Gravity's Pull

Jade nodded briefly, then withdrew a pencil from a pocket and began to draw. First, a wheel, or something that she hoped looked enough like a wheel. It had a rim, spokes, and a hub, though the tiny woman had difficulty drawing perfect circles. She drew a few more, some overlapping, some spaced further away, and carefully erased as needed so they didn't look like a venn diagram.

Kinny lifted his gaze from the image his aunt was drawing and looked around the room, mouth slightly agape as he tried to understand why he felt like his mother was watching from all directions. The hair on the back of his neck prickled slightly, but he didn't feel unsafe.

Next, Jade drew a collection of circles around the rims, and one in the center, before she looked toward Máté. "I do not have incredible drawing ability, but these are supposed to be wheels, each with spokes radiating from the center, and a hub. Along the edges are worlds, and in the center is another world, called a hub world. Travel between hub worlds and the other worlds around their rims is easiest." She indicated each point as she mentioned it, using the pencil eraser to point out each element.

"There are many hubs, each acting as a bridge for many worlds, usually worlds that share a common point in history, each branched based on..." She had no idea what the theory was called, let alone the name Civitatem Lucis gave it. Regardless, she moved forward. "New universe creation is almost never caused by another 'beginning', but instead by a... choice. Not a conscious choice made by intelligent beings, but that is the best way I can put it. Events that can or cannot happen, each path splits into a separate universe from its origin." In the lower corner, she drew a line, and branched it off into fractals, but only until she got bored of it before she glanced toward Máté.

"This is the basic structure." She dug through a pocket, then winced and withdrew a small Ziploc bag with a threaded needle, and she stabbed it up through the back one of the worlds on a rim far away from the others. "Next is how to slow the effects of entropy. The Multiverse forms... contracts, that is the best way I can think to describe it, with individuals. They are then transported at random to another world," Jade explained as she looked around, then poked the needle in through it. "This travel forms a thread that pulls the two worlds closer." She glanced toward the paper, unable to move the images. "Keeping the worlds nearer to each other slows the spread of their matter, and thus prevents the decay of their integrity."

She poked the needle back up through a separate spot on the same world, then drew it towards another and stabbed it through, making no attempt to stop the thread from slipping out of the first hole entirely. "Time and further travel erode the ties created by contracted Hoppers, and more can be made."

This was the simplest way she could explain it, because in her vision when she closed her eyes, it was instead a crowd of people, occasionally forced to hug each other as specks jumped between them, and the hubs and spokes were only tied together by their shared histories, which meant each hub was part of another, part of another, part of another, until the web became too complex to comprehend, and the movement of each person in the crowd moved the fellows on its most recent 'wheel'.

The first time she saw a glimpse of the structure, she'd hid in terror until the former Multiverse came and comforted her with a very similar explanation to the one she just gave, though Beryl used images floating in the air and contractions.

Kinny finally looked down at the drawing, then grinned and pointed to the thread. "Hoppers and Hunters?" He asked as he looked to his aunt, and she nodded, then added an amendment to her explanation to Máté.

"Hoppers are not the only ones capable of threading worlds together. Anyone who can travel can create a thread, which includes my Hunters."
 
He really should not have agreed to ask that question, because the moment the explanation was finished, he was flooded with so much information that he could barely stand against it. Máté's expression grew stoic as he did his best to withstand the analysis of Two-Stars-Weeks-Away and to his credit, he dealt with the matter perfectly on the inside. On the outside, he was likely creating unnecessary worry as a several-minute-long silence reigned in the room and he was completely passive. It was as if the outside world did not even exist for him to process. This was accompanied by a sudden withdrawal of áratídéfíl, as if it had retreated from Jade and Kinny. This was true to some extent as the soundmason's identity focused on Máté completely in the current moment.

It was also the source of an uncomfortable feeling only skin deep. The guests of the Ruler felt like they were being ignored and paid attention to at the same time, a strange duality that no doubt confused their senses. Respectful disrespect was a paradoxical expression that could come to mind due to this phenomena.

At least it did not last long, because Máté returned to them.

"I deeply apologise for the experience you had to go through," he said, clearly speaking for himself instead of the unity of a soundmason and a human, with the wishes of the soundmason being interpreted through the lens of a lesser being. "However, while we are not capable of understanding your explanation at the moment," a shift back to representation, "I think that in due time, Civitatem Lucis will be able to comprehend it." And then back to talking for himself. It was a really jarring shift. With Jade's growing familiarity of ónic, she could definitely notice the shifts that occured in Máté's speech. It had been there so far too, on occasions where he spoke for himself, but this was especially noticeable.
 
The silence drew out further and further, and Jade remained still, watching as the Ruler appeared catatonic.

Kinny shifted occasionally as he glanced between Jade and Máté. With both of them staring ahead with empty faces, Kinny's first instinct was to pull a marker on his aunt, maybe doodle something on her face, like a bunny. He only managed to restrain himself because he remembered that this was supposed to be a diplomatic meeting.

Finally, Máté spoke up, and the uneasy tension left Kinny's shoulders partially.

As Jade listened, her eyes flicked between Máté and a spot vaguely above him as he switched who he spoke for. How much had her explanation muddied things? Confused Máté and Two-Stars-Weeks-Away? She kept her amusement from her face as she settled her gaze onto Máté and offered an answer. "I would be happy to offer clarification, if you can inform me which part of my explanation was inadequate, however if you prefer, it can be revisited another time." Neither tone nor expression spoke of embarrassment or condescension.

Kinny tapped his aunt on the shoulder. "That.. thing with the name I forgot. It got weird when Máté got quiet. What's up with that?"

Jade looked up to her nephew. "That is the individual that our host, Ruler Máté, represents and works with. Their name is Soundmason Two-Stars-Weeks-Away. The shifts in áratídéfíl you are feeling reflect their emotions, I believe." She looked toward their host and switched back to ónic. "Nephew Kindall asked a question about áratídéfíl." The comment was simple: merely an explanation of her sudden shift to English. She felt certain that if the conversation was recorded, and she didn't doubt it was, someone within Civitatem Lucis could verify it with relative ease.

As much as they could translate what was to them a dead language, after all.
 
"I believe that further cross-examination requires major development in the field of multiversal theory for Civitatem Lucis to be able to properly discuss these matters," said Máté to Jade's offer in particular. The arguement with the soundmason had been incredibly long, not to mention incredibly exhausting. He hoped he would not encounter such a thing again today, but with two people from a completely different universe than his own, it was very likely something similar would happen soon. Probably when they would be examined in detail in one of the hospitals. At least then, it would not land directly in his lap and then he could delay the paperwork long enough to take a break.

"We are grateful for the information you have shared with us," he continued after he let the sentence sink in. "And we understand your companion's confusion over áratídéfíl. As far as we know, it is not something that the language you speak can express or concisely convey. We are happy to offer him an explanation if it is necessary, provided that you are willing to serve as a translator in the dialogue." And it was truly just that. Máté did not want to burden his guest by having her try and translate incredibly complex expressions in a language that was not equipped for them. He would not give this exercise even to the most exemplary student of ancient languages.
 
