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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 15, 2015 23:43:09 GMT -5
The white-haired mage bled into the space centered in front of a large sleigh-style bed: it was the exact point in space she'd pushed the would-be adversary to her quarry. The lighting in the room was dim until she took a step forward― the track lighting responded to her movement by steadily increasing in brightness and allowing her to fully take in the contents of the room. Her room, to be precise, which was part of a fairly large, open floor plan. As Fifth District's Counselor Callixta had the means to carve out any sort of residence she wanted for herself. To be fair, her digs were modest when compared to the tastes of some of the others― the likes of Floraelia and Aeorex in particular.
The petite mage took a breath, eyes narrowing as her body turned to exit the bedroom and move out into the common room. The kitchen was checked first: if Callixta had found herself in Mr. Cooperative's position, she'd at the very least, check out the food supplies available as well as potential weapons― and that was assuming the man wasn't anything like her in terms of power scale and weapon creation. Regardless, he couldn't have left easily. Her apartment was highly secure, considering that she was the head of everything Peacekeeper: alarms on the magic-proof windows, heavily enchanted―and literally heavy― doors calibrated to work only when the right people touched them, and a full security detail lingering in Tower 55 with no other directive than to be certain suspect happenings were recorded and investigated. Callixta was just the sort of paranoid to keep her own residence in a permanent state of lockdown that only changed when she needed to enter or leave. If she found Mr. Cooperative had been highly productive while she'd gone to track down his captors and managed to see his way out Callixta was going to be one seriously crossed planar mage. . .
It was going to be highly interesting if he'd managed to walk out. No doubt it would be an intriguing exchange when he was greeted by a team of her own people.
For everyone's sake, Callixta hoped he'd contented himself with digging through her personal effects or otherwise hunkering down to wait for her to join him.
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 16, 2015 15:51:18 GMT -5
Rosencrance Viers didn’t have time to protest his sudden tumble through the inter-planer ether, but even if he had, the Arc would have held his tongue, given the impeccably soft landing his trip terminated in. Here he was, out of a combat zone and lying in a warm, comfortable bed adorned with expensive silk sheets and the noticeable scent of at least one female body who must have been its regular inhabitant. There had always been something about occupying someone else’s bed that caused an unnatural calm to come over Viers, so if his mostly-naked transporter had anticipated that he would immediately get up and rush to find an exit from his new temporary lodgings, she would find herself sorely mistaken: the Arc had half a mind to flip over and bury himself under the soft sheets and just breathe in the calming scent of the beds owner for a few minutes, but considering that the situation was still a dire one by all available metrics, the man slowly coaxed himself to his feet and decided to take a quick look around.
The room itself was cast in calming blues and greys, and as he rose Viers’ eyes adjusted enough to the soft light to realize the silk sheets he had been unintentionally-snuggling in were navy blue. Other than the bed, the room was fairly sparse – a closet adorned one wall, and the opposite wall from the bed was entirely made up of windows looking into the city of Vascxious Sigma. As he looked, Viers realized that his clothing was absolutely ruined from all the heat and explosions he had been through, and so the man took his time removing shreds and stitches of his shirt and pants as he looked out the window, piling the singed fabric in the corner as he tried to use what little knowledge he had of the city’s topography to figure out where in it he currently was. He could se the tower, but from a different angle than how he could see it from Floraelia’s roof, indicating that he was in a different district; yet, he wasn’t exactly looking at an opposite view, so Viers could guestimate that he was somewhere between fifth and third district. Not that his direct location mattered too terribly – the Arc had a hard enough time finding his way around the city when he knew exactly where he had come from; being unsure of his starting location just made it definite that he would get lost at least once while trying to find his way out.
Stripped down to his skivvies, with his darkened skin returning to its normal deep brown hue as the Arcanum he had used to reinforce it slowly went dormant from inactivity, Viers turned away from the window and instead took a gander at what he assumed was his female rescuer’s closet – the clothing, though recently cleaned, still carried the same scent as the bed, with no items that seemed to belong to anyone else in sight, especially none that would have been owned by a male partner or lover. Viers shrugged and grabbed a grey, silky robe from one corner of the racks and carefully stretched it over his large shoulders – the fabric clung much, much tighter than it would have on its intended wearer, and the breadth of Viers’ chest meant that the garment wouldn’t synch correctly, but the thing was just long enough to give the man the illusion of modesty. Despite how his transporter had inadvertently been dressed when they encountered one another, Viers knew he was dealing with a Council Member, and while his more usual tact might have been to strip down completely and hide suggestively in the woman’s sheets until she got back, the Arc knew better, and therefore at least took pains to make it look like he was trying to be remotely proper.
