Mais ma meilleure ennemie, c'est toi

"Four for fidelity, facing ahead" Philophrosyne Tettares, Baroness of Tisis. Private rp blog.

[altha6a]

“Ah, the best part of being in the Cohort. See new places, meet new people, occasionally get involved in trench warfare.” It had been a welcome surprise to see Philly again— unexpected, but there was something about seeing a familiar place on an unfamiliar planet that soothed them. The Fourth House has always soothed her, far too calm and kind in the face of tragedy. In the crucible of space, they'd run amuck in the stars— and now again on the green of the First House. “I admit, I have always admired the Fourth, the skyline must be stunning. I didn't experience a sunset until I left the Sixth.”

“Maybe—? Architectural integrity is not a strong suit of mine... but the structures seem well-built, I can't imagine that decay only occurred over a myriad. Frustratingly, most of the pre-Resurrection knowledge is cultural, not structural,” Althaea paused for a second, a hum. Their head tilts slightly, looking toward the ruins again for a moment, the crumbling and decaying cities that once layered the land. “I... we could try? Worst case, Teacher just brushes us off or says no. It could be worth a try— if you want?”

[bellemaledictions]

"That last part tends to lose its luster." It was more muttered to herself than Althaea, not eager to kill the mood. And Philly was more than eager to let the conversation move on. "Stunning, when you're not being practically knocked over by wind." Not that she'd admired it until she'd learned what other planets looked like, and then she missed it. Extreme temperatures and being carried off by a stiff breeze included. It had been the thing she'd written her first poem about. "We'd always talked about seeing The Library." Euphemia in particular had always wanted to visit... Okay yep, moving on! Philly had always been quite social, though she often self conscious about her less than stellar decorum when it came to people she had learned it was often easiest to just go for it. If she could be counted on for one thing, it was that. "Can't hurt." With a shrug and a smile she spun to face further inland, marching down the pier towards the nearest robbed individual. (Was this one Teacher? She really should have been paying more attention.) "Excuse me, we were hoping to asking how old the house is?" Things were busy and maybe they'd not even get a response, or maybe they'd be thrown into the water for daring to even ask, who knew?

[ghxstunwilling]

+++ closed starter for a comrade who understands too much ( @bellemaledictions )

with summer's strong, sun-warmed hands tracing the edges of canaan house, one could almost feel the ancient lands leaning into the golden heat, gripped and given in equal measure. the sounds of the ocean breaking on the rocks, calloused from labor and abandon, echoed through the marbled hallways of the fortress, an untended house that received birdsong as sustenance—as if a tall tale could sate an empty stomach.

and just as starved as the ruins were was the second necromancer.

since getting the key ring, aurelius had been determined to uncover what it all meant. their objectives were painfully obvious—to open some locked doors. but how? and where were those doors? the teacher had left them with only more questions and fewer answers.

after a couple of hours of walking the floors of numerous terraces, he called out to a nearby construct with a snap of his fingers. the necromancer spoke to it "look at this." non-blinking eyes turned to look at the empty key-ring on the palm of his open hand. if their objectives were so obvious, perhaps their methods should be as well. "if i were to look for keys that could fit into this ring, where should i look first?" he asked, just as he saw a familiar face approaching him from around the corner. he sent a sheepish grin her way as he greeted philly with a nod and then a shrug. "thought i'd try asking the locals."

[bellemaledictions]

Canaan house was beautiful and yet so alien to the necromancer. Philophrosyne Tettares was more used to war torn buildings and while the house certainly wasn't any less crumbling it did so with less tell tale signs of explosives and more with age, which was among the many things that caught Philly's attention, or had earlier but was starting to feel less novel and more mundane. Progress had been frustratingly slow. If the others had figured the whole key ring thing out they weren't telling, which left Philly, someone who moved more via instinct than careful thought, floundering. Some fourth house heir she was. Moving through now familiar corridors Philly tried to see if there was anything she missed the last several times she'd walked them. Rounding a corner to a similarly familiar face. "Get anything out of them?" She'd yet to hear anything but the occasional rattle from the constructs, not even when she'd accosted one for a few minutes, trying to figure out exactly how they worked, their truly singular construction eluding her.

Crossing her arms for a moment she stewed on the idea. "Whoever made them would probably know... If we can figure out who that is." Maybe it was worth asking Teacher? For a reason she could not put her finger on she did not think he was their creator.

