[ Another silence hangs, punctuated only by the crackle of the fire at their feet. Sciel eyes the other woman with the glint of something in her eyes, though it could well just be the licks of colour from the flames. ]
You could try one of the other lines, [ Sciel speaks slowly, walking the thinnest of ropes over a very dangerous chasm. ] if it might produce a different result.
[ Harmless, isn't it? While it's true she's fairly sure that trying to infuse any other part of the tattoo won't make any difference, giving it a shot probably can't hurt. And if it's in the name of experimentation — of furthering a goal that the Alethi queen has some vested interest in — then there don't have to be any further implications.
There are a lot of options, at least. The marks crisscross her neck and over her collar, disappearing beneath the top of her jacket. ]
[ And that chasm stares back at Sciel — expression void of any echoing glints, save maybe for a flicker of curiosity. Appreciation (again) that the other woman offers herself up to the interrogation.
But Jasnah's hand curls against the makeshift seat and doesn't rise again. Instead, with a shake of her head, she asks: ] Why don't you tell me, instead, about when you first got them? Your lines.
Of course. [ The moment transitions smoothly, marked only by the slight duck of Sciel's chin. ] Well, I had them done when I decided to join the Expedition. Once I'd spent a little time in training, that is. Not so many skills from farming and teaching translated to-...you know. The kinds of things that'd be helpful. The scythe's the only constant, though I wasn't quite as brutal with the crops as I am — was — with Nevrons.
[ Sure, some of the movements had been the same. Some of her strength and hardiness had transferred. But she'd never trained in combat, not until after her life was ripped to shreds by the injustices of life and death. ]
I needed a bit more of an edge. So...I got these. Infused with chroma, as I've said, to...augment my abilities. Make me a little quicker, a little stronger. [ In a small pop of monochrome, a flare of energy appears between her waiting fingers. It's in the shape of a tarot card, though it ripples around the edges with an almost-burning effect. ] It let me learn a few new tricks that've definitely come in handy.
[ Some people in Lumiére are still aghast that people (like Sciel) have chroma embedded directly into their skin. 'Some people' have no idea what it takes to survive on an Expedition, let alone get as far as they did. ]
[ Jasnah has no ground from which to argue against Sciel's augmentation. Given her own use of stormlight, she finds herself sympathetic to someone taking what advantages they can find. Stormlight similarly makes her a little quicker. A little stronger. She can fight off sleep for that little bit longer.
So, nodding along with Sciel's reasoning, she adds: ]
Are such augmentations available to anyone in your world?
Available? Yes. Though I'm not sure anyone would get them unless they were joining an Expedition. [ As for why, though... Sciel rolls her head to the side, considering. ] It might be more convenient to be able to light a fire at will, but it could also be more dangerous. And...well, it isn't as if they've been tested.
[ So: there could be side effects that nobody knows about. Those sorts of things hardly matter when you're only going to live until 33 (if you're lucky). ]
[ It is...odd. To consider any such powers without some check to balance them — like Jasnah's own oaths that put so much responsibility in Ivory's hands. It's on the spren to make good choices and hold their Radiants to their word. And while some oaths are stricter than others...
Well. There are reasons why she's the only Elsecaller. ]
It's difficult not to imagine some partaking simply for the power alone. [ Rather than the greater good of an Expedition. ] But perhaps that makes me sound too cynical.
[ Maybe there have been people who've abused it in the past. But - ]
No, I understand. I just think...the people of Lumiére don't have aspirations like that. Everyone's got a role, a place, in how it all works. There's no room for-...I dunno. Someone using chroma to try and take over the Council, like something from a story. We've all got to deal with so much already that I doubt it really occurs to anyone to misuse it like that.
[ Their population is small and dwindling all the time. It's perhaps an unspoken agreement that doing anything to threaten the balance they have (such as it is) would be over the top. ]
[ Something from a story. But from Jasnah's vantage, it's Sciel's home that feels like something mythologic and impossible. Grim, certainly — but so much cooperation in the face of their grim circumstance feels very story-like to her. Why wouldn't someone use the difficult spot that Lumiére is in and try to twist it to their advantage? Humans have done that at every turn since...
Well. Jasnah shakes her head. ]
I don't mean to offend, [ says every person who is doubtless about to offend someone, ] but I can't tell whether you're being naive or whether your Lumiére has truly unlocked solidarity in the face of adversity.
[ Humans still found ways to hurt each other in her world. Were she hunting for examples, Sciel could conjure what Expedition 56 had done to Alicia, what had happened to Expedition Zero, or all the darkness of Search & Rescue... Even more mundane things at home: the way some people would talk scathingly about the Expeditions, or how others would do things like judge her closest friend for not wanting to bring children into their dying world.
None of that is really what Jasnah is talking about, though, so she keeps it to herself, sighing. ]
You'd have to do a lot more than that to offend me, Brightness. [ Sciel chuckles. ] ...I like to think I'm optimistic, but not naive. So, in my experience, the people of Lumiére genuinely didn't take advantage of what we can do with chroma for whatever reason. It isn't as if we can know for sure.
