The Inn (Shizzy)

[Anonymous]

Anandi sat on her freshly made bed and looked around at the sparse room. Sighing, she wistfully recalled the room she had left back home: the soft bed covered with a thick silken comforter, the beautifully woven rug covering the gleaming wooden floor. The room Anandi currently occupied was the anti-thesis of that - bare, simple, nondescript. Feeling the pangs of homesickness, she decided that some time out of the bedroom was all she needed. Some food, maybe, she reasoned, something to divert my attention. Nodding slightly, Anandi rose. Straightening her dress, she headed down the stairs and into the main room of the inn.

Anandi sat down at a small table. While she debated what to eat, she studied the dim room. The patrons were a hodge-podge of different races - she'd never seen so many different people in one place before! Rowdy laughter drew her attention to the farthest corner of the room, where a small group of men were enjoying ale - lots of ale. She watched, torn between amusement and disapproval, as one of them attempted to stand up and started weaving violently, much to the delight of his friends.

A small smile crossing her lips, Anandi looked down at the table. I shouldn't stare, she scolded herself. She looked up once more as the waitress headed her direction. The woman was friendly, and Anandi cheerfully engaged her in idle chatter for a few moments.

Alone once more, Anandi couldn't believe how much better she felt after only a few moments of conversation. Idly drumming her fingers on the table and absently chewing her bottom lip, Anandi silently scouted the room - a smile still lingering on her lips.

[Anonymous]

Ah this city was a social experiment!

He believed that he would be bored here, that without his two favourite subjects he wouldn't find anything to do anymore. That was wrong however. He found that there were so many troubled people, people that wanted help, people that wanted a sympathetic ear perhaps, or just people who wanted to share their story, and he was there for that. From his experiences of owning his own Inn, he knew that was a good place to look for them. Inns that had an attaching bar also worked as well for him, people self medicated, and while he didn't care about drinking, he preferred it in moderation though.

It was early though, there wouldn't be very many out drinking at this time. At least...there shouldn't be.

As he wandered into a particular Inn, one he rather fancied for it's calm atmosphere, warm people, and ultimately delicious water, he discovered that perhaps it wasn't that early for some people. There was a small group of men drinking in a corner, enjoying it however. It was a bad idea to rain on that particular parade really. A smile kept itself on his face as he looked around, there were so many people here, but he had talked to some of them already. One would have thought a man who dressed and looked like he did wouldn't be inside a tavern or an Inn.

How did he look?

Well, just like a holy man. Soft blonde hair, pale white skin that looks as soft marble, and well...no eyes. Not to say they weren't there, or perhaps they weren't, but at this time, they were covered at this time with a soft silken blindfold, white of course with a golden ivy print that ran along it. His outfit, which consisted simply of a robe with the similar design on it covered the rest of his body. If one looked close enough they could see his shoes, which were actually just thatched reed sandals. They were in terrific condition however, which might have been a little odd considering all the walking he did. He looked very clean, neatly preened and made up, but this was just how he always looked.

As he squeezed by a few people he tried to look for a place to sit. It was a little full, but finally he found a place to sit. It was a small table that had just three legs and wobbled a little. He didn't mind though. "Hey there Veccy, get'cha the same thing there love?" A waitress asked him, causing his smile to just double in size. "Of course Chell, large water, no ice, and a little lemon slice." The waitress was off, heading off to get him his drink right away.

That's all he ever ordered. Water. No food, no alcohol, no juices, it was always just water for some reason. He was a strange one indeed, there was no denying that.

[Anonymous]

Anandi glanced around as the room momentarily flooded with light. Someone must have entered the inn, she mused. Interest piqued, she began to examine her surroundings a bit more carefully. It wasn't as though there weren't plenty of people around already, but Anandi was always happy to "people watch", and a new addition to her current pool was welcome. She wasn't very subtle, eyes glittering and roaming about the room eagerly. She had hoped to maybe find a companion in this little inn, but apparently only the drunks were out this early. Hmm ... the drunks really shouldn't be out this early - but I suppose they really don't care what time it is, do they? Her attention wandered over to the group of merry men once more as she tried to rationalize their uncouth behavior this early in the day.

Realizing she was wasting her time eying the oblivious group, Anandi resumed her search for the newest addition to the room. She jumped slightly when she skimmed over the table to her right and encountered a very interesting man. He was like a breath of fresh air - everything about him gave off the impression of cleanliness and light. She couldn't decide what the blindfold covering his eyes was all about. She was positive they must be beautiful eyes, and even if he were blind surely the silken cloth wasn't necessary. As she watched him, however, Anandi realized that he didn't seem to be blind - he had managed to get to the table, after all, and if he had been knocking chairs over Anandi was sure she would have noticed. She wasn't sure why someone would wish to hide their sight, and if he weren't blind the cloth puzzled her all the more. Anandi had been studying him for a few moments before she realized that her actions might be perceived as rude or inappropriate. She blushed and glanced back down at her hands, her instinctive behavior when embarrassed. She thought about the man, however, thought about both his appearance and his occupation. I wonder how such a handsome man spends his time?

She decided he must be a noble - that seemed to be the most logical choice given his appearance and calm demeanor. This answer did not, of course, answer why he was present at the inn, but Anandi didn't dwell on that for too long. After all, she reasoned, the noble-born can do whatever they wish, where ever they wish, can't they? Shooting the man another quick glance, Anandi dared herself to speak to him.

