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 Posted: Sun Aug 08, 2004 6:54 am
Total on this page: 40 8/02/04 An Exercise in Power Corvus examined himself in the mirror. Swirled golden markings, long yellow hair, one grey eye... the changes were overall quite appealing, though he’d wished for something more drastic. The eye pleased him the most. He turned his head to the side so his black eye disappeared behind his nose and only the grey was visible. A truly unnerving color. He was presently standing on the downstairs bathroom sink. A pile of black cloth lay nearby: his toga. He no longer felt the need to wear it. He wanted the others too see his power, to know that he held it. It was more obvious if the golden markings were exposed. But how to test his power? With a mere thought he cracked the mirror, and just as easily he wove his magic back into it, repairing the fault. His flawless reflection greeted him once more. There was a knock on the bathroom door. “Are you almost done in there?” came a gruff voice. “In a minute,” replied Corvus smoothly. He slid his former clothes into the bathroom trash can with a wave of his hand and opened the door with a similar motion. “You may use the facilities,” he remarked as he floated out. “About time,” grumbled the human. The door slammed shut. Corvus drifted from the bathroom to the dining room to the living room and finally into the sunroom office, where he landed next to the feien plant. He took one of its leaves in his fingers. Something to test his magic on... He enjoyed the faint magical tingling of the plant for a few moments before taking off again, this time heading for the area under the back porch. If he could only bond with a single gem, he would have to find something to do with the others. They were exactly where he’d left them, lying in a dark corner next to the house, covered by a thin layer of sand. Five gems. The obvious thing to do would be to sell them, of course. Sell them to his fellow feien for them to try and meld with. Another possibility tugged at the back of his mind, though. Something was bothering him. He levitated the remaining gems into the air and proceeded back into the house to think. He found himself, oddly enough, back at the base of the feien plant. He took a seat on the table (not wanting to sit in the dirt) and dropped the gems in the planter behind him. Once again, there was a vague tugging at the back of his mind, a notion he could neither fully realize nor shake. He looked at the plant. It was bare now. Em had snipped off the various blooms from Simon and Yasha’s breeding. Simon’s bloom was sitting on the table next to her computer, as was the bloom from the breeding she had decided to keep. Corvus reveled in the vague irony of the situation: gemstones of dead feien, blooms of feien yet to be, and himself in the middle of it all. And the vague nagging notion. Something about the gems. Something about the blooms. Something about the plant. Something about Arturo? Just then, Em entered the room, flopping down in her chair. “Hello handsome,” she said. “Just got through having a chat with Emiko.” “Quiet, I’m thinking,” snapped Corvus, furrowing his brow. Emperial looked at him a moment, wondering what was bothering him, and started booting her computer. She knew better than to ask. Corvus, like herself, preferred to be left alone to think. Conversation would only distract them both from important tasks. After a while, he asked, “Do you remember when I saved Arturo?” “Of course,” she said, “how could I forget? That was an interesting night.” Corvus nodded sharply. “And the reason he was dying was due to lack of a human bond.” “Uh huh,” she agreed as she started typing something up. “Well, suppose you attempted to save a feien the same way, only using a gemstone?” She didn’t answer to that; he was mostly musing aloud. “Suppose bonding to a human might reverse the process,” he went on, “and bring the feien back to life?” “Julius didn’t say anything about bringing back dead gemstones,” she pointed out, fingers beating a quick pattern across her keyboard. “No,” said Corvus, “but for some reason I think it can be done.” Her fingers paused at that and her chair swiveled to face him. “How?” “I’m not entirely sure, but something tells me I can do it. Can you find a human for the process?” Emperial nodded. This was not the first time she had wondered about feien necromancy. “I think I know exactly who. One of my favorite people on all of Gaia... She’s really helped me with some stuff, would probably like the experiment, and I owe her. Maybe this’ll help pay off the debt. I’ll have her meet us at the shop.” ~~~ Emperial had a gift for picking times when the shop was deserted. It was a good thing, too, as she had now been more or less absent from the shop for two months and had no wish to explain her absence to anyone, even her invited guest. Seated regally on her shoulder, Corvus surveyed the area and decided very little, if anything, had changed in his absence. He had not yet decided if he felt relieved or disappointed. Something on his magical radar pinged. “I think your friend’s here.” Brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, Lori looked down once again at the piece of paper. It held a message from Em, requesting her presence along with her bonded feien at the shop. She smiled at the feien currently on her shoulder. 'Hmmm, odd. Emperial has never asked to meet me at the shop. I wonder what it's about.' Shux leaned back against Lori's neck. 'You've been a bad owner. Leaving me alone all the time. I think she's going to punish you.' she responded with a smartass twist. Lori rolled her eyes. The shop appeared deserted at first, which seemed odd. However, it was Shux who first noticed Emp and Corvus. After pointing this out, the two made their way over. “Lori! How goes it?” beamed Emperial. “How’s the new bloom doing?” From her shoulder, Corvus studied Shux warily. Lori returned the smile with curiousity. 'Not much. Yourself?' Shux held up the bloom that was residing in her lap to show Em it was doing fine. Shortly after she noticed someone else was looking at her. She stared blankly at Corvus. Em tossed her head from side to side. “Doing fine I suppose. I thought I might ask you if you’d be interested in another feien?” 'ANOTHER!' interjected Shux. Lori's hand snatched up Shux, one finger covering her mouth. She stuggled a bit, but decided it wasn't worth the effort. 'Another? Hmmm. Why me?' Lori questioned. “Isn’t it obvious? I mean, you’ve done so much for me... I really rather owe you! And feien are unfortunately the only thing I have to give.” Em hung her head. “A-hem,” coughed Corvus. “They’re not toys.” He looked at Lori and Shux. “Are you an able caretaker?” Lori gave a small giggle. 'Helping you is no problem. Seeing you happy is reward enough.' When Corvus replied, she thought on the question. 'I think I am, but I guess I really wouldn't be the one to ask, now would I?' Shux rolled her eyes. Said Em: “I wouldn’t have recommended her if she weren’t good, Corvy. Just tell her what it is you want to do.” Corvus sighed and crossed his arms. There was simply no arguing with such a pronouncement. “Very well, then. It’s simple, really. I am about to attempt to revive a feien from a gemstone, and said feien will require a human bond. Assuming this even works at all. It’s all theory at the moment.” 'Revive a gem?' Shux questioned. 'I thought they were only good for evolving feiens. Kinda creepy. I mean, it's like bringing back the dead. Bit like messing with nature. Unnatural like.' She waved her hand a bit. Raising an eyebrow, Lori showed signs she was very interested in having such a feien. “That’s precisely the idea!” exclaimed Emperial. “It’s like necromancy, which is why I immediately thought, ‘hey, Lori would find this interesting, eh?’ It’s so delightfully macabre.” Her eyes were glinting in a peculiar manner, as they so often did when subjects of gore were mentioned. “But,” Corvus interrupted his bond’s enthusiasm, “there is no telling what will happen. Do you know Arturo, by any chance?” Lori laughed. 'Yes. That is quite fasinating. You're getting to know me too well. I may have to change to keep myself mysterious.' 'I've seen Arturo. He kept to himself usually. Didn't seem the social type, not that I mind.' Shux responded. She had been the one who had met the most feien, as Lori had usually kept away from the shop most of the time. Corvus opened his mouth to offer an explanation only to have Emperial start talking instead. “Arturo is a feien that predates Corvus’s summoning,” she said. “He was going to die like all the other old feien, but Corvus saved his life by binding him to a human: Puchiko in this case. What Corvus proposes to do now is much the same, only instead of a live feien, we’ve got a feien gem, and Corvus thinks this will bring the feien back to life from the gem. So, wanna be our guinea pig?” 'Sure!' exclaimed Lori. 'I'm always up for new things.' A small 'hmpf' came from Shux' direction. Em reached into her pocket and fished out a handful of gems. They ranged from one to three inches in size. “Just pick a gem then.” “And then maybe I’ll be allowed to do something,” groused Corvus. Greed flashed across Lori's eyes when Em pulled out the gems. She smiled devilishly and fished in the pile. Finally deciding on a tear dropped deep blue gem. 'This one looks interesting enough.' She held it up to Corvus between her index finger and thumb. “At last, my turn,” he said, rolling his eyes as he stood. “Oh, stop being such a drama queen,” chided Em. “You stole my explanation!” he whined. “But fine. Lori, place the gem on the palm of your hand. I expect if this works, the fairy will require some room.” He floated from Em’s shoulder and shook out his arms in preparation. Lori held the gem in her palm, as instructed. She began to wonder if this would somehow hurt her. Shux crossed her arms, obviously not too thrilled with the whole situation. Corvus, as was usual for his magical performances, closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. The vague golden glow around him (accumulated during his transition to Enhanced) intensified. It seemed to be forming swirled patterns akin to the new markings on his body. The swirls extended, like tendrils, curling out towards the gem. Whatever this magic was, it seemed to be taking its toll on Corvus. His muscles tensed and his teeth ground together. The golden swirls began to circle first the gemstone, then Lori’s hand, creating a sensation not unlike goosebumps. Lori gave a shutter as the swirls covered her hand. 'Whoa. Weirdness.' But Shux wasn't looking at the gem. Her eyes stayed on Corvus. So much dedication to a job. Yet he would go thru pain to test his powers. How odd.The surface of the gemstone seemed to suddenly gleam and it began to glow blue. The glowing increased quickly, until the gemstone’s features became indistinct and hazy. It almost seemed as if the gemstone were changing. Corvus let out a cry of tiny fairy fury. His arms jerked once. The magical line between himself and the gem turned into a pillar of light, all blue and gold and black mixed together. The magic surrounding the gemstone grew into a glowing ball that filled Lori’s palm. It felt almost as if it were one with her skin, a sort of glowing, pulsing, living wart or tumor. It was vaguely painful, but no more so than a mild bruise. As quickly as it had grown, the glow began to dissipate, subsiding around both summoner and summoned. Corvus’s eyes opened at last and he sank back into Emperial’s waiting hands. As he did, the glowing ball of light on Lori’s palm shrank into a tiny humanoid form. Emperial let out a small gasp and crowded close to see. “An Ancient!” she exclaimed. “Is she, y’know, alive? Or just a corpse?” She thought of Corvus’s corpse from the Floating Citadel. 'I think she is.' Lori poked at the feien. She squirmed when touched. Her golden eyes shot open and scanned the scene around her. Shux flew to Lori's palm and batted away the human's other hand. 'What a way to come back to the world. Poke by a weird human.' “Is she--” Emperial started. There came a furious cry from somewhere in the rafters above as a flash of light blue dive-bombed Corvus. “Corvus! What have you done!?” This was no mere flash of light blue: it was in fact the former leader of East America, Julius. His eyes were hidden beneath his blindfold, but his mouth was twisted into an angry sneer. He paused in his sneering for just a moment to look over at Lori’s hands and exclaim, “Semella!” Flabbergasted, Emperial managed a weak, “Hello, Julius,” as Corvus scrambled up her arm towards what he perceived to be safety. Shux jumped at the cry. Out of fear, she jetted to Lori's hair and hid in it. Semella on the otherhand, looked around blinking, unaware that the subject Julius was refering to was herself. 'Um..excuse me. Do you mean me?' She began to not care for the situation that was surrounding her. It seemed too much of an overload. She rubbed her head slightly. Lori just stared at Julius. The look of sheer pain and disappointment upon the visible portion of Julius’s face spoke more than any words could ever hope to. He stretched out a hand and YANKED Corvus back, eliciting a tiny gasp from Emperial. Corvus’s bond was suddenly thrown into the difficult position of either trying to help her beloved feien, or trusting a leader among feien she considered to be her friend to not kill said beloved feien. She resolved this conflict by simply refusing to answer it and hesitated. “You,” growled Julius as he yanked Corvus forward like a rag doll. Corvus was too shocked to offer much protest. “How dare you use such forbidden power! You have altered the natural course of life!” Corvus was face to face with Julius now, dangling upside down in front of the elder feien’s head. 'I told you!' squeeked Shux' voice somewhere in Lori's hair. Semella finally got up to her feet and brushed herself off. She watched as Julius was dangling Corvus around. Biting one fingertip, she though it would be best if she said something, since she came to the conclusion this might be about her. 'What exactly did he do?' “To revive a dead feien,” rasped Julius, “is a crime against nature.” He would say no more on the matter. “Put Corvus down,” ordered Emperial. “If it was such a crime, you should have told us beforehand, Juli.” Julius relinquished the exhausted Corvus to his bond’s hands, where the summoner flopped down and stayed. “I did not think he possessed the magic. It was something only one other feien has ever been able to do. I should have known that he would pass it on to Corvus.” Julius snorted angrily and turned back to the newly summoned feien. “Semella, wait here. I’ll go fetch your things.” Julius disappeared in the blink of an eye. Shux peaked out from Lori's hair to see if it was safe. Lori turned to Em. 'Few questions, if you please. One, who is that? And Two, why is..Semella, is it? Why is she well....' she holds Semella up 'purple?' Semella watched as Julius flew out of the shop. Dead feien? My things? What's happening to me?Emperial tucked Corvus into her shirt. He mumbled some sort of a thanks and curled up in her bra. “That was Julius,” she explained, “former High Council Leader of the feien. Think of him like the former king. Very powerful, immortal I think, and he was the one who gave me Corvus.” Emperial peered at Semella. “I’ve always heard that the feien before Corvus’s summoned ones had a lot more traits or whatnot. So I guess it’s just that.” She shrugged; she understood it precious little herself. 'Hmm..odd. Still, neat all the same.' Lori smiled at Semella, thinking this would be an interesting treat for Shux. Semella sat back down on Lori's palm. She touched her locks, then the horn in the center of her head. She eyes slowly shifted in Lori's direction. 'Who are you?' 'Oh! Lori. Your new bond mate. Cool, huh?' Semella didn't appear too impressed, but instead just very tired. “As much as I’d love to stay and learn everything about Semella, I think I had better get Corvus home,” sighed Em. She stroked Corvus’s wings (which were sticking oddly out of the front of her shirt). Something fell from somewhere above onto Lori’s palm, dropped with an inhuman precision. It seemed to be some pale scraps of cloth attached to thin bits of gold. Apparently these were Semella’s things. Julius was nowhere to be seen. Lori grabbed the clothes that fell. 'I take it these are yours.' She held them to Semella. 'Okays, Em. I gotta get running myself. Early shift tomorrow. Hope you feel better Corvus.' Lori waved to Em and took off out of the shop. The shop was still then, quiet as if nothing had ever happened. It was just another normal day there, after all, no matter how amazing the events that took place.
