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| | Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) |  |
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Stormkatz
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|  Subject: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance)  Mon Aug 27, 2012 11:44 pm | |
| ((Yay, new roleplay time!
So, I’ll just dive in shall I?))
Rhys hadn’t thought he was very well known – after all, the circus hadn’t really been around long enough for the performers’ names to get out – but apparently someone had spotted him, because he’d been asked to come and perform for someone. Now, after the long walk up to the huge house, he almost wished he’d decided not to take the job. It had started raining a little while ago, and although his coat was still shrugging off the worst of the water, his trousers and boots were soaking. Even his scarf was sticking to his skin in the wet weather.
As usual, he had picked out a matching scarf-and-eye-patch set for the occasion. That day he was wearing his best set – a brilliant yellow scarf, with a matching patch that had a carefully stitched smiling face over it. He liked to make a good impression, and although a smiling yellow eye patch wasn’t really the way to do that, he was sure it was better than a tatty black one.
As he finally arrived on the doorstep of the huge house, Rhys felt a little intimidated all of a sudden. He was never shy about performing, but equally he was no longer a particularly courtly man, and the big fancy house seemed a little too formal for him. Well, if it paid well he wouldn’t ask questions.
Reaching up carefully, he knocked hard on the door, three times, before slouching on one leg and waiting, working a silver coin to the edge of the concealed pocket sewn into the inside cuff of his coat sleeve to use in a trick somewhere. Once that was sorted, he busied himself mentally counting his pockets and trying to remember where he’d left his cards and such. They would probably be useful too. He really should have planned something spectacular, come to think of it, but he preferred to just make it up as he went along.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Aug 28, 2012 5:14 pm | |
| He never walked particularly fast, but he seemed to make his servants scurry all the same. It seemed he did things that men with his sickness should not do, at least not so quickly. But he was descending the steps all the same. All fifty two of them to the reception area, where the doors happened to be.
"My lord, someone can get that for you."
"I understand that." Out of breath he paused and leaned heavy on the rail, long, spider-like fingers clutching it. His servants paused, hovering behind and to the side of them. They wanted nothing more than to brace him and take him back up the stairs so they could tuck him in a chair and feed him soup. He batted at a pair of helping hands and continued down the stairs. "I am not a child, I can answer my own door if I so please."
"You were perfectly content to let one of us answer it, my lord."
"That was until I was told someone had arranged a performance for me."
Guilty silence answered him and he continued down the stairs. Once he was on the polished, even floor, he leaned heavy on his cane and grasped the handle to the door. Expectant the servants milled.
Apollo grit his teeth. "Will one of you aid me in opening the door, does it look like I've the arm strength?" he snapped.
The doors were large and heavy oak, embossed with carvings of avians in various forms of work and play. It was a door he'd seen to the design of himself... before he was told he had the wasting disease. He had a robe throne about his shoulders and fastened loosely at his thin waist. It fell open to expose a thinly muscled, wide chest, his golden-tinged skin soft to the touch, though firm. He was barefoot as usual, and his hair was down, having felt no need to push it back and fit his circlet upon his brow.
A servant aided him in opening the door and it revealed a soaking wet man.
He stared all of five seconds, itched his beard once, and turned to a servant. "This is a poor way to get me to aid beggars."
"No, my lord, he truly is a performer."
"And am I a child that needs a performance to pick up my spirits?" His tone was like acid.
The servants shrank back and he looked to the man in his doorstep, then past him at the outside world. "Well the storm my colleague wrote to me about seems to be upon us. I suppose it wouldn't be prudent to send you back where you came from before it hits." He pretended to ignore the sighs of relief from his servants. "I suppose a one-eyed tramp can ride a horse just about as poorly as I. Come inside, let the servants dry you and we will speak at length about the money I will pay you and how long you will be under my roof." | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Wed Aug 29, 2012 7:25 pm | |
| As the door finally (and slowly) eased open, Rhys shuffled his feet a little, waiting for the conversation on the other side of the door to finish. The man who had answered it caught him by surprise – his startling lack of muscle mass was rather apparent, but Rhys didn't allow himself to stare. He had hated the sympathetic, lingering looks he’d gotten after the injuries that had taken his eye, and didn't care to put anyone else through the same discomfort.
