On the third floor of the Hanging Gardens, sat a man next to one of the flowing rivers. His ebony black wavy hair cascaded past his shoulders and stopped in the middle of his back. Touching a soft strand of his hair, he inspected it. A cut was due soon. The silver mask hiding his face only covered half of his face. His green eyes practically glowed with the soft silver in comparison. A kimono was wrapped around him. The top of the kimono started with a lavender and as it went down, the color melted into a royal blue at the bottom. White flower petals danced across the back and front of the kimono. A silver belt wrapped around the lower part of his chest.

Water flowed through the stream next to him as couples placed lotus flowers in it. Each flower would travel down the lazy river and fall into the ocean. The garden surrounding him was brilliant. Nature mixed with design in a way that would please the eye the best. All types of flowers and plants gathered together in one gorgeous art piece. Caius knew much about art himself. In front of him was piles of beads and thread. His hands moved carefully and quickly. Stringing the beads together. Each color of bead represented a part of a healthy loving relationship. One bracelet had bright red beads that stood for passion and aqua beads that stood for finding value in each other.

Other bracelets were like this. If a couple came around, he would sell the bracelets to them. Hope flew in his heart every time he met a couple. Love was needed more in this world. Love that would last for eternity. That’s what he wanted for others. His fingers flew from bead to bead, stringing them together in a matter of seconds. One day he would be able to add pearls to these bracelets. Maybe next year he would have a chance.

Caius kept caution in mind. Touching another person had the possibility of another vision. He had controlled it to the point where he didn’t get them every single time he shaked someone’s hand or tapped their shoulder. Yet the visions still came sometimes. Looking to the river, he could see the smooth stones hiding inside them. The water seemed cool and relaxing. A soft smile appeared on his lips.

“What a lovely evening.” He said softly.

Nobody was around, so he felt comfortable speaking out loud a bit. Perhaps towards the end of the event, he would visit the top of the tower to get a glimpse at the stars above. The smell of flowers and grass mixed together brought comfort to his mind as he worked.

She sought to travel the world in search of what she had lost. It was difficult, but she had hoped that perhaps it would quicken the pace of recovering her memory. Ardea's information on herself was extremely limited, but if she could find that place she saw within the few fragments of memories she possessed perhaps she could learn more. With the entire world completely new and foreign to her, she set out to see the Hanging Gardens. So many people, all together in a beautiful place high above the ground. Men and women wearing masks took their time to stroll the levels beneath the lanterns as music played. Seeing no need to be armed, the woman strode through in her armored gown. She chose not to change her attire to the occasion on the off chance someone she had known in the past recognized her. The raven-haired woman was out of place in the midst of families and lovers enjoying the flowers. Slowly she walked back and forth, observing faces and trying to call back any sort of recollection no matter now faint.

The tall woman's attention came on the man making jewelry. For a while she stood and looked at him, as if in deep contemplation. Others might mistake it for hesitation regarding a purchase, but for Ardea it was a struggle of determining what was real and what was hopeful wishing. If 'he' were here, she was sure he would be around this man's age. Who exactly 'he' was, she didn't know. All she had was a blurred image of a young man without any specific details to go on. Revisiting the memory, she was able to make out his build and his clothes. Yet once she reached the lower half of his face she couldn't recall any more. His voice was blotted out, she had no idea what he even sounded like. 

While most young ladies her age would find items such as the bracelets catch their fancy, Ardea felt…nothing. She didn't know if she liked jewelry, or what preferences her past self would have had. The curiosity of one seeing something for the first time drew her closer as she observed the man stringing the beads in a particular order. Speaking up at last, her long dark hair draped down as she pointed a hand at what he was making. "What are these for?" A simple question, yet of great importance for one whose mind was an empty book.

A woman with dark long hair and an armored gown approached Caius. He had not realized that there was anybody else around at the moment but did his best to hide his surprise. She pointed at his beads and asked about them. A small smile appeared on his lips as he tilted his head up to have a proper look at her. Normally, he would have been tongue-tied on what to say. However, the stranger had asked about one of his passions. Something he was all too willing to tell about.

"Well, they are bracelets to put on one's wrists. The bracelets look nice and are supposed to bring the wearer a certain type of luck." He explained carefully, "Each bead represents a different thing. The red beads represent passion. While the green means growth. The ones I'm making right now are for couples but they can be applied to people without partners. I…didn't want anybody to feel left out."

Passion lit up in his eyes as he explained the meaning behind the beads and what they were meant to do. His voice was melodious. He hadn't stopped stringing the beads, only this time he was taking the beads off without realizing it and replacing it with different colors of beads. One of the beads was the color of salmon. While the other was a shade of blue-green known as mint.

