Page 5 of 7 FirstFirst ... 34567 LastLast
Results 41 to 50 of 66

Thread: Blood Red Trees

  1. #41
    Legend

    EXP: 59,606, Level: 10
    Level completed: 51%, EXP required for next Level: 5,394
    Level completed: 51%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,394


    Stare's Avatar

    GP
    150

    Name
    Avis Tsakaka
    Age
    16
    Race
    Kenku / Tengu
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Corone
    “Hypothetical,” Vitruvion murmured, “Purely … No I never met another kenku before her. Not for long enough.” He looked right at Nevin, most of his strength and confidence back. Briefly, he looked into Stare's mind, and found her to be suffering. A range of emotions surged through her, and he knew he would not let it go on forever. It would damage her usefulness to him. But he needed to take care of something far more important first.

    “When I first came to this planet,” he said quickly, “The Althanas pantheon, they-” he stopped and found himself curling his lip with disgust. “Screw those bastards, but one of the conditions of me being able to stay here - and I cannot go home - is that my entire existence as a deity remains an entire secret. I'm telling you this now, you cannot, for your safety as well as ours, tell anyone.” He finished and then blinked a few times. Twisting around he looked back down at Stare and paused before looking back at Nevin, seriousness in his tone.

    “Do you understand? The bastards shoved me in this body so I cannot force you to do anything, but for your own sanity …”

    Nevin frowned and shook his head. “I told you already. I am not going to share your secret. It is yours, not mine. I merely know it. Now, I think other business needs your attention. We can talk more another time, if it is necessary. Stare. Trust him - his feelings are so bright they almost blind me.” He gave a crooked smile and stood up, bowing to the two of them before he slipped out of the office. It looked like the two of them had a discussion they needed to have. And Druss had never returned with food, and his stomach was rumbling.

    And he had things he needed to think about himself. Did this power work on things that weren’t divine, or divinely touched? Or could he only see connections between gods? That would be an unusual power, and a fairly useless one. As a researcher, he would have to do some experimentation and find out the limits of his new power.

    Vitruvion watched Nevin leave, his eyes piercing at the red-haired man. Several times he swallowed, trying to get his body back to a normal working routine. He bit his lip, the stress of the day and that event getting to him, as he thought.

    Another. Another knew, adding to the list. Ventrua, Raevin, Stare … and now her close friend, Nevin. Strong, potentially part divine himself … not a threat. Likelihood of that had dropped significantly.

    Turning around he found himself looking at Stare, her slumped, awkward form a crumpled mess. For a moment he blinked, then sighed and bent down to slide his arms underneath her form.

    She was moldable, bendable. Easily he scooped her up, and felt no resistance as he used the mighty strength that he hand to pull her up and into his arms. One supporting her back and the other beneath her knees he watched her for a moment - the dainty but strong and hardy loyal kenku that he held dear in his heart. Now, all confused and broken, like he had made her, like he himself had been made.
    Crows: Old nursery rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a funeral, Four for birth, Five for heaven, Six for hell, Seven for the devil, his own self."

  2. #42
    Senior Member

    EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
    Level completed: 65%, EXP required for next Level: 3,861
    Level completed: 65%,
    EXP required for next Level: 3,861


    Nevin's Avatar

    GP
    3,657

    Name
    Nevin Aimaparapoiitis
    Age
    22 / 37
    Race
    Human (Godling)
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Corone
    Consciously, she let out a breath, then curled inwards into him, placing her head against his chest. A small smile came to his lips, a slight fluttering of appreciation. Gripping a tighter hold of her he began to stride from the room.

    “Mine,” he whispered to her as he pushed his way through the doors, then paused as he saw Nevin. Vitruvion moved his gaze away and continued his pacing towards the hall.

    Nevin had paused in the library, testing how far away he had to be for the bond between himself and either of the others in the room to form. It worked best when he was close to the wall that Vitruvion’s desk was set by - if he had to make a guess, the connection was only really visible if he was within ten feet of both people involved and could see them. Right now, he could see two bonds - his connections to Stare, and to Vitruvion, but not the one the two shared between themselves. So, they had to be in direct sight?

    Then Vitruvion came out, carrying Stare, and Nevin paused in his experiments and focused on the duo. The chains between the two were shimmering with a rainbow of hues, including concern and tense nervousness. Stare was strangely passive, at least physically, but her emotions were running a wild gamut. Both the connection to Vitruvion and the one to him were shimmering with different colors, thought he array towards her god was far more extensive. Nevin watched silently as the two continued out, Vitruvion shoving the door out of his way as he went out to the hall towards the main lobby.

