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 Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:10 am
Distressed
Hawk tries to appease Athan's anger.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:12 am
Erh, Maybe You'd Be Interested In..?
Hawk startles the new artist Athan hires on.Thabara It was early afternoon when the door to Twilight Designs opened rather abruptly, and a young woman stumbled in, looking quite a bit as if she had been pushed. Her face was flushed deep red, her arms hugging a portfolio as if clinging to it for her dear life.
“Ah …” She said, remaining frozen on the spot once she'd regained her balance, and generally looking every inch the proverbial deer caught in the headlights. “Good day …?”
With an expression of utter desperation upon her face she turned her head to look over her shoulder, mouthing a quiet: 'Don't leave me alone!' at whomever was waiting outside. To no avail, the door mercilessly fell shut. Reyna Crelos At the sound of a customer having entered the shop Athan headed towards the front room and abandoned the newest trinkets and baubles he had been tinkering with. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of the woman whom had entered. She seemed terribly flustered.
"Hello," he replied smoothly as he strode towards her, "Is there something I might assist you with?" Thabara “Ah …” She kept glancing back over her shoulder, eyes wide behind her half rimmed glasses. From beyond the door a cheerful, clearly audible 'Go for it! You can do eeeeeet~!' could be heard. The young woman's shoulders sagged, and she drew a deep breath, apparently resigning to her fate.
“I-I-I was wondering …” She stuttered. “I mean. This is clearly a well established shop, and you probably don't have the need, lest alone interest at all in, erh …” She drew another deep breath, apparently forcing herself to speak more calmly. The knuckles of her fingers clasping around the portofolio were white though. “I design jewelry. And create it. And I was wondering if you might be interested in selling it, on a comission base?” Her gray eyes blinked owlishly behind her spectacles. “Am I talking to the right person even?” Reyna Crelos Athan chuckled good naturedly as he listened to the young woman stammer. Poor dear, she was beyond nervous! She must have been also why Hawk had positively insisted he dress only in his more basic attire. The ever present robes had been left at home. His typical ominous air, which he was quite partial to, likely would have made her faint. He also figured his rather plain black slacks and dress shirt also lead to her assumption that he was not in charge of the shop and merely an employee.
He reached forward to pat her gently upon her shoulder in an attempt to reassure her. "You are indeed speaking with the owner of this establishment. My name is Athan," he told her in a low, calm voice, "I am actually looking into hiring additional artisans on to the shop. We are also considering expanding the shop to include the neighboring vacant storefront towards the beginning of this next year. We have one main artist here, but with the holidays swiftly approaching she is doomed to be overloaded with work."
And it was best to not overwhelm the demoness. She was cranky on a normal basis, and though she was loathe to admit it for even a moment, she was in dire need of help on the influx of holiday orders they always recieved shortly before the beginning of the winter season.
"I don't suppose you've met her?" he questioned as he peered at the young woman curiously. He was not certain if he had seen her before, but if she had met Reyna previously, well, it would certainly account for her anxiety.
"Regardless," he spoke up with a pleasant, if not outright charming smile, "I would very much like to see examples of your work." Thabara “I'm Miranda. Luciere. Miranda Luciere. Geez, you must think I'm not even able to remember my own name …Pleased to meet you. And, ah, it's my first time coming here, I haven't met anyone yet. A friend recommended I come here and try my luck. The one that's standing outside and laughing at me failing,” she added with a sour expression, seemingly having calmed down enough at least for a little bit of gallows humor.
“Examples. Yes. I have them.” She finally seemed to remember about the portofolio she was holding in a death-grasp, and thrusted it at Athan as if it had suddenly become burning hot. “It's photos only, of pieces I already sold. Online.” Reyna Crelos "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Miranda," Athan told her in earnest. He accepted the portfolio from her with a smile. "Would you perhaps care for refreshments?" he offered politely, "I have just brewed a fresh pot of tea."
He headed towards the back of the shop and motioned for her to follow. "Do join me," he said. "I believe Reyna, whom is the resident artist I mentioned, also has sodas and other such..." he paused for a moment with a brief look of distaste, "... confections available as well."
He paused briefly as he re-entered the backroom itself to lay her portfolio upon the coffee table before pouring himself a cup of tea. "Online?" he repeated with a look of curiosity. He knew of the internet and its uses, but as he was not technologically inclined he was rather unaware as to how commerce worked 'online.' Really, it wasn't so much that he lacked the talent or knowledge in how to operate a computer and much more of an issue of how his magic had the overwhelming tendency to corrupt, melt, and otherwise ruin perfectly good (and expensive) pieces of modern equipment that relied upon the use of electricity and integrated circuitry.
His business partner of choice was not much better. If her presence didn't wholly cause things to malfunction, her delightful temperament typically led to things being broken anyhow. If it weren't for his clever spell usage and impeccable record keeping he was well aware his shop could easily be considered archaic in nature simply due to its old-fashioned inventory and accounting practices.
He settled himself onto the couch with his cup of tea and picked his portfolio back up. "Running a successful business of your own is certainly a strong point in your favor," he said as he opened the portfolio and flipped through the pages with thoughtful reverence. "Hmm. These are very nice," Athan spoke up, "You have a gift for design. I am especially fond of your color choices."
He often opted for silver due to its properties in spellcasting, but his fondness of earthy tones and bronze was eternal due in part to his natural element. Thabara With nothing left to cling to now, Miranda nervously ran her fingers through her dyed hair. She'd opted for a new hairstyle only a few days ago, and she still wasn't quite used yet to just how short it was now. She did like Mr. Athan's hair, she decided. Most people with dreads she knew were of the 'alternative' kind, yet he pulled it off in a way that was … stylish.
“Tea is fine.” She said with a small nod, curiously glancing left and right as she followed after Athan. It wasn't her first time entering the 'backstage' of a store, but it always was interesting to see what it looked like. Until she'd picked up her first part-time job in a bookstore, she'd had no idea there usually was a room in the back with … say, a coffee machine, an electric kettle, maybe a small fridge, a table to eat at, and, oh, a bathroom. Somehow, she'd always imagined people working in stores spent their whole day behind the counter, never requiring to eat, never having to pee …
“Mh. I actually have my own little online store, but, ah, as it sort of fails to be found by search engines I might just give up on it. I make most of my sales on 'HandMade'. Basically I pay a small fee to them for every item I put on sale, and then a percentage for every item that actually sells. Then there's packaging and shipping to deal with, issues with shipments that get 'lost',” (she fingerquoted that), “not to mention pieces returned to me with gems or whole charms missing.” She made a face. “That's basically why I decided to give it a try and sell things in Real Life. Though I couldn't possibly afford running a store of my own. Rent, all those bills for electricity and stuff, paying employees …” She looked positively terrified at the sheer idea of it, though it wasn't as much the costs as it was having to deal with the … legal stuffs and people that came with it.
“Does this shop actually have a website?” she inquired, sitting down. “Not for selling, but sort of as a business card? If not, I have a friend who could-” She stopped mid-sentence, the pale skin of her face flushing once more. “I'm getting ahead of myself, I think, sorry. And I'm probably talking too much. Because I'm nervous.” She cast down her glance, apparently having discovered something infinitely interesting about her knees. She had noted though, that this shop sort of had an 'oldschool' feel about it. Most stores had a flatscreen sitting on the counter, and a keyboard, whereas this one still featured a beauty of a good old mechanical cash register.
She remained quiet while Athan browsed her portofolio, only occasionally daring to dart a quick, curious glance at his face. His eyes were fascinating, they had the most vivid emerald green she'd ever seen on a person. She briefly wondered if these were contacts.
“Ah, really?” She finally dared to look up upon Athan's compliment. “It's, uhm, the look of antiqued bronze and brass is very popular right now.” She couldn't help but wonder if he'd ever heard about 'steampunk'. “I've only recently started using precious metals, so there isn't much in that regard in the portofolio. And, uh, those lampwork beads there?” She leaned over the table to point at a specific photo. “I made them myself. The photos too, by the way.” Reyna Crelos Athan stood rather abruptly and placed the portfolio back down on the coffee table next to the various items he had previously been working on. "Do forgive me," he said, "I just realised you said you would like tea, and I was too distracted to get you a cup as well."
He strode away towards the small kitchenette and poured a second cup before returning to his spot on the couch. He set the cup a safe distance away from both her portfolio and his materials. "Please sit and stay for a moment. Unless of course you're in any hurry to be leaving," he instructed.
