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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 10, 2017 15:23:25 GMT -5
Keretheriel said nothing when Søren began to extrapolate on what she'd said. The Councilor wasn't wrong, of course. The Siren hadn't yet decided just how open she was going to be about anything, but she certainly was already feeling a certain level of kinship with the other woman. They spoke the same languages, differing accents aside.
"I don't prefer to assume I know what anyone could be thinking, especially so early in a first meeting." The Siren watched the Councilor, the tone of her smirk dampening to a mildly more serious expression. "To make assumptions of you would not be in either of our best interests, yes?" No, Keretheriel had done nothing to diminish her accent: it was one of the few defining features she'd had the entirety of her life and she had little interest in altering it. What that said about her was anyone's guess.
The Siren felt the vehicle slow and waited calmly for the Councilor to exit, her smirk returning as she moved to take the other woman's hand. Thus far Kereth had yet to see what it was about Søren that had earned her reputation. With that being said the vixen resolved not to offer her a reason to make good on that which had been said of her. The smirk hovering on her mouth shifted to a fully formed grin when Søren led the way into this Judicial Affair. The name was catchy, and she'd noticed the Tower was in full view of the establishment when they'd stepped out.
Discretion was certainly a must in here, wasn't it? While the lobby they'd been in had been practically deserted it was clear that those within these walls had no concept of it being time to sleep. There was music pervading the area immediately upon entry. It wasn't overbearing or distracting, just pleasant and accompanied by female voices. There were people everywhere from what the Siren could see and they were some of the most beautiful and striking people she'd seen in one place since she'd surfaced in the world again. Everything was dimly lit and when Kereth looked closer she noticed the sometimes exclusively extravagant states of dress― or undress― everyone wore. There were men, women, and people she could not categorize as either. The atmosphere here was intimate and clearly dedicated to provoking and fulfilling all manner of desires.
Eyeing Søren sidelong she followed wherever she led.
"This place is incredible. The mood here is much more fitting, I think."
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 10, 2017 19:47:11 GMT -5
Søren watched the transition on Keretheriel's facial expressions closely as they entered the Affair, and was pleased to see that her companion, apparently for the remainder of the evening, by her own estimation, was suitably impressed by the locale. The Councilor herself had been to the Affair hundreds of times during her time in Vascxious Sigma, and yet she always seemed to find something new to see or experience.
"I'm something of a regular. The owner, a redhead named Grey Haze, is something of a close friend."
Søren would take Kereth's hand and lead her past the entrance, into the main floor, where they would stop, in view of both the bar and the stage area, which had an intricate, if low-key, performance taking place at the moment. The Councilor knew that someone would be over to greet them shortly, and she wanted to give her evening guest a chance to take in the main floor before they were whisked up to the VIP area.
Søren looked Keretheriel right in the eye and grinned, letting go of her hand.
"I don't know how long you've been here in the city, but if you've found yourself unable to pick up any sly and have a need, this is a good place to take care of it. Assuming I'm not able to be convinced, anyway."
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Grey Haze
Initiated
Posts: 10
Title: Owner and Entertainer at A Judicial Affair
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Post by Grey Haze on Jul 10, 2017 22:04:20 GMT -5
Grey Haze was leaning against the marble counter of the primary bar down on the first floor access of the main Lounge of the Affair. While the current performance was running the Songstress kept her deep blue eyes moving over the crowds, taking note of the ebb and flow and the comings and goings. Tonight was one that was slower and steadier than usual. While there was still a bit of a line outside to get into the Affair the energy seemed less frenetic than it could be, more languid. The patrons tonight seemed to want to luxuriate in the curated experience her establishment offered. Lips stained in red kept a near-permanent curve: the expression was more aloof rather than inviting. Grey was the Master of her Domain here and while she looked particularly tempting in the glittering gown that hugged all the right places this was a woman that was not on the Affair's menu.
After a few minutes one of her hosts― a lanky, olive-skinned man with dark hair and green eyes almost bright enough to glow in the dim lighting― stepped close to lean and whisper in her ear for a moment. Grey's expression flickered and she nodded once, making a gesture toward the upstairs with a gloved hand before leaning in close again.
"Send Brenna."
The host swept a short bow and sashayed away.
