Movements of Fire and Shadow [M] (Marjorie)

[quaggan]

 The Marquis' brow twitched slightly at the unusual answer, but he gave nothing else away. He smiled, clearly enchanted by Arlan's otherworldly beauty. "That's quite a broad domain, my lord - and one I'm quite familiar with, as well. Is it you I have to thank for the hospitality I experienced within? Then you have my gratitude."

He probably realized that he was staring, so he quickly poured all his social acumen into trying to make conversation. "I haven't seen you before, Lord of Oaths" he began, keeping his voice cordial. "What brings you here to Serendipity?"

[Marjorie]

"Hospitality? Well..." Neese chuckled lightly, "I do like to consider myself cordial and polite, but I don't know that I'm personally responsible for your success in that way." He tilted his head as if considering the possibility.

"Family business," Neese smirked, not his family, but that hardly mattered, now did it? He was growing board with this conversation now though, so just because he could, he turned, and looked Coriander up and down.

"Did you like what you saw?" he asked rather brashly. "I find mortals of interest... sometimes." He took off his coat, and tossed it rather carelessly at a passing servant, just to show off a little more of his self in this form. The tailored cut to his shirt and pants accentuated him physique in all the right ways. He grinned and then took another sip of his wine.

[quaggan]

 The lord frowned at such clear sign of being ignored, but the word 'mortals' that slipped out captured his attention immediately. His eyes widened, as his mind only now put together the other hints littered throughout the conversation. Could it be? Was this mysterious lord a Fae from the legends?

  Of course, Marquis Evergliet wasn't the only person to have a realisation - his new son was standing just as close, and would have heard the same. Would he link the mysterious' guest's identity to the strange vision he was not ready yet to accept as his own memory? And if so, would he take the easy way out and dismiss it as the Fae playing tricks on him, or would he understand that his powers gave him access to what mortals would forget? Only time would tell.

The servant barely managed to catch the coat, staring at Arlan's form. Good - Coriander would have to punish him if he got one of his guests' clothing dirty - especially the belongings of someone he wanted to impress. He wondered if it was just a normal, although a very fashionable and lovely, piece; or if it was created in the Fae realm out of the stuff of dreams. But he could think about it later - as beautiful as it was, the one formerly wearing it was far more interesting.

"I do" he admitted. There was no use playing coy - his falsehood could be quite easily seen through, and wouldn't achieve anything. He had no reason to try and hide his attraction, and he had a feeling Arlan wouldn't appreciate it either - it was a boring and simple tactic, and surely an immortal Fae would see enough mortals use it to grow tired of it.

[Marjorie]

To be frank, Neese couldn't care less if the servant had dropped his jacket, he'd have just made it disappear into thin air, rather than touch the floor. Oh, it wasn't an accident, or a slip of the tongue - the way Neese referred to them. It was dismissive, as if they were not capable of taking advantage of him, no matter what they knew about him. They were, all of them, beneath him, and aught to know it.

That didn't mean he was above playing with them though.

Coriander's reaction to him was much more interesting - he appeared much more impressed with Neese, than did the Marquis. He grinned, indulgent. "I thought you might," he said, turning around in a smooth movement that didn't even require him to move his feet -- it was more like as he turned his head further around to face him, his back became his front and his front became his back.

[quaggan]

 Coriander's eyes widened as the Fae turned - or was it even the right word? It looked as if Arlan simply switched his front and back around - or perhaps there was no back to begin with and he had a second face like some pagan god. No, that couldn't be right - he saw his behind, after all. It was probably just some trick - and a very convenient one. It looked quicker than having to turn one's body around - or at least more flashy.

Well, he could do better than just stare. An idea came into his mind, and he decided to follow upon it. The last thing he wanted was for his guests to steal the Fae away from him - while most of the time, he was a generous person, always willing to share and see what others made of what he permitted them, but it seemed like this was where he'd draw the line.