He went back to viewing her portfolio and pondered her offer of help with a potential website. "Oh there is no need to apologize," Athan told her, "The offer is hardly obtrusive. It would actually be quite helpful given that both my business partner and I... well... let's just say that electronics often cease to function should we attempt to make use of them."
He fell silent for a long moment as he admired the lampwork beads that she had referred to. "I am not so fond of costume jewelry particularly, or glass, but I have had requests for it," he commented, "The fact that they are handmade would certainly suit the shop. We take pride in that nearly all that we sell is hand crafted. Even our gem quality stones are set by either Reyna or myself."
Athan closed the portfolio and handed it back to her with a smile. "I don't typically work with artists by contract only, but would you perhaps consider employment instead? You would be salaried, and you would be allowed to set your own hours. We have part time employees on hand that work the storefront, so ultimately all that would be needed from you, unless we find ourselves suddenly short staffed, is your skills as an artist."
He paused briefly before adding in afterthought, "You would also be provided supplies. I do have wholesale contracts with a number of people from across many worlds, so our costs are quite low." He smirked for a moment and a brief look of mischief crossed his face. "That of course, also enables us to undersell our competitors."
There was also the surprising benefit of having a demon that negotiated the vast majority of the shop's contracts, but he thought it best not to overwhelm her with that part just yet. She would find that out soon enough on her own. Thabara Miranda accepted the tea with a grateful little smile, her slender fingers wrapping around the delicate cup. “Mh, I'm not in a hurry, no.” Given, there was still Sumie waiting in front of the store, but she'd leave once she got bored, Miranda had no doubt about that, so she wasn't overly concerned. She'd probably message her in half an hour or so.
Her heart sank, when the owner explained how he wasn't overly fond of costume jewelry. She ought to have noticed, she thought to herself, the displays had been all precious metals and gems. Maybe she should have tried some small fashion boutique, or something-
Waitwhat, had he just said employment?
Miranda almost spilled her tea out of surprise, and she stared at Athan wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open for a moment.
“Seriously?! I-I-I don't know what to say …” She breathed, looking as if about to faint. This was sounding just too good to be true. “Why, yes! Of course! And I'd so help out with the storefront even. And haul my friend into making a website.”
She took another quick sip from her tea, her fingers actually trembling a little from giddiness. This was so exciting! “I have been wanting to work with precious materials, but, you know, with the teeny-tiny amounts I need it's hard to get anything for a decent price- Erh, not like I'm trying to take advantage of this.” She added hastily, fearing she was about to give off a bad impression. But somewhere in the back of her mind a little cash register had just gone 'ka-ching!' … Reyna Crelos "Well then," Athan replied with a smile, "Should there be any material in particular you would prefer to work with, please let me know. There are few things I cannot obtain." Finding obscure things for customers was actually one of his guilty pleasures. It meant traveling to other realms which was something he never grew tired of.
"I should have an employment contract drawn up foryou by tomorrow. I assume you can start right away? " he queried with a look of interest. "We need to build up our inventory of pre-made jewelry before the holiday rush hits, so anything you might contribute would be helpful."
He took a sip of his tea and set the cup aside before standing from where he sat. "I supposed you'd like to see where supplies are kept, yes?" He offered her a genuine small and strode over towards the wall just behind her. He pressed one hand to the wall and a bright outline of a door appeared before disappating the space contained within the outline with a glittering of runes. "As I said previously we need to expand the shop, so for now we simply have spelled storage rooms in the mean time."
He paused there in the doorway with a look of pride. "I did not quite anticipate the success of this shop and did not adequately account for the space that would be needed it seems." He shrugged his shoulders and stepped inside the storage room which was perfectly white and lined with shelves. His dark hair, clothes, and skin were a stark contrast to the room. "All of the wire, tools, and crystals not in use are stored here," he explained, "More precious stones are stored in the vault. And there is ... another space similar to that, but that only I may access."
He stepped back out of the room so that Miranda might have space to look around. "Oh," he spoke up again, "I ... should probably warn you ahead of time. The other artist, whom is my business partner? Reyna? Well. She is ... well known for her temper." He paused for a moment as he contemplated how to word his explanation properly without causing her too much cause for concern. "I don't recommend taking anything she says personally or seriously in any manner. Should any problems arise, please let me know. I will handle her."
Athan moved to retrieve his tea and frowned a bit as he contemplated explaining about the ... other denizens of the shop. It would only be fair, he figured, but how to go about it without scaring her off? Thabara “Oh, wow. That is … just wow. I can't possibly think of anything right now, but I bet as soon as I'm back home …” All those sites she'd bookmarked for possible future use, she'd have to look at them. And to take notes. Lots and lots and lots of notes. Well. More like scribbling up one hell of a shopping list.
“Starting right away is not a problem, not at all. I do have a part-time job in a bookstore, but apart from that, I basically work from home. And, ah. As I don't really know what type of customers this shop gets, is there anything you'd be looking for in particular? I'm flexible, really.”
She craned her neck to follow Athan with her gaze when he got up to show her the storage. She didn't see anything of note at first, but then the door appeared, and she found herself staring at the shimmering runes with a look of sheer awe upon her face. Her mouth was hanging open once more. Magic! Honest-to-goodness, genuine, real magic! Sure, she'd known 'practitioners' back at school and the like – her history teacher had actually been one – but this … was a wholly different level from anything she'd ever seen before.
“That. Is just. So. Awesome.” She exclaimed, getting up from her seat to get a closer look. Her legs were feeling like jelly. “Goodness, I feel like I just took a trip down the rabbit hole – could you pinch me? Because I seriously think I'm dreaming.”
She basically tip-toed into the room – feeling very much like Aladin who'd just entered the treasure cave – and if she hadn't still been holding on to her cup of tea, her hands would have been tightly clasped behind her back to OMG not accidentally touch anything she shouldn't have.
“It's okay,” she said, giving Athan a quick glance over her shoulder before she ogled the shop's supplies once more. Holy s**t, those strands, is all of that larimar? And, ooooohhh, frosted agate beads! “I've had my deal of bitchy co-workers. I, uh, managed to get along with them.” By trying to turn invisible as much as possible, yeah, right. “I certainly wont do anything that might tick her off.” Not on purpose, that was. Little did she know that her mere presence might be enough. Reyna Crelos "Mmh. Yes, well. Should she ever lose her temper entirely, let me know and I will take care of her," he cautioned. He chuckled a little at the wide-eyed, awestruck appearence she had taken on.
"As for our customers," Athan said as he casually folded his arms and leaned against the side of the couch while watching her look through the storage room with that look of wonder still firmly upon her face. "They vary. Some are looking more for costume jewelry - which we currently lack in quantity. The majority are looking for high quality, unique, hand crafted gifts. The biggest sellers tend to be matching sets be it a combination of a necklace, earrings, and bracelets. Custom settings and wire wrapping of gems is also a common request."
Then there were those who showed up to the shop less for the jewerly and more because of the peculiar creatures that follow them about thanks in part to the spelled gems the shop harbored. He couldn't help but wonder how Miranda might react to that part. She seemed so easily exciteable, though not entirely in a negative sense.
"For the first week or so, I think I shall have to request you be present in the shop. Just to get you acclamated to the way we do things and our... clientele," he spoke up, "After that you would be free to work at home or here in the shop as you please." Thabara “Of course.” Miranda nodded, with a grateful little smile upon her lips. Last few times she'd had to deal with bitchy co-workers, it had inevitably ended up with her caving in under the pressure and quitting. Of course, she could have gone see the manager about this … if she hadn't been way too timid in the first place and wholly convinced they were on their side anyways.
She turned to listen attentively when Athan explained about their customers. She could do that, she was quite confident in that regard at least. Maybe she could bring some half-finished pieces along with her finished jewelry to work on them while she was here … She probably should do that even, yes. And check back with the bookstore about her schedule there.
“Ah, what should I wear?” She asked. “Is there some sort of dresscode for the store?” Nothing too conservative, she hoped. “And, uh, can I bring my laptop?” She hadn't taken for serious at all what Athan had said about his possible disastrous influence on electronics … It was just something people said, she figured, when they didn't get along well with modern technology. And Athan certainly seemed the type – quite oldschool what with his formal expressions and all. It made him seem older than he actually looked. But, she mused – not without admiration – it also gave him quite an air of authority.
