|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 5:42 pm
Who: Sage, Sloane, Jin-Ho, Paintbrush
Where: The main base, North Tower (Meeting Hall)
When: Midday
Why: Meeting and hiring of Jin-Ho
Weather: Clear day with no snow fall but lots piled up. Cloudless and annoyingly bright. "Do I not count as an assistant?" Sloane followed his lady obediently down the cold stone hall. Chilled wind blew in from a cracked window pane, blowing one of the hanging purple tapestries that were propped on either side of every far placed window. On them was the gold insignia of their Fellowship.
"Don't fool yourself," she waved a hand while they walked past, the window shutting and locking itself in a fluid motion, "You may have powers, but you're hardly a Quietus. I need someone with magical capabilities to help me where you cannot."
The Sword Plague couldn't fight her there, she was absolutely right. With the influx of Plagues these past few years, people were scrambling to get noticed in all of the factions, and with the Fellowship being the oldest and once the most trusted, Sloane had little doubt that before long there would be hundreds of people attempting to prove themselves worthy. Sage had told him a little of what to expect, though she hadn't met the man yet herself; he was from the East, had little magical practice but a lot of interest in the art and, apparently, no ties to anywhere else.
He would likely fit in just fine.
"I'm going to be helping him get settled on what sort of magic he's best suited for and we will see what he can assist me with."
Sloane's smile dipped into a wide, toothy grin, his swirled eyes giving him an insane look, "You sound as though your expectations are quite low." His clawed fingers fidgeted with interest, points tapping onto the side of his armor rhythmically.
It was true. Her belief in the recent Mages was exceedingly poor and it lowered even more when she realized no one was at the meeting place yet. The area she had chosen to meet Jin-Ho in after he had been escorted by one of the guards was a wide dining room typically used now for planning. The wooden table was long with a dozen or more chairs, a lit fireplace to one side crackled loudly while the chandelier overhead remained unlit, stationary. All of the windows were closed and their purple, gold trimmed curtains drawn. Only one was open, leaving the light in the room limited to it and the burning fire.
Sloane took a seat at the chair closest to the entrance doors, two wide doubles in ornate cherry wood carved with abstract patterns. It was obvious that kings had once resided here, whether they were bases for war or not. Back to the entrance, he wondered just how much Jin-Ho knew about the situation and if he would be mistaken, at first, for a human.
The thought tickled him.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 4:39 pm
Cold. Very cold.
Jin-Ho knew that the North was cold, it was common sense, but jeez. He had been given a thick cloak to shield himself from the harsh winds, but it was still far colder than he was used to. It seemed that this weather would be difficult to get used to. Oh, well. Just one of many things he was going to have to do.
Holding his newly obtained clipboard at his side and his paintbrush behind his ear, he opened the door to the main hallway. He had been summoned to meet with Lady Sage today. Nervousness surged through his body as he stood at the beginning of a long line of guards. Forcing his intimidated feet forward, before he was able to land that first step a guard had called him out.
"Jin-Ho Kyon, come with me."
Nearly jumping out of his skin, Jin-Ho quickly strutted over the the guard that addressed him and followed. "Y-yes, sir!"
Come on, Jin-Ho, settle down... no need to be so worked up...
Today was the day that he would be interviewed to be Lady Sage's assistant. He'd heard many rumors of her, and many of them he hoped weren't true. Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Jin-Ho continued to follow the guard into a new hallway. The air here didn't flow much, and there were torches everywhere. This made the temperature a bit more bareable. He removed his hood and loosened his cloak. His clothing was still obviously Eastern, but it was something he couldn't help but keep. The East was his homeland, regardless of the reasons he had left in the first place.
The decorations had also caught his eye at this point. Everything seemed to have a purple and gold color scheme, the only color in the stone hall. Strangely, it seemed like they were the only colors this place needed, along with the soft, orange glow from the torches along the tall walls.
Deep in thought, Jin-Ho was interrupted by the guard. "I'm sorry, excuse me?"
Real nice, Kyon... start paying attention or you'll get a bad reputation...
"I said that we are here," the guard obviously wasn't impressed. Once opening the door, he waited for Jin-Ho to step inside, quickly closing them the moment he stepped inside.
