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[breweries]

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[nerine]

[ Ah, well he bounces back quickly, or at least that's how she interprets his text. Maybe it really is just her who acts standoffish whenever it comes to her own baggage. It's not a bad thing on Shylock's end though; it's somehow encouraging.]

You're welcome.
If you don't mind me asking
How long has that been happening to you?

[It's one thing to not feel physical pain but for someone to suffer constant burning and feel it? What even is that like?]

[breweries]

Oh, it's been quite a while now. You have to excuse my vague answer -- wizards who have lived as long as I rarely track the time or even at all. But I suppose I could say that it has been over a year.

[ he is rather lax about this, because he is. no time to agonize over his burning heart when he has work to do tomorrow or friends to see later in the day. ]

[nerine]

That hasn't been all that long then.

[There's a pause between texts before she adds: ]

My boss told me that curses are serious business.
And if a spellcaster is going to direct one towards their target
The purpose has to be clear

So I don't know if what you have is a curse and you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable with
But is there a purpose to why that happens to you in particular?

[breweries]

Your boss is quite right. I know someone back home who works with curses for a living himself, but in my case it's a little different.

But first, let me answer that with another question: does the moon mean anything to you or in your world?

[nerine]

I think the moon might be an important factor in influencing different creatures and entities.
As well as facilitating magic spells or being an aspect of someone's magic?
And in a more natural sense, it affects the ocean tide to an extent.

Iona joked at some point that the moon could be haunted.
But I'm sure that was just a joke.

[She sure hopes so... "Moon's haunted," is very easy to pass off as one but ever since she entered the fold of the supernatural, Monts knows anything is possible.]

when it hits

[medicative]

Are you perhaps available? If not, could you tell me when you will be?

[breweries]

Haunted... Now that's one way of putting it.

Let me explain. The moon where I'm from is often called the Great Calamity, for it will one day destroy our world. I am one of the wizards chosen by the Master Sage to help ward it away every year.

Now, the Great Calamity has been growing in power as the centuries past, to the point that last year, one-half of our comrades had turned to stone. The other half, meanwhile, were given various afflictions that greatly affect us in our day to day lives. The one you saw that night was my affliction that had returned all of a sudden.

[ a wry smile. ]

Oh, well. It was good while it lasted.

[nerine]

[Well, she feels like a clown. Or maybe she can blame Iona for this, something something, speaking things into reality, something.

What is Marianna supposed to say in reply to all this? True she's used to there being other worlds and Iona and Oren always told her to keep her mind at ease in regards to those cultures. There's only so much they can do to intervene or help if they even tried. At the end of the day, she was safe from thinking too hard about the hardships of other people in other places, a casual observer in a tiny corner of the cosmos.

But here she is, mixed in with everyone else. She's not sure she can be so impartial.]

I don't know what to say.
That really sucks.
Like that's fucking awful!

[Monts isn't commonly this crude but this isn't something to take lightly.]

But aren't we like, at least worlds away?
Forget it being the afterlife, is this Calamity that powerful that it reverberates here?

un; greatbradley

[potensum]

wheres your bar
send me the address

un: sangria

[breweries]

[ immediately pings him the location ]

This sounds urgent. Did something happen?

[potensum]

[ it's extremely urgent… also the only place he knows for sure would take him late at night. though maybe it's too late even for shylock bar time. ]

i’m heading there right now

[breweries]

All right.

[ hemlock closes at three, so there should be more than enough time to accommodate him. in any case, when bradley arrives, shylock is right at the counter where he always is, polishing a wineglass with the usual serene smile on his face. there are less patrons at this time of night, which should be more than ideal for the both of them. ]

Acclimating to the hell life, I presume?

[potensum]

[ he arrives very soon, as he was already on his neck of the woods looking for the bar. he walks in and immediately plops himself on the counter, grunting. ]

…You don't change even in hell, huh? Opening a bar and shit.

[breweries]

I'm always available for you, Emily. Is something troubling you?

[breweries]

Of course. I established Hemlock a month after I arrived here. Tamamo culture has always reminded me of the West, so you could say that I feel right at home all ready.

[ he sets the wineglass down. ]

Now, what would you like to have?

[potensum]

Whatever's your strongest. Anything that could take me out as soon as possible.

[ he just wants to Not exist for a little… though that’s a tall order considering his incredibly high tolerance for alcohol that shylock is quite aware of. ]

[medicative]

I need your advice. Though this may be better discussed in person.

[she needs the one person she trusts to not congratulate her when she's terrified out of her mind.]

[breweries]

[ shylock huffs out a chuckle. the wine cabinet behind him opens, and out flies a bottle of one of his strongest vodkas. nothing too fancy as it pours itself into a glass and lands in front of bradley. ]

I suppose I stand corrected. Did you not like your faction?

[breweries]

Of course. Your place or mine?

[ they could talk at the bar, but... idk let's just say it's his day off or something. a new backdrop would be more beneficial, he thinks. ]

[potensum]

My faction?

[ …oh, that. he doesn't really pay attention to whatever is happening there. ]

…Sure. Let’s go with that.

[ he picks up the glass, and right before he drinks it, he looks at shylock. ]

I can't pay you yet, though. That better not be a problem ‘cause I'm drinking this anyway.

[medicative]

Yours would be preferable.

[she doesn't need either of the people with keys to walk in during this.]

[breweries]

[ another snort. ]

We'll see about that.

[ just because they're sage's wizards doesn't mean bradley's going to get preferential treatment??? only murr gets that.

he lets bradley drink his fill, the bar falling into a comforting silence. ]

Now, tell me what's truly ailing you.

[breweries]

[ sends her a location ping ]

Feel free to swoop in at the attic balcony, if that's what you prefer.

[ he was going to offer that he'll fly her up here, but she already has wings so... ]

[potensum]

[ don't kick him when he's down… he only knows how to speak roughly but he doesn't mean anything by it. he'll down it all in one go just as he said he would, setting down the empty glass in front of him. ]

…You didn't change. I didn't change, either. Then how come other people did? …It makes no fucking sense.

[ “other people”. ]

[medicative]

[it won't be too long before she does. actually, flying is a great idea, and she touches down on that balcony with a little energy burned out but her thoughts none the better. it's clear from her face that she's distressed over something, but she does have enough manners to be able to say:]

You have a lovely home.

[it's important to acknowledge that.]