Máté's offer of explanation was nice, but she had a feeling it would frustrate all of them. Instead of accepting the offer, she shook her head. "I have offered him a very simplified explanation that áratídéfíl is Soundmason Two-Stars-Weeks-Away's emotions. It is likely not entirely accurate, but until I gain more mastery over ónic, it will give him enough understanding to know áratídéfíl is nothing he should fear."

Looking back, she immediately decided that it was better to say it was Two-Stars-Weeks-Away's sense of self, overlapping with their own in a way they could perceive.

She looked up from her brief introspection. "I will offer him a more accurate explanation when we have an opportunity to speak for an extended period." Their host had offered them time to speak together earlier, but her sense of manners rushed her for the sake of not excluding Máté and his companion for too long.

Kinny looked between them. From his aunt's posture, she was talking about him. Just the slightest shift so she could see him in her periphery gave him enough information to assume. He pushed his hair from his face as he offered Máté a broad smile. He then looked down toward the sketchbook and picked it up. Holding it by the wire binding, the young man ripped along the perforations carefully.

Page separated, he closed the sketchbook and tucked it under one arm, then folded the large paper down to a fourth.

"Auntie? This was a diagram for him, right? Want me to give it to him?"

Jade turned and shrugged, then nodded. A switch to English, and she answered properly: "Yes. I believe that might be a good idea-"

The Hunter beamed, the sudden widened grin cutting of his aunt as she stared at him in concern. "Alright, Auntie." He placed a hand on her head, then walked away and let his hand fall back to his side. The sketchbook slipped, but didn't fall before he caught it again.

Once he was closer to Máté, he offered the folded paper. His eyes briefly roamed the entirety of what the heat-hungry man could see before he returned his gaze to the other's face.
 
That was an acceptable temporary explanation seeing as it held a silver of truth in it and Máté could see how it may be difficult for Jade to interpret what he was saying. The language barrier had not been considered when he made the offer towards her and though Two-Stars-Weeks-Away protested at the prospect of being misrepresented, the arguement was settled quickly. Then, as Máté was about to remark on the nature of the universe as Civitatem Lucis percieved it along with their current knowledge of the world, something very strange happened. His guests exchanged a couple of words between themselves in their native tongue, which was followed by the man grinning ear-to-ear before he advanced towards Máté. The look in his eyes was difficult to ignore even for someone who was used to diplomatically handling various cultural problems.

The Ruler nevertheless took the paper from Kinny, marvelled at the strangeness of using a material such as this to store information along with representative pictures, then he raised one of his hands to his heart. "Jade Senate-Mortimer," he spoke up with a tone that she could not quite place. It sounded vaguely like amusement mixed with being flattered, yet it was not quite that. Maybe an emotion that was only present in Civitatem Lucis? "Please tell your companion that I am aware of how attractive I am. It is good to see people who appreciate beauty, however, my wife and I have decided that our relationship is not open." He did not seem to be chiding Kinny, nor did he seem to be shocked at the man's behaviour. It was more along the lines of Máté making sure that Kinny's effors were not wasted.

"As for the matter at hand, we genuinely believe that in time, we will come to understand the nature of the multi-verse, just as you will come to understand the nature of Civitatem Lucis' people. At the moment, however, the best we can offer you is a warm welcome amongst our people and the declaration that we will need time to process today's events. If you wish, you can choose to end or continue this conversation. There is still time left in our schedule."
 
Far from an emotion limited to Civitatem Lucis, Jade had seen it most any time Kinny decided to turn on his charm. Jade's hand met her face, and a tiny giggle escaped. Tension, held so long it looked natural, eased from her shoulders with Máté's request. "I will tell him, Ruler Máté." She agreed after allowing herself a few moments of mirth.

Thank Father, they had humor. She'd expected the man to ignore Kinny's obnoxious flirting, as he seemed to thus far, but instead Máté displayed some emotion.

Though Jade herself was stoic, it was a relief to her, seeing her host act... human as she knew it.

She forced a breath to calm herself as Máté continued, explaining that there was much left to understand and much to ponder before more discussion would prove fruitful. Frankly, she agreed. She nodded briefly. "I believe there is not much left to discuss at this point, but much to ponder and review. If you do not mind waiting, I will relay your words to my nephew before we go, lest he try to become more affectionate than is needed." The corners of her lips lifted slightly.

The small woman shifted her gaze, and her expression fell neutral once more. She looked to her nephew, only to see him beaming at her now. Her cheeks reddened, and she spoke in English. "Nephew Kindall Lit Shears, put that grin away. Ruler Máté is wed and monogamous." She paused. "He also thanks you for noticing how handsome he is."

The young man chuckled, then looked at Máté, even as he spoke in English, addressing the man instead of his aunt. "Your wife is lucky! Sorry I've been obnoxious, I'm in heat."

Jade had just lowered her hand from her face, and now, she slapped herself with it and its twin, the clap of flesh audible as the curves of her small ears reddened.

She switched languages to translate her nephew's words, even as the young man stepped out of the Ruler's personal space bubble. Jade forced herself to lower her hands to her sides before she spoke.

"Nephew Kindall says your wife is very fortunate. I believe that is his agreement that he will respect your wishes and a compliment in one." The tiny woman glanced away, and then suddenly locked eyes with Máté, even as her nose joined the blush in cheeks and ears. "He also apologizes for his lack of subtlety, and offers the explanation that he is in heat at this moment." The tiny woman puckered and pursed her lips as she looked to her nephew, though still spoke to Máté.

"I apologize. He believes he is speaking the truth, but in reality, he is equally overt in his interests regardless of his mating season." Jade forced her expression calm again before she looked to Máté directly as she inwardly continued to facepalm.
 
"In that case, I recommend that he first ask people if they are open to his advances," answered Máté without a second thought. The man did not seemed fazed by the mention of a 'mating season' or heat, almost as if such things were ordinary to hear about. Jade's reaction was also noted, but the blush was played off as a part of her coming from a different culture that was perhaps not so open about things like these. She certainly did not seem sick, though the Ruler did make a point of informing the hospital they would be visiting that there might be some interesting things to look forward to. More specifically, he told them to prepare for the treatment of a patient with completely unknown physiology. Tall order or not, it would certainly not reflect well on Civitatem Lucis if their guest got horribly sick and they could not treat her properly.

"I also ask that he refrain from such advances until both of you have been through the examination process. Though I am almost completely sure that neither of you are a threat to Civitatem Lucis, I believe that it is best to err on the side of caution. Both of you may go if you wish to do so, however, as I have stated previously, I remain open to additional questions or the discussion of less official matters. If you wish, I am able to give you pointers about various aspects of culture in case you want to hear about them from an unbiased source. Asking one of your guardians would give you an answer that is of a certain Four-Point Organisation's perspective even if they do not wish to present such a bias." The man seemed sincere in his offer to chat about less official matters. He did not feel as if he was in danger and besides, Two-Stars-Weeks-Away was here, even though it had retreated from the forefront. The soundmason chose to contemplate today's events and the feeling within the air shifted yet again.
 
