Fantasy shimmer

[SalemKitty]

shimmer
Main Story (IC)
[SalemKitty x Purplefairygirl22]

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Characters
Lore
Rules, Introduction, Chapter Archive
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[Main Story Start]
This thread is OPEN / CLOSED

This thread is open. Welcome to the story. Please PM either Purplefairygirl22 or I, for more information.
While this thread is closed please do not post. Purplefairygirl22 and I will open it soon.​

 

[SalemKitty]

Once there was a beautiful Princess, daughter of a graceful Queen and Benevolent King. Their lives were filled with much happiness until the tragic passing of the Queen, leaving the King in anguish. In his sorrow the King mistook his own daughter for his wife and set out to marry her once more. Shocked by the sudden development the Princess asked her Fairy Godmother for help. The Fairy Godmother told her to request three gown from her father and only if he was able to produce them would she marry him.

A gown the color of the moon.

A gown the color of the sun.

A gown the color of the sky.

When he gifted her with said gowns she ran away in hopes to free him of his ailment and to discover love for herself. What she did not know were of the souls who crafted the gowns and the Color Master who guided them.

The Color Master was an old woman, gifted with the magic of color. She was able to make any garment into the color of an object. Shoes the color of rocks. Dresses the color of the sky. She was the most skilled craftsmen in all the land but little knew her name.

Her story was passed down in legend and myth, far after the King remarried and the Princess married a prince. Far after the Kingdoms started their research into magic. Far after the cities of machine rose and magic was harassed by the humans. The legend of the last true Color Master echoes on the lips of all those who strive to be like her, unsure of the direction to go.

For to be the Color Master, would be to know the world.​

Chapter One. The Request
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Lini Orenda has a problem that she does not understand regarding her magic. In order to understand and fix her situation, Lini has sought out Leander Tempest, notorious member of Flyte & Thorne United. Both Leander and Lini have their own goals in the proposition, but perhaps this duo can see that there is more to their partnership than what initially meets the eye.

Chapter Start

 

[SalemKitty]

Location: Tavern in Grek
Time: Late in the Evening

Leander watched the crowd with a hidden smirk, aiming for silence despite the laughter that tickled his throat. Sipping his spirits he let the entertainment progress, exactly as he had hoped. It wasn’t as if he had actively sought out this development. It simply had fallen into his lap by happen chance. He would have been a fool to pass it up. Only a fool would ever pass up such a fruitful possibility of entertainment. Izaiah always told him that he needed a bit of a head about him in regards to these things.

Missions did not have to be simply business.

“Drunk bastard.” The man with the black beard slurred his speech, feet toppling over each other as he walked. The irony of a drunk man calling another man drunk, how Leander relished in it.

The second man with the auburn mustache was the first to swing. Clearly he had had enough of the berating. The fight that ensued from there was perhaps more of a pathetic drunk man’s fight. That was until the man with the black beard broke his glass and thrust the burn mustache man into a table. The table shattered, people screamed, and Leander had to bite back the urge to fight himself.

He had come to this bar for information in regards to his current mission. He was already positive he knew where the missing pearls were, but solving a case in a single day was no fun. Instead it added to his already exhausting situation. His Master said to complete a mission in a timely manner, but Izaiah told him that timely meant for the asker not for the Technician. Solving the mystery that had caused this woman months of grief in a few simple hours? It would cause more problems than solve them.

He needed at least a twenty-four hour turn around on such a mission with his rank and his age. No matter his Technician Rating or Technician Rank, this woman saw him as a child. Leander didn’t care to ever correct people, and thus he found himself having to kill time. He had picked this tavern as that place.

At first he had not intended to start the fight, but the men made it so easy. Creating the tension without turning the tension upon him was an art better taught in time than with lessons. He’d learned the art at Flyte & Throne. It seemed as if everyone there was able to do it. Survival meant learning the tricks of the dragons.

He started the tension with a few suggestions, then pulled in the crowd to aid in the embarrassment. He turned the anger from himself to the others and even if they did turn on him, they’d never remember him. The spell had been activated the moment he stepped into the city. When he stepped outside the city their memories of him would erase to the bare minimum required. He still had to get his credit for the mission after all.

Tables were destroyed. Glasses were shattered. Other men and women had joined into the massive tavern brawl that had escalated into a storm of cursing, and flying broken objects. Leander sat in the eye of the storm sipping at his glass only to find that he had finished the spirits.

Standing, Leander placed the cup on the bar, as the workers of the tavern broke up the fight. Glancing once more around the room, he noted how a worker caught note of him. He tossed money to the bar, tipped his hat, and left.

“Where did that boy go?”
“I just saw him!"
“He’s the one who started this mess!”

Leander could hear the people in the tavern screaming for him, but he was already off walking into the town and towards the forest where the Inn was. He didn’t feel particularly tired but he certainly wanted to get away from the mess. He could easily start messes but there was no chance that he’d be caught half dead trying to clean up the messes he started.

He didn’t work that way.

From his pocket he drew out his miniature notebook. Opening it, he reviewed the facts, and the estimated timeline for the mission. He reviewed his path back to Flyte & Thorne United. Which way would be the most… entertaining? As much as Leander loved being home, he didn’t want to have to report his mission or receive any new ones. Missions were far too tedious.

Through the woods he walked, listening to the night air. It was the snap of a branch that had his left hand slipping his notebook away. Ever so slowly and without much movement he slid his hand up to the case that held his spell cards. If a fight was about to break out he wanted to be prepared. Snapping the case open, he counted.

One. Two. Three. Ten. Fifteen. Twenty. Twenty Five. Thirty.

Drawing twenty cards from the case he left ten within its leather. It was not that he had no confidence in the spells, but rather that he was on mission. His spatial magic was a secret, albeit a badly kept one, but a secret nonetheless.

Leander stopped walking, adjusting his posture, and holding the cards in his hands starring at the spells on their backs. He listened to hear for footsteps. Was it a person or a beast? Did it matter? Perhaps not, and he had to be prepared for anything.

Letting the cards drop, their spells for levitation activated. His artifact was built so that the cards would circle around him, even following him if he moved. He could spin them around his body. The crafting of the multilayered spell for the cards on top of making them artifacts for singular spells had been a task. It had been the test given to him by Izaiah to prove if his skill as a possible Creation Technician. It was the only creation he had made using his spatial magic, making his artifact unique even amongst unique artifacts.

“I suppose telling you that it is rude to follow others wouldn’t matter much?” He turned over his shoulder to scan the woods behind him. The night sky was only illuminated by the moon and stars above, and the distant lights of the Inn.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Crap.

