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Vanity was a curse. A complex curse that had a way of always striking at the one it was attached to. Even if he were to live a thousand years with not a single scratch, old age would inflict it's misery upon the Vain.

Xunner would have prayed to the darkness for that to have been his fate. Of course...he prayed to the darkness for so much as it was, it only stood to reason that there were some things that would be denied him. All the same, it did not comfort him any when the healer informed him that there was nothing to be done. At least, not for the amount of gold he had to offer. Oh..sure...they could have regrown his eye. They could have grafted his skin back to it's pure ebony and smoothed it as soft as the rest of his face...for more money. For more gold.

What he offered them would buy him a garuntee that the flesh would not fester and seep. That it would not spread and eat away more of his face. It would ensure that his eye socket did not become infected and seep into his brain. Unfortunatly the healing would likely be permanant and only the highest level of priestess would be able to possibly restore his face. Or wizard, as he knew he'd be incapable of healing by a divine magic user. Yet either way was not garunteed. And it would cost far more then Xunner had ever managed to accumulate in his entier life. He had no choice. He accepted the healing, and though he was told he should no longer feel any pain, he was positive he felt a burning in his eye socket. He was certain he felt a ache in his skin where it was marred.

From the funds he had, Xunner stubbornly kept a small emerald. This, he insisted, was to fill the empty gap where his eye ought to be. He supposed the healer would have preferred to have been paid the gem, but Xunner refused to let something so ugly mar his features any more then he had to suffer. So...when it was that he finally exited the healers chambers, it was with a very drawn look of bitter dissappointment. Before now he had worn his hair pulled back, to best accent his pretty features. Now though he let it hang loose and covering the right side of his face. he felt shame and ugly. Even with the gemstone set within the socket. There was no way he could ever bare to look at himself fully in the mirror anymore.

After the door shut behind him, Xunner stared with a despondant gaze to the staff he clutched in his left hand. He supposed he could summon a demon...try to forge some sort of pact with it to restore his features. But they were horribly difficult to trust with things like that. He flexed his fingers, tighting his grip on the staff. Now he needed to find a new form of employment...which he wasn't looking forwards to. It had been so hard to get accepted into the mercenary band to start with. Now how much harder would it be? He really did not want to resort to summoning imps again just to have something to eat...

Xunner lifted his head, and tilted it a little to one side. It was going to take him a while to get accustomed to seeing out of one eye. Yet another strike against him in finding employment. Well..he supposed he could hope to seduce a man of worth..either one that made enough for him to...wait... His eye blinked as it caught up the image of Xar sitting upon a bench.

"Xar'zith? What are you still doing here? Your wounds weren't so bad, I'm sure you've been healed for a while."

Xunner looked upon Xar'zith as he stumbled through some sort of explanation. Granted, Xar'zith was the reason he had been wounded, but Xunner had not once made mention of this fault the entier trip here. He still found the radical change in the other males attitude towards him a bit profound and suspect. While on one hand Xunner was happy enough to have the pretty blue eyed male speaking to him and acting on friendly terms, the other hand felt a small twist of suspicion.

"Yes...well... you did bring me to the healer and you helped tend to my wound when I could not. I think that's a pretty fair exchange." If it was a sense of obligation that ought to free Xar'zith of any guilt inspireing him to linger. Or so Xunner thought. He was not quite certain how to treat the male now that they were in the city. Would he move on now? Stay with ther mercenary group? Xunner had carried all of his belongings with him when he had come to see the healer as he really had no intention of returning to that damn group.

When Xunner questioned him about the color of his eye, and attempted to catch a better glimpse of it, Xunner was quick to flick one long fingered hand over the area in question. Hiding the gemstone and scar beneath palm and black hair, he turned his wounded side away from Xar'zith.

"They did nothing. My eye is gone and they can not restore it. I've merely placed something there to...fill the void."

Xunner continued to cradle the disfigured portion of his face. Once he had placed his hand there he found it hard to take it away. The veil of black hair hardly seemed suitable as a means of hiding the damage. But he refused to wear any sort of face mask, that would only further draw attention to his disfigurement!

When Xar began to speak again and questioned his own personal plans, the mage paused his own thoughts. He lowered his hand slightly and considered the curve of his fingers with his one good eye.

"I honestly have not put much thought into it." Which was in short quite the lie really... "I was considering visiting the local ale houses to see if there are any postings of employment. The healing has more or less drained what payment I recieved from our last job."

Xunner flexed his fingers around his staff and tilted his head to peer at the lingering Xar. He had not left yet. He had, in fact, made small conversation it seemed. Since their whole return to the group he really had been acting differently. Perhaps he had inadvertantly managed to win the smaller males attention finally? How utterly laughable! With a small shake of his head, Xunner began to make for the exit.

