dev 7 - reach out

It's a growing experience into becoming more of a woman. Where she wants to change for the betterment of the settlement that she possesses. And where she wishes to possess more competencies than others that are about. Nevertheless though, the girl merely eases forth - her hands dipping into the rushing waters below before carefully bringing it up to her features. It splashes briefly as she begins to speak..

"...So, I'm not really sure how we should begin this because, it'd kind of be like learning cosmic magic all over again, wouldn't it?" She murmurs in idle curiosity. Of course, their magics would be totally different but...She did wish for a few alternatives.

"Ya'-...You. Do you have any ideas?"
(Mars)

To feel out the stars is a process that isn't as easy as it may seem.

Studying such a thing comes mostly not only from the sheer magic alone.. but it is akin to stretching out your hopes and letting your prayers be answered once you've fallen to the lowest point; although, Basil believes that he's already been there, even if not for that long..

So he does not need to repeat the experience. He already knows how it's like.

Where she gathers the rushing waters below to cleanse her features, he merely observes for a moment. To expand on cosmic magic, however? It's something natural for the Felinae, or so he thinks.. and certainly, it can't be that difficult for her, right?

"I ain't sure how you could do that."

"Honestly, the way that I did it, personally, is.. lose myself in prayer, as odd as it sounds." There's a pause, to which he adds.

"I was desperate back then."

"Back when Asta declared war on my people. I thought we might be wiped very soon, and I thought that this might be the end of them. I... I wouldn't be able to take another clan being butchered - not after all that has been lost."

"And I prayed to the stars to tell me what I should do. I prayed for them to tell me what I could possibly do to save my people an' make sure we persevere."

His gaze trails towards Felinae, briefly.

"I ain't understood it back then, what they meant.."

"But with time I did. Although, I remember the light, the warmth that they shed upon me."

"It was.. kind of a new experience."
(Basil)

"...It's not easy for me to pray when I have so many questions." She finds herself beginning to grow silent for the moment- her gaze travelling back down towards the moving waters as she begins to speak again. "I know people believe in blind faith-...But this whole time, I've only been working with the power that I have." A pause is given. "Sure...Some could say that the stars made me what I am today and, to be honest, it's not a lie...But..." A pause is given, her gaze drifting up towards the sun.

"..The sun's there. I know she watches me...But what of Leonaus? Every dark and evil bein' has something physical to run to....They have something that they can ask for the 'now' from and I'm afraid that I ain't got that much time to be waitin'." she slips in and out of proper speech. Her own weakness found within her somber tone...But regardless, she still smiles..

"I don't know how I can become a better believer." She pauses.

"-Don't know how when so many people, except for you, have already lied to me. I-...I honestly think that I'm even more afraid to discover the truth. Because if Osrona is as greedy as it seems...Then what if I'm cursed? Or this is all for nothin'?" she adds while looking in his direction.

"I don't want to be the wrong person here."
(Mars)

For her, it's the faith.

And it is where her wrong thought begins- for there's no prayer to be had, no faith to be answered to, no wish fulfilled that is cast upon the stars. No, not even close.. instead, there is something that he already knew of- something that he understood quite clearly.

"No, Mars."

"Ya ain't meant to pray an' give your faith blindly. It's why so many church-goers fail - it's why their own faith, in Osrona, is failing." The way how Stellus declared war on Ilburg, the way that they made so many mistakes.. to him, it was painfully obvious that they are no longer competent.

"Stars are impartial."

"If ya see, they answer." A pause, to which his gaze drifts towards the Felinae nearby. "An' answers is something ya should be looking for. Ask the questions, and while you pray, think on something that ya want to be solved."

"It's not a rushed process either. You have to lose yourself in that prayer, but it ain't just giving faith - never, and I mean, ever give your faith blindly to the stars."

"They ain't like that. If they did, the Church would be better off than they are right now."

Could she not tell? Her entire kind is based around that.. and it's rather odd that the Rhoynish is the one to educate the Felinae about the stars; but with the recent discovery that he had..

Perhaps he understands them better.

"Leonaus blessed Felinae cause they were supposed to guard knowledge."

"Knowledge is something you are supposed to ask for, the answers for your questions." It isn't about believing. It isn't about faith. It's about looking out for the truth.

"Do you understand now?"
(Basil)

If she is supposed to be the guardian of knowledge, then why does she feel everything but such? She is supposed to be knowledgeable within the movements of stars- supposed to be the one that others could depend upon and see to when all else fails. So...How could she ascertain such a thing when she's never had the exposure? Curiosity. Wonder. She looks down to her wet hands...And then leans over the wipe them on Basil's jacket, perhaps, as a means to make him angry.

"...I suppose you're right." She says with a gentle pause, carefully easing closer towards the Rhoynish to lean upon his frame. "It's just hard for me to see at times- because...I've been brute-forcin' my magic." Which is easier said than done, especially, since she has a very volatile type of fire. But to digress...

"But I suppose that I can take it slow...But with that being said, I think I know what to do." A pause is given, followed by a careful hand that extends within the direction of Basil. It pokes his cheek...

"I'm gonna become a keeper of knowledge. In our little city...We're going to hold the world's best secrets, safely guarded in our walls." And each world secret will be the thing that can either save lives. Or ruin them..

"Thanks though- I think I know what t'do…" In maturing, she'll become exactly what Leonaus wanted her to be. A true guardian. A lovely keeper.
(Mars)

It is something that he aspired to do.

