Love and Hate in Hallifax

 

Grand Libretto, Nyxx Ysav'rai paces the area before the Matrix back and forth nervously. "Where the Nil is he?!" She throws her hands up in the air in exasperation. "He was supposed to be here days ago!"

 

Sublime Opus, Pejat Onz'Verheu frowns sympathetically at Nyxx, "I am sure he will be here soon."

 

Nyxx grumbles something and continues her brisk pacing, gripping a new journal tightly in her left hand.

 

Pejat sighs dramatically, "Libretto, you must stop pacing like that. You will wear a rut right through the walkway floor!"

 

Nyxx sighs and grabs on to the outer handrail of the circular walkway and stares out over the cloud covered city of  Hallifax, the Nexus of power to her back.

 

A flash appears in the air before the Nexus and Ayisdra Ysav'rai appears along the aether behind Nyxx's back. 

 

Nyxx sighs melancholically and shakes her head, "I'm sorry, Pejat it's just... He gets me so angry! He just boils my blood most days. I don't quite know why he aggravates me so, maybe it's because he is never where I need him to be. He never shows any appreciation for anything I do. He never apologizes for mistakes. He manipulates me constantly and I let him get off on technicalities because there is nothing I can do. His scientific mind and my very abstract and artistic mind just don't meld. And yet... I cannot help but love the bastard."

 

Pejat hides a grin behind his hand and shoots a knowing look at Ayisdra. Ayisdra leans in behind Nyxx and whispers in her ear, "Well I missed you too."

 

Nyxx shrieks and jumps in surprise, whirling around and planting her fist firmly against Ayisdra's jaw with a loud thwack!

 

Ayisdra reels backwards and grabs his jaw, "What the Nil did you do that for?!"

 

Nyxx glowers at him and raises her sparkling star sapphire violin to her chin. Dragging her freshly rosined bow across the strings she plays the destructive loralchord and Ayisdra's already crystalline form begins to fracture. 

 

Seeing that a fight is about to break out, Pejat turns and rushes towards the library to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

 

Ayisdra jumps out of the way and points his delicate crystal staff at Nyxx and a bolt of lightning shoots from the tip of  the staff and slams directly into Nyxx's chest, wounding her. 

 

Nyxx somersaults to the left and hits Ayisdra again with her Loralchord, causing the micro fractures in his lucidian body  to deepen further.

 

Ayisdra narrows his eyes at Nyxx and points his staff at her once again, the lightning bolt springing from the tip and  hitting her violin. The impact causes the lightning bolt to branch off, one branch hitting her squarely in the stomach and the other branch slamming into the side of the walkway, blowing off a chunk of the semi-translucent gemstone.

 

Nyxx snarls and begins to sing out the fourth stanza refrain from her Song of Death, "I shall bring you to your knees before me. I shall pierce your heart!"  The charged bloodstone affixed to her instrument begins to glow and the loud number of the Flecked Fortissimo causes Ayisdra to fall to his knees.

 

Ayisdra stands and brushes himself off, raising his staff towards Nyxx and growling softly, "Enough, Nyxx. We both know who will win this fight."

 

Nyxx growls and seethes, her eyes burning with the intensity of her anger as she glares at Ayisdra.

 

Ayisdra's lucidian form glows a soft yellow as he speaks, "I am sorry I have been absent. Being Archmage keeps me busy, as the Grand Libretto I would expect you to understand."

 

Nyxx says through gritted teeth, "Of course I understand. It's not about your absence. It's about this...this book! I do not like being lied to, Ayisdra!"

 

Ayisdra looks innocently at her, "Lie? I never lied. You were not specific enough with your request. Let that be a lesson to you."

 

Nyxx roars and throws the journal in her hand at Ayisdra's head, barely missing him. "Do not manipulate me! I am tired of it! You are my husband, you should treat your wife with a little respect and use some common sense. I should not have to spell everything out to you."

 

Ayisdra ducks his head to the side to avoid the flying book, "I am sorry you are offended but really you shouldn't be this upset. It's just a simple story."

