Hinoki theatre wasn't a place where one would often find Odin. Not because he disliked the arts, in fact he was a fan of the medium and had attended multiple in Marigold City, but simply due to the location of the theatre here. For a bustling location such as Hosenka many dignitaries from other cities and, often accompanying these dignitaries, rune knights attended the theatre, looking to sample the Joyan culture that had seeped into the Fiorian city. It would be incorrect, and likely fatal, to say that the Lich avoided the theatre out of fear of these knights: he had killed many in his life and he had no qualms with adding a few more to that number. However it made for a very dull excursion if, every time he left the Crimson Quarter -a location intended for the lowlifes of Hosenka, he was accosted by knights trying to make a name for themselves.

Today, however, was a different kind of day. Today there was a reason for the Lich to venture out into the 'light side' of Hosenka, and that was simple: an introduction. He had sent a letter to one of the newest members of the guild, inviting them to join the Wizard Lord at the theatre. Sitting in one of the more expensive boxes, Odin knew that the new guild member would have no trouble walking through the doors and that asking any of the, admittedly by this point terrified, staff members of the theatre where Odin could be found would lead them straight to the Lich.

It had taken him far too long to decide on the dress that he was wearing to the meeting. At least an hour he had agonised over whether it would be a better impression to go with cool colours to work with the air of the guild itself, it was the guild master he was meeting after all, or to instead go with warm colours to better display his preferences and the way his magic worked. In the end he decided that a bit of both was likely the best and picked out a deep purple sundress, the hem marked with sunrise pink vines and leaves. He put two red clips into his hair to keep his fringe out of the way and to add a splash of vibrancy to the outfit and then slipped on a pair of silver bangles, one on each wrist, to go with his earrings.

With that drama out of the way, he was slightly pressed for time, resulting in Milisandia alternating between skipping and jogging on the way to the theater, singing to himself the entire time, eyes making sure that no one was specifically watching him. He wasn't anyone important but letters could be intercepted which would be worrisome if someone wanted to get to Odin. Luckily, seemed like he was safe, thank goodness.

He skipped his way into the theater and gave his ticket over as well as directions to the right box, a worried look coming over the clerk's face as they figured out where Mili was going. It almost looked like the poor girl was going to advise Mili from going there but a sharp glare had her keep her words to herself and allowed the neko to dull the fear he was leeching from her. With all of that done, he hurried down the walkways to the viewing box, stopping outside. He pulled out a hand mirror, made sure his hair was nice and there were no creases or dust on his dress and then he entered, a smile on his face as he moved to the free seat in the box.

"Hai-hai, Guild Master!" He started, voice low so as not to bother the other patrons but with a bright grin and a wink, a slight manifestation of his magic appearing in the form of a trio of glittering, multi-coloured stars that blinked into existence next to his eye at the wink and then faded away. "Thank you so much for the invitation! I looove theaters. My name is Milisandia although... You probably know that, silly me." He let out a soft laugh and swept the skirt of his dress aside, taking a seat in the chair and tucking himself into it. He could feel the false emotions flickering in him though, it was one thing to take happiness from another and wear it like a mask but he couldn't get any tells from Odin and he was still trying to deal with the fear from the clerk. He took a deep breath and hoped beyond hope that the Guild Master's voice would give something away emotionally.

Odin loved his guild. He loved the fact that he had found so many unique individuals who shared in the goal of bringing order to the wider world. He prided himself on each of his members, and enjoyed hearing about what made them all unique. From Zane and Genevieve wielding Demon Soul magics; Steel with dragon slayer, and even the non mages like Erebus, who acted almost as a shadow to Odin, hiding in the darkness but always aware of the goings on around him. Perhaps that had been part of the reason why Odin had kidnapped, imprisoned and tortured the wood elf Ezekiel: as a way of understanding all the different races and magics that existed in the world of Fiore. Or, perhaps, it was simply because he was evil.

