abraxaslogs | april catch-all

[ Recognition dawns in her expression as she connects the dots between the statues outside. ]

Why not represent the Rifer properly though? It's not like it's hurting them to do so.

[ Even though her nose wrinkles slightly, there's no real judgement aimed towards Kyle. Rather, it has more to do with his church. The Saints were both men and women, but Sothis had always been identified as female. Perhaps that was why women in positions of power in Fodlan too had never been put into question. Then again, gender wasn't so much of a problem as Crests were. ]

And how are you and your church meant to fight something that can literally destroy a world? That sounds pretty dangerous if you ask me.

Not physically, but their pride....

[ He shrugs, then frowns. ]

Only men could rise in rank. Women could become nuns but... they were given their own monastery.

[ She might sense him becoming slightly uncomfortable with this talk. The nuns of the Bone Orchard had a very specific task. He doesn't talk about it to people here very much.

Another pause, and he purses his lips, somewhat glad to shift the topic back to the Rifter. ]

There were ways, but - that I probably shouldn't tell you. [ It's technically sacred knowledge. What if the Singularity were to bring Jath'ibaye here? He shakes his head. ]

They used his power, though, to intimidate and destroy their enemies. [ He brushes his fingers over the illustrations one more time, then closes the book. ] The common people rebelled against the church and the nobility. They were tired of decades of tithes and indentured servitude, and priests accusing their women of witchcraft. They ran to the hills and forests to form small armies. This war went on for decades.

[ He pauses again, skipping part of the story that is only known to him. ]

The rebels eventually gained the upperhand. The church is gone now. There's a tentative truce between the nobles and the rebel leaders, or there was right before I arrived here.

[ This he frowns at too. Everything was in a state of disarray when he left. A beat, and he glances at her again and gives her a wry look. ]

Sorry. I didn't mean to make you sit through a full history lesson.

[ Men and their pride. Of course. Hilda can't stop the roll of her eyes heavenward at that. Any exasperation towards men - people, really if she didn't want to distill it to gender - and their faults are quieted as Kyle goes on to answer her question. A reassuring smile is quick to replace her frown as she tries to process everything he's told her. ]

Don't apologize. Like I said, I'd listen to any lecture given by you. You're a lot nicer to look at than some of my professors so it's a win for me either way.

[ Her frown is quick to return though. ]

So if the church is gone what does that mean for you? Your powers still work [ At least she thinks they do; can teleporting from one place to the next be considered an innate ability or a given one? ] so that means they aren't connected physically to them right?

[ If she's being honest, all of this feels like a lot for her little brain to handle so hopes that it doesn't come across as silly or stupid to ask. There were other things she had picked up on, like the discomfort when Kyle had mentioned the nuns, and the mention of things he shouldn't tell her (which was fine by her; this was enough to make her head spin), but she didn't want to inundate him with so many banal questions or accidentally cross a line she shouldn't. ]

Edited 2023-04-28 16:32 (UTC)

[ He gives her a sly grin at the compliment. If they were talking about anything even a little less serious to him he'd probably have an immediate reply for a little teasing, meaningless flirting. Instead, he watches her frown while asking her question. ]

The church held all the knowledge. They considered themselves the voice and custodians of history, and Parfir. [ He holds his hand out in front of himself, turning it over as he stares at it for a moment: tiny, straight line scars mar his skin all over the back of his hand and knuckles. ]

Our power comes from Parfir himself. Not them.

[ Destroying the Payshmura couldn't unmake him. Only Parfir himself - or the Rifter can do that. He raises his eyebrows at her in question. ]

Magic isn't connected to your goddess like that?

[ Hilda's gaze flits down towards Kyle's hands easily picking up the scars on the back of his hand. She knows the look of scars that have been there a while and while she can't assume that they don't hurt, concern flits into her gaze all the same.

After a moment of quiet contemplation she places her teacup down before tugging her gloves off and dispelling the Horizon glamour from them to show her own scars and calloused hands as if it would represent a form of quiet commradiary. There's less than Kyle has — she is nothing if meticulous with the magic she pours into having less of them — and they're likely from different sources but she wants him to know she appreciates him showing her all the same. ]

Faith magic is. It lets people do things like healing others but that's not always the case — go figure huh? Reason magic is similar to elemental magic I've seen here but I'm not sure that comes from the Goddess. Claude may know better.

[ A cheeky, mildly self deprecating smile punctuates what she says next, ] Magic made my head spin during the Academy and it still does now. I can only cast two basic spells now.