Just as carefully as she'd entered the storage she left it, but not without casting one last longing glance at its contents. Reyna Crelos He very much wanted to declare that the standard attire was business casual, but he knew all too well that Reyna would walk in wearing torn up jeans or possibly even a miniskirt fit for a night club. Instead, much to his dismay, he said in as pleasant a voice as he could muster despite his discontent over the issue, "There is no actual dress code in particular. Just so long as whatever you wear isn't horribly revealing."
Which was also something Reyna did anyway. He had long since given up on that particular fight. It just wasn't worth it. He hoped at least he could influence Miranda in that regard.
"And you may certainly bring your laptop but ... well..." he replied slowly.
'You have a fifty-fifty chance that it may end up completely fried by the end of the day,' a voice that clearly was not Athan's spoke up and finished his sentence. Hawk phased through the wall and glided over towards Athan and wrapped himself about the man's shoulders.
"There's that," Athan agreed with a look of consternation as he scowled down at Hawk who simply beamed at him with an impish look upon his face as his fox-tail swished to and fro.
'Forgetting something, aren't we, minion?'
"You have that horribly backwards, and no I have not forgotten anything," he insisted in a tone that carried a distinct undercurrent of annoyance. He scowled darkly at Hawk and waved one hand to close the door to the storage behind Miranda.
He had hoped that he would have had an oppurtunity to explain the situation with the Shadows prior to one showing up. That, quite clearly, as not meant to be. Thabara “I don't like revealing,” she waved off, first and foremost relieved she wouldn't be required to dye her hair back to something more 'natural'. “And,” she laughed, “I really don't think you're that bad with electronic dev...ice...es...”
There was a thing, a ghost-like thing, which had just come floating through the wall. And it had spoken to her inside her head. The cup, fortunately empty, slipped from her fingers, but the young woman didn't even notice. She stared, she swallowed, it went wrong, and the next moment she was choking and coughing.
“There,” she wheezed once she had recovered some, and pointed. “There's a-a-a ghost thingy. Right there.” There was a small 'hic' audible afterwards, and inwardly Miranda cursed. She always got a hiccup rather promptly after having been startled by something. Well, this was definitely hiccup-worthy.
“It talked. Inside my head.” She added slowly, realizing that she did sound quite crazy. But Athan reacted to it, and talked to it, so it had to be something real. He didn't seem all that surprised either. “I think I do need you to pinch me now," she said weakly. “Seriously.” Reyna Crelos Athan's eyes widened. He glanced towards Hawk who simply had the same, half-lidded, smug look upon his face that he had had when he came in. "You knew you were going to startle her," he spat, "You are cruel."
He rushed over to Miranda and retrieved the empty cup in one hand and with the other wrapped a supportive arm about her shoulders. "Come along, dear," he told her, "You should have a seat so that I might... explain." He shot another dark, accusing look at Hawk as he eased her down onto the couch.
'For the record,' the Seer spoke up as he too settled himself on the couch next to Athan so that he could snuggle up against his side, 'I am not a ghost thingy. I am a Shadow Fiend.'
"Hush, you," Athan gritted out with a look of irritation before continuing in a much calmer, sweeter tone as he directed his attention back towards Miranda, "You... are not familiar with such magic?"
His brow furrowed in worry, and for a moment he looked puzzled. "Have you not been on Gaia long? Perhaps it is my own ignorance speaking as I have admittedly not fully explored this realm, but I was under the impression that such things were far more.... common."
Okay, so maybe the ghostly apparitions that weren't really ghosts weren't commonplace, but he had certainly come across other strange manner of beasts within the realm of Gaia. Thabara “Oh,” she breathed. “Sitting is good. Very good.” Because, really, even more than before, her legs felt like jelly. Was this what you felt like when you were about to faint? She had no idea. She'd never fainted. 'Hic.'
“I'm, uhm. My parents are kinda conservative.” She admitted, looking down at her knees, her slender fingers clasping around them. “And the part of town I grew up in is kinda conservative.”'Hic.' “And the school I've been to … Well, I figure you get the drift?” She finally looked up, seeming seriously embarassed and … ashamed?
“The 'we normal humans keep to ourselves' kind of conservative. So, uhm, yeah. I haven't been exposed much to this kind of supernatural … magic … ghostly kind of stuff.” She breathed a deep sigh and hung her head. 'Hic.' “Gods, this is so lame, sorry.” Reyna Crelos "Well," Athan began slowly, "I can certainly understand that. Parental figures often shelter their children in order to protect them from things they themselves do not quite comprehend. There was even a time in the world that I am originally from that the Kelos'nan, those without magic, and the Mhiros'nan, those who possess magic like myself, did not associate with one another either because of the same prejudice."
Hawk seemed for a moment as though he wanted to add on to what Athan had said, or otherwise make some sort of caustic comment, but instead remained silent with a faraway look upon his pale face.
Athan glanced away with a quiet sigh and propped his chin up in one hand as he peered over at Miranda with a small smile. "All of the jewelry within this shop is crafted by hand in a traditional sense, though there is a great deal of magic here as you have already witnessed," he explained in a quiet, solemn tone.
"The Shadow creatures here, such as Hawk," he said as he nodded towards the pale Fiend curled so closely next to him, "Are here because of me."
'That's only partially true,' the Shadow in question spoke up in a cryptically disjointed voice as though he were trapped in some memory or vision, and not quite there with them. 'We are here because of Doran. This is not your doing, minion.'
Athan scowled darkly and folded his hands in front of him with as worried and an as ashamed a look upon his face as Miranda had held. "I cannot ignore my responsibility. I am still partly to blame for this mess." Thabara 'Sheltered'. Ugh, how she hated that word – especially as it had a tendency to come up in all sorts of unpleasant arguments. “I don't see anything bad,” Miranda said, “about using magic? Or other, uhm, 'abilities'? That is, as long as they're not abused.” She spoke slowly, hesitantly. She was aware that this was a topic she was quite ignorant about and thus trying to treat it with care.
Curiously she leaned forward a little to get a closer look at the shadow creature. What had he said? Shadow Fiend? That did sound kind of dangerous. She could see, though, where that 'shadow' bit came from. The shadows (and there were plenty, with the room so dimly lit) seemed to be part of the creature, melding with its ethereal body.
“Uh … Hawk, right?” Her gaze dropped a little, her attention momentarily captured by the gem upon the creature's chest. Hawk because of 'hawk's eye'? “Can I … Can I touch you?”
“And who's Doran?” Reyna Crelos "Rightly so," Athan agreed, "To abuse one gifts is a terrible thing where magic is involved. It wreaks havoc and chaos upon the spell caster's soul in addition to harming those who associate with them. This I know very well."
He fell silent for a moment and watched with a smirk as Hawk slithered over towards her. He curled about her shoulders with a smug look upon his face before languidly making his way back towards Athan to snuggle in his lap. 'Doran was a terrible man. A magic-user like Athan whom went made with power. He trapped first his enemies' souls within gems, but as his madness progressed… no one was safe. Not even his allies, or those who bore him no ill will.'
Athan nodded in agreement, eyes downcast as he idly reached to pet at Hawk's hair. Of all the Shadows it was the Seer who knew the story best. Mystic, he assumed, was probably next in line if only because he was the eldest of them all. "I helped write the spell," he admitted, "It was not intended to be used. I did not finish the spell for fear that it would be used, but ... Doran found a way to complete it. So now my quest is to release them."
'But we are only shadows of our former selves,' Hawk spoke up again as he leaned against Athan's chest and curled there, fox-tail swishing about playfully in a way that made him seem very much like an overgrown feline. 'We are not yet whole, and require a soul bond to thrive.'
Silence spanned for a time as Athan mulled over his own thoughts before interjecting with a bemused chuckle, "Oh. And the reason I warn you of Reyna's temper is that, well, she's a demon. But truly the only thing you have to worry about from her is her temper. She's awful at spell casting." Thabara Miranda’s mouth formed a quiet, reverent ‘oh’. This was the first time she ever heard about magic actually being harmful for those who abused it. It seemed like she was about to say something, but the only sound to leave her lips was a startled “Eep!” when all of a sudden the Shadow … Thingy … Fiend! was all over her, or at least that was what it felt like in her surprise. Still, it’s touch wasn’t unpleasant … She’d expected it to be cold, but it wasn’t. More than anything, however, it convinced her that this was real, that she wasn’t experiencing some exceedingly vivid and weird dream.
