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 Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:17 pm
Blade Kuroda Glancing at the bills Lamia had taken out, Shun was somewhat surprised to see currency that he recognized. The things Seist had shown off were rather different, however. But, he wouldn't be surprised if those held more value than the paper.
"It's called a dollar, something used on Earth. It's from America to be more exact," he explained, not that he felt the other man would have any clue as to where he was talking about.
As this Priest continued to speak, Shun started off with a raised brow but slowly furrowed them together as he went on.
"If I knew how to go back, I would have done so by now," he said lowly, "I hear it's difficult and rare for someone to leave this place, but not necessarily impossible. As for magic..."
He trailed for a moment there, narrowing his eyes as he paused, not sure why it was that this guy wanted to know where the magic users were. There could be a number of reasons why he would try to seek them out. He'd have to be a little careful here.
"From what I can tell, this place is filled with people from all different planes. Of those who were here first, I'm pretty certain the dragons know a thing or two. Everyone else is hit or miss. I do know the location of one person, however, and I can tell you who granted you say exactly why you seek them out." Kiddo Seanchain Seist listened quietly, blank incomprehension on his face at the mention of America. It was apparent he knew as much about that land as they knew of his. However, at the mention of dragons, Seist's composure changed entirely. His head snapped up and his eyes went impossibly wide. His hand fell to his sword hilt and spasmed reflectively around the grip. Even the air around the three seemed to go cold until Seist managed to inhale and calm himself. Things returned to normal then and the priest seemed to relax a bit, although his shoulders remained tight and the strain of worry was evident in his eyes.
"Best we avoid the dragons for now, I think," he said dryly, "They may not look too kindly upon me if they knew my homeland, and if they are dragons from my world... I have no desire to be enslaved. Although, I would know all you can tell me about them. I am sworn to one of their kind and they might honor that oath." He grimaced. "Or not. I was never too certain on the details of that bargain. Oh, twins, I am truly in over my head this time..."
He swept the coins off the table and replaced them in his pouch. What he set out next on a table was directly in front of Shun, a tiny gem the color of blood.
"Ruby," Seist said evenly, "For information about this person without the reason for desiring it. My secrets are my own, friend, and if you cannot accept my bribe without the reasons behind it than we are at an impasse." Then he smiled slyly. "Besides, what is this person to you to protect? You are a stranger here too, are you not?" Luna_et_Noctis Lamia raised her eyebrows when the man levitated the coins, and they went even higher when Seist mentioned his priesthood. Unconsciously, she shifted a little bit back in her seat. When Shun spoke up, she nodded when he advised that it would be hit or miss with the common folk, and made a mental note to ask him about where exactly from earth he had been from. As the priest offered Shun the ruby, Lamia hoped he was not referring to who she thought he might be. As she had to another so many years ago, she advised Shun with worry in her voice, "Shun, if you are thinking of the person I think you may be, it would be wisest not to speak of him." Cartagia Not really watching where he was going and still lost in thought, Blakely let his feet guide the way to his destination. He absently flipped the dagger in its custom shaped sheath; the sound of the fountain splashing water all over its obscene stone imagery slowly waking him from his daydreams.
As he got closer to the Worldspanner's Inn, Blakely chanced to look up and noticed... nothing. For a moment something stopped him. It was almost as though he had heard his name called or felt someone staring openly at him. Shaking his head, Blakely moved on, adjusting his cloak about his shoulders while secreting the blade underneath it. Blade Kuroda "Don't cause trouble and they'll leave you alone. The dragons are one of the law enforcers around here from what I've gathered," Shun said plainly. It seemed this guy had some issues with the draconic beings, but that wasn't too out there. Many people had trouble with dragons for varying reasons.
Staring at the ruby brought out, he narrowed his eyes somewhat, distrust flaring up within him. His gaze flicked over to Lamia briefly as she spoke up. It was good advice really.
"This isn't an offer I can take. It's within my best interest that no harm comes to this person. I may be a stranger in these lands, but I'd rather not sever too many connections so early on. People have their uses. Betrayal doesn't exactly win any points," he said cooly, trying to word things carefully. Johnathan Fletcher As Teagan stood by the ornate fountain in the square, a light-haired gentleman wearing a gray suit and carrying a briefcase walked up to her, smiling. His eyes were dark, and the smile on his lips did not quite seem to reach them. His dress was quite singular, especially when compared to the robes and cloaks many of the truly residents of Serendipity wore. "Hello young lady. You look... lost." His smile widened to an almost unsettling degree and his voice was soft and quick, flowing like a serpent as he spoke. "I am in the business of finding lost things and making them useful; a practice, I suppose, that has infected my hiring process. Forgive me if I am mistaken, but I assume you are a new arrival to our lovely city, and are in need of funding." He extended the hand that was not holding the briefcase. In it was a business card. Luna_et_Noctis Seist frowned in response to Shun and Lamia's words. He scooped the ruby back up and returned it to his pouch.
"Sounds like a formidable person," he murmured, his eyes resting on Lamia and they lingered there, traveling once over her form and taking in her appearance with calm deliberation. He gave a thin smile when he was done, perhaps pleased with what he saw, and then turned his attention back to Shun. "But I understand your position and while inconvenient, it is commendable. I truly wish I could be forthcoming with the two of you, but sadly, I do not think there is anyone I could unburden my intentions to other than another priest of my order and we are very few in number. It is a noble cause, however, I can assure you of that. But tell me, are dragons a common sight? Causing trouble is the least of my concerns... if these dragons are like the ones I'm familiar with they will be able to sense my presence just by being in proximity."
He frowned. "Maybe a simpler question. Can these dragons fly? On their own power?" Finoewae  As Teagan continued to people watch, with a smug grin on her face, she suddenly felt very strange. Someone was watching her...no, approaching her! There he was, coming right to the fountain.
Ugh- he caught me smiling. now he thinks I'm being friendly!
A man, dressed in a plain suit, stood needlessly close to her as he greeted. He sounded professional and sly, as she'd expect most businessmen to be. But by now she'd learned that some only use it as a ruse. Maybe it was the case here. He looked rather boring except for that business card.
He spoke about her plight and extended his card to her, confidently and promptly. The grin on her own face had long washed away, and she kept a stern glare at the man, still trying to decipher him.
"I'm afraid you're mistaken sir," she took the card from his hand sharply. "What gave you the impression I'm lost? I'm merely doing my job." Hopefully this one actually believes my stupid lies... "I'm merely watching for troublemakers." She looked way for a second, then continued. "But you're right one on count. Currently I'm dissatisfied with my funds and I'd like to be in possession of more. So, you've slightly peaked my interest. And you are??"
She raised her eyebrow at him. Hopefully he wasn't the type to dismiss the authority of a woman. Hopefully he hadn't deduced that she held no authority.Luna_et_Noctis Lamia turned from looking at Shun, eyebrows still creased slightly. "I have not had the pleasure of seeing one yet. But," they relaxed and raised, "I would assume that they can, as I have seen places on this Fort Cerxes that are accessible only by flight. From the ground, of course," she raised her shoulders slightly, looking over her shoulder, "I have no means of flying." She smiled. Blade Kuroda At least Seist hadn't tried to press it further. In any case, Shun had a feeling he was going to be careful of what he did lest he ended up with an unneeded target on his backside. Watching as the ruby was swiped away, he thought back to what he knew of the dragon he had seen earlier on.
"I didn't get a good look at the dragon but I believe so. It had shown up pretty abruptly and given how large it was, I don't think it just stormed in by foot."
"Besides, I don't really know of many dragons who can't fly by their own power in general." Johnathan Fletcher "Johnathan Fletcher, very pleased to make your acquaintance." he responded, expression unchanging. His hand was still outstretched, though he flipped the card up between his fingers in one very fluid motion. "I am the owner of a little business that is currently contemplating...expansion, if you will. We, as I have said before, deal in the lost. The pay is based upon commission, but let me assure you- my employees are never wanting for work." Kiddo Seanchain "That's reassuring," Seist said, leaning back in his chair, "In my homeland, dragons cannot fly without first enslaving a human. We stole their flight, you see, long ago. Tore it away and buried it in human souls. I carry a piece - as does every human - and without that a dragon cannot fly. So you can understand why I'm a bit nervous around dragons. I'm a target, a means for them to regain the skies, and I really do not wish to have my very will taken from me. If I didn't have so many other things to worry about I'd wish to take a look at these dragons here and see if perhaps what was done could be reversed... although... that might be too close to violating my oath..."
He frowned and raised one finger to the corner of one of his scars, a thoughtful and reflexive gesture. Then his face cleared and he smiled at both Shun and Lamia.
