Welcome to Elenlond! |
| THE IMPORTANT STUFF
A good place to start... Rules Encyclopedia Additional Info Book of Lore Tutorial: Abilities Profile Skeleton Compendium FAQ Who's Who...? Evona (admin) Yorishine (mod) Sphynx (mod) Andromalius (mod) Guess (mod) |
10.26.09
08.24.09
08.15.09
|
BREAK IT DOWN
Welcome to Elenlond, an original medieval fantasy roleplaying forum! We strive for creative, free-form roleplaying, in the hopes of allowing each and every single member the power to achieve their potential.
|
| Welcome to Elenlond, an original medieval fantasy forum! We're always looking for new, dedicated members. Elenlond is composed of two continents: Soare and Esiria. Esiria, a land now isolated due to the efforts of the last remaining Goddess, is inaccessible to all beings and lies in the east. Soare, a continent in the west, is composed of three distinct nations: Ashoka, Soto, and Morrim. Lying between the two major continents are the Scattered Isles. Since the dissolution of the pantheon and the fall of the gods, these countries have existed in relative peace and prosperity. But how long will that peace last? Enter Elenlond; Turn the pages and tell your own tale. If you're already a member please log in to your account to access all of our features: |
| Games in the Darkness...; (Valerian) | |
|---|---|
| Topic Started: Oct 13 2009, 02:18 PM (114 Views) | |
| Estressa Malia | Oct 13 2009, 02:18 PM Post #1 |
|
Estressa had some free time, so she'd decided to come to Orl'Kabbar to see if she could make its usual chaos even worse. After all, what was more fun than messing around with a city filled with hardened criminals? Of course, no one knew she'd went, and apart from her servants, no one knew she was gone anyway. She'd used her magic to teleport here, though sadly she couldn't do it all in one jump since she'd lost a great deal of her power. Right now, she was in the form of a young girl. One with a body that would no doubt be very... Attractive to men who saw her. She walked into the one tavern in the town that was even more infamous than all the rest for its rowdy customers, and sat at the bar. She then said to the bartender, in a voice that sounded terrified, "Um, excuse me... Could I have some brandy?" The bartender snorted, "Brandy? Heh, it's beer or nothin' sweetheart." He looked at her curiously, "By the way, what's a pretty little thing like you doin' in a place like this?" Estressa stuttered out, "I- I'm waiting for someone..." and she finished the sentence in her own head, Someone who is willing to take the bait and then find himself being beaten up by a little girl. Of course, if anything else happened and she ended up actually getting to know someone, she would very much love to make their lives miserable by going after their weakness. "A-anyway..." she began, "I guess I'll take the beer then... Is this enough?" As she asked this, she held out five gold pieces in her hand. The man's eyes widened, and he said, "Yes, yes, that's enough, more than enough." He quickly got a dirty mug out and poured a foul looking substance in it. Clearly whatever that was had more than beer in it. However, Estressa didn't complain, instead, she kept with her role of the naive little girl. "This is beer?" she asked, as if she'd never even seen the alcoholic drink of that name. "I never imagined that it might have such a... Color as this." However, she did drink it... And it tasted just as foul as it looked. More so even. She deliberately gagged several times as she swigged it all down, though she really had no trouble with the stuff. At this point, just about everyone in the place was staring at her, as if unable to believe that someone like this was here, a naive little rich girl who also happened to be a ravishing beauty. Estressa was secretly grinning inside her head, though she managed to keep the smirk from emerging on the outside. Now, let the games begin, she thought, Who'll rise to the bait? She'd stay in here a bit longer, then leave, and see who followed. No matter how many of them did, she knew she'd be able to handle it. And even if any of them were too powerful, she could always just teleport away~ But she expected to be leaving at least one person unconscious in an alley, wondering what the hell just happened when they woke up... Assuming that they did wake up of course. She also might take them home with her for magical experiments, she did oh so enjoy those. When she went doing something like this, she might have a whim at any time that would change things. After all, no matter what happened, she'd have managed to either annoy someone, wound their pride, or just generally make them suffer, which was the whole point of all this. Well, she supposed she would see what happened~ She waited a few minutes to see if anything else would happen, though she didn't order any more drinks... The bartender was too busy staring at the gold she'd given him to even care though. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Oct 15 2009, 05:11 PM Post #2 |
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
