[Closed]

[chronosynthesis]

Who: Syrlya and Strange
When: Day 90
Where: Their trailer
What: Syrlya finishes working out a new portal spell shortly after they leave Eden

Syrlya's injuries are, thankfully, not debilitating. Shamshel left long, nasty iron-claw scars across his chest, but the wound it shallow enough that he's not restricted to rest in the medical tent. The rest of his injuries are even more superficial, so once he has the wounds cleaned and bandaged he's back to the trailer--and back to work. He's down to just his pants for the comfort, which reveals under the bandages the bone-like pattern that's discolored the leaves along his spine and ribs--and a growth of what looks like feathers, dark purple, from his tailbone. He's trying to ignore that.

The mirror's been pulled down from the bathroom again, although this time propped against a bookshelf in the trailer rather than laying on the floor among the papers. He has a short knife he's used to edge runes into the back of it, running along the side, and the glass is now clouded by the swirling, incomplete entrance of a portal. He waits for a minute, and once he assures the stability he grins.

"I've got it!" He says with more enthusiasm than he meets anything else likely, tapping the knife against the side of the mirror.

Comments

[chronosynthesis]

"Other races can learn to manipulate it, but our connection is more innate." He also has no idea how exactly that manipulation goes, but it's... probably similar to how Strange describes it. Although it's more coaxing the magic to coax the plant.

That's familiar enough, though, and he nods. "Humans in Tyria have similar texts regarding their worship of their gods, as well as shrines and priests."

There's a pause, because now that one god's a dead defector and the other five have fucked off, he wonders what that's actually going to mean for humanity's future. He can't relate to religious devotion, but he's seen how deeply it permeates their society.

"Anyway--" he waves his hand. "We have less history to write down, so we have not adopted the need to put everything into books and scrolls yet. Most Mentors give their lessons orally."

[kingsroads]

He frowns a little as Syrlya mentions the lack of written history. It's not the lack of books that bothers Strange: he's not as much of a bibliophile as he comes off as. It's the fact that giving lessons orally means relying on your own memory.

"That has it's own problems," Strange remarks, with a sigh. "Even something that's happened a few months ago can easily be forgotten. I can think of plenty of events and plenty of things that I wish I'd written down as soon as they happened."

Most notably, the prophecy of the Raven King that he was given. Still, hindsight is 20/20 and Strange doesn't look too terribly beat up about it.

[chronosynthesis]

"I know," Syrlya respond quickly, resting his chin on his hand. "It isn't that we never write, but remember as a people we have only been around for about thirty years. We are still deciding if we are going to develop a written language of our own, or continue to rely on New Krytan."

They're making cultural baby steps by virtue of... well, being a baby culture. What's already there was fairly quick to develop among them based on their biological differences to the other races, and everything else is adopted from those who came before them.

He shrugs. "I am certain the Luminaries and scholars will find the best way to handle our growing history. I do not see the Grove much these days, but things are changing so quickly for us."

[kingsroads]

Strange can't help but smile, giving Syrlya a little nod as he adds in his own two cents about grappling with rapidly changing cultures. After all, he has a little bit of experience with that, even though he knows the revival of magic over a ten or so year period is quite different than an entire new race sprouting almost overnight.

"Better the scholars handle the history than the politicians. Speaking from experience, they rarely get anything done." Which Strange knows isn't fair: he likes Sir Walter Pole, a politician friend of his. But politicians as a whole tend to be quite useless and even more annoying.

"There's something the Sylvari can do! If you find a way to make useful politicians, you'll be the most respected race on Tyria."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya snorts, covering his mouth to hold in any further laughter.

"Thankfully, we have very little in the way of politics right now, and... plenty of examples for what not to do." He's really no more fond of them, especially from his personal experience dealing with the more corrupt bureaucracy among humans.

"Maybe they would get more done if they were not always fighting with each other or furthering their own goals," he teases. If Strange is dissing on politicians, it's probably okay if Syrlya does too.