All too soon his attention had to be focused on keeping a straight face as he was rudely mentioned. He wasn’t strictly a beggar any longer, with a proper place in the travelling circus, but he hadn’t always been so fortunate. Still, though, ‘one eyed tramp’ was a bit harsh!
Rhys cleared his throat and dipped his head politely, feigning indifference to the comments, and forced his cheery performing face on. “Performer I most certainly am. Runic Rhys, conjurer extraordinaire, at your service.” He bowed with a flourish of one hand that forced a red handkerchief out of his sleeve, which he quickly stuffed into one of his chest pockets with one finger. Rising carefully, he stepped in out of the rain graciously, his introduction complete. He had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn’t as welcome as he’d hoped he would be, but at least he hadn’t been sent away, which had to be step one.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Thu Aug 30, 2012 6:23 pm | |
| "I will not be needing your services, however I am inclined to be a gracious host and keep you for as long as the storm rages." He turned, gesturing at Rhys to follow. He walked stooped, putting a lot of his weight on his cane, but much too stubborn to allow his servants to brace him. "I am Apollo Goldfinch, Runic Rhys and I don't really care for such silliness as slight of hand tricks or optical illusions. One of my more rebellious servants must have hired you in the sorry attempt to cheer me." He looked up at the steps and sighed through his nose. He started the slow process of ascending them. "I don't need cheering, what I do need is an architect to make this malignant staircase a series of ramps."
He was silent for a time, quite out of breath a quarter of the way up. He paused to gather himself, and looked to Rhys, who was polite enough to wait behind him. "When I was a younger man, I had this house built, I never thought I'd use the stairs, at least not for anything that wasn't showing off. I could fly, you see, and I was ever so strong. I didn't think of what it would be like to be an old man in a house like this. Now I'm not old, but I might as well be and look at the horror I have designed." Gestured at the stairs awaiting him. "A foolish man designs a house for youth."
He pushed up and continued up the stair, his servants hovering. | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Thu Aug 30, 2012 7:31 pm | |
| “In that case, thank you greatly, and you can just call me Rhys – I never liked the stage name anyway.” Rhys replied with a lopsided grin, obscured by the deep scar that cut his cheek. He was a little put out that he wasn’t actually wanted there, but most would have turned him back out into the rain, so he was happy enough to exchange pleasantries. He waited a moment, looking around at the collection of servants for a moment, feeling a little intimidated, but also trying to pick out which had contacted him, before following Apollo slowly up the stairs.
“Well, it’s pretty tricky to predict the future I guess. I certainly failed to predict mine.” He replied. That much was true – he’d thought he would work as a messenger all his life, but instead he’d lost an eye and been forced into performing. Apollo’s comment about being strong in the past made Rhys realise that the man did indeed have the broad chest of a strong man, even if that was no longer the case. He had thought his wounds were bad, since they ad stolen most of his strength, but compared to the avian, he really couldn’t complain.
“For what it’s worth, the showing off aspect must have worked – this place is pretty spectacular.” Rhys added. It was painful for him to force politeness, since his usual manner of speaking was foul at best, but he was sure that wouldn’t be appreciated. For a while he simply stayed quiet and followed his host up the many stairs, which were getting tiring even for Rhys.
Last edited by Stormkatz on Tue Sep 25, 2012 8:13 pm; edited 1 time in total | |
| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Thu Aug 30, 2012 9:13 pm | |
| They paused only once more up the stairs before they reached the top. At that point, Apollo had allowed the servants to help him. Braced against two, he led the man to his reception room. It was a nice room with large windows, a hearth with glowing embers radiating warmth and comfortable looking chairs. He gestured to one, two servants helping him to be seated. "Have a seat." Shooed most of his servants away but let two stay, to pour tea and stir in the herbs that helped the pain away in his cup. "There is no point in building a place to impress people when you have no one but yourself and the servants to see it." He sipped the tea.