"Tell me, what is your world like? I can only surmise so much from paper money. Are humans also the dominant race?" He pointed a finger at Lamia. "I ask this because I sense that you are not what you seem to be on the surface." Luna_et_Noctis "Oh? Lamia responded, in a slightly higher pitch than normal. Inside her head, she was frantically scrambling for a lie, any lie; failing to think of one, she quickly decided to do the next best thing: cause a distraction.
"Go that way- scare someone. Don't bite, just scare them, NOW" she thought desperately to her snake.
"How so?" Smiling, Lamia leaned on one arm towards the man, dipping just low enough to show off a bit of cleavage. As she did so, her snake slid discreetly out of her bag and up a neighboring table. Finoewae Teagan raised her eyebrow even more as the man continued to explain. But her face softened a bit.
"Johnathan?" she repeated quietly. "Pleased to meet yours as well." She looked him over again. Maybe this man wasn't so bad. Despite the fact he gave her the same uneasiness that Blakely had.
Time for another alias...
"I'm Amanda..." she lied. "The business sounds interesting. Is there somewhere we can sit and talk though? I'm rather thirsty." Johnathan Fletcher "Yess, follow me." he man motioned for her to follow him and walked down one of the many avenues leading off of the square. The lane was large, and had quite a few people strolling down it. Finoewae Teagan already had better feelings about this man, despite the more obvious slyness to his character. It was probably his look of professionalism. Professionals can be dirty people, but they're dirty in a tidy sort of way. She was one of the few people that could understand this concept.
They walked down the wider, more welcoming alley, hopefully towards a comfy inn or bar. Teagan was also hungry, but to mention so would have looked more desperate than she wanted. She kept her eyes on Johnathan though, this wasn't the time to just let her guard down. Hopefully they'd reach their destination soon. Blade Kuroda "Humans are," Shun nodded as he answered simply, "There's other races around; demons, dragons, elves, and other things as well."
However, the comment Seist made toward Lamia shifted his attention. She wasn't a human? Furrowing his brow, he caught that shift in her tone, making her sound fairly surprised. It was hard to see why that was considering she seemed to have regained her composure pretty quickly. Either the question just confused her or she really wasn't a human and was trying to hide that fact. If the latter was the case, he might have to watch himself around her. He had no issues with non-humans in general, but there had to be a reason if she wanted to keep something like that under wraps.
Rather than saying anything else regarding his home world, he just sat silently to see how this exchange would go. He was perfectly fine with not talking. Johnathan Fletcher Teagan quickly got her wish. They passed only a few shops before the man stopped in front of a medium-sized red and purple building with gold trimmings. A little bell tinkled as he opened the door and held it open for the lady following him. Inside, Teagan could see a woman sitting at a very ornate wooden desk, smiling up at them. Luna_et_Noctis Before Seist could respond, an earsplitting shriek followed by a crash from a table over cut through the entire room. People were standing up and moving back, and a few were drawing weapons. A cobra, hood fully displayed, was twining around the table and neck of a horrified woman. Her companion had fallen backward in his chair from pushing back too quickly, and was trying to scramble to his feet while shouting expletives. As everyone turned to look at the debacle, Lamia swept up the bundle of coin off of the table and kicked Shun in the shin to get his attention, nodding towards the door as she rose from her seat. If Shun looked at Lamia, he would notice a greasy looking man coming up behind her, clearly paying no attention to the fiasco happening near him. Blade Kuroda Turning around as he heard the scream, Shun narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on. At first, he couldn't tell what, but he soon saw the cobra wrapping itself around a woman's neck.
"Where the hell... " he started but was cut off by a grunt as he felt Lamia kick him in the shin. Glaring at her for doing such a thing. Catching her motion, he grimaced and saw the man coming up behind the woman. Frowning, he just got up and kicked a chair at the guy, aiming to slow him down if possible. Finoewae "Thank you." She said politely as they both made their way inside. This building was rather nice, and appeared to have a lobby. Teagan wasn't sure of what else the building contained, but for now, there was a woman at a large desk, greeting them.
"Lead the way Johnathan." Teagan said quietly. Her stomach rumbled, and she blushed a little.
Of all the times...god...I would think my stomach would be used to not eating by now. Luna_et_Noctis The man didn't even see the chair coming to dodge it. It caught him solidly on the knee with a loud crack. The man swore loudly and fell heavily forward, catching himself on Lamia's shoulder. As he fell, Shun saw the glint of metal in the man's other hand. "Ah!" Lamia's face twisted into a grimace in surprise and pain and let her shoulder drop, sending the man sliding into Seist.
Pushing past the people crowding at a reasonable distance around the woman, (Who was currently gasping, "Don't shoot it, don't shoot it!" to her partner drawing his gun) Lamia ran for the door. Johnathan Fletcher "Good morning, Mr. Fletcher!" the woman at the desk said cheerily, rising. She had long white hair drawn up into a loose bun, and was very pale. "And hello to you ma'am." she said warmly to Teagan.
"Samantha, I am positively famished," Johnathan said as he walked across the room to a thin metal staircase that spiraled up into the ceiling, "why don't you bring up some breakfast for us, while this young lady and I discuss business?"
"Oh course sir! Coffee, sir?" She answered, her voice high pitched but sweet.
"No, tea today please. And, miss...Amanda, you would like.....? I also have some stronger choices in my office, if neither suit you." He asked, pausing before he began the ascent. Blade Kuroda Shun caught sight of the metallic glint and that didn't bode too well considering Lamia had cried out around then as well. Frowning, he ignored the commotion going on with the snake and reached out to grab the woman's wrist so they could high tail out through the door. If she was wounded, they'd have to deal with it later.
Seeing how she had been incredibly eager to leave at first, he had a slight feeling all of this had to do with her one way or another. He just didn't know why she would feel the need to cause a scene like this and get away. Luna_et_Noctis Lamia's wrist felt as cold as ice under the man's fingers. Once outside, Lamia briskly walked down the closest side street off of the plaza. It was in the wee hours of the morning, so while there were a few people loitering in the square, there was no one down their lane. Stepping into the shadows of an alley between two shops, Lamia finally stopped. "Well, that was unusual." she commented quietly as she smoothed her hair down in the back. Blade Kuroda Feeling the woman's wrist being incredibly cold, Shun glanced down at her hand but said nothing so far.The young man was more than certain Seist had the right intuition at first seeing how no human should feel that chilled. He didn't let go until they were out of the chaos and in the alleyway. Narrowing his eyes with suspicion, he crossed his arms and stared at her hard.
"Mind explaining what that was all about?" he asked lowly. Luna_et_Noctis Lamia crossed her arms as well, leaning against the wall of the alley, silently cursing her rotten luck. She was silent for a few moments. "If you were something...slightly unusual, would that be the guy you would want to discuss it with?" She turned to look at him, eyebrows knit, a bitter half-smile pulling at her mouth. The offer Shun had refused weighed heavily on her mind. Blade Kuroda For a few moments, Shun eyed her critically but then backed away to lean against the opposite wall of the alley. He was still watching her carefully, but he was looking for any sign of injury more than anything else.
"Fair enough."
After all, he had hidden his own abilities from Seist. He didn't lie to the man at all, but he certainly didn't tell the whole truth when he said he knew of a person around that knew magic and that it was within his best interest that this being didn't come to harm.
For now, he didn't ask what Lamia was. As far as he was concerned, it didn't matter.
"In any case, I'd say this is a pretty secluded area." Luna_et_Noctis Lamia face-palmed with a groan. "N-never mind; I mean, I---I... think it might be best if you found someone else...." she said weakly, watching as every single one of her nicely laid plans came crashing down around her. She hated when this happened. She tried to steady herself, silently rolling ideas quickly over in her mind to try to salvage the situation. Nada. Cartagia You could just go over to him and say hello.
Not likely.
Normal people did that. For some reason Laveris could not seem to think that way, instead she was thinking of how to make an enterance and, while she was waiting for inspiration to strike, she could take time to...appreciate him; she grinned vouyeristically.
She wondered what he would do if she ran over and just grabbed hold of him. Stab her probably, he had those kind of reflexes, he'd have done it before he even realised and she didn't feel like dying today. Plus it was not really the kind of dignified introduction she was looking for - diginified for her at least.
It took some time, following him at a distance, to realise his destination. That Inn, she really didn't want to go back in there right now, she'd only quite recently made her exit from that place. She moved a little quicker, closing the distance between them, until she was close enough behind him for him to hear when she put her fingers to her mouth and offered a whooping whistle in his direction.