She listened enraptured as Hawk related the story of how the Fiends first came to be, and when Athan admitted his involvement, she couldn’t help but feel a little teary-eyed. He looked so terribly sad and guilty!
“So, this Doran,” she said, her fingers nervously intertwining in her lap, “he was, like, a villain? A real one?” That was kind of scary. Villains were something that happened in movies and comic books. If you ever heard about real ones, then it was usually in history lessons. “Whatever happened to him?” she inquired timidly. The overall impression she got, was, that he wasn’t around anymore, but she’d rather like to be sure …
“And, just how many people did he, uhm, curse?” She hoped that was the right expression to use, she didn’t want to step on anyone’s toes, lest alone those of her employer-to-be. But, she was so terribly clueless about stuff like magic! She’d definitely have to read up on that, once she was back home, maybe even dig for the phone numbers of her classmates from Way Back When she’d still been at school.
She fully ignored the comment about that Reyna being a demon (certainly that hand to be only a figure of speech, and who cared about her anyway?), but the bit about the Fiends requiring a ‘soul bond to thrive’ sort of got stuck. Maybe … “Is there, uhm, some way I could help out?” she mused, thinking aloud rather than really addressing anyone in particular. Reyna Crelos "A villain," Athan repeated, "You could certainly have called him that. He certainly became one in his own right. I think he enjoyed the infamy."
'He did,' Hawk quipped as he twined his arms around Athan's neck and nuzzled over against his face in an effort to cheer him up. Mostly he succeeded in grating on his nerves to a small degree rather than comforting him, but seeing as the man had yet to shove him away he was quite content to stay right where he was at. That, and he was curious as to how things with Miranda worked out. He had foreseen her initial entrance into the shop but nothing further.
"As for the number," Athan spoke up again, brow furrowing in worried lines as he did so, "I... I cannot be certain. Countless, I'd imagine. He lived for a great long while. As have I."
He closed his eyes for a moment and pressed one hand against his face in attempt to thwart the mounting tension headache he could feel on its way. He arched a brow his and his bright eyes snapped back open to glance over at Miranda with a curious look.
"Help?" he said quietly, "Well. These Shadows do require a soul bond to a guardian, but... that's not something I'd ask of you."
Hawk chuckled, but what he said next he kept between he and Athan so as to not scare off Twilight Designs' newest employee. 'No, but you have forced many a stone upon an assortment of unsuspecting individuals.'
Athan said nothing, but his feelings about the situation were enough of an explanation to the Shadow that currently occupied his lap. Miranda was different, if only because she appeared so truly innocent. Thabara She hesitated, wondering if maybe she ought to pat Athan’s hand or something. It was what people did in this kind of situation. But the shadow – Hawk, she corrected herself – seemed so possessive of the man that she refrained from it. Besides, it would likely end up to be terribly awkward.
“Why not? I’d like do something.” Miranda, giving a small nod as if to emphasize her words, but also to reassure herself. She offered a slightly nervous, but genuine smile, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest. In the back of her head, a small voice of reason kept argueing she was about to get herself into something way over her head: After all, what did she know what a ‘soul bond’ actually was?
She shifted in her seat. “I mean, it’s not like my soul will get eaten or something, right?” She laughed nervously, remembering that one of her new co-workers supposedly was a demon. It seemed … more real now, and less like a figure of speech. “What do I do? Does it hurt?” Oh, it would be awful if it’d hurt, and she’d likely chicken out if it did. Reyna Crelos Athan stared over at her a bit wide-eyed. She obviously had no clue as to what she was currently asking for. "Well," he began slowly, "It doesn't hurt, no. You should not feel much of anything at all. Their voices are telepathic, and they are also highly empathic. They cannot read your mind, but they can sense how you feel."
He felt a bit at a loss as to what to do. No one had ever readily volunteered to take on a Fiend without one first having awakened and more or less having latched onto them. "Are you certain you actually want one? They are quite troublesome," he blurted out, quite lacking his usual eloquence.
He couldn't fathom wanting one.
'That's not nice,' Hawk informed him with a swish of his tail. 'I don't always cause you trouble,' he said with a playful look of indignation. Thabara Oh. She blinked. That certainly was reassuring that they couldn’t read her mind. The thought that they might be capable of this hadn’t even remotely crossed her mind.
“Then I’d definitely like to give it a go,” she announced enthusiastically, quite unaware there was no turning back once the soul bond was established. “What else do I need to know? Do they feed of anything? Do they sleep?”
It was rather obvious that, at this moment, she expected this to be no more trouble than, say, taking care of a homeless kitten or somesuch. Reyna Crelos Athan laughed quietly. Partly because he was amused by her enthusiasm and because he had no idea how else to react. Sweet child! She wanted so desperately to help. He sighed and shook his head with a small smile.
"They do not feed, and do not necessarily require sleep though some do," he answered, "They are creatures made of darkness and shadows so–"
'Don't expect to take one of us to a picnic in the park,' Hawk spoke up with a smug look upon his face, 'Unless it's by moonlight, of course.'
"They can go outside during the day," Athan amended, "But they will not appreciate it. It weakens them and is painful upon their senses. That is why the shop is so dimly lit."
He paused for a moment as he reached for Miranda's hand. He held it in his and looked at her with a sincere look upon his face. "Are you certain you want to become a guardian for one of these stones?" he asked tentatively. "There is no way to be rid of one once the bond is made," he warned. Thabara Well. That did sound rather easy, didn’t it? If they didn’t even require food … The sleeping habits, however, might prove to be somewhat of a problem. When she’d first gotten her cat Verne several years ago, his nightly activities had driven her nuts. Then again, his temperament had mellowed down as he grew up, and it had been when she was still required to get up early for school.
“Got it,” she said, laughing a little. “Do not expose to bright lights, do not get it wet, and never feed it after midnight.” She rather doubted any of those present actually got the reference – that movie was old, after all – but she didn’t really mind, and after hearing Hawk’s warning she just couldn’t help it.
She quickly grew serious once more, though, as Athan reached for her hand.
No, she wasn’t certain at all, and part of her sensed that she might be about to make a very big mistake. Her will to help, however, was sincere. She wouldn’t chicken out of this now!
“I’m certain,” she said, amazed at how calm her voice did sound. Reyna Crelos Athan simply smiled before he relinquished his hold upon Miranda's hand. "I suppose that settles it," he announced. He stood from where he sat and moved to pour himself another cup of tea to calm his nerves. He shoulders heaved with a heavy sigh, and he turned to lean back against the kitchenette's counter so that he was facing Miranda.
"I shall search for a suitable stone for you," he told her. He was by no means going to hand her one blindly. No, that would be dangerous. She was much too sweet to be handed something of that nature. "You, Seer," he told the Fiend that was still perched on the couch sitting next to Miranda, "Will help me with this task."
His expression softened as he turned his attentions back upon Miranda and offered her a warm smile. "And I expect you here tomorrow to complete necessary paperwork and contracts for employment." Thabara “Yes, Sir~!” She rose from her seat and picked up her portfolio. “I’ll bring some actual samples of my work too, so that you can properly judge its quality. Who knows, perhaps you don’t want to hire me after all.” She smiled a little impishly, actually rather confident in that regard. Only very little of the jewelry she sold online ever got returned to her, and she took pride in that. “I’ll drop in, ah, at about ten if that’s alright.”
“It was nice to meet you. You too, Hawk.” She smiled, pulled off somewhat of a curtsy, and then she was on her way out, hoping Sumie would still be waiting for her. She had so much to tell her now!
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:14 am
A Strange Gift
Hawk helps Athan select a stone for Miranda.Athan had mused over the dozen or so stones he had retrieved from various stores and caches he had hidden about for several hours. He was torn as to which one to give Miranda, but had finally settled upon one stone in particular after having Hawk examine nearly every stone within his possession. Some he had not even touched but outright had said no – and that perhaps they ought to never be awakened.
Those he sealed away for... safe-keeping.
Others they had both been on the fence about. He had thought to question Hawk's eerie laughter at the piece of rainbow obsidian, but thought better of it. He bypassed it and sought instead the most average and otherwise normal of all the stones he presently had. It was a simply cut piece of gold rutilated quartz in the shape of a diamond.
