The Festival of Mirrors (OPEN to ALL!)

[visualspice]

OOC: As long as it states it- this thread is open to all! This thread is dedicated to the opening of the Hall of Mirrors: information can be found by reading the plotting thread here.



These were trying times, and although the Grand Duke felt the weight of these years with much gravity, he kept his expression muted to any of his plight. He was known for appearing stoic, almost statuesque in the way he stood, an odd legacy to see the living version to compare to the very statue of himself which stood at a large out stretch of lawn, neatly tucked within manicured shrubbery and trees.

It was a lavish statement to be sure, to put his own image within the Hall of Mirror open gardens, but it was suggested he remind his people just who to thank for this park-like reprieve. And what noble garden, for it was fashioned from, came without a statue from it's name sake?  Although one might wonder why his back was to the mirrors, which stood in tall, glimmering majesty behind him, all of them resting on sturdy stone pedestals, strong enough in fashion to keep the two story tall mirrors upright.

They were positively glowing in the evening sun; the day being as perfect as any could dream; with purple clouds resting high surrounding the distant mountains, and the sun casting long shadows and the world in a golden-orange hue. The whispers in the crowd of those not of nobility, those that could fetch a clean sight of the Grand Duke were in awe. He looked as perfect as the statue behind him, and as it was announced the specific purpose of the gardens, many murmured amongst themselves with excitement-
But of course, some with contempt.

"One has to wonder who he thinks he is? Giving us a statue of himself, bah. And to think, our taxes were raised for such a thing." said one woman, whose voice was, Kentamin thought, a bit too loud for how critical she spoke. His eyes kept sharp to her as she went on, the women around her simply nodding, but the anxiety was palpable. Even though this was something to ease that tension, for now, it was bringing to light how much it existed. All of the people, Kentamin observed, looked.. Well, tired.

How long had this war been going on? They spoke of taxes, yes- a necessity, but he had to wonder how much it really impacted them.
But then again, why should he care? He found himself glancing away, tuning out the lengthy speech from the Grand Duke to thoughts somewhere else. That's when someone caught the corner of his gaze- of which he hadn't meant to stare...

[Vhargul]

     An actual festival... and in the midst of a war, no less. What felt like eons on the Ice had all but wiped the concepts from the vampire's mind. A small smile crept across his lips only to be quickly subdued by a sharpened fang behind it. No point in getting swept up in all the emotion, just yet- lest he get lost in his own food source.
A fingertip traced gently over the sigil carved into his wrist, the incantation in old tongues cycling through his mind. The sun was hot and bright, but it was setting slowly. Even so, he felt the extra protection to his skin wouldn't hurt. Milky-white eyes flicked up to the towering mirrors, cautiously observing the reflection of the sun- following the path of heat from the sky to the ground. It was hypnotic, in its own way.

A strip of light flicked across his fingers, causing him to squeeze his fist and recoil slightly. It burned horribly, but the flesh and skin were still there. Good. It worked. Straightening back up, he took in the crowd which were clad in their own various classes and tastes. His own was simple: layers of thick-woven black inlaid with obsidian beads in unknown sequences and sharp patterns about their hems, contrasted by sharpened silver spines which almost seemed to drip from his ears and neck. It was quite apparent that he was foreign, though he did seem well-to-do in his own right. Needless to say, he hadn't a clue what was taking place- over six centuries had passed without him- but he was parched all the same.

[Kingfisher]

Though perhaps the templar noticed another of the social oddities amid the throng.  Alexis Mandel was no great beauty by the standards of those around her, marred as she was by the knotted scars about her temple.  She did what she could to conceal the damage with makeup as well as a somewhat lop-sided hat.

It had taken her some time to decide in what capacity she would be attending the occassion.  She was, after all, a soldier by trade, and she had no intent to hide that fact.  However, she was also a lady - a business-woman as it were - and if she intended to sell her army, she could not exactly expect to do so by alienating her potential clients.  So it was that she stood aside, wearing a tightly fitted dress that helped accentuate her figure.  No weapons were visible on her person, though she knew she had a dagger and pistol if she needed, though without her own sword, she would mostly depend on her bodyguard, a small unit of swordsman that had mingled into the crowd.

