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| She Who Brings the Snow; [P] Incoggy | |
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| Topic Started: Jan 3 2009, 09:55 PM (149 Views) | |
| Lantana | Jan 3 2009, 09:55 PM Post #1 |
The Sole Surviving Green
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The faerie lights ebbed and bobbed with gentle rhythms, scattering across the dusky grass like restless lanterns. She watched one –it glowed a fuchsia hue, as it wove through the maze of reeds and meandered above the silky waters of the marsh. It threw a clear reflection that glimmered upon the dark surface, only to be spoilt by the ripples of an unknown water creature stirring. The ripples settled quickly, once again revealing a mirror-smooth surface speckled with the motion of a hundred glowing orbs. About them, night was settling in quickly. The air smelt of moisture and magic –an arcane tang that was subtle as it was invigorating. She drank in this air, letting the scents and subtleties flow up into the calmed recesses of her mind, welling up in comforting eddies at her chest. Here she felt alone and comforted –within a domain of magic and mystery. A place guarded by the whims and wills of wild faerie creatures, whose presence alone would perhaps be enough to deter foolish humans from entering the place. Though she was more friendly with them, it did not mean she did not have to be wary –her bow sat close by with a quiver full of arrows, resting against a tree. From the calm that lined her face it would seem she had wandered here to bask in the scenery, to revel in the whimsical and drink up the tides of magic that rode upon nightfall. But –though that was not exactly wrong, she was here for a greater purpose. Beneath her fingers she was tracing the fine texture of paper, the silk edges of a ribbon, the rigid edges of the cover that lay propped upon her lap. Her eyes were shut, momentarily, preparing her mind. Everything had to be clear, unrushed. Her eyelids unfurled with purpose, as she turned her attention to the spellbook that lay open in her hands. It was one of her most treasured possessions –one that had outlasted the test of time. It was perhaps the only thing she had kept since leaving the clan –even her bow had to be replaced on an occasion. Throughout centuries and centuries it had somehow remained by her side. Even she was amazed it had lasted as long as it had –its pages were crumpled and yellow, destroyed by moisture and dust. But they still held their important treasures: the spells she had learnt and mastered through years of meticulous study. Most she had read a thousand times and knew them so well that they were nothing less than a part of her mind. Others however, were relatively new and needed practice in order to integrate them into her mind the way she wanted. It was something that had become part of her. Once she had hungered for power through destruction and bloodshed –now she hungered for that same power, but through the solid, richer substance of knowledge. Power… She raised a slender hand to her chest, holding it out in the chilly air. For a brief moment she considered her surroundings –surely, the faerie folk wouldn’t mind if she gave them a bit of magical alteration. They must be use to whimsical changes, she thought. A sternness settled upon her elfin visage; a sudden shift in the contours of her face that heralded great concentration. The necessary words, the enchantments, the symbols, images and other miscellaneous nuances shone brightly in her mind, and she had studied the spell for long hours earlier so she knew just what to do. Her eyes fell shut, and she inhaled. Elusive threads of magic gathered in her body, forming an invisible enchantment that surrounded her like mist. She felt it rise into the sky, filling the air and melding with the clouds. She felt it fall and drain into the soil, seeping through grains and roots. She felt it swirl in gentle eddies at her fingertips, felt it caress the folds of her dress, the threads of her hair. And then, when she was satisfied, she held her focus deeper and deeper until a chill swept across all that her spell held. Gradually the ground within a short radius grew cold, and tiny spikes of frost gathered upon grass blades. The soil hardened into ice, the air began to hold vague mists and the frost was fast growing into beautiful white crystals that clung onto everything, including the folds of Lantana’s dress. From the sky, silver flakes began to fall –at first so small they could easily have been spittling rain, dissolving into nothing even before they hit the ground. But then soon they became larger, clumping together and falling all around the kneeling elf. They settled on her hair, like stars against a night sky, and disintegrated when they hit the warmth of her skin. … and she was focusing so hard now, her brow furrowed in concentration, her lips pulled into a frown, fingers digging into the edges of her spellbook. Beneath closed eyelids her eyes seemed to dance restlessly, as if reflecting the strained nature of her mind. Her breathing was slow, rhythmic and controlled. She seemed entirely dedicated to her spell-casting, locked in an cocoon that was impervious to all outside distractions. |
