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 Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2023 5:25 pm
Quote: It was already late in the evening but the merchant seemed unfazed by the passing of time. He sat, poised and elegant, watching the world around him. He didn’t seem bored, even as he leaned forward and laced his fingers atop the table; below it, he kept his toe tapping to some silent tune in his head. He was tall, by human standards, though while sitting down he didn’t seem particularly threatening. If you didn’t look at his face. He had graceful features--sharp and refined. His chin and nose tapered to a point, giving him an air of sophistication, but that, combined with his slitted eyes and pointed teeth, there was something undeniably predatory about him. He watched with a hungry gaze and a mischievous, nearly sinister smile. His ears were pointed and were prominent despite being tucked behind his vibrant, multi-colored hair. The most intrusive feature that indicated there was something not human about him were the curling horns protruding from his temples and the oil-slick black scales that brushed his cheeks and forehead. He was well dressed, in a fashion obviously otherworldly, and seemed to enjoy dressing himself up in glistening gemstones. His table was somehow both simple and overwhelming; it was draped in a dark purple tablecloth, with extravagant embroidery in different designs. Scattered neatly atop the table was an array of items that seemed to carry some magical weight to them. He did not seem intimidated in the slightest and, upon noticing that the barrier surrounding him rippled when his visitor entered, he smiled. He did not rise to meet them nor adjust his position in the slightest. He followed them with his fierce eyes and greeted, in a silky voice, “Welcome.” "Hello," Hybris greeted, very happily taking in this nice, close view of the Merchant. The lovely tones that just slid across his back of his ears and down his neck. Those eyes that did much the same, but down his spine, gentle and sharp like a well-controlled knife. Ever since awakening to his own powers, and awareness of magic in the world, Hybris felt the dating pool had expanded well on beyond human in a really exciting way! So there was a moment of temptation to simply lay himself across the table and just offer his corporeal everything up for trade. Considering it for a moment, he took a seat, a large wooden chest offered up in his stead. Less fun, to be sure, but ultimately the safer bet. Opening it revealed two of the strange fruits, shining from a gentle polish, a small bit of liquid shine at the stem. The best of the bunch that Hybris had collected. He'd felt that just handing them off was lacking a certain something, needed a bit of splendor in their presentation, so he'd taken an old chest sitting in his parent's storage to display with appropriate drama. So along with the fruits came an early Qing dynasty dowry chest. "I'm Hybris of Eg..." he stopped himself with a little cough, catching the Merchant's eyes and deciding to be truthful. " Of Reflection. Pleased to meet you."
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 8:31 pm
“Oh, my. Yes, I like this very much,” the merchant said, leaning forward in his chair to better see the offering–and its container. “You’ve got quite a bit of taste, don’t you? Splendid. But then, I expect as much of the Dark Mirror Senshi.” He offered a hand as if he meant to shake. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Almadel. Just a simple merchant, no fancy titles for me. I’m delighted you stopped by. And you’ve found such fine specimens. I’ll have to give you something special in exchange for them.” He knew his table well enough that he didn’t need to look at the miscellaneous treasures he had displayed before him. He was more than happy to keep his eyes on Hybris but he didn’t seem to have the same expectation of keeping Hybris’ attention–and how could he? There were many pretty things to look at–from jewelry, to archaic tools, and nifty gadgets, and books, stacked a foot high on this table, with more behind him.
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Posted: Fri Jun 23, 2023 8:59 pm
"I think we need to be, Mirrorspace being the canvas that it is," Hybris accepted the compliment with an easy smile, and the hand with a friendly, slightly curious clasp. Observing the texture of Almadel's skin, the shine of his nails. But the table... Well it called, even demanded the senshi's attention, the longer he lingered beside it. His home was stuffed with the antiques and historically accurate replicas that were both his parents' hobby and their profession. They weren't his interest, but they could be considered his most comfortable environment and things he'd always taken for granted. However, these were different. They felt a little more weighty. Full of some extra intent and even story that shone across surfaces both shiny and dull. Maybe a lot of stories. Fingers skimming lightly above an enticing brooch here, an ever-tempting little mirror there, and always pausing longest at the few slim volumes on the table. Eventually those inquisitive fingers stopped and lowered to gently caress a book cover, a chagrined little smile playing at his lips. Would he really fall into the same habit with this unique, magical merchant's table that he did with the bored aunties manning their tables at the local flea market? Of course he wanted a book. He always wanted a book. "May I?" Hybris lifted his gaze back to Almadel.
