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 Posted: Wed Mar 14, 2012 11:25 pm
The constant stream of pure white rose petals of snow is a relief for the soul and mind. Within a empty plain, a few shops and homes are placed here, with springs and waterfalls surrounding this plains. This is referred to as a theater because of its open space, that is more of a show than a rain as the floral incenses fall softly from heaven.
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Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 2:07 am
SPACEThe deafening roar of the waterfalls drowned out all sound, even thought. At the base stood a lone figure clad in black, fur as white as the snow gently falling around him. He seemed pensive as he stood there, not making any movement and simply staring out across the plains at the snowdrifts. Those that had been traveling by through the Theatre knew that the figure had been standing there for hours, unmoving, but to him it seemed only as a second. There was no measure of time that could be enough for him as he stood there and gazed out upon the beauty of the pure driven snow. Although there was no limit to the amount of time Drauth could remain there appreciating the beauty, others simply saw only the cold and an icy tomb. One of those "people" happened to be wrapped around Drauth's arm at the moment. The chain around his left upper arm shivered on its own, producing a rather puzzling effect to the people that passed by.
SPACE"Can we perhapsss find sssomeplace warmer to ssstand around doing nothing?" a serpentine voice suddenly asked in Drauth's head, interrupting his reverie. Drauth slowly lowered his eyes to gaze more upon the immediate, noting for the first time in hours that he was chilled to the bone. "Beauty has no climate." he replied simply, his thoughts transmitted to his weapon by the bond they shared. Ssthzon scoffed back but remained silent, knowing that his point had been made. "The stage is set, Ssthzon. Now let us watch the players, and perhaps twist the threads of destiny." Ssthzon's chuckle echoed through Drauth's head as he finally began moving through the snow towards the nearest town.
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 6:36 pm
spaceIn the town Drauth was heading towards, there was a small tea house, something of a necessity in such a cold climate. Inside, it was kept warm by a sizable fire in the hearth. The burning wood gave off a sweet smell that blending nicely with the scent of the teas and coffees the murmuring patrons sipped from their clinking glasses. In one of the tables closest to the fire sat a tattooed Credum woman in a long red dress trimmed lightly with a bit of fur. She sat sipping her tea with her eyes closed, taking in the atmosphere and warmth. It was a wonderful change from the freezing cold.
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Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 8:53 pm
SPACEThe crunching of the snow followed Drauth as he headed in towards the town, looking for a place to get warm for Ssthzon's sake. To be fair, he was also quite chilled himself, however it didn't quite bother him like his partner, who he could still feel being very lethargic even now that they were moving again. The relatively short journey passed in silence, neither really having anything to say to the other at the present time. Ssthzon was cold, and Drauth was looking for a place to get warm. That was all the two really had to communicate about. Ideally Drauth would have liked to stay and enjoy the scenery a little more, but he knew he had been there quite a while and so he elected to bend to Ssthzon's wishes instead for the time being. After all, his weapon would be no good to him if it was asleep. Not that there were too many people that could force Drauth to use his full strength anyway, but it was better to be prepared than sorry.
SPACEAs Drauth entered the small town, he made note of a small tea house that would be perfect for his current needs. Likely there was a fire so the both of them could warm up, and he could enjoy a civilized cup of tea while he was at it. He pushed the door open with his free hand and ducked under the door frame as he entered. One of the disadvantages of being as tall as him was that nothing was ever built for his size, save for Prex villages. The few patrons inside glanced over, taken aback by the rather imposing figure entering the establishment. The first thing Drauth did, as always, was take stock of the assembled people. None of them were seemed to be any threat. For the most part, the few people there seemed to be simple folk. Most likely peasants, or whatever the equivalent out here was. There would be very low opportunity to make chaos among such small town folk as these.
SPACEWith the exception of the person sitting by the fire. Naturally, of the many tables in the place, the one that he wanted at the moment was occupied. Unfortunate, but it seemed he would have to share the company of the Credum woman for a while. Drauth gracefully crossed over to her table by the fireplace, hunched over so as to not hit his head on the ceiling, and stopped. "I do hope you will forgive the interruption." Drauth said to her, bowing deeply as he spoke. The combined grace of his movement and speech often led people to believe that Drauth was royalty, however the two extra arms hidden behind his back under his cloak said otherwise. On the other hand, the blood red eyes starting into hers, almost seeming to pierce into her soul, usually had quite an unnerving effect on others. How much more unnerved they would be if they knew that he was a weaver. "Hours in the Theatre have chilled me quite thoroughly, and I would be much obliged if you could see it within yourself to allow me a seat at your table?"
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 9:44 pm
spaceAhn opened her eyes when she heard someone speak to her. She looked up at him, watching him as he spoke. A polite Prex. How interesting. When he finished, she smiled a little, revealing her pointed teeth. "Be my guest," she said, gesturing to the seat across from her. She maintained her calm, controlled composure despite his gaze, meeting his eyes directly with her own.