"Now, I will not ask who contacted you. I just want to know how much you were promised." Sipped his tea and sighed through his nose. "And don't think to con the cripple. My body may be feeble but my mind is sharp." And his servants were trained fighters. He needed servants to protect and serve him.
Looked the man up and down. "Would you like something stronger?" | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Sep 25, 2012 8:23 pm | |
| Rhys sat down with a decided lack of grace. His days as a messenger were long ago by now, and he had quite forgotten the ‘special manners’ that had to be applied in wealthier households. “I guess not.” He said, thinking it over. Someone had once posed the question ‘if a tree falls in the woods but no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?’ to him, and the idea of a house to show off to nobody seemed like the same kind of scenario.
His thoughts cycling back to the room, Rhys, shrugged a little. “Ah just a few silvers I think – nothing much really.” He replied. He had briefly considered asking for more, as he had a feeling the avian wasn’t particularly pushed for money judging by him home, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He had been offered a great kindness in shelter from the storm, so he didn't think he had the right to ask much more.
At the offer of a stronger drink, Rhys shook his head. “I’m all set for my ‘something stronger’ – I’ve got a good half skin of whiskey left.” He said, patting one of his pockets and hearing a comforting sloshing sound from within. He never went anywhere without his precious skin of whiskey – in fact, he probably smelled of it almost constantly. That was his personal way of combating the peculiar flatness of the world since his accident. The bitter liquid stopped him noticing how much he relied on his hands to get around.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Sep 25, 2012 9:01 pm | |
| "Of course you'd have your own liquor." He contemplated how many silvers would be promised for a show of... whatever this man's talent happened to be. It could be no more than four hundred. He figured in a cancellation fee, and decided he could afford to give the man one hundred gold. He wasn't strapped for money, and he never would be. The wretch in front of him could at least use a new eye-patch and perhaps new boots. Maybe he'd spend it on liquor and a whore. It didn't matter, though, what a man spent is pay on, so long as he enjoyed himself. "You'll get one hundred gold, and yes it's because I think you're pathetic."
He sipped his tea and gestured at the man's eye. "How did that happen." It was less of a question and more of a demand that he be told. That was just how Apollo was. As the Master of Academics, he was known for knowing practically everything that went on in the divisions at the Academy. He was brusque and business-like, to the point with everyone and everything. Perhaps it was a way to keep people from getting close to him, as his time kept dwindling with each day. He did not want anyone's pity or sympathies.
He was a different man than he had been as a young man. He'd become bitter quickly, and anti-social. Still, he had to deal with people, so he made sure to make it clear that nothing was personal. Everything between anyone was business, or acquiring information, no more. | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Sep 25, 2012 10:50 pm | |
| “Pathetic will do me fine.” Rhys grinned, skimming over that to stop himself feeling offended. Not likely, since his pride was severally limited, but always a slight risk anyway. The question about his eye shut him up for a moment, however. Apollo didn't sound like he’d accept a half-answer, so eventually Rhys steeled himself and spoke again.
“I was taking a message into Didienne when I was attacked in the woods. The bandits broke my horse’s shoulder and dealt me this, along with a few other wounds – I lost count of how many. Barely made it into the city alive, they reckon.” He said at last, speaking with a certain distance from the situation, since the memory still frightened him if he let it. He was terrified of going out in the woods alone now, but he wasn’t going to tell a stranger that. Attacked by bandits would surely be explanation enough.
