Completed Blood is thicker than...Paint?

Mariana shuffled that information away. Not that she'd ever use it later but it was somewhat interesting. She stopped and spun around, so abruptly that Phinues might run into her.

"Why're your eyes like that? Are you magical or something?"

She was curious. She'd never seen a boy as strange as him. Though, she didn't usually see others her age anyway.

"And I don't think I'll be getting anything from this shop. It's more for my brother." A nod back up front where she couldn't see him anymore.
 
Phineas nearly ran smack into her face, but he stopped and pulled back with a slight blush on his face. He had been getting closer every few seconds out of a growing fear that she was about to make her move. Of course, there was another reason he was following her.

It took him a few seconds for him to even figure out what to say. He scratched his head in thought before he explained with a bit of shame.

"I am...blind...but, I see...other things."

It was hard for him to describe because he did not entirely understand it. Phineus could see many things, but it was primarily the auras of others, letting himself the true selves of those he looks at. It was more a curse than a gift.

Mariana
 
"You're blind!" Her own eyes widened as she exclaimed rather loudly. For being blind, he was so good at following her. In fact, a part of her wondered if he was lying. But why was he blushing?

Boys made no sense more than half the time.

A small huff of exasperation.

"Well, what other things can you see? Like dead people?" Honestly, he was acting stranger than she was.
 
He stared at her confused, primarily confused at her aura. Auras tended to fluctuate and change as one emotion did, which was another way of saying all the time. However, her aura was already multi-colored, which made reading the colors far more confusing.

"I have seen auras which I believe to be spirits, but it is possible they were just invisible creatures. I primarily see connections and...strings."

That last one was the thing that tended to confuse people. Frankly, it confused him. Some objects and people just tended to have connections. For people, the connection was usually emotional. For objects, it tended to be things that just mixed well together. Like, he could see a string trailing from Mariana to the front, likely where Mr. Krixus was.

Mariana
 
"You shouldn't do that," a declaration in a loud whisper. "I think that's rude." Arms crossed as she gave a quick, nervous glance around. She couldn't see her brother anymore. In fact, she'd wandered quite far into the store's shelves and stacks. And the one person between her and the front?

This strange boy.

Connections and strings?

"Shouldn't you ask permission before just openly looking at someones aura's? Just because you can do it doesn't mean that you should."

Yeah, probably like stealing and stuff.
 
If Mariana could see a sliver of the boy's face through his hair, she would see he was blushing in embarrassment. He had thought that very same thing countless times. It was a curse that he wished he could turn off, so as not to involve him in the awkward conversations that inevitably ensued.

"I-I can't turn it off. It is just how my eyes work...I would if I could, I would rather be blind."

That was entirely true. There were times when he enjoyed his sight. It was the only way that he could learn alchemy from his master, but for the most part, he would rather stumble around in the dark.

He noticed her aura fluctuate, and he quickly moved to the side.

"I'm sorry if I ambushed you.

Mariana
 
A pregnant pause.

"I-it's alright," she finally said and exhaled. "I'm not used to talking to others my age. Or ones that usually follow after me." A roll of her shoulders. She finally stashed the piece of chalk she'd been clutching back in her pocket.

"What were you talking about before? The connections and strings? What does that mean and do I have any?"
 
The boy quickly nodded in agreement, trying to assure Mariana.

"It is the same with me...People do not often talk to me...They find me unsettling."

He let that awkward response hand in the air for a moment before he quickly tried to continue with her questions.

"Yes, everything has a connection. For items, it often just symbolizes things that mix well together. For people, it is usually a response to a relationship or sharing the same emotions. So a mob might all be sharing a string...or family members may hold strings."

It was always difficult to explain, but that was probably the easiest way of describing it. He wished he could just show people how he saw the world, but that was impossible.

Mariana
 
"So wait," she lowered her voice significantly and took a half step closer to him.

"Does that mean um," she looked around cautiously as if she was worried of being overheard. Another half step closer. Another lower of her voice.

"Is that magic, erm, are you magical? Can you use magic?"

She had to wonder and if he could...why wasn't he at the Academy right now?
 
Phineus seemed to pause for a moment, as he debated whether to speak or not. After seeming to stare through Mariana for a moment, he began to speak.

"Likely, but I am not sure. I know it isn't normal...Master kept me hidden away when I was young, and then the new Republic is far more relaxed with their rules on the Academy...They did inspect me, but...being able to see is not a magical ability that the Academy is really interested in."

So they left the blind child to his own devices, seeing no use for him.

Mariana
 
Eyes more blue at the moment darted to where she knew her brother was, even though she couldn't see him. The only thing keeping her from running away at the first chance she got was that Alistair hadn't brought the Academy up. She was operating in the 'don't ask don't tell' assumption.

