|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jun 06, 2005 7:15 pm
A New Arrival.It had been a particularly long day, and Vash felt like his whole body hurt. Much as he enjoyed his dabblings in magic, there were days like today where he just had to expend excess energy by doing something physical--he usually engaged in either a bout of manual labor, or a sparring match with a choice victim. Today, for lack of a sparring partner, he'd cleaned the entire house, and then headed into Durem to grab a bite to eat, with his nieken horde trailing at his heels.
As he approached the walkway that led to the main house, Mischief and Itazura ran ahead, tails wagging furiously. Shaking his head with a wry chuckle, he picked up the pace a bit, anxious to sink into one of the comfy, oversized armchairs that he had set up in the living room. As the front porch came into sight, the half-elf noticed what appeared to be a wadded up cloth on the front stoop. Mischief, obviously as curious as his youthful master, sniffed at the bundle, only to pull back with a pained yelp, shaking his head as if to clear it of an unpleasant sensation.
Breaking into a jog, Vashtya peered at Mischief's nose cautiously, checking it over for obvious injury. Although the Nieken's eyes were streaming, there was no apparent harm, and Vash turned his attention to the small bundle sitting on his front stoop. It was a blanket, and it appeared to be wrapped around something...Please tell me it's NOT a baby... was Vashtya's first thought, quickly dismissed with a wry, self-depreciating grin.
Carefully, every sense on the alert, the gaian untucked a corner, almost falling backwards onto his backside when a small note fluttered to the ground, having been dislodged by his tugging. Picking it up, the half-elf's green-grey eyes scanned the note swiftly:Quote: Vashtya! Congratulations on winning the Raffle!! Now, without further ado, we present you with Shakti. Please take good care of the crystal!
P.S. Try to keep the crystal away from electical outlets, lamps, etc etc. And if it shocks you, that just means it likes ya! Hehe..heh.. ^.^
Best wishes!
-CoG Staff heart
Unwrapping the blanket the rest of the way, Vashtya felt his breath catch in his throat. Before him lay a beautiful, arm-length crystal that seemed positively ashimmer with shades of yellow and gold. "...whoa." the half-elf said reverently, running shaky fingertips along the crystal's smooth surface. As his narrow fingers touched the crystal, he felt a silky pulse of power that began where his body met the yellow crystal, and radiated outward into his palm and forearm. It was like an electric shock, except that it wasn't painful; in fact, it was rather pleasant. "You are pretty..." he crooned, carefully picking it up. Simultaneously motioning for the Nieken to follow him inside, Vashtya made his way through the front entrance and into the house, almost forgetting to shut the door, so intent was he on the object cradled in his tanned arms.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jun 07, 2005 1:42 pm
The next morning...
Sid slid into his seat at the dining room table, setting his plate onto the table silently. Grinning, he peered over at Vash, who was looking at the young boy's sandwich with a face that was turning distinctly...green. Hiding a smirk, Sid picked up his strawberry jelly-and-anchovy sandwich, biting into it with a blissful expression.
Shooting the youngster a glare, Vash had to look away. Just the thought of strawberry jelly with anchovies...was enough to trigger his gag reflex. He picked at his bacon and eggs, no longer hungry--mercifully, he'd almost been finished when Sid had stumbled downstairs into the kitchen.
Sighing, the half-elf stuck out his tongue good naturedly, setting down his fork with a loud thump. Then, he went back to staring at the crystal that had been placed in his keeping only the evening before. He'd set it down beside his plate, and from time to time, his bronzed fingertips traced its contours inquisitively--there was something about it that continued to pique his curiosity. With a grin, he remembered the night before, when he'd opted to see how his new "acquisition" liked water--the hydra crystal had come close to electrocuting him, so fervent was its irritation!
I think today...we need to do some shopping. Vashtya decided, picking his fork back up and taking another bite of his scrambled eggs, careful to keep his eyes averted from Sid's plate. "How would you like to go with me into Durem today?" he asked the younger male, tilting his head slightly to the side. "I need to get some fish for Mikhail, and I think I'd like to get a few things to decorate Shakti's room with..." he trailed off, deliberately neglecting to mention the possibility of purchasing anything for Sid himself.
With a sly smirk, Sid nodded. "Sure. That furball needs a few things to keep him otherwise occupied, so he doesn't bug me all the time." he said, although secretly, he enjoyed the smallish mammal's attentions. Still chewing on the disgusting concoction he'd prepared mere moments ago, Sid cleared his plate, humming some horror movie theme song as he wandered into the kitchen.
Shaking his head, Vashtya finished his bacon, eyeing what was left of his eggs with a vague sort of disdain. "Guess I'm done too." he said, mostly to himself, picking up his dirty plate in one hand and Shakti in the other and following Sid into the kitchen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2005 8:23 pm
Sitting on the bottom stair, Vashtya hummed quietly to himself as he waited for Sid. "Hurry up already--one would think you were a girl, you're taking so long!" he called up the stairs, grinning. In actuality, it had only been a couple of minutes since Sid had disappeared upstairs, but Vash figured he owed the youngster some good-natured harassment for the sandwich incident.
Purring, Xue rubbed herself against Vash's ankle, yawning cutely. When the half-elf plonked her carefully onto his lap, she purred contentedly, rubbing her face against Vash's stomach, lifting her chin for a scritch.
Chuckling, Vash ran his fingernails lightly across the cait's chin, eyes sparkling when hers drifted shut, her tail lashing back and forth lightly as she kneaded gently at his thigh.
Eyes drifting shut, Xue didn't even notice when her tail brushed against the crystal sitting on the stair beside Vash. That is, until a jolt of electricity shot up the tender appendage. Yowling and spitting indignantly, Xue leapt off of Vash's lap and stood, stiff-legged, glaring at the yellowish object. That was completely uncalled for! she hissed, narrowing her eyes once more before slinking off to hide under the dining room table, a vantage point from which she continued to stare balefully at Shakrit.
