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 Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 7:23 pm
". . ."
Nuumia returned Haellara's question with a vacant eyed stare. At least at first he did. Then with a quick blink of his eyes he turned his lips upwards into a faint smile.
"No Mistress. I never have. Everyone in the caravan say that my head is not right because of the hit I took." Nuumian lifted his left hand and lightly touched the back of his head directly behind his ear. "Why would anyone want to put a spell on me anyways? Wouldn't it just be easier to kill me?" He continued on, for a moment a brief flicker of cunning apparent as he would easily draw a more logical conclusion to such a questionable act. However, following his rather brief moment of keen insight, he felt a throb again in his head, and he dropped his fingers from the point where he had been touching.
The dull pain did it's job well in diverting Nuumia's attention. From the topic of spells he found his mind wandering to the first thing to catch his eyes.
"What's that supposed to be?" He asked seemingly randomly. His head tilted fowards, and his hand lifted to point between Haellara's breasts at the sun symbol necklace. "I like the spider but that thing looks like a squished spider. I don't like thinking that, so it must be something else?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2009 8:59 pm
"Hmmm...." Haellara said, not convinced in the least. "Well, everyone in the caravan might be wrong, if they conspired against you to make you lose what memories you have. Furthermore, there are many reasons for disabling your memories. You could be the remnant of a high ranking house, and they wished to eliminate your memories lest you testify against them. Or maybe you saw something you were not meant to see, but circumstances demanded that they erase your memories instead of kiling you outright. It could be any number of things, really."
Nuumia's silence caused her to turn around, and once again she bore witness to Nuumia's flinching and movements with his fingers. Far from Nuumia's words putting her mind at ease, she was now entirely convinced that the little drow was under an insidious spell, and she decided that while she was out, she would acquire the means to disperse this spell and see just what it was about him that made the casters so eager to bury his memories. Was he a lost noble? If so, a great reward might be out there, and at the very least, a promising House alliance. If he knew some damning information, she was sure she could find a way to use it to her advantage. Nuumia now seemed to her a veritable wellspring of potentially useful information; she had but to find the right spot to tap it and bring the goods rushing forth.
Diverting her mind to Nuumia's query, she looked down and fingered the pendants adorning her neck. For a fraction of a second, she actually considered telling the young one exactly what they were for, but she stopped herself quickly. For one thing, Nuumia may have been young, but he was quick, and were it not for his spell, quite intelligent. If she told him the nature of her necklaces and the various charms that kept her safe, he might find some way to break past them. And if he didn't, then her brother, who was less than a few feet away and easily within earshot, certainly would. Smiling at Nuumia, she managed a cheerful half-truth; at least he hadn't asked about the heart and dagger. "It is a pendant that I believe represents the ball of light searing the surface world. It gives my fire spells more power, though they are quite damaging without it. It is merely a convenience. That and it looks pretty."
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 3:44 pm
Haellara's words were lost on him. Speaking of seeing things he ought not to have, and of nobles and lost houses...it brought on questions. His mind worked to think on these thoughts, and a flareing pain burned in his head.
Nuumia was pretty used to this happening on occassion, and he knew the best way to make the pain stop it's burning was to completely and utterly forget whatever it was that had been spoken of right before it happened. It had taken a few years of practice, but once he learned how to simply accept it, well it had just become all too easy.
Nuumia's only outward sign that anything had happened or been felt was a brief fluttering of his black eyes as he felt the pain. A clarity followed them, along with his rather large smile, and he focused fully upon the pendant. As Haellara spoke of it's representation and it's purpose, Nuumia reached out and upwards with no hesitation to touch at the smooth center of the pendant.
"Hnnnn... Not nearly pretty enough for you. But if you like it I suppose that's all that matters." Nuumia spoke thoughtlessly. "The caravan master once transported these pretty platinum and red diamond hair pins. If you poked someone with it, it turned their blood to magma and they burnt up from the inside. You could only use them once though. I think we picked them up in Lluth Dreir. I wonder what one would have done if you used your pendant with it?"
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2009 8:11 pm
Somewhat noticing the discomfort her words were beinging Nuumia, Haellara ground her teeth in mute frustration. Not that she fretted about any pain the young drow might be in; she was frustrated because if she continued to press him, she might break him and then she would never find out why he had such an elaborate spell on him. The irony didn't escape her; usually it was her pleasure to break males in any way she could and in whatever ways she could find, since she always had the means of putting them together again, physically. But mentally, THAT was a whole other plane. Minds were so much harder to restore; probably why she immersed herself so much more into physical torture than the mental; easier to fix if you make a mistake.
