Romani Montclaire - Blocking Tieru's voices (6/7)

[20:42] It was a question posed since time immemorial. Rumors say that the moment there was a hierarchy imbued into human culture was the phrase born but a second later.

"Stellus,"

Tieru's shadowy eye catches a glimpse of the holy man and the Teraphim was determined not to allow Romani a single moment of rest.

"May we speak in private?"
(Tieru Avlee)
[20:44] The black miasma finally started to fade from around the Stellus long after the potion of healing had been imbibed. The residual effects had lingered far too long for his taste, but once they were finished, he returned to the center of town, catching sight of Tieru.

"I am able to speak now."

Confirmed the Stellus, quickly rising from the seat they had took. "Come, come."
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[20:47] Through the church he goes!

It held a certain aesthetic, this Tieru couldn't argue. Stained glass of this nature was something foreign to the valeborn. Refractions of light catch the attention of his mismatched eyes, peering upon the colors that lay upon the ground.

"Neat."

It all but escapes his lips as he's walking, a rare admittance that something another culture had born was worthy of praise.

It's not commented on further as they reach their destination.

"Let's get..." He takes a deep breath. "The easy thing out of the way."

Eyes close for a moment as Tieru composes himself. When next he speaks, his voice is low and official--perhaps not unlike a bannerman of the Noble Houses who introduces their Lords at an event?

"On the night of the next Full Moon, you are invited to join Finley at the other leaders of Esshar to discuss the growing problem of witchcraft.

Do you accept this invitation?"
(Tieru Avlee)
[20:50] The Church was homely for the Stellus, and rather quickly Romani would lead through it's halls. There was a form of relaxation as he moved across the wooden floors, feeling that he was where he truly belonged. As the lights moved through the colored windows, painting the world in it's one hues, Romani would lead to a room on the eastern side of the building, before taking a seat.

"I am glad to hear you think so." Romani praised, before turning to face Tieru and hearing the question.

"I accept the invitation. If Finley wishes for the leaders of Esshar to meet, I will do so. Why would I not?" The Stellus asked, quirking a brow ever slightly.
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[20:55] "Come, you know as well as I do that following decorum is important." His amber eye arches, a wry smile upon his lips. It was easy to have brevity in the face of certain death. "Notification and acknowledgement is a tenant of proper messaging.

I'll relay your acceptance to Finley."

Both eyes now rest fully open, a faint frown forming where a smile was.

For many a moment he's silent. Clearly something was wearing upon him but he had not the strength to speak of it.

Thus, what comes next is not words but--

Clink.

Upon the table is a small implant laid out. A strange, squid-like orchestration with etherial wiring and a solid hoop around it's back.

It glimmered with a rainbow-like metal.

Arcanium?

"I need your help. You may not want to do it. I understand. There's risks associate with it.

But I hear you are a medic."

An implant of some sort, but one that extends just as far inside the body as it does without.

"Are you a surgeon too?"
(Tieru Avlee)
[20:59] A chuckle would fill the air, the Stellus giving a nod.

"Ah, and it is similar decorum to always ask why one would not attend." A small wink from Romani before he leaned on the table, elbows lightly pressed atop the wooden object and fingers pressing into one another.

And then a pause. Something in his mind that only faintly trickled into his mind at the end.

"You said leaders of Esshar? Not the Coalition?" Only a pair of questions to fill that faint silence before his attention was instead taken by the implant that was shown.

Arcanium, a metal most fine.

The gold and blue eyes would stare towards the implant, lingering upon it for a few moments before he would ultimately give a nod.

"I am indeed a medic and a surgeon. Are you injured, Tieru?" Asked the Stellus, a look of concern quickly settling upon his face. "Or is it for another?"
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[21:05] Were he in a better mood, he'd give a small laugh.

"Alexander will be there."

It's, perhaps, a shocking and damning confession.

"So too will those closest to him. A tenuous peace is now declared between Myllenoris and Nysea." New Osrona too, theoretically, if Finn still spoke for them. "With the hexing of Ro and the demons upon the land is all being put aside for the sake of eradicating that darkness."

If it were so simple. If these witches are to fall then so, too, will others rise. The issue wasn't witchcraft, but powerful witchcraft.

Few cared if a Sudburian learned a cantrip or two and used it to gamble...

Well, the Teraphim did, but still!

"...Anyway..."

