abraxaslogs | [Open] Light Atop the Tower

[Given how much Alicent lived in her head, crafting her thoughts carefully, transforming her piece of the Horizon wasn't too difficult. All she needed was to draw from memory, a place she hadn't seen since she was a child but had loved. It was still in need of perfecting, but the primary structure was the Hightower, larger than any lighthouse and filled with different chambers, though many were currently unfinished. The foundation was made of an oily, fused black stone, unrecognizable but eerie and magic looking. There was a flame at the very top, burning a bright green, that never flickered or went out. At the very base are two sphinx statues on either side of the door, guarding and watching any visitors.

From the balcony, one could see across the harbor, the water a clear, crisp blue. There were docks and manor houses all around, small looking and unreachable. It is the tower you will remain at. The only two rooms completed are a library filled with ancient tomes, but with nothing written inside, and a lord's bedroom with furniture befitting a Great House.

At least for now, this would have to do for Alicent. The water was also real, allowing anyone to sit and dip their feet from the edge of the dock. It is where she can be found, watching as ships come and go, faceless traders unloading their wares before disappearing down the alleyways.

She's a bit surprised to see anyone wander into her area, forgetting that other places can be visited.]

You startled me.

[ Hilda stumbles into this particular Horizon by accident. She hadn't picked any particular destination in mind; there wasn't enough finesse to her meditation and she certainly didn't know enough people to pinpoint a particular location. She had simply wandered from her now shared domain into another and well, there she was.

The scenery momentarily takes her aback. She's never seen anything like the lighthouse that is both awe inspiring and mildly unsettling at the same time the longer she stares at it. She's quick to turn away to see what else this place has in store and it isn't long before she stumbles upon the docks and the figure standing at the end of it.

She offers an apologetic laugh at her own expense. ]

Oops, sorry! I still don't have the hang of this. [ She makes her way towards the young woman with a friendly smile. ] Is this your domain? It's incredible.

[The woman possesses different colored hair, similar to the Targaryens though a different shade. She is quite fair in that uniqueness, lovely in a way that was hard to explain. Having her solitude disturbed often perturbed Alicent, though being alone unnerved her (a strange paradox). At this moment, she was content, eager to share her memories of home and to let others see the grandeur.]

It is, though it is unfinished. There is much I do not remember and I worry about simply creating something new.

[She offered her hand, gesturing for Hilda to come closer.]

This is Oldtown, my childhood home.

[ Now that she's drawn closer, Hilda spots a familiarity in the way that the young woman holds herself: shoulders drawn back, posture straight, and a gentle regality to her that is both inherent and taught. Couple that with the clothing she's wearing, and Hilda has to assume that she was probably in a place of high position from her world. It's all noted, tucked away for later, but none of that changes Hilda's ease especially with the offer. ]

I never would have guessed it was unfinished if you hadn't told me. This all feels so real. [ There's a breeze coming off the water carrying the smell of salt water and the sun feels pleasant on her skin unlike how it beat down on her in the Free Cities deserts. Hilda casts a glance towards her as they stand together at the end of the dock. ] May I ask how long you lived in Oldtown?

[She gave a relaxed grin, pleased with the compliment. She had seen a few other places in Horizon and they were so different and detailed. Meanwhile the walls in the Hightower were bare and the rooms lacked full detail. It was a painted canvas more than anything, but there was at least something that others could appreciate.]

I do not recommend you venturing far inside the tower. You will find the reality disappears and the unfinished details are more clear.

[It is a warm region, but nothing resembling tropics or deserts. Oldtown had always been fertile, lush and green. There might be a bit of humidity, but nothing overpowering. The water was a bit cooler, but still inviting for a swim.]

Oh, I cannot really say. We were at court shortly after my mother's death. I was 8, I believe.

[ Hilda's brows knit briefly together at the mention of the young woman's mother. ]

I'm sorry to hear about your mother. It must be so difficult losing a parent at that age. [ But in an attempt not to dwell too long on a topic that could be sad, she tries to steer them back to the surroundings. ]

It doesn't diminish how impressive it is to see that you recreated this with memories from when you were eight though! I'd love to see the inside of the tower once it's finished though if you don't mind giving a tour. [ She extends a hand, her smile warm. ] I'm Hilda by the way.

