Jaxor stood on the deck of the Grey Dawn, staring out over the dark ocean. The sun had been set for half an hour, but there was still a light glow in the sky to the west. The sea was choppy, and as the ship sliced through the water the spray was thrown up from the bow. Above his head the sails whipped in the wind. They were making fair speed; they would be in Thanatos by the following evening. Perfect.
The sailors moved around Jaxor, still work to do despite the darkness. They were all careful to avoid him, there was already a rumour amongst the crew to what Jaxor was, and none wanted to provoke him. So far, there had been no deaths on board, but the cabin boy had seen Jaxor board with a strange dark case, and had heard inside the sound of many glass jars. No-one wanted the mysterious passengers "luggage" to run out before port.
He was humming to himself lightly, one hand behind his back, the other playing with two ruby dice, clicking them together, rolling them around in his palm, making them dance along his fingertips. He was deep in thought, the wind whipping his dark hair across his face. He enjoyed sea travel.
A lone gull cried out, far from any shore. 'It must have come to sea to die', thought Jaxor, as he watched it wheel away from the mast and head back the way the ship had come.
A young woman by the name of Kimira was perched not far away on the ship's railing. The crew had warned her several times of her dangerous seat, only for their words to fall upon deaf ears. After many fruitless attempts, they had given up, many assuming their female passenger was slightly suicidal...Or just very reckless.
With one hand resting on the railing next to her, the blonde idly twirled an intricate silver scepter in the other. Amethysts and sapphires glinted in the dying sunlight as the staff flashed in perfectly executed circles. It was obvious that the stunt was a sign of boredom and self-amusement, as was indicated by Kimira's pale features. A small scowl was upon her lips, a blonde eyebrow arched with impatience. The young mage gave a sigh and abruptly stopped her scepter's movement, slamming the end of it into the deck. A crewman or two started at this.
"Ugh...This is horribly boring..." She could be heard muttering under her breath. Slumping, Kimira flopped onto her back, lacing her fingers behind her head. She was now laying across the railing, one leg propped across another. Certainly a much stranger...And more dangerous pose. Once again, however, the female ignored this blithely.
((o_o Horrible...Post...Shoot me...Now...x_x -dies-))
Jaxor was brought out of his thoughts by a large bang on the deck nearby. He glowered at the female, dangling herself over the edge of the railing, and thought for a few moments about giving her a swift push. One glance at the scepter, that which was responsible for jarring this thoughts, and he changed his mind. He had upset a mage once before. Not an experience to repeat.
He turned back to the horizon, and cleared his throat loudly.
"I thought it was bad luck to bring a woman on board" he said, the dice in his hand still clicking.
(OOC - Nothing wrong with it! I sound like a shakespeare reject!!)
"Well then we are all doomed, aren't we?" Kimira retorted, glaring back at Jaxor upside-down. Her short blonde hair dangled away from her forehead, revealing a strange, azure symbol etched upon it. She ran her scepter around her in hand, pivoting it where it stood on the deck.
She was rather annoyed at the fellow crew member's arrogance. Men irritated her in general, but superstitious ones were the worst. Nothing to set her off like an old wives' tale.
How pitiful... Kimira thought with a slight roll of her violet eyes, before glancing back at the sky.
Jaxor grinned and continued to stare at the pitching waves. He could feel the mage's emotions of pity and disdain flowing from her, but he didn't venture into her mind. Who knows what you could find in a head like that.
He watched her without watching her. She was quite pretty, though he rarely went for blondes, but her eyes were quite striking. He always had a thing for eyes. He pondered for a while what she would be seeking in Thanatos, what his own fortune would hold when they docked in port. His mind drifted further; into the wherabouts of the woman's cabin and her preferred sleeping attire.
A particularly large wave hit the edge of the boat, throwing up a wall of spray that crashed down onto the deck and showered Jaxor in sea water, his coat and hair dusted with droplets. He glanced up at the Mage to see if she had been hit as well.
Kimira cursed loudly... Obviously she had been hit by the water as well. She sat up off of her perch and glared at the water, clutching her scepter tightly. "I'll drain this whole ocean..." She hissed menacingly to herself, violet eyes flaring.
After calming down a bit, (and shaking off some water), she slumped back to her former position. Running a hand through her wet hair, she scowled to herself, obviously not enjoying something. She abruptly rolled over onto her stomach, resting her chin in the pale hand not holding her weapon.
"Is it really necessary for you to probe my emotions?" She questioned icily, slightly tilting her dripping head to one side. "I find it rather annoying..."
Jaxor arched an eyebrow at her remark and swallowed the laugh at seeing her drenched by the wave. "Probing? I'm hardly probing. Perhaps you should learn to conceal your emotions better. Unless you want me to probe..." he pushed at her mind with his own, not entering, but running invisible fingers over her mind, probing, as she had so put it.