Orl’Kabbar, a city filled with chicanery and rife with turbulence. There was no rest for the wicked in this city, one filled with nothing but the wicked, which was, perhaps, why he’d been sent here, much against his will. No, that wasn’t entirely true. His will was to recover those he’d loved and lost, no matter what it took, and he had already agreed to do anything if it meant the return of his wife and dearest friend. Serve his head on a silver platter, sell his soul to the devil? All done, signed, sealed, and delivered in a gift box wrapped with a large red bow. Had it been a foolish move on his part? Most certainly, but at this point, he no longer cared. Reason no longer guided his steps; it was his heart and his heart alone that pushed him forward now, propelled by a desperate, last-ditch effort to reclaim the unclaimable. A bar, a tavern…he didn’t know what it was he was searching for. The directions had been woefully unclear, hidden under the veil of language and wrapped in riddles in mysteries unsolvable to even his practiced mind. He’d let himself become soft, malleable, had let happiness fog his mind until every part of him that had once been highly skilled in deduction was now coated with a thick layer of dust. He chose one at random, this red-haired human with nothing to hide and nothing to lose. The elegant sword strapped to his back garnered a few speculative looks, from patrons no doubt sizing him up and debating if the weapon was proof that he wasn’t to be messed with, or merely a ploy, a clever deception. No doubt they hoped – and rather thought it was the latter – for he looked harmless enough, giving no other indication that he was anything but a soft-skinned human. He paid them no mind, determined to hold on to the mask of implacability he’d finally managed to put on. It was fragile, oh-so-fragile, but as long as he was left alone, it would hold. Sliding into a seat at the bar, he ordered a beer, eyeing the disgusting-looking liquid that was plunked before him with no end of distaste, but made no comment. Who was he to expect anything better from a place such as this? Valerian didn’t drink it though, letting it sit there and ferment before his very eyes. He didn’t need the alcohol in his system, further deteriorating an already exhausted mind and body. It was just a pretense, to make his presence here a bit more believable…unlike the woman who’d just crawled up and flashed a fistful of gold at the malicious crowd. Beautiful, young, wealthy…not his type, but yet he couldn’t help but follow the crowd and notice her, if only because she was so sadly out of place. Who the hell was she and what the hell was she doing her? Better question, how the hell was she still in one piece? Narrowed amber eyes raked over her form, trying to find any inconsistency, but found none. Either she truly was slow of mind, or a very skilled actress, holding a trick up her sleeve. “If it was brandy you wanted, you should have gone someplace else. This is no place for you” An upper-class accent, in a tone that was flat and emotionless. He didn’t care what it was she did, but if she was in any way the person she was playing at being, then he didn’t want her suffering. He’d had enough of suffering; he didn’t know if he could take any more. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Oct 15 2009, 10:34 PM Post #3 |
|
Estressa had been glancing around randomly at things in the bar appearing as if her attention could be drawn to every little thing randomly. As the man sat next to her, she seemed to be lost in her reflection in the glass the beer had been in- Or rather, appeared to be utterly stumped at how her reflection wasn't showing in the glass, much as if she'd never seen glass that wasn't so clean it could give a perfect reflection. She had a curious expression on her face as she looked at the man who was speaking to her. When he was done speaking, she replied, "I was told to come here by a friend. He sent me a letter saying to come here, he needed me to help with something. I don't know what he could have wanted me to do..." Suddenly, she looked around, as if only just realizing where she was. There was a look of fear in her eyes (she was a very good actor) and she suddenly said, "Come to think of it, he said not to wait if he wasn't already here... I should go." She suddenly got up and ran out the door, a few pieces of gold dropping on the ground as she ran. A few steps later, she turned around, and appeared to be debating whether to pick it up. She then said out loud, "Oh, I'll just leave it, it's nothing." before turning around and resuming heading out. However, the amount of money that was "nothing" to her was likely more than most of those thugs had seen in their lives. She knew this well, which was why she had put her gold back where some of it was likely to drop. She saw several already getting up as she turned around to get up again, and she smirked where no one could see. Just as planned. she thought, as she ran into an alley- known to be a dead end- that was visible from inside the bar with the door open. She reached the end and pretended to be confused, "I could have sworn this was how I got here. Oh well~" Suddenly, a voice from behind her said, "Ha, even if you came from here, you're not going anywhere else alone girlie!" Estressa turned around, a smile more innocent than any anyone was likely to have ever seen on her face. "Oh," she said as she saw five men with hungry grins on their faces coming toward her, "Does that mean you're planning on escorting me home? Thank you so much sir!" Estressa was