"Would you like to buy one?" He asked her, "…Or would you like to know how to make one?"

Realizing that she probably had no interest in making bracelets on a busy day like this, he looked down to his lap.

"S-sorry." He quickly said, "That was presumptuous of me."

From the artisan's description, these beaded bracelets were meant to be charms. With enthusiasm he explained the colors, listing what they represented. The ones that were already completed were meant for lovers, though he quickly added they were not exclusively for couples. Ardea watched as the man's hands continued to work while he spoke, changing the order of the colors. When he asked if she was interested in purchasing or procuring one for herself, she took a moment to think. In her pause, the man appeared to interpret that lack of an answer as disinterest, his passionate countenance becoming crestfallen. Even if she herself had no feeling towards jewelry, the significance of colors had her interest. "Yes, I would very much appreciate your instruction in crafting one." She said at last. Reaching to better inspect the one he was holding, her hands touched his as she then asked a question of her own. "What color is for remembrance?" 

It was a faint and foolish hope, that perhaps such a trinket would be able to return the memories that she so desperately wanted. Passion she had no current need, growth was not as necessary–but the restoration of self-knowledge was what Ardea desired. To know thyself, and then to understand what she should do next was her goal. Anything, something for her to grasp at, a sign of her identity. If the charm possessed no affect, then the least she could do was to keep it as a memento of her searching here. The way she behaved showed her mind was somewhat preoccupied, yet if he was looking for disdain in her voice, there was none. She bore no personal adornments, her clothing suited her appearance and the armor was utilitarian. It was hard to guess what she was even thinking with so little self-expression. A sharp contrast against the expressive and meek young jeweler.

Caius looked at her with surprise as she replied. He had expected her to walk away, uninterested or comment about how it was pointless. A small smile appeared on his lips as he listened to what her question would be. The touch of her hand caused a tingle going up his spine. It was happening. Again. He attempted to block it out and think of something else. But he was too late. His body tensed up and his eyes stared out into the distance. The black of his iris shifted to a bright white the green remained the same. Yet, his face was relaxed and calm, contrasting with the rest of him. Words began to pour out of his mouth. 

"White robes wrapped around the woman,
A sword gripped in her right hand,
Still young in her shorter lifespan,
Trying to help the order expand,

A glorious monastery behind in the snow,
A baby carefully cradled in her left arm,
The woman’s pale blonde hair hanging low,
Her deep blue eyes observing without alarm,

The link between mother and child,
To be destroyed without knowing,
The mind left to run wild,
Sweet memories going,

Memories lost,
Memories found,
Ligeia Rosenheim, forever duty bound,
Will your fates be turned around?"

He stopped talking and his eyes slowly closed. The rest of his body relaxed and the salmon colored bead he had been clutching dropped to the ground. Suddenly, he opened his eyes and looked at the woman. His mind was slightly dizzy but he remembered what had been said. A feeling within him knew that the baby in the woman's left arm was this woman. It had to have been a moment from her past. Blush flew to his face as he realized she had probably no idea what he was doing or what had just happened. 

"…S-sorry." He said, "That was a…well it was a vision. Most likely of the past. I'm sorry if I brought up bad memories."

His black ebony hair fell in front of his face, hiding his expression. 

A vision…memories? To Ardea he had been merely reciting poetry; she was wholly unaware the words he spoke were more relevant than she thought. The only point of familiarity was the mention of the monastery. She held onto the jeweler to steady him as he appeared about to faint. "The past? Are you a seer?" So she still remembered what a seer was, perhaps there was hope in recalling her missing memories after all. When he looked remorseful for seeing something she herself no longer remembered, she shook her head. "As for memories, whether they are good or bad there is nothing to be sorry for. I should be thanking you. If what you say is the truth, then I might finally be able to remember…because I don't remember anything." At this moment she should be grateful, yet her voice was still without feeling. Kneeling to pick up the fallen salmon colored bead, she placed it back into the man's hand.

"Thanks to you, I finally have a name to search for. Though it may be as thin as a single spider's thread, anything I can find related to my past is a step towards recovering what I no longer possess." At the sound of the name, she felt something once hazy and long-buried begin to come into focus. The woman's name was Ligeia. That name was more than familiar, she knew she had heard it somewhere. From the man's description the images began to come together. She remembered…a tall woman. Dressed in white, with a hood or habit over white robes. Her face serene and placid and posture erect while hands were folded as if in prayer. The soft light filtering in through the window shone against her pale blonde hair and porcelain complexion. She was like a beautiful statue cut and polished from marble, it almost felt as if she wasn't really there. They called her…Sister Ligeia. She remembered Ligeia turning towards her and calling her name.

