8827/All That Glitters is Citrine

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All That Glitters is Citrine
Date of Scene: 26 November 2021
Location: Manipoor, Nilaa
Synopsis: Jon and Martin meet the Lady Senshe, Grand Archivist of House Citrine. It goes pretty well until Jon sticks his foot in his mouth and 'mucks things up'.
Cast of Characters: Amy Winston, Jonathan Sims, Martin Blackwood




Amy Winston has posed:
When we last left our intrepid adventurers, they had foiled a museum jewel heist only to make off with the greatest of the gems themselves. There was a strange familiarity to the magic of the Archival Citrine, one that spoke to the Archivist and allowed him to open a glowing portal to the mystical world of Nilaa. There they were greeted by a pack of Phobian Stalkers, vicious wolf creatures with patches of porcupine quills, and eventually wound up in the custody of one of House Citrine's long ranging patrols.

The trip back to the Citrine capitol city is far less eventful with most creatures thinking twice before attacking a patrol of House Soldiers. Eventually the woods give way to a large river, and that river eventually deltas into a large lake. In the center of the lake sits an island and upon that island a magnificent city adorned with Citrines. Grand buildings and spires in a style reminiscent of the ancient Mediterranean adorned with all manner and sizes of glittering citrines, some bigger than a man, far larger than any found on Earth.

To speed up the journey a boat, not unlike the reed boats of ancient Egypt, is boarded to travel down river and now our heroes find themselves before the majesty of the glittering capitol city of Manipoor as the small vessel ferries their party to the docks that lead to the city proper.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon goes along with the soldiers quite happily, quietly at first, but as they reach the delta and then the lake, he starts chattering a bit. Can't really help it, although he'd drop his voice to be quieter if any of the patrol told him to keep it down. He points out the similarities between the buildings here and on Earth, marvels at the size of the citrines. Enthusing, basically, at how /cool/ all of this is.

    "Look at this," he says to Martin, indicating the prow of the boat. "/Just/ like the ancient papyrus boats, though I thought those were invented around 4000 BCE. I get the feeling this 'Exodus' was further back than 6,000 years ago. But look! Exactly the same. They say all roads led to Rome, but the pharoahs didn't need roads to build an empire. They had the Nile." He practically beams at the boat and then looks up and around at others on the lake.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin, perhaps not as enthusiastic as Jon, is still marvelled at the beauty of the civilisation built in this world. "It's too similar" he says softly. "To think, that the first alien society I come upon in with such proximity happens to be... humans, essentially."

    He gapes when he spots one of the massive citrines above the city and then asks, "How did it happen? Are they from Earth or is it the other way around?" Perhaps he thinks the Archivist would have his answer. "And... if the former, why haven't they changed anything about the style or technology?" Not that the magic heavy world is primitive, its just you would think that even natural evolution would move things foreard slightly.

Amy Winston has posed:
There is a bump as the boat reaches the city docks and brushes up against them. Immediately two of the Citrine soldiers are given a hand up by the dock hands and together they set about mooring the craft. Jon and Martin are the next to be helped from the craft, though this is more security protocal than any form of kindness, the remaining three soldiers in the boat staying around Princess Ingvie, keeping a balance of guards around her at all times, between her and the strangers, so that she is ultimately one of the last to leave the craft.

Manipoor is a remarkable city. While some might call it low tech compared to Earth, a closer look reveals what some might call 'variant advancement'. Many feats that might otherwise be accomplished with technology are instead accomplished with magic. The hulls of the boats are enhanced with magic and it is magic that helps propel them through the water rather than any engine. It is magic that heats water and assists in construction, even such trivial tasks as cleaning the streets are enhanced by magic. Which isn't to say there is no technology at all, but that they have little use for something like a computer when magic gems can store their knowledge and perform their calculations for them. Such is evident everywhere one looks in Manipoor.

The troupe makes their way through the main thoroughfare towards the grandest of the Citrine adorned buildings. The capitol city of Citrine has no grand castle. The archivists of the house have little use for such things. Instead, the central structure is the Grand Archive, a massive library and center of learning. It is the largest collection of knowledge and scholarly activity in all of Nilaa.

At the entrance to the Grand Archive, Princess Ingvie dismisses the soldiers who had been accompanying them to go make their reports and get some rest. They are replaced by a new retinue of four guards in even more ornate glittering citrine armor. They are members of the Archival Elite, House Citrine's most formidable warriors.

