Closed [The Emporium] Enlightened Interrogation [Venser]

[Valdar Aretino]

27 Spring
514 AV
The Emporium

The idea came to him accidentally. He'd passed the carving shop after taking a wrong turn when looking for a store, and-though he hadn't entered then-made a note of its existence in his mind before leaving. Valdar needed some way to support himself, after all, and he knew a little something about carving. When he noticed the sign in the window written in neat handwriting that said simply Help Wanted, there was no immediate reaction, either. Help wanted at the carving store. That was the mental note that went into the man's brain, nothing else. If he came back tomorrow and the sign was still there, maybe he'd pop into the store and see if a job there was a prize worth acquiring.

But then the idea stuck in the mess that was Valdar's brain and stubbornly drew attention to itself, interrupting other thoughts that felt more important to the man than getting a new job would be.

I suppose I do need a way to support myself. Mis and Nee can't survive unless I buy them food, either. I can't starve my cats.

Wind created by movement rustled through the nest of thick dark hair that topped the Aretino man's head as he turned around and walked back towards the carving store. The hair on his head was matched by a layer of near-black stubble covering the bottom half of his face. Valdar wore his usual set of clothes-light gray shirt and dark gray pants. The pockets in a black coat enveloped his hands, while his feet were secured in a pair of black boots.

It took him only two chimes to get back to the store. The outside door was surrounded by sculptures of all shapes and sizes and carved figurines that displayed an incredible attention to detail. Valdar spent another few admiring the works out in front of the store. A sign declared it to be Mikayas' Emporium for Sculpted Curiosities. Was this the Emporium he'd heard mentioned before? It seemed likely since this was the first Emporium of any sort he'd seen in Ravok.

The building itself was old. Older than dirt. Older than old dirt. It looked weathered and worn, but well loved. Its wide front door made it easy to see more of the wares that were stocked inside the Emporium, intriguing him further and beckoning to him, calling out for the young man to set foot inside. Valdar followed his urges and took the steps one at a time quickly, hoping they wouldn't crack under his weight. Though it wasn't likely, it was a precaution he would have taken if he were twenty pounds or two hundred pounds-the exterior looked ready to crumble.

He took a moment to look around, amazed at the sheer number of handcrafted works inside the Emporium. Unfortunately, though there were a great deal of carved people standing proudly in the store, there were none evident at first glance.

"Hello? Anyone here?"

[Venser Rush]

It seemed that despite Mikayas' best attempts - or lack thereof - to find an additional carver to supplement Venser's own services, the Rush twin was still alone in the Emporium, still kept from the full breadth of his studies. Venser arrived to work almost each day, given the occasional day off he requested it, but for the most part, it was becoming more and more difficult to keep the scales tipped. Miro was teaching the Rush twin the workings of magic, the Institute was supplementing said knowledge and expanding upon it, the two forming a guided path for him to follow and tread.

Magic was the power of the world, the mundane submitting to its power, the transcendent practicing it. Power was one's means of ascending their limitations, and their ability to enforce Change upon the world, which was Venser's primary motivation, but of course, this day, he was bound to his work. Or rather, Mikayas' work. The Rush twin allowed a breath of frustration to flee his lips before he moved to behind his desk to find the sanding leather and polish serum. The two together worked to complete the work that Mikayas accomplished, turning wonderful sculptures to life-like, breathtaking visages and images. Sculptures stood like sentinels, a narrow, but walk-able path made in the shop to both the desk and the staircase, but for the moment, Venser's presence in the midst of the sculptures made crossing impractical.

A client had entered the shop the day before, requesting a sculpture already made in the collection, a crafted piece depicting a woman, her breasts revealed to sport an ugly scar across her chest, her eyes raised to the sky, open wide, features contorted in pain. Set upon her knees, Venser imagined that the sculpture depicted the receiving of Rhysol's blessing, though the Rush twin was confused as to why the face was in pain.

Is receiving Rhysol's gnosis painful? It makes sense that to receive power, one must overcome pain, but is this truly how it looks to be blessed into Chaon?

He wondered solely because he knew that Rhysol's love and blessing was Verin's ultimate dream, and the materialization of such a thing was his ambition, but did Verin know this? Would Verin receive the pain gladly? Though, Venser was not one to compare. The power that Miro bestowed upon him was painful, as well, the initiation, their meeting, both were painful in their own ways. Venser knew better than some that pain was necessary in order to grow. But, still, worry gnawed at him.