Eyes widening in surprise, Vash touched the crystal cautiously, as if half afraid of being on the receiving end of a similar reaction. He breathed a sigh of relief when Shakti's only response was a small pulse that made his palm tingle.
Sid crept down the stairs carefully, something cold and slimy clutched in his hand. Crouching down two steps above where Vashtya was sitting, he laid the small frog's body against the back of Vash's neck. Now let them see who acted like a girl.
to be continued...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 11, 2005 5:55 pm
The Shopping Trip (Part 3)
Completely oblivious to Sid's thoughts, Vashtya's first inkling that something was amiss was the sensation of something cold, slimy, and moving sliding down his back. For a split second, the only motion the half-elf made was to stiffen his back as an eyebrow climbed slowly higher. Then, as the as-yet-unknown object stirred against his lower back, the young man sprung into motion, a loud "ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH" pouring helplessly from his throat as he leapt to his feet, reaching for the bottom of his shirt, his torso twisting to get away from...whatever was slithering towards the waistband of his pants...and whatever it was, it was something that the gaian did not want going there.
Flinging his shirt (and the unfortunate frog) onto the floor, his shoulders gleaming with a fine sheen of sweat, Vash found himself meeting the gaze of a rather irritated amphibian.
"...
......
SIIIIID!" the gaian yelled, turning to face the prankster with what he hoped looked like a suitably angry expression, although inside, he was laughing at himself--the boy had gotten him back but good.
Sid, by the time Vashtya turned his attention away from their new green friend, was laughing so hard that he slid to the floor, clutching at his stomach. "Y-yo-you're f-fa-face was so..." he wasn't even able to finish the sentence, he was laughing so hard.
Vashtya found himself staring down at the youngster, who, he mused, he didn't think he'd ever seen laugh so hard--and, instead of the boy's usual sardonic, mocking laughter, this sound had an almost innocent quality, and sounded as if it represented actual mirth, instead of having been produced for emphasis.
Sitting down beside the young boy, Vash wrapped his arm around Sid's neck carefully, then proceeded to give the boy a noogie, laughing uproariously himself when the boy's first reaction was to stiffen at the close contact, followed direction with frantic flailing as the older man's knuckle ground into the top of his head. "Why you little..." Vash said, his voice lowering into a mock growl just before releasing Sid from the headlock and ruffling his hair playfully. "You got me good, I admit it!" he said, grinning.
Wrinkling his nose and narrowing his eyes, Sid straightened his hair carefully, refusing to admit, even to himself, that he rather liked the half-elf's easy comraderie--no, no...he couldn't like that...after all, the only people he liked were those he could manipulate and control, and the gaian was far from that.
And yet...he had yet to make the other male angry, and it was hard to continue to hold himself aloof when the older man seemed to simply...accept him as he was. Shrugging, Sid got to his feet, staring down his nose at the still-seated Vashtya. "Geez, aren't you ready to go yet?" he said, his expression deadpan. "I'm tired of waiting for you, ya know..." he continued, spinning on his heel and heading for the front door, hiding a grin as he did so.
Following Sid out the door with some good-natured grumbling, Vashtya slid the yellow crystal into a pouch that he'd outfitted with an over-the-shoulder strap, so that the crystal could be taken along without taking up a free hand that *could* be used to carry home bags of goodies.
Later that day, as afternoon fades into evening.
With a small groan, Vashtya shut the door behind him--Sid had preceded him into the house, and had made a beeline upstairs, armed with a pair of small fish to give to Mikhail.
Sinking into a chair at the dining room table, the half-elf pulled a shoulder strap over his head, and placed Shakti's crystal in front of him. Then, he picked up the bags of...things that they'd purchased (and that had been on the shelves when they'd passed through--there was more to come, but it would be delivered later. They'd purchased numerous plushies and dolls, and Shakti in particular seemed to like a doll that looked just like Yuki from Furuba--she'd damn near made Vash's arm go numb, so strong was her electrical pulse of interest.
Carrying the new toys upstairs, along with Shakti, the gaian decided that it had been a rather long day--at one of the minishops they'd visited in, Shakti had shocked the shopkeeper, almost getting them kicked out. Then, in another shop, Sid had tormented a young girl, accompanied by her mother, by telling her about a fish he'd recently examined the...internal workings in.
But, at least they'd gotten some objects that belonged to Shakti alone, which the gaian thought was important. they'd also gotten some more fish for Mikhail, most of which would be delivered the following morning, at which time Vashtya would toss it into the economy-sized freezer he'd purchased for just that purpose. All in all, it had been a good day, he thought as he trudged upstairs, Shakti and the plush toys clutched in his arms--the crystal seemed content, as she was practically thrumming, and, in the encroaching darkness, her soft yellow glow bathed Vashtya's face, and illuminated the hallway just above the staircase in a warm, gentle glow.
Depositing the toys in Shakti's room-to-be, Vashtya shut the door gently behind him and wandered back towards his own room. Stepping over the threshold, he set the crystal on the bed, and went about getting ready for bed. Then, he picked up a book off of the small end table that sat just beside his king-sized bed. With a small sigh of relief, he lay back beside the small electric crystal, flipping to the page he'd folded over the night before, and settling in contentedly for the night.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2005 12:05 pm
Vashtya woke up slowly, stretching the kinks out of his back with an audible series of cracks before rolling onto his side to peer over at Shakti. "G'mornin" he mumbled sleepily, nodding when the crystal flashed softly, almost as if in response. It wasn't really morning, but hey, who really lived by the clock, anyway? Running lazy fingers through his vibrant red hair, Vashtya threw off his covers and ambled into the bathroom, peering blearily at himself in the mirror.
I am so not a morning person... he thought, glaring at the tired-looking redhead in the mirror before him. Yawning hugely, he wandered back out into the main bedroom, throwing on a pair of jeans he'd slung over the back of a chair sometime the day before. Scratching at his torso, he looked around for a t-shirt.