She hadn't meant for him to see her. The vantage point from the tree outside of the tavern had been perfect. Just slightly above the window where she could see everything. She'd watched him move through the bar, whispering things, prodding people. It was almost meticulous, the way that a technician would approach their craft, or an artisan their wares. She had seen everything, watching carefully as he goaded these men. It was like watching a puppeteer as they crafted their story, and all of a sudden stools, mugs of mead, and fists were flying. She had to jump to a higher limb on the tree to avoid several large jugs of mead that had come crashing through the window. There was only one thing that was odd to her: Why did he pay for his drink? He could have just walked out as soon as the barkeep went to go break up the fight.

This didn't matter, she needed to focus. He was her mission. Crouching low onto the limb, her hands touching the rough bark to keep her steady she watched the boy leave the bar, a satisfied smirk on his face. Dick, she thought to herself quietly. She leapt between the branches following him, keeping her footsteps light and even. It was easy to follow him on tonight of all nights as the light of the full moon caused the boy's even paler blonde hair to shimmer in the darkness.

There was a loud crack. She hissed, the branch she landed on was thinner than she had anticipated and creaked slightly under her weight. She took a deep slow breath, watching him search for where the sound came from. She could see the moonlight flashing from the cards that he took out. He was ready for a fight. Her hand slowly reached for her staff that was secured tight across her back. The wood was thin and warm to the touch. She waited.

Her eyes widened as she watched the light grow as the magic swirled around him, engulfing him in a kind of bubble. The cards gently floated around him, like leaves on a forest stream. He's as powerful as they say he is, she considered amazed. The hairs on her arms stood to attention. She could feel the power radiating from him, it crackled in the air like lightening after a strike. She was so mesmerized by his power that she almost hadn't noticed that he was speaking to her.

Lini sighed, shrugged her shoulders, and leapt down from the branch onto a much lower one. She then paused and leapt down from the tree, keeping the slender figure of the boy well in front of her. Her body crouched low, from her landing she was extremely surprised that he had noticed her at all. Her skin hid her well in the darkness of the forest but the moonlight, illuminated the brilliant flashing green of her eyes, which regarded him coolly. "It's also extremely rude to trick people into bar fights when your bored."

 

[SalemKitty]

"It's also extremely rude to trick people into bar fights when your bored."

Leander tried to place the voice in his mind, only there was nothing to register it with. It was not a voice he recognized which led him to believe it was someone that he’d never met. Or it was someone he had met that he didn’t remember. For him not to remember them but for them to know him? He at least assumed this female voice knew him… There were many who knew of him, but the familiarity in her speak came across as someone who was held on a similar standard as himself.

That did not leave many options.

“I suppose some may think it rude. I find it entertainment, and if you know who I am, you know my kind can find entertainment in far worse ways.” He debated on waiting for her to respond. Allowing for a response would give him more information, and it wasn’t as if he were particularly interested in a fight. Hand through the air he brought four cards before him: Amplify, Nullify, Activate, and Freeze. Just incase, Arrow, Shield, and Vision stood at the ready. “To who do I have the honor of speaking to on this fine night?”

He was prepared for any split second movements that she may have. Holding his ground he was finally able to pin point the shadow of her figure within the darkness. He thought of all known figures in the ATTU that he remembered. Her’s was not one that he immediately thought of, but a single family came to mind. There were only two groups he could think of that would willingly confront him knowing who he was and only one of them he was not familiar with inside and out.

“Would it be wrong of me to assume Orenda?”

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Her teeth flashed in the moonlight. He was bold, she'd give him that. But she needed to control herself, be friendly. It was definitely not a good way to get something you want from someone by antagonizing them, even if they deserved it.
"No, not wrong at all. I'm surprised, I didn't think you would remember me. But I remember you, and you definitely don't frighten me." she said strolling further into the moonlight that trickled between the trees. "Then again, it was a very long time ago." she added, smirking down at her own appearance.

The last time she'd seen him, her father forced her into a floral gown with their family crest on it. Her hair had been painfully twisted and pinned into an artful mass of curls on top of her head, and she distinctly remembered how much those shoes pinched her toes. In comparison now, her muddy black boots, green trousers, and white shirt must have been quite a shock. She didn't blame him, she had been a different person back then.

She noted his stance, the cards still gently floating about him. "I come in peace," she said holding up her hands "I'm completely unarmed, I just wanna talk."

 

[SalemKitty]

"No, not wrong at all. I'm surprised, I didn't think you would remember me. But I remember you, and you definitely don't frighten me. Then again, it was a very long time ago." She was and Orenda, that much was certain, even if his conjecture had been speculation before. Worse was that she definitely did know him, which put him in a particularly awkward position. He raced through her features. She couldn’t be much different in age from him. How many Orendas were his age?

Name after name, he racked his brain trying to figure out something. Her hands went into the air, defenseless. "I come in peace. I’m completely unarmed, I just wanna talk."

He knew better than to trust it. Izaiah and his Master had drilled it into him from childhood. He could never trust any Technician other than family. Not truly. But he could fake it, and he would fake it.

Sliding his cards from his face he kept them in the air, but allowed himself to seem more relaxed in her presence. He was certain he hadn’t offended the Orenda family in any way recently. He was positive that if he had, he’d remember it… probably… maybe… probably not… He was still searching for her name that went with her features.

No. Name. Came to him. None.

Leander felt frustrated beyond all measure; he refused to let it show. “Talk? Talk about what? I don’t believe that someone who wants to simply talk comes to another in the midst of the night… that is unless you are asking me to go off record in which case I remind you of Flyte & Thorne’s policies. You must go to one of our branch locations in order to make a request, and then report the request to an ATTU office. Should your request be classified, remember that not all details have to be reported to the ATTU in full.”

When he said classified he meant illegal. Only, Flyte & Thorne wasn’t legally allowed to keep their status as a ATTU affiliate and take on illegal requests. All requests had to be legal and through the ATTU. It only made the requests that much more fun when they were illegal, dangerous, often requiring specialized magics, and approved by the ATTU without the ATTU knowing.

He watched as her figure shifted in the low lighting. Dark skin. Light eyes. Her hair and clothes didn’t reveal much, but he figured that was because she was dressed for movement rather than to be an artistic body of work as many Orendas often dressed. There was something in the way her skin glowed and her eyes shined that reminded him of someone. He knew her. He had to have known her.

Leander remembered the meetings of the Greats that he was invited to -- the Master Technicians and those that they deemed worth enough to join them. He remembered a girl, his age with a fight in her gaze that told him not to mess with her. He remembered Izaiah making snide remarks under his smiles to drill Leander on what was important. Leander remembered all those details. Leander remembered the mundane ones little: her mother, and family. But, Leander remembered her.

