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Aurelio Menegi:
Aurelio had extended Avery an invitation to his hollow after receiving their request to speak on some artistic matters, waiting by the entrance for the Courser's arrival. From the trod one could only see the stone wall that replaced the nearby thorns, along with a dark-wooden door that allowed entry from the trod itself.
Avery Frisk:
Avery arrived not too long later, a raven with a few white feathers on zir back, where the wings met zir shoulder blades. Ze let their contracts fall, at first those of stealth so Aurelio wasn't surprised, and as zir got to the entrance, finally Chrysalis. Avery's white feathers stayed in roughly the same place, and ze was still rather raven like, just in a more humanoid form. Ze had a bag on their back, probably full of artistic materials, and as always zir voice was quite low volume.
"Hello Aurelio, thank you for seeing me."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Bona sera." He nodded with a small smile. "Very welcome. Do come in."
With that he opened the door he stood beside, revealing a mostly-stone building in the center of an island surrounded by bright blue water, a bridge of similarly stony make leading from the door to the island proper. "Micah mentioned you had a project you needed assistance with?"
Avery Frisk:
"Bone ah...what?" Avery looks confused, but steps in.
Ze's all too perceptive eyes take in all the details of the hollow.
"Its nice here. Relaxing...but yes. For art...I was trying to draw something I had an idea for...and was struggling."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Bona sera." He repeated with a small smile. "It means good evening in my native tongue."
"Thank you. It reminds me of home, in a way." He led the way into the building itself, which was much larger inside than the exterior would allow for. The first floor housed the majority of the workshop, with the glass kiln and forge and their respective tools and workspace on one side and a well-stocked woodworking space on the other, with a set of stairs leading up to a second floor near the back.
"I see...how can I help?"
Avery Frisk:
"Oh...I only speak...English...I don't remember Before, and haven't...learned since There. Good Evening."
Ze follows him in to the home, zir eyes still flitting around the unfamiliar space. Ze doesn't seem the most acclimated to a forge. At the request, ze takes off zir backpack and pulls out a sketchbook.
"I was watching the city skyline from the sky...and the glass reflected...and it was nice...and I wanted to make a piece but I don't know how to...draw like glass."
Avery shows a rough draft of a piece, not entirely done. Three skyscrapers are next to each other, small gaps between each so they were distiguishable. The left having a red rose climbing the outside of the building, the middle having a heart with a shield emblazoned on it, and the right having a white feather pattern as if a bunch of feathers were dumped off the side. Its well drawn...but very clearly just that. Drawn. No luster to it.
Aurelio Menegi:
Aurelio looked over the sketchbook as it was shown, nodding quietly as Avery explained what they were stuck on. "The first thing to think of is light, where it comes from and how it will reflect. Once you know that you will know where the shadows should be."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"The...sun?"
Aurelio Menegi:
"A good start." He nodded, stepping over to the glass kiln and pulling a small glass from the annealing oven before setting in on the table. The glass was mostly clear, with veins of white and gold swirled through the stem and base.
"Next would be the direction of the light." He motioned to the glass, letting Avery look it over at their leisure. "Where it shines makes different shadows, so keep that in mind."
Avery Frisk:
Avery takes the glass, looking it over. A very careful and artistic eye for the little details. Zir wide eyes look focused.
"How it...bends because of the glass? The shadows are different..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Indeed. With windows being flat there is not as much variation, but the direction of the light still matters." He rummaged for a small notepad of his own, doing a quick sketch of two rectangles and some rough shading, the lighter portions across the top for one and the upper right for the other. "If the sun is shining from above it will darken at the base, while from off to the side it will be at its corner. You follow?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"I do, yes. So...lighting is...more important here than other places."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Si. It is clear, or at least transparent if colored, and the shading helps to give it depth it would not have otherwise."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods, flipping to a new page.
"Okay... can I try again here?
Aurelio Menegi:
"Go ahead." He nodded, stepping back to give Avery room. "Would you care for a drink while you work?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery pulls out a full art set, obviously well loved from the sizes of some of the pencils.