    Well, there went his experiment group. He shrugged and headed towards the dining room, intent on getting the food that should hopefully be there. And in the meantime, he could experiment with whoever he could see and find out if his magic worked on everyone, or just on those divinely touched.
    - "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood; Fear the old blood."

    Nevin: Formal, thoughtful, nurturing, bearer of tropey tentacles.

    "More threads! More! Threads for the Crimson Thread King!"
    A member of the NevCrew:
    Nevin: Thread count: please, don't try.
    Erik: Thread count: five or six. Maybe seven...
    Huntsman: seven. Maybe eight. Shhhhhhh.
    Telli' thread count: zero. I just can't get into writing the little hellion.
    Ronnel: Not even approved yet.

  3. #43
    Legend

    EXP: 59,606, Level: 10
    Level completed: 51%, EXP required for next Level: 5,394
    Level completed: 51%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,394


    Stare's Avatar

    GP
    150

    Name
    Avis Tsakaka
    Age
    16
    Race
    Kenku / Tengu
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Corone
    Vitruvion took the stairs two at a time, sighing slowly as he held his precious cargo to himself. He flicked a finger and her bedroom door opened for him, the most natural of movements. It slid unlocked and he strode in, and it closed itself behind him. Moving right to the bed he lifted his quarry and placed her down on it with reverence, and then paused before he arranged her a little better, grabbing a pillow to shove it under her head.

    She lay there for some time, breathing slowly, absolutely still else. He stood above her, white-haired and blue-eyed god, blinking and trying to take in what Nevin had said along with how he felt about this being before him.

    Love? He had to admit, there was a form of love in his mind when he thought about Stare. Not a romantic sort, that he had rid himself of a long time ago, but there was a reason why she had been the only being he ever trusted to share his bed whilst sleeping. Never before had he been known to rest with another, give himself to that sense of trust. There had been that first night, in the Hollow, and things had gone on from there, a connection felt, then made and a thousand spiralling emotions rapidly whirlwinding around them until they had come to this. Acceptance. Knowledge. Power.

    Nine months ago that night had been now. And recently he had had Blaze in this very house and been unable to stomach the thought of sleeping in the same bed. Thus, he had come here that night and curled himself around his most precious possession. His kenku. His. The only one he ever could feel right enough to sleep with. Raevin had explained it to him as Vitruvion's innate trust of her … born from their first ever meeting, and their solid destiny of bring together.

    His heart thumped, a great chunk of flesh for his should-be mortal body. Silently he moved, swinging his form onto the bed, so he sat at the head of it, her by his sprawled legs. Leaning his head back the god condemned to a life of never reaching his full potential sat there, dreaming of another life when he could have been worshipped, adored and wanted.

    Finally she moved, a huffing breath and she shook herself from her daze. Blinking, she glanced around, eyes dancing to the ruined bed post, still there, then her small bookshelf, the chandelier, her covers and then - him. Head back, staring at the hanging drape that made a private ceiling for the bed.

    Quickly, she looked away, but not before he noticed. His gaze, snapped down to meet hers, and she cowered for a moment from it, her breath fast. Fear ran through her body, fear of what this all meant now, what this all was, fear of the unknown of where she stood with him, what she was to him.

    He paused, and saw her curled form, then let out a long sigh. Placing a hand to his temples he rubbed them and shook his head. “Stare, nothing has changed. Nothing.”

    “But you are angry,” she whispered. “I told Nevin, I did not make it subtle, I made it too obvious-”

    Vitruvion threw up a hand, “That?! Yes I was annoyed at it, girl, but that led to this. Another to have my secret … Ideally it would not be he who you regard as a strong best friend, but we never know. The boy is more ally now than enemy, that was my fear. That was what I needed to ascertain, that there was not some higher power behind it, worming its way into our lives like …”

    His brother. He curled his lip with intense distaste as she kept her eyes glued to the bed spread, body still in that curled position. He needed to find and kill his brother. Fast.

    “Stare,” he realised suddenly. “Are you trying to avoid making me angry?”

    She flinched a little at the inflection of his voice, then stilled and lay there. “Maybe,” she mumbled.

    His brows rose and he gave out an impressed breath. “Well. That took you some time.”

    She awkwardly shrugged where she lay, paused, then peered up at him. “You said you were going to punish me when I got back for the fire thing.”

