Author: 00Anima, Posted: Sat Mar 23, 2019 6:07 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

The impromptu conversation didn’t continue much beyond that point, but then there wasn’t much left to talk about anyway. Everyone was quick to finish their introductions (or begin them, in Ardea’s case), and then it seemed like the whole group was about to disperse of their own volition. Ardea wanted to go off on her own, and Caius gave an obvious goodbye like he had places to go before tomorrow morning.  Both parties also confirmed with Lucina that they would be properly prepared for her teleportation anomalies, so everything but location was sufficiently squared away in a short amount of time.

“Good… good,” the eavesdropper-now-friend commented once these facts were made evident to her, and she continued with her own suggestion for a place to meet before Ardea was out of earshot. “Let’s meet at the point of the lake closest to the bridge from these gardens at noon. That way I have a general area and time to go by.”

Contrary to unpopular belief, it is actually quite hard for a blind person to pick a face out of a vast landscape like the lakes, so Lucina wasn’t joking when she said she needed a general area to find them in. The air of the gardens that night was so thick with perfume and cologne that she could barely make out the scents of the two companions in front of her. It was certainly not enough to track them with, so, hopefully, they would listen to her on the morrow and stick out like a sore thumb.

Regardless, the young genie’s own reason for temporarily leaving her makeshift group soon made itself evident. As if on cue, her stomach let out an audible rumble, signifying her need to attend to the buffet two floors above them. As such, she gave a final farewell to the land-bound people for the night, and then floated up to feast her little heart out.

“Well, hunger calls,” she said just before wandering off that night, “I’m going to go stuff my face now, but I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Author: Caius, Posted: Mon Mar 4, 2019 12:24 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

The night was full of surprises. He had met so many strange and new faces. The tanuki girl was filled with enthusiasm and friendliness. While Ardea appeared to be stiff however she seemed to be filled with deep thoughts. Caius managed to hide his fascination with these two. Perhaps they would even consider a friendship? Although that might be asking too much. A tiny bit of loneliness floated about his heart, turning and slowly growing over time. If only he could look into his own future. Relief flooded through him when the Lucina had mentioned being able to teleport them. The jewelry maker was not yet confident in his abilities for spell casting. 

"Oh….I believe I can find something to assist myself with that." Caius spoke softly, looking at the both of them.

When Lucina flipped upside down, Caius looked away. He wanted to avoid being impolite. Especially since they both would be his travelling companions tomorrow. His ears picked up what the tanuki girl and Ardea were saying as he kept his green eyes to the ground. Hearing that she had flipped to a normal position, he looked up again. It seemed that Ardea was desiring to see more of the garden. 

"It was nice meeting you both" He said timidly. 

Despite only meeting them today, he had a strong desire to help them both. The stiff woman, Ardea, had a massive challenge in front of her. Finding out her past could cause her more pain than good. He knew this. For not all people who had come to him for information about the past discovered pleasant things. Yet, this was a chance to help her. Perhaps he could find a way to ensure she copes or finds a healthy way to deal with possible upcoming pain. As for Lucina, he didn't know precisely what she desired. But she was exceptionally kind and did not appear to have any ill-will towards them. Maybe she was simply looking for company? Either way, Caius decided to try to find a way to help her as well. 

"….Maybe we should meet at Jasumin Lake?" He suggested, "I would be nice to see the lake before we go…."

Caius' ebony black hair fell in front his face. He reached up and tucked the hair behind his ear. Animals and gorgeous plants were said to grow well and wild around the lake. The jewelry maker had been hoping to see them. However, he did not want to pressure either of them to decide to go somewhere that would be inconvenient. After this conversation he would head out to gather materials for tomorrow morning. To ensure that they had more than enough supplies for the journey. Even if it was a quick journey. 

Author: Valravn, Posted: Fri Mar 1, 2019 6:59 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

Caius suggested he had a way to transport her and the young girl to the island duchy, though there was apprehension in his voice. The newcomer's bright personality had annulled the stiffness from Ardea, allowing the jeweler to be more at ease. She was more forthright in stating her solution to removing the distance, a simple portal that would bring them directly to Egjora. However, there was a condition–she would only do so come tomorrow, after informing her family members of what she had experienced today. With some minor preparations for something Ardea didn't understand, the floating girl would willingly send them across the sea. At the end she also gave a warning for possible slight inaccuracies in her magical transport, hinting they both should expect to protect themselves from falling. "A difference in altitude poses no obstacle for me. Once we reconvene, I will take the necessary precautions prior to our arrival." Her recollection of glyph spells had partially returned, thus a reduction of one's descent and physical damage were feasible. 

The opportunity for self-introduction had resurfaced again, to which she tersely referred to herself. "Ardea, that is as much as I can give you. I have no other matters that call for my attention as of now; the location where we will all meet again before our departure can be of your choosing." Unfortunately for Caius' perspective–Lucina's freewheeling behavior unintentionally exposed them to Lucina's lower undergarments. Ardea was also dressed in a gown, however the armor plating and the rest of what was underneath prevented a similar instance from occurring. With the bracelet from Caius in hand, she looked down at the beads mulling over what the young man said of the chosen colors. 'Memory' and 'new beginnings'…it was certainly fitting for all that she had learned within the hour. "It is fortuitous that we should all have reasons to see the same place. One may hope that this bodes well." Trivialities and small talk still eluded her grasp, though she was trying with what little she had. 