Locating a black t-shirt with a rather evil looking jack-o-lantern emblazoned on its front, the half-elf slid the soft fabric over his head, leaving the tee untucked. Hastily, with a short series of small tugs, followed by one smooth tuck, he re-made the bed before scooping the yellow crystal into his arms. "Guess we'll head over to the temple today, as promised, hmm?" he mused aloud, receiving a small shock in response. Wincing, he nodded. "I'll take that as a yes, I think..." he muttered, grabbing the over-the-shoulder bag he'd used on their shopping trip the day before to place Shakti in.
Once the crystal was situated, Vashtya skittered through the kitchen just long enough to grab an apple before heading for the front door. Shutting the door behind him, he hoped that Sid and the Nieken wouldn't tear the house up too badly while he and Shakti were gone.
"Now, where was the temple again..." he muttered to himself some time later. "I know it's around here somewhere..." he mused, furrowing his brows thoughtfully.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2005 7:51 pm
Scratching at his head, Vashtya finally had to admit the obvious: they were lost. "I could've sworn it was around here..." he muttered, tilting his head to the side and scrunching up his forehead as he tried to remember his way back to the crystal temple. All the while, his fingertips continued to trace lightly over Shakti's glowing surface, as if the half-elf still wasn't entirely convinced that she was real.
It was strange, he reflected, how quickly he'd gotten used to the sentient crystal in his life--sure, she was prone to sending electric shocks up into his forearms, or causing a flare of electrical power to short out nearby lamps or the like.
Distracted from his wanderings, Vashtya sat down on a smallish tree stump, slightly off of the path he'd been following, and stretched his legs out in front of him. They'd need to start looking for the temple again shortly, but for now, the gaian was content to savor the late-morning sunshine, and continue his idle musings as he wondered what Shakti would look like when she was brought to this plane.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 01, 2005 6:49 pm
Journey to the TemplePart One After what felt like days of trekking (first, from his home to Durem proper, and from there, to Barton), Vash finally stood in front of Ian's front door--there were a few new articles of clothing stuffed into the over-the-shoulder sack he'd purchased to carry Shakti about in, testament to the fact that he hadn't exactly power-walked the entire way.
Sighing mournfully, the red-head blew on a sweaty strand of hair that dangled mockingly in front of one silver eye. "So damn hot outside today..." he muttered, raising one long-fingered hand to tuck it behind his ear. Running his fingertips along Shakti's gleaming surface, he struggled to remember exactly how he'd gotten to the crystal temple the last time. Sighing, he looked up at the sign hanging over Ian's shop, tempted to go in and do a bit more shopping before continuing on their way, only to have Shakti send a painful arc of electricity up his arm, prompting a pained yelp, and followed by numbness. "you could've toned that down just a bit, you know..." Vash muttered, shooting the glowing crystal a glare, although he shuffled off in what he hoped was the right direction, a much-abused expression on his slender visage.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 04, 2005 2:52 pm
Part Two Some half hour or so later, Vashtya muttered something un-repeatable as he had to go around yet another wayward tree branch. "Stupid thing..." he muttered, noting with a small frown that, from the postion of the sun in the sky, it must mid-afternoon, or thereabouts, already. If he didn't find his way to the Crystal Temple soon, he'd have to either head back to his home and try again tomorrow, or hope that they'd be willing to put him up for the night at the temple itself.
Walking through what seemed like the billionth small clearing in the forest, he tried (yet again) to remember where the Crystal temple had been, and if he'd passed any familiar landmarks. Sighing, he sat down on a rotting stump, setting Shakti squarely on his lap and staring broodingly into her glittering depths. "How on Earth did we find it..." he muttered, his hands clasping the crystal comfortably.
As he mused on how to find it, Shakti glowed a bit brighter, and a small smile lit across his face as he remembered...the way to the temple. "Yessss..." he breathed out, shaking his head ruefully--how had he NOT remembered sooner? Getting to his feet and brushing himself off, he slung Shakti's over-the-shoulder sack back into place and strode off in a direction just a few shades farther north than the direction he'd previously been wandering in.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 07, 2005 1:47 pm
Project Nexus:Quinny-chan Quinn was pacing. She did that when she was nervous. She had been minding her own business, when a letter came from the Crystal Gurardian, instructing her to contact five friends and gather in Barton.
She had done as commanded, but she had been too nervous and excited to tell her companions where to meet. Now, she found her self pacing up and down the streets of the town, hoping to catch a glimpse of one of her traveling companions.
At least she had had the foresight to leave her "luggage" at Ian's shop. She knew his little crush on her had to be good for something someday. Sosiqui "And, with the Curse of Seven Stones broken at last, they were able to live - more or less - happily ever after. Or so the tales tell."
Odilen beamed as her small, rapt audience of children clapped for the end of the story, then slowly began to get up and drift away. A few of the older ones dropped coins in the conviniently placed open bag set by Odilen's feet before they went, and one small child deposited a half-eaten lollipop. She carefully examined the contents once all her 'customers' were gone, wrinkling her nose in distaste at the sticky candy that clung to the bag.
"It's not high-paying work, telling stories," she sighed, standing up and stretching. "Only the children listen anymore. Pity. Well."
Behind her, her chocobo Kez shifted lazily and yawned; the unusual miniature chocobo she'd named Bobby Corwin, or BoCo for short, continued to snooze on the larger chocobo's back. BoCo was so tiny that he could easily nest amongst Kez's feathers.
"Alright, you lot, I think we might manage an inn tonight," Odilen said after a few minutes counting gold. "Hmm..."
There was somebody there, close by. Pacing. Hm, that was odd. Odilen's curiosity rose, and she put the gold away and sidled over to the pacing person. "Is something interesting?" she asked, pleasantly as she could manage, ready to pull out paper and quill at a moment's notice. Kanashimii Kanashimii sighted lightly as she replaced her glasses on her small nose. Her pinkish hair brushed her forehead and cheeks, while she made her way through the streets of Barton. Her aqua colored wings twitched lightly to each of her steps, as she was lost into deep thoughts. She had always been someone who thinks too much and even though she hated that, she couldn't keep herself from doing it.