"Would you like to see the Storm Garden?" he asked. It was his father's great pride and joy - he brought rare seeds from his trade expeditions all over Le'raana, hired the best gardeners money could buy, spent a small fortune on enchantments that mimicked different climates in order for his plants to thrive here in Arca. What he intended to be a sanctuary for him to enjoy the reprieve from his travels, soon became a target of intrepid urchins who kept trying to climb in and steal some plants. The house guards had their hands full.

Of course, the rabble weren't the only people who wanted to see it. Most of the time, the curious nobles targeted Coriander, out of the simple reason that was elimination. The lord of the house and his daughter were rarely home, and the rest of the family were neither sociable nor the kind to be seduced and bring a stranger home. It was quite fun, trying to guess if a person approached him in hopes of getting in, or for some other reason.

Perhaps he was getting a bit forward, inviting someone to the Storm Garden so early, but he wasn't worried. He wasn't yet showing his full hand, and it was just one of many things he had to offer.

[Marjorie]

More flashy, yes, well... wasn't that the point, after all?

"Storm garden?" What an odd name. Coriander wasn't so important that Neese had ever even heard of him before he'd decided to invite himself to his party. It was a name he'd heard on the lips of others when he had heard about this party, and so, he didn't even know what was so special about it.

However, the reactions of the others in the room - subtle or not - gave away something that pleased Neese in a base way: envy. He stepped closer to Coriander. "I do believe I would." If only because the invitation seemed to be somewhat exclusive.

[quaggan]

 Coriander felt his lips curve in a victorious smirk. He wasn't so arrogant as to think that his father's little hobby was known even by their ancient ancestors, but a Fae would probably be attuned to the emotions of those around him - especially Serenians who shared his blood. He should at least know that it was something that would cause envy of others, and that alone made it worthy. Perhaps in this aspect, mortals and immortals were alike.

"This way" he began, heading up the stairs. He could feel the stares of the guests at his back, most of them quickly redirected to his companion. His hearing wasn't so good that he could hear their whispers, but he know they were already starting to gossip among themselves, wondering what could make their host retire prematurely from a celebration he put so much coin and effort. There was probably also an undertone of jealousy - even seen only from behind, the Fae lord was a creature of unearthly beauty.

Coriander led his chosen guest through the hall. He had to stop to take the key to Storm Garden first. His father would have preferred to keep it by his side even through his travels, to ensure that no intruders sneaked inside during his absence, but knew better than to risk losing something so important. He didn't exactly trust his unreliable eldest child with the knowledge of its location - it was something he found on his own, while looking for a good place to hide something secret. He didn't have the opportunity to make full use of it yet... until now.

[Marjorie]

Neese's ears were better, and he caught some of the envious and jealous whispers, and wondering about why Coriander would take him to the garden, and what the two or them were about or what they could be up to.

The fae followed Coriander up the stairs. A garden that lived behind a locked door. Things were getting more and more interesting. What could be so important about this garden that it was kept locked. Now his interest was peaked a little more.

"May I ask, why is it called the storm garden?"

[quaggan]

 "My father chose the name" Coriander began to explain. "He travels all around Le'raana, and he procured every plant grown here. The name, Storm Garden, is some sort of a pun in one of the Yoreiqi dialects. The first part of the garden is meant to mimick the environment of one of the islands. This way."

The final staircase leading to the roof and Storm Garden ended in a rather small room. It was something the lord of the house intended to be his private retreat, rather than something to be shared with other people, so he didn't plan for a spacious entrance. The door was simple and almost lacking in adornments, save for an elaborate keyhole shaped like a cloud.

Coriander turned the key and pushed the door open to the first section of the Storm Garden. The whole place was covered in an enchanted dome, opaque from the outside and projecting an image of the sky from the inside. The enchantment held strong - the moment they entered the Storm Garden, hot humid air from the inside blasted them with heat.

It was as if a piece of one of the Yoreiqi jungles was transplanted inside the dome. The artificial sky was barely visible behind the onslaught of tree trunks, hanging vines, blooms of colour and a cloud of smells. The only thing that was missing were the insects - not that Coriander complained. If his father insisted on bringing the genuine giant mosquitoes back to Arca, the Storm Garden would become a place of hell rather than paradise.

