The Warlock and the Doctor

[Avis]

With most of the Sacramento Arrow gone, either through desertion or death, the Circle of Creation had fallen into disrepair. It was a massive building, one that required constant maintenance to keep it from slowly crumbling in upon itself, and with just herself, a criminal, and an almost absentee member, the Arrow was hard pressed to keep up with the progress entropy had made into their Order's Sanctum. It was a War that they were not winning, could not win, without a lot more time, resources, and man power. Considering the last Consilium hosted in that very building, it wasn't a battle that could be ignored, but Avis didn't know what to do. If she neglected the other aspects of her duties, if she neglected herself to provide for this monolithic construct of stone, then both the Consilium and her Order would suffer. If she didn't improve, if she didn't become better at fighting the War against false reality itself, then ultimately it wouldn't matter if the Circle stood or if it fell, because the enemies of Truth would likely fell her as well as everyone else. Then who would take care of the Circle?

So, for now she did what she could. Today that meant sweeping the sanctuary, an old broom held in her hands, rhythmically sweeping, sweeping, sweeping. There was more fury than vacuity in her technique, more struggle than peace, but still she thought of Jonokuchi as she swept, wondering if he, too, had found his death in Japan.

No answer to that question came, though eventually, a different question appeared, and it appeared in the form of Miach...

[Miach]

While Miach had things aplenty in his head, he still noticed on his way to meeting Avis that the Circle of Creation was different. He wouldn't have been able to express it in words, but something was amiss. It seemed less... vibrant. Somehow, it felt like the Museum. Too big.

He shrugged, and double-checked that he had indeed a bottle of rum-vanilla in his backpack. Good. The Acanthus had learned from last time, and hadn't come drunk. He could still do it at his leisure just after he left. No matter that it was lunch, after all.

Resuming his walk, he finally noticed Avis in front of him.

"Hello. Thanks for receiving me." he said to the Mastigos and leader of the Arrows with a small smile.

[Avis]

"You'll be welcome once you tell me what this is about," Avis drawled back, irritation riding each syllable. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm happy to give you time, as a citizen of this Consilium, but I'd rather skip past all the socializing bullshit. That's not what I need to be doing today, so spill."

Maybe she shouldn't be so curt, especially with as many enemies as she seemed to have these days among those who she was supposed to call ally, but she just couldn't handle idling around today. With Tyria, the Council, the Banishers, the ticking clock that was the countdown till she found a cabal and the Circle crumbling all around her, there just wasn't a lot of energy she could spare.

[Miach]

So... that was how it was. Miach would have taken the rebuttal personally, except that, the quicker it went, the less painful it had to be. The mystagogue was nearly grateful as he explained his purpose.

"Well... as you wish.

You may, or may not already know... Animus is dead. He died saving me. I'm so sorry I couldn't reciprocate..." Even now, it made his throat tighten. Two wills, clashing, and he had yielded, saving his life. Could they have both been saved if he had stuck through till the end ? A moot point now, really...

[Avis]

For a moment, the Warlock considered snapping at the Doctor, spitting the words 'I already know' at him like hot brass, but she restrained herself. Miach was already wounded, that was why he'd dragged himself before her, to bleed out in the slowly collapsing building. Or, perhaps he hadn't come to lie down. Perhaps it was because he was wounded in a way that he didn't know how to fix, but that she might. The Warlocks were more familiar than most when it came to the realm of the Mind. Trouble was, sometimes the trouble didn't dwell there. Sometimes it was an even problem, one that she could never touch.

Either way, she didn't know what to give him, so she just stood there, staring at him with a blank face, seconds ticking by. Eventually, though, she shrugged, more because she wasn't sure of what to do rather than signal any actual ambivalence.

"You want to organize a wake or something?" she asked, finally. "I've been thinking about doing a joint one. For Animus and Leo. Not quite sure how to go about it, but I was thinking maybe a bonfire and a potluck wouldn't be bad. Just need the space."

[Miach]

Animus and Leo... two Arrows he had attempted to save, and had failed. The doctor's shoulders sagged even lower when Avis spelled out both names together, as a reminder of failures. He'd been closer to save Animus, though, so perhaps he was getting better. Perhaps next time, he'd actually save someone, instead of just feeling bad afterwards...

He nodded slowly at the Warlock's proposal. Then nodded a second time more firmly. "That... that would be good, yes. To remember them. They deserve it." They deserved to live, too, but that wasn't something to drag on forever, unless you wanted to go bonkers.

"Both were Arrows, the Circle would be nice. I can help organize things, perhaps ?" he said, looking around and noticing the state of things.

[Avis]

"Alright, you wanna organize, great. What are your ideas?" the Warlock asked, going back to her sweeping.

[Miach]

"I... I don't know." the Acanthus admitted freely. "I just can't let them go *poof* like that. The wake and the bonfire is a sound idea. A proclamation at the next Consilium could perhaps make things more... formal, too.

I don't know whether any of them had relatives..." because even though they were Awakened, they seldom live in a vacuum.

[Avis]

"We don't need to wait for Consilium. I'll just throw out invitations. Make it personal, make it meaningful, not just rote agenda piece, ya know what I'm saying? Also, this is a building. With a roof. It's not good to have smoke in an enclosed space, so a bonfire is probably out. I mean, unless you know of a large open space where people can light large fires...I guess an Obrimos could help with that, but it might best to do something else. How about this: we both brainstorm for a while, trade ideas back and forth, and then we'll decide on the best one."

Or she would. Based off how this conversation was going, she was pretty sure she'd have to do most of the brainstorming, and the decision making.

"Sound good?" the Warlock asked, eyes flicking up from her sweeping to catch a nod or scowl or whatever expression it might be.

[Miach]

From what Miach remembered, there was enough room outside the Circle to host a foot race, so there should be enough for a bonfire, but well, maybe it had fallen into disrepair as well...

"It sounds good, yes. I can already venture a couple of ideas, if you'd like ? An outside arrow range ? or the zoo ?" Was not one of them named after the lion, while the other was a notorious wolf ? "or else someplace around Folsom Lake ?"

Invites would probably be harder, but she was right. He would have to make them count. They deserved it.