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ExoWoD
Oct 16, 2009 0:56:13 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 16, 2009 0:56:13 GMT -5
A figure stepped out of the woods, flickering colors sparking against a bubble of unnatural stasis around him, the woods shrinking from its power. He walked up to the front gates of what seemed to be a large castle and glared cynically at the sign reading "Dunehelden Academy" hung over a space where there clearly used to be a different sign some time ago.
The castle had seen something like him before: same face, same clothing (though much cleaner), much kinder and subtler demeanor, very different power signature.
Rather than recognizing him as one of those who were its true masters, this thing walking up was, as far as it could tell, a mid-sized and not particularly benevolent god.
The gates swung open, and the Angel of Forgotten Grace stormed in, hoping there was some goddamn food and a bed in this place, wherever it was.
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ExoWoD
Oct 16, 2009 1:24:44 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 16, 2009 1:24:44 GMT -5
The young man scampered out of the woods along behind the other, feet touching ground at last beyond the trees. The air was more stable, calmer by far, though not in any tangible way. It simply felt so, and thus he knew it to be.
The sky hung in twilight for the moment, the hazy sort of purple that filled the world when the Sun and the Moon stood together. But now, for whatever reason, the sky held nothing but clouds and the faint impression of something that might have been stars or something stranger. But even through this, the lingering presence of his patron, the moon herself, could still be felt somewhere through the fog. Wherever they were, they had not quite left the Wilds.
He pulled himself upright, and the shimmering silver vines embedded in his skin began to fade until there was nothing but the pale pink of his flesh. It was only a precaution, of course. There was always the possibility -- and the very strong one, at that -- that whatever thing lived in the monstrous building ahead of them neither knew nor cared the significance of the moonsilver spirals that decorated him.
He could feel eyes on him, though whether they were the eyes of the forest, the eyes of the castle, or the eyes of something else entirely, he couldn't place. Only that something, someone, was watching them.
The young man, the one called Leaping Frog, stepped lightly behind his companion, eagerly taking in every sight, every sound, every smell this peculiar place had to offer. And really, as long as Angel was with him, he wasn't terribly picky about where he went.
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ExoWoD
Oct 16, 2009 20:37:36 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 16, 2009 20:37:36 GMT -5
"Did we step back into the Near Umbra?" Angel glanced back at Frog. "This place is weird. All this magic, but it's not a demesne..." A few wards fizzed and popped on contact with his Charm, and he decided that as there were probably fewer fae in here than outside, he could drop it.
"Think this is some magical stronghold or something?" he said with mild excitement. "That would be cool. If they're here, maybe they can give us directions."
He trotted forward down the bush-studded path towards the front entrance to the castle.
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ExoWoD
Oct 16, 2009 22:50:32 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 16, 2009 22:50:32 GMT -5
"Maybe," Frog replied, with only mild interest. Strange magical happenings were more Angel's thing, of course. He glanced back at the forest, tilting his head slightly. "I wonder where Lily and Taimyo ended up," he murmured, though he was not terribly worried. They would meet again soon enough. The whims of fancy had a way of pulling people back together at convenient moments.
He skipped along beside Angel beside the bushes, but something made him stop dead in his tracks. He turned his nose to the air and sniffed, then crouched just a bit. "Angel," he whispered, "there's someone nearby. Very nearby."
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ExoWoD
Oct 17, 2009 1:59:05 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 17, 2009 1:59:05 GMT -5
The night air was still and calm as the woman stood at her post, silent and still as a centurion. She held her hand poised on the hilt of her blade, though she scarcely needed it anymore. The things in the forest had become, though not allies, to coexist peacefully. It seemed now that there was more to worry about from within the grounds than without, though convincing the headmistress of such was another matter entirely.
Something shifted almost imperceptibly in the air, something so mild it might have been nothing at all. Anyone else might have brushed it off as a trick of the light, but Rivienne had long since learned better. Her grip tightened on her sword.
"Who's there?" she called, her eyes flitting about the edge of the woods. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end.
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ExoWoD
Oct 17, 2009 2:05:38 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 17, 2009 2:05:38 GMT -5
Angel blended in with the wall before Rivienne finished her sentence and watched her.
Tall, blonde, rather pretty... but old enough to be his mother. Clearly trained with that thing. Was this place hers? She looked to be a guard, though, and no master of a castle would send themselves out to guard. He could distract her, or stroll up and demand entrance...
He looked at Frog, wondering what his reaction was.
