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The Infinite Consortium, Monday

Liliana was never particularly thrilled to be in the Infinite Consortium, but considering there were no children present, she could say with all honesty that it could be worse. Today's delivery was a mishmash of things: a horn of plenty, an oblivion stone - that was immediately going back into her locked safes, thank you - a snake basket...

And a book.

Books weren't anything new, there was a small bookcase of them over to one side, most of them in languages that she didn't know, which meant they were likely only of interest to Jon. But this one was in Kalonian, a language spoke on Shandalar - a plane she knew very well.

*...hallowed earth...the void's first breath...*

"Shut up," she murmured absently, paging through the book, skimming to see if anything useful jumped out at her. It seemed to be some kind of epic poem from several hundred years ago, telling the story of a warleader named Ob Nixilis who had 'arrived in swirling flame' - which probably meant a Planeswalker - and was searching for an artifact of great power, according to the narrator, a simple young man hired to be his guide into a sacred tomb.

A sacred tomb. Home to an artifact of great power. On Shandalar.

Suddenly the Onakke voice rose up in a loud chorus, feeling almost like a tidal wave against the inside of her skull. *...WHERE THE SEED TOOK ROOT...JUST A CHILD...UNIMAGINABLE...* It was loud enough to drive her to her knees, where she clutched her temples, eyes closed.

"Stop it!" she snapped. "Shut up!"

*VESSEL...OF...DESTRUCTION!*

The words reverberated through her head like a bell, over and over and over again. She wasn't sure how long she knelt there, wasn't even sure when the voices had faded back into their usual whispers until she felt an odd plink plink plink on the skin of her hand. Was there a leak in the ceiling...? She pried open one purple eye and saw red - literally. It was not water dripping on her hand, but blood. Her nose was bleeding and she had the most splitting headache.

"This is truly getting untenable," she muttered to herself, trying to sound composed and in control. She stood again, grasping the side of the counter when the world went a little wobbly, then slowly made her way into the single stall bathroom to pinch her nose and wash her face and hands. In the mirror, her eyes were also a little bloodshot, though no burst ves--no burst capillaries there to worry about.

"I don't know what in the Nine Hells that was all about," she muttered to her reflection, "but I do know I'm not going to let it stop me."

Ten minutes later, she was back behind the counter reading the story of Ob Nixilis, every so often whispering, "Shut up," at the voices once more whispering in her head.

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When Ignis came by bearing his usual treats to tide Liliana over through her no doubt arduous and taxing work day, he was absolutely locking the door behind him, as pointedly out of principle as it was propriety.

And then a moment, sensing something a little...off, in the feel of the place, though he supposed that could have just been his imagination, but it was enough to make him frown slightly before sending out his usual call of her name to help him find her, though he instinctually just started moving toward the counter.

"Liliana?"

"Hmmm?" Liliana raised her head, instinctively touching her upper lip and breathing a slight sigh of relief when they came back clean. There had been another bloody nose or two in the interim, though neither had been much more than a trickle. "Oh! Over here, my darling."

She stood up behind the counter without a stumble, even though her head was still throbbing, and even with the nonsense that had been today thus far, managed a genuine smile.

And with that distracted little hum to greet him first, Ignis swt down his treats on the counter and moved to meet her behind it, tracking the sound of her standing to best allow him to do so with an arm slipping around her waist.

"I'm not intruding on anything too engaging, am I?"

"Best of luck for anything to be as engaging as you are," Liliana said, cupping his face and bringing it in for a kiss. "I'm reading a book and..." She sighed. "On the one hand, I am fairly certain you'll want to know about it. One the other, I'm afraid it might interfere with our most delightful breaktime rendezvous."

Edited 2024-04-22 12:53 (UTC)

"Mmm." Well. No, that did not sound too terribly heartening, now, did it? But, then again, the fact that she told him as much instead of just brushing it aside or making up some alternate answer or just trying to distract him from it was...significant. He resolved, then, to keep that fact firm and foremost in his mind through whatever might follow next.

He supposed it could potentially not even be something that bad, just something terribly interesting to get lost in, and so now that resolve was nudged slightly aside to just put all of his hope into it being that, instead.

"And you are, of course," he said, "deserving of only my utmost, undivided attention, nor would I want to give you anything but that. So," a hand, gently, through hee hair to push it back from her shoulders before leaning in for a light kiss, "for the sake of avoiding distractions, let's hear it. What have you been discovering in this book, my dear?"

"It's from Shandalar," she said with a deep breath. "An epic poem about what I'm assuming is a Planeswalker named Ob. Ob Nixilis." Was that a snort of amusement? It certainly was. Ob. "Who descended into a tomb of a dead race to find an artifact of untold power."

There might be a few parallels there that Ignis might notice. Save for Liliana's name was hardly as stupid as Ob.

At least it wasn't quite so bad if you said the whole thing? A name like Nixilis sounded like it could be right at home on Eos.

But, yes, that description certain did make it sound far less likely that Liliana's concerns in telling him about it had that much to do with distraction in a purely scholarly level.