As the Grand Duke's speech went on, the mercenary tried to stay as far back amid the enraptured mob.  Though unlikely, she had lived much of her life in the capital and could not be certain whether he might recognise her...

[visualspice]

There was absolutely no way he couldn't look at him. What on earth was some non-Connlaothian doing at such a Connlaothian event!? Sure, the Grand Duke held this in honor for all- But what a spectacle to see such a man with heathen tattoos littering his body and unearthly eyes. What island did this stranger exactly wash up from? And in spite of himself, Kentamin felt himself shiver just being in the same area as this man. He debated keeping a close eye on him, for the sake and safety of others-
But another part of him just wanted to stay as far away as possible. The man just... it made him feel quite uneasy. Ansgar spare him if he decides to stay away. Hadn't he been challenged enough in the great God's name?

The speech was coming to an end, and he heard applause rising up from the crowd. It was enough of a distraction to tear his eyes from stranger back towards the Grand Duke. Antsy as he was, he hadn't entirely calculated his walking past as the crowd began to disperse, and his eyes began to seek out that stranger in the crowd again-
For in the very least to avoid him.

Which is exactly when the templar found himself bumping hastily into the shoulder of a woman.
"Please, forgive me," Kentamin's apology was hastily given as he gave the woman a bow, and tried not to make it obvious he was looking everywhere else but her...
Where had that blasted heathen with the unearthly tattoos gone!? The sea of moving people didn't much help, nor the fact the crowds were easily reflecting the very tall mirrors in which they had came to enjoy.

[Vhargul]

  The hairs on his neck stood on end. In terms of heat, the crowd was nearly indistinguishable from one another, but he always knew a stare when he felt one. To the side, but just back; out of normal peripheral sight. Someone who knew a thing or two about tracking people. People, but not vampires.

  He felt the gaze tear away for a moment, only a moment, and chose to move in that instant, concealing his smaller form behind that of one of the natives. They were leaving a touch early and he kept pace, staying in stride about an arm's length away. He kept his eyes locked forwards, using only his peripherals to guide him about, switching from one person to the next until he had sidled himself up just behind whoever had been staring. Their pulse was slightly elevated; they were putting off a little more decipherable heat up close. He smelled a bit of perspiration forming in their palms.

  Suddenly, an impact between two figures. The blockier one had run into a slightly curvier one, which explained the sputtering apology and quick bow. So they were still something of a fledgling, then? Quaint. With his limited sight, he couldn't decipher that the other figure was heavily scarred aesthetically, but only that there was a little more insulation on the side of their face and arm. Both scars and bits of clothing had that alike property for him.

  Shifting his attention back to his new admirer, he noted that the signs of anxiety had heightened. Likely because of where he was not and where he could have been at that very moment. Grinning softly, he stepped forward, now just beside the figure, almost brushing against him. His accent was odd, a gentle mix of Thanati flair completely caked in the informality and harshness of the northern Tundra. He spoke with a slight chuckle and a false-hushed tone, pretending to peer into the crowd as well,"Whole 'lotta weirdos out tonight, huh? Gotta make sure they don't ruin the party."

[Kingfisher]

The rough collision drew the mercenary's attention away from the "Big Leader's" self aggrandizement and she found herself looking at an apologetic Templar.  His attention seemed to be directed elsewhere but the Heretical woman found herself growing somewhat tense around him; White Lily deserters were not their usual quarry but zealots were always dangerous...

Before she could even accept the boys apology, another man seemed to appear out of the crowd, standing at the templar's elbow and shorter than either Connlaothian; she was unsure why this was the first aspect of the odd man to strike her, given he was clearly Thanati and not fully human, judging by the long canines tucked behind his lips.

