|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Mon Jul 11, 2011 3:47 pm
 It was dark out. Almost. It was just about his favorite time of day, especially for a walk. It was still warm from the sunshine earlier, but the coolness of night was slowly letting its presence be felt. Of course, his blending into such a dark environment had nothing to do with it, nope. Getting his cloak out, Theofratus pulled it on and left his house.
It was colder out tonight, more so than usual. That meant there was a storm coming. A small smile curved his face as he walked, heading nowhere in particular. Perhaps he would meet some people tonight, out here on this lonely road. But really, who in their right mind would want to be out now, especially in this part of town? If there was anything that could make the people of Moonfall hide away, it was a storm. By the feel of it, this would be a big one.
The last thing he expected was to see someone out here, but see someone he did. Meaning that the person was not a local. Curious, Theo let a small blue flame spring to life on his finger to offer more illumination in the dank, dark street.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 17, 2011 1:09 pm
Moonfall would forever be Salem's favorite place to satiate his thirst, for the port was fat and lazy, practically bloated with all the merchants and the hedonism that dominated in the minds of its people. He could see the magic that coursed through them like crashing rapids, begging to be exercised despite the people's resounding ignorance of the fact that they were filling like balloons and threatening to burst from their own lack of action. It almost filled Salem with anger, that they should be allowed to produce such magic but never use it, but he suppose they could not be blamed for their neglect. For was it not the Majin's task, like a farmer to his herd, to take the sweet milk of magical substance from them and put it to use where they would not? Of course it was, yes indeed, and Salem made his trips to Moonfall as per usual.
Tonight, though, a storm gathered in the distance, hiding just below the horizon, for could Salem not feel it coming? There was freshwater dampness on the ocean breeze, and despite the abnormal cold (which seemed strange to him, for storms of the magnitude of the one approaching were usually preceded by periods of staggering heat, not cold), the sky filled with dark, heavy clouds that hung low and oppressive over Moonfall, which seemed to have also battened down against the coming rain. There would be none out on the streets tonight, and that made this a wasted journey, it seemed.
Or, at least, it seemed. As he prowled the streets one last time, blue light illuminated the street, casting a long shadow in front of him. Salem didn't so much as turned, but rather pivoted on his heels to face the one who was investigating him. It was a tall man in a heavy cloak, and the curious blue light he emitted came from magical fire that rested on his hand. “I wonder,” Salem asked, musing out loud, “If you always point your magic at strangers, for I know some consider it rude, oh yes they do.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 11:31 pm
The wind gusted through the port town, a gale threatening to blow in with such strong winds. Windows, chimneys, houses all creaked in protest at the possibility of such abuse, unwilling to take another battering. It made the cold biting, causing Theo to draw the cloak closer to him even as the tiny blue flame lit up the street, expanding into a decently sized fire even though it flickered and dance to the rhythm of the wind, threatening to disappear. But Theo held onto the magic that bound it, giving it life. The stranger was… different. A strange assortment of scars decorated his body, crisscrossing over his face and arms, even his chest. What had he done to earn such marks?
The stranger’s voice was slightly mocking. Theo felt himself bristle inside, even if he kept his face blank. “Not often, no. Only when I need some light.” Theo replied in a similarly mocking tone. The flame cast a blue sheen over the man, making his pale skin a strange blue, casting deeper shadows onto his face. Theo took in the gray hair, horns and bare feet in a glance. Such a strange man. “What are you doing out so late at night?” Theo asked, blunt as ever. He had no inclination to bandy with words. People were rarely out this late unless they had some sort of business. And at this time of the day, it was hardly the good time.
The wind wailed again, trying to blow away everything as it rushed past, lifting Theo’s cloak in a flurry. The fabrics billowed around him, hiding the strange man from view. When the wind slunk away and stopped, gravity took over and the cloth fell back into place. He was still there, that strange man. “Who are you? Why are you out so late?” Theo repeated his question, intrigued by this man. Something about him made Theo feel terribly unsafe, and yet he couldn’t leave. He didn’t want to go, however terrified that part of him was.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Jul 27, 2011 4:07 pm
Salem nodded sympathetically, as if to put the man in blue at ease. He seemed and sounded condescending, but true understanding hid in his breast, for he had no reason to be rude to this man! This majin man.
“Of course, of course! For it is very dark tonight, and the sky is thick with these black clouds. I know nothing of being sightless in the dark, I'm afraid...” The sigil upon his hand pulsed gently at being acknowledged, flashing orange for a moment. It served, literally, as his eye in the dark, providing unearthly sight to Salem when he provided a little bit of his ichorous black blood to satisfy it. It saw more than just light where there was none, but that fact seems rather unimportant at the moment, does it not?
The wind raised its voice against theirs, slapping and whipping against them, pulling the tails of Salem's coat away from him, whipping them back and making them flail. Daggers of ice hid in that breeze, Salem could tell that far. They registered far back in his mind, though, for the skin that was naturally his felt little when exposed to the elements, and the parts that weren't felt none. Terribly rude, in Salem's opinion, for the gust to attempt to interrupt them in such a manner. Mother nature was no mother of his, for she raised her children with absolutely no manners.