Thoughts stirred for a moment before being cast aside, his eyes narrowed in scrutiny of the work to be done. The sculpture was wonderfully done, the carvings of a satisfactory nature, though the rougher edges at the cheekbones, the texture of the 'skin' around the horrid scar, and lips were rather unrefined. It was, of course, Venser's job to touch up and erase the flaws that his Master overlooked.

He found, that as of yet, the flaws were easier to identify. He overlooked less and found that the finishings were easier and more efficiently done when they were spotted with ease. Venser first focused upon the scar, as the other two were smaller and finer things to fix. He'd rather have the larger surface to work on and save the rest for afterwards.

The sanding leather was raised in Venser's left hand, the Rush twin choosing the smallest of the set, the piece approximately the size of his palm, adorned with a strap so that one could 'wear' it on their hand. It also included a piece to be strapped to the finger, so that even finer points could be manipulated. This was surely one of Mikayas' own inventions, the engraver unable to relate it with anything he had ever seen before.

Rather than use the larger surface at his palm, Venser focused specifically on the finger, kneading his index finger, covered by the sanded leather, into the sculpture, making sure to keep a fixed attachment to the raised skin of the scar, without truly pressing into the scar 'tissue' itself. The Rush twin traced the expanse of skin, dust falling to the floor beneath the sculpture, the space slowly, but surely becoming more refined in appearance, cleaner, smoother, yet it still missed the sheen of brilliance that came with the philtered serum that Venser set upon the floor. There was also a small, clean rag that Venser used to apply the serum, though they were, for the moment, ignored.

Words sailed through the space of the Emporium, a shadow materializing at Venser's left hand side, the silhouette of a man visible, but, for the moment, completely ignored. Venser was busy, and the man, a younger one by the sound of his voice, did not sound like he was here to buy, but instead pester Venser with useless questions about some particular bauble that he wasn't likely to be able to afford.

Instead, the blonde finished the process of touching up the sculpture, reaching down for the serum, using his right hand to grip the cloth, his left closing around the bottle holding the serum. He made sure to blow on the area of the finishing, air dusting out the remainder of the wooden specks before he applied the serum to the cloth. Slow, circular strokes were set in motion, the serum seeping into the wooden surface, providing a glossy finish that needed to be dispersed along the entire sculpture, but segments that required heavy polishing came first.

It was only when Venser completed the first part of his task that he turned to the newcomer, concentration broken and the focused expression upon his features quickly surrendered to a neutral, unreadable expression in order to mask the disdain that Venser felt about being disturbed. He stepped to the side of the sculpture so that he could be seen properly, his lips parting as he replied,

"Yes, I am here, my friend. Welcome to Mikayas' Emporium for Sculpted Curiosities. Is there anything that I can assist you with? There is a vast assortment of existing sculptures available for purchase, and custom projects are certainly available to those who are willing to invest in it. My name is Venser Rush, and I will gladly assist you however I can."

[Valdar Aretino]

There! Yes, there was someone in the shop. A blond man worked away at a sculpture, applying some sort of substance to the project in front of him with a piece of cloth. The Aretino man said nothing else at that point, instead choosing to step to the side and watch him work. It was a perfect opportunity, Valdar decided, to examine the shop's aura. Not much would be revealed from the quick look he was planning to take, but anything horribly amiss would come up and inform him to get the hell out of there as soon as he possibly could.

So he closed his eyes, first making sure that the man was occupied. The kind of look he was planning to take would need only a chime or two, but would be blatantly obvious to a magic user-hopefully the man wasn't one. Valdar pulled at the djed constantly there in his mind but usually ignored, covering his senses with a veil. Then he opened his eyes and focused deeply on the blond, still concentrating on the figurine. It took him a handful of ticks to get an impression of the man, as he was fairly calm and experiencing no intense emotions. To his surprise, the first thing obvious to Valdar's cold iron eyes was the man's arm, marked with spotty scars that emanated...what was that? Dread? Power? After a moment more of focus on his scars, it was obvious-they were from a fight, and it was lethal to the other party. The incident happened a long time ago, it seemed, but it bothered the Aurist nevertheless. Shaken, Valdar returned to his observation of the man's aura, feeling more cautious than he had before.

So he broke his focus on the blond's arm, instead looking at the broader picture again. Now that he'd identified the sensations coming from his arm, the scars seemed to ooze red liquid. Life force from whoever it was he'd killed. The next thing that caught his sense was another feeling, though this was of will and came from his chest. A closer look told the dark-haired man that this was an artifact of some sort, a product of some discipline of magic he wasn't familiar with. This was intriguing...a chance to add another form of magic to his arsenal? Maybe this murderer was worth the risk.

