Nicole

Many of the stories Nicole envisions begin with a phrase as old as the stories themselves: "A long, long time ago..." It was a time, a long, long, time ago, when the lights of myriad nations filigreed the earth in gleaming gold, when the daughters of heaven wandered in carefree grace betwixt divine courts and mortal cities... It was a time, a long, long, time ago, when the sovereign of ages past, who had descended into deepest darkness, had not yet brought disaster back to his homeland, when the radiant moons that hung aloft in the night heavens were still three... The years brook no pause, the wheel spinning onward all the same. In a cycle emptied of hope, the spark of paradise perished alongside lives extinguished. Servitors once loyal to their ruler turned traitor for the sake of the lives that had been fashioned; the black dragonlord returned from beyond the stars, and the moonlit chariot of the heavens shattered like crystal... "Wait a second, that's too much all at once. Just take any one of those threads and spin it a bit more, and you'll have enough for a whole book." The mage writing the story holds her hand up to stop Nicole as she speaks. Her brows knit together as she tries to think. Too many stories are pressing in on her at once, and as each opens into still more thoughts, she finds herself unsure where her pen ought to go next... "Oh no, that's perfect. Give them a few puzzles to chew on right from the start, and they'll be hooked for sure!" The cheerful mage lay draped over her Dodoco plush as she let out a hearty laugh. Although she has no idea if her friend's work would ever reach a common reader, the mere prospect of a tea party has filled her with enough delight to last a long while. "Hehe... Who knows, these stories might end up attracting more than just readers. They might even invite certain 'visitors' from higher places." The mage who can read the future chuckles. The veil between the here and now and what is yet to come may have been lifted for her long ago, yet she never speaks of what she sees. After all, the true colors of fate are never meant to be revealed lightly. "Oh? Well, now you've made things sound even more interesting. I'd quite like to meet these so-called 'visitors.'" The inquisitive mage gives an airy clap before falling silent, as though she is truly looking forward to some uninvited guest's arrival. "..." The mage who would soon be off again does not say a word. She gives the floor a neat tap with the heel of her thick boot, and the rustling in the suitcase beside her stops right away. Now, she can pick up her tea and enjoy it thoroughly again. "R-R-Really? Then maybe I should tell a different one instead... one with a little more detail to it?" The mage without a voice blinks. Since the tea party won't be ending for a while, she decides to set that story aside and starts telling another instead. "It was a time, a long, long, time ago..."