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"You were going to sell me some coffee too." the voice appeared as if from no where, though upon closer inspection it came from an exotic beauty who, much like the gentleman before her, snuck up behind the young elf and tapped him on the shoulder. A warm smile and gaze greeted Seorsa as a woman whose very nature seemed almost like his though in what way he could not tell."I'm sorry, coffee is totally my weak spot." she chuckle as small creases formed at the corner of her mouth showing a small that was a warm as the colour of her skin which incidentally matched the products she was looking for.
“Apologies are unnecessary.” The pale creature spoke as he turned to face the new guest who had asserted herself into the conversation. “However, I doubt your decision to pass out such cordial without recompense gothic. Indeed even as she nurtures her child, shall she remember in emergency did coin not pass her purse. Be wary upon her return as the jade demands similarity in exceeding less and less alarm.” A mass of jargon flew from the mans lips. Either he was being scolded or given helpful advice, whichever it was it flew right over Seorsa's head as he dismissed it. “Though be it far from my place to lecture you such. Pray, for what am I indebted to you for a roast barely lighter than dark?” He turned to the interrupting woman.“Indeed I discovered this curiosity not yet a fortnight past. I believed myself above silly indulgences yet here I stand indulging.” Suddenly the barrier on him shimmered away as he pulled out a coin purse. “And still it has driven me much further than plain texts writ by mortals with sight beyond their lives. Perhaps I could indulge your infatuation? If you feel so compelled, Caffeinated Concoctions stays open through every chime. If you stumble into before the sun's first light, I'll oblige your weakness. Though perhaps refrain from cutting into others conversation this time.”
Finally a place to interject so that he may actually speak to his guests whose sharp tongues flew at each other in conversation faster than Seorsa could follow.”Alright so that's one dark roast for you, and may I get your name sir?” Seorsa waited for the response and quickly jotted down the mans name, roast preference and some appearance notes so as to best identify him later. He sure talks funny that one. He then turned and faced the woman and flashed a polite smile to her ”As for you m'am what's your poison?” a small chuckled snort came from him at his lame attempt at a joke whilst he flipped to a new page of his moleskin pocketbook. ”If you'd both like I can jot down my room number at the academy and you can feel free to visit me anytime you'd like some more products. If for some reason I am not available feel free to slip a note under the door and I can begin work on it as soon as possible” Seorsa's smile once again arose as his right cheek shined its dimple in a most innocent way.

---

---

Alisdair tried his best to ignore the cat around his legs, the scent of those furry hellspawn was enough to make him gag, but as he saw that it was actually a yokai his demeanor towards it changed.

"Apologies, I am afraid I have only the honey with me."

Alisdair was soft spoken and sweet sounding himself, however as they reached the dorms Alisdair stopped and took out a single key, he stuck the key in the door and looked to the Kitsune woman.

"If you would just turn the key and unlock the door, the door will always lock behind you, so please do not lose the key."

Alisdair was doing his best to be pleasant, but the woman gave him a bad feeling, one that he usually got from Children of Dawn, and the occasional elf, those that have always look down on those that have not, perhaps she should be his new fascination? No, it would not do, Kitsune are interesting, but the city is full of far more colorful folk, many of whom, he may never see again.

"I do hope that you enjoy your time within the city, if you have questions, do not hesitate to ask a Scholar, we are oathbound to assist." Standard phrases, repetitive behavior, Dairn could almost feel himself choking on it, he needed a new fascination and quickly. He looked to the Cat at his feet, "Is there anything other than food you need as well?" Bakeneko, not a creature that is horribly uncommon, not fit for his Scholarly attention, however he would still assist as was his duty.

@Aura@Polaris North

Nenetl listened with an amused expression, crossing her arms and resting her hand on her cheek, evaluating the man as he spoke. The way that his body seemed to 'shimmer' for a brief second when he reached to his pouch of coins only made Nenetl raise an eyebrow. Even the words that got out of that creature's mouth were amusing.

A relic of a time long past, forever trapped within the shackles of a dying body which, without he lifeblood of others, would shamble to a halt. With his humanity stripped away from him, either willingly or not, Nenetl couldn't sympathize with him, as the only thing they had in common was that they returned from the dead, but she didn't hate him for what he was... Instead she felt sorry for him. Incomplete, broken... dead...

"I see your sense of humour is as dead as your own body... Poor dead man... Even if faking it, you should try to smile. It would help to mask the dark shadow of death that looms over your soul..." Nenetl said, referring to the last sentence he said, with a serious, but at the same time saddened expression as the tattoos' blood red glow under her shirt became a bit stronger for a second as she continued to observe the vampire's soul. While someone paying enough attention could even be able to see the faint glow they emitted even if she was doing nothing, it became quite noticeable for that fraction of second. Noticeable enough for both the vampire and the elf boy to see it.

