Rory

"ERROR: A NAME IS NOT REGISTERED AMONG MY EQUIPMENT"
Rory is, to put it simply, a woman out of time. Discovered at the bottom of the ocean by Infinis and powered up thanks to Snibbles' careful expertise, this apparent elf has no memory of her past. But she doesn't breathe, doesn't age, and doesn't sleep. She is not an elf, not really. She is a mechanical miracle with a new chance at life, which she doesn't plan to squander.

Vignettes Of a Past Life
As Rory sets out in this new world, certain sensory details begin to trigger old memories. She'll never have the full picture, but little snapshots can come into focus.

Ep 9: The Jellyfish

Voula and Sorvis always looked forward to their weekly evening walks. Voula’s mother rarely joined them, and secretly, the two of them were glad for it, though they would never admit as much. They would walk to the coast, where trade ships would come and go and come and go, talking about philosophy and art and the things they loved. Sorvis, a professor through and through, would present Voula with the same logic puzzles and thought experiments he’d give his classes. Voula was always delighted hearing him talk.

It is an autumn evening. Sorvis and Voula walk out to the end of the farthest dock and look into the water. They see glowing jellyfish, migrating southward in clusters. The phenomenon is only visible when the jellyfish float close enough to the surface, and the window of their migration is brief enough that you could go decades without seeing it. The dock is otherwise deserted. They have stumbled upon something completely beautiful, completely by chance. Voula looks at her father’s face, lit from below by the blue-purple light of the jellyfish.

“''To stumble across something beautiful on accident is a blessing. But to do it alongside people you love? That is the highest honor.”''

Ep 16: The Longest Night

The air was thick with the stench of blood and breath. Voula was paler than Ellana had ever seen her. She didn’t know how or when the sickness got this bad. Not two weeks ago, her daughter was performing in a golden skirt, and now, she could barely open her eyes. Such a strong, steady, disciplined person, reduced to pathetic wheezing and silences that stretched to heart-dropping lengths before the next meager sign of life made itself known. Ellana never left Voula’s bedside until the very end. Sorvis was asleep in the corner of the room when Voula’s eyelids fluttered open; she reached for her mother’s hand. Ellana met her daughter’s gaze and kissed her knuckles. For the first, startling time, there was a tender and comforting love in Voula’s eyes. The kind of look Ellana wished she had given Voula more often. The girl’s voice was ragged and beaten, but she cracked a smile; “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t go far.” One last exhale, nearly deafening under the grief.

“No. NO.” The glimmer in her daughter’s eyes winked out. Her hand fell limp. “I need more time. You need more time.” From behind, Sorvis began to stir. Ellana shook Voula’s arm, then her shoulders, until Sorvis was there, holding her from behind.

The Upper Districts of the Ellnaran Empire have always been quiet, far from the ruckus of the city’s bars. That night, the throat-tearing wails of Ellana and Sorvis woke all the neighbors. After falling, finally, into a fitful sleep, Ellana dreamed of the hours she spent birthing Voula, the warmth that spread through her body when she kissed her infant forehead for the first time. In the dream, Voula cried and cried, and when she opened her eyes, they were empty.

''This can never happen to me. I will work until my life is infinite.''

Ep 22: Suledin (Ellana)

It had been eight years, and Voula had shown no aptitude or natural talent for magic. Ellana did not hide her disappointment. She began urging Sorvis to try for another child; one who could wield magic, surpass all expectations, and bring the Faralei name to even greater heights. By contrast, Sorvis was so taken with his daughter, he was the one to notice first that magic had found her after all. She danced in their kitchen, still growing into her own limbs, and to hear Sorvis tell it, Voula had become, in that moment, a leaf on the wind.

What followed was many, many years of dance classes and rigorous exercise. With every accomplishment Voula made, Ellana broke her down. She did this so that Voula would know how to build herself back up with ease. She would have to. This is how Ellana herself had learned from her parents, after all. It wasn’t until Voula’s first solo performance in the Emperor’s court, that Ellana actually felt pride in her daughter. Everything in sight was golden. Melodic string music seemed to carry Voula from place to place onstage. When she finally bowed, the crowd roared. The applause was deafening. From the stage, Voula looked up, and the first eyes she searched for were Ellana’s. Ellana had thrown the weight of her approval around for years, but in this moment, the reality cut through her own centuries of competition, invalidation from her own parents, and inferiority complex;

''Huh. My opinion DOES matter to someone.''