“But that’s not important really – things like that just happen.” Rhys finished brightly, fidgeting with the back of his scarf a little as he pulled the bit of silk ever-so-slightly higher up. Under normal circumstances, he’d be shuffling cards by then, a particular nervous twitch he’d developed a while back, but it didn’t seem the time or place. He didn't want to be seen as the grumpy old git he was on his home turf, so he kept up at least a little forced cheerfulness. Maybe as the evening wore on he’d relax properly.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Oct 02, 2012 7:47 pm | |
| "You're missing an eye, not your entire body. You could be doing something of worth, compensating for your blind spot." It seemed that Apollo was without sympathy. "You seem clever... why not turn that cleverness to something other than this foolery you've picked up. You do realize who I am don't you?" He stared at Rhys a moment and shook his head. "Never mind, you don't. I am Apollo Goldfinch, Master of Academics." Let that click. "Yes of the Academy between here Didienne and Kaionar. And I think you could better yourself going there than sitting around doing card tricks for coin. It's pathetic to wallow in your own self pity. You're not useless, you're not dead... you're just a one-eyed man."
He finished his tea and his servant poured another cup for him. He watched Rhys over the rim of his cup, the steam doing wonders for the ache in his jaw. He wondered, idly, when he'd lose the ability to speak, as it required muscles and his body was determined to lose all its muscle mass. He calculated and came to the conclusion he'd be an unmoving vegetable first before he couldn't talk and that thought soothed him. | |
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:37 pm | |
| Well that hit Rhys fairly hard. He had been so used to just getting by since losing his eye that he hadn’t thought he could do any better for himself. However, he wouldn’t have anyone insulting his magic – it may not be much, but it meant more to him that a job worth more coin. “What would be the point in makin’ something of myself if I didn’t love what I did? I do magic because it’s good for me, not because I need the coin.” Rhys put in, a slight edge in his voice. maybe that wasn’t entirely true – the card tricks were more of a nervous twitch than anything, and he knew for a fact that the tricks had been just to keep him off the streets when he first lost his eye, but now that the circus had taken him in he wasn’t too hard off. And he did love seeing faces light up when they couldn’t understand where the shiny silver coin had come from, or how in the world their card had gotten into their shirt pocket.
But in a way, Apollo was right – he /was/ wallowing in self-pity. He’d refused to get over the loss of his old job, the loss of parts of his vision, the loss of use in the left side of his body. He could have been killed, but some turn of fate had saved him. Damned fate, always messing up what could have been a perfectly happy ending. Rhys wasn’t a cheerful man, and in his darkest (and usually sober) moments he sometimes wished that his encounter with the bandits had ended differently…
“I didn’t know there was an academy.” Rhys chipped in, cutting through his own dark thoughts. Jiluria was usually one of the best places to pick up gossip, and as Rhys spent most of his time there he would have expected to have heard something, but maybe he hadn’t been listening. “Whassit for?” | |
| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sat Nov 03, 2012 5:37 pm | |
| Apollo made a face. Only a fool would ask what was the point of bettering oneself in favor of being mired in whatever trade was easiest for him. But Apollo never judged men wrong, and he knew Rhys was intelligent. Though, the man could definitely use some speech therapy, he sounded unintelligent. "The Academy is for learning. You either go to my Academy to learn to better your magic, or you go to learn subjects, like history and literature... or you could go to my Academy for both. There is the colloquially known Dragon Academy down near Harglen and Tarz where one learns to be a Dragon Rider." After all these years, he still yearned for the sky. He felt privately foolish. "I am the Master of Academia, which means all those subjects you learn about in my Academy, History, Literature, Music and the like, I oversee that all the departments are functioning in a manner that best befits learned men and women. I'm also there to clear up any discrepancies concerning our material."
He sipped his tea. "I think you should go there to better your magic, you have an innate talent that isn't just smoke and mirrors, though if that is not your cup of tea, I think you'd like learning numbers, or history." | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sat Nov 10, 2012 11:51 pm | |
| Rhys didn’t miss the face Apollo pulled, and pulled one back, still listening. “I’ve had enough schooling for anyone – I can read and write, and don’t understand anything you said after that really. And I’m pretty sure magic is all smoke and mirrors, I’ve got about three years of experience that says so.” he grumbled. He was usually ashamed of how educated he was, in the particular social circles he tended to end up in, but now he felt decidedly insufficient. Apollo seemed to know everything, and it was kind of intimidating.
