An appointment with heirtothearcane

[chiron_survivor]

Adia sits eagerly in the waiting room of Viatorus's office, a small notebook and pen in her hands. Surprised that the dreamwalker had agreed to meet with her so soon after Khan's invasion, she leapt at the chance anyway. The anti-violence was restored, after all, and Isidor surely wouldn't have let her brother return to the Nexus if any danger remained.

In a way, Adia, too, was restored, freed from a filthy settlement and returned to her spaceship. She is once again dressed semi-professionally, her hair clean, the mottled bruise on the left side of her face the only reminder of her close call on New Caprica. More importantly, her heart is filled with hope -- hope for her people's future, and hope for her own.

Absently doodling a tulip in the corner of her notebook, she glances up every so often at the office door in anticipation of it opening. She can't wait to talk to Viatorus about the possibility of a research lab in the Nexus, one that caters to both magic and science. Oh, and maybe she should mention Iphigenia's idea of building a shrine to their gods in the Nexus, too...

And her nightmares. She's supposed to ask about how to stop her nightmares.

Her excitement tempered by the unpleasant reminder, she scratches out the tulip while she waits. By the time Viatorus arrives, it's nothing but an angry blue blot.

Comments

[heirtothearcane]

"That's all right," he says, almost breathless with how softly he speaks. "I'm just glad you gave it a go." While she takes a moment to herself he puts the pebbles back in the box and closes the lip with a click. "It's, ah, it's helped me a lot in the past. It's like giving structure to something that can be wild and overwhelming."

As a child the game was used for simple things like understanding the rules and consequences of adult life (or debating which thing was cooler). As an adult the topics tend to be far heavier. To give Adia some more space Viatorus takes the box and sets it on his desk so it can't draw her mind back to thoughts she'd rather leave at peace.

"Like I said, I can talk you through the best diets, exercise regimes, pills, meditation techniques and such for best dream practices, if you like. Ultimately, though, you are trying to have a conversation with yourself."

[chiron_survivor]

She's silent, gaze somewhere in the middle distance while he clears off the table. She'll be ruminating on what she's learned for a while, even without the pebbles as a visual reminder. She returns her attention to Viatorus when he speaks. It's easy enough to imagine him bent over a line of pebbles, light and dark balanced by twos as he works his way through a problem. "It reminds me a little of the pro and con lists I used to make. Mostly when it came for deciding where to go to school... is this game specific to your family? Or is it something all mages play?"

"I understand." She never once thought that dealing with her nightmares would be easy, or solved with a magical wave of a hand. She looks at him worriedly. "I hope that... I mean, I'm doing better than I was, even with the nightmares, so..." Her fingers find her scarf again, tugging at it anxiously. "I really would like to set up a way to do research in the Nexus. Research of all kinds. If that's something you'd still like to do?" She doesn't want to disappoint Viatorus. Or his sister. Especially not his sister. She admires Isidor a great deal but does not want to be on the receiving end of her disappointment.

[heirtothearcane]

"It is a lot like that. Just with, ah, a different goal." Balance as opposed to competition. Like Adia, Viatorus has never been fond of conflict and avoiding it at all even when weighing up the odds is always a preferable option. "I've only heard of it being played by my family, but I'm probably not the best person to ask."

The worry and anxiety on Adia's face has him concerned before she gets to explain what she's worried about. Then he jumps in surprise and into a smile when she asks him about the research idea. "Oh yes! Of course! It's really a wonderful idea, and the Nexus is such a unique and fantastic opportunity to learn and study. Both for the exchange of ideas and the impossible setting. Actually if we gather any information about the Nexus I'm sure people would be very interested in it." He sits down again, brimming with excitement. "Did you have any thoughts or ideas?"

[chiron_survivor]

Adia nods. She gets it. Making a list of pros and cons has a different goal in mind. Maybe she'll ask Isidor about the pebble game the next time she sees her. Adia bets she's really good at it.

Oh, that response is very reassuring. She immediately stops fidgeting, smiling brightly in both relief and excitement. "Yes... well, just a few things, like what sorts of science equipment we'd need, although I can only speak for the biological sciences. And we should probably create some sort of ethical waiver if people needed subjects for their work. And some sort of database so people could share what they've learned. Something that would be conducive to meta-research, too. How do you handle that sort of thing on your world, by the way? Do you publish what you've learned in journals?" Is there a Magical Monthly for Dream Mages? More importantly, is it peer-reviewed?