The small blond listened to all their host had to say, and looked toward her nephew. "Ruler Máté suggests you ask before you flirt, and we should both wait until we have had an examination before either of us make advances on anyone."

Kinny blinked, brows furrowing as he tried to decipher if it was a scolding, or just the local culture, still, he nodded. and took it as a very clear hint to keep his mind out of his pants for a while, even if Máté was really sexy. His aunt delivered almost everything like a scolding, but Máté... well, different culture, different ideals. Maybe Jade even got the wrong word. He nodded again as he decided it must have been a wrong word, or just his aunt's delivery. Red eyes could make anyone seem irate.

Still, he clasped his hands behind himself as a sign he'd keep them to himself. After that reminder to be good, he felt a little like a kicked pup, but quickly put it from mind as his aunt switched to the local language to address Máté.

Jade nodded, attention returned to Máté as she answered him. "For the moment, I need to process all I have learned, despite my wish to stay and converse longer. This has been very educational and enjoyable, but I am growing tired." She felt like she was making excuses, but she had a feeling Máté would understand.

"May I request a way to contact you at another time? I do wish to speak more, on official and less official matters, but..." She felt like words were failing her already, and she wasn't even certain she'd used the correct word form for 'contact'. She wanted to explain longer, to make sure he knew she didn't actually want to leave, but even she had enough sense still to realize that would make her look foolish.

Kinny tilted his head, then tapped his aunt. "Auntie? Are things wrapping up?"

She looked up and nodded.

"Can I ask something?"

Again, she nodded, her gaze patient as she waited for him.

Kinny looked toward Máté. "So, uh. I'm not really sure how to put this, but is it normal to be open about sex here? Like, do I have to keep hush hush, or can I outright ask people if they're into it?"

Jade watched her nephew, then sighed. "Nephew Kindall has a question, it seems. He wishes to know the attitude of Civitatem Lucis on sex, and if he must remain visibly private with his urges, or if he may openly attempt to attract interest and ask if a person would consent to sex with him."

"Apologies if I am using the incorrect words."
 
Jade's exhaustion was understandable even in the face of the facts that she literally spent days sleeping in a comfortable bed. Mostly because in short order, she experienced áratídéfíl for the first time in her life, was confronted by several concepts alien to her, held a complete discussion on various forms of government, her own organisation. On top of that, she was speaking in a language that she picked up pretty well save for the various inflictions that would have made her speech sound normal. Máté did not blame his guest for wishing to rest after such an exhausting session even though he could have kept going for a couple thousand hours. Benefits of being a Ruler and all that. It did not bother him, mostly because it freed up some time for him to discuss the conversation with the soundmason in-depth in order to vlear up today's confusion.

"If you wish to speak to us, you may request an audience through any of your guides. We will not be available immediately, however, seeing as you are an important element, we will prioritise your requests." Máté could practically feel the words slipping from Jade's grasp. Her sounds became quite soft compared to the proper ónic pronounciation she had managed decently before. Judging from the way she talked when she was not using Civitatem Lucis' tongue, it was likely a holdover from the language old Earth spoke in her universe. He would have to ask a songweaver's opinion on that when his guests left. It seemed, however, that there was still a single question left that Kinny asked. It honestly did not surprise Máté given that the man was in heat.

"Please give me a couple of minutes to summarise the relevant information," he responded to the question without any sign of offence appearing on his face. He really did need to take some time in order to summarise what the young man needed to know in order to be successful with other people, mostly because Máté had never been in a situation where he had to explain his people's approach to the subject. Everyone learned as they grew up, except that Kinny was not fortunate enough to grow up here, so he was absolutely clueless about everything. In other words, the Ruler had to explain everything starting at the basic level while also condensing it down to important points because of how tired Jade felt.

It took him about ten minutes to condense everything into the absolutely necessary. "First of all," he started. "It is always to polite ask people if they are open to advances before one starts with the compliments or suggestions. The best way to do so is to ask if they have a szerend," a word which meant a combination of 'lover', 'significant other' and 'regular sex partner', but not necessarily an exclusive partner, "though it is considered dry to do so. If you would like to successfully attract others, it is best to approach them with a line that indirectly addresses the state of their relationship. The verbal response to the opening line is just as important as the gesture which accompanies it." He temporarily halted his explanation there to gave Jade the time to translate before he continued.

"These will be slightly different in each planetary region, but you can expect most people to tell the truth," he continued after he made sure that the information was relayed. "Verbally, there are usually two responses. They will either say that they have a szerend or that they do not have one. However, when it comes to body language, most regions have four possibilities. The first one of these is touching you," he said as he reached out with an arm to demonstarte. "This means that they are interested in you and depending on how it goes, they may want to have you as a long-term partner. The second one is that they move their hands away from their body in some manner." He demonstrated again by dropping his hands onto his body, then raised both of them just slightly above his thighs. "This means that they are interested in you, but they are not looking for long-term partnership. The third response is that if they touch themselves with one of their hands," another demonstration, "This means that they are not sure about you and will decide later on. And finally, if they touch themselves with both hands or hide them from your vision," he wrapped up as he showed both types of the gesture, "This means they are not interested at all."

"You can always talk about sex or any related activities freely, however, it is not polite to make advances on those who are undecided or not interested in you. At the same time, you will not be seen as impolite if you thank them for their response and leave them alone if you do not wish to talk with them," he said as he summarised the basics. "If you would like more details on how to be successful, I recommend that you talk to one of your escorts. It has been a long time since I last looked for a szerend." Throughout all this, Máté was decidedly casual as if he did not just teach Jade and Kinny the basics of how to pick up guys. Or girls. Come to think of it, he did not mention any specific gender, did he?
 
Jade took it all in, thankful for her host's pauses, and once she had everything, she closed her eyes to sort it into the English, careful in what she abbreviated and condensed, but also doing her best to ensure Kinny had enough knowledge to sustain him until he knew the language himself. In her mind, having the full answer given might stunt his eagerness to learn the language. He'd taken the same language classes as she had, and according to his grades when he took the test, he'd done well, but he wasn't as gifted, and because she knew him well, knew also that he tended to space out if he lost interest. He wasn't a studying type like she was. He needed a tutor.

One name came to mind, and then the phrase 'poor woman'.

Finally sorted, she looked toward her nephew, who kept his gaze on Máté. "Máté has just explained it. It is always polite to ask people if they consent to flirting before you start."

The boy furrowed his brow slightly and ran a hand through his hair, then nodded as he pursed his lips. "And?," he prompted. There had to be more to it than that, maybe suggestions on how to go about it?

"First you ask if they have a 'szerend', which I assume means a person to whom they are faithful, or perhaps a lover. It will have to be a word he look into later, so please remember it." She paused as she watched the confusion begin to fade from his features as his gaze turned towards her, given she was the one speaking now, even if she was technically just translating.