[Marjorie]

Neese, or Arlan took in a deep breath and smiled. The magics of mortals were weak compared to his own, but they never ceased to make wonderful things with them when the opportunity struck. Neese was born of and bound to nature in ways that the various species of Le'raana couldn't even begin to understand. He neared one of the trees and caressed one of it's wide, flat leaves. As he did so, Neese began to change the hew of his skin taking on a green hue and darkening until it matched that of the leaf he was touching.

It wasn't the most impressive use of magic, to be honest, but the thing that was impressive about it was the idea that the mortals had put the magic to use to for-fill. That made it unique, and that uniqueness made it impressive in it's own small way.

He smiled wryly. "I wonder though, would your father approve of our being here?" 

[quaggan]

 Coriander watched with fascination as Arlan's skin changed into bark, almost indistinguishable from the tree itself. He's seen shapeshifters manifest their powers before - the Serenian people liked showing off their powers. Perhaps a scholar would appreciate what he was seeing, understand what was truly going on, able to compare mortal and Fae arts. To discern whether Arlan's descendants have improved upon the art of their blood, or if they were merely flailing at a far more primitive level. He couldn't.

The Fae seemed pleased by the beauty of the place around him, which in turn pleased Coriander. He chuckled at the question posed to him. "He can't choose to approve or not of what he does not know. And he won't be home for weeks. I would like to say that he wouldn't do something stupid like try and pursue you to the realms of the Fae to lodge his complaint, but perhaps that would be entertaining to see."

[Marjorie]

Neese chuckled softly. "I suppose you are correct," he said, not that he actually cared if the man's father would approve or not, he was just curious to see the man's reaction.

"It might be entertaining, but foolish indeed," he smiled. "Sometimes, I find you human find creative ways to put to use your limited magics. Beauty, if nothing else, is certainly something your people are adept at." Intelligence and wisdom, not so much.

[quaggan]

 Arlan's words brought to Coriander's mind a memory from some time ago. It was back then when he insinuated himself into the life of an aspiring young author. His actions were motivated by simple vanity, a desire to be a muse of a renowned artist, to command her gift as he pleased and be immortalised in the pages of her work. It turned out to be... not what he expected; rather than become the prism through which the light of her brilliance split, she kept bothering him about synonyms, endlessly discussed the differences between words and asked strange questions about trivia he had no knowledge of. Still, one idea she held on to stayed with him. She believed that the most important parts making a story were the limitations - a deity can wave her hand and reshape the world without even putting much thought into it, but a mere human has limits - his mortality, his weakness, his doubts; and it was overcoming those limits that made a good story. Perhaps the same principle applied here.

  What mattered was that Arlan was pleased, and so was Coriander, even though he had no hand in the making of the garden or even really gaining access. There was no arguing with gratification, though. "The door here leads to the part of the dome emulating the Hyoite tundra" he explained, disappearing behind one conveniently placed tree. "It's surprisingly rich, at least to me - I expected there to be nothing but snow."

[Marjorie]

Neese chuckled softly. How like a human to think an entire region of their world would be barren - nothing but snow. Water, the lifeblood of, well... all life, even frozen, life thrived in water. Limited, yes indeed mortals were limited in many ways, creativity not excluded.

"Surprising," Arlan arched an eyebrow, "are you so adept, as to be able to tolerate the change in weather so easily?" As he followed Coriander threw the door, into the chilly tundra, Neese sprouted thick fur and grew a velvet soft coat to keep himself comfortably warm.

[quaggan]

 Coriander bit down the swearword that naturally sprang to his lips at the sudden change of temperature. The difference between the hot humidity of the jungle and the cold wind that wafted through the open door was significant. Some of his clothes were damp from the tropical air, which only made the chill worse. It occurred to him that perhaps going from Yoreiqi to Hyoite part was not the smartest choice he's made this evening. He could only hope his overcoat wouldn't be completely ruined.

