[Outside the Crooked Playhouse] Another Victem (Ifran)

[Nowa]

Nowa sat still a moment, even so far into the reach, nothing changed at all, outside of Nowa's speech. Nowa sat in contemplation for a moment, though only a moment. With a collection of lights, there was suddenly a young boy present, not older then 7, sitting next to the plate. "I could just speak it better! So how is is the sea? How big? Is the deasert big and far as well? I haven't been outside of this city, so I don't even know! Is it further then I can see? It sounds exciting, but very far! I don't know if I have the strength to fly there!" His stomach grumbled, and he began to swiftly start eating what was left on the plate. Even so, he tried speaking anyway. "You arem'f a birdy! Wh~" He gagged a bit, then swallowed down the bite he was one. "Why call yourself one?" He looked to his finished plate saddened, still hungry.

[Ifran]

A raven-black eyebrow rose curiously, his suspicions confirmed. Ravens were intelligent, but Kelvics were even more so. He had not anticipated such a young creature, but he was not an expert on the development of birds. "Well, this is easier," he agreed with equanimity. There had been the children of slaves and servants within the Noble House of the North Winds, and many of them had found Ifran kindly enough. All the same, he wasn't sure the people of Alvadas would approve of his nakedness where the people of Ahnatep would not care at all. "The Suvan Sea is the largest body of water other than the sea that surrounds Mizahar," he said, "and Eyktol is larger yet, most of it desert. You could not see its edge. Well, perhaps you could from the height you fly, but I would not think so. Perhaps someday, when you are grown, you will be able to see it. The place is quite lovely, always warm." He paused. "Did you want more?"

[Nowa]

His eyes looked up with a bright intensity. "I love food, I always want more! Err..." his eyes shifting with some doubt, then growing somewhat intense as he scanned the aura of the man before him once again. "No excitement or surprise, yet your home is so far away. What made you fly out here? Was it the food? How are you so adjusted to this strange place? Why do you have such a long name? Do you find anything exciting?" The scanning of the aura was mostly habit now, a precaution he always tried to take. He knew his ability to escape was very limited right now. His stomach even grumbled, it was hard to ignore being hungry.

[Ifran]

"We can get you some more food if you like," he said, "though you might want to wear this." He stood and removed the cloak he wore, offering it to the bird boy. He hadn't yet found a proper couturier to make his clothes for him, so nothing quite worked for the Eypharian physique. Come Winter, he would have to make a choice, but it was Summer and so he did not suffer for standing there bare-chested. "At least until you are a bird again. What should you like to eat?" As for the questions, he answered those too, full of largess for the young one. "I came to Alvadas to learn about their art, specifically that of the theater, and to learn about Ionu, patron of this place. I have much to learn before I return home. Perhaps, when the time comes, you might come with me and I will show you the jewel of Eyktol. My name is only Ifran, but I am of the House of the North Winds, and that is important in Ahnatep. "I find you exciting at the moment. Well, perhaps interesting is a better word. How long have you been here? What do you like to do other than eat?"

[Nowa]

Nowa fidgeted with the cloak, clothes were a strange thing, wearing things from plants and animals. Which was this, he wondered to himself. it always felt funny walking around, like balancing was always hard... extra weight only made it harder. "I like to eat cooked and prepared food best of all, so much better then the stuff I just find or get on my own. What is art? Is it yummy as well? You say lots of things I don't know. The-ah-ter. Pay-tron. Eek-tol. Ann-na-tep. In-ter-es-ting, I used to think that was my name, it was said to me a lot." He looked to the strange man. Once again supporting his habit of reading auras. "I have been here forever, like, my whole life forever! I like to be a bird! Do you like being something that isn't you? I think it's silly! What do birds do, they eat, sleep, and hunt! My hunting is just different. What do you do? Why? I like that question, too!"