He was starting to tire from the strain of djed pouring into his eyes, the muscles starting to tingle. Too much more time spent looking at the killer's aura would result in consequences for him. Hesitantly, Valdar retreated from the cloak of his sixth sense over his other senses and immediately felt fatigue. In an attempt to recuperate somewhat before the man spoke to him, he closed his eyes and slumped down slightly. The observation session had only taken a few chimes, and Valdar was better at utilizing his skills than he once was, but it hurt nonetheless.

"Yes, I am here, my friend. Welcome to Mikayas' Emporium for Sculpted Curiosities. Is there anything that I can assist you with? There is a vast assortment of existing sculptures available for purchase, and custom projects are certainly available to those who are willing to invest in it. My name is Venser Rush, and I will gladly assist you however I can."

Venser's voice startled Valdar enough to prompt him to open his eyes, steel focusing on ice and staring coldly. "Valdar Aretino. I couldn't help but notice the sign outside. Are you still seeking help?" he queried, raising one eyebrow but otherwise keeping his face emotionless. This man was a killer, after all, and that was enough to concern him.

Remembering his manners, the Aretino took four steps towards Venser and extended his left hand. "A pleasure to meet you, Venser. The work you have displayed here is lovely."

[Venser Rush]

The guest took an inordinate amount of time to reply to Venser's greeting, instead taking his sweet time in observing the Rush twin, something that the Rush twin found rather distasteful. He looked along Venser's arm, moving along his form in a fashion that the woodcarver felt uncomfortable with. This was done so to such an extent that Venser did not pick up on the unsettled feeling in his stomach, the sixth sense that wizards shared, which alerted them to the presence of the usage of djed. This was normal, for one had to be completely invested in such a thing to note it, and Venser, still new to the magic of Auristics, was unable top call upon it at a moment's notice.

Rather, the blonde was kept with a curious, uncomfortable feeling that he was being watched, cornered by a suspicious sort with an attentive, and invasive gaze. Venser narrowed his gaze, the man's questions only rendering him more uncomfortable. His name seemed normal enough, though. Valdar Aretino. Though with the revelation of a name came little more than idle curiosity, unable to recognize it, though in Ravok, this was a norm. The Rush twin was unable to discern whether or not the man was a citizen, or whether or not he was of use to Mikayas and the Emporium as a whole, but it was up to him to find out.

Of course, Mikayas had the ultimate say, but the man was not yet present, working out, as was his tendency, yet another business arrangement with some patron within the Ravokian area. Most of his works were expensive, large pieces worth hundreds to even a thousand or more mizas, or a production of a series of smaller items. But, orders that Mikayas personally arranged had the tendency to keep him, and Venser, busy and with mizas to spare.

It was a comfortable existence, if not a lonely and rather isolated one, but despite this, Venser had no intention of loosing himself from this job. Though, Mikayas had already decided to hire a new employee, the sign clear for all to see, yet only one, for the moment, decided to show up and ask about it.

I can see why. Carving is a profession lost on many. It requires patience well beyond the capabilities of most. The only reason I bear with it is because I have a higher calling, one that requires the skills that I hone in this place.

It took a moment, but Venser nodded slowly, looking to the other man, narrowing his gaze before reaching out to take his hand, pleasant surprise visible. The man was, like Venser, left-handed, a quality that made the greeting all the easier, though discomfort still leaked from Valdar's earlier scrutiny.

"We are, Valdar. Of course, given that Mikayas is a very busy man, and I manage his job on a day-to-day basis, I will need to interview you before you are hired, or not. Mikayas has the final say, but my recommendation will carry weight in his decision. Is this agreeable to you?"

It wasn't like he had a choice. If he wanted to work here, Valdar needed to comply. Venser allowed a smirk to grace his features, crystalline eyes meeting Valdar's steel-coloured ones.

[Valdar Aretino]

He is arrogant, without a doubt. Confident in his abilities. Does not want a new person coming in who this Mikayas fellow might see as better than him. I would feel the same way in his position.

With a quirked eyebrow, Valdar shook the Rush man's left hand firmly. He, like Venser, was pleasantly surprised that his potential co-worker shared a dominant hand, as shaking hands with another left handed individual was much less complicated than shaking the hand of a right-handed person. Valdar took the opportunity to clench the blond's hand and examine his arm closely, looking with his first sight at his scars. They mottled his arm in an irregular pattern, and though they didn't look significant, to the Aretino they were much more. Those scars were proof that Venser killed a man, and this would be his first test.