[heirtothearcane]

He nods rapidly in agreement. "Waivers should definitely be drawn up." After all the incidents Doctor Hill has caused with his unconventional therapy Viatorus is more aware than ever of the virtues of a good waiver.

"We publish our findings internally first, so that the Archon and Elders can review them. Then they're available to people who have access to my family's research which is, as a general rule, only given when asked for." This is all cited off relatively quickly with a bit of excited fidgeting. "The scribes and patrons sort all of that out. I know academics outside of my family do it differently, but I don't remember how. I don't know much about databases either but I'm sure someone around here knows something about how to set one up."

[chiron_survivor]

Maybe they should put up a picture of Doctor Hill with a "don't" symbol over it on the door of their building, just to be safe. But he'd probably see that as a challenge.

"The Archon?" She asks, unfamiliar with the term. She's a little disappointed by his explanation but tries not to show it. The dissemination of his family's research sounds kind of elitist. But it is magic, not science, and she has to accept that these two arenas of study are handled differently. Although hopefully in the Nexus, shared knowledge would be the goal for both. "Sure, we'd just need someone good at coding. I think it'd be easiest if we had it on a computer, although a paper option would be nice for people who are used to a lower level of technology. What sorts of things would you want so that people could conduct magical experiments?"

[heirtothearcane]

Despite his disapproval of the doctor's ethics, Viatorus quite likes Doctor Hill and wouldn't be able to bring himself to do something that might hurt the man's feelings. He may still pointedly discuss whatever waiver Adia and he get drawn up, however.

"He's the head of our family, the one who makes all the big decisions," Viatorus explains. It's hastily delivered, the dreamwalker far more eager to discuss plans than tell Adia more about his traditionalist family.

"Room, mostly. A safe space to practice and observe magic without damaging anything. Everything after that depends on the area they're studying. Supplies like chalk, salt and candles, of course. I would love to get a dream lab here, but that's not as important." He taps his chin. "It would be fantastic to get some solid readings on magic. I know at least one relative who has worked on using scientific equipment to identify the energy used in magic. Maybe getting some of the equipment he used would be a good idea."

[chiron_survivor]

That's a problem. Because if Viatorus likes Doctor Hill, then Adia will probably like him, too, or at least also be unable to shoo him away, despite Isidor's explicit warning. Better make sure the wording of that waiver is airtight.

"Oh. Okay." Definitely not how things are done when it comes to science. Viatorus seems eager to move on, but Adia can't help but ask a follow-up question. "How big is your family?"

Adia listens curiously to his list of requirements, which sounds surprisingly sparse compared to the list of scientific equipment she already has written up in her notebook. Oh, her notebook! She quickly reaches for it and flips off the cap of her pen so she can start jotting things down. "...salt, candles, got it... oh, a dream lab would be nice, it could double as a lab for sleep research." Her eyes brighten at the concept of quantifying the energy used in magic. "That sounds like a great idea. It'd be so interesting to see if magic in other worlds uses the same energy, or if it even can be measured." She jots down the idea in her notebook. "I wonder... magic is hereditary on your world, right? I wonder if there is a gene for magical ability... maybe a number of genes, something like that probably isn't so simple..."

[heirtothearcane]

Of all the things to be asked he doesn't expect that one. It stuns him as he tries to process the question and how best to answer it. "My family is descended from a very particular bloodline, one that has been carefully tracked." And regulated… "It's, um, grown pretty large. I've only seen a full family gathering once or twice. And we've married into a lot of other magical families too."

"I would be fascinated to see a brain scan of a dreamer," he muses aloud. "If I could get all possible information on a dream it would be incredible. I wonder if a scan would look different if someone was walking in the dream, too." It's only after this train of thought that he catches up with her suggestions. "Yes! To see if energy is different depending on the world it comes from, or the school of magic, or the person…"

Then he's nodding again. "It is. I don't know much about genes though… Some bloodlines have stronger magical talent than others, too. I wonder if you could see that with science."