"As for your offer, I may pay you a visit. It's been a long time since I drank a good coffee! Although I do prefer to make my coffee myself..." Nenetl continued, analyzing the vampire's expression and reaction to her previous sentence.

"As for you..." Nenetl said, turning to the elf boy.
"Surprise me!" She said, with the same serene smile she had as she walked thorough the marketplace.

She smiled after she heard the boy's suggestion to give her his door number on the academy, so she could visit him.
"By the way... If you're selling herbs, poisons & etc... Would you also have pepper? The strong ones?" She asked, with a curious expression.

"As an additional question... Where is this academy you speak of? I'm a recent arrival on this city, and honestly? I don't really have much to do. Everything is so... perfect around here. The magic flows so abundantly, the spirits are all calm and in peace... There is nothing for someone such as me to do here. Although I do have to admit that the marvels of the modern world sure are intriguing. Both regarding technology and magic." She said, shrugging.

"But maybe it would be better this way... To be useless means that I finally fulfilled my purpose..." Nenetl thought to herself, with distant eyes that appeared to look beyond the present, into a long lost past...

^{@Achronum@Trainerblue192}

Himari Watanabe

---

Looking down at the small black cat she sighed a weary sigh only those who are truly jet lagged could do. She was nowhere in the mood for any jokes or tricks

"I have no food," Himari simply said before she looked back at her luggage, "Only a few belongings and none are edible."
She then turned to Alisdair and motioned for him to continue leading her to the dorms. Following quietly she was very aware of the cat yokai following them all the time. She had not been expecting to meet another creature from her home country while here. It was unexpected but not disliked. If she had been feeling less exhausted it might have even been welcomed.

Unlike the man ahead of her, Himari felt like she could at least understand the Bakeneko. This Scholar though had the countenance of a sweet man but something about him made her cautious around him. It seemed like the smiles, at least for her, were just a mask and she did not liked to be tricked. She especially didn't like to be tricked by strange men.

Never the less when Alisdair showed her the key she smiled back sweetly, "Thank you for helping me find the dorms. Without you I might have been lost for a few more hours."
It seemed like the Scholar was to leave and thenthere it was, 'oathbound'. Her tails twitched at the word and she looked at him with sharp eyes as if to look through him. He hadn't want to help her, he had to. That explained all the fake smiles and pleasant words. Feeling agitated and tired she decided to take leave.

"I think I will go unpack. Thank you once again." With that less then cheerful words, Himari twisted the key.

Opening the door she was pleasantly surprised to see a room brightly lit by the sun coming through the large windows. Inside there was a simple room with wooden floorboards. On one side there was a single bed with white sheets sitting neatly and clean by itself. On the other side of the room there was a wooden desk, a full length mirror and a large wardrobe just waiting to be filled. In the middle of the room there was a small coffee table with a few pillows around it acting as seats. Overall it was a minimalist and basic room.

She went to walk in to the inviting room before she remembered that there had been another member to the party. She looked down at the Bakeneko and said, "I guess I will see you around"

With that she walked into her room, luggage and all, and the door closed behind her.

As soon as the door was closed behind her she took of her heeled boots, leaving near the door and then slowly walked towards the bed. She then threw herself on top of the face, face first. Lying there she let out a loud relieved sigh.

“And for what purpose should such a facade I assume? Nay child, the breath of the grave on mine nape and fingers of Death about mine breast are constant companions; I feign dare do them disservice.” Viktor replied, an eyebrow arched in question as he gave her his full attention. His eyes traced the glowing patterns for the moment they brightened. “Although forgive me mine ignorance, the significance of your observations eludes mine comprehension. I balk not at mine predisposition, the burdensome equilibrium mine existence demands proves a comforting weight on my shoulders. Sincerity and Honesty - the two virtues whose pallor fades not with time but instead flourishes at the edges of the river's banks. Tis the only fleeting threads not yet warped into mine afflicted skein and so sacrifice them I shall not.” Viktor turned back to the elf briefly.

“Hasten not onwards from our conversation child. Your attention wanderers aimlessly and still I know not what recompense you desire for services rendered.” Viktor's face remained impassive but his words had just the slightest edge, annoyance slipping through.

---

The cat's head bounced between the Scholar and the Kitsune with keen interest. Unlike the two who were feeling forced to show even the slight inclination of actual kindness, Akira was more than happy to speak. Now if only the two actually allowed such action. "None huh? Shame." He said to the Kitsune but his tail wagged once at the mention of the honey the Scholar had. "Ohoho! Honey hm?" He fell silent as they arrived at the dorms. His eyes trailed away from the path as he looked towards his room - which was quite far from hers actually. Oh well.

His ears flicked at the sound of oathbound. Ah, of course. Their polite smiles and soft spoken ways were simply because they needed to. It made sense. Akira didn't mind. He was all too used to it. Around his own kind, it was assured that most would be taken at face value - few thinking of even faking their own feelings. Though, when you spend enough time with humans and more intellectually inclined Children of Dusk, you would get more than enough of your fair share of faked smiles and polite laughs.