"This shall do," he said quietly to himself as he worked within his study. He tucked the stone, not yet fully awakened, into a velvet lined jewelry box he had brought home from Twilight Designs. He closed the box shut and carefully packaged it in black wrapping paper and tied it off with a silver ribbon as was customary with all pieces of jewelry sold from his shop.
But this wasn't a simple piece of jewelry. This was a Fiend stone.
He sighed heavily and rubbed at his temples. She had asked for it specifically. He was just concerned she did not quite realized what it was she was asking for, and it worried him to no end.
'No harm will come to her. None that will scare her away from the shop or that can't be handled by you or I,' Hawk replied as he snuck up behind him to lounge against the man's back.
"You are not supposed to be down here," Athan scolded him, but there was no real fight or venom in his tone. His presence for the time being was indeed a comfort.
He stepped away from his desk and carried the small parcel over towards an area on the floor which had been cleared away. He laid the package down and cast a quick, familiar spell. There was a certain practiced elegance to the way his hands moved and the runes danced across the floor and the package. It disappeared from view with a brief flash of light.
What was done was done. There was no turning back for Miranda. At her first touch the stone would awaken, and Rutilated Quartz would join the ranks of his brethren.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:28 am
The Seer's Dream
Hawk dreams, sort of, but not quite."Have you seen her, my sister?" The voice was wispy and strained, out of breath as it spoke. The familiarity of it startled Mystic and as he turned in the dream, he saw a pale young man whose hair was going white save for the black strands still peppered throughout.
"Malik, have you seen her?" The young man's voice was more insistent as he approached. Reaching out towards Mystic, the man's fingers clutched on the catch of his cloak - the action was so familiar it made his mind ache. Bringing up his own hand to briefly rest against the man's, he realized he had known him a lifetime ago. Tal-something? The details were fuzzy in his dreaming. Did he have a sister? When had he seen him last? For the briefest moment he thought that he had caught something from who he had been and just as he thought he had it, it disappeared; faded away from his grasp
He let out an annoyed huff before he realized that neither one of them had let go of the other.
"Dreamwalker, you know her. I know you do. Where one of us is, the other cannot be far." Pale-eyes looked up, searching for something in Mystic's eyes. The shadow was not sure that there was anything to find. After all, he did not even have a name beside what of the stone his soul had been locked into and the various 'nicknames' that Reyna had given him over the years; though most of those were not nicknames so much as insults when he really thought about it.
"I don't know," he whispered back and watched as the young man let out a wretched sigh and yanked himself away from Mystic.
"She's your za'reai; you have a contract!" Turning away in a flash of silver and black, he started to run off. He left Mystic where he was, standing dumbfounded at the entire exchange. "Lost your Name and lost her; what good have you done to make up for your mistakes?" The words were shouted over his shoulder and before Mystic could even reply, the man disappeared into the mist of the dream realm.
Instinctively Mystic started to chase after him. His steps echoed loudly, louder than they should have. Eventually he ran out of the mist and into what looked like a forest glen. For a moment he thought his heart stopped. He hadn't stepped into Athan's dreams again, had he?
"Of course not." There, around the curve of a tree, sat someone with white-blue hair and Mystic felt his stomach drop. How had he managed to walk into the Seer's dream? "I don't dream." Once again the voice echoed his thoughts and he let out an agitated growl.
"What do you call all this then?" But as turned around there were things that made no sense to him - even as a Dreamwalker. This dream was too constant for someone who had no such power. As he walked around, eventually coming to Hawk, it was then he noticed the subtle differences between the waking Seer and the one that dreamed. There was no tail flicking back and forth playfully and the only marks he carried were the faintest one on his cheek - one that looked like a mirtoche vine and another that spiraled out from his chest to his left arm and glowed faintly; a dark green. It started where his heart might have been, if he thought the Seer had one.
"Ha," came the sarcastic reply. Mystic watched as the Not Hawk stood up and came over to where he was by the bank. "Maybe; probably even as questionable as the whereabouts of my soul."
"You have one?"
"I don't dream."
"So you don't have one then."
"Whatever you want to think, Dreamwalker." Mystic let out another growl, but Hawk just shrugged his shoulders. It wasn't like he was going to antagonize a dreamwalker. Not when he was on his ground. Even his powers as a Seer and a magic-user would not keep him safe.
"This is," the younger fiend offered, "a Sanctuary. Ill dreams and the like find no place here." Blind eyes looked beyond Mystic for a moment and he followed the Seer's gaze to where they settled. The young man was there again, but this time there was another seated across from him at a table. This one was dark-skinned and was pouring them both tea; cookies being given out as well. Whispers of conversation floated over, but none of it made sense to his ears.
"Then what is that?" Turning around, trying to ignore the hushed tones behind him, Mystic looked towards Hawk expectantly only to see the Seer walking closer to the water.
"Visions; they flicker in and out of this place." Briefly looking back over his shoulder, he added, "Actually that vision followed you here."
Crouching down next to the water, he waved his hand over it and called for a rune. It flickered briefly in the air before the water seemed to thicken and crystallize; the water was briefly frozen. Satisfied with his work, Hawk stood back up and moved to cross, not even waiting for Mystic to keep up with him. After all, if the dreamwalker really wanted to find out what had drawn him to the Seer's dream he would follow.
Knowing this himself - and grumbling about it - Mystic trailed after Hawk's Eye. His feet barely touched the ground again before he water melted back to its original state.
TBC.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:29 am
Darkness Falls
We know not the darkness of our own heart.Beautiful green eyes clouded ...
Though he had not a reason for breathing, as a creature of shadow, his chest rose and fell at an alarming rate. His rest was fitful next to Athan who was resting quite peaceably all things considered.
Fingers curled around Hawk's forearm in his sleep and he felt himself being torn from the bed.
'Dreaming of him again?' Hawk's Eye awoke immediately, a thrill of fear shooting through his body. This was ... This was a voice he had not heard since he had left to look for Wren. If there had been a heart truly beating in his chest, it would have hammered until it broke.
Or so he thought.
'You,' he hissed, 'are not real.' Hawk's Eye tried to pry the fingers around his forearm away, but instead they just gripped harder. His tail flicked in irritation at finding himself pinned to the wall. Breath was against his cheek at first and then in his ear.
'I'm as real as you believe me to be, dear one.' The voice was trying to be playful and seductive, but all it did was make Hawk's Eye fight more to get away. His arms were forcefully pinned and he found himself unable to even phase to get through.
'No, you are not ...' he gritted out, tail lashing back and forth rapidly as he started to inwardly panic. It did not show on his face, but the worry was clear.
'You know I am.' Nails sunk into Hawk's forearm and he held back the hiss of pain. 'The darkness inside you, Hawk's Eye. That is what I am. The doubt, the fear ...' Something brushed where Hawk's lips had once been in another life. The gesture was disturbing and perverse ...
'The doubt I have, but darkness? No, I have no need for darkness ...' Twisting, he found himself suddenly let go and falling towards the bed. His form still solid, he hit the bed with a thunk.
Athan did not stir and Hawk raised his head to look at where he knew him to be. He was resting peacefully, unaware of what was going on ... His mind was nothing more than restful dreams.
It might have been reassuring, except that his Sight was totally blank. There was nothing there.
'You have not learned to use your Sight with darkness at your finger tips ... It lets you See more, See further ...' The thing, whatever it was, had curled itself around him without realizing. It coiled about his body like a serpent and he held back the scream he wanted to let out.
A scream of annoyance and anger.
But he could not find his voice. Instead, he felt the thing curl tighter around him.
'Let me show you what you are meant to See ...' ___________________________________________________ Fingers were curled around Athan's neck, his own fingers, and they were tightening. Constricting his air flow and not allowing him to breathe.
If he couldn't have him, then no one could have him ...
Dimly, he knew that Holicinesh had all ready been dealt with. Though older, the child was still learning magic. Despite how adept he was, he was no match for someone of his caliber. He had gone down with ease with Lorelei and Blue.
Athan was not fighting back, instead his green, green eyes were clouded. There was a haze to them that told him that the allure was in full effect. His fascination with the beauty in front of him did not allow for him to care that he was being killed slowly.
It just allowed for him to be killed painfully without caring. Death came to him as a beautiful creature of darkness ...
'I gave you a chance, Athan, to walk the path with me and you declined. Now you pay the price ...' There was a sick, twisted smile to the voice that spoke. Thick with darkness and evil, it nearly made Hawk's Eye ill to hear it - but he spoke all the same.