Adorned, however slightly, Viers left the room, stopping at the doorway to take note of the open, Spartan floorplan of the apartment. Shut off though he was, the Arc couldn’t make sense of the fact that the domicile was heavily fortified, but he felt enough of a hum on his skin from the Arcanum’s base senses to know better than to try and force his way out, especially in his condition. Instead, Viers sauntered over to the kitchen, which, luckily, was similar enough in design to Floraelia’s that he could find his way around. After some cursory searching, Viers found the chiller and the cabinet, and therefore, when Callixta found her way back into her own domicile and wandered, she would find a robed Viers leaning casually on her counter, with a glass of chilled white wine in his hand and another carefully placed on the counter next to him. The charmer that he was, even covered in soot and ash, Viers’ winning smile was radiant.
“Lovely place you have here.”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 16, 2015 18:15:45 GMT -5
Apparently Callixta did not have to search long before amber-toned eyes rested on the silk-clad form of Mr. Cooperative. One delicate brow arched as her posture visibly relaxed and both gloved hand crossed to rest on either bicep.
"I'm pleased the accommodations are to your liking. You'll be staying here a while― at least until everything settles down."
The petite mage kept her expression neutral and her gaze firmly on his.
"In the interest of settling things more quickly I need to ask you a few questions."
The shorter woman didn't move but leveled her stare― not in any attempt to intimidate, but rather to level.
"I'd rather this not be one-sided: there are things I want from you, and I expect there will be things you will want from me. The better the foundation is for any working relationship, the harder I'll work to make sure we both get what we want."
Give me a reason to trust you. . .
"Now. Who are those two and why were they attacking you?"
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 17, 2015 1:20:26 GMT -5
Rosencrance Viers never allowed a crack in his winning smile, and as his host spoke he made a point to slowly slide the second glass of chilled wine in the woman’s direction. Maybe, just maybe, she’d get the hint and take it: speaking over drinks always enhanced the mood of camaraderie, after all, and that seemed to be more or less what Callixta was currently going for, if not at least an aire of gentility.
“You won’t hear me complaining, especially if you are my new roommate. This place is a bit more my style than the one I have been staying in until recently: uncluttered space means less distractions.”
Floraelia’s place had been nearly as sparse as this new Councilor’s, but the other white-haired Council member was much more prone to throws and artwork than Callixta seemed to be. In actuality, there wasn’t much of a difference, and Viers wasn’t really more comfortable where he was – it was a leading question.
The Arc listened intently as the woman laid out her case, and as she might have expected, Viers didn’t seem to have a reason to be uncooperative. Sipping his wine as she spoke (and nudging the glass towards her again if she hadn’t yet taken it), Viers couldn’t help but see the woman’s interference as a windfall, given his situation: here was yet another Vascxious Sigma Councilor looking to establish a decent relationship with him. That made two in a week, which certainly could be considered a record, at least by Viers: now, if he could only somehow get Alpha to magically see him as a good old friend, he might have a chance at surviving for a while in the Mecca of Magical Malady. Viers wasn’t going to hold his breath for a warm reception by the Magistrate, but that didn’t mean developing favorable relations with yet another Councilor wouldn’t work to his benefit, especially when they all seemed to be so physically enticing – though, for the sake of propriety, Viers was intent on turning his insistence on physical exploration with this second Counselor to his casual innuendo, since the woman seemed all business and, therefore, might take offence.
When Callixta asked her question, Viers finally set his glass down for a moment and regarded her evenly. What to tell to make the story truthful, yet spun in the right way? No sign of his thought process flitted to his features, and as Viers began to recount his tale, his voice and mannerisms were impossible to read as anything other than exasperatedly genuine.
“The man I didn’t recognize, but the woman’s name is Es Kauvrian, and as you probably noticed, she’s a handful and a half.” Viers began his sentence with an exasperated sigh, but couldn’t help but grin almost shyly at the end of it. “I’ve met Kauvrian before – they approached me in Eight District, at the train station, along with a woman named Fureya, and tried to get me to come with them back to their leader, a Mage named Achréiøs. I wasn’t keen on the idea, so Es dropped me and that burly kid you were tossing around out of the city, where he promptly attacked me.”
