revivalproject | [Closed] If The Forge Isn't Warm Enough

They weren't yet speaking the same language, because Lark left Tony blinking and trying to work out what a 'circle' could entail, and the possibilities were too diverse for him to land anywhere confidently. "Your...knitting circle?" he tried. Knitting could be the kind of hobby you needed to clean up after, it wasn't like he knew very well, though that did really change his perception of Rhodey's mom and her friends.

'Enchanted' was a little more direct, enough for Tony to narrow his eyes suspiciously with a quick glance down at the blanket, though he still held it tightly. "What happens if it breaks?" he asked.

Oh no, their languages (or at least those languages as were influenced by their inherent cultures) were just a touch too different to easily overlap, or be understood. Quite difficult. But she was happy to explain.

“No, not a knitting circle. My home is the Winding Circle. It is one of the temple lands held by the Living Circle order, of which I’m a dedicate. It is more my home, and partially a place I am responsible for and sworn to.”

In fact, she was a high level Dedicate Initiate, which meant she had some small hand in the running of the place. And a far larger hand in serving in the governance of magic users, when an active hand needed taken.

“Well, if the threads break you can tell me. I will likely be able to repair the thing.”

A thread breaking wasn't really Tony's concern, he was used to that kind of break, though Lark thinking to answer him that way did now make him concerned that whatever magic was in the blanket was that tenuous, and he glanced down at at like it was challenging him again. Maybe it would just be a normal, unenchanted blanket if he neglected to mention a frayed edge to Lark.

He finally released one arm from the bundle to return to leading her toward the fire, where he had to pile the blanket up on the workbench to search around for that dusty tin of tea he was sure he left nearby in case anyone turned up. "Gotta be honest, that sounds pretty medieval to me. Feudalistic. If we have places like that anymore on Earth, its a bunch of monks in hidden cities, pocket dimensions. You're allowed to leave, right? You can go catch your acrobat friends down at the bar if they're in town?"

Alas for her lack of understanding. Lark didn’t know that he was questioning the magic itself, which would hold firm for years to come unless someone deliberately broke the enchantments she had woven into the fabric itself. Which was no easy task, especially with the enchantment coming from a Great Mage in the full bloom of their talent. She was actually more concerned by the fraying itself, which was far more easily done.

“Well, there are feudal systems in place, but I don’t know what you mean by medieval. And the city is hardly hidden. We frequently trade with nearby cities, and people come to us to research. I go down to the city with Rosethorn every few months to trade goods from the temple to others, and yes, I do see my friends in the rare instances they pass through town. I can also see plays and mummery and dancing, many things.”

Tony flapped his hands, starting to wonder if they should be writing dictionaries for each other because this wasn't working like whatever was translating for them how every other alien spoke; they were using the same language, just using it differently, and Tony kept expecting to treat Lark like a contemporary. That wasn't working for him. "Medieval is what we call this period of time before we figured out democracy, and condoms," he summarized. "A lot more religious. More people spent more time thinking about magic. Not that all of the magic went away, it just doesn't impact most people's day to day lives, and definitely not in a significant enough way to form social structures around. It's more like, a wizard might live in your neighbourhood, and he probably keeps to himself and doesn't do anything useful, just raises eels in the sewers or something. It would definitely be weird to knock on their door for...research. That sounds more like a college."

Perhaps they should write those dictionaries. But wouldn’t it be more wonderful to explore the skill of the tongue in trying to work around their problems?

“I don’t know what a condom is, but democracy is a very fine way to live for some people, though others seem to prefer a more mercantile system, and of course nobles prefer their own methods as well.”

Not that she couldn’t see the benefit to nobility in a world of the sort she currently lived in. Though the mention of a college had her shaking her head.

“No, I don’t think it does sound like a college. If the word is anything like I’m familiar with, it would be more accurate to say that the University of Lightsbridge is more like a college. The Circle doesn’t give in for quite as rigid of a structural set up of instruction in class form. I’ve heard quite a bit of how Lightsbridge arranges itself, Rosie took classes there. The Circle is a bit more akin to apprenticeships in some manners.”