"What happened to your arm? Seems you sustained a wound a while ago, but from the looks of it I would say there were unusual circumstances in play when you acquired it."

Satisfied he'd asked the right question of the man in front of him, Valdar returned his cold gaze to Venser's icy eyes. "If you say it is a necessity, then I do not think I have a choice in the matter. Very well." As Valdar replied, he blinked once, slowly, and nodded, a smirk adorning his stubbly face to match the Rush man's own. If this was the game Venser wanted to play, then he would have a fair opponent in the scraggly-haired Aretino.

Valdar turned his back to Venser and looked back at the shop, eyes sweeping slowly across the Emporium. The inventory Valdar took was brief, for he had a purpose. Smirk widening, he approached a stone figurine of a powerful-looking man standing over an open book, arms upturned. Carved into the stone with immaculate detail was the echo of a maniacal laugh, lifelike to such a degree that it intimidated the Aretino man upon a first glance.

Without turning his head, the dark-haired man called out to Venser. "This is Mikayas' work? Whoever made this put an incredible amount of effort into his work. I would expect this from a master, nothing less."

[Venser Rush]

The obsession with his arm obviously stemmed from something else. As the man clenched his hand around Venser's, a narrowed, angered expression took hold of his features. But, the Rush twin did not allow it to end there. The smirk manifested upon his expression as he saw it fit to loosen his own grip, allowing Valdar's to overtake him for the moment as the Rush twin pulled at the weave of his djed. He opened the pathways leading from his astral body to his physical one, allowing the djed to flow from the soul itself and through his arm, djed trickling into the general vicinity of his hand.

The flow was difficult to control effectively, Venser wishing to bring it to his forearm, where the muscle structure that controlled the clenching of his fist was, but he relented, the djed distributed in the musculature of his entire arm as the Rush twin sent the command to his hand to clench around the Aretino boy. The djed that he had mustered was negligible, approximately half of the strength from his weaker arm absorbed into his left, and with it, Venser squeezed. Venser was unaware of how strong the Aretino boy's bones were, but it was a question the Rush twin wanted to know.

How strong were they? How useful were they? Exactly which bones could be used to produce a maximum possible effect? Little by little, the Rush twin found his questions less in line with if he were to snap bone and more towards the inevitability that if Valdar irritated him to such an extent, that there was a distinct chance of harvesting said bones and blaming the situation on Valdar himself. Of course, there was little desire to do such a thing, but the thoughts flowed at the base of his mind, as the blonde's desire to manipulate human bone was tantamount.

No, no... Not just yet, Venser... He hasn't portrayed himself as a completely hopeless case. Unsettling as his obsessions may be, his presence in the Emporium is likely more useful than the few bones you could steal from him before the death is perceived as murder by a Legate.

The Rush twin nodded inwardly, noting that he was still squeezing the man's hand with force. Merely a few ticks had passed, the man's question floating through the air as the Rush twin pulled back his hand, the smirk merely growing wider, the thought that his magic could be perceived only as hidden, monstrous strength to most assuring him of his advantage as he replied to him,

"My arm? You do seem to have quite the obsession with it, Valdar. But, I think that, for the moment, I will be asking the questions. You might, in time and with favour, eventually gain access to that particular bit of information."

The smirk faded in favour of a far more professional, neutral expression, Venser taking several steps backwards so that he was able to rest his lower body on the surface of the desk, the man remaining in a standing position as he did so. The questions came next,

"What exactly has you seeking out a job with Mikayas the Sculptor? Are you a woodcarver already? And if so, where did you hone your craft?"

The questions allowed Venser a reprieve in order to perceive that the man's fixation with his arm was unnaturally fast. Venser could not yet connect the dots, but he allowed himself the access to do so. Pulling at the weave of his djed again, Venser regulated the flow of the Flux from his arm and back to the astral body, opening the pathways for a different purpose. Venser allowed the time the Aretino was investing in his answers to be spent purposing his djed into his mind, expanding it within the sphere of his thoughts, then reaching out into the world to synchronize with the Aretino boy's aura.

As the man spoke, Venser would read Valdar's aura to attempt to divine his true intentions.

[Valdar Aretino]

Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow.

Thoughts of 'holy shyke, he's strong' filled Valdar Aretino's mind as Venser nearly crushed his hand. The Aretino, in pain or not, almost never used foul language unless he was referring to muck or grime of some sort. But that was a different sort of foul language. His eyes began to water slightly from the pain-a constant compression that seemed almost unbearable.