He stopped after a moment, when he was interrupted by a skittish crew member who had moved over and cleared his throat near them. Jaxor glared at the boy, and when he didn't speak he barked "What?"
"M-m-m-my c-captain thinks it w-w-wise to r-r-r-return below d-decks, sir" he stammered, clutching his hat in his hands and twisting it in his uncomfort at being so near Jaxor. Jaxor took a step closer to him and smiled as the boy winced.
"Tell your c-c-captain that his thoughts are noted, boy." he turned back to the ocean, aware that the boy was still behind him, waiting to be dismissed.
This act earned another roll from the blonde's eyes. "I normally have no reason to conceal my emotions because people are not normally sneaking about them." She snarled under her breath. Bracelets jingled as she sat up and crossed her arms. "And that was NOT an invitation for you to go probing." she added.
Kimira then noticed the stuttering boy and raised her eyebrows as she watched him tumble over his words. Children were another thing that tended to get on her nerves. Especially when she was already angered.
"I think I'll stay out here and drown, thanks..." She retorted to herself, looking up and frowning back at the sky. Once again, she began to twirl her scepter around, obviously unentertained once more.
((o_o Bumpeth...))
(OOC - Gah! Sorry! Stupid houseguests!)
Jaxor stared at the boy icily until he got the hint and scuttled away across the deck. He walked over to the railing and leaned on it with his forearms, still fingering the dice. The mage girl seemed intent on ignoring him, and he was tossing up wether to tease her further or leave her to her thoughts. He wondered about her history, more importantly what level she was, how skilled in her powers. He had dabbled in the magic of mages before, a long time ago, but had found the discipline of the practice tiresome. Necromancy was his latest pet project. Hence the journey to Thanatos.
He watched the girl out of the corner of his eye.
"Well?" he said, keeping the humour out of his voice. "Don't you have a name? Or were you raised by ignorant peasants?" he said flatly, the sea spray dying down slightly as they crested a wave.
"Yes, I have a name." Kimira retorted. "But I fail to see why YOU must know it." She added icily, brushing back a strand of blonde hair ignorantly.
What an annoying man...Can they never stay silent?! She mused to herself in anger. However, irate she seemed, underneath, her curiosity was starting to brew... She had heard the whispers about the man from the crewmen, but had hardly believed a one of them. But in meeting him in person...Well, it was enough to make her wonder a bit...
But the curiosity quickly faded once more as Kimira felt Jaxor watching her. She turned slightly towards him and scowled, her amethyst eyes narrowing.
"May I ask why you are staring at me?!" She demanded heatedly, resting one hand on the railing beneath her and leaning upon it.
((It's all right! I was just bumping for the sake of it...^_^U -dodges shoes-))
Jaxor blinked disdainly and turned back to the ocean. This young woman was obviously going out of her way to irritate him. He contemplated turning away and returning to his cabin, but he knew once there he would have nothing to keep him occupied. If the girl did not change her tone soon though, there would be nothing to hold back his temper.
"You have a strange idea of staring" he said coldly. "Not that I see anything worth staring at. You are obviously a Mage so I held you in a higher regard than most, but I fail to see anything higher than an insolent apprentice." He slipped the die back into his pocket and cracked his knuckles one by one.
"I asked your name as we are both passengers on this ship. If you do not wish to divulge such information then suit yourself. However if you seek a relief of the boredom you so obviously feel on this voyage, I would expect you to be mildly civil."
His eyes flashed dangerously. His temper was unpredictable, flaring at irregular intervals, this being one of them. Perhaps it was his lack of contact on the voyage so far, or perhaps the weather and the girls insolence had combined to break his previous blaze mood. Either way, Jaxor was feeling dangerous.
Kimira turned around on the railing and arched an eyebrow. "If you find it necessary to know, my name is Kimira. And yes I am a Mage, but by no means an apprentice..." She finally murmured flatly.
Pushing herself off of the railing, she stood on the deck and brushed back a strand of hair. Resting the jeweled end of her scepter on the ground, she put her other hand on her hip. "Now since I was nice enough to give you my name, it is only fair you give me your own, hm?" The blonde added, her violet eyes glittering impatiently. This man was not getting on her good side currently. However, he had easily sensed her boredom and her had been correct...She would have nothing else to do with her time if she chose to leave.
((Sorry for taking so long!! ;_; -bows-))
Jaxor smelt a waft of power on the wind, this girl was telling the truth. He smirked, but composed himself and his features smoothed, his expression unreadable. Perhaps he had misjudged this girl. She didn't seem to be as much of a flighty child as his first impression of her, and he wondered how much was a careful act.