Salem smiled at Theofratus's appraisal and the look of confusion that came with it. Confusion led to curiosity, and curiosity kills the cat, as they say. In Salem's case, though, the saying really went more like 'Curiosity feeds the cat to the hungry majin.' He had no desire to feed on his new companion, though, for he had nothing for Salem to feed upon! What a treat to meet a fellow majin, though! What a pleasure to palaver with one of his many brothers!
Salem cut a sly glance at Theofratus, laughing at his question, which took him as quite coy. “Surely you know why we wander, my brother!” The 'we' was intended to represent Salem and Theofratus as majin, but Salem knew not that his companion was not yet clued in to his nature. “This is not that late at all for me. I am a child of the night, and should progeny not come to know its progenitor? The dark is my domain, you might say. I wander it with no destination in particular, searching for interest and any treats that may hide within it. I am called Salem, though I have other names.” At this, Salem bowed low, smiling.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2011 7:33 am
The patronising tone, the confidence and surety of himself left Theo feeling a little apprehensive. Warning bells screamed inside his head but he ignored them, even though the strange rune on the other man's pulsed orange and he acknolwedged that he didn't require light. It could be part of his magic, but perhaps it was something else. However, Theo didn't want to chase his thoughts down that path, taking him into the deeper, more frigtening recesses of his mind.
"Indeed it is. One of the darkest I have seen thus far." Theo murmured softly, his voice nearly drowned out by the wind. The sharp n** of frost bit at the exposed skin of his face as it blustered around him, a cacophony of wailing and moaning echoing around them as the buildings protested at the rough treatment they were receiving. The rumbling abovehead sounded ominous, as if waiting to unleash the anger of the heavens on to them at just the right moment, raining judgement upon them.
He grew even more uneasy at Salem's answer to his inquiries about the wandering around, alarm bells ringing wildly in his head as he processed Salem's words. Brother? Treats? Why was Salem calling him "brother"? He wasn't related to Salem in any way. in fact, he'd only just met this man. Theo would have remembered him for the many scars decorating his body even if he didn't remmeber much else. Perhaps... Could it be? But no. Theo wasn't. There was just no way. Absolutely none.
"My name is Theofratus, though you may call me Theo." Theo introduced himself formally, a little stiff as he tried to shove away all the implications that were pushing their way to the forefront of his brain. Surely Salem was Majin. But, Theo wasn't related to him and yet he was called brother. He couldn't possibly mean that Theo was Majin, could he? Theo clenched his jaw as he thrust the thoughts away, blanking out his mind as he returned Salem's bow with a stiff one of his own, even though it was not quite as low as Salem's. His eyes darted around them, unease working its way deep into his being just as the cold was slowly sinking in, chilling him to the core.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Aug 26, 2011 6:09 pm
Salem gazed long and hard at this Theofratus with his one eye, in a sort of ... tilted way that defied logic. It made him look almost as if his whole body was thrown in a great spiral, with that one pool of deep liquid silver as the axis upon which it turned. Often people found themselves locked in this gaze, like some great pin, holding fast any who looked into it. The other majin wanted to leave, wanted to bolt, but he was no more free to than any human ever would be. He still thought like a human, Salem realized.
"Theofratus..." the one-eyed witchie mused to himself, still audible over the shriek of the wind, but just barely. "What a silly name to call oneself." He could call himself anything he liked, but he had chosen such a clunky name. It made very little sense to Salem, until he realized that this Theo had no idea he could even pick a new name for himself ! Such a human habit to keep only one name. Salem himself had been through at least ten since last he could remembered. He pondered hard on why he wouldn't just leave it behind, and it came to him.
The child thought he was a human!
Salem suppressed a chuckle, easily enough because it was a slight thing. Just a new thing for Salem to add to the great list of the many other silly things Salem had seen in his days. He honestly had no prior experience with anything of this nature before. Improvisation had never been his strong suit, but Salem made a split decision, then and there, to keep things as consistent and possible for this Theo. Salem would let the boy figure it out on his own. He had no idea how stable the boy was, in any event. Didn't need the realization unhinging Theofratus' mind, becuase that would just end up messy. He didn't want to kill one of his brothers.
Finally, after an eternity within his own head and an eternity without, Salem spoke again. "Tell me, then, Theo, why exactly are you out on such a night?" Salem was accomadating his companion, but that didn't equate to him allowing himself to be interrogated.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2011 8:37 am
The way Salem looked at him... Theo felt as if he were an insect under careful observation, ready to be pinned down at any one moment by this strange man. The silvery eye glinted with a hint of something. It wasnt malice, nor was it particularly friendly. If Theo had to choose a word for it, he would say curiousity. But that didn't quite fit the bill either. Irregardless, he felt like a cornered animal, waiting for a chance to run at the first sight of an escape route. Why, he couldn't explain. Just the way Salem looked at him... Like a predator on a hunt, Theo realized. His uneasiness stemmed very much from that.