[ The concern isn't necessary, she's right in accessing the age of his scars. But his brow furrows when she begins removing her own gloves, and only when she removes the glamour does he understand the reason. He gives her a knowing half smile, tinged with his growing fondness for the young woman. Her hands wouldn't be soft, despite appearances. Hilda is a warrior, after all.

When she explains faith magic he nods. ]

Claude's promised to teach me a healing spell. We'll be meeting in Nocwich, probably in the wood. [ Where it won't be noticed. As open as he's been during the past couple weeks about his good relationships with the non-Thorne Summoned, it's still best to keep certain things secret from unknown prying eyes. ]

And you hardly need spells when you can wield an axe like that...

[ Another grin. ]

[ The Horizon glamour is better than any make up she's encountered. She's wistful in her longing for the illusion it provides her; for one it would cut down on the time it would actually take her to apply said make up and two, few would be the none the wiser to the marks on her body that indicate she is more than what she claims to be.

Which explains why Hilda puffs up her cheeks at the grin on Kyle's face. It's very hard to dispute something someone has seen but she still tries to deflect it as best she can. The embarrassed pink colouring her cheeks is a clear indication of that. ]

I'd rather not have to wield an axe or spells. And that thing with that creature doesn't count! It was a big fluke. [ The deflection and redirection continues, even if it's somewhat inelegant. ] I'm surprised you don't know any healing spells already though. It's one of the first things they taught us at the Academy.

[ He ducks his head is faux-chastisement, still smiling though. ]

Either way, your friends are very grateful for your skill.

[ Him included. Maybe one day she will be able to appreciate these abilities in spite of how she was forced to come into them. More than likely she end up needing them again. Given the history of the Summoned, they will be targeted and tested again.

After that comment, though, he responds to the deflection thoughtfully. ]

We were taught how to dress wounds and assist healers by bearing wounds. [ A pause, and he explains the term: ] The healer can temporarily bind two people: one badly injured, one healthy. It helps to stabilize the injured person while the spells take effect.

[ It wasn't used often, though. The injuries they received either served as part of a lesson, or were too grievous to survive. He shrugs. ] There wasn't any reason for us to learn ourselves.

[ The ushiri were meant to move quickly. ]

Just don't expect too much from me in the future, okay?

[ It's a canned line, one that she's used so often that her friends can practically rattle it off in tandem with her. Kyle, thankfully hasn't heard that line before this, and if Hilda had anything to say about it, never would again.

Tension in her shoulders releases as he seems to agree to the change in topic. Silently she can't help but think that two people to heal one feels like one too many. But who is she to say anything when she doesn't like expending any more energy than necessary? ]

Does that mean that the healthy person shared some of the pain of the injured person?

[ One last wry look at that line before he truly leaves it, and then he nods to her second question. ]

More effective than yellowpetal. The strength of the healthy person can be shared with the wounded, as long as they aren't too far gone.

[ Beyond help. The wounds that the potential ushiri'im tended to suffer from during their training were often too horrific to recover from. ]

[ Anxiety begins to dissipate even when she's met with the wry look. She's seen that look plenty of times too.

Hilda thinks she can read between the lines of what Kyle isn't saying. ]

That does sound way more complicated than just a regular old healing spell. [ Training hadn't been easy at the Academy either but it had never gotten to the point where it was life threatening. Well, so long as you didn't count the in field missions they had been sent on. ] But was your training really that dangerous where it could get to that point?

[ He gives a casual shrug, trying to preclude any unnecessary worry on her part. ]

It could be at times for others. But I was exceptionally skilled. [ He grins at his own pride, exaggerated a bit for show. ] It irritated my teacher to no end. I was a troublesome student and he couldn't get rid of me.

[ There's no need to mention the methods of removal, had he failed. It's in the past now. ]

You and Claude shared the same instructors?

[ Hilda, for one, appreciates the show. The smile on her face is indicative of that. ]

No wonder you're friends with Claude. Have I said that already? If not, I think it's worth repeating.

[ Not that Claude was outwardly irritating. Exasperating maybe. He got along just fine with Byleth, but then again during the war, Byleth had become more friend and comrade than professor. Speaking of... ]

We did. Although I'm not sure if we can really call Byleth an instructor. [ A fondness appears in her expression as she picks up her teacup again. ] They were a mercenary before joining the Academy but he didn't look that much older than us! I was so used to instructors being older that it took some getting used to.

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