fighting to keep from bursting out laughing, even as experienced with this kind of thing as she was. She knew exactly how to play the part of the vapid, naive spoiled noble, as well as just about any other part you might be able to think of. And clearly, these men were rising to the bait, as a different one from that who had first spoken, chuckled, "You may be going home, but not to yours." Estressa looked confused, as she asked, "What do you mean? Why wouldn't I be going home?" A third man laughed, "You'll see. Just give us all your money, and we'll give you a night of pleasure like you've never known." Estressa then took out her bag of gold, saying "Pleasure I've never known? That sounds nice. I have plenty more money at home, so this isn't a big deal~" All of their eyes widened, clearly not have expecting it to be this easy. Estressa retained the innocent look on her girlish face, as she noticed the lust and greed in the eyes of the thugs, and concentrated on a nearby rooftop that she saw from where she was at. One that looked as if it wouldn't be crumbling underneath her of course. In the darkness of the alleyway, no one would notice as more darkness crept up from underneath her... Of course, they would notice when she suddenly disappeared three seconds later before reappearing on a rooftop right after that. And nor would these thugs see if anyone was behind them... Estressa wouldn't either, but it would hardly matter. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Oct 17 2009, 04:19 PM Post #4 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
She heeded his warning, much to his surprise. Alarm skittered across her face and her voice stuttered, perhaps with the realization that she was somewhere she ought not to be. So she fled, leaving behind a trail of glittering yellow pieces which she deigned to pick up. They gleamed in the light, drawing the attention of all patrons in the tavern, filling eyes with lust and green and menace, and a whole host of other emotions, none of them pleasant. Valerian remained seated, flickers of emotion dancing across his face, as he tried to puzzle out the words of the woman who'd just left. Coincidence that they'd been both sent by 'friends,' neither of which seemed to have their best interests at heart? Maybe, if the words she'd said were true. Even if they'd been petty falsehoods, she'd chosen them well each one piercing into the battered remains of his heart, and viciously tearing twisting before withdrawing. Behind him, he heard, rather than saw the exit of some of his fellow patrons out the door, no doubt in pursuit of the girl who'd just left, the one with looks and wealth, two things cherished by all within. No doubt they would rob her then rape her - or perhaps in the reverse order - and then leave her body lying in the streets, or perhaps dump it into a sewage filled river nearby if they wished to escape detection. Either it, it would not be a pretty end for a pretty girl. And it shouldn't have bothered him at all. Except. It would be his fault, in a way, if anything happened to her. Not because he had been the one to commit the sins against her, but rather because he had failed to lift a hand up in her defense. It shouldn't have bothered him - such a thing usually didn't - but he was cracking underneath the weight of guilt, and having this added to his conscience. A silent snarl came from his lips. Why the hell was he even worrying about it all? Just dismiss it from your mind. If he didn't think about it, or didn't think it general, it would all go away. That was all he really wanted. Peace. Quiet. A clear conscience. Pity he wouldn't receive those any time soon. The seconds ticked by, each one pressing down more and more against his shoulders, leaden weights. Scenes ran though his head of what might happen, what probably was happening, flashing by and increasing in rapidity until he finally pushed away from the bar, and stalked towards the door. His exit was unnoticed, just one more leaving after a massive group had already left. Following them, something not hard to do considering their size and volume, he found them skulking about and surrounding the girl. "Just leave her alone." His tone was still flat, but in his words was the merest hint of a challenge, directed towards the world at large. It was far from the wisest thing to say for a man in his situation, one who was clearly outnumbered, but he had faced death so many times he no longer cared. Let them bring it. He would take them all and die trying. ((Bleh. >< Sorry it fails.)) |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Oct 17 2009, 07:38 PM Post #5 |
|