 ~~ ...Or if the secret ministry of frost Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet Moon. < : Ollenra Issathaielle : Night Elf : Immortal : Sorceress/Archer : > * < Inventory > *
Green vs. Blue 2009! Green moves first. Oh look, green wins. Your prize: A bucket of zombie fish soldiers. With funny hats! | |
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| Incognito | Jan 4 2009, 02:53 AM Post #2 |
The snake tempting you
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Incognito could feel the magic of this ancient place closing in from all sides, oppressing his senses, it was a distinctly odd feeling, the view itself was not particularly strange, but everything seemed thicker, as if he was forcing himself through the air with each step. It made him feel very un-welcomed, and indeed, he most likely wasn't, the creatures of this place didn't like guests, especially mortal ones like himself, but he doubted he would come to any harm, there were rules for places like these, and if you obeyed them, generally you would be fine Unless I find an angry elf he suppressed a grin as the memory of fleeing these marshes, pursued by nimble elves until he was both far away and terribly lost, it had taken him quite some time to find his way back here. A light fluttered past his head, startling him, he turned to see where it had gone, only to be confronted by the light a few inches from his head, flying fast towards him. He ducked and felt it brush his hair, he raised his head again and saw another light, different in colour from the last, a golden ball of light flashing through the dark sky, it was joined by the first light, the red and gold lights entwining, basking his face in a bright orange glow. He batted the faeries away with his hand “Buzz of you two, I shall not heed your warnings.” he could hear the high-pitched voices chattering as the pair flew off into the darkness, but could not make out what they were saying, he continued walking steadily through the marsh. Incognito could feel the air getting colder, faster than the night alone could bring, surely, even at this time of year, he drew his cloak closer to him, an instinctive gesture, he doubted it would warm his skin through his armour, it took him a while to feel it, the un-natural tingling sensation, it had been present in him since he had crossed the boundary into these magical lands, but now it grew more intense with every step. Whilst he had no magic ability of his own, no solder that had ever had the power wielded against them would readily forget this feeling, the pre-cursor to whatever cursed spell had been cast, a warning that came too late for the intended victim, for there was no escaping by that point. The cold grew, creeping into everything, piercing his lungs, chilling him both inside and out, he looked around for the mage that was casting the powerful spell and his eyes eventually fell on a humanoid figure not to far away, a female figure, with a typically slender elven build, he had nearly missed her when looking as she stood perfectly still, ivory white skin being obscured my the soft flakes of snow now falling from the sky Night-elf he tried to recall any previous encounters he had with members of her race, but could not think of any. He moved to walk in her direction, but found his boot was stuck the the ground by the ice now forming, spreading out from the woman along the forest floor She is impressive, for her spell to have such a wide effect he was suddenly grateful that he'd not encountered a spell-caster of this power on the battlefield, he wrenched his food free from the ice, and carefully moved towards her, concentrating on his balance to prevent himself falling on the slippery surface. He could now see her clearly, her delicate white skin draped with pitch-black hair, one matching with the snow, the other, merging seamlessly with the dark night sky, her eyes were closed, her form seemed to be cast of stone, still as it was in the extreme cold, on her face sat an expression of concentration, a frightening spectacle that would have made Incognito think of fleeing, had it been directed at him, in her hand lay a book, gripped tightly by slender white fingers. “You can stop now, oh great wizard, you're summoning spell has worked, and the object of your desire is here.” Incognito said, grinning. |
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| Lantana | Jan 7 2009, 10:24 PM Post #3 |
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The Sole Surviving Green
