westwhere | a ray of light shone in my darkness

Archeval tries not to lean on the Force too much in their sparring matches, considering the whole point is to practice pure saber techniques rather than beat up his opponent, but sometimes reflexes and the way he's using his powers to hold up the metal blade get the better of him. He's looking startled, chagrined and perhaps a little worried right now as he lets the tip of Eleven's borrowed sword drop, not having meant to put so much power behind that strike -- it... it was him, right? He knocked over Eleven on accident from failing to hold back? That's the only thing that makes sense, anyway, normally El is more than match enough for Arche's own half-improvised technique when they're purely sparring...

He shifts his grip on the sword as he hurries over to the other's side.

"Did I-- get you in the chest...?" He's frowning down at the other young man for a moment, propping the tip of the sword against the ground as he bends to offer El a hand up. He's gotten a lot freer with this particular gesture lately.

"Don't know what you're apologizing for, things happen in a spar, just-- Are you injured?"

"No," Eleven assures, accepting the hand up and steadying himself. "It's my fault. I thought- it was.. stupid."

A waste of Archeval's worry, really. He knows what happened: that tiny, flickering light had sensed darkness, and perceiving threat, Eleven recoiled to protect it. He glances off, chagrined.

"..You should actually probably try to attack me here. I can't risk that becoming a habit."

"I should try to... what do you mean?" Arche's frown just deepens as he glances El up and down, hand on his hip, trying to make sense of what just happened.

"Are you saying I should go for the chest? Is that--"

For a second, he hesitates. If it were him, he wouldn't want somebody prying into something like this, but. Eleven's all but gone and brought it up himself--

"Are you talking about... the spot with the scar...? I haven't ever noticed you favor it before."

He colored, but neither did explaining the alternative to a person he considered a hard-won friend hold much appeal.

"Yes." He shifted. "And I haven't, or shouldn't. I'd never thought of it, before. But the power I thought I'd lost.. I found there's something there, now."

".....what, your... goddess?"

What is it that Eleven called it again? The 'spirit of the Luminary'? Hm. Apparently Archeval heard the word without properly registering it, at the time. He hadn't expected to find out that Eleven's life is, apparently, very much defined by it. He'd like to say something about the Force inside El having recovered from the previous attack against him, but Arche has become painfully aware lately that his own theories about where they are, and where all these people and their powers come from, may not be an adequate explanation for things--...

"...I thought you said you had that literally ripped out of you."

He scratches his chin for a moment with a thoughtful hum, trying to figure out what to make of this information.

"How did it -- get there? Did you do something? Or if something happened around here--..." He definitely doesn't trust any of the prevailing supernatural powers of this area, okay.

"..It was," he confirmed, fingers alighting to that spot once more. "I'm not sure what happened, but when Xie Lian tried to- er.."

Eleven flushed. "..Well, I'd offered to try and lend him my magic, but when he tried, I felt.." He glanced down, shifting, feeling it out again.

"It's very weak, but maybe with time and nurture, it might strengthen."

"When who tried to what?" A squint from the Sith Lord. He did offer to the Merchant to catalogue the capabilities of all the newcomers, after all, and it's very relevant to his own interests as well; might as well try to get the specifics. The redness of El's face does not go unnoticed, but rosy cheeks are a pretty common sight on humans after exertion out in the cold, and -- sorry, Eleven, you made friends with somebody who only barely knows how to do feelings.

"You lent your power to this person for some reason, though, and then what, you just... hadn't reached that far inside yourself of late? To not have noticed?..."

He cocks his head to one side with a curious glance.

"--only stands to reason, though, I should think. Something you were literally born with, a part of who you are, surely shouldn't be so simple to just rip away."

He doesn't know anything about how this whole Yggdrasil business actually works, of course, but -- it comes as no real surprise to Arche even so. From the moment he could first feel Eleven in the Force, the light bursting out of him was impossible to miss. Then again...Arche had rather felt the same way even before getting his powers back, so perhaps that's just his own bias talking.

Edited 2021-05-23 19:06 (UTC)

"Xie Lian," he attempts to clarify, gesturing.. very vaguely. "He's a... a God in his world."