Kana's blue eyes glanced up, far ahead. Something seemed to shine under the few rays of the sun. Quickly, she walked over to it and bent down, leaning against her knees. "Well well, what's this?" she said to herself. Her fingers brushed the dust off the mysterious item only to reveal a gold. She took it into her hand and smiled lightly. "I feel like this is going to be a good day." she said. Reminding herself she had to meet Quinny a little further ahead, she got back up and pushed the gold into her right pocket.
Kana turned the corner of the street near the Barton Boutique and noticed Quinny pacing around, but then was joined by another person. This person was unknown to Kana, but seemed slightly familiar for some reason. She hurried toward her friend to join her. She was curious to know what was the invitation about. K-Dogg The green of the meadows reflected in her eyes as she paced down the small dirt road. Occasionally she would stop, peer down and look at interesting rocks imbedded in the packed soil and slip it into one of her many pockets. Her staff hitting against the road along with he crunching of her feet on the gravel formed a rhythm, the song of a traveler. In her hand she clenched a wrinkled piece of paper that beaconed her to meet with a small group of people in Barton.
She came upon the thick walls of the small city. “Where in Barton could they possible be?” THe cobblestones made her smile, the wearing of many years gave the rocks a clear sheen, it made her slip into a imaginary world. Where she saw all the people that had ever gone over the old roads, their legs moving each with their own missions.
She was snapped out of her recreation. Three people were standing next to each other, maybe they were the ones she was meant to meet. She causally approached them with a tiny smile. Quinny-chan Looking towards the direction the lilting voice had come from, "Interesting... I'm not sure. I'm supposed to be meeting some people..." Eyeing the candy that Odilen was about to toss aside, Quinn's eyes brightened. "Candy is interesting. Are you just going to throw that away?"
A sudden pink flash to her left drew her attention, "Hey, Kan. At least I managed to find one of you today." Sosiqui Odilen made a face at the candy that she was still trying to dislodge from her bag. "If you want it, you're welcome to it, but it's already been in someone's mouth," she warned Quinny.
Kez stepped up behind her, fluffing his feathers and pushing his beak into Odilen's hair. "Hey, stop that," she scolded absently, then finally managed to pull the sticky lollipop off of the fabric. "Uh, here." She held it out for Quinny to take, and glanced over at the other people who had also gathered. "Are you having a party?" she asked, as nonchalantly as possible, but her free hand twitched slowly towards the scrolls of paper held at her side.
Kez rolled his eyes. He knew THAT look. Odilen smelled a story. Lady_Ourania Ourania had received the message sometime during the early morning, given to her by a silent Na'ir who watched her without expression as she read through it. The novice summoner frowned, throwing the mug of tea she had been drinking down into the sink and putting the letter on the counter. "I'm being called to Barton Town... you will mind the house in my absence?"
Na'ir sighed and shook his head affirmatively. The summoner smiled and stood up on tip-toe to kiss his cheek. "Thank you, darling. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
She called to Fiore and Basape, throwing some necessities into a suitcase while considering the best way to get to Barton Town. She could walk, she supposed, but the thought made her feet ache. Ourania paused in her packing, turning to Na'ir and eyeing his wingspan. "Na'ir, sweetie, could I ask of you an even bigger favor...?"
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Fiore grasped tightly onto Ourania's summoner robes, her red eyes wide and her breathing coming in quick gasps. Basape was having a better time of it, perched on Ourania's head and reciting the word "Fun!" over and over again in an excited tone that Moombas typically exuded.
The summoner listened to Na'ir muttering about being reduced to a form of transportation and patted his rainbow hair assuringly while tightly gripping onto her suitcase with the other. She prayed quietly that Fiore could keep hold on her and that Basape had enough sense to. They landed in the center of Barton Town in record time, and the flying Kederi gently let her down out of his arms and onto solid ground.
"Woo, thanks hon. You good to fly home?" she asked, grinning wildly and trying to convince her hair that frizzing up was not attractive. Flying had surprisingly agreed with her.
"Yes." he replied easily, looking at the town before putting a hand on her shoulder. "Come back home soon, or I shall kill everyone and bask in their blood."
"Of course you will, dear." Ourania replied quite calmly, adjusting Fiore to a better position for sitting on her shoulder and doing the same for Basape. "I'll be home as soon as possible."
Na'ir nodded once and then took off, wings stirring dust and dirt upward, he was gone, a small speck in the sky, before they settled again. The summoner waved him off, then turned and looked around, realizing that she wasn't entirely certain what the card had said about meeting. She was almost sure it had said nothing, still, she settled down on the fountain rail to open her suitcase and sift around her belongings for the letter she had been given just that day. Quinny-chan Quinn shrugged at the strange girl's warning and took the lolly, washing it off with some water from her flask, before popping it in her mouth. Candy soothed her and she needed soothing. "Not a party... a quest..." Quinn told her around the candy.
Looking around, she spotted a familiar red head off in the distance. Standing on her tip toes and waving her arms, she yelled, "K-dogg! K-dogg! Over here!" Kanashimii Kana's lips curved into a small grin, she waved lightly. "Hey there!" she replied with her deep, yet soft voice. She ran her fingers through her hair, moving a few locks of hair behind her left demon horn. Her face's expression then changed from relaxed, to slightly surprise. At least I managed to find one of you today. She blinked and looked over at Quinn. "What do you mean? I'm not the only one you sent the invitation too?" she asked.
Now that made her even more curious. What were all these invitations for? Kana wasn't very hard to confuse, but this was confusion over confusion, again and again. She pushed her hands into her pockets and started playing with the gold in her right pocket. She sighed lightly and noticed the other girl with Quinny. She observed her for a moment, before looking back up into the sky. Sosiqui "A quest!" A gleeful grin spread across Odilen's face, and this time the paper and quill made it out. "What sort of quest?" she asked Quinny, waiting expectantly, pen at the ready to write down all the details.