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From the depths of her trance she could feel very little of the outside world. She was aware of the cold, but as nothing more than a sensation of numbness dancing along her skin. It was as if a thick shell enveloped her mind, insulating it from all external stimuli. She felt the earth around her quivering to the flows of her spell; consistent and uninterrupted. With a suddenness that cleaved her meditation like lightning, a voice broke through the silence. It was a male voice, foreign and unfamiliar, and so close that it ignited in her an immediate panic. The focus that she had so strongly held mere seconds ago shattered, manifesting in her surroundings as an immediate cessation in the progression of the inclemency. Slowly and awkwardly, she felt herself floating back up to full awareness, the languor of her trance sitting heavily on her mind. Movement returned to her form as she shifted slightly to acquaint herself with the sudden sense of tangibility. Around her she felt the nudge of icy flakes, the sudden chill of the ground beneath her. She moved her hand, to find it frightfully stiff and numb. Crisp splinters of ice broke from her eyelashes as she blinked, opening her eyes to behold all that she had done. A fine blanket of white coated nearly everything in sight. Suddenly the cold was unbearable –tongues of ice lashing at her skin, sinking so deeply into her that thin fabrics of her clothing bore no protection at all. She gasped and silver mist poured from her lips. For a moment she found herself torn between admiration and fear: she had not expected the spell to have worked so well. On the previous occasions it had been practiced she was not able to procure anything better than a dusting of frost on the tips of grass blades: here, she could barely see a spot of ground that had not been smothered by the white dust. A feeling of pride swelled in her chest, a small and intangible warmth that was comforting against the chill. At the same time, however, it was frightfully cold and she could not guarantee her body could stand the conditions she had created for herself. Perhaps she’d just create a fire, and pray she had enough energy left to sustain it. An strong sense of vulnerability roused her from her thoughts. There had been someone there, close, and she was almost entirely unguarded. It was not unlikely that this company would be of the harmful sort –these were dangerous lands, the sort travelled only by the brave, stupid or wicked. Her head snapped towards the direction she recalled the voice was from, the motion so sharp that it sent flecks of snow gliding off her head. She glared ahead into the dusk, and saw every detail perfectly. The being she looked for wasn’t hard to miss –after all, he was dark against pale white, and if that hadn’t given him away the trail of freshly created footprints did. Immediately she rose to her full stature, snow cascading off her lap as she eyed him with a critical suspicion. The words he had spoken were only just beginning to register with her –she had heard them clearly before, but then their meanings had seemed too trivial to be bothered with. Now that she was aware, his words seemed to confuse her for a moment. Was he even speaking to her? She took a step forward. “I… beg your pardon?” She said, in a manner that may or may not have been civil. “Surely you can not be talking to me. I had no desire, save for the nurturing of my own magic... unless I’m misunderstanding you entirely?” Her tone was lighter than it should have been -perhaps even a bit too bland for what she had to express. Her spellbook tucked against her side, she knew that she should be safe no matter what this man might bring upon her. |
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~~ ...Or if the secret ministry of frost Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet Moon. < : Ollenra Issathaielle : Night Elf : Immortal : Sorceress/Archer : > * < Inventory > *
Green vs. Blue 2009! Green moves first. Oh look, green wins. Your prize: A bucket of zombie fish soldiers. With funny hats! | |
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| Incognito | Jan 10 2009, 08:04 AM Post #4 |
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The snake tempting you
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Incognito listened to her reply with more than a slight bit of disappointment, her tone, far from the incredulous one he had aimed for with his provoking comment, was calm, almost serene. It was as if she had just woken up and was not fully aware of the world Maybe she has, these spell casters go in pretty deep sometimes he could not be certain that this was not her natural attitude towards such statements, this dis-arming apathy, for all he knew all of her race would react the same. He decided it might be fun to play along with her. “A honest misunderstanding obviously m'lady, I must say that's quite a charm you have there, perfect for when you want a refreshingly chilled beverage? Or maybe when you're dress does not go with the greens of the surroundings and you need a lighter colour?” he aimed his own tone for polite ignorance, hoping that he would get more of a reaction this time. As he was speaking he could see the white mist of his breath, reminding him with every word that the woman he so mockingly addressed was one of the most accomplished magic users he had come across, he looked at the book she held at her side That book could probably kill me several times over... I the right persons hands her hands were certainly capable of such a thing, as the frost that covered the landscape still would attest to, but he judged her character to not be one to unleash such a spell without prior warning. Besides it excited him to