And Soon The Darkness (Marcus)

[Lilium]

7th Day of Summer, Dusk - Cerulean Pier Song For Your Listening Pleasure! : Dusk was beautiful, an ageless ongoing shift of time between daytime and evening. A perfect companion to the ever over-dramatic sunset, with its glaring oranges and violent reds. After the theatrical descent of the self-obsessive sun, the night claimed the sky ever so slowly with pinks and purples, muted oranges and silky greens, faded blues and deeper sapphire, until eventually everything was the same deep blue black of nothing. Lilium liked the night, it was like a breath of fresh air after spending so many hours in the cloying decay of her ethaefal form. She closed her eyes, breathed deeply as her body shifted and gills formed on her neck. Her head felt lighter as curved horns shrank and disappeared into her now platinum blonde hair. A smile finally graced her pale lips. Sighing, she opened her now crystalline blue eyes. The konti stood on the beach, her toes bare in the sand. Humming softly to herself, the rejuvenated woman began to stroll towards the pier and onto the wooden slats. She walked down the long wooden walkway, gaze distracted by the gentle flow and ebb of the waves as they dissipated into the night. Her humming became a little more formed, till she found herself singing as she strolled. "Going home, going home I'm just going home. Quiet like, some still day I'm just going home. It's not far, yes close by Through an open door. Work all done, care laid by Going to fear no more. Mother's there expecting me Father's waiting, too. Lots of folk gathered there All the friends I knew... She stopped herself there, song fading into spoken words. "All the friends I knew." Her blue eyes glanced up at the sky and for a moment, she stood and watched the stars. Could the rest of them hear her? Did they miss her as much as she missed them? Making a small noise of disgust, the konti tore her gaze from the sky and continued walking, humming the rest of her tune.

[Marcus Dymez]

It was a lovely time of day, and one that Marcus had often used as a backdrop. The crunch of fruit between yearning jaws echoed against the crashing of waves. Marcus found himself yet again at the harbor, after treating himself to an average apple from a less-than-average vendor. He was in no mood to play standards however, as he was in desperate need of some rest and relaxation. Nothing cheered the young scholar up than practicing his magic at the piers with the setting sun, and after hours of book-work, Marcus was planning on having a bit of time on his own. He leaned on a wooden pile with one arm, his other holding the apple in front of his lips, and let the sea-breeze gently wash over him. Reimancy was a lovely art that he threw his entire being into, and after the sailors had left, and the dockhands stormed the tavern, Marcus usually had the docks to himself. Usually. Marcus took another bite at the apple in his grasp, as he honed in with closed eyes on the distant sound that had distracted him from his thoughts; Faint humming came through the calm between the waves. Marcus found himself intrigued by the sound, and with a slight turn of his head, he focused, using only his ears to observe his environment. It was a somber melody, that somehow felt at home by the sea. Yet it still retained an almost hopeful tune, coming up every chorus for just a brief moment. Marcus enjoyed it with dedicated interest, attempting to mentally phase out the footsteps that had grown close. He decided he would very much like to meet this person of curious song, and he just hoped it wasn't an extremely violent sailor with a light-hearted hum. At the moment the footsteps became louder, Marcus spoke aloud, saying one word in a confident tone. "Beautiful." Marcus opened his eyes and threw the apple core into the harbor, before turning around to see for himself who it was with the whimsical melody. Thankfully, and a bit to his surprised, Marcus found himself facing a lovely woman with blonde locks and pale white skin. He smiled politely to her as she walked by, and hoped to spark an introduction. "That's an interesting song you're humming. Sad yet hopeful, it's quite... Lovely. A lost soul perhaps?" He chuckled a bit at his jesting, and anxiously hoped she wouldn't just disregard him and wander off. His initial burst of confidence was fading, replaced with a curious attraction to this mysterious woman.

[Lilium]

Lilium jumped at the sound of a man's voice, her humming coming to a complete stop and blue eyes wide as the turned on the figure on the quickly darkening pier. Taking a moment to allow her vision to adjust, the konti found herself staring at a hooded figure with a shadowed face. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there!" She said with a small sigh, hand on her heart, a faint pink color to her cheeks. His words were kind however, nothing in his posture or voice giving him a sinister feel. At his comment about a lost soul, Lilium smiled sadly. "It's an old song, one I heard from a soldier - just a boy - a very long time ago. When the world was young and people were still trying to find their place. I suppose yes, it is about a lost soul. Either lost in battle, or..." Shaking her head, the ethaefal tilted her head. "But that's quite an ear you have. Most people just listen for the sounds, you listened to the story. It's been a long time since someone listened to the story." The pale haired woman moved closer to the figure, picking out emerald eyes that seemed just on the verge of vibrant given the right light. Lilium moved beside the man to rest her hands on the wooden railing of the pier and looked out across the water. "And yes, its very beautiful. It was much more beautiful sung from his youthful form, but thank you." Her smile turned warmer, and her eyes traveled back to him with a small nod.