[sualumina]

              𝐁𝐄𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐄   𝐏𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆   𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐃   𝐓𝐎   𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆   𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌,   𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐋   𝐏𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐄𝐒   𝐓𝐎   𝐀𝐃𝐌𝐈𝐑𝐄   𝐀   𝐐𝐔𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐓𝐘   𝐎𝐅   𝐆𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐐𝐔𝐄   𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆   𝐋𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐄𝐃   𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃   𝐓𝐇𝐄   𝐏𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐋   𝐃𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐖𝐀𝐘;   which,   among   a   wilderness   of   crumbling   griffons,   he   plucks   a   real   feather.   It’s   the   size   of   a   coin   with   feathery   tendrils   that   wisp   against   the   air   as   he   brings   it   closer   for   inspection—   likely   a   down   feather   from   one   of   the   overhead   birds   that   floated   through   the   netting   fitted   around   the   shattered   cupola.   The   Canaan   House   is   a   wonder   to   delight,   for   even   in   its   decrepit   state   Timshel   finds   remarkable   beauty.   He   would   have   made   a   few   comments   and   requested   a   short   history   of   the   place   from   the   pithy   keeper,   but   his   attitude   upon   their   arrival   appeared   to   demand   their   independent   exploration,   and   Timshel   has   no   desire   to   waste   the   teacher’s   time   when   he   can   make   his   own   discoveries.

Philophrosyne   Tettares,   Baroness   of   Tisis,   approaches   him   with   just   that   idea.   Timshel   is   not   immediately   onboard,   however—   his   thoughts   wander   to   Bedivere   and   his   whereabouts,   and   then   to   Philophrosyne   herself.   He   hesitates   to   follow,   but   feels   he   should   commend   her   forwardness   by   attending   her.   He   trails   behind   her   with   his   brows   lowered   in   friendly   amusement.   She   apparently   picks   the   first   door   that   calls   to   her   before   stepping   through   and   peeking   inside.   Timshel   doesn't   expect   many   of   the   necromancers   to   work   with   each   other   given   the   competitive   nature   of   their   reason   for   being   here.   There’s   a   notion,   he   believes   (as   someone   from   the   Fifth   House),   that   scholars   are   introverted   and   prefer   working   alone,   but   in   Timshel’s   opinion,   two   heads   are   likelier   to   reach   a   faster   conclusion   than   one. 

       ❛❛ It’s   a   pleasure   to   make   your   acquaintance,   baroness. ❜❜ There's a hint of uncertainty around the title.    ❛❛ Formally.   I   suppose   we   don’t   fully   need   to   introduce   ourselves,   but   just   in   case,   I   prefer   it   when   people   only   call   me   Timshel.   Titles   can   be   stuffy   but,   well— ❜❜ He takes a leap about her regard for decorum,   ❛❛ I   don’t   know   how   others   feel   about   them. ❜❜   Timshel   ducks   his   head   in   and   glances   at   her,   flashing   a   curt   smile   before   fully   stepping   into   the   chamber.   ❛❛ Anything   of   note ? ❜❜

[bellemaledictions]

Frankly Philly didn't know if they were expected to work together or not. Teacher seemed to have been pretty damn vague about basically anything. The only rule was having permission to open any locked doors... Very helpful. Maybe it was her history in the cohort or maybe it was just that Philly was more used to working as part of a pair than as individuals, even if there was a wrench tossed in that somewhat recently, either way she figured there was no harm in some amount of collaboration at least a little bit. Especially since she had less of a mind for theory than some other necromancers. She could read and understand it, of course, but she'd always just sort of felt it out rather than focus too hard on theorems.

And behind door number 1?! A hallway! Shocker. One far end had a spiral staircase leading down below this floor and at the other was yet another door. Unremarkable compared to any other door. Would this one be locked or open? Her impromptu companion introduced himself and she grimaced at her title. Baroness of Tisis was technically correct but Emperor above she chafed under it. "Philly, please." She gave a polite if a bit strained smile. "I can't say I'm particularly partial to titles either." Stepping further in she took a quick glance around and when she spoke again it was more light and playful. "A gorgeous oceanfront view." She gestured towards the large windows which did in fact peer out over the water... Most of the windows above the waterline did. "Otherwise, a door and some stairs. A true wealth of options." The cheeky smile was easier this time. "Any preferences Timshel?" It was only a little bit of a test, and mostly just being curious how someone she just barely really knew would act. He'd followed her this far after all, that made him at least a little interesting.

[bellemaledictions]

Where: Lower Floor Hallway Tag: Private Who: Mercurio Chaur (@killingofadeer)

Some days were harder than others. Philophrosyne Tettares sometimes felt like a ghost wandering these unfamiliar halls, drifting more than moving. The first few days had been easier, the excitement, the novelty of it all. A pool! When had she last seen a pool? And one they could actually use no less!

