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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 10:33:17 GMT -6
Well, thankfully this wasn't his first time getting lost within the midst of the ever-changing mansion. Even though prior experience didn't help much.. He could at least come to expect some things. Like.. A coo prompted him to look back over to the black dove, sitting on a nest of flowers where the teapot was just moments before. Roses. A smirk settled on the man's face. Ah, yes, the path of roses would never lead them astray. Xentus wandered over to the small assortment of roses and lavender and reached out to take one of the purple tinted ornaments. How reminiscent. Collecting enough of these would set them free from here, or so he wanted to believe. Do a ritual, hope and prey, dance a little jig. All in the name of 'why not?'. That was an adventure he didn't mind restarting, even if his companions of choice were different this time
Feb - 21
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 10:42:06 GMT -6
The mammalian nodded a thanks to the dove. For bringing back good memories. For reminding himself of his silliness. For a glimmer of hope. He could never have full certainty that this path of roses thing would actually lead him anywhere, but a little bit of belief could go a long way. Let it be a means of escape or wandering in circles, he felt reassured regardless. The small collection of flowers were collected and the leopard turned to his wiurn beckoning it to come along. Adventure awaited.
Alerios seemed happy enough to just get moving out of this room. While bigger than the tearoom, it was still on the cramped side in terms of supporting the bulk of a large wiurn. A gentle hiss escaped the reptile as it squeezed itself through the doorframe after the leopard and into a very, very spacious library. While the beast cared not for the books, it relished in the ability to stretch out!
Feb - 22
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 10:48:50 GMT -6
The creature tossed its head and flapped its large wings, sending a sudden gust out to rustle some pages and fur. Xentus gave a curious glance over his shoulder to the sudden commotion by his companion. Then, a smile lifted his lip. It finally clicked that it must've been awfully cramped for the big lug. All the more reason to get a move on. Seeing how the library gave the beast a chance to move around, the man figured they could loiter here for a while. Gather clues, flowers, perhaps fall into mishaps. It wasn't exactly the same place as the towering rows and lines of shelves that he'd been to before.. But it was close enough to remind himself of a.. Certain encounter. A light flush washed under the leopard's thin face-fur. He cleared his throat to refocus himself, preventing the mind from drifting too much. But not before he wondered how sir knight was doing these days.
Feb - 23
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:00:51 GMT -6
They were an interesting person. One of the more notable people he'd met in this city. It was the only time he'd ever wandered into someone who walked about clad in full armor. Well, he hoped that man was well. And now, back to.. Whatever he was supposed to be doing. The little dove had left him to his own devices, just imparting its little hint of 'flowers'. It was a reoccurring theme in this setting. Paper flowers, fresh plucked sprigs, glass roses. Not a coincidence, was it?
[Keep an eye out for any flowers, Alé], the leopard pressed his thought to the wiurn. Alerios looked curiously at its keeper, then lifted itself up onto its back legs to scan the area. It didn't seem to be looking for anything in particular, hardly considering flowers as something recognizable.
{What is flowers?}, it admitted to not exactly knowing what it was looking for..
Feb - 24
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:06:41 GMT -6
[One of these], Xentus communicated as he held out one of the glass roses. It was a small object, hardly filling his palm. Alerios tilted his head and craned his neck to get a better look. Such a small detail was hardly within the beast's scope of notice. Muttered thoughts of 'small' and 'strange shape' passed through the leopard's mind. A wiurn was definitely not the best choice for scouting and recon, but he had no other volunteer at his disposal. Though his smile, a resigned sigh escaped the man. He'd be thankful for Alerios' efforts regardless. Now, if he'd brought Haru here, this would've gone a little better. Then again, bringing small, independent beings to a place like this was just asking for trouble. The ling-ling was a handful. A harachiu might've been more than he could handle, especially considering Haru's demeanor in particular. Ah well. Something to work on whenever he returned home.
Feb - 25
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:16:24 GMT -6
With their goal set in mind, it was time to.. Wander. Xentus peeked down a row of shelves, assessing if it was any good to traverse. Long. Wide. But of no particular interest. Alerios copied after its keeper's movements, peering down the shelves in search of small funny shapes. With its higher vantage point, it might've stood a better chance in finding something on the taller shelves. Its quick look went uneventfully, unfortunately. On to the next one. While Xentus seemed confident in leading the wiurn down the hall, he was awfully uncertain of what path to take and where to go. Anywhere was valid. Anything could happen. While such freedom of events was fully enjoyed by his rampant sense of wanderlust, it was also.. Oddly unnerving. To keep going until something happened. That was a mantra of his life. But for once, he actually wanted some inkling of better guidance.
Feb - 26
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:26:07 GMT -6
To be given a sign, a path, a direction to take and keep.. His mind mulled on it. But as always, there was little use dwelling. He'd need to make something happen for himself, he thought. But it probably wouldn't help, would it? He was at the mercy o-
A prodding nudge on his shoulder snapped him out of his own mind. He turned to see Alerios's big head and blue eyes staring at him with intent. It might've not known how he was feeling, but it certainly heard those thoughts of uncertainty. A wet snort of encouragement escaped the beast. "Ah.. Sorry to worry you, Alé. Xentus is.. Not certain where we may be going. But he is happy to go wherever it may be in your company", the words spoken aloud were lost to the wiurn. Somehow, they still sounded reassuring enough. Alerios held his stare for a moment longer.