Very shortly after the Councilor and her companion stopped in on the main floor they'd be approached a tall woman clad only in metallic gold painted to accent her very dark skin and very fit form. The hostess had hair the color of sand and eyes that were a deep honey.
"Councilor Søren. Your Ladyship," she said, and clearly the smoothness of her voice matched the honey in her eyes, acknowledging both women as she approached, her body poised to display all her best angles for their viewing.
"Ms. Haze welcomes you both, and you especially, Councilor. If you'll follow me?" Brenna made a sweeping motion with one of her arms and moved to lead the two women toward one of the many stairwells― a route Søren would be highly familiar with― and up into the box reserved specifically for her. The door was opened and the partition moved to reveal a spacious and especially plush seating area. Off to one side was a fully stocked bar as well as opaque bottles on ice complete with matching glasses and tumblers. The back of the room had a very large curtain draping from ceiling to floor. Brenna paused, waiting for the women to enter before speaking again.
"What sort of entertainment would you prefer for the night, Councilor? Shall we draw the curtain for the stage or would you prefer if I sent for some of your regulars for a more private performance?"
Brenna waited, her expression attentive.
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Senne de'Lilinnis Vagaria
Uninitiated
Posts: 2
Quote: "It's pronounced 'Sin' - like the thing you are inspired to do by watching her dance."
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Post by Senne de'Lilinnis Vagaria on Jul 10, 2017 22:14:44 GMT -5
The performance on the primary stage was low-key and slow this late in the evening, but that in no way meant that it lacked visual intrigue or delight. A trio of three performers danced and moved from suspended black silks, creating a slow, methodical tapestry of bodies and fabric in deliberate motion.
Senne, the palest of the group, her deep, violet-toned crimson hair cascading around her shoulders as she moved, wasn't the highlight for this act, and so she kept herself to the right-hand side of the stage, carefully crawling through the hanging silks, her body near five feet off the ground and occasionally dropping her feet down so he could act as a lift or anchor for the other two performers. One was Charlenne, a dark-skinned beauty with piercing green eyes and an athletic frame: she ung herself much higher, nearly fifteen feet above the stage, her body slowly twirling upside down as she descended like an elegant spider on a web, only for Senne to catch her, seemingly with only one hand, and toss her back up to wrap and twist high in the air. The third performer was Jericho, a lithe young male figure who flitted around Charlenne like a pixie round its master, swinging and swirling, using his body to draw accent to the central figure's slow, methodical, languishingly-entrancing feats of strength.
Each of the performers, from a distance, might have been thought to be unclothed, but it would be near impossible to tell just how much so - the way the wide black silks wrapped around their bodies like tendrils of smoke, contrasting and blending with their skin as they moved, created a tapestry of shapes and movement that could not always be easily sorted into individual people or their physical characteristics.
A nearby stage provided the light musical backdrop for the piece - a small-statured figure, their gender indeterminate, clothed in a long black, shimmering skirt and a grey top, sang softly into a microphone, their words indistinguishable from individual melodies, their careful, light, twinkling voice weaving around the performers every bit as completely as the silks. From the seats below and above, many watched in awe, though at the hour most of the seats still sat empty The bar was half-full, however, and many a pair of eyes would drift from their refilled drink of choice to the stage, just to catch another glimpse of the lovely bodies dancing across it. The same might have been true of the private boxes, but it was difficult to tell.
As she bent backwards, using one leg to help hold dear Charlenne suspended in a spinning maneuver, Senne caught sight of the newest arrival. The women, or at least one of them, looked vaguely familiar to Senne, but she couldn't place her until Brenna came up and greeted them. It must have been the Councilor - still, she looked somewhat different.
The performer caught another glimpse after she had righted herself and extended her legs into a midair split, held aloft by one hand on a silk. They were already going up to the private box reserved for the Councilor. Briefly, Senne wondered just what it was like for those who wait on city royalty: she herself was never one of them, despite numerous asks from patrons. From afar, Senne was a magical creature - but close up, it became much, much harder for the woman to hide her true nature, even deep in the darkness. She stuck to the stage.
That said, her maneuvers led Senne to crawl to the stage edge and beckon and bait patrons from now to then, keeping them allured, engaged, and interested. It mattered little that they certainly would not enjoy the full recourse of being allowed to follow through on their desires for her.