After she thanked the young Scholar, the Kitsune turned to him after seemingly forgetting about him for a second. And honestly, he didn't mind. But she did speak to him. Giving her a grin even in his cat form, he bobbed his head up and down. "I look forward to our next meeting." And indeed he was. He always met people twice - whether in the span of days or years, it is assured that he will meet them again. Akira never forgets a face after all, and he gets around.

After that, the Scholar turned his attention to the feline yokai. "Bring me your best course!" He ordered with a haughty voice before breaking into a laugh and shaking his head. "I'm kidding." He said after his outburst so that the man knew to not actually do that. While human food was delicious, raw food was something he was craving right now. If he wasn't mistaken, there should be a shop for that.

"Keep your honey too it's fine. I doubt where I will be going would allow food inside. Nor my feline form." He stretched and then transformed into his hybrid form. Standing up and stretching his now human limbs, he now looked a the human on eye level. "Would you be so kind as to show me where the library is?" He looked back at the path leading out of the dorms. There was much he wanted to see and learn here, and the library was the first things he wanted to visit for any knowledge of any sort.

---

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Alisdair smiled at the now mostly humanoid bakeneko as he asked about the location of the library, that was the easiest question he would get all day, the library of the city was the castle in the middle of town, the home of the Scholarly works, and since the opening of the city, it is monitored and guided by the Scholars themselves, it is known to house the collective knowledge of countless civilizations, harvested by the Scholars by whatever means they had.

"The library is the large castle in the middle of town, it is impossible to miss. I would take you myself, however, I am also not allowed to take food in." he said as he hefted the bucket up a bit. "If you head there though there will likely be others there to guide you through and help you with whatever studies you intend to indulge." Dairn was always happy to discuss studies, his demeanor almost fully changed at the topic, though with the twinge of disappointment as he knew he wasn't headed there as well. "I wish you well on you travels and your studies though, may you learn all you can." and with a small bow he took his leave.

After Dairn dropped off the honey in his home he left again to wander about a bit, searching for a new topic of study, the streets still filled with the bustling people of the city and many people selling wares, some local children stopped to wave at him and some just said hello as many did, since the opening, many had taken to the Scholars like kind hosts, even though they felt the city was for everyone now. However the curiosity of a three people talking about coffee, they had been there since he had left, they were what he was focusing on at the moment.

@Polaris North@13org@Trainerblue192@Achronum

Sierra could only stand and listen, dumbfounded, to the strange conversation between Alder and the newcomer. Her brow furrowed as they tossed around words like “pure blood,” “elf,” and “Entori tribe.” She considered walking away from the weirdness (oh, how her threshold for weird had been so, so exceeded) but visceral curiosity kept her feet in place. In any case, Alder was the most familiar thing she had here. Her journey to Luce Prima had been the longest stretch of time she’d ever been alone: if she had to endure a little weirdness for some company, she’d do it.

She felt a twinge of discomfort in her stomach when, at the mention of “pure blood,” something dark descended upon Alder. His expression grew cold, distant; Sierra had the feeling that he wasn’t seeing the marketplace anymore, but rather was focusing on something far away, in another place. Another time. Yet something about it was coldly… familiar. She’d seen the same storm envelop her father at the mention of her mother’s name.

Alder was different talking to the stranger than he had been with her. He smiled, and acted friendly, but Sierra wasn’t fooled. Even if her heritage didn’t grant her a heightened sense of empathy, she could see it in his eyes. They weren’t angry, or sad either. But they were cold and hard, like a territorial animal standing its ground. Was he scared? Scared but fighting it off with anger?
Alder said something about his sister, but Sierra wasn’t really paying attention to his words – they weren’t making sense anyway. Instead, she studied his actions: how while his muscular form kept its casual stance, it tensed. He stiffened. He shifted his weight, then shifted again. But whatever was making him uncomfortable, luckily, was not directed towards her. Still, she’d hate to be standing in the newcomer’s (elf’s?) footprints.

Sierra could relax a little now that she understood. His body could tell her more than his words ever could.
“…I haven’t met one who hasn’t tried to kill me.”

Sierra whipped back to the conversation, eyes darting between the two men before here. They continued to chat like nothing had happened, and finally Sierra had a reason to tune in. She didn’t think the stranger was talking about her, so that was a plus. Could he have been talking about humans? That seemed more reasonable in her mind.

The stranger called himself an elf and told of the hardships his people had endured. Had that been at the hands of humans as well, she wondered? After all, her father had told her stories about humans, blinded by rage and bloodlust with torches and silver bullets wiping out entire clans of her kind – it couldn’t be outside the realm of possibility.