[It's a bit ironic to have someone apologize now, given no one had ever said that to her as a child. She had reflected to Viserys it was all she wanted. Now that someone offered sympathy, she wasn't sure how to really respond to it. She smiled softly, accepting the sympathy, but unable to really even brush it aside with a 'it was some time ago'. It still hurt.]

No, I would not mind showing you the Hightower. [She glanced over her shoulder back towards it.] There will be some rooms that are simply empty as I never saw inside it completely. Many rooms were locked away save for the Lord of Oldtown.

I am Alicent Hightower.

[ Loss and hurt are still foreign concepts to Hilda. Living a charmed life meant that even amidst the backdrop of war she's become particularly skilled at pretending things away when it came to her own feelings and thoughts. As spoiled as she though, she's not the sort to ignore someone else's hurt if they wanted to talk about it.

But somehow meeting someone for the first time in a childhood setting doesn't seem like the time or place to discuss subjects like that. ]

Blank rooms just sound like an opportunity to do what you want with them. Get a little creative with it! Maybe there's something in your new home that you could use to populate the empty rooms.

[There's a similarity between them. Much like Hilda, Alicent is able to push away her feelings and thoughts, making them blink from existence. Her life was one of duty and obligation, and while she was raised a lady, she couldn't exactly say she was spoiled. There were too many expectations and costs. Having her own feelings and trauma would only hinder that. She simply pretended they did not exist.

Even if they were elsewhere, Alicent preferred not to linger on it. Not here, not now.]

Do you think I should? [Why had that never occurred to her?] I don't know what I should do instead? What would be appropriate?

[ Another thing about Hilda was that she always wanted to encourage others around her to pursue what they wanted, even if it was as simple as building out an imaginary room with whatever it was they desired. Maybe it was just her earnest nature. Or maybe it had something to do with how she didn't think she was capable of much herself so it was her way of living vicariously through others.

Either way, she smiles encouragingly. ]

I think that depends on you. Everyone's going to have different tastes. [ She hums thoughtfully. ] Maybe we can start with things that you like. I have a friend back home who loves art and painting. So if I were him I'd probably dedicate a whole room to being a studio.

[Ah. That was the difficulty and something that Alicent could not fully admit to a stranger. She didn't know herself well enough to say what she liked or felt passionate about. Duty consumed her and had always done so since she was young. Freshly arrived at court, she was encouraged by her father to care for the sick king. A few years later, the next king, she was pushed to offer him comfort after the death of his wife. Once wed to him, there was only his care to focus on, as well as her children.

Painting, reading, sewing, these were activities for unburdened maidens. Alicent truly only existed in her obligation to her family and the kingdom.]

I fear I cannot paint. [She was embarrassed to admit it.] I suppose a library. There are many in the Hightower.

Oh, neither can I. [ Hilda’s laugh is a commiserating one. ] It would be a total waste if I had a studio in my domain. But if my friend I was talking about ever showed up here, he could use it, so maybe it wouldn’t be all that bad.

A library is the perfect place to start though. You could use it and so could anyone else that comes to visit you — really, it’s super considerate of you when you think about it. [ While a library isn’t technically Hilda’s favourite place to be (that was by far Claude’s), her mind drifts instead to the possibilities of decorating its interior. Her eyes light up at the very thought but she manages to contain it knowing full well it isn't her domain. ] You could make it cozy and fill it with whatever books you wanted. Was there a particular type you enjoyed reading?

A room prepared for potential company? [It was not a terrible suggestion. She could likely put in a music room for those with the talent and desire? Guest rooms as well. Though, the fact that she was new and had no friends made it all a bit ridiculous.] Do others spend so much time in another's Horizon?

[She was giving Alicent too much credit. She had not thought of it until she was given the idea.]