[Anonymous]

Most people just saw the blindfold and assumed he was blind, even though he seemed to have terrific hand co-ordination, and not to mention he never walked into anything, bumped into anyone, or seemed to trip over any objects. He was a strange one, that was all there was to it. People just knew him as Vec, he wasn't noble born, at least, not in the sense that people perceived of course, he didn't carry much money on him, just a few pieces of silver, copper, and perhaps a gold coin or two he seemed to find on his travels. In Arca, he was just Vec, just a man who liked to listen to a good story, find out about a man's scar, a woman's unnatural hair colour, or a child's favourite play toy.

Calm, easy going, it also didn't hurt that he seemed to just radiate a sort ease, a strange feeling to all who were near him. Violent thoughts, behaviours, feelings, they just seemed to melt away and be replaced with peace. It wasn't magical, it was just how he acted, how he dressed, how he was looked at. People were easy to placate with colours, with body language, with expressions. Golds and whites helped to soothe, calm movements and a peaceful voice helped to gain respect from people, and being naturally boyish looking wasn't a downside either. He looked so young, but he commanded so much respect.

Perhaps that was the reason he dressed like a holy man?

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up suddenly, his face glancing around the room. He was being observed, which was slightly unusual. Most of the people here he knew already, or at least had a conversation with in passing. No one really stared at him anymore. His thoughts were torn from him as his waitress returned with a tall glass of water, just as he preferred. A slice of lemon. Citrus fruits were always enjoyed, he wasn't sure why. Peeling the lemon from the glass, he bit into it softly, squeezing the succulent juices from it. His face twisted just a bit as he finally caught the blast of sweetness from it, chuckling a little as he raised the glass to wash down the sweet taste.

Then he resumed looking about the inn for the source of his hair raising, and he found it. A young woman, one he was pretty sure he had never seen before. This cause a brilliants smile to cross his face as he slowly pushed himself to his feet. This could go well, he might get a new story today after all! How excellent. His stroll was casual as he approached her table suddenly, weaving around people and chairs with relative ease before he stopped in front of her. His empty hand went to his waste and he bowed low to her, his occupied hand stretching out to the side with a flourish as his right leg moved back. To bow with a flourish, to show one you were most humble in their presence.

He couldn't be without manners after all.

"Greetings to you child, you are a face I have not seen here before. Allow me to introduce myself, perhaps to better acquaint ourselves. I am Vec Lanrete, traveller, wanderer, story collector and sometimes the teller. May I sit with you, you look as if you have yourself a story to tell."

[Anonymous]

He looked interesting, she couldn't deny that. She also couldn't decide what she would say if she were to walk over and speak with him - he looked as though he'd seen it all and done even more. Surely a man such as himself would have heard everything and spoken with people of the most interesting variety. She sighed and picked at the table in front of her. I guess I won't bother him, she kicked at the floor. Shooting the man one last glance, she was startled to find him beaming in her direction. His face was absolutely radiant, and before she even processed her actions she was smiling back in response. She sat up straighter and watched him, wide-eyed as he approached her table. His elaborate bow found her scraping her chair back hastily and curtsying deeply. Her mother would furious if she had seen her daughter's somewhat flustered show, but it was a passably graceful curtsy nonetheless. Taking her seat once more, she smiled as the man introduced himself.

"I thank you for your kind greeting. My name is Anandi Bela, although most call me Di, and I am indeed a newcomer to this place. Please, do sit. I would love to share your company."

She paused for a moment, thinking about the long journey that had just ended, her family, her childhood. She wasn't even sure where to begin. A small sigh escaped her lips from the weight of all her memories bearing down.

"To be perfectly honest, I'm not sure how interesting my story is. I was born and raised in mountains to the far north. I have two sisters, one younger and one older. I lived with my siblings and my parents in our home - I suppose you could call it a manor: a big structure, white with many windows spanning the expanse of every room. Sometimes I would sit in the den and watch as the creatures of the forest lived and frolicked directly outside of the windows - it was such a wondrous sight!"

Her eyes were glassy as she relived some of her most cherished moments. Homesickness momentarily broke through the peaceful aura that surrounded her, and she blinked back tears. Breathing deeply, she looked up at Vec and smiled.

"I left home a few months ago. I had to ... I saw my older sister stay and be married off to this spineless male that she didn't even know - and I ... I just couldn't bear that. I had to leave to save myself - it was a purely selfish move, I know."

Her chest heaved heavily. The familiar guilt mixed with desperation was beginning to set in. She just wanted to build her own life, one where she wasn't constantly under a spotlight. She had dreams and goals, and passions just like everyone else - she loved her family dearly, but they hadn't been able to understand that. She swallowed deeply, waiting to hear the judgment she was sure would be forthcoming.

[Anonymous]

The woman seemed just a tad flustered by his sudden appearance and his bow. He didn't mean to surprise her, but she seemed to have manners of her own and curtsied right back to him, which was rather thoughtful of her. Not many people bowed in respect or curtsied anymore. This one knew at least what to do.

"Anandi Bela, a pleasure to meet you! Thank you, I think I shall do just that." And so he slid himself into a chair across from, his drink being placed in front him, both hands wrapped around it. He was dainty, a bit on the short side, but he held himself like he was ten feet tall at least. As she told him her life story, he seemed to focus on her, blocking out all other noise and distractions. He loved to listen to life stories, to hear about everyone. He smiled still, though there was a slight catch as he noted the bit of moisture near her eyes. His head tilted ever so slightly at her words that ended her story and he shook his head.