"Um...sure. Just...water...and ice...um...if you can do ice."
Aurelio Menegi:
"I have bottles, if that will work. Don't have a need for ice myself." He said with a wry chuckle, ducking into the woodworking area to a small cabinet therein to pull said bottles out, holding them for long enough that the inherent chill of his grasp brought them down to an enjoyable temperature before offering Avery one.
"You are quite skilled, that much can be seen. What got you into the art, out of curiosity?"
Avery Frisk:
"Okay.." Avery touches the bottle, surprised by its temperature, and looks at him. A bit of understanding.
"Thank you."
Avery pulls out a few pencils, figuring out the right one.
"The memories...He took all of them...only a few returned...one was an art room...that I remember enjoying. Art...helps me feel connected to then...and my mentor helped me get back into art. It helped me...not feel like I had to always be afraid...and mourn what I lost."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Ah...I am glad you were able to hold onto that, then, and keep that connection." He nodded quietly, his own expression one of mutual understanding. "I was trained in the art from my youth, and taken for my skill at it. It has always been at my center, no matter what other paths I have walked."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"My Fetch...does art for buildings. Like...for them to be made. I don't like that as much...I like...drawing what is around me..."
A pensive look.
"It helps...remind me what I've seen...and what was a...hallucination. If its not in my sketchbook...but I remember drawing it...then it was a...dream...or hallucination...if that makes sense."
Aurelio Menegi:
"It does, yes. To have something made by your hand as a record of that time is a feeling worth pursuing."
Avery Frisk:
"It makes me feel grounded...when the Privateers are gone...I think I want to start posting...online more. Sigrun suggested it and...I was starting to set it up...then this happened..."
Avery turns and shows the art.
"Like this?"
Aurelio Menegi:
"Not a bad idea. My own pieces with the studio I work for are posted often, and I have received commissions from it." He said with a low chuckle. "Certainly easier than having to wait for some passing nobleman to notice your work."
He looked over the piece as Avery showed it, nodding with approval. "Very good, yes."
Avery Frisk:
"Passing nobleman...?"
Avery has a small smile.
"Okay, thank...I...think I can do it now."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Si." He nodded, resting against the workbench as he looked Avery over. "I was born in the late 1800s in Venice, and we would receive patronage from the occasional visiting nobleman from time to time along with work from those in the city."
"Good." He said with a small smile. "Is it for someone in particular or just yourself? I see the feathers but do not follow the other two sigils."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"I...don't know much about history...I'm sorry."
Ze hesitates, but nods.
"My...family."
Aurelio Menegi:
"No need to apologize. You said you had much taken, after all." He smiled a touch. "I have much to catch up on still, so I understand."
"Ah, yes. I have met the one, I know, and Maria is the other, yes?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"The rose is her...the heart is him. And I am the feathers for..." Avery gestures to zirself.
"I want something to show....my family. They are important to me."
Aurelio Menegi:
"I am sure they will like it." He nodded with a small smile. "The heart you put into it is clear to see."
Avery Frisk:
Ze nods, taking a few moments to look over the art.
"I am...trying. Philadelphia is important to them both...and I don't want to leave either. Everything I have is here."
Aurelio Menegi:
"I feel the same. When I returned to Venice it was both too familiar and not enough, and when I learned that part of my family had come here I decided to join them. It was a good choice, I feel, as I have met many I would not have otherwise and have found my own contentment in my relationships with others."
Avery Frisk:
"I...yes. I understand..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Good." He watched Avery for a moment, a gentle warmth wafting off of him as his ties to the Verdant made themselves known. "Is there anything that you Desire to see with your current partners, or with yourself in the future?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery relaxes a bit, their own gentle mantle receding. It was the strength of Summer with the subtlety of Winter.
"All of us being...happy. Safe...I just want to be with them. They make me happy."