play this game with unknown danger. He walked closer to her, his boots cracking the frozen ground below them, admiring her slender body, all elves, to some degree at least, shared similar features, Incognito was not versed enough in the details of the differences to tell most different elven peoples apart, but Night-Elves could not be mistaken, Incognito though back to previous encounters with these fair folk, and the difficulties in telling one from another, even the males were indistinguishable from the females at times. Smirking, he started to plan his next action, some gentlemanly conduct perhaps, to take the edge off what had been said before? It might make his defence of charming ignorance more believable if she decided not to play along, for he had no chance of outrunning her spells. He recalled her stern look from earlier and decided that she might not be one for ignorant people, but decided to go for it anyway, he could always change tack if things turned nasty. “Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Incognito.” He bowed low. “And what, prey tell, do I call a talented girl such as yourself?” |
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| Lantana | Jan 14 2009, 10:11 PM Post #5 |
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The Sole Surviving Green
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As the last of his words fell from his lips, a hushed silence filled the air separating the two complete strangers. The expression that lay upon Lantana’s face did not change in the wake of his banter. Perhaps had she been in a sharper, livelier frame of mind, a wry smirk and arrogant snicker might have been summoned then and there. Instead in her current muted state that comprised equal parts wariness and irritation, she found it hard to harness enough energy for anything so candid. Presently it was not clear whether the man was just of a pert nature, or if he truly held the intention of testing her patience with ulterior motive of causing her greater trouble. Still partly dazed from her meditative trance she made to tread carefully, for there were many things about him that caught her suspicions. His forward manner was rather unusual –not improbable, but perhaps indicative of a dangerous confidence or a beguiling façade. His presence too –he looked convincingly human, and humans were suppose to be avoidant of these parts. Perhaps he was lost. Perhaps he was just plain foolish –the latter being the more probable option, she mused. Her eyes narrowed, regarding him in an exploratory manner, as if to search for traps or trickery. “Yes…I suppose you could say that.” she began, suddenly. “Though it’s a pity it doesn’t seem to be effective in deterring certain foolishly adventurous individuals.” She tucked the spellbook she was holding into her side, resting it on her hip. The snow around her feet was already showing signs of melting –the night was a somewhat balmy one, and the snow carpet she had created was extensive but lacking in thickness. Despite the man’s proximity, she didn’t feel threatened at all –after all, in these environments she supposed she would have the upper hand some way or the other. As long as she didn’t give him the opportunity to exploit her obvious weaknesses, she should be spared any real threat of danger. Upon his introduction she found herself yet gain met with hesitation. His speech was picking up a slightly unctuous edge, which immediately stirred up distrust. She kept her face still though, thoroughly devoid of anything that could have expressed uncertainty: just a plain unimpressed stare, blank eyes and frowning mouth. He had an interesting name –perhaps too interesting to be real. Whatever he was after, she wouldn’t find out until she played along with whatever vague games he was inviting her to. She supposed it would be alright to venture forth a little –whatever traps lay ahead, she should be able to retrieve herself from. “…Lantana –that is my name, though I do hope you will ultimately find little use for it. If we are to be so civil then I guess you could show me enough etiquette to stating your business here.” Between then and the last time she had spoken, a note of dryness had latched onto her tone. Absently she combed a lock of hair that clung to her face, wet from the snow that was now beginning to melt. |
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~~ ...Or if the secret ministry of frost Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet Moon. < : Ollenra Issathaielle : Night Elf : Immortal : Sorceress/Archer : > * < Inventory > *
Green vs. Blue 2009! Green moves first. Oh look, green wins. Your prize: A bucket of zombie fish soldiers. With funny hats! | |
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| Incognito | Jan 15 2009, 07:12 AM Post #6 |
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The snake tempting you
