but somewhere here in between the city walls of dyin' dreams

Mauja was beginning to have a suspicion that the Basin was everywhere. Which.. wasn't exactly a bad quality, per se—it just made his life difficult on some days. The smell of the north invaded his nose, memories of mirrors and auroras, of Psyche and Myrddin and Faelene, of.. less pleasant things.

Don't get him wrong—he doesn't think the Basin is a bad place.

It's just full of painful memories.

The black-and-white stallion slid smoothly in between a temporarily flustered Caleb, and their inter-dimensional traveler. The hybrid's distress caused one pale 'brow to flick upwards, but he kept from smirking. It wasn't that he disliked the stallion, or wanted to see him made a fool of, or fail, or anything like that. It was just.. sort of cute?

Ashamin introduced himself with the same easy finesse as he'd displayed in herding his fellow Basiner away from the crowded mare. Haruspex of the Basin. Caleb interjected by introducing his hound, and Irma rolled her eyes in the back of Mauja's soul. "Pleasure," he responded quietly, letting his eyes settle on the sleek silver beast. Young, too. Would they grow into a single, powerful being, or tear each other apart with their youth and wildness?

He had to admit, the Haruspex was good. He had come out of nowhere, blunting Caleb's sharp, erratic edges, and easily taken control of the situation. Mauja let him. To contest it, to try and butt it and 'take it back' would just be.. well, sort of desperate and childish? He couldn't quite find the word he was looking for, just let it go, waited for his turn. Caleb was quick, though, and what he said was oddly intelligent (well—what had he displayed today, aside from a brutish disregard of personal space?), but to suggest the Time God help anyone...

"While, indeed, he is the God of Time and Spark, I wouldn't trust him further than I can spit. While he might be able to get you home, the true question is actually whether he will do it—or pretend to do it, but just land you in another corner of the world. If he offers, take him up on it at your own risk." He said it calmly, politely, but he felt the need to say it—to warn her of this capricious god who had once, for no reason at all and with neither explanation nor apology, thrown him into another dimension.

And let him back, granted, but still. He still didn't understand what it had all been about.

"Or if you wish to remain in this world, or the Gods refuse to aid you, you would be welcome to stay at the World's Edge—not the literal world's edge, but close enough. We have a youngster among us with a similar story to yours."

[ Re: 'brutish disregard for personal space', is not yet a hypocritical statement as technically the other thread happens after this one xD but soon it will become hypocrisy, yes. ]

man, I ain't changed, but I know I ain't the same