But as the newness settled into familiarity it became less useful as distractions. Now sometimes she'd round a corner and only be struck by how much she wished she could have shown Euphemia. The birds that flitted above their heads at meal time. The truly singular skeletons. The sea. So instead she tried to share that enthusiasm with Rio. Asking if he'd ever seen such colourful fauna before? Had they ever learned to swim? Whether they sometimes missed the colours their sky had turned at sunset… That was a weird one to be hung up on. But beautiful as the pinks and oranges of this blue sky were at times, sometimes she just missed the simple fading of the light, yellow sky turning slowly to grey. She'd missed it since her first deployment but now it felt like an ache in her chest. She missed simplicity…

She missed feeling connected. Philly had been trying, no one could accuse her otherwise that's for sure. But even with all her effort she missed simply knowing another person. Knowing them inside and out. She'd never felt like an individual, apart from Euphemia, she didn't have to guess how she'd have reacted to things at Canaan house. She just knew. But now she watched her Cavalier, carefully observing how he responded to things. Trying to find some way to regain that feeling of knowing someone. Really knowing them.

"There's no way this could be original right?" Philly ran a hand delicately over the short fibers of a tapestry. "This place is at least," she counted in her head, "several thousands of years old." Counting had never been her strong suit. "Parts of Canaan house are crumbling practically to dust. And yet others are, well not new, but remarkably preserved." The pair had made their way onto one of the lower levels, working slowly through the floors. She hated the not knowing what they were looking for, just… Looking. So they often stopped, spending time with anything that caught her eye, never knew when she was about to pull on a book and discover a hidden staircase behind a shelf! That hadn't happened, yet… But she also tried to notice if anything caught Rio's attention. They were both strangers here and despite struggling to feel as connected to him as she had Euphemia being on the front line with someone did things.

She trusted their judgement, their wits. He sometimes saw things she didn't. She'd learned to trust that.

[altha6a]

“All of the water on the Sixth House is brought from cargo ships,” Althaea's voice cuts through the lapping of the waves, where the tide draws to the rocks. Unprompted, only dragged from their throat as they feel the presence of another. A terrible us of their time, staring into the abyss, and not attempting to unravel the strangeness of Canaan House. S shells of sea urchin's lingering along the shorelines, a blue crab scampering along and into the salty depths— all merely existing on this uninhabited planet. Unaware of what surrounded them. The ocean stretches beyond the horizon, vanishing into the cerulean of the sky, mixing into one endless stain of blue. Only interrupted by the grey divots of buildings that have fallen to even greater rot then Canaan House. How open... How refreshing. The entirety of the Sixth lived buried underground, sealed away to save them from the raging heat of Dominicus, starving them of any light. And of the sea. “I've read about it but seeing it... it's very different. A planet, almost entirely covered in water. And the ruins— do you think the previous Lyctor's explored them?”

[bellemaledictions]

"It almost didn't feel real the first time I saw a sky without rings. Couldn't figure out where everyone got their water from if not from ice debris…" That and a sky that wasn't yellow had made Philly feel like she'd stepped into a story when she'd landed for her first deployment. Now though? Well maybe the phrase wasn't "used to" but she felt less shocked any time she faced a new planet. Not to say that this one wasn't shocking in it's own way. An expanse of water this big wasn't exactly common and the dark shapes in the depths and on the horizon spoke of being built at least a myriad ago, if not longer. She wondered idly if it had been the first lyctors. At least until the warden suggested that they might be even older than that.

"Shit Doc, I didn't even think of that. You really think they're older than even the first house?" She leaned forward slightly, trying to see if she could spot anything that'd distinguish the ruins' age… Like she'd know what to even look for. "Do you think that…" Philly trailed off as she gestured vaguely towards the nearest of the robed individuals. "Uh… Teacher?" That was what one of them had asked to be called right? "Do you think Teacher would know if we asked?"

[bellemaledictions]

Where: Dinning Hall Tag: Open

The fourth necromancer whistled as she gazed upwards. More greenery than she'd ever seen trying desperately to claw its way through the dinning room roof, leaves drifting lazily into the nets as birds flitted from branch to branch… Birds were new, well newish. It wasn't like the concept of them was totally new, but few enough of the planets she'd been stationed on had much wild life to speak of. And frankly she'd never had the time to really stop and pick up ornithology… Maybe she ought to…

Or maybe she should have been exploring the rest of Canaan house, some of the others had already split off to do so. Philly was pretty used to things being go go go. Would it really hurt to just take in the scenery?

Yes, yes it would. Only a moment after she'd had that thought she felt herself growing restless so the necromancer picked herself up and glanced around. Her cav was off... Somewhere, and the last thing she wanted was to explore the house completely by herself. So she'd grab the nearest person and drag them along. Not literally. Instead uttering a cheeky "C'mon" before, not waiting for a response, picking a door and walking through it. It wasn't like any of them knew what they were looking for anyways… Right?

[broadwayreprise]

Celia Rose Gooding at the 74th Annual Tony Awards

[mournfulroses]

Nikita Gill, from Your Heart is the Sea: Poems; "Your Heart Is The Sea,"