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Posted: Thu Aug 12, 2004 8:51 pm
8/05/04 Friendship The first thing Emperial said upon entering the room was, “You’re really quite exhausted, aren’t you?” It was a pointless thing to ask. Corvus was presently sprawled out on a pillow resting on top of Emperial’s dresser in a position almost identical to the state she had left him in earlier that morning. He grunted at her in greeting and flopped over onto his side. “Never again,” he muttered. Emperial crossed the room and flopped down on her bed, a copy of Stranger in a Strange Land in hand. “It was your idea,” she pointed out as she adjusted her own pillows. “You could have stopped me. Hell, Julius could have stopped me, and I have no idea why he didn’t. Then again, who knows when he knew what he knew or how he knew it or when he arrived or anything. Annoying prat.” “Apparently,” she said, finally satisfied with the status of her pillow situation. She flipped the book open. Corvus rolled back on his back, mindful of his wings, and stared up at the ceiling. After a minute, he spoke again. “You could at least give me something to do, you know,” he said. Emperial looked up exactly one and a half pages into her book. “You’re the one who refuses to watch television because it’s a ‘damned useless human monstrosity’ and won’t get up to do anything. I’m not here for your entertainment.” “Yes you are,” he replied hotly. Shaking her head, she said, “I most certainly am not. Corvus, I can think of absolutely nothing I could give you to do or entertain you with that I have not already offered. I said you could read my book before me, but you complained that turning the pages was too much of an effort for you right now. I offered to take you downstairs in front of the CD player and you simply insulted my mother’s CD collection. The birdfeeder you complained was too boring, you refused to watch Zevulon and Shizue on the grounds that you are not a babysitter and would not be paid, I suggested a crossword puzzle but you were uninterested, and no one wants to come sit around with you when all you’re doing is lying there complaining about being unable to move or do anything.” And with that, she returned to her reading, naively hoping that her tirade had put an end to the discussion. A few minutes later, Corvus said, “If you’re going to be in here, you may as well bring me something to eat and drink.” With a cry of exasperation, Emperial threw her hands up into the air. “You’re impossible!” she exclaimed, jumping up from the bed and storming out with her book in hand. Corvus stared after his bond crossly. So annoying. Of course, since he now had absolutely no one to talk to, he flopped onto his back and stared up at the ceiling, trying to find a pattern in its faint bumps and cracks. This game had sadly lost its amusement several hours ago. Eventually, something occurred which greatly surprised him. The door opened. He had chosen Emperial’s room precisely because Emperial was generally the only one who ever came in it. No one else bothered, meaning he was able to spend most of his time in peace away from the drama of everyday household affairs. He tilted his head up in confusion to find... His bond. Carrying a plate laden with crackers and cheese and grapes and a small bit of cranberry juice. “Your food, monsieur,” she announced, setting the plate down on top of the dresser. Seated on top the plate, looking rather smug, was Griswald. “Oh, hello,” said Corvus, looking at the Pixacat with amusement. Griswald simply licked his paw. He was capable of talking, but preferred not to. “There’s your food and there’s your entertainment,” said Emperial. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve a book to get to reading.” She flopped back down on the bed. Corvus looked at the cat and smiled. “Thank you, Emperial,” he said, just barely loud enough for her to hear. Sometimes, she really was a great bond.
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Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 1:44 am
Total on this page: 6 (duplicate posts, up to 12/21, ignored) 8/13/04 Revelations I (Blind) As Emperial monitored dimensions in a way only she knew how (and which is sadly beyond the explanatory powers of the English language), she became aware of several interesting facts. First, the Naruto variant realm which she had taken control of was behaving in an erratic fashion. Its temporal signature was inconsistent, wavering, with notable differences in speed. It was almost as if the realm was at a total stop, but moving at the same time. This was, of course, a state of all dimensions relative to one another, but prior to her departure, this particular dimension had been relatively stable from her own vantage point. Her second discovery was a result of her first observations. The temporal wobble was easily accounted for with a very simple explanation: there was interference by another transdimensional being. Following this discovery came a third piece of crucial information, enlightenment if you please. The transdimensional being was none other than her precious Kabuto. With a squeal of delight, Emperial clapped her hands and tore a hole through the fabric of space-time. This hole was not visible to the eye, but to Emperial appeared as plain as day. She then reached into this hole, clamped her hands tightly on a set of sturdy shoulders, and pulled. Hard. The figure upon which she was tugging came loose easily and she stumbled backwards onto the floor. Predictably enough, her target landed on top of her. “Aieeee!” she cried. “Getoffgetoffgetoffgetoff get OFF!” Poor, confused Kabuto complied as quickly as he was able. There was, after all, a forty pound difference in their weights, and Emperial was not noted for her physical strength. “Emi!” Kabuto gasped, leaping to his feet. It took a moment for the transdimensional disorientation to pass and then he reached for a kunai. Emperial coughed harmlessly and rubbed at her leg. “That’s going to leave a bruise!” she scowled, then brightened as she looked up to face Kabuto. “Kabuto, you’re amazing! You nearly self-actualized yourself through the gateway twice while I was gone, and-- why are you looking at me so murderously?” The look in Kabuto’s eyes was positively wild, a combination of both fear and rage. “How did you know?” he hissed. “How!” “How did I know what?” she blinked. Kabuto reached up and pulled a scrap of paper from his forehead protector, throwing it to the floor at her feet. “That!” “Oh, right, that,” she said, picking up the paper. She unfolded it and looked at the drawing. “I told you how I knew before you left, silly. What I want to know is why you prematurely attempted to self-actualize into this dimension. I said wait seven days.” “I did!” he exclaimed. “It’s been almost two weeks!” “Oh,” she said, then a moment later: “Oh. My bad. I was busy.” Kabuto resisted the urge to bang his head repeatedly against the nearest wall. “I want everything explained right now, or I will kill you where you lie.” “Ohoho, I think not,” said a deep, masculine voice. It was then that Kabuto realized he was standing in Emperial’s bedroom and they were not alone. Normally, he would have noticed the presence of another instantly, but in this case, the oversight was understandable, as the person in question was scarcely taller than Kabuto’s shoes. Seated regally on Emperial’s dressed with his legs crossed, Corvus looked at Kabuto with amusement. “Don’t think you can get away with killing Emperial, at least not while I’m here,” boasted the fairy. This was not Corvus as Kabuto remembered him. The once totally-black feien now had swirls of gold across his body, a hair extension, and glowed with an unsettling light. “Yes, well, Kabuto doesn’t really want to kill me,” said Emperial, finally picking herself up from the floor, “because what he really, truly wants to know, I think, the one thing that’s bothering him, is not how I knew what I knew, which he knows already, or why I did what I did, which he vaguely fathoms, but what precisely he is and how he managed to do what he did. Am I right?” Both Corvus and Kabuto stared. “You’ve lost me,” stated Corvus, “so I’m going to assume you lost our friend Kabuto as well.” Emperial was positively glowing with exuberance, and not in the radioactive way Corvus was glowing. “Kabuto, my love, you have nearly managed to do by yourself what I did a great many years ago: escape through your own volition your own dimension. Feels strange, doesn’t it? The half-glimpse of another reality, that almost-tangibility of it all. This is precisely what I was talking about when you left. The secret way to cheat and escape death. A tesseract, to use the L’Engle definition. Kabuto, you have no idea how amazing you truly are, for you nearly managed to jump through dimensions on your own without my guidance. You are an untapped Kwisatz Haderach, my friend, and it is this that will save your life when the time comes for you to die.” She finished off this haphazard explanation with a smugly confident smile. “Ah, so he’s one, too,” said Corvus, rolling back onto his pillow. “You lucky b*****d. Apparently Kwisatz Haderach appear only once every infinity or so.” “I’m one,” offered Em. “Though I would say I’m at a considerably higher level than you are, as not only can I travel through dimensions, I can also sculpt them, create them, and in rare cases destroy them.” Kabuto looked at Emperial. The wildness was gone, replaced by his usual supremely cold and confident exterior. He seemed to want to ask something, but was unsure of where to start. “Suppose I believe you,” he managed. “Supposing you do,” said Emperial. “I can train you, unlock that potential, and you would be the fourth Kwisatz Haderach to ever live in this household. Kancho and myself are the first two, of course. Being a Kwisatz Haderach means the potential to escape death, to cheat existence, and the hold the power of the god-souls that govern all. To be a Kwisatz Haderach is to be closer to your god-soul than other alters, thus the very appropriate term. It means ‘god child’ to the Bene Gesserit, though its origins are Hebrew in nature: ‘jump ahead of the path.’ A further evolution you might say. I told Kancho you weren’t like the rest.” “Who is the third?” interrupted Corvus. He had been immensely jealous of Emperial’s dimensional powers for a long time now. “Not important,” she said quickly. “What is important is my offer. Kabuto, will you at least give me the chance to train you?” Kabuto considered. She had known about the necklace, and the snakes, and Naruto. She was also an almost impossibly unpredictable and at times exceedingly cruel girl, who enjoyed using people as her playthings. He understood that part of her, at least. Of course, for all her cruelty, for all her games, for all her annoyances and plotting, she was also capable and powerful and did seem to have some sort of genuine feeling for him. He denied anything similar in himself, of course, and would see her pathetic weakness for him be her downfall. He sheathed his blade. “Very well. I accept.” “Kabuto, darling, I can read you like a book,” she said, smirking. “How about we grab something to eat and we can discus the events of your universe for the past two weeks? I may yet have some intel to leak to you.” His vengeance be damned, she would see him bested if it killed her. Corvus stared at the two, sighed, and flopped down on his pillow to return to his nap. They would never learn.
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 12:40 am
8/16/04 Sudden Demands Sunil stepped through the portal to Em's house with a bit of trepidation. She had not been here in quite some time and had no idea what Corvus's reception would be like. Despite her worries however, she squared her shoulders, affixed her near-permanent scowl to her face, and approached the front door of the house. Once at the front door she landed and knocked as hard as she could. It didn't make much noise, but she had been successful the last time she did so. The response came not from the door itself, but from directly beside her. There was a flare of magic in the air as Corvus teleported in from nearby. "Afternoon, Sunil," he said casually, as if nothing had just happened. Sunil whirled at the words, taking a few steps backwards away from the strange feien to her side. "Corvus?" She looked him up and down. "Nice hair, " she said with a sneer, " What the hell happened to you? Accident with some radioactive materials?" Corvus refrained from reaching over and smacking Sunil upside the head, mostly because if he had she would have beaten him into a bloody pulp, new power be damned. He settled for a mild verbal insult, which was much less likely to provoke a physical reaction. "Your perceptive skills amaze me," he said wryly, then, after the sarcasm had a moment to sink in, he followed with: "You dolt, I haven't had a radioactive accident. I've merged with a gemstone." Sunil bristled at the insult and replied before everything Corvus said fully sunk in. "I see the experience didn't improve your temperment much." When what he said fully sunk in, she couldn't help but look surprised. Immediately she stopped scowling, and smiled. "The changes are more than merely superficial then. How does it feel to be immortal Corvus?" Corvus stared at her, tried to figure out if she was attempting to make a joke, and decided she simply had no idea what she was talking about. "Merging with a gemstone doesn't make one immortal, it makes one powerful," he said, punctuating his sentence with a jab of his index finger in the air. Sunil snorted and crossed her arms. "I knew that." She paused for a moment and looked around. "Two questions. How powerful? And any idea what does make one immortal? I thought finding that was one of your long term goals." "Children shouldn't ask so many questions!" snapped Corvus, extremely annoyed. "Especially those who speak without thinking. I thought I'd taught you better, Sunil, than to go around spouting misinformation and lies like an idiot. You're getting ahead of yourself." "I am not a child, " Sunil said through clenched teeth. Sure she had no idea what she was talking about, but he didn't need to be so pompous about it. However, the truth was that he had information she wanted. She took a deep breath. "What would you prefer I say Corvus? Should I make small talk? Ask you how your day went? How have you been since we last saw one another?" "I would prefer," he stretched the word out into a low growl, "that you take things in a slow, logical progression, as befits the seeking of information, instead of jumping to conclusions all the time like a common fool. Though a few social graces wouldn't hurt." He fixed her with a sour stare. "Care to try again?" "Very well then." Sunil turned around, took a deep breath, and then faced Corvus again. "Hello Corvus. You look very different. What happened?" Sunil crossed her arms over her chest with a scowl. She really wished she didn't need to ask Corvus for information. "I merged with a gemstone and gained great power. Would you like to merge with a gemstone, little girl?" he said mockingly. Far be it for Corvus to pass up an opportunity to sling an insult if he felt he could get away with it. Sunil clenched her jaw and was silent for a moment. If I kill him I can't ask him questions. Someday I will have all I need from him, someday. She replied as evenly as she could, "I suppose that depends. What exactly are the side effects of merging with a gemstone? Other than the rather obvious physical changes that you seem to have undergone." Corvus cleared his throat a moment, leaned in close, and said very slowly: "Great power." He fixed her with a condescending stare. "In case my earlier teleportation was lost on you. I now have access to more spells, and can execute them with greater control and precision." He looked predictably smug. Sunil narrowed her eyes and looked at Corvus suspiciously. "Ok, so let us say I would like to merge with a gemstone. Where would I get one?" "You would have to purchase one," said Corvus, "from me." At that, there was a shimmer in the air directly beside Corvus. Corvus looked suddenly alarmed and darted away from the magical disturbance. A strange feien was floating there, clad in long robes of light blue. He had three sets of wings and his eyes were covered with a blindfold. "Julius," hissed Corvus, scowling furiously. "Good day," said Julius to Corvus, and nodded silent greeting to Sunil. "Am I to understand that you are selling feien gemstones, Corvus? Perhaps you did not understand me at your merging. Feien gemstones are not possessions." "I understood you well and fine," growled Corvus. "I simply chose to disregard you. Emperial and I have a right to make a living, you know." Sunil had to side with Corvus on this one. "If Corvus found them, it is his right to control access to them. I really don't have any qualms paying him for their discovery." Then she frowned, who was this feien anyway? She'd never encountered him before. The dynamic between he and Corvus was certainly interesting. "Who are you exactly Julius?" And what business do you have interrupting my conversation with Corvus, she added silently. Given Corvus' reaction to Julius, playing polite might continue to be the best idea. Julius took his time in replying, which gave Corvus the opportunity to. "Forgive her, oh great one, for she knows nothing, and even that is giving her too much credit," drawled Corvus. "Thank you, but I did not ask for your input on the situation, Corvus," said Julius in a measured voice. "I the High Council representative for East America. According to feien law, no feien may ever own another, and that law extends to gemstones. Who might you be?" Sunil blinked a couple times, choosing once again to ignore Corvus. He was just trying to piss her off and while that in and of itself pissed her off, she could pretend it didn't bother her. "I wasn't aware there was a High Council. My apologies." This was using up all of her ability to be reasonable and polite. When she went home she was going to hit something. "My name is Sunil." Not like that would mean anything to him in and of itself, but she didn't feel like adding more. "She's not aware of a great many things," said Corvus, "because she fails to conduct any research whatsoever into anything before she says it or acts on it." He seemed to be growing steadily angrier with each passing moment. Julius listened to that, but he did not answer, instead asking Sunil, "What was your purpose in coming here today?" "She's not aware of a great many things," said Corvus, "because she fails to conduct any research whatsoever into anything before she says it or acts on it." He seemed to be growing steadily angrier with each passing moment. Julius listened to that, but he did not answer, instead asking Sunil, "What was your purpose in coming here today?" Alright that was it. She had tried to play his little game and been polite and honest, but he just wouldn't shut up. She turned to Julius, and replied evenly. "I came for information and out of a certain curiousity as to what Corvus had been up to, since I hadn't seen him around for some time." And then she turned back to Corvus, angry and annoyed. "Corvus, what the hell is your problem with me?" "My problem is the fact that someone I trained turned out to be a complete and total idiot! A commoner!" he exclaimed, waving his arms about comically. "By the gods! You jump ahead of yourself constantly, fail to take note of important information, and when opportunity is presented to you, you are totally ignorant of its existence!" "If that is all, I will be going, then," said Julius, and promptly disappeared. "You idiot!" Corvus howled at Sunil. "I'm not all-knowing like you obviously are Corvus," Sunil retorted. "But if all you wish to do is yell at me, I'm never going to learn anything am I? You obviously totally suck as a trainer." Sunil closed her eyes, took thre deep breaths and then tried for the last time. "Please humor me Corvus. I'm a complete and total idiot. Explain to me what important information you think I should have taken note of." "Ask questions first, draw conclusions later," Corvus grated out. "It was not I who was responsible for training you in your analytical skills, else you would surely be better at researching information before you come and bother folk. Besides, how could you possibly not know you just told the most powerful feien on this side of the Atlantic to shove off?" He stared at her expectantly. "Fine, I'm leaving. I'll go think about things and perhaps I'll be back." Sunil just turned and made her way back to where she had come from.
