【 Ⅰ 】𝐂𝐑𝐘𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐋 💎 Journal

[crystalized_hope]

Sender: G'raha Tia
To: Anyone
Subject: Aetherytes

[Written in neat handwriting, anyone is free to receive this message.]

Greetings fellow dreamwalkers,

My name is G'raha Tia and I have recently arrived here. [In a dream world? Close enough.] Having spent some time learning the lay of the land and what Reverein has to offer, I have noticed the lack of aetherytes in the area. I am well aware that this is not at all the same world that I am familiar with, but I would like to provide my assistance in making life here a little bit easier if it is possible.

Where I come from, we have crystals that act as a means for teleportation and faster travel.

[They also take more aether than most can afford to use actively, but that wasn't important here. Taking a moment to try to imprint what they generally look like, this image will pop up for people to reference from.]

Normally in order to use these, you need to attune to them with your aether, though I doubt the same will work here. Once attuned to them, you'll be able to use them as a means to travel around the town.

I confess that I am not used to having downtime, so it is my proposition that I can spend my newly found free time to aid any other people who come here as well. I have recently found out that my dreamotion is crystal based and though I have not experimented enough with it just yet, I believe I may be able to recreate these aetherytes. There will be some trial and error and I cannot say how long it will take, but in order for these to work properly here, I imagine I will have to experiment with using dreamotion as a substitute for aether.

[And this has gotten a lot more technical than he had intended so...]

That said... I wanted to ask for any information people may have that may assist me in my research to make this a reality soon enough. I do not know enough about Reverein just yet to make any large strides presently.

Thank you for your time.

[OOC: G'raha is from the end of Shadowbringers, so there will be spoilers more than likely in comments and possibly icons. Please see my opt-out post if you are currently going through the story and would prefer not to be spoiled. This will allow me to know just how much I can share. Please and thank you!]

Comments

[songbird_slayer]

[She dipped into a bow.]

...Welcome to the Scions, and enjoy your pot pie, G'raha Tia. I hope the others treat you well. If they don't...

[When she rose, a fist slapped an open palm. Smile sweet as pie.]

Nobody's too important to be given a pinch. Or hot pepper in their sandwich.

[crystalized_hope]

[He merely chuckled in response.]

Thank you for your warm welcome. Worry not. The worst I have to fear is saying too much around Y'shtola. Otherwise, everyone has been very accommodating.

I am proud to have been given this chance.

[Although, that means nothing here. Still, a dream adventure is still an adventure.]

[songbird_slayer]

I've only heard legends about the sharp tongue of Lady Y'shtola. Twelve forbid, as they say, I ever encounter such a thing.

Oh- you said your dreamotion is crystal-based, right? If there's a conjured piece you're willing to spare, I'd like to see about channeling with it sometime. The only crystals I've seen around here are sugar crystals. Unless you'd like aetherytes that'll melt into a sticky mess every rain storm, it wouldn't hurt to work with the real thing on a smaller scale to start.

[crystalized_hope]

[A piece to share huh? Making sure he had a good hold on the food, he reached into his pocket to pull out a small shard that he'd accidentally made upon arrival. He had mostly kept it to look it over later, but now was as good of a time as any.]

I haven't experimented on it just yet, but you're free to try. [He could always make more probably.] I'm sure that there will have to be plenty of modifications and tweaks to re-create one. I'm sure given enough time, I could figure something out.

[songbird_slayer]

[She reached out to accept it, then lifted it to face the last of the sun's rays, letting its facets catch and a few colors dance. The auri gave a pleased hum, her tail asway.]

Oh... it's beautiful...

[Man, why couldn't she just make crystals and gems? So far it's only been flowers... including that one she wound up keeping in a little vase.]

Hmm... there's a few things I'd like to try. Perhaps I'll try singing, too. I'm a Qalli, but I feel like this place seems more sensitive to the sound... perhaps a gateway to a dreamotion specialty.

[Did crystals like sea shanties or love ballads? Would their hair frizz if she sang an invocation to Ramuh right now, for wont of static...? Things to toy with another time.]

[crystalized_hope]

[Chuckling lightly at her response]

You can keep it if you'd like.

[That's sweet of her. And probably a good thing he doesn't know that because he'd probably get the secondhand embarrassment that a small gesture meant enough for her to save it. In a good way, of course.]

Well, there's plenty of time to explore that here.

[#Crystalrights]

[songbird_slayer]

So dashing, giving a girl such a pretty gift in front of so many onlookers~

But that's okay. Watch it disappear before your very eyes...!

[She juggled the crystal along her fingers, gave it a little flick to be airborne, and leaned to let it fall into her pocket.]

