[The dark has ever been a second home to him. Perhaps that's why he's had an easier than expected time of feeling the void, as it were. He should be grateful: Loath though he is to steal another's vitality for himself, the spell's been as good a first step as any in acquainting himself with the unfamiliar magic of the worlds.
But fire is another story. Fire is unfettered—passion given form—and far more suited for dancing beside rose-colored locks than reflecting off of weary eyes. Where her flames once protected him from their foes' onslaughts, what embers he manages to conjure here peter out like snuffed candles. Still, he makes another attempt and gives into the slightest of winces when he hears the door off to the side.
Seated on the floor of the meditation room with his hands held out in front of him, one of which sports a red spot where he's burned himself, he moves to rise as he musters a light smile.]
to be honest, rutile doesn't expect these rooms to be empty. there's a fair amount of people within dodo's walls, and enough of them are surely of the same mind as him in terms of practicing what's been given to them and grasping at what seems a little bit lost. so, it's not roland's presence that makes him jump. there's a slow blink at first, and then an apologetic smile, as rutile lingers in the doorway— ]
Mister Roland. No, I'm sorry for interrupt—
[ —this is where he starts, as his focus falls on the state of roland's held out hands, even as they shift while he's moving to stand.
how quickly rutile moves then, from respectfully on the sidelines to RESPECTFULLY CLOSE!!! his hands rise up from his sides as if to grasp roland's in concern, though he ultimately doesn't. ]
Even now, it's strange to be addressed by name so familiarly by others. But what's stranger is Rutile's abrupt pause, and the way he leaps forward. Roland's expression evens out in faint surprise as he follows the direction of Rutile's hands to one of his in question.
Lowering the hand with the red patch, he lifts his head with another smile.]
Just the result of a mistake during practice. You needn't worry.
just kidding. but roland's reassurances and smile are enough to ease the slight worry on rutile's face as he returns that look with a smile of his own. injuries during practice aren't exactly unheard of, and it helps that the one roland's ended up with is relatively minor. ]
I see... You've been working hard, haven't you?
[ proof as it is of the effort put forth, and small as it may be, it is still an injury. while roland lowers his hand, rutile keeps his up in front of him, upturned palms outstretched and offered in a silent request.
well. not so silent. rutile makes his intentions quite clear shortly after this, voice soft as he asks: ]
May I take a look? I know healing magic, so... if it's all right, I'd like to help.
Hard? No, hardly. He's done little more than fumble in recent days. Healing is his sister's talent, not his, and the absence of finesse has been painfully clear to him. But he has been at work, and this in tandem with the hands that remain proffered give him pause.
A beat later, he raises his injured hand again with a nod. Although Rutile's magic is better off spent on someone else, it would be a slight against Rutile's kindness to refuse again.]
Thank you.
[He lowers his hand to hover over the space between Rutile's pair, offering it for inspection.]
[ a closer glance at roland's injury makes it clearer that this won't be something rutile needs to exert himself for, regardless of his (even more) limited magic... which is a fortunate thing.
fortunate in that it's confirmation that roland wasn't too badly injured, and confirmation that rutile can help. he doesn't quite make the move to close the gap between their hands just yet, opting instead to move his gaze upwards to meet roland's eyes in his own gesture of reassurance. ]
Is it my turn to tell you not to worry, Mister Roland? [ a tiny laugh, playful and bright. ] My magic is a little weaker here, but this shouldn't be too difficult... and I'd rather push myself for something like this! I'm just relieved you weren't hurt worse. Now, excuse me.
[ it's with that polite warning that rutile moves to hold roland's hand between both of his, and— ]
[ ... and oddly enough, that move makes an unexpected emotion settle within his heart, when skin touches skin. it's disorienting enough for him to clumsily pause over, the next steps of his healing tumbling out of his mind in favor of grasping something familiar and comforting, nostalgic and warm.
like he'd stepped into a beloved garden, found a particularly lovely flower he'd immortalized in his mind, and...
he blinks. ]
A-ah. I'm sorry, I... This shouldn't need more than a simple spell, but please let me know if you feel anything strange.
[His expression unfurls from the sudden bloom of emotion, like a flowering bud, from somewhere deep within himself. It's warm, comforting—inviting. Something distantly familiar, yet so alien at once. His chest clenches, then quietly unclenches as he snaps back to awareness enough to give a small nod.]
Yes, of course.
[The feeling that lingers inside of him, echoing like a faded whisper—does that qualify as something strange? Is it related to Rutile's magic? Roland, finding himself at a loss, can only wait.]