Rhys was quiet for a moment, before taking a breath, hesitating, and speaking again. “Why… why does it matter if I know much? It’s never been a problem before.” His interest had been caught now, and although he would never let on that he minded, he did want to know what it was all about. He knew an intellectual fella once, back in Jiluria, but usually a skill that paid was considered better than swatting up on stuff that wouldn’t matter in the long run. Besides, a guy like Rhys was never going to be that bright – he’d given up on all that.
“and why, if you don’t mind me asking, so you care where I end up? I thought I was just a performer you let in until the storm passed…” he added, probably a bit rudely, but he was comfortable enough to act himself again by then. After all, whiskey was strong stuff, and he’d had two big sips now. | |
| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Nov 27, 2012 7:15 pm | |
| Apollo stared at the performer flatly over the rim of his cup. "I may not enjoy people, but I do not believe that my distaste for them should trump my belief that no resident of this grand island should be an utter moron. If we could educate our citizens, either physically, mentally or magically, we could better our nation and put an end to things like banditry and dragon hunting... we could put an end to the influential thieve's den that is Kaionar, because they would not be as exotic. Did you know the people of Kaionar are highly intelligent, schooled in nearly every subject and quite studious in the way of tactics, intrigue and math?" He sipped his tea, letting that sink in. "Everyone thinks that only thieves live there, and yes, only thieves do, but these aren't your run of the mill thieves. One cannot go to Kaionar and just steal something, one has to exercise one's mind, because a stupid thief is a dead one in that city." He waved a hand. "I digress. What I mean is, if I can change the mind of a pathetic performer such as yourself, and really you're not fit for performances, it's like a cloak that's two sizes too small for you... but if I could convince you to do something with yourself, with your quick hands, sharp eye and quick mind... you've a healthy body aside from the missing eye. You could be anything but you choose to wallow. I will never understand that." | |
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sat Dec 22, 2012 10:55 pm | |
| “Actually I did know that – I’ve visited Kaionar plenty, on business. But I still don’t see how any of this applies to me. I am what I am, and what I am is a magician.” Rhys said with a smile. His words were maybe a bit sharp, but he was actually enjoying the exchange. He was curious to see if the academic really could change his mind. He listened carefully for a moment, taking another careful sip from his flask, before almost snorting as the other man mentioned his health. “Yer think I have an ‘ealthy body? I can hardly move my left arm – my sword arm - because the tendons or somethin’ are slashed. I can’t twist because I damned near lost a kidney, and I haven’t the strength to reach more than an arm’s length. An’ I didn’t wallow, I found a way to make a livin’ instead of starve. I’m happy.” he explained, nervously twitching a dull copper coin across his knuckles that he had produced from the hidden pocket in the lining of his right sleeve. Rhys had done what he could with his life, but he’d lost everything after the attack. Sure, Apollo had probably lost more – at least parts of Rhys’ body were strong enough to function properly, but every skill Rhys had had was gone. Maybe he was wallowing after all…
“How do you do it – seem so hopeful?” Rhys asked after a moment. “No offense meant, but you’ve more reason to be glum than me, but you’re still busy thinking about the damned future.” Rhys knew he was a miserable fool, but he didn’t understand why nobody else was. | |
| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sun Jan 20, 2013 8:03 pm | |
| Apollo barked a laugh. "I am not hopeful, I am disdainful. I just know that when I pass, and it will be soon, that all I have worked for will crumble without proper foundation. The proper foundation happens to be those beneath me. While I am hard on them, one could say cruel, it is the very thing that drives the determined. Someone who is willing to work through hardship to prove their worth is someone who is worth time and effort." He took a sip of his drink and sighed. It was always laced with painkillers, to keep him from feeling the stiffness and cramps. "If I allow myself a moment to think about my situation, then I lose the time I could spend on training others not to be absolute wastes of space." Besides, he'd spent a whole year searching for a cure. There was none, so there was no use dwelling on it. He'd die wasted, but he would not die without a legacy. Children were out of the question, but the Academy was more than a child could ever be. "In any case, you did not make the most of your situation. You have a working body, and a talent, and what I like to think is a sharp mind. One does not need to be physically fit to make a difference in our Academy. The most able scholars are often the most physically feeble. That is not to say that fit scholars are scarce. Those are our field scholars, they like to go out and do things. I like those, they bring me materials." He took another sip of his drink. "I was supposed to be asleep a while ago. Do consider my offer, you just might find real purpose within the Academy." | |