[Ifran]

Ifran nodded and started walking toward a nearby restaurant where he could feed the curious Kelvic boy. It didn't hurt to have such a one well disposed toward him, the better to send a message or the like. "We'll go get food, then," he assured Nowa. "Art is the expression of what is beautiful, appealing, or of more than ordinary significance. It can be delicious, but not in the same way that food is delicious. Theater is the form of art whereby stories are told with voice and movement, music and dance. Patrons are what you call the people who come to the theater, which is also the name of the place where theater, the art of theater, is performed. Eyktol is the region to the south and west with its deserts. Ahnatep is the name of the city from which I come." He smiled, infinitely patient with Nowa's questions, it seemed. "I make theater, and I get to be all sorts of different people who aren't me. I do enjoy that, yes. Very much."

[Nowa]

Nowa stood, though he didn't start to follow at all. "You continue to use lots of big words, and they keep getting bigger. You're making my eyes spin! You even used the same word for different things! You're just confusing!" He thought about all his questions, and the answers. Too much, his head hurt from trying. "I wanna see it first. You, be someone mean! An artist is something I know! A city is something I know! A city is art, and if you do art, I want to see your art!" Nowa watched carefully, in earnest. He wanted to see if this person was really several people. Hunger could wait, he always had food aside. ...was he an artist, or a fake? A true artist could change their aura as well. OOCAll the random yelling... Nowa should be more settled.

[Ifran]

"Be someone mean?" he asked, a slight frown turning down his brows and the corners of his lips. This hardly seemed conducive to befriending the boy, but he had already made a habit of acceding to his wishes, even if his wishes had only encompassed a desire for food and answers. He didn't break stride, but his eyes narrowed to slits with concentration as he turned his eye inward. Master Fabel preached creating an internal reality and letting it inform the body and voice, while Ifran had been taught to perfect the physical mask of the body and voice, and let that create the inner truth. They were two different routes toward the same thing: expressing a truth about the human condition. With concentration, he held Nowa's young face in his mind and let it fill with all his frustrations, his humiliations, his rages, all that he had carefully bottled up as he had learned in Ahnatep where emotional displays were only allowable if they were artful. These were true emotions that he tried to contain, but now he was fanning the flame. His gait changed subtly, then the cant of his shoulders. The glance he shot at the boy was hard, but true. He didn't hate Nowa, but for the time being he was imagining the boy as the root of all his anger, and that anger blossomed into a cold and dangerous hatred. The trick was remembering that it was his imagination and not his real circumstances, else there might be one less raven in Alvadas before too long. "How mean," he asked, deadly quiet, "do you want me to be?"

[Nowa]

Nowa watched with great interest, as the man sat and focused. With no change through sight, he watched the Aura once again. It was... frightening to see such a drastic change. Nowa wondered if he really felt these emotions, or if it was part of the art. In fact, it was frightening, as even these emotions seamed to waver and even point twords Nowa. The smile on his face changed to a face of worry, he wondered if he asked something wrong. "How mean, do you want me to be?" "Ah, no! That's mean enough!" He smiled again, though it was forced. It was the art! ...or so he tried to convince himself. This man was frighteningly good at it. "You're already scaring me, is there any you can't do? Can you do scared?" He just wanted a different emotion, so he chose his. OOCXD Now the bird must seam really odd, asking you to not be mean anymore before you act.

[Ifran]

With Nowa's response, Ifran could only suppose he had done right and well. Master Fabel would be so proud, he thought dryly. He relaxed his imagination, let the dark feelings ebb away with each breath, each beat of his heart. He was no Ano Cultist, but his trusted friend and servant was, and he had learned a great deal from him. The smile he favored the boy with was kind enough. "Now you want frightened?" he asked, considering a moment before he began. Still they walked, but gradually Ifran's gait grew irregular, his posture on edge, almost twitchy. His dark brows drew up with worry and he cast furtive glances at Nowa as if afraid of what attack or other menace might come from the boy's direction. It built up slowly as these things did, but was more organic, more natural for not coming all at once. Perhaps with time he would be able to change his emotional state between one heartbeat and the next, but this way his aura grew to reflect the altered state his imagination brought about within him. "I-is this a-all right?" he asked, the rich timbre of his voice gone tinny with fear, his tongue seemingly getting in the way of his talking.