The group is lead through halls of the Grand Archive by a captain of the Archive Elite. Everywhere there are shelves upon shelves of ancient looking tablets, scrolls, and even books, as well as countless glittering citrines not unlike the one Jon and Martin found in the museum. Here and there artifacts can also be seen on display, almost like a museum, some of them oddly reminiscent of ancient Earth's Egypt, Persia, and other great civilizations.

Eventually the journey ends at a relatively simple door, upon which the Archive Elite captain knocks.

"Enter." Commands an older feminine yet slightly deep feminine voice from within.

When the door opens, Martin and Jon are greeted with the sight of an older woman with dark skin and almost orange hair in citrine robes, sitting behind a desk. House Citrine has no use for thrones, the Lady Senshe's place is at her work desk running the Grand Archive.

"Ingvie, I received your message. These are the strangers?" Lady Senshe steeples her fingers as she seems to look not at but /into/ both Jon and Martin.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Martin is only spared from a lecture about 'paying attention, /Mah-tin/' by Jon being distracted by the boat arriving, and then peering around at everything the magic is doing, and being /thrilled/ at a city where the /library/ is the center of the place. Then he's staring at everything they walk by through the Grand Archive, taking it all in with very large eyes. The expression 'like a kid in a candy store' might come to mind.

    When they reach Lady Senshe's office, he straightens himself a bit, exchanges a glance with Martin, and then says to him telepathically, <I'll introduce us... let me know if I'm getting anything wrong?> SHIELD has protocols for this kind of stuff, right? They must. They deal with aliens all the time.

    So Jon steps forward a bit and bows slightly, since, well, who knows if they shake hands here. "I am Jonathan Sims, the Archivist. This is my husband, Martin Blackwood. We are from... well, we call it 'Earth' but I presume it's where your people originally come from? The, ahh, 'Exodus,' I believe your Archival Citrine called it." Clearly he has no knowledge of that himself, but he smiles brightly. "It's quite an honor to be here." He glances to Martin, to see if he has anything to add.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin, for his part, is taking mental note of everything he sees. The technologically magical aspects of the civilisation are reminiscent of the files on Asgardian tech, though with an obvious bend toward the use of gems. He's going to have to make a report of all this, if only for his own files if not SHIELD's files.

    The Grand Archive of this nation is stunning even to him, he ildy wonders if they have poetry in this land and if so do they keep it written or just recorded into more gems. As Jon gives him a look of curiosity at his introduction he nods. "Even if by accident, we are quite honored to be welcomed" they were welcomed, even if given an armed escort to the leading body of the city, "by your people" he offers as addition. He wants to make it clear that they are not invaders, at least not deliberate invaders from Earth.

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe spends what might feel like an eternity looking them over. Everything in this office seems to be placed just so and her general demeanor is of someone who wears protocol and tradition like a fine cloak. "From Earth." She repeats looking between them. The small bow is noted with some approval, social customs don't seem to be that different in the end. "I suppose after the recent actions of House Amethyst we should be expecting more such visitors to stumble through long forgotten doorways. Welcome to Nilaa, I am the Lady Senshe, Grand Archivist of House Citrine." Ostensibly welcoming, she has the air of someone who is being distracted from their work.

Ingvie steps forward and to one side, before placing the archival citrine on the desk. "Mother, They had this." She informs Lady Senshe. "I've never seen an archival citrine like this one before."

"Yes, of course you haven't. We haven't used this design in thousands of years. This is the earliest version of an archival citrine, they were made during the time of the Exodus not long after we received the Citrine Heartstone. In addition to their vast archival capacity they also allowed travel between the worlds so that the events of the Exodus could be recorded in their entirety. A few did go missing in the chaos of those early years. These days we have little need for the capabilities of the Exodus era archival citrines and use a much simpler less resource intensive process to create them."

Lady Senshe's attention returns to Jon and Martin. "So, am I correct that you stumbled upon one of our lost Exodus era archival citrines, somehow managed to activate it, and stumbled through the portal? So, you are probably looking for a way back to your world?"

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon blinks at her rapidly. "Well, ahh, yes, I suppose, but... I don't think you quite..." He looks between Ingvie and Senshe, then to Martin, then back to Senshe. "We didn't /stumble/ upon anything. Not that I knew what was going to happen, per se, but I /chose/ to open that portal and walk through it. I don't think it's an /accident/ that we're here, really. It..."