He introduced himself as Leofrick Entoris and just sort of… held his hand out. Was he feeling for the wind? It was such an odd and foreign gesture, Sierra couldn’t help but cock her head a little. Alder didn’t seem to notice, as by then he had turned back to her. Clearly he didn’t want much to do with this Leofrick character.

The warmth returned to Alder’s expression and he tilted his head, asking, "I believe you were going to ask me something?"
Sierra blinked and looked down at the ground for a moment, having completely lost her train of thought in the midst of all her confusion.

”Oh, was I?” she asked, a strained smile splitting across her face. Leave it to her to forget so quickly.

”Heh, I can’t really remember. But uh, you seem to know your way around this place eh?” She looked around at the overwhelming spectacle that was the marketplace, ”Do you know where I can go to get situated?”

"This may sound sort of brash but I find that Pure Bloods are commonly terrible." how strange it was that this man could keep his tone so bright and friendly while insulting his own kin, he sounded almost amused. "I don't doubt that they would try to kill you, not that you deserve it but just that they're all pretty terrible. My sister's husband was what I would like to refer to as a brute, I mean, hell, he killed me."

The elf did speak like someone who wasn't very used to talking, his tone unsure and his words were halting. He had a nature about him that was almost awkward, his apologies were unnecessary and Alder had started to shake his head as he said them. He wouldn't hold a grudge against the elf for not knowing that he had an issue with Pure Bloods, it wasn't his fault. As well as this vampire could hold a grudge, he wasn't going to hold one against the kind elf. He was just about to say that when the elf introduced himself as Leofrick. It was a name that Alder had never heard before, as strange and as interesting as the elf himself. Leofrick Entoris.

"Leofrick Entoris," he tested the name on his tongue, gauging if he could properly pronounce it before introducing himself with flourish. "I'm Alder Reynolds."

"Don't worry about offending me, I'm in the wrong. I have my own problems with Pure Bloods. I suppose it's easy to guess why." he said this with an offhanded little laugh, the sound was smooth and rich, pleasant on the ear. "I like your name, Mister Entoris. I've not ever heard of your tribe but that doesn't stop me from my condolences for their fallen state."

Finally, Sierra spoke up, her voice was a welcome sound and Alder was starting to really like it. She had seemed confused as he and Leofrick shot off about Pure Bloods and he couldn't begin to understand why. Hadn't everyone met one of those abominable creatures before? Turning his gaze curiously to the dark haired wolf, his eyebrows peaked towards his hairline. "Oh my, I'm sorry, I'm being rude."

Was there embarrassment in his eyes for a moment? Had it really been so long since he'd explained what he was to someone? He'd thought she must have recognized his scent immediately, that his cursed existence must have been plastered all over him for the onlookers on Luce Prima. Sierra kept surprising him. She was young, of course, not much older than he had been at the time of his death but young by the relative meaning. He estimated that she was probably in her early twenties, maybe younger. Did packs not teach their brood about the other Dusk Children? Maybe, she just hadn't had an unfortunate meeting with his kind yet? To her, he must have just had the smell of a well preserved, very dead, human. He had been so sure that everyone knew him upon sight or smell or aura, whatever it was that the rest of these Dusk Children used to identify fellow creatures.

Leofrick had identified him immediately, had even had the gall to ask him what kind of cursed vampire that he was. Sometimes he forgot that he was a corpse, that he smelled like a corpse and that he looked like a corpse. It was easy to forget being dead when he didn't feel dead in the slightest, it was easy to balance that fine line between humanity and walking corpse when he didn't think about it. The need to drink blood was a small price to pay to be one of the living dead, he had gotten so used to that by now that it was just another part of his life. It was basically like reading or writing, just another thing that he'd gotten good at over the years. He could pinpoint the major arteries throughout the human body on memory alone and he knew which veins could be tapped without major damage to his victims. He was a very experienced vampire, he was not prone to remembering that he he was a very experienced vampire.

The hundred year old corpse surfaced from his thoughts, remembering that he was supposed to be explaining and not just thinking about it. "Sometimes I forget that I'm dead," he explained in a strangely joyous way. "I'm a vampire, Sierra."

He was sure to say her name, finding that he liked how it sounded on his tongue. Sierra. Sierra. Sierra. He wondered what her last name might be, he'd have to ask her when he wasn't explaining the undead. "I died in the twenties, I was eighteen at the time and it was all very tragic. Maybe it just seems tragic to me, I mean, I died, I'm probably entitled to some tragic feelings. I'd go into gruesome detail but I don't really want to. Suffice to say, I'm probably nearing my hundred and ninth birthday."

With a wink, he added. "Try fitting all of those candles on a cake and I'll be very impressed."

Having got that out of the way, he focused his attention on what she had actually asked of him. She did seem a bit misplaced, of course, he had been too when he'd first entered the city. The smells and sights were extremely overwhelming to newcomers. He knew that it had been a struggle to control his rising hunger at first because everyone was so closely packed. He could only imagine what this place was like for a werewolf, he didn't know everything about her kind but he did know that their sense of smell was superior to his own.