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Posted: Tue Jun 04, 2013 10:19 pm
SPACEDrauth nodded graciously at the woman as she gestured to the seat and sat down, facing the weapon wrapped around his arm towards the fire so that it could warm up faster. At that moment the hostess chose to walk over and asked him if he needed anything. "Whatever tea you would recommended highest would be fine, thank you." The woman nodded and walked away to fulfill the request, allowing Drauth to refocus his attention on the woman opposite him. Obviously a Credum from what he could see, giving him a mixed feeling. On the one hand, many Credum mutilated perfectly beautiful bodies for the sake of their rituals, however at the same time they often also modified ugly bodies to make them beautiful. Of course, he knew quite well what they thought of his race. Drauth unconsciously studied her closely, trying to decide which of the two types of Credum the one sitting across from him was.
SPACE"I don't like her." hissed a voice in Drauth's mind, once again interrupting his thinking. "It is not your place to make up my mind." Drauth replied curtly, turning to thank the woman who had come back to serve his tea. Still, he found himself agreeing with Ssthzon, although for a different reason. Ssthzon's objection, he suspected, was mostly motivated by the fact that her body modifications made her appear more avian in nature. "Ah, but I must apologize again! It would seem the snow has chilled my manners as well as my body. I am called by Aelaera. May I inquire as to your name?" he said before picking up the tea cup with his free hand and taking a rather dainty sip of the liquid contained within. All the while he scanned over her various augmentations, although he did not allow his disapproval to show at all.
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 5:13 pm
spaceAhn watched him at he sat down. She couldn't help but be interested in his coloring. She'd never seen an albino Prex before. Drauth's manners intrigued her as well. The Prex she had dealt with in the past were...less than pleasant. Their culture focused too much on brute force for her tastes. Ahn wondered if he was one of their outcasts. Was that the right word? Pariahs, maybe. No, that meant the same thing. What was the word she wanted...?
spaceDrauth's introduction pulled Ahn's attention back to what was going on. She gave a demure smile. "You're fine. My name is Veyahn. It's nice to meet you."
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:01 pm
SPACE"A pleasure to make your acquaintance as well, lady Veyahn." Drauth replied with a small nod, earning him a hissing snort from the companion wrapped around his arm. He could certainly feel Ssthzon becoming a lot more active now that the weapon was being warmed up by the heat of the nearby fireplace. So long as the weapon didn't manifest his image in an attempt to scare the woman, Drauth didn't particularly care what he did. Any the snake usually obeyed his wishes, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about. Those blood red eyes shifted back to hers as she examined him as he had done her a moment ago. Like nearly all that met him before, he could see the intrigue in her eyes. It was almost as if her mind was transparent and he could see the thoughts rattling around her head. A polite, white Prex? An albino was rare enough as it was outside of his Volv ancestors, and politeness another rarity among his Prex ancestry. But both together were unheard of. Still, he would let her believe as she was for the moment.
SPACE"So for what reason does one such as yourself venture out into this harsh environment?" he asked her, shifting his body to gaze into the fire and warm his body more evenly. Particularly given the type of animal she was clearly trying to imitate, one would think she would prefer a warmer climate than this one. As he watched the fire, he began to mellow out a little, letting his almost formal posture drop a little. Although he was still more graceful and purposeful than most. The flickering of the fire provided a nice ambiance for the place, although Drauth was very fond of fire for a much different reason. Fire was one of the great harbingers of chaos, and watching it he couldn't help but imagine that the logs were the tea house they now sat in and the people inside screaming and panicking. A small smile crept onto his face as he watched the fire and listened to the woman.
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 6:36 pm
spaceAhn chuckled a little and took a sip of tea before responding. "I'm here on business." Ahn had learned from experience that allowing the locals to know the nature of her business was generally a bad idea. She was an artifact hunter. She obtained rare and precious items for museums and private collectors, whoever paid better. People tended to see her as a glorified thief out to steal items of cultural or spiritual significance. Ahn doubted that Drauth was local, but decided to keep her profession to herself, just in case. Besides, you never knew who might be listening.
space"Might I ask what brings you here?" Ahn asked. She followed his gaze to the fire. He had an odd expression on his face as he watched it.
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Posted: Wed Jun 05, 2013 7:58 pm
SPACE"Beauty." It was a rather odd response to be sure, although truthful. "I am but a humble traveler, on a journey through the Chronoverse to seek out the beauty contained within. For instance, this place." He gestured towards the window at the snow outside at this point. "The petals of white gently drifting down from the sky, pure and untainted by the troubles of the Chronoverse. Dancing as they do so, and opposed by the nothing save the water they then rejoin to make the dance eternal. Surely it deserves the name 'Theatre', for what other place could one see a play so exquisite?" "Until you dessstroy it." added a hissing voice in his head with a laugh. "No. True beauty must be preserved, for how can one find beauty in destruction when there is nothing to oppose it? To provide contrast? That is why we create beauty only where none other exists." Drauth replied. Surely after as long as they had traveled together, the spear would have realized that by now. But the two of them still had their differences, even after all that time.