It was coming to him. Her name was coming to him. It was on the tip of his tongue, for he remembered her now. This face that was in the moonlight, he remembered who she was. “However, you say you come to talk? Is that right Tourmaline Orenda? Then speak. I’m all ears.”

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini watched his weight shift, but his cards didn't lower. 'He's still threatened by me' she thought, keeping her hands steady by her head. She watched his eyes search her. Sliding from her hair, to her eyes, to her clothing; she saw a look that only confirmed her original thought: he was smart, making educated guesses, but he didn't remember her.

“Talk? Talk about what? I don’t believe that someone who wants to simply talk comes to another in the midst of the night… that is unless you are asking me to go off record in which case I remind you of Flyte & Thorne’s policies. You must go to one of our branch locations in order to make a request, and then report the request to an ATTU office. Should your request be classified, remember that not all details have to be reported to the ATTU in full.”

She smiled, repressing a slight laugh at his insinuation. She knew perfectly well that Flyte & Thorne were completely willing to do anything as long as there was enough compensation. They most definitely kept their illegal dealings from the ATTU, but she wasn't here for that. The mention of the ATTU set her jaw, and her arms trembled slightly with anger. She still hadn't forgiven them for what happened. That's why she was doing this, looking for him. She needed a way around the ATTU, and who better than someone raised by Flyte & Thorne to know how to get around the rules.

Then, she saw his face change. It was minute. A relaxation of the eyebrows, then an arch of curiosity. His eyes widened slightly. 'That was it,' she thought. 'He knows who I am.'

“However, you say you come to talk? Is that right Tourmaline Orenda? Then speak. I’m all ears."

"Lini, please" she corrected, shifting her stance and slowly lowering her arms back to her sides. Her hand instantly started to rub the band of the ring on her right hand. She always did this when she got nervous. She tried to ignore the way the fire opal sparkled in the moonlight, it reminded her of her family, and at the moment that thought was painful. She paused, she'd had this whole speech ready, everything planned and now...it was gone.

"I need your help," she began softly, "Something...bad happened...and I don't have a master." She saw his mouth open, and she raised her hand again, bidding him to let her finish. "And I need you to help me...to teach me. Or at least help me find someone who will." she finished her voice trembling slightly. She hated that she was having this weakness still, that she let this complete stranger see her as anything less than fearsome. She bit her lip.

 

[SalemKitty]

"Lini, please.” She started confident. He heard it, but something seemed to break in that confidence in a second. "I need your help. Something...bad happened...and I don't have a master."

Didn’t have a master? There was no way that someone in the Orenda family did not have a master. It did not make an inkling of sense. He went to speak, to drill her, to get answers on what she possibly meant and why he mattered when her eyes told him not to. He sealed his lips tight and listened.

"And I need you to help me...to teach me. Or at least help me find someone who will."

Teach her? She was not a Time Tech or a Space Tech -- he didn't believe at least not that it mattered he wasn’t qualified to be a Master, not yet. And even then he wasn’t certified to be a master over students. One did not have to be a Master Technician to be a master over students, but Flyte & Thorne United refused to allow anyone to be a master of students until they were a Master Tech.

He was tempted to go the route that had been drilled into him: sardonic. Mock her. Play with her. Toy with her. Taunt her. Destroy her. It was so interwoven in his very bones that he wasn’t entirely sure that he’d be able to break it even if he tried. Only, his Master’s opinions weighed more heavily right now. This girl wanted him. Needed him. and even if he had no clue in the matter of why, he was excited by the prospect and didn’t want to put her off.

Best to tread a middle ground then. He decided his course of action in that moment. How she reacted would be all he needed to know if her request was worth his time.

“Me?” Leander dropped his guard a bit more. “Why ever would you need me? Lini, dear, you must know that I am not yet qualified to be a Master nor am I an Elemental Technician. I don’t suppose you want to be a Gatesmith, which leads me to wonder what ever I could provide you. I am but a busy man on a busy schedule and I doubt you could provide me with any real incentive to help you.”

Leander figured he was kind enough with the statements. This meant it was time to flip and push it just a bit more, “Go back to your family Lini Oredna. One mustn’t ever abandon their family.”

With the words he started to walk away. One step. Two steps. Three. Stop. Don't seem calculated. Don't seem interested. This is all a play. And this is how he got the men into a fight at the bar. “That is… unless you can not, and so thus you come to me with a crazy proposition due to it, one that will peak my interests?” He turned over his shoulder. “I don’t suppose that is the case. Is it? Not this whole, something bad happened empathy bullshit you are pulling. After all, you know that will not get you a deal with me. You know who I am after all.”

He turned ever so slightly so he stood profile facing her, “Spill Lini. What is it that you want to be taught that you must come to me of all people in the world. I can’t have been your first choice.”

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

“Me?...Why ever would you need me? Lini, dear, you must know that I am not yet qualified to be a Master nor am I an Elemental Technician. I don’t suppose you want to be a Gatesmith, which leads me to wonder what ever I could provide you. I am but a busy man on a busy schedule and I doubt you could provide me with any real incentive to help you.”

Lini paused. He was right, she didn't want to be a gatesmith, and knew that he was no color technician and had no healing powers whatsoever. But she was slightly surprised, his answer was even, and gentle almost. It was odd, very uncharacteristic for what she new of him.

“Go back to your family Lini Oredna. One mustn’t ever abandon their family.”

She couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Why does he have to be so freaking dramatic?' she thought. He was messing with her. She could see the corner of his mouth twitch slightly as he turned from her, and began to walk away. She arched her eyebrows inquisitively, waiting to see how far he would walk away from her. Maybe he would just leave. Maybe he would turn around. She was betting on the latter.

“That is…" 'Called it' she thought "unless you can not, and so thus you come to me with a crazy proposition due to it, one that will peak my interests? I don’t suppose that is the case. Is it? Not this whole, something bad happened empathy bullshit you are pulling. After all, you know that will not get you a deal with me. You know who I am after all.” she watched him turn again to face her, “Spill Lini. What is it that you want to be taught that you must come to me of all people in the world. I can’t have been your first choice.”

Lini shrugged, "You're right. You don't at all specialize in my areas of ability so it's not very sensible that I would turn to you. I came to you because you have a way of operating around the ATTU." she raised her hand as she saw his mouth open in protest, "Come on, we're both being honest with each other. I know Flight & Thorne. I know what you do. The ATTU screwed me over and I almost lost my life for it. I'm done playing in their sandbox of bureaucracy." She pushed a loc out of her face and tucked it behind her ear. "I need you to teach me how to get around them, and maybe there's someone you know who can help me figure out what's happening to me."