[Marcus Dymez]

Marcus nodded, a polite smile across his face as she flattered his keen senses. "I do pride myself on being quite observant. It's a double-edged blade I suppose, as some things are better off in the shadows..." He left a dramatic pause, purposefully, before letting slip a small chuckle, his playful grin returning as he continued speaking. "But where are my manners. The name is Marcus, Marcus Callus, but a lovely lady such as yourself can simply call me Marc." He pulled back the hood of his robe with one hand, letting his short-cropped hair catch the subtle breeze. He took this moment to quickly look over the woman he had just met, and realized why she had seemed so curiously interesting. Despite the influx of foreigners to Zeltiva for scholarly pursuits, it was hard to live there without some exposure to the sun. The few that remained with the silk white skin were of the majority one specific race; Konti. He mentally grinned to himself at his deductive reasoning, hoping she wasn't simply stricken with some skin-paling illness. He had made such mistakes before, albeit not so drastic ones. Marcus decided to bring it up, doing as he tended to, and ignoring any possible negative circumstances. This was the vice of his curiosity, and one that had caused some, 'interesting,' situations before. He spoke with his usual calm and welcoming tone, "So, if I'm not mistaken, you come from the Konti Isle, no? It's a rare sight these days to meet a Konti, but Zeltiva welcomes all kinds. Perhaps that's why I enjoy it so..." Marcus looked off to the side, stroking his thinly-shaven chin as he thought on that fact for a moment, before shaking his internal reverie and returning to reality. Marcus had a tendency to get distracted often, especially by his own thoughts, and it had a funny habit of happening in the most 'unfortunate' of circumstances. He was even distracted at this very moment. Luckily, the subject of his current curiosity was this equally curious woman.

[Lilium]

Smile widening at the man's dramatic acceptance of her observation, Lilium found herself pleasantly thrown by his cryptic pause. She knew well of holding back on things best left unsaid to people who couldn't handle them. This man had a sense of curiosity about him, something she hadn't encountered in a long time. Something new. The idea of meeting someone new and unique sent a thrill through her spine. It had been an age since she met someone unique. As the man swept back his hood, the pale creature was welcomed to a fresh face with short cropped brown hair and those temptingly green eyes - allowed to express their full emerald glory even in the low lights of the lamps being lit along the pier shopfronts. As he introduced himself, the lightly shimmering woman lowered her head in acknowledgement, a graceful tip to a past where people bowed and curtsied their greetings. "Pleased to meet you, Marc. My name is Lilium." His smile grew slightly, as though he had figured something out, and as he spoke of the Isle of her Sisters, Lilium raised an eyebrow. "Yes. And then no." Moving away from the railing, she turned to face him. There was no mystery to her shifting, nothing she really intended to hide..except perhaps the bloodied past that threatened her mind during the day. "I was one of them, my sisters. The konti. I remember the First, I remember...the Gods. But I am konti no longer, not for more than two hundred years now. I left my sisters as soon as I realized who I was. What I had become." Glancing up at the sky, her crystalline eyes spotted the moon and she scoffed. "I am Ethaefal, konti by night and horned beast by day. And truly, Zeltiva certainly welcomes all kinds. I always find myself drawn back to this city, no matter where my feet take me. I suppose I could almost call it home. Almost." Turning her eyes back to Marc, the slight woman smiled again, unable to stay melancholy in the night. Not when she could claim some semblance of normality. "I take it Zeltiva is your home then?" From between them, her stomach growled angrily. It was night time, she could eat and taste and feel. Goddess be damned to all the hells of the world, she was starving. Embarrassed, she felt her cheeks turn slightly pink. "Sorry, my stomach is reminding me it's night time."

[Marcus Dymez]