"G-good evening, my Lady, I am Jin-Ho Kyon. I'm here for our interview."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jan 12, 2010 5:03 pm
The large wooden doors creaked wide open, Sloane and Sage's backs both facing Jin-Ho as he entered. Lady Sage Estratus was standing near the fireplace, almost halfway down the hall from the both of them.
"G-good evening, my Lady, I am Jin-Ho Kyon. I'm here for our interview."
Sloane's head turned slightly, red hair covering his swirled, mismatched eyes. His pointed teeth shone brightly, orange glow from the fire and torches putting him in a fearsome light. "Salutations. Were you indisposed?" to illustrate his point further, Sloane tapped his wrist, voice lowering to a gravely whisper, "You're late."
It was then that Lady Estratus responded, turning to face her Plague and possible new assistant. "Jin-ho Kyon," she recited, orange eyes locking onto the nervous Easterner. Lifting a finger from her crossed arms, the chandelier's candles lit themselves in small bursts until all were emitting the same glow as the fire. Another flick of her index finger and the one open curtain closed itself, no the only light within the room being that of fire. This was a small test in and of itself; a test to see how acquainted he was with the idea of magic, let alone its effects.
"Why should I take you on? Persuade me. Make me want to take on an assistant because, let me assure you, I have been working quite well on my own magically and I could easily teach Sloane, there, how to write."
In his seat, Sloane chuckled. She was making this very difficult for the young man, he could smell the boy's nerves a mile away. Something else he could smell, too, was of a far more interesting nature. Whether Jin-Ho was aware of it or not was currently indeterminable, but tucked behind his ear was a deathly little contagion. How interesting...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 7:21 pm
He was to prove himself?
Yes, it's a given that you have to convince your to-be employer, but the way she spoke made it seem like she really didn't need an assistant. Jin-Ho gave a quick glance to the amused Sloane, though he was too far to really see him well enough to tell just what he looked like. Something about the man was odd, but that wasn't what was important, now.
"I apologize for being late... it is my first time to the castle..."
Tightening his grip on his clipboard. Thinking quick, he took a deep breath, "Well, ma'am... if you weren't in need of an assistant, I most likely would have not received a letter of summoning after showing interest," giving the man on the other side of the hall a quick and nervous glance, "a-and if you had intended on teaching Sir Sloane how to write, you most likely would have, already."
Reminding himself not to make any idle motions, not even so much as a scratch to the scalp, Jin-Ho turned his attention back to lady Estratus. "If it is of any importance, I know certain amounts of information concerning the Eastern Scientists and the lands between them and us." His nerves tingled as he brought up the Scientists, is this considered betrayal? He had never really considered himself part of their group, never agreeing with their motives or actions, so why should he feel bad?
Taking a few steps closer to the middle of the room, he drew in another breath, "I might know little magic, but I am a quick learner and open to direct criticism."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Feb 06, 2010 10:03 pm
As Jin-Ho spoke, Lady Estratus' vibrant orange eyes never left his, boring directly into his being. Appearing utterly indignant, as unwelcoming as the dangerously frigid weather within the region, but she hung on to his every stuttered, awkward word. On one of her crossed arms, her fingers tapped with a foreboding air of impatience. His apology was well met, it caused her to sigh with something not quite annoyance, though afterward he started off quite roughly, stating the obvious.
"The Scientists are in closer ties than the cultists... Unofficially," she picked up where he left off, letting her arms drop and hod onto the corners of the large wooden table that took up most of the room. "But, criticism..." something akin to a smirk began forming, "You will find I very much enjoy giving criticism. You will also find that mine is of the harshest variety. I hope you have a strong skin to that kind of thing."
Suddenly, Sloane erupted into uproarious laughter, rocking back in his chair so hard it knocked against the side of the stone fireplace and kept itself upright as he continued to guffaw and chortle. Eventually his hands smacked the table and the laughter seemed to end as quickly as it began, departing with a pleasant sigh from the man. "Might I see your brush?" he inquired, holding a clawed hand out in Jin-Ho's direction and seeming to be completely distracted from whatever had caused him such great humor only seconds ago. "The craftsmanship looks extravagant," his fingers flexed quickly, beckoning the brush into his hand as if it would jump away from Jin-Ho with his sheer force of will.
Of course it didn't.
