He sucked in his breath and kept his eyes on Nevin for a moment, wondering of what really to say. “Alchemist … Nevin. You do understand the importance of the secrets here? The fact that I cannot control what the natural gods of this wretch of a planet … world will do to you if you say … nevertheless. You will be in danger from both them,” he paused, then decided to add. “And me.”
His lips curled into more of a deviant smile, eyes glimmering for a moment with a hint of the power behind. Stare looked up to him, her eyes massive and startled, and he simply dismissed her.
I am not his friend, just because he knows who I am, Stare. I am still me.
Nevin raised his eyebrow and folded his arms together in the table, staring at Vitruvion silently for a long minute. When he spoke again, his tone was soft, matching Vitruvion’s.
“I already told you, Vitruvion. I have no intention of spilling secrets that are not my own. Everything I learned in this house are the secrets of this house, and shall stay as such as long as I have control over my involvement in the matter. With or without additional encouragements or warnings, my lips are sealed on the matter. And as for the gods - what matter they to me? I grew up in Salvar, where I was ridiculed for wishing to learn magic to help others. Any concern I might have had about that lot is as dead as my - well. Quite dead.” Nevin slowly pushed his way to his feet and sketched a low bow to Vitruvion.
“But I think I should not tarry here any longer. I have affairs to get in order in Radasanth, and I do still have to find out whether I properly have a girlfriend. By your leave?” He raised an eyebrow, watching Vitruvion carefully.
The god rolled his eyes partly, feeling ire from Stare and entirely ignoring it. Turning to her smiled as he glanced at her again, as if her unhappiness made him more amused. He paused for about thirty seconds, letting Nevin hang there before he opened his hand. Within was a deep blue marble with an intensely beating heart of light.
“Be quick,” he told Stare, holding it out to her. “We have things to do today.”
Her body was tense but she took it and got up. Twisting around she left Ventrua and Vitruvion there, gesturing to Nevin fast.
One minute you're actually nice, the next you’re a dick. You can be an utter bastard you know.
Vitruvion chuckled a note of laughter as she left, actively trying to pull Nevin away. The god picked up his newspaper and went back to reading. All the while his sister fumed.
“Sorry,” Stare said quietly, when they were far enough away. “His mood can ...change. Suddenly.” She flinched with worry about what the day would bring, but that was hers to deal with, not Nevin. So strange, the idea of Vitruvion loving her at the same time as his cruel methods.
Nevin coughed and followed after her, wondering what on earth was going on at this point. He would have thought that Vitruvion would be thrilled to get rid of him, and instead it seemed like the man was using his departure to tease Stare? Or maybe dangling what she couldn’t have in front of Ventrua. Oh, Crimson. He had said where he lived in front of the blonde. He just hoped that her irritation with her brother was enough that she hadn’t been paying attention to him. He did not need a leggy, stacked blonde showing up while he was trying to figure out his feelings for a petite cat-woman. His eyes refocused on Stare when he realized she was speaking to him - at him, at first, but she wouldn’t know that.
“Well.” He looked around, making sure that there was no one else but them around in the hall. “They do say that the whims of the gods are often capricious. I can only hope that whatever is happening to me doesn’t make me as flighty as all that. I have been feeling a bit more…. Agitated, of late. Perhaps that is a concern.” He frowned and rubbed his chin - then realized that his hair had dried enough from his shower that he could tie it back. He wasn’t working on any alchemy any time soon, but even so, he was used to having his hair tied out of his face and off his shoulders.
As the two of them walked, he fished a thin cord of hemp rope from his pocket and began dragging his hair back and away from his face and neck, and began tying it up behind his head. He gave the finished ‘product’ a few experimental tugs, and nodded when the string didn’t come loose. An errant strand of blood-red hair did drift in front of his face, and he blew it away with an irritated huff. Minor grooming maintenance dealt with, his attention shifted back to Stare, who had watched all this with an amused eye.
“What? It’s too much hassle to cut it.” He folded his arms across his chest and assumed a mock-affronted look. After a moment he broke it with a shake of his head and a slight grin. “Did you need something from me, Stare? Or just want to say good bye from Ventrua’s prying eyes?” The redhead didn’t bother mentioning Vitruvion - in all likelihood, the white-haired god was keeping an eye on this conversation through their bond.
“Well I wanted to say goodbye properly? If I'm allowed to from one of my only friends,” her eyes danced with a happiness and the idea of friendship. For her it was the foundation of the better part of her life.
She looked away as she opened one of the huge doors of the front entrance. Light burst into their eyes from the glorious weather outside, with a beaming bright sun ... and she found herself scowling slightly. Under her breath she muttered. “Vitruvion is now able to have influence on the weather now, and every day is warm. One day I'm going to moult.” Screwing up her face she was gone for a moment in discomfort, but then looked to Nevin.
She paused, then held out the deep blue stone. “It's like the one I gave you before … ah yeah I need that back. Basically you hold it, think just that you ‘want to travel’ and it will get you to the place programmed … With Radasanth he has a habit of getting you to the harbour, out of the sight of people. And it only works the once. He has to 'recharge them’.” With an awkward look in her eyes she looked down, then back up.
“I'll see you … I guess, later? I should meet … Eteri again.” She stood there in the bright light, the brilliance glinting off her still damp feathers.
“Of course you are.” He shook his head. “There's no way I'd stop you from saying goodbye. That'd be pretty damn stupid of me.” He smiled slightly and shook his head. When she mentioned the other marble he blinked and began digging around in his pockets before finding it.
He swapped them, picking up the new one with slender fingers and dropping the short range one back into her outstretched hand. He held it up to one eye and gave it a somewhat critical glare. “Don't know why, but I am not particularly a fan of this method of transit. I've dealt with a couple different kinds now, and I always seem to be ill afterwards.” He sighed and grasped it firmer before looking at her, then stepping forward and pulling her into a hug.
“Be safe, Stare. I can't have one of my few friends dying on me. And I hope to have you over, maybe by the time you're free I'll actually know if Eteri and I will be together.” A final squeeze and he stepped back and away, the glanced at the marble held in his clasped hand.
“So just think ‘I want to trav-whoa!” A wrenching sensation in the pits of his stomach and with a rather startled expression, he was gone, Stare alone now in the light of early morning.
There was a flashing swirl around him, and Nevin felt like was churning end over end. He really, really hated teleportation magics. None of them seemed to fit quite right with him, and they always - he landed on his feet with a stumble, and had to fight back the urge to retch off the side of the pier. It took him a few moments to calm the churning in his stomach, and when it did finally settle he looked around..
This stretch of the piers was thankfully deserted, with only a few ships sitting in their moorings. He was about to stand up and walk away rapidly, when he realized he recognized one. He hadn't realized that Lady Philomel was back in the city. He would have to swing by and say hello later.