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Fri Jan 25, 2013 9:19 pm | |
| Rhys was an easily riled man, and the persistent message of ‘you didn’t try’ was irking him a little. “I found myself somewhere quite perfect, thanks, and I don’t need no fancy academy to get my life on track,” he cleared his throat, checking his tone, “but I will think about it…” That was a lie: he wouldn’t. He was doing fine in the Circus – he was the brains of the business there anyway, as sure as good old Lusorio was the heart and soul of it. Maybe it was just stubbornness that made him want to refuse though. After all, he’d managed to get through life feeling like the ‘best’ at what he did – he had been one of the most trusted messengers of the area, a reasonable fighter, and now he was with the only circus that Dragonscove had to offer. As an academic though… he would always be below average. He’d drunk away the better part of his wits, and his pride wouldn’t let him be second best.
Managing to find his courtesy again, he nodded politely, “I will, and I’m sorry to have kept you awake. Am I to assume that the offer of a bed for the night is still valid?” He was a shameless scrounge – he had to be – and had no problem asking for all that he could. He stopped himself at stealing, but had never felt uncomfortable asking for things.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:32 pm | |
| Apollo clucked his tongue, if there wasn't anything sadder it was wasted potential. To live a life as a performer in a circus was, in Apollo's opinion, pathetic. There was so much more a man could do, but because he experienced a tragedy, he wanted to coast doing something that was easy to him. "Ease is the demise of a talented man." He called for his servants who helped him to his feet. "If things were easy for me, I believe I wouldn't be Dean..." He raised his glass and drained the contents, handing it off to a servant. "And furthermore... a circus is not what this land needs... that's the problem with these people nowadays. So lazy, thinking life will just hand them their needs on a platter... they never have to work past what they know. And they'll regret it..." His servants were ushering him out now, because it was plenty obvious he was upset, and getting crankier because he'd stayed up long past his usual bedtime. Routines kept Apollo alive, but surprises kept him entertained. "Show the cretin his room..."
One of the servants stayed behind and looked to Rhys. "He... is grouchier when he's missed sleep. I'm sure you're a fine performer..." | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:32 pm | |
| Rhys bit back his protests and listened properly, possibly for the first time all night. He would have a better formulated response in the morning. It was true that the land didn’t need a circus… but Rhys needed one. It kept him alive – it was the only damned thing that made him keep on breathing. He didn’t think he had any potential left either – he had no idea what Apollo could see. The years felt heavy now, and he was a firm believer that an old dog couldn’t learn any new tricks.
That last insult… hurt, he had to admit, but then again he was still getting a free room for the night. “No, no, not a problem. I’m not a very easy house guest to get along with…” he said to the servant, taking another hearty swig from his flask before following where they led him. Eventually he found himself outside a bedroom that felt about as big as his house to him, with the bed already made up. “Thanks.” He said to the servant, before letting himself in and closing the door behind him.
He hung his eye-patch and scarf on the inside door handle and got himself sat down carefully. Maybe he should have been listening more carefully to Apollo… damn, he must be getting tired. Tomorrow he would try chasing that train of thought again, and not before. He prepared himself for bed, and turned in for the night, glad of the warm bed if nothing else.
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| | | | nen
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Things that I am : - ME Meercat
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sun Apr 07, 2013 8:23 pm | |
| Apollo was always up just before dawn, no matter what time he went to sleep. His servants had yet to drape him in clothing from the waist up. At the moment, he was in the observatory, enjoying the huge windows and feeling the breeze from his wings being fanned. There were two servants on either side of him, stretching his wings out and moving them for him, to keep clots from forming. There was no use in trying to build muscle, he never would and he'd come to terms with that. The pain from atrophying muscles coupled with the pain of torn muscles wasn't something Apollo wanted to experience. A servant ducked in and didn't bother walking around Apollo's wings, announcing from the door, "The performer is up".
