red hot summer in white [i]

[suna]

for Maeve
set after the thread with elyane! im tryin to leave it vague but if something happens in that thread to change things i will just edit this post a bit eeeey
hopefully this is enough to respond to, if not i'll edit!

Oh, this was the dumbest idea she could have thought of. On a scale of one to the dumbest idea in the universe, this was probably twice as dumb as the dumbest idea! Sneaking onto the Plegian border seemed easy enough, at least until she quite literally tripped over someone who had been peacefully trying to take a nap. It was terrible, mortifying, and a thoroughly upsetting experience, and Suna tried her best not to think about the details, lest she want to cry over the fact that she somehow missed someone and managed to trip over them.

She was getting teary-eyed already. Okay, enough of that, really. Suna brushed off her clothes, and tried to figure out where she ran off to - while she was well aware that she was in the vague, nebulous territory that came with 'Plegia', the border cities all looked the same level of vaguely unhappy, suspicious people, and she really wasn't the best at figuring out which way was up when it came to new cities. At least, this time, she didn't have much trouble finding something to eat - though she hesitated a moment to give the shopkeeper her bullions, hoping that he wouldn't notice they were distinctly Feroxi style, he didn't seem to notice, or if he noticed, he didn't seem to care. (If Suna was smart, she'd realize that most taguel are already from Feroxi and thus seeing one with money from there was no bigger surprise than seeing one in Plegia at all.)

A grilled bit of mystery meat and some water acquired, Suna found a nice place to sit down and eat on. The meat was actually tough, but flavorful in its own way - unlike anything she had eaten in Ylisse, or Ferox. Just what was it? The shopkeeper didn't actually tell her, and she forgot to ask. Hopefully it wasn't anything weird, like lizard meat. (But then again, if lizard meat tasted this good, she could completely understand why they ate it.)

Outside of the pressing fear that someone would figure out this taguel snuck over the borders from Ylisse and confront her about it, Plegia was actually seeming quite nice. The stories of it being a deserted wasteland didn't seem quite so true here - so close to Halidom and its more temperate climate, the days were nice and warm without being uncomfortably so, at least so far. Suna wasn't exactly sure where the 'desert' part was going to come in, or if she even dared go deeper into Plegia, but...

Well, she could figure that out if the people she met here were nice, couldn't she? Maybe it was the sunlight making her bold, or the desire to forget her horrible misstep earlier, but she tentatively got out, seeking out someone that stood out from the rest and offering a hello! and a smile.

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[Maeve]

Maeve had woken up early in the morning to help administer to the wounded. The village had suffered from civil war. She had brought a small escort with her, only a half dozen wyvern riders to carry her as far away as possible should the village fall under attack, but Maeve wasn't here for trouble. She just wanted to mix concoctions and other tonics. It was only a stunt to win a bit of public favor, but it was the sort of work that Maeve enjoyed best. Still, she was exhausted by noon, arms tired from cutting and stirring, and her eyes were bleary. She'd taken some time to speak softly and gently to the wounded, and then she left the house of healing for lunch. A little pale (paler than usual, such as it were) and her hair not quite as perfect as a queen's should be, Maeve tried buying skewers of grilled chicken hearts from a shopkeep. They had a very polite but very forceful discussion as he refused to take her money, and she refused to take her food until he took her money. In the end, Maeve acquired lunch at only a moderate discount. Maeve was honestly a bit shocked when someone spoke to her. Very few people did, even when she was just a princess, besides to bow and ask if she needed anything (she never needed anything). She smiled reflexively, bright but demure. "Greetings," she said, and she was even more shocked to see that the girl before her was hardly human. "Are you visiting Plegia, or are you from here?" Maeve inquired, and she didn't have to feign interest. Taguel were a rare enough sight that it begged questions. "Oh, goodness, forgive me, I shouldn't be so intrusive with all these questions. I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Maeve. How do you do?"

TAG suna

[suna]

The woman that Suna approached reminded her somewhat of a ghost - pale, obviously, with striking white hair that drew the eye. Her clothes were fancy, strange - they gave Suna the vague idea that perhaps she was a rich woman, though maybe that was wrong? What would a rich woman be doing, wandering the outskirts of Plegia? Suna certainly didn't know. A little self consciously, she rubbed at her nose - almost regretting her selection of a conversational partner before the woman spoke up with a smile. Greetings. Oh! That was a considerably warmer response than Suna had been expecting. Are you visiting Plegia, or are you from here? And before Suna had the chance to consider lying respond, the woman continued. Oh, goodness, forgive me, I shouldn't be so intrusive with all these questions. I haven't even introduced myself! I'm Maeve. How do you do?