"How much do you charge for a piece of this?" she asked with a wide grin, gesturing at his form. Finoewae (Amanda)-Teagan gave him a curious look and thought for a moment.
That's interesting. Well he must have a more accurate perception of me than I thought, if he assumes that I'd be willing to even go near liquor...
"Stronger choices? Haha...Tea will be fine for me." She smiled warmly, for the first time in ages, and followed him up the stairs. She wasn't sure if her content smile had come from feeling more comfortable with the man, or from hearing prospects of food.
They continued their ascent, for what seemed like hours. It was a tall building after all. Finally, they were presented with a hallway, which branched off to several others. She wondered where they were going now. Hopefully she wouldn't get lost if she had to find her own way out later. Blade Kuroda Shun did not look all too amused when she said that. It was pretty annoying really.
"I've just spent the past couple hours setting up the agreements with you," he grumbled, "And you're backing out now?"
Muttering something incoherent under his breath, he ran his hand through his hair while looking out the alleyway. If he had to find work elsewhere, then so be it. Luna_et_Noctis Lamia narrowed her eyes at the man's irritation. Anger; her dear and familiar friend. It could steel her nerve as quick as lightening. "First off, that is not quite what I meant." She took a step forward towards him off of the wall, arms still crossed, but a smile growing on her face. "Second, if nothing else, you got a free meal out of keeping me company. And finally, my offer is still good," she held up the bag of silver, "But I need to know that you aren't planning on backing out." She smirked at him.
"Just throw sand to the wind and see where it falls? I've never felt so alive. Stupid, but alive." she thought sardonically to herself. Johnathan Fletcher They turned down at least three different hallways before the man stopped at a nondescript door. Turning the knob slowly, he held the door open for Teagan, motioning for her to take a seat before sitting down himself, leaving the door open. He smiled his odd smile before assuring her that breakfast would be arriving momentarily. "No sense talking business on an empty stomach." The office was small but relatively cozy, painted in warm red and purple designs. There also was a strange little door on one wall that Teagan might recognize as a dumb waiter.
After making polite conversation on whether she was comfortable, a quiet ding! rang from the little door, and the man rose, pulling two trays of a hearty breakfast out, as well as two cups of tea, complete with sugar and cream. "Enjoy," said the man as he sat down and began cutting his eggs. Finoewae She eyed the breakfast happily and gave a sincere smile again to her new acquaintance.
"Thank you very much, I will." She began to pepper her eggs and sip her tea nearly before she'd finished her sentence. The warm food hit her stomach and she sighed happily. She hadn't eaten this decadently in her entire life. It seemed like a normal breakfast to some in the upper class, but considering her poor background, this was truly heaven!
Even the tea was something she'd never experienced before, despite having tea from many places around the world.It was sweet, gentle, exotic. She had completely let her guard down at this point. She might as well have been having brunch with a friend.
After about a half hour, Teagan had finished her meal, and so had Johnathan. She looked up at him and smiled courteously, waiting for him to begin discussing business. Sadye 
"Sure cutter, but it never hurts to ask, savvy?"
At the mention of staying at his place Sadye held up a hand and shook her head. "I got a place here...apparently..and it's closer to where the chant will be, so thanks but I'll pass cutter. If you need me you'll be able to find me here."Devaena  Dev perked a brow in interest. "Another language? And you'd never even heard it before?" It would explain some of her interesting abilities perhaps, such as how she had survived the dragon's breath without a mark, although Dev surmised that was something to do with those interesting bracers. Perhaps she could pry for more information. "So are you a spellsword then? Blending magery and swordplay into a whole?rhyn crenham Maybe he was just loosing it himself. John Tyler stared at the man for a moment, letting his face relax. "Never mind." Was his final statement. It was probably just something he'd misunderstood. It was best to just drop it right now and move forward. After all, Lamia and that man she was with had disappeared into a building off in the distance and they were probably wondering why these two were taking so long. And if they weren't, John Tyler still didn't wish to keep them.
The large man turned and motioned with his hand to the small man. Though, through all this excitement, he realized he'd still forgotten to ask the man's name. Which really should have been the first thing he did. Well damn. But there would be plenty of chances. And if there weren't, it wouldn't much matter. For now, he focused on heading off to the building he had watched Shun enter. D. Blakely The sound of the whistle didn't really phase Blakely - much - the plaza was full of noises - still, it was such a human sound that it broke into his thoughts. The voice though was another matter. Had his daydreams all of the sudden intruded into reality with some absurd twist? His brows drew down with an incredulous expression as he turned. It couldn't be her... but what if it was?
Torn between believing and not being prepared in case it was true, Blakely's forced his expression into what one would expect to see after a catcall, as he pivoted on a heel - somewhat slowly, to face his assailant. It felt like he had been kicked in the stomach. Laveris... His mind blank, Blakely did the only thing which felt natural and also didn't require words - he allowed his eyes to travel up and down Laveris slowly, with an extremely open appraisal.
All of the usual responses he might have made felt weak and all played into her little game, which did not suit him. It really pissed him off that he had to even consider what to reply like he cared what she thought of him. What, was he a child? But that was the trouble with women, they messed up your head and went out of their way to make your life difficult in ways you never imagined. Even if it meant dying and showing up out of the blue to give you a shocking day opener. And yet... she was here, and dead, and why that should matter to him either pissed him off even further. But somehow it seemed wrong that she would be dead, out of sync.
As Blakely reached the end of his look he almost opened his mouth to make a comment about her having changed her viewpoint on slavery after all, but discarded it. He didn't need a fight here, and that was his only reason he told himself.
"Laveris... you should know the answer to that question, already. For some things the price is too high, Empress. Looks like you've already paid for it though." He gestured to the surroundings with a vague wave of his hand. "Considering how peaceful things have been the last week, I'm going to guess you just got here." Blade Kuroda Staring back at Lamia, Shun noticed the shift in her demeanor again. Well, at least the offer was still on the table. He still didn't know what it was she had in mind, but it probably wasn't anything he couldn't really handle. At least that was what he figured.
"I don't plan on it," He said lowly.
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:19 pm
RADI0 Mouse  π π π π π π
"Ha ha, she is a beauty." Amelia laughed at Lita's awe. "My reaction was quite the same as yours - but they're quite the devil to work from the inside."
The woman smiled as she thought back to the first time she saw a skyship flying above the skies of England when she was 10. It was an experience she'd never forgotten and something that had helped her endure the endless days working in the grease and steam filled rooms of the engineer's domains on the Eboreus.
"And how about yourself?" Amelia asked once her fool's grin had subsided a bit. "You've never been outside your city and you've got a ghostly fox for a guide - what's your story?"Cartagia "Paid for it already?" Laveris echoed, momentarily puzzled before the meaning came to her. "Oh, you mean...you think I'm dead?" She laughed softly, giving him an equally appreciative appraisal as the one he had given her, sliding her eyes over his body. "Sorry if it disapoints you, but I'm not. Although exactly how I'm here otherwise, infact, escapes me. But given that I had this in my pocket when I arrived I rather assumed it was something to do with you, or your Great b***h-tress." She pulled the card from her pocket, the jack of clubs, holding it up so he could see it. "Perhaps this is some illusion, maybe I've been drugged? Or maybe it's just a plain and simple dream - although in my normal dreams you have less clothes." She grinned wickedly but affected an air of casualness, waving her hand dismissivly at the comment. It hadn't even occured to her that he might well be dead himself.
"As for the rest, I have been here little under a day infact," she admitted as she took a further step towards him, her gaze having rested on his eyes, a contact that she now refused to break. "Barely enough time to cause any amount of trouble - not that I'm worried about it, because afterall with you here I'm sure there's enough trouble going." She stared at him, her thoughts maddened within her mind, nothing more than a jumble of voices; with nothing to follow she felt she was acting on whatever her impulses were telling her. Was she really pleased to see him? What a strange feeling to have, but she was, curious as it seemed. Why she couldn't say - even already some of her memories seemed confused and hazy, like looking at the sky through a gauze curtain. The memories she did have seemed to be falling off her tongue as she remembered them, as if her mind simply wasn't processing them correctly.
"Well?" she tilted her head as her steps drew her up close to him. "Aren't you going to say hello, Darcerius?" Blade Kuroda Looking at the small bundle of coins, Shun reached out to take it, pausing as he heard Lamia saying she needed blood. The first thing that crossed his mind was that she was some sort of vampire, but he recalled seeing her out earlier during the day. Then again, she was pretty well covered..
