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[we_bring_hell]

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.

Comments

[we_bring_hell]

"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."

[blue_ajah]

She raises her eyebrows.

"Oh?"

[we_bring_hell]

"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."

[blue_ajah]

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?"

[we_bring_hell]

"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."

[blue_ajah]

"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?"

[we_bring_hell]

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."

[blue_ajah]

"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."

[we_bring_hell]

"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."

[blue_ajah]

"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."

[we_bring_hell]

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."

[blue_ajah]

"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?"

[we_bring_hell]

"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."

[blue_ajah]

"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."

[we_bring_hell]

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

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

[blue_ajah]

"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.

[we_bring_hell]

Light dawns on her face. "Ah yes--I had wondered how you might address that problem. I think that could work. It would slow down the transcription, but you will write it once and read it many times."

[blue_ajah]

"Perhaps, if you are willing," she suggests, "we might try diagramming one together."

[we_bring_hell]

"Certainly," she says, shuffling her own diagrams together into a heap she can set aside.

"Did you intend to use the foundation of the spiral? Or did you find a better way to represent the concept of weaving?"

[blue_ajah]

"The spiral, I think," Moiraine says.

"Although perhaps modified to show interaction between flows by using connecting lines. Something like a spiderweb, in that regard."

She studies the colored pencils for a few moments, then selects shades of crimson red, orange, and sky blue.

[we_bring_hell]

She taps her chin thoughtfully, and cocks her head to look at Moiraine's previous diagram of the wheel of time. "Perhaps with five spokes? For standardization, so the notation can follow a consistent schema. It may be that some of the elements are set to zero from the beginning and never increased, but they exist like... like the zeroes in place value, if you see what I mean?"

"Although that does open up the problem of standardizing an order..."

"Did you want it to spiral in or out?" Her spells spiral in to a center, and that's her instinct, but Moiraine's magic is rooted in growth, not decay.

[blue_ajah]

"One for each of the Five Powers," she observes. "Yes, I think that should work.

"The rendering of the spiral would appear the same either way, would it not? I do not see that it makes much difference, in this case, given that the threads of the weave will cross and blend in the diagram, would you not agree?"

She is not certain, as this is a new mechanic for her, and thus the question is sincerely asked as of another Aes Sedai, rather than in a rhetorical sense.

[we_bring_hell]

She nods, thinking. "I agree, I think--only if we begin from the center, the different threads begin closer together. It may be easier to render.... or more confusing."

"We can experiment."

[blue_ajah]

There is more than a hint of wry amusement in the dark-eyed glance she gives Harrow, but she nods.

"Indeed we can. I have already chosen a first weave to attempt to document in this way. It uses two of the Five Powers - Air and Fire."

Her lips curve in a serene smile.

"And, if it turns out that this process enables you to mimic the weaving with your own working, it may be a useful one for you to know."

[we_bring_hell]

"Oh?" She lifts an eyebrow. "What does it do?"

"I have not yet been able to generate the... differentiated thanergy without using your weaves as a starting point. But that is a problem for a different day."