At least, they wouldn't enjoy it for long.
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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 11, 2017 14:13:11 GMT -5
Keretheriel followed Søren easily and used her free hand to take hold of some of the heavy silks of her gown. At the Councilor's mention of Grey Haze, Kereth's lips parted and her expression became bemused. The same Grey Haze the drink she'd ordered had been named for, for herself and Tahliya at the 100th Balcony? My, my what an interesting turn of events. Clearly Vascxious Sigma's Councilors had all sorts of access and proximity to all the interesting things happening in the City. Perhaps the Siren would even be able to get a good, long look at the woman who had earned the moniker Temptress and decide for herself whether or not her charm held up under scrutiny.
A Judicial Affair was a catchy name, certainly, and Kereth did vaguely recall that the Tower could be seen from the entrance to the establishment. The Siren idly wondered what District they were in as the feel of the performance on the main stage began to draw her in. To call this place a brothel or a Tavern was to wholly misrepresent what the Affair was she was realizing. Everything was so deliberately curated to provoke all of the senses and the vixen couldn't rightly recall a time in her life when she'd seen such a wide array of people in one place. Sex was an industry that was successful no matter if it was located on the outskirts of civilization or in the heart of a thriving metropolis, but the Affair seemed to challenge the idea that it must be base or crude. The dancers on the stage were utterly mesmerizing in the way the lights waxed and waned over the contours of their forms. The energy here was alluring and though the sheer amount of stimulus could inspire a freneticism that could easily spiral out of control somehow Kereth knew it wouldn’t cross over that edge. Not without a push. . . Even as she stared those positively glacial irises began to take on a fevered brightness and perhaps Søren would detect a mild increase in the ripple she'd taken note of earlier.
Kereth returned her focus with little difficult to the Councilor when she spoke, her words encouraging that smirk to return in full force to lips that were suddenly much more luscious. Perhaps it was only the lighting in the Affair that caused it but Keretheriel seemed more alive the longer they were here.
When the woman in gold approached those ethereally pale eyes raked over her form as if every curve and plane could be felt on sight alone. The Siren had no plans tonight to question her choice in allies. Of all the Councilors and despite Søren's threatened status on the Council― perhaps even because of it― Kereth intuitively understood that this woman, with her transparent and unabashed tastes, would not only prove to be the most useful co-conspirator if she could offer any pertinent information, but she would also be by and far the most fun.
Kereth didn't need to be convinced to follow them both upstairs and she certainly didn't hesitate to slide herself into a seat, dropping smoothly to take in her surroundings. . .
"My, you certainly know the way to a woman's heart, Søren. . ."
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 11, 2017 19:29:05 GMT -5
Søren smirked when she saw Brenna approach. It was apparently well known at the Affair who the Councilor's favorites were, and the lovely, tall, athletic Brenna had come to wait on Søren when she visited more and more over time. She was a purveyor of all kinds of delectable services, and was always very accommodating with Søren's specific needs.
"Lovely to see you again, Brenna. I hope Grey hasn't been keeping you too busy."
Søren kept a close eye on Keretheriel through the interaction, and most definitely caught the woman caressing the lovely Brenna with her eyes. As she moved to follow the host up the stairs toward Søren's normal accommodations, the Councilor turned over her shoulder and tossed a quick note back in Kereth's direction.
"Grey will likely stop by later. She's an attentive woman whenever I come in. " Then Søren spoke more loudly, and forward, directing her words towards Brenna, who would have undoubtedly overheard her aside. "Not that this lovely creature doesn't always take excellent care of me herself."
Søren would wait, at the top of the stairs, to let Keretheriel take her seat. Søren would take the seat opposite, situating herself carefully by crossing one leg over the other and leaning back into the plush cushion. From where they were, the could still very easily see the stage, though Søren knew from experience that they were high enough that it would be nearly impossible for other patrons to see into the space, primarily due to the angle it erupted from the side wall. Once she was adequately settled, Søren would finally answer Brenna's question.
"Nothing private for now, thanks. Let's leave it so we can see the stage while my new friend and I talk business, and then we can see what we are in the mood for when we are done. I will take one of my special bottles, though - I feel it's an appropriate occasion."
