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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 4:41 pm
SilverDragon285 Silver pressed through the crowd, anxious to get wherever it was they were going. She didn't like being this close to this many people, and she was trying to keep hold of Aisrhan and Khevashi at the same time. The sooner she had some space, the better. Then, Silver noticed a presence beside them. She looked over to see a tall, white-robed figure whose face was covered in strange white markings. He almost reminded Silver of Khevashi. He was smiling and offering her a vial of reddish liquid. She might have taken the drink out of sheer curiosity were her hands not full, but she also didn't know what the drink would do to her, and did not want to risk abandoning her children. "No thank you," Silver refused, as politely as she could manage. The priest then offered to escort she and her children through the city. He placed a hand on her shoulder, and oddly enough, it was calming. Khevashi and Aisrhan didn't seem bothered, and she suddenly wasn't so worried about the huge crowds around her, or where they were going. Silver nodded and let the priest guide them along with the rest of the procession. The White Sect priest put a hand on her shoulder, and led her gently through the city. The look of the infant with her- the dark marks on his face- did not escape him... but it was not up to him to judge. He only nodded, and recognized that there was some unrecognized magic here. If they had gone with the Choosing, it was likely their magic would be nullified. Here, it would only be ignored. As if it did not exist. These were normal children, nothing more. "The procession will not be too much longer." It was a soothing voice, but it was not from the priest who guided her- but instead, a woman to her right. It was Kidra. "Hello, my friend."
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:50 pm
Marissa nodded. "You're right, of course, and neither do I know any better. But I liked Twinket. If it's Twinket, or even just another Filor, I would like to meet them. Shall we go?"
They made their way through the crowd, which was harder than it seemed. It took some effort not to be seperated, but soon they reached the Filor in question, and fell into step beside their cart of watersponges.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 5:59 pm
The Filor was settled deep down within the cart, its thin, fish-like skin casting a faint pallor of the jade-colored blood beneath it. ...Not it. Her, for the form was obviously one of a female Filor. She breathed shallowly and evenly, letting air filter into her papery lungs with a gentle, almost calm demeanor, and at the sight of the gypsies, she smiled, and the lacy pink insert of her gills waved slightly, as if against a soft wind.
"Hello, gypsies," the Filor said, her voice honeysuckle sweet. She had been out of the water for some time, however, so her voice was a few shades above a whisper.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:05 pm
Vanna was stirring a little, but Lorelei didn't notice, lost in her own thoughts, until the little girl wormed her way out of her blanket and reached out with tiny purple hands, grabbing a sweet with a giggle and stuffing it into her mouth. Then she nearly fell, squeaking and beginning to cry even as Lorelei moved to catch her, grabbing her close.
In the process, Lorelei bumped into somebody to the side opposite Heather. Quickly, she mumbled out an apology, something hasty and stumbling. Biting her lip, she looked up from under the shadows of her hood, trying to see just who she had bumped into and if they were mad.
Vanna, meanwhile, broke into a wail, sweet forgotten in her hands as she kicked, squirming, feathers breaking free from her wrap.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:06 pm
"Greetings, Sister," Marissa muttered, smiling and curtsying as well as she could as she moved through the crowd. "You are a Filor, yes? I...I knew a Filor, once. Her name was Twinket." She shook her head. "Of course, it's silly to think you should know who I'm talking about, but..."
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:10 pm
Taniel Ansterh Vanna was stirring a little, but Lorelei didn't notice, lost in her own thoughts, until the little girl wormed her way out of her blanket and reached out with tiny purple hands, grabbing a sweet with a giggle and stuffing it into her mouth. Then she nearly fell, squeaking and beginning to cry even as Lorelei moved to catch her, grabbing her close.
In the process, Lorelei bumped into somebody to the side opposite Heather. Quickly, she mumbled out an apology, something hasty and stumbling. Biting her lip, she looked up from under the shadows of her hood, trying to see just who she had bumped into and if they were mad.
Vanna, meanwhile, broke into a wail, sweet forgotten in her hands as she kicked, squirming, feathers breaking free from her wrap. The woman who Lorelei had connected with in an effort to catch her daughter was one of the bearers of the brightly colored liquids. In fact, it was a tray of shallow blue liquid, and as the bearer wavered, her mouth went very wide and she struggled to regain her footing on the cobblestones. It was in vain, however, and she fell almost to her knees, spilling the blue liquid in a very wide circle about them. Those around them danced away from the spill, and gave a cautious look to Lorelei, but otherwise did not pay mind to it, but rather, gravitated around the now-blue stained stones. The woman herself, a thin thing with what had previously been a sweet face, stood, her countenance now sour. She glared at Lorelei and the screaming infant, and stood, silent.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:12 pm
M i s s a "Greetings, Sister," Marissa muttered, smiling and curtsying as well as she could as she moved through the crowd. "You are a Filor, yes? I...I knew a Filor, once. Her name was Twinket." She shook her head. "Of course, it's silly to think you should know who I'm talking about, but..." "Twiiinket. Twinket Twinket." The Filor clapped her pearly-palms hands together- still gently. She was on land, after all, and strength should be conserved. "Oh, you're in luck, little Gypsies. Twinket is the sister of my best friend. She's a perfume peddler. ....My friend, that is. Not Twinket. My name's Swizzlet. Nice to meet you."