She took a deep breath before continuing. "Asking blatantly is considered unstylish, so use creativity," she said the words knowing she'd regret telling Kinny to be creative. Still, she continued. "Responses come in a few types: verbal and gesticulation. Yes or no are verbal, though that may be obvious to even you." The barb felt good, and the grin he shot her reassured that she did not sound too dumb. "Body language may vary by location, similarly to a dialect, but the basics Máté displayed are the signs of which he is aware."

She mimicked the first sign by touching her nephew. "This means they are interested, and may be open to having you as their szerend." Next, she mimicked the man's moving his hands from his thighs. "To gesture like this indicates an interest in a sort-term partnership." She paused to remember the gesture for the third, and then touched her shoulder with the same hand. "Touching themselves with one hand indicates uncertainty. Do not flirt, and let them decide before you attempt." Simple enough.

Finally, the last one. She hugged herself, then hid her hands behind herself, then stuffed them into her pockets. "Touching themselves with both hands or hiding their hands indicates disinterest. Do not flirt. I assume by the pattern that the more they touch themselves, the more hesitant they are, and the more they reach away from themselves or toward you, the more interest they have. Pay close attention."

Her cheeks reddened slightly as she realized she'd slurred the last word, and in her native language, no less! Jade pushed it from her mind and forced herself to continue. "Máté continues to say that you are free to speak about sex or related activities freely, but advances on those who are not interested or not certain should not happen. It is similar to the stance of consent on Base, but a little stricter, as you cannot flirt with someone to try to shift their interest toward you." Was the tiny woman babbling? Likely. Was she starting to care less? Also likely.

"It would not be impolite to thank them for their answer, whatever it might be. I assume that means it is polite, and that contact is not unwelcome, unless indicated otherwise. You may also leave them alone if you lose interest after they have answered, although if you do that and repeat it back home I will kick your head." Though the threat was quite real, she held no barb in her voice: no, it was merely a reminder to the young man that this place was not the same as back home, and while walking away from someone after asking about their interest might be acceptable here, he would be seen as crude for doing something similar back home.

Granted, back home all he had to do was whine a little about 'wishing he could get laid', and the Huntresses would swarm. A tiny, sadistic part of her wanted to see him struggle, but she squashed that part down with little thought. He was family, and even if she wished she had similar romantic skill, she had... enough problems. She was here because of one of the problems.

The short woman forced herself from her distracted thoughts. "Ah, and Máté also stated that we should ask our escorts for more information, given that he has not gone looking in a long time."

She had to admire how casual Máté seemed about this, and how the man didn't indicate genders or sexes, only personhood. Her mind went somewhere painful for a moment before she pushed some stray hair from her face and waited to see if her nephew had a response.

Kindall stared down at her, one brow lifted, then pressed the back of his hand to her forehead and remained silent a few moments. His hand felt cool, though the touch felt awkward. Still, she let him. This was him showing concern, showing he cared, in a way that wasn't... too embarrassing. He finally pulled his hand away, satisfied, and smiled at her, then looked toward Máté.

"Thank you!" His smile turned into a broad, beaming grin that the people back home often claimed came from all the sunshine shoved up his ass. He absently tapped his chin with one finger, then paused uncertainly. "Um. What comes next?" He looked between his aunt and their host.

One corner of Jade's lips lifted slightly in a barely-noticeable half-smile, but instead of answering the boy, she looked to and translated for Máté. "He says he is grateful." Let the boy be confused a while longer. She could explain on the way. Right now, she wanted to keep her mouth shut for a short time. Her throat felt dry and overused.

~*~​


Bored bored bored bored bored. How could a person be bored working out? Warwick finished his reps on the final part of his workout circuit and yawned, then flipped onto his stomach, then used the back of his hand to rub at one armpit.

He paused as, instead of rubbing slick sweat, he just found skin-rubbing-skin, though his hand stank all the same.

The man muttered to himself in the local language as he wrinkled his nose. He didn't quite remember the name at the moment, but it was something like 'on it'. Most of his utterances were curses. Had he skipped part? Was the day that dry? Had he not noticed before that his workout didn't work anymore?

On his fingers, he counted out each exercise carefully, then groaned and rapidly mussed his hair. "Fuck shit piss on a taboo!" He threw his head back against the floor with a loud thunk.

He pushed himself from his floor and out of the room, grabbing and yanking his gloves on along the way, to see if he could find the gym. Much as he hated to use it because everything was so damn fragile, he needed to be able to work up a sweat, to burn off this energy he wasn't using to the point that it was almost a waste to bother sleeping, and several times he'd skipped that entirely with few ill effects, though his wardens didn't seem to thrilled. Granted, they also fretted when he skipped meals because he showed the effects of starvation quicker than most, but he had to keep in shape! He had to be combat-ready!

Every step of the way, he internally scolded himself for letting his workout routine become this useless, and at some point he noticed he wore only his underpants.

Let them look. I'm fucking sexy. Those thoughts ran through his head, followed by another: Man, not used to the whole 'ribs' thing I've got going on...

The man paused at the door of the gym and looked in, careful to check either side of the door before he entered. The cautious action was quick and over in less than a moment before he entered the room and sought something to help burn off the energy that so troubled him. As he worked on figuring it out, he flexed and relaxed his hands as they hung at his sides. Finally, he went for the basic weights that even he could figure out.

He checked the capacity of the bar and began to load it up, but paused as he lifted one of the heaviest weights he could find and stared just past it, holding it as though it were as light as an empty dinner platter. His hips were held pushed forward so his bare, muscular, and scarred abdomen held one side and his hands held the opposite.

His eyes stared down and forward, though his constricted pupils told of attention on something far, far away.
 
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"I am always happy to help other individuals in any way I can," said Máté with what amounted to genuine honesty in his words. He understood the benefits as well as the backdraws of Soul alterations and he made a note to tell Ríváné along with her team about Kinny's Condition lest they be surprised. It was not the time for heat on Abevr yet, but the man did not have the time to cool off in transit between two planets. He had been literally pulled from his home in a matter of seconds without any chance to come to terms with the situation. Unfortunate man. Máté made sure to keep his empathy to himself as he alerted their escorts, then he waited a couple of seconds.

"As I see you do not have any other questions, you will now be examined as discussed previously. Please follow your guides. If you wish to talk to Two-Stars-Weeks-Away or myself at a later time, Ríváné will be able to arrange an appointment." As soon as the reminder finished, the door opened all of a sudden. Colourful Ríváné, along with the hulking, muscular Aranam and the incredibly alien Kámír entered through the opening. From the perspective of Jade or Kinny, they would be entering from behind, the only signal of their presence being the steady rhythm of shoes against metal.

"Please come with me." Máté had to fight against his jaw hitting the floor as Ríváné spoke with perfect English. He knew that songweavers were naturally predisposed to learning languages, not to mention they were the only ones capable of perfetly utilising Ránéi. But he honestly had not expected her to pick up on it in just the time he had been speaking with Jade and Kinny. "And it is nice to meet you both, Jade and Kinny. I am sorry if I make any mistakes," continued the colourful woman as she stood in front of them. She was wearing a friendly smile on her face while the two men remained in the back. They obviously thought that she could handle diplomacy better.