The bottles Søren was referring to was a special case of Azalethian Knight Nectar the Councilor had reclaimed from a particularly persistent smuggler several months prior. Each bottle was extremely valuable, as it was an old, semi-magical mixture that both generated a mild euphoria and was saturated with enough magical energy to recharge most mages extremely effectively. Plus,. It's deep, smooth purple and silver colors and thicker consistency made it an extremely pleasant drink.
"Also, don't go far dear."
While Brenna went to get the drink Søren had requested, she sat more upright and placed her hands over her knee, fixing Keretheriel in her burning red gaze. The woman's expression elicited a smile from the Guardian, but a somewhat dry one.
"It's a good sign that you say that, since I really didn't consider your feelings when picking the place. I know the way to my own heart - that you seem to have similar enough tastes to mine to enjoy it means that we just might get along - assuming you don't get it in your head to try and fuck me over later."
Søren shot a glance down to the stage as she finished speaking - the performers weren't ones she was heavily familiar with, though she was pretty sure she had seen the redhead perform several times before. She had a grace to her that was always just a little starling: it made Søren interested in her, but not enough to request her specifically. Grey seemed to curate the experience well enough that Søren had never found herself hankering to get to know any particular person she had seen outside of those Grey made available.
The Councilor focused back in on Kereth.
"So, my question from earlier is this - considering you clearly know Alpha from before, what kind of a deal did you strike with him? What did he give you?"
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Grey Haze
Initiated
Posts: 10
Title: Owner and Entertainer at A Judicial Affair
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Post by Grey Haze on Jul 11, 2017 20:19:43 GMT -5
Brenna offered the Councilor a smile that reached her eyes but otherwise didn't respond. The hosts knew how to fade into the background when their patrons had guests. Until, that was, Søren directed an aside at her.
"It's always a pleasure, Councilor. The feeling is mutual."
When the two women settled and the intent for now was laid out Brenna moved toward the back of the private room and released the catch holding the heavy curtain in place. Quickly and with a little dramatic flair the drape fell back to reveal a direct view of the main stage and the dancers still occupying it. At the Councilor's request that one of her bottles be procured Brenna stepped over to the bar and, upon reaching down for the clasp that kept the bottom cabinet together, showed off the storage within. The next cabinet over contained a cooling unit that, as always, they were welcome to explore. Brenna grasped one of the "special" bottles and set it down on the marble surface, closing the cabinet door and reaching to procure an appropriate glass. A soft, pressurized sound of the bottle opening and the hostess was already pouring the drink for the Councilor.
"Here you are, Councilor. I'll not be far."
She took the time to wink cheekily at the dark-haired woman, certainly polished enough not to mention how the Councilor had changed. Word around the Affair was that Søren might be a Shifter, and that was fine with her. Prying got one fired here, and sometimes much worse. . .
Brenna offered the two women a mock curtsy that was just this side of intentional so as not to be offensive.
"Enjoy yourselves, ladies."
Downstairs Grey Haze shifted her hips, taking a long sip from the tall glass of clear liquid sitting next to her. Before long Brenna materialized to offer a quick, "Looks like business. They might need a moment to settle first." A quick smile and then the hostess scooted off to return to her table.
Grey flashed an easy smirk in the direction of Brenna's retreating form, admiring the curve of that one's backside. She really was an excellent hire. One of Grey's better judgement calls. . .
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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 11, 2017 20:53:20 GMT -5
Keretheriel took her admission at face value and agreed with her. It was infinitely better that their interests were aligned naturally rather than being forced to. Her last sentence would have provoked a wince had the vixen been more of an open book. Fucking people over hadn't been her calling card until she did it one time and now it's managed to define the last two or three centuries of her life. Unfortunately, there was no help for that at the moment. Goddess be damned. The Siren remained focused on the Councilor as the drink was poured and found that she was not moved to imbibe: the scenery was intoxicating in its own way.
The smirk adorning her mouth like a permanent fixture simmered down somewhat and Kereth clearly considered her answer before speaking. It struck her then that the noise level up here was almost magically subdued.