The way Sloane always took notice of objects, strange objects, Sage noted, was almost like some sort of antique connoisseur, a collector of all things delicate, beautiful and grim. She uttered a listless chuckle at her Plague, straightening her posture and making her way toward the side of the table he resided on, much closer to Jin-Ho than before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:35 am
Sloane's sudden uproar startled Jin-Ho, causing him to jump slightly. Despite Sloane's question, he kept his attention on Sage to maybe try and prove himself. "Even if the Scientists are closer ties, there's no telling what would happen if something were to go wrong between us and them." Hopefully the "us" gave the impression he wanted it to; make it obvious that he was on the Mage's side from this point on. "And as for the criticism, even if it turned out I didn't have the skin for it, it would be something I would just have to stay strong on. Anything to serve, m'lady..."
To prove his point and to show humility, Jin-Ho knelt where he stood, on one knee with his arm crossed over his chest, bowing. "I have come to the North, hoping for a new start and the chance to become something greater."
Pulling his brush from behind his ear, Jin-Ho stood again and offered up the small writing utensil to the man. It wasn't until now that he caught a good look at him. "Wh-what... what are you...?" Sloane's distinct eyes and sharp teeth caught his attention almost immediately as Jin-Ho got closer, quickly taking his hand away as he placed the brush in Sloane's armored hand.
What did he find interesting about this brush...?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2010 10:55 am
Humble, ready to serve as she wished, ready to do anything he needed to in order to better himself and, hopefully, the world.
Good.
Lady Estratus remained silent as Jin-Ho rose, watching him move to hand the brush to Sloane. His reaction was interesting. Apparently he had never encountered a Plague first hand, even in his travels from Imisus to Shyregoed. Being from the region where science rules all, and hearing the rumors and stories of their tactics, it surprised her that he hadn't encountered even one.
His teeth became more visible as his smile grew, looking monstrous in the low light of the room, gleaming with the orange tinted reflections of the fire and candles. His armored claws wrapped around the brush, gripping it tightly so it wouldn't fall as the man suddenly retracted his hand with fright. "A terrifying and deadly individual, something you carry with yourself and have just given to me," he spoke cryptically, red swirled eyes narrowing before looking down at the tainted brush. "The name "Estratus' Sword" for her right hand man is not a metaphor; I am not a knight bound by fealty, I am bound to her out of born duty. I am truly her sword in the most literal of senses."
Holding the brush tightly, Sloane rose from the chair and held up his free hand so the back of his gauntlet was visible. Suddenly, the metal began to shift, warp, and with a loud metallic pang there was a growth that turned from a bulge to a sword-like protrusion from his wrist, reaching higher than his head. "A Plague among men, Sir Kyon, I am the Lady Estratus' noble Plague."
Sage's eyes were locked onto the paintbrush as Sloane spoke and made an example of himself, noting the black "ink" condensing on its tip, how it reeked of decay. She mused if the brush ever ran dry. Whether Jin-Ho noticed or not was irrelevant; the man had a Plague on him. Stepping over, she roughly gripped Sloane's armored shoulder, keeping eye contact with her new apprentice. "I will take you on, then, Jin-Ho Kyon. You will experience the world's most terrifying tragedies under my care. You will see things you will have never wanted to see, and will never be able to forget. If you still wish to serve 'your lady', then show me what little magic you are capable of."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2010 6:05 pm
"P-Plague...?"
Was this really what they looked like? He had heard of them a few times before, but this was the first Jin-Ho had seen with his own two eyes. Are all of them human like...? From afar, he couldn't even tell that Sloane wasn't anything other than human.
Nearly knocking a candelabra and whatever else as he pushed back against the table at Sloane's little demonstration. The sword-man's words disturbed him slightly. Did he mean that his brush...? "M-my brush... is... a," Jin-Ho swallowed hard, 'Plague?'" He eyed the ornate brush that was now Sloane's now-bladed hand. It was hard to tell that there was anything odd about the tool. Sure, the tip stayed wet even though he hadn't used it at all since purchasing it this morning, but other than that...
"I will take you on, then, Jin-Ho Kyon. You will experience the world's most terrifying tragedies under my care. You will see things you will have never wanted to see, and will never be able to forget. If you still wish to serve 'your lady', then show me what little magic you are capable of."