 

Nyxx sneers angrily, "Perhaps I should just divorce you! See how well you find another willing to put up with your manipulations and half-truths."

 

Ayisdra shrugs nonchalantly, "There we others who wished to marry me before you came along and we really are only still married due to the dishonour it would cause the family if we were to divorce."

 

Nyxx gasps and her hand flies to her throat. She chokes back a sob and turns away from Ayisdra. "How could you say such a thing to me? We have children together. I don't know about you but I married you because I loved you...even if you are horrible to me."

 

Ayisdra cocks his head to the side and says curiously, "Do you not remember our wedding? If you truly think I feel nothing for you, you clearly were not paying attention. You know I am not an affectionate person but you should also know how I feel. I told you at our wedding. What makes you think that has changed? I am the same I was when you married me."

 

Nyxx sighs and sits down on the walkway, her legs dangling over the edge as she leans her head against the railing and sniffles softly, "I know... but you should also know who I am. I don't need it every single day or even very often but once in a while... once in a while I need to be reminded. I need to hear it. It's just...how women are."

 

Ayisdra stares at his wife, sitting there looking sad and dejected. In his most logical and rational voice he says to her,  "Perhaps it is. But you need to remember your Higher Emotions and not get so worked up."

 

Nyxx raises an eyebrow questioningly, "Did you forget that Love is a Higher Emotion? If I didn't Love you... I wouldn't be  so upset, yes? As awful as they are, lesser emotions like sorrow and anger are necessary to keep the balance. That is the way emotions work. We can certainly focus on the Higher Emotions but we cannot deny or ignore the existence of the lesser ones. Try as we like, they will still creep up on us. It's just a matter as to whether though lesser emotions are warranted for the particular situation. Right now my wrath and my sadness are very much warranted."

 

Ayisdra ponders thoughtfully for a moment before nodding, "I do not agree with you on that matter, however, perhaps in the future I can agree to ask you if something we've agreed upon is unclear if you can agree to try and be more specific. And I'm sorry I upset you."

 

Nyxx shrugs and stands up, glancing back at her husband over her shoulder, "I suppose I can agree to such a compromise.  And no worries, it happens. With us it happens quite often. I must attend to my guild. Be well, Archmage."

 

Nyxx bows respectfully toward Ayisdra and heads off in the direction of the Hallifax Opera House.

 

Pejat returns from the library now that the commotion has ceased and moves to stand beside Ayisdra, watching Nyxx walk off.  "You two threaten to divorce a lot. I sometimes wonder why you never actually do it. You never seem to get along."

 

Ayisdra nods and looks at Pejat, "Yes, we do threaten that a fair amount. Scientific minds and artistic minds do not  always seem to work together very well. The scientific mind is supremely rational and the artistic mind is far more emotional."

 

Pejat ponders this a moment, "In some people, yes I believe that can be true. In your case I think it has more to do with  your nature as a Lucidian and her nature as a Trill. I wonder if Trillillial and Xyl ever argued like the two of you. That would have been a sight to see, perhaps they threatened each other too."

 

Ayisdra chuckles at this, "That would be interesting yes. I do not worry though, we threaten to divorce almost daily but  we both know that neither of us would ever actually do it."

 

Pejat looks curiously at Ayisdra, "Are you so certain of that?"

 

Ayisdra shrugs his shoulders, "For the most part, I can really only be certain of my own actions but I don't believe she  would ever do it either. I tell her that I would not do it because it would dishonour the family, and yes that is part of  it. But mostly I think it's because we do love each other. Or perhaps more likely, we love to hate each other."

 

Pejat nods slowly, "There is a fine line between love and hate in Hallifax it seems."

 

Ayisdra stares over the railing at the perfect sphere of the Matrix and nods, "Indeed there is, Opus...indeed there is."

 

Hiding in the shadows of one of the branching walkways, leading away from the Matrix, Nyxx stood perfectly still listening to the conversation between Ayisdra and Pejat. She narrows her eyes at the figures before her, unaware of her presence and whispers softly to herself, "I would never actually do it eh? Just try me and see what I am capable of."