Sherínárimé, or Ári to her friends, did not believe the records at first. More than twenty years of prison, yet Warwick, as he had called himself, showed very little signs of improvement. He also did not appear to age, but that surprised Civitatem Lucis much less than the fact that his keen mind could not overcome his issues. Now that she was seeing him with her eyes, it became obvious that the data was not lying. The rigorous working routine along with several of the behaviours she observed remained consistent and there was a strange emotion in the man's every movement. She could not quite point her finger at it, however, she was almost certain that it was the cause for his behaviour.

All pure conjecture though. If Soul could not find out what was wrong with him, she certainly had little chance to do so. Still, at least there was one area that she could relate to him and today, she was finally going to step out from behind the countless safeties to make an attempt. She spent an entire day requesting the proper permissions, then getting herself approved for contact, but she hoped that it would be worth the effort. Maybe Civitatem Lucis would finally make some progress on this mystery case. Therefore, Ári spent a large part of the day looking for an opportunity to interject before she finally found it in that expression. Oh, she knew that one very well. His body language along with his gaze told her almost everything she needed to know.

The door to the gym opened and Ári stepped through with a deliberate force to announce her presence... Which was not much all things considered. Standing about one and a half metres tall with long, ankle-length hair the colour of crimson, Sherínárimé's slim form was not impressive at all. There was not a single ounce of muscle visible on her body, as all of it seemed to have been replaced with pleasant curves along with long, shapely legs. Crimson eyes were coloured by a friendly smile on Ári's face, highlighting her elongated, elegant features. Her cheekbones along with the freckles on her cheeks were especially charming. The necklace she wore was less so. It was a simple, metal string with a silver-coloured, serrated blade attached to it instead of a pendant.

"Not heavy enough?" she asked casually as she walked up to the various machines within the gym, navigating them expertly. She did not seem like she belonged within this gym, nor any gym at all. In fact, Warwick could have broken her in half with a simple look of his if he really tried, or at least so it seemed. Even more confusing was the fact that she was wearing the uniform of a prison guard. She did not seem to be afraid of the much larger man either. In fact, she almost brushed his skin as she made her way to a segment of the wall, which had 'Bladedancer-grade Equipment' written onto it.

"Why do you not use these instead of normal-grade equipment?" she continued, then she spoke a simple word in ránei to open up the segment. "I am sure that we have given you access to it." And with that, Ári withdrew a massive steel rod from there. At least a centimetre or two thicker than her arms, the titanic piece of equipment had to weigh at least as much as she did. If not more. Yet despite her slight figure, she was holding onto it with one hand as if it was not heavier than a feather. Or a pillow if one was being very generous. She did not seem burdened by it at all, which was confirmed by her lifting it onto her shoulder and facing Warwick with a smile.

"Would you like to test your limits? I would be glad to help you." The offer was made. And though Sherínárimé was honest with it, she internally wondered if this was a good idea.
 
"Thank you, Ruler Máté and Soundmason Two-Stars-Weeks-Away," She inclined her head, then paused as she heard footsteps from behind. The tiny woman looked back, then rose from her seat to face them. A slight sway nearly made her stumble, but Kinny, likely without noticing, subtly grabbed the back of her jacket to hold her upright.

Ríváné, Aranam, and Kámír entered with Ríváné at the fore, and her host spoke first.

Jade fought hard to restrain a grin as the woman spoke clear English, and the tiny woman answered in kind. "You have gained surprising mastery over a linguist's nightmare language, Host Ríváné."

Kinny was a little delayed in turning, but heard someone speak English, and could smell the Ruler's shock. The new speaker must have figured out English very quickly.

The young man turned around, and his jaw actually dropped. "I'm so glad I decided to force through that portal," he breathed, eyes darting between the trio who newly entered. "Everyone is so damn gorgeous."

Jade choked audibly and closed her eyes tight to try to forget she'd heard that.

Kinny released his aunt, then approached the trio eagerly, pausing to wave back towards Máté, and looked between all three, appreciation clear on his face before he finally looked directly towards Ríváné. "Nice to meet you, ma'am. Mind telling me your name? Your friends', too?" At mention of them, Kinny turned hungry, excited eyes onto the pair just beyond. Even to his own nose, his pheromones seemed very strong...

He sniffed the air, then paused as he detected frustration and embarrassment in his aunt's flavor, and he paused. Was he flirting without realizing? He wiped at his nose, then grinned. "Sorry, just caught a whiff of myself. I'll try to be good for now."

Jade composed herself, then turned back towards Máté and bowed her head again before offering a brief smile of thanks. Finally, she approached Ríváné and the other two. "It is good to see you again, Host Ríváné. I apologize for Nephew Kindall. He often fails to notice when he is displaying his interest in someone... or some three someones." Even in her native language, her throat felt scratchy.

~*~​

Warwick didn't look up initially, until he remembered he was mostly left alone unless something came up. His heart quickened, and he slipped the weight back into place as he smoothly turned to look at...

'Someone needs to feed her more,' was his immediate thought, followed by 'Wait, that's the guard uniform.'

She carried herself with confidence, and as his wary eyes watched her, she asked if the weights weren't heavy enough, and as she brushed past, the woman offered to let him use the equipment marked 'Bladedancer-Graded Equipment'. He'd been offered and given access prior, but surely it wasn't that different: it was only humans here, and apparently a cat or two that somehow didn't give a nosebleed.

Regardless, if she wanted to interact with him, he'd not turn away her attempt. She was pretty and seemed friendly, plus he'd met few people aside from the guards inside the complex and a few shrinks. First though, he put away the equipment he'd pulled out, and approached Ári only when he was finished. By the time he looked back up at her, she held a massive metal rod casually on one shoulder. From the scent as her skin's oils pressed against it, the thing was made of steel.

His eyebrows lifted at the sight, and only then did he wonder if perhaps he could have been working out more effectively.

Absently, he looked away, then cleared his throat. Nervousness teased at him, but he returned his gaze to the thin woman, the frustration gone from his expression. "Yeah. I didn't realize the stuff in there was that different from out here," he accepted with a small attempt at a smile.

"First though, what's your name? I'm Warwick, but you probably already know that, if you're in the uniform." He shifted his weight so the toes of one foot rested on their tips, while his other foot remained flat. A few flexes of his toes moved his calf up and down as he fidgeted.

Now that there was someone fully dressed with him, his lack of proper clothing felt embarrassing, but still, she spoke with a certain casual manner about her. She wasn't here on instructions: likely she came on her own.

That... that would be nice. He tended to unsettle people.

He blinked himself from his thoughts. "Sorry, spaced out a bit. Do you want to get something to eat after we're done in here?" Back home, it was a combination offer of friendship and courtship plus a question to ask how a person was feeling. Food among Hunters was something they valued more than most things. It was a vital part of existence, since their bodies needed huge quantities of nutrition and calories.
 