When Venser squeezed his left hand around Valdar's own, Valdar almost screamed. Though he managed to restrain himself, steely eyes widened involuntarily before Valdar got himself back under control. There was something highly improbable going on here. Either Venser Rush worked out an incredible amount or the dark-haired man needed to take a very long look at his aura again.

Do I have enough energy to take another look at Venser's aura while still paying attention to this conversation? This is not something that I have ever done before, but I am almost certain that something is very wrong here. If I do not take this chance, the situation will spiral out of my control faster than a raindrop falls.

That was when Valdar realized Venser was talking to him.

"I did not realize asking one question about the scars of another person constituted an obsession," retorted the taller man. He had a full two or three inches of height over the blond, something he was thankful for at that moment even though Venser clearly had the advantage as far as strength was concerned.

Another point to be thankful for: the Rush man's next questions were much more straightforward. He knew his own history very well, thank you very much.

"I would think the first answer would be obvious. There was a sign in your front window, and I am in need of a job. I am a carver, yes. My father was fond of saving money, and he would often carve his own eatery to spare the cost of a few mizas. When he felt he could trust me with a knife, he taught me to do the same thing, and gave me the leftover bits in hopes that I would make something useful out of them. I carved many scraps of wood growing up."

Valdar crossed his arms over his chest, though he had no desk or table to lean on in order to fully mirror Venser's position. He said nothing else when he'd answered the man's questions, still licking his wounds from Venser's last answer to a question the Aretino asked.

[Venser Rush]

The man was attempting to play him for a fool. Not only did he look upon the wounds more than once, but he had visibly reacted to their presence. Scars were by no means an extraordinary happening, but this man had looked upon them with a sense of curiosity. It was the very first thing he had done upon looking at the Rush twin. There was no looking at his face, nor was there any attempt at casually bringing it up. This man, from what Venser saw, was a very strange sort. But, there was no problem there. The blonde was strange, as well. A murderer with a clear conscience about the crime, even happy about its occurrence, for it rid the world of his Sylirist filth of a father, it rid him of the chains that held him to a life in the shadow of oppression. For him, death was Transformation. And it was his salvation. Harameus worked his transformation through the media that he desired, slowly and meticulously planning it, and the Rush twin was no one to contest his desires for him.

He was, if anything, far too willing to understand them. A sneer materialized upon Venser's expression as he looked at Valdar straight in the eye. There was nothing short of sarcasm in his tone as he replied,

"Questions about random, ordinary things don't constitute an obsession? Hm... How about repeatedly looking upon it? Purposely staring, as if trying to divine a purpose? Your stare is as obvious as your lies, Aretino. Though, if you muster such commitment to learning about the nature of my scars, surely you can have other commitments. Perhaps there is some use to you. Only time will tell."

A chuckle escaped the Rush twin's lips as he pressed his fingers to the scars of his left arm, his right sporting drastically different scars of its own. Venser was a man shaped by his wounds, for they moulded him ,the direct, end result of the magicks he had acquired and his means of elevating their use and his commitment to them.

Magic is by no means a tool. For the weak can use tools. Magic is not to be underestimated and used without warning, for it will destroy you. Magic is the way to understanding the world, and controlling it. This much I know, if nothing more...

Venser brought himself to reality, nearly a chime passing as Valdar's reply to his words, if there was one at all, was ignored. He did not have the time to sit about and lounge, listening to the words of the useless. He would continue on his path, and Valdar would follow. Or be forsaken. His sneer vanished as he spoke again,

"I would like to witness the skill that you imply possession of . If anything, perhaps you can be used instead of me to finish and polish the shape of the sculptures Mikayas makes, and I can return to the calling that I was brought into. I am meant to be Mikayas' engraver, for he lacks the desire to do it himself. But, as of late, I have been hampered from this task byother, more present works. If you are skilled enough to know how to finish a sculpture without completely mucking it up, you can consider this job yours."

There was no sense of judgement in his tone, though his lips carried the faint traces of a smile. It amused him greatly to haze the 'new hire.'

As far as Venser was concerned, the job was his already. He proved able to take the blonde's harsh personality. And with Mikayas' way with people, namely ignoring their existence unless there was a conversation of substance to be had, Valdar was perfect for the job.

[Nemesis]

. Thread Grade Pending Greetings! If either of you decide to return, throw me a PM and your thread will be graded. Thank ye, -Nemesis