She hoped this one would turn out well. Last time someone had proclaimed a quest in her hearing, it had only been for a pair of shoes. Not even enchanted ones. Just... shoes. Oh, how the grandeur of a quest had been degraded lately... K-Dogg She noticed the girl standing on her toes gesturing to her. “Ah that must be them” She skipped over to them simultaneously putting her staff into the holder on her back. Her nose caught the smell of sugar, a rare treat, but on catching sight of the candy she grimed inside, it was covered in lint.
There was now a small gruop assembled “I guess everyone has the same question, why were we all called here?” Quinny-chan Quinn shot Kan an incredulous look, "Are you kidding? We couldn't do this with just the two of us..."
Looking back to the diminuative stranger, Quinn sucked the lolly and considered a moment before answering, "A ... secret quest?" Truth was, she wasn't quite sure what had been planned for them either. "Do you want to come or something?" Quinn asked, furrowing her brow. Lady_Ourania Ourania had been wandering around the town, failing to find the meeting place on the card after she hand thrown all of her clothing out onto the cobblestones looking around for it in her pack. Fiore was humming amiably in her ear and Basape was half-heartedly trying to do so as well. That calmed the summoner somewhat, but she was stilll deathly afraid that she was going to miss her party entirely.
Ahead of her she spotted a group of people speaking and so she, tentatively, called out a greeting, hopeful that it wasn't some meeting of townspeople who would think she was loopy. Vashtya After receiving a not-so-mysterious message asking him to report to Barton posthaste, Vashtya ambled back toward's Ian's, Shakti still held snugly at his side. With a wry twisting of his lips, he assumed that the group of people standing outside was the very group he was here to meet. Strolling to within earshot, he stopped a few feet away. "Did I miss anything exciting?" he drawled, quirking an eyebrow, his only outward indication of his growing curiosity. K-Dogg Someone she knew had just approached, it was the familiar face of Vash. She met him halfway, greeting him with a large smile, no you havent missed much, were trying to decide whats exactly going on...something about a secret quest Sosiqui Odilen's eyes lit up. "I would love to come and document your undoubtedly great undertaking!" she told Quinny, enthusiastically. Quinny-chan Quinn smiled down at the girl, "I always wanted my own bard... I'm Quinn, by the way. And you are?" She offered her a hand, while waving maniacly at Vash with the other one.
"Vashu! Darling!" Quinn called, blushing a little. "Oh and there is Oura behind you. Hurry up!" Vashtya Grinning as K-Dogg grew close, Vashtya simply nodded at the offered information. "Hmmm...sounds...interesting." he said, his expression noncommittal. He wouldnt admit it, but after a few months out've the field, so to speak, he was feeling more than up to a secret quest, especially if it meant testing his recently unused reflexes.
"So...no one knows what exactly it is?" he asked, tilting his head slightly to the side as his eyes flickered over the rest of the assembled group. "And...do we even know if this is the whole group?" he went on, bombarding his poor friend with questions.
Not more than a second after his last question had left his mouth, Vash nearly froze. "QUINNY?!" he shouted, uncaring of the fact that he was probably drawing stares. "What on earth is going on?" he went on, an impish grin taking up residence on his youthful countenance. Sosiqui "Oh, forgive me - I'm Odilen. Odilen Swandancer," Odilen clarified. "Quinn... two N's, or one? I have to record this properly for posterity... and the names of your companions as well... leave this untitled until the end, I think..."
The scroll Odilen was writing on soon bore a large blank space at the top for the title, followed by "chronicled by the talebearer Odilen Swandancer" in flowery lettering, and then the words "Once upon a time". K-Dogg K motioned for Vash to follow her to the rest of the assembled people. She walked back to where everyone was clustered in a small group. Her mind raced with what might be instore for the colorful band of individuals. Her stomach growled lightly, she turned her face to the rest and addressed them with bussiness like authority “Maybe we should go into a restaurant to discuss why we we called here?†Lady_Ourania Ourania sat on her suitcase, now quite certain that this was the group she had been waiting for. It was larger than she had thought it would be, but at least she recognized some of the faces, by mutual acquaintance if not friendly. Basape whispered something in Fiore's ear which caused her to giggle and whisper back. Well, at least they're having a blast, Ourania thought, waiting to hear what they had been assembled for as she shifted through her knapsack to find something to snack on for the Elysian and her familiar. Quinny-chan Quinn sighed rather fangirl like in Vash's general direction and fanned her face with her hand, trying to subdue her flush. Maybe inviting Vash hadn't been her best idea, but she knew he was well-suited to the job... and so pretty...
Ripped from her revelrie by the impish storyteller, Quinn fished around in her head, trying to find what she had been asked, "Um, two N's. And this is Kan-a-shi-mii, tow I's at the end," Quinn said slowly, pushing Kan forward and emphasizing all the syllables in her name. "K-dogg, two G's is that red-head over there and Lady Ourania is the lovely silver haired girl on her way over now. And that," Quinn said, pointing to Vash, her flush deepening, "Is Vashtya. Got it?" Vashtya His eyes still twinkling, Vash followed K-Dogg in the general direction of the group. As if to remind him to not be too flirtatious, Shakti sent a small pulse of electricity arcing into his forearm, prompting a slight narrowing of his eyes. Although his friendly smile never left his face, the half-elf fell silent, waiting to hear more on what sort've...task they'd been assigned.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Jul 21, 2005 12:39 pm
Somehow, in the midst of all the commotion in Barton town, Vashtya had gotten separated from the group. It had begun with a quick run back into Ian's (unfortunately, he neglected to mention this to the rest of the group--not very clever, on his part). Just as he was about to leave the shopkeeper's store, Shakti began to glow oddly, and, with an odd, almost-a-heartattack sort've feeling, the half-elf realized that it was time. Dashing out through a back door, he took off for the Crystal Temple, relying on his memory to guide his feet.