Eleven clears his throat. "And I think, there's magic I had tied to this power that I haven't been able to use- that I still can't- and so I think, if Xie Lian hadn't tried to borrow my power, that I wouldn't have noticed there was anything there for some time, until I could use it again."

But even with how delicate and fragile that spirit feels, he can't help but be grateful it's there. To take heart in the thought that there might be real hope for Erdrea still, after all.

"I guess it makes sense, when you put it that way." He'd just remembered seeing it, watching it shatter in Mordegon's hand, convinced it was gone for a certainty. "I do need to protect it, but not like this."

Archeval gives a long, thoughtful hum, and finally...

"Well. What have some of us been saying, hm?" He casts Eleven a dry look.

"You haven't failed yet, now have you?" His gaze and voice soften a little, however, as he glances away down toward the sword he's propped up against the floor, his thumb rubbing idly up and down the hilt. "You're just in the middle of finding the solution. Of course, in the middle, it always looks like everyone's going to die and everything's irreversibly gone to shit... until it doesn't. At least, in my own experience."

The words are murmured out with a low, irreverent, almost fond sort of humor, and he lifts the sword then to toss it idly in his hand a little. He's certainly seen El summon some impressive displays of power before, and the idea of all that being only the tip of the iceberg... well. Fortunate for the refugees, if anything. They can all certainly use all the help they can get.

"What did this so-called 'god' need your power for, hm?" He's not going to even bother to pretend he puts any stock in that hilarious idea, but if this Xie Lian has any harmful designs on their local hero, the local Dark Lord might have a thing or two to say about it.

Eleven huffs a brief laugh, recalling that assurance. He'd promised himself to try no matter that he'd lost his power, but with it, now, the possibility that all isn't lost feels brighter.

"Ah, well- he was going to conjure up a distraction as a way to possibly save the miners, but didn't have enough energy to do it on his own, so.."

He grimaced. "Though I had to withdraw my offer. If I'm trying to regain energy, I don't think I can afford to lend it."

"Ah." He gives a thoughtful hum. "Involved with Wei Wuxian's plan, then. I see."

Interesting that a 'god' would need to borrow power from anyone at all, of course, but he's not surprised his quite credulous friend decided to take the words at face value.

"Withdrew, though? I thought you said you'd already let him do something to you. Did he get a part of it? What exactly went down here?"

Arche squints over at Eleven, feeling as though he must be missing something. Or perhaps that's a premonition of the Force niggling at him to dig deeper? He doesn't know a thing about this Xie Lian, after all; it somehow seems like there must be some crucial fact being left out here.

Edited 2021-05-23 20:36 (UTC)

Eleven glanced off with an embarassed sort of smile.

"We- it just.. we had to try, first, since we couldn't be sure if my magic would be compatible or even enough if it was. I don't have as much power as you do, after all. So he did pull some of it, in that. But for the actual distraction, I hope he'll have found someone else."

He'd thought of Archeval first when Wei Wuxian asked, but in retrospect, he's glad he'd never actually asked him, considering the method of extraction.

Another frown from Archeval, then, as his own thoughts go in a similar direction.

"...and you didn't mention it to me? I don't hand out power to just any charlatan, but I certainly have more to spare than many, and technique enough to safely give and take."

Apparently he's just not going to leave well enough alone, too bad for Eleven. The embarrassment and discomfort in the look on El's face, though, and the feelings drifting around him, are becoming an increasing source of confusion.

Edited 2021-05-23 20:56 (UTC)

The embarassed tint of color turns full force and Eleven's face turns several shades darker as he flusters.

"Ah, no, you probably don't- don't want to do that, I think. It's uh, he has to.."

Goddess, his ears are burning at just the thought over again. Deep breath. "He ah, pulls power through a- a kiss, so.."

What. He pauses and squints at El for a long several moments before finally uttering, deadpan:

"Are you entirely sure you didn't just get taken in by a garden-variety pervert?"

Eleven sputters.

"No! I mean, yes. We'd met and spoken at length before and it's not- I didn't know until-"

He runs a nervous hand through his hair. "Anyway, he's very beautiful so I didn't really mind that much.."

"I see, I see."

There's a couple seconds' pause before, somehow even more deadpan than before:

"Just wanted to keep him to yourself then, hm?"

(Of course he's not enjoying this, shh.)