Hoping the seer would be able to divine more, she asked him: "Was there anything else that you saw? Do you know where this monastery and order was?" It was in a place that had snow, so the pool of possible locations had grown smaller. Yet she wasn't sure if the snow was only during Glaciem or all-year round. The name of the monastery or order would suffice; at least somewhere someone would have heard of them. 

Listening to the woman, he realized that he might have helped her in a way. A change from what normally happened with past visions. Blush on his face faded away as he looked up to the stranger. Relief flooded through his mind. Yet, her voice was without emotion. Could she be lying to spare his feelings? He pushed the thought into the back of his mind. Whether or not she was lying, he wanted to believe that he might have helped her in some way. He felt the salmon colored bead returned to his hand and he pushed himself to a proper sitting position again. 

"I'm glad that I might have helped in some way." He responded with a soft smile. 

Whether or not he was a seer was a little bit of a mystery to him. He could see the future and the past. Did that make him a seer or an oracle? Was there a difference between the two? Those were mysteries to not be solved today. The woman didn't say anything for a long while and it appeared as though she was remembering something. Perhaps parts of her own past. The woman spoke up again, looking to him as though he held all the answers. 

"I don't know what the name of the monastery is." He admitted, "…Please allow me to touch your arm. Seeing visions of people are easier through physical contact. I don't know if I'll find anything, as I don't exactly control what I see." 

He reached out to touch her arm. If she allowed him, he would try to see the vision again. The familiar images appeared in his mind as he saw the same thing again. His black irises changed to white. He dropped her arm before his body became extremely tense. Except for his face. It seemed as though he was The world around him faded away as he searched for the answers needed. Ligeia was standing in the snow all dressed in white with a baby in her left arm and a sword in her right. The monastery stood tall behind her but the snow prevented him from seeing any symbols or labels on the building. However, on the snowy ground was a map. Caius imagined walking over to the map and looking at it. The map displayed a familiar location. 

His mind returned to the present. The white of his iris faded to black as his body relaxed. This time there was no poem. He didn't come up with one. It wasn't necessary for the past as much as it was for the future. There was a hint of disappointment in his eyes since he wasn't able to find any more information about the actual monastery. But he tried his best to have a cheerful expression. 

"I had another look." He explained, "The location of the monastery is somewhere in Egjora. If I saw it I know I would be able to recognize it. If you need me to draw the building I can. There was too much snow to pick up on the name of the monastery." 

His nervous hands worked on the almost finished bracelet. Caius was watching the woman but had strung on the last set of beads. The bracelet had beads that switched between mint and salmon colored beads. After tying the two strings, he realized that he had completed the piece already. 

[OOC: Lucina’s form for this thread: Tanuki]


Despite the arduousness of her rescue (at least on my part), Lucina proved surprisingly energetic in the immediate aftermath of her rebirth. In contrast, I was pretty much down for the count after the vault was unsealed and the curse broken, having to be nursed back to health in the comfort of my own home; but Lucy barely missed a step. She was bouncing off the walls (literally), craving adventure despite the inconvenience brought about by her new blindfold. Eventually, her will won out against mine, but not before a certain group of naughty girls intervened.

Yes, my other daughters got their hands into the mix, and, once they did, events spiraled rapidly out of my control. Lucina left the house to visit a global event on Revaliir at their behest, coaxed and groomed heavily by the combined might of the sister “princesses” (Elizabeth and Nea) until she, herself, also looked like a princess. Lizzie took charge of fashion design for that affair, drawing up pictures of how she thought her newest sister should look for a romantic ball; and Nea, the seamstress of the two, brought those ideas to life, sewing up the garments from her finest silk and dying them with appropriate colors. They worked together until the two of them were satisfied with their product, and then sent young Lucy off with a directive to tell them all about it when she got home.

Of course, if there’s one thing my girls didn’t count on during their makeover session it was that their sister Lucina, despite technically being older than them, was pretty dense when it came to the ideas of love and dating. The Lights of Love event - the same one that was annually held in the Hanging Gardens for couples or those seeking to become couples - was not really an event made for people like her. She showed up like the girls wanted her to in that burgundy and white garment fit for a queen, sure; but, behind that frilly black blindfold that she wore to the party, there wasn’t really any mental connection being made.