"I do not believe that to be true Miss Be la. I have known many a person in your situation. You wish to go out and find love on your own, not to have your parents judge who you should marry. You hold the thought of marriage as being special, as a deep connection between two people. That is not selfish. While generally a parent should be listened to, they do not always remember what it was like to be young, to have a heart full of love." His hand reached over to gently touch hers. He was warm to the touch, and even the smallest of gestures seemed to pass on the calm demeanour that he held.

"You should not look for judgement where you go, just acceptance. You need to live your life as you see it fit, you were given that gift by your parents, and they should understand it. After all, it was not like you asked them to bring you into this world." He paused to raise glass to his lips to take a sip of the water. "Do not feel guilty about your choice. Has your life not been better? Have you not enjoyed your decision? If so, there should be no regret. You never really know, your parents might have had the same experiences when they were younger even? A families bond is pretty strong, no matter what, they will love you, as you love them, even if they disagree with your choices." Ah this was nice, counselling a lost soul, giving advice, reassurance, all of it was just the way he enjoyed it. It was in his nature to help troubled and lost souls, and this woman's soul seemed to sing a sad tale.

This topic seemed to be a bit of a heavy subject for the woman, she was wracked with guilt. She wanted to live free it seemed, but her obligations of family were engrained within her. This was something Vec had seen many times before, he wasn't a stranger to it himself for that matter.

"After you have seen the splendours of the world, what do you plan to do then? What is on Miss Bela's agenda? Do you plan to return to your family, or will you start your own, leave a mark in the world, a history, a new tradition?" In his home realm, he knew most of the future, but here, on this strange world, it was all a mystery to him, he knew nothing of it, so it intrigued him. Mortals always did, they had such talents, such abilities, and yet some squandered them and did nothing with their lives but the norm, it was rather disappointing at times.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: Sorry Shizzy, I wasn't expecting such quick replies - I'll get on it more quickly from now on ^_^]

IC:

She raised her head slightly, listening to his words. He wasn't judging her - he didn't think she was being selfish! A deep sigh flowed from Anandi, releasing from the very tips of her toes. She hadn't even been aware of how very anxious she was until the stress dissipated. She couldn't even explain how much she yearned for understanding and acceptance, but all she usually found was disdain and criticism. A town that has a man such as this one must be great, indeed, she mused. Perhaps I've found my place - perhaps this is where I can stay, and build a life. A deep calm streamed through her as she debated whether to stay or go - almost as though the decision of where she belonged was already, blessedly, at rest.

She raised her head and watched him as he spoke. She smiled at his touch, peace once again prevailing over the guilt that had wracked her earlier. This man, he seemed to actually care. He took his time, and made so much sense ... and she honestly couldn't remember the last anyone had asked her what she wanted, what she planned.

"Life has been better." Remembering the emotion that filled her the first few nights she spent away from home - a mixture of fear and excitement - she grinned. "I can't deny it - I've enjoyed my decision. I feel free, and I can't remember feeling this way since I was a small child."

She paused, thinking about her dignified and delicate mother. A slight snort escaped her lips as she attempted to picture her mother "roughing it", living in the wild and exploring new cities.

"Oh, I don't know. I can't picture my mother anywhere but our manor, to be truthful," still slightly chuckling, she continued. "My father, however ... yes, I suppose my father might have left to be on his own at some point."

Picturing her father's face brought her only joy. He was always so cheerful, so encouraging - he had enjoyed her non-conventional ideas and behaviors, although he would never have admitted that in front of her mother.

"I'm not entirely sure what I'll do after I see the world ... I'm not even sure how much of the world I want to see. I will no doubt return to my family at some point, even if it's just to visit. I can't exactly picture returning home and submitting to such a restrictive lifestyle after being on my own for so long, though, so I doubt I will stay."

Head tilted slightly, consumed in her thoughts, she paused for a moment.

"I want to start a family of my own - find love on my own. Make my own living because I know I can, and not have everything handed to me. I love tailoring," she confided, eyes sparkling. "I'm rather good at it, although I don't have a lot of experience. I know I could open up a small shop and tailor for a living - I just know it. I love creating clothing..." she trailed off.

"I want a normal life - friends, a small family, a job that I can use to help provide for those I love. I don't think they are such strange dreams, really - my upbringing makes them strange, that is all." She couldn't quite stop justifying her actions to him, even though he seemed to understand and even encourage her. So many dreams filled her head, she hadn't even realized what all of them were yet.

[Anonymous]

((No worries to ya lass! I just like making posts here and there!))


He didn't have the heart to judge people, it wasn't his job. Though for some reason humanity believed that it was the job of Gods to judge mortals and their actions. While yes, the actions on the physical plane did play a role in Vec's usual decision of whether a person was good or evil in that sense, he also liked to look at things from a broader scale. Even if a person killed another, sometimes the death of a family member or friend could lead to something incredible. It was hard to say really.

Vec watched the woman carefully, his unseen gaze was upon her as he wondered carefully about her. She was a strange woman, her aura was a very different mix. She was calm, but she was also anxious, a strange combination honestly, but not that unexpected.

"People are strange creatures. Always searching for that greater rush, and the greater thrill. That is why people become adventurers, heroes, saints, sinners, because they always look for the greater thrill. The smart ones, the people who survive, know how to keep their thrill seeking in check...my point is to enjoy life and all the thrills and splendours, but not to be addicted to it." In all his sermons, there was a point, but perhaps right now was not the best time to be tooting old horns and pressing old issues.

"Parents surprise all of us Miss Bela, you just need to give them all a chance." Of course with him, he only had one parent. A strange one to say the least, and a great parent, but even his parent surprised him, at least when he had been around. Raising his glass to his lips he took a drink, trying to clear the parched feeling form his mouth. "Heh heh, you should try asking her the next time you see her. Maybe she has a story to tell, just as everyone and everything does." Maybe his life had made him a little obsessed with stories. It wasn't truly his fault. He liked to listen to what people had to say, as they often had so much to say.