Eleven slaps a hand to his face, making a sound somewhere between a cough and a pitiful groan. His skin feels hot and he's sure he must resemble the beets they're growing.

"No. I just thought you wouldn't want to.."

Slowly, his fingers slide down off his face, recognizing at last that Archeval is just messing with him. He gets a half-hearted glare for his effort.

"Goddess, you're awful."

For a second, a little smile tugs at Arche's lips. El has seen this from him now and again, quite rarely, but this one seems different from when Arche was doing things like mocking the Merchant. It transforms his face somehow, makes him look a little younger. They're not that far apart in age, after all, when one gets right down to it.

"I could hardly call myself Sith if I knowingly passed up such a perfect opening," he replies, almost fondly.

He can just picture Rynn saying the same thing to him. Far be it from Archeval to refuse to pass on such a storied tradition.

"Mm, I suppose you thought right, though. I certainly don't go around kissing just anyone if I can help it. But sometimes we do what we must in difficult circumstances."

The part of him that isn't terribly embarassed is pleased to see it, that Arche can relax enough in his company to soften to a smile and tease.

Of course, he'd appreciate the novelty more if only it weren't currently at his expense. At least the heat in his face is lessening.

"I did think of you, but I thought I'd try, first. Then when I learned how.. well," he clears his throat, weight shifting, "But I'm sure you could, if you wanted to."

Edited 2021-05-23 22:20 (UTC)

"Hm, well. If I happen to run into this Xie Lian, we shall see perhaps," Arche muses in return, stepping a pace or two away now to begin to give El's sword a couple of experimental swings again. If they're going to continue their spar, and it sounds like Eleven probably wants to, they shouldn't stand here cooling down for too much longer.

"The whole thing sounds rather dubious to me. But I suppose the man can't be completely terrible if he's somehow gained your..." He pauses to throw El another wry glance.

"...hm. Admiration."

Well, there goes whatever he'd regained of his dignity, burning hot through implications. Eleven massages his face in an attempt to settle his expression. It takes a good several moments to get the muscles to lax and cooperate, though redness lingers.

"I didn't know Siths lived to be vexing," he huffs finally, taking turns to wipe overheated palms off on his long coat lest his grip on the blade slip. "But that almost sounds like high praise, if that's you trusting my judgement."

"Well then you've learned a lesson today," Archeval drawls, apparently in fine form -- he catches Eleven's eye with another look of amusement as he circles back to a proper starting distance for another round, lifting his sword in salute.

"'Being vexing' is practically the Sith Order's calling in life. You up for another go, then? If we're meant to cure you of overly guarding your chest."

The matter of trusting anything about Eleven, however, goes unremarked upon for now. But perhaps that's no surprise.

"Yes," he breathes with conviction, finally bringing his own weapon to bear. On the matter of trust, he can't help but wonder if Archeval understood his own position.

It's a risk even his own mind has seen fit to lecture him for, pushing faith when by rights he should have withdrawn- a mistake that could cost him far too much. But it's done, now, and he would have to live with the consequences if he was wrong.

"I need to hone a more effective defense."

Edited (TENSES) 2021-05-24 02:43 (UTC)

"Indeed. And no time like the present--"

Once both of them are in position and ready, Arche wastes no time surging forward with an opening strike, and the spar is on once again.

Does he trust Eleven? Well, that's a complicated question. He trusts specific things, maybe. Eleven's good judgement... ...perhaps, though he's fairly sure their definitions of 'good judgement' differ wildly. Eleven's willingness not to betray him without good reason -- though there, again, what a 'good reason' might be for each of them is bound to be quite different. Eleven's desire to save sentient lives. Hm. He does trust that firmly, at least.

But simply trusting anyone at all, full stop, no specifications, well. That would be a tall order.

Does Eleven trust him?--

Shit, he certainly hopes not.

...well. Most of him hopes not. It would be unacceptably naive and deeply worrisome of the other young man to trust somebody like Archeval after knowing him for only a month or so. But -- he probably doesn't, right? Probably. That would be a little ludicrous, even for El.

...That's what most of him hopes, anyway. If some little part of him feels differently, well, everybody is allowed a few moments of foolishness here and there within their heart of hearts.

a ray of light shone in my darkness

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