"Well...I suppose I ought to see what I can find. What are your plans as of now? Will you return to the mercenary group? I'm sure they will not hold your actions against you as your still a useful asset to them."

Xunner tilted his head in consideration towards Xar'zith. His mind flickered through the various mercenaries that Zar'zith might in fact have a final bone to pick..and..well.. He formed a faint smile at the other. His purple eye sparked slightly as he lifted a hand in a swaying gesture.

"Well, if you want to inflict a lingering reminder on them you could always bring me a bit of their blood, bone, hair, or flesh." His cheerfulness was more of a mask at the moment, something to distract himself as he got used to viewing the world in it's strange lopsided manner.

"Hnnn. Perhaps. I do not hold much hope for securing a job quickly. I most likely will have to kill a few gutter wretchs for enough pocket coin to buy my way into a new position." Of course...he supposed that he could take advantage of Xar'zith's seemingly change of heart...

"Of course...getting a job would probably be easier if I had a partner...as I'm sure it would also be easier for you as well. A team often nets a quicker employement opportunity then solitary attempts."

Well, perhaps he would be able to get back at the mercenaries after all. If Xar'Zith brought him something he could work with then he'd certainly make the group regret loseing him. Or rather, letting their commander try and cast him out. Reguardless of how friendly they had seemed to have been Xunner knew that under it all they were just like their commander. Xar'zith he would have expected to be the same way too. But..well... He just couldn't stay mad at a fellow he was currently lusting after. Perhaps after he got what he wanted from him things would change. Who knew? Xunner could honestly say he had never found himself as interested in another drow the way he had been in Xar'Zith.

He was slowly walking at this point. His attention mostly inside as he attempted to deal with thoughts he had mostly avoided since he attack. There was no denying to himself the idea of them becoming partners was in part to assure he got himself a job quickly, but also to see if perhaps he could get from Xar'zith something a bit more. It would take time... and they would have to spend it together of course... well... there was no denying the fact he wanted the other male. The question was, if Xar'zith would be open to it after some time together? A Assassin was not exactly a safe target for a good time, reguardless of how strong the desire was. If Xar'zith took offense or became angry with him he could very well lose his other eye...and more.

"Well then. If we are going to attempt and convince someone that we work well together I suppose I ought to be a bit more strait forward with you." Xunner spoke in his light voice still, though he certainly did not feel half as cheerful as he sounded. Xunner made a gesture with his hand, about which his silver bracelet with a small imp charm hung from, and he dangled the charm in a obvious manner as he continued.

"I misrepresented myself to the company. I am not a elementalist as I had told everyone. I am actually a Demonologist." He paused, his head tilting so he could look at Xar'zith so he could gauge his reaction. Did he understand what it was he did? Perhaps he ought to explain a bit more? "I summon and bind demons for different purposes. It's a bit of a risky busniess, but very rewarding if done right."

Xar'ziths small frowns and looks did not occur without Xunner taking notice of them. Obviously he had heard or was thinking things that displeased him. As such Xunner attempted to keep his attitude a bit more merry to counter the frowns. Reguardless of how little he honestly felt about being happy at the moment.

"Oh? Is that so?" He remarked upon hearing the sour reply. So Zar had met with another that followed his profession? What were the odds! Well, he supposed this meant he had little more he needed to explain then. He could trust that Zar would not have a plethora of stupid questions for him with his own unique insight. The manner in which the other mage had attacked him brought a rather unpleasent smile to Xar's lips.

"Oh I've dabbled in that sort of magic before. It can be utterly amuseing if you manage to possess and bind a enemy in such a way. Your fortunate that this other mage had not succeeded." Xunner tilted his head to flash a wink from his purple eye while lifting his elbow to lightly poke it at the cute male. "who knows what sorts of twisted ideas he would have had if he had succeded in binding you. Demonologists have been known to be quite the nasty foes to fall into the hands of."

Xar'ziths admonishment to be silent was met with a sour dissappointment. And just when he had been gaining a bit of hope that the man was not as dull and grumpy as their entier association had led him to believe! The mage's lips pressed into a faint line and his purple eye fixed on Xar'zith for a few moments.

Well...perhaps the knowledge that he trafficed with demons had been a bit of a mood killer. Xunner wondered...just how much more would have been killed if he had gone on a bit further and let slip a bit more? No...odds were he'd never get to know Xar'Zith enough to spill that nasty little secret. By the time that could even be a possibility, the odds were he'd either have given up on Xar'Zith.... or he would have gotten enough out of that hot little body between the sheets to satisfy his hunger. Xunner truely doubted there would be much more to their association then that. No one else in the past had ever meant more after all.

"Ah very well then. Drinks then, and perhaps a bit of scouting? Or should we take advantage of not having someone breathing down our necks for a day or so? I should say I wouldn't mind it to be able to sleep in for once..."