Maeve. Maeve... that was a really pretty name, in all actuality - a name to fit the woman that bore it. i'm suna, and um... i'm doing quite fine, thank you! Suna couldn't help but return Maeve's smile - it was rare that the first impression went so well for her. i'm, well... visiting a native not a ylissean spy ...i'm visiting... she managed, a little guiltily - as if she really had something to be ashamed of, a Feroxian taguel poking her face around in Plegian lands. Plegia didn't have anything to fear from Ferox, right? and i don't mind questions! i was going to ask you some too, actually!

But where to even start? 'Where did you get your gorgeous clothes' sounded ridiculous, even though the question burned in Suna's mind like fire. Might as well, again, start with the truth, so... i heard a lot of nice things about plegia! so i came to visit, but i don't really know where anything is, so... so please be my guide, you nice pretty lady. Another idle thought spurred Suna to continue with, also, you wouldn't happen to know anything about dark magic, would you?

The unspoken, final question, was 'I hope you don't mind me actually walking up and bothering you with my silliness'.

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[Maeve]

At the news that the taguel girl was quite alright, Maeve breathed a sigh of relief, and her smile was lighter, happier. She'd left all the concoctions back by the sickbeds, and she hardly knew how to use a staff. "It's nice to meet you, Suna. I'm so glad you're well." A visitor? In these troubled times? How... incredibly brave of this young woman! "Visiting whom?" Maeve inquired, assuming that Suna was here to meet up with friends or family. She couldn't think of a worse time for tourism than during a civil war. "I can help you arrange passage to wherever you're going." Maeve smile turned sterling, her pride in her country as plain as day. "Plegia is a wonderful place. There's Altea to the west, where King Marth was born. Some people venture there to visit such a site, but the way there is fraught with grimleals now. The beaches of Grust are also very popular for visitors. The sea is most beautiful, after all. There's... fighting there too." It hurt her to admit that Grust was also unsafe now, with the war going on. Thinking about it, Maeve wasn't sure anywhere was all that safe. "Perhaps you'd like to go to Doluna? There are some ruins there, from the manakete days." Now that they were talking, Maeve beckoned Suna to follow her into the shade of a tree, to sit on a low wall surrounding the shop. It was easier to sit and talk (and eat!) than it was to stand under the Plegian sun. "I know some. I've been trained in dark magic, just common hexes and curses--useful things to help people out where I can."

TAG suna

[suna]

Maeve

Whaat? She was so glad that Suna was well? Wow - really, what a nice woman! Of course, it was silly of Suna to pick up on that singular detail, but there was a warmth to Maeve's words that made the taguel far more inclined to trust her. i'm uh, visiting plegia, she mumbled a bit uselessly - there was nobody she knew the name of that she wanted to visit, but she was interested in what the Grimleal were doing, and what Plegia was like, and everything to do with that. Suna listened intently to her company as they spoke of the districts of Plegia - Altea seemed interesting, but Grust ... Suna didn't want to run in the middle of any battles. On the surface, Doluna seemed just a tad bit boring, and Suna fell silent, mulling it over even as she followed Maeve into the shade of a tree.

Manakete ruins. What were manaketes again? Something in the back of her mind told her that it meant these ruins were very, very old... which meant... maybe they had secrets to lost magics there? Ohhhhh! Like a lightbulb going off, she perked back up. doluna is perfect, i think! but also maybe altea, too? Suna did not seem to grasp the concept of Grimleal as a bad thing - and quickly bounced into the next subject, her excitement growing. oh! it's great that you know dark magic! i have the worst luck finding people and - do you know if you can cast dark magic on items? like hexes? how does that work? how do curses work? do you think if i cursed a sword it could cut through rock?

Her eyes were practically shining. my mom could use dark magic but she never wanted to teach me much about it, so i really wanted to meet someone who actually knew it so i could ask them about it! you don't see many dark mages in ferox, or maybe i just missed all of them. And then she took a deep breath, allowing poor Maeve time to think. Doluna, though! And meeting a real life dark mage! One that wasn't all 'Suna, no, it's too dangerous'! What amazing luck she had today. Definitely better than tripping over a cleric.