"You're going to bite me?" he grimaced. It didn't sound particularly pleasant. It raised a couple flags as well seeing how he couldn't be sure that she wouldn't go overboard or anything like that. Luna_et_Noctis Lamia grimaced as well."It sounds so terrible putting it like that..." she winced. "I'll leave it up to you. A knife would also work, but a ki-...bite... won't hurt, or leave a mark." She reminded herself to use laymen's terms to not add any confusion to the delicate situation. _striped__wolf_
Lita nodded. They would be hard to work, they must be huge.
Lita fidgeted at the mention of her past.
"First. I come from a giant city that has super tall buildings and very scary people. Demons live with humans where I come from. They eat or take human bodies for vessels." Lita said simply.
"Well..." Lita began slowly, not entirely sure what to say about her past.
'Just go with it, Stupid. You've got nothing to worry 'bout. I'll eat her if she does anything annoying.' Demon said, trying to reassure the girl. She grinned before she began to speak again.
"My brother, he left home when I was six and mommy and dad began to drink this yucky smelling stuff-"
"Booze." Demon cut her off with a growl, "Her parents turned to a life of pleasure and they forgot about her." He said gesturing to Lita. She nodded.
"I left home and went to find my brother. He had sent me letters, so he couldn't be far. I then met Demon. I saved him and he saved me." She said proudly.
"My past vessel was growing old and weak. I needed a new one, I saved her from the cities brothel owner. No kid needs that life." Demon said sternly, trying to seem like it was nothing.
"So...I made a deal with Demon, if he could help me find my brother, I would be his vessel. He agreed and here we are!" She said with a grin as she pulled her hat lightly.
"I have trained her how to use a gun well and how to run. I do the rest of the fighting." Demon said simply.
"So...uh...yeah. Any questions?" Lita asked scratching at her neck markings.Blade Kuroda "Those sorts of things don't really bother me," Shun shrugged. Potential scars and a little bit of pain wasn't a problem for him. He was more concerned about losing too much blood more than anything. Though, there was still that question of if he could even die again while on this plane.
"Which would be easier for you?" Johnathan Fletcher Once they had both finished eating, Johnathan put both trays back into the dumb waiter and shut the little door. He pulled a cord near it before sitting back down with the delicate grace. "Lovely, I hope you enjoyed your meal. Now, down to business. As I mentioned earlier, I am in the business of finding things that have been lost, among other things." His grin widened again. "However, if I was to try to fill all of the orders that come my way, I would scarcely have time to breathe, let alone pause long enough to enjoy the pleasant company." he nodded at Teagan. "That is why, many years ago, I decided open a business about it. Now, my employees help me balance my work and keep me from quickly becoming overwhelmed." The man unlatched his briefcase and drew a thick stack of papers from it, bound with a thin red cord. "These are all of the requests I have received just from last night. Unbinding the cord, he picked up a sizable portion of the stack. "Samantha will shortly be coming up to deliver these to each respective expiscor or, finders, if you will. "However," he set the stack aside and held aloft 4 or five sheets, "these have no one to see to them. Rather than taking it upon myself to complete them, I would much prefer hiring a new hand." Luna_et_Noctis Lamia weighed her options over in her head. She had rudimentary knowledge about human medicine, at least in this specific area. She knew that whether she cut or bit him, the danger of taking too much would be present. However, if she cut him, his body would have to exert its energy healing that in addition to the blood loss. Her saliva would heal the bite marks instantly.
"It would probably be better for both of us if I bit you," she said finally. "Where would you like...?" Blade Kuroda Waiting patiently for her reply, Shun nodded. He still wasn't too certain of this but he suppose she'd have a little more control with a bite. Rolling up his left sleeve, he offered up his left wrist to her.This way if she got a little too eager, he'd have a little easier time of prying her off than if she was right at his neck.
"You sure this is what you need now?" Luna_et_Noctis "Yes," she said simply as she bent over his extended wrist, dropping the bag into his other hand. As her fangs cut through the thin skin of his wrist, a euphoric sensation spread quickly up his arm and through the rest of his body. Lamia drank carefully, taking pains not to bruise the surrounding flesh. Blade Kuroda When she bit down, Shun twitched slightly. He had expected a p***k of pain at the very least; as it would if he were getting his blood drawn with a needle. This proved to not quite be the case as he felt something rather different instead. Thrown off the the unexpected, he kind of got lost in the sensation until he realized that he was starting to get a little lightheaded from the bloodloss.
By that point, she had already seemed to stop drinking. rhyn crenham "Nevermind" indeed. Rhyn was usually one for avoiding strange conversations, especially when they concerned him, but the ideas that had just been thrown about weighed heavily upon his mind, and as it were, he couldn't just disregard them. He noticed the man wave him forward as he made to head off in the direction the remainder of their party had wandered. He hesitated in speaking, as the man seemed as though he was disinterested in carrying the conversation further.
He took a few steps forward but paused. "You had mentioned something about myself being 'psychic'" he began. "What do you know, regarding the topic of psychic abilities" Rhyn added specifically, curious if the man knew anything concerning the matter that he did not. It was only a myth as far as Rhyn was aware, but perhaps in this man's world it actually existed within some individuals. For the present, he was intent on milking as much information as possible from the man. Luna_et_Noctis As she drank, the coldness from her lips vanished, and her hands warmed slightly around his. Running her tongue over the bite, she felt the skin close as it normally did. "Well, that is a relief," she thought. It was nice to see things working as they should.
"Thank you," she said as she straightened, looking at him gratefully. Some of the tenseness that had been on her face had relaxed. "Ummm..." What to do now? Lamia was not in the practice of taking blood from those who were aware of it, and she was uncertain how to proceed. "You said earlier you knew about America, and Earth. ...Were you from there? Have you heard of Gotham County?" she asked, slightly uncertain, trying to mask her uncomfortability. Blade Kuroda Leaning against the wall again, Shun was taking a moment to try and collect his senses. There was a sense of agitation he felt, due to how worn down he was right now. Shaking his head, he glanced up as Lamia had asked him regarding Gotham County. While he had done a fair amount of traveling, he hadn't heard of the one she mentioned.
"The only 'Gotham' I'm aware of is the one Batman is from.. a fictional place," he murmured, "But yes to the other questions." Kiddo Seanchain Seist took the commotion in stride. He simply stood and backed against a wall, silently watching the two make their escape and he made no move to follow them. His hand fell to his sword hilt and he briefly debated. There was too great a chance of harming the woman should he stab the snake and besides, it was all too convenient. If the lady wanted to make an escape than it would be rude to interfere.
"America must be a strange place indeed," Seist murmured under his breath. He made a mental note to not blurt out such things, even if they were obvious to his sight.
Seist gathered himself up and strode out into the streets. Talking with the strangers had cleared his mind somewhat. He released his talent as he walked, settling it around him like a living net, tasting the air for the scent of any creatures with magic in their blood, be they mage or non-human. A bit crass, to be certain, but at this point Seist could be a touch careless with veiling his talent. If another mage sensed his presence, well, perhaps that was what he wanted. Luna_et_Noctis "Fictional? Manhattan, Gotham City, New York?" Lamia looked slightly crestfallen. "An alternate reality perhaps?" There went asking for any news. "Is there a New York in your America?" WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
Rivek played with the empty glass in his hand. So. Incredibly. Bored.
Perhaps one of these new strangers would be kind enough to entertain him. In his drunkenness (and pleasure - for it had been awhile since he'd kissed anyone), he'd missed a lot of what had happened recently, but there seemed to be a lot of new people... quite a few with facial scars. He chuckled.
Blade Kuroda Interesting. It seemed that Gotham City existed where Lamia was from. A part of him had to wonder if it was what he was familiar with. That would be... odd, yet intriguing.
"New York exists, yes. As does Manhattan. Gotham City, however, does not," he answered simply while resting against the brick wall. Hopefully he wouldn't need to be doing more running or fighting any time soon. Right now, his body likely wouldn't be able to handle that.
"I'm guessing it does where you're from, though," he added. RADI0 Mouse π π π π π π
Brothels...? Amelia's heart slowed at the mention of Lita having to be anywhere near that sort of situation. No child should have to go through that, and Amelia's helplessly idealistic side felt strongly that if only she had done something differently - no matter the fact that Lita sounded like she came from a different world entirely - that this innocent, charming little girl wouldn't have had to deal with that situation.
"Demon, it seems I've misjudged you." The skyship captain said, leaning forwards, pressing her palms together between her knees as she looked sideways at Lita and, by extension, Demon. "Thank you for defending her from that life, for teaching her to fight. That's something I wish I had had during my own childhood."