He took a step towards her, almost invading her personal space and stared at her for a long moment. Finally he held out his hand and nodded his head lightly, his hair still whipping about in the storm.
"Jaxor" he said curtly, wondering if she would accept his handshake.
((OOC - By the By, I know it's been 2 months, I've been swapping jobs and moving house and all sorts of things, sorry I didn't post to let you know. I'll see if you're still there, if not tis cool - Rhymer))
((Oh, that's all right...-nods- I understand that things like that come up, it was no trouble at all...))
Kimira watched him quietly, scowling slightly at his apathetic nature. In days when she had been an apprentice, her teacher had had the exact same air about her. However, her presence was quite a bit more chilling than this Necromancer's, in the Mage's perspective. The woman had been one who could easily keep the respect of her students...After all, the price of not doing so was rather high.
She arched an eyebrow at his hand, rather reluctant at this gesture. She had never been one for such proper introductions. A simple acknowledgment was enough. But causing unnecessary fights upon this ship would be troublesome. It was best to just go along with things for now...After all, the young woman was stranded there until they reached land.
With that thought in mind, Kimira sighed to herself and warily shook Jaxor's hand.
As Jaxor shook her hand for a brief moment the thirst rose in him and he squeezed her fingers, resisting the urge to pull her closer and suck her dry. But he quelled the urge, letting go of her hand quickly and turning away. It would be suicide to try and drink a Mage, not to mention the headache it would give him if he succeeded. He looked out at the ocean and collected his thoughts while watching the rising and falling of the waves.
The rain was getting heavier, and was showing no sign of relenting. He turned back to Kimira and inclined his head towards the galley at the far end of the deck.
"Shall we retire to more... comfortable quarters?" he asked, holding out his hand and gesturing towards the galley. "Perhaps somewhere we can continue this delightful sharing of opinions of one another?"
Kimira noticed the slight squeeze upon her fingers and her amethyst eyes narrowed slightly. Even though she had not ever personally known a Necromancer, she knew the affects of their powers very well. Her teacher had warned her of them and given her specific rules on keeping herself alert. In her opinion, she seemed to be rather well equipped.
The flicker of a wary frown fluttered over her lips at his invitation. His idea of "close quarters" was most likely not the same as hers. Once again, though, she knew it would only cause uneeded problems if she refused.
"...Very well..." She gave a slightly curt nod, brushing back a strand of her slightly wet hair. She started past Jaxor, once again twirling her scepter through her hand as she went.
((Just thought I'd remind you, Jaxor isn't a Necromancer, he's going to study them. He's a Carpathian. :D ))
He watched the girl as she crossed the deck. She had quite sturdy sea-legs, and she dissapeared into the galley and down the steps. He paused at the door, looking up at the storm, and the deck of the ship covered in water, the sails whipping in the wind. For a moment he was reluctant to go below, feeling something electric and animal in the storm. He wanted to climb the highest rigging and scream into the wind, feel the rain lashing against his body. His eyes flashed dangerously and he took a step back onto the deck, but made himself stop.
He shook his head, rain flying about, and scowled at the sea. Temptation was not something that would control him. Not if he could help it. He had always believed in self discipline. The animal that he was would always be kept under control. Play second to the man that he had created. That he had mastered. The few slips that had occured were a learning curve. Never for those involved of course...
He followed Kimira down into the room, a small wooden dining area with a wooden table, a hanging lantern that swung with the motion of the ship, a large window that looke out over the black sea. The wind lashed against the glass and created a broken rhythm, and he pulled out a chair, swinging his feet up to rest on the windowsill, pulling the dice from his pocket and placing them gently on the table.
"What we really need, is some wine" he said, still fighting the adrenaline from the storm raging against the ship.
((Ah! That's right...So sorry...-bows- I have another character in a roleplay with a necromancer, I must have gotten them confused...So sorry...))
Kimira sat in the chair across from Jaxor, slouching somewhat and crossing her pale arms. A few tendrils of her dripping hair fell over her shoulder as well as about her face again. Compared to some other women her age, she looked quite unceremonious. Truthfully, though, she could have cared less. Lacking a family most of her life, manners and etiquette had never been much of a strong point. Not like she minded how others perceived her...They were usually right.
She arched an eyebrow at his comment. "Wine? What if I had been underage? I'm not, of course..." She added with a slight smirk. Sarcasm was always something she would use to keep her situations interesting. But mostly it just got her into trouble...Which, again, was not really a problem, as it kept her attention.
"However, it is really quite reckless for you to just go about, swinging alchohol about in the faces of innocent girls..." The blonde added, tilting her head slightly, giving a slight glare towards the clanking lantern near her. With a flick of her finger, it went still, as though latched to the wall.