[chiron_survivor]

If there is a patriarch of sorts to the Durant family, then it stands to reason in Adia's mind that it must be a large family. Her assumption is proven correct, and Viatorus's answer, combined with what he has already said about his family, paints a particular picture for her. It reminds her of the royal bloodlines on Virgon (and Leonis, too, although she hopes the Durant family doesn't have as many marriages between cousins and half-siblings). "My family was very small. I'm an only child, and so was my dad. Only one of my aunts had kids. I would have liked more cousins, I think."

"You'd want an EEG machine, then," she tells him. "Or an MRI, but those are expensive and require a lot of maintenance. And loud, too, I don't know how anyone could fall asleep in one." She shrugs and writes down "brain scan" anyway. Maybe there is some advanced tech out there that would avoid both of those problems. "But yeah, it would be really interesting. Do you have different schools of magic in your world? Or is it more different applications of the same magic?"

She nearly answers that of course you can see that with science, if something is hereditary then it has to have a genetic component, but she catches herself at the last moment. "You know... there was a time when I thought that you could see anything with science, provided that you asked the right questions and had the proper equipment." She gives Viatorus a thoughtful smile. "But honestly, I don't know. I'd love to try and find out though."

[heirtothearcane]

"I think I would have liked a few less. I still keep forgetting their names," he admits sheepishly. "Were you close to your cousins?"

Money isn't a problem and he almost says as much, but the mention of noise is another matter. Theoretically a sleep spell would work but that sometimes influences a dream and he'd rather not. "We have different schools, and different sources. Lineaged magic is the easiest to work with but there's always divine magic, ritual magic, earth magic... Sometimes that influences what schools of magic you can do."

Viatorus smiles back. "I was told that we can do anything with magic. All we need to do is learn how." Suddenly he beams and bounces on the spot. "This is exciting! We should see who else might be interested or if there is a way it could give back to the Nexus."

[chiron_survivor]

Adia shakes her head. "No, the youngest of them was still a decade older than me. My mom was the youngest of her siblings." Gods, it's been a long time since she's thought of her cousins. She shifts uncomfortably in her seat, feeling guilty over it. "They were boys, too. They didn't spend much time with me."

She taps the pen against her notebook. That's a lot of different kinds of magic. "You don't happen to have a, um, a book or something that explains all this? Oh, I promised your sister a book about Colonial culture. I'm still deciding between two different titles, can I drop it off here once I've picked it out?"

His enthusiasm is contagious, eliciting a bright smile from her. It's so nice to find a kindred spirit, someone who appreciates learning as much as she does. "We should, yes. Although I think the odds are skewed in your favor. I've met far more magic users than scientists. And I'm sure we can find ways to give back to the Nexus. You already do that with your dream research."

[heirtothearcane]

"Oh. That's understandable then." He tries for an encouraging smile. "At least you didn't have to deal with as many pranks?"

"Of course! And I have lots of books to explain all of it. I'll have to take you to see one of the family libraries one day. But I can get you a couple of books for the next time we meet, too."

"More scientists might appear if they have a place to work," he points out hopefully. "Especially if they have someone to collaborate with. You might help bring them all together."

[chiron_survivor]

"No pranks," Adia confirms. Her much older cousins knew better than to play tricks on a shy, sensitive child. "Why, is that what your cousins did?"

The offer to take her to one of his family's libraries has her leaning forward eagerly, her notes forgotten. "Oh, that is so generous of you, I'd love to see it. And yes, any book that you think would help me understand the different schools and styles." If she knew Viatorus a little better, she'd ask if she could see some of his Earth, too, but she's not quite so desperate to visit different Earths as she used to be, now that the fleet has resumed its search for the one in her universe.

"Oh... that's true." Now it's her turn to feel the pressure of responsibility. What if their research center doesn't attract other scientists? She was never the type to lead symposia or conferences. But instead of wilting, she puts on a determined expression and nods. If she can survive heartbreak, an evacuation, and and a Nexus invasion in less than a week, she can handle this, too. "I'll do my best to try."

[heirtothearcane]

"Yes, sort of, yes," he answers, voice light and hasty. It's far too easy to make his family sound bad, but he's never been good at lying for any reason so a poor attempt at distraction or deflection has to do.

"There are different philosophies and opinions on how magic should be classed, of course... I'm sure I can pick out a few general guides for a start. I'll try not to choose any heavy reading. Some of the older Scholars were... hm... wordy," he admits with a small smile. He might have been forced to read through all of their musings and entitled opinions but at least Adia can be spared.

