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Post by Èdan on Feb 18, 2020 11:15:38 GMT -6
The world around a haze, caught between a memory of some-place-that-was and that-which-is. The silver-gold threaded figure continues to stand at the end of the hallway, silently smiling, silently out of reach as the lights about them begin to flicker and brighten. The man's smile fades, memories ringing up new steps to a story he thought long forgotten. The figure extends a hand, bright flecks of red and gold swirling about them, the light intense. He watched that, once, he remembers now. He could not keep watching, then, and he could not now. The eyes a forced closed and the head lowers, turning away as the warmth washes over intensely for once last second, before the burning becoming a sudden, still coldness.
The haze fades, gold and silver and black house and all. The book becomes thin air, leaving him to hold only the picture frame, once again empty and bland. The eyes slowly open, as senses return and he breathes out heavily, regaining a grip on the now.
At least, until the face is suddenly cupped and turned towards.. the mammalian? The knight stares at the leopard and a confused frown comes across the expression when the words are slurred at him. Now, there were a lot of things to unpack in that particular situation, no least of which was the fact the leopard was apparently infatuated where he had been furious before, and to many an extent most people would have found the situation uncomfortable at best, and perplexing at worst. But most people didn't slip in and out of character like slippers.
Slowly, the knight's hand comes up to take the leopard's and gently pull it free from his face, an apologetic look as he speaks in that gradual drawl, "I'm.. sorry, sir. But unfortunately I'm spoken for. The sentiment is appreciated, however."
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Post by Xentus on Feb 18, 2020 12:12:02 GMT -6
Xentus blinked. He blinked a hard blink. Those words weren't his. Why did they come from his mouth? Why was his hand there?
The world returned to its normal hue. The thrumming of his chest silenced. The burning desire fizzled. The stars in his eyes faded. His mind was now clear. And this.. This couldn't be happening.
"NO no, ah. Erm. He didn't.. This one was.. Ah. Possessed! Yes. Bewitched. By uh", he choked on his words instead of slurring them now, his wide eyes desperately looking around the thousands of books struggling to find the name, ".. Book."
That could probably have been phrased better. But hopefully it would be convincing. After all, one who had any experience with this place could probably believe that a book in this magic manor with a demented sense of humor could do such a thing. A prolonged second after he spoke passed before he withdrew his hand from the knight's grip, remembering that he was back in control of his limbs now. Hints of red showed through the thin fur on the leopard's face, which would hopefully be read as embarrassment. No matter what he thought of trying to say, would be neigh impossible to live this down.
"Ahh.. Xentus meant to say he loves that you ah. Found his pet..? Yes. Pardon."
The leopard managed to force a grin, straining himself for any kind of escape, and promptly excused himself to retrieve his long lost little ling. He stepped backwards, only to have his paw immediately bump into something soft and fuzzy. This was not what he was expecting, catching him off balance and sending the feline tumbling over the small noodle dragon. It was quick to scurry out of harm's way as the leopard landed on his rear with a thump. The mammalian didn't bother to catch himself. He loosed a soft groan, realizing that this was not some kind of twisted dream and the pain proved it. He needed a minute.
Feb - 32
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Post by Èdan on Feb 18, 2020 16:10:51 GMT -6
The knight's brow raises slightly and he lets go of the leopard's hand. "It's quite alright, good sir. You would not be the first to admit affections," he adds, "Alas, my duties have me honour-bound to my position." That wasn't entirely fabricated, even if the details were generously adjusted to fit the context. Though, he none the less adds (managing to simultaneously entirely gloss over the fact of having wandered around aimless and dazed himself), "The books here are indeed quite vexing. All of them are blank, for one."
He glances to the picture frame a moment, unsure what to do with it and simply stows it in a larger pouch on the belt. Then, he slowly begins taking in his surroundings, while the leopard spends a few moments distracted by wallowing in the depths of embarrassment and awkwardness (for one who walked around shirtless and barely clothed, the mammalian strikes him as strangely modest in this regard). So, another hallway of books.. mostly indistinguishable from the rest, but still somehow different to the last one he has memory of. Wait.. faex. The faceplate was off.. and his glaive nowhere in view. Whatever happened in the daze would be hard-pressed to be explainable. Briefly he searches for his own version of escape from the moment and lands on spotting the noodle.
"Ah, yes indeed, I managed to track it down near a reading nook," he explains calmly, while the brain buzzes rapidly, "Unfortunately.. it slipped away from there, so I gave chase, catching it here. I fear my weapon may have been left behind in the quickness of the moment." He guesses himself to have been fortunate the strange spell hadn't prompted him to do much else unfortunate, such as remove the entire helmet..