She refused to go to the Academy.

And she hoped that because Alistair didn't bring it up that he wouldn't make her go, as the state expected him to do. Even with the revolution, she was pretty sure all Anirian citizens that showed magic had to go. She had no interest in killing others with her gift. She just wasn't a fighter.

But what Phineus was saying gave her an idea. If Alistair ever did try to make her go (and she wasn't able to run away first), she could just make her magic seem not worthwhile. So the Academy wouldn't be interested, just like they hadn't been with Phin.

"Well, probably for the best then," she said quickly. "I should probably go check and see if Alistair is ready to go. It was nice meeting you." She'd begin to make her way back up front.
 
Phineus offered a polite bow and put a smile on his face that was only partially visible through his mass of white hair.

"It was a pleasure m'lady."

To Phineus, he could only assume she was a noble. She had a connection to Alistair and no one else would act so independent and free when in the company of nobility.

"May we meet again."

That was awkward Phineus, that's why people get creeped out by you. He cursed himself in his head before getting lost in the maze of supplies in the shop.


Alistair had now made his way back to stand in the doorway of the shop. He was watching the shop owner stack a wagon filled with various boxes of supplies. It would seem that Alistair had undersold just much material he would be getting today.

Without looker her way, he seemed to notice Marianna approaching and he turned to see her with a raised eyebrow marking his face.

"Did you find what you were looking for? I did not take you for an alchemist."

He looked like he was about to go into a monologue in explaining the dangers of wandering off in the city, but he stopped himself as the owner finished with the last of the boxes.

"Thank you for your service, Master Happy."

The older man dismissed the praise with a wide grin. A few more pleasantries were explained before Alistair moved to take a seat in the wagon.

Mariana
 
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A quick glance over her shoulder at the title of lady. Whelp, that was strange. And weird. Not that she thought Phineus was weird. It was just weird hearing someone else call her that.

She was just a girl.

Alistair Krixus said:
Did you find what you were looking for? I did not take you for an alchemist.
Click to expand...

She waited until Happy was gone before responding. She didn't want to get the other boy in trouble in case he wasn't supposed to talk a lot to the other customers. After a few tries, she managed to scramble into the wagon, sitting next to her brother.

"I was just looking around. They had a lot of jars of eyes and gross-looking bugs in there. And then this boy found me and we started talking. I dunno, he seemed nice." She didn't mention his magic. Because she didn't want to come anywhere near touching the topic of the Academy.

"You got A LOT of stuff. Where are we going next?" Fishing in her pocket, she too out a napkin full of bacon she'd stashed in their earlier and began munching on it.
 
Alistair chuckled as he urged the horses forward. He did glance in her direction when she mentioned the boy. Alistair knew of the strange child but had not mentioned the boy to authorities until after the Republic began. He could at least do that kindness for him.

"Indeed, Master Happy is strange and the supplies he keeps are even stranger, but it is perfect for acquiring strange items that are not commonly sold...He also has a talent for getting me things others can not."

The wagon turned down a road leading back to the house, while Alistair continued explaining.

"We will be returning home to deliver the supplies. No reason to keep going around with all of this. I would essentially be begging for someone to steal it...That was metaphorical." He added quickly, realizing who he was talking to.

Mariana
 
She shrugged. It was true. If one left a wagon of goods around unguarded, especially in a city like this...yeah, it would be looted. Neck craned at all the stuff in the wagon as they rattled along the cobblestones. It wasn't long before they ended back at the front door to his townhouse.

"What do you even DO with all this stuff? Is it related to the rune pictures you draw everywhere?"

She'd been observant.

As the wagon stopped, she scrambled down. Head swiveled as she looked at the streets. She really wanted to get a better idea of the layout. Just in case.
 
Alistair raised an eyebrow at the question but took it as an opportunity to teach Mariana a thing or two as he looked back at the boxes on the wagon.

"Some of it is. It will be grounded down and added to my inks, and some can be used for potions and other magical items. However, most will be used by the apothecary m-our family runs. If one knows how to properly mix and worked then they can be used to create tinctures, ointments, salves, etc. which will be extremely useful for many things...All completely not magical."

That was something that it had taken Alistair a long time to understand. Mages had a tendency to master their craft to such a point that their whole world revolved around magic, which can be useful, but some of the best solutions did not require magic at all."

Mariana
 
Apothecary.

That word snagged her attention.

"My mom used to run her own shop," she said quietly. "The store always smelled like many different herbs but lavender was always my favorite." Her little chest puffed up as she sighed. Fingers clenched at her sides.

"I'm going for a walk," she mumbled and without waiting for permission, she made her way up the street and away from the townhouse.
 
"Marianna, wait."