She smiled as she pictured sticking someone with the pins Nuumia described and watching the agony on their faces as their skin would bubble and melt like an unattended candle, their bones splintering and fusing together, the marrow turning to dust in one split second before being enveloped by the hot, unrelenting magma. The thought made her feel light and happy. "I recall a similar spell that I was fond of using; it raised the temperature of one's blood until it became unbearable. I found that overheated blood does such things to the rest of a body; particularly the heart." She smiled as she thought of what might indeed happen if she enhanced the clip's effect with her pendant. "Probably go up in a burst of flame. Good for assassinating, but all wrong for torture. It would be over far too quick."
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:10 pm
The distraction worked well. So long as Nuumia did not bother to wonder why he'd speak something so very morbid in such a wondering way. he examined the pendants strange shape, then turned to look back up at Haellara. The image of someone lighting up and turning into a small explosion was a odd image. He could only imagin a little bit how painful that could possibly be.
"Once I overheated the stew for dinner. It burnt the bottom of the pot and I had to chip it off with a rock before we could use it again." Such was the random wanderings of Nuumia's mind. His hands lifted to lace behind the back of his head while he thoughtfully considered whatever path his thoughts had taken him down currently. "You don't look like the sort to eat stew though. What do you eat?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 9:45 pm
Still partially adrift in the reverie of imagined tortures, Haellara had been listening with half an ear to Nuumia's story of the stew, but at the query, she looked down at him, her forehead wrinkling with consternation. "What an extraordinary question." She had always told her kitchen staff what it was she wanted to eat; anyone dumb enough to ask her didn;t last long in the kitchen or the House for that matter. But now that it was asked of her, and in such a harmless, inoffensive way, she found herself actually pondering it for the first time.
"You're right; I am not fond of stew. I do find fish delectable, provided it is cooked right and has many spices that make it melt on your very tongue. Mushrooms are nice too, especially the way my kitchen staff cooks them; all puffed out with just a slight crunch. But alas, my favorite cannot be found here; it is something from the accursed surface world, yet the taste of this is positively sinful; sweet and smooth and dark; food for the Goddess. I have even found a few uses for it in my chemical endeavors. If I should see some for sale, I shall purchase some, and you may have a small bit if you like. Remember it well, for I hear it is a natural allure that is difficult to resist. What was that stuff called again....."
"Chocolate," her brother rumbled in her ear. Instead of whirling on him and letting him have it for speaking out of turn, Haellara snapped her fingers. "That's the name. Some humans discovered how to make it and it seems to be in rather high demand. But I shall have some if it is available." She turned back to Nuumia. "And what do you prefer yto eat? Surely stew is not your one choice?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 25, 2009 11:06 pm
Food was a very base and casual topic to talk about. A simple needs topic really. But it was one that Nuumia was able to consider with very little problem. His black eyes brightened as Haellara would actually answer his question.
"Wow... that does sound really good. Normally when we have fish we just have them cooked in a pan with a bit of rothe butter. Mushrooms we end up eating uncooked or dried. I don't like the dried ones. They are always so chewing and tasteless." Nuumia paused to stick his tongue out in a childish representation of his dislike. He fell silent though, and listened with a strange keeness as Haellara would describe the treat she was trying to think of. When her brother spoke up, he lifted his gaze, and blinked as if he were seeing the big male for the very first time.
"Chocolate? What a weird word...definatly a surface type word...but oooh! You really will let me try some? Thank you Mistress!" Nuumia's voice and toes lifted at the unexpected promise. "What do -I- like to eat? Uhm...." Nuumia paused to think, his lips purseing with a rathre strange amount of consideration.
"I...I.... don't know. I know what I don't like to eat...but I've never eaten anything that i can say i really like. Food is food...most of it is bland though. Dried mushrooms, hard bread, jerky...things like that. There isn't much variety in the caravan menu I'm afraid. We eat because we have to, not because we want to."
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Posted: Thu Feb 26, 2009 9:58 pm
Haellara made a face as Nuumia described the rather crude way his caravan had their meager fare. Then again, she ought to expect no less from those who traveled the wilds of the Underdark on a daily basis. Her brother, her other brother, has always had a taste for plain food. To ehr it had been just another reason in an infinite list to tease and torment him, but when she had actually bothered to think about it, it actually made sense; while most drow wandered about with the ever-present smell of incense forever clouding their sense of smell, Underdark beasts had no such handicap, and what a fool you'd look, getting eaten by a hook horror who had followed the scent of garlic on your breath.
She nodded, cheerfully ignoring the faces of disbelief that her oldest brother was pulling at her. She knew what he was thinking as though he were speaking directly to her. Doubtless the young one thought her nice for wanting to treat him to such a wondrous sweet, but her bodyguard knew very well what 'chemical' endeavors she had discovered with the rich, smooth substance. To say that the smell and taste of chocolate was a good means of stimulating an encounter was like saying that House Torlyl crashing down upon your head was a good way to make your breathing stop.