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 1:51 am
8/16/04 Corvus What a fool that Sunil is. Rushing in without researching, demanding information she has no right to know and has not earned, and the gall in insisting otherwise! I didn't write out all that information on gemstones in the shop for no reason. I did it so I wouldn't be bothered by pesky, foolish inquiries about gemstones. And then, of all the feien in existence to come to me with a foolish inquiry, it's Sunil! What the hell was she thinking? I thought she was intelligent, but dammit, it seems that no matter how intelligent feien seem, they are all idiots. All of them! I only wish I had never wasted my time teaching Sunil anything. The b***h. "You look funny!" "I merged with a gemstone." "You're immortal!" "Oh ho, no, gemstones do not make one immortal, just powerful!" "How powerful?" READ THE DAMN SHOP INFO YOU b***h! Why the hell do I even bother with these whelps? Damnit! And then, of course, she asks, "Okay, well how can I become immortal?" Damnit, if I knew THAT, I WOULD BE IMMORTAL! STATING THE OBVIOUS HERE! Damnit, damnit, damnit! And then, "Oh look! What have we here! It's JULIUS." Sunil: "Who's JULIUS?" Julius: "I AM JULIUS THE GREAT AND MIGHTY HIGH COUNCIL b*****d WHO KNOWS ALL. Who are you?" Sunil: "I am Sunil, and am greater and mightier than you!" Julius: "I find that statement annoying since I have three sets of wings and OHOHO you cannot be mightier than I. But whatever. Why are you here?" Sunil: "I could ask you about gemstones or immortality or the HIGH COUNCIL which SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING WHICH MIGHT BE IMPORTANT, but instead, let me tell Corvus I hate him! I HATE YOU CORVUS FOR NOT SERVING ME UP INFORMATION ON A SILVER PLATTER." Julius: "As I am a wanker who is offended that you show me no respect and instead chose to talk to the bane of my existence, Corvus, I am leaving. PHEER MY LEET INVISIBILITY POWERZ!" Ahaha. Ahahahahahhaaaaaaaaa. I don't give a s**t any more. My life sucks. I should probably go calm down with a nice warm bath in the sink. Damnit, I expected a lot more from Sunil than that display of sheer, unadulterated idiocy. I have never seen anyone be so unprepared and obtuse. I've learned my lesson -- If you don't expect anything from anyone, you will never be disappointed.s**t.
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Posted: Tue Aug 17, 2004 10:26 pm
8/17/04 Close Encounters Aileron watched as Levon opened the door, darting inside before the kitsune could step in himself. He waited for Levon to settle in a chair in one corner, then flew toward the counter, peering around in curiosity. A feien capable of hurting another, he pondered, wondering if he'd see one. And wondering, too... if he did, would he be able to tell? A dark figure rose from behind the counter, feathered wings unfurling to reveal an all-too-familiar figure. Corvus. No matter how many changes he underwent the summoner was instantly recognizable -- and he had gone through quite a few changes since their last meeting, gaining swirled golden markings, an extension of yellow hair, and an unearthly golden glow. If ever there was a feien capable of harming another, it might very well be him. “Aileron,” said Corvus in a low voice that hinted of danger. He smirked cruelly, narrowing his eyes (one grey and one black now thanks to the gemstone) at the perceived intruder. Aileron froze, staring at the other feien for a long moment before gathering himself. Yeande, he thought to himself, reminding himself of the inward promise he'd made. Summoning a small but genuine smile, he moved forward, alighting near Corvus. "Hello, Corvus," he said mildly, doing his best to ignore the way his hair immediately stood on end. There were too many months of blind hatred for him to easily change. Corvus seemed to relax at that. Though his frustratingly smug smirk remained in place, his shoulders sagged the tiniest bit and his brow softened. “I haven’t seen you around in a while.” Aileron considered for a moment, then shrugged, relaxing as he saw Corvus do so. "It seemed... like a wise move. Neither of us has ever been particularly fond of the other, after all. And this would be your territory." He paused then, his smile widening a bit. "If you wish to consider such things, of course." “What things?” Corvus asked sharply, instantly wary. Even if the shop was technically open to all feien, Aileron was correct in calling it Corvus’s territory, which begged the question: “Why are you here?” Aileron's lips thinned at the blunt question, the smile dying on his face. This was... uncomfortable, to say the least. Partially to put some space between them, and partially to give himself a chance to try to calm down from the itchy feeling of Corvus' eyes on him, Aileron padded a few steps away, apparently lost in thought. When he turned back, he said, "I'm looking for another feien. The problem is, I don't know which one. And I've nothing to go on." Corvus’s eyes rolled. “Well, that’s very helpful. Searching for a needle in a hayfield, are we? You’d be better off trying a tailor shop.” He huffed lightly. “Or to put it in terms you might understand, that has got to be the most misdirected and least helpful inquiry anyone has ever made in the history of the universe!” He finished this with a dramatic flourish of his hand. Aileron listened for a moment, a wry smile on his face that only seemed to grow at the end of Corvus' diatribe. There was a time I found this upsetting? he blinked. "Believe me, Corvus, I'm well aware of how ridiculous it sounds," was his answer. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to be more clear than that. I made an agreement with a friend." He shrugged, chuckling faintly. "I do see you haven't changed much. Aside from outwardly, of course." He gestured to Corvus' body. "I hope it won't offend you too much that I approve." He waited a beat, then smirked at the darkness feien. Screwing up his face as if having eaten something extremely sour, Corvus gave a frustrated growl. “Dammit,” he swore, turning away from Aileron and stomping his foot angrily on the counter. As swearing and stomping his foot once was wholly inadequate to express his anger in the matter, he stomped his foot a second time. Aileron’s approval of his physical appearance -- this he would never live down. He pointed one dissatisfyingly normal finger at Aileron. “You-- I should beat you into the ground for that, you shallow, superficial, insolent a**!” Aileron watched him warily for a moment before his eyes widened in surprise. He tilted his head, the smirk fading into a true smile. "...But you won't," he said, after a moment. "Even though you hate me. Corvus, may I ask a question?" Corvus turned away again, burying his face in his hands and rubbing furiously. “What?” he growled. "Why not?" Corvus sighed and dropped his hands to his sides. He looked pitifully at the ceiling. “Because that would be doing you a great disservice, and whether I like it or not, you are by far one of the least aggravating feien at this point. You have no idea the kind of stupidity I’ve been forced to put up with lately!” He looked over his shoulder at Aileron. “At least you’re polite enough to leave me alone.” Aileron nodded, considering. Seeming to come to a conclusion, he wrinkled his nose in distaste, turning to Corvus with an oddly reluctant expression. "I apologize," he said finally, the words explanation enough for the way his face screwed up. "It seems I've been lying to myself for far too long." Almost immediately after the apology was done, he raised an eyebrow. "But don't let this fool you into thinking I care for you any more than I ever did," he added. "I just... think it's stupid to tell myself lies when I won't tell anyone else lies." “You had better not be going all soft on me,” grinned Corvus. “I would never, ever forgive you. Now tell me why the hell you’re here so we can be done with this farce. And don’t just say, ‘I’m looking for someone.’ That’s not helpful.” "Not soft. Just... a little more willing to admit my mistakes, I think. Consider it self-imposed training," Aileron said, blinking at Corvus' grin. A smiling Corvus? That was much creepier than any nighttime vision Aileron had EVER had. "I'm trying to figure out a few things." He paused, then added with a shake of his head, "And frankly, I'd heard that you weren't often here." He considered that, then shook his head. "Actually, Yeande said you were never at the shop anymore, though that was before the two of you changed so much. As confused as it sounds, I didn't actually consider that you'd really be here." “Yes, well, I am here, as you can see, so let’s move this along. The point, if you please, Aileron.” Whatever regard Corvus had for his proclaimed foe, his patience was wearing thin. "The point is, I'm fairly certain you can't help me," Aileron said simply. Despite the simple words, his eyes slipped away, lips a thin line instead of the occasional smile he'd worn. "Not with finding whoever it is I'm looking for, anyway." “Your faith in me inspires the masses,” drawled Corvus. "It has nothing to do with you, Corvus," Aileron said, his own tone growing impatient. "The world does not revolve around you, after all. You can't help because of something I did." “The world will revolve around me whether it wants to or not,” said Corvus, and it was hard to tell if he was making a joke or utterly serious about the statement. “If there is nothing you want from me, why, pray tell, are you still standing here talking to me? I wasn’t aware that our relationship required the pointless exchange of friendly banter.” Aileron opened his mouth, then closed it, re-evaluating what he'd been about to say. "I never said I wanted nothing from you. I merely said that I'm pretty certain you can't help me." “What!?” exclaimed Corvus, practically leaping with indignation. “I’ll have you know I am now the single most powerful feien alive. I could squash you like a bug with a single thought if it so pleased me! Why, the thought becomes more pleasurable with each passing moment. You dare to suggest there is something I cannot do?” Surely an exaggeration on his part, but far be it for Corvus to show modesty where his magical powers were concerned. "Yes," Aileron said, fighting the alternating urges to scream and laugh. Thank goodness I don't have to go to such lengths to prove myself, he noted to himself, completely unaware of the hypocrisy of the thought. “What!?” demanded Corvus, sneering now. "You can't make me voluntarily break an oath," Aileron shrugged. “Pfft. Like I care what you do,” snarled Corvus, similarly hypocritical. “As there is no one else here and I can clearly be of no service whatsoever to you, the door is that way, so off you go!” He shooed Aileron with his hands. Aileron started to take the opening, then froze, turning slowly back to Corvus. "Since you're so determined to prove that I need you," he began softly, his eyes at once wary and solemn. “Aha! You said yourself you don’t. Can’t have it both ways, Aileron. Either I’m incredibly powerful and, woohoo, go me, or I am of utterly no use.” Corvus’s eyes rolled. “Besides, at this point, I don’t particularly care to help you with your petty problems, as they are doubtless far beneath my note. Ah, commoners.” He sighed dramatically and flipped a lock of hair over his shoulder. "You don't listen, do you?" Aileron snapped, his temper wearing thin. The moment he'd let himself begin to think of the little hope he'd clung to all these months, he'd felt frayed and worn again, rather than the confident feien he'd been once he'd found a purpose helping Shalafi. "Or is it just that... no, dammit," he snarled, closing his eyes and forcing himself to fall silent. “Either you get to the point, admit you need my help, and ask for it, or stand tall and proud and oh-so-annoyingly noble and walk out to go deal with it yourself,” said Corvus. “I’m not forcing you to stand here and talk to me when it’s clear you don’t want to.” "I WOULD deal with it myself, if I could summon blooms as you do," Aileron snapped, then froze when he realized what he'd admitted. Refusing to backtrack, he stood firm, staring darkly at Corvus. “Summon blooms” Why on earth do you need to summon blooms?” queried Corvus, drawing himself up and crossing his arms. “It’s a whole new circle of Hell, I assure you.” "I want a family," Aileron explained, turning away to stare out at the shop. "I have for a while." That was about the last thing Corvus had expected to hear. He could think of no snappy comeback, no cruel joke, no sarcastic retort. If Aileron was saying this, that meant... with San... Corvus turned away very quickly and looked at the wall before Aileron could see his distress. When he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “Then you have only to name a date.” "For what?" Aileron asked coolly, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "A breeding? Even if San WERE here, you and I can barely stand to be around each other for ten minutes without wanting to come to blows. And what else is there?" Still resolutely facing the wall, Corvus said, “I will NOT shirk my duties, Aileron. I’m not offering you a favor, I’m not doing this for San -- gods know I would never give either you anything if I could help it. But I take my job very seriously, and as a professional, I have a reputation to maintain. It is only... fair that you receive the same opportunities and considerations as every other feien.” "Trust me," Aileron said, his voice growing a bit bitter. "I didn't think I'd be getting preferential treatment from you." Eyes closed, he continued. "I'd talked to Trio about adopting another bloom, but she's so wrapped up in herself right now that I haven't the first clue whether she's talked to Emiko or not." Swallowing, he turned to glare at Corvus' back. "And I'd talked to San. She liked the idea... but now, it almost seems pointless. No San, Trio's not paying attention... I'm getting used to being disappointed," he finally sighed, turning back to walk away. It felt good to stalk toward the edge of the counter, like he was making some sort of abstract point with his exit. “You’re a damn fool,” called Corvus. He still refused to look at Aileron. “To the worst degree.” "How?!" Aileron demanded, turning back. "Prove it!" “No,” said Corvus sullenly. “You already know it.” He sat down on his side of the counter, knees to his chest. For a second, Aileron basked in the faint thrill of seeing his long-time nemesis looking vulnerable. It felt GOOD knowing that he'd reduced Corvus to this. And even as he came to that conclusion, he shuddered, hating the thought. No - NOT good, not when he started actually thinking instead of reacting. And then he realized something else, far more disturbing than any thought he'd had thus far tonight. Corvus was hurting over the same thing that he was. Granted, he was ninety-nine percent certain that the actual REASONS for the pain were different, but even so... it was the closest they'd ever come to having compassion for each other. Feeling nearly sick at the thought, Aileron stared at him. "You're still bound by the fact that the breeding needs to be between the two of us, yes?" “Bound by it?” echoed Corvus. “It doesn’t matter. It’s my job. I don’t care for San any more than I care for you. You couldn’t possibly fathom my current problems, Aileron. You’ve been off playing nursemaid to kittens and puppies for too long. Though even if you spent every waking moment in my company, I doubt you’d understand it any better. It’s not your place, and as I am incapable of helping you, so you are incapable of helping me. Feh. Who’da thought my first day back in the shop and the person I run into is you? Of all the lousy luck.” Just walk away. Let it be. Things haven't changed, Aileron told himself. But even now, he wasn't listening to reason. He sat down not far from Corvus, peering at the man. "You like pounding things into my head, and proving that you are superior to me in every way," he said, his tone communicating the utter disbelief that Corvus could ever be superior to him. "Try telling me what it is I can't understand." “Hum, no.” Corvus did not seem the least bit upset now, saying this just as one would remark upon the current weather, or the status of a neighbor’s garden. When Corvus finally turned towards Aileron, he looked distinctly normal, not upset in the least. A bit bored, if anything. “What is it you still want at this point, exactly?” Aileron hesitated, grateful that Corvus had returned to normal. That little bit of surrealism was past, at least. He rose, opening his mouth to say something dismissive and leave. And stood, dismayed, as he realized what was coming out. "What would it take to get you to summon a bloom for San and I to raise?" “A miracle.” He paused a moment just to let the cruelty of those two little words sink in, then follow with, “Thankfully, I am all-powerful, and miracles are my speciality. Just give me a bit of time, it’ll be delivered whenever.” Aileron stared at him for a moment, eyes wide and more shocked than Corvus had ever seen him. "But... why...?" “Ahaha, you fool,” laughed Corvus, rocking once. “Emperial and Trio already came to an arrangement. We were out of the country for a while, which is why the bloom hasn’t yet been delivered. I’m sure your precious piece of family will arrive soon.” He finished on a snide note. Aileron should've felt hurt at the obvious mockery, but the thought of someone to raise - a young life to guide and protect - made him smile. He rose, moving to Corvus and kneeling until their heads were level before he offered a hand. "And what can I do in return for you?" he asked softly, staring straight at the mocking feien. “A little thanks to the great and mighty and above all merciful Corvus wouldn’t be entirely out of line,” suggested Corvus. Without hesitation, Aileron murmured, "Thank you, Corvus. You cannot know what this means to me." Corvus gave a small cough. “Thank you Corvus what?” At that, Aileron smiled. "Thank you, Corvus, for such a gift." “Thank you Corvus WHAT?” grated out Corvus. Slowly, weighing the words, Aileron said, "Thank you, Corvus the mighty and sometimes merciful." He faced the feien straight then, waiting for yet another objection, and knowing that he wouldn't go much farther. The first was so subjective, and the last, well... yes, he'd been merciful this time, but there were other times.... “Tch, I suppose that will have to do for now. You are dismissed.” Corvus waved his hand. Aileron rose, peering down at Corvus. "I was serious, you know. If there's something I can do to help you..." “I was equally serious,” said Corvus calmly. “There is nothing you can do at present. But I will remember the offer and hold you to it at a later date.” Aileron nodded. "I will remember, too," he assured Corvus, moving to the edge of the counter. “Goodbye, then,” said Corvus, waggling his fingers at Aileron. "Farewell," Aileron murmured, taking to flight as he moved to examine the rest of the shop curiously, in case he could get some hint he might otherwise overlook. Unfortunately, there was nothing immediately apparent. The shop looked as it always did, with the sole exception of the black feien sitting on the counter. He stood up from the counter then, stretch, and lazily flew into the back office. After a moment, Aileron shook the thought off, seeming to come to himself once more. He glanced around, then sighed and moved toward Levon, settling on the kitsune's shoulder and letting himself slip into thought once more. I think... I need to re-evaluate more things than I realized, he decided, as the two slipped out of the door.