"Why not see all of it? At least, try to see all of it. This world is a big place, with many adventures brewing, many winds blowing, and much change that is coming." She was a woman of wanderlust then, one who didn't want to be tied down...or...did she? There was something about her that he was curious about. Just her future though...

And there it was.

"Tailoring you say? I know a rather good tailor...He is a genius with threads. He lives here in Arca actually...well...he did, right now he is off adventuring." There were so many people out there that were off on adventures, and now he'd found another tailor of all things. "Creating clothing is a rather noble endeavour...however...as for a normal life, I do not think you will find that here. There is nothing normal about Arca, it is filled with such...wonder." Not to mention, wondrous people for that matter. "I would not think them strange either, but why live ordinary when you can live out of the ordinary?" It was more of a rhetorical question really. Everyone seemed to want for themselves a really quiet life, normal, easy, carefree but...

Fate had a strange weave to it, so there was no telling which way it was going to lead this young woman. Still, it would be fascinating to see where it led her, what life it brought her, what joy it could bring, and what adventure it could give her. "You have answered my questions Miss Bela, so now it is your turn to ask me questions. Anything you wish, my life shall be an open book to you! It is only fair after all." Vec loved a good story, and he also enjoyed sharing his own life, which was a mystery in itself. People saw him as harmless, though abstract and perhaps a man with a great imagination as he spun a good story for people. That was just his way, he told people everything that they wanted to know, but...

Whether they believed him of course was a different matter.

[Anonymous]

He was full of such wisdom. She wasn't used to someone who had such knowledge, and shared so freely. He wasn't weighed down with arrogance, either, something else she was used too when thinking of intelligent people. She couldn't be sure, of course, but she almost positive that if she could see his eyes, they would be focused on her and contain nothing but empathy. She listened as he spoke about 'the greater thrill'.

"You speak the truth, I know. I only hope that I'll be able to control myself - not become addicted to thrill-seeking."

She fell quiet for a moment, pondering her future and hoping she wouldn't make the mistake Vec spoke of. His mentioning her parents brought on a different line of thought altogether. Although the idea of her mother out on her own, away from the wealth she was so partial to, still amused Anandi, she had to admit that she had never really spent much time with her mother. Perhaps she should give her more of chance - give her some attention, try to become closer with her.

"The world" she sighed, "the world is such a varied place. I do wish to see a lot of it, but I would hate to leave behind all my dreams and my passions simply to see more land."

She was startled by his offer to answer questions about his life. She looked up quickly, her mind instantly snapping to the present. He was so ... mysterious. A thousand questions ran through her mind, but she uttered only one:

"Why do you wear the bandanna around your eyes?"

Head tilted, she paused for a moment, then added:

"And, if I may ask, where are you from? I mean, where were you born, where were you raised?"

[Anonymous]

There was no point in hoarding wisdom. Some people believed that they should, that they need to keep all the wisdom for themselves. Dragons were like that sometimes, they did enjoy keeping all their wisdom to themselves, and had to be bested in combat or given various amounts of gold or such in order to release it. Not him, he did not want to keep his wisdom, it was the people's wisdom, he had learned some of it in his travels, while...other pieces he knew automatically. Of course, at the present time he only knew maybe a fraction of what he used to.

"You will be fine Bela. Thrills are often a temporary thing, either you will tire of them or you will be unable to find your thrills anymore." IT made sense, you either tired of them, or you could never find them anymore.

"Yes, the world is such a strange place, and you probably should never give up your dreams and passions just to see more land, but it is not what is on the land though, it is what is on the land itself though." Vec smiled at her sudden surprise, this was going to be good he hoped. He wondered which question would be asked first. There were common ones though, robe, blindfold, species, age, that sort of thing. He expected most of those from her, or at least a few of them.

"Ah yes, the blindfold...Heh," Vec let go of his glass to raise a hand to his blindfold, stroking it softly with the back of his hand before he let his hands fall away. "The blindfold is for your benefit, and for everyone else. I do not possess eyes, not like you perceive eyes. My eyes are a mixture of light and emotions, I project a pure golden light from eyes that can instill emotions in people. They can be anything I choose of course, fear, guilt, pleasure, happiness, peace, it all depends on the situation I am in. You can choose not to believe me on this, but I assure you it is true, as I have no reason to lie. If you desire to see them, I will gladly show them to you." People did not choose to believe him, and so he would take his blindfold off and show them, most of them asked to see them.

"Where I was born and raised...It is a little realm called...well I never really chose to name it...but the world where I usually reside is called Heiroth. I was raised in the heavens by my father, the All Father named Arkhanan. He had an infinite amount of children, but slaughtered them all save for me, who he believed was no threat. After placing him into a prison that could hold a God, I created children of my own, so that they would help me raise the planets and the universes within the realm. You may not choose to believe my words, but once more, I have no reason to lie to you." Why would he lie? There was no real point to telling lies.

He was ever truthful after all.

"I hope that answers those particular questions. If you wish to ask me more questions then by all means, please ask."

[Anonymous]

She was soothed by his confidence in her. It helped that he thought she wouldn't become one of the people who became addicted to the thrill. Her comfort level diminished slightly as he explained the blindfold. Golden light? Emotions? Well, I suppose the golden light makes sense, she grinned, looking at his hair and complexion. Based on the comforting effect he had on her, the emotions sort of made sense too ...  she believed him. She was slightly incredulous at her own decision, but she believed him. What was the point of lying about such a thing, really?

