|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2023 7:56 pm
 |
|
|
 |
In the eyes of the Moon herd, Caretaker Layla was still young. Quite young. The young adult foal of a young couple. But in her own eyes, Layla was more than adult enough to have adult problems. By following in her mother's hoof falls, the mare faced each day with patients to heal, and some days were long indeed. Like this one. She had spent the morning helping an elaphotaur with severe trauma talk through the core of that trauma, step by step.
Step... by agonizing step. It hurt Layla to see others hurting, and given that the root of the elaphotaur's trauma was centered around what centaurs had done to her and her kin, it had been most difficult. As a centaur herself, the mare's mere presence was a stressor on the other, and it was only due to long work that she was able to make progress in the therapy with her patient. In some ways, it helped more, because her presence reminded the doe that not all centaurs would attack her.
In some ways... it hindered. She sighed, settling down beside a quiet stream and collecting her thoughts. It took effort, but was vitally important to release the worries of the day, particularly those which were not her own. This little clearing was ideal for meditative purposes, and the soft rush of the stream calmed Layla's somewhat frayed nerves. It wasn't always easy to face those traumas with others, though she never gave any indication of her strain. Glancing about the clearing, she became aware that it was later than she'd realized.
Late enough that she was expected back home soon, which gave her a slight twinge. Really, she needed a bit longer out here in the quiet, in the hush of the forest. Although her parents would almost certainly understand, they could be a little protective at times. She hesitated over what to do, yearning for a bit of peace but not wanting to upset her family by tarrying overlong. "Oh bright moons, what was I thinking?" she bemoaned to herself aloud. The time had gotten away from her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Sep 15, 2023 8:52 pm
|
|
|
|
 Altair was walking towards a clearing he had recently noted and decided he quite liked for going out of an evening to gaze up at the sky and to admire the stars for hours on end, before heading home to rest. He had a pack with him, filled with slender charcoal based ink sticks, small bowls, and a single bottle of water, along with a selection of notebooks.
He had recently decided to record notes on the stars he saw each evening, because he wondered how much the magics of their world affected what he saw on a given day. He noticed some days, he saw the same constellations for days in a row, and others he saw different ones... And he wondered what caused that. Was the magic gently sending him farther than he thought? Was it illusory? He did not know, but he thought it was fascinating.
As he stepped into the clearing, he paused, surprised by the fact that there was a stranger in 'his' clearing (he was not possessive, it was just that he had never seen anyone else there) and they seemed unhappy about something.
He paused for a moment, uncertain, then walked carefully over. "Are you alright? You seem... Discombobulated."
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 06, 2024 5:26 pm
|
|
|
|
He tilted his head, listening to the response with a slightly bemused expression. She did not seem entirely alright, but she insisted that she was. Perhaps it was personal, though... He was not one to push, at least not with strangers, not when it did not seem like it was urgent or an emergency. This definitely did not feel that way, so he chose not to press. "Alright, if you are sure... I do not wish to make you uncomfortable, so if it is that hard, I shall not press."
He moved quietly to one side of the clearing, where he could give her space as he settled down, but still be able to see what he had come here to see. He untied the pack he bore from his waist, and settled it on the ground next to his chose spot, before carefully settling down on the grass.
Her question had him looking at her in surprise. "Hardly, you were here first. I am just here for the sky." He looked up, as he carefully pulled out his notebook he was currently using. The sky was not yet fully dark, but stars had begun to appear, which made him smile a little. "I am studying the stars, trying to learn how the magics of our world effect what I see. Are they truly seasonal, or does the magic change them when it feels like? It fascinates me... And entrances me, too."
Perhaps more than she had asked for, but also, perhaps, she would feel less unnerved (or at least he thought she was unnerved, she was a stranger and he could be misreading her) if she knew he was not here to bother her, or cause her problems.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 09, 2024 11:35 pm
|
|
|
|
Layla unbent a little, feeling a bit silly for not explaining further. "I guess it's not all that hard to explain. I'm a mindhealer and I had a particularly tough session just a little while ago. So I went here to decompress." She hoped she would not have to explain what a mindhealer was. It was fairly common knowledge, she thought. Though... not all herds had them, so perhaps not. The healer settled into place, deciding that having a little company would not completely derail her efforts.
