And I would give all this and heaven too

[redlightgreenlight]

Characters: Valdis and specific starters with some open
Date: April
Location: Around Aifaran
Situation: Various
Warnings/Rating: in headers


And the heart is hard to translate
It has a language of its own
It talks in tongues and quiet sighs
And prayers and proclamations
In the grand deeds of great men and the smallest of gestures
And short shallow gasps

But with all my education I can't seem to command it
And the words are all escaping, and coming back all damaged
And I would put them back in poetry if I only knew how
I can't seem to understand it

And I would give all this and heaven too
I would give it all if only for a moment
That I could just understand the meaning of the word you see
'Cause I've been scrawling it forever but it never makes sense to me at all

Comments

Zohvin | The Dojo | CW: None

[redlightgreenlight]

It had taken time to move her schedule around, but Valdis had arranged to teach a few classes at Gene’s dojo. Her first class wasn’t for another hour, but she arrived early to scope out the building, watching Zohvin’s class with hidden interest. She knew little about him, but that would need to change if they were working together here. She removed her sword from her belt, resting it against the wall, the red gem going dark as she released it from her grasp. Then she settled against the wall, scrutinizing the forms and teaching methods.

[zohvin]

After he started teaching last month, Zohvin had shown himself to be strict, and not very empathic, but quite observant when it came to how his class was faring. He insisted on only teaching adults, and kept a careful eye on them to make sure they did their proper stretches. Anyone that didn't - or refused to sit for a five-minute meditation before he began instruction - were made to sit out for the rest of the session. His first couple of weekends had been a little rocky, but now his class knew what to expect from him, and things were faring much better.

Today, he was finally satisfied with the class' form for basic upper-body blows and blocking, and allowed them to do some light sparring with each other. Very little escaped his notice; he was constantly moving between the pairs of students, correcting posture and explaining why things needed to be just so. After that, Zohvin finally lead them through some cool-down stretches and dismissed the class.

It was only then that he gave Valdis a wave in greeting, grabbing a cup of water before stepping over to her. "I hope that wasn't too dull."

[redlightgreenlight]

Zohvin seemed beyond competent, clearly understanding form, function, and how to keep his students learning. Gene had done well hiring him. Valdis didn't smile when Zohvin stepped over, her features carefully neutral.

"It was very informative," she replied, "You know what you are doing, you keep command well, there's clear respect between you and your students."

She could only hope that hers would be as respectful, but if not, she wasn't afraid to put them in their place, with words or by sparring. There was always one or two that thought too much of themselves.

"You clearly have formal training."

[zohvin]

"That's quite high praise," Zohvin tells her. He might not be the type to smile, but he feels rather pleased anyway, allowing himself a moment of mental preening before

"You also have a good eye for this sort of thing. I belonged to my people's military before I was 'loaned' to our allies, a power named the Sith Empire. That means I've lived with near-daily training ever since I was a young teenager."

For the large part it's a lie, but it's been his cover story for working within the Empire ever since he started, and he's used to telling it by now.

[redlightgreenlight]

The preening did not go unnoticed, but Valdis didn't comment. The fact that she didn't consider Zohvin a threat didn't mean she was willing to reveal her empathic senses to him. Even the Sentry kept knowledge of her ability under wraps.

"I've had several years to perfect my eye," she commented, pondering what he had told her. There was a slight hitch in his essence, so minuscule that she almost missed it. That small prick made her briefly wonder about his history. It didn't matter, however, and it was so slight that it could mean anything.

"I've been training for as long as I can remember, so I know how to spot a warrior."

Which was admittedly a very, very long time.

[zohvin]

"Then we have more in common than I thought." There was the non-human aspect too, of course, though this is the first time that Zohvin can say he's ever ran into another alien that mimicked a human so perfectly. In his part of the galaxy, the chiss themselves were one of the few near-human races to exist in the first place.

So what did that make Valdis, exactly? Aifaran was full of unknowns, and he couldn't say he was very fond of that.

"I suppose I'm just more used to spending time around soldiers and prickly Sith at this point. Coming here, to a place without an active war, has practically been a vacation." That said, he nods his head over towards where Valdis' sword rests against the wall. "So, are you teaching weapon skills during your classes or something more basic?"