And when those green, green eyes slid back and shut, he knew he had succeeded. After all, if he could not have him - no one would. ___________________________________________________ This time Hawk's Eye did scream. His cry reverberated through his own mind and Athan's.
'You are meant to follow the dark path, Seer ... When will you realize that?' The thing was not letting up as another vision made itself present in front of his blind eyes. ___________________________________________________ "You have meddled enough ..." Her voice was young and child-like, but she was nothing of the sort. He found himself caught against the wall between her and her brother with the exit. It was just a few feet away, but he could not get to it.
Whatever magic he used was just thrown back at him. It had not been enough to save ...
"We found that quite annoying. We shall have to speak with him for that ..." The boy curled fingers around his wrist and pulled it forward. When he brought it close enough, fangs sunk in.
He let out a hiss of pain.
"But we can make you stronger," she smiled, two sets of dark eyes glinting at him. One hers, the other her brother's.
"Oh yes, yes we can ..." His other wrist was grabbed by the girl and he knew ...
"You can meddle with us and grow stronger ... Protect people like our old toy from getting hurt and dying. Protect the ones you love ..." He knew in that instant, when the first hunger for that sort of power rushed through him - that they had made their point.
It was then that their hands released him and he sunk to the floor in front of them. He DID want that power - the power to protect that which he cared for and destroy that which crossed him.
"Think about it, dear meddler ..." They slipped off into the darkness of the now empty house. "Think about what we can give you - what the darkness can give you. It's in you, we can taste it on you."
Before he could respond, they were gone, and he was left feeling hollow on the floor. The path to darkness was laid before him and all he had to do was walk down it. ___________________________________________________ When the vision cleared, Hawk's Eye was alone. The thing that had been wrapped around him gone. Instead, he felt the warmth of Athan's arms around him, pulling him close. He blinked his eyes owlishly seeing himself through Athan's eyes.
"Hawk?" The voice carried worry at the edges and Hawk knew through Athan's eyes that he looked a mess. The mask was firmly in place, but his eyes were wild with a mixture of fear and dread. Darkness was eating at his mind.
Whatever Hawk had meant to say died in his throat. He could not find it in himself to say 'a horrible vision' or a 'bad dream'. He was not sure it was either, except that Athan only heard him scream and heard nothing of the other that had happened.
Instead of words, the Seer clung to Athan in a way he had not done since he had been a child. There was a desperation to the way Hawk's Eye clung to him and Athan was hard pressed to not want to comfort the shadow.
Pulling him closer, Athan let his mind wander to more peaceful thoughts, tugging Hawk's Eye along through the bond they shared. For a change, it was Athan soothing Hawk's Eye and not the other way around.
The inexplicable fear and dread that fell over through their connection was not being explained by the Seer. Instead, Hawk just pressed himself closer, tail lashing back and forth. His face buried against Athan's chest, he could feel the warmth of his body flooding his own cooler one.
The steady beat of Athan's heart reassuring and stronger than it had been in the past.
A fear of the darkness returned to him in such a way he had not thought possible for some time. To be wary of one's own self.
Pushing the negative thoughts from his head, Hawk focused on another instead: he would get his allure in check this very day.
It was the only way he knew that might avoid the vision he saw.
He did not want to think about the other parts of it. The possessiveness that was not quite his own or the curl of dark power rushing through him.
'You will be fine, dearest oracle.' Athan's words distracted him and Hawk tilted his head to look up at the man.
'I will be.' There was a conviction to his voice that he did not quite feel. It was easy to hide it away when he knew there was other tasks at hand.
Tasks he would hope be the stepping stones away from his fears.
Hawk's fingers gripped the quartz Athan had given him tightly and hoped.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:36 am
Better Wards
Perhaps one can keep a Seer away after all.Athan pressed his fingers into his temples, willing away the headache that he knew was coming on. He had been staring at the ancient tomes in front of him for far too long, but after what Hawk had brought up in regards to Holicinesh, it was hard not for him to look.
Something was going on with the child and it was best that he figured it out quickly. Things had a habit of going from alright to deadly in a moment's notice when magic was involved. Hawk's presence in his mind was muted, which made him think that the Seer had probably fallen asleep with 'Nesh again.
If Athan was being honest with himself, which he was not, he actually missed the presence of the shadow curled at his side in sleep. Though it was not his beloved, the Seer brought him some respite and rest despite all the aggravations.
He found himself wishing, wistfully, that Hawk would make himself appear unannounced. The headache that was brewing in his temples was threatening to hit him full force. In the very least, he could go for some tea, but perhaps cool fingers rubbing his temples would be nice as well.
Letting out an aggravated sigh, he cursed himself for those thoughts. Ever since the Seer's allure had awoken, he had found himself thinking of him more and more. As if there was actually a chance for something, but there never would be. It was foolish of him to let the occasionally vulpine shadow think otherwise.
It was not in his heart to tell him no, or perhaps he just could not say so. Athan had a sneaking suspicion, though he would never admit it to himself or anything else, that if he told the Seer to leave him, he might just lose what will he did have to press on. The Seer brought a sense of vitality to him that he had thought been lost to him.
Not just because his own power was being bolstered by Hawk's Eye, but because the young shadow made such a point to be there for him and to care for him.
At that moment, he heard the creaking of the door at the top of the stairs open, and his attention immediately turned that way. It was odd that Hawk would come through like that.
Picking himself up, he went towards the stairs to say something to Shadow. For once it was going to be something of a thank you versus a scolding for breaking past his wards. Except, when he got to the foot of the stairs he stopped. Hawk's Eye floated above, at the doorway, but magic crackled around him.
The wards were clearly not letting him pass. Athan opened his mouth, about to say something, tempted to lift the wards long enough for him to come down and pass, but the words died in his throat.
The look on Hawk's face was one that he had not seen before. Brief confusion and then the slightest bit of smugness. It wasn't the usual kind smirk he wore, but something that carried a darker tint to it.
And with that look, the shadow was gone. His tail flicking behind him in agitation.
Athan tried calling to him, but there was no answer. In fact, here was no trace of Hawk's presence there in his mind. Perhaps the Seer had shut him off as a rebuttal for having made wards to keep him out?
Scowling in annoyance, he turned back to his books. If such a little thing truly annoyed the Seer, when he had openly challenged him to try and keep him out then so be it.
Besides, he could make his own tea and calm his own headache.
It was just that he was blatantly refusing to admit he liked it a bit more when Hawk's Eye did so for him.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:38 am
A Nightmare of a Memory
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:40 am
The Dreamwalker Awakens
Hawk knows Mystic's true name.His mind was frantic, jumping from dream to dream as if searching for an answer to the question he found himself asking here. As if the dreams of one of the people he was in could answer it.
The next dream that settled around him was still not his own, trapped as he was at the whim of his own power as a Dreamwalker. There was no rhyme or reason to the dreams he was crossing into.
... and the next one was, perhaps, the most unsettling.
In the distance, he could hear the sound of water falling, but he was only next to a stream further down from it. There was light filtering in through the green canopy of the forest tree tops, but not much. All it did was serve to cast a green light to all that was around. Wherever he was, this place was magical ... He could taste it on his tongue, smell it as he breathed in - magic was everywhere.
"... not just that, but the air is rather fresh here, as well," the voice was quiet, well-spoken, and soft. It was one he knew very well - these true ears of his recognised the voice as someone he once knew.
"Where IS here?" Mystic asked, finding himsef walking towards the voice. After all, the sooner that he found the owner of the dream, the sooner he could be free of it. He gave a brief pause and realized he had been here once before.
"A realm hidden from the sight of man. It's protected. We helped to protect it, keep it sealed from constant travel. It's a special place." As Mystic's hand rested on the trunk of a tree to turn, he found himself nearly walking into the dreamer.
He was sitting gracefully between the roots of the tree. White hair, tinged blue at the ends, was braided and held back from his face. When sightless eyes turned up to look at him, he hissed.
Why did he HAVE to walk into the Seer's dreams? Again? Or non-dreams-but-mostly-visions. He still wasn't sure what was wrong with Hawk's head. He didn't dream like a normal person, his were something else entirely. It was almost as if it was simply an odd extension of the dream realm itself versus a fleeting dream that had a beginning and an end.