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Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2023 10:52 pm
Almadel managed an impressive silence while Hybris perused his collection, and he watched with a keen eye and a slight smile. “Of course.” He gestured to the book and freely gave permission. “You can flip through it, see if it’s to your tastes. I don’t mind a bit of examination. Trades such as these must be made with the utmost contemplation.” Of course, he had no reason to doubt that the book was a catch, no matter who it was going to. The book itself looked to have been professionally bound at some point in time, but the pages within were all hand written. The language was impossible to decipher, but someone had clearly created this book with love and dedication. Amidst the pages of unreadable text, there were half page and full stage illustrations. There was something familiar about, something that resonated. Like a memory, just out of reach. Almadel dipped his toe in sync to some silent tune as he observed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 26, 2023 12:06 am
Lifting the book up, the weight of it, the feel of its cover, the gentle wear at its corners...the book settled into his hand with a certain familiarity. Brows raising, then relaxing with a certain satisfaction, Hybris opened the cover only to have them scrunch up at the text. It wasn't simply a foreign language. As a child he'd followed his parents across Europe as they got attacked to different projects. He had at least a passing familiarity with a dozen languages, enough to tell the police where he lived, at least. Enough to read the sign of a store to know what it held. The writing within didn't resemble any language he'd ever seen. While it certainly wasn't a logographic language, if it was alphabet-based, then it was well beyond any immediate recognition. It should make the book less appealing. Even if the illustrations did call to him strangely, like a set of fingers gently raking through his brain, leaving thought and memory unsettled in their wake. But it looked so interesting and curious to his eyes. So right in his hands. Hybris looked over the top of the book at Almadel like a schoolgirl peeking at her crush from behind a textbook: happy, excited, suddenly a little flushed and shy. "I like this one quite a bit. Do you know what language it's written in?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 29, 2023 9:17 pm
Almadel saw that spark of interest, and his smile relaxed with the satisfaction of finding a good fit. He leaned back in his chair a bit, content with this choice. “Oh, I can’t say for sure. Some of these languages look the same to me.” He sounded too coy, too mischievous, to not know. “The handwritten ones make it just a bit harder, too, I think. I have to say, though. It was practically calling for you, did you hear it? I thought you might recognize it a bit more than me.”
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2023 7:57 pm
Giving a little wiggle of excitement, Hybris leaned forward and in a hushed whisper, asked, "Could it be...mine? The senshi thing means there's a past life somewhere, right?" He had always been his own favorite subject to look at, but not necessarily think about in terms of stories. Acting out other people's stories had always been much funner than dwelling on his own. But thinking about another him, leading some other life, created a kind of perfect combination of his interests. Him but far enough removed to be fun.Even while some of the illustrations he'd glanced at had given him a not very pleasant feeling, it was still interesting enough to keep wanting to look and playfully speculate over. "I'll take it. Tradesies?"
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Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2023 4:53 pm
Almadel leaned back a bit so he could properly appreciate how excited Hybris looked, and that self-assured smile of his spread across his face again. “It could be yours. Then,” he paused for dramatic effect, and perhaps to emphasize the point, “And now.” He might have been playing a bit coy, but it was worth it to see his reaction. “When I see you again, you’ll have to let me know if you could make any sense of this. But, yes. Tradesies.”
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Posted: Fri Jul 07, 2023 8:04 pm
"I'm already looking forward to seeing you again." A sincere sentiment. Hybris enjoyed Almadel's light teasing of knowledge much the way he enjoyed the silent playfulness of Mirrorspace: they made things more fun and intriguing, they left possibilities in their wake.
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