At this point, Viers stopped to judge Callixta’s reaction while he took a sip of his wine, before setting it down again and continuing, gesturing with his hands to punctuate his next point.
“I’m not sure exactly what they wanted – I didn’t get that far before the thug started trying to bash my head in – but I suspect they might have been after what I was carrying: an ancient weapon, a sword, which channels power of certain types extremely effectively. I had been in the city staying with a good friend of mine, Floraelia Devinian, while I tried to make connections and get the weapon fixed, since it was broken when I discovered it.” Viers sighed again, and smiled sardonically. “Unfortunately, during the scuffle I dropped it on the ridge where Es first dropped us. And since, in my attempts to get away from mister punchy back there, I may have inadvertently triggered an avalanche, the thing is buried under several feet of snow. I doubt they’ll easily find it, but then again, I will have a hard time finding it too, putting me back to square one.”
Viers took a long sip from his wine as he weighed the impact of his words. The story was factually accurate, but slightly misleading – he would have to be careful with how he handled the next few minutes if he was going to convince this new Councilor to help him reclaim his lost property.
“So that’s my story. And my name, should you wish to know, is Rosencrance Viers: most people call me Viers, though. And you are?”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 18, 2015 10:42:13 GMT -5
Callixta stayed relaxed though her arms didn't uncross. Amber eyes flickered over the glass in his hand first and then onto the glass he pushed toward her.
Her expression didn't change.
Once he started talking the Counselor moved to stand next to the counter directly facing him and listen carefully to his exposition. That single brow was hard pressed not to rise higher and higher the more he spoke. Interestingly enough the man seemed to be leveling with her precisely as she'd asked him to. When he finally dropped the Mage's name her posture stiffened slightly. So this man knew of the Mage, at least, and wasn't willing to go with this Kauvrian or the Marru'Khyran whelp. She couldn’t say she blamed him: to have gone meant he'd end up dead or collared. It was a stroke of good fortune then that she and Søren had intervened when they did. The petite mage silently thanked the gods that she hadn't attacked him on sight. This sort of conversation might not have been possible if she had.
Callixta took the glass, internally debating the merit of disclosing to him who the 'thug' happened to be. It was about that time that Mr. Very Cooperative mentioned Floraelia Devinian. The Counselor paused with the rim of the glass halfway to her mouth before reappraising the man in front of her. To be direct, the shorter woman inspected the man from his jewel-bright violet eyes down to his bare feet and back up again. Well, this was an intriguing turn of events. Unfortunately for him Callixta glossed right over the mention of his weapon in terms of trying to find a short term solution for it but she did tuck away the information― especially that it might be the possible motivation behind Kauvrian and Syrkhan approaching him.
"When we have the location secured I'll take you back and we'll find your weapon. Once I removed you from the field both of them made a quick exit: your weapon is still buried." She'd mentioned it as an afterthought: a choice to make his priority her priority if only verbally for now― though he'd never know the difference. She was quite reassuring in her candor.
Callixta took a sip and rolled the dry-tasting liquid around her mouth for a moment, savoring the flavor before swallowing. Before replacing the glass on the counter the Counselor eyed Viers steadily.
"Callixta Trëguere, Counselor of Fifth District and Commander of Peacekeeper Operations and Logistics."
She didn't hold his stare as she gently set the glass down.
"Can you tell me anything else about Kauvrian?"
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 18, 2015 15:41:51 GMT -5
Rosencrance Viers definitely noticed Callixta giving him the once-over, and he might have made sure that he was standing up straight enough and flexing his abdominal muscles just so in order to make sure she got the best possible angles to view, but the Arc managed not to give away the fact that he noticed the Councilor’s gaze in any other way – he sipped his wine as if her attention never changed. Viers wasn’t sure why she suddenly was looking him up and down, but he knew the change in demeanor came in response to his mention of Floraelia’s name. There might have been some kind of latent contention or competition between this new woman and his white-haired former roommate, a factoid that Viers decided to tuck away for the moment, hoping it might be of later use.
When the woman gave out her name and position, Viers made sure to bow semi-formally, though his small smile was just mysterious enough that it would be difficult to tell if he was making the motion in mockery or actual awe.
Good to meet you, Callixta – that’s quite the important position you have, judging by the number of words in the title.” Viers smiled almost sheepishly, casting a tone of good-natured humor over his words rather than mockery. “I’m lucky you and your friend came when you did, and appreciate you pulling me out of that particular frying pan, and for any help you can give me in reclaiming the artifact, either now or later.”