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[Maeve]

Maeve blinked--she was only visiting Plegia? Not visiting a great-aunt or a childhood friend or on a business trip of some sort? "Doluna," Maeve said perhaps too quickly. "It's lovely this time of year." It was about the same every time of year, being a desert and all, but it was arguable that the sandstorms tended to be less frequent around now. She'd say anything to not send an innocent visitor into grimleal hands. "I be heading in that direction in a bit, if you'd like to travel with my caravan. I have to return to Gra. Our capital city is there, and Doluna is further beyond." Maeve blinked and nodded, listening to the torrent of questions and tracking them to make sure she'd get around to them all. "You can cast magic on items, but it requires a great deal of skill. Have you seen talismans for sale before? They're expensive and rare because they're so difficult to make. You can curse things too, like a cold or a cough to get rid of them. You can hex a branch to fall or a nose to run, if you want. For both, you need ingredients, and you need to put the ingredients together properly. It's like baking a cake." It was actually strange to Maeve that dark magic hadn't been passed down from mother to daughter. "Your mother may have been wise. Dark magic can be very dangerous in the wrong hands--and the power it possesses can turn good hands into the wrong ones too. Sometimes, it's best to wait until a person's mature before they pursue studies in dark magic." Maeve stopped talking to take a bite of the hearts-on-a-stick, grilled in cumin and cayenne. She chewed and swallowed. Belatedly, she wondered how a taguel came to study dark magic in Ferox. There were all sorts of people in this world, but that seemed particularly rare. "Did your mother learn her magic in Ferox?"

TAG suna why does the wiki not have anything on hexes and curses gdi

 

[suna]

Perhaps Maeve just really liked Doluna - but she was right in that it seemed far more convenient to get there and back (and besides, Suna was rather curious about those manakete ruins now.) okay, doluna then! and... i'd love to travel with you a bit, if that isn't a bother! That was acceptable, right? With someone so nice, Suna hated to say no on principle, and if Maeve just really wanted to show people to Doluna, then that was fine.

Suna practically couldn't smile any wider when Maeve revealed - yes, indeed, there was a way to cast magic on items! She was surprised she didn't think of studying how talismans were made before - surely that would at least be a stepping stone to greater things. Cursing and hexing respectively seemed useful too, and Suna made a mental note to study those as well. ...Even if she wasn't known for her good cooking. Her smile faded a bit as Maeve responded with something of a mood dampener - as much as Suna loved her mother, a petulant part of her wanted some support in the matter of 'Wow, it's so lame that my mom didn't teach me much!' She shoved the feelings aside after she felt them - Maeve would know better than she on the matter of how dangerous dark magic was.

So why did her mom know it? Suna knew that she still really wanted to learn it - for her studies, if absolutely nothing else. But if it was so powerful that it could turn the right people into the wrong people, then what should she make of everyone that used it, and were still nice people, like Maeve and her own mother? A pensive silence on her end was interrupted by Maeve's next question, and this time it was Suna that blinked. oh, ummmm, Good question, actually. i don't really know where she learned it, but she's been all over the continent, i think! she told me about ylisse and plegia before i left. Of course, what her mother said about Plegia was mostly just fond, rose-tinted reminiscing, and what she said about Ylisse was mostly 'I'm never going back to that nation of bastards', but that didn't quite need to be said. Suna had truly just accepted the fact that her mother knew magic - it wasn't something up for questioning at all. why? is that odd? Suna couldn't resist asking.

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[Maeve]

"Oh, it's not a problem at all." It wasn't. She had a retinue of quite a few people and a near unlimited budget. One taguel to accompany them back to the capital was hardly an issue. "Odd? No--well, perhaps, but I think it is admirable. I haven't known many dark mages outside of Plegia. Of course, Ylisse is not known for dark magic at all, and Ferox is more famed for its warriors, so perhaps I'm only stereotyping." A traveled woman from the past--whoever her mother was, she must've been an impressive woman, doubly so if she was a dark mage. "So you are following in her footsteps then?" she asked, because otherwise the trip to Plegia still seemed unwise at best. "Plegia is perhaps the best place to study dark magic. Most mages only teach their children and apprentices, but self-study is very much possible. All you need is dedication. You'll be able to find books quite easily at the capital."

TAG suna at the rate I'm going, the mysterious capital city of plegia is really named The Capital

 

[suna]

Hmm... maybe Suna had been a bit hard on her mother. It did seem like traveling about was something to be admired - and, with Suna's own travels, she did learn that it wasn't all ponies and meat pies out there. All the same, her mother had always been just her mom to her - warm, if strict in areas, a role model as much as a confidant. i grew up in ferox, and i didn't meet any other dark mages, i think, Suna offered. The 'I think' caveat happened to be because it wasn't like Suna bothered to ask people before she went on this journey. but i also lived in a warrren most of my life, so i dunno! we'd just visit some nearby cities sometimes, for like... supplies and things. She couldn't imagine why Maeve would be interested, but now that they were talking, Suna really didn't feel like stopping herself from offering up tons of unasked for information.