[kingsroads]

"Of course, if they weren't always fighting with each other, can we truly call them politicians?" Having dealt with them before, Strange is perfectly happy to diss on politicians. They deserve it.

He leans back in his chair a little, giving Syrlya a comfortable smile. Why can't it be like this? He likes talking with Syrlya and honestly thinks that he's a good man. Talking about magic, ragging on politicians, that's how these interactions should be. And yet, the moment they talk about something vaguely serious, one of them has to go and cock it all up.

"How much do your politicians interfere with magic? Mine were always trying to get Norrell and I to do things: fix an overturned ship, fight in the war, create those blasted sea beacons..."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya shakes his head. "No, they tended to obstruct our ability to focus our efforts on the dragons more than anything. 'Isn't that the Pact's job' as if resources are unlimited, and the dragons are not everyone's problem!"

He rests his cheek on his hand with a vaguely put off expression that he points somewhere in the distance. He's thoroughly distracted from their earlier fight by this point with reminiscing. "I have mostly dealt with them at behest of the Human Queen, infrequently, and that is as much as I care for."

[kingsroads]

"It was our politicians that asked me to act at behest of our king," Strange muses. And admittedly, that went nowhere. But hey, it's a talking point.

"Thankfully, magic is too new for the politicians to obstruct our work. I do worry what will happen when we get more magicians, though."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya gently shrugs a shoulder. "I suppose that depends how far the magic spreads. But that is what you will la the groundwork for once you remove your curse, isn't it?"

With some way besides the mirror, hopefully.

[kingsroads]

"If they'll have me, I suppose I will." Strange doesn't sound all that pleased about it. Logically, he should, he's the person who brought magic back to begin with. But emotionally? He just wants to leave all of that alone and spend some well deserved time with his wife.

"Though I think I'm still technically a fugitive," Strange muses. "I'll have to sort that mess out first."

[chronosynthesis]

There's a pause, and then Syrlya leans back and raises his brows. "Fugitive? Just what did you do?"

[kingsroads]

"I broke out of jail. I was only arrested for some mild property damage."

There is zero shame in Strange's voice.

[chronosynthesis]

"Why were you committing illegal property damage you could be arrested for?" You know, as opposed to the illegal property damage you're not held accountable for.

[kingsroads]

There's an awkward pause before Strange comes up with a half-assed attempt at an answer.

"I wasn't exactly in the best mental state at the time," he admits. "There was a tragedy. I acted irrationally."

Syrlya can probably get some context later, when Childermass spills some gossip. But as it is? Strange is being awkwardly circumspect on details.

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya's brows raise, like he's surprised... not that Strange acted irrationally, but that he actually admitted to it. He stares for a second or two before shaking his head, deciding not to open that can worms again with any biting commentary.

Instead he looks back down to his notes. "You are something else, Strange."

[kingsroads]

Something else? Most people would say something different. Mad, a lunatic, rash and reckless...he'll settle for 'something else.'

"I'll take that as a compliment," Strange responds, with a smile, realizing that he should probably let Syrlya get back to his notes. He's got some mirror magic to sort out anyway. "You know I love talking magic with you like this. Give me a shout should you come across anything particularly thorny."

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya looks right back up, giving Strange a blank look before faint amusement covers his face. "Thorny? Was that on purpose, or are you picking up on my speech patterns now?"

Syrlya knows he's picked up quite a bit from the other races of Tyria, anyway.

[kingsroads]

Fun fact: Strange's conversational mirroring extends to words and turns of phrase. As such, he's got no idea that he picked up on a particularly Tyrian turn of phrase. Syrlya's amused look is matched by a confused one from Strange: he honestly has no idea what Syrlya finds so funny.

"Was what on purpose?"

[chronosynthesis]

Syrlya's expression twists into a smirk, but he only shakes his head and looks back to his notes. "Nothing, Strange."

He'll notice when he accidentally says it to someone else, probably.