[redlightgreenlight]

The inhuman nature was little known among the citizens of Aifaran, except for the Dreamfolk, several of them knew she was a shapeshifter, though the exact nature of what she became was closely guarded. Zohvin's trustworthiness was undecided, besides, he didn't need to know.

"There is always a war," she replied, "Even if no one can see it."

Humans on her world were willfully ignorant, or placed their trust in books written by men.

She glanced over at her sword, the red gem in the hilt, glowing dully, "Revelations isn't exactly a normal sword. I rarely use the blade these days, but I must carry it anyway."

Valdis' gaze returned to him, "Staff. Non-lethal techniques of course."

Library | Devin | CW: None

[redlightgreenlight]

She’d been carrying the strip of cloth with bloody Enochian on it since Hila had woken her. A reminder that there was something else besides Revelations that could stop her, a relief that death wasn’t the only option. Yet the language of the angels could be fought, countered by the darkness, or at least the Void had vehemently insisted that it could be. Since the storm, she hadn’t addressed the murder, the conflict that had arisen from the spell of the Dreaming made certain of that. Valdis knew that Devin suspected, but he had done nothing about it, nor would he. The Sentry might tolerate the Dreamfolk, might use their skills to further investigations and solve crimes, but there would always be a certain level of suspicion. The Dreamfolk she knew would protect each other like family, would solve their problems internally, so the wariness presented by the law couldn’t be called surprising. But she still owed Devin a proper thank you, even if he didn’t expect one, and after weeks of avoiding him, she supposed she should finally express it.

[annihilist]

Even if Devin had a mind to give Valdis' crime up to the Sentry, he lacked any way to really prove it. That as much as anything else had allayed any other concerns about the murder he'd more or less borne witness to. Valdis had opted to avoid him recently, and there were any number of reasons why that might be the case. He had seen her at her worst, in some respects, and managed to hamstring her and the Void in a way that, while she had begged for it, no doubt shifted something in the balance between them.

One or the other of them would tilt it in the future more than once, he had no doubt. For now, he allowed her the distance, until one day a familiar presence approached in the library. Fortunate for her, or perhaps them both, he had relative privacy in one of the side rooms where he was organizing and inspecting returned items, readying them to go back to their shelves. The staff allowed her access without much questioning. "Valdis," he greeted neutrally, not yet looking up from his latest charge. Devin's brow was pinched together slightly in irritation at the damage to the spine. All the same, he added teasingly: "Come to see if the cloak-wearing has worn off?"

[redlightgreenlight]

Balance mattered less to her than the idea that there was something stronger than the monster she held inside her essence. Valdis used to spend quite a bit of time in the Library, though she hadn't been in awhile. She leaned against a wall not covered in books, surprising considering the stacks all over the place. Devin's small frown as he inspected one of the books matched the mild irritation in the air, minor, the kind from a person who took care of such objects and disliked when others did not.

"It wasn't exactly your style," she commented, her tone matching his, "Though I can imagine the attitude not being entirely out of the range of possibilities, even as an act."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out the strip of cloth, "Hila tore this off after the storm," she said, holding it, not sure what to do with it now, "Not the most restful of sleep, but far better than the alternative. So thank you."

[annihilist]

"Yes, I've donned the attitude of the insufferable when it's proven necessary," Devin affirmed. Vampires could be a haughty bunch, the nobility especially, and he needed to fit in. 

Her thanks came as a mild surprise, if also a mildly confusing one. Now he looked up from his work, eyebrows raised slightly. He didn't realize she'd kept the bit of cloth he'd used. "You needed it," he remarked simply. "I'm glad that it worked at all, given it's experimental." Devin eyed the cloth strip for a moment, wondering if it would be worth destroying more thoroughly. Then he quirked his head. "May I ask why you kept it?"

