Was he previous show not enough? Vohku seemed to be at a loss for a different reason now. Vohku, determined to at least try and help, was encouraged nonetheless by the interest showed in the duchess' request. Unfortunately, he hadn't prepared anything but the transformation previously shown.
"Ah... You see," began the baron with toes first, "as alchemists, our family has made it a point to eliminate problems like this. With time and resources, I could find an antidote for the impure water." Something else... "It... would cure those ailing much faster than simply waiting out the toxin, m'lady." For whatever reason, the slight male found it difficult to look her in the eye. Much better to shift his gaze momentarily to the grout.
┈━┈━┈━~═☆
Stock:
❧[0] Clover --Lucky and more charismatic than usual. 0/5 turns (inactive)
❧[2] Narcissus -- Grants user the ability to transpose a shadowy copy of themselves across a distance which extends by 100m ever turn for 5 turns. After this, the copy vanishes, wherever it is. Takes 2 turns to activate after ingesting. (inactive)
The Duchess hadn't seen his demonstration as she had only been listening not watching "Tell you what" she began calmly "Come to Solidon once you have managed to gather the resources to show me what you can do it true and if what you can do with your alchemy is beneficial I will fund this endeavor" she said with a calm smile "Will this be alright with you?" she asked him as she brought her fan down and closed it now that it seemed that he was no longer having an eye seizure. Chusi would then look around wondering where Dixon had gotten off to.
"Of course, m'lady, thank you," bowed the young dragon, sweeping his now steely hair out of the way. "When I see you next, I shall be looking quite different. Until then." and so the baron scurried off to the museum's exit.
The count hadn't wondered too far. By the time the conversation had concluded he had made to a painting depicting a poetic scene involving a man plucking a star from the sky. Below was a crowd of people, with one woman, depicted as a goddess, more prominent than the rest. It was supposed to retell the acquisition of knowledge and the Ethe-inspired faith.
"Fun fellow, mm?" Mused the count somewhat dryly, eyes barely lifting from the painting and chin in hand as he sensed the duchess' approach.
┈━┈━┈━~═☆
Stock:
❧[0] Clover
--Lucky and more charismatic than usual. 0/5 turns (inactive)
❧[2] Narcissus
-- Grants user the ability to transpose a shadowy copy of themselves across a distance which extends by 100m ever turn for 5 turns. After this, the copy vanishes, wherever it is. Takes 2 turns to activate after ingesting. (inactive)
The Duchess watched the man go before she turned around and looked for Dixon. When she saw him she smiled softly, glad she hadn't been abandoned in the museum. With a natural sway to her walk Chusi would walk back over to Dixon. At his words Chusi couldn't help but smile "He seemed genuine, and if he can stop the sickness from claiming more then it must then I'm willing to see if he can do as he says" she said to him "Besides if its anything I know its that the effects of a war last longer then the war itself" she said to him as she looked at the painting of the man plucking a star as she spoke "The sickness is just part of it. Like with the Ashlands and the Charred stretch those lands are likely to never be able to be used again, people will hate for a generation, and the effects on the mind can cause more suffering as people relive the war and see the faces they either failed to save or were the last to see" she said and then realized how grim that sounded and she quickly added "I don't know any of these first hand but tales of such things last in my family. We're not as stone hearted as story might say we are" she said to him.
Chusi would walk toward another painting of light flitting though some trees and lighting up leaves, it looked majestic "So, if I may ask...as their been anyone these last several years?" she asked him, biting her lip slightly at the question, hoping it didn't pry to much into his personal life "Lovers?"
The count rather than latching onto the conversation there, seemed to be absorbed in the painting he was facing. Such a thing it was, to him, to find that the bestowing of knowledge did not come from the gods. It was easy to hide in that pensive state, offering the duchess a nod and soft hum as he studied it.
Soon enough, she moved on to something else. That would do nicely, thought Dixon. He moved to follow her, coming to stand behind her and softly enveloping one of her hips in his warm, stony hand.
It was just them now. He could enjoy the aspects of her he'd like to have seen earlier. Chusi was such a capricious woman. He did like that, but it was rather inconvenient for him in this instance. If only he could have encouraged such behavior without risking the state's ruination... Think Titanus! Think!
"Once," spoke the count, somewhere between a whisper as he looked upon the painting framed at the bottom by Chusi's crown. "But that was rather... Inconsequential," he said with a certain coolness.
At the feel of his hand Chusi smiled softly the heat that came to her cheeks invisible as the blush was unseen "Oh" she said softly as she made a show of studying the painting in front of her much more then she should have. She wasn't interested in the painting that much but it was the only thing keeping her mind off the fact that he had had a lover. She wondered how long ago it was and if it was really just a lovers tryst or if it was someone that was more of a match.