"See them? Oh no - no I do not think so. I believe you, honestly I do, but I think that such a powerful thing is best left under the blindfold." She blushed, afraid she'd offended him. " I - I just mean, if you cover your eyes in the first place, who am I to second-guess your decision? I trust you," she stammered with a smile.

Pausing for a moment, she inhaled deeply. She knew she was rambling, and making little sense, however his revelation was unexpected and certainly extraordinary. She couldn't exactly fathom what he was describing, but she knew that seeing them was not something she desired.

"How do you see?" She looked at him curiously. "If your eyes are not like mine, I assume you cannot see through them. Do you see with your mind somehow, or somehow else entirely?"

Listening as he described his father, she was struck first with disbelief, then wonder, then horror as she pictured thousands of innocent children being ruthlessly slaughtered. Close on the heels of horror was curiosity.

"So ... your father is in prison? I don't understand, why did he fear his children? Did he have to be bested in order for one of his children to rule, or was there a prophecy of some sort?"

She took a deep breath.

"You said you raised other planets and universes within this realm - what are they like? Are like this one? Will the people that dwell there ever meet with the people that dwell here?"

[Anonymous]

Vec preferred Gold, for him it was soothing, calm, and it seemed...well holy in a way. Not looking at it from a monetary point of view, but a more natural. Gold was always precious, and some cultures believed that the sun was made of gold for that matter, that it was made of gold and had an inner light. Really Vec enjoyed the colour, and it glowed the easiest when infused with magic so...it was a coincidence really that his eyes were gold. Maybe that's why he liked it, he had been created with gold already infused into his consciousness.

"Well, if that is what you want. They can not harm you, only infuse emotions." Vec told her with a small shrug of his shoulders. He was perhaps a little hurt that she wasn't interested, everyone always was. No matter though. "Perhaps this is true, but this is to stop everyone in public from getting a blast from them, it could prove disastrous in any right."

He had tried that one, walking around in his early years without his blindfold on, but that had proved...well it had been completely foolish really. He tried to instill happiness with them, but he ended up making people depressed afterward. One can't just make everyone feel perfectly happy and then no think there would be a problem after he left, and there had been. He learned to keep his eyes hidden, no matter what emotion his eyes were releasing tot he public.

"It is difficult to put into words, but I just...observe the world. My mind is able to reach out and process the world around me. I am also not limited by vision. I can watch myself in third person, or first person if I so desire. I admit that after giving up my godhood, it has been a little disconcerting to see myself talking to people and such." It was like watching a play of yourself, perhaps just like a dream, it was hard to put it all into words that people would understand. Sometimes you just needed faith.

"Well...in a way he is. I locked him within a sun with magical barrier and wards in place to prevent his escape. I do not try to understand my father Arkhanan, he saw...well from what I can surmise, he saw exactly what happened, a lone child rising up and overthrowing him. He believed by killing them all, he would be safe in his rule...he just did not notice me. After all, how could a God of Nothing possibly harm the All Father?" Vec chuckled at her last question, a rather throaty and amused vocal as he sat back. "You misunderstand Miss Bela. This is a separate realm from my own, I raised no planet or universe in this one, it is not my domain. I am unsure which God or Gods rule here, the voices of them are oddly silent sadly. It does not matter here, they could be holding me in suspense. Ahem." He gave a small knowing smile, her last question had been...well funny really.

"The whole reason I am here in this world actually is because some of my people are here. I believe there are currently nine of them in this world, including my own daughter, a Goddess of Order and Justice. Well...she gave up her godhood as well in order to visit this realm. A sort of...unspoken law, no God may enter a realm as a God. The rule can be broken if one is strong enough but...I prefer not to start inter-realm wars." His arms stretched out and he rotated his head, trying to relax his neck. "So if I may ask you Miss Bela, what exactly brought you here to Arca? I was brought by convenience, so I must ask you. I always enjoy finding out what exactly brought a person to this city."

[Anonymous]

[OOC: Do you guys mind if I join? If not I will disappear into the background. Man it took a long time to read all that.]

[IC]

Seigala stumbled out of the warm midday sun into the crowded bar. It had been a horrid first day in the city. The Green Pearl had been out of rooms and the only Inn left had been The Back Alley, an inn of little repute so dingy that the sign only had one 'L' in Alley.  She wished that she had just changed form and slept in a ditch.

Serigala bumped several patrons as she headed to a table and shoved herself down. She closed her eyes and rubbed her temples., wishing that she had packed some fogsweed. Fogsweed always helped with headaches, it was good for hangovers too. It removed the fog in one's mind. She scratched her head and cursed: she must have got fleas from the bed, not that it was much of a bed anyway.

A waitress swaggered over. A girl about the same age as her with very full hips. 'Wat'cha thirsty for precious?'

'I can't afford anything right now but I would appreciate lemon and sugar. I can help with any ills you or your family may have. I'm also good at cleaning if you can afford a few pieces of copper.

The waitress smiled brightly, 'I'll see what I can do.'

That was one bit of luck. With the new infestation of fleas she would have to stay for a day or two to try and get some local tea tree oil. That was something you could only get at apocatheries and she only had enough for cuts and bruises.

Serigala opened her pack and scrounged around, not because she needed anything out of it but because she had nothign else to occupy herself with. It was either fiddle or put her head on the bench, the drunks weren't helping her head either. Maybe a nice quiet ditch to curl up in would be nice. She could get some proper rest then go hunting when nightfall came. She loved hunting, the thrill of the chase, the scent of adreneline rushing from her quarry and a good feed were always an exciting part of the game. Serigala wondered how people in the city reacted to Garou.