"Go on..." he promptoed, diligently fighting against the urge to start leaping to any conclusions, channeling some of that energy into gently strokes of his fingers against her back.

Liliana, however, was going to call him Ob at every chance she got. Also, he was a dick and deserved it, even if that were a spoiler for future interactions.

"I'm still reading through it," she said, eliding right over any Chain Veil screaming or bloody noses. He was clearly asking about the book, right? No reason to deviate from that! "Trying to make sure I have the appropriate background instead of skipping right to the end. Also, it's hundreds of years old, long before I was born, so trying to winnow through what is fact, fiction, poetic license, and historical context that I'm lacking is slow going."

Because, yes she could read through it quickly, or she could read through it like a scholar, which would take a great deal more time, but would be far more thorough. And was there really a guess which one Liliana would choose?

"So far, what I'm getting is a lot of Ob's backstory. Apparently he was a human warlord, born in 'a distant world,' that knew only war. He was trying to conquer his own plane and made a pact with demons, but they read the 'true desire of his heart' and slew every other living being on that plane. That ignited his spark and he 'walked away to start conquering other planes. He came to Shandalar because he'd heard it held a 'great treasure' that would make him a 'god above all gods.' One pre-Mending 'walker looking for a leg up against the others, is my guess, since we generally could only be killed by other Planeswalkers, and he would want to outmatch any Planeswalker he came up against...I wonder by how much that would have increased his power, considering the factor by which it's increasing mine...Is it a static amount or is it based on existing personal power..."

She paused to doodle some numbers before remembering that, right, she was in the midst of explaining something else.

"Oh, yes, right my darling. Anyway, I have gotten to Ob demanding that the village send it's 'finest sons' to bring him to the tomb and to ready their 'most beautiful daughters' for his return." She sighed and rubbed the center of her forehead, glad that Ignis could not see the faint twitching of her eye at the clamor the Chain Veil was making, even if the tension in her back beneath his fingers was a dead giveaway something was amiss. "Three things I've noticed: the first, I positively loathe this 'Ob' and I hope he died miserably, the second, he's the type that enjoys putting the boot to people's necks. There's no reason to demand the village youths accompany him, they will actually slow him down. Which tells you a lot about who he is right there, even if you assume all the conquering and dead world were gross exaggerations. And the third..." She frowned. "Again, I'm not sure if it's the nature of the poetry, but the author - who claims to be one of the youths - keeps bouncing back and forth between present and past tense when referring to Ob. The poem is in present and it makes sense when he's regaling us with stories of all the horror Ob inflicted on the Multiverse before Shandalar, but..."

She picked up the book. "And he that was a man says unto us, 'bring forth your finest sons, that I might have worthy servants to aid me in my quest to find this worthy treasure.' Continues he, 'And ready your most beautiful daughters for when I return. Bedeck them in jewels and fine cloths as unto a bride waiting for their most honored bridegroom.' The conqueror then glares out unto the crowd and warns us of the price of perfidy. 'Do I return and find your huts empty and your people gone, I will slay your sons and let their lifeblood flow unto the sands until there is an ocean at my feet.' And we quake before he who was a man and swear our obedience, though never our loyalty...

"The whole thing is pretty much just like that, which explains the length of the poem." She held the book up to Ignis, so he could feel the heft of the text for himself, and explore the book by touch if he wished. "But also, there's that odd phrasing throughout. The poem be talking about Ob in the present text like everything else, and then the phrase 'he who was a man' or something similar pops up in the past."

Born of a 'distant world' that knew only war and a pact with demons, eh? Fine. This was all fine. Just look at how fine Ignis was with this. Just ignore the fact that the gentle stroke of his fingers had eventually ceased, and the effort he had to put into keeping his hand simply flat on Liliana's back, instead of curling us into the tight fist of tension that it seemed to want to.

After all, the only thing that Liliana wanted to conquer was merely her own mortality. There was nothing even remotely similar about any of this at all...

So, yes, actually, thank you, Ignis would gladly take that book from your hands, Liliana, to get a better idea of its heft, its material, hints of its physicality and other traits that might be of some idle interest.

(To get it off her hands as much as to get something else for his hands to cling to).

"Then clearly," he mused, as he forced himself to consider this information with a more impartial perspective, "he had, at one point, ascended into something more than man...or, I suppose, more than likely, descended into something less than. I suppose it all depends on what direction one is approaching it from...."

...Probably for the best she hadn't mentioned Tavelia to him. Er. No reason.

"Hmmm, yes, that tracks," Liliana said, thoughtfully. "So possibly just the way they reference him being a Planeswalker, or something happened to him. Personally, I'm hoping it's the 'to him' option and that whatever it was, it was horrific."

She leaned back against him, reaching for one of the treats at the same time and cooing over how beautiful it was. "My darling, look at these, they're magnificent. This must have taken hours." With a tug on his shirt, she tried to bring him down for an appreciative kiss. One look at the purple mirrored shine and it was clear that he'd crafted them for her, an ode in snack form.