She voiced none of this as he had said that it was inconsequential, however it did make her slightly jealous. She didn't voice that either, from what she was told having many lovers was a normal thing for men and then a mistress at least once. Instead Chusi did her best to throw that from her mind "s-so" wow, bad start "what made you so interested in art?" she asked half heartedly, making conversation was harder then it looked and for a moment she was envious of women that had a more traditional education in learning how to create such organic conversations.
Whatever was going on in that mind of hers, Dixon could feel something--the subtle shifts in her stance, the flattening of her voice, the space in responses donated to thoughts--of course he could infer that something was going on up there; poor girl was spared the knowledge that the man had known many women in his time--especially before his time as nobility--simple to promote, with some shame, a better image for himself.
He did hate that way of lying, but he was simply too weak to temper his image in truth--that fire of judgement was very hot, no? Instead of dwelling on this, however, the count began to softly, attentively toss the duchess' hair: first behind the ear, to gather it, then as a mass between her shoulder blades as he watched her watch that painting. My, she was trying, wasn't she?
"Art?" He needed her to relax, to be able to feel at ease with him. Whatever tension was there was Dixon's enemy simply because it inhibited fun and therefor reminded him of work more than a cheeky escape; he'd always been curing worry at the estate, and the nerves, he found, stung him with the sensitivity of a slumbering limb upon rising too suddenly--the guard wakened in the night to find a sound unlike the coyotes he'd grown immune to--and made him a bore...
Ah. There it was. He wanted to be fun again. The clouds outside broke and flooded the room with dusty, gilt light. Dixon moved to enwrap Chusi's hand. "It began when I was faced with the obligation to attend the festival in Zalto," he began with a certain fondness. "It was in the tent--they were putting on a play, why not--that I was drenched in what the high society found charming about the performing arts. Of course, this wasn't enough. I needed to feel that..." he paused, only to temper his voice from becoming too loud at the moment of expected revelation: "exhileration again."
"When I returned home, I immediately sought Bernard's help on the matter, dropping some of the week's duties in order to chase that phantom herd, if you will. Some way into the search, poetry books about me like stars to a lantern, I realized that it wasn't the art itself that had charmed my soul on that balmy night, but the act. Art was alive in that moment--this is what I'm after: art with life already attached to it." His eyes, scintillating like flakes of silver in onyx, pawed past the image in front of them; he had quite forgotten to keep his arms up, and he stood quite hypnotized at nothing at all.
Chusi felt his hand in her hair and she froze for a second before slowly relaxing, he wasn't pulling on her hair like others use to do and she smiled softly at him. She would look at him as he spoke and her eyes went wide in surprise, she had never heard him talk to passionately about something and she couldn't help it when her smile grew a bit.
She would take a step away from him in order to watch him as he spoke. So he didn't exactly like the art but the movement behind it. At least that's what she heard. She wondered if he thought about what might the artist or the poet must have been thinking when they wrote or painted their masterpieces, it seemed something like him.
It was the last bit when he was looking at nothing at all almost like he was lost that had Chusi bringing one of her hands up to hide a smile came from her and a soft, breathy giggle as she beheld him "Very passionate of you" she said as she moved her hand away from her mouth, the smile was still their and it lit up her face and made her eyes look like they were two pots of molten swirling gold.
Her laughter and the comment that went with it was enough to push the count out of his glassy-eyed daydream. No, he didn't like that. Not much at all. He shook his head twice--quickly--and stammered just a bit before a hand found its way to the back of his head.
"H-How foolish of me, carrying on like some idiot." He found himself, neck bent, looking up to Chusi for the first time. "Forgive me..." He cleared his throat and decided it best to save the scene.
"Art represents progress as well. We in Titania hold the higher pursuits to be our coach into the future."
"no no! don't be like that!" she said, a sternness entered her voice as she clasped one of his hands and the smile remained "I like it and it fits you" she then looked away and quickly let go, the blush on her face very obvious now and she covered it up with several fake coughs as her eyes darted away and dulled slightly. She didn't understand why he had asked forgiveness and why he thought he had been talking like an idiot, but apparently that must have been a difference again between Titania and Solidon, they were more open and what he had just done, though he would have still garnered some laughter he'd still get more then his fair share of pats on the back.
However the way he of Titania holding the higher pursuits put her off just a bit, it sounded a bit uppity, and then she thought of something and she looked back at him "Would you like to see me dance?" she blurted out without thinking, and again she found herself in a small hole. Looking away yet again for the umpteenth time Chusi quickly added "Its considered art in Solidon and I'm by far not the greatest but I was thinking you might like it."