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Post by Xentus on Feb 20, 2020 11:14:36 GMT -6
The leopard sat there on the floor, gesturing to wave off the knight to collect his weapon or whatever. Anything for some space. Ugh. The embarrassment and awkwardness wracked his mind. Accursed mansion. It didn't even seem like the knight believed that it was this house's doing! How to even play this off? Was there any way to..? Briefly, he entertained the passing thought of playing out this infatuation as truth. But then again, he'd come off quite strong with his opening line. And was so quickly rejected. Time to feign heartbreak? Continue the pursuit? Hah.. As amusing as the idea was, he wasn't much of a flirt, nor one to chase after those playing hard to get. With a sigh, the leopard resigned himself to whatever fate might cast on him next.
The silvery white lingling seemed perplexed about the sudden changes in its masters emotions. From love-struck to shocked to embarrassed to resignation all within the span of a few minutes. Curious. The noodley serpent clambered onto the feline's lap and up his arm to return to it's cozy position around his neck. It coiled in such a way so that it could nuzzle his cheek. The creature's attempt to comfort its master were fairly successful, mostly for the distraction from his thoughts than anything. What was that on its face anyways? Kiss marks? Xentus was perplexed by the red stains on the creature, carefully grasping its jaw to get it to stop squirming so much.
"Seems like you've got an admirer, don't you little ling?", he spoke gently, ruffling its mane, "Xentus is glad you are safe. Let's not get into anymore trouble, yes?"
Truly, he was thankful for the knight keeping to his word. It was a relief to have the little beast back. That helped calm the turmoil of emotions some. Feeling this, the ling-ling seemed like it was accomplished with itself and rubbed its muzzle onto the leopard, smearing some of the stains off. As if he face wasn't already red enough. The leopard finally stood up, finished wallowing in his self-pity, and waited for the knight's return.
Feb - 34
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Post by Èdan on Feb 20, 2020 13:56:35 GMT -6
If the knight seems put off by the sprawling display and dismay, he never shows an ounce of it. Even with the faceplate off and the expression more readable than simply a set of eyes, there's hardly any shift towards being neither amused by or condemning the leopard's behaviour. It seems, to him, it is simply something to not comment on. When the leopard gives the wave for him to retrieve his things, he gives a short bow, arm raised across chest, before turning around and heading off into the aisles. The relief washes over as soon as he's around the first corner and he breathes out again. Close one. And not comfortably so. The house messing with their perception and environment was one thing, but having it dig its claws deep into their very minds to toy about them like clay.. Now that was something he cannot allow to happen again.
It takes him some minutes to peek between different aisles, before he notices a bit of light and space among one row - the light of the reading nook. There was no sense of time passing in the daze and barely a vague memory of its contents, but he can be thankful those daywalking wandering steps of his had not been fast enough to get all too far away from where he had begun. Ah, there things were.. the glaive still flat on the ground, the faceplate off to the side, dropped when the spell hit. He fixes the latter back on the helm, latching it in place, and picks up the former, inspecting it briefly before there's a sudden pause.
A thought occurs - if the house was messing with their minds directly now, the threat of discovery is ever increasing. Perhaps it would be the ideal time for Sarv to simply disappear, another victim of the Mansion? The leopard would be none the wiser, perhaps a little concerned and worried at first, but ultimately what is one to do against such magic? But then.. he is neither closer nor clearer on where the exit is to the place, and going it solo had not.. exactly worked out any better the other three hours he's been here already. Now there was a dilemma to unfold.
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Post by Ashe on Feb 21, 2020 2:57:38 GMT -6
 The house messing with you? Never. Here, have a rose. Isn't it pretty? You might as well stay... |
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Post by Xentus on Feb 23, 2020 2:02:51 GMT -6
Xentus was the patient sort. It was even easier to be patient with fairly fresh, relatively unpleasant emotions swimming around in the mind. Though the feelings of embarrassment were mostly dissipated, there was still that lingering little bit that had yet to die down. This was the kind of time where reflecting on recent events and figuring out what could've been said or done better came to pass. He did feel bad about becoming rather short tempered with the knight in the moments soon after his pet disappeared, for one. There was an apology in store for them. And well the whole 'possessed by a book' thing was beyond his control. It would become a funny memory to laugh at or make a joke of. Eventually. Every second spent waiting was a second sooner to that point. There was no running away from it, at least for as long as he and the knight were trying to get out of this mansion.
Though.. He could be left to simmer in his embarrassment without the only other person who knows of it. The thought to go off and find his way out on his own passed briefly. He had no tie to the unnamed man, aside from the verbal agreement to go through this place together, with hopes that two could find the way out better than either alone could. But then again, he was starting to like their company. The knight who thinks so very philosophically much yet didn't get jokes was an interesting character. Plus they did find his little ling. And maybe he was enamored with them after all, who knows. The leopard softly laughed aloud at that last thought, shaking his head.