The welcome distraction fades as he peers upon the creation he made. "It's for me. I've heard voices all my life, Stellus, and I cannot handle it any more. The spirits, the stars, the darkness, and now Del's voice rings within my head every time I try and think of a thought. I could handle it before, bit by bit, but I can't even sleep anymore.

This is an implant. It's going to silence all these whispers. These intrusions. These thoughts. I just need it installed.

And, Stellus?"

He peers upon the arcanium coating.

"If it kills me, it kills me.

I'll take death to this. I will."

Gently it's taken, lifted up and the 'ring' around the implant braced around his forehead like a metallic halo. The implant itself awkwardly resting against the back of his neck.

"I need you to open my neck and implant this into the stem of my brain.

Can you do that?"
(Tieru Avlee)
[21:11] In moments, those gold and blue eyes narrowed. There was a brief ceasing of breath, the holy magic under Romani's command lightly festering across his skin. Fingers lightly pressed into the table, as if about to go to make marks upon it before he left out a breath.

"Detach yourself, Romani." The words he whispered, taking another breath and getting control. "I can not say if there is peace between Nysea and Osrona, given they tried to burn the bridge, harm innocent people, and the things they have done. However, I will do my best to be cordial during the meeting."

The black miasma's effects threatened to wrack his brain again, but he tried to press it down anew.

"There are many Witches indeed." With that however? Romani would frown towards the words of Tieru.

"Voices within one's head do sound troublesome, especially the Western Stellus'. I would not want it in my own for seconds longer then ithas to be." Admitted Romani as his hand moved to the arcanium prosthetic and lightly his fingers moved over it.

His mind lightly filled with the task he was being asked to do, wincing ever slightly.

"I should be able to do it in a manner that does not kill you. For the best results it may be best to have you asleep during the procedure. But yes, I should be able to implant it."
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[21:16] "The Will of Aschea does not err, Romani.

It will be fine."

If it didn't? Then it was Finn's will that it was to happen that way. Live, die, it was all in the plan! There's comfort in the plan.

Comfort that isn't found at the table they sit at now.

"I am yours to mold." Confesses the Teraphim as he gazes towards Romani, pushing the prosthetic forward. "I won't know until I wake if it will work or not, so--"

He gazes upon it.

'Should' be able to.

There was some comfort in that, at least.

With a deep breath, his attention falls upon Romani--awaiting any cue or command given. "So do as you will without hesitation."
(Tieru Avlee)
[21:17] {Item} You picked up Trauma Kit. Dropped by Tieru Avlee. .
[21:31] "Right."

The Stellus would have accepted the kit for a few moments, letting out a small sigh. All was the will of Aschea?

"It sounds nice to be able to trust something like that. I have personally found angels can be failable." Admitted Romani, as he turned, looking towards Tieru. For a few moments he considered exactly how he would do it. Then, his hand gently moved forwards.

"Just breathe, and try not to focus on emotion."

A mixture of holy and cosmic magic would flow from his fingertips, but also something more. A feeling of compassion filled the air as even with the meteor lightly weakening his magic, Romani focused on something slightly lighter. Something similar to illusion magic, just to soothe the mind of Tieru during the operation.

White magic. The barriers of the soul to lightly soothe the Teraphim, careful not to use holy too much as he knew of the affinity that Tieru had. All the same?

Once Tieru is pulled into that feeling of calmness, Romani's true task would begin.

As sedated as it likely would going to get, cosmic magic in that time would be quickly utilized. Fingers would grow harder, and the prosthetic would be held in hand. It would be something to do all at once, once it began. No moment of freezing was allowed with a life on the line.

So, once those fingers were hardened, they would lightly used to prick and stab through parts of the back of the neck. Holy magic was used to dull further pains, as well as stop bleeding and cause parts of skin to heal out of the way while he went further towards the brain stem. Not a moment of hesitation upon reaching it.

But once that was done? The base of the object would be pressed into Tieru's brainstem. Holy magic, no matter how much it stung, was then used to begin to reconnect the flesh, knitting it together, before taking mithril thread and starting to use it to suture and sew the skin back. As this was done, the various other parts of the implant would be pressed to Tieru's head, small lines connected from the 'halo' to various parts of his head to keep it in place like a welder, before finally connecting the more frontal part to the forehead.

The metallic halo was attached, and the flesh was sewn shut. With that, he would quickly cease all usage of holy magic, and go instead for lax essence. It would be rubbed into the skin to dull pains, knowing that Romani's typical affinity would only bring more.