"Saying that I know Alpha isn't quite correct. I have dealt with him, yes. Once. He is why I have long life, perhaps even immortality. What I had naturally he amplified and helped me escape a situation where I had no power and no voice. I will be direct, if I may: Alpha gave me what I thought was freedom and the power to be independent. Unfortunately there were consequences to that bargain and now, centuries later, I find that I am in his shadow once more."
Keretheriel's expression was quite serious by the time she paused.
"I have reason to believe you and I may be able to help each other, as it were. I do not sense that either of us is a woman accustomed to having anyone tower over us."
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 11, 2017 21:15:57 GMT -5
Søren smirked as she picked up her glass, and brought the drink to her lips to take a sip before she continued speaking. The drink choice had been deliberate, and important, for several reasons, but the most pressing of which to Søren was that the energy contained within would be able to saturate her changed body and heal it, helping the tissues she had to magically create set and become less vulnerable. The armor she wore, currently beneath her semi-illusory evening wear, had been a tactical choice both to intimidate and to protect - the piece of information her opponents may have missed, however, was that Søren herself would have been substantially physically more vulnerable than her baseline without it, even at their second meeting. The Councilor, then, had no problem digging right in to her stashed treasure - the fact that it also helped her chill and unwind was really just a bonus.
Keretheriel's admission seemed genuine enough, and while it was sparing in detail, Søren seemed to accept it as it was, nodding somewhat thoughtfully.
"That's how Alpha functions - you get what you want, but it always comes at a price, and you often won't realize just how steep the price is until you've already journeyed near into the middle of his spider-web. I'm sure you wouldn't be surprised to hear that my situation isn't startlingly different, except instead of power and freedom, I was looking for relative safety. Naturally, I didn't realize that safety from what's outside the city meant that I could potentially be in danger from what's inside instead."
Søren chuckled, and downed the rest of her glass before pouring herself another. The way she fixed Keretheriel in her gaze was serious, however.
"Let's not get ahead of ourselves here: just because I've imagined your head between my legs a few times doesn't mean I'm ready to do a mutual with you just yet." The Guardian gestured towards the woman with her glass before taking another sip - she could already feel the drink taking hold, making her body tingle and her head swim, though just a touch for now. "First I need to know a bit more about you, especially since I'm pretty sure I've heard your name before tonight, in a very different context."
The name had been bothering her since she heard it, and throughout her encounter with Miss Keretheriel, the Councilor had been wracking her brain in an attempt to locate just where it was she had heard it. On sitting down, it had come back to her - Søren had heard it from Arktouros: and when the Guardian leader had talked about its owner, it was not in kind terms.
"Tell me about your relationship with Arktouros Visas."
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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 11, 2017 21:37:40 GMT -5
Keretheriel's mouth twitched in amusement at Søren's talk of having her between her thighs. The Councilor's level of frankness was probably was saw her status as outcast here in the Trade City. She'd only been here a day and already she could imagine that it was difficult to say precisely what you mean when Alpha was involved. Of course, it was the name she spoke that caused the Siren's more serious expression to remain in place.
"Ah, so it is you who are the former Guardian of Balance."
The vixen's mouth curved into a smile that was equal part rueful and amused.
"Yes, I do not imagine that Akrtouros would have very much kindness in his heart for me, I'm afraid."
Kereth watched Søren, not breaking eye contact as her features took on a somber edge once more.
"It was for escaping Artkouros and the chains of the Guardianship that I made my bargain with Alpha. You see, I had asked our fearless leader to release me from my bonds. I had served well past the end of my first lifetime. Perhaps even my second. I did not wish to die, but I could serve no longer."
No, the Siren wasn't going to lie to her, but she would only offer the amount of detail she asked for.
"Unfortunately, the circumstances of my. . . Separation are less than a source of pride. The enchantments of the Guardianship proved to be beyond my ability."
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 11, 2017 22:13:08 GMT -5
Søren obviously didn't try to deny Keretheriel's assertion, though her response might have seemed perplexing to the Siren, especially when coupled with the woman's semi-defeatist tone.
"Yes. Though, through no fault of my own."
