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

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[Closed] If The Forge Isn't Warm Enough

WHO: Lark, Tony Stark
WHERE: Tony's Forge
WHAT: An Early Equinox Gift
WHEN: December 10th
WARNINGS: Outrageous flirting and unresolved sexual tension?

Warmth. This was a gift that Lark often believed in when the turning of seasons approached. There was always a need for more warmth where she was from, after all. A hearth could only keep so much of Discipline Cottage warm in the winter, even with other enchantments to keep the warmth there. For some people it was easier, of course, like Frostpine and Kirel, because the forge continued to radiate heat even after the embers died down. And those near the kitchens too.

But Lark? She'd definitely made a decision about how to keep warmth there for someone she was connected with, and perhaps slightly beholden to for the power of needles and the like.

Which was why Lark was there now, arriving at the forge with her hands full of a lovely gray knitted fabric.

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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?"

"Maybe she would not. And that would be a shame. One day Sandry will absolutely outpace my skill. She will be a Great Mage of legend and renown. But from what I know of her parents, if her magic had been discovered, someone would have trained her."

But she smiles at the question about children.

"Truthfully? I do not and never have wished for children of my own body."

With the amount of pride that Lark seemed to have for the kids she did raise, Tony was surprised she could say she didn't want any so confidently, eyebrows raised then pouting softly like her answer made him sad. He might say he didn't want any if someone had asked him, too, though, that didn't make it necessarily true. There were...circumstances. "Is that because...of Rosethorn?" he ventured. "You don't have that kind of magic, it wouldn't be possible?"

At her age she was not only past the point of likelihood of conception, but past the ability to carry a child safely. At least in her world. Even with healing mages.

"I don't want children of my own, Tony, though I do note that Rosethorn does not want children either. IT isn't in her nature I suppose."

It sounded healthy that they were on the same page about such a big decision, but Tony started to shake his head, hands up, no, sure, that's fine, because he didn't mean to imply that Lark's partner had made the decision for them. Just that she might not have the parts to make the process easy. "But she does the same thing as you, raising all of these kids..." he mused, eyes narrowed like maybe he could kind of understand being fulfilled like this. "I just--you know, you clearly like it, so that's, I don't know. Sorry. I'm sure they're missing you. Do you think--would any of them be able to find you? Like Sandry?"

"Actually, until Briar, Rosie didn't get as commonly involved," Lark admitted. Rosethorn liked plants more than people, quite a bit. "Though she ended up taking a shine to this group through her protege."

Though she finished her cup of tea and set the empty cup aside. That was something that made her sigh.

"Comas, my newest student, is the only one still around. Rosie and Briar are out traveling. So the cottage is quiet. But no, we are beyond the limits of my world. Even their magic working in tandem would not find me.'

That was disappointing to hear, but Tony only frowned briefly before his curiosity had him pressing, "You never tried anything like that, reaching 'beyond the limits' of your dimension? Every day on Earth I'm dealing with some new pocket dimension because of some wizard, I thought that was part of the deal." Okay, it wasn't just a wizard thing by any means, but they did seem to find the most inhospitable dimensions, and on purpose.

"No, it's not possible. We are limited by our own powers," Lark answered with a shrug. "It's just how it is. Though the children hauled someone back from beyond death once. It was deeply foolish."

That was an interesting thought that Lark had just proposed very casually, prompting Tony to ask, "Is that...beyond the limits of a world? Death?" That was probably a question of faith, ultimately, which Lark clearly had in abundance, and other like-minded people would have different answers of varying specificity; Thor would agree that in death, people went to a different plane of existence, and it depended on the manner of death which one exactly. Tony didn't have that kind of conviction himself.

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

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