Amelia nodded silently to herself, reassuring herself that Lita was here, alive, whole and still able to smile. She looked to the girl sitting next to her and smile under the mask. "Your resilience is inspiring, Lita." The woman asked another question, pushed by a sudden curiosity. "What is the name of your land?"
If she's from Earth, there may be some way for me to help Victoria more yet... She thought, half motivated by a drive to protect her half-sister, half wanting simply to explore more lands as a skyship pirate._striped__wolf_ Demon gave a snort.
"Most people do. It doesn't matter to me, I misjudged you as well, Girl. It is fair." Demon said simply. The rest of the statement caught him off guard.
"She is my vessel, I wasn't going to let her be weak...Not that she was when we met," Demon said as Lita grinned wildly, "Do not long for what you wish you had. You wouldn't be the woman you are today otherwise."
Lita was slightly confused.
"What does 'resilience' mean?" She asked, her mask slipping a small amount as the girl tilted her head.
"We are from Northern America, near the Caribbean islands. Or America, whatever you have hear it called." Demon said cutting in.
He was confused as to how to people from different times could get along. Even for demons that had such lifespans, it never happened. If you born during a certain era, you only went near others of that era, you never strayed. This between Lita and Amelia confused him. Lita was just happy to have someone to speak with other than Demon. Kiddo Seanchain Seist's net didn't take long in snagging some things of interest. In fact, they were everywhere. Bemused, Seist slowed his walk and examined the signatures of all the creatures that were around him. There was one in particular that he couldn't place. It was... odd. He'd never encountered anything like it before in his life. The mage turned and his eyes locked on a figure just outside the inn. Seist frowned. He had wanted to put a bit of distance between himself and the commotion, but, well, this was a curiosity. He had no idea what the woman was.
"I can handle myself," he muttered under his breath and walked over, putting on a charming and disarming smile.
"M'lady," he said quietly as he approached, "Pardon my intrusion, but I am a newcomer here and I was wondering if I might beg a moment of your time." LadyFox The moment with Rivek had been nice, and Lurp lingered on it briefly. She hadn't gotten the information she was hoping for, but it had been worth it to approach him. Now that the moment was over though, Lurp needed to get back to work gathering intel. If Rivek hadn't found a way out of here yet, it certainly dampened her chances of finding one (he seemed like he'd been here a while), but that didn't mean she wasn't going to try. Besides, even if she didn't find a way out, she still needed to know the lay of the land here, politically, socially, and geographically. She stood and her ears twitched at the sound of approaching footsteps.
She turned toward the man, and tensed, ready to throw the glass of applejack still in her hand, or, in worst case... She didn't want anyone to see her shift, but it wouldn't matter if there were no witnesses left afterwards. Her ears flicked back and slightly down indicating distrust.
"Milady..."
The man's quiet, friendly greeting relaxed her and Lurp straightened and stood to her full (in this form anyway) height though her ears remained back.
"Of course," Lurp answered "how can I help you?" She cocked her head and blinked innocently. She'd chosen her current petite height to seem safe and unthreatening. If she needed to disembowel him, she would have the element of surprise on her side.
Lurp wasn't the philanthropic type, but it never hurt to cull favor from others. You never knew when you might need to call them in. Luna_et_Noctis "Yes," Lamia said thoughtfully, looking down the alleyway to the bright street. She was concerned that the priest from earlier might have had thoughts of pursuit, though, the kindly man who had shanked her in the bar had given her a decent reason to leave. She decided to hold off on healing that wound, in case she needed it. She tentatively touched her ear, trying to gauge the the damage. It burned badly and touching it made her wince. She decided to attend to that first. Willing her blood to that area, she felt some of the stinging subside, but she knew it would be at least two nights before it faded completely. She was now hungrier than before she fed. She sighed manually and tried not to tune in to the heartbeat she could faintly hear across from her. Then she was struck with a thought; in her haste, she had forgotten to pay her bill, and had forgotten to tell Finn the man had accepted the temp cook position. ".... I'll be right back..." Lamia groaned. "You probably shouldn't walk for a bit..." Kiddo Seanchain Seist noted the downturned ears and stopped a safe distance away, clearly indicating that he was willing to keep a physical distance between the two. He put his hand over his heart and gave her a slight bow, one that would be given to someone of lower rank but still worthy of respect and honor.
"In my land," he said gently, "I am a priest. I have traveled across every land but that of the fae in service to my twin deities and even then, I have still encountered enough of the fae to believe I have met every kind of creature that walks under Lahmear's Crown. But - and I beg your forgiveness for being so bold - I have absolutely no idea what you are. I sense the presence of magic all around me here and yet..." He waved a hand absently towards the crowd in the streets. "I recognize perhaps half of the signatures and traces floating in the air."
He smiled pleasantly, somewhat ruefully. "I'm out of my league you see, and so I must beg an answer: what exactly are you?" Blade Kuroda Interesting. Shun had to wonder if those super heroes happened to exist in Lamia's world as well or if the existence of a Gotham City was merely coincidence. Shaking off the thought as it really wasn't all that relevant to much of anything, he nodded lightly to the woman before sliding down against the wall so he could sit.
No magic for him for a little while too for that matter.
For now, he just tried to relax and recover, as well as hope that no one would try to mug him while he was more or less vulnerable. It'd be bad if he ended up passing out in the middle of a fight because he just donated blood. LadyFox Give credit where it's due, the man knew how to handle cornered animals. Between the thoughtful spacing, the gentle tone of voice, and mention of the man's occupation, Lurp's ears ticked slowly back up. They didn't quite reach their full normal height. She was still wary, but at least not hostile.
And then he asked her what she is.
Lurp had only been asked this question by one other person still breathing, and she had been TRYING to kill him at the time. Others who'd come close enough or seen enough to warrant such a question had been quickly disposed of. But she'd never had someone read her magical signature before.
Though her face remained neutral, Lurp choked, setting off a coughing fit which she endeavored to quash. "Wood Elf." She wheezed out.
When Will had first read up on her people, he had described them as "squirrel elves" so this would work for now. It was not as if she was going to give an honest answer to that question.
Kiddo Seanchain "Wood elf," Seist repeated, turning the words over in his head. If he noticed Lurp's reaction to his question, it apparently didn't register under the novelty of finding something new out about the world around him.
"I - hmm." The priest frowned, scratching at the tip of one the scars under his eye. "Now, I do believe that the fae of my world sometimes use the world 'elf' to describe certain appearances common among their kind... the traitor prince was elf, if I recall the rumors that were coming from the Borderlands correctly. But it's not really a race designation among their kind, more a... physical description. Maybe an offshoot branch of the fae? Or maybe poor translation between languages - whose to say the fae even exist on another world? Although the dragons do, and humans do, so why not other races?"
'Then he shook himself, as if remembering there was another person around and turned his attention back to Lurp.
"Seemed to result in more questions and few answers," he said ruefully, "But I thank you for answering what may have been a very personal question." LadyFox Lurp was much to old to start regretting lying now, even if the one lied to seemed like a perfectly nice gentleman. 1) he was still human so far as she could tell. 2)He was still male, and thus not worthy of true trust and 3) better safe than sorry.
"It's no problem."
And then because she still wanted information herself, asked "How long HAVE you been here?" He said he was new... was he new enough that he was still willing to talk about his death? Lurp was trying to figure out if the way one died had something to do with ending up in this place, but those who had been here for any length of time avoided talking about it. It was very frustrating. Kiddo Seanchain Seist frowned at that question, more in thought though than displeasure.
"I'm not entirely sure," he confessed, "To my recollection, it's been barely a day or so. But I keep thinking back to those moments between my death and waking here - I wonder if there was something that happened there that I cannot recall. I should not be here. This is an upset to the natural order and the guardians of such things in my world would have intervened and prevented this. My soul belonged to the twins."
He frowned, a sudden flash of anger and hate drawing his mouth into a thin line and narrowing his eyes as he cast his gaze aside and away from her. Then it was gone and he was again composed and serene.
LadyFox Lurp tread carefully. For all his gentleness, that flash of anger reaffirmed what Lurp had been thinking, that no matter how nice a person seemed, they were still dangerous.
"I...I'm not supposed to be here either... I am trying to find a way to get where I belong. If you don't mind my asking, how did you die?" Lurp is prepared to be rebuffed, but she's got nothing to lose in asking. Kiddo Seanchain "Someone killed me," Seist replied instantly, seemingly unruffled by the question, "I was hunting another mage down out in the Borderlands. He'd done some... terrible things and I swore that I would stop him. We clashed and... I lost..."