After what felt like eons, the redhead was staring up, still somewhat awed by the crystal monolith that stood before him. "Guess I just walk in, eh Shakti?" he muttered, stepping into the main hall. Fidgeting uncomfortably, his fingertips, as per what was becoming a habit, were caressing Shakti's now-glowing surface, almost as if to reassure himself that she were REALLY there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 12:26 pm
Vashtya Somehow, in the midst of all the commotion in Barton town, Vashtya had gotten separated from the group. It had begun with a quick run back into Ian's (unfortunately, he neglected to mention this to the rest of the group--not very clever, on his part). Just as he was about to leave the shopkeeper's store, Shakti began to glow oddly, and, with an odd, almost-a-heartattack sort've feeling, the half-elf realized that it was time. Dashing out through a back door, he took off for the Crystal Temple, relying on his memory to guide his feet.
After what felt like eons, the redhead was staring up, still somewhat awed by the crystal monolith that stood before him. "Guess I just walk in, eh Shakti?" he muttered, stepping into the main hall. Fidgeting uncomfortably, his fingertips, as per what was becoming a habit, were caressing Shakti's now-glowing surface, almost as if to reassure himself that she were REALLY there.
Leaning against a glittering wall, Vashtya slid to the floor, sitting cross-legged, and placing Shakti in his lap, although he avoided looking directly at her, as she was emitting light bright enough to make spots dance across his vision... Epine de Rose Strange, the temple was once again completely silent as though it hadn't been disturbed by the living in quite sometime - after the destruction of the forest and it's sudden ressurection with help of the Guardians power it seemed humans and the like had been taking very carefuly measures to avoid it - or so was to be thought.
Within the temple it appeared that with the exception of the Crystal Guardian, Vashtya wasn't the only living being walking within the halls and dark shadows could be seen beneath the stairwells of the antechamber where the owners of such bodies spoke in hushed tones to one another, the language foreign and quite incomprehensible to anyone beside themselves.
Their discussion however seemed to involve them pointing quite often towards the balcony doorways and even to the summoning chamber until at last one (oblivious to Vashtya's apparent arrival) approached the doorway of the summoning chamber, turned round to glance at his friend and then very quickly darted across the landing and out into the balcony - it almost seemed as if they were planning an escape route!
An appreciated thumbs-up from his friend as he reappeared through the door seemed to support this... Vashtya Blinking, it was with no small amount of surprise that Vash realized that, although the main hall had appeared empty of life upon first view, there were...hushed voices, but not in any language he understood. Rising smoothly into a crouch, the redheaded half-elf crept forward, closing the flap on his over-the-shoulder bag to hide Shakti's bright light. His footfalls were near-silent as he strove (most likely in vain) to figure out what exactly was being planned. Epine de Rose Alas, the attempt to understand the peculiar language was in vain but those in which he now hid from appeared to be rather inexperienced in the matters that were now at hand. The second of the pair had already moved up the stairwell to join his friend, following him into the Balcony area as they continued to discuss their plans in hushed tones.
The foolish men however had left their supplies behind, they seemed to believe that the events of the previous week had caused enough of a stir to ensure that no one would come and as a result they felt no need to hide them - pity, such a pity for lying on the floor was a fully displayed map of Gaia, tiny runic markings placed upon it in strategic locations, one of which was the temple.
Similarly, upon the floor was an opened letter with writing that looked fairly legible as though it were in a common tongue and easily understandable... Vashtya Creeping forward, every sense on the alert, Vashtya was wary, despite the apparent lack of caution portrayed by the plotting...beings. It could be a trap, after all. When he was within reaching distance of the supplies, he extended one slender arm, fingertips straining for the opened letter. Epine de Rose The paper in which he wished to reach for would have simply been easier to pick up if he crept a little bit further, however the whispering continued outside and there seemed to be no indication that the beings would be entering anytime soon as they took the balcony and the height in which it was from the ground into careful consideration - if anything their chatter seemed to become more distanced as they reached the centre of the balcony.
Nevertheless, when Vashtya would reach the letter he would find a very peculiar crest upon it, one that could only be sighted with Durem on one of the eldest noble buildings and below it seemed to be a series of peculiar runes at the top and a set of rough translations at the bottom scribbled briefly on by the receiver of the note but they would take a little longer to discern and he would have to look more closely... Vashtya Finally, with a satisfied, muted grunt, Vashtya's slender fingers grasped the paper. With an air of triumph, he crept back to where he'd been sitting leaned up against the wall, and peered down at the paper curiously. Just great...how the hell do I know these bloody translations are right? And where have I seen that crest before? he mused, frustrationg marring his brow with wrinkles Epine de Rose The two figures returned and began to descend the stairwell shortly after he had acquired the note however it was then that they saw him and released half-hisses of horror at their slip up. Muttering evident curses to once another as they leapt down the stairwell towards their supplies, the two robed forms didn't even take the opportunity to question him and instead they gathered their items together and simply fled up the stairwell and towards the balcony once more.
Another curse of anger and the pair appeared to have leapt from the balcony and disappeared into the forest and yet, one of them had forgotten completely about the letter in Vashtya's hands:
"The celebrations draw near. As the hour of midnight strikes we will descend upon the temple and take what is ours. Pay heed to the rule of the masquerade and dress in suitable clothing. Ensure that you have a fool proof route of escape and memorise each exit and entry. Failure will result in severe punishment and death.
Look for the Airship."
As blunt as the translations may have been, they were certainly to the point... Vashtya Well, that certainly doesn't sound good... Vashtya thought, hoping that the Crystal Guardian appeared soon, so that he could ask her if she knew anything about the strange, unsettling message he held in his hands. Folding it carefully, the half-elf stuffed the paper in the bag alongside Shakti, opening it back up to a blazing yellow light--it was apparent that the crystal, utterly displeased with being left out of the excitement, was attempting to blind him. -.-;; CrystalGuardian "Approach, Vashtya," came the unearthly voice of the guardian as she once again opened the door to the cloister. A small stream of light shimmered up the wraith's dark form as the runes within the chamber came to life in anticipation of yet another summoning.
