Welcome to Gaia! ::

True to her word, Acubens only blindfolded Almadel with one of the tails from her back bow once they reached the mirror that she had stashed nearby. He had been accommodating and... oddly cheerful... about the whole thing, seeming to be just happy to be going to mirrorspace at all. Which... Acubens felt conflicted about. On the one hand, it was very exciting. She remembered her first frolics through the liminal space and how much of an adventure it had been. She'd been giddy for days. It was almost enough for her to take the blindfold off in the common room. Almost enough to have her showing him around and maybe even bringing him to her realm.

Almost.

Because on the other hand there were two issues. The first was a deeply suspicious why? Why is he so excited? And yeah, rationally, as a traveler, anywhere new would be a big deal. But still. And the other reason sounded a lot like Remarque sighing and asking her what she had planned to gain from all this. To that, at least, she had an answer. One that she was fairly certain he couldn't argue with. She was hoping to gain understanding about both the seed and the space it had created for them. Where did it come from? What, exactly, was it? How could it be used to further stabilize Mirrorscape and, potentially, Mirrorspace? She figured, worst case scenario, Almadel didn't know anything and she'd just... take him back out.

Right?

"Sorry about the chill," she sighed once they arrived in the common room, her hand still on his elbow. "You get used to it. Well... we do..." Acubens wasn't sure she'd be bringing the merchant back after this... she still didn't fully trust him. She brought him in, sure, but she also kept his eyes covered until they arrived in front of the Citadel where she had asked Remarque to meet them. Only then did she remove blindfold and pray that this worked out in her favor. She wasn't sure she'd survive the embarrassment if she fumbled this in front of, arguably, one of the most important people in her life and someone she looked up to, probably, more than anyone else. She gave him a small nod, trying to convince him as much as herself that she knew what she was doing.

"So... that's what I'm asking about," she announced, pointing up at the bubbled crystal. "Have you, maybe, seen anything like it as you've been traveling?"

Almadel had none of the reservation or concern that the Dark Mirror Senshi did. He had seemed to enjoy the trip the entire time, and let Acubens lead him with no resistance. He hadn't even tried to peek from behind the blindfold. As they walked, he kept his elbow firmly hooked with hers, and he walked with confident, intentional steps. His tail danced energetically behind him, and he had what seemed to be a permanent smile fixed to his place.

When the blindfold was removed, he blinked a few times to adjust his vision. His gaze settled on Remarque and he greeted, "Oh, hello. Good, we have enough company that this is something of a party, no? It's a pleasure to meet you. Oh, and to be here."

He was quick to look around--at the floating islands in the sky, or the great expanse of empty space around them. It took him a moment to seem to get his bearings, and when he did he couldn't help but take a few steps back to better view the citadel. In the process, he wound up a few steps closer to the edge of the island as well. It wasn't anything to be worried about, he just seemed to be genuinely surveying the area.

"This is spectacular. Better than I could have imagined. The structure is phenomenal, I can only imagine how this was constructed. And these islands--where does the bottom go, has anyone ever fallen off? It seems to go on forever. Oh, I'm sorry. Yes, you wanted me to look at the crystal? It's awfully high up there. Has anyone gotten a close inspection of it?"

Acubens? Keeping secrets? Wow.

Remarque regarded her with contemplative approval but he didn’t risk taking his eyes off of their guest for long. There was too much about the universe that he didn’t know and he wasn’t willing to risk the safety and security of Mirrorspace to satiate some alien’s curiosity.

“Never been tempted,” he answered, nodding up to the crystal. He had been no closer than where he was now. The crystal was a cosmic artifact. No reason to manhandle it. He was curious, sure, but there were plenty of other things to hold his attention.

Of course, he gave her another barely hidden, exasperated look when she mentioned that she’d attempted to scale it.

Acubens tried her best not to preen as Remarque cast her an approving glance. And then she pointedly ignored that look of vague exasperation he gave her a moment later. She'd done well and she was holding in to that. And besides, what was Remarque asking of her? To leave well enough alone? Absolutely not. Not going to happen.

But Acubens kept all of this inside. She didn't need to seem like anything other than in control in that moment. Even if she felt anything but. Aside from the satisfaction of Remarque's approval, Acubens' brain felt like a dog chasing it's tail. She didn't trust this being as far as she could through him, and she was a runner, not a pitcher. But she couldn't expect to get any answers from giving him nothing...

Finally, with a deep breath, she offered the only thing she could.

"It came from Solamnia, from a queen named Altea." She glanced at Remarque, as though offering him a space to interject. "It hasn't effected us at all, but it did seem to have an effect on her. A sort of... delusion."

Something for him to latch on to, but not enough to use against them.

Hopefully.