    He nodded, “I did say that. You were an idiot.” He raised an eyebrow. “I will think of something later. Right now I need you back to being of use to me. Hence me, here. You want to say things, then say things. Ask questions and I will answer.”

    It struck her then how very unlike a god he was. Usually they were high and mighty, looking down on their people with a glorious indifference. But here he was, and though he made an effort to keep his speech high and noble, there was a certain line of realism to Vitruvion. He had suffered himself, he had been outcast and suffered the loss of close friends, loved ones. He had direct access to her mind where he could see the daily struggles that a mortal endured. He was so different from the beings she read about in books and holy texts that she began to wonder if he could ever get back to being a god, ruler of many …

    “Is that you saying you have none?”

    “Only what does it mean now? With Nevin knowing, and all of this,” she gestured usually between him and her. “I hate you part of the time, Vitruvion. For what you did to me, that's what I rely upon for activating my powers. I detest the Hollow, what you have there, what you make me do, what-”

    “And that part of me will never change, Stare,” he promised, his voice firm. “You know why I made it, what it has become is different, but I accept your opinion on it. I accept that I manipulate you, that is entirely true,” he said it as casually as if he were swatting a fly, “But that is my life, and you're in it.”

    “But Nevin said 'love’?!” she whispered the word so haunted and shocked that it seemed like her body would break from the pressure she was putting it through.

    “Not the way I would have put it,” Vitruvion looked away, blinking a few times. “But then he sees connections, I do not,” he shifted a little, in a manner that … no. Not him. He could never be awkward.

    “What does that mean?” she was up on her arms now, staring with a mixture of uncertainty and horror.

    His eyes flickered back to her. “As I said, nothing has changed, Stare. Perhaps now you know to the extent that my willingness to protect you goes, now, but that is all. Love can mean many things in a tongue, and devotion from a god to his subject … that could be one of them.” He paused, because that sort of love made most sense to him. Though he felt the pang of a deeper attachment, a hunger to look after her as he would a best friend or even a child. After a pause he looked away again. “That is all that it is,” he said it in a firm tone, as if he needed to convince himself of the fact. Which is what he did need to do.

    All? Stare’s heart thumped, and she moved into a better sitting position. That was all? To her it meant the world. It was like having a family again, an affirmation of someone to belong to, to talk to about all her world's problems, no matter how minor … oh yes, he could see into her mind, but that was part of it. Now that she knew the extent of his simple like for her, she did not mind so much that it was him. Their connection had indeed strengthened over time. Blaze had commented when she came to the house of how could she [Stare] bare to have him in her mind? One, Stare had never had the choice and two, now she had gotten used to it. It was a connection that had begun to work, that had actually made her life easier in some way.

    “You are better then?”

    Glancing up she saw the quizzical brow and she found herself nodding. “Yes, thank you,” she responded. Because truly she was.

    He took a moment, looking at her straight, then nodded before moving. “Good. Dinner I believe is being served, but come when you are ready.” Then with a moment's thought he continued. “The ophiotaurus guts?”

    “In the chest,” she confirmed. “Safe. Away. You summoned me moments after I had closed the lid.”

    “Good,” he nodded. “For now I want you to keep the key. Until I ask, I do not want access to the things, lest they do damage on my person.”

    “They need to be burnt first.”

    Agreeing, he shifted off the bed entirely. “Indeed. Now … come when you are ready? Yes?”

    “Yes, my lord,” she said with the first hint of amusement in her eye.

    He let out a short chuckle as he opened the door. “I need you fed well, so do not be long.”

    And with that he left, swirling out in a soiree of blue and white. The door clunked behind him and he paused before starting down the stairs, a breath of relief coming from between his lips. Upstairs, Stare gazed at the door for a while, and then sighed before collapsing back against the bed.

    “Ansaldo's balls,” she murmured.
    Crows: Old nursery rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a funeral, Four for birth, Five for heaven, Six for hell, Seven for the devil, his own self."

  4. #44
    Senior Member

    EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
    Level completed: 65%, EXP required for next Level: 3,861
    Level completed: 65%,
    EXP required for next Level: 3,861


    Nevin's Avatar

    GP
    3,657

    Name
    Nevin Aimaparapoiitis
    Age
    22 / 37
    Race
    Human (Godling)
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Corone
    Nevin had managed to get some food - in this case, meat from a roasted duck along with a small selection of vegetables that he arranged neatly on his plate as he sat down and began to eat. By this time he had confirmed that his new ability worked on more than just who were touched by a divine being in some way - everyone he had seen actually had some of the strange red ribbons leading away from them, fraying apart in the air. The only time it hadn’t was when he saw the young boy that was in the kitchen before.