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ExoWoD
Oct 17, 2009 2:41:24 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 17, 2009 2:41:24 GMT -5
Frog glanced at Angel, then back at the woman. He grinned at Angel, and without much thought to what he was about to do -- Frog rarely planned ahead, after all -- he hopped forward onto the ground.
Where the young man had once stood, a gray lemur now perched. With one last look at his companion, the creature scampered up to the woman. He tilted his head at her, staring up for a moment. Then, once he was certain that she had no plans to draw her sword on him, he latched onto her leg and scuttled up her back, into her hair, and resting on the top of her head.
The lemur leaned over, tilting his head ever so slightly and staring at her upside down. He cooed curiously at the woman.
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ExoWoD
Oct 22, 2009 22:03:30 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 22, 2009 22:03:30 GMT -5
Rivienne balked, staring at the small furry creature. Whatever fae thing this creature was, he did not appear to be particularly malicious; however, Rivienne had learned the hard way that things are not always as they appear.
"Hello there," she murmured, rubbing the animal behind the ears. There must have been something else. "Where did you come from? Are you out here alone?"
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ExoWoD
Oct 22, 2009 22:29:26 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 22, 2009 22:29:26 GMT -5
...Lunars. He moved towards her, low to the ground like a stalking wolf, standing ground and slowly dropping stealth after he got within leaping distance.
Not like his mother at all, if she was as human as she looked; more like Lily. And not as tall as she'd looked, either- he rubbed his eyes. He'd gotten so used to bent proportions after the last raksha- fair folk- whatever- that it was taking a moment to get back to normal.
About fifty feet away, he stopped, waiting for her to see him. His spiders retracted their claws with swift stealth, but remained clinging to his wrists beneath his hoodie's sleeves. He couldn't help but glare a little; it didn't occur to him to try to look innocent, just not actively dangerous, and Angel was not the sort of guy to stop sulking often. Particularly when he'd been anticipating a shower and some clean- or at least not ripped and bloody- clothes.
(It was strange how his favorite hoodie never got bad off enough to have to change, while the rest of his clothes that he didn't care as much about did; another perk of Exaltation, maybe.)
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ExoWoD
Oct 22, 2009 22:58:14 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 22, 2009 22:58:14 GMT -5
Rivienne's grip tightened on her blade as she slipped into a slight crouch, her instincts taking control. When her thoughts caught up with her actions, she noticed something quite strange. She had seen this boy before: the same violet hair, the same dark skin, the very same sullen expression. He was unmistakable...but there was something off.
"You're outside after curfew," she remarked crisply, her hand never leaving the hilt.
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ExoWoD
Oct 23, 2009 1:10:11 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 23, 2009 1:10:11 GMT -5
Angel took a half-step back and gave her an annoyed look.
"The fuck?" He hesistated, trying to figure out what she meant. "What the fuck is it with people and thinking I'm someone else? I'm not that goddamn undistinctive here!"
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ExoWoD
Oct 30, 2009 21:14:25 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 30, 2009 21:14:25 GMT -5
Rivienne paused, shifting her weight slightly. "Do you mean to tell me that you are not who I think you are?" she replied. "Your name is Angel, and you're a senior in the academy. And I would suggest you watch your language if you want to get away with only a warning."
Rivienne brushed the little lemur off, poising herself. There was something peculiar here.
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ExoWoD
Oct 30, 2009 22:02:35 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 30, 2009 22:02:35 GMT -5
Angel blinked in surprise. Language? Seriously? He took a breath and stood up straight, looking the woman directly in the eye.
"I am the Angel of Forgotten Grace. Who- no, what are you? And why are you standing outside of some castle in a Wyld pocket wearing normal clothes and a sword and talking about curfews?"
And if you're not a faerie, can I get a goddamn bath and a warm meal? He wasn't weary enough to back down from a potential threat, but it was wearing on his patience.
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ExoWoD
Oct 30, 2009 23:40:30 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 30, 2009 23:40:30 GMT -5
Rivienne sighed, releasing her sword. This was, sadly, not the strangest thing she had ever seen happen on the grounds, and so far he seemed relatively benign. Relatively.
"I'm a professor at Dunehelden Academy," she replied patiently. "I think the better question is, if you're not a student at the school, then what are you doing out here?
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 0:07:48 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 31, 2009 0:07:48 GMT -5
"Wandering through the spirit world, looking for weird shit." Angel shrugged, hesitated, and corrected himself. "Stuff." Might as well be polite, for as little as he cared.