Serigalal started licking her wrist. It was a nervous habit when she was a child and not yet used to letting her blood hit the earth in honour of Sangui. She also let out a silent prayer to Lockani to look after her. He wasn't doing a very good ob so far and she wondered whether this was a sign that he disapproved of her leaving her family.

[Anonymous]

[OOC: not that he was rich, and that's why he chose gold XD I fail at explaining myself. Also, I don't mind if you join in, mdu_ntr - the more the merrier ^^. Shizzy, thoughts?]

IC:

She bit her lip, looking at Vec worriedly. It appeared she had hurt his feelings by not asking to see his eyes. She wasn't sure how to explain her feelings, but she supposed she better try. It just wouldn't do to offend this man after he had been so kind to her, after all.

"Please, do not be offended ... It's not that I am not interested in your eyes. I just have little faith that I would handle the sight well. I could become so preoccupied with the beautiful golden light that might not ever want you to put the blindfold in place! I - I, um, I might also become really absorbed in the emotions, you know? Well, if that happened, and I wasn't paying attention to myself very well, this place might quickly be overrun with wild animals. I can communicate - calm and work with, I mean - wild beasts, and while I'm not entirely sure if this is a part of my ... power, whenever I'm overcome with a strong and unexpected emotion, I always seem to be quickly surrounded by animals ..."

Fingers twisting in her lap, she trailed off and sighed. She honestly wasn't entirely sure if it was coincidence that she seemed to call these animals to her, of if it was just another facet of her power. Either way, she couldn't justify allowing the bar to become infiltrated with snarling beasts because she decided to see Vec's golden eye-things.

Listening with renewed curiosity as he explained his method of vision, she was fairly shocked when he mentioned giving up his godhood. She started when he said he locked his father in a sun - she thought that surely he would burn to ash, then realized that gods probably aren't harmed in the same way that mortals are. Eyes narrowing slightly, she tried to decide if Vec was laughing at her. What did she know about planets and realms, after all? Until today, she had never even known such things existed. Before she could get really upset, however, something else caught her attention. Was that woman licking her wrists? Anandi glanced at her quickly, and realized that yes, she was indeed licking her wrists. Huh, she mused. I wonder if that is a custom here. Anger forgotten, her attention turned back to Vec.

"Well, when I came upon Arca I was looking for a break from my travels. I  took one look around the city and realized that it was somewhere I could relax for a while - I love the diversity and the feeling that permeates this place." She smiled. "I'm not entirely sure how long I'll stay, or where I'll head next, but I plan to enjoy myself and learn everything I can while I'm here."

[Anonymous]

((Yeah, I don't do good with explaining either! xDDD No no muddy, come on in! Vec needs more wimmenz for his harem. I mean. The more the merrier. Yeah. Ahem.))

Back to the IC:

"You know, I always forget about that sort of thing. A lot of people do become...enamoured with them, I have caused more than my fair share with people becoming...obsessed with them. It is strange really, humanoids and animals alike are so drawn to them. Maybe they see something within them that I do not." He remembered a woman once, she had celestial blood, and she believed his eyes were the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. She even tried to...er...well, not that she succeeded but she had tried to get closer to him. Pleasure of the flesh and what not. "Hm, animals can be an interesting bunch, I will agree. So can those beasts of lesser intelligence. I knew a vampire once who had pixies flock to him. Pixies of all things." Vec was amused by that thought, the darkest and meanest of the undead, save for maybe the lich, surrounded by a gaggle of pixies.

It had been a twist of fate and rather comical.

"I suppose it is best thought to leave my eyes behind the fold, just in case your powers do call upon the beasts...though I should have no trouble instilling a calm sense of self within them if they do come calling." You just needed to know how animals thought, and how to manipulate them. After creating various animals, Vec was pretty sure he knew how they thought and reacted.

"I did not mean to laugh, it is just where-ever I go, people seem to think their realm is the first and only realm and...and..." Vec had a rather bewildered expression on his face as he turned his head to look at woman who was licking her wrists. What exactly was she doing? "That...that woman is licking her wrists and..." As far as anyone could tell, Vec might have been squinting. As a matter of fact he was extending his consciousness out closer to her. She had fleas. Hm. Turning his attention to Anandi as she started talking he smiled.

"I am staying for a little while myself. I have a marriage to attend to in a few weeks, a good friend of mine is about to propose to his long time sweetheart. Heh, he does not know it yet of course, but I am sure it will come about. Right now I am relaxing, this city has a certain sense of calm...if you can handle the two monsters who lurk at night within it." People talked about that, two fiendish creatures who stalked about and stirred up some trouble. "One of them apparently is a city guard who is half manticore, she can shift herself between human form and manticore...the other...I know him well. He is a strange creature with a fleshy vulnerable body with multiple tentacle appendages, a large beak, and various glowing green eyes...people believe him to be sub-intelligent but...his mind is powerful...Ahem."

Once more Vec looked toward that woman who had licked her wrists. She had fleas. He still couldn't get over that fact. "Do you think that young lady would approve perhaps of some company, and maybe help ridding her of her flea infestation?" Anandi may not have been able to sense the fleas, but Vec could. They were bugging him, he wasn't sure why either, all he knew is that the right thing to do would be to help this woman get rid of them of course.