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Posted: Sun Aug 22, 2004 11:40 am
8/21/04 A Bedtime Story, part II From his vantage point in the hallway, Djerod tried very hard not to laugh. He was enjoying the story too much and didn’t want to interrupt it. Corvus floated up beside him partway through. “I’m worried about her,” was the feien’s greeting. “She’s been entirely too worried about Zevulon lately.” He paused, expecting a response, but was rewarded only with the sound of the hippo story. Only when it was over did Djerod turn to Corvus, press a finger to his lips, and motion that they should move to the master bedroom. Once there, Djerod closed the door behind them. “As you were saying, she’s worried about Zevulon. I agree with you. She went to the Fa’e Headquarters on Gaia and was informed Zevulon might disappear.” Corvus sniffed lightly. “Disappearing fa’e? That’s new on me. I thought they just got ferried to new homes.” “Which I’m sure Em will find ever so reassuring,” pointed out Djerod as he sat down on the bed and tugged off his boots. “Hm. Well, will you at least talk to her?” Djerod’s fingers froze in the middle of de-latching the high collar of his uniform jacket. “Yes, I suppose I will,” he said, resuming undressing. “I’m surprised to hear you coming to me with this, Corvus.” “Don’t be daft,” Corvus reprimanded lightly, “you’re the best at dealing with her, we all know that.” Djerod slipped out of his jacket and laid it out on the bed. “Yes, there is that. I can speak with her about it in the morning, assuming she doesn’t slip off like she’s been doing of late.” “Slip off?” “Every day, for at least an hour, she slips away from the house. In fact, Corvus, perhaps you could do me a favor in that regard.” Djerod’s eyes twinkled. “Follow her,” sighed Corvus. “And report her movements back to me,” confirmed Djerod. Corvus asked, “Why haven’t you simply confronted her about it?” Djerod shrugged lightly as he messed with the cuffs of his shirt. “I’ve had my own matters to attend to. Besides, what’s a little covert operation among family? It is only fair.” At that, Corvus had to smirk. “You’re getting a bit of revenge on her for her recent actions, aren’t you?” “Nonsense, whatever makes you say that?” said Kancho, but the slight smile he wore betrayed him. “Fine by me,” said Corvus, “I’ll do it.” Never mind that he probably would have done it anyway, as now that he had been informed that Em was sneaking away without him, he wanted to know where and why just as badly as Djerod. “Now, if you don’t mind...” Djerod reached over and opened the door. “I was intending on dressing for bed.” “Dressing for bed,” said Corvus, rolling his eyes. “You humans and your silly clothes.” “Rhean,” corrected Djerod as he closed the door behind Corvus.
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Posted: Sun Aug 29, 2004 11:33 pm
8/24/04 Doors Sajhiri was settled on a stool behind the bar of the Tall Tales tavern, sipping her usual cup of coffee and reading the newspaper. The place was all but empty this early in the day, save for herself, and a smaller figure sitting at a table in the Feien-sized portion of the room. Averno was sipping a cup of Chai and scribing with quill and ink on some pages of Feien-sized paper. Strange notations of descriptions of a few of the Feien she had met (as few as they had been) and her estimations of them. Strengths, weaknesses, level of usefulness...her brow was furrowed intently as she put her thoughts to paper. Sadly, most of the entries indicated the Feien she had met thus far were not overly useful, except for Sunil, who might be able to protect her from that "psychotic red and yellow freak". There was a creak as the door to the Tavern opened. For a moment, it seemed as if it might be a trick of the wind, but then a small dark figure floated inside. The door slid shut without complaint. The newcomer surveyed the area quickly, large black wings gently waving in the air. He seemed slightly confused. Sajhiri glanced up over the top of her paper as the door opened and blinked a few times, not spotting the Feien at first. Then movement from the large black wings drew her eye. She lowered the newspaper to the bartop and smiled in greeting. "Welcome to the Tall Tales Tavern, can I get you anything, sir?" she queried in a cheerful tone. Averno was so absorbed in her thoughts she didn't even hear the door open and close, but Sajhiri's words of greeting plowed through the haze of focus. Her glossy black curls dripped across the tabletop as she turned her head towards the object of her bond's address. A brow arched at the sight of the strange Feien. Now THAT looked like someone with power. Well...except for that confused look. That was troublesome. Hopefully he didn't have dolt genes in there anywhere. The stranger drifted over in their direction, examining every aspect of the tavern’s décor, and pondered his situation. “Actually, perhaps you can be of service. I’m attempting to find a human girl. She stepped into the lawn out there and disappeared.” His eyes landed on Sajhiri with a satisfying unsettling result. One of his eyes was black, the other a freakish grey color. Sajhiri paused a moment to digest the Feien's words (and stare at his mismatched eyes) and after a moment they finally sank in. "Oh, you mean in the center of the tower? The fairy ring? It would have to be one of the Kithain then, of the Silva Regia...the denizens of Tir Nan Og. I'm afraid only Kithain and natural planar residents of that place can cross over unless carried. I'm sure if you asked her she'd bring you across? Er...I didn't get your name? Or hers? Was it Shiaree or Ahnna, or maybe Xannyia?" Averno gathered up her teacup and put a blank page over her notes before she carefully employed her flight spell to reach her bond and the guest without spilling the hot liquid on herself. She tilted her head to study him. The fairy shook his head, causing his long blond ponytail to swish through the air. “No, none of them. I’m looking for Emperial Teal Atreides-Piett. Shoulder-length dark brown hair, blue eyes, glasses? I’m her feien, Corvus.” Well, that wasn't what Sajhiri had expected to hear. Last she could recall, and that only vaguely, was that Em hadn't been able to get through the ring. But that was a fuzzy memory. Her face darkened as she thought back on the missing pages of her research notes. "Are you sure? I don't think Em is able to cross through the ring...she couldn't last time..." Ah, the wonders of having your memory suppressed by dark magics. Averno took the moment of hearing the other Feien's name as a good point for an introduction. "Salutations, Corvus. I've not had the privilege of meeting you since my emergence. I'm Averno, Sajhiri's here's Feien. May I say you have stunningly lovely markings? So unlike any I've seen before." She smiled as warmly as she could muster, but even so it was a bit forced and with a slightly cold edge to it. More like a doll's smile than a person's. Corvus took careful stock of the small feien. He disliked physical flattery; that was more Aileron’s domain. There was something downright wrong about this juvenile’s smile. “That’s because the markings are a result of a gemstone merging,” he said simply. His eyes narrowed slightly. Averno's eyes widen in curiosity and she peered more carefully at the markings. "A gemstone merging, you say? I don't believe I've heard of such a thing. Granted, no one has been particularly forthcoming with information since I emerged. I've had to pull what little I could from books and that odd thing Sajhiri calls the 'Internet'. It has been...most frustrating." Sajhiri leaned on the bartop, still trying to puzzle how Em could have passed through the ring. It was a terrible nagging sensation. But she found Corvus' markings rather intriguing too...or was it his name? Something about his name bothered her too. Everytime she thought she had a grasp of it, it flitted away from her like grains of sand through her fingers. “The Internet, feh,” went Corvus. He had decided that Sajhiri posed very little help to him and focused his attention on Averno. “My bond spends entirely too much time there. Suffice to say, there is practically nothing you can learn about feien fairies through either the Internet or books. Your best bet is my writings posted in the shop. Besides our recent emergence into the Gaian community, feien have never been in much contact with humans, thus they possess precious little information on us.” Sajhiri, taking the hint, shuffled off to the back room to check her supplies. Averno's face lit up at the possiblility of a reliable source of information. "At the shop! Well _someone_..." She glared at Sajhiri, "...has yet to take me there. I will make it a point of insistence so I might peruse your writings, sir. Thank you for the enlightenment, as I very much tire of being completely useless...as one Feien referred to me." Her lips pressed together in a tight line at the memory of Calico's words and then his assault upon her person. “Can you tell me, it is customary for Feien to resort to sheer violence or utter rudeness upon meeting another Feien for the first time. With the few I've met, it has happened almost half of the time. Most distressing..." Landing next to her, Corvus said, “It does depend. Some are friendlier than others. I am generally regarded as the most objectionable of all feien.” A fact he prided himself on. Averno arched a brow, giving him a more thorough once over at the closer range. "Well as you've not yet grabbed me by the hair and threatened my life, tried to make yourself look more attractive by behaving like a juvenile cretin, or brought about a desire to dump my tea in your lap, I'm afraid perhaps that regard being placed upon you is misguided.” “Childish games,” remarked Corvus. “Juvenile theatrics. Far beneath my level. Just how many feien have you met, then?” Slender fingers stroked across a pale jaw as Averno pondered. "Four at this point. The first was a young fellow with red markings and white hair, belongs to someone Sajhiri calls 'Ice'. He seemed to think himself quite impressive. Then there was the utterly psychotic red and yellow one. He's the one that tried to hurt me, and who I dumped my tea into the lap of. I don't know who he was or who his bond is. Then there was Sunil, who at least didn't try to hurt me or impress me. She didn't know who the one who tried to hurt me was though. She was working here as a bouncer but she hasn't been in for a few days. And there is Ruya, who is a waitress here, and seems pleasant enough." “Sunil,” hissed Corvus, scowling. “A stupider feien you will not find. Thinks rather highly of herself, too. Totally obtuse, too wrapped up in herself to bother to notice anything around her. An utter imbecile.” Averno seemed surprised. "I see, well, I'll do my best to avoid her then. I was hoping someone could teach me to defend myself, either physically or magically. So far she was the only one who seemed capable, but I never broached the subject with her. Do you have any recommendations for teachers?" Her fingers twined absently in one of her curls, almost as a reflexive motion. Corvus drew himself up at that. “The only reason she seems at all capable is because I taught her!” He was torn between pride and anger. “My tutelage was wasted on her.” How very informative that was. "Indeed...and would you be willing to, perhaps, take on a new student? Such as myself? In exchange for...lets see. Well, if Sunil continues to work here, I can certainly keep you up to date on what she is doing, probe her for information so to speak." She narrows her eyes. "You also mentioned needing to follow your bond through to Tir Nan Og. I can probably arrange that and believe I know a way.” It took a good deal of control for Corvus to refrain from salivating greedily. “That is an acceptable trade,” he said, nodding. “Assuming you’re good for your part of the bargain.” He eyed her warily. Juveniles always unnerved him. Averno smiled with a glimmer of desire in her eyes, knowledge and training were within her grasp. "I assure you I am. Sajhiri travels to and from the Fey realm daily, and when she does she brings several specific items with her, some of which are large enough to smuggle you in. If it is carried by her, it will cross when she crosses the ring. She always informs me when she plans to go, and I can get you into the tower and into one of her bags before departure." Unfortunately, that method of travel would require him to be dependent upon not only Averno, but also the types of packages carried by Sajhiri. It was also already a plan he had been considering with Em. The sum value of her offer to him was the intelligence on Sunil, and frankly, he had better ways to use his time than monitoring that whelp. Of course, Averno herself could prove useful. He knew secondhand that quite a few things happened in this tavern, and knowledge of those events might be something worth pursuing. Here he had the tavernkeeper’s own feien. What better source was there? “That seems acceptable. As for Sunil, information on her is of interest, but not of use. Perhaps you might make your monitoring something broader and of better use to me, such as the entirety of this establishment?” Averno waved a hand dismissively. "That is easy enough to do. We have an accord, Corvus. I thank you." He smiled faintly. “And I thank you.”
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:00 pm
8/27/04 - 9/03/04 The Empire Quest Corresponding Entries[color=white]
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:12 pm
9/14/04
"My way would've been faster."
"Shut the hell up, Arturo. Seriously." Puchi had been listening to that GOD DAMN FEIEN b***h at her for the past twenty minutes, and she was about to seriously lose her patience at him. Note to self: next time a vagrant Feien asks to bond to you to survive, ignore him.
Arturo snorted, whirling on Puchi and floating backwards so that he could glare at her better. "No need to be envious because I'm right."
Puchi took a deep breath. Arturo was not worth losing her cool over. BUT SHE WANTED TO SMACK THAT FEIEN OUT OF THE AIR SO BAD UGH. With relief, Puchiko noticed Em's residence becoming closer with each step. Snorting, she sped up, but Arturo kept time. Soon enough, the Feien and human were in a near race, rushing to Em's door.
It was Arturo who pushed the doorbell, panting. "I - I win," he gasped, smirking. Puchiko simply scowled.
The door was answered a moment later. Djerod, of course, as the elderly officer seemed to be the only one who was ever close enough and willing to perform the simple task. One look at Puchi and Arturo and he simply turned to the side and yelled, “Emperial! It’s for you!”
“I’m right here!” Emperial answered from just out of sight. “You don’t have to yell.” Noises followed: presumably Em attempting to extricate herself from her mess of a computer room and failing miserably.
Djerod repressed the urge to roll his eyes at his daughter and opened the door wide. “Please, do come in.”
"Thank you," Puchi replied, dignified as possible. Arranging her clothing slightly, she stepped into the house and looked around idly, hands folded on her stomach. There was more loud clammering from above, and Puchiko raised an eyebrow a Djerod.
Meanwhile, Arturo looked around the room for a sign of Corvus. Finding none, he turned to Djerod. "Is Corvus in? I would like to speak to him."