Lark could have kept on talking for another ten minutes, and Tony still would have been aghast enough to ask, "You don't know what a condom is?" Correcting him on the college thing almost made it worse, because now he was still thinking about school and had to admit, "That whole university population is suffering right now, faculty and students, you can't do that to them, every other way they have to unwind is not productive." It was then that it occurred to him, "Unless you're all women and that's part of the deal, you could be like nuns, I don't know."

Right, he was making tea. He set a cup at the edge of the fire and went back to looking for the strainer, still talking as he rattled around, "Do you not have STDs? I take back the medieval thing, that might be a kind of utopia."

"I think you mean to say that other ways to unwind are inherently less reproductive. There are charms and medicines that can reduce the chance of having children. And yes, there are illnesses passed through sex. Though one can often go to a House of Healing or find a Temple Healer. They do their best to burn such things out of your system. Everyone in society is happier when illness is avoided."

Not that all the poor believed that the Temples wouldn't charge for such services.

"And I'm not a nun."

Looking very much like he wasn't sure he actually wanted to know, Tony eyed Lark dubiously and prompted, "Burn them out...?" That sounded like medieval kind of language, too, like illnesses were basically curses and the cure was more divine magics.

Tony was going to keep coming up with religious titles for Lark and keep looking unconvinced when she denied them, because he pouted thoughtfully and tapped a finger to his chin as he considered the evidence; "You live and work in a special place, to which you are a dedicate, serving your craft of faith with a bunch of likewise committed magic-people. Presumably all wearing skirts that come to their ankles."

"You'll have to forgive me for what I share next, because I don't have a wink of the healing gift, so I'm not fully versed in what they mean. But illness often comes in the form of the affects of a parasite on the body, like worms or things like that, or from little teeny tiny little things that Rosie calls 'bacteria' I think. Sometimes they can be magically altered of course, one cannot live in a world of magic without magic sometimes altering the world. But while she doesn't have the healing gift, her magic is for plants and what they can do, including healing, and she went to school to get better at plant based healing."

In fact, Rosethorn was one of the best in the world at diagnosing illnesses and more than that, breaking down magical maladies and plagues. There was much to have pride in her beloved for.

"She says that when a healer uses their magic they turn the body's inner defenses, like city guards, against the illness that has come inside. And part of their tools is like very carefully directed fevers, which the body already uses to burn illness away. It's not a perfect metaphor, and it's not a power I can touch truly, so I don't know how better to describe it than to use their words."

Her world was behind the times on some things, and very ahead of it in others. They absolutely understood what the cause of illness was, or at least those who were educated did.

"Yes, I live and work at a Circle Temple, yes, I'm a Dedicate Initiate to the Earth temple, yes I work my craft including with magic, but not all circle Dedicates are mages. Initiate means I am a mage. That is symbolized on my robes by the black trimming. And yes, the dedicates, and the apprentices as well, tend to wear robes when we are doing work that will allow for it. Green for the earth temple, blue for water, yellow for wind, and red for fire."

There was so much he didn't seem to understand. But she was happy with it, and happy to settle by his fire.

"And if you must know, since you seem curious about magic, mages do have a governing body as well. There are two actually. There is the Initiate Council of the Winding Circle Temple, which is the chief of our Circle Temples, and the senior mages and Governing Board of Lightsbridge. I am a member of the former. Rosie is a member of both."

So she's a mage, a religious person, a crafter, and an authority figure.

While there was still obviously magic involved, Tony's expression softened from his skeptical caution to a more curious pout as he considered that his expectation was exacerbating what communication barrier there was. After all, most of Lark's explanation didn't sound terribly magical, and if it was, maybe it was closer to the 'magic' of Asgard, logic just outside of Tony's scope of understanding.

"That all sounds very...stable," he said eventually, after studying her for a beat like he was making some objective calculation of what she was telling him. "Are we talking about...one city? With all of these temples. Or is it that the temples are city-states, and form a nation?"

"Many cities. The Living Circle Temple I live at is on Temple owned land southeast of Summersea, the capitol of the Duchy of Emelan," she explained. "And in a way, we are a city-state, but we exist with some understanding with the nobility."

And they were happy to do so. There was balance this way, and the Circle was about balance.