When this ever-interesting woman revealed her true origins, Marcus' mind became ecstatic. This woman was a product of the Valterrian itself, and the scholar within him began to frame question against question. Luckily, this time Marcus was able to restrain his curiosity, albeit only slightly, and not ruin the moment entirely. The excitement had carried over into his expression, as his tone gained an upbeat quality, ringing out into the crisp sea-borne air. "An Ethaefal? Well, I must say, I did not expect to hear that." Marcus chained up his mind, restraining his overwhelming curiosity for a later encounter. But he was well within his rights; Ethaefal were a rare race who came from the heavens themselves. Shapeshifters, Marcus had read a brief journal of their tales for one of his University courses, 'A Collection of Ethaefal Accounts' it was called. Marcus chuckled briefly, scratching behind his head in a nervous gesture. "Well, I suppose that trumps the tricks up my sleeve..." At her mentioning of Zeltiva, Marcus was conflicted. Her words were of longing, a somber remnant of hope, ultimately tinged with inevitable despair. Marcus picked up on some of this sadness, and as she smiled over to him, veiling her sorrows, the young magician gently placed a hand on her shoulder, and with a light and cheery tone, exclaimed, "Even the court of the gods have a home here on our mortal plane, no?" He withdrew his hand after a moment or two, before bringing it back to sit on the wooden pile, his weight leaning ever-so-slightly into it. As she asked of his own origins, Marcus was happy to oblige. After all, Zeltiva had been quite kind to him over these few years, and shielded him from many misfortunes. Even the Djed storm of months prior was intercepted by this grand city, on his behalf. "Yes, this my home, and humble ci-" Mid-sentence, his words were interrupted by a growl reminiscent of a wolf struck with hunger, and Marcus did his best not to laugh. He flashed her a playful grin, as he saw an opportunity to extend this encounter further. "Well, it would be rude to leave a lovely maiden with her hunger. I live over at the University, and I'm sure I can get you something from the mess hall." Always excited to prolong these sorts of adventures, Marcus was certain, perhaps falsely so, that she would join him for a free meal, and so he strode to her side, mustering up yet another burst of courage as he wrapped an arm around the small of her back, and smirked to her, emerald eyes emblazoned with a sense of bravado. To be honest, this was the most nervous Marcus had ever been.

[Lilium]

Watching the sudden shift in Marc's features and the excitement in his eyes, Lilium couldn't resist allowing her smile to broaden, almost able to see the cogs turning in his mind. She enjoyed his boyish demenour as he tried to control his enthusiasm. "I assure you, we are not that interesting." She said softly, her brow raised slightly. As his hand rested on her shoulder, Lilium glanced at it, before looking at his face. Indeed, the Gods did so have their place on the world. But that place was not for her, the stench of divinity only served to spew forth the feeling of hatred and destruction she so carefully tried to control. Taking a deep breath, the pale skinned creature was grateful for the night air. It helped cool her thoughts. As her stomach growled again, the woman smiled with an air of embarrassment, relieved to see the amusement on his face. The man came closer, his arm snaking around her waist. For a moment, Lilium stiffened. Her blue eyes widened slightly and her smile faltered. She was old, older than the young green-eyed man by centuries. The ethaefal saw others, ones that worshiped her, ones that hated her. Others were terrified by her. The blood, limbs broken and torn... That was then, this was now. Night was not the time to bring out old things, old horrors. Relaxing, she smiled at Marcus, allowing herself to remember the delights of being mortal. Again her stomach growled at her. "What a gentlemanly gesture, how could I refuse? Please lead the way." Lilium glanced at his bright emerald eyes with a chuckle as they began to stroll along the pier. "I knew a man once, with eyes as blue as yours are green. Interesting creature, curious mind but misplaced ideals." Pausing, she reached up to tuck a loose platinum strand behind her ear. "Tell me, Marc, how does a handsome young gentleman like yourself come to live in the University? Are you a scholar there?"

[Marcus Dymez]

Marcus casually walked off of the pier with this curious new friend, guiding her with an arm around the waist. He had indeed noticed the crack in her expression when he had made his 'move,' and he had almost withdrew and apologized until she smiled back at him and motioned him onward. She must be reeeeal hungry to put up with this... Marcus immediately shut that thought out however, not because of any sense of ego, but rather the insult it meant to her. Marcus continued his idle thoughts for a brief moment as Lilium asked her question of him, and supposed that he was a scholar, albeit not a traditional one. With a smile he turned to her and spoke, still anxious from the close distance of the beautiful woman. "Yes, I suppose am a scholar or sorts." Marcus was still plotting out some theatrical performance to introduce his talents, as was his usual liberty with new acquaintances. Marcus would rather use his reimancy for exploring ancient coves, but creating garden snakes of fire worked almost as well. Preempting his lovely companions (assumed) next question, Marcus continued speaking, with usually warm and casual tone. "I'm quite curious about what it was like before the Valterrian, and I'm searching out various relics and artifacts of that time." A moment or two later, Marcus laughed, realizing the irony of his words as he turned to her. He gently rubbed her side with the hand placed gingerly above her behind, as he smirked playfully to her. "I guess in a way I already found one." He had glimpsed the strange sense of sorrow she held within her, and regardless of how awkward and nervous he felt, he decided it worthwhile as long as she still remained smiling. He strolled with her under the stone arch that signaled the edge of campus, and nodded towards his dorm block with a slight chuckle.. "Tell your stomach we're almost there." As the pair walked towards his mess hall, Marcus pulled Lilium closer against her, his face becoming slightly flushed as he explained his plan. "This is going to sound pretty strange, but bear with me; I'm going need you to act like we're a nice, happy couple. They're usually pretty strict about non-students on-campus, but they're not strict enough to push away spouses and the like. I don't mind working the system a bit, but it requires a bit of playing around." Marcus smirked over to her as they got to the dining hall, his expression obviously belying his reserved enjoyment of the situation. He walked over quickly to open the door, and held it open for her, the rumble and rustle of hungry students coming through the opening. "After you, Lilium, my dear." Walking through after her, Marcus took her into his arm once more and walked over to the window-counter, politely smiling at the man behind the counter who shrewdly stared at the supposed couple. A moment later, the man resigned himself and went ahead in asking for their requests. Marcus ordered his usual small plate of meats and vegetables, not one to eat too much at once. Turning to the beautiful blonde beside him, he let her come up and order whatever she cared to have. Marcus did not know it at the time, but he had let loose a monster.