Emperial finally managed to escape from her computer’s clutches and came skidding into the room through a heavy curtain. She was clad in only a long black t-shirt advertising the computer game Jedi Knight II: Jedi Outcast, blue striped knee-high socks, and her familiar Imperial hat. If she had any thought that she might be underdressed for the occasion, she made no visible note of it. “Oh, Corvy? He should be around here somewhere.”
“I’m here,” came the dark voice as Corvus drifted in from the dining room, black wings perfectly motionless. He enjoyed reminding everyone that his magic was strong enough that he could fly without even the slightest use of one of his wings. “Ah, Arturo, Puchiko. It has been a long time.”
Puchiko blinked at the newly-arrived Feien, and then pointed a short finger at him. "That's not Corvus. Did you lose him or something? That's not like you, Em."
Underdressed as Em might've been, Puchi didn't really mind. She'd forgotten to put on pants before leaving the labs more than once, after all.
"It is Corvus," Arturo hissed, glaring at Puchiko. Though the Feien's appearance had changed, that whole "look at me I can float" thing was entirely Corvus. Almost self-consciously, Arturo fluttered his wings and coughed. "You've changed, I see."
“How kind of you to notice,” said Corvus as Djerod slipped out of the room. “I have now become enhanced with a gemstone and am stronger than ever.”
“Just as disagreeable as ever, too,” supplied Em, shrinking away from Corvus slightly as she said it. Corvus looked thoroughly annoyed.
Puchiko stifled a chuckle behind her hand and glanced over at Arturo. "No wonder they get along so well, then. Anyway! Em, haven't seen you in ages. What say you we let the Feien do what ever it is Feien do and we talk elsewhere?" she suggested brightly.
"The sooner I'm rid of you, the better," Arturo drawled in agreement. Puchi scowled. Ignoring her, the metal Feien turned back to Corvus. "Enhanced by a gemstone. Well, Corvus - I assume you know what's best for you. Puchiko purchased a gemstone not long ago. Perhaps I shall look into it."
Truthfully, it was in the back of Arturo's mind. Despite his stoic outside, Arturo was actually rather cheerful to see one of the few Feien he found tolerable again. He smirked and crossed his arms over his chest. "Not like I need any improving, mind you. But it certainly can't hurt. Aside from enhancing yourself with gemstones, what have you been up to?" Arturo asked.
“Oh, this and that, visiting empires and fighting space battles, that sort of thing.” Said like it was the sort of thing one might experience every day if only one were privileged enough to be Corvus the Summoner Feien.
Emperial just rolled her eyes at Corvus’s boasting and took Puchi by the elbow. “I believe you mentioned some notes?” she said as she led her friend upstairs and away from the fairy dramatics.
Arturo raised a prim eyebrow at Corvus. "Quite the adventure," he commented with a smirk. "I'm glad to see you kept yourself busy. I half-suspected you were just hiding from the shop again."
His tone was teasing and light. Clearly, he didn't mean it.
Wings tired from the journey, Arturo landed upon a nearby surface and sat down, yellow eyes inspecting Corvus. "When did you get back?"
Corvus floated down and seated himself beside Arturo. “Just a few days ago. I was only gone for a week. Emperial had to do this Rhean ritual with Zevulon and invited me along. Welcome break from the general idiocy of Gaia, really.” As he spoke, he scratched absentmindedly at the golden swirl on his shoulder
Arturo snorted. "I took a bit of a trip myself, with Ares. Caterina's one year birthday - I felt obligated to go. It was... awkward. I hadn't really intended to let anyone see the graves before, and I was unsure as to how Ares would react. She seemed all right, though."
Arturo hesitated, then smirked once more. "Speaking of Ares - you still magical enough for a second breeding? Ares and I were considering it. Especially since Merri and Ruya aren't children anymore."
At least, not physically. Arturo had become recently estranged from his family, and knew little of their personalities by this point. He lived with Nero and still hardly understood his son. But no matter.
“Another breeding? Of course I’m up to it,” said Corvus, ceasing in his scratching. The idea that Arturo and Ares might want to breed again had not occurred to him, but he supposed it was better to do one with a pair he knew he could trust than to risk dealing with another Tahki and Talonfaust. “When would like to do it?”
"I would have to speak with Ares. I haven't seen her for a while, and I should speak with her anyways. Maybe take Nero to visit her too."
Snorting, Arturo leaned back, pushing his ponytail over his shoulder and eyeing Corvus' new hair. It was just as long as his and in a similar style - tied back low on the neck. Eventually he raised his eyes back to Corvus. "So what's it like? This enhanced thing. I'm assuming you're mighty and all powerful now?" he drawled, an eyebrow raised.
“Something like that,” said Corvus. Truthfully, he had yet to try and discover the full extent of his powers since the binding, so had little idea what he might be capable of. Julius seemed unwilling to offer any assistance in the matter. “At the very least I’m physically stronger than before, and my magic is easily twice as effective.”
"Twice?" Arturo echoed, actually impressed. To have that sort of power - no doubt Corvus was like a kid in a candy store. Arturo smirked.
"Have you done anything with it, then? Summoned any dark legions to do your bidding? Controlled the cosmos with your mighty power?" he teased. "I don't really see the point to having so much magic if you don't do anything with it, after all."
As Arturo had hit upon the problem exactly, Corvus hissed. “I’ll find something to do with it. At least it’s there if I need it.” A low blow, even by Corvus’s standards.
Arturo chuckled, realizing he had hit a nerve, however accidental it might've been. "Indeed. I suppose it never hurts to have power in reserve. If you ever figure out what it is you intend to use it for, I'd like to see your new power in action."
Figuring that had mended things decently enough, Arturo rested on his palms and looked around the room. "Have you been to the shop, then? I hardly ever go there myself. I've no reason to."
Corvus remained slightly wary, repositioning himself into a slightly more guarded posture with one of his legs drawn up to his chin. “I haven’t had the time, but I was intending to. I did visit that tavern that caters to feien, though. Interesting place.”
"Tavern?" Arturo echoed. He was not familiar with it. "I didn't realize there were Feien-oriented taverns - not that alcohol or dining with other Feien much appeals to me. What makes it interesting, though?"
“Just the feien there,” said Corvus mildly. “Interesting little juvenile named Averno. Do you know her?”
Arturo raised his eyebrows. "Indeed not. I don't find myself going to taverns all that often, and I haven't been to the shop in ages, like I mentioned before. Too many Feien politics to keep track of - I simply don't care enough to bother."
“Shame,” said Corvus, “as you’re supposed to be telling me about such things. But no matter, this Averno has agreed to give me information, though I’m not yet certain if she’s up to the task.” He finished this with a very pointed glare in Arturo’s direction.
Arturo smirked back in Corvus' direction, though it quickly turned into a cough as he looked away. Corvus had a point; Arturo had been slacking.
"I'll do better," he muttered, lips pursed. "I assure you, no juvenile can do my job as well as I can."
“I should hope not,” Corvus sneered back, “because if she can it’s coming out of your paycheck.”
"I didn't realize I had one," Arturo replied calmly, finally dragging his gaze back over to Corvus. It was as steady and deadpan as usual.
“And at this rate, you’re not going to get one!” said Corvus, dissolving into a grin. “How have you been, in any event? Is Gogol still as idiotic as ever? I met a feien who reminded me of him in the worst way possible recently.”
"Yes." Arturo replied, with a bit of a groan. "And Nero seems quite attached to him, which only makes things worse. I truly hope 'stupid' is not contagious. And what Feien?"
“Tahki. Came in for a breeding, which I had to grant of course, but most reluctantly. I came up with a great new saying, though. Four out of five feien are idiots and the fifth is dead.”
Arturo snorted, amused. "Perhaps things will change, though I doubt it. It's hard to be optimistic about these things when even the intelligent Feien insist on associating with Feien like Gogol. I honestly do think constant exposure to them lowers intelligence. Thus, I avoid him as much as possible."
Sighing, Arturo tilted his head back, eyes half-shut. "You chose to be enhanced by a gem only for the power, I suppose?" Arturo asked. He was curious about the whole process...
“Is there really another reason?” Corvus remarked lightly. He shifted his hands behind him so the markings on his right shoulder rippled. Not that Arturo really needed to be reminded of the fact the markings were there.
Arturo smirked. "And the others? How did they react to your change?"
Truthfully, Arturo himself was still a bit stunned. He knew already that Corvus' magic ability vastly exceeded his after having been bonded, but it no doubt was near double what his was back when his magic was stronger.
“Approval, so far as I can tell. Not that anyone would dare say otherwise to my face!” He gave a small laugh.
"I find your glow to be somewhat irritating," Arturo said smoothly, smirk twisting his lips. Arturo hardly cared - in the illuminated room, it was hardly noticeable. Still, Arturo never normally missed a chance to push buttons.
Corvus recoiled. “Acht! Well, the gemstone was glowing, so I suppose I can’t claim to have not had some warning in the matter. Not that I expected it would cause me to glow, but apparently these things happen, and Julius told me as much beforehand. Acceptable risk for the power tradeoff.”
Arturo laughed, shaking his head at Corvus. "Relax, I'm pulling your leg. You actually look quite handsome. The glow enhances your new markings well."
Instead of elation, Corvus actually frowned at the compliment. “Thank you,” he said, rather reluctantly. He was torn between showing the markings off and not wanting them to be overly noticed lest he start to turn into Aileron. He shuddered slightly at the thought.
Arturo hardly seemed to care that Corvus frowned. It wasn't meant as a compliment - Arturo wasn't one for flattery, unless he deemed it necessary. It was a fact.
Shrugging, he stood up, stretching his wings slighty. "I'll begin working on information, then, since you've returned. Which means I should be off." He rested a hand on his hip and smirked. "It's good to see you again, Corvus."
“You as well,” he remarked, looking out the window opposite their seating area. Something occurred to him and he looked after Arturo. “I will find a use for this power. Soon.”
"Perhaps you should use it to smite some of the Feien who get on your nerves," Arturo replied, half-serious. Then he hopped into the air and was off.
Corvus thought about that after Arturo left for a good long while, sitting on top of the entertainment center and gazing out the window. At last he smiled. It really was about time he did just that.
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Posted: Thu Sep 16, 2004 7:16 pm
9/15/04
Ysanne rode on the back of the pard she'd first seen the day she emerged. They'd come to an agreement early on, one for which Ysanne was now grateful, as she saw just how far she would've had to fly (or walk) to get to the feien shop Aileron was guiding them to. Her eyes flicked over the building as Dalreidan reached to open the door for them, Aileron flitting from his shoulder as soon as it was open and hovering in the air as he waited for Ysanne to do the same. She was slower, waiting until Seraph had padded fully into the room and peering around before gathering her concentration and starting the imagining the way Yeande had taught her. Her wings stretched, beating once sharply as the resultant force sent her toward Aileron, and she used minimal effort to correct her course as she watched him turn, darting toward a counter. She followed silently, slightly frustrated to still find herself a little tired upon landing.
“Aileron,” came a rough voice from nearby. Towards the back of the shop was a doorway with a sign reading: “OFFICE. Do Not Enter.” Underneath, someone had written in large, scraggly letters: “This means YOU Tosten, Gogol, Seamus!!!!” and underlined each name several times.
The scribe responsible for the addition to the printed sign was presently floating in that doorway looking at the visitors with some interest. He was not particularly tall for a feien, but large black wings dwarfed his form, creating an impressive silhouette. “Is this that damned leaf?” he said, looking at Aileron crossly as he drifted forward. His approach revealed further details: black and golden markings in swirls across half his body, a long light yellow ponytail, mismatched eyes, and a faint golden glow.
"It is indeed," Aileron said, back tensing slightly as he nodded toward the man. "She asked to meet you." There was an odd twist to his mouth, Ysanne noticed, and she blinked, slowly looking over the man again thoughtfully.
Beginning to understand Aileron's apparent reluctance to introduce her, Ysanne stepped forward, her own wings folding to rest along her back as she watched Corvus carefully. "You would be Corvus?" Her voice was quiet, tightly controlled so as not to give away her body's weakness.
“Yes,” he said, crossing his arms and coming to a stop in the air just above her. It was the ideal location for looking down his nose to study her, eyes carefully searching for those signs of weakness she was trying to hide.
She resisted the urge to curl her wings around herself. Instead, she retreated to the expression she'd been practicing since first seeing it on Dalreidan, the distant calm growing easier to settle onto her face every day. "San told me you might be able to help me," she said, frustrated when she heard the faintly nervous sound to the longer sentence.
Behind her, Aileron reached to settle an encouraging hand on her shoulder, then froze, his hand hovering in the air for a moment before dropping away. His own face was pensive, disappointment lurking within his eyes.
At that Corvus started to laugh. It was a harsh, cruel, unpleasant sound, and continued at least twice as long as it should have. Once the laughter died away, Corvus hissed, “San? You bring this whelp here to give me news of San? Forgive me, for I misjudged you. There are no depths to which you’ll sink in an attempt to ruin an otherwise perfectly good day, are there, Aileron?” His face contorted into a gruesome sneer as he spoke.
Ysanne blinked, her eyebrows raising in curiosity. She didn't bother to glance behind her to Aileron - no doubt he was tensing with the accusation, his face mingled with shame and frustration just as he'd been during their own talk the day she'd emerged. Instead, she kept her gaze on Corvus, sizing him up. "You don't like him, do you?" she asked quietly, just as Aileron behind her opened his mouth to answer the accusation.
“I hate him very much,” Corvus grated out, then quickly added for good measure, “and you as well.” His eyes narrowed.
"Now wait a minute," Aileron snapped angrily at the addition, but Ysanne held up one purple hand, waiting for him to silence before speaking herself.
"Very well." The quiet voice was accepting, her head tilting slightly to the right as she considered her next words. "Will that hinder you telling me what I need to know?"
“That depends,” said Corvus, returning his smoldering gaze to Aileron. “What do you want to know, whelp?”
"My name is Ysanne," her voice came, stronger than before as she lowered her hand. Aileron gritted his teeth, glaring back at Corvus angrily without speaking. This was her show, after all. The quiet buzzing of his wings - moving fast thanks to his own fury - punctuated her words. "I'd like to know what sort of feien I am. I was told you were the person to ask."
Corvus’s head whipped around to face Ysanne with a sharp crack as one of the bones in his neck popped. “What the hell kind of idiot question is that?” he demanded, placing his hands on his hips. He seemed, if anything, angrier than before.
In counterpoint, she seemed calmer than ever, her wings relaxing slightly as she watched him. "I'm told that feien have a connection to elements," she said, meeting his eyes. "And yet, I seem to feel no great connection to anything I've yet encountered. Not air," and as she said this, Aileron winced behind her. "Not ice." Remembering the way she'd shivered at Shalafi, she added, "I dislike cold as well. I've tried other things, but nothing has touched me. So either I am doing something wrong, or I need to find another way to determine what element I am connected to."
At last, Corvus relaxed, the muscles of his body loosening. It in no way lessened the level of his ire. “Ah, so you’re inept,” he smirked. “Can’t sense your element, can you? How... quaint.”
THAT made her recoil slightly, eyes flashing even as her lips tightened. She stared at him for a long moment, her hands curling into fists before drawing herself up to her full, unimpressive height and gazing back at him. "You have not answered my question," she pointed out, voice even softer than before, though laced with frustration.
Corvus laughed again, more pleasantly this time, but clearly at her expense. “Why would I?” he asked. The happy amusement on his face was even worse than his previous anger.