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Incognito watcher her eyes narrow while she looked at him, examining him, he was fairly sure, perhaps attempting to make sense of his odd demeanour, perhaps trying to figure out her next move, or even asses if he was a threat. He wondered if she had enough knowledge of mortals to judge his behaviour against, it was unlikely, since his kind had spread far and wide, but possible none-the-less. He found it fun to guess at what went on behind the closed doors of other people minds, although he had long ago gotten so good at it that most people he came across bored him, they were all so predictable, so easy to play, sometimes he amused himself with them anyway, seducing them or corrupting them, making them leap from their pedestals of social grace, or betray those they held dearest. The upper-class ones were his favourite, they had the most to loose, and were the most fun to corrupt, although once or twice he had found a worthy adversary in the upper echelons of society, he had found some game too, in the other races of the land, as he was not so versed in reading them. This was part of the reason he repeatedly ventured forth into the stranger parts of the land, the parts where humans are rarely seen, especially unaccompanied by a creature more fitting. Her voice broke the silence that had descended upon them, and the atmosphere seemed to grow tenser, this place, he suspected, was more used to silence than words. She did not seem angered by his mocking comments, if she was it was not apparent from her expression or tone, her words were not without a certain bite though. “It'll take more that a bit of a chill to send me running my dear.” He had started to get caught up in his game, he would take it further now, too far most likely. He glanced at the spell book again but this time couldn't make himself care about the repressions it could bring. He listened to her introduce herself, predicting some hostile comment afterwards which she did not disappoint of delivering. He could sense, he thought that she too was now caught up in this game, which was good, as it drastically reduced the chances of him coming to some form of premature end. He also thought she seemed slightly more agitated that she had done, he was getting to her after all. “Civil? I can be civil if you wish.” he walked towards her slowly. “But there are so many more fun things to be” smiling, he walked past her, much closer than he would imagined she'd be comfortable with, and turned. “As for what I am doing here, well, I'm but a, how did you put it? Ahh yes, a foolishly adventurous individual exploring these lands, I have no 'business' as you put it, other than to further my knowledge of these lands and the people within.” “Forgive my earlier mocking, that was indeed an impressive spell, how did you do it? I have no knowledge of the magic arts myself, save from what I've learned from being on the receiving end, my forté, as it were has always lay in the sword.” Saying that, he drew his sword from it's sheath, and held it at shoulder height, tip pointing towards Lantana, there it remained for a short while, before he lowered it swiftly, causing the air to whistle as the blade cut through. |
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| Lantana | Jan 16 2009, 09:19 PM Post #7 |
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The Sole Surviving Green
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((OOC: Sorry it’s really shit and rushed, esp at the end… just thought I might be able to squeeze in one last reply before I go)) Trust. She had never been quite fully at ease with the concept –and no more so than when it involved the elements of human behaviour. Of all the abstract nouns, trust was perhaps the one that had caused her to most trouble: from the early days of the clan, so many centuries ago, to the fall of the Circle in the more recent days, it had followed her like a childish curse. She owed a lot of her past turmoils to its impish hands, the very hands that lead her into a world of temptation –the temptation to break it, seducing her with the promise of power and independence. Her own exile had been the result of such alluring promises, spurred on by the fire of her frustration. Nonetheless, she knew what it could do. She knew that in breaking someone’s trust, the perpetrator could embrace the treasure, the advantage, of attacking them whist they lay in a state of unsuspecting carelessness. From this, she had learnt what a deadly weakness it could be to an individual –to trust someone, to expose oneself. Why it was like placing the keys in the hands of a thief… It was for these reasons that Lantana tensed at the first motions Incognito made to advance upon her. If it had been her philosophy to trust strangers –human strangers no less, she would perhaps have stood there with the weight of her glare as her only defence. But she could not afford to trust him at all, and she took a single step back –a precautionary step, to warn him his proximity was not welcome. Even then, she was far from frightened. Offensive spells were far easier to cast, and in little time she should be able to conjure something to at least frighten him a little. … And he was striding towards her now, with such confidence in his gait as he spoke –and when he spoke his words were laced with a deception she knew too well. She recognised it as the sound of trickery, the sound of luring prey with gentleness, with facades… she