Bowing gallantly and far, far, far too dramatically over his arm, he said. "I can assist you in finding your dorm, if you would like. We'll have to seek out a scholar, you need to get your key. Though, I do have a question or two for you before that. You're a werewolf, aren't you? Did your pack ever tell you about vampires?"

---

Akira listened to the man's instructions and description of the place. Ah, indeed, he's heard only of good things pertaining to the library of the Scholars. With every knowledge known to mankind packed in the pages of leather-bound books. It might be an exaggeration, but he still wanted to believe it. Maybe he could even contribute a bit. While the Bakeneko species do not usually harm with humans, they do not tend to mingle either. Most of them do not go down the scholastic road in life, and rarely share any of their own secrets. While Akira wasn't too keen in giving out any information regarding his own species, but he knew plenty more that might help the young Scholars. Key word that it might. If rumors were to be believed, they must have already known what he knows.

"Many thanks, Scholar." Akira replied with a smile. "I also look forward to our next meeting and I do hope we can discuss things in the future." The Bakeneko flourished a bow and the Scholar left. With that, he left as well. Using the same feline flexibility he had when he was still a cat, he managed to hoist himself up onto the roofs once more. Now, instead of being in cat form where he could inconspicuously blend in with the background, he was in his hybrid form with his arms outstretched to the side - not that he particularly needed it since his tail covered the need for balance - and was in plain sight for everyone to see. It wasn't like anyone batted an eye at him. There were some who called him out to ask if he needed any help to get down, but nothing more than that after he dismissed them.

The Bakeneko took his sweet time heading to the library. He even stopped over at one of the stalls to buy some fish. He managed to consume four smoked fish on a stick - and then some more meat from the stall beside it. He spent quite a some money for that, but he didn't mind. He still had a lot in store, as he imagined most of the ones who were invited here were. Exchanging words with the store owners allowed him some insight on what the history of this place, and how they felt about having Children of Dusk around - something that hasn't been accepted before. They seemed to be alright with it, as long as none of them caused trouble. Akira couldn't promise something like that, but maybe the library would keep him too busy.

He retreated back to the roof with a last smoked fish on a stick and continued his walk - looking around here and there as he made his way to the center of the city to find the library. Perhaps he would bump into something interesting and worthwhile. It has also been a while since his last interaction with his fellow Children of Dusk, aside from the Kitsune from earlier but she was an exception. He began humming rather loudly as he walked while biting off a part of the fish he was holding.

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The strange exotic being that stood before him perplexed Seorsa greatly. A connoisseur of coffee who cares not for the roast she drinks was really quite rare, although it gave Seorsa room to experiment and try new blends of coffee he dared not try on those stuck in their ways. She quickly began to inquire about peppers giving only the specification of 'the strong ones'but failed to mention as to which type of peppers she wanted whether it be chili, ground, or sweet. "Alright one surprise blend coming up, now as for these peppers you're looking for are we talking sweet, chili, the spice such as black peppers? There's a variety ya know?" Having now given her time to think about what she wanted as well as how to phrase it better Seorsa turned his attention towards the pale man who talked in riddles.

"Oh right". he spoke in a nervous chuckle as he began to scratch the back of his head. "I'd say that for a pound of coffee it would run you 10 dollars sir." he placed his hand back to his side, then reaching for his pen and began to not down his room number as well as the address for the academy in case they didn't know of its whereabouts and gave it to each of them. "Now will you be paying for the lady as well sir or just your own? I doubt I have to say this but if you pay for hers it'll be 20 instead of 10 as it will now be two pounds of coffee instead of 1. Just bring this receipt with you and I'll have your order ready for you before next sunlight."

Nenetl heard the vampire's speech with a confused expression. A vampire talking about honesty and sincerity? Not only that but she couldn't disagree more with everything he was saying. A creature that needs to steal blood to keep itself alive talking about being virtuous?

"Honesty and Sincerity... Either you have them or you do not. They are not qualities that can be acquired solely with the passage of time." Nenetl said, sighing deeply after hearing everything.

"Not the best first meeting, I see... We are too different from one another... Almost... Incompatible I would say so..." Nenetl said, with a serious expression.

"Let's leave as it is for now, lest we want to make this unfortunate meeting turn us into enemies." Nenetl said, almost like if she was tired of that discussion.

"As a last word though... I would be grateful if you did not call me a child or underestimate me, vampire. Appearances can be mistaken, and I'm stronger than I look." Nenetl said with a piercing stare, almost like a warning to keep his fangs away from her.

After she finished talking to the man, she turned to the elf as he said something about the vampire paying for her.

"No, please no. I don't have anything to do with him, I'll pay my own coffee." Nenetl said, negating vehemently.