Ysanne nodded, watching him for a moment longer before shrugging. "I understand now. Good day." She turned, skirting around Aileron and striding toward the edge of the counter as her wings began to flex, preparing her to lift into the air again.
Aileron watched her, grinding his teeth as he turned to glare at Corvus again. He wanted to say something, but when his mouth opened, no words came out. Nothing in his head seemed appropriate - not strong enough to express the building frustration and disappointment within him.
Corvus rolled his eyes, waved one hand dismissively, and wandered back towards the office. It was no skin off his back if Aileron’s precious little adopted daughter never figured out her element, and why Aileron had thought to bring her here to see Corvus in the first place... “Utter foolishness,” Corvus mumbled to himself, not even quite aware he had spoken.
"Give her a clue," Aileron demanded suddenly, stalking after Corvus. He snarled the words, voice loud enough to catch Ysanne's attention a moment before she stepped off of the counter. She turned, watching him stride toward the darker feien, and tilted her head. Perhaps force would work where civility had not.
“A clue?” Corvus slowly turned, the tenseness returning to his figure. “And what do I get out of this arrangement? I’ve already tried to get rid of you several times, but despite my best effort you keep coming back.” He tugged a loose feather out of his wing in agitation.
"I had no desire to see you again," Aileron said bluntly, waving a frustrated hand toward Ysanne. "SHE was the one who demanded meeting you, so that she can learn magic. We both know I certainly can't teach her!" He stopped a few inches from Corvus, glaring at him. "You summoned her, dammit. You could help her figure out what the hell she is!"
Ysanne moved forward a pace, an eyebrow raised as she watched the two snarl at each other. Her arms folded over her chest, hair falling to one side as her head tilted, and she waited to see the results of the snarling match.
“THAT’S all well and fine,” Corvus shouted, “but fails to explain the displeasure of YOUR presence!” He leaned forward, hands balled into fists, hair sliding down over his shoulder. With a snarl, he tried to flip the ponytail back over his shoulder, but the long tendrils wrapped around his arm like a thousand whips and he only managed to give his hair a hefty jerk -- so strong of one that he went veering diagonally downwards and crashed into nearest wall.
"You think I'm going to let her approach you alone?!," Aileron demanded, his voice pitched to match Corvus' as he stood over the feien, nearly gloating at the way Corvus slammed into the wall. He'd worry about the darker aspects of the emotion later. For now, it felt so GOOD to see Corvus hurting too.
Ysanne, however, frowned slightly, moving forward to stand nearby as she waited for Corvus to right himself. Her eyes were narrowed appraisingly, and she began to get the impression that perhaps - just perhaps - she would have had much better luck had Aileron not been around.
“Grah!” said Corvus, trying desperately to disentangle himself. His every effort seemed to wrap he hair tighter and tighter around his hand. “So long as she’s not half as stupid as you are,” he grunted out, “I don’t see the inherent dange--NGAH!” His ponytail had somehow come loose and he was now tangled beyond repair in its weblike confines. “Confound this stupid stuff! What the hell is going on!?”
"Stay still," came the quiet voice to his right, just as Aileron started to snarl back an answer. "You're only making things worse." Ysanne's tone wasn't particularly kind. As before, she had that distant, cool quality to her words, though there was less nervousness now. When Aileron growled, starting to snarl out a response again, she snorted, moving to kneel beside Corvus and stare at him, her eyes flicking briefly over his binding hair before a faint smirk came to her lips. "I can free you, I believe." But she made no move to do so.
“I can free myself,” he said in reply, though this clearly was not the case. He winced at the growing pain in his scalp, closing his gray eye for just a moment, and for that moment he almost looked his old self again. Save for the tangle of hair.
"Indeed," Ysanne said, and though the smirk on her face didn't grow, the one in her voice was clear. She said nothing more, but didn't move either, and the meaning was apparent. 'Should be fun to watch you try.’
Corvus had zero intention of giving her that pleasure. With a sneer, he snapped the fingers of his trapped hand and winked out of sight.
If anything, the disappearance intrigued Ysanne more, and she reached out, curious to see whether he'd gone invisible or actually moved elsewhere. For a moment, her expression was open and unguarded, impressed interest in her eyes.
Aileron, on the other hand, snorted, shaking his head. "Uncooperative little...," he trailed off, growling.
Suddenly, Corvus popped back in no more than two inches away from Aileron, and aimed a quick punch at his enemy’s head. However far he had gone, it was clearly not so far that he missed the insult.
Aileron ducked, but belatedly, the punch grazing his nose and catching his cheek and eye sharply. He cried out, and Ysanne turned, eyes wide. She didn't move from her spot, staring as Aileron staggered back a step, then returned the favor, his own clenched fist aiming toward Corvus' midsection.
It landed rather squarely and Corvus smacked back into the wall. At once, the tendrils of hair fell free, as if of their own free will. Corvus gasped slightly, but quickly recovered. “That’s good,” he said, smirking. “But not good enough.” Now that his right arm was free, he raised it so the palm was facing Aileron. Dark energy started forming around it, tendrils wrapping and crackling.
Aileron didn't seem to pay attention to the energy, too furious to let the fight go with one punch. He darted forward, knocking at the arm to push it away with his left arm as his right shoulder and upper arm moved to slam against Corvus again. It wasn't a particularly graceful or learned move - Aileron had little training in fighting. Instead, he was going on base instinct.
Ysanne yelped, darting out of the way as she tried to figure out precisely what to do. She held herself away from it, even as Dalreidan moved closer to her, his hands ready to offer her protection even as his eyes watched the fight in approval. They both needed to kick each others' asses, in his thoughts.
Corvus, of course, wanted Aileron to do just that. He grabbed the air feien tightly and threw every ounce of his power into the dark energy blast. Every bit of hate, every bit of jealousy, every bit of determination in his being went into the spell, and he maintained it for as long as he was able, the black and gold energy crackling. His golden aura intensified and seemed to dim the light of the area around him.
Aileron screamed, his hands scrabbling at Corvus as he tried to jerk away from the spell. He scratched at Corvus when he couldn't drag himself free, writhing in agony and using every means his distracted mind could come up with to stop the torture. His arms flailed, the scream sustaining a moment more before Dalreidan intervened, catching them both up in his hand and snarling. "Let him go," the rough voice sounded, loud and furious.
Corvus did not do so immediately. “Let ME go,” he snarled, “or I’ll make you wish you were never born through whatever sorry method your kind uses to conceive. Furthermore, unless you release me right now, I’ll kill him, and enjoy every moment of it.” He still had enough of a grasp on Aileron that he might conceivably have a manner of doing just that.
Dalreidan hesitated a moment, then growled, releasing Corvus tensely. With no knowledge of what feien magic was capable of, he couldn't risk Aileron, and the guarantee of his death was too great a chance. "Let him go," he demanded again, as Aileron's screams continued unabated, the green eyes closing when he felt Dalreidan's hand release him as well.
Finally, Corvus did just that, tossing Aileron towards the ground with all his strength. “You know,” he said philosophically, “someone recently pointed out to me that there’s no point in having great power if you don’t use it. Alas, Aileron, you have no power, so you wouldn’t understand the dilemma. But perhaps now you’ll know your place and stop accosting me with your petty problems and grievances.”
Aileron lay where he'd been tossed, trying desperately to catch his breath as his eyes closed. Blood rushed in his ears, leaving him barely able to hear Corvus' words, and when he did, he was too exhausted, too numb, too pained to answer. He flinched when he felt Dalreidan reach out with gentle hands to gather him up, his eyes opening briefly to stare at Corvus with utter hatred. "Unfeeling b*****d," he hissed softly, the words faint with weariness.
Through it all, Ysanne stood nearby, her eyes calm and arms tucked close around herself as she watched Corvus attack Aileron, first with action then with words. She said nothing, not sure what there was TO say, but as Dal gathered Aileron up, she remained still, watching the black and gold feien warily.
Corvus reached behind his head and shifted his hair back into a ponytail. He was still mystified as to how it had gotten out, but that was the least of his problems now. “Little girl,” he said to Ysanne, “you’d be better off not relying on the aid of such worthless excuses for feien, particularly ones who don’t know how to respect their betters. There are two kinds of feien: those with power and those without. I suggest you sort out which you’d rather be and extricate yourself from the company of the ones in the other category.” He could have ended his performance then and there, but he chose to wait a moment to hear her response.
She considered his words, cool eyes flicking up as Aileron curled tightly in Dalreidan's hands. And then she looked back at Corvus, solemn gaze meeting his. She seemed to size him up once more, then said softly, in that same cool voice as before, "I see."
Corvus shrugged. “Whatever. You’re no concern of mine. Might want to make sure that fool gets back his bond alive, though.” He suddenly shifted into shopkeeper mode. “Thanks for visiting. Come back again you need anything.” The words were hollow and uncomforting, particularly since they did not seem to mesh with any of Corvus’s actions. The dark feien drifted towards the office once again.
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Posted: Sat Sep 18, 2004 3:32 pm
9/16/04 Corresponding Entries[color=white] Having fetched for Simon a pair of glasses he’d made just in case this exact thing happened and received a small summary of their current guest, Corvus immediately sought the guest out. He discovered the illustriously-named Yanvir asleep in Emperial’s room, and with a dire warning. “Shh, don’t wake him,” Emperial said. “He seemed awfully tired. He teleported across the continent.” She looked down at the three-tailed feien adoringly. “So I heard, which is why I must speak to him,” snapped Corvus, instantly regretting it. “Geez, what’s eating your bone? And it can wait until tomorrow. He’s not going anywhere in his present state. He can’t even fly at the moment. Apparently the spell took a lot out of him, which only makes sense.” Corvus did not answer immediately. He frowned, trembling slightly with anger. That was enough to tip off Emperial as to the fact something was going on. “What?” she prompted. Corvus took a deep breath. “I may as well tell you, as you’re bound to hear about it eventually.” “Oh no,” groaned Em, ushering Corvus out of her room. So far, Yanvir seemed to be a deep sleeper, but she could hardly expect him to sleep through any shouting that was about to come. Once they were safely in the hall with the door closed behind them, she fixed Corvus with an expectant stare. At first, Corvus defiantly thrust out his chin and crossed his arms and refused to say anything. Then he decided he was proud of it. And why shouldn’t he be? “I nearly killed Aileron at the shop yesterday,” he boasted, throwing out his chest. Her face went predictably slack with shock. “You didn’t!” she hissed, expression tightening into one of anger. “Hmph. Don’t believe I’m capable of it?” “Oh no, I know you’re quite capable of it, but this is a business we’re trying to run, one which depends upon you. What the hell am I supposed to do when you keep chasing customers away?” She leaned forward so her face was directly in front of Corvus. Unfortunately, he had long since stopped finding that particular tactic imposing. “Oh, pfft, he’ll be back. He always comes back, even though I tell him not to. Someone will go missing, or a hair will be ingrown, and then it’ll be, ‘Oh, Corvus!’” He shook his hands with mock fear in a sorry imitation of Aileron. “Don’t you remember what happened after the Seamus incident?” Corvus just snorted. “That was different.” “I fail to see how. Both that incident and this involve San,” she pointed out. “Yes, but Seamus was the one at fault, and the incident wasn’t actually -about- San.” He made a jerky nod, as if the motion might somehow reinforce his point. “And I suppose Aileron was at fault this time?” Emperial asked. Now Corvus shook his head. “Of course not. I was. But if I can’t use my massive power to off Aileron, what good is it?” “Oh, great!” She put her forehead in her palm. “How am I supposed to do everything if you try to kill every feien who comes into the shop?” “Not EVERY feien. Just Aileron. And San, if she ever dares to show her face.” She moved away, turning from him to glare instead at the overstuffed laundry bin in the hallway. “And next I suppose it’ll be Gogol again, and Tosten, and then Yasha and Simon and that one you mentioned to me recently?” “Tahki,” he supplied. “Tahki, yes. They all tick you off, too.” Corvus frowned. She was clearly missing the point. “I would never kill Simon.” Emperial turned back to face him. “Say that while looking me in the eye,” she demanded, and he did, which proved nothing. “I still don’t believe you. What did Aileron do anyway?” Corvus shrugged and said, “Nothing in particular. Just came to bother me with one of his petty problems. Couldn’t figure out what element his new feien follower was. Of course, that’s only because the idiot has absolutely no skill in the magical arts and can’t even use detect magic, else he’d know. Her element’s written all over her signature.” Very slowly, Emperial fought to control the urge to smack Corvus. “Corvus. Might I point out: it is. Your. Job! To tell feien who don’t know their element what their element is, to give people blooms, to do their breedings, to deliver items! Though Kabuto’s been doing that, hasn’t he?” “I just summoned two blooms last week--” “You are hereby BANNED from the shop for three weeks!” Corvus stared a moment, then laughed. “You can’t do that. I’m the summoner.” “I can do that and I just did! And if you don’t apologize to Aileron, and while you’re at it, Seamus, Tosten, Gogol, Yasha, Tahki, and Simon, I will ban you PERMANENTLY.” “You can’t ban me from the shop, I’m the summoner!” he repeated. “How will you run your business without me?” She snorted. “You’ll perform your duties from the house. I’ve just closed the portal from this end. I think you’ll recall that of the people living in this household, I can open the portal, Kabuto can open the portal, and Max and Kancho can as well. Simon, if he needs to use it, can ASK.” “But you can’t do that,” Corvus continued, “because people need to be able to access that portal to visit you.” She snorted at him again. “I said I closed it from this side. From now on, the portal is one-way. People can come through but they can’t leave unless someone lets them out. Which means you’re not getting out FOR ANY REASON.” “This is ridiculous! How am I supposed to apologize, then?” “TRY WRITING!” she shouted at him. There was a wailing noise from behind her. “Now look what you’ve done! You woke up Shizue!” She whirled away and crossed into the second bedroom, slamming the door shut after herself. Corvus floated in the empty hallway, alone. She couldn’t do that. She just couldn’t. He was the summoner. It was HIS shop. Well, fine, if she wanted it that way he’d simply not summon any blooms, because he certainly wasn’t going to apologize. “Aileron deserved it!” he cried to the empty air. “He’s deserved it since the moment he was born! And he deserves to die before I do!” If Emperial heard this pronouncement (which was unlikely given Shizue’s crying) she made no sign of it. The doors in the hall remained closed and eventually Corvus stalked off downstairs, calling, “See if I do any work for you! You probably think I’m better off dead!” He never even bothered to check the portal on the porch. If he had, he would have found it inaccessible.
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:46 pm
9/17/04 Emperial Well, he's gone and done it again. First, he went into the bathroom and tried to cut his hair off, ruining Kancho's straight razor. It's got nicks and dents all along the blade. Feien hair is near-indestructible, and always falls right back into place, both facts Corvus knows. She why would he think he could cut his hair off? Of course, following that, he left. Again. I don't know where. He didn't tell me. Not that I expected him to come in and say, "Oh, hey, Em, I'm pissed off, so I'll be at your Aunt Frieda's house this week." I double-checked all the portals, they're all most definitely closed on this end, so Corvus is still in this dimension at least. Unfortunately, when we re-hooked the Household to the planet Earth, we gave Corvus quite a bit of space to run around in. (Had we not done this, we'd never have been able to run into Julius like that.) I'm pondering disconnecting the place again, but everyone anjoys the feeling of living in a neighborhood, and I certainly can't do anything with Corvus out running around unless I fancy leaving him in near-reality for the rest of his life. Well, he'll come back. He always does, doesn't he?
