The small garden where Crisium had placed his Code piece looked like someone had gone through it with a weed wacker. The gravel was displaced, one of the little rabbit statues at the base of the larger statue - the big Moon Rabbit sat on it’s hind legs and held the orb of light in its front paws - was face first in the bush next to it. The plants were all haphazardly leaning or fallen over. Most of the meditation cushions were either floating in the small creak outside the garden or in the bushes.

Unlike other knights (he suspected, of course), Cirsium knew exactly where his Code piece was. He’d put it there, after all, so it wasn’t all that hard to remember. Even if it had been a little longer than he’d admit since he’d been here. His teleportation over here had put him closer to the lecture halls than the Code Piece, so he’d had a bit of a walk. At least the lecture hall looked unscathed. He couldn’t bear the thought of having to clean that up right now.

Thank you, slightly past Crisium for putting the Code in a more sensible, and easier to clean, location!

“Well… let’s get this cleaned before I… sit here and meditate, I guess,” he said, looking at the destruction around him. At least the whole of the Overlook wasn’t like this; he doubted he could put it all back in time to do his ritual. Or like… at all. The Overlook wasn’t exactly… small. The damage looked localized to where he put the Code and that was quite fine with him.

Crisium took several long minutes righting plants, setting the statues and benches back up right, and resettling the gravel and pavers into place. He did weep for the paw that was just half embedded in the grass, far too heavy for him to lift. It clearly broke off of the main statue from the blast, but there was no good way to put it back. He’d barely had the wonder a year and already things were breaking…

No, Cris, this wasn’t your fault. I’m sure it will be fine once you sit with the Code and attune to it again, he told himself rationally. This was a byproduct of whatever had washed over the wonders, and it would probably be fixed in kind. And if it wasn’t… well maybe he could recruit another knight to help him set it up as a meditation stone or something. At the very least, it wasn’t his fault and he was not going to try to take that blame onto himself. He had a job to do.

Right.

Attune with his Code piece like he did a year ago. He really should make a point of visiting his wonder more often, ugh he was just so busy with school and the multitude of crises that popped up around him. Or at him. He had to fight to keep the Negaverse at bay but it was hard to do that when he had three computer programs to write (all in different languages), a thesis on quaternions to write (ugggghhhh), and was up to his ears in vector math and calculus. It was just… a lot, you know? And some things fell to the wayside and that apparently was his wonder in this case.

“I’ll be better about this place, I promise,” he said to the rabbit statue. He half expected it to twitch its nose at him, but no, the rabbit was made of marble, it wasn’t alive. There was no nose to twitch, nor muscles with which to twitch the nonexistent nose.

He was stalling.

Crisium sat down on one of the dry and detwigged meditation cushions cross legged. He wasn’t usually one for meditation - his mind moved too fast for that - but here, among the soft ripples of running water, the gentle rustle of wind in the leaves, this place that gave him power to fight the darkness… here was easy. Here it was like one moment he closed his eyes, the next—

The Overlook was busy today. The Studium- oh so that’s what it’s called - was holding some sort of lecture series on the nature of crystal resonance, apparently spear headed by a young senshi from one of the worlds in deep space, and people from all corners had come to hear and debate. It was quite the lecture, according to the voices floating through the gardens and fountains, and brought to the forefront old questions about the nature of starseeds.

It was all a little… much for Marius, if he was being honest. Not that he did not think it worth studying! Don’t get him wrong, he found the topic very interesting and could see where it would open up the potential for other applications. The introductory thesis provided to the Overlook encompassed most of the common questions and theory behind it, and was quite fascinating to read.

A particularly rowdy bunch of lecturers walked passed his garden and he glared at the ground beyond his books.

He could well do without the people treading upon the serenity of the Overlook however!

The Overlook was supposed to be a calm, tranquil place to talk theory and debate and have intellectual conversations! Not make comments about the young senshi’s horns or trying to look up her skirt whenever her tail moved! Honestly, the complete disregard for proper decorum flew in the face of the hospitality the keepers of the Overlook were providing and—-

“Will you PLEASE keep it down!?” he said, standing up from his bench and swinging around to look over the wall of shrubbery. The pair of attendees started, eyes wide at him. “You are breaking the tranquility and serenity of the Overlook with your loud and obnoxious commentary about the lecturer’s appearance. If you are going to be so disrespectful, take it to the cafeteria and let those of us who are trying to READ be in peace!”

The babbling brook between them carried on in the silence that followed.

Marius was not a tall or intimidating man by any means. Of average height and slim build, he very much could be blown over in a stiff wind. He wore sweaters and nice pants and a pair of large round glasses. He was the most unassuming and nonthreatening person one could possibly meet, cursed with a breathy sort of voice that hadn’t really dropped much when he was a teen.

What he did have, though, was a large heavy book, some inches thick, that he was pointing at them like a weapon. The pair hunched some, eyes trained on the book.

“S-sorry,” said the shorter of the two, who grabbed her companion by the sleeve and dragged him off. Marius blew air out of his nose and sat back down with a huff.

“Insufferable twits who can’t be respectful… mutter mutter mutter mutter…” he said with a grumble. He only hoped the lecture series would be over soon and the Overlook could go back to being peaceful again.

— he opened his eyes to look up at the brightened bit of Code and the repaired Moon Rabbit statue. Crisium blinked, and winced slightly as he tried to look up at the statue. At some point, his neck had gone stiff, and he was pretty sure his entire behind was numb. How long had it been, huh…?

Also what even was that dream? It felt so incredibly real, way more real than usual. In fact, it didn’t really seem much like a /dream/ in the first place. A memory? If it was, past him was kind of a jerk…

Crisium slowly stood, stretching and popping his spine. Note to self, use more than one cushion next time, the ground is unforgiving in it’s price.

He stepped up to the statue and inspected the orb floating in the paws. A thin crack did seem present on the paw that had fallen off, but it was lined in gold and felt sturdy when he gently pulled on it. The orb itself floated quietly, once again bright and restored.

Sitting inside it, floated a slim gold ring. It was rather unadorned, except for the oval shaped lilac colored stone set into the top. On it was embossed the symbol of a rabbit sitting in front of a crescent moon.

The Code piece dimmed ever so slightly after he pulled the ring from the orb. Huh, this must be his signet ring, yes? At least that’s what he assumed, given that the Code was giving it to him and he found it here. Also the whole moon rabbit on the top.

“Thank you,” he said simply, slipping it onto a finger.

Well, nothing more to it then? The area around the Code Piece looked to be in much better shape, as did the orb itself. Time to go back to the Celestial Theater then and await whatever the Code proper had for them next.

[ WC: 1500 ]