    He pauses a moment, thinking. How can he explain...? Then his eyes glow citrine orange, not as strongly as they do when he uses the bracer, and his voice changes, goes higher in pitch. "Last record of The Exodus. While I fully understand the necessity of reverend mother Citrina's Exodus to preserve our people and the creatures of magic, I feel it remains the duty of the Archivists to preserve all history and knowledge and as such I choose to stay behind and continue our sacred duty to Chronicle the history of Earth. I only pray in time our accumulated knowledge find its way to our brothers and sisters in Nilaa."

    He blinks, shakes himself, and his eyes and voice return to normal. "That was the message in that Archival Crystal. One of my... predecessors, I believe. Perhaps an ancestor. Your people, here, your... Grand Archive, this city, it's all... I thought the Archive and the Archivists only went back five thousand years. The existence of all of this," he waves a hand about, "implies it's been far, far longer. It's... difficult, on Earth, to access the Archive, so much of our history is buried under layers of memory and only surfaces when needed. I came here looking for answers, or at least... more information." He glances at Martin, apologetically.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin frowns at Jon and adds his own views. "I think what my husband is trying to say is that there is much here that could answer questions that he has..." he pauses and ammends. "That *we* have." He looks to Ingvie, "One of the questions, I myself have is what exactly was meant by your statement, Lady Ingvie."

    He concentrates and a blue-green glow surrounds him and he changes. Growing taller, more muscled, and a bit more youthful in his appearance. It's an appearance he had fixed in his head if he was ever given the chance to go to Asgard.

    "I do this by effort of will, not by any use of gems" he says and then waves a hand. The blue glow fades and the glamour over Martin washes away like water flowing down a stream and it's just Martin in his original form once more. "I don't even understand *why* you need gems to do the things you do, not that I begrudge it, but their use is... alien to me."

Amy Winston has posed:
"You chose to?" Lady Senshe seems incredulous at Jon's statement. Sensing the magic inside a House gem is not so simple a thing for any regular human to be able to do. But as the evidence continues to mount that Jon is not a regular human up to and including that Citrine glow and repeating the message about the Exodus, she sits back in her chair and steeples her fingers. "No, I suppose it isn't an accident. So it wasn't lost, she stayed behind." Lady Senshe looks down at the archival citrine on the desk, perhaps contemplating what else it must hold within it. She looks back at Jon, her own eyes now glowing citrine. "Yes, it would seem that you are somehow a distant lost relation of our house that escaped our records." She doesn't seem terribly pleased about that part, a silent mental fist shaken at whatever events long before her time caused this information to be lost. "So, what is it you wish to know?"

When Martin addresses Ingvie, she is about to answer but Lady Senshe holds up a hand silencing her. "Princess Ingvie." She corrects Martin, stickler for titles and protocols that she is. "Gems are not magic, they are tools. They can be enchanted for a variety of functions but most magic comes from the blood whether it is the lowest homo magi street urchin or the highest born of the great gem houses. Gems augment and they enhance." She peers even more closely at Martin, a citrine glow coloring her eyes. "Curious." The comment is mostly to herself as she studies him and now his magic again.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon laughs softly. "Everything? But, ahh, to start... what was the Exodus? When did it happen? You said 'homo magi' street urchin... we have homo magi, a few, but... terribly few, anymore. Specific bloodlines, is all. I'm taking it to understand there really /was/ more magic in the past?"

    He glances aside to Martin. "His magic comes through the bloodline, as well, I believe. /Most/ magic seems to; my own works the same way. I don't know if I've met a magus who didn't have /some/ kind of family tie." His expression is thoughtful.

    After a pause, he adds, "What would /you/ wish to know? You are the Grand Archivist, you must be as curious about everything as I tend to be." He pauses, then says, "...There's an awful lot of history to tell. Perhaps, ahh... you said something about 'House Amethyst?' /More/ such visitors? Is there some way to set up regular travel, perhaps?"

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin blinks and looks at Ingvie and frowns. "I'm sorry..." he says and clears his throat. "Princess" he says apologetically. He swallows, looking quite embarassed. He comes from a monarchy, he should remember these things.

    He is clearly embarrassed and so he keeps his mouth shut as Jon asks his question of the Grand Archivist. He is in agreement with Jon, but the embarrassment of his faux pas is keeping his mouth from vocalising his sentiments.