Her next point would have to wait a moment, she needed to devour one, maybe two (possibly three), before she could keep up the conversation.

The shift in Liliana's attention brought a pause to the question that was starting to form on his lips, slightly curved into a smile at her oh-so-subtle feelings regarding the potential fate of this Ob Nixilis, but you'd hear no complaint from him if his lips were to instead be engaged with kisses rather than queries in that moment. Setting the book aside, his arm went back around her to keep her close, in a way that made it clear that he had no intention of relinquishing that hold for anything else again any time soon.

"Quite a bit longer, actually," he said, the smile now taking on a hint of fond pride, "though well worth every second. Thankfully, I knew I didn't have to worry too much about you rooting around in the freezer to discover my work in progress."

"Come, sit," Liliana said, managing to maneuver herself up in such a way that while his arms had to move with her, they never had to let go. "If we're not going to go enjoy the wonders of inventory quite yet, then at least let me sit in your lap." She delivered the last few words in a sultry, playful tone, but from the way she nuzzled into him, one might assume that she simply wanted the closeness that such a position would offer.

"So, what I'm hearing is that I need to start buying ice cream so I have an excuse to go poking around in the freezer from time to time to see if there are any special treats in the offing," she teased, lips finding the underside of his jaw. "This sounds like a win/win, which is precisely how I like my victories."

Once settled properly, she closed her eyes and let her head fall onto his shoulder, as if his nearness alone could alleviate some of the dull throbbing in her head.

Ignis certainly didn't need any convincing with a proposal like that, and he moved with Liliana easily, gratefully, really, although he didn't realize how much he needed that closeness until they were settled. The kiss against his jaw cause him to tilt his head back with a sigh, releasing some of that tension he'd felt almost the moment he'd stepped in, without even realizing how much more it would grow in their discussion.

Some. Not all, the plight of Ob Nixilis still looming like a shadow from a cloud over the sun in his mind, but he turned his head to catch those lips with his own, and kissed her for a good, long while until those clouds began to dissipate a little more.

Even the witticism of their verbal exchanges weren't enough to prevent him from being reluctant to pull away, but he did, one last kiss against her forehead before drawing her to settle against her chest again.

"Then I'll simply have to get another freezer for the training room," he noted, "since you're even less likely to venture there."

(no subject)

deathsmajesty - 2024-04-22 21:09 (UTC) - Expand

Sometime after Ignis' visit, Dean realized he left one of his old journals behind the counter which had some notes he had taken about the Fizzle's Folly time period. He had hoped in vain that Liliana had taken the day off so he wouldn't have to deal with the mess from Friday but...

Nope. There she was. "Boss," he grunted in greeting as he headed behind the counter. "Just looking for something."

Oh great, a second headache, Liliana thought sourly, but shifted over with a noncommittal "Mmmm" aloud. She had a book, she could ignore his presence, she could...

"Bloody hell," she muttered as she felt the telltale wetness on her upper lip. "Could you move?"

"I'll be out of your way in a second," Dean said, digging around under the counter. "Keep your pants on."

"Let me rephrase," Liliana said. "Move before I bleed caustic blood on you."

That was only half-true, but it would be funny to see if he believed her.

Dean immediately jerked away and looked at her. "Just a nosebleed or does me showing up just immediately give you an aneurysm?"

"Six of one, half dozen of another," Liliana declared, sweeping past him. It would have been more believable if she hadn't immediately pressed her hand against her temple as the Onakke spirits started up another chorus of the perennial favorite vessel of destruction, but she straightened a moment later and continued into the bathroom.

Wait, maybe that would make the aneurysm believable.

"Should I leave or do you need a trip to the clinic?" Dean called out, watching her walk away.

Caustic blood?

She would find his uncertainty hilarious if only she knew.

"I'm certainly not keeping you," Liliana called over her shoulder. "And the last time I was bleeding under Stark's care, he tried to usher me into death, so I assure you, I'm fine."

Lili could cop to that being unnecessarily bitchy and unfair to Stark, but also her head hurt so she wasn't inclined towards fairness.

"The last time I went to the clinic, Navaan tried to plan an acorn in me. So yeah I get that," Dean offered. "I could call Lana. She's got magic finger wiggles."

It's called the FORCE, Dean.

"That's what you get for trusting that vampire--" Congrats Dean, you had (yet) to get to Liliana using that level of contempt when she spoke to or about you! "--to do anything."

She once again stepped into the bathroom to wash her face and came out with yet more tissues around her nose. And congrats again, Dean, now you get to hear Liliana talk with her nose pinched shut.

"It's only a nosebleed," she said. "No reason to bother Lana. I'll be fine. What did you say you were here for?" The And did you find it yet? was implied.

Dean had pulled the journal out and during their last response was checking through his notes during her nose pinching session. "Yes, I got it. I do have a question for you Elvira when you're not bleeding all over the place."

"I'm sure that's a truly cutting insult that I don't have the context for but will sorely wound me if and when I do," Liliana declared. Nasally. She gestured. "Ask."