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 Posted: Sat Oct 04, 2008 11:43 pm
It was the first time in a long time that nervousness made Mikaril's movements erratic as he slipped inside the door and found himself inside. He hadn't remembered feeling this nervous since he had relieved the 2nd house of one of its beloved chalices. True, this was one step lower, but he had told himself that he would never do anything so foolish as to rob a house with a higher rank than his. So why was he here? He himself wasn't entirely sure; the only thing that sounded half right was that with his being restricted to his own city, he was beginning to feel more than a little reckless and ready to take more chances than he usually took.
But now he couldn't turn back; he was inside the house, and doubts would only get in his way. He dashed into the nearest inky shadow, his ears open for any footsteps or the sound of voices. Hearing only silence, he proceeded to inch down the corridor, stepping toe-to-heel, even taking deep, slow breaths, as though to test the air.
He suddenly heard a swishing sound up ahead of him, as though someone in a dress or skirt was making their way toward him. Tensing up, he looked around and spotted a door across the corridor from him. Walking toward it, he reached out and opened it, slid into the inky blackness beyond, and carefully eased the door shut.
The first thing he noticed was that there was some sort of small light in this room. He squinted and managed to behold a room shrouded with dark silks, with a form sleeping in a lavish bed. Hairpieces lay on a nearby table; a female, Mikaril reasoned. He found his hand groping for the door's knob behind him, when he saw a closet door slightly ajar, and a tiny hint of what lay within. Curiousity flaring up, Mikaril slipped silently over to the door of the closet and gently eased the door open a little wider, peering inside.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:29 am
You could tell Irae'afein was sheltered just by the way he slept. He took calm, even breaths and it was clear that he was plagued by no nightmares. He sighed in his sleep, shifting and opening his eyes slightly, as if to check and see what time it was.
That was when he saw him. Someone he didn't know at all going into his closet. Irae'afein stiffened, sitting up abruptly in his bed while pulling his thin silk robe around himself. "Who are you?" He demanded in a whisper; he wasn't entirely sure why he was whispering, but he was all the same. His eyes flicked quickly over to his staff in the corner; it wasn't in a convenient place to where he could snatch it up.
So was he trapped? Was this an assassin someone had sent to his room? Oh, God. He was in the worst predicament possible.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 12:56 pm
Mikaril was reaching out to feel one of the silks hanging temptingly in the closet, when the whisper reached his ears, and he was so startled that he almost shut the closet door with a bang that might have brought a guard running. He was certain that he had been quiet; perhaps it was just one of those unlucky moments where the sleeper had merely rolled over groggily and noticed something amiss in the room.
He took a steadying breath and turned to face the speaker, his red eyes burning out of his hood. Still thinking that he was facing down a female, he tried not to stare at the other's non-matching eyes. He also saw that the source of the light was a staff, propped in a corner and too far for the other to reach. Not only a female, but a mage of some kind. Mikaril cursed quietly and eased the rest of the way out of the closet, carefully shutting the door, hoping to buy some time to think with the meaningless gesture.
Noticing a little that the figure in the bed seemed almost as nervous as he was, he straightened himself up and made a careful bow, his eyes never leaving the other drow. It never hurt to be polite, and he had heard somewhere that bowing while you're thinking saves time. It sounded ridiculous, but there were always times of desperation when anyone, be they drow, human, or surface elf (okay, maybe just the first two), would give the ridiculous a try.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 1:10 pm
Irae'afein frowned and kicked his covers away as he observed the Drow who'd been rifling around in his closet. His eyes flicked to the door quickly to check and see if any guards were coming. None were. He'd die here and now if it was this person's intent to kill him. He shivered, feeling goosebumps form on his skin and on his exposed chest as he tried to reach for his staff.
Even away from the staff he was able to bring for a small flare of light from the lantern, feeling comforted at the illumination though it would have hurt anyone else's eyes. "I asked who you were." He murmured, looking to the other with hooded eyes. He just wanted to know, even if it meant he'd be knowing he was about to die or something. If he could get to his staff quickly enough it was possible to blind the other Drow.
Irae felt chilled and almost afraid. He wasn't sure he was quite ready to die. "Why do you bow?" He added absently.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:21 pm
Mikaril's eyes widened as he saw the covers fall away; not a female at all, but a male, and most definitely startled. He saw the other reaching for the iluminated staff, and he reached down to clasp the hilt of his dagger, more for reassurance than anything else, since he knew full well that a non-magical dagger wouldn't be much good if the other decied to launch a spell his way.
He suddenly winced as the light from the staff intensified, and he brought up his other arm to shield his eyes. He felt his eyes sting with the light and blinked back the tears, wondering what on Earth he was going to say to this drow. He managed a weak smile tht he knew must have looked ghastly in the light. "I'm.......nobody. And I bow from politeness; you don't seem the type to prefer rudeness."