Show her. Oh, man. He'd never really been asked to give an example of what he could do, especially magic-wise. Sure, he'd been practicing just in case this was to happen, but... what was he supposed to show her? The most he could do was heal small wounds... would that be impressive enough?
Glancing over at Sloane, brush still in his bladed hand, the idea came to him. "Sir Sloane, may I request your assistance?" Pulling up his sleeve, Jin-Ho offered his arm to the man, "I need you to mark me." He paused for a moment for the approval of the Plague and his guardian. "I'm not very talented with the use of magics, but I am able to heal small wounds. There will still be scars, and fatal wounds are beyond my help, but I feel that this ability is strong for my skill level."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Feb 10, 2010 10:12 am
The corner of Sage's mouth twitched at Jin-Ho's reaction to Sloane's explanation, if it could be called that. As the state of Panymium currently was, it was nearly impossible to get anywhere in the country without having access to a Plague.
Her eyes glossed over the brush that Sloane was inspecting ever closer as her would-be apprentice backed further away from them. Her Plague's breathing seemed to shift slightly and he clutched the brush close, letting the tassels on its end brush across his skin. Sloane seemed quite taken with the object.
As Jin-Ho spoke abruptly, Sloane froze, listening to the Easterner's explanation; an odd request, an interesting reason to have need of him. For a brief moment, Sloane's face held no expression, swirled eyes moving from the brush to its owner, but a large grin soon spider webbed its way across his face and he showed more teeth than ever. A pink appendage peeked out from inside his dangerous maw, sliding across a few white daggers, and then pulling itself back in.
"Don't bleed on him," Sage warned, eyes narrowing at Sloane as he gingerly set the brush down on the table and made his way toward Jin-Ho. The powers that he had, what he was, Sloane's very blood held the infection of the Black Plague and was incredibly contagious in even minimal amounts.
He shook his head, standing in front of Jin-Ho like a giant, and sheathed the long sword-appendage back into his armor, the gauntlet returning to normal with no sign of ever having changed. His right hand raised up, at first looking as though he was going to dive all of his claws into the boy's arm, but he closed all fingers but the index and touched the tip of it to Jin-Ho's arm, the other hand holding his wrist firmly. Slowly, the claw traveled down his arm, first just breaking the skin but getting slowly deeper as he went until he abruptly pulled the claw away, instantaneously releasing Jin-Ho's arm.
With a flourish, Sloane turned his back to the boy, looking directly at Sage with a gaping grin as he ran his tongue along the bloodied metal claw, licking up every little bit. Her expression didn't change; she was used to such behavior.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 1:05 pm
Wondering what the woman had meant by 'bleed,' Jin-Ho barely changed his expression as the Plaque drew closer and grabbed his arm. Terrified, honestly, but he kept his composure. He had to, it was the only way to prove himself. As the bladed finger sliced his flesh, he didn't wince; he didn't look away. Once the deed was done, he was relieved that the monstrous man retreated back, himself.
Blood gushing from the wound, Jin-Ho calmly began wiping the the gash until it was visible for the few moments before it began leaking, again. Before it could do so, he held his hand tightly over his arm, mumbling something under his breath. He closed his eyes, incantations gradually dying down and the bleeding stopped. No special glow, no runes, no "effects." What blood was left dripped from and off of his arm until there was nothing but a clean arm and a thick scar.
"Marks will still be present, and will probably never disappear. This mark," he held up his hand, under arm exposing the long scar that now decorated it, "will be with me for the rest of my life."
With the rag he used to clean his arm the first time, he began cleaning the mark he had left on the floor. Though... he still had to wonder, "when you told Sir Sloanne not to 'bleed' on me, what did you mean?"
With the blood cleaned, he gently placed the dirtied rag down on the table, careful not to make another mess. Jin-Ho grabbed his brush and placed it back behind his ear.
"You also never made clear to me... you say my brush carries the Plague with it? It is... one of you?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:26 pm
The two watched with seemingly little interest, though Sloane held a small, lingering smirk on his face while Jin-Ho wiped the blood away. When it was clean and his hand placed over it, Sage shifted her stance and narrowed her eyes, not moving her gaze from his arm or even blinking.
