we_bring_hell | (no subject)

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Harrowhark is in the bar, wearing the style of facepaint known as the Vanitas, with no lower teeth and sharp angular edges. It's good to be back in her makeup, even if the consecration was a greater undertaking than anticipated.

Although she is formally painted from the neck up, she is wearing some of the more informal clothes her room had supplied; soft trousers and a hoodie all in black. She is not wearing gloves today, because her palms are wrapped in bandages, but it is the kind of wound she is used to dealing with and it is healing quickly. The pinpricks of pain around her lips are worse, if only because it's been a very long time since she underwent the ritual of the Sewn Tongue.

She is diagramming spirals on paper, working in ink rather than blood right now. She can't spare any blood currently. She has refreshments to share, if you like faintly cucumber-flavored water and very bland, crumbly biscuits.

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The Aes Sedai studies her.

"Given the nature of your workings, then, it may matter to know that the ships in question have a connection to the dead."

Harrow's eyes widen. "Yes, definitely significant."

She shakes her head and jots a note. "No harm came of it, but there was much greater spiritual activation than anticipated."

She nods.

"The black ship - the Black Pearl, it is called - and its captain came here as the dead do, arriving through the lake in the area that later became the inlet."

Given Merriman Lyon's involvement in the surrounding events, Moiraine herself had taken a particular interest in learning everything that she could.

"The inlet was later transformed, which allowed the arrival of a ship called the Flying Dutchman. The Dutchman and its captain ferry the dead between worlds. They pulled the Pearl and Captain Sparrow back through the inlet to a place beyond. From time to time, the Dutchman and Captain Turner will still appear in the inlet to visit."

"Psychopomps!" she says, with definite interest and attending scribbles. "How fascinating."

"How often I find myself wishing Abigail Pent were still alive," she mutters thoughtfully.

"I presume that she would have particular insight?" she asks.

"If it is of interest to you, I believe Captain Sparrow also continues to visit Milliways. Should you meet him, you might inquire further."

"The Fifth are spirit adepts by stereotype," she says, "in the same way that the Ninth are bone magicians. But Abigail specifically was an expert."

"A grim irony, when we could not raise her. Or perhaps an intentional one; removing our most accomplished ghost-speaker in the first strike."

"It could be coincidence, but I find that unlikely," Moiraine agrees. "Is it unusual, to be unable to raise someone in that fashion?"

"No," she says. "Not if the ritual is enacted in time. In the normal course of things, any of the seven surviving necromancers would have expected to be able to contact them, especially given that it was a violent and unexpected death."

"But in the same way I could say that any necromancer can raise and control a construct. There are degrees of skill in all things. A true ghost-talker can call out into the River and summon even ghosts long laid to rest, or penetrate the shell of self-absorption and illusion around a raging revenant."

"I have never favored spirit magic myself," she says with a frown. "All of the power is in the hands of the ghosts. The artistry lies in the adept's ability to beseech and persuade."

Neither of which Harrow has cultivated, as may be obvious.

"It is not a type of magic with which I myself am overly familiar," the Aes Sedai muses.

"Although I have known others who are skilled with it."

"I have met one or two as well," she says. "Indeed, I believe another factor in my ceremony was that I underestimated the capabilities of the other participants."

She raises her eyebrows.

"Oh?"

"Yes--perhaps I was not experienced enough with the potential of the art they call cultivation," she says.

"They use music to invoke spirits, and I invited the accompaniment without truly considering it as a factor in addition to the more familiar rites." She taps her pen on the paper thoughtfully.

"I am not sure if we truly caught the attention of the spirits who appeared to us, or simply echoes of their impressions on our own souls. But I intended no such effect at all. It was a common rite to acknowledge the spirits of the Nine Houses and establish a sacred geography for the consecration to follow. It should have been purely routine."

Cultivation as a magical practice, as it happens, is something that the Aes Sedai has herself just learned of recently.

"I see," she murmurs. "Using music to invoke spirits, did you say?"

A beat of silence falls.

"Is that art one taught in Yunmeng Jiang, perhaps? Or Gusu Lan?"

"Gusu Lan," Harrow says. "I was assisted by Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian. Wei Wuxian is a necromancer and has often voiced interest in such things, and while Lan Wangji would never consider himself such, he is a loyal friend and I thought would be happier as a participant."

She is not anything like stupid enough to imagine that she is sneaking any topics up on Moiraine; the other woman has been having sensitive, cautious conversations longer than Harrow has been alive. But if Moiraine wants to talk about it, they can talk about it. If not... okay.

"He was my musician, and I did not expect his facility with spirits to be as strong as it was, given that. But the definition of terms is so often imprecise, between worlds, and the Universe delights in humbling me."

Edited 2020-09-16 17:38 (UTC)

"I see," she says again. "I am acquainted with Master Wei, but I have not met Lan Wangji as yet."

Everything about her manner appears tranquil.

"No harm came of it, though, you said; it was merely unexpected?"

She nods. "No physical harm. Exposure to spirits can be emotionally difficult, especially if they are familiar, or more powerful."

"Wei Wuxian had to withdraw from the ritual and I had to break my silence and conclude the ceremony alone. I believe he was chagrined to have to step away, but the fault was mine for the miscalculation."

"Of course," the Aes Sedai says, thinking of certain events in Twin Peaks. "Such things could be very difficult indeed, I imagine. Matters involving the risen dead are very different in the world where I was born, but I am not entirely unfamiliar with the type of exposure that you describe."

"I admit to some surprise that Master Wei had to withdraw, but I am pleased to hear that you were able to successfully conclude the ritual."

"Perhaps he would have been all right, but I did not wish any further trouble to come to him as a result of assisting me. If nothing else, Lan Wangji would never forgive me," she says, with a wry note.

"Wei Wuxian indicated that you and he had met," she adds. "I have no desire to insert myself into issues that are not my business, but I believe I would feel false if I did not acknowledge that at this point."

"I see," the Aes Sedai murmurs. "Then as you refer to 'issues,' I suspect he may have mentioned that we did not part on the best of terms."

She shakes her head, very slightly.

"I found him to be a bright and engaging young man, but I believe that I may have given offense during our conversation. Unintentionally, as it happens, but the fact remains all the same. It is regrettable, to be certain."

She nods. "He is sensitive, because his practice is forbidden in his own world and this fact has, I believe, caused him some great distress. He has been very pleased to meet another necromancer, I know."

"He was concerned you meant me harm, but I told him I had little fear of that. Losing consciousness in front of someone is an event that builds trust."

"I appreciate your insight," Moiraine tells her. "I can certainly see how such an experience might trouble him."

Among other things.

"And you are correct - although I hope such unconsciousness will not need to be a repeated event to provide reassurance!"

Moiraine smiles at her.

"Still, it seems to have been kind of him to share his concerns with you. You are friends, as well as colleagues of a sort, I might presume?"

"I have very little experience with having friends," she admits. "But that might be fair to say. Both he and Lan Wangji have shown me consideration and I have enjoyed our conversations."

"As I enjoy ours," she adds, edging out over the abyss. "And have appreciated your consideration."

"I do, as well," the Aes Sedai replies. "Both conversing with you, and also I appreciate your consideration in sharing your skills, among other things."

Her traitor ears glow pink, but all she says is, "Good."

"Have you made any progress with diagramming your weaves?"

Edited 2020-09-16 18:43 (UTC)

"Some," she says, and flips the sketch pad to a clean page.

"I thought perhaps using different colors to represent the different weaves as I see them might be beneficial."

Moiraine glances at Harrow.