SPACE"One can never admire beauty 'enough', however one can also not discover greater beauty if one continues to admire only what is in front of them. And I have admired this place quite a while." "You're telling me." Drauth chuckled slightly before picking up his cup for another sip of tea. It certainly wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't the best tea either. Most likely this place couldn't get access to the finest teas though, and he suspected it acted more as a place for travelers to get out of the cold than to actually worry itself about serving the finest tea. After all, to a man half dead with cold, any warm liquid was as the nectar of the gods itself. "And given the current state of the Chronoverse, perhaps one should not linger in their goals too long." he added aloud as the thought crossed his mind.
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 11:09 am
spaceAhn listened to him silently, sipping her tea. On a search for beauty, hm? He just kept getting more and more interesting. "So you move around to take in as much as you can as quickly as you can."
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 3:28 pm
SPACE"An adequate simplification, yes." Drauth responded with a nod, turning back to face the woman before him. He was suitably warm not, and so was Ssthzon based on his lack of complaining, so there was really no further need to bask as he had been in its warmth. Perhaps it was simply a trait of the feline portion of him, similar to the grace with which he moved. He reached over to take a sip of tea, finishing off the small cup. "Well, it would seem my respite is at an end." he said, pulling a few extols out of his pocket before standing up to leave. As before he had to crouch slightly in order to not hit his head on the ceiling. "Don't tell me we're going out into that cold already..." Drauth bowed deeply to Veyahn once more. "I must bid you adieu. May luck find you in your endeavor, lady Veyahn."
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 9:02 pm
spaceAhn frowned a little. "So soon? That's too bad." She wanted him to stick around. He was interesting. Also, his departure would take away her last excuse for putting off work. The prospect of returning to the cold was not an attractive one. Then a thought occurred to her. "Aelaera, perhaps I could request your assistance?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 06, 2013 10:46 pm
SPACEDrauth stopped when he heard the harpy woman call for him. Although he had given her that name, he was quite happy to be called by it. He always quite enjoyed when that name was said because there was such a simple, rolling beauty the way it came off the tongue. That was why he had chosen it, after all. "Assistance?" he replied curiously, turning to face her once more. His eyes narrowed as he pondered the nature of this assistance. By nature, Drauth was a very suspicious person, and he saw very little reason to trust Ahn. Especially since he had met her merely minutes before and they had exchanged only a few pleasantries. She did think he was a Prex, and he was fairly physically imposing. Perhaps she wanted a bodyguard or hired muscle on her 'business'? Given by the fact that she was weapon weapons on her hands though, he suspected she was capable of holding her own in at least a cursory battle.
SPACE"I suppose my assistance would be predicated on the nature of this task which you would engage me in." Drauth replied honestly. He could have flat out refused of course, but as they said, curiosity killed the cat. Although it would have a hell of a time killing this particular cat. "Would it be unreasonable to assume that this has something to do with that 'business' you mentioned earlier? And what sort of recompense might I expect should I chose to aid you?" First and foremost, Drauth always looked after himself. If a task had nothing to with him, he rarely saw it as actually worth doing. Ssthzon didn't particularly care, so long as he got to spread the chaos they both so enjoyed. They both waited to see what the task would be, Drauth suspicious and Ssthzon hopeful.
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Durithill the Black Blade Vice Captain
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Posted: Fri Jun 07, 2013 5:36 pm
spaceAhn smiled a little. Perhaps he wouldn't be the best fit for this, but she was too curious about him to just let him leave. She was going to hire a local to help her anyway, but again, locals tended to dislike her business. Drauth was a traveler and had no real connection to the land. Chances were he would not be irritated by her removing something, especially if she paid him. She considered briefly the idea of activating her Stigma to see what would entice him most to accompany her, but decided to forgo it. Things were more fun this way.
space"It does indeed have something to do with the business I mentioned earlier. It has me hunting something both rare and beautiful, and I would be more than willing to pay you with some of the material if you agree to help," Ahn said, her tone turning more businesslike, but her eyes shone with excitement. Simply put, this was a treasure hunt, and Ahn was one of the few people who could say that their job thoroughly thrilled them. She finished her last bit of tea before adding with a lowered voice, "Unfortunately it has the potential for being a bit of a sensitive topic for some, so I would have to give you more specifics in private. I can tell you that I doubt it will be dangerous, though it does involve a great deal of trudging about in the snow, and who knows what or whom we may encounter. Mostly I need someone to assist in heavy lifting."
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