astrolabium | tdm overflow. 🔮

[He doesn't ask her to elaborate on the Vision, as through context alone it's enough to imply some sort of implement or tool of power; it'll be a piece of information to store in the back of his mind to ask after in the future. For the time being, at least, they are simply on a date. And he intends to enjoy it to the fullest.

Those words draw a soft laugh from his throat, and he turns, steering them toward the entrance to the Gilded Cage.]

You poor thing. We'll be sure to fill you up quickly, then.

[There's a tease in his tone, darkly underlaid, the slightest flirtation. They soon enter a foyer decorated with elegant flowers and diamond chandeliers and lit candles; the mood lighting is considerably romantic.]

Two please. [Spoken to the wait staff, who leads them deeper inside, toward a cozy table tucked into one corner.] My treat, Mona, since you had to suffer on stage before. I'll say, though, you handled it well. You were much more outspoken than most of the others I saw.

...Mm. Thank you.

[ His playfulness results in her blush renewing, and she lowers her chin and averts her gaze. Mona had thought this before, but he is quite a handsome fellow. It shouldn't be surprising if it contributes to her embarrassment, should it? Being teased by someone pretty would make anyone fluster; Mona herself is no exception. And given their setting... no, no, it's best not to get too imaginative. It'll make it more difficult to look Tyki in the eye.

It is with pink still lingering in her face that Mona settles across from him at their table. Given how lavish everything is, she is looking forward to dining on the resort's cuisine. The fact it is a treat, too, will make it taste even more delicious. ]

You are too kind. I'm very appreciative.

[ And his additional praise causes Mona to swell a little. ]

That—well, I thought it would be most favorable if I held my chin high. A majority of those in the auction were shaken, but behavior like that could lead to a less than ideal outcome. I don't want to be undermined. I'm a genius, after all.

[How adorable. He sees the blush, but he determines to make no comment on it for the time being, content to lean arms onto the table and look across at her. He'll tuck it away like a little prize in his back pocket. At least for now, they can enjoy a pleasant meal; the waiter arrives with water and Tyki requests wine, watching it brought over and poured into glasses in red, shining burgundy. He nudges one toward her gently.

Kindness, maybe, for now. He can certainly play that role.]

A genius? I'm inclined to believe it if you're so confident. [Tyki has never actually been to school, so... any kind of smarts will probably impress him. But on the outside, at least right now, he's a perfect gentleman. Not a tramp or an orphan.] How did you learn? Were you trained by someone in particular to do what you do?

[It's what makes the most sense.]

Or was it simply talent?

Edited (typo...) 2024-01-12 20:16 (UTC)

I was adopted by a mage when I was young.

[ As Mona speaks, she reaches out to delicately pick up her glass. It's a rich color that reminds her of the underside of her hat. ]

She was... to be blunt, quite ruthless as a teacher, but she taught me everything that I know. We traveled far together, but once I had come of age, I left her side to conduct studies on my own.

[ A sip, then. The taste of the wine is pleasant, and Mona briefly closes her eyes to savor it. ]

Before I ended up here, I had actually estranged myself from my Master. Ah, [ she interrupts herself, awkwardly shaking her head. ] It wasn't because we fought or anything, but I—I accidentally read her diary.

[ She grimaces. ]

If I returned to her after that, she would've strangled me.

[He listens, sipping on his own wine and enjoying the faint blur that begins to taint his senses, only to laugh at the end of that explanation.]

You read her diary? [There's a crooked smile on his face, a little crack in the portrait of that perfect suave gentleman of before.] Uh oh. Did you find something in there that you shouldn't have?

[It's endearing, reminding him of some of his little arguments with his own family. Interpersonal trespasses, minor disagreements.]

I can see the issue. That's pretty personal, I'd say.

Yes, I did. It was only a glimpse, but I saw too much.

[ Mona gives a little sigh. She doesn't mind his laughter—in hindsight, it is rather funny. She would've never thought her Master would have such silly stories about herself written down. And in such a girlish tone, too. ]

Although I never explicitly told her I read it, I know she's aware. An old hag like her has the magic to do so.

[ The waiter returns just then with a basket of bread and some salted olive oil. Mona perks up a bit. ]

No matter... I don't think she can reach me here, so it's fine.

Oh? How did you normally communicate?

[There's a sharper look in his eye as he asks — if only because he's been wondering, too, how the Earl and the other Noah are unable to contact him in this place. It's never happened before, so it's unprecedented. He wonders if they're even aware that he's gone, or if there is some other nefarious machination at work.]

Magic, I'm assuming. How does it work?

[Meanwhile, he picks at the bread but doesn't consume much of it, letting Mona have as much as her heart desires. He'd rather nurse his glass of wine.]

My Master... you could say that she is omniscient, [ Mona says, tearing off a piece of bread and soaking it in the oil. ] She uses magic to observe the world around her, not unlike myself. Therefore, you're correct.

[ However... ]

Not just anyone could do it. You have to be very skilled to reach as far as she does. My Master can use astrology in extraordinary ways—by peering into her scryglass, she can check in on those around her and predict their fate, no matter how far apart one may be from her.

[ Mona pops the bread into her mouth, chewing carefully. ]

Usually, this is how she would know what I am up to. An astrologist cannot divine their own future, but they can look into each other's. She doesn't relent in snooping through my private affairs.

But since ending up here—I have received no message from her at all.

[He listens to Mona's description of her own world's magic, brows slightly raised at omniscient — because that's certainly not something he's heard before, and far from anything he expected.]

She sounds incredibly powerful. [It reminds him of a little of some of the Noah's powers, but even they were not quite to the degree it sounds like the girl's Master is.] I can see why you'd worry over reading her diary, in that case.

[It's said lightly.]

But that's something I've been wondering. There's a way that I communicate with my family — and a way that we usually travel around. Yet none of them have appeared here to fetch me, despite the fact that they should be capable of it. And they're definitely nosy enough to want to know what I've been up to, as well. [He reaches for some of the bread, chewing and washing it down with more wine.] Strange, isn't it? Makes me curious how the powers-that-be work here.

Feels a bit like we're in a luxurious prison, doesn't it?

I see... If neither my Master or your family have made contact, then I assume we've been thoroughly cut off from our worlds. I didn't think that were possible.

[ It's a daunting thought to have.

For all her life, Mona has had her Master observing her, watching over her shoulder and leaving her silly messages to read. The old woman's reach was far beyond Mona's own, and she seemed to have already had knowledge of a world beyond Teyvat and its constellation of stars. Then... could it be that, like the Traveler, Mona has ventured to a universe far away? So far that even her Master cannot reach her? ]

However, we do not appear to be in danger here. At least... not yet. That makes our situation less dire. They were kind enough to allow me possession of my Vision, as well.

[ Mona glances up as the waiter returns with a luxurious dinner of lobster, setting each individual plate in front of her and her date. The scent is lovely, even if the conversation is befuddling. ]

I'm afraid the most we can do as of the moment is observe and play along.

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