He trailed off, the memories coming back to haunt him. Intellectually, he knew that he had been lucky. Had he been taken alive... Seist closed his eyes to banish the thought.
"His magic is cruel," he said softly, "I was lucky that I died quickly. I can only pray that someone stronger or cleverer than I will put an end to him. If you don't mind me asking, how did you die?"
His eyes met hers, only a shadow of what he had felt at the question being posed to him remaining on his face. Finoewae
Now Teagan's interest was peaked. She took a deep breath, unsure of what to expect. She had an idea, but it wasn't certainty.
"May I see them then, Mr. Fletcher?" she asked confidently. "Hopefully I'm right for the job. I'm a quick learner so you'll find I'm right for a lot of jobs..." She watched him, excited to see what she'd have to "find," and what the act of finding would entail...RADI0 Mouse π π π π π π
"Wisdom fit for your nature, Demon." Amelia said with a short laugh. "You're right, of course. Thank you."
The world-traveled sky pirate nodded. "America, yes..." But the girl's clothes hardly looked like something the typical American would wear... "I see..."
"Sorry, I know I'm staring. I've just... I'm quite used to seeing people from my own... place." Oh great, she sounded like some intolerant noble, despite that she staffed many a hand from outside of England on her crew. "Well, more like a different land altogether. But it's amazing, to hear that you're from such a different land..." Amelia's awkwardness melted away to genuine curiosity and that spirit of adventure she hadn't enjoyed since she was 8. "I can't imagine what your world might be like, but please, tell me more, if that's alright?"keiyani She had been floating around since she had arrived there. How she had even landed in such a strange place was still a mystery to her. Yes... floating. Drifting around aimlessly as nothing in particular had caught her attention, at least not enough to go explore anyhow. The sun had set a good while ago, crowds of people were flowing out of a large building, moving and filling to various nearby inns and pubs.
Hmm, a pub... her stomach growled reminding her she hadn't eaten for hours now. This place appears to be quite popular. She noticed people coming in and out, drunkards staggering about on the sidewalks and in the gutters. Perhaps they have some decent food- and alcohol for that matter she smirked mildly. The drunkards could make for a good conversation, and generally speaking, the inebriated tended to divulge all sorts of information, which she could use to her advantage, to find him. At the very least, even if the search didn't prove fruitful, she could at least find an entertaining conversation or encounter.
Landing lightly, the green haired female made her way toward the lit doorway, careful not to stumble over any customers laying on or falling to the ground. Squeezing her way through the crowd of people clogging the entrance, she made her way to the counter, finding a seat that apparently had been vacated only moments prior to her arrival. A somewhat thin man with lengthy white wings sat to the left. Taking a seat, she alerted the bartender.
"Something mild, please" she notified him. Turning, she observed many enjoying the night, loud songs were being sung, some groups where arguing loudly, then her sight fell on the man next to her, mindlessly fingering his drink. Huh, she mused, a bird-man. At least that's what he appeared to be. The glass he played with was empty. No telling how many drinks he had polished off in the last hour. Perhaps this fellow was drunk. Perfect. She turned to face him.
"So where do you come from?" WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
Rivek figured he should take it easy from here on out. He could continue in some respects but in other respects - specifically, financial ones - he wasn't doing too well. His employer didn't look kindly on him spending his salary on alcohol.
He wasn't used to women approaching him first - be he kind of liked it. Made the whole thing easier.
He smirked, "From wherever you'd like me to be from, miss."keiyani Smarmy already. Smirking inwardly she plastered a calm smile across her face to his response. Taking her glass that had been set before her, she picked it up, but didn't take it to her lips, she simply swirled it.
"Is that right? Very well. I suppose I asked because I was curious where your wings came from. I've just found, it's uncommon," waving her hand gesturing toward him "even here to find a man with bird-like wings protruding from his back." _striped__wolf_
Demon made a noise of appreciation.
Lita blushed.
"It's okay. It's fun to meet new people. Maybe everyone here is from a different place." Lita said tugging on her hat.
She began to explain what her home was like with the help of Demon.
"Well, where I'm from it's all giant brick buildings that touch the sky it seems, but they were always falling over. " Lita began as she avoided eye contact. It was easier to explain pieces of her past and explain the buildings, but Amelia didn't ask for both, so she kept from doing so as much as she could.
"The slums. Where the lower then the low live." Demon said gruffly cutting in. Lita nodded.
"Yeah. I never saw the pretty pieces of the city. I only new about the fire part of the city and the alley ways." Lita said softly.
"The brothels and the bars. They frequently caught fire because of riots. Stupid here got along with the busty maids from the brothel. But that deals with our past, not our home." Demon explained.
"The alleys were scary. You never slept in one unless you were looking for trouble. I mostly climbed into bushes and trees to sleep." Lita said quietly. She felt ashamed at how she lived, but if it meant finding Levi, she would do it.LadyFox Even if what was left was only a shadow of what he had felt at being asked the question, it was enough. Well, he was the one who had started with the personal questions afterall. Tit for tat.
Lurp felt surprisingly little about her own death, which was strange, given how much death had always terrified her. Now that it was done and over with, she couldn't drum up much emotion over it. It was only the aching for Will that hurt.
"Of course." She had no objection to answering him in kind. "It was a mage for me as well. My...mate and I, we worked as mercenaries sometimes. He liked to help people, liked to be a hero. So we were very careful about the kind of assignments we took. It was usually just the two of us... doing something the people who hired us couldn't do themselves for whatever reason. But this last job..."
She paused, frowning as she went over the events again in her mind. "There must have been someone...on the inside. Someone in the group that employed us that wanted the mission to go wrong." It was the only answer that made any sense. "It was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission. Get in, get what we came for, get out again, but they were waiting for us. Somehow they already knew we were coming and were ready with a pair of mages when we tried to leave."
Lurp shook her head. "We weren't very good with mages. Neither of us used magic ourselves." Not to mention that Lurp herself was very weak to elemental magics, and fire in particular. She didn't need to reveal a weakness to a stranger though, and she left that part unsaid. "We managed to get away through the catacombs below, but they followed and caught up to us. I..." She stops for a moment, the pain of the memory striking her for the first time. "There was fire, and Will was in the path of it, and I just...didn't think." She remembered pain so searing her vision literally turned red, but that was not what had her eyes stinging now. It was Will... Will's face as she died. She wished she didn't remember that part. The longing for him hit her hard and sharp, like an unexpected dagger in her gut and she trailed off. WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
"They came with my job. They're equipment I got form my employer. Hope I don't have to give them back, though." He lifted them, letting the pinion feathers drag along the bar floor. At this point, it was difficult to tell if the brown tips were the proper barred pattern - or just plain dirty.
"I'd think, though, there are people with much more interesting traits than mine." He pointed at the grey-skinned, horned girl sitting down the bar (Sadye~!).
"And with more interesting - potentially more scarring - stories." He then pointed to a table across the room where a black-haired woman, covered in scars, sat (Astra! ).
"But, in due respect, my humble flying appendages do bring me here - to look for trouble, no doubt," he laughed. "Trouble in women like you. After all, what brought you here? It can't have been good fortune."keiyani "I haven't the foggiest." She waved off the question, looking back down at the refection in her glass. "Granted, there are many strange and bizarre characters here" she continued at length. "But I have a friend back at home who has wings like yours, only black. Perhaps that is why you caught my attention. That, and this spot was empty when I came in" she remarked, pointing downward. "Hence why I asked where you came from" she reminded."Whether or not you desire to answer though, is none of my business. Call it curiosity if you will." WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
"You've piqued my own curiosity as well, haha. A friend? A platonic friend? A good friend? A closer-than-friend friend? Care to explain."
"Rivek Ailinar," He bowed his head slightly. "Please to meet you. I am a trader of stories of sorts, if you will."
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Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2011 3:20 pm
keiyani "Keiyani" she nodded in response. "It's a pleasure."
"Well," she drew the word out thoughtfully "I should have said, he is more like a little brother, as he is considerably younger and inexperienced than I." She giggled lightly. "He'd be embarrassed if he knew I was talking about him like this. So, what would you term your race as?" WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
He grinned, "I was a younger brother to a very, very, very mean girl. She threw me in the lake and hung my dry underwear from branches I couldn't reach. I hope you're not like that. As for my race..."
"Human," he laughed. "Plain, ordinary, human guy."
He placed the glass on the counter, hopped off the bar stool, and stretched his wings as far as the two people next to him would allow. "Doesn't explain this, though, does it?"