Rather than interrupting Keretheriel as she spoke, Søren instead took another few sips of her drink and watched the woman carefully, tracing her attention over each and every line of Kereth's beautifully-accented speech. Honestly, nothing she was saying was exactly a revelation to the Councilor - the question had been more about establishing a true baseline for the woman's honesty than getting any new information, and Kereth's answer, while again sparing when it came to detail, seemed to be an honest one.
Søren chuckled after the woman finished speaking, and put her drink down. The piercing nature of the Councilor's gaze never really diminished itself, but there was a lightness to the woman's manner as she continued that seemed to come with a slight relieving of tension, had there been any previously.
"I figured as much, and you're pretty right on with your assessment. Ark had a major sore spot when it came to you." Søren leaned in closer and dropped her voice, giving the air that her words were somewhat conspiratorial. "In the short time I was with him, he only really told me anything about you once, and when he did, it got him so worked up I almost couldn't convince him to come back to bed after."
Søren's laugh was girlish, and honestly, infectious as she continued.
"You know he change the rules after you? You're the reason that there hasn't been a lifetime Guardian, besides Ark himself, since the original inception. I think he realized the foolishness of trying to keep us all locked in, like he was, and made a loophole. That said, those enchantments are intensely powerful - strong enough that even 'getting out' doesn't completely sever the connection."
That last fact was the reason Søren was alive at the current moment, though she decided to leave any mention of current developments out of the conversation for the time being.
"So then, you came here to find out what happened when he died, didn't you? To see if it was real?"
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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 11, 2017 22:57:42 GMT -5
Of course the Siren was a little more deflated at the mention of Arktouros: that Søren was a former Guardian could swing her opinion much lower of Kereth due to the circumstances under which she'd left that particular club. Truthfully, the fact that the Councilor seemed to possibly regret that she was no longer a Guardian had quickly become a source of worry. Perhaps she had read the other woman entirely wrong. Kereth could hope that there was enough nuance in the other woman's understanding to be able to see it from her perspective.
Maybe it was the intimate atmosphere and Kereth's guard was down or perhaps it was a complete fabrication and the Siren chose to offer a display rooted in emotional reaction: whatever it was Søren was given an actual expression that wasn't a carefully timed smirk or an enigmatic smile.
Kereth looked indignant as she spoke of luring Arktouros fucking Visas back to bed.
"Back to bed?" Her accent became slightly more guttural as she spoke. "Arktouros, the great and legendary Akrathi Slayer who saw no value in taking lovers and even expressly forbade us from fraternizing, Visas took a Guardian lover for himself?"
Søren's laugh was surprising, and led the Siren to linger her gaze on her mouth. If her laugh was that girlish she wondered idly what her moans might sound like instead.
"Of course it would be that he would change the rules after me. No one can live like that, like he can. I was not a machine. In fact, it was worse than even that. I took a Guardian lover for myself. Ptolemaeus was his name, and he was. . . Well, Arktouros looked to separate us and have us continue fulfilling our duty."
Saying his name after so many years forced her to revert back to a poker face. Keretheriel had had no intention of revealing this much, even to whoever the former Guardian might be. She certainly wished to be grounded with Søren as much as she might need, but telling her details like this? Fortunately for the Siren compartmentalizing was a very valuable lifeskill she'd learned long ago. She'd sort through the rest later.
"Ah, yes. I found that out for myself, about the enchantments."
Kereth leveled her stare at Søren, ice meeting fire.
"Arktouros has been able to consistently track any movement I have made since I was torn from the Guardianship. Imagine my surprise when I discovered he'd been killed and it was safe to move once more until he is Reborn? Like you, I also came to this City seeking refuge from what is outside of it, but yes. More importantly I came because I want to understand how he was bested and by whose hand. I hope there is an answer to be found so that I might, how you say, guard myself from the Guardian."
The Siren offered a small smirk at that.
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 12, 2017 21:46:59 GMT -5
Søren stared at Kereth for a moment while she tried to make sense of the woman's reaction. It wasn't that her indignation was particularly surprising to the Councilor - after all, Søren had enough context on Kereth's history (as told by Arktouros) that she could make some educated guesses as to Keretheriel's feelings on how the Guardianship rules and policies turned out. No, the issue Søren encountered was that it quickly became clear that Kereth had misunderstood her meaning.
Naturally, Søren burst out laughing.