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A brief flicker of light dashed through Ríváné's eyes as she looked up some of the words used in the conversation so she would be sure of their meaning within the context. Several possibilities were ran through in just a couple of seconds until she arrived at one she thought to be correct. Which was rather interesting given the circumstances. Here she was, approaching a head of an organisation with what surely amounted to be an escort in the military sense, but the escort was trying to at least get her and the others to open up in a friendship sense. Of course, she only had access to some of the compiled information, meaning she had abolutely no idea Kinny tried to flirt with Máté. In turn, a brief flash of confusion flickered across her face before she recovered.

"Thank you," she said, both to Jade and Kinny as she raised one of her hands to brush a stray strand of hair out of her face. Her other hand remained away from her body. "But I am not sure I understand the language well enough. Please be patient while I learn," she said, doing her best to mimic the emphasises, phrases and sentences English used. She was very slightly off in some places, but her songweaver heritage made her imitate it almost perfectly even though she was not quite sure why some of the differences in emphasis existed. The circumstantial word usage did not bother her as much, because ránei was a little similar in the sense that there were quite a bit of words which could be used for multiple purposes. Either way, English was a very odd language, no doubt owing to its non-constructed nature.

"The people behind me are not friends," she continued after a moment's pause that she used to look up a few more words. "They are subordinates right now. Their names are," she said as she stepped back to brush the shoulder of the hulking man, "Aranam," then she stepped towards the more strange one, "and Kámír." The touching of palms to a shoulder lasted only for a brief instant, clearly done without any intention of contact or a message of deeper connection. "Please follow us to the hospital-laboratory. If you have any questions, I will do my best to answer them."

Speaking of questions, Ríváné certainly had one. She was feeling a little tingly all over her body, with a slight heat building on her skin and she wondered what that was. Still, she was not sure if asking would be rude to Kinny and Jade, so she kept herself in control rather than acting on her curiousity. The feeling was pushed down into her stomach, then suppressed without as much as a single outward sign. The only thing she did was to speak a brief order to her companions, who nodded in response. They then took up a loose triangle formation around Jade and Kinny, with Ríváné serving as the point as she started to lead the group back from where Jade came.



"Sherínárimé," responded Ári with a pleased smile on her face as she got his reaction. It was not quite what she expected, because she did not expect to be given an offer of a meal. She was, however, permitted to spend as much time with him as she liked as long as she did not make his situation worse or she was ordered to resume watching from afar. Therefore... "You can call me Ári if my name is too long. And sure, I am going to take you up on your offer after we worked up a sweat. Going to need a lot of calories anyways... What is your limit, Warwick?" she asked as she tapped the steel rod she was holding. "Because this thing can only withstand about two tons. If that is not enough, I can get the relez or ekrí rods for you."

Those terms probably would not be familiar to Warwick, but Ári used them casually. They were fairly well-known within the 'Body' philosophy and she had an expectant look on her face before she realised that she was probably talking nonsense to him. When that happened, she averted her eyes before she tapped her cheek with her free hand in a gesture of embarrassment.

"Ekrí can withstand up to ten tons," she explained. "And I do not remember anyone ever breaking a relez rod." Which one would Warwick choose, she wondered? She guessed that the steel rod would not be enough based on the sizeable weights he was using, but just like any bladedancer worth their salt, the man's strength was not easily readable. Sure, one could look at his bulging muscles to come to the conclusion that he was quite strong, but at the same time, whatever genetic alteration had been done to him conveyed far greater abilities than his body showed.
 
Kinny watched Ríváné's body language carefully as much as he listened to her words, and her confusion was as clear to his nose as the brief flash across her face. Hand away from the body, in the flirting sense, meant 'no thanks', so he decided to try his best to be good.

Her English was pretty good, in that he understood what she said, though she was very blunt compared to a native speaker—more than his aunt. Then again, in their culture, saying someone wasn't a friend often meant dislike, rather than simply acquaintanceship or merely a professional relationship.

He inclined his head to each man in brief greeting, since this seemed purely professional rather than friendly, and then looked towards Ríváné once more as she spoke in the same language as Máté and his aunt had earlier, though her words were directed at her subordinates.

The group began to move, and Kinny followed with no objection, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted his aunt following as well.

He decided maybe in this case, it would be good to offer that tidbit. "Ríváné, right? I think my only question right now is if you're willing to accept a little English lesson—I mean, you speak really well. Excellent grammar and vocabulary, but there are subtleties. I'd be willing to help with those, since I don't think my aunt can very well. She's... a little oblivious to social graces."

He glanced toward his aunt with an apologetic expression, then paused in walking as the small woman had to jog a few steps to catch back up with the walk of the rest. Tempted to simply scoop her up, he managed to restrain himself for several moments before he huffed and, while speeding his walk to catch up himself because his pause let the others gain distance, he scooped the blonde up with one arm and settled her onto place so she sat upon it like a chair.

Jade offered no objections to the sudden lifting, and simply shifted her weight slightly without a word, and that was what it took for Kindall to notice—"Oh. Gravity's higher than Earth's."

Jade looked toward him, and her eyebrow twitched briefly. The young man grinned and returned his attention to Ríváné.

~*~​

Warwick mouthed the name as she spoke it. "Sherínárimé," he repeated a few times in a whisper, pronunciation only flubbed near the end as the sheer amount of syllables did him in by the end. Her inclusion of a nickname brought some relief to his face, and he repeated: "Ári."

He didn't meet a lot of people. Forgetting a name would be embarrassing.

She moved on quickly to both accept the chance at a meal together and ask about his limit. His gaze turned toward the rod. Two tons, but he couldn't quite remember what that meant in pounds or kilos.

She moved more quickly than his mind, almost. Unable to hide his confusion over the new terms, she also covered those, thankfully, and his uncertainty parted with a smile. "I have yet to find my limit, Ári. Where I'm from, we don't have—" he cut off and turned his head to clear his throat in what had become a sign he was going somewhere he didn't intend. "My pride wants me to try to break a relez rod, but that's just my stupid talking."

In notes about him, he often referred to urges he thought unwise as 'my stupid talking', where he used stupid as a noun and likely mangled it badly. Used to English and being able to morph words to fit what he wanted, he expected the same ability to make up terms and phrases in the local tongue and still be understood.
 
They made their way back to where they came from, only to take a detour to the side as Kinny addressed Ríváné. The woman considered the point for a moment before she had a genuine smile come across her face and stepped closer to him so that she was at a more casual distance than before. There was a certain eagerness in her eyes to learn about the gestures, figuring that no matter what she did, she would be stuck as the head of escort for these two because of her experience with them. She might as well enjoy it and honestly, learning about gestures along with social graces did not sound all that bad. And besides, the more information she could gather from them, the more her superiors would appreciate her. That was always a good card to have in her pocket.