Standing up Vec headed over to the woman's table, smiling as he approached her. "Good morning Miss, you seem to have yourself a little trouble with fleas. If you do not mind, I could assist you in getting rid of them! That is of course if you have not grown accustomed to them." Stranger things had happened. After all, he had a son that simple adored bugs and befriended them. Vec wouldn't harm the fleas, just simply tell them to move along and find a nice mongrel to attach themselves to.

[Anonymous]

Serigala was getting annoyed by the fleas. It was amazing how easily they resided in her long hair. She gave in, decideing to use the last of her precious tea tree for her hair. She poured out the last spoonful and massaged it between her hands. It was a beautiful scent, a scent that brought life and healing to many wounded souls. She breathed the scent in deeply then rubbed it into her scalp, hoping that the smell didn't get her kicked out.

She would need to go get another, preferrably full bottle soon, which meant she needed money. She put the wax stopper back on the bottle and replaced it in a small scrap of cloth. Cloth was another thing she couldn't live without, not in her profession anyway. It was always very annoying to find oneself without cloth and having to use a scrap of your clothes to wrap a wound.

She looked around the room once more, hoping for a friendly smile to brighten her day. Luckily the waitress came back and offered her some lemon and sugar.

'We wouldn't normally stock hot lemon but Vec loves a slice of lemon in his water. I'll pay for this here one and chyou help me pack up tonight.'

She nodded appreciatively. Two delicious scents in a day, her luck was improving. She even felt more relaxed but that was probably because of the Fogsweed. Odd, it didn't help with mood, only mental clarity.

Serigala looked up as a man scraped his chair while getting up. He and his table partner were possibly the only other people not drinking in this bar. He was dressed in clothes the mistress would have envied on her husband. To her suprise the man headed in her dirrection. He was a short man but so was she so it didn't really matter. He looked intelligent too, which probably meant well bred and probably used to giving orders.

[Edit: OOC: Sorry I mad a boo boo here.IC:]
'Good morning Miss, you seem to have yourself a little trouble with fleas. If you do not mind, I could assist you in getting rid of them! That is of course if you have not grown accustomed to them.'

She scratched her head as one little blighter tried to make its escape then smiled a weak smile, 'thanks but no thanks, I will be going to the apocathery for more tea tree this afternoon. I just needed some place to rest, I would enjoy the company though.'

Serigala hesitated then went to sit with the two.

Serigala paused midstep. 'Hang on, how did you know I had fleas? I only picked them up last night?'

She dried her wrists on her skirt and sat down, smiling at the lady next to her. She seemed about the same age as Serigala but it was hard to tell in these city parts, everybody seemed to be of different races rather than the humans and Garou at the manor.

'Hello Miss Stranger and Mister Holy Man.'

[Anonymous]

Anandi was incredibly relieved that Vec didn't appear to be offended. She was glad both for his understanding and his story - a vampire surrounded by pixies? Giggling, she tried to imagine how the vampire had handled that little ... gift. Her giggles settled into a small smile as Vec began to explain his amusement at her. When he cut off abruptly, then confirmed her suspicion that the women had in fact been licking her wrists, she was caught between another laugh and nodding seriously. She settled for covering her mouth and stifling her giggles while nodding.

"Yes ... yes, she is licking her wrists. I thought perhaps that was some sort of local custom, but the look on your face pretty much settles that question."

Puzzled, she listened to him speak about his friend's wedding. He doesn't know he's getting married yet? Well ... Surely that's not normal. Opening her mouth to question Vec about his knowledge, she sighed and changed her mind at the last moment. He was a - an almost-god, after all, he probably knew things that she would never have an inkling of. Preoccupied, she almost missed the talk of monsters. Eyes snapping to Vec, she wondered if he were kidding. She was debating whether or not to ask when Vec stood up to speak to with the lady in the corner. Did Vec just ask her about fleas??

Grouped around their table, Anandi turned her gaze to the new woman. She looked as though she'd stumbled into a bit of bad fortune - Anandi couldn't think of any other reason she would look as tired as she did. She admired her long hair, and thought she recalled the woman rubbing some sort of oil into it. She smelled interesting, whether it was oil or not.

"Greetings," her smile was warm, if a bit tentative. "My name is Anandi. It's a pleasure meeting you."

She paused for a moment, wondering if it was too soon to ask the woman why she had been licking her wrists. She decided against it for the moment, and settled for smiling serenely at her companions - until she remembered the monsters.

"Vec! Did you say that monsters inhabit this place?"

A seemingly random outburst perhaps, but Anandi certainly felt it was essential information to know.

[Anonymous]

Vec smiled pleasantly, nodding a little bit. "Well, if that is your will, than so be it. It would be free and cost you nothing. It would take me no more than a few seconds to...ah, never mind, you have yourself a plan, it would be wrong of me to try and alter it." If a person had made up their mind, who was he to try and change it? She obviously seemed to know her stuff then, so he might as well accepted. it.

"Hm?" Vec took a seat with the woman, very unafraid of the insects that were on her skin. He wasn't worried about them, they would not bother him. He had the power to keep them at bay, and when they discovered he had no blood, they would leave. "Oh, I could hear and see them from where I was. People usually do not listen to such tiny insects, but they are not hard to hear...just as long as you can understand them." Vec told the young woman with a small shrug of his shoulder. "Of course, I can not really understand them but...I can hear them. Ahem. Introductions are in order then. I am Vec Lanrete, and I am hardly a holy man." Well...that was a manner of opinion wasn't it?

Was a God who willingly fell to the mortal plane really still holy?

Hard to say.