    The boy had come into the room bearing a hot tray of fresh bread that he set on the side table where the food was served from. As he came within Nevin’s somewhat arbitrary range, Nevin noticed a faint red connection that reached out and latched onto the alchemist himself. It was surprising - why had this happened? What was the difference between this boy and the other servants that he had seen so far?

    Wait. Could it be - the boy was the only one who knew him at all. None of the others did - not beyond his name and that he was apparently a guest of Stare’s, so not to bother him unnecessarily. But the boy, the boy had been there when Nevin worked on the truth serum earlier, and had been asking Nevin questions. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for the boy to recognize the Alchemist. Was that…? Nevin abruptly stood up and walked over to the window and stared out, watching people in the yard. It wasn’t until he saw two of the garden staff walk by, talking amicably with each other, that Nevin’s sudden thought was confirmed.

    He wasn’t seeing divine influence like he had been wondering. He was seeing the connections between people. His eyes widened and he looked down at one hand, as crimson threads emerged from beneath his skin. Nevin had heard about this before, who hadn’t? He just hadn’t expected, his well, blood based powers to somehow connect to that. Just what on earth? How much of the Crimson was actually an allegory for souls?

    The Red Strings of Fate that bound people together. It seemed the Great Flow of Crimson was more than just a giant river of eternal blood. He was still staring at his hand, trying to work this out, when one of the doors was shoved open, and a rather angry young woman stormed in. Ebony hair whipped around her face as the petite Elven woman looked around the room, then snarled in aggravation when she saw Nevin.

    “You! It’s all your fault that she came back here and now he’s all squirreled away with her, caring for her and carrying her around!” She stormed over to Nevin, and went to jab him in the chest with a finger. Nevin casually deflected it, not that the girl noticed in her anger. She continued ranting in his face. “If you hadn’t come back, she’d still be stuck doing whatever it was that had her out in that damn forest, where she should have been eaten! Then I would have had him all-” She stopped cold, apparently realizing that Nevin had stood up and was now looming over her, his glowing red eyes locked onto her.

    Hey, if it startled Vitruvion and Stare, who were both very powerful in their own rights, it had to be terrifying to this little Elf, right? He took a long, slow breath, and when Mer tried to back away he glared at her again, locking her in place.

    “It seems I need to make a few things clear to you. First off. Stare is my oldest friend. If you say she should be dead again, I will personally deliver your flayed carcass to Vitruvion and explain to him. Secondly. The bond between the two of them is something you can never, ever hope to match. It would be better for you to settle your eyes elsewhere, little Elf, because vying for that man will just end up with you sleeping in a cold and lonely bed.” Mer let out a squeak and fled when Nevin turned and sat down, picking up his fork and knife and finally starting to eat the food on his plate. He didn’t particularly care that it had gotten cold as it sat there waiting for him.
    - "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood; Fear the old blood."

    Nevin: Formal, thoughtful, nurturing, bearer of tropey tentacles.

    "More threads! More! Threads for the Crimson Thread King!"
    A member of the NevCrew:
    Nevin: Thread count: please, don't try.
    Erik: Thread count: five or six. Maybe seven...
    Huntsman: seven. Maybe eight. Shhhhhhh.
    Telli' thread count: zero. I just can't get into writing the little hellion.
    Ronnel: Not even approved yet.

  5. #45
    Legend

    EXP: 59,606, Level: 10
    Level completed: 51%, EXP required for next Level: 5,394
    Level completed: 51%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,394


    Stare's Avatar

    GP
    150

    Name
    Avis Tsakaka
    Age
    16
    Race
    Kenku / Tengu
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Corone
    Vitruvion paused, feeling a twist of ire in the air. He swept slowly around the doorway to the dining room, looking curiously to the two people who sat there, eating grumpily and not saying anything to one another. Brows rose, and he took a moment before carefully stepping in, then walking without comment over to his seat. He drew it back, and without once looking at Nevin, his nerves still not quite there he reached for food. Mer watched in confusion as he helped himself for some time before she offered.

    “Can - can I help?”

    “No,” Vitruvion said in a low, quiet voice as he grabbed the wine jug and began to pour himself a healthy-sized portion. “Thank you.”