"Regarding to the pepper... Of course chīlli!" Nenetl said, almost like if it was the clearly obvious choice. The way she pronounced chili was an archaic one, definitely different from the modern pronunciation.

"It's pungent taste is good for both the body and the soul. To heal and purify. It has a myriad of qualities. In some cultures, it's said that chīlli is a present from the heavens." Nenetl continued, with a smile to the elf boy.

"How much will it be?" She asked to the boy.

"Ten for the coffee, and how much for the chīlli?" she asked, putting her hand on the small pouch and taking off a few dollar bills.

But before she could hear the boy's answer, she felt an unique magical energy radiating from someone behind her.
Turning to the man behind them, she looked at him with a curious, but intense stare without saying a word, analyzing the strange magical energy emanating from the man's soul. While she had never seen something like that, she could feel a tiny, tiny resemblance to the very magic her and the other shamans wielded...
While certainly unusually intense and rather uncomfortable, it wasn't an hostile stare, as it was easy to see the genuine curiosity on the woman's face.

^{@Achronum@Trainerblue192@RoccanIronclad}

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Interactions: @Prosaic & @Obscene Symphony
Profile: Link

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His awkwardness had been him in yet another unfavorable position. He really didn't mean to upset anyone, he was always curious about other species and their history. He read many books in his masters library, all about what was known at that point on a number of creatures. "Alder Reynolds." He said as he shook the mans hand, saving this mans name to his memory. He thanked Alder for his condolences. "I do not, what's the word. Blame. I do not blame you for not hearing of my name or my tribe. We were hidden for many years, never wanting to expose our kind to the dangers of war. And as easy as it would be to blame humans, it was elves within our own tribe that turned on us. But you probably don't want to hear about that." When Alder and the girl began to speak, he realized he was now preventing them from where they wanted to go. He gave a slight cough, a way to get their attention without being completely rude,
"Well it was, nice, to have met you Alder. I hope we speak again soon. You interest me, as someone who is about the same age as me, you have seen a completely different world to I. I'll let you two go." Leo gave a slight head nod and turn on his heels, heading in the opposite direction. What else was peaking at his interests?

Viktor's eyebrows twitched upwards in a rare show of surprise. He had rather been enjoying the conversation with the woman. Not many would start a discussion on the necessities of truths and lies with a creature as old as he. Athough he had gravely misunderstood the situation, much to his disappointment. Only black and white, only absolutes. If eight hundred years of life had taught him anything, nothing was certain and everything changed.

“If that is what you wish. I harbor no such conceptions of our persons but perhaps you mistook my intent.” Viktor fumbled through his money and pulled out a ten dollar bill, handing it off to the merchant. “A simple debate over our points of disagreement creates not rivers but bridges. After all if neither words nor time can change those whom bend to both their wills, what future does any race or creature have but utter destruction? Nevertheless, I'll be full glad to remove myself from your presence at your behest. Those who see not gradient are no different than that which drove away the Dusk. And now history weeps at their hands, Her blood on their hands.” He took the receipt and turned away. He still needed those ear plugs. He let his magic surround him once more before checking the note his coworker had given him with a confused glance.

"Pray child if it is not much burden, direct me to this merchant. I fear the market's paths still escape my memory." He held the note out for the elf to see, Nadia's Knick Knacks scribbled on the paper.

---

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Alisdair had caught the eye of the more tribal looking woman, he felt a wizened gaze descend upon him and it filled him with excitement. Was she studying him? Curious. Most people in the city would only look to the Scholars at the face value, skilled magicians with a propensity towards charms and talismans, but no one really ever tried to delve, perhaps they thought it rude, like looking a gift horse in the mouth, however, this was exactly the sort of thing that Alisdair was after, a challenge, an opportunity, the form of energy she radiated intrigued him, but if they were anything alike, his would do the same to her. The game begins then, how much can Alisdair glean without giving away his own secrets in turn.

From a glance he could see truly very little, she was exotic looking, decorated in a way he didn't understand for the time and the climate, she was clearly a practitioner of some traditional magic, druid, shaman, vulva, whatever she was, it was new, or so old that he hasn't studied it. she was currently watching him, but a staring contest wouldn't do, no, so he waved a hand in greeting and smiled a bright smile. Dairn wanted to tease the woman, something to dangle from the string and draw the fish in close, so he let his sleeve fall back a bit so that the feathered charms on his wrist could show. If his assumption was right, the idea of new charms and talismans would catch the eye, perhaps provoke a introduction, however he chose to not sit about and wait for it, instead he perused the wares of the market absently while never truly letting the woman stray from sight.

@13org

"Sometimes I forget that I'm dead," he explained in a strangely joyous way. "I'm a vampire, Sierra."