Amy Winston has posed:
Ingvie for her part doesn't seem terribly keen on the whole princess and titles bit, but appears to have just sort of accepted this is the way her mother is.

"The Exodus," Lady Senshe begins. "Was thousands of years ago. For most of Nilaa 'First Home' is little more than a legend and that is for the best. Long ago on the world you call Earth, what we refer to as First Home, magic was abundant and humans with an inborn ability to wield it evolved alongside their more mundane counterparts. This was the time of legends, the age of Sorcerer Kings and other such things. But eventually there was a cataclysmic event and The Dreaming itself suffered. Magic began to fade from the world and for those who it was a part of their very beings it was an existential crisis. One of the greatest of our number, a potent sorceress struck a pact with powerful otherworldly entities that we might have a place of refuge. That is Nilaa, a world where magic still thrives, even the least among us can command some measure of it. The Exodus was the departure of the humans with magic in their blood as well as many fae creatures and great mystical beasts. All found refuge on Nilaa"

Lady Senshe pauses for a moment as an attendant brings her a cup of fresh tea, shortly before it is offered Ingvie and then the two 'visitors'. "After the Exodus, the ways were closed. It is best for everyone that it stays that way. First Home is no longer hospitable to us or the other beings that dwell here and Nilaa is a very dangerous place for those of First Home as you no doubt learned during your encounter with the Phobian Stalkers."

"He." The older woman gestures towards Martin as she sips her tea, after Jon draws attention to him, "Is a mystery." Though she doesn't seem terribly inclined to elaborate just yet. "What do I wish to know?" She turns those words over thoughtfully. "I have a feeling many things I wish to know are within this gem." She places a hand on the archival citrine. "But if you are truly an Archivist and you are offering then House Citrine will accept everything that is in your Archive to complete our records of First Home."

Lady Senshe pauses and purses her lips when Jon brings up House Amethyst. "Regular travel is not advisable for the reasons I already stated. This however has not stopped the Scion of House Amethyst from doing just that." There is definite disapproval there.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon takes tea as offered, murmuring thanks, and listens intently to the explanation. "There's still magic on Earth," he notes. "Not nearly so much as here, but there is--almost everyone I know seems to use it, and I've met a Fae, spoken to ghosts. And Phobian Stalkers, well... dangerous, yes, but no more so than Earth wildlife or the streets of a major city."

    "You do have a point, but I don't mean /regular/, just... being able to come back, that's all. There's so much we could learn. The magic here is /fascinating/ and I'm sure Earth would hold at least /some/ interest for you on a purely academic level. Normal humans have come up with replacements for magic, with technology that anyone can use, blood or not. We can speak to each other over long distances, create illusions, travel to other planets... we have art and music and literature... poetry..." Jon's eyes shine a bit; he's in his 'humans are really quite terrific' mode. Glances at Martin at 'poetry.' Then he sighs. "Terrible things, too, weapons that could destroy all life on Earth, but I suppose it's little different here.

    He shrugs his good shoulder. "Regardless, I'm glad to give you the Archive if I... err... knew how." He looks... embarrassed. "I... wasn't properly trained, so I don't know half of what I'm doing. Like I said, I can't usually access the Archive. Though it's on the Astral Plane, so maybe that's easier to get to, here...?" His expression turns thoughtful.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin seems to accept that Jon is being accepted by this House Citrine but he frowns. "What do you mean I'm a mystery?" he asks, sounding vaguely indignant. "What is there that's so mysterious? I make illusions. If I can properly visualize it... I can modify what I do and it just... works..." he says defensively.

    He looks to Jon. "That's not... strange right?" he asks. He would expect Jon to be able to point out if his magic was odd to the Archivist at the very least and since it hadn't come up... he assumed his magic was perfectly normal--if a bit less versatile than that of the Archivist himself.

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe sets her tea down upon the saucer which was placed upon her desk at the same time that she was offered the cup. "Certainly, even the projections at the time of the Exodus from the records which crossed over were not a world devoid of magic. However for most of the creatures here it would be woefully insufficient, like taking a fish from the ocean and tossing it upon land. But there is moisture in the air, so why does the fish die? I would not call a world where one must struggle with the simplest of tasks 'magical'. There were very good reasons for the Exodus and Phobian Stalkers are far from the worst creatures lurking in the wilds, consider yourselves fortunate."