Feb - 27
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:31:01 GMT -6
Just to be sure the keeper got the point. Then, it tore its gaze away and down a row of shelves to the left. Xentus followed its eyes, finding a book on the floor in the middle of the aisle. An unannounced agreement to check it out was declared as he changed path and wandered down. From previous experience, the books and papers of this place were usually empty. Being magical in nature (presumably), having enough knowledge to fill these books with information would've been an enormous undertaking. Though, he supposed meaningless babble would've also been possible. And there he went trying to make sense of this place again. Such a bad habit of his.
Xentus reached down to pick up the book splayed out on the floor. Oddly, a thin layer of dust had collected on it. He didn't suppose anyone had been here in a while. And remembering back, the last time he tried to put away a book, he got entranced by a spell.
Feb - 28
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 11:37:46 GMT -6
He cleared his throat to keep his mind off that train of thought yet again. Now, where did this go.. Looking about the shelves, there didn't immediately seem to be an empty spot for this. Just out of curiosity, he flipped it open to a random page to check if there was anything within. Alas, it was empty. He didn't need to feel too bad about getting the books out of order, he supposed. Wouldn't matter anyway if there was nothing to glean from them. Or perhaps there was a puzzle hidden in different books positions! That thought got a chuckle out of him. That kind of elaborate plan within the manor would need to have some kind of clue. With this, there was none. And that was relieving. Now resuming his search for the open spot, he did catch a glance at something much too oddly shaped to be a book breaking the pattern of spines.
Feb - 29
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 12:08:13 GMT -6
Curious. Xentus carefully reached into the gap, grasping at a thin, cool metallic object. Sliding it out, it looked a like a mirror at first inspection. His eyes scoured its reflective surface, seeing his own face for a moment before the glass yielded to a picture beneath the reflection. And for a moment, he thought he saw.. His old desert home. His family. A tightened throat made it difficult to breathe. And with a blink, the image was gone. Was it only imagined? It wasn't actually there, was it? Could.. He see them again? Xentus steadied himself against a shelf, fingers involuntarily clutching the frame tightly. Alerios looked on, concerned. What did the keeper have there? And what happened to him? The wiurn offered the mammalian a nudge again to snap him out of it, but to no avail. It could only watch as the man slumped down, hunched over in a tangle of feelings.
Feb - 30
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Post by Jack on Feb 19, 2021 12:24:39 GMT -6
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 20:39:53 GMT -6
Being reminded of where he came from. The home he had. The kin he'd left.. Was difficult. It was one thing simply thinking of Kalenshaar. It was another seeing them. Their faces. Knowing he couldn't go back. Not that he wouldn't be welcomed, but.. The man sighed. No, he wouldn't dwell. He wasn't there, and that was fine. He'd made a new home for himself. And it was comfortable. After taking the time to compose himself, Xentus looked up and petted the snout resting inches away from his face.
"Sorry, Alé. This one is fine. Let us be on our way, yes?", Xentus said aloud to the beast as he stood up. He could see the relief ripple across the wiurn's body - its fur relaxed along with those tensed muscles. It didn't know what to do with itself while he was like that, huh? A reassuring pet across the faceplate helped ease the mood.
Feb - 31
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 20:48:12 GMT -6
The picture frame was held onto until he could find a proper place to put it. And as for the misplaced book, it was shoved into the vacant space on the shelf, back where it presumably belonged. A snug fit, ending with a click. A click? Bookshelves typically didn't click. Xentus perked up, ears flicking in an attempt to discern where that click was and what else it might've indicated. To the far end of the row, he could heard a soft rumble. A secret room? Or a trap? He didn't like the potential for mishap here, but curiosity egged him on. Anything to get his mind going anywhere else. The mammalian beckoned for the wiurn to follow him as he followed the rumble, steadily walking down the aisle until he reached a reading nook at its end. The small nook was situated in a pocket along a hallway, with shelves lining the far end.
Feb - 32
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 20:54:15 GMT -6
Now, who would've thought to have some kind of secret passage in a reading nook? There was a opening in the midst of books, leading to a dimly lit corridor. The wiurn would just barely be able to fit within the confines.
[Bear with Xentus, Alé. More tight spaces], the leopard mentally warned his companion. A grumble sounded from the wiurn's throat, but it didn't give much opposition to this idea otherwise. Wherever the keeper went, it would follow still. It had little desire to rebel against who it saw as authority. And so it trailed after the man as he pressed forward through the ominous new opening. Once the pair were within its confines, the path behind them sealed itself shut. Not entirely unexpected.. Now, to find out where it led. The path ahead was too dark to see through to the end. Or perhaps the end would only open once he reached it. Or he was now trapped in and could only await a slow death.
Feb - 33
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Post by Xentus on Feb 19, 2021 20:59:46 GMT -6
Eh, that last thought wasn't all too pleasant. He'd been at the mercy of the mansion as soon as he stepped foot on its grounds. If it wanted him dead, he supposed it would've enacted its plan far sooner than now. Erring on the side of caution wasn't his strong suit either if he'd decided that the dark, narrow crawlspace was the best choice to travel. Xentus chuckled at his strange path of decision making and associated thoughts. At the very least, he was having more fun than dread now, so that was an improvement. He hardly kept track of how long he walked though the dim corridor before the end finally made itself apparent. It was.. A wall. A wall with a hole in it. A hole vaguely shaped like a rose. The man blinked at it for a moment, then fished a glass rose from his pack. A careful glance was cast over to the wiurn, who was still with him.
Feb - 34
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