She awakes with a start. It is sunset and she is covered in sweat. Thalia should not have stopped for the afternoon, not without taking the draught first. She bathes, and cuts her hair radically short, removing most of the dye from it as she makes plans to see someone to neaten her hair later in the week - sometime.
Yarrow has promised to get Marcus so that they all can discuss the last few days afterthe meeting, and seeing both their faces would bring warmth back into her movements.
Selecting the dress from Mr Kaito, she wears one of her relic rings, placing the other two in her pocket for safekeeping. Her journal binding rests on the table, ready for her to leave, as she fastens the academy fastening on the non academy robe. On her feet are chains of glowing vines, wrapping around her toes and ankles and hanging freely, in a show of flashy self-hood.
She eats a simple dinner, setting aside the pumpkin seeds, before combing her hair to retain that respectability. Defiance and compliance rage within her - especially after the dream, specifics fading but diligently recorded now, and with the sinking feeling that the holes between realms are not just a recent or occasional thing.
Still, she has a man to browbeat into becoming her mentor. Hopefully.
Thalia meets them both at the gate, giving them both a hug, the one to Yarrow longer and with foreheads touching.
"You have this." Marcus says over their shoulders, giving them something he had described as a thumbs up. The way his human face contorted into the most dopey smile did make her warm though, the man really thought he looked more cool than he was.
The walk between the north gate and the Valtor estate was a cold one, and several times Thalia silently wished she had added her gifted scarf to her outfit, especially with the amount of air in the loose billowing sleeves.
Glimmer occasionally floats around Marcus, as they trek through the forest mostly silently, sticking to the path as they enjoy the quiet of their own company and the gentle night time sounds of the forest.
Eventually they reach the circuit gate and massive hedge wall of the Valtor estate. It is such an artificial thing in the wild forest, and even as the magical barrier is lowered, all three can feel how hey are crossing a very distinct line into a new domain.
Instead of fungus or lines of bioluminescent flowers, a light circuit has been woven into a guiding stick. Stairs seem to have been carved into the limestone path on this side of the gate, and the mansion on the hill is opulent and decadent.
"You cannot say he is technically breaking any laws." Yarrow says, straightening their ill fitted suit, that pendant still sitting there, killing Yarrow's style. "We will stay here, give you the chance to..."
"Command the scene." Marcus finishes for them, chuckling slightly at the thought of Thalia doing anything but that in that outfit.
He pulls something from his pocket and slides it into her hair, a delicate looking bone comb, carved with flowers. "The vendor told me it was naturally sourced from a Brambleberry hunt."
Thalia nods appreciatively, squeezing his hand before heading up the path.
Shadows caress her form as she makes her way through the artificial light, guided and herded towards the mansion. She can see sleeping large black glossy birds squatting between carefully curated gardens, the whole place feeling like another realm, certainly not Natare despite being so close.
There is a man waiting for her, dressed in something Marcus might wear, only more formal, yet he still has the foliad silhouette. She slowly approaches, giving a polite bow. He does not bow back. "Mr Valtor is waiting for you in the study."
The membrane opens both ways from the entrance as relics line the entryway. And centre to it all is a human paper book on a wooden plinth behind a golden membrane. More circuits than she would know what to do with surround it and yet it is obviously the centrepiece of the room.
She hears full boots, grown wood soles on grown wood steps and she looks up to see Orion Valtor descending the steps with a gentle grin upon his hawkish face. "Miss Moondance, I see you can see my most prized possession. They found it inside a rotted tree - just lodged in there. At one time the tree was just growing around it. A treatise on something called 'colonial living'. Inspired this entire estate from my great-grandparents, and allowed my family to start working towards something the humans call a dynasty. That's a family that has power through having always had power - and it makes the Natare council so mad that they have to deal with us."
Orion seems practically giddy, showing off his book, his mansion and grounds, his employee, and atop all this gaudy pride, Orion shows off his body, in its half open purple robe, bushy chest hair matching his bushy eyebrows. His hair is deliberately left grey and grey speckled, with strands of green shooting through. He still wears those barely there spectacles, as a servo-bot - a small green-grey thing on a rotating track, descends the stair beside him, a drinking gourd and two cups resting upon its level hand.
"Was the case, was dealing with my mentor just an act to annoy the council then?" Thalia says, bristling slowly.
"Oh miss Moondance, let us retire to the garden, discussing things like this just plays up to powers and the way others want us to act." He picks up a glass, filling it and passing it to her, leaving his empty. They had much to talk about.
