The Stars' Lament [Hadrian]

[Seven Xu]

"Sorry."

The apology stopped Seven in his tracks, a pang of guilt rushing from his head to his stomach and curdling his insides. Usually people were happy to be rid of him, the sooner the better. The half-blood turned on a heel and faced Hadrian. He seemed genuinely bothered by Seven's swift retreat. Seven's lower lip hung open for a moment in shock, baring brilliant white teeth before he opened his mouth to speak. "No, I uh." A hand lifted to scratch the back of his head, fingers dipping between silvery strands nervously. "I owe you the apology. I am a terrible social creature." A smile hinted at his pale lips. It was the truth. He had never been great at making friends, often finding it easier to give up before he was hurt. Then again, he had pretty good luck in Syliras so far. Now came the task of ensuring his abrupt turnaround did not become something regrettable and awkward.

"Would you like to come with me?" Seven squeaked. I'm not really that tired, anyway. But he probably knew that. If anything, Seven could ask Hadrian more about his skills in reimancy, the graceful water play had certainly piqued his interest. The smile grew in sincerity and his hands slipped into his coat pockets, speaking again in an insisting tone. "Come, I will make us tea."

[Hadrian]

Hadrian looked long at the other young man, unsure exactly how he crossed lines sometimes and equally unsure how he redeemed himself in the eyes of strangers. He blinked, though, wondering for a moment if the fact that he was experiencing growing feelings for a woman stuck in a man's body was broadcasting some sense that he delighted in the flesh of other men. In fact, the flesh was just less important to him than was the mind and soul, but he dismissed that notion. "I'm awkward as fuck," he assured Seven. "Tea? All right. Tea always helps settle my nerves after too much magic." Indeed, Seven's aura brimmed with energy, but no malice, so Hadrian remained relatively relaxed. "Thank you."

[Seven Xu]

Seven's one room, windowless apartment in the belly of the Citadel was plain and unassuming. Barely lived in. When Seven lit the lantern on the rickety wooden table the room, like the fire in the small lantern, roared to life. A single bed sat in one corner, neatly made with clothing folded and piled on one pillow. While most of the room looked like he had literally just unpacked, there was one corner where the hearth was located where the floor was cluttered with thick parchment, scrolls, and a couple of well-read books. The Viratassa, The Art of Shielding: Volume One, and of course, his star charts and several rushed notes.

"I apologize for the mess, I was not anticipating company when I left this afternoon." Socially inept, perhaps, but being a polite proprietor was something he was no stranger to. Staying true to his Lhavitian roots, Seven was an excellent host. A flash of a smile and Seven bent down at his hearth to gather up paper into a neat pile. Along with the books, they were placed carefully on the table beside the lantern before the hybrid doubled back and tasked himself with starting a fire in the hearth. "I have dried Rosemary leaves, but I also have honey and cinnamon." Success. The fire caught and Seven leaned over to nab a kettle, already half full from his morning tea. It was placed gently on the iron stove top and Seven stood, brushing off his knees and eying Hadrian, still smiling. "Which would you prefer? Oh, and please, make yourself comfortable."

Seven motioned towards the now somewhat cluttered table. A pair of wooden chairs, as rickety as the table, sat vacant. Then a nervous laugh. "I apologize. I should get more furniture. To be honest, you are my first guest. But that is no excuse."

[Hadrian]

"Not to worry," he assured him. "I realize I'm imposing upon you. It's gracious of you to invite me for tea. And I'll... have a bit of all three if you don't mind. Thank you..." He moved over to glance at the things that interested him, books and star charts among them. One he picked up, peering at it, wondering if he would ever learn the coordinates to all the worlds from which one might summon wonders. And horrors. But mostly wonders. He set it down and picked up another, interested on the one hand but also trying to stay out of Seven's way. Pausing to gauge Seven's progress, he glanced over. "I used to live in about this much space during my student years in Zeltiva. To be honest, the only reason I have more space in Syliras is because I stay with my par--" He paused, made a strange face, and continued: "With my father. It's... nice." Hadrian was a man who liked his solitude, anyway. "What are you looking for in the stars?" he asked, holding up a chart. "And are you a Shielder?"

[Seven Xu]

"I am sure I will get used to it." The hybrid stopped himself short, his next comment would have been in regards to his happiness in finally having a space to be completely alone in, never having such at home. But he was not alone right now, he had company. Such sentiments are inappropriate.
Seven reached down to slip a handful of dried rosemary into the now boiling water. A quick stir and the kettle was lifted from the hearth and set down gently on the table to steep. A rush of excitement showed on his face when Hadrian had asked about the star charts -- Seven had noticed the hydromancer examining them. "There are many things you can find in the stars," A grin.

Seven gathered a stick of cinnamon from a decorated tin and his jar of honey from the cupboards that lined the wall opposite his hearth. "Right now I am attempting to gather as much information about Syliras' skies as I can, then I am going to measure them against my charts from Lhavit of the same season. From there I hope to determine how far away those stars are." The same cupboards housed a meager amount of dishware that he had gathered -- four tea cups, a couple of wooden bowls and plates and, in a drawer from the counter below he pulled a pair of spoons to go with two of his tea cups. "You know how you can close one eye at a time and an object seems to move a little, well, the same general idea applies to looking at things very far away -- like the stars -- from two very different areas of the world."

