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Post by EloHim on Nov 22, 2018 14:07:00 GMT -8
Elorit watched with attention and curiosity as his new ally observed the strip of leather. Any charlatan would've already run for his life… but here she stood, against all odds. And she heard that she mumbled something but his hearing was not that of a musician or an animal so he didn't heard the full word... But even that gave him enough hope. To find someone who can read and understand that language was nothing short of a miracle.
"- By your reaction I judge that you know the language, to an unknown extent... And that you did not expect to see it... the rest is speculation. The fact that you didn't run though or fall unconscious…"- he smiled, faintly.
"- Take your time. I’ll answer what questions I can."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 22, 2018 17:33:32 GMT -8
"How had her behavior changed as her condition progressed? How long did she have the disease?" Florence asked, with some worry... there was already a rather obvious case to be made that Victoria shared the same condition as Lekalis. If it were true, then she could be the model for the terminal stage of the curse. Which was not a welcome thought. Though it did well to inspire a sense of urgency in her. "...We need to find more relevant information." Florence muttered grimly, making to fan out another handful of notes to read over. /Lekalis/ "I only found out about my Sister's disease when I rescued her from the Gunsches..." He huffed worriedly, setting down the paper; his mind was a mess of emotions as he tried to piece things together. His eyes glanced to the wine and picked up the vintage to examine its surface and to gauge its contents. "She didn't... seem any different than I remembered her. A bit more curt and spiteful but I attribute that more to the dire... circumstance than anything..." He mused with a sigh as he focused on the wine, squinting at the label, he could only just make out the age of the stuff. Though its brand was all but washed out. The wine inside seemed sealed enough, and the cork at the top was sealed with unbroken wax. \\ Again, another six notes were laid out before Florence. And, where the first few notes demanded some attentions to understand the gist of their intent, her fast growing adaption to the curiosities of the letters assisted her in picking out which notes were of import, and which were not. Of the six notes, three were of curious design.
The first, most notable, was a sheet of papyrus that was fast becoming signature to Victoria's letters and writ. Again, the paper was clean and folded, though it showed some yellowing age and stains. "To, Dr. Crosse The shipment arrived, and thou hath mine greatest accolades for thy duty well served. Prithee, it would be a shame if thou wert absent from thine greatest achievement yet. I, Victoria Von Gunsche, do cordially invite thee to the Celebration of mine Coronation so Red.
If thou doth not come, t'is of no import; I will send upon thee my gratitude
Yours truly, Victoria Von Gunsche" [/div] The second was a manifesto of a delivery, a trade of wine for gold to Victoria in the Azule Bastille, dated three or four years back.
The Third was on familiarly old papyrus, flaking away at the corners as Florence lifted it up, and the paper was rather transluscent from decay "Cassius, What we're doing here... Why we're doing it, might be lost on you, but you still have our deepest gratitude. In sending us these catalysts, you've proven yourself an irreplaceable ally and forever a friend to the Iron Vipers. With the power you've given us, you need but three reagents; 6oz. tincture of Viper's blood a finger's length of root of Ginger Flashpowder Keep this upon you at all times, and when your hour is darkest, do not hesitate to proceed with the ritual; First, create a ring of flashpowder with a trail leading to the center so that it might all ignite upon a single fuse and burn the center Next, chew upon the ginger and hold the Viper's blood in your cheeks. Do not swallow. Lastly, spit the concoction into the center and ignite the flashpowder. You must close your eyes lest your eyes be burned and perhaps blinded forever by the radiance of the magicks.
[/i][/div] But, when you open your eyes, one of my people will be there to assist you in any way they can. V." Familiar to Florence would be the outline of some wetted paper; signs of someone copying these notes for later use, it would seem.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 22, 2018 19:58:30 GMT -8
Florence read the first note, and then reread it, and then sighed disappointedly.
"I believe Victoria purposefully took on her Curse, thanks to Cross."
She distributed the note to Lekalis and then picked up the other.
"...and she makes her trades in the Azule Bastile..." Continued the Crowgazer, veritably narrating the letters as she read them, and respectively passing them on over to where Lekalis was sitting, inspecting the nasty closet-wine.
"...and Cross can summon a group called the 'Iron Vipers,' in which case we must ask the guards to remove all reagents from his person."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 22, 2018 20:05:23 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
He felt his blood drain from his face as he felt something akin to a revelation of the worst kind dawn on him. Nothing like the eye-opening philosophies of the East or the meditations of druids and monks... Rather, the gut-wrenching sort that felt like his lungs had spilled out through his belly button.