I have always enjoyed history. [Though Rhaenyra was far better at it than she was. For all of her memorization and recitation.] Would I be able to create books or would they simply be illusions?

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[Given the malleable nature of the Horizon, Altaïr has no organized method of exploring and mapping the strange plane. Instead, he's allowed his path to be dictated by what catches his attention and interests him.

The tower definitely does; it puts him in mind of his home in Masyaf, though the architecture is different. Perhaps it's merely enough to be high. He wanders without hurry, only to be faced with the apparent crafter of this domain.]

It wasn't my intention. [He raises both hands a little, as if to show he's unarmed (though of course he is.)] I saw a newly-formed domain and came out of curiosity.

[She would understand that sentiment, feeling drawn to any that seemed even a little similar to home. Something about their nature, their familiarity with an old world aesthetic (as it seemed to be to others). Perhaps magic existed or it didn't, but the sense of home was enough to make her happy to meet them.

He was, perhaps, more similar to those in Dorne, though she could not say as she had never visited. It may be he was closer to the Rhoynar, but she based that off of stories written long after the fact. More than likely, she was simply seeking any connection to home in a stranger's face.

She smiled in a reassuring manner, hoping to put him at ease.]

I fear it is very new. There is much unfinished, but I am working from a memory that is not very strong.

[He doesn't obviously relax, but he doesn't appear especially tense either. Mostly, he is accustomed to maintaining a measured demeanor.]

It's impressive work if it's as new as you say.

[He'd have guessed at least a few weeks.]

What drew you to create the space like this, if you don't have a strong memory of it?

[It's not very off putting to see a measured demeanor. She had the same habit after years of living at court.]

Thank you. It might be a bit excessive, but the others I have seen are very beautiful.

[She has little to occupy herself with. Spending all day on this at least held her attention and quieted her mind.]

It was my home when I was a girl. I have not seen it since then and I- I suppose I wanted to remember how it felt to live here.

[He's noticed that as well. It does make him wonder whether the others come from such beautiful lands, or if the mind is sentimental and drawn to beauty when called upon to imagine places that can no longer be reached.]

It's no small task, to re-create the feeling of a place as well as its likeness.

How successful have you been so far?

[She's curious what his might look like and if it was a place of significance or only a lark he might have. He seemed serious and contemplative. If she had to hazard a guess, perhaps he might craft somewhere peaceful.]

The feeling is difficult to recreate when I remember so little.

I am as successful as one can be. It is part guesswork, part memory.

[A casualty of the passage of time. That's one loss that no one can prevent, no matter how fervent their efforts.]

From my perspective, I never would have guessed. It appears to be a clear vision, if unfinished.

[But he knows his opinion isn't the one that matters.]

I wish you luck in completing it to your satisfaction.

You are kind.

[She inclined her head, turning back to look at the Hightower. More often, she fell back on humility, but there was at least reason to be proud of this, something so new to her.]

May I ask what your Horizon is like?

[It's the first time someone's ever said that about him.]

Similar to this, I suppose, in that I sought to recreate the place I was born. A castle fortress on a mountain, and as much of the mountains surrounding it as possible.

It's not the same without the people I knew, but...it's been something of a balm, to see an imitation of what's familiar.

[Strange, given how his words were truly kind. Was it not proper to call him that as well?]

A castle fortress? [Foolish hope rose for a moment in her heart, a reflex that she couldn't control. It was very unlikely he was from Westeros or Essos and she should know better than to let herself hope rather than accept reality.

But he spoke the words that she was just contemplating.]

That is how I feel as well. I imagine yours would be familiar to me.

You're welcome to visit it, should you feel like exploring more of the Horizon.

[It's not an invitation he'd extend were it the real Masyaf, but he's had time to get used to the fact that others could walk right up to the fortress, empty as it is of guards to ward against intruders. But then, why not? It holds none of the Assassins' secrets.]

Yours would be the first I have seen that is not mine. I suppose I thought it might be rude to wander.

[Not that she thought he was rude, not at all. She merely was socially anxious.]

Is it far from mine?

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