    His eyes flickered a few times around the portraits of himself at various stages of his life in Raiaera, then he dropped them to swing back a mouthful of wine. He drank it, easily, his body still tense but far more relaxed than it had been half an hour earlier. Grabbing his fork he began to eat, on the cusp of proper decorum, clearly still agitated.
    “Is she doing better, Sir Elssmith? I am sorry, it was not my intention to disrupt…. Well. It seems that,” Nevin’s eyes slid to Mer, who was watching him from the corner of her eye, her head down after Vitruvion rebuffed her. “Recent acquisitions can take on a mind of their own until one gets a handle on how to utilize them. I apologize for that whole situation.” Nevin bowed his head to the man for a moment. But he was also concerned about Stare, sitting dumbfounded and passive was not her normal style, and it had been rather worrisome to see her not even twitch as Vitruvion had carried her upstairs in his arms.

    Well, he could see why Mer had gotten upset, if she had seen Vitruvion carrying Stare around. It was clear, even without resorting to seeing the connections between people, that Mer was enamored with the majestic white-haired man. So seeing her rival being carried by the man she was after … hopefully she listened to his advice and looked elsewhere.

    He was still calling him Sir Elssmith. Vitruvion blinked a couple of times between a mouthful of sausage and one of mashed potatoes. Pausing, he almost considered saying, 'Just call me Vitruvion,’ but that seemed all a little out of sorts. Instead he focused his mind onto the ring of his third finger on his right hand and found the connection through the cuff at her wrist. Stare was currently at the bathroom, splashing water onto her face.

    “She is fine,” he replied. “A lot better. She will be down shortly.” His tone was slightly off, and he still refused to make eye contact with Nevin. “She just …” he tried to think of an excuse for Mer. “Was exhausted from her journey. It came suddenly.”

    There. It would do for now. He shovelled more food into his body as he could do in a posh manner, without seeming disgusting.
    Crows: Old nursery rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a funeral, Four for birth, Five for heaven, Six for hell, Seven for the devil, his own self."

  6. #46
    Senior Member

    EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
    Level completed: 65%, EXP required for next Level: 3,861
    Level completed: 65%,
    EXP required for next Level: 3,861


    Nevin's Avatar

    GP
    3,657

    Name
    Nevin Aimaparapoiitis
    Age
    22 / 37
    Race
    Human (Godling)
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Corone
    Nevin nodded slowly. That was a relief - and it gave him an idea on how to handle talking about Stare’s collapse. Though it seemed he didn’t need to. He wondered absently why whenever Vitruvion glanced in his direction, the man refused to meet his eyes - wait. They were still glowing. Whoops. He hastily pulled his magic back from them, letting them fade to their normal, neutral state of red so dark they seemed black.

    “I’m glad to see that she’s recovered so well. She was a tremendous help in the forest.” Of course, Vitruvion already knew that, he lived in the back of her head whenever he wanted to. But Nevin didn’t know if Mer was aware of that, so this would give an opening to talk about the events in the woods and not have it seem suspicious. Though, he didn’t really care about Mer himself, he didn’t want to make things more difficult for Vitruvion in his own house right now.

    “Now. About the party in Radasanth.” He raised an eyebrow to the man. “While clearly it can be discussed later if need be - are there any steps I should take to prepare for the guests?” The bastards would be attacking near his own home, the Grand Celestial Brewery wasn’t that far, and some of its workers came by his store occasionally for hangover cures.

    Vitruvion was not an idiot. It took him less than a second to figure out precisely what Nevin meant. A minor nerve in his hand flinched as he was reminded of the ever-present and growing threat of his brother. He drew in breath, stared at his food for a moment, then replied as he dropped his fork.

    “Raevin is taking a group to greet them,” he spoke carefully, “Including Brer, who I believe you have met now. They will be treated well, do not worry.” Reaching out he grabbed his goblet of wine, his fingers curling around it like it was a neck to strangle. His other hand scraped back hair from his face. “You personally should not need to worry about making yourself … available.”

    He drank back the wine and briefly twisted his eyes up the ceiling, checking on Stare. Pausing, he set the goblet back down. “You are making a shop in Radasanth?”

    “I am. It’s primarily based in an application of the alchemical arts that are a bit divergent from those that I practice in Stonevale. More… focused on termination of contracts, if you will. I of course am a neutral party and all involved know it there, at least in regards to my wares, so I have been mostly left alone. It’s becoming popular with a subsect of the citizens, as I usually operate on later hours than the alchemists who are beholden to the Guild.” He frowned, thinking of that particular lot.

