fully believe me.

[alchemenace]

... That makes sense. If you were in there for so long...

[ it's sort of sad, actually. Losing his memories of his people, when he's the only one who remembers them. and then varian tries to stifle a laugh at fane describing rivellon as a shithole ]

Most people don't like to criticize their kingdom, but I obviously won't have that problem. I'll tell you what it looks like to me.

[faceripper]

Well, if you see the Voidwoken, you'll see precisely why it's so bad as well as why I don't recommend toying too much with those... rocks. It's quite convenient, really. Everything touched by the Void is quite color-coded, so it makes it fairly simply to know what's not the best idea to touch.

[ He shrugs, but he's also not exaggerating for once. ]

Was it just my trip on the sea floor? I imagine there are many memories that could pop up that are... Hm. More colorful is a way to put it.

[alchemenace]

I know how dangerous those rocks are.

[ that's all he feels like saying on that, considering the context. he's also hoping fane doesn't see some of his more... unsavory memories, a little. it would make things awkward considering rapunzel is. right here. ]

So far, that's it, but I assume we'll see more and more over the course of the week, similar to how that feeling grew exponentially with the days last week. I think ... they're trying to make us bond?

[faceripper]

[ even if he does you know skeledad is team varian pls ]

[ But Fane takes Varian understanding at face value, since, well, it's not like he knows more. He just nods, and instead sighs and shakes his head at the second part. ]

...Is that really necessary? We have to live together and our lives are quite tied together. I think that's bonding enough.

[ Though if he's honest, he's actually fairly okay with Varian seeing his memories. More than he would be most people. ]

[alchemenace]

[ varian doesn't know that yet plz :/ he'll learn ]

[ he's also... looking pensive over fane's irritation ]

You would think so, wouldn't you? But maybe there's more to this partner bond. Even though we can switch partners or -- have a scapegoat object, since Natsuo got partnered to a doll, everything in this place so far seems to be made to force the bond. The Crafters also come in a pair, and ... have you looked at the library? There was this book. Beauty and the Beast were also a pair, and they got banished together. There, there might be more to this partner thing than we think.

[faceripper]

I did.

[ Though he says it rather sourly all the same. It wasn't anything close to useful for him, but he does take Varian's point. ]

I don't understand why something like that would be necessary, but I don't understand why anything here is necessary when it comes down to it. [ a sigh ] ...Though admittedly, your company isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. I certainly had my reservations.

[alchemenace]

[ ... he laughs a bit. it's not like he didn't have reservations himself, considering... skeleton. ]

Um. Thanks? I think we make pretty good partners, all things considered.