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Posted: Thu Sep 23, 2004 6:48 pm
9/22/04
When Kancho lived up to his nickname of Grey Mage, he did so splendidly. The moment he assumed the mantle, the whole of the universe was at his fingertips. Unlike Emperial and the Lady Admiral, he had no control over anything, but he did have the ability to see and sense much farther than either of them could, and with greater precision and accuracy.
He used this skill now as he briefly scanned the area for Corvus. Once the errant fairy was located, he reverted to his normal, tired self, and set out on foot.
It would just have to be a clear and sunny day, of course. He hated those. They all did. He hated such days in particular because he always insisted on going out in uniform: long sleeves, heavy boots, wholly unsuited to the humidity and temperature of the Roanoke Valley. Even with the chill of fall setting in, the sun roasted him internally, producing a most uncomfortable combination of hot and cold. Sweat began to run down his chest even as his nose reddened from the chilly air.
He found Corvus down by the riverside. It was farther than he expected the feien to go, but not so far as to be inaccessible. The brush between the railroad tracks and the river was heavily overgrown, and for a moment Kancho thought he might have to revert to his other self, but the thought was premature.
"So, you've found me," came Corvus's snarling voice. He lifted up from a patch of brambles and gazed at the Rhean with a contemptuous look.
Kancho's face did not betray anything. His expression was dead, calm and cold and controlled with every bit of his Crennan training. He stepped toward Corvus, his boots crunching on the gravel, and waited for his opportunity.
"I suppose you're going to tell me to come back--" The speech was cut short. Kancho, with a speed Corvus had not known the near-human to possess, snatched Corvus out of the air and crushed him in his hand. There was a slight flicker to the movement, but Corvus, with his limited-dimensional perception, could not have understood its significance or meaning. All the fairy could do was scream in sudden pain and confusion, a scream which died down to a whimper as Kancho's hand constricted.
"Never," hissed the Rhean, eyes narrowing. "Ever. Do I want to hear. Of such behavior again."
Corvus squirmed. He wanted to escape, wanted to Teleport, but the moment he tried he found he was unable to. His vision began to fill with spots.
"Do you understand me?" Kancho growled.
"Yes!" Corvus managed, his voice coming out in an unexpected squeak.
The pressure lessened, but not enough to permit any movement on Corvus's part. "I have very few rules," Kancho continued, "but I do expect you to abide by them. The rules I am about to give you are the same exact rules I have given to Emperial, and if you break these rules, rest assured, I will kill you."
Corvus did not doubt it. The coldness in those eyes was unmistakable. This was no part of Kancho he had ever seen before, and he was suddenly fearful. Kancho, the eternal grandfather, the comforting one, the backbone of the household, was suddenly none of those things.
"Rule number one," this stranger said, "Thou Shalt Not Kill. To take the life of another is neither your right nor your privilege. Rule number two. You may never, under any circumstances take your own life, for to do so is a greater act of cowardice than any other."
There was a long silence. Apparently, that was it. The coldness on Kancho's face lessened and he returned to his normal countenance. "And for gods' sakes, Corvus, if ever any of those two things should occur, come and get me. It's my job to take the burdens for you children, and I would sooner sully my own hands with murder than see any of you do it."
Corvus noticed that the Rhean's grip was much looser now and scrambled out. "I should kill you!" he sneered.
Kancho spread his arms wide. "Then do so. It would be granting me a favor. There are billions who would tell you that to kill me would be doing more good than harm in the galaxy. But do not become me, Corvus. This is not a position that anyone should be in. The moment you take a life, your own becomes forfeit."
Corvus tried to make sense of it all. Here he had been one moment, sitting by the riverside, and the next, this. Should he be mad? Fearful? Upset?
"What do you want, Corvus?" asked Kancho, hands falling limply to his sides. "More than anything else in the universe."
The response was automatic. "To kill Aileron."
Kancho seemed more tired than ever before. "Is that all you want? And if you actually manage to, then what? More murders to cover up the first? If that's the case, I can tell you what will happen. Either you will degenerate into a monster who deserves none of the respect or kindness shown to other living things, or you will become me. Do you know what I want, Corvus? More than anything?"
Of course, Corvus did not. This was probably the longest conversation he'd ever held with Kancho.
"I want them to forgive me, Corvus. Every family who lost a loved one by my hand, I want them to forgive me." He turned away and looked at the line of trees on the other side of the railroad tracks. "They never will, so I resign myself to my continued existence. If you kill Aileron, Corvus, you will either die by my hand, or live to regret it as I do."
Corvus kept his distance, leery of being snatched again, and wondered how any of this applied to him.
"Of course," Kancho said, "you're thinking that I'm not you, and for the time being, you're right. But if you're even half as intelligent as I think you are, you'll realize that murdering Aileron will only cause more problems further along the line. As a temporary goal, it may seem attractive, but there must be something out of life you want more than a temporary goal." He turned back to look at the fairy, frowning.
"Of course I want more than that," scoffed Corvus.
"Then forget about killing Aileron and come back home. If Aileron bothers you again, tell me, and I'll take care of it just like I did before. My hands are already dirtied, and there's no possible way for them to turn any blacker. Focus instead on the bigger goal, whatever it is for you."
When Kancho said that, Corvus suddenly thought that Kancho knew, that Em had told him. He opened his mouth to retort, but the words were not there. All he could manage was a small, "She told you."
Kancho's eyebrow quirked up. "Nothing of the sort. She would never betray your confidence, not even to me, but you must realize: I know her better than anyone else, and as you're bonded to her, I'm capable of making several deductions. Furthermore, you're surprisingly easy to read. Not the slightest bit of discipline at all."
The insult burned in the back of Corvus's skull. "And you're impossible to read and just so superior, aren't you?"
"Nothing of the sort, Corvus. I would never claim superiority over any other living being. That would require more of an ego than I possess. If I am hard to read, it's merely because I'm a Crennan and was raised to keep my thoughts and emotions to myself. I don't make scenes like you and Emperial do, or wear my heart on my sleeve, but some would argue this training has cost me my soul." He shrugged the thought away. "If you're not going to come home, I won't force you, but I rather think Emperial's upset and blaming herself for driving you away, so you may as well come and put her worries to rest, for both of our sakes."
Corvus hesitated. He could not go back there, could not face her after he had just gone and done the same thing as before.
Kancho stared at Corvus impassively. "Suit yourself. But hiding out here doesn't change anything, nor does it solve any of your considerable problems, and in fact creates whole groups of new ones." He turned away and started walking back down the railroad tracks towards the road.
"Wait," called Corvus. It took him a moment to figure out why he called it. "Is she really upset that I'm gone?"
Kancho trotted back. "Verily so," he said, "but don't think she'll stay like that forever. Everyone's allowed to have problems, Corvus, but don't stand around expecting others to care or solve them for you. You have to solve your own problems. Furthermore, stop trying to drag the rest of us with you into your own personal little Hell. It's decidedly unfair, and I think you'll find it wears thin after the second or third time. Surely you're strong enough to just bear it and grin. Then again, this is the second time you've run off crying wolf, so maybe you are incapable of handling your problems. If that's the case, you should have just told us sooner. Then we'd pamper you like the baby you are." Kancho turned and started moving away again. He had said all he'd come to say.
Corvus stared after him. "I'm not a baby!" he yelled, giving chase.
"Then you must surely suffer problems greater than the rest of us," said Kancho, continuing along. "Who knew having all your food and lodging given to you for free was such a hard life?"
"Don't make light of my problems just because I don't live in poverty," Corvus said, sneering.
"Very well, then. The prince decrees that his papercut is far more pressing a matter than the hundreds of subjects starving on his streets. Perhaps to him it is, but try explaining that to the mother and the child, homeless and hungry."
Corvus stopped a moment, but Kancho kept moving, and the fairy was forced to follow to continue the argument. "Emperial said you should never make light of other people's problems, that if one person's cat dying was the most terrible thing in his life, and another person's mother dying was the most terrible thing in her life, that each was equal."
"Emperial says a great many things, well-intentioned but impractical. One person goes hungry one night because she failed to cook herself dinner, and five hundred people go hungry because there's been no rain in their village for seven years. One of those situations requires foreign aid. The other might require psychological help, but is perfectly within the person's control no matter how much she believes it is not. Tell me, Corvus, what precisely are your problems that require foreign aid? Which of your problems are you totally helpless to fight? And how many of your problems are within your power, which you are frequently boasting is quite immense?"
"Aileron is one of my problems," said Corvus.
"Ignore him. Pretend he doesn't even exist. As childish as that sounds, do it. The result will be the same as if you'd killed him, except without the messy legal entanglements or interpersonal complications."
The reached the road now, and turned towards the large hill that led up the house. Several cars passed by and either did not see Corvus or mistook him for a bird. The fairy looked disdainfully at Kancho's shoulder and finally swallowed his pride and landed. "Just so I'm not as easy to see," he supplied. Kancho sniffed lightly.
"If you're going to sit there, you may as well answer my questions. Are you going to tell me you are incapable of dealing with your problems?"
"No, of course not. I can deal with them by myself."
"Are you sure?"
Corvus paused. What was Djerod trying to get him to say? That he was so powerful he did not need to cry wolf, or that he was not so powerful?
"There's no shame in admitting you need help," continued that aggravatingly calm and collected voice.
"Fine, then, I need help. But didn't you just get through telling me not to ask for help? That I should deal with my problems myself?"
"English is a pathetically under-equipped language. The closest thing it has to a formal second person plural is ‘you all' which any halfway decent teacher will tell you is bad English. According to the Rhean language, your self may include anyone you think it should, and to be considered a part of another's self is a great honor. It's not so the case on Earth: here if you include another in your self, they generally take it the wrong way." He was grumbling not for himself, but on Emperial's behalf. "In any event, if you would simply deign to include others in your situation instead of expecting us to guess at what's bothering you, then bottle it up until you explode, and run off like this, I think you'll find things are slightly easier to deal with."
They were halfway up the hill now, and Corvus could scarce believe his ears, for even as Kancho said this his mouth drew into a sour frown. He seemed to find the mere thought distasteful, yet here he was lecturing Corvus on the matter.
"I suppose I'm supposed to have some great epiphany now," drawled the fairy.
"I'll settle for a very minor one," said Kancho. "Talk to us once in a while, and don't run off and do foolish things by yourself and expect us to clean up after you. We won't keep doing it forever. We've got our own problems to worry about without playing mother to yours."
"You're contradicting yourself."
Kancho squinted up at the clouds overhead. "Seems that way, doesn't it? Life's made of contradictions." They were nearing the top of the hill now, the river and the railroad laid out below them. Kancho scratched at his chin, just imagining how much of a scoundrel he must look at this point. "We're stopping at the store first. If I don't get a shave I'll get stuck to the door."
"What?"
"Rhean idiom. Doesn't translate very well. On Rhea, most of the internal doors are in fact curtains." That was as much explanation as Kancho was willing (or able) to give. Any further explanation would reveal the statement as the sort of nonsensical dribble mothers use on children: "If you don't shower, you'll get stuck to the door" was a more common version.
After a moment of embarrassed silence, Corvus spoke up, "So, I'm supposed to talk to you but not burden you."
"Either of us, really. Em made a good case that I should have been more helpful when you two were gone as far as Simon was concerned. Now I'm making it up to her by dealing with you."
"Oh, that's encouraging," said Corvus. "You're only bothering with me because you were blackmailed into it."
Kancho just smiled. He had a pleasant smile when he bothered. "That's the short of it. Come now, Corvus, don't look so bloody disappointed. Am I really such poor company compared to my daughter?"
Corvus hunched over, cross. "Didn't feel like bothering with me herself?"
"On the contrary, she asked me because she knew I'm uniquely qualified for the task. I learned a thing or two dealing with her growing up. You two have more in common than is comforting. You're both far too dramatic." Kancho turned into an alleyway. Better to stay off the main roads whenever possible. "Every single time she would throw a fit when she was little, it was like this. If only you had any idea how many times I had to go and pry her off the neighbor's balcony..."
That sounded like a story in and of itself, so Corvus inquired. Kancho replied with all the pride of a father: "As you may have noted, she has the agility of a monkey, and will climb just about anything. When she was little, her favorite thing to do to drive me up the wall when she was mad at me was climb over to the neighbor's balcony. This was particularly notable because our home at the time was a Coruscant apartment some two kilometers from the ground, and a good half a kilometer from any sort of platform. Can you imagine, a seven-year-old child at those heights? She was absolutely fearless, and I don't mind telling you it was terrifying. Furthermore, it rather annoyed the neighbors. The first time they were panicked, the second time understanding, and around the fifth time they began to get angry. Eventually they moved out. Claimed they couldn't sleep at night because they kept having nightmares that Emperial was watching them from the balcony."
Corvus snickered.
Kancho inhaled sharply. "Think that's funny, do you? Well, after so many years, I suppose it might be. To you. But it has never, ever been a source of amusement to me, and it has unsettling parallels to your own antics. Eventually, Emperial stopped with the balcony-jumping, and it you don't stop with the explosions, I'll be thoroughly disappointed. They're children's antics, not suitable for any sort of mature beings. You certainly don't see me throwing fits and running away every few months just because I've had a bad day."
Corvus was driven into a shameful silence. At last he broke it with, "No, you just sit in the corner and stare forlornly out the window or drown it in alcohol."
Kancho stopped in his tracks. "I have never, ever drowned my problems in alcohol, Corvus. Ingesting alcohol once in a while does not make one an alcoholic." He resumed walking. "Besides, I'm a Rhean. We can't become alcoholics. The stuff burns right out of our systems. Furthermore, don't presume to know my thoughts when I haven't shared them with you. I'm not so proud that I won't admit to having problems, but damned if I'm going to let you think you have any inkling as to what they are. You're so narrow-minded you can scarcely see past your own nose, and don't you dare object! When have you ever helped Emperial out with any of her problems? You just expect her to help you with yours. If she has a problem, then fine, it's not your responsibility, is it? But every time you have a problem, you expect us all to stop in our tracks, drop everything we're doing, and bail you out of whatever problems you've caused. We won't do it forever, Corvus. Particularly when we ourselves get nothing out of it. Compare yourself to everyone else in the household. You're the only one who contributes nothing. Max helps with the cooking. Sally helps with the cleaning. Jango and Kabuto and Atri all do guardwork. And what do you do? Sit on your a** trying to come up with ways to make our lives harder, like killing and running away."
Corvus lifted up from Kancho's shoulder, fluttering angrily in the air. "I summon feien blooms, providing a constant income for you lot."
"You summon blooms because you have a physical imperative to. The fact that it earns money is accidental. Besides, you hardly bear the full brunt of the financial responsibilities in this household. My engineering is what really supports us, and if you want to argue that my engineering doesn't earn your precious Gaian gold, might I point out Emperial was doing a fine job earning that through her artwork before you came along. You are not the end-all and be-all of this household. That right belongs only to Em, and I suggest you start remembering it."
"So you think I'm worthless," said Corvus, sneering because if he did not, he might cry.
"I think you have yet to make yourself worth the trouble you put the rest of us through. Either start learning to pitch in or stop causing trouble. That's a more than fair deal." Kancho sighed. "I'm too old for this crap. I already raised two troublesome daughters by myself who do nothing but gallivant across the galaxy causing me heartache and grief. Now I have to raise every piece of drenn they drag into the house." He kicked a nearby stone with his boot, the first sign that he was beginning to get angry again.
"So now I stop everything and help you with your problems?" Corvus taunted from a safe height.
