[New Tomorrow Side Event] Discoveries in Frozen Time

[ac-null3]

Azriel could feel her eyes pop at Rhone's question. She didn't feel right trying to talk about it even if he was the one who asked. Recollecting herself, she shifted so that she could look up to him while still holding on.

"Um...there were...skeletons. And then...I think the spell played a scene for us. Everything looked very fuzzy. The skeletons then turned into corpses with...pink hair? There was also a figure...I couldn't really tell it was you until I heard your voice." She then broke eye contact by glancing to the side, feeling uneasy trying to tell the rest of it. "You were calling out f-for...an...Aurelia? And then one of the corpses was crawling to you but you seemed very unnerved with it and..." At this point she was too uncomfortable to say the rest. She was pretty sure he knew what came next.

"We deduced that the scene was about you trying to bring back someone special to you. I feel like I wasn't supposed to see that. I, uh...I'm sorry."  

[Fedora Warrior]

Rhone tilts his hat down over his eyes for a moment before looking back up at Azriel.

"Of...course it showed you that. Not my proudest moment, I must say."

Rhone sighs and crosses his arms, looking back down at the ground.

"Aurelia...was my fiance. She's been gone for around 400 years. If you'd like, I could show you what happened...but I understand if you decline. You've been through a lot today. I'll at least show you the happy memories first this time. Might make things easier...or harder. Either way it'll give you a more complete picture. I've always believed truth is more important than comfort."

He gazes back up at Azriel and holds his hand out for her to take.

"Up to you, Blues."  

[ac-null3]

Azriel stared at his hand and took a moment to think.

"Mmn...I am curious, but...another time, Rhone." She stepped back but gave a polite smile. "I still am kind of weary in the mind from it all, but also, it's not just Eloysio who's excited to get this show on the road. Oh, speaking of which, I've got to check if his little experiment worked..."

She brought her shoulder pack in front of her and fished around in it, pulling out a small scroll of parchment and unraveling it to find that...the glyph Eloysio copied for the soul infusion spell was intact. "Alright, it pulled through!" she cheered.

After rolling it closed and returning it into her pack, she noticed...another thing that wasn't there before. Bringing it out, she found it to be another scroll, slightly smaller than the previous one and the paper was gilded...

"Oh, the...spell...if it left a note for you in your journal...I guess it does this for everyone that manages to escape it...?"

She unraveled the scroll, eager to see how it paraphrased all their revelations...  

[ac-null3]

Azriel Serafina

There are others, even outside of yourself, you will be able to learn from and find solace in.
It wouldn't hurt to stretch your perception of "family" a bit. There was never a rule that it only has that one definition.

~~~

Chairo and Oscuro, the Embodiments of the Light and Darkness of Azriel's Soul

Just because you have a stable coexistence doesn't mean it's perfect.
Finally achieving your ideal resonance could very well unlock your full potential.

~~~

Elucifer Nocteneum, now Eloysio Donovan

You've undoubtedly a mind of great power, but it cannot ever determine every single possibility.
Remember to expect the unexpected.

~~~

11 hours, 26 minutes, and 42 seconds

 

[ac-null3]

Azriel tilted her head, her eyes were wide in wonder. "Elucifer...Nocteneum...?"

Chiaro and Oscuro were gaping, and Eloysio looked utterly flabbergasted.

"...Bloody HELL. It...it knew my birth name. Until now, nobody other than Chiaro and Oscuro have known it. Well this is...kind of unsettling..." He put his arms around himself in a self-hug, feeling a chill through his being.

"It's...a long story also best for another time, Azriel," Chiaro followed up, knowing this reveal was also piquing her curiosity.

"What a little sh*t of a spell..." Oscuro muttered under her breath, narrowing her eyes.  

[Fedora Warrior]

Rhone raises an eyebrow at Azriel mentioning Eloysio's name, but quickly dismisses it and shakes his head.

"We should get back, Blues. We've been gone a while..."

He tilts his hat up and grins mischievously while speaking in a much more jovial tone.

"We don't show back up soon and people are gonna talk~"  

[ac-null3]

Azriel blinked as she returned the scroll into her shoulder bag, not sure what to make of Rhone's sudden shift in mood and oblivious to what he was implying.

"Er, uh...what do you mean? I thought only a few moments have passed out here? Have we really been gone that long?" O.o  

[Fedora Warrior]

Rhone shrugs and shakes his head.

"We've been talking a while, and I guess...you know what? Forget it. I'm probably letting my mind wander a bit much."

He takes his hat off for a moment to scratch his head before putting it back on and crossing his arms.

"Anyway, I'm pretty eager to see you succeed where I failed. I'll follow your lead, Blues. Oh...and keep the journal. I only kept it so I could pass it on to someone that needed it more than I...and I think you should be the person to pass it on next. Besides..."

He tilts his head down and speaks slightly quieter.

"I'm not sure I ever want to lay eyes on the damn thing again."  

[ac-null3]

Azriel gave a solemn nod and simply replied, "I understand."

Still confused about the passage of time, though, she looked to the sky and actually saw that it was getting pretty dusky. She could've sworn it was brighter when she went into the frozen-world knowledge spell. Maybe it was just that late into the afternoon at the time.

"I'm going to head back to where the shops are to pick up a few more things we need. Namely a bunch of cloth and dyes because new clothes aren't exactly going to spawn along with Eloysio's new body..." Remembering just now the few hints Rhone dropped about having been in Mizuho before, she added, "Oh, and would you happen to know if there's a place here that's like a ritual platform, has a wide and blank stone surface that can be drawn on? Eloysio prefers that kind of space to perform the spell, but if there isn't one, then a place where we could carve the ground is fine too."  

[Fedora Warrior]

Azriel Serafina

Rhone shrugs before putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"Gonna be honest, Blues, it's been a long while since I've actually been here. I guess I'll ask the chief if she's got a good platform for the spell. If she doesn't, I'll just ask for a good spot where I can make a ritual platform."

Rhone turns around and starts walking towards Sheena's house. As he does, he raises his right arm up and out to the side in a relaxed farewell gesture.

"Go do what you need to do. Leave the rest to this idiot."

He closes his fingers into a fist except for his thumb, which is pointing at his head and continues walking for a few moments before returning the hand to his coat pocket.