"Alright, back under the 'fresh' air and 'clear' skies." I remark, taking my final step up the stairs. Though my attention is up on the city and its surroundings, a hearty cough takes it back. I twist around, taking a half-step to find Morgihranur wanting me to take her hand. I blink slowly, considering the circumstances.
"Seriously? Just take my hand again and be a gentleman about it." Morgihranur reminds me and I slowly nod, offering her my claw. She takes it fully, still not seeing anything off about how my digits are. My claw tightens, gently. And she comes up the last step.
"Right..." I go, waving my hand free of her touch and warmth. She keeps her eyes on my limb, frowning deeply, pouting on the side and topping it all off with a pair of crossed arms.
"I'll never understand you." she remarks, and I can't help but shrug.
"You do barely know me. Our conversations today and everything else aside..." I say, trailing off as my arm tries to gesture, but with fresh self-conciousness about me... I can't say I really want to do anything. For all the things I've got over and have moved beyond... Being an osibindah is certainly not one of them. Who knows how things will work out if she finds out.
I can only hope, really, that she's a bit ignorant of what the bugs are...
"I do not mean in that way, Nin. I mean in how you are. You seek to restore your power but you're awfully timid about everything. See... If I come too close, you back off." she points out, doing just that. Unfortunately, too, I'm too slow to avoid her efforts. And she wraps herself up against me, locking my arm between hers.
"I... I, uh... I have my reasons." I let out, pathetically squeaking my words as I find myself entrapped to her wants and will.
"Such a strange man. The life you have no doubt led and yet, somehow, you are scared of a woman's touch. Though, I suppose to be fair to you, I'm no ordinary woman." she sings along, teasing me in a way that leaves my face relaxing and awfully calm.
Ordinary woman, huh? I've certainly met quite a few women of note. All unique and important to me in their own ways well beyond just their looks and species. Though they're certainly spades worth in the looks department, too. Humans of different magic types, ddrai'och, aelenvari, oxfuine and... I think that is everyone.
"I hope I'm not forgetting anyone." I let out, not too quietly but what I hope is quiet enough.
"Hm?" and apparently it's not.
"Nothing. Just, just thinking about... Someone. People." I say, correcting myself as I struggle to focus my words.
"Important people." Morgihranur rightfully points out, though, it's not hard to figure out at all.
"Yeah," I say, minding the street as I try to get my mind elsewhere. However, as I try to do that, we happen across a small group of doctors. Not particularly busy ones, but doctors nonetheless.
"So, is it by coincidence or intent that you ended up looking like...?" Morgihranur asks, and we continue to watch the group. Her respect for my privacy appreciated.
"Coincidence. I chose my attire to keep myself hidden. Much the same as I did here, too." I explain, and she nods steadily.
"The secret makes it all the more tempting to unravel you." she says, her words making my core shiver and go cold. I cannot tell where the tease ends and the potential threat begins.
"I'd appreciate it if you didn't." I tell her and that seems to be the end of that.
"Well, I find it quite amusing that you happened to come into my kingdom so alike what we have here. To be dressed in a dress, armour or anything like that is one thing. But to be wearing a black cloak, a wide-brimmed hat. A beaked mask. It's all so well-put together. Like the gods and goddesses themselves made it happen." she explains and I nod, thinking back to the end of my first life.
I was with the gods themselves, I was on their ship and I lived among them. I've influenced the very divine themselves, even if I am no god myself. Who knows how much I actually affected them. How much they affect me. Even my wrist and neck still remain decorated with the touch of two gods. One directly given, the other taken but all the more relevant with such an artistic woman at my side.
"I see why that's funny." I remark, watching the doctors some more as Morgihranur tugs on my arm. I look her way and watch her hand wave for me to follow. Doing just that, we start to make a few twists and turns, letting the city go by. Yet, for all the sights we can stop and linger at, she instead has an intention.
One that becomes all the more explicit as we find ourselves on a wide open road. One packed quite disproportionately with people dressed and alike the doctors. Though, fairly lightly compared to everyone else. Like they're still earning the right.
"By circumstance, coming here was also on the agenda for today. But as our conversations have gone, this is also relevant." she explains and I mind what could only be a school.
"Mmm, witch school, just like Suhurlodst." I remark as we find ourselves a bench to sit on. Letting her do it first, she's surprisingly clingy, however. And I sit next to her, arms still locked around one of mine.
"You've been to that academy?" she asks, apparently knowledgeable of it, at least.
"I have been, yeah. Was a student there. It's basically where I learned most of my current abilities and skills. The general area, that and the like." I explain, minding what seems to be an active classroom going over whatever it is they might do here. Though, there's an amusing irony to it, given how Suhurlodst teaches their own classes.