Jon's statement that he is poorly trained and can barely access his own archive elicits an expression of displeasure from Lady Senshe. "Yes, we have the means to access the Astral. Preparations can be made later." Setting that topic aside for the moment she shifts her attention to Martin. "The mystery is that you were on Earth at all. I can set up a meeting with the Lady Turquoise, she can decide what to do with you. Your fate is beyond the jurisdiction of House Citrine."

Lady Senshe then picks up the archival citrine again and waves her other hand over the seemingly open space next to her desk, causing a circular pillar to rise up from the floor until its height is even with that of the desk. In the top of the column there is an indentation which Lady Senshe places the archival Citrine into and it begins to glow and pulse. She watches it as one might an in progress download and there is a citrine glow to her eyes as the knowledge hidden within enters not only the Grand Archives but her own ancestral memory as well. It is a fascinating series of expressions that cross her face as she experiences the contents of the Archival Citrine.

"You wish to return?" She asks, eyes suddenly focusing on Jon as the gem's glow begins to fade. "Then I have a task for you. I want to know the fate of Akila, the one who recorded the contents of this gem and if she left anything else behind. Do this, in addition to assisting us with furthering our Archival information of First Home, and you will be made a member of the Grand Archive, able to come and go as you wish.

For her part Ingvie seems rather surprised by this, there is clearly something about these strangers that her mother grasps but she is not yet able to see.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon leans forward. "Wait, what? On Earth at all? What are you talking about?" He glances at Martin. "He's coming back with me, is what is fate is. I mean, certainly we can /meet/ this... Lady Turquoise... but Martin is a subject of Her Majesty Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." That's the sort of thing these people might understand. "He serves in the Strategic Homeland Intervention, Enforcement, and Logistics Division." They don't... /really/ need to know SHIELD isn't really... /officially/ under Queen Elizabeth, okay? "He has duties back home, he can't... /stay/ here indefinitely."

    He frowns. "I can certainly look into the fate of this... Akila. I'm curious, myself. But I... I can't go back without Martin." He tries to keep the... desperation out of his tone, but he can't /quite/ mask it.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin frowns between Jon and Senshe. "Wait... who... who is Lady Turquoise and what does she have to do with me?" he asks sounding suddenly vaguely alarmed. Jurisdiction aside, was this woman suggesting that he was part of their world as much as Jon was? The thought was rather preposterous to him.

    "Jon's right I mean... I have responsibilities back on Earth, I can't just... wait for some sort of decision to be made about me having some supposed place here..." Though Jon can see the budding interest of a mystery in his husband's eyes. It was a question he was toying with, and the war internally was between finding the answers to why these people thought he belonged with this Turquoise group--beyond the color of the effects of his own abilities--and what he could truly do in New York.

    Their link, still intact was there and Jon could feel that some of Martin's own life felt aimless, without direction and this mystery, this suggestion that something of him was in this world... had sparked a drive that he thought had run its course and died a while ago.

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe's eyes go from Jon to Martin and back again. "So you really don't know." Invoking the names of Queen Elizabeth and SHIELD does not seem to sway her in the slightest. "That isn't too surprising as whatever happened is not even recorded in our archives." That fact seems to be bothering her somewhat.

She looks back to Martin again. "That magic which you possess? That perfectly normal magic of yours, isn't. It is the Blood Power of House Turquoise, one of Nilaa's Twelve Great Houses. The only way you would be able to wield that is if the blood of the house is in your veins."

Lady Senshe sits back in her chair taking up her tea again. "At least one of your parents was Nilaian. With the blood of House Turquoise in your veins, your fate should fall to Lady Turquoise to decide. However, with the state of this world being what it is, we can hardly spare the soldiers to pursue you if you choose to flee." She shrugs and sips her tea. Of course, were they to flee, how they would get home is anyone's guess.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon stares at Lady Senshe, flabbergasted. "Wh... but... no, no, Martin's..." Wait. He turns to stare at Martin. "I mean... you... don't know who your father is..."

    He frowns at the man a moment, then reaches out to take his hand. "You want to pursue this, don't you." It isn't a question. "...What if they make you /stay/, Martin? I can't... I can't go home without you." He was barely managing to get by as it was, given everything.