He followed the Fae and turned to close the door behind him. He didn't particularly care if some of the tropical plants died due to the cold, but he didn't want to antagonize his father yet. He cast a jealous glance at the Fae's soft coat. "I imagine our capability to adapt is limited by our presence of mind. I do have several warm coats in my wardrobe, but I didn't think to take them along."

[Marjorie]

Neese - Arlan, smirked, watching Coriander's reaction to the biting cold. The man might catch his death in trying to impress Neese, but the fay lord thought of it as little consequence, so long as he was entertained.

"So it appears," the fae lord agreed, fully indulging himself in the jealous glance that Coriander cast upon him. He gave a dismissive wave of his fingers toward the mortal and his clothes instantly warmed, and dried. The warmth would fade with time, as it had been the smallest of catrips he cast, but it would serve well enough to keep the man from freezing to death. "Sense you have been such a gracious host, I thought it only proper to return your kindness." A thing for a thing, yes, that was the correct way to go about things.

[quaggan]

 Coriander was considering cutting the visit to the Hyoite section short, when a sudden cocoon of warmth enveloped his body and dried his unfortunate garb. He instinctively reached for the door handle, thinking that he hasn't shut it properly after all and now the hot wind was blowing through. But it was not the work of indifferent air, just his guest. "Why, thank you" he responded, his lips stretching in a charming smile. Perhaps he was a failure of a Serenian, not having a convenient enchantment or a power on his own to regulate temperature to his needs, but the end result was the same, and the way it has come about was even more pleasant.

The Hyoite section wasn't as crowded with plants as the imitation of Yoreiqi jungles was. The size of the segment was hidden by the large trees - spruces, pines and other evergreens, although their dark needles were almost completely covered by a thick white layer. There was some snow falling from the sky that seemed too high for the dome - Coriander couldn't tell where the ceiling was or how the enchantment worked, but Arlan probably could. Despite what the logic might have dictated, the ground was polychromatic, a surface commanded by the colourful grasses and lichens proudly defying the plain whiteness. Some dwarf shrubs and heathers sprang up from the ground, their wild shapes untouched by the gardeners' shears.

[Marjorie]

Neese had always found that humans tended to destroy the land, that they always sought to tame and bring under their control the wild places of the world - and yet, here was a place dedicated to replicating something wild. It was beautiful, yes, but it was also wholly contained - truly tamed, and in that, the awe of it was somewhat dimmed. The thing about nature, about truly wild places and things that was most attractive to the fae lord was the ever present potability of danger. Where, after all, would the thrill of life be, if not in taking a risk to gain a desired reward.

Arlan sat down in the snow, and ran his fur covered fingers threw it. As he did so, his clothing dissolved, leaving him just his fur covered human-ish form. He picked up a handful of snow and blew on it, sending a cloud of sparkles threw the air.

[quaggan]

 Well, that wasn't the first time one of Coriander's guests took off clothing at his party. It wasn't even the quickest, this honour would most likely be held forever by the Streaking Baron. But it was still the first time a Fae showed up unannounced and a Fae took off his clothes - but was it truly what happened? He wouldn't put it past the mysterious lord to be able to just command his body to grow the desired fabric - or wear glamour only. The fur stayed, which made judging the contours of Arlan's body rather difficult. Had the noble possessed such magical powers, he would have cast an enchantment over himself to always keep his body comfortable regardless of weather, so that he wouldn't have to compromise fashion for health's sake.

He stared at the sparkling snow flying through the air, a miniature snowstorm in the space of few inches. Did Arlan enchant it when he was holding it? Coriander attempted to catch it, but it only melted on his skin. A pity.

[Marjorie]

Neese smiled, something playful and almost child-like, but then he was up and on his feet again. He chuckled lightly when Coriander started, magic was so intuitive for him, so seeped into his every fiber, his every action. He often forgot how surprising it could be for mortals, his ease of it's use and his nonchalance about it.

After glancing around another moment, the fey lord looked back to Coriander, expectantly - he had come here to be entertained, after all, he expected to see more.