"A good evening to you, Caius and Lucina. I will remain here for a little longer until the festivities end." With a bow, she took her leave to ascend to the top ring of the Hanging Gardens. From there she would gaze out in all directions to commit to memory a world she either had forgotten or had never seen. The world felt much more vast with so much of it unknown. Left with her own thoughts, she considered this would be her last day before everything would change. For good or ill, once she saw the monastery she would no longer be the same person as she was today. Should she rejoice or be afraid of learning the truth? 

Author: 00Anima, Posted: Fri Mar 1, 2019 5:08 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

Interestingly enough, Lucina’s introduction on that night of love and heartbreak did not receive the shock that she would otherwise have expected from the people in front of her. The inflections in their voices were there, yes, but they more from a place of being interrupted than anything else. Lucy could tell they weren’t paying attention to the fact that she was still hanging off the edge of the platform they stood on while conversing with them, because there was no mention of it in any of the followup conversation. The two – Caius and Ardea – didn’t mention her ears, her blindfold, or even her seemingly outright rejection of gravity itself. Instead, they accepted her offer to travel with them without even batting an eye: a decision that the young genie was happy to receive - even if a bit cautious about.

While she was glad to be accepted so readily, Lucina was no stranger to the fact that the rapid judgment on the part of her hosts in this particular instance was not normal. She was aware of the fact that it was a bit odd for people to ignore her unusual nature (for once) and just treat her like a normal friend when they just met; but, considering where her mind had wandered lately, their willingness to have her along was a welcome crutch for her to abuse rather than to question.

Lucy had been drawn to the idea of visiting Abed as of late, to explore her “birthplace” and potentially move on from one of her inner demons. She thought she might do that after the party at first, but her invisible scars had kept her at bay. She knew she was not ready yet, and, like always, she hid this burden – among others – from the world by burying herself beneath a blanket of joy so that no one could tell the difference.  

“Awesome!” The tanuki girl responded with enthusiasm to her hosts, masking her cowardice beneath a thick, rose-tinted mask. She then busied herself with planning whilst the two finished talking about their intentions for the next morning; during which she floated over the edge and closer to them before taking to her bad habit of “laying down” in mid-air just before Caius asked how they were going to get to Egjora in the first place. “I can teleport us there,” the young Genie began whilst musing over everything she had to do in the next 24 hours, “but it will have to be tomorrow morning. I promised my sisters I would bring them stories from tonight, and so I will. But I need to head home at least a bit in order to do that. Not to mention that tomorrow is deer day, so a change of clothes will be in order.” The woman almost left her explanation at that, but then she suddenly remembered a warning that I had instructed her to give any time she was thinking about teleporting someone over a long distance. With that warning back in mind, she continued. “Oh right, I should probably also caution you that I’m not exactly good with altitude, so, if I’m transporting us, be prepared for a possible fall. I’ll try to minimize it, of course; but, uh, when the air is the same as the ground to you… yeah.”

Caius had already introduced himself by this point, so it was only natural that Lucina follow suit. That said, she was beginning to get distracted by hunger at this point in the conversation.  In fact, the first thing she thought of when the jeweler mentioned nevermelting icicles was how we used them in our house to chill meats and produce. Her brain was focusing on the feast upstairs now because of that and she immediately had a strong desire to visit the buffet table rather than the dance floor. Even so, she had manners to stay a little while longer, at least long enough to introduce herself in kind.

“Name’s Lucina,” she said while flipping upside down to do just that. “But you can call me Luca, Lucy, or Genie if those are easier. I go by all four.” Obviously, her dress fell into her face from this maneuver, providing an overall silly appearance, especially since her pantaloons were now visible for everyone to see. She quickly turned right side up again, true, but not before having to spit out the fabric of her dress that got in her mouth. “Right,” she said upon regaining her senses and dignity in that unfortunate turn of events, “Not used to wearing dresses in winter.”

Author: Caius, Posted: Tue Feb 26, 2019 11:47 AM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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."

Author: Valravn, Posted: Mon Feb 25, 2019 1:01 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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.

Author: 00Anima, Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2019 6:35 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

[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.”

Author: Caius, Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 4:33 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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. 

Author: Valravn, Posted: Fri Feb 22, 2019 11:14 AM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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. 

Author: Caius, Posted: Tue Feb 19, 2019 2:05 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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. 

Author: Valravn, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 11:38 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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.

Author: Caius, Posted: Sun Feb 17, 2019 9:13 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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."

Author: Valravn, Posted: Sat Feb 16, 2019 10:51 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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.

Author: Caius, Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2019 10:41 PM, Post Subject: Lotus Beads [Event][O]

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.