[ rutile assumes that moment of hesitation is a result of nervousness. perhaps it's a need to alleviate that, in tandem with the rush of feelings in his heart, that drives rutile's inexplicable urge to lightly squeeze roland's hand before he begins. ]
Ortonik Setomaouge.
[ but he does, finally.
with his head dipped and eyes closed, the whisper of his spell words brings a dim glow of warm, green light between his hands aimed at alleviating roland's burn. the relief doesn't come as quick as it would normally — there's a lot of things in the background that makes it a little more difficult — but it does come. along with a minor itch? that's fine.
what's important is that when rutile adjusts his hands once more so that roland's is merely sitting on top of his palms rather than held between them, there's no redness to be seen. what's also important is that rutile also doesn't draw away immediately when he's done, because somehow that seems wrong...? also fine. ]
Ta-daaa! It took a little longer than usual, but... there we are. How do you feel?
[As if coaxed away by the light conjured from unfamiliar words, the burning sting on his hand recedes into an odd itch. It's nothing so severe that he feels the need to pull away while Rutile holds onto him. In fact, he hardly feels a thing where his hand is concerned.
Looking down at their hands, one could be fooled into thinking that he's inspecting the healed burn. In reality, Roland's gaze lingers on the emotions that bubble up to the surface from an inexplicable place—so much so that he almost forgets to respond when his head lifts to meet Rutile's eyes.
He feels nostalgic, and not just because the nature of the spell reminds him of Cordelia.]
. . . It feels as though my hand healed in what ordinarily would've taken weeks in mere moments. Is that the nature of your magic?
[ ah, how rutile brightens. that statement is enough to put the confusion aside for just a moment — it's a clever conclusion and an answer to a question that wasn't asked, after all, and his nature as a teacher grasps onto the joy of that.
that's the reason for the leap in his heart, yes. and not the way roland looks up to meet his gaze. ]
Aha. You figured it out very quickly! [ an enthusiastic nod. ] That's the nature of this kind of spell, yes. It boosts what's already there — your own body's ability to recover. It's like we're working... together.
[ together.
how that word falls into place in such a strange way. and how it snaps rutile from those waves of emotions, reminding him of the nature of his position. carefully (reluctantly?), he sets roland's hand Free, drawing back his own hands to settle one gently over his chest. ]
Um... and I'd like to continue to do so. Feel free to let me know if you ever need healing in the future.
That would explain the itch (it doesn't), which becomes more pronounced with the absence of Rutile's hands. Roland lowers his own hand back to his side, and the strange feelings recede with the motion. Rutile's offer is kind, but not ideal as Roland returns it with an apologetic explanation:]
Truthfully, this was my attempt at learning it. I joined the menders guild, but I'm afraid I've no healing spells of which to speak . . .
[ Brakka doesn't know a single thing about flowers. At least the ones sold in "his" shop, anyway. The fact that his other life was centered around them was some kind of irony though, because yeah, this Brakka has spent years of his life worrying about a specific kind of flower, for completely different reasons. He could almost find it funny. Instead what he feels is a jumbled mix of feelings around what he perceives as an obligation to finish a job he started. Even if it wasn't "him". This stupid flower shop is the only reason he willingly visits the OFF world, side effects aside.
The hours he keeps are shorter, because he's not one to stand around and just wait, but there is figuring out how to catalogue merchandise and pretty much everything when it comes to being a shopkeep.
Case in point, the wide array of flowers scattered about the counter, some apparent organization going on. Regardless of who enters, Brakka doesn't look up, but calls out: ]
What do you need? [ That's about as welcoming as he can possibly get. ]
[ rutile seems to gain some sense of understanding with that explanation, along with something else. there's another strange feeling he has, but this one he can pin down quite easily. humans speaking so casually about using magic... or, well. human-assumed.
but it isn't a bad thing. if anything, that seems to inspire something of an idea in rutile, something that shows in the way his eyes brighten. ]
Learning a new kind of magic comes with time — you've just started.
[ he hums, lightly, before he continues: ]
But if that's what you were trying to practice... From one Mender to another— or, well, from a friend to another, would you like to learn together? I'm sure it would help to have someone else to consult while you're picking things up. Someone you can ask to see what works, or how things feel... Someone for direction and encouragement. For both of us.
[ it's how training was done at home, after all. and rutile prefers it to training alone, though he'll hardly slack on that if it's the only option he had.
also, when did they become friends? rutile decided this. rutile decided this right now, ]
Though I admit I'm not too sure how well the way I cast healing spells will translate, I want to help if I can.