"Just leave her alone." Oh? This was interesting. She recognized that voice, it belonged to the man who had sat down next to her earlier. So, he'd come to help her? This should be interesting~ The men who had been advancing on her all turned around as they heard the voice, not even seeing as Estressa disappeared... Neither would the man on the other side with the others blocking his view. Estressa reappeared on a nearby rooftop, though none of the thugs noticed, and she heard one of the men speak as she got into a better position to attack from. "And why exactly would you care about this girl? What, is she your girlfriend or something?" At this point, Estressa was in the perfect position to attack from. She took her staff out and jumped down without making a sound, right behind the man who had just spoken, who happened to be in the back of the group where no one would see him die. As she did so, she stuck her staff (crystal-first of course) right through his neck. He was dead before he could make any sound besides a slight release of air. As Estressa pulled her weapon out of the man's corpse, and set it down to the ground quickly but gently (so as not to make a sound) the thug standing closest to the one she killed was turning toward her, perhaps having heard the release of air in the first's lungs, or perhaps having felt the blood splash on him. Either way, Estressa quickly thrust her weapon toward his throat, killing him as well. This time, the kill was actually seen by someone. "Hey! This girl is attacking?!" shouted a voice, sounding startled. Estressa grinned. And so, the fight had begun~ Estressa quickly jumped back and said in a voice that somehow sounded abnormally sweet and innocent considering that she had just killed two people effortlessly and was clearly taunting the survivors, "Aww, am I playing a bit too rough for you big, strong men? |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Oct 25 2009, 12:01 PM Post #6 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
His words proved to be unnecessary. In fact, his entire presence in the alleyway was unnecessary. A humorless smile spread across his face as he realized just how thoroughly he'd been mislead by the innocent-looking girl before him, a staff in hand and flecks of blood covering the front of her clothes. Such a sadistic mind under that veil of innocence; looks were deceiving, and somehow, he'd completely failed to take that lesson to heart. The smile faded to be replaced by a bitter frown. He should have her alone, possibility of guilt or no guilt. Where had this need to become involved suddenly appear from? He was a lone man, always had been, and always would be, despite the recent opening up of his soul. He didn't involve himself in the petty affairs of others for the same reason he kept his own business to himself; people were responsible for their own actions, and no one else. Now he was paying the price for overstepping bounds he never should have crossed in the first place, and if he died...well, it would be his own damn fault. Unwilling as he was to get involved in the fracas, Valerian nonetheless pulled out his sword, letting the tip rest idly against the ground as he watched the proceedings unfold around him. No doubt he'd become one of her victims soon; after all, he'd pretty much played right into her hands. It would probably the cherry on her cake to toy with him some more before slicing him up into nice, neat little pieces. That wasn't to say that he planned to stand idly around and invite her to attack him. No, he fully planned on going down with a fight if it came to that - wasn't that what he'd been trained for after all? - but he would have preferred a different means of action, perhaps one where he might be allowed to escape with his life. To die here, unknown and lost, at the hands of a bitch simply because he'd made a careless error seemed like such a waste. "Aww, am I playing a bit too rough for you big, strong men?" A flicker of a smile across his face before it vanished, Valerian tilted his head to gaze at her. "Not at all. Simply because a few members of this party possess the intelligence of a fleck of dirt doesn't mean the rest of us do as well. But, I do believe the one thing all of us share is a desire to remain alive and breathing, so if you could just put the toy down, flounce back to whatever brothel you came from, I'm sure we would all appreciate it." Ha. What was he doing? Playing the mediator? Doubtful, if his condescending words were any indication. He should have been, god only knew, and yet he was needlessly provoking her, increasing chances of injury or even death with each passing second. Did he really want to die that badly? Maybe. He wasn't sure. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Oct 25 2009, 05:01 PM Post #7 |
|
Estressa was slightly amused at the words of the man who had come to help her, but she didn't let it show. One of the remaining thugs drew a knife and charged toward her, shouting, "You little bitch!" Estressa simply held her staff out and let him impale himself on it. She almost wondered how he'd survived in a city like this for any length of time if he was so stupid... Then again, intelligence wasn't a strong suit for that many anyway, no doubt sheer strength had been enough for the ones he typically faced. As Estressa held her staff out, she said to the man who'd drawn his sword, "Aren't you here to help? My daddy said that if I was ever threatened, to just kill all but one of the ones of my enemies. You tried to help me. These guys on the other hand~" At this point, she withdrew her staff from the corpse of the one she'd just killed, as the last two charged toward her together, both their knives drawn. Just as she had expected, they didn't have any better weapons, and nor did they seem to have any idea how to deal with such a dangerous opponent as her. A simple step to the side, and there was no chance that they could stop moving to avoid it, nor would ones such as these even think to block before