Seven blushed, turning away from Hadrian as he began to grind down cinnamon with a mortar and pestle. "Have you ever been curious about how high the sky goes? I am." He returned to the table, setting down the cinnamon and honey beside the kettle, and precariously balanced tea cups from his right arm in front of Hadrian. With a small filter, he poured out two cups of rosemary tea and sat. "A shielder -- ah, no. I have been reading about it, but I have not actually tried to produce anything yet. I really should be reading books on how to clear my mind before I even try to focus on such a thing as shielding." Seven laughed a bit. "I am far too easily distracted."

Hadrian's abrupt end to his living arrangements floated back to the top of Seven's mind and the smile grew, "How is Ken doing, by the way?" The question itself was benign as Seven appeared to be oblivious of how it may embarrass the brunette. He was just making conversation.

[Hadrian]

"I understand the geometry of it," he said, nodding. Chlorine blue eyes lit suddenly with a slow burning fire that might spark into something more powerful at any moment. Intellectual pursuits were his favorite things. "I do hope you'll share your findings with me, whether you plan to publish or not. I have been finding coordinates for certain celestial bodies by more arcane means, but I think I might have the maths to follow your star maps with a little familiarity." He paused. "I think the sky might go on forever, or at least far enough that we'll never know the end of it." Watching Seven prepare his tea, Hadrian considered his words further. "I'm yet a novice with Shields, but meditating helps with all magic. I... Ken...?" He blinked.

[Seven Xu]

"Oh! I apologize." Seven's fingers slid around his own tea cup, pulling it close as he spoke. His eyes flickered downwards. "I may have been too forward in asking that question, I know that such things are social taboo in Lhavit. I met a blond on my first day here, he took me to the Rearing Stallion and proceeded to drink quite heavily before mentioning something about kissing and telling -- and your name. His name was Ken, I believe." A realization that such a large city could house more than one person with such a unique name such as Hadrian forced a blush to Seven's face. He did not mention the fact that Ken had gotten so intoxicated Seven had to practically carry the poor man home. It was more than a bit undignified.

Seven brought the china teacup to his lips and sipped from it, the aroma of Rosemary filling his nose and tingling on his tongue. He felt the need to apologize to Hadrian a second time, but simply grew quiet, unable to look him in those piercing blue eyes. The thought of Hadrian's Auristics peering right through him made him shift uncomfortably. No one should be able to do such things on a whim. "He seemed nice."

[Hadrian]

"Oh, yes... Ken." Of course, having known Kendall as a girl and now as a boy, the old name stuck in Hadrian's mind, but he could see why an alias of sorts would help her -- him -- come to grips with his current shape, even if they were working on their Morphing to help her -- him -- return to the more natural shape. Pensive for a moment, Hadrian wondered whether he would be happy when that was finally achieved. After all, Kendall the girl had been an infatuation from afar, but Kendall the boy was flesh and blood in his arms. He colored slightly. "Ken is nice. We are leaving town on the first of Summer, I think. His idea." This made him thoughtful again, wondering when they might return to Syliras or if they ever would. He certainly liked the idea of traveling, but part of him would always only feel at home here, just as another part would only feel at home in Zeltiva. Apropos of his thoughts, if not their conversation, he asked: "Do you feel like nowhere will ever wholly be your home now that you have moved from your place of birth?" Those intense eyes bored into Seven, though any extrasensory perception was left off. Sometimes it was best to relate to people as equals rather than peering into the telltale reactions of their energy signatures.

[Seven Xu]

Seven had recalled Ken mentioning something about leaving the city at the beginning of the next season, although he neglected to either ask, or remember the reason why. A small smile curled his lips and he sipped the rosemary tea again. It was hot, almost too hot, just the way he liked it. It must be so nice to be happy with another. Seven had never had that, a fear of hurting a partner always looming over him and deterring him from ever wanting to seek out one. Loneliness, on the other hand, was just as conflicting.

The smile faded at Hadrian's inquiry. "I do feel that way," Seven admitted, eyes flickering to the lantern between them. "But, I have felt like that for a very long time, to be completely honest. Lhavit was a wonderful place when I was a child. My curiosity got the best of me the day I learned about my unfortunate bloodline and just what Lhavitians think of Symenestra." Seven shrugged. "I do not hold grudges, though. I do not hate humans or Lhavit for thinking what they do. And, I am happy with who I am."

That was a fairly detailed response for such a simple question. Seven winced noticeably before taking another sip of the steaming hot tea. "I did not mean to rant." He mumbled apologetically, avoiding Hadrian's piercing gaze.

[Hadrian]

Hadrian was not the sort to begrudge someone a longer answer so long as it was precise and germane. After a thoughtful moment, he nodded. "It was not a rant. Thank you for your honesty. I feel much the same way. I don't fit in here in Syliras anymore, but Zeltiva isn't enough for me. The more I learn, the more I travel, the more difficult it is to connect with people. Not... entirely, but... it makes me more and more different from other people, and I was never like anyone else, really. Or..." He stopped there, not wanting to talk about how people frightened him down at the root of it all. One would think that being one of the younger children of a large family, he would have grown up feeling secure in the protection of his elders, but Hadrian was abnormal. "How much Symenestra blood do you have?" he asked, all curiosity and no judgment.