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 Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 8:50 am
Noisy, lively, busy. This shopping area reminded Na'ima of the busy marketplaces of home, though there were less horsemen and more wild and crazy teenagers going around talking about their teenager problems. Boils, classes, exams, prom. They could perhaps be the worst and best test subjects. Perhaps they were too oblivious to their own problems to notice if she tried something on them..
Na'ima sighed quietly to herself. What could she do to them? Nothing right now, the large chunk of her work had been destroyed with the isles and she barely had enough here to make much of anything. She had no seeds to purchase anything in this place, and she was low on anything of monetary value. She was being forced to start over. That was okay, it was fine. Regroup, restart, adapt.
It was a good thing she loved her work.
The Famine horseman sat on a bench for now, drumming long, thin fingers along the back of it as she watched those that passed her. Salbei had gotten to know them, as had many other horsemen, perhaps she should try it as well.
But...ugh..
Children.
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 9:00 am
Amarus was attempting to balance a large potted plant in her arms. It wasn't that it was too heavy for the Lotus Eater; no, she was very well-equipped to handle the weight, and even the size of it. What she was not equipped to handle was the weird way the blossoms kept opening and slowly making their way to her face. Their white petals, blushing black at the edges with blue speckles, seemed like they were trying to smother her face. It was making it very difficult to walk in a straight line, much less figure out where she was going. The Lotus Eater's bells rang faintly with every step, occasionally more aggressively as they were jostled by the way she moved erratically to shake off the blossom petals.
She walked not on the ground, but above it by about an inch, her feet never touching. That was probably the only reason she hadn't stumbled as of yet; empty air gave her a safety cushion of stability. This plant was her latest experiment: seeing if she could feed a regular plant, or one that somewhat supported her ability in general, on Lotus Essence and thus impart it with her ability in a sustainable fashion. Basically, a narcotic flower. Amarus was hopeful. She hadn't been able to get any lotuses, not since Conquest had... well, regrettably been entirely obliterated.
She felt a faint pang of sorrow, somewhere inside her; muted, thankfully, by her own nature. Being a Lotus Eater made emotions a lot easier to quell, and lately she was extremely grateful for that. It was nice to feel calm even when one should not.
"Hey," Amarus greeted the clansman sitting on the bench, as she somewhat gently set the large suffocating flowering plant down on the bench next to them. Normally, someone might have asked if it was okay, or if they'd mind, but Amarus had very little concern for others on the best of days. Today was not the best of days.
"Watch the blossoms, unless you don't need to breathe," she said, squinting off into the sky, as if it would yield directions and/or make walking with her plant less annoying.
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Posted: Mon Jun 10, 2013 5:24 pm
Na'ima noticed the young filly with the pesky put of lotus flowers long before she had actually approached her bench. It was intriguing how the flowers seemed drawn to her. Were they a new species of face-eating lotus? Or perhaps it had something to do with the ghoul herself! She smiled and sat up a little straighter as the ghoul came her way and set the pot down on the bench. Oh, how lovely! A chance to interact with this beautiful flower! Despite the warning she chuckled and leaned in to lightly touch one of the flowers, turning it toward her so she could get a good look at it. "Oh, how beautiful," she crooned. Na'ima put her pipe on her lap and leaned in to sniff one of the flowers. Oh, she knew that feeling. She chuckled, looking up at the ghoul with a lazy smile. "What are these flowers, child?"
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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2013 4:24 pm
There was nothing so wrong with being brave, and Amarus instantly approved of the Clansman's willingness to touch the creepy flower. Pretty literally creepy; the flowers reached their petals up to caress the stranger. "They are fed on--" Amarus paused, and went pokerfaced.
"They are an experiment I am conducting. They are rapidly taking over what is left of my room, however," Amarus lamented. Two of her pets had disappeared during the invasion of those shadow creatures. Thankfully, her room had been basically barren before the attack, so the damage was mostly to major furniture and she could care less. "Could really use a place to work. Why, do you like plants?"
Amarus seemed to be interested in her, suddenly, having realized that perhaps this individual could be of use to her. "I am Amarus, Lotus Eater, for your record," she said, wording it a little oddly.
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Posted: Fri Jul 19, 2013 6:47 pm
Oh! How curious! Were they sentient? Na'ima's brow raised and she very lightly stroked the petals with the tip of her finger. An experiment..what did they feed on? Why did she stop? Curious. She wanted to know more about this lovely plant. "I like many things, child," Na'ima chuckled, feeling the petals' texture with a thoughtful hum. "Plants are especially useful in my work..what is this experiment? What do they feed on? Why does it move when I touch it?" She was intrigued not only by the flowers but by the young filly who had brought them over. "A pleasure, Amarus. I am Na'ima, a Sage of the Famine clan." She would always be a Sage of the Famine clan. Na'ima had worked too hard for that title to give it up just because the islands had collapsed and they were being forced to merge their clans into one. Never. She would always be a loyal to the Queen.
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Posted: Fri Aug 02, 2013 11:04 pm
Amarus regarded the sky, more than she looked at Na'ima, her eyes glazed over with some sort of schematics circling around in her mind. "They began as clippings from campus, and I raised them on my essence. They are a part of me, I suppose. A kind of mutant creation. I cannot continue to expend so much of my own energy, so I was hoping to refine a plant which could regenerate its own production of that essence."
She looked down at the plants, then. "Something went, ah, a little... awry," Amarus admitted. "but no matter." Amarus knew almost nothing of Famine, and normally learning was not exactly her thing, but:"Sage? What would you say that entails, Na'ima? You say plants are useful in your work?"
As for WHY the plants moved, Amarus sincerely hoped it wasn't because they'd developed a taste for blood. Or smothering. Probably smothering.