Nah. Even considering recent events, he'd prefer to stick it out with the guy with a glaive. What was taking them so long anyways? After a mental coinflip, debating between wandering after the knight or staying put, the leopard decided to stick it out and wait where he was, lest he'd end up haplessly lost in the maze of books.
'Patience, Xentus. Patience.'
Feb - 36
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2020 5:25:01 GMT -6
The room around isn't much different to the rest of the library maze, reading nook not withstanding. Which is to say, he sees neither an exit nor the entrance that they came in from. Oh sure, he could probably trace the entrance back with some accuracy, back-tracking the way which had lead him to discover the dragon in the first place, but given the very walls, floor, ceiling and interior can shift and bend at a moment's will, who was to say the door is even still there? The glaive taps the carpeted ground slightly as he glances over to the reading table. A glint of red shines back in the dimness of the room. "Hm."
He grabs the glass rose off the table and turns to walk the same way back. The threat of discovery is a risk he'll have to run for the benefit of escape. And worst case? Well, this house is a strange and weird place, after all.. Who is to say it can't curse the visitors physically in order to mess with their minds, to cause insanity, confusion and all those other fun things which are so far beyond poor Sarv's own control?
Minutes pass, but eventually the knight comes back through the same aisle entrance, faceplate on and glaive in hand. "I have located the weapon. I also came across another of these," and he holds up the glass rose for the leopard to inspect. "It is.. strange. Out of all we have found here, these roses appear to be most frequent. Surely, there must be a reason or use for them beyond simple decoration."
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Post by Xentus on Feb 23, 2020 11:10:20 GMT -6
The leopard had passed the time mulling around in his own mind while trying to rid himself and the ling-ling of the red stains. And by that, it meant smearing it further; as thin as possible to be barely detectable. Which was really just staining more of both of their lightly colored fur. Being a civilized person, he wasn't about to lick himself and his pet clean. At least not with the possibility of other eyes seeing. He'd done enough to embarrass himself already, and such forms of grooming were probably socially unacceptable. Most humanoid sorts didn't make use of their tongues aside from speaking.
By the time the knight had returned, Xentus had finished cleaning up to the point where the red lipstick stains were diminished to a faint pink that wasn't very evident unless one looked very closely. Seems like the man comes bearing a gift. How sweet. The leopard tentatively takes the rose from the knight's palm to take a closer look. Finely crafted and ornate, and of exact make to the previous two he had found. Curious items, but he honestly didn't chalk them up to be anything more than a favored form of decor. But the armored man went on about seeking reason for even this kind of thing. Certainly being perceptive was a major qualifier for having the role of knight, but he should also be able to tell the difference between something of use and a mere decoration, no? At the very least, Xentus could appreciate that the density of the man would make it easier to live down the whole ordeal that happened not too long ago. It still played in the back of his head, threatening to break free from the mental chains suppressing it.
"Perhaps if we gather enough we might summon a portal to whisk us out of this place", the leopard said cheekily, trying to give purpose the little trinket, "You know as they say, the path of roses leads none astray."
... Yes, he just made that up.
Feb - 38
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2020 11:40:50 GMT -6
Of course it wasn't the only find about the place, but in so far he doesn't want to bring up the subject of the picture frame any more than the leopard wanted the book (or the fact the dragon had been quite clearly been the glad victim of several shows of affections). For all that the house was dark and dreary in décor, he couldn't ignore the very intent undertones of these strange events and their unifying theme. Why specifically that theme, well, one could just as well wonder why a house full of magic, nonsense and mind-bending trickery is a great idea to build in the first place. Both being neither here nor there, however..
The knight's brows rise slightly at the notion of a portal. "If that were true, it would be most fortuitous. I shall keep an eye out for more, in such case." It probably didn't. Not that he has any greater understanding of the manor's mechanisms, but there were some simple answers that were just too simple to be true. He then studies the leopard for a few seconds as the idiom seems to be processed, finally replying with an uncertain and confused, "Ah. That is one saying I have not yet come across. I have heard of the 'primrose path', though alas, I cannot quite recall it's meaning.. Are they related sayings?"
. 30 . (counted)
February: 39 |
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Post by Xentus on Feb 23, 2020 12:29:48 GMT -6
"Unsurprising. Regional Kalenshaar saying", Xentus explained, waving off the knight's confusion with a shrug, "Eh, the primrose path refers metaphorically to the wayward endings from the pursuit of pleasure. None too related to the path of roses. More literal in meaning; in the desert, following roses might lead to an oasis for the thirsty throat."