Despite all of this, Odin was not prepared for the neko that entered his booth, especially given the greeting he was about to receive. The Lich had only been given the name, Milisandia, by his personal subordinates so everything else was new. The fact he was a neko, which simply added more variety to the guild, and the bubbly personality -almost perfectly accented with the magical stars that appeared at his face- was not what Odin had expected. Perhaps he had spent too long around the stereotypes for evil, this was a nice breath of fresh air. All that mattered now was making sure Milisandia and Zane were never introduced. Odin would extend a hand to the guild member after he had sat down in the free seat next to the Lich.

"Welcome, my vibrant friend. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." Odin didn't lower his voice at all, as he knew no one in the theatre would dare say anything against him. That was made more obvious by the chuckle that escaped his skeletal visage, "Introductions are always worthwhile regardless of what someone already knows. I am Odin Morningstar: Wizard Lord, occasional bartender and guild master of Eternal Nightmare." He would lean forward slightly to say, "Always good to make sure I only have to say all of that once, otherwise it gets tedious." Despite his kind, almost warm words, there was an air of menace surrounding Odin. He was masking his Fear presence to allow for Milisandia to be near, but everything he said almost sounded threatening.

"That was a nice trick you did earlier. Light magic of some form, I presume?"

Mili's mind finally started to work once the Lich spoke. There was a warmth to his words, welcoming and yet with an air of malice, a good way to keep distance and stay as the authority, or at least that was what Milisandia was taking from it. It meant there was finally something to work with even though the physical tells were non-existent. His ears flattened against his head for a moment as the void clawed at the back of his mind, the emotions faltering further. He suppressed it with a clenched jaw and a short, quick exhale through his nose before reaching out to take Odin's hand with both of his own, giving it a little shake and flashing him another big grin.

<"Focus on what you heard, focus on the extending of a hand, not so cold. Use it."> His mind whispered to him and he locked himself into easy confidence as well, his voice rising in volume slightly. Was he still slightly scared of the ominous looking skeletal wizard in front of him that could blast him away with a thought? Of course, however he could draw on the confidence the guild master exuded, reinforce that over his own mind. He let go of Odin's hand and leaned back in his seat, kicking his boots off and curling his legs up under him, hands folded demurely in his lap.

"It's truly lovely to meet you too! Do you have a preferred form of address, wouldn't wanna get you grumpy at me for coming up with nicknames!" He giggled, ears flicking atop his head, careful and controlled to make himself seem less threatening, more ready to follow orders, it always paid to have powerful friends. Upon being asked about his magic however, he raised one hand, held it towards a nearby source of light and splayed his fingers out, his nails had been painted a vibrant red too.

With a twist of his hand towards the light, the white light split and spread between his fingers, various colours lancing outwards and dancing across the floor of the viewing box and Mili's chair and legs. With a snap, his hand closed and the light went back to white. "Yep yep! My mama helped me pick out a name, she told me all about prisms and how they can break up coloured light into their cons-.... Constaten.... Constituent colours!" He said, fumbling the pronunciation of one of the words, his cheeks flushing with consternation. "So I call it Prismancy, it lets me break up light into colours that I can use, each colour and the shades in it react more favourably to different forms of magic. Red is easier to imbue with destructive power for example." Once his explanation was done, he chewed on his lip for a second before speaking again.

"Can I... Ask about your magic? What are you able to do?"

Odin couldn't help it, he laughed out loud at Mili's words, amused both by what he had said and also by the other theatre-goers who turned to look at him angrily at his volume, realised who he was, and instantly went back to whatever they were doing, no longer possessing the courage to do anything else. This neko was incredibly chirpy, and it was rare in this line of business, but he reminded Odin more and more of Zane. The quirky personality, the general feeling of joy they brought into a room, they were both pretty similar. And they both had one other thing in common: they were the only two people, out of everyone Odin had ever interacted with, that had asked about the Lich's nicknames, and whether he had one. Although, in the case of Zane, he had just decided to start using one without asking, so Milisandia was at least winning in that regard.

"Odin usually works fine, there's definitely no need to use the full title whenever you see me."