At once he was seized, and the count found his breath trapped along with his hand in Chusi's insistent grip. He blinked dumbly a couple times and found himself looking for something clever to say in that moment; the only thing he found was to go on about his homeland.
And when that seemed to fall short of keeping the duchess' interest he was doubly surprised to hear her sudden suggestion. His hand stuttered near his chest, index on the verge of pointing, as he was interrupted by her additional explanation. "What better way to learn one's culture?" nodded the count with a smile as he gestured the go-ahead for his guest. He folded his arms, becoming comfortable enough to enjoy the show on his feet.
Chusi raised one of her dark eyebrows and then grinned, she knew he hadn't meant it as a challenge but that's how she wanted to take it. She would grab his hand and she would bring him over to a more wide open space in the museum, not because she wanted the attention but because she would need the room. The next thing she would do would be far more unconventional as she untied the center piece of her hanfu, followed by one, two layers which left her toned stomach on display before lastly removing the top lay down one which would leave toned arms and a little bit of her hips showing. She would fold up the layers she had taken off and put them on a chair. She was left in something that by Titanian and well by most of Ethen standards might have been considered uncomely of a noble woman (something along the lines of this ) before finally she took a few steps back "A lot colder in the east" she said to herself but then smiled at Dixon "What to dance" she whispered as she looked up at the ceiling in thought. She didn't have anything she could use as she spun so The Life of the Phoenix was out from the get-go and that was one of Solidon's best known and most historical dances. She also didn't have a sword on her so she wouldn't be able to do a sword dance either. The rest that went though her head she didn't have the items for or would be to messy or she wouldn't be able to do without a partner, so as she sighed and looked at Dixon she smiled "Just keep in mind that I would be able to do something much better back in Solidon"
She would then turn around and sit on the floor before leaning back, her arms out at her sides. She would close her eyes for a moment as she imagined the music that would have accompanied her back in Solidon. As she imagined the music she slowly reached her hands above her head and pushed herself up, arching her exposed back as she pulled herself up onto her knees and started to move her body like a wave to an invisible song. She would then pull herself up as in her head the song picked up, her wrists twirling as she finally stood and began to dance, her eyes closed.
[OOC A: The song were she had all of her clothing on that I wanted to use didn't have a full version] [OOC B: Dance ]
What Dixon was treated to was a very different show than he had expected--only for a second or so--when the duchess disrobed. He held a soft resting smile, but he couldn't help tilting his head in a bemused way when the extra cloth came off. Had she been planning this since the beginning? Sure, it was warm out, but...
Instead of outright shrugging, the count slid a hand into his pocket and settled in for the show. And... Wow. He'd known there was a fair bit of finesse in combat, but to see such beauty come from the state known mostly for being warring, brutish, it was quite something. The mention of a sword seemed to fit the reputation of the state, but Dixon was quite alright with this variation.
Chusi would continue dancing, drawing a small crowd, some of which seemed to be entranced or simply be enjoying the dance while a few others muttered about how unsightly she looked and how they would have preferred the dance with more clothing on. That was the thing though, you couldn't dance this in a full dress or pants, you had to be able to move fluidly or many moves would be lost within the fabric or it wouldn't be as beautiful. Something that became very obvious when her hips started moving faster in less exaggerated movements before finally she was once again back on her knees, it would look a lot like the beginning of the dance but in reverse as she was facing Dixon this time and she began with her wrists as she leaned over to the side and slowly moved back up and she would slowly lean back, her hands resting just below her chest as her stomach looked like it was moving in a wave the way the light hit her tan skin and highlight the exposed curve of her hip.
It would finally end once as she slowly stood. She would bow and be the recipient of a good amount of applause. She would walk over to Dixon with a small smile "Thoughts?" she asked as she put a hand on her hip and flipped her hair behind her shoulders with her free hand.
It only seemed to get better from there. Like many of the stationary works he enjoyed, this was all carefully planned and thoughtfully executed, taking full advantage of her svelte frame and what seemed to be hours of practice.
...--Until it was all over, coming to an end, gracefully, much as it had begun. Dixon had taken a couple steps back--just to avoid being in anyone's way--but was still clearly the most prominent in the crowd. This was all for him. A lesser man might have blushed, but Dixon didn't seem to mind the extra attention that inevitably spilled over to him. He applauded as well, feeling obliged as he was entertained.
"Beautiful," nodded the count, folding his hands behind him. "I should like to see it done with blade in hand."