Suledin- Endure (Voula's Song)

Melava inan enansal (Time was once a blessing)

ir su aravel tu elvaral (but journeys are made longer)

u na emma abelas (when alone within.)

in elgar sa vir mana (Take spirit from the long ago)

in tu setheneran din emma na (but do not dwell in lands no longer yours.)

lath sulevin (Be certain in need)

lath araval ena (and the path will emerge)

arla ven tu vir mahvir (to a home tomorrow)

melana ‘nehn (and time will again)

enasal ir sa lethalin (be the joy it once was.)

Ep 23: The Plums

Sorvis and Ellana had been on three dates. The world felt so calm back then. He takes her on a walk short way out of the city. She wears a white linen dress and carries a basket filled with fresh, cold plums. They stop at a lake and watch the sun set from the beach. There is a layer of mist rolling in across the water. Sorvis licks plum juice off her fingers, which shake from the butterflies in her stomach.

The whole world is blazing in orange before her. The air is rich with the scent of flowers and his skin. Her future is unfolding before her eyes. She thinks,

''This is what it is to be alive. This is it.''

Ep 23: The Bags Under Her Eyes

Of all her classmates, Carinth has always stood out. His cockiness is infuriating, and the fact that he’s talented enough to back up any of his threats just makes it worse. He’s the professor’s favorite, and there’s been talk of him being sent away for private, specialized training. Ellana huffs into her textbooks. She’s only ever wanted to feel special too. Eventually, Carinth stops showing up to class. From the way no one questions it, it’s clear the rumors were true.

Ellana stays awake for six full days, studying enchantments and transmutations. When she finally sleeps, her hands are rough and dry and covered in ink. Her last thought before darkness takes her:

Prodigies are made, not born.

Ep 23: The Body

The other dancers are thinner. Educated. Prettier. Voula is not as delicate, with her hawkish nose and big feet and broad shoulders and wide, almost-floppy ears. She has always been talented, but these women started dancing earlier and with better teachers. Their bodies look sculpted just for this, like they were built by the gods just to dance. She stares at her body in the mirror. She sees the flaws her mother has identified in her: wobbling flab, piss-poor posture. Talent gets you only so far. The other girls have all gone home for the day. But there’s a spin that Voula can’t get right; her momentum is frenzied and out of control. She must be perfectly in control of her body. Without control, she has nothing. She goes up en pointe, and spins again. Again. Again. Again.

The night passes, and she falls asleep on a bench. The teacher wakes her up, a pitying smile on her face. Voula washes up and returns to the classroom, where the other students are beginning to gather for the day. The largest group of girls cluster together and glance at her, eyeing her up and down. One of them mutters something, and they all laugh. Every day is like this with them. The tips of her ears burn bright red, and a knot forms in her stomach. It happens every day, but it’s still embarrassing seeing them gossip about her. She looks down at her feet before going to stretch out her sore muscles.

No one will be laughing at me when I’m the best among them.

Ep 23: Suledin (Voula)

Everything in sight is golden. The stage, the lights, the curtain. She’s been training this day for months. Everything rides on this dance; her family’s reputation, her job, her future prospects. She was hand-picked by her mentors to star in a performance for the Emperor. Every important person in the kingdom is watching. She leans into her love of the art, her acceptance and love of her own body, her mastery of the craft, and dances with joy. Her heartbeat is deafening in her ears. The eyes in the front row, when she catches a glance, are full of awe. One final spin, which has always given her trouble. She nails it, and her ending posture is flawless. The crowd roars. In the distance, the Emperor is shouting his approval, but that doesn’t matter. Her eyes immediately shoot to the wings, where her mother is standing. They lock eyes. For the first time Voula can remember, Ellana wears a proud smile.

Voula takes her bow and sashays offstage, in perfect and complete control. She navigates the darkness of the backstage, and out to the empty washroom. When the door shuts behind her, and only silence is left, her control withers, and she crumples into a fit of hacking coughs. Blood fills her hands and flecks her lips. She knows, even now, that this sickness is developing, and it’s serious.

''No one can know. If I show weakness, I will lose everything.''