That was a lot of names now that Tony was definitely not going to remember, so he gave Lark an open-mouthed stare until eventually he accepted, "Uh-huh," not sure what else he was expecting. The water was probably hot by now anyway. He took it from the fire to finish preparing Lark's drink, only hissing 'ah, ow' a few times as he handled the boiling water, and could finally approach her with a cup of tea that he had been assured was digestible by the kind of people who drank it.

"We don't really do that. Anymore," he tried to explain his unbalance, hand teetering because he wasn't sure how apt the comparisons he had were. "States founded on religions. There's certainly a lot of religious influence in a lot of them, but it gets people all riled up to come out and say that. Outwardly, the declaration is always, of course everyone is welcome, diversity is great, and that stops other places who are pretending the same thing from jumping down their throats." That didn't sound like a great explanation now that he said it, not one that seemed to map easily onto the political landscape Lark was trying to tell him about, but the point was: "Earth, fire and water or whatever--you're not fighting over anything?"

Yes, it most definitely a series of names he won't remember and that didn't bother her at all. That was completely reasonable actually. It made the most sense that he not be caught up in details that were truly not relevant. She smiled and accepted the tea, enjoying the warmth radiating into her hands from the cup.

"We are not a state, but a religion that is allowed to govern within our own walls provided we do not fully flaunt proper law. Religion should not govern the will and future of others, unless they choose it. So the gods and goddesses of the Living Circle would will it. Nor do we turn away those that serve other gods. One of my daughters, Daja, follows the Trader gods Koma and Oti, and they are not the Circle. But they still should be respected. And of course the circle dedicates do not war within ourselves. Well, we have disagreements of course, often because the temperaments that call one to fire or water may be very different from what calls one to the Earth."

That sounded a lot like a state to Tony, so he narrowed his eyes in consideration, trying to extract any part of her explanation thus far to explain the reluctance. It also all sounded quite exhausting, having all of these different gods that deserved respect and also kind of but not really governed real estate, alongside the monarchies and democracies and...magic. "Everyone can do magic then?" he tried to determine from that 'temperaments' comment. "You just...have to pick? Do these gods campaign or something? Can we call them? I'll sign up if someone wants to show up." Thor would understand. It would be a temporary replacement.

It really wasn't though. But he didn't have to believe it.

"No, not everyone can do magic. One needs to have the gift for either academic or ambient magic," Lark answered. So it was still a commodity. "And no, the gods do not compete for dedicates. Your desires, your will, your craft, they often define which gods you turn to."

"Right, academic or ambient, of course," Tony muttered, nodding along like that totally made sense. Worse, these gods did just kind of sound like...gods, in the classic nebulous concept of faith way, not smacking around the mortals' problems with magic hammers way. That wasn't terribly helpful. "So..." he tried to form, one hand to his chin, the other grasping for the words, "If I showed up there, looking to put down roots, where would I go?" Maybe that was kind of like asking a Jedi what a non-Jedi was supposed to do on Coruscant.

Where would he go? Oh Lark smiles and sips at her tea as she considers that thought. What an interesting thing to consider, in fact, she was excited to think about it. It was like a puzzle.

"You would be in a large city like Summersea. Starting as an artificer or a merchant. And I imagine before long you would find yourself with quite the country estate."

Tony had been expecting a more academic than ambient answer--a general observation, about the kind of people that lived outside of the temple or the Circle, and not a fantasy of this other life. It cracked his intent interrogation with a grin of surprise, and he nodded in appreciation as he considered the image Lark was crafting. "Where you would have to visit, for the parties, at least, naturally," he added. "There has to be someone I could rely on to always be the best dressed in the room."

At least he was smiling. Lark sipped at her drink more and then smiled back at his approval.

"Naturally. It is always wise for the Circle to maintain a friendly relationship with local merchants and artificers. Though I warn you, I wouldn't be the best dressed. I'd dress there as I do here. But perhaps my student Sandry would impress you with how she dressed. Or Nico might. He's more prone to being fancy."