[ They can speculate, and she's happy to engage. But there will never be a way to return to that place, as far as she's concerned, and so speculation is all they'll have. ]
[ Another log slips, tumbles to the ground, sending up a small flurry of embers. ]
Well, you've got it. [ Sciel reminds her. There had never been any choice in the matter, but she's hardly bothered with where she's ended up. Quite the contrary.
She watches the queen with a thoughtful expression, chewing on an idea. Then...seems to rethink it, lifting her chin with a sudden inhale. ]
I've been taking a lot of your time tonight. [ Again, not that Jasnah is anything but perfectly capable of managing her own schedule, parting ways as she sees fit, but — ] And I...probably should try and get some sleep. [ Eh. Rest is generally second to interesting conversations, for her, but...she's of less use to Jasnah if she's been up all night talking, and keeping the queen awake, too. ] But...I'm glad I'm here.
[ On this particular mission, on Roshar, and...here. ]
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no subject
You could try one of the other lines, [ Sciel speaks slowly, walking the thinnest of ropes over a very dangerous chasm. ] if it might produce a different result.
[ Harmless, isn't it? While it's true she's fairly sure that trying to infuse any other part of the tattoo won't make any difference, giving it a shot probably can't hurt. And if it's in the name of experimentation — of furthering a goal that the Alethi queen has some vested interest in — then there don't have to be any further implications.
There are a lot of options, at least. The marks crisscross her neck and over her collar, disappearing beneath the top of her jacket. ]
no subject
But Jasnah's hand curls against the makeshift seat and doesn't rise again. Instead, with a shake of her head, she asks: ] Why don't you tell me, instead, about when you first got them? Your lines.
no subject
[ Sure, some of the movements had been the same. Some of her strength and hardiness had transferred. But she'd never trained in combat, not until after her life was ripped to shreds by the injustices of life and death. ]
I needed a bit more of an edge. So...I got these. Infused with chroma, as I've said, to...augment my abilities. Make me a little quicker, a little stronger. [ In a small pop of monochrome, a flare of energy appears between her waiting fingers. It's in the shape of a tarot card, though it ripples around the edges with an almost-burning effect. ] It let me learn a few new tricks that've definitely come in handy.
[ Some people in Lumiére are still aghast that people (like Sciel) have chroma embedded directly into their skin. 'Some people' have no idea what it takes to survive on an Expedition, let alone get as far as they did. ]
no subject
So, nodding along with Sciel's reasoning, she adds: ]
Are such augmentations available to anyone in your world?
no subject
[ So: there could be side effects that nobody knows about. Those sorts of things hardly matter when you're only going to live until 33 (if you're lucky). ]
no subject
Well. There are reasons why she's the only Elsecaller. ]
It's difficult not to imagine some partaking simply for the power alone. [ Rather than the greater good of an Expedition. ] But perhaps that makes me sound too cynical.
[ Her? Too cynical? Never! ]
no subject
No, I understand. I just think...the people of Lumiére don't have aspirations like that. Everyone's got a role, a place, in how it all works. There's no room for-...I dunno. Someone using chroma to try and take over the Council, like something from a story. We've all got to deal with so much already that I doubt it really occurs to anyone to misuse it like that.
[ Their population is small and dwindling all the time. It's perhaps an unspoken agreement that doing anything to threaten the balance they have (such as it is) would be over the top. ]
no subject
Well. Jasnah shakes her head. ]
I don't mean to offend, [ says every person who is doubtless about to offend someone, ] but I can't tell whether you're being naive or whether your Lumiére has truly unlocked solidarity in the face of adversity.
no subject
None of that is really what Jasnah is talking about, though, so she keeps it to herself, sighing. ]
You'd have to do a lot more than that to offend me, Brightness. [ Sciel chuckles. ] ...I like to think I'm optimistic, but not naive. So, in my experience, the people of Lumiére genuinely didn't take advantage of what we can do with chroma for whatever reason. It isn't as if we can know for sure.
[ They can speculate, and she's happy to engage. But there will never be a way to return to that place, as far as she's concerned, and so speculation is all they'll have. ]
no subject
We could use some of that optimism.
[ Strange, really. To look for something heartening in another, arguably more doomed population. ]
no subject
Well, you've got it. [ Sciel reminds her. There had never been any choice in the matter, but she's hardly bothered with where she's ended up. Quite the contrary.
She watches the queen with a thoughtful expression, chewing on an idea. Then...seems to rethink it, lifting her chin with a sudden inhale. ]
I've been taking a lot of your time tonight. [ Again, not that Jasnah is anything but perfectly capable of managing her own schedule, parting ways as she sees fit, but — ] And I...probably should try and get some sleep. [ Eh. Rest is generally second to interesting conversations, for her, but...she's of less use to Jasnah if she's been up all night talking, and keeping the queen awake, too. ] But...I'm glad I'm here.
[ On this particular mission, on Roshar, and...here. ]