    “An unsavoury group, the Guild. They put rather surprising restrictions on people, for a group of alchemists. I can’t stand them.” He shrugged. “My business does well enough without their interference. Though I think I may have to do something about them soon. It seems that if you don’t match a certain set of criteria, among them race, a Guild Alchemist can just kick you from his store.” He frowned.
    - "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood; Fear the old blood."

    Nevin: Formal, thoughtful, nurturing, bearer of tropey tentacles.

    "More threads! More! Threads for the Crimson Thread King!"
    A member of the NevCrew:
    Nevin: Thread count: please, don't try.
    Erik: Thread count: five or six. Maybe seven...
    Huntsman: seven. Maybe eight. Shhhhhhh.
    Telli' thread count: zero. I just can't get into writing the little hellion.
    Ronnel: Not even approved yet.

  7. #47
    Legend

    EXP: 59,606, Level: 10
    Level completed: 51%, EXP required for next Level: 5,394
    Level completed: 51%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,394


    Stare's Avatar

    GP
    150

    Name
    Avis Tsakaka
    Age
    16
    Race
    Kenku / Tengu
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Corone
    Vitruvion raised his brows but said nothing for awhile. Still, he had not made full eye contact with Nevin, something he was resisting, for now. He sipped his wine, looked briefly at his hair, which was definitely white, not blonde as it had been not that long ago. Another aspect of him changing since meeting Stare, but the only physical sign so far. He hoped.

    “They sound quite unsavoury,” he commented. “Do you know if they have a residence or influence near Bottleberry Avenue?”

    He spoke of a long street of ornate townhouses, terraced together but as fine as you were going to get. He glanced to Mer who was still grumpy. When he forged eye contact with her though she perked up, straightening her back and showing all the signs of a lady suddenly. He grunted and continued to eat, knowing just what a shallow person he had hired.

    “Bottleberry…. Yes. Sorry, the guild I referred to is the Alchemist’s guild, my apologies. They have their hand in just about every alchemist in Radasanth apparently. It’s far harder to find an independent operator in the city than one who is a member. They don’t outright target you, but they do make it far easier for guilded members to stay afloat. If you weren’t sure of your skills, well, signing on with them would clearly be a wise decision.” Nevin didn’t bother to say that he was quite sure of his skills.

    “However. Recently a vampire came in to my store, desperate for help. She was trying to avoid - Is something the matter?” Mer had frozen and was staring at him with wide eyes. She slowly shook her head, trembling a bit, and Nevin shrugged before returning his attention to Vitruvion. “As I was saying. She apparently seeks to avoid having to feed off of living individuals, and prefers prepared blood tonics. Radasanth was where she unfortunately began to run out. Multiple guilded alchemists threw her from their stores simply for being a vampire, despite the fact that she was actively seeking alternatives. Distasteful.” He shook his head - and heard a soft clacking outside of the doors. He watched, intrigued, and sure enough, as the person on the other side approached the doors a massive network of chains sprung up from Vitruvion and shot towards the door.

    Hidden in the mass was a thin cable, a paltry thing, almost anemic, that was tinged with an ugly, dark color - envy. Mer was hopefully not going to be a problem.

    Stare pushed open the door and looked briefly around the room. Pausing at the sight of Nevin she stared at him briefly before moving on hurriedly as if something had spooked her - and it had, she saw the red in his eyes and she still couldn't quite get used to it. As she passed behind Vitruvion's chair she peeked over as if by habit and grabbed the goblet as she went. He gave her an amused look, an arched eyebrow but said nothing. She sank into an empty chair and filled the goblet as she nodded.

    “Evening,” she said quietly.
    Crows: Old nursery rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a funeral, Four for birth, Five for heaven, Six for hell, Seven for the devil, his own self."

  8. #48
    Senior Member

    EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
    Level completed: 65%, EXP required for next Level: 3,861
    Level completed: 65%,
    EXP required for next Level: 3,861


    Nevin's Avatar

    GP
    3,657

    Name
    Nevin Aimaparapoiitis
    Age
    22 / 37
    Race
    Human (Godling)
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Corone
    Mer looked at her with confusion and astonishment as Stare moved the goblet back. With simple ease Vitruvion took from the air before it settled.

    There was a small pause before Vitruvion looked over at Mer. Before her was an empty plate and he nodded at it. “Mer if you are finished, then please go. Mr Aimaparapoiitis, Stare and myself need to talk.” He paused, then added. “In private.”