"I was a magician, sorcerer, wizard, charlatan, conjurer, enchanter. We use the term 'mage' where I come from. Was. I do other things now. Don't suppose you have those where you are?"Garath As Lurp trailed off, a swarthy looking man limped up to two, nodding to Seist. "'Scuse me sir. Sorry about interupting, but I was wondering if you might be able to help me. I saw that you were sitting with that dark haired guy a few minutes ago. I'd like to find out a bit of information about him, or the woman that he was with. He got me pretty good on the knee with that chair, and I'd like to... apologize to that woman. I came down pretty hard on her shoulder, and I fear I might've nicked her with my knife as I was goin' for the snake." He raised his knee up as he was explaining, but otherwise looked casual. Greasy, but casual. "Slithered off, by the way. Can't seem to find it. Best keep an eye peeled, it looked poisonous to me." keiyani "It sounds as if your sister was very mischievous." She swirled her drink again. "If by those terms you mean individuals who can control or command various elements, then yes" she nodded "we do have people who are like that where I come from.
"Your wings are curious though, aren't they" she remarked as he relaxed them. "A handful of our people are of a race that have wings, like yours, and while their ancestry goes back to humans, we do not consider them to be human.
"You say you are simply a human, but your wings seem very much a part of you rather than an accessory. Based on your additional comment earlier, I imagine your state is uncommon for 'ordinary humans' from your homeland."
Noticing his empty glass he placed on the counter-top, she raised a question, "can I offer you another drink?" WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
"I think 'dead' is a pretty universal state." He looked around and muttered under his breath, "You wouldn't be here if you weren't. Don't know what in your right mind keeps you focused on my wings, though. They are what they are - a third set of limbs, and more to wash in the bath."
"These winged people of yours - angels? That's what they call them here, at least. What're they like? Right jerks, I bet, if they're anything like the ones here."
He raised an eyebrow, "You buying? Tell you what - you got some sorta magic power on you? Show it to me, and the drinks on me for a change."
That way, he could get a round, too. .... If she agreed, he could totally count this as a business expense.Johnathan Fletcher The man stared at her with a pleasant expression on his face for a long time. Then, he opened up one of his desk's drawers and removed a thick piece of paper that looked like a contract, handing it to Teagan. The paper was thick and yellow, but did not appear to be from age. The ink of the document was a bright red, as were the several seals stamped in places on the document.
"Unfortunately, it would be a breach in contract to discuss any request received with individuals outside of the company. However," he spread the five documents out on his desk before raising one up, "I believe this one in particular might benefit from your attention." keiyani "Dead huh?" a wide grin spread across her face at his comment. "I couldn't have guessed, as I feel just as alive as I ever have. Will wonders never cease... Oh, I tend to get fixated on topics or things now and again" she shrugged, chuckling.
"Far from angelic, but no lower than you or I. They are a race of birds. Well, their mannerisms and some of their physical attributes are of birds, but some of their characteristics are human. At least the ones I have met seemed decent, and hardly jerk-ish." She smirked. "You must have met a couple of gems in your time here to make such an assumption."
"Yes, I was offering to pay, but it appears you are hard up for entertainment, proposing I do a trick to earn a drink at your cost" her smirk growing wider. WoefulInfinity He laughed, "Well - I'm going off firsthand experience. I'm quite like a bird myself, and I'm a bit of a jerk."
He lowered his voice again, "Used to be able to talk to them, but I lost that power in the - well, the transition."
"Honestly," he shrugged. "I've had - uh, quite a bit already. I would be glad to see just a trick, no alcohol involved." Finoewae She didn't feel uneasy the entire time of the meeting with him, for some reason. Teagan started to wonder if it was her lack of uneasiness that should be a warning.
..I'm just too paranoid sometimes...
Johnathan offered up some papers and once again stirred her interest. She could hardly wait to review what he'd planned for her. As he took out a single document, strangely colored and stamped, her curiosity was burning holes into her brain.
"Oh, this one?" She eyed it quickly but then kept her eyes on his. She had a more serious expression now. She meant business after all. "Please tell me more then. I'm listening. Don't worry about telling me, I'll sign on for now, and we'll go from there. I'm good with keeping personal things personal, and professional things professional." WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
He sighed, "I'm afraid that's not going to earn you a free drink, ma'am."
Or me, either, he thought with a slight frown. "I'm sure you must have something - or you would have admitted to having nothing."
"Shall I up the ante with a full meal?"keiyani "Good call" she admitted diplomatically. Her stomach then growled again, rather loudly. "A full meal sounds more appealing." Her silver eyes gleaming at the thought. "It seems I am not up for anymore drinks for the night either" she shrugged, motioning to her untouched glass. "Can you give me an example of what you are looking for? Perhaps this isn't so much of a game to you as it is information gathering of sorts?" WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
"A meal it is, then. Magic? Talent?" He shrugged. "Give it any name if you will. Mine's pretty obvious." He waved his wings slightly.Johnathan Fletcher The man nodded, his pleasant smile widening. While it did not seem to carry any hidden malice, its length did now cross from possibly unsettling to unsettling. (Though Teagan might not notice in her excitement) Setting down the contract, which looked to be written in some strange foreign script, the man withdrew a small fabric bundle from the same drawer. Carefully unwrapping it, letting the corners of fabric drape over his hand, he revealed a beautiful ink pen wrought from delicately spun gold. He offered it to Teagan with both hands. Ornate flowers and vines, with fantastic creatures crawling over them could be clearly seen upon closer inspection. If Teagan takes the pen, he will then motion to a glass ink well. Lawrence Jackson As Shun was recovering in the alley, waiting for Lamia's return, footsteps could be heard on the stone of the quiet lane the alley ran off of. A man passed by walking quickly before glancing over down Shun's dark alley and stopped, staring at Shun. Luna_et_Noctis Lamia slunk down the street back to the inn, sticking to shadows and keeping a watchful eye peeled for Seist or her new "friend." Heading down the alley to the backdoor she had used before, she stopped to count out the silver for Shun's meal. Crouching in the darkness of the alley, she carefully divided it and dropped the remaining coins into another bundle. Blade Kuroda Hearing some footsteps coming by, Shun's eyes opened to see who it was. Looking up, he saw a man stopping to stare at him. Narrowing his eyes, he stared back warily, not sure what he wanted, if anything. Lawrence Jackson The man stood looking at Shun for several moments before he smirked, and, removing his hands from the pockets of his worn leather jacket (in a style that Shun probably found familiar) walked casually down the alleyway towards Shun. "Ya'll right there, kid?" he called. There was something vaguely predatory about the way the man held himself, but it was difficult to place. It might have been the lowered angle of his head or the slight tenseness of his arms, but whatever it was, it was unsettling. keiyani This could be fun. She hadn't had the opportunity to modify her form at will in a long time. The change, for the time being might also serve useful, as there seemed to be many odd, powerful people about.
Looking around the room she noted a candle just short of a meter away. Reaching across the counter-top she slid it to a space in front of them. Closing her eyes she inhaled deeply, eyebrows furrowing. The nails on her left hand gradually turned darker until they were entirely black, lengthening by a couple of inches into points, much like the nails on a birds talons, except larger. Her fingers remained the same pinkish complexion but the skin became rough and ridged. Scales became more distinct as the phenomenon eventually covered the entirety of her hand and forearm, gradually becoming indistinguishable from the smooth human skin near the region of her elbow.
That was likely all her needed to see, but she was having fun. Besides, demonstrating a little more about the qualities of the skin couldn't hurt. She placed her hand at the candle's flame, holding it there for a few minutes. Pulling it away, there was no sign of reddening or inflammation at the location the flame had been touching.
"Is that show enough for you? If you could produce fire larger or hotter than this flame, I could oblige that as well." She laughed inwardly. Rhyn would have a fit if he knew she was doing this. 'Reckless' he would say. Always so careful. She frowned slightly. Could he be here? RADI0 Mouse π π π π π π
Buildings that touch the sky...? Amelia couldn't believe it - there were some tall buildings in London, but nothing that she could imagine touching the sky. But she listened all the same, wonders such as that were part of the adventure and the mystery of new worlds.
And for all that splendor and buildings that touch the sky, they still have poverty... The woman nodded silently as the explanation went on.
"I see, I see... I can't say I know what being in an area where fires were common from riots is like, but I can tell you that your history reminds me of my own." She said, running a hand through her hair. "I was thrown from my... ah... home, you could say, at a young age. I lived on the streets by thieving and scrapping for years, fell into prostitution. It was a few years before I could find someone like your Demon. She was an old... friend... It's thanks to her that I'm alive as well as the Captain of the Eboreus."