When he spoke, she was intrigued by his words. "I've found that Arcanum changes itself often enough. If I had to venture a guess, I would say that the magic does change them." Unlike many other worlds, this world was a nexus of magic, and especially in the Chimeriad Isles it seemed to shift and change based on more than just the seasons. She didn't know a lot about it, but it was definitely interesting.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jan 10, 2024 12:06 am
|
|
|
|
His eyes widened slightly as she began to explain, for he had not expected it, and also to hear that she was a mindhealer... He had not expected that, either. Mindhealers felt like a precious resource, so he would have expected them to be kept close to their herd or homes, so he had not figured that he would randomly meet such a person. He nodded, however, listening to her words. "Ahhhh I see. Well if need be, I do not mind sharing this space, to let you relax. You deserve the chance to relax, after such challenging work."
He began to pull out his inks and a brush, along with a bowl and the water, as she spoke, slowly getting himself set up for his evening's studies. He made a soft, thoughtful noise at her comments, and nodded. "I think it likely, yes... And I wonder how much our wishes and actions affect it, too. Does it show me the stars I am most interested in, or does it show me new things, to intrigue me? Is the magic of our Isles sentient, perhaps, to understand such things, or is it just... Responsive? All of this interests me, but my studies focus on the skies above, for now at least."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:16 pm
|
|
|
|
Although it was true that her work was challenging, Layla had never made much of it before. Some days were simply more challenging than others. When talk therapy alone could not heal a mental wound, it was Layla or another like her that was needed. Sometimes the wounds were beyond her ability to heal. After all, Layla was only gifted with a minor magical healing ability. It would grow in time and with effort, but for now it was what it was. If she could not use more mundane techniques, she would find someone who could help. At any rate... this session had been especially trying for both patient and healer alike. She appreciated the chance to appreciate some peace and quiet.
"Thank you," she said simply, a faint smile settling its way across her lips. She relaxed into her little corner of the clearing, listening thoughtfully to his words. "I've wondered many of the same things, myself," she admitted. "My name's Layla, by the way. I don't think I've introduced myself. Of the Nox Lunae herd." He had interesting thoughts. "I've never studied the stars before. But like many in my herd, I do watch the moons. I've noticed that some nights there seem to be more and some nights less. I would imagine that it's similar with stars."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jan 11, 2024 11:32 pm
|
|
|
|
He watched her relax back into her spot, a small smile on his face. He would not have been pleased with himself if the other had been made uncomfortable, or felt she had to leave. It was a public space, he did not own it. He just happened to have found it and liked it, that was all. Everyone deserved their chance to enjoy a public space, so long as they were not harming anyone in the process.
"Of course." His smile grew a little, and he gave a small nod, as he mixed up his ink, listening and considering her words. When she gave her name, he blinked once or twice, thinking back and realizing they had not introduced themselves. "Ah. Yes. I am Altair. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am of no particular herd, myself."
He gave a slight bow of his head, then continued. "I do track the moons as well. The night mothers, watching over us all..." He had no idea if anyone else saw it that way, but he did and he was not ashamed of it. "Some nights I have seen with no moon visible at all. I have wondered at that, but it was interesting how much brighter the stars might seem when the light of the moons was not present..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 12:05 am
|
|
|
|
If there were those outside of Nox Lunae who knew the moons in such a capacity, Layla had never met them before. She was pleased by Altair's words, feeling a certain kinship with them. "Pleased to meet you," she said, pondering what he'd said about the moons as night mothers. Surely there were many interpretations of what role or roles the moons themselves served, but it was a kind one.
"It must be nice to spend your time contemplating the night's sky," Layla said, making herself comfortable as she listened. "I, too, have seen nights with no moon at all. I suppose the stars did seem brighter, with no moons to draw the eye." She ran a hand absently through her hair, brushing her long bangs away from her face. The mare felt a little bedraggled after the day's hard work.
"I've never met anyone outside of my own herd who studies the sky as you do, although I suppose there must be many who do. I admit... I have not much traveled." She was, after all, still rather young though an adult. And one who practiced a skilled craft, at that.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 7:05 pm
|
|
|
|
"It is lovely... I do not know if my studies will ever help anyone else, or if it will just be an indulgence in my own curiosity in the long run. Either way, at least I will have been able to spend my life doing what I love, so there is that." He opened his notebook to the very back, where there was a page covered in... Random ink marks. He dipped his brush in the ink and did a few test marks, showing why it was so random. He examined them critically, then nodded, and blew on them until the ink dried, before moving to a current page, and then he began working, as they talked.
