[Closed] If The Forge Isn't Warm Enough

[stitch_witch]

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.

Comments

[in_extremis]

"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.

[stitch_witch]

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.

[in_extremis]

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.

[stitch_witch]

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.

[in_extremis]

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?"

[stitch_witch]

"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."

[in_extremis]

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?"

[stitch_witch]

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."

[in_extremis]

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?"

[stitch_witch]

"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.'

[in_extremis]

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.

[stitch_witch]

"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."

[in_extremis]

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.

[stitch_witch]

"I don't think so," Lark answered, but she wasn't sure. And she had forbidden the children from ever doing so again. It was a miracle they hadn't died. "It is just part of the cycle that is life."

[in_extremis]

They might have agreed then, despite their spiritual differences, so Tony nodded slowly without any reason to argue Lark out of that position. What he couldn't entirely agree with then, if they were of the same mind about what happened after death, was, "Why would it be foolish to bring someone back then?"

[stitch_witch]

"Because it's a good way to die," Lark answered, voice level and cold. She'd seen people do it before. Healers that reached too deep to try and help their patients, and dying with them. No, she did not approve of such foolishness. EVen the children had been deeply lectured by her and Rosethorn both once they had gotten past their joy.

Lark would have preferred to run the risk of losing Rosethorn than lose them all.

[in_extremis]

Not expecting the answer to be so icy, Tony hardened in return like he had gone straight from the fire into the bucket, not sure if he had just started an argument. "That sounds more like a problem with the systems, not the goal," he pointed out. "But that's closer than most people on Earth have managed, if a bunch of kids could put their heads together to do it."

[stitch_witch]

She was someone whose religion was centered on the cycle of life. And death was part of life. But she doubted this was a topic he would agree with so she reached for another point as she tried to relax herself.

"To bring one back from edge of death is hard. But to bring back one who has just died is like jumping into the deepest ocean with an anchor tied around both of your legs. Perhaps it is possible to reach the surface and salvage the anchors with you, but most likely you will be pulled under as well.

[in_extremis]

That was the last way Tony was going to be convinced not to make the attempt if it meant saving someone from certain death. Going to the brink of it was not going to slow him down. "I'm an excellent swimmer," he replied, finger up like he was making an inarguable point with only a hint of his impish smirk. "If I knew there was a way, I would take it, every time. I'm not saying everyone should--you're right, if any of the kids I know tried to take that dive, I'd be hauling them back onto the boat. But I--I have to. I can't claim to devote my life to helping people to just pull up at the finish line."

[stitch_witch]

She considers him for a moment, then shakes her head.

"I had no idea you wished to die, Tony. This is a very troubling thing to learn."

[in_extremis]

Was that what he said? Unprepared for this response to what he thought was a pretty reasonable summation of what being a hero meant, Tony looked taken aback and had to go over it again in his head to try to work out where he admitted that much, stumbling through, "I don't--what?" Apparently, this was troubling for both of them. "No, it's not--I'm not throwing myself off of a bridge for kicks. You'd be tying the anchors on if it was for one of your kids, wouldn't you?" For a moment, the question sounded more like a plea.

[stitch_witch]

"No, because I would die for nothing," Lark answered quite honestly. "To do what they did would require the power of at least ten mages, all caught in a single person. Which would mean power theft. Which would kill the mages, and possibly the one taking the power. The children should not have been able to do what they did. But their magics are great, beyond even the level I can achieve with the same gift when it comes to Sandry, and myself with a good many additional years of training and experience working with it, and being the best there is in the world with it, before Sandry. And even then, even with four young mages whose power should not have joined in the way it had, it still took an artifact level magical item of their own construction AND my energy AND that of a magic storing tree that was centuries old to just barely bring them back."

And in the months after all of them were almost too drained to live. And Rosethorn was like one with a brain shock. She had not fully recovered from it.

"I would never attempt what they did. No one sane and aware of what they are doing would. Sometimes people go where you are not yet meant to follow. This too is life."

[in_extremis]

The confidence with which Lark delivered that answer left Tony unbalanced again, sure it would have been perfectly normal for someone to say they would put their life on the line for the kids they raised at least, and while she continued to explain the amount of effort it took those kids to perform this miracle like Tony could even begin to understand the actual weight of 'power theft' or anything else, he was wondering if he really was the abnormal one and how he could possibly ask anyone else how often they thought about dying without suffering through that same look Lark had just treated him to.

At least twice a day had to be the minimum. Right?

He had to blink, realizing he was relieved for once to have someone talking about magic at him since they very quickly were not talking about him anymore, and he tried to piece together as much as possible from all of that information he did not want to listen to to answer, "Okay, but--a trinket and a tree and everybody holding hands, that doesn't sound like a steep price to pay for somebody's life. These kids managed it, and you taught them that, they didn't guess their way into the tree thing, shouldn't you be proud of that?"

cw: suicide reference

[stitch_witch]

"Tony," Lark said, giving him a look like a teacher very disappointed that someone didn't understand a lesson that had been given. "I taught them to never try that. And yes, they guessed their way to the shakkan. Am I glad for what they returned to me? Yes. Do I also know that I spent months tending to the children because the attempt nearly killed them? No. And do I applaud what amounts to attempted suicide?"

Her glare clearly said she did not. Don't make her tie you up if you try something stupid, Tony.

[in_extremis]

Petulantly, Tony returned, "Lark," like he didn't see the disappointed look, and only melted slightly with the revelation of those kids struggling through a long recovery. Okay, maybe he could see a little bit why the incident had been traumatic when she put that out there. It wasn't all magic trees. Still, her glare only made him rally, aware now that he might not have been trying to defend the kids only after he insisted, "It's not suicide, though, not when it's for someone else. Not when the life they are saving is worth--...more."