 

[SalemKitty]

Almost lost her life? Leander wanted to make a comment that it wasn't so special. How many times had he almost died already? Far too many. Flyte & Thorne was in no way the safest organization to be a part of, but she wasn't a member of the Family. She was a part of the Orenda Family. The Orenda Family was supposed to be safe, for the most part? Right? He was pretty sure that they broke the rules often too, but from a different perspective of Flyte & Thorne. What intrigued him was that the ATTU screwed her over. He thought that never happened with the Orenda Family. His interest was thoroughly piqued.

She had come to him in specifics, not any of the other Flyte & Thorne members and he suspected it had to do with far more than him being a member of Flyte & Thorne. He wanted to ask but remembered his teachings: it didn't matter. Some people choose specific Technicians because of their knowledge on that Technician and nothing else. For all he knew and cared, Lini picked him because they were close in age and had met once or twice. He was a safe pick because no one would think him to help her, not with his notoriety. There was never a special reason for being picked. Never. (This was a teaching taught to him to eradicate jealousy within Flyte & Thorne. Leander knew this, but it had been so drilled to him that he didn't question it anymore. Flyte & Thorne prioritized strength, completion rates, and skill. Feeling like he was "special?" There was no time for it and it had been beaten out of him at a young age.)

"And what is happening to you Lini?" He needed more details to see if he wanted to even take on this endeavor. Technically it was still a mission based on the mission standards of Flyte & Thorne. He didn't want to push it yet. From what it sounded like, she needed a Master. If that was all she needed, then he didn't have to report it to Flyte & Throne immediately but after the mission was over he could, and get the points from the mission later. It seemed like she wanted him and for him to do it out of his own free will.

It had to be something interesting. No? He hoped, at least, that it wasn't a waste of his time to continue listening to her.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini felt her stomach squirm, she wasn't comfortable showing this part of her power. It had appeared randomly one day, as she had been training at home after her technician's exam. It frightened her, and she had been reluctant to use the full extent of her power since that time. "I'd have to show you," she said, taking a few steps back from him.

She closed her eyes, sensing the life thrumming around her. All of a sudden the clearing of the forest changed. The sky shifted from an inky black, purples, blues, grays, and silvers appeared. The moon was no longer white, but a large shimmering rainbow of colors. The earth beneath their boots became rich and red, with green in its tones. The trees, while still shadowed, became greener. Everything in this bubble that she had created was beautiful, but then she opened her eyes.

White. Nothing but a beautiful, pure swirling light, her eyes almost glowed as they calmly regarded him. There was no trace of their original green. Her hair began to change as well, whiteness slowly creeping from the ends to the roots until she stood a glowing figure in front of him.

 

[SalemKitty]

What in the hell? Leander had seen people's magic manifest from a young age. It's one of the reasons Izaiah was so keen on him. He could see the way that magic swirled in the air, around himself and other Technicians. Izaiah and his Master said that the ability was one of the distinguishing features that created a Master Technician. One could develop it in time, but sometimes people were born with it. For most who saw his gifts, Technicians or otherwise, they only saw his cards float, and not the complex bubble like web of magic that surrounded him. They couldn't see the magic, and only saw color of his eyes and hair change.

For him he had always seen magic when it was used, and the way it bent nature.

When he saw the magic circle and bubble around Lini his first response was that she was a Color Technician. Obviously she was a Color Technician. There was a way that Color Technician's magic formed in an iridescent bubble around them, that he recognized. Only then he realized the potency of the bubble. It was almost tangible, he felt. Strong latent ability, even if she couldn't use it all. He wanted to say "so what?" but he did not.

She was an Orenda. Orendas didn't have connections to Color Technician magic. Orendas were strong, powerful, and idols, not lowly Color Technicians. It was near impossible to make a living as a Color Technician. One had to pair it with other jobs and the likes. But from what he understood, Orendas only let themselves qualify for their strongest magic when becoming Technicians. They weren't like other families that saw it as an honor and privilege of merit to have two -- since it was so rare to begin with. Many Orendas had two magics and a member became a Technician -- formally in the ATTU hand book -- in only one: the strongest affinity. The other they trained but they never became certified Technicians in the magic. It was like himself with Time magic and Space Magic. He qualified in both, but Flyte & Thorne had him only become a Time Technician. For Flyte & Thorne it was his secret weapon. For the Orendas they kept it as one for what ever reason. He didn't understand why the most powerful Family of Technicians (biological family) would limit themselves.

"Well this is a surprise. Color magic? Doesn't seem very Orenda like." Leander stretched a little. "So you want me to help you find a teacher for this Color Magic but you can't go to the ATTU, and, I'm assuming, the Colorsmith Union." In truth he could care less. Her status as a Color Technician bored him, but the potency was fascinating. What could a Color Technician with that much power do? "I assume you don't want to join Flyte & Thorne. So thus, we must talk, but talk here is far too open. Follow me."

He did not wait for her as he approached his inn. Without so much as a glance to the Inn Keeper, he walked to his room, unlocked the door, checked to see if his things were there and int heir place, and waited for Lini to enter. If she had followed him, that was.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Biting back a sarcastic response to his comment about her powers she nodded, and closed her eyes. The magic around them dissipated and everything returned to a dark shadowy gray that it had been before.

She followed him quickly through the woods to an inn she assumed he was staying in. The inn keeper gave them a rather odd look as they bustled past him without so much as a greeting and into the room Lee had rented. Her eyebrows arched in surprise, the room was nice, but rather modest for what she assumed he was used to. A lit fire was crackling on the far wall, surrounded by a few worn armchairs and a roughly hewn wooden table that sat between them. The bed sat on the opposite wall. It too was rather simple, with only one pillow and a thick black woolen blanket over top.

Lini waited for him to speak, but received silence. "I know it's a rather odd gift for anyone from my family to have. We're all very comfortable in our elemental magics," she paused, a tone of bitterness in her voice. Her eyes looked towards the chairs, and then back to Leander. Her upbringing getting the better of her urge to sit in the chairs by the fire without being invited, she continued to speak. "As I'm sure you know mostly our gifts have more to do with healing, and traditional magics and that's what I was trained with. But as I went to take my exam this...ability...manifested. And it's changed something in me." she finished looking into Leander's shockingly distinct eyes. She hadn't noticed them in the dark, one was a pale red, the other green, like hers.

 

[SalemKitty]

"But as I went to take my exam this...ability...manifested. And it's changed something in me." Lini's words left Leander wondering if he should laugh or feel jealous. It was clear that exam she referred to was her Mastery exam. Orendas so often took the Mastery exam it had to be as easy as breathing -- not that that said much because Flyte & Thorne also had an unfair number of Masters as well. He was perhaps mostly jealous since she had taken her exam already, and he couldn't even get to the state where he knew he needed to take it. All Masters said that when it was time to take it, he would know. He had no clue, and he wasn't about to ask her.