    Mer’s lips parted. She glanced with disbelief from Stare to him, and then with near rage at Nevin before she stood. With a last haughty glare at Stare she strode out the room, muttering curses under her breath. The god's brows rose but he said nothing, swinging back some wine into his gullet. When the door closed behind Mer he spoke flatly.

    “Colourful. She cursed your feathers to … wither I believe would be a good translation.”

    Stare grunted and began to take the last of what food was on the table. Vitruvion smiled slightly, then set the goblet down and looked at Nevin. “Raevin is currently on his way to the brewery. We are currently recruiting more mercenaries, which may not be enough, but they will be something. What Stare got for me in the forest was the guts of the ophiotaurus. Guts, that after being burnt, are said to be able to kill a god.” He folded his hands before him, then finished with a grunt. “Should do some damage against a half god.”

    Well, there went his need to study and find out just what the bull serpent thing was good for. Nevin folded his hands on top of the table and stared at them, his brow furrowed in thought. The glow in his eyes receded as he considered the situation. Then he looked up, to the two of them, a frown on his face.

    “That’s a bit lacking in practical applications, isn’t it. ‘Guts that have been burnt’. What, are you meant to carry that entire mass around with you after scorching it, and bury him? I know burnt offal has a powerful odor, but I doubt throwing it at someone would affect even a normal being, much less a god. So, what do we know about how to actually weaponize it? Is it some kind of power released in the burning process perhaps, and you have to burn it near the intended victim? Or is it like certain kinds of creatures and their weakness to wood, where having part of it in a wound will prevent it from healing?” And how could it be applied if that was the case? Would Stare - or Vitruvion himself - have to be the one to deal the blow with the guts nearby, or could it be done by anyone so long as they were properly equipped?

    “I understand if you don’t feel comfortable talking about it with me, but if you haven’t already, you might need to look into that post haste. I’ve never heard of intestines being used as a weapon before, except to strangle someone, or to infect them. I suppose burnt intestines might work, perhaps there is a unique weakness that they generate?” He frowned and drummed his fingers on the table. This was why magic made science difficult. There was no chemical you could point to here and say “Ah ha, here you are, this is the god-slaying chemical!”
    - "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood; Fear the old blood."

    Nevin: Formal, thoughtful, nurturing, bearer of tropey tentacles.

    "More threads! More! Threads for the Crimson Thread King!"
    A member of the NevCrew:
    Nevin: Thread count: please, don't try.
    Erik: Thread count: five or six. Maybe seven...
    Huntsman: seven. Maybe eight. Shhhhhhh.
    Telli' thread count: zero. I just can't get into writing the little hellion.
    Ronnel: Not even approved yet.

  9. #49
    Legend

    EXP: 59,606, Level: 10
    Level completed: 51%, EXP required for next Level: 5,394
    Level completed: 51%,
    EXP required for next Level: 5,394


    Stare's Avatar

    GP
    150

    Name
    Avis Tsakaka
    Age
    16
    Race
    Kenku / Tengu
    Gender
    Female
    Location
    Corone
    Vitruvion slowly breathed in, his eyes rolling to look at Stare. They narrowed slightly and there was a single look between them. She saw irritation in him, recognised it and responded with a small shrug.

    You chose to tell him.

    His terming is ...

    Less refined than yours? she had a small smirk in her eyes.

    “Stare,” he said audibly and disapprovingly before he sighed and looked at Nevin. “Research into the ophiotaurus is limited, there is talk of it killing thaynes and an ancient,” he pushed a hand through his hair. “I won't say anymore than that. I don't like the idea of being known by many, for obvious reasons. There is a reason I got Stare to collect it and not myself and why now …” he paused. “One moment.”

    His eyes glazed over for a second, refocusing somewhere else. There was a pause, and it was as if he was talking mentally with Stare but to another far more distant. Stare munched on a sausage, watching him, before he came back to the room, a slight grimace on his face.

    “My dear half-sister is demanding to know who you are. She will likely hunt you down soon,” he took up his wine and chugged back the remainder of his wine.

    Wait. What? Nevin blinked twice, feeling both of his eyebrows raise up into his hairline. Stare resolutely was not looking in his direction, and seemed to find the ceiling absolutely fascinating. He cleared his throat and he found it a little hard to speak at first.

    “H-half si-sister is it? And ah, why...why might she be hunting me down?” Nevin swore, if it was because he had accidentally forced Vitruvion and Stare to confront some feelings about each other, he was going to swear off dealing with anyone from the Raerian continent for a few years. He swallowed and looked between the two of them for a moment before rubbing his forehead.