Alistair hesitated to watch her go. That had not been the thing that he expected to set her off. It seems his father had a thing for alchemists. He sighed as he called for two teenage boys who often loitered around his home hoping for work. Both of them were told to unload the wagon into his house, and they would be paid afterward.

With that first problem settled, Alistair leaped from the wagon and followed after his new ward. Going for a walk in this city was dangerous on a good day, and stupid when she had no idea where she was going. He used the rune on her to keep track of where she was.

Mariana
 
Her smaller figure began weaving through those on the streets as she disappeared further and further up the block. Vision became blurry as her eyes continued to fill with memories from when her mother was alive. Before the orphanage. Before she ran away. When she was in Vel Lameus.

Before she wrote that letter.

Before her brother and all this.

Her heart ached for something that was no longer there and long gone.

Roughly swiping at her eyes she took one turn and then another, ending up in a mostly deserted alleyway. There was someone sleeping in a pile of blankets in the corner. Or it might be a dead body, she wasn't sure. Ignoring it all, she dug into her pocket and began drawing on one of the walls.
 
The rune attached to Mariana was enough to follow. Alistair knew where she was, even if he could not immediately see her. The crowd was thick as this was one of the busier market days. He had to stop and politely remove himself from people that tried to start conversations with him.

He did not like being stopped, but it did give him time to collect his thoughts. Mariana was obviously upset and Alistair was not known for his ability to show empathy.

Alistair walked down several twisting alleys, where many attempted to avoid his gaze, and he eventually stopped to see Mariana drawing on a wall.

"You know...that would be considered graffiti in this city."

Mariana
 
She finished drawing the last butterfly with bright, colorful wings as big as her hand as Alistair found her. A surprised look over her shoulder as she stashed the pieces of chalk back into the small bag she carried with her from earlier. A small step back from the wall.

"I just miss her so much," she said quietly.

"And it's NOT FAIR she had to die!" A sudden spark of anger. With a shift, the butterflies drawn on the brick walls suddenly moved and peeled themselves from the surface as they became real and fluttered up toward the sky.

And she was scared. Scared about if Alistair would make her go to the Academy. Scared about beginning to care for this new family he offered her. And scared about losing them.

Running away would be so much easier.
 
Alistair just stood there for a long time watching his new sister. So many tears...He wondered if he ever shed tears like that for his father. He couldn't imagine he had. No matter how hard he tried, he did not a single good memory of his old man.

He finally forced himself to take a step and then another until he stood directly in front of her. After another awkward moment, Alistair finally rested his hand on her shoulder.

"It's only natural to miss her...and it is unfair. Most death is. It's alright to be angry, but I want you to promise me one thing. Be angry and sad with us. You don't have to be alone anymore, it is why I brought you here. As long as you are here, you will never have to take on the world alone, ever again."

Mariana
 
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She looked up at him. Her brother was so much taller than her. Wide-blue eyes searched his face for any form of deception. Of ulterior motives. But she couldn’t find any.

The butterflies above them suddenly popped, showering the air with puffs of brightly colored chalk dust before the wind snatched them up and away.

She’d been alone nearly her entire life. It would be hard to get used to others. To perhaps one day, even rely on them.

“Okay, I’ll try,” she muttered. And that was the best she could offer at the moment.
 

One Week Later​


Alistair stood before Mariana, who he had seated at a simple wooden desk in one of the small rooms of the estate. It was here that Alistair often performed his own experiments, but he had cleared it out for the occasion. All that remained was a simple chalkboard with the Anirian alphabet written on it.

"We will begin with the Anirian language and then move on to Trade Tongue once I am satisfied with your skill level."

He waved his hand and several letters from the board slowly peeled off the board and came to hand in the air in front of her.

"Let's begin with your name since that will be the easiest. Mariana Krixus."

The floating letters began to glow a soft blue. There were more extreme ways to teach people, such as literally forcing information into someone's mind through magic. It was a practice used at the Academy, but Alistair had no plans on using it. Not only was it incredibly painful, but the magic only allowed the target to remember the information. They did not truly come to understand the knowledge without practice.

Mariana
 
Mariana twitched and fidgeted at the small desk and table. She was never one to sit still in one place for too long. Unless she was working on her art.

But her brother's magic made her still.

He could do so many different and interesting things and she found herself being quite fond and proud of him. Not just for what he could do but for who he was. They'd settled into a decent little routine. She would eat breakfast with his mom in the mornings and often with him - unless he was away.

Then she'd work on her art or explore the city around the house. Always one to be careful and never wandering too far. But now he was making her have these BORING lessons.

Except when the letters flew.

But they looked like nonsense squiggles in her mind so she began randomly picking out some - just the prettiest. She happened to get the M and a's right. But that was about it.

"Can I go draw now?"
 
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