Alder went on to say much more, flipping from one subject to another in his nonchalant way. Meanwhile, one of Sierra's ears stopped hearing, and started to ring. She didn't hear all that much of what he said after that, and it wasn't until a good ten seconds of staring blankly in silence that Sierra even realized he'd finished.

Suddenly, her awareness rushed back, and all of Alder's words from the moment before snapped into her mind - loads of overwhelming and confusing information. Fitting, she supposed, to the overwhelming and confusing atmosphere of the whole damn place.

"Uh," she gasped stupidly, blinking several times as if just waking up from a nap, "Uh, wow, okay. Yeah." She looked up at Alder, scrutinizing, for a moment, the movements of his face. Maybe she was a poor judge, but he seemed pretty damn alive to her.

"Okay!" she repeated, more enthusiastically this time. An uncomfortable grin split her face, and she clasped her hands together in front of her. "That, that was a lot of information right there," she chuckled, glancing down and then up again, "But you know, I'd be happy to tell you about my, uh... Species, I guess, and hear about yours."

She smiled again, as if that would somehow negate the fact that her every subtle move exuded discomfort and confusion. However, she really did want to hear about Alder's... condition, and she really did want to exchange some information herself. She did come here to broaden her horizons, after all. Risked a great deal for it, in fact. Plus, she decided she liked Alder, goofy and dead as he was. She hoped to talk with him more.

Just then, a group of people shuffled by, nudging Sierra and Alder out of their way in the process. "Maybe this isn't the best place to talk about this stuff," she noted, looking around, "Do you know if there's anywhere a little more chill we can go?"

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"Regarding to the pepper... Of course chīlli!" Nenetl said, almost like if it was the clearly obvious choice speaking in such an old dialect Seorsa hardly recognized it."It's pungent taste is good for both the body and the soul. To heal and purify. It has a myriad of qualities. In some cultures, it's said that chīlli is a present from the heavens." Nenetl continued, with a smile to the elf boy speeding through her words barely allowing him to speak. Though this brought a smile to him as rarely did he meet someone so excited about such simplistic things.

"How much will it be? Ten for the coffee, and how much for the chīlli?" she asked, putting her hand on the small pouch and taking off a few dollar bills.

" That would be four dollars for the peppers. So your total will come to fourteen dollars for both items." seorsa scribbled them receipt down on his pad handing it to her.

"Pray child if it is not much burden, direct me to this merchant. I fear the market's paths still escape my memory." He held the note out for the elf to see, Nadia's Knick Knacks scribbled on the paper.

"Sure I'd be more than happy to help. Just follow this road for about 2 to 3 shops until you spot the alley way on the left, keep going down that alley and on the other side to your right shall be the shop." Seorsa beamed a smile at the gentleman as Nentl stared at a strange man whose presence had been lingering for a while.

"Once I've gathered your payments I'll be sure to head off and begin working on your orders." He awaited the payment from both parties and once acquired made his way towards his room, waving off the two new customers and thanking them for their business.

Once inside his room he began to set up for the orders. He grabbed two large pots and moved them to opposite sides of the room. Placing a sticky note on one labeling it "Dark Roast" and the other "Ancho-Chocolate Roast". After doing that he carefully placed rich soil in each taking care to ensure it was treated appropriately and speaking to it as if it was alive. He prepared 3 more pots though these were of medium size and were labeled "Chocolate" "Ancho Chili" and "Chili Pepper". Giving each the same treatment he did the first two.

" Alright, this is where the magic happens." he placed the appropriate seeds in each pot and then stood in the center of the room facing one pot, concentrating on it and then slowly lifting his arms. Seorsas veins glowed green on his left arm as did his eyes while he spoke to the seeds, gently coercing them to grow for him. His right arm however glowed yellow in the veins as a radiant light shone down from where his hand gestured, helping the plants grow and allowing them to become a beautiful harvest of coffee.

Sweat dripped from his brow as he finished the first plant and looked into the remaining four. "I can do this. I got this" he said as he let out a deep sigh to relax his muscles. He took this time to relax and pick the berries off the plant and placed them into a roasting tray. He created a light that was so radiant it became 240 degrees Celsius and shielded that area in a rocky dome with a vent on top so as to ensure the room didn't get to its temperature. To help ventilate Seorsa conjured a constant gust of wind having the airway come from the ventilated hole to the under crack of his bedroom door so as to allow the heat to escape through there. The way he commanded the elements and directed the world was although he was a conductor for nature itself. He spoke to them with such sincerity and understanding it was as if they wanted to bend to his will.

Once that roast was finished and he'd heard the crack of the bean he undid the light, earth, and channeled the air to uplift the newly darkened beans to both cool them off as well as place them into a burlap bag made for a pound of coffee. This was tied off and had a hand made tag, placed on the lace that held the bag shut, which read Dark Roast and placed that off to the side inside of his sellers pack where he could easily manage to grab it later on the day.