"I... see..." He offered numbly as he shakily took the notes in due kind as he licked his doubly numbing lips and furrowed his brow as sweat beaded upon it.
He focused on what he could comprehend, as Florence oft' did,
"... We should go tell the guards immediately. If Cross frees himself, he may inform the Gunsches... They could move with more violence than either Cross or Taas, or Sicherlein." Lekalis nodded, as if to reassure himself as he set aside the notes upon the stool and made to rise.
"It might be better if I go, so you can study on..." His tone had fallen from its typical swarthy wine-over-rocks tune to one of chilled focus. Not out of intent, rather, the unshakable shudders of revelation that pounded at the back of his mind. It made his heart beat fast and shallow.
He did look a shade paler in the candelight, and he frowned as he looked to his hands and held one in the other to cease its quivering.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 22, 2018 20:15:24 GMT -8
From her sitting position, Florence relinquished her notes and made to grasp at Lekalis's arm as he rose to reel him back to sit.
His demeanor was concerning: shivering, palor, perspiration. He was too unwell to go running off.
"No. Stay." She insisted, pulling gently at his arm.
"You are unwell; you know your sister and Cross more than I know them. We can sit here and rest for a moment, and then I will inform the guards. I will ask that you continue to read these notes, but I do not require it of you."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 23, 2018 15:13:14 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
A flicker of arrogance had him sharply pull his arm away from Florence with a huff of distaste; Lekalis' eyes snapped to look at her with bitterness and vitriol, before he shut them and sighed.
It had been a long day, to put it lightly... He'd thought the worst of this new life was in the bitter struggle against monsters beyond belief, yet it seemed that his biggest woes is the life he'd left behind.
"My apologies..." He quickly remedied after the brief outburst, as he reached out to catch Florence's hand before she pulled it away. There were due accounts to exact upon Cross, but if he was to move past his old life, past grudges had to be forgotten. Even with this new information, he knew he was no longer the one to be moved by it.
Lekalis lightly placed his other hand over Florence's and nodded, "... Thank you; that's a good plan."
With that, he saw to sitting down again, color flush upon his skin once again in the light of the candle and not the moon.
"I'll be truthful; I don't believe we'll find information particularly pertinent to my malady in Cross' notes." He sighed defeatedly as he glanced over the notes Florence had arranged,
"Our time might be better spent trying to make accommodations for exercising the experiment, a lab of sorts... As well as a proper place for Silvant to live."
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 23, 2018 15:39:06 GMT -8
Florence brought up her other hand to palm Lekalis's; they had made a veritable sandwich of hands, but she intended to hold them in place until she was certain they were warm again and the pulse had slowed.
Truthfully she was simple grateful he had chosen to sit. She worried that he may have otherwise lapsed into syncope.
"...I would like to wear the amulet again." She proposed after he had said his piece. "One last time, to understand the mechanics of what we are dealing with and to delve further than Cross has. I agree that his notes are of little use."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 23, 2018 15:57:25 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
"One last time? You're sure..?" Lekalis offered lightly with a small laugh as he felt his heart lighten as Florence's hands set themselves atop his own in a veritable tower of digits. He couldn't help but feel like a boy of his youth sitting with some princess of his dreams when Florence held his hands just so. The worry in her sharp eyes made it hard for him not to smile and forget the woes of a minute past.
"... I think it might be good of you to wear it more often... a-as long as it's not dangerous, of course." Lekalis nodded as he gave Florence's hands a final squeeze before he slipped them free so he might remove the amulet around his neck.
"In truth, as of late... I've not felt its weight. Nor heard voices in well over a month at least..." Lekalis mentioned with both hope and worry,
"... I don't know what to make of it. I've a mind to send, either myself or someone elsewise, out to find books on the occult; I've held my mind open to the prospect and... dabbled once or twice with an odd ritual or two... If I could learn how to investigate effigies such as this..." Lekalis spoke on as he held the amulet out to Florence and shrugged,
"... Perhaps I could finally prove myself an assistant of note to you." He chuckled teasingly as he bounced the amulet up and down in his hand,
"Shall I put it on for you?" He posed curiously.
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 23, 2018 16:07:16 GMT -8
"I would prefer for you to avoid as many effigies as you can." Florence offered a thin smile as he seemed to brighten up. Bad news tempered with good; they had found not much relevant information yet, but she desired to change that.
One last time; dabbling with forces such as these were no doubt dangerous. Each instance was a calculated risk.
"Otherwise you are a valuable assistant." She nodded stoically and braced herself.
"Apply the amulet."