[ rutile is taken aback by a lot of things when he walks in. for one, there's always a sense of something when he walks into a place with a lot of flowers. something calming, and lovely. perhaps that just came with the territory of it being a place where his magic is strongest, even if magic is something he can't quite grasp outside of dodo...
the second thing is the way that voice falls on his ears. where the flowers — and they're so nice here — provide an expected sense of nostalgia... the voice that calls out to him gives him an unexpected one. ]
Brakka...?
[ not mister brakka.
the name is more of a question. brekka's not someone rutile knows, but he's also someone he knows very well. someone who makes a hint of fondness bloom within his chest, where there should just be the excitement of getting to know someone better... ]
[They're friends now, at least in one perspective of the world.
What Rutile is saying makes sense. One learns faster by studying with another. Encouragement is something else, though, and speaks for Rutile's nature. While Roland is loath to impose on that thoughtfulness, he concedes to himself that he'll be of help sooner than later to others if he takes up the offer. It's with the hope that he can be helpful in return that he nods, smile widening a smidgen, after a moment of consideration.]
. . . Then I would be grateful for any assistance, as well as pleased to be of what service I can. Let us learn together . . . as companions.
[ He picks up his head instantaneously when he hears that voice, betrayed by the familiarity he shouldn't have, in memories he shouldn't have.
Ah.
There's gonna be no going about this in a smooth way, not that Brakka would know how to do that anyway. Briefly he had considered going through the motions, but looking at Rutile...there's no way Brakka has the heart to lie to him, nor the skills. His expression is stern and tone steady. It's best to cut to the chase.]
Yeah. And no you didn't. [ The him Rutile is looking for should have never existed. ]
[ well... this is a harder thing to navigate than he expects, though he shouldn't expect anything. it's the strange in between where he feels wrong ignoring the people that the other rutile found precious, but wrong slotting himself into the place he should've been.
no, he doesn't realize brakka is in the same situation.
still, he smiles and approaches the response — and the person who gave it — earnestly. the foreign memories get a little stronger in his mind as he does, but he does his best to place them gently to the side. ]
Jeez. Don't say that, I really did.
[ he thinks it's those little quips that brakka's prone to saying, and not a commentary on the fake relationship between them. even then, his statement isn't false. he would be here to see brakka regardless, knowing that the one who stood in front of him isn't the one he doesn't not know.
ah, ]
I wanted to...
[ tell you the truth, but those words don't quite make it, and he presses his lips together until another phrase slots into place: ]
... see how you were. Do you need help with what you're working on? The flowers today are lovely!
[ as always, he might've said, but it's not as always to him. ]
[ acceptance is a simple thing that pleases rutile more than it should, his hands softly clapping together in response. rather than imposing, rutile sees this just as roland says it — an opportunity for companionship, to help, and a mere given for two people who've ended up in the same place.
plus he sees the way roland's smile grows just a bit, and that's something too. ]
As companions. Thank you, Mister Roland!
[ thank you, he says. but he's always grateful when someone takes the metaphorical hand that he outstretches towards them, no matter what. ]
Did you want to continue where you left off? Or were you going to take a break for today?
[Thank you, he says. With a personality like that, Rutile should have people lining up to learn alongside him—people with whom he can build lasting friendships . . .
Stepping aside, Roland motions to the rest of the meditation room behind him.]
I was hoping to attempt the spell a few more times. Is there any in particular that you'd like to develop as well?
[After all, they're not here just for his own learning.]
The unfortunate part about owning a shop is that he can't just leave to exit the conversation. He's tempted to do so anyway, but despite knowing Rutile for all of 5 seconds (well, the memories in his mind help), he knows that would be futile. ]
If I say no, are you going to stick around anyway?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
action;
But fire is another story. Fire is unfettered—passion given form—and far more suited for dancing beside rose-colored locks than reflecting off of weary eyes. Where her flames once protected him from their foes' onslaughts, what embers he manages to conjure here peter out like snuffed candles. Still, he makes another attempt and gives into the slightest of winces when he hears the door off to the side.
Seated on the floor of the meditation room with his hands held out in front of him, one of which sports a red spot where he's burned himself, he moves to rise as he musters a light smile.]
Greetings. Are you in need of this room?
no subject
to be honest, rutile doesn't expect these rooms to be empty. there's a fair amount of people within dodo's walls, and enough of them are surely of the same mind as him in terms of practicing what's been given to them and grasping at what seems a little bit lost. so, it's not roland's presence that makes him jump. there's a slow blink at first, and then an apologetic smile, as rutile lingers in the doorway— ]
Mister Roland. No, I'm sorry for interrupt—
[ —this is where he starts, as his focus falls on the state of roland's held out hands, even as they shift while he's moving to stand.
how quickly rutile moves then, from respectfully on the sidelines to RESPECTFULLY CLOSE!!! his hands rise up from his sides as if to grasp roland's in concern, though he ultimately doesn't. ]
—Ah, your hand...!