their throats were slit... And that is exactly what she did to the one to the right. She stepped to the side quickly, and brought her staff forward so that the crystal cut is neck. By the time he would have stopped his charge and turned around to go after her again, he'd be dead. The particular artery she sliced was quite vital for staying alive for any amount of time at all. When it got severed, the victim would be unconscious within seconds. Or even if it was pinched to stop the blood from flowing... Estressa looked toward the last remaining thug. The idiot was still trying to attack her, and even now, tried to change his course to go toward her. Estressa then decided to have just a little more fun with this last one. She focused shadows on his eyes, blocking out the light (especially easy to do in the dim light of the alleyway) so that he had no idea what he was doing. She stood back and watched as he panicked and flailed wildly for a few moments, then shot dark energy at him until he fell unconscious. Estressa then turned toward the man with the sword, and then said in a voice that still sounded abnormally innocent, "So, you're my friend, right? Or am I gonna have to get rid of you too?" A ditzy killer who's just doing what her daddy taught her to... Estressa loved this part she was playing. Especially funny was that her current appearance, and the ditziness of the part was actually exactly like the daughter of another noble that was especially annoying. She'd find a way to put blame on that man... Or perhaps put some corpses in there as well... |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Oct 31 2009, 04:30 PM Post #8 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
She moved fast, for a woman. Or perhaps it was just the fact that, being surrounded by men, he was more aware of her agility and speed, especially in comparison to the heavy lumber of the burly men that surrounded him. In either case, only mere moments had passed before the group he'd been a part of now lay dead or dying at his feet. Amber eyes flickered across each of the collapsed bodies before lifting to meet her eyes, victorious orbs set above a coquettish smile. Was she pleased, then, to have felled so many men in so few minutes? Was it her aim to destroy him as well and thus make her collection complete? Her words had virtually suggested that to be the case, unless he deigned to allow himself to be wrapped around her little finger. Her 'friend.' More like a slave, made to submit by blackmail and low threats, rather than any real bond of loyalty. Here was the choice then. A life of torture, treated as a pet rather than as a human being...or no life at all. That last wasn't necessarily the case - death for him wasn't absolute - but after watching the brutes charge at her and meet their rather unfortunate ends, he wasn't all that sure he wanted to do the same. True, unlike the rest of them, he wouldn't be fueled by petty testosterone, but he was still mentally and physically worn out, and against an opponent who was still riding on a victorious high, he was at a decided disadvantage. Valerian shrugged, and then took a moment to inspect his nails. An act of nonchalance, and one meant to boost his own spirits rather than dent hers. "I'm sure your father was a very wise man." He looked back up at her, his face a mask of composure. "But I don't think you should listen to everything he tells you." He smiled then, faintly, and not exactly humorlessly. It was the smile of a man who knew he had few options left to him, and was determined to, if not make the best of it, then at least pretend that things would be all right. He was good at that, pretending, had spent the last few weeks pretending to be an innocent man. He could pretend, just a little bit more. Shrugging again, he sheathed his sword again, heart wilting just a touch at the sound of sliding steel. Valerian felt safer with it out (he liked the physical weight of having it out) but it would do his cause no good, and she wouldn't hesitate to kill him if she thought he posed her even a fraction of danger. "I guess I am your friend then, whatever that might entail..." ((ooc: Sorry, my writing muse is completely tapped out. ><)) |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Nov 1 2009, 05:55 PM Post #9 |
|
Estressa cocked her head as if confused, when he mentioned her "father." "But why shouldn't I listen to him?" she asked, "After all, he's always right~ And anyone who says otherwise is nothing~" She said it so that it sounded like she didn't actually realize that this man was saying that her father wasn't always right. But also so that he'd likely figure that protesting the point further would be a bad idea. And then he sheathed his sword, and agreed to be her friend. Estressa shouted out, "Yay!" with a perfect imitation of a child's glee. A very twisted child, but essentially a child from the part she was playing. Really, the girl she was imitating really was this oblivious and childish, and really likely would kill people without a thought if her dad told her to, provided that she didn't already like them. Of course, her father wouldn't do such a thing. She put her staff away, and then ran toward the man, hugging him, before taking hold of his hand and looking up at him with innocent looking eyes. She said to him, "So, what's your name? I'm Britney! I hope we can be best friends forever!" It was slightly disturbing that a girl who was clearly at least seventeen years old could possibly act this much like a six year old, but yes, the original girl did act like this... |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Nov 12 2009, 10:50 PM Post #10 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
