abraxaslogs | A life never lives in peace

[ Just when he thought he might be adjusting to things in this new city, the attack on Libertas happens and everything gets turned on its head. Sylvain is uncommonly grim and serious for the first few days afterward, even his sense of humor and charm dimmed and subdued in the aftermath. There's a bit of a shadow that seems to haunt his gaze as he goes through the motions around the Inn for the first few days of the attack, helping out wherever Mags needs him, or perhaps volunteering to give another of the inhabitants a hand with one of their chores.

Evenings find him downstairs in the Inn's tavern, perhaps nursing a drink of his own, mulling over a plate of dinner, or casually listening in to the conversations that rise up and float about the place when it's full of locals and Summoned alike. While he doesn't make it obvious that he's eavesdropping and listening in, he doesn't take a great effort to hide his interest, either.

Should he grow too restless with that, he can occasionally be found aimlessly wandering the streets of the city - half exploring new unknown places and half just... needing to get out to stretch his legs and get some fresh air and maybe clear his head. There seems to be a lot on his mind and it seems to have him very distracted from his normal mischief and flirtatious interruptions. ]

[The attack on Libertas has done a great deal to alter Petra's own view of their role in this place, as well— at the start, she had been adamant about not wanting to get involved in a war that was not her own, that she did not see reason to fight for something she did not believe in, but this...

The death of so many innocents changed things, didn't it? She certainly believed in their right to live in peace.

She is somber as she slides into the seat beside Sylvain's at the inn, nodding to the barkeep to bring her what's become her usual.]

May I be joining you?

[ Sylvain had been deeply immersed in his thoughts and hadn't even heard her approach. His plate was still mostly untouched - it looked as though he'd spent more time pushing the food around his plate rather than actually eating any of it.

But her voice has his head coming up in surprise before he shoots her an apologetic smile and shuffles over to make a little room for her beside him. ]

Sure. You always have an open invitation to join me, Petra.

[ Normally, that statement would have had a lot more flirtatious intention behind it, but he doesn't look like he's feeling up to even that tonight. ]

[She does offer him a faint but warm smile as she settles in; she hadn't expected him to answer otherwise, but it's still always nice to hear. Notably, Sylvain is much more subdued than usual— that seems to be going around, for good reason.]

I was thinking so, but did not want to interrupt if you were wanting to be along with your thoughts.

[There has been a whole lot to think about, lately.]

You are not seeming yourself.

[ He makes a face at that. Not to argue or protest her words, but more at the fact in general. ]

It's been pretty hard to be myself with things so grim around here this week. It hit everyone hard. I dunno, maybe it's all rubbing off on me.

[ It's certainly felt that way. The past few days, it's almost felt like he's been drowning under some of it. Which is weird. He doesn't normally have so much trouble keeping his spirits up - even if it's by sheer force of will. ]

I have understanding. You are right, it is being hard on all of us.

[Nobody is quite themselves at the moment, are they? Perhaps the difference is only so stark with Sylvain because she's never had the opportunity to see him affected in such a way. In this situation, she imagines it would be hard not to be.]

Usually you are the type to be keeping up morale. That is harder now, I am sure. There is not being much to go around.

[ He lifts a hand to rub at his temples, trying to ease some of the ache he hasn't been able to banish in days. ]

It's not just that. It feels like... it almost feels like everything is amplified. Like I'm not sure all of what I'm feeling is actually coming from me...

[ Which just sounds even crazier now that he's spoken those words aloud. ]

[She frowns, her brow furrowing as she rests an arm against the bar and leans in a bit closer, studying him. He looks the same as he always does, but something is definitely off.]

There is much magic in this world. Do you think it is a spell?

[She can't imagine why anyone would cast such a thing on Sylvain, unless it was retaliation for some indiscretion, but— with everything that's been going on, has he even had time to get himself into that kind of trouble?]

[ Normally, he would very much have had that sort of time - it's not like he needs a lot of it, after all - but he certainly hasn't been spending the same amount of time and attention on such pursuits so far in this place, other than for idle fun. Which is perhaps odd, considering that there was barely an evening that went by that Sylvain hadn't been out with someone new back home. Or multiple someones.

He really doesn't look in the mood now, though, giving a groan as he leans over and thuds his forehead against the bartop. ]

I have no idea. Maybe? But if it is, I don't know what the spell's actually meant to do. Or who cast it on me. Or why. As far as I know, I haven't irritated anyone to that level since arriving here.

[If the mood were different, it would be far too easy for her to turn his own words back on him in jest, but it's very plain to Petra that this is neither the time nor the place.]

That is troubling, to be saying the least.

[Beyond troubling, to be honest.]

It is a persistent feeling?

No, it's... [ He pauses to shake his head and then lets a puzzled expression flit across his face as he glances around the room surrounding them. ] No. It's been completely random. And abrupt. Which is why I was so confused, because usually I'm pretty aware of why I'm feeling what I'm feeling, but this...

[ His gaze comes back to her face, his eyes a little wide. ] It hadn't occurred to me till now that it might not be my emotions I'm feeling at all. I've never heard of a spell that could do that before but... well. Magic in this world is always so strange anyway. Do you think it's possible? How do I even test this?