"Oh, no, you misunderstand," Tony corrected, very gently suddenly like he was whispering this sensitive adjustment so Lark wasn't embarrassed in front of a fickle audience. "I'll be the best dressed in the room, hands down, it's your talents I'm relying on. These kids start showing up in my home looking fancier than me, I'll have them escorted out, banned for life, you're hanging on by a thread." By the time he was done, he was watching Lark with another curious wrinkle of his brow, and didn't give her the time to accept this punishment for the imagined crime of knowing someone more impressive than Tony before he was asking, "How many kids do you have?" Not just genetically her own, obviously--these students had come up by name about as fast as Lark's daughter.

Oh what a lovely man to admit such things about himself. Lark laughs happily at his correction.

"In Sandry's defense, she is a noblewoman, and has been raised to wear quite fine clothing, though she is more practical from spending time with me. Still, if you're going to acquire the silks for it, and pay the temple for my services, yes, I will make sure you're the prettiest flower, my dear Tony."

But the other question just earns a fond smile.

"I have no children of my own blood, but when children with ambient magic come to the Temple and do not have awareness or control of their gift, they are given over to Lark and I to help care for and guide. We find them teaches but help with the basics and providing them home and guidance. So, in the course of my life I'd say I've helped, perhaps twelve students? Not all were directly mine, Sandry is just my greatest protege. Her and the other three we took in at the same time we did adopt though, given all of them were orphans in one way or another. At the moment I am also working with young Comas, but he's shyer than a mouse in a house full of cats."

The poor thing. She worried at how he was doing without her. Especially since he was terrified of Rosethorn.

That sounded like a big responsibility, and altogether not unlike the role Xavier had appointed himself, taking in the mutants that didn't yet know how to control their powers. In fact, "How did she go from noblewoman to orphan?," Tony had to ask, because so far it did not sound like the magic thing was a reason for kids to get kicked out of their homes, but maybe the mutant parallel was clearer than he was being led to believe.

There were many in the temple tasked with caring for orphans or child dedicates or temple raised wards. But it was Lark and Rosethorn that housed the mage born. And it made sense, they were two of the most powerful mages in the world. It was understood that they could raise the children gently and keep their gifts more or less under control.

His question led to such a sad look on Lark's face, and she lifted her mug to sip at it slowly.

"A great and terrible plague. She was the only survivor. Her family was traveling as they were wont to do, they had all these 'scandalous' ideas that nobility should know all sorts of people, common and noble, foreign and local, of all walks of life, so they can best care for their people. Sadly a smallpox epidemic came upon the city and her parents died quickly. There was rioting over the illness, and blame of outsiders. Her nursemaid was able to hide her in a magically hidden cellar before being slain by the mob. Poor Sandry was alone in the darkness for many days after her lantern ran out. If it hadn't been for Nico's vision, she would never have been found."

And, poor thing, had needed the full four months of travel from Hatar to her Uncle's domain to recover.

"She was a very lonely girl after that, cared for though she was by her uncle. Nobility don't give much or often to rubbing elbows with the lower classes, so she'd been isolated from many of her rank in her life. And her uncle had no wife or children and few children in his home, so it was suggested to him that she foster her for a time at the Circle Temple, as many young noble-women are sent to the temple for a few years to learn."

He likely wouldn't be pleased to learn that the girls learned 'womanly' arts there, like embroidery and etiquette and other things of that manner, and Sandry's interest in weaving was being chided as below her. But they care for other things too, like helping girls learn how to run households, so the Temple did try their best to give those noble girls what they needed to get by. It was the other women that had far more varied lessons, becoming whatever they found themselves called to. Healers and smiths and carpenters, warriors and weavers and farmers. The circle gods and goddesses called and the vocations they sang with were always taken seriously.

There was not going to be a good orphaning story, though the one that Lark had for him did sound particularly traumatic and Tony had to consciously relax his jaw to reach for, "It sounds like she ended up in the right place for her. Doing the magic thing, you know, with you, maybe she never would have had the chance..." He couldn't really convince himself that this was a worthwhile trade, though, so he trailed off, drifting away back toward his workbench where he could find something for his hands to do with all of this energy. "Is that why you don't have any of your own? You've got your hands full enough?"

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here i was about to go do dishes but no you had to call them skirts

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