He also felt like laughing because suddenly some of her frustrations made sense. If her Color Magic was in fact more powerful than her Elemental, then she had virtually restarted at zero. It was almost comical, but he knew better than to laugh at someone else's situation.

This left him wondering what she meant by a near death experience, but the wonder did not sit for long before he motioned for her to take a seat and he sat himself pen and notebook in hand. What could she offer him? What would this entail? He was not one to simply do favors, and they were in no way friends either.

"This is all riveting information, but we must get down to the details. Why me, truly?" There was no way he would be able to pass this off as a Gatesmithing mission could he? He was willing to try, after all a better score for himself would always be beneficial. He had to think of everything like business and even if she was resistant and wanted a favor, Flyte & Thorne did not work that way. He was going to report it as a mission regardless.

He knew she needed him to find someone for her. But who? He could find her everyone, but he needed her to narrow it down. The moment they had stepped into his room, the mission had begun even if she didn't realize it. So he started asking questions. "You want me to teach you to move outside the rules, how much effort are you willing to put into that? Flyte & Thorne's principals can not be simply learned and discarded, we have an image to uphold. I can teach you but if you want to learn all the tricks of the trade, you would need to speak to Izaiah. I can teach you the basics but how well you learn that is up to you. When do you want to start. Are you willing to give everything for it, because once you move around the rules playing within them is... exhausting.

"You want someone to teach you Color Magic I suppose. What are your goals with it. Is your elemental magic still intact? Will your family interfere with our partnership?" He needed to know if he was going to have to protect his ass more than necessary. "What do you need me to do? Needs, goals, ideas, everything. None of this vague bullshit."

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Before sitting Lini took a leather pouch out of her pocket, it was about the size of her fist and she set it on the table between them as she sat down in the chair gazing at him. She smiled slightly at his motions with the notebook, it really seemed as if he were genuinely open to helping her. But she new better than that, no one from Flyte & Thorne did much of their own accord, unless something was in it for them.

"That's 200 gold pieces," she said gesturing at the bag, "I know you're not going to risk anything for me, so I hoped that would be enough of an incentive. There's more if you want it. But also if you choose not to help me, I hope that at the very least that can buy your silence."

She paused slightly considering the rest of his questions. They spilled out quickly and betrayed his interest, and she wondered where to start first. "My family doesn't really care what I do, so first and foremost you won't have to worry about their involvement. I passed my exam with flying colors-" she paused, hating herself for the slip "And outside of marrying me off and doing work that they consider 'respectable' they don't bother me about how I pass my time." Lini crossed one of her legs over the other, her black leather boot dangling slightly as she continued "To further answer your questions, yes my elemental magic is very much in tact, however it seems that the color magic is very much intwined with it. I can't use one without the other. So, yes, it would be helpful to find a master in Color magic but I don't necessarily think that it would be helpful without a master in the more obscure aspects of Elemental magic as well.
As to what I need from you. I would like to learn the basics of operating outside of the ATTU but I'm not here to align myself to Flyte & Thorne either. I want to learn how to operate within a gray area, and you are one of the best of the best in doing that kind of a thing. You're also very much a prodigy in your field, and I think it would be..." she paused, choosing her next word carefully, not wanting to insult the man in front of her, "...useful to be able to work with someone like yourself who has such an unusually powerful gift like my own." she finished, inclining her head.

 

[SalemKitty]

Leander snapped his notebook shut with his notes inside. He had already created her profile within its confines. Snatching the bag of gold from the table, with a flick of his wrist, Leander opened the bag to confirm the contents. He wasn't stupid as to push back payment to do something out of good will. That was a terrifying prospect. Who even thought of things like that? All he cared for was that the money was in place, the Orendas would no interfere, and that her magic was powerful.

He thought for a moment about buying off her silence for his own non-so-well-kept secret, but he figured she wouldn't have come to him if she didn't already know he had two magics. They'd been harassed by the ATTU for him to take a secondary technician test to see if the rumors were true and Izaiah had brushed them off, enough by this point for most people to guess it to be true. Closing the bag of money, Leander snapped the button of his card case open and counted the cards. All cards were placed back in the exact same order for this simple reason.

Pulling out the cards necessary for his Telecontrol spell. Unlike his other spells this was an application of combined magic as Izaiah had taught him. He whispered looked to his things within the room, released the cards and spoke, "Activate Telecontrol."
All at once he knew he could move the objects in the room, but he decided not to. He knew that the moment the spell was activated his eyes went completely red, and his hair silver. Collecting all his things, in a single sweep, he pulled them close to his body and headed to the door deactivating the spell and placing the cards away.
"We move at dawn. I have a mystery to solve. Enjoy the room." Then he left the room ready to go ask the inn keeper for another room. He doubted that he would lie and say there was not another room available. Leander knew there were rooms available, after all many of those who would have staid in the inn were at the hospitals due to a very poorly timed bar fight.



When Leander got his new room, he carefully placed his things to the floor and cast the spells necessary to lock himself inside the room, without anyone being able to enter the room to bother him: Halt and Freeze. He'd been told it was overkill, but he found it safer to rely on two magic types than simply one. He began the rest of his evening rituals: preparing his clothes for the next day, bathing and hygiene, reviewing his notes for the day and writing all other thoughts into his secondary notebook before checking all his belongings, grabbing his blanket and moving to the bed. Leander found his way to the corner of the room where the bed met the wall. Cards out in a circle around him, he let the cards fall to the bed, and then rested his head against the wall as he sat. Leander did not often sleep laying down. He could, but he was taught to always be attentive, thus it really didn't matter to him outside appearances of relaxation. He much liked sleeping sitting up. It reminded him of the few memories he had of from childhood and his long dead sister.

Leander did not spare a thought to Lini and her situation, for her situation would not be addressed until after his mission was over for the missing pearls. Dealing with the woman would be far more taxing tomorrow than Lini. After all, he may be on time for ease of the mission, but that did not mean the woman was easy to deal with. He did not spare much thought on her either. He thought of his path home, and filled with a deep regret of past deeds for the slightest of seconds before he discarded the thoughts. There was no time to be thinking such things.



Leander woke before the sun rose, which was only a few short hours after he'd fallen asleep prior. He sat in the darkness trying to discern where he was when he remembered that he had moved rooms. His second thought was to make sure nothing was out of place, and when it was apparent everything was as he left it, he moved to prepare for the morning. Packing his bags, he checked everything over, made it as travel compatible as possible, and got dressed. Each piece of his outfit had been hand picked for that morning, and he was certain that the outfit was the best he could present himself in, without wrinkles and dirt. picking up his belongings, he wove his hand over the room collecting his cards. Deactivating his spells on the door and window, he left the room before looking back at it once more. Using Restore, he erased any of his presence through an application of the spell not many knew.