"The clown? Send him in."
The servant left with a 'yes milord'.
Apollo's eyes searched the horizon for a messenger bird of some sort. His mind wasn't anywhere near convincing Rhys to join the academy. Apollo knew he could only lead a horse to water, if barely. People wanted to be convinced, be amazed, be given a kind of charisma that had died in Apollo a long time ago. Charisma took energy, an energy he no longer possessed.
"Where is the payment I had set aside for him?" he said absently.
"On your desk in your office."
"Send someone to fetch it." Apollo frowned when he felt his wing touch the ground and tried, as he always did, to draw it against his back. He managed to twitch it, and drag it a little, but nothing more. A defeated sigh accompanied the failure. | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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Location : My house, in the middle of my street.
| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:20 pm | |
| Rhys flinched awake the moment light fell on his face through the window He had forgotten to draw the curtains, and had a moment of panic at the outside light before remembering where he was. Damn, he had to get over that – if he got any worse he wouldn’t even manage to travel with the circus anymore. He sat up, and went about dressing himself. He wasn’t in a yellow mood that morning, so he laid his coat out on the bed and rummaged through the pockets in search of a different scarf, taking his time. His shirt was slung on the ground somewhere, and he didn’t care about it until someone knocked on the door – one of the servants, he assumed.
“Hold on, stay there – don’t come in.” he called, stumbling over himself to get dressed properly. He had boundaries about his state of undress, and he wasn't even close to it yet. He frantically pulled on the shirt (most of the buttons were still fastened because he could never move his left hand well enough to undo them) and tied on a white silk scarf, before pulling on his eye-patch and answering the door. Yep, he was right: one of the servants. It looked like everyone rose early in this house…
Grabbing his coat and hastily shoving everything else into the pockets, he straightened himself out and followed the servant. He looked a little smarter that day, in the nicely pressed white scarf and patch. His coat was more patch than original fabric now, and his shirt and trousers had seen better days, but he took meticulous care over his silk scarves.
He ended up outside Apollo’s room, and waited uncomfortable until somebody showed him inside. Even then he hovered in the corner. He felt as though he was intruding on Apollo’s privacy a little, although he knew perfectly well that no other man cared too much whether or not he had a shirt as much as Rhys did. He waited there, looking out the window cautiously, as though the outdoors might get him, and waited to be adressed.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Apr 09, 2013 7:03 pm | |
| The servant who'd gone to fetch the gold had arrived before Rhys with the man's payment. Apollo had taken care to count it out and was currently having his wings put delicately into their harness. Once that was done, his servants bundled him up in his robes and fastened them shut. The effect helped to conceal the fact that Apollo was much more frail and thin than Rhys, and in fact made it seem as though he wasn't at all a walking skeleton. Once given his cane, he turned around, brushing aside falling feathers with the end of his cane before he approached the other man. "Don't you know how to stand? Your posture is atrocious." He tapped the man's knees, then his shoulders with his cane. "Such a strong frame too... and you warp it by slouching." Apollo, of course, was not irritated, merely observing. His eyes, after all, lacked the penetrative power that they assumed when he was being truly critical. "I have your payment, you're free to stay the morning and eat, and take lunch as well, but you might want to be off before it gets dark, so as to avoid any rainstorms or unfortunate happenings." He pressed the pouch into Rhys's hands, his own hands still strong despite his ailment. "Do join me at breakfast. I do intend to see at least one magic trick. I paid for it, after all." Apollo turned from the man and batted away a servant, muttering something about not being dead yet. He walked out of his room, servants hovering as he slowly made his way to the dining room. Apollo was sure that Rhys would follow. | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Tue Apr 09, 2013 9:59 pm | |
| “I can’t help it – the scar pulls if I stand straight.” Rhys replied, much more gently than he usually would. He was a little better in mornings – a bit less grouchy. However, he did straighten up a little. He wasn’t in the mood for any friction this early in the day. He gladly accepted the pouch though. Some people might have refused the payment, since he hadn’t really done his job, but he had a circus to fund, and even with him doing all the stitching the tents couldn’t be repaired for nothing. That was how he justified his choice to stay there - even if Apollo thought he was wasted as a magician, the circus needed him to put all of the pieces together.