[Lilium]

Looking at Marcus with a slightly raised eyebrow, the pale haired woman laughed slightly before looking ahead again. She could appreciate his enthusiasm if the pre-Valterrian was his passion, and the ethaefal couldn't help herself. "I remember some things about the world before the Valterrian. Little bits and pieces, flashes here and there. Perhaps I could shed some light on your research. Although, I don't quite know if I like being put in the same sentence as a relic." Her pink lips still held a smile as she playfully mocked his words, blue gaze looking up as they passed under an archway made of stone. The entrance to the campus where the students and scholars of the city resided. Lilium could remember when they spoke of the University, before she left the mortal world originally. There had been talk, even on Mura, about a great building of knowledge and learning. She could remember...a little. As they approached the mess hall, Lilium kept her eyes to the front, but tilted her head slightly to hear was the emerald eyed man had to say. A plan, a guise as a happy young couple. Indeed, the slightly shimmering creature could understand the University would have rules lest anyone from the street bother them for a meal. Yet, the look on Marcus' face indicated to her that the man probably enjoyed the guise a lot more than he should have. Smiling sweetly, Lilium nodded to him as she walked through the door he held open like a true gentleman of old. "Why thank you." She said in a bell-like voice, allowing his arm to snake around her again without so much as a flinch. As they approached the shrewd man behind the counter, the konti blushed coquettishly and tilted her head to rest gently on Marcus' shoulder. Delighted when he allowed them to order, the delicate woman waited as her companion ordered. Beaming at him, she turned to the front-man. "I shall have a plate of today's roast, with potatoes and gravy. Double serve. A half loaf of bread and a small block of cheese. A bowl of today's soup along with a side of greens, a pot of sweet spiced wine, and an apple pie. Not a slice, the whole pie. With cream if you have it. Oh, and bacon. Just a plate of it. Blackened." Offering a girlishly sweet smile, she turned her iced blue eyes towards Marcus and giggled a little. "I am just starving!" The konti said enthusiastically, before pressing a quick peck to his cheek for good measure. If there was something Lilium could do apart from sing, it was act a part.

[Marcus Dymez]

Marcus enjoyed the little play they were acting out, smiling over to his companion as she leaned her head on his shoulder. Despite his curiosity and good-nature, Marcus had never been very good with women, and he still was a bit nervous around them. Thankfully, putting on a performance allowed his curiosity to trump his anxiety, and Marcus took advantage of this temporary sensation to enjoy the close company. He held her softly against his side, glancing up at the man running the mess hall. When it came time for Lilium to order her own meal, her bright smile was infectious, and Marcus couldn't help chuckle at the lovely sight. It was a bit sad that it was all an act, but the young student was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth. After all, what was life but a giant play in which we act out ourselves? What Marcus had not foreseen was the raw amount of food she would order. Marcus glanced up at the chef, sharing dumbfounded stares. It was almost a form of communication even, so deep was their surprise. Marcus could do nothing but shrug at the man with his free shoulder, as he shoveled a tray filled with food. In his entire time here at the University, the only time Marcus had seen a tray that laden with food was when a professor was celebrating a remarkable discovery, and wanted to revel with his students. All twenty of them. After the pair had gotten a hold of their food, Marcus led his companion to a table, and quickly set down his tray, before shuffling around to pull out her chair. He was doing a lot more quick movement than he was accustomed to in these robes, and he was cautious not to trip on himself. After they both were seated, Marcus observed the situation from a clear mind, and could not help but laugh. Marcus began to cut into his small roast, smirking up at the giddy woman across from him as he made a quaint little jest. "Go ahead and Dig in. Seriously, you may need an actual shovel to get in there." It was a terrible joke, and Marcus was immediately disappointed with himself.