    “Alright then. Why would she be hunting me down, and is there anything I should be aware of?” Aside from her half-divinity that she was running around with, if she was Vitruvion’s half-sibling. Nevin would rather not be blindsided by say, a hydra god walking up and demanding to talk with him about something. Or a Gorgon, freezing him in place with her baleful eyes as she ‘hunted’ him down. And that was a concerning turn of phrase in and of itself. Normally you would say that someone would look for another person, not ‘hunt them down’.

    Was he about to be killed because he had gotten too curious at the wrong time when he had relaxed his guard?

    Stare suddenly laughed. Vitruvion threw her a disapproving look, fire suddenly in his eyes. She had a guilty smile in her features, that she could not get rid of it though she ducked her head slightly as he growled at her, irritated. There was a short moment as he narrowed his eyes at her, his jaw tightening but she continued to helplessly be amused.
    Crows: Old nursery rhyme "One for sorrow, Two for mirth, Three for a funeral, Four for birth, Five for heaven, Six for hell, Seven for the devil, his own self."

  10. #50
    Senior Member

    EXP: 61,139, Level: 10
    Level completed: 65%, EXP required for next Level: 3,861
    Level completed: 65%,
    EXP required for next Level: 3,861


    Nevin's Avatar

    GP
    3,657

    Name
    Nevin Aimaparapoiitis
    Age
    22 / 37
    Race
    Human (Godling)
    Gender
    Male
    Location
    Corone
    “Stare,” he warned her.

    “It is amusing though,” she confessed, flinching slightly as his hand tightened on the rim of his goblet. He said nothing more, only eyed her with grim anger. Quickly, she looked to Nevin. “Sorry, it is just Ventrua will not mean you any harm. She is abrasive but that is all.”

    Her god glared at her whilst he picked up from that point. “Ventrua came with me from Ansaldo’s planet. Half our father, half a mortal woman, of the Hitarik people. She was supposed to be my ‘servant’ for all of the worth it was, after he shoved me out but obviously she more or less is my equal.” He dragged his eyes away from Stare to look at Nevin, though his knuckles were still white. “She can be abrasive, and demanding, especially of her ‘dear brother’.” For a moment he looked like he might fly into a rage, but then he pulled himself down and took a couple of breaths. “I have told her specifically not to harm you, and not to react like she did when I made Stare aware.”

    For a moment, Nevin thought about asking about how exactly she had reacted when Stare was informed of the situation. Had she tried to attack his friend? Or had it been - from the way Stare was laughing at first, Ventrua would not be the type to attack. Or at least, she wouldn’t attack him physically, which he was thankful for. He didn’t really have any kind of defensive option if she had decided to attack him directly, not beyond his threads. And he knew many people could punch harder than his threads could block.

    But, abrasiveness, that he could handle. He might return the favor, but at least it wouldn’t overwhelm him to deal with someone like that. The redhead took a deep breath, and shook his head. “I thank you for the warnings as they stand, then. I’ll keep an eye out for her and try not to be taken aback.” Nevin leaned forward, his head aching. It seemed like he had been using his new power a bit too flagrantly, and now he was dealing with the aftereffects. Namely, a splitting migraine that was hurting him the longer he kept his eyes open.

    He pushed his way to his feet, gripping his head in one hand. He flashed them a pained smile. “It seems like being able to see the bonds between people isn’t a power you can use for free. I - I need some rest, it appears. Excuse me.” The alchemist bowed, and wavered on his feet slightly. He straightened up successfully though, and started heading out the door, his destination the main entrance.

    “The room you slept in last night is still available,” Vitruvion said, reaching for his wine goblet again.

    As Nevin wavered his brows rose and Stare sucked in her breath alarm. Glancing over at him she then swung her long beak at Vitruvion. A silent moment passed between them, with her expressing the desire to greet her friend. Waving a hand at her he quietly dismissed her, with a note of, I will see you later. Do not be too long.
    - "We are born of the blood, made men by the blood, undone by the blood; Fear the old blood."

    Nevin: Formal, thoughtful, nurturing, bearer of tropey tentacles.

    "More threads! More! Threads for the Crimson Thread King!"
    A member of the NevCrew:
    Nevin: Thread count: please, don't try.
    Erik: Thread count: five or six. Maybe seven...
    Huntsman: seven. Maybe eight. Shhhhhhh.
    Telli' thread count: zero. I just can't get into writing the little hellion.
    Ronnel: Not even approved yet.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •