shellphones | first ⚡ a topic on summoning

Entry tags:

first ⚡ a topic on summoning

Type: Text
Sender ID: ramuhs
To: General public
Subject: Summoning other creatures and people
Warnings: None except maybe FFXVI spoilers in their respective threads?

[// PUBLIC PORTION //]
A curious question to my fellow riftfarers — to those who are capable of "summoning" or calling upon powerful beings or even people, how does it work in your world? Any particular requirements? Contracts?

And have you any luck doing so while here? Any changes you've discovered?

[This is a general broadcast type post, so anyone can threadhop if they'd like to swap stories or anything! Cid will be reading everything...with very keen interest.]

[// PRIVATE TO FFXVI CAST //]

In case you're wondering what this is about, while on that ghost ship a girl somehow managed to summon me from a rock she had—materia she called it. She also knew about Ramuh and some of the other Eikons from our world.

Given there was no warning and that she might not be the only one, thought I should give everyone a heads up. For now I'll be trying some tests with her to see how it works and will share the results.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[SOMEHOW FITS IT IN HIS STRANGELY PACKED SCHEDULE??? WHATEVER RP TIME SHENANIGANS—]

Should be able to make it. I'll contact you once I'm there.

okay

[ --Is the last text he'll receive after he sends the location for the pier specific he suggests. Not having a busy schedule, she puts up her hood, making her way there early to survey the area.

The location is not secluded. Nor is it as busy as a main thoroughfare. Couriers, sailors, carpenters, and merchants walk to and from rows of warehouses, yet their number is far fewer than the industry found closer to the main hub of the port. In other words, there are only those going about their workday, which means it would be easy to identify someone loitering, or waiting for a meeting, as it is. For a few minutes, Rem watches them as they pass, and then she turns her focus towards the shore.

He'll find her standing near the pier that leads to the breakwater, looking out towards the sea. There, the call of the waves appears to hold her attention until his footsteps become audible then stop, a sure sign the stranger is not one of the busy laborers. She turns slowly-- first with a cautious glance, then her stance. A wary but sharp expression regards him with a slightly bowed head, the same kind found upon those who scrounge enough courage to withstand something out of their element. This is a meeting, but the tenseness in her posture suggests fleeing is staked beneath her boots.

No familiarity registers when she gives him a practiced, clinical, once-over, yet her gaze is quick to snap to the side of his hip, noting the swords sheathed there. A corner of her lips tugs downward at the sight of a weapon, and she lifts her chin, perhaps in order to appear more undaunted, and meets his eyes.

Today, she wears common, cheap garb-- a skirt, a blouse, a stay-- all disheveled in such a manner that suggests she's unused to the style. A worn, red half-cloak drapes over her shoulders, clasped together with the only bit of gold on her person.

Her hands lift, reaching to lower her hood, and she raises her voice to carry above the sea wind. ]

Are you Ramuh?

[Cid wasn't sure what or who to expect as he made this meeting and made his way to the meeting location. He was wary...but he got the impression from the texts that he was talking to someone inexperienced. Still, it never hurt to be cautious, especially when they seemed to know about summoning—and perhaps even could summon.

So as he approaches the pier, his left hand idly resting on his swords, he tilts his head slightly at the cloaked figure standing at the end. A figure that was...a bit smaller than expected. And when she finally turns and lowers her hood—

Wait, it's a young girl?

The surprise is clear in his eyes as they widen and he stares at her for a few seconds.

...

A small breath escapes him as his stance relaxes.]

In a sense, though I'd prefer if you called me Cid.

You?

[ Hers is not a face that's suitable for hard dealings or negotiations, and neither is her voice-- naturally softened, no doubt, by years of what could only be kindness. Yet she seems to be studying him keenly as he introduces himself, until at last her gaze breaks contact with a brief nod of her own. He may have relaxed his stance, but hers remains rigid. ]

I'm Rem. [ She introduces herself with a tone lighter than her previous question. Politeness seems to be ingrained in her mannerisms, even in a circumstance like this. She raises a hand to her chest. ]

So... Are you still interested in my help?

[...Ah. There's a light of recognition in his eyes, having heard of Jill's unexpected experience with her

Crossing his arms over his chest, he studies her.]

I admit, I'm still a little unclear as to what your help entails. Especially when you're not being upfront that you are capable of summoning.

[Calling her out—]

[ Her brow lifts, then settles. If she knows she can summon, then he's spoken with the only other who knows she can. The incident had been troubling, and her fingers curl against the fabric of her cloak. Immediately, defensiveness hardens her tone-- ] That--... [ --but she stops herself. He's not here to listen to her excuses, regardless that she didn't mean it. That, and she'd rather not get on the topic again. ]

You want to make sure no one else can summon you. [ She draws in a quiet breath, tasting the humid, salty air upon her tongue, and steadies her tone. Capabilities are one thing, but sounding convincing is equally important. As he studies her, she refuses to shirk.

Rem steps forward once. A puddle beneath her heel breaks tension, rippling outward. ] I can do that.

[ And then she pauses here, waiting to see if he'll allow her to continue to explain. ]

[He watches her carefully. Understandably she moves on the defensive, but she doesn't try to convince him she was right to do it or defend herself in that way. It seems she holds some guilt, or at least recognizes the discomfort it brought Jill.

So he just slightly cants his head.]

How?

Some eidolons in my world are forbidden, and some are linked to one person. Sometimes the power itself is limiting, but... [ Her look becomes more pointed, indicating the next part is more pertinent to him and his kin: ] other times, there's a magical charter on the summon itself. An authorization.

[ The more she speaks, the more confidence weaves into her words. On the subject of magic, fragility frays from her cadence like threads from the edges of torn silk. Replacing it are the careful braids of a hauberk, fortifying her resolve. She continues: ] I've studied sorcery all my life. [ This is stated as if would lend herself more credit. Whether "all my life" holds any weight given her apparent youth is another matter entirely, but she certainly appears adamant. ] I'm capable.

You help me, and I'll make you [ Consideration causes her words to slow, reviewing what she knows, as well as what she does not. Cautiously, she names another. ] ...and Jill...

[ Her eyes search his face. To her, he appears weather-worn: tested by age, voice like sand, with creases lining his eyes, those not borne from joy, but strain. Free will, he wrote. How awful to think a struggle for it still remains, all because new summoners like her might recklessly trespass upon it, accident or otherwise. The tragic part of this is that, within her heart, she knows she would help anyway had they met under a different circumstance.

Her sympathy bleeds-- ] ...and anyone else...

[ --But.

She needs help, too. Briefly, Rem's hand squeezes at the clasp holding her cloak, then relaxes, lowering to her side. The next term leaves her lips like a title, finishing her explanation. ]

...Verboten. Verboten to all but yourselves.

[ Like needing a license to drive himself, but the only license available goes to him. ]

[He continues to watch her as he listens, noting her countenance...and make similar observations. He's seen plenty, knows the sign of those who have had to struggle and fight. To train. To stand stronger against something else and harden themselves despite their fears.

She's nervous, cautious, yet she stands before him with that resolve.

It makes him wonder what she has been through, her youth only making him more concerned. Not a hardened soldier, that was certain... But perhaps one that would one day be.

And what she speaks of does appeal to what he's searching for. A way to prevent others from taking advantage of them unawares. No slight or offense against those they've met under these circumstances, but their luck won't always hold, and there's always the risk of someone else taking those materia. Not to mention the numerous such summonings can occur, as Rem herself has proven.]

..."Verboten"? This...technique you speak of will prevent others from summoning us?

[Appealing—but it's clear he's not completely sold on it. Because he suspects that other than her request, there's another catch to this.]

Edited 2023-11-12 09:03 (UTC)

[ He seems more intrigued than before, but not entirely convinced. With the offer laid out, it’s up to her sound more convincing.

Rem nods, and she corrects her posture as she speaks. ] Like ensuring Ramuh can only be summoned by those authorized, but only you have that sole authorization. Others who attempt to summon you will be denied. It’s how we prevent just anyone from calling one that’s personal or… too dangerous. [ For a moment, her expression grows distant, but she’s quick to cover herself, tearing her gaze away from him to the…— sea.

The sea is not black. The sky is not red. This is not her world. ]

Or that’s how it’d work in Orience.

[ A soft cringe— she had been doing well until listing that small caveat. Sound convincing, sound confident. Even if it is true: given they are in a different world, there’s a chance things simply work differently in this realm and more adjustments will have to be made.

Yet so could any other method he’s exploring, and she’s certain someone as discerning as him is already aware. She knows what weighing information and options looks like upon a person’s brow, and that’s him as he regards her-- the level look, observant, keen, and… if she had to guess, patient like the earthen color to his eyes. Perhaps he can afford to weigh his choices. Perhaps he’s not as desperate as her. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be standing in front of her, meeting her along the banks of the port, and hearing her out.

Stalling, Rem presses her lips together. At her side, her fingers curl into her palm. ]

No one should have to fear being called. The way I’ll make you forbidden… the keys will be entirely yours. I promise.

[And there it is.]

Assuming it works.

[The question of whether such a technique would even work in this world. Having spoken with others, it was clear that certain magic and techniques did not work the same if not at all here, which made some sense. After all, different world, different rules. Even he is beholden to the limitations as he first discovered upon arriving.

That said, it's the first real lead he's had so far, and while not desperate to jump at the first chance offered, there's no harm in learning more about it. Besides, if there are other options, it would allow everyone to choose which method they prefer rather than locking them into one.

He shifts his weight from one leg to the other.]

Let's just assume it's possible or that we decide to try it. What's the cost? I can only guess it's no simple procedure.

[He would be more surprised if it were.]

[ From her periphery, she looks back at him. A single brow lifts slightly, which then shifts into a slight cant of her head. It seems she's puzzled by his question. ] For fitting the charter to you, it's my magic, so the cost is mine.

[ --As far as she knows, anyway. Again: different world, different magics. She doesn't think she has to repeat herself on that unknown again.

She blinks once, then, only latently understanding what he's actually asking. A small, embarrassed 'oh' escapes her, and she adds: ] You're the "eidolon", in this case. As for what it'd cost to summon yourself afterward, Jill already mentioned it takes a... "heavy price". [ Their health, she mentioned, and eventually, their lives.

At least with Rem's offer, he wouldn't have to worry about someone else forcing their life essence to drain. Rem had already been worried she had cost Jill some of her life that very same morning. Avoiding that would be ideal. ] I'm sorry, but... I wouldn't be able to change that part for you.

Edited (an extra 'the') 2023-11-12 23:09 (UTC)

[There's a distinct furrow of his brow at that. "Heavy price"... Jill didn't go into the specifics, but she mentioned that Rem was unconscious, and Cid surmised it must be some physical toll.

Regardless, he doesn't like that idea.]

If I'm understanding this correctly, that "heavy price" would have something to do with our own lives, correct? And then there's also the cost you would be paying for doing all this. Unless you can do some group discount, you would have to do this for several people—that's no small price.

Edited 2023-11-13 03:47 (UTC)

[ Her brow shoots up, and she frowns, worrying her lip. Is she losing him already? Troubled, insistence quickens the tempo of her words. ]

Wha— no… no. [ Again, her hand lifts to her chest, curling around the clasp for comfort. ] You’re not an Eidolon from my world, you’re an Eikon from your own, you are. [ Rem considers explaining what she perceives the differences to be, but decides against it. That’s not the point. ] Whatever price Jill mentioned Dominants pay when you [ uh ] summon yourselves… that’s the price I expect you’d pay. She mentioned it costs your health, eventually your lives.

[ Her tone grows quieter at the end, somber. It’s their choice to give their health to become an Eikon— no, it should only be theirs, really, and once more she falters. This is absolutely something she’d do for them regardless, and despite all of her negotiation (if it can even be called that) up until now, waging their lack of autonomy against her method to grant it leaves a bad taste in her mouth.

If he refuses, would she be wrong for not providing them an option to obtain the security and freedom they seek?

As for whatever cost of magic she has to pay to make them verboten— her eyes close tightly, then open— why does he care— she can’t lose this— ]

Cid. [ She had seen how his demeanor changed when he first saw her, how he relaxed. Rem levels the timbre her voice. ] …You don’t believe me when I say “I can do this”, do you?

[So regardless, it would cost them their aether—their health. One that they may be willing to pay if it would mean keeping their autonomy...but still something that would need to be deliberated.

As he mulls over this, he sees that change, and there's a heavy, pregnant length of silence before he finally answers.]

If I'm to be honest—I have my doubts.

[His arms shift, uncrossing from his chest so that his right hangs loosely while his left rests idly on the hilts of his swords.]

Not to offend, but you already passed out trying to summon Jill, which makes me question what effect it will have on you. Thus while I admire your efforts and sympathy to our situation, I couldn't in good conscience have you bear something like this alone. And that's just if this can work in this world.

More than that...

[He tilts his head slightly as he regards her.]

I'm trying to figure out why you would be so willing and practically desperate for this trade of favors. I do not doubt there's sincere good will, but I haven't forgotten what you asked for in return.

[And by the way he's studying her, she may be able to sense that he's not just concerned about his own—but for herself as well.]

[ Years of battle and training has only ever honed her reflexes, making them nearly automatic. Already on edge, this proves to be a detriment to the conversation.

Her eyes snap to the motion of his hand drifting to his hilt, his words become distant. In the same moment her body pivots, heel dragging back behind her, and her arms going up. A glimmer of crystalline white light shimmers with a silhouette of her weapons, solidifying into two short swords, one pointed toward him, the other away.

A quick reaction time is of the utmost importance in her world, but here, on-edge, her mind has yet to catch up with her body in registering that he means no harm. It’s his left hand, not his drawing hand opposite the blades, that rests on his sword, after all.

…

………

She blinks.

Oh. ]

[The moment he sees Rem shift her stance, he stops and narrows his eyes. Immediately his fingers clench over the hilt of his smaller blade. While she later judged correctly that his drawing hand was still at his side, he has two swords for a reason—and his left is just as deft, especially for the shorter blade. However, while he instantly has his guard up, he doesn't move more than that.

Instead, he waits, and when he sees her realizing it...]

Well, those are quite the reflexes.

[His fingertips drum against the hilt of his blade, as if indicating he realizes why she reacted the way she did.]

Which begs the question—what were they training you for?

[ Her knuckles turn white upon the hilt of her blades, strained in tempering what would have been a strike. A breath sucks in through her teeth, then, slowly, she lowers them both. She glances at his hand that grips the smaller of his swords (not his opposite hand, she notes; a dual-weilder, like her, then?), and then back to him. It seems he... understands, in some sort of way. Moreover, he's not shifted further to retaliate.

Waves crash upon the breakwater once, twice, soundless against a nigh palpable tension, until it finally retreats like the current. Rem's weapons vanish into that same light from which they were conjured, and she raises her hands with a slight tremble, palms up in a sign of peace.

Still, her voice is low with caution. ]

The same reasons, I'm guessing, you know how to use two blades at once, too.

[ Offensive only. Be strong enough and you won't need bucklers. No shields for those who are but weapons. Not just anyone can dual-wield, but among those that do, she finds that any of these reasons suffice. ]

[He continues to eye her, though it's not out of complete wariness. Just...studying, as if trying to figure out what she's gone through. And he'll just give her a light cant of his head before he waves off her sign. She really doesn't need to—he can feel it from her that she doesn't mean to harm him.

And even if she did...

Well, he can stand on his own.

But there's just a smallest quirk of his lips, a small rise of his shoulders as a breath of laughter escapes him.]

Depends. Not all people pick up a blade to join some army. Many can learn on their own just to protect their own, be it land or people.

However, with those skills it's clear. Which is all the more unfortunate if my guesses are true.

[Young men and women joining to fight in any kind of army or regiment is not uncommon at all, but it always depends on the reasons. Especially with how quick she was to defend herself. Or rather, how quick she feels she needs to defend herself.]

But you don't have to worry about anything from me. [An idle wave of his hand.] If anything I should apologize if I startled you or made you feel so uncomfortable.

Edited 2023-11-14 05:31 (UTC)

[ Her hands lower to her side. Bereft of weapons to hold, her fingers pad into the thick fabric of her skirt.

It’s not the wave of his hand or his admittance of startling her that eases the stiffness of her posture, but the first part of what he said. Rem’s chin tucks down. ]

Then you understand. [ She’s quiet, but sincere. There’s reach within her voice, tentative and fragile, as if seeking some other sort of common ground. ] What it’s like… wanting to protect.

[ … ]

I do, aye.

[A small nod.]

And that thing you want—will that help you do that?

[ Silence on her end, and then she answers with a solemn nod. ]

Is there a reason why you're not telling me what exactly it is?

It’s… private.

[He looks at her for a moment before he half turns and slowly starts to walk around as if packing as he recites from memory what she wrote to him before, counting off each item with his hand.]

Something that was "one magical" and "held a lot of power" but now "inert" and made of "potent conductor material." "Weapon or crystal" and must be "defunct" but not "brittle."

[He stops and looks at her, hand raised.]

Now it doesn't take a genius to know that this isn't some trifling object and makes me wonder what you could be using it for, let alone if this could lead to something dangerous.

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