Leander approached Lini's room and with a simple rap waited for her to answer. If she did not answer, he was ready to burst in, they had no time to lounge about. He was on a schedule and she was on his time now.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini tried to control her reaction as Lee closed his notebook, but internally she was ecstatic. It looked like she had found someone who was at least going to put her in the right direction. Her happiness paused as she saw him reach for his cards. She didn't catch his murmured words, but reacted as his eyes turned red and his hair glowed white. But before she had time to fully react, it had all stopped.

"We move at dawn. I have a mystery to solve. Enjoy the room."

Her mouth slightly open in shock, Lini watched silently as Leander stood, gathered his things and promptly left the room. 'Okay...' she thought, 'that was super strange.' She stood slowly after he departed, surveying the room around her. It was still nice, but something in the air was tense, electric, from whatever spell that he had performed. She walked over to the basin and mirror that stood in the corner of the room and found it full of warm water. She smiled to herself.

After taking off her boots and unceremoniously tossing her clothes to the floor she began to run the rough cloth over her skin. Out of habit she murmured the spells she had been taught as a child, for protection, for health, and to cleanse herself and any lingering energies. She didn't notice the slight green glow that emanated from her body. Once she finished she climbed into the bed. It was slightly more uncomfortable than she was used to, but she didn't mind. She was finally getting help. Focusing on that calming prospect she fell asleep instantly, and deeply. She hadn't slept well in a while, and was in so deep a sleep she didn't notice the knock on the door the next morning.

 

[SalemKitty]

There was no answer at the door, so he tried again. Once more no answer and he realized the girl had forgotten they had to be on the move. Cards out, spell said, the door was opened with force and made to seem as if had never been opened with magic at all. He saw here there sleeping, soundly and it frustrated him. He debated on clearing his throat to get her up, but he figured it would not work. Instead he Warped the bed, sending it into a shattered mess and saw as her eyes went wild at his presence.

"Your idea of dawn and my own seem to be vastly different." The sun was peaking over the horizon ever so slightly. He did not wait for her to speak before he went on, "Are these the only clothes you have? Lini, dear, that is no way to act if you don't want to be noticed. Hurry and get dressed."

Leander leaned against the wall waiting for her to move, "What are you waiting for?" Perhaps she was the type who was embarrassed to get dressed in front of others. He had heard that it was the case for most people and wondered if he had been that way as a child. He did not remember and if he had, it was beaten out of him with the love of his mentors. They were officially behind schedule, and the only thing Leander could think to do, was to look at his plans to get back to the main office of Flyte & Thorne. He had not finalized the plans the night before, and if they were behind schedule he needed to figure it out then.

Instead of focusing on Lini, he focused on his notes, and the maps that he carried, looking over them carefully for the best route. He remembered the news that Flyte & Thorne had given him before leaving on possible developments that could occur in the time he was away. Hopefully there would be news at the front desk before they left, but he doubted it.

"Are you ready?" He looked up when he saw a shadow approach him in the early morning light. "Good. Outside. Outside."
He ushered her out the door the moment she had all her things, and the immediately went to erasing their presence from within the room and returning it to the state from before their visit. Spell cards away, Leander did not wait for Lini before heading to the front desk.

"Leaving?" The woman asked.
"Yes. Was there any mail for me?"
"Yes." The woman handed him a letter. "To Leander Tempest?"
"Yes."
"I knew it had to be you." But Leander knew his magic was still also effecting her and her family. She would not remember his face the moment he walked out the door. Taking the letter he wished her the best and left with a hop in his step. He did not open the letter. He would wait until the mission was over. There was no need to fret about the contents of the letter yet, when he had a mission to complete. It was the way he had been trained, and the letter was from Izaiah. If Izaiah knew that he had opened the letter before completing the mission... He did not open the letter.

Leander led them towards the town and the house of the woman with the missing pearls. Slowly he adjusted the hat atop his head, readying himself for the finalization of this mission. He had to be a five star Gatesmith, not simply Leander Tempest. His mind set shifted ever so slightly, as he approached the house. His posture became a bit more relaxed and inviting. He let his magic presence subside it even by the smallest of margins (not that normal people could notice the magic at all). The door opened to the distraught woman, dressed in black -- mourning the death of her husband, the one who had gifted her the pearls.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini's eyes flashed open as she realized was on the floor. Bits and pieces of the mattress and the frame holding up the bed lay around her as if a small bomb had gone off.

"Your idea of dawn and my own seem to be vastly different. Are these the only clothes you have? Lini, dear, that is no way to act if you don't want to be noticed. Hurry and get dressed."

"Good morning to you too," She murmured, her eyebrows raising in a silent judgement before standing up and finding her clothes. After finding her trousers she paused, realizing she was in a state of undress in front of him. She peered at him quickly and noticed that he had returned to that very strange notebook of his. Lini shrugged and continued dressing. Most people would be bothered by being with another person in that state, but coming from a family of Elementals, Lini had seen more than her fair share of bodies. One of her aunts, in fact, reserved one entire wing of their home for her Sky-clad practices.

"Are you ready? Good. Outside. Outside"

Gods, you sound like my mother. Always in such a rush. Lini yawned and followed him downstairs to the front desk where a smiling, plump woman greeted them. Lini smiled back at her, wanting to say good morning before Lee interrupted her with his classic string of questions. She wondered if he actually had any ability to be nice to people outside of just getting what he needed from them. He seemed cold and stiff to her, and she wondered what made him that way.

Lini continued to follow him out of the inn, after giving a polite wave and nod of thanks to the innkeeper, and followed Lee down the path. She realized that they were walking towards town, "Hey, where are we going?" she asked jogging slightly in order to be at his side. They walked together towards a house. It was unfamiliar to her, but nice. There were lots of windows and a small garden out front. These people must be wealthy . "Hey seriously why are w-" her sentence trailed off as she saw an older woman open the door. She was draped head to toe in black garments, and her eyes were bloodshot and swollen from tears.

Lini could feel the despair radiating from her body, there was almost a black cloud surrounding her, and her training kicked in. She brushed past Leander and took the woman's hand. Squeezing it gently she let some healing magic flow through her to calm the woman. "We're so sorry for your loss," She began.