Clean. A scar. Her expression softened slightly, though still appeared marginally apathetic until he spoke. Sloane quickly glanced to her, smiling such a wide and foreboding grin, she could see the pink of his gums and a slight trickle of blood seep from his mouth, running down his chin. He didn't bother to wipe it off, merely turning back to Jin-Ho with a less intimidating grin as he posed his first question.
"Sloane can't control his bleeding. With seemingly no cause, he will spontaneously bleed from various places," she pointed to to him, where Sloane quickly pointed a clawed finger at his bleeding lip. The wound wasn't caused from him biting down with his sharp teeth, it had just spouted out from a pore. "I asked that he not bleed on you, because you see..." Sloane slipped his tongue out of his mouth, licking up the blood it could reach and wiping off the rest on the back of his gauntlet, leaving a small smear, "Sloane's blood carries the Black Death."
His red, swirled eyes watched as the would be apprentice cleaned up the mess he had made on the floor, only to pose another question. Full of curiosity this one was, most certainly, but it all proved enjoyable to Sloane. Chuckling, his deep voice gave answer as opposed to his Keeper, "Dear Grimm, what you have there carries the sweet scent of decay. Your innocent brush could be a dangerous infector--one such as I." Sloane watched as he tucked it behind his ear, smile giving way to a slight frown as it meant he could no longer hold it for now, "Though there are other possibilities."
It seemed to the both of them that Jin-Ho was rather new to the concept of Plagues at large, much less the idea of raising one. With Jin-Ho's own ability to heal, or speed the progression of healing as the scar indicated (Sage was still frowning that Sloane had cut him so deeply, but Jin-Ho didn't seem to mind), perhaps this young man from Imisus, from the Sciences, could do what she could not and raise the one sort of Plague that was the answer to this disease.
Not voicing these whims, Sage nodded her head to Jin-Ho, walking around Sloane and giving his armor a light tap with one of her knuckles. He followed as she walked to in front of the man, stopping just a few inches short. "Kneel," the command was short, and she gave him no time to think of something to say in response before she leaned her band back expectantly of Sloane. Without a word between them, he stepped forward, right gauntlet shifting and a long, thin blade poured from the wrist, stopping where a hilt would be. Standing between Jin-Ho and Lady Estratus. The sharp blade came to rest on the man's left shoulder once he had gotten on his knees as instructed.
"Jin-Ho Kyon, this is the most important day of your life," Sage explained, giving pause for some sort of reaction before she closed her eyes, sighing slightly and lowering her head, "The Aether has laid claim to you and sewn the seed of an aperture within your body. With the promise of doing no harm and using your given power only for the progression of a greater good, this Adviser grants you the status of Augur among our ranks." With Sage's words, Sloane's sword lifted and rested atop Jin-Ho's opposite shoulder. As she finished, the sword retracted and disappeared, and the Plague drew back. The distance was then closed between Sage and Jin-Ho with a single step, and she leaned down to rest her thumb gently against his forehead. This time, her voice was soft, quiet, nearly a whisper. "Our apertures are in the same place; our third eye. This is the place we draw our power from. This is our connection to the Aether. It is ours, and ours alone. Do not take advantage of the power the Aether offers you, for the consequences will only be against yourself."
Her hand was removed as Sage stepped back, standing straight and her eyes opening. Once more, her voice had the commanding tone, one of power and certainty, "Rise, Augur. A Mage you are, and my assistant you shall be." Sloane cackled pleasantly at the news.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Mar 15, 2010 2:42 pm
Jin-Ho's eyes widened slightly, slightly nervous that he had asked the Plague to do the favor at this point. Though... it was rather silly to ask a Plague to do it, if you took their title into consideration. Either way, the deed was done and it didn't seem as if it had infected him.
As instructed, Jin-Ho knelt before the two, his arm resting on his knee and his head lowered.
"Jin-Ho Kyon, this is the most important day of your life. The Aether has laid claim to you and sewn the seed of an aperture within your body. With the promise of doing no harm and using your given power only for the progression of a greater good, this Adviser grants you the status of Augur among our ranks."
As Sage gingerly touched his forehead with her thumb, Jin-Ho twitched lightly, not expecting the touch. Once she rose again, he followed suit, carefully examining the Plague before him. The "man" cackled as the woman titled Jin-Ho as her assistant.
"I humbly accept the position. You will not be disappointed, Lady Estratus."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