"No, the two were actually mutually exclusive. I should probably give you some context."
The Councilor sat back and quickly collected her thoughts, thinking back to the time of her life when she had been entwined, in one way or another, with Arktouros and his ilk.
"I met Ark as an enemy. He took issue with me when I burned down the mansion of an Azalethian Governor. Admittedly, his family was still inside, so that might have seemed like a really evil move on my part. Ark and his lackeys came after me, and, to no one's surprise, didn't immediately call off his pursuit when I explained to him how the Governor's whole family was involved in a secret slave trade operation.."
The situation had been both more complex and more personal that Søren was making it out to be in her story - Søren herself had almost been captured by that particular ring, and when she got clear, she had immediately traced the operation to its leader, who turned out to be the Governor of a small Azalethian territory. The reason she had been caught in the first place, incidentally, directly related to her flight from under Achréiøs' tutelage.
"We sorted out the misunderstanding after a few fights. Over the next few years, we kept crossing paths under different contexts, and finally I just decided I was going to fuck him, and did so. Afterwards, we had kind of an on-and-off thing going for several years, before he disappeared for a while."
Søren took a sip of her drink before continuing, relishing the way in which the liquid seemed to fill her head with slight tingles of electricity.
"A long while after we had stopped seeing each other in any sort of romantic way, Ark came to me and asked me, as a favor, to act as a Guardian and help him. It took some convincing, but I finally went along with it - and shouldn't have. You could say I freelanced as a Guardian for roughly ten years before the situation got untenable and I relinquished the position. That was shortly before coming to Vascxious Sigma."
Hopefully Søren's explanation would give Kereth more context on the Councilor's relationship with Arktouros. As the Siren pivoted the conversation slightly, though, Søren followed without difficulty, still idly sipping on her second glass of the magickal beverage.
"I'm not surprised Ark's death brought you here. Officially, while I know some of what happened, I'm not at liberty to share any details regarding a situation that Vascxious Sigma authorities are considering a terrorist attack."
Søren gestured at Kereth's untouched drink, encouraging the woman to try it as she continued.
"That said, unofficially what happened was, essentially, two major parts of my past clashed, and only one of them survived."
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Post by Keretheriel on Jul 17, 2017 15:15:03 GMT -5
How had Keretheriel found herself in a set of circumstances where she was looking for one thing and yet had found something else so completely unexpected? She had not been prepared for what it would mean that a former Guardian among the ranks of the Councilors could lead to actual conversation about those days. She'd not prepared for what it could dredge up after all this time. On some level she'd absolutely expected to be able to coldly discuss the details of Arktouros' death, but also somehow disassociate from the fact that he was a significant part of her life for decades. That even further, she could separate what might return to the surface of her feelings for Ptolemaeus.
To be fair the Siren's world wasn't suddenly upended to the point where it would be etched into her features. In fact, her gaze remained cool as she watched Søren and listened. The details were tucked away as she actively engaged with the Councilor's telling, but her mind's eye drifted other places. She remembered how clear the violet of Arktouros' eyes were when he explained what becoming a Guardian of Balance would require of her. She'd looked at him with such awe and wonder, just like most of the other young Guardians of her time. It rarely occurred to any of them that he was simply a man with a great deal of power and responsibility, beholden to a set of ideals that made him seem more like a demigod than a mortal. They'd all struggled to live up to what he saw as achievable for them and for the right to exist alongside his ideals. Would she have continued under his direction, had she been of his 'lackeys' still? Would she have worked to take Søren in, even after discovering the motive behind the arson? Would it have occurred to her that should the shadows from her own past have stepped into the Light that she would have made a similar choice to wreak vengeance on those who had wronged her? Would Arktouros have stopped her? Would there have been a sorting out of the misunderstanding for her? Kereth took her words to mean that Arktouros was not so set on killing her that a compromise could be reached.