 

[SalemKitty]

Leander watched as Lini took the hands of the woman and ever so carefully comforted her. Perhaps if it weren’t for the fact that she was an Elemental Orenda, he would have been surprised. But he was not.
“Thank you, my dear." Antionette Cavalé then eyed Leander, "Leander? Who is this you have brought with you?”
“A friend.” Leander lied, “She came to me last night with the grave news that I must return home.”
Leander watched as the woman’s eyes shifted and she dropped Lini’s hands in a heart beat.
“Worry naught Madame Cavalé, I promised you that I would help you, no? I spent the night thinking and I believe I may have the solution to your problem.” Leander’s eyes drifted to the neighbor’s house. Nothing seemed out of place. “Perhaps we should enter to speak more?”

“Oh yes, where are my manners? Come in. Come in.” She let them walk in by her, before she peered out and then locked the door. Leander knew how suspicious this woman was over her neighbors. She thought any and everyone was out to get her, and had for months since her husband had passed. Leander knew this, and so when she turned to them, he already had the spell card in his hand. She had not seen him use his magic in such a way that it floated about him, for many that was far too shocking to see. Instead holding the cards, speaking the spell carefully, and being slow were what non-technicians were used to.

Leander said the spell, slipped his card away and offered his arm to her. She took it. Together they walked towards the parlor.

Leander knew every idiosyncrasy of this woman. It was his job, a requirement, and a necessity. He knew her habits, her vocal shifts, her needs, her fears. He knew how she walked, thought, worried, her habits, trust issues, and those that she loved. He had to know everything about her, for that was his job. Once the mission was over all the details would be erased, but for now, it was all about her. Dedication to the mission was one of the important rules of Flyte & Thorne United.

Leander sat Antionette Cavalé down and was about to turn when she leapt up, “Where are my manners. Tea!”
Leander stopped her and helped her to her seat once more. His voice dropped low and he held her hands, “Antionette this is not about me, but about you. You have suffered enough.”
He could see the tears in her eyes. Squeezing her hands tightly, he slowly let go before standing and rolling his shoulder back. Taking a deep breath he readied himself to do what he did best. “Three months ago, your husband passed leaving you with a mass fortune and the loss of someone you held so dear. It was not, however, until the day of his funeral that you realized that your pearls were missing.”

Often times Leander gave all the facts for a case such as this, but this time he refrained from doing so. He refused to bring up the bad memories for her, more because it would take more time than an actual care for the woman. He didn’t let it seem like that as he looked at her with a sad expression.

The pearls were a gift from her husband, when they had first met before she knew anything about who he was. She had not come from a rich family, and many believed it unfair that she had married him. His death had been mysterious, as he had died outside in the garden, but ruled natural after the Elemental Technicians, Gatesmiths, and Safesmiths had their investigation. It was only when the pearls went missing that more questions were raised, but a full investigation was not done, for they were all that went missing. She had called in many a Gatesmith to find them, but all came back inconclusive, unable to find the pearls.

The pearls were always kept in their safe box on her vanity, but when she went to find them the box was missing. Her husband had been coming back from the center of town, had crossed into the garden where they had found him dead and so Gatesmiths before him had wondered if he had sent the pearls in to be cleaned. The box to hold them had been found in the garden, but the pearls had not been. It had only added to the mystery, and no one seemed to know how to find them.

“I have found them.” He spoke as smoothly as he could.
“Where? Who took them?” Antionette Cavalé demanded.
“No one took them.” Leander shook his head. He then looked to the back. “If I may?”
Antionette Cavalé gave him a curt nod before he looked to Lini, “Stay here and comfort her if you will.”

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini raised her eyebrows at his use of the term friend. She wondered if Lee had ever had friends before, he seemed so stoic and professional. It seemed unnatural for someone in their twenties. But she kept silent and followed him and the woman into the house. It was beautifully decorated with lots of fine wood lining the floors, and portraits strewn about.

She listened to Lee talk, noting how comfortable he seemed with this woman, he was actually being...nice to her. It was interesting. His personality while working is somehow completely distinct. There was a lightness in his eyes, and a cool relaxation that seemed to calm the older woman as well as she further excused herself to go make some tea. Lee was very meticulous and had a smile on his face as he retuned and continued to speak about the woman's inheritance and her missing pearls.

“Stay here and comfort her if you will.”

Lini nodded and smiled at the woman before taking her hands again in hers. They were steadier now, and so she continued to flow energy from her body to the older woman's. Focusing on helping her feel calm and peaceful. She didn't notice the slight green aura around her as both of them waited for Lee's return.

 

[SalemKitty]

Leander left the room without another word. Crossing through the house, he came to the woman’s bedroom and quickly made his way to the familiar box that had once held the pearls. Lifting it, he felt its weight and on the velvet the familiar protection spells that had been inscribed into the box. All who had seen it, had thought that it was simply a holding box made to protect something dear. Most other Gatesmiths also didn’t have the training in mixed magic like Leander did. Leander knew the handiwork on the box better than most did, not because the creator was of Flyte & Throne, but because of her infamy.

It was obvious that the Gatesmiths before him would not recognize the box. There was no signature place upon it and the creator’s magic signature could not be felt. For most it would be a simple box created by any Creation Technician, only Leander was trained to find these inconsistencies. Not all creators left their signatures on their creations for many reasons most being: secrecy. Flyte & Throne were the masters of secrecy, and how many times had he interacted with a creation by this box’s creator, that laid without her signatures? Far too many times. Leander may not be able to pick out on sight if something was made by a specific creator, but he could tell how masterful the handiwork was.

This box was well created and unlike it’s creator’s later works. However, the box was created decades ago. So Leander had to dip into his training knowledge on all Masters in existence and their backgrounds that he knew. One had to think of the time in the past, who were the masters at that time? Who were their apprentices? Who were well known enough for a man such as Carter Cavalé to ask for assistance? Who of those individuals would Leander recognize the handiwork of? Who of those were skilled enough to create the intricate spell that he assumed laid on the box, should he be correct? Narrow down the options and only one option came to be.

The option was a Master, still alive to this day and her apprentice, a young genius (and still genius). There was a probability that the Master would have taken on the assignment due to the identity of the client. However, Leander was inclined to believe, based on the age of the Master and her Master, as well as her skill, this could have been one of her first assignments. It wasn’t too had of a design as some of her later works, but it was far too difficult for someone on their first assignments — unless it was a genius. It was also far too sloppy for a Master. It left him with the one option, and even if he had narrowed it down to two, he knew how to open it.

With one, he could seem more sure of himself at least. It was an important part of his job: being sure.

