[PRP] Rot Begets Rot (Temperance & Renard)

[The Semblance of Unity]

Once Temperance had made up her mind to do something, she was hard to deter. Like a dog worrying a bone, she gnawed and gnawed on the idea until it snapped. The marrow of it all was this: she'd seen the rot on the trees, the change in the air. And, since she was here to stay, it behooved her to actually care about it. There were a few people she could question about it, but even fewer who might have useful information. Those few were almost made entirely up of people whom Temperance did not trust. But, she decided, a new year, a new here - and they didn't know of her status. The only uncertain factor in her quest was the where.

So, she was browsing pieces at a gallery. This wasn't her normal haunt; Temperance's general idea of art was video game concept prints. It was, however, carefully calculated to be one of the most likely places to bump into him. She almost reached out to straighten a frame before catching herself, thin finger curling in on themselves. It was intentionally crooked, terrible. Temperance checked her watch and glanced around the gallery. Surely, he would come. If not, she'd move on. She had the whole evening, after all.

Luckily for her, she did not have to move on. Temperance allowed him a bit before approaching. "Ah, Mr Leroux," she said. "I was wondering if you had a moment."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Renard liked schedules. Being predictable had always been an asset for him, and immortality hadn't changed that even a little bit. So, on Wednesday nights he always went to the 301 Gallery to scope out new talent to snatch from their useless little fingers. That was where Temperance found him, standing near one of the displays as he wrote down the name and contact information of a potential talent.

He looked over at her, and if he recognized her or thought something was wrong he didn't show it. He arched an immaculate eyebrow and said, "Yes?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

Now that she'd located him, she began to question her choice of venue. Her memories said that, regardless of anything, Renard should recognize her, but he remained impassive. Hadn't he eaten a bird once? Or was that Liam? It was hard to reconcile the images within her head into one person.

"You're the only person I could think of to ask, but - it's about magic. I'm no sure if here is a good location." Temperance resisted the urge to crack her knuckles.

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Renard said, "Of course. I doubt anyone here will have cause to bother us." The only person there aside from Temperance and Renard himself was a student monitor, who was--judging by their oversized headphones and intent look--playing a video game of some sort. "What is it?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Have you noticed the state of the trees recently?" She decided not to beat around the bush. "I know you know of how the cage has changed."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"It's an interesting happening," said Renard. "It's unfortunate I was an arts major myself. An arborist would be quite useful, wouldn't it?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Only if the arborist were magical and directly tied to the cage," she said lightly. "Doesn't it reek of magic to you?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"I know for a fact the rot is magical in origin," said Renard, "but what interests me is that it reeks of magic to you, Temperance. What is it you're not telling me?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"Nothing is ever just, here. Not just rot, not just a man." The rot was magical, Renard was The magical being hereabouts. She looked at him, wondering what was gained from the trees beginning to die.

"Did you cause it?"

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

Renard laughed, low and spiteful. "The end of the world as we knew it was never my goal," he said. "What would I gain from rotting away a forest?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"I know; but what was your goal anyway?" She sighed. "And your power must leak out everywhere - there's a reason the cage was created. You could be doing this unintentionally."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"An interesting theory, if completely incorrect," said Renard. "My goal was only ever to save my friends. That the world might be torn apart in so doing was..." He paused, looking for the correct word. "Incidental." What use was there in a world where the most worthwhile people no longer existed?

None at all.

He turned his attention back to the painting he'd been looking at. "It's an interesting hypothesis you've presented. How do you intend to test it?"

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

"That's a rather.... self-centered view of things." Temperance couldn't say she was surprised. In fact, she could say she admired the preservation aspect of it, but she never wanted to let herself need others enough to sacrifice all for them. It was weakness, and she'd fail anyway; she was not enough. Wait.. were those her thoughts or..? She shook her head slightly.

She took his shift of attention as a time to study him. "It's not the most test-able theory. I assumed you'd know of any excess. You were there, weren't you - trying to shift our creation of the sigil? There were many things you could have changed about it."

shibrogane

 

[shibrogane]

"Theoretically, yes," said Renard. "Practically, no." He didn't elaborate for a long minute.

He said, "Sunny is my daughter, but I didn't choose the manner of her birth. I have no desire to be her father; parenthood isn't something I'm wired for, and she is an exceptionally difficult child to love. My intention was to provide for her a better life, but one where she was not mine. I thought this would work, as the sigil and Sunny herself were consequences of the cage created to bind me. As the focal point of the thing which created the void, I should have had more ability to warp the sigil. I did not."

With a sigh, Renard said, "One of the principals is missing, is my assumption. I have spoken to none of them, so I can't be sure who. Likely the one representing the tree in the sigil, as the issues seem limited to trees alone..." He trailed off.

The Semblance of Unity

 

[The Semblance of Unity]

There was something about the words 'an exceptionally difficult child to love' that made the hair on the back on her neck rise. No one wanted to be an unwanted child, even if that child was an embodiment of magic.Sunny was a consequence of the cage created to bind him, and his consequence to bear. If he hadn't cavalierly pursued the end of the world in his quest to save others, he wouldn't be in this position. But Renard had made his bed and must lie in it, she thought savagely.

"Do you know who the principals of the new sigil are? It seems like it'd be so easy to figure out why or how one of them in effecting things." She frowned as if thinking deeply. In reality, she wondered if this were the reason and wished there was a tactful way to ask if the death of the tree principal meant she could take her place. Perhaps... "If something is wrong with one of the current, can you shift being a principal onto someone else?"

shibrogane