Then came the really interesting part. Odin was a scholar, moreso than anyone truly knew, and he was fascinated by magic. After all, it would require a form of truly unique power to release HER from imprisonment. Seeing someone else utilise their magic in his presence was always a joy for him to witness, and today would be no exception. Ribbons of light, multiple colours all having been split up from their progenitor of white light, swam through the air around the mage, before returning to what they were before. As a spectacle, it was extremely pretty. As a power, it was certainly unique. Of all the light mages Odin had met, and there had certainly been a few, he had never seen anyone utilise it like this. "Prismancy, you've given it a good name. That truly is a unique power, and I'm excited to see where you go with it." The reflected question was of course asked, with a slight feeling of trepidation coming from the neko. Odin looked out towards the theatre performance for a moment, his thoughts beginning to flow as he talked about his own power.

"The short answer is, quite frankly, anything. I can stop any magic or attack used against me, and then react with that same magic for devastating effects."

The laughter cemented the last piece that Mili needed, his entire body relaxing deeper into the seat, letting out a low breath and closing his eyes for a few moments, shifting a few pieces around in his mind to make a clearer connection. The Guild Master might be a Lich and had no facial expressions but the surroundings made him fairly easy to read which was nice. The way he spoke, the way he laughed and gauged the reactions of others around him, it was all good news for Mili from here on.

He let out a small giggle of his own and opened his eyes again, giving Odin a smile. He'd need to remember to add as many unnecessary titles as he possibly could the next time he spoke with the Guild Master. "I've got big plans, y'know! Might be that I'm not so great at magic right now, mostly tricks and dazzling bursts but my magic will take me far, I know it. It's ordered, it's pretty and clean, those are my favourite things about it, every beam of light can be split, understood, molded and they never lie or mislead you or talk about you behind..." Mili stopped and coughed, erasing the snarl that was starting to form on his face and then he turned to listen to Odin about his magic.

As he spoke, Milisandia's eyes widened and he gave a small gasp, a reflexive use of his magic causing large sparkles to appear at the corners of his eyes. "Wow! That must be why people find you scary, Odin! I dunno if I'd like it if people took my magic and used it against me!" He seemed to chew over that for a second before adding, "Well I mean if you wanted to use mine I'd probably be willing to part with it for a few cookies or a slice of cake, that's a special discount just for you though." He grinned brightly before scratching his cheek and looking out over the crowd.

"So... I've got two more questions! For now anyway... What's your thoughts on the world just now? Do you think it can be... Improved? Oh and the much more important question, what's your favourite colour! I might find a pretty scarf and buy it for you some time."

Mili was, along with everything else that Odin had learned today, a lot more vocal than most of the other members. Where many of them liked to stick to the shadows, hide their abilities and keep everything bottled up, the neko seemed to be much more open about what he wanted. He also seemed to visibly relax, no doubt having been on edge from meeting with someone like Odin for the first time: he had been told he could be quite imposing when he wasn't careful. As he spoke more about his magic, specifically the reasons why he liked it and where he intended to go with the ability, Odin got the confirmation he needed that Milisandia would indeed be a good fit for Eternal Nightmare. They could help him just as much as he could help them.

It was strange getting praised and seeing the awestruck look in someone's eye as he spoke about his magical capabilities. It had only ever happened once before, as in general the look Odin saw was dread when he showcased what he could do. Mili understood the issue straight away, although offered up his own magic should Odin want it. All he asked for in return would be cookies or cake, something that Odin could easily oblige, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. But you are correct. It's not even the fact that I can use multiple elements, but for someone to witness a magic they have grown up with and perfected, instantly copied and used again by their enemy. In that lies a powerful mental advantage." The stronger, and more comfortable, someone was with their magic, the more it benefitted Odin after all.

The deep question came after that, shortly followed by one that was much more important. Odin decided to tackle them in order of importance, "I would say my favourite colour is a dark purple. It has a lot of importance to me, personally. As for the world at present..." Odin paused a moment to think before continuing, "I believe the world is far from perfect, and has much that could be improved, as long as the right people are willing to change it. Too much of the world relies on money and lineage, not enough on power and effort. The King could be a useless ruler and yet he rules anyway, simply because of his blood? I don't believe that to be right. I think the world is getting ready for a big change, one that we are going to bring it."