Theory will be taught like normal, but anything to do with magic itself, and properly so must be done on your own. Yet, here, it seems all they want people to do is learn magic the same way. The doctor way.
"I suppose I am in good hands, then." she says, breathing in relief as her mind no doubt turns to the Crack in the Sky.
"You are, yes. Yes, you are." I answer, knowing full well I have what it takes to keep this place safe.
"It's strange, though, you know? Hearing you say 'witch' rather than doctor. I know on the surface it's the proper term, but, down here... I've got so used to the latter." she says, a heavy sigh going through her as I perhaps remind her of the other things she's changed about this place. Who knows how much, really, but I know there's a few moments of language about this place.
"Witch doctors." I huff, and a slight giggle comes out of her, a smile no doubt there on her lips.
"Bit of a mouthful." she goes and I give a heavy shrug.
"Excuse me? You go 'Oh, noble doctors!' so don't give me that." I snap gingerly, and she giggles some more.
"I quite enjoy the verbosity of it all." she answers, still laughing.
"I bet there's a lot about this place you enjoy. Frankly, I'm surprised you haven't gone off on the deep end." I say, not sure how touchy the subject might be for her.
"I find there's something boring about doing things like a tyrant. Anyone can play that role, anyone with the maturity of a child can. To fully enthral oneself with the idea of being a good ruler, however... The idea is... Romantic, I want to say. The effort one needs, and the dedication makes it all the more worthwhile." she explains, offering me an awful lot of insight into that head of hers.
"Huh, well." I go, not quite expecting the answer that I got.
"When one has the power that I do, Nin, the kind that I exercise... You tend to experience quite early what it does. How others see you. Servants at your beck and call, people on your every whim. Loyalty is a strange thing, often a means to beat people over the head when it's given no real value. Respect is much the same. I can only do so much to make sure I'm respected for being a good leader, and not just because I'm their leader. I think you might understand, yes?" she asks me and I think I understand what it is she is on about.
"I can't really say. People tend to think little of me because of what I am physically." I answer, putting a stop to my words as I realise I might be getting too close to the truth.
"I see. I've handled problems like that, Nin. I've handled the problems of discrimination, bigotry. All those kinds of things. When this first started, Daddy hired a lot of actors and others in search of a safer home. They filled out the kingdom as it was being built and modelled. And as they had children, they more properly filled out the role, knowing only my kingdom. I've got oxfuinei, humans, hwardgon, kelbalids and many more. Unfortunately, I was never able to get any aelenvari." she goes on about, huffing her frustrations as I consider something.
"Because they'd all be blind in a magicless environment like this?" I ask, and she shakes her head.
"No, because they just refused to be hired. Not even the ones who dwell in the mountain-states would accept the offer." she answers, huffing some more.
"Oh." I go.
"Though, now that you mention it... They would really be blind here, wouldn't they? Though, I know the aelenvari have also existed since before the Emerald Awakening, so who really knows?" she says, almost rambling about the topic.
"So, I imagine there's a lot to it, then, you ruling this place." I say, not really thinking much of where the conversation might go.
"Right, of course. My apologies. But, yes... There's been a lot of problems about it. People already look for enough reasons for their petty hatreds. Jealousy, ego, immaturity. All of it and more. There's a lot to consider and think about and handle. I've managed, but I can see why you have the mind you have with it all." she says, and I nod along.
"It's a lot to consider, and, somehow, worse than being punched at, shot at and all that." I say and she giggles at my pain.
"I know exactly what you mean, the pain of the mind and heart are far worse than physical pain. The mind remembers in a way that a scar just can't." she tells me, and I nod at it, she's certainly right in that sense of it.
It wasn't the physical wounds that drove me on to fight Smiling Jhurack every night. It was the broken heart I had. Even now, it's that same broken heart that keeps me going. Not quite the same as it was before I fought Atarifuge, but much the same. Even now, it's the pain in my heart and mind that clings to me, not nearly turning into dust.
"Now, I think we should get going, Nin. Much as knowing you more is a lovely experience, we are here for a reason." Morgihranur tells me.
"Help with the machine?" I ask, not entirely sure or certain.
"Indeed. Indeed, we are." she answers, rising with me in tow.
"We will be fine visiting like this?" I ask, and she nods.
"Yes, yes, the head of the school knows me personally as he's completely outside of the act. He's a paid professional from the surface regarding magic. He helps me keep up the doctor part of my kingdom." she explains and I nod myself.
"Might be worth making him more involved with my project, then." I say, and she shakes her head.
"No, he's far too busy to be taken out like that. He'll offer us help, but we will need to keep our distance to him, too." she clarifies as we start getting some eyes as we approach the doctor school proper.