    Then he shakes his head. "That's selfish, I know it is, I just... I mean, she's right, Martin, your magic... it doesn't work like /any/ magic I've ever seen before. And it doesn't work quite like your mother's, either." He frowns, looking down at their hands. "What if they make you stay?" he repeats.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin blinks at the woman behind the desk. "You mean... my father is originally from this world?" he asks softly. There's a hole that's been all but forgotten in Martin's chest. A sense of unknown loss, and pain. Of feeling out of place among the people he considered friends. And here was the answer, so simple...

    "You mean I'm half-Nilaian..." he says, still in that soft tone. He looks at Jon and the answer is pretty plain. He doesn't just *want* to stay longer and find out the answers: he *has* to. He looks back at Lady Senshe. "Your opinion... if I go to Lady Turquoise, speak with her... what's the likely hood that I am able to return to Earth. Given what you know of her and her House."

    These Houses have to at least have some idea of one anothers motivations and their ways of thinking, otherwise how else could they plot and scheme against each other--that's what Royal Houses *do* isn't it?

Amy Winston has posed:
The teacup comes down to the table once more with a light clinking upon the saucer. "Lady Turquoise is a boorish warrior who can't hold her drink. She is also one of the finest sword masters in all of Nilaa. She has a fiery temper, but her heart is with the royal house even still. How likely is she to let you return to Earth? That I can't say, I doubt she would imprison you, there is blood after all. Really the likely outcomes are either being welcomed as a noble of House Turquoise or sent back to Earth." She pauses before adding. "But if you did run into trouble and you could find her, if there is one person on Nilaa that she will listen to, it is the Crown Princess, Lady Amethyst."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon huffs out a breath, then squeezes Martin's hand. "So... what now, then? I need to track down information on Akila--presuming it isn't simply in the Archive--and Martin needs to meet this Lady Turquoise and... possibly Princess Amethyst?" He raises a brow.

    In truth, he's trying to think through what might be known about Akila that /isn't/ in the Archive. He hardly knows a quarter of what's in there, but if Senshe doesn't think it would be...

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin adds, "And finding Lady Ametheyst will help ensure that I'm not bound to House Turquoise's borders? That I can go back to earth freely, regardless of my station among them?" he asks. He needs to know where he came from, why he can do some of the things he does... why his mother despised him so much after his powers manifested. But Earth *is* and always *will be* his home, because that's where Jon is.

    He looks at Jon, hoping to convey that simple fact to the man through their link. Finding Turquoise and the answers they might provide is a step in the journey, not a final destination for it.

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe nods in Jon's direction. "That does seem to be the path and choices before you." She retrieves the archival citrine that brought them here and actually offers it back to Jon. "This will likely help you to find Akila as it belonged to her and you can use it to return once your task is complete. It has been reattuned to the Grand Archive and should bring you here instead of the ruins."

At Martin's question, Lady Senshe shrugs holding up her hands as if who could say. "Nothing ensures anything, but the Lady Amethyst is probably your best chance if you run into trouble. I am not Lady Turquoise, nor is Citrine bound to her house, we serve only House Amethyst. The Crown Princess will also not be so easy to find. When she is in this world, she spends most of her time organizing and leading the Rebellion against Opal's tyranny. Though as often as not she seems to return to First Home where she was sent to grow up in order to keep her safe. She seems to have many lingering attachments to that world. Which is why she is more likely than anyone to have some sympathy for your cause." Though even as she explains this, it is clear this is a facet of the princess's activities that Senshe does not approve of.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon nods. "Well... I suppose we'll have to go find these people, then. Once I've given you the Archive, of course. I'd hate to risk dying out there without your gaining access--there's no guarantee my successor would find their way here." He doesn't even know who his successor /is/ yet. Probably some distant cousin. He ought to track that down. But they have a course, and they'll embark upon it, and if Martin's determined to both find out these truths and stay with him... well, that's good enough for Jon.

Martin Blackwood has posed:
    Martin smiles at Jon and then nods to Lady Senshe. "I... guess we know where to go then..." He looks to Princess Ingvie and Lady Senshe before opening his mouth.

    "I suppose it might be too much to ask if we could be taken to where this... Rebellion is? Do they have a... uh... staging ground or base of operations, perhaps?" Royal politics Martin could navigate fairly well... trench warfare or even worse, mobile guerilla warfare... was another matter entirely.

