1 Soul Bound
1.2 Taking Control
1.2.2 An Awakening Epiphany
1.2.2.41 Flavio laid bare at last
Later that evening, when her staff were closing up and she was preparing for bed, she got a message over her earring.
Minion: [Nadine, you’ve received a message from Wellington about Flavio.]
She slipped her crown on, and settled back on her bed to read it.
Kafana,
Bulgaria informs me that you are now committed to keeping your mind protected in-game, so here’s what I’ve pieced together about Flavio. Much of the following is quoted verbatim.
Flavio was born to a bookseller on Libri, 1572 years after the second empire was founded.
At the precocious age of 12 his lively mind caught the attention of Dottore who took him on as a protégé. There he met Dottore’s daughter, Isabella. A year later Isabella discovered him sneaking out to help Sebastiano (his elder brother) and Domenica (his brother’s pregnant wife) escape some danger. He won her respect and silence. She, by her kindness, won his devotion.
4 years later, Flavio left to become a novice in the Mage Tower, and Isabella won certification as a Master Potion Maker. She was 18 now, and Dottore (who as a member of Torello’s ruling council is a leading figure in the political faction supporting the guild system) introduced her to society, hoping to find an advantageous marriage for her. However Isabella felt a calling to serve Cov and joined the Sanctum.
8 years passed. Dottore continued to take on exceptional individuals, build his influence network and engage in political plots. Flavio became one of the youngest ever High Master Mages. Isabella rose within the Sanctum’s hierarchy.
And then three years ago, in A2F1597, disaster struck. A political enemy of Dottore who was a strong mind mage, took control of Flavio and sent him like a puppet to the house of Dottore, bearing a hairpin bound with a curse intended to strike Isabella. The curse was a cruel one, causing unhealable disfigurement to the victim, every time someone in their presence felt affection for them. The more people pitying or loving the victim, the worse the harm. Hugs felt like being trapped with heated metal hoops, kisses like knives and tears like drops of acid.
She was alone in her bedroom when he found her, home on a visit to her father. As the hairpin struck home, the enemy released his hold upon Flavio and Flavio, who had had hours to rehearse the situation in his mind, reacted instantly. He snatched up the purple gem of mind healing from Isabella’s desk that Dottore had given her, and used it to set up a resonance between them, as deeply as he could so their very identity was shared.
Then he tried to re-target the curse, so it seated itself in him rather than in Isabella.
It is one of the bravest, craziest and most creative moves I’ve ever heard of, but it worked. However there was a side effect. Isabella saw his mind, his devotion, his true self, no longer veiled by pre-conceptions or class differences. They fell deeply in love.
And that love seared him. In just seconds, it did the damage to his face and frame he still bears today. He fled the room in agony, still carrying the gem, rushing past Dottore who’d heard the commotion, leaving Isabella crying in sympathy and shouting out that she loved him.
Dottore concluded that Flavio had tried to force himself on Isabella, using mind magic to make her fall in love with him. He disregarded all explanations from her as untrustworthy, planted in her brain by the cunning Flavio, and declared his intention to slay Flavio to break the curse. Eventually Dottore and Isabella came to a compromise, though Flavio doesn’t know the details. Flavio was sent to CoThEx and warned that if he ever spoke to Isabella or tried to see her again, Dottore would challenge him to a duel to the death. Isabella was engaged to Lelio. All letters were returned unopened.
The only communication they have had since then has been via an enchanted pair of pillows that Flavio recently crafted, which let them share dreams without fear of interception or mind mages.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Wellington.
P.S. I’m good at controlling my emotions. You, on the other hand, are a very strong empath. Just by walking into the same room as him, you might end up killing him. So If you feel any pity for Flavio, if you admire his sacrifice and feel he has been hard done by:
STAY AWAY FROM HIM.
She found herself sobbing, and tried to suppress it. No. No sobbing allowed. No emotions. Mustn't feel. Imagine her tears dripping on him like acid, and stop them. She wiped at her face ineffectually. Flavio, having to isolate himself from all human contact, all kindness; to pretend to be a thoughtless jerk, no hugs. No hugs, ever, for the rest of his life, no touch of kindness, no kind words. They must act like aversion therapy, yet still desiring it, like an electrified chocolate cake.
She scolded herself, got mad at herself, tried to bundle her feelings up into a tight ball where they wouldn’t leak over, but the more she tried, the more compressed and stronger they got. It was like deliberately trying to not think about pink panda bears. She eventually gave up, frustrated, and admitted that Wellington was right. For his own protection, she must make sure she never ended up in the same room as Flavio. And she couldn’t let anyone read her mind, because if the story got out and others started pitying him too, he’d have to leave the city, go live in a cave or something.
Unless the curse was lifted. There had to be a way, didn’t there, or the quest wouldn’t make sense? She had all the pieces now. She just had to think.
She fell asleep, tiara still on her head, searching for a solution for Flavio, her own problems forgotten.
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From: “Xu Kaixiang, combat balance” <[email protected]>
To: “Feng Akechi, CEO” <[email protected]>
CC: “Chen Rushi, creative lead” <[email protected]>
CC: “Wei Shigen, user experience” <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Hands off Kafana
Dear Mr. Feng,
I have been forwarded a report from the Beta Tester feedback system, that I am bringing to your attention as it affects Kafana.
: link to report
I agree with her recommendation that the global announcement and reputation increase be backed out and I can easily fix the divine buff and related circumstances which led to the unintended consequence when you give the go ahead. I’ve CC’ed this to Ms Chen for consideration of the other reputation gains, as that system is her baby.
On a side note, it appears the expert system in charge of customising the user interface for each player has developed the ability to create a ‘ghost avatar’ which selected players can see but not physically or magically interact with. Qualitatively, this isn’t any different from the ghost blue stars used for navigation, but I’m wondering if this is going to confound user expectations. If it looks like an NPC, and reacts as though it is aware of its surroundings and physically located there, won’t it jar their immersivity if it doesn’t behave like an NPC? I’ve CC’ed this to Mr. Wei as that’s his bailiwick.
Yours sincerely,
Xu Kaixiang
From: “Feng Akechi, CEO” <[email protected]>
To: “Xu Kaixiang, combat balance” <[email protected]>
To: “Chen Rushi, creative lead” <[email protected]>
To: “Wei Shigen, user experience” <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: Hands off Kafana
Shigen, good call on making the Wombles beta testers. That report was a refreshing change from the whinging we normally get. Interesting development with System. My initial instinct is to use a loose rein and see where it leads, but please review Kafana’s interactions with System and drop me a summary along with any recommendations you have for limiting potential downsides.
Rushi, you’re going to have your hands full today with the special event you’ve got planned for Nevermere’s arrival in the Benevolence. Don’t worry about any reputation gains Kafana made; she’s miles away from the 5500 point level where the interesting things start to happen.
Kaixiang, thanks for the heads up. Go ahead with the fixes, and back out 20 of the 25 gain in global reputation. Leave her 5, and add a footnote somewhere thanking her for reporting the bug that incorrectly caused the extra 20. If that doesn’t satisfy her sense of honesty, advise her to go sing to ambassadors or something. I leave it up to your sense of balance.
The launch is going well so far. Keep up the good work, folks.
Akechi