For he is Alph.. the star that promotes charisma. And sometimes, the right way, the right approach to someone.. it can make all the difference in the world. It can become something that is needed for people to get over their own insecurities, uncertainties, or anything like that.

It becomes necessary for them to overcome.

And even now, when these hands wipe the water across his jacket.. he only finds himself stifling a laughter. Why would he be worried about her hands - or the wet of the water, for that matter? "A bit of brute-forcing ain't always hurt you."

"But it is useful to understand things better than to just follow path like that."

At the very least, that's what he understood within his lifetime; within a matter such as this, he knows that simply being the force of destruction isn't enough, no..

He would have to make sure that he's something more.
Something bigger than most are.

Where she pokes against his cheek, he watches her- and where she speaks of her purpose, he nods once.

"It ain't a bad idea. In fact, I like it... and perhaps, you could help me retrieve the knowledge of my people?"

"They have rich lore and history, and what our Lorekeeper has told us is merely a part of it - a grain of sand in vast ocean of desert."

"So we could uncover more, right?"
(Basil)

Laughter.

When joy and comfort become all too much, and laughter remains to be the apex predator within this world of lambs and sheep. In the best way, when she glances towards the rhoynish- and even moves careful to lazily lay herself over his form, she understands that he is a 'wolf' in essence. A predator amongst prey....Someone who will change the world around him- and assist her in doing the same, regardless of circumstances and desires. Nevertheless though, this impossible, impeccable moments continues to remain the same.

"Is it?" Curious.

Lips turn into a smile, hands briefly move carefully, falling into his own whilst she lays upon his lap. "If that's the case...Then, perhaps, we'll try to discover more about what the Rhoynish used to be in more. But you know, that's gonna cost you a bit more." She adds- amusement found within the tail that raises and purposely brushes underneath his chin in response..

"Finding out the truth. It's...Always necessary so- why not? We'll do both of them together. And we'll probably drag the others into it since I'm sure that they'll want to know stuff too." Or atleast, have some sort of semblance or crumb. Regardless though..

"Though, when you have everything about the Rhoynish that you want-...What will you do with it?"
(Mars)

Isn't there always comfort in this? Knowing that they could be still shooting for much more - much like the stars that they aspire to follow and heed the warnings and advice of. In such manner, it becomes a reflection of something entirely else.. one upon which he draws joy from the moments such as these- his hands carefully aiding her in easing towards her frame, so that she may rest.

The other days have been full of bloodshed, war.
They could, at least, take a small break.

"It ain't gonna hurt too much to discover more about them."

Truthfully, it might, because such expeditions tend to be rather dangerous, but.. it's also something that he knows would be very meaningful to him - more meaningful than any other object he may possess otherwise.

"An' what I'll do with it?"

"I'll restore what we were meant to be."

A dream of his own, for he knowsthat such a thing would not only bring his people back to their glory, but perhaps shape the future entirely different.

They were robbed of everything they had.
And he intends to give them back.

"I don't think I'd ever stop until I achieved that dream."

"I'm just not sure whether it would happen in my lifetime."
(Basil)

There is more than comfort in this. Reassurance brings succor within this thought- where she carefully continues to climb upon his form before promptly, truly, laying about his being. Her attempts at being annoying, clearly stifled by the Rhoynish's patience, for she most certainly becomes sprawled out upon his form as a means of not just being lazy...But being a general pest. Regardless though, between the tail that brushes upon his features to the way she tries to use her weight to squish him...Either doesn't seem to be doing too much work.

"Hmm...I suppose that I should ask a bigger question then." She says while slowly glancing within his direction. "Does this mean that you want to move your people out of the desert...And into Alabastre when we're stronger?" She questions. "The desert's a harsh place...It holds secret, but if you're people are as wealthyas they're supposed to be...Then they shouldn't be there. They should be here, in the everglades." Or so, she believes..

"Plus, you never know Basil- I'd rather not put a time on anything because...You can make it. You can change everything. And you know why? Because it takes just one person believing' in you and that's all that matters. And guess who believes in you?" She questions.

"Me. So. We're gonna make your people rise together...As soon as we make sure that they stop bein' dumb and start tryin' to help us help themselves too. I can see Alabastre and Ilburg actually becoming allies, y'know."
(Mars)

At times, she wants to be a pest..

Perhaps it's her Felinae nature that makes her do things like that, or perhaps it is merely the fact that she tries to find herself comfortable upon his form, but already his hands reach out - and carefully adjust the Felinae so that she could lay upon his laps and front alike. Sprawled all over his body, maybe..

But not in a way that puts him underneath her.

"Behave..."

Maybe a warning, but it's spoken with a smile nonetheless; he couldn't really get mad at her over such things.

"And no."

"I ain't think they would really be moving out of desert. As we discovered, we're meant to protect the secrets in there that lie below the sands - and if we leave, then it means there would be nobody to protect it."

"That being said.. it doesn't hurt for them to have better oasis.. or better living conditions in general. Perhaps, easier access to resources of the wild - or better trade."

"I believe that one can make a nice home in desert, but it doesn't have to be harsh, you know?"

A kingdom of sands. Glorious and golden in its nature.. with the richness of freshwater found in myriad oasis spots present; perhaps, with natural resources extending far beyond what could be imagined.

"You get the picture, I hope."

"But they could move around and do as they wish." To reasonable extent, of course. One does not build something greater in absolute chaos.

It was still his dream, nonetheless.. and a dream that he would follow through.

"It will be great."
"One day."
(Basil)