Viatorus gestures to the notebook. "If you have a list and specifications for a kind of building you'd like then Isidor could start looking into properties. Finance and organisation really is her area of expertise."

[chiron_survivor]

Based on his answer, and his nature in general, Adia can make a pretty good guess of how often Viatorus was a victim of his cousins' pranks. She frowns sympathetically but isn't sure what to say, not wanting to embarrass him. "I've never been a fan of pranks," she says finally. "Not unless they were something silly, like filling a room with balloons or something. At least you're all adults now. Right?"

"Science has the same problems with classification... and excess verbage." Adia smiles at the similarities. "I appreciate the discretion."

As a matter of fact, she does. Adia flips to a page in the back where she had written down some parameters for the building itself. She tears it out and offers it to Viatorus, anxious that Isidor will deem it worthy. "Most of what I put down is negotiable. But, um... I know that there's more space in the Industrial District, but I'd really rather not have it all the way out there. Because of... um, y'know. I know the AV field extends out there but it's still safer closer to the Plaza."

[heirtothearcane]

She gets a wide, flickering smile that looks like it takes as much effort to construct as his previous neutral answer. "Right."

"Maybe it wouldn't be as difficult to understand as I thought," he says after a small amused titter.

The sound of paper tearing automatically gets a flinch from the scholar, but he smiles gently as he accepts the list. "Don't worry. If there's anything Isidor will make sure of it's that this place will be safe. She'll put wards and protections on it as well as the anti-violence field… Will you research alien microbiology? Or focus on your world?"

[chiron_survivor]

Adia has forced herself to make that smile enough times in her life that she recognizes it for what it is. Would it be socially inappropriate to commiserate with him? Or should she drop the subject and move on? She knows what she wants to say, but she doesn't know if that's proper etiquette during a semi-professional meeting, of if showing her sympathy would even make things better.

"How about Isidor?" She asks instead, desperate to fill up the awkward silence. "Did she pull pranks?" She can't imagine someone pulling a prank on her without deeply regretting it afterwards.

Flashing a brief grin, she replies, "Hopefully not. I'll ask you about anything that needs clarification."

At least the edge is perforated so there aren't annoying little tabs of paper littering the ground as often happens with traditional spiral notebooks. "That's good to know," Adia says with visible relief. The question surprises her, but in a happy way. "Oh... alien microbiology for sure. Or even a chance to see what sort of microscopic creatures live in the Nexus water and soil, if any are native or if they're all transplants from other worlds. Not that my own work on the Chiron is boring, but it's not something I need to do here." She pauses before adding somewhat wryly, "And honestly, what my world needs right now is a good astrophysicist. Someone who could use Nexus knowledge to find our Earth. I am definitely not qualified."

[heirtothearcane]

That gets a light laugh from him. "Oh no, no. Isidor has always been an adult. She was telling people off and giving orders before she learned how to ride."

"I understand," he says honestly. "It's like my dreamwalking. Going into dreams and seeing what I can do is more for fun than anything productive. For my current studies, anyway. But I think it's good to make sure you keep your area fun and playful. That's how we learn so much in life, after all."

[chiron_survivor]

Adia laughs a little, too, both in relief that her question lightened the mood, and also at the mental image of a tiny pantsuit-wearing Isidor giving out orders. "Good for her. What's the age difference between you two? Did you always get along?"

"That's something that science could benefit from," Adia remarks thoughtfully. "At least, the science on my world. Sometimes there was too much emphasis on obtaining funding or getting your research published, and not enough on simply exploring an idea for knowledge's sake. It's different now, but only because of the war."

Setting down her notebook, she remembers her neglected glass of orange juice and takes another sip. "The things you have here... the juice and the flowers, where did they come from? Your world?"

[heirtothearcane]

"Two years, but she can act like a sixty year old when she wants to," he says, in part to give Adia an excuse for if she thought the age difference was greater. Then he nods. "We've always gotten on. She's always been kind to me, even when we thought so differently about things. But I know I'm lucky. Not everyone gets along so well with their sibling."

"It's like that with magic too. It's all about making progress and making breakthroughs." He's quiet while he ponders it. "In my family your name and reputation relies on how great a discovery you make. It's all ranked and assessed, but... sometimes I think that makes magic lose its, well, magic."