"I think it is also that the moons provide their own light?" He sounded uncertain, but continued. "Moonlight and all... So without it, the stars can be brighter perhaps?"
He paused, and looked at her as she talked about her herd and those who study the skies. He looked thoughtful and then gave a slight shrug. "I do not know who else studies them... I have not encountered them but I am sure they exist. I've mostly just been studying on my own."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 7:23 pm
|
|
|
|
For Layla, the night's sky was simply part of her daily life. It was part of being in her herd, of living the way they did. She had never truly contemplated the stars the way Altair seemed to. Not that it wasn't a worthy goal, but... she thought perhaps they often thought of the stars in terms of the gods and spirits who might be behind them. Not necessarily as celestial bodies themselves. It was the same with the moons, although they were sacred to the Moon herd.
"I think they will help others," she said, though why she felt so certain she did not know. "But doing what you love is worth doing for its own sake." Whether or not he helped others, she thought his life sounded... pleasant. Enjoyable. Perhaps a little more so than her own, at times, though she was dedicated to her work. Being a mindhealer was a significant responsibility, after all.
"You may be right. The moons probably obscure some of the stars with their light, too." Some things could only be seen in the dark of night. She imagined the same was true of a moonless night. "Do you think you'd ever want to study with others? Or is part of your enjoyment in the solitary contemplation of the sky?" she asked.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jan 13, 2024 8:07 pm
|
|
|
|
He made some sketches as he worked, trying to make sure he remembered the specific locations correctly, because if he made a mistake he worried he would continue down that path. His hands were slow as he worked, to limit the chances of making a mistake as he went.
"I do hope you are right that they do... I would like to know that I am helping future generations." He gave her a smile, gentle and pleased at the confident encouragement. "It is true that there is worth in doing what I love for love's sake. But it would be nice to know, nonetheless."
He was nodding to her words about the lighting, but when she spoke about working with others, he paused, considering, before replying carefully. "It would depend on who and when, but it is something I would consider if it was the right people. I do enjoy the company of others, especially if they share my interests."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:33 pm
|
|
|
|
Her confidence made him pause, and study her for a long moment, fascinated and curious as to what inspired that confidence. Oh, he definitely did not object... He was just surprised at the certainty that his work was useful from someone who was nearly a stranger. Flattered, pleased but surprised. His hand was still as he did so, and finally he gave a warm, pleased smile.
"To hear such certainty is uplifting, especially when coming from one who's work is so much more immediately important and useful than mine. Oh, it may provide useful information in the long run, but in the present, and in the long run, it will probably not touch as many lives as yours. Still, it would be good. I shall have to be sure to keep all my notebooks organized."
He looked back up, staring almost blankly at the sky as she spoke of notifying him. He traced a constellation that he was fairly certain he had not yet seen with his eyes as he thought, wondering for a moment about if their paths would cross again... Perhaps they would, they both had found this clearing, after all... But wondering also if he was unintentionally isolating himself, with his lifestyle of star-studies. After a moment, though, he said, softly, "That would be lovely. Sometimes, it is lonely work."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:45 pm
|
|
|
|
Layla smiled in response, and then turned her gaze back to the stars. Surely, what she saw there could not compare to what he did, with his studies of the night's sky. She recognized some constellations, but others were new to her. With what little she did know of the stars told her that some might even be new. It seemed that stars appeared and disappeared in the skies above the Chimeriad Isles, and perhaps in the fabled main lands beyond. It was a fascinating thing, and one that she had no doubt had been studied before.
Far more than the mindhealer's little attempts. "You deserve to be uplifted. You may think that my work is more important, but I think that that's a matter of perspective. Study the heavenly bodies surely serves a purpose beyond mere intellectual curiosity. Some magic depends on knowing them, after all. And sometimes the only way to navigate is by following the night's sky." Which he was currently observing and recording, however changeable it might be. "One never knows how important one's own work is or how many lives one has touched."
That was just her opinion, but Layla felt fairly confident. "There are, after all, herds that hold the skies above to be the most important thing of all." Nox Lunae might be considered one of them. She felt certain that others of her herd would be just as intrigued by his studies as she herself was. "I can imagine that it is lonely, at times. Believe it or not, so is being a mindhealer."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