As Haellara finally reached a stall and began to observe its various displays of carefully measured powders and potions, she spoke to Nuumia while her eyes roved over the various labels, still intent on securing a measure of Devil's Foot. "Well, should you prove to be a help to me, when we stop for a meal, you shall have what you like. Not drink though;I shall want you as sharp as you can be should the need arise."
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Posted: Fri Feb 27, 2009 8:07 am
The strange looks on the male were...well...strange. nuumia could not help but glance up at the taller male from time to time with a pinched wondering in his black eyes. However,a s the male did not directly adress him, he most often was spending his time looking at haellara...and currently her own facial expression of such dislike was quite funny.
"Hee heee heh." He chuckled softly. Obviously the Lady did not care for jerky, or anything else he had mentioned. Well...he didn't care for them either so that seemed to make her even nicer in his eyes at the moment.
When she paused to look over the display of a vendors, Nuumia stopped to look too. There were many things that caught his eye, and it was a effort to avoid slipping something into his pocket. Just on the random chance he'd get caught and in trouble.
"I'll try to help Mistress. What are you looking for? Maybe I can help you find it?" So soon perhaps he had forgotten what she had asked about back at his own caravan. With slight and nible fingers he started to randomly pluck objects from the table, holding them up to his eyes so he could inspect them before setting them back down in random spots.
"Oh no Mistress. I'd rather not drink. I'm bad at drinking. I really am. I never remember what happens after I drink, though the rest of the men seem more then happy to tell me."
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Posted: Sun Mar 01, 2009 7:46 pm
Pursing her lips, Haellara looked down at Nuumia, wondering just how much the little one knew of potions and powders; he might be of use to her already. "The one I am looking for is known on the surface world as Devil's Foot; when burned it emits a gray smoke that depending on how much is inhaled causes hallucinations, madness, and death. It is quite useful in small doses, and when mixed in smaller doses with incense, can be...inspirationally stimulating."
She pored over the powders, growing steadily impatient. She had been here for over a minute and the shopkeeper hadn't come over to offer his assistance. He had no way of knowing at aflance who she was, but it still irked her that he would show any slowness to a female, let alone a matron mother. Still, she mused, it gave her more time to look over the bottles and jars herself without listening to his simpering prattle over which she ought to buy.
She looked over a few acids; potent, but messy, one or two transformation powders; she had no use for those, a jar of silvery, fine-grained powder that when cast would cause a light most painful; perhaps, and a harmless jar of mushroom growing enhancer; most definitely. Plucking the good-sized jar from the shelf, she shot another look of annoyance at the shopkeeper before looking down at Nuumia to see what he had found.
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 6:26 pm
"So...it is kinda like a poison for the mind?" Nuumia questioned as he began to pick up random bottles and peer at them. "What color it is? Red? Brown? Or black?" She seemed pretty much occupied by her own search, so Nuumia did not stop his own. There were a great many bottles present and the delightful curiousity that filled him over peering at the different labled items was fun to indulge in. There seemed to be some pretty gemstone chips in a few of the bottles as well.
One bottle in particular definatly peaked his interest. A small thing that was barely bigger then his thumb sat amid all the larger bottles. A teason's amount of bright green liquid bubbled merrily within. What was it? He couldn't quite recall but he knew it was familar at least by sight. He set down one of the bottles of powder that he'd looked at previously next to the tiny bottle. Then he plucked up one of the bottles of gemstone chips, lifted it up in front of him, and tilted it while inspecting the stones. Thus giving himself a perfect view of the merchant running the stall. he seemed...to either be honestly busy, or very good at ignoreing lingering customers.
Nuumia palmed the small bottle and the one next to it with his other hand. Bringing the pair of bottles to his vest, he lowered his hand and flicked one of his many pockets open that was just below the table's edge. In he slipped the tiny bottle and the one that he had previously set down beside it inside, then carefully put the bottle with the gemstone chips back down. The slight movement of Haellara's head drew his attention, and he redirectedhis black eyed gaze up. Blinking at her, he formed a innocently wide grin up at her. "I don't think there's any here. I found some Bloodroot though. That's a blood thinner. Good for numbing pain when you get headaches or cramps, but it also makes you bleed a lot more easily when you get cut..."
Nuumia paused, and with a tilt of his head he glanced down at the contents of the table. "Why's it always seem like when there is something that is useful and good for you...the side effects are worse then what your trying to fix in the first place?"
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Posted: Mon Mar 02, 2009 9:21 pm
"In a way," Haellara replied. "Depending on how it is used. Some can find a temporary state of madness to be inspiring. It's a dull gray color, in the form of a fine powder. Quite unremarkable really, until you expose it to heat." She continued to search for it, looking with mild interst at the bottles that seemed to catch Nuumia's eye. The one with the gemstone chips looked quite interesting; perhaps she ought to ask the shopkeeper about what they did.... she smiled coyly as she saw the bottle vanish into one of the young drow's many pockets, but she said nothing; instead she motioned the shopkeeper over, finally tired of being ignored.