Lucy, for all the hopes and dreams that Nea and Lizzie had placed on her, mostly just hung around a corner of the second halo. In fact, there were several people who mistook her floating presence in that place for the resident ghost’s forever scorned lover, and most of her interaction with those guests had been about her correcting them when they came up to ask her about it. The woman supposed it was only natural, considering that no one else at that party felt as otherworldly as her except in the department of stench when it came to the mystery of their perfumes and colognes. Suffice to say, though, our resident djinn pretty much missed the whole point of the event, especially when she just started using it as an excuse to eavesdrop on people in the gardens.

It wasn’t hard for her to listen in either. Being able to fly silently made that an indirect perk, but, luckily for the masquerade attendees that night, most of their conversations ended up safe from the prying ears of an overly curious tanuki. She stopped to listen to one pair in particular while rising up to the third floor, hovering just below its edge while the jeweler and amnesiac conversed. The contents of their conversation sounded interesting enough, and, having dealt with her own bouts of amnesia, the floating “ghost” decided to reach out to the seer and his client after the former’s second vision had come to pass.

“That’s good though, isn’t it? Better to have one place to search than the whole world.” Poking her head up finally, the blindfolded tanuki placed herself just to the side of the river nearest the stall and faced in the direction she had heard the voices of Ardea and Caius coming from. Then, while looking like she was doing a one arm pull-up off the side of the halo itself, she did a mostly appropriate greeting.

“Hi,” the mischievous lady said with a wide grin and waving hand! “Perhaps you two wouldn’t mind me tagging along with you when you go to Egjora? I’d like to see – well, hear the city and maybe I can be of some help along the way.”

When the man asked for permission to touch her arm to see his vision again, she complied. Her hopes were not in vain, as although the name eluded his sight he was able to divine the region which it was. The location he discovered was surprisingly much closer than she had anticipated from where she first regained consciousness–the duchy of Egjora. "Thank you, though there is no need for that." She said, declining his offer to draw the place. "You have already given me much more assistance than I could ask for. The duchy is situated on an island; even if I must search the entire breadth of Egjora I will find it eventually." An unexpected interruption of a new voice joined them, and Ardea turned to see a lace-masked girl in lavish garments dressed much like the others walking about. There was nothing unusual about her demeanor or behavior, save for the fact that she wasn't actually 'standing' on anything. To Ardea this sort of observation went unnoticed.

The cheerful girl asked if she could come along should they decide to sojourn in the island duchy, to which Ardea held no reservations. "I have no objections if you wish to come. This will be my first time seeing the duchy of Egjora as well, as far as memory serves. Regardless how you choose, I will still go." She then looked to the jeweler, as if to hear his opinion on the matter. Whether he agreed or denied the invitation, she held no expectations towards him or anything. This was her own personal journey, the only one who must go was herself. "Now that I have a point from which I can begin my search, I intend to leave for Canelux within the next day. The duchy will be my only destination. Once I have confirmed and concluded my business there, we may part ways." When that was finished, she would have to think about what her goal would be. After finding herself, where would she go? The answer would come only after all was said and done. With the pages of her mind full of blanks, she could only move forward one step at a time.

The new voice made Caius jump in surprise. Turning to see whom the voice belong to, the first thing he noticed about her was the blindfold wrapped around her eyes. He listened as she spoke about knowing something is better than knowing nothing. The girl was dressed lavishly for the event. Caius was too unobservant to notice that her feet didn't touch the ground. It seemed as though the girl would be coming with the other stranger. The jewelry maker realized that he didn't even know either women's names. 

"I shall come as well, if that's ok." He said quickly, "There are some never melting icicles in Egjora that I want to try to find a way to incorporate into jewelry. The crystal blue of the icicles have been told to hold some of the most interesting….Oh, sorry. Um, yes. Going would be nice." 

While he was talking about the icicles, his eyes had lit up with undying passion. As though a thousand stars had powered his fascination with the subject he had discussed for a few short moments. When he realized that he had began rambling, that passion fled into hiding once more. Caius picked up a beautiful new blossom that had fallen from some branch or tree in the distance. A thought came to his mind. 

"I don't suppose any of you have a way to get there." He asked curiously, "I might have a way but it isn't exactly….the safest of methods." 

He placed the bloom in his hair next to his ear. Caius then put his hands in the hidden pockets of his kimono. Feeling the beads in his pocket, he took out the bracelet he had made earlier. Walking over to Ardrea, he placed the salmon and mint colored bracelet into the palm of her hand. His touch was gentle and his movements were slow. As though every part of him did not want to cause alarm. 

"Salmon, or a type of orange-pink is the color for memory. Mint green is the color for fresh or new." He explained to her then turned to the both of them, "My name is Caius."