Amelia knew during those days on the street, the only thought that kept her going was freeing Victoria from Conroy's controlling Kensington System, and the days when she lost sight of that were dark. I wonder what kept her going...?
Blade Kuroda Glaring at the stranger as he as approached, Shun's right hand moved towards his side, ready to grab a dagger if need be. He didn't like the way this guy was moving towards him. It probably didn't help that he was already on edge due to being in a weakened state.
"Just fine," he said lowly. _striped__wolf_
Lita's eyes widened at hearing that Amelia's past was like her own. It made her wonder how she would turn out when she was older. Would she be an expert with her guns? Would she be beautiful like she remembered her mother to be? Would she find Levi? Would she even be herself when she was older?
She nodded to clear her head and grinned.
"So you went all through that and you're still so cool?!" Lita said excitedly. It was better to focus on what she was being told, not the fears that her imagination was thinking of.
"Was your friend nice? Or did they not like you at first?" Lita asked curiously.
Demon gave an annoyed noise. Lita was going to make him curious if she kept going the way she was.
"Stupid, don't pry. Also, Girl, I'm sorry to hear that you had to live like that, but I am only sorry to an extend I hope you realize." Demon said shortly. Lita giggled.
"Don't believe him. He's just a softy." She said as the markings on her mask glowed brightly.
"Quiet! Stupid!"Lawrence Jackson "If I were you, I wouldn't be chilling in a dark alleyway. It may look nice 'round here, but there are still some bad folks out at night." The man offered his left hand to help Shun stand up. His right was held a little strangely, and if Shun was paying attention, he noticed something long and thin slide from the man's sleeve into it. In the dark, it was hard to see even the man's face clearly, but it wouldn't be a long shot to guess it was a knife
WoefulInfinity | Rivek Ailinar |
Rivek winced and scratched his knuckles. The idea of holding flesh over open flame was all too familiar. Lucky bastards here usually didn't remember how much it hurts to die - to be gutted to the core and burnt to a crisp. Some people were so lucky, they didn't even remember dying at all. Rivek was decidedly unlucky.
When she finished her experiment, he raised an eyebrow. "I'm impressed. A dragon, perhaps? I bet that's good for barbecue. They don't chase after you for having crazy powers like that? Of course, I bet you're used to hiding it all the time, aren't you? I believe there are quite a few here who can relate."Blade Kuroda Shun was tired, but that didn't make him stupid. At home he wouldn't trust some stranger walking up to him in an alley and that wasn't about to change here. Narrowing his eyes, he glanced at the extended hand and ignored it.
"I'm well aware," he said lowly before pulling out one of his daggers, "I happen to be one of them."
He was still on the ground, which put him at a bit of a disadvantage, but he'd find a way around it should the stranger try and pull something. Lawrence Jackson The man's eyes narrowed, and there was the slightest delay before he pulled his hand back. With a quick, barely discernible flick of his wrist, the object in his right hand disappeared up his sleeve as he raised both hands up and took a step back, laughing."Hey buddy, I didn't mean nothin'! No need to get excited." As he spoke, the man ran his eyes over Shun's position and flicked them quickly to glance at the main street, calculating the situation in his mind. The kid was still on the ground and alone, but there was that dagger... RADI0 Mouse π π π π π π
Amelia smiled at Demon's strange, restrained show of caring. "You're a strange one, Demon, but one I can understand well. You remind me of my old Captain - he'd always say he didn't care much, but you knew his heart was for you."
At Lita's comment on her being "cool", Amelia gave a short barking laugh. "If by 'cool', you mean I'm able to keep my head during bad situations, then absolutely. I learned the hard way what brashness can bring with the wrong people." And though she wanted to seem as though that didn't bother her, the fact that Lita was so similar to what she had been years ago, Amelia felt an overpowering need to be truthful. "I may seem outwardly calm, but it's a battle that's hard won. There are many things which... which make me lose my composure. But it's a pressure that every Captain feels, and one that myself in particular feel most strongly. My crew demands I be strong and stoic, my duty demands I be passionate and my heart demands I stay true to Victoria - at times, keeping cool façades brings me near madness, unfortunately."
Amelia leaned back on the bench and looked out into the crowd.
"But enough of my troubles - to each her own, correct?" She laughed lightly, wishing the subject away. She gestured to the dancing masses with their leering, beautiful and swirling masks. She held a hand out - half-joking, half-serious - to Lita.
"Would you like to dance?"keiyani It seemed fire wasn't a friend of Rivek as he flinched at her demonstration. She laughed lightly at his supposition. "You are correct in your assumption. I am impressed." She smiled, running her nails lightly across the counter-top. This man proved to be quite experienced. "I am pursued, I suppose" she mused. "Not by any average adversary though, as my race is quite formidable." She smirked. "Top of the food chain, as many would put it. I have been in hiding for other reasons. It isn't as simple as persecution." LadyMatrona 
Mandy stood carefully on the roof, staying about a foot from it's steep edge. This was not a particularly conformable place to sit and she was finally feeling calm enough to deal with other people again. But now, The other Mandy had been so kind as to leave her stranded on a roof with no ladder or steps to climb down. How ever you would think of it, Fortunate or unfortunate, this had happened many times before in her short life. though somewhat embarrassing to admit, Mandy had always been jealous of the others abilities. But by now she had learned that trying to imitate her was a bad idea. The other had just given up the body, and so she may not even have tried to take it back, but Mandy couldn't take any chances.
Looking over the roof she spotted a thin drain pipe running down a back corner of the pub. As she approached it, Mandy noticed a few old, rusted fasteners holding the drain to the building. There was a trick to this climbing thing for her, but these scrapes where just what she needed. Mandy could be brave when she needed to be, but her small hands weren't yet strong enough to hold on to just the pipe. But, at least while her fingers where small, these strips could be used as handle bars.
Mandy crouched to reach for the lip of the roof. After finding the spot and securing a firm grip, Mandy swung her body over the edge of the building. No sense in being hesitant about it. waiting and taking her time would only make things worse. If there was one thing the other Mandy had been good for, it was this: That Mandy was confident. Or at least significantly more confident then she may have otherwise been. Mandy was shy and quite by nature, but after all this time, learning to deal with the others' constant bullying, Mandy had learned to stick up for herself. She had learned to be brave and had perhaps even grown up a little faster.
With only a few quick movements, Mandy found her way down the drain and on to solid ground at least. Warily watching the darkened back door Mandy turned quickly around the corner and into the light of the tavern windows. looking up at them, Mandy saw a large crowd of people all talking excitedly or sitting relaxed at the tables.
"Nice spot." Mandy whispered to herself sarcastically. Of all places to be, Mandy would not have picked a crowded pub. But a crowd was better then walking the streets alone at night. Walking around to the front of the building Mandy came to the front door. Slipping between the tall legs of guests blocking the entrance, Mandy looked strait ahead, dodging the confused looks and stares given to her by the many adult strangers.Blade Kuroda Keeping his blade out in the meantime, Shun's expression didn't shift as he managed to get the other guy to back away a little.
"Then best keep to your own business then," he warned the stranger. If he could scare off the guy without having to exert himself, that would be nice. Otherwise, he'd have to see what he could to about him. He supposed he could always try to slash his ankles or something to that effect. LadyMatrona
Mandy stood in the middle of the crowded room, trying to decide who to approach. She was sad the demon had left. She hadn't met many people yet but he was probably the one she was the most comfortable with. Part of her wanted to go and apologize to the man the other Mandy had been screaming at earlier. She might have gone looking for him but didn't see him right away. And the other Mandy hadn't been completely wrong. Mandy hadn't had the body to feel what the other had, but she could still feel something around him and it made her uneasy.
Far worse then him though was the woman from that group. She didn't make Mandy's head buzz, but she did make her plenty uneasy. That women seemed nice enough to her face, but something about her just seemed too weird.
Looking over the crowd Mandy noticed a green haired woman standing at the bar talking with a man. White eyes. Mandy remembered her previous conversation with the demon man. She was still interested in that conversation but perhaps she could do things better this time. That last one had ended up in disaster. Perhaps she should just try to be friends first.
As she drew closer Mandy noticed that the women's eyes were actually silver. Mandy hesitated for a moment. Not white. And she was already engaged in a conversation. "Don't hesitate." she silently reminded herself. Silver. White. Same thing right? No. But close enough. And she had already interrupted someones conversation earlier today. This time, would be better because she wouldn't try to change the subject anyway. She just wanted to be friends.
"Hi." Mandy said cheerfully to the woman, walking closer to be heard. Hopefully the woman heard her over the crowd. She had said it loudly but she was so small. Hopefully she wouldn't have to yell to be heard here.
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