The leopard spoke confidently, well versed enough in his literary knowledge, twinning his newly coined phrase to his arid homeland. Did roses even grow there? Probably not. But he didn't chalk the knight up to be someone all too very world knowledged, much less botanically so. Not that there was any particular indicator of either. Just a hopeful guess to mask the oddly unfavorable coincidence between the two sayings. Besides, it seemed to make sense. Hopefully enough sense to satisfy the armored man and prevent any further questions..
The ling-ling around the leopard's neck perked up curiously at its owner's feeling of caution, threatening to expose his deceit. It looked around for whatever was the source of its master's alarm, finding nothing that has changed in the immediate vicinity as far as it could tell. It decided upon nibbling at his cheek fuzz in its best attempt to assure the feline that there was nothing to be afraid of. What a silly person.
Xentus ruffled the serpent's mane to allow some time for his explanation to sink in, then changed the subject, "Anyway, might've you happened upon some other exit to this library? This one did not see any such thing on the other wing, though he admits he wasn't exactly looking.."
Feb - 40
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Post by Renathan on Feb 23, 2020 12:33:32 GMT -6
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Post by Èdan on Feb 23, 2020 17:59:57 GMT -6
Kalenshaar. Not a region he has heard about, and so the name is dutifully filed away to the organized info desk of the mind, for later research. At the descriptive explanation, the knight's head notches, understanding the difference quite clearly and seeming to take in this new found knowledge with much reverence, "Ah, yes, I see. And in this instance, the oasis would be an exit." Poor Sarv seemed none the wiser and the poor leopard has probably been tortured enough, as amusing as it was - there were, in fact, roses in the desert, though he would have been quite loathe to call them 'roses' as such, even if the locals did. Most had looked more like periwinkles to his mind.
The knight simply shakes his head, "I'm afraid not. By the looks of these shelves, this library may have a maze-like quality to it or a method of arrangement I am unfamiliar with. It is common for libraries to have a central aisle, which leads to the entrance. Perhaps if we can find the widest aisle, that may guide our way forward?" He indicates behind him, "There was no such space back there. Perhaps the other way then?" and he motions towards where the leopard had come from. Given the mammalian had no real memory of that path, there could have been a whole set of doors for all they knew at this point.
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Post by Xentus on Feb 25, 2020 2:21:42 GMT -6
The leopard nodded along with the knight's line of thought. Seemed sound enough. Most mazes had an exit somewhere to be found, and if the library had any sort of organization, it was bound to have a way out as well. Even if not, at least the entry didn't seem to move from where it last was. The last thing they needed was to be trapped in a trap's trap. The thought alone made him mentally shudder.
"Well, only one way to find out, no?", Xentus announced and turned to lead the way. He began retracing the steps which led him here in the first place, now with less stumbling. There were fresh claw marks along the wooden bookshelves that he had definitely left there intentionally to mark his path. His eyes trailed them as he walked along the rows of books, occasionally peering down the aisles passed in case there might be anything of note aside from more books. It was almost a fruitless effort to try to find anything but within the midst of a library.
Odd shapes that weren't rectangular did seem more evident, however. His eyes caught onto something placed on one of the shelves, a slight 'hmm?', emanating from his throat. The distracted leopard took a detour, curiosity getting the better of him. A pair of serpentine rings were coiled on the petals of yet another glass rose. He carefully picked the assembly up for a closer look. The serpent around his neck perked up as well, stretching its neck to boop one of the rings, causing it to fall and roll off onto the floor with a ping.
Feb - 42
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Post by Èdan on Feb 25, 2020 19:01:01 GMT -6
As the leopard takes the lead, the knight dutifully takes to following. He doesn't mind the order of proceedings neither as the knight nor himself, seeing as any one corner could just as well end up being the right one, and it may be easier for the leopard to herd the noodle-dragon than it is for him. Still, even in following, it takes him a bit to realize the leopard wasn't operating entirely at random - the first claw mark he notices comes up a few book rows down, and it makes it easy to spot the leopard's method of finding them after that. Right up until the little detour.
He notices the turn away onto a path without a mark without issue, but doesn't remark on it. The knight would simply follow, after all. At the sound of the curious hum, however, he does finally inquire, "What is it?" The answer is given in visual long before a verbal reply gets a chance to, when the leopard picks up another glass rose and something falls off of it. The round, silver object bounces, rolls and stops by the knight's boot. He bends down to pick it up and inspects it - A.. ring? A silver ring, even. Quite the expensive piece of jewellery to be left merely laying about so.
"Curious," the knight intones, "Black doves, glass roses, books. And now serpents." Whatever aesthetic the manor was going for, it wasn't pulling half-measures.
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