He wondered then whether or not he ought to make a break for the door. On the one hand, if a guard came through, he had the element of surprise and could risk a dash past him. On the other hand, if he dashed toward the other drow as the guard entered, he could attempt to use him as a hostage, though the thought made him cringe on the inside. If he could just keep that fancy stick away from him.....
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 2:32 pm
Irae'afein paused to stare to the rogue, his fingers twitching helplessly in the direction of his staff, which was certainly not in his reach. "Why are you here?" The eldest son of the Do'rett clan questioned breathily, his eyes flicking to the dagger Mikaril now clasped the hilt of. It wouldn't be hard to stab Irae in just a split second. If he was stabbed he hoped to die quickly.
"You have time for manners even when you have invaded this house?" He questioned, looking slightly amused, though confused. He pulled his thin sleeping robe uneffectively around himself as he assessed the other Drow, decided that he was more brawn than anything. If Irae'afein had had his staff he would have possessed the clear advantage.
The light mage's eyes had been continually flicking over to his staff as he thought. Maybe a guard could come if he let out a loud enough cry, but that was only a very faint possibility. The house of Do'rett was large; if there were no guards extremely nearby then Irae'afein was dead meat. Besides that, he'd probably be killed more quickly if he did something like that. Damn.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:17 pm
Mikaril noticed the slight amusement on the other's face, and encouraged, he smiled wider. "Me?" He shrugged. "I'm workin'." Which was true; his passion was his profession, which was the best way to be in his opinion, except in times like this when he was caught. He wasn't encouraged enough to take his hand off of his dagger hilt though, especially since the other drow still seemed pretty keen on reaching for his staff; not that he blamed him.
He reached out with his free hand and grabbed a silk hanging nearby, then slowly walked over to the staff, where instead of grabbing it or sliding it further out of reach, he threw the silk over it, which didn't completely blind the light, but did help soften it. He turned to the other and shrugged. "Annoying."
Then the smile vanished and his eyes became serious as he put on a face to match. "There's no need to shout, if you want me to leave. I didn't come to hurt you, but if you get in the way of my leaving, I will retaliate accordingly." Had the other drow known Mikaril and his habits, he would know that he often used bigger words when he was feeling cornered or intimidated. He figured this had to be some important male to have such a room, and the last thing he wanted to do was appear as though he was sent on some sabotage or assasination mission.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:30 pm
"Working?" Irae'afein frowned at the simple answer. He supposed it was true but it was still rather odd. The mage's one good eye flashed dangerously as Mikaril took the silk and he tensed, unsure of what the rogue was about to do. He relaxed some as the other merely threw the silk over his staff; this was of no harm to Irae, thankfully.
"I'm used to it." He responded coolly, rubbing the fingers of his left hand together absently, feeling the calluses that had come from handling his staff always in that hand. Irae's eyes narrowed as Mikaril spoke again, and the mage looked quite annoyed. Feh. This was his house and the rogue was clearly the invader here...
"I have every right to shout." He responded, a small pout forming on his pursed lips. "But why were you in my closet?" He huffed softly, brushing his long, loose hair away from his face.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 3:52 pm
Mikaril bit his lip, wondering just what emotion it was he was trying to bottle. Part of him was amused; asking what he was doing in someone's closet just sounded amusing to him, as though he was one of his brothers grabbing a servant girl and vanishing into a closet or a cupboard for an hour. But the other had to be heightened tension; obviously this drow was fast getting over surprise of having an intruder present in his room, and surprise was his greatest weapon when he wasn't sure of the odds.
He nodded at the obvious statement of the other being used to the harsh light; wouldn't be making it brighter if he wasn't, though the thought crossed his mind that one of the eyes might be blinded, and it stood to reason that having only one eye that smarted automatically made one more tolerant, at least in his sometimes oddball logic."I wasn't suggesting that you had no right to shout, I just implied that there was no need, and truthfully, I'd rather you didn't. As for my business in your closet, I said I was working. My profession involves...." He paused for an instant before continuing, "Commandeering certain items that are generally not mine to commandeer with the intent of using them as a means to further my own gains, usually by either sale or trade."
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:17 pm
Irae'afein blinked, confused as he listened to Mikaril speak. This... made no sense whatsoever. He could understand the rogue's opinion as far as shouting, but he could not come anywhere near comprehending the second answer. It really just made no sense! He stared to Mikaril, his brows furrowing as he crawled to the edge of his large bed nearest to the intruder. It was clear that he was desperately trying to discern something.
"Your house is... that poor that you have to steal?" He continued to stare, not bothering to pull up his robe which had slipped off of his shoulders and was now pooling around where his hands were rested on his knees after he'd crossed his legs. He really was in a state of disbelief, horror, and disgust. He hadn't even noticed he'd moved closer to his staff.