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Posted: Sat Aug 03, 2013 8:00 am
A mutant creation she had made with research of her own doing. This was her kind of child. "Awry?" So she was making a new plant. Na'ima was grinning behind her veil. What could have gone wrong, she wondered. These specimens looked very beautiful and their movements intrigued her. "I supposed one could compare me to a scientist," Na'ima began as her explanation. She gently rubbed a petal between her thumb and index finger with the most delicate of touches so as not to ruin the flower, she just wanted to feel its texture. "My research in particular was very fruitful. Airborne toxins and chemicals, even just normal scents; how they affected humans and other...various subjects. Flowers are my favorite, little lotus eater." Na'ima hummed thoughtfully. "May I have this? I would very much love to see what this experiment of yours is for. Is there any particular reason you are creating flowers?"
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Posted: Mon Aug 05, 2013 11:25 am
Awry, as in it would take over her entire room if she didn't keep it in check, and she suspected if she slept lately at all it would strangle her. Amarus, prone to falling asleep suddenly and frequently, hadn't slept at all in a while; she'd been syphoning off too much of her own essence to really function.
The plant hadn't helped. It was pretty, it's true, but it didn't produce the kind of narcotic substance she needed.
"A scientist? Someone learned," Amarus mused to herself, a light flickering on in her eyes. The more she learned of this stranger, the more she thought that perhaps... they would be a good pair. Amarus had, until recently, truly believed she was all she'd ever need.
Now she knew that allowing someone to help would simply make them both more powerful, if they chose their allies well. "Airborne toxins and chemicals, and scents... Na'ima, it seems as though we were made for each other. Would you care to experiment with me?"
Amarus paused, and then drew a vial of purple-pink liquid out of her over robe. It was corked, and tendrils of smoke curled at the top of the bottle. It glowed faintly, mimicking the shimmer of Amarus' own skin, the aura that flickered across her like light on water. "As a Lotus Eater, I do not have blood, but rather an essence: I am a walking narcotic, basically. It is airborne, naturally, but I am trying to extract my essence, refine it, concentrate it... and make a plant that can mimic my abilities, so that I am not constantly, ah, bleeding myself dry."
She paused. "You may keep the plant, provided you consider my proposition," she said. "I do not have an eyePhone, but you can reach me, if you have made a decision."
Briefly, remembering that she had thrown her phone away without having time to warn anyone, she wondered... where Zel was. How he was. Amarus felt something she imagined to be sadness, before pushing it down.
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Posted: Tue Aug 06, 2013 11:50 am
What a polite child. This young one was like a breath of fresh air! Na'ima grinned slowly behind her veil and leaned over so her elbows were on the arm of her bench, cupping her chin in the palms of her hands. "And why is that you would like to experiment with me, little lotus eater?" This was interesting! What did she have to offer that Na'ima could use other than growing mutated plants? When the ghoul revealed a vial she perked up a bit, watching her with clear curiosity. What was this? Her eyes widened at the sight. Oh, this was something she knew well. An essence, huh? Well now.. Na'ima was liking this ghoul more and more. Amarus was right, they were made for each other! Or..well...Amarus was made for Na'ima. A slow smile spread across her lips as Amarus continued to explain what she did, giving a chuckle at the comment of bleeding herself dry. She liked this. Amarus would be very beneficial to her, and apparently Na'ima would be a very good help to her as well. "I do not have that either, child. You can find me on the reserves in the area designated as Famine lands, I'm currently living in my mentor's tent," Na'ima explained while idly petting the plant. This was wonderful. "I do not need time to think it over, I would be happy to work with you, dear Amarus. How shall we make this work if neither of us have an eyePhone, hm?" Na'ima didn't even know how to use one.
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Posted: Tue Sep 03, 2013 10:11 pm
A wicked glint, like light on the edge of a blade, sparked across her silver eyes briefly as she smiled. Everyone she met, lately, she associated with from a business standpoint; they all considered one another in terms of gain and loss. A ledger, a toll, the balance of profit and power. She had no problem with this. It made sense to her. She'd always know where she stood with someone like Na'ima, or Enzo.
"I am glad to hear you are someone who acts decisively," she said, toying idly with the teardrop shaped red crystal at her throat. Thinking, she added: "Why don't we have a shared workspace? I was planning on creating some sort of, ah, hideaway for experimentation and such... A greenhouse, of sorts? A greenhouse, bakery and lab all in one. What do you say?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 22, 2013 5:52 pm
Ah, she liked a ghoul who knew what she wanted. "A shared greenhouse sounds lovely. Are your plants dangerous toward others? Would I be able to perhaps grow my own plants? There is a garden on the reserve mostly used by horsemen of Famine, but it would be nice to have my own private garden." Hm..bakery? Na'ima rose a brow at that. What an odd thing to include. "What kind of baking will you be doing?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 24, 2013 8:32 pm
Amarus clasped her hands together, stopped fiddling with the gem at her throat, and thought about everything Na'ima was asking with a trace of a smile on her face. "My plants are only dangerous because I seem to be breeding some strange combinations-- and they are, perhaps, dangerous if you ingest them," she suggested. "You can, naturally, grow whatever you wish. We will find a way to negotiate the finer details fo climate and organization. I would not want to risk my more precious plants' inclusion in a shared garden, though I wish I had one at all," she added.
To the baking question, Amarus' smile increased: "My essence can be preserved, distributed and consumed within baked goods. Is that not convenient?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 25, 2013 10:20 am
Ah, so that was it. Dangerous to ingest, huh? That was interesting! Na'ima rubbed her chin and thought it over. That was something she could try, new poisons that could not only be touched and inhaled but ingested and it would be difficult to trace because it was something new. Oh, she liked this. "That is certainly intriguing. I would love to work with you, little lotus eater."
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