Vashtya More than a little creeped out by the sound of the Crystal Guardian's voice, Vashtya skittered to do as he was bid, slender fingers clutching at Shakti's still-blindingly-bright surface. Taking a deep breath, he wondered when would be an appropriate time to ask if the Crystal Guardian knew anything about the letter, still folded neatly in his pocket. "WhatdoIdo?" he exhaled, hoping he didn't manage to screw this up, what with his limited (nonexistant!) experience with magic. CrystalGuardian Already the room had identified the crystal held by the soon-to-be summoner. Small flashes of yellow sparked across the walls, the electric light sporadically joined by purple jolts of energy. The ever present glow of the runes diminished to a soft, golden glimmer as the magic awaited the start of the summoning spell.
"To begin your summoning," the Guardian said at length. "Place the crystal upon the stone mount. There." One shadowed arm motioned toward the altar.
Vashtya Gently lifting the shimmering crystal from the plain leather satchel he'd been carrying her in, Vashtya carefully placed Shakti on the altar in question, stepping back quickly, as if half-afraid he was going to break something.
Shakti, as she drew nearer to the altar, began to glow more vibrantly, her glittering depths throwing forths shades of yellow previously unimagined. CrystalGuardian As the crystal was placed upon the altar the room was engulfed in absolute darkness, for an instant the room itself seemed to shake as the peculiar summoning circle descended upon the crystal beneath it, spinning slowly as the epicentre of said circle was penetrated by the angular and sharp spikes of the glowing crystal.
Within the darkness, the crystal pulsed with a warming light and the summoning circle now surrounding it continued to descend towards the altar that awaited it's caress. Eventually it did so and with another shudder from within the room the small wispy tendrils protruding from the crystal spiralled upwards - a small being beginning to emerge from within the pulsing light.
For a time, it is virtually impossible to distinguish however at last the amber eyes form and turn their attentions towards the summoner - blinking abruptly as the light from the crystal disappates and the darkness that had engulfed the room recedes leaving a more clear form of an Elysian before it's respective summoner...
 Vashtya Tentatively, nearly shaking as the foot-long hydra formed before him--she was, to sum it up, exquisite. Speechless, for what must be the first time in his life, the red-headed half elf reached forward, having forgotten the presence of the rather disturbing crystal guardian in his glee. As his delicate golden fingers delicately touched one fragile-seeming flipper, the hydra solidified, and gracefully came to rest on one of his slender shoulders, golden orbs surveying the cloister of summoning with a distinct air of satisfaction.
Stumbling, near incoherent in his amazement, Vashtya somehow made his way back out into the main hall, his mouth seemingly frozen in an awed gape.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2005 4:46 pm
Ren waslked out of his house and yelled to Sahdow, "Hey! I'm going to the Crystal Temple, I'll be back later!" He heard no response from Shadow so he thought it would be okay.
Ren held onto Sakis with a firm grip and started to travel to the crystal temple. He could see the Temple from where he lived, so it would be a pretty short walk. But instead it took Ren an hour to get there! Ren's feet were very sore from all that walking so he took a seat just outside of the temple.
"Hey...this is where i met that woman and her crystal..." thought Renault as he gently touched the seat where we was sitting the last time he was there.
Then Renault, with sakis in his firm grip, he started towards the Crystal Temple's big doors. There were like 3 times his size! When Ren took his first step in the temple, sakis began to glow for no reason!
Ren ignored this and continued on. He stood in the middle of the Temple's Main Hall and he was various people around him. But he knew no one out of them all. Renault walked around to find a Red-haired man, and he accidentally bumped into him. "Ah! Excuse me! Sorry about that!."
Finally looking up from his glazed staring at Shakti, Vashtya blinked at the other summoner-to-be. "Ex...cuse me!" he murmured, his silvery eyes still flickering back to Shakti.
The hydra Elysian tossed her head, as if to say "what on earth is wrong with you?", then inclined her head politely to the other human, her gold eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"Ah, sorry!" said Renault as he turned bright red. Ren looked up to see a beautiful summon. Her golden eyes sparkled as she looked towards Ren. "...hell...o..again, I'm sorry that I bumped into you, but anyways, I don't want to be rude so...I am Renault, and this guy here is Sakis." said Ren as he looked down to see sakis glowing with delight. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Shakti extended her nose curiously, a pleased expression on her draconic visage as she spotted the other summon.
Vash, finally forcing himself to pay attention to something other than the purple hydra perched comfortably on his shoulder, smiled, his expression tinged with chagrin. "I'm Vashtya. And this is Shakti." he continued, caressing the edge of her jawbone lightly. "Sorry for seeming a bit...out-of-sorts," he went on "but, until a few moments ago, all I had was a crystal something like yours--and I'm still trying to assimilate the difference in my mind." he laughed, blushing slightly himself. "Lovely crystal, by the way..."
"Ah. It's a pleasure to meet you." said Renault as he looked up to see the man's face more clearly. "It is a very beautiful Elysian you've got there. This is the second one I have met, other than my own that is. And thank you." Sakis began to glow because he was happy to be commented on. "well, you are a very lucky man to have your summoned so soon! I still have many questions about this one here. Just the other day he healed all my scratches from walking from my house to Barton and back! They are truly amazing!"
Nodding, the redhead had to agree. "They certainly are, although Shakti here..." he began, putting a mock-warning emphasis on her name "tended to show more of a tendency towards...electrocuting me, or my other companions, when she was...upset." he laughed. "and thank you, although I'm afraid that, between my gawking and your kind words, she'll get a big head..." he cut off abruptly, rubbing at his shoulder and shooting the rather-pleased looking Elysian an annoyed look.
"So you live near Barton?" he asked, his expression curious.
Shakti merely preened, although she continued to eye the glowing ice crystal curiously--it was the first of her kind she had encountered here on gaia.
"Ah. Hehe." chuckled Renault as he replied to the man's question, "Actually, no. It's quite far from where I live. I live near the Great Wall of Gambino."
"...Ah." Vash replied, ever the scholar.
"So how are you this lovely day?" asked Ren.
"Better than I was!" the half-elf replied, a small grin playing with the corners of his mouth.
Ren chuckled and said, "Haha. That's good to hear!"