Søren's next remarks were something of a revelation. That Arktouros would ask anyone to take on the role of Guardian as a favor must have meant that over time either how he viewed the Guardianship had changed, or else how others viewed the Guardianship soured. To be chosen by Arktouros Visas when she was and to accept, at the time, was about her survival. She had a great deal of power and even more rage and nowhere to direct it. Arktouros, and then Ptolemaeus shortly thereafter, gave her direction and a tangible enemy to wage war against. It wasn't long after that she'd begun to realize the gravity of her choice and how the people of Azaleth, the humans they'd been tasked by Thane to protect, saw them. They were heroes and living legends. To know that the status of Guardian had fallen to the point where no human would be seeking to serve and Arktouros had to call in favors to find a warm body incited conflicted feelings in her. On the other hand, it didn't surprise her at all. The need for the Guardians of Balance had waned the moment they'd driven the Akrathi back into the Desert. She'd sensed it: it was why she wanted out. Wanted her little plot of land and maybe even to build a life unconnected to the Guardians and the larger-than-life purpose Arktouros had chained them to.
Kereth's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. It was comforting thought to know it turned out to be that Arktouros was only a man. Maybe he'd changed enough in the time she'd been asleep that they could resolve their differences without coming to blows about it. Certainly she had committed a terrible crime, but there were mitigating circumstances by his own hand. If he'd changed the structure of the Guardianship because of her maybe he could just let it go if she came to him to sort it all out. Wishful thinking, of course, but she could dream.
The Siren leaned forward, elbow against knee to prop up her chin as she watched the other woman.
"A terrorist attack?"
Pale eyes shifted to the drink, pausing a moment before her posture straightened and she reached for it. The rim of the glass was brought to her lips and a cautious sip passed between them. It was an absent gesture― an automated function of what it was to socialize. Her thoughts were centered on Søren's minute revelation. That Arktouros' death was a matter of state surprised her, but why was the leader of the Guardians in Vascxious Sigma here in the first place?
"I understand discretion in matters of state. Should I become the Seventh District Councilor, would I be entitled to know the details then?"
Kereth's head tilted almost imperceptibly at her last remark.
"I do not understand. Will you tell me of the other part of your past and why it might seek to destroy Arktouros or does it tread too closely to state affairs that I have not yet been given access to?"
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Post by Søren Kiirkegré on Jul 22, 2017 19:13:28 GMT -5
Søren watched Keretheriel very carefully as she finally tried her drink. That the woman had so little to say regarding her history was interesting - the context that the Councilor was able to give on Arktouros seemed to send Kereth's mind wandering down a rabbit hole of history, and the Councilor was interested to see just where the hole led. She'd have to move carefully, however, to ensure she got the truth regarding the former Guardian opposite her's true history with Søren's old pillow-pal.
Søren smirked as she responded, taking another sip of her own drink, for good measure - the intoxicating effects were beginning to take hold, and the Guardian's words would seem to Kereth to be just a tad more loose as the minutes wore on. Still, it would be impossible to judge just how real the effects on Søren's inhibitions would be.
"It cuts pretty close. What I can say is that the entity responsible is intimately connected with Council concerns, and is a significant security threat. Assuming you are granted a place on the Council, I could tell you more, both about the attack and Arktouros in-general. Though, you'd still have to go through me, since I am the dead of Special Operations, and am therefore tasked with investigating these sorts of matters."
Søren stretched her arms over her head, clasping each elbow and leaning back, clearly intent on relaxing herself. As she did so, the dark fabrics of her disguise began to give way, shifting and melting their illusory selves off her form, revealing the dark, shimmering Guardian armor underneath, which hugged the Councilor's figure in a strong, flattering manner. Søren traced her tongue across her bottom lip as she looked at Kereth appraisingly, judging for any reaction to the change as she continued.
"That said, I'm more interested in why you are here, especially considering that I'm one of the ones you have to convince your worth being placed on the Council. I'm sure you know that, as dead as he might seem, Arktouros will likely swing back around once enough time has elapsed. I'm sure you also know, then, that he can't find you inside the city, yes?"
That little tidbit was one of the selling points Alpha had used to get Søren to agree to join the Council herself - while inside Vascxious Sigma, the interference both from the concentration of technology and the presence of Alpha's watchdog kept the Councilor's masked from being found by outside sources. Considering just how many beings wanted to lay a hand on Søren at any given time, that fact alone had been a large selling point.
"Even with the enchantments, he can't seem to pinpoint us here. It gives you a bit of a breather - though, obviously, it takes work to keep a place here: especially once Alpha gets his claws in you."
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