Suna frowned a bit and played with an ear as she contemplated how to answer Maeve's next question. She guessed... in a way, she was following in her mother's footsteps? But her mother had no desire to find out all of the secrets lost to time like Suna did - and she certainly had no desire to experiment with magic more than what was necessary. well... sorta? Suna responded, and left it at that. Half and half, really. That was the best answer she could give without explaining for hours everything that she wanted to do. oh, but! books would be great! And then she paused. you're going to the capital right, so... Here, Suna looked hopefully at Maeve - as if she could win the white-haired woman over simply with bunny eyes.
would it be too much trouble to show me there?


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Maeve
sry for short tired post

[Maeve]

Maeve's face lit up. "A warren?" she asked, hands clasped together. She leaned forward, terribly curious. "That's fascinating! What was it like? I grew in the capital city here. I'm sure it was terribly dull in comparison. Did you have to get supplies yourself? You must've been so grown up!" She hadn't even truly grown up in the city. She'd grown up in the castle, and to her, the most interesting times she'd had as a child was every time Ascher had infuriated his teachers. You don't need wide bunny eyes when you ask Maeve for something as simple as a tour around her favorite city in the world. All you need is to not be Grimleal. (Not that you can tell who is Grimleal and who isn't by their eyes alone.) "It'd be my pleasure to show you around!" Maeve would likely have to arrange for someone else to show the both of them around, or at least find a wyvern to travel around the city. "We have a library, we can go there first for you to find some of the old grimoires--oh, but I suppose you can't take books away from the royal collection forever." Well, Maeve could. Most people couldn't. "They can be copied though. That shouldn't be a problem." Oh, but when was she going to find the time to play the proper host for a guest? They were at war here! She started turning numbers in her head. How long did it take to see all the sights and sounds of the capital city? What about sampling the local cuisine--how many meals did it take to taste every signature dish? "But how long can you stay around? There's so much to do and see."

TAG suna

 

[suna]

Now it was Suna's turn to be surprised by her company's curiosity - she hadn't expected a warren to be interesting to any old dark mage off of the street. It was just a warren! But then again, she was human - the things that were normal and completely accepted to Suna were different and exciting to her. well, i don't really know what living in a city is like, so i don't know how i'd compare it... Suna began - a typical disclaimer. but it was warm and friendly. everyone was close and we watched out for each other! sometimes when it was cold we'd sleep in big piles, too. Well, when it was unnaturally cold. Suna's lineage generally did rather well with cold, being native to Ferox. (Her poor Plegian-born mother had a hard time adjusting.) usually i'd go with my siblings or my mother! but sometimes i'd go alone, yes. it wasn't so hard! Suna allowed herself to feel a little self-satisfied at the 'grown up' comment.

The taguel beamed when Maeve gave her assent. To even be able to look at old grimores! Even with the caveat of 'you can't take them with you forever', that was more than Suna could have expected. that sounds amazing! thank you so, so much! - boy, she could have hugged Maeve. Or kissed her. But Suna decided best not to go pressing the space bubbles of people she just met, right? Her next question was one that wasn't as expected. How long could Suna stay around...?

Well... i didn't really think about that, she admitted, honestly. i guess any time's fine! but i wanna go back and visit my family sometimes too, so staying here for years seems like a little much... Well, she could spend years in Plegia, but only if she decided to settle down there. It didn't feel right otherwise. there's nobody waiting on me, if that's what you're asking! That thought was both a bit freeing and a bit lonely, and Suna quickly continued, to keep herself from idling on it. you know plegia so well! and you're so welcoming, too. If there was a concept of a 'tour guide' in northern ferox, Suna would be 100% convinced that Maeve was one. is there anything i can do to help you too?? she decided to ask.

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Maeve

[Maeve]