Still, despite being a cannibal (though she might question the applicability of the term later), Alexis found his presence a small comfort.  "'Weirdos' indeed," she remarked, offering slight smirk.  "But what can you expect at an event open to the public..."  She quickly ammended her comment, admitting, "I suppose I have little room to complain," with a shrug.

[visualspice]

Kentamin grimaced, not only at the man's words, but just simply at how he spoke. And perhaps the fact he was too close for comfort. He never liked to be caught off guard.

Nose to the air, he examined the man a lot more closely, and took a proper step back from the pair before him so as to keep polite distance when speaking, but his eyes never once left the milky-white eyed Thanati.

"An unfair statement to the locals," Kentamin was sharp to retort, his tone trying to remain firmly even, if not disapointed, but also somewhat stiff so as to conceal his discomfort. But his discomfort could probably have been felt by all- no fancy templar armor could hide that from a crowd.
He lifted his nose, eyes still on the 'weirdo'.
"And local you are not. But it is a curious thing, to wonder why an Islander would join us for such an event."
Not a lot of foreigners were visiting the country as of late-
There was a war going on, after all. However, the capital was probably one of the safest places of them all.

[Vhargul]

Luckily, the sun had set a little more in just the duration of the Duke's speech and their little talk thus far. Less chances to be burned. Even if his thaumatic protection was a divine gift, he was still quite paranoid when utilizing it. Should he lose favor, even briefly, there was no telling when the ability would be plucked from him. His blank eyes seemed to flick between the two of them as they spoke. The curvier one agreed with his sentiment, which was fair, but it was more of a playful jab at what he could only assume was a Zealot of some sort. At being called an 'Islander' he could not bite back the large grin and exhale as he stifled a laugh in his throat. He decided to explain: "I haven't seen an island for the better part of a millennium. Nearly Six-hundred and Fifty years on the Ice would make me more of a... native to those parts, no?" He paused momentarily to think before continuing,"Only reason I'm here is 'cause you were closest- and I enjoy parties."

The entire time he was speaking, he had been inching away from the curved humanoid in order to create an equal distance between the three of them. He had no bearing on what her particular proclivities were and he figured he couldn't take chances. Zealots, however, were easy enough to reason with. He also found it peculiar that she was impeding his psychic feeding process, though that also seemed to lessen the farther he moved away.

He didn't need to have his attention on the crowd at large to draw from them. He only had to mentally scrape at the excess buzzing emotion that existed in the air; draining someone dry would have raised too many red flags.

[Kingfisher]

Alexis, like all adhara, could not see the true effect of her ability but she noticed the revenant backing away from her.  This told her more than the creature had likely intended but she chose to actively ignore it.  Despite the type of creature he was, she doubted he would pick a fight.

"You know," she admitted, addressing the vampire, "Few of your kind would advertise their immortality in public around here."  She gave a subtle nod to the zealot as she said, "Connloathians can be quite unreasonable on the subject of the unnatural..."

Of much greater concern was the tension clear in the templar's stance.  The white-eye'd monster had him on edge in a way that warned of potential conflict.  Her right hand slipped into the slit in her skirt, carressing the handle of her concealed pistol, instinctively running conflict scenarios through the back of her mind.  Still, she remained outwardly civil, even ignoring the growing bruise where the man's armor had struck her.

[visualspice]

Kentamin's eyes narrowed into poisonous slits. It was only due to the presence of the woman he didn't immediately lash out at the island braggard. Instead, it took him a second to swallow the words, which swelled on his tongue, and when they settled into his belly, felt vile- like acid.

"Make no mistakes, today is a day for celebration." Was he saying it more for this outsider, or himself? It would be a pity for a sudden commotion to explode so early into the event. People were only beginning to walk through the gardens, taking in the fancy mirrors- and mostly ignoring Kentamin and the motley crew.

Diplomatic. Diplomatic.

He ground his teeth. This would be more difficult than he thought. Then again, he did remain engaged. Perhaps it best if he remained there to distract this... thing. His eyes latched to Alexis. A better sight to distract, to be sure, even if she seemed a little rough around the edges. But it seemed she knew something about this man- and if Kentamin made it noticible he knew just what the day walker was, he made no show of it. Or perhaps, he knew nothing so nothing was to show.