"... I do not know why you keep coming back to me," there was a faint chuckle, "but I hold a great deal less contempt for you here than in the waking world. I wonder why." Hawk grinned at him, though Mystic was not even sure it was truly Hawk's Eye. He looked like him, could see some of the younger shadow's features in the man sitting down, but ...
"Aren't I lucky then?" Mystic said sarcastically, dropping to the ground beside Hawk. He was beyond tired even here, and there was something about this place that was relaxing him.
"One might say so." Hawk tilted his head back to look at the river or at least seemed like he was. His eyes slid shut as he sat there focusing. "I must thank you for for attempting to help 'Nesh. Well. You haven't yet, but you will. I have foreseen it."
The more that Mystic studied the man near him, the more he realised that something was off. Being thanked was only part of it. There was a haze to Hawk's Eye's form here. A shadow that clung to him like an ever-present cloak. Something seemed to be distorting Hawk's Eye's form, but the Seer did not pay it any mind.
"Still no clue why you're wandering from dream to dream? Well, besides the obvious reason that you cannot wake up."
Mystic did not have to look down to know there was a smirk on the Seer's face as he spoke.
"Or the mark on your hand? The mark on your very soul?" Sightless eyes slid open once more and turned their attention back on Mystic.
He grumbled, mind thinking back to the fight that had started when Hawk had first mentioned the mark. Here, in the dreamworld, he could see clear as day. A black mark on the back of his hand, but the one on his soul. That one he did not see. "I'd ask how you know my soul is marked ..."
"She left her mark on you to ensure she'd find a way back to you. At least, I think so. To keep you two connected, in some way."
Lightning thundered in the distance and for a moment, Mystic thought this forest seemed strikingly familiar, but it passed as soon as Hawk stood up.
"Also has a lot to do with having demonic blood, I suppose. Your soul has a taint to it, not something that would dissuade a persistent demon, but it would most."
"Sorry, Hawk," Mystic said sarcastically, watching as the Seer moved towards the water to stand at its edge. "But my soul is not for anyone to have." Sometimes he was beginning to wonder if the ache he had when it came to his past had to deal with the fact his soul was paying penance for a life he did not remember.
"You say that, but she marked you." Looking over his shoulder, Hawk pointed up further. There was a winding path that darkened and forked off into even darker paths. "We need to go that way. Though your path will break from mine." He paused slightly, a brief flicker of concern crossing his face. "She's getting impatient and I've got to look after Athan. You unsettled him greatly." The look that Hawk gave him then was not as murderous as it usually was in person; in the waking world.
Mystic could almost come to like this mellow version of Hawk, even if he was just as sarcastic. Taking the Seer's advice, however, he picked himself up and started walking down the grassy path.
"Your dream is the most peaceful," he muttered off hand, smiling slightly when he heard a chuckle come from the man walking beside him.
"I don't mean to disappoint, but I barely remember my own dreams." Hawk shrugged his shoulders, brushing hair from his face. "I likely won't remember talking to you here, but my power, my Sight . It works better here, where I am closer to who I am. I remember myself here, even if I don't recall who I truly was." Hawk's steps slowed as they reached the fork in the road, his path seeming far darker and despairing than Mystic's own. The Seer didn't seem bothered by it at all. "You're the same way. You remember who you were here, but also are becoming who you will be."
"You really think so?" The uncertainty was obvious in Mystic's voice, and the Seer's steps suddenly stopped. "To be honest, it seems like you have a much firmer grasp on who you were than myself at times. I'm still nothing more than shadows and magic, named after a stone." His fingers fell to the topaz that rested in his chest.
"What is in a Name?" The words were quiet and Mystic found sightless eyes suddenly staring him down in a way far more piercing than any other he could remember. "It is, perhaps, better that we do not initially remember our True Names. After all, they give such power. Where we are from, it's better to keep them hidden than to let them be known."
"But we're nothing -" There was an exasperated sigh from Hawk's Eye before he found himself suddenly stopped in his tracks. Words were coming out of the Seer's mouth that made him unable to breathe.
"She'iae auhn cas'de ka selis, Malik. She'iaed begiso Mhisas un she'ias begiso. She'iae obue cas'de ahn arisid 'sa." As the Seer finished, it was as if Mystic's world became unraveled and then focused all in the space of a single moment. A single sentence. His Name. Hawk's Eye had given him his name.
There was so much flooding his mind that he was nearly overwhelmed. He staggered forward, finding himself awkwardly caught by Hawk. Despite everything, the Seer held him fast as the random images attached to hearing his Name went through his mind.
"Malik," he spoke, his voice hoarse, but he knew as soon as he finished that it was his Name. It always was.
"Don't ever say I didn't give you anything." The words were meant to be teasing, but the concern in Hawk's voice could not be hidden. "To be honest, I've known who you are for some time. We use to talk so much then, but it was because we were both outcasts in our own way."
"Don't expect to hear this from me again anytime soon, Hawk, but ..." Mystic pulled himself up straight, feeling as if he was truly whole for the first time in a long time. He may not have a true grasp on his power as a Dreamwalker, but he thought he might just be able to now.
After he sorted out all the muddled memories that were bubbling to the surface. Despite that they were not pleasant, despite that he did not exactly like who he might have been, despite all of that, he knew things were somehow going to be okay.
"You're welcome." There was that light laughter from the Seer again. "There, you didn't have to even say it. Oh, and I'll make sure to let them know you're all right. I can remember that much, at least ..." A hand was suddenly on Mystic's, no, Malik's, shoulder, pushing him towards the path he was suppose to go down. In the distance, he could hear the clicking of heels. An impatient stacatto against hard ground.
Whatever words he was going to speak back to Hawk never came out. As soon as he took his first step down the darkened trail, he knew he had crossed into another dreamworld. He could feel the change all most immediately, knew that he was no longer in the peaceful realm that Hawk seemed to dream of. The fact that he felt the transition was new and exciting meant he was beginning to grasp some of his powers.
The sound of footsteps was growing louder as he walked further down the trail. At the end of it there was a light, glistening in the darkness.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:42 am
The Dream Fades
Athan casts a spell for protection, but on the wrong person.The vision of his beloved being killed was in the forefront of Athan's mind. His mind was not truly in the waking realm; no, it was in the past still.
It was this reason that had his arms tightly wrapped around Hawk's Eye not seeing him for who he truly was, but seeing him as his lover that he had lost so long ago. Athan's face was buried in Hawk's hair, breathing in deep to steady the racing of his heart. There was no removing his arms from around the Seer.
Athan was acting on instict. It was a base need to protect what he had already lost once. His fingers were sketching the runes without him noticing. He had pulled Hawk's Eye up against his torso; him in a sitting position, the Seer resting against him. As his fingers moved, the runes started to dance in the air around them.
This was the strongest protection that Athan knew. It was one that came at the cost of caster's own life force. A living protection spell that would activate without the one it being casted on having to do anything. The spell was as strong as the caster's will and their magic. Despite Athan not being at full potential his entire being was behind casting it. He could only hope that it would be enough to protect him when the time came. Long enough for him to get to him, to save him from Doran.
His lips brushed against Hawk's ear, whispering the words as he finished the spell. His hand slid against the shadow's shoulder, fingers tracing out the last portion of the protection against cool skin. The pattern that swirled around the Seer's shoulder shimmered and changed where Athan touched becoming something else entirely. His fingers moved in the pattern of the vines that grew in his beloved garden.
The seal of the protection spell was usually a trinket of some sort. It was something that the bearer wore on them. This was especially the case when it was someone merely providing a service to another person, but this was personal. This was for someone who meant the world to him.
"She'la auhn cas'de lua eohg; serse oadh, Talfryn," he whispered, the last of the magic leaving his fingertips. The mark on Hawk's shoulder had spread to a small portion of his chest and down his arm. The greenery that was there now seemed to be almost vibrant and alive as they twisted and shifted into place. When a few delicate flowers bloomed in the marking the runes faded from the air.
Athan's breathing steadied when it was complete, his heart not racing as it had been in his chest. The fear had not left him however nor the panic that had taken hold.
'Athan ... ?' The voice that questioned him did not sound quite right, not like his beloved at all. The haze of the dream lifted in that moment, and Athan found himself going very still. His arms did not release their hold on Hawk. If anything they tightened.
Something within was breaking and realizing again just what he had lost in the past.
His breath came out in harsh, ragged gasps. It took some manuevering, but the Shadow in his arms had shifted so that he had his arms wrapped around him instead. Some part rationalised that he should remove the spell of protection. Such a thing was not meant to be put over someone in the fashion he did unless they meant...