Of course he couldn’t help but follow Apollo downstairs. The man seemed in a much finer mood that morning, and Rhys was curious. He wanted to see what he had to say. And he was hungry – that did play a very important role, but it seemed impolite to focus on that.
The servants in the house moved as a cloud, hovering around Apollo’s general area, so he let them all drift past before following. He was already running through his most popular tricks in his head. This was what he lived for, the pseudo-magic. And he had a feeling this time would have to be more sophisticated than producing a silver coin… ooh what fun!
He arrived at the doorway to the dining room in his own time, and stepped inside. He had been in big houses before to deliver messages, but that was over eight years ago now, and he had forgotten how much footsteps could echo. A servant pointed to a seat, which was a relief since he wouldn’t have known which one to take, so he sat himself down carefully, folding his hands on his lap.
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| | | | nen
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Thu May 02, 2013 10:44 pm | |
| Apollo let the servants fuss with him as he sat. He had to take this medicine, drink this tonic, let his wings drape to the floor or he'd get clots. When he got sick of it, he merely shot one of them the dirtiest of looks and sneered under his breath about breakfast being late. There was only so much Apollo was willing to suffer. Before the disease, he had been an independent man, accepting no help, hands-on, finding answers by himself and taking action when everyone was still talking. Adjusting to needing help had been difficult, but he was better about it now than he had been. Still, he did not take the advice that he should be rid of his wings, nor did he like being helped up and down stairs. He hated being fed, and fed himself, but he also knew his servants were only helping because it was their job and because they held some measure of care for their master.
"Now, breakfast will be served, I will not demand that you perform on an empty stomach." He smiled wan. "I suppose I should also offer you a warm bath and supplies before you go. It is the gift good hosts are supposed to bestow upon their guests, paid for or not."
Apollo had been raised to be a proper courtier, even if he didn't bother with pleasantries. He could see the weariness in Rhys, and wanted to at least show him that men with money were not all out to make men without money feel as though they did not exist.
"Have you a routine in mind or is it a surprise, I don't like surprises, but I'm willing to go on and wait if that's what you think is best." | |
| | | | Stormkatz
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| | Subject: Re: Nen and Katz: (title under maintenance) Mon May 06, 2013 9:13 pm | |
| “You’re a kind man, then. I’ll take you up on that, if I may, before I leave.” Rhys grinned. He would try to be out of the man’s hair before noon, since he felt that he was beginning to outstay his welcome, but he had spent to long with too little to call his own to bear the thought of turning down the offer of a meal and a bath.
“Hmm, that’s the tricky part. Certain tricks only work on certain people,” Rhys began to explain, a slight spark of joy lighting in his eyes, “and certain people will only appreciate certain tricks. That said, I don’t think I’ll be trying any card tricks on you. It’ll spoil things if I tell you everythin’, but you can expect the usual vanishing illusions and such.” It didn’t sound exciting like that, but that was how Rhys worked. He understated things, and then pulled out a few of his finest tricks to shock people into dropping an extra copper. It made his problems melt away to see someone’s face drop. What could he say: he liked magic.
“A couple of years ago I could have pulled a dragon out of a hat for you,” he added conversationally, “but my lovely assistant, as it were, has grown too big for any hat of mine.” It was true that he used to involve young Ithelle in his acts whenever he could, and he had been rather upset when she got too big for his deepest pocket. Oh well, no matter, he still had plenty of tricks up his sleeves – not that anyone could see them for looking.
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