"Strange or not, I hope the pair of you will take the time to admire the Grand Duke's gift."
It was something to behold- the massive mirrors glittering like gold ad copper in the setting sun.
"This event, after all, is an open affair."
His eyes, he couldn't excuse, shifted back to the vampire.
"Locals and foreigners alike are encouraged to partake." He gestured towards the closest mirror, where the crowds gathered the most, but were finally beginning to disperse as they journeyed towards the second one- making it an ideal opportunity for Kentamin to suggest,
"Why don't the pair of you follow me an we can view the mirrors together?"

Best keep the damn creepy, milky eyed man close. And the woman- he was none the wiser if she had an ulterior motive. For all he knew, she could be the worse of the 3. Then again, who was to say Kentamin wasn't, after all- it was quite noticeable he harbored some fire towards the vampire-
and Kentamin could not hide the disdain from his eyes.

[Vhargul]

Vhargul rolled his eyes reflexively in response to the Adhara. "I 'ppreciate the advice, Mother, but it's the honest truth. Wouldn't figure a doting maternal figure like yourself to encourage lying." He paused for a moment, raising his heavily marked hands,"I'm just here to drink a bit of wine, not to be killin' for sport. Might even pick up a stray, who knows?"

One half of his split tongue flicked over an exposed fang as he eyed the templar. Poor thing. He was trying so hard to be civil. Though, it was his own bigotry that made it such a task in the first place. Meanwhile, he had no issues with the Connlaothians- they tasted nice enough and they were fairly warm once cracked open, so to speak. A nation of inward softies, really. The invitation, even if somewhat choked, only reinforced this theory of his, to which he politely obliged.


The mirror was hulking, several stories tall and several people wide. He had a tough time deciding if it was a monument to innovative technology or outright stubbornness thinly veiled as perseverance. Even so, he was taken by it. His perception of sight was wholly different from those around him and it took three distinct senses to interpret the curvatures of his face and the intricacy of his markings within the glass. He reached out a hand, letting it hover just over the surface, feeling the reflected heat of the setting sun. While he likely didn't appear as more than a smudge in the mirror to those around him, he could see himself in his totality. After a brief moment, he piped up,"Jokes aside, I haven't been able to see myself in a very very long time so this is... new, I'll give you that much."

[Kingfisher]

As much as she hated it, Alexis had to admit the sheer scale of the polished devices was impressive, especially as they glowed in the light of the setting sun.  Such works were still beyond the capabilities of most craftsmen and would have taken years if she had to guess; entire workshops monopolized on the Grand Duke's whim...unless the had been made by the aid of magic...

Of greater concern to the mercenary at the moment was the tension between the templar and vampire.  The scarred woman noticed her moderating effect and as much as she wanted to be away from the pair, seeking out prospective clients but if hostility broke out, she would quickly lose her chance anyway as the crowd was forced to disperse.

So, Alexis lingered, tagging behind the duo by a small measure.  When again the painted man spoke of his time on the snow, she gave him a perplexed look.  "You've never bothered to use a basin of water of a piece of ice?"  It was, after all, how most would make do.

[visualspice]

It was hard to tell if Kentamin laughed or scoffed at the lady's remark, but in truth, it was more of a gesture to hide his nerves best he could. After all, how was he supposed to react to not seeing someone in the mirror?

It was a strange phenomenon,  and he perhaps stared longer than he ought to, when a passer byer brushed his coat- Kentamin was quick to arm himself with a sword.
When the poor apologetic woman stepped aback, he found himself frowning at his own reaction and bowing to her with his own apology as he sheathed his blade.

"Carry on and enjoy the day," he said to her, as she moved along to be with her family.
Kentamin frowned now, observing the mass of people gathering...
It was indeed a lot bigger turn out than he would have liked, and he felt so small in the middle of this sea of people.