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 23, 2018 16:26:51 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
"I promise not to get involved with any more effigies than I am already, no need to get jealous." He teased with some levity brewing in his gut at last with the smallest of reassurances from Florence. He... truthfully felt a touch ashamed by the matter, and the weight of his Sister's disease being part of some grander design than he'd first anticipated was... still unsettling.
If she'd died and suffered from such expulsions of blood, and Lekalis wasn't unknown to suffer from a similar malady induced by the Amulet... Victoria no doubt had played at the grander designs of the Amulet. For how long, he wondered; from first she gave it to him or some years hence?
Lekalis' joviality waned some as he undid the clasp which held the Amulet in its circular bind and leant over to place it about Florence's collar. It had been some weeks hence since he'd been so close to her... since that night in the Tavern where she reminded him of his duties, his responsibilities.
He lingered, as he fussed with applying the bind of the Amulet, in an intimate space between himself and Florence's rather braced self.
Effortlessly, with the Amulet set about her shoulders, Lekalis stole a quick kiss from Florence before he leant back in his sitting spot; himself bracing for some scolding,
"Do be careful, Florence."
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 23, 2018 16:44:37 GMT -8
Florence glanced down at the amulet at her chest. It was just a small thing, palm-sized, but it managed to bring about a regretful amount of trouble.
They were on the downswing, she reminded herself. This curse would be put to rest soon enough.
"I will be careful." She assured him, though a frown followed soon after he had planted that brief kiss.
"...You must learn to stop kissing me. It is not good." She warned, at last...
...and she awaited the coming visions.
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 23, 2018 16:57:41 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
He gave a small scoff and rolled his eyes as he leant forward to rest his elbows on his knees, ready to pounce and swipe away the amulet at the barest hints of malicious happenings. "Not good..?" He repeated with an exaggerated, hurt, frown, "... I'll have to practice then." He insisted with a final flare of a smile as he furrowed his brow with respectively serious intent as stakes became real; "Here, squeeze my hand if you need me to take it off..." He thought quickly as he swept up her hand in his and waited with bated breath.
\\ // There was no sense of change in this immediate moment, as Florence wore the Amulet; it was warm, even above her clothes as it may be, but it hastened the blood that passed near it, beneath her skin. Something like the starts of adrenaline... But it did not stress her heart as it might from her condition. As a whole, a slow, familiar sensation of youth and liveliness began to stir from where the Amulet rested... The candle's orange glow seemed to become a harsher red, and Lekalis' cloak stood out against the shadows. The veins in his hands and about his cheeks blinked faintly, like lines of sparking sulphur. \\
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 23, 2018 17:01:39 GMT -8
"Lekalis..." Florence began slowly, blinking as she took in the red of her surroundings. In particular, the network vessels that pulsed just beneath Lekalis's skin.
It was fascinating to see them flow in a living specimen. She could just imagine the shuttering of the valves in the veins, the squeezing of arteries to push the fluid to the outer extremities of the body.
"...You are getting married." She reminded him disapprovingly, raising her hands so that she might see her own veins, too.
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Post by Bloodtrailkiller on Nov 23, 2018 17:11:24 GMT -8
/Lekalis/
"I know, I know... I jest, of course." He insisted kindly and softly, though not wholly sincerely as he sighed and rubbed his shoulder as he watched on. Lekalis squinted at her eyes with some fair intent, admiring the way her eyes reflected the glint of candlelight beside him. With a pursed, playful smile, he pushed the stool lightly, to watch the glare shift.
"... What are you feeling? Why are you raising your hands?" He asked estudiously as he glanced to her satchel, "We should set up notes, quickly."
\\
//
Despite the growing levity in her biology, Florence would be unable to see the veins in her own hands. Though, she would be able to see the veins and arteries of Lekalis through her hands; the sight intensifiying with every passing moment now, so every pathway of blood was illuminated in a maroon glow that did pulse and wan to the rhythm of Lekais' heartbeat.
The candle's red glow became harsher and harsher still, t'ill the colors of the dimly lit world she saw were naught but red; as if she were looking through a silk veil of red hue, the details of reality began to fade, though Lekalis' bloodways pulsed clearly against the fast diminishing vision Florence held.
Florence, at the precipice of the skew of vision, could see something in her hands; gilded bones that flexed her digits without her will...
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Post by Vanitypirate on Nov 23, 2018 17:22:46 GMT -8
"I can see the blood in your vessels, but I cannot see my own." Florence reported with wonder as she took in the sights around her, enveloped in crimson now.
She had tasted these visions before, and they were less startling now than they are intriguing.
"I can see your heart beat."
She focused, fighting to maintain as much consciousness as she could for as long as possible, if only to report her findings.
"I feel bones inside my hands, and my vision fades..."
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