Box in hand, Leander walked back and didn’t ask any questions as to the situation he found Lini and Antionette Cavalé in. Green aura around them, and calmed looks, Leander knew that close to nothing had occurred between the two. Not that he cared.
“Your husband did not want the pearls to be taken or stollen ever, and so he got this customized box for you to place them in when ever you did not wear them.” Leander approached Antionette.
“Yes. He hated when I did not place them inside, when we were younger.”
“With good reason. The spells inlaid on this box are special spells as well as a secret that most would not be able to identify.”
“A secret?”
“Evangeline Arline, does the name ring a bell?”
“Yes?”
Leander was certain she had a knowledge of the name but not the power the name held. He also knew that Lini would know the power of the name. “Evangeline Arline is the most well known Bodysmith in the world and she also so happens to be the one who created this box for your husband as perhaps one of her first projects. Today Lady Arline is known for her creations that are unlike any other, and I believe this to be one of them.”

Leander knelt down next to Antionette Cavalé, and placed her hands on the box. Leander had no idea how the inlaid spells completely worked for sure, but he was under the impression that the box had a pocket space included for protection, which would seal the pearls away in the event they were stollen. The box had to have been bound to Antionette’s husband and herself, and so Leander knew she could get them to appear once more.

Together, Leander helped her open the box to reveal that nothing was inside. Leander did not need his spell cards for this. In fact he was almost certain that if he tried, he would fail himself. It had to be her.
“Antionette, I am about to do something that you may find uncomfortable, but please let it pass. It’ll be but a moment, and when I release my hands from yours, I want you to say ‘Revert’ and open the box.”
“What are you to do?” The woman asked him.
“Have you heard of magic channeling?”
She looked to Lini and then back to Leander, “No.”
“It is a skill used by Technicians to help magic flow. It is a skill Healers specialize in as well as Creation Technicians. For Healers they channel the magic through the body o heal, and for Creators through inanimate objects to create. This box will only react to you, but you need a little bit of magic to jump start it.”
“My husband had no magic.” She disagreed.
“This I know, and I believe that Lady Arline inlaid a reserve of magic in the box that was all used up in the years of protection, and the last effort of your husband. I am to provide you with the magic necessary to not only open it but refill those reserves. Do you trust me?”
“They are really here?”
“Yes.” Leander hated when clients doubted him.
“Alright.” She looked to the box, and Leander did not wait a second more to channel the magic he had calculated into her body and then directed it into the box in her hands. He secretly thanked Lini for having done a similar thing with her healing magic before. Antionette was already adjusted to the channeling of the magic as it was, regardless of how uncomfortable it may be otherwise. The moment his hands were off of hers she nearly froze.

Leander could sense his magic being sucked from her hands and into the box away all too quickly. “Revert.” He reminded her.
“Revert.” She repeated in a shaky voice and then the magic was gone and nothing changed. Antionette looked up to him. Leander eyed the box and then went back to her own.
“Well?” He offered his hand to the box.
With trembling hands the woman opened the box to reveal the pearls inside, shining and clean, perfectly maintained, and easily removed.
“The words to seal them would be ‘Adapt.’” Leander informed her. “In the event you must hide them once more.”
Antionette Cavalé was crying, slowly touching the pearls. Leander swiftly moved from before her to behind her, taking the pearls in his hands carefully, and then latching them around her neck even more gracefully. She let him do so and then hugged him.
“Thank you.” She cried.
“I am sorry for your loss, but your husband loved you dearly. Be weary of your neighbors, for I do suspect you are right about them having ill will towards you. If you’d like I could set up a defense for you.”
“Oh, no I couldn’t ask that.”
“Antionette,” Leander smiled at her. “It is the least I can do. My mission was to help you, and I must see to it that you are fully helped.”

Her mission had been written as ‘help me. help me find my pearls.’ Flyte & Thorne did not do things half way, and the Cavalé fortune was an asset that could help Flyte & Throne United through donation.
“Lini, please help our dear friend as I fortify her lands and house, would you?” Leander asked Lini as he slowly let go of Ms. Antionette and walked out of the house.

 

[Purplefairygirl22]

Lini stared quietly around the house while holding the woman's hands. The walls were covered in paintings, and the cloth of the chairs they were sat upon were all expertly crafted. The woman obviously had plenty of money. She wondered why she was so suspicious of her neighbors. She gasped slightly after realizing that her spell was a little too strong because the woman was starting to fall asleep into her tea.

Lini chatted vaguely with the woman, intending to keep her identity from her. She hated the way people treated her when they found out that she was an Orenda. There was always so much bowing and formality, it drove her crazy. After briefly insinuating that Leander would make a wonderful husband for her and their children would be adorable, Lini jumped to her feet, almost spilling her tea at the sight of Lee reentering the room. 'Oh, thank the gods!'

She smiled and moved so that she stood near the corner of the room as Lee approached the woman with a intricately carved box in his hands. She watched intensely as he explained his theory and the reasoning behind the disappearance of the pearls and her eyebrows arched in surprised. He was very methodical and intelligent about his work, but he was also incredibly kind and understanding towards this old woman to whom he had no connection. She was incredibly impressed. As Lee left to go and fortify the house she turned towards the woman.

"I'm very sorry for your loss Antionette," Lini began taking the woman's hand gently. "Now what I want you to do is to get lots of good rest, make sure to have some lavender and camomile infusions in your tea and your baths. Be gentle with yourself, things will get better." And with a gentle squeeze of Antionette's hand, Lini wandered outside of the house, looking for Lee.

 

[SalemKitty]

Drawing the seals to protect the house, with his magic, was simple, quick, and mostly tedious. If it weren’t for the fact that she was a potential major sponsor, he wouldn’t have bothered. Only she was, and he’d been sent specifically because he was the younger grandson-son type, forever looking like a child. He did not let the irritation of the work stop him form making the spell circles to the best of his abilities, and then sealing them away with “vanish” to make it seem like they were not there.

He knew what he knew about her neighbors and family. They were not to be trusted, and for as much as her husband’s death was ruled natural… it still could have been a murder. Lee had no clue, for he had not seen the body. He knew that there was a lot of jealousy and negative intent towards Antionette. He knew that there were many reasons that her husbands death would be good: transfer of wealth back to his family and control over the company. Only, the investigation had come up fruitless.

Additionally, without anyone knowing, her husband had reworked his will to give everything to his wife. Even his company. It was why Flye & Thorne cared so much. Her funding was highly sought after, as was her protection. In truth, he had been give orders to try to get her to move to a city where she could be watched and Lee had instilled the thought as best as he could. If she moved, he would know soon enough. Until then, he’d protect her from any harm. His mission was to help her, thoroughly. Convincing her was secondary, but was natural if he'd worked his charm over her well enough.

“Lini.” Leander felt the technician approach him, the moment the seals on the grounds vanished. “I asked you to stay with her.”