However, before she could respond to him, Kinny went back to fetch Jade and then literally carried her on his arm. Strangely, the only reaction this prompted from Ríváné was an amused smile along with a casual brush along Kinny's shoulder.
"Thank you. I would like to learn more about gestures and culture," said Ríváné in English, now touching her fingertips to Jade's shoulder for a brief moment. "If the higher gravity is a problem, then I can get you some... I think the English word is 'powered clothes'. Clothes with electronics in them that help people walk," she explained, moving back to keep her rather casual distance from the two of them. "Abevr gets a lot of visitors from lower-gravity planets." Indeed. It was one of the bigger terrestrial planets after all.

A few moments later, the group found itself in a slightly smaller room, the doors of which closed after entry. Ríváné then spoke a few words in ránei. Though her voice was not as hauntingly beautiful or crystalline as Jade had heard it before, there was a subtle, enchanting charm to it that no doubt caught the attention of Civitatem Lucis' guests. The natives did not seem to be particularly bothered by it, however. They did not even react, though if Kinny or Jade were on alert, they could notice an appreciative, barely noticeable nod sent Ríváné's way from Aranam.



Ári was not particularly disturbed by Warwick's mangling of the language, because she had been already informed about his habits. He was not speaking ónic in the first place, which had been a particularly huge piece of puzzle that Civitatem Lucis could not figure out by themselves and honestly, he was perhaps one of the most popular mysteries in this age of scientific knowledge. Those who knew about him were completely puzzled by his existence, just like that of Liber Et Deus or some of the rahn'fehr machinery. Tédésna. Something inexplicable by the current standards of science, no matter how many investagations were conducted or how many times they were investigated. At least this man was one of the more peaceful ones, however, but she was getting ahead of herself.

"Relez rods it is, then," she with a confident smile on her face as she stored a steel rod and retrieved another one. This one looked less unwieldy and it was thinner than the steel rod before, but it was certainly imposing. First of all, it was as black as raw-mined iron could be. Second of all, it did not smell like any material that Warwick knew, choosing to opt for a mixture of metals instead. It was a composite construction of topnotch craftsmanship, the pinnacle of Civitatem Lucis' engineering and metallurgy. Such a thing was going to be uses for a task as mundane as lifting weights. "How much should we start with? Ten tons?" she asked as she went over to Warwick with the rod in her hand and handed it to him.

"Or twenty tons?" she asked, her crimson eyes meeting his. Somehow, it seemed as if she was enjoying this.
 
A smile and a casual brush—his mind went right to flirting, and his cheeks grew pink as he beamed at her and nodded, ready to answer, but paused. The young man raised both eyebrows as she offered a smile and touch to Jade. Was he misinterpreting, or was Ríváné flirting with his aunt, too? Still though, before he darted back to get Jade, she looked excited and happy, so whatever she was about, she wasn't repulsed or unhappy. Thankfully that was clear despite the differences. He let Jade have a chance to answer first, since he was certain if the lovely lady spoke English, she'd be someone they didn't meet just once.

Jade blinked at mention of powered clothes and tilted her head. "Perhaps that may be a good idea, but it would also be wise to use the opportunity while here to strengthen my legs more."

Before Kinny could offer a proper answer to Ríváné, the group arrived in a smaller room. The doors closed, and Ríváné spoke—sang?—for a moment or two with a tone and quality that forcibly yanked the keen-eared Hunter's attention fully onto her and well away from his thoughts. He stared, eyes open and attentive and his lips curled into a smile, and when she finished, it seemed too soon.

"That was... Gosh, that was pretty!" Kinny tried and failed to replicate it, especially when his voice cracked, and he reddened, then laughed at himself. "I didn't know a human could make sounds like that."

On his arm, Jade tried to act like she wasn't also blushing. Kinny was right, even that brief utterance was pretty. It brought to mind the inhuman, siren-like voice from earlier, and it was that memory that brought a slight pink to the wooden-faced woman.

~*~​

Relez. It looked thin, like Ári. "Relez, huh? Also, kinda embarrassing question, but—" He looked away with a soft huff, then turned once more to look at her. "A ton, that's... a thousand kilos, right?"

Saying it out loud, he realized yes, that was right. He ran a hand along the side of his head, and his hair shifted easily until some stuck to his gloves—grabbed because the touch of iron, even in steel, irritated him. "Yeah, I can handle several thousand kilos. Never pushed hard enough to know my limit before, though. Might be good to start low with two and work up. Warm-ups never hurt, right?"

He offered a small half-smile and reached for the rod. "So, this is Relez?" The attentive might notice small movements in his chest as he sniffed the air as subtly as he could, trying to detect the makeup of the metal. It didn't look like it would have silver present, but it didn't take a lot to cause burns, and speaking of, his gaze flicked toward the woman's necklace.

Silver and a knife.

He'd not seen it this well before, but now he could, and he swallowed absently. His face remained in the same expression before he yanked his gaze back to the rod.

"Excuse me," he said, then brushed the back of his forearm against it to check for silver content. He had his gloves, but the metal still left him nervous. Iron had to be in decent quantities to leave an itching and burning rash, worse if it was cold-forged, but silver in any quantity transferred its properties to metals within whatever alloy it was used in. Once he verified the contents with that little brush, his smile returned. "Sorry, it's just... that metal allergy. I think I mentioned it to someone before." He tried to return her cheer, if only to keep her smiling. He wanted her to keep smiling—didn't know or care why. Maybe he already liked her? His thoughts swam quick through his mind, almost too quickly for him to track them himself.
 
The request was noted and Ríváné filed for a set of powered clothes in Jade's size just in case she decided to live with the opportunity. For the sake of compromise, she figured that the small woman could use them when she was extremely tired, then work on her muscles the rest of the time. Come to think of it, maybe she would have liked some training facilities? That was a question later, when they finished with the laboratory. For now, she had to- Oh dear.

She barely noticed Kámír in time. The incredible strange man was moving towards Kinny with a gait that could not mean much good or positive towards the Hunter and as such, Ríváné moved immediately to intercept him. She stepped in his way, then she braced one of her fingers to his throat with a casual, but very deliberate-looking nature. This was followed by an interplay of eyes with the songweaver's colourful gaze refusing to leave Kámír's eyes. Though it did not look like a confrontation was about to erupt, there was definitely a great deal of tension within the air between them. It only dispersed when the room started moving downwards at a reasonable speed.

At that moment, Kámír made a low, most definitely animalistic growl before he chose to take quite a few steps backward. The tension disippated in the air as Ríváné lowered her hand before she mentally counted down from ten in order to address her guests in a proper manner. She did not know what had been broken over Kámír's back today, however, she was willing to take a bet that it was probably something made from recycled relez. She would have to ask for a more agreeable escort from headquarters once the analysis of Kinny and Jade finished. Insubordination would not be tolerated, not to mention that threatening diplomatically important people was not the best way to start a relationship with them.

"I apologise for that phenomenon," said Ríváné in English after she spent a moment searching for the appropriate word. She glanced at Aranam for a second, who, mercifully, gave her another appreciative nod before he trained his eyes on Kámír and brushed the other man's shoulder. It was a casual gesture all things considered, yet the hybridised individual deliberately moved away from it.