Aurelio Menegi:
"A good goal to have." He smiled quietly. "I feel the same for my current partner, although we are often busy so time together is somewhat rare. What we get is worth the wait, though."
Avery Frisk:
"Jack...they seem nice. I met them when I saw Micah. I hope you two stay happy together."
Aurelio Menegi:
"As do I. He was the first whom I allowed to get close after my return, and he has made my life better for it."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"I...Asbolus was the first person...and then Vorpal because...she understood. And Vincent is the first I...let myself...feel close to like that."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Finding someone who understands is important. I had been hesitant to allow myself that sort of closeness due to the changes that came from being There, but Jack saw me through that wariness and helped me to embrace it rather than be afraid of it."
Avery Frisk:
Avery pauses...and nods slowly.
"Vincent and Maria...can't understand what its like...but sometimes I'm happy they see me for...me. The Mask and...not the Mien."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Are there times you wish they could see it?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods.
"Especially when...cuddling. Vincent has...seen my Mien...Maria has not..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"There are ways to show them if you wish, although they can be dangerous. I have not had the need to do such myself yet."
Avery Frisk:
Avery frowns.
"I...didn't know better...and took Vincent to my Hollow...because I was overwhelmed. Its a dark room with no light or sound. I know better now."
Aurelio Menegi:
Aurelio paused briefly at the description of the Hollow, a flicker of concern flashing across his face before he nodded. "That is one of the dangerous ways, yes. Good to know that he did not come to harm because of it."
"You can reveal it beyond the Thorns as well, although that has the risk of alerting others to your presence and opening the way into the Hedge nearby. Standing in a gate without crossing the threshold works as well, and is...somewhat safer."
Avery Frisk:
"But with Maria...it may tempt her across. I don't want to...drop the Mask ever. I am very connected to the Wyrd. I have four personal frailties...and my family already has too many things hunting us."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Indeed. There may be other ways to do so safely, but I cannot say. Something to inquire with the Mirror, perhaps."
"How is the hunt for those responsible for your troubles going, on that front? I may no longer carry the Spear but if help is needed do not hesitate to ask."
Avery Frisk:
"I am...okay without showing it to them. I think..."
A frown.
"Slow...Aubrey has...every capability I do. It is like...fighting a mirror. It feels impossible to get the upper hand...they attacked my Fetch too...who I never contacted before this..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Hmm." He nodded quietly, a small frown gracing his features. "A low blow indeed."
Avery Frisk:
"They...have a wife...who was badly injured. She is human...and they have two children together."
Avery shakes zir head. "I am...angry...but can't be careless...or my family will get hurt."
Aurelio Menegi:
His frown deepened at that news, followed by a quiet muttering in his native tongue as he shook his head. "I wish you luck in dealing with them, and as I said I am more than willing to offer aid if it is needed."
Avery Frisk:
Avery pulls zir arms to zir chest.
"Thank you. I will...ask if I need help...but I am often quieter on my own if I get a chance to...kill them myself."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Understandable. I can be quiet when needed but stealth has never been my strong suit. Little too tall for that, so I've been told." He offered with a small chuckle, hoping to add a little levity to the conversation
Avery Frisk:
Avery rubs a hand over zir feathers.
"I am...silent...when I need to be. Both the Wyrd and Summer assist me...the only one I know that has seen me reguarly...is Bones...and that is because they are paranoid too."
Avery nods.
"Without Light-Shy...I am almost impossible to sneak up on..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Bones...do not think I know that one. Another Lost or one of the others here?"
"A good skill to have, that."
Avery Frisk:
"A mage. They are...very active at Maddy's, although I haven't...seen them lately. We had some troubles...because they kept...accidentally...harming my clarity. They have gotten much better at it."
Avery shakes zir head.
"No, its not."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Ah, I see." He nodded quietly. "One of them stepped over a line on that front for me as well, but they apologized. Most of those that I've met through Maddy's have been good folk overall."
"Oh?" Cue a curious arch of the eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"
Avery Frisk:
"I was...banned from Maddy's for...a few months...I am now allowed to go back. It is still very loud."