And with it all set up and attached? Lightly the white magic that he had used to sedate the pain and Tieru would begin to fade, letting him come to as Romani took out gauze, and would begin to lightly wrap it around the Teraphim's neck.
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[21:38] A delicate game of push-and-pull.

Too much holy magic inflames the senses, the occultism within Tieru would begin to reject it. Too little and the procedure is done without soothing and with it comes copious pain.

For all the efforts of Romani, at least, it's not pain that comes but a deep-seated feeling of uncomfortability. Holy Magic felt wrong. It touched upon him and made him shiver with malcontent. Still, his best efforts are given to stay as straight as possible with soldier-like discipline.

Worse still to come was the invasion. Never had he been operated on, lest while he was still mildly conscious, could he feel the foreign object within him. Flesh peels apart that should not peel apart. Cords come and are applied to the stem that should not be.

To sacrifice him of foreign thoughts had he bore a foreign object invading his body.

And once the brainstem is worked...

Well, thought fizzles.

Every touch, every breath causes a synaptic shock to collect within his mind, a sea of stars falling within his gaze.

Tieru falls stiller as he ever had before as his mind tries to wrap itself around the foreign influence.



It takes a bit before Tieru speaks again. His words slow, his mannerisms slower. As if stunned--and likely still sedated.


"Is it..." A voice trails.

"Over?"
(Tieru Avlee)
[21:44] "Almost."

Admitted the Stellus as he heard Tieru's voice. The holy magic somewhat lessened, the physical aspect of the prosthetic installed upon Tieru. Byt as the physical apparatus was attached, and those cords were fully attached to the stem?

Then came the final part. Although the astral force was currently weakened, all the same it would suddenly be called forwards. Mana would move across the coverings of Arcanium, lightly binding to the prosthetic as it was attached.

The mana would fully activate the mechanical halo. As Tieru's consciousness began to come fully back, it would gently begin to ease into his mind. The whispers, that starry influence that had been left by Del would begin to fade, the words growing quieter and quieter. Sometimes, the faintest whispers of it might still be heard but as the mana began to fade from Romani's control, and instead fill with Tieru's mana, more and more of the sound would be lost. Thewill of the stars would no more invade his mind, nor would that of the High Angel Maltizel.

Only the whispers that Tieru believed in would remain.

"Now I believe it is over."

The rest of the sedation would fade.
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[21:50] Eyes go wide.

Sensations never before felt wriggle their way into his mind. Even the ring around his head, secure and tight, feels wrong to him.

Thought slows, then quickens. Heartbeat stills then races. A whole new stimulus is applied towards his person and he barely had time to acclimate before it's effects were fully realized.

Celestial noise is replaced with static, softly beginning to be tuned out. Bit and pieces escape the white noise that would, in time, fully fade.

For now--

Tieru did not look particularly well. None did after surgery and he was no exception.

"...Thank. You."

His voice is soft and struggling. Occasionally he twitches and, occasionally, the halo rumbles in response to something.

For now though...

"...May I rest and recover in one of your dorms..."

His voice shallow.

"I think I need to sleep."
(Tieru Avlee)
[21:54] Chances were that for a while it would feel wrong. For a while there might have been that adjustment period, from having voices in the head, to having less. From not having something attached to him, to having it. But slowly?

Slowly what had been ailing him in the past would be fading. A nod was given.

"You are welcome." Voiced the Stellus, taking a step back as he watched the halo rumble, and looking at his hands. A frown crosses his face, a frown from something that was messing with his powers far above.

"Of course." Looking up once more, he nodded to Tieru.

"There is bedding in the medical bay upstairs, first door on the right. You may use those as long as you need to recover. There may be some blood loss and some sluggish feelings that you will need to recover from due to the surgery, but you will be back in full shape in no time."

Romani assured with a final nod.

"Do you wish for me to walk you there?"
(Romani cos Montclaire)
[21:56] Walk...

That was something, wasn't it? Something he should try to do before he advanced further. The comfortability of the prosthetic, he hoped, would fade with time.

Hesitantly he gazes towards the ground, a foot rising--

--"Oh..."

Walking was normal. He flexes his fingers. That was normal too! How much he had feared a full paralysis as he thought this up.

Slow steps take Tieru forward.

"No, I." His head shakes lightly, a hand raising to his forehead that clanks lightly against the Arcanum ring. "I. I just need time, I think.

To clear my mind and adjust."

This was going to be a pain, but it was silent.

At least, for once, it was silent.

"Thank you, I can find my own way."

With that, he's off!

Slowly. Carefully. But off all the same!
(Tieru Avlee)