[redlightgreenlight]

Given that Valdis wasn't one to offer thanks, his surprise should have been expected, but it could be that he still wasn't used to having people who actually cared enough to offer thanks. If she could admit it to herself, they both had been desperate for it, even if they both feared it. She smiled slyly at his question. If he couldn't realize the usefulness of such a thing, then clearly she'd need to spell it out for him

"So I could replicate it."

[annihilist]

Honestly, Devin should have expected this, knowing Valdis. Even if he couldn't pin down exactly why she would want to replicate the bit of experimental linguistic magic, he ought to have guessed she would want to. All the same, he is not especially thrilled by the idea. For one thing, she doesn't have a firm grasp of Enochian - or at least not this version - and he'd like to keep it that way. This one skill he has continues to be startlingly effective against her (and more importantly, against the Void). In fairness to Valdis, this is also likely why she has not asked him to teach her, and has only made minimal observation of what he can do with it beyond 'imprison me in a room'. Strictly speaking, he might be able to show her how to make a similar ward without teaching the mechanics of it, but that was hardly reducing his concerns.

And for another thing, Devin doesn't know if the Void will be able to learn its way around the magic with more and more direct exposure to it. Almost all Enochian wards or other spellwork have loopholes - if the language was a woven tapestry, there was nearly always a way to worm between threads. Or else, to barrel straight through them. But he was jumping to all the possible conclusions without actually knowing what she was after, so Devin gently put down the book he was working on. His full attention was needed here.

"That was not meant to be supernatural Ambien," he remarked dryly, gesturing to the torn bit of cloth. "What manner of replication are you after? Simple copies or something else?"

Miles | His Room | CW: None

[redlightgreenlight]

Despite the tines knot being a clear mistake on his part, Valdis couldn’t get the feeling that had accompanied his embarrassment off her mind. She hadn’t felt it from someone since before she had reawoken here. It was soft, subtle, he probably didn’t even recognize it for what it was, but she did, and she didn’t know if she felt anything similar. She had let it simmer, avoiding all contact for several weeks. Too long. He’d have noticed. But she couldn’t rush anything, not when she couldn’t decide if it was safe, or smart. If Valdis knew one thing about Konryu, it was that nothing was permanent, anyone could vanish at any time, even her. Waiting solved nothing.

Valdis took a deep breath, the correct words wouldn’t form in her mind no matter how many scenarios she ran through her head, so there was no point, not that she wouldn’t try. Another breath, then she raised her hand to knock on the door.

cw SMOOCHES maybe

[upshore]

Of all the people Miles had been expecting to see on the other end of the door, Valdis hadn't been one of them. "Oh! Hey," he said, the words coming out awkwardly. Then, with a smile, "Did the invitation to my birthday party get lost in the mail? I'll hand-deliver it next time, I promise."

Granted, he'd been embarrassed as all hell after that whole Thing with the knot, but she'd also vanished right into thin air. Well - she had a job, and so did he, so it was ridiculous to think they'd always be able to intersect. Hadn't kept him from feeling ever-so-slighted, though.

Oh gods I hope so

[redlightgreenlight]

Right, his party, the one she'd purposefully avoided due to feelings that made no sense and she didn't want to encourage.

"It must have," she lied, hoping he would believe it and allow her to not feel like more of a bitch than she already was. His grin was infuriating, like he was happy to see her, but no one should be happy to see her. Though it seemed a common theme here, people not being afraid once they knew, people caring, people who admitted...She couldn't go there, and yet, here she was.

"I'm sorry, I would have been there," she continued, "I do love a good party."

The awkwardness of this whole thing, his obliviousness, even though she knew, he didn't, and could she in her right mind let him know without opening up a doorway to destruction.

stop being emo valdis

[upshore]

"Good thing you're friends with Pepper, then. She's got the lock on the local party business. It's just as well; I ate an absolutely astonishing amount of cake." Was it his fault that the Walrider made him need a lot of food? Maybe. Was it also his fault that cake was delicious? Also maybe.

"So did you come over because you missed my face? Or is something going on?" His expression immediately turned from teasing to serious, just in case.

NEVER

[redlightgreenlight]

Her lie was a terrible one, what with her and Pepper being friends. She averted her eyes at his question.

"The Tines knot," she began, "It was a mistake, right?"