Theofratus... The way Salem had said it.. He made it sound like a rather awkward name to have. True, Theo wasn't particularly attached to his name, but it was unique to him. After all, there was a reasoning behind the name. Though it was still beyond his comprehension what his parents had been thinking when they named him "friend of god". Theo wasn't sure he believed there even was a god, never mind being the friend of a deity he knew naught of. How did his name even make sense? He wasn't sure even.
The slight chuckle was nearly hidden by the wind, but Theo heard it nonetheless. His features settles into a slight frown, but he said nothing about it. Sometimes it was just better to shut up and not say anything. And he believed that now was one of those times. Salem seemed to be missing a few screws, or so it appeared to Theo. It wasn't as if he could do anything or accomplish something by insulting Salem. Silence stretched out between them, a fine spider's thread that Theo chose not to break. Salem's question however, snapped the fragile thread.
"Myself? I'm actually out for a walk." Theo answered. The grey of twilight had given way to the black of night, the chill more apparent now as the wind swirled around them, tugging at clothes and hair as it pleased. The storm was drawing ever closer, filling the air with the salty smell of the ocean. The storm would be here fairly soon, that much was certain.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 08, 2011 3:35 pm
Theo's face twisted with emotion, a kaleidoscope of feelings that Salem absolutely adored, in his own strange way. He had built his entire personality around wordplay and his ability to influence and sway people. Watching his own work in action pleased him to no end. His new acquaintance probably just couldn't help himself, enrapt by Salem and his glammer, his strange magnetism that terrified and yet still pulled. Normally, however, his magic brought on this effect, and Salem had long since dropped any pretense of maintaining the wards and spells. Which meant Theo, at least to some small degree, stayed of his own volition, and this set Salem to wondering.
Though unnerved, something drew this boy to Salem, though what, the stitched witch knew not. Maybe it was the boy's mind secretly yearning to know its true nature, just begging for the enlightening word of one of its glorious brothers. Maybe it was destiny at work, placing them together for reasons Salem knew not yet, but surely would later. Maybe Theofratus was a powerful ally in the making. Salem decided that it would do to cultivate this relationship, because in either case, he believed he could be quite helpful to Theo.
“A walk, hmm...? Yes, yes, I suppose that makes sense, given a night like this...” Salem called back, even as the first few drops of rain fell onto the worn fabric of his collar and his shoulders. “Would you like to walk with me, then, oh good sir?”
The sky opened up when he finished his question, a furious downpour that the sky could hold absolutely no longer, regardless of how rude Salem thought it. Salem didn't react to the sudden change, though, if it weren't for the fact that he was quickly becoming soaked through, one might not even think it rained at all. Salem smiled at Theo, one eye flashing in what light shone on these darkened streets.
“What say you, then?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 20, 2011 10:01 am
The look of utter fascination and delight on Salem's face set Theofratus very much on the edge. It was as if his delight came from the discomfort he was certin Theo was feeling. Determined not to let that show, Theo steeled his facial features into a blank mask. He didn't want to seem vulnerable to anyone, especially not to Salem. Even so, why was he still here, seemingly riveted to this strange man with a variety of scars crisscrossing his body like a broken ragdoll mended as many times as possible? It made Theo wonder as to how he had acquired so many woulds that he literally had to be stitched together so that he wouldn't fall apart.
For that matter, why was Salem here even? He was certain the older witch had better things to do than to fraternize with a boy that was seemingly headed nowhere, with no purpose whatsoever. He doubted that Salem would be much of a friend. He seemed rather slippery to Theo, someone who he was better off not trusting too much. Not trusting at all, for that matter. Something about him made Theo even more wary of him than he was of Rahjih, though they both were clearly Majin. He'd much prefer Rajih's constant jibes about his inadequacies (not that there were many) to this rather stilted politeness. The air hung heavy with an unspoken tension.
"Yes, a walk." Theo replied evenly, drawing his hood around his face. It was getting colder by the minute, and he wondered if he ought to have brought a scarf as well. "By all mea-" A sudden downpour cut of Theo's words, the sky letting loose the tears it had built up over the last few days. Thunder boomed overhead, like a child throwing a tantrum complete with tears and unreasonable screaming. Lightning streaked the sky as the rain continued to pour, soaking through the material of Theo's cloak.
And through it all, Salem stood there, as if the rain wasn't even affecting him. Theo had to admire his stoicism, for not letting something like this affect him in any way whatsoever. "Very well then." Theo smiled at Salem, a rather savage smile, his eyes glinting with the dancing lights above them. "We shall walk, you and I." His bright blue eyes met with the liquid silver of Salem's in an unwavering stare, a challenging smile on his face. Despite the rain rapidly soaking through his cloak, Theo could hardly care. He would dry off, the worst that could happen was he catch a fever over the next couple of days. But nothing he couldn't handle.
"Shall we then, kind sir?" Theo asked, placing an especial emphasis on the word "kind". Almost scornful really, his tone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