Athan's breath caught in his throat. The last flash of his dream came back to his mind. In the end, as Doran had come to slaughter his beloved it had changed. No longer was his betrothed there. Instead it played upon his more recent memories of when they locked Doran away for teh final time.
Except, instead of purifying and containing him within the piece of quartz, it seemed like Doran was overtaking Hawk's Eye. The Seer's form had become smokey and hazed, covered by the darkness of something most sinister.
He had no doubt in his mind that his bond with Hawk's Eye was getting stronger as the days passed them by. Some of the Seer's true Sight was passing on to him in bits and pieces. Not quite sure what the dream truly meant, but he was given the sense that Hawk was in danger.
Athan would leave the protection where it was. Though he would never admit it aloud, the Seer brought a comfort to his life that had prevously been absent. It was something he would fiercely protect just like 'Nesh and Lorelei.
His chest was burning, and he could not get it to stop. It at least it managed to derail his thoughts from the path they were on.
'Athan! Breathe!' Hawk's voice was worried as it reached him as he finally came through his own panicked state.
Athan took a shuddering breath, exhaling and breathing deeply from where his face was buried against Hawk's hair.
There was no stopping the panick that had risen in him from the dream. He felt Hawk's fingers against his skin, stroking along his back and across his shoulders. One hand rested against his hair, thumb stroking lightly. Their positions had been shifted again, without him realising.
Hawk's Eye had put himself into his lap, curled up neatly with his head under Athan's chin. One of the shadow's arms was around his shoulders and the other resting against his chest, feeling the unsteady beat of his heart.
No words came to Athan, but he knew if he tried to speak, all that would be choked out would be sobs or screams. Both most likely and quite possibly at the same time.
'Listen,' Hawk spoke quietly, his voice a soothing balm against his mind, 'And just focus on me.' It was clear the shadow was trying to calm him down. Any other time and he might have teased Athan about the spell cast over him, but now his primary focus was putting him at ease.
Through their bond, he could sense the severity of the dream and knew what happened in it to a certain extent. His own dream was too hazy, though he knew for a fact that a certain Dreamwalker had crossed into it.
Athan's hands were still tightly wrapped around Hawk's Eye and despite all the whispers to him it apeared only time would calm him down. What it wouldn't do was heal the renewed ache in his chest.
'Athan.' Hawk lifted his head up to look at him, his sightless eyes staring at him with concern.
No other words came and nothing was said. Volumes of conversation past between both Athan and Hawk, but none dared to speak aloud.
They would sit as they were for hours. The shadowed Seer in Athan's arms attempting to comfort him as Athan clung to him as if trying to reclaim something he had lost.
Some things did not fade as dreams did.
Some times they did not fade at all.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:43 am
Unlikely Help
Mystic shows up to help 'Nesh. Finally.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:45 am
A Warning
Hawk forewarns Athan about Red fading.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:48 am
Ninja
Dio makes a mad dash to the shop to get help for Red whom is fading.RP is linked out here due to its size.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:51 am
Punch Drunk
Hawk helps Athan to bed to rest after exhaustive spellwork to aid Red.Hawk did his very best to support Athan as he hobbled along to his room. Opening the ley line had taken a toll on the man, and being immersed in pure magical energy in his poor state of health had not helped matters whatsoever. He was drunk, high, and in general: completely incapacitated.
His being forced to rely on the Seer seemed to do nothing but agitate him further and amplified his discontent as a whole.
"Let'me," he grumbled as he tried to push Hawk away while clinging to the entryway of his room. "Go.. 'way," Athan insisted as he pushed Hawk away again. He stumbled forward and managed to right himself on unsteady feet before he fell.
Hawk heaved a heavy sigh in mild exasperation. 'Please just let me help you,' he murmured gently as he once more looped his arms around the other man and led him towards the bed so that he could lie down. His brow furrowed in worried lines. Athan was much too thin. It was entirely too easy to support his weight.
Athan simply scowled and promptly pulled away once he was safely in bed. He grumbled and pulled the sheets up over his head in a flailing sort of motion that made the room spin.
The Seer pressed a hand to his face and did his very best to not laugh. He knew at that moment anything he said or did would simply rile Athan further, but he was acting very much like a petulant child. To say that it was out of character for the man was a vast understatement.
Instead, he reached for the sheets and blankets, untangling them and placed them atop the man so he could get comfortable without further unnecessary floundering about.
Athan settled down and snuggled deeply into his pillows with a scowl upon his face. The expression remained there even as his breathing slowed, and he appeared to succumb to his obvious exhaustion.
Hawk remained at the edge of his bed, tail flicking to the side as he contemplated whether or not to stay or to give the man his space. He was still perturbed with him half the time over the entire Halloween fiasco. He wished he could undo that breach of trust, but it seemed whenever Athan was in a foul mood, which was often, the event was dredged back up again.
There was little he could do about it retrospectively, so Hawk simply dealt with Athan one day at a time. He had been betrayed in horrible ways, and he felt extremely guilty that he had added to his worry and hurt.
He turned slightly to peer over Athan. His expression had softened, albeit only slightly. 'I adore you, you know,' he told the sleeping man, 'I will always watch over you whether you like it or not.'
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:52 am
Re-Awakened
The day after the Ninja RP.Athan awoke slowly, grumbling as he did so. He winced at the light that filtered in through his bedroom window. It abraded his senses in a terrible way. He pressed a hand to his face and pushed his hair aside. The last time he felt so awful had been the last battle with Doran. He felt burnt out in a most literal sense.
His eyes remained closed for a moment and remained perfectly still so as to not aggravate the wave of nausea that had hit him. Carefully, he rolled over onto his side only to be brought face to face with the Fiend that had helped him off to bed.
He froze and stared wide-eyed over at Hawk with a haunted look of pain. He had changed. He had grown, and he had grown ever more beautiful.
He quaked as he reached tentatively to thread his fingers through his long hair to brush it aside. He reminded him of another. The one he had lost. The one that had been mercilessly killed, leaving him with the strange crest of protection branded into his chest.
Athan darted up out of the bed and made a mad dash for the bathroom. He slammed and locked the door behind him as he huddled on the floor, knees pulled to his chest as he fought off not only nausea, but his own inner turmoil.
'Athan?' Hawk called.
'Stay away,' Athan hissed mentally with an accompanying audible hiss of displeasure.
Hawk stood before the door, tail flicking in obvious worry. He was torn. He wanted to help Athan, but at the same time his sight told him that it would only make things worse for the moment. He folded his arms across his chest with an irritable look.
And then there was a pang of jealousy and hurt as his mind sifted through the visions of what would be should he press his luck to help Athan.
"You," Athan growled in between panicked noises that sounded suspiciously like sobs, "Are not my betrothed. You can't... you c-can't keep doing this. You torture me."
Hawk shot the other man an imploring look. 'Please, Athan. I mean only to help you. And what is so wrong with finding some semblance of happiness with me? Your betrothed passed so long ago, but still you mourn for him. Wouldn't Talfryn want you to be happy?'
Whatever calm or shred of patience Athan possessed dissolved at the very moment Hawk uttered his name. He charged forward and grasped Hawk up to his eye level by the stone that was settled in his chest.
"Do not say his name!" he shouted, "You don't have the right to! EVER. Am I perfectly clear on this?!"
Hawk squirmed in obvious discomfort before breathing a sigh of temporary relief as Athan released him. He watched him flee the room with a look of sadness mixed with anger. He hated this Talfryn for leaving Athan so bereft. He hated him.
Hawk walked away from the door and left the room. That was not a path he wanted to tread upon with Athan. He was already displeased with him. At least he knew now not to mention his name. His expression darkened as he drifted down the hallway back towards the kitchen and commons area.
He paused only for the briefest of moments before a mirror in the hallway. He had grown. His head tilted to the side, curious. What was it that Athan had seen that had made him run this time? He saw nothing unusual. His long hair was longer, waist length. Oh, wouldn't that be a joy to deal with. The rest was much the same. He was a bit taller, still lithe and fae-like.
He was beautiful. Athan thought so, that much he knew. But because he wasn't him, Athan would never...
Hawk scowled and continued his way back towards the commons area of the house to wait for their guests to awaken.
He hated Talfryn.
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Posted: Thu May 17, 2012 11:53 am
Reserved
Day after RP possibly
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