The Arc’s speech was entirely genuine – he had lucked out by the Councilor’s timely arrival, and the more she talked, the more his situation seemed to be looking up.
“You said they left in a hurry – were you able to track where they went?”
Viers had known that Es was getting ready to retreat when he had been forcibly removed from the battlefield, so the news that she had ran didn’t come as a surprise, though it did reinforce just how powerful Callixta and her friend were turning out to be: making Kauvrian back off took a lot of strength. Viers set his own glass down as he quickly ran the angles in his own head: as long as he could both stay on these Councilor’s good sides and steer clear of the Magistrate himself, the Arc was actually safest inside the city: he knew that the Mage wouldn’t risk a direct incursion into Alpha’s territory just to get him, meaning they might lay off if he kept out of sight for a while. And, if he could get his hands on his weapon . . .
Viers finished off his wine, but winced slightly when Callixta asked her next question and set the glass down.
“Honestly? Keep your distance. Kauvrian has a knack for killing the unkillable, and once she gets you in her sights, she’ll destroy herself and everything within reach without a second’s hesitation if it means taking you out too. She might be the most stubborn person on the damn planet.”
Viers knew that the only reason Es would have retreated from the Councilors’ offensive was because she wasn’t alone – she wasn’t one to needlessly sacrifice comrades if she could help it. That said, the mission always came first – Kauvrian was very single-minded that way.
Viers shook his head in exasperation, keeping his eyes locked on Callixta’s as his smile grew slightly sardonic.
“Besides: wherever Kauvrian goes, her boss isn’t far behind. And if she’s a handful, Achréiøs fills an entire ship with trouble.”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 19, 2015 0:58:49 GMT -5
Though her expression didn’t shift one micrometer Callixta certainly didn’t miss how incredibly sculpted the man’s body was. Curious, indeed. The Counselor was under the impression Floraelia’s taste in men ran in a different direction― that she preferred men who had clear power, and an expensive palate. Men who didn’t get pulled into messes between mages. Men like Khestralicht. Perhaps she’d misread the daughter of Devinian or, more likely, her connection to Viers was more innocent than it sounded. Second District’s Counselor wasn’t well-known for taking lovers. Pity― Callixta considered Viers wasted on Floraelia if that was the case.
A small smile twisted at the petite mage’s mouth when Viers expressed his gratitude.
”Your cooperation is appreciated. I think we’ll both get what we want if this conversation is any indication. . .”
Amber met violet as she raised the glass from the counter and drained its contents in one smooth swallow.
”I was. Kauvrian’s technique in plane-walking is easy to follow, though I assume that much might be intentional. I tracked them to a small City, still in the Jiv’undus Range, but not close to Vascxious Sigma.”
She didn’t delve any further into the location and refrained from naming the City intentionally. There was still the slight possibility that Viers was a security risk and that none of this was what it seemed. She paused, setting the empty glass down onto the counter for the last time, listening to his summary of Kauvrian with a neutral expression.
Killing the unkillable, hm? Her stubbornness might rival that of Søren in that case. No wonder Achréiøs kept Kauvrian around.
When Viers offered his final remark Callixta turned to face him fully, her smile going stark and finally showing teeth.
”You say that like you’ve personal experience with the Mage.”
She watched him carefully.
”Very few people living know that name. How is it that you have come by it, Viers?”
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 19, 2015 14:15:19 GMT -5
Rosencrance Viers played a quick guessing game in his head as Callixta alluded to where Es and her male companion might have gone. Of course, there were several small towns in the Jiv’Undus region, but the only one of them that was near enough to potentially be relevant and could actually be called a city was Tamryn Holdings, the resort town.
The Arc filed the bit of information away for later use, but otherwise backed off the topic: he was beginning to get the sense that Callixta was becoming somewhat suspicious of him, and that was something that had to be dealt with before he could hope to get any more useful information from her.
The Councilor’s line of questioning honed in on the Mage, as Viers knew it eventually would – a character like Achréiøs drew attention like flame drew insects at night, and the dropping of the Mage’s name had been an intentional move by Viers. He knew that Alpha had a need to interfere with whatever it was Achréiøs was planning in the city, and therefore, the best way to make himself indispensable was to provide clues as to a potential relationship between himself and the Mage – if, importantly, a peripheral one. Viers smiled at Callixta’s insinuation, and quickly moved to gently correct her assumption – he couldn’t have the woman treading down the wrong path, after all.