[ goodbye, quiet meditation room. ]
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Even now, it's strange to be addressed by name so familiarly by others. But what's stranger is Rutile's abrupt pause, and the way he leaps forward. Roland's expression evens out in faint surprise as he follows the direction of Rutile's hands to one of his in question.
Lowering the hand with the red patch, he lifts his head with another smile.]
Just the result of a mistake during practice. You needn't worry.
no subject
just kidding. but roland's reassurances and smile are enough to ease the slight worry on rutile's face as he returns that look with a smile of his own. injuries during practice aren't exactly unheard of, and it helps that the one roland's ended up with is relatively minor. ]
I see... You've been working hard, haven't you?
[ proof as it is of the effort put forth, and small as it may be, it is still an injury. while roland lowers his hand, rutile keeps his up in front of him, upturned palms outstretched and offered in a silent request.
well. not so silent. rutile makes his intentions quite clear shortly after this, voice soft as he asks: ]
May I take a look? I know healing magic, so... if it's all right, I'd like to help.
no subject
Hard? No, hardly. He's done little more than fumble in recent days. Healing is his sister's talent, not his, and the absence of finesse has been painfully clear to him. But he has been at work, and this in tandem with the hands that remain proffered give him pause.
A beat later, he raises his injured hand again with a nod. Although Rutile's magic is better off spent on someone else, it would be a slight against Rutile's kindness to refuse again.]
Thank you.
[He lowers his hand to hover over the space between Rutile's pair, offering it for inspection.]
But pray don't exert yourself.
/2
fortunate in that it's confirmation that roland wasn't too badly injured, and confirmation that rutile can help. he doesn't quite make the move to close the gap between their hands just yet, opting instead to move his gaze upwards to meet roland's eyes in his own gesture of reassurance. ]
Is it my turn to tell you not to worry, Mister Roland? [ a tiny laugh, playful and bright. ] My magic is a little weaker here, but this shouldn't be too difficult... and I'd rather push myself for something like this! I'm just relieved you weren't hurt worse. Now, excuse me.
[ it's with that polite warning that rutile moves to hold roland's hand between both of his, and— ]
no subject
like he'd stepped into a beloved garden, found a particularly lovely flower he'd immortalized in his mind, and...
he blinks. ]
A-ah. I'm sorry, I... This shouldn't need more than a simple spell, but please let me know if you feel anything strange.
[ focus, rutile, focus. ]
no subject
Yes, of course.
[The feeling that lingers inside of him, echoing like a faded whisper—does that qualify as something strange? Is it related to Rutile's magic? Roland, finding himself at a loss, can only wait.]
no subject
Ortonik Setomaouge.
[ but he does, finally.
with his head dipped and eyes closed, the whisper of his spell words brings a dim glow of warm, green light between his hands aimed at alleviating roland's burn. the relief doesn't come as quick as it would normally — there's a lot of things in the background that makes it a little more difficult — but it does come. along with a minor itch? that's fine.
what's important is that when rutile adjusts his hands once more so that roland's is merely sitting on top of his palms rather than held between them, there's no redness to be seen. what's also important is that rutile also doesn't draw away immediately when he's done, because somehow that seems wrong...? also fine. ]
Ta-daaa! It took a little longer than usual, but... there we are. How do you feel?
no subject
Looking down at their hands, one could be fooled into thinking that he's inspecting the healed burn. In reality, Roland's gaze lingers on the emotions that bubble up to the surface from an inexplicable place—so much so that he almost forgets to respond when his head lifts to meet Rutile's eyes.
He feels nostalgic, and not just because the nature of the spell reminds him of Cordelia.]
. . . It feels as though my hand healed in what ordinarily would've taken weeks in mere moments. Is that the nature of your magic?
no subject
that's the reason for the leap in his heart, yes. and not the way roland looks up to meet his gaze. ]
Aha. You figured it out very quickly! [ an enthusiastic nod. ] That's the nature of this kind of spell, yes. It boosts what's already there — your own body's ability to recover. It's like we're working... together.