recognised it, because very often the same innocuous tones did flow from her lips. He closed the distance between them, approaching her until he was an arms width away, closer than that, close enough to seize her by the throat with ease. And all the while, she was preparing herself for her counter, a spell that was to be released the moment he made one wrong move… …but he walked past her. She did not relax her stance, and helped her eyes carefully trained upon him. A sword was drawn –it did not surprise her, she had seen it before and had guessed as much about the man’s forte’s. Whether or not the weapon pointed at her face was a threat, she could not tell, but it did not impress her. In her mind she was already preparing a spell that would turn her body into something incorporeal: mist, no less, so that the swing of his blade would be of no consequence to her. Soon enough however, the blade was dropped –the treat removed. Nevertheless, she didn’t like to be pushed around, and although there was very little pressure upon her, the man’s dubious and talkative nature made her itch for more control over their situation. She started forward suddenly, frowning at the wet hems of her dress –they were heavy and clumsy as the clung to her boots. Pale crystalline eyes stared straight at him, critical and wary. “… you know, I’d be careful if I were you: that sword won’t be of much of a use to you if it snaps.” Perhaps he didn’t know what she was insinuating, but she did not burden herself with explaining. If he were sharp enough he’d guess her meaning –that is, the destructive potential of frost upon the brittle shafts of metal. “… as for the spellcasting, it takes many years… centuries, of perseverance. It’s a shame for some of you mortals, really. To have to rely on such… primitive forms of defence.” |
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~~ ...Or if the secret ministry of frost Shall hang them up in silent icicles, Quietly shining to the quiet Moon. < : Ollenra Issathaielle : Night Elf : Immortal : Sorceress/Archer : > * < Inventory > *
Green vs. Blue 2009! Green moves first. Oh look, green wins. Your prize: A bucket of zombie fish soldiers. With funny hats! | |
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| Incognito | Feb 6 2009, 10:18 AM Post #8 |
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The snake tempting you
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Incognito heard her slightly cryptic warning, it did not take much to decode, he could feel the chill creeping from the frosted ground along his blade, the ordinary blade was not imbibed with the magical powers that those wielded by the heroes of legend had, and whilst it was true the sword was made from quality materials by an artisan of the craft, it could not stand the extreme temperatures surrounding the pair for long, and would soon break, should the encounter turn to combat. “A shame perhaps, for we don't have the necessary centuries on this world to perfect the arts of more elegant weapons, but this sword has increased my lifespan many a time, and I would not swap it for all the magic in the world.” He raised his sword again, this time not in a threatening gesture, he held it vertically in front of his face, examining it's length for defects, the cold had not seemed to do it any obvious harm. This Lantana was starting to bore him though, his playful taunts had gone largely unanswered, and the answers that had come had quickly diffused the situation, he had mocked both her and the art she was adept at, and whilst she appeared annoyed, she did not seem out of her comfort zone enough for him to take advantage. Her indifference had defeated him it seemed. An idea slowly formed in his mind, a small spark grew larger, until it was noticed by his conscious. The idea was rolled over a few times, examined for imperfections, modified slightly and optimised for the greatest reaction. Incognito smiled and lowered his sword, returning it to it's sheath slowly, trying not to cause the now fragile blade any damage. “Lantana, you seem to be a very interesting woman...” he walked towards her as he spoke “And I enjoy both your company and the sound of your voice” he was but a step away from her now. “I wonder” he stopped, now only an arms length away “If you would join me for a meal?” “I was about to set up camp for the night anyway, and dining by ones self is such a horrid affair.” He wondered how she would react, he was doubtful that she would actually share a meal with him, her contempt was obvious, he wondered if it was extended to all humans or reserved just for him, he suspected that it was spread along all other 'lesser' life forms but perhaps it did peak slightly for him. He drew a bottle from his cloak, the pocket he had made for just such an item, the glass of the bottle was green, and looked cheap, it's contents, were anything but, the finest rum to be found in Avalon sloshed around in the bottle as he held it out to her. “Do your people drink? Do you I suppose is a more fitting question, I don't carry glasses with me but you're welcome to share if you will.” |
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3:01 PM Mar 19