“I didn’t say personal experience – the experience I’m referring to is more of the second-hand variety.”
Casually, Viers made to hop up on Callixta’s countertop and take a seat, as if he were settling in to tell a thrilling tale around a campfire. After making sure his modesty was covered (but still hinted at) by repositioning himself, the Arc’s violet eyes met with Callixta’s and he carefully launched into his story.
“I came by the name through a man named Calar, who recruited me to help him with a job some many, many years back. I was something of a military wannabe – I had done some time in small outfits, had some innate supernatural ability, and was currently taking odd tactical jobs as I could find them. Cal was looking for something: an artifact of some kind, I never found out exactly what. He asked me to help take it from some military installation.” Viers shook his head, clearly recounting the time in his mind as he told the story.
“Things did not go as planned, and Cal called in Kauvrian to help seal the deal. Which she did – very effectively.”
The story, in a way, was true – though the specifics of the time and place were carefully fudged so as to seem more disconnected than they actually were. Viers smiled sadly as he hit the apex of his tale, recounting the carefully-crafted emotional tone of the story’s ending arc.
“I was pretty taken with Es, though the feeling was definitely not mutual. I stuck around for a while anyway, and did some odd jobs with both Kauvrian and Calar before going my own way. It turns out that both Cal and Es had worked for this Mage, Achréiøs, and Kauvrian indicated that she still did things for him sometimes, though they had both gone their own way some time long before that. I listened enough to get a sense of the guy, and from then on, listened out for stories involving anyone I thought might be him, just to steer clear enough to stay out of trouble. I managed to collect some good information on him, and was, after a while, able to track his movements well enough to keep my distance.”
“So, when Kauvrian came at me all menacing-like and indicated she wanted to take me back to Achréiøs, I made it clear that I wasn’t interested in getting involved. And that’s when she moved me, I was attacked, and then you showed up.”
Viers gestured to Callixta with a strong, grateful smile as he indicated the woman’s part in the story.
“Which I’m very grateful for, by the way.”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 20, 2015 11:25:54 GMT -5
Callixta wasn't taken aback by the man's motion to jump up and make himself comfortable on her countertop. In fact, her only response was to maintain eye contact as he situated himself regardless of where his gaze rested. His story was met with a slight change of expression: the Counselor appeared to consider his words as a slight furrow bent her brow.
It seemed like Viers had made himself useful at some point and the Mage remembered. The fact that Kauvrian and Syrkhan had been sent to fetch the man cemented the half-formed idea Callixta entertained that the Mage might be collecting. It was a theory she'd had rolling around in the back of her mind from when they'd initially received intel that Syrkhan had been recruited by Achréiøs. She had the feeling Alpha was already on the same wavelength, but now they truly had the proof needed to make it clear the Mage was gathering power and, somehow, Vascxious Sigma was his chosen focus.
Callixta gave the man another once-over though this time her expression was more thoughtful than anything else.
Viers was apparently valuable enough to the Mage that he would risk other assets― clearly not Fureya, but that was a tangent she wasn't exploring yet― in order to retrieve him. That they were willing to use force to subdue him was a more intense strategy than she would think necessary, but it was also the Mage involved: that man suffered no waste of time or energy when there was something he was after. Whatever she saw when she looked at Viers didn't matter as much as what Achréiøs considered Viers to be. Until further notice, she would work to keep Viers cooperative and out of the Mage's hands.
"What could Achréiøs offer you to change your mind on becoming involved?"
The woman pulled no punches. If Viers could be coaxed to join the Mage she wanted to know how so she could counter-offer and prevent it. She would get to his ability to track the Mage in a minute. This needed to be settled first.
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 20, 2015 13:51:16 GMT -5
Rosencrance Viers laughed pleasantly at Callixta’s question, choosing to hop back off the counter and face her directly as he answered off-the-cuff, clearly in jest.
“Besides a guaranteed turn at Es in the bedroom, I have no idea.”