Britney. He had to resist the urge to snort out loud. Obviously not her real name, but who was he to gainsay her? She clearly had no incentive in revealing who she really was (whoever that might have been), and no doubt even her name had been designed to fool him and lull him into a false sense of security. After all, the name itself suggested an air of vapidness, of a skull filled with nothing but dust and the occasional cobweb...in short, the person she was playing herself off to be. To her credit, her performance had been stunning enough that it'd gotten his own cynical self into trouble, but he was done now. He'd finally learned his lesson, albeit a bit too late. But, better late than never, or so they said. Valerian didn't know if he believed in that or not, but for the moment, it would have to suffice. He flinched visibly when she wrapped her arms around him, using every once of restraint he had to not pry her off immediately and throw her against the nearest wall. It wasn't that he hated touch, though he certainly was a strong believer in the concept of personal space. It was merely that her hug felt too much like a chokehold or a chain wrapped around him, a sign of her dominance rather than a token of any friendship she might have claimed. Friends. Right. His lips curled back into a self-deprecating sneer. More like pet and master. Carefully but firmly, he extricated his hand from hers, and took a few steps back, eyeing her warily in the dim light. "Don't touch me again." The words were softly spoken, but the intention was clear. He might have entered into this false companionship of his own free will, but it was reluctantly given, and if she pushed him too far, he wouldn't hesitate to dispense with it in an instant, even if it would have resulted in his demise. As for his name...real name or pseudonym, he no longer cared which he gave out. His name held no significance in this world. A nobody was he, and to this puppeteer, he was even less than that. Not even a human, but merely a tool, to use as she wished. That was all he'd ever been on this land. If he was a puppet...why not go with his real name? It was fitting enough, a name no one would ever take seriously. He'd lost count of the times he'd been mocked for his name, by strangers and family alike. There was little harm left to be done with his name. So he shrugged, his golden eyes boring into hers. "Valerian. But you may call me what you wish. As for forever..." Here, he tilted his head and smiled politely at her, spreading his hands out palms face up in an expression of uncertainty. "I doubt my soul will last that long. So sorry to disappoint." |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Nov 13 2009, 12:02 AM Post #11 |
|
After a couple of seconds, the man removed her hand from his, and said "Don't touch me again." after taking a few steps back. It was obvious to her that he wasn't buying her act... But she was pretty sure that she would be able to make him believe it. Make him trust her. Then find out how to crush him. She specialized in things like that after all~ However, to keep up her act, she'd put on the most sincere looking, confused look when he'd removed his hand from hers, and then appeared to be the embodiment of hurt innocence once he'd told her not to touch him. "But why?" she asked, "Don't you like me?" It would be extremely difficult to find any sort of menace in her tone unless he was so suspicious that it would pretty much be incredible paranoia, the kind that made people try to kill their friends in the fear that they were planning on killing them first. Then, the man introduced himself as Valerian, though also said she could call him what she wished. Then he said something about that he wasn't sure his soul would last forever. She cocked her head, a look of curiosity that was indeed genuine, though the true reasons weren't as innocent as appearances would lead to believed, "Your soul? Why wouldn't your soul last forever Val-Val?" Her eyes widened slightly, as if genuinely surprised by something that had occurred to her, "Did you... Did you sell it to a demon?!" Estressa looked like little more than an innocent, scared girl, who honestly believed the rather strange conclusion that she'd reached. And she would continue to look innocent. She was determined to make him think that she was a complete airhead, more childish than most people half her age, just a little misguided... |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Nov 18 2009, 12:38 AM Post #12 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