"How lowly." He murmured, not intending it as an insult in his evident awe.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:38 pm
Most definitely amused now, Mikaril felt the smile reappear on his face. "You think to a matron mother that having enough already is any kind of reason to not let her children....child, steal things? Besides, only half of it goes to my House; the rest as I said is for my own gains." He always liked to throw information out freely if he knew it wouldn't cause any harm; for all this mage knew, he was just a peasant robbing the wrong house, or someone from a high-ranking house that was powerful enough to be THAT unconcerned with giving away details. It was always good to keep others on their toes when he could.
Mikaril's smile lessened as he saw the other moving closer to the staff, and he tightened his grip on his dagger, ready to bring it forth and slash at the sneaky ebony hand if need be; he was too cautious to attempt to break the staff itself. "It may seem lowly to some, but it appeals a lot more to me than dressing up in metal until you can't move and bashing each other about with more metal until your brain becomes too soft to think." He had always despised the warrior's profession; he could see no point or profit in fighting constantly; you would just wear yourself out and die eventually, with nothing to show for it except maybe a title that fades out with the generation; a title that just meant you were the best dummy with the best stick.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 4:56 pm
Irae'afein frowned, clasping his hands in his lap. "But you were in my closet." He pointed out. "You didn't take one of my hairpieces or my necklace." Irae made a face. "Do you steal clothing often?" He quirked a brow, pursing his lips. He could not understand this Drow's profession very well at all; it didn't make exact sense to the mage still.
His eyes flicked to the dagger and he frowned visibly. "I'll blind you if you stab me!" The mage pushed some of his long hair away from his face as he regarded Mikaril, trying to look assertive and completely unafraid. Irae sent the other a questioning look as he tried to explain his choice of profession, still failing to see the point.
"It would seem the only useful profession to be in is that of a mage." The light mage replied. Of course! His was a powerful occupation and his whole family was made up of mages. That was part of the reason they were the third house in the Eastdark and amazingly influential in Undrek'Thoz. Because they had power and powerful mages. Magery was certainly the best job in Irae's eyes, though he was likely largely biased because of his house.
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Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2008 6:01 pm
Mikaril shrugged disarmingly. "Your closet was farthest away; going for one of those would take me closer to you and your overgrown nightlight; you'd stand a better chance of hearing me." He thought that to be painfully obvious, but he knew what was obvious to him might not be obvious to others, and vice versa.
Mikaril immediately assumed a fighting stance at the other's statement, his eyes narrowing. "You were going for your staff; what the Hell did you expect!? And I don't need my eyes to lash out; matter of fact, if I couldn't use my eyes, I wouldn't be able to see where I was stabbing and might do more harm than I intended to." Noticing the questioning look, Mikaril eased his stance slightly, but still kept his eyes fixed on the other, primarily his hands.
He snorted as the other praised his own profession. "If magic suits you, it IS a good profession. But there are some things that magic cannot accomplish. For instance," his eyes momentarily flickered to the covered staff, "What were you to do without that magical stick of yours?" He moved his dagger away from it to at least indicate that he didn't intend to inflict harm on the hunk of wood right then and there.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 2:55 am
The light mage didn't exactly look convinced when Mikaril tried to explain about the closet. He still couldn't quite comprehend the other Drow's profession in the first place; it made no sense to Irae to sneak into a place and steal things. It was so petty! He frowned, tangling his hands in eachother as he thought about this. In the end, he could see no new light shed on the profession.
Irae shot a small glare to the rogue as he next spoke. "I was not!" He objected hotly, frowning. It was true, as well. He hadn't even considered the fact that he'd shifted closer to his staff when he had. "You're so rude! Even if I had been going for my staff you have no right to do anything. It's my room! Besides, the light would burn your skin. You'd be disabled, if so." He explained.
His eyes narrowed sulkily as the rogue commented on his own profession. "I can still work with it." He objected, concentrating his eyes on the covered staff momentarily before bringing a strong burst of light forth. He smiled, smug with himself and completely unbothered by the light. He hadn't really stopped to consider what effects this might have on the rogue.
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Posted: Mon Oct 06, 2008 6:37 pm
Mikaril was beginning to grow agitated at the other's incomprehension. He stole things; how could he possibly make it more easy to understand? What, did this drow never hear of stealing? Had he never had anything stolen from him before? Had he ever stolen anything himself, even an extra scrap from the dinner table when the matron wasn't looking? Come on; nobody was THAT sheltered, especially not a male!
Mikaril sniffed at the other's short outburst. "Hey, don't take it personally; it isn't as though we rob others out of spite; at least, not every time. And you sure as Hell haven't seen me rude yet." He looked a bit uneasily at the staff, not sure whether or not to believe the drow when he said it would burn his skin and disable him.
At that moment, the light shone forth, going through the silk as though it wasn't there. Stunned, Mikaril brought up his arm to shield his eyes and not sure of what was to come, made a haphazard swipe with his dagger, the momentum of which caused him to trip and land in an undignified heap on the floor. He squeezed his eyes shut and pulled his hood down well over his eyes so that he had some measure of protection. Knowing that all the other could see of his face was his mouth, he managed a humerous, if a bit nervous smile. "Now THAT was rude."
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