He blinks at her a minute and looks around. "Oh, well, most of it is from home. Runa... My fiancée... She brought the flowers. She wanted to make it feel nicer, more homely or comfortable."

[chiron_survivor]

"That means she probably isn't any older than me," Adia muses, a little stunned at the realization. "Not that I thought she was old," she adds hurriedly. "But... wow. She's so mature and put together. That's a good thing, though. I'm an adult, but sometimes I need an adult, you know? I'm glad you've always gotten along. I know some siblings fight, especially ones close in age. But I still would have liked a sibling." Preferably a big sister like Isidor, but a little brother like Viatorus would have been nice, too.

"I know what you mean. It sucks the joy out of it." She laughs a little. "It's the same in the academic community. You're nothing until you're first author on a paper, preferably with some well-established know-it-all as last author. And forget about graduating until you have publishable data."

Adia struggles to swallow her juice and set the glass back down as casually as possible when Viatorus mentions his fiancee. She's still a little embarrassed over her cynical advice about falling in love, but now that he knows the whole story, he can hopefully understand that she was coming from a place of hurt and confusion when she gave it. "Oh, so you, um, you met her, then. How's, um... how's that working out?"

[heirtothearcane]

"I know," he says softly. His sister's maturity and discipline are things he's heard praised often and extensively, among all manner of other traits. He's used to hearing the comments. They are well deserved, after all. "I don't know what I'd do without her," he admits. "We were so busy studying as children that she was my best friend, and my teacher, and my guardian. But I wish she'd gotten to enjoy herself more." A smile breaks his ponderous expression. "That's why I'm glad she's getting along with people here. It's good for her to have someone who's not… well… me." He tilts his head at her. "What was it like to be an only child?"

"Oh." He's not sure whether he's disappointed or glad that it's not that different. "I wish it wasn't that way for you," he says eventually. "Does… Does that mean you've published a paper?"

Adia is not the only one who finds love an awkward and embarrassing subject. His track record thusfar has been rather dismal which only made Adia's advice more difficult to face as it felt more and more true. Viatorus fidgets, and tries not to. He feels the sheet of paper she handed him and resists the urge to fold it repeatedly. "It's, um… I don't know. It's… good? Good. It's good." He moves to a cupboard to get a folder to keep her list safe. "She's pretty, she's kind… She smiles a lot, and bakes a lot."

[chiron_survivor]

She wonders a little at the softness of his acknowledgement. Was she too effusive with her praise? "i'm glad she's making friends, too. The Nexus is good for that. But I'll bet you'll always be her best friend." Considering how protective Isidor is of her brother, she's not about to trade him in for some shiny new friends. As for what it's like to be an only child, it's her turn to fall into quiet thought. "It was a little lonely," she admits. "I was very close to my parents and they made a lot of time for me, but it's not the same as having another kid around. But it was nice not having to share their attention... or my toys, I guess. And I didn't have to worry about being teased or picked on at home. I could relax and be myself."

Adia looks a little surprised by his question. "Yes. A few papers, actually. My thesis was on the genetic variability of the flu virus... not super exciting, but it helped me to graduate."

At least Viatorus doesn't have to worry about Runa being a sleeper agent for a race of genocidal robots. That often doesn't make for a happy marriage. "That's good," Adia says quickly, trying to ease his nervousness, as well as hers. "She sounds great. The, um, the flowers were a nice touch to your waiting room. Very pretty." She tries to find something else nice to say about a woman that she has never met, then blinks at the implications of Runa having been in Viatorus's office in the first place. "Wait, does that mean that she knows about the Nexus?"

[heirtothearcane]

Viatorus smiles gratefully at her kind words, an expression which turns a little sympathetic at her next words. Something she says causes him to brighten, his brow lifting in interest. "Are you close to your parents?"

"That's one thing I do wish I could help science with, a good flu vaccine. But they have to keep changing it for some reason, don't they? And magic can only help so much with a common cold."

It's certainly one less thing to worry about. His hair bounces as he nods at her question. "Isidor wanted her to come here and meet some of my friends. Truth be told I think she was trying to test her," he admits as he returns to his seat, setting the folder on the table. "It didn't scare her or anything. She's always so... happy. Which is good," he adds hastily and fidgets again. "We... We have pretty different interests, but she's very friendly. With everyone."