Suspicious by nature, and cynical by practice, it was difficult for Valerian to find any solace in the seeming naivete of her tone. Some would have called him overly paranoid, quick to latch on to the tiniest sign of inconsistency, but it was merely realism, dampened with a healthy dose of pessimism, gained after years of hostility and threats. There were people out there who wanted nothing more than his demise; it was better to be safe than sorry. And even that hadn't done him much good, had it? He was here, and Morwen and Tathren...well, they were dead, slain by his own hand. At that thought, he faltered, hands dropping a few inches in the air before he regained control and brought them back to his side. Thoughts of them would do him no good; in fact, they did quite the opposite, distracting him and making him lose composure, which really was the last thing he needed. "Did you sell it to a demon?!" He almost laughed aloud at her words, so close were they to the truth. As it was, a bitter self-deprecating smile spread across his face. Sold his soul to a demon...hell, he'd practically given it away, so eager had he been for any form of redemption. To a faceless, shapeless voice in the dark of the night, one more likely to have been conjured up by a grief-stricken mind rather than actually been in existence. "No..." His voice was light, surprisingly so considering the severity of his situation. Probably because it had hit him, yet again, that he had nothing left to lose. No matter what he did, the end result would be the same. "No, I gave it away as penance, in an attempt to cleanse my bloodstained hands." He offered her a smile, completely devoid of humor. "I don't think it worked." Here Valerian paused to watch her, a spark of curiosity filling his eyes. "And you? whatever happened to your soul? Because, I'm searching hard for it, but I can't seem to find it." |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Nov 18 2009, 12:55 AM Post #13 |
|
In truth, Estressa couldn't care less about any such thing as a soul. Such ideas were worthless to her. But when he suddenly asked her where her soul had gone, since he couldn't find it, she gave him a confused look. "My soul? Why can't you find it?" She paused for a moment, appearing to be thinking. Then, a look of realization came across her face, "Oh, that's because it's invisible! All souls are!" She looked pleased with herself, as if that was such a smart answer to arrive at. She then looked back at him, "My daddy told me that penance means making up for something you did wrong. What did you do that you needed to make up for?" Once again, genuine curiosity was in her eyes, though the innocence that came with it was merely a fabrication. And yet, she was able to show falsehoods even in her eyes, which were said to be the windows to the soul... Or perhaps, the true nature of her soul, or whatever was in its place, was falsehood itself. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Valerian | Nov 18 2009, 02:05 AM Post #14 |
|
VAL THE EMO VAMPIRE....ERR, HUMAN.
|
((reposting. *cough*)) He was almost entertained by her. Almost. If he'd been who he'd been back on Terrawin, with both mind and body whole, he would have found her entertaining, and would have done his best to engage in verbal (and maybe even physical) battle against her, trying to tease out every last detail she was trying to keep hidden. It would have been a challenge, and of the type he relished the most. But now, after dealing with so many things that had been so heavily wrapped in layers of mysteries and enigmas, he was tired of it all, and all he really wanted was a single, straightforward answer. Even if it wasn't the one he wanted, as long as it was clean and clear-cut, he didn't care. Valerian was tired of trying to unravel everything. having no one to reach to for support except himself, and to have no one to aid him in his search, a search that was quickly proving to be pointless because really, what was it that he was even looking for? Not Tathren, not Morwen - they were gone. Redemption? No chance for that now. Death? He was so easily found a search wasn't even required. What then? Valerian turned away from her slightly, head turned down to observe the bodies that still littered the area they stood in. So much death, all caused by her, and he couldn't find a single trace of guilt marring that angelic face. He'd caused death as well, but whereas her conscience brushed each deceased soul away like a fly, his sins weighed him down and filled him with guilt. Should he even bother telling her? Would she even understand? Doubtful. But that voice had told him to confess his secrets, and who better to confess to than a person who could never understand? Face emotionless, he turned back to her, blank golden eyes lifting to meet hers. "I killed my wife." |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| Estressa Malia | Nov 18 2009, 02:46 PM Post #15 |
|
After several moments, Valerian finally responded. "I killed my wife." Estressa's eyes widened, "Your wife? But... Isn't that like, more than a friend?" She appeared to be confused, as if she couldn't understand the concept, "Why would you kill her? Didn't you love her?" Estressa appeared to be too confused to think clearly, but as always, she was completely calm inside. She was, as always, curious about what the circumstances were, she enjoyed acquiring knowledge of any sort. And of course, the more she found out about him, the more she had to work with in manipulating him. After all, that was her goal... To break him. |
| Offline · Profile | "Quote" · Top^ |
| 1 user reading this topic (1 Guest and 0 Anonymous) | |
| « Previous Topic · Orl'Kabbar · Next Topic » |