He walked closer and held out a hand for the currently-lemur. "C'mere, you. So," he looked over the castle coolly, then back to the woman, "wanna tell me what Dunehelden Academy is, or should I go find out for myself?"
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 0:42:53 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 31, 2009 0:42:53 GMT -5
The little lemur scuttled up Angel's arm and rested on his shoulder, nipping playfully at Angel's ear.
This place certainly seemed interesting. He would just have to wait for an appropriate moment to turn back to into himself.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 0:55:48 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 31, 2009 0:55:48 GMT -5
Rivienne watched the pair, smirking slightly. So the lemur was indeed with him, then. "Dunehelden is a school," she replied. "Though if you're not a student, I'm not sure I should let you inside. My job is to protect the students, after all."
A part of her wanted to let him inside the school; he didn't appear to be a fae, and she didn't particularly want to make him wander the wyld alone. It was late, and he was most likely hungry. And if he wasn't the same person as the Angel in her class, then there was certainly something amiss.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 1:31:10 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 31, 2009 1:31:10 GMT -5
"I didn't say 'let me inside'," he growled sulkily, scratching the lemur's head. "I'm going to go in, find some food, some clothes, a shower if you have it, and take a nap, and if you want to come find me and try to kick me out, you're welcome. I very much doubt you're capable."
He turned back around and walked towards the front door.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 2:23:44 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 31, 2009 2:23:44 GMT -5
Rivienne tensed, falling in step behind the young man. "Your capabilities aside, I'm sure you won't begrudge me for doing my job. If you're so determined to go inside, I'm going to have to insist on escorting you." She smirked. "Besides, you'll be wandering around for hours if you're trying to find all of that on your own."
She couldn't quite trust him, particularly since he wandered out of the wood and invited himself into the castle, but on the off chance that he was just an impudent teenager in need of a good meal, she couldn't turn him away. And he was far too peculiar not to keep an eye on, one way or the other.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 3:14:06 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 31, 2009 3:14:06 GMT -5
Angel kept walking, but he glanced over the non-lemur-inhabited shoulder to Rivienne, an expression of boredom on his face.
"Hey, you remind me of somebody. Can you make pakora good enough to make grown men cry too?"
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 3:52:27 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 31, 2009 3:52:27 GMT -5
Rivienne laughed lightly, leading them in through the front gate. The courtyard stretched out before them, beyond it the looming castle.
"I can't imagine anything I've cooked bringing a person to tears, but I think I could manage an edible pakora. If you're all that hungry, I believe there are some leftovers in the fridge you could have. There's curry vindaloo and a bit of chicken tandoori, and if you're willing to wait for it to cook, there's more than enough rice." She glanced up at the lemur. "I'm sure there's enough for your little friend, as well."
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 4:02:26 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 31, 2009 4:02:26 GMT -5
The little lemur perked up, tilting his head slightly and peering at Rivienne. Food certainly did sound good, and if he could find a place to sit down and relax -- and possibly find something to do with Angel, and maybe a few people to talk to -- then Frog would be happy to stay for a while here. The entire place was large and sparkly and interesting looking, and probably full of secret rooms and legends and strange people.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 14:45:43 GMT -5
Post by Angel Kapur on Oct 31, 2009 14:45:43 GMT -5
Angel blinked and shoved his hands in his pockets, not looking at her, deciding not to make a decision about her quite yet.
"Eh, dunno, he eats a lot," he looked to the lemur. "You might wanna hide any cookies or cake or soda you have."
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 16:50:14 GMT -5
Post by Frog on Oct 31, 2009 16:50:14 GMT -5
The lemur chattered in mild offense. Really, if Angel just went around telling people to hide all the good food, he'd have to go looking for it, and they might even eat the best ones away from him. Frog poked Angel in the ear in slight protest.
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ExoWoD
Oct 31, 2009 17:53:22 GMT -5
Post by Rivienne Volkova on Oct 31, 2009 17:53:22 GMT -5
Rivienne snorted. "Well, I don't think that's going to be an issue," she replied mirthlessly. "All of our sweets keep disappearing. Two days ago I made a batch of brownies, turned my back literally for fifteen seconds, and then the entire pan was missing."
As they approached the main doors, Rivienne jumped ahead of Angel, unlocking the front door and stepping aside to let him pass. "I'll lead you to the kitchen, then I'll escort you to one of our unoccupied dormitories. You can stay there until I've had an opportunity to discuss this with the headmaster."
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