"Yes my Lady; how may I be of persistence?" Haellara let out a snort; she enjoyed it when the uneducated tried to sound educated. Trying to tone down her obvious amusement, she cleared her throat. "Yes; I am seeking a powder known as Devil's Foot; I wish to buy a bottleful. And while I have your attention, at long last...." She leaned in closer as though to whisper. "I would like your strongest spell or potion designed to revive supressed memories; I have a comrade who is suffering from supressed memories due to an unfortunate spellcasting, and I have need of those memories. I shall pay you most handsomely."
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 7:10 pm
Nuumia had bobbed his head at the explanation, and continued to pick through the bottles on the table. Even when the merchant finally appeared to provide his required service, nuumia did not stop picking up the small bottles and looking at them...or shaking them..and setting them back down into completely different areas.
Truthfully...He knew on some level that he was hoping to be a distraction. Or a annoyance. An Annoying distraction, for the merchant. if he was paying more attention to what he was doing, he was paying less attention to haellara, and that meant...meant...?
Nuumia's head was starting to hurt again. The ploy and game he had been playing he abandoned and suffice to say, he ceased playing with the bottles. Instead he thrust his hands into his pants pockets, and turned his attention onto the brother guarding Haellara. For the next few moments, as Haellara spoke with the merchant, giving him the information concerning what exactly it was that she wanted from him, Nuu found himself stareing intently into the face of the large muscular male. Haellara was whispering something to the merchant, and though he could have probably heard what she said by paying more attention to what she was saying, he choose to ask her aloud.
"Are you asking about the chalk-a-lot?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 03, 2009 9:11 pm
Giving the obviously sticky-fingered youngster an uneasy glance, the shopkeeper nodded at Haellara, but not before giving Nuumia a strange look and mouthing the words 'chalks-a-lot?'. "We do indeed have Demon's Foot, my lady; wait right here and I'll fetch it." He turned and began to walk back the way he had come.
"That's Devil's Foot!" Haellara called after him, making a sound of disgust and rubbing her temples. "Forget Lung Rot; what we need is an antidote for stupidity." She blew out a sigh of frustration and looked dow at Nuumia, who for some reason appeared to be staring at her brother as though expecting him to do a trick. Fat chance; her oldest brother was as stoic as a slab of rock, but he HAD been rather expressive recently. Perhaps this newest addition to their party unnerved him, or maybe it was her obvious interest and he was trying to warn the little one away. Fat chance; she knew she had what it took to ensnare a male, regardless of age.
The return of the merchant with a grubby bottle of what looked like ash distracted her momentarily and she reached out for it. As she looked expectantly at the merchant, he carefully pulled out a small bottle of what looked like blue ink and a tiny scroll. Leaning in close to her (and looking as though he was enjoying the view), he whispered, "Give your....comrade...the potion and recite the words on the scroll so that he can hear them. Anything supressed should gain enough power to break through." Looking saddened a little, he straightened up and held forth his hand. "Seventy gold."
"Forty," Haellara said without batting an eye.
"Sixty."
"Fifty-five."
Grumbling, the merchant accepted the gold and turned hids back on her as slowly as he dared; he apparently knew just how close to the line he could venture when it came to disrespecting a female.
Smiling smugly, Haellara handed the bottles to her brother and looked down at Nuumia. "Well then; shall we go?"
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Posted: Thu Mar 05, 2009 3:00 pm
He waaaaaaaaasn't blinking. He waaaaaaaaaaason't blinking... Nuumia kept his black eyes opened wide and staring at haellara's brother as he tried to distract his mind enough for the headache to go away. He was happy to be successful. His head was no longer throbbing. But he was quickly growing bored. Should he try to do something? The guard hadn't really done much lately. Would he react if Nuumia took one of the bottles and tucked it into the guards pocket? He might break his wrist if he did that...
What if he randomly picked up a bottle and made the motion to swallow it whole? The guard would probably just keep watching..though in his mind the image seemed rather funny. Nuu's mouth opened wide, eyes still fixed on the guard, and a small bottle being gradually lowered to his lips. Nuumia giggled at the image, thus causeing him to blink and lose his self initiated staring contest.
What did catch his attention, was the batering occuring between Haellara and the merchant. He turned and peered back and forth between then. his eyes ping ponging as each spoke. "Did you win?" He asked rather curiously as Haellara would end the encounter with her smug question. "Only if we're going to find the chalk-a-lot. Otherwise I say we stay and mess up more of his bottles!"
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