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe purses her lips, "Unless you intend to flee, you will be escorted to Castle Turquoise. We cannot be associated with the rebels, to do so would invite the wrath of Lord Opal upon us and I will not risk my people needlessly, they have suffered enough."

"Mother." Ingvie steps forward, "Let me.."

"Yes, Ingvie." Lady Senshe interrupts. "I will let you escort them to Lady Turquoise as a diplomatic envoy." She gives her daughter a pointed look. "You are not to go near Castle Amethyst or the Rebellion."

"But!" Ingvie protests. "We need to take a stand with her!"

"Ingvie! Would you risk our people, the Grand Archive, our entire house?" For a moment, Lady Senshe seems truly angry, put it passes. "Take them to Lady Turquoise, do I make myself clear?"

There is a sigh, even fantasy worlds have young adults. "Yes, mother."

Lady Senshe looks back to Jon and Martin. "Ingvie and her party will escort you to the domain of Lady Turquoise. If you want to run away searching for the Rebellion, that is your business and your peril."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon picks up the Archival Citrine and stands, but hesitates a moment, as if considering whether or not to speak. Then, finally, "A tyrant does not respect history, or knowledge, Lady Senshe. Appeasement will not last--we know this all too well on Earth, and from recent history. This 'Lord Opal' /will/ move on your House, one way or another, because learning and knowledge are a /threat/ to that sort. They will come for it and they will burn it down." His jaw shifts. "The Archivists have lived through that... more than once. There is knowledge forever lost, because it didn't wind up in the Archive before we had to flee." There's pain in his voice. Manipoor looks so much like Alexandria it makes his heart ache for what his ancestors lost.

    He sighs. "Perhaps throwing in your lot with the Rebellion would endanger your store of knowledge... but at least there would be a chance for it to continue. Besides... what is knowledge /for/ if not to be used? The purpose of an Archive is not merely to store information--it's to /curate/ that information and lend it out, that it might be used for the betterment of all."

    Then he sighs. "But... it is, of course, your responsibility, and your decision." He bows. "Thank you for your hospitality, Lady Senshe, and the escort."

Amy Winston has posed:
Lady Senshe turns her gaze upon Jon, eyes glowing brilliant citrine as she rises from her chair. "Do NOT presume to lecture me child of First Home! You know nothing of our situation or the sacrifices that have been made! Now get out of my sight before you are exiled forever!" That anger that Ingvie has briefly triggered returns full force as the Lady of House Citrine becomes livid. It would seem she has some very strong feelings where Opal and the Rebellion are concerned.

Ingvie places a hand on Jon's shoulder and motions with her head to Martin. "We need to go. Now." It's not a request and she moves to lead them from Lady Senshe's office.

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon just sighs, and nods. That was about the response he was expecting, and if he had to guess he'd think it born out of fear as much as anger. But he turns to go, offering no resistance to either Senshe's words or Ingvie's insistence.

    "Well," he murmurs once they've left, expression as wry as his emotions, "I managed to run my mouth and get us thrown out of the first place we came on this world. Think that's a new record, isn't it?"

Martin Blackwood has posed:
     Martin sighs. "You know I'm going to have to write a report on all this, right?" he says to Jon as they are led out of the Grand Archive. "Honestly... Alexandria, Jon? Even mentioning that during the midst of uncontested war in the lands?" He sighs again. "We're just lucky that we *weren't* exiled." He looks at Ingvie with an apologetic expression. "I truly am sorry... both for Jon's words to your mother and for you being forbidden from doing as you wish."

Amy Winston has posed:
"My mother's burden is a heavy one." Ingvie says as she leads them out of the Grand Archive. "Three of the Great Houses were annihilated when Opal struck. It was only recently that the lost heir to House Amethyst reappeared. Those in my mother's generation did what they needed to in order to survive and preserve their houses from a similar fate. Many of them are ..not proud of their decisions. For your own sake, don't say anything like that to Lady Turquoise. Unless you like being stabbed."

Jonathan Sims has posed:
    Jon sighs and shakes his head. "I didn't speak to the past. I spoke to now, and the future. And probably rashly, which I'm wont to do. I'm not a bloody diplomat, /Martin/. So feel free to report that to the Chief. 'Jon should not be allowed to speak to foreign dignitarties, because he speaks his mind and mucks things up.'"

    Another shake of the head. "At any rate... how far is it to Turquoise? I will /try/ not to get stabbed. I really will."