"Yes, a ton is one thousand kilograms," confirmed Ári, though she really had not needed to do so apparently. Warwick seemed to be perfectly capable of solving the maths himself, even if it was a little slow by Civitatem Lucis' standards. Then a smile blossomed on her face as he confidently declared himself being able to handle several thousand kilograms right before he went to inspect the rod. She could see caution in every little bit of his movements, not to mention the shallow breaths of air he was taking that she was not sure how to quite place. It reminded her of someone who had cat or dog mixed into their DNA, providing them with a much better sense of smell than normal.

"Do not worry about the metals," said the bladedancer, keeping her smile up as she watched his eyes get stuck on her necklace. "My yku," where yku meant a symbol or ornament specific to a bladedancer, chosen according to personal taste, "is made of platinum." One of the red-haired woman's hands went up to clutch her necklace's pendant in order to emphasize the object she was talking about, then her hand went to brush Warwick's shoulder. "And relez is mostly silicon." With other materials mixed in, but she did not have the time to explain the complicated alloy structure of Civitatem Lucis' strongest material. They would probably be here all day. But it most definitely did not contain silver.

"Now we should get started," she said as the smile on her face grew wider and she handed the relez rod to Warwick, then she went for the weights. She retrieved four of the smaller ones, five hundred kilograms each, and piled them onto one of her hands without too much trouble. "Deadlift or bench press? The latter will need a little bit of work on the equipment. Weights are alloyed osmium by the way." This was quite enjoyable so far if she was honest with herself, but not quite enough to completely let her guard down.
 
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The scent of aggression drew Kinny's attention sharply to Kámír, and he shifted his body to shield his aunt as he lowered his center of gravity, prepared for an attack, though he made no move to put on a guard for himself. His eyes subtly opened wider, like a predator in wait, but Ríváné stepped in.

The young man watched the silent exchange between the pair. Kámír backed away, and Kinny's posture relaxed. Dark blue eyes darted toward Aranam, but he didn't pay much attention—the scent would give him away, he was sure. He turned so Jade could see the rest again, and as Ríváné apologized, he shook his head, the smile gone for the moment. "Oh, uh, no. I should be apologizing. I probably accidentally said something horrible."

He blushed and looked away. "I got too excited is all."

Seated on Kindall's arm, Jade simply observed. She missed the gestures and body language of the exchange, but even she could tell it didn't lead to violence. Since that was the case, and Ríváné handled it, Jade remained quiet Her body held no tension or fear—why should it?

After a few moments, she did speak in English—it might be best to avoid having Kámír hear what she had to say. "It is no issue. Kindall is a child. It might have been good, had he been attacked for recklessly mimicking a language unknown to him. I doubt Kámír is capable of causing lasting harm to the boy."

Kinny visibly wilted. "I'm twenty-one. I'm not a little kid," he pouted.

Jade glanced at her nephew, then looked to Rivane and spoke in óníc as she tapped her forehead. "He is immature for his age."

~*~​

His shoulders lost tension as she assured him neither contained silver; as she explained the pendant and its metal, he relaxed further. He'd been found with a silver knife, but slipped it into his pocket before they could take it, and the blade had yet to be seen since—in fact, none of the pockets appeared to hold anything at all on inspection, but sometimes he pulled something from within that nobody in the place had given him.

More confusion for the poor scientific minds of Civitatem Lucis.

Her touch relaxed him the most, though. Despite his difficulties, a friendly touch or distracting conversation helped him become calm again, at least for a time.

She grabbed the weights, though, and his eyes widened as a smile grew. "Ha, this place is great," he said with a shake of his head. "Let's go deadlift, I think. It works more of what I might need."

He helped to put the weights on the rod, and although his weight shifted as he lifted and moved them, that mostly came from the amount of space they took and how they threw his center of weight to another location rather than any struggle. Absently, he glanced toward her as he secured the weights in place.

What would it take to impress her? he wondered—thoughts fueled by the instinct more than rationality.
 
At the insistence that Kámír was incapable of causing harm to Kinny, Ríváné winced and despite her attempts to control her reaction, displaying a painful face. The reason for this became apparent to both people as she opened her mouth to explain in English.
"Kámír is a mind-house," she stated as if to remind Jade of the man's position. "They are very important to Civitatem Lucis and to the 'Soul' organisation, because a single mind-house can store terrajoules of energy. He will be reassigned to a different duty as soon as we are done with your examination. I am sorry for his behaviour." Her tone was apologetic and sincere as she thought about the countless ways this could have gone worse, but she did not dwell too long on the various scenarios. She instead diverted her attention to keeping the man in check.

She would deal with Kinny's immaturity later when she was no longer feeling so tense that she had trouble keeping her emotions in check and fortunately for her, they arrived soon at their destination. The elevator slowed its descent before eventually coming to a halt. Its doors opened to reveal a hallway like before, one which Ríváné stepped into before she waved to her guests to follow. It was meant to be a friendly gesture, but Kinny would likely see through it as easily as one looks through a pane of glass. Aranam followed her with steady steps while Kámír seemed to deliberately put force into his walking as if he wanted to intimidate the two coming from outside Civitatem Lucis. It was childish, not to mention unbecoming of someone who has been assigned to an important duty like this.

Ríváné was feeling another headache coming as she lead the little group to a door that said 'laboratory' in ónic before she started speaking in ránei again, her resonant and hauntingly beautiful words coming to a stop before they could as much as start. The door opened as a result, revealing someone wearing a full-body suit that looked like the bastard child of standard clothes and HAZMAT suits. It was coloured white, covered him from head-to-toe as if it was a single piece of clothing. It had no visible seams either, with the only individuality it let through being the man's face: A little soft, complete with gentle, brown eyes, red-brown hair and a series of subtle, silver tattoos to decorate his features.

"Good day," said the man in the suit, speaking in ónic. "Ríváné, please tell our guests that the examination will begin soon. It will be the usual series of tests." The songweaver nodded at this before she relayed the information in English, elaborating on the fact that the usual series of tests involved taking vital baselines, a physical examination and the taking of a blood sample at the end. Her retinue would only go through the blood sample bit, though. The rest was unnecessary.



Deadlift it was then. Ári did not dwell too much on the objects that appeared in Warwick's possession at times and without explanation; she was not on the research department to concern herself with tédésna and she was confident in her ability to defend herself against any threat this man posed. If he posed any threat at all, she reminded herself as she helped him set up the equipment, her hands sometimes brushing against his as they arranged the weights, then secured them properly. She did not seem to think much of the casual contact and with the two of them, they were finished in no time. Two tons of weights were secured onto the relez rod.

"Tell me if you need any help or if you feel like you are about to bust a muscle," said Ári, deliberately staying close to Warwick to make sure that she would be able to react as quickly as possible. She was well within range if he wanted to club her or injure her, but further than he would have to worry about accidentally dropping the weights onto her leg or injuring her. "Ready? Then show me what you can do!" It was most definitely a challenge. From a bladedancer to someone who could be worthy of being a bladedancer's equal. Though it would take quite a bit to be her equal.
 
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