The question was one that Viers honestly hadn’t considered in earnest. The Arc had been so preoccupied with making sure he had enough power to dictate his own terms when he encountered Achréiøs that he hadn’t even cemented what those terms might have been. Power, naturally, seemed the easy answer, but Viers wasn’t driven by raw strength the way he used to be. Naturally, the offer from Achréiøs would likely include some manner of instruction in refinement or advancement of his own abilities, since the Mage would take one look at Viers and call him ‘stagnant’ and ‘an idiot.’ But the Arc knew the price for Achréiøs’ help – more servitude, in one way or another, and the Arc wasn’t keen on being back under the Mage’s thumb if he could avoid it.
So that left what exactly? What did Rosencrance Viers actually want that Achréiøs could deliver? Or, more appropriate to the situation, what did he want that anyone could give him? Callixta obviously wanted an answer, and though the likelihood of Viers having one to offer that was truly honest was small, there was something that was a major priority that the Arc could use as a bartering point.
Viers focused Callixta in a more serious stare, lowering his vocal tone to his more customary level that was, usually, abandoned in the presence of those he was looking to charm. The change wasn’t overwrought or particularly dramatic, but it did lend the Arc a level of seriousness that denoted his ‘leveling’ with Callixta was continuing in earnest.
“I’m pretty simple – I like security, intrigue, and people, none of which are things that he can really offer me. But right now, what I want most is to have the artifact back in my possession and repaired, if at all possible.”
Reaching for the door to the cooling unit, Viers reproduced the bottle of wine and carefully poured himself another glass before gesturing with the items glass neck in Callixta’s direction.
“More?”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 21, 2015 0:16:30 GMT -5
One brow twitched upward before Callixta could control her reaction, but whatever she thought or felt about his immediate response wouldn't be clear. She hadn't really stopped watching him carefully, but now her efforts were redoubled. It was interesting, if nothing else, that his first response when asked― however indirectly― what it was that he wanted for himself was a deflection. There were only a handful of reasons for that as the petite mage saw it. Either the man had no idea what he actually wanted or, more likely, he knew precisely what he was about but was wary of sharing his actual objective with a Counselor. The reason for that could have been any number of things: it could be as simple as "it's personal" and he simply didn't want to expose himself unnecessarily, or it could have been much more complicated and he was unwilling to involve the Tower in his affairs for fear that his course might be interrupted or worse. Whatever the case, when Viers spoke more seriously Callixta leaned in, meeting his gaze thoughtfully and with focus. The man surely wouldn't get the impression that her mind was on anything but him.
His answer was reasonable, and very likely true if not entirely generalized. She was going to have to be very careful with this one. There was no indication that the man was blatantly lying to her but she would be daft not to pick up on how generalized most of his information was. In fact, what was most specific had to do with the Mage, and it had grabbed her attention spectacularly. It made sense, really, when she considered it. Kauvrian and Syrkhan had been sent to retrieve Viers for Achréiøs: it would be top of mind for him. She still struggled to understand the context Viers understood the Mage to be in. Was he aware of how elusive the red-haired figured was? Did he realize how ancient of a creature it was that pursued him? Or did he just think the Mage to be a powerful shadow to avoid with no realization of the true scope? At any rate, if she took the more "serious" answer to be the true one and accepted the general concepts at face value then she had nothing to worry about: the Tower could offer all those things and more.
Callixta smiled.
"Then I will make sure not to return without it. Can you tell me anything more about it to make the search easier? How large is it? What's it made of?"
Her head tilted just so and she slid the empty glass toward him before continuing.
"When I return it to your hand I hope you'll consider it a token of my appreciation."
The Counselor subtly looked him over, allowing herself to wonder momentarily what the man might consider intrigue.
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Dec 21, 2015 9:20:53 GMT -5
Viers watched Callixta’s reaction carefully, though from her perspective he would have appeared to be relaxing at her response, not examining her for cues of suspicion or disingenuousness. The woman seemed to be taking him at face value, which boded well: with her on his side, he could potentially achieve his objectives much, much faster, and have the added bonus of steering clear of the Mage, at least for the time being. To do so, however, he was flying troublingly close to Alpha’s sun again – he could only hope to stay in its shadow for as long as possible. Viers took a quick drink of his newly poured drink before grabbing the bottle to pour Callixta another glass.
Here’s to hoping.
After handing her glass back, newly refreshed, Viers raised his own in order to meet the Councilor’s for a quick, musical clink! of meeting.
“Then let’s hope my appreciation in return can be as valuable. Cheers.”
The violet eyes of the Arc filled with the man’s easy smile, but they never ceased to be sharp as he watched the woman. Taking a long sip of the fruity drink, Viers quickly got down to describing his weapon.