"Certainly." Vashtya replied. "So, what brings you to the temple?" he asked, although he probably shouldn't have had to, since he had been on his way here even before Shakti's summoning circle had appeared.
"Well, I came here to see if I could find out more about Sakis, but it seems there is no one here to talk to about it." said renault as he looked around the temple.
Wrinkling his nose, Vash nodded. "I thought so too, but then I saw some strange men, stole a letter of theirs, and then the crystal guardian's voice appeared out've nowhere...which reminds me, I forgot to ask if she knew anything about it." he trailed off, a put-out expression on his face.
"That's something you don't hear about everday." replied Renault as he chuckled. "But why would you steal a letter?"
"It had some...interesting writing on it--and as I said, the blokes in question were acting awfully suspicious."
"Interesting...where were these men exactly?"
"They were running around, peering through doorways..if the letter was any indication, they were memorizing..escape routes." his voice dropped to a more hushed tone as he said this, as if he wondered if the two men might still be about.
"Talk about being suspicious much?" said Renault as he looked around the Temple. "I don't think anyone suspicious is around. Just some summoners."
Wrinkling his nose, Vash shrugged. "Well, they were here--it made me wish I'd been quick enough to draw a knife--maybe I could've found out a bit more about them that way..." he murmured. "But, I was distracted, and hadn't read the letter yet, as it happened..."
"I don't think violence would have solved anything."said Renault as he felt a bit awkwards and nervous at the same time. "Do you know what the letter said?"
"...of course!" the half-elf replied with a flourish, withdrawing the folded piece of paper from his pocket, and handing it over to Renault.
Renault gently took the letter and started to unfold it. Renault started to read the letter, but he had no idea what it meant! "What does this mean exactly?"
The translation's down at the bottom." Vash replied, giving the other time to read it.
Renault read the letter over and over, but he still had no idea what it meant. "very interesting, but I'm not quite sure what it means."
"...Neither am I." Vash replied. "And that is what piques my curiosity." he went on, scratching at his head and holding his other hand out for the letter in question.
"Hmmm..." Renault then folded the letter again and handed it to Vash
Sliding the letter carefully back into his pocket, Vash looked a bit awkward. "I swear, it happened?" he said tentatively, grinning.
"..."that made Renault speechless. he had no idea what to say.
Shifting uncomfortably, it was blatantly apparent that Vashtya didn't have the slightest clue, either.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2005 1:05 pm
It was about at that point that Renault's crystal, Sakis, began to glow brightly, and the other gaian's OWN summoning circle appeared. When Renault ran off to the cloister of summoning, Vash petted Shakti once on the head, and made his way out the main entrance--after all, much as he'd have liked to have seen the other Elysian, he figured the newly summoned creature could use some alone time to bond...and besides, much as she tried not to show it, Shakti was looking a bit the worse for wear--apparently, the journey over had taken quite a bit out've her.
"Shall we head home then, girl?" he murmured, grinning when the purple hydra rubbed her face against his jaw, making a happy churring noise.
The sunshine was fading, and it looked to be early evening--which took the gaian by surprise, as he usually kept pretty good track of time, and he really hadn't thought they'd been in the crystal temple all that long o.O;;. Shrugging, he started walking in the direction of Durem, grinning to himself when Shakti curled around his shoulders, soon falling asleep. How did I get saddled with such a cutie? he couldn't help but think to himself, although then he remembered her not-so-gentle shock therapy. ...who packs quite a punch he finished his thought, shaking his head ruefully--something told him life at the house was going to get a lot more interesting, what with Shakti's seeming propensity to shock things that annoyed her.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Sep 19, 2005 2:10 pm
Yawning, Shakti uncurled her tail from beneath her, making her way slowly to the edge of the bed from her usual sleeping spot on the spare pillow beside Vash--she had her own room, but disliked how quiet it was, since she was the only one who occupied it. Staring down at the floor, so far below, the lightning Elysian pondered her courses of action.
She could use the speech she'd picked up so far to wake her red-headed half elf summoner up, or she could get down on her own somehow, and go connect with a wall socket--Vash tried not to let her do so often, since it usually ran the electric bills up to incredibly high levels. Then, she could go pick over Vashtya's chocolate supply--the redhead thought he was so clever, sticking it behind the bread on the counter....
((bbl! *punted IRL* x.X))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2005 11:54 pm
Shakti made her way silently down the stairs, hovering cheerfully a few inches off of the floor. Rajas followed a few paces behind, oddly quiet for all that he possessed a stocky build. Pausing at the bottom of the stairs, Shakti looked to see if any of the other creatures who cohabited with them were up and about, before making her way swiftly into the kitchen.
One of the nie (Vincent, if you really must know) was nibbling almost delicately at a bone, obviously gifted to him by Vash the night before. The cosplay nieken was the oddest creature, when it came to treats and such. He often took proffered treats and then proceeded to save them until the rest of the house was sleeping, rather than eating them right away.
Shaking her head and emitting a low "mrrrrh", the hydra summon shook her draconic head dismissively before continuing on the way to her goal, practically radiating glee at the mere prospect of her favorite sweet treat. With a crackle of elecricity, she levitated high enough to slip gracefully onto the countertop, making her way towards the forbidden breadbox. Using her nose to lift up the door, she grasped her prize firmly in her pale lilac jaws, and the very air around her snapped with energy.
The door to the breadbox fell shut with an audible snap as she shifted away with the bar of solid milk chocolate, earning her a slightly surprised, faintly disgruntled look from Vincent, who then, mercifully, went back to his bone. Just as the hydra summon was about to take a bite of the precious, sweet-smelling treat she'd snuck downstairs to nab, the surface beneath her flippers shifted with surprisingly bone-jarring force. Regaining her balance, she peered over the countertop edge, eyes narrowing slightly as she saw Rajas staring up at her with a stubborn, annoyed expression. If looks could kill, the behemoth familiar would be dead, any onlooker wouldn't have been able to help but notice.
((to be continued...and it'll get more fun, I hooope~))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