Avery pauses, trying to figure out how much zir wants to explain.
"I...was His watcher...I see too much...I hear too much..."
Avery taps the table rythmically. A sound that Aurelio can hear reflected within himself if he pays enough attention. This is despite the fact they are several feet away and he is made of stone.
Aurelio Menegi:
"I believe I heard of such. Glad that you were able to get back into her good graces."
His head tilted at the tapping, pausing as he realized what the beat was and giving a nod. "I see...there would be some weight from that."
Avery Frisk:
"It...was not hard. She was...nice about it. People are just...difficult."
Avery stops tapping.
"I don't like loud sounds...or crowded places...until recently...I didn't like music..."
Avery pulls out zir airpods.
"Maria...she helped...these help...but a lot is still...too much."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Understandable. The world is so much louder these days, I cannot imagine what hearing so much of it would be like. It is good you have help dealing with that, though."
Avery Frisk:
Avery shudders.
"Its... bad. I've gotten... better. I have more quiet spaces. I have...partners who understand and can help...but its still a lot...and it hurts..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"You could shape something to help with that, perhaps. Offer some relief, if temporary."
Avery Frisk:
"What...do you mean..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"A token, either spun whole cloth or made by leaving something in the Thorns to be infused with the Wyrd." He nodded to the airpod case. "Those or a pair like them could serve as a base, for example."
Avery Frisk:
Avery pauses, considering.
"Maybe...it could work...but I know sometimes they can...disappear in the Thorns. I've never made a Token..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Nor have I, but I know it can be done. If it's checked on regularly you can usually keep it from wandering off." He watched Avery for a moment, a small smile forming. "What do you have to lose for trying?"
Avery Frisk:
Ze looks nervous.
"I...don't know...what do I have to lose for trying? Is there...something bad that happens for making one?"
Aurelio Menegi:
"Not that I know of, other than possibly having to track it down if it does end up elsewhere. What exactly the token will do can vary, from what I know, but will usually fall in line with what you wish for it to do. The Wyrd weaves as the Wyrd wills, as we all know too well."
Avery Frisk:
Avery looks confused.
"Then why...did you ask me what I was going to lose?"
Aurelio Menegi:
Aurelio now looked equally confused. "It is a common saying, from what I have heard. Perhaps I misspoke it?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery blinks, brow furrowing.
"I'm...not sure...sorry..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"You apologize for things you do not need to, I notice. Something to watch for in yourself, perhaps."
Avery Frisk:
Avery's head tilts in pondering.
"I...I do? Oh... sorry. Um...oops..."
A perplexed look hits zir face.
Aurelio Menegi:
"Indeed." He chuckled quietly, looking Avery over. "Do you worry about angering others?"
Avery Frisk:
"Yes...I don't like... others being upset at me. It scares me..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Why does it, if I may ask? What do you fear may happen?"
Avery Frisk:
Avery looks uncomfortable.
"I- I don't know..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Something to think on, perhaps. You are skilled in many things, strong in many ways. There are things to fear in this world, but maybe not as many as you think."
Avery Frisk:
Avery curls up a bit in the seat.
"There's lots of things to be scared of...but some are able to be faced anyway."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Indeed. And for those things which you cannot face alone, you have us to call on."
Avery Frisk:
Avery nods, looking to zir bag.
"Thank you for...the help Aurelio. And please...thank Micah for me too...we had a...bad start...but he is doing well now...I think."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Very welcome, and I will. If you ever wish to come by and work on things here, feel free to ask. I have supplies for painting in the upstairs part of the studio as well as what is here."
Avery Frisk:
"Okay. Thank you."
Avery puts up zir things as ze talks.
"I...might...that sounds nice..."
Aurelio Menegi:
"Good to hear. I work more swiftly when alone, but having company now and again is always nice." He offered a smile, leading the way out of the workshop and holding the door for Avery to exit. "Safe travels home, my friend."
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