Moving on he followed the same procedures if light and plant magic becoming for the peppers and chocolate to grow for him and be at the appropriate ripened state for each. The only exception being the Chili pepper in which he made 1/3 of the pound ripe, another 1/3 to be ripe in a week and the final third pound to be ripe in two weeks so that they may last Nentl for a while and not go bad over time. He then picked and placed the chili peppers into separate 1/3 lb. bags each labeled for when they'd be ripe and set those off to the side as each stage of ripeness came. Once the Ancho and Chocolate were ready he placed them into the roasting pan and then turned to proceed with growing the coffee for Nentl.

The process to grow the beans and then place them alongside the cacao beans and acho Chile peppers was a long and arduous one. Not that any of the previous processes were not. For this process he followed a similar one to the previous roasting processes though taking care to not burn or char the new notes added to the coffee. Once made this new blend would have a Molé flavour to it giving it a unique flavor and kick.

Seorsa took quite a few breaks throughout the day, drinking water, eating, and resting to allow himself the strength to continue forward with each new plant and roast. By the time it all ended he was sore and promptly plopped himself onto his bed groaning and aching. "finally...its done...maybe now I can enjoy the rest of the day" Seorsa's head turned towards the window after he had insured all his magic had ceased including his phosphormancy and noticed it was pitch black out and night time. This process has taken him a full day to achieve.

Sierra couldn't help but smile back at Alder. He may have been a bit much, but he had a huge personality and she would be remiss not to be charmed by it. He seemed to go whichever way his mood dictated, like a leaf on the wind. He exuded an air of freedom that Sierra found to be quite enthralling. Perhaps that was why he hadn't yet scared her away.

She stuck close to him as he led them through the market, doing her best to avoid the rest of the crowd and not lose track of him at the same time. When they came to a small shop, Alder held the door with unusual fervor and beckoned her to choose a spot.

The café, as Alder had called it, was quite the place. It was small and intimate, with low ceilings and dark wood walls. None of the chairs or tables matched, the floor was carpeted with colourful rugs and the entire place seemed geared toward a warm and comfortable atmosphere. There was a small empty table in a far corner, flanked on either side by overstuffed chairs. "How about here?" she asked, not waiting for a response before walking over and taking the seat against the wall. She wouldn't normally have liked being cornered, but given the circumstance she decided it would be better to have her back to the wall and face Alder than risk someone (or something) else entirely sneaking up on her.

She sank into the chair, stuffing her bag under it as she did so, and quickly relaxed. The café was a lot quieter than the street, and even though it was still awash with unfamiliar scents, it was far less of an assault to the senses than the market had been. she felt kind of proud of herself for picking such a good seat; she didn't get to make choices for other people too often.

Sierra waited for Alder to settle, awkwardly deliberating on whether she should rest her hands on her legs or on the table as she did so. She decided on the table. When he settled, she finally opened her mouth.

"So, what do you want to know?"

Nenetl was completely oblivious to the rest of the world as she looked to that strange figure. Something in his aura was strangely familiar, even if just a very tiny bit, it was enough to make her incredibly interested. The vampire's words were nothing but unintelligible noises as Nenetl was completely focused in analyzing that strange man's aura. As he waved at her, Nenetl's curiosity only grew stronger after she saw some feathered charms and talismans on his wrist. She knew she said to herself that she had forgotten about her past, that the old Nenetl was dead, but she couldn't help but be curious... Did that man know about the old shamans and their art? Was he some kind of 'modern' shaman?

"That would be four dollars for the peppers. So your total will come to fourteen dollars for both items." Seorsa's voice interrupted her thoughts, making her pay attention at the boy again.

"I-I'm sorry... I got a bit distracted..." Nenetl said, still with her eyes glued on the strange person a few meters away from them, making sure she wouldn't lose him.

"Here you are. I will look for you on the academy. Don't worry, I will ask around, I'm sure I'll be able to find where it is." Nenetl said, putting the money on the boy's hands.

"I'm sorry for not being able to stay longer, I need to do... something..." Nenetl said, walking towards the strange man in a fast pace, almost running, with her eyes still fixed on the man.

Finally getting near the strange man, she proceeded to walk around him analyzing him with the same penetrating gaze from before, almost like if she was looking inside him. Without any ceremony or even a word, she grabbed his hand, carefully studying the feathered charms on his hand, her hand hovering just above them, but without actually touching them, feeling their power.

"You..." Nenetl said, letting go of his hand and looking directly to his eyes, close enough that it would make most people uncomfortable.
"Are you... teuanyolki?" she asked, using the nahuatl word for 'kin', still looking directly into his eyes.

"Is it possible...? Blood of my blood... Your aura, your soul is... familiar. Appearances may lie, but the spirit realm never does. One's soul tell tales that even the very person does not know." Nenetl said, carefully watching his reaction.

^{@Achronum@Trainerblue192@RoccanIronclad}