"That's better...Such an annoying noise..."
The lamp stopped swinging abruptly and Jaxor raised an eyebrow. He had yet to meet a Mage that was modest. In his opinion they weren't the kind to conceal their powers. Not like him, anyway.
He laughed, slightly forced, at her lecture on drinking. "They way I see it, the younger you are, the less you need to get drunk. Besides, if you were under-age, I would be asking myself where your guardians were, leaving you to travel alone on this long voyage."
He leered at her for a beat, then resumed his normal blank expression, running his fingers over the ruby die that lay on the table. A large wave struck the glass windows and he was thankful that neither himself nor his new companion were seasick.
"Does that mean you do not want any wine?" he asked, eyeing a bottle that glinted underneath a cupboard to his left.
"Why would anyone really need to get drunk?" The blonde retorted with a slight scowl. "It only makes the idiots of the world act more idiotic...And even makes fools out of the few people that are still respectable...Also, even if I were[i/] under age, what makes you think I would need guardians? I have never needed them...I am not as frail and helpless as you may think."
With that said, she frowned at the opposite wall, a slightly disgruntled pout on her lips. Nothing annoyed Kimira more than being treated like a child. It was true, she had never needed guardians, even as a child...She was perfectly capable of defending herself.
"And why would I want any wine? Are you planning on poisoning me?" She questioned, glancing at him and arching an eyebrow curiously. "My teacher would be very angered by that...I have not even finished the job she sent me on..."
Jaxor grinned. Now it was getting interesting. He could tell he had his a sore spot, and this woman seemed to be the kind who would divulge information when sober, which ment all the more for him.
"I'll take that outburst as a no, them" he said, raising a hand. After a few moments the bottle dislodged itself and flew across the room into his hand. Jaxor continued grinning as he pulled the cork from the bottle and tossed it into the corner. May as well show her she was not the only one in the room with powers. For a moment, he felt like showing her his true nature, but thought it best she just think of him as an arrogant eccentric, rather than what he really was.
He took a long swig from the bottle and grimaced slightly. Not the best vintage, but it would serve his purpose. He put the bottle down on the table gently, steadying it with his free hand.
"So, Kimira," he said, slightly patronising, "Exactly what 'job' have you been sent to do?"
Her amethyst eyes watched the bottle, narrowing slightly as it moved from its former resting place. Was he trying to be intimidating? If so, he was doing a rather poor job...Simple parlor tricks were at the very bottom of the magic chain. Ah well. Whatever he was attempting, Kimira kept her mind and eyes alert, every one of her trained senses straining for a hint of ill-intent.
She frowned slightly at the emphasis put upon her name. "My job is not your business, if you must know. After I have completed it and returned to my teacher, you are more than welcome to try and extract information from her. I would not suggest this, however, as she is rather easily angered..."
She had found that rule out rather quickly as an apprentice. She had been the eldest student out of two under her teacher. Both had been ruled over strictly, even the slightest mistake bringing ruthlessness from their "master". While the younger pupil had failed to retain that same persona, Kimira had gained both her mentor's outlook and attitude for the world around her.
But it certainly came in handy.
"So hostile, so hostile" said Jaxor, tutting gently under his tounge. His eyes rested on the two dice, glinting in the lamplight, and his thoughts drifted. His mind was churning, but that was nothing new. He drifted in and out of focus, taking another long draft of the wine and letting it dangle from his long pale fingers. He returned from his thoughts and sighed.
"I've never had time for teachers. I prefer to be self taught. All this idolization and respect..." he spat suddenly on the floor, grimacing when it landed. His face changed, and he grinned at Kimira.
"Won't drink wine... how about a game of cards?" he said, scooping up the die and slipping them into his inside breast pocket, and bringing out a battered deck of cards. He shuffled them with one hand, while looking at his companion expectantly. "To pass the time?"
"Sometimes life requires a bit of hostility." Kimira muttered icily. "I will not waste my time listening to the ramblings of fools." She added, her eyes flashing dangerously at the mentally-drifting Carpathian. Why must all men be so troublesome?! They were good for nothing more than information and the occasional punch.
"I only let myself become a student for one reason. She could teach me what generations of learning and natural talent could not. And it was quicker. Much quicker. It would have been annoying to try and struggle and waste my life looking for things I could be told much easier..." She explained, blowing a strand of hair off of her forehead boredly. "And I do not 'idolize' anyone...I merely respect the fact that she, unlike many others, does not require a companion to be strong and feared."
She took to twirling her silver weapon once more. "And really...Why would I play cards with someone as suspicious as yourself? I could very well be selling my soul, hm?" She tilted her head slightly, peering at him.