“I had it wrapped in a white cloth, which will make it harder to find in the snow. Rather than where you and your friend found us, it should be on the cliff above – I dropped it before I fell. It’s a darksteel sword with a white crystal core – the crystal is the part that’s broken. It’s a short blade – about 32” long. It’ll be hard to miss, unless the wrapping is blending in with the snow.”
Viers took another long, careful sip of his wine before putting the glass down entirely.
“So, what should I do here in the meantime?”
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Dec 24, 2015 19:35:43 GMT -5
Callixta held up her refreshed glass in time to allow it to clink musically against Viers' own and took a long sip of wine― as was appropriate during a toast. When she swallowed she set the glass down and pushed it away for the last time. As soon as she got a description from him she needed to leave. She'd tracked Kauvrian much more quickly than she'd anticipated but if she lingered here any longer they'd be losing out on their window of opportunity.
As he spoke the petite mage committed the important details to memory and straightened her posture, offering Viers a sidelong look before stepping back.
"Relax. Recover. I'd advise against trying to leave. I don't want you brought to the Tower just yet. You're welcome to sleep in my bed. I don't keep a guest room." The last remark was spoken absently: Callixta was already thinking ahead to what needed to be done.
"Unless the situation becomes terribly complicated I doubt I'll be gone long. There's food, and a terminal you can access if you get bored." ]
Without so much as a fare thee well Callixta melted back into nothingness as silently as she'd come.
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Post by Rosencrance Viers on Jul 9, 2017 7:33:45 GMT -5
{ Some time later . . . }
Rosencrance Viers certainly hadn't taken much time to settle in after his new host had left the apartment. He had made a small meal first, with some kind of meat and a pasta-like dish, both from the cooling unit, that he had heated together in a pan and eaten with a bit more of that wine he had been drinking earlier. He cleaned up after himself once he had, and then proceeded to snoop through Callixta's bedroom for quite some time - both because he was curious, and to try and gain a better understanding of the person he would now apparently be rooming with for a while.
Unfortunately, his hosts belongings didn't tell Viers much more than he already knew. The woman's things were sparse and primarily non-personal. The one thing Viers did notice was the sheer amount of clothing, and he briefly thought that Callixta kept enough clothes stocked to easily handle two people rather than one - yet, clearly she was the only one who lived in the apartment, so Viers just wrote it off as a need for variety. Otherwise, nothing he found was useful in gaining further insight into Callixta's history or motives. Oh well - he would have to find out the old-fashioned way.
As for himself, Viers kept the robe that he found on, and supplemented his attempts at modest by putting on the most masculine pair of underwear her could find in the drawer - it was black, and covered the majority of his ass, so he could forgive the lace for the time being. Starting into a second bottle of wine, the Arc then set himself up at the terminal Callixta had mentioned and started scrolling through what he could access. Media, mostly - press reports, interest stories, and the like. Viers did find a few evocative and well-written articles by some journalist named Slade Bronden, and made a point to remember the name for future reading. None of it really told the man anything new, save that a tourism guide gave him a few new spots he could check out around town for some fun . . . If he was ever able to leave hiding.
Finally, when Viers got bored enough, he would lay down and try and get some sleep. Likely, that's where Callixta would find him - face down, splayed out across her bed, the robe on the floor, and his bare back and clothed bottom peeking up past the covers. If she was concerned at all for him being a potential roommate, while he may have been a blanket-hog, Callixta could certainly note that he didn't seem to snore.
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Post by Callixta Trëguere on Jul 9, 2017 20:48:22 GMT -5
Callixta Trëguere was still processing just what had happened in Tamryn Manor as well as how narrowly they'd escaped retribution for their apparent failure thus far. The familiarity of her kitchen was somewhat comforting and the mage braced herself for another interaction with her cooperative, but definitely detained, guest. The cleaned pots and utensils drew her eye as she calmly moved through her living quarters, amber eyes sweeping this way and that in search of her temporary roommate. It didn't take her long to find him occupying her bed― facedown and ass up, no less.
The Councilor crossed her arms, considering her next move. She could absolutely wake him up or she could go relax. Maybe draw a bath or something and run every alternate scenario that could have possibly happened through her mind. What was it that had fucked with them today?
"Viers? Callixta spoke in a low tone, not wishing to alarm the man. Truth be told she might have hoped he'd continue to sleep through the sound of his name. Maybe she would go draw that bath after all.
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