"I neither want nor need your assistance. I can deal with things myself. I'd simply appreciate it if you'd stop being a thorn in my side and maybe think about someone besides yourself every once in a while. You don't have to start this minute. But you might start with an apology to Em when we get home. Then, you can apology to everyone else who has been gravely inconvenienced by your antics, you ungrateful whelp. And if you need your space to think by yourself, fine. I personally recommend you try underneath the porch, in the side room off the garage, the rose garden, the bike shed, or the master bedroom sunroom. Somewhere that doesn't cause Em to worry about where you've gone and whether or not you're safe." Silently, he added, And somewhere where she can find you if she needs to.
Corvus stared, still deciding whether or not to be angry at this know-it-all b*****d for presuming to interfere in the matter. "And what do I get out of this all, besides public humiliation?"
"You get our help when you need it. Apologizing is not publicly humiliating yourself. There's no shame in admitting you might have learned something from the past and grown. The alternative is to proclaim that you have learned nothing." Kancho gave Corvus a good, long stare. "Have you learned anything from your months of life so far, or are you the same person you were when you first emerged? If you haven't learned anything, then that was the point of living this long?"
Unable to answer, Corvus hung there in the air, staring at Kancho. Finally, Kancho shrugged and continued walking along. "I didn't say you had to answer the question immediately. You can think about it more when we get home."
Recognizing that was not a request but an order, Corvus hurried to catch up. As Em would say, things were never quite so bad as they seemed. He sincerely hoped she was right.
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Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 4:41 pm
12/21/04
Corvus stepped through the portal/tunnel and looked around. A complete mess, totally unchanged from his last visit, except perhaps for the subtle moving of objects from one side to the other.
A scattered home housed a scattered mind, but today this was precisely the mind Corvus was in need of. "Yanvir!" he called, scanning the room the movement. He nearly missed it. Yanvir's speed was almost faster than the eye.
The dash of motion did not immediately move towards Corvus, but headed for a large plush bear instead. Corvus sniffed lightly.
"Come out, Yanvir, you know I can sense you there anyway."
A leg shot out from behind the bear, followed by the rest of Yanvir's body as the ancient slid into view. "You are wanting to see me, yes?"
Corvus sighed. How he despised dealing with simpletons. "Do you know what today is?"
"Is a day?" said Yanvir, hovering between statement and question.
Another sigh. "It's the shortest day of the year. You told me if I came back on the shortest day of the year with payment you would make me an immortal."
Yanvir's mouth opened, almost as if wanting to speak, but no words came. Just a strange crooning noise. "Eeeeee," Yanvir croaked out, then took a short breath. "Okay. You have pay yes?"
"Just as requested." Corvus lifted up his left arm, attached to which there was a small brown bag. It made an acceptable sack for a feien.
"Okay, you show Yanvir, then you go mortal."
"IM-mortal," corrected Corvus as he placed the bag on the ground and drew open the straps.
"Go mortal, in mortal, same thing," grinned Yanvir. His little fingers drummed together merrily with anticipation.
When Corvus lifted the bag up from the bottom, several shiny coins fell out. Pennies, nickels, dimes-- even a quarter. The total came to seventy-seven cents. Who knew immortality could be bought for such a price?
With a shriek of glee, Yanvir leapt onto the coins and went over them one by one. He mumbled and twittered over each one in some language Corvus thought sounded like French. Corvus knew only a handful of words in the language: "bonjour," "merci," "champignon" and "omelette du fromage." The reasons behind his knowledge of the last did not bear mentioning.
Corvus allowed Yanvir to rejoice over his new collection for several moments before clearing his throat. "Back to the matter at hand?" he idly suggested. There was a hint of a threat in his voice. "You have your payment. Now tell me how to become immortal."
"Yeah, yeah, no knickers," said Yanvir. He shoved the coins back into the bag. Apparently he was keeping the bag as part of his payment too. "You want be go mortal?"
"YES," Corvus said, struggling to keep from shouting with frustration.
"Okay, then, this is what you do. Shortest day of year, go west, very far west, like Lewis Clark, til no more go west, and is forest and is dark, very dark, no human, old feien place. Most west place for long area. On shortest day you go forest and as far west as go find man. Man with paint. Not feien, not human either, and man know secret of go mortal. He is like human but not because human is stay mortal, you see?"
"Vaguely, yes," said Corvus drolly.
Yanvir continued, "So, you go this man and you ask him make you go mortal, and he maybe do, he maybe don't, but that is who you ask for go try. Find him noon of short day, very highest noon, in westmost part along ocean. If he there. He not always there. But mostly is there. So that is how you find it, like Yanvir is telling you, and now you go! Bye now! Go far west!"
It took Corvus only a split second to process this information. "WAIT," he said, shouting now to stop Yanvir before the ancient could run off again. "Are you telling me you want me to go to a forest on the west coast on the shortest day of the year, which is TODAY?"
Yanvir paused a moment, thought as hard as he was able, and nodded sharply. "Yes! That is it. Most far west go forest man! That is it! Oh, and highest sun noon."
"And given that we are on the East Coast and you are referring to the West Coast, would that not make it noon in approximately fifteen minutes?"
"Huh? It noon already? Oh, too bad, maybe next year." Yanvir started to move away again.
Corvus's wings shot out to their fullest extent. "No! It is not yet noon on the West Coast! You said it was an old feien place. Can you teleport me there like you did Simon?"
"Oh, sure, but you not bring payment for that."
Corvus knew he could not close his eyes because to do would give Yanvir a chance to run away, but he dearly wanted to sink to his knees and bang his head against a wall. Why did these things always seem to happen to him? But he could work this out. He was Corvus, after all.
He decided to take a gamble. His lips curled into a smile. "But I do have payment. The only problem is, the payment is in the old feien forest far, far to the west. So in order to get it, we have to go there. But it is the shiniest object you have ever seen. It glints in the light and sparkles, and is so shiny it can illuminate an entire room. You would surely be the envy of everyone if you were to possess this object. Don't you want to go and get it with me?"
As Corvus spoke, Yanvir's eyes began to water. That truly did sound like the bestest, shiniest object ever! He had to have it! And all he had to do was go get it! "Okay, you give me item! Is magic, yes?"
"It's magic, alright," said Corvus, nearly snickering as he held out a hand to Yanvir. "Let's go get it right now before someone else does."
"SOMEONE ELSE GET YANVIR ITEM!?" Yanvir snatched Corvus's hand with truly blinding speed. Panic was written all over his features. "Then we must go now! Yanvir take us!"
And just like that, they were gone, no warning or pause. The messy room simply blinked out from around them and a snowy forest appeared.
Corvus's mouth fell open. He knew the trick required great power, but he had never realized how great until just now. The air went from stale one moment to crisp and clear and freezing the next. They were in a forest of ice, with icicles hanging from every tree and a thick carpet of snow on the ground. There were animal tracks in the snow. But he had not been prepared! The summation of his journey was the knowledge that this feat required enormous power. He still had no idea how to perform it.
Corvus did not have much time to admire the scenery. "WHERE SHINY ITEM??" Yanvir screeched into Corvus's ear. Corvus swallowed. Now that he was here, this plan seemed like a bad idea, a very bad idea indeed. Unless, of course...
Using his magic Corvus knocked a nearby icicle off a tree and into the sky. "Look!" he shouted. "It's a teardrop from the sun! When it gets this cold, sometimes the sun cries, and the tear freezes." He levitated the icicle down from the vicinity of the sun and Yanvir began to hop around with excitement, dropping the bag of coins in his glee.
"Yanvir see! Yanvir see teardrop! This very great item!" He dashed up into the air to retrieve it, hugged the icicle tightly, and screamed at its freezing touch.
"It's so shiny it hurts to touch it!" Corvus offered up. "Be very careful, or all its light will seep out and it will disappear. You have to go hide it in a very dark place and never take it out or the shininess will escape. Do you understand?"
"Yes! Yanvir understand!" Yanvir shouted back, rolling through the air with the icicle gripped tightly in his arms. "Yanvir know place were put!"
And suddenly Yanvir was gone.
Corvus's mouth fell open. He had not intended for Yanvir to leave! What was he supposed to do now?? He was stranded on the other side of the continent!
Not to mention freezing. He began to shiver violently upon realizing this fact. The only thing nearby besides himself was the discarded sack of coins. Corvus hastily levitated it and emptied it, for his fingers were too shaky to do this task by hand, and stepped inside. His mending skills quickly created arm and leg holes. He created a hole near the bag's opening for his head and neck, finishing with the original bag opening around his wings.
It was scant help against this cold and took far too much time. Corvus realized he had only mere minutes left with which to locate the immortal man. Steeling himself against the cold, he shot up into the air.
He flew above the tree tops to a surveying height. On one side a giant mountain loomed, and on the other the wide expanse of the sea. Corvus went zipping towards the ocean as fast as his wings and magic could carry him. Never mind that this was one of the most pristine and amazing vistas in the world. He had a task to accomplish and only mere minutes with which to do it.
Assuming Yanvir was at all correct, which was hardly a certainty given the ancient's spastic nature.
The tree line ended in a rocky shore. The area was eerily quiet in the winter, save for the lapping of the ocean against the shore. There were several chunks of ice bobbing in the soft waves.
And an awful lot of shore to cover, even by air. Corvus's head swept back and forth in search of the promised man. This was as far west as he could go, surely! That mountain was on the landward side, he could see the thin line of the shore behind it, so this had to be west.
Unless there was a bit of a slant to the land. Corvus had a vague notion that the cartography of the West Coast indicated a generally westward slope in the northern areas. If this forest jutted off that slant, it would mean that a position perpendicular to the line of the coast was in fact slightly south of the westernmost point. In fact, that would put the westernmost point just at the edge of those trees far to the left.
But the exact opposite could also be true. Perhaps this area slanted eastward? That would mean the perpendicular point was slightly northward of the westernmost point, putting said point on his right.
He had to make a choice and time, assuming it mattered any, was running out.
And just like that he had it. He turned to his right.
If the land slanted in a westward direction, it would too quickly pass further to the west than this shore. If, however, this was the furthest west for a "long area," then the main coastline could not slant to the west.
Or the local geography could exist in a manner rendering the whole of this logical progression pointless. Regardless, Corvus headed to his right. Em was right-handed. Close enough.
But even when he judged that his direction had been correct he was unable to spot any man. More than fifteen minutes would seem to have passed.
Distraught, Corvus drifted down towards the shore, shivering and chattering and generally wishing great ill upon Yanvir's person. If he survived this, he would see to it that the great ill occurred.
As he drifted into the icy forest he discerned a faint hum over the sound of the ocean. It rumbled and pulsed and filled the air with such a warmth. Amazed, Corvus drifted towards the source of the noise, the hum rising in his ears until the vibration shook all of the chill from his bones. His shivering ceased.
As the trees parted, he came upon a small campsite with a crackling fire. An old man sat with his back to Corvus. The man was severely underdressed for the weather. He wore only a loincloth and a necklace of some beads and bone. Straggly white hair twisted and turned down his shoulders. Across his back strange black symbols stretched, running down his arms and legs in ritualistic patterns. As the old man's chest rose and fell, so too did the humming sound he made.
Corvus struggled to come up with a proper greeting but before he could the old man ceased his humming and turned his head. The eyes were blue and sightless. He said something to Corvus in a strange language. When Corvus gave an exclamation of confusion, the man clarified: "Come." He patted the snow next to him with one gnarled hand.
Corvus drifted towards the man warily. This had to be him, the man Yanvir spoke of, the painted man. Corvus started to talk, but again the man spoke for him.
"I know why you have come," he said. "Many years ago as a shaman I first wove this spell onto my flesh. This was four hundred of your years ago, four hundred of the earth's seasons. Perhaps even more. Now you wish to share in the spell."
Dumbly, Corvus nodded as he settled onto the snow as close to the fire as he dared.
"To perform this ritual will take my own blood. You are lucky to be such a small one, for I have only a little bit of blood left. Many great warriors came to me to have this ritual done, only to fall in battle long before the thread of their lives could be woven and the blood I gave them seeped back into the earth. They did not heed my warnings. Now only I remain. I alone remain of all my people, who have fallen to the plagues and the wars of the man from the east."
"You can make me immortal?" whispered Corvus.
"I can make you live as long as you yourself can prevent your death," said the old man. "But the ritual is a dangerous and painful one. I must weave the spell that is in my blood into yours."
"I am not afraid," said Corvus.
"Only a fool feels no fear," said the old man.
"Only a fool fears the inevitable," Corvus countered. "And this is inevitable. I must become an immortal or I will die."
The old man waited a moment before speaking again. "Many have undergone my ritual and of them all, only I remain. You may yet die. But that is between you and your fate."
There was a pouch on the old man's loincloth which Corvus had not noticed before. The old man opened it now, removing what appeared to be a set of needles. "You must lay down," the old man instructed. "Remove your clothes."
It seemed to Corvus that a thin sack was hardly clothing at all, but there was no better term for it. He ripped a line down the side of the bag. It fell into a pile on the cold ground. There was a rock near the fire suitably for laying on.
The old man heated the needles. "You are lucky to have caught me, for I only come onto the earth to perform the seasonal ceremonies of my people. Soon I will go back."
"Go back where?"
"To the sea," said the old man gravely, and seeing that the needles were warm, picked them up and pierced his skin.
Corvus steeled himself as best he could. This was nothing like he expected the path to immortality would be. He wasn't sure what he had expected, but this was certainly not it.
It seemed to take forever before the old man drew forth a drop of blood. He deftly pricked the skin of Corvus's body with one hand and siphoned the blood into this tiny hole with the other.
Corvus nearly gasped at the sudden pain of both piercing and fire but clamped his mouth shut. The old man was working on his chest, since there was nowhere else with enough open space on the fairy's tiny body, and any gasping or screaming would disrupt that work. Besides, the pain was quickly gone.
Only then the old man pierced his skin again, and again, and again. The whole of Corvus's body soon became numb to it and he lay limply against the rock, only the faintest hissing to indicate he was still alive at all.
Finally the old man was done with the pattern. He had created a set of messy glyphs on Corvus's chest. Now he drew a smoldering stick form the fire and began to wave it through the air, chanting.
Weakened, Corvus easily succumbed to the smoky air and aching pain across his chest. The moment he had, the real pain began.
It felt as if fire was running across his skin, coursing through his veins, engulfing his very being. He screamed and convulsed at the sensation, curling up into a ball and rolling off the rock. His wings covered him protectively, but this did nothing to assuage the agony he was experiencing. It hurt, dear gods it hurt, and it seemed nothing could make it stop!
The old man remained chanting for some time, then quietly gathered his few possession and walked away, towards the ocean, the tiny fairy screams soon disappearing behind him.
~~~
Corvus was oddly conscious of the fact he must have lost consciousness. He was cold and alone and while his body still burned, the fires were down to an ember now.
Just as the old man's campfire was.
Corvus had the sudden thought to sit up and look around, but moving proved to be such a difficulty that he could manage only to turn his head and realize the old man was gone. Ugh, his aching head... It felt as if a herd of buffalo were stampeding inside. One hand weakly rose to his temples and it was then that he saw it.
His hand. In his gemstone merge he had gained a set of swirled golden markings across it, and a faint golden glow, but now... Streaks of black covered the swirls of gold and the glow was gone.
This was all Corvus could manage to do now. He curled up on his side and covered himself with a wing, his only comfort in the icy forest. He drifted quietly off to sleep.
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