[ together.
how that word falls into place in such a strange way. and how it snaps rutile from those waves of emotions, reminding him of the nature of his position. carefully (reluctantly?), he sets roland's hand Free, drawing back his own hands to settle one gently over his chest. ]
Um... and I'd like to continue to do so. Feel free to let me know if you ever need healing in the future.
no subject
That would explain the itch (it doesn't), which becomes more pronounced with the absence of Rutile's hands. Roland lowers his own hand back to his side, and the strange feelings recede with the motion. Rutile's offer is kind, but not ideal as Roland returns it with an apologetic explanation:]
Truthfully, this was my attempt at learning it. I joined the menders guild, but I'm afraid I've no healing spells of which to speak . . .
action;
The hours he keeps are shorter, because he's not one to stand around and just wait, but there is figuring out how to catalogue merchandise and pretty much everything when it comes to being a shopkeep.
Case in point, the wide array of flowers scattered about the counter, some apparent organization going on. Regardless of who enters, Brakka doesn't look up, but calls out: ]
What do you need? [ That's about as welcoming as he can possibly get. ]
no subject
but it isn't a bad thing. if anything, that seems to inspire something of an idea in rutile, something that shows in the way his eyes brighten. ]
Learning a new kind of magic comes with time — you've just started.
[ he hums, lightly, before he continues: ]
But if that's what you were trying to practice... From one Mender to another— or, well, from a friend to another, would you like to learn together? I'm sure it would help to have someone else to consult while you're picking things up. Someone you can ask to see what works, or how things feel... Someone for direction and encouragement. For both of us.
[ it's how training was done at home, after all. and rutile prefers it to training alone, though he'll hardly slack on that if it's the only option he had.
also, when did they become friends? rutile decided this. rutile decided this right now, ]
Though I admit I'm not too sure how well the way I cast healing spells will translate, I want to help if I can.
no subject
the second thing is the way that voice falls on his ears. where the flowers — and they're so nice here — provide an expected sense of nostalgia... the voice that calls out to him gives him an unexpected one. ]
Brakka...?
[ not mister brakka.
the name is more of a question. brekka's not someone rutile knows, but he's also someone he knows very well. someone who makes a hint of fondness bloom within his chest, where there should just be the excitement of getting to know someone better... ]
Hello! I came to see you.
[ wow. what a statement.
but it's true. ]
no subject
[They're friends now, at least in one perspective of the world.
What Rutile is saying makes sense. One learns faster by studying with another. Encouragement is something else, though, and speaks for Rutile's nature. While Roland is loath to impose on that thoughtfulness, he concedes to himself that he'll be of help sooner than later to others if he takes up the offer. It's with the hope that he can be helpful in return that he nods, smile widening a smidgen, after a moment of consideration.]
. . . Then I would be grateful for any assistance, as well as pleased to be of what service I can. Let us learn together . . . as companions.
no subject
Ah.
There's gonna be no going about this in a smooth way, not that Brakka would know how to do that anyway. Briefly he had considered going through the motions, but looking at Rutile...there's no way Brakka has the heart to lie to him, nor the skills. His expression is stern and tone steady. It's best to cut to the chase.]
Yeah. And no you didn't. [ The him Rutile is looking for should have never existed. ]
no subject
no, he doesn't realize brakka is in the same situation.
still, he smiles and approaches the response — and the person who gave it — earnestly. the foreign memories get a little stronger in his mind as he does, but he does his best to place them gently to the side. ]
Jeez. Don't say that, I really did.
[ he thinks it's those little quips that brakka's prone to saying, and not a commentary on the fake relationship between them. even then, his statement isn't false. he would be here to see brakka regardless, knowing that the one who stood in front of him isn't the one he doesn't not know.
ah, ]
I wanted to...
[ tell you the truth, but those words don't quite make it, and he presses his lips together until another phrase slots into place: ]
... see how you were. Do you need help with what you're working on? The flowers today are lovely!
[ as always, he might've said, but it's not as always to him. ]
no subject
plus he sees the way roland's smile grows just a bit, and that's something too. ]
As companions. Thank you, Mister Roland!
[ thank you, he says. but he's always grateful when someone takes the metaphorical hand that he outstretches towards them, no matter what. ]
Did you want to continue where you left off? Or were you going to take a break for today?
no subject
Stepping aside, Roland motions to the rest of the meditation room behind him.]
I was hoping to attempt the spell a few more times. Is there any in particular that you'd like to develop as well?
[After all, they're not here just for his own learning.]
no subject
[ Augh.
The unfortunate part about owning a shop is that he can't just leave to exit the conversation. He's tempted to do so anyway, but despite knowing Rutile for all of 5 seconds (well, the memories in his mind help), he knows that would be futile. ]
If I say no, are you going to stick around anyway?