Nobody's Got No Class

[Hadrian]

"Moderately," he confirmed. Oh, he was powerful in some regards and an infant in others. He thought about things he could do with the magical tools in his arsenal, and what they could not do. His observations were keen, and he had access to this extraplanetary library; most of the elements paid heed to his command, at least on small scale projects. He could shield things and change himself. Yes, there were things he could do, but most of them seemed situational at best. Of course, there was always the magecrafting, but while he liked the Lord of Council, he wasn't sure he trusted her with the powerful tools he might create given a laboratory and unlimited funds. But he had been helping people all along, and especially since the wild djed storm. He had overgiven in Avanthal providing huge amounts of ice for the ice reavers to apply to buildings that required it. He had watched over Aurrealis, the orphan, ask they traveled. He took in Kelvics, treated them like human beings and not demanded any sort of bond between them in exchange for it. In Mura, he had helped with damaged boats. In Nyka, he had rescued Marc from incarceration by his familiar. In Zeltiva he had eased Stonemiller's mind by taking on his students, taken the orphans' care into his own hands, donated funds for their upkeep, helped ghosts toward setting aside their unfinished business, and even helped a suspected witch nurse a stretch of barren land back to life. He wasn't a monster. He wasn't without ethics and compassion. But all of this passed through his mind in a few moments. "I do what I can," he said quietly. "I'm only here because I was caught in the act." He sighed and glanced at the memosite. "Think about your memory in detail, relive it if possible; if you've taken memories from the stone, there will already be a link. You can try to visualize pushing the memory toward it, but it will likely take it as soon as you relive it. Doing anything with self-awareness makes it more powerful in the end." His smile was suddenly worn out, as if the cost of keeping the portal open was beginning to take its toll.

[Montaine]

Montaine nodded and looked at the memosite. He tried to visualise pushing memories towards it but found it too distracting having that great big portal shimmering away, the scholar looking expectant, the rock hovering, the party nearby, the city, his city stretching out into the night beyond the balcony. He shut his eyes and shut out the world. He wanted the perfect memory for the rock, something not too personal, yet not mundane. In the end he never consciously chose the memory at all, it simply popped up. He was a boy again, in the workshop. It was the first time he had gone there, having accidentally shattered one of the pieces on display in the market. He remembered being anxious, nervous, yet excited. He had only left the safety of his father’s home, of his father’s protection, a handful of times throughout his short years and yet suddenly he had a job, responsibilities, and freedoms. But this memory didn’t focus on his newfound liberty but rather on something that had had far greater of an impact on the young lad. He had watched Francis blow glass. It was incredible, to see the man take up such a simple tool as his pipe and gather up this gloop, this vibrant red goo, and press his lips to the instrument and blow. He remembered the awe he had felt watching the liquid glass expand and change and become something so different, so amazing, so beautiful. And just like that Montaine opened his eyes and was back on the balcony. ‘I did it, I gave it a memory, I think,’

[Hadrian]

Hadrian nodded, somewhat wearily. In the silence of his own mind, he asked a question, received an answer, and offered a memory of his own to share. Then his will pulled the stone back through the portal, the lights that bound it there flashing out, the clear view of Swalden's rings shimmering and fading, the circle disappearing as soon as it was used up. He closed his eyes for a moment, collecting his strength. When he opened them, they were tired, but he smiled all the same. "Do you think I have been here long enough to take my leave without offending the hostess?" he asked, voice sounding a little thin. There had been no great expenditures of energy, but, as he had told Montaine, the blood-link to the Summoning circle drained him and he had held it open for the glassblower much longer than he normally did for his own questions.

[Montaine]

The scholar looked tired. The hour was late and the man had been exerting himself in ways the glassworker couldn’t begin to comprehend. He was aware of the basic theory by the manipulation of djed; he was aware of the concept of overgiving, and that the art, the science, was physically and mentally draining. Anyone who looked at the scholar could see he was ready for bed. It was customary at such high class parties to bid the host or hostess farewell before retiring for the night and it would have been considered very rude to forego this particular formality. Equally, it was frowned upon to keep one’s guests longer than necessary. ‘I should think she’d be fine with it, from what I’ve seen, it ain’t done to take offense at someone leavin’ this late in the evenin’,’ Montaine said, smiling, ‘I think I’ll stay out here for a bit longer, ain’t often I get to see sights like this,’ he gestured out to the expanse of the city and the bay and the far off mountains, ‘But thank you for your company, it was unique. If you ever need glass, you know where to go, and who to ask,’ Monty would leave himself soon enough. The other guests were as intolerable as he was expecting, the food as distasteful as he had predicted, and the hostess as overbearing and snobbish as one could imagine, but that view, that view was incomparable. He couldn’t imagine living somewhere we he could see it every day. The occupants of the house had grown accustomed to it, unappreciative of it. But tonight it would not go unappreciated. Monty leant on the balcony, and breathed in Zeltiva. Completed

[Paragon]

Hadrian

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Philosophy	+3
Cartography	+1
Observation	+1
Summoning	+2
Teaching	+1
Socialisation	+1
Rhetoric	+1

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Questioning Laviku
•	Montaine Redsun (acquaintance)
•	Storm's Source
•	True Altruism
•	Pondering on Mizaharian Coordinates

Montaine

Experience

Skill	XP Earned
Observation	+2
Interrogation	+2
Philosophy	+3
Socialisation	+2
Rhetoric	+2

Lores

•	Lore Earned
•	Altering Accents
•	The Burden of Charity
•	Hadrian Aelius (acquaintance)
•	Storm's Source
•	The Presence of Other Worlds
•	Memosites
•	Exchanging Memories

A Hero's Work Is Never Done

Beautiful writing from the both of you - I really enjoyed reading this thread. The revelation to Monty that there are other worlds was palpable! Also, sushi? If you have any questions or concerns regarding your grade, please send me a PM and we can work from there.