Vec's blindfolded gaze turned to look at Anandi and he gave a small wave of his hand in dismissal. "They are harmless Anandi. You will not be able to use your animal empathy skills on them unfortunately, and they rarely annoy people. You will be fine. No doubt they are sleeping anyway." People heard the word 'monster' and they believed that they needed to be feared. These ones didn't...well...perhaps. It really all depended on their mood...if they were really hungry...Ahem. Best not to tell Anandi that. "And there are only two of them as far as I know Anandi."  Hmmm...he left his water back on the table! It wasn't like it was empty either. His hand roamed along their current table where the strange flea ridden woman was now. He was drawing a circle on the table with his finger, over and over again. At first nothing could be noticed, until that is...

A small golden circle appeared on the table.

That was when Vec removed his finger, to snap them softly. The gold began to glow, and the glass back at the other table also began to glow for some odd reason. Slowly then the glass began to materialize in the golden circle until it was fully there. "Ah, much better." So maybe for Vec using magic was a little...well...convenient, but it wasn't his fault. Magic was here, magic was useful, so he was going to use it to his full advantage, while he could.

"So Miss, what can we call you? And...if I might ask as well...why did you lick your wrists?" That was probably the one thing that was driving Vec crazy at this time. It couldn't have been from the fleas after all, so it had to be from something else...it had to have been from something else, some other reason.

[Anonymous]

'I do not mean to offend you Mister Vec. I am sure you would find it easy to remove the fleas but I have already applied the oils.' She hoped the scent wasn't too overpowering; she loved the scent but it was possible that not everybody enjoyed the fresh scent.

'I am called Serigala.  The fleas will not harm anybody near me. The tea tree makes them scamper like a dog in the snow. I would use lavender but tea tree has more uses and I didn't expect to catch them on my first night in the city. Are fleas rampant here? I would like to know if I should be stocking up on lavender oil.'

She noticed the two companions glancing at her wrists, blushed and put down her cup, 'I hope my licking hasn't offended you. It is a habit of mine that I haven't grown out of yet. I am a follower of Sangui but believe that others should not be harmed by my believes so I used to allow my own to nourish the God.. I used to lick my wrists to help the pain.' She turned her wrists to them to show a new scab from the morning.

She hesitated. She had no idea what monsters could be. She was sort of a monster...Best not comment on her Garou heritage. Mentioning Lochani was out of the question too then. 'You mentioned monsters Miss Anandi, surely no creature is a monster, only a misplaced creature?'

As always, Serigala had put her foot in her mouth. these people were obviously from high breeding stock and would not like to hear that they had been wrong. On the other hand, they had inveted her to their table so they mustn't be too bad.

Hold on a moment... The man could hear fleas? She had some experience with smelling things down and good enough hearing to track most creatures but how could anybody hear only a handful of fleas on another's head. It must be a blind man thing; people with a missing sense oft had amazing perceptions in other areas.

'Mister...Vec, how could you have possibly heard the fleas? I do not doubt that you have heard them it is just that I only aquired them last night so there would not be many of them.'

She stared openly as she noticed a gold circle appear where the man had been tracing his fingers. Her first impulse was to touch it and she reached out to within an inch of the circle before thinking better of it. 'Again you have aquired my interest Mister Vec. Are you and your partner travelling mages?'

She leaned forward to better see the lady Anandi, 'perhaps you have some travelling wounds I could heal for you?'

[Anonymous]

Anandi was thinking over the title Serigala had given to Vec. She wasn't entirely sure what a holy man would do, but it did seem as though Vec would be able to handle the job. She listened as he assured her the monsters were harmless. If they are harmless, she mused, then why are they referred to as monsters? Shrugging her shoulders slightly, she let it go. It was probably not a huge deal as she couldn't remember overhearing any idle chatter about them, so the monsters were momentarily shuttled to the back of her mind.

"Serigala - that is a beautiful name! It's lovely to meet you," Anandi smiled a bit more openly at her new companion. Attention on Serigala, she gasped when the woman revealed her wrists. Surely that must hurt ... perhaps licking her wrists wasn't so odd after all.

"No, of course you haven't offended me. I thought at first," Anandi blushed a bit, "that perhaps licking one's wrists was a local custom in this town, to bring good luck or something. I can uh - well, I can be a bit empty-headed every now and then," she grinned.

Anandi faced Serigala, silent for a moment as she pondered the woman's question.

"Well, some creatures it is impossible to reach - they are bloodthirsty and cruel, but clearly intelligent. These are the animals I would be tempted to call monsters, but I suppose you could argue that they really are simply misplaced ... perhaps in their natural environment their behavior is deemed normal. An interesting point, Miss Serigala."

Anandi giggled softly as Serigala questioned Vec's knowledge. Opening her mouth to inform her newest companion of his enhanced abilities, her attention was taken by the golden circle Vec was drawing on their table. It was beautiful and softly glowing. Wide eyed, Anandi watched in delight as Vec's water appeared in the circle. How incredible! She wondered what exactly Vec's powers were. With a start, Anandi realized that Serigala had just asked if she were a mage. Chuckling, she quickly answered:

"Oh no - no, Miss Serigala, I am no mage. If you need a wild beast calmed or minor wounds healed, I can help - my abilities are not so powerful."

Anandi pondered her question. She could heal wounds herself, but she had this bruise that was simply refusing to go away. What the heck, she decided, It can't hurt to ask this woman to try and heal it.

"Well actually, I do have a bruise on my right ankle. I believe it was acquired when I was on the outskirts of this town. Moving too quickly, I slipped in a small hole and my foot was wedged between two rocks. It causes me some discomfort, and I would much obliged if you were able to heal it for me. I would be more than happy to pay for the materials needed, of course."