I am thinking that anything is possible here.

[She gives him a wistful smile in response; in some regards, this place is wondrous in its own right, but recent events make it hard to focus on the things that she's found to be awe-inspiring.]

If you are wanting to test it... maybe you can try to isolate someone's emotions. If you are trying to feel mine, I can be telling you if they are correct or not.

[ He thinks that over before nodding. But he pushes up from his chair a moment later. ]

Yeah, we can try that, but let's go up to my room. Focusing on one person will probably be easier when I'm not surrounded by people feeling too much as it is.

[ Waiting to see if she agrees, he then turns and leads the way to the stairs and up to the room he usually shares with Claude. ]

Yes... being around so many people cannot be helping.

[She nods in turn, sliding off of her own seat without hesitation. She follows closely, though of course she's quite familiar with where his room is, and waits until they've closed the door behind them to face him with both her hands on her hips.]

Alright. Whenever you are being ready, we can start.

[ Sylvain moves off to sink down on his bed, motioning to invite her to do the same, if she likes. Claude's bed is pretty covered in stuff, as is typical for the other man, so unfortunately her seating options are a little limited at the moment. ]

I think that's gonna require you to start feeling something pretty potent first. [ A pause, before he chuckles, raking his fingers through his already-tousled hair, mussing it even more. ] Normally, I'd be all over that, since I'm uniquely skilled at making people feel all sorts of strong emotions [ both good and bad ] but I think that might be distracting and make it a moot point anyway.

[At his wordless invitation, she simply shakes her head and folds her arms in front of her chest, though a smile pulls at one corner of her mouth.]

I think I will be managing just fine without your help.

[She has plenty of potent emotions she can summon up, despite the fact that she usually keeps them tightly under control.]

All you need to be doing is focusing. I will be doing my part, as well.

[That said, she closes her eyes to center herself, aiming to zero in on a single emotion so that it can be drawn to the forefront of her mind. Her job here is relatively easy, she thinks; she conjures up the fairly recent memory of realizing she had people she knew in this strange place, and immediately relives that flood of relief, of happiness that she'd felt upon finding she wasn't alone.]

Pity. I do so love to be helpful.

[ His lips quirk at that, but he takes a deep breath as he nods. Closing his eyes, he tries to focus, seeing what he could sense.

For a moment, there's nothing. A complete absence of everything.

And then he feels a rush of warmth tingle at the edge of his awareness, light and happy, and his breath hitches as he gives a sharp inhale. ]

Shit. I can feel that.

[Oh. Her eyebrows quirk upwards as she opens her eyes to look at him once more, surprised— the sharp surge of which he should be able to feel, as well.]

You can? What is it feeling like?

[It feels silly to ask, but if they're testing his abilities, they ought to compare, yes?]

[ He makes a face when one strong emotion is quickly chased by a different one. Although he has to focus, since just because he can feel them doesn't mean he can immediately tell what they are. Other than surges of emotion, anyway. ]

The first one... It was warm. Comforting, almost. Relief? Happiness? I'm still trying to decipher what each of them mean because sometimes it's just a rush of sensation, rather than translating directly to one emotion. [ Maybe because she was feeling more than one? Or they're getting tangled with his? He's not certain. ] The second one was cooler, a little sharper... Surprise?

You are having both right, I think.

[She nods, offering him confirmation.]

I was recalling how glad I felt when I learned I was not being alone in this world— and then feeling surprised when it was hitting you so suddenly. You are feeling the emotions of others!

[It seems rather straightforward, which is quite lucky, as emotions rarely are.]

[ Sylvain still looks a little overwhelmed by this discovery in general, scraping his fingers through his hair. ]

It seems so. [ Great. ] What the heck am I supposed to do with something like this? How did it even happen? I'm pretty sure I could never do this before. I think I would have noticed.

[ He'd frequently been in the presence of very strong emotions most of the time back home. ]

Claude was telling me that people are able to be gaining new magic here.

[Her own experience with magic has always been minimal at best; she learned some spells while training as a dancer at the Professor’s recommendation, just in case they were ever necessary, but their potency has always left something to be desired, and she’s never felt particularly called to pursue magic much further.]

I had thought that maybe you would have to be taking the time to learn it yourself if that is something you wanted, but maybe that is not being so.

This wasn't something I learned... [ He shakes his head. If he's honest, he hasn't even known where to start learning magic here, although he's played around a bit with the white and black magic he'd already arrived here knowing. Seeing if it still worked the same way he remembered or if he had to learn how to cast it differently here. ]

If anything, it felt like I just became more aware of it gradually, the more emotions got heightened around here. I can't even pinpoint when or where it started. Or why.

I see. We are finding more questions than answers.

[That seems to be the way of things here, doesn't it?]

Have you mentioned feeling differently to Claude? I wonder if he might be knowing something. He hears a great deal.

[Or goes out of his way to dig it up. Either way, their friend is very well-informed.]

A life never lives in peace

OTA: Cadens, early month

inn's tavern

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