Listening to Odin talk was a good experience for Milisandia, he had always wondered if he had chosen the right guild to join, the message it followed he had heard whispered in the dark but talking to Odin made it plain; he understood. The way the world was just wasn't right, it needed a big change and Mili had a feeling that Nightmare was the place to make such a change. As Odin continued, an old memory surfaced, something Mili's mother had taught him and he muttered it quietly without really thinking "Dirt on the lens..." He then paused and blushed before looking away and focusing on some people further on in the theater.

"Uh... Let me continue that thought, it was something mama taught me. She said to me that when working with prisms and light it was very important to keep all of your equipment as clean as possible. She was a light mage as well, although she cared more about the scientific side of it rather than the practical side. She set up her prism and sent a beam of white light through it, this time however the light that came through wasn't right, the colour was off and the beams hadn't split correctly. What was once a beautiful rainbow was now muddied and missing pieces." Mili's eyes took on a far away look as he recalled it, it was never supposed to teach the lesson it did but the mind works in mysterious ways.

"I was confused and she showed me that the lens she was using to focus her light was dirty and dusty and so the light that went through it was strained. She used it as a way to show me that staying clean was the best way to keep the light shining through... She wanted me to be good." He paused and chewed on his lip recalling the hope in his mother's eyes as she spoke to him about this, so earnest, so pure but she couldn't see what was happening, the path he would take. He would make sure she never had to know either, not until the job was done and the world was a better place for her. She deserved something beautiful and he would give it to her. He turned to Odin, a sad, wistful smile on his face. "The good she wants doesn't exist though, does it? These people have only ever spent time bathed in dirty light, the rulers, the laws, all of it made to benefit the people that know what the light is actually like. I took a different lesson from that, that sometimes the lens can't be cleaned, sometimes the dirt is ingrained into it. What do you do then?" His hand clenched for a moment before he released it with a sigh. "You buy a new lens, or make one."

He let that message sit and rest for a few moments before taking a deep breath and sighing. He didn't like being so serious but for once he found someone that saw the world the way he did, that knew there were laws and measures in place to ensure people would be kicked down and thank the wearer of the boot. He made sure to take note of what Odin said however, storing his favourite colour away in his memory just in case he found something nice. Subconsciously he twisted the light around him, rays of purple and deep blue dancing across his face and hair.

"Man, I got real serious there didn't I? I'm supposed to be bubbly, y'know! So why is purple special to you?" He grinned, trapping his earlier joy once more and bringing it back to the fore, if he wasn't so focused on learning stuff he might have started to hum or dance in his seat but he didn't want to seem deranged... Only a little mad, made him less predictable!

Odin stayed quiet while he listened to Milisandia's demeanour change: he was as interested in the neko's face as he was in the words that spoke from his lips. Having lived for much time without skin, facial features of any real kind or any way to show emotion beyond the solemn, almost maddening smile splayed across his skull, Odin had gained some insight into how other people acted, and how easy it was for them to betray their true colours. He didn't need to waste any time controlling his own emotions, so he could devote his entire time in a conversation to learning someone else's, and Mili had much more to say.

While listening attentively to his story regarding his mother and the prism of light she had created, Odin watched the more subtle messages within: the lip bite to showcase nerves, perhaps his mother would not have approved of his current lifestyle decision; the sad smile that he gave the Lich, Mili was fed up with the world, and he knew the truth about it. It was just as he said, his mother's wish for the world would never exist, not while human beings lived at least.

Odin would likely need to choose his next words carefully, talking to someone about why their mother was incorrect was a slippery slope, and could result in causing insult that was not intended, "It all depends on what you define as dirty. White light is made up of different constituent parts, does that make white light dirty?" Odin would look over the theatre as he continued, his mind beginning to wander as he thought about his own personal goals, "Sometimes the world needs a change so drastic that none believe it could ever truly work. 'Make a new lens' to be sure, but who says it has to be the same shape, size, even material as the previous one. Who decided that the previous prism was the best solution. I do not intend to merely break the cycle, I'm going to put something new in its place."