Really, though... Thank you.

[She stood up straighter, but her eyes wandered briefly, unable to keep contact on him. A small and uncomfortable knot formed in her stomach. As she brought her hands together, Madhuri laughed quietly.]

Right, off I go, but I'm looking for something I dropped a while back. Just - you know - a job stone I can't seem to find anywhere. Palm-sized, red, has the mark of an axe head on it. If you see it or have a lead, tell me? Pretty please?

[crystalized_hope]

[Not this time, Madhuri. He did give a surprised look at her comment at first but merely chuckled once more.]

Would you prefer if I gave it to someone else then?

[Would you look at that. A joke instead of getting flustered. And then his expression dropped at the news.]

Ah- How many did you have on you when you arrived? [He recalled seeing the one for her dancer, but no more than that.] Is it possible that it might have been lost since the cafe?

[He would be happy to help her look, after all.]

[songbird_slayer]

[A record scratch right in that mind's corner. Whoa. Did he just-? What was this small prickle at her cheeks? She needed to have a sit and a think about that later. She's good with improv! But he seemed to be cleverer with it than she thought...

Pin right up in that topic, she had to have a think on the stones.]

Three: White Mage, Dancer and Warrior, but the latter's the one I'm worr- ah, I'm just really attached to that one, is all...!

[Where hadn't she checked yet? She had them all at the cafe. Then she went home, put them on the shelf to prevent them dropping somewhere, and-]

Gods, I'm not sure. I even went to the Wildlands with them, but I'm sure I had them all with me when I came back out.

Tsk... Oh well.

[Her tail had a tremor to it. But the auri folded her arms and shook her head with a smile. It's cool. It's fine. All of her training was to control the beast, wasn't it? Perhaps the job crystal was a crutch she needed to discard at some point in time as the ultimate test.

She just wished she had prior warning...]

...I'll keep this stone safe at least. I think I quite prefer being entrusted with such important things. Someone else may stick it in their nose or something, and then where would we be?

[crystalized_hope]

[Small victories! Don't think he didn't catch that. He took a moment to reply, too busy taking note of her ticks with obvious concern.]

Madhuri... Are you sure you're okay? I would be glad to help you look for them.

[Take care of yourself! He can't help but fret. It's just in his blood at this point.]

[songbird_slayer]

[There's a whole lot in your blood at this point, G'raha. Maybe don't overburden it with silly old things like fretting over her?

But damn, joke didn't work. That normally would buy her a little time, but this guy was gonna be the worrywart type. She was really getting sucker punches in reading people today, wasn't she?]

To tell you the truth, I'm not entirely sunny-side up, but... thank you, G'raha. Really.

[She raised her hands in a soothing gesture.]

If you could keep your eyes out for it in the least, I would be most grateful.

I can adjust. What is life but adjusting to things that trip you up a little, right?

[crystalized_hope]

[But it's not silly to him!! He cares about you, okay? Having a good attitude about it was probably better, but her response still left him worried about her.]

I'll be sure to keep an eye out for them, but please do not hesitate to ask for help if you need it.

[songbird_slayer]

[She bowed her head.]

...Of course. If you find it, my house isn't hard to miss. I've painted it purple and there's a garden at the base.

[She stood straight and blew out a breath, hand to her chest to center.]

Alright, I'm back on my rails. ...Hm.

[She paused, quirked a brow at him.]

Do you always have such a soothing aura about you? You're... easy to speak with.

[The men of her people were brick walls with stone faces. Others could listen but be so focused on something else or wait for their opportunity to make passes about her looks. But this guy, even with a soul so mingled in daring red with soft blue in her dream's eye, seemed to have her forget the uneasy weight on her shoulders.]

[crystalized_hope]

Do I?

[Well, he did play the role of a leader for a time. It made sense. Even so, it was nice to hear regardless.]

That's good to hear. You can talk to me about anything.

[He was okay with just listening - actually listening intently - to whatever she needed to rant about if it came up.]

[songbird_slayer]

[She gathered her skirts and curtsied.]

So generous! I'll hold you to that. I offer an open door in kind. Should you tire, fret, or perhaps feel that ache of hunger... I may have just the cure.

[The curtsy dipped lower.]

But for now, I'll settle for this beautiful stone and bid you a fond farewell and enjoy.

[crystalized_hope]

Right. Just promise me you'll take care of yourself.

[He won't hold her up. Besides, he has the food she made for him to eat finally.]

[songbird_slayer]

[Busted. But she drew an X on her chest.]

Cross my heart.

[She offered a wave and set on her way. Curiosity would get the best of her if she didn't try working with the crystal soon, so she was going to head home and get right on that.]