Valdis knew it had been, but maybe she could lead him to his feelings instead of outright telling him anything.

[upshore]

Miles looked sheepish. "Yeah, I'm...I'm sorry about that. I really didn't know, I think the guy was playing a joke on me. You're not offended, right? Shit - is that why I haven't seen you around?"

No shit, Miles.

Open | Alley near the Aisling Tower | CW: None

[redlightgreenlight]

It’s late and Valdis has no idea why she came here, Na’lar probably won’t be here this late, but the sounds and the ships have driven her to reach out. Yet she still hadn’t made any moves toward helping her contact figure out the visions or why she felt so on edge. Her secrets would come out eventually, best to contain the matter. But instead of doing anything, Valdis just paced back and forth outside the tower, dreading the next sequence of sounds. With a low growl, she decided to return home. Yet home wasn’t good enough and she soon slipped out again, shifting to roam as a Hound in the darkness. Few would be out this late, so there was little chance of running into anyone, hopefully.

So I do in fact have something. (tag for Crime, rank 2 affinity action)

[unfavorableinstigation]

This was not what Nita had had in mind for getting a sense of the nightlife. She'd given up on there being a good time, with how hectic life in the archipelago had proven thus far, but stumbling upon vandalizers was still far from what she'd been prepared for.

She'd dealt with far worse back home, but it was also simultaneously... mundane. Almost eye-roll worthy.

/Put it down!/ she called, drawing the attention of - well, more people than she was comfortable with, frankly. /Unless you want to be breathing that in for the rest of your life?/

It was a genuine question, not a threat... but the gang didn't seem to be taking it that way. Whoops...?

[redlightgreenlight]

The souls and the menacing sensation two alleys down gave her pause, so Valdis turned, ready to slink the other way and avoid any confrontation. Her nose flared, catching the familiar scent of one of the Dreamfolk. The soul seemed vaguely familiar, but she didn't know it well enough to place a name as of yet. She'd been distracted lately. What she did know, was that danger lay ahead, and not for her.

She shifted her direction again, stalking slowly the alley, toward the turn that would take her into sight of the group. A breath of wind announced her arrival, so soft that Hila's appearance was almost unnoticed. Quiet paws carried both Hounds toward the group. Valdis released a low growl, green eyes shifting to red, Hila matching the sound. The sight of two wolves the size of a Kirin should scare anyone, but if it didn't, Valdis had other options.

[unfavorableinstigation]

Startled, the gang members positioned closest to Valdis' entry point go for their spray cans.

("We've been made!" some of them shout, in what is plainly not English - not that that would stop either of the Dreamfolk from understanding them.)

One gang member - likely the leader - decided this would be a good time to make a break for it, and gestured for the rest of the gang to do likewise.

But first, the rest of them tried to empty their own spray cans. Nita instinctively reached to cover her nose and mouth, closing her eyes and reaching out with what little other lifesense she retains.

/What in Life's Name do you think you're all doing?/ Nita exclaimed. It was directed at the gang members, not the Hounds, but she wasn't precisely ignoring them either.

[redlightgreenlight]

Foolish mortals, Valdis snarled at the gang members, who dropped their cans in terror at the sound of the voice in their heads. Your fate lies in the earth and sea, do not bring it sooner than you desire.

Neither her or Hila made any moves to go after the gang members, it was unneeded, they would likely run as far away as they could get, as quickly as they could get there. Not that she blamed them. Once they were gone, a soft wind whipped up again, and Hila's white coat lifted into the breeze as she vanished like smoke, leaving only the giant black hound with green eyes.

[unfavorableinstigation]

The gang members presently... were no longer present. They also lost a fair amount of group cohesion as they ran, though that might have the faint seemings of a tactical maneuver.

Still, they were no longer an immediate concern, to Nita's relief. A few quiet words in the Speech, and a little more oxygen surrounded her, allowing her to chance opening her eyes against any lingering spray.

/Wait, were't there- oh,/ Nita said, taking in the Hound.

/Thanks for the assist, Cousin. Unplanned as this all was./

A wry smile came to play on her lips as Nita said that last part.