On second thought, it probably was impossible to truly explain what living in a warren was like to cityfolk. At the thought of sleeping in piles, she had a slew of questions. When? Why? Where? With whom? She didn't voice any of them though, for fear of sounding, well, a bit silly. Instead, Maeve seized on a different topic. "You have siblings? I do too! I don't think I've ever done anything useful with them though. Sometimes we shared classes or lessons. I learned to dance with my brother as a partner, but he has two left feet, I swear." Then Maeve looked mildly ashamed as she said, "I'm not sure anyone ever trusted us with doing things on our own when we were growing up, especially anything important." She started turning over the layout of the castle in her mind. She could hardly place a stranger into the royal wing (she would like to, but Maeve knew her counselors would not be pleased), but the castle had plenty of spare rooms that were meant to host diplomats and knight errants. "If you don't know, then stay as long as you'd like. You could spend a few years even, if you want. We have the spare rooms. Or you can come and go as you please--I can ask that we keep a bedroom for you whenever you're in town. It'd be a place to keep your books while you travel across Plegia!" ...What gift could a queen ask for? "I don't suppose you have an army?" Maeve asked with an airy smile. Surely not, but it was the only thing that came to mind. "I don't need much of anything, but I am helping at the house of healing in this village. Perhaps you could lend a hand? I could use the company for the rest of the day, and I'll be using little hexes to snuff out sniffles and the like. You could watch!"

TAG suna

 

[suna]

Haha... Suna's siblings. Well. i didn't do much useful with mine, either... mostly they just teased me. And got away with it, too! Thankfully, they were both back with the rest of her family in the warren, and not here to see Suna regularly embarrass herself. That comment about not being trusted was a strange one, though. As much as her mother was protective, it hadn't gotten to the point that Suna's every move was on lockdown - surely that was a kind of... limited existence? Suna didn't overmuch want to comment on it, but it must have been frustrating to not be able to do what you wanted to.

umm... if keeping a bedroom isn't a problem! wow -- you must live in a really, really big house! Oh boy, Suna didn't even know the half of it - she was still convinced that the person she ran into today was just a regular old dark mage, considering she hadn't said anything else on the matter. thank you again! it was like she couldn't say thank you enough. How lucky was she, to come across someone so generous?

However, what Maeve wanted in return made her stare at her in alarm - an army? uh, Just what would she want with an army? i don't have an army, no... sorry! What kind of army could she lead, anyway? A taguel army or something? Yeah, right. Yeah right. The idea was laughable. that was... a joke, right? Just what would she need an army for, really? or do you actually... well, Suna should stop prying. Instead, she focused on Maeve's new offer. um! i'd love to see you hex things! so i'd be really, really okay with that. She nodded, and smiled - though she was secretly still wondering about that army comment. It was probably nothing, though.

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Maeve

[Maeve]

"Yes, it's quite big," Maeve said. She knew that not everyone lived in castles, but she didn't think to clarify. She didn't think of the royal palace as the royal palace anyway; it was home. "We have a wing for visitors, and there's a bit of a dearth of people there these days now that Plegia's at war. There's plenty of room for you to settle in! But please, don't thank me. It's my pleasure to welcome guests to the country." She sighed but Maeve offered a wan smile. "Yes, a little joke, although it never hurts to have mercenaries and soldiers. It's not as safe as it used to be here, I apologize. Would that I could show you around the country in peacetime." She took the last bite of her food and nodded. "Fantastic! It shall be nice to have someone to speak to while I work, and we could use all the spare hands we can get. Ah--metaphorically, I mean. Hands will not be a component in today's curses."

TAG suna we could actually end soon, and maybe do a new thread in... wherever the hell the capital city is, whatever its name is too.

 

[suna]

i need to stop forgetting to remove quoted older posts before i actually post my post

What a welcoming, kind woman. Honestly. Every time Suna was sure 'this was as nice as she gets!' Maeve got a little nicer. Honestly, with all the times that she had tripped over or ran into or gotten startled by the people in this world, it was so refreshing to meet someone that she wasn't damn near given a heart attack by. Ignoring the fact that it was usually her own fault that she's so easily scared. Idly, Suna wondered just how Maeve got such a large house - or even a house with a wing for visitors. They never had one of those back at the warren, mostly because there was hardly any need to. Who visited the taguel? Moreover, who stayed with the taguel and weren't already predisposed to living like one?

Suna did hear a bit about the troubles in Plegia - just a bit, and honestly, this Plegia that she saw? It seemed so peaceful, not at war at all. It was a little hard to believe, but Suna decided to table the questions for later - after all, they'd have plenty of time to spend around each other this day, and... well... it seemed like a heavy topic for Maeve. Believe it or not, when Suna paid attention, she was able to pick up on little clues like a sadder smile, and Maeve was throwing red flags out everywhere. Another day, definitely.

With that decided, and Maeve's snack finished... actually, wasn't Suna eating something earlier? Did she finish or just leave it back where she was sitting before? That was a little bit of an issue. Without much warning, Suna bolted off towards her old sitting place, returning within a few moments with her mystery food in tow. okay! i'm ready! with a smile and a nod, and another question - can you really use hands in curses? - Suna set to tackling the rest of the day beside her new friend.

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Maeve

thread end??