Whether 'something new' was the destruction of the world at the hands of a goddess or not was of little importance to the conversation at that moment. Odin had HER, his Goddess, and it would be HER freedom that would usher in this change. As the conversation shifted to more cheerful thoughts, Odin was asked why purple. The answer was simple: "I was in a truly dark place once. I sought my own destruction, permanent destruction. The one who found me, who saved me and put me on a new path, purple was her colour. It was the aura she emanated, and it gave me new strength." He spoke about HER as if one would a lost love, as no one could truly understand the relationship. It was easier to explain it as such.

For a few long minutes Milisandia sat there in silence. He tucked his legs up further under him and hunched down slightly, his ears folding flat to the top of his head as he thought about what Odin was saying. For once he decided to open himself to the void a little bit, black tendrils of apathy and emptiness soaking up through the emotions that he had been channeling, letting them get corrupted by that sweet darkness. It wasn't a pleasant feeling but he knew it had to be done at least for a few moments to let his thoughts coalesce and complete.

He took a deep breath and sighed softly. "White light is pure, that much I know to be true. The fact it can be split shows that it's versatile and able to suit anyone, can be molded to be perfect for everyone. You're right though, Odin. Maybe I'm looking at too shallow a pepsec...Perspective..." He all but spat the word, annoyed at himself for fumbling it "...Maybe the prism is flawed and there's colours we haven't even seen yet! New lights, new sensations, new things to discover that our world has hidden from us." The idea of that sparked a little bit of brilliant yellow within him and he clasped that tightly, his ears perking up immediately. "You know, I certainly wouldn't mind making a whole new prism if everyone in the guild is like you."

With that done his energy went back into the positive and he shifted his position, dropping his legs down to kick them back and forth. "That person sounds pretty neat! I hope that if something really bad happens to me I'll have someone like that show up to keep me going... Although I hope they have an aura of yellow, yellow is my favourite colour! My mama has yellow hair and she gave me my first pair of hair clips, they're yellow too." After a few more seconds, he decided it was time for more questions. "So what's it like being a skeleton? Do you still feel stuff? It'd be kinda bad to go through life not being able to feel hugs and stuff, those are important."

Mili was finally starting to open up a bit to Odin, with his voice changing and his general demeanour slightly shifting as he spoke with lament, even showing anger at himself when he stuttered slightly This was wildly different from the bouncy and upbeat person who had introduced himself to the Lich, and it was a welcome change. Not that Odin had any issue with the version of Milisandia that he had met, rather he just preferred to meet the real person and not the facade, if it could even be called as such. "The only thing I've found to be a guaranteed truth in this world is that we do not know everything. We have not seen everything, and it's unlikely we ever will. I was the first being in centuries to find the power of a Lich. I met a demon no one had seen in even longer to unlock a power no one had even heard of before." There would never be a way to run out of new things, that was just the world they lived in. Making a new prism seemed to be the best answer, and Odin was glad to know that Milisandia wasn't just involved with the guild, he truly did belong here as a member.

Of all the ways Odin had described HER, 'pretty neat' had never once crossed his skeletal mouth. SHE was so much more than that, especially to Odin, but there was no need to get very involved yet. Perhaps, in the future, Mili would be interested in the cult, and wish to join its ranks too. It was never a requirement to be in both, as they both held different values and goals, but there were some guild members that were also cultists. Yellow was unlikely to be the colour of someone like HER, but there was no way to know if a similar being existed with an aura of yellow. After all, as Odin had said, the world was full of new things.

The final bout of questions were to be about Odin's existence as a Lich, something he often got asked about, being the only active one of note. As he stood up, getting ready to make his leave, he simply said, "I still have some of my senses: touch, hearing, seeing, smell. However I have an interesting relationship with taste. As for emotion, it is still possible for me to be angry, or kind, or in love. But no, no hugs. I don't feel the warmth from another, nor do I give out any of my own. It is a unique existence. In some ways, I feel more than a human, and in others I feel nothing." He would then leave, giving Milisandia a brief 'farewell' as he did so. He had enjoyed the neko's company, and was glad the guild had gained another new member, especially one of aligning views.

-Exit-