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:15 pm
Lorelei winced, recoiling at the harsh look. But she didn't flee and try to disappear into the crowds. Instead she rocked Vanna gently, trying to calm the girl with hushes and coos. Eventually, Vanna was just sniffling.
Then Lorelei looked at the woman.
"I'm very sorry, ma'am - I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. May I help you at all...?" Her voice wavered, but she kept her back straight, trying not to sound too upset. Vanna would pick up on it, she knew.
Glancing at Heather and her children, she motioned for them to keep going. She wouldn't hold them up for this.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:19 pm
Marissa was delighted by the coincidence. "Oh! How funny. And yes, I traded an, erm...bauble from her, once. She's a sweet girl." She picked up her skirts to avoid a puddle and said, "It's a charm to meet you, Swizzlet. I am Marissa Vadim."
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:23 pm
The woman only hissed her irritation in a sigh that pushed open her lips with the exertion of it. She held the bowl away from her, as if it were a child that had soiled its diaper, and turned to a figure walking with one of the banners.
"This one is causing trouble early. Can you?" She was cut off by an irritated wave of the banner-bearer- almost a mimic of the look she'd given Lorelei. But he turned, regardless, which seemed to be what the woman wanted, for she nodded, satisfied, and continued down the cobblestone path- walking wide around the spilled blue liquid.
The man, however, adjusted the banner so that the weight of the pole was supported by one hand, and held close to his body. With his other, and a flick of his wrist with a series of White Sect words, a white, blinding light washed over Lorelei and her daughter- though no others could see it.
When they regained their sight, they would be... silenced in everything that connected them to their magic. Though speech was possible, as long as the festival was going on, they would be able to understand nothing of FortuneTelling- no banya words would make sense to them. Also, as music elements, they would be able to hear- nor sing- any music. It had been temporarily taken from them, deprived of them by the White Magic Sect.
And, the final thing- Vanna, though she was still a Fortunette, would appear to all- including herself and her mother- to be a normal, non-fae like infant. Her face was, as was her mothers... temporarily unrecognizable. She seemed to all to be a beautiful girl with brunette hair... and clear, pearly skin.
Luckily, the magic that Lorelei had used for the scissors- that,for some reason- had been interrupted. Likely because it had White Magic connected to it, somehow.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:24 pm
"And I am Emelyn- and my son Pierre," Emelyn gestured briefly, but otherwise, she remained silent.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:27 pm
"It is... delightful to meet you both." She paused to take a thin breath that filled up her papery lungs. "Oh? A bauble? Of what sort?" The Filor girl was younger than Twinket- being good friends with her younger sister, after all- and so she was somewhat exuberant and curious.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:31 pm
Marissa cleared her throat. "An, erm...a necklace. A medallion, to be specific." She paused. "To be even more specific, the Queen Firos medallion." Her smile drooped just the tiniest bit at the corners.
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:32 pm
Lorelei watched the woman anxiously as she talked to the standard bearer, and then- then it was white light and silence and...
When her vision cleared, the first thing she heard was Vanna's cry. It had lost all melody and was simply a shriek of... fear. The girl was kicking and screaming, torn as she was from music and meij. Lorelei looked to her to quiet her again, but her eyes only widened more when she saw how her daughter looked. A normal child.
At least - and this was an odd thing to be thankful for - she still hurt. That meant that she was still unrecognizable. And she supposed that this had been, in a way, what she had wished for for Vanna. But... it had been more to protect her from something like this!
Rocking Vanna, trying to quiet her (with no luck), she looked over at the standard bearer. She wanted to scream and rail at him for hurting her daughter, but the only words that passed her lips, quiet and nervous, were:
"When will this fade?"
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Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 6:34 pm
M i s s a Marissa cleared her throat. "An, erm...a necklace. A medallion, to be specific." She paused. "To be even more specific, the Queen Firos medallion." Her smile drooped just the tiniest bit at the corners. "Oh, you lucky little swanling! My mother had something she thought that was from Queen Firos- some gold and ruby anklets that the history books say she wore... she traded them somewhere to the east. Are you going to collect the whole set, or just content with the medallion?"
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